Her footsteps echoed around her. They bounced between the steel walls of the manufactured corridor she walked through. Both she and Azrath were completely silent as she navigated through the metal maze. 

She steadied her breathing, or at least she tried to. She inhaled and exhaled rapidly, and though her breaths were as silent as she could make them, Azrath was rising and falling with each. 

"I'm sorry, Noel," he whispered, "I wish with all my heart that it was me. At least nobody would miss me if I failed." 

Azrath had broken her concentration but also her anxiety. She scowled at him. "Don't you ever say that." Her voice was a whisper like his. "I would miss you. And I know that Emué would too. I don't care what you say." 

"Okay." 

Shooting down Azrath's apology had somehow boosted Noels' courage. Maybe it was because she felt she had to be strong for both their sakes. She didn't really know. But all the same, she quickened her stride, head held high. Then the third smell she didn't know suddenly wafted over her, more potent than the other two. It was a salty smell that stung her nostrils. 

"Ugh, what is that?" she said, grabbing her nose to protect it from the stink. Even if she hadn't smelled it before, it was unmistakable. The ocean. She realized this was the closest she had ever come to it. 

It took a moment for Noel's nose to get used to the smell, but once she had, she proceeded forward. Finally, she saw an end to the shipping crates just ahead of her. Soon, she would be free of this claustrophobic's nightmare. 

At last, she exited the maze and felt the salty breeze wash over her. What a sight! She could not see any ships, but the cityscape opened in front of her, as did the famous Rainbow Bridge. Thousands of lights danced across the horizon, only blocked by the large cranes that littered the concrete wharf, well-lit by tall lamps. Noel's senses were overwhelmed, trying to take it all in. But then she heard a voice, as soft as the breeze. As light as a feather.

It said, "So, you've arrived at last. You've kept me waiting, hero."

Noel's eyes locked onto the source of that strange voice. A man stood on the edge of the concrete, his back to her as he stared out into the glittering ocean.

No. 

Not standing. 

Sitting. 

Yet he was as tall as her, if not taller. 

A mane of long, silver hair ran down his shoulders, and a sword the size of Noel hung in a plain leather sheath. Noel would have been rendered speechless had she not thought of the giant's words. Hero? Her? What was he talking about?

"Um… I'm not sure what you mean by 'hero.'"

"What?" The giant stiffened, then turned his upper body around so fast his hair fanned out behind him. Noel didn't know what she imagined the giant's face would look like, but it wasn't what she expected. His skin was purple, his face soft, almost feminine, the delicate features wide with shock. His bangs threatened to fall into his eyes and nearly covered his pointed ears. But it was his eyes that captured Noel's full attention. There were no whites, only luminescent gold that shone from beneath his bangs. His pupils were slits like a cat, but she could still tell they were as shocked as the rest of his face.  

"A child? What is the meaning of this?" 

His speech pattern was very strange to Noel. Each word spoken by that breathy voice sounded to her like its own individual sigh, strung together by a musical cadence that became a slow drawl. He had an accent that was somehow soothing to her ears. Noel was reminded again of the woman with the umbrella. All of it came together to make a voice that Noel thought didn't fit such a giant. She expected a loud booming bass of a voice, not something like this.

"You've got to be joking!" he said, his surprise becoming a mix of confusion and anger, "This is a joke, right? Someone's playing me for a fool!" 

His eyes moved up and down, taking in her stupid outfit.

"You mean to tell me that Earth's greatest warrior is a little girl dressed as—" He looked at her questioningly, "What are you dressed as, girl? Some sort of bird?" 

"Uh, I don't—"

Ooh, let me take a guess!" he said eagerly, a smile creeping down from his eyes to his lips. "Are you… a hawk? No, a vulture. Hmm… not quite right either."

He brought a large hand to his face, scratching his chin with a pointed fingernail. While his face was soft, his hands certainly were not.

"Indeed!" The giant's eyes lit up as he shifted his body to a crawling position, moving towards Noel and Azrath, a gleeful smile taking over his face. Noel backed away a little as the man's face, which was eye level to hers, rushed forward. But it was in vain. The man was on top of her instantly, rising to a kneel to look down at her.

"I know..." he hissed, "You're a duck! Aren't you?" His tone shifted to bright and conversational as he tapped her nose with a giant index finger. Then he fell silent, looking at her as he waited for her to answer.

"I—I—" was all she could muster. Her hands tightened on her staff, holding it in front of her to protect herself. The giant glanced at the staff, then back up at her without a hint of fear as he said:

"I'm right, aren't I, girl? Just a little duck way in over her little head!" He chuckled, making a pinching motion with his fingers.

