A good story

Then I will need beer

Lots of beer.

Drink up Dale but I am going to move things along a bit if your don't mind.

"Cat, how much do you know about our beards?", Legend asked suddenly.

"What do you know about this man.. this fuck, Norris? And his beard"

"Not much, but more than most." She said as a matter of fact.

"... and its Chuck. Chuck Norris."

"What?"

"His name? It's Chuck.", she clarified.

"Yeah well he sounds like a fuck anyway..", Beardmaster chimed in.

With a quick high five, the two regained their serious inquisitive expression. Cathina had a "are you serious?" look to her face and calmly said.

"Do you two know how dumb you look when you do that?"

"You weren't supposed to notice. We need to work on our speed bro.", Legend said.

Beardmaster nodded whole heartily.

"Is it possible for a beard to control its host or the other way around? I just want to know who is in charge. The beard or this Norris?", Legend explained.

"That is a tough one. For a host to control a beard takes a lot of determination and effort. He would make me look like you and you would look like you with your clothes off.", She said, pointing at Beardmaster.

"What?", Legend asked confusedly.

Cathina dismisses the air of confusion with a wave, "Point is, everyone goes down a notch on the evolutionary scale when compared to such a host. We all lose..."

"That bitch...", Beardmaster said realizing.

"So you are saying it is possible?", Legend cut in before Beardmaster could finish the rest of this sentence.

"I mean I have done something similar before but was not able to use its entire power. I am just now beginning to figure this thing out but its more of a co-operative thing really.", He explained.

"Whoa... whoa.. hold it! I got one question for your 'Miss almighty period.'", Beardmaster interjected.

Cathina, composed her snarl and asked "What is it?".

"Just how are you able to dampen our beard's power? These things have existed before your time and mine?"

"Norris existed well before your and my time as well, so its not too had to believe that Norris may have found a way to nullify their powers for a short time. If not him then there were already contingencies in place before the use of beards were validated and Chuck was one of the few who knew how to use it to his benefit.", She explained.

"These Godstalkers..., they were at war with the old planets, yes? So why would they follow a pariah from the enemy side?"

"Perhaps that's it. A pariah to take down their own kin, rather poetic don't you think?", She explained.

"Why did Norris fight his own kind with the GodStalkers? It's obvious; somehow we won the war , that's why we are still here." Legend concluded.

"True brother, but there are no documents that record the progress of war. What was saved when the whole civilization collapsed? What did we win? I am not sure if there is an answer.." she sighed.

"But there might be an answer sister. No one is looking because they don't know. But if we can regain that piece of knowledge from the temple of planets then we can educate the world, regain a piece of what we once were." Legend rambled on enthusiastically.

"you maybe right but what if it's a truly difficult answer?"

"I don't follow.."

"What if it means to save the world is to lose your history? What if that's what happened? Look around us brother, the world is in shambles. There pictures that I have found in some crypts that hinted at this world being a lot greener and friendlier. Most of us don't even know where we truly come from. There is a whole different world buried beneath our feet. What if that is what happens to us when we find this answer." she asked solemnly.

"Don't forget to mention the fact that these bastards are still here and we are still at an impending war.... huh... suddenly this "truth" does not seem to be that useful.", Beardmaster pondered.

"Obviously whatever this ultimate weapon was, it failed or we would have never known things such as Godstalkers." he explained.

"So how about it, bitch? What are you not telling us?"

"Dude! She is my long lost little sister. She can blow out both of our brains with a sneeze.", Legend looked at Beardmaster, incredulously.

"Trust me." Beardmaster insisted.

"Obviously this power to nullify one's beard is too powerful a secret to give out to just anyone. How is it that you can use this? You, who betrayed and escaped the clutches of the GodStalkers.", Beardmaster continued.

"The faithful go through an indoctrination process...", she said biting her lip.

"And you were able to resist this process?"

"I...I.. did.", She stammered unsure of herself.

"Bro she might be a sleeper agent. She was brainwashed into thinking she escaped and planted here for us to activate her..." Beardmaster cautioned.

"Are you sure you don't read fiction of your own? Consider the circumstances of our arrival, it was too random. Do you honestly think some one has the foresight to predict our every action? Like as if he is a God?", Legend mocked.

"Look around us and what we have fought so far. Would it truly be impossible that we might be up a omniscient being?", Beardmaster retorted.

