Do not post here. I will make a feedback section. Here I go. Chapter 1 Utho walked into the inn. He saw that Bull, one of his best friends, was already at a table. “Hi Bull! Anything new?” Bull started to speak, “Did you hear about the” He was cut off by the sound of someone screaming the worst possible words. “WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!” That was very bad. The two countries, Warden and Velsaguard, have been in war for over twelve years with no side giving ground. The war has lasted a long time and it will last a lot longer. “We have to do something Bull! That army already has already destroyed the city of Carmyne! If we don’t do something they will destroy us too!” Utho exclaimed. “What are we going to do? We aren’t soldiers!” Bull replied. “Remember those old tales about the Dragon Knights? They brought peace to the world during the Great War, a thousand years ago.” “The dragons aren’t around any more. Besides, great heroes, like Migz and Rige, have searched for them and they died, we aren’t anything like them.” “Do you really have a better idea of what to do? Two peasants can’t help a city under siege.” “Well…fine. Got nothing better to do. Let’s talk to Lord Bam. He’ll know what to do.” Utho and Bull walked through the streets with the sounds of blacksmiths making more swords and soldiers putting on their armor. They finally reached the palace steps. Utho looked up and saw hundreds of steps that led up to the doors. “You have got to be kidding me,” Utho remarked. “This was your idea Utho,” Bull said. Then they started to climb. A half hour later… Utho and Bull walked through the doors and saw a couple of guards. “We need to have an audience with Lord Bam,” Bull told one of the guards. “Very well. Be quick about it. Lord Bam already has enough problems to deal with.” Utho and Bull walked into the court. Lord Bam was sitting on his golden throne high above them. “Someone has a bit of an ego,” Utho whispered to Bull. Then the lord started to speak, “Why are you two here? I hope it is important.” “We have come to stop the war. We would like to try and find the dragons. We hope that by saving the dragons we can bring back the Dragon Knights. Which will restore peace to the world. We cannot sit by and watch the army destroy this city. We would like two horses, supplies and weapons for the journey. With your bidding, we would like to try to save the world,” Utho explained. “Normally, I would laugh at this silly idea but it seems that you are our only hope now. A rather slim hope. I have seen this army and I know what it can do. We might be able to hold them off for a while but once they realize that physical force will not work they will surround us, cutting off our supply of food. We will be overrun. I will give you all the things you need and more. I will send my son, Prince Chaz, with you. He knows how to fight and I hope you two will learn something from him if you are going to survive out there.”
Chapter 2 The prince walked in. “I have to go with these people! I already said sorry dad! I won’t take the chariot for a joy ride ever again but please, don’t make me go!” Chaz complained. “This is not punishment. This is a test. If you can save us, then you are ready to rule the city. If not, then there won’t be a city to rule. Try your best son,” Lord Bam explained. After a bit more whining, Chaz finally agreed to go. After Bam was out of earshot Chaz said, “This had better work you two. Well, seeing as I’m stuck with you two, I’ll try to help. But I doubt you guys could ever learn to use a sword. Follow me. You can select your weapons then we must be off.” Utho and Bull shuffled into the forge. The smith greeted them, “Hey! Never seen you two around here before! Well, I suppose you are the people Chaz told me about. Come with me. You can select your swords. It’s a big thing. Picking your sword may be the most important decision you will ever make.” The smith directed them to the rack of swords hanging by the wall. Utho picked up one. It was short and light. That meant it was used for quickness, not for a long battle. He put it down and tried out a new one. It was a claymore. Big and heavy and in the right hands, it was dangerous. It was meant for two-handing and powerful swings. “I’ll take this one,” Utho told the blacksmith. “Ah yes, the claymore. One of my favorites. It’s hard letting it go but I think you’ll take good care of her.” Bull picked up a long sword. It is a balanced sword, not quick but not slow either. “I’m gonna go with this one.” Bull exclaimed. “Alright then. Now come over here. I already made your armor and put it in these bags. Come take them and you can be on your way.” Utho and Bull walked away with their new swords and armor. Chaz greeted them outside the forge. “So, hope you got good stuff. You’re going to need them. Well we are going to spend the night here and leave in the morning. They walked to a room with three beds. Nice beds. “As you are probably asking why I’m sleeping in here. My father wants us to get to know each other. Not by any choice of mine,” Chaz explained. They put all their stuff down and got ready for bed. “So…where are we going to start? We have no idea where we are going,” Utho questioned. Chaz answers, “We are going to see to see the Oracle.”
Chapter 3 Well of course they would go to see the Oracle. She was the only person that could make sense of the matter. "And also, you can pick out your horses in the morning," Chaz informed them. Utho gave him a suprised look. "What? Did you really think that when going on a quest to save the world that my father would go cheap on us? No, he'll give you anything you need for the journey. Well anyway, off to bed. We have a long journey ahead of us." Everybody all tucked up and fell alseep. They were awoken by the sound of a gong. Bull and Utho nearly jumped out of their beds and found the prince holding a hammer. "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR?" Utho asked. "Had to wake you up. Lord Bam says that we have to be out of here soon and you still need to pick out horses. Follow me down to the stables," Chaz answered. Utho and Bull got ready fast and went with Chaz. "Well ya didn't have to hit a gong," Bull grumled. It was a long walk through the palace. There were paintings and oranate decorations hanging on the walls. Prince Chaz was greeted by all the servants and other palace residents. Utho felt almost bad for Chaz, having to leave here. On the other hand, it will be fun watching him make his own dinner. "I can see why you don't want to leave," Utho told Chaz. Chaz chuckled. "That's why I complained so much. But it's good getting out I suppose. I have to do it sometime." At last, they finally got to the stables. All of the horses were lined up in their pens. They were beautiful creatures. Not the kind you would see in the markets. The stablemaster cheerfully greeted them. "Hello Chaz! I see you brought some new friends! Chaz I already have your horse prepared over there. And you two, ready to get a new friend? Come on over here, I'll show you the horses." Chaz jogged over to his horse, getting it ready for the adventure ahead, and Utho and Bull went with the stablemaster to see the horses. Utho walked over to a particularly happy young steed and Bull came across a sleek, black horse. The stablemaster went over to Bull, "I can see you have your eye on this one. Her name's Jude. She's been around a little longer than the others and has more experience. She'll serve you well." Then he went toward Utho, "Ah this one here is Krizak. He pretty much just matured so he's still a bit jumpy but if you take good care of him, he'll do great." Utho and Bull walked off with their new friends and rode them around a little. Utho yelled at Bull, "Wanna race?" "Ok! I'll come to you!" Jude sprinted over to Utho. "Ok, we'll go around that pole and back. First one back wins. On your mark. Get set. Go! At first, Krizak sped ahead of Jude but after a little while longer Jude overcame Krizak. Then the race was over. Jude won by a longshot. "Well that was fun!" Bull exclaimed. "Sorry to interrupt but we have got to get going. Our adventure starts now. Are you gonna chicken out now? "Heck no." Utho said. "Ok then. Away we go!" And with that, they were off.
