Fuck it.

"Me!!!" Flame lacked the natural bass that the man had on him due to age. So he tried to make up for it in spirit.

He replicated that slight flaming glow the man had in his eye and tried his best to show his moxie. They were gonna find out how much of a personality he had when the other imps told them about him. So why hide it.

Flame smiled deviously and licked his lips. "I'm the boss of this place, and was blessed by the flame," He said pointing at himself. “I’m the strongest here.” The powerful looking man had a smile on his face as he watched Flame's boast. "THE BOSS HUH, WELL-"

"Be quiet."

The gigantic man immediately stopped, looking around. "WHO DARES-"

"I said, be quiet. I'm trying to sleep."

"Oh ok. Makes sense," The giant said, "WAIT, WHY SHOULD I LISTEN TO AN INVISIBLE STRANGER?!" The giant goat headed monster got heated.

Smoke poured from his nose and fire seemed to literally form in his eyes. While this man didn't seem like a mage, he also didn't feel like someone who was out of tune with his elements. Quite the opposite actually. Fire seemed to come out of the man as easily as he breathed.

It wasn’t just an ability to him, it was like an extension of self.

"Invisible? Oh, sooorry," The little boy's monotone voice rang through the room and had an immediate snap that called everyone to his attention. Like someone new had walked in with a spotlight.

He was an Imp darker than Flame. Black. Completely black all over. Despite the immediate attention he seemed to command for a second, when Flame tried to look at him he felt his mind slipping on banana peels. Like his train of thought kept forgetting why he was looking over at him. Like attention seemed to move around him. His ivory white horns stuck straight up, to a dangerous point.

It was immensely annoying, because the more Flame tried to keep his eyes on him, the more the boy would blend into the background.

"I don't have a name yet. So is it rude to ask you to name me?" The boy asked in a monotone fashion. The goat headed giant rubbed his chin. "Ah, someone loved by shadow,” He spoke his thoughts aloud, “so that's why I didn't notice you. Sorry boy, that right is reserved for The Chief."

"Sad." He didn’t sound sad. The statement didn't seem to bother him at all.

“Unfortunately, I cannot keep it down. I have to continue my… “Talk,” child." The shadow guy bowed his head in a movement of respect and then moved back into shadow. Disappearing back to wherever he came from.

Where did he come from?

"Anyway, Imp!" He yelled but the decibels had lowered considerably since the shadow guy had ruined the flow. The goat man was rattled but kept up the energy. "So, you think that you have the power to back up that claim?"

Flame, considerably rattled by that shadow child, paused.

What would impress this guy? Fire? He seemed to have a lot of that. Strength? What did that even mean?

He remembered how the Navy got in his face. Staring down someone bigger than him, stronger than him, someone who could probably fold him like fresh laundry. Look that person in the face, and stand without fear.

Or even better, have a brave face while he was scared.

He looked up. The man was pretty scary.

He looked down at his bulging muscles. And he was far stronger than Flame.

So it wasn't hard for Flame to feel smaller. He didn't see himself as some unflinching character from a story. But he was going to need to be pretty damn close if he was going to attempt this.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

So, he stood up, steadying his hooves in preparation.

Walked up to the giant man.

Looked him in his face.

Leaped.

And threw a golden fireball.

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WHOA! WHAT? Rhodney looked over at Navy, who shared a similar shock on his face. The explosion collided with the old man's head and they watched as the fire ball exploded with a kinetic force.

BOOM!

The ball of flame sent the old man slightly sliding back out the door. Smoke came out the old man's mouth and a smile curled dangerously at his lips. "That's what I'm talking about!! Show me!!!" He raised his club up into the sky.

And immediately started swinging.

Now.

This place was not that big.

It was a decent size to hold a decent number of imps, but it was no battlefield. So the logistics on a preemptive one-on-one fight were simple.

It wasn’t going to be a one-on-one.

Rhodney watched in horror as the giant man gleefully took out his club and swang with reckless abandon. Smashing less mobile imps out of the way as flame leaped over his club. Flame’s golden fire was chucked like grenades, small balls that exploded on contact into huge shaking explosions.

While the boy's inexperience was definitely apparent, his falls looked downright nasty, and he had little-to-no grace in his movements, but he was actually managing to dodge the blows waylaying every other imp. His powerful legs sending him back and into the air, allowing him to zone the beast.

The mad titan got deeper into the crowd, following the dancing monkey, swiping at people left and right.

Bodies flung like rag dolls in sickening cracks. Imps slammed against the wall and slid against the dirt floor.

Rhondeny felt his heart beat as he saw the scattered children thrown to the side. Casualties of the battle that they didn’t sign up for. And bodies that laid there almost completely devoid of life.

Wait, almost?

He was too far to see for real but those bodies had a lot of… movement. Groans, growls and clutching at the side but… from where he was standing…

But from what Rhodney could tell, none of them were like, dead-dead.

The club was swung by a monster that hulked over them in size. Way bigger than anyone here. Fifteen feet tall. Huge muscles, huge club. If he was fighting with all his power, those kids would be…

Rhodney gasped.

An epiphany.

He wasn’t sure but, if he was right...

"...Navy." Rhodney said. "I'm about to do something really stupid. Could you help me?" Navy looked over to him, looked over to the ensuing battle, then nodded. Their fellow lessers however, were not as supportive. "Wait, you're heading in there?! You'll be crushed!" Misty yelled.

"I don't think so." Rhodney said. He looked over and watched the man's swings. Down swing, Down swing, Right swing, Right swing, Diagonal, Diagonal. He moved almost like a computer. The swings pulled back far farther than he needed to and far more than what was required for such a weak monster. And with speeds that seemed... suspicious. Just fast enough to keep Flame on his toes.

Rhodney grabbed onto Navy and the two walked towards the center. Moving towards where all the bodies were littered.

Upon arriving, he saw imps groaning and shaking in pain. And he looked around, some growled, some were bleeding more than others but...

They were all alive.

Not a single death.

No one had died by the powerful monster's swings. Rhodney looked over to the beast and saw it and Flame locked in combat. "CMON CHILD, SHOW ME YOUR FIRE!!" Flame then used his fire in a unique way, jettisoning himself out of the way of the ensuing strike. Flames face beat with sweat as he nearly gets whiffed by a large swing.

It was a test... Wait, this was a test!

Navy slightly smiled and Rhodney realized that he’d cracked it too.

"Navy, go help Flame, we're in a test! Go!" Navy nodded, but then looked over at Rhodney with worry.

"I'll be okay, just go! I have to try something.”

Navy nodded. He watched his friend dash over like a tank. Hooves kicking against the ground in a powerful gallop. Strong breath.

Huff, Huff, Huff, he marched into battle. Navy saw a piece of splintered wood that was a decent enough size for him and grabbed it off the ground. He pushed his aura into the stick, wrapping it around it in a harsh blue light.

The green mana from the overgrowth lended him a hand, keeping his power up as he sprinted towards the fight. Navy ran up, and right as Flame was about to get slammed in the head, a stick covered in aura Thwack! knocked the club off course.

"What the hell!" Flame started reprimanding Navy who just stood there with a smile on his face. The giant looked puzzled at the new challenger, then shrugged. Bringing his stick into a side bash once again.

And Rhodney, pulled something deep within himself. Something that he had locked away for a long time, and something only he could do.

His mind went back to the drive to the orchestra.

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