The Forsaken Hero

Chapter 1144: A New Friend

The apostle was wary as we approached the keep, but the swish of her tail seemed more bored than agitated. I didn’t blame her. She’d reached eighth level in the time we’d been apart. Not a single being within High Valley could threaten her, save for Fable.

"Using magic for the fortifications, eh? I can appreciate the effort, but I doubt they would mean much in a battle. There’s only what, two, three hundred soldiers here? Almost triple that in total, but I doubt those slaves would contribute much in a war," she said.

I gave her an appraising glance. She’d taken all that in at a glance, and somehow got the numbers right. "This place was never meant as a stronghold, but as a refuge. For all those who flee the war and search for peace," I answered.

"Even so, it’s not enough. I shudder to think of what Luke would do if he found you with only these misfits for protection."

"I would be grateful to see him at all, even if he got upset."

She let out a sigh. "I suppose that’s true."

As we entered the keep, Andres left us to consult with his officers, having much to discuss now that the demons had replaced the church on our perimeter. With some effort, I managed to convince Rylam and my guards to grant me some privacy with Evla and invited her into my room. She strolled through the entryway at an unhurried pace, but the moment the door clicked shut, she sagged, resting with her back against the door. When she looked up, she gave me an exasperated frown.

"What were you thinking, coming up to me like that in the middle of my horde? And with your tail wagging like you’d just–hey!"

She yelped as I pressed close, slipping my arms around her. She stiffened as my cheek rubbed against her chest.

"Stop that! This is so–"

"I missed you."

She froze, her breath hitching in her chest. "Xiviyah, that’s not...agh, fine."

She patted my back awkwardly, and the corner of my mouth rose in a smile. Her scent was as unique as her horns, though not unpleasant. There was something otherworldly about it. Or maybe I was just that used to Luke’s earthy, warm scent.

Evla held still a long while as I hugged her, releasing a pent-up breath as I finally let her go. There was a distant, dreamy look in her eye, a light flush to her cheeks. She gave herself a little shake, looking around the room.

"Er, this isn’t quite what I was expecting. You don’t even have an audience chamber? It’s just..."

"Homely?" I giggled, plopping down on the straw mattress and patting the blanket beside me.

She gave me a flat look. "You can’t be serious."

I slid off the straw mattress and took her hand, giving it a gentle tug. She was unyielding as stone, her white hair shifting over a shoulder. My lip pursed in a small pout, and I tugged again, and she let out a sigh, finally sitting next to me.

"You’re impossible," she grumbled. "We’re barely even allies."

"That doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, right?"

The tip of her tail rustled, curling across the sheets. I rested my hand on hers, and when she didn’t pull away, lI aced my fingers through them. She stiffened, a light blush coloring her pale cheeks. I had to hide my smile, afraid she might actually leave if she caught it.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

She blinked, still staring at our hands, before looking up, her flush deepening. "Oh, right. Luke. What happened to him? Why isn’t he responding to any of my requests?"

My face fell, my fingers curling into her palm. She listened intently as I explained everything that had happened, from our march across Radia to our defeat at the Divine Throne.

"When you said Fate appeared, I had hoped you hadn’t meant an actual descent," she muttered when I was done. "Gravity warned something like that might happen. Even the demon emperors seem to realize how important this world is."

"You speak with your emperor?"

"Sometimes, but not enough to be reliable. What’s more important is that I’m merely the first to breach Radia’s borders. The entire horde is collapsing in, drawing a net tight around the Divine Throne. Constance, Edrin, the emperors...if Luke has been defeated, I’m worried what might happen once everyone arrives."

"He’s still alive. Right?"

She squeezed my hand, giving me a reassuring smile. A small one, but it was a start. "Yeah, I already told you. His mark is still on the demons. But what worries me is that he doesn’t seem to be receiving any of our messages. I communicated with Kislee, the bug one, and she said the same.

I touched my chest, tracing the rim of the Soul Binder with my index finger. "He’s gone here, too."

Her face softened. "I’m sure he’s fine, just...preoccupied. He’s strong."

I nodded, unwilling to speak past the lump growing in my throat. She waited for a few seconds before letting out another sigh.

"When the hordes assemble, things are going to change. Even if Luke is still strong, whatever control he has over the hordes will be tenuous at best. The evolved demons grow restless, unsatisfied with the results of his leadership."

"He’s done the best he could," I protested.

