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Chapter 1
There are so many ways to tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end but this one begins in the middle of another.
Ben as swampfire, Rook, Charmcaster, and Hobble entered ZsSkayr's throne room.
The alpha room was floating suspended by arcs of magical energy.
Charmcaster immediately took her chance to take it with a tendril of mana. “The alpha rune is mine!”
Ghostfreak smiled cruelly. “So sure are we.”
The alpha rune darkened, taking on a ominous purplish black color before it started emitting a violent aura.
Charmcaster screamed as her mana was turned against her.
Ben instinctively began to rip the rune out of her hands and threw it behind them. It wasn't a pleasant experience but the rune seemed to affect him less strongly.
Ghostfreak snapped his fingers and the rune teleported into his claws.
“Really.” Ben complained
“Did you honestly believe I wasn't expecting you to pay me a visit, your arrogance will cost you.”
He slammed the alpha rune to the top of his scythe. Corrupted veins of magic started coursing through him, his features gaining a sharpener edge, his cloak was torn away as downwards spikes sprouted from his spine, and he was surrounded by an aura of shadow.
Charmcaster was still on the ground, Hobble backed away petrified, Ben looked a tad less confident, even rook began looking uneasy.
“As much as I would love to destroy you now I have much grander plans in mind.”
Ghostfreak slammed the scythe down and a wave of dark magic blanketed the ground.
The castle disappeared, leaving the group behind with Ghostfreaks voice lingering briefly, as if he was haunting them. “I'll see you soon.” It said.
As Charmcaster regained focus her face contorted to a furious expression, “No!!! I was so close.”
Hobble began to ask if she was ok, but she shot him a withering look and he backed off.
“Uhh guys we got a problem, the demon jack o'lanterns from earlier are back and they're a lot scarier than before.” Everyone turned at Ben's words.
Ben was right, the jack-o-lanterns flaming faces now burned a dark purple and their whole body radiated a sickly malice.
“Ben.” Rook emphasized his name.
“Working on it… Charmcaster clear a path for us to escape.” Ben said, relying on their new ally.
Charmcaster reluctantly put both her hands together to charge up a large mana blast and fired it. The only problem was the blast wasn't even half the size of the ones she used earlier that day.
The blast took a piece out of one of the monsters but it kept marching.”
“Any day now.” Ben said.
She shook her hands summoning her magic but every couple seconds it would spark purple.
“The corrupted rune is causing interference. If you buy me some time I might be able to deal with this.”
“How very reassuring.” Ben said, voice thick with sarcasm. But did as he was told it wasn't like he had a better plan.
Ben, having learned better than to shoot fire at them, instead engaged them physically.
Swampfires impressive strength combined with Rook shooting any who Ben missed allowed him to hold the line for a decent chunk of time. But inevitably numbers began to overwhelm him.
“Are you done yet?” Ben shouted.
“Almost!” Charmcaster said as she returned to chanting her spell.
Ben's omnitrix timed out. “Ben!” Rook said as he began firing more furiously in hopes of freeing his partner.
Then the pile of bodies where Ben once stood exploded in green light. There stood a transformed swampfire. Ben flexed his muscles. “Well, I certainly don't mind an upgrade.”
The creatures momentarily seemed reluctant to attack him but quickly moved past it.
Ben noticed and attempted to control them. It worked but it was exhausting, usually he either could control something effortlessly or not at all but the magic was fighting him.
“Alright, group them up.” Charmcaster said.
“Fine.” Ben grit his teeth and did so.
Charmcasters magic turned from pink occasionally flickering to purple to a bright golden yellow. It then moved from her body to her hands as she fired a massive blast dragging it across the field. The creatures of darkness seemed to evaporate in the pure light, while Ben remained unharmed.
Ben detransformed before, both he, and Charmcaster collapsed in exhaustion.
They were fine for the moment but it was clear this was only the beginning.