Beyond Worlds: The Complete Trilogy

by PalmerDude Publishing

This is the complete set of my three stories. The first one of Rik the main character discovering worlds outside his own. The second story involves a creepy figure known as The Watcher, he stalks our hero as makes his way back home. And in the third story Rik's adopted son Greg ventures to find where Rik has gone missing and discovers truths left hidden in his past.

1. Beyond Worlds

Warning: this fiction in the first couple of chapters is based after the events of the videogame 'The Tenth Line', to avoid spoilers please beat the game or at least catch up on the story so you are not confused, thank you and please enjoy. Here is a link to a quick summary video if you want to just hop in:

www . you tube . com/

watch?v=1_v3SAH7sbU

Prologue/Chapter 1: The Fox

Prologue

The Realm in which we all dwell in is only but a small piece in a bigger picture of the universe. Multiple worlds that are separate exist, yet at the same time they mirror each other like some big elusive puzzle. Long ago in one of the many worlds in the multiverse a mysterious civilization enchanted gems to perform extraordinary feats. They had the capability to alter time and space itself. They were capable of transportation between universes and they could locate hidden tears to open rifts and enter each worlds parallel dimension. With one of these very rare gems a stranger unlike any other is on his way to inquire assistance. His mission is to wipe out an evil he thought he extinguished long ago. Little will his unconventional allies know, there is more to him than he lets on because he is from…

Story By: PalmerDude Gaming

Proofread by: Rageage

The Tenth Line by: Sungazer Software

Every other copyrighted property is owned by its respective owners

Chapter 1: The Fox

As the morning begins to arise, Rik the Kobold lies staring up, contemplating the possibility of five more minutes of rest. He was up way later than he should have been after all. It was a pretty great evening full of quad pro quo and of course mead at the local tavern. Rik when it came to drinking knew his limit however, so he was just tired from staying up so late. Fellow Knight Sir Richard approaches and stops short,

"Rik wake up, you will be late for your morning duties." Rik springs out from the covers, "Yeah, yeah I am awake, was bout to get moving." Richard scoffs,

"You were late yesterday, we mustn't let it happen again Rik." Knight Richard was strict, but caring, he just wanted to make sure everyone was keeping to schedule.

"Well" said Rik, "time to get going I suppose."

He quickly puts on his hooded vest and sheathes his knives. After that Rik looks into the mirror meeting his canine gaze. He ruffles the blondish fur on his head and snaps his fingers and shoots himself a wink. Then, after grabbing some fruit for a quick morning breakfast he heads out and towards the Captain's morning meeting for assignment. Rik zips through the crowds of the bustling castle town at a quick pace. As he walked he could smell all sorts of goods from the bakery. Children were out playing and singing and busy merchants scrambled to make deals. Rik soon makes it to the town's wall where the meeting was taking place. As Rik approaches he overhears the captain assigning the other knights.

"The king today is having a banquet" said the Captain. "And I want Sir Richard and Sir Henry to be present as well." Rik walks toward the captain.

"Ah", said the Captain, "Morning Rik".

"Morning Cap'n, so what's my duties for the mornin?" asked Rik.

"Well" said the Captain of the Guard, "You are to Patrol Skyweather with Sir Garrison." Rik looks at the captain with concern,

"Uh, that's not a good idea cap'n. He hates beasts." The Captain furrows his brow, "Well he must learn to accept them, they are apart of our society." Rik was not in the mood to deal with Garrison, he was radical with his views.

"Sir" said Rik, "I would rather chew off my own tail, assign me with someone else, for my sake." The Captain having much to do gave in

"Fine" he said "How about guard duty with Knight Jonas?" Rik nods,

"That'll do, we get along good, where are we guarding?"

"Out in the countryside" said the Captain, "Apparently someone or maybe a beast have been stealing chickens".

"Oh" said Rik, "that's all?"

"Yes" replies The Captain, "this has been quite the uneventful week, small price to pay for such peaceful times though." Rik nods, and exits and out into the farming plains with fellow Knight Jonas.

The outside of the castle town was littered with farms, and farmer stalls. Cattle moo'd, the wind blew as the sun shined down with its warm glow. It was such a peaceful day that Rik could swear he was walking in a painting right now. The two patrolled through the morning and carried on general discussions. For the most part Jonas was alright in Rik's eyes. He was easier to conversate with when compared to other human guards. Eventually the cries of terrified chickens and a spectacle of a light show broke their conversation.

"Whoa", said Rik, "looks like our chicken thief knows some magic." The two quickly come around to the other side of the farm house.

"Stop right there by the order of the crown and put the chicken down!" cried Knight Jonas. The mysterious stranger put his hands up,

"Whoa," he said, "sorry to startle you two! I'm no thief, honest!"

Rik had no idea what to make of him, he was a red fox… Beast? He had clothes that looked simple enough for adventuring. He wore shoes too which was strange for a beast and he had a hooded cloak with the hood down. He was armed with a sword on his back bounded by leather. And it had a dragon's mouth as the hilt with some artful designs along the blade. He also had this weird black and grey metal looking thing on his left side. On his right arm was some kind of bracer that had some metal looking thing pointing out at the end. And on his right was something glossy looking with a compartment holding a gem of some sort.

"Alright, you don't look like the chicken stealing type" said Rik. "But" he continued, "I would like to know what that was about."

"Alright, fair enough" said the strange fox, "my name is Nathan Reyes or Nate for short, I am a traveler from beyond your own universe." Rik looked at Jonas, Jonas looked at Rik.

"What the-" Rik trails off, "Come again?" he asks.

"Okay" says Nathan, "I am from another world; I world hop, I'm on a mission".

"And" says Jonas "what is that?"

"None of your business," said Nate, he turns to Rik "I will come and meet you later." "This does not concern him" he continues. Rik looks at him bewildered,

"What? I don't know you!" Nate replies.

"I know, but trust me Rik" Nate replies. "I will see you." Nate disappears; Rik looks again at Jonas,

"What in the name of the sky?!" exclaimed Rik. "How did he know my name?!"

"Well," said Jonas, "I do not know, anyhow mid day is arriving, best to head back".

The rest of the day was moving slowly, Rik decided to take the patrol route for Shivbury. He wanted to speak with Anne and maybe Lawrence too. He wanted to know if they knew this 'Nate'. The bizarreness of the encounter has shocked him quite a bit. His mind was churning like butter as he tried to make sense of the situation. He arrives and immediately Anne spots him.

"By the skies!" said Anne, "it's great for you to visit us early!" Anne had her brown hair in a tail, when last time it was a bun Rik observed. She was also wearing that blue dress she had since their adventure.

"Yeah" said Rik. "I always enjoy coming for a visit." Anne smiles, "So how is the knight business, Sir Rik? Rik replies,

"It's great, but i had to ask you something."

"What?" inquired Anne.

"Well" said Rik, "do you know a someone called Nate, and looks like a fox beast?" Anne thinks a moment. Finally she replies,

"No why do you ask?" Rik replies,

"He somehow knew me, said he would meet with me later, didn't say where or when either." Anne with a look of concern asks

"Did you perhaps make an enemy?" "Did he look dangerous?"

"No" replied Rik, "He was just strange, you said Lawrence is back, let's ask him." The two of them enter the local pub, known as the Hopping Hare.

"Rik!" Lawrence bellowed, "Great to see our protector of the land has come to visit!" Lawrence still hasnt changed even though he was away. Still big and brawny though his black hair was starting to grey.

"Yeah" said Rik, "if that's what you want to call me. Great to see you again too."

"Anyhow" said Lawrence "What's new with you?"

"Nothing much" said Rik, "just wanted to ask if you knew who Nate was, he is a strange looking fox beast". Lawrence scratches his head,

"Um, no, are there even a thing as fox beasts?"

"I don't know" said Rik, "Maybe since I met one today." "He wants to meet me for some reason" he continued. Lawrence looks at Anne,

"That sure is strange, isn't it?" he asks.

"Indeed" Anne replied, "Rik should stay in shivbury for tonight."

"Now wait" Rik replies, "I got to be back to skyweather." Anne looks to Rik,

"I just want to see this Nate character, he will give us answers."

"Alright" said Rik "I will send word that I'm staying the night."

Hours soon pass and the night came, Rik waited anxiously, Anne and Lawrence were also nearby. Then Nathan unceremoniously appears seeming from nowhere.

"That's him" said Rik, "time for some answers." Rik approaches cautiously, he looks at the glossy looking bracer again. It has a light coming from it, maybe its some kind of torch?

"Okay," said Rik "what". Nate asks,

"What about what? I've yet to ask the question." "And who might be these fellows over here?" Anne steps to Rik's side,

"I'm Anne and over there is Sir Lawrence, we are his friends". Nate looks at the both of them,

"Close friends?" he asks.

"Of course" says Anne "why would that matter?"

"Well…" Nate trails off and looks at Rik, "I need your brother, Tox." Rik looks at him as if he was crazy,

"What?" he asks.

"Yes" said Nate, "I need a Black Dracon mage to help dispel a gate." "And…" he continues "with the gate down I can take out the evil threatening all of the multiverse". Rik and the others were stricken with confusion. Lawrence asks,
"Anyone catch the rest of that?" Rik looks puzzling towards Nate,

"Uh," he says "Tox is no longer with us."

"Really?" asks Nate as he taps on the glossy glowing surface of the gauntlet. "This thing has trouble working with the gemstone sometimes" Nate admits.

"What is that thing anyway?' asks Anne. Nate looks up and thinks for a moment.

"Well" he said "I have forgotten its real name but it's a touch pad' he admits. "It allows me access to an on screen interface with the gem". "With it I can initiate teleportation between universes and there are some upgrades to enhance my combat too." "Some examples are invisibility, short range teleportation as well as some other features." "And" Nate continues, "this gemstone can hold infinite amounts of items in a void where time is suspended". "Anyone here fancy a cold drink?" he pulls out a can of some drink Rik has never seen before.

"Uh, what is it?" asked Rik.

"Soda" said Nate "You'll love it." Rik looks at the can, he is not too sure how to open it.

"Um, I will save it for later, thanks" he says. "Now who or what is this evil?"

"He is an deranged maniac" replies Nate, "he has seized control of the Underworld Dimension or as I call it... hell; cause that's what it is."

"Wow" said Lawrence "and he wants to destroy every world?"

"Yeah" said Nate "something like it I suppose, and i will need Tox to break a barrier."

"Okay" said Rik "you obviously have done this before, I mean how do you know all of this?" And without skipping a beat Nate replies,

"I have sources I can call upon at anytime, and this dimension of your universe was suppose to have him".

"Well that's too bad" said Rik "he isn't here no more' Nate looks at the touch pad gauntlet and says,

"If he is not in this reality, I then must look into the next." Rik suddenly realizes this is a golden opportunity to see Tox again.

"Wait" said Rik, "I will go with you, he is my lil' brother after all"

"Well" said Nate, "I cannot say no huh?"

"Nope" said Rik.

"I will also go," says Anne. Nate with a look of annoyance asks

"Really? Fine, let's move quickly alright?"

"Okay" said Anne, "Lawrence will you join us?"

"At this time?" says Lawrence "no I need my rest in case I have to leave tomorrow. I'm only allowed so much time off after all, if you see Tox tell him I said hello"

"Will do Lawrence" said Anne. The three of them soon set off but after only a few minutes of travel Rik asks,

"Where are we going?" Nate replies,

"To where there is a tear between the worlds. They are invisible but with this gem it reveals and opens them. If you have no idea what i'm talking about I can explain in more detail".

"Sure" said Anne "if we are going to join you we ought to know everything we can". And so they walked as Nate explained to his knowledge everything he could as they moved along.

End of Chapter 1

Chapter 2: The Parallel Wasteland

The three of them walked along however it became apparent to Nate that Rik and Anne looked quite tired.

"Okay," said Nate "let's make camp and rest."

"Make camp?" Rik asked. "With what supplies?"

"Yeah" said Anne, "we don't even have sleeping rolls!" Nate looks at them with a smirk, he then holds up his finger. Before the both of them knew it he materialized everything they needed from the gem. He had stones and wood, as well as something that he claimed to be a lighter for making a fire. And he had what he needed for two tents too.

"Oh yeah" said Rik, "I forgot about that trick"

"Trick? No its raw magic to be honest" said Nate. Anne looks at the camp Nate has set up, she then notices that there are only two tents.

"Mr. Nathan?" Anne asks. Nathan looks up from the fire he was poking.

"Oh, please my dear, Nathan is my first name, you can call me Mr. Reyes or just plain Nate."

"Okay" Anne says, "Mr. Reyes, where is your tent?"

"I'm not tired" says Nate, "I do not need rest, however you two need it." Rik looks at Nate a bit puzzled.

"Didn't you say we had to move quickly and some evil was on it's way?" Nate looks up towards the sky and answers

"Yes but the threat isn't imminent, a few hours rest will not delay us." Anne takes to her tent and goes to sleep. Rik sits at the campfire with Nate. He is feeling quite tired sure but he wanted to sit and talk with Nate. 'How could anyone never be tired?' wondered Rik. 'He could not be serious' he thought. After a few moments of quiet Rik asks,

"So you don't need to sleep, ever?". Nate glances at him amusedly.

"Of course I sleep Rik!" Nate chuckles, "I still need it but not as often as normal people."

"Normal people?" asks Rik "what do you mean by that?"

"Well" says Nate, "when I was very young my home town got caught up in a war" "And" continues Nate, "my father disappeared and my mother met an untimely demise." Nate takes a moment to think and the continues,

"I was adopted by the lieutenant of the enemy army when he found me alone in the ruins of my home." "I was taken to reside in the headquarters until the war was through" Nate continued on. Nate coughs, and materializes some water to drink.

"As I was saying," he continued "that was also the work place of a scientist known as Dr. Marx. "He saw opportunity in making a genetic soldier and altered my DNA to be more resistant to wounds and disease as well as heighten my senses."

"What?!" asked Rik, "and you were only a little kid?"

"Yes" said Nate, "however when I fell very ill he was afraid of the damage it could do to his 'flawless' image, so he pulled the plug on the operation." Rik was surprised to hear such a thing. Not only was he shocked on this childhood Nate had, but he was also shocked that he even told him all of this.

"That's kinda sad to hear, why did you tell me this?" said Rik

"It's how I became sub-normal, that's what you asked." said Nate, "Anyhow It was fine after all, I went to lead an adventurous life and even made a family." He had him there, he did ask what he meant by that after all. Then upon hearing that Nate has a family Rik asks,

"Oh you have a family?"

Nathan then pulls out a picture. It was a family photo only to Rik's surprise they were human. In the photo there was a pretty looking girl with red hair, a boy with auburn hair and a man with auburn hair also, "Wait" said Rik "you were a human?"

"Yes" said Nate, I was turned into a fox after... the attack". "I guess" Nate continues, "they thought it would weaken me changing my form." "In truth it just made me angrier."

"Attack?" asked Rik.

"It was what provoked my quest in the first place", Nate said "that's all that there is to say".

Rik was in no mood to push the matter further, he was tired. It must have been only mere hours till morning and Rik needed sleep.

"Wow" said Rik, "thanks for the insight on your past, I'm a bit tired so I'm goin to get some sleep, see you when the sun comes 'round."

"Sleep well" Nate said.

Rik goes into the tent and gets some rest finally. And Nate stares into the fire poking it. A few short hours later morning arrives and the trio gets moving again. After a while Nate sees they are near some old city.

"What is this place coming up?" asked Nate

"This is the ancient holy city Havenbrook" answered Anne. As Anne told Nate the history of the old city and how the Ten Lines were supposedly composed there Rik notices up ahead Sonya was there. She still had her robin hood looking attire still complete with the green hat.

"Hello again Rik, didn't expect to see me again so soon I bet" said Sonya, "What has brought you to Havenbrook?"

"Well no," said Rik, "and I'm here cause my strange new friend says we have to go this way." Sonya glances over at Nate

"He looks like an outsider alright" says Sonya. She approaches Nate

"Sonya?" says Anne, "by the skies, I was not sure I would see you again so soon."

"Hello" Sonya replies, "I'm just visiting momentarily"

"What's Up?" asks Nate.

"You are a strange looking beast" says Sonya

"Yeah well, I try to stand out" Nate says with a smirk

"I do not find you amusing" says Sonya

"My apologizes" Nate says putting his hands up, "I was just trying to be funny, seems you are more of the serious type." Sonya looks at the touch pad thing on his arm and then the strange bracer with the hooked tip.

"Is your left bracer supposed to be a grapple hook of some kind?" asks Sonya.

"Yes" Nate replies "I use it quite a bit especially when climbing."

"I can tell" says Sonya, "the tip is dull and worn, you should grind it" Nate looks at the tip and see that she is right.

"You are right" said Nate, "I never had the chance to think about that."

"Anyhow, Rik" said Sonya "what are you and Anne doing with him anyway?"

"I can explain that" says Nate, "you see I came to the world from another universe, now you may find this hard to understand but…" Nate then would continue to explain the whole situation again to Sonya. Rik already knows and didn't need to hear it again. So he wandered off a bit. He took out the can of soda that Nate gave him to try it. He looked at the top part, still unsure how to open it. Eventually Rik took out a throwing knife and punctured the top.

"Well I got it open now at least" he said. He drank it, and it was a strange taste, fizzing all the way down the gullet. The substance practically made him cough since it was warm at this point.

"Well" said Rik, "at least it was sugary" He takes out an apple and bites it, washing down the weird sticky taste of the soda.

"Would have been better if I drank that cold" Rik reflected. He looks toward the others, "are they still talking?" "Better see if they are about done." Rik walks towards the others and overhears Sonya saying

"And you are attempting to cross the parallel path? Just to defy the sky and bring Tox back?"

"No" answers Nate a little exasperated, "I'm not bringing him back to life, or replacing the original Tox in this world". "I need him to stop this evil force." Rik could tell Sonya was giving him a hard time.

"You do realize how dangerous that is right?" Sonya questions, "You do not know the power of the skies." "They could reign vengeance on us for such a task."

"Trust me, I have it under control, promise." says Nate.

"Hmph", Sonya huffs, "fine, but I'm going with you."

"Alright, fine" says Nate, "hop aboard the outlandish express and let's go then."

"Be warned" Sonya said, "if you displease the skies I will strike you down so as not their favor is lost with me."

"Okay", says Nate. Nate looks towards Rik,

"She always like that?"

"What?", asks Rik, "the thing with the skies and such? Yeah she takes that stuff pretty seriously."

"Yeah I can tell" says Nate.

"She does have a point though" said Rik, "Tox's spirit is still in this world, would that seem a little rude just to bring an alternate world version of him here?"

"Rik" says Nate, "do not worry, I'm sure he would understand, it's only temporary." Rik did not know what else to say, he was right. Tox will be back and once he helps out Nate it will be just like any other day again. However, Rik knew that it would not be easy to see Tox as the same when the real one is still gone. 'Well, at least it won't be too hard to say good-bye when the time comes', Rik thought. They moved on, it seems the tear was in the Feverlands. Rik usually only comes back there to visit Syx (another friend from his adventure over a year ago) but very rarely since Syx hasn't smelled any better since he made his home in the swamp. He did once again tried living among others in society but many complained and so he remained in the swamp. As they continued walking Rik could smell the Nox from Syx. There were still a good five minutes walk from his cave.

"Whoa" said Nate, "this swamp stinks."

"It's from our friend" said Anne "his Nox gas is pretty strong." Nate plugs his snout as they kept walking they soon arrived at Syx's cave. The green dracon mage was still stinky as ever, even if he did decide to wash those also green robes it would not help one bit.

"Hey Syx", said Rik

"Ah, Rik it's good to see you visit and with friends new and old as well!" Syx said.

"Hello Syx" said Anne.

"How do?" asked Sonya. Syx looks at Nate unsure like the others had at first, unsure of what to make of him.

"Hi" said Nate, "we are on a mission and it appears we must go through your cave's back exit."

"A mission?" asked Syx, "whatever for?"

"Well…" Nate began

"It's complicated" said Rik, "something about a parallel world and bringing Tox from there for a bit to help out with something."

"Eh, what?" asked Syx nervously, "you are crossing worlds, I read somewhere that it could cause ill effects to both realities".

"Where did you read that?" asked Sonya, "anyhow, that's why I'm watching him closely, this could be dangerous."

"Hey, I know what I'm doing" said Nate a little annoyed. "I told you I have done this before and everything turned out fine."

"Hey!" said Anne, "the two of you need to stop disagreeing." Sonya looked at Anne,

"Alright then, but I would like some form of proof; you come off as too foolish for such magic".

"Well I can't really prove it" said Nate, "but I'm no liar, I have been doing this for awhile now."

"Awhile?" asked Rik.

"Yes", Nate, "even before this I have traveled around universes, with my old friends.

"Who were they?"

"Friends that just moved on," Nate said, "Syx can we pass through? The Nox gas is making me begin to lose my breakfast."

"Yes, of course my friend" Syx said, "I would recommend a clothespin the next visit" he added.

"Thanks for the tip" said Nate.

"You want to go with us Syx?" asked Anne.

"No" said Syx, "if anything went wrong I would rather stay here".

It was clear that Syx wanted nothing with the matter. He always was the more anxious one.

"I understand" said Anne, and so they moved on and to the outsides of the swamp. Rik thinkin back, thought it was slightly strange on how Nate hastily changed the subject when he asked about his old friends. 'Perhaps' he thought 'he just wanted to get away from Syx's nox'.

"Um" asked Anne, "we are pretty close to Silkwind Crossing."

"Yeah?" asked Nate, "sounds like something wrong with the place from the way you say that though what is it?"

"Spiders, huge ones" said Anne

"I hope we don't really have to pass through there again" said Rik. "I'm not afraid of spiders but there are thousands and they are pretty nasty."

"Oh, well I don't think we have to go through" Nate said. "We are closing in on the location… here."

"This is it," said Sonya, "be sure that no mistakes are made." Nate begins to tap on his touch screen bracer. There is a flash of light, and a sound of a crude portal opening. And right before Rik's eyes a glimpse into a desolate destroyed world was opened. Then Black poisonous smoke began leaking out right onto Rik's face.

"Gah!" yelled Rik, "Black Dracon mage poison! (Cough!) (Cough!)" Rik then falls over and Nate quickly drags him away from the opened rift.

"Rik!" yelled Anne. Sonya points her bow at Nate.

"Look at what you have done!"

"I had no idea!" Nate said defensively, "I couldn't have known about this beforehand!" "Is he going to be fine?" asked Nate quite concerned.

"Move." said Sonya, she kneels over Rik. "He will be fine, it just made him faint, he should come too in a moment."

"Thank the sky" said Anne, "that was quite a bit of black dracon mage poison all at once."

"Yes" said Sonya, "it was". She turns towards Nate, "and you" she said "are lucky he wasn't closer". It will not take much Black Dracon mage poison to kill him, there is no way he could travel in there with you."

"I'm amune," said Anne, "I could go"

"I would rather that you not" said Nate "I will go alone, it did not affect me."

"(Cough) wait", Rik said suddenly coming to, "I should go".

"Rik, you will die" said Sonya

"I know but there has to be a way" said Rik, "it might go a bit smoother with me there."

"I'm sorry Rik", says Anne, "but you cannot go." Nate knew Rik would argue endlessly to go with him. Nate then materializes from the gem something strange looking... a mask.

"Well," he said' "this should keep you alive."

"What is that?" asked Rik, "it looks like a mask?"

"Yep, a gas mask especially made for vulpines" he said. Rik looks at Nate with a confused expression.

"What?" Rik asks

"Vulpines are foxes" Nate said.

"Uh, I'm a kobold" said Rik.

"Oh," said Nate, "oh right, based off the loose mythology interpretation, I got it."

"Um, sure" said Rik, "so that should fit?"

"Well, it should" said Nate. Rik puts on the strange looking mask, it was stuffy. And it clamped tight around his muzzle.

"Mphf," said Rik "a little tight."

"Good" said Nate, "poison won't get at you with that." Both Anne and Sonya looks at Rik,

"You look kinda scary." said Anne.

"I think he looks ridiculous" said Sonya with a half smile.

"Alright" said Nate, "only one way to see if this works." Rik approaches the rift, moving slowly, he was worried that the mask would not work. He takes another step towards the spewing poison. He then takes a deep breath, and it worked! He was not gasping for clean air, the mask somehow made the poison harmless.

"Ha ha it worked!" exclaimed Rik.

"I knew it would", said Nate "here take these." Nate then hands Rik some circular looking objects. Rik looks at them with curiosity.

"Uh, what are these?" he asks

"They are spare cartridges for your mask" Nate said. Nate continues "The one your mask has now is only half full, it will need to be changed". "Step away from the rift and let me show you how to change that real quick." After the real quick lesson on how to swap the mask cartridge while holding his breath Rik was as ready as he would ever be.

They walk towards the portal, Rik looks back and waves. Both Anne and Sonya wave back,

"Clear skies be with you Rik", said Sonya.

"Clear skies from me as well" said Anne.

"And to the both of you as well" Rik said back.

And then the two of them enter the ruined world. The land was cold, desolate and wasted, there was hardly any life. As the two of them walked they began to see Black Dracons strewn about the land. They were malnourished looking, it's clear that food is very scarce due to the state of the world.

"This is crazy" said Rik, "it's hard to believe that this could have been my world."

"Yeah" said Nate, "but that's why this parallel timeline exists." "A cataclysmic event is averted so another reality is made, it's what we would call a splitting point in the timeline. They continued walking, this place made Rik feel uneasy, it was like walking on a massive grave. They walked towards what looked like the feverlands but the swamp was killed by the black dracon mage poison. The moist soil is now hard and dry and the water is quite toxic looking. As they approached the cave Syx lived in Rik was surprised to see the green dracon was still alive and well. And by well of course as well he could be with nothing but dead roots to eat

"AAA! What in the skies is that?!" yelled Syx.

"What?" asked Rik, "oh it's just a mask Syx, it's me Rik!"

"A mask? Ri- Rik?" stammered Syx. "No" Syx said, "no I can't be seeing ghosts again it's just in my head!"

"Nope he is real alright" said Nate.

"Who are you?" asked Syx

"I'm Nate" said Nate

"This is strange, oh so strange indeed." said Syx, "follow me Tox has got to see you Rik."

"Tox is here?" asked Rik.

"Well, yes" said Syx, he did not know where else he could go after everything happened".

"Wow, it's been rough then?" asked Rik.

"Well, yes" said Syx, "between the ever looming darkness and lack of food spirits are hard to keep up." They reach the other side of the cave, Tox is standing there, staring down at something. He was a black dracon (similar to dragons) and still wore his black robes, it was definitely him. Looking past him Rik saw what he was looking at 'a grave?' he thought; He knew where this was going because who else would it be? Tox turns around and sees them…

End of Chapter 2

Chapter 3: Reunion

Tox stares at them unsure just who they were. Finally he asks,

"Syx, who are they?" Rik takes a deep breath and pulls the mask up, plugging his snout. Then as quickly he lifted the mask he puts it back on and takes a breath.

"Rik?" asked Tox, "how is this possible, you died in my arms… I buried you." It was at this point Rik realized that this version of Tox is identical to the one he knew. It was strange just how this parallel universe was the exact same until the split. And not to mention, Rik never seen Tox in a state like this in his life, not until this moment, not even after the night they had to leave their foster parents behind. Rik started to feel himself well up inside also.

"Well, I-" stammered Rik

"Well there is an explanation" said Nate. "He is still dead, this Rik is from an alternate timeline." Tox then looked at Nate with a spark of interest.

"So you're telling me that there are other worlds out there?" he asked.

"Indeed," said Nate "by the way I'm Nathan." "And" he continues, "I will need your help, afterwards I could move you to another world so you are no longer miserable."

"You are quite straightford with this", Tox said. "As much as I would love to, I already know i will not be able to exist in any timeline but my own."

"Yeah I know, said Nate, "there are other worlds out there you know."

"Okay" said Tox "but tell me what would you need to inquire my assistance for?"

"Your magic, said Nate "could help dispel a barrier in an another realm." "With your help I can stop this maniacal villain from destroying other worlds in which you could reside in".

"Yes" said Tox "I figured it had something to do with righteous heroics." "But" he continued "your ambition is quite strong, I sense there is more to this than being the paragon of the stars". "However I could careless, right now I will come along just so I can catch up with everyone again, especially Rik." Tox smiles, and pats Rik's shoulder.

"Okay good", Nate said "I know I seem quite untrustworthy, but I'm not pulling anything sinister." "Anyway," Nate continues, "I should just let you two catch up."

"Hey, what about me?" asked Syx.

"Don't worry" said Nate, "we will return, we cannot bring you cause you are still alive in the alternate universe." "We don't want to risk causing a paradox, sorry".

"Ooh, in that case it's fine", said Syx, "take care Tox, and please stay safe all of you."

They started making their way back to the portal.

"Rik," said Tox "I know I'm not the same Tox, but I wanted to say I was sorry, it was my fault that things got so far out of hand, I was blinded by my own anger."

"It's okay," said Rik, "It was my fault that you gotten so angry in the first place." "I should have never ran off like I did."

"Well, there is nothing to be done now" Tox sighs, "what did happen to me in your timeline anyhow? Considering that they both ran the exact same towards the end, I'm curious."

"Well," said Rik, "when you saw me lyin' there dying, I guess you absorbed all of the black dracon mage poison." "I didn't really see anything of course but when I woke up, you were a statue."

"I should have done that here too" said Tox, "instead I tried to take you under the ground out of the open air." "However" continued Tox "by the time I made it to the lowest level it was too late…"

"I get it" said Rik, "looks like one of us had to die either way"

"Unfortunately", said Nate suddenly "that is what the split path depended on, which ever one of you lived in the end." "Tox lives on, the world is destroyed, Rik lives on, Tox is sacrificed to save the world".

"This is pretty depressing" said Rik, "we should talk about something else."

"Alright then", said Tox, "what type of life did you go onto lead in my absence?

"Glad you asked" said Rik, "I became a knight, I have a warm bed and food every night and I get paid pretty decent too."

"A knight?" asked Tox, "I got to say, that's quite the accomplishment, I'm impressed and I am guessing human and beast relations have improved?"

"Thanks" said Rik, "And yeah, man and beast get along alot better now, we even tore down Fangmire Wall, in fact I removed the first brick"

"Well," said Tox, "It's good to hear that things are better in that timeline." Tox and Rik continued to talk as they walked. Eventually they arrived to where the portal was.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Tox, "I'm not supposed to exist in this timeline."

"As long as you don't stick around long it should be fine." said Nate

"Should? I thought you knew for sure!" said Rik.

"Well, it can be unpredictable" admits Nate, "but I am ninety-four point seven correct that everything will be fine".

"I'm still worried about that other 3 and something percent" said Rik. Then suddenly an old female Dracon mage appears, it was Nix.

"Wait!" shouted Nix, "where are you going Tox-"

"Don't say my real name" said Tox.

"I don't know how they are here, but your duty lies with your people Tox."

"Ugh," said Nate quite rather dryly, "who is this?"

"Now wait", said Tox "Nix leave me be, there is nothing here for me anymore."

"We are your own kind Tox" said Nix, "you cannot just abandon your people."

"I'm sorry Nix", said Tox, "but I no longer care, I am but one Black Dracon, and I.. am leaving."

They then proceed into the portal, and Nate is sure to close it upon leaving. They re-emerge from the alternate world. To Rik's pleasant surprise Syx and Lawrence found their way to where they were.

"Tox!" said Anne "It's great to see you again".

"Greetings my dear" said Tox.

"Hey, it's great to see you once again" said Lawrence."

"To you as well", said Tox.

"Tox", said Syx, "you are here and yet nothing bad is happening, I guess the skies are allowing this after all."

"Seems as if it's so", said Tox, "let's hope our strange friend is still right later on."

"Greetings once again Tox" said Sonya.

"Sonya", said Tox "I trust that you have been well?"

"I have, thank you" replied Sonya

"Say," said Lawrence, "Tox won't be here forever! We should take this time and celebrate!"

"I would not mind a glass of wine" said Tox

"Tox y'know you ca-" Rik stops short, "actually I s'pose you can now huh?"

"I am well of age" said Tox, "I am also quite famished too, there was scarcely anything to eat in that realm."

"Yeah, I don't doubt that," said Rik, "anyhow it's a bit overdue, but let's share our first drink together." They begin heading out, but Anne notices Nate is hanging back

"Mr. Reyes?" said Anne, "You joining us?"

"I suppose", Nate said "I'm kind of anxious to get going." "However I do understand, I'm okay with being a bit delayed, there is plenty of time after all." Rik listening in from up ahead, walks towards them,

"Well come on then," he said, "you need to take some time to relax and enjoy life a little."

"Indeed, said Nate, "I can't even remember the last time I took the time to just sit down and just hangout."

"Alright, let's go then" said Rik. They walk to catch up with the others. After a moment of walking Rik then asks,

"So, who's buyin anyway?" The rest of the traveling time was then spent discussing just who was going to buy what. Eventually they find themselves at the Inn at Hollowford.

Tox finally gets a decent meal while Rik tells Tox of some of his adventures being a knight. Everyone listens in and eventually they asked Nate if he had any stories to tell.

"Well," began Nate "I once held off an entire army while awaiting reinforcements".

"Whoa", said Lawrence, "you're for real right now?"

"Of course" said Nate, "I don't lie, it was in a world where everyone had these". Nate pulls out the black looking metal contraption. "Guns" he said.

"Guns?" asked Rik, "I can probably guess that you shoot somethin out of it."

"Right you are Rik,"said Nate, "I held off the entire army with only this pistol here, my sword, and my wit as well with my other tricks." Nate continues, "It was hell, bullets flying every which way and that, but I was too quick and invisible."

"Invisible?" asked Tox

"Yeah, forgot to mention I had cloaking capabilities and I can do other stuff like making a shield to deflect bullets thanks to the gem powering the device I wear as a bracer here."

"I was meaning to ask about that" said Tox, "the moment I met you I felt a constant presence of strong magic." "I was wondering, where did you get such a powerful artifact?"

"It originally belonged to a friend of mine", said Nate. "His name was Conker the Squirrel. He was a drunk so I'm not sure if he actually was chosen by some guardian of the cosmos or not but apparently that's where it's from.

"What happened to him?" asked Anne

"Well," Nate said "he said 'all things must come to an end', and just gave me it, to this day I have not seen him again.

"I would say that's strange" said Tox, "but all things considered, It's not that strange compared to this day so far".

"Yeah," said Rik, "it's kinda almost like a dream." Then for a brief moment everyone fell silent.

"Yeah..." said Nate finally, "wow it's that late already?"

