Alright here's the next chapter. In this one, Daniel will have to make a decision since as that cloaked man said earlier in the story, the suit he gave to Daniel will turn on him. So he has to get rid of it before it's too late. Too late for what? Let's find out.
Riding through the rain showers on the backs of their horses, Elsa and her father King Adgar made their way through the forest, trying to find Daniel, who'd run off after his suit made him berserk a second time.
At the cabin he stayed at before settling in the castle, Daniel was sitting there on top of the roof of the cabin, doing nothing but sitting there with a shocked and terrified expression still on his face and getting rained on.
He looked down to his left arm and to the suit. "Maybe I am evil. Maybe this suit was meant to bring out a person's true nature. Maybe this is who I really am on the inside: An evil sorcerer, who's only meant to hurt all that's important to him."
"That's not who you are at all."
Daniel looked down to see Elsa and King Adgar on the ground floor looking up to him, both with concerned looks across their faces.
"Why are you both here?" he asked them.
"We came out here looking for you. We were worried," Elsa replied. "Come on. Let's get out of this rain and go home."
"I can't," Daniel replied staying where he was without moving. "I don't belong down there. I belong someplace where I can be away from everyone else."
"Come on, Daniel. That's not true and you know it," King Adgar chimed in.
"You're just scared, that's all. I understand completely. Because I went through the same thing you're going through now," Elsa said to him, hoping to help.
"I can't go back," the swordsman said looing to his left arm. "If I go back, I'll be endangering the lives of so many people. You saw the way they looked at me, after I did what I did. And they're right to do so. I think that this suit is what's causing all this. Ever since I got it, whenever I fought, I felt nothing but rage and hatred. Maybe that's what I am deep down. Putting on this suit unlocks the burning hatred deep within me. Makes me who I am on the inside be revealed outside."
"I don't think that's true, Daniel. I think that this new suit is just feeding your anger, making you more aggressive in battle," said King Adgar. "You shouldn't have to feel alone, because you're not alone. We're here for you."
"How can you still stand by my side after everything I did. I could've seriously hurt you, or even your family."
"Because I see who you really are deep down. A kind, selfless man, who always puts the needs of others before his own. And always acts with people's best interests at heart." the king replied.
"But this suit. If you think that's who I really am inside, then why is this suit making me so angry?"
"Maybe we should ask the trolls about that," Elsa suggested.
"Good idea. Come on, Daniel. Let us help you, son. Come with us."
Daniel hesitated and wasn't sure whether he should go with them or not.
"It's okay," Elsa said to him. "It'll be okay. Just come with us and we'll help you. Don't be afraid."
Daniel sighed and then jumped from the roof and onto the ground.
"Okay," he said nervously. "Seeing as how you've trusted me for all this time, I'll trust you with this."
After convincing Daniel, the trio now made their way through the mountains to get to the trolls' place to help Daniel with his problems.
Once they arrived in their valley, the trio each dismounted their horses.
No sooner after they did, was when the boulders all gathered around and turned into the trolls.
The elder stepped up and walked towards the king, Elsa and Daniel. "What seems to be the trouble this time."
"We're here because we have a situation," King Adgar kneeled down to him. "It's Daniel. Some time ago, he received a new suit of armor. But ever since he got it, it's been making him more angry and aggressive in battle."
The troll looked up towards Daniel. "Come, come dear boy."
Daniel hesitated for a minute but then did as the troll said and kneeled in front of him.
"Where did you get this suit?" the troll asked him.
"I wish I knew. I just woke up one morning and until the king pointed it out, I didn't even notice I was wearing it. I really did like it at first, because it made me stronger. But in my first battle with it, it made me lash out in full rage and aggression and then it terrified me. The same thing happened again today, when an army of goblins attacked the town."
"Wherever this suit came from, Daniel. Nothing good can come from it," the troll said to him. "This suit is made entirely of pure darkness."
"It...It's what?!" Daniel become even more terrified.
"Are you sure of that?" Elsa asked.
"Yes. From what I can observe, this suit has been crafted from dark magic."
"I can't believe I ever liked it. This whole rime, I've been wearing a suit made of darkness."
"Okay, Daniel, calm down," King Adgar tried to calm him.
"I gotta get this suit off," Daniel then started to try and pull the armor off him, but he struggled to get it off with no avail. "Come on! Get off! Get off! It won't let me take it off!"
"Whoever crafted that suit of armor, made it with a mind of its own," the troll said.
"I don't care who or where this came from. I want it off!" Daniel exclaimed struggling to pull off the dark armor.
The next thing that happened came as a shock to Elsa, King Adgar and all the trolls; An aura of darkness began to shroud Daniel's body, as he struggled. "What's going on?! Get out of my head!" Daniel yelled aloud and put his hands on the sides of his head.
"Do not resist, Daniel," a voice spoke telepathically to him. "Trust me. It'll be easier to just give in. Embrace the darkness, embrace the full power of your abilities. Give in!"
"What? Who's there?! Where are you?!" Daniel exclaimed.
