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  Finally, after debating with himself, he decided that he’d fight the crowd again.

  When he stood up, someone screamed twice. He instinctively spun and raced toward the scream’s direction. He knew this city’s affairs were not his own, but something other than just the scream seemed to draw him in. Eventually, he noticed a noble girl cowering in fear of a man dressed in spiky, black armor, his sword pointed at her head. Did no one else hear her scream?

  “Come on, brat, tell me where it is, and I’ll let you live. I’d rather not stain my sword with the blood of a beautiful woman. Don’t make this harder than it should be.”

  “Hey!” Jonas yelled as he drew his sword and took on an offensive stance. The man’s eyes widened when he looked at Jonas.

  “I can’t believe it,” he said in awe. “I found it! I actually found it! Lord Aaron’s going to be elated.” He looked at the girl. “I was sure I had a lead upon discovering that you were the king’s daughter, moseying about in this pathetic city. Lord Aaron enjoy reports like that. He’s not going to like this, though.” The man eyed Jonas. “A sword like that in the hands of a mere, common, human boy!” He sighed. “I guess I have no right to complain, right, boy? Fate brought me the sword on a human platter. Do you agree?” Jonas didn’t respond to the man’s insults. His only focus was on preventing an innocent girl from being slain. The man pointed his jagged, gray sword at Jonas, then charged. Jonas parried his attack, his kill or be killed instincts taking over. He swung for the man’s center, but the man blocked and countered. Jonas held his block, remembering his training. He remembered that a sword housed two purposes. Kill to conquer or kill to defend. He felt uneasy. He had never killed before. To become a knight of a king’s army, one must be at least eighteen years of age. Jonas was short by three months.

  “You’re not bad, boy,” the man said as he pulled back his sword. “You certainly were trained very well, but you’re lacking real experience, aren’t you? I can smell your bloodless fear!” The man swung his blade while yelling a battle cry. Jonas’s hands vibrated as he watched in horror his sword fly from his hand and land a foot away. “You’re wielding the greatest sword known to man and titan, and that’s the best you can do? I cannot recognize you as an opponent, much less prey.” Jonas felt the breath bounce out of him as the man kicked him to his back. The force of the kick to his chest actually propelled him a foot backward. Jonas’s heart pounded with rage as the man slowly walked toward him. Was he really going to die this time?

  “Get up!” the girl shouted, snapping Jonas out of his trance. “That savage can’t possibly beat you!”

  A moment ago, Jonas was in a paralyzing pain, but it disappeared when the girl yelled at him. Just who was she? He stood up. The man stopped.

  “Pick up the sword, boy, and swing it one last time for my entertainment.”

  Jonas did so without taking his eyes off the man. As soon as he had it within his grasps, the man rushed him. Jonas blocked his attack, pulled back, sidestepped, and plunged his blade into the man’s arms. He pulled back, and watched as black slime bled from the wound.

  The man grinned at Jonas’s confused face.

  “Never seen demon blood, boy? Don’t zone out!” The man rushed him again. His movements didn’t slow from the slash. When the blades collided this time, sparks screeched. Both Jonas and the man simultaneously retracted their blades. Before Jonas could rush, the man was somehow behind him—speed he hadn’t revealed before. Then it happened. The icy blade plunged into Jonas’s back and retracted using the same path. He fell.

  The man laughed as he placed his foot on Jonas’s aching, fatal wound. “I can’t report something this petty to Lord Aaron. You’re not too bad with the sword, kid, but you don’t have any killing experience. So lie there and die while contemplating how you’ll never grow.”

  Chapter 9

  Thump . . . thump . . . thump. Jonas felt his heartbeat slow. He couldn’t move, blink, breathe. It mattered not how much he wanted to continue to fight, to show his foe that he wasn’t weak; he couldn’t. But. He didn’t want to die. Dying was not an option. What would happen to him? What about the girl?

  “Jonas Ariel, I take my eye off you for a day, and you become this? I suppose to summon me with a heroic will to live

  is . . . unnecessary. Get ahold of yourself. No, stop undermining yourself. A wound like that couldn’t harm you.”