Chapter 4 The group started to head out. There was a dense forest on each side of the road. It was mostly quiet on the road with no interruption. When it was dinnertime, it got a little more louder. "Make me dinner, Utho, I'm hungry," The prince said. "Really? I'm hungry too. How about you use those hunting bows that your dad gave us and get your own dinner," Utho replied. "How dare you insolent scum! I am a prince and you need to treat me with respect." That brought laughter from both Utho and Bull. "Well. Fine. I can get my own dinner. I don't need you two. We'll meet back here in an hour. Try to hit something with the bows," Prince Chaz said. All of them picked up hunting bows and set off into different areas. After an hour they all came back with a full game sack. Utho opened his up first. "I got a deer and a hare. What did you get Bull?" Utho announced. "I brought us back four hares," Bull answered. Then Chaz spoke, "I got a rabbit." "ONE! YOU ONLY GOT ONE!" Utho yelled while laughing, "You've been out for an hour! What were you doing? Whatever. Let's eat what we have." Utho started to make a stew with rabbits and a couple of herbs he picked up. A little while later it was ready. He handed Bull and Chaz a bowl and started to eat. Utho and Bull munched down the stew but Chaz only picked at it a little. "Come on Chaz. I must say for myself that it is delicious," Utho said. After a while of putting it off Chaz's stomach rumbled and he started to eat it. Once he finished Chaz started to speak. "Tomorrow, you guys will start your training in swords. While you were hunting I got us some nice sticks for training. Hope your ready," Chaz said this with a grim smile on his face. They all got out their bedrolls and went to sleep. When they woke Bull and Utho saw Chaz sitting on a log with the practice sticks out. "Here, I warmed up the leftover stew. When you're done come get your practice sticks and come spar with me," Chaz told them. Utho and Bull ate and got their sticks. "So, who wants to go first?" The prince asked. "I'll go first," Utho answered. "Ok then. Utho I want you to try and hit me," Chaz said. Utho charged with his sword and Chaz dodged easily. "Don't be so predictable Utho. It will get you killed. Try again," Chaz said this after a nice whap on Utho's back. After much laughing by Bull, Utho started again. Utho tried to do a feint but Chaz saw through it and countered it. Utho did everything he could think of to hit him. Then Chaz started to attack him. Chaz started a high swing. Utho barely dodged it and tried to hit Chaz's legs. Chaz jumped and in mid air he brought the sword down. Chaz stopped the sword an inch from Utho's head. " You're dead. Try again." Utho swung. Chaz ducked and hit Utho in the knees. Utho fell to the ground. By this time, Bull was rolling on the floor laughing. "You need more practice, Utho. Ok Bull, your turn," The prince said. Bull's laughing suddenly stopped. He picked up his practice sword and went over to Chaz. He looked as if he was going to his execution. He wasn't that much wrong. "Ok royal boy, I'll go easy on you. Utho is not much of a-" WHAP! In the seconds Bull was thinking Chaz hit him to the ground with one swing. "Ok prince. You wanna take me? Alright then," Bull said confidently. Bull began to do a high swing at Chaz's head. Chaz swung back more forcefully and Bull's sword went flying. Mercilessly, Chaz hit Bull with a two-handed swing right in the chest. "Owww...." Bull weakly mumbled. "I think that's enough for today," Chaz announced, "You two can spar with each other tomorrow. I just wanted to show you what would happen if you sparred with a real swordsman. A word of advice, Bull. Don't get cocky, you're really not good." And so, our badly bruised heroes and Chaz, got on their horses and made their way to the Oracle.
Chapter 5 "So this is it," Utho murmured to himself. The group looked upon the city of Rige. It was named after the great hero who searched for the dragons, just like them. It was majestic, to say the least. With its high walls and great palace. "We have to make our way to the Oracle. Let's ask someone," Bull said. Chaz walked up to the nearest guard. "Which way to the Oracle?" Chaz asked. The guard looked at Chaz like he had gone mad. "We're new here." The guard sighed and said, "Go to the temple next to the palace. I hope this is important. She doesn't like to be bothered with unimportant things," the guard said. Chaz, Bull, and Utho put their horses in the stables, tipped the stable boy, and started to walk toward the woman that knew everything. When they finally got to the temple of the Oracle they saw a massive line stretching out from the door. Suddenly, the Oracle stepped out and started to speak. "Will the three men who just came from the city of Lord Bam please come in. We have much to discuss." That started a murmur through the crowd, "Well," Utho said, "time to meet the Oracle." The three made their way to the Oracle's chamber. Chaz started to speak, "Hi, I'm-" The Oracle cut him off, "Yes, Chaz. I know who you are. I know your friends, Utho and Bull, are eager to hear what I have to say." "How did you..." Bull mumbled. The Oracle laughed, "I wouldn't be much of an Oracle if I didn't know who the three people of legend are. It was written in stone, by the first Oracle, that three people would journey out of all they know and fix the worst problem the world has ever known. The disappearance of the dragons. In fact, I know where the dragons are. But there is a problem. To get to them, you need the blood of the heroes of legend." "Well, where are they then?" Bull questioned. "Let's start from the beginning. Here is the prophecy that has been handed down from Oracle to Oracle. An evil so great will lock them away Imprisoned until the legendary day The quest that seems too much to bear Will prove to be a great despair But three heroes with hearts pure and good Will bring the dragons back to where they should I will tell you what the prophecy means. The evil it talks about is Nightmare. He used to be a good man. He was an ordinary person. Or he used to be. During the Great War, his town was attacked by Raiders. Raiders were the bad guys. They used dragons not as peace bringers but as weapons. He was out hunting but his wife, children, and friends were all burned alive in a dragon strike. He vowed revenge. He learned Dark Magic. Magic in general is banned now but back then, people were trained as Dark Mages to fight. He killed many dragons with his magic and tricked some into coming with him to the Underground City of Dorte or back then it was known as the City of Magic. He said that there were good people to be trained as true Dragon Knights there and he wanted the dragons to meet them. When they went into Dorte, Nightmare locked the doors with a powerful spell and he led the dragons deep into Dorte. When they got into the heart of Dorte, Nightmare imprisoned the dragons in rock. They are still alive but they have been locked in an underground city for a thousand years. He created skeletal guardians that guard the dragons and to this day, Nightmare remains inside Dorte, growing powerful." There was a stunned silence as the three absorbed all this knowledge. "So how are we supposed to do this! First off, we can't even get in. Second, there are skeletal guards. Last, how are we supposed to kill and thousand-year-old Dark Mage?!?" Chaz asked. "Anyone can destroy a spell. In the Great War, the leaders of the four united cities decided that no spell should be invincible so they decided that if someone gets the approval of the leaders they can destroy one spell. You guys would have to get the approval of Lord Bam, the ruler of the city of Mau. Lady Cansem, the ruler of the city of Prov. Lord Emech, the ruler of the city of Carmyne. Lastly, the Psycho Emperor, the ruler of the city of Flava. Just by Chaz being here you already have the approval of Lord Bam. Now you need the other three. Good luck and I hope you don't get killed!" With that, the group walked towards the palace of Lady Cansem.
