Joan rocked back and forth, hugging her knees to her chest and resting her forehead against them.

“Joan,” Bauteut said in as soothing a tone as she could. “How are you doing?”

Joan just gave a light grunt, but didn’t answer. How was she doing? She was pretty sure it was obvious how she was doing. What she was feeling.

“Joan, we need to know what that was,” Zorn said.

“Give her a little bit of time,” Bauteut said.

“We don’t have time,” Zorn said. “We don’t even know where we are. What happened there? What was she trying to shield us from? Where did the trees go? Why couldn’t we see anything? What was that monster? Where ARE we?”

“I don’t know,” Joan said softly, struggling to answer what she could. “Time may be all we have. Korgron teleported us away. But I don’t think she was able to choose where to send us.”

“What?” Bauteut asked.

“Our world has hundreds of little teleportation arrays. All connected, like hundreds of little ponds breaking off from a river,” Joan said. “She basically threw us into that river and there’s no telling where we ended up. We’re lucky she sent us all at once, otherwise we wouldn’t even be together.” They seemed to be alone, so at least she knew where ever they were it wasn’t very active. They appeared to be in some ancient stone chamber, the array beneath them giving the only light in it. There was a single entranceway, but she could see no light coming from it. Still, the air wasn’t very stale so while she suspected they were underground, she doubted they were very far.

“Really?” Bauteut asked. “Isn’t she the Chosen of the Crown? I thought that made her the most powerful mage in the world. Yet she couldn’t even--”

“There was no time!” Joan yelled, unable to stop herself from screaming. “That thing. That was the Ever Devouring. Can you even begin to understand how deadly it was? We’re lucky to even still be alive. If Korgron hadn’t been there, we’d be dead now.”

Bauteut stared at her, her mouth open slightly. “I didn’t mean that--”

“Everyone died,” Joan said. “Everyone with us. When I was the Hero, they all died. We were all wrapped in those flames, trapped. They couldn’t run. They could only hope that we’d save them. We couldn’t. We could barely save ourselves. I almost drowned in the melted remains of a village. The Ever Devouring is just the first envoy of the Inferno God. The weakest of all of them. But he came so close to not just killing me, but killing the Chosen. The only reason we’re alive right now is because Korgron sent us out immediately.”

Bauteut didn’t say anything, she just stared at her. After a few minutes of silence she reached out and placed a hand on her back. “They’re going to be--”

“They might die,” Joan said softly. “I failed them. I should have been preparing them in case the envoys came, but I didn’t. I wasted time. I knew we were running out of time and I didn’t warn them. I--”

“You didn’t waste time,” Bauteut said. “You’ve trained them. You’ve taught them magic, skills, so many things they didn’t have before. They will defeat this monster.”

“You can’t know that,” Joan said softly. “We only barely did. It took a final, desperate attempt by the Hero to kill it. I, he almost died in the attempt. I can still feel it. The skin melting off my body. My organs liquefying.”

“Joan,” Bauteut said softly before reaching out to gently pat her on the back. “You can’t know that. I’m sure it’s not that ba--”

“DON’T TELL ME WHAT I KNOW!” Joan screamed. “You weren’t there! I was! I LIVED IT! I FOUGHT IT! They can’t be here yet! THEY CAN’T! That’s the whole point of STOPPING the Inferno God! They’re here now. There’s no hero to help. There’s only some of the Chosen. We need all of them! We need to stop this before it starts. But now it’s starting. If even one of the Chosen die, it’s over! And that thing can KILL them! It’s so far beyond anything up to this point! Even if they succeed, what about the second? The third? The fourth? Each of them changed things so much. If the fifth, if the Avatar of the Inferno God arrives? It’s done. We can’t kill that. We tried. We all fought it, together. We died. It just… it’s the end. It’s all over at that point. We’re in the beginning of the end and I can’t stop it. I just have to hope. If they fail? Then it was all for nothing. Everything I tried was for nothing. I failed them all again. I led them to their deaths again. I failed everyone and everything and I let this world die.”

“Joan, you need to calm down,” Bauteut said softly. “You’ve done your best. It’s not your fault if--”

“It’s my duty!” Joan said. “It’s why I exist! The Hero only exists to save everyone! It’s in the name! If the world is damned it’s entirely my fault! What else was the point of me even existing? What was the point of me trying? Why even give the Hero the chance, the ability, if I couldn’t--”

The ground under her suddenly erupted with light. For a moment she wondered if there was a trap or something they had somehow triggered, but after a moment she realized what it was when the light faded. The teleportation array they had come through had been destroyed, shattering to dust. Despite her thoughts that they’d been alone, they certainly weren’t.

