It had been half an hour since Gary left to confront the intruders, and every minute that passed felt like an eternity. My heart hammered in my chest, torn between the urge to help him and the command he'd given me to stay hidden. "Stay here," he had said, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument. I hated it. Every part of me screamed to rush out there, to stand by his side, but I was frozen in place, my body betraying my courage.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of horses in front of Gary's house, their hooves echoing ominously. Voices followed—muffled but unmistakably authoritative. My blood ran cold. Who were they? Could they be the King's knights, or worse, enemies laying a trap to capture me?
I crouched lower in the storeroom, straining to hear. My pulse quickened as I made out a snippet of their conversation: "Find the boy in the house. I'll check the back." A chill ran down my spine. They were looking for me. My hands trembled with fear, a cold sweat trickling down my face. I had only seconds before they found me. Why couldn't I move? Why couldn't I call upon some power to help Gary and myself? I cursed my powerlessness, anger and fear warring within me.
Footsteps approached, growing louder with each heartbeat. Someone was coming. I peered through a small hole in the closet door, catching a glimpse of a man entering the storeroom. He moved methodically, his eyes scanning every corner. I shrank back into the darkness, hoping against hope that he wouldn't find me.
But then he turned, moving toward the closet. My heart pounded in my chest, louder than the clomping boots on the floor. This was it. If he found me, I would have no choice but to fight, despite the terror coursing through me. I steeled myself, preparing to strike as soon as he opened the door. "You can do it, Mike," I whispered to myself. "You have to."
But just as his hand reached for the closet handle, another voice called from outside. "Hey, get over here!" The man paused, muttering a curse before turning away to see what the other needed. I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, sagging with relief. Maybe they wouldn't find me after all.
But then, without warning, the closet door was ripped open with a crash. A knight stood there, grinning with a sinister glee. "Did you really think I didn't see you, boy? I was just toying with you." Before I could react, he reached in and yanked me out by my collar, his fist connecting with my face in a brutal punch. Stars exploded behind my eyes as I stumbled, the room spinning around me.
I staggered, but managed to regain my footing, driven by sheer desperation. I swung my fist at him, landing a blow on his jaw, but it barely fazed him. He laughed, an ominous sound that sent chills down my spine. "Is that really a punch, boy?" he mocked, grabbing my arm with ease. Before I could even attempt another strike, he slammed my head against the wall. Pain exploded in my skull, and everything went black.
When I came to, my head throbbed with a relentless, blinding pain. I tried to move, but my arms and legs were bound. Blinking through the haze, I realized I was on the back of a horse, being carried away. My heart sank. I had failed.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Gary was fighting with a ferocity I had never seen before. His fire sword blazed in the fading light as he faced off against Steve, the leader of the knights. "I have a surprise for you, old man," Steve sneered, gesturing to something in the distance.
I couldn't see what he meant, but Gary's eyes flickered with worry. He fought on, cutting through the ranks of knights, but their numbers were overwhelming. Even with his extraordinary skill, they began to wear him down. Yet, with every blow, every attack he dodged, Gary fought as if he had something left to protect.
"Steve, are you too scared to fight me?" Gary taunted, his voice carrying over the clamor of battle.
Steve smirked. "Don't push your luck, old man."
Gary's eyes burned with determination. "I am pushing my luck," he said, raising his flaming sword. "Let's see you fight like a man." With a roar, he unleashed a powerful "Fire Sword Strike," a wave of flames that incinerated the remaining knights. The effort left him drained, his breath ragged, but he still stood tall. "Come on, Steve!" he bellowed.
Steve finally stepped forward, his face twisted in an amused sneer. "You look tired, old man," he jeered.
Gary gripped his sword, unyielding. "I'll crush you."
The sun was low, casting an eerie red glow over the barren plains where Old Man Gary stood, his back to the wind, the Fire Sword held firm in his calloused hands. The air hummed with tension, the kind that comes before a storm—before bloodshed. His eyes, though aged, burned with the same unyielding fire that had once carved legends into the hearts of men. Across from him stood Steve, the evil king's enforcer, his armor dark as the night that was slowly creeping in.
"You're a fool, Gary," Steve hissed, his voice as venomous as the serpents that adorned his chest plate. "You think your fire can burn through me? You should've stayed in the shadows where relics like you belong."
Gary said nothing. His breath was steady, his gaze unwavering. He'd fought countless battles, seen empires rise and fall, but nothing weighed on him like this. Mike. The boy. The future. He had left him behind in the cottage, hidden from the evils of this world. But the moment Steve had arrived, Gary knew it would only be a matter of time before the darkness sought out the light.
