CHAPTER 836: LEAVING THE HORDE

At last, Fable calmed down, plopping on the floor, his body curled around the bed. I sat up slowly, my hair sticking in all directions, my face flushed and panting. I cast a quick water spell, cleaning the saliva from my face and dress.

"Remind me never to get too friendly with him," Luke said, hiding a smile.

I blushed, awkwardly smoothing my hair. Fable sat up, whining faintly as I hugged him, my fingers barely touching around his thick neck. His fur enveloped me, soft and warm, filling my nostrils with his familiar scent. Memories trickled in one by one, from our first meeting outside Westfold Village to our battle against the dragons in Blacksand.

"I missed you," I murmured, nuzzling his fur with my cheek.

It was minutes before I finally rose for air, finding Luke watching me with a smile.

"One day, I hope you’re as excited to see me as that oversized wolf," he said.

My tail curled in embarrassment. "It’s not like that, I...um, well, it is, but I—" I looked down, my face burning. "Don’t tease me."

He chuckled, reaching up and giving Fable’s shoulder an experimental pat. Fable stiffened, his lips curling back to reveal his fangs.

"Fable," I said sharply, putting my hands on my hips.

The wolf ducked his head, his snarl vanishing. I sighed, shaking my head.

"He’s fine. It wasn’t his fault I got lost, so please, be nice to Luke. It would make me sad if you didn’t get along."

A sense of resignation filled his soul, and I nodded, letting my frown go. A smile crept in its place, and I hugged Fable again, rubbing my face against his neck.

"I really did miss you," I said. "How are the others? Did you take good care of them?"

He whined, and a series of images flashed through my mind. I saw Korra looking worried, and R’lissea with red, puffy eyes. Elise and Selena were sitting at a table, poring over documents, while Fyren and the Devoted seemed to be atop a mountain, their expressions dark. At the very least, they all seemed safe.

"And Sari?" I asked, the name popping into my mind.

I didn’t get an image, but a sensation: a small, light body climbing over my shoulders, a small hand petting between my horns. And a soft, reddish tail tickling my nose.

"Sari..." I whispered, sinking into his fur. I’d been so busy preparing for our raid that I never managed to find her in Brackencliff. But it seemed Fable had. It brought me no small amount of relief knowing she was well enough to be climbing all over him.

"So you plan to ride Fable back to Sylvarus?" Luke asked.

I thought about it for a few seconds before asking, "How far are we?"

"Hmm, hard to say. We’ve fought almost a dozen battles since we split, and Sylvarus is in the other direction. If Fable were to go alone, I suspect he could make it in a few hours, but moving at a speed you can handle...two, three days?"

"That’s a long time," I said.

Fable nudged me with his nose, sending a flurry of impressions through the bond. I shivered as the first to hit me was a sense of weightlessness, the clinking of crystalline feathers, and the rustle of wind in my hair.

"No," I said, gripping my skirt tightly. Fable’s suggestion was entirely clear to me, but something in my gut pushed me to reject it out of hand.

Fable whined, a sense of urgency making the secondhand memories even stronger. I shivered again, shaking my head firmly.

"Fable, I can’t. Even if I could summon Borealis, I..."

Luke’s eyes lit up. "Borealis? You remembered him? That’s good, if you can recall something as obscure as a demon’s name."

"He’s not obscure," I said, frowning at him. "He’s my friend."

"Demons aren’t friends," he said, rolling his eyes. "But I suppose if you don’t already know that, nothing I can say will convince you."

I stared at him sullenly, my lips pursed in a slight pout.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Fine, fine, if he’s your friend, who am I to say differently. But are you certain you don’t wish to call him? Traveling by air would be far safer than crossing these wartorn lands. My horde’s already slain several eighth-level monsters awakened from sealings or slumber by our trespassing."

"No. I’m not flying. Please."

He looked about to protest, but when my lower lip quivered, he relented. I let out a pent-up breath, dragging my sleeve over my eyes, dabbing the excess moisture.

"You should leave as soon as possible," he said. "Is there anything you need?"

