Everything hurt.

Memories began to flood back in. That was the second time I had been thrown off something in 24 hours. I groaned as I sat back up. "Again?" I mumbled, rubbing my face. I heard a scrambling as I opened my eyes. We were in a cave.

"That was quick." Katherine said before sitting down in front of me. Then without warning she slapped me across the face.

"HEY- WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

"I TOLD YOU SO!" Katherine snapped. "I TOLD YOU THAT YOU'D FALL OFF A CLIFF!"

"Your ridiculous." I said, rolling my eyes. "Where's my sword?"

"It's still there, Scott." Jimmy answered timidly. "We had to get out of there because-"

"Because your crazy siblings tried to kill us. And news flash, they still have Gem." Fwhip said angrily, crossing his arms.

"I'm aware." I growled. That's when Joey sprinted into the cave with a satchel.

"Got...the supplies...from the dragons." He panted, dropping the bag, and sliding into a sitting position against the cave wall. "Oh- your awake." He said wryly.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "So, let me guess, you guys came up with an incredibly detailed plan on how to take down my siblings while I was passed out?" I said blandly. You could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed. "I'll take that as a no."

"Well- I- you know them better than anyone! We thought maybe...after you'd woken up, you'd think of something..." Pearl said with a small sigh, as if she were realizing their mistake.

"Where'd you get the idea that I know Xornoth?" I asked, my face contorting in confusion. "I only know that he's older than me by a few minutes and that he is a complete psychopath."

"Fine. You know Erin the best." Pearl shot back with a glare.

"And how does that automatically make me the plan guy!? Fwhip's the plan guy! I cried, gesturing dramatically to the ginger.

"Not in this situation Scott!" Fwhip snapped. "I'm the 'make cool gadgets and spend days on things' kind of plan guy, not the 'WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW' plan guy! Who knows how long Gem will last!?"

"I don't know! That's why you should have at least started to try and plan out what we're going to do!"

"He's got a point..." Lizzie said slowly, pulling anxiously at her pink curls.

I rubbed my face with my hands, extremely agitated. "How long was I out?"

"Bout an hour." Joel shrugged.

"We could try and go negotiate...?" Sausage suggested, but he was already wearing a hopeless look.

"There is no negotiating with Erin." I sighed. "She was ready to burn the empires to the ground a few years ago, with just one insult thrown at her."

"We're aware Scott." Pixl said, looking rather pissed. "No offense but that girl has been a menace since Xornoth found her."

I shrugged. "She was nice when she wanted to be." I mumbled, rubbing my upper arm.

"Was she though?" Joey asked. "She was evil even before Xornoth twisted her."

"For once the man agrees with us." Pearl sighed at Joey, shaking her head with a small smile.

I frowned but didn't continue. "So. Plan."

"Right." Jimmy said biting his lip. "How do we approach this?"

"They'll see a sneak attack." Fwhip said, running a hand through his hair.

"We could demand Gem back? Give them an ultimatum?" Katherine suggested.

"That didn't work out so well last time..." Joel said, glancing at me. "We could have Scott and the weird transparent dude fight one on one? Winner takes Gem?"

"Joel that is the worst idea you've ever had." Lizzie said, giving him a glare. "And that's saying something."

Joel glared back. "Well, you haven't suggested something."

"Why don't we just surround the mountain and close in quickly, catching them off guard. Its 10 to 2. How hard could that be?" Lizzie said, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at Joel.

"One, it'll be 9 to 2, I'm not in good enough condition to fight and someone needs to stay with Shrub." Katherine answered. "And two, you really think it's going to be that easy? Xornoth and Phoenix are two of the most powerful beings our world has seen in a very long time."

"Well, we have this murder machine." Sausage said, gesturing dramatically to me.

"Excuse me!?" I asked, my eyebrows raising. "Since when has 'pointy ears' turned to 'murder machine'!?"

"Ever since you skewered our army in the three-day war." Sausage snapped back.

"Are we really going to do this right now?" I threatened, my voice turning into a growl.

"Get along you two!" Jimmy snapped, slapping my shoulder. "We're in a crisis here!"

"I think Lizzie's plan is our best bet." Pixl butted in, ending me and Sausage's argument, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "If we could surround them, we might have an advantage."

"But Xornoth can teleport, and Phoenix can fly." Fwhip pointed out.

"We'll just have to try." I sighed, standing up.

"Oh no you don't!" Katherine said, grabbing my arm and dragging me down. "You are not going until your wings are unbound. You are not falling off a cliff again. Not on my watch."

"But-" I started as she dragged me to the floor. "It's no use Katherine- just let me go!" I said, struggling to get out of her grip, but she wouldn't let go of my sleeve.

"Why is it no use?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "There's a reason Scott, and you're going to tell me."

"I will- later- we've got to go Katherine!" I said, yanking my wrist from her hand, tearing my sleeve.

"Oh fine." Katherine said. "Good luck you guys, and don't you dare die." She said, pointing a threatening finger at me.

"We'll try." I sighed, before exiting the cave.

I was stationed in my spot surrounding the mountain. I was supposed to wait for a few minutes before approaching, and that's what I was doing. Waiting.

I didn't have my sword, so I made my way up, hands raised incase either one heard me and attacked. My head finally peeked over the steep edge so I could see what was going on.

Erin was floating cross-legged midair, playing with one of her daggers, specifically the one she hadn't stabbed into Katherine's shoulder. Xornoth's figure was pacing back and forth. He seemed more opaque than the last time I saw him, which definitely wasn't good. Gem was barely visible in her cage, she was on the floor of it now, and her staff and spell satchel were leaned against the edge of the cavern...if I could get the spell materials...I knew what she normally kept in there... My sword was also propped up there, that would definitely be helpful not gonna lie.

I saw a few of the others appear at different intervals around the mountain platform, and we nodded to each other.

I jumped up as quick as I could, sprinting for Gem's pile of things.

"Wha- GET HIM!" Erin screamed, seeing everyone suddenly appear, and she dropped to the ground. I heard Xornoth's feet pound against the rock behind me as I dove for my sword.

I hit the rocky floor as Xornoth dove with me, wrapping his arms around my chest and pinning my arms to my side as we tumbled across the ground. I screamed and tried to shove him off, grabbing at air.

