Cole wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but it was still dark all around him. He opened his eyes to complete blackness. Nowhere was there any hint of light to at least outline the surroundings. The green eyed warrior thought for a moment on how to create light. He had the ability to use fire magic, but it was all for attack and none of those spells could be controlled enough to sustain a decent light source. He groped around blindly, but Cole could only feel cold stone beneath his hands.
The former Dragonmaster settled into a lotus position to think. "What do I have that glows?" he thought out loud. Then it hit him. "The Runes."
He reached into their pouch to retrieve them. Being in close contact with one another, the three Runes instantly burst into tri-colored light. The first thing Cole saw was Orin lying just a couple of feet away. He slowly stretched out with his left hand to shake the elven Dragonmaster.
"Orin?" he whispered. "Orin? Are you all right?" His response was a groggy moan. "Hold on."
Cole's left hand hovered over his companion. The words to a healing litany rolled off of his lips. A blue glow flowed from Cole's left hand to Orin's body. When the spell ended, Orin's breathing had evened out.
"It's not much," admitted Cole, "but it'll heal the worst of your injuries."
The elven Dragonmaster rolled onto his back with a drawn out moan. His green eyes opened and focused on Cole. "My thanks, friend. It seems that I am in your debt..."
"Cole," he finished. "You can call me Cole. And don't worry about it. I'm the one who's repaying you."
Orin managed to get himself up into a sitting position. "I'm afraid that you still have me at a disadvantage, Cole. You still seem to know me, but I admit to never having met you."
Cole wasn't exactly sure why, but at that moment he began telling Orin the events of the past few years. The story of Ziatoch, the Time Runes, the Eye, the Demon Dragonmaster, Leeta... This went of for a few hours. When Cole reached the current point of time in his tale, Orin's face was one of complete understanding.
"Amazing," breathed the elf. "And so those are the Time Runes."
Cole raised his right hand. "Yes. I guess these things brought me here for a good reason."
Orin laughed. "Because of you Tanj-Zang missed his chance to kill me. And if your timeline holds true, he won't get another chance." The elf slowly got to his feet and looked around. "Even with everything you've just told me, I still don't have any idea where we are."
"I think I might have an idea," said Cole. "Since we didn't fall down the mountain it means that we're inside it." He knelt down to touch the ground. "We're on the Fortress of Althena."
The mention of the ancient ark made Orin's eyes go wide. "Then it really does exist. The great ship that brought the races from the Blue Star to Lunar."
Cole started scanning as far as the light would let him. "There should be an entrance around here somewhere. We can use that to go inside and climb back to the surface."
"I have a faster way," remarked Orin. The elven Dragonmaster placed the Dragon Helmet on his head and pulled free the Dragon Wings. "I can just take us outside with the Wings." Power fizzled around the artifact for a second before disappearing. Orin studied the Wings with a confused look. "The ancient power of this place must be canceling out the teleportation magic of the Dragon Wings."
"Looks like we're hiking then," stated Cole. With the Time Runes outstretched, the two warriors began searching for an entrance into the Fortress.
After they finally found the entrance, Cole estimated that the two of them spent the better part of a day climbing back towards the surface. With the limited light given off from the Runes, the traveling was slow going. Many of the catwalks were narrow, and the two of them had to be careful not to take a misstep and fall into the ravines below. Who really knew how much time had really passed when Cole and Orin finally came within sight of the hole they had originally fallen through.
"I see sunlight," Cole called back.
Orin scratched his chin. "We must have been down here for at least a day." His stomach grumbled. "I think my stomach agrees."
The two men shared a short laugh. It was several more minutes, and a few agility tests later, before they found themselves back on the surface under the shadow of the Goddess Tower. Cole walked to the edge of the cliff facing the northeastern horizon. Dark clouds were slowing rolling in from the distance. "Kallagulia is in that direction, isn't it?"
Orin nodded. "The rebellion has begun. Selene and others were waiting for me to return first, but I guess when I didn't some got impatient."
Cole looked over to his new friend. "You know you can't help them, yet."
