Drake kept up with Zeral, but clearly the former saurian emperor wasn't through either.
"A noble effort.", Zeral commented, "But sadly, it was all in vain."
The ship's sound grew louder as the cannon below was set to fire.
"Well Drake, it was fun, but I won.", Zeral said smugly.
That was when the Raptor came out of it's cloaking and fired a blast of it's own causing the ship to fling to the side and the blast was fired off course and into the reaches of space. Dragaunus warped to the bridge with his own rune blade in hand and looking pretty mad.
"I admit you're harder to kill than you look Lord of Annectia.", Zeral growled, "But I will not tolerate this intrusion."
Dragaunus' nostrils flared and his rune blade glowed the same way as Drake looked confused.
"You're helping me now?"
"Are you going to stare or take down this tyrant?", Dragaunus countered.
Zeral's sneer darkened as a mirror image of himself appeared beside him and engage. Below them, Charyus had just about had the rebels cornered when a flash of light came out and his wall dissolved instantly. He turned to see Wraith, Siege and Chameleon there with firm looks on their faces.
"I've been wanting to do that since the day Dragaunus met you.", Siege said firmly holding up the anti-magic ray he had with him.
"We're tired of your treachery Charyus.", Chameleon said firmly shifting into a judge, "I find you guilty of trying to kill us."
Charyus frowned.
"Idiots.", he sneered, "This will not go unpunished!"
"By who?", Siege countered, "You? We got a ray that can cancel your magic and you're out of help."
Charyus raised an eyebrow.
"Don't underestimate the emperor's personal oracle.", he said raising his staff.
That was when dark mist swirled out of nowhere engulfing the area though Geoff and Wraith did all they could to hold it off.
"Great to see you teach.", Geoff commented.
Wraith rolled his eyes.
"You always were the cheer to my gloom."
/
Wildwing felt the grip of terror as the rink continued to break apart and fall into the deep bleak nothingness. Morpha thought fast and quickly extended itself to become a replacement rink so the ducks were still able to move across it.
"Thanks boy.", Nosedive commented.
Lucretia by now had reformed and looking pretty freaky on her side of the rink.
"Oh well, I guess I should've expected outside help on your part.", she sneered.
"Don't hate us cause things aren't going your way.", Duke said firmly, "You could've just surrendered."
That comment however seemed to make Lucretia go into hysterics and dark power flowed across the rink like a foul wind.
"Ducks, I think we're pushing her.", Wildwing commented.
Canard nodded.
"So close and yet so far."
The timer above stopped instantly and broke apart while outside all this, Derek and Rosie tried hard just to hold on to prevent being blown away. Adam was equally straining as his wings flapped behind him like flags in the wind.
"It's okay everyone, just hold on!", Clyde called out.
Danielle and Julia gripped each other's wrists as the winds grew stronger.
"We're..slipping!", Julia called out.
BRAWN saw them and shot out a couple of cables from his back and the two ducks caught them just as their grips slipped and fastened the cufflink around their wrists while BRAWN pulled them in.
"Thanks BRAWN.", Julia commented.
That was when the winds died down, but Morpha still remained the rink. Wildwing looked a bit concerned.
"What? No team this time?"
Lucretia smiled.
"Nope, first to score wins."
Nosedive smiled.
"Piece of cake DeCoy."
Wildwing and Canard didn't look so sure. There was something strange going on and before Nosedive got to the goal, he fell to his knees looking like he was in pain.
"Ouch! What's going on?!", he asked shocked.
Lucretia's smile got bigger.
"That's the downside of this play.", she explained, "Every move you make drains your enchantium and as soon as that's gone, your own life force is drained in it's place."
Adam frowned.
"This is bad."
/
Draco and his guardians were a little shocked as Dragaunus' henchmen held their own against Charyus.
"Hey, aren't they the enemy?", he asked.
"Well it looks like they found another enemy.", Goff commented.
Wraith conjured some fire to burn away the undead Charyus called out as Siege kept firing the anti-magic ray and Chameleon was pulling out a contraption that looked high tech.
"Now!", Siege called out.
Chameleon launched the device forward as Wraith used another energy wall to push Charyus backward. Siege fired and the device lit up forming energy waves around Charyus making his enchantium grow dull and dark until they broke entirely and the sorcerer fell to the ground now gripping his skeletal staff to prevent himself from falling.
