They were almost at the throne room when a feminine figure darted
from the side and grabbed Hawk. She kissed him, long and hard. Stilletto
laughed and kept walking. Eagle and Duran stared. "Whoa baby!" Hawk said.
Hawk moved back to survey his attacker, and what he saw took his breath
away. A girl, just a little shorter than him, with a face like an angel
smiled back at him. Light brown hair with streaks of blonde, worked as a
backdrop for gray-blue eyes. She wore black gloves that reached her
elbows, and leather boots. Over all of this beauty, a black cape protected
her from the desert environment. "Done yet, Laine?" Stilletto asked.
"Let's report to Flamekahn." Eagle and Duran slowly moved, stunned by the
newcomer.
"Is she coming?" Hawk asked, also entranced.
"Yes," Stilletto replied flatly.
"King Flamekahn," Stilletto said as he bowed. "Your servant Stilletto awaits." The King stood up. "You are the mercenary, I presume?" he asked. "Yes," Stilletto bowed again. The King returned the bow through Stilletto's refusal. "It is truly an honor...to be in the presence of a fighter so great as you, Stilletto." Stilletto shook his head. "It is I, who has the honor. One whose ancestors founded a kingdom so well hidden in the desert, and whose ancestors survived the Clan wars without losing a man...that is true greatness." Flamekahn reddened slightly. He needed something to turn the attention away from him. He saw Eagle and Duran staring at the beautiful Laine, who was hugging Hawk. "And I see you've met the new addition, Eagle?" Flamekahn asked with a raised eyebrow. Duran was trying not to laugh at Hawk's very embarrassed look. His efforts failed. He burst out laughing, receiving a strange look from the King, the guards, and Eagle. Stilletto rolled a hysterical Duran out the door and continued his report. "I must thank you for sending me, King Flamekahn. We had a lot of fun." Stilletto said. It was Stilletto's turn to receive strange looks from the King and his guards. A few of the guards coughed, stifling a laugh. "I see. Describe what happened." King Flamekahn asked.
Stilletto bowed again. "I met Eagle when he was outside the Forest. I led them in, and brought them to the proper place. Simple mission, no hindrances." King Flamekahn was astonished. He leaned forward quickly, almost falling off his throne. "Was it that easy?" he asked. Eagle stepped forward with a frown. "Let me mention the shape- shifting demon that took the form of Duran's father, the Forest that tried to kill us multiple times with every tree involved, the gigantic stone golems that used invisibility to almost kill us, the elevator ambush, and the Infernal, which created multiple other Infernals." All of these dangers were apparently familiar to the King, for his paled skin returned to normal. King Flamekahn breathed a sigh of relief. "And, uh, Stilletto dealt with these legendary threats?" he asked. "Yeah," Duran said, returning. He still had a goofy grin on his face, but did not verbalize his amusement. "And the Darkshine Knight was there, also." "Darkshine Knight? What's he doing there?" Flamekahn asked. "I believe I can shed some light here," Stilletto said. "The Darkshine Knight followed us, I mean Eagle, from Salamando's lair. What he wants exactly, I do not know, but I believe it will be associated with his quest for power." King Flamekahn stood up. "Damn. Salamando may be in danger." Hawk waved his hand. "Before we run off again, I need to get Fire absorb," he said. "For what?" Flamekahn asked. Stilletto held up his hand. "Hawk empowered himself with the Water element," he said. Hawk was relieved, for Stilletto made it seem like a harmless act. Laine apparently knew what he was thinking, and she gave his hand a squeeze. The King nodded. "I can spare a suit," he said slowly. "How long would you like me to stay?" Stilletto asked. "I have not decided yet," King Flamekahn answered. "Come to my chambers, you five." "Can Hawk and I use the bed?" Laine asked, winking at Hawk. Flamekahn shook his head, and Hawk turned very red.
Inside the King's chambers, the King opened up his special wardrobe again. He drew out a suit of armor, plain looking. Stilletto took it from him, and placed something inside the suit. "I hope this never fails," Stilletto said. "Now be strong, Hawk. This is going to hurt." Hawk grimaced, wondering what Stilletto had in mind. Stilletto placed the suit over Hawk, and whispered an incantation. The suit compressed on Hawk at a speed previously unknown, and Hawk could no longer breathe. He was in dire pain. What Stilletto placed in the armor was solid, and where it connected to his body was where the most pain was. He felt it enter his body, and travel up his spine. Hawk tried to scream, but could not find the power to. The thing entered his head, and for a split second, Hawk feared he would die. Then it all stopped, leaving him exhausted, gasping for breath. An already familiar hand helped him up. He looked into Laine's concerned expression, and tried to smile. He was pulled into her protective embrace once again.
"Well, that's about all I can tell you. You'll need to go to Salamando again." King Flamekahn said. "As you command," Stilletto bowed. He was about to leave, when Flamekahn stopped him. "Don't you need some rest?" he asked. "I'd like to, but the mercanaries of kingdoms do not need rest." Stilletto replied. Flamekahn nodded. "So that's what you call yourselves these days."
The next day, Eagle, Duran, Hawk, and Laine stepped outside, into the desert. The males sported their chameleon robes, not wanting to give them up. Laine wore the same clothes as yesterday, revealing that they were magical. "Where's Stilletto?" asked Duran. They heard a roar, and ran to investigate. Multiple images of Stilletto were fighting each other in unarmed combat. A field of power surrounded each Stilletto, a sign of how much power was being generated. "Wow," said Hawk. "How does he do that?" "I believe it is a special discipline that Nightblades learn. Nightblades are one of the top Navarre titles. That just shows how much more skilled Stilletto is compared to the rest of us." Eagle said. "All of us," Duran added. "Not me," said Laine, startling them. "We're pretty equal in skill and power, he just makes a show of it." "So can you do that?" Eagle said as he pointed. "No, but I have other skills equally as effective," Laine answered. "Cool," Duran said. Show us sometime?" She smiled brilliantly, making them blush. "I will," she promised. Stilletto stopped, dispelled his images, and waved for them to follow him. Stilletto began to walk away.
"Where are we going?" Eagle asked. "To Salamando," Stilletto said, not stopping. "A different way," Laine added. "Can you stand guard Stilletto?" Eagle asked, thinking ahead. "We'll be there in about an hour," Stilletto replied.
They reached a lone tree in the middle of the desert. Stilletto walked right into it. Eagle followed cautiously. "We cloak now," Stilletto said. "Um, can I be invisible too?" Laine asked. A robe came flying out from thin air. "Thanks," she said. The fifth chameleon robe, thought Eagle.
After a couple minutes of walking, Eagle noticed a sharp smell in the air. "We're getting close," he whispered. "Not to Salamando, you'll see." Stilletto said. Indeed, they were not. They stepped into a familiar clearing, to see a few burnt bodies. "For your information, the Darkshine Knight came here last night and captured Salamando. Darkshine is at the Lightless Forest, inside the temple now." Stilletto said. "What? And you didn't tell us?" Eagle screamed. "And what was the point of cloaking?" Stilletto's shrug was audible. "You didn't ask," he said. Laine giggled. "A teleport please?" Stilletto asked. Eagle, Hawk, and Duran said "What the-" in unison.
