Chapter 251 - The Woman Who Walked Without a Sword ( Part 1 )

However, the world had not become gentler just because Jennie was alive.

The gray skies greeted Walden in the early morning, when the streets were still empty and the roofs covered with frost. The shops remained closed, and the temple bell did not announce the beginning of a new day yet. A few people were seen on the cobblestone – a baker readying his hearth, a watchman doing his rounds, a woman holding a baby against the chill.

Jennie looked at the northern horizon.

The mountain range stretched out ahead of her in front of a curtain of dark clouds; snow covered the slope of the rocks, and the chilly air which came down from there seemed to promise an unpleasant climb.

Jennie adjusted her cloak.

It was not the fancy one she used to wear in Seraiya. It was just a coarse wool, with several patched spots on it – purchased from a merchant without any questions and greetings. It smelled like old fabric and smoke, and provided little warmth at best.

However, it belonged to her.

A small travel pack with food, water and first-aid kit rested on her back; no other items could be found in it. Everything else was buried along with Rudy, Lilia and Snow in the ruins of the Black Capital.

Jennie’s right hand hung down beside her, motionless and pale. She stopped trying to move it.

"Ahem."

Jennie turned.

Ferd was leaning against the doorframe of his workshop, his thick arms folded. The beard had been retied, and his eyes, though tired-looking, had some spark of stubborn vitality in them.

"You left without saying goodbye."

Jennie’s face softened.

"I did not think you would want to spend time on a long farewell."

"I don’t." The dwarf grunted. "However, I want an explanation."

"You know where I am heading."

"Aye. Northwards, to search for some mythical god and retrieve a mythical weapon, which may or may not exist."

"That’s right."

The dwarf clenched his jaw.

"And if you die there?"

Jennie looked at him.

He seemed rough, but there was something else in his voice. Perhaps, some kind of concern? Maybe even grief? He had saved her life. He had spent two days struggling to restore the rhythm of her heartbeats, and she rewarded him with the attempt to leave in the dawn.

She put a small pouch of gold coins in her cloak.

"I know it is not enough to cover my debt to you."

Ferd gaped at the pouch.

And then he burst into laughter.

"Do you really believe I want your money?"

"I don’t have anything else."

"I know." His expression softened. "I did not save your life for any payment, girl."

"Why?"

Ferd moved forward.

"Because I have known a woman like you once. She was waging a losing war and lost all she loved. She survived too."

Jennie remained silent.

"I tried to help her, but she rejected everybody who could have saved her. She thought that she needed to do everything alone."

His eyes met hers.

"She died in the mountains chasing her dreams which were impossible to catch."

The wind blew between them.

"I am not her."

"No." The dwarf said quietly. "You are not her, but you are walking on the same path."

Jennie looked away.

For a moment, she seemed exhausted. Not as she looked in the ritual chamber, but differently – exhausted with the loss of everything she had and could not yet imagine the end of it.

"I know."

Her voice was soft.

"I know that I am not fighting for something beautiful. I am not trying to save my kingdom or protect my queen. I am angry, I am tired. I want to punish Zuko for what he has done."

Ferd nodded.

"Then say it."

Jennie looked at him.

"Say it aloud." He went on. "Not for me. For yourself."

Silence.

Jennie closed her eyes.

And then spoke.

"I don’t know if I will survive."

The words were pronounced calmly.

"I don’t know if I will ever come back home, or if I will ever stand together with Roxy, Lucas and others. However, I will walk northwards until I find Susan. And then, I will take the weapon from her."

Her golden eyes opened.

"And then I will confront Zuko."

Ferd looked at her.

He did not see any doubt in her face.

No fear.

Only the quiet resolution of the person who had lost everything and feared nothing.

The dwarf sighed.

He put his hand into the pocket of his coat and took something out.

A stone.

It was smooth, gray and polished from years of handling, small enough to fit in the palm of her left hand.

"This is my last present to you."

Jennie took it with care.

"What is it?"

"When I was a young man, I visited the temple of Mora. I asked her to bless me so I could heal the child burned in the fire. The priest told me that blessings cannot be achieved only by praying."

He gave her a faint smile.

"They can be earned only by going forward, by choosing."

"I don’t understand."

Ferd touched her left hand.

"You leave Walden with one working hand and the gap in your soul." His voice trembled slightly. "But you leave. It matters more than you realize."

Jennie tightened her grip on the stone.

"... Thank you."

The dwarf nodded.

"Now go."

She turned towards the mountains.

"Ferd."

"What?"

"If I return..."

"You will find me here."

She did not look back.

She was walking towards the northern road, her boots crunching lightly on the icy ground.

And behind her, the dwarf stood in the doorframe, looking until she disappeared in the fog.

The mountains were merciless.

The cold winds from the northern peaks froze the clothes and bit the skin. The rocks under her feet rolled and shifted. She walked narrow paths above the cliffs and had to be extremely careful not to slip and fall hundreds of feet down the steep slope to the bottom.

And she started worrying about some trivial things.

