Jack stood outside the doors of the northern tower for several moments.

This is it. You kill the king, It’s over, and you win, He told himself.

He kicked open the door. When he did, he saw many things. Paintings all over the walls, and sitting in piles on the ground, vases, and even statues of a majestic depiction of a tall, strong figure, probably one of the previous rulers of Keywark. All looked as if moved in a hurry.

But only focused on one: The king.

Lord Calvin Boneh sat on his throne. In his mind, Jack had imagined the king to be a sharp old man, ruthless, a product of a cutthroat capitalist environment, if you will. But that image of him shattered, upon seeing him in the flesh. Boneh was frail and thin. Perhaps still ruthless and intimidating, but his physical presence didn’t instill much fear into Jack.

The king, upon seeing Jack, stiffened in his velvet throne. four people in the room scurried into another. to the left.

The two guards approached Jack. They stopped some distance from him.

The King raised his chin. “Murderer, stand down at once, and I will spare you extensive torture before you shall be put to death.”

Jack took a step forward, the guards stood their ground, they were afraid, Jack could tell, they did not move forward, for they were afraid of Jack, but they didn’t back up either because they were afraid of the king.

“Funny, that’s not what your general told me.”

The guards relaxed their positions, realizing Jack was mentioning their military leader, Oberion.

“He is dead now.” Jack said solemnly. He looked down at his bloody shovel-blade.

The guards ran past Jack, going through the door and leaving.

Jack took another step forward.

“Words of a murderer.” The King snarled.

“I fed her body to the birds, as she fed her people poison.”

The king looked like he wanted to spring from his seat and bite off Jack’s face. “Once you are dead, your family will pay for your crimes.”

Jack let out a laugh that seemed to have been building up inside of him for a long time. A retching sound that horrified even Jack himself when it exited his mouth. The king’s face went pale.

“Family? I had one. But that's a long story.” Jack shed a single tear. It wasn’t even a story. They were killed, period.

He took another step towards the king, then another.

“I am afraid your time is up. Your people will bathe in your blood, and so will Dimetaru’s children. I hope they take your body as a sacrifice.”

The king shrunk into the back of his chair. He tried to make a fearless face, but failed. Suddenly, he seemed to be looking at something past Jack.

“You think that I would be defenseless? Ha! Child, you are mistaken.”

Jack heard a sound behind him. A cracking sound.

Is that glass under boots? No, it is too low of a pitch to be.

Ice.

Jack ducked at the very last possible moment, allowing him to keep his head. A blast of dry, cold, crackling ice flew past his head.

“Kill him, Corvin! Kill him now!”

Jack whirled around, dazed. I gotta start paying more attention.

Jack’s eyes widened. A Hero, or more accurately a summoned. A young man with blue-white hair, wearing a white robe, and with a smile on his face.

“I thought you wanted me to take him alive? Make up your mind old man.”

“K-kill him!” The king sputtered.

Jack raced toward the king, his blade raised to kill. But a wall of ice appeared in front of him.

“Can’t let you do that, i’m afraid’.”

“You’re Corvin.” Jack said.

“Yes I am.”

“K-K-KILL H-HIM!” Screeched the king from the other side of the wall.

Corvin waved his hand. “Don’t worry about that old bastard. How’d you dodge my frost blast anyway?”

“Try it again and find out.” Jack shot back.

“Ha! You're a pretty funny guy! But, you’re right, enough chit-chat, let's get back to fighting.”

Jack swung at Corvin, but he dodged easily, sliding back with grace on the ice. Meanwhile, Jack almost lost his balance on the ice that Corvin walked upon so easily.

Something's different. Corvin must already be aware that I killed both Land and Lyla. Perhaps there is a chance he does not know.

Jack taunted Corvin into launching another ice wall. which he did. He attempted to narrow Jack’s fighting space.

Jack grunted, It was beginning to get harder to keep balance with thin frost coating the floor. His cloak was helping him for sure, but there was a limit to its usefulness.

Jack saw refuge in the next room. He darted towards it. Taking advantage of the ice walls that covered him.

Another blast of ice flew past him, shattering a window. Jack burst into the other room, and locked the door behind him.

