The flaming sword descended over his cross guard with sparks like molten lava splashing in his face. The young warrior wanted to, but did not close his eyes, gazing straight into the hollow face. He felt his skin hissing, and the burning pain filled his mind.

  Drake could barely hold against the pressuring power of the hellish fiend. He could feel the stones crackling under his feet. His muscles tensed while veins bulged across his body, his neck swelled, his shoulders burned with pain. The young man was slowly losing this standoff.

  Releasing the guard, he darted forward right under the descending swing. Making the creature topple forward with the powerful momentum while the counterforce was no longer holding it in place. The thunderous explosion of fire and stones rippled through the hall when the blade crashed over the stone surface.

  The warrior emerged right behind the beast, ready to unleash the fury of his axes. But he did not anticipate such speed and cunning from the Blacklord. The monster twisted its wrist and jerked on the whip. The long, extensive tentacle was aimed at the warrior.

  Drake felt the spikes cutting deep into his leg right above his greave guards. Before he could react any further, the massive force flung him into the air like he was nothing but a feather.

  And with a snapping sound, spikes tore off his flesh at the hip. The young warrior flew a few long paces. His back to the stone column. It crumbled into an explosion puff of dust and gravel by power of his body crashing over.

  He could feel the crackling of his bones. The armor cushioned most of the impact. Drake knew that without it he would be snapped in half. The force still did more damage than he anticipated. Winded and huffing, the world was turning around him while he tried to steady himself.

  Through the layers of blurred vision, he saw the beast on the approach. The young man knew all too well he had no time to waste.

  “Damn, boy! This shit is fucking insane. What the hell is that creature?!” Jake’s voice resounded, puzzled and concerned.

  “Huh, must be some big shot from… Hell?!” Drake chuckled and wiped blood from the corners of his mouth.

  “In good spirits, I see. Well, you know what they say. The bigger they are, the louder they fall! Wipe the floor with his sorry, burning ass! You can do it, buddy.” The man's reassuring voice boomed inside his head. The young warrior’s vision cleared.

  “If you say so, captain! Time for some whooping. Or maybe I should have become a baker!” Drake replied, spitting blood onto the ground. The warrior straightened up, took his battle stance, and rushed into the fray.

  The towering, hellish creature looked just too fast for its frame. So Drake had to use his entire arsenal of skills to even have a glimpse of a chance. He decided that the difference in their fame could become a good advantage to use. If distance was managed properly.

  Time was slipping away. The stomping monster was closing in with blurring speed, making massive leaps forward on its springy-like legs. It seemed that it could drop on all fours and aim to bite one’s limb off or ram the victim hard with its horns.

  But Drake already knew that he would, undoubtedly, lose the power struggle with the beast. Its strength was far beyond anything he had encountered. While moving towards the enemy, he enveloped his body in the hues of a golden aura, strengthening the aura. Using every bit of that dragon’s power, he had managed to manifest at that moment. Still not sure if enough…

  The young warrior felt the massive surge of vigor spreading into every corner of his body, filling his muscles, stopping the bleeding, healing wounds. This wave of power filled him with confidence. That was when Blacklord had already reached the striking distance.

  Splitting the air, the stab of the fiery sword flew right into Drake’s face. He lowered his head and dashed to the side. The whip was at the ready, and the enemy jerked its hand. But the young warrior predicted that. Immediately he sprang with his support leg, pirouetting himself into the air with the side flip, avoiding the leash by the thinnest margin. A few spikes grazed over his greave guard with a screeching sound.

  Appearing to the right of the creature, his eyes danced, looking for an opening between the spikes and into the scales. And there it was, right under where the arm joint connected. He noticed that the rugged, spiky skin looked more tender for flexibility.

  That was the place his axe connected with an upward arc. One strike after the other in a multitude of rotating motions. A succession of five followed.

  While the first few produced nothing but sparks, leaving small dents on the beast’s mighty skin. The third faced much less resistance, leaving a visible furrow. And the final two split the scale and connected with the dark flesh.

  The small wound opened, and the hot black blood gushed outside. Dripping down his axes and over his sweaty hands. Drake felt it was hot and sticky, like melted tar. The burning against his skin was like he submerged his palms right into the boiling pot.

  Yet, during the fight, he had no time to waste. The creature grunted, growled, and snapped around. Drake saw the glimpse of the sword approaching from the side. With the hissing of the burning air. Reactively, the young warrior twisted his hip, jerking his whole body out of the way to avoid the mighty blow. It passed his torso, still too close for comfort. While it crashed into another column, splitting it in two.

