Chapter 160: Book 7 Chapter 21

Joan blinked a few times once they appeared in another stone chamber. She wondered how often they’d be doing that. She glanced towards Gil and stopped.

The armored figure was up against the wall, supporting herself against it. She was shaking slightly, struggling to stand.

“Gil?” Joan asked.

“It’s fine,” Gil said. “I just need a moment. Teleporting like that isn’t easy. I’ve already used far more magic than I’d like. Unlike a certain Chosen, it’s not something I can easily do on a whim.”

Joan blinked a few times and, while she couldn’t be sure, she swore she could hear jealousy in the woman’s voice. She glanced towards the door. “Is it okay if I go? Or do you need me?”

“Go on,” Gil said, waving her off. “Just don’t go too far. Stay inside.”

“Okay,” Joan said before walking out through the doorway and, to her mild annoyance, it led into another small room. The room only had a small wooden chair and a lit torch. There was also a small tunnel leading up, with a metal ladder dug into the wall. She wondered where it led, but quickly shoved that idea aside. She’d worry about that later, once Gil felt better. She walked to the chair and sat down, lightly looking around.

It was so stuffy and cold. Even the torch didn’t seem to give much, if any, warmth. She then glanced down at herself.

She hadn’t thought about it much at the time, but she realized that she really did have a lot of weird things on herself. A pair of swords, well. One sword. The other scabbard was empty. A small pouch that held a knife. Though, when she flicked her hand she realized the knife would appear in her hand, or at least a copy. Cool. A ring, an amulet. She even had a strange spider bracer strapped to her hip, but not worn. A belt, though it was cracked and any magic it once held was seemingly gone.

The strangest thing was that she instinctively knew how it all operated. As if she’d had all of it for years, yet she couldn’t say how she knew they worked. In fact…

She held out her hand and, a moment later, the second sword appeared in her hand. She knew it would, yet she didn’t know how she knew. It was honestly pretty disconc--

Burning heat flowed through her hand and into the sword. For a few moments it glowed with a bright, silver light and she felt as if her very life was being drawn into it.

Then it was all done a moment later and the sword looked as normal, if fancy, as ever. She very slowly sheathed the blade.

“Is everything okay in there?” Gil asked.

“Yes,” Joan said. “I was just looking over my equipment. How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Gil said before walking into the room. “Light headed, but better. So, we’ll be staying in Tomefall. I have an ally here, Lord Palkin.”

“Lord Palkin?” Joan asked.

“The city’s protector,” Gil said. “That’s not important, though. What is important is that he is loyal to the Demon Lord and believes that I am too.”

“You’re not?” Joan asked.

“Our goals align for the time being,” Gil said. “He’ll keep you safe and ensure nobody asks many questions. If we’re lucky, your memories will return.”

“They will?” Joan asked.

“Maybe,” Gil said. “I’ve never had the sword destroyed like that. Nor had someone erased in such a way. Perhaps it will be short term, but I wouldn’t count on it returning. In the meantime, I need to check on things and ensure there’s no lasting consequences from what happened. I’ll need to deal with Dixon now, as well. I better have succeeded at what I was doing there, otherwise this has cost me far too much. I’ve likely lost Chase as well.”

Joan nodded, though she couldn’t help feel she was missing a lot. So many of those names felt like they had meaning to her, but it hurt her head if she thought too hard about them. She didn’t really understand what was going on, but for now she’d just follow her and obey. She was directed up the ladder and, as quickly as she could, began to climb up them. Fortunately, a small orb of white light flew up ahead of her, illuminating the way.

It felt like it took forever before she was finally able to get to the top. A small, strange rock moved aside, letting them out from the hole and into the world. It was dark now, the sun down and small stars twinkling out through the trees.

However, after a few moments Joan looked back where the tunnel had been. Despite having come out from it only moments ago, she couldn’t have picked it out. It looked like any other pile of rocks. An illusion of some kind? Perhaps, it felt very familiar.

“Won’t that armor draw attention?” Joan asked.

