I awoke feeling sluggish as usual, a single beam of sunlight shining in my eye. I had a strange feeling today was going to be bad; I quickly pushed the thought away.  I was determined to have a good day. I put on my clothes and I walked slowly into the kitchen to get some of Luke’s usual breakfast but I was greeted with the worst sound I’ve ever heard…...Luke’s singing. “OH  MY DARLING OH MY DARLING MORNING LIGHT!” He stopped and stared at me “Mornin’ sunshine, made some of my delicious pancakes for ya.”
“I don't eat your pancakes.” I said, the awful smell of the slightly burnt pancakes wafted through the air.  Luke is my older brother who was adopted from another clan that outlawed him when he was ten, I’ve tried to ask him about it but he will never tell me. Since then he’s lived with me and he’s come to think his food is good, which it is really not. Luke is not as dark toned as me but he’s got a tan all the sun we get here makes it incredibly easy.
All the women in our village always wanted to date him because he is the nicest guy in  the village but they always ignored me. He may be the nicest guy in the village but he has a voice like a banshee.
“Will you ever listen when I say something?” He said with a sigh. “You always zone-out when I’m talking to ya. Listen I’ve gotta go to the shop early so don’t go messing with the elders again, okay."
     “Yeah, just go before Mr.Claw kills you.” Mr.Claw was Luke’s boss at the metal shop. We called him that because he had a claw mark on his arm given to him by the hybrid snake warriors that killed the village dogs.  Once Luke left I went in the kitchen to clean his mess.
     As soon as I finished cleaning up the dishes and the surrounding area which was covered in pancake goop, I decided to go have some fun with the elders anyway. I started to the eastern portion of the village and ran directly into a large man with patchy red hair and a hunched back, he looked at least a thousand years old. The bag of bones grabbed my arm and said, "Come, Mark, Lord Six wishes everyone to come to the center of the village, especially you.” He licked his lips and led me there.
  A very large man wearing a gold cape with purple lines along the back stood on a mountain of his soldiers.  He cleared his throat and tapped the microphone its feedback caused me and everyone around me to cover their ears.“This village has a very important artifact that I want. It is called the moonblade.” Everyone in the village knows what it's called because legends say that it can only be pulled out of its stone sheath by one of a pure heart good or evil under the moonlight it just had to be pure . It was forged with nano chips inside to analyze the emotional state and neurological pathways of the brain and many other sensors which inspired the myth of it being 'magic'. Fortunately only Luke and I know how to get to it. A few years before, we sneaked into the temple and saw the moon-blade but had made sure no one could find their way to it again. “If you do not tell me how to get the moon-blade, this one dies!” Six snapped his fingers and two of his goons stepped up to the podium with Luke in their possession, just what I needed. “We will torture and kill him if someone doesn't tell me where to find the MOONBLADE!” People around me starting whispering saying,
"Give the two kids up he won't kill all of us." "We could just tell him it broke." “I need the blonde one he works for me." Mr. Claw said.  Of course the women said, “Save Luke, please save him!"
"Enough!" I yelled, stepped up to the podium and said,” I’ll show you, but let my brother go!”  “Okay I”ll let him go, but first tell me where the moon-blade is.” The Warlord sneered.
     I stabbed my finger at him and replied, “Let him go first!” Six snapped his fingers once more and his goons let go of Luke who slumped to the floor.
“Now, Boy show me where the moonblade is and if you can't get in- then this whole village will burn!” I flinched  and briskly walked down the path leading to the temple when Six said, “Chain him.” two of his goons came and chained me to a tree. “Sorry kid, nothing personal just can’t have you getting away, just in case Six needs you.” said one of the guards.
Six snapped his fingers and the goons put a bag over my head and there was nothing but darkness. I tried struggling but some chemical inside the bag put me to sleep.
      When I woke up I heard someone crouch in front of me. “Okay kid listen nod if you're awake.” I nodded.  “Do you know where the guards are?” I nodded.  “Is anyone else with you?”  I nodded vigorously. “Okay okay is it a friend, a parent, a pet,...a brother?” I nodded once more. He then took the bag off of my head and instead of a person I saw something the vaguely resembled a cat. He was a Kyrulan; Kyrullans were cat-human hybrids created when they did those hybrid experiments back before Six outlawed technology. They weren't exactly the most social creatures. “Show me where they are.” I nodded, sort of confused and then he unchained me from the tree.
     We walked to the temple and I almost passed out from shock because Six and his army Luke was in a metal cage hanging above a pot of molten metal while Six was giving his speech, “Today this child has helped me find this,the moonblade!" He said holding up the pale gray sword.  The guy beside me who called himself Solem advised me to stay at my position behind the rock while he went to get Luke.
“So today we will honor him by turning him into to my metal minion!” Six continued. The crowd of soldiers roared with delight and just as quick as the roar started, it died when Solem freed Luke from his cage being very obvious.
“He’s Mine Six!"  He slid down from the cage with Luke draped over his shoulder. Six’s face started to flush red with anger and he yelled, “GET HIM, GET SOLEM!” As Six was yelling I ran over tried to take the MoonBlade out of his hands. Six grunted and kicked me off the podium. “Naive child you think you can steal from me?” The Moon Blade's color began to change from gray to red as The warlord hefted it over his head. I took cover by the nearest rock as black lightning arched through the air towards me. The blast shook the rock I was hiding behind and pebbles flew through the air. “For you insolence child you will die but for your courage you will die quickly!” Six yelled while sending another arch through the air. Then He stopped and Laughed “I have never been beaten so I will give you a chance.” He yelled. I heard the distinct clang of a sword fall beside me. “Use the MoonBlade and prove that you are worthy me I will allow you to keep it, my pride will not allow me to kill an unarmed boy and It will not allow me to lie.” I swallowed, gulping down air as I picked up the moonblade. My knees shook as I rose to Six’s challenge. The MoonBlade began to hum and it’s color became gray again. Six smiled, “Yes you are worthy, take it and leave my sight, you have 12 seconds.”

