They’re back again, but that doesn’t mean the way is clear. Standing before them is a distorted goblin traitor. Who’s called upon a lion retainer as its champion to do battle with in the actual coliseum room. With Locke unconscious that just leaves Corin, Nora and Pudge to deal with it…. 

The crowd of captives scream in exhalation. Horror and dread. They’ve manifested as black whisps. With darker versions standing guard. It’s as if they were ancient forces forced to watch the show. Every whale and every scream feeds into something above. Into the center of the room. But that flicker, with each whail. Of light or something inside. Encapsulated. Entrapped. Wolf kin? Goblin? Olcan?

Focus. Corin tells herself. Observe…

There is a column that comes down to meet in the middle of this coliseum ground before which the goblin traitor stands. A door Corin can only imagine leads up to where they’re funneling all that energy too. Corin “hmphs” and the lion roars. Pudge’s ears twitch. 

“A freakin’ lion?.. I gotta keep that cat thing away from my dog.” Corin mutters to herself. “It’s always cats I swear.” 

Corin hasn’t lifted herself from her perch down the hallway. She’s got her shot and pudge is all riled up seeing that there is a cat around. They’re actually the same size. The Firestone tribe goblin betrayer’s black flame lion stands proud and unmoved before Pudge. Corin’s Pudge is a cool blue glowing coat. Pudge howls and a pack of their brethren appear. 

The entire wolf pack if you will. Thirty of them. Even the little babies have come. Playing with each other. So cute. Pudge is obviously the alpha but then there are so many more. They’ve been succeeding. It brings so much hope and happiness to Corin’s heart. 

Nora is beside herself. She didn’t even need to summon them, they just came on their own… 

“How did she?” Nora mutters to herself as she makes her way into the main room fray. She’s flanked almost instantly by a couple of the wolves who’ve naturally peeled off to place themselves between her and the creature. They’re of middle age. If she goes by the statues in the story they’re at their settings peak. A time when their fur binds to whatever realm they’ve been casting through. Imbibing that form of natural magic into the fur. 

She reaches out and touches the wolves’ pelt and it's warm. Her heart flutters. Her ancient noble Lady Nebula called these things to her before and now here they stand. Well maybe not these but beasts like them. Is this destiny? 

That’s when her focus shifts to a goblin betrayer? Is he who brought the demon in?

The goblin laughs and lifts their decrepit finger toward the wolves. 

“Olcan wolves were never meant to face a lion!” It cackles. Their lion roars(which means flames of course) and lunges towards Pudge with a sweeping mauw exulting fire in a cone before it. The wolves all avoid it. The bigger ones grab the smaller ones by the nape to get away. They scramble. Just barely. 

Yelping as fire singes but hair. They scatter about the room surrounding the beast. Growling with open feigns. Biting and barking. The entire pack of wolves circling the lone obstinate goblin lion. 

“This guy?! I’ll freakin kill him!” Corin states to themselves in disbelief and utter cold calculated rage. Sighting the goblin’s forehead. She feels her finger pull against the trigger and a moment stops in reflection. “This really can’t be so easy can it?” 

Then she feels the click.

Bang!

The goblin falls over dead. 

“Yikes. I wish that didn’t feel so nice.” Corin tells herself. “I need to pray for forgiveness after this or something. I probably should have tried to save it. Too late now.”

The lion roars again before dissolving back into what was the alive goblin betrayer. 

Head can be heard screaming through the dungeon.

“Aghhhhhhhhhhh”

The waves it makes quakes everything it touches. Everything becomes static. The audio has played into Brent’s esoteric workout track dubstep. Almost to the beat, the surge of electricity jolts from it back into the goblin’s skin, melts away and it rises again to a Skellington. It refuses to die so easily. 

“We’ll, good. I guess. Dogs like bones...” Corin states flatly to herself. Collecting herself

“You do not know what I’ve seen!” It shrieks. The Litch exalts as bones congeal into from nothing to something. Black orb goo. Explosions of black smoke coughs about consuming everyone. Forming around them a scene. A memory. From one young goblin traitor made to go into the lion's den. A brood of some number and his hands clutching onto one in particular. It scratches aimlessly byt the goblin has it by the back of its nape. 

“Oh you found them. Brilliant. Destroy them.” The Master magician laughs out loud. Hands covered in blood from his own deeds done. 

“But they are of no significance?” The goblin mutters back. 

“No significance?” The Master Magician calls back and rambles to him. The master magician is in fact a goblin. Hiding his stature under a vail that flickers out just in this moment. He looks like an elf to elves but he’s a goblin. Only the Diamond king and this young apprentice know. Well, he shouldn’t but it's at this moment that the vail fails. 

“Oh would you look at that?” The master magician states looking upon himself. “The king doth think I need not revelry today. Tis a good day my boy. He is sated. In celebration let us sacrifice those cubs for his banquet.”

“I am…” the young underling stutters. Overcome by everything he’s now realizing. “To kill these will bring me power?” 

