Disclaimer; Gargoyles are the property of the Walt Disney Company.
Summary; The final test has come. But with this test comes a new trial, and a new twist.
Dark Skies Rising
Crystal Moon -
The Forests North of Emerald City . . . .
"Good luck, Goliath!"
Goliath glanced at his grandfather and nodded appreciatively. But his insides were in turmoil. His final test had come at last and he stood facing his parents, Titania, Nassiah and Hudson in the clearing they had chosen for this occasion. A storm was building over head. The winds were already blowing with great ferocity, and lightning was already dancing overhead. Distant thunder rolled through the sky as the anticipation swelled.
Goliath could feel the power of his mentors building around him. The intensity of the moment was incredible. Even Hudson, who possessed no magical talent, burned with renewed strength. He was determined to help Goliath succeed and Goliath was determined to succeed.
"Lad, it is time," Odomus said calmly. "Our deception is coming tae an end. This last test puts yer skills tae the test lad. The rest will be instinct, which I know tae be good. Remember what ye've learned, implement it and improvise. Do whatever it takes!"
Goliath nodded. "Very well," he said. "I am ready."
Odomus nodded once and then it began with a sonic boom. The magically trained warriors came together with a great clash before leaping apart again, but Goliath was satisfied with his start. He hadn't stumbled and as the test lengthened he found the strength to cast multiple spells at a time and split his concentration several different ways. Not once did he falter. He blocked incoming spells, brandished a sword with practiced ease and quickly became a force to be reckoned with.
Goliath kept his mind open as Nassiah and Hudson attacked, anxious to perceive their thoughts so he could formulate a perfect counter-attack. But Nassiah, unlike Hudson had skills similar to his own and it took him time to penetrate her barrier. Titania's tutoring and that strange Helmet of Prog, or whatever it had been, had helped.
He disappeared so suddenly that Nassiah fell to the earth in surprise, and when she sat up again, Goliath was everywhere. She knew only one was the real Goliath but before she could find him an arrow made out of soft and safe materials struck her left breast, right over her heart. She was out.
She back flipped out quickly so as not to crown out the others and watched from the sidelines.
Hudson attacked with all the ferocity he had, swinging his sword, snapping his tail and slashing with his talons when a fist or a solid kick would not work. Goliath defended himself well. He struck out with a fist loaded with energy that knocked Hudson back a few feet. While distracted Goliath leaped into the air and caught Hudson in a gargoyles signature 'hawk-dive' that would have torn his flesh to pieces if Goliath were attacking to kill. Goliath didn't need the resounding shockwave that shook the earth and nearly knocked Hudson out, but it came anyway. He leaped aside as Nassiah moved in to help Hudson out of the ring and then turned to his remaining teachers.
Titania surged forward in a blur and obliterated two of Goliath's false identities and then tackled him with her own breed of magic. He snarled with pain but kept his feet under him. Two more of his false identities swarmed around her, pummeling her with a barrage of crippling attacks. She retaliated with a strange vortex of energy that confused Goliath's equilibrium. He fought to stay standing and shut his eyes to halve the affects, but he couldn't find a way out of this bizarre, spiraling spell. After a moment his powers flowed through him like flooding waters and a second later exploded with enough force to ground everyone. It was a bizarre reaction to Titania's magic and worked like gravity in reverse. Everyone was grounded and couldn't move.
"GGRAAHH!!" Goliath roared and somehow managed to undo the affects of the colliding magical energies. Titania stumbled backwards as Odomus snuck around behind him, trying a sneak attack and blasted Goliath with green energy. Sensing Odomus's attack, he disappeared, leaving Odomus vulnerable to Titania's attack. He put up a shield which deflected the energy and somehow bounced it back to Titania. She fell unharmed to the ground but was outside the ground. Goliath reappeared a second later and glanced at her once to ensure she was safe before turning to his father and mother.
There was a moment of tense silence before all three roared and soared towards each other with unexpected power. Dust and wind billowed around them. Lightning flashed with blinding force and thunder crashed painfully in their ears. The rain started to come down in sheets, turning the battlefield into a slippery mud puddle. For those outside the ring it became almost impossible to see.
