As my eyes opened I saw we were next to a river. I stumbled and looked around. I saw Angel laying in the rocks. I saw Jake laying on a log. Jack rolled over and moaned "Wake Angel up and ask her what happened!" I walked up to her and called her name. I rolled over and shook her, but it was no use she wouldn’t wake up. We started to make camp but, when Jake went to get water from the river two figures leapt out of it. One of the figures knocked Jake down into the water with the butt of a crossbow.

I stood up and drew my sword. The figures looked at me then said “our beef is not with you!” one of the figures pointed at Angel “It's with her! ̈

I looked at her and growled “you'll have to go through me to get to her! ̈ the figures looked at me.

“Very well!” said the figure with the crossbow, then the figure sighed and they both attacked the first figure and threw the knife. The second figure shot at me with a crossbow. I deflected the throwing knife and caught the arrows as the second figure tossed back its hood. There was a young girl with a small pale face with dark brown eyes and chocolate hair with small curls.

"Step aside dark knight or we will kill you" the girl barked as she relaxed her crossbow. I looked at Angel then looked back and I took a deep breath and laughed.

"Well kill me then but, as long as you have a breath in my body you will not hurt her and that is a promise!" She looked at me and stood there. She smiled and with no warning, they both charged me as their feet hit the gravel and I pulled my sword. I swung my sword to meet them but, instead, the tip hit the ground with a humming noise and a dark circle went around me and Angel. Angel started opening her eyes as they charged toward us and when they stepped on the circle they were blasted back into the water. Both of their hoods were down now.

The girl stood up with a skinny teenager with dirty blonde hair and with an evenly tanned face. His hazel brown eyes glistened with hate and Hatred. He pulled out a small dagger with his hands the size of a catcher mitt. He looked at me with a stern look then smiled and threw a throwing knife at it I watched it bounce off the glowing orb then He charged the circle and jumped over the shining line and tackled me to the gravel ̈Stay down!" he growled ̈Isabelle get her!¨ she started to walk to Angel but Jake stood up in the river,

Jake walked in front of Angel and roared“Touch her you'll die and I will dance on your grave!̈ Jake spoke with pure spite. The girl named Isabelle walked to Jake.

"You have not changed a bit Jake, now step aside and I will not hurt you and your friends" she smiled and lifted her crossbow with ease and shot Jake with an arrow and he flew back with a tiny boom. I watched the teen as he looked away for a split second. I kneed him in the gut, threw him off and rolled, grabbing my sword. Isabelle looked at me in astonishment "you're one tough cookie aren't you pretty boy?" she pulled two machetes out of nowhere "Fight me pretty boy or lay down like a good little dog!" I felt my face filled with rage. I charged her with my sword with one of her machetes. Isabelle swung the other one down and cut into my stomach and kicked me in the face with her hard rough leather boot. My nose exploded in pain as I dropped to the ground like a doll.

"Get up pretty boy!" She barked. I could not move a muscle so she kicked me in the face again when the blood started to rain from my nose. I struggled to get up but every time I could not move she kicked me in the face. Now the blood poured down the side of my face. “My master said you were stronger than anyone in our village but here you are laying at my mercy Apollonian!" Isabelle chuckled. I thought through the throbbing pain as I swung my foot around, claiming her balance as she fell to the thick rough gravel.

I jumped and grabbed my sword and put the hilt in the rising teen's face. As her hands shot to her face the tip of the sword met Isabelle's throat "Stay down or I will show you no mercy!" Isabelle gawked at me in astonishment. "Get up as I get up, no funny business Isabelle," I proceeded to get up the tip of my sword was still in her throat as we rose. I quickly hit her in the head with the hilt of my sword then she fell like a stone.

I grabbed her cloak and pulled it off and took all her weapons then I did the same to the boy. I looked around for something to tie their hands and feet together. I found some leather rope in Isabelle copper colored bags and tied their hands and feet together then tied them to a separate tree near the campsite.

I ran over to the river and pulled Jake up and screamed: "Get up Jake come on get your lazy butt up now!"

I urged him “I will get up when I want you to jerk!" Jake whined as he sat up and looked around “Where is Isabelle and that little wimp James?" He snickered.

