A/N: All right, everybody. I know I have a lot of fanfics, but this idea just wouldn't leave my head. This is creating my own team of Power Rangers. I doubt I'll create that many episodes as I hardly have access to Word. But I promise, I will do my best. This starts in March 2016. Just to give you guys a timeline. Now then,
Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. Power Rangers rightfully belongs to Saban.
Power Rangers Noble Knights
Episode I: United, We Fight Part I
"Many remember the back on February 2000 when demons had invaded Mariner Bay, threatening to wipe out the humans who inhabited the city. It was thanks to the Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue that the demons had been defeated when they banished Queen Bansheera to the Shadow World. But what many do not know, is when those demons existed in more than just Queen Bansheera's kingdom.
This is a tale passed down through time. The Grand Lord of Fiends, Venok, ruled with an iron fist. His venomous army of demons, fiends and ghouls would lay waste to everything in their path, be they villages or kingdoms.
An order of knights, whose virtues were their greatest power, had banded together to fight Venok's forces. Sensing the potential in these brave knights, a guardian maiden, who had been watching over these knights, had given these virtues physical form. With these shields to protect, these knights have successfully sealed away Venok into what is known as the Dusk Realm.
The maiden however, knew that the seal could only hold for so long. Venok would one day return. The knights agreed to watch over their homes in case Venok had returned. For centuries, Venok's fortress has remained untouched, the Lord of Fiends himself never disturbed from his slumber.
Until now…"
Palace of Shadows, Dusk Realm
This castle was full of nothing but darkness and dust. The looming dark clouds overhead, a part of a spell to keep this domain in shadows. There was no one in sight. Not even a-
Oh. Wait.
A shadow is seen entering the castle. It slowly made its way through the dark hallways, the only source of light being blue torches. Nothing moved except the shadow.
This came to a change when the shadow had entered a chamber. In that chamber looked like a Coffin with a circle seal holding it shut. The coffin itself looked like it was made of stone, and the circle was glowing a pink light, indicating the seal was still working.
"This is it! After all these centuries, we found him!" His voice was deep and bellowing. The shadow took a step forward before the torches in the room lit up bright, revealing the shadow.
This shadow stood at a full 6 feet tall and wore an ash black suit of armor. This armor was designed with dark purple highlights racing across the torso, and along the arms. One of his legs resembled being burned and hardened. In his hands, he held a sword that was styled to resemble a stone spiral, as was his head. He also held a shield that resembled an overview of a volcano.
This being held his sword at the ready when he sees that this wasn't going to be a simple mission. Just the way he liked it.
In a flash of light, multiple suits of armor appeared, each one carrying a sword, spear, or mace.
"Intruder!" One of the suits of armor echoed, holding its sword toward the creature. "Name thyself!" though the creature thought they were beneath him, he introduced himself anyway.
"I am Magmelt, General of Lord Venok's army. I am here to release him from his imprisonment, and I will not be denied by a group of living tin cans!" With a battle cry, Magmelt swung forward, sending a wave of flames and knocking out the front row of knights.
"Charge!" That was the general cry shared among the knights as they advanced. Magmelt started his fight by swinging his sword and striking down the closest knight. He easily parries the knights' swords before striking through with his own. He cut off the head off a knight's spear before knocking down another with his shield.
"You are centuries behind your training if you think you can defeat me." Magmelt gloated, bashing two knights down with his shield. He even took a knight's mace and knocked away five knights with it.
Magmelt then concentrated his energy into his sword.
"Have a taste of this! Eruption Thrust!" Magmelt struck his sword down. Two seconds later, flames erupted from the floor, taking out the remaining knights. Soon Magmelt was the only moving being in the room.
"HA! Not even a challenge!" Magmelt gloated.
He had to take back his words when the same knights he fought reappeared with reinforcements. "We shall not fall that easily!" The knight from before said, charging forward with the other knights. Magmelt was more than capable of fighting off these knights, but every knight he took down, two more took its place.
"Where…are…these…cretins…coming from?!" Magmelt shouted between swings. He then performed a spinning slash, summoning a blazing tornado to take out the knights. But with the constant flow of them, it seemed like an empty effort. It seems the knights were set up to wear down any intruders so they would be easier to finish off.
Soon, Magmelt could not take it anymore, his highlights changing from purple to red to match his anger. "That's it! You guys are finished!" He was about to raise his shield, when all of a sudden, the knights disappeared in wisps of smoke.
"Honestly, Magmelt, you always charge before you think. So quick to anger, too." A condescending voice said, Magmelt turning to it.
The voice belonged to a creature that was just shorter than Magmelt. But this being was dressed in a pitch black robe with dark blue lines running down it. Though hidden in a hood, one could easily make out the gray skull-like face, pitch black beard and yellow eyes. In one hand, in a bronze color, he had a pitch black spell book. In the other, nothing but bone, he held a pulsing white crystal orb. You could tell by the weak glow that it was responsible for the knights earlier.
"Do not patronize me, Dreadlin! You know how long I have waited for this moment!" Magmelt shouted.
"As have we, Magmelt." A sultry voice said. From behind Dreadlin stepped out a figure. This figure was obviously female, given the build. She was dressed in a midnight black dress, a red corset and gray high heels. She had a coy smirk on her lips. Her skin was the color of ash, her hair was as black as a shadow, her eyes were a demonic crimson behind the violet mask and she carried a pitch black wand with a blood red gem.
The woman turned to Dreadlin. "May I have the crystal, Master Dreadlin? I figured out how we can free Lord Venok from the seal without harming him." She requested, showing her smile had fangs. "By all means, Coyra. This will prove how far you've come as my apprentice." Dreadlin said, giving her the crystal. She stepped forward to the coffin and held the crystal up. The orb floated out of her hand and stopped in front of the seal.
Soon, Coyra began to chant a spell, the shadows surrounding her in response.
"Hear me spirits so vile and dark.
In this seal, lies an evil heart.
With this light I sacrifice
Fill this Lord full of life.
Let this cold prison of stone
Turn to rubble at the tone.
And once the Lord is shown awake
At this sound, the seal shall break."
Coyra then shot a bolt of lightning at the crystal, making a ringing sound that echoed throughout the palace. The shadows then sprang from Coyra and soon enveloped the coffin. Then the coffin began to shake as the seal had flickered. "Yes! It's working!" Dreadlin shouted. The stone slab keeping it closed had begun to move. Once there was a crack open, a roar was heard from within. Soon, the slab, and seal, exploded into pieces, and out of the smoke, emerged a figure.
He stood tall, and looked around, despite the blindfold he wore. There were horns sprouted from his helmet, and a metal plate masking his mouth. He had on a gray coat that was open from a jewel on the chest, revealing his stomach. There were black orbs on his shoulders and waist, and there were seals on the boots he wore. His pants looked like it was made from a spider's web, and his hands had needles at the tips.