  A veil of dust and gravel flew into the air and into his face. Big stones were drummed against his armor. Drake tried to use this chance to create more distance in between. Yet he knew that the fiend held the edge on longer range. He had the idea.

  And so it was. The whip was already upon him, coming to grab him. The young warrior used all his agility while he leaned backward. The spiked chain flew over his face with a swishing sound and tangled itself around another stone column with a loud metal clanging. Gripping it tight.

  Blacklord jerked his hand in frustration, yet the chain only solidified its grip inside the stone. This was the moment to act. Drake deftly changed the direction and rushed forward, his axes at the ready. Muscles tensed and eyes focused on the goal, he flew onward like a charged bolt.

  Rotating around in a whirlwind time and time again, gathering additional momentum. His pure strength was not enough to deal significant damage. He had to find the way to increase the force. And when he finally connected, his steel sang against the spikes and tough scales. The hall was lit ablaze with the sparks flying into the air, illuminating the young warrior’s furrowed, concentrated face with each blow.

  The creature raised its sword, blocking a decent portion of the incoming blows, but the warrior darted to the side and under. Curving around the monster, whose hollow face turned only to see him already in the air. The young man descended with his axes right into its skull. A perfect double cross swing landed right on the horn. With a loud crack, the massive part of it snapped off. And the massive fiend grunted in pain.

  Just like I thought, horns are the weak spot.

  The dark, rugged bone-spike fell to the ground. Black smoke left the creature's mouth when it gritted its sharp, needle-like teeth, screeching. The stream of black, steaming liquid gushed right out from the opening. Landing over the stony floor with the loud taps, painting it with a pool of dark, gluey substance. Swirls of smoke rose over each massive drop.

  Drake moved forward with the momentum, covering himself behind the monster. He thought about flanking it from the other, open side. The sense of superiority was far-fetched in the young man’s heart.

  “Youuuuuu! You will pay for this!” The creature grunted so deeply that it felt like it came from the deepest mine. Yet it was so loud that the stones fell from the ceiling, broken down by the vibrations. Its eyes lit with a dark red glow, curls of smoke twisted in the air around its entire frame, and the tongues of crimson flame consumed its skull, burning with the vile intensity.

  Blacklord clutched its grip. The chains caught fire. And with another flick of the whip, the stone column crumbled into dust and pebbles. The sword in its hand grew ever brighter when the hellish enemy raised it and burned its horned wound close with the sizzling sound.

  “It seems furious…quite furious. Don’t think we have an option to run, boy!” Was the only thing Jake noted before the hellish fiend raised its hand, rotating the whip over its head with massive force, that flung it forward with blinding speed.

  He was unable to react. The burning chains entangled the young man entirely, twisting around his body like vines, screeching over his armor, rendering him motionless in a complete lock. The sound was torturing his eardrums, and the burning heat already threatened to boil him right inside the shell of the armor.

  Drake could see the cracks forming on its surface. All those spikes slowly penetrated deep. The metal bent and twisted, crackling. He was imprisoned inside his armor that became a sturdy shell pressing from all sides. His chest felt heavy. With each passing moment, he had less and less room to breathe.

  Slowly he stumbled to his knees. Drake tried to weasel himself out. Tensing his muscles, using all his strength. But the burning chains were far too strong. The links did not budge at all. Along with the angry Blacklord that had no intention of giving him any respite.

  It was a matter of a heartbeat, and the young warrior was already soaring through the air once again with air-whistling wind in his ears. Yet this time he was not the one in control. Shortly his face met the stone column flat. With a deafening thud, stones broke over his skull. Blood gushed from his forehead and nose.

  Before he could even think to regain any of his senses, his back met another stony structure with the crackling of his bones inside the twisted armor. It felt like he was hit by a flying boulder. Coughing blood, he continued to travel through the air with tremendous speed while the massive creature meticulously flung him into all the available stone pillars within the hall.

  His face and back met the floor more than once, along with a good dozen of the stone columns he counted in his mind. One after the other, the number of pillars thinned. Drake coughed and struggled for breath, suffocating. He could feel a new bone crack after every impact. The black diamond glazing fell victim to the burning hot fire.

  What a shit out of luck! Drake thought while his mind was slowly fading.