"Oh, it seems we have lost track of time" said Syx. "I hope the guests here won't mind me if I stay for the night."

"I'm sure they will not" said Anne

"I must return to my fellow huntsmen" said Sonya, "Clear skies everyone".

Everyone bids Sonya clear skies as well.

"How about you Lawrence?" asked Anne

"You kiddin?" said Lawrence, "I'm goin nowhere at this time".

"Alright then," said Anne, "let's rent some rooms." As everyone gets their rooms and settle in for the night, Rik notices Nate lingering in the dining area.

"Hey", said Rik, "still not tired?"

"I'm about ready for some rest", said Nate, "I just wanted one more mug of ale before turning in." "Anyhow", continued Nate, "what do you think of Tox so far?"

"He's…" Rik began, "he's just as I remember him, it's crazy but it's almost like he never left."

"Well you got to remember" said Nate, "the timeline ran perfectly parallel with yours up to that splitting point."

"Yeah I know that," said Rik, "but I know he won't be able to stay for long, I'm really gonna hate to see him go." Nate looks down into his mug, he looks as if he feels bad for Rik and is trying to think of something.

"I don't know what..." Nate said finally, "...but I will see if there is anything I can do to somehow make it so you two can keep in touch."

"Thanks," said Rik Rik then goes to his room. Rik drifts to sleep. He had a strange nightmare, he saw a face made of red mist with fire everywhere. In the middle he saw a lone figure standing in front of it. It looked like some cloaked figure with a curved-crude looking dagger. The figure raised the the knife and stabbed at someone on the stone table. The face then materialized into a fire spewing portal. A fiery demonic looking being with horns, razor sharp claws and teeth and jagged wings bursts through it. It devours the summoner, ripping him limb from limb in a horrific spectacle. It then sees Rik and flies towards him, Rik instinctively pulls out his daggers and just as they both make impact Rik awakes startled.

"Gwah!" Rik fumbles with the covers and falls out of the bed. "Ow… man I knew I shouldn't have had pot roast before bed". Tox then enters the room.

"Rik, are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine Tox, said Rik, "just a really startling dream, that's all"

"A dream? About what?" asked Tox.

"I dunno," said Rik, "some crazy nut job opened a portal with a scary lookin face". "A monster came out of it and killed the guy that brought him there and then it attacked me causing me to fall outta bed."

"That is strange," said Tox "let's hope that is not a dream of events to come."

"Wha? no" said Rik, "that would be dumb."

"Dreams are more powerful than you know" said Tox. "Anyhow it's very early in the morning, we should get some more rest."

"Yeah, sorry for waking you", said Rik

"It's okay" said Tox, he then returned to his room and Rik dived back under the covers. Hours later the sun rose, and rooster crows, it was about time to get going.

Everyone was waiting to see Rik and Tox off. Sonya enters and says,

"Hope I'm not to late."

"Nope just in time", Nate says.

"Good, I want to wish you all well", Sonya says.

"Thanks Sonya", said Rik

"Yes, thank you my dear" said Tox. Everyone wished them clear skies and Rik and Tox to them as well.

"Alright, guys this should not be too long of a journey" said Nate. "Hold on to your insides!"

"Wait, wha-" Rik begins to ask but is interrupted as they fly through universes in a ball of light. They must have went at least as fast as light itself, perhaps faster for all Rik knew. But what he did know was that he felt like an accordion being compressed and decompressed a million times over on the inside. For his first time transporting to a whole new realm it was not pleasant. When they finally arrived at their destination, Rik felt really dizzy, his ears were ringing and he also lost his breakfast.

"Um, Rik", said Nate, "need some water?"

"Ugh, it would help" Rik said, "um, sorry about your shoes."

"It's fine" said Nate suddenly just looking down "I'm sure I have a spare pair." Tox meanwhile observes his surroundings,

"This place smells of brimstone and fire" he said.

"Yeah," said Nate, "we are in the Realm of Oblivion, or just hell I suppose, that's what I call it."

"I thought it was the Underworld Dimensomthin" said Rik.

"It's Dimension," said Nate, "and this realm is called by many names." "Come on follow me, and do not worry about the Unwilling wandering about." Rik looks at the 'Unwilling', they looked like walking corpses. Suddenly a mono-eyed demon, in a ball like shape with a huge mouth appeared. Rik and Tox brace themselves but then someone dressed in green armor of some sort jumped up and punched the creatures eye out. He then jumps down and onto the ground in a spectacle as the creature screams and falls out of the air.

"Wow!" exclaimed Rik, "who's that guy?"

"Don't know, said Nate, "he seems friendly enough as long as we just leave him to the demon killing." "According some of the runes I found in this realm he is the Doom Slayer, and a symbol a fear among the hordes of hell."

"He seems kinda out of place here though don't you think?" asked Rik

"Yes he does," said Nate, "I cannot explain that, but he may be of extraterrestrial origin too."

"Exteriestil-wha?" asks Rik.

"He means he may have also come from another world too" said Tox

"Oh, right" Rik replied. They continued walking as the Doom Slayer did what he did best and ripped and teared any demon that would approach. Soon they were looking at the gate, locked with four different seals reeking with powerful magic.

"Okay Tox try busting the barrier open" said Nate. Tox used his most powerful Black Dracon magic on the sealed gates. Alas, it was no use, not even a single seal was broken.

"Well, it was a solid attempt, but to no avail." said Tox

"It was a nice try Tox", Rik said encouragingly.

"Well," said Nate, "I was hoping to take a nice short-cut here and just skip the fetch questing."

"Fetch questing?" asked Rik.

"Yeah," said Nate, "we are going to have to go to four separate worlds now and find objects marked with corresponding sigils to open the barrier."

"...What?" asked Rik

"What he is saying," Tox explains, "is that we will need to acquire items with the symbols matching the one on the gate here."

"Ohhh" said Rik, "why did't you just say so?"

"I did" said Nate, "I was just fast in my speaking."

"So we have to leave now?"

"Yep" said Nate, "looks like you two will have a little more time together than we first perceived."

"Well," said Tox, "this is certainly a welcome detour considering what I will have to return to."

"Indeed" said Nate, "alright everyone hold on to you insides, and whatever breakfast you have left Rik!" They then teleported away in a ball of light again, only this time it would not work so well. As they arrived there was a horrible static noise. A separate ball of light dropped off somewhere as Rik sped to another part of the region. Rik found himself feeling horrible again as he tried to focus his eyes. After regaining his senses he realized he was all alone in a cold bitter environment of ice and snow. There was a blizzard on at the moment and he could see nothing.

"Hello!" he shouted, "Nate, Tox!" Rik knew he was hopelessly lost, and soon began to feel helpless as he wandered blind. He soon found himself falling and then darkness as he fell unconscious from the fall...

End of Chapter 3

Chapter 4: Lost

Rik woke up to find to his surprise he was back in his bunk in Skyweather. 'Could all of that really been a dream?' he thought. He got up and walked towards the window and there he saw The Beast. He did not know what else to call it. It was attacking the town and devouring everything and anything in it's way. It blew fire at Rik and then Rik awoke to see that a goat was breathing in his face.

"Baaa" the goat went.

"Yuk," said Rik "goat breath; get away from me, dumb goat." Rik looked around, he still could barely see, the blizzard was still raging strong. It was definitely night now however because darkness surrounded. Rik was very cold, his paws were numb and he was also quite hungry, he began walking and soon trips up over something. It was some long dead adventurer, Rik searched him only to find he had nothing worth while except for his cape and a map. Rik realsies the cape is much too long for him so he slashes it to his size with a knife. He equips the cape and pulls his hood over his head in hopes of capturing some warmth. He walked some more and after a few moments of blindly stumbling in the blinding snow he finds a cave. He enters to find that he was not the first to enter.

"Wonder who left this lantern here?" asked Rik. He then noticed a hooded-like figure out of the corner of his eye moving further into the cave.

"Hello?" asked Rik, "anyone else here?" No answer; Rik picks up the lantern and pursues the figure. As he began to walk until he realises that it is near impossible to move any further cause the long drop off would surely kill him. And the only route forward was caved in.

"Well, guess I should head back" said Rik. He then returned to the beginning of the cave and decided to leave whatever was there for whoever it was. He kept the lantern though, there was a spare one after all. He re-emerges from the cave and keeps heading forward. Now that Rik could see he looks at the map,

"Skyrim" Rik read off the map, "hmm, nearest town seems to be… Winterhold."

"Okay then, that's where I will head, hopefully I can get food and a warm bed." Rik then began heading towards his destination, it wasn't easy since he could barely see two feet in front of him. Eventually there was a roaring in the distance

"What was that?" asked Rik Then suddenly a giant lizard like creature landed in front of him, it was a dragon.

"Gah! Rik shouted. He ran as fast as he could, he then tripped, stumbled and fell down the slope. He got up again and kept on running. And he then ran into more trouble cause then a frost troll emerged from the snow. Rik clearly awoken it from its slumber and now it wants to kill him.

"Oh, great!" said Rik, "this world is starting to be a pain in my-" A Sabercat then attacks the frost troll

"Well maybe the sky is on my side after all" Rik said as he once again began to book it.

Rik eventually realises that his lantern was unlit so he takes out the spare oil he picked up from the cave and re-lit the lantern. Rik continued to walk towards his destination but the dragon caught up with him. The dragon lands and to Rik's surprise began talking rather than devouring.

"Lost Nid Faas" said the Dragon.

"Wha-What?" asked Rik

"My apologies, I spoke.. erhm, have.. no fear in Dovah language."

"Oh" said Rik, "I'm not afraid, I just run from fights I know I cannot win."

"Grik Ann Nivahriin Fin Wah Tinvaak" the dragon said.

"Hey, what was that supposed to mean?" asked Rik, "I dunno dragon speak y'know."

"You are a.. stranger, Wunduniik Do Lein" the Dragon said. "I seen your arrival, I wanted to make certain you were no Tahrodiis Vokul."

"Um, what?" asked Rik.

"Chaotic.. evil of some kind" the dragon responded. "Dur Dar Sturn, perhaps I could escort you.. as far as I can to the town?"

"Okay," said Rik, "why are you helping me?"

"You will die in this storm." the dragon said, "besides you must be…" the dragon trailed off, it appeared he was not very fluent with any language than his own, he then said, "Sahrot Wah Osos Suleyk Zeim"

"I didn't catch that last part" Rik said

"I said, uhm, must be.. significant to some power beyond", replied the Dragon

"Oh, okay, uh thanks Dragon" said Rik.

"You may call me Ruvolro" the Dragon replied.

"Okay my name's Rik," said Rik, "thanks Ruvolro, glad to meet a good dragon."

"Zu'u Los Kul? No… not as long as Alduin is still among us." said Ruvolro.

"Who is he?" asked Rik.

"Fin Du Do Lein, or in your language, the devourer of worlds, I believe" said Ruvolro.

"Oh, well you don't have to listen to him" said Rik.

"Fod Nunon Nii Lost Ful, believe me if I could I would, but Alduin would destroy any Dovah that would defy him." said Ruvolro.

"I'm sorry to hear that Ruvolro," Rik said.

"It's okay Dii Fahdon; erhm, my friend.. I think I pronounced that right." said Ruvolro.

"Yep", said Rik, "you got the hang of it." Ruvolro talking to Rik began to understand his language better. Ruvolro then tried to teach Rik some dragon language, but Rik could barely comprehend it. Eventually they arrived at Winterhold.

"Bo Ahst Laat, Winterhold lies just up ahead." said Ruvolro.

"Thanks" said Rik, "are you sure you must go? I could use your help."

"Krosis Ful, said Ruvolro, "I cannot stay, dragons are not welcomed by anyone."

"Maybe that could change one day." said Rik.

"Perhaps, I bid you well" said Ruvolro.

"Clear skies" said Rik

"Um, yes eventually I would hope" Ruvolro said, and then he flew away. Rik then made his way towards the Inn. He walked through the door to the scowling stare of a straight faced man staring at him.

"Hello, uh, what in the name of Azura are you?" said the man.

"Hey, that's kinda rude y'know" Rik replied.

"My apologizes," said the man, "but I have never seen anything like you before."

"Well, if you must know I'm a Kobold" said Rik.

"Never heard of that creature before," said the man." "Anyhow I'm Dagur the owner of the Inn, if you have the coin you are welcomed to stay the night."

"Well, I'm Rik" Rik said, "unfortunately I'm a little lost and have no money."

"I apologize", said Dagur, "but I cannot give you a room for free."

"Okay that's fine", said Rik "I just would like some food, have any left over scraps?"

"Left over scraps?" asked Dagur, "hardly, if you couldn't tell Winterhold is not the most bustling hold."

"So you don't have anything that you were going to throw away?" asked Rik.

"Well, I have some food that will need to be sold in a couple days time." said Dagur. "Tell you what," Dagur then said, "if you deliver this package to Winterhold for me I will let you have the leftover goat leg and mammoth snout."

"That's the food?" asked Rik.

"Yeah, all I can give away, take it or leave it." said Dagur. Rik thought the idea of eating a goat's leg was kinda gross, but he was not going to let himself starve. He took the package and walked into the snow piled walkway. Even with the raging storm, Rik could tell where to go it is pretty hard to miss the giant bridge. As he approaches he hears the voice of a women saying,

"Halt, only college members are allowed ahead." She looked like an elf to Rik's surprise, he thought they were only creatures found in story books. But then again, unlimited realms, unlimited possibilites.

"I have a package, it's from Dagur." Rik said.

"He sent you?" asked the woman.

"Yes, he offered food in return." Rik said

"Are you some kind of wanderer? The woman asked, "it is awfully late, I hope he also offered a room."

"Nope", said Rik, "I might just have to sleep in the snow."

"No that would be a death wish," said the woman, "return to me once you are finished okay?"

"Uhh, alright" said Rik. He gave her the package and returned to the Inn to get his food.

The goat leg was as Rik expected, gross it was mostly bone and what meat was there was rubbery. The mammoth snout however was kinda good to his surprise, it could have used some sauce though. When he was finished Rik thanked the owner for what he could spare and returned to the elf at the bridge. Rik could not help but ask upon returning,

"So you are an elf?"

"Yes," she said, "I am an Altmer or as most commonly say an High Elf."

"Oh, there's different types of elves?" asked Rik.

"Yes, there are," she said, "anyhow I'm Faralda" the Elf said.

"I'm Rik" said Rik.

"Now," said Faralda, "I'm prepared to offer you a membership to the college temporarily but first you must pass a test."

"What is this test?" inquired Rik.

"You must cast a fireball" said Faralda

"What? I have no experience in shooting fire outta my hands" said Rik.

"You must at least try," said Faralda, "here is the spell tome, read it and then give it your best attempt." Rik takes the spell tome and looks it over, some words were a little beyond his understanding. He read and re-read until he felt he got it. Then he concentrated on trying to cast it. His hand began to glow red hot. And then he combusted the fireball as soon as he tried casting it. He was flung backwards and down the steps of the bridge.

"Oookay" Rik said "maybe something a little less painful will work."

"Have this" said Faralda. It was another spell tome but for fast healing this time. Rik read it over and then casted the spell. It was much easier to do than the fireball one and now he didn't ache anymore.

"Well, I guess I found my spell." said Rik

"Indeed you have," said Faralda, "please come with me, I will show you to your dorm."

They walked up to the entrance and into the college courtyard, and then into the dormitories. They arrive at the dorm Rik will stay in.

"Here you are," said Faralda, "and if you are interested classes begin at eight, sleep well".

"Thank you for the kindness" said Rik, "good night." He then slipped into bed and folded his arms behind his head. 'I suppose I could stick around' he thought. 'At least until I can figure out what to do next'. Rik eventually drifted asleep and awoke to find he was at the entrance of a cave. He tilted forward trying to look deeper with his torch. There it was again; the cloaked figure, what could this mean? He followed it inside the cave, cautious to keep an eye over his shoulder. Eventually he found the cloaked figure at seemingly the end of the cave, it looked up and he saw the face of a young girl. She then became quite frighten as Rik approached, and he did not know why… until he turned around. It was The Beast. It let out a howling roar, it then knocked Rik on his back and pounced on him. Rik then awoke startled once again.

"(gasps) Again?! Why does that thing keep appearing in my dreams!?" asked Rik.

"Shuuuut uuup!" yelled someone in the other room, "we are trying to sleep here."

Rik eventually went back to sleep, but it wasn't easy with these strange dreams plaguing him. Rik for the next couple of days was unsure of what to do, he could not begin to think where to go or where to find Tox and Nate. And the blizzard continued to relentlessly bash the area. He knew that they would not find him there, Winterhold was not a very popular hold and that with the storm on top, all he could do was wait. He didn't do absolutely nothing however, he partook in some of the classes on offer and learned some simple spells. Things like emitting electricity to electrify his daggers and learning how to better use restoration spells for when he inevitably gets hurt. Anyhow after a couple of days he knew he had to get going, so he bided everyone farewell and left. He brought with him a knapsack with some spell tomes so he could better learn his new abilities and of course necessities like food. And with the blizzard finally cleared up he could take in the beautiful landscapes as he walked. He was taught some survival training as part of his training to be a knight after all; So now that the blizzard is out of the way it was much easier to navigate and locate points of interest. Considering that Rik ended up a bit more northward than the others, he began walking towards South.

After walking down the stretch of road he came to a fork in the road, he looked up at the signs, then down at his map. One road leads to Dawnstar, that was not where he needed to go at all. Meanwhile the other road led to a city called Whiterun, this would be the best road to take. He knew he would be able to maybe find information there, and if he was to find some coin or something of value, he could resupply. Rik continued along the path of the road humming a tune. Eventually he heard commotion beyond the shrubbery. He knew that he should have kept to himself but it sounded like bandits was robbing someone. And sure enough he was right. There were four bandits, two of them wore hide and fur looking armor. Another had some iron looking armor and the one that appeared to be the leader had steel looking armor. And the victim looked to be a lizard beast, or as they probably call them in this world, a lizard man. He had dull green scales with reddish-brown highlights. He had leather looking armor and seemed to only carry a dagger.

"Alright no more running you lizard" said one bandit.

"Hand us over your money and gear" the leader said. Rik had heard enough he hopped out from behind the tree. He took out throwing knifes and used his new found magic ability to electrify them. He threw them towards the bandits, one was stunned to the point of falling over. The other bandits were not so affected, one of them came charging forward with a battle axe. Rik dodged and slashed at the bandits backside.

"Augh!" the bandit shouted and he fell. The bandit leader drew a sword and thrusted at Rik, Rik deflected the attack with both daggers. A bandit then grabbed Rik from behind and restricted any movement. The leader pointed the sword at Rik's throat.

"You shouldn't have done that little guy," the leader said, "you're dead!" But then something strange happened. The Lizard began to morph and transform into a monstrous wolf creature.

"By the eight!" said The Leader, a werewolf!" The werewolf then effortlessly killed every bandit and he then turned to Rik.

"Heeey," said Rik, "thank you for.. saving me while trying to save you." The werewolf then transformed back into a lizard man before Rik's eyes.

"Wow, how did you do that?" asked Rik

"Simple," said the Lizard, "I am a werewolf so I can transform when I need to."

"Right... who are you anyway?" asked Rik

"Me? I am Rasare Galdesh" the Lizard said. "What is your name?"

"I'm Rik," Rik replied, "so how are you a lizard and a werewolf?"

"I suppose argonians can be affected like anyone else" Rasare said.

"Argonian?" asked Rik.

"Yes," said Rasare, "that's what I am, speaking of race, never seen your's before."

"Yeah, so I have been told," said Rik.

"It's strange" said Rasare, "but you look reminiscent of a mythic race known as the lilmothiit that supposedly existed in Black Marsh eons ago."

"Oh, really?" said Rik, "well I'm not whatever that was, I'm a Kobold."

"If you insist", said Rasare, "were you also heading to Whiterun?"

"Yep," said Rik, "I am, you want to travel with me?"

"I would love to", said Rasare, "and with these gems I found in a cave we should be able to get a nice meal and some drinks." "It's the least I can do for your bravery back there."

"Yeah, sounds good," said Rik, "you want to lead the way? Since you can transform into monster wolf and all?"

"Sadly I can only call upon the beast once a day" said Rasare

"Oh, well I guess I will lead the way" Rik said. And they started on the path again once more. As the late afternoon began to set they made it to the gates of Whiterun. Upon entering Whiterun Rik felt an overall peaceful feeling about the place, seemed like a nice little city to live in. The two traded in the gems for some septims at Belford's store and then they went to the Bannered Mare for some food and drinks. Rik told Rasare his story so far and Rasare found it quite entertaining.

"I sure do love wild stories" said Rasare.

"It's not a story though," said Rik, "It's true all of it"

"Well," Rasare said "since there are such as a thing as Daedra and stuff it's not too far fetched I suppose." Rik then heard other people in the Inn speaking of other strangers.

"Yes, they did!" said the First Stranger, "a strange fox and a humanoid black dragon!"

"They saved that farm in Rorikstead from at least a hundred bandits!"

"Nah," said the Second Stranger, "there were at least only twenty tops."

"What about that missing person though?" said the First Stranger

"Still gone," said the Second Stranger, "some say they saw a cloaked figure captu..." Rik has heard enough, he knew he must head out towards Rorikstead immediately.

"Rasare, let's finish up and head out" said Rik.

"What? Why?" asked Rasare.

"Because, said Rik. "Those people talking said my friend and little brother Tox was in Rorikstead."

"Okay," said Rasare, "let's pack up on supplies before we head out though." "We may have to set up camp for the night." And so they got some extra supplies and headed out and on the road towards Rorikstead. After a few good hours travel it was well into night and both himself and Rasare were feeling tired.

"Now is a good time to set up camp" said Rasare."

"Yeah," Rik agreed. Rik began to make a fire, he set the stones and placed the wood. Rik tried to recall how to make a fire with two rocks from his survival training as a Knight. After a moment of failed attempts Rasare offered to help, and used the flames spell to lite it up. With a fire going the two settled in for the night.

"So what's your story?" asked Rik

"I came from Black Marsh as a traveling merchant" said Rasare. "Unfortunately my business did not do so well." "And after an werewolf attack I got infected and became one myself."

"That's all?" asked Rik, "so you are homeless now then?"

"Yeah, pretty much", said Rasare, "well I'm tired, gud'nite!" Rasare then flopped on his bed roll and began snoring a moment after. Rik went to sleep soon after and had another strange dream. He was standing in front of a cave again. A ghostly figure stood in front pointing towards it. Rik saw that near the cave was a nearby shack as well as a couple of giant boulders that clearly fell from the mountain. The Beast then began to smash through the entrance of the cave. The ghostly girl then spoke,

"The Beast, he cannot escape or else… or else… or… else…"

The Beast smashed through and then Rik woke up,

"Woah," Rik said, "he was giant that time, and what was with the ghost?"

It was early morning, the sun was rising and the air smelt misty as a fog began to set in. It was not long before Rik was up and about getting ready to continue onward. Only problem was that Rasare was a pretty heavy sleeper, even splashing cold water on his face didn't work. But then there was a screeching roar, and a dragon flew towards them breathing fire. Rik ducked and covered, but still got his fur singed. Rasare awoke yelling,

"Yeow! Hot! Hot!" and jumped up. "Where'd a dragon come from!?" he exclaimed

"The sky obviously! Said Rik, "now shut up and run!" They ran down the road, trying to escape the dragon. Rik saw two figures in the distance, it was Tox and Nate.

"Rik!" Tox yelled, "get down!" Rik ducked just as the dragon swooped down and breathed more fire. The dragon doubled back and then landed in between them.

The dragon snapped at Nate, Nate dodged and slashed the dragon in the jaw. He then jumped on the dragon's head and slashed down at him until the dragon collapsed.

"Wow, that was a show!" said Rasare. Nate looked down at Rik,

"Well, we found ya finally."

"Yeah" said Rik, "by the way this is Rasare."

"Hello," said Rasare, "so what's your name?"

"I'm Nathan Reyes, or just Nate" Nate said

"Oh, so the dark lookin fella over there must be Tox then" Rasare said.

"That is correct" said Tox, "I trust Rik spoke quite fondly of me."

"Well of course Tox, anyway we're not too far from Rorikstead." said Rik. "They have a tavern?"

"They have an Inn," said Tox.

"Great, it would be a good place to catch up." said Rik. And so they traveled to Rorikstead. Rik told them about his journey and these strange dreams about The Beast. Tox looked at it as a sign, and linked it to the kidnappings that have been occurring.

"You really think that makes sense Tox?" Rik asked.

"Kinda makes sense to me", said Nate. "You did say you saw a sacrifice in your first dream"

"Yes," said Tox, "and not to mention the ghostly apparition in your last." Rik didn't want to believe that his nightmares were coming true. And then he saw the ghostly girl again, and last Rik checked he was awake...

End of Chapter 4

Chapter 5: The Beast Cometh

Rik could not believe his eyes, it was the same ghost from his dreams. Rik took a glass of water off the table and splashed himself.

"Why did you do that?" asked Tox somewhat annoyed.

"Look behind you" said Rik pointing at the ghost. Both Nate and Tox looks at the ghost, a pateron flees from the Inn, the owner looks at the ghost in disbelief.

"Um, hi?" said Nate.

"Yes, hello" said the Ghostly Girl "you must save her…"

"Let me guess, the kidnapped victim?" said Tox

"Yes, she will summon the destroyer of worlds…" said The Ghost. "...Worse than the world eater, Alduin."

"Okay," said Nate, "we have no leads, where would we begin to look?"

"The Pale," the Ghostly Girl said, "the one I visited in his dreams has been there already." Suddenly Rik remembers the strange cave he was in the night he was lost in the blizzard.

"Wait, that was the cave?" Rik asked, "guess that drop off did lead somewhere."

"Well," said Tox "if you already visited the location, then it should be an easy task."

"It would be," said Rik, "but I was lost in a huge blizzard."

"Well let's see the map then." said Nate, "we could narrow it down." As they began to look the map over a strange thing happened. An marker appeared over what could be a cave in the Pale.

"Well, look at that!" said Rasare, "Seems you got one of them magical maps that point out where you need to go." And he was right, just a short distance away was Winterhold.

"Well that was easy" said Nate.

"I agree," said Tox, "we should make haste before this creature is summoned."

"Yeah," said Rik, "If it's anythi'n like in my dreams the sooner the better, that thing is somethin we do not want to mess with."

"I could handle it", said Nate, "but with a life on the line here I would rather it did not come to that."

"We are in agreement then," said Tox, "we will leave now."

"Well, good luck guys", Rasare said, "but I got to make a new life for m'self."

"What? Really?" asked Rik, "you're not telling me you're afraid are you?"

"No," said Rasare, "I'm joining the companions, I am supposed to show up sometime this afternoon."

"Who are they?" asked Rik, "and when did you find the time to join while we were there?"

"They are a group rumored to be werewolves" said Rasare. "And I may have signed up while you were getting supplies."

"Thanks for letting me know," Rik said a little annoyed.

"Hey, I was gonna tell you last night, Rasare said, "but I wanted to think it through first."

"That's fine," Rik said, "maybe we will meet up again before we leave this world?"

"Possibly," said Rasare, "we will see, anyhow good luck with saving the world and all." "I'm going to head out but we can travel together if you guys are heading that way too."

He then leaves, after a moment Tox remarks,

"What a strange fellow." They soon head out and began traveling across the Whiterun Hold, following the marker on the map. It was not long until they reached Whiterun again. They bid Rasare good luck with his endeavours. They decided to get some delicious steaks to eat before they continued. The food was delicious, and they soon concluded their business in Whiterun. They began walking on the road again and eventually they reach the fork Rik was at the day prior. Dusk has set in and they knew it would be better to get some rest first. They set up camp, and were soon sitting around the campfire.

"So how long have you two known each other?" asked Nate

"Since we were young kids" said Rik.

"I figured that," said Nate, "how did you guys end up meeting your other friends?"

Both Rik and Tox then recounted the adventure they had trying to escort the 'Princess' to the safety of Skyweather. Of course they didn't want to recall the bad memories so they mostly retold the more positive parts of the adventure. Eventually Rik said,

"Speaking of our own personal adventures, I'm sure you have had a lot."

"Well, said Nate, "remember that Marx guy from my childhood story?"

"Yeah I do," Rik said, "but Tox wasn't here for that"

"Oh yeah", Nate said, "well Tox, he was an evil scientist that gave me enhanced abilities in an attempt to make a better soldier."

"I think I can follow off of that" said Tox, "please continue."

"Okay," Nate said, "he somehow became a dictator in one of the nations of our country." "And", continues Nate, "he built up power and began trying to take over the entire country."

"And let me guess," said Tox, "you spearheaded the operation to stop him."

"You guessed it," Nate said. "I had some personal beef with the guy after all, I went ahead and defeated him myself."

"And then what?" Asked Rik.

"Well, boring stuff," said Nate, "I went along to the meeting with the other leaders of their nations." "Eventually we agreed to just unify the entire country into one and I was the head of the national service for a while." Nate continued "At that point I have never been outside my own world, but that soon changed after meeting Conker."

"That's the second time you have mentioned him now" said Rik. "You guys seem to have a bit of a past.

"Indeed we do" said Nate. " But that's for another story though, we should rest." They went to sleep and Rik once again dreamt of The Beast. It loomed over him ready to rip him to pieces, but suddenly Ruvolro tackled The Beast. They sparred and eventually Ruvolro was knocked down and he fell over on top of Rik causing him to awake with a start.

"(Gasps) Wha?! Whoa" Rik said. 'I should keep these dreams in mind' Rik thought to himself, 'They might be real too'. Rik was awake once again just as the dawn broke. He decided to walk down to a freshwater spring he remembers seeing nearby for the meantime as the morning comes on. He kneels over the fresh cold water and fills his flask and has a drink. Something big lands behind him. He turns around to see that it's a familiar, scaley face. It was Ruvolro, he bends his neck to meet Riks eyes and says,

"Dii Fahdon, remember that in dragon speak at least?"

"Yes," said Rik with a smile, "you said 'my friend', good to see you again!"

"Yes, it is good to see you again too" said Ruvolro. "I see you have found your friends also" he continued.

"Yep," said Rik.

"Perhaps I could meet them", Ruvolro said.

"Okay, we will have to be careful though," Rik said, "they don't see dragons as friendly creatures."

"Geh, Zok Med", Ruvolro said, "would not be surprising." Rik walked back to the campsite with Ruvolro. Nate is awake and stroking the fire, he sees the scaley dragon and says,

"Rik a dragon!"

"It's okay," says Rik, "he is a friendly dragon he helped me get out of the blizzard I was in." Tox now awake looks at the dragon and asks,

"Is this true?"

Indeed Wunduniik," said Ruvolro, "I wish to aid in your quest, Wah Meyz Aan Fus Do Kul"

"That is a strange language you speak." said Tox

"I speak in the tongue of the Dovah," said Ruvolro, "This is the language we all speak. "Strangely," Ruvolro continued, "you seem to be a humanoid dragon how interesting."

"I am a Dracon, I am a man that is a dragon essentially" said Tox.

"Geh Zu'u Koraav" said Ruvolro, "you are an interesting creature."

"Y'know, we can talk as we walk everyone" Nate said, "we should keep moving on now."

"Right," Rik says, he pulls out the magic way-pointing map and looks at it. "We are not too far from it now"

"Good," Nate says, "we should have plenty of time in that case." They pack up and begin walking, as they walked Tox and Ruvolro conversate about their own dragon kinds. They eventually arrive at the cave, it was definitely the one from Rik's dream.

"Alright, time to go spelunking," says Nate

"Krosis, Zu'u Nis Bo" said Ruvolro, "I cannot fit in that cave, I shall await for all of you here."

"A'ight," said Rik, "see you soon." They venture into the cave and eventually come to the caved in part with the drop off into nothing. Rik leans over with a lantern trying to see if there is indeed a bottom to the large ravine. Then suddenly he loses his balance and falls.

"Aaa!" Rik screamed.
"No, Rik!" yelled Tox.

"Ah, crap," said Nate, "hopefully there is water for him to land in, I know I heard some!"

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Rik fell, it felt like he was falling for hours. Luckily just before making impact with the shallow spring at the bottom Rik's cape was caught by a jagged rock pointing outwards.

"Ack!" the caped choked him as he struggled, the cape then rips and tears releasing him and falling only a few feet safely.

"Well, just my luck" Rik says. "Now what will I do?" Rik stumbles around in the dark for a moment and then trips and falls on the ground. "Ouch, what did I just trip over?" he asked. Rik felt around and it was his lantern a bit banged up now, but might work still. He lights the lantern and looks around.

"Well, that was pretty convenient save at least." Rik says to himself as he wandered deeper down into the depths. He eventually came across some spiders, they were large and dangerous. Rik knew their venom could kill him, but the only way was forward. He sees an opportunity when the spiders started walking down another cave tunnel. He quickly dashes down the caves path hoping that he was not going to hit a dead end. Eventually Rik came across some ruins, they were strange to him. The structure of the buildings was like those other ruins he saw during his travels. And there were these strange metal looking creatures that walked around. They were fighting what seemed to be evil twisted looking elves down there. Rik tried to get by unnoticed but a twisted elf creature spotted him.

"Hhhgah" the vile looking creature hissed.

"Rik hooked the lantern to his waist and readied his daggers. The creature charged forward, Rik dodged then slashed at it's back. The creature hisses in pain and stabs at Rik with it's crude looking blade. Rik moved but still got his shoulder slashed.

"Hngh, you'll pay for that!" Rik shouted, he then electrified his throwing knife and threw it. It landed right in the creatures temple, he fell to the ground in a heap. Rik quickly uses the restoration spell he knew to heal himself. He was about to enter the doorway when he heard the sounds of clanking metal and steam behind him. It was a metal looking giant, Rik knowing that he would be steamed to death dashed through the door. The metal monster smashed open the the door after him in pursuit.

"Wish I could just catch a break!" Rik shouted as he ran. Corridor after corridor he ran until he ran through a very unstable looking archway. The metal monster ripped up the archway trying to pursue Rik and brought the whole ceiling down on itself. The corridor filled with steam, the threat was now gone having crushed itself.

"Good to see that problem took care of itself" said Rik. "Let's see where this all leads to." He passed through another door and realized he was in a grand room with fire lighting up the entire place and an upper level. Then he sees the altar with a gem of some sort with that same evil looking face from his first dream. On the stone table below it was a girl and a lone figure wearing a cloak standing over her. The figure removes her hood and reveals to be the same girl that was also in his dream.

