“Whatever you do, don’t get cut by the bone knife,” said Salem.

Annos pulled himself to his feet, veins bulging out his temples as Ad’Temorre reformed by his side. He looked over Keldon when realization struck him like lightning.

“Faughlt you fucking traitor!! Hiding illegal scum like him!” hissed Annos.

“What? How’d he know?!” asked Keldon.

“No Skill orb,” said Salem.

“Ah fuck,” thought Keldon

“Cover me!” said Annos to Prison crew boys. He wiped the blood off his mouth as he activated a skill and vanished. Ad’Temorre stretched across the field and swiped a claw at Salem who met its talons with his fiery blade. Mitch flung himself over Ad’Temorre, slamming his titan’s fists down on Salem. At least that was the plan. Salem knocked the giant arms aside as he grabbed Ad’Temorre and hurled the creature into Ernie and Pudge. Salem sniffed the air when a look of panic crept across his face.

“He left. Blast it, he’s going to turn us in!” said Salem.

“Didn’t you say we were going to be safe until we reached the capital?” asked Keldon.

“That’s what I thought. Listen to me carefully, I need to chase him down and I don’t have enough mana to hold this form long. Handle Pudge and find a way to open the prison cart. You know who to look for.” said Salem.

“I’ll try.”

“Don’t try. Do.” said Salem, launching himself at Ad’Temorre in a blaze of heat. He tackled the mass of writhing death and smoke, hurling it into the air, and dug his heels into the charred soil.

Activate Unique Skill: Authority of the Sun

Three-pointed Sigils lit up the sky as a great beam of sunlight crushed down onto Ad’Temorre. Smoke searing off its form as the creature howled with an ear-piercing screech. Salem blinked behind Mitch and Ernie who were recovering from the blow. He picked them up by their collars.

“Sorry boys, brace for impact,” said Salem. He batted away Ernie and Mitch’s skill orbs as he slammed them together. He wrapped his arms around them in a bear hug, and with a heave, hurled them into the horizon.

“Wha-UAHHHHHH,” hollered Mitch blasting off into the air.

Salem coiled like a spring and rocketed at Ad’Temorre. He slammed into the creature like a hurricane and swept it away, flying after Mitch and Ernie.

Dark grey clouds rumbled in the distance as Salem’s battle lit up the sky. Droplets of rain kissed Keldon’s face as he circled Pudge, both hesitant to make the first move. He wiped the drizzles of rain from his forehead.

“I don’t want to fight you Pudge. Can’t we do this another way?”

Pudge flashed him a gentle smile and shook his head.

“Too kind Keldon. You’ll hurt yourself,” said Pudge. He planted himself into a prepared stance and summoned his skill orb.

His heart thumped against his chest. Damnit, he could feel the throbbing excitement of the name of fire that pumped blood in his ears. Each heartbeat accelerating in rhythm. It wanted to charge forwards, but he didn’t want to hurt Pudge, maybe if he just-

Activate Skill: Flurry of hail Activate Skill: Frozen Chains

A wave of icicles rained from the sky as Keldon leaped back. Shards of ice clipped him in the shoulders as he tried to dodge, knocking him off his balance. But before he could even react, icy chains shot from Pudge’s arms, wrapping around Keldon in his moment of weakness.

“Shit!-“

The skin-biting cold chains restrained him as Pudge yanked on the chains and flew at Keldon. Keldon threw out a wild kick, hoping to force a desperate dodge from Pudge.

Activate Skill: Armor of Frost

Pudge’s skin turned a pale-blue as his leg slammed into Pudge’s stone-hard skin. Pudge followed through and wound back his fist, stepping into Keldon’s body. Keldon clenched his stomach as Pudge drove his fist into his gut, sending him tumbling with a cry of pain.

He slammed into the prison cart with a bang. Alarm bells rang in his head as his body throbbed. He pulled himself to his feet.

“Fight!” yelled Pudge as rain poured down his face. “Fight me, or I’ll kill you Keldon!

Pudge’s words were like a whipcrack in the air.

“If you don’t fight, you won’t be able to save Salem,” said Pudge.

Keldon gazed into Pudge’s eyes as he gave him a solemn nod.

Right. Stop hesitating. Fire burned in his heart as the cold nipped up his arms. The droplets of rain burst into puffs of steam as they popped off Keldon’s body with a sizzle. The voices of hesitation hushed.

“Karyx!”

Flames burst from his limbs as power rumbled from his body, breaking himself free from the numbing chains. Keldon twisted his body in the air, burning heat coursing through his veins as he rocketed at Pudge like a meteor. As Keldon shot across the field, Pudge threw up a wall of frost. But it wasn’t enough to halt Keldon’s momentum who bashed through the barrier of ice in an explosion of steam and slammed into Pudge

He could feel the weight of his kick shatter Pudge’s frost armor as he drilled his kick into Pudge’s gut. But the frost armor skill reacted, blasting cold up Keldon’s leg and quenching his momentum as he fell to the ground. Pudge stumbled, forced to find his bearings.

