From Dusk Till Dawn

Chapter Sixteen (The Gray Knight)

   Sky and I were the last two to step onto the elevator, the weight triggering a latch and the elevator began moving up. We had planned very well for how we would infiltrate The Industrial Castle. But none of us were prepared for the machinery inside. The Industrialists were aggressive and had the ability to summon saws at any moment (which was originally meant for cutting trees from The Kingstone but they had found a secondary use) that they used to try and kill us with. After a hard fight with The Industrialists we had gone through a maze of contraptions that looked like a science fair gone wrong. There was gas shooting turrets that shot acidic gases at us, Xavier was able to break them because of his corrosive resistance that came with his powers. There were gates of lightning that electrocuted and almost killed Zackery. We had finally fought through to a point where we met another few Industrialists. I plunged my sword far through one's chest as Xavier melted the other's armor to their skin and causing them to die from blood loss. Blizz ran ahead of us to scout when a large metal appendage swung from the cieling and slammed into him, knocking him against a wall. 

"Blizz!" Sky yelled after him and ran over to him.

"Wh-what...i-is that?!" Zackery shouted.

The room seemed to come alive as a wall opened up, revealing a metal face with The Master Industrialist inside of it, turrets lowered from the cieling, lighting gates rose from the floor and ice spikes fired from holes in the walls as a flamethrower shot over all our heads. The room had become carnage. I panicked, not knowing how to react when Smith ran ahead of everyone, running straight for the metal face. The man inside shrieked as Smith crashed through the window that separated him from the room. The Master Industrialist scrambled out a door in the mini metal head and ran to the balcony, shouting as he pulled the screaming princess with him.

"AFTER HIM!" Smith bellowed.

Xavier and I raced  to the balcony and stopped dead in our tracks. The Sorcerer lifted the now unconscious princess onto The Kingstone and zapped The Master Industrialist with magic. The Master Industrialist crumpled to the floor. 

"H-HEY!" Xavier yelled, stepping towards The Sorcerer.

"Try and stop me, Knight of Poison." He cackled evilly as The Kingstone flew off the with third princess.

I was shocked, not only by the site of The Sorcerer, but the fact that Xav had been willing to fight him right then and there. Xavier's shoulders trembled as he glared the ground, his fists clenched tightly.

"X-Xav.." I gently gripped his shoulder.

"Don't." He barked.

I pulled back and looked over, seeing a telescope aiming over the side of the balcony by The Master Industrialist's mangled body. I walked over to it and peeked through. 

"X-Xav..." I muttered softly.

"What." He growled, looking over at me.

"The rumors are true...The blue princess is in The Ice Kingdom...a-and...The Sorcerer's castle is levitating next to it not far off the ground...." I explained softly.

"wh-what..?" he asked, softening and coming over.

I stepped aside and he peeked through the telescope, pulling back and looking at me. 

"We...can still do this." He said, determined.

"I know we can." I offered a hand to him and he took my arm.

He let go and we went back into the castle to let the others know what happened.

"What?!" Sky snapped.

"THAT LITTLE-" Sky started.

Blizz picked her up from behind and hugged her, causing her to argue with him. He kissed her head and she crossed her arms and just softly grumbled.

"We need to go then. Immediately." Blizz nodded.

"Agreed." Smith nodded.

"What are we waiting for." I announced lightly.