With answers, and little to no direction, Leonardo and Evangeline gathered their thoughts at the crumbled remains of a fountain.

  “Do you think there are any more survivors?” Leonardo asked.

  “I can check.”

  “Check how?”

  “Oh Leonardo, do I have the spell to show you.” Evangeline said before Iridescent violet rune’s circled Evangeline’s palm as she slammed it into the dirt. Her body pulsed once, then nothing – leaving Leonardo confused.

  Evangeline then stood back up,

  “T-there are no survivors,” She hesitated. “But I may have found something” Evangeline declared.

  She paced down the streets, Leonardo quickly following suit.

  “H-How? And the runes were so??”

  “It’s actually simple sound magic, letting myself see using vibrations. Pretty cool huh” Evangeline beamed proudly.

  “Like Toph from Avatar!?”

  “Is this one of those “shows”.” Evangeline asked.

  “It’s a must watch. I’ll show you when I figure out how to charge my phone with lightning magic.”

  “I can’t wait”

  “Could you teach me that spell.” Leonardo pleaded.

  Evangeline chuckled nervously, “simple wasn’t the best word for that spell. Maybe when you’re a bit more experienced.”

  “Come on, please!” Leonardo pleaded

  “Leo, now is not the time.”

  “Come on.”

  “Leo look.”

  Evangeline said pointing forwards.

  Leonardo’s face of wonder dropped, as a horror entered his peripheral.

  Corpses stacked- bloodied, mutilated, rotten. Mothers, fathers, children, all crammed together into a grotesque mound that mocked the lives they once held. The stench was suffocating, a foul mixture of meat, rot, and waste that festered in the air.

  Leonardo stood frozen. His face, pale and empty, betrayed nothing. No reaction. No expression. Almost as if it had been wiped clean. Yet behind those hollow eyes, emotions churned violently, threatening to break through. The sight tested his resolve, clawed at his spirit. He wanted to gag, to scream, to collapse- yet he remained still. Only the wide dilation of his pupils revealed the storm raging within.

  Evangeline traced the pavement of the street, looking at pile after pile lined up. Where the bodies ended, blotches of blood remained, until what seemed like the road’s end. Her steps were steady, though her hand lingered a heartbeat too long on the hilt of her wand. “Ah”

  Evangeline hurried back,

  “Leo”

  No response.

  “Leo”

  Still nothing.

  “LEO!”

  He didn’t answer. She then proceeded to shake him violently.

  “Yo, what the hell!”

  She’d then stop.

  “You weren’t responding to me, I was in your face calling your name.”

  “W-wha… I must’ve zoned out sorry.”

  “Leo. Do you need a moment, this kind of thing can be a little… hard to process.”

  “It’s ok. I’m good to go.”

  “If you say.” Evangeline paused, “I have a lead. These piles of corpses aren’t here for show. They’re neatly packed as if to be collected.” She’d then point beyond the roads end, “I’m sure the demons will be back here to collect the others. So, we just have to wait.”

  “That sounds easy enough.”

  “Let’s take up shelter in one of these houses.”

  They’d make their way into the least damaged of the surrounding buildings. Entering the door they noticed an almost untouched living room, with furniture mostly in place. The two would immediately head upstairs, entering inside a mostly bare room, decorated with 3 beds and a fallen wardrobe.

  “I guess this is us.” Leonardo sighed.

  He dropped to the floor and leaned against the nearest wall. Evangeline joined him and both began to stare towards the other end of the room. Absorbed in nothing, staring blankly at the window opposite them.

  For a while they said nothing. However, Leonardo eventually broke the silence,

  “This is all a little fucked. What did those villagers do to deserve that.”

  “It’s painful… I know. But that’s why we’re here. That’s why you’re here. So, we can make sure this present doesn’t become the future.”

  “I knew it’d be bad, but I. I just. I didn’t know it’d be this bad. I just hope me being brought here wasn’t a mistake.”

