Demons are one of the most varied and insane species on the planet.

There are many species of course. Humans, elves, dwarves, spirits, and halflings tend to dominate the world, but there are far more powerful, and massive beasts. Dragons are the most famous. Demons are the most infamous.

Similar to spirits, demons can take many forms, moving from nearly insubstantial whispers in the wind, to beasts of flesh like any mortal. They tend to take on forms from out of the imagination of mortals, and each vary greatly in temperament, skill, age, and morality.

As I spun out of the way of a drill the size of a boulder, I decided I had a firm grasp on this demons morality. It swung at me again, trying to kill me. I stepped back, shocked by its incredible speed, especially for such a huge being. Not as fast as Katya, but fast enough. Damn, this demon must be leagues above the one Jennifer had killed in my room.

Of course, it might be something else. A simple earthen construct for example, considering its makeup of metal and stone. But my instincts screamed demon, and that is what I decided fit it best.

My instincts also said run, but I forced myself to ignore that.

“What the Light is that!?” Richard had gotten up.

“Demon!” I yelled back, ducking when that screaming drill came at me again, feeling stone bounce off my head as the drill dug into the stone wall behind me.

“It might be a simple earthen constru—” Hasha began to say.

“Less speculation, more killing!” Richard roared.

Mountain leaped on top of the demon, snarling like a wolf as he scratched at hardened stone and steel. I punched the beast as fast as I could in the chest, hammering into it while Mountain distracted it.

The demon released a sound like lightning crackling across skin (A sound I was sadly very familiar with now) and grabbed Mountain with its clawed right hand. With as much effort as man uses to toss a small bag, he swung Mountain around, smacking me with the big dog and sending us both flying. I grunted when the huge bundle of muscle and fur hit me, and released a groan as we hit a bookshelf, shattering it under our bulk.

“No, I need to understand what it is! Furo!” Hasha released a ball of fire, hitting the creature to no avail. “The Arch-Bishop summoned it for a reason!”

Katya appeared in front of the huge being, slashing at it with Stormcall. Even with tears pouring down her cheeks, she made a magnificent figure, leaping and dodging the beast as the jumpjets on her back let her almost float around it.

“The prophecy!” I yelled out, rising up from the books and shattered wood around me. I coughed up dust and blood, then yelled out again. “What does the prophecy say!?”

“It’s not real!” Katya paid for her distracted yell by getting smacked aside by the drill bit. I almost cried out, only to sigh in relief when I saw her roll back to her feet. Her armor was a bit scratched up, but thankfully the armor hadn’t been hit by the point of the drill.

“Even if it isn’t,” I rushed forward and punched the creature in the head, trying to force it away from Richard, who was slashing at it as well, “the Arch-Bishop was trying to follow it! First the den, then the fires, now the monster!”

“And so the Prophesied Child will destroy the beast,” Richard’s eyes widened. “We need weapons of Light! If he used the prophecy to make his plan, then weapons of Light are in the next line!”

Katya and I shared a startled look. Then we both grinned, savage smiles. She threw Stormcall to Richard, and snapped her hands outwards. Then, slowly, a bright white glow came from the top of her hands, resolving into symbols.

The kenaz symbol, representing fire, beacons, light, and life.

Two blades of light magic, each six inches long, came from the top of her gauntlets.

“Weapons of magic,” I spat a bit of blood to the side. “Those should do it.”

The demon looked at Katya, its six eyes a swirl of colors. Its face was otherwise featureless. And yet, I felt like it was smiling. Maybe, somewhere inside that beast, the Arch-Bishop was still there? Pleased that everything was going to plan?

I felt sick at the thought. “Damn it. Even this is just us following the prophecy,” I grumbled. “Prophecies are bullshit.”

Even as I spoke, Katya was launching forward. The demon stabbed forward with that spinning drill, screaming in that horrendous wail of lightning against skin. I leaped up, my jumpjets lifting me several meters above it, then dived towards it with my fists leading the way. As I dived, my jumpjets activated, sending me down with tremendous force.

Slamming into it with such force destroyed the last defensive runes on my armor, but also sent it to a knee and gave Katya the opening she needed.

She leaped forward to slash her Light blades through the beasts ‘throat’. Unlike our earlier blows, which had bounced off its hard skin, her blades sliced through. The creature roared, its eyes blazing, and it reached towards Katya. Still on top of it, I kicked downwards, just barely forcing it from taking hold of her, then leaped away. Its claws reached out and sliced through the armor on my chest before my jumpjets pulled me away, slicing four ragged and bloody lines into my chest as I screamed in pain before I made it away.

