Helios stared in the direction of the sound of a bush rustling. His nerves, already frayed meeting with the Shul'k clan leader, saying it was more than passing wildlife. After all, the wildlife was pretty much non-existent this close to the demonic village the Shoul'k called home.

"Show yourself!" Helios pulled his sheathed sword, and pointed it towards the sound. The transparent-yellow blade seemed to be glinting internally. "I am commander Helios! One of Lord Draden's most competent knights!"

The two knights next to Helios silently faded back to the village to inform their allies of possible spies.

Ryden silently cursed his ill-fortune. Before him stood the ever proud, and ever egotistical, knight that he thought melted in his fire storm. The only thing appearing to have melted was the knight's armor fused to his body.

"Stay." Hunter whispered to Ryden.

Hunter stood with Achmetha still on his back, and walked into the pathway; directly into Helios's line of sight. Only ten yards spanned between the two by the time Hunter stopped. Trees and boulders lined the path making escape impossible for Hunter.

"State your business boy, and I might spare your life." As if to punctuate his point, Helios swung his blade lightly side to side.

Hunter noted six spiked points resembling a dragon's spines fanned their way around the sword's hilt. The handle was silvery with dark yellow veins pulsing from the hilt to the arrow-like tip of the blade. It's presence daring only the bravest (or most stupid) to attack.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry, m'lord. I thought your were one of those terrible d-demons!"

Helios smirked, and couldn't help himself from laughing at this pathetic boy in front of him. "And what of these demons? Perhaps next the shadows will grow wills of their own. Shouldn't you be more worried about your friend; he seems to be knocking on death's doorstep."

It was those shadows that just so happened to have actually caused Achmetha's condition, but Hunter wasn't about to say that. "T-true m'lord. The demons caused his condition, and I'm trying to get him to the closest village outside the forest to help."

Hunter watched as the Golden knight smiled cruelly at him. His expression one Hunter had seen many times in war, and those who saw to make a profit off of a situation.

"I-if you'll excuse me m'lord, I'll be going now." Hunter started to turn but froze as Helios began to speak.

"Why don't you come with me to the Shoul'k village. I'm sure they'll treat you very well. Perhaps they'd even look over your friend for you. Plus, they'd be disappointed if I weren't to help a stranger in their lands."

Helios just pointed his blade directly at Hunter as a sickly yellow mist exploded out from it in every direction for a few hundred yards. Every living thing in the mist either died instantly, or was frozen in place from the fear saturating the mist. This mist also resulted in Hunter to freeze in place while the yellow knight gleamed with evil pleasure.

The sword began to glow brighter, its yellow hue becoming the same sickly color as the mist. The mist spiraled like a funnel cloud on its way towards Hunter. One could almost swear the mist even screamed from fearful pain on its path towards his chest.

Suddenly the cloud shattered into a million tendrils passing harmlessly by, or so Hunter though. Before he could react, Achmetha was snatched from his back, and was drug through the air towards Helios. At that exact moment a pain so fierce shot through his heart.

Hunter stared wide eyed as he noticed a thin wispy tendril of pale yellow exit his chest. He began to hyper-ventilate as an unexplainable fear  gripped his chest. A cold sweat drenched his clothes as he fought against the fear.

Then the sounds of metal clashing, Maya's incomprehensible scream, and an intense heat blasted Hunter's back. Only then did he notice gruesome, and horribly disfigured, elf-like creatures had appeared all around him. That was enough to push the fear over his threshold.

– –

Ryden glowered daggers at the groveling Hunter was attempting poorly to convay. He was pretty sure the pride, or perhaps confidence, the was within Hunter was what made it unconvincing. Ryden decided it would be better to relocate, and let Hunter deal with the fallout of his decision alone.

"Maya, Master Drake – and I guess you too Adalstan – let's find another way around while that moronic Hunter distracts Helios." Ryden's voice was so low he could barely hear it himself.

Drake nodded in agreement. "Yes, I believe you're right. Hunter has provided a prudent opportunity for us to escape."

Maya was too occupied by the events unfolding in front of her to reply; she was the only one to notice the lower ranked knights head back from where they came.

Adalstan nodded, and moved back up the hill with Ryden and Drake. Maya, however stood crouched, not leaving Hunter to fend for himself – even if that meant leaving Ryden's side. Her soul, forged into steel by many battles bloodily won, wouldn't let her leave another warrior behind; even if that cost her life in the process.

Ryden quietly crouch-walked over to Maya, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We. Need. To. Go. Now."

Maya turned to look at Ryden "I'm staying. He's going to need–"

Her words froze on the tip of her tongue as she saw what could only be the spawn of a demon, and probably elf, swing its rusty sword at Ryden's neck; the blade moving too fast to stop. Her instincts took hold, her Paladin training bursting fourth, and the adrenaline enhanced reflexes caused her to move faster than a mere mortal should have been able to.