"Who is he talking to?" King Adgar asked.
"I feel a dark presence coming from within that suit of darkness," the troll replied. "A voice must be speaking through to him."
"Daniel!" King Adgar began to move towards him.
"No! Stay back!" Daniel put out his hand. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."
King Adgar did so and stepped back a distance.
"Whoever you are, I'm not letting you control me. Nobody and I mean nobody controls my mind or my powers!" Daniel yelled aloud.
He then let loose a wall of fire from the earth, extinguishing the shadows.
After that, he grabbed hold of the armor around his left arm, then was able to rip a big piece of it off, which then dissolved into shadows.
But after Daniel ripped a piece of the armor off, it started to regenerate through shadows.
"No, you don't!" Daniel yelled and then grabbed hold of the entire left sleeve of the armor and then tore it off his arm, which also dissolved to shadows after he did so.
In the cloaked figures lair, he was watching Daniel and trying to maintain his hold over him.
"No!" He slammed his fist down on his throne. "He's resisting it. But how? Unless...of course!" He got up from his seat. "His will is stronger than even I had anticipated."
He sat back down and then looked to the orb, in which he was watching Daniel struggle to get the suit of darkness off. "If he can succeed in getting that suit off, then he may just prove he's more than worthy to be my apprentice."
Back in the trolls' valley, in the pouring rain, Daniel kept struggling to pull the suit of armor off his body.
He ripped off half of the other sleeve from the elbow down, then took hold of the chest area. "Damn suit of darkness. Get...OFF OF ME!" He ripped open the chest area of the suit.
Piece by piece he ripped the suit of armor off like it were regular clothing, but it still kept trying to attach on to him.
Daniel then cloaked his whole body in fire, then let out a massive wave of it, burning the rest of the suit off of him, and changing into his original suit of armor as the fire faded.
He panted heavily and then looked to see the ripped up armor turning to shadows, then gathering together.
"I don't like this at all," Elsa said grabbing onto her father's arm.
The shadows all shifted together, then became a 10 foot tall faceless embodiment of darkness.
"So this is what it really looks like," Daniel said unsheathing his sword.
The embodiment of darkness walked towards him, but before it could do anything a bolt of lighting flashed in the skies, making it bellow loudly.
"What was that about?" Daniel said confused.
"Without a host, this shadow creature is completely vulnerable to light," the troll said to him.
Daniel looked back to the shadow embodiment. "So you hate light?" He sheathed his sword. "Then take this!" He cloaked his hands in fire, then shot a fire stream at the ground where the shadow creature stood.
It screeched loudly at the bright light, as it slowly grew smaller and smaller, until the fiery light extinguished it completely.
Daniel stopped shooting fire from his hands and then dropped to his knees in exhaustion, then fire surrounded his body, and he changed back into his original clothes.
Elsa and King Adgar walked over to him and the snow queen kneeled down in front of him.
"Are you okay?" Elsa asked putting her hand on his face. "You're not..."
"Don't worry," Daniel looked at her with a small smile. "The darkness that tried to take hold is gone. I feel much better now."
"I knew you could do it," King Adgar said to him.
"Thank you both so much for your help. Thank you for standing by my side, after everything that happened."
"You're welcome," Elsa replied. "I knew exactly how you felt when you were scared and ran off. I didn't want you to have to go through what I did."
"I really appreciate you looking out for me like this. The compassion you both have for me, and all your kindness is more than I deserve."
"As I told you, Daniel. Throughout any of this, don't ever feel like you're alone. Because you aren't. Elsa and I, along with the others are all here for you."
"Thank you. But I already know, that what we've faced is still only the beginning. I know there's things far worse too come."
"Whatever happens, we'll face it together," Elsa said to him.
"You're right. I know that whatever comes our way, we can overcome it together."
"Come on, you two. Let's get out of this rain and go home," King Adgar said.
"Good plan. I'm getting drenched out here," Daniel said standing up and helping Elsa up. "The one time I forget my cloak."
"I figured you'd need it when it started to rain," King Adgar said going over to his horse, and opening up a satchel strapped on his horse. From there he pulled out Daniel's cloak and gave it to him.
"Thank you," Daniel replied throwing it on.
The trio each mounted their horses and left the valley.
Back in the cloaked man's lair, he was still watching Daniel.
"He did it. Impressive. But let's see if he's able to pass this next task I have for him. "
"You have another task for him master?" the Goblin General asked stepping into sight.
"Yes, of course. Some of my other lackeys have come across something else people have questioned the existence or the events of. If Daniel is wise enough, he'll get to it before they do."
All right, that's it for now. Sorry if this chapter was a little short, but you can't have every chapter be so long. Maybe you can, I don't know. I just used up all I had for this chapter. But for the next chapter, it's one I thought up since it'll soon be autumn, and I've seen Halloween décor in almost every store I go to. Which gave me an idea for the next chapter. The cloaked man says his lackeys have come across something that he hopes Daniel gets to first. Any ideas what they're after though. If not, you'll find out next time.