Chương 104: Chapter 99-Chosen Stubbornness

Rage. Anger. What's the difference? No, really, what's the difference? I know there's a difference. I've felt both before and… I can tell you this… I'm not a fan of Rage. It's something I've had to deal with my whole life, and having to deal with it hasn't been the easiest thing. Anger, on the hand, is, I'm not going to say easier to handle, but definitely safer to work with. With anger, it feels natural, a natural emotion that I need to feel, but with rage, I don't think it's safe.

Which is why I need to be careful right now. I need to be angry, not rageful. Hopper scratches his bunny ear.

"I'm really sorry, CJ," he says. The surroundings of the Whisperwood forest encircle us as I take a deep breath. Focus on the melting snow, the feeling of the rogue wind, and- Snap.

"It's fine, Hopper. Everything is fine," I [Lie]. Penelope looks between us with a hint of worry.

"Guys, are you being affected by the rage right now?" We look over at her.

"No, of course not," we [Lie]. She nods.

"I see. So, you guys having a hand on your weapons has nothing to do with the rage?" Looking down, I see my hand resting on the Chosen Blade. Well, resting is an understatement. It's more like I'm gripping it with all my might. Taking a deep breath, I release my grip on the hilt. That was… close. Hopper clears his throat.

"Ok, did we almost try to kill each other over me accidentally bumping into you?"

"Sure feels like it. We need to find this Wrathborn, now," I say with a sense of urgency. Hopper nods.

"Agreed. Thankfully, I think I found the area where that Shapeshifter was at." Penelope walks over, still wary of our movements.

"I will assume that means that the weekend was a productive one?"

"You would be right. I spent the last two days scouring every inch of Tyranus Ridge. At first, I didn't find a single thing worth mentioning, but then I had a thought. What if I'm looking on the wrong side? I went through the tunnel, and that's when I found it, or at least I think I found it," he says as he traces out a diagram in the snow.

"What exactly did you find?" I ask as I see the blue gem of the Chosen Blade alight and then dim.

"An illusory wall. It was actually dumb luck that I even found it. I was resting in the tunnel, and I heard the faintest of water dripping. It annoyed me so much that I went looking for it, and that's when I found it. A secret passage," Hopper says with a hint of excitement. Penelope twirls one of her drills.

"That is odd, but how sure are we that this secret passage will lead us to where the Wrathborn is?" She's right. We need to be sure of this. After all, the potions that Alyver is making are only going to last for an hour. If we go in there and it leads to a dead end, or the Wrathborn could just not be there when we show up, we would be wasting the potions. Then there's the other side of this coin. If we go in to verify that the Wrathborn is there, we could fall prey to its effects and end up killing each other.

"We have to assume that this secret passage will lead to where the Wrathborn is. It would be far too much of a coincidence for it to be anything else, but we need a way to ensure that the Wrathborn will be there when we are. Any ideas?" I ask. Hopper and Penelope give me a smile that I've come to recognize. It's the 'Use CJ as bait smile.' It's a terrible smile. A smile that I see in my nightmares.

"No," I say.

"You haven't even heard our plan, Charlatan," Penelope says with a sweet smile.

"I don't need to hear your plan. Your face tells me everything I need to know," I say as I stare her down.

"And what does my face say?" she asks as she gets close to me.

"That it's going to be a pain in my ass."

"What? Of course not, but it'll definitely ensure that the Wrathborn will be in that secret passage," she says as she stares back. We hold our gaze for longer than I want to admit. At least it was long enough that Hopper felt the need to clear his throat.

"If the two of you are done. We have company," he says as the whispers around us grow. Alyver walks out from seemingly nowhere.

"It is good to see you all. I have come to inform you of the completion of the potions. They will be back at the village and will be available to you at a moment's notice," she says with a hint of tiredness. Hopper raises an eyebrow.

"Can't we just carry them with us?" Alyver shakes her head.

"For you and the Princess that is possible, but for the Chosen Betrayer that is not an option." I look around at the three of them.

"Uh, why?"

"The Chieftain said that the rage has taken root deeper in you than it has in anyone else. Taking the potion now will render you unconscious as you identify the memory in which the rage has taken hold in. You must then rip it out by the roots," she explains.

"Memory? Do you know what memory that'll be, Charlatan?" Penelope asks.

"No. In fact, I don't need the potion. I can handle the effects of the rage without it," I [Lie].

"You can not," Alyver says bluntly. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Your mother said Vashrins were able to handle the rage."

"A Vashrin can only resist the effects for so long. They are not immune. Especially when you're not a full-blooded Vashrin," she says with a hint of anger.

"I can do it. Save the potion for the other two," I say stubbornly.

"You are-" Alyver goes to say.

"Charlatan, come with me," Penelope says after she grabs my hand and pulls me further into the forest.

"Hey! Hey! Penelope let go!" I yell as I try to break free from her monstrous grip. Penelope ignores me as she pulls me further into the forest. After a bit, she finally stops and turns to look at me. Her green eyes search my face.

"What are you doing, Penelope?" I ask with a hint of anger.

