The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 382: Perceptions

Chapter 382: Perceptions

The camp of the Last Light Company was loud and lively, almost identical to the time so very long ago I first walked among them. The biggest difference, of course, was the size. Instead of a single company of the army, this was the army. Almost ten thousand strong, the soldiers ranged anywhere from wide-eyed recruits just out of training to experienced veterans old enough to have grandchildren older than I was. Everywhere I looked there were tents and campfires, training grounds, and circles of long-time companions. In a way, it was comforting to see so many simply living their lives with smiles, free of the burdens I carried.

No, that wasn’t quite accurate, and I reflected on that thought as we walked through the camp. There was a small group of soldiers laughing between two tents, I remembered them at the Shard. They had lost nearly a third of their squad to one of the wyverns. And over there, speaking expressively to a few young men and women, was a gray-haired archer who’d had his companion killed by the sixth-level mage of the Dead Wing Legion, he himself barely surviving. His face was still a mass of semi-healed burns and I doubted he’d ever be able to fight as well again.

These people weren’t free of burdens, not by a long shot. Yet they remained content and happy, choosing to focus on the light of this world instead of the dark. I’d always found smiling during these times disrespectful to those who were lost or suffering, but watching the Last Light Company gave me a new perspective. Maybe they were celebrating their memory in the best way they could.

Sari would want me to smile, wouldn’t she. I rubbed my horn thoughtfully and tried to force my mouth to curve up. The best I could manage was to get the corner of my lips to twitch, but the mere act of trying lifted some of the gloom hanging over me, and my tail lifted just a little from where it was dragging behind me.

"Sarra," I said, glancing at the girl beside me, "Where are we?"

Sarra was a fourth-level life mage, a young human close to twenty in age. She had shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes, with a face that was pretty, but far from beautiful. She wore a more traditional dress that resembled something closer to a mage robe than anything else.

"Somewhere east of the canyon, my lady. We’ve been moving all week, but the commander called a rest for today. The scouts have reported no demons in pursuit, so I suppose he wanted to give everyone a chance to recover from the battle."

I breathed a sigh of relief so deep my eyes grew wet with feeling. "He didn’t lie to me. He actually kept his word."

"My lady?" Sarra looked at me, confused.

I dismissed her concern with a shake of my head. "It’s nothing, I’m just...happy."

"That’s good," she said, still peering me at curiously. We walked for a few minutes longer, a slow, steady pace appropriate for my condition, before she broke the silence again. "Um, my lady, what exactly happened? We were waiting in the canyon and then this...creature appeared out of nowhere and said we needed to escape. And then it waved its hand and just...made a mountain out of ice. I got the feeling it could have killed everyone with a thought, and yet it helped us!"

My lips finally obeyed and curled up in a small, rueful smile. "I asked it to. I’m still not certain what kind of existence that being is yet, but it answered my call and saved you all. I’m glad."

"It was incredible," she replied with an eager face.

Sarra continued to ramble on about their great escape and meeting up with the others. She’d been quiet and reserved the whole time, but it seemed our interaction had softened whatever respect or fear she held of me, and she wouldn’t stop talking until we reached the mess hall. It was a little overwhelming, and I had no idea how to engage with that sort of conversation style, so I just let her talk and listened. She fell silent again when we reached the mess hall, returning to her assumed role as my aide and chaperone.

"My lady!" Orion’s strong voice put another smile on my face, and I whirled as quickly as I dared to see him striding toward me. Luxxa trailed at his side, a relieved look on her stern face.

"I’m glad you’re alright," she said as they stopped in front of me.

Orion barked a laugh as I nodded, reaching down to ruffle my hair. "It’s good to see you up and about, we were just starting to get worried. Anyway, Luxxa and I just finished running through a few drills and were looking to grab some grub. Care to join us?"

"Thank you," I accepted with a nod.

With the assumption they were behind me, I took a few steps toward the mess hall before I paused. Something felt...off, like when someone’s takes a breath to speak but then doesn’t. Glancing back, I found them both watching me intently, their lips twitching as they tried to hide smiles.

