"Ah, Xiviyah, thank you for joining us."
Bethiv’s voice welcod into the spacious command tent, instantly dispelling the lingering embarrassnt from monts before. Even so, I stiffened, and my tail curled protectively around my leg as I scanned the room, t by the piercing gazes of nearly a dozen high-ranking officers from the Last Light Company.
I finally relaxed, taking my first full breath since entering, as my eyes found Jackal. He was lounging with one leg casually draped over the armrest of his chair, his scarred face creased in a warm, familiar smile. It was a breath of fresh air to see him completely at ease among the stiff and disciplined officers, and I couldn’t help but recall the first ti we t when he’d appeared in nothing but his small clothes to protect from the infernal monster’s attack.
"Thank you," I said, smiling faintly at Bethiv. "What is it you wished to discuss?"
He motioned to a chair between Jackal and another familiar face: Joel, which I gratefully took. The duel with Gayron had strained more than I cared to admit, and I was still recovering from my week-long sleep.
"I’m sorry for bringing you here on such short notice, but several things have happened that rit our imdiate attention," Bethiv said, nodding to another officer I didn’t recognize.
The man cleared his throat and stood, leaning over the table, which held a detailed map of Brithlite. He was older, with a sixth-level soul, likely a veteran of the original Last Light Company adventuring team.
"My na is Avrass, my Lady, lead ranger of the Last Light Company’s scouts. Yesterday, we received a rather disturbing report. The Fire Demon in eastern Brithlite has crossed into Gornrod Territory and has since annihilated several major cities. At the sa ti, the demon army in Brithlite, led by the Apostle Luke, has taken Watch Hill, a major trade town that controls all goods flowing in and out of the Capital."
"The invasion into Gornrod has put the neighboring kingdoms in a difficult position. It’s starting to sink into their stubborn, royal skulls that this war won’t remain contained. Brithlite might be first, but it certainly won’t be last," another officer interjected, his voice laced with grim resignation.
A third officer nodded, rubbing his gray stubble as his eyes traced the map. "Resupply will be a challenge. Our stores will last a few months longer, but the villages and towns we’ve passed have nothing to spare. Morale is also becoming a concern. Many of the n have families in the cities taken by the demons, and none of them have been ho in over a year."
Several others chid in with logistical concerns, likely typical for an army of this size. I had no understanding of such matters, no clue where to even begin. Unfortunately, they didn’t seem to share my ignorance, and as the last officer concluded his report, all eyes turned to , heavy with expectation. I shifted in my seat, my tail wrapping anxiously around the chair leg.
With little hope of escape, I turned to the map, but the lines and nas blurred into a aningless jumble. Little markers and carved pieces signified troop movents, cities, and points of interest, but I couldn’t make sense of them, nor could I tell which direction the map was even facing. Soltair had never allowed to see the map when he planned our routes, and since then, I’d been too busy running and hiding to learn anything about cartography. I’d only ever seen maps in visions of war councils like this one, but I’d never had the chance to study them, let alone learn how to read one.
"W-which one’s Gornrod?" I finally stamred, wilting under the weight of their stares.
The soldiers blinked in unison, and a few let out exasperated sighs. Jackal just shook his head, a wry smile on his lips. "I told you we should have talked to her first. It’s not fair, dropping a sweet girl like her in the middle of a war."
He chuckled, seemingly oblivious to my embarrassnt, and reached out, his large hand resting on my head and rubbing gently between my horns. My hands tightened in my lap as I squird, mortified, a steady heat rising in my cheeks. The agitated swishing of my tail was audible in the silence that followed, and I stared down at my lap, not daring to et anyone’s eyes. The very familiarity that had once put at ease now turned against , a betrayal as sharp as any sword.
Just when I felt like I was about to die of embarrassnt, Bethiv coughed lightly. "Jackal, I know you’re fond of her; we all are, but there’s no need to treat her like a child."
"Indeed," Avrass, the scout from before, added, his voice clipped. "We only agreed to let her sit by you because she knew you best." His scowl was directed at Jackal, but I shivered nonetheless. I had the feeling the ranger didn’t disapprove of Jackal’s actions, but of sothing else entirely.
