Chapter 5: In the Demon's Castle

Kale walked in and the door closed behind him. His eyes almost instantly adjusted to the darkness and he saw rubble everywhere he looked. Charred walls and broken tiles littered the floor as he explored the first floor.

There must have been a really big battle here some time ago...

Where's Megan? She isn't on this floor, but she's been through here.

Kale found a staircase that led to lower levels. He looked up and down, seeing only darkness.

"I've seen hundreds of knights-in-armor type movies, and the damsel in distress is usually in the highest tower of the castle. But I'm at the top level, so that means..."

Kale trailed off as he descended the stairs. His footsteps echoed with each step, and his eyes easily adjusted to the lack of light.

He got to the bottom and froze, leaning against the wall. He heard voices coming near him.

"... That little girl will make a fine meal, don't you think Fallen?"

"Yess, sshe will, Undah."

They weren't human, not at all.

Undah was male, short and bulky, and Kale presumed his skin was gray in the dim light. Fallen was female, blue skin, orange hair, tall, and pretty for a demon. She was hissing in her speech. That's the only way Kale could describe them, demons.

Kale followed them quietly down the hall. They kept making remarks about the flavor of the little girl. They were going to eat Megan.

"Sshe keepss crying for a thing called Kale."

"That must have been the male sleeping near her. He never woke up!"

Kale couldn't stand it any longer, he came out of the shadows.

"Of courssse not. Not with my ssspellss."

"That was me!" he said, calling the attention of the two demons.

"What! How did you get in here?" Undah asked.

"I followed your scent. Your stink woke me up."

"Inssssolent boy!" Fallen hissed.

"Your meat may be tougher, but we will eat well tonight!" the two demons charged at Kale.

Kale charged, and felt as though someone was there beside him, helping him.

"Duck... jump and kick, yes! You're doing it! Now punch her in the gut! Blast him!"

Kale didn't understand. Blast with what?

"Don't you know Ki control yet?"

"Of course!" Kale started to make and throw Ki balls, but he ran out of energy too quickly.

"If only I could have trained you myself..."

Kale was tired, and Undah and Fallen were still strong.

"You put up a decent fight, boy, but now you're dead!"

A ball of light formed before his eyes and then nothing.

XxX

Kale woke up in immense pain. It was new pain, and as Kale opened his eyes he saw Undah with a whip.

"Kale!" Kale looked up, and across the room was a small figure in a dress and ponytails.

"Megan! Are you okay?"

"I'm scared!" she cried. He and Undah were in a cell, and Megan was in another. She had a ball of light between her hands.

Kale was in a 10x10 room, chained on the far wall from the door. Undah was directly in front of him with the whip.

She really did it? A Ki ball?

The pain hit again, and Kale screamed in surprise and pain.

"Kale!"

"This will soften up your meat!" Undah cried.

"Beat me all you like, just let the girl go!" Kale cried.

"Why? She's so young, so tender. Like a lamb." Undah cracked the whip again, causing Kale to cry out in pain.

"At least… don't make her… watch this."

"Fear makes the meat taste better." Undah hissed as he struck Kale again. This time he didn't scream.

Fallen entered his line of sight, and made her way toward Megan.

"Leave her alone!" Kale cried.

"You aren't in any possition to make orderss, boy." Fallen laughed.

Megan lost the hold on her ball of light and started to try to scoot away from Fallen, but the cage was so small she couldn't go far.

"Kale, focus your power..."

"She'll cook faster, so she'll go first. We can eat while the boy cooks." Undah called to his partner.

"Focus it, find your core and bring out the power... focus it to your arms and break the chains. I know it hurts, but if you don't act soon she'll die!"

Kale didn't know where the voice was coming from, but he obeyed. He closed his eyes and found his center. He moved the power to his arms and brought them down so that the chains broke.

"What!"

"How did he do that?" Fallen cried.

"Kale!"

Kale made another energy ball and threw it at Undah. The Ki went straight through the demon, and he fell over, dead.

"You will pay for that!" Fallen screamed. She drew her sword and ran at Kale, screaming.

"By Kami, I will defeat you." Kale hissed, panting.

"Kale, focus more energy this time. Aim at her sword!"

Kale obeyed the voice and did so, and her sword flew out of her hands and across the room. Kale ran and jumped, kicking Fallen in the chest. She went flying and hit a wall, buried by rubble.

"Yeah! Go Kale!"

Kale fell to his knees, taking in some much-needed air. As he slowly regained his breath, Fallen came out of the debris.

"You messsed up my hair!" she lengthened her claws and ran at him. He couldn't move to dodge.

Is this it for me? Is this how I die?

Kale closed his eyes, ready to accept his fate.

"Don't lose hope! Look, her sword!"

Kale saw the sword on the floor, but it was across the room.

"Focus your Ki! Move it to the sword!"

Fallen ran, closer and closer. Kale did his best to ignore her and concentrate on his Ki level.

"That's it! Little more…"

Kale's aura moved and made the sword glow green.

"That's it! Pull it! Do it now!"

Kale did as he was told, though he had trouble understanding what it was he was doing. His head was swimming from overusing the Ki.

Fallen ran at him, and in an instant stopped her run. Blood dripped out of her mouth, and her eyes went blank as she hit the floor. Kale had the sword in his hands and was holding it tight. She had run into her own blade.

"Sssso, the lasssst demon of Roxx Casssstle fallssss..." Fallen said as her black heart stopped beating.

Kale dropped the sword and attempted to stand, but to no avail.

"You did it!"

"Kale, are you okay?" Megan asked.

"I'll be fine... I just need... a moment."

He looked around to see that he and Megan were the only ones in the room. Kale had assumed there was another person calling to him from another cell, but that turned out to be wrong.

Who was that calling to me?

Kale sat there and caught his breath. He got up and opened Megan's cage door.

"I knew you'd come after me!" Megan grabbed Kale around his legs.

"Yeah, well... you made a Ki ball. How'd you do that?"

"Just like you did." Megan said.

"Take the sword with you. It may come in handy."

Kale picked up the sword and practiced with it. It was red and black, and the blade was from a strange metal; stronger than steel but lighter. It had good balance, and it felt natural in his hand. He took Fallen's scabbard and sheathed the sword in a fluid motion. It felt so natural to him. Together, he and Megan left the demon castle, Roxx Castle.