The cold.

The lack of food.

The distance between the shelters.

Her own weight.

Jennie Queens was standing next to the mountain path with the snow-white hair whirling around her head. The bandages tightly wrapped her right hand hiding the fingers that refused to obey her will.

She tried moving them again.

Nothing.

No movement.

Jennie stared at her hand for several seconds and then slowly made a fist with her left hand.

"...How annoying."

She said quietly. The anger disappeared from her tone long ago.

She screamed and cursed. She shouted and cried. She begged and screamed some other curses asking the universe why was she alive and Rudy, Lilia and Snow were dead.

It did not help.

Rudy was dead. Lilia was dead. Snow was dead. And Zuko was alive.

Worse, he had Astraeus in his possession. The combined power of the five Divine Swords. The same Swords that were once owned by the great Jennie Queens.

She had no Excalibur. No Leviathan. No Tempest. No Eclipse. No Gram.

For the first time since she became Jennie Queens, she did not have the Divine Sword in her possession.

She only had a broken body, crippled hand and magic that probably was not enough to help her survive.

She looked towards the horizon. Beyond the mountains was the Celestial Battlefield. Inside the legendary place was the God of War, Susan. And somewhere even farther there was Zuko preparing his attack against gods and humans.

Jennie adjusted the strap of her travel pack.

"Just wait."

Her eyes hardened.

"I’m coming for you."

Then she started moving.

At the sunset, the mountain path turned into a thin line on the frozen ground.

Jennie had to cross a narrow ravine, climb two steep hills and almost fell when the path collapsed under her left foot.

Usually, it would not matter.

With the help of Tempest, she could fly over the ravine on the gust of the wind. Excalibur could break the unstable rocks. Without the sword, she could make use of the magic and move across it with several jumps.

Those days were over. Another Jennie Queens lived now. The one who was sure that nothing could ever stop her as long as she kept moving forward.

She stopped and leant against the boulder, panting.

Her ribs were healed, but they still ached after prolonged physical activity. Her body recovered, but every step reminded her that surviving is not the same as regaining the strength.

She glanced at her right hand. Then she looked away.

Checking would not change the situation. The answer would always remain the same.

A faint violet glow distracted her. Around her left hand was a thin silver thread attached to the fox-shaped crystal.

Roxy’s charm.

Jennie gently touched it with her finger.

She remembered the warmth of Seraiya, corridors of the palace. The voice of Lucas, Rudy’s jokes. Snow’s complaints when he was woken up.

And Roxy. Her smile. Her tears. Her look when she was trying to hide the fear in her eyes.

Come back alive.

Jennie lowered her gaze.

"I’m trying."

The wind blew the words away.

After resting for a while, she got to her feet and continued moving towards the rock formation that could provide her with shelter.

She needed shelter, fire and rest. Probably, in this exact order.

Unfortunately, the mountains decided otherwise.

The first sign of the upcoming problem was a faint clicking sound.

Jennie stopped.

Click. Click. Click.

There was something moving beyond the rocks. Her golden eyes narrowed.

It was not an ordinary person’s steps. The noise was too light and too deliberate as if claws of something were tapping on the ground.

She slowly took the dagger from her belt. A cheap thing that she bought in Walden. It was short and its edge was rather blunt. Such a weapon was used to cut the ropes or prepare the food.

But not for a battle.

Still, it was better than fighting barehanded.

A low growling noise echoed from the darkness. Then two pairs of blue lights appeared between the rocks. A new pair followed the first one. Then the third.

Jennie exhaled quietly. "...Of course."

The creatures emerged.

It seemed like wolves stripped of the flesh and sent on the world as the nightmares. Their thin bodies, unnatural length of the limbs and translucent antlers on their heads like frozen branches of trees. Blue glow inside their rib cages.

Their jaws opened showing the rows of needle-like teeth.

Gravehorn Stalkers. The creatures that hunted the creatures with strong magical aura. They did not need any eyes to find their victims. They could simply feel the magic.

And Jennie’s body despite being weakened still carried some trace of the aura of the five Divine Swords.

The nearest creature lowered its head. The translucent antlers on its head started glowing.

Jennie tightened her grip on the dagger.

"Listen, you ugly things. I’m having a terrible week."

The nearest Stalker attacked.

Jennie moved. She evaded, barely managing to avoid its jaws. The creature hit the ground where she was standing and broke a layer of frozen soil.

When she wanted to counterattack, the second Stalker appeared from her left side. She bent and it scratched her cloak and shoulder with its claws.

She screamed in agony. Jennie stumbled backwards.

The third Stalker launched an attack from behind. It was too late.

The beast bit her shoulder strap and pulled her down. Her shoulder hit a rock. For a second everything went black.

The Stalker raised his head to deliver a deadly bite to Jennie’s neck. She thrust her left hand forward.

"Wind Magic!"

An explosion of a powerful gust blew him aside. The Stalker hit the rocks and knocked off several stones from their places. However, in the next second he started moving to his feet.