He was met by two frightened men, who seemed to be some of the king’s guests. The room he was in was some sort of spa, fitted with a small bed, a hot bathtub, a towel rack, and toilet.

What kind of king invites guests during such a dangerous time? The same king that kills his own people. He thought.

The two men inched themselves away. One fat and balding, and the other thin and frail, much like the king, but he was a bit younger, probably in his 50’s.

Business associates.

Jack gritted his teeth. The king was filling his pockets, even as his life was threatened.

“You’re not g-going to kill me are you?” Jack couldn’t help but notice the man said ‘me’ rather than ‘us.’

“Shut up.” He responded.

A bang on the door. Cool mist filled the room. Branches of frost, like a snowflake, creeped across the walls.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and the wicked frost engulfed the walls completely. The two men who had been hiding against them froze into living statues. Then their bodies collapsed from the inside out, Forming a shell of ice and the skin that stuck to the interior.

Jack launched himself away from the walls to avoid meeting the same fate as the guests. Corvin strolled into the room, emerging from the cool mist that seemed to grow with every waking second.

He scratched his chin. “Goddamn, this is a nice room. I should get myself one of these.”

Jack took the opportunity to kick the wall he was pressed against, rocketing himself at Corvin. He shoulder-slammed the Summoned, nearly causing him to lose his balance.

“Dammit, fuck!”

Jack found himself back in the main room. He grabbed the throne that sat in the center of the room to stop himself from hitting the wall.

The king was no longer in his seat. Instead, he was fumbling at the exit door, which was frozen shut. Upon seeing Jack again, he yelled for Corvin.

“He’s back here, you damn Aldarian!’

“I’m trying not to destroy your fucking bedroom, asshole!” Corvin shot back.

“I don’t care what you have to do, just kill him!” The king replied.

“Fine.” Corvin began taking off his gloves. The temperature lowered even further, to the point where Jack found that his teeth were chattering. Jack could see the ice mage’s aura flicker around him, a sign of power in a summoned.

Corvin rubbed his palms together. Then, a glowing orb expanded between them. It grew rapidly.

Corvin heaved the orb at Jack. His lungs felt dry as he saw the ball of power fly towards him. So he did what he always did, he dodged it.

The wall exploded, sending frost shards everywhere. But the explosion was not one of heat, but one lacking it.

Jack, cursing to himself, stared at what used to be a wall. And that of which was now non-existent.

Corvins attack had blown a huge chunk of the wall away, revealing the outside's fierce blizzard.

The king was also shocked at the damage caused by just one attack. He recovered from this shock quickly, however.

“Dammit, Corvin! Oberion was right about you! You just destroyed my castle!”

“Shut the FUCK up! And just let me think for a SECOND!” Snarled Corvin. He looked Jack in the eyes.

“I told you you'd find out.” Jack said wryly.

Corvin scoffed. “Fine then. You keep dodging my attacks, so apparently I'll have to annihilate this entire castle to put you down. And this old bastard won't allow it-”

“You DARE you speak to me that way! I would have hanged-”

“SHUT your old-ass up! You ain't no fuckin’ king, you're just a fraud. Everyone fuckin' knows it. So shut your fucking mouth and let me do what I need to do!” Corvin snapped at the king so violently that spit came out of his mouth, which immediately turned into drops of ice, making a small clicking sound as they hit the floor.

Corvin glared back at Jack, “You’re a slippery little shit, aren’t you? Draw your blade then, let's see what you're made of.”

Jack drew his shovel blade. He imagined it whatever spirit imbued the weapon yearned for the taste of blood again. Jack wouldn't deny his weapon's spirit a meal after it had saved him twice from death.

Corvin bit his lip. “Before I put you in the ground, just wanna let you know, that thing you’re holding right there, is a super rare weapon. I wonder how much that thing would sell for?”

So you noticed.

Jack steadied his stance. He narrowed his eyes at his enemy as he approached.

Corvin gave a wicked smile as first coated his arms, forming a blade. “Perhaps you could have sold it for a generous amount of coins? It would be enough to make you rich, yet you kept it.”

Jack launched himself at Corvin, swinging his blade in fury. Corvin caught it with his, creating sparks of mana and frost that glowed between the two edges.

