Chapter One

Life as a prince sucks. And I should know.

My name is Blaine Regem, son of Ian Regem, the King of Western Dragonia, the most boring place to live.

I mean, it isn't too bad. All it really is is a walled off city surrounded by a bowl of mountains. Inside the walls is a huge town. Its a huge checkpoint for travelers who have coins to spare, because everything here is incredibly expensive. It isn't called 'Fortress City' for nothing. The name was my uncles idea.

Centered between all the shops inside the walls is the castle, where me, my dad, and my Uncle Vulcan live together as a family. My mom died in a fire that happened years ago in this very castle, but that's another story. I won't admit life is easy without her here, because believe me, it isn't. I barely even knew her, and dad and Vulcan refuse to talk about her at all. It's frustrating, really.

I often think about how I could stop all the stress going on in my head, and the only thing that comes to mind is the dream every kid has when they hear stories about them...

An adventurer.

They're always setting out on quests to reclaim lost treasure, fight off beasts threatening innocents, stuff like that. I want to be someone like that. Someone who people look to in times when all hope is lost. That's who I want to be.

When I first told my dad and uncle this, Vulcan was all in. He was like, "Kid, that's a great idea! An adventurer, huh? You'll have to train up if you want to get out there in the real world and go do adventuring stuff." Vulcan was always like that around me. Very uncle-y. He could get very serious when it came to battle strategies and defensive protocols, but apart from that, he was a chill guy. My dad, on the other hand, wasn't all in for it.

"You're the prince." he had said. "Your place is here."

So my dad disapproves of me becoming an adventurer. That's his opinion. But my dream is mine. I can be whoever I want, do anything I set my mind to.

I will be an adventurer, no matter who tells me otherwise. But first, I have to get through high school...

Chapter Two

So the morning of the first day of high school went off to a rough start.

I got up at the crack of dawn, dressed in my school outfit, a blue shirt with the school logo on it, a red tie, black shorts, and my favorite brown shoes. I had packed all the schoolbooks I would need for the day as well as a random book I had found in the library I had found and began to read the other day. It was called The Lord of the Rigs: Fellowship of the Ring. So far it was a pretty good book. I didn't like the orcs in it though. I know some orcs who live in the mountains. Me and Vulcan sometimes go camping or hiking in the mountains, and every so often, we run in to the Fortress Mountain Orcs, as Vulcan calls them. They have a real name, but it's hard to pronounce. They're really cool guys, and they don't fight unless they have to. It was from them that I learned that there are orcs in any habitat except watery, tropical, or the sort. They can't swim. They also have different skin color based on their habitat that they live in, which is cool.

Anyways, I got up and headed for Dragonia High, which was located in the most ridiculous spot imaginable.

See there are two big buildings in Fortress City: the castle, and Dragonia High, both are located directly across from each other, which is super frustrating, because that is a long walk. Grinding my teeth, I set off for the building where I would be spending the next three to four years at.

Dragonia High, I should tell you, is the only high school anywhere. That's why so many people move here, is that their kid can get an education before becoming an adult. Of course, it's also the best of the best. Everything there is high quality. Even the students. A majority of kids there are rich snobs who think they can do whatever they want because their parents are rich. I was unlucky enough to meet one of those snobs as soon as I got to the school.

A girl was talking to her friends when I got there. As soon as I was in eyesight, the girl looked up.

"Oh, look, girls." she said. "Another messy student. Seriously, DA should only take people from noble class families. Instead, they take in poor people who can't even afford an outfit. Where'd you find yours? The garbage?"

She laughed. Coldly.

It's not like my naturally white hair can be tamed. It's always messy, no matter how hard I try to brush it. The only reason I leave it the way it is is because of the two black horns at the beach of my head, which look really cool mixed with my wild hair.

"For your information, Miss, I purchased mine, as well as all the books needed for this year's class. Now if you'll excuse me..."

She stepped in my way. Clearly she didn't want to be ignored.

Smiling coldly, she said, "It must've taken all your life savings, huh? You saved up, only to lose all your money for an outfit you'll never wear except for going here and books you'll never read except for when you need to."

Rolling my eyes, I said back. "And you are...?"

"Oh, do forgive me where are my manners?" she said. "Cecelia Baker, daughter of Richard Baker."

I blinked. "Who?"

"You know me. Everyone knows me!" she said.

"You sure?"

She looked offended. "And who are you? Someone who clearly has never heard of my family, that's for sure."

I bowed. "Prince Blaine Regem. Pleasure, Miss Baker. Now if you'll excuse me I need-"

"Now wait just a minute." she said.

Oh. MY. GOD! What does she want now?

"I've heard of you." she said. "You're the rebellious son of Ian Regem, right?"

"You know me, but I have no clue who you are. What are the odds?"

She glared at me. "You seriously have no idea?"

"Not a clue."

Her fists clenched, her teeth began to grind. "Well. I think you and I are going to have some problems, now won't we?"

I shrugged. "I guess so."

"Know this, Regem," she said. "You will know me soon enough, I swear I will not rest until you know who I am!"

"You won't have to wait long." I smirked.

"Let's go, girls." she said. Turning away toward the school she said. You'll pay for this, Regem. One day, you will pay."

As she walked off, a voice behind me said, "Wow."

Turning around, I was looking at the prettiest girl I had ever seen. Her eyes were sapphire blue, her hair as white as marble, and on the back of her head, I kid you not, we're two black horns.

"I've never seen someone stand up to Cecelia like that." she said. "You've got some guts."

"Th-thanks, I guess..." I said. Was I being complimented by a girl I found cute?

She smiled. "I'm unfortunate enough to know Cecelia, and even more unfortunate to be on the list of people she hates. I guess you are too, now, I guess."

I shrug.

She chuckles. Oh my God it is the most adorable sound I have ever heard.

Holding out her hand she said, "I'm Fyre Blacksteel. Nice to meet you."

I look at her hand, then at her. This can't be happening. But it was.

I shook her hand, smiling. "Nice to meet you too, Miss Blacksteel."

"Oh, please, call me Fyre." She said.

"Okay. Nice to meet you, Fyre."

For a moment, we kinda just looked at each other, hands still held.

"Well, I gotta get to class." she said, looking at the large clock built into the school.

"Same." I said. It was then that I noticed my face felt very warm. Warmer than usual. "Guess I'll... see you around!"

She looked back before saying, "...Yeah. I guess we will."

Best first day of high school ever.

Chapter Three

So, apart from the little morning incident, the rest of the day was awesome.

It turns out the girl I met, Fyre, is in not one, not two, but EVERY SINGLE CLASS I'm taking this year. No joke. She's in first period math, second period advanced combat, third period alchemy, fourth period magic studies, fifth period history, and sixth period survival, all of which are the classes necessary to becoming an adventurer, which got me thinking, "Does Fyre want to be an adventurer, too?"

Nah. Probably just a coincidence.

Math started out pretty good. The professor assigned us an entire front and back of an 8 1/2in x 11in piece of parchment with 40 questions we had to answer, and it was due the next morning. GREAT.

Things got super interesting in battle training. The professor told us as soon as we had entered the room to go to the back and change into the outfits assigned to us. Not to sound ungrateful or snobby or anything, but the least the people at this school can do is wash the freaking tank tops, because they were dirty and smelled strongly of sweat. Only one kid didn't seem to mind this.

"Eh, it's not that bad. I've worn worse. He said to me.

"What do you wear where you come from that's worse than this?" I asked, removing my blue jacket.

"I'm from a monastery located in central Dragonia." He said, shoving himself into his tank. "We wear tanks, but they're old. Some of them are so old you can't even tell where to put your head or arms. It's bad."

"Oof." I said.

"I got lucky enough to grab a tank that wasn't completely destroyed." He continued. "We only really wear them for battle training like this."

"So you've had some experience? Luck-" I began to say, looking at him in awe. He was about the same height as me, with wild red hair, brown eyes and... "WHOA!" I almost shouted.

"What?"

"You've got cat ears!" I whisper-yelled.

It was true. Two stout, yellow feline ears poked out of his flaming red hair. They twitched before lying flat in his hair, as if trying not to be seen.

"Yeah..." He said, looking away. "I've always had them, since I was a baby the monks told me."

"What kind are they?" I asked.

He didn't look at me.

"Sorry..." I said. "If it makes you uncomfortable..."

"Nah." He said, looking at me. "It's cool. I was looking away from you for a dramatic effect."

"Oh." I said, feeling stupid.

"They're lion ears." He said. "The monks say I'm a Half-Beast."

"No way."

"Way." he said, grinning. "I've also got a tail but," He looked around again. "Probably not safe to show you here."

"Oh. Yeah, no, that's cool." I said, waving it off.

"What about you?" he asked. "What's your story?"

"Eh, I'm a prince." I said, casually.

"Neat. I don't know of any princes. You're the first." he shrugged.

I laughed, and then stopped, realizing he was serious.

"You've never met a prince before?" I asked.

"Nope."

"Wow." I was shocked.

"Yeah." he said.

He seemed like a pretty laid back guy who followed his own path in life. That's cool.

"Is this the part where we tell each other our names and shake hands or something?" he asked.

I shrug. "Sure."

"Cool." he said. "I'm Leon Wrengate."

"Blaine Regem." I said, shaking his hand.

Wow. What a firm grip. v p

Turns out Leon wasn't lying when he said he had some experience with the monks he trained with. The sandbag dummies we were supposed to be practicing our hand-to-hand combat skills were no match for him. His fists were practically flying at every exposed area of the sandbag. He was faster than lightning. I told him that after class.

"Feh." He said. "The monks can go faster. You can barely see them hitting the wooden posts we have to fight back at the monastery. ANyone's capable of doing it," he turned to me. "You just have to start practicing at a very young age."

I recounted his words. Practice at a young age. Hmm...

During magic studies, we were just learning about spells, no actual magic or anything, to which came a long, depressed sigh from a girl next to me, who, unfortunately, wasn't Fyre.

"No magic?" she whined. "Aren't we doing this class FOR the magic?"

"I apologize." the professor said, summoning a magic hand to pat her shoulder. "It's just too risky right now. I know some of you may have practiced magic before, but we don't want any accidents we can't control."

The girl huffed, but said nothing more until we got in our seats and began listening to the lecture about magic.

"Uncontrollable accidents were how some of the greatest witches and wizards began." she muttered to herself.

"She's just playing it safe." I said, trying to make her feel better.

The girl looked at me. "You think so?" she asked, and then answered her own question. "I guess you're right. The professor's right. Magic is wild, almost uncontrollable, exactly what she said. Even kids like me who have studied magic will sometimes do something wrong." She sighed.

"Don't beat yourself up, alright?" I said. "Hey, if it makes you feel better, I didn't get to use a sword in battle training earlier, and that kinda sucked."

"Battle training isn't magic, though." she countered. "And why do you want to be a swordsman so bad?"

"Nah, not a swordsman. An adventurer." I corrected.

She looked at me.

"An adventurer?" she repeated. "Why?"

"Well, I don't want to spend my life on a fancy chair with a crown on my head." I said.

"Wait. Are you Blaine Regem?" she asked. She looked as if I was one of the Gods coming down to her and say hello.

"Yep."

Her face went from shock to joy.

"I'm talking to THE Blaine Regem!" she said, smiling.

"I ain't anything to look at." I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you are!" she said, gesturing to me. "You're a legend! You're practically famous where I'm from!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah! Oh, I realized I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Evergreen Forester! Nice to meet you, Your Highness!"

"Just Blaine is fine."

So we kept talking throughout the period, occasionally writing down notes on what the professor was saying. Apparently Evergreen lives in a town my dad, mom, and little baby me went to way back when. I told her I didn't remember, and she told me neither did she, and that her dad told her I was a handsome baby, which was kinda awkward...

After that, nothing to uneventful happened until survival.

"Welcome, students." the professor said. He was old, wrinkly, and had a long white mustache and thin white hair. "You can call me Professor Wendego. I'm your survival professor, as you may have noticed. Now before we begin, I will tell you that I have been on many an expiration trip or adventure," That got my attention, as well as almost everyone else. "Enough to know that being out in the wilderness is not for the faint hearted. That's what this class is for: to teach YOU how to survive when touring this amazing but deadly land. Now, we won't get into solo survival just yet, but you'll be working in teams of four, so pick your people wisely. I should also tell you that the team who makes it out of today's lesson unharmed will earn special points. Does it sound easy? Well, it isn't. In this little, er... simulation," he gestured to the wilderness-like space we were in. Vast, spacious, and full of plant life.

"This is made to look like a forest you and your team will be surviving in. There are dangerous animals here, not poisonous, of course, but they will be one of your many obstacles you have to face. The two other obstacles will be the other teams, which you will have to avoid. If anyone but your own teammate touches you, you're out. The landscape itself, which is completely magical, by the way," he looked at the students. "Is also an obstacle. The roots of the trees and the rocks, although magical, can still be tripped over, and you can sprain or break something." Evergreen was the only one who looked awestruck at the enchanted forest. I didn't realize she was here until I heard her gasp. I also saw Leon in here too.

"Now that you know the rules," Professor Wendego said. "You may pick your teams."

Chapter 4

The moment the Professor told us to begin, Evergreen ran over and asked, "Can you be on my team?"

"I-"

"BLAINE! BE ON MY TEAM!" Leon shouted. Then he noticed Evergreen. "Wait. Who's she?"

"I'm Evergreen Forester." she said. "And I'm on his team."

"What?!" Leon shouted. "Do you even know him?"

"Do you?" she asked.

"I asked you first."

"Well I asked you second."

"Do I have to answer you?"

"Yes, actually."

"Why? I don't even know you, but I already dislike you."

"Likewise."

"Well, I won't answer your question." Leon crossed his arms.

"Neither will I." Evergreen crossed her arms.

"Guys, you can both be on my team." I said.

"No way." Leon said. "No way I'm going to be on a team with her."

"I can't stand you, either." Evergreen said back.

"You're both my friends!" I said. "You can both be on my team!"

"Hey, what's going on?"

It was Fyre. Oh my GOD IT WAS FYRE HOLY...!!!

"I'm on his team!" Evergreen and Leon both shouted, pointing at me.

She looked at me and said. "Oh. Hey... Again."

"Hey..." I said.

Evergreen and Leon looked between her and I. "I'm confused what's going on." Leon said at last, breaking the silence.

"You're confused?" Evergreen asked. "I was confused first!"

"Nuh uh.I literally said I was confused first."

"Well, I thought about it first."

"Well, I can't read your mind."

"Well, you didn't think about it first."

"Well-"

"Alright you two, break it up!" Fyre said, standing between the two of them. "Blaine said you can BOTH be on his team! And if you two want to bicker and fight until everyone else has chosen their teams, you can be on a team alone TOGETHER and most likely FAIL today's in-class assignment!"

I started at her. She was fierce when she wanted to be, and convincing, because a second later Leon said, "Ugh. FINE."

"Whatever." Evergreen said, rolling her eyes.

"Good." She waved her hair back, before turning to look at me. "Sorry about that."

"Wha- OH! No, you have nothing to be sorry for!" I stammered. "I mean... Thanks for that. I couldn't have stopped them like that. You... I mean... uh-"

"Well, well, well!"

It was Cecelia. What was she doing here?

"Isn't this a surprise, girls?" she said in a mocking tone. "The MISFIT PRINCE decided to team up with the angry boy, the short girl, and the blacksmiths DAUGHTER. What a shame."

Her friends giggled, and Fyre turned red.

"So?" I asked, stepping forward. "Who cares who I team up with, and what do you mean 'blacksmiths daughter?'"

She laughed. "Oh, sweetie." The way she said it was so soft and sweet, like she was trying to win me over. "You don't know? Just like you don't know when to behave in the presence of Cecelia Baker?"

"Who?" Evergreen asked.

She turned to Evergreen. "You know me! Cecelia Baker! I'm famously rich! I come from the wealthiest family known in Dragonia! Everyone knows about me!"

"Uh..." Evergreen said. "Sorry, I still have no idea who you are."

"Well, your messier than a rats nest haired friend over there does!" She said, pointing to Leon. "Tell me boy," she said in that annoyingly sweet tone, twiddling her hair. "You've heard of me, of course?"

Leon just stood there, looking at Cecelia.

"Who are you again?" he asked.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" She shouted. Turning to the other students, she screamed "DOES ANYONE HERE KNOW WHO I AM?!"

A couple people shook their heads, others shrugged their shoulders, and yet others didn't say anything.

"We know who you-" one of her friends began.

"SHUT IT, BRITTANY! NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR OPINION!" she said.

"Sorry, Cecelia." Brittany said.

She turned back to me, Fyre, Leon, and Evergreen. "So what?" she asked in an almost crazed tone. "So what no one here has heard of me? I will make everyone here know my name, my family's history. I WILL MAKE THEM LOVE ME. AND NEITHER OF YOU MISFITS ARE GOING TO GET IN MY WAY. Let's go, girls."

Her friends followed behind her, complimenting her on what she said.

"Ugh." Leon said. "she's worse than you, what's-your-name-again."

"EVERGREEN." Evergreen growled.

"What's up with her?" I asked, pointing to Cecelia.

Fyre rubbed her arm. "It's just... I won't lie to you, Your Highness-"

"Blaine. Just call me Blaine." I said, rubbing my neck.

"Oh. Alright. Blaine," IT SOUNDED AMAZING WHEN SHE SAID IT. "My dad is a blacksmith and... I'm his only daughter. I'm his only kid."

Evergreen clapped her hands to her mouth. Leon looked just as confused as I did.

"Okay, so your dad didn't want any kids. Big deal." I shrugged.

"No, it's not that. It's... it's a bad omen for a blacksmith to have a daughter. When they do have a girl at birth, the first thing to do as a blacksmith is to smash their head with a hammer used for smithing."

I was repulsed at that. Who would want to kill something so pure and beautiful like a baby girl, especially one who would grow up into someone as beautiful as her? Babies had no way of defending themselves, to add to that.

"Why aren't you dead?" Evergreen asked.

"My mother took the blow." she said. "My dad said it was all my fault, that me being born brought my mothers end. Her last dying wishes were that he let me live, and to give me her necklace." She pulled out a silver chain necklace with a pink crystal. "It was her mothers gift to her, and her mothers gift from her mother, and so on. It's an ancient family heirloom, apparently."

She looked so sad, almost as if she had lost everything.

"Is that why Cecelia hates you?" I asked. "Because you're a blacksmiths daughter."

"That, and I stood up to her." she explained. "She doesn't like it when people get in her way."

"Seems like it." I said. "I originally thought it was because you were prettier than her, because girls are sometimes like that."

I looked over. Fyre was red again.

Whoops.

"I-- I didn't mean it like that!" I said. "I just meant you look cute-- I mean you're a lot more beautiful-- I mean-- Uh--! What were we talking about, again? Erm... Hey, Leon!"

He jumped.

"Everyone's got a team, right?! We should get started soon!"

"Actually, I don't have a team..." Fyre said. "I was wondering if you wanted to... y'know..."

I looked at her.

"Um, not that, y'know, I WANT to!" she said, turning even redder. "I just meant, like, just for today's class, which would be really awesome...-- I mean, uh... CANIBEONYOURTEAM?!"

I was completely confused, and my face was warm again. Too warm.

"I, uh... Yeah! Of course! What are friends for, right?" I tried to smile, but my face was too warm.

"Cool!" she said.

"Yeah!"

"Yay...!"

"Heheh..."

"...uh... cool..."

"...heh... yippee..."

WHAT WAS THAT?! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! AM I SERIOUSLY ON A TEAM WITH FYRE?! Oh, man... Oh, no...

"Now then!" Professor Wendego said, making me and Fyre jump. "You have your teams. The next thing to do is to split up and wait for me to signal the beginning of today's simulation. Ready? GO!!!"

Chapter 5

"Alright, so we need a game plan." I said, motioning to the others to follow me into the forest. "Any ideas, because I'm new at this."

"Well," Evergreen said. "We could hide out in the trees- Oh."

One of the groups was climbing a tree nearby and hadn't spotted me, Evergreen, Leon, or Fyre.

"Ha." Leon said. "How ironic." Evergreen gave him a death stare.

"I have an idea." Fyre said. "We could use the terrain as a disguise- Wait. HUH?!"

Cecelia was ordering her friends to pick up random tree debris and forcing them to lift her above their heads and cover them with the debris while she was atop all of them viewing her competition from a safe altitude.

"What is going on?" Leon asked, trying to hide a laugh, and failing.

"This is so weird." I said. "It seems like everyone is just using something about the area to keep them safe and to attack the opposing teams at the same time. Hmm..."

It makes sense, but if you were on a real adventure, you might not have all the supplies these teams are using. What if you're in a desert? Or in the mountains where trees are sometimes scarce? Or in coastal areas? But they know here they have resources to use. I tapped my chin, and looked behind me at Professor Wendego.

Does he expect us to use what's given in today's environment? Or is there something we're missing-

"BLAINE LOOK OUT!!!" Evergreen shouted just moments before a kid sprang from the bushes trying to catch me off guard. My reflexes were better though. I backflipped, narrowly missing getting touched. The kid landed face first into the ground. I put my hand on his back.

"Game over." I said. He groaned.

"Out!" the Professor shouted.

The kid slumped over to the professor.

"That's one," Evergreen said. She looked surprised. Everyone did.

"Dude!" Leon said. "Since when could you backflip?!"

"Since I made it permanent that I would become an adventurer. I've been training hard for years, pushing myself to learn the art of the sword and to learn clever ways to avoid enemy attacks." I explained. "Backflipping being one of many of those ways."

Fyre whistled.

"It's not that big of a deal..." I said.

"Yeah it is!" Evergreen said. "Princes aren't that impressive when it comes to flexibility, but you defied all those rules just now!"

"Can we please just go?" I asked.

