Hello Scrolls and Nazarins, with another chapter of my fanfic The One Who Came Back.

Remedies makes a great discovery.

With you

The One Who Came Back

Chapter 74: The Return of the Dead

Remedios Custodio walked alone in the snow. Weeks had passed since she had taken that map, and now she found herself on the top of a mountain battered by a blizzard. The cold, cutting wind lashed the paladin's face, yet she did not blink. Her steps were firm even with snow up to her waist, and she did not slow down, showing that the only thing greater than her strength was her obsession.

Upon leaving, the army was left at the foot of the mountain. For her plans, they still had to remain incognito, so they were following her instructions and the plans devised by the "Rose."

In the midst of the storm, Remedios remembered when Gustav arrived at the camp.

...

Weeks ago

"Bring him inside," said the "Old Purple."

Gustav was brought inside the tent, bound and beaten.

"Hello, Gustav Montagnes, Captain of the Paladins."

"Randalse..." the man growled.

"I see you have finally decided to join us."

"You are all crazy, this is treason," he said to the men holding him.

Enrique Bellse, the "Blue," a skilled swordsman, and Isandro Sanchez, the "Rose," a military strategist, stood beside the "Old Purple," a man of great power, not physically, but with contacts in the south that made him someone of immense influence. Gustav could rival the "Blue" in physical strength, but not if caught by surprise with a treacherous attack from behind.

"Treason? No, this is survival. We cannot be exposed to the whims of Caspond," said the "Old Purple."

"The Holy King is trying to save what's left of the kingdom."

"Drowning the south in demands, draining everything we have to sustain a dying north. What is happening now is a consequence of his actions," said Count Randalse.

"The crops die from a plague, and it's the Holy King's fault? A storm sinks the fishing boats, and it's the Holy King's fault? Winter arrives early, and it's the Holy King's fault?"

"No," said a female voice from the other room.

Gustav swallowed hard.

"It's the Sorcerer King's fault!" Remedios said, emerging from behind the curtains.

"Not possible, you're dead!" Gustav murmured in astonishment.

"The reports of my death were greatly exaggerated."

"N-no, I saw the body, it was destroyed, you couldn't have been resurrected."

"You seem to be trying to convince yourself. You left me locked in that house, surrounded it with guards, thinking I'd stay there."

"You were..."

"Crazy? Almost, but not as much as you thought."

"NÉIA! NÉIA BARAJA DESTROYED YOUR BODY!" Gustav shouted in agony and disbelief.

"I have no idea who stole that body, but it wasn't me, as you can see."

"How?"

"You should have looked better in my basement. My house was one of the oldest in Horbuns. Having more than one escape route was standard back then. My new friends from the south found me and brought a substitute, very similar after all. Just had to leave, sealing the tunnel."

"You murdered someone to cover your escape!"

"Murdered?! She volunteered! She smiled at me the whole time as she put the rope around her neck and jumped. And when the oil lamp she was holding fell at her feet, I watched her burn. It was the least I could do for her sacrifice."

"This is madness."

"Madness is you following the orders of the Sorcerer King's lackey. Every order he gives has the undead's fingerprint on it."

"The Sorcerer King helped save the kingdom."

"Did he really? He could have destroyed the demon much earlier. Instead, he played the saint, let us wither, poisoned the people of our kingdom, and put a puppet king on the throne. All he wants is to weaken us to be conquered."

"This is delusion."

"DELUSION! You think it's a coincidence a demon appears in our lands and the undead comes as a savior? Coincidence, the sorcerer pretends to be dead and falls in the midst of demi-humans, now he has an army at our doorstep? Coincidence to save a traitor and now have a false religion in his name?! I think not!"

Count Randalse averted his gaze as Remedios voiced her wild theories. No one but her believed such things, but it wouldn't be good to contradict her.

"Remedios, stop this, come to your senses. We can save the kingdom together. Come with me, you know, and... I loved you."

"Yes, and I loved you. But I also loved my duty, loved the kingdom, loved even more the Holy Queen, loved my sister more. And when they died and took everything from me, there was no love left." She said, bending down in front of the Paladin Captain.

"Remé..." Gustav choked suddenly, and looking down, saw the knife embedded in his chest.

