“I’m leaving,” Abby said, inadvertently shifting her eyes to the floor. After what she’d seen during the previous battle, which had lasted for more than a week, she knew precisely how little she belonged with Zeke and the others who’d joined him. She was an outcast, and one that people like Talia actively hated. If she stayed, she knew she would one day find a set of claws through her ribcage.
Zeke, who had finally returned to his human form after fighting that crystal demon who’d somehow taken control of Ignatius body, let out a long sigh. “Are you sure?” he asked.
Part of Abby was a little disappointed that he didn’t argue with her choice, but she knew that their relationship had fractured beyond repair. Her betrayal had widened the chasm between them, and nothing she’d done since then was nearly enough to bridge that gap. She accepted that, even if it left her with mixed feelings.
Even now, she had difficulty accepting rejection. Perhaps she always would.
“I am,” she said firmly. “I think Talia would kill me if I stuck around for much longer. Your new…partner as well.”
At first, it had surprised her that Zeke had moved on – especially with a woman that looked like an ogre with long hair. She had no idea what he saw in her, except maybe a shared interest in brutality. But after a little consideration, she realized that she was being unfair. Her assessment of Adara wasn’t an honest one, and if she forced herself to be honest, she would admit that she had a certain appeal to her. In addition, she couldn’t deny that Zeke seeking company elsewhere made sense. After all, he was a powerful man. Perhaps the most powerful in the Eternal Realm. That kind of thing tended to attract people, especially potential partners.
Even Abby had considered giving it another try, though for obvious reasons, she’d decided against it. Not only did she not want to have to walk around on eggshells as she hoped Talia left her alone, but she didn’t believe that Zeke would ever truly forgive her. That was no recipe for happiness – for anyone involved, but most importantly, for herself.
Of course, her pride told her otherwise. So far, she had managed to ignore it, but she had no idea how long that would last. No – she needed to leave, and soon. Otherwise, she would start making bad decisions.
“Besides, there’s really no place for me here. I just want to find somewhere peaceful to settle down. Join a community. Maybe find someone special,” she admitted. “I failed to do that in my old life, and ever since I was reborn in the Radiant Isles, I’ve been chasing something that, ultimately, isn’t important. Or maybe I’m just ill-suited for it. Regardless, it’s not healthy.”
“That…that is a mature way of looking at it,” he said, running his hand through his hair. He’d cut it since the battle, which made him look far more presentable. When she’d first taken a look at him after returning to Eldoria, she had very much wanted to offer her services as an amateur barber. But she knew that would be a step too far.
“That’s me. Miss Maturity. You can tell by the fact that I’ve ruined every relationship I’ve ever had,” she quipped. It came out more pained than she had intended. Maybe she wasn’t as over it as she’d thought. Before Zeke could remark, she said, “I really do need to go. I can’t do this anymore, Zeke. I just can’t stay.”
“I understand,” he said. “Do you need anything before you leave?”
She shook her head. “No. I have supplies.”
“Where will you go?”
Abby shrugged. “Not sure. Probably best if you don’t know, honestly. Besides, you’re headed downstairs, right? Soon, you’ll descend through Hell and move on from this realm entirely.”
“You could come with me. The tower will persist, even if –”
“Like I said – no. It’s not a good idea, Zeke. Goodbye,” she said. She considered giving him a hug. Maybe a kiss on the cheek. But if she got too close, she felt that she wouldn’t be able to muster the will to leave.
It didn’t help that Adara was hovering nearby, looking as if she was ready pounce at the slightest provocation. Abby had no idea where Talia had gone, but she knew that if she stuck around for much longer, the undead girl would turn up. In the week since the battle had concluded, Talia had taken to following her around.
Or stalking her, as Abby had come to think of it.
Regardless, she didn’t want to chance another encounter, so she soon said her final goodbyes and left through the city. She hadn’t been allowed inside the tower, which she didn’t really blame anyone for. It wasn’t meant for people like her.
In any case, the city of Eldoria had survived the battle pretty well intact. There were areas that had been destroyed, but they were isolated. By comparison, the keep was mostly rubble, having fallen during the long battle between Zeke and the demon who’d hijacked Ignatius’ body. The leader of the Radiant Host had to have been truly desperate to agree to something like that. He had to have known it wouldn’t work out well for him. Yet, from everything Abby knew about Ignatius, he had been a true believer, and he likely would have considered the sacrifice worth it, so long as Shar Maelaine got what she wanted.
She had not.
That was another reason Abby had no intention of ascending. Or descending, as Zeke had revealed about his plans. At present, she had the framework on her side, and the division between the realms protected her from her former patron’s wrath. However, if she ended up in the Ethereal Realm, there would be nothing to shield her from the Sun Goddess’ fury.
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Shar Maelaine was a lot of things, but forgiving was not one of her reputed traits. No – if Abby put herself on the same plane as the Sun Goddess, she would either be killed or forced into slavery. She couldn’t stomach either options, so that route was out of the question.
After all, she wasn’t Zeke. She didn’t have the power to challenge gods. She was just a woman, albeit one with a modicum of power, and she needed to start living like one.
As she traversed the city, she saw many of the former slaves she’d studiously ignored during her time in the Radiant Host. Most were ragged, even after spending a week under the care of Zeke’s people. Many flinched at the sight of her blonde hair – or maybe when looking at her humanity – which made her feel guiltier than ever.
