Zero Potential: Chapter 20 (Patreon)

Chapter 20

Fear.

Fear, and a mild warmth.

That was what seven-year-old Marianna Montague felt as she lay awake in the dark forest, out in the middle of nowhere, after the bad men attacked her. The bad men attacked her, and then she was saved by an angel.

Mother always told Marianna about the power of prayer, about how sometimes if you just hoped and believed in the gods enough, then they would answer.

Earlier, when everything seemed lost, after Sir Chancey their retired knight for a butler died, Marianna had prayed. Clutching her brother tightly to her chest, she begged the gods for anything, and then it happened. Or rather she happened.

Like an angel of judgement, she came from out of nowhere, and smote the evil men right where they stood, before she healed mother. Then she was gone.

Poof.

Well not poof, she had left through the trees, just as she had arrived. But Marianna had watched her savior go without even asking for compensation, or anything.

“Mother, why were you so mean to our savior?” Marianna asked from under the blanket that was actually a poofy formal dress that mother had been forced to take, but would refuse to wear.

For her part, Mother, or Lady Montague as everyone else knew her, just sighed. “I’m sorry, you are right. I was not as kind to our savior as I should have been.”

“Do you think she will be back?”

“No, I think that might be the last time we meet someone like that for a long time.”

Hearing her mother, Marianna felt discontent with her mother’s reaction. Then speaking on her feelings, the ones that always seemed to flare up in her from time to time, she spoke. “Well, I think we will see her again.”

Then before her mother could argue, Marianna turned away and promptly pretended to fall asleep.

Marianna was so lost in her thoughts for the day that she missed the moment when her overtaxed mind drifted off to sleep.

Warmth.

There was a warmth coming from Marianna’s chest. The locket father had given her as a keepsake was warm. At first the heat felt nice, as the dying embers of the fire that the savior had created were long gone. Now only the poofy dress with all its frills were what was keeping her warm. Until her necklace also began getting warm.

Instinctively Marianna reached up to touch the necklace, only to find that to the touch the necklace was still cold. Well not cold, but the same temperature as her body. Yet, despite this, she swore that the necklace was warm, at least when touching her chest.

With that, her instincts awoke and told her to watch out.

Eyes open, she could only see darkness. The moon had set, and now it was complete darkness around. Marianna was certain that if they made it to morning, then whatever dangers were after them would be gone, that they would be able to get on their way.

Mother had already said that she had signaled for her personal knights to attend her.

Turning over, she saw her mother, sleeping comfortably.

Marianna wanted to wake her mother, but she knew the response that her mother would give her. The one she almost always got, that she needed to go to sleep and that everything would be fine.

Yet, everything was not fine. Worse, the burning sensation on her chest only seemed to get warmer the longer everything took.

Rustle.

There was rustling in the woods, and somehow Marianna knew, she just knew that there was danger right there in the woods.

Scream.

Marianna wanted to scream, to wake up her mother, but fear gripped her. She was frightened. Frightened of the sound. Frightened of the fact that she might have been right this whole time, and frightened that she would not be able to react. It was just like when the bandits crashed their carriage and set it on fire. She had felt things back then, things that her mother had told her to calm down about. Even before they left their estate, she had spoken of her concerns. Yet, mother had been adamant that they needed to leave, and that they needed to leave right then.

Yet, it had all gone wrong.

Blood of the Seers.

That was the blessing that Marianna had supposedly been granted. If this was the case, then she should be given up to the hidden protectors once she got of age. Yet, her mother had chosen to buck the traditions and leave with her children, rather than give them up to an enigmatic organization that had not done anything for thousands of years.

For the longest time Marianna’s visions all ended here, tonight. Well not tonight, but rather a few hours earlier. She had seen glimpses of the fires that would consume her and her brother. The visions were so intense that they had been haunting her for weeks. Keeping her awake, making it so she kept waking mother to help her.

Yet, every time she woke her mother, it would always be the same, “go back to sleep, it is just a dream.”

Yet, dreams had power.

Marianna knew this more than anyone.

While she was there, facing what was surely meant to be her death, she had a waking dream. One where a valiant warrior came from out of nowhere and easily slaughtered the pig-men that tried to capture them. Then just as she had seen, the figure came and rescued her, well she rescued everyone.

Rustle, rustle.

Now the sounds coming from the woods were a lot more intense, a lot closer. At the same time the intense burning sensation from her chest grew brighter. Clutching the pendant, the source of the discomfort, again she felt it was cold to the physical touch, but still caused her senses to cry out in warning.

Then finally the constricting force that had been holding her so tightly that she couldn’t speak broke or loosened enough to allow her to speak. Forcing air to flow through her lungs, Marianna spoke as loudly as possible, at least she tried to. Finally, the air was able to be released from her chest and she was able to make a sound.