As we were continuing walking, it suddenly hit me that we could just bait ourselves and let the other teams find us, try to touch us, and I could catch them off guard and get them out. I explained this to the others, and they agreed it was a plan that they could work with.

We found a nice exposed area of the room/forest and stood there, waiting.

We waited for what felt like five minutes before the kids we saw climbing the trees earlier jumped down, almost right on top of us. It was a close call, even for me.

The moment they landed, they went on offense. One of them went for Leon, only to get whacked from a lightning fast punch to the gut, which got an "Out!" from the professor.

Another one went for Fyre, who grabbed a stick and used it as an extra distance from her and her attacker. Coming from behind, a sharp jab to the side and another "Out!"

"This is fun!" Evergreen exclaimed. She used her magic to summon a sphere of energy from an old book under her arm, which she launched at the last two teammates.

It hit one hard, and he flew back a few feet. The other had the same fate after she conjured another sphere. I was impressed.

"They weren't supposed to do that." she sighed. "But, of course, they are level one energy spheres, so I can't force them to become stronger.

"Those things were level ONE?!" Leon asked. "They cause a lot of damage!"

"Not as much damage as YOU FOUR IDIOTS are going to take home with you!"

It was Cecelia. Surprise, surprise. Only her makeshift tree from earlier was now a giant golem. A Forest Guardian Golem, at that, with big tree root legs and long thick branches for arms and fingers and a round wooden face.

"You like it? My friend Amie did most of the work." she smirked. A girl with violently pink hair waved from the core of the golem.

Evergreen gulped.

"Hey, no hard feelings." Amine told Evergreen. "I saw your own magic, and it's pretty good-"

"AMIE, I SWEAR, IF YOU CONTINUE TALKING WITH THESE IDIOTS I WILL SHOVE ONE OF THESE GOLEM'S BRANCES UP YOUR LITTLE-"

But before she could say anything more, Leon, quicker than a blink, uppercutted the wooden golem.

"UGH!" Cecelia said. "YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT YOU FILTHY BOY!"

Leon smiled, or rather, grinned evily as he let his ears flash up and his tail (he wasn't joking he did have a tail) twirl behind him. He growled.

If there was a way to describe the noise Cecelia made when she saw him, there would be no word for it. It sounded like a gurgle, a moan, and a very quiet scream.

Then she shrieked. "GET AWAY GET AWAY GET AWAY EEEEK HELP ME HELP EEEEK!"

She toppled backward in her desperate attempt to escape, and she fell into a mud puddle disguised with leaves, fallen branches, and grass.

"NOOOO!" she wailed. "MY OUTFIT IS RUINED! MY BEAUTIFUL EXPENSIVE OUTFIT IS RUINED!"

"Tag." I said, touching her extremely muddy arm. "You're out."

She cried the whole way to the professor, and continued crying for the rest of the class. Her friends went to try and comfort her, but she shoved them away, screaming, "DO YOU WANT TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER?! THEN TAKE CARE OF THOSE STUPID HORRIBLE INGRATES!"

One hour later...

"Well," Professor Wendego said to everyone. "I am pleased to say you chaps are really excelling at team survival! Well done everyone, including our winning teammates! Lets give them a round of applause! Well done, Mr. Blaine Regem, Ms. Fyre Blacksteel, Mr. Leon Wrengate, and Ms. Evergreen Forester! Congratulations for succeeding!"

Everyone clapped for us, except for Cecelia, who was looking at me as if she were a Basilisk.

"I can't believe we actually won!" I said, as we left the school.

"Did you see the look on Cecelia's face?" Fyre asked. "She was really angry. Angrier than I've ever seen her."

"Although now she hates us." Evergreen said.

"She hates anyone who does something to her that they shouldn't." Fyre said.

"No need to tell me that." Leon said.

"Anyway, we have other things to worry about." Evergreens said. "Because now, Team Friends of Blaine must now depart one another to attend the ancient ritual of HOMEWORK."

"Team what?" I asked, at the same time Fyre said, "Who?" And Leon said, "What is that?"

"I thought it could be our team name..." Evergreen said.

"I don't want a team named after me." I said. "Besides, there are so many other different names we could come up with."

"We?" Leon asked.

"Don't tell me you DON'T want in on that." Fyre said. "We're all in this together. You included."

Leon shrugged, but he was smiling.

"Hey, you never told me you were a Half Beast." Evergreen said.

"I don't like bringing up the subject." Leon admitted.

As we parted ways, and as me and Fyre were saying our goodbyes, I thought to myself that this was the best first day of high school ever. But just as I was about to leave...

"Blaine... Regem..."

Chapter 6

I stopped. A chill went down my spine.

“You okay, Blaine?” Fyre asked.

“I just… Did you guys hear that?”

“Hear wh-” Evergreen began. The chilling voice called out again.

“Blaine… Regem…”

“What was that…?” Leon asked. There was a look of panic on his face.

“It sounds like it’s coming from… the school.” Evergreen whispered. Her face was pale.

I looked back. It did sound that way.

“Blaine… Regem…”

“Okay this is getting creepy.” Leon said. “I’m going home now-”

“No way.” Fyre said. “We’re checking it out. You’re coming with us.”

“But-!” Evergreen started.

“No buts. Let's go.”

Evergreen and Leon looked at each other and gulped.

“Come on.” Fyre motioned. “Let’s go find the source of that voice.”

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“I don’t like this…” Evergreen quivered. We had entered the school, no one had noticed, and now we were walking through a long hallway that led to all the different classrooms. It was dark, but the slowly setting sun was enough to make it a little bright, but it was still eerie.

“Me neither…” Leon trembled.

“Do you know where you’re going, Blaine?” Fyre asked.

“Kinda…?” I shrugged. “I mean, the voice is getting steadily louder. Ish.”

“Ish? We’re sneaking into our school when we’re not supposed to be trying to find a random spooky voice, and our great and noble leader is relying on ‘ish’ to keep us confident?” Evergreen said.

“Who said I was your leader?” I asked. As much as it sounded cool, I had no experience with leading people. That’s a king’s job, not mine.

“Blaine… Regem…” The voice was echoing through the hallway we were walking

“Okay, this is a whole new level of creepy.” Leon said. “Let’s go now, please? I don’t want to get jumpscared by a ghost. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.”

“Leon’s a little scaredy cat~” Evergreen said in a sing-song voice.

“SHUT UP!” Leon shouted.

We continued walking, each of us on our guard. Whoever or whatever was the cause of the noise could come out at us at any moment.

“Blaine… Regem…”

The voice was louder now. It had come from the door on the left of us. At the end of the hall. Out of sight. Out of mind.

This door looked as if it hadn’t been entered in for years. There were spider webs on it, and the wood looked weathered, as well as the stones surrounding it. There was a chilling presence about it that gave me goosebumps.

“What-” But before Leon could finish what he was saying, the door creaked open which, like the voice, echoed across the hall. A cold wind blasted from the room.

“Ominous.” Fyre winced. Evergreen and Leon were shaking in their shoes, which was caused mostly by fear rather than temperature. I slowly pushed the worn door open, revealing the rest of the room behind it.

It was mostly dead black in there, nothing could be seen, not even the floor, even though there was one. I say ‘mostly dead black’ because there was only one thing in the room that could be seen: a large necrotic green crystal hovered about a foot from the floor.

“Hello?” Evergreen called.

No answer.

“Well, no one’s home.” Leon said. “Gues we should go back now. I’m sure everyone must be worried about us-”

“Blaine… Regem…” The chilling voice called.

The room was silent.

I looked at the crystal. The voice sounded like it came from that direction… Was the crystal talking to me? Could that even be possible?

“I don’t know what it wants,” I said aloud, looking at Leon, Evergreen, and Fyre. “But I think it wants me to know something I don’t already.”

Fyre bit her lip, and then nodded. “Don’t do anything stupid.” she said.

Easier said than done, I thought.

I slowly stepped toward the crystal, sending another wave of goosebumps across my body with the growing cold and the fear of what was about to happen.

“Touch it…” Whispered the voice. “Touch it…”

I reached out my hand. Slowly, I raised it to touch the brilliant green crystal.

“Touch it…”

The tips of my fingers touched the crystal. A wave of energy blasted from the crystal, and the voice echoed across the room:

On the sunset of Fall’s Eve, in the hour of Greatest Darkness,

A hero will awaken and be freed from the chains bound by loss,

And defeat the Great Darkness that threatens this land.

But for them to awaken one must seek,

The four Elemental Gems of

Air, for it is the element to keep the heroes mind clear of defeat;

Earth, the element giving the hero strength to stand his ground in the face of Death;

Water, the element of grace to keep the hero from losing themselves to the darkness;

And Fire, the element of rebirth and destruction;

Aided by the Elements, the Hero shall slay the Darkness and become ruler of this land,

So says time itself…

Chapter 7:

“That’s it, that’s it… Come on, kid! You got this!”

Vulcan was cheering me on as I was doing my nightly sword training. He usually hung around my little training area, which was in the castle gardens in a wide, treeless area, mostly to give me tips and tell me whether or not my positions were correct. Right now, I was practicing a new move I called Tornado Spin. What I was supposed to do was spin around rapidly and deal major damage to the practice dummy. What I was really doing was getting dizzy and not hitting the dummy at all.

“Why don’t you come down here and try it yourself?” I asked, the world spinning before my eyes.

“You’re doing fine all by yourself!” Vulcan said. “And you’re getting closer to the dummy!”

“Maybe I should take a break…” I said, wobbling.

“Probably would be for the best.”

I slowly walked towards a nearby bench, and with much difficulty, slumped down. My sword fell to the ground with a soft clatter as the metal hit a small stone. Vulcan sat down next to me. He smiled.

“You really are getting better,” he said. “You just need to keep practicing.”

“I dunno…” I said. I was still dizzy, but it wasn’t as bad as a few seconds ago. “I don;t think I can keep practicing that move if I'm just gonna get dizzy like this.”

“What?” Vulcan stared at me. “So, you’re just gonna give up, then?”

“I don’t know what else to do.” I groaned. “I keep practicing, and I haven’t hit that stupid dummy at all since I began practicing Tornado Spin. I don’t want to keep trying and not getting it.”

I sighed. I looked at Vulcan. He didn’t seem pleased.

“Kid,” he said. “You’ve been working hard on this move. I can see you’re determined. But you can’t give up. Not on anything.”

I sat up a bit. My head throbbed.

“I know giving up seems like the easiest option, but taking the option can both make your life easy and worse. Some things are worth giving up on. Others aren’t. At this moment, giving up isn’t worth the risk. Giving up now, you may never get stronger. And if you’re not strong, you’ll never achieve your dreams, kid.”

There was a long silence when he finished speaking.

I looked at the ground. I closed my eyes. My head still throbbed, but not as bad as before. Getting up, I picked up the sword. I looked at my reflection. Looking right back at me was the white haired, black horned, orange eyed, freckled face I had gotten so used to seeing whenever I looked in a mirror or the back of a spoon or, in this case, the polished metal blade of my training sword.

Vulcan’s right, I thought. What am I thinking, giving up on this? Adventurers don’t give up, and neither will I.

I stared the dummy down, its blank button eyes reflected my own orange ones.

Raising my sword, I pointed it at the dummy.

That dummy is going down, I told myself. It will.

I began to spin, kicking up some dirt and a few pebbles. I charged at the dummy, spinning wildly, my sword clutched tightly in my hand. Next thing I knew, I felt a shock vibrate up my arm. I stopped spinning when I felt it. Looking up, I saw that the sword had stuck itself in the dummy's torso.

Vulcan raised himself from his seat.

“You did it, kid! You did it!”

I laughed. I did it. I had hit the dummy for the first time using the new move.

“Ready to go again?” Vulcan asked. “This time, when you feel the impact, draw back and then charge again!”

I nodded. “Let’s do this.”

About an hour and a half later, Vulcan and I were walking back to the castle, when I realized I hadn’t told him about what happened at school today. After the whole crystal-prophecy thing, we were all in a bit of shock. Not only had we just heard that a possible doomsday was about to happen, and about a hero who could be summoned by some powerful crystals was the only one who could defeat some dark power, I was pretty sure that only me, Fyre, Leon, and Evergreen knew about this. And when I got back to the castle, I had ignored Vulcan when he asked how my day went, and went straight to the library for more information on doomsdays and dark powers and ancient heroes who could be summoned by crystals, and hit a dead end. After that, I went to my tower room, changed into my favorite green tee-shirt and denim shorts, went to grab my training sword, and set off to practice Tornado Spin.

Vulcan is the most trustworthy person I know. Maybe he’ll know something about this.

“Uh… So, I just remembered I forgot to tell you how my day went.”

Vulcan stared at me.

“Yeah, you did. You walked off on me. Is something up?”

“Yeah.” I said. “A bit.”

“Well, start at the beginning,” he said. “I want to hear about everything.”

So I did start at the beginning. The VERY beginning; How I had met Cecelia Baker, irritated her into hating me, meeting Fyre, Leon, and Evergreen, and our first victory in Survival class.

“…And Cecelia was looking daggers at me after THAT whole fiasco.” I finished.

“And you said her last name was ‘Baker?’” he asked.

“Yeah. Why? Do you know her family?”

“I know her dad, Richard.” He explained. “And believe me, that spoiled brat Cecelia is NOTHING compared to her father. He’s the fattest cat I’ve ever met. Not literally, he’s human. I mean he’s a powerful wealthy figure. He’s also manipulative, and loves money, apparently a bit more than his daughter, if she’s got no manners. Don’t tell her I said that, though, and don’t repeat it, alright?”

I nodded. “There’s, uh… something else I want to tell you.”

Vulcan could tell I was getting to the reason I had left him hanging.

“Go on,” he urged.

“…So after school, me and my new friends were walking back home and… I heard a weird voice… The kind that sends chills down your spine, y’know? Anyway, we went back into the school because the voice sounded like it was coming from there, and… we found a door…”

“Ominous,” he said.

“Yeah, that’s what I said.” I told him. “Then I opened the door, and we saw a big green crystal, and that was where the voice was coming from, and, uh… it kind of… sort of… MAYBE told me to touch it?”

Vulcan stopped. He looked serious. And worried. “Did you touch it?” he asked.

“I…” Vulcan didn’t look like himself. Scared was never a look on his face. EVER. “…Yeah… Yeah I touched it…”

He gripped my shoulders. “What happened next?” he asked, with a tone of seriousness.

“Uh… it said… it said something about… about a ‘Great Darkness?’ …And something else about… a hero being freed and having some magic gemstones to help him… slay the darkness, I guess?”

Vulcan's grip loosened. “It’s true…” He whispered. “But how?”

“What’s true?” I asked. I was worried.

Vulcan removed his hands from my shoulders and began pacing, muttering to himself.

“No, it can’t be true. If it were, then… But Fall’s Eve is only two months away… What if…? No. That wouldn’t happen. We’re safe inside the city walls. We have an army. We’re safe…”

“Vulcan?” I said.

He looked up.

“What’s going on? Why are you so worried?” I asked.

“It’s nothing,” he said. “It isn’t anything you need to worry yourself about. But before you go to bed, PROMISE ME neither you nor any of your friends go back to that crystal. Understood?”

“What?” I couldn’t believe this. “But Vulcan, if it’s something you’re clearly worried about, I might be able to-”

“No!” he shouted.

I was silent.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I shouldn’t have shouted at you. It’s just… As I said, this isn’t a matter you should concern yourself in. Now go to bed. You’ve got another day of school tomorrow. I don’t want you to be tired.”

As I walked away, I thought to myself, “Vulcan’s hiding something. I don’t know what, but I’ll figure it out.”

Chapter 8:

The next day, Vulcan and a couple of his soldiers showed up at the school. Said they were only there for an inspection. What they were really doing, I knew, was that they were checking out the suspicious green crystal which, Vulcan told me later, had been dull and colorless when they found it.

“No doubt when we messed with it, it got drained of energy.” Leon said during lunch the day after the ‘inspection.’ “I told you we shouldn’t have been there.”

“Oh, hush.” Fyre rolled her eyes.

“It’s true, though.” I said, fidgeting with a pepper in my hand. “If we hadn’t been in there, the crystal would probably still be all glowy and creepy.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Evergreen said.

“Well, it’s all in the past, now.” Leon said. “Nothing we can do to change- Is that an Inferno Pepper, Blaine?”

“Hmm?” I had just popped the pepper in my mouth, excluding the top of the pepper, involving the stem and the leaves. I pulled the stem and the leaves away, swallowed, and said, “Yeah. Why?”

“YOU JUST ATE THE HOTTEST PEPPER IN DRAGONIA AND YOU AREN’T EVEN SWEATING?!” Evergreen exclaimed.

“They’re not hot.” I said, popping another pepper in my mouth. “They’re DELICIOUS.”

“They are too!” Leon said.

“Look, just try a yellow one.” I said, holding out three yellow Inferno Peppers.

Leon and Evergreen both looked at each other.

“Oh, you two scaredy cats.” Fyre took one of the yellow ones. “Grow up. It can’t be THAT hot.”

“You’re CRAZY!” Leon and Evergreen shouted.

She raised an eyebrow. “It’s a YELLOW Inferno Pepper, not a RED Inferno Pepper.”

“THAT PROBABLY MEANS IT’S SPICIER!” Evergreen said.

“For once, I second what she said!” Leon said.

Shaking her head, she grabbed the last two peppers and handed one to Leon and Evergreen.

“If it makes you guys feel better, I’ll eat one with you.” I said, pulling another yellow pepper out.

Evergreen and Leon sighed.

“Oh, alright.” Evergreen sighed.

“Okay, fine.” Leon groaned.

“On the count of three,” I said. “One… Two… THREE!”

We all put the peppers in our mouths at exactly the same time.

“Huh.” Fyre said, mouthful of pepper. “Not bad.”

“It’s pretty good!” Evergreen exclaimed.

“Agreed.” Leon said.

“I know, right?” I had already finished mine. “The ripe ones are the best, aren’t they?”

“Wait.” Evergreen stopped chewing. “Did you say ‘RIPE?’”

“Yep!” I said.

“What’s wrong with ripe Inferno Peppers?” Fyre asked.

“DO YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE EFFECTS OF AN INFERNO PEPPER?!” Leon asked.

“No…?” Fyre said. “What are the eff-”

Before she could finish, she let out a large burp. A ball of flame shot from her mouth and out a window, landing in a garbage can outside, setting the trash within alight, startling a couple students.

Fyre blinked.

“Huh.” she said.

“‘HUH?!’” Leon repeated. “‘HUH?!’ ‘HUH’ IS ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY?!”

Evergreen burped. A fireball whizzed across the hall, making impact on one of the walls, leaving a black circle where it had landed.

“Hot…” she squeaked painfully. Her face was red. “So… hot…”

Leon let forth a mighty belch. A fireball the size of a bowling ball shot from his mouth and went straight for the cafeteria ovens, one of which was open. It entered the stove, causing a massive wave of heat to boom from the ovens and spread throughout the rest of the cafeteria. And just as soon as it came, it was gone.

“Wowie…” he wheezed. “Impressive shot…”

“How do you not shoot fire out of your mouth when you eat those things?” Evergreen coughed.

I shrugged. “I just built up an immunity, I guess.”

When we walked away from the cafeteria and to our next class, I coughed. A spurt of flame shot from my mouth and died from too much oxygen.

Weeks passed. A month passed. Students were getting ready for the September Fall Festival coming up. It was a celebration that fall, the season of harvest and pre-winter, was coming close. Usually before Fall’s Eve, the day before fall officially comes, the leaves start turning orange and the winds get a bit chillier.

At the festival, vendors of all sorts come to celebrate as well as sell and earn money. Some vendors will show you how to shoot arrows or craft bracelets, and others sell delicious sweets like candied apples and ice cream.

But this fall festival might not be as fun as the other ones I’ve been to. I overheard Vulcan asking dad for permission to have soldiers patrolling the festival, so that will be fun. I know Vulcan is worried, and he wants what’s best for the people in the city. I like that about Vulcan. He’s always trying to make a plan that involves sacrificing as few people as possible. That’s why my dad gave him the Commander title, and also Vulcan is a great battle strategist, maybe the best in all of Dragonia.

The week of the Fall Festival, Fyre asked me if we could talk alone. I followed her outside. It was pretty chilly, so I had to wrap a red school scarf around my neck.

“I, uh… wanted to ask if, erm…” Her face was red. “Well… The Fall Festival is coming up…”

“Yeah. It’s all everyone talks about.” I said, smiling. It was true. No one couldn’t be heard not talking about what to do or where to go or saying that they couldn’t come or the sort.

“Right.” Fyre said. Her face was still red. She was twiddling her thumbs. “I guess what I’m trying to ask is…”

I felt like I knew what she was going to ask, because my face felt warm.

“Blaine…” She looked so shy and innocent as she looked at me. “Do you want to go to the Fall Festival with me?”

A gust of wind flew across the lawn, causing her hair to fly a bit. I realized she was waiting for me to answer. So, without thinking, I said:

“Yeah! Absolutely!”

She smiled, her face redder than earlier. “Really?”

“Well, yeah. We’re friends, right? I’d be happy to go with you.”

Her face was so red now, I’d have confused her for a tomato.

A cute tomato, but don’t tell anyone I said that.

“Uh… Cool! I, uh… Thanks.” she said.

“No problem.” I smiled.

As we walked back to class, I thought about holding her hand, but I never worked up the courage to do so.

Chapter 9:

It’s the weekend. The weekend of the festival. The weekend I would go on my first… well, it’s not a DATE, technically. Fyre never said it was a date. So I guess it’s my first “hangout with my first female friend,” I guess.

The day started off pretty well. I tried on SO MANY different outfits until I realized the only clothes I had were a single green tee-shirt, a pair of denim shorts, boxers, robes for looking really like royalty, which I never wore, my school outfit, and…

I picked up my crown off the floor where I had tossed it. The gold crown fit neatly on my head and the ruby shone brightly in the sun, reflecting the light that hit it onto the walls.

