Chương 20: Episode 18: The Beginning of Scourge Don

Once upon a time, deep in the lush, dark green Grolian Forest, the night was alive with sleepy peace. Forestinites were tucked into the shadows, blending in with the undergrowth as they dozed. Fireflies drifted lazily, their glowing butts lighting up the dark like tiny lanterns. Snakes slid between the roots, silver under the moonlight. Inside a small cave warmed by a flickering fire, everyone was fast asleep—well, everyone except me.

I was a crystallized Celestianite, thrashing like a feral beast and roaring my lungs out as nightmares crashed over me. My body wouldn't stay still. I was pacing, growling, slamming my head into the stone floor like some sort of unhinged maniac. Every time I closed my eyes, more humiliating memories flooded in—some so personal I could practically shrivel up and die. I scraped my claws against the walls, bellowing even louder, probably waking up half the Forestinites outside.

I whipped around, tail lashing, and accidentally smacked something. Correction: someone. Demaurion. He snarled and lifted his blue, dragon-serpent head, rows of dagger teeth glinting as he hissed at me. Pale blue patterns pulsed across his scales as he glared, looking about one millisecond away from eating me alive. Then, with a final growl, he flopped back down and went to sleep like it was no big deal. I froze, panting, then slumped onto the ground.

Curling up with my wings wrapped tight around me, I tried— tried —to sleep. But the second I closed my eyes, boom: an image of Incarceration's monstrous form slammed into my mind, plus another humiliating flashback that made me wanna scream. So I did. I let out another roar and staggered to the back of the cave, crashing into the wall. I just lay there, feeling hopeless. A few hours later, morning finally rolled in. My eyes were stuck wide open, purple cracks spider-webbing beneath them.

I shook my head, trying to wake up, but I was already beyond exhausted. Birds chirped overhead. Little Hrics hopped through the grass. I shifted out of my dragon form and flopped onto the ground with my tongue hanging out. Kai hopped over and settled onto my lap, chittering curiously. I forced a tired smile.

"I'm alright, Kai. Just lost a few hours of sleep… Doesn't bother me, though." I glanced around and realized everyone else had already left the cave. With a sigh, I stood up and stepped outside. The forest was a living painting: trees glowing with vibrant green, flowers bursting from every corner, vines curling up trunks. The sky was a deep blue, sunlight streaming down through the leaves. Everyone was gathered around the campfire, sitting on logs and minding their own business.

You're probably wondering how we even got here. Long story short: one Celestianite gave us a portal device a while back. We used it, poof—here we were. We hadn't met any new creatures or tracked down the next beast, so we figured we'd just camp out. Ryan was already filming everything. Olsen was stuffing his face with a rock meal next to Kayson. Ella was in her cat form, curled up on the grass. Prince flitted overhead as a Lightning Bird, hunting breakfast.

Power was training, and Archie was sitting carefully, probably trying not to burn the whole forest down.

"Morning, guys," I mumbled, my voice quieter than a mouse. Sophia was brushing her hair. She shot me a look.

"Oh, it could've been better without all the roaring, thank you very much." Demaurion bolted upright, snarling, "EXACTLY! WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT, MAN? DID YOU LOSE YOUR SCALES OR SOMETHING?!"

"Guys, everyone calm down," Ella said gently.

"He's just… dealing with some stuff." Prince landed beside the fire, talons crunching the grass as he tore into the Hric he'd caught.

"Seriously, though," he said between bites, "what was all that racket?" I waved my arms like a panicked octopus.

"I—I'm sorry, okay? Ella's right. Just… nightmares. That's all."

"YOU BETTER FIX YOUR NIGHTMARES OR YOU'LL DIE IN MY HANDS!" Demaurion barked, still in his Leviathan form. My eye twitched. I shifted into my Celestianite Dragon shape, my tail flicking red as celestial energy crackled across my scales.

"Woah, man! You know you're playing with fire, right?!" Demaurion grew talons and crept closer, glaring up at me even though he was way shorter.

"AND YOU'RE PLAYING WITH SOMETHING WAY MORE DANGEROUS THAN FIRE!"

"LET'S SEE ABOUT THAT, NEPTUNE!" I shot back, teeth bared. We squared up, pure murder in our eyes. Then Ella squished herself between us, exasperated.

"Please, don't fight. It was one night. You're supposed to be mature heroes, remember?!" I snorted and crossed my arms.

"Fine. We'll settle this like men." I raised my claws.

"Rock, paper, scissors… SHOOT!" I threw scissors. He threw paper—then switched to rock right as I won.