"Oh, cleansing demon form beyond", She said, "come forth from your reality and cleanse this land of the war." "The Stormcloaks, the Imperial Legion and of course the Thalmor shall all perish!" she shouts. The fires begin to arise in a glorious flame and then shimmer, making the room become darker. She then says,

"Come to this realm Volkiris!" She raises the dagger to slay the girl, Rik knew he had to act now.

"Stop!" Rik yelled, "trust me lady, you do not want this!"

"Who by the eight are you?!" The Woman asked angrily, "how did you even find this place?"

"Was not too hard," Rik said, "kidnapping a bunch of young girls is bound to get you noticed." The Woman then raised her dagger, Rik raised his daggers in defense. And then The Woman quickly turned around and stabbed the girl on the table.

"No!" shouted Rik, "now you've done it, too bad you won't be 'round to say I told ya so!"

Rik then runs up the stairs and to the upper level. The Beast, known as Volkiris emerges from the portal with a chilling screech. He looked as he appeared in Rik's dream, being a reptilian-mammal like beast with sharp fangs and claws and crude pointed wings. Just like in Rik's dream The Woman gets devoured, as Rik desperately tries to find some way to stop the monster. Then he notices the ceilings infrastructure was weakened above the altar where the beast was summoned. Rik then took out one of his bombs and placed it in a crevice where the ceiling was already falling apart, and lit the bomb. Quickly he made his way down to the altar.

"Hey Beast!" he shouted, "come and get me!" Volkiris then let out a screech and chased Rik around the room, Rik stood near the altar as Volkiris slowly approached Rik. Then Volkiris spoke to Rik in his mind,

'You will die here and now' he said. 'And then I will destroy this realm and move on to the next by tricking someone else into summoning me!'

"Well I don't think so!" said Rik as the bomb went off and the ceiling began to collapse.

Rik ducks and rolls to safety and when the dust settles the beast was completely buried.

"Yea! That's right I'm the best!" said Rik victoriously. He then notices the gem lying on the ground,

"Huh, this somehow made it" Rik said, "guess I can hold onto it." After a moment a secret passage way opens. It was Nate and Tox.

"Rik! You're okay!" said Tox.

"Yep, I was saved by the cape I had on" Rik said.

"Yeah, and what happened here?" asked Nate.

"I saved the world," Rik said confidently, "the poor girl was sacrificed, but I stopped The Beast." "His name was Volkiris," Rik continues, "some kind of world destroyer, but I brought the ceiling down on him so now we can go."

"Well congratulations on saving this realm", said Tox, "but have we forgot about something?"

"What?" said Nate, "you mean the object with the sigil? We still need to find that I know."

"Well, let's get a move on then" said Rik. They exit out of the ruins and into the secret passage and eventually leave the cave. Rik was surprised to see the ghostly girl again.

"Um, yeah, I did it" said Rik.

"No" the Ghostly Girl responded, "he is coming for you, all of you. There was then a howling screech emanating from the cave.

"I think we should run" said Rik.

"We have to stand our ground" said Nate

"Well perhaps we should stand our ground away from the cave entrance" Tox says.

"Nid Zu'u Fen Krif" said Ruvolro, "this threat will fall to me." Then Volkiris bursts out from the mountain side like in Rik's dream.

"Oh great, he is huge now" Rik said, "just like in my dream."

"Just start chucking knives!" Nate yelled.

Nate then took out a bow and begin taking shots at Volkiris as he flew in the sky. Volkiris then lands and begins breathing very blinding and odorous brimstone and ash flames. Rik could hardly see his eyes watered and when he could see Volkiris was above him ready to pounce on Rik. Then Ruvolro tackled Volkiris and Rik recalling the dream wisely dodged to safety as Ruvolro came crashing to the ground. Volkiris then screeched,

"I tire of these games! I will destroy this realm now!" He then begins to fly off.

"Mu Fen Krii Rok Nu!" said Ruvolro.

"What?" asked Rik.

"He must be killed now" Ruvolro said, "he will decimate Solitude if we don't." Ruvolro then flies and smashes Volkiris into a nearby mountain causing them both to collide with the ground. Rik could hear the struggle as he ran with Nate and Tox to catch up, it did not sound too good. Ruvolro was on the ground and quite injured looking, and Volkiris began to once again take flight.

"He will not get away," Nate said. He then shoots his grappling hook piercing the monster's skin. As he began to launch forward to the creature Rik in a split decision grabbed Nate's leg.

"What are you doing Rik?!" Nate yelled.

"Helping you finish this!" Rik yelled back, "he has been haunting my dreams you know!"

They zip up and onto the back of the beast. Rik now that he was up there realizes just how poorly he thought this through. Volkiris screeches at them,

"Get off me you filth!"

"Filth? Why don't you take a bath? You are the one that is covered in soot!" yelled Nate. If Rik was not holding on for dear life he may have chuckled at that. Volkiris then starts flying erratically sideways and upside down. Rik can not keep his grip and begins to fall Nate grabs him while holding tightly onto the beast's mane.

"It's a good thing you have a iron grip!" said Rik.

"Yeah," said Nate, "it's time to end this, climb towards the head and be careful!" They then climb toward the head of the beast as Volkiris tries to flail them off. Rik takes out a dagger and Nate draws his sword and then Nate takes a stab at the eye. "Scrreeeeeeech!" Volkiris wails. Rik then stabs at the other eye, with the creature now blinded it begins to descend rapidly. Nate jumps off and tries to grab Rik but fails as he uses his grapple to pull himself to safety. Rik meanwhile is unsure what to do, he sees a nearby source of water and makes a jump for it. He lands in the water with a splash, it was freezing cold, he instantly began to feel numbness in his paws. He paddles his way to shore with a salmon that happen to get caught in his knife quiver. He pulls the fish out and tosses it back into the water and sees that Volkiris is behind him a bit farther away. Rik approaches him and Volkiris speaks in his mind once more,

'I am immortal, I will not be blind for long, your days are numbered!' Rik then feels a weird vibration in his pocket, Rik takes out the gem and it was beginning to glow and pulsate. The ghostly girl appeared and says something in a language Rik had never heard of. Volkiris began to dissipate as the gem flashes upon him and just like that he was gone.

"What? How?" Rik stammers.

"I casted him to a void" she said, "he will no longer be able to harm anyone lost in eternal darkness."

"Wait, just what is this gem?" asks Rik.

"You know what it is," The Ghostly Girl says, "it is a gem from the Ancient Order of the Multiverse"

"Okay, you are definitely more than a ghost." Rik says.

"You are half right" she says, "I am still a spirit, and at the same time I am a guardian of the stars."

"Okay?" Rik asks.

"Melanie, call me Melanie for now it's as good as any mortal name I can think of" she says. "We will speak again soon oh, and keep that gem to yourself for now" she then vanishes. Rik is left confused not only about the gem itself he holds but the fact he had one of those weird and rare gems.

"Rik! Where is it? Where did that monster go?" Nate shouted behind him.

"Oh, he died" Rik said quickly shoving the gem in his pocket. He wanted to keep the gem a secret for now.

"Well, where's the body?" Nate asks.

"It melted into the ground or something?" Rik said. "I dunno, but he is dead, made sure of it yep, anyhow is Ruvolro okay?"

"I dunno," Nate said, "still where we left him, come on let's go." They began walking and met with Tox and Ruvolro halfway, Tox said Ruvolro was injured but he was certain he could recover.

"Lost Nid Faas, Dii Fahdon," Ruvolro said, "in time I shall recover, today I have done good for this realm."

"Yep" said Rik, "you are definitely a good dragon now!"

"Now that this ordeal is out of the way, we should focus on our goal," Tox said.

"Yeah about that, I have it" Nate said holding up the gouged out eye of Volkiris.

"Ew, really?" asks Rik.

"Yep," Nate says "look in the cornea here there is the sigil that matches the seals symbol."

"Ugh, no thanks" Rik says, "that is kinda gross, let's go then if we got it." Rik turns to Ruvolro.

"Thanks for everything Ruvolro."

"No problem Dii Fahdon" says Ruvolro, "I wish you well on your travels".

"Thanks, bye Ruvolro," Rik says.

"Goodbye" Ruvolro says and then flies off and into the distance.

"Alright then," said Nate, "let's go and remember to secure any personal belongings."

They then teleport away in a ball of light as they speed back to the Underworld Dimension. As they arrive Rik is still not entirely used to the sensation. He tries to stand up straight and ends up tripping up. Tox helps him up and they walk towards the gate. As they arrived to where the gate was Rik noticed the Doom Slayer was surrounded by demons.

"Uh, should we help him?" asks Rik.

"Nope, he doesn't need it" Nate said. And he was right because he then proceeded to blast a demon in the face. Then he threw one against a rock and stomped his head to bits. After that he punched one hard enough to make it's head explode. He continued this for a good ten more demons or so. And finally he ended off with a double-barrel blast to a demon's face.

"He sure loves to make a spectacle," Tox says.

"Well, it's what he does" Nate replied. Nate approaches the gate and holds up the eye and it flies towards the seal. The seal explodes in a fiery explosion of brimstone and ash.

"That's one down, three more to go" Nate says.

"A'ight which world is next?" asked Rik.

"Let's just say you may feel a little light headed at times due to the altitude" Nate replies.

"Wha-" Rik begins to ask as they whisk away in a ball of light once more. They arrive to the world and when Rik finally focuses his eyes he saw a sight he has never seen. They were on a floating city in the sky with ships that flew in the air…

End of Chapter 5

Chapter 6: Skyhaven City

Everywhere Rik looked he was in a sense of awe and wonder. The ships floating around seem to have propellers. The floating city seemed to be floating on some kind of magic mist. And the city itself was seemingly made of gold because of the rich and upper class society that dwell in it.

"This place is like something from a storybook" said Rik taking in all the sights.

"Yep," said Nate, "this is a marvel of magic and steam engineering working in unison." "And" Nate adds, "we are seemingly in some kinda alternate reality of the Victorian Era."

"Where would we begin to even look?" Tox wondered.

"I want to check the city out" said Rik.

"Go ahead" said Nate, "meet us at the city's central near the fountain later."

"Wait, how would you know that?" asked Tox.

"I, uh, the map, on my touch screen." Nate says. Tox looks at Nate unconvinced, there was a map on the screen, but he said that before even looking it over.

"Okay, will see you then." Rik says. He then walks down the clean streets with children running around and playing, people on the street trying to sell or entertain people. Rik eventually comes across a game where you must hit three tiny far away targets with a ball.

"Step right up! Step right up!" yelled the man. "Win some dosh, come on you? You?"

"Step right up and win up to 15 pounds!"

"Err, what is the prize?" asked Rik.

"Pounds! Dosh! Money! Whatever you call dear, erh, fuzzy boy?"

"Hey," said Rik, "I'm not a boy, I'm well over twenty!"

"Right! Of course!" shouted the man "I knew that, whaddya say? You think you got the throwing arm?"

"Sure do!" said Rik, he took three balls and hit each target.

"Wow!" Exclaimed the Man, "Whaddya know ladies and gents? Our first winner of the day! Or the week for that matter for such a little guy he sure does have throwing power!"

"Yeah, I know thanks" said Rik.

"Yep," said the man "indeed here is the prize kid, now let the other lovely people have a shot." Rik left and used some of the prize money he won to get himself a drink. Upon entering the building the patrons looked at him with raised eyebrows, they then talk among themselves.

"What the bloody 'ell you suppose that is?" said a Man

"Yea, what is the deal with the talkin dog person?" said another

"I thought he looked more like an overgrown rat!" said a Woman. Rik overhears them and walks up and says,

"Actually, I'm a Kobold".

"A feckin wot now?" sputtered the man laughing, "never heard anythin like that before."

"I am from another universe" said Rik.

"Space?" said the Second Man, "now that is ridiculous, there are no other worlds with life."

"Well proof of that is looking right at you, me" Rik said. They patrons at the table laugh quite obnoxiously. Rik has had enough he leaves and enters the street again. After a little more walking he came across another man talking about something beside him.

"Look now to the future!" said the Man quite eccentrically, "the Robotic Man!"

"What?" asked Rik.

"The Robotic Man is a product of our lovely government to make hard jobs easier and protect and serve our glorious country!" the Man said. It was a man that was mostly machine. The Man then continues,

"He utilizes the absolute latest in steam powered machinery" "And with hardly any magic it is a demonstration of just how far technology has come along!"

"Is that a real man?" Rik asks.

"Well of course! Do not worry though because the Robot Men produced only use captured prisoners of war and inmates from our local incarceration system."

"That sounds like a bad idea" Rik says.

"Do not worry little fuzzy buddy! They had their memories wiped thanks to some shock therapy as well as brainwashing!"

"What in the-" Rik trails off, "that really doesn't sound right,that sounds- what's the word I can't think of?"

"Inhumane?" says the Man.

"Yeah," Rik says, "that word, and do you usually tell people that?"

"Only if they ask," the Man said, "Those people did commit crimes after all so it is justified" the Man said quite crudely. Rik decides to just get out of there, the man was creepy. And knowing that, Rik felt there was something more sinister at work. As he walked away Rik noticed the man mumbling something to a nearby guard. Two guards then approach Rik.

"Problem?" asks Rik.

"We would like to ask a question or two" said the First Guard. "As officers of the law you are to answer you hear me?"

"Okay, what?" asks Rik.

"What region are you from?" asked the Second Officer.

"I'm not from this world" said Rik.

"That is quite the claim, you are coming with us."

"What? Why? I didn't do anything!" yelled Rik.

"You are an outsider to this society and you were never registered." said the First Officer. "You are being apprehended for being suspected as a spy or an Illegal alien, possibly both".

"Really?" Rik asked "That is dumb, do you really have to take me in because of that?."

"Yes there is no use resisting," said the Second Officer, "don't try anything."

"Did the man over there rat me out?" Rik asks.

"We cannot reveal who submits claims," said The First Officer, "we just uphold the law that is all."

Rik was not going to go down without a fight, so he turned heel and ran away seeing the guards were drawing guns instead of swords when he resisted.

"Aaah! Look out everyone!" Rik shouts as he ran. Gunshots started ringing in the air and shouting as Rik ran he eventually reaches the end of the floating city. Another shot rings through the air, and Rik heard the other officer shouting,

"Stop shooting you imbecile, we only shoot when necessary you git!"

"You knows I got anger issues Garrison!" shouted the Angry Officer

Looking over Rik could see it was an airship harbor, the officers were closing in,

"Alright little buddy, said Garrison, "we know what's ya thinkin, but don't jump".

Rik jumps down and towards a passing airship.

"Aw come on!" shouted the Angry Officer.

"This is gonna hurt!" Rik said bracing himself as he crashed on deck and on top of some barrels. Rik was knocked out for a few moments, when he came to he saw an concerned yet annoyed looking ship captain.

"What in the bloody mary are you? What is the meaning of this?" Rik looks up and sees the captain, he had grey hair and beard and a large looking coat, presumably one captains wear.

"I, uh, can explain" Rik stammers, "the officers are a bit sensitive when it comes outsiders not having paperwork or something."

"Ah, yes" said the Captain, "I assume you are not a registered member of our little society".

"Well, yea, this happen that often?" asked Rik

"Well," the Captain said "it's not uncommon but it's not like it happens several times a day." "But that is Skyhaven for you, a beautiful city on the surface but with a devil at the helm."

"Who is the devil?" asked Rik.

"Some twisted Angel of Death," said The Captain "and by that I mean a sick twisted scientist, not a real Angel of Death." "It does not help that the mayor is an idiot too, he just believes whatever he is fed."

"Twisted scientist?" Rik said. "Considering that robotic man thing I'm not surprised guess that is something worth looking into"

"I would not recommend doing that, said The Captain, "it would be a bad time fer you if you were caught

"Think I am pretty wanted now so it doesn't bother me much" Rik said. The Captain laughs,

"I like you, yer like me crewmates were, sadly I have no crew of me own anymore since they were taking from me being accused of smuggling."

"Well, were you?" asked Rik.

"No," said The Captain, "it was contraband that was legal before I left."

"Sorry to hear that" said Rik, "I'm Rik by the way."

"Oh yes," said The Captain, "my apologizes, I am Captain Dill Grayson, but don't ever call me Dill, just call me Grayson."

"Nice to meet you," says Rik, "I'm not staying long, but I could use your help finding my friends."

"Sure," said Grayson "I have been doing odd jobs keeping this ship of mine." "Help me out here and there and I will make sure you got a ship when you need it."

"Sounds good," said Rik, "I need to get to the the city's center, think you can get me there?"

"Sure thing Rik," said Captain Grayson "meet up with yer mates, and come back to the ship, I have spare bunks from me old crew so you all can stay the night." Grayson must be pretty lonely, all by himself so it's not that surprising that he offered shelter for them. Perhaps he thinks that they could be the start of his new crew, unfortunately Rik knew they would not stay for long. Rik meets up with Tox and Nate at the fountain.

"Rik, there you are, we were beginning to wonder if you got lost" Tox said.

"Yeah," said Rik, "I may have found out that this place is a bit crazy."

"Oh, you mean the harsh laws about visitors?" Nate said. "I knew about that already and seeing there is a poster with you face on it we shouldn't stick around here long."

"Uh, right" Rik said, "I didn't do anything wrong though, I just didn't have papers or something."

"We are out of place here," Nate said, "some people are going to try and stab us in the back even if it's something as small as not being registered."

"Well," said Tox, "seeing how we are not safe here we should find somewhere to go."

"Got that covered already," Rik said, "follow me, I met a ship captain willing to take us in."

"And how did you manage this?" asked Tox.

"He liked my charm" Rik said smugly, "in all seriousness though he is a pretty lonely guy who misses his crew." They get on board of Grayson's ship, Grayson introduces himself,

"Hello! I am Captain Grayson.

"Pleasure to meet you, I am Tox." Tox says

"Nate" said Nate.

"Nate?" said Grayson, "yer familiar, I could've sworn you helped me fend off some sky pirates!"

"You must be mistaken," said Nate, I have never been to this world."

"Hmm, perhaps" said Grayson. Tox once again look un-trustingly at Nate, he was hiding something and Tox knew it. It was always almost impossible to lie and get away with it with Tox, something Rik knew very well.

"Well we should all settle down for the evening," said Tox "would you happen to have any spare provisions Grayson?"

"Not alot" Grayson admits, "I have barely enough money to keep me girl goin here."

"That's alright," said Nate, "I have food" They eat some food and finally Tox asks,

"Nate, would be so kind to give us more insight of your past?"

"About what?" asked Nate, "I have went on many adventures in other universes."

"Your old friends," said Tox, "what happened?"

"My original crew," said Nate, "consisted of me, my wife and Conker as well as some others that would come and go." Nate continues, "like I found this obnoxious sounding orange looking weasel on my patio one morning. It took awhile but I was able to return him home."

"Come and go?" asked Tox.

"Yeah," said Nate, "time moves different between worlds and sometimes a couple weeks stretches to decades over in another world." "Most of them are dead now unfortunately, time waits for no one and that's why I don't speak of this often."

"That makes sense, said Tox, "but what about our adventure then? Who are we fighting against? And what are they doing to be of harm? They have stayed in their own realm."

"Trust me, they plan to destroy everything." said Nate, "and the villain is someone really vile." "I have yet to see his face myself but I would assume he is quite ugly."

"You are not telling the truth, I can tell", said Tox.

"I am to!" Nate said, "you shouldn't doubt me, I have been doing this for years now." "Eventually you just get a feel for these things, especially when it's a storm brewing."

"Hmm," Tox finally says after a moment, "very well then, I'm keeping an eye on you though". Nate got up and went to the docks leaving Tox And Rik alone.

"He is not going to play it straight with us" said Tox.

"Guess not", said Rik, "you don't think he is hiding something bad do you?"

"He does not come off as double-crossing," said Tox, "but he is withholding the truth."

"Just how do you know if someone's lying anyway?" asked Rik.

"Their body movement and expressions and just what they say in general Rik" Tox said.

"So reading people?" asked Rik.

"Exactly," Tox replied. Nate comes back looking over his shoulder, there was a officer on the docks.

"We might have an issue", Nate says. The officer steps onto the ship it was the angry one that was chasing Rik before.

"Alright!" he says, "the three of you are to come with me especially the mutt over there for resisting arrest!"

"Hey! I ain't no mutt!" Rik yelled.

"Officer", Nate says, "we are visiting we will not be here for long."

"I don't care," the Angry Officer unholsters his revolver, "you are to move, now!"

"Do not point a gun at me" said Nate. The officer steps forward with his sights trained on Nate.

"Well maybe you should quit resisting arrest and come along peacefully" said The Angry Officer.

"No you are going to leave" said Nate. The Angry Officer holds his arm up to strike Nate with the pistol but Nate catches his arm and pushes him away. The Angry Officer fires and hits Nate in the shoulder. Nate retaliates by shooting the Angry Officer back, right in the area of his heart accidently killing him.

"Um, whoops, that was a reaction," Nate said meeting Tox's gaze.

"Now that was unnecessary" said Tox quite angrily. "He was just doing his job even if he was being irrational, you killed an innocent man!"

"Hey! I didn't mean to," said Nate, "he shot first and it hit."

"Nonetheless, you still killed him!" Tox fumed. Rik knew Nate done the wrong thing but he didn't want them to fight.

"I'm sure he wasn't trying to kill, Tox!" said Rik, "let's just calm down already."

"Yeah," said Nate, "it was accidental, I did not shoot to kill."

"From now on then, make sure you don't kill anyone else." Tox says with a huff. "We don't want to be portrayed as the villains after all" he adds.

"Of course," said Nate, "you got my word." Nate turns toward Grayson. "We should probably get out of here after I take care of this mess Grayson."

"Aye" says Grayson, "will yer shoulder be alright?".

"Yes it will," said Nate, "it will heal in no time". They soon leave and dock for the night elsewhere, the morning comes as Nate prepares to leave.

"Where ya goin?" asks Rik.

"To gather information, says Nate, "the marked object we seek is out there."

"So you are going to ask around for it?" asks Rik.

"No" say Nate, "I'm gonna use my gem to see if I can hone in on the location, I will know when I'm close".

"Oh, okay" said Rik, "what about us then?"

"Help out Grayson, I won't be long." Rik spends the day helping out Grayson as discreetly as possible delivering packages. He eventually picks up on information about a grand banquet this evening. What was interesting was that the head of scientific division would be there. Later Nate comes back with some news.

"Alright," said Nate, "I found the object, it's an amulet."

"Great, where is it?" asked Tox.

"Don't have it," said Nate "the lead scientist known as Vans Colter wears it." He has the insane look of a mad man, bald and has a robotic leg himself."

"And how do you know this?" questions Tox.

"He made a rare appearance today with the mayor in some kind of meeting" Nate says. Nate continues, "There were more officers than I had accounted for and was spotted, no idea what hole Vans crawled back too." Rik perks his ears up,

"Well," he said, "it's a good thing I was out and about cause I found out one of his head eggheads are attending a banquet tonight."

"Really?" said Nate, "we should be able to get a straight answer out of him."

"Yes, but how would we get into that party?" asked Tox, "we would bound to be noticed."

"I will have to sneak in" said Nate.

"I'm sneaky too y'know" said Rik, "I could help".

"Are you sure Rik?" asked Nate, "it will be a risk since you are not as agile as I am."

"Like what? Asked Rik, "climbing buildings?"

"Well, yeah" said Nate, "we will have to scope out the situation before we can come up with a plan though."

"I suppose I will stay with Grayson then," said Tox, "three's a crowd afterall."

"Indeed it is" said Nate. Dusk eventually came and the party eventually began. Nate and Rik are scoping out the scene on top of another roof. Nate noticed that all of the party members were wearing masks.

"This is perfect!" says Nate, "all I need is a nice looking tux and to tuck my tail away and I can walk right in."

"Yea, what about the invitation though?" asks Rik.

"Right, give me a sec" Nate says. He jumps down the building and grapple hooks his way into an alley. He soon returns with an invitation and wearing a tux.

"You stole that didn't you?" asked Rik.

"No," said Nate I went and made a forgery out of magic". "Of, course I stole it, don't worry I made sure to steal from the richest and most arrogant man I ever seen."

"What about the outfit?" Rik asks.

"I had a spare don't worry I didn't steal that at least." Nate says

"Okay and what about me? How will I get in?" asked Rik.

"Sneak in through a window or something" Nate says "and see if you can find anything yourself."

"Great plan" Rik says sarcastically.

"You could just stay here as look out or something," Nate says holding his hands up in a shrug.

"I'm not very good at climbing remember?" says Rik.

"Alright, I will take you over there before I go in then." Nate says. He grapple hooks towards the building of the party and drops Rik off at a vacant window. Nate then goes to mingle with the crowd. Rik could hear below just how impressed the other party members are with how realistic his mask looks. He then goes into the empty room and begins searching about. Soon Rik enters into a hallway and he notices an officer patrolling and a hanging pot plant. Rik throws a knife at the pot plants rope and drops it on the officer's head knocking him out.

"That's one less thing to worry about" Rik says as he moves on toward the next room. He Searches through many things until finally he finds a bag marked 'Dr. Enbilsel'.

"Okay that was easy," Rik says to himself as he searches through the bag. He didn't find much except for some blueprints of weapon designs and of the robot men. He seemed to like taking his work with him. Rik then leafs through a journal that describes some of the horrific processes of making a robotic man. Rik closes the journal feeling somewhat disturbed and just pockets it, could be of some use later on. Rik walks out of the room and down the hallway and eventually comes to a balcony. Even with everyone wearing a mask he sees that Nate somehow found the scientist. It's as if he can see exactly what his target is regardless if he has all the details or not. Nate seems to have convinced the scientist to follow him somehow and they disappear up another set of stairs. A nearby officer down below looks up and Rik ducks away unsure if he was seen or not. A few moments later the officer is up and in the hallway looking around. Rik was able to avoid being seen but forgot about the other unconscious officer.

"My word," exclaimed the officer, "Jerry, Jerry! Wake up Jerry!" Rik knew he had to do something. He grabbed a nearby decorative statuette off a nearby table and knocked the other officer unconscious.

"Sorry" said Rik, "but we don't need anyone to find us out yet." Rik makes his way and eventually overhears Nate interrogating the scientist. Rik enters the room and sees Nate has tied the scientist up.

"Thank you for the information" Nate says, "now just sit tight in this closet." Nate then puts some sticky look grey thing over the scientist mouth.

"What is that? Rik asks.

"Oh, hey there you are and this is duck tape by the way," Nate replies.

"Is it made from actual duck?" Rik wonders.

"No," said Nate, "it's made from sticky veggie starch known as adhesive."

"Okay I guess" Rik says, "we have a couple of knocked out officers we should get going and soon."

"Right, I got the info we need" Nate says, "you find anything?"

"I found his blueprints and a journal." Rik answers. Nate looks through the blueprints and the journal. Finally Nate says,

"This journal can be shown to the mayor if he is unaware of just what Vans is doing."

There is suddenly commotion from the hall, a guest came across the unconscious officers.

"Uh-Oh" said Rik. Nate grabs Rik by his hood and uses his grappling hook to break through a window and out onto the streets of the floating city.

"Try to keep up!" Nate shouts as they run occasionally grappling to another building when they run out of roof. They make it back to the ship and finally catch a breath.

"Grayson," Nates says, "I know where the secret base is set a course there."

"Right now?" asks Grayson.

"No we will leave tomorrow, just letting you know" Nate says.

"Good to see the mission was a success" said Tox.

"Yeah," said Rik, "it was kinda close but we did it." Suddenly Nate leaves and disappears for the next hour or so. When he comes back Tox and Rik question where he went to.

"I went to visit the mayor" Nate said, "I showed him the journal Rik found and he was horrified at what was in it."

"So what does this mean for us?" Tox questions.

"It means we should have a little less trouble around here" Nates says. "I was able to get all of us pardons. He also promises to pretend to be on working terms with Vans for now to not arouse any suspicion of betrayal from him" Nate continued.

"Wow," said Rik, "talk about convenience".

"Yep," said Nate, "we no longer need to worry about accidentally killing innocent officers of the law anymore."

"I am happy to hear that" said Tox.

"Wonderful news indeed!" Said Grayson, "it's good to know our mayor is just a dullard afterall." "I mean come on why ban casu marzu?"

"Wha?" asked Rik.

"It's cheese" said Grayson.

"Oh that's not so ba-" Rik begins before Grayson interrupts saying,

"Cheese that is rotten and molded by larva"

"Oh, no wonder; no doubt people find that gross" said Rik. "Though" Rik continues, "I would eat it if the larva did not live in your stomach or something." "Almost anything is better than goat if you ask me."

"Oh, it was safe to eat and actually kinda good" said Grayson, "It was a special delivery that costed me crew however."

"Riiiight" said Nate, "anyway we should rest, tomorrow we set out."

"Set out?' asks Tox, "you mean the secret lab is not in the city?"

"Nope," said Nate, "it's under the sea through a secret cave island."

"Of course it is," said Tox rolling his eyes. The morning eventually came and everyone prepared to travel to the secret base of Vans Colter. Soon they will head out and confront the man who took science too far…

End of Chapter 6

Chapter 7: The Fall of Vans Colter

The group sets sail out over the open sea, it's a beautiful day with hardly a cloud in sight. Rik never really knew how big the ocean really is, but it seemed to stretch forever. He watches as the sky city in the distance disappears from view, suddenly the sun is snuffed out by clouds.

"Wow, seems like we've ran into a rogue storm" says Captain Grayson.

"This storm seems unnatural," Tox says, "it appeared seemingly out of nowhere."

"Ooo, spooky," said Rik.

"Spooky indeed!" said Grayson, "we are awfully close to the Dead Man's Drink."

"That sounds clique," said Nate, "but what is it, a sea graveyard?"

"Pretty much," said Grayson, "some say it is haunted due to all the weird storms and claims of ghost ships."

"Can we just fly above the clouds?" asked Rik, "seems much safer up there."

"There is hardly any air up there" said Nate, "so no we can't." Just as the storm began to strengthen, a ship materialized from seemingly nothing rising from the sea. It harbored a skeletal crew armed with cutlasses and glowed eerily green.

"Funny," said Tox, "we were just speaking of ghost ships and here is one."

"Ha ha," said Nate, "if you couldn't tell that was bitter laughter."

"I was aware of it" Tox said. The skeletal crew then jumped aboard Grayson"s ship and began to attack.

"Their nothin but bone!" said Rik, "I got this!" Rik then slides toward a skeleton and grabs his leg bone. The skeleton comedically falls flailing. Nate meanwhile disarm one about to attack and slashes it down with his (or her?) own sword. Tox breaths sky and flings bones everywhere. Meanwhile Grayson is ducking behind the wheel hoping to be unseen. A skeleton pirate grabs him, and he frighteningly kicks the skeleton away, and the skeleton falls to pieces. They fought until the ghost ship dipped down and into the sea. Soon the clouds dissipated into the beautiful blue sky once again. The deck however was still littered with bones.

"Wait are these real bones?" Rik asks as he picks one up and gnaws on it. "It's salty but definitely a bone alright" he says.

"Strange seeing how they were quite ghostly" said Grayson.

"Yeah, it's a little weird" Rik agrees. They continued sailing on the open sea. Dolphins leapt from beneath the waves and a whale surfaces and then sinks back below.

"Well," said Nate, "should be smooth sailing here on ou-" then suddenly the ship began to cough and sputter.

"Oh dear," said Grayson, "not again, we will have to make an emergency landing to the water." The ship is steered gently to ride the ocean waves.

"Um, you were saying Nate?" Rik asks.

"Not now Rik" Nate replies, "just bad timing, nothing to do with me, I don't believe in jinxing."

"Even if it was coincidence you should have just said nothing" said Tox. Grayson spent the next several hours fixing the ship's problem, Nate tried to help out as best he could. Eventually they were able to get the ship running again but at this point dusk was near. Grayson agreed to fly until he could not see anymore before landing in the water again and throwing the anchor. Grayson finally docks the ship when he can see no more and calls it a night. Hours later Rik is laying hands folded behind his head on the top bunk while Tox lies on the bottom. Rik hangs upside down from his bunk and says,

"Hey Tox, whatcha reading?"

"It's a book about how these airships work" Tox says. "It is quite fascinating how magic is used as a form of power to help ignite the steam engines as well as power multiple light sources and devices on the airship" he claims reading on.

"Oh, cool I guess," Rik said.

"You should stop hanging from the bunk like that," Tox says. "You are going to fall down."

"What nah, I have good grip" Rik says. And then as if on cue Rik fall onto the quarters floor.

"Ow, my snout!" Rik said holding his muzzle.

"Can't say I didn't warn you," Tox said with a amused smile.

"I did it to be funny" Rik said, "seriously just wanted to uh, make you laugh, yeah."

"I'm sure you did, Rik" Tox said, "we should get some rest, tomorrow is going to be quite the day I'm sure." The night passes and the morning comes, Rik wakes up and notices it's quite late in the morning.

"Felt like I slept longer than I have in over a year now" Rik says to himself getting up. Rik walks onto the deck and sees Tox looking off into the distance on the side of the ship.

"Good mornin Tox" Rik says.

"Good morning Rik." says Tox, "you slept pretty well."

"Yeah, it's been awhile since I had a rest for that long" Rik says.

"Clearly, we should be almost at our destination now" Tox said.

"Already?" asks Rik, "better get ready to go then." Rik then says good morning to Grayson and Nate and Nate states his plan,

"We are gonna go in there and make sure we do not harm any scientists and then force Vans to surrender."

"Great plan" Rik says a bit sarcastic, "too bad it's a blind stab in the dark at just what we will be up against."

"I'm sure we will be fine," Nate says, "after all I am unstoppable."

"Yeah," says Grayson, "sure hope that holds true cause I am about as durable as a crumblin danish pastry!" Eventually they arrive at the island, the three of them exit but Grayson stayed.

"I am sorry boys" Grayson said, "but this vessel is all I got left, I refuse to leave her side."

"It's alright we understand" said Nate.

"I do not blame him," Tox said, "it is not like he asked to get tied up in our affairs."

"Still" said Rik, "we are at a deserted island no one knows about, I think he's just too afraid."

"Perhaps," Nate said, "but if he doesn't want to go we can't just force him".

They make their way along the beach of the island. Nate looked trying to see just where the secret entrance could be.

"Found it yet?" asked Rik, shaking a crab that has latched on his tail off.

"Nope, working on it though," Nate replies. He walked down the cliff face and eventually comes across some rock that looked a bit out of place. He hits a secret switch and the entrance opens up.

"Found it" Nate said, "stay alert everyone." They walked down the eerily lit passage and eventually come across a trolley system.

"Oh hey," said Rik, "this place has one of them fancy cart rides the city had."