In a flash, Steve charged, his twin blades singing through the air. But Gary was ready. His Fire Sword met Steve's steel with a resounding clash that echoed across the field. Sparks flew, flames erupted from the sword's edge, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.But Gary's heart clenched—not from the exertion, but from fear. Where was Mike?
The battle raged on. Steve was a whirlwind of strikes, his moves calculated and merciless. Gary's movements, though slower with age, were precise and deliberate. He summoned torrents of fire, swirling them around his sword, forcing Steve back time and again. But Steve's confidence never wavered, and that worried Gary more than the blades cutting through the air. There was something else. Something wrong.
And then he saw it.
From the corner of his eye, emerging from the shadows behind Steve, a figure. Small, fragile, with his hands bound and eyes wide with fear. Mike.
"No," Gary whispered, his heart sinking like a stone.
Steve grinned, sensing the old man's distraction. "You thought you could hide him from us? The king always gets what he wants."
Mike's eyes locked with Gary's, pleading silently for help. Steve jerked the boy forward, making him stumble to his knees in the dirt. The evil man's sword hovered just inches from the boy's neck, its sharp edge glinting in the fading sunlight.
"Make one move," Steve sneered, "and I'll slice him open before your eyes."
For the first time in decades, Gary felt powerless. His entire body trembled—not from fear, but from the unbearable weight of the choice he now faced. He had fought for so long, burned through so many enemies, all to protect this boy, this innocent soul who had the potential to change the world. To defeat the evil king. And now, it all came down to this moment.Gary lowered his sword.
Steve laughed, a cruel, hollow sound. "Good. Now, old man, kneel before me. Kneel, and I might just let the boy live long enough to see his own execution."
Gary's knees buckled under him, but not from submission. His mind raced. His power—his fire—had never failed him. But there was something Steve didn't know. The Fire Sword didn't just burn for battle. It burned for life. For sacrifice.
"Mike," Gary rasped, his voice barely audible over the wind. "Listen to me. You are stronger than you know. Stronger than me. Remember that. Always."
Tears streamed down Mike's face, but he nodded, his lips trembling. "Gary... please..."
Without another word, Gary summoned every ounce of his power. Flames erupted around him, encasing his body in a storm of fire so intense that the air itself shimmered. He charged at Steve with a renewed fury, his sword blazing as he unleashed attack after attack. Steve struggled to keep up, the overwhelming force of Gary's flames searing his skin even through his armor.
But Gary knew what had to be done. He could feel his body giving out, the toll of the battle and his age finally catching up to him. There was no time left. He had to act now.
In a final, desperate move, Gary thrust his sword into the ground, sending a shockwave of fire into the earth. The ground beneath Steve exploded in a geyser of flame, sending him flying back. Gary turned, his body trembling with exhaustion, and rushed to Mike's side. The boy stared up at him, eyes wide with confusion and fear.
Gary knelt beside him, placing a hand on Mike's shoulder. His fire, once wild and untamed, began to flow into the boy, enveloping him in a warm, protective light.
"Gary, no..." Mike whispered, tears welling in his eyes. "You can't do this."
Gary smiled, a sad, knowing smile. "Mike, you are destined for greatness. You are kind, and now... you are strong. Stronger than I ever was. You have the heart of a king."
The fire from Gary's body continued to flow into Mike, the boy's frame trembling as he absorbed the power. Gary's own flame was dimming, fading, but he didn't care. Mike would live. Mike would carry on the fight.
With one final breath, Gary whispered, "Find a man called Jon... He'll guide you. He'll help you... when I'm gone."
The last of Gary's strength left him, and with it, his body crumbled, turning to ash in the wind. His flame, once a beacon of hope, was gone. All that remained was the memory of his fire... and the power he had passed on to Mike.
Mike stood in the center of the battlefield, his heart heavy with sorrow, but his body alight with the power of the man who had sacrificed everything for him. Tears fell, mixing with the ash of Gary's remains.
Steve staggered to his feet, his eyes wide with disbelief. The boy had changed. The power within him was unlike anything Steve had seen before. Mike raised his hand, now glowing with the fire that once belonged to Gary, and with a fierce cry, he unleashed a torrent of flame that engulfed Steve, the flames burning hotter than the sun.
As Steve's scream faded into the wind, Mike stood alone, the weight of his new power heavy on his shoulders.
Gary was gone, but his spirit lived on in Mike. And Mike knew, deep down, that he would honor Gary's legacy. He would become the strongest king this world had ever seen.But first, he had to find a man called Jon.