"What's happening?" Hudson cried, listening to the snarls and roars from inside the vortex of rain, mud and light.
"They have him!" Nassiah cried.
"What?" Hudson cried.
Inside the ring, Goliath was trapped. Lady Dragon's attack was devastating. It had distracted him while Odomus snuck around and bound him in some kind of magical net. It wasn't even physically there, it was just energy but it bound him to the earth and sapped his strength. The more he fought it the weaker he became.
"Think, son!" Odomus growled softly as he and Lady Dragon circled him. "Think! Use yer skills. Examine the magic! There is a weakness in it, now find it!"
Goliath snarled angrily as he continued to struggle. Nature and magic swirled around him, increasing his irritation. What weakness? He thought desperately. I have no strength and my powers are suppressed.
Fighting against exhaustion and a vicious clouding of his mind he pushed up one more time against the net only to receive another vicious shock for his efforts. His anger increased when he nearly broke his nose on the hard earth. Calm down! He ordered himself. There is a way around this, now find it! Quit letting your temper rule you!
He exhaled, still growling softly and relaxed. He stopped fighting the net and closed his eyes. Precious seconds ticked by. If this were a real battle against Constantine he'd be dead by now. He needed to increase his reaction time. Even so, the more at peace he became the clearer everything around him seemed to be. He learned very quickly that aggression fueled the net's fire. The less aggression he used the weaker the net became and he suddenly got an idea.
"Nature above me, hear my plea! Free me from this trap that binds me!!"
A bolt of lightning reached down from the heavens and struck the corners of the net with devastating strength. Ironically enough it was nature itself that overloaded the net. It exploded around him, nearly crippling him, but luckily he'd managed to raise a strong enough shield in the few precious seconds he had to protect himself and suddenly he was free, stretching his wings and roaring victoriously as he stood to his full height.
Odomus nodded with relief. "Good, Goliath! Ye're learning the most important lesson of all; never give in tae yer anger!"
He and Lady Dragon advanced again and she was the first to act. She screamed as she released a wave of magic powerful enough to incinerate Goliath on the spot, but Goliath merely swatted it away and caught Lady Dragon as she tackled him.
"Nicely done!" Titania called from the side lines.
Lady Dragon darted forward again moving too quickly for a normal person to follow with the naked eye. Hudson just blinked stupidly as he watched. All he could see were the flashes of light where Goliath and Lady Dragon paused for a split second to exchange blows, their fists charged with energy, before moving on again. Odomus jumped in to the fray every so often adding his strength to Lady Dragon's, but somehow Goliath managed to drive them off.
Goliath and Lady Dragon broke apart, breathing heavily and glaring at each other. His father had disappeared but he could still feel him. All at once hi father reappeared, pouncing from behind. Goliath rolled forward before his father could touch him and Odomus landed harmlessly on the ground while Goliath kicked him in the face, pushing him back. His mother rushed him at nearly the exact same moment but he dematerialized at the last second. She gasped in surprised but couldn't stop her momentum. She collided with Odomus and they collapsed to the ground before scrambling to get back to their feet. While distracted, Goliath called on the wind and his own explosive power to knock them out of the ring. Odomus managed to dig his talons into the earth and hold on, but Lady Dragon was thrust out of the ring.
For a few moments the wind and rain quieted. The thunder rumbled softly as if sensing the sudden change. The air danced with electricity but it didn't come from the storm. His mother was a good fighter and was superb with magic, but his father was even better. His father was a full blooded warrior and fierce. He'd trained under the tutelage of a female descended directly of the Guardian, possessing a knowledge and a fighting style passed down from generation to generation. He'd taught it to his son but now they'd both see just how much he'd learned.
Odomus sighed. "Well lad," he said in a low voice, "looks like it's down tae ye and me."
Goliath nodded. "I understand," he growled wearily and assumed the proper fighting stance.
Odomus assumed the pose himself. "Then let us begin," he growled.
Goliath snarled and assumed a stance that allowed his full power to explode around him. He glowed with a strange aurora as the others watched and roared furiously as he threw his head back to let every available ounce of adrenaline gush through his veins. He felt the world around him boost his life force energy to the point where his body was ready for battle.