"Well, yeah" Nate said "considering how far under the facility must be it's not too surprising." They ride the trolley into the depths and eventually the underwater hideout is visible, a lot of it was glass for ocean viewing. Tox sees a robotic man in the distance slink out of sight as they arrive.

"We might be expected" Tox says, "one of them saw us arriving".

"Good" said Nate, "let them try to stop us." They enter out of the trolley docking and take a nearby elevator down to a division of the laboratory. They exit the elevator and into a facility of scientists tuning up Robotic Men.

"All of you!" shouted Nate, "we are here for Vans, we would like to talk to him, where is he?"

"I am right here" said Vans, "you have quite the audacity to intrude my lab".

"We're just here for the amulet, said Nate, "just give that to us we will leave and never return."

"A tempting offer" said Vans "but I feel it would be more satisfactory to dissect you and your little friends." Then suddenly a Robotic Man came to life behind Nate and hit him across the room. Before Rik had a chance to react Vans threw something emitting gas and before Rik knew it he was unconscious. Rik woke up, and he was floating,

"What where am I?" Rik asked bewildered. He was in space and before him he saw floating chunks of world and relics from seemingly other worlds. He looks behind him to see a vast number of universes stretching before his eye and then it all begins to fade away. Rik wakes up again this time in reality bound to what seemed be an operating table. And in the room there was two robotic men standing as guards and Dr. Vans Colter himself.

"I have a bad feeling about this" Rik says.

"As you should my specimen" Vans says.

"Yeah and why is that?" Rik asks.

"Because," said Vans, "you are going to be my very first robotic beast."

"Yeah I don't think so" Rik says.

"Resist all you like," said Vans, "but your fate.. is sealed".

Rik looks around trying to think of a way to possibly escape. He notices that the room has a lot of equipment that seems out of place for the time period.

"Er, what is the weird lookin stuff you have here?" Rik asks.

"Well," said Vans, "no harm in telling you since I will soon be purging you of all your memories." Vans continues, "I am actually from the future." "I came to the past with my advanced robotics knowledge and improved steam engineering with futuristic modifications." "And by introducing these creations to the public I will earn their trust and when they least expect it take over the world with my cyborg army!" If Rik could keep him blabbering he may have time to figure out a way to escape.

"How did you get to the past then?" asked Rik.

"Simple" said Vans, "I found one of the legend tears of the universe." "Using my technology I created a device to open a rift between worlds aiding my soon to be domination of this planet."

"So how's that been going?" Rik asks.

"According to plan so far," said Vans. "With the mayor's trust I have been able t- wait, you are just making me stall at this point."

"Uh, stalling?" said Rik playing dumb.

"Yes," said Vans, "you are stalling, delaying the inevitable."

"So…" said Rik, "you say I… am stalling?"

"Stalling! Yes you irritable flea bitten canine!" yelled Vans, "I know you cannot be that much of an imbecile!"

"Yes doctor?" said Dr. Enbisel standing nearby.

"Oh hey, it's you again," said Rik, "sup?".

"You shut up! And you, I did not call you!" Vans screeched, "the games end now! And your operation.. begins!"

Suddenly there is commotion outside the door.

"What is that?" asks Vans. Nate bursts through the door holding what looked to Rik two fast shooting guns. Nate crosses his arms upon entering and shoots up both of the robotic men guarding. They fall to the floor and Nate drops the weapons and draws his sword towards Vans.

"Wha- how?" asked Vans shocked, "I sent you to the future!"

"You are not the only one with time manipulation" says Nate. "It's the end of the road, surrender!" Vans drops a smoke bomb and makes a mad dash before Nate could finish him.

"He's getting away!" Rik shouted.

"Forget him for now, we still need to find Tox" Nate says. Then suddenly Tox appears in front of Nate.

"There you two are." Tox says.

"Tox, where have you been?" asks Nate.

"Lost, this place is quite large" Tox replies, "and it did not help with every location looking the same."

"Well I'm glad you found us," said Rik, "that sure made things a bit easier." Rik looks at his bound hands,

"Uh, anyone gonna help me out here?"

"Oh, right" said Nate, he stabs the electronic looking device on the table and Rik is freed from the crude looking table.

"Uh, what about me?" said Dr. Enbisel, "I'm free to go right?"

"Yeah" said Nate, "whatever just get out of here." They exit the room and search for the mad doctor. The corridor was filled with terrified scientists fleeing, and Robotic Men charging to stop the trio.

"Alright," said Nate, "I will handle the ones with chain gun mounted arms".

"Sounds good, I will focus on the guys with just fists then" Rik says.

"I can help with either" says Tox.

"Okay let's do this!" Nate shouts as he takes out two pistols and began to open fire. Rik throws knifes and occasionally throws some electrically charged ones that chain, it's quite effective. Tox teleports literally every couple of seconds attacking with elements of fire since the last thing he ate had a little bit of spice. Nate eventually starts slashing with his sword when a Robotic Man charged him. Rik ended up face to face with one dodging punches. He gets behind him and starts stabbing at what looked to be an important piece of machine on the back of him. The Robot Man collapses, Rik looks over at Tox and sees he is about to get blindsided,

"Tox behind you!" he shouts chucking a knife. It hits and stuns the machine man long enough for Tox to blast him.

"Thank you Rik" Tox says as the battle begins to end Nate pushes a Robot Man off his sword with his foot.

"Okay, that wasn't too bad," Nate said, "let's continue on." They enter the next room to see a Robotic Man with a hand mounted device.

"That one has a rocket launcher!" said Nate, "get down now!" Rik was not going to ask questions and he did as Nate said. The rocket flies over head and explodes the glass allowing water to flood the room.

"Water breach detected" said a robotic voice from seemingly nowhere. The doors were beginning to seal, and realizing this they made a mad dash for the exit. Rik noticed that the water essentially killed the Robot Man. Eventually they find the Vans Colter in what looked like a main control room.

"Alright Vans this has gone on long enough." Nate said. "Just give us the amulet and we will leave."

"Uh, we can't just leave if he gives it up" said Rik. "He literally told me he is trying to take over the world."

"I know" said Nate in a low whisper. "I just want to make sure we get the amulet before we try anything." Vans Colter takes out to what looked to Rik a bigger version of a fast shooting gun and shouts,

"The Colter family never surrenders and I do not intend to be the first!" Vans opens fire and Rik and Nate takes cover while Tox just teleports. Nate jumps out of cover emitting a shield from his bracer blocking the firing projectiles. He rushes and slashes at Vans with his blade. Vans counter-reacts with a knife and pushed Nate back and threw some more of the obnoxious gas. Rik blacked out and when he regained his consciousness Nate was finishing off a robot man with Tox behind him ready to finish off Vans.

"Aw man," Rik said, "why does smokey things always put me down and out?"

"Rik, I'm glad to see you are okay" Tox says. Suddenly Vans hits a switch on a nearby panel and throws down some smoke to escape,

"Self-destruct in 3 minutes" The robotic voice says. Vans shouted as he ran,

"I always asked myself why I bothered installing a self-destruct, and now I know why!" "I will be out of here in an escape pod while you all die!"

"We need to move quick!" Nate says.

"Don't need to tell me twice!" Rik says. They all run as the place counts down to self-destruct.

"For an old scientist he runs quite quickly" Tox remarks as they ran. When they get to the escape pods Vans is already gone and there were tons of scientists.

"Come on!" shouted Nate, "everyone climb in one quickly now!" He helps nearly all of them escape meanwhile Rik is keeping an ear out for the countdown. Finally with less than 30 seconds Rik shouts,

"Guys time to go, now!" The trio climb into a pod with other scientists and escapes as the whole laboratory explodes.

"Whoa," said Rik, watching the place explode and crumble. "That was kinda cool, I hope everyone was able to escape."

"Same here", said Nate, "Vans will have nowhere to run and hide once we get back up there." They emerge on the surface and there are now dozens of scientist strewn about on the beach.

"Where is Vans?" Nate asked. Then they heard Captain Grayson screaming,

"Ah! What are you doing?! Leave me alone!" The trio runs to see that Vans Colter in a last ditch effort was trying to hijack the airship.

"Okay," said Nate, "now it's over just give up will ya?" Vans pinned Grayson's arm behind his back and points a gun to his head.

"Of course he would do that" Tox says.

"Now" Vans said, "make a move and I blow his head off!" Rik was unsure what to do, he did not dare to move. However Nate looks at Tox and nods, they both teleport behind Vans. Nate grabs at the gun while Tox teleports back to Rik's side bringing Grayson to safety. Nate wrestles with Vans trying to point the gun towards him as Vans wrestles to shoot Nate. They eventually fall over the side of the airship and into the water. Soon after a moment Nate emerges from the water amulet in hand.

"Where is Vans?" asked Rik. "Did ya finished him?"

"Yeah," said Nate, "it's over let's go."

"Thank goodness" said Grayson, "and look at these science fellows, we should give them a ride back huh?"

"It's better than leaving them here." said Nate. And so after loading up all of the refugee scientists, they set sail back to Skyhaven. Upon their arrival the mayor is waiting to meet them. Upon hearing of Vans Colter's intentions the mayor was happy to hear he has met his end. They celebrated as the people of the city claim them to be heros.

"You hear that Tox? We're heros!" said Rik.

"I am no hero Rik, I could never even consider it." Tox replies.

"Aw don't be like that," Rik said, "what you done is in the past now, you should stop thinkin about it."

"Perhaps," Tox says, "but you know what they say about those who forget the past."

"Uhm, right", Rik said, "let's just eat some food already, I'm starving!" After a lovely celebration they bid everyone goodbye and thanked Captain Grayson for his services. They teleport in a ball of light back to the Underworld Dimension. It was the same routine as last time. Doom Slayer does what he does and rips and tears the demons and they go up to the gate. The sigil on the amulet matches with the seal perfectly and another one is broke.

"We are half-way now," said Nate. "This is going better than I thought it would."

Rik feels weird vibrations coming from the gem again but ignores it for the moment. "Alright everyone" Nate says, "hold on to your tails we are going to the next world." They teleport away in a ball of light and before Rik knew it he was in yet another world. He still cannot get used to that strange sensation of teleporting as he trains to focus his eyes. He looks around and the first thing he sees is a giant carrot with big googly eyes hopping around.

"Where are we?" Rik asks.

"Right now we are in Spiral Mountain" Nate says. Some bear and bird lives here as well as a witch, at least she used too I think." The mentioned bear and bird approach, they must have seen the flashing light out their window.

"Well speaking of which" Tox said, "there they are…"

End of Chapter 7

Chapter 8: Somewhere in the Multiverse

The Bird seems to be in the Bear's backpack, they both approach.

"Whoa," said The Bear, "that was some light show!"

"Greetings" said Nate, "I'm Nate, and these fellows are Tox and Rik."

"Nice to meet you," said the bear, "I'm Banjo and this is Kazooie."

"So how does that bird fit in your bag?" Rik asks.

"Cause I'm alot thinner than you think mutt face!" Kazooie shouted.

"Kazooie!" Banjo yelled.

"That's kinda rude," said Rik, "I was just sayin the bag looks kinda small that's all." Suddenly the giant boulder nearby begins to move a bit. And a voice says,

"Who is there? That does not sound like that bear and bird, come on what is the word?" "I cannot see since from under this boulder I cannot set myself free."

"Who is that speaking in rhyme from under the boulder?" asked Tox

"It's that hag," Kazooie, "the evil witch Grunty that snatched Banjo's sister so we beat her up and that was the result." Grunty begins to speak again,

"I wanted to be pretty! Now under this boulder I remain what a pitty…"

"Well actually," said Banjo, "the jinjos defeated Grunty, and speaking of Tooty anyone seen a blond little bear girl around?"

"Nope" said Nate. "We have not, sorry."

"Perhaps she's in Grunty's lair, dunno where else she would be."

"Seeing that's the only other place to go can we tag along?" asked Nate.

"What? Why should we? We hardly know you fox trot!" said Kazooie.

"Now that is unnecessary," said Tox, "any chance you can speak to us without petty insults?"

"Not a chance lizard breath!" Kazooie says.

"It was worth a try" Tox says to himself a little exasperated.

"We are searching for something," said Nate, "I will explain on the way if you will let us join."

So they tag along with the strange duo and Nate explains what they are doing as they walk into the witch's lair. Rik felt the weird vibrations coming from his pocket again. He broke off from the group without them noticing and went to a different room. Taking the gem out he looked into it and saw many different worlds. Before he knew it he was off in a ball of light and Rik was not prepared for it. Rik arrives to an unknown world feeling sick and really dizzy, he shakes it off and looks around. He seemed to be in a forestry area outside some kind of wall.

"Oh no," Rik said to himself. "No, no, no I am lost in another world all by myself? This can't be happening."

"My, my dear boy" said a voice behind him, "you look quite distraught, perhaps I could be of assistance?" Rik turns around to see a nicely dressed bear with a monocle holding a huge sack with a image of a gem.

"Uh, who are you?" Rik asks.

"I am Moneybags," the Bear said, "and I noticed you have quite the beauty of a gem there."

"Yeah? What of it?" asked Rik.

"I was thinking you would like to purchase some information" Moneybags said.

"Information about where I am?" asked Rik. "I could go ask anyone around here for that you know."

"Well, I suppose that is true." Moneybags says. Then a small purple dragon came around from the entrance of the wall.

"Hey Moneybags! I thought I told you to get lost!" the Dragon said.

"Oh, Spyro!" said Moneybags, "you still harbor resentment for me do you?"

"You keep trying to scam everyone!" said Spyro. "If I were you I would get out of here, the other dragons wouldn't be too happy to see you again."

"Drat" said Moneybags, "I should be getting back to working on my haiku anyway."

"Right, have fun with that I guess." said Spyro. "Anyway sorry about that, I'm Spyro and this is my dragonfly Sparx, what brings you to the Dragon Realms?"

"Well, I accidently came here" Rik said. "This gem brought me here." Rik shows Spyro the gem.

"Wow, never seen anything like it," said Spyro.

"Viiviiv!' said Sparx.

"It is very rare gem, or so I'm told" Rik says.

"Well follow me" said Spyro, "Bianca might know something, she's a sorceress."

"Why do you think that?" asked Rik.

"Dunno, blind guess really" Spyro replies. Rik follows Spyro and he sees dragons everywhere, including all the baby ones. The baby dragons swarmed Rik scratching him and nipping hopping he would play with them.

"Hey back off!" said Rik.

"Guys I don't think he wants to play," said Spyro, "be good and leave him be for your uncle Spyro alright?"

"Aww alright" one of the baby dragons sighed and they let Rik have room.

"Seems like you guys have a handful with all the little dragons" Rik said.

"Yeah," said Spyro, "anyway my friends Hunter and Bianca are up ahead." To Rik, Hunter looked to be some form of cat and Bianca was a rabbit girl.

"Hey Spyro!" said Hunter, "Who is your new friend there?"

"I'm Rik," Rik says.

"He's lost" said Spyro, "that gem brought him here from another world."

"Even beyond the portals?" Bianca asks.

"Yeah," said Spyro, "would you know anything about that gem?"

"Um, no sorry," said Bianca, "however if it brought you here it can bring you elsewhere."

"I don't want to get even more lost." said Rik

"Look at it this way," said Bianca, "you are lost among infinite amounts of worlds right?"

"Yeah I guess" said Rik

"Well," said Bianca, "you can't get any more lost than you are now then".

"So I should just try and do what I did again and go to another world?" asks Rik.

"Yeah" said Bianca, "It's really your only hope."

"Well," said Hunter, "if you are gonna leave now good-bye and good luck!"

"Yes, best of luck" said Bianca.

"See you again maybe?" asked Spyro.

"Doubt it" said Rik, "but thanks and goodbye". Rik takes out the gem and looks at it, he sees the many worlds again and he is off. When he arrived to the next world it was dark and he could not see.

"Wow, it is way too dark here" Rik says to himself. He blindly stumbles a bit and finds a dresser with some matches. Rik lights one and looks around and sees a terrifying monster standing right behind him. It was a monster that had seemingly buggy eyes and its jaw hung down to its chest like a bib. Rik ran away as his head began to ache and his vision blurred. It was as if merely looking at the monster had poisoned his brain.

"I need to get out of here now!" Rik shouted as he pulled out the gem again. He looks into it sees another universe and teleports. He arrives and once again it is dark as can be, he lights another match. Looking up at what is in front of him it looked like robotic animals, really creepy looking too.

"Um, next world it is!" Riks says as he uses the gem again to escape the world and warp into the next. Arriving to the next world he sees he is in a city made of metal.

"Wow," said Rik, "that is a lot of metal." He is approached by a guard in metal looking armor but not like a knight's armor.

"You!" shouted the guard, "stop right there!"

"What?" Rik asks.

"Do you know what caused that light?" the Guard asked.

"Uh, nope, no clue" Rik says.

"Very well then" the guard says and moves on. However Rik did catch the attention of a particular duo nearby.

"That was quite the light show!" shouted the orange looking weasel.

"Yeah right? Crazy" Rik replies.

"There's no pretending we saw the whole thing" the guy with the yellowish green hair and pointed ears said.

"Oh, you did?" asked Rik, "well don't worry I am leaving".

"Hold on a second!" said the Weasel, "I recognized that light y'know". Suddenly Rik remembers that Nate mentioned him before.

"Hey," Rik said, "you must be the orange obnoxious weasel Nate mentioned."

"What?!" exclaimed the Weasel, "he said that? I am an Ottsel for your information buddy!"

"Well," Rik said "he said obnoxious looking weasel, anyhow what's ya names?"

"I am Daxter and this is Jak" Daxter says pointing down at Jak.

"Right I'm Rik" Rik says.

"Hey, we should have Keria look at that gem for you" Jak says.

"Why is that?" asked Rik

"Well it's how I got lost!" Daxter said, "she knows a bit about it."

"Okay" Rik says, "hopefully she will help me out on getting back to the world I was in." They go to a building made of metal in the city somewhere. Rik meets Keria and shows her the gem and to her surprise this gem was vastly different.

"It seems these gems are not all made the same" Keria said.

"What?" asked Rik "why is that?"

"It's hard to explain," Keria said "but looks as if each one was crafted by someone else." Daxter grabs the gem and says,

"I remember using this thing how different can it be?"

"Dax, don't do what you did last time" Jak said.

"Don't worry I wouldn't do that again" Daxter said.

"Hey just give it back" said Rik, "if you guys can't help me I should just keep going."

"Hey careful!" Daxter shouts and in a flash both him and Rik were gone. They both crashed down to another world in a ball of light. When Rik regains his vision it was meeting the ottsel's angry gaze. And his anger was hotter than the desert they found themselves in.

"Um, whoops" Rik said.

"Seriously?!" Daxter exclaimed. "Now we are both lost, I told you to be careful!"

"Hey stop yelling you loud mouth" Rik said.

"Well maybe you should have waited until I was out of the way mutt face!" Daxter shouted angrily.

"Oh yeah, I haven't heard that one before!" Rik shouted back. "Quit it okay? We all make mistakes, I just need to go back the way I came."

"You remember what world you went to right?" Daxter asked.

"Yeah, it was this one?" They teleported away again and this time they were in a kingdom full of candy people.

"Whoa," Rik said, "think we would get thrown in the dungeon for just tasting them?"

"Probably" said Daxter, "wrong world so let's get going before you do something you will regret." Another teleportation later and they find themselves in another world. It was a small town with smiling people everywhere.

"Wrong again!" Daxter said. A man walks up towards the two and begins to speak,

"Hello my name is John my fellows, are you lost I could help you at no cost!"

"Are you rhyming?" asked Rik.

"Yes," said John "it is no guess, everyone, everywhere rhymes in all sorts of kinds."

"That's silly, how do you even think that stuff up so quickly?" asked Daxter.

"Easily and naturally," said John, " it is in our nature as well in our literature, we always rhyme forever cause we like to sound quite clever!"

"Well we will leave you to that then" Daxter said, "let's go mutt face!"

"I told you to not call me that!" Rik said annoyed.

"No you didn't" Daxter said.

"Well I'm telling you now, quit it" Rik said.

They then take off and into another world and in front of some guy wearing some blue jumpsuit. And they were amongst some ruins of a building that was blown out.

"What in the heck are you things? Mutated animals?" asked the Man.

"No we ain't no mutated freaks!" said Daxter.

"Yeah" said Rik, "we are travelers from another world".

"Oh, okay.. I guess" said the Man. "At least you didn't wake that deathclaw up over there." Rik looks at the creature and notices it was a giant lizard creature, with deadly looking claws hence the beasts name.

"Yeah it is a good thing we didn't" Rik said. Some rubble loosens from the ceiling and lands on Daxter's tail.

"Ouch!" Daxter shouts, there is then a roar as the deathclaw rises from it's slumber angrily.

"Oh for fu-" the man shouts as Daxter and Rik teleports away as quickly as possible. They then arrive at another world full of people in a town. A man walks up and says,

"Uh-ah-huh-ah-uh-ah-uh"

"Uh, what?" asked Rik.

"Uh-huh-ha-uh-hmm-ha-oh-aaa" the Strange Man said.

"Okay that's it!" Daxter shouted, "give me that gem already!"

"What? Hey don't-" Rik says as they teleport again and this time back in Keira's workshop."

"Yes!" Daxter shouted, "I'm back, phew!"

"Glad you weren't missing for months this time" Jak said.

"Yeah sorry about that" Rik said.

"No worries" said Keira, "it was an accident after all."

"Yeah and uh, no hard feelings okay Rik?" Daxter asked.

"No problem" Rik said.

"Try to imagine where you need to go" said Keira, "I don't know how much that will help but good luck!"

"Alright, I could try that, goodbye!" Rik says.

Rik then teleports away to another world just unsure where he would end up next. When he arrives he notices that the architecture is quite nice looking. A minstrel starts bugging him singing about how he is strange dog person.

"Get outta here" Rik says "I don't need that." Then suddenly a thief steals Rik's gem and begins climbing up a building.

"Hey you can't take that!" Rik shouts. Then another cloaked figure wearing red and white robes charged after the thief.

"Great someone else trying to steal my gem" Rik says to himself. He runs up to what seems to be a bunch of crates being held up by ropes. Riks slashes the rope and grabs on as he is hoisted up to the roof top. He begins to pursuit them but then comes to a point that was beyond his ability to jump. He attempted the jump anyway and came crashing down on a veggie and fruits stall frightening the owner.

"I uh, am sorry, yeah sorry I will just go" Rik stammers. Rik feels like his luck has run out and just as he began to walk away he sees the cloaked figure approaching him.

"Here" he said, "thought you would be wanting this back."

"Wow, thanks Mr?" Rik asks.

"Ezio," the cloaked man said "and it was no problem mio amico" and then he disappeared up and over another wall. Rik gazes over at the wall he climbed over for a moment then teleports to another world. Rik arrives to another world to be met by some strangers in the middle of some sciency facility unfamiliar to Rik.

"My, My!" said a Crazy Looking Man, "did this creature just teleport from another world?" "I do wonder what possibilities lie in those other worlds" he continued.

"I must be drunk!" said the Drunk Man. "I see man with dog face!"

"That's because it is a dog man Nikolai" said the Crazy Looking Man.

"Dog? Looks more akin to a kitsune to me or as the american would say, 'a fox'" said the Man with the Sword.

"Same difference Takeo, a curious specimen he is netherless" said The Crazy Man.

"Hey!" yelled the Angry Looking Man, "there's more freakbags heading our way!"

"Ah yes more of the.. Dead, I am well aware Dempsey" said The Crazy Man.

"Well get your head out of you ass and get killing Richtofen!" Dempsey shouted. Rik is stricken with confusion for a moment and asks,

"Wait, what are freakbags?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Richtofen said, "the dead.. Zombies! Ahahaha, beautiful isn't it?"

"Um, no" Riks says

"Oh shame," said Richtofen, "I usually am the only one to see the beauty in death itself."

"Yeah he's a freak that's why I hate him" said Dempsey shooting at a hoard of zombies.

"I shoot much better drunk!" yelled Nikolai, "I need more vodka!"

"Trust me pal, I think you had about enough" Rik said. Rik notices that zombies were behind him, he could leave now but he decided to help out first. Rik took out some throwing knives and aimed for the head cause Dempsey said that would be the best way to take em down. Eventually Rik charged a knife to chain lightning and it was very effective.

"Ooo," said Richtofen, "who needs the wunderwaffe when you have an electric canine of death?" Eventually the numbers dwindled and Rik decided it was time to move on.

"Alright gotta go" Rik said, "good bye and good luck" and then he teleported away to another universe. Rik then found himself in a realm that is all white, Rik looks around frantically trying to see where the voice is coming fr-

*record scratch*

Rik: What? Why are you literally saying everything I'm doing?

Narrator: *Angrily* Oh great now you have done it, the story changed from a novel to a manuscript.

Rik: *confused* I uh, what?

Narrator: You cannot keep a novel format if you talk to the narrator, I cannot narrate on myself that would be silly!

Rik: Wait, so I'm not real then?

Narrator: *concerned* What? Of course you are real, in this world you can just hear your own personal narrator.. for some reason.

Rik: Oh, that doesn't make sense.

Narrator: Neither does this premise mostly, I mean how does a gem take you to other worlds?

Rik: *shrugs* I dunno, it just works I guess.

Narrator: Yes I suppose it just does, every answer to every plot hole would just leave more plot holes. You would go crazy before solving anything

Rik: Yeah, so do you live in my head or..?

Narrator: Well something like that I suppose but we really should get back on track here don't you think?

Rik: Yeah I guess so.

Narrator: Guess so indeed and do not worry about this revelation because your memory will be wiped of this conversation upon exit.

Rik: Wait what? Why?

Narrator: I don't know! I'm just reading the script here.

Rik: But didn't you say I was real? Why is there a script?

Narrator: *annoyed* It's complicated, please just take your leave already

Rik: Alright fine, sheesh.

Rik then takes the gem and leaves. As he does everything returns to the format that it should be and his adventure carries on.

"Whoa" Rik said, "what happened in the last world?" "Did I even visit another world before this one? Ah whatever where am I now anyhow?" This time he was in The Middle of Nowhere, at least that is what the sign said.

"The Middle of Nowhere, sounds about right" Rik says to himself walking along. He sees a farm house off in the distance and a purple dog digging a hole. Rik approaches eagerly hoping to help out, it's been too long since he was able to make a good burrow.

"Hello there!" Rik said.

"Aroo?" The Purple Dog said in response

"I am Rik," Rik said, "you have a pretty decent hole goin here, need any help?"

"I'm Courage" said the Dog, "I guess I could use some help".

"Great, being a Kobold I am a master at burrowing" Rik said. "Whatcha diggin for anyway?" Courage just shrugs and just keeps digging. To Rik's surprise the dog was really quick at digging. He even began digging through solid rock and eventually he falls face first into a ravine. *Thwack!*

"Ahahahaa" Courage laughs but is obviously in pain.

"Ooh. that gotta hurt" said Rik, "hold on I will getcha." Rik goes into the farmhouse and sees an old couple.

"Hey your dog kinda fell into a ravine got any rope?" Rik asks.

"Oh no poor Courage, I hope he's alright" said the Old Lady with mashed potato looking hair.

"Bah he's fine, don't need no stinkin rope" said the Crabby Old Man wearing a cap.

"Eustace!" yelled The Old Lady hitting him with a rolling pin. *Smack*

"Ow! What did I do?" Eustace said rubbing his head. "Alright, the rope is in the basement."

"Thanks" Rik said, he quickly gets the rope and goes to aid Courage. Rik uses the rope to safely descend into the ravine. He finds Courage looking at what seems to be a strange artifact. He notices that a sigil begins to pulsate off of it. Rik says,

"Wow, I think I just found the fourth sigil marked object by accident". "What are even the odds of that?" Courage just shrugs unsure, he clearly does not understand what any of that meant. Rik somehow makes the object disappear into the gem. He was not sure how he did that or how he will get it back out. But at least it is in safe keeping unless he loses the gem itself. Rik looks at Courage and asks,

"How come you won't talk again? You were talking before."

"Well, I usually don't talk very much" said Courage. "Fluent sentences take effort y'know, especially for a dog."

"Alright well let's go then," said Rik, a spider suddenly descends from the darkness. Courage screams,

"AAAAAH" and freaks out in a very cartoonish manner Rik has never seen. Then Rik takes out some throwing knives and quickly dispatches the arachnid.

"Phew!" Courage says.

"Yeah, no problem" Rik says, "I'm good at fighting." They climb up the rope and back onto the surface.

"Well thanks for helping me find this" Rik said.

"No problem" Courage replies and after the two said goodbye Rik teleports to the next world hoping he has the right one. He arrives to the next world and notices that he is in a jungly location. Before he could begin to look around Melanie appears once again. Rik is unsure what she wants, but he knows that it may be important…

End of Chapter 8

Chapter 9: The Plane of Non-Existence

Melanie was just there floating Rik walks up to her.

"Hi again" he said.

"Yes" Melanie replied, "hello Rik you are not supposed to be here".

"I know" said Rik, "I've been trying to get back with the others".

"No Rik" Melanie said, "you are on the right path only you are lost." "You embarked on your journey a little sooner than expected however." Rik is a little confused and wonders out loud,

"What does that mean?"

"Leave this world" Melanie said. "Leave and enter the realm considered the edge of the multiverse". "Enter the The Plane of Non-Existence, I have something to show you". She then fades away and Rik is left confused.

"Okay then" Rik said, "wait what is considered the edge? That is isn't really enough to go on, guess I just have to get lucky". Rik then hears some commotion amongst the jungle brush.

"Gah! Crash you imbecile!" said one voice.

"Geah yabababa!" Sputtered Crash.

"(Gasps) How dare you say that about mother!" Said the other voice. "I will make you pay for that!" Rik comes out from the brush and says,

"Uh, what even?"

"What?" Said the short big headed scientist. "Have you never seen an mad scientist and and an imbecile of a marsupial argue before?"

"No" said Rik, "can't say I have".

"Oh" said the scientist, "my bad then, I am Dr. Neo Cortex by the way. "I am recruiting just an fyi I have business cards!" Crash makes a face as if he wanted to say something in disgust.

"No thanks," Rik said, "I'm good, and leaving in fact, you good here.. Crash?" Crash gives a thumbs up and pushes Cortex so he falls over a log.

"Ah! Hey!" Screamed Cortex and the two fight in a literal cloud of dust. Rik shrugs and says,

"Well I guess I'll leave now then." Rik teleports away in search for the edge of something that possibly does not exist. Rik arrives in the next world in front of what seemed like a bank. Rik looks around and notices that the bridge leading to the entrance was out.

"Well maybe there's another way" Rik says surveying the area and notices that there is a passway nearby. He walks down and up the passageway and emerges from what looked to be the remains of a lighthouse.

"What is with the lighthouse?" Rik wonders out loud, "there's no sea 'round here." Rik walks down the path and up a hill where there are giant beetles. They looked cartoonish and a bit dumb.

"Oi, wat do ya reckon he's doin?" said the Giant Dung Beetle.

"I dunno maybe he's jest lost" said the Second Beetle. "Recken we give em a good ol bloody slap?"

"Yeh sure, only if he comes near here though" said the First Beetle. Rik begins to walk up the hill and the beetles flew in to attack, Rik is quick and hits a beetle with a knife.

"Oh S &%, Jerry! Okay you win I'm F&% out here!" the Beetle yelled in terror as he fled.

"That guy had some colorful words" Rik said as he sheathed his knives and continued along his way. Rik eventually walked up to a point that smelled absolutely horrendous.

"Geck!" Rik said, "Nope not goin that way, what a stench! Heh, and I thought Syx smelled bad!" He turned heel and went the opposite direction and towards the other pathway to what seemed like a giant barn. There were sentient blocks of metal hopping about and a bee with a sunflower that had giant- well never mind. Rik looked around a bit and saw that there was no way to go but back.

"Wonder where I am even going" Rik says to himself. He walks back towards a spiral path going up. He is then stopped by a queen bee asking if he seen her husband.

"Um yeah I think so." Rik said, "he might of been the bee with that sunflower with th-"

The queen just started crying,

"Oh I knew it, we are through I'm telling you! Through!" Rik wonders if it would have been better to not say where he was but then again it would have been wrong to lie. He walks up the spiral path and exits onto a bridge over a waterfall. He crosses the giant bridge and eventually realizes that the gaps between ledges were too far for him to leap. So he took a dive into the water below and swam towards a little island. He looks around and realises that there is nowhere else to go. He then hears a voice talking to him,

"Hey, you there, fox erhm.. No, no.. uhh dog?"

"Kobold," Rik said, "and my name is Rik."

"Ahh okay, I am Birdeeh."

"Beardy?"asks Rik, "you ain't got a beard."

"Ugh no, Birdy, I scares birds."

"Oh, right, anyhow what?" Rik says.

"There is passage," Birdy said, "wondered how strangers got here and it turns out there's.. secret passage, lever behind bush there". Rik finds the lever and pulls it and it opens up the path.

"Hey thanks for the tip!" Rik says.

"No problem if ya can, repay me with mepsipax."

"Uh sure, I will get on it." Rik said and he walks down the passage. Eventually the passage transcended into a sewer system of some sort and it smelled.

"Where's the exit already?" Rik asks himself as he continued walking. Eventually he found a ladder, Rik climbs it and removes the sewer cover to find he is in a town of some kind. A couple of grey squirrels looked at him wondering what he was doing down in the sewers no doubt.

"G'day" Rik says and walks down the street and towards what looked like a pub. He enters the place and looks around eventually he asks the bartender,

"Anything good?" The Bartender was a big squirrel with some muscle, he wrinkles his nose and says to Rik,

"You smell a bit y'know."

"Yeah I'm sure I do" Rik said.

"Well got any money?" No money, no service" the Bartender said. Rik takes the gem out of his pocket and fumbles for some coin.

"Will this do?" he asks. The bartender looks at the coins,

"Uh, what is that?" he asks.

"Some gold I happened to have from a while back" Rik says.

"My apologies, but we don't accept gold coins" said the Bartender.

"Okay guess I will go th-" Rik began before a red squirrel interrupted.

"Now, hold on a sec" he said. "I got yer tab, here give him a drink will ya?"

"Thanks" said Rik, "who are you?"

"I'm Conker," said the squirrel, "and I only did that to get your attention, anyhow what's your name?"

"I'm Rik," Rik replied, "and why did you want my attention?"

"Sit down have a mug or two first" Conker said. "Afterwards come with me to my house, I may know a thing or two about that gem you have there." Rik then remembers that Nate has talked about Conker before, Rik wonders if he really could help. The two of them share a drink and Rik tells Conker about his journey so far. They finish up and began walking to Conker's home. Conker tells Rik about his Bad Fur Day and how he eventually became a king.

