I probably won't be able to continue with the once a week updates. I've been really busy taking care of my puppies, because the bigger one is too playful and she always ends up hurting the younger one, so I have to constantly keep her attention off of him so she doesn't hurt him.
Anyways, I hope you understand. Enjoy!
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Drake's point of view-

Forget... Why did that word keep repeating over and over in my head? I shook it off, ignoring my rapid thoughts. All that matters is getting Grayson and Mia out of here. Lalea, I'm not sure if she wants to escape with us or not. She might enjoy the life of luxury here, but have a heart kind enough to help us escape from this place. I only wish that she could help me with this monster in my head. I looked ahead, watching Lalea as she lead us to where she was positive the dragon egg was being held. I could sense a magic signature other than her own getting closer as we moved along. It was definitely a very powerful magic, that I've only felt in the presence of the dragon egg.

She turned her head to look over her shoulder at me. "Drake, can you feel that magic signature?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. It's very powerful. It has to be the dragon egg." I came out more quite than anticipated. My sore throat was gone, but now it was just becoming difficult for me to get my words out.

  "That's what I was thinking." Lalea said as she faced ahead of herself.

I was rapidly looking around, making sure that we weren't being followed. I just felt uneasy and watched, but those weren't feelings I was unfamiliar with. I kept gazing at Luke, wondering how Grayson was able to stand having him around. I knew that Grayson wasn't the forgive and forget type. Oh well, if he's an ally now, then I have to get him out of here as well, if he's willing to leave. I wished I knew what happened while I was gone, but I knew that it wasn't the time to ask.
Every once in awhile I'd stumble on my feet, and my vision would become blurry. It was starting to happen again. My legs shook, threatening to give out under me. I could feel my breathing getting heavier as my vision blurred.

  "Drake!" I heard Mia say before I fell over, finding myself in her arms once I opened my eyes. It wasn't the first time she caught me when I did that.

  "Thanks...again." I said, waiting for my body to get back to normal, before pushing myself back to my feet and continuing to walk.

Grayson walked by my left side, now rubbing his arm. He looked worried, and of course, I knew that worry was for me. He turned to face me, his emerald eyes sparkling, then back up ahead.

  "We should find the storage area and get our supplies back. Drake has magic things in there that could help us, and I have a health potion or two to give to him."

Mia replied. "Yeah. The map to hatch the dragon egg could still be in your backpack."

The magic kept getting closer, until we all came to a corner. Lalea peered around, trying to keep us behind her until she could assure that the coast was clear.

  "There's a lot of guards. The dragon egg has to be behind that door." Lalea said, turning around to face us. "You guys ready?"

We all nodded, readying our blades. Luke was the first to turn the corner and charge at the horde of guards. His battle scream rang out as he ran, and took his first victim from the crowd, plunging his sword into a man's chest. All of us walked away from cover, and charged to help Luke.
I held up my blade as a guard swung his own. They clashed together, sending vibrations down my wrist. I moved to the side, letting his blade swing as I swung my own blade upwards, cutting deep into the side of his face. He screamed, before I lunged my sword into his side, and killed him.
Quickly, I turned around and almost instantly was intertwined in another battle. This time, there were three coming at me. A growl rose from my throat, as I rushed towards my attackers. Instantly, I could feel the pain of iron ripping into my side. With one swing, I was nearly able to decapitate one, cutting deep into his neck. As his body fell over, I screamed in pain as another blade cut a deep scar into my back. I turned around to deal with the attacker, only for another man to knock me onto the ground.
I hissed and looked up, seeing the man hold up his blade to swing it down onto me. Before I knew it, blood was splattering on my face. A blade pierced through the man's throat, making him drop his blade and cough up his own blood. His body fell back as the blade was pulled out, revealing Grayson behind him. A halfhearted grin spread on his lips.
He was then pushed down, hovering over him with his blade poised to strike. I scampered to my feet, rushing at him. I grabbed his head and pulled it back, then placed my blade on his neck and dug it into his skin before dragging it across his flesh. I pushed his body to the side, letting it fall onto another corpse.

  "Thanks buddy." Grayson said, as I held out my hand and help him up.

  "Guys! We got the door open!" Mia called out.

Grayson and I both looked, seeing the ground covered in bodies and blood, and the large once heavily secured wooden door now opened.

Grayson cheered. "Great! Come on Drake. We have to hurry." He ran to others.

I couldn't help but look down at my sword, stained in blood. Something in me enjoyed watching the crimson drip down. My vision blurred and I started to feel dizzy again. What if I just drag it across my neck or something?

Why don't you just make it end?

I shook my head, and ran to the others, trying not to trip on my own feet. I stopped in front of them, a stood there until the world stopped spinning and my vision cleared. They pushed the door open more, giving us sight to a long, dark staircase.

Mia backed away. "Uh, ladies first!"

I can't even stand that joke anymore. All it does is remind me of Armen. I walked around her, and began to descend into the darkness as I walked down the steps. I listened to the sound of our footsteps echoing on the walls, the loud sound of the door closing behind us once we stepped off from the staircase. We were all left in darkness.

  "It's too dark in here!" I chuckled at Mia's outburst.

A sudden blue light illuminated the room, flickering and giving us sight to the large brick hallway . Lalea held up her hand, glowing in blue flames. The ceiling curved, while the walls remained straight. There were small holders on the wall that held unlit candles.