"If you must know!" interrupted Azrath, hopping off her shoulder and flying in front of Noel to stare down the giant. He's so brave! she thought, her courage building back up until she heard what Azrath said next, which made it fall right back down.

"Her name is Angel Knight!"

Why Azrath, why? She could see the logic in his decision. It was a bad idea to give him her actual name. But why in the name of GOD did he choose Angel Knight of all names. 

Predictably, the giant threw back his head and roared with laughter that sounded like a gale through trees. He was laughing so hard that he fell back to a sitting position.

"Oh, my—" he wheezed, "Angel Knight?! Are you serious, duck? You? A knight of the angels? Utterly ridiculous." He chuckled for a moment longer. "Now I know someone is having a lark."

Is that an actual thing?

Noel's cheeks burned. Azrath should know when to keep his mouth shut. Her anger at Azrath was burning away her fear. A bad idea if she wanted to stay rational. 

Suddenly, the giant was done laughing. Instead, he was looking at her curiously. His eyes bored into hers. "Be that as it may, it doesn't change the fact that you are in possession of some incredible power, girl. Where on Earth did you get it?" 

"I, uh, found it." It wasn't a lie.

The giant raised an eyebrow, "Found it? Where? I thought I destroyed Earth's magic. That must mean you got your hands on an enchanted item from another world. Am I correct?"

Noel blinked. What did he mean he destroyed Earth's magic?

The giant leaned forward. He was no longer smiling. "I prefer not to be ignored, thank you very much." His voice, while still breathy, lost its softness. 

"Y-yes," Noel answered. 

The giant smirked. "Thank you. Now tell me, do you recognize this?"

He reached into a pocket of his gold-trimmed red coat that looked like it belonged to a king and pulled out something small and silver. He held out his hand to show her a small, glittering rectangle. 

"That's the piece!" said Azrath.

For the first time, the giant's eyes acknowledged Azrath. "Oh ho, is that right? And what are you supposed to be? Her mascot?"

He didn't wait for Azrath to answer. "So, this is a fragment of a greater whole, is it?" His eyes glanced toward Noel, more specifically her staff, "Curious. Most curious. That must be why I couldn't access the power within."

Azrath sighed in relief. The giant's gaze returned to Azrath.

"You were worried, were you? Indeed, that's why you rushed over here." He paused, "I understand now. But what I want to know is: Where are you from?"

"That's none of your concern, Hidaar!"

The giant's eyes flashed; they literally flashed as the light of the lamps refracted off the luminescent gold. His lips parted as he stared curiously at Azrath for a moment. Then another grin spread across his face, this time exposing his teeth. Noel gasped. The first four teeth on the top and bottom were—though huge—regular human teeth. But the other teeth were long, sharp fangs. It was a horrifying sight.

 "And just how do you know that name, puffball?"

Azrath also looked terrified but didn't back down. "I know everything, Hidaar. About you, the Ahngreel, all of it."

"Do you now?" Then a look of realization washed over the giant's face, "You… But you can't be."

He looked from Azrath to Noel, down at his hand where the piece sat, then back at Azrath.

"You wouldn't happen to be associated with Urzuran? Would you?"

Azrath froze for a moment, seemingly suspended in midair, before his wings resumed their flapping.

"Y-you… You know about Urzuran?"

The giant looked offended, "Of course I do. Why would I not know the god that divided the world?"

"I…" Azrath fell silent. 

"Very well." He pocketed the rectangle, got to his feet, and rose to his full height. He towered over them, eight or nine feet tall. His head blocked one of the lamps, which veiled his face in shadow. However, his eyes shone through the darkness. "You should know then, servant of Urzuran—who claims to 'know everything'—that Hidaar is merely a title. I've been given many names over my lifetime: The Millennium King, the Beast Slayer, God Master. But you. You may address me as Darris the Indomitable." 

His shadow consumed them as they stared up at Darris, who only had eyes for Azrath. He continued, "Now that I've given you the courtesy of introducing myself, I would appreciate the same from you."

Azrath remained silent.

Darris sighed, a sound not far off from his normal speaking voice. "I'll ask you again." The darkness over Darris's face seemed to deepen, "tell me who you are. Or would you rather defy me as he did?"

He glanced past the two of them. Noel followed his gaze, though she knew she would regret it. A few feet away, lying in a pool of dried blood, was a Japanese man dressed in a policeman's uniform. His eyes were open and empty. She had been too overwhelmed with the wharf and Darris to have noticed. She wished it had stayed that way. 

