The Forsaken Hero

When Fate left, I let the weave slip from my grip, returning to the relative comfort of the Oracle of Eternity. I immediately tried to retrace my steps, but without Fate’s guidance, I was lost. Even with the goal in mind and the memory fresh, the steps didn’t feel the same.

It took me over an hour to stumble my way back to where Fate had left me. There was a moment of elation as I settled into the weave before I released it again. Over and over, with varying levels of success, I repeated the exercise. Slowly, but surely, I wore down the time it took. But it wasn’t enough.

Faster, more. The hours slipped by, one after the other. Korra came, once, to bring me food from the Firstlight Inn. R’lissea stopped by some time later, giving me a chance to relax my mind with idle chatter. A few minutes of respite, before I threw myself back into the grind.

As night approached on Enusia’s clock, I’d shaved my time down to only five minutes. Five intense, agonizing minutes of extreme focus. It was far from the effortless pass Fate had ordered, but when I opened my eyes, she was standing there before me.

"I...I don’t know how much I can do," I said, panting lightly. Sweat streaked my forehead from my exertions, and my tail was too tired to twitch.

"Five minutes, hmm? It is enough, for now. But only because our time grows short."

"Luke? Is he...?"

"He persists. Haven is keeping an eye on him. But there is not much time left, for him, or for you. The hordes are gathering, and all but two demon lords have arrived. They have begun their councils, and if the apostle cannot stand on his own strength, he will lose the horde."

"Right." I stood, clenching my hands into fists. "What next, then? How do I use this to heal his soul?"

"Again, you are not healing his soul, but building a bridge back for him. If he has the will, and the strength, he will cross it back to you. This exercise taught you to see and feel fate in its primal state. Now, you must learn to manipulate it. Return with me to the shard, and we will enter the weave."

I hesitated, a chill running down my spine. "Is that really necessary? Can’t I just do it here? I already felt primal fate."

"You could, had you a hundred years. But in the bounds of a realm like Haven or Enusia, fate exists in an organized state. It has purpose, form, and is governed by the laws of the realm. It would be like spinning thread from steel bands. Possible, if you had the knowledge and tools, but it is far easier to manipulate fate in the space between realms and Oblivion. It is soft and pliable, and prone to suggestion."

I took her offered hand, and we shifted to the Cathedral. I was surprised to see that the sensation of teleporting felt vaguely familiar. After spending so much time in the fate of the realm, I was attuned to the way the stars moved, and could feel it play out. It wasn’t a teleportation like the one done in Enusia, through gates or by breaking apart and reconstituting the body and soul. Instead, fate itself simply warped. Instead of being here, we were there. A simple variable changed in the equation written within the laws of Haven.

"Once we have entered Oblivion, you must not stray. Astral Beasts and other dangers usually avoid the regions closest to the realms, but the further you go, the greater the risk you will encounter them."

"You called it Oblivion, this time. What is it really? The wave? Between the realms? Oblivion?"

"All of that, I suppose. Essentially, it is the place where reality has not been dictated. It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that realms are fate, and everything else Oblivion. If it is not something, then it is nothing. Where the path is not, the end begins.

"Like an ocean?"

"Something like that. Every soul must exist on an island. But we are entering the sea itself, where sand, minerals, and more float freely, unassigned to any given fate. Every realm that ever was, is, and will be floats within. When a realm dies, it simply returns to Oblivion, returning everything to where it began. The Father’s final will is in force there, passively crafting realms for his children to inhabit. But that’s enough information for now. Remain focused on your goal."

I nodded and placed my hand on the shard. "Like this?"

"Exactly. Each shard is a gateway to Oblivion. Follow me, just as you practiced before."

I braced myself, reaching for the stars, but I’d forgotten just how easy it was with a guide. In a matter of seconds, I’d found my way, skipping past my soul space and into Oblivion.

The first thing I noticed was the cold. We were surrounded by countless glowing realities, but the shadows crept between their light, settling across my soul. I shuddered, drawing closer to Fate, who glowed brightly beside me. There was warmth in her aura, holding the touch of Oblivion at bay.