"HEY! THAT'S CHEATING!" I yelled. Demaurion smirked like the little gremlin he was.

"NUH-UH!"

"YES, YOU DID!"

"NO, I DIDN'T!" Before we could strangle each other, Olsen's massive tail club came out of nowhere and WHACKED Demaurion in the face so hard he collapsed.

"STOP ACTING LIKE CHILDREN," Olsen bellowed. I blinked down at Demaurion, now unconscious.

"He'll wake up in a few minutes," Olsen said, grinning. I shifted back into my human form, my tail finally losing its glow. Puffing out a wisp of smoke, I turned away with a huff.

"Hmph. At least that's over." We all sat back down around the fire. Prince was still tearing into his breakfast, so I quickly made sure Kai didn't see him chowing down on his distant cousin. Kai eyed the marshmallows instead, so I gave him one. He looked delighted. Hours passed in the warm morning air. Demaurion eventually woke up, rubbing his head and apparently forgetting all about the argument. Then Emely broke the silence.

"So… how about we get Hero names?" Power perked up.

"That could be fun—and maybe they'll stick once the prophecy comes true." Angel stood on his log, looking very proud of himself.

"Alright. I'll go first. I'll be called… Trix." Silence. Absolute, cricket-admitting-he's-gay levels of silence. Sophia tilted her head.

"Trix? What does that even mean?" Angel cleared his throat.

"Well, since my Portal abilities aren't really combat-focused, I figured I'd use them to trick people into going places they don't wanna be."

"Say an opponent tried to fight me," Angel explained, gesturing dramatically.

"All I'd have to do is teleport them into some horrifying environment, and bam—they're done." Olsen smirked and announced he'd be called Rockslide. Prince went with Voltron. Ella chose Dune, Emely claimed Froza, and Jocabed picked Blizz. Demaurion, obviously, was Levi. Power stuck with Power, Sophia dubbed herself Soundwave, and Javier settled on Operate. Kayson had nothing. And me? Yeah… I hadn't even thought of a name yet.

As everyone chattered about their new aliases, I started scratching my head like a confused puppy.

"What should I be called?" I muttered to myself.

"There's got to be something. A name worthy of Avangard's next Power." I was still spiraling when Olsen's voice snapped me out of my brain fog.

"So, Don… what's your name?" I froze, then felt it hit me like a lightning bolt. The perfect name.

"KX," I declared. Everyone stared at me blankly, like I'd just sprouted a second head.

"What?" I protested, throwing my hands in the air.

"I only picked it because whenever I use 100%—or even just 5%—of my Elemental Form, those two letters appear behind me! It just happened at the Avangard Battles, I don't know how!" Power peered at me, then broke into a soft chuckle.

"Don, KX is a good name," he said, nodding.

"Perfect, actually." He settled back on his log, eyes thoughtful.

"Let me tell you all a story real quick before we wrap up the night," he continued.

"Back when Avangard was still being formed, the Grolian Forest was created. Each region had Celestianites assigned to guard it, and one of them was the legendary founding father—KX. His name stood for Kai Xii. It meant 'guardian,' or 'protector,' or even 'ruler of the multiverse.' Though honestly, KX wasn't really any of those things. He just lived quietly and minded his business." Power's gaze drifted into the flames.

"When he died, he left one final wish: that a Celestial User might one day touch his grave. He'd never met one while he was alive. KX's element was… unusual. If someone touched his grave while bearing a certain power, that would become their hero name forever. But no one knew what the name meant, so they never tried." If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Then he looked straight at me.

"But when you were born, Don, your parents took you to Kai's grave when you were only two years old. You touched it. That was it—sealed. Now, whenever you transform, your celestial energy burns those letters—KX—right behind you. And if you ever push past 100%—like 120%—your pupils morph into the letters K and X. Some say it even makes you smarter, because KX was brilliant in his time."

"That's… pretty cool," Olsen rumbled, morphing into a Rockslide Ankylosaurus and sprawling on the grass. I smiled shyly.

"I know, it might sound a little whack, but… it feels right." The sky slowly shifted from blue to a hazy pink and red as twilight crept in. Everyone relaxed, laughter echoing through the clearing. Demaurion tried to prank Olsen by blasting him with a jet of water in his Leviathan form. Olsen barely reacted—just spun around and smacked Demaurion in the face with his tail club so hard that he was out cold for hours. Prince flew off to hunt again while I played with Kai.

I pulled a marshmallow from the bag and lobbed it toward him. My aim was garbage—the marshmallow sailed way past Kai and rolled into the trees. Kai immediately bolted after it, little claws clicking on the stones.