I prize this crown above all the valuable things I have. I mean, I’ve always had this weird tendency to hoard precious things, like coins, and NEVER use them. Like, I’ll find a coin somewhere on the street, pick it up, take it back to my tower, put it in a drawer, and completely forget about it until I rummage through that certain drawer to find something I need at the time. I have no idea if that’s a medical condition, to be weirdly attracted to valuable items and store them away to never use.

Putting down on my bed, I pulled on the green tee-shirt and denim shorts because why not? Looking at myself in the mirror, I tried to brush my hair, but to no effect. My hair never wanted to be combed, as if being messy and wild was its true purpose. Also, my horns get in the way every time, so…

Looking at my reflection, I couldn’t help but notice how little I looked like my dad. His hair was brown, slowly greying with age. His eyes were a deep sea blue. The only resemblance I had to him were the freckles on my face only. He and I both had the same triangular pattern of freckles on our cheeks.

Outside the castle, the grass was covered in a thin layer of frost, and some of the trees had green, orange, red, and brown leaves on them, all slowly falling to the ground. I was reminded of a poem I had read once, called Autumn, by Grace Paley. As I was silently reciting the first verse, Fyre snuck up from behind.

“Heya!” she greeted me, waving. She was wearing a small leather tank, short denim shorts, and thigh high leather boots.

“Ack! Oh. Hey!” I said. “Sorry, you startled me.”

She giggled. “Heehee. Didn’t mean to scare ya.”

“Nah, s’cool.” I said.

We kind of just stood there for a bit before she said, “So… what do you want to do?”

“Well, we did make plans to go to the festival.” I tapped my chin. “Why not head over?”

“Sure!” she said.

We walked on the path to the city, where an entire street was cleared for the vendors and the festival.

“I’ve never seen so many people at a Fall Festival.” she said. “Usually my dad has his own little place in the festival, so I say we avoid that. What do you think?”

Thinking about it, I had no clue what to do first. I mean, I was alone with Fyre, we were on a not-date, and I couldn’t think of anything we should do first together. Just as I was thinking maybe we could go over to a cute little place selling apple cider, Leon and Evergreen showed up.

“Oh! Blaine? Fyre?” Evergreen said, looking at us both. “I didn’t think you two were going to the festival.”

“Here we are!” I said, chuckling.

“Yeah,” Leon said. “There you are…”

“Don’t make it weird.” Evergreen groaned. “Anyway, seeing as we’re all here, let’s go get some cider or something. It’s chilly.”

Welp. That went off to a GREAT start.

So all four of us went to buy some apple cider, which I had never had before, I told Fyre.

“Really?” she asked. “It’s so good, I can’t believe you haven’t had it before.

About a minute after we ordered our drinks, we were walking down the street, sipping our cider. It tasted pretty good, and it was really warm.

“Why have I never had this stuff before?” I asked aloud.

Fyre laughed.

After that, we kinda just kept walking and checking each stall out until…

“Oh, no…” Fyre groaned.

“Hey, Fyre!”

A man was shouting from a nearby stall. He was very muscular and mean looking. He had a long scar across his face, down his neck, and ended at his left wrist. His belt had two large, heavy looking hammers dangling from it. A vein was pulsing on his forehead.

“Who’s he?” Leon asked with his mouth full. He had just come back from getting a T-bone steak from a nearby butcher vendor.

“That’s my dad…” Fyre sighed.

“Oh, boy…” I said as Fyre walked over to her dads stall.

“Hi, Dad!” She smiled. “What’s up?”

“The usual,” he said. “Who’s that boy?”

“Hmm? What boy?” she asked.

“That boy. Over there.” He motioned with his head towards me and Leon, who was gnawing his T-bone steak.

“Oh, you mean the redhead? That’s L-”

“No. The other one. The one with white hair. Who’s he?”

“Ah. Him.” Fyre said. “Well, it’s a long story. I don’t think you’d want to hear-”

“Summarize the story for me,” he said.

“What?” Fyre looked puzzled.

“Summarize. The. Story.” he growled.

“That’s impossible!”

“A girl enters a bears house, eating their food, breaking their chairs, and sleeping in their beds, gets caught by the bears and is thrown out of the house. You know the story.”

“Okay, fine. You win. He’s Prince Blaine Regem, a friend from school.”

“Get him out of my sight.”

“WHAT?!”

“You heard me. Get him out of my sight.”

“I heard you just fine, DAD.”

“Then get him out of my sight, and get to work.”

“Dad! It’s the festival-!”

“And the festival is another day of trying to build and repair weapons for the people. Get that boy out of my sight. When you’re done, get in here and get to work.” he drummed his fingers on the wooden table.

“Dad, I want to live my own life.” Fyre groaned. “I don’t want to be stuck being a blacksmith forever.”

“You’ll find having the experience will help you in your future life. If you ever get one.”

“Not this talk again…”

As Fyre and her dad were arguing, a soldier walked up to me. I knew him. His name was Mike Duncan.

“Your Highness.” Duncan greeted. “I’ve been told by the commander to find you and give you this message: Your father wants to speak to you.”

I blinked. My dad wanted to talk to me? We hadn’t been on speaking terms for a long time because of the whole “I want to be an adventurer” dream.

“Um… does he want to talk now, or…” I asked.

Duncan shrugged. “Dunno, Your Highness. Commander just said your dad wanted to see you.”

I sighed.

“Leon, if Fyre and Evergreen wonder where I’ve gone, tell them I’m going to see my dad.” I told him.

“Roger.” He saluted with the T-bone.

I turned to Duncan.

“Duncan, would you escort me back to the palace? If my father wishes to speak to me, then I must oblige.” I said.

“Since when do you sound so formal?” Duncan asked as soon as we were out of earshot of the festival.

“Never.” I said. “I’m still recovering from the internal cringing at my formal act. Ugh…”

I shivered, probably from the cold and from the cringy way I asked Duncan to take me back to the palace.

Note to self: Next time a soldier delivers a message telling you your dad wants to talk, say it casually, and not like you’re reading off an old text.

Chapter 10 Part 1:

As Duncan opened the castle doors, I felt as if I was walking into the lair of a final boss. It didn’t feel right, walking through the doors, strolling across the main entrance, and entering into my dads chambers without Duncan.

“Blaine.” My father said, nodding.

“Dad.” I nodded too.

My father was sitting on the edge of his bed, holding a picture, which he placed next to him picture side down.

“It’s been a while since you and I had a good chat, hasn’t it?” He said.

Again, I nodded.

“Well, do sit. I’d rather you be comfortable.”

I pulled one of his fancy chairs near him, and positioned myself to look at my father.

“Blaine,” he said, getting up. “You know as well as I do that when and if I were to pass on, you would become King of not only this city, but all of Western Dragonia.”

I didn’t speak.

“I also understand that you wish to be a hero,” he continued. “But you’re going to have to choose between being a king, or being a hero.”

“Well, first of all,” I said. “I don’t want to be a hero. I want to be an ADVENTURER. And second, I already made up my mind YEARS ago. I want to be an adventurer. I don’t want to be king.”

My father blinked.

“Why?” he asked.

I was confused. “Why what?”

“Why do you want to become an adventurer? Of all things to become?”

“Because being a king sucks.” I said. “You’ve got to, uh… make people pay taxes, and… uh… give moving speeches… uh…”

As I was thinking about all the things that made being a king suck, my dad turned to look at me.

“It’s true,” he said. “You aren’t wrong. Kings do have their citizens pay taxes. They do give moving speeches. But that’s not ALL a king does.”

“They sit on a chair all day?” I suggested.

He shook his head. “Blaine, if I sat in a chair all day, we would not be here. Rather, we would be in the entrance hall, where my throne is.”

I thought about this for a moment.

“Back to what else a king does.” My dad got back to where he left off. “A king leads his people. A king is loyal to all who are inferior, superior, and equal to him, no matter who they may be. A king is forgiving to those who deserve it. And most importantly, a king is the symbol of his people.”

“But where’s the ADVENTURE?” I asked. “Where’s the fun in doing any of that? I want to live a life where I can slay monsters, rescue people in need, walk off into the sunset. Kings don’t do that. They do all that leadership stuff and be symbols or whatever. And I don’t have to worry about being someone I’m not. You’re king, now. Not me. You’re in the position to be a leader, and I’m no leader! I’m just the prince who wants to be the greatest adventurer in all of Dragonia!”

My father didn’t look at me. He turned his back on me before saying, “I won’t always be around to be the king.”

“Well, no, but-”

What he said next hit me harder than if he were to punch me in the gut. “Just like your mother, I won’t always be there for you.”

I saw a single tear run down his face and into his short, shaggy beard. I couldn’t tell if he meant it or not.

“You make it sound like mom cheated on you and left you for someone else.”

I had never meant to say that aloud, but just then, my father turned.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about! Your mother loved me, and I loved her back! How dare you disrespect her by talking about something like that! She died for us, Blaine!”

“Well, maybe both of our lives would be better if she was around then, HUH?!” I countered. “I’d have a mom who supported my dreams, and you’d have her for emotional support, because you look like a wreck!”

It was true. My fathers eyes had bags under them. His skin looked as if it was pulling tighter to his bones. His royal robes still fitted him perfectly, though.

“Listen, Blaine,”my father shouted. “You are the prince! I am the king! Who here has the higher authority?!”

“Well maybe I don’t want to be the prince!” I shouted back.

“Listen!” His yelling vibrated across the whole room. “If you love me like you love Vulcan, like how you love your mother, you will be the king!”

“Kings don’t do anything!” My rope of patience was fraying more and more as my father said stuff I didn’t want to hear. “I make my own decisions! I’m my own person! You can’t force me to do ANYTHING! Someone needs to protect this place when something happens! If not, me, then WHO?! Vulcan?! The army?! YOU?!”

“THE KING PROTECTS HIS PEOPLE!” My father was now screaming at the top of his lungs. “ADVENTURERS SAVE THEMSELVES!”

“YOU WEREN’T THERE FOR ME!” Something in me snapped. “YOU WERE NEVER THERE FOR ME! FATHERS ARE SUPPOSED TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN'S DREAMS, AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! YOU’VE BEEN PUTTING ME DOWN FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER! I WANT TO HELP PEOPLE, DAD! I want to be someone people look up to. I don’t want what happened to mom happen to anyone…”

At this point, tears were pouring from my eyes.

“That’s why I wanna be an adventurer… So that no one else can get hurt… I want to keep everyone safe, not just my friends… my family… or even my kingdom… I want to save EVERYONE…”

I fell apart right there. I slumped to the floor, silently letting my tears drip onto the carpet. After a while, I looked back up at my dad. He was crying, too. He slumped down as well.

“I… never realized…” he said. “Kid… that… is the greatest motive… I’ve ever heard… from someone who wanted to be an adventurer…”

I couldn’t smile. I could only look at my father with tears continuously falling.

“But,” he choked. “Adventurers don’t… they don’t do that…”

I should have known he’d put me down, I thought.

“Adventurers…” he continued. “They seek danger for their own pleasure… Risk their lives just for their own personal desires… I don’t want you to die thinking you have to seek something more in life for the thrill…”

Where was he going with this?

“That dream, though,” He went on. “That is the dream… of someone who wants to be a HERO. Someone who does good deeds not for money or fame like adventurers… but because they know what they do is right… They act selflessly… they’re courageous… and they’re noble… loyal as well.”

I still didn’t understand.

“Kid,” My father leaned forward, embracing me. “You have a heart of gold. I never want you to do something because you want something thrilling in life. I want you to do something you feel is right. But that moment won’t come when you want it to. That moment chooses for you. The only thing you have to do is either accept it or deny it.”

I didn’t know what to do. What to say. What was there to do or say? My dad was talking to and hugging me for the first time in ten years. I had no clue how to comfort him or whether or not I should return the hug.

A loud BOOM interrupted the moment.

Chapter 10 Part 2:

My father released me and hurried to the window to see what was going on. I followed him.

From where we were, black smoke rose from the street where the festival was.

Oh, no! Fyre, Leon, and Evergreen were still there! Were they alright? Were they hurt?

“Dammit,” My father said. He looked worried and angry. “It’s at times like this that I wish I had a way to contact Vulcan.” He looked in my direction. “Blaine, I want you to go to your tower. I don’t know what’s going on, but your protection is my highest priority right now.”

“What?” I was shocked that my dad was telling me to go hide like a coward while people were possibly getting killed at the festival. “No way! I want to help!”

“No, Blaine,” he said. “I don’t want you running off, not at a time like this.”

“But, dad-” I was interrupted by another large explosion.

“Get to your tower. Now!” he said.

“But-”

“Blaine, please,” He pleaded. “You’re the only family I have left. I can’t lose you. Not like your mother.”

“I…”

I was at a loss for words. And I had two options. Option one, stay here, where it’s safe and maybe this whole thing will blow over. Option two, go out, alone, and try to play the ‘hero.’

Suddenly, without warning, an explosion shook the castle, knocking me and my dad off our feet. Part of the ceiling fell, and my dad was out of sight.

I heard him cry out, although it was muffled, “Blaine! Are you okay?”

“Yeah…” I shouted back.

“Listen,” he said, his muffled voice sounding calm. “I want you to look in the bottom drawer of my desk. You’ll find everything you need in there.”

Okay, now I am really confused.

“What do you-?”

“Just do it!”

I had to crawl to his desk in fear of another explosion hitting the castle, causing more stuff to fall. Opening the drawer, I had to slowly lift my head to peer at what was inside. What I found surprised me.

In it was a sword, and a locked book, but the sword was what got my attention first. The shiny blade gleamed in the slight sunlight that poked through a crack in the wall. The golden hilt was embedded with a single shiny crystal. The polished oak handle was as smooth as a riverstone, yet rough enough for me to get a good grip on it. As for the book, well, it looked extremely beat up. The leather looked worn, the pages yellow from age. A thick chain of steel wrapped around the book with a large lock on the cover. There was no key underneath the book, or anywhere in the drawer. That’s all there was.

“Now,” my dad ordered. “Go out there and be the hero you were meant to-”

Before he could finish, a fourth explosion shook the castle, drowning out his voice, but I got the message.

I got to my feet, and held the sword in my hand. It felt… right. Like it was meant for me to hold and no one else. Then, remembering what my father almost told me, I rushed out of the room, sprinted across the entrance hall, and burst through the front doors. The smoke from the festival was clearer, now. I bounded on the path toward the city.

Everything was in chaos. People were screaming, children were crying, soldiers were trying to beat back… something. I couldn’t tell from where I was. The fountain in the middle of the street was somehow unharmed, but it wasn’t the same for all the stalls nearby. Flames licked at the demolished wooden structures.

“Blaine! Over here!”

Fyre, Evergreen, and Leon were hiding behind a pile of rubble. I jumped behind it too.

“What’s going on?” I asked, glad to see no one was hurt.

“I don’t know,” Fyre admitted. “But it’s bad. Really bad. One second, I’m about to go and find you to tell you my dad didn’t want to see me with you, next thing you know, explosions, fire everywhere, people yelling and screaming…”

She shook her head, her eyes closed.

“Well, whatever’s going on, the soldiers have it covered. See?” Evergreen pointed out. “We have absolutely NOTHING to worry-”

One of the soldiers flew above our heads, and landed on the ground with a sickening crack. He yelled with pain.

“You were saying?” Leon asked.

Looking at where the soldier had come from, I saw the most shocking thing I had ever seen in my life.

The soldiers were falling back as a massive horde of pitch black ghosts shoved their way past each other through the main entrance into the city and onto the street. These ghosts were about the size of a child, with long slender bony looking arms. Their torsos were skinny, their rib cages almost exposed. Their large heads and even larger white eyes darted from one place to another. They growled and screeched in some unknown language as they rampaged across the street, wreaking havoc.

“Holy deity…” Leon whispered.

“That doesn’t look good…” Evergreen said, her face pale.

“Why aren’t the soldiers doing anything?” Fyre asked. “Those ghosts are unarmed.”

As if on cue, one of the soldiers rushed at one of the ghosts, slashing into it. The blade passed through the ghost like a knife cutting thin air. The ghost turned and tackled the soldier. He screamed for help, but before anyone could do anything, the ghost slashed the soldier across the chest. Blood spilled from the wound. The soldier didn’t move. He lay still on the ground.

“O-Oh, gods…” Evergreen gasped.

“I’m gonna be sick!” Leon covered his mouth and rushed into a nearby alley.

“That’s a horrible way to die…” Fyre winced.

“Those things are animalistic…” I grimaced.

The ghost rushed away from the body, letting it lay there.

“It’s not gonna eat the body?” Evergreen asked.

Leon was vomiting in a garbage can.

“It’s almost like it kills for sport…” Fyre noted.

“That’s horrible!” I said. “We gotta stop this!”

“How?” Evergreen asked. “We’re high schoolers! We’re still kids! What are we gonna do?”

I looked at my sword. The blade was shining in the bright autumn sun.

“We fight.” I said, without thinking.

“WHAT?!” Evergreen shouted at me.

“Are you CRAZY?!” Leon shouted. “We can’t fight those things!”

“I don’t know why,” I said. “But I feel like this… this is my moment. My moment to show these people that when all hope is lost, I’m gonna be there to save them.”

Everybody looked at me. No one spoke.

Then, Fyre stood up, and ran off.

“Where are you going?!” Leon shouted.

“To get something real quick!” she shouted back. “Just stay there! I’ll be back in about a minute or two!”

“Yep. She’s crazy.” Evergreen sighed.

Five minutes later, she came running back with…

“A HALBERD???” Evergreen looked at her.

It sure was. A long sturdy wooden stick ending with a large chopping blade and a sharp spearhead at the top.

“Not just any halberd,” she said, smiling. “MY halberd. Blaine, I’m going to fight with you.”

“HUH?!” I had nothing else to say that would correctly exemplify my surprise.

“YOU’RE NUTS!!!” Evergreen said.

Fyre lowered her halberd a bit. “All my life, I’ve wanted to prove that I wasn’t an omen of bad luck, rather, a symbol of good fortune.” She clenched the handle of her weapon. “I want to show everyone that I’m not a mistake. I don’t want to be stuck listening to my dad telling me how much of a failure I am.”

There was a long pause, before I said, “Alright.”

She looked at me. “Seriously? You’re actually okay with me fighting with you?”

“Anyone who wants to stand by my side can do so.” I said.

She went red.

“If that’s true, then I’M fighting with you too!” Leon chimed in.

“Not you, too…” Evergreen facepalmed.

“Blaine, you’re the best prince and the bestest friend I’ve ever had. If you’re going into battle, then so am I!” he said, punching the air. “I’m your wingman! I’ll follow you wherever!”

“Same,” Fyre smiled. “Except, I’m not a man.”

“No one said you had to be.” I said.

“What about me?!” Evergreen asked. “Does no one here have any consideration about what I think?”

“No.” Leon said at the same time me and Fyre said, “Yes.”

“Well,” she said. “I don’t want Blaine to get hurt by rushing in without a plan, but at the same time,” Her face went pale. “The thought of being left alone here while those ghosts are rampaging is kind of scary…”

“So why not come with us?” I asked.

“Because I don’t want to die!” she said. “I don’t want to die, not when there are so many spells I want to learn!”

“Oh, boo hoo.” Leon said, sarcastically. “How sad.”

Evergreen glared at him. Then she looked away, her hands on the sides of her head.

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!” she said.

I felt sorry for Evergreen. She was probably the biggest worrywart I have ever met. But then, something my dad said to me got me asking her, “What do you feel is the right thing to do?”

She looked at me, then at Fyre, then at Leon, then at her hands. She looked like she was coming to a final decision. Balling her hands into fists, she stood up.

“Okay, so Blaine, you know how to use a sword,” she began. “Fyre, you know how to use an axe, and Leon was raised by fighting monks. Right?”

“Yeah.” I said.

“I guess.” Fyre said.

“I don’t want to brag,” Leon said. “but they’re the best fighting monks in all of Dragonia.”

“So that leaves me.” Evergreen said. “I can do some magic, but I’m going to need my spellbook for some of the spells. Be right back.”

She then pulled out a crystal, crushed it in her hand, and disappeared. About a minute later, she returned, holding a large leather book with a gold compass symbol on the front.

“Let's go kick their butts.” she said, a look of determination on her face.

“Let’s go Evergreen!” Leon whooped.

“Oh, shut up.” Evergreen frowned.

We walked out from behind the debris we were hiding behind. The ghosts immediately noticed us. We were the only other people on the street other than the soldiers.

Raising my sword, I shouted, “En Garde!”

Chapter 10 Part 3:

One of the ghosts charged at us.

“I’ve got this!” Evergreen said.

Opening her spellbook, she called out, “Thorned Vines!” which summoned a large spiked vine that grappled and damaged the ghost. When the vine disappeared, the ghost fell to the ground, crumbling into dust.

“My turn!” Leon shouted. “Flying Fist!”

Like a speeding bullet, he smashed his fist into one of the ghosts, causing it too, to crumble into dust.

“Guess I’m up.” Fyre noticed. “Cleave!”

She charged at a ghost, raising her axe. For a second, it caught the light and gleamed before she slammed it into its stomach, launching it ten feet into the air. It landed hard on the ground, crumbling into dust like the first two.

“Here I go!” I called out. “Tornado Spin!”

Rapidly spinning, I hit one of the ghosts, turning it to dust. I jumped back to where the others stood.

“Easy peasy.” I said.

Four ghosts charged at us. We dodged perfectly, causing them to land on their faces.

“Ha ha!” Leon called.

“Mage Hand!” Evergreen shouted. A large hand scooped up the four ghosts, tossing them at four other ghosts, who fell to dust like the ones thrown.

“These things aren’t very hardy.” Leon said. “Doesn’t matter! Triple Knockout!”