Joan heard the all too familiar steps before she saw the figure, but that did little to make her any less frightened when she saw Penthe walk through the narrow entranceway of the small chamber. Bauteut jumped to her feet and, to Joan’s surprise, actually tried to run at the armored figure. However, Joan quickly reached out and grabbed her hand, reinforcing her body as much as she could so she could stop the girl, though she had to dig her feet into the ground.

“Joan?” Bauteut asked. “Let me go, I--”

“You won’t stand a chance,” Joan said. “Don’t. Please. Penthe isn’t after you. She’s after me.”

“By the gods you’re insufferable,” Penthe said, her voice cold and reverberating from the thick armor. “Let the girl try, maybe it’ll be amusing.”

“Hey, don’t you tell her what to do!” Bauteut said.

“Does anyone want to explain to me what’s going on here?” Zorn asked.

“Long story,” Joan said. “But uhhhh… this is Penthe. I think. She wants me dead, I think.”

“I certainly want you dead,” Penthe said. “But stop calling me that. I am Gil, general of the Demon Lord.”

“And apparently she’s using the name Gil, now,” Joan said. “Are you the reason we’re here?”

“Obviously,” Penthe said. “Fortunately for you, I am not currently intending to kill you this time. I want information. Then you’re free to go.”

“What?” Both Joan and Bauteut said this time. Fortunately, the latter stopped trying to charge the armored figure.

“Last time we met I… may… have been overzealous in my reaction,” Penthe said and even as covered as she was in the armor Joan could see her flinch. Though she suspected the fact the armor seemed to be glowing and was the only source of light in the chamber helped.

“You tried to kill her!” Bauteut yelled. “If we hadn’t arrived when we did then--”

“Fate’s chosen child,” Penthe said, cutting her off. “That’s what makes dealing with him so frustrating.”

“Her,” Joan said.

“Excuse me?” Penthe said.

“You said him,” Joan said. “It’s her now.”

“A new face, a new body, a new form,” Penthe said. “But the Hero is still the Hero. I don’t understand what you truly are in this iteration, but I also do not care.”

“Then call her a her,” Bauteut said. As happy as Joan was that her friend was defending her in this, she suspected the only reason she cared was to annoy Penthe. Not that she could blame her.

“I do not have time for this,” Penthe said before shaking her head. “Hero, what is it you did to my sword?”

“Your sword?” Joan asked. “That’s what this is about?”

“Hero, answer the question or I’ll kill all of you,” Penthe said before holding up her right hand. The ground underneath them began to rumble.

“Don’t!” Joan yelled. “Please! Please, I’m sorry, please don’t hurt them!”

The rumbling stopped and then Penthe gave a sigh. “Tell me what you did. What trick of the gods was it this time?”

“I didn’t do anything to it,” Joan said. The ground started to rumble again and she quickly added to it. “Not intentionally, at least.”

“Stop stalling,” Penthe said.

“The key,” Joan said. “You stabbed it when you tried to stab me.”

“Of course,” Penthe said. “And what’s the key?”

“You don’t know?” Joan asked.

“Should I?” Penthe asked.

“I think?” Joan said. “Maybe? I’m not even fully certain of who you are. The sisters said I knew you well once, but you know me well now. But they’re always so vague about everything.”

“Of course they are,” Penthe said. “What is the key?”

“A gift from the fae,” Joan said.

“Hero, answer the question,” Penthe said.

Joan sighed and looked up at Bauteut. Her friend just looked back at her. She then glanced to Zorn. Could they even hope to fight Penthe like this? Maybe. If they were lucky. She doubted they could win, but they could possibly escape. “You almost killed Korgron,” Joan finally said.

“So?” Penthe asked.

“Why?” Joan asked.

“What does it matter?” Penthe asked. “Enough of this. Answer my question. What is the key and what did it do to my sword?”

Joan tightened her hand around Bauteut’s. Were they really going to die here and--

Wait a moment. Penthe didn’t have the sword with her. In fact, she didn’t have any sword with her.

“You don’t have Dynasty Devourer,” Joan said.

“What’s your point?” Penthe asked.

“You tried to use it when you tried to kill me,” Joan said. “You used it when you killed the Hero. You can’t kill me without it, can you?”

Penthe didn’t respond, instead just staring at her through the armor.

“Joan,” Bauteut said softly.

“It’s important that you kill me with it, isn’t it?” Joan asked. “Because I’m the Hero, I—”

“You’re right,” Penthe said, cutting her off. “It is very important that I kill you with that weapon and that weapon alone. I cannot kill you with anything else.”

Joan felt a smile form on her lips. Finally, something was going her way.

“Breaking every bone in your body and killing your comrades, however? That’s acceptable,” Penthe said before she flicked out her left hand. Spikes of stone suddenly came down from the roof of the structure, about to impale Bauteut and Zorn.

“WAIT!” Joan screamed. “I’ll talk!” The spikes stopped, but only a few inches from them.