"Hey—wait up!" I called, hopping off the log to chase him. By the time I caught up, the forest had gone pitch dark. The trees loomed overhead, their huge leaves dripping with moisture. The grass was wet too, even though it hadn't rained.

"Kai?" I called, scanning the ferns. Nothing. No little hopping gremlin anywhere. I was starting to feel that creeping, prickly sense of something being wrong. Then, out of nowhere, Kai reappeared, perched on my shoulder with the marshmallow stabbed triumphantly on his sharp little teeth.

"Whoa—nice job, buddy!" I said, relieved.

"Didn't think I'd find you out here." The crickets started chirping again. An owl hooted—probably Angel, being nosy. Then came a rustle in the trees. I tensed, wings flaring open. My ears twitched at the faint scuttling. I turned my head, searching the branches. Something moved up there—then vanished. A cold chill crawled down my spine. Suddenly, I heard fast crawling. And the clicking of hooves. Whatever it was, it was moving way too quickly. But the shadows hid it completely.

"Hello?" My voice came out embarrassingly shaky.

"Is…anyone out there?" My tail started to glow purple.

"Whatever you are, this is NOT funny!" Something snapped a stick in the dark. I flinched and started backing away, heart in my throat.

"Yeah, no," I muttered, still retreating.

"Let's not waste any more time here." I turned on my heel, Kai clinging to my shoulder, and booked it back toward the camp. Then I heard something barreling toward me—and something else crawling around the trees overhead. A bear roared in the distance. Some eerie, ghostly moan floated through the air. I was this close to just noping out of there when something sticky—and weirdly sweet—wrapped around me, yanking me off my feet.

"HEY! WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?!" I hollered, flailing like an angry moth caught in a web. Whatever it was didn't answer. It just started dragging me across the forest floor. I smashed through bushes, scraped past thorns, face-planted into leaves, and straight-up ate a couple branches on the way. Then it slammed me onto the ground, rolling me over and over until I finally skidded to a stop against a rock.

I hauled myself up from the dirt, scraping sap and who-knows-what off my clothes like I'd been cursed by every tree in the forest.

"WHO IS DOING THIS?!" I shouted, flailing like a slightly traumatized squirrel.

"WE ARE!" a chorus of gleeful voices screamed back, perfectly in sync, perfectly obnoxious. Lonnie Mae — Forestinite (Mammal Lineage) Lonnie was the first to drop, landing with the kind of precision and poise only a Forest Fawn with "teacher's pet" energy could pull off. Her tight light-green sweatshirt and skinny jeans were immaculate, and her short brown bob bounced with every careful step. That raccoon-tail scarf? Practically a uniform accessory.

She smiled brightly, clipboard-ready in spirit, like she'd graded my behavior before I even blinked. Mason — Blushinite (Mammal Lineage) Mason just appeared beside her, calm as a cloud drifting past chaos. Hoodie soft, colors pink-and-cream, baggy pants practically begging for hugs. His cream-colored eyes barely shifted, his demeanor the embodiment of "quiet, chill, unbothered." Kwa'asja — Earthnite (Mammal Lineage) Kwa'asja slid to the ground in what could only be described as "lazy elegance."

Her DIY jacket hung over a plain white crop top, braids framing her sleepy dark-green eyes. Red kicks tapped the dirt like she was reluctantly awake. Rocky Armadillo resilience? Yeah, she had it, but only if she was awake. Daysni — Forestinite (Mammal Lineage) Daysni phased in like a whisper in the wind, ghost-green eyes sparkling with gossipy delight. Her black crop top had a pulsing phantom skeleton, torn jeans fluttered slightly, and her transparent buns glowed eerily.

She tapped her hooves on the ground like she was collecting secrets, and oh, she was. Anhia — Earthnite (Mammal Lineage) Anhia walked out of a tree like the moon itself had crowned her. Diamond hair, sparkling outfit, perfectly polished hooves—the full "I woke up gorgeous and nothing will ruin it" aura. She adjusted her hair mid-step, glared at dirt like it personally offended her, and checked herself in the nearest reflective leaf. Caring about beauty above all? Check. Getting messy? Absolutely not.

Keyler — Forestinite (Insect Lineage) Keyler descended a tree like a shadow, flipping mid-air and landing silently, every move calculated to annoy. Hoodie streaked with black and white webs, boots thudding softly. His mullet remained a crime against fashion. Drake — Earthnite (Mythic Creatures Lineage) And then… chaos incarnate. Drake came skidding out of a bush like a living avalanche. Freckled pale skin, messy curls, brown cargos, brown shirt—it was aesthetic chaos. Energy radiated off him in visible waves.

