Captain Horn rushed through the despairingly dark forest back in the direction he had come. Anon had led them down a long and harrowing trail of traps and torment, and he had failed to notice that all of his soldiers had fallen off, presumably one by one, along the way.
And now their lives hung in the balance.
All because of his carelessness.
Yes, Anon had assured him that they could be saved, that there was still time, but there was no telling how many beasts their trap had lured over the course of the hours-long chase, and no telling if he could make it to everyone in time.
He scowled and pressed on. Forcing his exhausted body to move, using every ability he had to augment his pace, unconcerned with the damage he was taking every time a branch slapped him in the face, or briar snagged his hands or cheeks.
His sensitive ears picked up guttural barks and hisses, and he raced in their direction, saber at the ready.
In seconds, he burst through the brush, laid eyes on the pony sized silhouettes of several lizards, and proceeded to cut them down in rapid succession.
Some of his unit lay on the ground nearby, and a few gave weak cries of gratitude to his timely arrival, but since they clearly weren’t completely paralyzed, and yet more needed saving, he rushed onward in pursuit of his goal.
Everything hurts, hurts far far worse than it did during my days in basic training. But I will bear it. I must. To atone for my mistakes, and for putting them all in danger in the first place.
Shame spurred him on like never before. Not simply at having failed, but because he had lost sight of the things that truly mattered, of his whole reason for wanting strength in the first place.
He stumbled, caught himself against a tree and hurried on. Unlike during the chase, nothing had impeded him, he simply stumbled as he drew ever nearer to complete and total exhaustion.
Again, he reached another smattering of soldiers, and again he flew to their defense. A few had been clawed or bitten as the monsters moved to drag them away, but they were still alive, and Captain Horn knew they were tough enough to survive, even if they were completely paralyzed for the moment.
He wanted to continue immediately after, but his body lagged behind his will. For several moments it didn’t respond, and when it finally did, he was moving much more slowly than before.
My abilities’ time limits are up. No more ‘adrenaline rush’, ‘lagomorphic leap’, or ‘sprinter’s speed’, and my mana has long since run out… But I can’t stop. Not here. Not yet!
Step by step he stumbled at a lethargic jog, swaying this way and that, as he crashed from one tree to the next like a delirious drunk, slapped by branches and thorns, not because he was going too fast to avoid them, but because he was simply too tired to perceive them in time.
Mercifully, the next few of his soldiers were close by, gathered by the pack of Grandour and in dire need of aid.
Captain Horn struggled to breathe, let alone lift his sword into a position to actually use it. It felt like a bar of freezing cold lead in his overheated hand, and before he could heft it above his waist, his fingers failed, and he dropped the blade onto a stone.
The clatter-clang that came after allerted the chuffed carnivorous creatures to his presence, and they abandoned their secured meal to surround the still moving newcomer they quickly recognized as vulnerable prey.
No. No! Move, blast it! I need to save them! Not get eaten myself! He gulped down a wad of thick sap-like saliva, and panted to catch his breath. He went to kneel to grab his sword, but instead he collapsed, and his body refused to move even an inch more.
The monsters closed in, cautious of his strange behavior. But their forked tongues smelled the air, detected no threat, and their toothy maws inched ever closer.
Captain Horn shut his eyes. At least… At least I saved a few… May they live to curse my name… May they–
A sharp hiss grabbed him from his despair, and he glimpsed a glowing volley of arrows stab into the Grandour pack, scattering them into a frenzy.
Again, more arrows flew, not synchronized like before, but fired at will to target the scrambled creatures.
Despite the darkness, each hit its mark, and the light suffused the monsters, and appeared to drive them even further into panic.
Before long, all the Grandour were gone, and eerie silence fell.
No bugs could be heard, the leaves didn’t rustle in the wind, and his soldiers made no sounds, though he could see some squirming to little effect.
He opened his mouth to call out to them, but when no words emerged, he stopped. Someone’s magically suppressing sound. I thought for sure those arrows came from more of my unit, but it appears I was wrong. No one in my group has that ability.
He watched several shadows creep out of the woods. They spread out to the paralyzed members of his unit, bows in hand. He tried to get up, but that only garnered their attention, and then sound returned to the world.
A woman asked cooly. “Those ears… You wouldn't happen to be the head of this… err… expedition, would you?”
He froze, and his body dropped him back onto the ground. She knows about me? Are they villagers? But why are they here? Anon must have told them about me, but to what end? Did they come to save us? Or… have they come to silence us for disturbing their peace?
He heaved in a breath, and groaned. “I–I… Yesss… So– So if… if you want retribution… take it… out on… me.”
Some of the shadows tilted their heads as they went from one soldier to another, administering some sort of potion or poison, then the woman laughed. “Retribution? You kidding? After the wringer Anon put you through? Hahaha! That would just be cruel!”