  “Come on, get up! Please.” Jonas could hear the girl’s fearful voice. Just as quickly as he recognized her voice, the tremendous pain that plagued his wound vanished. He opened his eyes, fully conscious, energized.

  The man was seconds from reaching for the sword, but Jonas grabbed it, leapt to his feet, and swung. The man, surprised, barely parried the blade.

  “How in the hell . . . how are you still alive?” he barked. Jonas could hardly believe it himself. He knew the sword burrowed through his chest, tearing everything in its path, dropping him. Yet he no longer felt any pain. He looked down at his chest and saw no wound. Even the hole in his shirt was gone! The man scowled at the girl. “You did this, didn’t you, Athena!”

  Jonas flinched. He recognized that name all too well. Everyone in his village did. Why did the king’s daughter walk alone in a place like this?

  The man faced Jonas again. “I won’t let her heal you again.” He suddenly melted into a puddle of black slime. Before Jonas knew it, the man was already behind him and bringing down his sword. Determined to avoid a second fatal strike, Jonas barely managed to block. That made the man laugh. “Stop resisting. Death for you is inevitable.”

  Just then, Athena rushed the man, the dagger in her grasps aimed right at his heart. Jonas knew he had to act right away for her safety. He pulled back his sword and delivered a fast strike. The man didn’t block as he had hoped. He sidestepped Jonas’s strike, blocked Athena’s dagger, and then kicked Jonas backward. “I think you two are starting to get the wrong ideas about me.” He walked toward Athena. She backed away. “Making light of me means you’re making light of Lord Abaddon. I will not fall to an inexperienced joke of a swordsman and a spoiled girl.”

  Jonas felt the words sting as he gazed at his sword. If his skill wasn’t enough, he’d have to rely on something extra. He recalled the words of the man, even the Altimias.

  “If you’re as powerful as they say you are, please help. I want to see the end of this journey,” he said.

  As if in response to Jonas’s thoughts, the sword glowed brightly like the shine of the noon sun. Electricity, along with a familiar tingling sensation, shielded his body, outlining his skin. The man quickly turned around. Jonas swung the sword; its force felt lighter than air. He blocked; however, the moment the blades collided, Jonas noticed something. His sword slowly ate through the man’s sword! He pushed just a little. From that push, his sword immediately sliced through his foe’s blade, to the back of his neck. When Jonas pulled back, he saw not a single drop of blood nor slime. The man fell without a word. His body deformed into a puddle of slime and then eventually fizzled into a small cloud of steam. Jonas had won.

  “You . . . are you okay?” Athena rushed to Jonas’s side.

  “Somehow,” Jonas replied as he sat down, exhausted.

  “You were incredible,” Athena said. “And to risk your

  life . . .” She paused as she placed her hand on the spot where Jonas’s wound once resided. “May I ask why you are in this realm?”

  “I’m here to see your father,” Jonas said. “I’ve been selected for a competition.” Athena grabbed Jonas’s hand. He assumed that she still healed him somehow.

  “Humans are similar,” she whispered. “Maybe the auras.” She flushed. “Sorry, I’ve never talked to a human before.”

  “It’s no problem,” Jonas said as he pulled his hand away, slightly embarrassed. He found himself a little distracted by Athena’s appearance. She was a beauty he’d never seen before: a girl of snow-white hair and warm blue eyes. Dressed in expensive silks, shining diamond jew
elry—Athena was definitely a princess. “Umm, Pr—” She placed her finger on his lips before he could speak.

  “You’re an incredibly selfless man, to risk your own life just to save a stranger,” she said. “I don’t want to be a stranger to such a heroic soul, so you’re going to be my first human friend. Please address me by my name, no titles.”

  “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” Jonas said.

  Athena softly shook her head. “I insist.” Jonas gazed into her eyes and saw that she was serious.

  “Fine.”

  “Great.” She smiled. “You said you were in my father’s competition, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Come on, I’ll take you to the palace.”

  Chapter 10

  Abaddon watched as storm clouds quickly covered the sky. It was a windy afternoon, yet as the winds danced, not a single thing on Abaddon shifted. Not his hair, not his black cloak, nothing. The still world that outlined him illuminated with a venomous, black glow. He was there, yet the land itself seemed to ignore him. A crackle of thunder roared in the sky, followed by a second series of lightning bolts that struck within yards of Abaddon. He sighed.