Chapter 6 The Oracle asked for Bull to stay behind for a little bit while Prince Chaz and Utho went to the palace of Lady Cansem. They saw that just like Lord Bam, there were hundreds of steps. Chaz and Utho climbed the stairs in silence but finally, they got to the doors of the palace. "The Oracle sent us," Utho told the guard. The guard immediately opened the doors for them and they walked inside. The throne room was more or less just like Lord Bam's. They explained their mission to Lady Cansem. "So you have to get my approval?" Lady Cansem chuckled, "Very well, dragon searchers. I have a tournament tomorrow. There are fifteen fighters so far. One of you will enter. If you win, then you have proved yourself worthy to search for the dragons. Good luck, dragon searchers." Chaz spoke, "I will enter the tournament milady. I will prove my worth." "Ok then. I will put you in the brackets," Lady Cansem finished. With that, Utho and Chaz left the throne room to find Bull outside. He was panting from the long climb up. "Come on Bull. We're going down," Chaz said. "What! I just got up!" "Sucks to be you. I'll tell you what the lady had to say on the way down." The reunited group went back down the stairs. Chaz explained what he had to do starting tomorrow. Lady Cansem paid for a room at the best inn in the city. Utho and Bull explored the city and resupplied their food for the road while Chaz went to practice for the big day tomorrow. Night fell and Chaz met Bull and Utho at the inn. There was some small talk then they all went to sleep. They were woken by the sounds of bells. "You ready Chaz?" Bull asked. "Ready as I'll ever be. Come on my fight starts in a hour," Chaz answered. Utho and Bull helped Chaz with his armor and watched as Chaz entered the arena. The rules were simple. Either kill them or let them surrender either way, you win. Utho and Bull entered the stands and sat down. When the bell rings, the fight begins. GONG! The fight began. Chaz let the other guy charge. Utho knew what Chaz was doing. Chaz ducked and brought up his sword. It sliced the guy on the left arm. His opponent dropped his shield and fought with only his sword. Everyone knew Chaz would win but the other guy put up a pretty good fight. Chaz then charged himself. He tried hitting the other knight on the right and then spun and hit him on the left. The hit landed and the match was over. The crowd cheered. Chaz walked off the killing field and prepared for Round 2.
Chapter 7 Chaz stepped out of the arena. He went back to the fighter's quarters just outside the arena. The next fight on was between some newcomer just like Chaz and the reigning grand champion Fire Dragon. That was what the crowd nicknamed him. It was over before it began. The newcomer was shaking. GONG! Fire Dragon charged the poor fella. The other guy barely had the power to draw his sword. Fire Dragon dropkicked him and the other knight fell to the ground then Fire Dragon held his sword at the newcomer's throat. "I SURRENDER! I SURRENDER!" the newcomer shouted. It was over in twelve seconds. Fire Dragon could have killed the other guy in twelve seconds. Utho and Bull were still staring at the arena. Then Fire Dragon walked past them and walk over to his section of the fighter's quarters. "So he's the guy you have to beat Chaz," Utho said. "Yeah. If I don't die next round," Chaz replied. More advancement fights took place until it was time for the semi-finals. Chaz's next opponent was a mysterious one. He demolished his first round opponent as well. Chaz got his armor on and made his way out on the killing field. Now covered with bloodstains of the fallen. His opponent went out as well. GONG! They both charged. Their swords met in the middle. It was a flurry of parries, stabs, and slices. After a little while, Chaz's opponent gave ground. Chaz started to attack more aggressively a his opponent had weakened his defence. After a nice whack, the other knight's sword went flying. His opponent held up his hands as a sign of surrender. Round 2 was over. Chaz walked off and went back into the fighter's quarters. He was greeted by Bull. "Lady Cansem told us that the finals will be tomorrow." "Ok. I need to nap for about fifteen hours anyway. If any little kids come by and ask for my autograph say that-" Bull cut him off. "That I'll wake you up?" He inquired. Bull did a bad job of keeping a straight face. "No! That I'm asleep and not to be disturbed. Good afternoon and good night, Bull." After Chaz left, Utho and Bull watched the other fight. Fire Dragon eviscerated his opponent again. At high noon tomorrow morning will be the Championship battle. They changed the rules for this next battle. No surrender. Apparently Lady Cansem is not such a nice lady after all. Bull and Utho made their way back to the inn. Only to find that outside their door was drunken fans screaming, "GO CHAZ! GO CHAZ! GO CHAZ!" "All of you get out of the way and stop making so much noise! If Chaz doesn't get any sleep then you can all watch him die in the arena!" Utho shouted. They couldn't argue with that logic so they went back downstairs. They walked in to find a grumpy Chaz laying his bed. The moment he saw them he grumbled, "Took you long enough. I got a five minute nap before someone realized that I just walked by. Real great fans." He went on to grumble something about breaking arms but they decided to drop the matter. Utho and Bull got ready for bed. when they finally laid down Chaz was already asleep. The same bells woke them up the next morning. When they woke, they heard the same fans chanting outside their door. "Oh lord," Chaz mumbled. Utho pushed the door open an started to yell, "MAKE WAY FOR THE CHAMPION! HE WON'T BE ABLE TO FIGHT IF HE CAN'T GET TO THE ARENA!" Silently, all the fans got out of the way and Chaz stepped outside. Suddenly, all the fans picked up Chaz and carried him downstairs and out the door. Utho and Bull looked at each other and shrugged. Then they sprinted out the door. Outside there were even more Chaz fans. The fans made a path that led to the arena. When the guys carrying Chaz got to the fighter's quarters they put him down gently, gave some encouraging comments and went into the stands. Utho and Bull walked over to Chaz. After a moment of silence Chaz spoke. "It beats walking." They all laughed and then help Chaz put on his armor for one last time in the arena. Fire Dragon stepped out onto the arena. The crowd gave a big cheer. Then Chaz stepped out and the crowd absolutely roared. GONG! Chaz charged Fire Dragon. Right before Chaz got in range of Fire Dragon's sword he stopped and watched as his opponents sword scratched his armor. Then Chaz lunged in for a quick jab at Fire Dragon. Fire Dragon's armor mostly blocked the blow but it did do damage. Fire Dragon got enraged and charged. Chaz was quicker and right before Fire Dragon swung Chaz hit Fire Dragon's right arm. Fire Dragon's armor stopped the arm from being cut off but the force of the blow broke his arm. Fire Dragon stumbled a bit and Chaz took this opportunity to make a powerful downward strike on Fire Dragon's head that Fire Dragon almost dodged. Instead of the head, it hit his left knee which broke. Then Fire Dragon took off his chest piece and said, "Finish me..." Chaz struck one more time. This time, it was a killing blow. The crowd roared in excitement. Then Lady Cansem walked onto the killing field. "Bravo! Bravo! I never thought anyone would beat him!" said Lady Cansem, "It appears that you get the trophy this year!" She motioned for the person with the trophy to bring it out. "I know you don't want to bring it will you on the trip so you can get it on the way back. Also, one more thing. I, Lady Cansem, ruler of Prov would like to bestow on you, my approval to destroy the barrier guarding Dorte." She had Chaz hold it for a while for the crowd to see and then took it back with her. Chaz then stepped off the field for the last time and into the fighter's quarters. He had a shocked look on his face. Like he just realized how gruesome that battle was. "Let's get out of here guys. This place will be packed and I don't want to stay in this city for a second longer than I have to," Chaz told them. "I already packed Chaz," Utho said, "Let's be on our way." The group got their horses and started to ride out of the city. After a little, Bull started to speak, "We'll have to go back to Mau. Then from there we can-" Bull stopped. He saw something in the distance. It was a person on a horse riding towards them. When the rider got close they saw who it was. It was Chaz's semi-finals opponent. They drew their swords when he got near. Then they heard the knight speak, "Woah there! Easy boys! I'm not here to kill you," She said. It was a girl. Utho, Bull, and Chaz were staring. "You're not used to a girl fighter are you?" She chuckled, "Hi, my name is Dani. The Oracle told Lady Cansem that you guys would need some help on your little adventure." They kept staring. "Well I know a shortcut to Carmyne. Come on. Follow me," Dani then started to walk on a road towards Carmyne. "Are you coming?" She asked. Bull, Chaz, and Utho looked at each other. Looked at Dani who was moving down the road. Then they signaled for their horses to sprint towards her. Leaving the city of Prov in the dust.