"What did you do to me?", he asked.
"We removed your magical powers.", Siege answered as the device shrank to a disk that flew to his hand, "You can no longer use it to harm or manipulate anyone again."
Charyus frowned.
"So what now? You kill me?"
"That would be too easy.", Wraith said smiling, "I have something else in mind, but for now, I believe Dragaunus is settling an old score."
Wraith conjured a bauble large enough for everyone to see which revealed Dragaunus and Drake still fighting Zeral and his doppelganger. Charyus tried to slink by, but Chameleon held him back.
"You have the right to remain silent and to an attorney.", he said shifting into a policeman, "If you can't afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you."
Charyus frowned as Chameleon shifted back. Drake managed to get his Zeral down, but that one dissolved before Zeral showed up behind him with his blade drawn ready to deliver the deadly blow, but Dragaunus fired his wrist laser and caused it to go off course allowing Drake to finally subdue him.
"It's over!", Drake said firmly.
Drake then backed off as Dragaunus flung a device like the one Siege used except this time, it trapped Zeral in a gravitational field and bound him with energy bands.
"Now what?", Harzep asked.
The communications device above their heads came on.
"How about you bring the two down so we can disperse justice?"
/
Back in Limbo, things were only going south for the ducks in the rink and Wildwing knew it. Lucretia seemed more like an embodiment of chaos than a duck and his team was low on power.
"I'm feeling...faint.", Nosedive strained as he tried to make a pass, but fell over onto his side.
Wildwing's heart skipped a beat as the lights on Nosedive's pendent grew dark and his brother's body seemed like it was fading away like a mirage. Tanya and Duke were no better.
"Is this..death?", Duke asked.
Canard looked just as alarmed.
"The longer we play, the more of us are worn away."
Lucretia's smile haunted their minds as her image floated effortlessly across the rink stealing the puck like it was a leaf in a hurricane. She got to Wildwing easily and her smile looked even more macabre and horrific.
"I've waited so long to have this moment.", she sneered, "The day I finally wipe out the ones who wronged my orders."
Wildwing frowned.
"I'm not letting that happen."
Lucretia laughed out loud.
"Oh Wildwing, you are such a child. Without Drake DuCaine's mask, you're nothing to me."
She fired and Wildwing maneuvered, but a sharp pain hit his chest and the puck went passed him. The moment the score was made, Wildwing saw Nosedive fall over and his pendent went dark before he started dissolving.
"Nosedive!", Wildwing screamed.
Nosedive looked up at his brother and gave a small smile and a thumbs up.
"It was an honor working with you bro.", he strained to say, "See ya on the other side."
He vanished away and Wildwing felt anger rise up in his heart though he tried containing it. This had gone too far and he doubted Lucretia even cared. Only then he saw Tanya and Duke fading the same way. Canard was on his knees and using aura to try and slow the process, but no luck.
"It's over Wildwing.", Lucretia smiled, "I win."
Wildwing watched in horror as Duke and Tanya faded the same way leaving only him, Canard and Lucretia on the rink.
"Why fight it Thunderbeak?", she sassed as she looked Canard's way, "You're only delaying the inevitable."
Canard frowned.
"And you're underestimating my friend over there!", he countered, "He doesn't need Drake's mask to beat you cause he's got the heart and the determination to do so. I'd say our second team will prevail!"
Lucretia raised an eyebrow.
"How quaint, you're still defying the defeat you were given."
Wildwing watched as Canard's aura gem started waning. He had to do something, but what? Then an idea hit him.
"Lucretia, you think you're all that aren't you?"
Lucretia turned his way.
"As a matter of fact, I think I just proved it."
"Wrong!", Wildwing countered, "You think that forcing these conditions on our team and using our fallen friends as players is fair?! AS far as I see, you didn't win this game yet. One more play and then we'll see who's better than who!"
Lucretia raised an eyebrow.
"Sacrifice your other ducks? I accept."
She snapped her fingers and Canard's disintegration ceased and he regained his full form.
"Four players to your side. First to score takes all."
/
Back on Sauria, Zeral and Charyus were brought before Frazzak with Drake, Draco and Draco's guardians behind them. Zeral watched as Frazzak approached.
"Lord Zeral of the Geywick Wastes, your crimes against Sauria and our people are worthy of death. However, death would be too merciful for you. Therefor you are hereby sentenced to spend the rest of your natural life in supervised community service alongside your underling from this day until the day you perish."