Three ghosts were hit and three piles of dust lay where they had been after a lightning fast strike from Leon.

“Hey, let’s try that Tornado Spin of yours!” Fyre suggested.

Before I could fully grasp what she was saying, she took my hand, and we rapidly spun around and killed four ghosts.

“Ugh… so dizzy…” she said afterwards. “How are you not dizzy…?”

“Practice, practice, practice.” I said. That’s when I noticed we were still holding hands. She must’ve noticed too, because she pulled it away almost immediately.

“That was awesome!” Evergreen said as she dodged another tackle from one of the ghosts.

“That was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” Leon blocked another head on assault from a ghost.

“What’re you gonna call it?” Evergreen asked.

“Probably not Tornado Spin.” Fyre said. “That’d be taking your move name.”

“Yeah…” I said. “How about Duet Slash?”

Fyre thought about this.

“Okay!” she said. “We’ll call it Duet Slash, then!”

“Blaine!” Evergreen called. “I have an idea! Hit this at the ghosts!”

She threw an Energy Sphere at me. Using my sword as a bat, I whacked the sphere at a ghost. It was a direct hit, because all that was left was dust.

“I’m calling that one Energy Home Run!” Evergreen announced.

“Yo, Fyre!” Leon called. “See that ghost over there by the butcher's shack? Let's go get it!”

In unison, Fyre and Leon rushed at the ghost, Leon’s fist and Fyre’s halberd raised above each of their heads. Also in unison, they sent the ghost flying fifty feet before its body fell to the ground, turning to dust.

“Axe Uppercut!” Leon punched the air.

More ghosts came, and we continued to use our new Two Hit Combos, as Evergreen called them, to beat more and more to the ground. Over the course of maybe ten minutes, we had a total of six Two Hit Combos, including the first three, Duet Slash, Energy Home Run, and Axe Uppercut.

“Keep it up!” Evergreen called as she and Fyre were using Giga Halberd, where Evergreen used a Growth spell to increase the size, weight, and damage of Fyre’s halberd, allowing Fyre to cut through bigger groups of ghosts. “We’ve just about beat them! See? There are less of them now than there were at the beginning!”

That there was. There were only about fifty or so when earlier there were about five thousand at estimate.

“Lets send these guys packin’!” I said. “We’ll each use an attack on the last ones standing and beat them for good!”

“Ooh! A Four Hit Combo!” Evergreen said.

“Nah, more like a… a Team Attack!” Leon said.

“Yeah, let’s go with Team Attack.” I said.

“Aww… I really wanted to go with Four Hit Combo…” Evergreen whined.

“We’ve already got six Two Hit Combo.” Fyre said. “I think that's enough Number Combos.”

“Fine,” she grumbled. “Team Attack it is.”

“Okay, then,” I said, getting into a running stance with my sword behind my back. The ghosts ahead poised themselves for whatever we had coming for them. “Ready?”

Fyre raised her halberd. Evergreen got her spell ready. Leon raised his fists.

“Let’s DO THIS, THEN!!!” I shouted. We charged, and so did the ghosts.

“Team Attack: Quad-Hydra Assault!"

There was a massive explosion as we landed our attacks. Smoke rose from where the army of ghosts were. When it mostly cleared, there was a massive pile of dust where the ghosts had been.

“We did it!” Evergreen cheered. “We defeated the ghost army!”

But just then, slow clapping from behind the smoke interrupted her little victory moment. From the smoke, the silhouettes of five ghosts appeared, one of whom was clapping.

“I must say, that move was quite impressive,” he said. “I’m going to assume you four are the reason my necromancer was having to send in more troops?”

He stepped out of the smoke, or, I guess he floated out. He was about the size of the other ghosts that we had fought, but he was much different. His rib cage was completely exposed, and his arms looked in perfect health, for a ghost. There was a dragon skull on one of his shoulders. His eyes were what really got me. Unlike the other ghosts, whose eyes were white, his were a pink shade of purple. He was smiling.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Commander Corpeus, and I believe your king has something that belongs to me.”

Chapter 10 Part 4:

I didn’t understand what this ghost was talking about. Something that belonged to him? I’ve never even heard of this Corpeus guy until today. What did my dad have that this guy wanted back?

“We don’t know what you’re talking about.” Leon said.

“Oh, really?” Corpeus grinned. “You don’t know that your king has… how do I put this… information I want?”

“What information do you want?” Evergreen asked.

“Information,” he said. “that doesn’t concern you.”

“Well, whatever information my dad has that you want, you aren’t going to get it.” I said.

“Your ‘dad?’” he repeated. “King Ian Regem is your… father?”

“Yep. My name is Prince Blaine Regem, and you have no right to send an army of ghosts into my dads city, and I’ll just be cool with it. I’m going to give you one chance to leave this city, or face me and my friends.”

Corpeus looked taken aback, but regained his composure.

“How courageous of you.” he said. “You risk your own life to try and save others. Well, playing the hero won’t save you OR your friends and family, Blaine Regem. Heroes don’t risk the lives of others.”

“I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again. Get out of my dads city.”

Corpeus smiled. “How about this? You and your pathetic friends versus me and my army. Priestess?”

One of the silhouettes came forth. It was a cloaked figure who, guessing by Corpeus calling her Priestess, was female. I couldn’t see what was under the hood. She held a long staff with a pink crystal floating an inch or so above it. She struck her staff against the ground. From the piles of dust littered across the street, ghosts rose forth, and formed a semicircle around Corpeus and his necromancer.

“Aren’t they amazing?” he said, gesturing towards the ghosts. “My Shadow army is one that may have weak defense stats, but their attack stats are incredible. One slash of their claws can deal a massive amount of damage and, depending on where they hit, the outcome can be… fatal.”

I was reminded of the soldier from earlier whose chest was ripped open by that one ‘Shadow,’ as Corpeus called them. My fists clenched at the memory.

“Not to mention that I can easily revive them.” Corpeus continued. “They can do it themselves, but it takes much longer unless I have Priestess there to heal them.”

Priestess said nothing.

Corpeus smiled. “Priestess doesn’t say much, not that it really matters. Her assistance is all I need, not her opinions.”

“You’re horrible!” Evergreen said. “Not allowing someone to give their honest opinion is just wrong! She deserves to tell you what she thinks!”

Priestess remained quiet. Corpeus, however, glared at Evergreen.

“The only opinion I need,” he growled. “is my own. You can’t trust what other people think. Listening to others will only lead you down a path of unachieved goals. Shattered hopes. Lost dreams. Your own moral code is the only thing you can count on to NOT stray from your true purpose in life.”

“That’s just wrong!” Leon said. “The gods guide you to the right path, not your own choices!”

Corpeus laughed. “Look who’s talking; a religious Half-Lion. How cute.”

“Oh, I’m going to ENJOY pounding you into the ground.” Leon growled.

Corpeus laughed. “I think you’ll find that harder than it sounds, child.”

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” Leon pounded his fists together menacingly.

“Right behind you on that.” Evergreen said.

“Same.” Fyre said.

“Commander Corpeus,” I said, stepping forward. “We challenge you to a duel.”

“Fine by me.” he said. He pulled out what I first thought to be a large bone, until I realized the bone was the handle of an axe, whose metal blade emitted a purple gas. “Let’s see what you ‘heroes’ are made of.”

Chapter 10 Part 5

Commander of Shadows

Corpeus

“I’ve got this!” Evergreen said. She stepped forward and, reluctantly, ate something. I couldn’t see what it was.

Corpeus began laughing. “This isn’t snack time, girl!”

Then, a few seconds after Evergreen had eaten the pepper, she burped, letting out a large fireball that turned three of the shadows in front of Corpeus to dust. He stopped laughing.

“Inferno… Pepper…” she wheezed.

Corpeus growled “Using food to defeat my soldiers… Who’d have thought? Oh, well… Necrotic Crescent Shot!”

He swung his axe. A large amount of purple gas had formed a crescent that was headed right for Evergreen. She dodged it, and it exploded upon impact with the ground.

“NOT FAIR!” Corpeus shouted. “My soldiers didn’t dodge your fireball attack!”

“Oh, boo hoo.” Evergreen said. “Eldritch Cannon!”

A large cannon appeared, charged up a shot, and a massive laser hit Corpeus, sending him flying five feet away from where he was.

“Ugh… You’ll pay for that! Priestess!”

She struck her staff on the ground. Evergreen was pushed against her will back to where me, Leon, and Fyre were standing. The three piles of dust also transformed back into Shadows.

“My turn!” Leon shouted. He ran forward to where Evergreen stood just moments before.

Corpeus snorted. “Priestess! FIREBALL!”

Priestess struck her staff against the ground, and three large fireballs loomed over her. She sent it in Leon’s direction. Then, when it got close, he slammed his fist into it, and it hurled toward Corpeus. Unfortunately, the Shadows were in the way. All five of them disintegrated into dust.

“Impossible!” Corpeus cried.

“Not really.” Leon smirked. “Triple Knockout!”

Corpeus couldn't avoid what was coming. Leon, faster than a blink, sent Corpeus flying after three hits. He lay ten feet from his original position.

“Grr… Wait till I get my hands on you! Priestess!”

Again, she struck the ground, and Leon was pushed back to where we were, and the piles of dust turned into Shadows.

“Guess I’m up.” Fyre announced. She hadn’t even reached the spot where Evergreen and Leon were when Corpeus shouted, “Shadows! Attack!”

Three Shadows sprinted toward Fyre. She dodged all three with ease, and they landed face first into the ground.

“Attacking before I can get ready? And here you were talking about poor sportsmanship…”

“I’m not a poor sport! You’re just finding ways to cleverly avoid my attacks!”

“Whatever.” she said. “Forge!”

Fyre whipped out an anvil, placed her halberd on it, and hammered it. An orange aura surrounded her after she put the anvil and hammer away and picked up her halberd.

“What was THAT supposed to do? Annoy me?” Corpeus asked. “You know what? Don't answer that. Necrotic Crescent Shot x2!”

Fyre dodged the first and the second attacks perfectly.

“So it was something to annoy me!” he said. “Increase my annoyance, decrease my patience?”

“Nope.” Fyre said. “Cleave!”

She rushed at Corpeus and in one clean sweep of her axe, sent him flying. He landed hard twenty feet away.

“Ow… That ought to do it! Priestess!”

For the third time, Priestess struck the ground, and Fyre was pushed back. This time, however, instead of Shadows rising from dust piles, the Shadows that had flung themselves at Fyre got up and went back to their original positions.

“Here I go!” I went up to where everyone else had been. Corpeus got up and got back to his position.

“All right then.” Corpeus said. “Priestess! Shadow Beast Rush!”

Priestess struck her staff, and a large purple shadowy beast with a ram's skull appeared. It bellowed, and charged at me. There was no way to dodge it. Unless…

I raised my sword, ready to strike it. It continued to rush towards me. I closed my eyes, and swung. I felt nothing.

This is it, I thought.

But just then, I heard the Shadow Beast roar. I opened my eyes. The Beast had been struck by something like a sword. A large slash had been made in the skull, splitting it almost down the middle.

“But my sword didn’t hit anything,” I said.

“No, but that Crescent Shot did.” Fyre said.

“Crescent Shot? What do you-” And then it hit me. “Are you saying I did a Crescent Shot just now?”

“Yep.” Evergreen said.

“I thought you could do a Crescent Shot, though.” Leon said. “I’m surprised that you couldn’t.”

“I…never learned how.” I said, looking at the sword, wondering how in Dragonia I had done a Crescent Shot, a move I had never decided to learn because of the complexity. I forgot what that complexity was…

The Beast continued to writhe and holler in pain. Corpeus was shouting at it, but it was my time to shine. I raised my sword high above my head, and swung. A large bright white arc flew toward the beast, who at that moment turned its head to look in my direction. The arc split the skull in half, and the beast exploded.

“Aw, yeah!” I whooped, punching the air.

“Don’t get too cocky.” Corpeus looked both shocked and furious. “This battle isn’t over yet. Shadows! Attack!”

All five Shadows rushed towards me. I raised my sword, and let loose five crescent shots, one for each Shadow. Each one crumbled to dust.

“Take this!” I shouted. “Finishing Move: Blade of Fury!”

I sprinted toward Corpeus. The blade hit him, but I wasn’t finished yet. I hit him from behind, and then attacked from the left, then the right, and continued darting around the arena, slashing at Corpeus from every direction. Then I got close, close enough to stare him dead in the face. My sword shone brilliantly in the sun for a moment, and then I sent Corpeus flying fifty feet into the air with my sword.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” he screamed when I sent him soaring. He landed a good distance away, bounced for another few feet, and he stopped. He lay sprawled on the ground. His axe had fallen nearby.

“Yes!” Evergreen shouted. “We really did it! WE WON!”

Groaning, Corpeus, got up and picked up his axe. Breathing heavily he said, “This… isn’t… over… yet… Regem…”

Evergreen screamed. “Are you kidding me?!”

Corpeus let out a weak laugh. “You may have won… today’s battle… but you have… not yet won… the war…”

I was confused. “What ‘war?”’

He laughed. “Oh, Regem. You don’t get it, do you? I’m about to become the most powerful person in all of Dragonia- No. The most powerful person in the WORLD!! All I need are the four Elemental Gems, and I will be unstoppable!”

“Oh, yeah?” I said. “Well how are you going to get the gems and become powerful?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” He smiled. “Your father knows the location of each of the gems. I plan to use his information to find and acquire the gems for myself. After that’s done, well… I don’t want to say too much. The end of the world is always a surprise.”

“Yeah, well, my father’s in his castle protected by the greatest commander in Dragonia. There’s no way you’re going to waltz in and take my dad!”

Corpeus was furious. “I am the greatest commander in Dragonia, Regem. And I don’t need to, as you say, ‘waltz in.’ I have other ways of kidnapping people that don’t involve a head on encounter.”

Suddenly, two Shadows appeared behind Corpeus. And with them was…

“DAD!!”

Corpeus turned. “Excelent work Skele, Ghast.” he said.

“No problem, commander, sir!” The Shadow on the right of my dad said.

“See, Regem?” Corpeus smirked in my direction. “Your father is in my hands now. He’s at my mercy.” He laughed. “Let’s go! Skele! Ghast! Priestess!”

Priestess struck her staff to the ground, opening a portal to what looked to be a dilapidated stone structure. I couldn’t let Corpeus take my dad through. Before I could think, I sprinted toward Corpeus, sword raised. I was prepared to do anything to save my dad. Even kill Corpeus.

When I got close, though, Corpeus turned around, his axe ready to slice me, but he did it too late. Time seemed to slow down as my sword inched closer to his face and, a split second too late, I realized his axe was inching towards my face as well. Our eyes both moved to the opposition's weapon, both of us knowing that what was about to happen couldn’t be avoided.

Sharp metal colder than ice cut into the left side of my forehead down to my cheek. The pain was intense. It was like the pain was amplified by ten times the normal amount of pain someone who was getting injured the same way felt.

I staggered backwards, clutching the left side of my face, which was gushing warm blood from the fresh wound. I felt light headed. Looking at Corpeus, he was shouting something I couldn’t hear. Then he turned to look at me. The right side of his face was smoking, only the smoke was white. The scar I had given him on his right eye was the cause of this smoke.

Everything went black after that.

Chapter 11:

A while later, I woke up. It took me a moment to realize I was in my own bed in my tower. I sat up, and a sharp sting from my left eye reminded me of the reason I had been asleep, or rather, fainted. The whole left side of my face had been bandaged, as if I had more than a four inch long scar across my left eye.

“You’re awake.” Vulcan said. He had been sitting on the opposite end of the room with Leon, Fyre, and Evergreen.

“I was so worried we lost you!” Evergreen cried.

“That was dangerous! Don’t ever do that again!” Leon shouted.

Fyre didn’t speak. She only wiped her face with her arm. Her face was all puffy as if she’d been crying for a while.

“What happened?” Vulcan asked. “Your friends brought you here a while ago, and they said you had been slashed across the eye and were bleeding seriously. I’m no doctor, but I did what I could to patch it up.”

“It…” I began, but stopped.

“Yes?” Vulcan asked.

“It’s… it’s Dad, Vulcan.” I said. “He’s been taken.”

Vulcan slammed his fist into my bedside table, startling all of us.

“DAMMIT!” he shouted. “How could this have happened?”

“The battle must’ve been a diversion.” I said, mostly to Fyre, Leon, and Evergreen. “A way to draw our attention from the Shadows who took my dad.”

“Maybe…” Evergreen said.

“It’s possible.” Leon said.

“What?” Vulcan asked. “What are you talking about? Shadows?”

“They’re the black ghosts who rampaged the city.” I explained.

“And what about this ‘battle’ you’re talking about?”

“The Shadows leader, Commander Corpeus.” I said. “We were fighting him when dad got captured.”

“Corpeus…” Vulcan said. “So he took your father and unleashed his ‘Shadow’ army onto the city?”

“Not in that exact order, but yes.” I said.

“Why would he do that?” Vulcan questioned.

“The Elemental Gems!” Evergreen cried. “He mentioned he was going to use them to rule the world, and that your dad was the only person who knew of their whereabouts!”

“This,” Vulcan said, rising from his seat. “Is an act of war. This Commander steals our king to gain power, and kills innocent people in order to do so. Not only that, but he also injured my nephew! THIS WILL NOT STAND!!”

“Wait, Vulcan!” I said, trying to get up myself, but was forced to lay back down because my eye began to sting again.

“Going to war won’t solve the problem.” I groaned. “His Shadow army is strong. Their defense may be weak, but their claws make up for that. One shot to anywhere vital can kill anything. They’re like pawns in chess, completely useless unless your opponent isn’t paying attention to their pieces.”

“I’m also pretty sure they can only be killed by magic…” Evergreen said.

“If that were true,” Leon said. “How come me and Fyre were taking out Shadows?”

“Well,” Fyre said. “I secretly enchanted my axe with Unbreaking, Mending, and Smite, so that explains why I could one-shot the Shadows.”

“Okay, so what about me?” Leon asked.

“You’re a Monk.” Evergreen said.

“And?” Leon asked.

“You have some form of magic in you.” she explained. “I’m guessing some form of Speed and Strength enhancers.”

Leon shrugged.

“Alright, I get it.” Vulcan said. “These Shadows are highly affected by enchanted weapons. So we’ll have every witch, wizard, sorcerer, warlock, anyone with magic enchant all the soldiers' weapons and armor to protect themselves and kill the Shadows.”

“My mom might not be okay with that…” Evergreen said.

“No one’s going to war, and no one’s going to be enchanting anything.” I said.

Everyone looked at me.

“Look, I’m the reason my dad was captured. I was being reckless. It was my fault. I take full responsibility for what happened, so I should be the one to go on an adventure to find Corpeus’ base, and rescue my dad, and your king.”

Vulcan nodded.

“What?” Fyre said. “You’re going alone? Shouldn’t we come with you?”

“No.” I said. “This is my responsibility, and my dads whose life is on the line. I don’t want to have to risk your lives as well as my fathers.”

“But-”

“No, Evergreen. I’ve made up my mind.” I almost shouted. “Vulcan, I’m going to need to get ready.”

“I don’t approve of this, but if you feel this is the right choice, then I won’t argue.” Vulcan said. “Alright, you three. Let’s give him some space.”

Everyone walked out of my tower. When the door closed, I got out of my bed. Looking in the mirror, I removed the bandages. The scar on my left eye looked like it was beginning to scab over, and my eye itself looked unharmed. I didn’t dare to touch the scar.

Walking to my dresser, I pulled out my leather satchel, a sleeping bag, and my training sword, which was in its scabbard. Pulling out the old sword, I cleaned out the inside of the scabbard for fear of damaging the sword my dad gifted me. After a thorough cleaning, I slid my fathers sword into the scabbard. In the satchel, I put in my fathers chained book, went over to my drawer with all the coins I had collected over the years, put about a hundred and fifty coins or so into a leather pouch, put the pouch into the bag, sneaked into the kitchens, took about fifty Inferno Peppers, put those into a separate pouch, and put that into the satchel as well. I had to wash the outfit I was wearing because there was a bit of dry blood on the shirt and shorts. After that, I took a shower, letting the cold water wash over me. After a little freshen up, I took a look at myself in the mirror.

My own serious, determined self looked right back at me. I had attached the scabbard to the back of the satchel, which allowed for me, whenever and if ever I ran, the scabbard wouldn’t bump into my leg.

I was ready for my first adventure.

Now for the hardest part: Waiting for sunrise the next day.

Chapter 16:

I couldn’t sleep that night.

It was difficult for multiple reasons. The first reason was that I was finally going to achieve my dream of going on my first adventure. The second was knowing that I was going to have to leave my first and only friends behind to save my dad. The third reason, and I know this sounds childish, but I didn't want to relive the moment I saw my dad get taken by Corpeus. It was still painful.

When I saw the sky turning slightly pink, I left my tower, wondering if now would be the last time I would ever see it. I made sure to leave a note reminding Vulcan where I was going. Opening the castle doors, I looked out on the still smoking street where me and my friends had fought yesterday. I strolled on the path to that very street because that was where the entrance to the city was. As I reached the entrance, I noticed no one was there. No one to mourn over the dead bodies still lying where they fell. It was like a ghost town in this area.

However, as soon as I was about to step on the dirt path that led into the forest that surrounded the walled city, I heard someone call my name.

“Blaine! Wait up!” They panted.

Turning around, I saw Fyre. She was wearing the same outfit from yesterday, only now she wore a metal heart shaped breastplate, shoulderplates, and bracers, as well as metal kneepads.

“Before… you say anything…” she wheezed. “I just want to say… you can’t… shouldn’t… go alone… We talked… about it… and we decided… we’re coming… with you…”

“We?” I repeated, and then I saw Leon and Evergreen sprinting down the street.