"Wow," Rik said, "you were a king?" "What did you do to no longer be the king though?"

"Well I didn't know how to be one first of all" Conker said. "I threw parties with lots of booze and women and kinda ignored any real problems."

"Oh, so they kicked you out then?" Rik asked.

"Well they tried to execute me" Conker said. And I had another grand adventure proving that I was not worth executing by saving the world or something."

"Really?" asked Rik, "what was that all about?"

"Can't say," Conker said, "my sequel never saw the light of day."

"Okay whatever that meant" Rik said.

"Yeah don't worry about it" Conker said. "I always say things that don't make sense" Conker says with a wink towards no one in particular. They walk up to Conker's house and Rik asks,

"Why is your house so pink?"

"It belonged to my dead girlfriend" Conker said.

"Oh yeah, you told me about that" Rik said, "again sorry for your loss."

"It's fine, don't cha worry" Conker said. They enter the house and Rik notices that there is even more pink on the inside. Suddenly there is ringing from a device nearby,

"What is that?" Rik asks.

"My phone," Conker said, "let the answering machine get it" The phone stops ringing and Rik could hear Conker"s voice saying to leave a message through the phone. Then a women started talking,

"Heeello Conker, just wanted to thank you for the lovely evening last night." The Woman continues on, "and I wanted to espec-" Conker hits a button cutting her off.

"Who was that?" asked Rik.

"Wrong number" Conker said.

"She said you name though" Rik said.

"Oh there are plenty of Conker's out there I'm sure" Conker replied. He then takes out some packet labeled 'script'.

"Hmm let's see" Conker said to himself. "Wait, PG-13? I am not a PG-13 character! How did I not notice that?" "I should really get in better touch with my agent." Rik confused asks,

"What now?" Conker looks up and says,

"Ugh, you smell, take care of that will you? We'll talk then." Rik goes and washes the smell out of him as best as he could. He comes back to Conker talking to someone on the phone.

"Yeah, yeah," Conker said "I got the address, no problem, okay bye."

"And what was that?" asked Rik.

"Nothing, I take on some side business to get by."

"Okay, before we get started let me ask you," Rik said. "Why did you give Nate your gem and just stayed here?"

"Well" said Conker, "after doing what that spirity lady said, name was Eris I believe I decided to quit after a while." "Sure it was cool to go to entirely different worlds but I was not all about that righteous justice and stuff."

"So you quit cause you are not a good guy?" Rik asks.

"No," Conker said "I quit cause I was morally ambiguous and it didn't help me keep my home here". "In short it did not pay at all and I don't do nothin for free."

"Oh, so you're that type then?" Rik asks.

"Yep, anyhow that's why I gave Nate that rock" Conker said.

"And you said you also talked to a space lady too?" Rik asked.

"Yep," Conker said. "She glowed greenish blue and ghostly."

"I have spoken with her too" Rik said, "but she calls herself Melanie, weird."

"Guess she doesn't want anyone knowing her real name" Conker said.

"Yeah kinda like Tox" Rik said.

Just as Rik was going to ask Conker what he knew about the gem; a grey squirrel with ginormous glasses walked in from another room.

"Oh Conker! Had no idea you were home" he said.

"Rodent!" Conker yelled, "I thought I kicked you out a month ago!"

"You did" Rodent said, "but I have been living in your basement". "Who's your friend?"

"Just get outta here" Conker said, "I will deal with you when we're done chatting."

"Aww, come on Conker I just want to listen!" Rodent said.

"No you can't," Conker said "now get out of here before I kick you out, literally." Rodent then exits back into the room he came from.

"So he's a friend of yours?" asked Rik.

"Yeah, 'friend'" Conker said.

"You're not very nice to him" Rik said.

"Well I did kick him out," Conker said, "so if you can't imagine I'm not to happy to see him again." "Anyhoo, back on track, yes the gem let me see it." Rik hands it to him and Conker looks at it.

"Different compared to the last one but it's all still the same" Conker said. "Just seek out the world and select with your mind."

"Okay but where is the edge of the Multiverse?" Rik asks.

"There is no edge, infinite means forever, hello" Conker said.

"No, I need to go to the Plane of Non-Existence" Rik said.

"Oh, I see" Conker said. "It's considered the edge of the Multiverse cause that's where the erased universes go." "Hold on let me project this". Conker projects an image on the wall and Conker points telling Rik that it's somewhere on an Island. He must find the portal to enter since it's technically a waste dump rather than a universe.

"Wow you really know your stuff here" Rik said.

"Well," said Conker, "I did all this stuff before".

"Clearly, thanks for all your help" Rik said.

"Hey no problem," Conker said, "I knew I should help when I saw you with that gem."

Conker then thinks a moment and asks,

"Nate said something about defeating an evil right?"

"Yeah" said Rik, "what about it?"

"Well", said Conker, "have you noticed any disturbances from outside forces in other worlds?"

"No" Rik said.

"If the evil was that dangerous something would be up right?" said Conker "Kinda weird how everything is fine even though he says otherwise."

"That is weird" Rik agrees, "he did also mention to me before an attack that began all of this".

"Hmm," Conker says, "sounds like his conflict is on a more personal level don't it?"

"A little," Rik said, "I'm gonna go and see what Melanie wants to show me." Perhaps I will figure out what really is going on here." Conker bids Rik good luck and they says goodbye. Rik then teleports to The Island and looks for a portal way to enter the Plane of Non-Existence. After walking along the shore line Rik came across an archway of some sort up against an overhanging rock face. As he approached the portal activates and he enters.

"Woah" Rik said upon arriving to the Multiverse's junkyard. There were chunks of planet floating around. Space was illuminated with a light show of colors due to all the auras clashing together. It was like that one brief dream Rik had, including all of the artifacts that floated around. Rik saw some golden looking rod, a glowing ball with strange writing on it, a bronze-like egg shaped object. There were gems as well as many other strange and unique looking things floating about. And Rik noticed he had a view of other universes from this The Plain of Non-Existence, it was quite beautiful.

Rik walked around looking for Melanie and came across what looked suspiciously like a Dracon Mage skull and nearby there was also a canine looking one too.

"Strange" Rik says to himself, then suddenly Melanie appears behind him.

"You made it, finally" Melanie said.

"Finally?" Rik said, "maybe if you just brought me here I wouldn't have taken so long!"

"I am not aloud to directly interfere" Melanie said, "I can only influence change."

"What?" Rik asks, "you defeated Volkiris, that's kind of direct."

"No," Melanie said, "you and your friend wounded him." "And even though I said the chant you were the one holding the gem."

"Okay then" Rik says, "why am I here then?"

"Look around, do you see how cluttered it is?" Melanie asks.

"A bit I guess, why?" Rik asks.

"As you know erased universes come here" Melanie said. "However this is a rare occurrence and it is absolutely flooded now."

"Still don't see the bad" Rik said. Melanie then points at what looked like a black hole.

"The Black Hole in the distance keeps this area in check" Melanie says. "However due to all of the universes arriving at an alarming rate; there are now signs of danger as the black hole consumes more than it should all at once."

"And?" Rik asks.

"And" Melanie replies, "it's being built up to the point that it could become even stronger where it will expand outside it's own realm."

"I assume that's bad then" Rik said.

"Yes" said Melanie, "it is, it would be the start of a supermassive black hole that would consume endlessly." "It could destroy the whole Multiverse; and even though the Multiverse is infinite, worlds would be destroyed forever."

"Okay so it's bad universe stuff, but what do you want me to do?" Rik asks.

"You must break the cycle" Melanie said. "Only you can do it at this point, confront Nate, he is the cause."

"What? Why would he do this?" Rik wonders.

"He does not know yet" Melanie said. "Everytime he rewinds time to begin again he causes more universes to end up here because they no longer exist."

"Well what do I do? Just ask him about it?" Rik asks. Melanie looks to Rik and says,

"Just do whatever you can to help him break from this endless cycle."

"Why me though?" Rik asks, "I'm not as smart as Tox you know."

"Believe me," said Melanie, "I tried before with him, you were the only one I was able to get through to." "Do not fail or else it is one more step closer to destruction, return now to them and do what you must." Melanie fades away and Rik firmly grasps the gem as he

makes his way to the world he was in before. Rik teleports in to where he was in Grunty's lair before. Rik begins to walk through the castle wondering where everyone is, he comes across the room with the witches ugly mug on the floor.

"Rik? Rik where are you?" Tox shouted from down the corridor.

"Tox?" I'm here!" Rik shouted and Tox emerges from a doorway.

"Rik we have been looking for you" Tox said.

"Sorry, it's a big castle." Rik says.

"Rik" Tox says, "where were you?"

"I was just lost, that's all." Rik said.

"Funny," said Tox, "not only you disappear for a couple of hours but I can also sense that strong magic coming from you."

"Magic?" Rik asks.

"Yes," Tox said, "you have one of those gems don't you?"

"Alright," Rik says pulling the gem out of his pocket. "I do have one, picked it up awhile back just don't tell Nate alright?"

"Why not?" asked Tox.

"I have to break the cycle" Rik said, he spent the next several minutes telling Tox what he knew so far. Finally Tox says,

"Interesting, he is resetting time indefinitely, something strange is going on here."

"Yeah" said Rik, "we're gonna have to ask him what the deal is".

"Tox have you found Rik yet?" Nate said sounding not too far.

"Well it's time to go, ready?" Tox asks.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Rik says.

End of Chapter 9

Chapter 10: Breaking the Cycle

Rik wanted to say something the moment he saw Nate but he hesitated, he wasn't sure the moment would be right.

"Well there you are" said Nate, "we've been looking for you."

"Yea I know" said Rik, "Tox already gave me all that".

"As I'm sure he did" Nate said, "anyhow we are good to go." "The marked object was a toadstool in the old witch's cauldron room."

"Oh you guys found it without me?" Rik asks.

"Well, I did mostly" said Nate. "Tox was looking for you while I did most of the searching."

"Okay, we leavin?" Rik asked.

"Yep" said Nate, "and well, you know tuck your tails". They teleport to the Underworld Dimension and as Nate walks ahead Tox hangs back with Rik.

"What is your plan Rik?" asked Tox.

"I.. don't got one?" Rik says. "I'm kinda just waiting for a good moment."

"Rik," Tox said, "time is wasting with every moment you hesitate".

""You're right" Rik said. "I actually found the last object in one of the worlds I was in and it won't be long till he finds out."

"What?" asked Tox, "what would even be the odds of that happening?"

"I dunno, I was never good with numbers" Rik said.

"Hey!" Nate shouts from up ahead. "What is taking you two? Come on time's wasting." Tox gives Rik a glance telling him to go and confront him, they both catch up to him. The Doom Slayer is hanging around near the gate slamming demon heads together and just doing what he does best.. ripping and tearing. Nate approaches the gate and holds up the toadstool and the seal breaks in a display of sparks and ash.

"And finally we get the last one" Nate said. Nate looks down at his touch screen and realize he cannot find the location of the last object.

"Um, I can't find the last object" Nate said annoyed. "This makes no sense! This device must be out of sync again." Rik steps toward Nate and clears his throat,

"I have it" he says.

"You do?" Nate asks, "how and where did you keep it hidden from me?" Rik pulls out his gem, the green-bluish jewel glimmered in the reflecting light of a nearby flame. Nate looks at the gem in almost disbelief, Nate shakes his head and says,

"Well, what do you know?"

"Enough" said Rik.

"No, I said that as a figure of speech" Nate said, "Now that you have mentioned it though how much is enough?"

"You keep using your gem to make time go backwards somehow" Rik says.

"Oh that?" said Nate, "it's my gems special power, they all have one y'know." 'Special power?' Rik thought in curiosity wondering what his could be.

"That's cool" Rik said, "but you.. turning back time.. It may be causing some.. trouble."

"Trouble? How? I have done this for awhile now" Nate says.

"Awhile too long Nathan Arlington Reyes" Melanie said appearing suddenly.

"What?" Rik laughs, "your middle name is Arlington?" Tox gives Rik a scolding glance.

"Erhm, back on track," Rik says, "Melanie, I thought you couldn't do anything directly."

"I can explain what I need too now" Melanie said. "Using you as a vessel I am able to confront Nathan directly with the truth now."

"What. Did. I. Do?" Nate asks starting to become annoyed.

"You have created many other realities and destroyed them" Melanie said. "This has been done through repeatedly resetting time with every failure."

"Okay and what is the problem?" Nate asked.

"The universes do not just disappear." said Melanie, "every erased universe goes to The Plane of Non-Existence." "The Black Hole keeping the realm's space clear is now consuming too much; any more will cause a Supermassive Black Hole that would consume endlessly."

"Well, I didn't realize.." Nate stammered.

"Even though," Tox said, "you had no clue of what you were doing how long have you been doing this for?"

"I don't know," said Nate, "maybe a couple or so weeks now?"

"No Nathan," Melanie said, "you have been caught in this endless cycle for centuries."

"Ce.. centuries?" Nate stammers, "n-no it couldn't have been that long.. already?"

"Centuries?" Tox says quite shocked, "it is a small wonder you even have any sanity left."

"Hoo-boy, that must be a really long time then." Rik said.

"Well a century is a hundred years Rik," Tox said, "and he has done this for multiple of them now so yes, it has been a real long time."

"Wow hundreds? Shouldn't he be bones by now?" Rik asks.

"No Rik," Tox says "he has reseted time for centuries, so he has not aged much."

"Oh, yeah should have figured" Rik says.

"I must attend to matters" Melanie said, "I shall see you all again soon."

"Okay bye, I guess.." Rik says. Melanie then disappears doing whatever she needed to supposedly.

"So now that we know this much Nate" Tox said. "Why have you been resetting time for this long unknowingly?" Nate stared at the ground shifting his jaw, finally after a good minute Nate says,

"To kill a bastard that's why".

"Come again Nathan?" Tox said, "I would like a more complete answer."

"Marx, remember him from my story?" Nate said. "He said in death he would become the new King of the Underworld, I didn't believe him until it happened."

"So your hatred has led you to reset time in an attempt to finish him for this long?" Tox said exasperatedly. "You must clearly be out of your head then to hold a grudge for someone you have already killed."

"Hey!" Nate said, "calm down I'm not done." Rik you remember that night in your world when we were sitting at the camp fire?"

"Yea, I do" Rik said.

"You remember I told you about an attack right?" Nate said.

"I do" said Rik, "what about the.. attack?" Suddenly Rik comes to a realization, "wait, your family…"

"Yes," Nate said, "my.. Child and wife were taken." "They are being held in Marx's castle and I have been trying to save them for all this time."

"What?" Tox asked, "why would you not tell us this?"

"Well," said Nate, "you would be surprised on how many wouldn't bat an eye at a man trying to save his family."

"That is somewhat of a weak excuse" said Tox. "Were you perhaps worried of being turned down since you are in pursuit of vengeance?"

"I suppose you could say I want to get even with him," said Nate. "But you can understand right?" "I just want to save them, they never deserved this."

"I do understand" said Tox, "however you should have never kept this to yourself." "A question though, how come you cannot stop the attack from happening yourself?"

"I have tried that many times." Nate said. "No matter what I would do I would fail and it was a never ending cycle." "I have been hoping this is not happening again, however it has begun to look like it, at least until now hopefully."

"So this isn't your first time in a loop then?" asked Rik.

"No it is not" said Nate, "anyhow now that I have told the truth can we continue?"

"Um yeah, about that" said Rik, "it's inside the gem I dunno how to get it out."

"It's easy, just look at your gem and well, select it" Nate said.

"That is pretty vague don't you think?" questioned Tox.

"Well that's how I do it" said Nate. Rik looks at the gem and puts his hand above it and materializes some kind of food.

"Whoa, had no idea I had this." Rik said

"Whoever had that last must have had a taco in mind for a snack" Nate says.

"Heh, finders keepers" said Rik. Rik tries again and materializes a severed head that had snakes for hair.

"What is this doing in here?!" Rik said surprised.

"Quick!" Nate shouted, "put that back and don't look at her eyes, you'll turn to stone!" Rik quickly puts the head away.

"What was that?" Rik said.

"A Medusa head" Nate said, "whoever owned the gem last must have visited a world full of Greek mythology." "Now try again and choose the right one." Rik once again holds his hand over the gem and finally materializes the strange artifact. It was a sphere of some sort with strange writing all over it.

"That's the one, well done" Nate said.

"You seem to have gotten a grasp of this gem quite quickly Rik" Tox said.

"Yeah I'll say" Nate said, "It took me well over a few years to completely get the hang of mine."

"Guess I'm just a natural?" Rik said shrugging. Rik walks up to the gate and tosses the artifact at the seal. The door opens in a shower of fiery sparks and ash and with the gateway cleared the castle was visible. It sat atop a mountain and at the top balcony a lone figure stood watching.. Waiting.

"Alright, guess we will go now" Rik said, "good luck".

"You're not going?" Nate asked.

"I helped break the cycle didn't I?" Rik asked. "I done my part so I can go home now right?"

"Rik," Nate said, "the cycle is not broken until we win."

"What?" Rik asked, "you could take care of him yourself I thought."

"I could before" Nate said, "but in this realm I may need some assistance."

"Besides," Tox said, "we have came quite far to get here." "And let's not forget, you are also a bearer of one of those cosmic gems now."

"You're right," Rik said, "I must be important for something if I was chosen over Tox with this thing."

"Indeed," said Tox, "though perhaps maybe your cosmic friend was afraid I would have tried to consume it".

"I doubt that Tox" Rik said with a laugh.

"Yes, all joking aside though shall we carry on?" Tox said.

"Yeah, be careful and watch your backs" Nate said. They walked down the pathway cautiously, except for the Doom Slayer though, he seemed to crave fighting. The Doom Slayer scouted ahead keeping a sharp eye out for any hostile enemies nearby. Then suddenly a rather large demon jumped down from above with one green eye and energy cannons for hands.

"Whoa, look out!" Rik said. Nate drew his sword to slash at the demonic beast but The Doom Slayer was faster. Before Rik had a chance to blink the Doom Slayer ripped some kind of tube connecting his arm cannon to its shoulder. The monster then exploded and a horde of lesser demons began to flood in.

"Hope you boys are ready for a fight!" Nate said. They took on the offense as Nate slashed with his sword and Rik took aim with his knives hanging back a little. The Doom Slayer was up close and personal kicking a large muscular looking demon in its white head. Tox was using a combination of ice and black dracon magic to fight off the attacking demons. They ward off the attack and keep moving towards the castle and they eventually reach the castle's gates. As they approached however another ward appeared over the front gates with more seals.

"You have got to be kidding" Rik said.

"If they are, I'm not laughing" Tox said. Suddenly The Doom Slayer takes out a giant looking gun and shot some kind of powerful green energy. It's power shattered the seals and dispelled the barrier.

"What?!" asked Rik, "we could have done that from the start?"

"Actually, I sensed this barrier was far weaker than the previous." said Tox. "I suppose this was their very last line of defense before we made our way through.

"Well it's open," said Nate, "let's hope this is finally the end." The four of them enter the castle and upon entering Nate could hear his wife screaming.

"Lily! Hold on Lily!" Nate screams, "don't you hurt her! Lily!"

"Wait for us!" Rik said running after Nate.

"Hold on Rik!" Tox shouted after him. "This could very well be a trap!" They ran up the flights of stairs and eventually find Nate, and his wife in a big circular room.

"Lily… no" Nate said holding Lily in his arms. Rik could tell just by looks alone that she was dead.

"Nate.. I'm sorry" Rik said sadly

"This is tragic but there is still hope for your son Nate" Tox said. "Do not give up now, we can not afford that."

"I.. I know, I had a feeling I would never be able to save her." "I will make Marx pay for this, where is he?!" From above a figure appeared over the balcony. He was a very evil looking man, he seemed to be quite old with grey hair and a beard. He wore what seems to be a uniform a dictator would wear and over that he wore a trench coat.

"Oh, Nate" Marx said, "my apologies for your wife but she slipped." If only you were faster, you could have caught her."

"You son of a- where is my son, where is Josh?!" Nate shouted.

"Oh, he is still alive and well" Marx said, "and do not worry, I do not plan to kill him anytime soon.. I have other plans for him."

"You better not touch him!" Nate shouted, "If you do I will-"

"Enough!" Marx said, "you need time to cool down Nate, down you all go." Marx pressed a button and the doorway seals and the floor begins to open.

"I knew this would be a trap!" Tox said.

"Yeah, why do you always need to be right?" Rik said. The floor eventually disappears into the sides of the wall and they fall down into the water.

"What are we in? Some kinda huge well?" Rik asks.

"No this isn't a well, it's a cell I think." Nate says. Suddenly a monster rises out of the water with a dozen eyes and huge mouth full of crude looking teeth.

"Anyone got a plan?" Tox asks. Rik quickly materializes something from his gem, it was a rubber ball.

"Rik," Nate said, "how is that supposed to help us?"

"Distraction?" Rik says throwing the ball, the ball bounces around the circular room. The monster seems quite amused and hits the ball as well, Nate hits it before it could fall in the water.

"Well, that seems to be working quite favorably" said Tox. "But the question is for how long?"

"Yeah, good point" said Nate, "first opportunity we have we should-" The Doom Slayer then ripped open the barred door above. He jumped down blasting the creature with a double barrel blast and stomped on its eyes.

"Well that works" Rik said.

"Yeah, good one Doomguy!" Nate said. The Doom Slayer gives a thumbs up and points towards a grate submerged partly in the wall. He tears the bars open giving the trio a route to escape. They begin to leave but stop short when they see Nate hesitate looking back on his wife. Doom Slayer to everyone's surprise puts a supporting hand on Nate's shoulder. Tox says,

"Don't worry, Marx will have retribution for what he had done."

"Yeah, he will be sorry" said Rik.

"Thanks guys," Nate said, "we will have to come back, I can't bear to just leave her here." They enter through crawling to the other side, it connected to yet another dungeon, fortunately there was a set of stairs leading out. Upon exiting the corridor they came across a hallway that led to the main corridor. After some searching they find a stairway leading up. They begin to enter a room but a door cuts them off leaving Rik and Doom Slayer on the other side.

"Now what?" asked Rik.

"You'll have to find another way!" Nate shouted from the other side.

"Well come on then Mr. Doom man" Rik said, "there has to be another way right?" Doom Slayer just shrugs and they begin to walk down the hallway. Suddenly a huge demon with horns and beady little evil eyes came smashing through a doorway. It lets out a screech, as it charged Rik readied himself. Doom Slayer pushes Rik aside and jumps up at the beast grabbing his horn. The demon screeches and shoots what looked like green fireballs trying to shake Doom Slayer off. Doom slayer then rips the horn off and smashes the beast's face with it.

"Uh, cool move" Rik said, "you lead the way?" Doom Slayer gives a thumbs up and pulls up a big looking gun that looked to shoot lightning. "Where does he keep all of those things?' Rik wondered as he followed close behind. It seemed the farther they would go up the more demons there would be. Doom Slayer had little trouble dispatching them; Rik tried to help out too but he just wasn't as efficient or fast as The Doom Slayer. Eventually they went up even more stairs and they could here Nate struggling with Marx.

"Sounds like things are getting serious" Rik said. Doom Slayer nodded in agreement and ripped the bars off a nearby window.

"What are you doing?" Rik asked. Doom Slayer then grabbed Rik by the scruff of the neck and jumped out of the window and grabbed the ledge of the roof.

"Whoa, good jump!" Rik said. Doom slayer hoists the both of them up and on the roof top balcony Rik could see Nate and Marx fist fighting. Rik sees that Tox is crouched over, he looked hurt. Rik runs over to him.

"Tox are you okay?" Rik asked.

"I will be fine, I am not much of a fist fighter after all" Tox said.

"I'm going to help Nate, hang tight" Rik said. Rik then runs to aid Nate with both daggers out.

"This is for my wife!" Nate said landing a punch into the evil dictators jaw. "And this is for just being a piece of-" Marx caught Nate's arm and trips him up so he falls on the ground. Marx then picks him up and knee drops him in the back.

"Oof.. that.. won't stop me" Nate said struggling to get up.

"You cannot beat me, don't you remember?" Marx said. "You have come this far oh so many times and failed!" Rik then takes Marx by surprise and slashed his back open. Marx then sprouted demonic looking wings from the wounds.

"Ow!" Marx shouted now taking on a more demonic and sinister dialect, "you mutt, do you really think you can kill me?" "I am immortal! Eternal!"

"I call your bluff!" Rik throws an electrically charged knife at Marx's face. Marx screeches with a hand over his face. When he lowers his hand he reveals that half of his face is now a demonic looking skull.

"You fool, I told you! I cannot die!" Marx picks Rik up by his throat and sprouts claws from his fingers.

"Your end is now!" Marx shouts. Doom Slayer then grabs Rik and kicks Marx back hard enough for his arm to pop off freeing Rik of Marx's grasp.

"Ow! Hahahaha!" Marx belowed. He then grows a new arm that was swollen and more demon looking and he says,

"Really? Is that all Doom Slayer?" The Doom Slayer then takes out the big gun that shot the green energy and fired. Marx literally exploded from the powerful shot of energy, and to Rik's relief it looked like he was done for good this time.

"Phew, glad that's over" Rik said.

"Yes perhaps now-" Tox began when suddenly Nate says standing up,

"No wait, I remember this, he isn't dead!"

"What?!" Rik and Tox shout.

"He exploded!" Rik said. Then suddenly the mess left behind reforms revealing Marx's true form. He had the evil skullish demonic looking face, the crude looking wings, deadly claws and was much larger compared to his human form.

"Now that's just unfair" Rik said exasperatedly.

"Now what Nate?" Tox asked.

"Something crazy" Nate said as he ripped his gem out of its compartment and threw it up. He pulled out his pistol and shot it causing it to shatter into a portal in the air. Melanie appears and shouts,

"Nate what have you done?! There is no telling where this portal will lead!" "And to destroy one of these gems.. How could you?!"

"Aah!" Rik shouts as he is picked up and sucked into the portal and soon everyone else followed. There was nothing but dark, Rik felt like he was in emptiness, there was nothing for seemingly hours. Rik began to fear he was dead but then suddenly he jolts awake to find himself in a moonlit forest.

"Erhm, hello?" Rik said out loud, "Anyone? Where did everyone go?" He got up and began walking down the forest path. As he walked he fumbled in his pocket and to his horror realizes his gem is gone…

End of Chapter 10

Chapter 11: [Unknown]

Rik upon realizing he has lost his gem checks his other pocket and pats on his vest.

"What? Where? Did it fall out?" Rik asked to no one in particular. "Where is it? I can't be stuck here!" Then Rik hears a fox howl from a tree, Rik looks up and sees the animal looking down below.

"Wait, can foxes even climb trees?" Rik asks. Then suddenly the fox jumps from the branch and spreads wings gliding down gently. It was glowing and white with blue markings on it's fur and had four tails.

"Woah" said Rik, "you look different from a normal fox." Rik then sees that the animal was holding in his mouth Rik's missing gem.

"Hey, that's mine" Rik said, "maybe give that back please?" Rik steps forward and the mystical fox backs away. "Please just give it back" Rik said, "I won't hurt you I just need the gem so I can find my friends." Rik takes another step forward and then the mystical fox beat its wings and begun to fly away.

"Wait!" Rik shouted chasing after the animal. Rik ran after the fox deeper into the forest and eventually the fox disappears before Rik's eyes right into a rock face.

"Wha-what? How?" Rik stammers. Rik looked all around the area to no avail, the creature disappeared into the cliff side. Rik sits on a fallen log and soon realizes something is behind it. It was a skeleton of some girl, her bones looked as if they were ancient.

"Whoa, wonder what happened to her" Rik said examining the remains. In her hand was a bottle of some kind, Rik picks it up snapping a few finger bones.

"Oops sorry" Rik said as he raises the bottle up to read in the moonlight. "Drink to see what is unseen" Rik reads aloud in the moonlit silence.

"Drink to see what is unseen?" Rik repeats confusedly. "Should I?" Rik asks himself unsure. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to try right?" Rik asks himself as he pops the cork. Upon opening the bottle it smelled of despair and agony, at least that is what it felt on Rik's nose.

"Ugh, why do I get the feeling that this might kill me instantly?" Rik says holding his snout. Suddenly Rik here's a voice,

"Drink it, you will never leave if you do not."

"What? Who are you?" Rik says. Nothing, there is only silence as Rik is left there standing and contemplating on whether to drink the foul concoction or not. Eventually Rik plugs his snout and takes a sip from the bottle. He still gags even though he tried to not taste it; it tasted like moldy swamp water and rotten fish digiore and that description was the least disgusting. Rik's head ached as everything around him morphed into a nightmarish version of the forest he was in.

"What just happened?" Rik says looking around, the forest was now more sinister looking and evil. The overall bluish tint of the moonlit forest has been replaced with a slightly red one with a menacing looking moon overhead. The skeleton is now a corpse ridden with maggots,

"Ewah!" Rik sputtered in surprise and stepped back, looking around he saw that the cliff face was now a cave. "How could something so mystical be part of all this?" Rik wondered as he walked along. Upon entering the cave Rik could see a Werewolf surrounded by bones, the Fox stood at the other end of the cave. Rik slowly tries to sneak by the Werewolf unnoticed but accidentally steps on a bone awakening the creature. Rik quickly sips the horrible liquid again before the Werewolf attacks and Rik finds that it does reverse the effect. He was in a cave with a natural spring and moonlight peeking through the cracks, safe and in peace.

"What even is this stuff?" Rik asks looking over the bottle. The voice echoes in Rik's mind again,

"This potion allows you to see both realities as you now know, to escape however you must switch between them."

"What?" Rik says, "who is saying that?" Again silence, Rik has no clue what is going on but he continues on anyway. Perhaps in time all of this will make sense, but for now all he needed was the gem from the mystical fox. Rik exits the cave and sees the fox is nowhere to be found. He drinks from the bottle again and sees the fox in front of him.

"I got you now! Rik says, the fox flies upward and through the twisted looking trees. "Okay I guess not then" Rik said, looking around Rik saw some heads hanging from a tree, entangled by their long white hair.

"Whoa, what?"

"Yes, you" said a head, "we will give you this shiny thing if you help us".

"Okay, but why are you all.. like that?"

"Curiosity befel on us when we saw the shining trinket in this tree." a head answered.

"Retrieve our comb from the nasty Wolf monster and we will reward you."

"What?" said Rik, "Is it even worth it?"

"Depends I suppose" said another hanging head.

"What is it anyway?" Rik asks.

"Don't know" said another head, "it's shiny, that's all."

"Okay, I will keep it in mind" Rik said as he moved on drinking the bottle again to go back to the nice moonlit forest. Eventually Rik finds the fox was back in that reality too and at some kind of door. The fox phases right through it leaving Rik on the other side. Rik pulls on the door but it will not open.

"Come on!" Rik said trying to force it open, "I will burrow under it then!" Rik starts to dig at the base of the door but finds out that the floor on the other side is made of metal.

"You've got to be kidding" Rik said exasperatedly. Rik inspects the door and finds that the shiny thing the heads had was a piece of the lock needed for the door. It looked to only be two pieces,

"Okay" said Rik, "this shouldn't be too hard." Rik walks back towards the Werewolf's cave, drinks the potion again and readies himself. The Werewolf spots him and Rik pulls out a bomb and chucks it at the ceiling crushing the creature under rock. Rik looks around and finds the comb a little bent but still useable. Rik walks back to the heads and presents the comb.

"Ah yes! Thank you" the heads clamored "now please comb our hair and set us free."

"What?" Rik says, "what do you guys do when there's no one else?"

"A good point" said a head, "however we are feeling a bit weak, would you kindly comb us free?" Rik sighs,

"Alright fine, just be warned I've never combed my own fur so don't get mad over me not being a good 'hair comber'." Rik did the best he could and soon the heads turned into shiny looking bugs. They thanked him and flew away leaving Rik to really ponder the weirdness of it all. He pockets the first lock piece and begins searching around and eventually he comes to a shack with blood at the doors base.

"That don't look too welcoming" Rik said. He takes a sip from the bottle to enter the peaceful moonlit forest again and looks around. Rik eventually comes across a single tree in a meadow outside the forest and realizes the other lock piece was up high on a branch. Rik couldn't find any good sized rocks to chuck at it so he threw the lock piece he had. It landed in between branches in almost a perfect way to get stuck up there.

"Oh come on!" Rik shouted in frustration throwing his arms up. He takes another sip from the bottle and the meadow turns into a ghostly graveyard full of lost souls. Rik back pedals toward the shed he had seen and tries to open the door. The door was unlocked to his surprise and Rik entered with the door making an eerie creaking noise. He looks around and finds something that is perfect for taking care of trees, an axe.

"This should do it" Rik said picking up the tree chopping tool. "Mpf, a little heavy but I can do this" Rik said as he walked outside to be met with a scary looking man wearing a mask. "Aaa!" Rik yelled, he quickly drinks more of the potion and reality shifts into the moonlit forest again.

"Ech," Rik says wiping his mouth with his forearm. "Weird, it's not starting to taste half bad now". Rik walks toward the tree with the axe and begins to chop at the tree, it was hard and took him awhile but finally the tree falls down.

"Whew" Rik said, "that was as hard as I thought it would be." He picks up the two pieces of lock and races towards the strange door. Rik puts the lock pieces together on the door and realizes he will need a key.

"Where am I going to find a key?" Rik wonders out loud, he begins to search, switching between realities constantly.

"This bottle is bottomless!" Rik comments eventually seeing how it was still half full. Eventually Rik realizes the mask wearing murderer had the key. Rik could not even begin to understand why he had the key. He took no chances and pickpocketed the key off of him when he got the chance. Rik then switched realities quickly before the Masked man noticed.

"Yes I got it!" Rik said, "look out fox I'm comin for my gem." Rik uses the key to unlock the door and to his surprise it looked to be a portal of some kind. Rik steps through and is whisked away to another world? A place? A reality? If only he knew. After being tossed out of the portal Rik sees the fox waiting for him. It scampers off after he approaches taking flight, the night was stormy now and it was raining heavily.

"Great, can't see anything" Rik said to himself as he tried to follow the fox. This stormy night in the forest is a disorienting mess, eventually he sees a lone figure in the distance. It was kobold and only a child, Rik was surprised to see he somehow was back in his own world. There was no way Rik would have just left the poor little Kobold in the storm. So Rik steps forward and introduces himself,

"Hey" he said to the young Kobold, "have you lost your pack?" The young Kobold looks up at him but says nothing.

