NOVEL NEXT Book 10 Chapter 11
On the upside, Joan was fairly certain she wasn't dead. While her ability to run through walls and the fact nobody could see her made that certainty somewhat questionable, the fact her body had gotten up and walked away made her fairly certain she wasn't dead. Even if her body did it without her.
On the downside, not being dead was not a state she was certain she'd be in for much longer. She ran into a small storage space under the stairs, barely making it into cover before that monster ran past her, lunging through the house and coming so close to her she could feel it pass.
She desperately needed a weapon, but she wasn't sure what she could even touch. She'd walked up stairs before and wasn't sinking through the floor, but she was walking through the walls of the building with ease, as if they weren't even there. She'd love to test and figure out what she could do, but for the moment she didn't really have the time. She heard another growl from ahead and quickly stepped back, through the wall and--
She was outside. Worse, the house was a foot or so above the ground, so when she stepped back and out of it, she fell to the ground and barely stayed upright. She covered her mouth with her hands, suppressing the confused yelp. She could see half of the monster sticking out through the house, its head inside, trying to find her.
Walls didn't stop them and they could walk on the floors, that was useful to know. She quickly got to her feet and looked around. She needed a weapon. She didn't have any of her equipment, no boots, no bracer, no sword, nothing. What was she supposed to do, find some kind of ghost sword? Did ghost swords even exist? Well, okay, she knew they did because she'd fought ghosts before and many of them had tried to stab her.
Though she guessed that might not even be right. She might not be a ghost at all, this could be something entirely different and she REALLY wished someone could give her some advice here. She started to run, trying to be as quiet as she could as she went.
Had the screams they'd heard been an enchantment after all, a warning? Or had they been prey of this monster, meeting their end while they'd all been helpless to find them? Had whatever took over her body just been trying to escape? Or was it connected to this monster, having lured her in to feed her to it? She really hoped it was the former, because if she was going to die here she hoped she'd die having saved someone. She ran into another one of the homes, looking around for something she could use.
Walking on the floors was simple, but everything she tried to touch she just went through. Tables, chairs, walls, she even saw an old pan that would have at least helped her batter it. While it wouldn't be as good as a sword, it'd certainly beat trying to punch the monster out. If only--
Joan dropped to the ground and only barely avoided being skewered by the monster leaping over her, holding her breath when she saw it sail over her head. For a moment she laid there, its back legs in the room with her, the rest having moved through the wall. She held her breath, waiting for it to turn around and come at her, but it didn't. It was definitely moving, pouncing again and leaping away.
While nothing seemed to stop it, at least it couldn't see her through the walls. But this was a losing game. It was big and there wasn't anywhere for her to hide so long as she was nearby. Maybe she could get far enough away it couldn't accidentally stumble on her, but she didn't like her chances of running in a wide open area.
Joan supposed if she was incredibly lucky, maybe it would pass through her as well, but she very much doubted that. She'd felt it brushing past her and she didn't doubt it was the only thing right now that really WAS solid for her.
Maybe there was something she could do, though. She couldn't touch anything, but what about what was already a part of her? She whispered a very small incantation and held her hands very close together. She doubted it would do much, but--
A small shard of ice formed between her palms. She stared down at it, her mouth falling open. Ice. She could make ice. She could use MAGIC! She had a weapon. Sure, it wasn't her best weapon but it was a WEAPON! She pulled her hands further together, forming a larger shard of ice. Best of all? She could hold it in both her hands. It was cold, but it was real. It--
Joan tumbled to the left, barely avoiding the monster's claws. She managed to get to her feet in time to see the monster's head in the room, lunging at her. She stepped to the right, practically spinning her whole body so the monster surged past, its leg brushing past her and nearly toppling her on its own. Nope, she definitely felt that. This was going to suck.
It kept moving before turning and leaping forward, mouth out and she stabbed the shard of ice forward, sending as much of her magic into it as she could to strengthen and grow it. She aimed at the top of its mouth, trying to lodge it into the hopefully soft flesh within.
She missed.
She rammed the shard of ice into its nose. The monster froze, giving a startled yelp.
Joan didn't hesitate. She sent her magic into the shard and it exploded, nearly bursting the monster's nostril open and sending the ice deep inside.
