A light in the Dark, part 3
--
Best music to listen to while reading this chapter: Poison, by Dust for Life.
The ground shook as if gripped in the midst of an earthquake, parts of it breaking open and spiking up as Valgas' crossed his arms in front of himself ; dark energies swirling in and around him before he galvanised it and fired its collective power directly at those who stood in his way.
Flying to the side, Falcon avoided the deadly blast that carried on past him to smash into the cavern wall; burrowing through the stone sending bust flying into the air.
"Cannon fodder!" Kraken declared, holding out his weapon and firing a thick succession of elementally charged cannon balls directly at Valgas. The demonic form about faced and in a whirl of his arms, he grabbed the large projectiles out of the air and using their own momentum sent them flying back at the pirate king.
Kraken had to drop the ground as they shot over his head and impacted the ground behind him with a tremendous thud.
"Dragon Fang bomb!" Wang-Tang muttered, arching his arms perfecting his inner chi before throwing it forward in the form of a deadly golden energy bolt.
"Power Missile!" Falcon added, holding out his arms; his tight metallic fists joining Wang-Tang's attack as it soured towards Valgas.
Valgas just laughed evilly, clenching his own fist in mid air before slamming it down into the ground; sending out a shockwave that dissipated both attacks before they even came close and knocking Wang-Tang's feet out from underneath him.
"I don't need you anymore!" Valgas snarled, leaping up into the air spinning about until he spread his arms out wide. "Stand against me and you will die!" His leg came sharply across as if in a kick and as if moved through the air, three spheres of terrible energy manifested in its wake; forming like full moons before flying forth.
"Devil's moonlight!" Kicking his leg forth, Valgas sent the three spheres flying forth like projectiles that soured forth to find their targets.
One soured at Falcon, another at Ayame and the third at Ryoma. The samurai gripped Tosa Ashari tight a spark of lightning dancing down the blade before he ran at the on coming attack, slicing at it.
"Raijin Ken!" The elemental lightning struck the orb but instead of dissipating it, the energy only seemed to feed the ball so when it struck the samurai the affect was far more devastating. It exploded directly in his face, a flash of power sending him rocketing backwards until he collided with the ground rolling to a stop by Rouge.
Being naturally quick, Ayame darted off trying to avoid the attack as it soured after her. The orb other followed her whenever she went, accelerating more and more in an effort to catch up with her.
It was only by somersaulting backwards at the last minute that she was able to avoid the explosion as it detonated dangerously close to her. Riding the shockwave however she was unable to defend herself as Valgas' open hand came soured at her.
He grabbed the young Ninjas head covering her face and swung her entire body around until he smashed her into a stone pillar, shattering the ancient support into dust.
"You were using me!" Kraken snarled.
"Two hundred years and that penny hadn't dropped?" Valgas asked with an evil smile. "You always where a little slow Jonathon. I taught you necromancy in hopes you would gather the Power Stones for me, even if it took you two centuries to gather only three.
When Edward Falcon and his companions took them, I realized just how incompetent you were. I need to revise my strategy. I could not longer rely on your poor performance to bring the stones to me."
"Well if you needed the stones then why didn't you collect them yourself?" Falcon asked.
"I was unable." Valgas replied hardly making a secret of it. "Over the years I have masqueraded as many influential men of prestige and power and I could not become directly involved. Besides as you've been discovering, locating these stones is no easy feat.
I required agents to act on my behalf and you fitted the bill perfectly.
But now none of you are useful to me in this regard. How ever I am not without mercy. I offer you all one final chance to join with us, the Acolytes of Atlantis as we restore the world to its former glory!"
"You can take your offer and stuff it up your…" Accel started.
"Then you have made your decision!" Valgas cut him off. He raised a hand, clenched his fingers and fired forth a blast of dark energy. Accel instinctively crossed his arms defensibly in front of himself as it struck head on but it did little to shield him as it sent him fly backs with the remains of his shirt and mask burning away.
"Any ideas?" Falcon asked, looking back at that others.
"I'm going to try a Golden Dragon Sphere." Wang-Tang muttered, staggering back to his feet
"Will that kill him?" Ryoma asked, looking up as Valgas turned to face them; the demon's eyes glowing blood red.
"Do you have any other suggestions? I'm going to have to make this one stronger than the others I've used before."
"How much stronger?"