     Solem slid down the chain and started running with me not far behind. “Why did you help us?!” I asked. Solem jumped over a fallen log and said, “He wanted the Moonblade.”  I rolled my eyes, "No Dip Sherlock!" I held the blade up to the sky. "How did you get that?" I shrugged "He gave it to me.”  I frowned puzzled I knew Solem didn't trust me anymore than he could throw me.
     After a few hours of getting chased by Six and his goons we decided to take a rest. in the ruined city fifteen miles from the village. While we rested I wanted Solem to tell me why he choose to help us. “I already told you why.” 
     “ I don’t believe that is the full story.” I said, wanting to know more.
“It is all I’m willing to to tell you.” he retorted, getting a bit annoyed.
Luke finally awoke and decided to join the conversation, “He has some history with the moonblade, his people forged it.” He said sleepily.“I may have some history with it and there’s a reason why I won’t tell you or the Blacksmith”  "
You say you won’t tell us but know you have to.” Luke said.

    “Why do I have to tell you anything?” He replied. “Because now that we’ve been seen with you we’re fugitives also.”  Solem pondered with this a little and said, “Fine here is the thing.” He pointed at the moonblade by my hand. "It is one of the most important things to the Kyrulan empire. That sword is the strongest of the four artifacts." He started to draw on the ground using his claw. “The MoonBlade, The Mace,SunFury and The Hallowed Axe.”   “Whoa where can we get them?” Luke asked.
"There is no getting them those artifacts belong to the Kyrullan empire NOBODY else.” said the Kyrullan, his tail twitched with anger.
I took a glance around the woods where we were camped and said “Why did you bring us to the middle of the woods?”
    “Because I am taking you to the city of Karbath where they will kill you.” Indicating to me. “And you will become a servant to any of my people.” He said pointing to Luke.
I grabbed the MoonBlade and stood up adrenaline still coursing through my veins and turned the blade toward Solem.
“Luke and I are not going with you, we are going to the temple of Dijona.”
Solem smirked at me and said, “You really think that old resistance base really exists? Your a fool to believe so.”
I sneered and said, “If I’m a fool well I’m one that will kick your butt if you come any closer to us, now we are going to the the city of Karabath but we will go on my terms understand?”
    Solem nodded and spoke in Kyrullan “I understand, you worthless brat.” He said.
I edged the blade closer to him. “Understand!?” He nodded.
“Don’t you think we should tie him up cause I don’t feel safe with him like that” Luke said.
“Yeah I guess we should.” I grabbed a rope out of Solem’s bag and said, “Hold still or this is gonna hurt.” I tightened the rope around his wrists and Solem gave a small yelp. “You said it would only hurt if I moved!” He hissed.

Luke shrugged. “I guess he lied.” We went on getting lost a few times along the way having to have Solem tell us where to go. Luke looked around the trail we were following and said, “We’ve passed that same rock eight times.”  “How do you know that’s the same rock?” Solem and I asked at the same time. “Because I put small pebbles on it every time we passed it.” Solem’s eyes widened and he started thrashing frantically yelling, “LET ME GO! WE’VE BEEN TRAPPED!” Luke looked around and said, “What?” Then something with long bony arms and fingers dragged Luke into the mud. Solem started to move with even more desperation now until the same creature dragged him away also. I unsheathed the moonblade and it started to shine it’s lunar light into the darkness.
“Who’s there?” I said wearily  Then I heard laughter like that of a child. I swung my sword toward the noise and felt something punch me in the stomach. I fell to the ground winded and tried to get up once more only to get hit again. The thing of the dark attacking me relentlessly. Then I felt its heavy weight upon me and it started to strangle me. I kicked it off and back into the bushes. As the next blow came I was ready and swung at it and heard a bloodcurdling scream and a young girl stood there cradling her hand. I looked at her a wave of sympathy rolling over me.
“I’m sorry I cut your hand you were a beast a couple of moments ago, So Im not sorry for defending myself.” She sighed and said, “Well now I am nothing more than a shadow, the moonblade purged all of the evil out of my very soul taking me with it.” Suddenly Luke and Solem came from the bushes walking toward me, scratches covered them.
“Is there anything you can do for her Solem?” I asked.
“Why on earth would I help my captor save a shadow sprite?” He said, brushing off mud.  “A Shadow Sprite?” Luke asked. “Shadow Sprites are electromagnetic anomalies caused by the excess of radiation caused by the depletion of the ozone layer who have been harnessed completely to Six’s newfound technology so now they reside to do his bidding. The moonblade is able to temporarily cause the shadow sprites to take a solid form and then disappear. " the Kyrullan explained. “The only way to free her is to bind her to your own bioelectricity, but I don’t see why you would want to do that.”
I looked over to him and said ,“How in the world do you know all of this stuff?” He scoffed “I’m prince of the kyrullan empire I am supposed to know everything.” I shrugged, “Whatever how do I do that?”  Solem’s eye twitched. “You plan to save that thing after it tried to kill you?” I nodded“It was doing so under Six’s orders and nothing deserves to die for him.” Solem shook his head. “I don’t agree but oh well You must allow it to scan your bioelectricity so it can bury itself into your spine binding it as your shadow.” The Kyral explained.