“Oh! Fyre. You’re already here?” Leon asked. He didn’t seem winded at all. He had adorned a white tank top, thick brown gloves, and denim shorts.

“Hey!” Evergreen was clutching her side. “I saw you guys running. Are we going now?”” She was wearing a short black dress, leather boots, and a tall witches hat.

“What kind of outfit is that?” Leon asked.

“A witches outfit.” she scoffed. “What kind of outfit is that?”

“MY outfit.” Leon huffed.

I groaned. “I already told you. I’m going alone.”

“Blaine, buddy,” Leon said, patting my back. “Not only is this foolish, but risking your life isn’t exactly what we call a ‘good plan.’”

“It’d be safer if you had some backup, y’know, in case you run into any Shadows.” Fyre said.

“Or Corpeus.” Evergreen pointed out.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “You guys don’t have anything against Corpeus. I do.”

“Well, actually, we do.” Evergreen said.

I looked at her in confusion.

“When someone threatens our friend, we don’t just stand by and let them be bullied.” Leon said.

“Corpeus hurt you,” Fyre put her hand on my shoulder. “And you’re letting that hurt and anger get the better of you. We don’t want you doing something you’ll regret later in the future. That’s why we want to come with you.”

“So, you’re coming as my emotional support?” I asked.

“No.” Fyre said. “We’re coming as your friends.”

I looked at my friends. They all looked so determined, I didn’t think they’d take ‘no’ as an answer.

I sighed. “I’m guessing you’re all going to come with me whether or not I say yes?”

“Yep.” Fyre said.

“Aarrgghh… FINE.” I said at last. “You can come with me.”

“Hooray!” Evergreen shouted. “We’re going on an adventure! Let's go, BFF Squad!”

“Stop tryna make up a team name.” Leon said.

I was probably going to regret this.

“Okay,” Evergreen said, pulling out a map. “I did some research on the Elemental Gems last night, and I MAY have pinpointed their locations to four places on this map. The first one, the Air Elemental Gem, is the closest. It may or may not be in Stormwatch Peak. I traced the next one, the Earth Elemental Gem, to the Crystalline Mines. The Water Elemental Gem SHOULD be on the Azure Coast. And the last one is located somewhere in… the Inferno Mountain Range.”

“The Inferno Mountain Range?!” Leon asked. “That’s a volcano hotspot!”

“I’m gonna guess that’s where the Fire Gem is?” Fyre said.

Evergreen nodded. “But we won’t have to worry about that now. The first stop is Stormwatch Peak. It’s only about a day’s trek from here, at the very least.”

“What are we waiting for, then?” I asked. “Let’s move, people!”

And for the first time ever, I stepped on the path that would take me on my first adventure. Aided by my friends, of course.

“This is gonna be easy!” I said. “We’re going to get to Stormwatch Peak in no time at all!”

Seven hours later…

“How far is it to this ‘Stormwatch Peak,’ Evergreen?” Leon asked.

“Uh…” Evergreen looked at her map. “Hey, we made it a quarter of the way! Keep this up and we’ll be there in… twenty-one hours!”

“We’re doomed.” Leon said.

I wiped my brow. It had taken us SEVEN hours just to make it a quarter of the way to Stormwatch Peak, and nothing had happened so far. Is this what adventurers had to do all the time? Wait for what felt like ages for something to happen?

“Pick up the pace, Leon!” Fyre shouted. “We gotta keep moving!”

“I know, I know.” Leon said, walking a little faster.

We kept walking for a bit, before I said, “We should take a break. Rest up before continuing to Stormwatch Peak.”

Evergreen and Leon groaned.

“Alright,” Fyre said. “Let’s find a good spot to rest first before we settle down for a little bit.”

As we were walking, Leon spoke up. “You guys hear that?” he asked. His ears were twitching.

We all stopped. We listened.

Somewhere up ahead, there was a faint sound, almost like there were animals growling and screeching. But these noises didn’t sound normal.

“Let’s check it out.” I whispered.

We followed the noise for about fifty yards, and the noises grew steadily louder, and when we reached the spot where all the noise was coming from, our suspicions were proven that the noises were coming from…

“Shadows…” Evergreen whispered.

About eight shadows were in a clearing, one of those you’d make camp in. There were cages with no prisoners, along with three barrels of rations nearby. All eight Shadows surrounded a campfire, garbling in some unknown language. We hid behind some bushes where we could watch them without being seen.

“Strange. They seem like normal people.” Leon quietly commented. He had parted away some bush so we could see the Shadows.

“Maybe they were.” Fyre whispered.

“But what’re they doing out here?” I asked.

“Dunno.” Evergreen said, shrugging. “Maybe they’re here to kidnap anyone who’s trying to leave or enter the city, based on those cages.”

“That’s messed up.” Leon said. “Why would Corpeus order them to do that?”

“It’s just a guess…” Evergreen said.

“Whatever the reason, we should at least make sure these guys don’t kidnap anybody anytime soon.” I said.

“They haven’t kidnapped anybody yet, though.” Fyre said. “It seems wrong to attack them without a reason.”

I looked at her. She was right, I thought. I sighed.

“Alright, we won’t attack them unless provoked.” I said.

“Good, because I really didn’t want to fight anything today-” Evergreen started, but then there was a snap. Leon had accidentally stepped on a twig.

“Whoops.” he said.

The Shadows looked around, and then saw us. One of them shrieked.

“Aw, crud!” Evergreen said. “Thanks a LOT, Leon!”

“Something tells me you did that on purpose.” Fyre said.

“Maybe, maybe not.” Leon smirked.

Evergreen facepalmed.

“What happened happened. There’s nothing we can do to change it.” I said.

When the Shadows took their positions, I pointed my sword at them, and shouted “En Garde!”

Chapter 17:

Vs. Shadows

The Shadows had formed a V-pattern, seven in the front, making up the V, and one in the center of the V. This Shadow had both a sword and a shield. Again, the Shadows reminded me of pawns in chess. The weak pieces go up front, while the more powerful ones go behind them.

“I’ve got this!” Evergreen shouted. “Energy Sphere!”

She disintegrated one of the Shadows to the left on the V-pattern.

“My turn!” Leon smiled. “You’re about to go DOWN! Flying Slam!”

Rushing forward, he grabbed one of the Shadows, flew fifteen feet, and smashed it into the ground.

“Guess I’m up.” Fyre said. “Cleave!”

She chopped one one the Shadows to dust with one swing.

“Here I go!” I exclaimed. “Crescent Shot!”

A Shadow up front fell to my attack. I was beginning to like that move a lot, mostly because it allowed me to attack enemies from a longer range.

A shadow charged at me, but I dodged it with effortless grace. The sword and shield wielding Shadow screeched before flinging its sword in Evergreen's direction. Luckily, she put up a Shield spell, protecting her from the attack. The Shadow pulled out another sword.

“Energy Wave!” Evergreen called.

A mini-shockwave hit the three remaining Shadows, finishing them. The Shadow in the middle, however, shielded the attack.

“Huh?!” Evergreen was shocked.

“Try to block THIS!” Leon called. “Triple Knockout!”

Rushing forward, he smashed the Shadow, or should I say, its shield three times before jumping back.

“Dang it.” Leon said, shaking his hands. “That thing is tough.”

“Forge!” Fyre said. She was, yet again, surrounded by an orange aura.

“Your temporary Strength Boost?” I asked.

“I can use it whenever,” she said. “I just have to attack something to remove the effects.”

“Ah. Okay, just checking. Tornado Spin!”

I hit the shield, and I heard a cracking sound on the final hit.

So the shield has a certain amount of damage it can take before shattering, I thought to myself.

The Shadow shrieked, flinging its second sword at Fyre, who blocked it by slamming her halberd into the ground. The Shadow pulled out a third sword.

“How many swords does that Shadow have?” Leon asked.

“Who cares about the swords?” Evergreen said. “That thing’s unstoppable! That shield is blocking all of our attacks!”

“Yeah, it is,” I said. “But it won’t block every one of our attacks. Evergreen, cast another spell to damage it. If that fails, Leon, I want you to hit that thing as hard as you can. And if that Shadow is still standing, Fyre, I want you to use your halberd to chop that thing down. I’ll step in if all else fails.”

“Are you CRAZY?!” Evergreen asked.

“No, I’m not.” I said.

Evergreen looked doubtful, but she soon shouted, “Mage Hand!”

A large fist flew toward the Shadow, who blocked the attack with the shield. Another cracking sound could be heard, though this one was louder.

“Hey, the shield is breaking!” Evergreen said excitedly. “Another hit or so should do it, Leon!”

“I hear ya!” he said. “Flying Fist!”

When Leon's fist made impact with the shield, the whole thing shattered into a million pieces.

“Yeah!” We cried.

“Fyre, finish him!” I shouted.

Fyre flashed a grin, raised her halberd high in the air and shouted, “Finishing Move: Edge of Grace!”

She jumped, ballerina like, and twirled her halberd around. It was so mesmerizing. Beautiful, even. It felt like I was watching her in slow motion. My vision turned pink and a little bit yellow. Everything was invisible except for Fyre. She was all I could see. My face felt warm. What was this feeling? Was this… romance? Young love?

Her halberd cut into the Shadow, turning it to dust. The sword it was holding fell to the ground. She stood there for a moment before turning her head. Our eyes met. Her sapphire blue, diamond eyes met mine.

“What?” she said at last. “Why’re you looking at me like that?”

“Huh?” I was pulled back to reality. “Wha- What?”

“Nevermind.” she said, shaking her head. “This looks like a good spot for camp. What do you guys think?”

“I think it’s pretty nice.” Evergreen said.

“Yeah, I think it’s a good spot.” Leon said.

“I… It’s perfect.” I said. I was still recovering from the romantic rollercoaster of feelings during Fyres display of grace.

“You okay there, buddy?” Leon asked.

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.” I said.

Leon looked at me in a weird way.

“I think you and I need to have a talk.” He finally said. “Mano e mano, y’know? A good chat between hermanos.”

“Uh… What?” I asked.

“Come with me.” he said, leading me into the trees. “You girls can set up camp, for now. We’ll be back soon.”

Chapter 18:

“Okay,” Leon said. We had just gotten out of earshot of Evergreen and Fyre. “There’s some kind of chemistry going on with you and Fyre. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

I blinked.

“Come on, you know what I’m talking about. Your face gets red every time she does or says something you like. And just now, you were staring at her intensely. That’s a sign of amore, my friend.”

“Amore?” I repeated.

“It means ‘love,’ buddy ol’ pal.”

“WHAT?!” My face went red. “Are you saying- Are you trying to say that I’m in LOVE with Fyre?”

“Dude, the signs are OBVIOUS. You must have realized that by now.”

I laughed. “I mean, we’re just FRIENDS, Leon. We’re not, like… We aren’t, I mean… There’s no… We’re not girlfriend and boyfriend or whatever.”

“That’s what they all say.” Leon smiled. “All I’m saying is that I can see you like her a lot.”

I shrugged.

“Yes.” Leon said. “Alright, we can go back to camp now.”

“You dragged me all the way out here just to hear me say I like Fyre?” I asked.

“I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t making stuff up,” he admitted.

“Huh.”

When we got back to camp, Fyre and Evergreen were both sitting around the abandoned fire left behind by the Shadows. They seemed to be cooking something in a pot that had been placed directly in the fire.

“Oh, hello, boys,” Evergreen greeted. “We were just cooking some rice.”

“Ooh, rice?” I said. “I LOVE rice!”

“Really?” Fyre asked.

“Yeah, it’s the best!” I said, my mouth watering. “Especially whenever it’s used for Inferno Rice!”

“What’s that?” Evergreen asked. “Does it have Inferno Peppers?” she added, with a look reading, “Please say no” written all over it.

“It does.” I said. “It’s really good! It’s got just the right amount of spice, not too hot as to burn your tongue, but not weak so you don’t get a good spice kick. And the flavor, oh my gods. The sweet sticky rice, the Inferno Pepper Sauce, and- oh. Wait. Ah, dang it.”

“What?” Fyre asked.

“There’s supposed to be beef in the Inferno Rice, and I didn’t bring any beef with me…” I said in utter despair.

“Not to worry,” Leon said. “I came with enough meat to last us a month.” He held up a cheesecloth bag, stuffed to the brim with raw steak.

“Why would you bring so much raw meat?” Evergreen asked.

“I’m a carnivore.” Leon told her.

“Why’d I ask?” Evergreen asked herself.

“You just ask weird questions.” Leon shrugged.

“What are we waiting for, then?” Fyre asked. “Let’s cook up this Inferno Rice!”

“Yeah!” I said. “That’s the spirit!”

Fyre's face went red.

After about ten minutes or so, the Inferno Rice was ready.

“Dig in, everybody!” I said.

We had to slurp the rice, sauce, and meat because no one had thought to bring utensils, except Evergreen who brought a ladle with the pot.

“So good…” Fyre said with a mouthful of rice.

“Better than raw Inferno Peppers any day…” Evergreen said.

“This is what it’s meant to be in heaven…” Leon smiled.

I had to laugh. Their reactions weren’t at all what I was expecting. “I’m glad you all like it.”

“Like it? I love it!” Fyre said. She had to swallow the mouthful of food she had in her mouth to say it. “I could eat this every day for the rest of my life!”

“Shut up and move your lazy butt.” Evergreen frowned.

“Whatever.”

I threw some dirt on the fire, extinguishing it.

“Come on. We can’t be far from Stormwatch Peak. Being a quarter of the way there isn’t so bad.” I said.

“Easy for you to say.” Leon grumbled.

At noon, the sun was high above our heads when we reached a path that split in two directions.

“If we want to get to Stormwatch Peak tomorrow, we should take the right path.” Evergreen said, looking at her trusty map for guidance.

“No, DUH.” Leon said. “Of course taking the right path will get us to Stormwatch Peak. I say we take this path-”

“Nope.” Evergreen used her Mage Hand to pull Leon away from the left path. “I mean, we take the RIGHT path. Not the left. Use your brain instead of your muscles next time.”

“Oh, hush.” Leon rolled his eyes.

So, we took the RIGHT path, and continued walking for a couple more hours.

“Guys,” Evergreen said, looking at her watch. “It’s been about seven hours since we left camp. Should we stop and rest again, or do you guys want to continue?”

“I think we should find another place to rest up.” I said. All this walking was beginning to tire me out. “Set up camp for tonight, get some sleep.”

“I strongly agree.” Leon said.

“Guess we’re making camp, then.” Fyre said. “Looks like there’s a clearing not too far ahead. We’ll head there.”

It wasn’t as bad as the first. We were close to a river with a lot of fish, which Leon found very promising. Evergreen pulled out two portable tents, “One for the boys and the other for the girls.” Fyre started a campfire, and I scouted the area. After that, we cooked up some cod that Leon had caught and made a schedule for people who would be doing lookout during the night.

“I’ll probably go first, then Fyre, then Leon, and then Evergreen.” I said.

“Good idea.” Evergreen said. “I need my beauty sleep. I need the energy to cast spells, you know?”

“That’s what she said.” Leon whispered in my ear.

Evergreen scowled at Leon.

“I’m okay with those arrangements.” Fyre said.

“Alright, then.” I said, getting up. “You guys get some sleep. We may have a long journey ahead of us, but tonight’s going to feel longer than our adventure.”

“Good night.” Evergreen yawned. “See you in a few hours, Leon.”

“Same.” Leon rubbed his eyes.

As everyone got into bed, I climbed a nearby spruce tree to get a good view of our surroundings. All there were were more trees though.

Great.

The moon reflected against the rushing river. The sounds of evening crickets filled the night. A slight breeze whipped my hair. It felt like one of those moments that should be shared with someone.

To my great surprise, someone did show up.

Chapter 19:

“Hey,” Fyre said. She was climbing the tree.

“Hi,” I replied.

“Anything unusual out here?” She asked, sitting on a branch below me.

“All I can see are trees.” I said.

She looked around at the treetops.

“That sucks.” she said.

“Yeah.”

We were quiet for a while.

“I don’t think it’s your turn to be lookout, is it?” I asked.

“No,” Fyre said. “I was bored and looking for something to do. Talking with you seemed like a good option.”

“Oh.” My face felt warm again. “So… What do you want to talk about?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” She shrugged. “I guess I just want to hear more about you. I barely know anything about you, and I guess getting to know you better…”

She paused.

“What do you want to know?” I asked.

“Well… what’s your relationship like with your dad compared to your uncle?”

“Compared to my dad, Vulcan’s always around.” I explained. “He’s always there to give me helpful advice when I need it. He’s almost like the dad I always wanted, but… was never around…”

Fyre listened intently.

“When I told my dad I wanted to be an adventurer, he just kind of… pushed me away. Like he was disappointed his son, the prince, didn’t want to be the king. The truth is… I never truly felt like a leader. That was my dads job, to lead his kingdom by example. And I just…”

I felt on the verge of tears.

“I couldn’t bring myself to become HIM.” I choked. “I wasn’t some ‘wannabe king,’ I was just the guy who wanted a life of excitement. I wanted to actually DO something to help people, not just sit in a chair and order people around. And do you want to hear the worst part? Me and my father didn’t speak to each other for TEN YEARS. The day at the festival was the first time we had a somewhat conversation in a long time. And when he got kidnapped… I…”

I couldn’t. I just couldn’t talk about this any longer.

A cool autumn wind washed my single lone tear away. I watched as the tear fell, sparkling in the moonlight.

Fyre was silent for a long time. About a minute later, she climbed a little higher and sat next to me.

“I’m so sorry,” she said at last.

“Why? It’s not your fault.” I said.

“ I know,” she sighed. “I just kinda thought that you avoided your dad because of… uh… something else…”

Changing the subject, she asked, “What is it with you and spicy food?”

“I honestly have no idea.” I admitted. “Whenever I eat something hot, something inside me just stirs. It’s like I feel really warm inside and I feel… almost kind of powerful, you know?”

“I… don’t think so…?” Fyre said. “I don’t get that feeling when I eat food.”

“Huh.”

“Okay, next question,” she said. “Are those real?”

She pointed at my horns.

“I think so.” I said. “Are yours real?”

I pointed at her horns.

“I’m pretty positive.” she shrugged. “I mean, they FEEL real.”

“Could I…?” I began.

Fyre must’ve got the message I never spoke. “Uh… sure.”

She leaned closer to me so I wouldn’t have to strain my arms to reach out and touch her horns.

They felt both rough and smooth at the same time. I found myself actually rubbing her horns as if I was patting a dog's head.

“Hey, uh, Blaine?”

“Hmm?”

“I forgot those are really sensitive, and, uh… could you please stop?”

“Oh! Sorry!” I jerked my hand away.

“Oh, you’re fine!” Fyre sat up. Her face was glowing red.

We didn’t look or speak to each other for a while.

“Maybe we should save this for another time?” I suggested, yawning.

“Yeahhh…” Fyre agreed. “I’ll take watch.”

“Cool.” As I climbed down the tree, I called up to her, “Good night, Fyre!”

“Night!” She called back.

I went into the ‘boys’ tent. Leon was snoring.

Crawling under my sleeping bag, I remembered patting Fyre’s horns. My face warmed up at the thought.

That was an extremely embarrassing moment, I thought to myself as I fell asleep.

Chapter 20:

“SUNRISE, EVERYBODY!!” Evergreen shouted. “TIME TO PACK UP AND HIT THE ROAD!!”

“SHUT UP, ROOSTER!!” Leon shouted back. He was covering his head in his pillow.

I yawned. I had a really weird dream last night. I can’t remember what it was, but I just knew it was weird.

“Come on, people! Let’s get ready to hit the road!” Fyre said. She had some fish in her hand that she was eating.

When the tents had all been packed away and sleeping bags rolled up and the fire extinguished, we hit the road. Well, path, but you get it.

“Oh. That’s interesting.” Evergreen said, looking at her map for the umpteenth time.

“What?” Leon asked.

“There’s a path that can get us to Stormwatch Peak faster. We’d just have to go through a mountain pass.” Evergreen told us.

“Sweet!” Leon said. “Let’s take that path!”

“It’ll also save us… maybe ten hours of walking, at the least.” Evergreen calculated. “Twelve at the most.”

“Even better!” Leon said.

“Let's go!” I said.

“The path should be up ahead…” Evergreen said, looking at the map, then at her surroundings, then her map again. “Yeah, it’s right there!”

She pointed up ahead. The path forked off into two directions yet again. One path, however, the right one, looked like it headed straight into the mountains. The left one just took you into more forest. We obviously took the right path.

The mountain path terrain was rocky, but it wasn’t too bad. At least we didn’t have to climb, we just walked.

“It’s getting kinda chilly…” Leon said, rubbing his arms.

“You’re wearing a tank top and shorts, and we’re on a mountain.” Evergreen smiled. “You have to expect it to be chilly.”

“Shut up.” Leon growled.

Just then, a pack of Shadows appeared.

“Oh, come on!” Fyre said. “We just fought Shadows yesterday!”

They surrounded us, growling and hissing and spitting and shrieking.

“Vell, vell, vell.” A voice said. “Look vhat ve have here.”

A new Shadow appeared. He was slightly taller than his comrades, his rib cage exposed only on the sides of his body. He held a skull in his hand, like that one guy from Hamlet.

“It appears ve have some guests.” He said to the skull. “Corpeus told me you four might come to steal the Air Elemental Gem, and he sent me to stop you.”

“Who’s ‘me?’” Leon asked, grinning.

“Vho is me?” The Shadow looked at Leon. “Vho is me? Ha. Your grammar is poor, child.”

“I mean, who are you?” Leon said, as if this was obvious.

“Ah. You could’ve been more specific.” The Shadow said, gazing into the empty eyes of the skull. “You may call me Captain Strahd.”

“Strahd?” I asked. “Are you referring to the fantasy vampire Strahd Von Zarovich?”