"-heck?" the finished, on the roof of the temple. The Darkshine Knight spun, immensely startled. Eagle felt Stilletto grinning. Turning back slowly, the dark knight drew his sword. Something shimmered on the stone table. The Knight shot something from his sword onto the table. The thing on the table turned black. It was Salamando. Muttering curses, Darkshine began to make motions with his sword. Laine whispered something, and Stilletto said "hehe". The Darkshine Knight stopped moving. And waited. Then he cursed loudly. "Why isn't it working?" he screamed in a raspy voice. Stilletto said "haha". Apparently Laine did not only disrupt his spell, but changed it so a yellow bunny would appear on his head. Muffled laughs were barely audible from the Navarres. The black knight roared and slaughtered the bunny. He turned around, trying to find his tormentors. "Uncloak," commanded Stilletto. The Darkshine Knight whipped about in their direction. "YOU!" he accused. Stilletto stepped forward. "I'm just a guilty bystander," he said with a dramatic sweep of his arm. "Give us Salamando back!" Duran yelled. "Why? He can't help you anymore." the black knight said. Eagle and Hawk brandished their weapons. "He's right, he bound Salamando to himself. If he dies, Salamando dies," Stilletto said. Hawk looked at the blackened Salamando. "Any way we can get him back?" Hawk asked. "I think so. Laine, would you?" Stilletto asked. "Yeah, hold on," she replied. Laine closed her eyes for a moment. "Got it," she said. "What are you going to do?" Hawk asked her. "Unbind them, so you can kick his ass," she replied. Stilletto began walking towards the black knight, unarmed and hands open. The knight tensed. He was not used to people who did not fear him. "Keep your distance or die!" he warned. Stilletto smiled, and kept walking. "What the hell is he doing?" Duran asked. "Trapping Darkshine, maybe," Eagle speculated.
Salamando woke with a start. Whoa, he thought. What am I doing here? He felt numb, and could not move. He heard a whisper of a gentle voice. Hold on, it said.
Laine whispered something and snapped her fingers. Salamando was teleported in front of Eagle, in his regular light-red color. The Darkshine Knight turned to see the table without a spirit on it. "Arrgh!" he yelled, turning back to Stilletto, who was still walking. Darkshine Knight looked as if he was going to attack, then he leaped off the temple again.
"Well," said Hawk. "That was rather easy." Salamando flared a bright red, then died down. "The second attack in two weeks. Am I going to be attacked next week?" he demanded. His voice had changed since they had saw him last time, now it sounded like a roaring fire. "Please, Salamando. We wouldn't want you burning Navarre down, would we?" Flamekahn asked. "Sorry, your majesty. But I was in serious trouble!" Salamando said in defense. "Yes I know, we should arrange something." Flamekahn said. "Since when does a kingdom's guardian spirit need protection?" Eagle asked. "Eagle, Eagle, Eagle. You are complicating things." Flamekahn cautioned. "The spirit of a kingdom needs protection once the kingdom becomes greater in power than the spirit." Salamando flared again. "That was a helluva long time ago!" he retorted. "Remember the Clan wars, spirit. We still aren't safe." Flamekahn said. "Sorry to intrude, but what do we do now?" Hawk asked. "Good question," added the King. "Well, we do need to do something about the Emperor." Salamando said. "Let's see..." his fiery voice trailed off. "I guess we could turn to the Dragon problem..." Salamando seemed deep in thought, because his image did not ripple often. "I believe Stilletto and Laine can single-handily destroy the Emperor. However, getting to the Emperor would be a problem." Stilletto shrugged. "If that is what King Flamekahn wants, sure." he said.
"Is it that easy?" Eagle asked. Duran looked at him like one would look at a dumb child. "The Dragon Emperor destroyed his army, and Forcena's army with a single attack. Of course it's not that easy." Duran said. "What about the Darkshine Knight?" Salamando asked, once again changing the topic. "He's the one that attacked me twice." Flamekahn began to pace. "The Knight is the right-hand of the Emperor. What he's doing, I doubt is by Emperor's orders. Since he is an unknown, we'll need to take him into consideration also." "Darkshine, is he dangerous? He ran away twice already." Hawk asked.
"Simply put, yes. During the Clan wars he single-handily held off several attacks by enormous armies." Flamekahn informed. "Hmph. Defensive freak." Eagle puffed. "Don't get him wrong," Salamando warned. "Yep, he did mind the control the Infernal well enough so the Infernal's summoned clones were controlled also." Stilletto added. "This is getting nowhere. Just decided what to do without your pointless rambling," Laine instructed. For a moment, nothing moved. Stilletto was grinning. "How about we kill Darkshine, then go for the Emperor?" he asked. "I have a better idea." Eagle said, breaking the Navarre silence. "Stilletto, tell us all what you know about the Dragon Emperor." "Sure. The Dragon Emperor, since the battle at Forcena, has spawned six times. With what I can't say, but he is capable of asexual reproduction. Currently he has a small army of sixteen dragons, each grows in strength substantially every day under intense training. The Emperor will spawn about ten more times, creating four dragons each time. His lair, as all know, is in the Dragon's Hole, but he is located far under it, in a very large cavern. When he'll be done his force, and when he'll attack, I do not know. But his dragon force will be enough to give me enough trouble. Other details, I won't say, because he is too insane to predict. I do have a few good hunches, though. Would you like to know more?" Stilletto said. The room was very quiet, as everyone struggled to absorb the information. It was a while before anyone said anything. "Damn," Duran finally said. "What about his attacks?" he asked.
Stilletto nodded. "His elemental attacks are mainly Fire based, but he has a few Wind based attacks, generated by his wings. The attack you saw at Forcena was his ultimate spell, requiring all his effort and concentration. He, along with many others, call the attack Giga Burn. Harnessing the full power of the Sun itself, he channeled all of the power through his Dragon form and unleashed it in a general direction. His other Fire attacks are also dangerous, the stronger attacks require more concentration. He can release many fireballs at whim, he can explode the air immediately around him, creating a lengthy immolation." Stilletto paused, thinking. "Other Fire attacks he has are called Flare, Explode, Eruption Breath, and something else I can't quite put my finger on. He may also have a few tricks up his sleeve, for instance, he should know well by know how to create images that can actually hurt you, using pure Fire magic. That would rank at the top of his dangerous attack list." "Selfdestruct." Salamando said. "His last attack is called Selfdestruct." "Ah yes. The single spell responsible for destroying about eighteen million people. The Dragons that were almost dead would self destruct, taking tens of thousands down with them." Stilletto said. "Selfdestruct is containable, Laine knows how, but I don't quite think the Emperor would die like that. His wind attacks are more of a nuisance than a killer, he can flap his wings once, and a great wind will be channeled through him. However, several of his minions slammed six dozen men into spikes. Not a nice sight. Also, you mustn't forget that he is a dragon, or at least has a dragon form. Meaning claws, wings, teeth, and the sheer strength of a dragon. Anything else?" Stilletto asked. Flamekahn was shaking his head. "It'd be very, very stupid to send the world's best to attempt an assassination on the Emperor." Laine cocked her head to one side. "Hi over there. What do you want us to do?" she said with growing irritation. "Alright, let's forget about the Dragon problem for now. Damn!" Flamekahn said. "I need time to think. Come back tomorrow." The King exited the room, and his guards followed him. "Well," said Eagle. "That got us nowhere." Eagle led the way back to their chambers. "I'll be outside if you need me," Stilletto said. "One less person in your room." Eagle and Duran looked at each other. "Uh, we'll need to talk to Stilletto." Eagle said. They began walking after Stilletto, hands on their weapons. "Well, that leaves us," Laine said with a wink. "I do need to talk to you," Hawk said.