Regardless of appearing to have his sight hindered, he could see his warriors clearly, as they kneeled at his power. "Arise, my loyal followers." Venok said, urging them to stand.
"Lord Venok." Magmelt said as they stood. "We have long awaited your awakening."
"We have lived out centuries trapped in this Dusk Realm, and we believe your guidance can lead us back to our former glory." Dreadlin explained.
Venok looked around to see where exactly where he was. "Ah, my home that is the Palace of Shadows. It seems so…empty. This should be taken care of." As Venok spoke, he summoned an orb of dark energy and sent it up, spreading across the palace. Soon, the palace was surrounded by cursed souls, and the interior had looming shadows among every corner. The room Venok and the others were in had transformed into a throne room, where said Lord sat upon.
"Much better. Now onto more important business." He said, getting his followers' attention. "In order to secure our place back on Earth, we must first have a better understanding of it. Many things may have changed during our absence." He explained, opening a viewing window.
"Although my time of freedom has been brief, I understand the barrier between the Dusk Realm and Earth has weakened. Send out scouts to discover everything they can. From the history to the architecture, I want to know as much as possible." Venok ordered.
"Allow me, my lord." Dreadlin said turning toward the portal. He held out a hand of dark energy. "Arise, Scout Ravens! I summon your power to aid in my quest for knowledge!" He invoked. A flock of armored ravens had emerged from the shadows and took off. "I also sent a few to see just how weak the barrier is, so we can prepare our forces for invasion." He stated.
"As expected of the Sage of Tactics." Venok said, using Dreadlin's title.
Earth, Spellbrooke City, Night Time
As the Scout Ravens flocked through the night sky, they spread out to cover more ground, their beady eyes glowing purple all the time. One flock took to the city, viewing the way humans lived. Some of the Ravens had flown into the local libraries to gain information that was written. One of them even extracted information from a computer.
The next flock took off in the suburbs, trying to find out how the humans would settle. Since it was early in the evening, many people were still awake, which made the Ravens' job easier. One Raven swept onto one house in particular. It peered into a bedroom with red wallpaper. The dresser had a couple of pictures on top of it, and on the bed laid a backpack with a lot of equipment.
"Okay, got the radio in case we need to call for help." A young voice said before entering the room. It was a young man who looked to be fourteen. His dark brown hair is matched by his brown eyes. He had on a red muscle shirt, showing his bare arms. His jeans were secure with a belt, and his red and white sneakers were still on his feet.
"Alright, now let's see here." The boy said, taking a closer look into his backpack. "We got radio, provisions, mountain climbing gear, compass, maps… Am I forgetting anything?" He asked to no one in particular.
"How about a reminder to check in before you take off tomorrow?" A female voice remarked, making the boy flinch.
"Ah, Mom." He groaned, turning toward her. Her blonde hair was at shoulder length and her brown eyes gave him an amused look. Her arms were crossed over the pink polo shirt she wore. Her khaki pants had a small stain from when she was making dinner. Her name was Dana Mitchel-Grayson, top volunteer paramedic and one of the best doctors at the local hospital.
"Don't groan at me, William Grayson. You know how worried we get when you go off on your adventures." She said.
"But you know my friends and I do this all the time. We know what we're doing by now. And how many times have I told you and Dad to call me 'Will'?" Will said.
"When we're in public, we call you 'Will,' but here at home, you'll always be 'William.'" Dana said, to her son's dismay. "Now, why don't you come downstairs? Dinner is ready, and your father will be back soon." She said.
"Alright. I'll be right down." Will said. He put down his backpack as his mother left. It was at this point he noticed the Raven. Sensing it was spotted, the Raven took off. "That was weird. I know ravens are common in Spellbrooke, but that one seemed…off." He muttered, before shrugging and leaving the room. The Raven's eye glowed an eerie purple before flying back into the Dusk Realm.
RPM Demo Intro (I do not own this in any way. All I did was change a couple of the words.)
*Instrumental*
United, we fight! Defending what's right!
Power Rangers: Noble Knights, let's go!
(Go!)
Getting late, need to get some rest
When Venok puts us to the test
Don't they know, we're the best?
(Power Rangers)
Demonic fiends trying to destroy me
And Spellbrooke City
(Well, let me say)
(Aaaaah…)
We're here to save humanity (Power Rangers)
We're making our stand, and we'll do our best
(Noble Knights, go!)
(Aaaaah…)
We're here to save humanity (Power Rangers)
We'll never give in, They will never win
Power Rangers: Noble Knights, let's go!
Power Rangers: Noble Knights, let's GO!
Grayson Residence
Early morning had arrived, and Will already had his school bag out and was seated in his kitchen. Dana was almost finished making the pancakes when a large crash was heard from upstairs.
"William, did you leave your supplies on the edge of the bed again?" She asked, looking toward her son.
"No, not this time." Will said, confused.
Just then, a door opening could be heard upstairs. "Dana! Do you know where my jacket went? I could have sworn I hung it on the desktop up here." A male voice, no doubt Will's father, called.
"I brought it down here and hung it up on the coat rack, like a normal person." She retorted.
The sound of footsteps came from the stairs were heard before her husband was seen. He was dressed in a red muscle shirt like his son, he wore his jeans and fine black shoes. His brown hair was set up to wear a hat at any time, and he had a firefighter's helmet in his hand.
"Why did you do that? You know I need to be ready in case I get called in." He griped.
"Carter, you know as well as I do that when you get a call in, I'm not that far behind you." She said. "Now put that helmet away and sit down. Breakfast is ready."
He followed her order, and breakfast was served. "A large flock of ravens were spotted flying around town last night." Carter said eating his second pancake.
"Ravens are pretty much Spellbrooke's city bird. Even William's school uses a raven as a mascot." Dana said.
"Yeah, but I saw one sitting at my window last night. It looked…off. It was like that raven was watching me." Will said, looking down at his breakfast.
"Ravens have that effect on you. I should know. They pretty much flock to the trees near the hospital. Now hurry up and finish. You don't want to miss your bus." Dana said. Her son soon finished breakfast, and grabbed his black bag.
"Got to go. Love you, bye." Will said, moving toward the door. "Have a good day, Will." Carter called, having no problem calling him by his nickname. "Remember to check in before you take off today." Dana reminded him. "I know." He said, closing the door.
Carter checked the time, and finished off his coffee. "I better get going soon, too." He said, getting up, and went to put on his jacket.
"Carter." Dana called, stopping him. "Do you… Do you think we were right in not telling him? He is approaching that age, and he's bound to know how we really met sooner or later." She said.
Carter turned around and faced her. "Dana, we both know we chose not to tell him about our time as Rangers so he could live a normal life." He then paused a bit. "Well, as normal of a life you can have when your parents are a medic and a firefighter. Luckily, your father was able to keep our identities covered so no one who wasn't in Mariner Bay at the time would know." He said, to which Dana nodded.
