The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 465: Dark Whispers

Chapter 465: Dark Whispers

I clutched my head, desperate to break free from the nightmare’s grip, but the relentless tide of terror refused to abate. It seeped into the deepest corners of my heart, slowly eroding my control.

Falling to my knees, I began to weep, the tears hot and silent against my skin. Images flickered around me like growing flames, fragments of the past and future, memories and premonitions blending into a chaotic kaleidoscope. Without Haven’s calming presence to temper my ability, I was rapidly losing control.

"What the hell, R’lissea? Get away from that thing!"

My head jerked up as a hard, furious voice cut through the air. One of the fragments had stabilized, offering a glimpse into a scene as if I were peering through a warped window. The background was a hazy swirl of colors, but three figures stood out, etched in stark relief against the ethereal backdrop. The first was a beautiful young elf with flowing blonde hair and compassionate eyes. I gasped in recognition - R’lissea, the Life Hero. She cradled the trembling body of a demonkin child, no older than ten. The third figure was Ronin, the War Hero; his expression hardened.

"How could you be so cold?" R’lissea protested, looking up at Ronin with wide, pleading eyes.

The War Hero glared down at the child, his arms crossed. "And what about the people his kind have hurt? He’s a demon, R’lissea. Get away from him, and I’ll put him out of his misery."

She gasped and pulled the child closer, who began to squirm and let out a weak cry. She loosened her grip, revealing a thin, glowing thread winding across the child’s arm. Sunpurge.

"What happened to you?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, staring up at Ronin with sadness and disbelief. "You used to be so strong and kind. Now you just repeat the lies and poison of the Church. He’s no more a demon than you or I, but a child. How can you be so callous?"

Ronin snorted and turned away. "If you think that, you’re no less an idiot than Korra. At least she has the decency to stick to her convictions."

R’lissea flinched and bit her lip, tears gathering in her eyes. "Y-you don’t mean that. Please."

The War Hero refused to meet her pleading gaze. "This world isn’t like the one we came from. The demon’s blood taints and corrupts them, driving them to choose evil. Even if you raise one of them right, their penchant for chaos and destruction will always be higher than a normal human child."

"But that doesn’t mean we can’t try. All life is precious, isn’t it?"

"Maybe that’s the difference between us. You exist to care for life, no matter how pathetic it is," Ronin said, finally meeting her eyes. "I’m bringing nothing but war to protect what matters by making the hard choices. Is it really easier to kill than save? I don’t think so."

Her head fell, her voice dropping below a whisper. "But just what are you protecting? Can you really not see what the gods are doing?"

If he heard her, he gave no such indication, and summoned his spear, pointing it at both of them. "Surrender that monster, and I’ll do what you can’t. Just trust me, R’lissea."

"N-no, I can’t," she said, shielding the demonkin with her body. "I can’t give you this one. Not when I’ve looked so hard to find him."

"You don’t even know where it came from, much less its name," Ronin snorted.

"But I know he’s hurt. And that’s important," She said. She brushed a tear away from the child’s eyes before gingerly touching the flesh beside the sunpurge. "Ronin, I need this."

Ronin sighed and dropped his spear, letting it dissipate into bloodred mist. "Fine, suit yourself. But don’t come crying to me when it betrays you. It’s just what they are, and there’s no changing it."

The vision fragment burst apart just as another stabilized to my left. The scene was of a massive, sprawling city with buildings of white stone and an enormous cathedral-like castle in the center. It was at least three times the size of Liceria, easily several dozen miles across.

As the vision began to fray, the scene blurred and crackled with static-like Fate mana. A second later, it smoothed out into a new scene, one I instinctively knew took place in the castle.

I immediately stiffened as I recognized the sole figure in focus, the leader of the Circle: Alverin. He sat upon his throne, a slight frown on his face. Someone out of range of view was speaking, explaining the details of some sort of battle.

