As the smoke cleared from the massive explosion, I looked and saw that the entire battlefield had been laid waste. Only the knights of the Order, our horses and Inekwar were left standing. Inekwar stood amazed, as did the other knights. I smiled, and relaxed as I stood up straight. Inekwar approached me, putting his sword back into its sheath. "That was amazing!" he said. "It felt...good." I remarked. "I've never felt such power before! You truly are a Golden Knight." he said, before giving me a nod of respect. As Kysos approached me, some rubbled shifted, and the suited man crawled from underneath it. He slimbed to his feet, his armour all shattered and useless. He staggered towards me, barely able to hold his sword in hand. "I won't be defeated by you..." he said, starting to charge up dark energy in his blade again. The darkness surrounding him was stronger than any I had ever seen. As he charged up his attack, I summoned energy into my blade as well, so that both of us were charging up at the same time. He started shouting as he poured everything he had into his attack, as I was doing with mine. "Now, die!" he shouted before swinging his sword, sending a huge arc of dark energy hurtling towards me. I pointed my sword towards him, and fired off a single salvo, comprised of all the energy I'd been building up. They clashed in the air, resulting in a huge explosion that knocked everybody around onto their backs, except me. I stood solemn as the explosion faded and the smoke cleared. The suited man was again pulling himself to his feet, weak and unimportant, having drained all of his strength. "You'll never defeat me." I said, walking towards him. He panicked and started moving backward away from me. I put my sword into the strap on my back, and reached out to the suited man, grabbing him with both hands around his neck. "You cannot defeat me! My strength comes from the Supreme Being, who created me and knows my fate! From the one who created all around us! From the one who created your master! That is why you cannot defeat me!" I shouted, feeling energy building up in my hands. The energy around my hands grew brighter, and enveloped the suited man, until his entire body disintegrated on my hands, turning into black rubble that blew away into the wind. "He is gone." I heard the soft voice in my ear again. I smirked and stood up straight. Kysos and Inekwar appeared at my side. "I'm going to take our wounded back to headquarters." he said, giving me a pat on the shoulder before turning around and walking away. Inekwar and I stood alone as the knights left the field. "That was something to be remembered." he said softly. "They'll think twice about coming back here." I said solemnly. "Well, I think I've finally met my match." he said before laughing. "How so?" I asked. "Until this day, I was the most powerful being in Dreamland, save the Supreme Being himself. Now it looks as though I've been replaced." Inekwar laughed. "Well, we'll always be on the same side, Inekwar." I said with a smile rising to my face. "God help me the day we aren't." Inekwar said before chuckling and walking away from me. I watched him leave. He hovered above the ground, and looked back at me. "See you around Kendrick." he said before blasting off into the air. He vanished from sight and I lost track of him. I was left by myself, and I felt a great sadness upon me. All alone. I'd been alone my entire life. Then I met my wonderful wife and she bore me a wonderful son. She died bringing him into this world, and he was taken from me while trying to defend it. Leaving me all alone. But they were with the Supreme Being now, a situation I could smile at. I looked skyward as a tear streamed down my face. "I won't forget" I said to myself, knowing somehow that they would hear me. I summoned energy to me and blasted off towards the sky, fnally finding the heaven I'd so long been searching for.

The knights seemed to be fighting well against the warriors. Their attack had pushed right through the entire legion of demons, forcing it into two groups. They quickly lined up and charged into the two groups, decimating the demons as they went. I launched an attack at the suited man, swinging with a skill he didn't expect. I felt the Spirit of the Supreme Being all around me, and I allowed Him to control my actions. I felt raw power all throughout my body, and kept swinging. The suited man tried to retreat to charge up his sword with dark energy like he did when he fought my son, but I kept pressing the attack, not giving him the chance. He kept jumping back, but I kept leaping after him, wherever he went. I could see the agitation in his eyes as he kept leaping away from me, but I kept pressing the attack. "You don't quit do you?" he rasped at me. "Not on your life." I shouted back before leaping at him. Our blades clashed, the impact rattling my bones. The suited man twisted and started lashing out in ferocious attacks, each of them rattling my frame. He smashed the silver sword up and booted me in the gut, sending my toppling to the ground. He leapt high into the air and came down at me, screaming as he went. I rolled aside as he came down, the end of his blade embedding itself into the ground. He struggled to wrench it free, so I took advantage of the situation. I kicked him as hard as I could in the side, but he caught my foot and threw me back through the air. I skidded along the dirt, still clutching the Silver Sword in my hands. I charged up the blade and gave it a swing, sending a silver disc of energy hurtling towards the suited man. It struck him in the gut, exploding brightly and sending him hurtling backward. He straightened up, a huge charred mark on his armour. "Not bad." he said, a smile rising to his face. I stood and readied myself for his next attack. "But I'm better!" he shouted before swinging his sword. A huge purple blast hurtled through the air at me, and before I could react, it struck my in the gut. The blast pierced my armour, and I felt it burst through into my flesh. Blood splashed onto the ground and bubbled out over the hole in my armour, and I sank to my knees. The pain was immense. I started to lose vision, and as my vision faded I saw the suited man for what he really was. I saw before me a creature with blackened scales, huge demon wings, and weilding his black bladed sword. He snarled at me, while his forked tongue flicked out from behind his fanged teeth. I also saw a glowing white figure step between us. He glared angrily at the suited man, before turning towards me. "You can do it Kendrick. You have the strength..." he said. "I can't...he's too strong." I muttered, slowly sinking lower and lower to the ground. "You've always had the strength Kendrick. You are a Golden Knight." the glowing man said before vanishing. As I felt my life slipping away, I saw fire all around me. It surrounded me, growing closer and closer. Before I knew it, it surrounded me and the Silver Sword. The sword began to glow with a golden hue, and the blade became wreathed in flame. The flams surrounded me, healing my wound and covering my armour. All at once, it vanished. I saw Inekwar, who stared at me with a amazed look on his face. Kysos also stopped, as did everything else on the battlefield. Friends and enemies alike turned and gaped at me, and I looked down at myself. My steel armour was now shining gold, and the once Silver Sword was now golden coloured and enveloped in flame. I hefted it up, and smirked at the suited man, who was now cowering in fear. "Hey! Care to try again?" I shouted at him. He took several steps back, and I laughed. I searched deep within myself for the strength to defeat him, and it came rushing at me. I shouted as I summoned all of my energy, which started to glow about me. I shouted loudly into the air as it gathered, growing in strength and intensity. I gripped the hilt of the flaming sword tightly, and gave a shout, sending all of my energy out as a massive attack. The field grew and grew, expanding wider and wider, until it was so bright I couldn't see. As it enveloped the entire battlefield and surrounding countryside, it exploded. I shouted as I released the massive explosion, and it grew so bright I couldn't see.

Inekwar, Kysos and myself rode across the landscape, which had become twisted and evil. The once green grass was stained red, and even the sky seemed to havd darknened. All life seemed to be draining from Dreamland, and I knew it would soon be gone. I readied myself for the coming conflict, and as we rode over a ridge, I saw the vast encampment of the suited man. His army had almost doubled in size, which worried me. We were three me against a huge force, with no hope of victory. "Kysos, head back to headquarters. See if you can bring some knights with you." I said. "I'm not going to let you two face these demons on your own!" he exclaimed. "Go. Quickly." I said, seeing the suited man emerge from his tent and stare up the hill at Inekwar and myself. Kysos turned and rode off, leaving me and Inekwar by ourselves. "Here goes..." I muttered to myself, and we started down the hill. The demonic warriors quickly gathered to oppose us, but moved aside as we strode down to meet them. They stood at attention as we rode by as though we were visiting royalty, and wouldn't look at us. "Welcome!" the suited man said with widespread arms. I dismounted my horse and glared at him. Inekwar did the same and stood beside me. I could feel him building his energy up for the fight, and I drew the Silver Sword. "I've come here to make sure you pay for what you've done." I said, as stern sounding as possible. The suited man laughed. "We shall see." he said. I gritted my teeth and tried not to think of Rayough, but he seemed to sense what I was thinking. "Oh...I see now. That was your boy I killed?" he said. I snarled in anger and bit back the response I had for him. He began laughing, filling me up with rage again. "Stop." I barked, before charging straight at him. He drew his blade faster than I anticipated, and blocked the heavy handed attack I threw at him. He launched a savage attack, which I managed to parry. I dodged the following attack and leapt backward, before assuming a fighting stance. "Very nice. More skill than that damned boy of yours." the suited man smirked. I snarled again, and waited for him to attack me. He lashed out, striking out faster than I'd seen before. I blocked several of the attacks, and leapt backward again. He pressed on the attack, swinging his sword with a crazed fury, but an incredible amount of skill. I pushed back his attacks and retreated as he advanced, but managed to hold on my own. Right then he slashed out quickly, slicing through my armour and cutting into my skin. I cried out in pain and dropped to my knees, and the suited man stopped, assumed a fighting stance and chuckled. "Much better than that damned boy of yours, but still nothing compared to me." he rasped. I gritted my teeth tightly and heard a bugle sound loudly through the air. All attention was drawn to the top of the ridge, where all of the knights of the Order, plus the knights gathered from the other chapters, was marshalled. I found myself smiling, as Kysos took the lead. He held his spear into the air and shouted something I couldn't quite make out, before they all came screaming down the hill towards the demonic army. The suited man panicked and shouted at his army, which quickly assembled itself and prepared for the imminent clash. They clashed with such force it actually knocked the first several ranks of the demons back, while the other warriors along the front were skewered with spears. With their spears gone, the knights drew their swords and charged straight into the formation of warriors, slashing and striking them down. Inekwar looked at me and smirked before drawing his sword and joining their charge. The suited man looked shocked at our impressive display of force, and I laughed at him. "You look scared." I snarled. He gritted his teeth as we both assumed a fighting stance. It was now the beginning of the end. Win or lose, one of us was going to die.

