Joan quickly mashed up the small, blue berries in her palm and mixed them with a few drops of her blood before performing the quick incantation. “By my blood I pay for these, no gift given, no debt made,” she whispered. She then, with a nervous knot in her stomach, licked the mess off her hands. She felt the strange magic wash over her for a moment before suddenly she felt as if her body had, in many ways, been ‘opened’ to the Realm of the Fae. Before she had just been a visitor, now she was a part of it.

It wouldn’t last forever, which was good for her sake. But it would, at least, make her appear as if she was one of them for a little bit. That would buy her time and stop a lot of their tracking methods.

How much time did she have left? Probably only a few more minutes. Joan started running again, trying to draw her demonic blade when she passed a tree.

It refused to be unsheathed.

“Seriously, again?” Joan asked before glancing down at it. “You know, Guardian Nova never gives me this trouble. Is it because I didn’t name you yet? I’m sorry, I’ll get on it when I’m not trying to avoid a swarm of angry fairies.” She knew it did nothing to yell at her sword, it wasn’t like it could have feelings. But it made her feel a little better and that was enough. She drew her other blade before slashing once with the blade and cutting off a branch from the tree. “Sorry,” Joan said to the tree, just in case it did have feelings. “But I really need this. I promise I’ll use all of it.” She then sheathed her sword and grabbed the branch, running once more.

Branch, berry, blood, a few leaves. All she needed was some running water and she was good to go.

Some running water.

Aaaaaany moment now.

Joan felt a small knot of anxiety clenching up in her stomach. Come on. No. NO! She couldn’t come this close just to have it all fall apart because she couldn’t find a small little stream. There had to be something. Please. Anything. Just a--

She stopped when she heard the sound of water trickling. She ran through the leaves and, sure enough, there it was. A small trickling stream, weaving an open trail through the leaves. She quickly ran towards it and knelt down. “Food of the realm to give you strength, sign of the realm to give direction,” Joan whispered before she wrapped a few of the berries in the leaves and crushed them. “My blood as the sign to guide you to me.” She reached down to her leg, but the bite mark was no longer bleeding. She rolled her eyes and unsheathed her sword just a little, cutting a small bit along her palm and then dripping it onto the leafy bundle. “May this water travel quickly and deliver my message safely.” She then impaled the bundle with the stick and drove it into the water. She sent her magic flowing into it and, after a moment, the stick glowed before disappearing into a small flurry of sparkles.

Hiding spell, done. Message, sent. Next came traps. All she had to do was--

The sound of a horn off in the distance made her cringe. The hunt was on. She wondered how long she’d have until they realized that she wasn’t an outsider to their realm anymore and couldn’t just be tracked. Maybe if she--

“How long do you think we have?” Zorn’s voice asked from behind her.

Joan barely suppressed screaming before she turned around and nearly slapped him. However, she stopped in mid motion, staring at him. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Neither of us should,” Zorn said.

“No, I mean you shouldn’t. You should have been sent back,” Joan said, struggling to clarify this. She reached out and poked him, though he didn’t disappear. So not an illusion. A disguise? Had the fae found her already? No, that couldn’t be it. The horn only just went off.

“I’m very sneaky when I try to be,” Zorn said. “The leaves make for great cover. But this whole hunt thing. What’s the plan?”

“Plan?” Joan asked.

“There is a plan, isn’t there?” Zorn asked.

“I mean, yes, there’s a plan. Kind of,” Joan said. “Again, that’s not important. HOW? Why are you here? You should have been sent back with the rest of them.”

“They missed me,” Zorn said.

“What do you mean they ‘missed’ you?” Joan asked.

“You didn’t just think I was traveling with Thalgren because of my pretty face, did you?” Zorn asked.

“A little bit, yes,” Joan said. “How? Are you? HERE?”

Zorn gave a soft sigh and held up his right hand. On it was a small, orange ring. “This.”

“That tells me literally nothing,” Joan said. Then her eyes went wide. “Wait, no. This is bad. If you’re here, they can track you. That’ll bring them right to me.”

“I don’t think they’ll be able to track me,” Zorn said.

“Why? Let me guess, the stupid ring?” Joan asked.

“No, because of this stupid ring,” Zorn said before holding up his left hand and a blue ring was on it now.

“Okay, you did not have those on before,” Joan said.

“No, I didn’t,” Zorn said. “I didn’t think I’d end up being tossed into the Realm of the Fae, either. Otherwise I would have.”

“What?” Joan asked. “Why do you even have those? What are you doing?”

“This,” Zorn said before holding out a small bag. She peered inside and her mouth fell open slightly. Inside it were dozens of rings of different colors and materials.

“Why? HOW? When?” Joan asked. “Wait, no. That’s not important now. Would have been nice to know this beforehand, though.”

