It was looking bad, but he was able to pull it off. Storm was able to get the drop on Terran for one last attack. It managed to work. Storm's attack impaled Terran and did some real damage. Terran's life was starting to fade as his special wings disappeared.

"Not so tough anymore, are you?" Storm said as he was trying his best to hold himself together. Terran placed his hands against the trident, trying to catch whatever breath he can.

'My insides feel like they're turning to ice.' Terran thought. Ice might be less effective on him than it is on others, but he's not immune to it. An injury like that is not easy to recover from, almost impossible. He could tell it was going to happen. He was really going to die here. 'No! I can't die here! Not yet! I can't die here yet!' Terran refused to die just yet. He called on every little strength he had and just pulled the trident right out of him.

"He still has that much strength in him?!" Storm said as he couldn't believe this. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"I will not die!" Terran shouted. Terran looked over to Ankhselam. He won't die and there's a reason for that. He wants to take back what was his.

...

Flashback

Terran sat in a throne chair as he had soldiers before him. Some time ago, Terran was actually the one that ruled over the Duat Kingdom before Ankhselam. He may have worn an actual crown, but that alone does not make an emperor. As a maid came over to offer him a drink, he turned away as he didn't seem interested or amused.

"I'm quite fine." Terran said.

"The kingdom has done well, but we should talk about expanding it. What about the lands to the east? It would be great for farmlands."

"I say we should acquire the coasts from the south. We could open fishing and trade ships to come in." His fellow advisors were looking for ways to expand the empire. Terran didn't seem to care that much for this sort of thing.

"My oh my. This certainly does seem like a fancy place." All of them looked and saw a woman entering the place. What Terran didn't know at the time was that this person was his teammate Serena.

"What is the meaning of this?" Terran questioned.

"You're the one in charge, right?" Serena asked. "I'm here with a powerful man who would very much like to speak with you."

"I have no time for this." Terran said as he simply did not want to hear what this stranger had to say.

"You should be." Serena stepped out of the way to let Ankhselam show himself. Serena took a seat on a table as she watched this happen. "I highly suggest you all leave us to talk." Ankhselam said. They could tell by looking at him that this guy was trouble. Terran's advisors left the room, but his soldiers stood in the way between Terran and Ankhselam. They held out their spears and were ready to attack if they have to.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Terran questioned

"This is quite the impressive kingdom you have." Ankhselam said. "It's one of the largest I've ever seen and continues to grow. I think it will fit well with my needs. Terran is your name, is it not? You're the one that rules over this place? I'm afraid that won't be the case anymore. You'll relinquish the position to me."

"I think not." Terran said as he felt quite offended by that statement. "I don't know who you are, but you were foolish to come here with such claims. Take him!" He ordered his soldiers to attack, but none of them would be moving. "What are you all waiting for? I ordered you to attack." The soldiers were actually trying to move, but none of them were.

"I can't move."

"Me either. It's almost like I'm paralyzed with fear."

"What is this?"

"What has he done to us?"

"What is wrong with all of you?" Terran questioned. He was about to stand, but something happened when he met with Ankhselam's eyes. Terran found himself paralyzed as well. He could feel himself shaking and sweat starting to roll down his face. It was like a great force of fear came over him. 'What's going on? Just looking into his eyes seems to have taken some of my strength.' He thought as he wondered what was wrong with him.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Ankhselam said. "You all can't move because my magic power far exceeds what you are use to. You hold weak wills. The reason I am here is because I have grand plans, but I'm not foolish enough to believe I can do it all alone. I will face many great challenges and many great adversaries. My plans involve the entire world."

"What are you talking about?" Terran questioned.

"I'll get right to the point." Ankhselam said. "I require a massive army to aid in my plans. The Duat Kingdom is one of the largest kingdoms I've ever seen. It is just what I need, as I said earlier. Your forces are good, but I can take them much further. Of course, you would have to revoke your position as emperor. I can't be the one taking charge if the likes of you are sitting upon the throne. If anything, you and your kingdom should feel quite flattered to have the likes of me taking command. I do sense that you have great magic yourself. I could use you. That's why I'm offering you the chance to stand by my side and fight under my guidance."

"I will not." Terran said as he was doing his best to stay strong and brave around him.

"You certainly are resilient. I certainly could use someone like you." Ankhselam said as he started to emit some of his magic. "Perhaps you need a demonstration as to what I can do. You'll have a change of heart when you see my power. You are in the presence of a god after all."