And then, a breathless instant as the wind whipped around them, stirring their wings, hair, garment and the grass at their feet in a frenzy of anticipation. All of nature anticipated the crash to come with a sense of excitement and support. Everyone and everything knew that Goliath would literally have to beat the snot out of his father in order to pass this test. Odomus was going to be using everything he had, everything that he had not yet shown Goliath. And Goliath was going to need to beat him. In order to defeat Constantine, he HAD to defeat his father.
Suddenly . . .
BOOOOM!!!
The silence of anticipation was drowned as Goliath and Odomus rocketed towards each other. Goliath summoned all the skill he had as he slammed his fists against his father's. The blow shook the earth, surprising him. How could their power affect everything around them this way? He locked eyes with his father and then exploded with a flurry of fierce punches. Their arms and fists were blurred into invisibility as they summoned every ounce of power they had and willed their bodies to move at unheard of speeds while constantly parrying the others attacks.
Odomus suddenly deflected a blow off of his armored forearm and quickly landed a crunching punch to Goliath's midsection; but Goliath barely winced and immediately thrust Odomus' fist downward, throwing him off balance and twisting, landing his elbow directly into Odomus' cheek. Odomus blinked his approval as he recovered almost instantly and executed a perfect back flip and cracked Goliath on the chin with a steel knob he had fastened onto his tail before the test and then sprang from his hands, landing gracefully on his feet.
Goliath sailed backward, crashing into the earth mere inches from the rings out of bounds line. He glared at it for a second in near panic and then breathed a sigh of relief as he got back to his feet.
Odomus smiled at his son, gladder than words could say that his son had not been flung out of the ring. "Ye've landed a blow, lad. Good."
Goliath threw his father a crooked smile. "You were always the toughest teacher within the clan," he said. "No one fought like you did. Not even the Second or the female warrior that once threatened us."
Odomus shrugged with an almost pitying sigh. "She would nay last a second if she were here now, lad," he said. "Ye'd clean the clock with her right quick."
Goliath snorted a breath. "Let us continue."
Odomus nodded and resumed his fighting stance. This time, Goliath was the first to attack. He roared and leaped across the space between them like a rocket firing from its compartment inside a fighter jet. His fist swiped through empty air, however, as Odomus teleported away at the last second. And then, the searing pain of Odomus' elbow crashing into his back blasted the air out of Goliath's lungs. The strike sent him staggering forward as Odomus appeared in front of him again, landing a brutal punch to his stomach and then to his face.
The blows themselves were controlled enough to not be as painful as they would in a real fight. But they were uncomfortable enough to teach Goliath to learn quickly from the mistakes he was making, or just move quicker. But Odomus had ages more wisdom than he did and his magic was so practiced, so honed that it was still taking all the concentration Goliath had just to keep up with him. And it was costing him.
Odomus's knee suddenly thrust into Goliath's chest with such force that he was lifted from the ground. Goliath willed himself to recover and grunted with tremendous effort to block another blow with both hands. Grunting, both warriors glided apart but then thrust towards each other again the instant their feet hit the ground.
Goliath twisted and threw his weight aside, dodging a furious punch from Odomus. He quickly planted his leg in mid flight and sprang upward, his massive fist slamming into Odomus' vulnerable chin like the piston of a pile driver. Odomus grunted with discomfort and turned over backwards. Goliath flipped over and curled into a ball, slamming both clawed feet into Odomus' back and sending him rocketing into the sky. Springing off his hands, Goliath launched himself toward Odomus, constricting tightly, ready to unleash all his strength into a bone shattering kick.
However, to his horror, Odomus righted himself and twisted into a vicious round house kick that slammed directly into his face; the opposing forces of Odomus' kick and his own nearly snapped Goliath's neck and he remained motionless in mid air a moment as the forces cancelled each other out. But it was all Odomus needed. With some fear that he would defeat his son, Odomus slammed his other clawed foot into Goliath's chest, instantly teleporting behind him and delivering a crushing elbow spike, then balled his fists together and brought them crashing down on Goliath after another teleport. Goliath spiraled out of control, plummeting toward the earth dozens of feet below. Odomu's aura blazed as he forced a massive flow of energy between his palms, drawing it back above his head and snarling as he thrust it down, blasting it toward Goliath as he crashed to the ground, leaving a large crater and billows of dust in his wake.
