Will's metal spears cut straight through Ander's abdomen, failing to serve their purpose as his body stitched itself back together.

Ander quickly scanned the room, seeing Elliot resting as Will's shades seemed to have run run out, but what he found more important was the masked individual with a faintly glowing mask walking towards him slowly.

'The more the merrier, I suppose.'

Ander could hardly stand; his battle had exhausted him. Fortunately for him, his power hadn't calmed down. He bound metal to his legs and arms, creating mobile braces in case he needed to move.

Oddly enough, the stranger moved right past Ander, and pursued the crazed Will.

'I guess Elliot and I can't be the only ones with a vendetta,' Ander thought, reaching down for his sheathed sword.

His sword! He'd left it during his fight with Grall! As Ander heard Will naturally say the word to create lighting, he willed his metal braces to make him run towards his sword.

Lightning crashed where Ander had been standing moments earlier, and it sent him reeling.

Metal spikes pierced Ander's calves, pinning him to the ground. Screaming, he extended his grip and just barely grab his swords pommel.

Dancing Flames glowed in a light-yellow hue. Understanding what the glow meant, Ander pulled the spikes out of his legs, holding the agony in his throat. As Ander twisted the blades hilt, his body mended itself together and his stamina was restored.

Turning back towards Will, Ander saw Ithikar and the masked stranger juggle the usurper between each other, and he was ready to join in.

Ander knocked his bow, and before shooting the arrow, he began to funnel his power. As he released his arrow, he also released his power, pummeling Will with stone spears.

"I grow tired of this," Will said phlegmatically. Without uttering a word, his flesh morphed, covering his skin with scales, his fingers with claws, and his back with spikes. Burning chunks of stone rained from the ceiling.

Ander's masked ally launched spear of light after spear of light at the miniature asteroids, splitting them all into safe sizes. Ander watched as the man dashed over to Will, forcing him into the defensive and leaving no room for counterattack. As Will leapt backwards, three knives seemingly appeared right beside him, exploding on impact.

As Will was pushed into the air, Ander cut him back down. Ithikar sent hundreds of icicles to intercept Will as he fell, but Will's fall suddenly halted.

And then the fight became difficult.

Fire burst from the ground, forcing everyone; including poor Elliot; to go upwards. As they rose up, boulders began to descend from the ceiling. As the group narrowly avoided the boulders, Ander realized that Will was too strong to beat with pure brute force.

Instead, Ander would have to outsmart him. Taking note of the situation, he came up with a few important details as to what he had to do in order to defeat Will. His first notice was that his hunting cloak had caught on fire, so he promptly threw that to the side. He also noticed the Will was vulnerable to any attack he used magic with, and that whenever Will was gauging the group's attacks, he would stop attacking, but he used area effecting spells when he was ready to fight according to his observations.

All Ander had to do to defeat Will was fight without using magic and, as Will began to attack, go all out with whatever control he had over the stones around him. It was a simple maneuver Ander had learned early in his career leading armies. When they tried to figure out his weaknesses and strengths, he'd use a less effective strategy with obvious weaknesses, and then he'd command his troops to swap to the real strategy when his enemy charged.

As the fire on the ground ran out of fuel and was extinguished, Ander ran up, and barrage the Will with attacks that he knew wouldn't even reach the crazed man. The entire environment warded off Ander's attack; Will had learned his lesson all too well. Hopefully he wouldn't remember everything he ought to as time passed by.

Already Ander could see Will getting ready to launch his attack. The ground shook beneath Ithiles, but Ander already knew that nothing was coming for him.

Blackened barbs tore through the ground, missing Ithikar, but cutting through Ander's masked ally's calve, but Ander was ready. He tapped into his magic, using the stone barbs to fuel his oncoming strike.

As Ander swung his sword, Ithikar lined his sword with ice to sharpen the edge, and the stranger; despite being injured; tossed Ander the glowing shortsword while healing himself.

Grabbing the tossed sword, Ander swung both at the same time, both far too quick for Will to stop them, and Will's body was rent in twain.

Will gasped in surprise, his scaled body not quite dead yet. Ander turned and walked away; his vengeance finally fulfilled.

Kneeling beside his strange ally, Ander thanked him and passed him his sword. The stranger, however, reached out, touching Ander's arm, and said Nelar.

The world became brighter, but Ander felt like Will's rule over Ithiles still made it darker than it should have been.

"Ander," Flyte said in front of him. "We need to talk."

----------------------------------------

The third plane in Ithiles was disconcerting. It was much darker than it should have been.

Flyte knew Ander wouldn't be happy to see him, he hadn't even told Ander that he was still alive, but he just had to speak to him.

