by Cody Hyde
Charlie and Sheila’s eyes moved back and forth from Dultona to Ted, who looked up at them with a vacant expression. This was the last moment Sheila would see her brother alive.
Charlie was speechless. Ted had helped him the majority of the way to get to where he was now. So close to home. Without Ted’s help he would have never escaped the deadly Black Cave. It was such a helpful mission to accomplish, especially now that he had a sword to fight with. And now Ted was gone.
As soon as Dultona forcefully removed his sword from Ted’s body, Ted’s eyes closed and he fell sideways, dropping off the walkway leading to the Dark Master’s throne and into the enormous amount of lava a hundred or so feet below. A tiny splash was made as the fallen hero met the surface and was no longer visible.
Ted Grey was dead.
Sheila and Charlie’s eyes both looked back up at Dultona with a vengeful glare.
Dultona cackled, his eyes seeming to be fixed on Charlie. “Ah, you’ve returned as well, I see,” he said to Charlie evilly.
The Dark Master began to walk towards them. The lava began to splash up in waves, rising higher the closer he got.
Charlie and Sheila didn’t move.
Then it happened. Sheila burst into tears. “You killed my brother!” she cried.
Dultona cackled again. “Your brother?” he replied. “I did indeed…and now it’s your turn.”
Enormous waves of lava then shot up from both sides of the walkway, creating two giant walls, surrounding them.
They needed to leave now. They were not ready to fight the Dark Master.
Charlie tugged on Sheila’s arm. “Come on,” he said.
But Sheila was still in shock. And Dultona was inching closer.
“Sheila!” yelled Charlie.
She then snapped out of it and spread her wings abruptly, turned into her full cursed form and began to fly out of the room, pulling Charlie with her. She headed back towards the two big doors leaving Dultona’s room, tears still trickling down her face, where Rocky stood, sad-faced as well.
As soon as Sheila and Charlie were out of the room Rocky closed the doors behind them.
Sheila then continued to fly Charlie away from the room as fast as she could, Charlie in her beastly arms.
Rocky followed closely below at quick speed as they made their way down multiple halls.
The fact that Ted Grey was actually dead was going to be imprinted in the heroes’ minds for a while.
He’s dead, thought Sheila. He’s actually dead.
I will come back soon and kill you myself, Dultona, thought Charlie.
But they couldn’t stop now and talk about what happened. Right now was time to leave the Underground.
We need to get to Muri’s dragon, thought Sheila. It’s guarding the portal back to the civilian world.
Shortly the three arrived at the room with the dragon guarding the portal.
“In here!” ordered Sheila as they arrived at the big door. She dropped to her feet, setting Charlie down.
Rocky stopped next to them as well. Sheila then opened the door... bad idea. Nightwing was waiting for them on the other side. It spit fire as soon as the door was opened.
Charlie and Sheila quickly stepped aside, the flames missing them by a hair. The mechanism that held the dragon’s mouth shut had been removed. It was a trap.
“Close one,” said Charlie.
“We’re going to have to come up with a plan, guys,” said Sheila. “Rocky, you remove the dragon’s chains, and I’ll distract it. Charlie, you get to the portal as soon as you get the chance...got it?”
“Got it,” replied Charlie. Rocky grunted in response, nodding.
“And Charlie,” Sheila told him, her face close to his. “I’m coming with you...and thanks.”
“For what?” he questioned.
Sheila’s face stayed close to Charlie’s. “Do you realize how long I’ve been stuck here in the Underground?”
“Twenty years.”
“That’s right. I was never brave enough to enter the Black Cave. Thanks to you, and of course my brother, I’m finally able to make it back home.”
Charlie could see the emotion in Sheila’s eyes as she told him this. “Well, what are we waiting for?” he questioned. “Let’s get out of here already.”
“Alright,” replied Sheila. She turned to Rocky. “Okay, Rocky, let’s do this, come on!”
“Okay,” Rocky replied.
Rocky and Sheila then entered the room immediately and they began to carry out the plan.
“Hey!” Sheila called out to the dragon, distracting him.
Nightwing looked up angrily.
Rocky quickly made his way over to the rear of the dragon and began tugging at the first support holding the chains down. With all his might he yanked it loose. A chunk of stone broke away from the floor along with it.