Lady Dragon yelped with fear. Her son could not lose to this test! But nor she couldn't help him. He had to rely on his own skill, otherwise it would be pointless to send him into battle against Constantine.
However, though stunned, Goliath was not out. His mother's startled yelp was all he needed to tell him something was wrong. He blinked his eyes as a terrible light grew brighter and brighter above him. He felt an incredible heat on his skin, felt it burning through the leather of his tunic . . . and then he gasped. The energy ball was right on top of him! But he could stop it. He could deflect it back!
Goliath jumped to his feet and extended his arms to the air with a monstrous bellow. He extended his own wave of energy and let the two opposing forces blend with a resounding boom and flash of light. The effort forced him to his knees. He could feel Odomus' mind working the attacking energy ball, but he wouldn't let Odomus drive it down. The explosion could kill him and injure the others, no matter how safe they were trying to be. And then, with sheer will, he caused the two energy forces to implode while throwing up a shield that left his friends standing and untouched through the harrowing force of destructive power. But some trees were not as lucky. Their leaves were singed and those that had been dying began to catch flame. The pouring rain drenched the flames before they could rage out of control.
"Good!" Odomus yelled, pleased once more with Goliath's determination as he rocked towards his son.
Goliath stood ready and at the last possible second shot into the air like a bullet with fist drawn back and used his magic to blind his father's senses before he slammed it full force into ODomus' stomach. Odomus grunted at the obvious discomfort as he fell to the ground and rolled to a standing position as Goliath hovered in the air above him.
"Nice trick, lad!" Odomus commented as he recovered, then rocketed up to meet Goliath. "AGAIN!!!"
"Bravo, lad!" Hudson cheered with excitement, hardly able to believe his eyes. Goliath was a far greater warrior than he had ever imagined. "Keep it up! Ye can beat that devil!"
Goliath kept his focus on Odomus. He disappeared at the last possible second the same way Odomus had. He'd taught himself to do it after observing Odomus. He'd needed his father's help only a few times until he got it right and now he used the skill flawlessly. Odomus only had a split second to look up as Goliath appeared above him, spread his wings and then sailed downwards in a seemingly uncontrolled dive directly at him. Goliath moved so quickly that the two impacted together before Odomus was able to teleport out of the way. They disappeared and the reappeared seconds later with a sudden explosion as the two of them plowed into the ground, creating a bigger crater than the one Goliath had left moments earlier.
Roaring, Odomus heaved Goliath off of him and jumped to his feet before the two of them crashed together again. Every punch and kick seemed to get harder and harder, faster and faster until the earth shook with the force of their attacks. Goliath dodged and grabbed Odomus' arm, swinging him over his head and slamming him down onto the dirt with tremendous force. Odomus held on to Goliath's arm and rolled over, sending him hurtling into a nearby boulder, shattering it.
Goliath stood shakily, breathing heavily as the onlookers watched in breathless fascination. Both stared at each other from across the field, and a feeling of pride, love, trust and admiration swelled between them. Obviously Goliath would still need a lot of practice even after the test, but he was ready. He'd learned a style of fighting and magic that had taken his father years to master in just months. Fine tuning could come a little later. What he had now would be enough. Besides, he would not be facing Constantine alone.
"Again, Goliath!" Odomus yelled.
Goliath responded with a roar as Odomus rocketed forward. Odomus' fists were crackling with energy and his mind was whirling with the intent to overthrow Goliath's conscious thought. But every one of his efforts failed.
"GGGYYYAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!"
The explosive force of power that left Goliath blasted Odomus out of the air and knocked everyone off their feet. Trees were nearly blown out of their holds in the ground. Cracks formed at Goliath's feet. Stones and other loose materials lifted into the air as though gravity had gone hay-wire. Lightning struck all around. The thunder rumbled and the earth quaked more violently than ever before. Seconds later Goliath darted towards his father. Odomus brought up a massive, glazing ball of energy in defense and held at his side. Like so many others he'd used in this struggle, it was strong enough to incinerate his enemy on contact. He thrust it forward, unleashing the raging torrent of hell fire across the stormy night and straight towards the ball of blazing light that was Goliath.