My head was slammed into the rock, and black splotches covered my vision. I was flat on my back, Xornoth had one hand wrapped around my antler, pressing my head to the ground, the other hand on my chest. We were both panting. "Not so fast." He growled.

My face contorted in rage, and I shoved both my hands into his chest, throwing him into the air in a swirl of frost and ice. I scrambled to my feet again, running for the bag. I was almost there, when Xornoth lunged for me and grabbed my ankle, pulling me to the ground. But I grabbed the strap, twisting around and smacking him across the face with the heavy bag.

Xornoth let out a strangled cry before I kicked his hand away from my foot, struggled to my feet and dove behind a rock, digging through the bag. I pulled out a shriveled, dark green leaf and a vial filled with what looked like purple vapor. Dragon's breath. I smashed the vial, the purple gas hovering above the ground, and before it disappeared, I laid the leaf in it. Within seconds, the leaf, which I believed came from a Pyrian plant, turned black and crumpled into a substance similar to charcoal.

I scooped it up in my hands, running back out from around the rock. Xornoth was getting to his feet, wiping a black bloodlike substance from his forehead, and looking extremely angry.

Now, I know, it was completely wrong of me to memorize this spell that was definitely dark magic, but it was boring in the library that night, okay?

I felt the powder slip into the creases of my clenched fist. Fire ran up Xornoth's forearms. So, you want to play dirty? As soon as he ran towards me, I threw the powder on the ground and shouted the spell caster, Aegnor, but it came out in a language of hisses and splutters, ancient runes.

A felt a burning sensation as the powder turned to cursed, black flames, and I flung it at Xornoth, the flames spreading through the air like dust in the wind.

"HYPOCRITE!" Erin shrieked at my performance of dark magic.

"SCOTT!" Gem screamed at almost the same moment, her voice filled with concern, but I was distracted.

Xornoth cracked a whip of his own red flames at me, and I parried with mine. I slashed my arm down, now covered in the black fire, and it raced towards Xornoth in a wall of flames.

Xornoth, to my surprise, stood his ground, crossing his arms and dividing the wall with his own fire, punching towards me, fire exploding from his fist. I hit the ground, feeling the heat go straight over my head. I dug my fingernails into the rock and launched myself forward, tackling Xornoth, the black flames dispersing around the cavern.

I grabbed one of his horns and slammed his head into the side of the arch. Xornoth screamed in fury and threw me off him, and my shoulder blades hit the podium the dragon egg was resting on. Then a hand grabbed my collar and threw me again to the floor. I saw from the ground, Erin's boots coming toward me. "Now this is an interesting situation." She mused. "The favorite has finally resorted to dark magic."

I glared back up at her. Then Xornoth came into my view, standing over me. "Give. Her. Back." I growled at him, pushing myself up.

"Who? The wizard?" Xornoth asked with a smirk, and I was surprised when he let me stand.

"Gem." I said, getting to my feet. "And Erin."

Xornoth raised an eyebrow. "And Erin? I don't have Erin, Scott, she's right in front of you." His sword came zooming into his hand.

"You could say I have him." Erin added with a mad giggle.

"No. You are making her do this." I snapped at Xornoth. He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm doing nothing. Besides listen to orders of course." Xornoth shrugged, brandishing his sword at me.

"What orders?" I asked, the black flames still licking my wrists slowly.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Xornoth smirked.

"Uh...yeah? That's why I'm asking." I said slowly, looking everywhere for where I had dropped my sword.

Xornoth frowned. "You got weirder."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I asked, mildly offended, spotting my sword a few dozen feet away, laying near the edge of the arch.

"It means you're more of an idiot than you were before." Erin answered for him, rolling her eyes. Then I realized, if she was here, talking to me, where was everyone else?

I looked behind the two and saw most of them struggling against Erin's restraints. Joel looked like he had been knocked out cold, Joey's arm was bleeding severely, and he was trying to staunch the blood. So, it was just me...versus these two. Fun.

I felt the magic fire slowly start to fade, draining even more of my energy with it.

"Yeah...you don't got the almighty champion of Aeor vibe anymore." Xornoth said, tilting his head a bit. "More of a lonely, depressed king with severe anger issues."

"Excuse me?" I asked, straightening up. "Rude."

"No...its true." Erin said. "That with a little sprinkle of trauma."

I gave her a look. "Wow. Like I'm the only one of us with these issues. Now back to the subject, who's orders!?"

Xornoth frowned. "I thought you were joking." He said.

"Well obviously not." I snapped.

"Ok, let me simplify." Xornoth said with a patronizing smirk. "You, Aeor's champion." He said, pointing his sword at my face. "Me, Exor's champion. I listen to Exor. Understand?"

I glared at him. "Yes, I do." I answered with an edge to my voice. He was right, I was being stupid, but he was wrong about one thing. Me being Aeor's champion. Erin realized it as well

"Oh, he's not Aeor's champion anymore." She said with a smug smirk.

Xornoth raised an eyebrow, turning to Erin. "Say what now?" he asked in an incredibly Mythlandian accent.

"Yeah...Aeor ditched him right before he started the war." Erin replied, kicking her legs up and floating midair, cross-legged.

"You started a war?" Xornoth asked curiously.

"Uh...yes?" I answered, unsure how to respond to this new subject. Xornoth really didn't know what was going on...

"Yup. He almost killed Gem. She would have died. Honestly, I'm surprised she's still alive. Last time I saw her, she was still half frozen." Erin said, looking down at her nails casually.

Xornoth gaped at me. "Aeor's not giving you that-" He gestured to me, and I assumed he meant the ice.

"No..." I said slowly.

"Hm." Xornoth said with a surprised tone. "Maybe you aren't that useless after all."

"Thanks." I answered sarcastically. "Like I need your approval."

"You used to." Xornoth shrugged. What did he mean by that?

My eyes narrowed. Then I turned to Erin. "Erin, this isn't you..." I said softly in what I hoped wasn't a threatening tone. "I know you're in there."

Xornoth rolled his eyes. "Oh please." He mocked. But Erin sort of tensed up.

"Stop." She said, and I was surprised to hear a shake in her voice as she lowered herself to the ground, so that she was standing.

"Erin, you know somethings wrong. I know you do." I continued, feeling hope start to grow in my chest.

"Scott..." she warned, her blackened hands starting to shake.

"You're the strongest person I know, you don't need to listen to him. You don't need to listen to Exor." I continued, taking a few steps closer to her.