The monster let out an agonized yowl and backed away, howling like the wounded animal it was, before turning and disappearing through a wall entirely.
Joan ran, racing out from the house in the opposite direction. Once outside, she could hear it fleeing.
Was that it? Had she won? Was it really that easy?
"And it looks like we have a victor!" a girl's voice called out. "My my, we haven't had one in quite a long time, I wasn't sure we ever would again."
Joan skidded to a stop before turning around. "Who in the--"
A child. A little girl, much like her. Except she was wearing the most gaudy… Joan hesitated to call it a dress. It looked like it was made entirely of gold, yet still somehow cloth. With so many embellishments and pieces poking out of it that she couldn't imagine anyone actually wearing such a thing, let alone being able to move more than a few inches at a time. Like someone who had never seen a dress, but had heard they were fancy and awkward and then just tried to make their own.
Joan, grudgingly, had to acknowledge it was probably the kind of dress she'd have made for herself when she was the Hero, if she'd been allowed.
"Who… who are you?" Joan asked softly. "What do you mean, victor? That thing--"
"Welcome, mortal," the girl said, the grin on her face growing. "To my realm. I am the Goddess of War and you, lucky thing that you are, have managed to catch my eye. You may grovel now."
Joan just stared at her, her own mouth falling open. Goddess of War. She felt her annoyance growing. Just who was this small, sassy child? Did she really expect her to just grovel? Being the small, sassy child was HER thing. What was next, was the girl going to break all the bones in her body?
"Or perhaps I'll break all of the bones in yours," the girl said, the smile on her face disappearing. "You dare to think of me in such a manner?"
"Y-you can read my mind?" Joan asked nervously, taking a small step back. The Goddess of War? Was she an avatar of the Lion? Wait, no, was war under the domain of the Lion? The Lion was rage, but was war really rage? It--
"Goddess of War," the girl said before flicking her hand out. "I am the avatar of none of them. If anything, the Lion should bow to me."
Joan stared at the girl, her mouth falling open. She then glanced up, half expecting the lion to appear and destroy them both. The girl for saying such a thing, Joan for having heard it. Considering the girl could apparently read her mind, she really wished she'd spent just a tiny bit less time thinking these things because she was pretty sure the girl was--
"Your mind never does shut up, does it?" the Goddess of War asked.
"S-sorry," Joan said sheepishly before glancing away. She really wished Penthe was here, she wished she could ask her if she knew anything about this woman. Was she an enemy of the Hero? The Chosen? Could she-- Joan let out a yelp when suddenly the Goddess of War was there, in front of her, the biggest grin on her lips and eyes practically sparkling with glee. Her hand gripping Joan's by the chin to force her to look her in the eye.
"You know the Hero? The Chosen?" the Goddess of War asked.
"N-no," Joan said while she struggled desperately to avoid thinking about the fact she had been the Hero before she had given up her abilities to save the world and-- crap.
"You? You were the Hero?" the Goddess of War asked, her eyes definitely shimmering now. "Oh, yes. I've always wanted to meet you. Tell me… everything."
"Y-you want to know everything?" Joan asked. "Uhhhh, but I--"
"Everything," the Goddess of War said. "I've always wanted to see if the Hero could live up to the things all of my guests said. Strong, noble, self sacrificing."
Joan blinked and tried to glance back towards where the monster had been. Jamming ice up its nose to then explode it hadn't been the strongest or most noble thing she could have done. Frankly, she doubted she'd live up to the reputation.
The Goddess of War finally let her chin go. "Oh, but putting one's self at risk on the off chance that someone screaming for help needed you? That certainly is. Everything, you will share everything with me… or you will die screaming when I rend the flesh from your body inch by inch."
Joan gulped and gave a nod. "Y-yes. Err, well, so, uhhhh. I-I think it all starts with the Hungry One."
"Yes, yes, and the Guide and the Champion," the Goddess of War said. "I know about that."
"Wait, you know about that?" Joan asked. "How?"
"You mortals really are stupid, aren't you?" the Goddess of War asked. "What I want to know is how. Why are you so… this? The Hero I know was such a tall, imposing figure. Strong. Mighty. Even before a goddess he would not bow. You? You are a tiny, weak little thing."