  Deeper and deeper dents and cracks had appeared over its surface. Aside from the scorching heat burning his skin, the young man could not feel his pristine armor becoming the prison that pressed on his chest. It was getting harder to inhale, with the metal parts pressing over his lungs and binding his ribs. He started to forcefully breathe faster and faster while every attempt became smaller and smaller.

  Drake’s entire world spun. He was unable to tell for how long he was in the air, and with each impact, more scratches appeared, wounds opened one by one. From inside and outside, he started looking like a beaten pulp. Yet after over a dozen impacts, the young warrior seemed to become absolutely numb to the pain.

  “Shit, Drake! Don’t you dare lose it, boy! Don't let your consciousness drift. You must stay awake!” He could hear Jake screaming inside his mind. The eyelids were heavy like lead, threatening to close those gates of consciousness shut. Yes, yes! I… Have to… Have to hold on… He gritted his teeth hard, gathering every ounce of his mental fortitude and power left in his body.

  Forcing his sockets open as wide as humanly possible, nothing but crimson in his vision. Drake tried to scan the environment. There were barely any pillars left. He could see only two that were still intact. And the next one was approached fast. This one he would be the one to meet his face flat.

  Yet this time he had no intention to just do nothing and accept what the beast had in store for him. But his hands were tightly pressed against his body. He had to somehow render himself at least partially free.

  Twisting his shoulder and turning his wrist, he flicked his axe in his right hand into a reverse grip. The blade got into the chain holding him, so he pressed against it, stopping it from slipping further. Breaking the part of momentum and shortening the angle, it jerked him to the side, narrowly missing the stone structure. Drake brushed his broken nose over the rugged surface, which left a painful burning scratch.

  Now flying behind it, he stuck his other axe underneath the chain, pushing it hard and away from his body. While he was still in the air, stones and pebbles struck right into his face. Drake tried rotating his body to apply counter-rotation with his body, using his axe instead of the leverage to slip around. The grip of chains around his body lessened. He could feel it and with another additional jerk, he unwound the links around his body.

  Pirouetting, he stabilized himself free from the burning clutches and landed on the stony floor. Drake straightened up. The warrior brushed off the dust and wiped some of blood off his face. Ready to face the creature once again.

  “Impressive, human!” Blacklord's deep, low voice filled the room. The whip-chain continued to twist around the pillar with metallic clangs.

  “Shut your ugly trap! I’m not here for your entertainment.” The young warrior said while he spat more blood on the floor. Emerald eyes gleaming with focus and intent. Without a moment of hesitation, he swung both of his axes over the whip the moment the beast jerked it back and the column was about to crumble.

  The force was just enough, it snapped with a loud bang right at the link Drake targeted. The broken metal wire flew right into the monster’s face, slapping it with a loud thud. Unfazed, the hellish beast only looked down at the handle and discarded the metal whip like a useless tool.

  Yet the moment it gazed back at the young warrior, he was already in his battle stance, looking unaffected, yet somewhat different. Despite all the damage to his armor and body, he looked reinvigorated, beaming with the yellow glow while the hues of golden light flew around him like small fireflies.

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  While more and more power swirled and ocncentrated around him, colors changed. To the gold, the smears of purple and emerald joined, like ribbons. Intertwined in a strange kaleidoscopic symphony.

  “Oooooooh, that power! For thousands of years, I did not smell anything so sweet. Your soul will become a great addition to my collection.” The burning eyes of the creature seemed to catch on fire. With a sinister expression, it licked its sharp teeth with the long, snake-like tongue.

  Drake surged forward. Like a lightning bolt himself. His legs were swift. He floated over the surface without any visible effort. Each muscle, each fiber of his being, radiated pure energy. This was the first time he felt so powerful. With each passing moment, the sensations only intensified.

  In the blink of an eye, he was already at striking distance. The young warrior raised his axes and sprang into the air. Rotating his body, the axes came crashing down right into the skeletal face.

  But the massive fiend twisted on its feet, leaning to the side and down. Drake could only see how his dark weapons cut nothing but the thin air with a swooshing sound. The sword was already coming from below in an upward arc. Predicting his movements, ready to cut.

  Still airborne, Drake extended one of his arms, slowing down the rotation. He clustered in the air, positioning his body perfectly. The warrior met the sword with his axe, right on the guard. Using his weapon like the hook to grapple, he rotated around the blade, propelling him further.

  Right after he landed with a strong footing, Drake solidified his stance. The creature had already caught on. Instead of using its sword, it used its free hand and slashed towards the young warrior.