"You didn't really escape did you? There are some flaw in your logic. If this man, Norris, is capable of such power then I don't doubt he would be able to indoctrinate me and you. You didn't realize that the power you have access to could be a complete indoctrination package?". Beardmastr prodded further.


"I-I didn't want you to know..", Cathina suddenly blurted looking at her brother pleadingly.

"Cat?"

"I didn't escape capture unscathed... I had been experimented on a few times. The voice kept saying I had a lot of promise. Eventually, whatever they did must have finally gotten activated when I heard their screams.." she babbled.

"Cat, it's okay. Whatever it is, we can find a way to stop it fro.."

"You don't understand. I think he can control me. The power I have is his beard using me as a conduit.", she stammered.

"Who? Norris?"

Suddenly Cathina jerked her neck and turned her face to the right. There was a sound of a snap, like bone breaking. Then she turned her back around to meet the two. Her left eye had popped a vessel and it was all blood red. Veins popped out of her skink from that eye all the way up to her forehead. Her neck seemed a bit swollen but she gave no indication of it bothering her. There was a smile followed by a raspy laughter. Something was incredibly wrong with her.

"So this is what you two have been up to?" she said all of a sudden.

"I think she is possessed.", Beardmaster said quietly to Legend.

"N-norris?", Legend asked curiously.

"We will deal with him later.", She said, her voice sounding more and more raspy and hoarse.

"you two have more pressing concerns right now."

With that she attacks the duo.

A savage strike that nearly tore Beardmaster's head off if he was a second late at ducking low. With a heaving kick he threw Cat across the room. Cathina was no longer in charge of her body. This wasn't Norris either. Was there another player in the game?

Legend still stood there, shocked. Fate had a funny way of rewarding the ambitious, sometimes it will give you a trickle of hope before smashing down any vestige left in one's soul. He wanted so badly to believe his sister had survived the ordeal but unfortunately you can never get what you want in this world. It became more and more apparent that his sister might be gone entirely. No one can survive a broken neck, whatever possessed her had to snuff out her life force first before it could take control.

The creature had regained its balance and pursued her attack on the Beardmaster. For whatever reasons, this one isn't using any of Cathina's capabilities. It was more savage and relied on the host's physical prowess. Beardmaster dodged another swipe but took a blow to the midrib before he headbutted her in the nose and unleashed a powerful hay-maker.

"Bro, snap out of it..." Beardmaster shouted at his still shocked companion.

"I need your help.."

Cathina would have been a mighty adversary with her mental and arcane knowledge but a hand to hand combatant she was not. While Beardmaster was no prized fighter, his adventures have taught him many a hard earned lessons.

"Legend!!!" Beardmaster yelled as the creature who was Cathina suddenly rushed into Beardmaster and performed a sweep with her claws and was about pounce into his chest.

Legend, snapping out of his ire, threw the book of ages at his possessed sister. It didn't do much harm but it took attention off Beardmaster and towards him.

"Why brother, you would g against your own sister for this pompous windbag?", it rasped at Legend.

"Y-your not my sister." he stammered

Cat, cackles loudly, enough time for beard master to land a crippling stomp to one of her knees. The creature wails for a bit then grabs Beardmaster by his throat. Before she could land the deathblow, she gets knocked to the ground beside Beardmaster by a heavy pommel strike to the head by Legend.

"You can use your beard?" Beardmaster asked realizing his was still useless.

"Whatever enchantments against our powers Cat made does not seem to apply anymore. This thing is not able to use her knowledge.", Legend said as he helped Beardmaster up.

Legend found it strange that Beardmaster was not using his beard at all but that was a question for a later time. Right now Legend's short family reunion needed closure. He handed a short sword to the beard master.

"Give me a head of a war-hammer too.", Beardmaster requested.

Cat was knocked down for a few minutes but not out. She started gaining her bearings when Beardmaster struck her across the forehead with his short sword pommel. He took the extra time to tie the war-hammer head to the end of his beard. The damned thing was inert but it wasn't totally useless like an ordinary beard. It was strong enough to use as a sling.

"Bro, watch out!", Legend yelled.

