Everyone remained silent as I stared at the doors ahead. Vali was beyond those doors, but were we ready to face him, using so much energy to focus on being able to see was hard, and my body still felt some of the effects of Lelock’s poison. Tigra had picked up his talismans, when I thought of something.

  “Tigra, can I have those?” I asked.

  “Okay,” she nodded and brought both the daggers and short sword.

  “Hi.” I addressed the fairy. “Can you remove the remaining poison?”

  “Why would I you are not my master,” he snorted, his pride hurt from the battle.

  “Please, I can at least use your power.” I reached out a connection and he took it.

  “You are a Fang.” His tone had changed as he appeared. “You may use my power to some extent, but I will not tell you, my name.” He gazed at Larana’s bracelet. She appeared on my shoulder.

  “You don’t have too,” I grinned. “Benne. Oh, you like Larana.”

  “Shut up.” He huffed and crossed his arms but couldn’t keep his eyes from Larana. I used his power to completely reverse his poison, felt ten times better.

  “Alex.” I heard Tigra whisper.

  “Huh…What’s wrong?” I gazed at her.

  “When were you going to tell me about you being a prince.” She gazed at me.

  I rubbed my head. “It kind of slipped my mind to be honest.” I admitted. “This doesn’t change things between us.”

  “I know.” She looked away. “Who else knows?”

  “Dad, Alton, most probably mum, now Zack, Link and Dash.” Her eyes widened.

  “Dad knew, that means… he…” She was already putting the pieces together.

  “Yep, he completely set us up.” I laughed.

  “I’m going to kill him,” she hissed.

  I reached my hand out to her and pulled her closer. “Just wait a little longer okay, we’ll be home soon and maybe we can talk to him about it, I mean us,” I said.

  “You really think we could,” she smiled.

  “I do.” I was about to kiss her but remembered where we were and felt the eyes of everyone on us. I caught a glimpse of them in the corner of my eyes, thinking ops, just because they knew didn’t give me the excuse to treat Tigra any differently around them than I had. “Um…” I released Tigra and moved the subject on.

  Tigra smiled. “All embarrassed.”

  “I want to check up on everyone,” I said, lifting my hand as Mila’s waters began to cover over Tigra.

  “What are you doing?” she asked surprised.

  “I need to make sure everyone is fit enough to be able to handle what is ahead of us, one mistake could mean our lives.” She said nothing as I checked her over.

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  “She is fine master,” chimed in Mila. With her words I moved on to Dash, then Link and finally Zack, of which they were all fine, mentally they seemed fine to considering how long the battles had been dragging on for, for such a short amount of time and what we face ahead was going to be just as tough, perhaps even more difficult for us. Vali could fly and I could only have two flying on the lions.

  “Calm your thoughts master, and face the challenge, danger and darkness as it comes,” said Raziel sitting outside the door. “Much darkness rests within, but do not hesitate as the goddess’s light will protect you all from it.”

  My attention was focused on the door, watching as the darkness slowly seeped out of it, almost like those doors were keeping in the darkness, holding it back, as Vali built it up for some reason.

  Link went closer touching the surface of the door, too sensing the powerful darkness beyond.

  “This maybe too much even for us,” he said.

  “We have to face it,” I responded. “Danger.”

  As I said that word the doors suddenly burst open, the wind blowing out so powerful we were almost knocked off our feet, but then the winds began to blow back in, creating a vortex too strong for any of us to resist.

  My sight fell instantly on Tigra as I saw her pulled from her feet. Zack not far from her, jumped grabbing hold of her tightly protecting her. Link, Dash and I were sucked in next feeling like we were being ripped from off feet by some powerful force, like a great hand had come out and picked us off one by one.

  In a matter of seconds from standing outside the room, we were now in it, scrambling to our feet from the ice cold, black flooring with a blood red carpet running up to the throne where I saw Vali.

  We were all on our knees as if bowing to him, his eyes gazing down with at us with disapproving disgust and a seething hatred towards us. Did he harbour the hatred of his falling companions.

  Set behind him was a hole in the wall, filled with the sight of dark clouds and wild winds swirling with such power and ferocity that you could see it, plus the immense essence of dark energy also showed its power.

  A great storm grew ever stronger above the city of Anamothra; from what I could sense within those winds is the strength to tear apart the very rocks below, and all this power was coming from him and the dark energy he had gained from turning the innocent.

  “I’d thought you’d be here sooner,” he spoke the hatred sounding in his voice. “Seeing you now, I am disappointed, you may have defeated the others, but I am something more powerful.”

  “And how is that.” I got to my feet, glancing at the others to make sure they had not been injured. Zack helped Tigra to her feet, who was grateful for his help.

  “I am the second to be brought back after Dumah, I hold more power than even him now, after gaining more darkness from those who harbour the darkest of emotions.” He smirked. “Her highness was the easiest to consume, hating how she was treated, not wanting to be royalty, always stuff to do, her duties to perform, when all she wanted to do was play like the other children.”

  “Your mad,” hissed Tigra.

  “Oh, but you feel the same, don’t you, the responsibility of the first born,” he grinned.

  “Like you,” I said. His eyes brushed over me. “How your title was ripped from your hands, the throne that was meant to be yours gone, turning to the darkness, serving the eternal dragon to bring about the fall of this kingdom.” I shook my head. “But it didn’t work, they just rebuilt after this place was sent amongst the heavens.”

  “You know nothing of my past.” His voice raised. “Let alone his, you’ve heard about his wins, but what about his losses and those who died in his name.”

  “Don’t try to change the subject, from what I know is that you are not as powerful as you were back in those dark days, able to corrupt with a single touch, but now you can only corrupt through that dark crystal of yours.”

  “Oh, you mean this dark crystal.” He raised his hand as a young female Avis walked in, her eyes glazed over, the condensed dark crystal hanging around her neck. “This one belongs to me now.”

  “I’ll free her just like I will the others,” I snarled.

  “I don’t think so, you won’t last against what I have install for you.” He raised both arms, as the wind became fiercer, pushing us each away from each other, walls of condensed wind blowing like razor blades between us.

  Everyone looking around for any danger as we’d seen how quickly those dark Avis warriors manifested, was he going to do the same here. My question was quickly answered as creatures made from darkness rose from the ground.

  “I’ve made these warriors just for you all,” laughed Vali. “Each wields a portion of my power, and the winds are at their command, see if you at least entertain me for a little while.”