He furrowed his brow, and struggled to prop himself up to get a better look at the woman who was now walking closer. Not that it helped. “You… you aren’t going to–?”
She crouched down, inspected his wounds, and snorted. “We’re the hunters of Kormath, and Anon requested us to tail you and move to ensure none of you die. That’s why we’re giving your troops the antidote to the Grandour venom. So I’m hoping you’ll return the favor by calling off hostilities.”
He stared at the shadow of her face, and a few bits of moonlight revealed a human with short brown hair. He lowered his eyes, and shuddered. “Yes. We’re done… Just imagining what you or Anon could do to us, is a… living nightmare… We haven’t the strength, and I never wished any of you harm in the first place.”
She grabbed his wrists, and hefted him to his feet with surprising ease. “Well isn’t that sweet! Makes giving this to you easier too.”
This? Is this a drop? I suppose they wouldn’t keep too many potions out here, given their short shelf life, but drops are much harder to make, so how precious is this to them? I doubt it’s dangerous after all she’s said, but even if it's poison or some sort of trap, I’ll take it. I owe them that much at least.
She held a small brown pill in her palm and offered it to him. But after a minute of him trying and failing to grasp it, they compromised, and she held it to his lips to eat. He slowly downed the small, bitter lump, and he felt its effects almost immediately.
A surge of vitality wracked his fatigued body, causing his tired muscles to relax, wounds to begin to close, and Captain Horn staggered back mouth agape. This quality?! You’d be hard pressed to find something like this in a city! Who even brought it here? How can they afford it?
“Why would you waste something so precious on me? How do you even have one in such a secluded place?”
His savior laughed again, and shrugged. “Turns out a lot of the ingredients grow around here, and believe it or not, but our Rochelle is a very talented alchemist. Oh! And my name’s Bretta by the way.”
He lowered his head, and placed a hand over his heart. “Captain Morris Horn. Or, well, Captain for the time being. I presume I’ll be demoted after this.”
“Mmm.” Bretta glanced back to ensure the rest of the hunters had finished their work, then grabbed Captain Horn’s wrist and led him, once again, back the way he’d come. “I assume there are more of you guys this way? The others will tend to them so don’t worry. As for us, we'd better go to Anon. I suspect they’re anxious to hear everyone’s safe.”
He blinked several times, and took a long minute to process her words and everything that’d just happened. Wait. You mean… .
“Anon orchestrated everything… All of this… because they were worried for our safety? Our safety?”
“Heh. Yes, but it gets better, because they did it with each and every one of us in mind, both those for and against. All to ensure that we’d survive and have ample opportunity to live in peace afterwards. Regardless of who’s bad side we get on, or who’s attention we attract in the process.”
“What? That’s ridiculous! I get that they’re a powerful being, but how could they even do that? They’re not omnipotent! And the Ascendant won’t let this failure go unanswered!”
Bretta shook her head, and led him on in silence. Their pace quickened thanks to a combination of their movement abilities, and just before they reached the clearing where Anon waited, she glanced back and the moonlight revealed a fearless smirk. “Is this Ascendant of yours omnipotent then?”
He gulped. Truth be told I don’t know the reach of her powers, but–
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“If she isn’t then she isn’t far off. I–”
Bretta pulled aside a thicket that was blocking his view, and Captain Horn witnessed something impossible.
There, in the clearing, was the writhing shape of a demon confronting Anon. He’d learned of them thanks to his training, and knew well how dangerous and powerful they were, on top of the fact that they’re immortal.
But why is one here? Then he noticed Larissa crumpled beneath it and a terrible realization struck. Demons have no physical body. In order to properly utilize their powers and influence the world they need one… So was Larissa possessed? And if she was, then her cruel behavior and focus on the mission were the demon’s… And that means… The Ascendant! She’s consorting with demons?!
Without a further thought he moved to leap into action. He had no idea how he could help Anon against such a terrible foe, but if the demon managed to possess an apostle then no one would be safe.
But Bretta yanked him back with that ridiculous strength of hers, then barred his path, and whispered. “Just watch. I don’t know what they’ll do, but with Anon, it's better if you just watch… And have faith.”
Unable to escape her, or fight her off, he relented in spite of his better judgment. And then witnessed, with wide eyes, as Anon simply walked up to the demon, utterly calm. Grabbed it, as if it weren’t intangible. Then proceed to pelt it with a barrage of spells that would normally require a small platoon and several minutes time, while also somehow whipping up a savage mana storm that should make casting those spells near impossible for anyone short of a master, before doing the unthinkable and smooshing the defeated demon in their bare hands, as if demons were simple bugs that could just be crushed on the slightest whim.
The demon's shrill screams faded into the night, and then dead silence fell.
A silence broken when Anon let out an exasperated sigh before flopping onto the grass next to Larissa, like one would after a hard day working the fields rather than killing the unkillable.
