The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 339: Among Allies

Chapter 339: Among Allies

The mess hall was a spacious, open series of tents surrounded by cookfires. The camp I had stayed in before left cooking up to each squad, yet that must have been too inefficient for this many soldiers. A large, pot-bellied man stood surveying the gathered line of soldiers, shouting orders and smacking heads with his ladle whenever one got out of line.

Most soldiers returned to their tents to eat or sat on the ground around the mess hall. But as we approached, Sarra waved us over to one of the few tables beneath the shade of the canvas. They must have been reserved for officers because a few low-ranking captains were glaring at the fourth-level mage, disgruntled with being displaced. However, their expressions changed the moment they caught sight of us, and they sharply saluted before leaving without further complaint.

"Ah, there’s the wolf!"

I glanced up, brow creasing in confusion, as the potbellied man charged toward us. To my surprise, Fable rose to meet him, allowing the man to grab him around the scruff and pet him. I felt a flash of jealousy and quickly smothered the feeling, but I couldn’t help feeling a little bitter. How come Fable didn’t try and lick his face? Also, why was he letting someone else pet him?

The cook let go of Fable and turned toward us, taking in our party with a raised eyebrow. His gaze settled on me and he raised an eyebrow. "You are this wolf’s master? No offense, but you hardly look fit to command such a majestic beast."

His tone wasn’t unkind, or even particularly disrespectful, but I flinched all the same. "I’m sorry," I said, staring at my lap.

Fable padded back to me and nuzzled my cheek with his nose. I sighed and stroked his cheek, looking up as the cook suddenly gasped and threw himself on the ground. I blinked and tilted my head, confused, as he began to grovel.

"My Lady! Forgive this humble cook his words. I didn’t recognize you at first, and terribly misspoke!" he cried, voice trembling with fear.

The commotion began to draw the attention of others, so I quickly held out my hand, raising him up. "I-it’s alright. There’s nothing to apologize for."

He got to his feet, continuing to apologize profusely, at least, until Korra shut him up with a glare.

"My apologies," he said with one final bow, "I simply didn’t recognize you right away. Your wolf has been of huge help to us this past week, bringing back several crawlers and other monsters for our cook pots. It’s perfectly safe," he added quickly upon seeing my shocked expression.

When my tail continued to anxiously twitch, Korra laughed and rested her hand on my leg, drawing my attention. "They actually taste pretty good, and the poison’s boiled out."

I nodded slowly, sitting back and letting the others order for me. It was far from a restaurant, with the only choice being between centipede soup and hard tack. Perhaps the crawlers wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Once our food was before us, I tugged on Korra’s sleeve, and after making sure I had her attention, I lowered my voice and said, "There’s so many soldiers, yet no one’s attacking us. Don’t they know?"

"Oh, they know all right," Korra said, nodding. "But these soldiers didn’t come to hunt us down, rather to join us. The demons successfully breached the canyon and pushed the frontline back. The Last Light Company retreated to here, hoping to make a stand at the fortress."

"But I destroyed it," I muttered, glancing over my shoulder at the ruined city. Most of the outside wall still stood, but nearly half of the city within had been reduced to rubble. The loss of life had been extensive, but Korra had informed me the last Light Company had successfully evacuated everyone who had listened. Those who died only had their own stubbornness to blame.

I tore my gaze from the broken silhouette and looked around the camp, watching the soldiers go about their business. Something struck me and I looked back to Korra, frowning softly.

"So few? This couldn’t be all, right?"

She shook her head. "No, there were three or four times as much. Most of the army moved on once it became clear they couldn’t hold this valley, planning to make their stand in the fortress at the mouth of the canyon leading into Brithlite."

"Then why did these remain behind?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion.

"Perhaps I can answer that." A familiar gruff voice carried into the mess hall. Immediately, the soldiers leaped to their feet and saluted, parting to allow a scarred man through.

My eyes lit up. "Jackal!"

His rugged face broke into a smile and he slid onto the bench across from us, nearly pushing Elinore off the other end. "Lady Xiviyah, it’s good to see you well again. We had quite a fright when Korra told us what had happened. I never thought the healer we brought for her would be attending to you instead."

I blushed slightly, my tail twitching back and forth. "I’m sorry to trouble you."