Chapter 8 It was mostly quiet on the road. This shortcut Dani referred to was the String of Cities. It was a string of small villages that led all the way to Carmyne. "So Dani, how are we supposed to get the approval of Emech? Isn't he dead? I mean, the city was destroyed," Utho inquired. She answered, "Oh no. It wasn't destroyed. Just rumors. The Warden army is now occupying it. It's too good of a strategic position for them. Carmyne has roads to all the cities of Velsguard, Mau, Prov, and Flava. And Emech is a prisoner." "So how are four, armed Velsas supposed to get in?" "We shall find out when we get there. " They saw the first of the String of Cities up ahead. They rode past it. It was still afternoon and Dani assured them that they'll stop at the third city and have enough time for sword practice. About five hours later, they reached Tsimao. The third city. "We'll stop here," Chaz announced, "There should be an inn here." And there was one. They paid the innkeeper and then it was sword time. Bull got his and Utho's practice sword. "Alright Utho. I'll take it easy on you, Utho. I don't want to hurt you," Bull said. WHACK! Utho hit Bull's knee as hard as he could. Bull got angry. Bull just swung however he could. Utho blocked most but some connected. "Hold it!" Chaz yelled, "Utho, you have to be faster and also block at the hilt. You have more power and control there. Bull, don't get so emotional. Battle!" Utho charged and brought down a powerful swing. Bull took what Chaz had said to Utho and used it against him. He blocked the shot at the hilt. He easily flung the sword away and then swung. Utho ducked then did an uppercut with his fists. It connected. "Hey! This is a SWORD fight Utho!" Bull exclaimed. "So?" Chaz asked, "He used what he had. This is just a fight. Utho, don't let him fling your sword away either." Utho got his sword and they started back up. After a while they all realized that Utho just wasn't as good. It wasn't like Bull had any more practice it was just...Utho didn't seem meant to wield a sword. They finished up and checked in to the Tsimao Inn. They got ready and went to bed. Then it was morning again. And the group set out. They rode and then found and town and sparred. They did this for three nights until, finally, Carmyne came into view. It looked like a normal city until they got closer. It's walls were half broken by siege engines and the farms outside were burned. All in all, it looked broken. Also, they saw tents outside. They were Velsaguard tents. The group rode over to them. There were a mix of people there: farmers, merchants, and soldiers. Someone rode up to them. He was wearing a guard uniform. "Who are you and why are you here?" Prince Chaz explained the whole thing to him "Well it's gonna be hard now. Emech is in the castle dungeon and Warden left five hundred troops to guard the city." "How many soldiers are here?" "Around twenty," the guard said, "but Warden has about two hundred prisoners. If we free them, we stand a chance. Follow me. I'll take you to the Captain of the guard." They followed him into the camp. There was one old man that stood out. He was perfectly still but his eyes followed you. "Who's that?" Utho asked the guard. "That is the Sage. No one knows how old he is but he was around when the city was founded so he is definitely a Mage but no one wants to be the one that tells him magic is banned. He hasn't spoken. Ever. Well, here's Captain Val." Chaz explained everything to Val. "Hmmm...I have an idea for you. We retake the castle. Here's what we should do..."
Chapter 9 Bull walked into the soldier's barracks of Castle Carmyne. He saw a lot of soldiers. He thought to himself, "Why did I volunteer for this job?" Captain Val told them earlier that they had a Warden soldier's uniform so one person could sneak into the castle. The whole plan was a complicated one but they knew it could work. It had to work. There were sentries that guarded the prisoners throughout the night. They took shifts of two hours. His job was that when that two hours were up, he'd knock out the next sentry and then relieve the current one. He'd then unlock the prisoners cells so when he gave the signal, they could pick up swords and help the fight. Also, he had to open the gates of the city and lower the drawbridge so the men and Dani can rush in and attack. Hopefully, it would work. The fate of the world depended on it. Meanwhile outside the city... Things were tense outside. Everyone was scared for the battle ahead. It would be a hard one. Utho was patrolling the tents when suddenly he heard his name, "Utho.....come here boy. We have much to talk about." He looked around. "Who said that?" Utho asked. Then he saw who it was. It was Sage. The guard said he'd never spoken to anyone before. "Utho, I need to speak with you," Sage said. "Why are you talking to me? Out of all the people in the world, why are you talking to me?" "Because you're the only person worthy. Back in the times of the Great War, Mages found people that they could train to be new Mages. In the past thousand years, you are the first person I have ever found that has the power to be a Mage. Most people, casting a single spell would suck the energy out of them. Some people that have tried casting a spell when he is not a Mage gets put into a deep sleep for years. Those are the lucky ones. Most people would die casting a simple spell. But you...you have the power. If you were trained, you would be more powerful than me." "Would you train me?" Utho asked. "No. I can't. I'm going to die soon and I know it." "So why are you telling me this if no one can teach me?" "There is a temple right next to the palace. There are four pillars inside of it. At the bottom of the back right pillar there is a marked brick. Push it and a staircase will appear. At the bottom of the staircase is a pool of water. Drink the water you will know everything I know about magic." "I...will be a Mage?" "Yes, you will. The first one in a thousand years," Sage's voice started to fade, "Good bye, Utho. Save the world for me..." Then the legendary Sage died. Back in Castle Carmyne... The shift was almost over. Bull made his way towards the prisons. He found the guard that was going to relieve the latest sentry. "So, going to the prisons?" Bull asked. "Yeah. Why?" the guard responded. "Just making sure." Then Bull punched him and knocked him out. He dragged the unconscious guard into a closet and then Bull went to the prisons. He saw the half-asleep sentry on duty. "Hi, I'm supposed to relieve you," Bull lied. "About time," the guard replied. He got up and walked away. When Bull knew that no one was in earshot he talked to the prisoners, "Listen up," Bull said in a quiet tone, "I'm going to give you the keys. I'm not a guard so don't attack me. After your cell is unlocked pass the keys through the bars. Keep the doors shut so the guards don't catch you before the battle. When you start to hear fighting, break out, grab a weapon, and kill any Wardens on sight. Got it?" He saw the prisoners nod and get to work on the locks. "One job done," Bull said to himself, "Now to get to the gates." Bull left Castle Carmyne and walked through the town. After a while he finally got to the walls of the city. He saw that there were stairs leading up to the top of the walls, just as Captain Val explained. Val also told him that there were two levers he had to pull. One for the drawbridge so the troops outside can get to the city and one for the gate so they can get in. Bull walked up to the top of the walls. He saw that a couple yards away was the drawbridge lever. He also saw that there were a lot of guards were up there as well. "Here goes nothing," he muttered. He pulled the lever. It was louder than he had hoped but it worked. The drawbridge was lowering. "Hey! Stop him!" a guard shouted. A soldier charged Bull. He swung at Bull. Bull blocked and he struck with his own sword. One down, nineteen more guards left on top of the walls. Bull started to run towards the second lever. Many guards attacked but Bull killed one after the other. They were bad fighters. They were probably just given a sword and told to go whack anything bad. Then Bull saw an archer. Bull charged him. The archer calmly loaded, aimed, and fired. Suddenly an arrow hit Bull's shoulder. Bull screamed in pain but kept running. When Bull got close the archer, the archer ran for his life. Bull saw the lever to the gates in front of him. Bull pulled the second lever and the gates started to open. "My work is done. Now I can-AHH!" Bull yelled. A second arrow hit Bull. Bull fell to the ground. The world started to fade. Things got blurry but one thing put a smile on his face. He heard the troops cross the bridge. He also heard the prisoners charge from behind. The invasion of Carmyne had begun. Then, everything went dark. Bull, the dragon searcher, passed away.