Luke

    I was now well beyond earshot when I  heard the same language Solem was speaking in earlier.   Then they dug a hole and the ground and buried the item .When the pair had gone I quickly dug for what they were burying  and found a half-axe that looked like it was made out of silver.  “Hey guys look what I found.” I said waving the axe in the air. Mark was finishing the knots on the rope around Solem’s wrist and when he looked up at me his shadow didn’t in fact the shadow wasn’t even his it was that of the young girl. “Umm Mark.”
    “Yeah?” he replied.  “That’s not your shadow.” Solem then scoffed and said, “Of course it’s not you bumbling idiot, it is the Shadow Sprite, he has bound it to save its spirit.” The the shadow spoke. “Umm my na..name…”  Mark looked over to it and said, “Oh I forgot to ask yo-”
    “NO.” she cut him off “You have to pick my new name I cannot go back to my old name nor must I say it.” 
    “Well ok." he pondered for a moment and said, “I’ll call you Circe.”  She jumped in delight. Solem in fact was very angry that we decided to let her come with us and kept saying, “I can’t believe these stupid humans allowing a DEMON to come with us with no bonds but I, a civilized person must stay chained” I looked back at him and yelled, YOU have to stay chained cause you wanted to take us prisoner, and you are not really a person." Solem rolled his eyes at this comment and went back to complaining. Circe looked at Mark and said, "I’ve never seen a Kyrullan reduced to these standards". Solem hissed and started to laugh. I turned around Solem’s dagger in hand and Mark had the moonblade facing the kyrullan and Circe transformed into attack form.  He looked at us and said, “You have stepped into the boundaries of the city of Karabath.”
    “So?”, I said puzzledly. He continued to laugh and said, “It means my people have found you, and they are coming to rescue me.” Then it was Circe’s turn to laugh, “They will not rescue, you know that you’ve been captured, once they get here they will kill you along with us.” I looked at Circe with wide eyes. “How is that funny?” The shadow then shrugged. “Hey I’m not going to die they can’t kill me. I sighed and smacked my palm against my head. “I don’t see why you guys are moping we can fight them; Luke you still have that axe that you found why don’t you use it?”Mark asked. Solem sighed and said, “Well we are certainly doomed.” 
    "No we’re not, we’ll let you fight if you promise to help the resistance.” 
    “Considering my situation I guess I will.”
    “We don’t want I guess we want I will.” The shadow said. I lifted the axe and shook it in a demanding matter. “Go on!”   “Fine!” he hissed.

Mark
    When the Kyrullans came we were ready for them, well sort of. The lead Kyrullan wearing red armor covered in chains looked directly at Solem and said, “Look boys, it’s the lowly traitor.” The other five started to laugh until he said to Solem “You always were the weakest, brother." he spat on Solem’s fine purple cloak and the rest started to erupt with laughter. He silenced them again and looked at Luke and the axe. He turned around and looked at a kyrullan with green cloak and a shortsword strung on his waist. “You were supposed to bury that axe where no man can find it!”
    “I’m sorry sir I didn’t know he would find it, Tremor.” Tremor took his Sword out of his sheath and slashed at the green cloak. He looked down at his stomach which was starting to make a puddle of blood on the ground. When green cloak fell Tremor kicked his body off of the hill to the left of him. He turned to face is again and said, “That’s what happens to those who fail the empire.” He pointed at Solem, “Your next, brother." Luke gave Solem both of his daggers back and whispered something in his ear that I didn't hear. Then, Solem launched himself at Tremor, daggers flying like two silver claws. While I was busy watching one of the other soldiers suddenly attacked me, making me fall back on the defense. All I could do was duck and weave away from his furious assault. The Kyrullan began to get tired of fighting a target he couldn’t hit and started to attack me recklessly. He grabbed some dirt of the ground and flung it in my eyes causing me to lose my footing and fall into the grass. He then lunged aiming to pierce my throat when Circe enclosed herself around me making his sword deflect harmlessly off her.  I swept my left foot at him making him fall and started to get up he then jumped on my stomach pinning me under his knees and punched me once twice then a third time and then he slid out his claws. “I am going to enjoy killing you and maybe I’ll get promoted for killing the fugitive of Six’s empire. His arm was coming closer to my throat and I knew I wouldn’t be able to fight him much longer. At that moment I willed Circe to my side once more and she became a shadow of a Bobcat and swept him away from me she then decide to play with him like he was a mouse.Solem looked like he had been having a worse time than I was, he looked like he’s been hit by a truck and backed over. Their weapons clashed and they kept going for fatal wounds I could see they had a lot of beef with each other.

Solem
    “I hate you, brother !”  I hissed through my teeth. He laughed and said, “Do you really think I didn’t know that!” They clashed again. “Since when did the Kyrullans work for Six!” I lunged at Tremor who sidestepped the blade and ran one through my back. I glared at him, my back screaming in pain. “We’ve been working for Six all along don’t you see, why else would we hide the weapons when we could’ve used them against him.”  I hissed in pure fury and launched myself at Tremor once more, taking my claws through his face. He yowled at this and kicked me backward sending me sprawling on the dirt. He stepped above me raising his broadsword, the light catching on its sharp edge. “Now I must finish what I started, KIlling YOU. Then out of nowhere the shadow Mark had bound came to my rescue. She stabbed her razor like claws through him and kick him off the very same hill as the green cloak. “That’s what happens when you try to kill US." She looked down on the body and set it aflame by transforming into a beautiful black dragon with glossy scales. I looked up to her and said, “He won’t die that easy and Six won’t let him now that he’s working for him. Luke walked over to help me up, I clasped his hand to hoist myself up. “Well let’s hope he stays down long enough.” The blacksmith said. I allowed myself a grim smile, “Let’s hope so.” Mark looked over and said, “We’ve got to move; getting attacked just now opened my eyes to the big picture, our enemies will do anything to get to these weapons even killing their comrades. Now let’s go before more come back. I want to be at Karabath by dawn.” Luke looked at me and said, “What's his problem?” I sighed,"I honestly don’t know he was a little cheerier even when you guys had me tied up.”