Nightwing turned his head left and right as Sheila flew in circles, not knowing where to stop and spit fire.
Outside the room, Charlie waited patiently for his cue to enter and stab his sword into the portal. He watched as Rocky was then onto the next support holding Nightwing in place. “Two more to go, Rocky,” he said under his breath.
Then suddenly a shadow crept over Charlie from behind.
“Well, well,” said a recognizable voice. Charlie turned around.
Muri was standing there behind him, his staff in hand. “I see you’re planning your escape,” he said.
But Charlie had nothing to say to that. Out of desperation to put an end to Muri, he swiftly threw a punch at him.
Muri was too quick. He caught Charlie’s fist and started to bend it back the other way. “You want to kill me, Charlie?” he questioned.
Charlie just kept silent. He could hear Nightwing’s roar in the room next to them.
He then looked down at Muri’s hand as the man held his fist back and noticed a bronze-colored ring Muri was wearing that caught his attention.
Muri seemed to be staring down at his own ring as well, strangely.
The bronze ring almost resembled the Blue Ring but the only difference was the color. Where was Charlie’s ring anyway?
Charlie then forcefully swung his fist into Muri’s face. Muri backed up a few inches.
He then quickly back-flipped a few feet towards one end of the hall they were in to keep his distance from Muri until he was ready to make another move.
But Muri was the next to move. With his staff out in front of him he surprisingly leaped into the air, right leg out, and kicked Charlie in his stomach. Charlie flew back towards the very end of the hall.
“You didn’t think I could fight, did you?” asked Muri, stepping towards Charlie, who was holding his stomach as he got back to his feet, breathing heavily.
Charlie grew angrier than ever. “Ahh!!” he yelled at Muri, lifting his sword up as he leaped into the air towards him.
His sword met Muri’s staff, which seemed to have some sort of invincible magic to it.
Muri cackled hysterically. “Give up,” he said.
“Never,” replied Charlie.
Charlie then flipped again, this time a front-flip over Muri, almost losing his balance but landed it.
Muri turned around. “You wouldn’t kill me, Charlie James.”
“And why do you say that?”
Muri grew a slow evil grin on his face.
Charlie stared at him. He had a feeling he was going to say something very revealing that he needed to know. Some sort of truth.
“I know too many secrets, Charlie,” said Muri.
Secrets? Thought Charlie.
“Even one about your father.”
Charlie dropped silent. He couldn’t believe what he was
hearing. He was angry and confused at the same time. Muri knew secrets about his father??
Muri then unexpectedly made another quick dash towards Charlie.
But Charlie was too fast for him this time. As soon as the short bearded man landed in the spot where Charlie stood a second ago, Charlie had already leaped into the air. He landed right behind Muri, sword raised, and he kicked him towards the wall to his right. Muri had lost grip of his staff.
Charlie now had the man pinned. One arm held Muri’s right arm to the wall and his right knee was pushed into his chest as the man used his left arm to try and break free. Charlie’s sword was held to Muri’s throat.
“What do you know about my father?!” demanded Charlie, interrogating him.
“If I told you then it wouldn’t be a secret, would it?” he replied.
Unexpectedly, Sheila’s voice was then heard from the room with Nightwing and the portal. “Charlie, now!!” she yelled.
Charlie had no time to question Muri. “I’ll come back another time to kill you,” he said to him. He let go of him and with all his might he swung a fist at him again, this time knocking him out.
Muri fell to the floor, unconscious. And that’s when a tiny object fell out of the pocket of Muri’s red robe. Charlie’s Blue Ring.
He picked up his ring. It indeed was the one he acquired in the cave before Muri had snatched it from him and brought him back to the castle. He slipped it back on.
“Charlie!” yelled Sheila again from inside the room.
Charlie got to the room as fast as he could and entered. Nightwing was no longer chained to the floor. Rocky had removed all four of the supports holding it chained to the portal… the portal!
“Hurry,” ordered Sheila when she spotted Charlie, still circling the room and avoiding the dragon’s fire.
Charlie couldn’t wait one more second. Sword pointed out before him, he immediately headed to the big round stone piece engraved with strange writing alongside it and stepped up onto it.
In the center of the portal was a bright-red glimmering circle.
Charlie stabbed his sword straight through the center and a whirlpool of wind shot up around him. He was going home.
Chapter 29