The Forsaken Hero-Chapter 976: Freely Given

A week passed, and then another, the days blurring one into the next. I’d taken to spending the days with Luke, studying my notes on the southern continent, aiding in the reconstruction, or just wandering the gardens and markets that had survived the devastation.

Occasionally, as the sun began its descent into the canopy, we’d drift lazily through the clouds, born wherever the evening breeze carried us. It wasn’t that I actually liked flying; no, I still couldn’t look straight down, no matter how tight he held me, but he was holding me, and that made it bearable. I’d even begun to enjoy the feeling of the wind in my hair, the solitude of the skies, and the endless expanse of sky overhead.

"Thank you for humoring me," Luke murmured as we flew on one such occasion, some fifteen days after my vision. He carried me as he always did, an arm under my knees, the other encircling my back, cradling me to his chest. "I know you don’t like it, but...thank you."

I sighed contentedly, my tail curling around his arm. He’d vanished the day before and had only returned when the sky began to darken. Now, as we soared over the city, dusk had taken over the eastern half of the sky, catching us in the shifting twilight.

"Look," I said, letting go of his neck to point eastward. "The first star!"

As if on cue, a glimmer of silver pierced the deepening blue. He turned toward it, and we watched as the sky darkened and the stars swarmed in. I hummed faintly as the evening breeze caressed my face, stealing away some of the warmth he imparted me.

"From your face, I’d almost think you enjoyed this," Luke said, smiling faintly.

My cheeks warmed, but I just snuggled against him. "It’s my favorite part," I admitted softly, nuzzling him with my cheek. "It’s different than watching the stars come out on the ground. It’s like being in Haven, like I could just reach out and touch them. It’s beautiful."

We flew in silence a little longer, until, at last, I glanced down, curious where we’d ended up. We’d left the city behind, and yet still the ground glittered, a circle of light as vast as a sea spreading out beneath us.

"They call it the Fallen Sun," I said. "Selena thinks the sun and fate mana will linger for centuries to come. Who can say what effects it’s going to have on the forest, and the elves?"

Indeed, the caldera was wondrous now, tarnished only by the memory of what caused it. The entire inside surface of the crater had been turned to glass. It glittered with internal light, like a lantern. The residual mana of the arbiter and of the cannon had intermixed, appearing like ribbons of sunlight woven around glittering stars.

Luke descended to the rim, alighting gently. He let my feet swing to the ground, but kept an arm around my waist as we looked out over the crater. The ashen fields had greened with newleaf, small shoots pushing their way through the cold cinders, fed by deep veins of life magic throbbing beneath the blackened soil. They pulsed like a heartbeat, flowing out from the city to touch the surrounding land, slowly nursing it back to life.

"All this in a few weeks. I never thought the scars of war could heal so quickly," Luke said.

"It’s because of Selena and R’lissea. They succeeded in binding the Arboreal World to the shard. The forest will recover, growing in years what had taken centuries before. Remember when we visited the Wildblossom Market yesterday? One of the vendors there said they had a cousin who was a farmer, and they said their farm might produce triple what it did last year."

"And that’s why they left Duskwood? To take that magic to the other elven cities?" he asked.

I nodded. "That’s the hope. They could extend the Arboreal World across the entire forest, guaranteeing life and prosperity in the wake of the war. It might even discourage the influence of the black mist, if Connor ever finds a way to push it here again."

"The Undead Hero...it won’t be long now. He holds the last of the free shards on this continent. I’d like to claim them before we strike at the south, if possible."

"Why not do it? Your hordes are growing by the day, and the other apostles must be getting bored," I said.

He shrugged. "They are, but...demons are a poor match against the Risen. Most of the scions would fall long before we reached the shards, and their corpses would simply rise as more Risen against us. If I sent only the strongest evolved demons, they would be easy prey for the hero’s Liches. Losing even a few would be catastrophic, as they’d just be raised to fight against us again. That’s why I’m planning to leave it to Sylvarus. They seem intent on vanquishing the threat."

"Elise said it’s so Aerion can focus the entire kingdom on a common threat. Apparently, that’s supposed to unite them together, so they don’t have the energy to squabble and find ways to make his life difficult. Plus, if they win without too much loss, it will boost the authority of his rule."

