Screams were the first thing to fill Artuck’s ears. Screams he recognized as those filled with grief, agony, and misery as the heat began to seep into the building. The people of Scolt seem to be in trouble. Hmm, I know this will not end well for anyone. 

Malrik was pacing inside the building, in front of the bound group, chuckling maniacally to himself.

“Haldore will reward me. I did my best! I captured them, I captured them all…” Malrik continually mumbled to himself between maniacal laughter. The four bound men simply watched Malrik as he paced, gags keeping them from speaking.

Nervousness. He’s nervous. Pleasing Haldore had never been easy, and as one grows stronger, so do Haldore’s expectations. He had never been an easy one to please. In all those years of gathering intel and information for Haldore, it never got easier, and he asked of me more and more difficult to reach targets.

Malrik suddenly turned towards Artuck.

“Artuck! Answer me this, why Scolt? Why did you lot come to this town?” Artuck was caught off guard by his sudden change of emotion. Previously nervous, he now exuded confidence. Or was it pride? No, he’d seen narcissism in many forms. Malrik smacked on the cage in anger.

“ANSWER ME, DAMN IT!” Malrik roared, a fire behind his eyes.

“We came here, Malrik, as a change of pace. To go to Helt, or even Balde Point would be a death wish! Not to mention the treacherous journey to either of those locations. And besides, the Black Army doesn’t have that large of a foothold here, so I thought it’d be a good place for these four to grow their skills. And also, I know Vaughn is out at the moment for a military exercise.” Artuck sighed after he finished. There was no reason to lie. Malrik would’ve reached the same conclusion. Obviously, he did, hence his presence here.

“Aha! I was right! I was right!” Malrik punched the air in excitement and jumped around. After a long moment of him gloating, he returned to Artuck’s cage.

“I knew it, Artuck. You’re so easy to read, you know that? Ha ha!” Malrik went back to jumping around before he stopped and started sniffing the air. Then, he smirked and turned back to Artuck.

“Ahh, it’s started. Good luck escaping everyone! You know what, just to give you an extra incentive, I’ll place the keys to Artuck’s cage right here,” Malrik said arrogantly as he gently placed a key down on his desk.

“Goodbye for now!” Malrik then ran out the door, laughing all the way, until he went far enough that his evil laughter was replaced by the familiar sounds of… fire.

Fire. Are they burning down Scolt? Why punish everyone else? Is this a part of Haldore’s plan, too?

“Artuck, I got the key,” Christol said flatly, standing in front of Malrik’s desk. What? H-how? How had he done that? I literally blinked, and he had the key. How?

“Oh. You haven’t seen me do that yet,” Christol snapped his fingers and pointed at where he was just a split second ago.

“I, apparently, have the ability to freeze time for about a minute. So I simply took the time to undo the lousy knot keeping me in place, and walked over here. I guess knot tying isn’t a part of their boot camp.” As Christol finished speaking, the gag that was in his mouth earlier gently touched the floor as it finished falling.

Christol walked over to Artuck’s cage and opened it, and as the cage swung open, smoke began to fill the building.

“Quickly!” Artuck said, waving his arm towards Flim and Mitrax, who were still bound. Christol dashed over to them and helped them out of their binding, as Artuck did the same for Cruu. After the two finished releasing the group, they ran towards the door. On it rested a note, the corner already on fire and burning quickly.

‘You did it! Good for you. But the door’s locked, so find the key to this door. It’s somewhere in the room. Malrik.’ Artuck read the note aloud to the group, and they frantically began searching all the corners of the room, throwing open the drawers in Malrik’s desk and testing the floorboards.

“Fuck!” Mitrax roared as he finished going through Malrik’s desk.

“Where is it?” Christol yelled as Flim and him pried the floorboards from the ground, revealing the stone they were anchored on.

Fire began to consume one corner of the room, opposite of where Artuck’s cage rested. As the fire crackled, the smoke began to make the search more difficult. Everyone was coughing, rubbing their eyes to get the smoke out of them, and Flim keeled over and vomited on the ground.

Damn it, Malrik. Why? Just to tease the possibility of escape before our inevitable demise? No, no. Malrik likes to play with his prey. He likes to test them. This would be too easy for him. No thrill, no excitement. Wait a minute.

Artuck, one eye open, walked over to the door as he coughed through the smoke. The fire was now consuming the entire wall and ceiling. He rested his hand on the door handle, now hot from the fire enveloping the room, and simply opened the door.

“IT WASN’T LOCKED!” Artuck screamed over the roaring fire.

So is this your idea of ‘toying’ with us, Malrik? What a poor effort.

“WHAT?!” The group yelled in unison. Artuck walked out of the burning building, sputtering and coughing, the rest of the group just behind him. He rubbed his eyes as he fell to his knees on the ground.

“I told you that wasn’t going to work,” A familiar voice said, sarcastically. Artuck looked up and saw… Haldore. He was levitating just off of the ground, his cloak billowing in the non-existent breeze. Malrik stood on the ground next to him, arms crossed, and Artuck watched the smile vanish from his face. Haldore? Now? NO! Why now? 

