[Book II Chapter 150] SARAH: The Contemptible Bastard
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Near the shimmering wall at the edge of a desert, Filia struggled to open a passageway through the Ether. Watching her, Sarah reached out and adjusted the strands of fate. Once certain the summoner would succeed, she stepped back and turned her attention to the man who had been leering at her the whole journey.
Out the expedition she’d led from Waceria, they’d lost one member and gained two. Clay Donnaster had elected to remain Neon to battle the nightmares. In his stead, a wolf girl named Sana had joined them, together with Jake Thorn, the Contemptible Bastard. She was conflicted about the second replacement.
“Do you have to stare so openly?” She asked.
“I’ve long since stopped restraining myself.” Jake laughed. “When a woman catches my fancy, I appreciate her beauty openly. And in your case…”
“I was surprised. Despite losing the sight in your eyes, your everyday functioning hasn’t been hindered. Rather, you now have a deeper confidence, one you never displayed on the Isle of Dreams. There’s something else too, an otherworldly sense I’ve never encountered before. It’s quite fascinating.”
Sarah sighed. He’s a paragon. When the battle begins, I’ll be glad he’s by my side. Until then, I must put up with him.
“Why did Astra send you?” She asked.
Jake lifted a hand coated in shadows. “My affinity is darkness, which is a poor matchup against the Knightmare King. She judged I’d be more effective aiding you.”
She nodded. “And the wolf girl?”
“She’s a troublemaker Astra foisted on us.” Jake held up the lead in his hand. It was attached to Sana’s wrists which were tied together in front of her. “After the Demonic beast were driven out Nordric, she went rogue and stole from several immortals, including a ring from Selina Gladesong and a pendant from Escard Roen. I was the one who apprehended her. Quite the chanllenge it was. She’s slippery for a saint.”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“So that’s why she’s tied up…” Sarah said. Other immortals might have felt self-conscious leading a young woman around in bondage, but not Jake Thorn…
“Yup, apparently it keeps her from using her sublime vagary, which is the source of all the problems.” Jake agreed happily. “I’ll release her when we arrive. Hopefully she can recuperate that sukemon card for us.”
“My turn to ask questions.” Jake had a serious glint in his eye. “What kind of opposition will we be facing?”
Sarah shifted uncomfortably. “The Laughing Man and his apostle, Johanna Loubor. Apart from them, Sekken along with several sovereigns and revenants from Mount Gull.”
“That’s fairly imprecise.” Jake commented. “Weren’t you supposed to be skilled at reading fate?”
“The Celetect Vortex is hindering my vision. Also, I believe they will call in reinforcements at some point, which complicates matters further.” She kept to herself that she’d glimpsed futures where Kaygren himself made an appearance. Once again, she was in the position of sensing victory was possible while her common sense screamed warnings of doom.
“Sorry.” She added.
“No need for that.” Jake smirked wearily. “This is the usual thing. I excel at extricating myself from difficult situations, which makes me the number one choice for potential suicide missions. If the worst comes to pass, I’ll get as many of us out as I can.”
“Speaking of uncertainty…” Jake appraised her suddenly, in a different manner than before. “I heard you drove off Sekken. Is this true? And can you do it again?”
“Maybe.” Sarah answered akwardly. “You can consider me immortal level, but my stamina won’t allow me to fight long. Last time I took Sekken by surprise. I might not be as effective this time.”
“Then leave him to me.” Jake said. “Use your bad luck powers on the sovereigns who are unfamiliar to you.”
The foggy tunnel had stabilized, and they walked into a tropical swamp. Jayden conjured gemstone pathways over the water for them to cross. Two more realms after this, and then we will be there. She felt a nervousness that she hadn’t before. Having fulfilled her responsibilities to her people was making death’s prospect more daunting. Guilt no longer discounted her self-worth.
She quizzed Jake in a bid to distract herself. “In your estimation, how will the situation at Neon unfold?”
“The outer defense will fail.” Jake replied sadly. “The outskirts will be overrun, and any who haven’t escaped by then will fall prey to the monsters. Once the battle nears the city proper, that’s where the Nightmare King will finally be stopped.”
Sarah’s throat went dry. She’d visited the Twin Cities many times and could picture this outcome in her mind. “How many will die?”
“Depends on how long the outer defense holds.” Jake shrugged. “But hundreds of thousands at a minimum.”