It was too late, a solid slice across the abdomen but adrenaline kept the man from reeling with pain. Instead Beardmaster crouched low and slashed at her foot. Blood gushed from the nasty cut across her right calf as Beardmaster completed the spin from the momentum of the slash and did a reversal swing upwards with his bearded flail. The sweet soft crunch of metal hitting against bone kept Beardmaster from getting yanked into the air with his wild swing. The hammer to the face sent the creature flying backwards. Beardmaster leaped on the downed creature about to bring his bearded flail into a downward swing on to the creatures head when he was tackled by his companion.

"No!" Legend protested.

"Damn bro, you cock-blocked me!"

"She is my kin, I will see her off.", he looked at Beardmaster sternly.

"keeping it in the family is fine by me", Beardmaster nodded.

Dismissing thoughts of punching Beardmaster in the nose, Legend dug deep into his beard. A bearded shield on his right arm and a short sword on his left, he approached his sister. Cat, stood still then suddenly crouched down on the ground and drew a complex star with a line crossing in the middle.

The ground around Legend erupted, suddenly she was behind him and somehow unaffected by the tremors. Her hand would have passed through his chest if Legend didn't managed to bring up his shield in time. The blow knocked him back but the creature howled in pain with her hand bent awkwardly in the opposite position.

She sprinkled some blood on Legend's face and then started chanting something unintelligible and guttural. "Sashkraaalaalala", she wailed and then suddenly there were molten rocked bursting from the ceiling. The impact of the meteorites started to break the ceiling. Dodging as best as he can, Legend cleared the are between his sister and struck with a vicious pommel strike. The creature was figuring out his sister's powers. Legend spun and landed a vicious backhand with his shield knocking back Cat, which left her open for a sharp stab across her chest.

"How could you betray me?", cat said horrified, as the room suddenly stopped shaking. Legend had hit home into his sister's heart. The look of horror on her face will no doubt gnaw at his mind. She was still holding on to the blade impaled into hee chest when her grip on it got stronger. The creature that was no longer Cat slowly guided the blade across from her chest. The sickening snap of bones and ribs was unsettling. But as soon as the blade was out, she started laughing maniacally.

Hoooooolyyyy shiiiiiiiiiit &O..............................nice ¦)

The figure just stood there holding the blade in her arm in an iron grip. Legend tried to yank his blade free but his resolve seemed futile. Suddenly, he channeled his beard to stab her right through. As it pierced her chest, there was hardly any resistance felt. The blade broke free from her vice like grip and the abomination that was Cat looked more like a transparent silhouette that was quickly fading. She had used a shadow decoy to teleport somewhere safe.

"Where did she go?" Beardmaster said looking around? Uncertainly.

"I don't think we were ever talking to your sister, bro. This guy is just making you suffer."

There was a thunderous rumble and the cave started to fade. Clearly, it too was an illusion. As the rocky ceiling gave way to more vast open area. The smell of burning sulfur was familiar. They were back on that damned floating island on the sea of lava with the massive pentagram in the center. Only it was glowing blood red which gave off crackling electricity.

"Stay away from the borders, those things can fry you within a minute.", Legend cautioned.

There was a blinding crackle followed by a large flash of bright light from the ground and then all illusions were gone. They were still in "Hell" on a floating rock body over hot molten rocks. A Small black tornado rose from the ground and stopped, a few steps away from the duo. It had to be magical or they would have been sucked into it headlong being this close.

The tornado dissipated and in its stead, stood a burning red skull garbed in black robes which didn't do anything to hide its flaming frame underneath. The skeleton had a permanent sneer on its red burning face with two dimly lit red coals in its sockets. The thing wasn't completely humanoid in appearance, its torso only led to his waist. Below, where his legs should be, was a whirling pool of body parts and organs. Probably it belonged to a prior unfortunate victim.

"I think that might be whats left of Cat in there?", Legend said green faced.

"Well that got old quick..", the creature said with a sigh.

"Where is my sister??" Legend roared.

"Oh dear brother, how can you still be asking this when you know what happened to me?", it mocked Cat's voice with that sneering skinless face.

Losing all of his senses to rage, Legend leaps at the creature with his sword raised. It sidesteps and slaps Legend behind the head as he goes flying to the edge of the island almost into to the burning red pool of molten rock. The skull fixed its gaze on Beardmaster.

"Hey now... I was perfectly okay with this being strictly kept between family..", Beardmaster objected as he realized he is next.

"You have some terrible secrets that you hide under that detached sarcasms of yours.", It sneered.

