The Forsaken Hero

So I fled, running through the formless world of darkness and flickering worlds. The path dimmed, diverging countless times around visions so strange my mortal mind couldn’t interpret them. They were realms and realities that held no concrete form nor purpose. There was nothing to see, but I could still feel them, expressions of primal existence. Fear, glory, communion, death. Everything that could be experienced, distilled into the purest concepts. It didn’t make sense. None of this did.

As I stumbled through the chaos, I became aware of a being, a force, observing me. It was far away, but the weight of its presence was heavier than a ninth-level aura. Maybe even stronger than Magic’s.

Fate seemed to notice, and stilled around me, holding its breath like how the forest quiets when danger stalks beneath the branches. The presence didn’t move closer, nor did I feel more than idle curiosity from it. It just...watched. And then it withdrew.

Suddenly, there was light in the darkness. I ran, tears streaming behind me, right into the arms of familiar warmth. The terrors of the night, of the space between fate and oblivion, faded into a familiar presence.

"Child? What are you doing here?" Fate sounded genuinely puzzled, even as she smothered me in an embrace. And afraid.

"How might be the better question," Magic grumbled from somewhere past her.

Fate crouched down, her hands firmly on my shoulder, her face set with worry. "Are you alright? Your soul is dark and dim. Even with a divinity, mortal souls can’t sustain the darkness."

"I...I felt something," I mumbled, shivering, huddling against her. "It was watching me."

"You’re lucky you’re so weak. Not worth the effort of hunting," magic said.

Fate gave him a sharp look before holding me close again, stroking my hair. "It was nothing, child. Merely an Astral Beast. You must have crossed its territory."

"I just followed your light."

"Then you did well. It’s easy to get lost here, even for me, and I’ve spent countless eons wandering these paths."

"Arantius told me not to wander, but I...I wanted to. All of those visions seemed so nice, so warm."

"It’s a natural feeling. They provide the light your soul needs to survive. It’s a good instinct, but one that would ultimately prove fatal. Those visions, those realities you saw, are nothing more than expressions of what was, is, and could be. It’s more vast than you can imagine, but was given shape so that your limited, mortal mind could interpret it. Think of it as an endless number of spools from which the main tapestry pulls its thread. They are the building blocks of the Father’s work, from which he first spun our souls, and fashioned the first realms. They are what we formed the Cycle from."

Her words spun together, melding in a way I only partially understood. My thoughts were growing heavy, the cold gnawing deeper into my soul. Even her light could only stave it off a little.

"So cold," I mumbled. The little flame of my mana failed to warm me at all.

Fate’s sigh sounded in my ears, and she held me a little tighter.

"Our work is done for now, Magic. I must return her to Haven before she fades."

"What? But we’ve barely begun. It will take another hundred years to perfect the formation. There’s no other way to corrupt a World Shard!"

"Then await my return. If you dare, that is."

Magic hesitated, glancing at the sky, at something beyond my senses. He groaned, folding his arms in a very ungod-like way.

"Fine. We’ll pause for now. I need to see to my Divine Realm, anyway. It seems leaving Sorcery in charge in my absence was a mistake. She’s already declared war on Fire and his vassals. That’s almost sixty gods and goddesses. The battle’s already spread across a thousand worlds."

Fate mustered a smile. "It sounds like you have your hands full. Come when you are able, and we’ll continue our work. We must complete it before the time is at hand."

"Yes, yes, I’m not the one calling a break," he grumbled.

The rest was lost to me. I had siphoned what warmth I could from Fate, but it wasn’t enough, and I succumbed to the cold. Everything beyond that gnawing emptiness was a blur. I focused all my thoughts on Luke, picturing his face until that, too, faded, and I was left with nothing but the feelings in my heart. No warmth, or hugs, just...him.

At some point, the darkness receded, and the weight lifted off my chest. Blessed heat flooded me from all directions, slowly eroding the paralyzing chill. Ground appeared beneath my feet, rushing up to greet me. Or maybe I was falling.