He flailed, jumped, spun, and somehow ended up face-first in a mud puddle, grinning the whole time. Absolute hurricane of motion. Before I could process: SPLAT. A mudball—direct hit to the face. I wiped it off slowly. Exhaled. Tilted my head.

"In the holy name of discombobulation… what am I looking at right now?" They all pointed at me dramatically, like a SWAT team about to make an arrest.

"YOU'VE BEEN SERVED!" they declared in unison.

"Okay, seriously—WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" I snapped, arms flailing. Lonnie Mae adjusted her glasses, pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, and cleared her throat.

"You… you have violated the—uh—the number one rule of the forest," she announced. They all pointed at me again, eyebrows knitted in righteous fury.

"DON'T ENTER THE FOREST!" My jaw dropped.

"WE PUT UP A CAMPSITE, AND YOU GUYS DID NOTHING! AND THERE ARE LITERAL EARTHNI—you know what? Never mind." I yelled, spinning on my heel, ready to retreat. A tap on my shoulder made me whirl around—and scream like a toddler when Daysni materialized inches from my face in ghost form, cackling like a miniature poltergeist. Sighing, I scooped Kai into my arms and started trudging back toward the camp. Stepping into the clearing of the so-called "Forest of Doom," everyone froze to stare at me.

"Guys," I muttered flatly, "we've got company." Ryan immediately lifted his camera, grinning like a man possessed.

"Yo chat, guess who joined the stream!" Olsen squinted past me.

"Who is it?" Right on cue, the forest crew exploded from the trees, each striking a dramatic pose like they had an audition for Epic Fantasy: Forest Edition.

"You guys are here too?!" Olsen gasped, genuinely baffled.

"That's not all of them!" a voice called from above. A shadow swooped down, landing on the cave roof—Fedjina, tallest of the crew, feathers gleaming with Falcon power. She folded into humanoid form midair, arms crossed, long braids whipping around, sass radiating off her like heat from a forge. Sophia rubbed her temples so hard I thought she might split in two.

"Please tell me that's it…" Of course… it wasn't.

"RIGHT HERE!" a voice screamed from above. A blur of motion tore across the sky, wings flapping like a hurricane. Midair, the shape shifted—William landed in a crouch, brown hair flopping, dust spiraling around his feet. Eleven years old, Forestinite Prehistoric lineage, Wind Elemental, ADHD-fueled chaos with energy so raw it practically hummed in the air.

"My wings feel GREAT! Flying is the best exercise!" he squealed, bouncing on the balls of his feet like he had spring-loaded shoes. Ella practically vibrated with excitement, clapping her hands so fast they blurred.

"So you all came to join us? That's… so sweet!" Mason, leaning lazily against a tree, extended a hand and casually morphed it into dough to snag a fallen berry.

"We're here to help protect the Grolian Forest," he said, voice low, eyes calm—like a lake reflecting the chaos around him. Kwa'asja yawned from the corner of a fallen log, rolling onto her back with an unimpressed grunt.

"Do we have to be awake for this?" she muttered. Red sneakers barely touching the ground. Daysni popped back into existence near my's shoulder, whispering secrets no one asked for, grinning wickedly.

"Did you hear what Mason almost did? Classic!" Loves gossiping, chaos-adjacent, terrifying in the most playful way possible. Anhia floated down, adjusting her hair mid-step, sparkle radiating like sunlight on ice.

"Try not to get dirty, everyone. We must look presentable," she said primly, inspecting a leaf like it might smudge her diamond outfit. Finally, Drake came barreling in, tail whipping, mud flying, wings flaring like a hurricane of energy.

"YOOOO! THIS IS GONNA BE EPIC!" he yelled, spinning in midair and landing on a stump with an earth-shaking thud. Keyler slithered down a tree with a grin, black-and-white web-pattern hoodie streaked with shadow.

"Don't worry… I've already set up a few little surprises," he whispered, eyes glinting. I pinched the bridge of my nose and muttered under my breath.

"Who invited these guys…?" Then it hit me—like someone had ripped the sky open and shoved it into my head. Not dramatic. Just wrong. Incarceration's voice burned through my skull, jagged and furious: Join me. I staggered, wings flaring, eyes seeing the cave bend in waves of purple and silver. My heartbeat echoed like drums in a storm.

"—NGH!" I clutched my head. Forced the panic down. Turned to the others, then to the black maw of the cave.