I stood before a table of knights shortly after taking the Silver Sword, primarily to explain my actions. To take the sword without being deemed worthy was a punishable offense, for which I was being judged. "I was visted by the spirit of the Supreme Being himself." I said, which drew looks of suspicion from the table of knights. They stared me down in silence. "I can vouch for him." Inekwar spoke up, having been lingering in the shadows of the room. "And how is that?" a knight asked. "Being the Horseman of Life, I can sense the Supreme Being. My power was endowed to me by His Grace, and I could sense His presence all around Kendrick when he grasped the sword." Inekwar explained. The knights slowly nodded. "And what do you intend to do now, Kendrick?" they asked. I cleared my throat and clenched my fists. "I intend to wait for the remaining knights from our other chapters to arrive, and then strike down the suited man for good." I said, which made the knights frown again. "Then you go without our blessing." they said in unison. Anger began to fill me, but I choked it back and clenched my fists. "What?" I asked. "You have disobeyed our laws, and have drawn the Silver Sword without being chosen. Therefore, whatever actions you take now, are done completely without our blessing." one of them called out. "This is insanity! How am I supposed to stand against the suited man and his legions by myself?" I demanded. "Not my yourself." Inekwar said, giving me a nod of approval. I felt a smirk creep across my face, but I suppressed it and turned my attention back to the knights and frowned again. "Then you two are on your own." a knight said. I saw Kysos look down, before clearing his throat and looking around the table at the other knights. They all gave him their attention. "I think we're forgetting something." he said. "And what is that?" one of the knights asked. "Have we all forgotten the Golden Knight?" Kysos said. The knights were silent. I myself was confused, so I tried to remember the ancient lore of our Order. It came to me all at once, and I smiled. The Golden Knight was an ancient warrior from the lore of the Order. It was written shortly after the formation of the Order, when a similar crisis was upon the knights of that time. A warrior who hadn't been chosen to hold the Silver Sword took it up anyways, to confront the powers of Darkness. It is said that the Supreme Being was so impressed by this, that he endowed the warrior with more power than had ever been seen in Dreamland before. The Silver Sword was turned into a golden blade wreathed in flame, and the warrior himself was soon coated in golden armour placed there by the hand of the Supreme Being himself. Since the, only two other knights had been deemed Golden Knights since the first one appeared. That was over 3000 years ago. "You don't think..." a knight started, before gaping at me. "I believe Kendrick is a Golden Knight." Kysos said. "That is preposterous! The Supreme Being would have said something about it!" one of the knights said. "The Supreme Being said nothing about the other Golden Knights when they first took up the task." Kysos countered. The knights refused to believe him. And they still refused to aid me. Kysos stood with me and Inekwar before the knights. "Then we're going to go and fight this evil on our own." he said. Inekwar nodded. I adjusted the Silver Sword, which was now strapped to my back, and glared at the knights. "I will see to it that this evil is destroyed. And all of you, you with no faith, will be left on the sidelines." I barked before turning and leaving the room, with Kysos and Inekwar following close behind me. As we left the headquarters and climbed up onto our horses, I looked skyward. Rage still filled me, but I realized why now I had been chosen to hold the blade. The Supreme Being chose me because I didn't want revenge. I wanted justice. It wasn't hatred of the enemy, it was love of my family. I didn't want to destroy, I wanted to fight the powers of Darkness. I smirked, and looked ahead, knowing exactly what I faced, I would face on my own.

Days after the death of my son, I knelt by his his grave, which had only recently been filled in. The pieces of his body had been recovered and he had been buried with his sword, shield and armour, like all the rest of our fallen warriors. The Priests had recovered the Silver Sword and returned it to its place, and were now praying to the Supreme Being about what to do next. The only one deemed worthy of carrying the blade had been killed, which filled me with rage every time I remembered it. I had lost my faith in the Supreme Being. He had chosen my son to defeat the powers of darkness, and then let him die. I had nothing left in my life anymore, and He robbed me of my son. As I knelt by Rayough's grave, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I stood slowly and turned, to see Inekwar and Kysos standing there. "What?" I asked, an angry rasp filling my voice. Inekwar said nothing, and Kysos spoke up. "The Priests believe they have found out who is to weild the sword." he said. I spat at the ground. "They wouldn't know the Supreme Being's will if He came down and spat in their face." I said angrily, before shoving my way past Inekwar. "Relax, Kendrick. It's not your fault." Inekwar said, trying to sound as comforting as possible. "You know what? You're right. It's NOT my fault. It's the Supreme Being's fault for letting my son die!" I snapped. I could see Kysos tense up and clench his fists, but he said nothing. Inekwar stayed silent. "And you know what else? It's your damn fault too Inekwar! You could have easily defeated that guy! But you stood by and let me son die!" I shouted, before balling up my armoured fist. I lashed out, striking Inekwar across the jaw. He staggered backward, and straightened up. As I balled my fist again and prepared to strike him again, he caught my fist. "I Let you have that one Kendrick." He said, before picking me up off the ground and throwing me backward through the air. I landed hard on my back and skidded across the grass and came to a stop beside Rayough's grave. I pulled myself to my feet, defeated, and walked away from the two men. I wanted nothing to do with them. A Priest emerged from our headquarters, a jubilant look on his face. "Kendrick! We have received an answer from the Supreme Being!" he exclaimed. I snarled in anger. "I'll give you an answer." I muttered to myself before clenching my fists and walking past the Priest. I shoved my way to the chamber of the Silver Sword and threw the doors open. I saw the glowing blade, and a scowl came across my face. "Someone stop him! He hasn't been deemed worthy of weilding it!" a Priest shouted from behind me. I grabbed the hilt of the sword and hefted it up. Veins of electricity lashed out from the sword and struck me all over my body. The pain was immense. I had never felt such pain in all my life. I sank to my knees, pain overwhelming me. A crowd of people gathered around me, trying to help me, but being struck back by the wild bolts of electricity. I gave a loud shout of rage, before gripping the hilt of the sword tightly in both hands and slowly climbing back to my feet. The electricity striking me soon gathered into a large field, growing larger as I climbed to my feet. "Someone stop him!" another Priest shouted. "Do you want to try?" Kysos shouted at the Priest, having just entered the room. The pain continued to intensify, and I almost couldn't bear it. I thought of Roopchan, and my grip tightened, causing the field around me to grow larger. I thought of Rayough, and I shouted a long note of rage into the air, louder and stronger than ever before. The field grew until the knights and Priests around me were forced to retreat down thr corridor. "Oh my..." Kysos said. Inekwar was shocked. "I've never seen anything like it!" he shouted. The pain grew past my breaking point, but I gritted my teeth and endured it. It was right about then that everything grew quiet and I heard a soft voice in my head. "Kendrick." it said. "Who is this?" I asked. "I am He who knows all, He who created you, and knows your fate." the voice said. "The Supreme Being?" I asked. "Precisely. Are you going to put down the sword? Only those I deem worthy can weild it." the voice said. "Never! I will withstand anything! I'm going to take this sword and smite down the suited man for what he has done to my son!" I shouted at the voice. "You seek revenge?" the voice asked. "I seek...justice!" I muttered, the pain slowly breaking me down. "As you wish." the voice said, and the noise around me returned. The growing field of electricity instantly vanished, and the pain vanished as well. I dropped to my knees, still clutching the Silver Sword in my hands. Kysos and Inekwar appeared at my sides. "Are you alright?" Inekwar asked. "Never better." I said, standing and putting the Silver Sword into the empty sheath on my belt.

