Chapter 8: A Hateful Battle

King Vayne was looking out of the window of his beautiful Mirage Palace, in the Mirage Kingdom. He looked down upon his many townsfolk and wondered whether or not to warn them of the water kingdom's first assault in such a short time. He closed the curtain as someone entered his study. This girl was a teenager, she had honey brown skin, long brown hair, she was angry, her brown eyes full of rage. Her red and gold clothes shook with her in fury. She walked in and looked down at Vayne, who had the same honey brown skin, brown eyes , and hair. His face was battle scarred with nicks and cuts. "Daddy, I'm telling you we should strike them first. We are basically sitting ducks waiting to be roasted sitting here." Vayne looked up into her eyes and said, "Ember, I don't have any idea why Hydros would think I would want his princess. If he wants a fight, I'll give him one." Ember still wasn't satisfied as her eyes flashed dangerously. Then, at that moment two people entered the room.

The first was a boy in his teens who resembled Vayne, but his hair was an fiery orange red, he was a bit shorter than Ember, stocky and muscular. The other person was also a man , but he was much older than all of them. He was tall and skinny, he had long gray hair and a very serious face. "Ah, Prince Drake and General Vulcan." Vayne said, looking up at them. Drake was dressed for battle in gold plated shin guards, gold breast plate, and red cape. "Sire, the troops have been gathered and have prepared for the water assault." Vulcan said, his hands folded. "I wanna lead them dad! Can I ?" Drake said, putting his hands down on his father's desk. Vayne looked up at his son with fire in his eyes and said, "yes, Drake you can. Show them no mercy." Vulcan then turned to Ember and said, "I am sorry princess, but we cannot afford you getting hurt in this battle. As future Mirage Kingdom Queen, your mother would turn in her grave if we even thought of sending you into battle." Ember then pouted and crossed her arms. "Vulcan, please be sure to look out for Drake in battle, even though he will be as reckless as possible." Vayne said. Vulcan turned toward Drake and said, "let's go, we don't have much time."

Meanwhile, in Aquarius Hydros was giving strict orders to Umio. " I want the rain summoned as quick as possible, with the rain our soldiers will have easy access to water for quicker arts." Umio was standing over him listening intently. "The first battle will take place in the Kamon Desert, so we should be very near the kingdom. I know for sure that Vulcan will enter the battle and I will be ready for him." Umio said. Frost stepped forward and looked at them both with his piecing blue eyes and said, "Umio, let me join you, once the rains are summoned, I can use ice arts to finish the battle." Umio looked at Hydros, and he nodded. "Its just the first battle, as you know, wars are fought in three battles. The first is fought on the grounds of the defender, the second will be fought on the grounds of the challenger, and the third and last, is a fight to the death by the kings of the kingdom." Hydros said closing his eyes. "That may not be necessary," Umio said as water guards began entering the room, "if Vayne hands over the princess, this first battle could be the last." The water guards stepped forward and formed a line in front of Umio. "We have assembled a brigade of a thousand soldiers, for the first battle and are ready to move on your signal." The first soldier said. "Very well," Umio said, "we leave for Kamon Desert in an hour." Umio, Frost, and the soldiers exited the room as Hydros stood up and looked outside the bubble at the Red Kraken. It was swimming toward him tentacles flailing, until it reached the very edge of the bubble. Once there it reared up and squirted the bubble, until all Hydros could see was inky darkness. What could this mean? Hydros thought. The Red Kraken is trying to tell me something, but what could this vast, inky darkness mean? He continued to stare into the darkness, until it shimmered and turned back into water.

Meanwhile, in the Moonlight Kingdom, Andrew was talking to Arkham about the war that was to follow. "Lord Arkham, water soldiers are on there way to the Kamon Desert. Damien and I will leave tomorrow midday, when the battle is at its peak. We will kill and assume the identities of fire soldiers, and infiltrate the Mirage Kingdom." Andrew said, while letting his thoughts mull around in his head. Arkham, who was reading over a letter he had just written looked up and said, "excellent plan, but I must point out a few things. Firstly, Damien won't be of much use once you assume the identities of fire soldiers, because he does not have any fire arts. If he uses his dark arts, he will have given away your identities immediately. Second, once you are fire soldiers, the war will be yours also. Watch out for water assaults. And last but definitely not least, watch out for the Phoenix. As you know each kingdom has its own mythical beast, the fire kingdom has the Phoenix. It will fly over the Kamon Desert, watching out for the fire soldiers here and there, but mostly it will risk everything to protect the royal family. Once the princess is in your grasp, flee as quickly as possible."

Arkham finished and rolled his letter up, then he raised a hand and a shadow formed in his palm. The shadow shimmered and shifted until it formed into a bird. He the tucked his letter into the bird's dark talons, walked to an open window, and tossed the bird into the air. He watched as the bird rocketed upward past clouds and out of view. "My Lord, that letter-" Andrew began saying, but stopped suddenly and fell to his knees. "What the-" he managed to gasp as Arkham rushed to his side. Andrew was on the ground struggling to stand up, his breath hung in the air like fog. Arkham, immediately began to focus as a blue light was settling on him disappeared. Andrew continued to breathe as though the temperature was freezing, as Arkham saying nothing walked away from him toward the hall. Arkham walked cautiously down the hall as he spotted a over ten people, including soldiers, on the floor, their breath hanging over them like clouds. He continued walking, past the Cloudy Mirror where Luna, Serena, and Jessica where laid in front of it in the same condition. He stopped in his tracks and turned to a noise, behind him. Damien was struggling toward him, leaning against the wall for support. "Father, what is this?" Damien said his breath hanging in the air. Arkham, looked at him and smiled as he thought, of course, with his power he can recover from this more than anyone else besides me and Andrew.