  "There. That's better." Lalea said, as she lit one of the candles with her magical blue fire, the flame turning orange.

The dragon egg had to be somewhere down this hall, locked behind a closed door. We continued down the dark hall, with Lalea lighting the candles as we passed by them. Finally, we came to a split path. One went straight ahead, while the other went in a western direction.

  "What do we do now?" Mia asked.

Grayson replied. "Well, I don't think we should split up. We could all easily get lost."

Luke nodded in the dim light. "Exactly." He turned to Lalea. "Aren't you supposed to be able to tell the direction we need to go?"

Lalea walked ahead of us without saying a word. She stood in the center, looking back and forth from one path to the other. She pointed to the corridor directly ahead of us.

  "The magic signature is stronger this way." She said, continuing to walk.

The dead silence was getting on my nerves. The echoing of our footsteps on the stone floor was like nails on a chalkboard in my ears. Somebody please say something... Make it stop!

The noise getting to your head?

  "Shut up. I don't want to hear it!"

Of course you don't. Just drive that sword of you chest. Make all this torment end.

  "Never." I snarled.

Mia's voice made the voices stop. "Drake, who are you talking to?"

I only looked at her for a second, then looked away. Scratching the back of my neck, I looked up as Lalea lit the next candle. Mia knows about my...problem, right? The voices in my head? I don't remember if I ever told them. Now that I think about it...there's a lot I don't remember.

  "Nothing... Say, um-" I swallowed a lump in my throat. "I don't remember how we met."

She and Grayson suddenly stopped in their tracks. They both stared at me in complete shock and disbelief. I can't blame them. It's one of the worst things I could ever forget!

Grayson whispered out, "How could you forget something as important as that?"

I felt another headache come on. I put my fingers on my head and started pulling my hair. "I don't know! I don't know how I could have forgotten, but I did! I'm sorry!"

Grayson's hand grabbed onto my arm and pulled it. I let go of my hair, my eyes burning but no tears were shed. I guess I ran out of tears a long time ago. Grayson stepped in front of me, pulling my other arm away from my head. I just looked into his eyes, finding a look of sympathy within them.

  "Drake, it's okay. I know that I can't completely understand what's going on, but I know that none of it by your own will." He took in a deep breath. "It's his fault. It's always because of him."

I started hyperventilating, still in disbelief that I could have forgotten such an important thing. She's one of my best friends! How could I let myself forget?!

  "Wait!" Mia called. "I... I remembered something! At the magic library, we found Collin's diary."

My eyes widened. I remember that moment when she read from that book. I remembered all of it. That book explains everything.

"I have gaps in my memory. My younger brother has been telling me that I have been wandering around the house at night. I have no memory of this."

That explains the memory loss. I recalled the moment when I awoke in my basement that day Mia and I reunited with Grayson. The more I remembered the entries, the more clear things became. My unexplained aggression, and how I lash out at others. It doesn't matter anyway. It's not like I can stop any of it.

  "I know, but we already knew that this was the work of Herobrine." I forgot how much it hurt my head whenever I said his name.

  "It's like Grayson said, it's possible that we could find something at the drago hatchery. Just don't worry. Everything will be back to normal soon."

It was a partial lie. I knew I couldn't be saved, I just wanted to see her smile and convince her that it was alright. A part of me felt guilty for doing so. Nothing at the drago hatchery will give me hope. I may not care about a lot of things anymore, but I do care about my friends safety and happiness. That's all I care about.
I looked up, seeing Lalea and Luke now ahead of us, looking at me in concern. Mainly Lalea was looking at me in such a way. I continued walking, hoping to drop the subject, and tried to remember how we met Mia.
An inn. Yeah! We met at an inn with Paganum in it, and she wanted us to go find her chalice for her. I let out a sigh of relief. Don't forget something like that again. There was that word again, repeating in my mind.

  "Guys! This is it!" Lalea called out to us.

We all stopped in front of a large stone door, with a very large metal diamond shaped plate in the center. There were chains wrapped around the door, with a large lock keeping everything in place. That means we need a key to get in. Just our luck.

  "Looks like we'll need a key to get in." Luke verified.

No! I'm not staying in this dreadful place any longer than I have to! I held up my hands, slowly beginning to glow blue and purple. I'm going to destroy this thing and get the job over with. Already I could feel pain rising in my chest, slowly becoming more intense the longer I held back the spell.

  "Stop!" Lalea grabbed my arms and pulled them down. "What are you doing?!"

  "What does it look like? I'm destroying that God d**m lock!"

She shook her head. "Drake, can't you feel that magic the lock has in it? Not even your unstable magic will be able to destroy it! We need a magic key."

Grayson spoke. "Where are we going to get that? We don't have time to ransack the entire palace!"

Luke replied. "The emperor. He has to have the key!"

I heard a growl rise from Grayson's throat. I looked down at his hands, seeing them slightly shaking like he was clutching the blade handle tightly in his fist. I knew that facing the emperor wasn't going to be a walk in the park, but we had to try. We didn't really have much of a choice.
Lalea turned around, and began walking to the dead end of the corridor. A large ladder lead up to the stone ceiling. She lit one last candle with her magic, trying to get a good view on if it was stable, and what rested on top.

  "I might trip on my cloak if I climb up that ladder. Mia, climb up there and open the hatch to see what's above us."