Mountain rushed like a bull, tackling the beast. It screeched aloud as Mountain pushed it through four bookshelves, before Katya hopped onto Mountain’s back. Her face set in determination, she sliced at the beasts shoulders, then jumped out of the way of its drill. Mountain pulled away as well with a bloody jaw and cracked teeth from his impact with the creature, leaving the beast swinging at empty air.

Then if began to glow.

I dropped down next to Hasha. “That can’t be good.”

“No, it isn’t,” he responded. “This isn’t a demon I recognize.”

“You recognize demons?” Richard asked.

“Sometimes,” Hasha frowned, and lifted his hand. “Thormer!” A tight line of lightning burst from his hand and slammed into the demon. It didn’t do a thing. Instead, the beast rose up, aimed its drill towards Hasha, and sped for us!

“MOVE!” I grabbed Hasha and leaped up, using my jumpjets to get higher.

The beast rushed through bookshelves, tables, and the floor itself, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

“Twenty meters in mere seconds!” Hasha yelled as I dragged him through the air. Blood dripped from his leg, where the beast’s incredible drill had slashed into it. My face was hurting, probably from some wound of my own. Luckily I could still see with both eyes, but I felt like it was a near thing.

The beast turned towards Richard and rushed forth again, forcing the old knight to dodge. He slashed at the beasts ‘ankles’ as he moved, but got nothing but a slightly dulled sword and a slashed shoulder for his troubles. The beast’s drill slammed into a wall, digging deep into it. Cracks spread through the stone, and the beast ripped the drill back out with ease.

Katya struck, slicing the creatures back. This time however, the Light blades didn’t cause nearly as much damage. The beast spun, grabbing Katya around her waist, and threw her. She flew like an arrow, craching through one of the last of the surviving bookshelves.

“We need to kill it in one shot!” Richard roared, rushing to Katya’s side. She rose, shaking her head. I’d heard a sickly crack when she landed, and worried for both her and Richard, whose shoulder was heavily bleeding.

“I know, but my daggers are too small- EEP!” in a mirror of when I saved Hasha, she grabbed Richard around the waist and leaped up, her jumpjets launching the pair to where Hasha and I were standing.

We stood together, Hasha releasing blasts of magic in a storm of powers while the demon rose up to face us. Mountain joined that group, growling at the demon as we stared it down. The bulky creature released another screech. I roared back on instinct, trying to push through my own fear.

That’s when I bumped something. A book, just against my ankle.

“…We need Light weapons,” I said softly. “And this is a library.”

I spun around and ran.

“Char!?” Katya called.

“Katya, those blades can change shape!” I called back to her. “Hasha, take the lead!”

“Hasha!?” Richard yelled, offended.

“He’s a former adventurer!” I hopped a short table that had been shattered in the chaos. “I’ll be right back!”

I didn’t stop to see if they’d listened. I simply ran for the doors before me. The ones that had Richard said led to the restricted section.

The restricted section of the Chapel of Valor. The premier experts of Light magic.

I’d made Katya’s gauntlets based on my own brief examinations of the magic. Gauntlets that could focus magic into a condensed blade of energy, allowing one to slice through almost anything. Those were what I’d come up with in a week. What had the Chapel come up with in decades?

The two doors were thick wood wrapped in steel, with chains wrapping them. I lifted my right gauntlet and aimed, firing the weapon. Black powder exploded, sending a small bundle of metal ball bearings forwards. The small pieces of metal shattered the chains, but left the wood. Sprinting harder, feeling blood pour from my mouth and the wounds on my chest, I aimed at the center of the door, roaring.

The doors shattered at against me. My armor protected me from most of the damage, but I still felt some splinters and pieces of metal slice into me. I briefly wondered about all the horror I was putting my body through before disregarding the idea.

Worry about infection later. For now, I had work to do.

I looked around the room. It wasn’t big. But it was pretty.

The ceiling had bright glowing lights in the shape of constellations in the night sky. The bookshelves were made of marble rather than wood like the ones outside, and the floors and walls had a polish to them.

More important was there were reagents and tools set up on some of the shelves.

“Heaven?” I asked wryly. Then I moved forward and grabbed a vial, widening my eyes when I realized what it said. Dragon’s Blood. “No… this is an armory.”

With that, I rushed inside, looking for the book I needed. Luckily it had the same sort of organizational scheme the rest of the library had. I quickly found a book on runes called A Treatise on the Sigils of Destruction and flipped it open. I placed it on a table and worked quickly, hearing everyone yelling outside as more destructive forces were used.