"I do like you a lot, but I want to ask you to ease up a bit. It's all too much for me, traveling and battling non-stop. And you keep embarrassing me in front of Eagle and Duran. Not to say I don't like it, but..." Hawk sighed heavily. "I feel stressed, and stretched somehow. I've never felt this before." Laine put an arm around him. "Everyone gets stressed, Hawkeye. If you need a rest, tell the King. I can stay and take care of you." Laine said. "Thanks, Laine. I've only known you for a bit, but already you mean so much to me," Hawk smiled, and lay down. "Maybe I will ask Flamekahn for a break." Laine lay down beside him. "Sleep well," she said.
"Hey Stilletto!" Duran called. The lone figure turned. And beckoned. Eagle and Duran drew their weapons. Ka-ching! Their swords dropped to the ground. "First lesson: always check your surroundings. I was standing up here in plain view." Stilletto said from above. Eagle and Duran gulped. They nodded, and bent down to pick up their weapons. Ka-ching! The weapons dropped in the sand again. "Second lesson: never just pick up your weapons. You both look horribly vulnerable. Now, pick up your weapons." Stilletto instructed. Slowly, Eagle and Duran picked up their swords. They looked up at Stilletto. "Third lesson: always be ready to move anywhere, at any speed. If I had leapt at you, not even Eagle would have moved. Another thing. When you are training under me, strike for real, attack aggressively. I do not do repeated movements as you both have learned, rather actual combat. Get ready to kill." Stilletto said. He created two images. One image drew a Moon sword, the other a Holy sword. They looked just like Eagle and Duran's weapons. "First exercise: fighting something that looks like you, or someone you know. Begin!" The images transformed, one into Eagle, the other into Duran. The images leapt of their elevated position, and began charging at Eagle and Duran. Sand flew behind the images, showing that they had real substance. Eagle and Duran both dodged hard to the side, avoiding a thrust each. "Attack when you move!" Stilletto instructed. The images came back, now switching targets. And attacks. Duran did not attack, he leapt aside again. He received a sword handle to his face. Eagle swung hard, meaning to decapitate. Moon sword collided with Moon sword, creating a temporary glow. "This time, follow your shadow and kill it." Stilletto said. Duran fared better this time. Holy sword touched Holy sword, but the image was too fast for Duran. Duran stumbled after the image, and jumped to the side when he saw a flash of steel. His head snapped up, and he realized the image was not there. He was hit hard from behind, slamming into the sands. Eagle parried, then thrust the Moon sword deep into the image. It pierced through, and red blood poured fourth from the image. Eagle leapt and slashed the image in two. It disappeared. Eagle breathed a sigh of relief. "Turn!" Stilletto yelled. Eagle turned, ducked and kicked. Another image of himself flew a few feet, then charged again. Eagle lunged and thrust his sword into the image's face. "That's fine for now. We'll do more later." Stilletto said as he helped Duran up. He directed them towards the castle. "Get some rest, come back in an hour if you're up for it." Eagle glumly nodded and walked off with Duran.
An hour later...
Eagle stood alone, ready with both swords drawn. Stilletto nodded, encouraging his choice of weaponry. "When you fought a shadow earlier, I gave you the extreme luxury of facing two attacks. And one weapon. Remind me to never be lenient like that again. Now, prepare to really fight yourself." Stilletto made and image. It was Eagle again. "Begin!" Stilletto yelled. The Eagle image brandished both swords, snarling. It rushed, moving at insane speeds. Shit, Eagle thought. It can fly. The Eagle image swung left to right, and Eagle parried skillfully, deflecting the attack towards the ground. He was about to counterattack when he felt a rush of hot air. He spun, and instinctively put up both swords. The image was out of reach, with the Fire sword pointed towards Eagle. It conjured up a flaming, pulsating object, and shot it at Eagle. Jitsu, thought Eagle. Eagle thrust his Fire sword towards it, and the sword absorbed the attack. "Good, Eagle." Stilletto said. Eagle shit his own jitsu, and the image dodged it. Eagle held his hands steady. The image began to fly towards Eagle. "Rarrgh!" Eagle yelled. He yanked his hands back, using his elbows to drive. The image exploded. Eagle had controlled the jitsu's path, and pulled it back towards him, hitting the image from behind. "Very good, Eagle." Stilletto said approvingly. "I was wondering when you'd learn how to do that." "I just learned." Eagle said. "Take a rest. You've done well on your first day." Stilletto said. A figure came out of the hidden door, running hard. It was Laine, her face riddled with worry. "What is it?" Stilletto asked. "Something's wrong with Hawk. I don't know what. He's crying out in pain, and his body just flashed blue!" she said. "Crap. We'd better tell the King." Eagle said. "You go ahead. I'll take a look." Stilletto nodded and ran off, Laine close behind.
Hawk was on his bed, tossing and turning. Stilletto took off his robe, deposited it onto the ground, and felt Hawk's forehead. It was very, very cold. "I'm going to enter his mind." Stilletto said. "Okay, be careful," Laine said. Duran had been woken up by the commotion, but was silenced by Laine. Stilletto sat on Hawk's bed, and closed his eyes. A moment later, beads of concentration sweat rolled down his face.
A door. Darkness. Wham! A stone door slams shut. Hawk, I am here. Stilletto said. Help me, Hawk's voice called. Floating, with no certain form or position, Stilletto looked around. It was pitch black. What is this place, Stilletto asked. Nothing replied. Then, something. A movement. Hawk. Moving, looking around. A roar of cries assaulted Hawk, bringing him and Stilletto to their knees. At least that's what Stilletto felt. Hawk, Stilletto said aloud. I am with you. Stilletto realized that he could only feel what Hawk felt. He saw Hawk swing downwards with his daggers, the coldfire ones. They struck the ground. Blue sparks illuminated the whole room. Nineteen goliath creatures stood in a large circle around Hawk, each with deadly- looking scythe-like claws and spiky bodies. Too dark, thought Stilletto. He concentrated even harder, attempting to achieve illumination. It only brought a shade of light. He saw Hawk's form swinging again, this time the daggers hit the wall. Blue sparks flew again, initating another thunderous rumble of demonic cries. The creatures had all moved in order for one to dodge Hawk's attack. Stilletto felt Hawk's fear rising, boosting upwards. Hawk was losing control over himself. No Hawk, keep fighting! Stilletto thought.
Hawk crouched, and his fear spiked. "Water, I submit to you!" Hawk yelled. Stilletto was racked with icy cold pain, feeling the power of water, gushing, falling, still water. Through it all, he saw Hawk scream in pain. Another thunderous roar came from the creatures, their cries echoing, with each wave bringing new, even more powerful pain. Stilletto could see the outline of Hawk in an icy blue color. Hawk moved with extreme precision, killing two creatures. They were not fast enough to move this time. Stilletto felt a hand of darkness attempt to grip his soul, but his Dark absorb prevented anything from happening. The same could not be said for Hawk. Each time he killed, more darkness invaded his soul.