But Captain Horn just stood there, in stupefied shock, and, perhaps in mockery of him, the forest’s wildlife resumed their usual routines and all the noises that came with it.
Beside him, Bretta lay prostrate, face buried in the grass, deep in what he assumed was silent prayer. For a moment, he considered joining her, but after seeing what he’d seen, and after all he’d endured that night, he just didn’t have the will to move, let alone speak in this surreal moment.
So he just stood.
In shock.
Then awe.
Then gratitude.
Gratitude that everyone still lived. That the demon was gone. That his eyes were opened to the danger he was in, and to the monster he served. And to the being, the ineffable, amorphous, and enigmatic being that had done all these things, unasked and unprompted, all to avert the disaster he willingly walked into and even helped create.
The shards of his magically renewed strength left him, and he fell to his knees, overwhelmed with emotion, with but one phrase on his lips. “Thank you… Thank you so much.”
#
“Thank you… Thank you so much.”
I heard Captain Bunnyman’s voice off in the distance as I lay there, in the soft and cool grass, mulling over my scant options. The way I see it, there’s only one way this ends happily for everyone involved with this mess. And for that I need to convince them all to stay. Which’ll be a challenge given what I just put them through. Though by the sound of it, Bunnyman should at least hear me out.
I dragged myself into an upright position, and waved at the shadows of the kneeling captain and the… well… the uncomfortably reverent Bretta. “I’m here! Just as I promised! So let’s settle this already! It’s freakin’ late and I don’t know about you, but a nap sounds really nice right about now.”
Plus if it gets Bretta off the ground then I’m all for it! I mean, what the heck’s she doing? Praying? At me? No thanks!
Bunnyman stumbled up, and closed the distance between us before falling hard onto his knees, and lowering his head to the ground the way you would to a king or someone similarly powerful or extremely angry. “I… I cannot begin to thank you enough for sparing us. I realize now the folly of our actions, and the depth of the mercy you’ve shown. I see now that we’ve been dancing in the palm of your hand and that you could’ve just as easily crushed us. But you spared us… Saved us… Opened my eyes… And I will be forever grateful.”
I blinked. The heck’s he talking about? Sure I would’ve won in a head to head fight, the vision said so, but there would’ve been casualties, and we wouldn’t be in a position to stop the lady in white. Plus I’m just as amazed everything worked out the way I wanted. I mean, all they had to do was stop chasing me and be more cautious for the traps to lose their effectiveness, but whatever!
I reached out and patted his armored shoulder. “You act as if you are beyond redemption, or don’t deserve it. But you’re still here because neither of those things are true.”
And I guess Bretta’s just going to stay there then? Praying… Oof.
His head shot up, and he grabbed my shirt with both hands before crumbling into tears. “I– But I– We– We tried to… .”
Oh boy, here we go again.
“It doesn’t matter what you tried to do, or even what you’ve done. I forgive you, that is my right. And as such, you have nothing left to be sorry for.”
He trembled as if my words were a weight upon his back that he couldn’t bear. “B–but… .”
“But if you’re truly repentant, and ready to move beyond all this, then do what the villagers of Kormath have done. Leave the past behind, move to the village, and start over. Not only because you need a fresh start, but because if you go back your lives will be in danger, and you deserve to be safe.”
Cause there’s no way that awful woman will spare them for failing here.
I made him sit up, and he swiped away his tears, before taking a deep breath and asking. “Would we even be welcome? After what we did?”
I gave him a look that said ‘really?’ and made sure he could see it with one of my globs of light. This is getting silly.
“I don’t think you get it. This village is where people start over. It doesn’t matter who they are, where they’re from, what they’ve done, or who they’ve served. That is behind them. The villagers will accept you if you can accept this. Trust me. I know. I already asked them as much before all this even started.”
He let go of me and looked away. Several minutes passed as he internally debated God knows what with himself since the path forward should’ve been obvious after all I’d just said, but then an unexpected voice interjected.
“C–captain…” Larissa’s eyes popped open, and she struggled to look his way. “L–let’s stay here… I–I trust them… They saved me… .” Then she passed out again.
He stared at her, then at me, then back at her. It took everything I had left not to make an awkward face at her words, the words of a ‘believer of lies’, but in the end he sighed. “If you would have us, then I will do what I can to convince the others. Some may not like it, but… they should come around in time… Though I have to ask, how are you going to protect this place from the Ascendant? She’s powerful, and–”
I put a finger to his lips, and pointed up at the night sky. “Watch.” While I was waiting for him to sort out his thoughts I felt a small root coil around my pinky. I thought it was a bug at first, but then I realized it’s probably the Wise Old Friend telling me that the spell is ready.