“No, because nobody will see it,” Gil said. She then held up her hand and the light went out, darkness wrapping around the pair like some kind of strange cloak.

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“A little warning would have been nice,” Palkin said. The man was quite a bit older than Joan, balding with a great big mustache that she couldn’t help but stare at whenever he talked. It just kept bouncing wildly. Despite his age, however, he looked like he could pick up a bear and throw it, his late night robes doing little to cover his muscles. “There’s already enough suspicion going around without me having late night guests.”

“Suspicion?” Gil asked.

“Yes,” Palkin said. “After the failed assassination of the queen, they’re getting more suspicious with every event. My First Blade isn’t even allowed his weapon in his room anymore when he delivers my reports.”

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Gil just stared at him.

“Err, not that I blame you, of course,” Palkin said softly. “Obviously the demon who failed to complete his job is to blame. I am merely stating that having strange figures appear in the dead of night is only going to draw me more unwanted attention.”

“I see,” Gil said. “Yet, here I am. I hope you would understand if the need were not great, I would not have come to you.”

Palkin gave a soft sigh before nodding. “Of course. So, Joan was it? What makes her so important? She doesn’t look like much.”

“She’s not,” Gil said. “I can’t say for certain, either. But she is to be kept secure. Away from others, safe. The Demon Lord has uses for her.”

Palkin nodded, though he grumbled softly. “Here I thought he had them for me, as well.”

“If you were not you would have been replaced by now,” Gil said, her voice cold and merciless. “Already you have lost three demons we have entrusted to you. We do not take the loss of our agents lightly. If you desire for our partnership to draw to an end, then--”

“No!” Palkin said quickly. “No. It’s fine. I didn’t mean anything by it. The child will be kept safe. Joan, was it? Once my First Blade returns I will have him personally guard her at all times. In the meantime, I’ll have her kept in her room and her weapons can be stored in—”

“They stay with her,” Gil said.

“What?” Palkin asked.

“You have already lost some of our agents,” Gil said. “I will not trust your security alone. Her weapons stay with her.”

Palkin was silent for a long moment before finally he nodded. “As you wish. Will you be staying as well?”

“No,” Gil said. “I have another matter to attend to and will return in a few days. Just keep her safe.”

“Of course,” Palkin said before bowing his head politely. “As the Demon Lord wishes, so I shall do. I take it our agreement is still…?”

“Once Starsrest falls, you will be granted all you asked for and more,” Gil said. “The Demon Lord shows his gratitude to those servants who prove themselves to be worthy.”

“Good, good,” Palkin said, rubbing his hands together before looking to her. “I suppose you’d best come with me. Gil, will you atleast be staying tonight?”

“No,” Gil said. “I’ll leave the way we came. Best I am gone before the night watch sees me.”

“You will be back soon, won’t you?” Joan asked.

“Of course I will,” Gil said before turning towards the door. “Don’t give him any trouble. I will return soon and expect you to have been well behaved. If he gives you too much trouble, kill him.”

“What?” Joan and Palkin asked.

“You heard me,” Gil said before glancing to Palkin. “But I suspect it won’t come to that, will it?”

“Of course not,” Palkin said, though there was a hint of nervousness in his tone now. Still, the look he gave Joan was just a hint more fearful than before.

“Good,” Gil said before she turned and left.

Joan watched her go and couldn’t help feeling a rush of unease. This all felt oddly familiar. In the worst way. What if Gil didn’t come back?

No, nonsense, that wouldn’t happen. She shook her head and glanced towards Palkin. “So, uhhhh…”

“I suppose you should come with me,” Palkin said before he walked towards the door. “You’ll stay as a guest in the east wing. Try to stay out of sight, I’d rather as few people as possible know you were even here.”

“Of course,” Joan said, though her hand lightly moved against the pommel of her sword. She knew she was forgetting something, well, everything. But she couldn’t help feeling there was something important she was forgetting. Something that she really, really would have liked to know right now.

Also, why did the idea of sitting and waiting in a room for someone to return feel so incredibly, breathtakingly, familiar?