Chapter 10 Utho, Dani, and Chaz saw the gates open. They ordered the men to attack. Utho hoped that Bull got the prisoners out. This whole siege depended on it. There wasn't that much opposition. Probably cause it was still middle of the night. The rest would come later. When Utho finally got through the doors he turned to Val. "Come with me, Val. We need to get to the temple." Val and Utho sprinted away from the real battle. There was some opposition on the way which was easily taken care of. They were almost to the temple when suddenly ten troops came at them. "Utho! Run on ahead! I can hold them off," Val informed him. Utho killed one of them then ran ahead. The temple looked the same as the Oracle's temple but there was no time to admire its beauty. Utho saw the back right pillar. He went over to it and got on his knees. Then he saw the marked brick. The sage was right so far. He pressed the brick and he heard a loud sound and the stairs appeared. Then he heard something bad outside, "Someone's in the temple! Get him!" Utho then ran down the stairs as fast as he could. He heard multiple soldiers enter the temple. He saw the pool of the crystal clear water. The soldiers raced down the stairs behind him. There were six soldiers and more to come. Utho cupped his hands and put them in the water. His hands filled with the water, he started to drink. Suddenly knowledge flowed into him. He felt like he could do anything. Utho stuck his hands out and a pillar of blue light shot out. Three guards went down. The other three charged. Utho drew his claymore and the blade of the sword erupted in flames. The soldiers ran for their life but Utho struck down one of them. Utho ran back towards where Val was. There were still three more soldiers surrounding him. Val looked tired. If Utho didn't do something, Captain Val would die. "HEY! OVER HERE!" Utho shouted. The guards turned to look at him. Utho opened his hand like he was going to throw something. A fireball appeared in his hand and he threw it. It hit one of the Wardens straight in the chest and he started to burn. The others turned and ran. Utho went to Val. "Thanks. I don't know what would have happened without you. So, you can throw fireballs now?" asked Val. "Yeah. I'll explain that later. Now, let's get back to the battle," Utho said. They started to run back when they saw the prisoners now armed with weapons join the battle. When Utho and Val got there they saw the battle was not going too well. There were archers on the building picking them off. "I'll take care of the archers, you go down there and kick butt," Utho told Val. First, Utho went on the walls. There were a five archers up there. Every time one of the archers aimed, Utho shot first. Then Utho saw there was only one archer left on the walls. Also, that archer was standing over Bull. Or, Bull's body. "NO!" Utho screamed. "Is this your friend?" the archer asked. "It was. Now, you're going to die," Utho stammered. Utho raised both of his arms and pointed them at the archer. A bolt of lightning erupted from his hands. The archer was burnt to a crisp. "That is better than you deserved," Utho spat. Then he looked at Bull, "I'm so sorry." Meanwhile on the battlefield... Dani finished off the soldier. "Twenty-seven," she counted. Then Dani turned around to see another guy coming at her. She ducked his swing and then she brought her sword up. The man fell to the ground. "Twenty-eight." Dani fought as hard as she could as well but it wasn't enough. There were just too many of them and too little of us. AHHH! Dani turned around to see a soldier, right behind her, about to kill her, when suddenly he burst into flames. "What the...?" Dani mumbled. Dani looked up to see Utho on top of the walls throwing fireballs at the enemy. "Well that's gonna even the odds," she said to no one in particular. She turned and slashed a soldier. "Twenty-nine." Over on the other side of the battlefield... "This is going well," Chaz said to the last remaining Carmyne guard with him. They were completely surrounded by nine Wardens and it was just Chaz and his one last guy. Chaz charged one and sliced him and turned around and hit another guy. The Carmyne guard took one of them on. He killed one but was stabbed in the back. Seven Wardens vs. Chaz. Chaz was much faster than them and he killed two easy but then they got smart. The remaining five surrounded him at all points so Chaz was only facing two of them. Chaz stabbed one and kicked the other in the shins but then it all went wrong. One of the guards cut Chaz on the leg and Chaz fell to the ground. The Wardens surrounded him. They raised their swords. Ready to strike.
Chapter 11 The Wardens were about to bring their swords down when suddenly one of the screamed in pain. The Wardens got startled to see Dani standing over one of them. Dani stabbed a second one and the third erupted in flames. Chaz and Dani surprisingly looked up to see Utho standing on the walls with a fireball in his hand. "Thanks!" Chaz told Dani and then yelled to Utho. Then Utho gave them a thumbs up. Then they were more surprised to see Utho get thrown back by an arrow. Chaz cursed under his breath. Val walked by them. "Val, status report," Dani ordered. "We have about ten guards, another ten prisoners left, you, me, and a group of twenty prisoners still hiding. Chaz, Utho, and about twenty others are disabled. And...Bull's dead. They have somewhere along the lines of eighty. Dani run into that building. Some of the old guard hid in that building over there. They're cowards and didn't want to fight. They're used to having twenty guards surround a petty thief, not an armed assault on an enemy castle. Dani, I need you to get them to fight. The fate of the world depends on it from what you guys told me." Dani nodded and rushed into the building and Val ran over to the remaining fighters. On top of the walls... "AHHH!" Utho screamed. "Hold still! I need to get the arrow out," the medic told him. It was a long process. After some screaming the medic got the arrow out and cleaned up the wound. She got him up and ready to get off the battlefield. "So what's your name?" Utho asked "My name is Sarah," she answered. "Were you a doctor when you lived in Carmyne?" "I never lived in Carmyne. This is my first time here," she answered. Then she started to smile, "Nightmare told me to get one of you dragon searchers." Utho's eyes widen. He was about to yell for help when she gagged him with a strip of rope. He raised his arms about to magic her when she kicked him in the head. He was knocked out. "Crap. Now I have to drag him," she muttered. Down on the battlefield... They were just about to be overwhelmed by the Wardens when Dani led the troops out of the building. They charged the Wardens. It was a short fight. The tired out Wardens were no match for the twenty prisoners. After tying up the survivors and putting them in the dungeons every survivor gathered around at the Carmyne Bar. Even Emech, who was recently freed. "Dani, what got them motivated?" Val asked her. Dani laughed, "I promised them free drinks." Chaz limped into the bar. "What's so funny?" Chaz asked. "Oh nothing. I'll tell you later," Dani answered. "Ok. One more question. Where's Utho?" But by that time, Sarah had thrown Utho's unconscious body on her horse and rode off.
