The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 601: Reunion

Chapter 601: Reunion

Fable emerged from the woods bearing a small, glistening bundle of ice-blue feathers held gently in his jaws. My staff clattered to the ground as I rushed forward, scooping the fragile form into my arms.

"Borealis!"

The demon’s feathers were cracked and splintered, like a spiderweb etched across a shattered mirror. His left wing was mangled and twisted, having borne the brunt of the mana cannon’s attack, and he shivered as I brushed a gaping hole in his other wing. The wound’s edges were raw and jagged, laced with mana that matched the ranger twitching on the ground at our feet.

"I’m sorry," I whispered, hugging the demon tightly. "I’m so sorry. If only... if only I had been stronger..."

Borealis rubbed his head against my chest and slowly let the tension seep from his battered body. I smoothed his delicate feathers with my hand, stroking him until his eyes fluttered shut and his breathing slowed. Even then, I didn’t loosen my grip but continued to pet him. He may be a seventh-level demon, but he felt so fragile at this moment that I cradled him like a porcelain doll.

"Thank you, Fable," I whispered, my eyes lingering on the resting demon. "I’m so glad you found him."

My wolf tossed his head and snorted, his tail flicking in amusement. My arms tightened around the demon, and I turned away, hiding the warmth in my cheeks. I didn’t have a reason to care for this demon, and yet... he had protected me. And now I had to return the favor.

I crept to the ranger’s side, nudging him with my boot. No reaction.

With a relieved sigh, I knelt and gently eased Borealis onto the bloody expanse of his chest. Scattered fragments of the ranger’s soul, glimmering like dying embers, responded to the demon’s presence, drawn to him like swirling strands of silk. Borealis shuddered in his sleep as they flowed into his soul, unconsciously beginning the slow process of assimilation.

Fable tilted his head, a curious glint in his eyes. I pulled the demon close, hugging him tightly.

"It’s the least I can do," I said, my voice a little thick. "Maybe it’ll help him heal faster." I drew a deep breath. "Come on, let’s get to the shard."

Fable traveled slowly enough to maintain my balance while holding Borealis, but my vision still blurred, tears pricking my eyes as the wind whipped against my face. Minutes later, we crossed a wall, bounding into the noble district at the city’s heart.

Light blazed from every window, and the clatter of steel echoed through the streets, harsh against the silence of the evacuated city we had just left behind. Shouts and soldiers greeted us at every manor and gate, only to fall behind as Fable outpaced their efforts to mobilize or stop us.

Borealis’s feathers chilled as the central keep loomed above us, raising a wave of goosebumps across my skin. I looked down, shivering, as he pressed against me, his chest rising in deep, even breaths. His soul bathed in the golden light of Adaptive Resistance radiating from my body, soaking it in like a cat in the summer sun.

"C-cold," I mumbled, patting his head with a shaking hand.

His eyes cracked open a notch, and he cawed, instantly restraining his aura and snuggling deeper into my arms. I touched his wing, marveling at the smooth, unblemished feathers where the arrow puncture had been just minutes before. It seemed that just being close to me had nullified the impact of the crystal enchantment and shielded his soul from its siphoning effects. Borealis would take a long time to regain peak fighting condition, but at least his natural regeneration and mana recovery were back in effect.

I turned my gaze to the city’s center: a large, multi-structure complex enclosed within curtain-like walls. Dozens of towers pierced the sky, flying banners from the various kingdoms and powers who had sent support. The flag of the empire and the church flapped side-by-side from the tallest tower, flanking the massive crystal that powered the crystal enchantment.

Fable leaped atop a manor overlooking the main entrance, pausing to give me a chance to look it over. The gates were shut and bound with magic, the walls over a hundred feet tall. Guard towers loomed even higher than that, illuminated by the ominous glow of mana cannons. Even worse were the hundred or more fourth-level soldiers positioned before the gates, and the dozen sixth and seventh-level soldiers and mages dispersed amongst them.

Fable turned and studied me, wolfish face expressionless.

I nodded. "We have to. The God of Magic’s shards are the only thing letting them use the Heart Crest right now, so if there’s even a chance we can convince him to withdraw his support from the Sun God, we have to try."

A dozen auras slammed into us, knocking the breath from my lungs. I gasped and flattened myself against Fable’s back, tail twitching violently. Had the soldiers noticed us watching?