"Its nothing, I will take care of it. Watch over your mother and sister." Arkham then continued walking until he reached the back doors of the palace. He then opened them, to a chilling wind in the courtyard, where Alex stood his black robes and blue hair blowing in the wind. "I knew it could only be you who could cause such a powerful art, Alex." Arkham said as he met Alex's gaze. "Yes, it was me. I knew you wouldn't fall victim to it. I just created it, its called the Frozen Soul Art, its of the ice element. It freezes the water in the blood of all who fall victim, and it cost me a lot of mental energy." Alex said, as his blue eyes got more gray. Arkham began to focus as he took a few steps forward, and asked, "Alex my little brother, you were banished from my kingdom, by our father because half your blood is not darkness. Not to mention your great interest in the pathetic water arts. So, you've joined The Sovereign and think you can come back and throw me off my throne, hmmm?" Alex also began to focus as he smiled a little. "I don't care about this kingdom, there are bigger things than that. Like this war about to happen, and the abduction of the water princess, you wouldn't know what could have happened to her, could you?" Arkham raised a hand a said, "Dark Arts: Shadow Ball." Dark energy gathered at his palm, and fired at Alex, who simply put his palms together, as if he was praying. "Ice Arts: Glacier Freeze." He said as ice rose around his ankles, and began to quickly revolve around his entire body. The ball collided with the ice sending pieces of ice flying in a directions. Arkham rushed forward, as Alex launched from inside the ice into the air. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion as Arkham glared at Alex in the air, pieces of ice formed as he focused. "Ice Arts: Icicle Rain." Alex stretched out his arms as the ice grew longer and sharper, and came crashing down on Arkham. Alex landed gracefully some feet ahead of Arkham his eyes on his foe.

Though he had the icicles deep within his body Arkham did nothing but smile, as blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth. "You've gotten strong." Was all Arkham could say as his body began to shimmer into darkness. "Dark Arts: Shadow Thief!" Arkham said, as his body vanished, icicles and all, and reappeared directly behind Alex without a scratch. Alex did nothing as Arkham held another Shadow Ball, ready in one hand, and had his shoulder in the other. "Why would I care about the water princess Alex? You know I've never cared for water elementals. What would be my motive?" Arkham said as Alex continued to stare ahead. "You don't have to have a motive to do some things Arkham. We have proof that her kidnapper had to have had Dark Arts." Arkham closed his eyes and said, "your obviously mistaken. Now you've come here on false pretenses to die." Alex closed his eyes and opened them to reveal they were blue again, as Arkham jumped back and fired the Shadow Ball. Meanwhile, in the palace, Juno was focusing as she entered the great hall, littered with fallen bodies. "Garden Arts: Metamorphosis." Her skin began to change from flesh to green, then back to flesh again. "Whoa, this is costing me a lot of mental power, but I've changed my boring animal cells, into plant cells. Now I can seep through these oak walls and it won't take me long to find the princess if she's here." She began walking, and seeped through the nearest wall, she entered the throne room, where Andrew sat. "Who are you?" He managed to gasp as she looked down at him. "So, you are the general? I'm not going to hurt you I just need to look for something." She then turned, her kimono danced as she ran through another wall. She entered, a bedroom. No princess, in sight, she ran through another wall. "It's a good thing my kimono is made from the papyrus reed, otherwise I would've had to do this butt-naked." She said to herself, smiling a little. She entered another bedroom, this one better than the last but, still no princess. Juno sucked her teeth and sunk into the ground, dropping down into the basement. She looked around at the shelves and shelves of books, desks, and chairs but no princess. She turned to leave when she spotted the dark shadows on the wall, their arms in legs wrapped in incantations she couldn't read. "What's this?" She said to herself, as she looked at the shadows. Could these be the dreaded secret weapons of the Dark Kingdom? She thought to herself. Knowing she had no time she jumped through the roof, to check more rooms.

Meanwhile, back in the courtyard, Arkham was smiling as he jumped back to avoid a huge glacier from crushing him. "Your slow." Arkham said as Alex landed on the glacier. Arkham, outstretched both hands making them face each other, and yelled, "Dark Arts: Grisly Wing!" A ball of dark energy gathered, and began to break into in to smaller balls which took the shape of bats. The bats shot forward, entirely black except their blood red eyes, and surrounded Alex. Alex simply looked bored as the bats rushed in, their black fangs bared. He then grounded his feet on the glacier, and stomped one foot. Several jagged pieces of ice broke off the glacier and surrounded him. "Ice Arts: Icicle Storm." He said, and closed his eyes. Immediately the ice broke into smaller pieces, each piece impaling a bat, none of them missing. Once struck the bats vanished in darkness, until there were none left. Alex suddenly opened his eyes, as a single red rose suddenly grew out of the grass. "Well, brother, this has been fun. But, I have something to attend to." Alex said focusing. Arkham rushed forward and screamed, "You will not escape! Dark Arts: Fist of Hades!" Alex simply looked passively, as Arkham rushed forward his fist glowing with dark energy. "Die!" Arkham screamed as his fist went through Alex's chest. Arkham smiled as they were eye to eye, his arm through Alex. But Alex simply raised his right hand and plucked Arkham on the nose saying with no emotion, "what a way to treat your little brother. I'm running low on mental energy, and you have a full tank. How unfair is that? But, at least I've found out what I wanted. Next time we meet, will be the last." Arkham then heard the distinct sound of water running, as Alex's body simply melted into a puddle. "A Water Reflection Art, very clever." Arkham said, clearly livid.

Coming up in Chapter 9, Arkham reveals his knowledge of The Sovereign, to Andrew. Umio heads for the Kamon Desert, with troops. Arkham's letter receiver is revealed, And of course more fighting!