  “Leo, don’t hope. Don’t wonder. Don’t predict. All you can do, is just do. So do your best, and I’m sure you’ll never fail.”

  “Thank you, Eva.”

  The room soon fell silent again. It was eerie yet strangely serene. And soon, Leonardo found himself drifting off and falling asleep.

  His vision clouded by darkness.

  *****

  Light enveloped the darkness, shifting into stone walls and marble flooring. The new room exuded elegance, especially the red drapes, and tinted windows that hung the walls. In front of Leonardo, a man stood on an elevated step above a round table, where 4 figures covered in a dark mist sat.

  The man spoke to filled room of seated silhouettes. Though, loud the words carried no meaning, almost like it was censored.

  This is a strange dream. I’ve never been a spectator before

  He’d look to his left, meeting eyes with Evangeline? Unlike the rest, her gaze carried acknowledgement,

  “Leo? Ok, wasn’t expecting that dream turn.” Evangeline commented.

  “That’s insane because your actually in my dream.” Leonardo chuckled.

  “No I’m pretty sure I’m the one who’s dreaming.”

  “I guess I’ll let the dream person believe they’re real”

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  “No, I’m not the dream person. I’m real!”

  “And why can it not be both of you?” Interjected a calm voice.

  Turning away from one another, the man in front had turned, clad in a set of golden armour that shined almost as much as his glossy golden hair.

  “What you see is no mere dream. Dreams are but the wanderings of the mind. This… is vision, wrought with purpose.”

  “A vision? I feel like I should know who you are.” Leonardo said thinking deeply.

  “I am Arthur Pendragon, and through duty your forebear. By my will you stand here, for this is our first and final meeting.”

  “Why final?” Evangeline asked.

  “My charge is fulfilled; I have lent my hand within my hall. Now I must depart this world. Yet one plea I leave with you: deliver Lancelot from his fate.”

  “Could you not give us any directions or maybe hints for our future?” Leonardo critiqued.

  “That burden lies with the others. For now, your path lies elsewhere. Go.”

  “Ok but why are your answers creating more quest-”

  “Now awaken.” He declared with urgency. A swipe of his cape threw the two backwards. Leonardo fell backwards, through the floor and back into darkness.

  *****

  Leonardo and Evangeline would snap awake. Alert and focused. Almost as if reading each other’s mind, the two got up and peered out into the street. Dwarf-like creatures carried the stacks of carcasses onto a large cart.

  “They have numbers, but they look weak, this should be easy.” Leonardo commented.

  “You must’ve not looked to the left.”

  Looking further, Leonardo noticed it. It’s large, aged horns raised above the houses, while it’s wide frame wrapped in dark fur barely fit inside the street. It’s red eyes lazily observed the small creatures’ actions as it leaned against a nearby store. It was a giant minotaur.

  “YO!” Leonardo yelped, falling onto his butt.

  “It’s ok Leo. You handle the small guys, I’ll try restraining the big guy.”

  “But Eva, look at the size of that thing. I couldn’t let you take it alone.”

  “Leonardo, I think you forget you’ve barely been in this world, but this is my life.”

  Leonardo would nod. He’d get back up and prepare himself mentally for the battle to be. The two would then discuss their respective plans before Eva asked,

  “Ready?”

  A simple nod led Evangeline to blew off the wall, dragging attention her way. Soon after a pellet of water flashed across the street, striking the minotaur between his eyes, leaving behind a patch of steam.

  Leonardo used this disarray, landing between the shocked demon workers. They’d all free their hands and reach to their hips, equipping themselves with smaller daggers.

  A memory then flashed into Leonardo’s head, something Evangeline said,

  “Higher demons can summon small workers called Gremlins. They’re dark apparitions that are good at menial labour, yet fail to output individually.”

  Leonardo began his assault. With one motion, his blade left it’s sheathe clawing into the nape of the nearest gremlin and sending it’s head rolling onto the nearby pavement.