Holding my breath, I peeked over Fable’s shoulder but tilted my head as I found them staring not at us but down the street. A shiver coursed down my abc as another series of auras washed over me, thick and oily against my soul. Feral, bloodthirsty screeches rose in the distance, growing closer with every passing second.

"Prepare for combat!" A seventh-level warrior cried, striding to the front of the formation. "I’m authorizing the use of the mana cannons and all levels of spells. Blow these bastards back to hell!"

The mana cannons lit up from the tops of the towers, sending streams of brilliant light into the city beyond. They were only the sixth-level variant, but the ground shook as they found their mark. The tile shingles clattered beneath us, threatening to shake us loose, but Fable dug his claws in and climbed even higher, giving us a better vantage point.

I squinted, struggling to pierce the rising dust clouds, but before they cleared, another round of fire blasted more craters in the city. The brief flash of light illuminated dark silhouettes in the smoke, some towering higher than the noble’s manors around them. This wasn’t a small demon incursion like the one the inquisitors had taken care of, but a true invasion with at least sixth-level evolved demons.

"Ancient Steel!"

A powerful voice rose above the shockwaves, announcing the cast of a seventh-circle spell. I watched intently as the magic circles surrounded the soldiers, runes flickering in by the thousands. It was an earth spell that seemed purely supportive in nature, focusing on strengthening the physical equipment rather than the soldiers themselves.

The spell resolved with a flash, filling the courtyard with thick, earthy mana. Swords, shields, and armor absorbed the magic like sponges, only stopping once they radiated the same aura as a fifth-level enchantment.

"Amazing," I whispered, eyes bright despite the situation.

A normal soldier equipped with high-level gear could exhibit strength at least a level higher, but a few natural limits usually curtailed equipping such a large force. High-level enchantments were incredibly difficult to cast, and the materials required were far from cheap. I’d heard mentioned that equipping a few hundred soldiers in fourth-level gear could bankrupt a kingdom, yet this one spell had, albeit temporarily, enchanted an entire legion with fifth.

The demon’s charge thrummed through the earth, setting my teeth on edge. Their cries grew louder, the explosions of the mana cannons more frantic. Then, in a whirlwind of teeth, claws, and infernal mana, they arrived.

A flaming, fifty-foot behemoth smashed through a manor into the courtyard, rearing its head with a deafening bellow. The soldiers froze at its appearance, weapons clasped in trembling hands. Their shock lasted only an instant before the commander restored their spirits, but it was enough.

The fire demon lunged forward, snapping up a soldier on the outside of the formation. It lashed into another with several clawed arms, but its talons scraped harmlessly across fortified armor. The sheer force of the blow sent him sprawling, and several fire scions pounced on the fallen man, tearing at his flesh through the gaps in his armor.

Dozens of evolved demons surged after the first in a tide of infernal mana. They had no rank or order, with fire demons fighting alongside ice, and life beside curse. Their souls were bound by a familiar mark that set my tail twitching. Not Luke’s, like I expected, but...Fyren?

I looked toward the canyon just in time to catch the blinding descent of a seventh-level mana cannon. The skyship had repositioned on the city’s outer edge and was continuously firing into the mouth of the canyon. Several spells and infernal techniques rose to challenge it, but none passed its wards.

"Where are you?" I whispered dazedly, not bothering to blink the dazzling explosions from my eyes.

A sharp prick caused me to yelp, and I looked down to see Borealis nipping at the back of my hand.

"Oww," I mumbled, pushing his head away. "What was that for?"

He cawed and squirmed free of my grip, perching in my lap and spreading his wings.

"Calm down, you’re still hurt!" I said, wincing as his talons dug into my thighs.

I tried to grab him again, but he somehow avoided me and cawed more urgently. He waved his wings again, directing me to the battle raging in the courtyard below. Dozens of demons had broken out of the city, with countless more filling the streets beyond, yet the soldiers’ formation held.

"You want me to help them?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.

Borealis shook his head and nudged me with his head. A burst of warmth blossomed in my soul, squeezing into the space beside Fable’s bond, where sensations of the Nexus normally occupied. I pressed a hand to my chest, eyes wide, as Borealis’s will seeped into my mind.

"They want to help me?"