A Higher Cost: Finale

"John…" She muttered sadly.

John smiled wickedly at them. His eyes were black and the veins through his body could be seen pulsing. He took out his rifle from behind his back and steadily aimed.

"Wait, no!" She shouted.

John paused.

"John, this isn't you. The Duoler has put a spell on you; you've got to fight it!" She tried to reason but was pushed out of the way of the barrage of bullets. She landed on the ground with Walter still holding tightly onto her, she felt herself being dragged behind a hut as Walter moved her out of the way from another shot.

"Please, John. Wake up! We don't want to hurt you!" She shouted.

John leapt from where he was standing and landed right in front of them. He drew his sword and they both rolled out of the way as the blade came down on them. She realised she was trapped between the burning wreckages of the camp as John began to bear down on her.

"Run!" Walter cried as he grabbed John's arm and Reaver grabbed the other.

She quickly dashed past the men, just as John threw Walter off one arm who hits his head hard against a wooden beam. John grabbed Reaver with his free arm and tossed him away easily into the remains of some broken crates.

He follows the Queen and she tries to use her slow time spell on him but it has no effect as he steadily marches towards her.

"John! Snap out of it! You don't want to do this!" She cried as he swung his sword. She blocks it with hers and pushes him away. "We are your friends!"

He still didn't listen as he lunges at her. She quickly dodges out of the way and he gets his sword stuck in the wood behind her.

"John, please. I'm begging you, fight this!" She cried. "I know you can fight this!"

He put his foot up on the wood and pulled the sword out with his might. He looks threateningly at her with a mad man's grin and swings at her again. She was too slow this time and he caught her arm with the tip of his sword.

She feels the sting of the gash in her arm and accidently drops her sword as he swung at her again. She moved out of the way but was now out of reach of her weapon. None of her words seem to be getting through to him; it was kill or be killed…

She breathed heavily as she tried to decide if there was any other way as John ran at her with his sword raised in the air. She stood on the spot with her heart beating and prepared herself for impact.

Nothing, she felt nothing and she opened her eyes slightly to see the blade close to her head with John still holding onto it firmly.

He had stopped himself, but why? She saw his eyes flicker back to normal for a millisecond before they became pure black again and he raised his sword again.

She kicks him back away from her and ran off to buy time. He chased her like an animal chases its prey, all the while she was desperately thinking to herself.

'He still has some humanity left in him but I think he's struggling. How do I make him see sense?"

He leapt into the air again like a balverine and landed in front of her, so she skidded to a stop. She crawled backwards for every step he took towards her but it was no use. He raised his sword for a final blow and the flames glinted on his blade.

"What would Jackie think of you now?" She shouted as the blade came down at her stomach.

He stopped and stared at her.

"Would she be proud, John? Huh?" She said as she breathed heavily with the tip of the sword still dangerously close to her. "Would she be glad that you're killing your friends?"

"Jack…ie?" He said in uncertainty with a deeper voice than normal.

"Yeah, Jackie. She would be so disappointed in you right now." She said as she carefully moved the blade away from her and stood up slowly. "She would be looking down at you sadly."

"Jackie… sad…" He repeated as his eyes flickered.

"You told me she was always so happy, well, guess what? If she could see you now, she'd be crying for her husband." She said.

"Jackie… sad. Can't… let her… cry…" He said as his veins began to return to normal. "Jackie… needs me… Have to be strong… for her…."

He dropped his sword as he struggled internally. The villagers watched in fear as he writhed in pain as he fought with whatever possessed him. He screamed, he cried and he roared as he rolled on the floor, grasping at himself. He rolled onto his knees and clutched at his head as he screamed before his head lulled and he fell silent.

"John?" She said in uncertainty as she inched closer to him. "Are you alright? John?"

"Your Majesty, stay… stay away." He breathed heavily. "You… you have to go. It's too strong, I can't… I can't… Run, please…"

"You can do this, John. Fight it." She said as her voice shook.

"I can't! I can't! It's too strong. It's telling me… to kill…" He said weakly. "Run, your Majesty. For the love of Avos, run please!"

