Lala was deflating back into her normal form. Stormbristle, Tamas, Jasssper, and Akun were all moving very quickly, down the skybox and out of the coliseum. They moved their way back down the steps, not just to beat the crowd, but also to reach their carriage as quickly as they could.

  “HEY!” A sharp cry drew Lala’s attention. The king marched his guards toward them, his gag in hand. Lala pointed her finger, but it was already the wispy finger she was used to seeing in the mornings. She turns to Stormbristle, “Any ideas?”

  Stormbristle turned around and floated in the air. There were guards the other side marching as well. As Sezami and his troops closed in, the bell in the stadium rang. The double doors opened, and the crowd vomited outside, creating a river of people between the king and the monsters.

  “Hey!” Screamed the King as he was caught in the current of people. He yelled to his guards, “Push past them!”

  The torrent was too strong. The guards could not break through. The monsters moved with the crowd, exiting through doors.

  “Who do you think won?” Lala asked nervously.

  “I’d like to think our boy did.” Storm said, “But we cannot hope to see them if we do not make it out of there!”

  Lala had reverted, but changed into Arribela. Akun had tied a string to Storm and kept him above the crowd like a balloon. Storm’s head hit the door frame as they traveled under it. As they got outside, Jasssper blew the whistle for the carriage. A dark vehicle pulled by nochtmares approached. Nochtmares were shadowy horses that moved at the speed of dark.

  “Oh, good!” Storm said, “You’re here!”

  Jasssper slithered into the carriage, Tamas slithered in too. Lala and Storm both halted before going in.

  “What are you doing? Get in!” Hissed Jasssper.

  “You all go, I’m going to go back in for Kip.”

  “I’ll come with you. I have to make sure he and my sister are okay.”

  “What!?” Cried Jaasssper, “You cannot expect to return!”

  Akun swiveled his chain back and forth. “I’m looking for some excuses to bust some humans’ heads. I’ll come too.”

  Jasssper watched out the back of the carriage as human guards poured into the streets and surrounded the carriage, all sticking up their spears and swords at the monsters in the confined space.

  “Shall we… sssurrender?” Asked Jasssper.

  Akun swiveled his chain over his head, “I’m still for head-bashing.”

  The king approached, “Just you try. I don’t care how many of my men you’d kill. Hundreds. Thousands. Hundreds of thousands. I would not stop until you went down. Right men?”

  There was a mixed reaction in the crowd.

  Stormbristle looked at Akun and shook his head. “Put it down, my boy. It seems they have us surrounded.”

  Akun stared at the pig and then at everyone else. He sighed and dropped his chain down, “If they lay their hand on… I’ll kill them if they touch us.”

  “Hey,” Said the king, “I promise if you come with me without duress, I won’t lay a hand on her. I’m a man of my word.”

  “Fine.”

  “Let us all… return to the skybox.”

  The king led them all back to the skybox, where he sat on his throne facing out at the empty stadium. He sat there with what were once his guests, who were now his captors. They all shifted uncomfortably as they waited for him to arrive. They all heard a knocking on the door from about waist height.

  “Let him in.” Said King Sezami. They opened the door, and Kip limped through. He looked up at everyone, “Hey, all! I leveled up!” As he did so, he waved his nub at them, still not having retrieved his arm from the battle.

  “That’s great, my boy,” said Storm.

  “Truly, an honor!” Jasssper insisted.

  Kip walked in. The guards half-led, half-pushed Kip inside. He walked toward the front of the skybox where King Sezami stared out at the empty field.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Your friends tried to escape.”

  “Can you blame them?” Kip asked, “You tried to take Lala from us.”

  “I did not try,” The king said, “I did. I told you if you won, I would keep her. But don’t worry. You’ll get your prodigy in Steerboil. After all…”

  “You’re a man of your word.” Said Kip, “Even if you are a brutal man. You hold by that value. Well, your highness. I change my request.”

  “To what?” The king asked. Kip moved his eyes and shifted his gaze to Lala. The king let out a sigh, “She’s more important to you than a potentially powerful wizard? True magic castors are rare. If he grew powerful enough, he could turn the tides of war. And yet you would still choose her over him?”

  “Her safety. Yes. guaranteed. I want her safety.”

  “You killed my best fighter anyway. Maybe you’d like to fight tomorrow?”

  He shook his head, “Sorry. I’ve got a kingdom to run.”

  The king looked over at Lala and said, “Fine. The baby gets his rattle. Are you happy? But if you think this will help human-monster relations, you’re dead wrong. Your boy couldn’t get into Steerboil without my say so, and how do you plan to get it now?”

  “I might have a solution.”

  A voice rang out from the door of the entrance of the skybox. Everybody turned around, recognizing the voice.

  Ironwood.

  “M-Marisola!?” Yelled Lala, who brushed past the guards and hugged her sister.

