“Sometimes the meek achieve things greater than the deeds of the great. Sure, they might not strength, wisdom, speed, or divine favor, but you’d be surprised what may come to people if only they are given the chance for greater things. After all, heroes weren’t always the ones who stood so tall.”

  -Baroness Red

  Jeane

  She was given a sword and a handful of slowly dwindling potions. Just one of these would have set her for life if she managed to sell it to some merchant. The sword she wields cut through stone and aberration as if they were butter. And she’s tired and exhausted. Her hands are covered in cuts and she has burns and splinters in her legs. She pulls another of the digging worms out of her arm, barely avoiding being turned into one of the shambling undead.

  She was weak, frail, and tired. Only a few survivors were left alive since the prowling corpses given life descended upon the city like a curse from a wretched God. Nevertheless she holds the sword that isn’t hers and raises a flimsy cutting board as a shield to protect the others. She needs to be brave for the people who need something to lean on in this time of great need.

  She was leading the weak and weary out of the city using the alleyways she used to see filled with thieves and beggars. Funny how the places they used to avoid became the path they now use to clutch the single fragile thread of hope they now have. Perhaps now that the city collapsed into this madness, maybe they could all see what it was like inside these winding labyrinth of refuse and brick.

  She spots a hole in the wall boarded up with planks of wood and coarse cloth, an entry for smugglers and probably their only way out now. She rushes towards it and moves the pile of wood and cloth. She motions for the other survivors to come to her quietly, making sure there wouldn’t be any signal for the living dead to pick up. One by one they crawl out of the hole, escaping the blazing city filled with death.

  “Crrk Crrk Crrk”

  A sound came from behind them, one that she dreaded hearing when they were so close.

  It was one of the risen dead, one with a grin of a predator that had found it’s prey. Swollen and twisted gums filled with teeth twisted to fit the jaws of an animal. It had the body of a human but the frame of a wild wolf, lupine and cunning.

  She wedged herself between the prowling beasts and the desperate survivors.

  The beast howled as if to alert the nearby beasts of their presence.

  Shit.

  It lunged after her with fangs ready to tear flesh and claws ready to see her bleed. She pointed the tip of the sword to it’s head and stabbed it through it’s skull. This did not stop the creature from moving however, as it clawed her back and drew lines of torn flesh.

  She hissed at the pain.

  Suddenly, someone behind her rammed themselves toward the beast, dislodging it from the blade and momentarily stunning it as it hit the brick. Jeane took this chance to hack the creature to bits using her blade. She might not know how to properly wield a blade, but she knows how to use machetes back in the farm. She hacked it until it no longer had the ability to move it’s limbs. The sword somehow had the ability to stop the worms from repossessing the thing’s flesh.

  She looked back and saw a familiar face. He was the son of the butcher, only now he had a bloody stump instead of a hand. He was filled with cuts and bruises, ones that would leave festering wounds if left untreated.

  “Thanks Jacques.”

  The man nodded. He didn’t seem to be a fan of speaking, more inclined to let his actions speak instead. He pointed his chin towards the wall, showing that only the two of them were left.

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  She followed and exited through the opening, feeling the crunch of leaves as her feet felt the signs of wilderness.

  All of them huddled together and ran towards Wolly pass, the path that a passing prince showed her. It was rocky and filled with thorny bushes. It would have impeded them if not for the sword she was given.

  She hacked and slashed the fallen trunks and overgrowth giving them barely enough space to fit. Some were hurt and some slipped on rocks, spraining themselves. Jeane had no option but to give out sips from the potions in her hand. It wasn’t much, but it slowly built up over time. They now had two potions left and Jeane hopes it’s enough to get them through this ordeal.

  They were so close to the clearing, just a bit more and they would soon be free from all of this. She could go home to her mother. Raise chickens and teach her sisters how to do the same. She just needs to push a little bit more.

  Dei, our father of holy breathe, lead me to salvation like a shepherd leads his flock.

  She prays, as it is the only thing she could do in the moment. She hopes and prays to make it through today. She makes the sign of the triangle on herself and continues chopping bushes.

  A rumble was felt by everyone around her. Earth and ground shook as a figure of unfathomable size stood in the horizon. It was the towering woman made of burning flesh and desecrated dead. The thing began ripping houses and swathes of land out of the ground and throwing it.

  Tons of gouged earth and boulders fell around them, decimating the landscape. Fortunately none of them got hurt, only spooked at the sudden rockfall. This made Jeane quicken her pace, cleaving a path out of the forest and into the clearing.

  Another howl was heard behind her followed by the scream of an old woman.