Noel had never seen a dead body before. Her parent's funeral was closed casket; even if they weren't, she would have had no desire to look. The man on the ground was not dead in a clean way. Blood oozed from his body, especially from his mouth. His arms and legs were splayed in unnatural directions. They resembled broken sticks.

His eyes…Oh god, his eyes.

Noel no longer wanted to look, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. The image of the cop's body was carving its way into her mind detail by gruesome detail. She dropped her staff, backing away from Darris and the dead man. She covered her mouth to keep whatever was left of her dinner inside her. It was looking more and more like her last meal.

"Please," cried Azrath, "I'll do anything you want. Just let the girl go!" 

Noel was glad for any excuse to avert her eyes from the horror. But even as she looked away, she could feel him behind her like a phantom. Every time Noel blinked, he was there in the darkness of her thoughts. She looked at Azrath, who had flown up level with Darris's face. Darris was regarding him with mild amusement. Amusement?! He had killed a man in cold blood, and he was amused? Noel could feel her blood boiling, her headache rising to match. The hand over her mouth was closing into a fist. Calm down, Noel. But her rational mind wouldn't listen. 

"Hey, Tinky Winky!" she said, glaring up at his stupid purple face.

Darris looked at her bemused. She could see his lips silently tracing the name of the purple nightmare she had seen from one of Danny's baby shows. Tinky Winky?

"What? You mean me?" he pointed to himself. "I told you, my name is Darris."

"Whatever!"

"Noel," came Azrath's voice from behind her ear. At some point, he had flown behind her, "Please don't provoke him…."

"Shut up!" she said. Somewhere in her mind, she felt guilty for being angry with Azrath, but the cop's body still lingered behind her eyelids. "I want to know why?"

"Why what?" said Darris. He was once again staring at her with a curious expression. Is there something on my face?

"Why did you kill that man?"

Noel expected Darris to smile wickedly or laugh at her again, but he didn't. Instead, he squatted to her eye level and only looked at her.

"Why do you care, girl? You didn't know him."

"Doesn't matter if I did. It's still wrong!" Noel yelled as she looked Darris square in his eyes, "He probably had a family."

"Ah, yes," said Darris. He looked deep in thought, "You must be a kind person."

Noel didn't answer. Of course, I am.

"Well, I am not a kind person. When I want something, I will do absolutely anything to get it. That probably makes me wicked in your eyes. So be it. If he had a family, they should know that he died courageously as a warrior. You're welcome to tell them if ever you find them."

"What did he ever do to you?"

"He challenged me by pointing his weapon at me. I am one who never backs down from a challenge." Darris looked somberly past her, no doubt at the dead man. Noel did not need to look; she continued to see him without looking. "Poor sod," whispered Darris, "had fate not compelled him to my vicinity…." He looked back at Noel. "And you, girl. You were no doubt cursed by fate as well."

Noel's breath caught in her throat. How did he know? Unless he was speaking generally. There was no way he could know. 

"Tell me." Darris's tone was gentle, "you said you found that staff. Was it perchance an accident?"

Noel blinked. Darris smiled. A genuinely sad smile. 

"I see. So, I'm correct then," he said. "You truly are in over your head. Fate has brought you down a dark path."

"Then let her go!" Azrath flew in front of Noel, "If you think she's here by mistake, then there's no reason to keep her here."

"I never said she was here by mistake." Darris stood up. Noel's heart sank as he rose. There was no more warmth in his voice. "The only mistake she made was letting fate push her to this point. And you, servant of Urzuran, no doubt encouraged her to do so with your lies."

"No! I didn't—"

"Did you assume that I had some nefarious goal? That I wanted to destroy the world or some such nonsense?"

"But you—" 

"You were the one who was spying on me as I left for Earth, weren't you, puffball? Indeed, I invited you to follow me here to fight, which you did. However, that's all I wanted, a fight. And then you went and dragged an innocent child into your battle. You are a repulsive coward."

"I—" Azrath looked for a moment at a loss for words. "Then, you weren't planning to destroy the Earth?"

"Of course not, you stupid bird. I've lived in a dead world for over 10,000 years. So why on God's green Earth would I want to destroy my home world?"

"Wait," Noel interjected, "You're originally from Earth?" Noel had been sure Darris was some kind of demon or alien, given his height and unusual features. Especially those eyes.

Darris grinned his wicked grin, "Indeed. I was born in the British Isles in the tenth century."

"But that's only about a thousand years ago! How—"

"Enough questions!" Though Darris's smile was broad, his eyes did not match. "I have waited far too long to have a proper battle. I wanted Urzuran's champion. Now I have her."