“AHH!” That was all she could manage at first, but this was fine, as the fear that had been keeping her silent finally broke. Then multiple things happened all at once.

There was movement behind her, as her scream had awoken her mother. While at the same time the monster that was moving in the woods, the one that felt like it was actively hunting her finally broke through the forest line. That was when Marianna spoke, “what is that? A monster?”

Gasp.

Marianna felt herself gasping for air. Forcing her scared body to react that way was a lot for her.

Shink.

Instantly, her mother was already up on her feet, sword drawn, while her brother somehow found his way into her arms.

Marianna didn’t know how her mother was able to move that fast, but knew she was capable of great things due to her secret training that she never spoke about.

Silence.

Off in the distance, there was slight movement as a giant black shape began to move. Marianna knew she should feel fear, but for some reason, she didn’t. Instead, she just stared on in confusion at the sight that was before her.

“Show yourself.” Mother Montague said, her voice filled with both fear and resolve.

There was movement, and then Marianna saw a glowing blue ball roll on the ground, before it went dark.

As the orb went dark, so too did the warm sensation on Marianna’s chest. Shocked, Marianna realized that she was still gripping her pendant tightly.

Then the giant monster off in the distance began to move. Well half of it did anyways, as it seemed to crash out of the woods, only to fall flat. At least that is all that Marianna could see.

“Relax.” A female voice called out.

Hearing the voice, a note of exhilaration filled Marianna, for she knew that voice. Afterall it would be hard to hide the ones savior, the guardian angel who had looked over her and saved her not once, but twice in the same night.

Slow movements.

The savior moved slowly, rising up from the fallen piece she had fallen out of the woods on, and then rose up slowly.

Everything was so hard for Marianna to see, in time her Night Sight would awaken once her Perception got to an adequately high enough level, but until then she would always have a hard time seeing things. Yet, her extra senses told her exactly who this was, and what to expect of her.

This was the savior, that much Marianna was certain of, as nothing told her to be warry. In fact, right now she felt blissfully safe. For the first time since she left, Marianna felt truly safe. No wait, that wasn’t right. Somehow Marianna knew that this woman, her protector, bestowed to her by the Gods themselves had always been there, watching out for her.

Blue glow.

The protector reached down and picked up the blue ball that had gone dim. The minute she did, the ball once again began emitting a bright blue glow. With that both Marianna’s mother tensed up her stance, while at the same time the warmth that had been on Marianna’s chest once again awakened. Though this time, the warm sensation wasn’t painful. If anything, this time the warmth felt welcoming.

The savior got close enough so that her face would be visible in the glowing light of the orb she held.

“Five men.” The savior said.

“What?” Lady Montague asked.

“Well five assassins were trailing you.” The savior said, right now she was close enough and her pale skin glowed enough to show that some dark spots were covering her otherwise beautiful face, that glowed with the blue light of the orb.

“Five?” Lady Montague asked, a note of worry in her voice.

“Don’t worry, I’ve taken care of them, but they were using this, to track you.” The savior said, raising her glowing blue sphere up in the air to emphasize the item she was talking about.

“That is nonsense. Nothing we have can be linked to being tracked.” Lady Montague said.

Marianna wanted to protest, she wanted to put into words the sensation she felt about the pendant she was wearing. The one that awakened her Seer Abilities, the one that she was told to never take off. But she couldn’t, once again, it was light the weight of the world was on her, forcing her to keep quiet.

The savior just waved her hand around, and then Marianna nearly gasped when a glowing blue beam shot out from the orb and shot out directly towards her.

Rustle.

Lady Montague was moving out and in front of her daughter in a second, motherly instinct taking over immediately. Then she paused as she realized something was off. When she got in front of the beam, she realized that there was no pain.

Pausing, Lady Montague turned to realize that the beam of light being emitted was just light. Not an attack, not a form of unknown magic, just a line of light.

“You can see for yourself.” The Savior said, throwing the orb that began to grow dim the second it left her fingers.

Reaching out her hand, Lady Montague grabbed the orb and after a second managed to light the orb herself.

“It is a tracking orb?” She asked.

“Yes,” the savior said while nodding.

Then turning her back to the Savior, Lady Montague turned to follow the blue light and see that it was in fact glowing directly at Marianna. Well not Marianna exactly, but rather at the item she held within her hand.

Normally turning your back on an opponent was a taboo, and while it was clear that her mother was still weary of the stranger, as she had a death grip on her sword and was poised to defend herself from behind. She still turned her back to the adversary, a sign that she was at least somewhat accepting of her.

“Marianna, let me see your pendant.” Lady Montague spoke, sheathing her sword by her hip, then reaching her now free hand out for the pendant.