"Hopes, lies, betrayals and dastardly things, you have seen them all haven't you? And took part in a few as I can tell..", it continued on.

"You know I am really disappointed in you two... especially you, Ruscoe?", it said looking at Beardmaster.

"YOU SHUT YOUR WHORING MOUTH!!! I WILL RIP YOUR BALLS OUT YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!!", Beardmaster suddenly erupted.

"Oooh! Touched a nerve did we?"

Without a pause, Beardmaster leaped at the sneering demonic visage with his sword held up high. And so goes another fool, ignore his own lesson and laying down to his base, lesser emotion: RAGE!

Legend picked himself up from the edge. He looked down into that burning red pool a few times and it looked a lot more terrifying. The magma was strangely blood red, and there seems to be a few burnt pieces of bones sprinkled all over the sea. He could have sworn he saw a set of skulls piled up neatly on one of the floating rocks. Regaining his ground, Legend looked up to see Beardmaster getting his ass handed to him thoroughly. That thing was inhumanely agile as it danced away from Beardmaster's desperate attacks and would connect back with a solid strike which sent him flying across.

As Beardmaster fell to the ground bloody and battered, Legend charged into the hovering figure, hard, with his shield. A hard pommel strike followed to the base of its skull from the back which made the thing stagger forward. It tried to counter with a backhand but Legend was prepared for the counter and manage to ducked under and take swipe at the creatures midriff. The creature let out a short shriek of surprise and Legend in turn answered with a powerful shield uppercut and a reverse diagonal slash which should have sliced any normal man in half.

The thing staggered back even further and with a look of outrage, let out a roar and clapped its hands together creating a massive explosion which sent the duo hurtling further back, almost to the edge.

"Dear brother your naivete astounds me brother...", It suddenly spoke.

"How is that you are able to hold on to that genuine innocence of ignorance when you traveled so far, done so much...", It mocked further.

"What changed? Why do you suddenly have hope that your sister is still alive when all this while you were sure that she was gone? You are no longer the man filled with hate and anger looking for power..."

"Where is she?" Legend demanded, between gasps of air.

"I miss the old you..", it said mockingly as it slowly started hovering closer to the duo.

The duo couldn't help but wonder if this is the end of their journey, to be toyed to death with beings that shouldn't exist in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps it was fitting for a quest that would change the world to be so challenging but it seemed that they were grossly outnumbered and ill prepared for the tasks at hand. If creatures like these were to be their foes, what chances do two common men with enchanted beard stand?

You are anything but common. Maybe you were before you found us but we have done so far has changed you and your bro, bro, Legends beard interjected.

"You doubt your success, I can see it in your faces. That is good, it is time you two fools realize the consequences of parading around proclaiming yourselves as Legends.", it sneered.

"How does it feel to have your hopes dashed? How does it feel to know the inevitability of your futile attempts? You are right, no one knows you are here, no one truly cares if you are alive or not because lets face it, Beardmaster, you are nothing but a bedside story for the young and gullible."

"How does it feel to not know if your sister is alive or dead?" It looked at Legend and got taken aback by a sudden smile slowly forming on his filthy and bloody face.

"Now I know what you are...", He said, smiling more assuredly.

"This is a Thingymajic."

"A wha?"

"A Thingimajic. It's an infiltrator that generally uses a hosts dreams against them to gain information. This one is a little more enhanced, it has a personality and aggressive enough to actually kill the host if need be. Although this bastard is more intent on torture and killing than get info.", Legend Analyzed.

"You were right, Beardmaster, we never met my sister. It used my hopes and dreams and cursed it with my own fears with a little of its own proprietary blend of corruption." Legend admitted.

"Its okay lad... no one can be too prepared for this manner of adversary.", Beardmaster assured his companion.

Just then the Thingymajic raised its arms up and the ground started to shake. There was something under the surface of the rock that started homing in on the duo. They started to run as from each of their footsteps a giant rocky spike sprang up. The duo had to keep running or give up and get impaled by a spike from the ground up.

Legend saw something gold and glowing within the slit of sliced robe on the demons chest, as the creature had raised it arms to summon the ground spikes. He managed to slow down time and zoom in closer with his beardly powers to see that there was no flesh under that robe. Only bones that made the skeletal frame and in the center of the rib-cage there was an amulet embedded into it.

