Book Three Chapter Thirteen: Grand Working Selection

Book Three Chapter Thirteen: Grand Working Selection

The world dissolved into numbers around her. She had to master this spell. She had to send it to the castle. She wrestled with the terrifying power that was within her, a storm of equations that made her head ache just to look at.

The Grand Working was supposed to go to the castle. It was designed to nullify the magical shield around the dungeon. It should want to go to the castle.

She shouldnt have had to do this. It should have been Definitely Bad Guy casting this spell to save the king and queen, not being forced to use it on himself.

They shouldnt have had to fight the guardian. The guardian shouldnt have had to sacrifice itself.

The Devs shouldnt have made Sorcerer Sara look like someone the Chosen One knew.

It shouldnt have been this way.

Should, shouldnt, should, shouldnt.

The world was made up of endless rules, all being broken one at a time. She was breaking apart. Shed gone too far, too deep into this realm. She had to get out.

She tried to direct the spell towards the castle, towards the shield, but it pulled fragments of her along with it. It was just like in her dream in the Light Temple, only sometimes the numbers swapped between digits and images. She was shattering, being pulled into a thousand pieces. She needed something to ground herself, something to hold on to.

Nothing was like it should have been.

She was so angry.

The rage drove her. Anger at the Head Mage, anger at the guardian, anger at the Evil Emperor, anger that the Chosen One had a life she knew nothing about, that she didnt want to know anything about, but was being forced to learn about anyway.

It was like a terrible pressure in her head, mixing with the tiredness shed felt ever since the cushion show in that tower, pressing down on her thoughts and flattening them.

The anger helped her control the spell, as it flew towards the shield, where a giant 0 flipped to a 1, and a million equations spilled out from that change like a box full of ribbons. She sank into the rage, using it to stabilise herself, the numbers fading as the world around her took on the hazy forms of reality.

She could sense the Evil Emperor was nearby, and that he was disturbed by the sudden drain of power as the shield went down.

She could feel the pull of the empty space beside his throne, the void that called to her.

But it wasnt a void. Not any more.

A reflection of Qube flickered into existence within that tear in the fabric of reality, distorted and ugly, with dead white hair and a lethal gash across its neck.

Shed seen that visage before, back in the village, when shed nearly lost herself to grief.

As the anger roiled with Qube the reflection stopped flickering and grew more solid. It turned and looked at her, at the endless numbers streaming out of her, twisting and turning.

The reflection reached out and, feather-light, brushed a finger against one of the streams of numbers connected to Qube. The not-Qube looked up, and from across the vast expanse, Qube saw its expression.

Thank you, he said, calmer than Qube had ever seen him. I think I believe you now.

Well thats good, because I am the guy in charge of you. So, yknow, a good person to believe, the Chosen One said with a smirk.

Qube smiled at the two men, pleased that they had reached an understanding. Even if a small, teeny-tiny part of her was very, very mildly vexed that the Chosen One had interrupted Definitely Bad Guy before he could tell them what his terrible secret was.

Not that she would judge him for whatever it was! And she was glad that the Chosen One had made that joke to show Definitely Bad Guy that no matter how bad he thought his secret was, it wasnt something truly unforgivable, like Definitely Bad Guy being a bad guy the entire time and secretly working for the Evil Emperor.

The absurdity of someone even thinking that Definitely Bad Guy could be anything other than Good made her giggle a little more to herself.

But still. It would have been nice to know. After all, there werent supposed to be major secrets between party members.

While Qube was still trying to think of a way to ask what the secret was without undermining the message of acceptance that the Chosen One had just given, the Hero kicked the last few embers of the burned books, frowned at them in confusion, and gave the room one more look over.

Right, I think thats everything, he said, dusting off his hands. Everything disappears when we leave this academy anyway, dont it?

Indeed, Definitely Bad Guy said. It does.

Then we got nothing else to hang around for. Come on, lets go see if the others have managed to burn down that old guys place.

So you noticed it was a fire hazard too? Qube exclaimed, distracted from her delicate task. Its so dangerous! I know he probably has his mind on greater, more mystical things, but the sheer amount of paper and potentially explosive liquids in such a messy, confined space is just asking for trouble!

Oh, I more meant because we left both Squiggles and Sexy Screamy Spider Lady unattended, the Chosen One said casually, as they exited the tower and started trudging through the snow back to the main Wizards Tower. Fortunately, because the towers had been arranged in a semicircle around the main one, it was only a short walk, although Qube couldnt see any fresh footprints from the Head Mage.

Qube was about to defend her friends when reality reminded her of past experiences. The most she could muster was: Well, Im sure Sewer Bard could burn things down too, if he wanted.

The Chosen Ones only reply was to laugh as he pushed open the Head Mages door.

The rest of their party looked up. Surprisingly the majority of things were intact, although Squiggles had clearly been making inroads with the various beakers lying around. There were several parts of the floor that were a different colour than what theyd been originally. Sexy Screamy Spider Lady appeared to have given up on the armchair, and was concentrating deeply on a book labelled Magical Laws, and Sewer Bard was skimming through a collection of short sagas.

My loves, youre both safe! Sexy Screamy Spider Lady said, tossing aside the tome she was reading. She embraced Qube and the Chosen One simultaneously, wrapping them in her many arms. I was so worried for the pair of you.

No, too many arms! the Chosen One said, struggling.

Our returning Heroes, Sewer Bard said warmly from behind the arachnid. I dont know how the spouses of the olden days suffered through such an ordeal, sitting and waiting while their loved ones went into danger. It was surprisingly difficult to remain put. I think, if I were ever to compose a saga dealing with an adventuring Hero, Ill make sure to include a section about those poor beings left behind!

Qube sank into the warmth of being surrounded by her party, feeling the joy chase off the last lingering traces of ice from both the ordeal theyd just gone through, and her brush with her other self.

She wasnt sure how to contextualise that experience. Shed heard about people turning into angry versions of themselves, or giving in to their inner sadness, but shed never thought it would be quite so unpleasant to come face to face with your inner self. She also wouldnt have expected her inner reflection to look so dead.

Well, she would just have to make extra sure that she didnt give in to sadness or anger, and try and keep herself out of that other realm as much as possible! That way she could continue being her surface self, rather than that scary inner Qube!

All she had to do was stay positive and everything would be just fine!