“Light runes, Light runes, Light runes,” I despaired at the pages I had to skip. There were insights into the realm of runecrafting I’d never imagined, new ideas on their creation and use that mirrored my own research. Still I focused. “Light runes!”

I grabbed the pages that were relevant and, forcing myself to do it, ripped them out. It made me want to cry, but rushed for the reagents on the shelves and grabbed the ones I needed. Feathers, silicone, tree pulp, ceramic dust, and my own blood.

This would be messy.

Just then, a crash from the door came. When I looked, the demon had turned to eye me. It spun around and rushed forward, screeching. I grabbed my reagents and the pages I’d ripped and ran towards it. Just before I would have been impaled, I spun behind a wall, letting the beast fly past, then rushed out.

“One second!” I yelled at the others. They’d obtained a few more cuts and bruises, and looked exhausted.

“Where did you bloody go, orcling!?” Richard roared, a fresh black eye on his face.

I ignored him to place a bowl on the floor. With no time for correct measurements, I simply placed what I could think of in the bowl and began mixing them with my bare hands. I let blood pour from my wounds into the mix, feeling dizzy from the loss of it. Behind me, I heard Katya land.

“Char, what’s going on?”

“We need Light weapons, ones that can do real damage,” I looked over at where the beast was rising up. “So I grabbed these,” I nodded at the pages I’d dropped on the floor. “And I’m mixing the reagent for the runes I need.”

“Don’t you need hours to make runes safetly?” Katya asked.

“None of this is safe!” I heard a roar, and quickly grabbed my bowl, with now had a brown paste within it, before leaping up, Katya following. Mountain rushed past where we’d stood, huge body bleeding from cuts and bruises. He rolled on the ground, wearily growling as he did.

“Is that thing bigger!?” Richard yelled.

“No, it’s getting faster though!” Hasha yelled back.

The demon swung at Richard with his drill, sending the knight flying. The knight, with none of the toughness of myself, Mountain, or even Katya in her armor, went flying. His chestplate shattered under the blow.

“Richard!” Katya called.

The knight rose to a knee, surprising the hell out of me. He cursed in dwarven, and spat up blood the way I’d been doing through the fight.

“I miss fighting things that could die,” He grumbled.

The demon rushed at him, screeching as its drill led the way.

“Arthusa!”

A three foot wall of ice appeared between then. The drill slammed into the wall, stopping against the white wall.

“Stop needing to be saved!” Hasha yelled wearily at Richard.

“Bite me elf!” Richard hopped over the tall wall with the agility of a younger man, stabbing his sword into one of the creature’s eyes. It howled, pulling back to grab at the sword embedded within its face, letting Richard roll away. “Light damn it!”

I looked back at my paste, seeing it had become the warm orange color I needed. Or at least, as close as I’d get without a kiln. “Katya, they need you. You’re the only one who can hurt it, really hurt it.”

“What about you?”

I looked up at her. The blonde girl still had tearstreaks going down her cheeks. Her eyes were red. Her armor was scratched up, covered in dust, and the scarf Richard had given her had fallen away.

She looked like a warrior. Like a hero. A hero in my armor, preparing to fight a great beast.

For a thousand reasons, I found myself smiling. “I’ll be fine,” I grabbed a batch of the paste and began tracing it on my right gauntlet. “I’m right behind you.”

Still looking worried, she leaped down to join the fray, leaving me where I was. I focused as best as I could on what I was doing, ignoring the shouts below.

The rune I was tracing was supposed to be the purest expression of light. Called lumerona by the creator, a human woman who must have been a true genius in the art of runemaking, it was similar to kenaz in design, but far more complex, clearly meant to represent light at a level the other rune wasn’t. In many ways, kenaz was better, due to being far more flexible in terms of use, but for projecting magic into the form of Light, lumerona was a true marvel of engineering.

I didn’t have time to make it pretty however. I simply traced the paste on every part of my armor that I could. As I did, I could feel the rune of connection Hasha had placed pulse on the back of my head, marking the fusion of the runes to my armor and connecting them into a homogeneous piece.

It took a short amount of time, and I wish I had longer. Time, as always, was my enemy. The demon was getting faster.

And as I placed the last rune, it began to glow brighter again. It lifted its clawed right hand and held it there. Energy the same color as its eyes collected, then shifted. It turned from formless energy, to crackling electricity.

“Thormer!”

Hasha stopped in shock when the beast spoke the name of his personal spell. That saved his life.

The beast unleashed a blast of lightning larger than any Hasha had released.

