Barbara was the first to sense it, and her sudden reaction alerted Jackson. She couldn’t help but jump up as she felt it. Jackson simply used magic on his eyes again and saw it before it could attack. He headed to warn Gypsy just in time as the Caravan was split in two. Sadly, Gypsy’s wagon was stuck facing the Worm. The worm in question had smooth skin, a split mouth, and a lot of teeth. It had no eyes, and heavy armor for skin. Jackson raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The explosion seemed to hurt the worm, but no real damage was done to the armor. A card didn’t form in his hand, so he pushed that thought from his mind.

“Burn!”

The worm burst into flames, but within a moment they died out. Barbara might be able to help, but she was still hiding in his cape. He rubbed his head and cracked his neck. He used strengthening magic on his body, and focused on the earth element inside of him, along with water and air.

“Hey, I think you should run while I distract it.”

“Wait, what? That thing is a Wurm! They are un-killable!”

“I didn’t say I was going to kill it. I said to run. Once you get some distance, I’ll rejoin you.”

Jackson gave her a smile as he dashed to fight the Wurm. Gypsy was getting tired of him lying. The other girls took his words at face value and started to lead the wagon away from the monster while Gypsy moved to the Bird’s nest. The fight was sad to watch. A tiny dagger couldn’t break the Wurm’s hide, and the Wurm just jumped in and out of the sand trying to swallow Jackson. He looked like a Nat compared to the worm, just a tiny dot scraping along its body.

“How can he throw his life away? You listening? That guy is trying to die, at least watch.”

Gypsy couldn’t have known, but Barbara could feel the battle. Every cut Jackson made against the Wurm to every time it knocked him to the ground, she felt it. It was her combat sense, a power of the Berserker. When fighting large groups, it gave her a heads up before an attack came from a blind spot. It also helped with scouting, watch standing, and spying. She simply knew everything that took place around her. She could also sense that Jackson was fighting five Wurms at once.

Jackson was riding down the back of the first Wurm, digging his Dagger into the armor. It wasn’t even a wound. He flattened himself against the Wurm as another jumped at him. It slithered over the first snapping at him.

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“Cut!”

His spell dug slightly deeper than his dagger on the second, bit it was still superficial. He couldn’t use the tarot cards to fight them as none came to his aid. He jumped onto the second Wurm as it pasted over the first.

“Impale!”

The two Wurms screamed in pain as an invisible force impaled them. But all it did was create a small hole in the Wurms. He called fire to burn them, but it didn’t make a difference. He hated how weak he felt fighting the Wurms. There was one spell, but he wasn’t sure he could use it. Last time, he had been using the death arcana and did it out of complete rage. Maybe if he focused on that. He sighed as he figured how useless it would be.

Barbara could feel Jackson hopelessness while fighting the Wurms. His powers may have been a cheat, but against such a thing it wasn’t enough. The worst part for Barbara was that she could remember killing Wurms far stronger as the Berserker. She hated that thing inside her. It drove everyone away. It made her a monster. If only she wasn’t born with it, if only it had been her brother like he wanted, maybe she could have been happy.

A memory floated back to her. It was an old one of a dying man with ginger hair. It was right before she became the Berserker for the first time. He had so many injuries, his golden eyes looked so proud, he clearly knew what joy was. If only she could remember what he said to her. Why was he so lucky? Why did a dying man know more about joy then she did? It irritated her so much. She was tired of being the Berserker.

“Why so sad? Why are… sad?”

In her pouting, his words finally reached her. Yes, he asked why she was sad. Why was she sad back then? Why was she always sad? She could feel despair, she felt it so much, and it was leaking from Jackson. Then a question awakened in her mind. Why was he not sad? Why was a man whom was going to die not sad? Desperate, yes but not sad. Why did that irritate her?

“Finally coming around?”

Barbara moved to watch the fight with her own eyes. Jackson was in midair falling towards the Wurms, he screamed his spell. The Wurm that was about to consume him mouth was field with flames, and he landed on its back. He was sliding down it, while another Wurm tried to finish him.

“How can that guy fight? Doesn’t make sense to me. Those things aren’t killable, not for us anyway. He been fighting them for what, a few minutes and hasn’t even hurt one. Why?”

Sliding down the back of the Wurm, Jackson stabbed his dagger into the back of the monster stopping just short of another Wurm’s mouth. It wasn’t happy that it didn’t get a meal and snapped at him.

“Ice!”

Its mouth froze over, and an ice cube formed gagging the wurm. It choked for a moment. It swung around wildly, sending the ice cube flying and knocking Jackson from the other Wurm. He used magic to soften the ground right before he hit it. It still hurt and knocked the wind from him. The five Wurms surfaced and started to circle.

He’s at peace? Barbara couldn’t believe that he was fine with his own death. Gypsy turned away, holding her mouth. Why was he fine with dying? Why are they fine with dying? Why are they leaving her? She was tired of them leaving her. She was tired of being alone. Yes, Jackson had problems, but he stuck with her. She couldn’t let him die just yet. She took her blade and slit her palm.