Mark

We made it to the city by daybreak and as we already knew the walls were full of guards. I crept to the wall to see how many guards in total there were. I crouched in a bush adjacent to the wall when I felt something slide across my leg. I looked down at it and saw a black snake with emerald green eyes. It stuck out its forked tongue and hissed at me, I only sat there and fought the urge to unsheath the moonblade and skewer it. I’ve always disliked snakes since the day a snake warrior came and killed our only guard dogs. Then the bush behind me started to shake and I swung around as quick as my legs would let me almost stabbing Solem in the chest with my dagger. He looked at me wide eyed and hands raised. “It’s only me, no need to be afraid.” I sighed. “Something is troubling you, do tell.” He pressed

“We are fighting an evil overlord,The Overlord.”

“I understand your trouble,my young captor.”
I looked him in the eyes and said, “The sun is rising let’s move with haste.”

“As you wish.”
He and I returned to Luke who was sitting on a cart that had to horses on it. “Guys look what I found.” He said. Circe rose up from my shadow and stretched.
“A..cart?” Solem asked.
“Yep I figured we could sneak in as merchants.”
“But where will we get the merchant attire?¨ I asked.
Luke allowed himself to roll back into the cart and came out a few seconds later with some merchant cloaks.
I frowned, “Where are our-” “You don’t need them.”
Solem interrupted. “You will be what I am selling.”
Then my shadow decided to speak. “How will we keep the mages from discovering my presence.”
Solem scratched his face. “I’m hoping we can just wing it.” He gave her a small smile in a flash and it faded just as quickly. ¨Now, It’s time to move.” Still in awe at Solem’s confidence I stood there dumbstruck.
Luke came and patted me on the shoulder. “We will be fine.” I swallowed something told me we wouldn’t.

We rolled up to the wall in our rickety cart, Luke and I tied up with loose rope in case of a fight.
As we came to the gate one of the guards came up to inspect it. "Are these your slaves Sir?"

"Yes and I'd like to pay to have them taken past freely." The soldier scratched his thin beard and sighed, "Sir we aren't allowed to do that anymore, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to step off the cart." Solem let go of his reigns ."As you wish, but my shadow sprite will remain to watch the slaves." "Okay sir." The soldier came to the cart and peered over. He looked at me and I gave him the bird. The soldier frowned and climbed off the wagon.
¨A-all done sir y-you may pass.¨
He motioned to the gate keeper and they slowly lifted the gates. As the gates lifted I had a great feeling of nervousness overcome me. Solem drove the wagon too slowly for my liking, it made me feel obvious. I poked my head out to complain but he said his city has speed limits. I really didn't like the idea of traveling at a slow speed.
Solem took us to an old church a few minutes later. "Okay get out we came to see my friend, the bishop and keep your weapons in their sheaths he doesn't like war or any other type of violence." He gave us a quick glance of 'I mean it' and went inside.
The church was glorious it was perfect white marble with blue and green stained windows, the chairs were a bright violet with a lot of symbols on them. Circe, now a cat clambered up my shoulder from her nap and checked the view.
"Nice church you've got here, if we die I wanna be buried here."
Solem scoffed at the shadow, "You're a shadow, you can't die."
Circe mimicked Solem's face and scoffed, "Stupid Kyral I'm bound so if he dies" She pointed her claw at me "I die." Circe’face transformed back into that of a black cat and looked straight ahead. I looked over to Luke and saw him staring at a photo on the wall.
"What is it." It was a photo of a king with a woman washing his feet. "My mom." he said. I looked at him eyes wide,"That's your MOM!" Yeah can't you tell. he pointed at the picture to the tattoo on her neck.
"It's the same one on your arm." I said in awe.

"Hey you two." Solem called, "The Bishop would like to see you for a moment." Solem turned his back to us and gestured to follow him.

We went down a small hallway that led to two doors. Solem pulled out a blood red key and slid it in. The door then opened up to a great dining hall.
Circe looked and said, "Hey Solem I bet this is better than where you lived , yep I bet."
Solem puffed out his chest. "Actually it is not I am prince of Karabath so I live in the Great Halls of Sloor."
"The Great Halls Of What?" I asked. He scoffed.
"The Great Halls Of Sloor, He is one of Karabath's greatest gods!" We walked into the room and saw a small old man. Solem went and bowed to the man. "Bishop this is Mark,Luke, and the beast Circe."

"Who are you calling a beast, you're not far yourself!"
The Bishop went to Luke and smiled, I have been waiting for my grandson to arrive but I did not think he'd be dead when this is over." Luke looked at him "What are you talking about, we're not going to die, and I have no family left Mark is all I have left." The Man laughed again, "So much like your mother, never straying from what she's told."

"What?"

"I told your mother to take you to the village where you would meet Mark because I knew the king would have her killed for having a human child." Solem sighed, "Yes my father was a cruel man but even though Tremor is now king, the evil did not leave our family."
The Bishop nodded,"The Imperils know of this place and once they know you are in the city you can guarantee this will be the first place they look."

"Well, we must leave then."

"NO!" He stamped his staff on the floor. "Not until I give you this." He lifted it up and a compartment rose from the floor. Light then flooded the room. "What happened." Luke asked. "Six knows you're here!" He pulled a lever on the the wall and a door leading to the back opened. "In here there are three cups, one blue, one white, and one red. Pick wisely or Six will no longer be your worry"

"Why not?" Circe asked. His face darkened,"Because you'll be dead."
"Oh Joy" Solem said.
"Joyous indeed." Circe mocked.

The Bishop led us down a set of spiral stairs, his wood cane clicking at each step.
"Where exactly are we going?" Luke asked.
"Somewhere as far away from Six as possible." Circe laughed.
"And where would that be?"