"Ander," he said. "We need to talk."

Ander seemed shocked, but motioned for him to continue, so Flyte quickly began to speak. "After dying at Palantriss, I was revived and trained under a powerful mage. I understand that you aren't happy to see me, but i just wanted to say-"

Ander stopped Flyte, pulling him in for a hug. "Why would I not be glad to see you? I never would think of your absenceas your fault. If anything, i thought your 'death' was my fault."

Flyte believed he understood now. "So, you're glad I'm here?"

"Yes Flyte, I'm glad you're here."

"Nelar," Flyte took his Glow mask off. "Thank you, Ander."

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"I'm surprised," Will's voice sent shivers down Flyte's back. As he turned around, Flyte could see both halves of Will's body rebuilding themselves. "You're all here."

Elliot rushed to the pair, his shadowy blade held out and his energy rejuvenated from his fight.

Ander walked forward. "Are you sure you want to die again?"

Will's reply reeked of bravado. "Fool, I've already told you. You can't even run away from me!"

The runes all over the castle glowed purple as Will fueled them.

'Shades, he made the entire castle into a shade summoner!'

"Nelar!" Flyte shouted as aggressively as he could manage, blasting a massive hole in one Will's torso.

It just laughed as shades rose from the ashes all over the floor in an endless pile.

'I hit the wrong one!'

Soon the four-person group was completely surrounded by shades.

"How does it feel to be outnumbered?" Will taunted smugly. His dragon burst through the gouge in main hall's ceiling.

"Forslo!" Flyte yelled out heatedly. He directed the fire in a circle, clearing for his group some space to fight.

In the corner of his memory, Flyte realized that his guilder friends would be in danger too.

Aiming his hand towards the door, his said: "Nelar" aggressively, blowing a hole in the shades' formation. "I'll be back in a second, but I've got something that I have to take care of."

With a hastily uttered speed spell, Flyte hurried along his path. Though he moved fast, he still received many injuries, but he wanted to make it in time.

Flyte didn't want to think about what would happen if he didn't make it to the guilders in time. He was worried about Thammeus. He told Thammeus that he would be right by him, but he took off just ad he saw his closer friends.

He rushed past, ignoring his injuries. Exiting the main hall's, he could see guilders fighting, but he couldn't see Tarr anywhere.

He was, however, able to spot Thammeus in the crowd. Blasting his way over to him, Flyte was just barely able to stop a shade from striking him. "As I said Thammeus, I'm right here beside you."

"Not when it mattered most." Thammeus fell to his knees.

"What do you mean?" Flyte didn't know why, but feat crept over him.

Thammeus could only point. Following the fingers direction, Flyte's eyes landed on Hilda's body, lying in blood.

Eyes widening in shook, Flyte yelled: "Glow, help!"

Glow rushed out, shooting towards Hilda, in an attempt to heal her, Glow entered Hilda's forehead and flowed through her body.

"I don't think I can fix her," Glow whistled sadly. "She isn't dead, but she's beyond my powers."

"Then make sure to keep her alive for as long as possible," Flyte slowly walked away and then asked: "Rowlo, do you think you can slow down Hilda's injuries?"

"Rowlo popped out of Flyte's helmet and mumbled: "Yes, I can, and I will if you so desire."

"I do." Turning to Thammeus, Flyte reassured his friend. "I will do everything in my power to help Hilda, so don'tdo anything rash, alright?"

"I guess that's fine," he started. "But hold to your words this time."

Flyte nodded his affirmation and decided to use the one magic that had never failed his. "Nelar," he said, unable to shift his sorrowful tone.

All of Flyte's energy was robbed from his body as his light spell went to work. His eyes were fed information, showing him several ways in which he could preserve Hilda's life. The solutions to Flyte's problem were not; however, very good. More than one involved Flyte's corruption or involved him killing another person to save her. He saw possible choice where he even went so far as to trap Hilda's spirit in an unthinking golem, doomed to wander Riftgard without emotion.

Flyte rejected all of these terrible outcomes. He wouldn't have Hilda die to his negligence, but he also wouldn't allow some construct of fate to determine that her rescue would be another's downfall. Flyte would find another way to save Hilda.

Thinking of additional possibilities while resting his weary body, Flyte remembered why he hadn't seen Tarr among the other guilders. Tarr had said he would contact Telin if the person summoning the shades was one individual.

Telling was on his way.

Scrambling to get Elliot and Ander far away before Telin could do anything to them, Flyte activated Star's powers and ran above the shades, barely noticing that scores of them were frozen and that the dragon was gone.

