Panagiot walked closer and closer to the group. With every step, his twisted smile became clearer. Clayton clenched his sword, "any spell to help against him?" "Francisco?" He asked. Francisco shook his head. "Nothing that would do damage to him." The bard replied. "It won't matter if we don't ready ourselves!" Lily shouted. Despite their weakened bodies and sore muscles and the stings of their injuries, both she and Clayton gripped their weapons and prepared themselves. They knew this was going to be a more difficult fight. The pair took their steps. "Oh, so you plan to fight then? That's good." Panagiot yelled. "Saves me the time of chasing you pathetic shits!" Panagiot dashed with all his might, kicking up dirt behind him as he charged the group. Clayton attempted to swing at the elite. Panagiot threw a left haymaker and collided with the sword, knocking it out of Clayton's hands. Before Clayton could think of recovering, the elite grabbed a hold of Clayton's best plate and pulled the young knight, throwing him across the road. Clayton crashed into a pile of debris, he felt a sharp sting in his lower back and a warm liquid run down his leg. Lily desperately summoned her father to aid her against Panagiot. Lily's father flew out from her and collided with Panagiot. The two giant muscular beings were locked in a hand-to-hand struggle for strength. The elite grabbed hold of Lily's father and lifted him into the air. As he flew, the tether between Lily and her father's aberration pulled Lily herself into the air as well. Panagiot grabbed hold of Lily's head and slammed her into the ground. The impact knocked her unconscious. Lily's father attempted to strike Panagiot with a right haymaker to the back of his head. His fist passed through Panagiot's head causing no damage. The aberration's form shimmered and disappeared. The massive knight turned his sights toward Francisco and Kira who were trying to help Diomede. "Ya know. I have fought many creatures in my time. And let me tell ya. You pathetic lot. Have got to have been the most enjoyable." Panagiot sang as he walked slowly over to Francisco and Kira. "Not because of your strength, but because it's amusing to see such weak creatures try so hard." Panagiot proceeded to laugh loudly.He stopped when he was struck in the side of the head by a piece of wood. He turned to see Clayton gripping his broken sword in a reverse grip while he held his side. Blood dripped along the ground and began to pool at the young knight's feet. "What the hell are you laughing at?" The Young Knight said. Clayton felt the same fire inside of him that blazed the night he stood against the Gultonk. His lungs sucked in air in gulps, his heart beat like a war drum. He readied himself. Panagiot felt a small spark of pride. "I got to say, boy, I wish you hadn't turned traitor. You would have been made into a real knight." Panagiot taunted while he walked toward the young knight, Clayton met his speed. Panagiot combined his hands and swung down with a hammer fist. Clayton stepped closer in under Panagiot's arms and maneuvered around Panagiot's waist stepping in and out of Panagiot's reach. Clayton stabbed at the vital point on the elite's body, Panagiot swung his massive fists but Clayton stayed just out of reach of the elite. Panagiot attempted to grab at the young knight. With each swing of the overly muscular arm, Panagiot felt frustration begin to drive his attacks. With each stab, Clayton could see them begin to heal over quickly. Kira and Francisco continued to try and wake Diomede. His wounds were healing but he wasn't gaining consciousness. Francisco looked back at the two knights fighting and saw Lily lying unconscious. He bolted to her and picked her up, carrying her over to Kira. "I think she may be in more need of help than our large friend here." Francisco nervously exclaimed. Kira's adrenaline rushed through her, her mind raced with all that was happening. She calmed herself and placed her hands over Lily, her face was covered in more blood and a gash across her forehead had formed. The blood ran like a stream, Kira pulled a rag out and applied it to the wound on Lily's head. Francisco sat back and watched as his companions lay covered in blood and fought for their very lives. The Nesfundur felt his blood boil, and rage built in his heart. Francisco stood up and began snapping his fingers. With each snap, a bolt of fire shot out at Panagiot. It didn't cause any massive damage nor did it leave a mark on the brute. But it was distracting enough for Clayton to stab at more points. Panagiot turned to the Nesfundur and pointed his hand. In a demonic voice, Panagiot chanted, and a green flash of light shot out of the elite's hand. It flew directly at Francisco before it could touch him. Diomede tackled the bard out of the way. "Oh thank the gods you are alright!" Francisco shouted as he wrapped his arms around Diomede. Diomede pushed the bard off him and stood up. "Keep going cub. Just hold him for a little longer." Diomede bent down and began drawing a sign in the dirt. Francisco watched, as Diomede drew a circle that held lines crossing at points close to the center, and reaching outward of the circle. Clayton drove his broken sword into Pangiot's left pectoral muscle. The elite snatched Clayton by his throat and lifted him, squeezing him tightly. The blood became trapped in Clayton's head, he could feel the heat build, and his face tightened from the pressure. Clayton tried to get free of the elite's grip but couldn't. "Come boy try harder than that!" Panagiot shouted. Clayton struggled to break free from his opponent's grasp, he threw left and right hooks to the elite's face. But it showed little effect. Panagiot leaned into Clayton's ear, "I'm going to break your spine so you can watch me kill those you would choose over the Umar Kingdom." When Clayton heard this, his mind was overcome with images from the Gultonk attack. Images of how he couldn't help his brothers, how he couldn't save anyone of them. Adrenaline began to rush through Clayton. He