The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 439: Another Step Forward

Chapter 439: Another Step Forward

Gayron hadn’t been particularly harsh, but his interruption caused me to flinch back, my confidence gone. "L-Levin? He’s the Earth Hero, the one who..."

My words trailed off as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. For some reason, I’d assumed Gayron fought Levin and wounded him so grievously that it was one of his abilities that could corrupt mortal souls and flesh. I’d only ever had one vision of the battle between Levin and the Fire Demon, but the moment I saw Gayron’s demon form, I instinctively connected the two. My memory was hazy, but the two figures had seemed identical. Or had they?

I groaned, covering my face with my hands, my tail lashing in agitation as a wave of embarrassment washed over me. A mysterious and powerful Fire Demon had fought and won against one of the heroes. The one thing I remembered clearly from my vision was that it had a grudge against Levin. Gayron didn’t even know the name. Add to that the fact that Kahlen knew some sort of corruption technique and had origins that also aligned with another mysterious Fire Demon... It was an easy connection to make, and I didn’t know how I could have missed it.

"The Earth Hero’s dead, isn’t he?" Gayron asked, his voice sharp and curious. "I heard you killed him, so why bring him up now?"

The Lord of Ash injured Levin, supposedly on behalf of someone Levin once wronged. It had mentioned a woman and tried to ask him where she was. Then, afterward, he sent Kahlen to protect me. The demon hadn’t admitted that was the reason, but it was quickly becoming obvious the Lord of Ash had some sort of interest in me and had for some time.

"Xiviyah, is everything alright? You’re not making a lot of sense," Korra said.

I jumped slightly, startled from my thoughts. "I...yes, everything’s fine. I just thought that...well, never mind."

Before they could pry further, Sari suddenly perked up and pointed into the air. "What’s that?"

A tiny thread of mana wound through the sky toward us, traveling like a snake in the water. It moved too quickly for me to react to, streaking toward my head. I didn’t panic, though, and barely even jumped as Jenna’s voice whispered in my ear.

"Commander Bethiv requests your presence in the command tent. Would you please come speak with him?"

Whispering Winds was the unique ability that had landed Jenna a position in the Star Guard. Well, that and her supposed reliability, something I constantly questioned. But she hadn’t failed me yet, and this was the perfect opportunity to escape the current situation.

"Something came up," I said suddenly, drawing everyone’s attention. "Korra, would you please take care of Sari?"

"Sure," she replied, nodding. "What’s happening?"

"Bethiv wants to talk. And... please stop arguing," I added softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

She cocked her head, a puzzled look on her face. "Arguing?"

I blushed and glanced at Gayron. "Please?"

She blinked a few times, then looked at the apostle, who merely shrugged. "Uh, sure. I guess."

I breathed a sigh of relief and climbed onto Fable’s back. I’d never seen Korra bicker with anyone as much as Gayron, and though I couldn’t sense any real animosity between them, their raised voices and agitated expressions made my chest tighten and heart race. Maybe I was simply too timid and uncomfortable around conflict, but I didn’t want them to overwhelm Sari either.

Sari didn’t seem the least bit concerned, though, beaming brightly as she waved at me. "See you later!"

I nodded, and Fable took off, streaking back toward camp. The Star Guard awaited me at the camp’s edge, alongside several dozen soldiers. Their eyes lit up as we stopped, and only their strict discipline prevented them from rushing towards me. Were they still this excited about the duel? I watched them nervously for a moment, waiting for them to make a move, before reluctantly dismounting from Fable’s back.

"Welcome back," Luxxa greeted, offering a casual salute.

"Do you... know what this is about?" I asked softly, my gaze still fixed on the soldiers.

Jenna answered, her voice laced with curiosity. "Nope. Also, what did you do with Gayron? Is he around?"

"He’s with Korra," I replied hesitantly. "What did you want with him?"

It might have been my imagination, but her smile seemed to widen. "With Korra? Still? Hmmm, interesting."

"You can lighten up a bit," Luxxa said, just loud enough for me to hear. "There’s no need to be afraid. These soldiers have fought, bled, and even died for you. They would do anything for you."

A shudder ran through me, and I turned away from Luxxa, my eyes scanning the faces of the soldiers. Their eyes shone with excitement, but beneath it all, I saw a flicker of something else. Fear? Uncertainty? It was hard to say, but it was the presence of that unknown element that kept me guessing, doubting my decision to spar in public.