  The long, metal-like claws came screeching, throwing sparks into the air when Drake blocked the approach flat with his axe. Without hesitation he jiggled his other weapon into the reverse grip and turned with his hip.

  Cutting upward, the sharp edge connected with the scaled, spiked skin. The flesh gave way, and dark blood mist flew into the air. Ready to capitalize on his success, Drake tried to cut from above with another weapon, but the demon swiftly jerked its hand backwards. Making the gasping warrior cut the air once again.

  The overextension of his body created the necessary opening for his enemy. The sword was already coming from the side. Drake blocked it with the cross guard.

  He could feel the power did not change from the first lock with the beast. Yet his own strength was now nearly on par with the hellish fiend now. The powers that swirled within him were far more potent than anticipated.

  Drake pushed the weapon away. He could still feel the hot flames of fire that kissed his knuckles and wrists. The skin turned red, and a few blisters had already formed. The young warrior did not mind at all, so he dashed forward and under, using all his speed.

  But the eyes of the enemy were as swift, if not swifter. Reading through his movements, the creature stepped to the side. Making the warrior once again catch nothing but an empty space, finding himself open and exposed.

  This time the sword came from behind. Drake knew he had no time to block. So he rooted his legs, and with the jolt of power, flipped his body up and backward. The flaming sword seared the air with a hissing sound. And the young warrior was once again behind the beast.

  Without a hint of hesitation, he dashed forward, axes at the ready. Double swing followed up with the side slash and return overhand swing. The obsidian steel sang, whistling with killing intent.

  Fast with the sword, the fiend blocked the initial assault. Yet one of the strikes cut right at the belly. It opened another big wound that made the hot, dark blood with puffs of smoke tap on the stone floor with a thudding sound. The monster grunted but showed no signs of being even remotely bothered.

  “Weak! Human. Commendable, but still weak!” The dreadful words came out of its sharp, shining, needle-filled mouth.

  “Huh, say that after this!” Drake bellowed when he dashed forward once again. Jiggling his axes with both hands. The demon’s burning eyes followed each motion.

  Yet this time, instead of throwing a combination of blows, the young warrior suddenly fell on one knee with his other leg two forward, slipping over the floor right between the legs of the mighty beast.

  Axes tore the scales at both of the creature’s achilles tendons when Drake passed through. Raising back to his feet, he followed up with a few more slashes, tearing the Blacklord's legs. One after the other, dark wounds opened.

  The young warrior could feel the odor of brimstone and tar hit his nostrils, like he was standing over the edge of the volcano spewing magma. Yet the stench of that blood had something else. Like a rotting earth or rotting flesh mixed into it. For a moment he felt like gagging.

  Yet instead he intensified the power of his assault. A few more double swings and upward slashes followed. Before Drake jerked backwards, the monster turned around with the fast motion. Its spear-like tail grazed over the young warrior’s scaled armor right at the gut. Leaving a visible deep furrow.

  “Playtime is over! Time to pay for your insolence!” Blacklord's voice sounded more distorted and deeper than usual.

  Before Drake could answer, he felt the surge of energy coming from his enemy. Like an invisible wall of power that now separated them. When he tried to move forward, he could not. It felt like his body became a dozen thousand times heavier.

  Whirls of dark smoke enveloped the demon. Its features slowly twisted. The scales and spikes appeared to move by themselves in waves, like a colony of ants. The smoke looked like thousands of tiny hands pushing over the creature.

  With a crackling sound from its back, two fleshy appendages appeared. First, just like dark bone, a brown, flesh-like substance grew over them. And like the ship opening its sails, the wings unrolled themselves right before his eyes.

  The massive fiend straightened up, the sinister grin dining over its flayed skull features. Massive boils appeared under its hands, spewing dark pus on the ground. That seemed to burn into the stone.

  Soon the scaled skin of the massive boils gave way, and a pair of other hands appeared from the openings. Drake noted that those looked nearly identical, just slightly shorter than the main pair of the beast. Still, they looked perfectly functional while the monster intently flexed and tested those with a crackling sound of the bones.

  This whole transformation did not frighten the young warrior. Instead he felt immense disgust. He felt that now he must crush such a wicked being. What a fucking monstrosity!

  And as soon as the dark smoke settled, the burning creature’s gaze fixed on him. Drake could feel his body and strength return to normal. Without a hint of hesitation, the young warrior dashed forward. Hues of yellow light enveloped him. One after the other, he applied the physical enhancements and readied his axes for battle.