"Please, have mercy!" begged Azrath, "It's like you said, she's just an innocent child!"

"Child or no—innocent or no—she holds the power I seek." 

"You have your freedom," said Azrath, losing all composure, "You can go fight any god you want!"

"I tried to, once. But none of them are Urzuran." There was something familiar in his golden eyes. It was the same primal something Noel had seen in Goro what seemed like years ago. "The other gods are nothing if they remain under Urzuran's thumb, even after his death. No, especially so. If I cannot have the god himself, then his power will more than suffice."

He bent down and reached toward Noel's staff. 

"No!" Noel reached out her hand to call the staff. And at first, the staff obeyed, lifting off the ground to fly towards her, but Darris was quick. Faster than Noel could see, Darris's hand shot forward to snatch the staff out of the air.

There was a hissing sound, smoke rising from Darris's fingers as the staff burned his skin, but he did not let go. His face didn't so much as tighten or twitch. His fingers actually closed tighter around the staff as if in defiance of the pain.  

Darris stood, then walked over to Noel, crouching down and proffering the staff stuck to his hand. "There's no need for that. I was merely giving it to you myself." He smiled at her. 

Noel snatched the staff from his palm, which peeled off his skin like tape, leaving shiny, blistering burns. She backed away further as Darris stood, fists closing over his injury. 

What the hell is this guy? One moment he was laughing and joking. The next, he was contemplative and respectful, then he was a menacing murderer. He was difficult to gauge. That made him unpredictable and dangerous. 

"I may not be kind, but neither am I unreasonable." He paused, "How about I make you an offer, girl. Strike me with all the power you possess. I will not fight back. And if you knock me off my feet, I will leave you, your bird, and everyone you hold dear alone. I'll even leave Earth for good. You have my word." Darris put a hand on his heart and bowed to her.

Darris then walked past her toward the shipping containers. His booted feet were silent. No sounds echoed from his careful footfalls. He stopped about ten feet from her, then turned, facing her with his arms spread open. "Go on then, girl!" he called, "Go on and—Oh, what's the phrase…? Ah, yes! Hit me with your best shot!"

Noel stood there, staring at Darris. At that moment, the world stood still as they looked at each other. Knock him off his feet? That was all? Noel swallowed. She wasn't stupid. Darris obviously wouldn't have made the conditions of his offer so grand if he wasn't completely confident in himself. But he had made the offer, and now there was no going back. She had to try.

"I'm so sorry, Noel…." Azrath's apologies were beginning to sound like a broken record, even if she knew he meant every one of them.

"Yeah, I know."

Noel's grip on the staff tightened with her focus. What was it Azrath said before after she had defeated Goro? …even you, in your heart of hearts, knew it was wrong to kill him. Otherwise, your attack would have.

Was she capable of killing Darris? He was a murder, a proud murder. Who knows how many people he had killed in his life? That giant sword looked like it belonged on his back. If there was anyone who deserved to die, it was probably him.

But how do I know that? Doubt crept upon her. What do you actually know about him? Azrath was wrong before. Noel mentally shook herself. It didn't matter if Azrath was wrong or not. The cop was proof enough.

Though she could clearly see him in her mind's eye, she forced herself to look at the cop, at what Darris had done to him. She thought of all the people Darris could hurt if she failed. Her friends, Danny…even Aunt Jillian. She had to be strong for their sake.

"Well?" said Darris, arms still spread as he looked at her impatiently, "What are you waiting for? I'm not going to die if you stall long enough." He smirked at his lame joke.

It was his smirk and the image of Danny lying broken on the concrete that stoked the flames in her head. I promised him I would keep him safe. She channeled that rage into her glare, raising the staff to point at Darris's chest.

Darris was no longer smiling. Once again, he was staring at her with that curious expression of his.

And then the words came from her head to her mouth in an instant. "HOLY LIGHT BEAM ATTACK!!"

The light erupted from her staff. As she closed her eyes to shield herself from its brilliance, she saw, with satisfaction, that the beam was much larger than last time. The silhouette of Darris threw up its hands as Goro did, this time with a cry of "NOOOOOOOOO!"

And then it was over. The light was gone. And the only sound now was the woosh of the bay. Noel opened her eyes, trying to see past her attack's afterimage.

"D-did I get him?" she asked Azrath as she began to regain her vision.

"Nope."

It wasn't Azrath who answered.

Noel whipped around just in time to see the back of Darris's hand come crashing into her. It was like an explosion had gone off in her face. She rocketed through the air, the staff flying from her grip just as her back hit something hard. Colored metal screeched around her as it gave way from her impact. Noel hung suspended in the dent she had made in one of the shipping crates before falling forward, smacking her head hard on the concrete below.