“You never asked,” Zorn said.

“Don’t even try that line on—” Joan was cut off by loud barking in the distance that was coming closer. “Are you sure that they can’t follow you?”

“Uhhhhh…” Zorn said before looking down at the ring on his finger. “I was…”

Joan suppressed the urge to scream before taking a slow, deep breath. “Good news and bad news.”

“Good news first,” Zorn said.

“If they find you, they can’t hurt you. They are obligated, as per the agreement, to send you back. Well, Neverdale is,” Joan said. “Bad news is, if they are coming here, then it won’t matter if they find me first. I need to go. I--”

“Joan, wait,” Zorn said before reaching out to grab her hand.

“Zorn, I don’t have time. I need to--”

“Take this,” Zorn said before sliding a ring into her hand.

“What is it?” Joan asked. Normally she would have been annoyed that he was probably trying to give her some protective item, but right now she could probably use it.

“It can absorb a spell and then cast it later,” Zorn said.

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“I don’t exactly have time to cast a bunch of spells, Zorn,” Joan said, struggling to suppress the urge to scream.

“You can use it to protect yourself from a spell and then redirect it back at them,” Zorn said.

Joan blinked a few times before sliding the ring on her left hand. “Okay, you know what? That’s pretty useful. Thanks. Now get out of here. Try to draw them away from me, that’s the plan for the moment.”

“Errr, what do I do if they find me?” Zorn asked.

“Say you’re from the village and that you ran,” Joan said. “And try to stop whatever thing you’re doing that stops you from getting sent back.” She tried to tug her hand free, but he didn’t let go. “Zorn, I need to go.”

“One last thing,” Zorn said. “What do I tell the Chosen?”

Joan paused for a moment. What could she tell the Chosen? If Chase was there, it’d be easy. “I set up a guide for them,” Joan said. “It’s honed with my blood. Korgron should be able to find it quickest. I think any of them will be able to, it’ll just take a bit. I’ve dealt with Neverdale before. I can’t win this wild hunt. But I can delay for a while. Tell them when they come? Don’t be slow and subtle. Come fast, hard and violent enough that everything around knows they’re here. The grander, the better. Make a big enough display and it’ll slow things.”

Zorn, finally, let her hand go. “Okay.”

Joan nodded and turned to run, but stopped after a few moments. “One more thing. Tell them I believe in them. I know they’ll be here in time. So I’ll be waiting. Good luck.”

“Good luck to you, too,” Zorn said before she heard him running through the leaves.

Joan glanced down at the ring once more before she started running again. She swore she was going to have a very, very long talk with him once this was all over. The fact he had a few dozen magic rings was the kind of information she really should have been made aware of BEFORE her life depended on them. How could he just hide that stuff from her?

Then again, considering the amount of stuff she was hiding from everyone, she supposed she didn’t have much room to be too annoyed by it.

She heard heavy footsteps in the distance and she quickly rushed behind a tree, pushing her back against it. For once being a small girl really was paying off. When she was the Hero, she’d been so broad chested that hiding behind a tree was laughable.

Joan heard another howl of the wolves and then heard the scattering of leaves when they ran past her hiding spot. She spent only a second to peer out around her hiding spot and saw the hounds of the fae tearing off through the forest, scattering the leaves behind them while their fae masters jumped through the branches above. Within a few moments they were out of sight and the leaves seemed to almost re-align themselves into position, blanketing the forest ground once more. Almost as if the hounds were never there to begin with. Well, at least that was another thing in her favor.

She desperately hoped it was Neverdale who found Zorn. If one of the others found him, they wouldn’t be as required to maintain the deal he’d made. She turned and started to walk.

Only to stop short when she nearly ran straight into a fae that had seemingly risen out from the leaves, a smile on his lips and a long, golden rapier in his right hand.

Joan’s heart pounded harder and she gave a light squeak, her hand moving towards her sword. “Oh sh-- wait.” She stopped, her hand hovering just over the hilt. “Flickerpuff?”

That made the smile on the fae’s lips waver. “Uhhhh… how do you know my name?”

Joan just stared up at him and slowly a grin formed on her lips. “Oh, Flickerpuff. Today just keeps getting better.”

“For me, yes. But not for you,” Flickerpuff said. He was trying to look confident and intimidating, she could tell. Unfortunately for him, Joan had met him many, many times.

She knew way more than he likely wanted her to know. “Oh, for both of us. We’ve met. In fact, we were really good friends in… well, that’s not important.”

“Stop looking at me like that, human,” Flickerpuff said before pointing his rapier at her face. “I’ve won this--”

“Yes, yes,” Joan said. “Now, let’s see. How was it pronounced? It might be easier to just show you. Ahem… Right…” She held out her right hand and, very slowly, a few glowing lines formed across it, rising up into the air for a moment. The illusion only lasted for a second, but the effect was instant.