“Nay. That is my title, and my name.” Captain Strahd said.

“So your first name is Captain and your last name is Strahd?” I asked.

“NAY! My name is Strahd! My title is Captain! Learn to remember it! I highly disapprove of your manners, Prince. I expected more from you, but no.”

“Yeah, well, if you could move out of our way, we’ll just be headed to St- OW!!”

Evergreen stepped on Leon’s foot.

“Our destination.” she said. “”We’ll be headed to our destination.”

“Doth thou mean Stormvatch Peak?” Strahd asked. “We know. It pays to have someone who knows the location of all four gems.”

“Don’t talk about my dad like he’s some tool…” I snarled.

“But he is!” Strahd said, lowering the skull and looking at me. “Ve are using him to find and take the gems for Corpeus. Vhen Corpeus is done vith him, he vill dispose of him, simple as that.”

“Alright, smart guy!” I raised my sword. “That’s the last straw! We’re going to take you down!”

Everyone pulled out their weapons, except Leon, who got into a fighting stance.

“Very vell.” Strahd said, pulling out two Dual Swords. “To be defeated or not to be defeated. That is the question. Shadows! Take your positions!”

He dramatically stepped back as two waves of Shadows came forth. Strahd positioned himself behind the second wave, while the first blocked our path to the wave he was behind.

“En garde!” I called.

Chapter 21:

Shadowy Captain

Strahd

“I’ve got this!” Evergreen said, stepping forward. “Energy Wave!”

The Shadows in the front were immediately annihilated. The ones on the sides, however, were still standing. Screeching, they charged at her. She dodged them, shouting, “Mage Hand!”

A large fist plowed the final Shadows, allowing Evergreen easy access to the second wave and Strahd.

“Interesting move choices.” Strahd complimented. “But now it’s our turn! Double Slice!”

Strahd sprinted at Evergreen swords crossed into an X. Evergreen blocked the oncoming attack with a Shield spell.

“As said, interesting.” Strahd flicked some dust off of his shoulder.

“I was just getting warmed up!” Evergreen said. “Eldritch Cannon!”

A large laser blasted Strahd with full force.

“Heh. Not bad.” Strahd winced. “Bite of Hamlet!”

The skull he had been holding earlier grew to the size of a large boulder. Opening its wide mouth, it flew at Evergreen, who hopped on a magic broomstick to avoid it. She slowly descended after the skull had come back to Strahd, shrinking in size.

“Clever girl.” Strahd growled.

“Mage Hands!” Evergreen shouted.

Two large hands appeared, and they crushed Strahd with one vicious clap. He fell to what would have been his knees, his swords dropped to the ground with him. When he got up, he said, "Shakespeare would be proud. Priestess!”

Priestess appeared out of thin air. Was she here this whole time? I thought.

“My turn!” Leon shouted after Evergreen had been blown back and the Shadows had been revived. “Surge!”

A large amount of power burst from Leon's palms at the first wave of Shadows. They all disappeared into piles of dust.

“Your skills are incredible.” Strahd smiled as Leon came forward. “X-Shot!”

Strahd slashed his swords, and a large X-shaped Crescent Shot closed in on Leon, who used his arms to absorb the attack.

“Quintuple Knockout!”

He struck Strahd five times, which was enough to make the shadowy captain fall.

“Bethoven vould call that a masterpiece. Priestess!”

When Leon was thrown back, and the Shadows had been re-revived, Fyre stepped forward.

“Guess I’m up. Sweeping Blade!”

Her halberd lengthened, and slayed all the Shadows on the left side of the first wave. The ones on the right side rushed at her. She dodged them all.

“Cleave!” She defeated the rest of the Shadows, and strolled toward Strahd.

“That vas intense.” Strahd commented. “Mole Blades!”

His large swords sunk into the ground before emerging, enlarged to triple their original size, from the ground at Fyre, who blocked the attack with her halberd.

“Spear Kebab!”

Her halberd lengthened again, but this time, it jabbed Strahd in the chest.

“Truly talented, you are.” Strahd said. “Shadows! Attack!”

The four Shadows by Strahd’s side rushed at Fyre, who only narrowly avoided them by doing acrobatics.

“I vasn’t lying vhen I said you vere talented.” Strahd grinned.

“No one said you ‘vere’ lying.” Fyre grinned back. “Surge!”

For the third time, Strahd fell to his knees.

“Picasso vould call that a vork of art. Priestess!”

Fyre was knocked back, and the Shadows were re-re-revived by Priestess.

“Here I go!” I stepped up. “Crescent Shots!”

Three Shadows fell to my attacks before the rest rushed at me. Dodging them, I unleashed “Tornado Spin!” cutting them apart. I then walked toward Strahd and the four Shadows by his side.

“Imperious.” Strahd said. “Truly imperious. Double Slice!”

I blocked the oncoming attack with my sword.

“Tornado Spin!”

Strahd was struck multiple times before I drew back to my position.

“Shadows! Attack!”

Dodging the Shadows, I flashed a smile in Strahd’s direction. “Finishing Move: Blade of Fury!”

Rushing from all directions, I slashed at Strahd with my blade. The sharp metal gleamed in the sunlight before I slashed Strahd straight into the sky. He landed a good twenty feet away.

“Defeated? How can this be?” Strahd said when he got up. “I am far better than this!”

“We had teamwork on our side.” I said. “You used a dramatic display of attacks to try and impose us. There was no ‘teamwork.’ As they say in show business, you played in a one man band.”

Strahd growled, then paused, smiled, and said, “How about ve make a deal, Prince? I’ll give you an hour's head start to Stormvatch Peak, BUT! There’s a catch. Vhen ve meet again, and I promise ve vill, ve shall have a rematch. You and your friends, against myself.”

I stared at Strahd. He was willing to give me and my friends an hour’s heads start to the gem? All for a rematch?

“Vhat do you say, Your Highness? Do ve have a deal?”

“Uh…” I didn’t know what to say. “Could you give me a second to talk with my friends?”

Strahd didn’t look pleased, but nodded.

“Okay, so what do you guys think about this?” I asked as we huddled together.

“I think agreeing with him is a terrible plan!” Evergreen said. “We should just tell him no, and we’ll be on our way to Stormwatch Peak no problem.”

“I think Evergreen's plan sucks.” Leon said.

“You think everything of mine sucks.”

“Because it does.”

“Shut up.”

“Oh, hush.”

“What about you, Fyre?” I asked. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know…” She ran her hands through her hair. “I mean, if we agree, he’ll let us pass and travel to Stormwatch Peak for an hour, and then, I guess he’l gather the Shadow battalion and follow us? But he never said what he’d do if we disagreed… only that he wouldn’t let us pass…”

“Well, we need to decide NOW. We have to get to the Air Elemental Gem, and the sooner we get that, the sooner I can rescue my dad.”

We conversed for another minute or two, before we broke our huddle, and I called, “Captain Strahd!”

He looked at me.

“I accept your deal.” Those were the most dangerous words anyone could say.

“Excellent! Let’s shake on it, then.” He held out a clawed hand. I took it firmly. It was cold, clammy, and very bony. It sent chills down my spine.

“You may pass.” Strahd said, bowing toward the path.

“Thanks.” I said. “Let’s go, everybody!”

“You’re welcome.” Strahd nodded. He watched us as we continued up the path to Stormwatch Peak.

Chapter 22:

The snow capped mountain peaks were reflecting the sun into my eyes. Ever since my battle with Corpeus, my left eye was extremely sensitive to things I would have normally felt nothing for. Blinking hurts, keeping my eye open for too long hurts, and bright light is more painful than ever. I had to keep it closed and shield my other eye from the sun.

“Are you doing okay?” Fyre asked.

“Yeah. It’s just my eye.” I said.

She nodded. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s not your fault.” I told her. “It was my own decision that got me injured.”

“Still,” she said.

A long while later, Evergreen shouted, “We’re almost there! I can see Stormwatch Peak just up ahead!”

About five miles away, surrounded by a small forest, was the tallest mountain in Dragonia: Stormwatch Peak. I couldn’t see the tip of the mountain because it was blocked by a layer of clouds.

“Hey, Evergreen!” Leon said. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Why’s it called Stormwatch Peak?”

“There’s an outpost at the top of the mountain that’s been watching for storms for about a hundred years.” She began explaining. “It’s how we know where different storms are going to be. The people up there have to learn all sorts of different calculations so they can correctly determine where a storm is heading and when it’s going to get to its destination. Storm-watch.”

“Oh!” Leon said. “That makes sense now!”

“All you had to do was separate the word Stormwatch and put the two and two together…” Evergreen grumbled.

“How long till we reach Stormwatch Peak?” I asked.

“I’d say about an hour, if we jogged. Two if we keep walking.” she said.

“Race you there!” Leon said, sprinting. “Last one to the mountain’s taking the first watch tonight!”

“Hey!” Evergreen shouted, hastily folding the map and shoving it in her bag. “Cheater! You’re faster than us! And you got a head start!”

“No complaining!” Leon grinned.

I laughed. “Come on, Fyre!”

We dashed the whole way to the mountain. Evergreen was lagging behind, and we had to wait ten minutes for her to catch up. Leon, who had obviously gotten to the base of the mountain first, was impatient.

“We could’ve already gotten the Air Elemental Gem if it weren’t for you, slowpoke!” he said to Evergreen when she had finally caught up.

“I… don’t… run… a lot…” she panted, squeezing her side.

“No excuses.” Leon said. “And no complaining about not getting enough sleep tonight. We’re all getting nine hours of sleep a night.”

Evergreen sighed heavily.

“Now what?” Fyre asked.

Evergreen pulled out the map. “Uh… I think… I think we gotta climb the mountain…” She sounded like she was short on breath.

“Climb the mountain? Really?” Leon asked.

“I think…” Evergreen said.

“I guess we climb.” I shrugged.

Fyre gulped.

The mountain was steep. It was almost like scaling a cliff. We were having to grab at protruding rocks to ascend the mountain. It reminded me of when I did rock climbing with Vulcan when I was nine years old. At one point, Fyre slipped, and I had to catch her by swinging myself to the side and gripping her arm.

“You alright, there?” I asked.

“Yeah…” Her face went red. Looking back up to where she had been a moment before, she added, “I’m not sure how to get back up there.”

“Same way you got up there before.” I said. “You climb.”

She groaned. I let go of her as soon as she had a good grip on the rocks again.

“I hate heights.” she said. “I really, really hate heights…”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up.” I said. “Ms. Awesome can slay ghosts and swing around a heavy halberd all day… but you’re afraid of heights?”

“Yes.” Fyre said. “And my halberd isn’t heavy.”

“Okay…” I was pretty surprised. “Well, if there’s anything that Vulcan told me, it’s that fear makes us stronger. Take me for example. I’m terrified of Death.”

“Everyone’s afraid of death.” Fyre said.

“No, I mean Death. The Dark Angel of Souls.”

“What’s so scary about her?”

“According to ancient tomes, she was the daughter of the Moon and Water Goddess Lun. Her father’s identity is still unknown to this day. They say that when she was born, she didn’t cry. She didn’t even make any sign that showed she had emotion whatsoever. She could also see into people’s memories. Not read their thoughts. Just look at what they’ve done in their past. Apparently that’s how she sends people to Heaven or Hell.” I shuddered. “I don’t want anyone looking through my memories.”

“How do you overcome your fear of Death?”

“Overcome my fear of Death?” I turned to stare at Fyre. “I can never overcome my fear of Death.”

“But you said that Vulcan told you-”

“That fear makes us stronger.” I repeated. “Vulcan never said overcoming your fears makes you stronger. Fear is what drives us to do the right thing every time. That fear of heights both scares you into never falling from a high altitude, and gives you confidence that you never will fall from a high altitude.”

“I almost fell off almost a minute ago.” she pointed out.

“I’m not saying it will work every time. I’m saying it helps you make the choice to NOT do something.”

“Huh.” She climbed a little faster. “Weird way of saying it, but I think I understand. Thanks.”

“Just don’t mention it to Leon.” I said.

“Why not?”

“It’s complicated.” That was all I said.

We soon found ourselves on a rock ledge that was large and thick enough to support all four of us.

“How far till we reach the top?” I asked, slightly panting.

Evergreen looked down at where we had started, and looked up at the clouds. After a quick glance at her watch, she said, “Maybe another hour.”

“ANOTHER-?!” Leon began to shout, but then pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t with this, Evergreen. At this rate Strahd’s going to get to the gem before us and we’re going to be one step behind rescuing Blaine’s dad!”

“Hey, if I’d have known it’d take this long to climb a mountain, I would have suggested we find a path or something!” Evergreen scowled.

“Yeah, well I hate to break it to you, BUT THERE ARE NO PATHS!!” Leon shouted.

“Will you just stop?” Fyre said. “Oh my gods… You two just can’t stop fighting with each other, can you?”

“She started it!” Leon pointed at Evergreen.

“Gee, that’s really mature of you, Leon.” Evergreen raised her eyebrows.

“Look, I’m in a bad mood, okay?” Leon leaned against the mountain. “I just… I need a moment to breathe, okay?”

He sighed.

Suddenly, without warning, the side of the mountain Leon was leaning against began to crumble.

“Leon!” Evergreen glared at him. “What did you do?!”

“I don’t know!” Leon panicked.

Rocks began to fall from the one specific spot Leon had been, and they widened into the shape of an archway. The archway showed a path of torches leading to a spruce door.

“Leon, I don’t know what you did, but you did something.” Evergreen said.

“Really?” Leon sarcastically laughed. “Gee, I didn’t notice, Green.”

Evergreen turned to face him.

“What did you just call me?” she asked.

“Green” Leon repeated. “It’s short for Evergreen.”

“What’s wrong with saying my real name?”

“It’s long.”

“So?”

“So, by shortening your name, I won’t have to worry about twisting my tongue every time I want to talk to you.”

“Okay, listen here, Furry-”

“HEY!” Fyre barked. “Break it up! You both need to learn to GET A GRIP! CAPECE?”

“Uh-”

“Good.” Fyre interrupted Leon. “Now that you both have stopped fighting, we can all go through the stone hallway.”

“Uh… yeah. What Fyre said.” I gave Fyre a thumbs up. “Let’s move it, people.”

Sighing heavily, Evergreen and Leon dragged their feet into the hallway in the mountain.

The door up ahead felt farther than what it really was, but when we finally reached it, Fyre stopped me from opening it.

“Anything could be on the other side.” She warned. “Just be careful.”

I nodded, and slowly cracked the door open.

Chapter 23:

The room on the other side of the door bore no resemblance to the hallway outside. The room was large and circular and looked like the inside of a dome. Everything was made of smooth, bright white marble, which hurt my eye. There was a large hole that went straight into the ground. It looked like a bottomless pit. On the opposite end of the pit from where we were, a bright white-blue light emanated from a pedestal.

“That must be the Air Elemental Gem!” Evergreen exclaimed.

“But how are we going to get to it?” Leon asked, looking down into the black emptiness of the pit, but when he stepped forward to get a good look, there was a soft click as Leon’s foot stepped on a marble pressure plate.

“Welp. Now we’re going to die.” Evergreen frowned at Leon. “Thank you so much, Leon, for deciding our fates.”

Instead of activating a booby trap, however, a parkour course of clouds and floating marble platforms appeared, shooting up from the pit.

“Oh, no!” Leon put his hands on his head, as if acting out a look of surprise. “Look, Evergreen! Clouds! We’re in so much trouble! I’m so sorry I never fully trusted you-”

“Oh, shut up.” Evergreen growled.

“Parkour? That’s it?” Fyre asked. “Over a bottomless pit of doom?”

“That doesn’t sound too bad.” I said, jumping to a nearby cloud. It felt firm and fluffy, like a pillow.

“It’s alright!” I said, giving everyone a thumbs up. “Nothing to worry about!”

That’s when I accidentally glanced down into the empty void of darkness below.

I swallowed hard, realizing one mistake would finish me if I were to fall.

If, I reminded myself. That doesn’t mean you will.

Easier thought than done.

I jumped onto another cloud, then another, and yet another. Soon, Leon followed, then Evergreen, and, taking the deepest breath I’ve ever seen, Fyre.

About five minutes in, everyone was beginning to make some progress. We were getting closer to the Air Elemental Gem with every jump.

“Almost there!” I called. “Keep up the pace!”

We were slowly closing in the distance on the gem.

Five more jumps… four… three… two…

On the last jump, we all leapt from our clouds or platforms in unison, and we all landed smoothly on the marble.

“We did it!” Fyre shouted. “I did it!”

“You did.” I smiled at her.

“And, hey!” Leon said, ruining the moment. “The Air Elemental Gem!”

There it was. The shining diamond-like gem floated mere inches above the marble pedestal. A set of, no surprise, marble stairs led up to the pedestal. I walked up the stairs, ready to grab the gem and re-do the parkour challenge, when-

“Not so fast, Prince!”

I was knocked away by Captain Strahd, who had apparently been hiding behind the pedestal the whole time. I thought I was about to fall into the bottomless pit, but ended up sliding across the smooth marble floor that had just appeared over the pit.

“You dirty lying cheat!” Leon called. “I knew you were going to betray us!”

“I never said I vans’t going to take the gem when I let you get an hour's head start to this mountain.” he said, twirling the gem in his clawed fingers. “I said if you vere to pass, you and I vere to have a rematch.”

“Same thing!” Leon shouted.

“No, it isn’t.” Strahd shook his head. “I never lied to you.”

“Give us the gem!” Evergreen said. “We worked hard to earn that!”

“Let me think about that… um, no.” Strahd said. “I plan to use it before I give it to Corpeus.”

“And what do you plan to use it for, anyway?” Fyre asked.

“This.” And he absorbed the Air Elemental Gem.

The wind picked up, which was weird because we were in a mountain and there was no wind. It felt like we were in a hurricane. Strahd rose into the air, his body morphed, becoming funnel-like. His arms disappeared, and the only thing recognizable about him from his previous form was his face, which grinned evilly at us.

“That’s your big plan to stop us and impress your boss?” I asked. “To absorb part of the power he wants and become some kind of… Strahd-nado?”

“Something along those lines, but yes. That is the big plan.” The ‘Strahd-nado’ replied.

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but we kicked your butt not too long ago, and you think some magic gem is going to give you some kind of advantage?” I said. “Well listen here, buddy! We ain’t leaving here without that gem, and we’re going to take it by any means necessary!”

“So be it.” The Strahd-nado growled. “Let’s see you try and defeat the vind, ‘heroes!’”

Chapter 24:

Dark Air Elemental

Strahd-nado

“I’ve got this!” Evergreen stood before the Strahd-nado, her worn down spellbook gripped firmly in her hand.

“Vhat’s wrong, little girl? Afraid of a little vindstorm?” The Strahd-nado laughed.

“Not really.” Evergreen said, coolly. “Energy Spheres!”

She launched three Energy spheres at the monstrous tornado, but they were sucked into the powerful wind funnel.

“HA HA HA!” The Strahd-nado boomed. “Nice try, but you’ll have to do better- OWCH!”

The spheres had spiraled all the way up to the Strahd-nadoes face and had damaged him.

“So only your face can be damaged, huh?” Evergreen examined. “The rest of your body’s a bunch of wind, isn’t it?”

“And it’s going to tear the skin off your bones!” Shouted the Strahd-nado. “Absorb!”

A powerful gust pushed Evergreen toward the tornado. She tried bolting in the opposite direction, which bought her a little bit of space between her and the Strahd-nado. Soon the gust vanished.

“Mage Hand!” cried Evergreen.

The face of the tornado was struck by a large fist. It shrieked in pain, and then, with another gust of wind, pushed Evergreen back towards us.

“My turn!” Leon pounded his fists.

“Hurricane Rush!” Boomed the Strahd-nado.

It launched itself at Leon, the mighty winds encircling it boosting its speed and trajectory. Leon, however, powerfully jumped out of its range in just the nick of time.

“Quintuple Knockout!”

Unlike the first battle against Strahd, this five hit combo did not defeat him as easily.

“Thunderstorm!”

The Strahd-nado moved itself to the middle of the arena, where it began to pull everything in. Lightning struck here and there, but Leon managed to not get sucked in and get struck by lightning.

“Uppercut!” Leon grinned.

A powerful smash to the chin of the windy beast sent it reeling back, shrieking with pain yet again. Leon too was pushed back by the powerful winds, allowing Fyre her turn at the creature.

“Guess I’m up.” She shrugged.

The mighty tornado boomed with laughter. “Axes can chop trees down, but you cannot slice the vind!”

“Yeah, but not your whole body is made of wind.” She replied.

“No matter! Debris Toss!”

Gusts of wind created by the ferocious storm managed to absorb three boulders, which I had no clue how boulders had gotten inside this room of marble. The tornado then shot the boulders in Fyre’s direction. The only way she avoided them was to return them to their sender. She whacked the boulders back at the Strahd-nado with her axe. The creature, yet again, reeled back, shrieking in pain. More wind pushed Fyre back towards us.

“I’d say we've just about defeated him!” Fyre exclaimed. “A couple of sword attacks should finish it off, Blaine!”

“I hear ya!” I smiled, giving her a thumbs up. “Don’t worry! I’m on it! Here I go!”

Sprinting forward, the Strahd-nado looked at me, an animalistic look of hunger in its eyes. I guessed it really wanted to rip me apart, and that’s why it had that look in its eyes.

“Hurricane Rush!” it screamed, rushing at me. Leaping to the side, my sword clenched tightly in my hand, I called, “Crescent Shots!”

Three arcs of energy slashed at the mighty Strahd-nado. It growled.

“Thunderstorm!” I hollered at the top of its lungs.

Leon made it look easy before. The cold hard winds pushed at me as I tried to bolt away from the killer Strahd-nado, and the lightning didn’t make it easier. It must be my sword, I thought, straining myself to keep running. I learned electricity is attracted to metal. Maybe that’s why all these bolts of lightning keep getting so close.