  "You don't think I could trip on my dress?" Mia complained, only getting a glare from the imperial Mage.

  "Fine." Mia rolled her eyes, and began climbing up the ladder.

She struggled to open up the hatch, but eventually got to crack it open enough to look at what was above us. I watched as she looked around, then closed it, and looked down at us.

  "It's looks like a big corridor. There's a guard in front of a door."

Grayson grabbed onto the ladder. "Then let's take him out and get to the throne room. The emperor's fat a** has to be in there."

He began climbing up, followed by Luke. Mia pushed open the hatch, and pushed herself up onto the surface. I could hear battle cries as she charged to take out the guard. I looked at Lalea, who stood there and waited for me to go first. I would have said 'ladies first', but I'll probably never be able to stand saying that again. I felt my eyes get heavy, as I gestured for her to go before me.
She finally gave in, and climbed up the old ladder. I was, of course, the last to get to the top. Seeing that the guard was dead, and that no others were around, I closed the hatch and turned to my friends. Grayson, Mia, and Luke stood at the wooden door on the western wall, rays of sun being cast on them from the windows on the east wall.

  "This is the storage room!" Luke assured. "We can get out stuff!" He began searching the clothing of the dead guard for the key.

  "I can't wait to get my own sword back, but the emperor has it. It's going to be difficult to get it back again." Grayson said, as Luke pulled a keychain from the guard's belt.

Luke stood up, and put the single key that dangled from the chain, into the lock. He turned it, making the sound of a click echo in the almost empty hall. Once he pushed the door open, all of us ran into the room, nearly getting ourselves stuck in the doorway.
I tried to look for the magic signature of my belongings. I found them, but the room was filled with so much more magic that just of my own materials. The empire must have captured and put a death sentence on lots of magic users in the past, and even the present.

  "Yes!" Mia cheered, finding her backpack, lifting it up in the air and spinning around in joy.

Luke laughed. "It's very convenient that we found this place so quickly."

Grayson chuckled. "Yeah, but it's a good convenient"

I pushed lots of things aside, until I finally found my own belongings. My cape was shoved into the backpack; gray fabric sticking out of one of the sides. My hand shot out and grabbed it, pulling it out and threw it over my shoulder, buttoning the single button around my neck. I forgot how good it felt to wear a cape.
I grabbed my bag and opened it, searching to see if everything was in place. Spell books, potions... an empty bottle. I moved one of the books aside, smiling when I saw the flower crown that Mia had given me. It made me kind of upset to see it smothered a bit from being crushed by the book. Still, it remained wearable. Now's not the time, though. I took a strap and slung it over my shoulder, hissing as it hit my injured back.

  "Drake! Come here. You need this." Grayson called.

I looked up, seeing Grayson walk over to me. His backpack was on, along with his cape and hat. I finally notice that the bruises on his neck were healing, but still slightly visible. He handed an old health potion to me. I took it, opening the bottle and drinking it. I know it won't help me for long, but for the few minutes it does, I'm grateful for.

  "Do you feel any better? I'm worried." He said, a glint in his eyes.

I handed the bottle back to him, not caring if he wanted it back or not. "I don't feel dizzy anymore. Thanks."

He nodded, shoving the bottle in his satchel that hung over his shoulder and went over to his opposite side. "No problem. Drake, please tell us when something's wrong. Don't run off..."

I looked down and growled at myself. I know I should have done that in the first place, but I was scared. Fear makes you do stupid things. Was it really stupid? I was just trying to keep Grayson and Mia safe... I don't know.

  "Why did you do that anyway? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I understand." He said, that look of sympathy returning to his emerald orbs.

For a second, I thought about it, until I decided that it would probably give him some closure if I did tell him my reasons. "I... H-he...." I struggled to talk again.

Grayson waited, until I was finally able to form the words. "H-Hero...he...wanted me to...kill you and Mia. The visions, the nightmares, the voices in my head... I let them get the better of me."

He sighed. "It's okay. I'd probably do the same, honestly. We'll do whatever it takes to help you. I won't let you continue living through this."

My cheeks slightly ached from the small grin on my face. It just made me happy to know that he was always there for me, but the grin didn't last long at all. I could end up being his downfall. I'll hurt him...again, possibly even kill him! I'm scared of myself, well, I guess it's not really me that I'm scared of. Herobrine is the real one I should be fearing. This is all his fault.

"Thank you, Grayson. That means a lot to me." My small smile returned. I only feel sane around my friends. I'm grateful for them.

  "Guys!" Lalea ran to us, with Mia and Luke behind her. "Are you ready?"

Mia had her backpack on, and her old pink sword that we got from the magic library. Her eyes looked a lot brighter. Luke held out one of his arms, finishing strapping on his purple and iron elbow pad. He had all of his armor back, but kept his mask at his neck.

Grayson nodded. "I think so. What now?" He asked Lalea.

Lalea shrugged. "Get to the throne room, I guess. But what then?"

An idea came to my head. I didn't know how well it would work out, but it was all I had. I thought it through as I put the sheath to my sword on my belt, dropping my iron sword to replace it with my old diamond one. Once I looked back up at them, I cleared my throat, hoping that I'd be able to speak this time.

  "I have an idea. I don't know how well it will work, but it's better than nothing."

Luke shrugged. "What is it?"