"I know," said Orin sadly. "Your arrival here has started a chain of events that must be completed."
"Otherwise I'll die facing Tanj-Zang, and Ziatoch will win," finished Cole. "No matter what, you have to lie low for the next few months. Even when the Dragons are captured, you must wait until I arrive again and infiltrate Kallagulia."
"I understand, Cole," assured Orin. "Our very future depends on what will happen here. Don't worry. When the time comes, I'll be there to save you, my friend." He extended his right hand, which Cole clasped.
Cole smiled. "I know, Orin. Perhaps someday we will meet again and both remember we know each other."
"I look forward to that," agreed the elven Dragonmaster. "Good luck, Dragonmaster Cole."
"Good luck, Dragonmaster Orin." Cole retrieved the Runes from his belt pouch. "All right. Take me to the Underworld of my time." The Rune's fought his command for a moment, but Cole's will overcame them in the end.
A beam of power shot from his right hand to create a multi-colored portal. "When it's all over, tell Selene thank you for me. I'll never get the chance."
"I will," Orin promised. "Farewell."
Cole waved to the elf once more before leaping into the portal.
Lorene landed hard on the ground, and Vaul quickly found himself flying through the air. The young Gold spread his wings to try and soften the impact, but there was not enough time. He cried out in vain as he rolled across the ground. His progress stopped when he ran into a small rock.
"Why are landings always so hard?" he moaned. Vaul slowly righted himself and began shaking the dust from his fur.
Lorene was already on her feet and walking over to him. "It could have been worse, Vaul. The portal could have opened up a few hundred feet in the air." She started looking around. "Where's Cole?"
"Looooook oooouuuuttttt!!!!!!"
In answer to the elf's question, Cole suddenly dropped from the sky several feet from their positions. The green eyed warrior landed with a loud thud. Lorene and Vaul quickly ran to their friend's side.
"That looked like it really hurt," commented Lorene.
"It did," Cole groaned. He suddenly gave them an odd look. "How long have you guys been waiting here for me?"
"Waiting?" remarked Vaul. "We've only been here a few seconds. Wherever here is." The Gold took a look around for the first time.
For all intents and purposes, the three of them seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Dried and cracked earth stretched for miles around in all directions. The sky was an odd orange with no sign of a sun, moon, or stars. There weren't even any clouds in the sky. Far in the distance to their right, Vaul could make out an extremely large mountain range. Other than that, there were only a few scattered rocks here and there.
Lorene took in the whole scene after helping Cole to his feet. "This is the Underworld?"
"Remember," reminded Cole. "The Underworld is a collection of dimensions, according to Reinalthus." His green eyes suddenly became very serious. "Leeta is somewhere around here, and we're going to find her."
Vaul was about to ask how, when a mental alarm went off. A strange, yet familiar power was heading right for them. The small, cat like creature spun around just in time to see a human figure charging them sword first.
"Cole!" he shouted in warning.
Vaul's tone was all the warning the warrior needed. Silver Beam in hand, Cole spun around just in time to parry the attacker as he passed. Swords clashed, sending colored sparks everywhere. Vaul found it quite difficult to track the two combatants as they dueled. To him they seemed like a pair of blurs dashing repeatedly at one another. Lorene also just stood there with her Claws watching the fight.
Cole parried a low thrust and spun to his left. His opponent spun in the opposite direction. They faced off again with Cole going for the upper body. Cole feinted twice at the right shoulder before driving for the left instead. To his surprise the other fighter parried the true attack easily. They disengaged, and Cole back peddled weaving his blade defensively. The attacked pressed his advantage with a lunge for Cole's left thigh.
The green eyed warrior shimmied to his right, but the other changed his attack at the last second to a reverse slash at his abdomen. Acting in instinct, Cole threw his weight left to side flip right over his foe's weapon. He landed, disarmed the mysterious attacker with a quick flick of his blade, and followed up by placing Silver Beam's edge at the other's neck.
"Give me one good reason not to kill you," demanded Cole icily. That was when Cole looked at his opponent for the first time.
