Weed was frozen in his place. He knew that voice. He knew that voice all too well. It was ingrained in him to his very core. He wasn’t afraid or scared, he just went numb and his mind went blank. It was ‘Shadow…’

‘This is bad….very bad…’ Weed thought to himself. He intended to face off with Shadow some time in the ‘distant future’….this was too soon.

Arthur looked at Richard. “We can’t play anymore Richard. Give me the dragon blades.”

Richard deliberately dillydallied. He needed time to recover his stamina. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

“This isn’t time to play around. I will spare you if you give me the dragon blades.” Arthur spoke impatiently.

“My my…speaking to your master like that…” Richard cooly replied; not yielding to the pressure being exerted by Arthur.

“You are no longer my master.” Arthur replied; his voice grew louder and darker and colder.

*Yawns* Richard dared to yawn in front of Arthur.

Weed stared in disbelief. ‘He’s gone mad…’ Weed would have done something but he wasn’t sure himself what to do. It was his understanding that Shadow would never dare to make an appearance in Lavias, yet his ominous presence grew stronger by the moment. The Guardian of the land assured that Shadow would dare not reveal himself in the his presence and yet Shadow dared. The only implication was that something had happened to the Panda. Weed was certain that there was another unseen foe moving in the shadows. ‘But they surely couldn’t have anticipated my movements….’ Weed thought as he scanned around to check who was spying on their movements.

He could not see anyone but was certain that there was certain someone watching him. Weed would have spent more time looking or thinking through his theories but right now he had to take control of the situation.

“Now would be a good time to attack and not talk…” Weed whispered however his efforts were futile. Weed’s words didn’t reach Richard.

“I know what you are trying to do Richard. I know each and every one of your tricks…” Arthur replied. He appeared if he were being strained by something (something like being on steroids overpowered but almost like you are about to explode).

“You would only kill me if I gave them to you.” Richard replied as he assumed a fighting stance. Weed could notice something visibly different about Richard. He had been fighting and fighting against Arthur…and yet he looked less worn out. ‘What is his recovery rate?’ Weed wondered.

With each passing second Richard looked less tired and more and more energetic. Weed was too far to notice but even his wounds were healing at an astronomical rate. The gash above his eye literally closed leaving behind a hissing sound of steam.

“Richard give me the swords…” Arthur muttered. He appeared to be visibly in pain.

“I lost them…” Richard slyly replied as he wiped some dried blood from his lips.

“GIVE THEM TO ME!” Arthur was shouting as if he was scared for his own life.

“Who is your friend, Arthur?” Richard asked unfazed. Richard kicked up a sword lying on the ground into the air and caught it.

‘Where is he getting his confidence from?’ Weed wondered as he took several steps back. He wasn’t sure why but his instincts told him the grounds were going to become a warzone and he would become a casualty if he didn’t take cover.

“Do you want to know?” whispered a voice behind Richard.

Richard immediately activated his element; powerful and sharp winds spun around him shredding anything in his vicinity into confetti. Light armour would have immediately being shredded into bits by Richard’s air defense but unfortunately he hit nothing.

A shrill laugh pierced through the air.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

“What is that?” Richard asked. He was crept out, clearly spooked as if he saw a ghost.

“Please, give him the sword.” Arthur begged.

Weed wasn’t sure why but Arthur seemed to be fighting something from within. He looked as if he were in so much pain yet was restraining himself.

Richard frowned, Arthur didn’t seem like he wanted to do this … it appeared like he was being coerced into it.

“PLEASE!!” Arthur screamed as he fell to his knees grabbing his arms tightly.

Richard was about to lower his defense and agree when Weed shouted out. “DON’T! DON’T TRUST HIM!”

“SPEAK ELF only to change my mind! Lest you don’t want your head lopped off.” Richard snapped back. Weed didn’t understand why Richard cared so much for Arthur but this care was now interfering with his judgment.

‘I have go to do something or he is really going to hand him over the dragon blades…’ Weed’s mind raced to buy time and find a solution. “Shadow is only using him! He is going to kill you both after this.”

“I know what I am doing…” Richard retorted.

“…”

“This…This creature which has taken possession of him is Shadow?” Richard asked as he shot a scary look to Weed.

“I have little understanding of how he has done it…but what I can is …yes…it is known as Shadow by those amongst the Grace” Weed admitted in fear. “Skyholm ruins was his doing…he is the one I spoke about… So you can’t absolutely trust him!”

Richard expanded the swirling air defense around him; it gradually began to encompass everything around it. “Hey Shadow or whatever they call you. Want to fight a real person?”

Weeds mouth dropped open. ‘What is he an idiot? I just told him again Skyholm was that mad monsters fault and he wants to go fight him!’

“…” After an eerie bit of a silence.

“HAHAHAHA…I like human…we will have our match soon. Today is not that day…” Came back a reply from nothingness.

“We’ll see about that.” Richard conversed with Shadow as if it were ever so ordinary.

“For now entertain yourself with Arthur. Arthur… finish him and I will release you.." Shadow whispered the last bit into Arthur’s ears.

“Will you really?” Arthur asked appearing completely crazed.

“Of course....I will…don’t you trust me? See we finished of those greedy nobles…now only Richard stands between you and the throne…” Shadow whispered these poisonous words in Arthur’s mind.

Richard didn’t understand Arthur speaking to himself but he could tell Shadow was speaking to him. ‘Like hell I will let this go on…’

*BAAM*

Richard struck a sheet of armour with a wind attack, spending a ringing sound far and wide.

“Oye! Arthur don’t listen to him.”

Arthur appeared timid and frightened but soon enough he caved into the lust for power. A dark sinister aura began to surround him.

“F*ck” Weed whispered.

- Auto censorship applied.

Black clouds like fumes or smog began encircling Arthur.

Although the effect was supposed to create a perception of horror and scare, Weed was hardly ruffled. The effect was far too used in evil bosses and plainly generic. Though the visual effects produced no effect on Weed they had the desired effect on Weed and Richard’s stats.

You have been frightened! All stats reduced by 5%!

You have been frightened! All stats reduced by 10%!