Chapter 7

The Shape Shifting Monsters

Eadric's POV

After supper, I started to get ready to go visit Emma. I waited for Duke to arrive outside the castle and as soon as he came by, we headed to the Grassland Kingdom. As we headed towards the mountains, the full moon was out. Then out of nowhere, a boulder headed towards me Duke. After it nearly hit us, it landed in the forest away from us. I was relieved that it hit us or land in a village.

"Eadric look!", Duke shouted. Looking ahead of us was a archeops, he reminded me of Emma's friend, Ruby, except he was larger and had a scar over his eye and some of his feathers had chips in them. "Prince Eadric of the Tundra Kingdom! Stay away from Princess Emma and if you don't, I will make sure you don't even leave the Tundra!" Emma told me about Mario's protective nature and I kept on thinking sooner or later he might try to end my relationship with Emma. "Sir Mario, I will not stay away from Emma. I love her, she is the sweetest, kindest, and most beautiful princess I have ever met. You will not keep me away from her because as soon I see her, I am going to ask her something very important that not only will it change both of our lives, it will also change our kingdoms!"

I started to regret saying that because he started using dragon breath at us. Duke headed towards the mountains trying to lose Mario but I didn't think it would work because Duke's flaming tail was the brightest thing at night other than the moon. Mario looked as if he could keep chasing us forever but I couldn't say the same for Duke. He started to slow down but not slow down enough for Mario to catch us. When he was about to use dragon breath again, I saw a purple light come from the forest below Mario, then I saw black and purple circles headed towards Mario. He didn't seem to notice so I yelled, "MARIO LOOK OUT!" but when he noticed the beam he was already shot out of the sky and crashed down into the forest. "Duke turn back, we have to see if Mario is ok." Even if he tried to shoot me and Duke out of the sky, he is a the father of my friends and guardian of my beloved. We saw Mario in the cold snow of the forest. I walked up to him to see if he was still he was still alive. I was relieved to find him alive. He had burn marks the same shape as the black and purple circles that shot him down.

He was slowly opened his eye and he seemed confused to see me by his side. He made a sharp gasp and had a very fearful look in his eyes. Duke and I turned around to see what Mario was looking at and we saw silhouettes with blue glowing eyes. "Boys…stay close…don't those monsters fool you both." Mario said painfully. Duke and I did what Mario wanted us to do and we stayed close. There were three of the monsters surrounding us, they seemed to want Mario and figured out they were the ones that shot Mario down.

One of the beasts approached us and said "Out of our way. We only want the archeops so step aside and we won't hurt you." "No. You can't have Mario, I know you shot him down and I won't let you kill him." "Fine. We didn't want to involve anyone that wasn't in our plan but if we have to." Then the three of them backed away from us and an odd magenta colored aura covered the three of them and after the aura disappeared, they reappeared as tyranitar towering over the three of us. "Duke, pick up Mario and lets go!" Duke picked up Mario and I jumped on Duke's back and he flew as far as he could from the monsters. Duke and I made sure the monsters were still following us and we made sure they were nowhere near any of the villages.

"Duke I have an idea. Go back to my parents castle." "What!? Are you crazy!? They will destroy everything!" "Trust me Duke, I have an idea." "Ok. I hope you know what you are doing." Duke flew back to the castle with the monsters still behind us. I waited until I was able to see beartic guards. "Duke, roar!" "Ok!" Duke roared loud enough for every guard to see me and Duke being chased by the monsters. The tyranitar turned magenta and I yelled to the guards, "Go quickly before they are gone!"

The guards used ice beam at the mysterious beasts and ran into the forest to see if they got them. My parents, Romeo, and Nana came out to see what was going on and they were surprised to see Mario. My mother came to me and asked, "Eadric, what is going on, what the guards attacking, and why does Duke have an archeops in his arms!?" I was too afraid to tell my parents what happened because I knew they would question me and ask me why I was out at night and where was I going. I started to cry thinking they might lock me away in the castle so I wouldn't run of and never see Emma again.

My mother used her hands to wipe my tears away and told me, "Eadric, you don't have to tell us now. Nana told us when she heard Duke roar she woke up instantly and when she got out of bed and looked out her window she saw you and Duke being chased by those tyranitar. You can tell what happened later on." My father came to me and patted my and said, "Don't worry about the archeops. Nana will nurse him back to health and good job getting the guards to freeze the tyranitar." Then my father turned to Duke, "Same goes to you too Duke."

"Your Majesty! We caught one of them! We don't know where the other three went but we think this one is the leader." We saw two guards pushing a huge block of ice across the snow, inside was the blue-eyed shape shifting monster that is also well known a the illusion fox zoroark. "Take him to the dungeon and put him in a room where he can't escape just in case he turns himself into a joltik to squeeze through a small space." Nana lead Duke and I to her nursery so she can take care of Mario. My parents and Romeo told me goodnight, after they were gone, I run outside to meet Duke. He was waiting for me of course knowing despite everything that happened it still didn't stop me from seeing Emma hoping she is still awake. Duke and I flew nonstop because I told him I didn't have time to change from my winter outfit. We were close to Emma's castle, but we saw more guards then we usually do and noticed the Braviary and lightning bolt emblem and realized they were Arthur's guards.

We careful flew above them and they didn't seem to notice us. Duke made his way to Emma's balcony and I got off his back and jumped to the balcony. I looked inside to see Emma asleep. I felt bad that I didn't come to see her tonight. I reached inside my satchel took out a piece of paper, a bottle of ink, a quill pen, and wrote;

My Dearest Emma,

I am sorry I didn't see you last night.

Please don't be mad with me because

I love you with all my heart, you mean

everything to me and I know deep in my

heart that I will never met another princess

like you again, which is why I want to ask you

I started to think to myself wondering if I should ask her or should I not, will she say yes or no, and how will our parents fell about this…

Princess Emma will you marry me?