"I'm going to have to use a couple of stones to make it work." Wang-Tang explained, watching as Valgas started to approach step by slow step. "It's the only way, anything less and it's not even going to put a dent in that Fusion." There was a short silence as this information was absorbed. Using more than one stone at once was dangerous for someone who was not used to the affects. Kraken could manage it easily enough but the excess power could prove fatal for the inexperienced.
"You could die." Falcon warned him with a serious and stern expression. Ayame's nearly jumped, her eyes widening in alarm.
"And that's any different from the outcome of this battle if I don't?" Wang-Tang asked. "Do you want to beat this monster or not?"
Gunrock offered forth his hand and in the clutch of his hand was the golden Power Stone of Earth.
"Take it." The large Mexican stated simply.
"Don't…" Ayame tried to tell Wang-Tang. "Please, I…" Wang-Tang simply smiled at her and silently he past to her a silent promise that if it was within his power he would not die. She trusted him, far more than she ever consciously knew she did.
Risking a glance up she stared at Valgas, the dark fusion form created by the Dark Stone. This monster did have to be defeated.
"How long is this going to take?" Kraken demanded, taking his eyes off Valgas for a moment.
"Not long." Wang-Tang replied. "Just keep him off me for about three minutes."
Ryoma scowled and held his blade forth towards the monster approaching them.
"Three minutes is more than enough for this Tengu to rip us to pieces." Falcon smirked and walked forth, standing first between Wang-Tang and Valgas.
"We've got it covered." He stated simply. "Do it." Without another word his rocket flared to life and he charged directly at Valgas, his fist drawn back.
As he and Valgas exchanged blows, Wang-Tang slowly raised his arms up towards the sky and focused the energy he had at his disposal.
As their leader clashed with the Englishman, the reptilian Acolytes started again on attempting to breach the wall of the Seal and retrieve the light stone. With the others distracted within moments they had broken through the wall, the old sand stone crumbling away.
"Hands off, you scaly critters!" Julia declared, waking one of them across the back of the head with her umbrella.
"The tombs of Egypt and their contents are property of the British Empire, so stand down you thugs!" Apollus declared. His threat was weak but it looked more convincing with Octo and Puss standing either side of him. Several of the reptiles rushed them and Octo smashed one in the face with a punch while Puss simply withdrew a pistol and shot the other in the leg, causing it to fall out screeching in agony.
A third tired to leap at them from behind but its face was smashed in as it met with Gourmand's frying pan.
Trying for a speech approach, Falcon slammed dozens of punches into Valgas' chest in rapid succession but the blows didn't even phase him; especially not while Valgas was in his fusion form.
"I had thought that perhaps… you… Edward Falcon, might not be so foolish." Valgas admitted, grabbing Falcon by the wrist and lifting him up to face level. "You fought in the war in Europe. You've seen how stupid these men are. How foolish and power hungry they are. Make my words if they are left to their own devices, their idiocy will destroy this world. It may take centuries but eventually mankind will leave his planet a barren wasteland.
We must save them from themselves and the only way to do that is to restore the glory this planet once had."
"And you will rule that new world?"
"You misunderstand me, young Falcon. I am not fighting for myself. I serve another higher than myself, one who knows first hand how beautiful and pure this world was, before mankind became corrupt. He is the one I kneel to. If you want peace then you will kneel as well."
Falcon's answer to that was to open all the hidden compartments in his robotic fusion and fired his Power Explosion attack at close range.
All Valgas managed to do was look startled before the missiles struck him full in the face. Smoke bellowed out in all directions. Even in his monstrously strong Fusion, the strike forced him to let go and Falcon was about to sour off to a safe distance as Ryoma charging in with Tosa Arashi held at the ready.
"Raijin ken!" Lighting sparked down the blade as it coursed around, almost slicing Valgas across the stomach. Only when it make contact, it stopped dead with a loud clinking sound as if metal as striking metal.
"Oooh…pathetic!" A fist came flying out of the smoke, smashing itself into the samurai's fast with the force of an onrushing train.
"You monster!" Rouge declared, catching Ryoma as he soared at her. The Samurai's fusion was flickering as it struggled to maintain itself.
"You're one to talk my little fortune teller." Valgas stated with a grin, showing all his teeth. "You're precious Fortune Teller's guild is hardly any better than the Acolytes in method. We have different goals but we both use machination and deceit to achieve them."
Ignoring him, Rouge raced forward on her bare feet and gathered her energy she focused it into a ball between her hands.
"Red Hot Trap!!!"