“You just told me that you thought they were goners, and congratulated me on a job well done!” Malrik said, rubbing his temples.

“Well, I take back what I said. You did a good job on capturing them, but failed to incapacitate them,” Haldore remarked, his voice booming.

Artuck looked around. The town was on fire, people screaming as they ran from the fire, trying to help those who had fallen, and Haldore and Malrik simply stood there, ignoring the pain felt by all those in Scolt’s center.

Haldore then turned his attention to the group, still coughing and rubbing their eyes.

“Malrik here may have failed to catch you, but I will not. I alone tracked your brother down, Artuck. And I was the one who brought him back to Hardrik, for his execution. Do you think you can run from me, boy?”

Christol spoke up before Artuck could.

“Do not hurt my friends! If you wish to stop us, then,” Christol paused for a moment, looking down at the ground.

 I know what you’re going to say, Christol, and no. Haldore killed my brother after he made the same promise you’re about to make. Don’t do this. Please.

“Then you’ll have to go through me first!” Haldore laughed at Christol, who’s confidence remained unwavered.

Haldore sighed, smiling.

“No, Christol. I wish to see you grow. I will not kill you on this day. But that remains to be seen for your friends. Which leads me to my next point. Your bounties have now been issued at every major city around Alteran. If you so much as attempt to enter these cities, you will be caught, or worse, killed. With the release of these bounties, you will now be hunted. Now, go, run, before I kill you myself. See if you can escape my wrath.”

Artuck jumped to his feet, grabbed Cruu, throwing him on his back, and transformed into a deer. The moment the transformation was complete, Artuck sprinted away.

“Let’s go!” Artuck yelled as he ran away, Cruu bouncing on his back. Mitrax scrambled to his feet, and attempted to follow, Flim and Christol right behind him.

Artuck, now disoriented, simply ran. He ran through fields of crops, Cruu sputtering as bugs and random vegetables entered his mouth.

“Run away and hide, little ones!” Haldore’s voice boomed, and he laughed as he followed after the group, flying. As they reached the tree line, Artuck transformed back into his regular self and jumped into a bush.

“Hide, Cruu!” Artuck whispered loudly. Cruu looked around for a moment before entering another bush. Artuck transformed into a small rabbit, and as he saw Mitrax, Christol, and Flim hit the tree line, Artuck once again whispered to them to hide. Mitrax dived into a large bush, while Flim entered the bush Artuck was in, Artuck shushing him as he entered.

Christol stood there, in the trees for a moment, before turning around and looking at Haldore, who stopped about ten feet from Christol.

“What are you doing, child? Do you wish to perish?” Haldore asked as his feet gingerly met the ground, and he stood there, his arms outstretched as if asking for a hug.

“Why are you toying with us? You could kill us if you wanted to!” Christol yelled, tears welling in his eyes.

Haldore walked up to Christol and lay a hand on his shoulder.

“My dear child. Growth is a beautiful thing. I want to watch as you become more powerful. I am still looking for an heir, after all. And Artuck has shown me he is not worthy. But you, my child, wish for nothing more than peace, for the betterment of others, yes?” Christol looked down at the ground before he answered.

“Yes,” he mumbled, barely loud enough for Artuck to hear.

“That is my wish, too! Say, I’ll give you an offer. You can come with me, learn magic, and I’ll make you the King of Alteran in the process!” Haldore waved his hand to the side, as if imagining the grandeur of Christol being king. Suddenly, Haldore’s demeanor changed back to being serious.

“Or, die. You said it yourself. I can kill you all anytime I want to.” Christol looked back at the trees and foliage lining the forest. Artuck stayed as still as he could, and Flim tensed up. 

“I prefer to die alongside my friends.” Christol clenched his fists as he spoke. Haldore shook his head.

“Then so be it. I will take you to Hardrik, where I will kill you, just as I did Krim. You will be an example to the people to not stand against the goals I have for them. 

“Do you understand, Artuck? I know you’re listening! Just as you did then!” Artuck continued to watch the scene unfold, as Haldore looked out at the forestry, before turning his head directly towards Artuck, making eye contact with him.

“Run, for when I kill this boy, I will come for you next.” Artuck could only watch as Haldore and Christol vanished.

Then this mission will fuel me with more determination, father. For with Christol’s death, this shall become not just about my past, but for Christol’s as well. And our determination will stay with us to the end, I will make certain of that.

Mitrax slowly pulled himself out of the bush he was in, branches and thorns all along his body. As he exited the bush, Mitrax stood up, pulling out the thorns one by one as he spoke.

“What now, Artuck?” Cruu pulled himself out of his bush and stood next to Mitrax, looking solemnly at the ground.

Flim, still in the bush, turned towards Artuck.

“Yeah?” he whispered. Artcuk hopped out of the bush and transformed back to his elven shape.

“We fight harder. Not just for the people of Alteran, not just for the past, but for Christol. For the future.”