"Yeah, Dad is good at that." She then giggled. "I remember how nervous you were at how he and Ryan would react to our engagement." Carter gave an unamused look. "You would fight demons on a regular basis, you looked Queen Bansheera in the eye, yet you were scared of my family's reactions." Her giggles turned into full blown laughter, much to Carter's dismay, but breaking the tense mood.
Palace of Shadows, Dusk Realm
The Palace of Shadows is bustling with activity due to the Scout Ravens flying in and out. In the Throne room, the Ravens would perch on a tree that was set up. Dreadlin and Coyra would work together in organizing the information with their magic. Venok sits patiently in his chair while Magmelt is the exact opposite, pacing the room and anxious to get moving.
"Let's see… the humans have advanced in the ways of technology and architecture. They use metal to build their structures instead of simply stone and they have changed the way they dress since we have been trapped here." Coyra said, looking at the information and attempting to make images to match her words. The attempts, were not so successful.
"It appears that we were not the first to attempt to conquer Earth." Dreadlin, having practiced magic more than Coyra, created images with no problem. Showing the likes of Lord Zedd, Moltor, Master Org, Dai Shi, and Xandred, he continued. "Many have tried to conquer the Earth and were stopped every time."
"And what exactly stopped them?!" Magmelt demanded, wanting to get out as soon as possible.
"Patience, my short-tempered friend." Dreadlin said, before changing the images. They changed to show many familiar costumed heroes of different colors.
"Every threat the Earth has faced have been countered by a group known as the Power Rangers." He reported. The image changes, showing Mighty Morphing, Operation Overdrive, Dino Thunder, Time Force, Megaforce, and Space.
"There is something else." Coyra said, turning the attention back to her. "Master Dreadlin, can you aid me in showing Lord Venok what I found?" Dreadlin nodded and grabbed her hand to mix his magic with hers. When he saw what she did, he immediately conjured the image. The image that was revealed astonished Magmelt and even Venok, though the latter was harder to see. The image showed of a demon with great wings and claws, but the face shown was that of a woman. The demon was shown falling into a pit of darkness as a red costumed hero was being pulled up from the pit.
"Lord Venok…I am afraid Queen Bansheera…your aunt…has fallen." Dreadlin reported gravely. "She too attempted to conquer the Earth by reclaiming the land that was once hers. She was defeated by a team of Power Rangers called Lightspeed Rescue."
Any normal person would be outraged or saddened at losing family, but Venok only solemnly shook his head. "She was older and did have greater power than me. It was only natural that she would awaken first. Right now, we need to prepare. We shall succeed where Bansheera and the others have failed."
Just then, a Raven flew in and gave information to Dreadlin. He was astonished at the news. He turned to the Raven.
"Are you certain?" The Raven gave a caw in reply. "This is not good."
"What is it, Master Dreadlin?" Coyra asked. Dreadlin turned to Venok.
"Lord Venok, I just received word that three of the knights that sealed you are still alive."
Now that stirred a reaction from Venok. "What?! If even one of those warriors still live, there is a chance of stopping our invasion before it even begins!" He stood up. "Ready any available forces to go after the knights. We must put an end to them before they can prepare for us."
"With pleasure, my Lord. The problem is that we had to come here alone so we could release you without being caught. It would take weeks to gather our forces if not months." Magmelt said. Venok was not pleased by this statement.
"I may have an idea to help with that." Coyra said. She then turned to Dreadlin. "Master, we can use the crystal from earlier to make those spirits work for us instead of hinder us."
Dreadlin seemed to get the idea. "An excellent suggestion, Coyra! I have taught you well. This way, we can prepare our forces within an hour."
"Excellent. Let me know when you are ready, and I will guarantee a safe path to Earth. My power may have weakened in my slumber, but I can assure that much at least." Venok said, wanting to stop any resistance as soon as possible.
Earth, Spellbound High, Spellbrooke
Spellbound High School was bustling with activity left and right. Students are doing various things like doing homework, practicing sports, or simply hanging out.
In the hallway, one student just closed her locker. She was fifteen, had flowing red hair and an emerald green in her eyes. She was wearing a denim jacket over her yellow shirt. She also had a white skirt with yellow shorts underneath. She carried her brown backpack over her shoulder, which was decorated with images of many animals. She was about to make her way toward the doorway when a voice stopped her.
"Hey Kristie, wait up!" Kristie turned to see Will running up to her.
"Well, it's about time, Will. What kept you?" She asked.
"Sorry about that. Mr. Ryder wanted me to stay behind to go over what career I wanted to pursue." He said, scratching his head.
"Did you finally decide?" She asked as they made their way through the hall.
"No. I'm really not sure what career I want to pursue. I'm not like you, whose career will no doubt involve animals." Will said.
"Well, when you grow up knowing how to take care of animals, you tend to make a career out of it." Kristie said as they made a turn.
They quickly approached the Guidance Counselor's office. The door opened to see two students walking out. The one who was speaking had on a blue T-shirt, a set of jeans, and blue and white sneakers. He was of Asian descent, sixteen years old, and had black hair and hazel eyes.
"Now remember, Simon," One of the students said to the other. "If you have any problems with your classes, just come by here."
"Thanks, Nathan." Simon said, before walking off. Nathan then nodded before turning to go in when he noticed Will and Kristie.
"Hey, guys. Classes finished up, I see." Nathan, despite being one year above Will and Kristie, ends up being one of their best friends.
This started back in fourth grade, Nathan was a new kid in school and terribly shy. Will and Kristie went out of their way to befriend him. Ever since, they would meet up after school, and soon, they were best friends. Nathan was able to get over his shy factor and made plenty of friends, although he keeps to himself every now and then. When he started High School, he decided to help out students by being a student guidance counselor. Just as Will and Kristie helped him, he wants to help any other student with their problems.
"Hey Nathan, everything set up on your end?" Will asked.
"You bet. We can take my jeep and go climbing anytime you're ready." Nathan said.
"Alright, we head home to get everything we packed, then we make our way to the woods." Will said, before flinching. "Almost forgot, my mom wanted me to check in on her before we head out."
"Well, since your mom works at the hospital, she would worry about you. Especially when you decided to climb a cliff side with your bare hands." Kristie said.
"I only did that once and there was water below!" Will argued, getting laughs out of the other two.
"Yeah, thirty feet below. Honestly, is there anything that can startle you?" Kristie said.
"What can I say? I just love soaring to new heights." Will said, shrugging.
"Well anyway, you two head to the jeep. I'll lock up here and join you." Nathan said.
"Okay. After you drop us off, go ahead and grab your supplies. You can pick me up at the hospital." Will said, the other two nodding at the plan.