I pointed at the trees. “Isabelle is a tough one but she can't stop talking for her life." I said in a scratchy voice. We laughed and then started to set up the tents that we found in Isabelle's bag. I picked up Angel to put her in the tent and her long blond hair flowed over my arms as I put her into the dry cozy tent. I laid her on a sleeping bag then went outside the tent her hair fell over the pillow and I felt something click inside. I push it aside as I meet Jake where the prisoners were "Do you want to wake them up and find out where they came from?" I asked Jake to look at me with slight concern.

“I know who they are, their names Isabelle and James, they are bounty hunters, for the village you destroyed. That is why they want Angel because her father is the mayor," he said in that fact's voice. We checked the ropes and the prisoners one last time and started walking back. As we were preparing dinner Angel started to crawl out of the tent. Jake finished dinner shortly after, I could smell the fish and beans that we picked up before we left the village. "Good morning Princess how was your sleep?" Jake said with a ton of sarcasm.

“Very funny Jake!" she growled with the hatred she came over and sat on a rock by me. I looked at her, she didn't look so hot, her hair was sticking up, her clothes were all riled and her eye was laced with bags " What are you looking at?" she barked as her bloodshot eyes glared right through me. I mumbled something and looked away from her.

We sat quietly for dinner and as we finished up someone shouted “Where am I something hurting me help please.” Jake, Angel and I jumped up and started to run to the sound. I heard twigs snapping above as James jumped from the trees above and knocked me to the ground. Angel and Jake pulled their weapons as I wrestled with James to get him off of me. Isabelle came out crossbow at the ready. Get down and stay down or I will blow you away.¨ Jake and Angel on their knees and I submitted to Jake we were dead and I knew it but as the final blow came down the world went dark.

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Chapter 4: The Lost Village

I woke up with a killer headache and I tied up a large oak tree and I was bleeding from my head where James had smoked me when he jumped from the tree and the cut in my stomach blew through my shirt. I looked at Jake to my left and Angel was to my right; they were both still knocked out cold. I looked around to see where we were and someone was walking toward us and he or she was not quiet about it.

Then I saw Isabelle walking toward us with the crossbow drawn. When she saw me, she pulled it up to her chest. "Get up and stand still" she barked as she cut my ropes and two other people that I did not see took Angel and Jake. Isabelle had her crossbow inches from the back of my neck. “Move pretty boy or your brain will be the dog's breakfast," she growled as I noticed the bandage on her head.

We walked through the thick underbrush a few meters when I saw grass huts and fire pits. I was being dragged to the middle as I looked forward and there was a group of people gathered around something. As we drew closer I became more nervous about what was inside the circle of the people. I felt a strange surge of power as I walked into the circle. There was a cage with a glittering black diamond in it the size of a window pane. I was shoved in and the hole in the people closed and I got up.

Every time I walked toward the people a spear was thrashed at me. I walked around until a person entered the circle. It was the boy that tried to kill me. It was changed around its neck and waist. He looked at me and smiled "Hello buddy are you ready to die because you were lucky last time but this time it's just me and you." he smiled then laughed as my sword was thrown in. The boy chains were released. the frail boy charged me.

His shoulder met my stomach and I was slammed to the cage. I pushed the boy away with my feet and fell to the ground. I rolled on my back as he jumped at me with a phycos glee. I grabbed my sword and pointed it at him. “Now, now buddy, last time that did not work a try!” He laughed with a hint of worry in his eyes.I passed around him like a wild animal circling its prey. Vengeance started to shake and laugh.

“You can’t kill me, John, even if you wanted to!” The boy started morphed into its true form then it looked at me as it snickered its tales grew to full lengths. I slashed at it with a lung. He dodged it with a waiver of its tail and it slashed my chest. Black blood oozed from my chest. Vengeance looked at the blood and yelped. “NO! You have an Angel inside you not at…. “

“Angel?” I asked out loud and I heard a voice whip through my brain, “I knew you would remember me, I would love to help John” I was in shock Apollonian said in a calm voice that sounded like an ocean breeze. “relax and breath.” I started to become dizzy and with a snap, my eyesight went black. "Hello, Vengents," Apollonian said in a silky voice

"Apollonian" Vengents snarled "that's not fair, that's not fair!" Apollon pulled the midnight sword as soon as he touched the sword it was swallowed by flame. Vengents back away “You can not help it is part of the code, We are bound by the code!”

