The giants were all gone now. Riot looked to Arrone who met his glare. Then the two looked forward to the rift where Lady Natura and Lord Stronghold stood in waiting. What was Natura doing here?

Then from above came a fist of flame that crashed down into the ground before the two Lords. Riot held his arm in front to block the small debris that came from the giant man’s landing.

Bring. Riot also heard a bell and from the side of his eye, he saw that Lady Aerite was now beside him as well.

The man’s moustache twisted as he batted an eye to Arrone beside him.

“To think that so many of us have come.” Lord Aquaron began as he walk forward and placed a hand on Lord Firestone’s broad back. “But there is no need, as it would seem. Emrit has already taken care of the sit-”

A dark mass shot past above the group to make a crater some distance behind them. What was that? Lord Stronghold chased after it with a mighty leap as Lady Natura made a carpet of light that beamed her closer.

It was then that a glowing red ball bounced on to the ground and vanished away to reveal King Roy in the flesh, attired with fur coated robe and baring his golden crown embedded with rare jewels.

“What was that?” Riot asked as Emrit landed in front of him to shatter the ground below.

“Something bad, I’d imagine.” The Lady Natura replied on her carpet of light. “I don’t know what happened but I saw the Overlord in there. He most certainly did something.” The woman’s pretty brown eyes sharpened to form a glare.

Riot brushed the small strands of hair, which had gotten past his eye, back as he combed his hair with his left hand. And with his other hand, red lightning that dimmed to a darker, blacker color formed around his clenched fist.

“Well, let’s find out what that something is.” The man said as he began to walk forward.

“Hold on.” Lord Emrit placed a hand to stop Riot. “I’ll go first.” The small man added as he continued towards the crater, the red barrier of the Regelia family coating his brown skin.

“Haven’t you gotten confident all of a sudden?” Riot mocked as he twisted his lip.

Emrit ignored him and continued still until he reached the dark crater that hid the mysterious shadow.

Bam! A single human sized hand stretched out of the hole to send Lord Stronghold flying into the skies above.

And then from the crater crawled out a creature of shadows with two red eyes that each bore a pentagram inside. For the most part, the creature looked like a human – a bald, muscular and tall human that is. And one that had no color other than black to it with the exception of its eyes and the pointy red teeth that he displayed as he rose out of the crater.

The creature looked confused as it saw its hands, the one that had punched Lord Stronghold now shrunk back to its regular length.

“Damn you, Agnos!” he shouted in frustration. “As much as I hate to admit it, you are still stronger than I.” he continued as Lord Aquaron along with Lord Firestone both sent blades of their respective elements towards the creature.

The monster swatted their attacks away as if it were nothing.

But Lord Firestone would not have it. He lunged forward and a fist of flame landed on to the monster as the massive man shouted “Sacred flame! Pummeling fist!”

A pillar of fire erupted in the near distance to send waves of heat towards the surrounding family leaders. The ground, too, melted into lava as Lord Firestone jumped backwards and landed with a huge grin on his face. “How’s that you hideous monster?” the man asked as he laughed to the storm of flames in front of him.

And out of those flames came an elongated black arm that latched on to Ratuna’s shoulder. Before anyone could react, it pulled the man and then flung him into the air with ease as the shadow then walked out from the flaming pit.

“It hurts!” the demon fumed. “Why do these flames hurt?” it asked to itself as it shed what parts of its body had been set afire only for those areas to be replaced by new shadows.

A raging fire awakened somewhere to the left of the group. “That is the power of the scared flame!” Ratuna spoke mightily as he walked back to the shadow. “My flames can burn even ashes!” the huge man clenched his fist that raged with fire.

“Well that’s enough from you already.” Riot placed a hand in front of him that shot a darkened red thunderbolt towards the shadow.

One hit wasn’t enough. He shot another. And another. Bolt after bolt until smoky ash fumed from the creature. But no matter how much Riot continued to shoot at the monster, it continued to heal and walk forward to the group.

“Its body is tough.” Riot stated as he folded his hands. “My lightning should be able to kill something that small with a single hit.”

“Its shadows are darker and tougher.” Arrone said as he summoned a wave to push the creature backwards. “And it also resembles that giant face that we saw through the rift. Their eyes are the same.”

“Are you saying that it shrunk itself?” Lady Aerite asked as she hovered in the air beside Riot. She, for one, hadn’t bothered to attack as yet. “Is that possible?” she then asked.

“It must have been the Overlord.” Lady Natura added as she blasted a pillar of light to the creature. That too, didn’t seem to faze it all that much.

Roy Regelia who stood in front of the group gritted his teeth. “Damn that demon, he must be trying to force my hand in exchange for his help.” He looked to the family leaders beside him and then to the Lord Stronghold who was making his way back to the scene through a series of long leaps. “But no matter,” he continued. “It would seem that I am very fortunate to have you six in this one place.” The man then looked forward again. “With the seven of us, we can beat this creature.”

Lord Stronghold then landed some distance to the right and once more, the ground shattered on his landing. “Emrit!” Roy shouted. “You take the lead! Out of all of here, you’re the best front fighter we have. The others will support you from behind.” The man then looked to the hovering Lady Aerite. “Marie, you will fight besides Emrit. Your body is essentially invincible so no harm can be done there.”

The King then summoned over twenty smaller red balls that now bounced along the battlefield. “Let’s kill this thing, one way or another.”

~

Teya walked around the castle and eventually she found the man looking out on a veranda to where the rift was still open.

“Marcus.” She called. “Something’s happening to Evan.”

The man looked to the girl. His eyes were still filled with weariness and worry. He probably didn’t sleep for the same reason as Teya and Blyke. They were all thinking about what has happening and what will happen in the near future.

Without evening saying anything, Marcus walked towards the door where Teya was waiting and continued to make his way to Evan’s room.

Teya followed quietly behind.

~

“Who are you boy?”

“Who am I?”

“Yes, who are you?”

Who am I? I wonder what the answer to that question is in this darkness that envelops me. The four colors still flash above me but now, there is another one that has joined. Green was the next color that the rainbow chose randomly. I wonder how long this will continue for. As a matter of fact, I wonder who is this voice I hear inside of my head.

“My name is Evan Stronghold, son of Emrit Stronghold and Mohan Regelia? But who are you?”

No reply. I guess I’ll just have to wait and find out.

~

A gust of wind now spiraled around Evan fanning the flames and swirling his fiery cloud in the process.

“What the hell?” Blyke asked as he hid behind a chair. “What’s going on with him?” the boy then added as the wind continued to pick objects around the room and spun them around like houses in a storm.

The chair that Blyke hid behind was now amongst those objects and the boy now stood with his hands crossed. “Maybe I should go.” He said and then awkwardly made for the door.

But as he was just about to leave, two figures walked into the room. Teya had returned and with her was Marcus whose eyes widened at the sight he saw.

“What’s with the wind?” Teya asked as her hair was being pulled along with the small storm.

“Beats me. It just kinda happened.” Blyke replied with raised shoulders.

“Evan!” Marcus called. “Evan, are you awake?”

No reply. The boy remained asleep.

The man then turned to the two other teens in the room. “You two should leave.” He said as he sat himself cross legged on to the floor. Teya began to interject but the man raised a finger to cut her off. “Get some rest. And don’t worry, I’ll look over him. No matter what happens, I’ll be sure to keep him safe.”

And with that said, the two teens left the room as Marcus continued to look over the sleeping Evan.