Book 8 Chapter 5

Joan wiped her eyes, taking slow, deep breaths. “I think… I think I’m okay,” she said softly.

“Are you sure?” Myrin asked.

“No, but when am I ever?” Joan asked. “If me being okay was the thing I was made to do I wouldn’t be here. But that’s not important. We need to change our plans.”

“Again?” Korgron asked.

“Again,” Joan said. “I’m doing the best I can, okay? Really. Just please, trust me. I know its wild, crazy, deadly and doesn’t make nearly enough sense, but trust me. Please. Just a tiny bit longer. We’re almost done.”

“So, then, what do we need to do?” Chase asked. “And will we need Hardwin, Andreas and Thalgren for it? Because I think they’re still hiding with the lich.”

Joan rolled her eyes. Of course they were. “Yes, we’re going to need all of them. Korgron, most of all we’re going to need you.”

“Right, where are we going?” Korgron asked.

“Dream Realm,” Joan said. “All of us.”

“What?” Korgron asked. “Why?”

“Because we need to fight a threat that, frankly, you all weren’t ready to face for at least a decade or more,” Joan said. “I need to train you. No, I need to push you, hard. I can’t do it like this. I need a realm that doesn’t follow normal rules.”

“What?” Searle asked. “What does the Dream Realm have to do with anything? How is that going to make us any more ready for this?”

Joan gave a sigh and shook her head. “I’ll explain once everyone is here. We--”

“Wait, what about me?” Bauteut asked. “Am I coming with you?”

Joan cringed before shaking her head. “I’m afraid not.”

“But—”

“We’ll need someone out here to keep an eye out for any trouble,” Joan said sheepishly.

“What?” Bauteut asked. “Trouble?”

“When we’re in the Dream Realm, we may be vulnerable,” Joan said. “Korgron can put up some barriers, but having someone outside it to keep us all… well, here? That’ll be important.”

“So you’re going to leave me out here? Alone? With a lich you just picked up in a cave?” Bauteut asked, the annoyance radiating off her voice. “Don’t you think that--”

“I’m rushing things a bit?” Joan asked. “Yes, I am. I need to stuff literally decades of training into a… I don’t know how much time we have! If they’re planning to wait to ambush us? A week or two, maybe. If they’re gathering to launch an assault? Maybe a few days before they can wipe out Kazora.”

“What?!” Korgron asked.

“This is why we don’t have time,” Joan said. “You can handle, what, maybe a dozen of those trolls? Maybe? Each? But that’s not enough. You need to destroy armies of them. You CAN do it, each of you can. That’s what we need. But--”

“I can hear the panicked screaming,” Hardwin said, walking out from the tunnel. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean, Kazora is going to get wiped out?” Korgron asked.

“They’re closest,” Joan said. “But that army? Without the Chosen, it will wash over this world and eliminate anything and everything in its wake. It can’t be here yet. It SHOULDN’T be here yet. None of you are ready.”

“We’re stronger than we were,” Korgron said.

“Then prove it,” Joan said. “All of you, into the Dream Realm. When you’re ready, we go to see the gods.”

“Ummm, what’s going on?” Lich asked.

“I’m still not sure about this,” Bauteut said nervously, her eyes on the lich. “I mean, just me? What about--”

“Here,” Joan said before picking up the bracer and tossing it to her. “If there’s any trouble, scream for help from the spiders. Okay?”

“W-what?” Bauteut asked, the color draining from her face. “But we just--”

“World, ending, we go, now. Korgron?” Joan said before turning to Korgron.

Korgron and Andreas exchanged a look and she could almost feel it. They were all talking again. Without her. She took a slow, deep breath. “No, it’s not smart,” Joan said. “But that doesn’t matter. If we don’t do this? Everyone can and likely will die. We. Need. To. Go.”

“Fine,” Korgron said before holding out her right hand. “Bauteut?”

“What?” Bauteut asked.

“Keep an eye on our new friend. Joan, give her your belt,” Korgron said. “If there’s any trouble, that thing should be more than capable.”

“Of wiping out the whole mountain range,” Joan muttered, but she couldn’t deny the wisdom in the decision. She reached down and tugged it off, before tossing it to Bauteut. “Okay, let’s--”

“Focus on the orb,” Korgron said before snapping her fingers and a small, purple orb appeared in the air. “Everyone. Let’s get this over with.”

Joan took a slow, deep breath, staring into the orb. They’d have to get ready and then it was time to meet the fates one last time.

------

“Good to know we’re right back to panicked Joan,” Hardwin said before he glanced around. A great, empty, hollow void. Endless white in all directions.