The ball was thrown down against the floor and when it struck it ignited the ancient stone and sand, a shockwave of fire spreading out ready to turn Valgas into Charcoal. Valgas chuckled before leaping up over the fire, doing a mid air flipping.
"Devil's moonlight!" Three orbs of neon blue energy manifested in the air around them and in succession they soared right at Rouge. Rouge dodged them all before igniting a sphere of flame over her open palm and breathing over it; the torrent of fire catching Valgas as he came back down.
The flames did nothing to him, his skin apparently numb to the heat. He waved his large arm aside as brushed off the embers with ease.
Rouge tried to attack again but was cut off when Valgas charged in, demonstrating inhuman speed
A fist hammered hard into Rouge's stomach, sending her flying up into the air into the path of a second fist that hammered her into the ground. As she rebounded, a leg smashed itself into her side. The fortune teller spiralled through the air before crashing into a tangled heap against the side of a pillar.
"Oh just give up. Isn't it clear yet none of you are a match for me?" Valgas asked sounding a little irritated at the continued defiance.
"Power Explosion!" Falcon declared, clenching both fists as the mechanised compartments over his body opened up and dozens of projectiles soared up into the air.
"Raijin ken!" Ryoma added in chorus, bringing his sword down sharply and discharging elemental lightning that sparked like a storm coming closer and closer to its target.
Valgas simply grinned, crossing his arms in front of his torso. The dark stone lodged in his chest glowed brightly blue once before sparks of the darkest lightning began travelling up and down his body. The ground shook as if gripped in the midst of a seizure, bits of sand and rock flying off into different directions.
As the two combined attacks neared him, Valgas let his arms rise out either side of himself; lightning training from the tip of each finger.
"Demonic Thunder!" Unleashing an attack forced from intense dark energy, the air almost seemed to bend to get out of the air as it shot forth like a shooting star. The lightning and missiles dissipated within it and the attack kept coming.
Falcon grabbed Ryoma by the wrist and firing up his rocket, blasted out of the air and only just managed to avoid being reduced to blacked ashes.
The blast hit the wall of the underground chamber, tearing through the ancient stone and sand. The ground shook and parts of the stone work began to crack as the chamber became more and more unstable.
"You…you're an animal!" Ayame shouted, darting in close gathering her energy for one last attack on her part. Valgas glanced back as the cherry blossom dancer reached him. "Cherry Blossom Dance!" Flying at him with intense speed, Ayame hammered punch after punch into his body before vanishing; reappearing above him with a kick to the head. She disappeared again and then emerged once more behind him; bringing her elbow back to strike Valgas across the spine.
For a finale she somersaulted back, taking a hold of the shuriken on her back before tossing it directly at the demonic man.
Unfazed by any of her attacks, Valgas caught the shuriken by clashing his hands together, the spinning blades coming to a sudden stop.
Ayame just stood there looking utterly stunned. This was preposterous! Just what kind of…man where they fighting?!
Valgas managed a grin and squeezed the shuriken until the metal bent, the entire weapon folding in on itself. He dropped the tangled mess on the floor and faced Ayame completely.
"You're playing with the big boys now little girl." He reminded her and before she could react, he flew forward and grabbed her around the top of her head.
She struggled in his grasp but her squirming wasn't enough to pry herself free before Valgas held up a free hand; gathering power between arched fingers. The orb of blue energy shone like a star before it exploded directly in the dancer's face the explosion throwing her back until she rolled to a stop beside Wang-Tang's feet.
She was trailing smoke and parts of her costume were burning away.
"Ayame!" The Chinese boy exclaimed as her fusion broke and she reverted back to normal; bruises and cuts all over her body. One arm was even twisted back at an irregular angle.
Valgas slowly turned his head to look back at them, his lips spread in a thick sneer that showed all his jagged teeth.
"What…what strength!" Ryoma gasped, staggering to his feet using his sword to keep himself upright.
Falcon was inclined grudgingly to agree. They'd thrown everything at Valgas. Everything they had. Even working side by side along Kraken their combined strength was nothing compared to Valgas'. The man was in a league of his own and he severely outclassed each and every one of them.
"You're all making this needless painful." Valgas told them, about facing so that his muscle bound frame faced them completely. "I'm a considerate man. My offer still stands. Join with me young Falcon."
Falcon spat on the ground.
"I admired your fighting style and passion Valgas. But I see you for what you truly are now." The Englishman told him. "You're scum!"