Jack danced gracefully around Corvin. It became clear that blade and melee combat wasn't Corvins forte. Jack swung his blade, smashing it into Corvin.

Jack launched another attack after a parry by Corvin, but this time, Corvin grabbed him. Jack smashed his elbow into Corvins, face, but Corvin still refused to let go of him, and frost was beginning to form on Jack's wrist. He held back a yelp from the searing pain in his arm.

Corvin snarled, attempting to stab Jack, but Jack caught his attack, and broke his blade.

Corvin responded by kicking Jack. Who slid off the edge of the hole in the wall.

Corvin stood there for a few minutes. Jack hitting him in the face barely hurt. What surprised him most, was that Jack had managed to land, not one or two, but multiple consecutive blows to Corvin, even if they hurt his pride more than his body.

Corvin turned to Calvin Boneh, who was cowering near the door. Upon seeing that Jack was no longer there, he brushed his robe and stood up.

Corvin raised. “Well?” He asked, raising his arms up, “Where's my payment?”

“Right.” The king seethed. “How do you know he's dead?”

“He fell outta a fuckin window, man!” Corvin snapped back. “Are you gonna pay or what?”

“I suppose-” The king seemed to stare past Corvin in utter disbelief.

“He’s, he’s…” The old king sputtered. “HE’S RIGHT THERE!”

Corvin whirled around, cursing. Jack was crawling back up from the ledge he had been hanging from.

“Just die already!” He shouted angrily. He shot a frost blast at Jack. Jack slid across the ice to dodge it.

Corvin fired his attack again and again, knocking over priceless vases, destroying paintings, and blowing smaller holes in the wall.

Finally, Corvin fired a shot, point-blank, that Jack couldn’t dodge. So Jack did the only thing he could do.

He deflected it.

The deflected shot coated his shovel in frost, denting it severally, the shot itself flew past Corvin’s head, and directly into the king.

Lord Calvin Boneh became an ice popsicle.

The smug grin on Corvin’s face was wiped clean off when he saw the king. He seemed to forget about Jack completely, and he ran towards the frozen statue.

“Oh, shit, shit, shit, shit.”

He inspected the king, who looked frantically at him through the translucent sheet of ice.

A crack suddenly spiderwebbed across the king's body. Corvin pumped his fists. “Okay. Yeah, there we go-”

Then Lord Calvin Boneh shattered into a thousand pieces.

It took a few moments to comprehend what happened. It all happened so quickly.

Corvin cradled the king's head in frustration, then he dropped it coldly. “Well. Guess that’s that.”

The ice mage's voice seemed to snap Jack back. “What the hell do you mean?”

“I dunno. You don’t have to scurry around like a rat anymore I suppose.” He stretched leisurely.

Jack blinked. “What?”

“That means you can fuck off now.” Corvin said casually. “No need to fight if the guy who was gonna pay me is dead now. Corvin kicked the bloody chunks, “Bet the asshole wasn’t gonna pay anyway.”

Jack was stunned. He didn’t expect the fight to go like this. He felt angry.

He felt cheated.

Corvin had wasted his time and then just expected the battle to be over? He felt the rage boiling again, as he reached for his bow and equipped steel arrow. Corvin didn’t seem to notice this.

Corvin began to move to the door. He shattered the ice on the door with ease, and proceeded to open it just a crack.

“By the way, the body’s your problem now-”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jack released his grip on the arrow. It stuck Corvin in the small of his back, and deflected, shattering a vase nearby.

Silence filled the room for a few moments. Then, Corvin slowly closed the door and turned around. There was an amused look on his face.

“Oh, nonono.” Chuckled, shaking his head. “You don’t know what you’re askin’ for, buddy.”

Jack glared back at Corvin, sizing up his enemy.

“Don’t tell me what I know, you snowflake son-of-a-bitch.”

Corvin growled at the insult. He launched an orb at Jack.

Jack batted it away, charging at Corvin. The orb smashed through a window and hit the west tower.

Jack caught a flash of light out of the corner of his eyes, an explosion. A massive one. The western tower began to collapse, causing the whole castle to shake.