“Yes.” The magician states.

His heart beats. His lungs clutch. He’s done these things before but now it’s become too much. With everything he knows now. Perfection? What? 

“Slay the beast and bring us peace.” The magician instructs. 

“Yes sir.” He tells himself he must..

The smoke evaporates revealing what’s left behind. 

A youngling training under the master magician, under Diamond King’s instruction. A hunting party. Hunting lions on the lower realms. He had killed one of the pups, not even for sport. It had broken him. 

Smoke billows forth and outward filling the arena then disappearing revealing what remains still beating. His heart. Where the pup’s paw had fallen upon before that deathly fell. It reverberates. Casting onto the goblin new armor and a black flame that inhibits what’s left.

Nora covers her mouth in shock. The diamond king has been caught planes walking and killing for sport. How long has he been idling doing his evils? To jump between the planes for sport is horrific. The effects could be cataclysmic. 

Corin is taken aback as well. The tragedy of the goblin hits her heart. No wonder. Pity is what she feels for the monster. But it’s a monster nonetheless. She whistles. 

Pudge’s ears perk and then leads his pack of alpha fire wolves towards the reanimated goblin creature. All of the memory decays but the lion which has reconsolidated before the goblin remains. Not as regal as before. Now an undead horror. It lunges. 

Most dodge but Pudge collides ensuring his maw upon its blackened cape of ooze. The others grab at its legs. And any other part as the two wrestle. The lion lashes out in wild chaotic frustration from the pin but is undercut by the pack who clench and tear at every inch of its available mass. Not leaving anything to chance or spare they bind it down together. The beast can’t even lift a finger without one of the pack biting at it. 

It spews flames in exasperation aimlessly siollueting Corin’s approach to the Lich before her. 

“Good dog.” Corin calls out. Walking to the goblin Skellington. “Now it’s my turn.” 

Corin steps to the midpoint of this ring. The undead fiend standing before her and the door behind him. Enshrouded by hate and flame and unwillingness to die. 

It screams again.

“Agghhh!”

And incantations prop up incalculably in number throughout the arena. Spells upon spells. Running into themselves and overcharging. He lifts his  finger toward Corin and projects a fireball at her. 

She dodges as she lunges forward. The heat of the blast singing her arm ever so slightly. The sweat kept her safe it would seem. 

Nora sees Corin’s eyes turn a purple hue. Resembling galaxies and realities stacked atop another. They were shown as if through her skull and everything that could cover it. But it doesn’t. She can see it. Depthless.

Nora gasps. What is that? That’s not magic. Is that something more?

Her concentration is at full tilt as Corin dodges another goblin fireball shot. 

“Am I watching a battle of the gods?” Nora asks herself. Beside herself next to the unconscious Locke. His head in her lap surrounded by wolves growling. “What is this magic?”

Corin bursts through with but a step. She pushes lunging and closes the distance. Five shots of fire and explosions but she’s there. Within arms reach and dodges its attack with a dagger. Such a simple game. It’s just a mage. Magic user trying to beat me? Corin stands just before it and reaches into the guts of it. Into its ribcage to the still beating heart. 

That’s all that remains? She thinks to herself. It's the last entanglement. She knows what to do. She knows she’s not supposed to use magic in her plane but this is another and she’s here and you know what? She doesn’t hear Azeal stopping her so…

“Time. Time. Time. It’s a rhyme. Circle it all till we fall but I see through it and I see to it. One, Two, Three, Stop.” Her eyes aflame with light I cannot describe. She plunges both hands into the litch’s beating heart. From her clutches Corin pulls out the goblin youth again saved from the moment with the little pup lion in his arms. Corin smirks. The monster before her, this litch, twitches. Corin’s other hand still plunged into its chest.

“Give up. Or die.”  Corin states.

The litch’s eyes glint in the hollowed out skull that was once the goblin. 

“Die!” It tries to burst into flames but Corin crushes her grip on its heart and everything turns to dust. 

“Fool.” Corin states solemnly. As it all collapses and dissipates. Corin holds the pup lion and goblin youth ashamed but alive. Crying. 

“You did it!” Nora cheers as she catches up to Corin’s side. Hugging her deeply. “How did you do that?”

“I don’t know?” It kinda just happened.” Corin replies. 

“This thing. He’s the one who brought the curse upon all of us?” Nora points to the youth who’s sobbing for forgiveness. 

“Yeah, well they did and now it’s gone. So let’s just forget about it, yeah?” Corin states exhausted.

“Forget about it?!” Nora states beside herself as the goblin youth runs away. 

“Nora please. Mercy.” Corin retorts. 

“You’re crazy.” Nora snorts. 

“Yeah whatever. This sucks.” Corin sulks. Then is tackled by Pudge again. “We’ll, this doesn’t. I missed you too boy. Such a good dog. And look at your family. I knew you were an alpha.”