"Maybe. But they won’t care about that. And having a god on the battlefield only complicates things. He’s already proven he’s unable to defeat him, no?"

My hand curled, gripping the ring against my palm. "No one can. He’s too strong."

"Then we need to find a weakness and exploit it. Win the chordes’ confidence back. Because the Council has decided he’s unfit to rule, none of us will have a place anymore. This is our once-in-a-lifetime chance to show the emperors that apostles are worth the investment."

"Why?"

She looked at me, tilting her head.

"Sorry, I guess I’m just asking why you’re fighting? Why do you want to defeat the church so much?"

She was quiet for a long time, her tail swishing restlessly. It brushed against mine every so often, sending tingles shooting up my spine, but she didn’t even notice.

"I was never a slave," she said softly, "but the church’s oppression ran deeper than chains and slave crests. For my kind, our kind, we’ve never had a chance to be free, not like the humans, or even the elves or beastkin. My brother was accused of a crime he didn’t commit. There was no evidence of it, no second witness, but he was hanged anyway. My father died an even more pathetic death, trampled under the wheels of some lord’s carriage."

I gasped, covering my mouth. "I’m sorry. I didn’t know."

She nodded listlessly, staring at her lap. "My mother disappeared when I was twelve. Taken by slavers, I guess. Or by some passing lord looking for a new plaything, and caught a fancy. That’s what happened to me, a few years later. Some lord in a small, no-name city on the edge of the Ingrid Republic. He had a thing for non-humans and was fascinated by the different sensations he could evoke in my tail and horns. His favorite was fire." She shuddered, her hand tightening in mine. "He loved fire."

"I don’t like fire either," I admitted. "The inquisitors...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to compare, but maybe we’re not so different there."

"Perhaps."

"I guess I can understand why you care so much about the other apostles."

She jerked back. "What? Me? I-I don’t care about them! They’re just...allies. We’re useful to each other. That’s all."

I suppressed another smile, instead leaning against her, resting my head on her shoulder. She went completely rigid.

"It’s okay. I think it’s sweet. Luke really cares about you, too. Even if he won’t admit it."

A shiver passed through her. "I-Id don’t know what you’re talking about."

"I feel that way, too," I murmured, ignoring her. "To lose everything you cared about, and then to find it again. I wish I were as brave as you were, though. I couldn’t bring myself to let myself care. I was terrified of finding new friends, of letting them love me. Korra had to chase me across half the continent before I opened up to her."

"You were?" she asked, barely above a whisper. "But you’re so...warm. And clingy." She shook her arm, but without any real force. Just enough to get me to hug her arm a little tighter.

"I don’t think it’s weak to have people you care about. If anything, it makes you stronger," I said.

"If only demons thought that way."

"Maybe they can. My demons love to cuddle."

She snorted. "Yeah, right."

"I’m serious! Okay, maybe not all of them, but Borealis is a big softly. He loves it when I scratch under his chin."

She stared at me, the corner of her lips twitching, as if she were debating whether to believe me or not. I ended up giggling and nuzzled my cheek against her shoulder.

"Emperors," she muttered. "You’re really something. Like a lost cat."

As if to emphasize the point, she patted me on the head. I squeaked in surprise, staring up at her with wide eyes. Her lips finally curved in a smile.

"So even you get flustered," she said with a chuckle, leaning back on her hands.

"Even? Try especially."

Her chuckle faded as I snuggled against her again, soaking in her warmth.

"You should tell them how you feel. Let them know you’re important to you. If you don’t, I think you’ll regret it."

"But I...alright, I’ll think about it. But no promises. And please, do you really have to be so close?"

"Yeah. That way, you won’t have to worry."

"About what?" She sounded exasperated, but I just giggled.

"If we’re friends or not!"

"I already said we’re not."

"Maybe we weren’t, but how about now? I mean, I already saw you crying, remember?"

She recoiled. "What? You remember that? That’s not fair at all!’

"Maybe, but I really like that side of you."

She huffed, her tail curling. I knew that expression, and held my breath. It was the same one I had when Elise first took my hand, or when Korra hugged me on the balcony. I’d always liked Evla, even if I hadn’t known why. Now, I think I understand, in part. Even if it meant being a little playful, a little ridiculous, I wanted her to see it too.

"Fine," she muttered. "But you’d better not ruin anything for me."

"Really? You mean it?"

"Ugh, I take it back."

I clutched her arm with both of mine. "Too late. I’m not letting go again."