He fell silent again as his breathing became quicker and shorter. She reached out her hand to him and his head snapped up. She stared at his void eyes and an evil smile grinned at her. He grabs her shoulders and head butts her. She stumbles away in a daze and falls to the ground. Through tears of pain, she could see him slowly stand and walk towards her.

"Stupid mortal." The demonic voice emanated from John's mouth. "This human is too weak to fight me. Not even his love for the deceased could help him."

'John' picked up the sword and she tries to crawl away backwards again while her head throbbed.

"Don't worry; your death may not be quick or painless." He said as he picked her up by her throat. "But at least you'll be dead."

He tosses her and she crashes into a hut. As she slid to the floor, she quickly untied the jacket from her waist.

"No mercy." 'John' grinned as he marched towards her.

She took off the jacket and puts it in front of her as he swung his sword again. She closes her eyes and prays,

"Please work."

"Argh!" He cried.

She pulls down the jacket to see a sword pierced through John's body. His own sword.

"But, I thought you were gone…" The demonic voice said as his eyes flickered and he collapses to his knees.

"John? John!" She cried as her eyes began to water and she cradles him in her arms.

"I… I did it." He smiled.

His hazel eyes gleamed in the sun.

"Yeah, you did." She said as she sobbed. "Someone! Anyone! Help!"

"It can't be helped…I can't be helped. It was worth it though. Doing it for you…And my Jackie." He said happily as tears began to roll down his eyes. "You reminded me… so much of her. Thank… you…"

"For what, you silly sod?" She said as she sniffed.

"For being… you." He said through tears of joy. "I… could always be closer to her… while you were around. And now… I can be…"

The sparkle in his eyes extinguished as his head lulled loosely but his warm smile remained on his face. The survivors circled around them as they began to cry as she did. Walter and Reaver were finally conscious and among the crowd, they also looked grimly at their lost comrade. She looked at John through her waterfall of tears and saw the happiness on his face and smiles.

"You'll never leave Jackie's side now." She said. "Be at peace, both of you."

"Your Majesty, General Turner is searching for other survivor camps and escorting them nearer to base too as you've requested. We're already plotting out spaces for them." Swift added.

"Very good." She muttered as she studied the map in the war room.

"And we have buried John with his fallen comrades. We also made sure that he was wearing his jacket."

"Good job." She said as she nodded her head and stared intensely at the map.

"Also, the Millfields survivors have been moved closer to Bowerstone. We have managed to find them somewhere to accommodate and have sent extra supplies for them." He said.

"Great work, Swift. Thank you." She said.

"No, thank you." Swift said.

She finally averts her gaze from the map and looks at him confused.

"Oh, from the Millfield's survivors." Swift corrected. "They send their gratitude and sincere apologies for their mistake."

She looks back at the map and nods in acknowledgment.

"You've done commendably well since… Actually, since you've come back." Swift said.

"I hope so. If only I could do more though." She sighed as her eyes scaled the map.

He looks at her with concern and sadness. Not everyone survives in a war and she tried her best, but she still can't live with their deaths. Not yet…

"Right, well. I'll leave you to it." Swift said and he leaves the room.

"Where are you, you son of a bitch?" She muttered as she scanned each region. "Where are you hiding?"

"Your Majesty?" Jake stumbled into the room. "Your Majesty! There's something you have to see!"

"If Ryan and Sam are stuck in the barrels again, leave them, it'll teach them a lesson." She mumbled.

'Especially since there aren't any barrels within base.' She thought.

"No, it's not that. Not this time anyway." Jake said excitably. "You have to see it to believe it."

"Alright…" She sighed but before he dashed out of the room again, she stops him. "Jake, how's your mother?"

Jake looked sadly at his feet.

"She… died a month ago. Her illness got too much for her…" He said miserably.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." She said sincerely. "But why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"Everyone seemed upset enough about the recent deaths…" Jake shrugged. "I didn't want to add to their problems."

She looked him in the eyes and puts her hand on his shoulder.

"Your mother would be so proud of the man you are now." She said smiling.

"Thank you, your Majesty. It really means a lot to me for you to say that." He said as he smiled melancholy. "Best get going before it's too late."

She sighs and barely glances at the map as she stabs a dagger into where Bowerstone Castle is located.