I touched my spatial ring. "No. I have plenty of food and water. And more clothes than I know what to do with."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "I only remember you wearing two kinds of dresses. You pick up some more?"

My cheeks warmed, and I tugged the hem of my skirt. "Um...no. Just a few different colors. I have like six or seven different dresses."

"Six, huh?" He paused, as if considering it. "I suppose that’s a lot more than you used to have," he said, then added softly, "But not nearly enough, you know. You might look beautiful in anything, but I still want to see you in everything."

I opened my mouth, but only a small squeak came out. Flustered, I stared at the ground, then peeked up at him, then back down again. He’d complimented me plenty before, but there was no guile in his smile, no teasing twinkle in his eye. The sheer off-handed nature of the remark took me completely off guard.

Luke looked at me quizzically, tilting his head before stiffening. He clapped a hand to his mouth, his cheeks tinted with pink. He coughed, standing quickly, avoiding my gaze.

"I’ll let you get ready," he said hurriedly.

"S-stop that," I mumbled, blushing under Fable’s curious gaze.

After I recovered my composure and changed into a thicker dress meant for travel, I left Luke’s tent with Fable at my side. Luke and Jessia stood a few paces away, glaring at each other. Jessia noticed me first, a sly smile replacing her frown.

"Your realm is quite something, Xiviyah," she said.

"You saw?" I asked, tentatively resting a hand on Fable’s shoulder.

She made a face. "Not as much as I would have liked. I barely set foot in it before that glowing warrior appeared and tossed me out. But what I did see was incredible. You have to take me there sometime."

"Not happening," Luke said. He moved beside me, close enough I could feel his warmth. I leaned toward him, but he didn’t move any closer.

"If she can let the leader of the demon horde in, surely she can spare a few minutes for little ol’ me," Jessia said, blinking innocently.

"You tricked me," I mumbled, folding my arms. "When I didn’t remember, you...you tricked me."

"That’s

what you’re worried about? A few secrets slipping away?" She snorted. "All part of the game, no hard feelings. But I do feel a mite bad, so maybe I’ll share something in return."

She crept closer, then paused, glaring at Luke. He frowned, but reluctantly moved away. Jessia circled around, always making sure I was between Fable and her, until she leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"He really likes it when you wear that wreath. The one with the white and red flowers. Oh, and that Blacksand dress—though I assume all men appreciate that. It hardly leaves anything a secret."

I turned to stare at her, my cheeks burning. She was already pulling away, leaving only a playful wink behind. I touched my head self-consciously, brushing the space beneath my horn where the wreath sat. Did he really like it that much?

"That’s enough of you," Luke said, giving her a little push on the shoulder. "Xiviyah, are you ready?"

"Is Evla here? I want to thank her for saving me," I said.

He shook his head. "She took a company of demons out this morning and won’t be back till tomorrow."

"Oh." My expression sank, then I looked up hopefully. "Would you tell her for me? I want to give her something when we meet next. As a thank you."

He smiled. "Of course."

I turned to Fable, touching his shoulder. The wolf lowered himself, extending a leg to act as a sort of stair to his back. I tightened my grip on his fur, preparing to climb on, when I turned, letting him go and moving to Luke. He shifted, absently fingering the brooch I’d given him.

"Thank you, Luke," I whispered, "I’m sorry I have to leave. Maybe next time, we could, um, watch the sunrise together? If you want to, that is."

He swallowed hard. "I, er, yeah. If you want to."

"Promise?"

He nodded. "That’s one promise I can make to you."

A smile blossomed on my face, and I turned back to Fable. Luke came up behind me, holding out his hand.

"May I?"

I nodded shyly, placing my hand in his. He raised his hand, helping me climb onto the wolf, only letting go once I was settled.

"Good luck, Xiviyah. And Fable, keep an eye on her."

"I’m not a child," I said.

Fable snorted in amusement, and Luke grinned. He patted the wolf’s flank, and Fable rose. I gave Luke one last look, feeling an unfamiliar lurch in my stomach as Fable began to move, loping away through the camp. Luke raised his hand in farewell.

"One week!" he called. "I’ll find you in one week."