Fireball

The Final Stand

As the stone giant soared across the room, hurtling toward an unconscious Amos, across the room three trunks stopped flying and tumbled to the floor. One lone trunk swallowed up Marcello, the lid snapping shut behind him. The prince flicked his wand toward Amos. Fireball cringed in horror as the stone giant landed right where Amos lay. To Fireball's great surprise, the giant burst into a shower of tiny pebbles at the moment of impact, blanketing the floor around Amos. As the dust settled Fireball could see that his friend was unharmed. Amos started to stir.

Slowly Amos climbed to his feet and Fireball flew to his side. Alexander smiled at his friends and then yelled across the room to them.

"Follow the journal Amos. It should guide you well, as we will need help one day. The wizard world is destined to face an evil threat greater than it ever has and you will need to guide the ones that can save us."

With that, the prince twisted his hand and knocked Fireball and Amos back. Fireball recovered quickly and flew toward Alexander, but he hit another barrier keeping them out. Amos stared at his mentor and friend. Fireball did not understand why the prince didn't want his help, but he stayed beside Amos who now had a look of sadness on his face. Alexander flashed a smile at them and thanked Fireball.

"He is going to end it tonight," Amos said to Fireball, in a sorrowful tone. "The prince feels responsible for not stopping Marcello sooner, but I fear he plans to sacrifice himself tonight and take Marcello with him, to his grave."

Fireball and Amos gazed on as the prince stood beside the trunk in which he had temporarily trapped Marcello. He raised his wand but before he could do anything the trunk exploded, launching splinters of cedar in every direction. Several pieces embedded into the invisible barrier Alexander had just created, not more than a few feet from where Amos and Fireball stood. The prince was somehow able to protect himself from the flying debris, but he could not evade the force of the impact that sent his body hurtling backwards through the air.

Marcello stood up quickly and began firing spell after spell at Alexander. The prince may have underestimated Marcello, but he easily blocked the spells and showed no sign of stress from the attack, as he scrambled to his feet.

"Marcello!" the prince yelled out. "Just give up. The trunk is not yours and never will be. I have chosen its next owner. You need to surrender and let the council decide your fate. If not, you will be destroyed tonight."

"Alex," Marcello responded. "I understand you are afraid of real power, that is why you have become weaker as I grow stronger. I will have my trunk tonight and you will meet your fate, not at any councils' hands, but at mine! Once I have the trunk and its power, I will be untouchable, and the council will answer to me. Hand over my trunk now and I will make your death quick and painless."

The prince swirled his hands rapidly and then heaved them forward. A fireball hurtled through the air at Marcello, hitting its mark, but the wizard was unfazed. He repeated the process sending a more intense fireball at the evil wizard, but it too had no effect. Marcello fired spells back at the prince, but he deflected them.

Beginning to question his power, Alexander struggled to regain the upper hand. Meanwhile Marcello had wandered over to where the trunks were spinning and began casting spells at each one destroying each trunk in the process. Finally, one trunk remained. Marcello stared at it with an evil grin. He walked toward it, waving his wand at the prince to keep him back. Instead, he hit an invisible barrier and was knocked down to the floor. His wand skittered across the floor. Unable to move, he could not retrieve his wand.