The knights rallied together around Kysos and arranged themselves into a defensive shield formation as a huge charge of demonic warriors came screaming down at us. They clashed hard upon our shields, trying in vain with their spears and swords to get at us. One battered themself hard against my shield with their own, and I shove them back before stabbing out with my sword, skewering them through the stomach. I quickly yanked my sword free and brought my shield down as more warriors clashed with our force. I tried to keep an eye on Rayough, which became difficult as swarms of warriors came rushing at us. The fighting along our shield wall became intense, almost to the point where we were gettin pushed back. Kysos had noticed an old, abandoned fortress on the march here, and agreed it would be a good hold point in case we got pushed back. As the fighting grew more and more intense, he looked at me and simply nodded, indicating it was time to pull back and regroup at the fortress. The fortress wasn't in good shape, but the courtyard was still intact, with its half-crumbled walls still standing. The crumbled walls were only three or four feet tall, but they'd help us nonetheless. We started withdrawing quickly, and I was finally given some time to look at Rayough to see how he was doing. He and the suited man were fighting slowly, and the suited man seemed be taunting him to anger. I chuckled to myself, knowing full well that the taunting wouldn't work. Rayough had been born with his mother's soft spirit, not being quick to anger. They dueled, their motions quick and growing faster, as though Rayough was being controlled by the Supreme Being himself. Their motions grew faster than my eyes could tell, before they started slowing down, and the suited man started taunting Rayough again. "Rayough!" I shouted through my helmet. Rayough parried the suited man's attack and shoved him back, knocking the man onto the ground. He turned and looked at me, before I nodded and waved him back to me. He nodded in return and struck down several demonic warriors before joining our line. We beat back another massive wave of enemies, and turned and fled to the fortress before regouping and forming the defensive wall again. "Let them come to us boys..." Kysos started, and readied himself. The army of demonic warriors marched towards us, but stopped shortly before the walls. The suited man stepped forward, and pointed the end of his sword at Rayough. He simply smirked, and Rayough stepped over the crumbled wall to meet him. Within seconds, they were duelling again. Rayough's motions were forceful and strong while the suited man's motions were fluid and flashy. He possessed more skill, and wasn't afraid to show it off. Rayough gripped the Silver Sword tightly in both hands and fought the suited man for what felt like hours. The blades clashed again and again, the sound ringing in all our helmets. I was forced to tug mine off to watch the duel properly. It was right about then I felt a cold feeling in my chest. I was getting very bad vibes as the duel raged on. Rayough kept fighting, with a passion and skill I'd never seen in him before. I was proud of him. A father's pride filled my heart, but it couldn't quell the icy feeling in my chest. Rayough blocked an attack from the suited man, and pushed all of his strength into the parry, knocking the sword from the suited man's hands. He didn't waste a second, and pressed the attack by booting the suited man in the side as hard as he could, knocking him to the ground. As he brought his blade up and prepared to strike down, the suited man kicked out, sweeping Rayough from his feet. The Silver Sword flew from his grasp, landing just before the crumbled wall. Rayough scrambled for his sword as the suited man grabbed his and climbed to his feet. He roared with laughter, and I could see the darkness around him beginning to cluster. It focussed around his blade, and the blackened blade began to glow with a very dark purple tinge. As Rayough stood, I could see what was going to happen before it did. The suited man shouted in anger and swung his sword, sending a huge purple blast of dark energy hurtling towards Rayough. As my boy gripped the sword and turned around, the blast struck him in the midsection. I shouted Rayough's name and attempted to climb over the shield wall to get to him, but it was already too late. The blast tore through my poor boy, tearing his body completely in half. His eyes went blank, and the Silver Sword fell from his grasp, toppling to the ground. His body fell, pieces of his armour scattering. I rushed to his side, and I could feel the tears streaming down my face. I held him close, even though I knew he was already gone. I had lost everything in my life. By some cruel twist of fate, I had lost my wife. And now It had returned to claim the life of my son. I cried as I held Rayough harder than I've ever cried before. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I shrugged it off. I laid Rayough on the ground and told whoever was behind me to take him with us. As tears streamed down my face, a newfound hatred filled me. I was filled to the brim with rage, a feeling I hadn't felt in quite some time. I shouted in anger as the suited man laughed and put his sword back into its sheath. He turned away from me and walked through the ranks of his demonic army as they all began charging at us. I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly and channelled my energy into it. I felt it beginning to build up, and something happened then I didn't expect. My own blade began to glow, as the suited man's had before he killed Rayough. It glowed with a golden hue, and began to shine brightly. I continued shouting as I channelled my energy into the blade, and shouted for the suited man. "Die!" I shouted before I gave the sword a swing. A huge golden arc of energy flashed forward, slicing through the first dozen ranks of the demonic horde. The other ranks froze in fear, unsure of what to do next. The suited man himself stopped and gaped at me. I smirked at him, and gestured for him to come get me. He gritted his teeth in a combined look of anger and fear before he turned and kept walking away from me. I smirked, suddenly feeling weak. Then I passed out.

It was days before we heard who was to weild the Silver Sword. The Priests told of how the mysterious suited man had summoned an entire army of demonic warriors from Hell and had used them to ravage Dreamland more than his fire from the sky. Dreamland was in chaos. The king had raised an army to combat the suited man, which was promptly wiped out. The king has since retreated to his fortress, awaiting another chance to strike out. Inekwar bandaged up his hand as well as he could, although it still hurt him to grasp his own sword. He winced and gritted his teeth as he did so, but he managed. Rayough had taken up some training in the sparring room while waiting, while I took to meditation on the roof of our headquarters. It was not very peaceful, as I could see for miles. Miles of wasteland, ravaged by the suited man and his demonic army, which grew in strength on an hourly basis. I tried in vain to close my eyes and quiet my mind, but it seemed all hope was lost. I tried in vain again to calm myself, when Kysos laid his hand on my shoulder. "They've decided." he said. Before I knew it, I was on my feet and following Kysos to the room where the Silver Sword was kept. The Priests were all waiting outside, while Rayough, Inekwar and the rest of the knights were there waiting for us. They all acknowleged Kysos and myself approaching, and quickly moved aside for us. The Priests were chanting a prayer softly as we approached, and we halted before the door. "Who is it?" Kysos asked. "The Supreme Being has spoken..." a priest started. "Who is it?" I asked, frustrated. "...the warrior has been chosen..." a second priest continued. Inekwar simply frowned, and waited for the Priest to just say who was to weild the sword. "...Rayough! Son of Kendrick!" a third priest finished. All eyes in the room turned to Rayough, who stood confused. "Me? Why would I be chosen to weild the blade? I am no fighter." Rayough started. "The Supreme Being sees this. This is why you have been chosen." another priest called out. Rayough nodded, and stepped forward as the doors of the chamber opened up to him. The silver light eminating from the blade filled the corridor, causing all to hold their hands up to cover their eyes. He stepped forward and grabbed the hilt of the sword before hefting it up. The lightning did not strike his hand, and from his reaction, the blade was surprisingly light. He turned to me with a smile, and I couldn't help but smile back. I had been proud of the boy his entire life, and the feeling filled me again, upon seeing my son weild that sword. He smirked as the other knights cheered him on, and he put the sword into a sheath on his side. The knights were soon armoured up and ready for battle afterwards. They armed themselves to the teeth and mounted their horses, determined to settle the score with the suited man. Other chapters of the Order also started pledging their knights in service to our own, almost doubling our numbers. Another sizable force from the north was marching down to meet us, although they wouldn't arrive for another week. The knights were hoping the war would be finished by then, however. We marched to where the priests claimed the suited man's demonic army was camped, and once we arrived, we quickly assembled into a battle line and awaited the command to charge. The suited man was spotted across the field, and his demonic horde soon marshalled their strength into several ranks, with spears up front. Their archers were in the rear, which worried me. The suited man chuckled, filling Kysos with dread and anger. "Charge!" he bellowed, his voice carrying across the field. I gave my horse a nudge, and urged her on. I readied my spear, and heaved it at the demonic army. It struck home, hitting a spear weilding soldier square in the chest. He toppled backward, leaving a small gap in their lines. I smirked and urged my horse to go faster. I quickly drew my sword as my horse ploughed straight through the gap and into the ranks of enemies. Many of the demonic warriors charged at me as the rest of our force broke through their line of spears. I swung down with my sword, cutting a warrior down, before the butt end of a spear struck my in the chest and knocked me from my horse. Two warriors charged at me, hoping to kill me, but I quickly swept out with my sword, hitting them both across the stomach. They jumped back, wounded but not dead, and charged off to fight someone else. I hefted up my shield as a crossbow boilt thudded into it, rattling my teeth and my arm. I put my sword into its sheath and hefted up a fallen spear before heaving it at the crossbowman. It pierced his chest and knocked him onto his back, tossing his crossbow into the air as he fell. I raced to his body, hefted up the crossbow and fired a bolt into the face of a passing demonic warrior. It shattered the bones in his face ans jerked his neck bakcward from the impact. I drew my sword once again, and struck down another passing enemy. I turned to fight once more, but things had grown strangely quiet. I looked around to see why things had gotten so quiet, and saw Rayough facing the suited man, surrounded by a large ring of spectators. I gripped my sword and moved closer to the ring of spectators as Rayough drew the Silver Sword, and pointed it towards the suited man, drawing a look of fear from the man's face. "You're time is at an end." Rayough said. I couldn't help but smirk underneath my helmet. The suited man simply drew his sword, and smiled.