The creatures chittered continuously, knowing that they had real prey. Their cries grew louder and louder, imprinting the audio pattern on both human minds.
King Flamekahn burst into the room, closely followed by Eagle. Laine and Duran stood watching Stilletto and Hawk, helpless. "What happened?" Flamekahn asked. "They're both suffering," Laine whispered, sick with worry. "It's been like this for half an hour," Duran added. "We don't know what happened." "What is Stilletto doing?" Flamekahn demanded. "Stilletto entered his mind, he's trying to find out what's wrong." Laine said. Flamekahn sat heavily on a bed. "For both of their sakes, I hope he finds a way to fix this." Flamekahn said. His tone warned them that it was not only Hawk at risk. Hawk and Stilletto flashed blue, and Hawk screamed. Flamekahn looked very grim. "We must wait. Only Stilletto can save him now."
The hellish scene played again. Why is this happening? Stilletto asked. A whisper, a plea answered. Help me. I will, Hawk. Stilletto thought. I will. Each time the battle was relived, the creatures grew stronger, bigger, and they cried louder. Stilletto felt Hawk trying harder and harder, pushing himself to his limit. Each time Hawk submitted to Water, it was a thousand times more painful, and the icy touch lasted much longer.
This time, Hawk did not have any weapons. The sparks still flew. The creatures thundered again, making both Hawk and Stilletto cry out in pain. Hawk spinned, meaning to kill the final eleven centered around his position. Only the creatures did not die. Their demonic cries erupted again, and they rushed.
Stilletto snapped out of the trance. He lunged at Duran, grabbing his sword. "What are you doing?" Duran asked. Stilletto held the Holy sword point down over Hawk, then plunged it into him. A collective gasp preceded a flying Stilletto. He hit the wall, unconscious. Several ghastly dark faces emerged from Hawk, circled his form, and shot off. "Exorcism," Flamekahn breathed. "Purging of darkness in one's souls." A groan came from Stilletto. "Get the daggers off him!" he said. He lost consciousness again. Eagle tossed the dual sheathed daggers into the corner. Instantly, the ghastly faces reappeared, and flew into the coldfire daggers. "Shit," Duran commented, staring at the daggers. "Get Stilletto onto a bed, take care of them both," Flamekahn said. Eagle nodded. Shaking, Eagle and Duran placed Stilletto onto a bed. He was sweating heavily, and felt very cold. Flamekahn tossed Eagle a robe, and Eagle covered Stilletto with it. They covered Hawk up also, then sank down, their minds still struggling to absorb what they had just seen.
The next day...
Stilletto woke to find Duran, on the floor beside his bed, fast asleep. Eagle and Laine were beside Hawk's bed, sleeping on stools. Stilletto walked over to Eagle, and woke him. A shocked Eagle fell off his stool, but quickly regained his dignity. "Is Hawk alright?" Stilletto asked. Eagle nodded gratefully. "Yeah. Thanks to you." Stilletto faintly smiled. He turned to go. "Where are you going?" Eagle asked quietly. Stilletto stopped, but did not turn. "I'm going to purge an evil. And recharge this," he held up Duran's sword. "Come back safely," Eagle said. Stilletto wrapped his robe about himself and left.
"Where's Stilletto?" Hawk asked. He looked extremely tired, and was still sweating. "He said he was going to purge and evil, and recharge Duran's sword," Eagle informed. "So that's where my sword is. I thought I'd lost it somewhere," Duran said. "You alright now?" Laine asked. "Yeah," Hawk said. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "That was hell. I thought I was going to die." "And you would have, if it wasn't for Stilletto," a fiery voice said from behind. "Salamando! Good to see you." Hawk said. "Good to see you alive, after what I heard from Flamekahn." Salamando said. His tone was much softer, like lightly boiling water. "Mind telling us what happened back there?" Duran asked. Hawk grimaced. "Remember the elevator back at the temple? When went inside, I fought nineteen giant creatures." "The fabled undead giants?" Salamando asked in surprise. "I don't know," Hawk said. "but the room was dark, and I couldn't hit any of them. That's when I submitted to Water, since I learned before that it'd let you see in the dark," "Some choice," Salamando said with a little jealousy. "Did it work?" Eagle asked, intrigued. "Yeah. But it wasn't fun. Painful as hell," Hawk replied. "So what happened after you submitted?" Eagle asked. "I killed them all," Hawk replied. Steam erupted from Salamando. "Damn," he said. "So Stilletto's going to kill those?" Eagle asked. "I guess so, since he's going to recharge Duran's sword anyway," Laine said. "Let's go see Flamekahn," Eagle said. Laine and Eagle helped Hawk up. "What about the daggers?" Duran asked. "Leave them," Eagle said. They began the walk to the throne room.
"Hawk. Good to see you up and around," Flamekahn said. Hawk bowed respectfully. "I've decided what the five of you are going to do." "Stilletto isn't here," Duran said quietly. "I am aware of that. Salamando will come too." Flamekahn said. "As an ambassador, and a bargainer." Salamando added. "And the rest of you will be the escort and guard." Flamekahn said. "What's the diplomatic mission?" Eagle asked. "Alliances." Flamekahn announced. There was a shocked silence. "Damn," said Hawk. "That you favorite word now?" Eagle asked. Flamekahn waved at them to be silent. "First attempt in history," Flamekahn said with some pride. "And there's something else you know. I'm acting upon Stilletto's suggestion." "Does he have any proof, or, uh, idea why we should try to ally?" Eagle asked. "He consulted the table. I don't think he told you it could talk." Flamekahn said. "What? When did he tell you?" Hawk asked, shocked. "This morning." Flamekahn said. "But...but he left this morning!" Eagle exclaimed. "Yes, I know. People have ways of sending messages, other than face- to-face talk." Flamekahn reminded. "So, uh, we're acting upon an inanimate object's idea?" Hawk asked. "DO NOT FORGET THAT THE ESSENCE OF THE ELEMENTS IS SEALED WITHIN THE TABLE," a voice echoed. It's voice shook the room with power. "Pardon us!" Flamekahn cried. It was silent for a moment. "Uh, what was that?" Duran asked. "I don't know," Flamekahn replied, shaking his head. "THE DRAGON EMPEROR MUST BE DESTROYED IN ORDER TO SAVE THIS WORLD," the voice echoed again. "Who are you?" the guardian spirit asked. "I SEE ALL," the voice replied. "And why do you speak here?" Salamando continued. "I AM THE FORCE THAT DRIVES MANKIND. THE DRAGON EMPEROR WILL DECIMATE MANKIND. I SHALL NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN!" it's voice echoed in their minds, imprinting it's words. Flamekahn was now convinced. "We will serve," he said. "I WILL GUIDE YOU," the voice said.
On the temple, Stilletto was on his knees. The table was to his far right, the elevator to his left. "What is to become of this world?" he asked. Nothing responded. Then a light came from above, warming the air. Stilletto knew. "NO!" he gasped. "It can't be." Let fate take it's course, a pure voice said. Stilletto collapsed, all the strength escaping him.
"When do you think Stilletto will come back?" Hawk asked. "No idea," Eagle said. They finished packing clothes and supplies. "Let's go." he said. "Salamando?" "First stop, Holy City Wendel," Salamando said. "I'll brief you on my protection and give you your role in this mission." They exited Navarre onto the desert.