"I- I- No." she gasped, her eyes flickering a shade of purple. "I- I can't." She said, starting to break through, her dagger clattering to the ground.

I drew closer, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Xornoth's face contort in rage and...jealousy? He stepped in between us, towering over me, and I backed up a few paces. "Stay away from her." He growled, his rasp coming back stronger as his eyes flared with anger.

"See! You know she's not thinking for herself!" I snapped, drawing myself up to my full height. I was still shorter than him by almost half a foot, but I was still tall. I tried to move around him, but he moved with me. Now my back was facing my "friends" I guess you could call them.

But Xornoth just laughed. "Oh Scott, you don't get it, do you?" he said, an unsettling smile playing across his lips. "We don't have a choice."

"We?"

"We." Then, his face went expressionless, his eyes blank as he stared somewhere right above my head. Erin had gone the same way... I looked behind me at everyone else, they had been released, and were wearing the same dumbfounded expressions.

I began to approach the two, cautiously and slowly. But then black smoke began to curl from the corner of their mouths, spilling down their chins, a considerate amount more from Xornoth's. As if the world had been muted, I heard nothing but the hissing of the smoke pouring from their mouths.

The smoke on the other hand, was collecting in between them. I back pedaled to avoid the stuff licking my ankles. My siblings fell to their knees as the smoke formed something tall enough to be...a person. Then, two eyelid-like flaps peeled open on the smoky creature revealing two solid red, glowing eyes. "Ah. We finally meet."

Its voice sent shivers running up my spine. It sounded like nails being dragged along a chalkboard. Like the voice in my dream...where everything was destroyed. "Who-" I started.

"Simple really." It cut off, the smoke splitting, on what would be its face, into a grin. Its hands grabbed onto Xornoth and Erin's scalps, yanking their heads back to look at the sky. Erin let out a shriek, her hands wrapped around the thing's wrists, writhing, and trying to get out of its grip. But Xornoth on the other hand, stayed limp. "Your brother just explained."

My eyes widened, and I stumbled backwards. Exor. But then they narrowed. "Let. Them. Go." I growled.

But the smoky figure of Exor laughed, high and cold and evil. "Why would I? They do a very good job at doing my bidding. Although the girl is a bit rough around the edges...I'll break her soon." Erin let out another cry of pain, but Exor glared down at her. Then they let go of her hair, and a short gasp escaped her as she crumpled to the ground in a heap. Exor's smirk returned. "Better."

"What did you do!?" I half-shouted, wanting to run over to her side. But I knew that would mean death.

"She is not dead if that is what you are wondering..." Exor replied, a smirk playing their lips. Their grip tightened on Xornoth's hairline, and my brother's face tightened in what looked like pain. "Oh, you want to help him so badly..." Said Exor, reacting to my expression.

My jaw clenched in response. "Why?" I managed to croak. "Why to them?"

"I need a champion, don't I?" Exor taunted. "He is the perfect puppet."

"He's a person!" I snapped angrily, forgetting the consequences of angering a god.

"Not anymore." They jeered. They lifted his head up, pulling Xornoth's hair harshly back, away from his face. Then Xornoth's eyes opened, covered in darkness, the red completely gone. Exor took his hand and wiped it over Xornoth's face, turning his eyes white, like they had rolled back in his head, before wiping his hand back down, returning his eyes to the black.

Xornoth blinked, the red irises returning, and a demonic smile curling on his lips, his eyes focused on nothing.

"Puppet." Exor hissed, and Xornoth's mouth moved with theirs, although no sound came out.

I couldn't move. I was speechless.

"See? An empty shell." Exor sneered, throwing Xornoth forward, and he fell to the ground on his stomach, limp, only a few feet from where I was standing.

Ignoring the shadowy figure of the god, I knelt down and pressed my fingers into his neck, checking his pulse. His skin was unnaturally warm, and still slightly transparent, the crystal still shining through his chest.

Again, Exor laughed, and Xornoth was lifted off the ground away from me, back into Exor's grasp. Exor held him by one of his horns, and Xornoth's knees buckled, his feet dragging on the ground like a ragdoll.

I scrambled to my feet. "Goodluck." Exor laughed, the smoky figure splitting in two, and shooting back into Erin and Xornoth's chests Xornoth hitting the ground as they let go of him.

Then they stirred. Erin pushed up from the ground first, rolling her shoulders with a smirk, her eyes still black and red. She raised her hand, and her dagger came flying into her hand just as Xornoth stood up, grabbing his sword which had clattered to the floor.

I jumped when I heard someone behind me. Fwhip. He was wielding his sword and he had a bloody cut on his cheekbone. When I turned to look at him, he nodded.

I held up my hands in defense, waiting for them to attack. "Xornoth, you don't have to do this."

Xornoth laughed, similar to Exor, just not as cold. "You wish we'd surrender." He said with a grin.

"But- You don't have to! You don't have to listen to him-"

"Oh Scott, you never understand, do you?" He cut off. Resting the tip of his sword on the ground and leaning on it. "I am Exor."

Last time Xornoth was here, I felt safer, I felt stronger, but here now? I wanted to dig myself into a hole and stay there forever. I knew what I was missing. Aeor. But I let him down, and now he wanted nothing to do with me or my reputation.

"If your still in there, listen to me!" I cried desperately, shards of ice growing on my forearms.

Erin threw her had back and laughed. It was more of a cackle than a laugh I suppose. "Oh, your cute Scott!" She said between fits of, I want to call them giggles but that wouldn't do it justice. "Ah...you like to believe in the good in everyone don't you?" She raised a hand in front of her, slowly closing her fist, and time seem to slow down in that moment as all the light was dragged to her hand, sucking everything of its brightness into her palm so it looked like we were standing in void. I couldn't even see my own hands.

I heard screams and shouts of panic come from everywhere, not able to tell who or wear it was coming from. It was as if I had gone completely blind. Then, Erin opened her hand and a beam of yellow light shot from her palm like a flashlight upwards, illuminating just her face which had an insane grin spread across it, her eyes wide with wicked joy. "Your optimism and your precious Aeor can't save you now!"