When the winds died down, I sped toward the tornado. “Tornado Spin!”

The monster funnel was beaten back by my attack, but not defeated yet.

“Debris Toss!” The booming yell that came forth from the storm sounded as if Strahd was screaming at the top of his lungs

More boulders were sucked into the demonic funnel and shot back out at me. Copying Fyre, I slashed my sword at the boulders, sending them hurtling back at the powerful cyclone.

When the final boulder smashed into the Strahd-nadoes face, it screamed in agony, writhing around. The winds switched from weak to strong, weak to strong, over and over. The winds making up the funnel expanded, making the tornado look bigger. The face puffed up, as if filling up with hot air. Suddenly, the Strahd-nado exploded in a mass of wind, blowing cold air in our faces. Strahd fell to the ground hard, the Air Elemental Gem shooting out from his chest. It floated four feet above the ground, shimmering.

Walking forward, I reached out for the gem. When I held it, I was surprised to see that it was as light as air, and the brilliance of the blueish white gem pained my eye.

“We did it!” Evergreen shouted, startling Leon. “We got the Air Elemental Gem! Hooray!”

“Yeah!” Leon said, punching the air. “We did it! Way to go, everyone!

“Nice going back there.” Fyre said, walking towards me. “I mean, I’m kind of mad that you decided to copy what I did to avoid that Debris Toss of Strahd's, but you did great nonetheless.”

“Well,” I shrugged, my face getting warm. “I couldn’t have done it without you guys backing me up.”

“What are friends for, am I right?” She smiled back. “Fist bump?”

The moment I saw her fist, I completely lost it. I mean, I kept it cool and bumped her fist, but inside was where I lost it.

I just fist bumped a GIRL! My mind was in a state of complete chaos after this.

Behind us, Strahd got to his feet.

“Impossible!” He wheezed. His voice sounded hoarse from all the bellowing and shouting. “Utterly impossible! I was supposed to VIN! I was supposed to defeat you! That vas how this was supposed to play out! But I LOST? How can I lose to a couple of, of… of CHILDREN?”

“Because these ‘children’ are more powerful than you’d think.” I said. “Your problem? You underestimated us.”

“All I ever vanted was to put on a good show!” Strahd said. “That’s all I ever vanted, to entertain!”

He began to slowly crumble to dust.

“I always vanted to put on a good drama, you know!” Strahd said. “Like those of Shakespeare. He is the man I most idolize, for his amazing vay of putting together a good tragedy! And now here I stand, defeated by children, defeated by school children! I cannot believe it!”

He continued screaming until he fully disintegrated into a pile of dust, which flew in the wind.

“That was the saddest motive that I’ve ever heard.” Evergreen sniffed.

“Buddy idolized Shakespeare for drama. Who does that?” Leon asked.

I just stared at the slowly disappearing dust, flying in the wind.

Which, again, was super weird because we were in a mountain, and there is no wind in a mountain.

Chapter 25:

“So, how do we get out of here?” Evergreen asked a little while after Strahd had turned to dust and flew to the wind.

“Um, isn’t it obvious?” Leon said, shrugging and walking over to one of the ends of the dome. “We just go back through the way we ca-”

Before he could finish his sentence, he collided face first into the wall.

“What in Dragonia?” He muttered, feeling the wall. “I could’ve sworn there was a door here. Didn’t we come in this way?”

“Oh, no…” Evergreen whimpered. “WE’RE STUCK HERE?!”

“Okay, no one panic,” Fyre said, her face beading with sweat. “I’m sure Blaine has a plan. Right, Blaine?”

I had no idea what to do, and I guess everyone could tell when I answered Fyre with, “Uh…”

“Oh, great.” Leon said, throwing his arms up in exasperation. “Just great. Perfect. Our leader doesn't have a plan for escape.”

“How many times am I going to tell you? I’m not your leader.” I frowned.

“We just gotta keep looking for an exit.” Fyre said, trying to keep everyone from panicking and fighting.

“Oh, yeah.” Leon said rather sarcastically. “We could find a door, or maybe we’ll climb a ladder out, or we could just walk down some stairs. DOES IT LOOK LIKE THERE’S ANYTHING IN THIS ROOM WE COULD USE TO ESCAPE?! This room is COMPLETELY EMPTY!”

“I can see that!” Fyre shouted. “Whoever built this place had to have built an exit, so we just have to find it!”

“Oh, okay! Where should we start? The FLOOR? The WALLS?”

“Don’t play smart with me, Leon.” Fyres fists clenched.

“GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE CLOUDS, THEN! THERE IS NO WAY OUT!” Leon shouted.

A soft sound interrupted their fight. It sounded like… a whistle drowned out by a light breeze. Our heads darted from one place to another, looking for the source of the sound.

Suddenly, a small cloud about the size of a soccer ball floated down from the ceiling.

“How’d a cloud get in here?” Leon asked.

Then the cloud did something no cloud has done or ever should do. It opened its small onyx black eyes, blinked, and made the whistling sound again.

Leon jumped, catlike.

“IT’S ALIVE!” He screamed. “THE CLOUD’S ALIVE!”

The puffy cloud thing flew over to me before giving me what might have been a nuzzle on the cheek. I laughed. The cloud was tickling my face.

“Huh.” Fyre said, amazed. “It looks like it’s known you forever. Like you both were good friends who haven’t seen each other for years.”

“It really does.” Evergreen giggled.

I smiled. I don’t know why, but I felt like I knew this little cloud too.

“Well, cool. We met a cloud that’s attracted to Blaine like a dog is to its owner.” Leon rolled his eyes. Scoffing.

“Will you hush?” Evergreen asked.

The cloud started making more whistling sounds, bouncing around in the air.

“What’s it saying?” Evergreen asked.

“Don’t look at me.” Leon said.

“I wasn’t asking you.”

The cloud continued to whistle, and for a long time I had no idea what it was trying to say until something happened. I don’t know what or how, but something in me translated all of the whistles into words.

“Your name is Breeze?” I said at last.

The cloud did a happy backflip in the air, whistling louder before nuzzling me as if saying, and I'm pretty sure it was, “You remember! You remember!”

“‘Breeze?’” Leon repeated. “The clouds name is ‘Breeze?’”

“Shhh!” Evergreen shushed.

“You’re an Air Elemental?” I said after more whistling from Breeze.

Evergreen gasped. “That makes sense now! Air Elementals tend to take the shape of something naturally from the sky, like wind or clouds! All Elementals do this, but I’ve never seen one up close like this, let alone know someone who can speak their language!”

“Weren’t you just telling me to shush?” Leon asked.

Breeze whistled more.

“You… You know how to get out of here?”

Breeze nodded.

“YES!” Evergreen said. “THANK YOU, GODS!”

“So how do we get out?” I asked.

Breeze whistled in response.

I nodded. Turning to the others, I said, “Breeze wants us to hold on to him. He can take us out of here.”

“But he’s too small.” Fyre said. “How can he carry all of us?”

To answer her question, Breeze puffed up to three times his original size, then made a cooing, whistling sound.

“Oh.” Fyre blinked.

The others walked forward and we all grabbed his somehow firm body. When we were all holding on to him, he twirled around with us in tow, and shot up toward the ceiling using the funnel he created from the rapid spinning as a cannon. We screamed. Breeze was an Air Elemental cloud. He could go through the ceiling no problem. But what about us?

The moment before we smashed into the smooth marble ceiling, a hole wide enough to fit Breeze and us opened up. The hole looked to be about five hundred feet from the surface, but Breeze managed to fly us out in less than thirty seconds. Soon we were underneath the layer of clouds that hid the peak of Stormwatch.

Fyre whooped. “We did it! We’re out! Woo-hoo!”

Our new companion descended slowly to the ground, making a comical high pitched whistle that went lower and lower the closer we got to the ground. We landed softly, and Breeze reverted back to his original small cloud form.

“That was a real adrenaline rush, Breeze.” I laughed. “You were great. Thank you.”

Breeze whistled, smiling.

“Yeah, you were amazing.” Fyre said, patting Breeze's head(?).

“You want… me… to hold on to this?” she asked.

“You’re the only one of us here who knows the most about the Elemental Gems. I think it’s only fair to give it to the Nerd of Magic herself.”

“Haha! Well…” Evergreen smiled, abashed. “I guess I did overstudy… Okay! If you’re sure.”

“Positive.” I said, watching Evergreen carefully slide the Air Elemental Gem into her bag.

“So, what’s next, Blaine?” Leon asked.

“What else?” I said. “We continue our adventure to the Crystalline Mines!”

“Yeah.” Evergreen said, pulling out her map again. “That’s our next destination. It’s a couple days' walk from here, but I’m sure we’ll manage.”

I nodded. Breeze barrel rolled in the air whistling.

“What are we waiting for, the grass to grow?” Fyre asked. Grabbing my side and pointing to the sky she said, “Let’s not waste any more time! Blaine’s dad needs us, and Corpeus needs a beatdown! LET’S GO!!!”

“Yeah…!” Evergreen and Leon said weakly.

I couldn’t look or speak to Fyre for the rest of the day. My face was all warm and my insides were all tingly. Fyre didn’t look or talk to me either.

Chapter 26:

The dark night closed in on us as we reached a resting point on the path to the Crystalline Mines.

“I’ll take watch after you, Evergreen.” I said, as we dug into dinner, a Spicy Curry that I had whipped up.

She nodded, clearly still angry about being the one on the first watch.

“Don’t take it too personally.” Leon shrugged. “Take it as a lesson from Professor Life: Exercise more instead of being a lazy bookworm.”

“Who was lazing about after the battle with the Shadows? AND this morning, when you refused to wake up?”

“Will you just shut your nerd mouth up?” Leon yawned. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed.”

“Aren’t cats always tired?” Evergreen smirked. “Makes sense why you laze about all the time.”

“Didn’t I just tell you to be quiet, nerd?” Leon sighed.

When Evergreen got up to look for a spot where she could overlook the area, Breeze drifted over, nuzzling my leg. From the looks of it, he didn’t seem tired.

“Do you Elementals need sleep?” I thought aloud.

Breeze shook his head.

“I didn’t think so.” I smiled, patting his head.

“You two are really cute together.” Fyre said.

I looked up. “You think so?”

She giggled. “The way he nuzzles you is adorable. He really is like a dog.”

Breeze huffed. It was the first sound I heard from him that wasn’t a whistle.

“No offense!” Fyre said, raising her hands showing she meant no harm.

Breeze looked at her for a moment, and then flew over to nuzzle her too. She laughed as his body tickled her leg.

“Yeah, Breeze is a keeper.” I smiled, trying not to laugh at how adorable the scene was.

A cold breeze brushed my skin, and I shivered. Fyre rubbed her arms to try and warm herself.

“Geez, it’s cold…” she said, her teeth chattering.

“A bit…” I said.

A few moments later, she stood and walked over to where I was sitting. The next moment, my face was warmer than an oven as she rubbed her arms next to me.

“Just tryna get a little warmer.” She said, rubbing her arms harder. Her breath was visible. “Being next to someone generates a bit more heat than trying to warm yourself up.”

My breath was also visible. “Maybe we should sit by the fire instead? It’s pretty cold over here.”

“S-sure…” She shivered.

The fire crackled and popped. Breeze flew around, whistling. Me and Fyre sat side by side in front of the orange flames licking at the cold night air, spitting and hissing all the while.

“This is nice.” Fyre said after a long time of silence. Looking up at the cloudless, star filled sky, she sighed, laughed, and said, “I really like this. Being here with you underneath this night sky… It’s nice. It’s really nice.”

“Yeah,” I laughed. I looked up at the night sky as well. “I used to spend night after night just looking at skies like this one. I used to think that the stars were angels watching over Dragonia, and I still think that.” I smiled. “I wonder if my mom is one of those stars, watching over me.”

“What happened to her? Your mom?” she asked.

I rubbed my hand. “I was three. We were posing for a family picture. And then, there was an explosion as the front doors burst open from being blown up by dynamite. Then this gang showed up from the dust, and said they were going to take all the valuable items from the castle. Of course, my mom wasn’t cool with that. Told me and my dad to run, told us she’d take care of it. I ran off. Soon, the castle was alight with fire. I heard my mom and the gang fighting downstairs.” I rubbed my arms. “I was scared for myself and everyone. I didn’t want to leave my mom down there… but I did. I didn’t know what to do. Then it went quiet. No sounds of combat. That’s when I knew my mom had fallen.” A tear fell from my eye. “We couldn’t find her body. We guessed the gang took her body with them.” I covered my face. Tears were streaming like waterfalls from my eyes.

Putting her hand on my shoulder, Fyre said, “I’m sure she’s proud of you. It’s a pretty noble thing for you to go and leave your home behind to save your dad.”

I relaxed. Her touch was soft. Looking up at her, I could tell she was sorry for me.

Wiping my face, I choked out, “Sorry. I don’t mean to be an emotional wreck.”

“No, you’re fine.” she said, pulling her hand away. “I mean, at least you knew your mom, in a way…”

“Your mom loved you, too.” I said.

We looked at each other for a while.

Rubbing her head, she asked, “So… about the other night when you were, uh… y’know… rubbing my horns…”

My face went red.

“What’d you, uh… heh… what’d you think?” She finished, her face red.

I thought back to last night, remembering all the tiny details.

“They felt like… sandpaper, almost. Like smooth sandpaper.” I said.

Touching her horns, Fyre’s face went even redder. “Smooth sandpaper?”

I nodded, my face getting warm.

She giggled. “You’re so cute when you blush.” She said quietly.

It took me a moment for me to process this.

“I look cute when I ‘blush?’” I repeated.

Fyre’s face was so red, I thought she was burning up.

“Uh…” She couldn’t speak. “I… uh… ah… ahm… er… I’M GOING TO BED GOODNIGHT!”

As she sprinted to the girls tent, she muttered to herself, “Dammit, Fyre, why’d you say that?”

A little while later, Evergreen came over and told me it was my turn to take watch. Before she went into the girls tent, I managed to ask her what ‘blushing’ was.

“Huh? You don’t know what blushing is?” she asked. “It’s when your face gets warm from the rush of blood that goes to your face when someone does or says something you like. Why?”

“I read about it in a book I brought.” I half lied. I did bring a book with me from the library at the castle, but the word ‘blushing’ wasn’t in it. I think…

“Oh. Okay. Night, Blaine.” she said.

“Night.” I said.

So whenever my face got warm, I was ‘blushing.’ Huh. The fact that I had never heard of that word in my life made me angry at myself.

“Note to self: When you get back to the castle, widen your vocabulary.” I said to myself.

About an hour passed until I felt a chilling presence nearby. Looking around, I didn’t see anything. Then a movement in the forest nearby got my attention.

“Hello?” I called, drawing my sword.

There was a low growl. Squinting at the darkness, I managed to make out the large outline of a large doglike creature.

“Back off!” I said. “Get!”

The dog-like creature didn’t move. It growled again.

“What do you want?” I asked.

A moment passed, then a snow white paw the size of a dinnerplate moved from out of the foliage, the claws like swords in the moonlight, then a large snout, followed by two large orange eyes, one of which had a long scar from its ear past its muzzle and almost to its nose, and finally the body of the biggest Dire Wolf I had ever seen. A thick line of drool hung from the beast's toothed jaw.

I gulped. Dire Wolves were one of the most feared creatures in Dragonia. If you ever encountered one, you were to pray for your life.

The wolf stared at my sword, and then at me as if daring me to give it a reason to tear me apart. Not knowing what else to do, I placed my sword on the ground. As I did so, I noticed something weird about this Dire Wolf. There were two large horns sprouting behind its ears, and the sides of the creature looked a little too much like two large somethings were covering up the real body.

That’s when I realized that this wasn’t a Dire Wolf. It was a Drago-Wolf. Extremely rare and, like Dire Wolves, are to not be provoked or attacked.

Slowly rising, I held up my hands, knowing I must look stupid. The Drago-Wolf continued to growl.

Then a voice in my head, not my own, whispered something.

“There’s more to your life than meets the eye…” It whispered. “You live more lives than you think… This is one of those lives…”

I stared at the Drago-Wolf. This was one of my ‘other lives?’ What other lives did I have?

The wolf looked at me with a new look in its eye. Surprise and confusion were the main two.

Then, a moment later, it spread its large wings and howled before lifting off and flying into the midnight.

Chapter 27:

“Yo-dil-aye-hee, yo-dil-aye-hee, yo-dil-aye-YEE-HOO!!!” Leon yodeled when the sun came up from behind the horizon. “Time to get up and hit the path, people!”

“Shut UP!” Evergreen shouted from her tent as Leon continued to yodel.

“Who’s lazy now, Green?” Leon asked.

I rubbed my eyes. I don’t know how much sleep I got last night, but the thought about my ‘other lives’ creeped me out so much I thought I wouldn’t sleep.

A long time later, we were on the path and headed toward the Crystalline Mines.

“I’m guessing there are going to be crystals everywhere, huh?” Leon asked.

“The deeper we get into the cave, the more crystals there will be.” Evergreen said.

“At least there are crystals in the cave.” Leon sighed, shrugging.

“Ooh! There’s a shortcut!” Evergreen exclaimed. “It cuts through Terra Canyon, and there’s an entrance to the mines there! Blaine, should we take that route?”

“If it can get us there faster than the ordinary way, then heck yeah-absolutely!” I said.

“Psst. Blaine.” Leon whispered. “What were you and Fyre doing last night that sent her running back into her tent? And give me every juicy detail.”

So I whispered everything that happened to Leon.

“…And then I asked what she meant when she said, ‘I look cute when I blush,’ and she ran off.” I finished.

“Bruh, you didn’t know what blushing was?” Leon asked.

“Not a clue.” I said. “Wait. How do you know what blushing is?”

Leon looked away. “Let’s just say I was in a romantic relationship once and, ah… it didn’t really work out…”

I nodded.

“So, she ran off, hm?” Leon asked himself. He looked at me, smiling.

“What?”

“There’s only one reason she could’ve done this, buddy.” Leon grinned.

“What??”

Leon gestured for me to come closer before whispering in my ear, “She likes you, Blaine. A lot.”

I blinked.

“Could you please repeat that?” I asked.

Frowning, Leon repeated, punctuating every word. “She. Likes. You.”

I looked at Fyre, who was having a conversation with Evergreen. Fyre, liking me??? Who could like a guy like me?

Apparently Fyre, according to Leon.

Then Fyre looked at me. Turning my head back to Leon.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Pretty sure.” He said. “It’s written all over her body.”

“That’s an extremely rude metaphor.” I said.

“Not like that.” Leon facepalmed. “I mean everything she does is because of you. She wants you to like her, but she’s so… Fyre. She’s so Fyre it’s difficult for her to stay on the side of ‘whatever.’”

“All this romantic talk is confusing.” I said. “I’m not sure I want to continue talking about this.”

“If you’re sure…” Leon shrugged. “But if Fyre and you are in a situation where you both are alone, no one is around to listen, and she tells you she likes you… you can thank me for the forewarning.”

I scoffed. Thank Leon for something that would never happen? No way, no shot.

“You got a deal.” I said, spitting on my hand and offering it to Leon. He smiled, spat on his own glove, and shook my hand.

After wiping my hand on my shorts, we continued walking to Terra Canyon. Unfortunately, something happened that delayed our trip.

“We’re coming up to Terra Conyon!” Evergreen said. “We’ll be at the secret entrance to the Crystalline Mines in-”

But before she could finish her sentence, a faction consisting of seventeen Shadows, nine more than the last time we encountered Shadows that wasn’t during the battle against Strahd. The only reason Evergreen wasn’t attacked by the onslaught of Shadows was Breeze, who blasted her away with a gust of wind.

“Thanks, little guy.” Evergreen said.

“Aw, man. More Shadows?” Leon asked. “We just can’t get rid of these guys, can we?”

“They’re Corpeus’ army.” Fyre said. “And remember when he said Priestess could revive them from the piles of dust left over?”

“Doesn’t matter, now.” I said, drawing my sword. “Besides, we gotta worry about those shield Shadows-”

“Oh, yeah!” Evergreen said. “I was thinking! Could we call those guys Armed Shadows?”

“Makes sense.” Fyre said. “Those guys are armed with shields and swords.”

“It’s so dorky it’s the perfect name for these suckers.” Leon smirked.

“No one asked you whether or not the name was dorky.” Evergreen frowned.

The Shadows split into two waves, the first with seven Shadows surrounding an Armed Shadow, and the second with seven Armed Shadows surrounding two Shadows, which surprised me. Why would the more powerful pieces surround the weaker ones? It made no sense at all. Unless…

The first wave of Shadows screeched at us, getting me back to reality.

“En garde!” I shouted, raising my sword.

Behind me, Breeze whistled and backflipped

Chapter 28:

Vs. Shadows

“Here I go!” Evergreen called. When she stepped up to attack, a strong gust of wind encircled her.

“What the-?” Evergreen said, her voice almost drowned out by the wind.

A bright blue light flashed, and the dust cleared, revealing Evergreen, who was now in a light blue-grey outfit. Her hat was now a swirling vortex.

“Whoa!” Evergreen looked at herself. “Look at me! I’m… wait… is this the power of the Air Elemental Gem?”

“Must be.” I said. Breeze whistled.

“I wonder what I can do…” Evergreen asked herself. “What happens if I use an Energy Sphere?”

She launched a sphere, which now looked like a compressed air ball. When it landed on one of the front Shadows, the two behind it as well as the one who had been hit disintegrated.

“Whoa-ho-holy guaca-mama’s-mole!” Evergreen laughed. “That was AWESOME!”

“My turn! Pass the stone, Green!” Leon shouted.

Evergreen's dress went back to normal when she tossed the gemstone to Leon who, in a flash of bright blue light and a gust of wind, grabbed the stone with ease. His gloves after the transformation swirled with powerful gusts.