For the others, time slowed. They could not see what was happening. Both warriors now moved so fast that all they could see was the ring and the forest around it. But then, there was the blaze of terribly white hot light and everyone flinched from it. Goliath continued straight for his father and directly into the oncoming blast. He shut his eyes and forced every fiber of his being to lend its power to his will.
K – BLAM!!!
The night was shattered by a thunderous impact that to those observing could have shattered the earth. When the dust settled and the light from Odomus's attack faded, everyone gasped. In the midst of the gorged ring and flattened grass, stood Goliath, his fist partially buried in the protective, shattered breast plate Odomus had worn for this very occasion as a strange window a gravitational stillness surrounded them. Goliath had formed a shield around him, diving directly through Odomus's beam and striking before Odomus could recover from any of Goliath's efforts. Now it had defeated his father, and suddenly the strange stillness ended and Odomus was sent crashing through the trees beyond the ring. Goliath landed on his feet and stood breathing heavily, staring in amazement.
"YE DID IT, LAD!!" Hudson laughed as he and the others rushed to the young, exhausted Guardian-To-Be. "Ye did it! Ye passed the test!"
Goliath only fell to his knees in exhaustion, panting and trying to reply as he smiled his own relief. But all he could manage was a weary wave of his hand.
"You've done everything you set out to do!" Lady Dragon praised happily as she gingerly embraced her son.
Goliath sighed and returned her embrace as Odomus joined them, laughing gleefully as the storm began to quiet down. The relief he felt was shared by all; his son had skillfully and successfully defeated all three of his mentors while remaining true to his nature. He'd managed to keep his temper and fight in hand to hand combat he hadn't known existed. Now, the real test remained; the battle against Constantine.
"Excellent job, Goliath! Well done! Well done, indeed!" he cried.
Goliath sighed, leaning over with fatigue and panting as his father reached him. Before he knew it he was caught in a tight bear hug and being slapped on the back as if he'd just become a father again.
"That was an astounding match!!" Odomus cried again, shaking Goliath by the shoulders in his excitement, and this time even Goliath laughed. "Ye've come a long way lad. Ye've past the test. Now ye are ready to face the journey ahead of ye." He smiled proudly at his tall, powerful son. "And face it ye will."
Goliath nodded with his own smile. "With you by my side?" he asked hopefully. Odomus gazed at him a moment, then a small smile slowly spread across his face and he nodded at his son.
"Always, my son," said Odomus, and the two embraced. "Always."
Titania smiled as Shalamenesar approached. "Well, I must say," he muttered happily. "Most impressive. I've not seen such skill since Jehoiachin's day, and that is saying a lot."
"Indeed," said Titania as she smiled at her grandson. "He has proven himself well."
Odomus patted Goliath's back.
"I say we head back tae the palace and celebrate," Hudson laughed as he slapped Goliath on the back. "Never before have I seen such a fight."
"And you never will again if we can help it," Goliath muttered.
The others laughed. "Come. Let us go," Odomus said. Tired and elated at the same time, the group turned for home.
* * * * *
The Black Realm
Constantine sighed as he leaned back in his throne. Another day had passed and preparations were complete. They could send their strike forces out against the other clans any time now. Some small part of him yearned to go with them and breathe in the beauty and freedom of the outside world but another part of him was determined to sit right where he was to wait for Goliath and Odomus. Once he crushed them, he'd begin a full-out take over and soon the world would belong to him. Already the skies of the outside world had grown dark as if anticipating his appearance and it pleased him.
Still, something felt off. They should have sent out their forces a long time ago. Everything seemed to be moving so slowly. Or he was just terribly impatient – or both.
