Chapter 3

“You have set me up!!” Telagus roared in a panicked voice.

“I did NO such thing! YOU did this, so now the sacred battle is null and void, Markus, Ley and Marcia, signal the full charge!” Rector roared.

As they nodded their acknowledgement of the order, Telagus yelled at Rex, “Kill them all!!”

Obeying the order, Rex immediately lit his hands on fire and began throwing fireballs into Rector’s charging army, killing scores of soldiers as they charged Telagus’s army, leaving many screaming in pain from burns.

“Son, that is enough!” Rector said loudly, his voice echoing, quickly moving to be in front of Rex.

“He does not listen to you,” Telagus said with an evil smile, “His connection to his mother is strong, stronger than even I predicted.”

“We will see about that, Rex, that is NOT your mother, not your real mother,” Rector pleaded, staring into Rex’s eyes, trying his best to make it through the spell.

Rex stopped throwing his fireballs after hearing his name called, snapping his head to look intensely at Rector, who began to smile, which quickly faded, for Rector knew he had not made it through the spell but had drawn Rex’s attention.

Tilting his head slightly as if to gauge Rector, Rex closed his eyes for a second and as he opened them once more, his eyes seemed to be ablaze, his body following suit shortly after, dashing toward Rector so quickly it shocked everyone within the vicinity, Rector and Telagus included, not even they could move that fast, and as Rex slammed into Rector, an intense gong sound resounded across the field and Rector slid backward 10 feet, his arms crossed out in front of his body.

“Mhurl, I’m going to need your help,” Rector panted, slightly shocked seeing his barrier now missing large pieces after the impact, he knew one more blow would break it entirely and leave him vulnerable.

As Mhurl came into view Rex was already dashing forwards once more, flipping over the dragon’s head while his form was still coming through into their realm, grabbing Mhurl’s horns as he passed over, Rex continued his momentum forward, he sent Mhurl careering into the walls of the city, slamming into the barrier Rector had created to protect the citizens, sending intense shockwaves through the city outskirts.

“Mhurl!” Rector called out, rushing to his side, checking him over and then sending him away once more seeing as he was unable to continue fighting, he was a very calculating man, but seeing how quickly and easily his son had dispatched them both now left him unable to come up with a plan.

With Rex’s help, Telagus’s army now had the upper hand and was beginning to gain ground, with Rector’s army’s numbers now slimming with each passing moment, Rex incapacitated scores of soldiers as he moved toward the city, Telagus’s troops following close behind.

With only 30 feet before the city barrier, a dark shadow loomed over Rex, gaining size and after a gust of wind and a screech, Ulna landed between Rex and the city walls.

“Rex! Stop this,” Marcia pleaded as she slid from her back, putting her hands out in front of her, to show she held no weapon, in hopes he would not attack her, as she spoke it seemed to stop Rex in his tracks and he stared blankly at her as if trying to figure out who she was.

Seeing Rex not continuing to fight, the flames surrounding his body also starting to lower in intensity, Telagus quickly rushed to Rex’s side, leaning over and whispering into his ear with his mother’s voice once more, “She is trying to distract you so their soldiers can kill us, do not let her my son,” glaring at Marcia with a sly smile as he did so.

“Rex, do not listen to her, you know me, you know I don’t want to harm you. I just want you to stop hurting anyone else who doesn’t deserve it,” Marcia said, still holding her hands out in front, walking slowly toward where Rex and Telagus were standing.

“She is nothing compared to your mother, now kill her!” Telagus said, getting louder weaving a little more of his power reserve back into Rex’s curse, he had begun to sense his spell beginning to wane.

‘Marcia, Telagus has used a great deal of power and energy in a short period, he has had to use even more just then, he cannot have much left, plus whatever you’re doing seems to be working, keep it going,’ Rector communicated telepathically to Marcia, watching what was transpiring intently.

With only a few feet now between Rex and Marcia, she stared straight into Rex’s eyes, “Please Rex, please listen to me, let me help you, that is not your mother.”

“Kill her my son,” Telagus repeated once more using Rex’s mother’s voice.

Breaking eye contact with Marcia to look at Telagus, who nodded, he turned back to Marcia, and quick as a flash brought his flaming hand forward, but before he connected it with Marcia, another figure flashed between his fist and Marcia’s body, and as the blow landed, a loud glass shattering noise could be heard, following a crunching noise with two bodies being sent careering backward.

“HAHAHAHAHA!” Telagus cackled as the scene cleared and he saw who Marcia’s saviour was.

“My lord!!” Markus and Ley both called out, seeing what had happened from where they were battling, both rushing over to Rector’s side as he lay strewn out across the ground.

“My emperor, why would you do that?” Marcia gasped, groaning slightly from pain, “It should be me doing that for YOU.”

“This is not Rex’s doing, and right now he needs you more than me, please help him,” Rector replied in a ragged raspy voice.

“We will do our best,” Marcia, Ley and Markus all said in unison, as Rector closed his eyes, quickly checking him over, Markus confirmed he was still alive, his body was badly broken.

As a shadow loomed over the group, they all looked up and saw Rex now standing over them, with both hands open, a large flame now swirling in front of his chest, growing larger with each second.

“You have to be kidding me, is that the meteor strike?” Markus said, his eyes growing wide in fear, he knew if the spell was completed, they would all perish, a little part of him was shocked that Rex could even produce such a spell, knowing of only 3 other beings powerful enough to even attempt it.

“Finish them my son,” Telagus said, watching with glee as Rex was performing magic even he was not able to wield in his time.

Staring at the group blankly for a second longer, Rex worked to finish the spell, and as it neared completion, he raised it above his head, Marcia, Ley and Markus closed their eyes.

*

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“Stop body, stop, no don’t,” Rex called out from his mind space desperately, watching the events unfolding without any power to stop himself.

“I have waited a very long time for this day worm,” Telagus said with a wide smile, drunk in the moment of watching Rector about to perish.

*

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Just as Rex extended his fingers to be able to release the spell, a small form leapt onto his back, breaking his concentration for a moment.

“Finish the spell Rex,” Telagus commanded, not taking his eyes from the group on the ground, and after a few more moments of waiting and not seeing his word followed, he repeated it once more while looking up, “What are you doing? Finish this…AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!”

A black swirl engulfed them both, Telagus could be heard through the fog still screaming loudly in pain, it disappearing after a few seconds, revealing Telagus now kneeling gripping his head with gritted teeth and his eyes closed and Rex was still standing, his hands on his knees to support himself.

“What the…what broke the spell?” Rex stammered, feeling a sudden rush of emotions all at once, ‘Fear, anger, confusion, love? What on earth is going on?’ he asked himself, his mind reeling once it was his own again.

“Rex, kill them!” Telagus screamed in a shrill voice, trying to regain control as his mind felt like it was being ripped in two.

“No,” Rex panted in an irritated tone, he felt like he had run a marathon, and with his entire body now aching and as the fogginess he had in his mind had begun to clear up, he felt a niggling pain from the side of his head, absentmindedly bringing his hand up to rub it to try and make the pain disappear, as he did he felt something odd, and as he felt around it, the shape of the object appeared in his mind, “Why do I have an earring?”

“That was me Rex, I am sorry."