Mathew felt a weight that didn’t just affect him physically. It targeted his weakened soul as well. He fell down to his knees in pain. He was worried this would happen and had no defense against it. Based on the sounds behind him, Mathew knew it wasn’t just he was affected.

He wanted to scream in pain, but he didn’t. He held the pain in and focused on the problem in front of him. Which was to stand up and be ready before Keith tried to kill him.

As he looked up, his vision started to fade in and out. Keith slowly walked toward him, “You just had to be smart. Why didn’t you just sign the papers Mathew? Why couldn’t you just join? Who cares if the elves are in charge, if you don’t serve them then you will just be killed by them!”

Through gritted teeth, as he fought against the invisible pressure Mathew responded, “You're the one letting yourself be controlled by them, Keith. You could have easily fought against them. You obviously have some level of intellect to try and force me into a contract. Why not do the same with them?”

Keith rolled his eyes. He waved a dismissive hand toward the soldiers behind him. Mathew saw that none of them had started to attack yet. Mathew tried to push himself up, but his arms fell out from under him. All he could do at the moment was looked up at Keith and keep him talking.

“He still wants me to sign the papers. Killing me or anyone from Blue Oaks isn’t his goal here. Is he banking on me saving him somehow?”

“You don’t think I tried? It’s how I got in this mess in the first place.” Keith knelt down close to Mathew, who was still struggling to get up off the ground. Keith smiled a bit, “See? This is why I knew fighting you would be pointless. My ability to force people to obey my commands, even those not part of my kingdom. Yet, there you are trying to get up.”

“Let me guess.” Mathew wheezed. “You had a loophole in the contract either you left on purpose and they abused or they didn’t fall for a trap of yours and you are stuck with a heavily one-sided contract.”

“There you are again with that brain of yours!” Keith exclaimed. “My spies said you were involved with something like contracts. I didn’t think you had the same ability to make them as I could.” Keith waved the papers in Mathew’s face. “Sign them. Last chance. I might not win, but you will lose people on your side.”

Mathew couldn’t even if he wanted to. Keith shook his head as he looked down at Mathew, “You claim to be strong, but it is apparent you are weak. If the elves Lord did this to you, then you would have just died. Even I could withstand his power, and I thought I was weaker than you are. Yet you can’t even get on your hands and knees.”

Keith used his sword to move Mathew’s hair off of his face. The edges of Mathew’s vision started to grow darker. “I’ll be sure to keep you alive. Lord Luvenar would love to meet you.”

Mathew was panting as he appeared in his mind. “Oh, so nice of you to visit us, Mathew.” Doozkora’s voice said with a sinister tone. The overlapping voices made it sound like a dozen people were talking at once but it all came from the monstrous version of Mathew.

A tentacle wrapped itself around him, “Why don’t we have some alone time.”

“I DECLARE YOU ALL TO KNEEL BEFORE ME!” Agnox’s eyes went wide as he almost face-planted into the ground as those words echoed over him. Pressure forced him down but he held himself up with his hands and knees.

“FUCK!” Agnox yelled in anger, trying to stand up. His armor was aflame as he tried to fight back against the power.

He wasn’t the only one cursing. Henderson was close by and he saw a silver light shining brightly around her as a weird language escaped her mouth. Even if he didn’t understand the words, he absolutely understood the tone. She was only hunched over, struggling to stand upright.

Jeffery was barely standing up himself. A low growl escaped his maw as he took tried to fight against whatever was holding him down.

The Guardians in front of him started to move forward. One of the Elite Guardians was barking orders.

“What is this?!” Agnox hissed through clenched teeth. He pushed his Axiom of Persistence throughout his body, the flames from his armor taking on a darker hue. Yet that was only enough to let him stand.

His entire body felt compelled to fall down. “I. Have to….Mathew.” He could see Keith take a step toward Mathew’s unmoving body as it lay on the ground.

Agnox put a hand on Jeffery’s body, using the infernal wolf to help him stand up more. He looked at his companion. He had to stop Keith from killing Mathew. He was supposed to protect Mathew. That was his job!

“Come on body. MOVE!” Agnox strained against the pressure. He didn’t take orders from anyone but Mathew. He sure as hell won’t let this one change that.

He watched as he saw Henderson take a step forward. It looked as if she was carrying the weight of the world as she did so.