The smile vanished.
"I am a prince denied his throne!" Valgas almost seemed to be frothing at the lips, his body a seething pot of anger. "You have no right to judge me!"
In a rage he charged at Falcon and left himself open to attack.
Using this as an opening, Kraken darted in close attempting to cut Valgas across the side with his pincer. Valgas parried away the strike with a simple flick of his arm and lashing out, grabbed the pirate king by his rib cage and lifted him up into the air. Dropping him, Valgas smashed a kick forward that collided with Kraken's skull and sent him flying backwards past Falcon who flew in to take his place.
"Power hurricane!" Valgas glanced back just in time as the vents on Falcon's arm and several others over his body started venting red hot air and spinning around in a rapid circle the English called forth a spiralling inferno.
It engulfed Valgas completely, its flames searing around him. His entire body seemed to glow blood red.
Knowing better than to expect that would be enough, Falcon flew back to a safe distance and ducked down; the rocket on his back started burning read to propel him forward.
"Power…" He started but before he could finish, Valgas came charging out of the pillar of fire as if it didn't affect him at all.
"I AM power!" Valgas laughed, slamming the length of his arm across the Englishman's chest and then ploughing him directly into the ground. The blow left Falcon stunned long to deliver one last kick that knocked him back until he rolled to a stop beside the others who had been defeated. His fusion didn't break but that might have been the only thing keeping him alive. His metal armour was covered in dents.
"Edward!" Julia cried out, trying to rush to his side but was restrained by Accel.
"This is foolish, Edward Falcon." Valgas announced. "This fight is pointless. I am in need of resourceful men such as yourself. Together we can usher in a new age… a return to the ancient world."
Falcon hoisted himself up, barely managing to sit feeling so drained.
"An end to the foolish wars brought about by this delusion breed of man. An era of order, an era of peace, an era of new heights to which we can aspire. I'm not just offering this to you but to all of your friends as well… to all mankind.
Now what do you say to that?"
The Englishman spat out to the side and looked directly at Valgas, a smug grin on his face.
Valgas frowned at the sight of it.
"What do I say?" Falcon repeated. "Three words, Golden Dragon Sphere!"
Realizing that his attention had been diverted, Valgas glanced up to see that the giant orb of energy floating over the Chinese boy was now complete. The golden scales covering Wang-Tang melted up with the energy, flowing into the sphere and it turned pure white; its light illuminating the entire underground chamber.
Ayame offered up her stone to him and giving him its energy, the Power Stone of Water flashed brightly once before dropping to the floor. The sphere crackeled with new power, almost doubling in size instantly.
Reverted back to his normal state, Wang-Tang was now ready. Locking sights on Valgas, the boy tensed the muscles in his arms.
"Do it Wang-Tang! NOW!" Falcon proclaimed and then he hit the dirt.
With Apollus and his small group distracted, the Reptilian Acoltes darted past them and slid into the darkness of the vault through the crack they had carved.
"What!" Valgas proclaimed as Wang-tang threw both arms forward and the ball flashed brightly before flying directly at him. The entire chamber shook along with the ground for miles around.
Unable to dodge around an attack that large, all Valgas could do was attempt to defend. It struck his out stretched hands and the entire chamber was bathed in light. Anyone still with their eyes open was blinded by the intense flare.
Reality itself was suspended for a few moments and in that small time Edward Falcon was certain it was over. Nobody could survive an attack of that magnitude.
That hope was shattered when he heard the mocking laughter of Valgas echo out of the void. The light faded away and looking up past the residual glare and through the shifting dust, Falcon's eyes widened in horror.
"No…it's… its not possible…" Wang-Tang breathed at the same sight.
Valgas was still there.
More than that.
He was fine.
"What was that supposed to be?" Valgas asked, his entire body surrounded by an otherworldly glow as he hovered in the air like a phantom. Encircling his body like a bubble was a sphere of dark power that sparked like a thunderstorm. "That was what you kept on stalling to try and throw at me? That pathetic little energy ball?" He held up a single hand, palm flat towards them. "You insects."
Bolts of dark lightning started gathering over his body, travelling from his feet up his legs to his torso before finally moving to his hand; galvanizing at a point in the air just in front of his hand; feeding into a ball of dark energy that was growing stronger and larger by the second.
With Wang-Tang unable to defend himself, Falcon, Ryoma and Rouge moved to put themselves between them, acting as the Chinese boy's only defensive barrier.
