“You should do more than just dodge!” Dynames fist shattered stone yet again.

The battle hadn’t progressed at all. He had launched attack after attack, but no apparent effect stood out. In fact, Samuel appeared to be warming up. His face ablaze with a smile.

Dynames threw a left hook aiming at it, but yet again purple haze smothered the flames and stopped the impact. It was like a baby pushing against a steel wall, no effect. He continued this song and dance, but it was clear nothing would come of it.

Dynames backed off for the first time. His chest rising up and down at a rapid pace. His opponent, however, looked as if he had just finished swatting a fly.

“Are you done?” Samuel wore a disinterested look. His clothes were torn in some places, yet no bruise or scrap showed on his body.

Dynames formed a desperate plan. He risked it all on a single move. He sharpened his focus and drew in the magic in the air. But he could only take in small amounts. The area’s lye lines had suffered for years, the were too thin to offer large amounts.

“Dragon Art: Roar” Left with little charge time, he fired what he could. The raw power was lessened quite considerable. Samuel finally changed to an expression of surprise as the roaring flame shoot at him.

He raised his hand to blocked it, but the fire reached first. The column of fire stretched for a time before the magic ran out. Black smoke showered the trial making it impossible to see.

His rushed plan showed fruit-

A soft sound filled the air

-only to rot and die immediately.

Dynames looked up to see the bastard clapping. He wore a smile. And, as if to add insult to injury, he was completely fine.

“Ahh, so you can fight. Well, I guess the kid’s gloves come off then.” An evil light crossed his eyes. Before Dyanmes knew it, he was falling forward.

A swift punch found his gut. Air jettisoned out and tears blocked his vision. Then he was thrust downward into the island. A blow which would have finished a less stubborn foe.

The pure force shot him throw it. The battered body flew like an arrow toward the ground.

He struggled to move his body, and then he felt it. The sense of distance. He did his best to cushion the fall, but it was too late to slow down completely.

The grounds hard embrace slammed into his shoulder and back holding tight until he stopped. Only then did the mass let go and Dyanmes was able to attempt to rise.

Only to fall to his hands and knees. It took all he had just to leave the small crater. But time wasn’t on his side. His opponent grew bored.

A rush of air drew his eyes up. Only to see an angel, Or so He thought until His focused. In fact, a reaper found him.

Donned with wings of black bones, Samuel hovered high above him. Every flap, along with the sound of creaking bones, sent shivers down his spine.

“Come on!" Samuel shouted excitement topped his voice, and he smiled a big smile like he was taking a photo. His power was also coming through loud and clear.

The opponent was ready for a fight.

The challenger was far from it.

The pure energy Samuel releases froze his entire body.

It was then the words of old man rung in his head. It was then the full scale of those words became clear. It wasn’t that Samuel was stronger. Not they were equal in power Dynames was sure he was a little stronger. But the facts before him made it clear.

“Oh, are you done so soon?”

It was just the source of power was different. Samuel wasn’t pulling magic from the air, he didn't need to. Before Dynames was a spectacle of horrid proportions. The sky offered huge sums of magic to a single person

The battle had ended far before they began. It all came down to home field advantage.

Then it became clear to Dyanmes. The reason to why magic was so thin.

It was already being drawn somewhere else.

At that moment, all the strength left his body. He wasn't fighting a person. He was fighting domination incarnate. A thing fueled by the very despair he caused.

He couldn’t deny it nor could he see a way out. The difference like night and day. Fear gripped his very soul.

But even fear didn't ease stubborn refusal to accept the old man words.

“Not yet!”

Dynames launched himself forward, releasing a flurry of punches. Yet amounted to nothing. Not to even a flinch. A thick barrier of energy had stopped all attacks.

“So this is a dragon slayer?” His expression was almost sad.However, his actions didn’t match his words. His finger pointed to his leg, blasted shot a hole through it. A place now famous for being shot through by enemy attacks.

“AAHHHH! Why is it always the leg?!” His question was never answered. Samuel grabbed his wounded leg and threw me into a new island.

“So the distraction comes to an end? What a complete farce you were.”

