Leaving the camp was much the same as entering it, with another small horde of orcs having to work together to maneuver a second, somehow larger boulder out of Betty’s path. They waved at him as he drove off into the dry, cracked landscape that was the Dark-Wastes… Oddly, this all felt quite nostalgic. Betty hadn’t traversed a proper wasteland in months, it felt almost like he was back on Earth again. The only thing missing were the hordes of the dead and a gathering Portal Storm, then he’d really feel at home.

  Though, based on what Donny told him earlier, the hordes of the dead were just to the north from here. Joe wasn’t sure how far north, but he wasn’t willing to take a detour to see the walking dead, he’d had enough of that in his time. What did interest him was this talk of a wizard, would this guy have a dark tower or was he an underground lair kinda fella? Most importantly, would he know how to expel the Faelord from his mind?

  It was hard to say, this wizard seemed more a necromancer type than an exorcist type. He’d already tried praying it away but the red in his eyes refused to leave. Maybe the Lord was trying to teach him some sort of strange lesson by not ridding Joe of the monster lurking inside him? Well, it wasn’t as if God simply just pushed buttons to accomplish his works. God’s help was more like a cosmic Rube Goldberg machine, one that sometimes needed prayer to initiate. Big chain reactions like that took time, he couldn’t expect instant results.

  Still… he’d like this done sooner, rather than later. Kagor had nearly forced Joe to relive that day, to see once more what had happened to Hannah… He grit his teeth, the corners of his vision briefly going red as a mote of wrath began welling in his chest-

  “That’s right, Haythorn.” A voice echoed in his mind, “Embrace it!”

  Joe gasped in shock, slamming the brakes on Betty. When he turned his head however, he saw that it was only him inside the cockpit… meaning that voice had truly come from within. That, or they were out in the front room. Joe readied his pistol, opening the door but not leaving through it, instead standing just to the left of the open doorway, gun aimed squarely at it. A minute passed, but no one entered nor tried to shoot through the wall he was hiding behind. He risked a quick peek around the door, seeing no one standing in his front room. After clearing the rest of Betty, Joe was forced to accept that the voice had been internal…

  Meaning that it had been Kagor who had spoken. What had been the trigger for the Faelord to speak? Joe considered, realizing quickly what it had been. Kagor was the Faelord of Wrath, War, and Passion… had emotion coaxed Kagor out of his mental prison? No, if he’d escaped then he and Joe would have entered another battle of wills. He had urged Joe to ‘embrace it’... would his rage make Kagor stronger?

  He paled, that wasn’t good, he needed to be rid of this freak soon. If wrath could rile him into speaking, then would passion as well? Joe felt passionate about a lot of things, particularly his craftsmanship. If he felt that passion, would Kagor grow stronger from that as well? It was hard to say, but at least he wouldn’t have to worry about war, it wasn’t an emotion, after all. Joe would need to focus on reigning in his feelings for the time being.

  He made his way back to the cockpit, hands slightly shaky as he took the wheel. He drove on like that for a while, mind wandering as he followed the mountain's edge. The tunnel would be along here somewhere, he’d just follow this course until he reached it. Unfortunately though, it proved to be a less than stellar road trip. On his cameras, he could see a dozen large figures approaching Betty from the air. Likely these were the ‘crunchies’ that Donny had warned him about.

  Joe parked, readying the lasers to fire as the beasts drew closer. Joe sneered as they finally got close enough for him to make out details through the camera. Large, membranous wings stretched out on either side of a broad chitinous body, each wing as long as Joseph himself was. The body resembled that of a wasp, but if the crunchies shared coloration he wouldn’t be able to tell from in here. The worst part though was their almond-shaped heads, or rather, what was at the bottom of them. A set of massive, disturbingly human-like teeth gnashed and chittered in a blur- Joe was more than happy to fry these ugly bastards.

  There were about four of them, with bodies the size of dumpsters. Their great size didn’t serve them well however, all it did was make them an easier target. Betty unleashed her firepower onto the disgusting insects, the lasers burning smoking holes straight through the chitin. They fell to the cracked earth in a heap of burnt gore. Joe considered stepping out to harvest the chitin, but thought better of it. There was no way that their exoskeletons were stronger than his dragon-bone armor.

  Still, they might make for good trade to the Yellow-Eyed orcs. Donny said that they ate these things, as hard as that was to imagine. Four of these might make for a good trade for supplies, though he wasn’t sure what the orcs could really offer him. He’d stop by here on the way back and hitch ‘em up after picking up Sera. If Gerad or Yugo were with her… they could walk, there was no way he’d let either of those guys into Betty. He smiled, relishing the thought of Sera’s company.