"No, no trouble at all," he waved me aside. "But back to your question. These men here belong to the Last Light Company, the true soldiers of Brithlite. Those who went ahead were reinforcements sent from other nations and the church, and held no loyalty to our honor or principles."

"Yes, but why did you stay?"

He blinked, taken aback, as though the answer were obvious. "For you, of course! How could we possibly show up and face Bethiv if we left you behind? He’d skin us alive!"

All of this for me? Warmth blossomed in my chest, and my tail moved a little faster, dragging through the air with an audible swish. The others tried to hide amused smiles behind their hands, but Jackal had no such tact, breaking out in a hearty chuckle. My blush darkened and I snatched my tail from the air, gripping it tightly in my lap.

"I-is he here?" I stammered, keeping my eyes on the bowl of soup before me, unable to meet their gazes.

"Who, Bethiv?" Jackal asked, regaining his composure. "Nah, he’s up at Azure Keep, waiting to rendezvous with Prince Jarrod. We’re supposed to join them as soon as we can and prepare for the demon onslaught, but–" he shrugged, grinning wide, "Considering what’s happened here, I think we can justify a bit of a delay. Can’t be leaving our favorite demonkin in the middle of hostile territory by herself, after all."

"You...you should have gone." My heart sank, and I let my tail slip free of my fingers. It fell limp onto the grass beneath the table, and I raised my head to meet the gazes of the two life mages and Jackal, lingering on the latter. "You can’t stay here with me. None of you can. I killed the City Lord and the soldiers of Brithlite, not to mention a High Inquisitor. That’s the same as declaring war on the entire kingdom, isn’t it?"

"No, it’s worse. More like declaring war on the entire church," Korra said helpfully. She seemed entirely too content with that, so I shot her glare. She just shrugged and reached over, ruffling my hair. "So what?"

"You can’t stay here!" I cried, shaking her off and staring at Jackal. "You and all of your men will be held accountable for the things I have done. You’ll be branded traitors or even killed. I don’t want you to...I couldn’t let you...please, just leave."

Jackal’s scarred face remained passive throughout my outburst, but he frowned as I finished. "I mean no disrespect, milady, but it seems you’ve forgotten what it means to be a member of the Last Light Company. We swore our lives and swords to you in the shadow of the hells, proving our oath through blood. Every man there considered himself dead, and it is only by your grace we continue to breathe. Our loyalty belongs to you before any else, and should you ask it of us, we would march on our homeland."

I gasped, staring at him with wide eyes, my tail stiff with shock. "But I could never ask–"

He held up his hand, stalling me. "Korra has shared with us the crimes committed by our king and his court. There are many good, honest people in Brithlite, but the filth has seeped into the very foundations of the capital, poisoning the hearts and minds of those we once bled to protect. They are every bit as evil as the demons, and should you seek to reclaim what is yours, we will follow. Those in our company who will not have already left us and gone ahead. All that remains here will follow you to the death, be it at the hands of demons, monsters, or man."

"I for one wish you wouldn’t lead us to death," Elinore said, smiling grimly. "But I can vouch for his words. I have strived my entire life to save and heal others, to spare them the least bit of pain, yet even the best healer knows that sometimes there is nothing you can do. When a limb rots, you can only cut it off. And Brithlite is rotten to the core."

Tears blurred my eyes, but I made no move to wipe them as they spilled over and ran down my cheeks. The warmth that had embarrassed me earlier blossomed into a roaring fire, sending a thrill down my spine and tail. Korra grabbed my hand beneath the table, her slender fingers lacing between mine.

"You don’t have to be alone anymore, Xiviyah," she said, squeezing my hand, "They’re waiting and willing to help you, but you have to decide...will you let them? Can you bring yourself to trust them?"

I looked down at our linked hands, her skin warm against mine. I could trust Korra. I knew that beyond all doubt. But what about the Last Light Company? Many had fought beside me before, but they were still strangers. Even after everything I had done for him, Levin deceived and betrayed me. What if they decided to abandon me too?

The table fell silent, waiting for a response. I stared at Korra’s hand for a second longer then took a deep breath and looked up, meeting their anxious gazes.

"I...thank you. I’ll be in your care."