Chapter 12 "No idea," Dani responded, "He should have been here by now." "Well anyway, someone gave me this," Chaz said. They looked at it. It was some sort of letter. "It's from Bull. He gave it to someone to give to us in case of his death. Come with me. We need to read it," Chaz explained. Chaz, Val, and Dani stepped outside. Chaz started to read: Dear Friends, As you know, I've died. Had to go and get myself killed I did. You should know why I signed up for the dangerous job. Remember when the Oracle told me to stay behind for a while? She told me something big. There are three dragon searchers. No more, no less. I am not one of them. Dani is. She is the third dragon searcher. The Oracle told me it this way: I am a legendary hero, but not a hero of the legends. So I figured I'm the least important. Didn't want a real searcher to go die. Now I got to say farewell. A battle is coming. My last battle. Hope we won. -Bull Hours later... Everyone knew that Utho was gone. No doubt about that. There was no body and no one has seen him since he was hit by the arrow. "I've found something!" someone yelled. Everyone rushed over to him. The man had found a set of footprints leading away and drag marks in the ground leading to horse tracks. "Someone must have dragged him off the battlefield. We have to find him!" Chaz exclaimed. "He's dead, Chaz," Val. "You're just going to give up?" Chaz asked, "What would Utho do?" "He'd give up too. See that mark on the tree? That's Nightmare's mark. If Nightmare has Utho, then he's dead. Another thing, I should come with you," Val said. "In great defiance, I agree. Let's just go to Flava. Also, Val, shouldn't you stay behind and help rebuild the city?" Dani asked. "Pshaw. They don't need one extra guard. Besides, I already promoted someone else and if Utho's dead, you'll need more help." "Fine. Let's go. Flava awaits," Chaz said glumly. Days later... It had gone by quietly. There was no laughter among the group. They lost two people that Chaz had grown to like. Chaz had never had many friends. Life in the palace was good but there were bad things. No other kids were there when Chaz was growing up. Being with Bull and Utho was his first real experience with having good friends and it was just taken away from him. Chaz knew that his city was starving by now. It had been three weeks since they had first set out on this quest. The only thing hopeful was the thought of the end of this journey. Chaz's leg had healed but he'd always have the scar. To add to the depression, Val just left the only place he knew to join strangers on their outrageous quest for what? To get out? It was just a couple days on the road and he had already started to hate it. Darkness fell and they got ready to sleep. Then they heard something in the woods...
Chapter 13 Meanwhile miles away... "OOF!" Utho grunted. Utho knew Sarah was enjoying this. "So how do you know Nightmare?" Utho asked. "I all I know is the ten-thousand dollar reward for catching you," She said. Most days were like this. Wake up chained to the wall, eat some nice stale bread and drink some warm water, and get beaten to the point of barely dying. Utho knew Nightmare wanted him alive but it didn't matter what condition he was in. Utho also knew the food was drugged. He couldn't use his magic. It was by far the worst week of his life. "ACK!" Utho screamed. Then Sarah moved on and left Utho in the dark. Chained to a wall. Utho fell asleep before he could think much more. He was awoken by a splash of ice water. "Rise and shine," Sarah mumbled. "Good morning to you too," Utho faintly replied. They did the usual breakfast routine. She unchained him from the wall, cuffed him, and gave him stale bread and warm water. He was actually getting used to it. Sarah left him for a half hour to eat. Utho got an idea. He knew the drug was probably in the water so he ate the bread but dumped the water out. Then Sarah came back. "I have good news and bad news," she said in a chipper tone. "What's the good news?" Utho inquired. "I'm getting out of here. Nightmare is coming to take care of you in three days," she answered. "How is that good news?" "I didn't say it was good news for you. The bad news is Nightmare is going to kill you," Sarah grinned. "You're a bloodthirsty little lady aren't you?" Utho said. She responded with picking up a mace from her small cache of weapons and smacked his arm. It broke. "Whoops," she said, "I don't want to kill you before the big day so I'll just leave for the rest of the day. Have fun in the dark." She put out the torch lighting the room and walked away. After a few hours Utho could feel his magic coming back. It was weak but he managed to spark the chains. They snapped and Utho fell to the floor. Utho started to crawl on his knees. He snuck out into the hallway. He heard Sarah humming something. A revelation hit Utho. She was just as bored as he was. He found another hallway. After about an hour Utho finally reached the doors. He opened them and he was partially blinded by the sun. Utho took a look around. He was imprisoned in a hideout that soldiers used during the Great War. A hideout in the middle of the forest. There were tall trees surrounding him everywhere. Utho picked a direction and set off. Utho suddenly smelled something cooking and he walked towards the smell. Utho found the source. It was some kind of city guard but it was a uniform he'd never seen before. The guard greeted him, "Hey! Are you lost?" Utho answered weakly, "Help...me..." Then Utho collasped.
Chapter 14 Back with Val, Dani, and Chaz... Then suddenly a creature leaped from out of the bushes. It was the strangest thing they had ever seen. It had the head of a bear, body and legs of a lion and a snake's tail. It was also very aggressive. It attacked them. It lunged at Dani but she dodged and cut it's body. Not a very deep cut. Just enough to anger it more. It's tail whipped around and hit Val in the chest and sent him flying into the woods. Chaz slashed the tail and about a foot of the tail fell off. Chaz made another cut right on the leg. The creature stumbled a bit and fled into the forest. "What the heck was that?" Val asked. "I have no idea but I'm glad it's gone," Dani answered. "We should keep watch through the night. I'll do first watch. I'll wake you up later Val," Chaz informed them. It was a long night. Every noise in the forest could be another mutant creature coming to strike. Chaz wondered if Utho was still alive and if so, for how much longer. Finally his shift was over and Chaz woke up Val and he went to sleep. Morning came with no attacks. They ate a nice breakfast and set off to Flava. They were almost there. It was a winding road but then the city gates were in sight. The guards opened the gates for them and they made their way into the city. It was nothing like the other cities. There wasn't a guard in sight and people could basically just do whatever they wanted. "Let's just get the Psycho Emporer's approval and get out of here," Dani said right before dodging a beer bottle being thrown at her. "Agreed," Chaz and Val said in unison. The group of three made their way towards the palace. It was massive. Even from the bottom of a hundreds of stairs. It was a while before they made it up the steps but they got there. Just outside the palace was a person writing XL007 over and over again on a wall for some reason. They group exchanged odd glances and then stepped through the doors. There were no guards placed outside. If someone wanted to they could walk in and steal whatever they wanted. Which has probably already happened. They finally got their first glance at the Psycho Emperor. He was asleep on his huge throne of gold. There were paintings of him on the walls. If you compared the Psycho Emperor to Lord Bam, Bam looked humble. "Hey! Wake up!" Dani yelled. "Huh? Who's that?" the Psycho Emperor asked. Dani explained what they were doing. Then again. And again. After the third time the Psycho Emperor got the whole picture. "Ummmm...so you guys gotta get my approval? Let's see what you can do...Oh right! A couple days ago my youngest son was kidnapped. The guy wants ransom. Bring him back," the Psycho Emperor told them. "A couple questions, sir. Why don't you just pay the ransom? Who kidnapped your youngest son? And how did it happen?" Dani asked. "Well...I kinda don't have the ransom money," the Psycho Emperor answered, "There was a game of poker going on and I usually never lose..." "YOU GAMBLED AWAY YOUR SON'S RANSOM! ARE YOU AN IDIOT?" Dani screamed. "They don't call me the Lord of Hard Partying for nothing. Also no one knows the guy's real name but he goes by the name XL007."