Stilletto was sitting on a rock, outside the hidden door. "Hey!" Hawk called. Stilletto turned, his face pale, like one who has just heard terrible news. And he had heard just that. "You alright?" Eagle asked. Stilletto did nothing but turn and begin walking. "Don't bother him," Salamando warned.
"King Flamekahn," Stilletto said as he bowed. "Your servant Stilletto awaits." The King stood up. "You are the mercenary, I presume?" he asked. "Yes," Stilletto bowed again. The King returned the bow through Stilletto's refusal. "It is truly an honor...to be in the presence of a fighter so great as you, Stilletto." Stilletto shook his head. "It is I, who has the honor. One whose ancestors founded a kingdom so well hidden in the desert, and whose ancestors survived the Clan wars without losing a man...that is true greatness." Flamekahn reddened slightly. He needed something to turn the attention away from him. He saw Eagle and Duran staring at the beautiful Laine, who was hugging Hawk. "And I see you've met the new addition, Eagle?" Flamekahn asked with a raised eyebrow. Duran was trying not to laugh at Hawk's very embarrassed look. His efforts failed. He burst out laughing, receiving a strange look from the King, the guards, and Eagle. Stilletto rolled a hysterical Duran out the door and continued his report. "I must thank you for sending me, King Flamekahn. We had a lot of fun." Stilletto said. It was Stilletto's turn to receive strange looks from the King and his guards. A few of the guards coughed, stifling a laugh. "I see. Describe what happened." King Flamekahn asked.
Stilletto bowed again. "I met Eagle when he was outside the Forest. I led them in, and brought them to the proper place. Simple mission, no hindrances." King Flamekahn was astonished. He leaned forward quickly, almost falling off his throne. "Was it that easy?" he asked. Eagle stepped forward with a frown. "Let me mention the shape- shifting demon that took the form of Duran's father, the Forest that tried to kill us multiple times with every tree involved, the gigantic stone golems that used invisibility to almost kill us, the elevator ambush, and the Infernal, which created multiple other Infernals." All of these dangers were apparently familiar to the King, for his paled skin returned to normal. King Flamekahn breathed a sigh of relief. "And, uh, Stilletto dealt with these legendary threats?" he asked. "Yeah," Duran said, returning. He still had a goofy grin on his face, but did not verbalize his amusement. "And the Darkshine Knight was there, also." "Darkshine Knight? What's he doing there?" Flamekahn asked. "I believe I can shed some light here," Stilletto said. "The Darkshine Knight followed us, I mean Eagle, from Salamando's lair. What he wants exactly, I do not know, but I believe it will be associated with his quest for power." King Flamekahn stood up. "Damn. Salamando may be in danger." Hawk waved his hand. "Before we run off again, I need to get Fire absorb," he said. "For what?" Flamekahn asked. Stilletto held up his hand. "Hawk empowered himself with the Water element," he said. Hawk was relieved, for Stilletto made it seem like a harmless act. Laine apparently knew what he was thinking, and she gave his hand a squeeze. The King nodded. "I can spare a suit," he said slowly. "How long would you like me to stay?" Stilletto asked. "I have not decided yet," King Flamekahn answered. "Come to my chambers, you five." "Can Hawk and I use the bed?" Laine asked, winking at Hawk. Flamekahn shook his head, and Hawk turned very red.
Inside the King's chambers, the King opened up his special wardrobe again. He drew out a suit of armor, plain looking. Stilletto took it from him, and placed something inside the suit. "I hope this never fails," Stilletto said. "Now be strong, Hawk. This is going to hurt." Hawk grimaced, wondering what Stilletto had in mind. Stilletto placed the suit over Hawk, and whispered an incantation. The suit compressed on Hawk at a speed previously unknown, and Hawk could no longer breathe. He was in dire pain. What Stilletto placed in the armor was solid, and where it connected to his body was where the most pain was. He felt it enter his body, and travel up his spine. Hawk tried to scream, but could not find the power to. The thing entered his head, and for a split second, Hawk feared he would die. Then it all stopped, leaving him exhausted, gasping for breath. An already familiar hand helped him up. He looked into Laine's concerned expression, and tried to smile. He was pulled into her protective embrace once again.
"Well, that's about all I can tell you. You'll need to go to Salamando again." King Flamekahn said. "As you command," Stilletto bowed. He was about to leave, when Flamekahn stopped him. "Don't you need some rest?" he asked. "I'd like to, but the mercanaries of kingdoms do not need rest." Stilletto replied. Flamekahn nodded. "So that's what you call yourselves these days."
The next day, Eagle, Duran, Hawk, and Laine stepped outside, into the desert. The males sported their chameleon robes, not wanting to give them up. Laine wore the same clothes as yesterday, revealing that they were magical. "Where's Stilletto?" asked Duran. They heard a roar, and ran to investigate. Multiple images of Stilletto were fighting each other in unarmed combat. A field of power surrounded each Stilletto, a sign of how much power was being generated. "Wow," said Hawk. "How does he do that?" "I believe it is a special discipline that Nightblades learn. Nightblades are one of the top Navarre titles. That just shows how much more skilled Stilletto is compared to the rest of us." Eagle said. "All of us," Duran added. "Not me," said Laine, startling them. "We're pretty equal in skill and power, he just makes a show of it." "So can you do that?" Eagle said as he pointed. "No, but I have other skills equally as effective," Laine answered. "Cool," Duran said. Show us sometime?" She smiled brilliantly, making them blush. "I will," she promised. Stilletto stopped, dispelled his images, and waved for them to follow him. Stilletto began to walk away.
"Where are we going?" Eagle asked. "To Salamando," Stilletto said, not stopping. "A different way," Laine added. "Can you stand guard Stilletto?" Eagle asked, thinking ahead. "We'll be there in about an hour," Stilletto replied.
They reached a lone tree in the middle of the desert. Stilletto walked right into it. Eagle followed cautiously. "We cloak now," Stilletto said. "Um, can I be invisible too?" Laine asked. A robe came flying out from thin air. "Thanks," she said. The fifth chameleon robe, thought Eagle.
After a couple minutes of walking, Eagle noticed a sharp smell in the air. "We're getting close," he whispered. "Not to Salamando, you'll see." Stilletto said. Indeed, they were not. They stepped into a familiar clearing, to see a few burnt bodies. "For your information, the Darkshine Knight came here last night and captured Salamando. Darkshine is at the Lightless Forest, inside the temple now." Stilletto said. "What? And you didn't tell us?" Eagle screamed. "And what was the point of cloaking?" Stilletto's shrug was audible. "You didn't ask," he said. Laine giggled. "A teleport please?" Stilletto asked. Eagle, Hawk, and Duran said "What the-" in unison.