He stood a few inches shorter than Cole wearing a long brown trench coat, padded white pants with brown boots, a multi-colored waist sash, a black and white patch shirt, and a pair of leather gauntlets. His short cut hair was mostly snow white with the exception of a brown stripe running down the center.
Cole blinked once. He knew this man! "Nall?"
Nall thinned his brown eyes once to look closely at Cole. A silent moment passed before Nall's eyes widened in shock. "I know you!" he said. "You're Cole!"
Cole removed his sword from the dragon's neck and sheathed it. After that he extended his right hand to Nall. "It's been a while."
Nall took it laughing. "You're damn right. I haven't seen you since you and your friends barged into my cave asking favors, and then proceeded to fight a battle with one of Ziatoch's goons right outside." He reached out to pat Cole on the back. "Good job, by the way, on dealing with Ziatoch."
Cole couldn't help but smile. "Thanks. What are you doing out here?"
The dragon retrieved his sword and sheathed. "Scouting. Oh, sorry about the attack. When I felt the power surge out here, I figured it was a demon force." He stopped and looked Cole over again. "I think it's me who should be asking what you are doing here. I know I'm dead, and I don't think you are."
"No, we're definitely not dead," answered Cole with a shake of his head. "I'm here to get something back."
Nall raised an eyebrow at him. "What on the Blue Star could be here in the Underworld that you would risk your life for?"
Cole's face became slightly grim. "Love. I'm here to get the soul of my one true love back."
"Huh?" was all Nall said at first. "But Alex told me that you were involved with..." His brown eyes went wide. "You mean Leeta is down here!?" He rushed forward to grab the front of Cole's chain shirt. "How the hell did she get down here? Is she... dead?"
It was painful, but Cole quickly gave the dragon a brief summary of what was happening up on Lunar and the Blue Star. Nall stood back and took it all in with silence. When Cole was finished, he nodded slowly.
"That certainly explains where Drathsor is getting all those new troops from," mumbled Nall.
"What do you mean?" asked Cole. "What's going on down here?"
"War," Nall replied simply. "We're fighting our own war for survival down here, Cole." He looked past Cole at the mountain range in the distance. "We can't stay out here. It's too dangerous. Come, I'll explain everything as we head back to camp."
Cole's small party followed the old white dragon in the opposite direction of the mountains. "There's no real way to put it in a time frame you can understand, so I'll just say this. A while ago, things were pretty normal in the dimensions that make up the Underworld. Bad people went to the bad parts, and good people went to the good parts. Then things started changing.
"People deserving of a peaceful afterlife started being pulled into the darker parts of the beyond. Once there they were transformed into demons and made to serve the dark lords. Well, now we know one in particular. The Demon Lord Drathsor. Let me tell you, this guy makes Ziatoch and Zophar look like kittens. Something caused Drathsor to decide that he wanted complete domination over the entire Underworld. So without warning, he unleashed his demon hordes on us.
"Taken by surprise, we lost a lot of ground early on. Many of the peaceful dimensions fell. Now, though, we've been able to rally and fight back. My forces have lost a lot, but we've been able to get the better part of our army here to Drathsor's home dimension." Nall gestured back at the mountain range. "His fortress is back there in that mountain range. Since we got here, the bastard has been pulling back all of his forces from the other dimensions."
"Are you going to attack him?" asked Cole.
"We probably have enough troops to launch a successful attack, but there is still the question of what we do once we get there," replied Nall. "We might be able to defeat his forces, but Drathsor is a different story. That guy is pretty much a god in this dimension. Legend says that Althena sealed him down here personally back in the day."
Cole stopped walking and looked back at the mountains. He couldn't really be sure from here, but he knew. "She's in there," he whispered. "This Drathsor has Leeta."
Nall walked up beside him. "If your guess is right, then we're going to have our work cut out for us."
"You mean you're going to help me?" said Cole with a surprised look.
Nall gave Cole a look of disbelief. "Of course I am. In case you didn't know it, I was around when she was born. I watched her grow up, and I'll be damned if I let her rot down here for eternity. Not to mention that Hiro would kick my ass."