A quick look at Sarra showed she was as confused as I was, but that didn’t stop me from reddening with a slight flush. "I-is something the matter?" I stammered, clasping my hands together, overly conscious of my tail twitching uncertainty behind me.

"I’m sorry?" Luxxa asked, tilting her head in confusion.

I shifted uncomfortably, subtly checking myself for anything out of place. Had I actually forgotten to wear a real dress outside again? Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case, nor was my hair particularly messy. I hadn’t seen Korra since waking up, but even without her help, Sarra and I had managed to tame the worst of my tangled curls. Surely they’d seen me worse than this, right?

Orion shook with an exaggerated sigh, even going so far as to rub his eyes in mock dismay. "To think you didn’t even notice. After we were all proud of ourselves, too."

Notice what? I nearly asked aloud, but then froze. My starry eyes went wide and my lips parted in a breathless gasp. "You’re both sixth?"

Luxxa preened a bit, her pride slipping through her sophisticated composure. "It is as you say, my lady. The entire company is, actually. Not sixth," she added, seeing my disbelief, "But everyone that fought with us in the shard has reached a new level."

I stared at her, then Orion, and finally, desperately, at Sarra. The life mage nodded, a small smile gracing her features, and my tail went rigid with shock.

"How?" I managed to ask.

Orion rested a heavy hand on my unscarred shoulder, his calloused fingers rough and warm against my soft skin. "Let’s get some food, and we’ll fill you in."

He nudged me forward toward the tent, and I felt a small dose of satisfaction as I refused to so much as flinch at the man’s touch. Once, not so long ago, such a thing would have been impossible, but I’d finally managed to get a little control over my instincts. But the victory was quickly swept away in the confusion I felt at their revelation.

The three of us, with Sarra tagging along behind, pushed into the massive pavilion set up as the mess hall. The structure was open to the morning breeze, a plain canvas tent secured by magic ropes and poles. It was peaked at the roof, with a wide hole for ventilation, out of which streamed the thick plumes of smoke from the cooking fires. Most of the soldiers ate on the grass without the tents, reserving the covered space for cooks, fires, and preparation tables.

Men and women stared at me as we passed, their muted whispers ringing in my ears. I shrank back toward Fable at the sudden assault of attention, my tail flicking nervously even as I realized they weren’t malicious in nature. Perhaps I wasn’t as good at quelling my instincts as I thought.

A sixth-level woman stepped out behind a table quick enough to leave a slightly blurred afterimage behind her, her face eagerly glowing with a bright smile. "My lady! You’re alright!"

I floated back a step, biting my lip as I desperately sought anything about the woman I recognized. But her short brown hair and narrow face were lost to me, and I shook my head.

"I’m sorry," I muttered shame-faced. "I-I don’t remember your name."

Orion chuckled behind me and his hand landed on my head, patting me good-naturedly. "This is Keela, one of the brave soldiers who fought beside us at the shard."

"That’s right!" Keela nodded excitedly. "It’s because of you I finally managed to break through into sixth level. I’ve been waiting all week to thank you personally, and now you’re finally awake!"

"I-I see," I stammered, peering about anxiously. This Keela was from quiet, and her show of gratitude had attracted even more attention. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me even more than before, and their adoration took me by surprise. It was so different than the crude jeers of the demons and the Dead Wing Legion, different from how I’d been treated in every city I’d passed through. There was no anger or mistrust, just gratitude and...love?

"Come, my lady," Luxxa whispered, taking me by the hand. "Let’s find a seat before we lose the chance."

Nodding, I allowed her to guide me through the mess hall to a circular wooden table large enough to seat five or maybe six. Sarra and I slipped into our seats, and Fable somehow curled himself around my chair, resting his large head in my lap. His horns scrapped the bottom of the table with a soft rasp, and my hand moved instinctively to begin stroking his forehead. Luxxa stood behind me with her arms crossed. It took me a moment to realize she was warding off extra attention and only joined us as Orion arrived with a few platters of food.

Once we were all settled, Orion cleared his throat. "Now, perhaps you’d like to know what’s going on?"