Gigi snuck quietly through the store as Secco continued to argue with the knight at the front. She returned to the box and pulled out the immaculately crafted greaves, pulling them across her shins and tying them until the metal was snug across. The gift was his love in physical form, and she would cherish it by kicking some serious ass.

The goblin let herself out the back way. If these jerks thought they were going to mess with her friends and take her lover, then they were going to eat metal knuckles.

She found the fire escape as she knew she would. Secco was, after all, a clever and safe fellow. Gigi hauled herself up the ladder until she was on the roof. The heavy metal on her arms and legs took some getting used to. She made a mental note to get more cardio before her next match.

Gigi snuck around to the front of the roof, peeking over the corner of the awning to see what was below.

A troll. A massive, slug-sucking troll. This one was sporting an eye patch. Gigi wondered if it was the same troll from the festival. A knight in shining armor was wearing no colors and harassing Secco beside the troll. Gigi felt rage boil up inside her.

They would bully people from house to house until they found her and Drake. Not if she could help it. She positioned herself over the knight from the roof, then jumped with grace and tenacity. The goblin soared through the air until she hurtled back toward the ground and the knight below her. She pulled up her knees and leaned into them with all her weight.

Her shins came crashing into the knight’s face, denting the helmet inward. She crumpled to the ground with the knight as his body absorbed the shock of their fall, landing hard, and the knight cried out in pain. Gigi rolled off the knight, putting one foot on his chest, and stared daggers into the troll before her.

“You’re the little goblin bitch who took my eye!” the troll roared.

“Looking to make me the last thing you ever see? That’s sweet, but I’m already taken.” Gigi took her foot off the knight and squared against the massive troll.

“You are a cocky little bitch. I remember things going pretty bad for you last time.”

“Rematch.” She shrugged. “I’m ready, are you?”

“I will get my revenge and vengeance for my entire cla-” Gigi cut him off by exploding forward. She cocked her right fist back and prepared for impact. The troll, caught off guard, threw a punch that failed to find its mark. Gigi rolled through the strike and spun to meet his thigh, arm pulled back. With a grunt of frustration and rage, she let loose a cannonball of a punch directly into the troll’s groin.

The troll cried out in agony. It doubled over, grasping at its damaged nethers. Gigi coiled her entire body down, then erupted with a torrential uppercut. Her metal-covered knuckles connected with the chin of the troll. The force rattled its brain, causing the troll to stagger back. Gigi was ready to push on but noticed the troll wasn’t moving forward—just swaying.

She walked up to him and pushed him over with one hand. He fell backward like a felled tree.

“Round two - Gigi.”

***

“Gigi,” Drake said with worry. He needed to get to her immediately. If they had found him, then she wasn’t safe. He drew up to his full height and surveyed the encroaching forces, sensing their shadows moving closer. There were dozens, maybe even over a hundred, marching on him.

Drake frowned. The captain must have only told these men half the truth - that they were hunting a wanted man. They approached so carelessly. He felt pity for them. There was no way they could stand against him. He was sure of one thing - these men were bait. Unfortunately, he would be forced to bite.

“I know you are there,” he called out. The stomping of boots halted, but only for a moment before they quickened in pace. “I don’t think you know who I am.” The footsteps continued. “I am a Sword of Paxia. If you continue, this will be the last day you remember being whole.”

“LIAR!” echoed through the woods. Men began to step forward from the wintery brush.

“PROVE IT!” came another retort.

Drake sighed, and a grimace cut across his face. “If you insist.” He held out his hand and began to whisper. The men rushed him, but as they tried to grab hold of him, he slipped through them like a phantom. He continued to whisper until the space in front of his palm began to wink to life. Slivers of inky shadow drew from the ground as Drake pulled darkness from the dirt. A ball formed in his hand. He let it float as he took his palm away.

The ebony orb sat in space, humming with magical energy. The men stared at the motionless ball for a moment. Then Drake moved his finger ever so slightly. The ball whizzed forward and careened into the helmet of the nearest soldier. Then, it zipped off as he flicked his finger in another direction. This time, it struck the chest of a soldier who went flying. Drake shattered bones, and screams of pain pealed from the men as his simple ball wreaked havoc. Drake could sense more men coming.

Looks like they brought a lot of bait, said the Black Lord.

“Sure does,” Drake murmured.

With the full extent of my power, you could wipe them away with but a breath.

“That’s what scares me.”