Then, like an explosion, all the light blasted from her small body, completely blinding me in white light. I was blasted off my feet, and I felt hands wrapping around my shoulders, digging their sharp fingernails into my collar bone. I felt my shoulders get scraped raw against the stone as I skidded against the ground. Something sharp scraped against my arm but I still couldn't see who was attacking me, and I screamed, shoving the heels of my palms into their body, and letting frost fly from my hands. It was absolute chaos.

Finally, I blinked, and color began to return to my sight. Erin staggered up a few feet from me, covered in frost and with a glare filled with hatred. "Oh-h-h-" She laughed. "This'll be fun."

I dove to the side as Erin lunged for me, rolling across the ground, and picking up my sword which had been only a few feet away from where I was thrown. I swung it in front of me as Erin slammed her dagger down onto my blade, the clang vibrating around the open cavern-like platform. I flung my other hand towards her as she backed up a few feet getting ready to attack again. A huge spike of ice pierced the ground in front of me toward her, but she jumped up and to the side, landing on it and sliding down it on her feet, before maneuvering around my sword and attempting to stab me in the stomach.

I dodged around her smaller blade, knocking it out of the way with my sword, and throwing it out of her hand. She glared up at me before launching herself forward, colliding with me and smashing me into the wall of the arch. I screamed as my wings, which were bound tight to my back, were slammed into the stone. I kicked Erin in the stomach, and she went tumbling across the ground.

She got to her feet, wiping blood from her nose, the red laced with black. Just like Xornoth's. The look of fury she gave me was powerful, and I staggered backwards away from her. I saw from the corner of my eye, Fwhip repeatedly shooting his crossbow at Xornoth, but he flipped into the air, kicking Fwhip across the face, landing on his hands and pushing himself back up into a standing position. Gods I wish I could do that.

In my moment of distraction, Erin dove for me, wrapping her arms around my waist and slamming me to the ground again. I shouted in panic, grabbing Erin's shoulders and twisting so now I was the one pinning her.

The white-haired girl's face contorted in rage and red magic uncoiled from her arms and blasted me into the air. I spiraled out of control, trying to grab onto something to avoid smashing into the caves ceiling. Something yanked on my shoulders as my fingers wrapped around something that felt like metal and I came to an abrupt stop, swinging by my fingertips from Gem's cage.

"SCOTT!" Gem screamed, and I heard wingbeats. I felt something rush by my head and saw the red magic slam against the bars of the cage. In panic I let go with one hand, dangling by one arm, just narrowly avoiding another blast from Erin.

I began to swing, trying to get hold of the end of the cage again. But Erin sent another blast that hit my hand, sending painful shocks up my nerves, and my grip failed, my fingers slipping on the metal of the base of the cage, sending me falling down towards the ground.

I screamed, trying to slow my fall, but I just kept getting closer to the ground, spiraling out of control again. My thoughts raced around my head, unintelligible with panic. But then I felt a jolt as I stopped suddenly a few feet from the rocks, getting blasted backwards, tumbling across the ground. I was in shock. I mean, it hurt, but not as bad as hitting the ground full force would have hurt.

I scrambled to my feet, my shoulder pounding from where I had hit the ground. Sausage was wielding Gem's staff, the crystal still glowing from the spell.

But right as Erin shot down from the sky into the chaos of the scene, a figure ran straight into me full speed, slamming my body to the ground. I screamed again as my head hit the rock, blurring my vision, and sending it spinning.

When I focused a second later Xornoth was pinning me, one of his hands pressing my antler to the ground, the other around my neck. I gasped for air, clawing at his hand to try and loosen it and allow oxygen to get to my lungs, but he tightened his grip. A smirk started to spread across Xornoth's face as my vision blurred again from lack of air.

Yet as black began to close around my sight, something came flying from the left, hitting Xornoth and launching him off of me. I immediately sat up, gasping for air, and coughing from the sudden release on my throat.

"You're welcome." Katherine said, and I was shocked to hear her voice. I looked up, to see her sword pinning Xornoth's jacket to the stone of the arch. Katherine was wearing a satisfied smirk as I got to my feet.

"I- You-" I started.

"Shrub's awake. She'll be fine." Katherine said, straightening up. "But now we need to deal with him."

Xornoth glared at us, yanking the sword from his jacket, falling to his feet, black blood soaking where the sword had pierced his skin. The sword clattered to the ground as his own came flying back into his hand.

To my surprise, Katherine adjusted the strap on her breastplate with a smirk. "You ready?" she asked. I gave her a sharp nod, seeing my sword laying a few feet behind where Xornoth was now standing.

Me and Katherine strengthened our stances as Xornoth came nearer, thirty feet away from us...twenty... That's when I ran. I sprinted toward him, full speed. Xornoth stopped in his tracks, raising his sword, but I hit the ground right in front of him, sliding right under his legs. I grabbed my sword and jumped to my feet, swinging my sword towards him with violent force, but he turned just in time to block my blow with his own blade. My grip tightened around my hilt to stop it from flying from my hands from the strength of our lock.

But I slipped my sword out, backpedaling a few feet as Katherine also closed in. We walked circles around the man, our swords raised. But Xornoth grinned. He hit the ground, spinning on his hands, fire exploded from his feet. I shoved my hands towards the ground in instinct, extinguishing the flames near me. Katherine leapt over the fire, it just barely licking the toes of her boots.

That's when I heard a scream. Pearl. Erin had her pinned against the wall, her dagger pressing into the woman's throat. Sausage barreled into Erin, throwing both of them to the ground, but red magic enveloped him, launching him off of her.

"Go help them!" I shouted to Katherine, and she ran off to assist.

"Just you and me." Xornoth smirked. "No friends to help you now..." We circled each other, and my knuckles turned white as I gripped the hilt of my sword. But before he could react, I dropped my sword, crossing my arms. Ice spikes shot from the ground, shaking the earth, all pointing in one direction. In seconds Xornoth was trapped. Through a space in the ice, I watched Xornoth's eyes narrow from his icy prison.

With a shout, fire exploded from him, shattering the ice, and sending waves of unbearable heat through the air. I was blasted off my feet, but I scrambled up and ran back towards him, shooting shards of wickedly pointed frost. Xornoth cracked his new whip of fire toward me, but I ducked underneath it, feeling the scolding warmth pass over my head.

A sheet of ice exploded from the stone, making the ground shake as I threw my hand toward my brother. Xornoth covered his head with his arms and even more fire flowed from his body, crashing into the ice and white steam exploded from the contact point, making it impossible to see within the arch.