Pudge is barking, wagging its tail. The other dogs are all laying down wagging their tails excitedly. It brings a tear to Corin’s eyes. 

“Let's go.” Corin calls out. They lift Locke onto Pudge and they all progress to the final chapter. Into the central door leading stairwell.

————————

Head is spinning; she doesn’t know what’s going to happen. She had plans but they’ve all been kinda broken. She’s maybe got enough power to do what’s to be done but that’s not really important right now. She’s got a hold on him? That’s not fair! How dare she?! She’s already got Corin. This is blasphemy. Gluttony. Too much sin. She’s only a demon. What’s her deal?

They’re almost all to her door. She should let all the others in too now. Let them all meet each other. A big bunch of wave splashing and dancing. Perfect setting for her spell casting…

——————————-

Tye and Brent and Bob watch through slits as head bobbles around. This is the first time either of them have actually seen it. This demon from the abyss. Head can be seen rolling around erratically. A woman’s head Medusa like in figure, the tendrils coming off her give the game away. She seems to be like that, Tye contemplates himself. Brent no doubt thinks the same. They glance at each other for help?

“You’ve gotta be shittin me.” Tye whispers, blood running through his veins feeling chills. A decapitated head is gross enough but what is all of this stuff pustulating out and about? And it’s moving around like…

Maybe they should jump down and take her? He thinks to himself. Glancing again to Brent who shakes his head “no”. Something tells them to just wait a moment… How does Brent fit in these rafters?

Tye looks to Brent who’s literally sandwiched inside these things. He’s like a beached whale. He’s gotta crawl himself through them. Pull himself through them. Tye’s doing his best not to freak out. Like how are they going to spring from this? The Turkey, I mean, bob clucks and head stops.

”Bob!” Tye mouths.

Silence then the head begins its chaotic frolicking again. They can breathe…

“Okay we’re going to wait till the rest of the crew shows up. Then we’ll spring out and get them off guard and shit. We aren’t gonna fight fair, we're opportunists here.” Tye signs to Brent and bob. Brent nods. 

That’s when the buzzing sound can be heard. Vibrating throughout the rafters. Insect like. Bob shutters. The vent they peer through begins to hum

”Shit.” Tye states.

More rumbling of footsteps. The sound of tongues slithering. It all sounds like it’s congealing below them and onto head. Oh shit, everything is happening all at once!?

Head suddenly riggles and then elivates into the air and all sorts of symbols can be seen suddenly appearing around her. Demonic symbols and circles. All culminating into an orb before her. A growing orb of concentrated power. Aimed at the door. 

“Holy shit she’s gonna blast them all into oblivion isn’t she?” Tye signs and mouths out at the same time.

The door splits into four. Then five. The middle one she’s aiming at. The farthest right opens up to reveal Corin, Nora, Locke and … is that Pudge? 

Door number two flies open and it’s those elven folk. They look livid. It’s an army of them and they’re covered in soot like they’ve been breaking marble. Tye notices the face from the elve’s before. So they made it? 

Door number three opens up and it’s human sized locusts. Their arms are blades and they glow of Aether. They have many eyes and they don’t speak the buzzz. They funnel in attacking, assailing anything within reach from floor to ceiling. Wings flapping.

Door number four opens and it’s the lizard men. They’ve an army of their own. Without gloves nor battle axes. Their bodies are their armor. Their claws, their blades. Born warriors battle ready made.  One brushes through the frame breaking it into  the room. Unimpressed by anything, seeking violence.

Finally door number five flies open and it’s the Diamond kings castle. Framed from its perch along the endless abyss shore. A castle upon a cliff over an abyss. Behind it a full moon. Illuminating its perfection.

Head laughs. 

“You can’t stop me now!” 

“Hahahahahahhahahahahaa”

The orb before her mouth pulses and shoots forth. Incinerating anything caught in it’s wake as it pours through the central door. Open now to the Diamond King’s Castle.

“No!” The elven born leader screams as the castle explodes from the assault. Then crumbles to the ground with smoke, ashe and fire. Rocks crumble and glass shatter. He turns to the demon and screams. “Kill it! Kill that damned demon!”

The shadow of the diamond king projects beyond him onto the moons. While he stands stoic his shadow flinches ever chaotic. Full of emotion unlike his cold exterior. The castle is but rubble now as he rises to his feet unscathed. Cries of agony and who knows surround him. His hands are shaking. His body is pulsing. It’s all so exhilarating.

He chuckles as the beam collides with the orbiting satellite. Cutting clean through them. He sees it, observes it for a moment then breathes in the fresh air. Then he notices the scratch against his cheek. A blood he did not know of leaking out from himself before him. 

“They all must die for this.” He insists. Flicking his finger. Static electricity sparks orbularly around the castle domain, into, and along the path the beam hath ran along. Electricity sparking from the broken door frame. 

Everyone stands still for but a moment. Then the magic reconstitutes itself and the door slams shut and disappears…

“Portal crafting is outlawed.” The Diamond king states.