“Boo. No costume change?” Leon said. “Whatever. Quintuple Knockout!”

His fist collided with the four remaining Shadows and the Armed Shadow. All five of them took more damage than what Leon's ordinary Quintuple Knockout would do.

“You’re up!” Leon said, tossing the gem to Fyre.

“I guess I am.” she said after another powerful wind surrounded her and a bright white light flashed. When she stepped forward, she raised her halberd, which looked like she was halfway done slicing a powerful stormwind, and shouted, “Sweeping Blade!”

Her halberd lengthened, and the icy wind, sharper than a sword enchanted with Sharpness, cut into the Armed Shadow and its shield, slaying it. She picked up the shield and the sword it dropped, placing it in her bag.

“To study,” she said, handing me the gemstone.

When the gust disappeared, I came out with my sword, a powerful cyclone, and something heavy on my head. Looking at my reflection through the sweeping winds of the cyclone, I saw that it was a crown with the gemstone set into it. I couldn’t help but smile at how princely I looked. Looking at the wave of Armed Shadows ahead, we stepped forward.

As soon as we neared the Armed Shadows, the two Shadows behind them purposely collided with one another. Then there was a large black sphere surrounded by a purple aura that grew to four times the size of a normal Shadow. When the ball disappeared, a large bipedal Shadow stood in its place, its large four arms reaching out, like a zombie. It opened its eyes, and screeched.

“What the hell is that thing?!” Leon asked.

“No idea,” Evergreen said. “But I’d say based on what it just did, I’m going to call it a Shadow Duo-bomination.”

“A what?” Fyre asked.

“A Shadow Duo-bomination.” Evergreen said. “Because it’s two Shadows morphing into a more beastial version of the original.”

“Let’s take care of the little guys before we take care of the big one.” I said. “It’s time for a little Tornado Spin- WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!!!”

As I spun my sword, I created a cyclone that picked up four of the Armed Shadows and damaged the Shadow Duo-bomination and the other three Armed Shadows. The four Armed Shadows that got caught in the cyclone fell to dust. My head was spinning a little after that, but not enough to make me unaware of what was going on.

“What’chu got?” I called.

The three remaining all looked at one another before throwing their swords at me, Leon, and Fyre. We blocked those attacks easily. The same wasn’t to be said for the Shadow Duo-bomination. It smashed all four of its fists into the ground, sending a shockwave that paralyzed all of us for a few seconds. During those few seconds, the Shadow Duo-Bomination punched all four of us.

“Oww…” Evergreen winced. “That really hurt… Oof…”

I tossed Evergreen the gemstone, removing the cyclone effect from my sword and giving Evergreen back her blue-grey dress and funnel hat. “Energy Sphere!”

She annihilated the final three Armed Shadows.

“Okie dokie, big guy,” Leon said. “You really like to soar above all your comrades, don’t you? Uppercut!”

The Shadow Duo-bomination barely rose even a foot when Leon struck its jaw, and got a powerful rocket gust boost after.

“This guy’s a tank, no doubt.” Leon said, tossing the gem to Fyre.

“He certainly can take a hit, huh?” Fyre said. “We’ll find out soon. Forge!”

The classic orange aura surrounded Fyre after using that spell.

“Crescent Shots!” I shouted.

Three monstrous compressed wind Crescent Shots exploded into six smaller Crescent Shots when they made impact on the Duo-bomination.

“Heck yeah!” I whooped.

The Duo-bomination smashed the ground again. This time, however, we successfully dodged the shockwave and blocked the oncoming punches with different methods.

“Hey, it’s been a while since we did a Two-Hit Combo. Maybe that will increase the damage we do on this thing! Fyre, Giga Halberd!”

Fyre’s halberd grew and chopped into the ghost with the cold steel blade and a rush of wind. The Duo-bomination was still standing.

“Leon! Blade Fist!”

Tossing Leon my sword, his wind fists enveloped the sword, which gained the cyclone blade upgrade. Leon charged up his attack before sprinting at lightning fast speed at the monstrous Shadow. Upon striking the Duo-bomination, the icy winds, his mighty fist, and my sword hit it. And yet it stood before us, its feet planted firmly into the ground.

“How much health does this guy have?!” Leon asked.

The Duo-bomination swiped at us with its four pairs of claws. We had to jump to avoid the oncoming attacks. When he drew his arms back towards him, Leon said, “Evergreen, attack it. No Two-Hit Combos.”

“Huh?”

“Trust me. I have an idea.”

Evergreen nodded, and attacked the Duo-bomination with an Energy Sphere charged up with Elemental Energy. It was when these attacks hit the Duo-bomination, that it staggered back a little before getting back to both of its feet being firm in the ground.

Leon chuckled as he stepped forward. “You may be a tank, but you still have limited health. Time to finish you off, friend. You put up a good fight, whether it was merely for survival or for sport.” Then, he shouted from the depths of his heart, “Finishing Move: Pridal Charge!”

He punched, and an entire pride of spirit lions charged at the Shadow Duo-bomination. The spirit lionesses slashed at it as they sprinted past, but that was merely a taste of what was to come. A large spirit lion charged forth, its jaws open wide and its claws outstretched. The claws ripped into the Shadow and the teeth sank deep into the body.

The Duo-bomination shrieked, the two souls making up the creature writhed inside, trying to escape the pain. Suddenly, the beast tore itself into the two Shadows it had originally been. Both of them fell, and they turned to dust.

“Do not… mess… with the King… of Lions…” Leon panted. That finisher looked like it had drained him of energy. His gloves had ripped, revealing the bare skin of his fingers.

“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” Evergreen asked, rushing over.

“Fine…” Leon said. “My hands feel raw, though.”

“Yeah.” I said, wincing. “Looks like it hurts.”

“Nah.” Leon said, before hissing as Evergreen lightly touched his hand.

“Don’t lie, Leon. It does hurt.” Evergreens said. “We’re going to have to fix you up.”

“What?” Leon said. “Since when are you nice to me?”

“I’m not. I just want to help my friends.” She said, pulling out a reddish-pink potion from her bag, and forced Leon to drink it.

“Ugh! Pteh! Photoey! What- Gack! What is that- Hurk! What is that stuff? Guh…” He wheezed.

“Potion of Healing.” Evergreen said. “We should all drink up. We all got hit by that Duo-bomination, right?”

After we all took a sip of the potion of healing, Evergreen put it back in her bag, and said, “Do your hands hurt any more?”

“…No.” Leon looked away from Evergreen when he said this.

“Good. Can you stand?”

“OF COURSE I CAN STAND! I DIDN’T KICK THE STUFFING OUT OF THAT DUO-WHATEVER YOU CALLED IT!!!” He shouted at Evergreen, who was taken aback.

“He’ll come around.” I said. “He may act like a jerk to you, but he’s a real nice guy.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Evergreen said. “Let’s go,-”

“NOT SO FAST, HEROES!”

A large Shadow, larger than Corpeus but smaller than the Duo-bomination, jumped down from a cliff, causing a shockwave. His fully exposed rib cage rattled. The human skull shoulder plate bounced up.

“The name’s Captain Orcus, and I got a few BONES to pick with ya'!”

Chapter 29:

“Oh, come on!” Evergreen said. “We just took down a Shadow Duo-bomination! Give us a break!”

The captain laughed. “A Shadow WHAT?! Who made up that RIDICULOUS NAME?!”

“She did it.” Leon said, pointing at Evergreen. “It was her.”

“It makes sense!” Evergreen said.

Orcus laughed. “Tension between comrades? Why not duke it out? Fight to the death?!”

“Because that’s not right.” Fyre said. “Why kill someone because of personal grudges?

“Why not?” Orcus said. “If someone is against what you do, just fight ‘em! If you kill ‘em, even better!”

“That’s terrible!” Evergreen said. “Why would I fight Leon? He’s way out of my league when it comes to hand to hand combat!”

“Murder him with magic!” Orcus slapped his rib cage, rattling it even more. “You know magic, don’t ya’?!”

“Fighting over personal beliefs would lead to a gladiatorial world of bloodshed, war, and an only-the-strong-survive lifestyle!” Leon said.

“That is the world I envision!” Orcus shouted. “A world exactly like that!”

“Well, I hate to burst your bubble,” I said. “But as long as we’re around, Dragonia will be a peaceful world!”

“Utopias never last!” Orcus said. “All empires must fall eventually!”

“You just went from ‘utopia’ to ‘empire.’ There’s a difference.”

“Raah! Forget it!” Orcus roared. “I hate talkin’! Let's get fightin’! Let’s have a fight to the death!”

“Who’s gonna back you up?” I asked. “I think a four on one is a bit unfair, don’t you?”

“DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO!” Orcus shouted. “Besides, what yer’ askin’ is an easy favor that can be dealt with. Hey, Priestess!”

Priestess appeared from thin air.

“Revive three of them soldiers, y’hear?!” Orcus commanded.

Striking the ground, Priestess revived three of the Armed Shadows.

“Now then…” Orcus said, revealing a large spiked skull hammer. “Let the fight commence!”

“En garde!”

Chapter 30:

Brutal Shadow Captain

Orcus

“Here I go… again!” Evergreen called. Transforming into her Air Elemental Outfit, she stepped forward and called, “Mage Hand!”

To everyone’s surprise, the mage hand was now a giant cloud in the shape of a hand. Rising above the Armed Shadows, it turned a dark stormy grey before shooting lightning out of its fingers, shocking and killing the Armed Shadows.

Orcus laughed. “Ha ha! Ya’ refuse to fight a friend, but yer’ happy to end a couple of dark spirits! Ha ha ha!”

“Yeah, well, fighting Leon is different from fighting you Shadows.” Evergreen said.

“Differences? Ha! Fighting is the same no matter who does it! Grounding Spikes!”

Smashing his hammer into the ground, there was a deep rumble in the earth. Evergreen wobbled.

“Wha-?”

Suddenly, three rock spikes erupted from the ground, hitting Evergreen's shield, which she summoned just in the nick of time.

“Close one…” Evergreen muttered. “Eltritch Cannon!”

The mighty cannon was, no surprise, a swirling cyclone. Instead of shooting anything, however, it began to suck in a whole bunch of loose objects scattered around the arena; Rocks, twigs, bones from animals that died years ago, even a few boulders got sucked in before being blasted out and damaging Orcus.

“The ol’ ‘suck-n’-spit’ trick, eh?” Orcus wiped where his nose would have been with his arm. “Too bad I’m still standin’! Spike Toss!”

Three spiked spheres were thrown into the air by Orcus, who smashed them towards Evergreen with his hammer. Evergreen dodged the first two, and then deflected the third back at Orcus. He must have seen this coming, though, because he launched it right back at Evergreen who, also seeing this coming, deflected it back at Orcus. They kept deflecting it back at each other, the spiked ball getting faster and faster with each deflection. Then, on the fifteenth deflection from Evergreen, the ball hit Orcus, who wobbled for a few seconds before shaking his head.

“Not too shabby fer’ a little girl!” Orcus called.

“I’m not LITTLE!” Evergreen cried.

“Green, you’re the shortest person I have ever met.” Leon stifled his laughter.

“I’m 4 foot 6 inches!” Evergreen snapped. “That is NOT short!”

“I’m 5 foot 3 inches…” Fyre muttered.

“Priestess, take care of this shortstack! And get those WHIMPS back on their feet while yer’ at it!” Orcus shouted.

Doing what he asked, Priestess struck her staff to the ground, sending Evergreen back to where we were and reviving the armed Shadows.

“My turn!” Leon said, who pounded his windy fists after Evergreen tossed him the Air Elemental Gem. “Triple Knockout!”

Again, the Armed Shadows fell as Leon KOed them with one punch per Shadow.

“One tappin’ the defense?” Orcus roared with laughter as Leon stepped forward to face him. “Yer’ combat skill is remarkable! Let’s see how well you do against a MASTER like myself! Ha ha ha!”

“You just got beat up by Miss Shortstack over there.” Leon said, pointing behind him at Evergreen, who growled.

“Girls are weak fighters!” Orcus sneered. “Besides, I LET her win!”

Beside me, Fyre's fists clenched.

“I’m a girl, but I’m a great fighter.” She muttered dangerously.

I wanted to tell her something comforting, but I couldn’t find the words. I was distracted by Orcus shouting, “Hammer Throw!” and sending his heavy hammer, which was attached to a chain I somehow didn’t notice until now, in Leon's direction. Unfortunately for Orcus, Leon punched the hammer, sending it right back at Orcus, who was critically hit in the rib cage. I was surprised at how his ribs hadn’t been broken this whole fight. Then I was reminded of Corpeus and Strahd. Both their rib cages were exposed, and there didn’t seem to be any damage done to them. I wonder why…?

“Surge!”

A mighty wind surge that Leon shot from his palms sent Orcus a good five feet from his original position. It also looked like it damaged him quite a bit.

“A wind attack boosted by the wind?” Orcus asked, laughing. “How ironic. Didn’t do much to me though! Rising Smash!"

Orcus walked over to Leon, raised his hammer when he was close, and swung it. Based on the trajectory, it would have sent Leon flying, had it not been for Leon blocking the attack with his arms.

“Rah! Blocking like a hand boxer? What are ya’, some kind of street fighter?” Orcus fumed.

“Nah,” Leon smiled, his ears twitching and his tail swishing. “I’m… a RAGING LION! ROWR!!!”

He lashed out at Orcus, slashing and biting at the ghost like a wild lion. Leon jumped back after a few hits, revealing a dazed, wobbling Orcus. He shook it off a few seconds later.

“I saw your ears and I guessed you were a Half-Beast,” Orcus huffed. “Wasn’t expectin’ THAT, though…”

“I’m unpredictable.” Leon yawned. “Just like a cat.”

“Priestess, clean up the mess, will ya’?” Orcus shook his head again.

Leon was pushed back, and again the Armed Shadows were revived.

“Guess I’m up.” Fyre said. Her voice was quiet and dangerous. I could feel her rage.

Tossing Fyre the gem, Leon whispered, “What’s up with her?”

“I’m pretty sure she’s gonna get revenge for what Orcus said about girls being weak fighters.” I whispered back.

“Oh.”

The wind around Fyres halberd looked stormier than before. She glared at the Armed Shadows who, sensing her rage, began to quietly growl and hiss. Their faces were painted with pure terror.

“Die.” Fyre quietly said. “CLEAVE!!!”

Slicing the air, she finished the Armed Shadows with a sweeping storm wind.

Orcus laughed as Fyre stepped forward. “I’ve gotta hand it to ya’, girl. Yer’ a REAL killer! Say, why don’t ya’ join our side? I’m sure the commander would forgive ya’ for humiliatin’ him if ya’ fight for him. I’ll even let ya’ join my faction if ya’ agree…”

“Go to Hell.” Fyre said.

Orcus looked taken aback.

“Well, if that’s the way yer’ gonna be, then Spike Rain!”

He threw one of the large spiked spheres and smashed it with his hammer. The ball turned into multiple smaller spheres that began to rain down on Fyre. She blocked all but one ball, which she launched at Orcus with her halberd. When Orcus took the hit, he looked winded.

“Ha… ha ha… That was good… ha ha ha…” Orcus wheezed.

“It’s a new move I’ve been working on.” Fyre said.

“New move, huh?” Orcus chuckled. “Spike Toss!”

Fyre sent all three spiked balls slamming into Orcus.

“Halberd Swipe!”

Charging up her halberd’s wind, which crackled and buzzed and howled with wind and electricity, she sped towards Orcus, who was shocked, literally, by the attack. He wobbled dangerously, his head and eyes rolling. Shaking himself, he weakly laughed.

“Ooh… little girly is fierce…” he said. Shaking himself again, he shouted, “GET THOSE SOLDIERS BACK TO THEIR FEET, PRIESTESS!! And get her out of my line of sight!”

Pushing a raging Fyre back towards Leon and Evergreen, who held her so she wouldn’t go rushing at Orcus, and reviving the Armed Shadows for the third time, Priestess remained silent.

“Here I go!” I said. Fyre reluctantly tossed the gem in my direction. Catching it perfectly, I thanked her. The crown and the cyclone blade appeared as I walked to face the first wave. Orcus smiled.

I breathed in and out slowly. Then, gripping my sword, I shouted, “Mega Crescent Shot!”

Slashing at the thin air, the arc my sword made grew in size and lashed out at the Armed Shadows, critically damaging them and their swords and shields beyond repair.

Orcus slowly clapped as I stepped forward. “You are a unique specimen, Regem, no doubt. HOWEVER!” Orcus raised his hammer. Priestess struck her staff to the ground, which made Orcus’ hammer grow bigger than himself. “As a great leader once said: One shall stand, one shall fall! Sweeping Smash!”

His large hammer swept across the area, kicking up clouds of dust. When the hammer came close, I blocked it with my sword, sending it flying right back at Orcus, who doubled up from the critical hit.

“That,” I said. “Was for making my friend angry. And this,” I held my sword vertically in front of my face. “Is for taking my dad as your prisoner. Finishing Move: Swords of the Fallen!”

Behind me, six ghost white swords appeared, three on each side of me. The swords flew at Orcus, one after another, slashing him. Raising my sword, I charged up my final attack. The enchanted swords flew into mine, making it stronger and stronger with each sword. Finally, I slashed down, the mighty Crescent Shot that flew forth rushed at Orcus, who stood with his mouth open in a silent scream of defeat. The attack hit the second Shadow captain, sending him and his hammer flying. He collapsed on the ground about fifty feet away, his eyes spinning and visible stars spinning around his head. Before he could shake it off and rise to his feet, his oversized hammer fell on his head, burying the most likely crushed ghostly head into the ground. His arm, which bolted skyward when the hammer fell on him, twitched before falling.

Priestess looked in my direction. I couldn’t tell if she was angry at me because her face was still hidden underneath that hood. She then lifted her cape and disappeared.

Chapter 31:

“Again?” Leon asked, a little downhearted after Priestess vanished. “Why do we keep avoiding her in combat and letting her escape afterwards?”

I thought about this. Why were we avoiding Priestess? She was working with Corpeus and was always there to push us back when ordered to do so. She’s also able to do magic, I thought. But she hasn’t been using it lately unless it’s to push us back… Why, though? Why won’t she fight?

Then something Corpeus said echoed through my head.

“Her assistance is all I need, not her opinions.”

Was Corpeus not letting her fight unless he ordered her to do so? That makes sense, I thought.

“We can worry about that later.” Evergreen said. “We gotta continue to the secret entrance before he gets back up again.”

“Orcus?” Leon looked at the fallen captain. “He’s gone, Green. We don’t have to worry about him.”

“Priestess could come back to revive him.” Evergreen said.

Leon thought about this.

“You’re right. Let’s keep moving.” Leon said.

“Thank you for agreeing with me for once.” Evergreen sighed with relief.

Leon scoffed, mumbling something I couldn’t hear.

As we kept walking, Fyre came up to me. She wasn’t raging anymore. Rather, she was twiddling her fingers, not looking at me. From what I could see of her face, she was blushing scarlet.

“So, um,” She began, her voice trailing off. “I just wanted to say thanks. Back there. Standing up for me. It, uh… means a lot to me and, uh… thanks.”

“No problem.” I smiled. “What are friends for, right?”

She smiled. Looking at Leon and Evergreen up ahead, arguing about something, she said, “About last night, I also wanted to apologize. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Oh, you’re fine.” I said, looking away. “I mean I was confused for a second, but it’s cool now.”

I turned my head to look at Fyre. She smiled as she said, “That’s good!”

We walked in silence for a minute. Well, if you count the arguing up ahead “silence.”

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Fyre said at last.

“Okay.” I said. “What’s on your mind?”

Fyre opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. Opening it again, she managed to say, “Have-” before shutting it again and looking at Leon and Evergreen.

“I don’t think they can hear us, if you don’t want them listening.” I said.

Inhaling deeply, Fyre asked, “Have you ever… liked anybody?”

“Explain.”

“Like… ‘like’ like.” Fyre said, now rubbing her arm.

“Like like?”

“Like… ‘love like’ like like?” Fyre whispered.

“Uh… well…” I didn't know what to say. “Yeah, I… I guess I do like somebody…”

“You do?” Fyre looked at me.

I nodded.

“Oh.” She looked at the ground. “Oh.”

Silence.

“What’s she like?” Fyre asked.

“Well, she’s pretty…” I began. I looked at Fyre. “She’s got really beautiful eyes and hair… She’s smart… funny… she’s really fierce, too… I don’t really have the right words to describe her.”

“She sounds nice.” Fyre said. She sounded sad. Downhearted.

“Yeah…” I said, smiling. “You really are.”

Then she stopped and looked at me. Her face was redder than I had ever seen it. I could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks.

It was then that I realized that I had spoken what was supposed to be heard by me in my mind aloud for her to hear.

Welp. Bye, bye friendship.

“Hey, guys!” Evergreen called, running over. “We found the entrance!”

“It only took us ten minutes!” Leon smiled, sprinting.

Then they both looked from Fyre’s red face to my own, which began to get warm from me blushing myself.

“What were you guys doing?” Evergreen asked, trying to hide a smile.

“Talking.” Me and Fyre said at the same time.

“RIGHT.” Leon said, unconvinced. “Are you SURE you weren’t doing anything else?”

“Yep.” Me and Fyre said in unison. Again.

Leon and Evergreen continued to look at us suspiciously. Thankfully they were distracted by a very large scorpion crawling over Leon’s shoe.

“Whatever you do, Leon,” Evergreen said, sweating. “DON’T. MOVE.”

“What does it LOOK like I’m doing?” Leon said through his teeth.

Evergreen picked the scorpion up by its tail and gently placed it on a rock before jumping back.

“Let’s go before we encounter more bugs.” Leon said.

“Good idea.” Me and Fyre both said. We looked at each other for a moment before following Leon and Evergreen.