I stumbled around, trying to find my way, but my sight was completed covered in the warm, white cloud. I tripped over a crack in the stone, hitting the ground and scraping my palms raw. But the one thing I could see...the purple stream of energy flowing from Gem towards what must be Xornoth. That means I could see him, but he couldn't see me.

I crouched down, slowly making my way towards where the light cut off, and the pulsing red of the crystal. I was getting closer, and closer...I could hear Xornoth's breathing now. Finally, I was right behind, or in front I couldn't tell, of him. I positioned my sword and plunged it toward the crystal.

The bone rattling sound of metal on metal echoed around the open arch as my sword hit something.

"Nice try."

Red and orange and yellow then exploded around me and I felt fire sear my skin as I was blasted backwards from him. I screamed as the fire swept up my arm and I frantically summoned frost to extinguish it. I looked down and my entire right sleeve had been burned away, leaving angry red burns, and revealing the scar from the assassins on my shoulder from months ago.

A sharp rap came from the right, and suddenly, all the steam began to be suctioned towards the noise. In a few seconds the cavern was clear of the steam, it turning to water in a perfect circle around Sausage, who was still wielding Gem's staff.

When Xornoth caught sight of him, he smirked. "So, the sorcerer is back I see?" he said with a teasing edge to his voice.

Sausage's eyes narrowed. "Don't. Even." He threatened in a low voice. But Xornoth's eyes glinted in delight and malice.

"Don't what? Bring up your days of glory?" Xornoth hissed. "When you were feared and bowed down to without question?"

"Don't even try!" Sausage said angrily. "I know what you're trying to do! All you are is a lying, manipulative coward, trying to get people to do your dirty work for you!"

"Is that so?" Xornoth asked with an intrigued grin, getting closer. "Or are you just trying to convince yourself that I'm the one in the wrong, and your right as always?" He spat the last word out angrily. "Oh, that's what everyone thinks. But I've seen inside your head Sausage, and we are not so different..."

"STOP TRYING TO CAUSE CHAOS!" Sausage roared, his eyes glowing white with fury as he gripped the staff.

"Ah sweetie, that's my job." Erin cackled, and I saw she was hanging upside down from Gem's cage.

My attention though, was still on the stream of magic connecting Gem and Xornoth. I had to find a way to break it. So why not cut it? Might as well try. My grip tightened on my sword, and I set my feet, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"Don't you dare touch him." Pearl growled, stepping in front of Sausage, blood dripping from her neck, as Xornoth tried to approach him. "We won't let him fall into your slimy grip again." She twirled her golden axe in her hand menacingly, brandishing her shield, clearly asking for a fight.

"Is that right?" Xornoth sneered, his expression settling into a glare. Then he took another step forward, and I took my chance. I sprinted towards the line of energy as fast as I could, gaining power and jumping into the air, slashing at the strand of purple. I felt resistance for just a moment before my sword slid through, cutting the strand in two.

A startled gasp came from both Gem and Xornoth as it disappeared completely in the air. Erin hit the ground a few feet away from me with a furious glare. "Oh no you didn't." she threatened in an extremely low voice.

"Oh yes I did." I said with a smirk, overjoyed that it worked. Her glare of hatred felt like an arrow to the chest, and instead of returning it, I sent her a grin. "How about one on one, like old times?" I asked, gripping my sword.

This time, she smirked at me. "You know how that'll end..." she said, spinning the hilt of her dagger in her hand. "I always win."

"True..." I said slowly. "But who knows? It's been a year and a half."

I saw Xornoth massaging his chest from the corner of my eye a little ways away, and he sent Erin a look. Erin gave him a jerk of the head, similar to nod... What were they talking about?

"Fine." Erin finally answered, turning her attention back to me. "But if you die it's on you."

Xornoth sent her another, slightly panicked look, but she completely ignored him this time. I closed in, and soon we were circling each other, only a few feet of space between us.

"You know...you've changed Scott." She said, her eyes narrowing and flitting from my hands to my frostbitten ears.

"Apparently." I answered, waiting for her to strike. Erin always struck first. But she hadn't yet.

"Fwhip still controlling the empire?" she asked curiously, almost casually.

"Yes..." I answered, glancing over at the others, which Xornoth was currently stopping from getting involved.

"Surprised the elves haven't rebelled yet." Erin answered, her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah...well they're thinking about it. Lots of protests." I answered cautiously. What was she doing?

"Surprised you haven't lost your head about it either." Erin added, and I actually laughed.

"It's a bit infuriating I suppose." I replied.

"You hear that Fwhip? He thinks your infuriating." Erin called with a small laugh.

I gave her a look. "He already knows how I feel about him, kid."

She repeated what I said mockingly before sticking her tongue out at me. "Whatever." She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

I let myself smile for a moment before my face fell. "I know your still in there." I said quietly. "You're not fooling anyone."

The girl's eyes swirled with purple for a moment, and I swear I saw blue peek through, before they narrowed. "It won't work this time, Scott." She growled.

"What won't work? Trying to talk to my sister?" I questioned, twisting the handle of my blade nervously, waiting. Any moment now...

Rage began to pour into Erin's expression, but her lip trembled as the purple returned, swirling in her irises like smoke. "No. Shut up." She snapped.

"She's stronger than you know." I whispered so no one else could hear me besides her. "You'll never have her completely. She won't let you."

And just as I expected, she lunged at me in rage, losing control and diving for me. I summoned a large spike of ice, rattling the ground as it exploded from the floor, its deadly point shooting for Erin. She jumped into the air, rolling over it before she propelled herself off the ground, thrusting her dagger down at me, full force.

Ice shot from my forearm, creating a shield which cracked as Erin drove her dagger toward me. The ice incased my wrist and the rest of my forearm, securing the shield and I swiped it at Erin's head, hoping to get a blow in. But Erin hit the ground, kicking my shins out from underneath me. I fell over onto my chest, smashing my chin into the ground and splitting it open. But I scrambled backwards, getting to my feet as fast as possible, wiping the blood from my face.

Erin wore a smirk, red magic spiraling down her arms and collecting near her wrists. She swiftly slid her dagger into the sheathe at her waist before we started to circle each other again.

I gripped my sword so tight, my knuckles turned white. I felt cold sweat start to drip down my forehead, down the side of my face as we paced around, holding my makeshift shield up, waiting for the other to strike.

