A Hero With/Out Time

Chapter 30: Our End. (Part 2)

She moved closer towards me, our shoulders touching, "It's been a long time since we talked just the two of us. I'm ready for a story."

"Well then...," I began.

The two of us sat together as I explained my life before her, how I first met her and who I was at the time. It took longer than I thought to say it all. As Jane we knew almost everything about each other and yet here was a huge part of my life hidden away. The night continued on without pause or interference and by the end we were both quite tired.

Lara stood up a soft smile on her lips, "So that's how it was."

"That's how it was," I repeated with a smile of my own.

"I'm going to need to sleep on this one."

"You and me both," I rose to my feet as well, patted her head once more and with that we split into our own rooms.

*

We held a demonstration to the Empire the next morning. It involved Lara standing with us and blowing up a very large hole in the earth. Just her presence was enough turn the hearts of many of the Empire's soldiers. She was iconic in her new white armour and resolute in her desire to end the war before it properly began. The Empire's leaders knew all too well the power she could control and we made sure to show it to them. When the impact hit the earth and created a new landmark several ranks of the opposing army fell over in awe and fear. It wasn't just her strength however. The Archmage could do a similar feat and if their Magicians worked together they could as well. What stood out was the ease that Lara did it, like flicking a finger, and how she stood unfazed after the destruction. I wasn't alone in thinking she had become even more powerful than when we fought her.

So the talks began. Arduous days of speaking at long tables within the Magician's Guild. The Queen was even summoned to attend and the Emperor himself showed up. It was oddly disappointing to see him. In our minds he had been the head of their evil plans but in the end it was clear he was just a secret figurehead. The boy couldn't have been older than fourteen and it became clear that the Empire's council were more than willing to throw him beneath the bus to save their own heads. Lara however would have none of it and saw the heart of the case clearly. Those of us who were used to playing the game of politics couldn't stand against her. I laughed and smiled as she disregarded what they said and forced herself to be heard. An innocence and just mind coupled with kindness. Without power she would have been another voice in the masses, yet here she was. Myself as Jane could barely believe it.

The Imperium suffered the greatest blow. As soon as the Empire opened themselves for negotiations they ran and did so straight into the waiting arms of the Guild. Though some did escape a large majority of their members were taken and imprisoned, some even executed. If you ask me they deserved more. The total number of sacrifices to power the artefact reached tens of thousands of lives across the slums and smaller villages and towns. Demon, human, even those across the seas were not spared. When Lara heard it she had gone pale and excused herself from the room. Their lives weighed heavily on her heart and for that the Imperium's punishment didn't suffice. From the ones we captured dozens of the upper nobility were implicated including those in the Empire's council. Many of them feigned ignorance of the details but as the days passed and after numerous backroom talks the structure of the Empire would never be the same.

In the end the Empire destroyed itself. Their unity was held from power and when Lara had crumbled it so did their trust in each other. We watched as if on the sidelines as they betrayed and threw each other in the fires to save themselves. Some tried to run and flee to other countries, none who were guilty chose to accept it. It seemed amongst them all the Emperor was most innocent and had honestly been convinced that the Hero Lara was fighting for them. Though his words held power to command armies, they weren't his own. In the end Caius and I got to see a small wish of ours.