Cole was about to respond to that last remark, when a peaceful melody suddenly entered the air around them. Nall looked over in the direction they had been heading and smiled. "Good. He didn't decide to come after me."
They walked a few more seconds until Cole could see a small rock formation with a single figure leaning up against it. The melody was coming from there. When the group was close enough, Cole was able to see that it was a man. This man wore a pair of padded, brown pants, boots, a steel breastplate, and a sword strapped to his side. He was playing an ocarina and sporting neatly cut red hair.
When they were only a few feet away, he stopped playing and looked up with a pair of green eyes. "Well, Nall. Are you going to introduce me or just stand there?" he said with a smile.
"Geez, Alex," replied Nall. "What were you doing playing that thing? What if I was the enemy?"
The former Dragonmaster shrugged while placing the ocarina in a pouch. "I would have dealt with it." He looked over at Cole. "Greetings, Cole. Finally we get to meet under calmer circumstances."
"Dragonmaster Alex," gasped Cole. "But I saw you get sucked into the Eye."
Alex smiled. "I did, and that got me sent here. You're in the realms of the dead, Cole. You're bound to see a lot of people you know who've died." He looked back at Nall. "Were they the power surge?"
Nall was slightly started when he looked over at Vaul and Lorene. "Whoa. I didn't even notice the other two."
Alex huffed. "And you were Tetrarch of the Dragon Tribe." He reached out to shake Lorene's hand. "I'm Alex. Nice to meet you."
Lorene was gaping at them. "My... my name's Lorene. This is Vaul," she added with a head nod to the young dragon on her right shoulder.
A new thought suddenly occurred to Cole as he watched Nall walk over to his friends. "Oh, my," he whispered.
Nall stopped to smile at the cat like creature. "Wow! I haven't seen a flying cat in ages. Hey little guy. How's it going?"
Vaul had now partially hidden himself behind Lorene's head. "A... all right," he replied in a small voice.
Seeing that things were not going to develop without a little help, Cole walked over to them. "It's okay, Vaul. You can tell him. Nothing bad will happen."
"Tell me what?" asked Nall. He looked back and forth between them.
"Nall," Cole began to say. "Meet one of your children... Vaul."
The elder dragon paled. Mouth hanging open in disbelief, he started stuttering. "I'm a... I'm a... I'm a..."
"Dad?" finished Vaul quietly.
Alex leaned close to Cole. "Why don't I take you and Lorene back to base camp, so we can give them some time alone," he whispered. "You can fill me in on things on the way."
Cole nodded in agreement and motioned to Lorene. The elf carefully removed Vaul from her shoulder and placed him on the ground. She patted him lightly on the head before following after the two former Dragonmasters.
Vaul just stood there looking up at the dragon he knew to be his father. Ruby had told them stories before, but Vaul had never believed that he would ever get to actually meet his dad. Nall looked very uncomfortable and started to clear his throat.
"So, uh, Cole said you have... uh... brothers and sisters," he stammered.
Vaul nodded. "Yeah. One of each. Alleia is a white dragon like you, and Narin's a red like mom."
Nall's face became drawn. "How... how is your mother?"
"Last I heard she was okay," answered the younger dragon. "She's probably worried sick about me. If Cole was right, we've been gone almost a year back on Lunar."
"Don't worry, kiddo," assured Nall with a half smile. "Your mother's a strong one. She knows adventures can take a while."
The Gold went stiff as his father bent down to pick him up. Nall brought them to eye level. "I just want to apologize, now, for not being there." Unshed tears could be seen in his eyes. "Maybe if I had known Ruby was pregnant, I wouldn't have tried to take on Ziatoch..."
"Don't worry about it, Dad," interrupted Vaul with a half smile of his own. "It's all right. I understand, and so do Alleia and Narin. We don't blame you for not being around."
Nall sniffed. "Thanks, son." He sniffed again and placed Vaul on his right shoulder. "Now, I may be dead, but it so happens that I still get hungry. What do you say to some fish?"
Vaul started beaming as they moved in the direction of the camp. "Smoked salmon?"
Nall gave him a confident smile. "Of course, my boy. I don't go anywhere without a supply."
