A dim, golden light flickered and waned in the darkness. It was the hunched and huddled spirit of a young girl in armor, her form rocking slightly in counterpoint with the long tail of her braided hair.

  “The others were smart enough to leave earlier,” Raedine mumbled as she curled up to hide her ghostly tears. “I couldn’t pretend that my regret no longer lingers, but I didn’t realize it could grow any bigger...”

  Hmm. This isn’t the Raedine I know.

  “Hey now…” I walked forward, putting a hand on her back as I knelt. “Why don’t we talk it out?”

  Raedine looked at me as if I had sprouted a set of demon horns. “Do you not understand the implications of my actions? Rachel Emily Smith, I am the very reason you suffer!”

  “Ha! Ahahaha!” I laughed from my gut, losing my balance and collapsing onto my side. “Look at you trying to hog all the blame!”

  “I am the one who coerced you into looking for the Isles. I talked you into leaving Speranza! Raelana may have made the connection with Lord Olethros, but I am the one who convinced you to leave!”

  “The only person who can convince me to take action is myself,” I replied as I righted myself into a seating position. “And with the way I tend to overthink, I’m sure I considered the risks and rewards of leaving well before I made my choice.”

  “I am the one… The one who convinced them all... Even Ironwrath... I believed we’d be accepted in the next world. But we weren’t. None of us were! Sent for isolation and study, like some detested anomaly...”

  “No, that’s just the output message of a machine. It doesn’t mean we weren’t accepted—”

  “The Grandfather God did not accept us. He did not save us! He did nothing to help; he only defended his own inaction by refusing any blame!”

  ‘I had told her to go make some friends and bring them by, but this is not what I meant by any means…’

  “Maybe… He wasn’t allowed to interfere. Maybe it was against the rules?”

  It was Mother who made the call… The right person in the right place at the right time.

  “He is a God. He makes the rules!”

  “Then we make him change the rules, that’s all.” I gave her a conciliatory pat on the shoulder. “We can’t undo what happened to us. But we can do our best to keep it from happening to someone else.”

  Because if we don’t, who will?

  “You say we…”

  “Oh, I apologize. It’s not your responsibility to help me with this. I decided it on my own, so I won’t hold you—”

  “I will stay.”

  While I was somewhat relieved that she wasn’t leaving yet, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. “Raedine…”

  “I pretend to be wise, but I am selfish.”

  “How so?”

  “I wish to apologize to Ambrose. For abandoning him… You will likely cross paths with him again, and I…”

  “I understand. Just, no more wallowing in self-pity, okay? I seem to remember you telling me I shouldn’t do that, either. Also, I think it's wise to be selfish. Who else is going to care about you more than you yourself?”

  Streaks of sunlight blurred through the dense overgrowth as we sped soundlessly through the forest. Oliver was cheating outrageously, his lower half nothing but swirling dark smoke. My chin was hooked over his right shoulder, and to my embarrassment, there was clear evidence I’d drooled on it at some point.

  “You can stop, I’m fine now.”

  He slowed, shifting his form to let me slide down his back onto my own feet. “The priest will make sure of it.”

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  I stood on my own two feet for a moment before yielding to the lingering dizziness and sitting on the forest floor. “We’re not going to tell him about this.”

  “Miss Rachel. While I will concede I am no expert regarding anatomy or physiology, you cannot seriously expect me to accept that losing consciousness twice in under forty-eight hours qualifies as anything resembling normal human health!”

  Fantasy heroes pass out all the time without any lasting ill effects, so why can’t I?

  “And who do you think he will blame for this?”

  A flicker of annoyance crossed his features. “I do not give the slightest damn for his opinion!”

  “But I do.”

  He seethed with animus, his lips pulling back into a fanged snarl as his nostrils flared. “You persist in prioritizing the delicate feelings of that doddering relic—”

  “Hold it,” I muttered, rubbing my temples. “Before you blow up, think for a moment. If you’re going up against Gods, wouldn’t it serve you better to convert their cronies to speak on your behalf?”

  “He will never—” He stopped mid-sentence, blinking. “Did you truly refer to him as a cronie? I detect a distinctively derogatory inflection.”

  There was no point in answering that. “And of course he won’t if you don’t show him a reason to. So just… don’t say anything. Okay? Don’t break the promise you’re making me keep.”

  Yes. I know I’m being ridiculous. But how else can I prove to everyone that nothing bad happens when Oliver and I are left alone?

