“You win,” Joan said before tossing down the cards and trying, desperately, to not get huffy. Especially when Lyndis looked so smug as she pulled the small pile of coins towards herself.

“Care to go again?” Lyndis asked.

“You have to be cheating,” Zorn said.

“She’s not, I checked,” Rab and Joan said at the same time before sharing a look and then chuckling.

“I’m just very lucky,” Lyndis said. “The fates just find me charming is all.”

“Trust me, they’re not really the ones you want to charm,” Joan said.

“What?” Lyndis asked.

“Nothing,” Joan said.

Joan was, finally, beginning to relax. The days had been calming, to an extent. Word had begun to spread that a Chosen was here and that had resulted in Thalgren getting all the attention once again. He was, of course, leveraging it as best he could. Fortunately, he was nice enough to spread the favor and had gotten them all a nice room to stay in while they were here.

Sure, it was a cramped room and she and Zorn were sleeping on the floor, but it was better than sleeping outside. The weather had been clearing up with only the occasional bit of rain. Most importantly, the celebration was finally in full swing. The flower was beginning to bud. It would likely be nearly sunset before it fully unfurled and was ready to be plucked, but it meant the celebration was in full swing.

There was still no sign of the Demon Lord causing any trouble, in fact she was beginning to wonder if she had worried over nothing. Perhaps he had never heard of this tree in this life. Or he had advanced far enough he didn’t feel he needed to take the risk. Or maybe it was because there wasn’t a hero to oppose him. Either way, it looked like the festival was going to go by without any issue.

Of course, as a Chosen it meant Thalgren was treated to the best available entertainment and she had quickly decided to take the opportunity to go and meet up with some old friends and apparently lose a sizable portion of her spare coin to Lyndis. If only Thalgren had played more card games instead of tile ones in their past lives. Chase loved them, but most of the tricks he knew she didn’t want to use in an honest, fair game.

Andreas occasionally talked with them, but she was suspecting he was just enjoying talking with Isla without any interruptions. It brought to mind the thousands of times where he had just disappeared the moment the celebrations got too hectic. She supposed one advantage of being the Chosen of the Spear and wielder of darkness meant it wasn’t too hard to make yourself scarce when you wanted to.

“I’m surprised you’re not out there trying to enjoy yourself more,” Rab said. “You know, Joan, you’re still young. It won’t kill you to have a little bit of fun now and again.”

“I mean, it has almost killed me like three times in the last few months,” Joan said. “But I did. It’s mostly just singing and things like that, not really the kind of stuff I enjoy. Besides, when you travel with the Chosen there’s a celebration everywhere you go. I’d rather be here. But are you sure it’s okay for us to be bothering you like this?”

“It’s fine,” Rab said. “There’s two Chosen keeping watch. So long as everyone stays sharp, I’ve let them relax. For most of us, meeting the Chosen is a once in a lifetime experience, I’d rather they remember it fondly. It does seem traveling with the Chosen has all kinds of perks then, eh?”

“It has its ups and downs,” Zorn said. “Thalgren doesn’t let it get to his head too much. Though he might just be afraid I’ll tell my sister if he starts being obnoxious.”

Joan gave a nod before glancing back to Zorn. She wondered if he was going to be with them the whole journey. Between him, Bauteut and her little adventure with Qakog she was well on her way to getting a whole group together. All she’d need is an elf and she’d have all the main races gathered. Maybe Neia had a cousin or something who’d join the group, just see how many people they could trap in this mess before they all inevitably got themselves brutally maimed or something.

“You smile a lot more now, Joan,” Lyndis said.

“Huh?” Joan asked. “I do?”

“Yes,” Lyndis said. “You used to always be so serious. Not that I could blame you. What were you thinking about?”

“Oh, nothing important,” Joan said. “Just some dark humor, brutal deaths, things like that.”

“Maybe don’t smile so much,” Zorn said.

Joan gave a light snicker and shook her head. “You just don’t understand my sense of humor is all.”

“Nobody does,” Zorn said with a roll of his eyes. “I like being not dead.”