I continued, converting my gaze to Lalea. "Lalea, do you know a shortcut to the throne room from here? Which way is longer than the other?"

She looked down, thinking for a moment. "Well, I think a hall down the south corridor then taking a right will get us there faster. The slowest way is taking a left when you leave this room."

I nodded, turning back to Luke. "Do you think you'll know how to get there if we take the long way?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "I believe so, but why?"

Once again, I looked at the blue haired girl. "Lalea, the emperor doesn't know that you're helping us, right?"

  "No. Not yet. Well, I don't think so." I put my hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes to ensure she listened closely.

"Good. You need to take the shortcut and try to get to the throne room before us. If the emperor is there, you need to look for a key on him, and think of a way to get it off of him without trouble."

I let go of her, and looked around at the others. "The rest of us have to take the long way to give Lalea enough time. Once we get to the throne room, we have to prepare for a fight. When the emperor is distracted, Lalea will get the key and try to get it to us."

They looked at each other, nodding and exchanging glances. I had try to catch my breath. I felt a little better from the potion, but I still felt weak and sick. Mia looked up at me first, followed by the others.

  "Okay. We'll try it. It does seem like our best bet."

Grayson turned and began to walk to the door, and stood there. "Lalea, you should go first to give us a bit more time."

She nodded, then walked to the doorway. She turned around, and told us to stay safe, before leaving. We all waited for a moment, as if we were all waiting for Grayson to tell us when to get moving. The blonde looked down the hallway, watching until she was out of sight.

He turned back to us, and gestured for us to come. "Coast is clear. Let's go."

Luke and Mia turned to me, waiting to see if I was ready. I nodded, then went ahead of them, leaving the storage room. Grayson was first, Mia was  behind him, and Luke and I were at the back. I looked at the lavender haired assassin, as he rubbed his arm, looking nervous.

  "Hey, uh, Drake?" He said.

  "Hmm?"

I was actually shocked to see his eyes glistening with tears. "I....I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I never expected they'd do those things to you. I-I..."

I cut him off. "Hey, man, it's alright. Something bad was bound to happen to me in the first place. And quite frankly, I'm glad I wasn't around Grayson and Mia when..."

I stopped, remembering how Lalea informed me about how Herobrine possessed me. If he was that powerful to kill all of those people, then I could only imagine what would have happened if I had been around Grayson and Mia at that time.

Luke lowered a brow. "When what?"

I sighed and shook my head. "You know of my problems with him, don't you?"

He seemed to get uncomfortable with the mention of Herobrine. He wiped his eyes from his old tear then looked down, as if remembering something.

  "Yeah. I think I remember Grayson mentioning something about that awhile before we were caught."

  "Well, he took control of me again the other day. If I hadn't been captured... I probably would have killed Grayson and Mia."

Grayson turned around, but continued to walk backwards. "Luke, you better be helping him if he's having a hard time walking!"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, I will!"

He looked back over to me, holding out his hand that now had black gloves on it. "So, are we cool?" His eyes looked worried, but hopeful.

I smiled, grabbing his hand. "We're cool."

Nathan's point of view-

The mercenaries in the palace had been informed of Drake and his allies escape. I knew that he had to be stopped before anymore blood was spilled. I kept my eyes locked on the ground as I walked, lost in thought. Ever since we brought him here, that hybrid had been plaguing my mind. One second he seems like a good guy, then the next...he just turns into a psychopath.

What he said this morning was eating away at my thoughts. "What did you expect with the job of a mercenary? Of course you're going to see comrades die! You were trained for the bloodshed!"

I knew that he was right. I should have been prepared instead of crying like a baby. Maybe I've never been cut out for this job. I make friends with the prisoners, freak out when I see blood, then let my anger get the better of me! I let out a sigh. He is right. What kind of mercenary am I? I don't belong here.
Still, I have to stop that hybrid. I can't let him kill anymore people out of cold blood. That's another thing that's been bothering me. He does kill to protect his comrades, and that I understand, but when he went on that rampage, he made the excuse that he was possessed. I can't help but wonder if it's true or not. The more I think about it, the more I believe him.
A gasped escaped my lips, and I froze when I heard something squish beneath my foot. Now snapped out of my thoughts, I looked down, seeing my foot stepping in a pool of thick red. I looked up, my heart racing. I felt my breath getting stripped from me at the brutal sight and that rancid smell of burnt flesh.
Bodies scattered the floor, lying on top of a sea of crimson. One of the bodies stood out to me the most. He wore white now now covered in black and red, and his hair that had ginger roots, but the rest was scorched black. His face and upper chest was very badly burned, covered with bleeding sores, and black and red skin. His eye was stabbed and ear cut off. His stomach was also cut open, leaving another unpleasant aroma of internal organs in air.
I put my hand over my mouth as I gagged, trying not to lose the contents of my stomach. Wasn't he the royal scientists? I bent down on my shaking legs, feeling some of the blood soak into the knees of my pants. The hybrid had to of done this. Burned him with his magic then got his revenge for the experiments done on him. I need to get that hybrid off of my mind, but now I can't get that conclusion out of my head.

  "He has to be stopped." I whispered, still in shock of the bloodbath before me.