"Wait, you met me?" Joan asked. "Err, when I was the Hero?"
"Of course I did," the Goddess of War said. "Who do you think trapped me here?"
Joan felt her heart sink into her stomach. "O-oh."
"Oh, don't look so frightened," the Goddess of War said, rolling her eyes. "I'm hardly going to take something like a few thousand years locked out of your world so personally. There are other worlds for me to spend time in. Tell me, have you ever been to the Realm of Elements?"
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"Uhhhh, almost, once," Joan said sheepishly. "I'm pretty sure I would have died, then."
"Hmmm, like this, yes. Mortals are so delicate," the Goddess of War said. "I--" She stopped, glancing off as if she heard something that only she could hear. "No, you wouldn't be able to hear it. You're only mortal."
Joan was really growing to hate that, her fear slowly shifting to annoyance. How was she supposed to get away from this thing if she couldn't even think of a plan without Goddess of War knowing? She didn't even know if her name was Goddess of War. Was it like the Nameless One? A title? Or did knowing her name put her at risk in some way? What did she have to do with anything? What happened to that town? Was it because of this goddess that something took her body? Was this even the Goddess of War's real body? It looked less like a real body and more the kind of thing she would have imagined wanting to be as the Hero. Was--
"ENOUGH!" the Goddess of War said. "You really do think too much. Yes, I do have a name. If you desire to know it, you will have to earn it, mortal. That town was a… hunting ground of mine. The seals binding me out from this world have grown weaker and I was merely having some fun. As for the town… I took it. It required quite a blood sacrifice to do it and it left some ghosts in its wake, but sacrifices must be made. Oh, you mortals do get so indignant about these things. That is exactly what I would expect the Hero who locked me out so long ago to think. The thing that took your body, however? It was mine, merely a trap. In case you have any hopes of others coming to save you from me? There is none."
Joan felt a mix of anger and annoyance at the flippant creature in front of her. A blood sacrifice? Cultists? How many people had died? Were those bones from that?
"Yes, they were," the Goddess of War said, a cruel grin flashing on her lips. "A hundred or so. Don't worry, though. They're mine now. Just like you. Would you like to join them?"
Joan had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, once more. Why did she have a feeling this was another trap?
"This is not a trap," the Goddess of War said. "A trap implies you can escape from me. You managed to best one of my creations. So, as a gift to you? I allow you to join in my coliseum." She snapped her fingers and Joan found herself standing on top of a square-like pillar overlooking a massive maze. "War eternal. Suffering and misery unending."
From her vantage point on top of the pillar Joan could see so much, but nowhere near enough. The maze seemed to go on forever. With forests, rivers, towns, deserts, entire nations practically trapped within. Slowly the pillar began to lower itself, bringing her into the labyrinth.
Joan felt her stomach twist into knots as the pillar descended, bringing her down into what looked like a forest growing inside the labyrinth.
There had to be a way out of this, she hadn't fought so long and hard just so she could have something that she had, apparently, locked out lifetimes ago trap her in some eternal war imitation. She'd already won an eternal war, she could win this one as well.
She wondered if the creature was still listening to her mind. She tried thinking of some insulting comments about her, but nothing happened, so possibly not. Well, she supposed if there were hundreds, possibly thousands of creatures stuck in this labyrinth, it wasn't like she could listen to all of them.
There had to be a way out of this. There had been a way out of everything else, this would be no different. The Hero had beaten this thing, so surely… well. She couldn't do what the Hero could. But she could still escape, somehow. She just had to figure out how the Hero had beaten this goddess before. Or, better yet, if he had escaped her somehow.
And if she couldn't, the Chosen would come for her. Just like they always d--
Joan's eyes went wide and she face palmed so hard she almost fell over. "Duh," she said, rolling her eyes.
Goddess of War? A giant labyrinth with forests and mountains and nations inside? Weird magic that sucked her mind out and made her kind of a ghost?
Was this another fae? This sounded like something that involved the fae. It practically screamed fae. Was there another one like the Nameless One? Or something else? A rival?