  “This storm continues to remind me of my true self,” he told a nearby guard. “But unlike me, it still rages with power. It can plunge fear into those that stroll below it. It is known, still in existence, not faded, but untouched by this world.” Abaddon pointed at the ground before it. A bolt of lightning hurtled from the sky and smashed at the targeted spot. In that spot, a black rose sprouted, its petals screeching with small flames. Abaddon picked up the unburning rose, his flesh unaffected by the fires. “Aaron shouldn’t take long exterminating any pests that may have that sword. I have been patient for a while now. That shall not change.”

  “You’re looking as glum as ever,” someone said. Abaddon peered at the roof of his fortress. A woman with long, blonde hair smiled at him. She wore a long, red dress, and on her back were two large, snow-white wings. Abaddon pointed at the ground. The storm ceased in response.

  “Something must have stirred in the clouds for me to be blessed with your presence, Gabriel,” Abaddon said in a mocking tone. Gabriel still smiled at him.

  “I just stopped by to see you again,” she said. “We are still close friends, banished or not.”

  “Are you mocking me?” Abaddon said. Before he realized it, she vanished and then reappeared half a second later close to him. A teleport. In fact, the duo was face-to-face. Abaddon felt humiliated but knew there was little he could do without his full power. He did not feel threatened by his old friend; however, he still tolerated zero humiliation.

  “Are you still going to treat your friend like this?” Gabriel said in a playful manner. Abaddon held the flaming rose to her face. Like him, she was also unaffected by the flames.

  “This rose once smiled with color and freedom, but now it has lost its beauty and gained agony.”

  “Are you saying I lost my beauty?” Gabriel said with a laugh.

  “The meaning of that has nothing to do with you,” Abaddon said. “If you—”

  “Ah, so you’re describing us?” Gabriel continued playfully. “Since when did you drop the noble, reckless attitude and become poetic?”

  “You sure like to dwell in the past,” Abaddon said with slight anger in his voice. His guard unsheathed his sword, alerted to his master’s rare emotions. Abaddon gestured for him to put away his weapon. The guard nervously obeyed.

  “Our past means a lot to me,” Gabriel said softly. “Yet you’re shoving it away like it means nothing. Do you think Hades would be happy about this? Will he be pleased to know that you push away your visiting friend during tough times?”

  “I think you’re getting the wrong idea about me,” Abaddon said as he walked past her. He stopped next to his guard. “I don’t carry nor show weakness, even for an old friend.” Gabriel teleported in front of Abaddon.

  “Old friend?” she said. “We are still friends, no matter what.” Hope glistened from her blue eyes. Abaddon laughed for the first time in decades—not a hearty laugh, but a mocking laugh. His guard gulped.

  “You’re still as naïve as ever. The same angel girl that tried to befriend me, the lord of death—clever then but hasn’t changed a bit. Yet as cunning and naive as you are, you are still missing a big point, Gabriel.”

  “What point?” she said. “Just what’s happened to you?”

  “I do not need to speak of it,” Abaddon replied. “As time soars, you will soon see for yourself.”

  “Are you planning some kind of revenge?” Gabriel inched toward Abaddon. “You know that will not resolve anything. Besides, you never once told me what happened back then.”

  “It is something that concerns you not,” Abaddon said, annoyed. “I do not need to be reminded about that. Now step aside. I have nothing more to say to you.”

  “You don’t mean that,” Gabriel said, her expression serious. “I know you. Only this time, you won’t step down from your pride and let me help you.”

  Abaddon spat. “I desire no help from the likes of the clouds,” he snarled, and then stormed into his fort.

  Chapter 11

  Jonas’s eyes widened at the sight of the enormous palace yards ahead. The white palace looked miles wide. Its brilliant glow filled Jonas with a huge sense of awe. Clouds swirled around the edges of it. The wind seemed to gust as they walked closer.

  “Here we are,” Athena said as they reached the gates. “I’ll inform my father of you, so wait in the candidate area, okay?” She pointed at an area yards away, left of Jonas. A few people stood in line, facing a gate that led to an eastern palace entry point. Jonas assumed they were other competitors. “Everyone is slowly arriving.”