Bauteut fell backwards, her eyes locked on the spike that had come so close to impaling her. Zorn’s reaction wasn’t quite as dramatic, but he did quickly take a few steps away.

“It’s the key we needed to open a door that’s housing the heart of the Inferno God. We weren’t able to find the other ways in time,” Joan said.

“Heart of the Inferno God?” Penthe asked. “Wait, that means you were… how do you know about that?”

“The same way I know about everything else,” Joan said. “I’m the Hero.”

“No, that’s not something the Hero should know about,” Penthe said. “You haven’t been there. Have you?”

Joan blinked a few times and stared at her. “Uhhhh, a few times. I thought you knew? You said I was the Hero.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Penthe said before she started muttering to herself. Joan tried to lean forward to make out some of it, but the way it echoed through the strange armor made it impossible. Finally Penthe shook her head. “If that key is what did it, I’ll be taking it. Give it to me.”

“I can’t,” Joan said. “It’s inside me. The Nameless One put it inside my body to--”

“THE NAMELESS ONE?!” Penthe’s voice roared and, for the first time, the armor didn’t seem capable of distorting it enough and that slight hint of femininity could be heard through it. “You met with them? Impossible! They wouldn’t interfere. They vowed to…” Penthe went entirely silent and still suddenly.

Joan waited a few moments, staring at the unmoving suit of armor. She couldn’t help feeling slightly uncomfortable with how still Penthe had gotten. “Are… are you okay?” she asked.

“Enough,” Penthe said before suddenly tensing up again. “Hero, you’ll be coming with me. You two, I’m afraid, can’t be allowed to warn the chosen.”

Joan’s eyes widened when she saw Penthe lift her hand again. It was like the world was slowing down, death quickly coming. She had to help them. Somehow.

She pushed every bit of magic she could into her body, accelerating her body as quickly as she could. She rose to her feet and, in almost an instant, slammed into Penthe. She could feel her body threatening to break from the sheer amount of force she exerted then, but the speed had been enough. She managed to knock Penthe to the ground and, temporarily, pin her.

“RUN!” Joan yelled. “Bauteut, Zorn, get out of here!”

“Joan!” Bauteut yelled. “Don’t you--”

“Shut up!” Joan yelled. “Just let me do this! We can’t defeat her, but I won’t let anyone else to die in vain. Please. I don’t care what happens to me. Penthe, please. You win. Okay? You win. Nobody’s coming to save me. Just let them go. Please. I won’t run. I won’t fight. I’ll do whatever you say.”

Seconds seemed to turn to minutes and Penthe didn’t move. Finally, a confused, disoriented voice came from the suit “What are you?”

“The Hero,” Joan said.

Penthe didn’t move for a long, long moment before, finally, she reached up and lightly patted her on the head. “That’s not… no. No. I’m not falling for it again.”

“What?” Joan asked. She relaxed slightly on the armored figure. She didn’t even seem to be struggling. Just laying there, almost limp.

“I was mistaken,” Penthe said.

“I don’t understand,” Joan said.

“All three of you will have to die,” Penthe said before she lashed out with her right arm.

Joan barely managed to push herself off of the woman in time, the sharp tips of the gauntlet cutting across her arm and drawing a few drops of blood. Penthe started to sit up and lash out with the other gauntlet, but arms wrapped around Joan and yanked her back and away, Bauteut hauling her out of range. “What? What are you talking about?” Joan asked, her hand reaching down to cover the bleeding gash on her arm.

Penthe got to her feet once more and turned to the three of them. For a split second, Joan allowed herself to believe that, just maybe, the woman was rethinking her choice. “Do not be reborn this time, Hero,” Penthe finally said. “Please.”

Spikes of rock appeared above them and then descended. Bauteut tried to shield her, but there was no use. Joan watched helplessly as the spikes came down.

Until Zorn was there, his left hand over his head and wearing a very familiar ring. The rocks suddenly stopped descending a moment later.

“What?” Penthe asked.

Zorn didn’t stop, however. He tore the ring off his hand and then tossed it to Joan. “Joan, do it!”

For a second Joan didn’t understand, but then it finally hit her. It stored the spell. She slid the ring on before holding the hand out. She could feel the spell stored within, desperately trying to escape.

Joan let it. The ground under Penthe rose up in a flurry of spikes, impaling her and sending her flying back and away from them, pinning her against the wall of the tunnel. She didn’t know how long it would hold, but she hoped it would be enough.

Bauteut dragged her to her feet and the three of them raced from the chamber, though she was practically being hauled by her arm, she couldn’t help but agree with Penthe just a little bit. Going up against her had to be incredibly frustrating, some days it really DID feel like the fates were keeping an eye out for her. Just a little.

MelodyAvant

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