I stood up, pulling out my sword incase I saw him anywhere. I can't let this bloodshed continue any longer! The murder of the royal scientists was intentional, no doubt. But Drake's comrades must have been with him, according to the information we've been given. So, was this solely out of revenge, bloodlust, or just the simple will to protect his friends?

  "My intention isn't to kill unless you hurt me or my friends."

So it wasn't bloodlust. His words kept echoing in my head, not giving my rapid thoughts any rest. Well, the scientists did hurt him. I guess that explains it, but everyone else he's slaughtered? Ha, that answers obvious, they were putting him and his comrades in danger, that has to be it. But what good excuse does he have for the night of the massacre?
I still don't know if I believe his little possession story. Then again, his eyes were glowing that night, weren't they? A lot of that moment was a big haze aside from the dead bodies and blood. Perhaps he is telling the truth.
Still, gazing down at the bloodbath that was now before me, I realized just how much Drake was capable of. Have I hurt him too? I have been mean to him lately. What if I'm next? I began walking away from the corpses, holding the handle of my blade tightly in my grip. What if I'm the real bad guy here, and he's the one that's truly in the right?
Well, when it comes to protecting your comrades, I suppose there is no wrong or right. We're both on the same playing field, since both of us are trying to protect others, I suppose. In all honesty, I'm terrified of him...and of what he would do the next time he sees my face. Am I a friend or foe? Who's side am I really on?

Lalea's point of view-

I finally got to the palace, looking over myself to assure that I had no blood on me. Surprisingly, it didn't seem like I did. I took in a deep breath, hoping that the emperor did indeed have the key and that the others wouldn't walk straight into a death trap. Pushing open the doors, I looked around, seeing the emperor yelling at one of his servants, but luckily the others didn't seem to have it here before me.

"Lalea! Where were you?" A member of my guild frantically ran up to me, taking my hand as if I was sick or something.

"I was checking on the hybrid prisoner." I said, pulling my hand out of her grasp.

We walked further into the hall, guards closing the door behind us. The room was filled with familiar life forces, many of which were members of my guild. What were they doing here? The emperor pushed aside his servant, and began walking closer to me as my friend walked back with the rest of the group, staring at me like I did something wrong. Have I been caught already?
I swallowed a lump in my throat as my body became sweaty. The emperor now stood over me, not nearly as towering as Drake, but much more intimating. He scowled down at me. I took a step back, trying to prepare myself for when he sent out the guards to pull me to the ground in order to be restrained.

"Where have you been?" He said sternly. "You know that you should have been with you guild members after you treated to the hybrid."

I bowed my head, not looking up at him. "Yes, your highness, I'm aware. I stayed with the hybrid awhile longer. I'm interested in his illness. It's the same one that took away my grandfather. For you see..." He cut me off. Not all of it was a lie, but it was good excuse.

"Very well. Don't ever disobey orders again. You only stay as long as you need to then report to your guild. Understood?"

I bowed again. "Yes your highness."

"Honestly, I expect better from you." He said as he turned around.

For the split moment his royal cape wasn't in the way, I caught a glimpse of something shiny hanging off of his belt. A shining blue key. I tried to focus of it, and sure enough, it did have a magical signature coming from it.
I walked behind him as he went to his throne. I felt uneasy from the glares from the members of my guild. I cared about them, and it was kind of hard having that knowledge that they would probably die soon. I looked back at the emperor as he spoke.

"Well, Lalea, he escaped. Along with Grayson and the other traitors. Care to explain why?"

I felt my body begin sweat more rapidly. I looked into his eyes, seeing the hidden rage. I opened my mouth, not able to speak. What am I supposed to say? He shrugged again.

"Well, my guards and mercenaries are looking for them. Grayson and the others will be executed on sight and the hybrid will be brought here for sever punishment. I'll make sure it's so much worse than last time."

I flinched at the memory of Drake's screams of agony. This plan better work. If the others die, then what if that demon takes control of Drake again? I know his sanity will waver greatly, almost to none.

"I'll leave him with nothing. I'll break him until he listens to my every command. I'll be like a god with his power."

I looked down at the key. So close, but so far. My eyes averted from him, and looked at the door, waiting for the others. I hope they are okay. Silence fell between us for a few minutes, and the whole time, I just stared at the door, anticipating for the arrival of Drake and his friends.

The emperor spoke. "Anyways, Lalea darling. Once we get the hybrid back, I'll inform the professor to help with his illness. He should be able to do something."

"Yeeeaaah." Nope. Definitely not.

He turned to me with a brow raised. Maybe speaking with such a sarcastic voice wasn't a good idea. Our heads turned as gasps filled the room. The doors swung open, letting Drake, Grayson, Luke, and Mia walk in. The emperor stood straight, a gasp escaping his throat before it was replaced with a growl. I looked down at the key, wondering if his belt would break easily so I could get it.

The emperor's arm raised up, pointing to the escapees. "Cease them!"

I watched as my own past friends charged at my new comrades, all ready to spill blood. My body kept shaking in horror. I didn't know that this would happen. I don't want to see any of my friends die.

Third person point of view-

"Magi!" Drake called out to warn his companions.

