Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18: Wade

Far, far away, in the city of Achakt, the dark-haired elf so well-known by the name of Nicolai, wakes with a start.

Damn it. No. I must tell Sarah. The doom forces are coming. THEY ARE COMING!!

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" says a relaxed voice from somewhere else in the dark room. "Whattcha screaming an' shouts about for?".

"Who are you?" asks Nicolai.

"Me? Good ol' meh? Meh be Wackiwade of deez landies sioy!" replies the voice in a somewhat gangster style.

"Wackiwade? That is a name?"

"No! Obvi it not a name! Wut kinda idi be you? Mah name's Wacky Wade!"

Nicolai wonders what happens, at the exact moment Philinus thinks of a possibility of why Nicolai might be still alive.

Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17: Trivial Triumph

For one quick second, Sarah stared in disbelief. By the next, Sarah had passed out.

Some time later, Sarah awoke in a room, accompanied by her friends and family. Oh gosh. So lethargic right now. I bet it was all a dream. Nicolai is okay. Nicolai is okay.

"Oh good, she's awake." A voice around Sarah said, but it was too soft to detect the speaker.

Sarah, having completely awoken from a great deal of lethargy, sits up on the soft bed on which she was lying down upon. "Whoa. What is going on here?"

"We've already taken Galgamath. Half our army is occupying Galgamath to ensure we don't get another attack like the one on Jaem Tu-" says William, before a scared look from Uriah cuts him off.

"Jaem Tuung? You mean that battle was real?!" exclaims Sarah. "Wait, where is Nicolai?"

Everyone remains silent. 

"W-w-w-wait. I-I-I k-killed Nicolai? But h-h-how? I-It w-was a stun sh-shot!"

"You may have not noticed, but Nicolai had an amplifier crystal (used to increase speed/damage of one's weapons) in his hand at that moment. The shot got amplified, and stunned Nicolai permanently, unfortunately." speaks the calm voice of Philinus just as Sarah bursts into tears. No one sees this great capture of Galgamath (haven taken three long years to accomplish due to insufficient power) as any accomplishment. The tragic mood in Jaem Tuung that day is mirrored by what happens in Doom City, where Doom, Rahcaz, and a dozen others are celebrating the death of a great hero.

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16: Tragedy Upon Tuung

Uriah falls from a tower, immediately alerting Sarah and William something has happened. Sarah heals Uriah, pulls out the arrows, and notices something wrong.

"This arrow is one of Nicolai's arrows! What would that be doing here?!"

Uriah mounts up on his griffin (something he has not been able to do so far, due to the perilous journey to Jaem Tuung), and Sarah and William exchange scared glances.

William charges, accompanied by Dvak, Ottokar, Sarah, Primo, Travis, and Jeremiah, who all happened to been in the area. Uriah and a group of cavalry (consisting of Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, and Percival) charge and immeaditely recognize Nicolai. A though strikes Sarah's mind. What if Nicolai has been brainwashed? Or possessed? Oh no.... DAMN IT! 

Nicolai is nothing like his normal self, firing arrows at insane speeds toward the guardians of Jaem Tuung. Nicolai utters something incomprehensible to the soldiers nearby, and they all charge.

At that moment, Sarah realizes something highly important. Nicolai has been... has been... Shadowbound?!?!

Being shadowbinded is not at all something good. It causes the victim to lose all previous memory and instantly follow the wishes of the shadowbinder.

"Special Ability! Rain of Arrows!" calls out Nicolai. A rain of arrows causes the heroes at Jaem Tuung to retreat.

Sarah, in a final act of desperation, blasts a holy shock intended to stun Nicolai.

The shot hurled toward him...

Time seemed to stop...

It hit Nicolai square in the chest...

Nicolai fell backwards...

And the battlefield was still as all of the Doom soldiers retreated, and the Central forces looked in amazement, as...

Nicolai was killed.

The 30-year old elven archer, renowned over many a continent was...

Dead.

Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15: Enmity 

Nicolai awoke in a dark room.

Urgh.... Why am I so exhausted? What did I do yesterday? Cause another raid upon another helpless village, like I am feeling right now? I wonder, what in the name of Elvidius [the elven god] is going on?

Nicolai realizes he is laying on a hard metal bed.

ARGH! That hurts so bad! Urgh...

"Huh? What's this note?" says Nicolai, noticing a crumpled up paper sheet on the floor.
The note read:

     Dear Myself, 

              I know you are reading this, and I want to tell you one thing. You have been 

             brainwashed. No matter what-DO NOT GO EVIL! 

                                                                                                    -Nicolai

                                                            

"Brainwashed? Really now, Is that the best you can come up with, Rahcaz? Nice joke and all, but really?" excalims Nicolai, as he crumples up the note.

A hooded man walks into the room. His voice comes out as a monotonous croak. "Nicolai. You have been ordered to attack a group of rebels currently in hiding at Jaem Tuung. A raid group will be waiting for you in Galgamath. Good luck, and do not fail us foolishly like Klem, Lavia, and Zenon did."

Nicolai, having received orders he agrees with, sets out for Jaem Tuung. That's strange. Why do I reckon I am about to attack Sarah, William, and Uriah. Wait, who are Sarah, William, and Uriah? Ah, must be my nerves.

In Jaem Tuung, Nicolai's disappearance and Sarah's sudden vision of Nicolai being brainwashed causes Sarah to awake with a start. 

"Oh no. Nicolai has been brainwashed. We need to save him now!" exclaims Sarah.

"Are you sure you weren't just dreaming? I felt a little woozy too, after that dark magic." replies Uriah.

Sarah is unsure, and the lot go back to sleep. 

The next day at 3:00 in the morning, seven arrows are fired directly at the gate of Jaem Tuung, killing all five guards and injuring Uriah, who was on lookout, in the leg twice.