  There was so much he wanted to talk with her about, not just the Kagor stuff but everything he’d been through during their time apart. It had been a wild few weeks, that was for sure. He grimaced as he remembered the stowaway in his mind… would Sera be scared of him if she found out he had a dormant Faelord in him? It was possible, but he didn’t think that she’d be afraid… more concerned. Hell, maybe it wasn’t a good idea to go pick her up after all, Joe could very well be a ticking time bomb, and he didn’t want Sera to be around should Kagor ever take him over.

  He told himself that it would be the right thing to do, keeping Sera at arm’s length… but damn him, he found it hard to summon the resolve he’d need. Before he could continue on this train of thought however, he found himself being shaken violently by an unseen force. He hit the brakes again, discovering that the shaking wasn’t just isolated to him alone. Betty’s entire frame was being rocked to and fro as the very ground itself rumbled. He set his tongue behind his teeth as he braked Betty, remembering that Donny had warned him about ‘earth-shakes’.

  It would be best to wait out the quake before he continued. Thankfully, it only seemed to last around a minute in total, but had he been outside and not strapped in, that quake could have knocked him on his ass. It would not be fun trying to fend off a group of crunchies in the field, doubly so if the very earth itself decided to dance. Not to mention the potentially aggressive orcs out here, he’d need to make sure to figure out the difference between the Black-Eyes and Yellow-Eyes, though based on the name of ‘em it shouldn’t be hard to figure out.

  Still though, he needed to be up close to see the color of their eyes, bullets didn’t know the difference, they wouldn’t veer off track to avoid hitting a friendly. Bullets were like that, they didn’t discriminate, only penetrate. He shook his head, quake was over, it was time to keep moving.

  First an orc camp, then giant bugs, now earthquakes, this day was getting almost as hectic as things were on Earth. His mind wandered as he traversed the wastes, drawing ever closer to the other end of the mountain. He hoped dearly that Sera hadn’t gotten out quite yet, but he was still pretty confident he’d beat her there. Hell, maybe he ought to go into those tunnels himself so he could help guide her out… though if Yugo were there that may make things awkward. She must have understood that he’d not let him onboard Betty, same thing with Gerad. Those punks could walk.

  A full day of driving passed until he reached the entrance of the mountain, shooting down more crunchies in between stops for the earth-quakes. Other than that, things had progressed pretty nicely, surprisingly so. Why did people think this place was so dangerous? He bit his cheek… well it was easy to think this place was baby-town from his heavily armored high-horse. Most folk would have to walk through this place on foot or horseback, without guns, wheels, and crunchies bearing down on them constantly. Add to that the distinct lack of water and constant earthquakes… yeah, Joe could understand the warnings.

  A stone path, roughly carved into an incline, led up into another roughly hewn tunnel, too narrow for Betty to pass through. He parked right at the bottom of the incline, leaning back in his seat as he idly observed the cameras. How was Prolo doing, he wondered? Surely the boy knew about what had happened by now. He wouldn’t blame Prolo if he never wanted to see Joseph again, knowing that he was now carrying a monster within him. There was another complication that was a package deal with the parasite in his head, now rumors would surely spread that a Faelord was walking the world once more.

  He had no idea what the ramifications for such a thing were, but Joe knew that he didn’t want to deal with any of it. On the plus side folk might not want to try to sacrifice him anymore, maybe. On the bad side he might get worshipers he didn’t want, or entire armies coming to kill him. The former he could brush aside easily by just saying that he wasn’t their god, but the armies? Well, Betty could handle just about anything thrown her way, but if he got caught outside by a thousand men there wouldn’t be much he could do about that. Well, if he was out of his power-armor anyway.

  It wasn’t like he’d need to kill each and every single soldier, he wouldn’t even want to kill them, if he was being honest. Joe understood wanting to get rid of a horrible thing like Kagor, no matter the cost, to these hypothetical armies of men, they were doing the right thing. Hell, if Joe hadn’t won the war of wills then he’d be in support of it. Kagor didn’t deserve this body, this was a temple for the Holy Spirit and nothing else.

  His mind wandered for a while before he finally decided that it was time to head to sleep. Sera wasn’t out yet and she knew his secret knock, once she saw Betty she’d be able to come in by herself.

  Yet what if a pack of curious crunchies came back to nibble on Betty while he slept? Maybe it would be a better idea to sleep in the cockpit, that way he could immediately flick on the lasers when the time came. There were also the Black-Eyed orcs he’d need to watch out for as well, if they were as strong as the Yellow-Eyes then enough of them together could flip Betty right over. With his mind made up, Joseph took a few blankets, padding the chair with them before collapsing into it, eyes slowly shutting as he observed the cameras.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  A couple earth-quakes woke him up during the night, but otherwise his rest had been somehow peaceful. He yawned as his eyes opened, sitting up in his seat while rubbing at tired eyes. He popped his back using the armrests of his chair before standing up, grumbling at the emptiness of his gut. He left the cockpit, still palming at his eyes as he made his way to his micro-kitchen.