Then, like an explosion, Erin's magic shot from her body in streams toward me as she lunged. I bent backwards, watching the red fly right over my nose, before I straightened back up, blocking my face with my shield as Erin attacked. She punched at the shield, and a large crack emanated from the point of contact, sending large rifts through the ice.

The force sent me sliding across the stone, my feet scraping against the rock as I stood my ground, thrusting my sword towards her body. But she leaped into the air, landing on the flat of my blade, throwing herself into the air above me. I crouched to the ground, shielding myself with my shield of ice, right as she landed on it, shattering the cold, glass-like material.

I shook the extra shards off my arm as Erin flipped through the air from the force of the break, landing on her feet, her wings flared, with a triumphant smirk. She barely gave me enough time to recover before she launched herself at me again, like she, herself was the weapon.

Instead of avoiding her, I stood my ground, brandishing my sword toward her. As soon as she was close enough, I swung, but the blade missed her by a hair as she ducked underneath, ramming her shoulder into my chest, waves of red magic surrounding my body and sending me flying across the platform.

I rolled across the ground, losing my sword again for the millionth time. My back ached but I pushed myself back up, bracing myself for another attack.

"Just give up already!" Erin laughed, flicking her wrist casually and flinging me across the open cavern. I screamed into my teeth as I landed on the shoulder Sausage had blasted me onto when I fell from Gem's cage. But again, I stood back up, holding my shaking, frozen hands in front of me. Truth be told, I didn't want to hurt her. But it looked like I would have to if I wanted to get the old her back.

Again, she went to throw me to the side with her red magic, but when she tried, I slid my foot across the ground, and a wall of ice erupted from the ground, blocking it. I saw through the ice, her eyes narrow before she flung both her arms forward, obliterating the ice to a pile of shards in between us.

She scoffed at my attempt. "Come on, you're making this too easy." She sneered. Magic coiled around her arms and torso in glowing strands as she came closer, raising a hand and sending the magic racing toward me. I raised my hands as well, and frost exploded from my palms, meeting the red magic in between us, and throwing it in the wrong direction. Erin glared at me. "Wow. So impressive." She said sarcastically, tilting her head with almost an intrigued expression. "What else you got? Gonna teach me a few ways to build a snowman next?"

"Well, if you wanted me to-" I started, but she cut me off by sending another wave of magic that I had to duck.

"It was rhetorical!" she snapped.

"Well, it's kind of hard to tell with you!" I snapped back, diving out of the way of another blast. Erin was starting to get annoyed now, which I wouldn't consider a good thing, and she unsheathed her dagger. I glanced between her and where my sword was lying a dozen feet away before I made the decision and dove for my weapon.

Erin dove after me, plowing into me, but I managed to grab the hilt of my sword, swinging blindly in their direction. I heard a gasp of pain as I was thrown to the ground, doing a backwards roll type thing before I stood up. Erin stood a few feet away, clutching at her upper arm, red and black blood curling around her fingers and down to the crook of her elbow.

Her gaze of fury made me nervous. I was going to pay for that one. She let go of her arm, her bloody handprint imprinted on her shoulder, her dagger gripped tightly.

I shifted my sword from my left to right hand anxiously, sweating under her stare. The silence from her made it even worse. Then she charged.

I backed up, swinging my arms up, two spires of ice shooting from the ground and trapping the wrist she was holding the dagger in. She shrieked in frustration before she yanked her arm out, shattering the top. But it had given me enough time to plan my next attack.

With a shout she dove for me, but I parried, knocking her dagger out of its path, and twisting my sword in an attempt to knock it out of her hand, but she pulled back her wrist and slashed down at my body, cutting through the first layer I was wearing, shredding the front of my overcoat.

I staggered backward, feeling the sting of the scratch she had left on my chest. It wasn't bad, she had just grazed me.

I adjusted my grip on my hilt, getting ready. As soon as Erin attacked, I dropped my sword, raising my hands in front of me, frost exploding from my body. I saw red through the crystals of ice, and I was pushed backwards, frost still coming and stopping Erin from getting to me. My feet skidded across the stone, but I stayed standing, straining to push Erin's magic back. I felt something hot and sticky drip from my nose as my wrists stung from cold, and my arms began to ache. I couldn't see anything in the swirl of white and the occasional flicker of red.

But then it was just an explosion of pain in my torso as something stabbed through the side of my stomach, and the magic faded as Erin ripped her dagger from my body. My nerves were on fire as my knees buckled and I fell to the ground, clutching at the wound, hot blood quickly flowing from the cut. I could hardly think from the shock, and I couldn't tell where it was coming from anymore, everything hurt as tears leaked from the corners of my eyes.

I heard screams, but I couldn't tell who they were coming from. But then one stood out to me. "SCOTT!" Erin shrieked, hitting the ground in front of me, her eyes wide with shock...and they were blue. "No, no, no, no, no." She said in panic, pressing her blackened hands to the stab wound, trying to staunch the blood.

"Wha- Erin?" I asked quietly, before I winced again from the cut, closing my eyes again. When I opened them, Erin was still frantically trying to stop the blood. The whites of her eyes were still black but...it was her. "Erin." I said again, grabbing her wrist.

She looked up, her lower lip trembling, and her eyes wide with fear. "Get away from here." She whispered. "I- I can't-" Before she could finish, her eye's spasmed red, Exor's red, and she screamed, clutching at the roots of her hair, her magic flowing uncontrollably from her arms. "I don't want to do this." She gasped in a strangled voice, a dry sob escaping her lips.

"No-" I started, grabbing one of her shoulders with my blood-covered hand. "No, just hold on a little longer! We can help you."

"How?" She said, just above a hoarse whisper. "How do you help this?"

I had no answer.

But before I could react, Xornoth had come up, and grabbed the back of Erin's collar, yanking her back. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked her with an angry look as I scrambled to my feet, clutching at the wound, and almost doubling over in pain. Erin shrieked, trying to pull his hands off of her, but failed. He dropped her to the ground, and she collapsed, one of her ankles twisting under her. "What did you do to her?" Xornoth growled.

"I didn't do anything!" I snapped, backing away from him as he came closer. "You're the one taking away her free will!"