The others drew their swords, and charged at the imperial magic users. Drake ran, instantly driving his blade into a man's chest. The flames in his palm extinguished as his life drained from his body, falling onto the ground. Lalea flinched, with tears in her eyes as felt a comrade's life force slip away.
Drake swung his blade, cutting charging guards deeply, but not succeeding in killing them. Grayson and Luke and ran out, stabbing the injured foes. A Mage lit a ball of fire in his palms, firing it at Drake. The hybrid held up his arm, a purple shield forming from magic energy to block himself and Luke from the attack. Grayson ran, taking down another guard before going face to face with another Mage. The fireball collided with Drake's magic shield, exploding against it, pushing Drake back slightly.
As the shield went down, Drake outstretched his arms and let five balls of fire form around him. Pain shot up throughout his body, nearly causing him to collapse. He growled, feeling sweat drip down his face, rolling off of his nose and lips and dripping into his eyes. He screamed in anger and pain, firing his magic flames at the other Magi.

"Drake, no!" Lalea screamed, scolding him.

The other Mage was quickly killed as the flames died out. Drake laughed hysterically, suddenly finding pleasure in the screams and the scent of burning flesh.

"Burn, you b*****d." He said in a dark, low tone, before charging at others with his blade, enjoying as the diamond tore through flesh, and blood sprinkled onto his body and the ground.
...
A yell escaped from Luke as he was hit in the chest by an energy blast, his armor preventing the blast from being fatal. Luke dodged an energy blast, grabbing a kunai knife that he had taken from the storage room. He tossed it across the room, making the black painted blade pierced into the magic users arm. Using the advantage, Luke charged, driving his sword into the other man's chest.
...
A ball of blood red energy fired at Grayson. He jumped aside, the blast hitting the men behind him. They all seemed to be coming out of nowhere. The Mage lifted his arms, red crystals forming around him, all of the sharp ends pointing at the thief. Grayson ran at him, with his blade at his side. The crystals flew through the air, the first one cut Grayson's cheek, while others pierced into his arms, chest, and legs.
As Grayson's blood covered blade swung to hit his next target, a red magic shield came between the blade and the Mage. The imperial Mage laugh as Grayson's blade shattered against the shield, iron glittering the blood sprinkled floor. He pulled out a sword, and raised it above the blonde, a wide smile on his face. Grayson's eyes widened, before a black object zipped past him, hitting the man in head and killing him. Grayson looked up, watching Luke run over and pull his kunai out of the man's head. Luke gazed at him, his eyes widening and pupils constricting in shock.

"Grayson, you badly injured!" Luke said, afraid the it would kill his once again-comrade.

Grayson pushed himself back to his feet, looking at the bleeding wounds as the crystals vanished from his body. His body was shaking and his breath now came out raspy from injuries to his body. He didn't really know if the injuries were very severe or not.

"It's o-okay.... Where's Drake and M-Mia?" Grayson asked, looking around for his comrades.
...

Mia fell over, a ball of green energy colliding into her stomach. She grunted as she pressed her aching elbows on the ground to push herself up. She cracked one eye open, before opening both and gasping. A Mage stood over her, a ball of green energy ready to bring down on her. She growled, grabbing her sword. She pushed herself up, and let out a battle scream as she ran at him, now charging straight at the blast. She swiftly dodged the blast, stabbing the man once she was in good range.
A scream rang out behind her, making her turn around and prepare herself for another kill. Before the guard could reach her, his body was engulfed in a purple aura, and his body was sent flying straight up into the air. Drake waved his arm around, using his levitation magic to slam the guys body into the ceiling and the pillars holding up the entire foundation of the palace.
Mia chuckled, before looking at Drake's face. She stopped, her smile fading away. His nose was bleeding, and the pupil in his Ender eye was narrow. A wide smile was spread on his cheeks as dark chuckles rose in his throat. Mia had never seen him take so much pleasure in another's pain, and it scared her. The dark circles around his eyes and hair matted down with sweat and blood made him look more terrifying. He put his arm down forcefully, making the now dead body fall onto other enemies.

"Drake, are you alright?" She asked, even though she knew that everything was far from being alright.

His smile faded into an open frown, as if snapped out of a trance. Mia's body tensed as he started gasping, then fell onto his knees. Blood poured out of his mouth, scaring Mia nearly half to death. She ran closer to him, bending down to and grabbing his shoulder. She called out his name, hoping that he would hold onto consciousness.
Drake finally stopped, looking up at the elf as he gasped for breath. He gasped more loudly, suddenly pushing Mia out of the way. She gave out a small yelp of surprise and panic, before she turned her head to see Drake's diamond blade stabbing the chest of a Mage.

"Focus of this fight." He said, pulling his sword out of the body. "Don't let me get in the way of what needs to be done anymore... Please. I can't let you guys die because of me."

"Drake, we..." She didn't finish, when she saw a Mage behind him, with a ball of water forming in his hand. "Drake! Watch out!"

By the time he turned around, it was already too late. A ball of scalding water collided with him, sending him flying back into a pillar. He began to panic as the water formed a sphere around his head, making him inhale the liquid, and slowly beginning drown him.
Before Mia could run to help her friend, she suddenly found herself pinned down, with a man above her ready to swing his iron blade down on her. As he brought it down, Mia quickly brought up her sword, narrowly avoiding being stabbed as she held him at bay. She kicked him as hard as she could, making him stand and give her enough time to get up. He held up his weapon again, charging. This time, his blade grinded against hers, lodging into her shoulder. Mia let out a scream of pain, fighting the tears threatening to slip out from under her eyelids.
Drake felt his chest aching as he slowly lost his breath; blood mixing with the water and his hair waving in the liquid. His vision was already starting to darken, with blue spots forming, but he tried to hang onto consciousness with all of his will. His heavy eyes were beginning to close, until he looked at where Mia was, seeing the blurred image of Mia in a fight with a man. The hybrid lifted up his hand, looking for the man that was holding him. He formed magic fire around him, unaware of their stability. They fired randomly around him, exploding as they impacted with their targets.
Fire hit the man stabbing Mia, and the one holding Drake in the water spell, freeing them both. Mia held her hand over the stab wound, feeling her warm blood cover her palm and fingers, running down her arm. She hissed, looking up as Drake cough up water and blood.