I got up, lifted Witness, and here, from the center of the massive magic triangle I’d drawn in underground tunnels, that Rochelle, Craig, and Corra were charging with their mana through my spears, and that the Wise Old Friend had augmented with countless roots, I struck my staff down and activated our concerted effort to preserve this valley from harm.
Fwoosh!
Blue light erupted from trees all over the forest, causing the stars to fade from the light pollution. Then an unbelievably intricate series of runes spread out from all around me, before racing off into the distance. And then, to top it all off, a shimmering dome of light spread out and covered the entirety of the valley.
I glanced over at Captain Horn, but he had passed out, either from the rush of mana, or from surprise and exhaustion. Larissa was still down too, so I checked Bretta, afraid I’d have to carry them all back, but she was still awake, though now she was blubbering out some very heartfelt prayers that I decided not to try to make out, given the distance, and her slurred speech.
Now all that’s left is to decide when to leave. After all, this oversized and reversed ‘contain’ spell doesn’t keep anything in, and will only keep out hostile creatures, so I imagine there are a few workarounds, but with the Wise Old Friend powering it, and Bunnyman and crew here, Kormath should be safe enough for me to depart, and take the danger of the Ascendant elsewhere. So when do I want to leave? Tomorrow? In a few days? A week? Letta’s not going to be okay with any of those, but I can’t stay, and I can’t bring her with me… But I guess life is never easy.
#
Ascendant Josephine Barla watched her servants struggle to capture the Apostle named Anon from afar by means of her space essence magic. She had long since given up on the captain, after his repeated and increasingly dire failures to act in a way that would achieve the mission she’d tasked him with.
But this was to be expected. After all, he’d already failed to contain this Apostle once, but that was why she’d sent Goldorath. And she took great pleasure watching the demon work.
Until he didn’t.
Her office chair creaked ever louder as she squeezed the armrests in mounting frustration. How is Anon resisting? How is Anon winning?
Her jaw dropped when Goldrath was expelled from Larissa, and a chill ran down her spine as she watched Anon crush him. “W–what?”
Could apostles always slay demons? She and her fellows had never left one alive long enough to check, but even they couldn’t do it after absorbing those very Apostles, and that meant that Anon was even more special than she’d already surmised. Now I’ve no choice but to act.
By the time she’d returned to her senses, Anon was lifting their staff high. She didn’t know what they were doing, and didn’t care, if she took action, then there were few in this world that could stop her.
“World walk.” She muttered the master level teleport spell, and stepped out of her office and right next to Anon.
Or at least she tried to.
For when she arrived, she found herself on the copper mountains outside the valley, with a shimmering, translucent, barrier barring her path, no more than an inch from her veiled nose.
She snarled, stepped back, and lashed out with one of her concealed claws, but the barrier met her attack with cool indifference, deflecting her as easily as one would ward off a toddler.
Another chill ran down her spine. “‘Analyze’. ‘Trace.’ ‘Define.’” She uttered several order essence spells to comprehend what was in front of her, and gawked at what they revealed.
“An inverted ‘contain’ spell? That’s it? Sure it’s big, but this should be easy! ‘Deconstruct’!”
She poured her mana out without reserve, using it to fuel the advanced level order essence spell designed to tear apart magic. Malevolent magic circles spread out from her, and from them, sparks and streaks of light burst from the barrier. In moments, the whole of the dome was covered, and she smirked.
Her reserves were undoubtedly greater than Anon’s and her abilities were likewise superior, yet despite her efforts, and regardless of how much mana she spent, the barrier did not relent. In fact, it didn’t even flicker.
Once more, she felt a chill as her spell, rather than the barrier, failed. No! This isn’t possible! How is this trite beginner nonsense resisting me? Where is all this mana coming from? Don’t tell me Anon has achieved the stuff of legend and woven the magic into the world itself!
She stretched her senses out and surveyed the valley below her in a desperate attempt to disprove her fears. Countless magic lines and sigils covered the ground and half as many trees appeared to be glowing too, as if they had been added to the vast network.
One by one, the lights started to fade, but she knew that was simply because the spell had solidified, and that it would remain unseen henceforth.
Frantic to grasp something before it was too late she honed her focus to a razor’s edge, and that’s when she caught sight of it. A solitary tree, larger than the rest, with golden leaves, and purple blossoms, close to the center of the triangle.
Again her jaw dropped. “So you’re still alive? I could’ve sworn your defiance of our order had ended ages ago, back in the garden, but it appears you’re craftier than we gave you credit.”
But if the Wise Old Friend is here, supporting and regulating the barrier, then I won’t be getting in anytime soon… At least the spell hasn’t become part of the world, and thus unbreakable.
“Fine! I’ll withdraw for now you stubborn old tree! But your God’s precious apostle can’t remain in there forever. And when they leave, I’ll be ready!”
She turned away, muttered, “‘Alert’” to set up a field around the barrier that would notify her when Anon left, then teleported back to her office to sulk.