The symbol was once again something they had never seen before. Two number threes were etched into the center of the piece. One of the three's was a mirror opposite, which gave the center a butterfly like shape. This shape was bordered by a square which was inside a larger square border to make a hexagonal exterior. The truncated three glowed a dark red and a bright blue on the regular number. The borders gave off a neutral white glow that seemed more to outline the borders than anything else.

"You see that amulet there?", Legend whispered to the Beardmaster when they could safely avoid the spikes.

"If we can get to it then we can beat it but its well protected as you can tell."

"So one of us has to distract it. I take it, I drew the short stick of the bunch?" Beardmaster asked rhetorically.

"You assumed correctly, since I can use my beard I will have a decent chance at hitting the target.", Legend replied.

"Here take this blade and shield. I have put in extra enchantments that I am sure will come in handy.", Legend explained as he handed Beardmaster the upgrades.

With that, Beardmaster started tossing some insults at the hovering demon, who had been silently chanting some sort of incantation, in hopes of attracting its attention. Upon seeing Beardmaster's advance, it raised one of its hands and a giant spear made of ice appeared, hovering just above its hand. With one swift motion the ice spear darted for Beardmaster. The creature wasn't totally unaware of the duo it seems.

"You red fuck! Stop blushing up there and come get your period like a bitch that yo.. uh-oh", Beardmaster stopped short as he finally saw the massive ice shard come towards him.

It was all he could to defend against that heavy assault. Beardmaster crouched down and aimed his shield as best as he could to face the oncoming missile. He couldn't help but pray that Legend's enchantments held true. The impact pushed Beardmaster back several paces and numbed his shield arm but other than that the damage seemed minor. The ice-spear broke into several fragments and exploded all over as they touched the ground. Beardmaster got a few nicks from the resulting explosions but majority of the damage seemed to have been absorbed by the shield.

"Awesome shield bro!", Beardmaster yelled back.

"Look out you fool!", Legend yelled back as he saw the Thingymajic flickered into existence directly in front of Beardmaster's shield and took a mean swing with his two handed glacial hammer.

Beardmaster rolled back several paces from the impact. He sure felt that one, this thing was a formidable foe. In all his years of questing, he had never come across an enemy this skill full both in combat as well as the arts. Dade was a good combatant but he was only human...

Beardmaster braced himself for a follow up attack but none came. He looked over his shield to find the creature standing dazed. The shield must have some sort of damage reflecting enchantments to it.

"This would be a good time to go on the offensive.", Legend called out.

Beardmaster didn't waste a second getting up on his feet and sprinting up to the disoriented creature. He punched the thing in the face with his shield as hard as he could, the creature staggered back raising its arms up in defense. A backhand blow with the shield opened him up for a nice stab to the chest which it somehow sidestepped and countered with a fist to Beardmaster's face.

Beardmaster tasted dirt, for what seemed about the umpteenth time. He really wished his beard would work... Wait, the beard. He quickly turned on his back and swung his bearded flail at the creatures face. There was a sharp crack like sound when the hammer head connected with the Thingimajic's jaw and chipped a piece of bone away. The demon visage was a stand for half a second before it brought out its hammer again and tried to flatten the lying Beardmaster.

"A little help...", Beardmaster squeaked between rolls.

Beardmaster quickly rolled to his side, narrowly missing the hammer. The impact shook the ground and chunks of rock flew in all directions. Beardmaster took a few peltings to the face but he will live. He swung his beard again and tried to hit that ugly sneer off of the creatures face. Obviously that was too much to ask for, the creature caught the beard with its off hand and yanked Beardmaster upright. With its other hand raised for a killing blow, it did not see the sudden icespear that hit it dead on the head.

Legend saw, for just a few seconds, the creature was enveloped in a thick layer of ice. But its fire based frame quickly melted the icy film into vapors and blinked out of sight. Beardmaster laid there on the ground for a few minutes, thanking his luck and his companions working beard.

"Where did it go?", Legend looked around.

"Look up stupid.", Beardmaster huffed as he slowly got up.

The Thingimajic was hovering directly above, in the center of the duo, chanting something as the swirling body parts suddenly started falling all over the ground below. The organs and limbs started pulsing and seemed to be picking up mass from the ground. The lumps then started expanding to a humanoid form, female by the looks of it. The features of these humanoids looked vaguely familiar... oh no..

"Legend?", one of them called in a very familiar voice.

