It was... well, she wasn't sure how it felt.

The events of the last few minutes passed through her mind. The grand battle, luring the beast into the circle... And the betrayal. The looks of sorrow on her comrade's face as they gave apologies and expected no forgiveness. The lighting fading from their eyes as she sunk into the abyss below.

Her thoughts where interrupted by a low growl shaking the infinite nothingness she floated within. Her eyes show open to find the beast where it hadn't been before. The great serpent, the Demon of the Wastes, the Godslayer. It went by many names, all of them striking fear into every being that walked upon god's green earth.

All of them- except for her.

She drew her sword and charged the beast without a second thought. Her leg finding footing that wasn't there. And the beast charged right back.

​

Their clash was brief, for all its strength, the beast was blinded with anger. And went to bite that which had imprisoned it in half, only for her to roll under its strike and stab it directly in the eye. A wound that should never have killed it; it hadn't earned its names to have a mortal weakness after all; and yet, the beast's roar faded into silence as its body crumbled back into the shadows if the abyss.

She caught her breath. But the peace wouldn't last. The beast soon returned angry as ever, and they clashed again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

No matter how many times they were struck down. They would always rise again.

Sometimes she won, piercing the beast's eyes, heart, lungs. what have it. While other times the beast would win. Stabbing her with its claws, bleeding her out or poisoning her. Sometimes swallowing her whole if it was particularly peeved. And yet, none if it ever went anywhere.

Though her body never scared, her blade never dulled, and her muscles never grew sore. Her spirit wavered none the less. And she knew the beast felt the same. The fire in its eyes having long sense faded into pale embers.

She lunged at the beast as she had countless times before. It made no attempt to move out of the way, knowing there was no point either way. And yet, no blade pierced it. Her sword rest beside its head, lodged within a wall that didn't exist. She sighed as the void released the grip on her blade as she turned away.

"Why do we fight? What had either of us done to deserve this?" She asked to no reply. "The lords and their wives always said that you could bring the world to ruin. And yet, they also said the heroes of the realm would be honored and revered. Not damned to the abyss with their greatest foe.

"Hero?" the beast snorted. "don't tell me your ego is as big as that forehead of yours".

"Oh can it" she said, before realization dawned on her.

Fantastic, either she had spent so long with the beast that she could understand it, or had gone crazy and was now projecting onto it. Frankly, she's not sure which was worse.

The beast floated over to her, not bothering to walk along the path that didn't exist, yet would always carry their feet regardless.

"I'm tired" she finally admitted. She leaned back and fell into the void, the absolute nothingness embracing her body "I miss my home. My room. My friends. I miss the great feasts whenever our barracks won a king's tournament. I miss surprising my wife and kids when a campaign ended sooner than planned and I could go home early. I miss my life."

The beast paused. For how long, neither of them could know. Not anymore.

"Me too" it admitted as its long body coiled around itself. "I miss sunbathing upon mountain peaks. I miss hunting creatures that could keep me fed for a month. I miss discovering new cavern paths leading to wonders untold. I miss finding a new hot spring in the cold winter months. I miss living."

She snorted. "Don't miss destroying villages then?"

The beast rolled its eyes. "Turn around for 5 minutes to find someone built a village on your favorite hunting grounds. Yet when you take your stolen land back, you're suddenly the bad guy.

"The village had been there for a decade"

"So what?"

She humphed. She knew she should be mad. Knew that she should retaliate for this transgression. And yet- The fire of hatred had long burned itself out. And now not even embers remained.

She closed her eyes, content to rest and clear her mind. Which she did, for a time. Before being awoken by the beast growling again.

"Now what?" She asked. Having to only open her eyes for an answer.

Far above them, a small mote of light shone. Had it only recently arrived? Or had it always been there; with neither of them noticing in their eternal conflict. Whichever it was, it was there. And they could see it.

​

"Do you think we could get up there?" she asked.

The beast didn't bother responding. It's long body uncoiling as its legs tensed. Before she could even react, the beast scooped her up in its antlers as it jumped from nothing to nothing as it ascended towards this new heaven. Higher and higher they went. The light getting closer and closer until-

"Hey is that thing getting-"

FWOOM!

A ray of light streaked barely past the two of them. The beast yelped in surprise as the light's heat singed its scales. Yet it gave no pause. It climbed even faster than before. The spite it once held against the warrior now directed towards whatever was keeping them here. It dodged nimbly past beams as the void made no attempt to stop them. Any beams it couldn't dodge, she was there to deflect and parry with her own shield.

The light soon grew massive as they approached. Almost within arm's reach now. They both let out a mighty roar as they flew towards the light. Whatever fate had for them now was definitively better than the oblivion below them.

She closed her eyes as the light became overwhelming, admittedly to little help. Yet before she could comprehend just what was happening, she felt herself in freefall. The cold ground knocking the wind out of her.

​

Wait...

Cold?

She opened her eyes in shock. Gone was the hollow nothingness of the abyss. She sat upon solid earth, the dense trees above her the pale gold of autumn.

"We're free?" She asked herself. "Holy fuck we're free!". She could only laugh as she threw herself into the piles of dead leaves. The chill crunch something she never thought she'd feel again.

"Can you believe it? that that actually worked?" She asked the beast.

The beast, however, paid her no head. the base of its tail curled around itself, and it seemed particularly focused on something, prompting her approach.

"Hey, what is... it..." She felt the coldness of her heart returning.

Standing before them stood a time-worn statue. It's face missing and a deep crack running through most of it. Yet despite all that, she'd still know that person anywhere. The same one that had damned both of them to that prison.

"Here lies the faceless hero" she read from the faded inscription at the bottom. "The night the beast was sealed, their light had faded with the moon."

They both stood unmoving.

So that was it then? Wasn't it? Their story ended, long ago, while she had been trapped. Gone was everything she had known. Any chance that she'd get answers. Any chance she could see her family again... All that remained was herself and whatever she could do with it.

She hadn't even realized that she was walking away until a large muzzled pushed against her back.

"You can leave now" she said. "Our story is over. There's nothing left for us."

The beast snorted as it scooped her up again. She struggled to maintain balance as it let out a gentle purr.

Well, she wasn't the only thing left she supposed. After all, the beast had technically been by her side this whole time.

"Fair enough" she chuckled. "C'mon then. Let's go see what's waiting for us."