Good. “Not panicked,” Joan said. “Aware.” She held out her right hand and Guardian Nova jumped to her fingers. She swung it once, struggling to bring back what she knew. The person she had been. To feel the Hero’s power, his might. What he could be. One advantage, she supposed, of having so many more memories of him than she ever had of herself was that it was oddly easy to remember that feeling. The power. It was easier this time, too. She wanted to cast spells and show off just a teensy tiny bit, but they didn’t have time.

Worse, she could see it in their faces. They were concerned for her. They weren’t taking this seriously. They didn’t realize how much of a threat what was coming was. They could do this, but they had to be ready.

“So, what exactly are you aware of?” Hardwin asked. “Joan, we can handle this. Trust us.”

“You can,” Joan said. “Not yet, but you can. That’s why I brought you here.”

“Joan,” Myrin said. “You’re not making any sense. Please, explain what you want from us. Korgron brought us here. But how is this going to make us stronger?”

“You’re going to learn what you’re capable of,” Joan said. “You’re not normal people. You’re the Chosen of the Gods. We need somewhere you can be pushed, past your limits, so you can overcome them.”

“We can’t get stronger here,” Korgron said.

“Normal people can’t,” Joan said. “But this isn’t about training your bodies. This is about making you aware of what you are already capable of.”

“Aware?” Andreas asked. “We’re already far, far stronger than--”

“Than you were when we all met?” Joan asked, before glancing towards Myrin and Chase. Most of them were, at least. “Yes. And you are still too weak. But you can be better. We need somewhere that you can’t really be hurt, where… I… can’t kill you, not for real. Where you can be pushed and keep getting up again.”

“Joan, you can’t kill any of us,” Thalgren said.

Joan gave a sigh before taking a deep breath. “You’re all beyond human limits already. But so was the Hero.”

Joan pushed off the ground in a way only the Hero could. In a moment she was there, in front of Thalgren. He tried to lift his hammer to block the strike, but it was too late. Her blade cleaved him in half, killing him in a moment.

“J-Joan,” Hardwin said, his voice filled with awe. “How… how did you…”

“The Hero was your equal,” Joan said, before turning back to them and then glancing down towards Thalgren, who was now sitting on the ground, his hands feeling where he had been cleaved in half. “In some ways, your better. Here, I’m not limited by what a human can do. Here, I am only limited by what I know I can do.”

She looked over their faces. It was finally starting to click for them. What they were facing. What was coming. Her expectations. She was everything the Hero was, at his peak.

Everything they could be. Everything they needed to be. She’d seen small bits of it, pieces of it. Moments where the Chosen could rise beyond their limits. Drawn on their true power. Just for a moment, but they could do it. Now she just had to teach them how incredible they were.

“The goal here is simple,” Joan said before taking a few steps back from them. “Kill me.”

“Kill you?” Myrin asked. “Joan, don’t speak like that. We can’t--”

“Kill me,” Joan said. “Because if all seven of you together can’t do that, then you will have no chance against what the Demon Lord has brought to fight us. In the end I won’t die. But--” She barely had to move, flicking her left hand back and causing a spike of ice to form, impaling Andreas when he tried to come out from her shadow. “Don’t come at me with any restraint. As you are, right now? You’re not capable of it. None of you are. Not even you, Korgron.”

Andreas groaned, rising amongst them once again and rubbing his chest. Good. At least the wounds didn’t stick for more than a second.

“I don’t think she’s giving us much choice,” Chase said softly.

“Must we? Truly?” Myrin asked.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” Korgron said. “Don’t worry. It’s not truly real, we won’t hurt her. I wouldn’t do this if I could.”

“Come ON!” Joan yelled. “Are you the Chosen? Or are you just a bunch of pathetic fools who can’t even take on one little hero?”

They were learning, though. Slowly. Painstakingly. They were learning.

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Now she just hoped she could teach them.

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Chase sent a wave of ice spikes at Joan, but it was so weak, so delicate, she barely had to move. She flicked a finger and electricity shot out, arcing through the spikes and shattering them before turning the changeling to ash. “You can do better than that!” she yelled at him. He had to.

------

Hardwin tried to parry Joan, but she was already three strikes beyond. His hand removed, his head followed a moment later.

“I’m not just a human or a demon!” Joan yelled. “Stop acting like I am! Fight me, for real!”

------

Korgron launched spell after spell at her. Ice, fire, lightning, wind, earth, it didn’t matter.

With a simple flick of her hand, Joan countered the spells one by one, before impaling her with spikes of her own.

“You’re better than this!” Joan yelled.

------

Myrin’s arrows flew at her like a veritable wall of enchanted arrows. They were barely released before the Chosen fell, pierced through the stomach.

------

Thalgren’s spikes of earth crumbled before they could even rise a few inches off the ground.

------

Andreas’ body sunk back into the shadows in three pieces.

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One by one they fell, again and again. All of them, except Searle. Joan didn’t get it. He barely moved. When she went at him, he tried to defend himself, but he didn’t come to her. But they all fell. Coming at her apart or together, it was…

Pathetic.

