OoO( 39 )OoO

The guildmaster had gathered all those in the guild for a mass meeting. Every one of the guild trainees and instructors were there, from the oldest heroes to the youngest acolytes. Thunder was there, as was Van, Theresa, Alex, Elizabeth, Cara, William, Briar Rose, Talon, and anyone else who had some affiliation with the guild. Even Graden himself showed up to the emergency call.

The guildmaster stood high above the others as he stood on a stone bench in the courtyard. "Heroes one and all, warriors, mercenaries, friends and families. We are all gathered here because we are in dire need of assisstance. Jack of Blades has unleashed his minions throughout Albion to slaughter and kill anything that moves in his path. He now has the key to Albions destruction and is disregarding any life. I have been told..." he said looking at Theresa unsurely. She nodded to him, feeling his gaze upon her. "I have been told that if you encounter Jack of Blades, to leave him be. He is not to be confronted by anyone." he said.

Suddenly, there was an outburst from the audience. "So you say he has the key to our destruction! And we are just supposed to let him go by unapposed!" shouted an outraged guard.

"Please listen to me! There is only one person who can stop Jack! And you throwing your lives away won't do any good to anyone." he said.

"And how do we know there is only one person unless we fight him!" shouted another.

"My friends...please..." said the guildmaster trying to calm them down. Theresa who stood next to Van, jumped up on the bench and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"ENOUGH!" she shouted. The crowd went silent. "You will do as you are told by the guildmaster or else you will have me to deal with. The only person trained enough to defeat Jack is in a fight for his life right now! So you will leave Jack be for now!" she shouted. The crowd said nothing. "Good. Your jobs will be to protect the citizens from the minions and keep them off of my brother Lyle. When he goes after Jack, he cannot be hindered." she said before stepping down again.

Thunder turned and called loudly for everyones attention. They all turned to him and he began to plot. "Now, here is how its going to happen. Van, you and Talon cover here outside the guild and in Greatwood Forest. Take a few of the acolytes with you to cover you. Briar Rose and Alexandria, you two will be covering Bowerstone. If any come through the gates, take them out immediately. I will take North Bowerstone and the woodlands behind it with the windmills. William, you and Theresa cover Knothole Glade. Right now, Hook Coast is clean due to the battle going on. But Elizabeth and Cara are going to take Oakvale and Barrow fields. We should have enough acolytes here at the guild to split among us. Now, go!" he shouted. They all broke apart and scattered, teleporting across Albion.

OoOoO

The war over Albion had started. Dragonites were flooding the landscape by at least three to one against the heroes. Merik Bladewing stood staring at the giant stone before him. It was large, rounded, and had runes carved into the surface from top to bottom. It was a beautiful sight. Even if he didn't know what it was for, he still liked to stare at it. It made him feel at peace with himself. Behind him were dozens of Jack's minions, just waiting for something to kill.

He turned and looked at the two heroes and the acolytes that approached him. Niether of them he had seen before. But heroes were heroes. He drew his twin blades and smirked. "Sorry to inform you, but someone has to do it." he said walking forward. "None of you will leave here alive! There are hundreds of these creatures in these woods, and at my call they will annihilate you." he said.

Van looked at Talon, who then looked at Merik. "Where they wearing these?" she asked as she threw something on the ground in front of him. Merik looked down and an angry look dawned his face as he saw the seven minion helmets strung together with a leather strap. He glared at them. "It was more like fifty." she finished with a smile.

"You will pay for your insolence!" he shouted and prepared his sword. Talon held Van back and stepped forward.

"I'll take this one." she said. Taking one sword from her belt, she stood with one arm behind her back. "You there. I remember you from the arena. What was your name? Merik?" she asked.

"What's it to you? You think you stand a chance against me?" he asked. She smiled.

"Here, I'm making it easy for you. I'll only use one of my swords, and to top it off I'll only use one arm." she said smirking. His face contorted to rage immediately.

"Do not mock me you foolish child!" he shouted and ran at her with amazing speed. She stood her ground as she watched him get closer and closer. Suddenly, in an instant she was gone. Van looked up and saw her standing on the rune stone behind the arena fighter. Merik stopped and the look on his face was that of shock. "I...Im...possible..." he said. Suddenly, with Talon stil standing on the stone, black flashes whirled in circles around the warrior, scattering his blood everywhere. He fell to the ground without a noise.

