​After his unexpected experience, Loksta got off the L train nervously walking up to Union Square Station to catch any train heading to 42nd street. Cautiously he watched every move that everyone made, as well as his own surroundings. Luckily since i​t was so early, not too many people were out but everyone he passed he eyed while looking at his rings to see if they were going to light up.

        One woman passed observing his behavior then called him a weirdo. As soon as he reached Union Square, he looked at the token booth clerk oddly squinting his eyes before swiping his metro card. Since Union Square is a bigger station, more people were waiting for the uptown express opposed to the local 6. Still scared, he noticed his head was dripping with sweat so he thought, “Damn, people must think I’m some kind of drug addict!” To him that was amusing enough for a smile to run across his face. He coached himself to calm down then went back up the stairs, purchased a peach Snapple then said, “Relax Herbie, they are not coming back for you so soon! Don’t worry about them. Let’s drink this cold Snapple and just... chill!”

         Though trying to be normal, within a couple of gulps that Snapple was gone. When the 4 train arrived, he waited from a distance. When it opened, he quickly poked in his head twice looking at his rings each time before stepping in. Abruptly he stepped back out, waiting on the side until the last moment, jumping back in with the doors closing behind him. While on the train, he stood up instead of running to obtain a seat as he usually would do. Like four minutes later he was on 42nd street entering Grand Central Station.

        It was then when he remembered many occasions visiting his best friend. Not only because she used to work in the Times Sq. area, but more so because she was a such a positive influence as they were in high school. Times of when he was stressed out, negative, or depressed, he used to call her to get the positive advice that she always gave. When everyone else was considered useless to him she served a purpose. She was the only person he listened to. It was around that time when he got into so much trouble. Encountering multiple confrontations as well as arrested, that he started calling her instead of his mother. He smiled once again remembering when he instructed her to alert his mother if he wasn’t out by the next day so that she would know that he was ok.

        That’s when he thought and said out loud, “Oh ok, I’ll go visit her for a lil while! I’m sure she will be glad to see me and everything should be ok as long as I don’t use any magic!” A little smile grew on his face as he felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Then he thought about when things were normal as he was doing minor hero things. Times of when he was not being hunted by opponents that he was no match for.

        In Grand Central Stations crowded train terminal, he waited his turn online to buy a ticket. “Where do u wanna go?” the ticket clerk asked. 

        He replied, “Umm!” looking at the list behind the clerk, his choice, “Maryland!” 

        She told him that the train was about to leave in 5 minutes which prohibited her from selling him the ticket which boarded that one. Observing his pitiful look she said, “You really look stressed out so I’m going to give you a complimentary pass! You don’t have to pay me and don’t worry, you don’t owe me! I’ll just put it as an adjustment in the system but you have to hurry up and run and catch that train. If they don’t let you on just come back. Don’t wait online, just come back to me!”

        He thanked her twice before rushing to catch that train. He quickly searched the ticket, ready to run to Gate 17A when he over heard a little boy behind him say, “Mommy, mommy I want the funny rings that Mr. has!” As soon as he heard rings, he lifted his hands to see his rings were lit up like Christmas bulbs. Instantly he got a sharp pain in his head which caused him to hold his hand over his right eye, while falling to one knee. Using his free eye he looked far across the terminal witnessing a tall figure dressed in black. Glancing at this figure he wondered why people in this busy terminal were continuously passing back and forth normally without sharing this pain. This figure just stood motionlessly. Loud voices began echoing in Lokstas head sounding like some kind of weird chanting. Then it seemed to get lower, clearer with the words separating no longer overlapping each other. Listening, it started to sound out as “Ro,ra, ru-runnn!”

        As soon as it took a step forward Loksta tried to get off of his one knee to run but he couldn’t move. Besides one voice telling him to run, the overlapping chants that he heard was a spell being casted on him. The same little kid who saw the rings looked at Loksta, curious of what he was staring at. When he looked in the other direction, he saw the dark figure pull out some type of long weapon from within his cloak as he walked closer. Super excited, the spoiled kid screamed tugging on his mother’s coat, “Mommy, Daddy, I want that, I want that!” Pointing ecstatically, he continued “Tell Santa that I was good this year!" Then he grabbed Lokstas hand saying, “Mister, Mister, where could Santa make that for me? I want it, I want it!”

