I swung with all my might. My sword whistled as it cut through the air. It was flying straight for her jugular. I just needed the blade to connect. Then, all of this would be over...

She caught my sword with her fingers. With a twist of her hand, the tip of the sword shattered. "Are you real?"

The shards of my blade dropped onto the dirt in front of me as I skidded to a halt and whipped my shield around.

She caught the edge of my shield as if I were a child swinging a stick. Ripping the shield out of my hands, she threw it to the ground, grabbed my arm, and pulled me closer. Her slender, elegant fingers reached for my face.

"Murderer!" I tried to swat her hand away, but it was like hitting a steel rod. Her arm didn't even budge a little.

She grabbed my face and forced me forward, so that I was barely clinging to the ground with my toes, until our faces were within inches of one another. I couldn't make out her face beneath the face covering that she was wearing under her hood. All I could see were her hazel eyes. And I could smell... lavender? My body froze. Why did I know that smell?

"How are you here?" Her voice was cool.

"Let him go!" Tristan slammed her mace into the mage's shoulder.

I could barely feel the blow through the woman's arm. It's like Tristan's mace hit a massive tree.

Despite the lack of damage, the woman dropped me and took a step back. "Why?" The question was quiet, soft, like she was talking to herself.

I clutched my throat and coughed. Her hands had been like a vice. I was sure my throat was going to tear out.

"Jorn, party up with us! Alex has a skill that'll make you stronger!" Tristan screamed at my side.

"On it!"

Jorn, Istaeran Human Guardian of the Chalice 27, joins your party.

Pulled my dagger from my belt, I stood up and launched myself at the warrior. "We need you!" I sawed at the binding wrapped around Jorn's hands and feet, praying that the mage wouldn't burn me away before I finished.

"That's it!" The man rolled off the altar, hit the ground, and sprinted to the far side of the clearing, where a pile of equipment was resting. "Be right back!"

I whipped back around, expecting the mage to be coming at me, but she was just standing there, staring.

Tristan pulled back and heaved, striking the woman with everything she had, but again, the mace barely looked like it put a dent in her. "Jorn, we really need you, buddy!"

[Shield Throw]

A metal buckler darted through the air past my head. The woman didn't pay it any mind, didn't even try to move. However, when it struck her, she was thrown backward, tumbling head over heels, and slammed into a nearby tree. The impact shattered the trunk and rocked the ground under our feet. The wolf atop it howled in terror.

Picking up my shield and broken sword, I slashed at the wolf's bindings. I had no reason to prioritize it, but it seemed like the right thing to do. It yelped as my blade clanged with the altar once, twice, three times, but by the fourth cut, its bindings were severed. With a quick shake, it jumped to its feet, leapt off the altar, and disappeared into the forest.

"Ruaaaghhh!" The bear man rushed out of the shadows, aiming directly for me.

It was fast. Far too fast for me. I didn't even have time to lift my shield. "Shit!" I tumbled over the wolf's altar, avoiding the bear man's paw by a fraction of an inch.

Tristan ran to my aid and swung her mace at the bear man, but the weapon bounced off its fur with barely any more damage than it had done to the mage. Only a soft grunt indicated she'd hurt it, but the bearman otherwise ignored her entirely.

The beast swung at the altar in front of me, shattering it in a single blow. A hail of rock shards pelted me, and the impact threw me backward. I collided with Tristan, and we both fell to the ground in a heap.

A breath later, the beastman was in the air and flying toward us. I saw death in its eyes.

[Intercept]

An instant before the massive creature crushed us, the air rippled, and something slammed into its chest, throwing it backward. It was Jorn.

"Sorry for the wait. I'm old, fat, and pretty beat up." Jorn cracked his neck, then looked over his shoulder. "Let's try and avoid close calls like that in the future, okay?"

"I'm okay with that." Pulling myself back to my feet, I grabbed Tristan's hand and gave her a reassuring grin. "We've got this. Yeah?"

She nodded, then used my arm to pull herself up. "Yeah. We do."