“Proserto!” Hasha leaped out of the way as he called the spell. The lightning brushed the edge of his air barrier, and blew up, sending him flying. With the experience of a skilled adventurer, Hasha managed to get back to his feet, but I could see he was shaken.

“We can’t let this thing escape!” Hasha yelled. “If it can mimic magic, and keep getting faster—”

“We know the stakes damn it!” Richard threw a rock at the beast, grabbing Stormcall as he and Katya rushed forward.

“I’m done!” I yelled out at the same time.

“Is it safe!?” Katya yelled back. She stabbed at the beast as she ran.

“Arthusa!”

Her light blades instead slammed into a half-dome of ice that protected the beast. She pulled away from it, but the beast spun around and shattered the ice with a clawed fist, sending shards of ice bouncing off her armor as its powerful magic fought to protect her.

Richard struck then, slashing out with Stormcall. With incredible skill and speed, he gritted his teeth and sent the beast back a step under a hailstorm of blows.

Seeing the beast ready to attack again, I activated the runes.

Power flooded my veins. Light, that energy I’d felt when Katya and the nurse from a lifetime ago healed me, shone out. I could see the stuff shine out from under my skin, a golden glow unmuted by my skin, my armor, and my steel cotton. It was beautiful.

And it hurt. I roared, feeling more blood pour from my mouth. The blood shone brightly with the Light, and I knew I had to look like I was burning alive in my armor. And in a way, I was.

There was nothing I could do about that. So I ignored it. Over the past few days, I’d felt all sorts of pain. If I let it stop me now, then it was all for nothing.

My throat hurt from sheer volume of my voice as I roared, and roared. And as I did, I felt battle frenzy take over once more. The state where rage turned cold, like steel leaving the forge stronger than ever. I leaped up. My jumpjets propelled me forward. The runes of Light began to shine on my armor, burning so fiercely I could smell my skin cooking beneath them. The arc of my leap brought me towards the beast. Mountain, seeing me coming down, grappled with the creature, pulling back with it swung its drill at him. While it was distracted, I reared a fist back.

When I punched it in the face, I felt my arm break. Light poured through me, healing the shattered bone even as it shattered, but it still hurt like hell.

The demon must have felt it worse, because the striking of my fist took off a massive chunk of it’s body. Its screech filled the air, and it staggered back.

“Char,” Hasha whispered as I landed, glowing fiercer than even Katya, “what have you done?”

“Something that really hurts,” I grunted back.

“Oh Char…” Katya said sadly.

“No talk time, attack now!” Richard called, rushing forward as the beast fell back. We rushed forward, Hasha staying behind.

“You want spells to steal!?” Hasha yelled out. His eye began to glow a bright purple. “Thormer!”

The lightning bolt that went flying over my shoulder to hit the demon was smaller than his last. And yet, it carried far more force, hitting the demon in the spot in its chin where I’d punched off a piece. It screeched. Blindly, it swung out its drill.

“Cut it off!” Hasha yelled out.

Seeing his plan, I grabbed the demon just past that drill, digging Light infused hands into its stone and metal arm. I pulled, hard, forcing it to its knees and extending its arm. Katya moved in next to me, raising her blades high. The lights of the demons eyes widened.

“Arthus—”

Mountain wrapped his half-broken teeth around its right hand and pulled. Richard stabbed the orb of magic it was preparing, shattering the ice it had created with Stormcall’s powerful lightning. The creature screeched.

And Katya cut off that drill.

“▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅!”

I don’t know what it yelled, but my ears began to ring. Still holding the huge drill, we all backed away from the screaming demon. The air began to shake. It reached out, trying to attack us again.

I reared back and swung its drill around. The huge weapon, still pouring whatever silver substance it had in place of blood, smashed its former owner in the face.

The demon fell back. I dropped the drill arm and leaped forward. Katya leaped forward. Mountain, Richard, and Hasha all tried to move forward as well, but a sudden wind pushed them all back.

Katya and I however, managed to push through that wind with a bit of struggle. Side by side, we rushed toward the horrific beast. A screech that sounded like laughter resounded through the air. We yelled out as we ran, the wind rushing around us. The many colored eyes of the demon swirled.

“For the Light!” Katya stabbed forward with her Light blades, stabbing deep into the creature and sticking there.

I roared, the only true battle-cry I knew. Then I punched upward and slammed hands shining with the Light into my enemy’s skull, going elbow deep from the bottom.

Energy exploded, and I felt the Light runes on my body begin to give out as swirling motes of power slammed into us, pain as much a part of my existence as anything else. Katya and I stopped yelling, only looking into the demons eyes. It stared at us with those six swirling pools. Slowly, the eyes began to shut. The top pair. Then the bottom.

