Chapter 4

The blond haired woman was annoyed that the boy had gotten in her way of killing the she-elf, but who cared? The boy didn't matter anyway. She had already captured Larkin that's all she had to do, really.

"XAIN!!" yelled Larkin, still in her hand.

"Oh, shut up. You don't really care about him, do you? If you did, you wouldn't have stayed with him," she said, still bored but mostly satisfied that she had gotten the man she came for.

"IRONHELM GUARD, LET GO OF THE MAN AND STAND DOWN!" yelled the guards.

"Oh, yeah, them. I should probably kill them too," she thought as she raised her free hand at them.

As she raised her hand to attack, she noticed something moving in her peripheral vision, where she had burned the boy. It was coming towards her. *Likely the she-elf.* But she didn't care. Her shield would protect her.

However, instead of a dagger slash or stab, a punch came at her. "Ah, yes, thank you for burning yourself. It makes it easier fo—" Her words were abruptly cut off as she was punched in the face, causing her grip on Larkin to loosen.

Larkin took advantage of the situation to create distance between them, preparing to launch another attack at the woman in front of him. However, what he saw next left him shocked and breathless. "Xain?" Larkin uttered in disbelief as he observed Xain standing there, assuming a fighting stance in front of the blond woman completely unharmed.

Xain's mind raced with a mix of disbelief, confusion. *How am I still alive?* he wondered, the memory of the fiery phoenix engulfing him still fresh in his mind. But despite the uncertainty, he gathered his resolve. *Well, I managed to land a hit somehow, but what now?* he pondered, feeling the weight of the situation. Suddenly, a boastful voice echoed in his head, claiming, *Ha! As if such petty magic can harm ME.*

"Who or what the heck just talked in my head?" Xain wondered, momentarily distracted by the mysterious voice. However, his attention quickly snapped back to the imminent danger as he noticed a fireball inches from his face. Resigned to his fate, he thought, *Well, I guess I die now. I highly doubt I will somehow survive this time.*

Only to survive once again.*Like I said, things like that won't affect me," the boastful voice echoed once more. "Now kill this insufferable woman, you ape," it continued. Startled by the voice, Xain retorted, "What? No! I don't know who you are, but I can't just kill someone because a voice in my head told me to." Surprisingly, he found himself oddly accepting of the strange situation.

*Then knock her out, at the very least, you ape. I will give you the power to do so,* the voice said, now sounding annoyed. "First of all, stop calling me ape. Second of all, what do you mean you can give me powers? Wait, who even are you?" Xain said, his confusion growing, but his readiness to fight still intact.

"How are you surviving my fire?" said the blond woman, looking interested for the first time. "Though looking around, the situation is not in my favor. I will retreat for now, but I will come back," she said. Turning around, she added, "My name is Amara. After what you just did, you deserve to know that." A torrent of flames surrounded her as she vanished.

Xain relaxed his body, no longer in a fighting stance. "Glad we didn't have to fight her, right guys?" Xain said to Zee, Larkin, the Ironhelm Guard, and the voice inside his head whoever that is. However, his words were cut short as Zee suddenly squeezed him in a tight hug. "Ahg, ack, Zee, I can't breathe," he managed to say, struggling for breath. Zee, with tears in her eyes, exclaimed, "You're alive, you're alive! Why did you take the fire in my place?" Larkin chimed in, "Goddess sake, you nearly gave me a heart attack, kid. But how the hell did you survive that twice?" he asked, bewildered.

Xain freed himself from Zee's grasp and began explaining, "Oh yeah, right. I should probably tell you about that. It was a vo--" However, his words were interrupted as the guard, who had approached them while they were talking, moved in and handcuffed their hands. An officer sternly addressed them, "You are all under arrest for multiple suspected crimes. You will come with us and provide full disclosure of everything, especially YOU!" The officer pointed directly at Xain.

"Ah, poop! I mean, this had to happen sometime, but ugh, just great," Xain muttered in frustration. *Just kill these things. They aren't anywhere close to the woman from earlier in strength or power,* the voice inside his head suggested. *Okay, seriously, who the heck are you?* Xain yelled inside his own head, desperate to know the identity of the entity residing in his mind apparently.

*There is no need to yell, ape. I will tell you who I am in due time,* the voice replied, its tone mysterious. *Alright then, get ready,* Xain said. *Ready for what?* the voice asked, sounding confused. *AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH,* Xain yelled in his own head, realizing that the voice can hear his inner thoughts as loudly as he thinks them.

*OKAY, SHUT UP! I said shut up!* the voice yelled in Xain's head. *Okay, I'm quiet, now tell me who you are,* he said in his thoughts, thinking normally again.

*Prepare yourself, ape, for what you are about to hear will shock you. I am the one who once threatened this world and brought it to its knees. I alone make the very nations of this world tremble in fear for I AM THE GREAT DEMON LORD ERCALE.*

*....who?*