Jennie rose on her legs. Her breaths became sharp and uneven.

Three enemies. No swords. One hand working. And magic which she barely had used after waking up.

She looked at the creatures encircling her. Then her eyes caught the passage between two gigantic rocks behind them.

The idea came to her mind. It was not the good one. Definitely not heroic. But it was an idea.

"Fine."

She backed towards the passage. "Let’s solve our problem in an ugly manner."

The Gravehorn Stalkers came closer.

Jennie thrust her left hand. A thin stream of wind started swirling around her fingers. The creatures reacted. The antlers of the beasts shined – they detected the gathering of magical power.

The three Stalkers lunged at once.

Jennie triggered her spell. Wind did not hit them directly. It tore through the ground, raising some loose snow and frozen dirt and filling the passage with haze. The creatures rushed at the spot from where magic appeared.

Exactly as she wished.

She threw herself sideways. The first Stalker jumped between the rocks. The second followed him. The third one hesitated during half of a second. His antlers were waving in the air.

Jennie saw her chance. She thrust her left palm to the ground.

"Wind Magic. Spiral Current!"

The air twisted violently. A whirlwind passed through the passage, dragging the first two creatures and pressing them against the rocky walls. Their skeletons snapped.

The third Stalker leaped over the spiral current. Straight to her.

Jennie barely managed to lift the dagger. The creature hit her hard enough to knock her to the rocks. Its jaws closed just an inch from her face.

She kept the dagger between their bodies. The blade trembled as the beast’s teeth pressed against the metal. Her left hand was shaking. Her hurt right hand was hanging useless from her side.

The antlers of the beast glowed brighter. He sensed that magic was gathering in her hands again.

Jennie grinded her teeth. "You’re really starting to annoy me."

She stopped struggling against the jaws of the creature. For a fraction of a second his weight brought him forward. It was enough.

Jennie twisted her body, letting the Stalker slip along her shoulder. At the same time she delivered a concentrated blast of wind beneath his skull. It threw his head back.

She plunged the dagger into the blue glow emanating from his ribcage. The blade pierced his glowing core.

A loud crack resounded in the passage.

The beast froze. Then he collapsed into a pile of brittle bones.

Jennie collapsed to one knee, coughing.

The other two creatures were still struggling against the rocks. She could kill them. Maybe. Provided that she will be careful. Provided that her magic will last. Provided that she will not make a mistake.

This thought bothered her more than the creatures themselves.

There was a time when such things never would cross her mind. She would draw a sword and the battle would be over.

But now she was no longer standing on a battlefield surrounded with divine weapons. Now she was a hurt woman in the mountains, fighting not to be eaten by monsters.

And if she wanted to survive, she would have to accept it.

Jennie forced herself to her feet. She raised her left hand again.

"Wind Magic. Crosswind!"

Two currents of compressed air collided in the narrow passage, creating a shock wave which smashed the last Stalkers against the rocky walls. The antlers of the creatures broke. Their blue cores started flickering. Then they were lost in darkness.

Silence fell in the mountains.

Jennie remained standing for several seconds, staring at the pile of bones.

Finally her knees buckled. She fell on the flat rock and placed her left hand upon her chest. Her heart was pounding. Her shoulder was burning. Blood was trickling down her arm from her wound beneath her torn cloak.

She survived. Just barely. Killing three monsters which she once could defeat without even drawing her sword.

Bitter laughter escaped her lips. "Wow."

She leaned her head against the cold stone. "That was pathetic."

The words hung in the darkness.

For a moment she wanted to believe that it is temporary. That when she would find Susan, everything will become normal again. That the God of War would give her a weapon allowing to kill Zuko, and she would once again become the swordswoman able to withstand armies.

But the thought seemed false.

Even if she gets another weapon, her right hand will not heal. Even if her body would be healthy, there were no more five Divine Swords. And even if she somehow gets her previous strength back, she would not be the same woman who left Seraiya.

Because she has seen Rudy dying. She has seen Lilia falling. She has seen the last moments of Snow.

There was nothing that could reverse these moments.

Jennie looked at her right hand. Slowly, she tried to move her fingers. No result.

Her face tensed. Then she lowered her hand.

"...I can’t fight like before."

It was the first time when she said this aloud. Not because she did not understand this. Because admitting this meant accepting that the future path will differ from everything she knew before.

Having been so reliant on her swords all this time, she had forgotten one thing. The sword made the warrior. The sword gave her power; it extended her range, increased her instincts, and turned her last hope into a victory.

But the sword wasn’t the warrior. Nor did the loss of the weapon mean that the warrior couldn’t fight anymore.

Jennie raised her left hand. An almost imperceptible gust of air formed a tiny tornado around her fingers.

It was weak; less precise, but it was there. Magic was still hers.

She looked at the tornado for a second and clenched her fingers.

"Then I will learn once again."

Her voice was soft, but there was no doubt in her.

"I will learn how to fight without them."

She got up carefully and started to collect her few remaining things.

The night wasn’t over yet, and she still had to find somewhere to hide.