Charyus turned to Zeral with a small smile.
"At least we'll have each other."
Zeral although bound drew a short dagger and attempted to stab Charyus, but Dragaunus showed up and with a quick zap from his wrist laser, sent it flying away. Frazzak looked Dragaunus' way as he and his underlings appeared.
"It's been ages Lord Dragaunus of Annectia.", Frazzak said coyly.
Dragaunus sighed heavily.
"And I suppose that I'll be sharing their punishment?", he said in a bored tone.
Siege looked annoyed.
"Oh like the new emperor is going to show compassion."
Frazzak frowned.
"Don't test me Siege of the Arma tribe.", he said firmly before turning to Dragaunus, "On behalf of myself and my court, we have decided that you will serve a different course of punishment."
Chameleon stepped forward.
"So we're off the hook?", he asked nervously.
"No.", Frazzak answered, "You will serve as personal staff to Regum Draco of the Annectia Seas."
Dragaunus looked shocked and disgusted.
"Reduced to servitude to a child?!"
Geoff raised an eyebrow.
"If you don't like the deal, maybe Servain and the pantheon will offer a better one."
Dragaunus looked up for a minute to see the faces of the patrons observing the whole thing with expressions which rang out to not try their patience and before long, he gave in.
"Don't expect me to wash windows, do your laundry or babysit.", he grumbled.
Draco came over to the former Annectia Sea ruler with a smile.
"I was thinking of just spending some quality time in your roots and meet my cousin Xarik."
Dragaunus raised an eyebrow. Maybe being in Draco's care won't be so bad. Zeral and Charyus were escorted away though Charyus still had a shocked impression on his face.
"He tried to kill me!", he screamed.
Frazzak smiled as Geoff took Wraith by the arm, Harzep and Gerazi took Siege and Darcel stood by Chameleon.
"Looks like Dragaunus might see the light after all."
Dragaunus sighed heavily.
"This is going to be a long sentence.", he grumbled.
Up above, Servain looked pleased.
"A fallen lord now under the guidance of a child with the knowledge and wisdom of a saurian twice his age. I must say that he's going to have a long time to think about what he's done. And I got a feeling that this time, Dragaunus will come to grips with what he couldn't before."
/
Back in Limbo, Wildwing gripped his stick while sweat ran down the sides of his face. Adam, Julia, Clyde, and BRAWN came out onto the rink.
"What are we up against?", Clyde asked.
Wildwing sighed.
"We need to make a goal. Lucretia scores, we die."
In the stands, Danielle helped Derek and Rosie keep their kids under control with Foxy helping out by keeping them from blowing away.
"This is bad.", Derek said.
Benny however looked excited.
"Now this is a game.", he commented.
Snowdrop looked his way annoyed.
"Even if we all die?"
Benny instantly looked worried.
"Okay, now I'm scared."
Back on the rink, Wildwing then turned to Canard.
"Canard, I want you to be goalie."
Canard looked surprised.
"Me?"
"Trust me.", Wildwing told him.
When they took their places, Lucretia raised an eyebrow.
"Now you're in the field?", she asked, "Are you that desperate?"
Wildwing frowned.
"Last play DeCoy."
Lucretia instantly looked more eager.
"Indeed. One more goal, and winner takes all."
The moment the puck came out, Lucretia took it and soon was at the goal as much as the others put up a fight.
"Game, set, death.", she grinned.
She fired the puck, but this time, it slipped before it got near Canard's goalie stick.
"What?!", she asked in shock.
She heard a whistle and turned to see Wildwing by her goal with a puck at the ready and a smile on his face.
"You can't do this to me!", Lucretia screamed, "Who do you think you are?!"
Wildwing's eyes narrowed as he prepared the shot.
"I'm...Wildwing...Flashblade.", he answered and took the shot.
The moment the puck hit the net, the darkness shattered like glass and Lucretia fell to her knees disintegrating like her victims before her.
"Now you can be all you deserve to be.", Adam said smiling, "In Oblivion."
Lucretia screamed like a banshee until she was completely gone and the ducks were alone on the ice with Derek, Rosie, their family, Danielle and Foxy came on to the rink. The floor reformed as well allowing Morpha to reform into it's dog form. Not long after , a bright light lit up above their heads and got brighter causing the ducks to cover their eyes and then all went dark.