Because she was.
She’d never participate in their oppression. Not directly. However, she had looked the other way. She’d known when her underlings visited the elven brothels where they sated their lust. She was well aware that the bulk of the Imperium’s labor came from beastkin slaves.
And yet, she had done nothing.
Part of it was because she was far too wrapped up in her own problems. Her struggle against the Radiant Host’s conditioning – both magical and mundane in nature – had taken precedence, and to the exclusion of all else. And because of that, she’d managed to ignore the tragedies right beneath her nose.
That was just one of her many regrets, though, and one that was easily forgotten so long as it wasn’t directly in front of her. So, she hurried out of the city, leaving it behind soon after.
Tucker had offered to take her somewhere via his airship, but she had refused. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in a confined space with that man. Despite knowing that he was more than her first impressions indicated so long ago, she had never gotten over her dislike of the alchemist. She’d rather trek through the wilderness alone than deal with him.
Which was she did, entering the forest outside the city without a hint of hesitation. Along the way, she saw a few clumps of wounded knights. Zeke’s people hadn’t bothered hunting them because they were so few. The Imperium had been broken, and it didn’t matter if a few hundred fighters managed to escape. Thankfully, none of them recognized her. Otherwise, there might’ve been some awkward conversations.
Or perhaps not.
Her reputation was such that few within the Imperium would willingly confront her. She had earned it, too. Abby had no idea how many people she’d killed over the years, but she knew the number was incredibly high. Thousands, at the least. More likely, she’d killed tens of thousands.
Hopefully, that would soon come to an end.
Gradually, she left the forests immediately surrounding the city of Eldoria behind. After the first day, she camped in the wilderness, where she was thankful for her old [Makeshift Camp] skill. Often, she’d neglected it because her life had drifted away from the sorts of situations where it would prove necessary. However, in the forest, it proved invaluable by keeping the wildlife at bay.
The next day, she continued along in much the same way. When she’d been escorted back to Eldoria, she had done so mostly via airship. So, it had been quite some time since she’d traveled through the relatively tame forests of the inner Imperium. And it was oddly peaceful.
Sure, there were plenty of monsters around, but her combination of skills and relatively high level meant that they usually left her alone. So, she was only forced to fight on a couple of occasions, and even then, the opponents were not terribly powerful. It was almost relaxing, especially after the intensity of the battle against the Radiant Host.
Back then, she had fought against people who’d once looked to her as an ally. As one of their own. The few who’d recognized her had been so surprised that their shock proved an effective enough distraction that it contributed to their deaths.
Another reason for her guilt.
Abby knew that everyone in the Imperium wasn’t evil. Most of them were just doing their jobs. They’d been trapped by their situation, and they’d never been afforded an opportunity to escape. And yet, they had all done evil things. So had she. Which was why she often found herself wondering why she was the one who’d been allowed to escape that life.
Certainly, she wasn’t special.
She knew that down to the core of who she was. In fact, that was precisely what she’d had to discover before she could ever hope to find inner peace. She was above average at best. Maybe even good. But never special.
Over the next week, she traveled in much the same way, eventually finding a pass through the mountains ringing the inner Imperium. Traversing that pass wasn’t difficult, but for the first time, she was force to fight reasonably powerful opponents. First, it was a flock of powerful eagles that mistook her for prey. She killed three of them before they moved on to easier quarry. Then, she was stalked by a mountain lion that very nearly succeeded in its ambush. However, her long months surviving in the wilderness, both during her training after leaving the Crucible as well as her more recent trip through the Emerald Expanse, served her well, and she managed to turn the tables on the cat.
It died with one of her arrows having burned a hole through its torso.
After that, she found herself facing off against what she could only call an abominable snowman. When she’d tried to inspect it, she got nothing but question marks. However, it was made of snow, so her radiance-attuned abilities made quick work of it.
When it melted, the way was clear for her descent, and she soon enough found herself trekking across a series of low, boggy plains. The way didn’t grow any less dangerous, but she managed it nonetheless, and eventually, she found her way to a well made road.
One direction would lead to Westport, hundreds of miles away. She chose the other direction. That was the way to the unknown, but that fit her agenda quite well. If she didn’t immediately find what she wanted, she would just keep going. One thing she knew, though, was that she would find no peace in Westport. The place was too corrupt. Too populated. It just didn’t fit what she was looking for.
On and on she went, and along the way, she passed plenty of other travelers. Oddly, she saw many former knights, their armor damaged and dirty. They held themselves with shoulders sagging in defeat, suggesting that Zeke’s conquest over the inner Imperium extended even to the other territories the Radiant Host had colonized.
For her part, Abby ignored them. She also paid little attention to the many caravans and other groups of travelers. None of them held any interest to her, so she just kept going.
Weeks passed. Then months. The weather went through one season after another, and she continued on. Until, at last, she found a quiet, little village that needed a protector. Abby took that role, killing a handful of ogres that had taken up residence in an abandoned fort in the nearby wilderness. That earned her the trust of the villagers, and they made her their official protector.
After that, Abby settled in, hoping that, at last, she had found peace. But all the while, she wondered if Zeke and his army of kobolds had begun their descent.