"Woo hoo!" cheered the Gold Dragon as father and son followed after their friends.
"That's pretty serious," said Alex as they entered the camp's perimeter. Cole had just finished telling the legendary Dragonmaster the current events of what was happening on Lunar. "The Chaos. Goes to show you that one can still learn something new everyday."
Cole said nothing as the trio entered the camp. He wasn't surprised that it resembled any other military camp he had ever seen. The camp was spread over a several mile radius with sections for supplies, weapons storage, training grounds, and living areas. Perimeter guards in full plate armor nodded at Alex as they passed. A forest of tan tents of varying sizes greeted Cole's eyes as they entered the camp itself.
Races of all kinds like elves, dwarves, humans, and even goodly aligned monsters walked around freely. Lorene soon wandered off to converse with some other elves. They hadn't gone much farther when a long forgotten voice stopped Cole in his tracks.
"Hey, buddy!"
The green eyed warrior slowly turned around to see of all people his old friend Karakus. His long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. The former Green Knight wore a pair of tan pants and a white tunic with a brown vest over it. When Cole's green eyes locked with his brown ones, two old friends stared back at each other.
Before he knew it, the two of them had embraced roughly. Cole moved back to take Karakus by the shoulders. "I don't believe this! Is it really you, Karakus? All you?"
Karakus gave him a sly smile and tapped his left temple. "It's just me up here, buddy. Boring old, sane me." They burst out laughing and hugged again. "What in the hell are you doing here? I can tell by one look at you that you're very alive."
"It's a long story," he replied. He took a step back to take in his old friend. "I'm glad to see that you're okay."
Karakus laughed again. "It seems that the guys who make the decisions around here took pity on me. So, I got another chance to do good things. Besides, I want a rematch," he added with poke in Cole's chest.
"Excuse me," interrupted Alex. "I'm warmed by all this, but we have to deal with the situation at hand. Come on, Cole." The red headed man continued on.
"What's going on?" asked Karakus.
Cole patted him on the left shoulder. "Come along and find out." The two old friends hurried to catch up with Alex.
They finally arrived at a tent that looked just like all the others. Alex stopped at the entrance. "You wait here. I'll come and get you when I'm done." He entered without another word.
While they waited, Cole started to tell Karakus everything. He was only partially through the story when another familiar voice forced him to pause.
"Well well well. Look what the dragon dragged in."
Cole looked away from Karakus to be greeted by the face of another old friend. "Ninya?" Leeta's younger sister stood just a few feet from them. Wearing her usual gray jumpsuit and same colored long vest, she was smiling broadly at him. She tilted her head slightly, causing her brown blue hair to fall left.
They were soon giving each other tight hugs, and Ninya also kissed him on the right cheek. "You look like crap," she told him with a playful smile.
"Thanks," he answered in kind. "I've been better..."
"I know," she interrupted. Cole looked at her confusingly. "I ran into Nall, and he told me everything," she explained. Ninya gave him a warm smile and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you two finally got it together. I knew from the first minute she saw you that Leeta loved you." Cole's reply was halted by a shout from within the tent behind them.
"WHAT!?"
"Uh oh," breathed Ninya.
Cole gave her a worried look. "What's 'uh oh'?"
She pointed at the tent. "In there is 'uh oh.' Looks like you're going to have to explain things to my father."
A new sense of fear suddenly shivered its way down Cole's spinal cord. "Y... your father?" he stammered. "As in yours and Leeta's?" She nodded.
Cole turned to face the open tent flap before him. Beyond that flap was the one thing he had never thought he would ever have to deal with. The father of the woman he was... intimate with. "I was not prepared for this," he groaned.
"Cole," came Alex's voice from inside. "You can come in, now."
With steps filled with false bravery, the green eyed warrior walked forward to face what he considered to possibly be his deadliest foe of all time. Cole had to repeatedly tell himself to breathe. The first thing he saw inside the tent was Alex standing next to a table strewn with maps and troop representations. Standing on the other side of the table was Hiro.