“Should try it sometime, it’s oddly peaceful,” Joan said before picking up her cards and sighing. “I swear I have the worst luck in this game. Maybe fate has--”

‘There’s something here,’ Andreas voice suddenly went off in her head, making her freeze.

“What’s wrong?” Rab asked.

Joan held up a hand for him to be quiet, shaking her head. ‘What? Where?’

‘Underground,’ Andreas said. ‘I saw it out of the corner of my eye and thought I was imagining it. But when I went closer, it darted away.’

‘Is it tunneling?’ Thalgren asked over the bond.

‘I think so,’ Andreas said. ‘There’s some ash as well. Damn it, there it is again. Whatever it is, it’s quick.’

‘We’re on our way,’ Joan said before getting to her feet.

‘No, you’re not,’ Andreas said. ‘Stay where you are. If it’s a demon, or multiple demons, I don’t want you anywhere near here. Damn it.’

‘I’ll come,’ Thalgren said.

‘What about the village?’ Joan asked. ‘If it--’

‘If it tries to tunnel underground and past me, I’ll know,’ Thalgren said. ‘I won’t be that far away, either.’

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

‘But what if something happens while you’re gone?’ Joan asked.

‘It won’t,’ Thalgren said. ‘And if it does, I’ll be back here before you know it.’

‘DAMN IT!’ Andreas’ voice echoed through the bond and then, a moment later, she felt it fade away.

Joan’s eyes went wide and she jumped to her feet. “I need to find Thalgren. Rab, you should have the Phoenixes get ready. There’s no telling what’s coming. It—”

“It’s blossoming!” a voice rang out through the village, moments before a soft, delicate bell chime filled the air.

“What? What’s going on?” Rab asked before the others got to their feet.

“Andreas may be in trouble,” Joan said. “Possibly demons. Everyone is likely going to be heading to the tree to watch it blossom, so just keep them all safe. I’ll meet you there.” Joan then turned and ran out from the tent, only to run head first into Thalgren. He quickly reached out and grabbed her, steadying her on her feet.

“Easy there, Joan,” Thalgren said.

“Thalgren!” Joan said. “Andreas is--”

“I know,” Thalgren said. “I’m going up there now. I need you to go with everyone else. Stay together. I’ll be back soon. Zorn?”

“Yes?” Zorn asked.

“Keep her out of trouble as best you can,” Thalgren said before he let her go and turned, running off and away from the others.

Joan couldn’t help but admire how quickly he could run when he actually tried. She’d seen horses move slower than that. She missed being able to run that fast.

Worse, as much as she hated it, she’d just slow him down. There wasn’t much she could do. She had to trust Andreas and Thalgren to handle it. Together. Assuming Andreas was still okay and he hadn’t been too hurt by whatever--

No. She shook her head and shoved that thought aside. She felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced back towards Zorn. “Huh?” she asked.

“Come on,” Zorn said. “Thalgren will have this all handled. Let’s go watch it blossom.”

Joan nodded. “Right. They’ll probably be back long before it blossoms, anyway.”

“Probably,” Zorn said. Though, despite his confident words, she could feel the tension in his hand. He nudged her forward and she started to walk through the village towards the tree.

Silently praying to the gods to keep the Chosen safe.

------

Joan wondered for a moment if everyone in the village was gathered around the tree now. The courtyard that had surrounded it, once seeming so wide and empty, was filled to the brim and cramped. So many people staring at the golden tree and watching its one fruit begin to slowly unfurl. Even now more and more people were coming to watch.

Though there was a tension in the air now. Joan couldn’t help but notice that on the outskirts of the crowd there were figures wearing the emblems of the Crystal Phoenix, all armed and keeping an eye out for trouble. She couldn’t see Rab or Lyndis, the latter two likely having taken a better vantage point. Or maybe just lost in the crowd.

It was a good thing the tree was on top of the hill, otherwise she’d never have been able to even see the fruit over the crowd. Even as it was she had to stay outside of the group and stand on a nearby fence just to make it out. At the angle she was to the sun at least wasn’t making it hard to see. The large, golden petals of the fruit were now rapidly unfurling themselves in comparison to this morning and she could just barely make out the leaves opening.