The reality was staring him in the face, and he could do nothing before it. It was then all control of the body was lost. Both souls lost in the void that was hopelessness. Dynames was frozen but the world wasn’t.

Samuel cruised over and stopped before him. A few inches separated them, a perfect place to counter attack.

If only the challenger had any will left to fight.

A young dragon before an elder ghoul.

“I’m amazed you had the gall to spout such confident words when this is the best you can do. I had some hope for you too” He said the last part with heavy disappointment. He looked back to his city.

“ ‘Save everyone?’ ‘Defeat me?’ Naive fools like you are truly a waste of space. Beat a duck to death would've been more fun” The saddest thing about his words was there was no way to refute them. Well except the duck thing. That was more personal taste.

“No bark left in you? I suppose it is time to put the child to bed forever. Idiocy can only be cured by one thing.” Samuel rose higher into the black sky.

“Ghoul art: repulsive wave” Samuel put his palms together making his wings stretch out. A purple light enveloped the sky.

The island Dynames was encased in shattered to pieces, but his body didn't fall he was held up by glowing hands. “Time for the burial”

Silent to islands of rock smashed together trapping Dynames complete. Almost without a sound.

Deep within the stone, silent screams echoed. But soon they faded.

His bones shattered and muscle torn to pieces. His hair ripped from his head. His nails ground into dust. His very being crumbled.

Truly what a cruel way to die. Left without light only to be enveloped by cold stone.

“Ghoul art: reformation” With a simple wave of his now bare hands The pieces of the last island were added to the colossal ball of rock.

Samuel moved to the ball of condensed rock. Blood was dripping thru small cracks. “Sadly one of my more vulgar attempts at play.” He dabbed the blood to his hand, but then rubbed it into the stone. He scoffed at the unrefined way he killed the idiot.

“Well good bye you sorrowful idiot” with that the solid ball fell to earth. The roar of rock and earth colliding deafened the air.

And so the hero is dead.

The valiant knight buried into stone.

Erica

Inside the city, after Ashley and Dynames had gone off on their own, Cross and Erica tried to continue the plan. Erica ran as fast as she could to find the gate, She bumped into my civilians walking aimlessly.

She couldn't understand how they became like this. No one could become this way willingly. However, a single thing made her doubt this.

The fear that Brogg had instilled in her. She would of easily give in to Brogg and his allies if not for Dyanmes and Rick. The name still twisted her heart with pain

She gritted her teeth and got stuck in a crowd. She couldn't move forward. All the people were turned to the single building.

“What is going on?”

It was two stories building. It looked like a school building. But it was far too scary to be one. The building lacked any appeal. Just a building with little hope in it at all. Just dark and dreary.

Some might say the true appearance school.

A dungeon without hope.

“What are they watching?” She asked Cross, who had fallen silent as they moved thru the crowd.

“I’m unsure, but it can’t be good.”

It wasn’t

In a window children were present, and they looked like they were forced against the glass. She tried to get closer, but the pressure of the tightly woven crowd, some guards, and a few of the undead soldiers made her hesitate.

She backed up and asked nearby citizens. She was horrified by her findings.

“Hostages.” was the one word in common among the answers.

It can only be assumed that the children were a bargaining chip to make the gladiators in the city fight and obedient. But the 8th’s evil genius didn't stop there.

The mothers were being held in a dungeon somewhere in the city. So the children couldn't be abandoned so easily.

Erica gritted her teeth. “We have to stop this!”

“Do you think we can?” the question baffled her. “Right now we have an important mission.” He stopped and turned to face her. His face grave. “One that could decide the fate of the whole kingdom. We don't have time to stop”. In truth, they had wasted an hour dealing with the insubordination of two of their members. it was like a hammer striking the nail.

“Now go to the gate. I will start my speech. Hopefully, we have enough people to cause a riot.” they both doubted a riot would work in this situation.

She could do nothing, but continue her mission and hope the Gael and his group could do something about this madness. Cross split off and went through the crowd.

Even if it was a pipe dream, she still held hope. She bit down her disgust and fought off the knot in her stomach.

Her every step away was heavy, and thoughts of going back threatened her, but she moved forward with all her willpower.