  With full force he came slashing at the demon. Yet without any visible effort at all, the hellish field blocked all the young warrior’s attempts to reach it.

  It blocked each strike perfectly with its sword. Not a single riposte worked, not a single hidden arc landed. It seemed like the creature read each and every move of the warrior. To the point that it seemed like it foresaw right into the future.

  No matter how well Drake tried to mask his intent, using the unorthodox stance or faking the supporting leg. Blacklord saw right through it. The burning eyes were ever so vigilant.

  Drake could not seem to find a single opening anymore. Methodically he danced around the fiend. Ducking down, dashing forward, swinging on his legs, or sliding over the floor. Nothing seemed to work at all.

  Yet through all of that, the monster did not even try to hit him. Not a single counter or basic attack. As if the creature locked itself into impenetrable, numb, defense. Maybe it can’t attack in this state? I wonder.

  Drake's hands ached. His blisters popped one after the other. Handles were dark with his own blood. His muscles ached, his bones trembled from all the impacts. The young warrior was not sure if he could finish it off before the effects of his aura wore off.

  And there, after another rotation, he saw it. When defending against one of his upward slashes, the demon raised its head just enough to expose the neck. Where there were no spikes and the scales appeared to be tender.

  Without wasting a single heartbeat, Drake rushed forward, moving his axe in a downward arc. Following up with another slash from below. He forced the fiend to defend in a cross guard with its sword and one of the hands.

  The young warrior used the impact as his stepping stone. He pivoted into the air, knowing that another block with the sword would follow his next strike. And it happened like he predicted, the sword came from the side to block the slash flat.

  It was his chance. He felt that he was on the edge of winning this fight. With the deft rotation of his axe, Drake changed the direction of his movement, rolling in the air. The flat of the sword acted as his springboard. He propelled himself further, pushing off with his leg. Aiming for the neck.

  Overjoyed inside, he could feel his axe was about to sever the monster’s head. A cunning smile covered his face.

  Yet the hellish creature reacted instantly. Twisting its wrist, it rotated the sword, deftly changing the direction at the midpoint. Drake saw it, his eyes widened but he was unable to react in time. The heavy blow came from the side. Already battered and worn, the armor’s metal barely offered any resistance. As it dented hard inward, the black diamond shards filled the air like broken glass, with rays of light dancing with the dark shadows.

  He felt his bones snap under the pressure, that pierced his entrails. The dark blood gushed from his mouth in full force. That left the metallic aftertaste to linger. The young warrior’s world was covered in the veil of haziness. He flew fast towards the broken gates.

  Burning pain coursed through his entire body while his leg got twisted during the impact. Another loud snap followed when his body crashed over the broken frame of the gates. Landing face down on the stone tiles with a loud thud. Now sprawled like an insect in his own pool of blood.

  “Shit, shit, fuck, fuck! Think! Think! He’s coming!” Jake screamed. He had know what to do.

  “There… mus…t… b.. something…this place. Try to….” Drake could barely hear the voice. It sounded like some kind of transmission with a broken signal.

  Using his strength, the young man tried to stand up. He could not. Immediately he stumbled down to the stones. His limbs wobbled, and his entire body trembled. He managed to make only a few paces, crawling on his elbows. Behind him, he could hear the Blacklord swiftly approaching, stomping loudly.

  Immediately he rolled over to his back. Frantically opening his bandolier. Most of the vials were already broken. Drake cut his hands deep with sheets of glass when he crunched it in his hands. He looked for the ones that were still intact.

  Here! He managed to find one of the vials. Without ever looking at what it was, he popped the bottle and consumed it with a single thirsty gulp. The young warrior felt at that moment that if needs be, he would just drop it inside his mouth and chew it whole.

  Before the thought even left his mind, the hellish fiend jerked the leather bandolier from his hands and threw it away. Drake’s eye lost the yellow glow and turned back into his usual emerald. Yet, his pupils narrowed, becoming nothing but barely visible, tiny black dots. For once again he could feel at least mere bits of energy inside his body.

  Yet the power did not even reach every corner of his body, when he saw the humongous fiery blade descending right into his face. The warrior reacted instinctively. Swiftly he put his hand out, covering his face. The blade instead connected with his reinforced vambrace.

  The force of the impact was so massive that the guard shattered immediately with an explosive sound. But it still protected his hand from being severed, and the heavy sword slipped to the side, diving deep into the stone instead.

  Drake's hand flew in the air, absorbing the force. He could hear his bones shattering one by one, and the sensation reverberated further and further. Stopping at his shoulder with the loud crack.