Van's jaw nearly hit the ground when he saw the specticle. "H..How...?" was the only thing he could get out of his mouth.

She jumped from the stone and all the minions surrounded her. In less than a minute they were all dead and bleeding black blood onto the ground. "It runs in the family." she said with a little smile.

OoOoO

Clank! Crash!

Loud noises filled the empty beaches of Hook Coast as the two battled like titans. They carved a path of devestation across the sands from the graveyard all the way to the lighthouse. Lyle was faring well against the old mage, but he was still beaten up from his previous battles in Darkwood. He slashed at Maze for the hundredth time, only to have it blocked by the wizards metal stave. Finally, Lyle dropped his sword and grabbed the rod with both hands. Maze's eyes widened as Lyle kicked out at the mage, catching him in the chest and sending him smashing against the wall of the lighthouse.

Lyle spun the new weapon in circles as it charged with energy before hurling it at his old teacher. Maze dove out of the way in time to feel the wall where the weapon his explode from the force of the attack, taking the door with it. He stood, and Lyle ran at him again. But, he vanished. The warrior stopped and looked around the coast, but saw nothing. "Maze! You coward! Where are you!" he shouted. Suddenly, he turned and saw a figure smash into him. It's warped face was a compliment to its dark smoke like clothing and loud shriek it let out.

It grabbed Lyle around the throat and began let out a high pitched scream. Lyle felt his energy draining from his body. He could no longer use his magic to help him. He looked over and saw his sword sticking out of the sand. Using what little strength he could muster, he kicked the blade, causing it to fall over and into his grasp. Taking a short swing, he slashed through the creatures throat, causing the scream to stop and the creature to disappear. As he slowly rose, he felt his energy returning to him as if being poured into him like ale. In fact, he felt more energized than before. Taking his sword, he spotted another of the creatures coming.

Raising his blade, he hurled it forward and it sank deept into the thin chest of the screamer. It exploded into black smoke, and again he felt energy swell within him. He smiled as he looked around for Maze again. His ears picked up something from above and he dove just in time to dodge a fireball from the lighthouse. Lyle rolled to his feet and ran for the door as another exploded behind him. He ran inside and up the spiralling stairs to the next floor where Maze stood, glaring at him. Lyle readied his weapon and ran at the wizard again. Maze's body, like before was coated in a thin layer of light. Lyle jumped and kicked at Maze, who blocked the attack. But, he didn't see Lyle's sword snake out and whip him across the face. Even with the shield up, his blade penetrated and cut a large gash across the mages face. They both stood for a second staring at the blood. Maze stared down at the dark red liquid slowly dripping on his palm. He smirked, then clenched his fist as he began to laugh.

"Thats more like it!" he shouted. He vanished again, only to appear farther away from Lyle near the stairs. He conjured two bolts of lightning in his palms and shot them both at the warrior. Lyle took the hit and flew backwards smashing into a pillar and sending his sword over the edge of the balcony. He slid to the ground unconscious. Maze stood and stared at him for a moment, then sighed and turned around.

"Again." he heard. Turning around, he saw Lyle getting to his feet.

"What?" he asked astonished.

"I said, again." said the warrior darkly.

Maze smirked. "What makes you think you can stand up to it this time?" he said. Raising his hands, he shot the lightning at him again. Lyle raised both hands and caught the attack, but he was smashed against the pillar again. Forcing himself forward, he held his hands out in front of him, cupping the lightning into his palms. Maze stared in shock, before throwing more energy forward. It slammed Lyle against the pillar again, but he kept pushing himself forward. "I...Impossible..." he said. Lyle pushed until he gained enough momentum to reach Maze, who was using his full power on the attack. Lyle pushed the electricity forward and grabbed Maze's hands with his own. The attack stopped completely and Maze looked up at the warrior in astonishment.

Lyle reared his head back and smashed it into Maze's face, causing the wizard to fly back and hit the ground, now bleeding from his mouth. Lyle jumped into the air and went to stomp on the wizard, but he rolled out of the way and stood again. Lyle turned to the mage, only to be sent through the stone wall when a wall of invisible energy smashed into him. He fell and hit the bottom floor, soon followed by the debry of the wall. He rolled out of the way before standing again and running back up the stairs. When he got to where the mage had attacked him, he saw that he was gone. Running up the stairs in front of him, he spiralled further up the tower until he saw Maze, and saw the fireball that was aimed strait for his head.

