MISC: The Girl who saved the world part 7

[George Phillies]

“You!”  Valkyria shouted. “Inform the Bearer.  She must turn the Holy 
Namestone over to League of Nations.  At once!  As fast as possible! 
That is a direct order! From The League of Nations!” Yes, I could hear 
her Prussian mindset without reading her mind.  Unless something had 
gone very wrong, the whole world had watched me do the Maze.  She should 
have known who I am.

“I am the Bearer.  If you wanted the Namestone, you should have walked 
the Maze first and taken it,” I answered. I was calling my gifts, as 
fast as possible, reinforcing my shields, but when you start at absolute 
zero this takes a while.  I confess I was getting a bit nervous that the 
Screaming Skull was standing there, politely not saying anything.  No, 
we haven’t met, but when your mother is a persona, you tend to inherit 
bits of her gift fine structure, enough that he’d eventually figure out 
whose daughter I am. That would definitely not be good.

“Give it to me! Now! The League decreed: The Namestone is the property 
of the world.” Valkyria was used to having her orders obeyed.

“Give it to you? You and which army?” I asked languidly.  I should have 
been more polite.  .  I’d expected congratulations.  After all, people 
have been trying to thread the Lesser Maze for three thousand years, 
with no success. I’d done it. I will not say in my own defense that I 
was thoroughly exhausted, not to mention the body damage from the hand 
to hand combat segments.

Old English proverb: Battles are events between inadequate opportunities 
to rest. I wasn’t resting.  I was powering up my gifts as fast as 
possible, but I’d started with gifts that had been zero-lined, not kept 
at standby. “This one?” She waved her fingers.  What had to be the whole 
League of Nations Elite Strike Force teleported in at her back.

The Strike Force began to spread, left and right.  “That’s far enough,” 
I announced.  They kept spreading.

It’s a very special gesture with hand and wrist. My palm ends up facing 
skyward, the Namestone burning cerulean a few inches above it, its 
tuneless tune distantly heard in every ear.  Yes, I did remember to cue 
my personal theme music and body aura.  No, I can still call on 
Namestone’s power even if I can’t move.  And, yes, my aura actually is 
the same blue as the Namestone’s glow.  My platinum blonde hair and pale 
gray garb go really well with it.

“Behold the Holy Namestone. Come no farther or face my wrath.”