Outside of this realm they were so fast she could barely see them.

But here, they were so much less than they could be. Than she knew they could be. What if they couldn’t do this?

------

Owain swung his sword down, trying to kill Searle, but the little bastard brought his shield up before driving Hardwin’s sword up. Owain was exhausted, wounded, he couldn’t dodge in time. He felt the blade pierce his stomach.

------

Joan had to give Korgron and Andreas credit. Their shadow spell woven together could have almost surprised her. A shame it was nowhere near what it could one day be. But they did have amazing teamwork together, their bodies even fell in unison.

------

Owain knelt besides Hardwin’s body, clutching his last friend’s hand tightly. Why? Why did it come to this? Why hadn’t he been there? Why hadn’t he been around? He’d lost everything. All of the Chosen, gone. Every last one of them. Only the traitor left, now.

Why did he have to fail them? He was the Hero, wasn’t he? The Hero wasn’t supposed to fail...

------

Why wouldn’t Searle DO something? He needed to be there, fighting with them! Yet, even when the ice moved over his shield and pierced his heart, he barely seemed to see her.

Joan felt her ire only growing. They were still holding back. Still so far beneath what they could be. They had to become the Chosen they could be.

------

“It’s over,” Andreas said with a soft sigh, before coughing up blood into his palm. “I can’t… survive this. You know this… we both know this.”

“Come with me,” Owain pleaded. “If we get you to a healer--”

“The only reason I’m still alive is… because I’m a Chosen…” Andreas said before collapsing to his knees, his spear rolling to the side. “Delays… the inevitable. Hero, you need to… stop him… follow him… before it’s too late…”

“Andreas, don’t… don’t leave me…” Owain pleaded, reaching out a hand to catch him when he fell…

Only for dead eyes to stare back at him.

------

Hardwin struggled desperately to parry her strikes, but each one moved through his guard with ease. He might as well have been standing still. They’d fought a thousand times before, how could she lose now when she was so far beyond him?

When Thalgren tried to come up behind her, Joan stomped her foot and two spikes of ice appeared, impaling both of them in an instant.

------

Owain shivered. It was so cold. Why was it so cold? He stared down at the bloody body of Chase. It was weird, even covered in blood and his face a strange, smooth mask, he looked oddly content. “Why?” Owain asked softly. “Why did you have to do this? Why did you have to make me do this?”

------

Joan held out her left hand. “Armageddon,” she cast before Korgron, Myrin, Andreas and Chase were enveloped in flame, stone and death.

Still, they were getting better. They started using the many priceless, legendary relics they’d collected over their journeys. It wasn’t enough, though, but it was something.

------

Korgron gripped the blade lodged in her chest, her eyes clouding over while she stared up at him. She looked like she might almost cast a spell, only to laugh softly. “It’s over… Hero,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” Owain said softly, his hand clutching the glaive’s grip. “I tried… I tried so hard…”

“You failed,” Korgron said.

------

“Stop trying to hit me and HIT ME!” Joan yelled before sending a torrent of winds on Myrin and Chase, knocking them into each other before they were crushed between two blocks of stone.

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Myrin stared down at him, drawing back the bow string one last time before aiming it at his head. “It’s over, Hero.”

“Why?” Owain asked, unable to even try and lift his arm to defend himself anymore.

“No gods, no hope, no life, just death,” Myrin said softly. “This world no longer needs to exist. In the end? This… is merely a final mercy.” She released the string once more.

------

That time she had to give them credit. They almost touched her. She wove around the flurry of stone, ice, lightning and fire. Alas, a moment later they met their end when she rose up behind them, Guardian Nova reverberating in her hand. She tapped the ground once with the blade tip and they fell.

------

“It’s over, Hero,” Thalgren said before limping back towards his throne.

“I… I can still… f-fight,” Owain said, though he knew it was a lie. He couldn’t even lift his arm and even now staying conscious was all he could barely do.

“You can’t even stand,” Thalgren said. “Do you really think any of this can be fixed now? That you can do it?”

“I… I have to,” Owain said.

“You’re dead, Hero,” Thalgren said before sitting on the throne one last time and closing his eyes. “We’ve all been dead for a long, long time. We just never realized it.”

------

They were all together, they’d screwed up. Again. Joan rushed forward, her sword behind her. They’d all be dead, again, in a moment. They--

It was night, all of them were sitting in front of a small, makeshift fire. Joan rolled forward, face planting onto the ground with a startled shriek. “O-ow,” she said softly. “W-what happened?”

“Joan, what the hell was that?!” Korgron asked, her fists clenched.

“Ow,” Joan said before sitting up and shaking her head. “What? What was--” She stopped when she saw the looks on their faces.