Xornoth's face contorted in rage, as fire lit up on his clenched fists, the flames rising and licking his forearms. My eyes narrowed as I raised my left hand, my right arm still clutched around the side Erin had stabbed, ready to defend myself if he attacked.

"Don't. Hurt him." Erin snarled, pushing herself up, glaring at Xornoth, her eyes flickering between Exor's and her own red.

"What on earth has gotten into you?" Xornoth asked angrily, but his confusion seemed genuine.

"I said," Erin repeated, getting to her feet. "don't you dare hurt him."

Xornoth rolled his eyes. "And what are you going to do?" he snapped, the crystal's pulses quickening. Erin's face filled with fury, and she snapped her wrist at him, red magic blasting from her body and throwing Xornoth across the platform. He tumbled across the ground, before he grabbed hold of the rock, pulling himself with a furious glare at our sister. I could hear his shaky breathing from here as he drew himself up.

His eyes narrowed, but then his brow furrowed in what looked like pain as he stumbled backwards, breaking into coughs as black smoke began to curl from his mouth for the second time, his eyes rolling back in his head and turning solid red.

"Phoenix..." Hissed Exor's voice from Xornoth's lips.

Erin instantly froze, her eyes widening in the most fear I had ever seen on her face. Her magic seemed frozen in time around her arms and torso.

"Erin, don't listen to them." I said sharply. Her eyes flicked to me for a moment, but she didn't say a word, her lips parted slightly.

"Phoenix." They hissed again, but with a more violent and aggressive edge to their voice, trying to sway the girl's judgement.

Erin's fists clenched, screwing her eyes shut. "N-No." she responded, her voice shaking.

"What?" Exor and Xornoth asked sharply, their voices reverberating as if twelve more were speaking with them.

"I said, NO!" She snapped, her eyes flying open, her irises, not the corrupted red of Exor but the deep airy red of her magic. She cracked her arm down like a whip, the red streams flying towards Xornoth. It slid right through his transparent body, smashing into the crystal and-

Nothing. Everything was gone in the blinding pain overwhelming my thoughts, my body. It felt like I was being split in two. I didn't know where I was, or who I was in those moments. I heard screaming, I think it was me...and someone else. Two, raw, horrible screams of agony.

I didn't know how long it was until I forced my eyes open. My vision was a blur of colors and shapes, sharp unbearable pains still running through my chest and torso, spreading throughout my body. I was on the ground somehow. I heard someone scream my name, high and panicked, before a figure, I think it was Erin, sprinted across my vision towards Xornoth, who was on his knees, his head bowed in what looked like pain.

She dove towards him, his shadowy figure disappearing in a wisp of smoke as her fingers wrapped around the cracked crystal. She hit the ground, rolling onto her knees, holding the crystal in her palm, her eyes wide, not in fear anymore, but panic. She held one hand above the crystal, muttering to herself, her lips shaping the same word over and over. 'Please.'

Something similar to light shone from her hand, bathing the crystal in its glow. But after a moment, her magic began to swirl around her, lifting her hair up, her eyes glowing brighter as her nose began to bleed. I felt the pain begin to lessen, sending my thoughts spiraling in confusion.

"STOP!" Came Gem's voice from somewhere, as her figure sprinted towards Erin. It didn't even cross my mind that the others must have let her out, considering she was down on the ground instead of the cage. "YOU'RE GOING TO HURT YOURSELF!"

Erin glanced up, before she looked back down on the crystal, a final wave of light coming from her body, the crystal glowing white. Then it stopped, everything sharply dying down...then... something exploded, shooting Erin into the air in a swirl of gold and white. I felt my body get thrown across the ground, but I scraped my hands against the stone, my nails scraping against the rock as I attempted to stop myself from smashing my body into the floor.

I skidded, but came to a slow stop, by body aching, but the worse of the pain gone, the memory of it a blur. I heard a pounding of feet, before someone grabbed my shoulders and pushed me over, so I was lying on my back. "Scott? Can you hear me?" Came the timid voice of Katherine.

I managed to open my eyes a sliver again, to see her leaning over me. In answer, I tried to sit up, now feeling the pounding of the stab wound on my side. An anxious squeak came from the fairy as she helped me sit. "What?" I asked, my voice hoarse. "What happened?"

Katherine's jaw clenched before she shook her head. "I don't know."

I looked around to see Jimmy, Fwhip, Sausage, Joey and Pearl around me. I couldn't tell where everyone else was. Gem crouched down next to Katherine. She looked absolutely exhausted, with large bags under her eyes, but her expression was filled with worry. "Scott, what was that?" she asked quietly. "You just-"

"I don't know." I panted, repeating what Katherine had said. "I have no idea." I winced, glancing down for the first time at the wound. Blood stained my torso, and still was spilling out of the cut. My hands were stained with the crimson liquid. "Where's Erin?" I asked as soon as I recalled what had just happened.

Gem's expression turned from worry to a form of concern, but she shifted out of the way, and I saw, lying on the ground a few dozen feet away, Erin's motionless figure. "We don't know if she's-" Gem started, but I cut her off by standing up.

"Scott, what are you-" Jimmy began, but I pushed past him, making my way towards my sister, limping, one arm still wrapped around my bleeding torso.

I leaned down next to her, rolling her over onto her back. Blood dripped from her nose and scalp, turning her white hair near her hairline scarlet. One of her wings was crumpled underneath her, and her fingers were still wrapped around the crystal, which pulses had quickened. I checked her pulse and felt the steady pound of a heartbeat, exhaling in relief, I took the crystal gently from her hand, examining it. There was a fissure going from almost the top to the bottom, filled in with what looked like gold. I frowned, twisting it in my fingers.

"Is she alive?" Fwhip asked as he walked up beside me, staring down at Erin's small body.

"Thankfully." I answered. "Gem, come here."

I heard her behind me and turned to see her sitting down next to me. "What?"

"Look at this." I said, handing the crystal to the wizard. Gem's expression turned puzzled as she ran a finger down the jagged line of gold.

"That's strange." She muttered to herself.

While she looked at the crystal for herself, I carefully slid the chain from around Erin's neck, placing it around my own to carry the crystal when Gem was done.

Katherine crouched down on the other side of Erin, also checking her pulse and feeling the back of her head. "She hit her head hard..." she said quietly.

"And?" I asked, turning my attention from Gem to her.