Footsteps surrounded the clearing as he looked around and saw dozens of soldiers. He supposed it didn’t matter that he lost track. The men that he had previously knocked out were now rolling on the ground, groaning. The freshmen stayed at the outcrop of the clearing, their eyes wide as they looked from their fallen comrades to Drake.

Still, the men pressed on. They held pikes and swords, ready to engage. Drake sighed. He wanted to get this over with. The soldier knelt and began to whisper, putting his hands in the snow. The approaching men stopped, and the hope was evident that he was surrendering.

Instead, as he whispered, his connection with the darkness beneath the ground grew stronger. He strained and furrowed his brow as he summoned black pitch to just under the intruding army’s feet. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he flexed his powers. There were so many soldiers. In truth, it would be much, much easier just to kill them all.

That wasn’t what he wanted. More dead would bring him no solace. These men were not his enemy, and he wanted them to see those they loved - just like he was going to see Gigi. With a grunt, he twisted his hands and pulled up. The men around him began to chuckle at the display until the first tendrils of darkness slipped around a soldier’s ankle.

“Snakes! He summoned snakes!” one of them cried out.

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“I can’t cut it!” another shouted, “It’s like ivy made of iron!” another soldier cried. Drake wrapped hundreds of lithe tentacles around their legs, ensnaring them tightly. If only he could just hold them like this, but alas, he could only keep a spell like this for a short time. It was a pity for the soldiers; he didn’t want to do what came next.

Drake twisted his hand and wrenched up like he was pulling out a weed, and the tentacles moved in unison. A chorus of ankles, knees, and shins snapping could be heard throughout the forest. The prelude was followed by a symphony of screams that crescendoed as the men rolled in the snow, broken and lame.

Drake was left panting. He’d used a lot of strength with that little trick, but he thought he got them all. That was until a sharp pain erupted in his chest. He looked down.

The tip of a spear was poking out of his ribs.

Looks like you weren’t careful enough, kid, the Black Lord said smugly.

No, no, no, no, it can’t be. How could a spear pierce him? Unless it wasn’t an ordinary spear…Unless it was an enchanted blade of a Keeper or the captain himself. Drake fell to his knees.

“I guess he wasn’t so tough after all,” sneered the keeper knight who had stabbed him in the back.

As pain ravaged him and the air escaped through the hole in Drake’s lung, all he could think of was Gigi. Her grinning green face locked in his mind’s eye. He hadn’t been strong enough to protect her. If he died here, what would they do to her? He couldn’t bear the thought.

“I accept,” Drake mouthed.

A laugh that sounded like thunder clapped in his mind. Good choice, the Black Lord hissed. Now, hold onto your skin because it’s about to change.

“Wha-” but Drake was cut off.

A surge of power erupted through his frame. Wisps of black smoke began to emanate from his flesh. He reached around his back and grabbed the spear by the hilt, pulling it out easily. But instead of blood, more black smoke emerged from the wound. Black threads quickly sutured the wound as if invisible spiders worked the flesh.

Ebony ink began to spew from his tattoos, overtaking his entire form in moments. However, his body grew as the dark ichor continued to pour forth. Darkness spread across the sun as his body broke and became anew. As his form grew and sharpened, the eclipse continued unabated. Black wings began to spread from his back. The skin that emerged from the shadows was leathery, the edges coming to bony talons. The wings curled around his changing form as the sun winked out of existence. Only a halo of light could be seen behind the massive black shroud.

His wings unfurled with force, knocking down the knight who had stabbed Drake. The knight scrambled to his feet again, grabbing his spear from the snow. Drake stood at an imposing new height, his body wholly metamorphosed into that of a demon. He turned around to face the knight's steel-clad visage. It felt strange to Drake, towering over him. The demon looked down, the tips of his horns scraping against the knight’s helmet.

Drake stepped forward, his clawed feet digging deep into the snow. He thought it was odd that he hardly felt the chill anymore. The knight jumped back and landed gracefully despite the weight of his armor.

At the spot, he jumped back to stand four more Keepers clad in golden armor. There, behind them, stood Captain Sargasso.

“Haven’t you been quite the little thorn,” the captain sneered.

“You should have let me stay lost.” Drake did not recognize the voice that emerged from his new lips. It was far deeper and sounded like the words were made of broken glass.

“No, you should have been a good dog and just drowned. Now Gaius is breathing down my neck to get you back.”

“Was he too busy pulling the wings off flies to come himself?”