All of them were staring at her with looks of horror. All of them except Lich, Bauteut and Searle.

“What happened?” Bauteut asked.

“It was…” Myrin said before looking away. “It was horrible.”

“How can we possibly be expected to keep up with that?” Hardwin asked.

“Nobody could,” Thalgren said.

“How many times did we die?” Chase asked. “I lost count around the fifty-seventh.”

“I died two-hundred and sixty-three times,” Searle said, a thoughtful look on his face.

“What?” Bauteut asked. “What happened in there?”

“Joan lost control,” Korgron said softly. “It felt like we were being toyed with. Like we were… this was a bad idea. We’ve been at it for hours. Let’s just get some sleep and we’ll figure out something else tomorrow. I’m not doing that again. I get that you’re scared, Joan, but that is no excuse for that.”

“But—” Joan started, only for Thalgren to punch the ground.

“Lass, you have made your point,” Thalgren said. “We get it. We’re not strong enough yet. But this is no way to do things.”

Silence reigned after that. Andreas got to his feet and turned, starting to walk off into the darkness.

Had she really gone too far? Joan slowly sat up and looked at them. The looks she received, though, were disappointed.

“No,” Searle said, causing even Andreas to pause.

“No?” Korgron asked. “We--”

“No,” Searle said. “Korgron, take us back.”

“I’m not going back to THAT,” Korgron said.

“What in the world happened in there?” Bauteut asked softly before looking at Lich, who merely shrugged.

“I died two-hundred and sixty-three times,” Searle said. “Some were painful, but they were over in an instant. I failed so many more times than that. How many times do you think Joan has died?”

Joan cringed, glancing away.

“How many times has she suffered? How many more times do you think she’d suffer if it meant we had another chance?” Searle asked. “How much pain, misery, agony has she been through just to give us this chance? How many times has she watched each and every one of us die? How many times has she gone through this very thing, just so she could end up here?”

“That’s not really--” Hardwin started, but Searle cut him off again.

“It is the only thing that matters,” Searle said. “How many more times will she have to die before we learn? If this is the only chance we have, then we need to become everything she says. We’re the Chosen, we’re the only ones who can do this. Do you think if she could, she wouldn’t? Do you think she’d stop just because it was hard, or rough, or painful? Has that EVER stopped her?”

“She’s pushing herself too much,” Korgron said. “She’s pushing--”

“Us too much? That doesn’t matter,” Searle said before shaking his head. “We’re the Chosen. We have to do this. We’re the only ones who can. And she’s the only one who can guide us there.” Searle got to his feet before walking towards Joan. He knelt down in front of her and reached out, taking her hand. “Joan. We will do this. We will save this world. We will save you. I’m done being scared. I’m done worrying about being pushed too hard or pushing too hard. I am the Shield. And I will protect everything that I hold dear. This world. The other Chosen. You. Even if every bone breaks, I will be everything you say we can be.”

“Searle…” Joan said softly, her cheeks burning red.

“I will be your shield. So don’t ever stop believing in us,” Searle said. “Even if it takes a day, two days. Even if we have to die a million times, it doesn’t matter. I’ll save this world myself if I have to. Because… that’s what you’ll do, isn’t it? Even if you have to destroy yourself to do it, you’ll save this world. So the only way I can protect you is to protect the world.”

Joan stared up at him before, very softly, she nodded. “Exactly.”

Korgron gave a groan before collapsing back to lay on the ground. “Fine. FINE. I’m in. I’ll keep going if everyone else is good with it.”

“I don’t think we have much choice, do we?” Myrin asked. “If my patient is going to kill herself by over working if I don’t.”

“Whatever it takes to save the world,” Thalgren said. “My investments will hardly be worth it otherwise.”

“I hate everything about this,” Hardwin said. “But he’s right. She’s already tried to kill herself on one troll, an army of them is too tempting for her not to rush towards.”

“This sucks,” Chase said with a shrug. “But I guess I’m outvoted.”

Andreas gave a low groan and lifted a hand to his forehead before shaking his head. He then turned and walked back, sitting in front of the fire.

Searle gave her a small nod before glancing back towards Bauteut. “Thanks for making the fire.”

“It was mostly him,” Bauteut said before motioning to the lich. “Its been very quiet. Are you all okay?”

“No,” Joan said. “But they’re getting there. Shall we?”

“How about we eat something first,” Korgron said. “We’ve already been at it for hours. Even if we have the divine might of the gods flowing through us, you don’t. And I’m sure you must be feeling some of the effects of grinding our faces into the ground for so long.”

“Just what in the world was going on in there?” Bauteut asked again.

“I’ll explain later,” Joan said. “Honestly, though, I don’t even feel that tired or hungry, I just--” Her eyes widened when her stomach suddenly growled. Slowly, her cheeks turned red. “Okay, maybe a little hungry.”