  “Wow, that was easier than expected. I hate to be cliché, but surely that’s not all you’ve got right?” Leonardo chuckled.

  His rhetoric was answered only by hisses and gurgles and ultimately dismissed by the grouping of the gremlins. They’d begin to try and circle him.

  Attempting to free himself from the circle, Leonardo ran towards an opening. Unfortunately, It was filled by a gremlin which then stabbed at his thigh. He’d respond by leaping above the strike, countering with a falling stomp.

  Aiding his companion a gremlin, pulled it out of Leonardo’s counter, as another went in with a slash to his gut.

  Caught off guard Leonardo barely managed to lean away from the strike, still being grazed along his lower tunic. The gremlins would then begin to swarm around him. And then he remembered the latter part of Evangeline’s info,

  “Do not let them work as a team, wipe them out before hand, or else they become a little tricky.”

  Instinctively Leonardo ran towards the more porous side of the swarm. Desperately releasing wild swings, his reach cleaving through the crowd and pushing them back. Yet his blind spots were soon filled. Small daggers poking into his calves.

  It took all his strength to remain upright, as he turned and slashed at the opponents to his back. Yet it only led to a loop, turning to cover his back over and over. However, no matter if he managed to take out one or two, more followed behind. He was being overwhelmed.

  Nonetheless, luck was in Leonardo’s favour. A chunk of earth rushed past the boy’s left, caving into the hoard of gremlins and flattening a hefty chunk. This gave him an opening, to quickly leap onto the boulder taking the high ground.

  He looked down, as he tried to regain his composure. However, the gremlins weren’t going to allow that. As they all scaled the boulders, trying to reach him at the top.

  I can’t just keep swinging, why can’t I use fucking magic! Fuck it I’m just gonna try.

  Leonardo focused on his mana. Feeling the flow of the foreign entity that flowed through his body as he patiently waited for his adversaries. He attempted to concentrate the flow, to his fingers to begin writing a rune but, to his surprise it began to channel into his blade like a battery. Yet nothing came of it except a faint glow permeating from the steel.

  With the enemies closing in, and zero ideas. Leonardo panicked. Swinging his blade desperately once more, the mana from the it, reacted to the sudden movement and flashed outwards in a sharp crescent, cleanly slicing through the boulders edge and all unfortunate to have crossed its path.

  “H-holy fucking shit!”

  Leonardo began to repeat the process, taking time to channel his mana into his blade before violently releasing waves of golden cicles that evaporated the apparitions upon touch. Soon, Leonardo would fall to his knees, clutching his bleeding calf, as he alone remained on the boulder.

  -----

  Evangeline gracefully swung herself onto the buildings roof. She’d then charge along the rooftops towards her opponent, arm raised in the air as moisture began to build up. Soon a large bubble of water appeared above her palm which soon contorted and snapped into a large ice shard. The girl using her momentum hurled the large structure towards her giant adversary’s ugly mug.

  Red eye’s peaked through the steamy mist, which dissipated with a weak blow, revealing the minotaur’s unbothered face. Seemingly with little effort it swiped the shard with its backhand, shattering it in the process.

  “You adventurers are courageous.” The beast bellowed, “but your courage is just a delusion.”

  The minotaur began to approach her, every step of its hooves shaking the floor beneath. It’d slam its palm down to squash Evangeline, like the pest it’d perceived her to be.

  Evangeline quickly leaped out of the strike’s radius, pulling out a small wooden wand. From the wand a stream of water burst forth, freezing upon impact with the minotaur’s hand, glueing it to the rooftop.

  The minotaur pulled to free itself, finding the ice to be strong and secure. A second pull of more effort allowed the beast to free itself. In that same instant, an invisible force cut into its right eye causing it recoil in agony, kicking the houses base, which lead to it collapsing.

  Evangeline was thrown off the rooftop, falling safely onto the street.