  “Alright,” Jonas said. The duo parted upon reaching the main gates. Eyes shifted to him as he approached the line. The path he walked was paved with gold. White roses bloomed on the side. The trees proudly stood blooming with strange white leaves. An otherworldly sense struck Jonas for the first time. He felt the gazes on him intensify the closer he moved toward the line. Was human appearance in this realm that big of a deal? More candidates arrived; all of them looked to be his age. As soon as he entered the line, its leader, a boy, walked toward Jonas.

  “Are you under some kind of spell, or is this a joke?”

  Jonas took notice of the large hammer the boy carried. He was blonde, same height as Jonas, dressed in robes that looked incredibly expensive. A noble.

  “No,” Jonas replied, annoyed. “Who are you supposed to be?”

  Everyone around looked at him; some gasped, some whispered.

  “Don’t tell me you know not of Prince Thor, son of King Odin, our visitors from the realm of Asgard,” another boy said.

  “I’m not surprised,” Thor said. “He’s just a human.”

  “I know of you,” Jonas snarled. “Just didn’t expect the Thor I heard about to be such an ass.”

  “It’s just like a human to not respect his superiors,” Thor said.

  “Superior? Don’t make me laugh,” Jonas said. “And you’ll have to earn respect to get respect.”

  Thor’s face reddened with anger. He passed his hammer to the boy that stood beside him. “It’s time for some punishment.”

  “Now is not the time or place to be acting like children,” a blonde girl said as she stood between the two.

  “Sif, are you defending this human? You know he doesn’t belong in a realm of titans,” Thor said.

  “Don’t be so discriminative—doesn’t look good for someone in line for king.”

  “But—”

  Sif gave him a serious look. Thor glared at Jonas before snatching his hammer and storming off to the front of the line, muttering. Jonas knew this conflict was far from over.

  “I’m sorry he’s like that,” she told Jonas.

  “Don’t worry about it; you don’t have to apologize for him.”

  Sif shrugged. “He’s normally not this bad, and f
or a prince representing Asgard, behavior like this is unacceptable.” Jonas nodded understandingly. “So, did you understand the welcoming package? I know some of it is not written in the universal language.”

  “Welcoming package?” Jonas said, confused.

  “You mean you didn’t get one? Then how’d you get here?” Sif smiled. Somehow Jonas felt a radiating curiosity of human flare into her.

  “Ath–Princess Athena showed me the way,” Jonas said. Everyone around grew silent, eyes turning to stare or glare at him.

  “Pretty bad lie you got going on there,” a boy dressed in red and black robes said as he approached Jonas.

  “I don’t believe he’s lying, Bacchus,” Sif said.

  “I’ll be the judge of that.” Bacchus stared at Jonas for half a minute.

  Annoyed, Jonas hissed, “What?”

  “Well I’ll be damned; he’s not lying,” Bacchus finally said. “Why do we have a human wandering this realm in the first place?”

  Before Jonas could speak, the sound of horns blasted through the air. The melody snatched the attention of the candidates and caused them to involuntarily face forward. A group of people dressed in different-colored robes walked out of a gate that was just ahead of the candidates. They lined up, split into two separate lines, and then faced each other. Jonas saw the blue-robed man from before, the one who didn’t believe him, among the ranks. A woman in the center cleared her throat and spoke.

  “Challengers, welcome to the road of nobility, honor, pride, and will. We among these ranks will serve as your instructors and mentors to teach you how to wield the king’s power as you accomplish the task of competing to inherit his will.” The woman turned toward the palace. “And now here he approaches, the king himself, to explain your noble quest and the answer to the question some of you are thinking: what is this about?” The instructors bowed. Jonas silently gasped as he saw a bearded man in a thick, white and red robe come out of the palace. His crown and cape signified his authority. Jonas could hardly believe he was laying eyes on the real King Zeus of the skies, as he was normally unseen by humans, the legendary figure who set laws from the skies and kept all earthly lands pure of dark creatures. Athena proudly walked alongside her father, smiling and waving at those that cheered her name. They stopped at the center of the ranks.