The Old man stopped and said, ¨I don't know, I've never used this exit before."
I slapped my head. "You've got to be kidding me!"
"Quite the contrary, the Bishop tends to forget things." Solem said.
Upstairs the door crashed down and the pounding of footsteps preceded them. We went faster now not wanting to fight in a tight space where Six's Soldiers would have the advantage over us.
"We need to find open ground so we can face them in a fair fight." Luke exclaimed.
"Over there!"
Solem pointed to a platform before a set of stairs. It seemed as if we were in a burial tomb. On the circle platform we waited for the soldiers to come. The pounding of the boots stopped as it reached the doorway. The we heard a roar even worse than Luke's singing. (Sorry bro). I backed away a half step as I heard the banging on the metal door. Circe became a shadowy dragon and approached and approached the door. Seconds past then the seconds felt like minuites. With a crash a beast, no a hybrid the size of a small house came crashing through the door.
It had a Large head feathered in green and purple covered in the blood, of which I hope was not of its previous victims. Its large pointed snout concealed venomous fangs and rows of needle sharp teeth, the tail was as long as a tree with a large club protruding from the end. The creature roared and lunged towards Solem, who managed to slide under its curved yellow claws. He slid and rebounded of the wall, hands on knees, “That….was….too close….for comfort.”
I slashed at the clubbed end of the beast which roared and hit the moonblade with its tail. Sparks flew off of the sword and showered the Kyrullan guard. Luke wove his way through the guards cutting down any that got in his way. I don't know if I imagined it but the Axe started to glow red. The beast roared and charged again at it’s prey, I dove to side feeling it’s hot breath against my hair. Solem was slashing and cutting the beast jumping around like an orange frog, Circe, now a black dragon soared up and crashed down on the beast's’ back. With a roar of anguish it crashed down flattening some of the Kyral imperial guard. Luke stood dumbstruck as the clubbed tail crashed down just feet from him. I chose that moment to spring into action as the venomous teeth came sliding towards Luke. Pushed him away from the venomous teeth and everything went dark.



Solem
I looked around the surrounding area which was covered in blood or dust to find Luke lying twenty feet away from the hybrid and Mark under it’s claw. My brethren the kyral were all dead or wounded so I hastily got to my feet and woke up the blacksmith. As I was waking him I noticed the shadow had shrank to its normal form and was watching Mark closely.
The Bishop came over to me and said, “Are you alright my friend?” I nodded and replied. “Fine, I’ll grab the blacksmith and you grab Mark.”
The Bishop stooped down to retrieve his staff and set off to get Mark. We set off to get out of the city before more guards showed up. While encamped in the forest I pondered what was wrong with Mark and the shadow until the bishop told me.
“The boy, he has been poisoned by the venom of that creature. You must get him to the untouched desert to cut the root of the cactus and give it to him otherwise, His face darkened. “He’ll die.” I picked up Luke who was starting to awaken and looked back at the bishop.
“Don’t worry my friend.” He smiled. “I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, I’ll be fine.” I sighed and strapped my daggers to my belt, “If I’m not back by dawn in three days take Mark to the nearest village maybe they have some of the cactus root." "The old man nodded.
"I will take him but I doubt they will have any, less give him some." I sighed and quickly sped off to the untouched desert.
The Bishop looked at Mark's prone form and sighed, "Solem I hope for once you do the right thing.¨


Solem


I trudged along through the city trying to put as much distance between us and the kyrullan guard. The searchlights passed over head a few times as the the sparrows flew overhead. Sparrows are helicopters that can drive on land if they need to. The design is very complex. The exterior usually have a logo along the wing and the searchlights use x-ray to search through solids. Ok I lied they are not very complex, just imagine a dune buggy with a helicopter top. It carries four passengers one pilot two gunners and a searcher. Anyway I hauled Luke Into the cart we entered in and hit it into full gear. The cart jumped and bounced over the road as two sparrows came and started to rain down a storm of bullets at us. One of the bullets hit the engine of the cart and set it on fire. I grabbed one of the ropes from the cart and slung it at the sparrow. Using the rope I climbed into it and tossed the passengers out. I flew the stolen falcon out of the city and a bullet knocked on the window barely above my head I can't believe my luck.
Luke
I woke up to wind and sand in my eyes and I jerked my head back in the window. Wait,...window. "Holy crap I'm in a sparrow!" I exclaimed. Solem was sitting in the control seat and said, "No you're in a bird's mouth, of course you're in a sparrow!" I gawked at the craft and said. "I thought these were only real in imagination." I looked around the ship. "Wait where's Mark and Circe?" "Mark was poisoned from the hybrid back there after saving your life." Solem said without looking away from the viewport. I slumped back in my seat. "So is...is he you know?" Solem sighed. "No not yet but will be if we don't find a cactus root or whatever." I sat up straight and yelled. "Step on it then!" “Hold on we may have company.” Solem said as a blast rocked the sparrow
Mark

