The King’s speech was interrupted by a sudden kick to the stomach by Alex. 

“I don’t know what you were going to say about my friend here, but I don’t think I want to hear that,” Alex said with a cold voice giving a threatening look to the king.  Alex had a few swords with him that he salvaged from the golems, but Alex has not pulled them out yet.

The King coughed a little saying haughtily, “But you really don’t want to hear what I have to say?  Even if it’s the truth that he looks like…”

Alex used the pommel of one of the blades against the stomach responding, “Do you really want to finish that? Really, and I thought most kings are just cowards sitting on thrones.” 

Fisk was shocked by Alex’s rough treatment to the king, and hearing the response he almost thought that Alex had a little bit of anger for being used as a pawn.  Fisk felt the situation might have been handled a little bit better; he turned his head to look away wondering if Alex has always felt that he was royalty’s pawn being a knight that serves their every will and whim. 

Alex noticed that Fisk was starting to get scared, he breathed a sigh with an awkward grin as he backed off a little bit. 

The king responded in a wheezed voice that no longer held the rich haughtiness it once had, “Even if you had brought a wild card such as Alex to stop me, it’s too late!  Even Alex can’t stop me.”

Fisk was going to refute that he didn’t bring Alex that he only just met outside the door, but before he could make a noise he noticed something odd.

Shadows started to form around the hall, with the hall so bright Fisk wondered how he missed it.  Fisk didn’t even know what those shadows were; he felt a cold chill down his spine.  It was a danger that Fisk instinctively felt that he could not win. 

The shadows were fast, moving so quickly it was almost imperceptible like a flame that flickers on the edge of one’s vision.  Fisk was about to tell Alex about the shadows, when he noticed that Alex felt the danger too. 

Of course Alex felt it; after all he was a knight that has been in many dangerous situations.  However, Alex didn’t sense beasts or magic, if he didn’t know any better he would have sworn they were like living darkness.  Alex shrugged disregarding that thought, if there were living intelligent dark creatures then why haven’t they ruled the world.  Alex believed in swords, and that the shadows must have a weakness! 

Fisk was worried seeing the confidence in Alex’s eyes; he didn’t think it was something that could be defeated by swords or magic.  Fisk could tell that Alex has never seen the shadows before, and that he was going to rely on brute force over strategy.  Admittedly, how can you plan for something that one doesn’t expect nor didn’t know even existed?  Fisk gripped his forgotten bow even tighter.

“Well, guess I will never find a way to break the curse after all,” Fisk muttered under his breath as he raised his bow feeling that he didn’t want to give up without at least trying.  The shadows drew closer as if it sensed that they were caught moving about.

“They really are coming in fast!  Can you even keep up with this speed?” Fisk asked to Alex, hoping for at least a confident smile.  Though Fisk knew that was too much to ask for, he was not looking at Alex so he did not see that Alex truthfully shook his head no.

Fisk attempted to use the blood river arrows, the only powerful attack he was confident in to defeat the shadows.  Fisk felt that if this attack didn’t work then there was no way he could defeat the shadows.  To his dismay the arrows pierced nothing but air, not a single arrow slowed down the shadows. 

Alex gave a war cry that scared Fisk, but the shadows still drew closer.  The shadows seemed to have hesitated coming in until the war cry that seemed to have frenzied them to attack coming right at Fisk and Alex.

 Fisk collapsed to the ground in which he could only have enough strength to mutter saying, “I seem to love the ground today.  However not until the very end!  I would have at least liked to have known my name before…”

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Alex grunted in a reply, but he fared no better as he was already falling to the ground without a single complaint from his lips.

The shadows scattered cracking the ceiling above making a dramatic bang.  The noise was loud enough for guards to immediately run into the hall. 

“What happened?” asked a dozen palace guards

“It seems a stray fish managed to walk on land wandering into my hall! Worse yet a thief stole some of the finest armor and swords have also come here threatening me!” the King said a tired voice as he still has not been able to regain his breath yet, “Why don’t you take them out.  If you want cook the fish or whatever.  However, I would like better security!  How could a fish and a thief get in here?”

The guards nodded and were walking away with the limp bodies that none recognized as the famous Fisk and Alex, then again they never saw Alex and Fisk hasn’t shown that form to the guards before.

The king smiled, wiping some sweat on his forehead.  He gave a wide smile that would have been suspicious if the guards were around to see.  The king has spent ten years, in which has made him age in worry that it would not succeed.  Yet it came to fruition.  “Sorry old friends, especially Fisk. Hold on a little ok,” the King softly said as he looked younger as the worry was erased from his face.

The princess walked into the hall.  “I heard a lot of commotion, so you have done what I asked right?” she asked innocently with a smile that could have been from an angel if it wasn’t for the angel’s intentions.  The king secretly feared his daughter, “Yes, you don’t have to worry I have finished that.  There was no reason to worry about the interruptions” The princess nodded leaving the hall.  The king sighed feeling that he will be safe for a little longer, at least she was satisfied for now.

The living shadows came together when it was finally empty except for the king.

<>

The king sighed, he felt that he could not trick this guy as easily.  The king could only mutter, “What is done is done.  You know, the die will be cast eventually.  Aren’t you the real scaredy-cat?  I mean shouldn’t you be leaving before anyone finds you?  Hmph! Don’t you know I should wonder why you call me spineless when all you do is stay in the shadows!”

<>

The shadows scattered.  The king knew the shadowy guy could not stay long in the palace undetected, so he was satisfied with the last barb response before the shadows completely left.

The king shivered, knowing the guy was one to be feared.  However he could not help at least give a sharp response to being called a coward.  The king could only hope that the shadows would leave his kingdom forever someday.