Either way, she knew what to do. First, get a message out. If this was the fae realm, all she needed was to repeat the trick she'd used when she'd been hunted by the fae. If this wasn't the fae realm, there had to be at least a dozen different tricks she knew. Another advantage of being the Hero in the past, she'd been into far too many other realms and dimensions that she knew far, far too many ways to work around them.
Joan felt just a hint of cockiness wash over her while she walked. There was absolutely no way she was going to let this thing win. Actually, now that she thought about it, she felt more alive than she had before. She held out her hand and tried to summon Guardian Nova again. Alas, the sword didn't materialize at all. She gave a shrug. Well, fine. Even if her sword wouldn't come to her, she would find a way out. This wasn't even going to be that--
Joan blinked a few times and shook her head. That was weird. It was as if the world had flickered for a moment. Just like it had before the weapons following her had disappeared. Everything seemed fine now, though. The trees surrounding her were massive, their branches so thick they blocked out the sky. The brush, at least, wasn't very thick and she was able to walk through it with relative ease. She was already missing her armor, though. With each step the bushes seemed to claw at her trousers.
On the upside, she at least did still have her trousers. She supposed she could have been walking through all of this barefoot and without any clothing to protect her, but the only stuff that didn't seem to come with her when she'd left her body was the magical equipment. Her sword, her armor, her…
Joan blinked and looked down at her feet. She was wearing her boots. They weren't magical now, though. But the boots she'd had on before were magical. Why had they come with her? Was this just some kind of default 'you're a ghost now' clothing choice? Tunic, trousers, boots? Seemed a bit mundane. If she was going to be a ghost or spirit or whatever she was now, she'd really hope there'd be a few more fashion choices. Maybe a dress. Ohhhh, she'd have loved to just run around forever in a pretty dress, maybe singing melodies while running through old, forbidden castles. That could be a lot of fun. It--
A sudden sharp pain through her head made her cringe and reach a hand up to her head. "Ow!" She didn't feel anything, though. So nothing seemed to have hit her. There wasn't even any blood.
Joan sighed and started walking again, pushing through the foliage. There were small, crawling bugs and the like, but nothing seemed to be a threat to her. Unfortunately, she wasn't seeing any berries either. She let out a low groan. "You know, usually by now something has tried to kill me."
She didn't receive a response.
If she wasn't a fae, then maybe a different realm. She'd been kicked out of her body, that much she knew for certain. Ghosts were never fun to deal with. If this even was a ghost. What else could it be? What had all that screaming been, anyway? It--
A low, angry growl came from behind her and she froze. Slowly, she turned around and she focused on a massive scaled monster towering between two trees. It looked kind of like a dragon, without wings. And a very short neck. It let out a low growl and opened its mouth, revealing multiple rows of teeth. "O-oh," Joan said softly. "I… I'd like to go back to not having something trying to kill me now."
The creature let out a roar before lumbering towards her.
For a moment, Joan considered trying to climb a tree to get away, but she doubted she could climb one fast enough. Running, possibly, but she doubted that would work either. It was much larger than her and the brush likely slowed her down a lot more than it did that thing. She watched it lumber towards her, bracing herself…
Before leaping to the right, around one of the trees, when it tried to bite down on her. "Missed!" she yelled at it. She held out her right hand and muttered an incantation.
Nothing happened.
"W-what?" Joan asked.
The monster growled and lifted its head, looking at her once again. Eyes narrowed, before it started to run towards her.
Joan yelped and tried to run, but it was too little, too late. Within a moment, the monster was on her. Its front claws reached out, knocking her to the ground before massive teeth descended on her. She screamed, but a moment later she felt the teeth dig into her and before she knew it, she was torn in half.
A moment later, Joan was standing in the middle of an old, muddy field filled with deep grooves and covered in bodies and rusted over weapons. She slowly crumbled to her knees and stared out over the field. "W-what?" she asked softly.
She lifted a hand up to her chest and pushed her palm against her heart. It was pounding. She'd died. She'd actually died, hadn't she? Why didn't she have any magic here?
Was that what this was? 'War eternal'? If she died, she just got sent somewhere else? Was that what this 'Goddess of War' meant? Being forced to fight and die, over and over, for a wicked goddess?
