Chapter 6: The Firefight, Part 1
As we headed down the mountain, I couldn't stop thinking about Mino. "Hey, Urkrad? This might be sudden, but, how old is Mino?" Urkrad didn't answer. "Don't worry about it, kid. The silent treatment only lasts a little while." Valtak told me, patting me on the back. "Well, I only asked just because I was curious. I'd just like to know more about her, that's all." That was true, at least a little bit. I have a feeling that Mino and I have some kind of special connection or something like that. Urkrad stopped and sighed. "Well, if you're that curious to know, she's a year younger than you. Now, let's get going!"
"Jeez, I was just asking. Why do you have to be so tense? You weren't like this when we first got here." Urkrad suddenly turned around and punched me in the face with blunt force. The blow stunned me for a moment. "Let's get something straight, here. I do not like the idea of someone like you and my daughter getting together in any kind of relationship, and if you have a problem with that, you can go ahead, go back home, and get out of my sight!" He shouted. "Hey, if I would've known she was your daughter, I would've listened to what you said! And if you haven't noticed by now, I don't have a home anymore! It burned to the ground the day the day you came to town! My home was destroyed because of you! You left my grandfather to die!"
I pull out my sword and point it at him. "I will follow you on this journey, but I will not take orders from someone who let's their friends die. I think it's time for a change in leadership." "Why, you!..." Urkrad grabbed his sword and rushed at me. Our swords clashed as the fight began. He knocks my blade out of the way and slashes at me. Somehow, his sword just bounces off my body. It seems like the power from the Crystal Blade has made me immune to damage. I advance and attack faster than before. Urkrad parried each attack with ease. Though he was a skilled swordsman, he wasn't too fast in melee combat. I knock his sword from his a hand and knocked him down with a swift kick. He tried getting up, but I held him down with my foot and aim the my blade at his neck. "Ok, ok! I give up. You win." He pleaded.
I remove my foot and sheath my sword. "A fair fight, but an unworthy opponent. I will take command of the Hero Corp." "Very well." I helped him up. He shrugged the pain away as if he pretended to be defeated. "Heh. Not bad." He smiled, but frowned a few seconds later. "I must warn you, that is a big burden you're putting upon yourself." "I know. I'll manage." After a few minutes of cooling down, I get us back on topic. "The letter said that the Crystal Knight had entrusted the secrets of the Crystal Blade to the Strouse family. The only question is, where are they?" Valtak raised his hand. "Yes?" "From what I know, the Strouse's are somehow related to the Royal family, who happen to govern the capital." He answered. "I don't quite know, but Mino did told us about the attacks near there. We should head there and see what's going on. Maybe we'll find clues there." "
We hurried back down the mountain and returned to Valtak's 'automobile'. Thanks to his creation, we were able to reach the outskirts of the capital right when the sun started setting. We stop at the entrance. I thought I heard something, so I looked around. I had the feeling that we weren't alone, then one of the trees nearby caught fire as a blazing arrow shot straight through the trunk, impaling itself into the the wall behind me, mere inches from my head. "Heads up, guys. We got company." I shouted. In the distance, I saw a graveyard. From the tombstones, skeletal bodies rose from the ground and spontaneously combusted. Some of the creatures took advantage of it and shot at us with makeshift archery equipment; the others wielded swords and axes. Then I noticed something particularly peculiar about them. The leader of the group looked like it was wearing a gem around it's neck; it seemed more alive than the others. The gem's shape reminded me of an artifact I had researched a long time ago.
"Charge!" It yelled in a disembodied voice. They ran towards us like a pack of wolves, burning everything in their path. We armed ourselves as they got closer, preparing for a fiery battle. Blade met blade, and arrows were deflected. We were struggling to fend them off and desperate for a new plan. I tried to think of something, but all that came to mind was 'summoning our own army'. All of a sudden, my sword began to glow.