The boys, Jeba, and most of the townsfolk march to the door of Fenol's castle. Two Gargoyles stooped over the door jump down, knocking Jeba and several other townsfolk to the side as well as crushing a few others. They stand at full height and reach five feet at height. Without missing a beat, they hop into action, killing whoever was in their sights. Two village people are slung yards away from one swing of an arm. David and Kristopher rush at one of the stone beasts, and both slice at it. both blades shatter on impact. It turns and pushes the two to the ground. It towers over the two and flings its arms up.
David shoots a ball of blue light at it and it falls backward. A loud sound of stone being crushed echoes through the crowd. the boys see that half the army has been killed through means of smashed heads and shattered limbs, blood splattered everywhere. Horror fills the two boys, freezing them. The gargoyle rises up, now wingless and wholly ticked off. The stoney beast launches itself at the boys, then it's blown to the side by a mace. At the other end of the mace is Jeba, now back on his feet.
He rears back with his weapon and brings it down into the head of a creature brought to life by magic. the body tries to get up, but Jeba keeps smashing the body until it is just a pile of rocks. Jeba turns and starts at the other creature. David rushes over and freezes its legs, Jeba wails into the gargoyle and Kristopher just sits awestruck. After the creatures have been crushed, the army consists of five. The boys open the doors.
"Are we ready?" Kristopher asks.
"Most of our army was just obliterated by statues. I think not." David says.
Trant the blacksmith pipes up, "I don't think so either."
Kristopher looks to Trant, '"Leave if you want. We need fighters. not runners." Trant and Rechibaud both walk away. David looks at his brother. "Look. I feel like we can do this. I just know it."
"And if you're wrong?" David asks.
"Then we died nobly."
***
Kristopher, David, and Jeba rush into the castle, the last of their group. "I've awaited you three." Fenol says, walking into view as he shuts the doors behind them, "I sense strong magic. Like two people wielding it. Jeba," Fenol turns to his old friend letting off a wide-eyed crooked smile, "Have you regained your power?"
"I have," Jeba says through the anger and tears stemming from his friend's pathe of evil and deceit. Kristopher looks over at the man covering for him. Jeba moves his hand toward Fenol as if to shoot a blast of power. Fenol quickly freezes the trio in place.
"Sorry buddy, but I cant let you blast me." Fenol says, straightening his stance.
Jeba looks angrily at Fenol, "Don't call me bud! you lost that right when you turned sides!"
"Boys, I can easily destroy this land. Test and strengthen my powers. Then leave and start anew. Here, yes I am all-powerful. But if I try to make that power stronger then maybe I could be a god!"
"So it is just a power play?"
"Well duh! Why else would I do it? You know the best about how I was treated like a monster for having power. You witnessed it. But can you imagine the torment. Sure you saw it, but did you FEEL it? Now I want to embrace it the best way I know how!"
"You're a maniac, Fenol."
"Hey boys," Fenol says sharply, turning to the brothers, "Watch this!" Fenol says as he pulls jeba through the air and turns the man to face the boys. Fenol smiles as Jeba's throat starts to slowly slice from ear to ear, blood draining onto the floor. Jeba makes gurgling noises as he tries to stay conscious forcing bubbles of blood from his throat and mouth, but slowly starts to lose the life in his eyes. The boys scream through the tears.
David looks to Fenol, "You monster. Jeba loved you. He always praised you."
Fenol's eyes dart to Kristopher. "So Jeba didn't even have magic. When did you get so strong Krissy boy?" Fenol shrugs, "No matter. Now. Let's play a little." He pulls a necklace from across the room and places it on David, whose eyes gloss over.
"What did you do?" Kristopher asks.
"Well, That necklace makes him be controlled my the one wearing this ring," Fenol raises his left pinky finger, "they both suck magic from everyone near that don't have these on. now. Good luck." Fenol releases David, who turns and immediately attacks Kristopher.
David launches himself at his brother with a swing overhead. Kristopher slaps it back-handed away from him, but David changes course midair and lands in Kristopher's side. Kristopher screams in agony and jumps back. David follows with a stab in the air, Kristopher spins to the right and bolts toward Fenol. Fenol pulls a shield from the wall and throws it at Kristopher as he leaps into the air and lands on a beam high above.
Kristopher knocks it away and turns around to see his brother pursuing him, eyes ablaze with anger. Kristopher runs to the wall, and time slows. David swings at Kristopher's neck and Kristopher runs to the shield. SCRA-TANG! The sword hits the wall and pieces fly off. Kristopher puts the shield on and prepares to fight his brother.
Kristopher rushes at David, who has no choice but to block. The two meet swords. Metal flies through the air and meets with sparks. David clearly has no idea what is going on. Kristopher puts all his might into a swing and David's sword shatters. Silently, he throws the hilt down and his hands start to glow. A smile spreads on his face. David starts shooting flames from his palms.
"Come on!" Kristopher shouts. David had become more of a threat when he lost the weapon. And his wicked grin showed he knew it all along. David clearly knew what he was doing. Kristopher jumps back and keeps his distance. David must think that running around chasing Kristopher would be silly. so he starts shooting ice at Kristopher. A ball of ice forms above David and is shot across the room.
Kristopher rolls to the right and dodges the chunk of ice. David hurls another and Kristopher dodges another. Kristopher thinks back at the situation. The necklace. He realizes that he needs to destroy it. Kristopher slows time. the ice chunks fly past and are easier to dodge. The cut in his side burns and he glances at it. His knapsack had deflected most of the blow. Relief flares for a second but floods away when he looks up at his brother.
An ice chunk forms and Kristopher hurls himself into his brother, knocking him over. The ice bounces off Kristopher's back, but he barely moves. David flails under Kristopher, who punches him in the face. David flails more. Kristopher slaps David. David flinches, but is in more of a lull now. Kristopher tries to get the necklace off, but it wont raise from his neck.
David moves more and Kristopher hits him with the hilt of his sword. David falls back, laid out. Kristopher grabs the pendant and tries to yank it off. No luck. He looks to his sword, the hilt. He raises it and smashes it into the pendant in order to break it and its hold. He is flung backward.
He looks up and sees Fenol land a few yards away. He gets up and looks at David. Blood is pouring out of a hole in his breast where the pendant had been and where it detonated after being crushed. He turns to Fenol as his aggressor lifts him into the air by his throat.