"I know they’re loyal," I admitted. But...they’ve seen what I am now—what I can do and, um, what I can’t." My voice wavered as I spoke, the words heavy with unspoken anxieties.

"This isn’t the church. You can be yourself, you know," Jenna said, her voice gentle yet firm.

Her words struck the heart of the matter, piercing me as deep as any wound. I shivered, my tail twitching anxiously, and slowly drew a deep breath. "C-can I?"

The question came out as a fragile whisper, barely audible, but Luxxa smiled warmly, almost motherly. "Of course you can. I’m not sure what you’re afraid of or why it’s only coming out now, but no one’s going to hurt you or even get the chance to exploit your vulnerabilities."

For some reason, Luxxa’s words actually had an effect, and the knot in my stomach loosened. I exhaled slowly, my tail stilled, and I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling my heart rate gradually return to normal. With the shift in my perspective, the look in the soldiers’ eyes came into focus. It wasn’t fear, or disgust, but pride.

My eyes blurred with tears as an unexpected warmth surged into my heart. The Last Light Company were my friends and allies. They were nothing like the church, who exploited or hurt me the moment I showed any sign of potential. Even if they knew how powerful Adaptive Resistance was, they would only celebrate it. There was no cruel inquisitor waiting to entrap me with the Soul Crest, no Soltair ready to leave me in chains, nor any of the other tortures they’d inflicted upon me, driven by their fear that I might grow enough to escape.

A look of panic flashed across Luxxa’s face, and she half-reached out towards me. "Wait, why are you—"

"Thanks," I whispered, a single tear escaping and tracing a path down my cheek. My shoulders rose and fell as I took a deep breath, then turned away from their concerned faces. "Let’s go. We shouldn’t keep Bethiv waiting."

I could sense their hesitation behind me, as well as the expectant gazes of the soldiers who were oblivious to the turmoil within my heart. But the weight on my shoulders had lifted. I’d always known I could trust them, even affirmed it myself several times, but I’d never truly felt it. Now...? Perhaps I just needed to hear it directly.

The Star Guard didn’t linger long, moving to catch up to me before I’d gone more than several paces. Fable prowled alongside me, giving the soldiers suspicious looks as they parted to let us through. His actions were enough for me to know my distrust wasn’t entirely gone, but I also felt that wasn’t a bad thing. I was scared of betrayal, terrified even, because it had happened to me. It could happen again, and would hurt all the more if I wasn’t careful.

"Is it going to be like this every time?" I asked quietly, glancing at Luxxa.

The female knight shrugged. "Hard to say, but I doubt their awe will last long. As I mentioned before, most of the Company had only heard stories of your power and battle in the Ice Gate. Now that they’ve been confirmed, it’s no surprise they’ll treat you like the hero your actions make you out to be."

"Not that they’re wrong, either," Jenna said, nodding sagely. "Even if it feels a little pretentious, you are the Oracle of Eternity, remember? Just because we don’t fully understand what that means doesn’t make it any less impressive, right?"

I nodded, a faint blush warming my cheeks. I still regretted proclaiming myself as such, but it had gone on too long to backpedal now. At least no one was bowing and scraping like they did for the real heroes.

"And you know what else comes with fame?" Jenna added with a playful wink. "Men. Lots of them. Especially when you’re as cute and precious as you. I can teach you how to handle them, if you want."

My blush deepened, and I quickened my pace, though outstridding someone with six levels of physical enhancement was a futile effort. Couldn’t she have a little tact, just once?

Fable came to a halt as we reached the command tent, plopping down in front of the entrance. I grinned and rubbed his head affectionately, which, even when lying down, was level with my chest.

"Keep watch for me. There are plenty of suspicious characters around here," I said, glancing pointedly at Jenna.

Jenna’s mouth dropped open in mock shock. "What the hell? Did you see that?"

"I think so," Luxxa said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "But I’m half inclined to doubt it."

"What?" I asked, confused, looking between them.

"Oh, nothing. Have fun with Bethiv!" Jenna said, her smile widening.

I rolled my eyes and pushed through the tent flap, grateful to escape their scrutiny. They were teasing me about something, but I couldn’t figure out what. Jenna was one thing, but Luxxa, too? What were they—

As the tent flap fell back into place, I caught a snippet of Jenna’s whispered conversation. "Did she just make a joke?"