The bear man let out a terrifying roar, but before it could take two steps, the mage held up her arm, stopping it before it could charge. "Get back. This isn't your fight. I'll handle this." She sounded sad, tired. Stepping forward, she brushed dirt from her cloak, then flicked a stone shard off her shoulder. "Plus, you're my only damn success so far. I'd be fucked if you died."

The beastman looked at her, then at us, and hesitated.

"Damn it all." She lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. Shadows roiled around the bearman, then, in a blink, he vanished. "Now I won't have to worry." She looked at me. "As I was saying. How are you here?"

Jorn straightened his stance, his heavy sword lifting as he brought his shield in front of himself. "No need to talk to the rookie. I'm right here and more than enough for you."

She clicked her tongue. "You were funny, but I'm bored with your schtick. Get out of my way." She flicked her wrist, and a wave of shadows erupted from her palm and shot toward the guardian.

[Perfect Block]

His shield flashed, and the shadows bounced off it harmlessly.

"Gotta say, you're strong. Stronger than me, if only a little." He turned his head. "Be wary, kids, and stay behind me."

"I don't give a single shit about you or the little bitch. I want to talk to the idiot in front of me." She snapped her fingers again, and shadows poured out of the ground. Jorn leapt, clearing ten feet in a single heave, and landed on the leftmost altar.

Tristan, however, wasn't so lucky. She tried to leap back, but one of the tendrils got her foot and planted her to the ground. Only a quick slash of my dagger saved her from being entwined by the tendrils that followed.

Jorn, seeing us struggle, shouted at the woman. "Hey, bitch. You wear that rapier for show, or can you fight like a real warrior?" He raised his shield and braced his sword against the rim. "I'd wager it's for show, like some dipshit noble playing pretend with daddy's magic sword."

Her eyes burned with inner fire. "Why would I use it against you three?" The woman took a step forward. "None of you poses a threat. If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead."

[Shield Throw]

His shield cut through the air and struck her directly in the face, then bounced back into his hand. "You were saying?"

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She reached for her nose, and a wicked crack sounded as she straightened it back out. "You know what? Enough of this!" Taking a step forward, her body rippled, and she vanished.

Jorn screamed, "Tristan, look out!"

I heard someone step behind us. An instant later, there was a thud, and Tristan was flying through the air. Her head struck one of the altars, and she was still.

"Alex, move!"

A globe of black energy formed around me.

[Shield Throw]

Jorn's shield flew toward me, but it bounced off the globe as it sealed shut. "Get out of there—" Jorn's voice cut off entirely as the barrier sealed itself. All I could hear were heavy breaths. Two sets of them.

Turning, I found the mage staring at me again. I raised my shield and leveled my broken sword. "Why drag this out? We both know you could kill me right now if you wanted to. What do you gain from playing games? Or are you just that foul that you'd savor crushing my spirit, too? Because I can tell you one thing: you can't break me. I've been through it."

She didn't answer. She just stayed still for a long moment. I could see her mind working behind her eyes. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, "When did you arrive in Reial?"

I felt my chest clench. Why did she sound familiar? And how did she know? "Who are you?"

"Answer the question." She stepped closer. As she did, I could smell the scent of lavender coming from her.

"Why should I answer?"

"Because I fucking said so." Her voice echoed in the globe, and something wormed its way into my brain. "Now, answer. When did you arrive?"

I tried to tell her to fuck herself, but the words came out, "About eighteen months ago."

She took another step forward. "I see. What's your name?"

Something about her words seemed off. I reran them through my mind, and my throat caught. She was speaking English. "Alex. Alex Clark." I swallowed. "Who are you?"

She took another step forward. "How did you come here, Alex Clark? What were you doing before you arrived? What do you remember?" I could feel something radiating from her. Anger? Hatred? Sadness? Why? What was happening?

"Um..." It had been almost two years, but the events came to my mind as if they'd happened only hours before. I could see every moment so clearly. Biting my tongue, I managed to resist the compulsion I could feel saturating my mind. "Why?"

