More ships began to draw upon the area. Over the horizon, their cigar-like shape could be seen creeping over the edge. Sam and Avion approached, what was assumed to be, the King in all of his horrible glory. It trampled closer towards the base until Sam launched a series of lightning bolts in its path. The beast halted and looking up saw the Xenton and the boy with incorporeal wings, almost like it wasn’t impressed.

The alien king took this moment to reveal itself to those who would dare deny him his prize. He was on all fours, as previously he was running like a wild animal, however upon further inspection, he didn’t have four, in fact he had six; four massive arms were seen as he decided to stand. His body was covered in black fur, unlike his subordinates. The most defining feature were the three heads sitting on his shoulders. All of them doing their own thing, with the middle head looking directly at Sam and Avion.

“I see why he calls himself Cerberus,” Sam said with a level of intrigue as he stared down.

“I must tell you that this will not be easy,” said Avion, his voice echoing with a distinct power.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Sam replied, looking down at the three-headed beast and its enormous stature.

The heads looked up at the two warriors, their red eyes looking menacingly at the duo. Cerberus’s remaining armada was quickly approaching, as they creeped closer to the sight of the battle. The King’s heads roared, unleashing a whirlwind of force. Sam and Avion were blown away but soon caught control of their flight and dove into the battle.

Sam encased his fist in lightning and quickly flew in. He was hit by something and tumbled to the ground, crashing through desert boulders and other debris.

“What was that?” He picked up his head and saw mechs being deployed and pods skimming through the skies coming from the approaching armada. They fired again but the rounds were deflected by a shield deployed by Avion, who still remained in the sky.

“Oltima’s Key,” said the middle head of the King. The voice was deep and spoke with a growl of sorts. “I see you’ve survived.”

Avion descended and set foot just in front of Sam. Avion was quiet, letting the shimmering spectacle of his light be his response. The light grew stronger around him as his eyes set off a brighter glow. His wings expanded and somehow gained an intense aura, but at the sight almost became corporal in appearance.

“You won’t get what you came here for, Your Highness,” he said, his voice sounding like it was echoing from farther away now.

Sam got to his feet. He threw out his wings standing next to Avion.

“We shall see,” the right head said with its high-pitched, annoying voice.

Almost like a blink, Avion was gone and appeared just before Cerberus, striking the beast hard and impaling him into the ground. Avion flew upwards and with his wings outstretched let loose hundreds, if not thousands, of jet-like projectiles that rained down on the king.

Cerberus roared with irritation as Avion’s onslaught didn’t let up. Through the attack, however, three orbs of orange light peeked through. They formed a triangle and as the shape became more evident, a blast of energy rushed towards Avion. Sam appeared and deflected the attack and the two of them rushed to engage the king.

With his fists full of lightning, Sam jabbed the beast in the gut which electrocuted him, causing his body to bend every which way. Sam then caught him with a strike to the chin of the middle head, causing the king to fall back.

The king lashed out with its four arms, trying to pummel Sam but Avion intervened with a quick series of jabs that did little to deter him. However, it was just enough for Sam to come in and counter. Without even realizing it, a massive storm cloud was building above. When the King finally realized what was happening, a gigantic bolt of lightning fell, but something happened.

The King grabbed it.

Sam was surprised.

Avion was stupefied.

Cerberus swung the bolt hitting the both of them and then threw it back at Sam. He was hit by his own attack, experiencing what it felt like to have thousands of volts of electricity flow through him. He fell over, watching Avion take on the King with little to no avail.

Sam didn’t get up. His wings draped him like a blanket, as though he was sick in bed. Compared to Avion, how could he even stand up to this formidable foe? This was the first time he had been separated from his siblings during a fight. Whenever they fought together it was almost telepathic the way they fought. Sam was usually the one to use his powers to stun and then someone else would come in and attack.

However, now it seemed like he was alone in this fight despite Avion being an ally this time.

Something else was missing though.

Something deeper than that.

He looked at how radiant, at how powerful Avion was and compared to him, Sam started to feel doubt. He began to think that maybe he wasn’t as strong as he thought he was. The same attacks over and over again. They were effective in the past, but that was because he had his siblings to back him up and they worked as a team. He had to find a way to aid Avion in a different way.

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He needed to fill the gap in his power right now.

But how? Perhaps Dye knew this and this was why he urged Arayan to train him over the Summer.

It had been awhile since he admitted that Dye was right. Dye must’ve felt this need when they were fighting Griflore. That there was an untapped potential in his power that probably would’ve allowed the fight with Griflore to go smoother.

But it was too late for all that now. Arayan couldn’t train him. Sam needed that extra jump in power now.

In his ears the loud screech of an eagle rang his head. There was no bird in the sky as he looked around.

Avion was hit hard. Cerberus grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the ground. With a quick charge of power, Avion pushed Cerberus away, got up, and went after the King.