"I guess you haven't exactly found your voice yet" Rik said. "Follow me okay? I will help you find your pack." As they walked the young Kobold followed closely, Rik considered possibly adopting him if he could not find his pack. After all Rik never had a pack of his own and perhaps by keeping this little one he could provide some form of comfort for the young one.

"What's your name?" Rik asked after walking for a bit. "Can you at least say that?" The little Kobold said nothing, perhaps he was scared, or maybe he truly did not know how to speak. Without warning Rik was knocked down by something,

"Aaa! Hey, what was that?!" Rik shouted, and then he saw the looming figure over the Young Kobold. Rik runs up and stabs at the creature's back and it dissipates into smoke.

"What was that thing?" Rik asks himself.

Rik sees another one when the lightning flashes. He chucks a knife in the direction of where he seen the creature. It screams and Rik knew he had hit it. Rik then picks the Young Kobold up and puts him on his back and begins to run. The dark figures were everywhere, there were too many, Rik ran as fast as he could to keep him and the youngin safe. Rik eventually came to the edge of a waterfall. Thankfully the storm faded at that moment and the morning began to rise, the dark creatures began to dissipate in the morning rays of the sun.

"Looks like it's over" Rik said looking up at the Young Kobold. The Young Kobold smiles and nods but then as a final attempt a dark creature charged at Rik and knocked him over the ledge. Rik fell down trying to hold the Young Kobold close but upon hitting the water he lost his grip and the Young Kobold was whisked away by the rapids. Rik tumbled down the waterfall and luckily there were no jagged rocks at the bottom, it was a pool of water. Rik bursts from the bottom pool gasping for air and then makes his way towards the bank of the river.

"I hope the little guy is alright" Rik said searching for him. "Where did he go?" He searched up and down the riverside and eventually moved in towards the forest and began looking. Rik eventually found him but he was being picked up by a human woman.

"Aw look at you" she said, "all alone and without a pack?" The woman cradled the Young Kobold and said,

"Don't worry, me and my husband will take care of you." She then walked away with the Kobold leaving Rik to watch as he is taken to a new home. He could not see the face of the woman, but he had a feeling he was in good hands.

"Well, at least he will be looked after" Rik said to himself. "She kinda sounded familiar though, I wonder-" Rik then hears the mystical fox again and looks up at a nearby tree.

"You!" Rik shouted, "come back here! I need that!" The mystical fox jumped down and nosedived to the ground. Before making contact with the ground a portal opened up under the fox and he went through. Rik raced after it and jumped into the portal and was whisked away to wherever the fox was going next. Rik blacked out and upon waking he seen the fox standing before him, he waged his tails in anticipation. Rik tried to grab the gem from the fox but it flew away again and the chase continued.

"Where are you going?" Rik said as he tried to follow the fox. Rik was in another forest but this one was.. well beautiful, the surroundings were vibrant and colorful. As Rik continued he was held up by monsters on the way.

"I don't have time for this!" Rik said as he slashed at the monsters and threw knives. Eventually Rik came across a village, he approaches the guards. One of them was a skinny old looking mouse and another was big, strong and much younger.

"Um hi," Rik said, "there's monsters out there ya know."

"Yes we know" said the bulkier looking guard.

"Just makin sure ya know" Rik said, "where am I anyway?"

"This is Aurora Village" said the older looking guard. "You are welcome to visit as long as you bring no trouble."

"Thanks, I won't be around long" Rik said, "uh, seen a glowing white and blue fox with wings and four tails by the way?"

"Yes," said Old Guard, "it scampered through the town". "Er, well more like flew through but you get my meaning."

"Thanks" Rik said, he then made his way through the town.

Some of the residents were a little weird, some were friendly and one was a jerk. A green wolf was obsessing over a box, a strongman offered to arm wrestle, an offer Rik turned down. The mayor seemed nice however, but he seemed a little preoccupied. And upon leaving some mouse fellow was attempting to improve gear with what looked to be slime coats. Rik then sees the fox again on a nearby tree, it fluttered into the forest and Rik ran after it in pursuit. The fox then landed on a branch overhanging a dark figure. Rik then realized that the fox was actually leading him all this time; because Rik quickly realized that the figure was Tox…

End of Chapter 11

Chapter 12: The Cycle is Broken

Rik quickly approaches Tox and says,

"Hey Tox! You been here long?" Tox looks behind himself.

"Rik?" he says, "I've got to say, I'm surprised to see you have found me so quickly."

"Well it's thanks to the little guy hangin over your head there" Rik said pointing at the majestic fox. "I guess he led me here so I could find you."

"So is that why he has your gem?" Tox asks. Rik looks up at the fox,

"A'ight" he said, "I found him, can I have the gem back now?" Rik then hears the voice again in his head,

"No, he will lead you to us, the cycle may be broken but the danger is far from over."

"Wait what?" Rik asks out loud. "If the cycle is broken I can go home right? Hello!? How is this not over!?" Rik asked quite loudly.

"Rik? Rik!" Tox shouted, "stop that! Who are you even talking to?" Rik blinks confusedly,

"Eh? What? You didn't hear that voice?"

"No" said Tox, "you must be hearing voices, Rik, are you going to be okay?" Rik felt sort of disturbed after Tox asked him that, was he really losing it?

"Yeah" Rik said eventually, "I'm fine, I swear someone was talking to me though."

"Okay" Tox said, "what did that someone say?" Rik responds,

"The fox will lead us somewhere and even though the cycle is broken the danger isn't over yet."

"Hmm" Tox said, "perhaps we should follow the fox then."

"So you don't think I'm crazy now right?" Rik asks.

"Well, why would you make that up?" Tox questioned.

"Good point" Rik said. Then a strange duo came from the left side of the brush of forest trees.

"Um, hi you guys adventurers too?" said the Orange cat bat thing?

"Uh, yeah we have been doing that" Rik said.

"Cool! I'm Fidget by the way and my friend here is Dust" Fidget said.

"Fidget, we don't know them y'know" Dust said.

"What's the harm?" Fidget asked, "they're just names, it's not like they can hurt us with them."

"Well, I guess not but still.." Dust says as Rik interrupts,

"Right well we gotta keep following this weird fox here."

"Oh" said Fidget, "need any help with that?"

"I think we got it" Rik said.

"Oh so you guys don't need help?" Fidget said. "Kind of a breath fresh air since we have helped or promised to help almost everyone we have met; we even got some jerks laundry back for him."

"Yep" Dust said, "anyhow we have to report back to the mayor anyhow."

"Oh yeah of course!" Fidget said, "we always seem to get side tracked a little bit." "Good luck following your weird fox!"

"Thanks" said Rik, "good luck with whatever you guys are up to". They leave and Tox says,

"What an interesting duo they were".

"Yeah" said Rik, "a'ight strange fox, where to?" The fox leapt off the tree flew towards a tree and created a portal in front of it.

"After you" Tox said. Rik walks through the portal and then Tox and they arrive to another world. Looking around Rik could tell he was in a dark eerie and decrepit place.

They were in an abandoned laboratory, and by the looks of it they were exploring universes outside their own as well.

"Wow look at all this stuff" Rik said looking over all of the technology.

"Yes" said Tox, "this place is full of intriguing machinery and equipment." Eventually Rik came across a screen with buttons under it.

"Wonder what this thing does?" Rik said as he pressed the keys. To his surprise the screen flickered on and there were words on the screen.

"Whoa, Tox" Rik said, "look something works."

"Yes it seems to be functional" Tox said, "looks as if they used this to record a message or two."

"Yeah, I'll play it" Rik said. Upon hitting a key the message began, it sounded like an old scientist speaking,

'The Realm in which we all dwell in is only but a small piece in a bigger picture of the universe. Multiple worlds that are separate exist, yet at the same time they mirror each other like some big elusive puzzle. This had only been a theory until the curious subject was discovered. It was a creature of intergalactic origin, he possessed a gem that to the surprise of many could teleport one to completely foreign universes.'

'We believed it to be far too dangerous to teleport ourselves so we invented a device to open portals using the gem, more on that in a moment. As for the foreign visitor we have kept him under surveillance in case he woke up, it has been over a month but he is still alive. It is believed that he is indeed in a comatose state of some sort. Anyhow back to the portal project, we developed a touchscreen interface to wear on the arm at first before we decided that it was a risk. Again, we felt it was the safer option to make a portal archway since we could only teleport a maximum of six with the gem alone. We tried a group of eight before and two of the scientists returned well… a bit on the gooey side.'

'Anyhow with repeated tests the portal works efficiently, and we may have also had a fair share of close calls. We have recently closed off the portal area into an entirely separate room as a precaution. The last test was disastrous due to the world we visited being overran with humanoid flesh eating monsters. Anyhow that was two days ago and I feel as if we are in the clear now- *Bang* *Distant scream*. Wha- What was that? *Growl* *Rrrraagh* Oh my, damn me and my blind optimism. *Rrrraahh* AAAUUGH-'

The transmission is cut there and Rik looks to Tox,

"You don't think?" Rik said.

"Yep" Tox said, "I do, don't let your guard down."

"I hope the fox knows what he's doin" Rik said. "I mean why are we here anyhow?"

"I do not know" Tox said, "perhaps Nate is here?"

"Oh yeah," Rik said, "I forgot about him, wonder if he is here." Rik and Tox eventually comes across one of those humanoid monsters, or as Rik learned from another universe, a 'zombie'.

"Whoa there's one" Rik said.

"Yes I see it Rik" Tox said. "Let's try not to attract the creatures attention." Then a strange black shadowy creature appears behind the zombie.

"Tox" Rik said, "I had a run in with those things back in our world".

"You were back in your world?" Tox asked.

"Well, I think so," Rik said, "at least in the past I think, or maybe it was a dream?" "I did come from a world where I could switch realities by drinking a weird potion and-"

"Rik now is not the time for a story." Tox said.

"Oh right," Rik said, "anyway I've seen this before." The shadow creature turned into a cloud of dark mist and 'entered' the zombie possessing him.

"This could be bad huh?" Rik said.

"I would not consider this a good thing" said Tox, "so yes, it is most likely a bad thing."

"Well at least we haven't been spotted yet." Rik said. Suddenly Tox sneezes producing a short flame.

"Tox! Did you have to eat something spicy recently?!" Rik shouted.

"I didn't think we would even be in this situation" Tox said defensively. The possessed shadow zombie lets out a screech and lunges at Rik. Tox breaths fire sending the zombie recoiling backwards, upon the zombie's death the shadowy figure rises. Rik threw a knife at it, and the shadowy creature dissipates.

"Well that wasn't too bad" Rik said. Then suddenly a horde bursts through a door behind them.

"Wasn't that bad until you said something!" Tox said.

"Well maybe someone has it out for me" Rik said as him and Tox ran away, well more like Rik ran and Tox just teleported. Anyhow Rik then sees the fox as he ran flying down another corridor.

"This way!" Rik shouted and he followed after the fox while Tox teleports, eventually they are lead to Nate.

"What is with that fox?" Nate wondered, then he turned to see Rik and Tox, he smiles and then after seeing the horde behind them he frowns and says,

"Aw crap" while unholstering his guns. Nate opens fire and both Rik and Tox take a stand behind him fending off the shadow possessed zombies. They successfully fend off the horde and Rik asks,

"You know anything about these shadow creatures?"

"Not really" said Nate, "though I never thought I would end up here again."

"You were here before?" Tox asks.

"Yeah" said Nate, "it's where I got my touch screen device on my arm here."

"So you were the foreign visitor then" Tox said.

"Yep" Nate replies, Rik then hears a little boy saying,

"Dad? Are they gone?"

"Is that?" Rik asks.

"Yeah", said Nate, "that's my son, come on out Josh it's fine." The boy comes out and introduces himself to Rik and Tox.

"I'm Rik" Said Rik and this is Tox".

"It's nice to meet you and thank you for helping my father find me" Josh says.

"Hey no problem little guy" Riks says. Tox strokes his chin,

"Nate" Tox says, "didn't you destroy your gem?"

"Well it actually just split in half" Nate says. "I was able to recover half of it and to my surprise it still worked, only it's a bit more limited now."

"Limited?" Tox asks.

"Yeah" Nate said, "it's not very accurate anymore."

"Okay?" Tox asks.

"Can't really think of any better way to explain it" Nate says. "It just doesn't work as well anymore."

"Wait," Rik says, "what about that Marx guy? He is dead now right?"

"I don't think so" Nate said, "I feel like if he did die I would have become human again." "But the cycle is indeed broken because I can no longer turn back time."

"Oh, well that is a good thing" Rik says.

"Yeah, as long as nothing goes wrong for us." Nate says. The fox makes a chittering noise as if it was trying to get everyone's attention

"I think it wants us to follow him still" Nate said.

"What?" Rik asks, "where else do we need to go? I kinda want my gem back y'know".

"I guess you will have to wait a bit longer" Nate said. "Besides, I think I know what this is about, it would be better to face them sooner rather than later."

"Erhm, face who?" Rik asks.

"The Ancient Order of the Multiverse of course" Nate said. "Me splitting the gem like I did has no doubt probably got their attention."

"Oh" Rik said, they then carry on following the fox until the fox started phasing through walls.

"He does realize we are entirely solid right?" Tox asks.

"Pretty sure it's a she Tox" Rik said.

"Does it matter?" Tox replied.

"Nope not really" Nate said, "let's just open the door already." They enter another lab site and Rik finds another terminal.

"Wonder what this one has to say" Rik says. The recording begins to play and it was that old guy talking again,

'A week in and so far the animal blah blah blah. Genes, blah blah, splicing?, blah blah blah blabbah, mutations or something'. After a moment Rik just gave up on trying to understand what any of it meant, too sciency for him. Nate seemed to understood that because he said,

"Flying sharks? This I got to see." They continue on trying to find the fox fighting through zombies. Nate shot and sliced, Rik meanwhile chucked knives and used his dagger when one would get too close. Tox used his flames since they seem to work just fine with dispatching undead. Nate eventually finds a menacing looking gun on a lab table,

"Whoa" he said, "looks like some kind of heavy plasma cannon."

"They made super guns too?" Rik asked, "wonder why".

"They probably just had other projects" Nate said, "and this was maybe one of them." Eventually they see the fox again and it flutters through another wall.

"This creature could teleport us at anytime" Tox said. "So I got to ask, why is it making us chase it?"

"Maybe it's testing our worth?" Rik said.

"Unlikely I would imagine" Tox replied. They all approach the door,

"I mean what else could it be-" upon opening the door Rik was cut short by what they seen. Nate slams the door shut and says,

"Okay, so there is indeed a shark with eagle wings.. And it's also a zombie and if that wasn't bad enough it's possessed by a shadow creature."

"There was more than that" Rik said. "I think I saw an ant-scorpion monster too!"

"Indeed you have" Nate replied, "stand back everyone I'm taking out the big gun I found." Nate lifts the big plasma gun off his back and goes to open the door.

"Josh stand with with Rik and Tox please." Josh walks over to Rik's side and hugs his tail.

"Hey easy back there" Rik said, "don't tug it."

Nate then opens the door and takes aim to fire until he realizes.. he needed to reload it.

"Oh fu-" A zombie white looking bear with chameleon attributes slashes Nate knocking him over. Rik dashes towards the creature and Josh shouts,

"Dad!" Tox holds Josh so he stays out of danger and Rik comes to Nate's aid with a powerful triple knife spread. Rik then uses some of the restoration magic he learned in Skyrim to help Nate's slash wound.

"Thanks I needed that" Nate said. Then the shark-eagle flew through the doorway and is stopped short by Tox's fire breath.

"Dad are you okay?" Josh asked hugging his father.

"Yeah I'm fine" Nate said, "your old man's tough no need to worry." Rik smiles and says,

"Gotta say Tox you are a one dracon barbeque."

"That was terrible" Tox said with a head shake.

"Wasn't that bad" Rik said, "I could do worse y'know".

"Wouldn't surprise me" Nate said reloading the plasma gun.

"A question before we continue Nate" Tox said.

"What?" Nate asks.

"Won't you become one of those undead creatures since you were scratched?" Tox questioned.

"Oh right, I got something for that" Nate said taking out several vials.

"Here you and Rik take one and before we leave be sure to drink it."

"Alright then, now" said Nate, "all's there left are a few zombies, a porcupine-buffalo creature and what looks to be a lobster-whale". Good thing they couldn't fit through this doorway, it would have been challenging to take em all at once. Nate steps out and fire the plasma gun and it knocks him back and when the smoke clears the room is a disaster site.

"Whoa" said Nate, "more like a carpet bomb gun."

"That was so cool!" Josh exclaimed.

"Any closer and it wouldn't have been" Rik said. They see the fox at the other end of the now destroyed area completely untouched.

"Well at least the fox is okay" Tox said, "shall we continue?" They walk to the fox and the fox looked to be trying to open a portal but had trouble doing so. Finally the fox was able to open the portal by gnawing on the gem enough. With the entryway open they made sure to drink the vials and they enter a realm which struck Rik with such beauty. The night sky and the auras above, the small yet pleasant town with the floating crystal structures and emerald waterfalls were beautiful sites to take in.

"Whoa" Rik said, then a figure that had whitish snow, almost glowing skin, wearing a burlap cape and wizardry looking clothes approached and said,

"Welcome to the Realm of Elder Light, the slightly secretive home of the Ancient Order of the Multiverse..."

End of chapter 12

Chapter 13: The Ancient Order

"Slightly secretive?" Tox asked.

"Well, yes" said the Greeter, "we have been recruiting other outside beings for sometime now to be gem bearers."

"Gem Bearers?" Rik asked, "is that what I am?"

"Well, no not yet technically," The Greeter said, "you shall discuss this soon with The Ancient One himself." The mystical fox then made a chitter noise for attention.

"Ah yes, of course" said The Greeter. "Good job Vilix, you may return to your master, The Ancient One, now."

"Wait," said Rik, "what about my gem?"

"You will get it back after you meet with The Ancient One" The Greeter replied. "For now, Nathan you are to come with me."

"Yeah, yeah" said Nate, "time to go get scolded, come on Josh."

"As for you two," said The Greeter. "Upon request of a Gem Bearer sometime ago we established a tavern in the town area, if you so wish you could wait there.

"Been dyin for a drink" Rik said, "tired too, there an Inn?"

"The tavern has rooms above" The Greeter replied.

"Great," said Rik, "anyhow, how long till this Ancient One talks to me?"

"When he summons you, why?" The Greeter asked.

"I want my gem back that's all" Rik said. The Greeter pats Rik on the head and says,

"Do not worry friend, go and rest until he summons you."

"Okay" Rik said, and both him and Tox walked through the rather small town. As small it was it was beautiful though, jewel encrusted buildings with waterfalls on the outside of the town. Rik and Tox takes a seat at the tavern, Rik notices the bartender wearing an Amulet.

"The gem is your necklace?"

"Yup, usually they are put into amulets or rings" said The Bartender. The bartender was scaley looking like Tox with brownish-red scales. He also wore wizardry looking clothing, and it looks as if he has lived here his whole life.

"I'm guessing you were the one to request the tavern" Tox said.

"Yep" said The Bartender. "I loved my spirits so I offered to open shop, I retired from the whole world hopping scene so they just let me."

"You look somewhat similar to a Dracon" Tox said.

"Well, close I guess" said The Bartender, "I'm a dragon, but I'm willing to assume those two things are about the same". "Anyhow I'm Arin, what's your names?"

"Arin?" Rik asked, "pretty normal soundin name for a dragon."

"Well the full name is Arinelaxivous." Arin said, "Arin is just easier to say".

"Point taken" said Rik, "Anyhow I'm Rik and that's Tox."

"Pleasure to meet you" Tox said.

"Great, Rik and Tox, wanna try my latest brew?"

"Wine is good for me, thanks" said Tox.

"I'll give it a try" Rik said. "Any food to go with it?"

"Sure" said Arin, "this weeks special is goat."

"Ugh, no thanks" Rik said.

"Not a fan of goat eh?" Arin said, "T-bone steak then?"

"You have that?" Rik asked, "sure". Arin serves the drinks and Rik decides to wait for his food before trying that brew stuff. It could taste awful after all. A moment goes by and Tox asks,

"Why are you so eager to return home?"

"What?" Rik asks.

"You were insistent on getting your gem back" Tox said. "I thought you would have cherished the little time we still have together."

"It's not that I don't Tox," Rik said. "I been away for too long now, I am a Knight after all."

"Being duty bound isn't the only reason I'm sure" Tox said.

"Well, I got to say good-bye no matter what in the end right?" Rik asked. "I thought may as well do it sooner than later." "I mean it's over, I dunno what the Ancient guy wants from me but theres nuthin else, it feels like the- what's the word?"

"The inevitable is being delayed?" Tox asks.

"Yeah, that Tox" Rik says looking down into his mug of spirits.

"You should just relax Rik." Tox said, "you always liked to look forward to the future." "And while that is well and good, you need to take a step back time to time and just focus on the here and now." "So tell me Rik what is here and now?"

"The two of us sharin a drink" Rik said, "and we are havin a good 'nuff time together."

"Right," said Tox, "that is the here and now, so let us dwell in it."

"You're right Tox" Rik said, "when you do know just what to say it really helps."

"When I do?" asked Tox with a smirk, "if you ask me I'm pretty wise all the time".

"Sure Tox" Rik replies with a smile, the two of them chat for awhile and Arin finally brings Rik the steak.

"Heard ya guy's chattin" Arin said, "and yeah, you two get along well, used to have an adoptive brother of my own too."

"Really?" Rik asked.

"Yeah" Arin, "he was the one that found me and brought me to Elder Light."

"So he was a resident of the area?" Tox asked.

"Yep" said Arin, "he was going to become a Stargazer before he passed."

"Sorry to hear" Rik said, "um what's a Stargazer? They also look at suns? Those are stars too I heard, they kinda hurt your eyes though."

"Well yes," Arin said "a sun counts as a star, but they don't actually gaze at stars, it's a rank."

"Rank?" asked Tox.

"Yep" Arin said, "When a child becomes of age they become an Initiate." "After that you can become a Knowledge Seeker, after that is Stargazers and then you have the Gem Bearers which is us". "And then after that, the Members of the Circle, the highest rank just under The Ancient One himself."

"Okay, good to know" Rik said.

"Say you haven't even tried the brew yet" Arin said, "why's that?"

"Well, we were talkin and it slipped my mind" Rik said. "I will try it no worries."

"Alrighty then" Arin said, "enjoy". He went behind the counter and did his best to look busy and productive when clearly he does not have anything to do.

"Looks like not very many like to drink 'round here" Rik said. "Pretty quiet."

"I prefer it that way to be honest" Tox said. "Are you going to actually drink that?" Tox asked pointing at Rik's mug.

"Yeah, why?" Rik asked.

"I can sense that it will knock you off your feet." Tox said.

"Don't you mean smell Tox?" Rik asked, "it ain't no magic after all."

"I think you should have just gotten wine" Tox said.

"Well I thought I would try it" Rik said. "Besides I'm just tasting it, I know my limit."

"If you insist, shall I call for a bucket?"

"Haw, haw Tox" Rik said, he then takes a drink of the spirits, it felt like drinking molten lava and tasted like shoe polish with a hint oily paste.

"Augh, woo!" Rik hooted, "that went down a bit rough."

"I could imagine" Tox asked.

"Whatever it is, Rik said, "it's much better than the other stuff I had to drink to switch worlds or whatever in that other world." "So yeah not bad, I can handle.. whatever the heck I just drank."

"If you say so, um, didn't you say that world was a dream?" Tox asked. Rik then began telling Tox in a bit more detail what happened in his dream(?).

"And I'm still not sure, but still weird 'nuff I did also run into m-.. whoa" Rik began sliding off the seat, he re-adjusts himself.

"You holding it together?" Tox asked.

"Yeah" Rik said. "I am, I fogot waz it wuz i wis sayin, oh noe"

"You're slurring your words now" Tox said, "I told you Rik.."

"Ya, I kno" Rik interrupted, "werz th rooms agin?"

"Arin," Tox said, "how strong was your brew?"

"What?" Arin asked, "The brew, well I drink it constantly so's it can't be that bad."

"Well it's stronger than you think, he can barely form sentences" Tox said.

"He'll be fine," Arin said, "like I said I drink this stuff all-"

Rik then flopped face first on to the table, he was down and out.

"Oh" Arin said. And then there was darkness for seemingly hours.

Rik finally awoke sometime later and Tox was sitting in a chair near a table on the other side of the room. Rik sits up and says,

"Oh man, I can't remember the last time I was that gone, if I was ever."

"Oh, you're awake, told you so by the way" Tox said.

"Hey, I thought I could handle it, *hic*" Rik said.

"Need some water?" Tox asked.

"Yeah, *hic* I'll go and get some *hic*" Rik said. He went down stairs and got some water and the Greeter from before was waiting for him.

"Ah Rik," he said "you are awake finally, Arin was not supposed to be producing that 'brew' still."

"Hey there is nuthin bad about it." Arin protested.

"We held a unanimous vote Arin, and The Ancient One's word is final."

"Alright, alright" Arin said, "just keep it between us okay? I will make sure the stuff is gone for good this time."

"Very well," said The Greeter "do not let me catch you for a sixth time."

"Okay, we goin?" Rik asked.

"Yes collect your brother and follow me." The Greeter said. Before leaving Arin stops Rik and says,

"Hey, sorry about my brew, didn't think it was that strong." No one has ever actually drank the stuff."

"We're good" Rik said, "just warn me next time you try to kill me."

"Hey now" Arin said, "let's not joke about that sort of thing, it was an accident that's all."

"A'ight, I gotta go" Rik said, "catch ya later maybe." And then Rik and Tox both followed The Greeter to The Ancient One. They walk towards a huge building with all sorts of magic decoratives with gems and fountains. They walked through the beautiful foyer and into a circular room with all the Members of the Order, who were all cloaked and The Ancient One sitting overhead. Nate was there with his son,

"Hey, how'd it went?" Rik asked.

"Fine," Nate said, "he just wanted to know where the other half of the gem was." "He has someone looking for it now."

"We could have done it" Rik said.

"Don't worry about it for now, he should speak with you in a minute." Rik looked around and in the middle of the room was a giant crystal about Rik's size if not a little bigger.

"Whoa," Rik said as he reached to touch it.

"Hey, stop!" yelled The Ancient One, "no touchy!"

"Did he just say 'no touchy'? Tox asked.

"Yeah, um sorry" Rik said. Looking up Rik could see The Ancient One, he was old with a long white beard, his robes were white with purple patterns.

"It's alright" said The Ancient One, "that is the source of all the power, the cosmic gems included, heh, heh". "Yes the crystal is the Crystal of Adeleus, named after meself since I created it of course."

"Your name is Adeleus?" Rik asked.

"Yes! Yes it is indeed" Adeleus said. "I wish everyone would stop telling outsiders I'm the ancient one, makes me sound all scary and such!"

"I will not lie," Tox said, "you are the opposite of what I was expecting."

"Well perhaps a few million or more years ago I would have been" Adeleus said. "But I have been around since the beginning of time, so I began to lose my mind a bit."

"Do not get him wrong" said a Member of the Circle. "He is indeed serious enough to handle matters, he is not insane."

"I'm still unsure whether he is just faking it or not" said another.

"What?!" said yet another member, "you dare call the great Adeleus a liar?!"

"Me?!" The Cloaked Member said to another, "I would slap you if our culture allowed it!"

"Well" said The other Cloaked Member, "if we weren't pacifists I would gladly challenge you to"

"Augh, seriously guys?!" Adeleus shouted, "you are all embarrassing right now, get out!"

"B-but" stuttered a Member of the Circle.

"Don't throw yer butts at me Isterd!" Adeleus said sternly standing from his chair.

"Yes Adeleus" Isterd said, and he left along with the others.

"Right" Adeleus said, "sorry about that, they don't get along like the last generation did."

"Um, it's fine" Rik said, "so why did you want to talk to me?"

"Well, you are no embodiment of any spirits we know." Adeleus said while sitting back down. "Nor are you a reincarnation of anyone past yet you seemed to have at least to a degree mastered using this cosmic gem." Adeleus continued while stroking Vilix who hopped on his lap.

"Okay?" Rik said.

"You and your friends can come up here you know" Adeleus said. "Easier to hear you face to face." All of them enter the upper area with the seats and Adeleus continues,

"Rik you have impressed me with how quick you learned to use this gem" he said while holding up the gem. "I was wondering if you would like to join the fellow Gem Bearers and help protect the Multiverse." This surprised Rik, he was not prepared to answer,

"I-I don't know," he stammered. "This is kinda sudden."

"Oh, I know it is a big decision" Adeleus said, "and I know you already have sworn duty to your fellow knights back home." "Just think about it okay? Here is your gem, the choice is yours." Adeleus gives Rik the gem back, Rik notices that it is now in an amulet.

"Oh, it's an amulet now" Rik said.

"Of course," Adeleus said, "wear it with pride" he said. "Even if you do not join us here, you are still the rightful owner until death, you were chosen after all."

"Hey Rik," Nate said, "stick around a little longer? Could help show you some tricks with your gem."

"Yeah sure" Rik said.

"Hmm, before we go," Tox said, "Adeleus, who created these gems?"

"Well, I did one of them" Adeleus said, "but other Ancients did too, they are gone now and I am the only one."

"You're the only one?" Tox asked.

"Yes," said Adeleus, "I am, the first world we had destroyed because of some 'accidents' and then me and a few other came here and began anew."

"You carried the big ol' crystal with ya?" Josh asked.

"Yep, I sure did little one" Adeleus said patting his head.

"Were the other Ancients not immortal too?" Tox asked.

"Uh, no, that's why it's just me" Adeleus said. "Anyhow Rik, please consider the offer." "You all may exit now, I have a matter to attend too."

"Okay, and I will think on the offer" Rik said and they all exit. Arin and Nate both helped Rik out with anything he was not sure about with the gem. They gave him tips and in the end Rik was a master with the gem.

"This is the coolest thing" Rik said, holding the amulet in his hand and looking down at it.

"Yeah, just remember that is not a toy" Arin said, "you could mess stuff up especially with your special power."

"Special power? Oh yeah, that" Rik said.

"Yeah, pretty cool right?" Arin said, "mine is the ability to make time slow down while I can still move as fast as I want." "Anyhow what's yours?"

"I don't know" Rik said.

"What?" Arin said, "word on the street is you learned how to use this thing like a pro and you don't know your special power? Get outta here".

"It's true" Rik said, "guess I'll find out when the time comes."

"Hey no worries," Nate said, "it is a hidden power after all." Suddenly Adeleus was yelling about something.

"Wonder what that is about?" Tox said.

"Let's check" Nate said.

"You guys go ahead, gotta get back to my tavern" Arin said. They went back to the big building and saw that there was an orangish-red figure in the circular room.

"I told you to never come back here!" Adeleus said. Rik realizes it was conker.

"What are you doing here?" Rik asked.

"I was just returning this" Conker said. He was holding a purplish-pink looking gem.

"You found a Cosmic Gem?" Nate said.

"Ah, Nate, it's been so long, how ya been?" Conker said.

"Fine, I thought you said you quit though." Nate replied

"Pfft, ha!" Adeleus belowed, "hardly! I.. how you say.. Um, fired him, thats the term yeah, he was fired, discharged."

"What?" Rik said, "you lied?"

"No I was just blowin smoke up yer-"

"Conker!" Adeleus shouted.

"Erhm, sorry" he said, "look I am the one that helped him out which is why he's here in the first place!" "Just give me a free pass, the plot needs me, I can feel it."

"I don't know," Adeleus said, "you were always more trouble than you were worth." At that moment Melanie came into the room,

"Adeleus! I bring troubling news!" she said.

"Yes," said Adeleus, "I know, he's right in front of me!"

"(gasps) You?" Melanie exclaimed.

"Hey, so you're Mel now eh?" Conker said.

"Anyway, no, it's not him" Melanie said, "The other half of Nate's gem, he has it."

"Oh no" Nate said. "Marx has the other half?"

"Has it?" Melanie asked, "he melded it into his flesh, it's apart of him now!" "And worse he is coming our way!"

"Egad!" Adeleus exclaimed, "how long do we have woman?!"

"I do not know, we need to keep on high alert." Melanie said. "He also has some sort of shadow army too, they are capable of possession."

"The shadow creatures are his?" Rik asked, "where'd he get those?"

"It looks like he is the one that creates them" Meanie answered.

"Greaat" Rik said.

"The question is, what does he want?" Tox wondered.

"Perhaps he is after the remaining half of the gem" Nate said. "If he was to get it he would be able to turn back time."

"I can think of few ways already on why that would be bad." Rik said

"Indeed, we cannot allow this to happen" Tox says.

"I need Josh in a safe place, Conker, take my son home, tell my sister to watch him you remember her right?"

"Yeah," Conker said, "no problem".

"Dad? You will be back right?" Josh asked

"I will try my best" Nate said, he hugged his son and Conker leaves with Josh.

"We should move to another world" Tox said, "there are citizens at risk here."

"Good idea" Adeleus said, "you have my blessings and such." Just as they prepare to leave a fellow Member of the Order approached.

"Ah, Isterd" Adeleus said, "sorry for yelling at you earlier I was just- wait, you don't look right, are you sick?" Isterd then attacked Adeleus.

"Ah! You fool! You know you cannot kill me right?" Adeleus shouted.

"I am also Immortal! I can!" Isterd yelled.

"Hold on!" Nate said, "that's not Isterd anymore!" Nate shot Istered to reveal that Marx killed him and took control of his body possessing him.

"Mwahahaha" Marx belowed, "you thought you could rid of me that easily?" "You only made me stronger Nate, give me the other half"

"No!" Nate yelled, "kiss my a-" Marx swipes at Nate knocking him over. He goes to pounce on him but Nate teleports away. Rik could then hear beeping coming from Nate's bracer device.

"Running reserve power?" Nate said, "not good." Rik threw knives at Marx, they hardly even made him flinch. Marx then rips out a pillar and chucks it at Rik, Rik dodges and rubble begins to fall. Some rubble fell on Riks head and knocked him unconscious for a second or two long enough to see Nate and Marx struggle out of the building.

"Rik! Rik!" Tox shouted shaking him. Rik rolls over and says,

"Ungh, I'm fine Tox" Rik sets up and holds his head to realize his hand was now coated in red. "That's not good, hope my brains are okay."

"Well can you walk?" Tox asks, Rik gets up and stands.

"Yeah I'm fine, did you get hurt?" Rik asked.

"No, Tox said, "I teleported away".

