Yellow eyes glared from every angle and each swordsperson drew their weapons. Antonio winked and flicked his hair over his shoulder. “We got you covered mi amigos. We’ll send these shadow men to the depths of hell while you take care of Countess Crazy up there.”

“You got this Van?” Cyrus asked.

Van quickly removed her hanging feather earrings and her eyepatch. “I am!”

Several of the mummified men drew their swords too and lumbered towards Van and Antonio who waiting for the perfect opening to parry. One mummy swung his sword straight down at the ground causing Van to let out a cry and swing as hard as she could, lopping his head clean off. It bounced along the floor causing the other mummies to take notice, and with another cry, Van and Antonio rushed at them while their defenses were down.

Antonio battled two mummies with one sword, taking time to deflect both of their slow blows from the front and behind him. The mummies calibrated their attacks at once and Antonio quickly swiveled aside; and with suavity, he used his left hand to draw his other rapier out of the holster and stab both mummies at once.

“Hey,” Van said, defending herself against a particularly ferocious mummy. “I thought your arm was fractured.”

“Haha,” the foppish swordsman laughed. “Antonio Corazon loves to use the element of surprise on both his foes and the ladies. And it seems I’ve gained the upper hand with both.”

Cyrus rolled his eyes as Archibald quickly lead him through an opening in the mummies to where Jetta Larson stood observing the bloodshed. Cyrus gasped as she swung the sleeves of her coat and two throwing knives zoomed past them like bolts from the sky. Cyrus barely saw the knife; it had flown so close to him he could feel the breeze generated by it.

“Whoa! Archibald look out!” he cried.

“Right ahead of you princey!” Archibald said. “Jetta is notoriously good with small blades. I’ve sparred with her before and…”

Jetta quickly threw a knife right over Cyrus’ head, causing Archibald to laugh. “I guess being possessed by a bandmage has messed up her aim.”

But Cyrus wasn’t laughing. A bag of white powder attached to the knife had fallen all over him and he began to scratch himself. “Ack! Itching powder! Look out, Archibald! She’s got tricks attached to the knives.”

“Are you saying she’s got tricks up her sleeves?” Archibald said, laughing to himself but It was too late for the Majester, Jett had thrown a knife over his head and bright red powder fell over him.

Cyrus managed to brush all the dangerous powder off of him and cried, “Archibald? How are you feeling?”

“I feel so…” the Majester gave a goofy and dull eyed grin as he outstretched her hands, “in love with Jetta Larson! Oh Jetta baby, you know ol’ Archibald wants nothing more than to share a night of red wine and scented candles with you!”

“Bleh,” Cyrus muttered “A love potion! That’s so gross. Is this how you get your dates, thief lady?”

Jetta let out a sinster laugh and walked slowly towards Prince Cyrus who tried to outrun her,heading for the throne but her lithe and nimble body was much faster than his stocky, plump body. She backed him against the throne seats, where a large chunk of devil’s gold and Bunting’s cake sat. “Prince,” she whispered drawing a large knife from a holster on her thigh. “Come quietly so I don’t have to cut off your legs.”

Her yellow eyes glinted and her sharp teeth flashed like a hungry reptile. She loomed over him when all of a sudden, Archibald wrapped his good arm around her body and hung on her. He was surprisingly tenacious for a man who could only use one arm. “Get ready for the hug of the century!” he exclaimed. “Nothing I like more than to nuzzle with a smokin’ hot love machine like Miss Larson.”

Cyrus gagged but watched in amazement as she dropped her knife on the floor. It left a chance for him to liberate her from the clutches of the bandmage. He quickly scuttled over to the knife as she groaned and hissed. “Let me go of me, you ingrate!”

“That’s why love potions are the one trick I’ll never use, thief lady,” Cyrus responded and tried to angle the knife so it would slice through all of the bandages that wrapped around her.

Before he did, he saw a red glint on her clothes and noticed the red brooch on her coat- it belonged to Bunting. Cyrus grabbed it while Jetta was restrained. She began to struggle against Archibald and Cyrus knew the time was now, he had to swing the knife or she would escape. He closed his eyes and swung down. He heard a cry and open his eyes. He had cut the bandages on her face and body but had grazed her face with the tip of the knife. Blood trickled down her face but Jetta had stopped writhing. The yellow in her eyes faded and her teeth returned to normal. She took a finger and wiped the blood from her face, sticking it in her mouth. “My blood,” she murmured. “Where am I? What am I doing.”

Archibald, no longer looking lovelorn released her from his one armed hold. “Jetta, you’ve caused a huge mess and you can just look behind you and see what you’ve done.