unleashed a powerful deep scream of rage and pulled the broken sword from the Elite Umar Knight. He stabbed Panagiot over and over, each strike cutting and piercing faster than the last. Blood spewed everywhere, covering both Clayton and the ground. Diomede bit down on his index finger and threw his blood on the signs he had made. With a quick flash of light, Pangiot felt a weighted wave pull on him and his strength weakened. "ALRIGHT CUB! fINISH THE FUCKER OFF!" Clayton heard those words and drove his broken sword, the one that helped take down a Gultonk. The broken sword that soaked in the blood of his brothers. Straight through Panagiot's face. The elite let out a gasp and tried to inhale any air he could. Clayton pulled the broken blade upward and out the top of the Elitle's head. Splitting the head in two. The massive muscle-ridden monster of war fell back and shook the ground around him. He gave no words, nor sound. His body lay limp and still. Clayton fell onto his back. He let out a giant sigh of relief and exhaustion. Clayton let out a roar of rage and victory. He began to gulp down air as he fell to his back. Diomede sat down allowing his full weight to plop down. He felt the same as Clayton did just a bit more quieter. Francisco slowly pulled his journal out and began writing down everything that had happened. Kira finished helping Lily, the gash no longer was there and showed signs of gaining consciousness. Lily sat up, rubbing her head. She looked around and saw the remains of the now-dead elite. Though shocked at first, she too felt the relief of victory flow through her. The elite's body began to shake and convulse, steam began to burst from Panagiot's skin. Dread washed over the group, no one had any strength left to fight a revived Panagiot. Before the group could react the massive body burst into flames. But the body didn't burn, it ran like ice on a hot stone. Panagiot's body melted into a pool of blood and flesh like soup. The ground absorbed the liquid, leaving behind a stain of where Panagiot had laid. "Well, that's something I am going to need to write down." Francisco nervously chuckled. Diomede rose to his feet, "We need to get moving, I don't want to be here when anyone wanders in and has to explain this destruction." Francisco made a sound of agreement. Kira helped Lily to her feet and turned to Diomede. "We need to start heading further north. His letter stated he was by a large old tree." Diomede crossed his arms and twisted his bread. "No tree comes to mind, but then again it has been some time since I have gone that far north." The pair moved from the others, "I was not prepared to have found aid, let alone find you of all people." Kira whispered. "Now you have given two others permission to join us?" Diomede's eyebrow rose. "Francisco has made a blood pledge to help me ensure you find Orcsha." Diomede turned to Lily. "And you know I agreed to get her to the capital." Kira's heart quickened, and she became flustered and aggravated. "We can't just continue to make promises along our journey." "The three of you are already beginning to overwhelm me. The different emotions and personalities are drastic as it is." Diomede bent his head in agreement. Kira suddenly felt the surge of fear and sadness, it shocked her. She began searching for the source of the emotions. Lily and Diomede followed behind her as she walked up and down the road. "What's she doing?" Lily asked. Diomede shrugged and shook his head. "Kira, what are you looking for?" Lily asked as she placed her hand on the Boarkar princess. Kira turned, "I sense fear and worry. Someone is alive!" Diomede and Lily looked at each other with shock, "Are you su-." Diomede placed his hand on Lily's shoulder cutting her off. "If she feels something then it is there." Diomede said. Francisco watched as the three bounced around the remains of the village. He walked over to Clayton, who laid back down with his eyes closed. Francisco dragged over a chair that was missing its back and sat beside the exhausted knight. "Well I don't know about you but I am starving." Francisco exclaimed. Clayton's laugh burst out of his mouth. It came deep from within as if it were the first time he had laughed in his whole life. Diomede turned as the laughter reached him. He knew what kind of laugh this was. Francisco chuckled at the booming laugh coming from the young knight. "You know something Francisco, I'm pretty hungry too." Clayton said through his large smile. His laugh dwindled, and the young knight exhaled deeply. Francisco Looked down at Clayton, the young knight's eyes closed. A cord of fear struck Francisco's core. "Young Clayton?" Francisco asked with fear. Francisco stood up, his foot touched something wet. He looked down and saw a large pool of blood flowing from Clayton. Panic and fear took hold of the Nesfundur bard. His heart beat as if it were trying to leap from his chest. He turned to call for help, but the sight of the other three were gone. Francisco's mind stopped and his eyes scanned around him. There was nothing he could use to help Clayton. Until he noticed a bull's skull hanging off the side of a downed building. Francisco quickly dug into his bag, he pulled out a white horn that was decorated with purple and green gems. Francisco sucked in all the air his lungs could hold and blew into the horn releasing all he had. Even with his scales, he could feel his cheeks stretching. The horn's sound bolstered with force. Francisco let go of the horn and gasped for air, he looked around to see if the others had heard him. Moments that felt like hours passed, until the sight of Diomede running from around a corner reached Francisco's sight. "Oh thank the gods you heard me, it is Young Clayton. He has stopped breathing and is losing too much blood!" Francisco franticly exclaimed. Diomede reached the two and saw the puddle of blood spill over the dirt. He grabbed Clayton and pulled him over his shoulder. "Come we need to hurry back to Kira." Francisco and Diomede ran with all their strength to make it to Kira in time.