“Oh, I see this place has given you a sense of humor, Lord Sword,” Sargasso spat with disdain. “I wonder if you’ll still be joking when we burn it to the ground.”

“Try it, coward,” Drake growled.

“Enough!” the knight with the spear shouted. He spun the weapon so the blade was pointed down, then leaped with practiced dexterity, aiming the spear directly at Drake’s heart.

The demon spread his wings before violently flapping them. The new Shadow Drake rose into the air with ease. It felt natural, almost instinctual. Without a word, he shot forward. The demon tackled the knight in mid-air, spearing him through the gut with his shoulder. Drake heard the man grunt and gasp within his suit. He paid it no mind. No, he didn’t want to hurt anyone, but the Keepers would kill him. Of that, he had no doubt. He grimaced at what he intended to do next.

He continued to rise and, holding the keeper’s enchanted armor, burned Drake’s flesh. Even as the Black Lord’s avatar, he couldn’t escape the bite of the accursed magic steel. The knight tried desperately to stab Drake in the back but couldn’t free his arm enough to achieve a proper thrust. Instead, the demon brought him to the sunless sky. At the zenith of his arc, Drake dropped the knight.

The knight screamed as he plummeted back to the ground below. It was a sound Drake had heard thousands of times, yet it still made his heart drop. The knight’s terror abruptly stopped as he careened into a pile of rocks hidden under the snow. Drake heard a loud crack - of steel or bone, he could not say.

“TEAR HIM FROM THE SKY!” the captain shouted in panic.

The Keeper beside him stepped forward and raised a bow. He pulled his string back and let the arrow fly, following it with two more shots in rapid succession. Drake maneuvered in the air, effortlessly dancing around the arrows. He began to dive to strike at the archer.

Behind you! The Black Lord cried.

Drake pivoted to see the three arrows had swung around and were once again screaming toward him. Drake grimaced. Nothing was ever easy. He dodged the arrows as they flew past him, but they came closer to striking him this time. Drake looked at the ground to see the archer raising his bow again.

“Damn!” Drake spat.

The archer let fly another volley, firing until his quiver was empty. The legion of bolts flew with deadly accuracy at him. Drake had an idea. It would either work, or he would die, but he could work with those odds. He began to dive again, closing his wings to fall as fast as possible.

Drake spread his wings when he was close enough to see snow drifts blow. Powder danced everywhere as his wings spread the flurry all around. The arrows were not concerned. Whatever magic kept them locked to their target was unphased. However, the Keepers and Sargasso lost track of him for a moment. Long enough for Drake to reemerge from the snowy curtain only steps away from the knights. Gaining speed as he rapidly approached.

“Duck!” cried the captain. The knights dove out of the way of the soaring Shadow Drake. The archer scrambled to his feet.

“Don’t let him grab you!” shouted the archer.

“Watch out!” Sargasso shouted back.

However, it was too late. A wall of arrows emerged from the snow. Arrow after arrow slammed into the archer. The rest shot into the trees after Drake.

“By the old ones, DAMN HIM!” the captain roared. Drake danced with the arrows as they flew through the woods after him. However, the bolts were getting stuck in the trunks of the trees. Drake grinned a toothy grin. Two down, three to go.

The remaining Keepers got to their feet and the captain behind them. Drake swung around with the handful of arrows that remained, intent on bringing them back again. However, this time, the Keepers could see him coming. One let loose a whip from his belt, cracking it against the snow as he raised it high.

As Drake emerged from the forest, the knight let the whip fly. Drake tried to dodge the lash but only succeeded in taking the brunt of it on his back. The whip was barbed and tore into Drake’s flesh with ease, sticking to his side as he tried to rip free. Drake collided with the snow in a heap. The captain brandished the Vita Curitas and pointed it at the downed demon.

“Clip his wings!” he ordered.

The last and largest keeper stepped up. He held his claymore aloft and charged forward. Drake was just staggering to his feet when he felt the pain cleave through him as his flesh was split. He fell back to a knee. Looking to his left, he saw his wing flapping uselessly on the ground.

Drake groaned in pain as black ichor poured forth from his wound. The knights were closing in. He saw Sargasso point his blade at him and shout something. The pain drowned out his words, but Drake knew he commanded the blade to end him. The sword turned blindingly bright on queue and transformed into a silver falcon. The bird shrieked before exploding toward Drake.

“Gigi, I’m sorry, I tried,” he whispered to the snow.