"M-Mia! Are you o-okay?" He asked, before coughing again.

She ran to his side, grabbing his shoulders to help him up. "Well, I got stabbed, but other wise, I'm good."

"Guys!" Grayson's voice called out.

The Mage and the elf looked up at Grayson and Luke, as Luke took out another guard. They gasped at the multiple bloody holes in Grayson's body. They were no longer bleeding, but they still hurt like h**l. His eyes widened as he saw the bleeding injury on Mia.

"Mia, are you sure you can go on with that injury?" He asked.

Mia shrugged. "Well, if you can go on like that, then I can handle this."
...
Lalea watched from the emperor's side. All of the guards and magi were almost wiped out. She looked at the emperor, and the key on his belt. This can't go on much longer. Suddenly, she lunged out and grabbed the blue key, pulling it until part of the emperor's belt snapped and released the key. He spun around, gasping as she ran to join the escapees.

"Traitor! Get her!" He ordered.

She tried to get to the others, but was stopped when a member of her guild jumped in front of her, his arms outstretched, with sea foam green magic energy swirling around his hands. He wore a dark green cloak, with leaf and branch designs in a lighter shade of green. He glared at her, with seething hatred and the pain of betrayal.

"Why are you doing this, Lalea? They are the enemy!"

She didn't know how to answer. She stood there in silence, slipping the key into her pocket. Her hands lit up with blue electricity, swarming around her fingers and traveling up her palms and wrist. A growl rose in her throat.

"You don't understand, Jacob."

He gave a smug look, raising one eyebrow. "You've taken interest in that hybrid, haven't you? You know, more that just a friendly interest?"

She tensed up as her cheeks grew red, burning in heat. Did she really see him that way? She only helped him because he didn't deserve to suffer like he was. He only killed because he wanted to protect his friends, and if not that, then he was possessed. Lalea looked over, glancing at the hybrid as he stood with help from Mia. She did like his strong will to protect his friends, and he was quite cute....

Lalea shook her head. "No, I haven't! I just can't let him suffer anymore! Now get out of my way!"

Her hands lifted up, firing blue lighting at him. He lifted up his arm, making a sea foam green magic shield in front of himself, blocking the attack. He fired an energy blast at her, but she put up a shield to block it. He growled, trying again, this time knocking down her shield like glass. Her eyes widened, not expecting it to be taken down so quickly.

"I don't like traitors, Lalea." Jacob said, pulling out a sword. "It's a shame that you did this. I kinda liked you as more that just a leader, or even a friend."

He charged at her with a cry, swinging his blade. Lalea cringed as she felt the blade repeatedly cut into her body. She back up with each swing, cutting her cheek, neck, chest, and stomach. She put up her arm, blasting him with another electricity strick. He fell back, readying more spells, with his hand glowing brightly.
...

"Grayson, you're injuries are more severe than you think. How many health potions do you have left?" Drake asked, his nose starting to bleed again.

Grayson shook his head. "I gave the last one to you!"

Drake's breath staggered. His eyes kept looking around at the bodies scattered everywhere on the floor. He felt his body shaking and twitching, with a desire to take another life. He pushed Mia away and fell to his knees, digging his fingers into his head, feeling a pounding headache begin. It felt like he was bleeding from his ears and his head would explode.

Kill them. You want to kill, to fill that desire, don't you?

He looked up, tears streaming down his face and saliva dripping from his mouth. Grayson and Luke gasped at the sight of his eyes. They weren't glowing, but they didn't look...sane. Drake began to claw at the air, then grabbed his arm with his other hand and pulled it back.
Images flashed through his mind, seeing himself kill Grayson, Mia and Luke. He scratched at his head, tearing skin and making it bleed. Then the memories began to roll in; Armen, the experiments, the nightmares.

"Make it stop!" He screamed.

"Drake!" Lalea called out.

Drake turned, seeing Lalea fighting another Mage, with her hands now ignited in blue flames. She swung a punch, hitting Jacob in his cheek. He screamed, feeling his face burning in flames. Lalea turned and ran to her new friends, pulling the key out of her pocket.

"I got it!" She yelled, as Drake got back up to his feet, noticing how distant everything sounded.

She stopped in front of Drake, the wide smile on her face fading. He wasn't right. A strange, troubled aura came off of him, and she could tell that his sanity was far from okay.

"Drake, what's wrong?" She asked, grabbing his hands unconsciously.

She looked down, feeling Drake's fingers move as he slowly took the key from her. She moved her fingers, readjusting them in his sweaty palms. Then she looked up into his eyes, her heart aching at the dead look in his mis-colored orbs. He didn't answer, but he looked up, watching as archers surrounded them, charging out from halls that connected to the main hall.
Luke and Grayson stood back to back, holding up their blades to fight. Drake lifted his arm, and looked over his shoulder at the thief. Mia, backed up, on arm on the handle of her blade and the still over her aching wound.