  Old frozen fish fillets for breakfast, along with a nice cup of coffee to start the day and he was feeling a lot better. Sera still hadn’t gotten here yet apparently, otherwise she’d have come to greet him by now. Oh well, it would be impossible for her to miss Betty’s big ass right next to the tunnel… unless something was delaying her arrival. A pit of worry began forming in his gut as he pondered the possibilities. What if a clan of goblins had attacked her along the way, or worse, a new Forgotten Beast?

  Perhaps he should head in the tunnel with his dragon-bone armor, after he patched up the coat of course. Jilamaka’s claws had punctured through the scales easily, but thankfully he had plenty still left over. It wouldn’t take too long. Nodding to himself, he approached the bathroom, wanting to shower off the grime before he went to work.

  He grabbed the doorknob, twisted it, then pushed it open-

  Only to see who else but Sera, soaking wet from head to toe as she reached for a towel, clad in nothing but her birthday suit. Joe’s eyes widened in surprise, trying and failing to keep his eyes above Sera’s neck. She gasped right as he slammed the door shut, putting a hand to his face from the sheer embarrassment he felt.

  “Sorry!” He yelled through the door, “I didn’t know you were here!”

  Damn idiot, standing there staring at her like some kinda pervert. He was an old man, not a teenager damn it all! Of course she’d want to take a shower first thing on arrival, he should have anticipated this!

  “I didn’t think you’d just barge in!” She shouted back.

  “How the hell was I supposed to know!?” He yelled back, “I fell asleep with an empty home, why should I knock when there ain’t supposed to be anyone here?”

  “You didn’t hear me showering?” She asked loudly.

  “How would I have, things ain’t exactly as small as they used to be.” He groaned, shaking his head, “Look just get dressed and-”

  Sera then emerged from the bathroom, hot steam trailing after her as she approached, clad in nothing but a towel. Joe scrambled back from her, mouth working but failing to produce any words as she stomped right up to him, a hard glare on her brow.

  “Joseph Haythorn!” She yelled angrily, right before wrapping her arms around his midsection, pressing herself tightly against him.

  “Are you crazy or something!?” Joe screamed, grabbing her bare shoulders before shoving her away from him, “Get some clothes on!”

  “Here I thought you’d be happy to see me.” She pouted, crossing her arms as she glared at him.

  Joe looked to the ceiling, or else his eyes would betray him again. He was just too old to be looking at women that way! His hands refused to leave her shoulders, holding her at arms length just in case she stepped in for another hug. Joe would have a heart-attack at this rate, at least, he would have were he still in his old body.

  Soft hands grabbed his, sliding them down until they were wrapped around Sera’s lower back. Once again his muscles betrayed him, failing to protest against Sera.The opportunistic girl moved in again, pressing against him with a sigh. He grimaced as those old instincts woke up fully, taking his mind straight into the gutter. It was then he realized, for certain this time, that Prolo was right.

  A woman wouldn’t do something like this unless she was interested in a man. How the hell was he going to let her off easy? He wasn’t someone that deserved love nor could he provide it. Yet here he was, holding her practically naked in his arms, what did he have to do to save himself here!?

  “Joseph…” Sera giggled, “It seems my towel is slipping.”

  “Well unslip it.” He grumbled, keeping his eyes firmly on the ceiling.

  “My hands are full.” She laughed, pressing her face into his chest, her palms flat on his back, “I’ve missed you so.”

  “I missed you too, but this is inappropriate.” Joe complained, “Please get some clothes on, for the love of God.”

  “Certainly, but before I do, I want you to look me in the eyes and ask.” She told him in a playful tone.

  Don’t think about how soft she is, how nice she smells, or you’re done for.

  He looked down, seeing that, as she had warned him, her towel had slipped, exposing her back completely. She looked up at him with a smile, right before she began leaning up toward him. Joe’s eyes widened, but thankfully the kiss never came. Sera gasped as she saw his eyes… right, she didn’t know about that little change yet.

  “Joseph!?” Sera asked, putting her hands on either side of his face. “What happened to your eyes?” She said, concerned.

  Joe sighed, “It’s a long story Sera, and once you hear the whole thing you’ll probably want nothing to do with me no more.”

  Sera frowned, “Not possible.” She told him firmly.

  Joe frowned back, “You don’t understand, it’s ain’t good. It could possibly be the seventh, maybe sixth worst thing to ever happen to me .”

  “I don’t care what it is.” She told him, “I don’t give a damn, now tell me Haythorn.”

  Joe sighed, releasing his hold on her before setting her away from him, “Get some clothes on first.”

  “Fine then.” She said with a frown, turning away from him before striding back into the bathroom.