"Yeah, I figured" Rik said, he tries to use some of his restoration magic to heal himself, however it wasn't enough to make the bleeding stop.

"I guess I'm not as good as I thought I was at healing." Rik then looks into his gem and finds bandages.

"Well, that was convenient" Tox said.

"Yeah" Rik said as he quickly wrapped his head up. "Ngh, alright let's go".

"You are in no condition to fight Rik" Tox said. "We cannot go out there."

"But what else are we s'posed to do?" Rik asked. "He's gonna need help Tox."

"Whatever happened from fleeing fights you cannot win?" Tox asked. "That blow to the head must have knocked you senseless."

"No Tox, I have my 'senses', I am a Gem Bearer and a knight" Rik said, "and it's s'posed to be my duty to protect". "If he wins our world will be in danger too y'know."

"Hmm, how noble of you" Tox said, "just stay out of the way, and I will have your back along the way if you need a quick escape."

"Thanks Tox" Rik said. Adeleus then approached the exit,

"Hey, what are you doin Adeleus?" Rik asked.

"Something that I must do Rik" Adeleus answered.

"What is he-?" Rik wondered. Adeleus then sprints over to Nate and Marx. Adeleus hits Marx knocking him back several yards and into a waterfall.

"Quick!" Adeleus said, "give me your half of the gem!" Nate gave him the half, Marx flew back to them and gloated,

"Nice try old timer! But it will take more than that!" "Wait, the gem half.. What are you?" Adeleus then destroys the gem half, turning it to ash.

"Yaaargh!" Marx yelled angrily, "my plan is ruined!" "I have no choice now, it's time for plan B!" Marx then flew towards the big building Rik and Tox was standing at the edge of.

"Uh-oh" Rik said, here he comes!" Marx flew past them however and to the remains of the circular room.

"No!" Adeleus shouted "not the Crystal!" Marx retched the Crystal from its placement and flew up towards the sky.

"Now," said Marx, "try and stop me without your power and a supermassive black hole destroying your world…"

End of Chapter 13

Chapter 14: End of Worlds?

Marx then teleported away with the crystal. Everyone were standing amongst the ruins of the great building.

"My crystal! Our world! We need to do something!" Adeleus shouted.

"We get that" Nate said, "but where'd he go and how would we stop him?" "He cannot die after all." Melanie appears from wherever she went when the fighting started.

"It should be obvious where he went" Melanie said, "to the Plane of Non-Existence."

"Wait, if he supercharged that black hole by dropping in the crystal…" Adeleus began

"Then we all will be destroyed is that correct?" Tox asked.

"Yep" said Adeleus, "The Plane of Non-Existence is a little too close to our world, whoops." "Hindsight is 20/20 I guess heh, heh, who's idea was it to have that there again?"

"It was yours sir" Melanie said exasperatedly.

"Oh, whoops" said Adeleus. Rik then suddenly asked,

"Well, what then? We need a plan and now!"

"Hey, keep yer cool" said Adeleus, "I have a sword that can kill any immortal."

"Really?" asked Rik, "why didn't you use it?"

"Well, it's not here!" Adeleus said, "It's hidden in another world."

"Brilliant," said Nate, "would have been great to know before hand."

"We simply do not have enough time to go on another retrieval quest" Tox said. Conker then came back from Nate's world.

"Hey, sorry I took a bit" Conker said, "your sister wanted to play twenty question, well more like a hundred and two." "Oh! Looks like I missed the action."

"Yeah you did, now we need someone to get a sword to kill Marx" Nate said. "I think you will have to do it Conker."

"What?!" Adeleus shouted.

"Look you may not trust him but I do" Nate said. "And besides Rik and him are the only ones with gems now." "Me, Rik and Tox will distract Marx while Conker gets that sword."

"This is dumb" Adeleus said, "but we are in a pinch." "Conker, don't screw up, if you do you may as well…"

"Bend over and kiss my arse good-bye?" Conker interrupted, "yeah I know thanks."

"Why you little…" Adeleus began quite angrily but the quickly changed his mood, "I mean, yes, of course, the sword is here." Adeleus waves his hand over Conker's gem revealing the sword's location to him.

"Before you go Conker lend me some guns will ya?" Nate said.

"Alright" Conker said, "here's a couple pistols, a good AR and a couple of submachine guns"

"That'll do, some grenades would be nice too." Nate said. "Good luck Conker."

"See ya when I get back" Conker said and he left.

"A'ight, let's do this" Rik said, "you ready Tox?"

"As ready as I could ever be" Tox said.

"I'm good to go" Nate said.

"Good luck" said Adeleus, "I would go with you but I must stay and address my people."

"Next stop, our final battle" Rik said.

"I would hope so" Tox said.

"Man, after this I am going to party until I'm drunk" Nate said.

"Amen to that brother!" Arin said walking into the ruined building suddenly.

"Whoa, almost forgot about you" Rik said. "Wanna join us?"

"No. way. hose-ay." Arin said. "I am retired and would rather not possibly die, sorry, just wanted to see ya off that's all."

"And I thought I was the coward" Rik said rolling his eyes.

"Rik," Tox said, "don't be rude, you were like that too once."

"Hey sorry" Rik said, "I didn't mean it Arin."

"It's cool Rik, after last nite I say we are about even now."

"Yeah" Rik said, "never drinkin that stuff again."

"Times wasting Rik" Nate said.

"Oh, right" Rik said, "see everyone later.. hopefully." They all teleport in a ball of light to the Plane of Non-Existence. When they arrived Marx was nowhere to be seen, and the black hole was in sight.

"Good" said Nate, "we must have beat him here."

"So should we stick together or?" Rik asked.

"Tox, teleport around and scan the area" Nates said. "Let us know if he is near".

"As for you and me Rik, we are going to look around a bit."

"A'ight" Rik said. Tox teleported away and Nate and Rik walked around. Rik could see many different structures and pieces of world under the stunning colors of the auras clashing above. This place is one that never fails to strike awe even in the most dire of circumstances. They round the corner of some ruin and to their surprise find the Doom Slayer himself. He was sitting among some rubble toying with one of his guns clearly bored out of his mind.

"Hey Doomguy!" Nate said. The Doom Slayer got up and put his hand up pointing at it, Nate slaps his hand,

"Yeah, high-five!" Nate said.

"Great" Rik said, "now we have a real powerhouse on our side, we can't lose right?"

"I would hope Rik" Nate said. Tox then teleported back to them.

"He is several dozen yards away from the black hole" Tox said.

"What is he doing?" Nate said.

"He was hopping on one foot cursing" Tox said, "It appears he had dropped the crystal on his foot."

"Ha," laughed Nate, "okay we better try and meet him halfway." They walked across the ruins of the worlds clashing together. They walked past decrypt looking castles and ruined relics of machinery of some kind. Eventually they could spot Marx in the distance flying with the gem. Nate holds his arm in front of Doom Slayer,

"Do not do anything" Nate said, "I have a little plan." Nate then tells Tox what to do in a low whispery voice and Tox nods as Marx descends dropping the crystal to his side.

"Well, it looks like you three have arrived" Marx said. "And you brought that space suit guy too, not that he would do any better than the rest of you."

"I know you're an ugly demon now," Nate said, "but would it kill you to have an ounce of humanity?" "You are a pretty one note villain right now."

"Yeah?" said Marx, "well you're someone who is about to get their maw ripped out."

"Maw?" Nate asked, "oh yeah, I'm a fox"

"Yeah," Marx said, "you were supposed to become a dumb animal, not a wise guy one that walks like a man." "Enough though, you may begin your futile attempt to stop me now."

"After you" Nate said.

"Oh no" Marx said, "I don't think so, I would be at the disadvantage striking first." "You take the first shot."

"No way" Nate said, "I would be open for a counter attack."

"What if you counter-attacked my counter attack hmm?" Marx asked angrily.

"Still would be at risk" Nate said.

"No you- wait" Marx said. He notices that Tox is no longer there, he looks beside him and realizes that the crystal is gone. "Oh I see what you have done now, you think you are so clever don't you?"

"Well it worked didn't it?" Rik asked.

"Yeah" Nate said, "anyhow, about that first shot." Nate then takes the AR off his back and begins shooting at Marx.

"Ah! Hahaha, an assault rifle?" Marx asks, "please that feels like you are shooting peas." Then Doom Slayer took out a rocket launcher from where however, Rik could not tell. The Doom Slayer shot Marx with about 5 rockets but like last time Marx just reformed himself.

"Augh, I have had enough of you!" Marx shouted, he flew towards the Doom Slayer to pounce but Doom Slayer was ready for anything. He dodged to the side and as Marx flew by Doom Slayer grabbed his tail and swung him into ruins smacking him back and forth. Eventually Marx broke free from his grasp and flung him in the air and smacked him into a building causing the whole structure to collapse.

"Think he will be okay?" Rik asked.

"Maybe," Nate said. Then Marx flew away searching for the crystal,

"Where is it?!" Marx shouted. "You cannot hide it from me you damned lizard!" Nate then started shooting at Marx to possibly distract him.

"That's it!" Marx said, "go my minions! Possess the fallen and stifle them in their futile efforts!" Shadowy creatures then appeared and began making the dead arise, some were gladiators armed with swords and spears. Others were soldiers from wars of some kind with guns.

"Oh boy, more stuff to kill" Nate said.

"Oh boy? More like aw crap!" Rik said. The possessed soldiers began firing and Nate crouches in front of Rik with a shield protruding from his touch bracer.

"Okay Rik," Nate said, "I am out of power for this thing almost, on my go you duck and cover behind the rock over there." "I will handle the guys with guns, focus on the ones without guns okay?"

"Sounds good to me!" Rik said.

Then when the soldiers ceased fire for a moment Rik ducked and dodged behind a rock. Nate meanwhile brandishing a knife and a pistol jumped up on a possessed soldier and shot him in his head. He rolled and stabbed another one in the leg and shot another possessed soldier till he fell. Nate then rolled over the kneeling soldiers back that he stabbed previously and stabbed the back of his neck while narrowly dodging another about to shoot him. Nate stabs the soldier and shoots another behind him.

"Whoa" said Rik watching from behind the rock. Rik then saw some of the gladiatorial possessed approaching, Rik chucked knives and killed two of them. The one with the spear stabbed at Rik, Rik dodged and rolled behind him and slashed at his back. The possessed gladiator then retaliated slashing Rik on the shoulder, Rik then threw another knife ending the possessed gladiator.

"Good job Rik" Nate said, "oh look out!" Rik was about to be taken by surprised by another possessed gladiator with a sword. But Nate grabbed the possessed gladiator by the wrist and punched the underside of the arm in a way that made it bent. Nate then lined his arm length with the possessed gladiator and used his other arm to send an elbow into the base of the possessed gladiator's arm. This knocked the gladiator back and allowed Nate to take his sword and slash him with it.

"And that is how you disarm an opponent" Nate said, "any questions?

"Now you're just showing off" Rik said. "Come on we need to find Tox and see if the Doomguy is alright."

"Yeah but you were hit" Nate said, "you should take care of that."

"Yeah I know, I'm good enough with this healing magic to take care of this." Rik uses his restoration magic to heal the cut.

"What about your head?" Nate asks.

"I'm not good enough to completely heal that" Rik said.

"Well seeing how you have made it this far you're not bleedin anymore" Nate said. "But there is still a chance that there is some trauma, you should be takin it easy."

"I'm fine though" Rik said, "I think my healing magic stopped any of that tramwhatever."

"If you say so" Nate said, "come on let's go." They go to the ruins of the building and check to see if the Doom Slayer was okay. Of course it hardly even scratched him, he just got up and brushed rubble off himself and gave a thumbs up.

"Okay" Nate said, "he's okay, now to find where Tox went".

"I hope we get to him before Marx do" Rik says.

"Yeah I hope so too" Nate said, "Conker better hurry up and get that sword already." Rik, Nate and The Doom Slayer transversed the uneven and broken floating pieces of land.

"How far did Tox go?" Rik asked. "That crystal is big enough so he can't be too far off."

"I don't know" Nate said, "perhaps he is on one of the small floating chunks of land floating around here." "I will use my grapple hook and look around, don't wander too far you two." The Doom Slayer jumped down some kind of hole possibly thinking Tox went under the ground leaving Rik on his own. Rik walks over to some collapsed rubbles and sits down.

"May as well just rest for a bit" Rik says to himself. He looks up at the distant galaxies and the clashing of the colorful auras. Rik looks into his gem and pulls out a strange looking box with a lense. Rik pressed the button and there was a snap sound. And then a blank paper popped out of the slot.

"Okay?" Rik asked to himself, after a moment an image began to appear on the paper. Rik shakes it and then the image is fully revealed.

"Whoa, that's cool" Rik said, "and I though paintings looked realistic enough". He snaps a few more pictures and then puts it away. Suddenly Rik felt as if there was something behind him.

"I'm gonna look around and find Marx is behind me aren't I?" Rik asked.

"Yep" Marx said, "so you enjoying the sight seeing?" "Take it all in because it will be the last thing you see."

"My hairy-" Rik began to shout before Marx took a swipe. Rik dodged backwards and Marx lept forward to swipe at him again but Rik hit the ground and rolled.

"You are quick but you cannot dodge forever!" Marx said. Marx then fires some kind of fire energy out of his hands, Rik ran and took cover behind a rock. Rik takes out some knives and began to chuck electrified knives at Marx. They hit but it does not seem to do much seeing how he just laughs like a maniac. Rik pats his sides and realizes to his horror that he is finally out of knives.

"Okay, today can officially bite it" Rik says to himself. Rik only had his two daggers now for stabbing, he knew he could not take Marx head on so he just stayed behind the rock. Eventually Marx came over to the rock and began to gloat,

"What's wrong little doggy? All out of bite?" Marx raises a claw and tries to strike Rik but Rik dodges and slashes Marx on the side.

"Oh, please keep up the struggle, this has been oh so entertaining."

"Why are you even fighting me?" Rik said. "I thought you wanted the crystal back!"

"I do" Marx said, "but I thought why not eliminate the weakest one first?" "You."

"Hey! I'm not weak!" Rik said, "you are just takin me for granted."

"Oh, is that so? Marx said. Rik then reaches into his gem and grabbed something dangerous looking. It was some kind of catapult launching device and it was heavy, Rik could barely lift it, he was not sure what this thing would be launching but he fired. What happened next left Rik's ears rigging and himself feeling almost blind, he was close enough to be singed quite a bit from the explosive flame.

"(Cough) (Cough) Wow I didn't think it would be something like that." Rik stands up and brushes himself off and tried to walk away but a shooting pain in his leg stopped him.

"Ow!" Rik said, he kept walking with a limp but he just couldn't keep going. Looking down Rik could see some bits of rubble lodged in his leg, he tried his best to pull out the rubble and heal the wound with some restoration magic. After a moment Rik was able to improve his condition but it still hurt.

"Gah, where is everyone? Didn't they hear the explosion?" Rik wondered. Rik looks back at the fiery remains and sees Marx slowly walking unscathed.

"Not good!" Rik shouted as he tried to hobble away as fast as he could. It was no use because Marx flew at Rik and grabbed him by the throat.

"I told you," Marx said, "you are indeed the weakest, say goodbye you mutt!"

"No!" Nate then shouted running up behind Marx. Nate unloaded several bullets from his machine guns into Marx's back. When that failed Nate grabbed his sword and cut off Marx's arm, unfortunately Rik fell on the edge of the broken piece of world and fell off the side.

"Oh no!" Rik shouted, "no,no,no!"

"Riiiik!" Nate shouted as rik fell for seemingly hours, everything then went black as Rik heard a cracking sound. He was not sure if that was him that made the sound or a branch because when he opened his eyes again he was in a snow covered forest…

End of chapter 14

Chapter 15: The Power Within

Rik looks around confused, how did he end up in a snow covered forest?

"Well this makes no sense" Rik said looking up only to see a partly cloudy night sky. Rik pats his leg and touches his head, he does not feel pain anymore. Now that he thinks about it, he doesn't feel anything, not even the coldness from the chilly air. Then someone or something put it's hand on his shoulder. Rik jumped away and looked behind him to meet Tox's gaze.

"Tox? Is this where you took the crystal?"

"No Rik, I'm the Tox from our world" Tox said.

"What?" Rik asked, "you mean I'm-"

"No" Tox interrupted, "not yet you're not, there is still time though." "There is a portal that will take you back, and if you hurry you can save yourself."

"O-Okay" Rik said, "but why are you here and not back home?"

"One world can only hold so many spirits" Tox said.

"So you never went to the skies?" Rik asked.

"I have" Tox said, "but ever since you left I have been keeping an eye on you." "It's nice to see that the other me is so similar, he already apologized for me, you know about how I was acting before.. You know."

"Yeah water under the bridge, all's good" Rik said. "So you knew I would probably end up here didn't you?"

"I would not say that" Tox said. "I made a promise to myself to meet you on the other side no matter when, how or where." "We must go now, we mustn't waste anymore time." Rik nods in agreement and Rik follows Tox through the snow covered wood. Tox then spoke once more,

"You know I wasn't sure what would happen to you once I sacrificed myself."

"Whaddya mean?" Rik asked.

"I just was unsure if you were ready for my departure" Tox said. "I was unsure if you could overcome the grief. Seeing you now, you have come along way since the day we met Anne." "You have become brave and you are quite honorable and noble now defending our realms, our parents would be proud."

"About them," Rik said, "did you see them in the skies?"

"No" said Tox, "they are still alive somewhere else."

"Well" said Rik, "if or when I make it back I think I might go looking for them. Tell them what we have done, let them know that we actually did good in the end."

"Perhaps, but one thing at a time" Tox said, "right now let us just focus on making sure you are kept alive."

"I'm gonna hurt when I wake up huh?" Rik asked.

"A bit.." Tox said, "..okay maybe a lot you did fall head first on a tiny piece of floating land."

"That doesn't sound good." Rik said, "I hope we're not too late."

"I hope we are not as well". As they walked Rik could see other lost souls in the forest, one of them was a gruff old looking man with a cap. He was muttering something about 'damned tanks'. Rik also seen something that looked like a monster, it was wearing a weird helmet and had a drill for a hand with a light coming from its oval shaped face. There was also a gruff looking man with a weird looking hat cursing some guy named Ross.

"Wow, lot of dead people and things here" Rik said.

"Indeed there is" Tox said.

"So how's Vax?" Rik asked, "you seen him in the skies right?'

"Actually" Tox said, "he was not there, I did look but it seems he is still alive somehow."

"Really?" Rik asked, "I should look for him when I get back." "Anyway, how much farther is the portal?"

"It should be up ahead" Tox said. "Hopefully the Guardian of the Gate will let you pass." They approach the portal and the Guardian stands up. He was some kind of ghoulish looking ghost with soulless eyes and long white hair. It was wearing a large stopwatch over his tattered robes.

"Halt! Only those in-between life and death shall pass" The Guardian of the Gate said in a low raspy voice.

"That would be me" Rik said. "I'm not to late." The Guardian of the Gate looks at the large watch sifting it's jaw as he checks how much time Rik has left. Or perhaps he was checking if it was time for dinner since he mumbled something about lamb. Anyhow finally he says,

"Yes, you still have a small window of time, do not squander it!"

"Oh thank the Sky!" Rik said, "Tox, thank you, I will see you again someday."

"You are welcome Rik" Tox said. "And stay on the path you follow, you will do great things yet I know it, goodbye and I shall be there when it's your time." Tox pats Rik's shoulder and Rik enters through the portal and wakes up to find himself in the Plane of Non-Existence once again. Strangely enough though he still felt nothing, he seen Nate and runs to meet him.

"Nate? Nate!" Rik could not get his attention, all Nate did was keep muttering how he will end Marx and avenge Rik. After a moment Rik realizes that it's no hope and he is still dead somehow.

"I thought I came back, this makes no sense!" Rik shouted to himself. He stops and thinks for a moment he looks at his hands and sees that he is somewhat translucent.

"Maybe.. maybe I need to find my body" he thought. Rik went back to where he was killed and looks down over the ledge below and sees himself. Rik jumps down and touches his body, nothing happened.

"Why won't I come back to life?" Rik asked himself, "no! Come on it can't end like this!" It was no use, Rik could tell he was mangled beyond repair anyhow. The only thing that would bring him back was a miracle, and then Conker appeared from the world he was in.

"Whoa good thing I wasn't an inch to the left, I would have fallen into the nothingness" Conker said. He then looks behind himself and sees Rik lying there.

"Oh no, Rik, uh, hold on I got something!" Conker said. "Looks like I am going to have to be the Deus Ex-Machina here." Conker searches through stuff in his gem pulling out things like anvils and rubber ducks, beer as well as some type of magazine.

"No, no, no" Conker muttered, "aha!" he finally said. Rik looked at what he was holding and it was a green mushroom with eyes.

"How's that s'posed to help?" Rik wondered. Conker kneels over Rik and before Rik knew it he was on the ground looking up at Conker in a bloom of light.

"(Cough) (Cough) (Gasps) What? How?"

"It was a one up" Conker said. "I snagged these from a certain plumber in red back before the buyout." Rik unpeeled the bandages on his head and looked at his leg, that weird mushroom somehow completely healed him.

"Wow, you got anymore of those?" Rik asked.

"Nope, my only one" Conker said, "come on let's get you up". Conker hoists Rik to his feet and then Conker pulls out some kind of grappling gun and shoots upward. Conker grabbed Rik and they both were hoisted upwards to the upper floating lands.

"Wait, you're here!" Rik said. "That means you got the sword then right?"

"About that… I don't got it" Conker said.

"What?!" Rik yelled, "Why?!"

"Some other predestined hero already snatched it." Conker said, "don't worry, I got something just as good if not better." "He will need a moment though, I left him with such a short notice that he may be a bit."

"We don't have time!" Rik said, "we need to go and help the others now!" Rik then sprinted away to go find the others and Conker followed. As they ran closer to the center where the black hole lies they could hear Tox and Marx fighting.

"Oh no!" Rik said, "Tox is gonna get himself killed outta rage thinkin I'm dead!." As they round the corner of a pile of rubble that used to be something nice presumably Nate is flung backwards and Tox is kneeling looking quite hurt. The Doom Slayer is strangling Marx with his gun but Marx overpowers him.

"I have had it with you!" Marx said as he opened up a portal and casted The Doom Slayer away.

"Hey," Rik said, "told ya you were takin me for granted."

"Rik?" Tox asks looking up. Marx just laughs,

"Perhaps" said Marx, "but you are still far too late!" Marx hoists the gem off the ground and flies to the black hole.

"No! I won't let you kill him!" Tox shouted, he teleported with the last ounce of his strength to Marx and wrestled the crystal from his grip. Tox teleported back as far as he could and knocked it as far in to land he could with a powerful burst of Sky.

"Good one Tox!" Rik said, Rik then saw Marx coming up to Tox from behind. "Tox! Look out!" Marx grabbed Tox and threw him at the black hole, Tox didn't seem to have the energy to teleport away because he vanished into the black hole.

"Tox! No!" Rik shouted

"Oh what do you care?" Marx said, "it's not like he was the one from your world." "Anyway, then there were tw- oh, I mean three where did you come from?"

"My mother, you?" Conker retorted.

"Oh ha ha," Marx said, "you will be sorry for that wise guy." Marx flies towards Conker but Nate clips his wing with the sword causing him to dive into some rubble. Nate notices Rik just standing there,

"Tox…" Rik muttered.

"Rik? Rik!" Nate shouted, but Rik could barely hear him something strange was happening. Everything seemed like it was vibrating all around him, his mind felt like it was in some sort of sub-space. Rik blinks and sees Nate get picked up by Marx, he was holding him by his leg. Clarity came to Rik when he heard the awful sound of a bone snapping as Nate is thrown to the ground.

"Nate!" Rik shouted."

"Aw heck!" Nate said, "my leg is like a limp noodle!"

"Ha ha, end of the road it seems, now time to end this" Marx says as he flies toward crystal.

"No!" Rik shouted, everything was vibrating around him again. "Come back here and face me!"

"Your death wish is my command" Marx said. He lands in front of Rik and swipes at Rik slashing him across his chest.

"Ow, that didn't work out" Rik said.

"Ha ha of course it didn't!" Marx said, "you are insignificant and weak, if I so much as breathe on you it would leave scars and-." Rik could barely hear what else he was gloating about cause his mind once again felt far away. Anger was rising inside of himself, this monster seemed to have struck a nerve. The gem started to glow and then when Rik blinked he saw.. well it's almost impossible to explain. What happened next he barely understood because under Marx he opened up a pool of chloric acid.

"Ah! What? How did you?" Rik had no idea how but he was mending reality around him and his foe.

"I didn't see anything" Conker said, "wait, did he just bend his perception of reality?" "Wish I had that power I would be living the life."

"I don't wanna even ask" Nate said. Marx flies towards Rik but Rik then mirrored reality causing Marx to nearly fling himself into the black hole.

"Wha- How?" Marx stammers, "this is not possible!"

"It is cause this is my world now!" Rik said.

"I will destroy you!" Marx screeches as he flies in to attack, Rik makes a wall appear and Marx smashes his face against it. Marx destroys the wall to find Rik is no longer behind it. Rik jumps from behind and stabs Marx in the back and then disappears, and then he reappears and slashes him again. And then Rik did this again and again. After moments of this Marx flies up into the air, and Rik stands visible for him to see arms folded.

"Had enough?" Rik asked.

"Ha ha!" Marx laughs, "you know I can take it, but we are at a stalemate right now." "This fight can go on for eternity or at least until you finally die because of your mortality, so you are only delaying the inevitable."

"We'll see about that" Rik said winking over to Conker. Conker nods and leans on some fallen ruin watching on.

"What?" Nate asks, "what the hell is happening? Conker hello? Maybe give me something for my leg?" Rik draws his attention away from Conker and Nate when he sees that Marx has made a mad dash for the gem. Rik then twists time itself to almost stop completely and he then opens up a tear. The tear he opened conveniently had a freight train going well over any safe speed limit and Marx is practically powderized. Marx reforms himself and begins talking again because when doesn't he?

"Graah! Where did you open that rift?! There even isn't one here! What kind of power is that?"

"I really don't know" Rik said, "heck I don't even know how I am doing any of this but I'm not complainin, you are gonna pay for killin Tox." Marx then in a fit of rage bombarded Rik with fiery balls of greenish energy but Rik once again flipped reality on Marx making him bombard himself.

"Yeaargghhh!" Marx screeches, "you cannot keep this up forever!" Rik knew he was right, he couldn't, whatever this power was it is draining on one's energy. And an adrenaline rush can only take you so far.

"How much longer till your 'back up plan' arrives?" Rik asked Conker.

"Anytime now" Conker said.

"What? So you are stalling me?" Marx asks. "I should have known, in this case I am going to drop that crystal into the black hole and you will not stop me this time!" Marx tries to grab the crystal and Rik makes the crystal disappear right in front of Marx replacing it with an old timey newsstand.

"What? Where is it?!" Marx yelled. Conker couldn't help but smile at this because for him it was still there because reality was only being bent around the perception of Marx and Rik. Marx overcomes this illusion and takes the gem. Rik then makes gravity too heavy for one to fly and Marx drops like a rock.

"Why is any of this possible?" Marx screamed. "The power to bend space and time to distort and shape reality itself should be mine, not yours!"

"Yeah?" Rik asks, "why not try to get it yourself?" Marx charges at Rik once more and Rik ducks and speeds up time so Marx hits the ruins behind him and hard. Marx gets up to swipe at Rik but Rik vanishes and the ground itself swallows Marx. Marx then bursts from the ground in a fit of rage just to end up falling towards the black hole because gravity was now sideways.

"No! No no no!" Marx shouted, but then Marx dropped onto the ground and Rik drops into a slump exhausted, he could barely keep his eyes open.

"Oh no, I needed more time" Rik says out of breath.

"Oh look at that" Marx said getting up, "the flame has been snuffed out and now the end can truly begin!"

Marx kicks Rik making him fall over and grabs the crystal and flies towards the black hole. Then without warning a man appears in front of him floating just inches away. The man was dressed in a black suit with a red tie, he had a couple of horns poking out through his long black hair. His eyes were red and and he had a sinister looking smile.

"Hello," he said, "I was informed by a little squirrel that you have been up to some mischief elsewhere."

"What? Who are you?" Marx says.

"Do you not recognize me?" The Man said, "I am your boss, we made a deal and I made you a demon king, remember?"

"Wait, is that the devil?" Nate said sitting up.

"Yes, yes it is, Lucifer himself" Conker said with a smirk.

"He's got it!" Lucifer said, "it is I Beelzebub, The Lord of Hell, the supposed crusader of all that is unholy." "So tell me why are you here and not watching over one of my domains? Hell World C-716-L I believe"

"Well- I-" Marx began, but Rik interrupts,

"He is trying to kill us all out of revenge or something against my friend Nate here." "And worse he tried doing that by making that black hole big 'nuff to destroy other worlds."

"Ah yes, that much I have heard" Lucifer said, "anything to add Marx?"

"I was tying up loose ends, that is all" Marx said.

"Tying up loose ends?" Lucifer asks. "You were doing more than just that, you abandoned your post in the dimension I gave you." "And I happen to have other worlds as well, whether they are Hell, The Underworld or Planes of Oblivion they are all mine!" "And you going through with this plan, would have destroyed many of them you know?"

"I had no idea sir" Marx said.

"How could you not? You have been to other worlds as well seeing how you made it all the way here." "I just opened a Holiday Inn in the closest universe to here, how dare you!" "I'm afraid you will have to pay for your insolence."

"You know what?" Marx said, "I don't care, I quit! You no longer have any power over me!"

"I was going to make your punishment swift and quick" Lucifer said, "but now, I will make your suffering the most infernal torture impossibly imaginable."

"Whoa" Conker said as he pulls out popcorn and a six pack of beer, "this is gonna be a fight".

"Seriously?... y'know what give me some of that." Rik said sitting down next to conker.

"The drinks cold?" Nate asked, "I'll take one too, that should help ease my pain." Marx goes to attack Lucifer, but Lucifer catches his arm with his now large demonic hands. Lucifer tosses Marx away and into some old looking church demolishing it and his hands reshape back to normal.

"You cannot beat me Marx! I created you!" Lucifer said. Marx rises and strikes Lucifer and Lucifer in return fire dark energy of some sort point blank and into Marx's face.

"AAUGH" Marx screeches as he pile drives Lucifer into a cliffs edge.

"This is cool" Conker said.

"I should help" Rik said.

"You can" Nate said, "but give it a minute, you're still a little tired." "Anyway how are you alive?"

"I gave him a one up" Conker said, "I was gonna try a defibrillator but I'm pretty sure those things don't do anything for broken necks." Upon hearing that Rik rubs the back of his neck in a shudder. Lucifer bombards Marx with dark energy of some sort while Marx retaliates with some form of fireballs.

"I can't believe Tox is gone.. Again" Rik said suddenly having reality sink in." Then from off to the side Rik heard a voice,

"Who said I went anywhere?" Rik looks to the side and see Tox, a little bit tattered but alive and well.

"Tox? You were thrown into the black hole!" Rik says.

"I teleported at the last moment and ended up on the other side." Tox said, "I apologize for the scare." In the background Marx claws at Lucifer and Lucifer kept attacking with demon like extremities.

"So did you do that to help me discover my secret power?" Rik asks.

"Honestly, no" Tox said, "It really was as they say, 'a close call'." "Glad you discovered it, who is that by the way?"

"Oh Lucifer?" Conker asked, "The real deal devil, he was the next best thing since there was no sword." Meanwhile in the background still, Marx pins Lucifer against the side of the cliff's edge but Lucifer smashes him off.

"Well he seems to be having trouble with his own minion" Tox said.

"Yeah, I'm feelin a bit better now" Rik said, "I'm gonna help him." Rik walks out into the middle of the plain and uses his newfound power to slow time to a crawl. Marx now practically unable to move gets cut in half by Lucifer. Rik stops and takes a breath as Marx screams in agony falling to the ground.

"That is quite a power" Tox said.

"You should have saw the crazy stuff he did earlier" Conker said. Lucifer walks up to Marx with a cruel smile,

"Now, you will not need these legs anymore" he said. "Nor will you need these wings." Lucifer rips Marx's wings off and uses his power to disable his ability to reform himself.

"No! My.. Re.. venge.." Marx gasps. In a shower of sparks and flame Marx is teleported away.

"That concludes my business" Lucifer said, "thank you again squirrel for bringing this to my attention."

"Hey no problem" Conker said. Lucifer then nods to Rik and says

"And thank you canine for you assistance."

"No sweat" Rik said.

"Alright then" Lucifer said, "now time to finish construction of the newest IKEA in Underworld C-15-A11." Lucifer then vanishes in a cloud of ash and smoke and Rik and Conker look to each other and jumps high-fiving each other and Rik does a little dance saying,

"Yeah! We did it! We did it!"

"Yes we have" Tox said. "And thankfully we are all okay, well mostly."

"Yeah, uh, about Doomguy, he okay?" Rik asked.

"I'm sure he is" Nate said, "he's probably back in Hell, but to be honest I think he prefers that place." Melanie then appears,

"You guys did it" she said, "thank goodness, I seen everything, let us return to Elder Light. I got the crystal don't worry about that"

"Wait before we go Nate" Rik said, "you want me to try and fix your leg with my healing magic?"

"Nah" Nate said, "I was talking to Conker about that and I decided to get a robot leg."

"What? Why?" Rik asked.

"I always wanted one" Nate replies, "they are cool and are better than normal legs."

"Right, okay well let me help you up then" Rik says. Rik and Conker help Nate up and they teleport back to Elder Light. Upon arrival Adeleus and the citizens of Elder Light are waiting to meet the heros.

"Our crystal have been returned safe and sound! Let's hear it for our saviors!" Adeleus shouted, and everyone cheers. "We shall have a grand banquet in their honor!"

"Wow a banquet?" said a Stargazer, "we haven't had one in ages."

"A baquet?" said A Member of the Circle, "shouldn't we focus on other things?" "Things like reconstructing the ruined buildings and homes?"

"Yes in time," said Adeleus. "But it's been a good half-century or so since we had a celebration, and well, I want to party, my word is law and I say we have ourselves a good time!"

"Hey Arin!" Nate shouts "bet you anything I can say my abc's after drinkin that brew of yours!"

"You're on!" Arin says. Everyone goes to the tavern to celebrate and Adeleus takes Rik and Tox aside for a moment.

"Tox," Adeleus said, "I know your predicament and I thought I would offer you remain here in Elder Light."

"It's much nicer here so I accept, thank you." Tox says, "I have a friend that could use a better life too, would you mind?"