“I…” it was the Arch-Bishop’s voice. “I…”

The last pair of eyes closed. And the massive demon began to sink into the ground.

Katya and I wordlessly pulled our hands out of the demon. We stepped back, both glowing, and watched it sink down to its knees. It slumped over, and moved no more. As I stopped glowing, and Katya released her Light blades, the energy around the demon sank away.

“…is it over?” I asked.

“Maybe,” Katya reached hesitantly for her helmet, then looked around, checking for some other threat. She looked back at the demon, and we both waited for it to move. Nothing happened. She waited a bit longer. Then she pulled her helmet off. “Yes. Yes I think it is.”

“Good.” With that, I fell onto my back.

“Char!” Katya kneeled beside me in a hurry, crying out. “Char! Don’t die!”

“I’m not dying,” I said calmly. “I’m injured, and tired. I need medical assistance.”

“Big baby,” I craned my neck as little as I could to see Hasha stagger towards us. His right arm was clearly broken, and his smile looked as tired as I felt. He groaned as he leaned against a nearby wall. “Like you did anything hard.”

“Ran away at one point, if I remember right,” Richard grumbled. He tossed Stormcall away as he walked up. The sword had broken, its surface covered in icy winds and electric jolts as it bounced on the floor. Richard sat on the floor, wincing, and leaned against a broken bookshelf.

“Not going to excuse that,” I stared at the ceiling. “That was… I’m too tired to shake, but I really want to. I’ve never been so scared. I mean, everything today was scary.”

“I know!” Katya laid down next to me, resting her head on Mountain. The big dog had snuck up on me again, but I was too tired to be surprised. “Like the spiders! I used to be so scared of spiders. I mean, they aren’t as bad when they’re big but,” she didn’t finish, only shuddering and snuggling up to Mountain.

I closed my eyes and sighed. “…This really hurts. I hope someone comes to save us soon.”

The grunts and growls of agreement I got in return were very gratifying.

------

I must have fallen asleep in the library. When I next woke up, I was somewhere else. My body was still hurting, but less so than last time. I groaned, looking around. I was alone in the room. Based on the clean appearance of the place, the bandages wrapped around what looked like ninety percent of my body. Though the blanket I had on was preventing me from confirming that.

“…I’m thirsty,” I finally said.

I sat there alone for around thirty minutes, resting my aching body. Eventually a woman, an tall young elven woman with beautiful black hair came in. She started at the sight of my open eyes looking at her.

“You’re awake!” The elven woman leaned her head out the door. “Get Jennifer! Char’s awake!”

As quick footsteps filled the hallway outside, she came up to me, smiling brilliantly. “She’s going to be so happy! How do you feel?”

“Alive,” I felt bandages shift on my face as I smiled. “So, give it to me straight. How much uglier have I become?”

She smiled back. “I’m happy to say you’re handsome as ever.”

I blinked, startled at the compliment. She giggled, reaching for a chart. “Um, thanks…have we met?”

She seemed displeased with the question for some reason. “You don’t remember?” I shook my head. “It was in an alley. A dwarf stabbed you in the stomach?”

I blinked. “Oh, yes I remember. You healed me…I suppose I owe you my life twice now.”

The elven woman smirked. “Maybe. But I’ll have a way for you to make up for that soon.”

More steps came from the hallway. I looked at the door, only to have another surprise.

The doorway was full. People from all species, both males and female, were staring at me in curiosity, mumbling to each other and shuffling around to get better looks.

“Uh, hi?” I said hesitantly.

Confused, the elven woman looked at the doorway, then scowled. “Hey, get out of here!”

A second voice came from behind the crowd. “You heard her,” my bandages shifted again when I smiled at the sound of Jennifer’s voice. “Move.”

The crowd disappeared. I watched the doorway, expecting Jennifer to enter the room.

Instead, Art came in dressed in the same clothes he’d worn when I’d last seen him.

“Art? What—”

He rushed forward, huggin me fiercely. I felt a rush of warmth. I also felt pain.

“Ow!” I yelled out, pulling away frantically.

“Shut up and let me hug you,” Arthur grumbled. “You owe me that.”

“Damn it old man,” I stopped, startled, when a second pair of arms, far more gentle than the first, wrapped around me as well. I only saw red hair to indicate who it was, but it was all I needed. I held still, not knowing how to react. After a moment, I hugged them back, wincing.

Hasha entered the room, his right arm bound tight, and limping as he moved. He smiled at the sight of me getting hugged, and nodded. I nodded back, smiling. Then I just focused on the hug.