I awoke in a shell of darkness only hearing the steady beat of my heart. I had the feeling I was falling. Into, I had no idea and I would've never expected it to hurt as much as it did.
"Mark. Mark. Mark! Mark wake up!"
I jumped up only to see a black and white world around me.
"You're finally awake." A voice said.
"Who's there?" I asked.
"Mark it's me, Circe."
I made an O with my mouth and said, "Circe, where are we?"
"Your body was poisoned so I've brought you to the shadow realm."
"Shadow realm?" I asked.
"Yes the shadow realm is a place full of shadow sprites and their occasional masters." She answered.
I nodded, "So where are you?" "I am one with you while we are here, but there is one problem."
"And that is?" I asked.
"Six has an Alpha shadow sprite and he is here searching for you." She replied.
"Oh crap." "Hold on, I will make myself visible to you." Suddenly I saw Circe in front of me dressed in the same red jacket as me yet hers was smaller and instead of my white scarf she had a black one.
“You can take a picture It’ll last longer.¨ she said,Just as I realized I’d been caught staring. “Sorry.”
I ran my hand through my hair. "Okay Six is after us so what do we do?"
She put her hand on her hip. "We avoid him, he has an Alpha so we run until Luke and Solem bring us back to the real world."
We started to run and looked at Circe, "Sounds good to me. Left or Right?"
“Left” she replied.
As Circe and I ran I caught a splitting headache causing me to fall and stumble a few times. Circe and I could tell Six was closing in on us fast and I really didn't want to face him in a world where I knew nothing. Our Path wove through the black and white forest with grotesque and twisted trees along the way. We sped to a halt when we could go no farther when we saw a large dark form in front of us. "Run." Circe said. I tried but I couldn't move. "The creature started to turn around and said, "Well we meet again."
"Six!"I spat.
The mass fully turned and I saw a bulk of a man with short black hair and eyes gray as stone.
"Yes Mark, It is I and I see you have found the shadowrealm."
"No way your Six you’re not that young!"
"Or handsome.” Circe chimed in.
“Not helping.” I told her. She shrugged "Six, your real form is at ugly as Luke's singing is terrible."
Six merely laughed, "It is not wise to make me angry. I also see that your shadow can manifest itself as well interesting I only thought alphas could do that. Shrine, come here."
I laughed again. “Who are you talking to?”
"I'd be crazy too if I looked as bad as you do."
"Mark!" Circe warned.
"Hold on a second okay hold up. Six if you were a dog I'd draw a face on your butt and tell you to walk backwards.” I wiped tears from my eyes and kept going. "You're so dumb your first word was llama instead of mama."
Six's face flushed, “Enough! you draw the line when you say I'M dumb. That joke didn't even make sense."
He kicked me as hard as he could and sent me into a rock with enough force, I swear I saw tweety bird. I forced myself up and brushed the tiny pebbles off only to get ramed in the gut by something else. I fell to my knees, the wind knocked out of me.
Six said, "Well allow me introduce you to Shrine." He rammed into me again, and another guy held me by my throat and Six had Circe in a headlock.
He looked like he could be Six’s son except I could really see all of the people he’d killed in those black pools for eyes. He had long red windswept hair his skin was pale.
“You're the old man I saw at the village!” He smiled punched me in the face, blood dribbled from my nose. I stumbled and fell off of the edge, wind streaked past my face.
Six’s voice began to fade away as I faintly heard.
“Now I ‘ll go for your dying body and the moonblade!” He threw Circe ober the edge and laughed as we fell into the black mist and to the ground below.

Luke
Solem and I braced for Impact as the Sparrow started losing altitude. Crack!
"What was that?" I asked the Cat-Hybrid.
He looked back at me. "Buckle up this is gonna hurt"
The Sparrow started to spin out of control and bullets began to rain down us . The ground came to me so quickly I didn't even have the time to scream. After the sparrow crashed I got up from the sand and spat some out of my mouth and shook some out of my hair. Solem sat up and instantly looked to the sky and the exact moment he did so more bullets started to rain down the thump of the other sparrow's propellers was the only thing heard above the bullets. Solem and I dove to the wreckage and waited until the bullet storm stopped. Only after it was followed by one huge thump.
"Come out from your hiding spot little people, we won't hurt you!" A voice called.
"Is it not our job to kill them Ban?" A second voice asked

"Quiet You idiot We are trying to lure them out!" A third voice scowled.
"An is not stupid Os is an idiot!" I looked at Solem.
"Are their names seriously Ban, An, and Os?"
"Seems so, and I think all three of them are stupid."
Then the ruined Sparrow we were hiding behind was lifted up.
"Hello down there!" We looked up and literally saw a bald man with three heads in a blue,green and red jumpsuit. One had a scar running below the the base of his face the spiraled along his back. The thin mustache was the only hint of hair he had on his face.
The other wore a seaweed wig and had a bunch of makeup made of blood while the last one had no teeth (which was good) and a ponytail that left the rest of his head bald.
“HEllO DOWN THERE!” The ten foot 3 headed man mutant said.
I waved awkwardly “Hello fellas anyway we can talk this out?”
They grabbed the nearest cactus with their bare hands and threw it at us only it landed a few inches short. Solem laughed showing his venomous smile.
“Take that as a no boy!”
Sliding the two curved daggers from his belt he charged at our humongous enemy. With the speed of a snake he lashed out at the giant’s ankles. Twisting and turning away from it’s hands. I grabbed the Hollowed Ax which was embedded in the sand. Jerking it free I ran to Solem’s aid. As Solem and I began to overwhelm the giant a large Sparrow came and dropped in more Soldiers and The Evil Warlord himself. “SIX!!” Solem hissed. The giant backed away and fell in rank standing tall behind the mass of soldiers. Six smiled and spread his hands in a harmless gesture. “Solem my good man we meet again.” He began to walk to Solem both of their purple cloaks flying in the desert wind. I raised the Ax in defiance and immediately all of the men leveled their guns. “Now Now...Luke was it? You don’t want to waste your life and let your brother die?” “Where’s Mark and the Bishop?” I asked. The giant laughed shaking the ground again." " While "The Bishop" was making some herbs for the sick one Lord Six had his kyrullan assassins slit his throat and take the boy." "Why the bishop despised violence!" Solem cried. Six laughed a guttural laugh "It's true and the boy is in one of the dungeons in the prison of GeraNotch and there is no way he’ll live” Six confirmed. Solem kept shaking his head mumbling, “No way in Sloor now way at all.” Six smiled again. “Now you can come to GeraNotch with me or..” He waved his hands and the mass of troops surged forward. “I get Six now take me to my brother.” The glass eyed man laughed. “You will have your wish but first give me the Axe.” I looked at the Silver ax in my hand as it started glowing red. I dropped it to the sand and stared at my singed hand. The axe buried itself in the sand its heat turning the surrounding sand into a glass casing. Solem looked at Six. “I still don’t believe you killed the Bishop and I never will.” Six looked down at the slightly shorter Kyrullan.
“Come Solem, let us not fight I see your friend there is quite hungry. Come on Now I will take you to your friend and we will have a feast.” Luke sighed I guess we have no choice.” Six grinned and called for his Sparrow Come I will take you to your brother; Perhaps We can discuss some terms for a truce?” Solem and Luke spat in disgust. “We’ll take Mark back and leave your Ship on no terms.” Six shrugged and his Shadow sprite did the same. “Fine then Solem and Luke you can even have a head start since I doubt your friend will be joining you.”