Dropping down, Flyte frantically shouted to Ander and Elliot. "Run!"

Ander paused, looking confused as Flyte's message didn't make sense to him. After all, he hadn't caught wind of any real danger.

Flyte finished hurriedly explaining the situation when the gate opened.

Telin walked through Tarr's gate menacingly, his eyes yearning for blood.

With a thought, Telin launched twisted bolts of lightning, turning all of the shades in the castle into ash. Flyte could see a body belonging to the man who had killed him fall down, but his other body was nowhere to be found.

"Flyte," Telin's voice boomed. "I gave you your new life, yet you attempt to intertwine your old life with it? Why?"

Flyte yelled in turn: "Real friends are hard to come by Telin, when you find one, you should make sure your friendship prospers."

"If that's the case, Tenner, let me show you blight."

Telin sent a massive bolt of lightning at Ander, intending to kill an innocent in an attempt to teach Flyte a lesson. Flyte; however, refused to be taught anything.

Leaping in front of Ander, Flyte saved both of them. The Winter shield surged forward to protect its master, rescuing both of them and allowing Flyte to have a chance at freedom.

Telin's bolt of lightning froze midair as Flyte's shield covered it in ice with the power it gained from Ithikar.

Flyte was relieved to see Elliot and Ander finally receive his hint to run. He understood they were only trying to draw Telin after them, as neither would ever abandon a friend, but Flyte knew personally that Telin wouldn't take the bait.

Flyte would need the space in order to fight his mentor though.

"Finally," Telin began. "It's time for just you and I to truly battle."

"Agreed." Flyte drew his sword. This battle would be difficult with the limited amount of energy Flyte had, but he believed he could win against Telin. He had improved since their sparring match.

In a flash, Telin reached Flyte and punched him, launching Flyte into a nearby wall.

"Telin," Ithikar began. "I don't think this is a very fair fight. Allow me to intervene."

"If that's the fate you desire, ice paladin, go ahead."

Ithikar leapt into Telin's path of travel, trading blows at insane speeds.

Telin launched out Shockwave of lightning, all dodged by Ithikar, who charged his icicle spear and unleashed its full might on the guild master's defenses.

As the dust cleared, Telin was unharmed, which wasn't the case for the castle. As Telin's hand dove for Ithikar's neck, Ithikar formed ice around his forearms and blocked the deadly hand.

Substituting his spear for two dense ice swords, Ithikar went on the offensive. As he swung quickly and flawlessly, Ithikar forced Telin back. Alas, Ithikar's victories ended there as a massive bolt of lightning smote him, piercing through every floor in the castle.

Ithikar laid on the floor as Telin slowly walked towards Flyte. Other than readying himself for a speed spell, Flyte could do nothing but watch as he approached.

As Telin was within reach, Flyte shouted as fast as he could. "Sari!"

"Sari!"

"Sari!"

Flyte's body could hardly contain the combined speed. The bones in his legs shattered as he passed their limits. Falling to his knees, Flyte quickly carved the Seal of Nareal.

Time returned to normal, and Telin's gaze fell on Flyte's carving. "You don't know what you've done." Seeing Flyte's uncaring demeanor he continued. "Fine, I'll leave, but understand, every action has its own consequences, and not all of them are positive."

Telin crossed back through Tarr's gate, bringing almost all of the other guilders with him. Those who remained where Thammeus, Jim, and of course Hilda.

"What about Hilda, Flyte?" Thammeus asked.

"I suppose that's what we're about to find out," Flyte said, pointing towards the gate that had just been opened. It was a much larger and opposing gate than Tarr's.

The man who walked through seemed almost unremarkable, except that he almost seemed human other than his unnaturally slight frame.

"Did I just hear Telin spout nonsense about consequences again? Where's the person who drew the seal?"

"That would be me," Flyte said, confused by the strange man's behavior.

"You do look pretty roughed up," the newcomer said. I'll get you out of here."

"Do you mind if they come as well?" Flyte asked, pointing towards the abandoned guilders.

"Not at all," he replied, a smile on his face. "I imagine your friends, Ander and Elliot, will want to come along as well?"

"Probably," Flyte answered, only slightly terrified that the man already knew their names.

"We very much would," Ander said. "After not being chased we were somewhat disappointed, but now I at least am not." Elliot nodded his affirmation.

Flyte saw Elliot reach down and grabbed Will's chalice. "Looks like Will was a heavy drinker."

"That he was," said the strange non-human. "Now, could one of you take Flyte, I'm going to take Ithikar with me."

With that settled, the large group and a large six-legged bird thing walked through the gate and continued their journey.

  End of part 1