------

The rest of the day went slowly. I rested in bed, as Arthur and Jennifer asked me questions. It was great. At least, at first.

Then I realized that they were less willing to answer questions about the aftermath of the battle, and the fires. When I finally got them to answer, all they said was, ‘wait for Katya to tell you.’

I let it go. Instead I told them everything. About the fights, about the beauty of the caves, about the massive demon, about my brief look into the restricted section of the library.

Arthur was interested in my fights, acting the way I’d seen fathers do when they heard about their sons doing well in battle. That made me happy, especially when Jennifer acted the same way. Making them proud was always nice.

Jennifer was interested in every last bit of my adventure, if for different reason than the others. She’d been interested in the caves, seemed saddened when I mentioned the demon, and asked a few questions about the library.

Hasha, despite being there for every step of the adventure, was the most talkative.

“We discovered a lot of things today,” Hasha said once again. “Well, yesterday, or the day before yesterday?”

“The day before yesterday,” Jennifer said calmly.

“Right. I mean, the caves, the demon, the library, the revelations about the prophecy, the new knowledge on Light magic!? We could spend years going over what happened and still have more research!” He seemed positively giddy. “The things I’ve learned about energy convergence, on rune interaction with the body, the spell the Arch-Bishop used to summon, or transform into, or bring out that demon! This is like going to a new country and having all the flora and fauna lined up for you to study, only for them to disappear after ten minutes!” Hasha rose up. “Char, we need to go to my lab! This research could—”

“Hasha,” Jennifer said with a smile. “Char and you are too wounded, magically and physically, to do any research.”

“Oh. Right.” He sheepishly sat down again.

“So what is the damage anyways?” I asked curiously.

“Hm…” Art grabbed the chart nearby. He immediately winced. “Every bone in both arms shattered. They had to put them back together and have that elf girl fuse them together again. Kidneys, heart, and right lung were close to failing due to overuse of dangerous spiritual and alchemical magic, which meant they had to wait a day before using more spiritual and alchemical magic to put you back together. Then there’s…” Art frowned severely. “The hell is an appendix?”

Even Hasha looked stumped, while Jennifer didn’t seem to care.

“Whatever. At least you lived.” Art tossed the chart aside.

“So why am I here, instead of a normal hospital?” I asked.

“Ask Katya,” all three said in unison.

“Damn it,” with that, I laid back and relaxed.

------

The next day, Katya came into the room. I was reading a journal Hasha had gotten me, a new text that had come out of the city of Dedicat. A fascinating series of studies on various forms of plant life, and the uses that could be made of their bodies, particular in the field of material magics.

“Hey,” at the so und of her voice, I looked up from the journal. Katya was wearing the armor I’d made her, newly cleaned. I could still see various scratches all over the chromoly surface, but the carbon sheets had made it out perfectly, and it still looked great. The girl herself winced as she strode in, but she looked healthy otherwise.

“Hey,” I closed the journal and put it aside as Katya entered. Mountain followed her, the massive dog once again fitting through a door too big for him. She sat down, and gave me a hesitant smile. “How do you feel?”

“Good,” she said softly. “Well…okay. Not good, but okay.”

“Ah,” Mountain went to the other side of the bed and nudged my arm. When I lifted it up, he placed his head against me. I scratched his ears, getting a pleased growl out of him. “It’s… the whole thing has been hard to take in. For me that is. I can’t imagine how you’ve been.”

Katya’s blue eyes brightened slightly. “Well, I think I’ll be all right. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Me too,” she giggled at that. “How is everyone? With the fires that went on?”

The brightness in her eyes faded. “Um, thirty-nine people died. Smoke inhalation and severe burns. Others were able to get help, but the rest…” She looked down at my bed. “Some of them were kids. Servant’s children. And other were parents, so there are orphans like me and you now.”

I frowned, feeling a deep sadness at the news. “How is the Chapel dealing with this? I mean, they’re leader caused it. And we basically killed him. Or a demon that somehow replaced him.”

Katya laughed, a rough, harsh sound. “They’re dealing with it the way I tell them too. With the Arch-Bishop gone, I’m the leader of the Chapel.”

“Oh…congratualations?”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t feel good. I’m the leader because the last one died. And because I didn’t tell them the prophecy was a lie.”

I stared at her. “They still think it’s true?”

She bit her lip. I didn’t say anything, just watched her sit there. After a moment, she spoke.

“When everything ended, everyone had questions. And Richard and I didn’t know how to tell them truth. Everyone was so scared. When they saw the damage to the Library, and the demons corpse, and they couldn’t find the Arch-Bishop I… I had to tell them something!”