A few days later, Kysos, Inekwar, Rayough and I stood in the meeting hall of our headquarters. Inekwar was standing adjacent from me, gazing out the window. Rayough was seated, as was Kysos, immersed in his thoughts. I stood with my back against the wall with my arms crossed, unaware of the scowl creeping across my face. "What are we supposed to do?" Rayough asked. Kysos shook his head. "There is one weapon that may defeat him." Inekwar mumbled to himself. Kysos looked up at him, and shook his head. "That is impossible. Only the chosen ones can weild it." he said. "What?" I asked. Inekwar turned and looked at me. "The Silver Sword. It is powerful enough to defeat the suited man." he said. "Only the one chosen by the Supreme Being can weild it!" Kysos exclaimed. I felt anger brewing inside of me. I frowned and looked out the window, attempting to calm myself down. But the loss of half of our knights, and no hope of help was frustrating. "Inekwar should weild it." I said. Kysos looked at me, a horrified look on his face. "We must consult the Priests! The Supreme Being must show us who is to weild the blade." he said. I nodded slowly, still thinking Inekwar should weild it. He was the most powerful man in Dreamland, and the entire globe for that matter. He should have the strength to weild it. Rayough cleared his throat. "He should be allowed to try at least. If we at least try, thern maybe whoever is supposed to weild it will be revealed." he said. I smirked. Inekwar nodded, and I found myself nodding along with him. Kysos nodded in slowly, and stood. "Come this way." he said, rising to his feet. He led us down a dimly lit corridor to the left of the meeting hall, which led to another dimly lit corridor. At the end of this corridor was a large, ornate brass door. A strange, white light was eminating from the edges of the door, which I had never seen before. "What is this place?" Rayough asked. I could tell by the look on Inekwar's face that he was thinking the same thing. "The resting place of the Silver Sword itself." Kysos said softly. As we approached the door, it opened slowly, parting in the middle and swinging open towards us. An other-worldly silver light filled the corridor around us, and I had to squint to see its source. The sword itself had a very plain hilt. The handle was made with blackened leather, with a silver hand-guard. The blade was long, and slightly curved, with tiny figures carved into it, almost goung unnoticed. "Oh my..." Rayough started, but stopped himself. Inekwar stepped towards the blinding light, and reached out towards the sword's hilt. His fingertips grazed the black leather, and he wrapped his right hand around it before trying to lift it. Another bright flash filled the room, and Inekwar jerked his hand back, before gripping it tightly and gasping in pain. Kysos stepped forward to help him, as the doors closed before us. "What's wrong?" Rayough asked. "His hand..." Kysos said. I looked at Inekwar's swordhand, to find it had been burned, as though held over a fire for too long. The skin itself was charred and burned red, with blisters around his palm. "What does that mean?" Rayough asked. "It means someone else is destined to weild this sword. We shall have to wait until the Priests tell of who shall weild it." Kysos explained. I frowned and crossed my arms again before planting both feet firmly on the ground and glaring at the bronze door. Kysos took Inekwar to the infirmary and Rayough followed after them. I looked skyward, and felt my frown deepen. "I sure hope you don't take your time deciding who is going to carry this thing. Our enemy is out there, and we have to do something about it." I muttered to the Supreme Being, before turning on my heel and walking away from his enchanted sword.

The sound of thundering hooves was deafining. Even through the confines of my steel helmet. I hefted up my spear and took my place beside Kysos, who was bearing down on the suited man faster than the rest of us. The suited man looked up at our charging group and smirked. Right away, I got a very bad feeling about him. He held up his palm, and his smirk turned into a grin. As he grinned, a huge plume of hellfire erupted from his hand, swirled about in the air and then blasted straight towards us. I felt myself tense up as it arced towards us knights, and I dropped my spear. I grabbed Kysos and Rayough and then leapt from my horse's back, bringing them both down to the ground with me. As he crashed to the ground, we tumbled forward before coming to a stop. The huge blast of fire whooshed by over our heads and incinerated half of the grup of charging knights. Their horses panicked and darted off in every direction, tossing their riders or taking them along for the ride. Inekwar was knocked from his horse by the blast, landing hard on his back. His horse galloped off the battlefield and away from the action as he slowly climbed to his feet. "Damn." he said to himself, looking behind us at the incinerated knights and their scorched armour. The heat from the blast subsided, allowing Kysos, Rayough and myself to stand. The suited man laughed, a dark laughter that filled the sky. I saw Rayough shudder, and I laid my hand on his shoulder pauldron. "Easy, boy." I said, trying to sound as reassuring as I could possibly be. "You'll pay for all the knights you killed today!" Kysos bellowed at the suited man, who chuckled again. "Oh yeah? Come and get me." the man said. Kysos drew his blade and charged forward with a shout, and the suited man stood still. I could see the black bladed longsword sheathed on his side, but he didn't draw it. Kysos drew closer, and raised his sword above his head, preparing to strike down. As he prepared his swing, the suited man lashed out and punched Kysos in the throat. He gagged, dropped his sword and sagged to his knees, unable to breathe. "Fool." the suited man spat. He looked up at Inekwar. Inekwar snarled at him through gritted teeth. "I remember your face. I sent the Four Horsemen after you before they turned on me." he rasped, before a smirk came to his face. "I remember." Inekwar said silently. "It relieves me to know that your father has died." the suited man said. That was it for Inekwar. He drew his glimmering sword and charged forward, filled with rage. The suited man attempted to dodged the attack, but Inekwar grabbed him with his out stretched arm. He grabbed a handful of the suited man's tunic and tossed him through the air, and he landed with a loud thud before skidding through the dirt. The suited man stood and drew his sword. "Nicely done." he said, before charging at Inekwar. Their blades clashed together brightly, and with more speed than I had ever seen. Sparks shot out from every impact, filling me with fear. Their power was so great that the energy of Dreamland itself seemed to be filling their attacks. I grabbed Rayough and pulled him back as the intensity of their duel grew. Inekwar was determined to end the fight right then and there, but the suited man pressed the attack. The suited man kicked Inekwar back and gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. He channeled his energy into the blade of the sword, which began to glow with a transparent purple hue. He muttered something under his breath and swung the word, sending two purple energy discs hurtling towards Inekwar. Inekwar's breastplate took the brunt of the impact, and actually cracked. The impact jarred his teeth and sent him hurtling backward through one of the few remaining homes, which in turn collapsed on him. "Inekwar!" I shouted. The suited man laughed, and put his sword back into its sheath. He glared at me and Rayough before turning and flying straight up into the air and away from all the carnage he had caused. I ran towards the building that had collapsed on Inekwar, to see his armoured hand shoot out from the wreckage and begin to pull himself out. Rayough appeared by my side and grabbed Inekwar's other shoulder, and together we pulled him out. "Are you okay?" Rayough asked. Inekwar appeared out of breath. "I knew he was strong...but damn...he very nearly blew my armour right off!" Inekwar exclaimed, before panting and pulling himself to his feet. The other knights who were with us helped Kysos to his feet, who shook his head and started giving orders. "Okay, men. Let's back back to headquarters. Consult the priests. Something tells me we'll need a little more power on our side the next time we meet this suited man." Kysos said, picking his sword up and putting it back into its sheath. We walked in silence for quite some time before we finally spoke. "Do we have a chance of beating this guy, Inekwar?" Rayough asked. Inekwar's face went grim. "I hope so, kid." he said softly. Defeated, we marched back home in silence.