Joan blinked a few times before she began to just giggle helplessly. "Oh. Oh my gosh. Is THAT all this is? That makes it so much easier!"
If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was come back after dying a few dozen times. She beat the Hungry One, she'd beat this 'Goddess of War' too. She felt relief flooding through her and--
There it was again. Like the whole world just flickered for a moment. As if everything disappeared, for just a second.
She could have ignored it once, but there was certainly something going on here. Something other than a goddess of sorts. Maybe she was right, it was a fae. She held out her hand and, once again, tried to summon her sword to her. Nothing happened. She then muttered an incantation to try and cast a spell, nothing.
Joan closed her eyes and took a slow, steady breath. "Come to me," she whispered. "Guardian Nova. I know you're out there. I know you can feel me. I know you're mine." It wouldn't be the first time something that tried to stop her from calling her sword. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't some goddess. It wasn't something all powerful. She was beginning to think it wasn't even a fae.
It was certainly malevolent.
She heard groans and opened her eyes. Around the battlefield, the corpses began to move, rising and turning decaying heads towards her.
Joan just sighed and looked back at them. "Oh, please. You're zombies. What are you going to do, kill me? At least the giant wingless dragon thing was imposing. Zombies are just people that are half beaten." She struggled to pull her sword to her hand, though it still refused to come. "Guardian Nova, just hurry it up! I know you're there! There's no way you're ignoring me! Ugh, I swear you can be the most frustrating sword sometimes!" She could almost feel it, the familiar bond that she used to call it to her hand. Waiting.
One of the zombies finally managed to rise up, crawling towards her. She glanced around the battlefield, but there were just too many of them. She didn't really see a way out, so she sighed and gave a shrug. Well, she'd died in worse ways and it wasn't like she was really going to die here.
There it was, another flicker. It was getting more frequent, too. It had to be an illusion of some kind. Not a very good one, if it kept flickering like that. She ran towards one of the zombies and leaped into the air, giving it a kick and--
"Ew ew ew ew!" Joan said, her foot having gone through the monster. She tried to pull it out, but it was too little, too late. Within moments she was surrounded and they began to tear her apart.
This time, Joan woke up on top of a mountain, staring down at the ground far below. "Oh. Huh. You know, heights never really bothered me, especially if I just come back when I die. So, what's the deal? I know this isn't real. You're not some Goddess of War. I'd hope the fae would be a bit more original. You can read my mind, you have to know this isn't having a real effect." There was another flicker. "Is that what it is? Do you want something from me? Is-- oh." Then she blinked a few times and looked back down below. She muttered another incantation, but nothing happened.
It started by taking her friends from her, leaving her alone. Making her think they left her.
Then it took her weapons from her. Her equipment.
Then it took her magic.
Threw her into impossible situation after impossible situation.
It could read her mind.
All the screams, the ominous air of the town. This whole trap. The whole magical thing with the weird woman who claimed to be a goddess. They'd been right the first time, hadn't they?
"I hate ghosts," Joan muttered. "What kind of spirit are you? Is that what all of this is? Are you hoping to fill me with despair? That you can just make me give up on fighting you? You can take my weapons, my magic, my friends. But you know what?" She held out her hand, willing her sword to her hand. "I have been through so, so much worse. I've beaten so much worse than you. So you CAN'T win! I won't LET you!" There was another flicker. "I'm sorry for whatever happened to you, but I'm not going to fall for whatever trap or ploy or stupid fear you're trying to fill me with!" She could hear movement in the rocks behind her, but she didn't even look. Even when it growled. "Yeah, just shut up already, I'm busy!" she snapped.
Another flicker. This time, though, she felt it. Her sword was in her hand. Just for a moment. She smiled. "Guardian Nova? A little help?"
Something shoved her from behind, latching onto her and sending them both toppling to the world below. She closed her eyes and focused on her sword, willing her magic into it and to summon flames.
Then the world around her flickered and shattered. Her sword was in her hand.
She was in the basement. The one she had chased the figure towards. The others were all there as well, laying on their backs. Surrounding them were dark, shadowy figures, their bodies all but see-through. Blue fire surrounded her, burning away some dark, foul substance and causing the spirits to recoil.
Now, she imagined, came the difficult part.