"Why? After all I had to do to escape..?", another said.

"No...", Legend said under his breath.

"You killed me.", yet another exclaimed as they shifted closer and closer to Legend.

Beardmaster was busy with the three that came his way. Unlike Legend's plight, these abominations of Cathina hardly said words to him. While they were slowly creeping up to Legend, Beardmaster's opponents were fierce attackers. Thingimajic slowly chanted as it descended back down to the ground. At the end of it's chant, his hands suddenly materialized with twin long swords with crusty razor edges that was efficient for brutal rending and tearing of tendons and sinew.

Legend was engulfed in a mob of his crude siblings. Some tearing at his hair, other trying to strangle him all the while condemning him for his acts. They are not real, he told himself but this was no bad dream, it was a coma induced nightmare. From the corner of his eye, he could make out Beardmaster dropping one of the minions with a sharp stab to the chest.

Bro I don't mean to be a dick but grow some pants and lets kill these bitches.

Beardmaster dodged a fireball and quickly stabbed the humanoid in the chest. Up until now these creatures seemed somewhat invincible. Decapitation was useless as the head kept regenerating from the stump. What was so special about this one's chest? He had stabbed a few other in vital areas before and none reacted the way this did. The body suddenly crumbled to dirt and in the center lay a heart that was bleeding profusely from the stab wound Beardmaster had inflicted.

"The organs! Look for the human parts.", Beardmaster yelled at Legend with sudden realization as he severed another's only human foot.

The organs? Of-course, its the only part of the body that is not made of earth so it can't regenerate. With that Legend elbowed the one that was pulling his hair and stabbed the one strangling, straight through her only real eye. As the one in front crumbled, Legend saw the Thingimajic slowly hover closer with his swords towards the distracted Beardmaster.

Only one more left. This one was tougher than the others. Not because it was a savvy fighter but the fact that Beardmaster had poked into all major organs and it still kept coming. It had no human limbs to sever either.

"Bro look out!", Legend yelped as he took down another one of the abominations.

Beardmaster managed to duck just in time to avoid the vicious dual swing from the demonic creature. The attack sliced through the last minion instead, turning it instantly to dust. The creature regained balance and went into a flurry of strikes. The blows were quick but his shield seemed to absorb most of the damage. The creature did let out a few roars of pain as it continued its assault. The reflect damage enchantment was still working, this might be to his advantage more than he thought it would. Beardmaster timed the creatures attacks and prepared to parry the offhand attack the creature was poised to make. A sharp clang and the creature staggered forward giving Beardmaster the close up for a good stab to the amulet.

Legend saw the last of his assailants crumble to dust. Legend turned around to see the Thingimajic roar in pain as orange electric sparks trickled from the creature and danced around the markings of the pentagram on the ground. Beardmaster, must have scored a solid hit on the amulet. Without wasting any more time, Legend thought about his research in alchemy and produced a bearded ball that looked very similar to the "entagle" bomb he had used in the sewers. He threw it as hard and as accurately as he could at the creature and scored.

Sparks flew all over and the creature was actually writhing with pain. Beardmaster took a mean swipe with the edge of the shield at the targets face, knocking it back for another fierce stab into the chest. Thingimajic dropped its swords and caught the Beardmaster's blade in its hands right before it could go into its chest. Beardmaster responded with another left shielded hook to its face and shoved the blade in.

The creature yelled in a high pitched tone that had overwhelming force to it. Beardmaster lost his footing and rolled backwards. Legend was having trouble keeping his footing as debris all over the ground started pelting at him. Suddenly a severed hand came flying at him and slapped him hard across the face finally sending him doubling over backwards.

The screams stopped and the duo wasted no time resuming their assault. Legend threw a bearded spear with an exploding tip at the creature and hit home. The explosion knocked the creature forward only to have its face crunch hard against Beardmaster's shield. Another solid bash to the face made the creatures skull crack. Another slice to the chest followed by a reversal shield bash finally chipped off a large chunk of bone from the creatures forehead. Beardmaster was suddenly feeling re energized and focused. Seems that each solid hit to the amulet with his sword steals some of its essence and heals him. Very useful enchantment indeed.