"Yeah, I got animals to feed before we go, so can you drop me off first?" Kristie asked.
"Sure thing. It'll take me a while to get everything ready anyway, I got to dig the tarp out of the garage to cover my jeep in case it rains." Nathan said.
"Okay, see you at the jeep." With that, Will and Kristie made their way to the parking lot.
Nathan went in to the office to grab his stuff when he noticed something at the corner of his desk. It was a small shield with a mountain on it. As Nathan reached for it, he noticed the cracks in the mountain were blue and formed the head of a bear. When he picked it up, he felt a surge of energy.
"Whoa." Nathan jumped as he felt the energy. He looked around to see if anyone else felt that. When he saw no reaction, he looked at the chip. "The work must be getting to me." He muttered, before pocketing the shield, planning on putting it in the lost and found first thing on the next school day. He grabbed his blue coat, and made his way out.
Michaels Animal Shelter
The drive to the Animal Shelter, which is right next door to Kristie's house, was uneventful. When Kristie went in however, she was immediately tackled by several furry missiles.
"Stop! I missed you guys too, but come on!" She laughed as she was being showered with affection from the energetic puppies. She yelped as one of them was sniffing her ear.
"Okay, guys, up!" She said, trying to get off the floor. The puppies were still surrounding her.
"Sorry Kristie!" A voice called out. Kristie looked to see her older brother, Alan. His wild red hair and slightly crooked glasses showed that Kristie wasn't the first to be tackled by the furry balls of energy. He was dressed in the Shelter's uniform, being a red polo shirt with an apron of a color of their choice. He works at the shelter when he's on break from college.
"Alan Michaels. You know you're supposed to only let the puppies out one at a time. This is the exact kind of situation we're trying to avoid." Kristie said.
Her brother gave a sheepish grin. "To be honest, they broke out on their own. If Houdini is rubbing off on them, we're going to need to start changing more locks." He said.
Kristie shook her head. "Well, I'm going to do my rounds. I have the cats today, right?"
Her brother nodded. "Yeah, but can you also check on the birds for me? I have my hands full enough as it is." Looking down, he noticed one of the puppies was trying to climb up his leg.
Kristie sighed. Looks like I'll be later than I thought. "All right, but you owe me one."
30 Minutes Later
After feeding the birds Kristie entered the cat kennel, tying her spare yellow apron. "Next time, Alan feeds the birds." She gritted. "It'll be weeks before that apron is clean of bird poop." Filing away her complaints for later, she turns to gather the cat food. A lot of cats are adopted from their shelter so she only needs to feed three or four of them. She looks around and noticed one of the cages is open.
She sighs exasperatedly. "Looks like Houdini got out again." Since she was little, she would give names to the animals that the shelter takes in. Houdini is one of the cats she named. She calls the cat Houdini because he can escape from any cage they put him in. Because of this, Houdini would explore the city and be back by dawn.
A meow catches her attention, so she turns to see the black cat that is known for his escapes. "Figures. You always show up only when food is involved." As she picks him up to take him to his food, she noticed something in his mouth. Like all cats, Houdini tends to leave some "gifts." Normally, they are found in someone's shoe. This time, Houdini oddly kept it in his mouth.
"What do you got there, Houdini?" She puts the cat down and holds out her hand. Knowing what his caretaker wants, the cat simply dropped it from his mouth.
Kristie looked closer to see it was some kind of shield. It was vaguely shaped like a heart, there was a brown outline at the bottom that formed a heart. The curious part, however, was there was a yellow deer head in the center.
Suddenly, Kristie felt a surge of energy. She looked around and saw only the cats. She then looked down at Houdini. "You pick up the strangest things." She said, before hurrying to feed the cats. She wanted to be ready when she goes climbing with the guys.
Spellbrooke General Hospital
The hospital was mostly quiet, thankfully. Most of the patients waiting there are going for a simple med-check. Will had just got off the bus, carrying his bags over his shoulders. He had walked into the lobby just as the nurse at the front desk noticed him.
"Hello, Will. Checking in with your Mom?" she asked.
"You guessed it, Marisa. I'm going on a hike with my friends today, and she wanted me to check in with her." He explained, scratching his head.
"Well, she's tending to someone right now, but if you like, I can leave a message." Marisa offered.
Will nodded, grateful. "Thanks, while I'm here, I might as well check on 'her'."
Marisa nodded, knowing who he was referring to. "She's still in Room 325. You can leave your bags here so they don't push the elevator's weight limit." She told him. They may not have many emergencies, but it doesn't hurt to not risk it.
"Got it. Thanks." Will had placed his bags behind the desk before making his way toward the Elevator.
Room 325
Will had just arrived at the room mentioned. He knocked on the door.
"Come in." a voice called.
Will, knowing he got the okay, had walked in. The hospital room was as clean as always, the television hanging overhead. The room was small, so there was only enough room for one tenant.
Said tenant was sitting in her bed. She looked about 9 years old. She had brown hair growing out and her eyes were a deep blue.
She let out a big smile at seeing her visitor. "Will! It's great to see you." She said.
"Hi, Ruby." Will said, grabbing a chair and sitting next to her.
The young girl, Ruby, was a victim from an arson case. Her parents had died in a fire and if it weren't for Will's dad, she would have been the same. That was 2 years ago. Back then, she was quiet, and didn't speak at all. When asked a question, she would just sit there, quiet as a mouse.
That had changed when Dana had brought Will to work one day. For some reason, when Will had talked to her, she talked back. Most of the staff were bewildered at this, others chalk it up to being a miracle. Ever since then, Will had been visiting Ruby every chance he could, hoping to have her open up more.
But while that is good news, there is still some bad news. She still couldn't walk. Well, more like she refuses to walk. A piece of flaming debris had crushed her legs during the fire. Her legs were saved in surgery.
But despite the successful operation. Ruby refused to move her legs. She said they hurt when she tried. Most of the surgical staff believe she experiences phantom pain from the fire. While most would consider putting her on a wheelchair because she was dead set on not moving, Dana had decided to hold off on that so Will could help her. After all, he got her to talk, so maybe he can get her to walk.
"My friends and I are going hiking today, so while I was checking in with my Mom, I figured I stopped by to see you." Will said. "So, how are you feeling? Do you still have pains?"
Ruby nodded. "It comes and goes. So far, I've only been able to use the bathroom, nothing more."
"Well, don't give up yet. Sooner and later, you'll be able to dance your way out of here." He said, in which Ruby giggled.
"So, where are you and your friends hiking this time?" Ruby asked, curious.
"Oh, we're heading to the Woods of the Stars. That's the forest where fireflies come out to play during the summer." He said.
"But isn't that where the place is supposedly haunted?" She asked, worried.