Mark

I hung from the side of the cliff face gripping it until my knuckles split “Circe are Six and the other Shadow gone?” She nodded and gripped my left hand tighter. “Yes but that won’t stop us from falling to our deaths.” My finger twitched and dust flew into my face. “Circe I have an idea but you won’t like it.” I explained. She scowled. “It’s better than hanging here the other shadows smell us and they’re headed this way, so whatever you’re about to do it fast!” I looked down at her and grinned. “Actually my idea needs them to get here quickly.” Her eyes widened. “Are you trying to get yourself, no us killed!” I winced as my hand slipped again. “Not exactly.” At the top of the Cliff was exactly what I hoped for three other shadows one Wolf ,one Bat and one Goat.” Circe groaned. I looked up at the shadows. “You guys want to eat us right?” The wolf shook its head and spoke with a woman’s voice. “We are here to eat here so that we can take on a human form.” It said. I nodded. “Well how are you going to eat us if we fall into this abyss below us?.” I asked. The bat laughed and snorted. “I’ll catch you as you fall and then eat you.” Circe chimed in. “But if you eat us then only one of you will be able to take human form right?” The goat bleated “Lupa is this true?” The wolf closed it’s eyes and sat down. “Most likely all shadows have to eat to change and if the one he calls Circe has obtained a human form she is either an Alpha or a new sprite all together.” Circe looked at Lupa. “Yes I’m an Alpha so I command you to help me up.” They paused for a moment but paused when her nose came close to my hand. Lupa and the other animal laughed. “We almost fell for her trick, the boy isn’t a shadow. He’s her master!” She began approaching us teeth bared. “Wait!” I yelled “All you want is a human form right?” The three nodded. “What if you take a bite of me would you get human forms?” The Goat laughed “Don’t be ridiculous we have to eat you whole!” I raised a brow. “Has it ever been tried?” All three paused. “No.” They said in unison. “So why not try if you help us up I'll let you.” Lupa pondered. “Alright boy but no tricks. You Bara, Nosil guard them!” Lupa barked. The Wolf went to find something to pull us from from the edge while the two other animals sat in wait. Circe’s hand slipped a little more from my grip. She scowled. “You better know what you’re doing, Mark.” I grinned as Lupa brought a vine back, “Trust me Circe I never know what I’m doing.”

I clambered up the cliff side and dragged Circe up after me. Lupa bared her fangs. “So, extend your arm now.” I raised my arm up. Lupa growled. “No GAMES!” I stopped. “Okay fine.” I extended my arm toward Lupa and as she tried to bite me Circe grabbed her jaw. I kicked The she wolf in the nose causing her to stumble back in a yelp. The goat charged each step flinging dirt into the air. I sidestepped him, grabbed his horn and slammed him into the ground. Circe stood, now in tiger form and chased Lupa. Nosil, the bat swooped down and scraped the side of my face before swooping back into the trees. “Circe get the bat!” I yelled. Circe pounced from her position and change from from tiger to bird in mid-flight to chase the fleeing bat; leaving me to face a dizzy goat and a wise wolf. The two circled me confident that they had nothing to fear from me. “Give up boy, you’re alone and unarmed” Lupa said. “Yeah give up.” Bara parroted. I shrugged. “I may be alone but I am a thief, so I’'m never unarmed. I pulled a single dagger from the boot on my left leg, spun it and winked at the two. “Am I still unarmed. I charged the goat who only stood still. As I swept at him with the knife I only slid past him without harming him. Both animals started laughing, “Normal weapons won’t work against us you fool!” I took a step back and dropped my dagger. “Well I do have the MoonBlade.” Both animals stopped and took a step back. “Lies!” The wolf howled. I grinned knowing my bluff was working I hadn’t seen the moonblade since I’d gotten here. “Yep I have it all right and with one move I can force it to appear in front of me.” They took another step back and I took one forward.
“Yep so if I were you I’d-” I couldn’t finish as an invisible force dragged me away from the animals.
It burned I curled around the area I felt hurt the most instantly Circe flew into my face as if flung from a catapult. I lay pinned under the weight of Circe as a lion while Lupa stalked towards us.
“Time to die, Human!” She spat.
Lupa lunged and as I expected to feel her teeth on my flesh I only felt the cold embrace of darkness.”

Luke
I watched as Mark’s lifeless body began to move. Circe was the first to wake; somehow becoming tangible in the faintly lit room. Mark got up and shook of the rest of his grogginess.
“How’d I get here?” He asked me.
I sighed, “You saved me from the mutant back in the cavern when I was too stunned to move.”I wanted to turn away but I felt he would be angry If I did not hold his gaze. Surprisingly he was the one who looked away.
“I knew that I had to help you but I was cowardly, Luke; My first instinct was to save Circe and myself.” He reached inside of his coat pocket and took out the red vial, one of the three The Bishop gave us. “Here, you deserve this one The Bishop said it was for someone brave, you may not have fought the beast but you did not want to run I can see it in your eyes.”
“Mark you should rest maybe after that you’ll see that I wasn’t brave.”
I stood to leave the chamber Six provided us but Mark grabbed my arm.
“Luke you do deserve this I will take the other one the one for fear.”
Solem scoffed from his place against the wall. “How about we all just make rash decisions and drink the wrong vial for us, die and Six rules the world still but with no resistance.” Solem finished.
Six walked into the chamber and sighed. “Luke you were wise to fear the beat so you will take the blue vial, Mark it took bravery to make it out of the shadow realm as I knew you had not died and Solem will take the one of fear as I am the thing he fears most.”
I frowned,”How did you know about the vials?” Six laughed and the image of an old man began to fade and became the image of a massive man.
“Because I am The Bishop.”