The man who had led the charge to defeat Zophar stood just a little taller than Alex. His neck length, dark brown hair was just long enough to be pulled back into a small ponytail. Two green bars were tatooed under his right eye. Hiro's attire was similar to Alex's in that he also wore a breastplate but his pants were black. Strapped to his left side was a long sword. The legendary adventurer's brown eyes were very serious.
Cole swallowed as Hiro stared him down. What am I so afraid of? he wondered. What's the big deal?
You're only sleeping with his daughter, his mind answered. That and now she's trapped down here because you couldn't save her.
Cole leveled out his breathing and walked up to Hiro. They stared at one another silently for a few seconds. Cole finally extended his right hand. "It's an honor to meet you, sir."
Hiro took his hand and shook it firmly. "So, you're the one that Ninya told me about. The Dragonmaster that is seeing my Leeta." He looked Cole over once more. Then he reached out and clasped Cole's right shoulder. "Thank you. I know she must have been so lonely after her mother, myself, and then Ninya died." He smiled at Cole for the first time. "I'm glad that she discovered love before she was ten thousand years old."
Cole loosed a relieved sigh. "I was afraid there for a moment."
"Really?" said Hiro. "About what?"
"I was afraid you were going to be angry with me for not protecting her enough," admitted Cole. "Because I couldn't save her, she has ended up down here."
Hiro was shaking his head. "Alex told me what happened. I would have been angry if you had done nothing. But you have gone the distance and traveled beyond the known world in order to save her. That tells me plenty, Cole." Next he pointed to the Pendent hanging around Cole's neck. "I remember a time when that particular item aided me in a similar journey."
"Tben I think there is only one question left," said Cole. The other two men waited for him to finish. "What's the plan to attack Drathsor's fortress?"
Alex leaned over the map covered table. "We need to consolidate our forces. If we call in Lucia's and Leo's detachments, we can have enough troops to attack the fortress."
"Let's call in all the officers for a strat..." Hiro started to say. His suggestion was cut off by a horn call from outside.
The three men quickly rushed out of the tent. Ninya and Karakus were there to meet them. Nall with Vaul and Lorene in tow soon arrived as well. "What's going on?" asked Alex.
"Sentries spotted a demon attack force heading right for the camp," relayed Nall. "They should be here any..."
"We're under attack!" screamed someone out of sight.
"Minute," finished Nall.
Everyone made a mad dash for the edge of the camp. By now everyone had a drawn weapon in preparation for the coming battle. They stopped short right at the perimeter to see a wave of black marching towards them.
"By Althena," breathed Nall. "I've never seen so many."
"Stand ready!" shouted Hiro.
The demon force closed the distance quickly. Cole could now make out their grotesque shapes with little difficulty. One demon marching out front particularly caught his attention. His eyes thinned as he recognized the demon he had faced after the battle at Pria. Cole unconsciously started to walk forward. The only thing he could remember was how the beast had struck Leeta.
A hand suddenly grabbed a hold of him. Cole looked back to see Nall staring at the demon as well. "Garinthil. Drathsor's head goon, and the most powerful demon next to him. Not somebody you want to mess with."
"He has Leeta," said Cole quietly, yet dangerously. "Or at least he knows where she is."
Hiro was now standing next to Cole. "Then I think we need to ask him," said the hero with a thin smile.
"Dad, are you sure about this?" warned Ninya. "We're very out numbered." Hiro's smile grew into a smirk. "Just checking," she added as she gripped her sword with two hands.
"Well, we are heroes after all," chimed Nall. A roar split the air as several dozen dracoliches rose up from the demon ranks. "I think I've found my new playmates," said Nall with a devilish smile. "Come on, son. Time for your old man to show you how to fight."
Vaul gawked with wide eyes. "Really?"
There was a brilliant white flash, and Nall in his true form hovered over the camp. "Let's show these bastards what Dragons of Althena can do!"
"Right!" cheered Vaul as he transformed, too. The two dragons rose into the air to face their foes.
"Cocky, isn't he?" commented Lorene.
Alex sighed. "You don't know the half of it." He lifted his sword. "Time's a wasting. You want to give the new orders, or should I?" he asked Hiro.