"I don't know, we need to bring her to the Overgrown. Speaking of injuries, I need to look at yours." Katherine said, standing up and sitting back down beside me.

"I'm fine." I answered with a bit of a glare.

"Scott, that's not going to work this time. Move your hands." She said, gently trying to shift my arms. I sighed, letting Katherine have a look at the wound. After a moment she spoke. "We've got to get you, Shrub, Joel and your sister to the Overgrown." She said, pulling tightly bound wrap bandages from a pouch on her belt and pressing them against the cut, making me wince, before she wrapped them over my clothes and torso. "If we don't you may bleed out."

I nodded, but then, "Joel?" I asked. Katherine nodded and pointed to the edge of the arch. Joel was propped against the rocky wall, his face screwed up in pain. Blood was soaking where his arm had been pierced by the trident earlier, and he was clutching his stomach. Lizzie and Pixl were near him, their lips moving, but I couldn't hear what they were saying.

I nodded, and Gem stood up, grabbing my arm to help me to my feet. "Gem." Sausage said, holding out her staff and spell bag for her to take.

"Thank you." She said with a small smile, taking them from him.

Then Sausage glanced down at Erin. "Want me to take her?" He asked.

I started to speak but Gem cut me off. "Scott, you can't carry her in your condition. That would be great Sausage." She said with a stern look meant for me.

Sausage then bent down, sliding one had underneath her back and one under her knees, before he picked her up, her body falling limp in his arms. Pearl gave him a look, but I only saw it for a moment before we began to move towards where Joel, Lizzie and Pixl were.

Pain sparked in my ankle, and I staggered slightly, trying to find my balance. "Here." Fwhip said, taking one of my arms and wrapping it around his shoulders to help support me. I gave him a look of surprise, and his eyes narrowed. "Stop looking at me like that! Your just being painfully slow!" he snapped defensively. I rolled my eyes, but I let him help me across the platform.

"Erin threw him into the wall." Jimmy explained as we got closer. "We think he broke some of his ribs."

I nodded. Lizzie glanced up and saw us. She stood up, raising an eyebrow at Sausage holding Erin.

"She's alive." Sausage said in answer to Lizzie's quizzical expression.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" she asked.

"Good. Now we've got to get out of here. A few of us have learned from experience this place isn't the most...stable." I said, glancing at Gem. Gem nodded in agreement, remembering when it had almost crushed all of us.

"Alright then." Lizzie said, bending down and gently picking Joel up. He bit back a scream, clinging to the front of his wife. I was surprised for a moment she could carry him. I mean, yeah, Joel is small, but not that much smaller than her. But then I remembered it was Lizzie. She could do basically anything.

"Gem, call the dragons. I've gotta go get Shrub from the cave." Katherine said as she pulled her heavy breastplate off, revealing the white blouse underneath, her right shoulder bloodstained and wrapped in the same bandages as my torso.

"Alright." Gem said, rapping her staff on the ground, the crystal glowing for a moment. "Be quick."

Katherine gave her a sharp nod, running for the steep edge we had gotten her from, her wings unfolding as she disappeared over the edge of the platform.

Fifteen minutes later, I heard the large wingbeats of the five dragons. They landed on the platform, shaking the earth, almost throwing me to the ground. But Fwhip kept me standing as Gem approached an amber colored one, packing her spell pouch and staff into one of the large satchels attached to its saddle.

"Alright everyone. Seating order..." she said, looking at all of us. "Lizzie will you be able to fly with Joel."

"Yeah, probably." She said.

"Alright. Scott, you can come with me-" Gem began.

"Can Erin come with us?" I asked quickly, glancing at Sausage. I still didn't trust him with her.

Gem looked mildly surprised. "Well- I suppose she could. Alright then. Sausage you can fly Pearl and Fwhip. Scott and Erin will come with me. Then Lizzie and Joel, Jimmy and Pixl, then Katherine, Joey, and Shrub?"

Fwhip did the math in his head. "Yeah, that adds up."

"Alright then. Everyone, load up the weapons and get settled on your dragon while we wait for Katherine and Shrub." Gem said. "Fwhip can you help me get Scott and Erin up into the saddle?"

Fwhip gave her a nod, helping me over beside the amber colored dragon. Gem climbed up into the saddle and Fwhip boosted me up onto the stirrup. Gem grabbed my forearm, helping me get seated behind her. Fwhip then took Erin from Sausage, and held her up as high as he could, Gem grabbed her from underneath her arms, pulling her up between us.

I shifted her so she was facing me and leaned her against me so she wouldn't fall off, wrapping one of my arms around her shoulders, the other clamped around the side of the saddle. She slumped against my chest, her arms hanging loosely at her side.

I pressed the back of her head gently to my chest, and I felt what Katherine had. There was a raised spot on the back of her scalp, matted with blood and it seemed bruised. I hoped she would be okay. It suddenly struck me that she was sixteen now...it really had been a long time.

A few minutes later, Katherine fluttered onto the platform, carrying Shrub. Her nose had been snapped back in place, and some of the blood had been wiped off her face.

"We did it!" She said excitedly as Katherine put her down. "Without my help, but we still did it!"

Katherine snickered. "Come on. We need to get to Hyacinth quickly." She said, helping Shrub onto the dragon they were taking with Joey.

"You're going to be stuck with me for the next few hours." Joey said with a teasing smirk. Shrub rolled her eyes, playfully swatting at him as Katherine climbed into the saddle in front of her so that it went Katherine, Shrub, Joey.

Gem twisted around to face me before we took off. "This may not be the smartest decision I've made but..." she held the crystal out for me to take. "He is your brother."

I stared down at it for a moment before I took it from her without saying a word. I hooked it back onto the chain and it fell against my chest beside Erin's head. She would not get a hold of it again.

"Okay, to the Overgrown!" Gem called to everyone, before pulling on the reigns. The dragon took off, launching us into the air and towards Hyacinth. 

***

HA, I told you I had a long chapter! But if we're being real this took me like a week to write considering its over 10,000 words... So, I'm not going to be posting over the weekend. As you can probably tell considering my daily posts I have prewritten chapters, and I'm actually running out of them, so my posts will become more spread out. Sorry about that. I'm an incredibly slow writer. Anyways, hope you all have a good weekend!

Also, I have a Q/A now! Go check it out or I will hide under your bed until your asleep then go through your camera roll :3