She, however, was just a mere mortal. The blade struck the hilt of her sword with the force of a cannonball; the blade slid and sparked up into her leather gauntlet. The pain caused her to shriek, and drop her sword.

Get out of here! She shrieked to the stunned Ryden, and the other two. Go, I'll protect you!

She was struck behind before she could reach for her sword. This only caused two things to happen at once. Firstly, it sent the world spinning for Maya, and she swung back; her injured fist connecting with something brittle like bones, which snapped like twigs as she lost consciousness. The second thing was a blue and white ring of fire surrounded the entire area, unfortunately impairing Adalstan and Drakes' escape.

The heat was so intense outside the circle, that several trees exploded from the sudden temperature change. Several of the demonic elves unfortunate enough to be outside the circle, began to either have their dark skin boil off – or be vaporized immediately. Yet those whom were inside the circle felt no heat from the ever rising flames.

Unfortunately one of the demonic elves inside the circle was a hulking brute.

However, Ryden first delt a powerful blast of blue fire into a scrawny elf dragging Maya away, and who appeared to have several ribs protruding it lower belly. He made sure the fire only consumed the elf, and not Maya too. Within seconds only blackened bones were left.

"Impressive, to have this power bestowed upon you must be empowering." The brute sneered. "However, that's the least to be expected by the Korellon's bastard. I, Zafiruhar, will beat the meaning of true power into you."

Ryden had no clue who this Zafiruhar thought he was, nor who this 'Korellon' was. He did however know everything eventually fell to fire's might. The brute was no exception.

The two stared dagger into the other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

Ryden chuckled cruelly. "You want to see power? I will show you my power demon. I am the prince, and you won't be around to regret you're mistake."

Clapping his hands together, Ryden sent a jet of multi-colored flames directly into Zafiruhar's chest. The brute only chuckled darkly as the flames danced across his chest, unable to cling to anything. If one looked close enough they'd notice a black shadowy substance writhing where the flames met brute's body.

Ryden was so focused on burning the brute to ashes he didn't notice the draining effect the shadow was having on him. He only noticed how tired he was when his flames died, leaving only small dying forest fire. Nor did he notice that he was the only one not yet captured, and carried off to only demonic elves know where.

"Sleep well, little bastard." The brute said as he slammed a fist into Ryden's gut, forcing the remaining air out of Ryden's lungs.

Then the brute's leg connected with Ryden's face; the fading of Ryden's vision the only sign he was passing out. He was vaguely aware as he fell, of a faint whisper of dark magic coming from Hunter and Achmetha. He oddly hoped Hunter wasn't dying. Ryden begrudging let his last thoughts be of how Hunter could be of use to get Maya to safety; Ryden wanted his best friend to at least be safe from whatever atrocities waited for them.

– –

Achmetha was thrown to the throne room floor with a sickening thud like a discarded rag doll. His body slid several feet until it stopped in front of the Korkairan's throne, his wound fully exposed to Korkairan.

"Korkairan, forgive us for disgracing you with such trash. But we have made a discovery," Firihel started.

"This boy here has been injured by a phantom, yet still lives. It seems as if he can survive having his mind and soul being devoured," Zafiruhar finished.

"We shall speak of your punishment later, but I am interested." The Korkairan motioned for all but Firihel and Zafiruhar to leave. "If I were to attack him with my phantom, you say he will live, correct?"

"That is correct--"

"Good because your lives depend on it." The Korkairan pointed at Achmetha as wisps of smoky darkness emerged from his fingertips.

A misty headless corpse flew to Achmetha and it dug its yellowy nails into his brain. Achmetha and the phantom arched their backs in pain before the creature let go. Yet as they watched Achmetha they saw his fingers twitch. They then saw them twitch again. Then his entire hand flew at, and caught, the phantom's foot.

There was no time for anyone to react. Achmetha awoke with his normal soulless eyes filled with an evil pleasure. His right hand still gripped the now squirming phantom.

"You dare enter my mind, only to flee with the first sight? Coward," Achmetha growled before releasing the phantom, and watched it run away in terror.

Zafiruhar and Firihel looked at each other. "We must tell Korellon about this prisoner trash, they said in unison."

Korkairan slowly shook his head. "No. If what we witnessed was real, then we have found a true successor!"

– –

A/N

Hey guys! I'm Back! Kinda Sorry about how long it's taken for me to update. It's been what, a year and a half? Man, that is a very, very long time.

I rewrote this chapter several times over the period of my absence. It doesn't help that I got a full time job at the beginning of the year, and have been working anywhere from 160 to 240 hours a month. It's not a good excuse, but I'm using it anyway!

I can't wait to hear what you all think of this part, and I hope you'll comment on what you think will happen next! Perhaps even suggest a name for this chapter?

Also, this is most likely a minefield for you grammar Nazis. Please, I beg you, POINT IT ALL OUT. Thank you in advance for that.

I don't know when the next chapter will happen, but know I will try to work on it; peace out readers, see you next chapter!