"Lemme," he confirmed. "It's my turn to be hero for the day." Alex nodded with a small motion of his sword.
Hiro took a deep breath. "All troops! Attack!" he bellowed.
With a universal battle cry, the forces of good charged the demon horde. Cole, of course, made a B line right for Garinthil. Hiro was by his side the whole way. There was a quick flash as Lorene activated her Crest. The two forces collided with a resounding clash. Cole cut down black scaled demons without even stopping to look. Side by side, he and Hiro cut a path of gore through the enemy until they found their target.
Garinthil looked the same as before. Over ten feet and covered in armor, he towered over all other combatants. His reptilian skull leaked smoke from every hole, and his leathery wings were folded in close. The great demon wielded a jagged sword in his right claw and a gigantic, crescent bladed axe in the other. With mighty swaths, he cut down human, elf, and dwarf alike. He decapitated two men at once before setting his eyeless sockets on Cole and Hiro.
"So the love sick boy arrives at last," he taunted. "And he brings a legendary hero with him as well."
"Where's Leeta?" demanded Cole. "Tell me or else!"
"Or else what, boy?" barked the demon. "You will attack me with that pathetic blade? Ha!"
"Tell us where my daughter is now, demon," warned Hiro. "Remember, I killed a god once."
Garinthil pointed his sword at Hiro. "You killed a god at the end of his power, human! My Dark Lord is infinitely more powerful than that fool Zophar!"
Cole had heard enough. Rage overflowed his conscious thoughts as he attacked the beast. He made a wild slash for the demon's left side, but Garinthil easily parried. With a small shrug, he sent Cole flying back ten feet. Hiro loosed a cry and charged in. He was able to dodge Garinthil's slashes, but eventually got clipped in the head by one of the demon's wings. Hiro fell to his knees, vulnerable for a fatal blow.
Seeing Hiro's peril, Cole summoned all the strength he had to pull off a Dragon Attack. Sword glowing blue with power, Cole charged the monster.
"Blue Dragon Driver!"
Like a blue fireball, Cole slammed into Garinthil's side before he could complete his attack. The green eyed warrior quickly took up a defensive stance over Hiro, while Garinthil shook off the attack. On the surface he seemed unharmed.
"Impressive, boy," growled the demon. "I forgot that you would actually present me with something of a challenge."
Unfortunately for Cole, that last attack had taken almost everything out of him. After his experience with Orin combined with the sheer power of the Dragon Attack, Cole was ready to collapse. It had been a good while since he had eaten or gotten a decent amount of sleep. Despite all that, though, he raised his sword to fight.
"Cole!" he heard what sounded like Alex shouting. "Use the Pendent! Channel through the Pendent!"
Cole's left hand instantly reached up to grab the Lucia's Pendent hanging around his neck. Almost immediately he felt it. The well of power once again came bubbling to the surface of his being. A golden glow suddenly surrounded him, flooding his consciousness with unbelievable power. His green eyes became completely gold. Cole dropped his sword and stretched out with both hands.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!" he roared.
Two beams of golden power shot from those outstretched hands, vaporizing any demon in their paths. Garinthil took to the air to avoid being struck. Cole loosed another cry and started shooting wildly all around. Demons began to fall by the hundreds in a matter of seconds. They tried to charge the maddened warrior, but each one fell to the golden beams of power. Then, just as suddenly as he had tapped into it, the power vanished leaving Cole completely sapped of energy.
Cole dropped to his knees with the intent to pass out. He managed to see that more than two thirds of the demon horde had been turned to dust. The weakened Cole managed to raise his head to look at Garinthil. There were a pair of roars as Nall and Vaul came up behind the demon.
"You may have won this battle!" cried the demon. "But my Dark Lord will crush you all! Drathsor's might is supreme!" he shouted before vanishing in a swirl of magic.
Somehow, Cole had destroyed the better part of a demon army. The question was, how? To Cole, though, that was a question to be answered after he got some sleep. Sucumbing to extreme exhaustion, Cole fell forward. He was out cold before his face even touched the dried ground.