As Jetta did, the men who fought Van and Antonio dropped to the ground, no longer in her control. The blue flames on the torches changed to bright red and the large room brightened. On the floor, the heroes could now see the source of the stench. A pale but bloodstained sheet was draped over a body and upon seeing it, Jetta’s eyes began to water. “Father…”

She ran over to it and crouched down. “What have I done?” she said shaking her head in her hands. “I was so angry at him that I didn’t realize what I was doing.”

Archibald walked over to her. He had a look of anger and scorn on his face, but also curiosity. “But why were you angry at him?” He loved you.”

“I could tell he always wanted a son,” Jetta responded, gazing forlorn at the Don’s body. “He even referred to you as the ‘son he never had.’”

“He still loved you,” Archibald spoke fast and angrily. “He trained you reluctantly but he confided in me, that he hoped you wouldn’t live the criminal life. He imposed those rules on how to succeed him in hope you wouldn’t challenge him and you’d settle down with a nice man away from the world of thievery and crime.”

Jetta looked up at Archibald for the first time. “He didn’t understand me at all. I’m a Larson, thievery and crime are in my blood. The way he viewed me as his daughter sickened me…but still, I wish with my whole heart that I hadn’t done what I did. He was still…my father.”

Her sad eye were met with a look of sympathy for the first time. “I finally understand Jetta. Perhaps I was blind to your fathers actions. He was so good to me that I think we both overlooked you.”

Jetta rose to her feet and look tentatively at the Majester. She had a sudden shyness to her that contrasted with her hard face. “Please, just hold me,” she said. “I can never forgive myself for what I’ve done.”

“It’s going to take a long time for me to get over his death,” Archibald responded. “But I think I can start by forgiving you.”

He took Jetta in her arms and embraced her as she quietly sobbed. Cyrus, Van and even Antonio stood silently as they watched the two. Everything was so quiet that they didn’t notice who was standing behind them. “I didn’t want to interupt this heartfelt moment, but I can’t help but notice what you had, Mister Prince.”

Cyrus turned around and saw Bunting with a sheepish grin on his youthful face. “ello Prince, mind giving me back what was stolen from me?”

“Oh sure, Bunting,” Cyrus responded. “I’m glad you can give this brooch to the one you love.”

“Oh I know they can’t wait and neither can I!” Bunting grabbed the brooch with hungry eyes and Cyrus watched as blue veins coursed through Bunting’s pale skin as he clutched it. The chef began to laugh as his eyes grew beady, fangs grew in his mouth and his skin changed to a deathly blue.

Everyone turned around as Van gasped. “Bunting, he’s a…”

“Foolish wench,” Bunting snarled as he pointed his long index finger at Jetta. “I guide you to the devil’s gold and allow you to control this whole town of fools and you steal my brooch. Is that anyway to repay me? I may be the supernatural beast, but it is you with the unnatural mind.”

“Bunting,” Jetta gasped. “I had forgotten all about you.”

“Unfortunately for you, zis fat lard snatched it back for me.” The Everblood fastened the brooch onto his chef outfit. “Now I can have my power back in addition to my elegant style!”

Bunting ran over to where his cake and the chunk of devil’s gold were. He touched it with a large grin from his fanged mouth. The men on the floor all rose up, ready to serve their new master.

The large golden doors moved aside and a bandaged man in a mining helmet and smudged clothes ran in. “Sir we’ve discovered more devil’s gold in the mines. We may be close to the motherlode.”

“Perfect,” Bunting laughed. “I have no use for you ‘ooligans and ‘alfwits anymore. I will soon be the aristocratic ruler of the land with the whole population under my control. Too bad none of you will be alive to see this.”

“Bunting, there’s no way you can take us all at once.” Antonio responded. “We’ll steal that brooch of yours and render you powerless.”

“Ah hah hah,” the everblood chef laughed. “Zats what you’d want to do, but you won’t be able to because I am at the full extent of my power! Now my precious morsel can finally feed itself.”

“What morsel?” Van asked with a scared wimper.

“Why my delicious bunt cake zat is!” The Everblood snapped his fingers and the cake on the floor began to slowly writhe and grow. As it did, the cake grew more and more monsterous too. The frills on the end became sharp and jagged like teeth and the candles on top twisted into demonic horns. Two ugly blood red eyes emerged from the cake and it let out a horrendous roar.

“Yes, my beautiful scrumptious pet,” Bunting said stroking the cake which now reached the ceiling. “You will finally get revenge for all your brothers and sisters who were unjustly eaten by uncaring fools. Now it can finally be you who eats them! I’m sorry you five will not see me at the height of my reign, you will be much too busy being digested in sugar frosting. I hope to see you in the shadow lands soon, Ciao!”

The four heroes stood dumbfounded as the enormous cake loomed towards them. None of them knew if they could outrun this beast but Cyrus knew one thing, he never expected to die at the hands of one of his favorite foods.