"-heck?" the finished, on the roof of the temple. The Darkshine Knight spun, immensely startled. Eagle felt Stilletto grinning. Turning back slowly, the dark knight drew his sword. Something shimmered on the stone table. The Knight shot something from his sword onto the table. The thing on the table turned black. It was Salamando. Muttering curses, Darkshine began to make motions with his sword. Laine whispered something, and Stilletto said "hehe". The Darkshine Knight stopped moving. And waited. Then he cursed loudly. "Why isn't it working?" he screamed in a raspy voice. Stilletto said "haha". Apparently Laine did not only disrupt his spell, but changed it so a yellow bunny would appear on his head. Muffled laughs were barely audible from the Navarres. The black knight roared and slaughtered the bunny. He turned around, trying to find his tormentors. "Uncloak," commanded Stilletto. The Darkshine Knight whipped about in their direction. "YOU!" he accused. Stilletto stepped forward. "I'm just a guilty bystander," he said with a dramatic sweep of his arm. "Give us Salamando back!" Duran yelled. "Why? He can't help you anymore." the black knight said. Eagle and Hawk brandished their weapons. "He's right, he bound Salamando to himself. If he dies, Salamando dies," Stilletto said. Hawk looked at the blackened Salamando. "Any way we can get him back?" Hawk asked. "I think so. Laine, would you?" Stilletto asked. "Yeah, hold on," she replied. Laine closed her eyes for a moment. "Got it," she said. "What are you going to do?" Hawk asked her. "Unbind them, so you can kick his ass," she replied. Stilletto began walking towards the black knight, unarmed and hands open. The knight tensed. He was not used to people who did not fear him. "Keep your distance or die!" he warned. Stilletto smiled, and kept walking. "What the hell is he doing?" Duran asked. "Trapping Darkshine, maybe," Eagle speculated.
Salamando woke with a start. Whoa, he thought. What am I doing here? He felt numb, and could not move. He heard a whisper of a gentle voice. Hold on, it said.
Laine whispered something and snapped her fingers. Salamando was teleported in front of Eagle, in his regular light-red color. The Darkshine Knight turned to see the table without a spirit on it. "Arrgh!" he yelled, turning back to Stilletto, who was still walking. Darkshine Knight looked as if he was going to attack, then he leaped off the temple again.
"Well," said Hawk. "That was rather easy." Salamando flared a bright red, then died down. "The second attack in two weeks. Am I going to be attacked next week?" he demanded. His voice had changed since they had saw him last time, now it sounded like a roaring fire. "Please, Salamando. We wouldn't want you burning Navarre down, would we?" Flamekahn asked. "Sorry, your majesty. But I was in serious trouble!" Salamando said in defense. "Yes I know, we should arrange something." Flamekahn said. "Since when does a kingdom's guardian spirit need protection?" Eagle asked. "Eagle, Eagle, Eagle. You are complicating things." Flamekahn cautioned. "The spirit of a kingdom needs protection once the kingdom becomes greater in power than the spirit." Salamando flared again. "That was a helluva long time ago!" he retorted. "Remember the Clan wars, spirit. We still aren't safe." Flamekahn said. "Sorry to intrude, but what do we do now?" Hawk asked. "Good question," added the King. "Well, we do need to do something about the Emperor." Salamando said. "Let's see..." his fiery voice trailed off. "I guess we could turn to the Dragon problem..." Salamando seemed deep in thought, because his image did not ripple often. "I believe Stilletto and Laine can single-handily destroy the Emperor. However, getting to the Emperor would be a problem." Stilletto shrugged. "If that is what King Flamekahn wants, sure." he said.
"Is it that easy?" Eagle asked. Duran looked at him like one would look at a dumb child. "The Dragon Emperor destroyed his army, and Forcena's army with a single attack. Of course it's not that easy." Duran said. "What about the Darkshine Knight?" Salamando asked, once again changing the topic. "He's the one that attacked me twice." Flamekahn began to pace. "The Knight is the right-hand of the Emperor. What he's doing, I doubt is by Emperor's orders. Since he is an unknown, we'll need to take him into consideration also." "Darkshine, is he dangerous? He ran away twice already." Hawk asked.
"Simply put, yes. During the Clan wars he single-handily held off several attacks by enormous armies." Flamekahn informed. "Hmph. Defensive freak." Eagle puffed. "Don't get him wrong," Salamando warned. "Yep, he did mind the control the Infernal well enough so the Infernal's summoned clones were controlled also." Stilletto added. "This is getting nowhere. Just decided what to do without your pointless rambling," Laine instructed. For a moment, nothing moved. Stilletto was grinning. "How about we kill Darkshine, then go for the Emperor?" he asked. "I have a better idea." Eagle said, breaking the Navarre silence. "Stilletto, tell us all what you know about the Dragon Emperor." "Sure. The Dragon Emperor, since the battle at Forcena, has spawned six times. With what I can't say, but he is capable of asexual reproduction. Currently he has a small army of sixteen dragons, each grows in strength substantially every day under intense training. The Emperor will spawn about ten more times, creating four dragons each time. His lair, as all know, is in the Dragon's Hole, but he is located far under it, in a very large cavern. When he'll be done his force, and when he'll attack, I do not know. But his dragon force will be enough to give me enough trouble. Other details, I won't say, because he is too insane to predict. I do have a few good hunches, though. Would you like to know more?" Stilletto said. The room was very quiet, as everyone struggled to absorb the information. It was a while before anyone said anything. "Damn," Duran finally said. "What about his attacks?" he asked.
Stilletto nodded. "His elemental attacks are mainly Fire based, but he has a few Wind based attacks, generated by his wings. The attack you saw at Forcena was his ultimate spell, requiring all his effort and concentration. He, along with many others, call the attack Giga Burn. Harnessing the full power of the Sun itself, he channeled all of the power through his Dragon form and unleashed it in a general direction. His other Fire attacks are also dangerous, the stronger attacks require more concentration. He can release many fireballs at whim, he can explode the air immediately around him, creating a lengthy immolation." Stilletto paused, thinking. "Other Fire attacks he has are called Flare, Explode, Eruption Breath, and something else I can't quite put my finger on. He may also have a few tricks up his sleeve, for instance, he should know well by know how to create images that can actually hurt you, using pure Fire magic. That would rank at the top of his dangerous attack list." "Selfdestruct." Salamando said. "His last attack is called Selfdestruct." "Ah yes. The single spell responsible for destroying about eighteen million people. The Dragons that were almost dead would self destruct, taking tens of thousands down with them." Stilletto said. "Selfdestruct is containable, Laine knows how, but I don't quite think the Emperor would die like that. His wind attacks are more of a nuisance than a killer, he can flap his wings once, and a great wind will be channeled through him. However, several of his minions slammed six dozen men into spikes. Not a nice sight. Also, you mustn't forget that he is a dragon, or at least has a dragon form. Meaning claws, wings, teeth, and the sheer strength of a dragon. Anything else?" Stilletto asked. Flamekahn was shaking his head. "It'd be very, very stupid to send the world's best to attempt an assassination on the Emperor." Laine cocked her head to one side. "Hi over there. What do you want us to do?" she said with growing irritation. "Alright, let's forget about the Dragon problem for now. Damn!" Flamekahn said. "I need time to think. Come back tomorrow." The King exited the room, and his guards followed him. "Well," said Eagle. "That got us nowhere." Eagle led the way back to their chambers. "I'll be outside if you need me," Stilletto said. "One less person in your room." Eagle and Duran looked at each other. "Uh, we'll need to talk to Stilletto." Eagle said. They began walking after Stilletto, hands on their weapons. "Well, that leaves us," Laine said with a wink. "I do need to talk to you," Hawk said.