"No worries, there are no such thing as ghosts. And even if there were, your pal Will can handle them any day of the week." He said with a grin. Ruby couldn't help but laugh at that.
Ruby then raised her head, as if she had an idea. "Will, I want to give you something."
Will was confused, but nodded, giving her the O.K. She grabbed Will's hand, took something from off the counter, and put it in his hand.
As Will looked at it, he was shocked. He knew what it was.
It was a small shield. It was thin, but long. There was a picture of an eagle, trying to dive through clouds.
"Ruby, I can't take this. This belonged to your parents." He said, trying to give it back.
But she pushed it toward him. "My Dad said that if times seem tough, I can look at this to give me courage. For 2 years I've been relying on it. Not anymore. Now, I want to try things on my own. And there is no one I can think of better to trust this with than you."
Ruby's words truly touched Will's heart. Nodding, he gave the shield a squeeze. While he did feel a sensation from it, he ignored it as he focused on Ruby.
"Thanks Ruby." He kissed her forehead. Then he noticed. Nathan's jeep was pulling up. "My friends are here. I need to get going."
"You'll visit again soon?" Ruby asked, hopeful.
"Promise." He chuckled. He then turned to the door. "Take care, Ruby."
"And you be careful." She called out.
"Honestly," he chuckled. "You can be worse than my Mom."
The two parted with a laugh.
Ruby looked out the window, seeing Will get on the jeep. "Be safe."
Palace of Shadows
A knight spirit struggled in the dark chains holding him. "I'll never serve you! I would rather- Aaaagh!" The knight screamed before being engulfed by shadows. When the darkness receded, the knight took on a completely different appearance. The armor was pitch black, with an eye on the chest plate. The helmet turned into a face, devoid of any emotion except for rage, expressed through the fangs. The creature soon joined several others like it.
"As you can see, Lord Venok, this method has provided us with an army. In seconds, we'll be ready to attack those knights." Dreadlin said, presenting the new soldiers.
"Impressive." Venok said. "And what do you call these minions?"
"Because these spirits have become little more than shells, we have deemed them, 'Hollows'. Coyra said.
"Excellent work. But to make sure we have the element of surprise, we need something to distract those knights."
Magmelt was confused at his lord's words. "But sir, they were ordinary humans when they fought you, surely age has caught up with them."
"With age, comes wisdom. And they would obviously use that knowledge to their advantage. We need to focus their attention on something else. I want no chances taken." Venok ordered.
"I may have an idea, sir." Coyra said. "I was watching the reports from the Ravens, and they said that these knights have appeared to those who lose their way in the place known as the Woods of the Stars. If we were to endanger some travelers…"
"…the knights would be focused on them instead of us!" Venok realized.
The caw of a Raven caught their attention. It flew onto Dreadlin's shoulder and cawed at him.
The wizard nodded. "Sir, the moment to put Coyra's plan into action is coming soon. This Raven reports three travelers hiking through the Woods of the Stars. We can easily mimic an earthquake to draw the knights out."
"Do it." Venok ordered. Dreadlin nodded and waved his hand, creating an image of three familiar teenagers.
Woods of the Stars
"Man, it's been a while since we hiked here, hasn't it?" Will said, leading on.
"Well the last time we were here, we were just hitting puberty." Nathan said.
"Who cares how long it's been? Imagine what the forest is like now." Kristie said, gazing up towards the trees.
"So Will, what's our goal today?" Nathan asked.
Will turned to his friends, pulling out a map of the forest. He pointed to the mountain indicated on the map. "We're climbing this mountain in the center of the woods. There's said to be a lake at the top."
"Do you really think that we'd reach the top in one day?" Kristie asked.
"Of course not." Will answered. "That's why we're going to be using the tunnels in the mountain as a shortcut. With the low tectonic activity lately, it'll be perfectly safe."
Well…that was just begging Murphy's Law to happen.
Palace of Shadows
And here is the one to enforce it.
"Chasmatas!" Dreadlin casted.
Woods of the Stars
A quake suddenly broke out, shaking the three off balance. Before they knew it, sinkholes showed up in different areas. They fell, one by one.
"Oof!" Will let out. He made a groan as he got up, looking up at the hole he fell from. "Me and my big mouth." He muttered.
"Will! Kristie! You guys okay?" Nathan's voice called out. Will looked around, but saw no one. He and Kristie must have fell in separate tunnels.
"I'm fine! What about you, Kristie?" Will called.
"I'm okay. Nothing broken. Just bruised." She called back.
"Well, I don't think I can climb out from where I fell. How about you two?" He asked.
"Nope, there's nothing to grab onto." Nathan said.
"Same here. Will, can you use your radio?" Kristie suggested.
Will looked in his bag, only to grimace as the now broken radio was found.
"No dice. It must have broken from the fall."
"Well, I have a couple of flares to use. If someone sees one, they'll call it in." Nathan said.
"One problem: how can they see it while we're underground?" Kristie said.
Will then looked and saw that there was a tunnel he could go in.
"I see a tunnel from where I am. How about you?" He heard confirmations. "Okay, use your glow sticks to travel through the tunnels. Let's see if we can meet up. Once we do meet up, we'll find a way out and light the flares for help."
"Once we do meet up, I'm going to hit you for jinxing us." Kristie said, to which Nathan chuckled.
"Okay. At least we have a plan. Good luck guys." He said.
"Thanks. You too." Will said.
"Be careful" Kristie said.
And with that, they made their way through the tunnels.
Little do they know that their little fall caught the attention of an eagle, which took off to the skies, letting out a cry.
Palace of Shadows
"Yes! It's working perfectly." Dreadlin stated seeing the eagle. "They must've taken the forms of animals to keep themselves concealed."
"Gather the forces and separate those knights. Make sure they don't interfere." Venok ordered.
"Yes, sir!" Coyra replied, moving out. Dreadlin and Magmelt followed.
"We'll each split up and take a knight. Magmelt will fry that bird while I make a little beartrap. Coyra, see if you can find a deer's head to stuff."
"With pleasure." Magmelt said.
"Understood, Master." Coyra said.
Woods of the Stars
The eagle soared high in the sky, getting the attention of a deer jumping through the woods, and a bear who was sleeping in a cave. The eagle gave out a cry, urging the other two animals to follow it. The deer had followed it to the cave, where the three soon hurried into to help the three who fell.
The three soon split up and went into a separate tunnel, each one helping a person. Or, at least, that was the idea.
The deer was hurrying through only to jump out of the way of a dark blast. "So, you're one of the three who survived." The deer turned to see Coyra, who threw another spell at it. The spell turned into a net which had trapped the deer on the ground. "But now you're just another animal soon to be trapped for eternity." She said, approaching the deer.