“Where did that come from?” thought Sam to himself. He stirred to get up as he began feeling his body heal.

“Power….” A faint, disembodied, voice said. “Only comes to those ... .who need it,” Sam got to his feet. What was happening? Who was speaking right now?

Behind his helmet Sam was beginning to calculate the scenario. As he sorted through everything in his head, the only logical conclusion was his Ka communicating to him.

In the past, Sam only communed with his Ka once. Even then no words were exchanged but it did help him to discover some of his ability to fly.

Power only comes to those who need it

Sam examined the words in his head.

What did that mean?

How was he supposed to take advantage of whatever this was?

He looked to the sky and saw the ships encroaching ominously, but beyond that there was something more.

The Sky.

His Xentonian representation.

What kind of power was there? Was there a way for him to somehow access it now?

Not in the Spirit Life-Force, but as he was now.

The air

The clouds

The quick winds and frigid temperature.

All of these things were up there.

How could Sam bring them down here?

He closed his eyes and listened. He inhaled deeply and then exhaled calmly.

There was something tingling all over his body.

The sun was beginning to rise and as the light creeped over the land, it was suddenly blocked out. It wasn’t by any of the ships flying overhead. It wasn’t due to the mechs stomping their way towards them. Nor was it the hundreds of pod blanketing the skies as they swarmed around.

It was because of a massive, funnel cloud that was forming just above him. The winds started to pick up. Thunder boomed while lightning crackled inside the long channel of condensed water vapor.

He opened his eyes and looked up at the massive funnel cloud swirling above and that’s when he realized something. There was a primordial, almost primitive force in the sky. It had always been there, now he just needed to harness it.

The electrical crackling got intense as the thunder growled. Sam embraced the swirling funnel and instantly a giant bolt of lightning fell and struck him. The impact sent a shockwave of raw electricity surging in all directions. King Cerberus and Avion, unaware of the event, were finally seeing what had happened. The funnel cloud above, the residual electrical sparks jumping all over the desert ground.

A plume of electrified smoke seeped into the air. Through the smolder, a glowing, electrified body emitted light through the black haze; sparks flickering all over. Sam waved his hand, and a gale of wind blew the smoke away. In his other hand was a staff coursing with lightning. The entire shaft looked to be made of wood but as it reached the top it turned to smooth, sleek metal. At the top was a glowing gem that caged in lightning.

Sam’s wings had also changed. Instead of their usual feathery appearance, it was as though each feather was its own lightning bolt. His wings appeared non physical but as pure electricity maintaining their wing-like appearance. All of the gold accents on his armor glowed with energy matching that of the lightning surrounding him.

King Cerberus roared at him. That’s when Sam took his staff, twirled it above his head, and stabbed the ground. Cerberus took this as an invitation and began charging towards the newly powered Xenton. Cerberus was upon him and raised his claws and that's when Sam vanished through a crack of lightning. He appeared behind the brute quick as lightning. He lifted his staff and raised it towards the funnel cloud above and made circular motions with his weapon. The funnel began rotating faster, picking up the speed of the wind and surrounding the three-headed beast in a whirlwind of debris and dust, causing King Ceberus to cover his face.

Sam took his staff, swept down the funnel cloud right on top of Cerberus, making it a tornado. Swinging his staff again, he thrusted it forward and an orb of lightning hit the tornado, electrifying it.

“Get ready, Avion!” cried Sam.

Avion acknowledged and readied himself for whatever Sam was about to do.

Sam swiped down his staff and the tornado parted open like a sheet of paper tearing in half. The King was there, stunned as the current of electricity subdued him.

Avion took off, flying passed Sam and snatching up the King's black-furred body. Sam watched as Avion arched his way up with Cerberus held in front of him. He plowed through one of the ships in the sky with Cerberus taking the blunt force of the impact. Just as this happened, a swarm of pods began going after Avion as the ship came crashing down.

Sam charged his body and like lightning, he zipped across the swarm in a moment's blink, chaining behind him a line of explosions. He appeared high up over the chaotic swarm and zipped again as lightning through another hoard of swarming pods, creating another chained explosions.

Sam appeared on the ground as the swarm debris fell from the sky. Avion rushed through the skies with King Cerberus, he flew through another series of ships, doing his best to lessen the oncoming armada while also weakening the King, who was still paralyzed by Sam’s attack.

Mechs clammored towards Sam, firing off rounds while hoards of Coalts charged towards him.

“Alright, let’s see what else this power-up can do,” he twirled his staff again and with a swing an intense and powerful gale swept away a portion of the hoard, throwing them like exploding confetti. He swung his staff the other way and another group of Coalts went flying. With a forward thrust, a blast of chilling cold air was sent forth and pushed over a single mech. Becoming lightning again, he zipped through the toppled mech that exploded just as Sam struck it.

When he turned around, he noticed the army of Coalts changed directions and were rushing towards him. He tightened the grip on his staff and prepared himself.