My eyes fluttered open, heavy with exhaustion. A soft yawn escaped my lips. Fable’s fur brushed against my face, but the gentle sensation was overshadowed by a searing ache radiating from my chest. I let out a pained whimper, every breath filling my lungs with fire, and pressing a hand to my breast. Beneath the shredded blouse of my dress, my fingers brushed against the rough linens of bandages.
"Xiviyah? You’re awake?"
The voice was familiar, yet felt distant, as though echoing down a long tunnel. Blinking against a wave of dizziness, I lifted my gaze. Green eyes, filled with worry, stared back at . Korra. Her na struck like a physical blow. In a breathless gasp, everything ca crashing back–the Inquisitors, the demon...and Korra.
The truth sent a shudder through , and I struggled to sit up, only to cry out as a spike of fiery pain lanced through my chest. Korra’s arms were around in an instant, gently easing back against Fable. The wolf’s anxious whine echoed the turmoil raging inside , but I took comfort in the deep vibrations reverberating from his chest, the familiarity of his voice soothing my troubled mind.
"Shhh, it’s alright," Korra murmured, her touch feather-light as she took my hand.
"Korra...what are you doing here?" I whispered, the words catching in my throat. A tremor ran through as I stared at her, wide-eyed, afraid that the mont I blinked, she would disappear. Was this real? Or so cruel dream, sent by the gods to tornt ?
Korra frowned, as though sensing my thoughts. After a tense mont, she gave my hand a gentle squeeze, an uneasy smile touching her lips. "I promised, Xiviyah. I promised I’d find you; I’m only sorry it took so long."
"I...don’t rember," I said, tears filling my eyes. The last ti I’d seen her, she was battling against Alex, desperately trying to save from Soltair. She’d shouted sothing at then, but my mories were blurred with the terror and hopelessness of the experiences.
She reached out and stroked my cheek, a hint of sadness in her gaze. "That’s alright, there’s no need to force yourself. All that matters is I’m here now, and you’re safe. Are you feeling better? I did the best I could to dress your wound, but it’s already been a few hours since you fainted. Are you able to heal yourself?"
I reached for my mana, not entirely sure what to expect. My breath caught as a flood of comforting warmth answered my call, rising to envelop . The hours of rest had done good, it seed, my mana halfway recovered.
"Restoration," I said softly, casting the fourth-circle spell.
Life Magic bubbled through my body, and I let out a shallow breath as my chest began to itch. The sensation spread to cover my entire body, healing the many shallow cuts and bruises I’d received during the battle. Within seconds, color returned to my face, my body whole, save for the ever-present ache of the Sunpurge. Taking a deep breath, I nearly shed a tear when it ca easily and free of pain.
"Amazing," she said, shaking her head. It might have just been my imagination, but there seed to be a flash of envy in her gaze, though any hint vanished as she broke into a wide smile. "Care to take a look at my arm?"
My eyes fell to her upper bicep, where the Blade Demon’s limb had torn a jagged gash in her flesh. The makeshift bandage she’d tied around it was ruddy with blood, thick clots of semi-dried fluid building up around the fringes.
I reached out and gently tugged aside the bandage, revealing the swollen lip of the laceration. She let out a breath as I cast another Life Spell, settling on Lesser Restoration to preserve my mana. The wound was bad, but the second-circle spell closed it right up, working until not even a scar remained.
I glanced at Fable, feeling a rush of fear as I saw his coat matted with blood, but he offered a toothy grin, rolling over on his stomach. I sighed, rubbing my horn, and collapsed against him, absently stroking his fur. As a monster, his natural regeneration far exceeded our own. It would be strange if he wasn’t fully healed by now.
Korra laughed at the scene and sat cross-legged beside , leaning forward, resting her chin on her hand, and looking into my eyes. "What’s up with this oversized dog, Xiviyah? I hadn’t taken you for a pet-lover."
"He’s mine," I whispered, gazing fondly at Fable, who rumbled contently beneath my hand. "He found before anyone else did and protected from the shadows until I was ready. Without him..." I shook my head, letting out a forlorn sigh.