"You will be useful even after your death, Gustav. You! Captain Phineas, preserve the body, send the message as we planned, take the other prisoners. When the time comes, place this message on the body, and now leave," said Remedios, withdrawing after handing over a scroll.

...

Now

Coming out of these memories, Remedios saw a cave appear right in front of her.

'There, sister! Do you see? That's the place we've been looking for.'

When she left the camp, the theocrats wanted to accompany her, but she refused. If any weapon was found, it would be hers.

Remedios had been walking through the mountains for weeks, following sparse directions on a decrepit map in an archaic language from the time of the Thirteen Heroes. Without the guidance of her dead sister's spirit, she would never have gotten there. Without this help, she would have been lost for months in those mountains.

Entering the cave, Remedios lit a torch. Nothing unusual caught her attention until she went deeper. Suddenly, a light came on. It was a weak, flickering magical light, but it helped to see the walls, which were no longer those of a cave; they were smoothed and with carved figures, barely discernible. Time and the harsh conditions of the frozen mountain had destroyed most of the carvings. Only a few scenes were possible to make out: demons marching, sacrifices, kneeling creatures, someone on a pedestal.

"Why would they hide one of the Swords of Light here?"

'Is it really one of them? It could just be a trap.'

"Maybe it's neither. It could be a tomb, the lost tomb of the Black Knight. He was part demon."

As she walked, some lights came on, but others did not. Part of the corridor was buried by a collapse, and she had to crawl through a small space. Then the tunnel continued for hundreds of meters until it reached a hall.

The place was big enough that the torchlight didn't reach the walls. After walking a few dozen meters, a light on the ceiling came on.

Under the faint light, there was an altar, and on it seemed to be a sword embedded in the stone. At first, Remedios thought the blade was black, but as she approached and the light from her own torch reached it, she could see that the sword was actually red, the color of blood. Only the hilt was visible outside the stone, and on its grip were inlays.

"What the hell is this?"

'One of the Black Knight's swords?!'

Remedios approached, and then she could see something just behind the altar. She raised her torch, and then a new light came on, illuminating two figures. One of them was a huge statue, partially destroyed, but Remedios could recognize the figure, she could hardly believe what she was seeing.

But what caught her attention was another figure, a skeleton wearing the remnants of an ancient cloak. Part of its body was visible, showing almost human bones. The creature had a large hole in its chest, which should not have been made by time.

Its hands were outstretched, feebly holding the sword's hilt. And on its face was a familiar blue mask.

"Jaldabaoth..." she whispered. "This is a temple of JALDABAOTH!"

'Calm down, dear. He's not here.'

"I have to leave," she said, taking steps toward the exit.

'Sister! Wait! The sword! We can't leave it here, it might be the weapon you need!'

Remedios stopped and then went back. She took a few hesitant steps towards the weapon. It was possible to feel something pulsing from the blade, as if energy could jump out at any moment and take her life. That's why, as she approached, she hesitated to touch it.

"It's a cursed sword."

'It's a powerful sword. Take it, sister!'

"I don't want to."

'Take it.'

"No."

'TAKE IT!'

"SHUT UP!" Remedios shouted, pulling from her waist the jar containing her dead sister's head and smashing it on the altar.

'Sister?'

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

'But...?!'

"I SAID STOP! My sister was a prodigy, a genius in magic and a powerful mage. But without our family crest on her door, she wouldn't be able to find her own room in the palace. She had no sense of direction. YOU ARE NOT KELARD CUSTODIO! WHO ARE YOU?"

There was silence for a few seconds.

'He...hehehehehehehe! You know who I am' , laughed a female voice.

"No!"

'Yes!'

"It can't be, you are dead!"

'Am I? Come on, you know who I am, say it, say my name, SAY IT!'

"Jaldabaoth..."

''Yes.'HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!'

...

Author's Note

Hello, I finally gave an explanation of how Remédios Custódio faked his own death.

With her fragile mental state, her use as a scapegoat and the rush to get rid of her, I believe they made a big mistake.

I hope your escape was plausible to you readers, the worst thing for a writer is to create a silly solution, so I burned out my brains with this.