She reached the gate, only to see more trouble. The guards had multiplied. The fight to the lever to open the gate was high up and t would be hard to reach, but she needed to steel herself.

Her only hope was to force her way thru. She tried to collect more magic, but very little was nearby. It was like trying to force out honey. It was stuck firmly in place.

She collected enough for a few spells, but they had to be focused on attack and no defense. It was a risk, but she had to try. She still had a few minutes before the selected time. She just hoped it would all work.

Her hope was dashed, however, by a man suddenly appearing in the sky.

Cross struggled through the crowd. He needed a high up place to speak to the people. Cross was aware that most of the people were imprisoned or held in different places.

His hopes of gaining lots of support were slim, and even if he did, such small groups could not overpower skills or swords.

He had to hope it would work. He found a suitable place, however, he stood on the place where public hangings took place.

He spoke many words of hope and that if they people fought the could be saved.

Cross luck was no better than Erica's.

The people ignored him and even the guards paid him no mind. To them, he was a hobo claiming the end of the world.

The people's fear was set in stone. Rage boiled in his body. He breathed and thought once more of the person he needed to see once more.

“What would your king think of all this!” Cross shouted. This drew attention to him and even the guard turned toward him.

One brave soul actually protested. “Who cares what the 8th thinks!?” Many people who had gathered nodded in agreement as did the mercenaries.

“I don't mean the fake that sits on the throne!” He shouted over the rising noise, completely silencing them. He needed to push.

“I speak of the one who made you all this kingdom!” His own memories of the man were vague, but the feeling remained. He saw the back of the boy who lead him here.

“The man who promised he would help you, and protect the country from harm. He who roared through every enemy, he who taught who to hold on a second longer and FIGHT!” He added lots of enthusiasm, but still, none of the people were moved to action.

“Who cares about a dead king.” a man whispered and that started a sea of talking in whispers. The people were nodded in agreement.

“He never gave up on us! We can’t be the ones to shame him with such cowardice.”

Cross was anger and he tried many times to light their fires of rebellion, but his chances were soon shattered.

A dark aura enveloped the sky. He made a fist and squeezed tightly hold back his fear trying harder to convey to the now terrified people.

Gael and his men waited outside the city waiting for the chance to break in. His scouts had noticed the heavier guard, but decided to move on with the plan,

There were one hundred in number and more joined as they went. They resolve was sound, but they still had doubts. Even as they fought to the death.

Gael had to scream and shout of their victory many times to keep the flame alive, but even his was low. He didn’t deserve to return to a city that he had let fall.

But he needed them to stay strong and fight for the slim hope.

The boy could do it. He had too.

His hopes and desires filled his mind, but all were dashed seconds later.

Samuel was a little sore after going toe to toe with Dyanmes, but nothing he couldn’t handle with a little time to heal. He had hoped for more, but the boy died to easily and without much of a fight.

As he flew back to the kingdom he felt a disturbance in the barrier around his castle. “So a rat has entered my domain?" He said intrigued about who had the guts.

The city was soon in sight. and he soon felt more people preach his barrier "Oh, more rats?" He said overjoyed. He liked the idea of new subjects.

“I hope it's the rebels, they always have the best screams” In evil smile on his face once more. He flew faster and was soon over the colosseum once more.

He felt his daily dose of the people despair upon his arrival. He loved it. Unlimited power at his fingertips and enough money to buy all he wanted. Truly a bliss filled world

Samuel was found that everything was the same as he had left it, but his chair was gone, so he landed next to the princess. Her shell of armor still intact.

“Continue the event” He snapped his finger. He felt all the hope shatter with the sound. A messenger soon walked up behind him and told him the great news.

"Ashley is in palace sir”

“Good work,” He rose off the ground and left some dead soldier to make sure it continued while he left to dispose of the rats.

He rose from his place and flew toward the gate. There he saw the joyful faces of his subjects. Who looked at him with such terror he nearly fell into ecstasy.

He shook it off and with a loud voice. “Guards rid of us these invaders now." as he spoke the undead soldier rose from the ground surrounding the invaders. More despair flowed into the sky.

“Time to capture the queen.” He flew off toward the castle.