  He couldn’t help but stare after her as she went. Damn this young body and its stupid hormones… Now, how was he going to tell her about his new condition? He pondered that until she emerged, clad in the shirt and pants he had made her. He bit his cheek as she stood before him, arms crossed as she stared up at him.

  “Do not be afraid to tell me about this change, Joseph.” Sera told him, “You can’t know how much this won’t change my mind about you.”

  Joe frowned, “Look, you’ll probably run screamin’ out that door there when I tell ya, and that’s fine, I understand-”

  “Don’t be a fool.” Sera glared, “I will not run away from you.” She said with emphasis, poking a sharp finger into his chest. “Out with it.”

  Joe took a deep breath before he began telling her the story of what had happened after they had slain Jilamaka. Returning to Ugals, the dwarves' betrayal after Varig’s death… and finally: “They did it.” He said, turning away from her, “I couldn’t get away and they sacrificed me for a wish to bring Varig back to life.”

  He could not see Sera’s expression, but he heard her gasp before she said, “But you are still you?” She said shakily, “You aren’t out to conquer the world or anything of the sort, was it truly successful then?”

  Joe nodded, “It was. It almost took me over completely, threw me out of my body but… but something threw me back. It coulda been God, I’m not sure, but after that me n’ Kagor had an internal tussle, I won.”

  “How can that be!?” Sera exclaimed, “What man has the will to force a Faelord into submission?”

  Joe looked upward then, “I wasn’t alone.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I just… I just know I had help, just a bit but… but I think God had my back. I don’t know for sure but that’s all I can think of.”

  There was a brief pause then, before he felt arms wrap around him from behind, “I told you I didn’t care about whatever it was. I have made up my mind about you, Haythorn.”

  Made up her mind about him? As in she’s already decided that he was hers?

  He winced, “You’re a good friend.” He told her firmly.

  Joe felt her arms tighten for an instant at the word ‘friend’, hopefully the hint had been effective.

  “I don’t know what the hell to do about it, I got no idea.” Joe sighed, his shoulders slackening, “I think if I feed him too much he’ll come back again, I don’t know if I’ll win a second time.”

  “Feed him?” She asked.

  “He’s the Faelord of Wrath, War, n’ Passion.” Joe told her, “I got angry yesterday, n’ he told me to ‘embrace it’ before goin’ quiet again.”

  “I will not lose you to him, I will help any way I can.” Sera said firmly, squeezing him tighter.

  “Well…” Joe hesitated, “Do you know anythin’ we can do to get this freak outta me? Exorcists, a spell, object, anythin’ that can force him out?”

  “I’m not sure. Please forgive me, but this is likely the only time this has ever happened in all our history. I’ve not read of anything of the sort taking place in Faenor’s past, but we may be able to find something in Relias, among their archives might just be what we need.” She said.

  “Well if that’s what we got, that’s what we got.” Joe said, “Now, what happened to Gerad n’ Yugo? You didn’t let them in here didja?”

  He felt Sera’s head shake against his back, “No of course not. Yugo… he just disappeared after the first day. I couldn’t find him, nor did he come when I called. I fear he’s fallen into a deep despair, yet what was I to do? Wander the endless tunnels for eternity searching for him? No, Yugo is fine, wherever he is.” She sighed, “I just hope that I can see him again soon. As for Gerad, well…” She hesitated.

  “Sera?” Joe urged.

  “I told him I’d ask you to give him a ride back to the orc camp. He’s waiting outside right now, in the shadow of Betty.” She said.

  “Hell no.” Joe sneered, turning to face her, “That little punk can walk-”

  “Joseph Haythorn, don’t be ridiculous!” Sera scolded, “If he travels the Dark Wastes himself, he may not make it back alive. Do the right thing, tie him up if you need to, but if you don’t drop him off yourself then I suppose that I shall be his escort.”

  Joe scoffed, “So much for wanting to help me. You know that little freak wants me for a wish right?”

  “It’s just a short trip, then you never have to see him again.” She said with a glare.

  “I can not see him again right now actually, all I need to do is drive off, no problem.” Joe shot back, crossing his arms.

  Sera crossed her own arms, “And what would your God think of this?”

  Joe opened his mouth, but words failed him, so he shut it. What would God think of this? He bit his cheek as he thought, Sera glaring at him all the while. Joe would be knowingly leaving someone to die in a hell-desert when he had the opportunity to give succor… and in a way, Joe found himself owing the halfling, what with Joe’s earlier attempt to murder him and all. He didn’t like it, but if he left Gerad here he’d probably die, not only that but Sera would walk with him all the way back to the orcs if he decided to go that route. Yet Joe could not bear the thought of Gerad being in here…

  Then an idea came to him.

  “He can come along.” Joe said, admitting defeat, “But he’s gonna hate it.