"ANSWER MY FUCKING QUESTIONS!" Her scream felt like it pierced my soul. She took several steps forward, and small flames rippled from one of her hands. Her eyes grew wide, and she shook her head. The flames went out. With a deep breath, she said, "I need to know everything."

My heart was pounding in my ears. Despite every effort to stop myself, the words started tumbling out of me. "The last day on Earth was normal. I went to work. There was a festival. It was hot. The weather was okay. Dave was an ass. Left me alone. Stupid wife. I struggled all day. Nearly quit. A friend came." My mind reeled. That wasn't true. "No. Not a friend. A lover. I liked her a lot. There were weird clouds. We finished the day together. We had sex on the cooler. Fuck Dave. Her car wouldn't start, so I took her home. She wanted me to come in. I was afraid to commit. Promised we'd talk. I left. On the way home, there was a storm. A big one. I didn't make it home. Pathfinder sank. I got struck by lightning. Twice. Woke up months later. Very hurt. Nearly died. Tristan found me." Against my will, I pointed at my unconscious companion.

"And what happened next?" Her eyes were intense. She was studying every inch of me.

"I was taken in. By Light's Hope Temple. They taught me everything. Made friends. They're like my family. Especially Tristan. She and I became friends. I trained for months. Learned the language. Fought. Trained more. We became best friends. I was stupid. She wasn't a boy. She was a girl. Always thought she was pretty. Figured out why. Awkward. There were bad things in the villages. We left the temple. Went on a date. Realized we care about one another. I love her." I loved her. I did, didn't I? "Monster attacked Bethany. Undead in Copperhill. We met a witch. She said I'm not supposed to be here. Fought Uralt. Killed him. Now, I'm here. I have to stop you. You hurt people. But something feels wrong. You seem familiar. I'm conflicted."

The woman took a step backward. "It is you..." Her hands flexed, then relaxed, and flexed again. "Why?"

"I don't know. This is my home now. I don't ask why. No reason. I can't go home."

She scoffed. "So they say." She looked me up and down. "You killed Uralt? Hard to believe. He was a killer, and you're not much."

Whatever it was that was in my head, it was getting weaker. "Yeah. Killed him dead. Frying pan assist."

"What does that mean?"

I managed to stay quiet.

When I didn't answer, she began pacing. "Fucking losers. Every one of them." She stopped, turned back to me, and stepped closer. "So you love her, do you?" Her voice was soft now. Sweet, almost. But deadly.

"Yeah." I pushed against the compulsion, but I wasn't strong enough. "She makes me happy. She sees me. Makes me better. I pushed her away for a long time. Didn't want to see. Felt unworthy. And guilty. My sister... Devon... my life. I felt like a failure. Unlovable. But she doesn't feel that way. Doesn't see me that way. She loves me for me. Flaws and all. And I have plenty. Who doesn't?"

The woman's eyes softened. "It's nice, being loved. Isn't it?"

I nodded. "It is. I wish everyone could feel this way." I meant that. Every word.

"I do, too. The problem is, it doesn't last. Nothing's forever." She lifted her hand. Toward Tristan. "And I can prove it."

"No..." I managed a step forward, but there was pressure. It was hard to breathe.

"You know, I've been loved. At least, that's what they say. Many times, in fact. And every time, they die. Or they cheat. Or the lie. Then they die all the same." Her tone was shifting. With every word, the softness was replaced with anger. "And here you are. Getting what we all want. Even though you don't deserve it." A lance of shadow and fire extended from her palm. "You don't deserve anything."

"Don't..."

"Not your call to make." Her eyes shifted. She was smiling. "I've wondered all this time. Why? Why me? Why was I called? I've given everything. Everything! For what? Nothing. Everything gets taken in the end." The lance grew larger. "And you. You're just a loser, Alex. You were never meant to be anything else. You weren't even chosen to come here." The flame lance grew brighter, its shadows deeper. "I was."

"Who... are... you?" The compulsion was weakening.

