The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 373: Leadership

Chapter 373: Leadership

The moment my connection with the shard ended, the gate above shuddered. Mana from all over the city streamed toward it as it struggled to support itself, a veritable black hole of magic. Falling snow reversed its course, lightning redirected, and even a few magic spells lost their targets and rose into the sky. Both the blizzard and thunderstorm broke apart and collapsed into the gate, which shuddered and began the long process of breaking apart. It was just like a Demon Gate when the core was destroyed, craving like glass and slowly imploding.

The last remnant of my magic to disappear was the ninth-level ice spirit. It continued softly stroking my hair even as it dispersed into a flurry of snow and infernal mana. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to enjoy it, too tired to feel embarrassed. It felt just like Korra...perhaps it had learned this from observing her the last time I summoned a spirit.

With a final, regretful sigh, the elemental disappeared entirely. My legs buckled as I was left to stand on my own, but Orion was there before I fell, having rushed over the moment the Dead Wing Legion withdrew.

"Did we win?" he asked slowly, staring up at the last remnants of the storm over the city.

I nodded, barely more than a shallow dip of my head. "They’re all safe...for now, at least. The demons are going to take the city and are already battling for the walls. Even if the city holds for now, I doubt Grace can close the gate, so the city is all but lost already. I just wish we had managed to catch Alverin. Then it could all finally be over."

"We did what we could, milady. We freed the Last Light Company from the gods’ curse and saved Sari, did we not? Once we escape the city and join them, our mission can be considered a success."

"I wonder at that," I whispered, looking over the heaps of corpses strewn across the ground. Most were young soldiers from the church or Dead Wing Legion, but many–too many–wore the familiar colors of the Last Light Company. They had died for me...because of me.

"Orion," Bethiv called, striding over to us. My personal guards all snapped to attention, giving the commander a sharp salute. He raised a hand and put them at ease with a half smile. "Good work protecting the lady, though I can’t help but notice she looks worse for the wear than any of you. Those bruises around her throat are particularly concerning."

Orion stiffened, and I let out a weak smile. My entire body ached, but the comment that I was worse than them wasn’t true. All of my companions, including Jenna, were covered in cuts and bruises, and through the soul bond and my ability, I could see they were all exhausted. I might have been the closest to death, true, but that was only because I was so much weaker to begin with.

"They did all they could," I said.

"I know," he replied with a sigh. "But it wasn’t enough to keep you safe. The moment we’re free of these armies, I’m putting our forces on a strict training regime. I give you my word we won’t fail you again. We’ll fight to the last man before letting a single hostile soldier lay a hand on you. Now then," he turned to address the entire surviving company, which was about eighty men and women. "Let’s get the hell out of this city before those bastards in the church send another company to fight us. With any luck, they’re tied up with the demons and will let us go the moment they get their precious crystal working again."

"Crystal?" It took me a moment to realize what he was talking about, but my tail stiffened in shock once I did.

Once freed of my grasp, the shard’s mana flowed into the sky toward the crystal atop the keep. I’d been so consumed with anxiety and pain during the battle I hadn’t even realized the mana of the shard was used to support the defenses. The moment I linked with the shard, I stole the flow of mana, crippling many of their advanced defenses and buffs. No wonder they sent so many to reclaim this position. Holding off the demons was impossible without it.

With a shake of my head, I pushed the thought away. There was no use thinking about it now.

"Let’s get moving. Gather the wounded and dead," Bethiv commanded. "We march as soon as we’re able."

The soldiers scattered around the courtyard, searching out the last of their fallen brethren and sisters. The mages used the last of their mana to get as many soldiers on their feet as possible, while the dead were stored in spatial rings for burial later. I didn’t miss that many of the soldiers looted high-quality and enchanted items from our opponents, especially from the fallen Dead Wing Legion. It didn’t matter to me, but Bethiv frowned at the practice.

"I know we’ve earned it, but we don’t have time to strip the battlefield. Form up!"

As our company prepared to march, I cast a look back into the city. Fires burned on the walls, and frequent flashes of light and explosions told the armies battling for the front gates. Beyond that, though, something didn’t sit right with me. We’d seen no sign of Korra or even Grace. The two had been battling around the courtyard but vanished mid-way through the battle. She’d said not to worry, that she would meet up with us later, but my tail curled anxiously around my ankles and my mana shifted uneasily.