Finally, with one last little unfurl, the leaves parted and revealed… nothing. “That’s it?” Joan asked.

However, those closer to it were gasping and talking rapidly amongst themselves, so it seemed there was certainly something there. She squinted and leaned forward, trying to see what it was. It looked like there was just a big, golden flower.

Then the light caught it at just the right angle and she could finally make out there was a small, crystal-like orb in the middle of the flower, so clear it was all but invisible from her position. Weird. She didn’t see the point of it, though. “So that’s the thing that Neverdale planted? It--”

A golden flower with a crystal gemstone in the middle, gifted by Neverdale.

------

“Ah, Hero, I do hope you have found everything to your liking,” Jinxwin, Archfey of the Autumn Court, said.

At the time, the Hero had been in awe, walking through the halls of such strange beings. If they had not needed the key so desperately and devoted so much time to it, he would have likely wanted to spend months here. Just admiring all of the strange, wondrous objects. Houses made from living trees, the very bushes themselves seemingly alive and moving about. Even the grandest of elven homes were put to shame here. “This place is marvelous.”

Across so many different times, across so many different lives, the Hero had gone to different courts, experienced things in different ways, but that didn’t matter here. What mattered was when he went over the objects, he’d ask the archfey about them. One of those objects had been a strange fruit, slightly twisted and clear as diamonds.

“Oh, that? It is beautiful, isn’t it? When in blossom the fruit is surrounded by golden petals, but they hold little value in comparison. It was a gift from one of the lesser fae, Neverdale. In fact, it was that very offering that brought him to my attention. Perhaps, if you desire, I could have him tell you more of it? You will be facing his trial soon, after all.”

“No, it’s not important,” the Hero said.

And the archfey had only laughed at him. As if she was laughing at some hilarious joke. Had she known? Likely. That was the kind of thing that the fae found so amusing.

Because if that flower was there, if it had blossomed in this village, it meant that it hadn’t been taken by the Demon Lord at all. Neverdale had planted it. Neverdale had claimed it.

Which possibly meant the tree, the village, the lives of everyone that had passed on that day…

All of it had been staring the Hero in the face for so many lives and he’d never even suspected.

------

Joan’s eyes went wide and she leaped off the fence and ran forward.

“Joan?” Zorn yelled. “What are you doing?”

Joan ignored him. She needed to get to that tree. She looked around, but realized she couldn’t see any of the Crystal Phoenixes anymore.

The excited murmurs were shifting as well. Confusion. A bit of yelling.

Then suddenly the world shifted underfoot. She barely managed to stay on her feet, which proved to be useless as a moment later most of the people in the crowd lost their standing as well and she was knocked to the ground with many of those who collapsed.

The ground was no longer the empty courtyard it had been. Instead, the ground was covered in thousands of colorful leaves, so deep that they almost covered her while she disentangled herself from the masses.

Joan looked around, only to hear retching a moment later, followed by panicked whispers and yelling. She could hear a few people emptying the contents of their stomach on the leafy ground.

They were surrounded by trees on all sides, beautiful trees covered in leaves of every color and shape. So thick that they blocked out the sun itself, making everything far darker than it had been.

However, the trees held a host of shapes. Some human-like, others distinctly not. An excited murmur rising from the surrounding creatures. She could feel her eyes trying to pull away from them, but she resisted. She knew where they were.

They were in the Realm of the Fae.

The leaves above rustled and then, after a moment, a voice called out.

“And so our honored guests arrive, to bless the blossoming of the Golden Despair,” Neverdale yelled. Every eye was drawn to him, likely by magic. The fae stood on a massive branch, his form otherworldly yet just close enough to be human. Though Joan suspected that was just how he appeared to her. In the realm of the fae, what you saw was rarely the reality. “Did I not promise the grandest of wild hunts, my brethren?”

Joan’s heart started pounding faster.

Blossoming of the Golden Despair and a wild hunt. This was the exact opposite of staying out of trouble.