Falcon held up his arms ready to fire another Power Missile even though he knew now they hadn't a snowballs chance of winning against Valgas.
Ryoma bravely stood beside him, Tosa Arashi at the ready.
"I gave you a chance but you have dug your own grave." Valgas stated, his expression turning cold. "Prepare to die!"
"General sir!" Valgas looked back over his shoulder as his reptilians came back out of the seal with clearly dismayed expressions on their scaly faces. "The Light Stone… it… its gone!"
Silence suddenly fell upon the entire chamber; everyone stopping in their attacks. Falcon's however was still moving forward when he stopped and not bothering to aim it, his Power Missile flew off and struck Ryoma in the face.
"What?!" Valgas demanded turning to face them completely.
"Impossible!" Kraken added looking stunned. Valgas dropped down to the ground and barged past the reptiles into the vault himself. There was another long prolonged moment of silence before he let out a loud roar from within and he came bellowing out.
"Where is it?!" He demanded of the air around him. "WHERE IS IT!?"
"The stone's not here?" Falcon asked looking stunned before he turned to look at Rouge.
"That can not be." The fortune teller replied. "All information I myself was able to gather pointed to this tomb as the Light Stone's final resting place."
"There was this note laid in its place sir." One of the Reptilians started approaching the infuriated Valgas with a small piece of paper in his claws. "It's written in English." Valgas snatched the paper and unfolded it, casting his blood red eyes over what was written.
"Dear Valgas." He started reading it aloud with gathered anger in his tone. "So sorry but I'm afraid I got here before you. I have no intention of letting you get your mittens on the Light Stone.
Do be a good chap and give my regards to my son. Better luck next time… Pride Falcon!!! PRIDE!!!!!!!!"
Falcon blinked once before he let his head roll back and he laughed out load, his side splitting so much he had to hug himself.
Almost hissing in pure fury, Valgas set the note on fire with his demonic power letting its ashes drop to the ground.
"Well now had Mr. Valgas left a wild card out of his game plan?" Rouge asked with a sudden superior smirk.
"Your father will burn for this I swear it!" Valgas spat turning to face Falcon. "But I will not go away from this empty handed. I'll tear the stones out of your bodies one by one, slowly and painfully." He clenched his fists and orbs of swirling darkness appeared around them, sparking with dark violet lightning.
"And upon that wonderfully hospitable note; fare thee well!" Kraken remarked, reaching into his robes and withdrawing a vial of green liquid. "But this is not over Valgas! You traitorous bastard. The stones will be mine, not yours!" Dropping the vial on the ground, he released the spell inside; engulfing himself and his two pirate minions in a cloud of gas. When that dissipated he and the two idiot twins were gone.
Valgas screamed in a rage, clenching both fists high in the air; bolts of lightning sparking around him.
Then his blood red eyes snapped open and he turned to face those still present.
"You're father has ruined everything! I swear I will make every member of you're family pay for this!" He turned to face Falcon completely. "Starting with you!"
Galuda wasted no time. The Indian shaman descended quickly to the sand floor and in the dirt there he drew a shape, a symbol of some kind; ancient even to his people. Before Valgas could take a step, the translocation spell was enacted, moving everyone out of their present time and space.
Valgas watched in horror as the Power Stone, which had been within his grasp, vanished; leaving him once more with only the Dark Stone.
His rage knew no limits.
The explosion of the pyramid could be seen for miles, sand stone raining down over the desert to the surprise of wandering nomads.
Galuda's spell was basic, as the shaman had not had time to enact anything too complex in the small amount of time. It was along the same lines as the spell Kraken had used to make his escape, but this type of magic drew its strength from the Earth rather than the dark arts like the pirate king.
It transported them to a predetermined location that Galuda had guessed to be the safest haven to retreat. His own Tribal Village, the village of the Lupine tribe, hidden somewhere in the wilderness of America.
His fellow tribesmen were more than a little started when he, along with over half a dozen strangers, seemed to materialise out of nowhere before the totem pole in the centre of the village.
"Say…what?" Wang-Tang asked looking around at their new surroundings in clear puzzlement.
"Mah kids… they're still back in Eygpt!" Gunrock declared in utter panic. "Valgas' have them hung!!"
"Daddy!" A familiar voice tried out and whirling around, Gunrock saw that too his intense relief Galuda had seen ahead and taken his sons out of the danger zone, transporting them to the village where Valgas could not touch them. All six of his children were safe.