“She can take a step. So can I!” Agnox thought to himself. He flexed his hands into fists as he tried to slide his foot forward. He was barely able to catch himself before falling down again.

It wasn’t a true step, but it was progress. He heard an explosion from behind him as magical spells and arrows started to volley over the guardians. Agnox didn’t pay attention to what was going on. He had to get to Mathew.

He was truly linked to his Summoner. He knew Mathew was back with Doozkora right now. He felt himself being called to help Mathew there just like last time, but he couldn’t. He had to stop Keith from killing him here.

Agnox yelled out as the flames from his armor grew in intensity his left leg left the ground and he stomped forward a single step. “YES!”

Henderson took two steps in that time. She was moving forward as well, and with her extra height on him, those two steps were almost equal to four of his.

It was a race in his mind. He continued to push himself, completely focused on getting to Mathew. He was able to take three more steps. One after the other.

On his fourth one, he almost fell back, but something furry held him up and helped him back to his feet. Agnox couldn’t help but smile even while under the intense pressure, “Thanks, buddy.”

Cherry was too far away to be affected by whatever magical effect was forcing people to start falling or at best hunched over. Even then she could feel a heavy pressure coming from where Mathew was.

A twinge of worry came from her as the small connection she had with Mathew grew weaker. “Mathew…”

“Come on Cherry we need to start helping people.” Dr. Garcia said as she pointed. The Guardians were completely unaffected as they stepped forward and started to engage in a battle.

“How? If we get closer we are just going to end up like them!” Cherry held the staff Mathew gave her close to her body, worried about what would happen to her if she went out there.

“Cherry, if we don’t, who will?” Dr. Garcia had a pale green light appear at the tip of her wand as she touched the wand to her head her eyes took on the same glowing color. “Whatever it is that is causing everyone to fall down, it targets the soul.” She gasped loudly in a panic. “We need to start healing people because the other side is lobbing arrows and our people are sitting ducks!”

Garcia turned to the other medical support, “Anyone with shielding or healing spells move up and start helping people. Those who can pull others back so they can get out of the area of effect!”

People moved as Cherry froze and squeezed her eyes closed. “I’m not fit to fight a war. Helping Mathew fight off beasts, monsters, or really bad people is one thing. This is a war! Mother wouldn’t want this. She would want people to be kind and loving to one another. Yet she tied me to Mathew who is suddenly starting a war! I’m supposed to help people, not harm them.”

Cherry felt a pair of hands grab her shoulders. She opened to them to a scared face she didn’t recognize. “Your first will always be this bad. But it gets easier over time.” The man in front of her smiled. “War isn’t nice. But it’s our job to keep those who end up in it alive so they can see the peaceful life once it’s over.”

The Dryad was now confused, “Who are you?” A giant explosion echoed as screams of people in pain followed.

The man looked back toward where the screams came from, “Someone who has been where you are now. You have that frozen fear on your face. Every medic in the military that has been in a fight and seen their brothers and sisters get hurt has been here.”

He pulled off an armband that had a red plus on it off his arm and held it out to her, “But right now, they need us to help them. Are you going to leave those that need you to die? Even if it means the war ends sooner?”

Cherry knew this was Earth’s symbol of someone who provides medical aid. The Hospital she helped at had it on the front. Dr. Garcia explained it to her when she asked about it.

More sounds of combat echoed out as people started to slowly stand up and fight against whatever force was holding them in place. A few people were being cared back to the medical tents that were impaled by arrows or missing flesh from magical attacks.

She reached out to the armband and took it.

The man held up one finger, “Focus on saving one person. Then keep doing it over and over until there is nobody left to save. Even if you are one of Mathew’s summons or magical pets, you can help people. Mathew saved my life once. Now go and save more for him.”

The man stood up and ran toward the battle that was taking place. Cherry looked down at the armband and realized it was too big for her arm. Instead, she took off her flower crown and looked at it for just a moment before she put the armband around her head like a bandana.

As she ran forward, each step was faster thanks to the lightning elemental that Mathew gave her. She stopped as two people hobbled toward her, visible wounds on each of them.

Cherry didn’t waste a moment and used her [Pink Touch] spell on them both. “Keep going back to the tents, others are there who can help.”

The two nodded as their wounds started to visibly repair and the blood that was pouring out started to stop thanks to the Regeneration perk to her spell.