He ducked just as the attacked whizzed overhead, then looked up in time to see Maze's foot collide with his face. He fell backwards down the stairs and hit the ground hard. He shook the stars from his vision and glared up the stairs at the wizard. Raising his fist, and smashed it into the stone floor. Maze gasped as a wave of fire tore up the stairs like a pack of hungry wolves and hit him, causing him to be thrown against the stone barrier opposite of him. The barrier cracked as the mage slammed into it and onto the floor. The warrior ran up the stairs and grabbed Maze by the hem of his cloak and punched him across the jaw. Maze fell to the floor again. Lyle picked him up and thrust both palms into the mages stomach, shooting lightning from them and sending the wizard smashing into the wall of the lighthouse. Maze slid down the wall as Lyle approached again. The warrior bent down to grab Maze again when he received a kick to the stomach. He doubled over in pain as the wizard stood and threw him into the wall again.

Lyle caught himself on the wall and backhanded the mage across the jaw. As soon as the hit connected the man vanished again. Lyle knew exactly where he went. He ran up the stairs and onto the last floor of the lighthouse. He emerged in a room surrounded in glass windows, some broken while others were dirty. In the center of the room was a small pedistal with some indentation in the middle. And just beyond that was Maze, on his knees and coughing up blood. Lyle stopped a short distance away from the mage, then stared down at the man before him.

"You have grown much since you were a boy Lyle." he said.

"And you not at all. Who knew that one day the boy you saved would come back to kill you." he said pitifully.

"I did." said the mage, causing a look of confusion to cross the warriors face. "From that night, when I saw you swing at that bandit. Somehow I knew you would be the answer to my prayers." he said as he spat more blood on the floor.

"What are you talking about? You only wanted to use me in your sick ideals with Jack. You knew from the very start that my mother was alive, you knew what Jack's plans were, you knew what he would do to my family. Yet, you still let him live!" he shouted.

"Oh don't put me that far up." said the mage. He stood to his feet again and stared at the warrior. "I was never any match for Jack. His speed and power were too great for me to even think of challenging."

"What do you mean?" asked Lyle.

"Jack was immortal Lyle!" Maze shouted. Lyle's face was a mask of shock. "He used the Hellgate in his prison to trap souls in that damned mask of his to keep him young forever! He has far more knowledge of battle and spells than I could ever have!" he shouted. "Jack is over 400 years old Lyle..." he said calmly staring at the floor. "He could have killed me from the beginning."

"So why did you help him? Why did you even go near him!" asked Lyle clenching both of his fists.

"Because. Somebody had to do it. He was gaining power too fast to be left alone. I was the only one who could stay close to him. To keep watch on him." he said. Lyle loosened his fists and stared at the mage.

"Why did you let him get away with my mother? Why did you choose now of all times to test me again?" he asked angrily.

Maze looked away. "That I cannot tell you." he said. Then he looked up at the warrior. "You are finally ready to defeat Jack of Blades! But, there is one more thing you must do before you face him..." he said.

"And what is that?" he asked darkly.

"You must finish me. Only when I am gone can we be sure you are ready for Jack." he said. Lyle clenched his fists again. "ARE YOU READY!" he shouted as he raised both hands in the air and charged them with the rest of his power.

Lyle began a battle cry as his energy flew into his hands, creating flames of the brightest white. The ground began to shake violently as the twin sentinals aimed their power at each other. Lightning shot from Maze's hands as fire shot from Lyle's.

Suddenly the power collided, causing a massive explosion that shattered what glass was left in the lighthouse. Everybody in the open of the town stared up at the phenomenon in surprise. From the explosion, a body could be seen flying through the air.

Maze smiled as his energy was completely obliterated and he was sent rocketing off the tower. He sailed through the air slowly, his eyes half closed and a smile on his face. He had never felt better in his entire life. The cold air whipped his grey hair about his body as he stared dreamily at the clouds in the sky, sinking further and further away from him. Before his body hit the ground, Maze was dead.

Lyle stood at the edge of the tower and stared down at the body lying in the snow. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he spoke. "Goodbye Maze...you old fool."