Legend finally decided to join the fray on a more personal level, bringing out a two handed hammer. Beardmaster tried to follow up with another swing but the creature had had enough and deflected the blow with its arm and slashed across his face with its claw. Legend brought the hammer down as hard as he could over the creatures skull. Thingymagic realized too slow but was able to move its cracked skull out of the way but his right shoulder took the direct hit and shattered the whole arm. The creature screeched and flickered away from the duo, clutching its shattered shoulder.

"Did you like that?" Legend asked sadistically.

"Damn bro, that hurt. Not cool, so not cool!", it exclaimed as it made some motions with its hands and a enormous portal appeared.

"Oh no you are not getting away this easy.", Legend growled as he leaped towards the portal.

"Dammit! We don't know whats ahead you fool!", Beardmaster cursed as he followed.

The portal winked out of existence soon after they entered. There stood a lone figure on a lonelier perch watching the entire show. These two certainly had resilience and that too with minimal usage of their beards. If they were to realize its full potential, they might be as much of a threat as Norris... Our hapless chumps needed to be under further observation before their direct intervention.

The figure drew a line on an adjacent wall which suddenly started pulsing and pulled apart like a gaping wound to reveal only dark murky water constantly in a ripple. The figure calmly stepped in and the wound began to close in on itself until the wall looked oridinary and featureless.

THE THINGYMAGIC!!!! 8O the legends be true!!!!! Best fightscene................EVER! ;)

"Beardmaster, thank god!"

They could not immediately pinpoint the direction from which the call had come. Beardmaster and Legend studied their surroundings with interest. A trick no doubt, but Beardmaster would not be swayed - he had tasted the creatures blood and would wade through any bullshit to see this thing through.

They were standing on the battlements of a fort. Beardmaster immediately recognized it as Fort Nocks, the last bastion of the now defunct Imperial Senate.

"We didn't have a choice, our numbers are failing", the voice said again as they finally turned to the source, Beardmaster recognized the man at once. It was his old friend Gordini, master of magic. They had once saved an entire civilization together, one that hailed from a far away continent known as Jahthropi. A small ship full of refugees had made port at Halfport and spat tales of the worst wrongdoings and a power not of this world. They had sought the greatest hero in the land, but when they told Beardmaster of the plight, he knew that he would not make it there in time to face the evil. He needed a mage of the truest blood to create a portal to Jahthropi. Gordini, however, had long studied the outer planets beyond Planet and knew well what they faced. He had insisted they go together.

"It isn't you!", Beardmaster spat.

"Who is it?", Legend popped in.

"The creature is tricky", Beardmaster said without turning from the image of Gordini, "He has manifested as the best questing partner I have ever had the privilege of questing with. Have you heard of Gordini, the master of magic?"

"Have I?!?!", Legend scoffed, "THE Gordini? The Gordini the cracked the IRS D Base? The Gordini who tamed the kraken before it could destroy the other half of Newport? The one responsible for un-aborting the kings eldest daughter? Of course I fucking know about Gordini!"

"Well, this is him. At least it looks like him."

"You're wrong, Beardmaster", Gordini said sternly, "I've been trying to summon you for days now, but these beasts are dampening my magic. I just sensed it as you had passed through a magical rift and knew the time was now or never to hijack the spell and bring you here. I was able to piggyback my own magic on the spell to reach the required power level. That is how you ended up here. We are in desperate need of your help!"

"wait a fuck", Beardmaster furrowed his brow heavily, "Thats far fetched as hell, whoever you are. The Gordini that I know would at least have been able to contact me even under a dampening field."

"This isn't your average dampening field. Everything I do fizzles completely at a certain point, the only reason this worked was because your friends magic was strong enough to reach out and touch my own."

"I'll reach out and touch YOUR FACE", Legend raged and swung his fist at Gordini, who managed to backstep just in time, but not in time for the second fist that winded him in the gut for all he was worth.

"Stop...", Gordini huffed through broken breath.

Legend tore in to him with legendary practice, but Beardmaster stopped him.

"Wait Legend", Beardmaster pulled the raging form back, "It knows we wont fall for it again. This is a ruse within a ruse."

Legend suddenly ceased and turned to Beardmaster, "No, fool. It is a ruse, within a ruse, within a ruse."

