The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 445: The Heart of Haven

Chapter 445: The Heart of Haven

"Well, this is different," Korra remarked, her eyes wide with wonder as she surveyed Haven. "There are a lot more castles."

I’d invited them to accompany me into Haven to prepare for tomorrow. Now, we stood before the shimmering swirl of mana that served as Haven’s entrance. The small island had grown somewhat larger, and the gate now remained open permanently, but it was otherwise similar to when I’d brought Bethiv here just a week earlier.

The two gaped in disbelief as a massive island, nearly a hundred yards long, drifted lazily overhead, revealing worn ramparts and a solitary tower. Perhaps they were simply less experienced, but I definitely preferred their reactions to Bethiv’s. A warm burst of pride filled me as they continued to stare, their eyes exploring the countless islands and ruins that dotted the vast expanse.

After a few moments of stunned silence, Gayron rubbed his eyes as if trying to make sense of the scene. "Wasn’t this supposed to be a demon gate? What the hell is this?"

I moved to the island’s center before facing them, clasping my hands behind my back. A faint smile played on my lips. "This is my realm, Haven."

"This place is yours? How is that even possible?" Korra asked, turning to me with a bewildered expression. "Wasn’t this just empty space before?"

"I can’t say for certain myself, but it’s tied to my staff," I said, scratching my cheek. Not the most satisfying explanation, but it was all I had to go on. "But I can explain more later. Come on."

With a wave, I led them to the edge of the island, where broken fragments of floating rubble formed a bridge to the Heart of Haven. I’d settled on the name after some thought; it was the center of the realm, the place where I felt most at peace and connected to Haven. It was a little pretentious, perhaps, but calling it something like "the shrine area" or "Fountain Island" drew too much attention to the small statue of myself at its center. I was nervous enough about them seeing it without giving it a self-aggrandizing name.

As I reached the edge of the island, I stepped off into the empty space below. Korra gasped, her hand reaching out for me, but she froze as the rocks and cracked flagstones stirred, converging into a solid path beneath my foot.

"Xiviyah! You should have warned me first!" she exclaimed, placing a hand on her chest in relief. "I thought you’d gone crazy for a second!"

I shrank back at her lighthearted rebuke, even though it was clear she wasn’t truly upset. "S-sorry," I stammered, "I just thought...well, I wanted to surprise you."

Unexpectedly, she giggled and quickly followed me onto the newly formed stairs. "You tried to tease me? That’s an even better surprise than this entire realm!"

I blushed and skipped up the last few steps, landing on the smooth paving stones of the Heart with barely a wobble. As the two followed me, Gayron glanced behind him, stiffening as he saw the stairs disintegrating after our passage.

"Is that you doing this?" he asked, hurriedly jumping back onto solid ground.

I shook my head. "I don’t think so, it kind of just does it on its own. Is that true, Haven?"

Haven materialized in the air to my left, startling both Korra and Gayron with its sudden appearance. I quickly calmed them with a reassuring gesture.

"Be at ease, friends of the Oracle," Haven’s soothing voice echoed through the air. "You should find no harm here save due to your own negligence. And it is as you say, my lady. Haven responds to your will and to those you deem worthy."

The heart of Haven had undergone a subtle transformation since my last visit. More of the beautiful white flowers, the same as those in my wreath, adorned the ground, their fragrance filling the air with a sweet perfume. Flower petals drifted lazily in the river, bobbing up and down but never seeming to move closer to the edge, where they would plunge into the abyss below.

"Wait, is that you?" Korra asked, raising an eyebrow as she spotted the statue.

I blushed and averted my gaze, my tail swishing through the air with a nervous rustle. "Oh, yeah, I guess. Please, don’t look at it too much. It’s embarrassing."

Korra covered her lips, hiding a giggle, and Gayron snorted. At least it was just the three of us here. I’d have to find a way to hide or change the statue or something before inviting anyone else to see it. It made me way too self-conscious.