Without the fire to fuel his adrenaline, numbing pain throbbed in his leg as he lost his footing. His body heat was quickly dropping, feeling the effects of using the name of fire sap away at his body heat. He had to end this quickly. He took up Ironstance to steady himself.

Pudge wiped the slick mud off his face as he pulled himself to his feet. Damn, Keldon had hoped that the force of the blow would buy him some time, but Pudge had already recovered. He swirled his left hand, preparing to summon his skill orb.

Shit, he couldn’t let Pudge find another opportunity to control the battlefield. He dashed through the mud, relying on his good leg as he intercepted Pudge with a flurry of kicks and blows. He forced Pudge to pull back, as Pudge threw up his forearms to parry Keldon’s flaming onslaught of attacks. His legs crashed against Pudge’s dense icy armor creating bursts of steam as his burning fire met ice.

He needed to find an opening to end this battle soon. He could match Pudge when it came to raw power, but the resilience of Pudge’s ice magic was too much to handle. If he could just create a distraction…

Keldon pushed Pudge's defences. Then, Pudge dropped his arm, letting Keldon land a blow against his icy-armored neck. Before Keldon even had a chance to react, Pudge wound back and drove a fist into Keldon’s chest.

He felt something inside him snap. He fell to the muddy field with a squelch,

“Blessed FUCKnuggets that hurt,” Keldon thought. He’d definitely cracked a rib or two. Panic started to crawl in from the back of his mind. He waited for it to take him as usual.

But it never came.

He touched his side, expected to feel broken bone but instead felt warmth. The name of fire had healed him, as his bones mended together, and his body heat sapped away.

“Get up!!” the voice of passion screamed. It was the name of fire beckoning him to fight. The adrenaline snapped him to attention. He peeked out of the corner of his eye. Pudge loomed over him .

“Why is he just standing there?” thought Keldon, feigning his exhaustion. Pain flashed Pudge's face as he stood over him.

But then, it clicked. Pudge was about to kill him. This was his opening.

Pudge stuck out his left hand, summoning his skill orb.

“Don’t hate me,” said Pudge.

*Activate Skill: Flurry of Hai-

NOW!!” thought Keldon, springing off the ground. The muck that clung to him hardened like clay, surprising a wide-eyed Pudge with a clean punch to the gut. He focused the fury of his passion into his right hand as he felt the icy armor crumble beneath its fiery might. Pudge soared across the field, slamming into the prison cart and crumpling unconscious.

The rain poured down from the gloomy sky, stealing the little heat Keldon had from his skin with a hiss. His body seized up as the momentum came to a close and the pain which he’d been allowed to ignore reared its ugly head. He couldn’t move his right arm, his hand frozen in a fist.

But despite the huffing pain in his chest, and the exhaustion that the fight had drained from his soul. He felt good. He felt really good. He’d won.

He’d fucking won!!!

“ha…haha….HAHAHA!!”

It was a laugh straight from the gut. He tried to pull himself together, but the sheer absurdity of his reality sunk in. There wasn’t anything funny, it was a laugh of relief. For once in his Gods-damned life, he’d fucking succeeded at something!! He rode the wave of giggles as catharsis washed over him. A rush of endorphins numbed the stinging pain.

But as Keldon let himself chuckle in the cold rain, a boom echoed in the distance, sobering him up.

“Shit, Salem,” said Keldon.

He ran over to Pudge, checking the well-toned man’s pulse and putting his ear to his mouth. Pudge’s chest rose and fell in a gentle rhythm. A deep purple bruised covered his ribs, but he was still alive.

Keldon rummaged through Pudge’s pockets, looking for any keys that would open up the prison cart. What would he even do with all the prisoners afterward?

A beam of light pierced the sky, giving Keldon pause as it snatched away his attention. He’d have to think about it afterward he guessed.

Dammit, why did this man have so many pockets?! They were all full of random tools, spices, trinkets… was that the rest of the blue cheese?? He tossed the half-eaten wedge to the side, finally finding a ring of keys.

Keldon hurried over to the prison cart, looking up at the ominous steel box. He ran his fingers across the spiral weave of archaic symbols that decorated the cart. They converged into a padded lock on the left of the door. His hand was still numbed as he awkwardly fumbled with the ring of keys, testing them one by one.

Finally, he heard a soft click.

“Of course it’s the last key I tried,” thought Keldon. It’s always the last key. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for whoever he was about to face.

Whatever it was though, he’d do it with confidence. For Salem. The padlock dropped to Keldon’s feet with a thud, as he hurled open the door.

But the anxiety melted from his face, instead, replaced by a horrified confusion.

There was no one in the prison cart.