"I do like you a lot, but I want to ask you to ease up a bit. It's all too much for me, traveling and battling non-stop. And you keep embarrassing me in front of Eagle and Duran. Not to say I don't like it, but..." Hawk sighed heavily. "I feel stressed, and stretched somehow. I've never felt this before." Laine put an arm around him. "Everyone gets stressed, Hawkeye. If you need a rest, tell the King. I can stay and take care of you." Laine said. "Thanks, Laine. I've only known you for a bit, but already you mean so much to me," Hawk smiled, and lay down. "Maybe I will ask Flamekahn for a break." Laine lay down beside him. "Sleep well," she said.
"Hey Stilletto!" Duran called. The lone figure turned. And beckoned. Eagle and Duran drew their weapons. Ka-ching! Their swords dropped to the ground. "First lesson: always check your surroundings. I was standing up here in plain view." Stilletto said from above. Eagle and Duran gulped. They nodded, and bent down to pick up their weapons. Ka-ching! The weapons dropped in the sand again. "Second lesson: never just pick up your weapons. You both look horribly vulnerable. Now, pick up your weapons." Stilletto instructed. Slowly, Eagle and Duran picked up their swords. They looked up at Stilletto. "Third lesson: always be ready to move anywhere, at any speed. If I had leapt at you, not even Eagle would have moved. Another thing. When you are training under me, strike for real, attack aggressively. I do not do repeated movements as you both have learned, rather actual combat. Get ready to kill." Stilletto said. He created two images. One image drew a Moon sword, the other a Holy sword. They looked just like Eagle and Duran's weapons. "First exercise: fighting something that looks like you, or someone you know. Begin!" The images transformed, one into Eagle, the other into Duran. The images leapt of their elevated position, and began charging at Eagle and Duran. Sand flew behind the images, showing that they had real substance. Eagle and Duran both dodged hard to the side, avoiding a thrust each. "Attack when you move!" Stilletto instructed. The images came back, now switching targets. And attacks. Duran did not attack, he leapt aside again. He received a sword handle to his face. Eagle swung hard, meaning to decapitate. Moon sword collided with Moon sword, creating a temporary glow. "This time, follow your shadow and kill it." Stilletto said. Duran fared better this time. Holy sword touched Holy sword, but the image was too fast for Duran. Duran stumbled after the image, and jumped to the side when he saw a flash of steel. His head snapped up, and he realized the image was not there. He was hit hard from behind, slamming into the sands. Eagle parried, then thrust the Moon sword deep into the image. It pierced through, and red blood poured fourth from the image. Eagle leapt and slashed the image in two. It disappeared. Eagle breathed a sigh of relief. "Turn!" Stilletto yelled. Eagle turned, ducked and kicked. Another image of himself flew a few feet, then charged again. Eagle lunged and thrust his sword into the image's face. "That's fine for now. We'll do more later." Stilletto said as he helped Duran up. He directed them towards the castle. "Get some rest, come back in an hour if you're up for it." Eagle glumly nodded and walked off with Duran.
An hour later...
Eagle stood alone, ready with both swords drawn. Stilletto nodded, encouraging his choice of weaponry. "When you fought a shadow earlier, I gave you the extreme luxury of facing two attacks. And one weapon. Remind me to never be lenient like that again. Now, prepare to really fight yourself." Stilletto made and image. It was Eagle again. "Begin!" Stilletto yelled. The Eagle image brandished both swords, snarling. It rushed, moving at insane speeds. Shit, Eagle thought. It can fly. The Eagle image swung left to right, and Eagle parried skillfully, deflecting the attack towards the ground. He was about to counterattack when he felt a rush of hot air. He spun, and instinctively put up both swords. The image was out of reach, with the Fire sword pointed towards Eagle. It conjured up a flaming, pulsating object, and shot it at Eagle. Jitsu, thought Eagle. Eagle thrust his Fire sword towards it, and the sword absorbed the attack. "Good, Eagle." Stilletto said. Eagle shit his own jitsu, and the image dodged it. Eagle held his hands steady. The image began to fly towards Eagle. "Rarrgh!" Eagle yelled. He yanked his hands back, using his elbows to drive. The image exploded. Eagle had controlled the jitsu's path, and pulled it back towards him, hitting the image from behind. "Very good, Eagle." Stilletto said approvingly. "I was wondering when you'd learn how to do that." "I just learned." Eagle said. "Take a rest. You've done well on your first day." Stilletto said. A figure came out of the hidden door, running hard. It was Laine, her face riddled with worry. "What is it?" Stilletto asked. "Something's wrong with Hawk. I don't know what. He's crying out in pain, and his body just flashed blue!" she said. "Crap. We'd better tell the King." Eagle said. "You go ahead. I'll take a look." Stilletto nodded and ran off, Laine close behind.
Hawk was on his bed, tossing and turning. Stilletto took off his robe, deposited it onto the ground, and felt Hawk's forehead. It was very, very cold. "I'm going to enter his mind." Stilletto said. "Okay, be careful," Laine said. Duran had been woken up by the commotion, but was silenced by Laine. Stilletto sat on Hawk's bed, and closed his eyes. A moment later, beads of concentration sweat rolled down his face.
A door. Darkness. Wham! A stone door slams shut. Hawk, I am here. Stilletto said. Help me, Hawk's voice called. Floating, with no certain form or position, Stilletto looked around. It was pitch black. What is this place, Stilletto asked. Nothing replied. Then, something. A movement. Hawk. Moving, looking around. A roar of cries assaulted Hawk, bringing him and Stilletto to their knees. At least that's what Stilletto felt. Hawk, Stilletto said aloud. I am with you. Stilletto realized that he could only feel what Hawk felt. He saw Hawk swing downwards with his daggers, the coldfire ones. They struck the ground. Blue sparks illuminated the whole room. Nineteen goliath creatures stood in a large circle around Hawk, each with deadly- looking scythe-like claws and spiky bodies. Too dark, thought Stilletto. He concentrated even harder, attempting to achieve illumination. It only brought a shade of light. He saw Hawk's form swinging again, this time the daggers hit the wall. Blue sparks flew again, initating another thunderous rumble of demonic cries. The creatures had all moved in order for one to dodge Hawk's attack. Stilletto felt Hawk's fear rising, boosting upwards. Hawk was losing control over himself. No Hawk, keep fighting! Stilletto thought.
Hawk crouched, and his fear spiked. "Water, I submit to you!" Hawk yelled. Stilletto was racked with icy cold pain, feeling the power of water, gushing, falling, still water. Through it all, he saw Hawk scream in pain. Another thunderous roar came from the creatures, their cries echoing, with each wave bringing new, even more powerful pain. Stilletto could see the outline of Hawk in an icy blue color. Hawk moved with extreme precision, killing two creatures. They were not fast enough to move this time. Stilletto felt a hand of darkness attempt to grip his soul, but his Dark absorb prevented anything from happening. The same could not be said for Hawk. Each time he killed, more darkness invaded his soul.
The creatures chittered continuously, knowing that they had real prey. Their cries grew louder and louder, imprinting the audio pattern on both human minds.