  He turned away, arms folded. “You will tell the priest about every other malady you experience from now on, even if it is just a sniffle.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  “I will not accept anything less!”

  I sighed. “Would it help to know that I fixed it? One of the other heroes was just feeling guilty about something they had no idea would happen.”

  “You overstate your abilities. You did not fix yourself.”

  Sometimes I hate it when he's right.

  "I won’t make you worry, promise.” I stood up.

  “I am not worried. I am upset that you are so stubborn!”

  “Ah, okay then.”

  It’s not like I was going to change for him or anything.

  “In all the years I have known you—what are you doing?”

  I was reaching up into one of the trees, trying to grasp a ragged, green husk. “I think these are hazelnuts.”

  Raedine’s a fan of hazelnuts.

  “Do not tell me you were planning to eat them? They are far from ripe.”

  “But you can fix that, right?”

  “And why should I?”

  “You forgot to feed me. I get even more stubborn on an empty stomach. Didn’t you know that?”

  “I never have and never will want a human for a pet.” He did, however, tap the tree with his shadowy scythe, causing a few now-brown husks to drop to the ground.

  I stared at the paltry harvest. “Kinda skimped out there, didn’t you? Do it again so we can bring back enough for the whole group.”

  Even though our escapades outside were longer than what a cursory “perimeter check” called for, no one seemed to be waiting for our return. After translocating back inside the underground facility, Oliver led the way to Nora’s new office. However, one of the mages guarding the door from the inside advised that she was currently in a meeting and was not to be disturbed.

  “I wonder what she’s up to in there…” I mumbled, sitting down on one of the stone benches in a small, nearby waiting area.

  “At this point, she’s delegating,” Oliver replied, cracking open the shell of a hazelnut between two fingers. “She already informed them of my rescue; no doubt they’ll receive communication from Chairo shortly confirming the destruction of the tower.”

  We're officially calling it a rescue?

  “Heh…”

  He gave me a cold, glittery side-eye. “What’s so funny?”

  I grinned. “I rescued you.”

  “And you’re gloating about that fact?” He crushed the hazelnut itself, turning it into a powder that spilled onto the floor. “If anything, you should have done it sooner.”

  “Excuse me? Also, don’t waste food!”

  Heavy footsteps filled the nearby hallway. “Oh, there you are, Master Oliver!”

  It was Tarek, pretending he just happened to be passing by.

  “Are they all accounted for?”

  “Well, yes, but… They want to speak with you before they, ah—”

  “Very well.” Oliver stood up slowly, summoning his staff before turning to me. “Captain—”

  “Leave the hazelnuts with me,” I replied, waving him off. “And um. Be nice.”

  “Be nice?”

  “Okay, at least try.”

  I watched them stride purposefully down the hallway together, though I couldn’t help worrying about the “minor demon infestation” Oliver claimed he was handling. Hopefully, he wouldn’t need to kill any of them. I definitely wasn’t ready to explain how I knew NAUGHT’s storage was practically overflowing with demons, since that would mean admitting we’d once planned to trap him in Ereborite back in the tower.

  Of course, we might still need to use that option on one or both of his siblings. Not that I doubted his loyalty, but I also knew, deep down, he wasn’t ultimately fixated on any grand retaliation against Aziza or even the General, despite all the trouble they had given him. His aim was much higher.

  But if those lords end up attacking us first…

  I looked at the snake jewel I had placed on Will. It still carried his animus, dark with a faint purple sparkle.

  I’ll confess...

  Not now, but soon.

  “Wondering what Relias is up to?” Nora asked, inches from my ear.

  “Gaah! Do you mind?!”

  “No. I called your name several times.”

  “Just now?”

  She shook her head, grinning impishly. “Nope. But let’s go. He’s been in the sanctuary for way too long now.”

  Is that how she distracted him?

  “There’s a sanctuary here?”

  Nora nodded. “Of course there is. Where else are dark mages going to pray for acceptance?”

  “I… Oh…”

  “Come on, let’s go rescue him, too.”

  Post Chapter Omake:

  Nora: I can't access this chapter either!

  Rae: Are you sure you have the right permissions?

  Nora: I HAVE ALL THE PERMISSIONS!

  Clare: Note to self: Review Miss Perez's access rights.

  (Thank you to Rhekke for this Omake!)

  Latest Chapter on Patreon:

  https://thelastraeofhope.miraheze.org/wiki/Main_Page

  Also, feel free to join my