Our jaws dropped at the revelation.
“How could you be the Bishop?”
The Bishop laughed.
“I posed as Six to lure you here for him but only to give you a message.” The Airship lurched to a stop.
“What’s the message then?” Circe said.
The Bishop sneered. “He wants you to get stronger, find the real Hallowed axe and give him the challenge he’s been waiting for his entire life.
“You have four months to gather an army and find the rest of the weapons. Have fun!” The Bishop’s troops came from down the halls lasers ready. “I'm afraid , that this is your stop.”
The sea below churned beneath the hovering craft; The Bishop’s soldiers began to enter the room rifles, ready. I looked at my rag-tag team.
“Jump!” I let myself fall back as I fell to meet the sea below.
Mark

The ocean was colder than anticipated, well it would have been if Circe had not stopped our descent by changing into a whale and holding us in her mouth.
“Well that was unexpected.” Solem stated.
I sighed, “Guess it was but then again Six did allow me to acquire the moonblade and allowed Luke to obtain half of the hallowed axe.”
“So what is he planning then? Luke asked I shrugged and stole a glance at Solem who stood fiddling with the colored vials with dexterity I’ve only in miners.
“Solem you’re oddly quiet you’ve only said one sentence.” He scoffed.
“If you haven’t noticed we’re in a whale’s mouth and no one’s asking the main question why did Six help us!”
I gripped the hilt of the moonblade the answer coming to my head. “He’s tired.”
“Tired of what?”
“He’s Tired of winning everything.” I said.
Puzzling looks traveled across the whale’s mouth.
“How do you know?” Solem asked his tail twitched with each word.
“He cant have won everything! We are still fighting him after all.”
Luke crossed his arms.“No, Solem has to be right Six can’t still be winning. We’re still fighting him after all.”
I shook my head solemnly. “He allowed me to retrieve the Moonblade and you the Hallowed Axe. Everything we’ve been doing he’s allowed.” Solem’s eyes narrowed and he looked to the floor of Circe’s mouth.
Luke crossed his arms. “We can’t win can we?” Luke asked.
“It appears as though we can’t.” Solem growled.
“No.” I grinned, “We can; Six thinks he knows what we are going to do, So let’s change the game.”
The ground shook. “We’ve beached.” Circe said.
Luke grinned and picked up his half of the Axe. “Let’s go change the game.”



Circe
As soon as we beached I forced all of my passengers out of my mouth and reverted back to my original form. Solem and Luke landed with their butts in the sand. “Jeez Circe cool it.” Mark told me.
Solem stood up and surveyed the area. “Where are we?” He asked.
I shrugged . “You can’t just ask where we are how about you check your mapping device.”
Solem scowled. “Silence beast! This is called a G.P.S One of the relics I stole from Six.”
I laughed.
“ That’s just a piece of tech from pre-Six Era.
Luke took the device from Solem. “What is this?”
Solem scowled. “I just explained it! It tells our current location by using the power of the gods.”
Luke examined the device.. “This just seems like a piece of old tech from Six’s war room.”
I frowned, “How did you know that?”
Luke twirled the G.P.S in his hand. “Six showed me a few things from his war room. Like he said he must want us to defeat him.”
I felt anger arise in my chest but it wasn’t mine. Mark picked up a stick and threw it toward the Sea.
“So did you go Chat with Six until he decided to cure me from his beast!”
Luke scratched the back of his head. “I was kinda fascinated with the craftsmanship of the things in his war room.”
Mark punched a tree, causing bark to fly off of it. “What else are you not telling us?”
Luke twisted the hilt of his pocket knife in his fingers. “Six also told me that he’s not the real evil and that he wants us to beat him.”
Solem spat in the sand and flexed his fingers. “What exactly does that mean?” I transformed into a black cat and clambered up Mark’s shoulder eyeing the rest of our group.
“It means that Six is not the only overlord.”
Solem jumped up from his position in the sand, spraying it everywhere. “Impossible, Six is the terror of our world nobody else.” Mark sighed, his feeling of exasperation spreading to me, “Then why exactly do they call him six?”
I glanced at his hands as he fingered the cork of the vial and popped it off. “What are you doing?” I asked. Mark ignored me and tossed the vial on the ground. It splashed on the sand turning the friendly yellow color into a burning orange.
“I don’t trust him, He said. “Not in the slightest way.” The Orange sand solidifyied into glass.
Solem dropped one of his daggers as he stared at it. “What in the name of Kala?” He took a step back from the sand as the glass began to spread. Solem took his own vial out and threw it into the sea. “Witch-craft!” he hissed. Slowly the Orange glass began to rise up forming into the shape of a man. It grew to about 6 feet tall and swords sprouted where his arms should be. Blue glass began to crawl its way onto the beach as it rose up into beastial form, Its figure resembled that oof a tiger as a Scythe sprouted from its tail.
“Luke! Don’t break that vial!” I shrieked.
“Circe!” Mark hailed. I began to change, rising from the small form of a domestic cat to that of a Panther. With a yowl I lunged at the glass figure, only to pass right through it. I turned to face it again, the blue figure now turning to face me as well. Mark clutched the Moon-Blade in his hands, excietment was relayed between the two of us.