37 — Florian's Truth

The hulking mass of Florian's body approaches Joezand with lightning-fast speed. He was already taller and stronger normally, but whatever is happening to him is making his muscles somehow grow in real time.

Florian tries to attack Joezand with the sword. He parries, but feels the strain on his arm already. It was a lot harder to deal with this blow than the one before. Florian steps back, his body still changing. His arm muscles bulge out until his clothes rip, revealing...

Glowing bright pink. That's the color of his veins. They swell together with the muscles, and then slightly shrink down before growing again. It's like his whole body is pulsing.

That's not a human.

He knows this world has magic, but he never saw it do something like this.

Maybe Florian never even got the letter at all. That's what Agnes told him. Then that would mean...

"What are you?" Joezand asks, breathing heavily. "What have you done with the real Florian?"

"It's adorable that you think I would entertain your act," The creature speaks. Its voice seems... layered? Like there are several people speaking at the same time. "But I've been here this whole time. You haven't even met Florian, Joezand."

"So you've been fooling us since we arrived?" Joezand asks. "Then Florian never got the message? Where is he, then? Were the bandits working for you? What even are you? Some sort of—"

Florian thrusts his sword towards Joezand, who displaces it. He tries cutting again, but Joezand parries.

"Boring, boring, boring, Joezand!" Florian says with his multiple distorted voices as he attacks. "You're boring me to tears!" He attacks once again, locking Joezand in a bind. "You can't fool me. I can tell what you really are, Joezand. You're no less of an impostor than me— UGH!" Joezand kicks Florian in the stomach, making him recoil.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Joezand says, then turns to Karla, who's still shocked, shivering behind him. "What are you waiting for? Go! Get away already!"

"R-Right!" Karla says, running off to the city.

"Smart boy. Didn't want her to hear, huh?" His smile grows wider than humanly possible, stretching literally ear to ear. His forked tongue licks his lips through his sharp teeth. "A rebellious prince who ran away but obediently came back. When he did, his entire personality changed. Coincidentally, he has no memories of his previous life. He starts acting completely different, too." Florian chuckles. "I can't believe they bought this story. But I know the truth. I even thought we were on the same side, at first."

"Whatever your theory is, it's wrong." Joezand says, as he tries to thrust towards Florian. He easily parries, but Joezand is able to counter-attack his leg. Florian hisses in pain as bright pink blood comes out from his thigh. "I could never be on your side."

"Of course not. You have your own, weird agenda that involves getting close to these people while pretending to be Joezand." Florian shrugs, as the wound on his leg just... closes. The skin around morphs and grows until he's not bleeding anymore. "Unfortunately for you I need them dead. It's sad, really. I didn't want to do this to a fellow impostor."

"I don't have an agenda." Joezand says. That's true. "I'm not an impostor." That's... kind of a lie? But still, it's not possible this guy somehow knows he's from another world. "I AM Joezand. The real one. What the hell are you talking about?" He attacks again, cutting against Florian's arm. He tries to counter-attack by thrusting against the prince's head, but Joezand ducks and delivers another strike to Florian's leg. "What are you even implying? Who would I be instead of Joezand?"

"Are you kidding? You're still keeping this up? Nobody's around to hear you, y'know." Florian says, as his skin tries to close up again. But Joezand won't allow that.

He thrusts towards the open wound on the creature's arm, hammering his rapier inside until it reaches bone. Florian screams out in pain, and cuts towards Joezand's arm. The prince's able to unsheathe his dagger quickly and parry with it.

Florian strikes against Joezand's leg, and the prince's forced to retreat, but not before the sword nicks his ankle. The two get some distance, while Florian keeps staring at the bleeding below Joezand's calf.

"Aren't you going to close that up?" Florian asks. "Come on, I want an exciting fight already. We've just been poking each other. Again, stop pretending like you're human. Just heal yourself—"

"Oh my god, what are you TALKING about!?" Joezand exclaims. "I. Can't. Do. That. I'm not what you think I am. I'm just a regular human! What the hell is your problem?!"

"Wait." The monster stops. "Are you really... not a changeling?"

"You're kidding." Joezand says, exasperated. "You are KIDDING me. First Agnes' stupid theory, and now this? What the hell is your problem—" Joezand stops himself. "Wait, what? So YOU'RE a changeling? Aren't you supposed to be irrational monsters created by demons who only seek destruction or whatever? Why are you even attacking me if you thought I was one, too?"

"Tsk. Can't believe I've been wasting my time talking to you all this time." Florian groans, ignoring Joezand's questions. "I should've just killed the five of you when you were sleeping." Florian throws the sword away, as his fingers start to extend into claws. His jaw opens, dropping down to his chest, and even his pointy teeth get longer. His posture goes from straight to hunchback, and his form goes from humanoid to beast-like.

Florian tries to jump at him, but Joezand slides forwards. He's below the changeling as he points his rapier up, cutting the monster's stomach. Florian falls to the ground. His guts start to slip out, but he quickly put them back inside and closes his wound.

How the hell is he going to beat something that can just heal itself?

Florian tries to bite the prince's leg, and barely misses as Joezand steps back. The changeling recieves a full thrust to the front of the neck, the rapier coming out of the nape. Joezand tries to decapitate him, but his sword isn't sharp enough to cut through the spine. He removes it, as he sees the changeling grab his own throat. The bleeding eventually stops, but he can see Florian panting, before trying to attack again.

Alright, maybe that did something. Maybe it's the glowing blood? He's gotta run out of that eventually, right?

The changeling swipes at Joezand's side, and the prince can't evade fully in time. The claws dig into him, as the changeling throws him forcefully on the ground.

"Must be awful being a human, huh?" Florian says, getting face to face with Joezand. The prince sees crimson coating the changeling's hands. "You could close it up no problem if you were like me. Now even if somebody heals you, it's gonna scar. You'd never forget me for as long as you live." Florian chuckles. "Not that it matters, since you'll die now, but—"

Pink blood gushes out of the changeling's head. A sharp arrow shows itself, coming out of its eye.

The changeling looks back, grinning with its large mouth. Iaomai, Agnes, Anneliese and Lorelai arrived, with Karla hiding behind them. Iaomai starts drawing another arrow. Agnes puts her hands above his bow for a moment, reciting something.

"Tsk. More of you?" Florian says, getting up. He doesn't seem to mind his wound. He removes his claws from Joezand's body. "Guess I'll be forced to leave, then. Guess you'll get that scar, Joezand." Another arrow hits his head, lodging itself on the top of his cranium. "These do nothing to me. Don't you know it's rude to interrupt—"

The new arrow starts glowing bright orange.

And it explodes the changeling's head, sending pink everywhere. The body twitches for a bit, before it stops moving completely.

"Nice." Agnes says. "It worked."

"P-Prince Joezand!" Anneliese says, running towards him. Iaomai and Lorelai do the same, while Agnes limps towards the changeling's body.

"You don't seem okay, princey." Lorelay says, kneeling next to him. "Iaomai, can you take this?"

"Y-Yes." Iaomai says, putting his hands above Joezand's injury. They're instantly coated red.

Did he puncture an organ or... something...?

"S-Stay with us! Prince Joezand!" Anneliese pleads.

He starts to feel... lightheaded.

He...

Can't really...

Think... straight...

"Prince Joezand!"

His consciousness slowly slips away from him.