  “Courage isn’t the reason I’m stood here minotaur, it’s purpose and will.” She declared as the beast writhed, “And maybe a little confidence.” She teased

  The minotaur angrily tore its fingers into the earth below taking a chunk of it and threw it at Evangeline. She smirked as she effortlessly dodged to the side, but as she watched it pass her, she noticed its course was straight towards Leonardo. Reacting quickly she raised her hand and redirected the boulder causing it to crash into the surrounding creatures.

  Turning back to her own opponent, it had drawn a cleaver from it’s back which was pointing the sky and came down towards her.

  Evangeline decided to meet it head on, raising a rectangular section of the street with a swipe of her wand. The dense stone structure met the giant blade, absorbing the impact and catching it halfway.

  A strong upwind lifted Evangeline onto a nearby roof where she met the Minotaur’s gaze,

  “What possessed you to believe that it was ok to do this to all of these people!”

  “Just because you got a lucky shot doesn’t mean you can talk down to me woman!” The beast roared. Forcing it’s blade out of the structure and causing it to crumble. Blinded by rage the beast charged forward. It’s shoulder tore through the house, leaving Evangeline with no foothold as she leapt in the air.

  The minotaur quickly reached for her. Closing it’s fists to encase her. But it couldn’t be fully close, blocked by a dull silver veil. A translucent shimmer reflecting off its surface as it held back the force of the minotaur’s grasp.

  “Agh!!!!!”

  “First time seeing a magician’s mana barrier. Let’s hope it’s not your last.” Evangeline joked.

  The barrier soon erupted into a forceful gust that pushed the minotaur’s hand away, opening up its body. Pointing her wand forwards a giant rune gate formed as she slowly fell. The gate larger than her and glowing a bright grey

  Held like a katana, her wand glided across the gate's centre, releasing compressed air that converged into a visible blade shooting forth. It dug into the minotaur’s skin, blowing it onto it’s back and leaving a large gnash in its flesh.

  Securing Evangeline as the victor.

  Regaining his strength, Leonardo staggered toward Evangeline, each step a hobble. A single press on his calf sent a spasm of fire up his leg, wringing a shriek from his throat.

  “We… did it.”

  “Leo, can you sit?”

  “Hard… but sure.”

  She was at his side instantly, steadying him with a hand on his back as she lowered him to the ground. He clutched at the pain, chest heaving.

  “Sorry… just give me a moment.”

  Small green runes flickered across her palm as she traced his wound. Their glow spread into his flesh, knitting it shut.

  “My healing isn’t as good as that old man’s,” she muttered. “But it’ll hold.”

  She’s like a mother… why does that make me happy—yet piss me off at the same time?

  Evangeline turned. A surge of wind lifted her onto the Minotaur’s chest. She stood over it, eyes cold, boots pressing into its wound. The beast groaned.

  “Just kill me already, girl. I’ve lost.”

  “You’re not the mastermind. Where are the demons?”

  “As if I’d—” Fire seared its chest wound, wrenching a howl from its throat. “Fuck you bitch! I won’t squeal!”

  “I didn’t ask for curses,” she snapped. Her wand spat out a whip of water, striking across its bodyagain and again. Each lash snapped wetly, leaving welts and burns in its fur.

  The Minotaur roared, pain breaking into unhinged laughter.

  “KEEP GOING! IT WON’T BRING THEM BACK! AH—HAHAHA!”

  Evangeline’s eye twitched. Mocking the dead he’d desecrated? Unforgivable.

  The air around her filled with dense bubbles that hardened into jagged shards. At her command, they tore forward, ripping through its face in a storm of ice, until its laughter dissolved into gurgles—and then silence.

  She landed one final whip across its ruined body. The water fell limp from her wand.

  Leonardo stared from afar, heart pounding. That wasn’t the Evangeline he knew—the kind girl who teased him, who healed him. On the Minotaur’s corpse sat someone else entirely. Someone terrifying.