Chapter 15 "Oh crap," Chaz muttered. He ran outside to see that the crazy guy wasn't there anymore and that he'd written something else on the wall: You're a bit late Chazzipants. Better luck next time. I want my money so I'll see you at the drop point. Ta ta! "Ok I've only seen him for five seconds and I already hate his guts," Val said. "Seeing as we don't have the money we're going to have to take it by force. We're going to need some help," Dani said while walking back into the palace. The Psycho Emperor was up and walking towards them. "I know just the thing. Josh come outside and bring your new friend," the Psycho Emperor shouted. Suddenly a man wearing a captain's uniform stepped outside. "Hey guys! So are you going to help me get my brother?" Josh asked. "Your brother? I thought it was Psycho's son..." Dani said then trailed off as realization hit her, "You're Psycho's son?" "Yes I am. And the only guard that tries to help this broken city. Father, I don't think he's ready. He's in terrible condition." Then as if on cue, the person they were talking about stepped outside. He was wearing a sling on his left arm. He was badly beaten almost everywhere. He looked terrible but smiled when he saw them. "Hey guys," Utho spoke. His voice was a bit gruff. "Utho?!?" Dani exclaimed. They all rushed over to him and hugged. Val stuck to a simple handshake. "You...should be dead though..." Val mumbled. Utho chuckled, "Sorry to disappoint. So you guys are going off to save a kid? Count me in. They're medical skills here make up for their fighting force. I'm almost good as new." Prince Chaz was shocked, "This is good as new?" he asked. "You shoulda seen him when he wasn't looking so good," Josh said. "If we can successfully lay siege to a city I think we can catch a criminal," Utho encouraged them. "Because there is nothing we can't do," Dani finished. Josh spoke again, "Count me in. I'll get the rest of the guard. Not many but they've been starved for action for a while. What we can do is simple. XL007 has selected a spot for the meeting to go down. What I'm guessing he'll do is show up there waiting for the money but he'll also have a runner in hiding somewhere so if they deal goes bad he can run back to where he's keeping my brother...and kill him. We have to follow the messenger but he cannot under any circumstances reach his final destination." "I'll handle the deal," Utho said, "Once I get there, I'll kill XL007 and then Chaz, Dani, Val, Josh, and his guards will follow the messenger. Let's make this XL007's last show. Let's bring him down."
Chapter 16 The plan was pretty simple. XL007 wanted the meeting to be at Dream Cave. It was a maze of tunnels and traps. Perfect for a clean getaway. Utho, Val, Chaz, Dani, Josh, and his guards got ready to go. Then something unexpected happened. The Psycho Emperor spoke, "I want to go with you. I may just look like a waste of space to you but I wasn't always. I used to be a strong leader. I used to have everything a lord should be. I want to be that again. I know how to use my sword and there is nothing you can do to stop me from coming," "Great. Get your sword and come on," Chaz replied. Utho fed Krizak and saddled him. Utho put on a bag filled with paper that was supposed to look like the money. Utho, riding his trusty steed, rode out in front whereas everyone else hid, watching for the messenger. Utho came in sight of a man in the front of the cave. "So you the bad guy?" Utho asked. "Just his assistant. Give me the money, and we'll give you the boy," the man answered. "I have a better solution," Utho said while raising his arms, "Tell me where he is and you can live." The man laughed, "What are you gonna do? Poke me? I can already see you're unarmed. Just like we told you. " Lightning shot out of Utho's hand and threw the man off of his horse and into a wall. "GET XL! GO! GO! GO!" Josh shouted. Everyone heard the sound of a rock being kicked and turned to follow. It was almost pitch black in Dream Cave so there was no way they could follow. "I have an idea," Utho announced, "When I drank the magic water I learned all the spells that Sage knew. This spell will knock me unconscious for a couple hours but you will need it." Utho touched the ground. Suddenly rings of blue light shot out onto the ground. The rings dispersed but they could see what looked like footsteps appear on the ground. Utho fell to the floor. "Should we do something about him?" Dani asked. "Na. We'll come back to him later," Chaz answered, "Let's follow in XL's footsteps." They rolled Utho out of the way and made their way through the cave. It was a long road through the tunnels. Without Utho's spell, they'd be lost. Suddenly they heard screaming. They started sprinting towards it. "Looks like your friends just toasted my man. You're going to pay for that," XL007 said while throwing another punch. The Psycho Emperor started yelling and unsheathing his sword. XL007 walked away and five of his henchmen intercepted Psycho. Chaz and the rest of them burst in as well. XL007 apparently had deep pockets if he could hire all these men. It looked to be a long fight. Not like the Siege of Carmyne but it was gonna be a while before this skirmish ends. Dani raised her sword and swung at one the henchmen. He crumpled to the ground like a card tower and then Dani moved on. The Flava guard was killed quickly. Those men hadn't seen conflict in a while so they didn't match up to these hired soldiers. Josh who had led them was now alone and surrounded by four of them. He quickly cut down two then prepared for another guy. Josh fought for a while with the third man. Josh swung from the right but was blocked. Josh parried his foe's blade and then swung low. The blow connected but not before Josh was cut. Josh cursed under his breath and then turned to face the fourth guy. The henchman was already about to strike the wounded guard captain but then the henchman grunted in pain and fell to the floor with a sword jutting out of his back. Josh looked up to see his father who just threw his sword. It saved Josh's life but the joy didn't last. The Psycho Emperor a couple of meters away, surrounded by henchmen, and unarmed. The mercenaries surrounding the Psycho Emperor saw their chance and fell upon him like wolves.
Chapter 17 "NOOO! FATHER!" Josh screamed. Josh pulled his father's sword out of the henchman's body. Josh charged the men surrounding his father. He killed one in a swing, spun, and then stabbed another. He jumped over Psycho's body and kicked the others to the ground in mid air. Josh brought his sword down on the mercenaries. He knelt down next to his father. The Psycho Emperor was still breathing. He was stabbed through the stomach. "Hey there, kiddo," Psycho Emperor spoke but it was weak and it looked like it pained him to speak. "Dad...it'll be okay. We fixed up Utho from near death. We can do the same for you," Josh cried. "No. This wound is...mortal. I will...die." "Here...your sword," Josh said. Josh put his father's sword in his hands. The Psycho Emperor let out one last breath and closed his eyes for the last time. Josh stayed to guard the body from the mercenaries looking for valuables. In the other part of the room... Dani and Chaz were back to back surrounded by troops. XL007 was running out of mercenaries. Dani lunged out at one of them and Chaz blocked a shot at Dani's back and kills him. The mercenaries realized that they were gonna lose so they started to run. Val sprinted towards Dani and Chaz. "XL007 escaped. He could prove to be a problem later. In the meantime, the Psycho Emperor died in battle. Josh is gonna be the new lord of Flava," Val informed them. "Psy's dead," Dani said glumly, "So what now?" "Let's go help Josh with the body," Chaz said. Dani, Chaz, Josh, and Val picked up the Psycho Emperor and followed the footsteps back towards the cave entrance. They came across unconscious Utho. "I'll get him," Val said. Val threw Utho over his shoulders. They started to see light up ahead. After a little longer they exited Dream Cave. Val put Utho on Krizak and then Val tethered Krizak to his horse so he wouldn't go wandering off. The group rode in silence back to Flava. It was night when they got there so they stayed the night at the palace. Another morning came and a messenger informed them that Psycho Emperor's funeral would take place in thirty minutes. They got ready and went. They saw Josh standing there already. They waited for everyone to arrive then Josh started. "My first memories of my dad are ones of joy. Over the years though he's been not an ideal father as my new friends can see. But the last minute of his life was a real eye opener. He saved my life. He is a hero and should be remembered that way," Josh spoke while holding back tears, "Now Chaz and your friends I need to say something. I, Lord Josh, ruler of Flava would like to bestow upon you, my approval to destroy the barrier guarding Dorte. Farewell, friends, come back some time. I'll clean this place up a bit. Save the dragons for me." The dragon searchers, including Utho, left the city of Flava. Heading for their final destination, the Underground City of Dorte.