As Rayough and I adjusted to our lives in the Order, the priests started receiving visions from the Supreme Being about the end of Dreamland as we knew it. "The suited man approaches!" they said. "The suited man?" I asked our commander, a large man who called himself Kysos. "It is from within the lore of our Order. It is written that in the final days, a suited man will come to challenge the Supreme Being and his warriors. The victor will decide the fate of Dreamland." Kysos said. I crossed my arms and stood in silence. "So what're we going to do about it?" I asked. "There's not much we can do at the moment. The priests will consult the Supreme Being and He will give us an answer." Kysos said, a scowl coming over his face. I could tell he was frustrated. He was a knight, first and foremost, and thusly would want to rush off to face his enemies head on. I couldn't help but agree with him, but I would have to wait patiently for the word of the priests. The days rolled on, and we soon recieved an unexpected visitor. A lone horseman strolled into our headquarters, a white cloak about him, with white armour underneath. At first I assumed it was my old friend Marius, who had since become Dreamland's defender, but I was rather shocked when it wasn't. As the rider pulled back his hood, I recognized the face of young Inekwar, Marius' son. "Inekwar?" I asked. "Kendrick!" he said, a smile overcoming his face. He had a long battle scar down the left side of his face, but he still looked the same. "How are you?" I asked, a smile coming to my own face as well. "Surviving." he said with a laugh. He rested his hand atop the hilt of his sword, which I noticed was his father's old sword. "Inekwar...where is your father?" I asked. Inekwar's smile faded. "He's dead." he said. Before I could speak, a huge fireball flew past the sky above our heads. It slammed into a mountaintop far beyond our headquarters and detonated, showering the area in flame and bits of debris. A priest rushed out of the headquarters, his robe fluttering wildly in the wind. "Suit up! Suit up and face the enemy!" he shouted. Kysos smirked. "It's about time." he said, before rushing into the bilding and gathering his armour. All of the knights rushed into the barracks and began suiting up. I put on my chain mail coat and my steel greaves and boots before lashing on my breastplate, shoulder pauldrons and gauntlets. I grabbed my black leather belt and tied it tightly around my waist before putting my sword into its sheath and putting my helmet on. Before long, all of the 1000 knights had suited up in their gleaming steel armour, and we mounting their horses in preparation for battle. I rode up front with Inekwar and Rayough, with Kysos leading the line. Rayough stayed silent, although Inekwar couldn't help but voice his concern. "This doesn't feel right." he said. "What doesn't feel right?" I asked. "I sense a presence close by...a presence that scares me. One I haven't seen in years." Inekwar started, but shook his head. "You alright, Inekwar?" I asked. "Yes, I'm fine." he said quietly. Kysos held up his fist, a signal for us to stop. The entire line of knights slowly came to a stop, and we all looked ahead. What we saw was horrifying. Huge columns of smoke rose from the ground, with fire ravaging the countryside. Buildings were smashed and corpses were strewn about in all the villages. "My God..." Kysos said, before shaking his head. I saw more huge fireballs streak across the sky and smash into villages and farms, sending fiery debris in all directions. People screamed and tried in vain to run away, but for them there was no escape. The fireballs struck them down without mercy, ruining livestock, the plains and everything in sight. At the center of it all, I noticed a large man standing in a circle of fire. He was tall, with a shaved bald head. He wore black leather boots, black pants and a black tunic. "Oh no..." Inekwar said softly. "What is it, Inekwar?" I asked. "The suited man..." he started. "Who? Him?" I asked. "Yes! He is incredibly powerful! He managed to take control of the Four Horsemen themselves for centuries!" Inekwar exclaimed. "Powerful or not, he's going to die." Kysos said, and gave the signal to charge. We knights hefted up our spears, and readied our shields. "Charge!" Kysos shouted, and we all kicked our horses into a gallop before charging straight down the hill at the suited man.

My name is Kendrick. A former monk of the now extinct Order of Emiliano, I have left their sorcerous ways behind me, and sought solitude in my life. In the days that followed the demise of the monster called Cervantes, Marius and I parted ways. Marius has gone onto greater things, while I have elected to follow a simpler life. Having the Order of Emiliano vanish made things easy. Many years passed since the demise of Cervantes. I found that I had become a loner, wandering from town to town, enjoying my life of solitude. Once I had adjusted to the life I had chosen, the Supreme Being threw me a surprise in my life. When I arrived at a town on the western plains of Dreamland, I met the woman that would eventually become my wife. Roopchan was my life. Raised by famers, she was humble and giving, always making sure I was comfortable. It was her alone that convinced me to stop wandering for good. I settled down with her on a farm that her father had left for her. For years we toiled and worked the land, but we were happy. Tragedy struck that year however. Five years after we had married, she bore me my first and only child, a strong boy I named Rayough after Roopchan's grandfather. This precious gift however, would come at the price of Roopchan's life. Seconds after I was cradling Rayough in my arms, Roopchan left this earth to join the Supreme Being. Distraught, I buried her in the fields beyond my farm, and forced myself to adjust to the life of being a parent. Life wasn't easy. When Rayough was 18, I reached the age of 44, and we left the farm behind. Seeking solitude once more, my son joined me in my quest across the land in search of the headquarters of the Order of the Silver Sword. The Order of the Silver Sword was a legendary order of knights which had been founded in the early days of Dreamland, for the purpose of finding and protecting the Silver Sword of the Supreme Being, which was forged in the beginning of time to combat the powers of Darkness. When we found them, they already knew who we were. Their priests had foretold of our coming, and we were inducted into their ranks after I proved our worthiness by telling them of the defeat of Cervantes. Rayough and I were made fully fledged knights in the Order, and little did I know it would alter both our lives forever.

I watched from the top of the Prince's fortress as the massive battle being waged at its gates came to an end. The army of creatures once controlled by the Prince were holding quite well in a defensive formation before the main gates, but the robed warriors of the Wastelands kept on pushing with an offensive spike shaped formation, trying again and again to break the enemy's defensive shield wall. Once the Prince had been slain, the creatures tried to get back into the fortress, and the robed warriors pressed their attack again, preventing the creatures from retreating. The desert plain before the fortress soon became slick with blood as the creatures charged into the robed warriors, prompting a huge, open field battle. The robed warriors conjured their strength into a huge defensive formation, which the creatures tried in vain to break through. When their attacks almost ceased, the robed warriors formed into a huge battle-line and charged headstrong at the creatures, who followed suit. I watched as the robed warriors gained the upper hand and slaughtered every single one of the creatures, and shouted their cry of victory soon after. They gathered their dead, and I made my way to the ramparts above the fortress gate to open it for them. Many of their troops scattered and scoured the fortress looking for any creatures that didn't go to battle, and the council of Elders approached me. "You truly are Inekwar the Destroyer." the battle-scarred man said. The woman with completely white eyes smirked. "The legends were true! You have delivered us from the terror of the Prince of Darkness!" she exclaimed. I smiled at them, forcing it out, through the pain I now felt after losing my father. "You are all free now." I said. loud enough they could all hear me. The young man approached me, and placed his hand on my shoulder. "You are free now too, Inekwar." he said. I nodded. I turned and walked away from them, heading towards the gates of the fortress. "Where will you go?" the bear-faced warrior asked. "I am free now, but at the same time, I've inherited the duty once held by my father. I am the new Horseman of Life, and I must wander alone, to protect the people of Dreamland." I said over my shoulder. "Do not forget the Wastelands, Inekwar the Destroyer!" the white-eyed woman shouted at me as I walked towards the gate. "I will not forget. I will fulfill my promises, and return here someday. I have a world to protect." I said, as the Dragon landed before me, and bowed its head towards me. I saw in its mouth my old helmet, black and shiny. As I grabbed onto it, white light surrounded it, and turned it into a blazing white helmet. I placed it onto my head and felt a smile creeping across my face. "When will we see you again?" the lizard-man hissed. I turned my head over my shoulder as I climbed onto the Dragon's back. "Sooner than you might think." I said. The Dragon gave its wings a stretch, before it flapped them, sending us hurtling into the sky. I watched as the Wastelands faded from view, and the friendly frontiers of Dreamland drew closer. As we soared among the clouds, I looked down as the massive plains rolled past, followed by the foothills of the East and the Mountains of the West. I looked down at the world I was sworn to protect.