He cast his eyes about the throne room noting with absolute boredom just how dim it was. The torches and candles just didn't cut it in here. Not even the blaring light from his magic cauldron seemed to give him enough light. There weren't enough shadows. Or maybe there were just too many. Who could say? Most of the torches sat high upon the walls, with the candles sitting in tall pole-like lamps that circled the circumference of his throne room. More of those posts encircled the bomb fire, which sat directly in front of his giant cauldron. Curious to see what was happening in the outside world he wove a hand and watched the waters swirl with his will.
Immediately an image of Crystal Moon appeared before him. Odomus and Lady Dragon were there in a forest just outside Emerald City. Their son was with them as was the old warrior he'd encountered in Scotland, an old warrior he didn't recognize and Queen Titania herself. He frowned. He didn't recall her being on the island before. Perhaps she'd arrived within the last few hours?
"Hmm, very interesting," he muttered and waved his hand again. The view was closer this time and he was stunned to see these warriors fighting each other. No, not fighting. Not really. It was a match of some sort, but something was off about it. They weren't moving right. They were moving too fast. It was like he'd hit fast-forward on some living tapestry.
He leaped off his throne and landed at the edge of his balcony. He stared around the courtyard and the fields beyond the castle. His eyes widened. A chill of rage ran down his spine. He looked at himself. There was a fierce wind blowing. His clothes should have been flapping uncontrollably against him in the breeze yet their movements were oddly graceful and slow. HE felt slow, sluggish. His people were moving with the same sluggishness that he was, but it wasn't a sluggish made from fatigue. This was sorcery.
"NOOOOO!!!!"
His scream of rage released a powerful wave of energy that went out like a shockwave. His realm and the continents beyond shook violently as the spell cast on his forces suddenly broke with a deafening boom.
"Curse you Odomus!!"
He turned to his cauldron again as Tyrant and Thailog burst into the throne room. Constantine barely noticed it now but over time a lot of Thailog's will had been chipped away until he was practically a slave to Constantine's will. The chip he thrust into Thailog's heart was slowly poisoning him. He didn't even realize just how far under he was.
"What the devil is the matter?" Tyrant snapped. "Why the temper?"
Constantine sat at his throne and glared into the cauldron. "Odomus cast a spell on us!" he spat. "We've been delayed!"
Thailog and Tyrant looked at each other. "Delayed?" the clone repeated. "How?"
"By magic, that's how!" Constantine hissed. "And I failed to notice it."
Tyrant hissed through his teeth. "What do we need to do? They could have adequately prepared themselves by now."
Constantine's shoulders stiffened. "They have. They've sent strike forces out to counter act our attack on the clans."
"Double our numbers," Thailog growled. "If necessary I can go out with them."
Constantine shook his head. "No. I need you here."
"Then what are we to do?" Thailog demanded. "Sit here and twiddle our thumbs?"
Constantine hissed and Thailog flinched as if struck. "Do not vex me, gargoyle or I will forget our agreement." He thought a moment, ignoring Thailog's enraged snarl. "Go out with a strike force. Remind them Constantine still lives and let Odomus know his spell is broken."
Still glaring at Constantine, Thailog bowed smoothly and turned from the room. As he left Constantine turned to his son. "Go with him, but quietly. He is under a spell but he has an even bigger stubborn streak than Goliath. He is not falling under my power as quickly as I anticipated."
Tyrant huffed and started to turn to leave. "I am not surprised," he glowered. "Evil begets more evil, but sometimes it deters it as well. There must be some spark of goodness in him he's not aware of. We need to neutralize it now before his will wins out over yours."
Constantine nodded. "The poison in his blood is not enough. We may have to resort to torture to remind him where he belongs – especially if he wants to keep that body."
Tyrant laughed. "Don't worry, father. I'll pluck of his wings if I need too – Goliath's included. They won't defeat us." He bowed to his father and then left the throne room in a flurry of swirling black robes.
As the disquiet he favored fell over the room in Thailog and Tyrant's absence, Constantine glared uneasily at the face of Odomus through his cauldron. "You've not won yet, old foe! Not in a thousand years!!"
He spat into the cauldron and watched as Odomus's face distorted beyond all recognition.