        Fortunately, it was the innocence of this young ones touch that broke the spell that was casted. With no time to think, he raised from that knee taking off towards the train. Up ahead, one of the workers caught the train door right before it closed. “Next time come on time, I shouldn’t have to hold doors for you!” he said with an attitude and then checked his ticket. Loksta quickly boarded the train escaping whatever was following him. Right away the train started moving causing the rings to become dimmer until the glow was totally gone. He walked to the right side of the train and then the left looking throughout the car to make sure everything was safe. Everything seemed okay for now so he sat down to rest.

        He took off his bag placing it on the empty seat beside himself then continued to take out his drawing book and pencil. He began drawing the first beast he encountered in the train station on first avenue, then the one he just saw. This was the first time in hours that he felt comfortable enough to relax for a little bit because the danger appeared to be gone. With the comfort and satisfaction of feeling safe combined with no sleep, he started to dose away with his hand on top of his bag. Minutes after, he was sound asleep. 

        As he slept, he had a vision. In this vision, everything was quiet alongside pure darkness. The temperature dropped as the cold was felt around him. This setting was so dark that not even a faint spark of light was seen. Suddenly out of nowhere, he heard a calm voice, “All day you’ve been running, you are so tired. Just come to us young one!” echoed throughout the darkness. Turning around in each direction he tried to identify where the speaker was coming from even though he couldn’t see anything. The voice became harsher as it continued, “We are here for you but if you decline to join... the results will not be to your liking, catastrophic even!”

        Through the darkness, floating images appeared. They were of volcanoes, fires, storms, and other natural disasters. These images were zooming past, orbiting around his whole body. Then they became more personal. Terrifying images of his family, friends of family getting tortured and slaughtered. “Boy... you, this pathetic little world of yours that you hold dear to your heart, along with everything else will go away horribly! Never peacefully but violently. Look at all the signs, the towers going down, the hurricanes, storms, tsunamis, covid, other natural catastrophic disasters. These things to come are unstoppable. Believe that there are just a small portion of our powers. Embrace us so you won’t have to worry about your planet suffering, Resist will make me promise to you that before you die, we’ll make you suffer more than you ever thought possible. Your peoples will be slaughtered by the hundreds of thousands. Each time we will be getting closer and closer to your loved ones and it’s all because of you. We will find your friends, picking them off little by little. After they suffer unimaginable torturous deaths, then your family will get their turn next. One by one they will suffer, screaming your name, begging for mercy. I’ll have you right beside them bound, forced to watch. After they miserably fall, comes your woman whom you love so dearly. She will suffer the most. I will torture you in front of her to the point that you will pass out several times. Seeing you in so much pain will hurt her more than it will hurt you because for some pathetic reason she sees you as a strong person, her future even. But her love is untrue as you will learn that her heart calls for another. With any chance, she will betray you to run to his side. She does not truly love you but fortunately for you, you won’t know because I will ensure you that you will wake up to her screams as we rip her apart in front of you! So, who wins? You might as well come to us. Rule this vile planet as your kingdom. Keep these lands as yours, doing whatever you please with its inhabitants. Then you are guaranteed no suffering will befall your family or friends unless you want it to!”

        Once that was said everything went back to absolute silence and darkness. Because it was nothing to see Loksta closed his eyes before he replied, “Well, you know Odin protects my friends and family, right?! If magic is not around them, they are ok. That’s why I moved away from them!”

        Suddenly it dawned on him causing his face to get long as his words slowed down, “Unless... you’re trynna distract me!?” When he looked down no rings were on his hands so knew he was being tricked. “I’m sleeping, get up!” He demanded himself. Abruptly waking out of his sleep he quickly looked at his rings. They both were glowing once again. He jumped from his seat looking both ways, jumping from the left side of the train then to the right but saw no visual sight of danger! Thats when he sighed looking at his hands saying out loud, “Let me find out these rings are tweaking! They have me all buggin!” 

