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Chapter 4

A Dream Continued

A Longer Time Ago Than the Previous Chapter…

North waved his swords, shouting "Ho, ho, ho," as he swung down towards Pitch. He didn't know why he said that phrase. Just seemed rather appropriate. It certainly gave Pitch a surprise as he looked up to see North coming down.

Pitch raised his scythe in a defensive pose, blocking North's swords from striking him. It didn't protect the Nightmare King entirely, as North's landing pushed Pitch back a few paces.

North pressed his advantage, charging at Pitch. His swords swung wildly, trying to break Pitch's defense. A thrust here, a swipe there, a swing elsewhere. Pitch blocked all the blows and pushed North back via a defensive push from his scythe.

Then it was Pitch's turn. He swung his scythe in large swinging strokes. They weren't as sophisticated as North's blows, but they were long and quick enough to get close to North without leave Pitch exposed. North dodged the long swings and parried the shorter ones, swiping his own sword at spots that Pitch was able to counter with ease. There was no doubt about it, the two were evenly matched.

And so it happens, in evenly matched fights, that a chink in the armor appears. No matter how good a swordsman or fighter one is, there will always be a point where somebody makes a mistake. An overswing, a slip in the battlefield, a spot that is exposed for a second. That spot is always found, and one side will always notice the chink before the other.

So it was that North noticed a chink in Pitch's technique. Pitch's scythe swings had gotten sloppy. They were swings you had to back away from, but left a hip exposed for a split second. If somebody moved in quickly, he could not only disarm Pitch, but maybe even strike a blow. But such a move would have to be almost instantaneous to get past before Pitch could move to a defensive block.

But North wasn't a regular swordsman. Such a move was well within his powerhouse. North jumped back a little when Pitch made his next scythe swing, then moved in immediately for the kill. With a flick of the wrists, his left sword nicked Pitch's hands, making Pitch drop his scythe, while his right sword swiped at Pitch's right hip. Pitch backed away as North thrust, causing him to trip and fall. Pitch looked up at both of North's swords facing him.

"Yield, Pitch. Your plot has failed. Call off your forces, and you will be shown mercy," North said.

Pitch looked up with a grim snarl on his face. Instead of responding, he nodded his head.

North was confused. Was the nod a condition of surrender? Then why didn't Pitch tell his dark army to surrender? It was almost like he wasn't nodding at North, that he was nodding at someone behind North…

North turned around quickly. There were no forces charging at him, but several nightmares were charging at a yeti close by. All of North's other forces seemed to be holding their own, but they couldn't reach their comrade. The yeti was being pummeled hard. If North didn't do something soon, the yeti would fall.

North then did something he had never done before, something incredibly risky. North reared back and threw one of his swords. This sword was made of meteorite slivers that were very useful for fighting nightmares and fearlings. It flew in a small arc straight for the yeti and the nightmares surrounding him.

The yeti was able to catch the sword, holding it in his hands as if it were a large toothpick. Facing a spear and a sword, the nightmares were quickly dispatched, fading away in black sand. Soon the yeti was standing alone, not surrounded by nightmares. He looked back at North with a grateful face, then threw the sword back and charged into the battle, spear in hand.

North reached his left hand up to catch the sword. However, he suddenly felt his legs swept out from under him, and his other sword falling out of his hand. When North got his bearings, he saw Pitch standing above him, scythe pointed directly at North.

North grimaced. He had been so focused on helping his friend that he had forgotten his opponent. Pitch had reformed his scythe of black sand, then tripped North, and was now ready to finish the Guardian of Wonder.

Pitch looked down at North, grinning evilly. "So North, it appears that the tables have turned. You had me down and defeated, only to find yourself fallen. This is probably one of those concepts the humans are always discussing. What is the word? Ah yes, irony.

"You gave me an offer of mercy before. I appreciate the gesture, so I will give you a boon. Any last words?"

North paused for a second. "You will never win, Pitch. Even if we fall, Man in Moon will appoint new Guardians to combat your fear. One way or another, you will fall in battle."

Pitch looked down, sneering. "Look around you, North. There is no hope for you or your men. My nightmares and fearlings are destroying or turning your forces easily. It's only a matter of time before my forces win and we take the North Pole. You all were a pitiful attempt to stop me.

"The Man in the Moon sees it and knows it. That's why he's abandoned you all to this fate. To die on a battlefield with no help coming and no hope found. Let this knowledge sink in your veins as you prepare to die."

With that, Pitch began to swing his scythe down. North knew that there was no way he could move out of the way in time, and all the other Guardians and troops were fighting their own battles. Pitch's scythe moved down, a few inches away from North's chest.

And now we have seen more of the battle. And what a crazy battle it is. Only time will tell how it ends. As always, please rate and review.