Marianna paused for only a second, wanting to keep the pendant present, but then nodding to herself, she pulled the pendant over her head, making sure to pull it free from her hair, before handing it to mother.

“This is…” Lady Montague trailed off.

“A tracking orb.” The Savior said, moving closer, but not too close. “So long as you have that pendant, the seekers will be after you.”

Hearing that Lady Montague looked defeated. Her shoulders slumped as everything seemed to be too much to take in all at once. Then before things could get worse, the savior spoke again.

“Give me the pendant. I will take it and lead whoever is tracking you away.” The Savior said.

“But she will need that. Do you even know what this is?” Lady Montague asked, holding up the necklace.

“I do, it is a Seer’s pendant. I didn’t realize it at first, but it seems you have a very talented daughter.” The Savior said.

“You, you know about this? How?”

Shaking her head, the Savior just let out an exhausted sigh. “I couldn’t tell you. Not that you would believe me if I did.”

“You know she will need this, right?” Lady Montague said.

“I know. I will return it in a month’s time.”

“A month?”

“Yes, that should be long enough for me to get rid of anyone trying to stop you. While also not being long enough that your daughter will suffer any side effects.” The Savior said.

“Again, how do you know so much about the order? Are you an escapee?” Lady Montague asked.

At that the Savior smiled, “I could ask you the same thing.”

Shock.

With that, Lady Montague looked visibly shaken to her core, as she tried to take in what was happening.

Finally, the tightness and pressure that were gripping Marianna’s chest so tightly lessened. Feeling the ability to speak, she chimed in.

“Do it mother. I think we are destined to see her again.” Marianna said.

Lady Montague turned her attention from the stranger, and was about to chastise her daughter, but then stopped as she took one look at her. There was something about the fierceness and determination in her eyes, that showed Lady Montague that her daughter meant it.

Having seen the resolve, Lady Montague herself also felt the effects, thinking that she almost believed the sentiment, that she would see this complete stranger again as well.

Then turning back to the savior, she brushed a strand of hair past her ear.

“I don’t even know your name, though you have saved us twice.” Lady Montague said.

“I am Terra, Terra Rose, though when next we meet, I might have changed my name by then.” The Savior said, then bowed.

“Rose?” Lady Montague said, feeling that she had heard such a name before. Then shock filled her face as realization struck her, “your parents…”

“Dead, killed as traitors.” The Savior, Terra, said.

Hearing that Marianna felt a strange form of kinship with this Terra, but she couldn’t quite explain why.

“Does that mean that you…?” Lady Montague asked, not quite able to formulate her question completely.

“More than likely, thought I don’t know for certain. They never fully manifested in me.” Terra said.

Hearing that Lady Montague nodded her head, then with a deep breath, she reached out with the pendant. “Then I don’t think I have to tell you how important it is that she gets this back within a month.”

“No.” Terra said, shaking her head and reaching out to grab the pendant that glowed a bright white the moment it touched her hand.

Seeing the light coming from the pendant, Marianna’s eyes grew wide. As she could see so much happening. Even Lady Montague, who had her doubts, suddenly looked resolute.

“It seems that this might have been destiny.” Lady Montague said.

“It does seem that way.” Terra confirmed.

Silence.

Finally, Terra asked. “You do have people coming?”

“Yes, we should be able to make it to a small border town right on the edge of Belaton, just outside the Academy, if you are…” Lady Montague trailed off, as she realized that this person was wearing the clothes of a first year into the Belaton Academy.

“Yes, I am aware of both the Academy and the nearby town that you speak of. I will find you there, after this, has been resolved.” When she said this, she held up and shook the still glowing pendant.

Then after a moment’s hesitation, she took the pendant and placed it over her head, before pulling up her hood and only allowing the light of the pendant to subtly glow from under her uniform.

“Till next we meet.”

“Till next we meet.”

Then like that, the pressure that Marianna had been feeling suddenly left. The weight of the world, of the impending doom she felt, everything was gone, and with that she felt exhaustion take her.

She collapsed into a ball around the small frame of her still sleeping brother, a person who never stirred during the whole ordeal, not even once.

Looking down, Lady Montague looked off in the direction that the stranger left. Then down to her children who seemed to be sleeping comfortably, despite everything that had happened.

Looking off to the horizon, Lady Montague realized that it was almost morning.

Seeing the rising sun, Lady Montague let out a giant breath of relief, feeling that she had somehow managed to stave off a terrible fate. Well, she hadn’t done anything, it was the random stranger who was seemingly sent by the very heavens themselves to protect not just her, but her two children.

Then realizing that when next she met this stranger, Terra, she would have to properly thank her, she began going about trying to find any rations or otherwise usable items that might have survived the terrible night. While the night was over, today was just beginning.