The Prince attacked first, launching a swift attack which I easily parried with Wrath. He attacked again and again, and I blocked his attacks each time. "You fight like your father." the Prince said. I ignored his comments and swung out at him, which he sidestepped before stabbing his sword at me chest. I adjusted my body so that his sword blade glanced off of my breastplate, before releasing one hand from Wrath's hilt and burying my fist into his jaw. The Prince reeled backward, as blood trickled down from his lip. "Lucky." he spat. "You're going to die." I rasped, and the Prince smirked. "We shall see." he said, before holding his hands out and chanting. The words were unfamiliar to me, but I recognized them as the ancient words of the Elves, the race that inhabited Dreamland before Men grew more numerous. A purple bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, enveloping the Prince in Darkness. "Did you think that I, the Prince of Darkness would remain in that crude, human-like form?" the Prince said from the darkness. When the bolt cleared, the Prince looked completely different. Instead of a regular looking human bearing a sword, he was eight feet tall, wearing black armour that completely concealed his face, save the other-worldly purple glow eminating from within. He weilded a huge black bladed and black hilted sword, which seethed with tendrils of electricity. Fear gripped me. This was indeed the Prince of Darkness. I relaxed into a fighting position, gripping Wrath's hilt tightly in both my hands. "Are you going to stand around talking all day?" I said, knowing the cocky sound in my voice would anger him. He shouted angrily and rushed at me, holding his sword above his head in both hands. He swung down, and I had to keep both hands on Wrath's hilt as I blocked it. My whole body rattled from the impact, and I summoned all of my strength to shove him back. "You're going to die!" he shouted. He attacked again, which I knew I couldn't block. I jumped aside as the massive black blade of his sword embedded itself into the ground. I kicked out at his helmeted head, but his hand shot up faster than I'd anticipated and he knocked me onto my back. As I regained my composure, he freed his sword abc swung another two-handed attack at me. I gripped Wrath's hilt tightly in both hands again and countered the attack. My bones rattled again from the impact, but I found the strength to shove him back. We both paused for a moment, and he began laughing. I frowned and gritted my teeth as I prepared for his coming attack. He swung down at me again, with a huge two handed attack. I batted his blade aside with a quick, backhanded swipe and punched him in the head. He reeled again, but quickly swung out at me again in anger. The Prince's attack was not as strong this time, so I grapped the blade of his sword in my hand as he attacked. I summoned all of my strength and wrenched the sword from his hand. I tossed it behind me, and it skidded to a stop before falling to a rooftop below us. He began laughing again, before he clapped his hands together and a huge blast of purple lightning flashed and lanced out at me from his hands. I dodged the attack, and was amazed. I'd never seen power of this magnitude before. He kept blasting lightning at me, which I managed to avoid, before he summoned all of his magic together. "Prepare to die, Inekwar." The Prince said. He clapped his hands together again, and a huge bolt of lightning struck out at me. I brought up Wrath to block the attack, but the glowing blae absorbed all of the energy from the blast. Confused, the Prince attempted to blast me again. Again, Wrath absorbed the blasts, until the Prince drained all of his energy. I felt energy coursing through my body, and I smirked at the Prince in his weakened state. "You forgot something, Prince." I said. He looked up at me. "It's Inekwar the DESTROYER! I shouted, before swinging Wrath, sending a huge beam of white energy hurtling towards the Prince. The blast smashed into his breastplate before burning a huge hole in it. The light eminating from his armour ceased to glow its purplish tinge, and started glowing a startling white. The light grew more and more intense, almost to the point where I needed to cover my eyes. At that point, the Prince simply vanished. His black armour lay scattered along the catwalk where we'd fought, but nothing remained. My task was done. I'd vanquished the Prince of Darkness, leaving the Wastelands in peace.

My father and I pursued the Prince all the way along the various bridges and staircases around the castle, up the two huge towers and all along the ramparts. Lightning ripped through the sky, and thunder boomed all around us as a massive storm billowed in the castle's direction. At the top of the castle there were two massive towers, and a huge bridge connecting them. The Prince raced along the bridge and stopped at its center, before turning and facing my father and I. He drew his sword and grinned a wide, evil grin. "Come and get me." he hissed, before beckoning us forward. My father leapt into battle first, thrusting his sword forward in a blow that would've skewered the Prince. The Prince parried the attack and launched an attack of his own. Almost immediately, it became very hard to keep track of the two men. Their motions were so fast and so fluid it was almost as though they were blurs fluttering around me. Sparks shot out from the impacts of their blades, showering the bridge in them. The Prince swung his sword at my father's, who brought his own up to stop it. They grappled for a moment, my father beginning to become tired. "Give it up Maruis, you never could beat me." the Prince said, still grinning. "I won't have to." Marius replied. I felt a growing uneasiness in my chest. My father launched the attack again, moving like I've never seen him move before. His motions were blurred, and a look of panic came over the Prince's face as my father attacked with renewed speed, and stamina. Their duel grew fiercer and fiercer, their attacks faster and faster. The uneasiness in my chest grew more and more. I was worried for my father. "Give it up Marius!" the Prince shouted as they fought. My father gritted his teeth and attacked again, but the Prince as faster. His fist swung up, hitting MArius in the jaw with the basket hilt of his claymore, leaving my father wide open to attack. "Father no!" I shouted, reaching forward to pull my father back, but the Prince's blade was much faster than I. It rammed through his gut and straight through his armour. The tip of the Prince's blade prodded through his back, showering the bridge in my father's blood. The Prince grinned as he wrenched his blade free and glared at me. I rushed to my father's side, and held him close as his sword fell from his hand. He looked up at me as blood dribbled over his bottom lip and the rain washed it down his armour. "Do not grieve my son. It is the way of things." he said with a smile rising to his face. "How can you be so at peace! The Prince will die for this!" I growled, feeling anger rise up inside me. "The Prince forgot to read one crucial part of the prophecy. He who strikes down Life will surely be greeted with Death, in the form of Inekwar the Destroyer." my father said, his grin growing. "But father..." I started, with tears beginning to stream down my face. "You and I were never meant to win this son. I'm beginning my journey alone now." My father said. I could feel the life slipping away from him, no matter how tightly I cradled him in my arms. "Father...no!" I shouted, the sadness and rage finally overcoming me. "You must do this alone. You will be fine boy." he said, his voice growing weak. I laid him flat on the ground, as the rain washed the blood from his armour. "I will always be with you son. Have no fear." He said before he smiled at me, "I love you, Inekwar. You're the greatest son a man could ask for. You've done me proud, and I know the world will be safe in your keeping." I wiped the tears from my face as the rainwater washed over my armour, the tears joining the rain. My father looked up and smiled. "Kathleen..." he started, "I've come back to you my love." With that, Marius, my father died. A man who had started off as a simple soldier, a vigilante and a great leader. A man who had championed the Vampires during the Vampire-Human War. A man who had saved Dreamland from Janet's massive conquering army. A man who had been to hell and back with the Four Horsemen, who had become Dreamland's sole guardian as the Horseman of Life. My father. I had never had the opportunity to tell him how happy I was to be his son, or to really have the time to know him all that well. We'd never been all that close during my life, and now I'd never had the chance to know him. A halo of light surrounded his body before it vanished. The light scattered, before surrounding me. I felt the presence of my father all around me, before the light surrounded my armour and started glowing. "You have the power, Inekwar. You are the Guardian of Dreamland, the new Horseman of Life. Bear your Wrath down upon the Prince and fulfill your destiny!" I heard my father's voice from all around me. The light faded, and I saw I was wearing shining white armour, similar to my father's was. A long white cape billowed from my shoulders, and Wrath glowed in my hands, its blade shining with light. The Prince laughed at me. "Done crying, or are we going to get some fighting done?!" He shouted. I stood solemn, feeling my rage coursing through my veins. "Let's end this, you and I." I said before pointing Wrath in the Prince's direction.

