Zest - Redblack Gate of Diamonds [part 2]

Taking his chance, Pearce came for an attack. Having no time to block nor dodge, Sir Burns snapped his free fingers low on the ground and sent a force of quick lightning magic. The magic touched the soil on which Pearce had stood, and exploded in a black electrical wave. The young man's attack never came home as he was blown away by the explosion.

Still, the old knight had no time to rest. He glimpsed Zest swinging his sword only for half a heartbeat, but was still able to prepare a counter-measure. Oddly, it was a different dance of sword than the one he had with his son. Compared to Pearce's, Zest's movements were utterly unpredictable, whether it was the direction he took, the speed, or the style pattern of this young man's attacks, Sir Burns could only barely caught his own katana on the sword's quick cuts, each time gradually becoming more dangerous than the one before.

Sir Burns would have attacked, but every time he was about to do so, Levia would knowingly shoot her arrows, forcing the knight to cancel his attack on Zest, as he would need to dodge them first. It was a difficult situation and it could get worse faster than he liked. Blocking Zest's attacks and constantly minding when and where Levia would shoot him should not be taken too long, lest these kids would develop tactical understanding and learn what he would do next.

The old man gritted his teeth as he heard the steps coming from behind him would be from his son Pearce, who had recovered himself from the previous magical blow. Two men in melee combat, he could handle. But not whilst watching out for arrows as well. Sir Burns needed to do something to stop Levia first.

Zest tried his best to continuously deliver decisive attacks on this man, but it seemed to him that Sir Burns could never get tired. In quick pauses, Zest would saw the old man whisper a chant of spell to empower himself up over and over again, yet he could not understand what it was for.

Pearce had come again, preparing himself for a series of attacks of his own on his father. Zest saw this and was determined as well. If the three of them would take on him together, perhaps they would have a chance to win after all. The young man readied himself for a slash. However, Sir Burns had predicted this all. He swiftly cast a rat-link spell for both Pearce and Zest, making it so when the two of them did similar actions, the spell would activate and blast them away from each other.

And so it did, when the two friends came for a joint attack, the rat-link spell blasted out a surge of uncontrollable lightning-based magic from their weapons. It blew off in a magical impact, knocking them three feet away from each other.

It was during this time that Sir Burns turned his attention to Levia, who had shot another arrow, only to be dodged by the knight. He waved his hand low and cast another spell. This time a binding lightning spell. A magical power in the form of gigantic handmade of lightning came forth from the ground where the knight waved his fingers. The electrical hand struck Levia and bound her on its grip. She screamed as the magic electrocuted her.

"Levia!" both Zest and Pearce called out when they saw that.

But it was the voice of another man that took Sir Burns' attention away. The voice of King Guinn.

"Don't you dare hurt her, Burns!" he yelled.

The old knight turned around and saw the man already charging at him. It took some time for the King to defeat the two elite guardsmen, but still, he did. Sir Burns raised his katana to meet the attack, but then King Guinn raised his hand and cast a spell. A wave of bluish magical flame blew off from his hands in a powerful force, and it was simply unavoidable.

Sir Burns took the magic attack right on and was knocked away by it. He grazed the ground as he fell, almost reaching the pit of the fiery magma. His magic was inevitably deactivated, and Levia was set free.

Sir Burns stood slowly. "These three kids were never a challenge," he said, pulling out the arrow from his shoulder calmly and patting himself off of dust and debris.

"Come, Guinn. See if you can avenge your friends that I have killed. They were no match for me, your knights and generals. For only the weak would follow the weak. You were not supposed to win that war you had with Lancelot, Guinn. You were always the weaker of the two, Gavienus told me."

King Guinn helped Levia stood on her legs again, but it was clear that she's badly hurt and would be unable to continue fighting.

"I knew Gavienus is somehow involved in all this." the King said in a sad tone.

Zest wondered who this Gavienus was, as he thought he had heard that name before in the past, but could not remember it. His thoughts, however, was distracted when the King suddenly called out to him in a low tone. "Zest."

The young man raised his head to the King of Crypthin. "Yes, Your Grace?"

"Listen, son. I want you to leave this fight and go to the deeper caves of this underground. Levia cannot go and Pearce needs to fight his father here with me."

"Deeper caves?" Zest was unsure. He saw Sir Burns grinned as he started approaching them slowly.

"Yes, Zest. My wife and children are there as well. Along with my niece the Witch."

"C-Children?" Zest repeated in shock. "Even little Prince Medrawt?"

The royal family… with the Witch?

The King gave him a stare and nodded. "The Witch would want to kill my family and you need to stop her, but worry not, son. Worry not. There will be someone who will help you fight her. Someone strong."

Someone? Someone strong?

Zest was doubtful and scared, but this was the first time the King himself had ever ordered him personally. It was also an honorable task of extreme importance. He would never refuse it for any reason. The young man finally nodded, "As you command." he said in a resolution.

"Thank you…" the King smiled. "Kneel. I will name you as a knight. Promise me you will protect them with your life, Zest." King Guinn said solemnly in final.

Zest took to his knee and pledged. "I will, my King."

"Now go, Sir Zest of Crypthin!" the man shouted. He and Pearce saw Sir Burns started charging, engulfed in his black magical aura as he came for a devastating attack.

Zest ran. Now he knew he needed to fight the Witch, the woman who had stolen his sister from him. He nodded to himself. Zest would ask the Witch where his sister is now, and why on earth had she kidnapped her in the past.