* * * * *
The Forests North of Crystal Moon
Goliath froze mid-flight and looked around. Everyone but Hudson reacted as a strange energy flashed over the land, causing it to tremble violently. Goliath stared as the trees shook uncontrollably for several seconds. He stared up at the sky as thick clouds rolled in from somewhere far away, swirling and boiling with rage. Lightning danced in those clouds, looking brownish and yellowish rather than white or blue. This was no natural storm like the one that had fizzled out just a short while ago. This was a magical storm.
"It's just like the night you first came to us," Shalamanesar observed darkly. "Constantine is free."
"What? Ye mean . . ." Hudson started, glaring at the storm. "He broke the spell?"
Everyone scattered when a bolt of the ugly lightning shot through their midst. In its wake was a figure everyone recognized.
Odomus's face contorted into a savage snarl. "I had hoped that I'd been seein' things the night ye attacked my son in the warehouse, lad, but it appears I was foolin' myself!" he cried.
The newcomer laughed. "What are old timers for, dear Odomus?" he snarled and plowed into Goliath. Both plummeted to the ground while they struggled and struck with bone-crunching force, but neither were injured. Both leaped back to their feet with a strange sort of bounce that came from their magic and glared at each other as the others gathered around. Goliath definitely recognized this warrior; Tyrant, or An-Dominion, the son of Constantine.
"You will not be such a threat now, Tyrant!" Goliath bellowed and Tyrant laughed. The stench of death poured from robes as black as the deepest night. Hideous yellow eyes glared at him from behind a hood that rivaled the darkest shadow. Pure white fangs glistened in the glow of a waning moon as the thick clouds covered it over. Tyrant wasn't intimidated by him, but Goliath was no longer so intimidated either. His skills might still need fine tuning, but he'd just proven tonight that he could handle his own well enough.
"Ye're the one who stole the Heart Stone!" Hudson growled as he drew his sword.
"So, you remember me?" Tyrant hissed, waiting as several dragon men landed behind him. "I must say, I am impressed," he purred as he turned to Odomus. "Your little trick lasted a good while. Caught my father completely by surprise. You've gained the upper hand – but not by much."
"It has given us the time we needed, that is all you need to know," Lady Dragon growled.
Nassiah stepped forward, shaking her head. "I do not understand," she said as she looked at Odomus. "He is supposed tae be dead. Ye killed him in battle, didn't ye?"
Odomus shook his head. "Obviously not. But he still could not be alive without help. Someone close tae him preserved him somehow. That is the only reason he is alive now."
Tyrant sighed dramatically. "Quite right, Odomus. My little playmate saw fit to seal me in a magical time barrier until someone of quality talent could mend my wounds. I lay inside Hells Castle for centuries until my grandchildren, Aiden and Poachay fished me out and – well, this is the result." He scowled. "Unfortunately, when you defeated my father you sealed us on the island. No one could leave and those that came were stuck there for eternity. I've been a prisoner to my own land, longing to walk the world again, and now, I can!"
"That is your own fault, An-Dominion," Titania muttered.
Tyrant huffed. "Say what ye will," he scoffed. "But my purpose here is almost done. Your people will be reminded one way or another just who their loyalties will lie."
Odomus roared and darted at Tyrant with a blade. "Be gone, freedom slayer!" he bellowed. "Be gone from this place, or die where you stand!!"
Tyrant snarled in an almost demonic fashion as the blade cut in to his left arm and leaped backwards, his yellow eyes blazing. Then he smiled, bowed mockingly and rose into the air. The dragon men followed him.
"Feel glad I am only here to observe," he sneered as he drifted away. "When we meet in battle it will be to the death! Remember that, Son of Odomus. When you meet my father you will also meet me. Come prepared to die!"
His laughter echoed after him as he disappeared into the clouds, leaving the gargoyles and the fairy queen with a sick feeling in their stomachs.
"This is bad," gasped Lady Dragon. "This is very bad!"
"Goliath, come with me," Odomus snarled as he took to the air. "The rest of you get tae the castle and tell our people tae prepare for battle. Send word to our strike forces in the other clans. Tell them Constantine's forces will be upon them soon."
The group broke apart. Goliath followed his father through the storm. At last, what they had dreaded was upon them. The battle against Constantine had begun.
The End.