"No not at all, he is welcomed" Adeleus said. "As for you Rik, what do you say? Will you remain here and serve the Multiverse?" Rik looks down thinking, finally he looks up to Adeleus and says,

"No, as much as I would like to stay I feel like my world will need me." "Sorry Tox I hope you understand, I just, I gotta go back."

"I understand Rik" Tox said, "you know your path of destiny and I too think you should follow it."

"Really?" Rik asked, "I didn't think you would understand".

"I do, you are going back for the Tox in your reality, I would do the same" Tox said. After a moment of silence Adeleus breaks the silence and says,

"Okay then but let me warn you Rik." "I was hoping you would not discover that gems power for.. reasons." "That much power is corruptible and dangerous to use, never use it unless it is a matter of life or death, you hear me?"

"Yes, power like that is something to be wary of" Tox said. "I would suggest never using it period."

"I get it, don't worry, it makes me ache anyway" Rik says.

"Good, now go and enjoy yourselfs" Adeleus said, "I will be there in a bit, I must make sure the crystal is back where it belongs." And they celebrated a toast in the honor of the heros and ate and told stories. Adeleus eventually arrives and gave a long winded speech about heroism and what not. However it got interesting when Nate challenged him to give a speech in limerick form, Adeleus did pretty well to everyone's surprise. Eventually Conker also got pretty 'tanked' (unsurprisingly) and tried to persuade Rik into bending reality to make an never ending beer fountain, which of course he didn't. Nate did successfully recite the alphabet after drinking Arin's brew, he needed help walking to his room though. Anyway the next day came, and of course it was midday because everyone overslept, but it was time to leave. Before leaving Conker asked Adeleus,

"So, I'm back in now right? We good?"

"Yes, yes" Adeleus said, "we are cool now, but I am keeping my eye on you.. Both of e'm!" "And you are back on a trial basis, a trial basis!"

Conker smiles and takes Nate to get that robot leg and finally return him home. Rik retrieved Alternate-Syx from his miserable reality and bids Adeleus and the other citizens of Elder Light goodbye. Rik bids Tox well one last time as well as Alternate-Syx. Before teleporting back home Rik takes one last look at Tox, he smiles and waves, Tox smiles and nods. He would come back to visit one day but for now he finally returns to his world, where he belongs. He arrives in a ball of light spooking the cattle and it's farmer,

"Whoops, sorry" Rik says as he walks down the path taking in the cool breeze of the nice sunny day. Rik eventually runs into a patrol of knights,

"Rik? There you are!" said one Knight, "it's been almost three days!"

"Really?" Rik asked, "felt longer."

"No matter, come with us back to Skyweather." the Knight said.

"Yes sir!" Rik said and he followed the knights back to Skyweather, no one will believe why he was missing at first no doubt, but with the gem they will have to believe him.

End of Chapter 15

Epilogue: Sometime Onwards

-A Couple of Weeks Onwards-

Rik is in Shivbury talking to Anne in The Hoppy Hare about his adventures, he told Anne about the many strange wondrous things he seen and experienced. He even pulled out some of his favorite mementos out of the gem including the camera.

"Wait so this thing makes paintings?" Anne asked.

"Nate said they are pictures," Rik said, "here let me show you" Rik poses with Anne with two fingers over her head. The camera makes a snapping sound and the blank sheet pops out and Rik waves it revealing the picture.

"Wow," Anne said, "that is definitely easier than having to sit still while someone paints a picture of you."

"I know right?" Rik said.

"Anyway can you ever go back and see Tox again?" Anne asked.

"To Elder Light?" Rik asked, "no, not unless I join them." "They try to stay hidden from evils and all that, guess they can't have too many outsiders comin through."

"That's unfortunate," Anne said, "but they let you keep the gem?"

"Well yeah" Rik said, "it is mine after all, I proved myself so they couldn't take it away."

"And what of the power?" Anne asked, "no one no matter how good should have access to something like that."

"Yeah, I know" Rik said, "I heard it from Syx, guard commanders and captains for the past week." "I'm just going to keep the gem on me so I don't have to carry too much, and maybe visit my new friends every now and again."

"I see, and sorry for pushing the matter" Anne said. "People and beasts fear powers like that for a reason." "Anyway why don't you tell the children about the time you spoke to a dragon? They have been waiting patiently, at least I hope."

"Sure, I will in a minute, let me just finish my steak" Rik says. Anne exits the pub and Rik puts the gem encased in the amulet in the palm of his hand and smiles down at it. He finishes his steak and exits the pub, ready to take on the group of rowdy children.

-5 Years Onwards-

Rik is sleeping, but his sleep is not restful. Rik tosses and turns in his bed, and wakes up in a start. Another dream about.. Someone or something wearing a mask, he was not sure what it was, he also heard a voice that is awfully familiar. He also seen the shadowy creatures too, but unlike the ones he had seen, these ones were twisted looking. He thought these dreams would stop when he locked the gem away in a box and hid it under the floorboards, but no they persisted. That was not the only reason why he put the gem away though. A year or so ago Rik almost erased his reality with the gem, he was not sure why but that was the start of his nightmares and has been more wary of the gem since. Rik hears a young boy's voice and he rolls over and see it's his adopted son. He was a Kobold Pup.

"Pa, you had another bad dream?" he said.

"Yeah," said Rik, "it's just a dream though, no big deal Greg".

"It's Gerg Pa" Greg said.

"I know what your real name is" Rik said, "Greg is the same name though, just the two letters switched." "And y'know, it's an actual name, anyhow what time is it?"

"Only 'bout six" Greg said.

"Six? Good, I will go make some breakfast" Rik said.

"Don't need to bother Pa, I already done that" Greg said. This is what Rik liked about Greg the best, he was self-reliant and could take care of himself. When Rik rescued him from a forest fire, he was in a little wooden shack. It seemed he was on his own for awhile, Rik immediately took a liking to him and adopted the Kobold Pup. This was a few weeks ago now, Greg was also the reason Rik finally got his own home just outside of Skyweather. Rik felt it would be best for Greg to be raised outside the city since he lived in the forest all his life. Rik enters the small living area and sees that Greg has cooked eggs, they were scrambled of course but they looked good.

"Wow, good job Greg" Rik said, "you saved me sometime this morning."

"No problem Pa" Greg says as he eats and leafs through a book about wizardry of some sort. That was another thing that struck Rik as odd about this Kobold Child, he was incredibly intelligent. He read books Rik wouldn't even have an interest looking into as an adult, truly odd but amazing nonetheless. Greg claimed to be self-taught but Rik didn't think so, Rik eventually finishes his food and goes to get ready for his knightly duties. He puts the lightweight plating of bronzish-steel over his usual outfit and adjusts the cape that drapes over his arm. The cape was tailored made with a Kobold emblem, Anne gave it to him as a gift for becoming a Knight Commander. Anne would not reveal how many gildeds it had cost, but Rik thought he should repay her somehow one day. He tosses the cape behind him so it was out of his arms way and looked into the mirror. 'The first beast commander he reflects' at himself, a title Rik was proud to hold. He then leaves to exit,

"I'm off to work Greg, be good now!" Rik said. "Old Danielson next door will check up on you as usual good-bye."

"By Pa! See you later!" Greg said. Rik walks to the gates of Skyweather and goes to meet up with his Knights as well as a couple of new beast recruits. Rik looks through the orders and reads them loud and clear. Afterwards he takes the few left over and goes on patrol with them.

"So, Rik" Knight Anton said "how's livin outside the walls treating you?"

"Alright, I'm quite happy with it, I never liked livin in a city" Rik said. "And Greg seems to like it as well, it's peaceful and away from any noise."

"Yeah, about the kid" Anton said, "it's just you raising him yeah?"

"Yeah, why?" Rik asks.

"Well the kid can't grow up without a mother figure!" Anton says. Rik puts his hand to his face,

"Anton.." Rik says, "stop trying to get me hitched okay?"

"Hey I'm not doing anything of the sort" Anton protests, "I'm just telling you to find a nice girl for your kid." "I mean you leave him alone every day."

"Ol' Danielson checks on him." Rik said annoyed

"That's every so often though Rik" Anton said.

"He made breakfast on his own this morning" Rik said, "I think he is pretty capable on his own."

"So you are telling me you are not interested in any Kobold girls?" Anton asked.

"I would have to be in a pack, so no" Rik said.

"Normal beast? Lizards?" Anton asked. "Come on, we can go to the tavern later and I could help you out."

"Heh" Knight Lee laughed behind Anton, "yeah, cause you are quite the lady killer alright."

"Oh shut it you," Anton said quite angrily, "I have had at least ten times the amount of women than you!"

"Guys, don't make me turn this patrol 'round and go back to Skyweather" Rik said. "And Anton, just stop okay?"

"Oh alright Rik" Anton says, "no one stays young forever though, I suggest you think on it." After some walking Rik sees something out the corner of his eye move behind the trees and to the river.

"Wait here," Rik said, "I'm going to check what just ducked behind them trees." "Will yell if I need help a'ight?" The knights say 'yes sir' and Rik walks through the trees and to the river, he sees a figure for a split second with a mask of some sort. After it disappears in a puff of smoke Rik turns around and finds himself facing the strange creature. He blinks and it's gone,

"What?" Rik asked confused, was he seeing hallucinations or was this real? Then someone touches his shoulder and Rik jumps away spooked, it was Nate.

"Ha ha, scared ya?" He was a human, sometime after Nate left he was transformed back to his normal self. Nate was, well old, time moved different in other universes and it seemed only half a decade for Rik was a few for Nate. He also had a robotic arm now as well, and his auburn colored hair seemed to be duller due to his age.

"Nate, it's been awhile hasn't it?" Rik asked "your age is starting to show and how did you get here anyway?"

"Hey" Nate said, "I'm only in my mid to late fifties.. okay maybe I am slightly old now anyway, Conker brought me".

"Hello" Conker said, he has not aged a day it seems

"Wait, how are you not old?" Rik asked.

"Cause reasons, anyway me and good ol' Nate are visiting cause you don't come 'round anymore."

"Yeah, why is that?" Nate asked.

"I put the gem up" Rik said, "it's no good for anyone, I almost lost everything"

"What? That's no reason to just put it away like that" Nate said. "Anyhow nice cape."

"Thanks," Rik said, "anyway I got to get back to my Knights, I am a Commander so I'm a bit busy."

"I see, you have a house?" Nate asked, "we can catch up with you there later." "I am curious to know a bit more y'know."

"Yeah.. yeah" Rik said, "I will see you there." Rik described as best he could where his house was and went back to his Knights. Rik and his knights finished the patrol and then a little later on him and his men (and women) had to escort a royal convoy. That took up most of his day, but later on all he had to do was guard a certain couple of streets in suspect of escaped convicts. Eventually Rik finished his duties for the day and began to head home, he used to also work well into the evening. Having Greg now though he was allowed to return home by sundown. While walking Rik happened to look up into a tree and see the masked creature just sitting on a branch. Rik blinked and wiped his eyes and the strange thing was gone again. Rik scratches his head and keeps walking along. When Rik arrives home Nate and Conker seemed to have met Greg already.

"Who are you?" Greg asked, "I don't know you two!"

"Hey, relax youngin" Nate said, "Rik didn't tell us about you, he just said to come here."

"Woah, hey Greg I'm back!" Rik said, "it's okay, they are my old friends."

"How do you know them?" Greg asked.

"We went on an adventure together", Rik said, "anyway have a seat I will get something to eat." Rik got some chicken to eat and tells Conker and Nate what happened with his gem. Rik accidently merged his reality with the other one he found Alternate-Tox in, he almost killed himself as well as his reality. Rik did not even know why it happened, he was trying to save fellow Knights from being killed by a group of ill mattered Black Dracons. Before he knew it a tear was ripped and the fabrics of the realities began to merge causing devastation. Rik was able to fix this with some time traveling and as a result ended up 'getting rid' of his past self. In the end it was better to sacrifice a handful of knights instead of the whole world. Last time Rik saw the gem it seemed like it was growing darker in color too. Everything was fine and normal before the incident, but afterwards that's when Rik started to get the nightmares.

"Gee, that is 'orible." Nate said, "still though, that's no reason to abandon it out of fear."

"I'm not afraid" Rik said, "I just don't want anything to happen to Greg so I put it away."

"I suppose I can understand as a father myself" Nate said. "Wish he was still around, but you know what they say about how they grow up so fast and such."

"He visits often?" Rik asked.

"Oh yes, when he can" Nate said, "but for the most part we see each other through video chat."

"Okay, what do you do nowadays Conker?" Rik asked.

"Well besides getting drunk with Arin I hardly do much" Conker said. "I am always the last choice for anything so whaddya expect?"

"Yeah, y'know that can't be healthy drinkin like that all the time" Rik said.

"Well I'm still standin so don't care" Conker said.

"Okay whatever you say" Rik says.

"So Rik, we ain't going to see you again then?" Nate asks.

"Unless you come to visit" Rik said, "sorry but I don't want anythin to do with that gem anymore."

"I could take a look at it if that would make ya feel better" Nate says, "see if there's something wrong with it y'know?"

"I guess" Rik said, "it did seem a little different, it's worth a shot." Rik gets up and walks to his room, Rik hears Greg asking all sorts of questions. Upon opening the door Rik sees the masked thing again. Dripping ooze from under it's mask, made up of vile looking dark looking tar of some kind. It was standing over the floor boards hiding the gem, it was facing away. Slowly it began to turn its head, then there was a snap as the creature's head does a complete one-eighty. The candlelight flickers leaving the room dark for a second and it was gone, black tar substances included. Rik backs up and into the door, he wipes his eyes and shakes his head, something was not right, was the gem doing this? Rik moves the floorboards and unlocks the box holding the gem, it was a very deep dark green with hardly any hint of blue unlike before. Rik enters back into the living area and hears Greg asking even more questions.

"Why is your arm and leg weird?" Greg asked.

"Well they are robotic, they are mechanical limbs built to replace the ones I lost."

"Whoa, are they better?" Greg asks

"Well yeah, unless someone has some sort of weapon that emits electricity" Nate said. "Luckily stuff like that ain't all that common." Nate looks up at Rik and notices his expression, "you okay Rik?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine" Rik said, "here's the gem". Rik shows Nate the gem and Nate looks at it intrigued.

"It's darker.." Nate said, "..like it's been infected." "How often did you use your power?"

"I may have eventually started using it to sleep in" Rik said admitfully. "As well as other things to make life a little easier, but I don't know how it would get infected."

"Well I can't say for certain it is infected by some sort of evil" Nate said. "Tell me, have anything else strange been happening?" When Nate asked that for a split second Rik swear he saw the masked creature again. But Rik blinked quite quickly and it was gone,

"I keep seeing things that aren't there, uh what's that word?" Rik asks.

"Hallucinations?" Greg asked.

"Uh, yeah how'd you know that?"

"I read a lot of books Pa" Greg said, "it was in this one book about dreams and real life."

"What? I don't remember getting you that one."

"I used my allowance" Greg says.

"What? You went to the market yourself?" Rik asks.

"No" Greg says, "Ol' Danielson takes me down sometimes."

"Oh, that's fine then" Rik said, "anyway what do we do Nate?"

"No idea" Nate said, "I will have Conker forward a message to Adeleus I guess."

"Okay," Rik said, "till then this is going back into the box."

"For safety's sake that would be best" Nate said.

"Aww, you guys worry too much" Conker said. "It's always like this when you have your first kid, worry about every little thing!"

"I never seen a gem just turn dark before Conk" Nate said, "have you?"

"No" Conker said, "and don't call me conk or I'll conk yer lights out."

"I'd wipe the floor with you Conker" Nate said smugly.

"Maybe," Conker said, "but I know I can out drink ya!"

"Well go somewhere else and do it" Rik said, "it's gettin late."

"Really?" Conker asks, "it's only nine, I think."

"Yeah I know" Rik said, "but I gotta wake up early every mornin, I'm a Knight Commander, it's a pretty demanding job."

"I can see that" Nate says, "take care Rik, have a goodnight." "And goodbye to you too Gerg."

"Hey, you said my real name!" Greg said, "goodnight Mr. Nate."

"Later Rik and you too kiddo" Conker said.

"Bye Mr. Squirrel" Greg says.

"See ya guys" Rik said. After that Rik goes and tucks Greg in to bed and Greg reads to Rik his favorite book of the week. It was something about gemstones and how they were formed. Rik never would have guess something as hot and dangerous as lava, or as Greg corrected, 'magma', would make such beautiful gem stones. Eventually Rik says that's enough and tells him good night ruffling the fur on his head. Before Rik would go to bed himself however he needed to take care of the gem.

Rik walks to his room and put the gem back into the box and locked it up. Rik then tosses it back under the floorboards and replaces the wooden plank. Rik walks up to the window to close the curtains, but when he walks to his window he is met with the mask of the creature. Rik stares back until he inevitability blinks and it's gone again, Rik is unsure what to make of it. Why is this thing stalking his mind? Or was it really there as an omen of what's to come? Rik goes to bed and inevitably has even more nightmares. Rik tried his best to sleep regardless but he could not. Morning eventually came and Greg was there to meet his gaze once again,

"Mornin Pa, I take it you didn't sleep too well."

"What gave it away?" Rik asked, "the red eyes or the bags under e'm?"

"Both" Greg said. "Want me to make some breakfast?"

"Go ahead" Rik said, "I'm going to see if Ol' Danielson has any coffee I can borrow meanwhile." Rik doesn't usually drink coffee, but he needed some boost since he hardly slept a wink. Rik goes outside and looks to the left and looks to the right, he looks up at a tree and behind him. Perhaps he was just seeing things yesterday after all, Rik borrows some coffee from Ol' Danielson and goes back to his house. Upon entering his home the creature appears on the tree in a puff of smoke. It then disappears again later on when Rik exits his home to begin another day of his Knightly duties. Rik takes one last look behind himself, nothing, Rik nods to himself and and turns around and walks. The creature then reappears peering down the pathway at Rik as he walks to Skyweather...

The End…?

No of course not, the end is never the end the end is never the end the end is never the end the end is never the end the end is never the end the end is never the end the end is never the end the end is never the end the end is never the end the end is never the end the end is ne #$# #110111001

But wait! There's moar

The Cutting Room Floor

Unused ideas, concepts and random trivia from the fan story

Beyond Worlds

Chapter 1: The Fox

There is not much to say for the first chapter. I didn't really leave anything out but originally the beginning with Rik waking up and his morning meeting was a bit more shallow which I went and fixed later on.

Not exactly anything cut, but I should mention that Lawrence and later in chapter two Sonya both made reappearances; even though Lawrence left to join the army and Sonya left the country at the end of The Tenth Line. To explain this they were both coincidentally visiting again at the same time. I eventually went and re-wrote the story a little to fit this.

Nate originally would have appeared not in a ball of light, but riding a giant Alaskan Bull Worm through a portal. It would have been a spongebob reference but I never used that cause it didn't make sense.

Naturally this being my first novel I didn't know how to properly format the story. It was a huge wall of text and was unappealing to read. This is evident by the fact that the first chapter lacks line breaks whereas the others have plenty. I eventually went and fixed the first chapter, but I still have the original mess which in my version history.

Chapter 2: The Parallel Wasteland

Originally in the part where Rik and Nate are at the campfire Nate revealed that his son and wife was kidnapped. Obviously I changed this for the reveal later on.

I originally did have Nate explaining everything about the other worlds and what's he doing to Sonya. But that would have been boring so that's why we got the bit where Rik tries warm soda.

Before I thought of giving Rik a canine shaped gas mask to enter the alternate world it was originally a bubble. It was to reference bubble boy but again, a little too silly so I went with a gas mask.

Originally Syx was not with Tox in the parallel world. I decided that he could probably live on in that world since there was no instance in the actual game where he was susceptible to black dracon poison so I added him.

Finally, chapter 2 and chapter 3 were one huge chapter. Sungazer (the dev for the game The Tenth Line) said it would be a good idea to split it. It happens that the reveal of Alternate-Rik's demise was a good point to end off the chapter, good call there Sungazer!

Chapter 3: Reunions

Originally Tox would have gone more in-depth on what happened in his reality and such but damn it, I still feel slightly uncomfortable with the final version so that's why I'm leaving it there.

I completely forgot about Nix until I played the game through again and decided to add her before they left which is why that scene isn't as drawn out.

Originally Rik was going to tell a full fledged tale on how he saved a boy from attacking chickens as a reference to The Legend of Zelda. I was issued a cease and desist from nintendo so I cut it (jk not really, it was just unused).

Nate was originally going to tell a story about fending off some sky pirates eluding to a later chapter. I changed it cause Tox is smart and would have recalled this story when the Captain mentioned being saved from sky pirates later on.

Finally for this chapter Rik was going to originally have recurring bad dreams of his past. Like when him and Tox ran away from home and Tox being angry at him when their home was burned down. I did not implement this cause Rik tries not to remember the bad things in the past and it wouldn't have made sense. Especially with Tox being angry, they forgive each other so it wouldn't have worked.

Chapter 4: Lost

The cave Rik visits in the beginning wasn't originally going to be the same cave he would later return to. I decided later on that it would be a convenient twist.

Originally Ruvolro was going to be an unnamed dragon that Rik would have had to run away from. But Rik already did enough running so I decided to make him a friendly dragon. I actually did look up the Dovah language for Ruvolro's lines thought I should mention that.

Though I have implied Rik learned more than lightning and some healing spells at the College of Winterhold, he only uses those two throughout the story. Rik was never a magic type of person so learning only to use a couple at least decently is quite the achievement.

Rasare was originally not a werewolf and was added when I thought it would make a clever twist.

Rasare was also a replacement for Inigo, a modded follower by Smartbluecat. I did not include him because I would have to ask permission to use him and at my writing pace I did not have time to await a response.

Even though Rik had a dream about finding a woman in the cave and then being attacked from behind by The Beast, nothing came of it. That dream was going to contribute something like the others did but I forgot.

Originally more stuff would have happened in Whiterun. Most of it would have been related to Manslayer's Skyrim Gamerpoop series like Nazeem asking to be 'ravaged' for example. I even would have Jarl Balgruuf doing his Jarl ballin thing. I decided not to do any of the sort cause Gamerpoop is highly inappropriate and really against Skyrim's lore at times.

Rasare would have had more backstory originally but he was only a minor character. So I decided to give some insight to his past but that's it since he would be leaving in the beginning of the next chapter.

Chapter 5: The Beast Cometh

The Magic way pointing map thing was brought to my attention by the Inigo follower mod. Inigo tells you that your map can do that and he can place a waypoint over himself. Now I'm not sure if that was actually canon but hey, it works.

Originally Rik would have fell into water in the ravine but at the time I had no idea whether he could swim or not. Later on Sungazer (the dev. Of The Tenth Line) did confirm he can swim so that was convenient for later in the chapter.

The marked object that eventually ended up being the eye was not originally the marked object. In fact I forgot about my own plot till towards the end of the chapter.

The action scene with the Doom slayer was more in-depth with ways he pulverized different demons. The story having a teen rating however prevented me from including it.

Chapter 6: Skyhaven City

There were a lot of changes in this one, originally this world was Bioshock Infinite. However I wanted to be original and the world takes inspiration from that game. I mean floating sky city? Robotic men? Underwater facility later on? Yeah.

Other ideas I had for this chapter was 1984 dystopian setting and wolfenstein cause new colossus.

Originally the city would have been more oppressive, Rik upon seeing the robotic man the first time was originally being apprehended for 'asking too many questions'. Kinda a remnant of me wanting to do a 1984 esque setting.

Rik saying "Okay, what?" was apparently dialogue directly from the game and I made an accidental easter egg.

The officers did fire at Rik for basically no reason other than resisting arrest originally. However that never really sat well with me so I re-wrote it so the one officer was just hot headed while the other one was reasonable.

The floating city also had a lower district on the ground originally too, it would have been a slums of some sort for all the poor. I removed it since it would have been tied into the whole oppression thing.

Originally Rik would have not joined Nate in his masquerade mission, but the chapter was a little short so that's why I had Rik tag along.

I did not want to reference drugs in my story at all, alcohol is fine cause who the hell doesn't drink? But still. The illegal contraband that caused Grayson to lose his crew was the 'maggot cheese' cause I needed to find something that was banned and not drugs. I happened to remember Gordon Ramsay doing a segment with the stuff, so I used the cheese in place of something more risque.

Chapter 7: The Fall of Vans Colter

Originally I had two ideas for encounters over the seas, one was sky pirates and the other was ghost pirates. If you read the story you know which one won out.

The plot was actually gonna follow Nate at one point when he was sent to the future by Vans. But that would have been another chapter worth of adventure and I felt this is supposed to be Rik's story so I did it as is.

And the last fact is that this is the last one for this chapter, not a lot got changed or removed.

Chapter 8: Somewhere in the Multiverse

Even though this part looked like I was just making stuff up as I went along it was all planned out. I liked the idea the characters in my stories really getting lost in the Multiverse and just checking out other worlds.

In the original spyros world I had a scene where spyro looked into a portal and saw skylanders and, I dunno smacked the dev. who designed him up the head? I clearly was not ever gonna intentionally add this, just wanted to put that here.

Anyhow I have a lot of other worlds I was gonna use but never did. Those worlds are the Sly Cooper games (or Sly Raccoon if European, in that case sorry), Ratchet and Clank, Super Mario Bros Super Show, our world featuring Chef Ramsay, Saints Row 4's simulation world, Star Fox, Spongebob, Mcdonaldland, The Land Before Time, Animaniacs feat. Slappy and her 'explosive personality', Original Teen Titans, and Scooby Doo cause jinkies why not? Plus many more to list.

Daxter was meant to join Rik for the rest of the story cause he is my second favorite character in gaming. But that was dropped because I couldn't really make it work as well as I would hope.

Originally all three characters would have gone to another world after Rik's little adventure but I felt it would have got repetitive. So that's why Rik conveniently stumbles across the fourth marked object in his travels.

Chapter 9: The Plane of Non-Existence

The Plain of Non-Existence is indeed represented in the Cover Image for the story.

Rodent residing in Conkers house was a last minute thing I added to pad out the chapter just a little more.

Conker did have more fourth wall jokes but we ran out of walls

Originally the Supermassive black hole was going to be Vacuum Decay, but that is way too nerdy and kinda hard to comprehend. Look it up, Vacuum Decay and let me know if you get it, I don't.

Chapter 10: Breaking the Cycle

Again had way more description of the violence that happened in this chapter. As a fan of Brutal Doom and Doom (2016) I just adored all the awesome kill moves.

Originally it would have been just Nate's son who was kidnapped. However it was both his wife and his son in the end cause I wanted to pull a Walt Disney and kill the wife.

While Doom Marine is known for his skull smashing aggression he is still human. The Doom Reboot showed this in subtle ways like how he backed up Vega towards the end of the game. The part in my story where he puts a supporting hand on Nate's shoulder was a call back to the fact he is human and does have some sort of empathy.

Instead of grabbing Rik and kick Marx so his arm popped off, Doom Slayer would have used his chainsaw to cut Rik free from his grasp. That could have been a little too much so I changed it.

When Rik was sucked into the portal at the end of the chapter setting up the next you could say he was going down the rabbit hole.

Chapter 11: [Unknown]

The part with the reality swapping forest was inspired by Fran Bow. And Fran Bow was inspired by Alice in Wonderland, so you can also say it was inspired by alice too.

Who was the skeleton and the maggoty corpse? Could one have them been Fran? Perhaps the other was Alice? Hmmmmmmm.

Originally the Werewolf was a giant centipede. I changed it cause what the heck would a giant centipede be doing with a comb? They ain't got no hair!

You may be wondering… was the Young Kobold Rik? Even if I said yes it still could be untrue, it could have been a dream after all…

Instead of the world of Dust: An Elysian Tail, Rik was gonna visit Ooo and end up stuck in a party with Finn and Jake. I did not go through with it because those characters speak in a way that is really hard to write. That and I have not watched the show since the end of like season 5 I think? So yea thats why.

Chapter 12: The Cycle is Broken

I was going to use this chapter to get in some more worlds I didn't include but ended up not doing that to help keep somewhat of a focus for the story.

It was at this time I have been indulging in a lot of Left 4 Dead 2 and I swear I keep hearing Ellis when I try to imagine Rik's voice. Ironically enough though it would be impossible to have the story go to that game's world because of one reason. The infection actually lives on through the survivors. And the survivors are carriers and will likely infect anyone without the right genetics upon meeting them. On top of that the infection is also air borne sometimes too so yeah, l4d would never work.

The second recorded message where Rik just stopped listening was actually written out to some degree. I just made it the way it was cause Rik would not understand it. Here it is, 'A week in and so far the animal gene conversions have been going according to plan. By splicing the genes and properly mending them we were able to allow cells to coexist in our genetic mutations. We were able to mend such creatures like Eagles and Sharks for that matter.' That is as much as I wrote before deciding to just make it seem too complicated for Rik.

Originally Josh, Nate's son was gonna shoot the plasma carpet bomb gun. When I thought about it, it could have ripped his arms out of socket so I decided to not do that.

Originally Elder Light was going to be Qaedrirus, but it was too water sounding and kinda hard to pronounce.

Chapter 13: The Ancient Order

At first I didn't have any idea what Rik and Tox would have done waiting so I kinda had them just hangin around town.

I was pretty hesitant at the idea of Rik getting drunk and passing out cause I never seen him as a drunk. However I felt better with the idea when I wrote it as an accident from drinking something too strong

Sungazer (the dev of 'The Tenth Line') had some interesting ideas of his own for this chapter, he said to quote,

'It would have been funny if Rik got summoned while he was still totally wrecked. He and Conker could drunkenly slur at each other and nobody else would know what they were saying.' I thought that was funny enough to share and he also mentioned this,

'I was half expecting the bartender to be the ancient one in secret, or something.'

I quite liked that idea and I regret not coming up with that myself.

I also made a not-so-subtle easter egg to Sungazer Software when Rik asked if Stargazers also looked at suns. Like I said, not very subtle but hey at least you can't miss it.

Is Adeleus indeed slightly crazy? Yes moving on

When Adeleus said "Don't throw yer butts at me Isterd!" it is kind of a reference to Spongebob, yeah again I like old spongebob what can I say?

Conker was not originally going to be in the ending parts of the story. However he would not stop ringing my phone so I eventually agreed, guess he needed the beer money.

Originally Adeleus would have died but I ended up like the character too much to kill. Not much else to say about that, it was just a footnote stating 'maybe kill Adeleus idk lol, also need milk'.

Chapter 14: End of Worlds?

I didn't mention this but I was going to end the story with 12 chapters plus the epilogue. However I wanted to actually do something with that ancient order since I came up with it.

Doom Slayer was originally not in the final chapters but he was around for this long so I decided to make it so he was there by coincidence.

The scenes where Nate was fighting the undead possessed soldier was inspired by an Assassin's Creed fan movie I saw. It was pretty good it was Assasin's Creed wwii, very well done fan movie may I add.

The part where Rik was playing with a polaroid camera was almost not kept. I decided to keep it however since I never had more scenes with Rik playing with stuff outside his understanding.

Rik did indeed fire a fatman at Marx from Fallout. Now that I think of it Rik should have also suffered rad poisoning ah well, he had enough to worry about.

So you may have noticed I have a theme of forests and surrealness going on, not intentional but whatevs.

Chapter 15: The Power Within

Lots of changes, was gonna have Bill from Left 4 Dead help Rik get out of Purgatory or whatever that was. Instead he just makes a cameo as the gruff old man wearing a cap and saying something about damned tanks.

This is a first, actually changed the title because the chapter changed entirely so I had to come up with something else, this was originally A Hero's End.

The weird helmet monster is Delta from Bioshock 2 if no one got that.

And the other gruff guy with the weird looking hat was indeed John Marston from Red Dead Redemption. Was gonna have the story go to his world but in the end that did not happen.

Conker originally would have tried to revive Rik with a defibrillator but I thought eh, no, this was actually referenced by Conker himself. Anyway defibrillator was dropped cause well, I don't like how that translates to text and they can't fix broken necks so yeah.

Lucifer is based off of Calypso from the Twisted Metal series.

Rik originally did not have the power to twist reality by mending space and time. It was originally gonna be the ability to talk to dead loved ones. This power would have been used so he could talk to Tox on the other side back home. This was dropped in favor of living up the build up and since Tox met Rik in the purgatory place I just dropped it.

I originally was going to have Rik dead for the whole final chapter with Tox actually sacrificing himself so Rik could be revived. I had the idea that the only way to bring someone back to life was to have a loved one sacrifice him or herself. But that went out the window when I realized Conker could quite literally pull out a one up so that's what I did.

Again would have ended this chapter with Rik talking to Tox with his new found power. But I decided to make the ending happy without really any bitterness since there were already enough dark and depressing moments in the story. Also didn't want to put Rik through anymore pain and well, Tox deserves a happy ending for once wouldn't you agree?

Epilogue: Sometime Onwards

I thought Rik posing with Anne doing bunny ears to take a picture was the cutest thing I thought up ever. Seriously, can someone like make some fanart of that? I would treat you to some coffee and doughnuts.

At first I was gonna make everything seem fine until the end. However I wanted to firmly establish that something is off from the get go.

Why is the kids name Gerg but instead called Greg? Cause Sungazer was bemused by it, he said to go with Greg, Greg for life. I honestly thought that was actually really dumb when I first made it up but it has grown on to me.

Also Greg is not super smart, he smarter than any ordinary Kobold Pup but he's not a super genius. I just like intelligent kid characters because they are a bit easier to write for me.

I knew someone would probably dislike Greg being left alone even though he is capable of taking care of himself. So yeah that's why I wrote in Ol' Danielson, some nice old farmer.

The scene where Anton is trying to get Rik hitched is a subtle hint to my distaste for shipping in fanfics. I can understand if it's a pre established relationship in the story but when it's one made up by the fan in ways that don't make sense or are cringy then that bothers me. I mean come on, stop forcing awkward romances people, it makes me want to drink lighter fluid.

I was hesitant to reveal the gem is getting darker implying that it may be infected at first. But when you really think about it, it does make sense because Rik would not willing just give up so much power I'm sure.

Don't tell me you don't think Greg reading about something smart with Rik isn't cute! It is and you know it!

And finally the ending, am I hinting the fact I will do another? Yes. If Sungazer is okay with it I would be happy too :)

And that was The Cutting Room Floor, I hope you found some of this insightful and entertaining. Thank you for reading the story as well as this little bonus. I always liked stuff like deleted scenes and little known trivia so that's why I made this. Anyways thanks again and I hope to do another story again soon. :D

Sincerely,

PalmerDude Gaming

Extra page lol