Chapter 4

“Lizz, why have you put an earring on me? And why am I back in control of myself again?” Rex asked, eyeing Lizz suspiciously, not seeming to be able to let his hand move from the earring now firmly planted through his left-hand lower ear lobe.

“Show an outwards sign of an inwards change,” she replied with a smile, lifting her hand out in front of her to show a note crumpled in her palm.

“What are you talking about?” Rex asked, tilting his head with a half-smile, slightly confused.

“Whatever she has done will make no difference, I will still end you all!” Telagus interjected, pushing Lizz to the side, as he did Rex could feel pain and anger suddenly rise out of nowhere.

‘What the…it feels like the connection I share with the other girls…speaking of which where are they?’

While Rex seemed distracted by the flood of unfamiliar emotions, Telagus jumped at the opportunity that arose, thrusting his sword forward quickly toward Rex’s chest.

Once the sword had reached a mere inch from Rex, his eyes widened, ‘Oh shit, I got distracted!’ and began to jump backward in an attempt to create distance between himself and the approaching weapon, but too little too late as the sword continued on its path to finish him, as the blade broke his skin a huge black claw came from beside him, grabbing onto the blade, halting its momentum instantly, ‘Fafnir!’ Rex cried, recognising the claw instantly.

“What!! I locked you away!” Telagus screeched, also recognising the claw, frustrated at how close to his goal he was.

“You lost your hold over my prison when your spell on Rex was broken oh weak one,” a loud booming voice sneered, a few seconds later a large black smoke cloud burst from the other side of the black claw still holding the sword, revealing the rest of Fafnir’s huge frame, his glowing eyes fixed solely on Telagus, ‘Rex, let us dispose of this worm now once and for all!’

‘Gladly,’ Rex replied with a smile, rolling his shoulders as the cut he sustained from Telagus healed, leaving a faint scar line.

“AH! Why must you weaklings test me like this?” Telagus screeched wildly, now pacing back and forth.

“Let us assist you, my lord,” Ean said, appearing into view, his sword drawn at the ready.

“Silence! I will handle them myself, like last time!” Telagus screeched, shoving Ean back into line before turning and holding his hand out to his sword that Fafnir was still clutching in his claws, “Come here you stupid thing! Return to your master!”

“You no longer hold sway over Sküülen, after all, her name means ‘Most Powerful’, now it sees you as I do, weak and running short on power,” Fafnir growled, smiling and showing his huge teeth.

“I will prove my worthiness just as easily as before! Ean you worm, give me your sword!” Telagus yelled with a scowl, turning to face Ean with his hand out.

“But my lord, it will only answer to me…” Ean began to say, a look of shock written across his face at Telagus’s harsh words.

“I said to hand it over, NOW!!” Telagus screeched forcefully, hand still outstretched.

“Even losing control over your minions now, it’s no wonder Sküülen answers to Rex, right now he is much more powerful than you,” Fafnir taunted, handing the sword to Rex.

“I have Azulthaël’s sword, seems to work better for me right now,” Rex replied with a shrug, twirling the green-bladed sword around.

“See!? He is clueless, and does not deserve her loyalty!” Telagus jeered, “This will be easier than I thought.”

‘He speaks like the sword is alive,’ Rex said to Fafnir.

‘Take the sword, trust me on this, she will give you the edge you need,’ Fafnir insisted.

Sighing loudly, Rex reached out and grabbed a hold of the red pommel, and after Fafnir released his grip, he took a step back and smiled.

‘Well…nothing…’ Rex began to say, being cut short mid-sentence, his vision going dark.

*

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“No! She is mine!” Telagus screamed.

“What is he…?” Markus began to ask, but before he could finish his words a dark orb appeared above Rex, swallowing him into it, as it did, the orb started to swirl in a circular motion, turning a deep red after a few seconds.

“Whatever happens, do not allow anyone to interfere with this!” Fafnir growled loudly, charging Telagus.

*

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*

“What the…?” Rex said loudly as his vision began to clear, ‘I am getting very tired of not knowing where I am or why,’ he sighed.

“Hello Rex my dear,” a light sweet voice chimed out, pulling him away from his thoughts.

“Huh? Who’s there?” he asked, looking around, reaching down for his sword, growling when it was no longer on his hip.

“The monster slayer is not needed here,” the voice said in a strange happy tone.

“Sküülen?” Rex asked, still looking around, it had occurred to him that this had happened after he had taken the sword, so he deduced it must be the ‘her’ Fafnir and Telagus were speaking of.

“Strange way to say my name, but yes sweetness, it is me.”

‘Sweetness?’ he repeated in his head, he had never been called that before and it had taken him by surprise.

“Let us get down to business,” Sküülen said, the scenery changing to an ocean-side view, Rex feeling sand between his toes.

“What the?” Rex said, gasping from the shock of the sudden scene change.

“I prefer to see this over what Telagus wished to see.”

“Where are you?” Rex called out, checking from side to side, not wanting to be snuck up on.

“Right here,” she said, walking past Rex’s left side, startling him.

Once Rex had regained himself from the shock, he looked up and his jaw dropped, standing before him was a scantily clad blonde-haired woman, she had unblemished white skin, green eyes, hair that reached her middle back and was wearing a green bikini that barely covered her large breasts and lower pelvic area.

“This is what you’re used to seeing on a woman at the beach, yes?” Sküülen asked, looking down at herself before looking back up at Rex, with a smile on her face.

“Well…yeah, but I think what they wear covers a little more than that,” he gulped, ”Why the beach?” he asked, trying to change the topic.

“From what I’ve been able to ascertain, humans like the beach, I can see why,” she said looking around, still smiling, her facial features changing to serious so quickly Rex jumped back, “As you might already know, I am the spirit that resides inside of the sword. You were able to free me from Telagus, so I will assist you until I deem you unworthy, do you agree with my terms?”

“Huh? What terms?” Rex asked.

“We can get into that later, I will assist you in winning this battle for helping to free me, we can discuss the finer details of our contract at a later date, do you agree to my terms?” Sküülen persisted, her facial expression not changing.

“If I am getting myself into a contract, I want those finer details now,” Rex replied, his face turning serious, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance.

“If we were to begin to discuss it, I’m afraid you will not live to hear it to the entirety, which would be a shame, I have not had such a nice-looking master in decades,” Sküülen said, looking Rex up and down, a faint smile appearing on the edge of her mouth, “What shall it be, live now, listen later or listen now and perish.”

“Well, I don’t want to die,” Rex said sharply, he had many more plans and had not dreamed of it ending when everything was finally working itself out, but he was also worried about what this agreement entailed, ‘F**k, I’ll have to sort it out later, I need help winning and don’t want to die,’ he decided, “Very well Sküülen, we have a deal,” he said, holding his hand out to shake.

Sküülen closed the gap between herself and Rex so fast it shocked him enough that he instinctively tried to take a step back away from her, but Sküülen grabbed him so quickly and tightly, bringing him in so close to her that he could smell a faint scent of peaches and almonds.

“This is how we seal this deal sweetness” she whispered into his ear, turning back and pulling Rex’s face to her own, Rex feeling his lips begin to heat up as hers met his.

Rex’s vision darkened once more and as they cleared, he found himself in the middle of an intense battle between Fafnir and Telagus, being assisted by Deacon who was throwing black conjured magical spears at Fafnir.

‘About time young one! Now help me!’ Fafnir growled deeply as he swatted another spear Deacon threw at him, using his tail to attempt to strike Telagus at the same time.

‘Now sweetness, let me drink their blood in your name!’