The latter proved true, and soon, I was staring up at the ceiling, lying on my side. It slowly came into focus, glittering with the light of the shard.

"Welcome back, my lady," Arantius said.

Slowly, groaning from the effort, I sat up, my legs tucked to the side, and looked around. The remnant was speaking to Fate, who stood over me, gazing down at me.

"I expected more of you," she said, glancing at Arantius. "You should never have allowed her to do something so dangerous."

"She insisted. I merely explained the risks, and showed her the path. Every step was her own."

Fate crouched beside me, taking my hand. I shivered at the touch, finding her hand hot.

"It’s going to feel like that for a while. The shadows of oblivion are not so easily shaken," she explained. "Now what was so important you risked your existence to find me for?"

My grip on her hand tightened. She could read my mind. She must have known Luke was the only thing on it throughout our entire journey back.

"I...I want to save him," I whispered hoarsely, still finding my voice.

"He was struck by Fate, and condemned to oblivion. Even in my prime, saving him would have been difficult," she said.

"Arantius said it was impossible."

"And yet you couldn’t accept that." She leaned back, pursing her lips.

My tail curled in the silence.

"Very well, it would be remiss of me to deny you the chance to try. But I must warn you that it won’t be so simple as repairing the weave, as you did to mend Haven, or healing your own soul. His threads have been severed, and must be spun anew. Even then, it will fall to him to accept the binding, and have the will to be drawn back to the pattern. There’s no guarantee he has the purpose, or the resolve, to return."

"Then I’ll try," I said, thinking of Luke’s dedication to his vengeance. He’d already pushed the entire world to the brink of ruin for revenge. What greater conviction could one have?

"Then we have no time to waste. The longer he wanders in darkness, the more he is lost, and the harder to return. It has already been too long."

She raised me to my feet. I followed her aimlessly, my legs weak and shaky, concentrating mostly on not falling. I hadn’t realized we’d teleported until the astral breeze caressed my cheek, running through my hair.

"The Heart of Haven?" I asked, looking at her quizzically. "But he’s in Enusia!"

"This is where you will begin, and only because you’ve yet to recover. Once you’re warm, call for me, and we’ll return to the weave."

I shuddered at the thought of returning to the dreadful darkness, but I wouldn’t complain. She sat me down on the soft grass before the shrine, and had me summon my staff.

"First, you must learn to see the weave and manipulate it. Close your eyes, child, and block out all distractions. Yes, even the thought of Luke. Worrying about him now will only slow your progress. Place yourself back in the time you impressed your will over Fate, and called the Skyknights to your side.

Great, now she was calling them that, too.

I shook my head, suppressing the thought with a wry shake of my head. Concentrate. Or at least be upset about something that actually bothered you.

The first step was the easiest. Activating the Oracle of Eternity had become natural to me, to the point I hardly had to think about it. But the stars of fate I could see with it active were only the beginning, just like how each sparkle of light within the Shard was its own complex array.

It was here, relying solely on that ability, that I failed. It had worked to summon the Fatesworn because Haven had forcibly controlled it for me, linking me directly to the realm. It was easier to remember that sensation than to replicate it.

Fate guided me with slender ribbons of mana, but kept her teaching to simple nudges in the right direction. Gradually, I began to take control of the ability and to consciously manipulate it, as I’d learned to do with Adaptive Resistance. It was the difference between using a chant and fashioning a unique spell from raw runes.

Slowly, things fell into place, and I felt Haven open up. My aura entwined with its stars. The process was much smoother and warmer than when Haven had woven with Enusia, like the realm itself wanted me to be a part of it. Given it had its own consciousness, that was entirely possible.

"That’s it," Fate said, withdrawing from me. "Get comfortable with this feeling. Once you can connect with Haven freely on your own, call me. Only then will you be prepared to enter the weave."