She stopped, scared of my reply. When I opened my mouth to reply, she spoke again.

“So, I told them that Arch-Bishop died fighting the demon,” When I blinked in shock, she spoke faster. “I couldn’t tell them their leader turned into some kind of monster! That he killed people just to make me his pet prophesied child! So I told them he was a hero, and that you all helped me kill the demon that killed him. The demon that started those fires.”

“And the legend of the prophesied child was furthered,” I closed my eyes.

“I had to,” she scooted closer. “They were all so scared. They would have panicked. Now everyone has hope. They all think this is just a painful part of their lives that will be over. Maybe, as the new leader, I can help them more? If they just think of me as the child of prophecy for a bit longer—”

“And when the truth comes out?” I asked. “What if someone like Jeremy reveals the truth? What if someone like the Arch-Bishop, a Chapel official, tries to make their false prophecy come true? If I remember correctly, you have one or two more big demons to kill. Including an army.”

“Then we’ll kill them!” Katya clenched her fists. “As long as the Light is on our side, we can win.”

“Are you sure?” I said. “There is no prophecy. We can die. All of us. Even you. What if by telling this lie now, you’re only inviting future trouble we won’t be able to half-ass our way through?”

“I don’t know!” Katya rose to her feet and kicked her chair behind her. A burst of Light magic shattered the poor thing to pieces. She panted, hard.

We stared at each other. Mountain whined.

“I…I couldn’t let them think the Chapel had betrayed them,” Katya’s voice cracked. “The way it betrayed me. I needed to lie. To keep them…” she trailed off.

“Ignorant,” I shook my head. “I don’t approve. I just don’t. Keeping them in the dark, making them think everything will be okay because of a prophecy you and I both know isn’t real—”

“Maybe it is real?” Katya said softly. “I mean, we cleared the den of monsters. And there were ashes. And I did kill a demon, with you.” Her smile was hesitant. “I mean, maybe you’re the prophesied child. You did that stuff too.”

There wasn’t a bit of hesitation in me. I sighed. “No. I think we both know that’s not true.”

“…Yeah. Yeah,” she moved to sit, only to remember her chair was destroyed. I moved my legs, letting her sit on the bed. “I just wish it was…Life was easier when a prophecy told me how my story will end.”

I patted her on the shoulder awkwardly. “That’s how everyone feels about their lives Katya. Normal people are blank pages, not finished novels. It’s up to us to decide what’s written. It’s scary. The words, drawings, and ideas won’t be perfect. But we learn, we continue, and we become better at it.”

“…I can’t tell them the truth,” Katya shook her head, looking down at the floor. “Richard agrees. It’s easier like this. I’ll lead the Chapel of Valor. I’ll pretend the prophecy is real. And I’ll keep everyone safe and happy,” she laughed. “Light, that was the plan anyways. It’s just not as certain now…A blank page.”

I scowled. “I…I just can’t support that plan. Telling everyone will hurt them. But I think, in the long run, honesty will be better.”

“I won’t do it,” Katya shook her head again, then looked at me. “It makes them hopeful. And we need that hope, now more than ever.”

What could I say to that?

“It’s up to you,” I leaned back and scratched Mountain between his eyes. “I don’t agree. But I’ll keep this secret. And I’ll help, if you’re willing.”

“Really?” Katya seemed delighted.

“Of course,” I closed my eyes. “You’re my friend. Even when you make dumb decisions, I’ll have your back. I’ll just be there to tell you I told you so,” I didn’t have to open my eyes to know she was pouting, and kept from smiling. “I don’t agree. But I won’t start a civil war over a simple difference of opinion.”

“Maybe we can tell them truth later, when things are better?” Katya asked.

“Maybe,” I grunted in surprise when my friend moved to lay down next to me, but only moved to make room. “Maybe…I’m glad you’re alive.”

“Me too.”

We didn’t speak after that. And we didn’t need too. We simply rested as Mountain napped on my leg.

------

A few days later, I was completely healed. Art brought me a change of clothes, and I began changing into them while the room was empty. As I put my pants on, I felt a piece of something crinkling inside one of the pockets. After putting them on I reached inside and pulled it out.

A fragment of parchment. No, paper, folded twice. Curious as to what half-forgotten note I’d put away, I unfolded it.

Dear Char,

This is Jeremy

My blood ran cold. I sat down, reading the letter carefully.

Dear Char,

This is Jeremy. I got word of your accomplishments a few days ago. Well done! Damn, my former employers were pissed, but that’s what they get for playing things like dumbasses like the last minute. Crazy about the Arch-Bishop though. The story is that he sacrificed himself to save the day, but I really doubt it. He never seemed the type, at least not after a while.