"Yes, yes, I’m aware our tactic was a success. It finally got my traitorous brother to kneel," Alverin said, dismissing the report with a wave. "Have their troops mobilize and reassigned to the battle against the demons. On the front line."

"Yes, my lord," the unseen man said.

The door creaked open, and Alverin’s face lit up. "Elise! Tell me, what news from below? Has our guest finally yielded?"

Elise practically bounced into his arms, her embrace a tangle of limbs and whispered secrets. She kissed his cheek, her fingers trailing beneath the loose laces of his shirt, teasing his skin. His hands moved over her, tracing the curves barely concealed by her diaphanous dress. It was a sheer, red scrap of fabric with a neckline low enough to reveal the depression beneath her sternum, with long, revealing slits cut up the skirt past her hips. There was no other way to describe it than scandalous, especially as she straddled his waist, the fabric clinging to every curve.

Her smile widened. "She agreed! She’ll give you everything!" But the joy faded, replaced by a pleading look. "Can I join too? Please? I’ll be good, I promise!"

Alverin nuzzled her neck, his hand squeezing her hip. "Of course, my love. But not the first time. You know that’s mine."

Her giggle banished any lingering seriousness, and her hand ventured further beneath his shirt, exploring the contours of his chest. "Speaking of which, do you mind if I spend another evening with the guards? They seemed a little...disappointed they couldn’t play with her more. I think they could use some...encouragement."

He sighed, shaking his head with playful exasperation. "Once so prim and proper, and now... But fine. Just be sure you can walk tomorrow. We have that important meeting with the Pope, and I won’t have my princess looking disheveled."

The vision vanished, leaving me on my knees, fists clenched. Any remaining fear had been incinerated, replaced by a burning rage. But beneath it, beyond the fury, was a gnawing desperation. The visions were so short and fuzzy it was impossible to know how accurate they were, but if there was even a chance something like that would happen....

Several other visions manifested around me, drawn to my anger like moths to a flame. But I barely spared them a glance, and the moment I regained control of my emotions, I slipped out of the Soul Space.

I returned to my body, opening my eyes and blinking away the tears that had gathered while I slept. The room was bright, and it looked suspiciously similar to the one the strange god had tricked me into. He must have done his research, a plot that paid off.

"Xiviyah!" Elinore was beside me in an instant, but I flinched away, grasping my mana by reflex. She froze as my aura swelled, her eyes widening. "C-calm down, my Lady. You’re safe!"

I looked around the room again, this time absorbing the details more clearly. The herbs on the table were familiar now, and Elinore’s soul felt undeniably hers. It took some coaxing, but eventually, I let my mana recede and allowed myself to relax.

"Sorry," I muttered, rubbing my horn as my tail nervously swished beneath the sheets. "B-but is it really you?"

"Of course it’s me, who else? But never mind that," she said, brushing off my apology. "Anyone would be startled after what happened to you. But how are you feeling?"

Slowly, I tried to sit up and was greeted with the all too familiar pain of the sunpurge. I cried out as the fire spread across my back and side, driving me back to the sheets. That was one aspect of my trip to that strange god’s land I wouldn’t mind keeping. No sunpurge.

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to rise, pushing aside Elinore’s hand as she tried to stop me. "How bad is it? I can feel it on my thighs and back."

"That’s... expected," she said, avoiding my gaze. "But you really should rest. You’ve only been asleep for a day or so. It normally takes about a week to recover after something like this."

I rubbed my horn ruefully. Did it really happen so often that she could establish a pattern? I felt the glimmers of a smile tug at my lips; did it really happen so often she could establish a pattern? But any humor I felt faded as I touched my side, sending another thrill of fire through my veins.

"Is there... anything we can do?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Elinore hesitated, her gaze falling to the floor. "I don’t even know why it started spreading more. It seemed stable when you first fell asleep, but it’s been creeping forward ever since. I’ve sent word to my master, begging for guidance. But until then, all we can do is wait and pray."