"He can only do that because you promised to support him. They’d never be able to conquer the Risen without the last Light Company and your demons," Luke said.

"Well...R’lissea made me promise," I admitted, avoiding his gaze. "She’s my friend, and I, well, I want to see Connor stopped, too."

"You’re too kind for your own good," he said fondly, squeezing my hip. "But if that’s what you want to do, I’ll help you. We can fight together."

"I don’t think I’ll be doing much fighting," I said, looking up at him. "R’lissea said that after the last fight, I should avoid using magic stronger than the sixth circle if possible. My soul’s been growing so quickly that the gap between my mana and my body’s ability to handle it is getting unsustainable. Using the Prism," I rested my hand on the Aethereal Prism hanging on my sash, "only made it worse. It’s possible, without the sun god’s curse, I might have had a chance at reaching ninth-level someday. But now...it’s just a burden."

He was quiet for a long time. But I was content with the silence, basking in his presence.

"I’m sorry," he finally said.

I shook my head. "Don’t be. It’s only because of the curse that I had a chance to meet you, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything."

"Anything?"

"Anything." I twisted in his grip until I faced him, my tail curling around his. "Even if it means saying goodbye one day."

He stared at me, a strange, unreadable look on his face. For a long while, he said nothing, and we just stared at each other, lost in the quiet moment. The gentle breeze rustled my hair as the last vestiges of sunlight vanished over the horizon.

My heart fluttered as he seemed to lean closer, his lips parting ever so slightly. My tail curled as he caressed my cheek, tilting my head up. He was so close, his eyes so warm and intense. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. I was trapped in his gaze, helpless. Was this it? Was he finally going to--

"You’re not going to run again, are you?" he whispered, resting his forehead against mine.

The question shattered the illusion, ripping me from the fantasy world my heart had built. I blinked, tilting my head as I tried to process what he meant.

"I...no?" I stammered, my cheeks reddening. "I’m just--"

My words caught in my throat as his hand slid from my cheek to the nape of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair. Before I could catch my breath or still my trembling heart, he closed the distance between us. His lips met mine, firm yet gentle, sending a jolt through my entire body. My eyes fluttered shut, my fingers tightening in the fabric of his tunic as I melted against him, my thoughts scattering like stars.

Then, as suddenly as it had come, it was over.

Luke’s hand dropped from my neck, and he took a half-step back, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. The warmth between us vanished as his tail untangled from mine, replaced by the sharp bite of the evening wind. I remained frozen in place, lips still parted, forgetting how to breathe.

"I shouldn’t have done that," he rasped, looking down at his hands. They trembled slightly. "Xiviyah...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have...gah, how could I do that? How could I have taken that from you?"

"Taken...?" I whispered dazedly, raising my fingers to my lips. They tingled, warm where his lips had brushed me. Where they had kissed me. Where Luke had kissed me.

His eyes clouded with that dark, familiar loathing. "You’ve had enough stolen from you. By the gods, the heroes... and by me. I swore I wouldn’t, that I would--"

"Stop," I whispered, my tail flicking sharply. I stepped forward, closing the distance he’d so carefully placed between us, and grabbed his hands. He flinched at my touch, recoiling as if I’d burned him, but I held on tight. "Luke, you didn’t take anything."

He shook his head, refusing to meet my gaze. "No, you’re wrong. All I am is shadow and pain. I wanted to protect you from that, from what I am, from who I am, but now...I’m sorry. All I do is hurt. All I do is take."

"No, Luke," I said, tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. My voice wavered, choking on a feeling I didn’t quite understand. But I willed myself to have strength, to meet his gaze. " I...I love you, remember? Not just the smiles and the warmth, but all of you. And besides...you can’t take what’s being given."

He looked up, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes. "Given...?"

I nodded, blinking the tears away, forcing a small smile. "I think I’m starting to understand what she was talking about. Love...it’s all about giving. Not taking. You give me your strength, and I give you my trust. You share your warmth, and I’ll share my light. Even...even if it hurts, even if one day it ends, it’s still ours. Not stolen, not forced. Freely given."