"I'm trying to find where the stubbornness is hiding so that I can smack it out of you," she says.

"What?"

"You're being stupid and stubborn, Charlatan. You can't take on the Wrathborn without taking the potion. You know that. So, what's the problem?" she asks.

"There isn't a problem," I [Lie].

"That's a lie."

"I just think it would be a better idea to keep a spare on hand," I [Lie].

"That's a lie."

"Stop it! I can handle it, Penelope. So, drop it," I [Lie]. Penelope lets the silence hang between us.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" I ask as my heart hammers away in my chest.

"You're terrified. I've never seen you terrified. I've seen you scared, but I've never seen you let your fear make decisions for you. Especially not stupid ones," she says as she keeps a hold of my hand.

"I… I can't do it. I can't take that potion. If I do… I won't be able to fight, let alone stand," I say, my voice barely higher than a whisper. As I look down, Penelope lets go of my hand.

"I'm not going to pretend and say I understand, but I will say this. You're stronger than you think, and I know in the end you'll drink that potion," she says.

"How could you know that?" I ask. Penelope grabs me by the face and lifts it to meet her gaze.

"Because you aren't able to stand by and watch someone get hurt. It's not you." Penelope lets go of my face and starts to walk back to the group, leaving me alone. I gently rub my cheek where she touched. Gods, does she have cold hands. With a sigh, I shake my head. I don't know if I can do it. Relieving those memories… is nothing short of torture, but… if I don't. If I face the Wrathborn without the potion, I'll end up killing Hopper or Penelope. I'm not so stupid that I don't realize that. She's right.

I am being stupid. The question isn't whether I'm going to take the potion or not. The question is whether I'm going to be a liability or not. Taking a deep breath, I begin my trek back to the group. Soon enough, I find the group waiting for me. Penelope is sitting on a rock with what can only be a smug smile.

"Sorry, Alyver. I'll take the potion." Alyver looks at me with a hint of suspicion.

"Good. I'll be waiting for you all when you are ready. Please don't take long," she says before disappearing. The moment she's gone, Hopper gives me a worried look.

"Did Penelope threaten you?" he asks aloud.

"I would never do such a thing," she says, somewhat offended. With a devilish smile, I [Lie], "What would you call what you did back there? You basically told me to do it or die."

"Penelope? Why would you do that?" Hopper asks. She rolls her eyes.

"Back to the topic at hand. Our plan to get the Wrathborn to the secret passage. I think we should do it the day after tomorrow."

"Fine, but I'm saying it now. I hate whatever this plan is." I love this plan. Jumping up on a cafeteria table, I clear my throat. The packed cafeteria turns to me. This is exactly why we decided to do this plan today. It's pizza day. Everyone is here, and I mean everyone.

"If I can have your attention! I have an announcement!" I say as I project my voice. The crowd quiets down to a murmur with a few whispers pushing through.

"Is that The Chosen One? What's he doing?" a student whispers.

"I don't know, but it looks like it's going to be fun," another student whispers. Good. I have everyone's attention, and I mean, why wouldn't I? I am someone that everyone wants to pay attention to, and handsome to boot. Really, I'm the whole package if you think about it. Ah, I'm getting distracted. Back to what I was doing.

"I'm sure everyone is feeling the stress of dead week, and I'm sure tempers are flaring because of it. Well, I want to tell you all that it's not just dead week that's doing this to you. It's actually the work of a Demon." The crowd of students breaks into an audible gasp. Quickly followed by a lot of noise.

"What is he talking about? A Demon is on school property?" a student asks with fear, lacing their voice.

"Demon? Were those rumors of a Demon attacking The Chosen One on campus true?" another student asks. With a Devilish smile, I put my hand up to quiet the crowd.

"I don't want you all to worry. Yeah, it's a Demon, but between you and me. It's a pathetic Demon. Pathetic might be too nice, actually. What other word could I use?"

"Weak?"

"Feeble?"

"Cowardly?"

"Ah, yes, that's the word. Cowardly. This Demon is so scared of facing me that it's been using rage to try to get to me. Do you guys believe that? At least other Demons have the guts to come and face me themselves, but this Demon? They're hiding. Scared of even catching a glimpse of me, and it's not like this 'power' of theirs is doing anything," I taunt.

"He's right. I mean, what kind of Demon hides?" a student asks.

"Serves that Demon right. They should run scared from The Chosen One," another student says.

"This Demon must be weak. I bet even I could take it," another student boasts.

"Now you guys are getting it. Our biggest worry is finals. So, don't worry about this Demon. I'll deal with them. If I can find them. Like a coward, they're good at hiding, but don't worry, I think I found their little hidey hole. Now, everyone get back to pizza," I say as I jump off the table.

"That went well, Charlatan. Do you think it worked?" Penelope asks.

"Consider the boiling rage that I'm feeling right now. I think it worked," I say as I rub the bite scar on my wrist.

"Good. That means the Wrathborn is pissed and is probably going to go check on their lair," she says.

"Great. Now, let's get to the Teleportation Nexus before I bite your head off," I say as the rage grows stronger.