  “Ah!” Kip said, “There you are!”

  “B-but how!?” King Sezami demanded. “I saw you fall into lava!”

  “You saw my Missing Twin fall into lava,” Said Ironwood. It was a plan that Kip had concocted. Tell them, Kip.”

  “In the smoke,” Kip said as he took out his peeker’s monocle, “I used this to find her. The real her. I approached her and spoke to her. I mentioned we had all the ingredients for a daring stunt!”

  “But how did you escape?” The king asked.

  “In the cover of the smoke bombs, I let her know the plan. My hand held the key. Well.. the ring. Speaking of!”

  He turned. Ironwood tossed him his hand. He plugged it back into his arm. It fit like a glove. “So,” he said, “I told her real self to grab the ring and cut my hand off. I told her to launch it over to the tunnel. Once my hand was in the tunnel, I slipped off the ring with my detached hand.”

  “Wait…” The king said, “You can detach your hand and move it on its own? What kind of kobold does that?”

  Kip beamed, “I have no idea! But once I did that, I took off the ring. I slashed at her, pretended she was the Missing Twin, and she slipped the ring on in that instant. Acting like she disappeared, then I killed the fake twin.”

  “Yes,” Ironwood said, “Unfortunately for that boon, it only had one life. I won’t be able to use Missing Twin again. But it doesn’t matter. Everyone is getting what they wanted”

  The king harumphed, “Not everyone. Certainly not me. But also, Kip doesn’t get his precious prodigy into our glorious academic academy.”

  “I’d like to make a deal,” Said Ironwood, “You let this magical student into Steerboil, and I’ll come back.”

  The king laughed, “And why exactly would I care about that?”

  “What’s a better storyline than the old hero coming back from the dead? We could even put me in some new armor.”

  The king’s smile slowly slackened open to one of amazement. His mind turned at the possibilities, “It would distract my people for weeks. It might even be exciting enough to distract them from this war.”

  “What do you say?” Kip asked.

  The king thought about it before smiling and saying, “It’s only because I absolutely friggin love you guys.” Then he wrapped his arms around Kip and Ironwood and embraced them in a big hug. He looked at Lala and said, “No hard feelings, right?”

  They all got in their carriage. Lala turned to her sister, “I’m so sorry you can’t come with us.”

  “I know. It’s only a two-year contract. I’ll be able to visit. And soon, I’ll come with you all to join your dark empire. It is a better fit for a warlock like me, anyway.”

  Lala placed her forehead to her sister’s and said, “I will visit too.”

  They hugged, and she got in the carriage. Akun was waiting for her inside.

  Kip held out his hand to the king, and the king shook it. “I’m sorry things got out of hand. I appreciate you coming up with a solution for everyone.”

  “So.. you’ll let Julio come to steerboil?”

  “I can’t wait to have him. Now… I am a man of my word. I have something for you.”

  “What is it?”

  He handed Kip a dossier and gave it to him. On it, it said, “Dark Lord Whereabouts.”

  Kip gripped it so tightly his claws almost pierced through the dossier. He thanked the king and appreciated that they were at the start of a potentially complicated relationship. He got into the carriage and the nochtmares sped back home.

  Their carriage moved with the quickness of nightfall, only gaining more speed as the day gave way to dark. Kip stared at the dossier.

  “Are you going to open it?” Storm asked.

  “I think I have to,” Kip said

  “Open it, my boy. What are you waiting for?” Storm asked.

  “I’m just… I’m glad we got out of this with a big win,” Kip said.

  Kip opened the dossier. The monsters sitting on the same bench looked into the dossier.

  “What does it say?” Akun said, still resting on the other bench of the carriage.

  “All signs point to the Kingdom of Pyne. The northern kingdom.” Said Kip.

  “Pyne?” Jasssper asked.

  “What do we know about it?”

  “It’s by the equator. A warm country that is known for its ongoing cccivil war.”

  “Ulmun intelligence says he might be going to the city of Smoked.”

  Jasssper continued, “A tiny town known for its tobacco production.”

  Everyone sat in silence, processing the information before Tamas finally spoke up.

  “Huh, maybe he’s going for cigarettes.”

  The heavy night had fallen on Shangra. The party split up. Everyone was eager to head back to their respective floors. Kip decided it would be best to stop by his room in the labryinth to stay in before the night. There, one of the clockworks waited in the corner.

  “Kip! Salutations!”

  “Hello, Sprocket.”

  “I honor and respect our new metal overlord. I honor and respect your decision to bless the match.”

  “Sorry, Sprocket. It’s been a heck of a long two days. Your new metal overlord?”

  “Have you not ingested the news, Kip? The fight between Blademan and Zeke has concluded! Zeke lost! Blademan is now the permanent mob boss of the labyrinth!”

  Thank God,... Another...