The bear had already met resistance and is knocking Hollows left and right with its claws. "Now, now, let's be sensible here. There's no point in delaying the inevitable" Dreadlin stated launching a blast above the bear, causing rocks to crash on top of her. "I'm glad we have an understanding." Then he turned to the Hollows. "Now, make sure she doesn't move. I have a spell that'll ensure she doesn't move…permanently."
The eagle was dodging lava. "Hehe, fly all you want, I'll roast you to a crisp sooner or later." Little did the eagle realize, Magmelt was pushing it to a trap. "Now, bye-bye birdy!" Magmelt shouted, launching lava from his shield. The eagle dodged above it, only for two Hollows to jump out with a cage and catch it. "Now then, what to do with you?" Magmelt pondered as he moved closer to his prisoner.
Nathan had moved carefully, the light of his glow stick showing the way. Then he noticed sunlight. "Finally, the glow stick was starting to die out." He muttered. As he made it to the source of light, he stopped and hid as he saw the Hollows. "What are those things?" He whispered. He looked ahead and was shocked. A bear was tied down to the ground, chains being held down by stone stakes. He then noticed Dreadlin. "With you gone, my Lord Venok's troubles will be far more minimal." He said.
"Venok? Who's that?" He tried to lean in closer only to accidentaly kick a rock. Dreadlin noticed. "Who's there?" He turned to the source, Nathan hiding behind the stone wall. "Wait, it must be one of those three we sent down. Hollows, destroy them!"
Having no choice, Nathan dropped his bag, leapt out and kicked a Hollow down. He noticed the Hollow had a spear, so he grabbed it and held it ready. "Just try it." As Nathan looked on, however, things didn't seem to be in his favor.
Kristie noticed an eerie purple glow ahead. "What's that?" She pondered, moving closer. She turned around the corner and was shocked. A stag deer was bound by a purple glowing net, and it seemed to be hurting him. She saw Coyra circling the deer, adding lighting. She only had a couple of Hollows because Dreadlin warned her that numbers would have done her no good with this one.
"I'm looking forward to reporting to Lord Venok that my mission to finish off this beast is completed." She said.
Kristie, not wanting to see the deer hurt, hurried forth. "Leave him alone!"
Coyra only had time to turn around before being hit by Kristie's bag. As she got up and showed rage in her eyes, Kristie was starting to think that charging was a bad idea.
"Great job, Kristie. You pulled a Will." She muttered.
"Well soon, you will need to write one." Coyra said, charging a spell. The Hollows took that as their cue to attack her.
As Will moved through the tunnel, he noticed he felt warmer than before. "Why is it so hot in here?" He wondered. Then he tripped but was able to catch himself in time.
In time to just avoid the lava flow in front of him.
"Whoa!" He backed up, making sure to not touch any lava. "I thought the mountain had a lake on the top, not a hot spring. Where did all of this lava come from?" That's when he heard some sounds other than the lava. He moved carefully, making sure not to touch any of the lava.
He soon came across a cave where he saw some Hollows. "What are those things? They look like they popped up straight from a cliché horror movie." He whispered. As he looked ahead he saw a large shadow. "Whatever they are, I bet that shadow will lead me to who's in charge." With a plan in mind, he made his way through, careful to remain unseen by the Hollows.
He soon came to a stop and hid behind a rock to see an eagle in a cage, dangling above a small pit full of lava. "What's going on here?" He soon ducked behind as the shadow from earlier got closer.
Magmelt soon walked past him. "Hehe. In mere moments. You're going to be a roast dinner, and Lord Venok will have one less knight to worry about." The eagle screeched in defiance, struggling to get out of the cage. "Struggle all you want. It will make this all the more satisfying." Soon Magmelt went to lower the cage into the lava…by burning the chain holding the cage.
Will looked up from his hiding spot. "'Knight'? That eagle is a knight? And who's this Venok guy?" He then shook his head. "Whoever he is doesn't matter, I need to get that bird out of there."
Magmelt soon got ready. "I hope Lord Venok likes specially prepared roast knight for dinner." Then he swung and broke the chain, sending the eagle down.
Will, thinking fast, ditched his bag and jumped over the pit and caught the eagle.
"What?!" Magmelt shouted seeing that.
Will grabbed his bag and looked back at Magmelt. "Whoever this Venok is… He'll have to settle for takeout." Then he took off.
"Hollows, after them!" Magmelt commanded, then walked to a wall. "This should cut him off." He thrust his sword into the wall, making cracks form.
Will was running, trying to open the cage at the same time. "For crying out loud, what's this cage made out of?" The eagle screeched. "Don't give me that, I'm trying to get you out."
Hollows then jumped out, weapons ready. Will looked around at his odds. "Just as soon as I deal with these guys." He placed both the cage and his bag to the side and got ready. "Time to see if Sensei Lee's lessons pay off."
The Hollows then made their move. One tried to slash at Will, but he ducked under, and tripped the Hollow, making it drop its sword. Then Will did a snap kick, knocking two of the Hollows back into lava that started sprouting up. Will then noticed another coming, so he grabbed the dropped sword and parried it off. Then he made thrust, striking the Hollow. Then he used a Hollow's momentum, against it, giving him the chance to toss it behind his back. Then tried to block three Hollows who were attacking at once. Unfortunately, the combined force successfully knocked Will back, sending him into a wall, and forcing him to drop his sword. He barely avoided the lava.
As he got up, shaking his head, he saw two Hollows going for the eagle and his bag. "Hey! Hands off the bird and my bag!" Will then ran up to the Hollows. He flipped forward and spun his leg, kicking the Hollows away. The force was enough to send them into a stream of lava.
As he noticed more of them coming, he decided it was time to run. "We need to get out of here." Then he had an idea. He grabbed one of the Hollow's swords and heated it with the lava. Then he turned to the cage. "I suggest you duck your head." The eagle followed his direction. Will, having his chance, swung at the top of the cage.
The strike successfully opened the top bars from the cage. The eagle screeched in freedom. "Alright. Now let's get out of here!" Will said, running down a tunnel. The eagle followed him.
Meanwhile, Nathan was still fighting off the Hollows on his end. He had been using a spear to fend them off, but they were slowly pushing. Just then, after pushing away three Hollows with the swing of his spear, something happened.
*Flash*
A Hollow had an arrow in its bow and took aim from behind Nathan as he jumped above Dreadlin's spell.
While Nathan was midair, the Hollow fired.
*Flash*
Nathan shook his head, wondering what that was. But the Hollows soon had him fighting again.
"Why must everyone struggle so pointlessly?" Dreadlin asked, signaling a Hollow. The Hollow nodded and took off.
Nathan was starting to get the hang of his spear, because now he was starting to push the Hollows back and approaching the bear.
"Now, now. Can't have you think this is too easy, can we?" Dreadlin asked, charging a spell.
Nathan noticed and braced himself, knowing what was coming. Behind him, the Hollow from earlier was notching an arrow.