  The wolf shaped undead beasts followed them and it held the foot of the elderly woman between it’s jaws. Without thinking, Jeane rushed to her side and slashed the sword towards the wolf beast. Unfortunately it evaded her and howled again, signaling to a pack of similar creatures behind it of the vulnerable prey.

  The woman was bleeding too much, more than what anyone would be comfortable of seeing. Without any other option she ripped open the cap of the potion she received and gave it to the woman. She went between the prowling beast and the elderly woman, giving her just enough time to get up and hobble towards the clearing.

  She didn’t look back to check on the woman as the beast kept it’s eyes on her. She heard explosions and saw rays of light pass above her, this gave the creature an opening to strike Jeane. She angled her sword to pierce the monsters chest, impaling it as it scratched her forearms. Slowly the creature lost it’s strength as the holy blade grew brighter.

  This moment of comfort did not last as another creature behind her foe jumped at her, knocking her onto a nearby tree and pushing the breath out of her lungs. Her back was filled with splinters as the beast began advancing towards her. She gripped the sword, it’s shine now getting duller and the world getting even darker.

  She downed the last of the potions and felt the skin on her back knit. It wasn’t healing properly though as she could feel her skin closing around the pieces of wood and some dust and grime staying inside the cuts of her slowly healing hands. She glanced and saw the old woman she saved make it out of the trees and into the clearing.

  At least she’s safe.

  She grit her teeth and gripped the blade’s handle. She needed to live. She needed to make it back to her mom.

  Dei, our father of holy breath, grant me strength to brave the darkness. I beg of thee to grant me your blessing on my time of need.

  She prayed, for if her limbs would be weak, then her heart could help her endure. She prays for she has no other choice.

  She swayed her sword to deter the progress of the beast as she slowly backed away into the safety of the light.

  She heard the crunching of leaves and the growl of many other creatures in the darkness. One by one milky eyes of unliving malevolence appeared behind the creature, all of which focused on her weary form. She was alone in the den of undead, her only companion was now the slowly dimming blade and her ephemeral prayers.

  Step by step she moved away from them, but for every step she puts between them, they advance two more. She was running out of time and her feet covered in slippery blood did not help her predicament.

  But she couldn’t handle it, even with the stitching wounds and the sharp blade. Eventually she tripped and fell on a tree root she hadn’t seen, her blood making it easier to do so. She slipped and tumbled behind her and the creatures did not miss such an opportunity.

  They pounced on her ready to devour and warp her into a shambling mess.

  She closed her eyes and expected the sharp sting of fang and claw, but that did not happen. She opened her eyes to see, not the beast of human flesh, but an angel of feather and sunlight. A wing shielded her from harm. She bore witness to something beautiful reaching a hand towards her and pulled her up.

  It looked at her with eyes like radiant rings of gold that brimmed with power and pride.

  “Be not afraid.”

  It spoke to her in a voice like morning breeze. On it’s head rested a crown and it’s arms plated with scales of gold. It’s tail was like the trail of a comet and it’s wings like the first ray of dawn. It was like the star of morning descended from the heavens and stood before her in her hour of need.

  She knew deep in her heart that at this moment, her God had listened to her plea and sent his agent to deliver her away from the dark. This was an angel, a messenger from the heavens. For what else could such an immaculate being be, if not akin to the divine.

  Her eyes were filled with tears and she prayed.

  Thank you, thank you, thank you. Gracious and merciful Dei, lead me to salvation like a shepherd leads his flock.

  “You are a brave one, heh, staying here for others. Go, leave all this to me now and go to your fellow men. Run to safety now, away from the darkness.”

  It said pointing in the direction of the clearing, illuminated by torchlight and the glimmer of metal from stomping soldiers.

  Jeane got up by leaning her weight on a nearby tree. She shook like a leaf under a storm. Her legs were shaking, yet her eyes were determined. She did a small bow to the angel and turned towards the others, shadows of torches dancing beyond the treeline. She would live another day.

  “Don’t look back.” It said to her.

  And she didn’t, she ran as fast as her bloody feet could, never turning and never doubting. Today she would live, today she had another chance.

  Dei, great and kind, I thank you. Please lead me to salvation, to peace, to safety, so that I may spread of your miracle.

  Her eyes filled with tears and her body drenched in sweat as she held a small pendant around her neck. She held the small triangular symbol as she started to see people. She felt a small warmth around her, something that she could not explain. Yet despite the surge in adrenaline and a brush with the morose, she was alive.

  Something was watching her and she would be ashamed to not pay it back.

  So she prayed.