King Flamekahn burst into the room, closely followed by Eagle. Laine and Duran stood watching Stilletto and Hawk, helpless. "What happened?" Flamekahn asked. "They're both suffering," Laine whispered, sick with worry. "It's been like this for half an hour," Duran added. "We don't know what happened." "What is Stilletto doing?" Flamekahn demanded. "Stilletto entered his mind, he's trying to find out what's wrong." Laine said. Flamekahn sat heavily on a bed. "For both of their sakes, I hope he finds a way to fix this." Flamekahn said. His tone warned them that it was not only Hawk at risk. Hawk and Stilletto flashed blue, and Hawk screamed. Flamekahn looked very grim. "We must wait. Only Stilletto can save him now."
The hellish scene played again. Why is this happening? Stilletto asked. A whisper, a plea answered. Help me. I will, Hawk. Stilletto thought. I will. Each time the battle was relived, the creatures grew stronger, bigger, and they cried louder. Stilletto felt Hawk trying harder and harder, pushing himself to his limit. Each time Hawk submitted to Water, it was a thousand times more painful, and the icy touch lasted much longer.
This time, Hawk did not have any weapons. The sparks still flew. The creatures thundered again, making both Hawk and Stilletto cry out in pain. Hawk spinned, meaning to kill the final eleven centered around his position. Only the creatures did not die. Their demonic cries erupted again, and they rushed.
Stilletto snapped out of the trance. He lunged at Duran, grabbing his sword. "What are you doing?" Duran asked. Stilletto held the Holy sword point down over Hawk, then plunged it into him. A collective gasp preceded a flying Stilletto. He hit the wall, unconscious. Several ghastly dark faces emerged from Hawk, circled his form, and shot off. "Exorcism," Flamekahn breathed. "Purging of darkness in one's souls." A groan came from Stilletto. "Get the daggers off him!" he said. He lost consciousness again. Eagle tossed the dual sheathed daggers into the corner. Instantly, the ghastly faces reappeared, and flew into the coldfire daggers. "Shit," Duran commented, staring at the daggers. "Get Stilletto onto a bed, take care of them both," Flamekahn said. Eagle nodded. Shaking, Eagle and Duran placed Stilletto onto a bed. He was sweating heavily, and felt very cold. Flamekahn tossed Eagle a robe, and Eagle covered Stilletto with it. They covered Hawk up also, then sank down, their minds still struggling to absorb what they had just seen.
The next day...
Stilletto woke to find Duran, on the floor beside his bed, fast asleep. Eagle and Laine were beside Hawk's bed, sleeping on stools. Stilletto walked over to Eagle, and woke him. A shocked Eagle fell off his stool, but quickly regained his dignity. "Is Hawk alright?" Stilletto asked. Eagle nodded gratefully. "Yeah. Thanks to you." Stilletto faintly smiled. He turned to go. "Where are you going?" Eagle asked quietly. Stilletto stopped, but did not turn. "I'm going to purge an evil. And recharge this," he held up Duran's sword. "Come back safely," Eagle said. Stilletto wrapped his robe about himself and left.
"Where's Stilletto?" Hawk asked. He looked extremely tired, and was still sweating. "He said he was going to purge and evil, and recharge Duran's sword," Eagle informed. "So that's where my sword is. I thought I'd lost it somewhere," Duran said. "You alright now?" Laine asked. "Yeah," Hawk said. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "That was hell. I thought I was going to die." "And you would have, if it wasn't for Stilletto," a fiery voice said from behind. "Salamando! Good to see you." Hawk said. "Good to see you alive, after what I heard from Flamekahn." Salamando said. His tone was much softer, like lightly boiling water. "Mind telling us what happened back there?" Duran asked. Hawk grimaced. "Remember the elevator back at the temple? When went inside, I fought nineteen giant creatures." "The fabled undead giants?" Salamando asked in surprise. "I don't know," Hawk said. "but the room was dark, and I couldn't hit any of them. That's when I submitted to Water, since I learned before that it'd let you see in the dark," "Some choice," Salamando said with a little jealousy. "Did it work?" Eagle asked, intrigued. "Yeah. But it wasn't fun. Painful as hell," Hawk replied. "So what happened after you submitted?" Eagle asked. "I killed them all," Hawk replied. Steam erupted from Salamando. "Damn," he said. "So Stilletto's going to kill those?" Eagle asked. "I guess so, since he's going to recharge Duran's sword anyway," Laine said. "Let's go see Flamekahn," Eagle said. Laine and Eagle helped Hawk up. "What about the daggers?" Duran asked. "Leave them," Eagle said. They began the walk to the throne room.
"Hawk. Good to see you up and around," Flamekahn said. Hawk bowed respectfully. "I've decided what the five of you are going to do." "Stilletto isn't here," Duran said quietly. "I am aware of that. Salamando will come too." Flamekahn said. "As an ambassador, and a bargainer." Salamando added. "And the rest of you will be the escort and guard." Flamekahn said. "What's the diplomatic mission?" Eagle asked. "Alliances." Flamekahn announced. There was a shocked silence. "Damn," said Hawk. "That you favorite word now?" Eagle asked. Flamekahn waved at them to be silent. "First attempt in history," Flamekahn said with some pride. "And there's something else you know. I'm acting upon Stilletto's suggestion." "Does he have any proof, or, uh, idea why we should try to ally?" Eagle asked. "He consulted the table. I don't think he told you it could talk." Flamekahn said. "What? When did he tell you?" Hawk asked, shocked. "This morning." Flamekahn said. "But...but he left this morning!" Eagle exclaimed. "Yes, I know. People have ways of sending messages, other than face- to-face talk." Flamekahn reminded. "So, uh, we're acting upon an inanimate object's idea?" Hawk asked. "DO NOT FORGET THAT THE ESSENCE OF THE ELEMENTS IS SEALED WITHIN THE TABLE," a voice echoed. It's voice shook the room with power. "Pardon us!" Flamekahn cried. It was silent for a moment. "Uh, what was that?" Duran asked. "I don't know," Flamekahn replied, shaking his head. "THE DRAGON EMPEROR MUST BE DESTROYED IN ORDER TO SAVE THIS WORLD," the voice echoed again. "Who are you?" the guardian spirit asked. "I SEE ALL," the voice replied. "And why do you speak here?" Salamando continued. "I AM THE FORCE THAT DRIVES MANKIND. THE DRAGON EMPEROR WILL DECIMATE MANKIND. I SHALL NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN!" it's voice echoed in their minds, imprinting it's words. Flamekahn was now convinced. "We will serve," he said. "I WILL GUIDE YOU," the voice said.
On the temple, Stilletto was on his knees. The table was to his far right, the elevator to his left. "What is to become of this world?" he asked. Nothing responded. Then a light came from above, warming the air. Stilletto knew. "NO!" he gasped. "It can't be." Let fate take it's course, a pure voice said. Stilletto collapsed, all the strength escaping him.
"When do you think Stilletto will come back?" Hawk asked. "No idea," Eagle said. They finished packing clothes and supplies. "Let's go." he said. "Salamando?" "First stop, Holy City Wendel," Salamando said. "I'll brief you on my protection and give you your role in this mission." They exited Navarre onto the desert.
Stilletto was sitting on a rock, outside the hidden door. "Hey!" Hawk called. Stilletto turned, his face pale, like one who has just heard terrible news. And he had heard just that. "You alright?" Eagle asked. Stilletto did nothing but turn and begin walking. "Don't bother him," Salamando warned.