Dreadlin fired his spell, Nathan jumped to dodge.
The Hollow fired.
Just as Nathan expected it to.
Nathan had angled the spear he was holding, and deflected the arrow off the spearhead, making it land on one of the stakes.
"What?! How did he avoid that arrow?" Dreadlin exclaimed, shocked at the feat.
As Nathan, landed, he sighed in relief. "I don't know what happened. But at least I'm not a dartboard."
It seemed nobody had noticed the arrow lodged into one of the stakes, which pried it loose. The bear, seeing her chance, had begun to struggle, hoping to escape and help the boy who was saving her.
Nathan then felt it again.
*Flash*
Nathan was holding Hollows at bay as they surrounded him.
"If it worked once before, might as well try it more." Dreadlin said as he aimed a spell above Nathan, expecting a cave in to crush him.
The spell hit, the rocks fell…
*Flash*
"There it is again." He muttered. That's when he noticed. The Hollows had him surrounded.
They were starting to close in as Dreadlin prepared a spell. "If it worked once before, might as well try it more." He said as he fired above Nathan.
But Nathan was ready.
As the rocks came crashing in, Nathan jumped through some of the Hollows at the last minute. He rolled and landed near his bag.
The Hollows were not so lucky, as they were crushed under all of those rocks.
"Impossible! How did he do it again?" Dreadlin wondered. That's when it hit him. "Could it be he's-?"
Dreadlin never got to finish as he was tackled by the bear from behind, who was now free.
Nathan seemed to notice. "You made it out." Then he looked and saw the rocks on the Hollows had formed a slope that led to the outside. "That's our ticket out, let's go!" The bear roared in agreement.
As Nathan went to get his bag, he noticed a blue glow from his pocket. He reached in, and pulled out the shield he found before. "Just what is this thing?" Before he could ponder more, the bear roared. "Ok, I'm coming." Putting the shield back, he grabbed his bag, and went to climb out.
Kristie, in the meantime, was fending off Coyra as best she could. As it was just the two of them, they didn't have much when it comes to weapons. However, Coyra had her magic to help her.
Kristie, not so much.
She ducked under another spell just as she got closer to the deer. Then she retaliated by jump kicking Coyra back. As Coyra then made a lunge with her hand, Kristie caught it, twisted it, then punched Coyra with her free hand.
Thankfully, she had joined Will on a couple of self-defense lessons, so she's not completely helpless.
Coyra was getting agitated. Why won't this girl just stand still? Then an idea occurred to her. She charged up another spell, Kristie readying to dodge. Coyra fired, but Kristie wasn't the target.
It was the deer.
"No!" Kristie shouted. She jumped in the way. The spell had hit her full on, knocking her to the wall.
Coyra smirked. That'll teach the girl not to stand in her way.
That's when she got caught by surprise.
She was suddenly tackled by the dear.
As she shook off the stars, she saw what happened. Kristie was clutching the net that was holding the dear.
"You little brat." She growled, getting up. That was all she could say before she was tackled again. This time she landed in a pile of rocks.
The deer then helped Kristie as she was trying to get up, twinging in pain all the while.
"Thanks. I'm just glad you're okay." That's when she noticed. There was a red mark on the deer. "Oh, you poor thing." She tried to take a closer look, ignoring her own injuries. No matter how much they hurt.
That's when she felt a sensation other than pain. It was coming from her pocket, so she reached in and pulled out the shield Houdini gave her.
She had the strangest urge coming from her open hand. As she reached it out to touch the wound, it was glowing yellow. She gently stroked the deer, and received a shock.
The cut it had was gone!
"How did-?" And that's when she realized it. Nothing hurts anymore.
She reached down and touched were Coyra's spell struck. There was no pain, no blood, nothing.
"D-Did I heal our injuries?" Surprisingly, the deer nodded, as if understanding her.
A rumble caught their attention as the saw Coyra getting out of the rubble.
"Let's get out of here!" Kristie said, grabbing her bag. She and the deer soon took off, Coyra not that far behind. But just as Coyra was about to give chase, she was stopped by a wall of lava. "Magmelt, that idiot!" As such, Coyra teleported, trying to get Magmelt before he burned down this mountain and everyone in it.
Will and the eagle had just turned a corner and arrived at an intersection.
"Oh great, now which way?" As he looked around trying to see what path to take, he soon got knocked over.
As he got back his bearings, he saw who was on top of him. "Kristie?"
"Will!" She then enveloped him in a hug. "I'm so glad you're alright."
She then moved to get up from him, and pulled his hand up.
Growling noises soon sounded from the tunnel Will came from. "Oh great. Those guys just don't quit."
"You're telling me. I just rescued this deer from a witch of sorts." Kristie said, pointing to the deer, which the eagle is perched on from an antler.
"I got one better: Saving this eagle from being roasted by a walking talking volcano." Will retorted.
Soon, those growling noises got louder and surrounded them.
"We're surrounded. Now what?" Kristie asked.
A cracking sound caught their attention, looking up.
The cave ceiling soon gave way. As they covered themselves, they soon saw a familiar face. "Nathan!"
"Guys. Glad you're alright. We need to get you out of there." He said.
"Tell us something we don't know." Will said.
"Well, I saved a mama bear from an undead wizard of sorts." Nathan said. The bear gave a growl to confirm. "And I have a rope that I can tie to the bear, and then we can pull you up."
"Great, but what about the deer? We can't just leave him here." Kristie said.
"I can handle that."
"Great. What's your plan?" That's when Will realized it. No one they know said that. They turned to where the deer was.
In place of the deer was a man wearing a deer headdress. The deer head concealing his face. The eagle was still perched on one of the antlers, as if what happened was not strange. He was dressed in a white robe with yellow armor covering it.
"Who-? How?" Kristie asked, unable to finish a sentence from shock.
"My name is Elk the Grand Stag. And I'm grateful to you, young Kristie, for rescuing me." The man said, confirming her was the dear. "But we need to leave before more of those demons show up."
Will then shook his head. "Right. Talk later, leave now." He said.
Then he moved towards the tunnel. "Nathan, get the rope ready. Elk can leave first. Kristie, mind backing me up with these guys?"
Kristie then walked next to him. "Like you even need to ask."
"Okay then." Nathan then hurried to the bear, tying a rope around her. "Once you've pulled Elk up, give a roar so we can send someone else up."
The bear, knowing what Nathan was doing, gave a growl in agreement.
Nathan then ran to the hole, and hopped through, landing next to Will and Kristie.
As the two looked at their friend in confusion, he spoke. "Like I'm letting you two fight by yourselves."
His friends nodded, smiling.
That's when the Hollows came in.
"Let's go!" Will shouted.
And with that, the three charged.
Since Nathan was fighting without a weapon this time, he had to be careful, dodging swords left and right. He focused on tripping the Hollows off balance. Then he would either punch their lights out, or kick them into each other, causing them to fall into further disarray.