Flickerpuff shrieked and darted back, falling flat on his butt and dropping his rapier. “How do you know that symbol? You can’t know that! That’s--”

“I know what it is,” Joan said. “But you don’t need to be so scared. You and I? We’re friends.”

“How does a human know about the Forgotten One?” Flickerpuff asked.

“It was part of your challenge,” Joan said.

“My what? What challenge?” Flickerpuff asked.

“Long story,” Joan said. “Which I don’t have time to explain. I wish I did, but I don’t. But the important thing is that we’re friends.” She looked him up and down. “You want to be my friend, don’t you?”

The fae almost reached out towards her, but then stopped and pulled his hand back. “You’re the target of the wild hunt. We’re not friends. I found you. This is a trick.”

“Would I know that symbol if I was a trick?” Joan asked. Ugh, she wondered if she was going to have to say it. It had been hard enough to say as the Hero. As much as she struggled to sometimes speak in demonic, could she even hope to utter those words? “Fine. Just… one second. Ugh. I didn’t think I’d be… I’m a bit out of practice, so bear with me? In the name of… of…” She tried to utter the word, but it really wasn’t made for a human tongue. She doubted it was made for any tongue. It was more akin to the breeze through the leaves than actual words. “How was that?”

“That wasn’t even close,” Flickerpuff said. “That was, quite possibly, the worst attempt I’ve ever heard. Even by a mortal. How can you possibly know that at all? Even poorly?”

“I’m from the future where they have awoken,” Joan said. She wondered if she should just keep a journal of all the lies she used to explain things at this point. “And they and I were actually pretty good friends. Ish. We were close enough. Either way, that’s not really important here.”

“I would disagree,” Flickerpuff said, his eyes narrowed on her and furious now. “You are mocking me, human. Aren’t you?”

“If I was mocking you, would I really be using these methods?” Joan asked. “Okay, the future thing was kind of mocking, but the rest of it is true. Honest.”

“I don’t believe you,” Flickerpuff said.

“I see,” Joan said. “So that’s how loyal you are?”

“Loyal?” Flickerpuff asked.

“To the Forgotten One,” Joan said. She then paused for a moment, cocking her head to the side. “Actually, wait. Is the Forgotten One connected to the Nameless One? Because they never actually told me or mentioned the Forgotten One. They--”

“The Nameless One?!” Flickerpuff asked, the horror evident on his face. “You dare to speak of the Nameless One and the Forgotten One in the same sentence?”

“I mean, you just did too,” Joan said.

“Don’t get smart with me, mortal!” Flickerpuff said.

“I’m smart with everyone,” Joan said. “Wow. Huh. I probably say that more than I should.”

Another horn went off in the distance and Joan cringed. She sighed and started walking towards him, before holding out her right hand.

Flickerpuff glared at her. “You surrender so easily?”

“No,” Joan said. “You’re going to help me.”

“Why would I help you?” Flickerpuff asked.

“Because we’re friends,” Joan said. “Because I know who the Forgotten One is. Because if you don’t help me, a lot of mortals are going to die in a very terrible manner. Because you never told me when you had the chance. Because we were friends and you hid all of this from me. Because this is the only chance you’ll have to make up for it. But, most of all? The biggest reason of all?”

“You’re not making any sense,” Flickerpuff said softly.

“Because if you don’t, I’m going to tell the Forgotten One on you,” Joan said. “And you know I’m not lying. Which means that all of those little doubts, all of those little fears. All of those worries that your little secret, that the belief you hold clasped in your heart that, maybe, you’ve been wrong? I’m the only one who can make them go away.”

Flickerpuff stared at her for a few moments before, very slowly, his hand reached out to take hers. She pulled him to his feet before sighing.

“Also, that form really doesn’t suit you,” Joan said. “You’re much cuter as a pixie.”

“A what?” Flickerpuff asked.

“Oh,” Joan said. “So this is before that?”

Flickerpuff stared at her and cocked his head to the side. “You aren’t truly from the future… are you?”

Joan shrugged. “Long story. Can’t really explain it. Help me make a fool of Neverdale and I’ll tell you what I can.”

Flickerpuff stared at her for a few moments before nodding. “Very well. I can--”

“Ohhhh, are you going to do the leaf thing?” Joan asked.

“Leaf… thing?” Flickerpuff asked.

“You know, the whole thing where like, you turn into a leaf and--”

“How do you know about that?” Flickerpuff asked, his cheeks burning red.

Joan just grinned back at him and gave a silent thanks to the gods. It was so very strange having everything go RIGHT for once, but damn if she wasn’t going to be grateful for it. If they wanted to keep having good things come her way, well, the more the merrier.