Chapter 18 The group was halfway to Dorte when suddenly the bear-lion-snake creature struck again. It looked fully healed and angrier than ever. It lunged at Val and he jumped to one side to get out of the way. Val was still cut by it's claws though. Utho jumped into action. He shot the creature with lightning and hit it's tail. It howled in pain and then charged Chaz. It rammed Chaz with it's head and Chaz flew off the road. Dani stabbed at the creature. She hit it right behind it's front right leg and then it started to flee. Before it went too far away, Utho hit it with lightning one more time and it howled again. "What was that?" Utho asked. "We're not quite sure yet. It's some sort of mutant though," Dani answered while cleaning of her sword, "Let's keep moving. I want to get to Dorte by sundown." They mounted up again and started to complete their journey. Finally, Dorte was in sight. When they got to the entrance they saw that the door was guarded by some blue and green fire. "So how do we use our approval of the lords to get in?" Val asked. "Like this," said a voice behind them. They turned around to see a man wearing armor. Also he was transparent. "I am the ghost of Rige. I died here so now I'm kinda linked to this place. I'm the door man if you want to put it that way. I know that you have the approval of all the lords and ladies so I can disable that spell." Rige's ghost walked towards the door and then touched it. The fire went away and the door opened. "Have a nice trip. I hope you kill Nightmare," said Rige. The ghost of Rige faded away and they walked in. They were finally at the place once known as the City of Magic. The moment they walked in they knew something was not quite right. There was a chill in the air and then they saw the reason. The skeleton guards. The guards looked at them and attacked. They group easily eviscerated the guards and then something very, very bad happened. The guards started to get up. They reattached their limbs, picked up their weapons, and charged again. They fought again. Utho shot one in the head with lightning and the skull exploded. Utho started to fight another when he realized something. That one he hit in the head didn't get back up but the other ones did. "Smash the skulls!" Utho yelled. Val swung at one and it fell to the ground. He crushed the skull and moved on. A little longer, all the skulls were smashed and they could move on. Deeper into the City of Magic. While walking through the top floor of Dorte they came across a statue with a plaque. Here lies, Dorte, the first mage. Just behind the statue was a staircase leading down to the second floor of Dorte. This floor there were more skeletons than the first. They used Utho's skull smashing strategy and made their way through to the third floor. Each floor consisted of than the last until they reached floor thirteen. At the bottom of the stairs leading to floor thirteen was a door with a sign: If you have made it this far congratulations but your journey must come to an end. Beyond this door, death awaits. For I, Nightmare, will kill you. This is your last chance to turn back. Ignoring the sign, Val pushed open the door. They saw Nightmare. He was tall with pitch-black hair. He had a scar across his face and long flowing robes. "Hello little heroes. I tell you what, I'll let you prepare for a minute. Let's have a relatively fair battle. I like a challenge. By the way Utho, I know a spell that would help you in this conflict. I think you know which one. So now, get ready for your final battle."
Chapter 19 "Someone's a bit cocky," Chaz whispered, "What spell is talking about Utho?" "Necromancy..." Utho mumbled. He continued when he saw their confused faces, "It's such a powerful spell that can only be used four times every decade. You can bring people back as Hollows. A Hollow is like a ghost but is solid. They don't last forever but you can use them if you need help. I know four people I can summon." Utho started to chant something. They could only decipher the names. Bull, Fire Dragon, Rige, Dorte. Suddenly a Hollow form of Bull appeared. "Woah! Utho! Are you dead or something?" Hollow Bull said. Then he looked around. "Where are we and why are we here?" the Hollow asked. "I summoned you, Bull. I'm a Mage. And we are in Dorte about to fight Nightmare." "A Mage? Awesome! I think I've missed a bit though huh?" Then a Hollow form of Fire Dragon appeared. He was still wearing his gladiator's outfit. "Is there a fight about to happen?" Fire Dragon asked. "A big one," Utho answered. Fire Dragon replied with a grin. Then a Hollow form of Rige appeared. "Ah. A summon? Classic, Utho. I'll help you take down Nightmare," Rige said. Then last but not least, the first Mage, Dorte, appeared. "Necromancy. So who's our Mage here and why are we at the heart of Dorte?" Dorte questioned. "I'm the Mage and we summoned you so you could help us fight Nightmare who has taken over the city," Utho answered. "Well if any evil guy has taken over my city then I'll help you," the First Mage told them. "We're ready Nightmare," Utho told him. "Good. Let's begin," Nightmare answered. Suddenly dark spikes shot from Nightmare's hands. Dorte threw up a shield and the spikes were blocked. Then Nightmare launched a pillar of black light. Utho knew how deadly that was so he blocked it with a pillar of blue light. Utho was almost thrown back by his power, then Dorte added her own power to Utho's pillar. Val, Dani, Chaz, Bull, Fire Dragon, and Rige charged Nightmare. Nightmare summoned dark swords that hovered in front of them and blocked the charge. While the swordsmen were distracted by the dark swords and Utho and Dorte were putting up a magic defense, Nightmare threw a spike at Rige. Rige was hit and then he disappeared. Then what looked like large bats came at Utho. Utho took his concentration off of the pillar of blue light and shot the bats down. While he did that Nightmare started gaining ground on Dorte until Utho helped her again. Fire Dragon broke past his dark sword and struck at Nightmare. Nightmare was hit in the arm. It cut Nightmare but didn't do nearly enough damage as it should have. Nightmare chuckled, "I have Spectral Armor. It's invisible. Nice try, Hollow." Fire Dragon struck again at the same spot and it made Nightmare grunt a little. Then a dark sword stabbed Fire Dragon in the back. Fire Dragon's Hollow evaporated. Utho got an idea. Utho whispered to Dorte, "Try to hold him off as long as you can." Dorte nodded. Utho then shot the blue pillar spell at the dark swords blocking Dani and Chaz. They were destroyed and Dani and Chaz advanced on Nightmare. Nightmare made the dark swords blocking Val and Bull come and hit Dani and Chaz. Val and Bull's Hollow took this chance to get closer to Nightmare. Meanwhile Dorte was losing in her fight of spells. Utho knew that if Dorte's Hollow was destroyed, Nightmare could unload everything on the defenseless swordsmen. This had to end NOW. Utho threw fireballs at Nightmare. Nightmare blocked most but he got burnt a little. Utho destroyed the rest of the dark swords and everyone hacked at Nightmare. Then Nightmare's black pillar finally hit Dorte and she went flying back. Before the Hollow hit the ground it disappeared like the others. Chaz, Val, Bull, and Dani struck at Nightmare's heart. They made a pretty deep hole in Nightmare's chest. Utho launched one last fireball at the hole. Nightmare started to burn. As a last strike, Chaz and Bull stabbed at Nightmare. Nightmare then fell, lifeless, to the floor. "We did it!" Dani shouted. Bull's Hollow started to speak for the last time, "Bye guys. It was fun fighting with you one last time. I have to leave. I hope I DON'T see you soon." Bull laughed at his own joke and then faded away. "Now to save the dragons," Utho said. At the end of the room they saw a sort of statue. They walked towards it and saw it was the statue of a dragon with it's mouth open. Instead of teeth it had three sharp spikes. Utho, Dani, and Chaz pricked themselves on the spikes. "The blood of the heroes..." Chaz mumbled. The statues eyes started to glow red. A spell of sorts shot out at the walls. The walls started to crumble away revealing the dragons. They had saved the dragons. Epilogue Meanwhile in a dark castle very far away. "These dragon searchers may be a problem, Angus," said a creature that was sort of humanoid. It was red and large. It had long slits instead of eyes and horns sticking out of it's head. He also had bat wings. "Nonsense, Ilkar. Nothing can stop us. We are too close to the invasion. The army is almost ready and the Portal is about to open. The race of Men will fall to us Demons. The dragon searchers will be taken care of." "Of course, sir. We've waited too long and these humans with their sharp sticks they call swords won't stand a chance against us. Demons will rule the Earth once again." End of Part One