"Watch closely," Fate said. She reached out, and a strand of light responded. It curled around her arm like one of Korra’s water dragons, long and sinewy, shimmering like silk. She ran her other hand down its length, grasping the end and pulling it taut before her. Tens of thousands of glittering stars appeared within, woven together to form the light. Just like that, I saw I was looking at a scrap of fate, a fragment of reality.

The stars bent according to Fate’s will, the threads unraveling and rewinding, forming into a familiar shape. A delicate, silver wolf small enough to fit in her palm. It began to move before it had fully formed, squirming in her grip, until she let it sit in her palm. As the last of its fur took shape, it licked its paw, turning up to look at us, its ears pricked with curiosity. Fate held out her hand, and I took the wolf, its fur tickling my palm. It yawned.

Too cute. Would it crush it if I rubbed it against my cheek? Just to make sure it was actually as soft as it looked.

I shook my head, suppressing my wonder and studying it as she instructed. There was nothing starry or insubstantial about this wolf. It had its own warmth, its own heartbeat. When it licked my thumb, it was wet. It didn’t have a soul, however, unlike the creatures and people of Enusia. Instead, it drew from Fate’s mana, and gave me a similar feeling as the remnants did.

"Is it alive?" I asked.

"As much as one can be without a soul."

"Could I take it back to Havena? Or Haven."

She shook her head. "All flesh that exists within a realm follows the rules dictated by that realm. This creature was fashioned free of any constraints, straight by my will. My imagination, as you would put it. If I wished, I could have formed it according to those rules, and it would have been transferable. But without a soul, it would never have been able to survive on its own. In the end, it’s a toy made from spare parts."

She waved her hand, and the wolf melted back into starlight. My heart lurched to see it go, and I squeezed my hand closed, trying to keep the stars from leaving. But they oozed between my fingers, evaporating back into the shadows of Oblivion.

"Out here, the only thing that matters is your own will and creativity. But once you return to Enusia and work with the Apostle, you will be forced to follow the rules. Practice here, so that when the time comes, you will be able to do as you must."

I nodded and closed my eyes, reaching out with the Oracle of Eternity, as I’d been practicing to do. It came easily, just as Fate promised. In only twenty seconds, I opened my eyes again and gasped in awe. Before, Oblivion had been filled with darkness, lit only by the glowing light of the realms scattered about. But now, I could see. There were millions of stars, billions maybe, shining all around us, filling the endless expanse to the point it didn’t even seem dark. This was the primal fate she was talking about? This is what she fashioned that wolf from?

I reached out to a cluster not far from us, just like I did to foreign mana. It answered my call, gliding over in a clump of starlight. It sent tingles through me as it brushed against my hand. It was a strange, conflicted sensation. The light was warm, but the stars were cold against my skin.

"Now focus. Imagine the wolf moving. Its heart beating. Its lungs breathing. Just like Fable."

I did, but the stars were stubborn, resisting my vision. Fate continued to walk me through it, going over every detail and occasionally stepping in to guide my thoughts with her own. I lost track of time, for time really had no meaning here. There was no hunger, no weariness. The only force that acted on my soul was the cold of Oblivion, slowly but steadily seeping into my soul.

After what had to have been hours, or maybe days, the wolf finally stirred in my hands. It shook its coat, tilting its head at me just like Fable always did. I could feel its draw on my mana, sustaining itself as a skyship did on a core. Tears welled up in my eyes as it nuzzled against my palm.

"It’s beautiful," I whispered.

"Yes, the act of creation is beautiful. It’s the closest one can come to where the Father stood."

"You really loved him, didn’t you?"

She nodded wistfully. "Perhaps you did, too. We gods and emperors might have organized your current soul, but it was he who created it."

I let the wolf go, ignoring the pang in my heart as it melted away. This time, I could see the starlight even after it had faded, returning to the void from whence I’d drawn it.

"Now, do so again. And again, and again. Continue until you’re too cold to go on. Once you return to Enusia, there will not be time for you to recover, and come back here again, before the apostle fades. This is the only practice you get."

"Wait, what are you saying? You’re not leaving, are you?"

"I have matters to attend to. Magic was right. We do not have time to dally. Your war may be drawing to a close, but ours has just begun."