"So, how’s this supposed to work?" Gayron asked, eyeing the fountain skeptically. "Do you just meditate or something? And we won’t get entangled, right? Luke seemed...different after you showed him a prophecy last time, and I won’t take it as gracefully as he did."

"No!" I squeaked, waving my hands in front of me. "Everything will be fine, I promise. It’s just...I’m sorry," I apologized, my voice trembling a bit. "I’m not certain what’s going to happen, and if something goes wrong, I just... well, I don’t want to be alone."

"So you’re saying we’ll be fine, but something might happen?" Gayron asked, a note of suspicion in his voice.

"Gayron, it’s alright," Korra interjected, her smile warm and reassuring. "Xiviyah would never do something to hurt us, right?"

I nodded, my hands fidgeting nervously. Gayron held my gaze for a moment longer, then finally relented with a sigh.

"Yeah, fine, whatever."

With a shallow breath and a sigh, I let my shoulders slump and sat down at the foot of the fountain. The statue was about half-scale, but raised off the ground in a crystal bowl. Now that I was sitting, our heads were level. Its small, golden eyes glimmered in the starlight, reflecting my own face back at me. I summoned my staff and let it rest across my lap, parallel to the ground.

Suddenly, Korra chuckled, and I looked up to find her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Korra?" I prompted, my tail twitching with unease.

"It’s nothing," she giggled, "I just understand why the statue looks like that now."

I glanced at the statue, then down at myself, and a hot blush spread across my face. As she’d said, I was kneeling in the exact same pose as the icon in the fountain, down to the way I’d tucked my legs to the side, my tail wrapped protectively around my knees.

"Oh," I mumbled, my blush deepening.

"Don’t worry about it. I just think it’s cute," she said, her smile widening.

"Maybe bringing you along was the wrong idea," I muttered, rubbing my horn in embarrassment. How in the world was I supposed to focus on fate if she kept teasing me like that? Gayron was right there, too! I didn’t dare meet his gaze and quickly looked back down at my lap, focusing on the crystal star glowing faintly atop my staff.

I had barely begun to call upon the Oracle of Eternity when the air shimmered, and the glorious vistas of Haven dissolved into darkness, leaving only the stars and the vast expanse of my soul space. Never before had it come so easily, nor had I felt so comfortable and in control.

For a moment, I thought I was alone. Then Gayron’s sharp gasp startled me, making my tail twitch in surprise. I looked up to see Korra and Gayron standing behind me, their forms shimmering with an otherworldly light. I hadn’t brought them along, nor even touched the with mana, but they were here, inside my soul space.

A jolt of fear coursed through me, but I quickly calmed myself. Though they stood beside me, their souls remained distinct, their own. There was no leaking mana, no entangling memories—nothing like what had happened when I’d forcibly dragged Luke into my soulspace. I even sensed I could eject them if necessary, though I refrained from doing so. It was a small comfort to know that I wouldn’t be trapped again if one of them became overwhelmed and lost control.

"Did it work?" Korra asked, her voice echoing through the vastness, her eyes filled with curiosity as she took in the endless expanse of stars.

I nodded, finally letting out a pent-up breath of relief. "I think so. It’s already better than before."

The stars blazed brighter as I embraced my mana once more, the currents of fate rippling closer, almost within reach. I’d shied away from actively seeking visions ever since the incident with Luke, especially after the chaotic flood of memories that followed healing Gayron’s soul. But now, within the sanctuary of Haven, I felt safe enough to try again.

Millions of ribbons of light burst forth around me, weaving a tapestry of potential futures, with me at its center. I focused on the city of Liceria, visualizing its tall, graceful towers and imposing walls as described by the more seasoned soldiers in the company. When the images remained hazy, I concentrated on the Shard of Omniscience. Shards left a distinct, almost magnetic impression on the threads of fate, and it wasn’t long before I grasped hold of it and the vision snapped into focus.

"This is Liceria?" Korra echoed my own thoughts perfectly. "There are a lot more, um, soldiers than I expected."

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