"I bet she loves you because you're a good guy. You always were. Isn't that right? Are you a good person, Alex Clark? Is that why you're blessed, while I'm cursed?" The flame lance smoldered in her hand. Outside the globe, Jorn was running, but his movements were slow. Too slow. "That's the only thing you ever had going for you." Her hand extended, and the flame lance shot through the black globe, directly at Tristan's head. "You were a good guy, doing the best he could in a shitty world. And now, you're being rewarded for your mediocrity." The lance shot out of her hand.

[Intercept]

Jorn's body rippled, and he reappeared directly in front of Tristan.

[Perfect Block]

His shield flashed. The flame lance struck his shield and exploded, sending flames and black smoke in every direction. Jorn was thrown backward, into the trees.

"Damn." Her eyes followed Jorn as he disappeared into the trees. "I finally found a guy who's actually worth a shit. Someone who might actually survive. And all this happens." She stomped her foot. "I am so tired of all the setbacks." She turned to face me again. "You said you met a witch. Who was she?"

The magic she'd wormed into my brain had faded, but not entirely. And this lie was too hard to keep to myself. "Greta. Greta the Witch."

The woman took two steps backward. "Greta? Out here?" For the first time since we'd spoken, her body tensed. She was nervous. "Where is she?"

Her magic unraveled further. I knew I could lie. If only a little. "Nearby. Goodfield." At least, her house was.

"Shit. Shit, shit, SHIT!" Flames erupted from the woman's body. The black globe dissolved around us. "And you're saying you met her? Has she given you her protection? What did she say? Is she coming here?"

"Yeah." We were allowed to stay at her house, after all. That's basically the same thing, right?"

"Damn it all!" The woman began pacing. "If I kill you now, she'll know. She'll track your essence in my spirit. She'll find us." The mage lifted her hands to her head. "Our plans... So much work... How could she know?" Her breathing became panicked, and her movements became erratic. "Okay. Okay. New plan. We're going to redirect. It's not a total loss. I've done it right one time. I can do it again. And, there are other villages. Other pissant peasants. Maybe we can buy some slaves? We can do this."

Her spell shackling my mind broke. I was able to move freely. To think freely. Lifting my shield, I readied my broken sword. "Who are you?"

The woman froze. Slowly, she turned her head. Her eyes were crazed. "If you ask me that one. more. time. I'll rip your throat out with my fucking toenails and feed you your own liver." The woman began cackling.

"You're crazy."

"Crazy? Yeah, probably." Her laughter died down. "Let me tell you something, Alex. It's hard being here. The call is relentless. It keeps demanding more and more and more, until you lose everything. I kept answering, kept doing awful, awful things. But it was never enough. It will never be satisfied." Her words became sobs. I watched as tears streamed from her eyes. "I can never go home, and this place is a prison. For you. For me. For everyone. I just want to go home."

Tristan groaned. "Alex?" Her eyes fluttered open. When she saw the woman standing a few paces away from me, she started scrambling to her feet.

The woman's eyes snapped to Tristan. Then, suddenly, her shoulders relaxed, and her posture softened. "Lucky bastard." She flicked her wrist, and Tristan was thrown toward the trees. Her path cleared, she marched up to her little makeshift table. Pulling the things she'd placed on it into a bag, she turned and looked at me again. "You get to live today. Count your blessings." She flicked her wrist, and the world rippled around her. "And Alex. A word of advice. Go away. Far, far away. Live your life. Stay out of everything." She pointed at Tristan, who'd managed to wobble back onto her feet. "Shack up with her. Do the thing. Have kids. Find a mistress. Fuck a goat. Whatever. I don't care. Just go far, and stay low. If you do, you might just have a good life." She tapped her chin, thinking. "Of course, I doubt that'll happen. You never could help yourself. So, until we meet again, be well. If you hurry, you might just be able to catch those goblins before they sell off those templars to my patron. But if you do, they'll hack you to pieces, so choose well, little man."

"Got you!" Jorn erupted from the trees a few paces behind her, blade forward.

"Later." The woman lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. The instant Jorn's blade pierced her back, she rippled and vanished.

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