"Say hello to my archers!" The emperor called, standing on his throne.

"Grayson!" Drake called out, getting his attention.

Grayson looked up, as Drake tossed the key into the air. He used his levitation magic, lowering it to Grayson to assure that he would get it. Grayson gripped it tightly, then grabbed his blade handle with it still in his hand.

Drake turned to Lalea, his other hand still in her tight grip. "I'm sorry, Lalea. I have to protect you all. I can feel myself losing it..."

She shook her head, knowing that whatever he was planning, it wasn't good. "Drake don't!"

"Aim!" The emperor's voice rung out.

Drake lifted up his arm, glowing purple and blue, but with more white in his magic than usual. He pulled his other hand out of Lalea's grip and stepped back, as a magic dome formed around her and the others.

Luke banged his fist against the dome, clueless as to what was happening. "What's happening?!"

Grayson looked at the dome, recognizing it from the night they faced the cultists. "No. Drake!"

Lalea watched as Drake cringed, his arm shooting up to his chest as he gritted his teeth. Tears of pain came out of his eyes, as Lalea's own tears escaped from her's. He looked up, his sweat covered hair matted down on his head, covering his white eye.

"If I lose control, please protect them." Drake staggered out. Lalea's eyes got even wider.

"Fire!"

The archers released their bow strings and pulled triggers to crossbows, letting the arrows fly. Drake's chest and hands glowed. His ears kept ringing, not allowing him to hear the command. He only knew that the arrows had been fired when he saw them getting closer.

"Die!" Drake shouted at the top of his lungs, as light and energy engulfed his body, firing in all directions.

Everyone trapped in the force fields, and even the emperor, closed their eyes and turned away from the blinding light. They could feel everything shake as the blast made impact with the force fields, the pillars, and the walls. The emperor looked up in horror as flakes of the ceiling began to drift down on them. The pillars broke, but not enough that the foundation would collapse.
The bodies of the archers were sent flying, pieces of their clothing burning in flames. The emperor screamed, feeling some of his hair getting singed. The magic faded, and the emperor watched Drake limp towards him. The hybrid's eyes locked onto him, narrow and fidgety. A wide smile was on his face, teeth covered in red and brown from old blood stains. The emperor stood down from his throne, looking at the hybrid with wide eyes. Drake laughed in a high pitched tone, covering his white eye as he began to twitch.

"I'll k-kill....y-you..." He said, red beginning to come out of his nose and even his eyes.

"I-I'll make you b-beg for m-mercy." He hissed, taking his hand off of his bleeding white eye. He held out his arm, unstable magic coursing down his forearm.

The magic energy fired from his hands, speeding towards the royal tyrant. He jumped out of the way, falling onto the ground as the blast burned a piece of his sleeve, burning his flesh. He covered his head to stop the debris from hitting it. Opening his eyes, he gasped finding his throne and the ground beneath it completely obliterated. He looked back over to the insane Mage, waiting for another strike as he held his wound.
Drake stopped laughing, his fingers lowering as the magic died down. His smile faded as his eyes closed, tears and blood running down his cheeks. His body collapsed, the force fields holding his friends vanishing.

"Drake! Drake!" His comrades called out, running as fast as they could to his aid.

The emperor lunged out at the unconscious hybrid, grabbing his chin and lifting him up to place Grayson's own blade against Drake's neck. Grayson, Luke, Mia and Lalea all stopped in their tracks, grasps leaving the females. Grayson felt his body trembling as he looked at his vulnerable friend, horrified by the fact that he was now bleeding from his eyes.
He growled, his eyes burning with rage for the emperor. He pulled out his new pistol, aiming it at the corrupt King. He wasn't going to let his friend die, especially not by the emperor's hands. His hand trembled, shaking the gun as he pointed it at the tyrant.

"Let him go!" The blonde demanded, his chest aching with nerves and rage.

The emperor chuckled. "I wouldn't be pointing a gun if I were you, Grayson."

Grayson didn't listen. He took a step forward, his face covered in sweat, and gritting his teeth. He pulled back the hammer end, readying to finally end the life of the man who threatened to take everything from him. His eyes teared up, hating seeing his best friend like this.

"Give me back the key, and I won't kill him." The emperor gave the offer.

"You wouldn't dare kill him." He hissed through his teeth.

There was a glimmer in the emperor's hazel eyes. "I've spent a lot more resources on that egg that I have with this freak. Now, give me the key."

Grayson's eyes grew wider as he saw Drake's neck become red, and a streak of blood began to run down his skin from the blade. The trigger on the gun rattled from the shaking, making it the only other noise Grayson heard besides his heartbeat pounding in his ears. One wrong move, and Drake could be murdered right in front of him, and already, he was aware that he wasn't a good shot.

"The dragon egg that made you lose your family, or your best friend who's willing to die for you."

"It's a trap." Lalea warned.

Grayson swallowed a lump in his throat, suddenly finding it hard to breath. Sweat rolled down his face, putting a salty taste in his mouth. She was right, but that didn't change the fact that his best friend was now at the emperor's mercy.

"Your choice, Grayson."