Monster Battle

“Rise and Shine,” Johnny said throwing a pillow into Ace’s face

“Argh!” He groggily said. “Go away I need my sleep”

"No time." he grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the bed onto the floor.

"What the heck man."

"Come on" he kicked Ace. "Hurry or Kai will personally come down and kill us all for being on his territory." He got up and looked across the room only to see Laureline staring at him ready to go.

"You guys are up already!??"

"Sorry I didn't want to disturb you, you looked so peaceful Laureline gushed."

"I would have woken you up sooner but she insisted." Johnny rolled his eyes in the girl's eyes.

Ace got up only to ache all over from the previous day.

"Aggghhhh everything hurts," Ace whined.

"Walk it off man we need to get going."

Laureline threw on her black cloak to hide her face as Ace begrudgingly went and got ready. After collecting their belongings the three started to make their way out of the Inn being careful to avoid eyes and unnecessary conversations. The three then started the journey to Cerulean.

“Man, this forest is huge!” Ace said in awe.

“Yeah, it is,” Johnny said.

"But.." Johnny took out his map…"If we take a shortcut through the woods this way we'll get to the Princess’s home way faster. It's going to be harder, can you do it, Princess?"

She glared at him. "Oh course I can I'm a Princess not helpless."

"Yeah, she can hold her own she's a very capable individual," Ace added.

She tried to hold back a creeping smile and looked at the ground.

After a while of trudging deeper into the wild terrain, they came to a small creek.

“Let's rest here for a while and rest. I'm kind of tired." Johnny said.

They all set down their belongings. Ace took off the red jacket he was wearing and laid it on top of a big flat rock.

“Here,” he said gently “so you don't have to sit on the dirty rock.”

She curtseyed, "Why thank you, kind sir."

He held out his hand to help her onto the rock Laureline gracefully took his hand. When her hand touched his Ace felt as if he had an electrical current running through him. They both sat down to rest and Johnny walked a few feet away from the two and sat on the ground laying his head back on the rock.

"Johnny, can you finally tell me what this whole Prince Kai thing is?"

"Why don't you ask your little Princess here why she's so hated?" Johnny replied closing his eyes basking in the sun. He turned to Laureline.

"You mean you live here and you don't know what's going on?" she asked shocked.

"Let's just say I'm not originally from here he said looking upward."

"Wha.."She stopped. "Never mind. I guess I can fill you in. Where should I start?"

"Who is Prince Kai?"

She sighed "Prince Kai is the next in line for the throne of Zoul and let's just say he's known for being extremely cruel, heartless, and powerful. He's in charge of the kingdom's army. Right now their king is very sick so he's pretty much taken over the whole kingdom. Anyways his kingdom is the second most powerful kingdom right after mine and what that man wants more than anything is to have complete control over the entire Land. So we’re at war, if he defeats us Kai will take over everything and set everything on fire. She said fear in her eyes.

"Why does he want complete control?"

"Cause he’s corrupt. Let's just say he... Has his own ideas about what a true ruler should be like. Anyway, he can't directly attack my Kingdome so he's been targeting all the surrounding cities capturing and imprisoning innocent people to make people join his side in this war. If they refuse he destroys that city or town to the ground.

"That's awful. But how is it that your kingdom is protected?" Ace asked.

"It’s…"

"And how come you left that protection?"

"Ummm it’s…."

"Why tear apart these towns?"

"Well……"

(Screeeeecccchhhhhhh)

“What is that!!!!” they both turned their heads

“I don’t know!!!!!” Laureline said.

Johnny immediately jolted out of his power nap. "We need to go!!!!!"

"What!!! Why???" Ace asked.

"Oh no!!!", Laureline said

"Oh no what!!??"

"The monsters!!! I forgot about them!!!"

Ace quickly remembered when he first arrived at the tavern that had displayed a strange beast’s head on the wall. Oh man, I thought that was fake! No way something that weird is real! It looked like rubber. Then again this whole fiasco is pretty hard to believe.

The ground started to shake. And small rubble was beginning to move. What the heck did we walk into? Ace thought. All three of them froze in place.

Thump Thump Thump (Screech) the same high-pitched squeal was sounded as a giant beast approached. The beast looked to be like a giant lion with scales instead of fur along with horns in replace of its mane. With teeth as sharp as daggers. Ace started to panic, This is it man we're gonna die!!!! I don't know how to fight and I sure as h*ll can't run from this thing. Ace thought. He looked at Johnny mortified to see that he also looked mortified.

"I knew there were monsters but I didn’t expect we run into Noclanx. They go for anything, anytime, anywhere." Johnny said.

Ace looked over at Laureline who had gone completely pale. The beast locked eyes on the three. And screeched that piercing call. Ace covered his ears. The three slowly started to back away from the beast only to be met with the stream behind them. The beast quickly started to pick up pace and run with full force quickly shortening the distance between them.

Laureline quickly shut her eyes. “I can’t look.” She started to breathe faster and faster till she started to hyperventilate. She then quickly crouched to the ground and started to lose it.

Ace quickly reacted and grabbed his sword from his pile of belongings ready to try and protect the princess. Johnny also reached for his lower pant leg and pulled out a long knife. They both stepped in front of Laureline ready to fight. Johnny threw the knife over his head and immediately pushed the dagger into the creature who was caught off guard at the pain. It roared angered and stood up on its back legs. Ace frightened swung randomly toward the beast hoping he would somehow land a hit. Successful he hit the beast's leg.

"I hit it!… Aghhhhhh" Ace screamed in pain.

The beast had swung its paw and razor-sharp claws met with Ace’s flesh. All he could smell was copper. He looked down to see his shirt and hands oozing with blood.

" I'm really bleeding,.... Ha..ha.hahahah."

"Snap out of it man!" Johnny said. "He swiftly ran towards the beast gaining its attention."

"Now Ace strike!!!!!" Johnny commanded.

Ace snapped back and swung his sword again slicing the beast on its back. The beast turned around and looked at Ace, agitation in its eyes as smoke came out of its nose. 

"Dude it's smoking!!!!!!" Ace said baffled."

"Not good man not good." 

Johnny then jumped onto the beast's back and tried to stab out its eye. The beast not having it, grabbed hold of Johnny and swiftly tossed him into the river where he hit his head on a rock making him pass out cold. Laureline gathered her senses and went to fetch Johnny out of the river. 

Ace swallowed hard. "I'm gonna die right here right now." He closed his eyes "Well if I'm gonna die might as well give my last performance." He held onto the sword tighter and began to sing.

Hands shaking he sang with all his heart. Laureline looked over at the singing bard in utter shock. 

"Why is he singing..at a time like this."

The shaking sword in Ace’s hand slowly became steady and the metal blade began to glow with a light radiant beam.

Laureline's eyes went wide “I found him. He's real!” She covered her mouth with her hand in shock.

Ace paused noticing the sword felt lighter in his hands. He continued to sing and began to swing the sword as if he had trained all his life in the art of sword fighting. Almost as if the sword was telling him what to do. He took a step closer and successfully chopped off the beast's arm. It squealed in anguish and tried to attack Ace again but Ace successfully dodged the attack. And then as if the sword had moved itself, propelled itself into the heart of the beasts. Ace’s hands started to shake from the feeling of impaling a living creature and he saw the blood dripping from the wound. The beast stopped in its tracks and howled as it slowly slumped to the ground. It lay there twitching until it died. Ace finished his song as the light emitting from the blade slowly started to dim. Ace slumped to the ground energy completely drained.

“YOU!” Laureline gasped.

Ace’s eyes slowly closed as he passed out.