As we neared the fortress of the Prince of Darkness, I looked down to see an army of Orcs, Trolls and Zombies surrounding the place. I frowned, and realized my task was about to become incredibly more difficult. "What are all those doing here?" I asked the Dragon. "That is the army of the Prince. He knows the time is at hand, and he has summoned his army here to defend him." the Dragon explained. I nodded slowly as we started heading down towards the ground. I held on tightly as the Dragon swooped down by the hellish army, which started shouting obsene curses at me, after seeing me and Wrath. "I will drop you down by the gates of the fortress and hold off the army myself. That should keep them occupied until the Prince has been slain." the Dragon said. "By yourself?" I asked as we neared the gates. "Oh no. Our friends have finally arrived!" the Dragon said, looking out over the desert. I looked out at the horizon, and saw a massive army marching through the sands. The robed Elders from the Circle of Fire led a massive army of soldiers, all dressed in robes and armour, all weilding swords, battle axes and spears. They all bore shields, and formed a massive shield wall and started shouting to get the attention of the Prince's army. Once the two armies faced off, the Prince's army arranged themselves into a huge offensive spike shaped formation and prepared to charge into the Elder's defensive shield wall. The two armies charged at each other as the Dragon settled down by the gates, and I dismounted before drawing Wrath. "Good luck, Inekwar the Destroyer! I will meet you again when this army is defeated and the Prince has been slain!" the Dragon said, before his lips lifted into a smile and he darted up into the sky. I gave him a nod of respect and turned my attention to the Prince's fortress. It was vast, containing many towers that were built upon one another. There were large stone bridges connecting all the towers to one another, and the main hall to the towers. It was comprised of blackened brick, which looked as though it had been carved from the fire mountains in the west. I gripped Wrath tightly and made my way through the gate, my eyes searching for any sign of life in the fortress. It seemed as though every creature in the Prince's command was out in the desert fighting the Elders. Then I heard two trolls bantering to each other in grunts. They entered the courtyard of the fortress wielding massive warhammers and battle axes. I put my back against the wall and prayed that they wouldn't notice me, but I knew I couldn't stay there for long. They walked past me, heading out into the desert to join the massive battle being waged, and they completely ignored me. I closed the gate of the fortress, closing them out, and preventing any more creatures from leaving or entering. "Welcome, Inekwar the Destroyer!" I heard a voice ring out from above, and saw the Prince of Darkness standing on one of the bridges connecting the towers, holding my father out over the ground. The Prince had long blonde hair, sharp features and broad shoulders. He wore a black vest over a white shirt, black trousers and brown leather boots. A long basket-hilted claymore hung from his side, attached to a black leather belt. My father was in his usual suit of white armour, and his black bladed sword still hung from his side. The prince's strength must've been incredible if he could hold a fully grown man covered in armour with one arm. "Release him!" I shouted, holding Wrath tightly in my right hand. "If you insist!" the Prince shouted, before dropping my father. I ran over to him as he fell from the bridge, and managed to break his fall. We both tumbled to the stone floor of the courtyard, and stood slowly. My father looked aged and tired. His black hair was still kept nicely like it always was, but the lines on his face seemed deeper. He turned and looked at me before a huge smile overtook his face. His arms enveloped me in a huge hug, which I returned. "Boy am I glad to see you." he said. I smiled. "I missed you too dad." We both turned after that and drew out swords, looking up at the Prince. "How touching! Now which one of you two is going to come up here and fight me?" he rasped. "You smug son of a-" Dad started, but I cut him off. "Dad, this is something I need to do." I said. "Sure. And I'm coming with you! What kind of father would I be if I didn't?" he said with a smirk. The Prince started laughing before he ran off across the bridge he was standing on, prompting my father and I to follow him. Our swords in hand, we started running towards the bridge, intent on finding out way up and finishing this whole ordeal once and for all.

The dragon and I soared above the Oasis, eventually coming over a large grove, filled with fog. It circled a few times before slowing down and coming in for a landing by the large ring of trees. The fog was too thick to see through, and I dismounted the dragon and stood by its edge. "Is this where Wrath is?" I asked. "Yes. You need only make it through the fog." the Dragon said. I nodded slowly and pulled my sword from its sheath. I pointed it towards the fog and pulled the hood of my cloak over my head. I nervously stepped forward, unsure of what I would find. "You will not need your weapons. This is a peaceful place." the Dragon said, hunkering down and resting on the ground. I nodded again and put my sword into its sheath. I stepped forward into the fog, and after walking for a few moments, I couldn't see anything around me. I was confused, but I refused to turn back. I continued through the mist, ignoring all the sounds around me. I felt something brush past my arm, ruffling my sleeves. A gust of wind followed the thing, which caused my cloak to flutter. I felt my body begin to tremble in fear, but I clenched my fists and continued forward. "I can see you, Inekwar the Destroyer!" a strange voice bellowed from within the mist. It didn't have a source, it came from all around me. I tensed, not sure what would happen next. "To whom do I speak?" I asked loudly. "I have no name, some simply call me the Spirit of the Blade." the voice said. "Are you the Spirit of Wrath?" I asked. "Yes, I have been called that as well." the voice said. "Then you can take me to it?" I asked. The voice chuckled loudly. "I have seen your soul human, and I sense great conflict in you." the Spirit said. "Conflict?" I asked. "Yes...Part of you sees the need for a hero like yourself to free the people, but you also seek revenge for the capture of your father. You are unsure what to do with the blade, be the hero...or seek vengeance." the Spirit said, seeing straight through my soul. "I will free the people." I said. "And sacrifice your father?" the Spirit asked. I felt choked up. If freeing the people meant having to sacrifice my father, then my whole quest out into the Wastelands to free him will have been meaningless. But at the same time, it will have had some meaning, because I will have freed the people. Would my father make the same choice? "If need be, he would make the same choice." I said boldly, knowing what my father would do. But then again, he was a hero, and essentially a good person. And I wasn't. The Spirit laughed. "I believe he would. Fear not, young Inekwar, I shall not keep you from the blade. You shall find what you seek." the voice said, before the mist cleared, revealing a long dirt path to a large stone pedestal. It was elaborately carved, with tiny designs and ancient words and letters strewn about it. The actual sword was far more magnificent, however. It's blade was long and crystal clear, with an elaborate golden hilt. Polished black leather was wrapped around the handle, with a huge emerald embedded into the bottom. I approached with caution, reaching out nervously when I neared it. I grabbed the handle and lifted it out slowly. As I held it up, I found it had almost no weight. The blade shimmered in the sunlight, reflecting beams of light in every direction. The sheer power of the sword was almost overwhelming, but I managed to hold onto it. I removed my old sword from its sheath and embedded its blade in the ground, before replacing it with Wrath. I walked back out the way I came in, and saw the Dragon still resting on the ground. "I almost don't believe my eyes, but there it is! The blade forged by the gods!" the Dragon exclaimed. "Yes. Now we have to head across the sand to the fortress of the Prince of Darkness. Only then will the people be free." I said, hopping up onto the Dragon's back. With a huge flap of his wings, we were off, racing across the desert, nearing the fortress. I set my jaw and stared ahead, filled with a new sense of purpose.

No other enemies awaited me in the oasis. I continued to trudge through the ever-thickening brush, eventually cutting down branches with my sword just to keep moving forward. I cut down a large branch to see a thick ring of trees ahead of me, and a large clearing beyond. I couldn't make out what was in the clearing, but I was determined to find out. I continued to push through, eventually coming to the ring of trees. They were massive, stretching at least 50 feet into the air. Beyond them was a lake, or body of water. I only knew that because I could hear the waves lapping against the ground by the base of the trees. All else was covered by a thick fog. "Fantastic..." I said to myself as I pulled the hood back from my head. I looked around for some way to cross the water, but found none. Knowing I'd have to walk or swim across, I took off my belt, and held my sword above my head as I stepped into the water. It was cool, but not freezing. After a few steps, the water level was up to my knees, and after several more it was up to my waist. That seemed to be as deep as the pool was, for the water level never rose above my waist. I heard something splash into the water, and felt something slither past my ankles. Instinctively, I drew my sword from its sheath. I held my sword out above the water, and gripped the end of the sheath tightly. A huge creature rose from the murky water just ahead of me. It was a huge snake like creature, but with the head of a dragon. Huge fangs protruded from its snarling mouth, discoloured from age old blood. "You seek Wrath?" It asked, its surprisingly elegant tone of voice catching me off guard. "That is correct." I answered. "Many have come seeking that blade." the dragon-serpent said. "And I shall succeed." I said, thinking maybe sounding confident would help. "Shall you now?" it asked, hunkering down and bringing its eyes level with mine. I nodded. "And what makes you so confident?" it asked. I suddenly thought of what the elders taught me at the circle of fire. "The sword of Wrath is a perfect weapon for Inekwar the Destroyer, don't you think?" I suggested, shrugging my shoulders. The serpent's eyes widened in surprise. "Inekwar the Destroyer?" it asked. "Yes?" I asked, relaxing my swordhand. The serpent's tone of voice changed suddenly. One of superiority to one of servitude. "Your majesty! Long have I awaited this day!" it said, giving me a bow. I slowly put my sword back into its sheath. "You have?" I asked. "Les my Lord! We serpents are not mindless creatures! I too have read the prophecy of Inekwar the Destroyer! The gods themselves instructed me to watch over Wrath for your arrival, long before they vanished." the serpent said. I nodded. The serpent's body shuddered, and then floated above the water. It closed its eyes and grunted before two massive wings unfolded from its back. Two sets of legs unfolded from its underside, and it flapped its wings to stay afloat. "Hop on your majesty! I shall take you to Wrath! I am your humble servant, until the day death takes me." the serpent said, now a dragon. I climbed onto the dragon's back, and we rose above the fog before a powerful flap of his wings sent us hurtling towards Wrath's resting place. This was a very strange land.