She nodded, shifting her gaze onto his belly, where his fur waved enticingly in the sumr breeze. "Do you think he’d let ...? I an, he nearly snapped my head off when I tried to bind your wound, and again when you tried to sit up."
"Go ahead, he won’t hurt you," I said confidently. Fable was overprotective, but in the sa way, I could feel his soul, he did mine.
She nodded, slowly dragging her hand across his flank. Fable flinched at her touch, but quickly relaxed, giving her a patronizing glance. I could feel his disdain through the bond, but he didn’t dare act out for fear of upsetting .
After a mont, she returned her gaze to , though her hand continued to explore his silky pelt. "That reminds . How the hell did you end up on the Northern Continent? I figured out the church let Lord Byron get his hands on you, and almost made it in ti, but that demon showed up first, nuking the place into oblivion. Even the Grand Inquisitor thought you were dead, and I...well, I couldn’t stop looking," she said, her voice small, sounding on the edge of tears.
"It wasn’t a demon," I said softly, eyes misting over, "I don’t know who it was exactly, but Fate sent them to help . She used the last of her divinity to open a gate or sothing, and a woman ca through. She said she was a friend of Fate and ended up casting a ninth-circle spell. After that, she cast a spell, and I appeared on the Northern Continent, right outside this village, actually."
"Did he do anything to you?" Korra asked suddenly, her eyes narrowing. "Lord Byron, I an."
I swallowed hard, my tail curling into my lap. "N-not like that, " whispered, suppressing the urge to cry, "but he...he..." Aurle’s face flashed through my mind. Had he done that, or had I?
"Damn him," she hissed, hands tightening into fists. After taking a forced breath, her voice took on an even more dangerous tone. "He was a mber of the Circle, right?"
I nodded, her words sending a series of chills down my spine. "They have Sari, too. I have to get her back, before they can... can..." I bit back a sob, brushing a tear from my eye.
"I don’t know her, but if that’s what you want, I’m with you all the way," Korra said seriously, her eyes unwavering.
"But you’re a hero," I whispered, gazing down at my lap. My tail gave a forlorn twitch. "You have important things to do. Fighting demons, saving the world... I’m not worth any of that. I’m just a–"
"A what?" Korra’s voice cut through the air, sharp as a blade. "Filthblood? Betrayer? Slave, perhaps?"
Every accusation was a blow, and I flinched, shrinking back against Fable. My lip trembled, but no words ca. Alard by aggression, Fable growled a warning, but Korra ignored him, her eyes flashing furiously.
"Do you have any idea what I’ve sacrificed to find you? I’m no hero, Xiviyah. Not anymore. I abandoned my people, my magic, even my god. A year spent searching every filthy dungeon, braving every shadow, following every whisper of your na... Are you telling it was all in vain?"
"N-no! I–"
She cut off with a glare. "I’d all but given up hope when I heard whispers of a red-haired demonkin appearing near Brithlite. When I saw you in the street, outside the inn...it took everything in not to rip off your hood then and there. And again, before the Circle’s lair! I was terrified you’d get hurt, or caught, and tried everything I could to make sure you escaped. I was so scared, Xiviyah. So scared you’d die, that I wouldn’t be enough, that I couldn’t save you."
Her anger bled away, replaced by a bone-deep sorrow that echoed my own. A sob escaped my lips, and I finally dared to look at her. A shudder ran through my body as I found tears streaming down her cheeks, her eyes glistening with hurt. Sha washed through , and I also began to cry. Just how selfish had I been, to think I was alone in suffering, that my sacrifices were the only ones that mattered?
"I’m sorry," I choked out. "I...I didn’t realize..."
Korra gently wiped her eyes and took my hand. "I promised, didn’t I? That I’d co for you, and I did. Now that I have, don’t you ever dare think you can get rid of again. Got it?"
I nodded, and she broke into a smile, pulling into a tight embrace. Her arms drove the breath from my lungs, but I didn’t care. Burying my face in her shoulder, I felt sothing I’d scarcely dared imagine. A peace I hadn’t felt in years–if ever. I was ho.
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