“He does not apply to the code, because he created it!” Apollonian slashed him in the chest. It gushed slushy blood that was mixed with pus and mold. Vengents slashed at Apollonian and he paired it and sliced the Vengents hand.

" No you can't do this no, please no" Vengents barked like a seal. “You need to understand I’m only following orders, please!” Apollonian Grabbed Vengents around the neck. hoisted him up in the air and slammed him to the ground.

“Where is he? I know he is here, Vengents tell me or..” Apollonian put the swords flaming tip to Vengents throat.

Vengents spit at him, “I will never tell he has plans for you and the Dark Knight!” Apollonian did not hesitate and plunged the blade down. Vengents grey and black blood squirted up into Apollonians face. Apollonian wiped it off and looked around at the crowd “John it is done!” The crowd stood in shock as John became in control again. I opened my eyes and I was on my knees and Vengents was dead. People started to mumble and a gap was made in the circle. A woman appeared with long gray hair that wore a tight robe. Her walking stick glowed as she walked toward me and touched my face with her fingers.

She smiled and grabbed my arm and dragged me through the crowd as I was dragged through a dirt road that was lined with shacks. I noticed a church that stood like a castle on the hill. “You are the one he is wanting, young one you should be honored!” I saw people start to cheer as we walked by and some started to cry. We walked into a clearing and in the middle of the field, there were five old statues that were devoted to the lives of different colored vines that were littered with different colored flowers. They were vibrant green, Snow white, lemon yellow, blood red, and ocean blue.

I looked at the bases of the ancient statues and Angel, Jake and Isabelle are chained to them. I was stunned as Angel let a low grown “Angel!” I cried and I yanked my hand, but the old woman's fingers were locked on my skin like steel. I jerked again, but her hand held “I have to help them, their m-my friends” My voice cracked.

The woman looked at me “No, my child you can’t save them, they will all die and you will watch!” She pulled me closer and her eyes glittered with the truth. “One by one you will all fall, they will turn and you will be there to suffer. After them then you, you can’t change the future and you can’t change the past Apollonian, you know it.

You can’t change their fate no matter how many times you try!” She points at them one by one “They will see their end and the new will see their beginning!” She is painting now “My master will finish you all as he did before but this time he will finish the cycle!” Then she barked a word in a strange language. Chains shot out of the base of the statue with snow-white flowers.

I struggled as the steel snakes pulled me closer to the base. I finally hit the base of the statue and I felt a cold liquid run down my neck. I struggled and the chains pulled tighter as I fought them. Cadence walked around whispering to herself then stopped as she walked to me. “Do you know what John? The statues are beautiful, aren't they?” She squatted in front of me. I looked at her with a spinning head as her eyes lit up as my head tilted back.

“The mighty Apollon is weak now, look at that,” She stood up and pointed in the middle of the air “Come, my master, my leader I give you passage!” The air rippled as it sucked in itself then it shot out a bright light that made everyone flinch. Then the light grew and turned green. He stood there with smoke coming off of his body.

“Cadence, do you have them?” Lucifer snapped

Cadence nodded and pointed at us. “Yes master, your plan worked, he soon gave up as he saw her in distress.” She smiled a gleaming white smile.

“Of course it worked, when have I been wrong before? Him and Apollon have a weakness for her, he would do anything for her.” Lucifer laughed, then looked at me with his safirer eyes. He started to walk to Jake as he lifted his head like it weighed a thousand pounds. “Jake, my Jake, what’s wrong with you? can’t handle your statue?” My mind started to race ‘his statue’ My head throbbed with thoughts,

He lifted Jake like he was a teddy bear and broke the chains like butter. “Aw, Is my kitten getting tired?, Let me wake you up!” At the last part of the sentence, he threw Jake like a rag doll. Jake flew into a nearby tree and smashed it into splinters. Jake tried to stand up but couldn’t, he stumbled and fell. Lucifer started to walk toward Angel.