"A god?" Terran questioned.

"Yes. Watch and see." Ankhselam said as he was raising one arm.

"You might want to brace yourselves." Serena said as she knew what was coming and watched with enthusiasm. Ankhselam released that power and it traveled like a wave through the castle. When the power passed through Terran, the crown dropped to the floor and shattered.

"I wasn't one for crowns in the first place." Ankhselam said. Terran looked like he had the life scared out of him, but his soldiers dropped to the floor. Terran was taking deep breaths, but they weren't doing a thing. When he snapped to his senses, he realized what happened to his soldiers.

"No! What have you done to my men?!" Terran shouted with fear.

"They're dead." Ankhselam said. Terran couldn't believe it. He could feel that his own strength was taken away as well.

'What did he do? I felt as if the life was drained right out of me.' Terran thought. 'Is this man really a god?'

"I could have killed everyone in this castle if I wanted, but I didn't." Ankhselam said. "I only used these four as an example. So what do you say, Terran? Will you work with me or against me?"

"Who or what are you?" Terran asked.

"I am the one that will change this world." Ankhselam said. "I could use the likes of you to help me. You might no longer be the one in charge of this place, but it's a small price to pay for the plans I have. So I ask again; are you with me or against me?" Terran felt like he couldn't turn away. Ankhselam's power was unreal to Terran, unlike anything he's seen before. He believed he was in the actual presence of an actual god. He might have been an emperor, but even he had to surrender himself to Ankhselam's terrifying power. In almost no time, Ankhselam was able to take an entire kingdom.

"You made the right choice." Serena said as she and Terran stood by Ankhselam as he stared out a balcony in the middle of a storm.

"What exactly is your plans for this kingdom? For this world?" Terran asked.

"My own kingdom. I have my own army, and more power than anyone could ever have." Ankhselam said. "The world will soon feel it. We shall break the illusion known as hope, so that I, Ankhselam, shall destroy this world and show it for the desecrate place it truly is." Terran felt like he had to hand over his kingdom so that he could live. An emperor is one who fights for his empire, but he just handed his over.

"I cowered at him like a frightened child. You humiliated me and made me feel powerless. I practically handed my entire empire to him." Terran narrated. He's lived with his shame ever since the beginning. "I stayed loyal for him, I grew stronger for him, I did all of it for one reason. Until I obtain that reason, I refuse to die."

End of Flashback

...

"I will not die!" Terran shouted. Storm used every ounce of strength he had left in that last attack as he fell back. He's got nothing to fight with.

"He still has that much strength in him?! Is he that loyal to Ankhselam?!" Storm questioned, but it wasn't his loyalty that was fueling Terran. Terran continued to scream as he was about to attack, but it wasn't at Storm.

"Ankhselam!" Terran shouted. He took the trident and threw it with all of his might. Seeing him with all that strength was unreal, but seeing him throw it at Ankhselam was an even bigger surprise.

"He's turning against him?!" Storm questioned as none of them could believe it. Ankhselam looked a little surprised himself as he saw the trident heading straight for him and he couldn't do much about it without stopping the spell, something he refuses to do.

'The reason I stayed loyal and grew so strong was so that I could take my revenge!' Terran thought as the trident flew through the air. 'You made me feel powerless, humiliated me, and took my kingdom from me! I know you're immortal, but maybe if I just severed your head from your body..." It seemed like the trident was going to make contact with Ankhselam, but it never made it. The trident exploded and shattered before it could even make contact with him. That was done by Serena by using enchantments to cause the trident to explode.

"As if I would really allow any harm to come to Lord Ankhselam." Serena said. Unlike Terran, she's completely loyal and devoted to her god.

"Curse you..." Terran said with his last breath and his body dropped to the ground. His one and only chance to get revenge and it was wasted, gone with him.

"He's gone..." Storm said. He might have been the one that caused it, but it didn't feel that much like a victory to him anymore.

"I had a feeling you would try and take revenge on me, Terran." Ankhselam said. "You were one of my most tenacious followers. I almost feel sorry for you. All that time and devotion you spent trying to avenge your kingdom has now gone up in the air. Oh well." Terran sought for revenge, but he never got it. With a strong desire for revenge that can now never be obtained, the fire of the Cold Flame goes out.

AN: Different survey question. Name some of your favorite plot twists. Moments in the story that you didn't see coming, that caught you by surprise. What were some of your favorites?