Gathering them all up in his arms at once, the large Mexican wept.
"I have… I have to get back to…" Falcon started but, exhausted, the Fusion finally broke and he collapsed onto his knees reverting back to his original state. Out of danger, anyone still with a transformed state changed back with a collective sigh of relief.
"Young Master, you need to rest." Apollus told the young Falcon, trying to help him up.
"That's right, ya'll need to recuperate."
"No…no time." Falcon breathed. "Valgas… he's going… he's going after my father!"
The crescent moon was slipping up over the balcony window as Pride Falcon took a another sip of port from his glass. It was a clear night and the air was cool. This evening Georgina had left to attend the local opera. It was to steady her nerves.
Pride however was simply thankful to get her out the house. Not so much that she'd refused to leave since she got back here from her brother's, but because if she stayed she would have been in terrible danger.
The servants had also left, a few going with the lady Falcon and the others simply going home. With Apollus gone, that left Pride alone in the house.
The head of the Falcon family was prepared for the worst. He knew there was no point in fighting when it same. He was a skilled boxer himself but no amount of jabbing and uppercuts would protect him against this onslaught.
Everything in his office had been stacked casually as Pride expected it to be a terrible mess before too long. The important papers he had stored elsewhere and he was quite sure that his son would find them.
Untainted truths that would put the boy on the right path, or at least Pride hoped it would. At this precise moment, hope was all he had.
"Edward my boy… I've watched you grow up and I've always been proud of you." He muttered, looking at the black and white photograph on the top of his desk. "I'm sorry to place such a burden upon you're shoulders. I pray you understand but this is your destiny." Suddenly the entire house shook and a tremendous thud rocketed through the air. Dozens of stacks of paper fell off their perches to scatter over the floor. "And mine."
Pride finished drinking his port and stood up. The sound of door after door being ripped apart literally got louder and louder. Finally the door to the office bent and cracked, shards bursting forth before finally the flimsy barrier collapsed completely.
"PRIDE!!!!" A monster burst through the doorway, breaking the door frame apart with brick dust and wood fragments trailing in its wake. A horrible, humanoid beast with shark like skin and spikes jutting out of his shoulders.
"Well you've seen better days Valgas. That hot Egyptian sun must not agree with you." Pride remarked casually with a raised eyebrow.
A fist flew forward, smashing itself into Pride's body and sending him flying back until he smashed into a wall. The impact stunned the Englishman and had him collapsing to the ground. Before he could recover, a kick bounced himself off the ceiling followed by a blow across the stomach.
Pride collapsed to his knees, coughing up blood and struggling to breathe. His ribs were broken.
"Where is it Pride?" Valgas asked. When Pride didn't answer, Valgas lifted him up by his jacket and stared him directly in the face. "Where is it?" He repeated only this time with intense venom.
"I'm assuming you're referring to the Power Stone of Light old boy? I take it you found my note?" Pride asked with a low spluttering voice, a smile on his face despite bleeding lips.
"Don't play games with me or I'll turn you inside out." Valgas warned him, clenching his free fist suggestively, bolts of dark lightening travelling down his arm.
"I couldn't tell you dear chap." Pride chuckled. "I sent it off. Go ahead. Tear me and this house apart if you want to. You won't get you're hands on that stone now."
Valgas' eyes seemed to burn with murderous rage but he kept it under control. Just barely.
"Why are you doing this Pride? What foolish motivation do you have to oppose the GrandMaster and myself?"
Pride looked Valgas straight in the eye.
"I am a Knight who shares his horse." The Englishman said simply with a thick air of untameable defiance. Valgas hissed through both nostrils like a bull in response.
"Templar fool." He snarled and slammed his head forward; scrapping his horns along Pride's forehead gashing him and the blow knocked the Englishman out, his body slumping back lifeless like a doll. "You will hold out long against interrogation, of this I am aware, but one way or another I will get the truth from you.
The Stone's will be ours and there is nothing you, the Knights nor your son can do about it!"
Unbeknownst to Valgas, the object of his search was steadily moving north; the Light Stone was slowing moving away. It was lodged in the chest of a small wooden toy, a marionette taken from the Falcon nursery. This doll was moving on its own, the power coursing through it now the power of life itself.
It didn't know why it was running, only that the man who had been there when it woke up had told it to run, as fast as it could and not to stop until it reached a place called 'Scotland.'