It was more of a feeling than a thought, and I tried to ignore it, but the moment Bethiv gave the order to move, I stopped. Orion glanced at me, confused, as I tugged free of his supporting arm and spun to face him.

"We need to go after Korra."

He blinked, completely taken aback. "I’m sorry, would you please repeat that? It sounded like you said you were going back into the city."

My tail twitched at the incredulity of his tone. "I-I need to find her, or...something bad will happen."

His lips curved down in a frown. "Didn’t you hear the ice spirit? The entire city will be crawling with demons and soldiers from the slums to the palaces. If you go out in your condition, then–"

"What is it, Lady Xiviyah?" Bethiv strode over, silencing Orion with a hand on his shoulder.

The arrival of the commander to our conversation brought whispers and stares from the soldiers. They were injured and exhausted, many limping on makeshift crutches or leaning on their spears. Almost a tenth of their number were too injured to walk, bringing the weight of shame upon my shoulders. I knew I needed to go back into the city, but how could I ask for more from those who had given more than they had?

A sudden thought struck me, firming my resolve. I looked up at Bethiv, my voice taking on a hint of pleading. "I need to find Korra, but I’ll go alone, with Fable."

"Slow down," Bethiv said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "What’s this about Korra? Is she in trouble?"

The scrutiny was honest and deserved, but I had no easy answer. "Well, um, maybe..."

"Then why do we need to find her? She is a hero and can take care of herself. I doubt she’d ever find herself in a situation she isn’t confident in escaping, and she still has your wards, right?"

I nodded, somewhat reluctant, and Orion burst in again.

"Milady, Korra said she would meet with us. We should trust her. Besides, look at you! You’re barely standing, and your soul is battered and weak. You’re...agitated, but that’s understandable. Anyone would be anxious after a fight like that when we all came so close to dying. But don’t let your feelings get control of you. This is a war, we have to think straight and find the best way to survive. So please, trust Korra. Let’s get out of here and wait for her."

I flinched, my hand curling self-consciously against my beating heart. Though he tried to be gentle, every word stung, mocking my weakness. Was he right? Was it just my anxiety and fear talking? I bit my lip, holding back the gathering moisture in my eyes. It was all so overwhelming, the pain, exhaustion, and worry. With a shake of my head, I drove my doubts away and gripped my staff tighter.

"Bethiv, I...please."

My voice trailed off, my words failing me. He seemed to understand something, though as for what that was I could only guess. The last of our soldiers had nearly left the courtyard behind, leaving only my small detachment of guards and Bethiv for company.

"Xiviyah," Bethiv said, dropping any pretentious title to address me familiarly. "This company is yours, isn’t it? A leader must be strong and commanding. Soldiers follow orders, not opinions, feelings, or questions. Trying to use those will only make the men doubt you."

His words caught me off guard, and I frowned at him, puzzled. The company was mine? Why was he talking about being a leader all of a sudden? I was just a small, weak girl barely into adulthood. Just what was he trying to tell me? Was I to...oh.

Suddenly, it all made sense, and I stilled my quivering tail and pulled myself up to my full height, as unimpressive as it was. "Commander Bethiv," I tried, filling my voice with all the confidence as I could muster. "I’m going back into the city to find Korra. Take the Last Light Company to the rendezvous point and wait for me there. Orion," my voice softened a bit as I looked up at the veteran soldier, "Please, take the others with the Commander. If I’m with Fable, I can ride, so it doesn’t matter if I can stand. We can avoid the demons and soldiers with the two of us."

The sharp steel click nearly made me jump as the two soldiers fell into a sharp salute.

"Yes, milady," Bethiv said, giving me a half-smile. "We shall trust the word of the Oracle and move out at once. I’ll ensure the Last Light Company is prepared for a hard march upon your arrival. I recommend we get as far from here as possible."

"As you command," Orion said. I hesitated to meet his eyes, afraid of the worry and disappointment I’d see there, but I forced myself to do so. My tail stiffened in surprise as I found him gazing at me fondly, eyes shining with pride.

"Thank you," I said softly, "And may fate light your path."

A warm, soft glow suffused my chest as my guards and Bethiv saluted once more then followed after the other soldiers. Luxxa gave me a smile and Jenna a wink. I smiled back at them and brushed a tear from my eye before turning to face Fable.

"Let’s go. Korra’s waiting for us."

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