As if from far away, Noel could hear someone calling her name, over and over. It sounded like a child's voice, pleading for her to get up. Was it Danny? Coming to wake her up an hour before her alarm clock again? No. It wasn't Danny... Danny was at home... Where was she again?

Something tickled her nose. Some kind of salty smell. Was Aunt Jillian cooking something again? She hoped it wasn't raw fish. Her aunt had told her about something called miso soup, which sounded pretty good to her, as long as it didn't have more fish.

Fish? Water? The ocean.

All of reality came crashing down as Noel regained her senses. She was lying on her stomach on the concrete wharf as Azrath screamed her name. She could see the wharf stretching out in front of her at a weird angle. Noel expected her body to be hurting after taking Darris's backhand, but there was no pain at all. She gained control of her splayed limbs and began to push herself back to her feet.

"Oh no, you don't." Darris's voice was followed by something dropping onto her face that pushed her back down, cheek pressed firmly into the concrete.

"Congratulations! You're not dead!" She saw Darris's face pop into her field of vision. He was above her, his face and grin upside down. "You managed to survive a blow that has killed full-grown men." The force on her face grew heavier. Her skull creaked as it threatened to break beneath the force of Darris's foot.

She knew that's what it was, based on the feel of the hard leather sole on her cheek. He was crushing her beneath his boot.

"A word of advice though, girl," Darris said, "it's a bad idea to shout the name of your attack before you make them. Gives a man time to prepare and all. I thought that was common sense! Not that it mattered, in any case. That attack of yours was pitiful. And what kind of name is 'Holy Light Beam Attack?' Sounds like it was named by a toddler."

He didn't give her a chance to answer as he began to grind his boot into her head which threatened to tear away from her neck as her cheek slid across the ground.

"This protective power is quite impressive, girl. But I wonder how much pressure it can take before it gives way. What if I…."

Darris finished his sentence by pressing down on her skull even harder. Pain shot through her head. Actual pain. Noel's reply was to scream louder than she'd ever scream before.

She didn't see or hear Darris lean close to her. She felt him. His silent breath—which she thought would stink but was only musty—made her bangs flutter in front of her eyes.

"Do you know why they call me indomitable?"

His voice was a hissing whisper. Noel could hear his triumphant grin in it. He didn't wait for her to answer. 

"Well, I'll tell you. It's because—"

Darris's explanation was cut short as Noel felt his foot suddenly leave her face. Noel could hear Azrath's voice screaming insults towards Darris.

She raised her throbbing head just enough to see that Azrath had indeed come to her rescue, furiously attacking Darris's face, clawing at him as he had to Goro.

"You stay away from her, you vile, evil, son of a—"

"I've had quite enough of you, pest."

Darris had not shown any sign of pain, even as dark blue blood ran down several deep gashes on his face. He just looked annoyed.

Darris moved so fast that Azrath had no time to react: Opening his mouth wide, Darris's neck shot forward, his teeth closing around the tiny ball of fur. Noel gave a shuddering gasp and rose to her feet as Darris leered at her, showing Azrath struggling desperately through the gaps in his teeth.

"Noel!" Came his terrified squeaks, "Noel! I'm s—"

Azrath was cut short as Darris closed his mouth and gave a huge swallow. He grinned again to show Noel that no tiny puffball struggled behind his teeth.

No…

The world was falling around Noel. It spun as it disappeared from her sight.

No…

Or maybe she was the one falling as her knees buckled down onto the concrete. Her hands caught her fall. She stared at the ground. She watched as tears fell from her face.

It's not true. Azrath's not dead.

"What's wrong, little duck?" Darris said coldly, "Oh, did I eat your pet? Poor you. Are you going to cry about it?"

That bastard… She wouldn't let him see her cry. She wouldn't let Darris have the satisfaction of seeing one tear fall. 

The tears that fell from Noel never made it to the ground. They sizzled away into steam as her inner fire poured out of her. Her headache was no longer just in her head.

I'll make him pay.

Noel had once heard that losing one's temper described as a snap, like the sound of a stick breaking inside someone's mind. But that's not what it was like for Noel. No, instead, she would describe it more as a gentle drift. Her mind pulled free from the flaming time bomb that was her body. It was a true out-of-body experience.

As Noel drifted away, she witnessed her fingers curl into fists, sinking into the concrete of the wharf as if it were sand. She saw, more than felt, her lips twisting, her teeth gritted so hard that they threatened to shatter.

And then she was gone.