  Blacklord did not intend to entertain such insolence. The demon kicked the young warrior with its mighty leg. Drake rolled over the floor, hitting the wall in the far corner. Feeling like both his breath and his spirit were beaten out of his body.

  When he raised his now empty gaze, the hellish visage of a skull was looking down on him. Savoring its victory. With the last remnants of strength in his body, he tried to raise his axe. Even now, he refused to give up.

  But the attempt was cut short immediately. The creature stomped on his obsidian-metal weapon. Crushing it under its hooflike appendages into tiny pieces, like it was nothing but a mere glass.

  The moments stretched to eternity. Shit… I think that I seriously fucked up this time. Well, that’s what you get for trying to chew more than you can take, I suppose. But why was Jake…so sure? A final lesson for me to take to the afterlife. It will be…I just…close my eyes… He thought to himself as his mind raced for reasons and conclusions.

  Drake felt the last embers of power leave his body. He was like a frail leaf swiped by the gust of the storming wind. The young warrior could barely breathe. He did not even try anymore. All his wounds throbbed with pain. Hot blood ribbons crawled over the stone floor, seeping from his body, pooling underneath. And his broken bones screamed while they searched for their final respite.

  Yet none was offered. The last thing he saw was the massive abomination towering over him. With its mighty, dark, burning flame sword approaching to claim his life.

  Drake could hear Jake again. The man screamed inside his mind. “NO, I’M NOT DONE! COME ON! Hold on, boyyyyy!” The thunderous roar of the explosion he could barely feel or hear well through his fading consciousness. It seemed like he saw a certain mist of blue visage shielding him. Yet he did not understand.

  The next moment the entire stone floor underneath collapsed from the mighty impact, lifting stones, gravel, and dust like a storm. The last thing was just the opened, gaping, dark abyss that consumed both the young warrior and the hellish fiend.

  Oh… Finally… Drake exhaled.

  There was nothing but the complete darkness all around, yet Drake was sure his eyes were wide open. Sharp pain oozed from every corner of his body. There was no respite. His entrails were burning, his muscles ached, and the skin felt scorched, covered in pulsating blisters and open burns.

  Ah, shit, what’s even this pain… FUCK! The young warrior gritted his teeth. He could feel his jaw cracking. Still alive…. AAAAARH! Another jolt of shuddering pain ran down his spine when he tried to move.

  With all the leftover strength he had and one hand, he managed to undo the straps of his armor. Releasing himself from the battered, twisted, and dented shell. Allowing him to finally breathe in full. Or so he thought. As soon as he tried to inhale, his lungs convulsed, allowing him not more than a half breath. Broken… ribs…

  He could not feel his left leg from his knee down, and his right hand did not respond. The warrior attempted to move it. But the realization that it was nothing but a dangling, useless noodle came fast.

  Frantically, he examined himself. Bones were broken and shattered from the shoulder down. His leg was twisted to the side; he could feel the bone sticking out, yet it was completely numb.Like the pain did not even exist there.

  The young warrior wanted to scream and cry. He felt the need to call for help, for someone to be there and get him out of this mess. For someone to tell him what to do. For someone to make things right. To make things work. All those cravings overwhelmed him, crying from inside, looking for the way.

  “Jake, Jake! Man, man, can you hear me? Where are you?!” He cried loudly inside his mind. No answer followed.

  Drake tried to concentrate, looking for presence. Yet there was nothing, not even the veil or the wall blocking his way while he descended deep into his mind. His mind felt free, free of the presence of the man he spent years living in his head.

  Instantly the anxiety crushed him like a hurricane. Instead of being relieved, the young warrior felt the fear. The strong gripping clutches pierce his chest. It did not make any sense.

  “Jake! Answer me, where have you gone! Don’t play your tricks on me. It’s not one bit funny!” This time he shouted it out at the top of his lungs, but the voice came out frail and cracking. While the sound seemed to only reverberate from the cold, dark stones around him.

  Where… Is he… Damn it! What’s happening! Drake’s thoughts raced further. He tried to reach Calamary. And at that moment his stomach twisted even harder. There was no link. He could not feel the connections. Nothing, nothing but cold darkness and silence. He could nearly feel the corners of his eyes watering.

  Where…did…they go? They left me?! What am I supposed to do…

  At that moment the young warrior’s heart froze with primal terror.

  And here comes to the end the first chapter of Volume II: Emberfame! More to come!

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