Suddenly Legend attacked Beardmaster with all his might, drawing mythical daggers from his beard quicker than Quick Man from Mega Man. Beardmaster was caught off guard and lacerated across both his forearms as he attempted to protect himself. He tried to summon weapons from his own beard, but his beard would not respond in any way. He backed off towards the edge of the battlement in a turmoiled fright as Legend and Gordini advanced on him, Gordini beginning to chant the words that he knew well. They were the words that would spell his doom - the creature had somehow separated them. Was the real Legend already dead? But if this was all one big illusion..

Beardmaster looked back over the battlement as the two advanced on him, and then he looked back at the two men he once called friends. No, not once, they were his friends, and they were both out there, somewhere, still. He had to do this, not only for them, but because of them. He remembered the advice that Gordini had imparted as they quested through Jahthropi.

"Beardmaster, for all your beardmastery, I still find your disconnection from magic disturbing. Here lies the greatest construct of magic that I have ever seen, firmly attached to your face, and still you lie dubious and doubtful of all things born of magic? How so?"

Beardmaster frowned, "Mayhaps, my good friend, this beard is the source of my doubt. My entire life is plagued by questions and dangerously devoid of answers. Even you have been unable to determine much more than that my beard is, in fact, magic."

"But that is exactly my point. Do you think that even I, Gordini, master of magic, have complete understanding of every power I control? No! You would be a fool to think such things. You and I are one in the same, Beardmaster. We are blessed with powers that we may never fully understand. This, if nothing else, I would press upon you. Magic is not to be studied or controlled, it is a reactive creation of active energy. For all the studies and the scholars, it is at its best when manifested through sheer will. I have seen this very reaction in you. I have witnessed you save my very life through such an act. When Carl Undergard set me on fire, you did not think, you did not even act, you simply reacted with that which is within you. You let the magic that is your birthright take control and do what needed to be done."

"I lost control", Beardmaster held his head down in shame, "And what I became, I will forever regret."

"Regret?", Gordini scoffed, "You saved both our lives!"

"I killed six hundred people!"

"Who would have died regardless, if Undergard had won! Them and more!"

"Beardmaster! When I tamed the kraken, I did so by feeding it dozens of civilians. I did this because the magic knew what had to be done! And now, the town of Halfport is more prosperous than ever. Had I not done what I did, the entire place would be in ruin. Thousands would have died. Remember this, though the methods may seem questionable, the magic knows. The magic always knows."

Beardmaster looked up and locked eyes with his friend, "How can this be the way?"

"Because, friend, there can be no other way."

Beardmaster suddenly knew what he had been feeling in his soul, and with the memory of this lesson, he knew to trust it. In the final moments, he pushed himself backwards off the battlements, closed his eyes, and fell.

Legend walked among the corpses of all he had known, he was alone, as he had been since entering the portal. Deep down he knew that Beardmaster would not abandon him. It was a trick of the Thingamajic, and in some space of true reality, they had not really been seperated. No matter how far he walked he only saw death, death of all he had ever cared about, premonitions of his own death, the deaths of those he would meet. It was a blackness that chilled him to the core, but he knew this was the intent. The creature had cursed him with hope and then torn it away, now all that was left was to rub salt in the wounds. It was telling him that his darkest fears were true. He had to fight not to believe this.

He was Legend! He shouted out in rage, a rage born of a thousand generations. He knew deep down that his legacy was not as this morbid dream fortold, and a dream he knew it to be. Why then could he not wake?

"Coward!", he screamed at nothing, "Show yourself and face me!"

Still nothing but a constant rain of blood - the blood of his friends and family, he felt drenched in it, as though no amount of scrubbing would ever bring him clean. Was it his fault they all had died? Was it a prophecy, like the one he had been told from birth, the prophecy that had convinced him that he was destined for greatness. If so, then what good was this prophecy at all. He knew now how worthless a prophecy could be. His life had taught him that in the harshest of ways. For all his efforts he had fallen to the wayside, doomed to play underling to a true hero like Beardmaster.

He opened his eyes wide and stared through the abyss, mentally blocking out all the horrors he saw, disregarding his once unshakable belief in prophecy, and feeling, somehow for the first time, a true and genuine faith in what was here and now and real. Feeling this, he knew that what he felt in this place was not real, and what he saw was not real. With the dawn of his realization he began to see through the haze of his own self doubt.

"A ruse!", he heard a voice echo through the blackness. He saw two shapes skirmishing in the distance, and in the heart of his soul he knew that this was real. He started running towards the images, and when one of them fell back as though struck, he was there to catch it.