Got to say though, it’s an interesting new world we live in. Magic, both physical and spiritual, seems to be changing a lot of things. The Prophesied Child is on the rise. And business is booming for unsavoury types like me. Lots of sins in the world that need addressing after all, and sinners like me willing to take care of it.

To be frank, I’m not making conversation. I’m telling you something. The world is changing. The plague wasn’t the start either. The printing press is. Knowledge is spreading. I know, from the bits and pieces I got from your shop, what can happen when a man gets a hold of a few books while they’re smart enough to use them. Hell, I plan to steal a few ideas of yours to keep my boys safe (which Katya hadn’t killed so damn many though).

I’ve heard word of revolutions preparing to gear up, or armies in the North and South showing new movements. I’ve had more requests in the last month, than I’ve had in years. The Eastern Continent is in a tizzy of some new warlord. And Excher and Dedicat have seen rashes of criminal activity by the sorts of guys Katya was raised to kill. And speaking of her, there’s the fact some people, including my empoyers, aren’t too happy with the new popularity of the Chapel of Valor.

What I’m saying is this. Be ready. Because that half-assed armor I saw you wearing around the caves won’t do the job. I’m not willing to see you die Char. Not because I want to kill you myself. But because my last employers were upset you weren’t as dumb as they hoped. Because you refused to die in a failed escape. Because fuck those guys, and their cheapskating asses.

So live. Get strong, and smart, and powerful. Make a damn stamp in this new world that’s coming. And I’ll see you when I see you.

With no hard feelings on my part,

J

I slowly lowered the letter. I didn’t read it again, though I knew I’d have to, to get all the little nuances and shaded references he’d mentioned. But for now, I began to fold it up.

“A new world,” I rose to my feet and finished dressing.

What would be my place in this new world then? All those threats he’d mentioned, they’d end up coming after Katya. And not only would they be coming after her, but also, less importantly, me as well. What would I do about that? What could do about that?

And should I do anything? If I wanted to, I could stand aside and simply equip everyone else. I’d already had ideas for that, in my time lying down. New armor for Richard, combat robes for Hasha, armor for Mountain. Enhancements to Katya’s armor as well as weapons and tools for the group as a whole.

But was that feasible? I’d had an unlimited budget when making Katya’s armor. Could I do the same thing, do better in fact, and do it for everyone, without that budget? Or would Katya somehow help?

What about me? Would I fight again?

I lifted up my satchel, and swung it on, thinking.

Fighting had been painful. Scary. And fun. Even at its worst, it had been fun. I didn’t relish the idea. But I’d been an asset in the fight against the demon, and I didn’t want to end up with a friend dying when I could help.

I held the letter in a hand. Then I put it away, and marched out the door.

------

Hours later, I stood at a forge. I took out a hot piece of metal, lifted my hammer, and swung.

I didn’t know what the future held. All I could do was plan as best I could. Prepare.

I swung the hammer, watching the metal bend down around the horn of my anvil.

The new world was coming. Fine. But if it was going to threaten me and mine, I’d be ready. Everything I’d learned, everything I could learn, all my strength and ability, would go into this preparation.

New armor, no, new armors, with better weapons, with more advanced set-ups of runes. Tools that could aid in any encounter. And bigger plans than that.

The hot metal cooled in the corner as I began mixing my chosen reagents into a paste.

I’d be careful. Cautious. I couldn’t just begin building dangerous things and not expect people to not be suspicious.

But no one would get the chance to hurt my friends while I was around, and I’d make it damn hard to do when I wasn’t around as well.

The reagents mixed, I began carefully drawing my rune out on the piece of metal. Slowly, tracing the lines, I went between the pages I was using for reference and the metal. However, most of the time my own memory was good enough. The molten metal of my magic poured forth, and I patiently worked.

In the end, Jeremy could have been lying. Could have been messing with my head, trying not to seem like the bad guy. Hell, he could have been lying from the moment I’d met him. But my instincts told me he was right about one thing. The world was changing, in a big way. A new world, a world build by knowledge spreading through the lands at high speed, was being created. Hasha had taught me a few things about world history. I knew of the sort change Jeremy was insinuating. And we all needed to be ready. My friends, my family, by simple proximity to Katya, would be drawn into the maelstrom. It wasn’t Katya’s fault, not completely, but it was happening.

I finished the line on the rune, and slowly looked it over. Nodding firmly, I activated it.

Lumerona shone on metal.

We’d be ready.