"Quentin, stop!" Her lungs shot the words out of her mouth and they seemed to rattle every particle in the air. I stopped and clenched my hand around the sword we'd just barely rescued from the gut of a giant fish. I was still soaked in whatever, fluids, I'd come into contact with and I just wanted to clean off. I heard some birds fly off from the trees in fear, but I was seething and I refused to turn around. "Quentin, we don't have to rush into this. Jane said this has happened 23 times already. It's gonna be a while before we have to make a move on The Beast. We should be learn--"
"Alice..." I cut her off in a low hush. "Shut up." I swung around, with the tip of the sword dragging in the dirt and my head hung low. The crown on my head felt weighted and embarrassing. Default High-King of Fillory was a pathetic title to carry so maybe I deserved to feel that way. I looked up to her through my hair and there was hurt in her eyes, but I was so tired of people telling me to be patient, or that I needed to slow down. Half of my friends were already dead so what was there left to wait for? The only two left were Alice and Margo and as far as I could tell I was going at this alone. I turned back around and trudged on to Castle White Spire.
"Quentin, please." She sighed. I could hear her feet shuffling in the dirt as she jogged to catch up.
"Alice, I'm serious." I grunted turning around to her. "I'm tired of being told that this can wait. Jane said that we found Fillory early this time. Everyone we know died, early this time." I wretched the crown off my head and shook it in her face. "I'm not even supposed to have this, Alice. It was for Eliot until The Beast came for him too. Just like he did everyone else, one at a time. It was handed off to me because I needed access to the castles resources."
"And now we have the sword, Quentin, but we don't have any of the skills we need. We have to take our time: That way we don't die, and reset back another 16 times, just to get it right." I heard her. I heard Jane, too, when she told me the same thing, and then Dean Fogg, and Julia.
"No Alice! You know what? I'm going to stop The Beast, early this time. I'm gonna stop him before he marches, on his marry way, to take out Ember, and if you don't want to stand by my side then you can march back to Brakebills and pretend this isn't happening." I explained looking sternly at her. The death had ice growing over my heart and freezing up my veins. I didn't smile anymore. I didn't laugh like we used to. All I could think about was that I'd had to suffer through this 23 other times and even if I couldn't remember them I felt like I had the weight of each loop sitting on my shoulders. After a little while I stopped hearing Alice behind me. I actually thought that she would be the one to stick with me... That I could rely on her skill to help me defeat The Beast. Who knows? Maybe all I really needed was a can of bug spray and a lighter.
When I made it back to the castle the royalty inside made no gestures and gave no welcome. I held the title of the High-King, not the blood. I went straight to the bedroom and stripped off my sopping clothes before fishing around the drawers for something a little less traditional to wear. Something other than uncomfortable men's blouses and tight vests that didn't want to fit. I found some kind of loose pants and covered up in the King sized bed that sat in the middle of the room. The irony of it irritated me
I wiped away a tear that wasn't supposed to be there and sat up looking over to the sword Alice and I almost died getting. The sword of Vandren the Great: Slayer of Beasts. The Story was as fitting as the title: A great evil, feeling wronged by the Gods, used his own power to exploit the magic of Fillory once before. He found a spell that could immobilize them for a short time though he had no means of vanquishing them. Instead he decided to take Fillory and thrust it into darkness. After casting his spell he took their power and sacrificed himself to create great beasts that ravaged the land. Fillory plunged into despair worse than even he had imagined. Using the last of their own power, Ember and Umber crafted a sword that could vanquish even themselves. Such a powerful object couldn't just be handed off to anyone and thus they waited until a worthy soul came into the world. 25 years later Ember and Umber named Sir Vandren worthy of the sword and he started his quest vanquishing the creatures. He succeeded in all of his ventures, save for one. His final quest against the Eel of Great Lake ended with him being eaten alive... We only survived because Alice blew it up... Like a balloon. We searched through piles of guts all over shore of the lake until I finally dug it out.
I tried to sleep, tossing and turning. The one time my eyes shut I dreamed of how the beast would kill me for the 24th time and if there would be a 25th. Before I could get a second chance to sleep the sun was already rising and Ember would soon arrive at the castle. The Filliorian sun always seemed so cheery coming up over the horizon. I almost smiled seeing it. I put on some more fitting clothes and readied the sword. I heard the carriage cantering up so started down to the courtyard mulling over the plan: Use Ember as bait and take the beast by surprise, hopefully killing him before he could Ember.
When I reached the hall Alice and Jane stood at the discussing something. I ran up to her and she smiled at me hardheartedly. I kissed her and pulled her into me actually feeling something good inside for once. Knowing that she hadn't left me to face this alone gave me hope.
"I'm going to try and help you out this time Quentin." She said reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a crystal on metal chain and handed it over to me. "Wear this and when the time comes you'll know what to do."
I went to contest, but the air around her glitched out and suddenly she was gone.
"It's an Emerson's Alloy Pendant. It guards the wearer from most magic." Alice explained the less cryptic part...
Suddenly the heralds blasted their trumpets marking Ember's arrival. I looked to Alice and we shared one last kiss.
"I love you." I sighed
"I love you too."
I ran outside and looked around before deciding to hide behind a wagon full of Hay that was just barely close enough. Ember was being bowed to and Greeted by all of the dignitaries of the castle and it almost seemed like The Beast wasn't going to show up. Then, finally, a swarm of moths descended from all directions, gathering at the foot of the castle stairs. Slowly The Beast materialized in his stupid Khaki suite, his face buzzing with those nasty creatures.
"There's no need to hide, Quentin." He had just arrived and already the plan was null. The beast stepped toward Ember and guards went to stand in front of him, but The Beast, with the twitch of his fingers snapped their necks.
Ember let out a shriek and suddenly the sound of a grandfather clock filled the air. I looked around seeing multiple 'Watcher Women' surrounding the courtyard and before I could completely understand what was going on time seemed to stop. Even The Beast froze in his tracks. I didn't waist another second. I jumped up and rammed the beast through his back and out his chest with the sword. I heard him laugh as the pendant chain snapped and fell to the ground. Time thawed and both The Beast and I fell over. I didn't understand it, but at the same time... I didn't care. As long as it was over.
"Alison no!" I heard Jane shout.
Allison appeared above me holding Jane's pocket watch with tears streaming down her face as she twisted the nob at the top counterclockwise. I looked up at her confused and then the clocks chimed again, this time loud as freight trains. I knew what she had done.
"I can't... I can't lose you too." She cried