Kristie focused on using the Hollows' momentum to fight. Any time they would strike, Kristie took the chance to knock them flat on their backs by tripping them up, making them fall on their faces. She leapt up over a wide spear swing. Then kicked the Hollow who tried it in the head.
Will actually used the Hollows' movements against them. When one Hollow would swing its sword, Will would weave out of the way so it would land on another Hollow. Then he grabbed a Hollow's spear and held tightly, causing the Hollow using it to pull hard. When the Hollow seemed to use all of it's strength, Will let go. The Hollow flew back, pulled by its own weight. It then landed on top of another group of Hollows.
There was a growl heard. "We can take two of you up!" Elk shouted from above.
Will turned to Kristie and Nathan. "You guys make your way up. I'll buy you some time."
"We're not leaving you." Kristie argued.
"When one of you is up on solid ground, I promise, I'll start my way up. Go!"
With no room for argument, Will charged back in.
Kristie wanted to go in and help them, but Nathan grabbed her. "Come on, Kristie. Once I'm up, I'll throw another rope for Will to grab." Then he started his way up.
Kristie soon followed. Albeit reluctantly.
Will was doing a good job of holding the Hollows back, when Magmelt, Coyra, and Dreadlin had appeared.
"You!" Magmelt shouted, aiming his shield. Will, kicking back a Hollow, saw it coming, and got ready.
Magmelt's shield, instead of lava, spewed out fire.
Will jumped out of the way just in time.
The Hollows, not so lucky.
Nathan just made it up and turned to the hole. "Will, come on!"
Will, hearing his friend, ran to where he tossed another rope.
"They must not escape!" Dreadlin shouted.
"They won't." Magmelt said, preparing his lance.
Coyra grabbed the arm, stopping him. "Are you crazy?! One more eruption and all of us will go down!"
"Not if I aim in only one direction!" Magmelt said, pulling his lance away from her and swinging, allowing a wave of lava to fly at an unsuspecting Kristie.
"Kristie, look out!" Will shouted, hurrying up his rope.
Krisite could only turn to see the lava and braced herself.
Will, having an urge, jumped off the rope he was on and clung to the one Kristie was climbing, covering her from the lava.
"Guys!" Nathan shouted, scared for his friends.
That's when something strange happened. The lava had stopped just as it would hit Will's back. The lava continued around the two, as if there was a dome surrounding them. The lava soon had moved past. Will and Kristie couldn't believe what was happening. Unknowing to Will, the shield Ruby gave him was glowing.
Magmelt couldn't believe what he saw. "What in the world was that?!"
Dreadlin, however, knew what happened. "It can't be! All three of them were chosen?!"
Nathan, getting his act together, pulled back with the bear, eagle, and Elk.
Soon, the two had been pulled out, both of whom were not burning in any way.
"Guys! I can't believe that just happened." Nathan said, rushing toward them.
"I can't believe it either." Kristie said. Then she smacked Will upside his head. "Don't ever scare me like that again!"
"Sorry. Any idea what happened?" Will asked, rubbing his head.
"You three have been chosen." Elk said, getting their attention.
The bear and eagle were gone. That is, unless the two people who appeared were just like Elk.
In place of the eagle was a man wearing an eagle shaped headdress, concealing his face. His red over armor was covering dark feathers, giving the illusion of him having wings. His robe was a cloud gray.
The bear was in fact a woman, also having her face concealed. Her blue over armor was keeping a brown coat in place. Her robe was a charcoal black.
Will stepped forward. "Who are you guys?"
"We are what you call the Spirits of these woods. My name is Ursula the Mother Bear. The birdbrain here is Avior the Brave Bird." The woman answered.
"I don't suppose you could tell us who those guys were earlier." Kristie pondered.
"Later. Right know we need to make our way for the lake." Elk said.
"Wait, you mean it's nearby?" Nathan asked looking around.
"Those tunnels are more complicated than you think. It's the best way to keep those with ill intent out." Avior said.
Will stared for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. We'll trust you. For now." His friends nodded too. They were a bit wary themselves.
Elk and the other two nodded. "Your caution is understandable. Now hurry, we will be safe at the lake." He said, rushing through the woods.
The others soon followed.
Meanwhile, back underground, Magmelt had growled at the hole they escaped from. The fire he shot had burned the ropes, preventing them from climbing up. "How did they survive my fire?"
"Unfortunately, I think I know why." Dreadlin said.
"What do you mean Master?" Coyra asked.
"It seems the knights have already chosen their successors." The Sage said, turning to them.
Coyra, remarkably so, turned paler than she was before. "Then that means-"
"We need to go after them, now!" Magmelt said.
Dreadlin nodded, and charged a spell, teleporting them out of the tunnel.
Will and his friends rushed to follow the spirits. They can barely make out a lake in the distance.
"We're almost there. Hurry!" Avior called out.
They were soon approaching the lake when purple lightning struck in front of them, knocking them on their backs.
The three friends looked to see Dreadlin, Magmelt, and Coyra with an army of Hollows behind them.
"That's as far as you go, knights." Dreadlin said, prepping another spell.
"Any ideas?" Kristie asked getting up with her friends.
"Just one." Will said, turning to the three and their army. "We fight."
"As much as I admire your resolve, that won't be necessary." Elk said, gaining their attention. They turned to see the lakes waters bubbling from below.
"What's happening?" Nathan asked. He got his answer when a tidal wave erupted from the lake.
"Surf's up!" Will shouted bracing himself. His friends followed his example.
The wave had crashed down on the six. When the wave died down, they were gone.
"Where did they go?" Coyra asked looking around for them.
"They must have been dragged into the lake." Dreadlin deduced.
"Well, what are we standing around for?" Magmelt asked. "Hollows, get in there and drag those knights out!"
The Hollows followed Magmelt's command, approaching the lake. When their feet touched the water, however, they soon received a nasty shock. They were struck by lighting. Soon nothing remained of them.
The three were silent at what happened to their army.
"What are you waiting for Magmelt? Go in." Coyra said, earning a glare from said fiend.
"Enough." Dreadlin said, turning around and stopping the upcoming fight. "Our mission has failed. The only thing we can do is return to Lord Venok and tell him what happened."
"But what about the knights, Master?" Coyra asked, moving with Magmelt to follow Dreadlin.
"Oh, don't you worry." Dreadlin said, charging a teleport spell.
"Lord Venok will know exactly how to deal with these knights." And with that, the three were gone. Returning to the Dusk Realm from whence they came.
The three friends were out cold in a cavern, a lone figure stood in the shadows.
"Finally," the shadow said. "After all of these centuries, they are here."
With the shadow's words, the shields the three friends have begun glowing.
"We may have a chance."
To be continued