        The present commuters who witnessed his actions watched him oddly as he went back to his seat to sit back down. Straight out of the tunnel, the suns natural light shined upon him. Feeling the warmth as he calmed down, he arched his eyebrow questioning himself, “Unless!”

        Jumping to the window since the train was now riding outside, he saw some kind of beast running on the ground matching the trains speed. It looked like a dragon without wings. This creature was armored like a rhino but the size of a great elephant. It was dark grey with various horns sticking out of many directions. As it ran it smashed everything in its way. It toppled trucks and buses while damaging buildings in its path with no regards for property or life. On top of it was that same mysterious dark figure from the train terminal. “Oh shit!” Loksta said loud enough for all the others to hear as he watched it swerve through traffic, demolishing whatever it touched. It proved its speed was more superior as it caught up to the train leaping over whole cars at a time.

        Looking straight ahead he saw that in less than a minute the train would be approaching the station. “We got to get out of here!” he shouted. "False alarm, Never mind, I forgot they're only looking for me!" Closer and closer the behemoth got as it swiftly passed speeding vehicles, flipping some over while knocking some over while knocking others over. “Wow, what da fuck am I guna do, matter of fact… what is that thing?" He asked himself. 

        Just then a voice entered his head saying, “Use the rings together!” He looked at the glowing rings, closed his eyes to focus before saying, “Ummm ring’s, get me out of here!” Seconds later, he felt a strong pressing wind that caused him to open his eyes. Surprised he shouted, “Ohhhhhhh Shiiiiiiiiiiit!”, as he found himself slipping off the top of the train. The rings did exactly what he demanded which was getting him out, but instead of into safety, it transported him to the top of the speeding train. With all his might, he tried to hold on but slowly continued to slip. As he slid down the right of the train he knew if he fell but managed to survive, that dark rider would surely finish him off. At this time, his body was half way off the train and still sliding. He used his left hand and leg to try to hold on the side, while with his right hand and leg he attempted to try to hold on to the top. The dark rider pulled out his same sword as he got closer. The sword was close enough to see at this point. At a glimpse, it was quickly seen in detail. It resembled some sort of rusty sharp bone which was glowing with red symbols.

        The force of the wind pulled him away from that thought. It was so strong that it became extremely hard for him to hold on so he began to slip down faster. Trying to maintain his grip, he started with five fingers. Soon after, only four were clinching causing him to think, “Wait, I’m not a punk!” Another finger was released leaving him with only three. Upset with the way things were going, he mustered enough strength to shout, “If I’m guna die then I’m guna die fighting! Well, here we go!” Growling, he pushed himself away from the train in the Rider’s direction.

        When he saw The Rider abruptly draw his sword to protect himself from this unsuspected attack, he knew something had to be done quickly. With concentrated anger mixed with fright, he placed his hands together but instead of blocking his body, he let out a powerful magic blast that he never knew himself capable of doing. It was so strong that when it hit the Rider, it knocked him off his beast but unfortunately, at the same time, pushed Loksta further up in the air.

        Due to that powerful energy emerging from his body for the first time, he was totally numb. Though in so much pain, he was aware that he was at least five stories in the air. His demise was certainly inevitable but worth it. He was 100% satisfied knowing he hurt that dark rider before he died. As he slowed down from rising he began to descend back to the Earth. Barely able to open his eye, he saw his enemy below with sword at hand waiting for his fall. “At least I died as a warrior!” he uttered as gravity pulled his body down. Seconds later… no more wind wrapped around his body, all was calm. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that same enemy shrinking then noticed that it was he who was going higher up in the sky once again. Slowly, with the little strength he had left, he turned his head. To his surprise, “Draxxxx!” he mumbled before fainting.

        “Fear not young one, I have you!” he assured Loksta as he watched the danger below. The rider lifted his sword shooting two magical blasts at his evading prey. “Hold on!” Drax said as he flipped over in the air, spitting out one gigantic fireball to counter the blasts. Because of Draxs speed, before the dust cleared out of the sky they were out of harm’s way making the rider and beast far away images until they disappeared.

Chapter 1                 Chapter 3