I walked through the desert for days before I found it. There was a large oasis in the middle of the desert, said to be the place where the sword needed to strike down the Prince of Darkness was kept. The crystal bladed sword called Wrath. An appropriate name, I thought. As I approached the oasis, I heard voices from the bushes and trees. I drew my sword and kept down as I approached the ring of trees silently. "Where the hell is it?" one of the voices asked aloud. "Shaddup. Getting frustrated won't help us find Wrath." the second voice said. "Silence!" a third voice said, this time with a more commanding tone of voice. The other two voices silenced immediately. They trudged through the brush loudly, and I kept low as I approached. They continued trudging loudly, and when I was hidden by the brush, I realized there were only two people trudging loudly. "Where did you think you were going?" the commanding voice said from behind me as a strong fist grabbed the back of my hood and hefted me up of the ground. I tried to speak but his other fist grabbed me around my neck and squeezed. They were all lizard people, tall and strong, with green scales and powerful tails. They were all wearing black armour, fitted to their bodies. "Kill him!" one of the smaller ones shouted. "Silence!" the commander said. The smaller two shrunk back in fear. Their swords weren't drawn at all, but I was having a hard time swinging mine, considering I was having the life choked out of me. Black started creeping in around the edges of my sight, and my limbs were growing weak. My grip remained firm around the hilt of my sword however, for I didn't plan on dropping that any time soon. The commander tossed me to the ground, while the other two were licking their jaws in hunger. "Pick his bones clean." he said as he turned away. The two smaller lizardmen jumped at me, their clwas stretched out instead of their swords. Big mistake. I kicked out, kicking one of them square in his jaw as he sailed through the air at me. It cracked nicely, and he howled in pain as the other one sailed over me. He landed in a crouch behind me and drew his sword as I swung mine around and into his skull. It cleaved in half nicely, spraying the creature's bright red blood onto the brush around him. The lizardman with the shattered jaw writhed around in pain on the ground as his commander turned and drew his sword. I stabbed down with my sword, running thr blade through the wounded lizardman's throat as I walked past him. The commander snarled. "Lucky." he spat. "We shall see." I said, bringing my sword up and preparing for combat. He attacked first, swinging from above, hoping to use his strength to force his blade through my skull. I brought my blade up and parried the attack, pitting him off to one side. He regained his composure easily, and lunged forward in a stabbing attack that would've run me through like a pig. I sidestepped the attack however, and executed a backhanded swing that sliced off his swordhand. His blood spurted from the wound as the hand dropped, still clutching the hilt of his sword. "Are you sure it was luck?" I asked, a smirk rising to my face as I turned, spun and cut his head from its thick neck in another backhanded swing. The look of shock was still on his face when his head hit the ground and rolled away into the brush. I turned and looked down a dirt trail that led into a thick grove of trees before putting my sword back into its sheath. I wasn't entirely sure where I was going, but I was more than willing to bet that Wrath was in that grove. I pushed onwards, unsure of what else lurked in this oasis.

The cave led deeper than any other I'd ever seen. It seemed I was following the Faeries for miles before we finally reached our destination. Our destination was truly a sight to behold. The cavern was monstrous, extending outward from every direction far beyond the firelight in a circle on the floor of the cavern. Huge cliffs of rocks formed from its walls, with inscriptions carved in from ancient civilizations. "Oh my..." I started. The Faerie in the green silenced me and led me into the circle of fire. "Elders! He has come!" she shouted into the darkness. From the dark, seven creatures in dark brown robes emerged, and formed a circle around the circle of fire. "Elders! He has come!" the Faerie repeated. "He from the Prophecy?" the largest of the Elders asked. "I believe so." The Faerie said. The seven elders looked in my direction. "Inekwar the Destroyer?" they asked in unison. "What?" I asked. "He has not heard the Word?" one of the Elders asked. The seven Elders pulled back their hoods, revealing their faces. One was a human, who looked battle-hardened. The next was a pig faced monster with sun darkened skin. The next was a lizard like creature, with a long, snake-like muzzle and two big fangs. The next was a large bear-like creature, and a similar lion-like creature stood beside him. The sixth elder was a woman with long, fiery red hair and completely whited out eyes. The seventh Elder was a young man with long, golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes. "He must hear the Word!" The Lizard said. "And hear the Word he shall." the young man said. The woman with white eyes moved from the circle of elders to the ancient inscriptions on the wall of stone. "In the far distant future, the king will die and the land with him. The people will suffer and die for many, many years." she started, running her hands over the inscriptions. "A black cloaked Prince will come, promising to bring life to the land. But he will be the Prince of Darkness, and seek only to use the land for his own gain. He will raise an army of monsters to protect his dark tower in the desert. "Then a Horseman in white will appear, claiming to be life, promising to destroy the Prince of Darkness and restore life to the land. He will venture into the lair of Darkness and never return, abducted by the minions of the Prince. "Then from the land of Dreams there will come a powerful warrior, one capable of drinking from the Sacred Pool. He who will slay the great Desert Serpent and find his way to the Circle of Fire. Henceforth he shall be known as Inekwar the Destroyer. "He shall be more powerful than all the armies of the Earth, more violent than violence and more deadly than death. He will destroy the armies of the Prince of Darkness. His sword shall be as flashing lightning, and he will use the Wrath of the Gods themselves to smite the Prince and free the Horseman of Life. "The Horseman of Life will fulfill his promise and restore life to the people of the Elders." the white eyed woman read. I was shocked. "So I am to destroy the Prince of Darkness?" I asked. "Yes. You shall set forth into the desert and claim and God's bane, the clear bladed sword of Wrath. Using its strength, you will mount an assault on the Prince's dark tower and restore life into this dead land." the bear faced Elder said. I nodded slowly. "And I am to free the Horseman of Life?" I asked. "Yes." hissed the lizard Elder. "I'll do it." I said, lifting my chin into the air in determination. If freeing my father meant going on a quest for a sword and fighting a bunch of creatures, I'd do it. Before I knew it, my black cloak was around my shoulders, with its hood around my face, protecting me from inhaling any sand. I set out into the unknown, not sure what I'd find.

I made it two days before I found any shelter whatsoever. I entered a somewhat mountainous region of the Wastelands, although there were still skeletons and remains of horses half buried in the sand. I entered one of the caves, finding the air somewhat moist. Water? I'd have to investigate further. I was thankful my horse hadn't ridden off with my black cloak, for I'd had it wrapped around my face to keep my from inhaling sand. I took it off and shook it out beore I surveyed the cave. It continued on forever. There was limited light, but using the little amount of light I could almost make out a pool of water in the back of the cave, although I wasn't sure how big it was or how clean it was. I took the chance however, and approached the pool. When I took a drink I found the water was very cool and refreshing, and free of any filth. "You have drunk from the sacred pool!" a feminine voice said loudly through the darkness. "Sacred pool?" I asked. When I looked up, a glowing woman appeared, floating above the pool. She was incredibly attractive. She had a curvy body wih pale skin, wearing a forest green skimpy outfit, with matching footwear. She had red hair flowing over her shoulders, and bright green eyes. Two bug like wings fluttered from her back, keeping her afloat over the pool. "No one save our race is allowed to drink from the sacred pool." she said sternly. "And what race is that?" I asked. This adventure into the Wastelands was getting too weird. "The Faeries you fool. Have you not looked upon our kind before?" she asked me. "No ma'am. I come from the Dreamland. This is all very new to me. I apologize for the intrusion. My horse ran off with my flagon of water two days ago and I would surely have perished without water." I explained, giving her a courteous nod. She looked thoughful for a moment. "You are very polite. We will allow you to stay for the time being." she said. Two more Faeries appeared. They looked roughly the same, except the first of the new wore blue instead of green and she had blonde hair instead of red. The third looked the same as well, but wore red and had black hair. The trio floated over the sacred pool and welcomed me to their cave, before turning and flying back into the darkness. It looked like I had finally gained a friend in this gruesome place, which was very comforting. I got that feeling that it wouldn't be happening very often at all. I sat down beside the sacred pool and continued to drink from it, feeling energized like never before. The Faerie who had first appeared to me floated over and sat down beside me. "What's in the water? I've never felt like this before." I asked. She smiled a soft smile that made my heart flutter. "That's what makes the sacred pool so sacred. There is a mystical property about the water that heals wounds, weariness and soothes the soul." she explained. I nodded slowly. This was a very strange land indeed. I looked out the entrance of the cave though, and saw five of the riders wearing black hoods and cloaks thunder past. Instinctively I leapt to my feet and charged towards the entrance. "Wait!" the Faerie shouted. "What? Those are the men that captured my father!" I said angrily. "We know. That's why you found your way to this place, and that's why we allowed you to live after you drank from the sacred pool." she said. "What?" I asked. "We know your father has been abducted Inekwar. We found you to offer you our help." she said. "You're going to have to explain all this a little more lady." I said through gritted teeth. I was furious. "Come with me. We'll explain everything." she said before turning and flying back into the cave. This was a very strange land indeed.