"I'm… gonna check something," I muttered.

"Don't wait up." I slipped inside. Cold stone pressed against my back. Shadows stretched and twisted like living ink. The thoughts came at me—sharp, spinning, vivid. Why me? Why is everyone staring? What if I fail? Everyone will see. Everyone will laugh. The prophecy wasn't a calling. It was a spotlight with a magnifying glass that made every screw-up gigantic, glowing, impossible to hide. And then the thought struck like lightning through my chest. He wants me to kill them. Not because he hates them.

Because I'll fail. Because one bad move—one tiny slip—and the world will point and say: This is the one we chose. My friends. The people who trusted me even when I didn't trust myself. The ones who laughed when I stumbled instead of turning away. I pressed my forehead to the stone, feeling the cold seep into my skull. They don't see it, I thought. They don't see how easy it is for me to ruin everything. The cave seemed to pulse with my fear.

Shadows twisted, colors bleeding off the walls: deep violets, electric blues, sharp reds flashing like warning signs.

"Don." I froze. Ella stepped forward, framed by a shaft of golden light that made the dust sparkle like fireflies. I turned to the wall, hoping it could hide me.

"We should talk," she said.

"About what?" I snapped. She sat beside me anyway. Her eyes calm, but sharp—emeralds cutting through the chaos in my head.

"You barely sleep. You barely joke. You've been pulling away since Eclitsic." Her gaze pierced me.

"What happened to the Don who danced after every win?" I swallowed hard.

"There's… something in my head," I whispered.

"And it won't shut up." She didn't interrupt.

"It shows me every embarrassing moment, every hesitation… twisting them into a countdown of failure. Everyone is watching. Everyone is expecting me to choke." I finally looked at her.

"Please… don't pretend you wouldn't see it too." Her gaze didn't waver.

"This prophecy—it's pressure. It's perfect. And when I'm not…" My voice broke.

"…I ruin everything." I lurched to my feet, tail swirling with angry purple and blue.

"DON, WAIT!" Ella called after me. But I didn't. I burst out of the cave, heart slamming against my ribs, and ran straight into the dark, sinister forest. Branches slapped my arms. The cold bit my skin. I didn't care. I was done. I stopped, panting. Somewhere behind me, I heard roaring. Closer. Trees snapped and crashed to the ground. I spun, celestial energy crackling around me, lighting up the darkness in pulsing waves.

"DON, WATCH OUT!" Javier's voice tore through the night. I barely had time to register the warning before the trees exploded outward. A massive, nightmarish creature burst into the clearing—a towering monster of living wood and snarling roots. Four thick legs slammed into the earth. Gnarled bark formed its skin, twisted and ancient, with a mane of thorny bushes running down its spine. Carved deep into its chest, glowing through the splintered wood, was a green beast mark—pulsing faintly, like a living wound.

It charged. I bolted straight toward it, fists clenched. Before I could swing, it swiped me aside with a single colossal claw. The impact sent me flying through the trees. My vision spun as my body slammed into the ground hard enough to rattle my bones. Somewhere in the chaos, the monster crashed through the campsite. I heard the campfire crack and hiss as a burning tree collapsed over it. Sparks scattered into the night. Screams echoed. Sophia fired a sonic blast into the creature's back.

It roared and whipped its tail, smashing her into a tree. Prince dove from above, lightning pouring off his wings. The strikes tore into the monster's bark—but it moved too fast, dodging with terrifying ease. Then it struck him mid-dive, hammering him into the earth so hard he didn't get back up. Olsen and Ryan charged together, weapons raised. The creature swept them aside like toys. Archie hurled a blast of fire, an eruption so bright it lit the entire clearing— —but the monster didn't even flinch.

With a deafening roar, it unleashed a shockwave. Everyone was thrown back. Weapons clattered uselessly across the ground. Blood stained the grass. My friends lay in broken heaps. Only one of us still stood. Olsen. He stumbled forward, clutching his hammer, every breath ragged. His body was bloodied, but his eyes burned with defiance. He leaped, swinging with everything he had left. The monster struck first. Its claws plunged through his chest. Olsen's scream ripped through the clearing.

Then, with a sickening snarl, the creature hurled him back—straight into the cave. I watched, helpless, as the entrance collapsed beneath a rain of falling rock.

"OLSEN!!!" I screamed, reaching out as tears blurred my vision. Celestial energy poured off me in furious waves. My tail glowed, raging blue. The monster roared once more and thundered back into the dark. And then— The last thing I heard was Olsen's voice, small and broken, echoing from behind the rubble.

"Don…"