This only seemed to annoy Corvin. “Stay still shitstain!”

“Make me, freak!”

Corvin roared in anger. He fired another attack: A burst of icicles.

The icicles from the ceiling flew down, and levitated in front of Corvin. He grinned at Jack. “What’s with the face? The only freak here is you, thinking that you can actually fight me.”

He fired every one of them.

They zipped past Jack’s face and body, some even clipped him. But he wove through them, ignoring the pain and pressing on.

Corvin waved his hands, creating another attack.

A whirlwind of cold air pushed Jack around. He grabbed the window sills for control.

Screaming, he charged Corvin, swinging his shovel at Corvins face with all of his rage and strength.

Corvin turned around. And with just a single flick. Jack was stopped in his tracks.

Jack glared at Corvin. Corvin looked down at him, seeming amused.

Why am I not dead? He thought. He could move his face slightly, but he was still mostly immobilized.

“I don’t blame you.” Corvin said, pacing past Jack. “When I heard that two summoned, part of my team, died in the forest, along with the spoiled brat, I thought to myself: ‘Great, Oberion is gonna bitch about this one.’ But when I saw you, I realized it was more complicated.”

Of course, I’m well aware that you killed Leand and Lyla. I don’t know how you managed to do it, but you did it. I don’t sense the blood of a summoned anywhere on you, so I was impressed by your skills.” He stopped and smirked. “Well, I don’t know what you even are, or who taught you to fight like that. And I know you must be proud of yourself, but…”

He leaned close to Jack, getting to eye level.

“Leand was just a whipping boy. He’s a fuckin’ joke. Blame it on fuckin’ Leand, Y’know? And Lyla? Lyla ain’t even a real hero! She’s a dropout. She failed all of her classes. Every. Fucking. One. I went to school with her.”

He leaned in even closer. “But above all else, they are just worthless trash that no one ever bothered taking out. So thanks for what you did, I guess.”

Wait… My knife! Come on…

He felt the heat of the blade on his body. Corvin seemed unaware of this.

“And you? You’re just a lost man wandering, searching for power he thinks he has, but you don’t even know what power is.”

He made a fist with his hand. “Power, is being able to do whatever the fuck you want.” Then he turned around, clasping his hands together, bluish-white light emanating from his palms.

Maybe I ought to bury this town in a glacier! Bring a new goddamn ice age! I gave these people everything, and they turned around and betrayed me! What a load of bullshit! But you wouldn’t know. You’re just a pile of meat, waiting to die. You-”

Corvin saw the hole, which was, by now, the size of a bounce ball. Corvin and Jack seemed to be synchronized, moving towards each other, Corvin hurling a blizzard bomb at Jack, a massive orb glowing bright spirals of blue, seeming to suck in energy, and Jack driving his knife forward, ignited, in a desperate attempt. Fire and ice, face to face.

He plunged his knife deep into the orb, a blinding flash erupted. Jack felt his skin burn. He saw Corvin’s mouth wide open, enraged.

Bel, I hope you escaped, because I don’t think I’m making it out of this one. If I go to heaven, I wish to see my family again. If not, I wish to take Corvin with me.

The field expanded, engulfing the entire tower. Soldiers, merchants, peasants, and workers watched the dome of light expand. They pointed. Some screamed and ran for cover. Others watched, mesmerized.

Then, the dome contracted, obliterating the castle like a kernel popping, then un-popping.

debris peppered the landscape, a smoking crater left. People slowly came out of their shelter to inspect the damage.

They were met with lush green and yellow. The clouds cleared up, and the snow melted away. Health returned to plants around before their eyes.

People cheered. They had heard of a plan to rebel for years, and now the day had finally come. The revolution was finally happening.

And in the midst of all of it, Corvin stood in the dead center of a smoking crater. Char and destruction surrounded him, yet life and health also.

He stared off for a few moments. Normally, a disaster like this would be a huge problem, but he didn’t care. If a peasant hick could beat the shit out of Aldarians, then why couldn’t he do the same thing? All guilds ever did was use him as a scapegoat.

He looked down at the palm of his hand. A large cut was across it, dripping blood to the floor below.

And who else to make me realize that, than a worthless peasant? He thought to himself.