Surprisingly, none of the soldiers laughed at . Instead, their gazes were soft and understanding, if slightly amused. They looked at like I was a kitten or a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest. A strange warmth welled up in my chest, and the tension in my shoulders eased a fraction. That is, until Jackal’s face widened into a savage grin.
"How long have we been together? Thirty, forty years? And yet you still think you can pretend you’re not jealous? Have a little dignity. We’re the Last Light Company, rember?"
I stared at them all, wide-eyed, feeling a lot more like a fallen bird than a kitten. A few officers coughed, discreetly averting their eyes, while others scowled and crossed their arms, refusing to take the bait. Bethiv just sighed and shook his head, his hand rising to massage his temple.
"Gods, how the hell did we ever survive back then?" he muttered under his breath, then cleared his throat. "Jackal, enough. Xiviyah is the Oracle of Eternity, not your granddaughter, and I won’t have you embarrassing her to death. Now, if we could please return to the matter of logistics. Xiviyah, the truth is, no matter how tired you are, we need to move soon."
Jackal reluctantly retrieved his hand, but it took a full minute to recover enough to speak, and even then my tail continued to twitch agitatedly, the blush refusing to fade from my cheeks.
"I don’t really understand what’s going on, or the kinds of problems armies have," I admitted, my voice hesitant. "But you are all here because you want to follow , right?"
Bethiv nodded, his gaze unwavering. "Yes, and please, don’t misunderstand. No one here expects you to be capable of running an army or handling the logistics of keeping ten thousand people alive and in fighting shape. But just as we are your followers, you are our leader, and we need that overall vision. If you want us to fight a war, just say where, and against whom. We’ll sort out the details."
His words ward my heart and soothed the butterflies fluttering in my stomach. Never before had I felt so unqualified and unprepared for anything as when I walked into this tent. It was a relief to know they didn’t have any unrealistic expectations of . I was confident in my magic and, to so degree, in fate, but my understanding of almost anything else was severely limited.
I took a deep breath and faced the officers and mages, a newfound confidence bolstering my voice. "I-it’s selfish," I admitted, twirling a strand of crimson hair around my finger, "but I want to save Elise. And destroy the magic they’re using to enslave people."
"That’s sothing we can all agree on," Bethiv said in a low, resonant voice.
The temperature in the tent plumted as the others nodded in unison, their eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. Their anger was justified; they had all been enslaved and forced to fight their own friends and kin. The undisguised bloodlust stirred a familiar echo within , Luke’s anger and thirst for vengeance rippling through the depths of my soul.
Our souls had long since separated, but at tis like this, his mory and emotions imprinted themselves upon . That was what had happened yesterday when I almost drove Korra away. I shivered at the thought and glanced longingly at the door, wishing Fable were close enough to touch, to remind of who I was and what I truly wanted. Their anger might be justified, but I knew now that the path of vengeance was as dark as the chains and dungeons I had co from. Alverin would find no rcy from , but I couldn’t allow myself to be consud by that darkness.
"So, it’s war, then?" Bethiv asked softly, his gaze piercing into mine.
I hesitated, the tip of my tail twitching anxiously. War. If I chose this path, peace would torn apart, cities would burn, and thousands would perish. The Last Light Company was a force to be reckoned with, more powerful than almost any army on Enusia. With Korra, myself, and the unreliable aid of those who currently allied with us, I doubted we would be stopped.
I looked at my hands, gripping my skirt tightly. Connor had seen my soul blacker than the depths of hell, burdened by the souls I had caused to suffer and fall. it was a prophecy, of sorts, of the path I would walk. Of the countless innocent who would die.
Aurle had been innocent. She had done nothing but love and care for when no one else would. I only made it to Heartland because of her sacrifice, because she died so that I might have a chance to live and learn to smile.
Elise was innocent, yet she still lived under the shadow of the Heart Crest. Was she worth less than the innocent people whose nas I didn’t know? A faint pressure emanated from my soul, causing the edges of the map to rise and the tent to flap. Her smile was gone, her spirit twisted into sothing unrecognizable by the horrors Alverin had inflicted upon her. She had begged him to violate her.
I could never forgive that. Even if it ant staining my soul with blood.
"It is," I said softly, my voice unwavering. I t the gazes of the soldiers around , watching as their expressions hardened to mirror my own. "Let us go to war. For freedom for all souls. For Elise."
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