DUNE-A False Haderach (OC X Shishakli) (OC x Alia)

Part 40

Chapter 42

CHANI KYNES

Chani's mind had been a whirl ever since the kanli had been announced as she tried to come to terms with the implication of this great battle, only to realise that she could never.

She loved Paul, loved him for his smiles, his insecurities, his troubles, and his bravery, and though he was no longer himself—his body now controlled by a person who claimed to be their son, she understood this, Leto as well. She had spent days pouting over what she had learned of him from both himself and Inzal, and she was heart broken at his life.

A life of solitude and duty, ending in a tragedy. He was pitiful, and he was her son. She knew that on instinct, and yet she could not cheer for him. For while they may be her son and her lover, the person who stood opposite to them was their savior.

Inzal was like a brother to her, the one who had rescued thousands of her people, putting his own life in jeopardy. He had fought for them, dedicated his whole life to them, and she could not abandon him.

No matter the outcome of this fight, she was set to lose.

Unless she did the impossible. Paul's condition was much similar to the daughter of Lady Jessica, Alia. From what she had been able to gleam out, Paul was still alive, only held back by the raging personality of Leto.

The only way for her was to bring him back, and yet what could she do to bring him back? She had tried everything already, begging, pleading, and much more, yet all of it had little to no effect.

Leaving her with only one choice. As Inzal and Pa-Leto fought, she held her breath, prepared for the inevitable. The battle was an unimaginable display of inhuman prowess from both sides, making her realsied just how wide the gap between them and a normal person was.

Both Inzal and Leto were not normal humans, and they were gods, fighting while putting everything on the line and yet one would fall. And it would be Paul, unable to keep up with Inzal's speed, he would fail only for Inzal to stand up right over him as he raised his blade, his own body bleeding profusely from the various cuts littered all across it.

"I win," she heard him whisper, yet before his blade could pierce Paul's skin, she intervened, jumping across the desert as she took out her blade from the pocket in one swift motion and parried Inzal's strike.

She saw his eyes widen as he was pushed back, as she pushed himself in between him and Paul.

"CHANI!"
"CHANI!"

She heard both Irulan and Lady Jessica speak aghast at her display as Inzal's eyes narrowed.

"What do you think you are doing Chani?" he questioned, his tone threatening as his grip over his blade tightened and she bit her lip as she answered.

"What I should have done in the first place," and at that, she flipped the dagger in her hand and gripped it tightly as she looked towards Paul and smiled at him, and swung it.

Not at him.

But at her own neck, as two screams filled the clearing.

"NOOOO!"

"NOOOO!"

As she felt the knife cut through her skin, she felt a pain sear through her, yet the pain did not come from her neck. No, it came from her face.

0000

PAUL ATREIDES

Paul saw it. He, the actual Paul Atreides saw it. For too long he had been but a blip in the grand sea of consciousness that now traversed through his mind, too weak to overpower the grand sea of power and influence that was Leto.