The verdict was upon them. Marty would lead Horus to his new temple. There Ishtar, Rosie, Kurt, Layla, and their prisoner the Sorcerer's student waited. He was still bound and without his wand.

"The student? Is that really what you call me? I never introduced myself," said the Student.

"Shut up," said Rosie.

"I didn't even do anything, that guy challenged me."

Horus descended with Marty in his usual statuesque posture. His dog-face stood over them. Holding the same staff.

Coming to the area on top of the temple his feet touched the ground and he walked up.

"Ohh it's you," said the Student. "I had nothing to do with that, you want that old man. He wants me dead too."

"No one has spoken to you, silence," said Marty. Then bowed toward Horus.

"Do you know where this True Sorcerer is?" said Horus.

"No. And I don't want to."

"You are his student, correct?"

"I was his student, he got jealous."

"Of your wand?"

"Yes, I would like that back."

"You dare…" started Marty, but Horus put up a hand, and he stopped.

"Big talk now, I won that fight."

"So you can not bring your teacher to me?"

"I already said I couldn't, I don't know where he is. Listen, I wasn't involved with any of that stuff."

He motioned towards Ishtar. And Ishtar approached Horus and handed

"Your wand, it has a name."

"Yes. Helixicon," said the Student.

"Then your crime is evident." Horus wove his hand and the student was pushed back a bit but before his body could go anywhere everything below the man's neck was evaporated. And his head fell to the ground and rolled.

"As for you Marty," said Horus. "Rosie, has spoken about the trial. In her belief, it was a dishonorable victory for the man, cowardly."

"Yes, my lord, he played dirty," said Marty.

"You two were there," said Horus.

Kurt and Layla nodded.

"And your opinion."

"I believe it was dishonorable," said Layla.

"I think the student won," Kurt said in disagreement.

"Ohh and why is that?"

"Of all the powers Marty should have prepared for the gate spell should have been the most known. You yourself had said to me, he is talented at escaping. I would have thought your Angel would have the same wisdom. If anything Marty should have seen this possibility. He didn't, and the student took advantage. One mistake can get you killed after all. And after seeing Rosie take the problem as she did, I would say they are not the same rank."

"Wise," said Horus.

"To my goblins, it would be honorable and deserving of glory. A well laid trap is just that, in battle, if my hand or my trap defeats you I have won."

"I'm inclined to agree. My trials are not all about power."

Marty had a disappointing look.

"Is what he says not true," said Horus.

"But…"

"You failed," said Horus. "I have spoken."

Marty seemed to have to stand there and take it.

"We have another," said Horus.

"Another?" said Ishtar.

"Soon someone will overcome their third trial, or I believe so." Horus turned toward one of the star points at a staircase. "Come, we will greet them if he is victorious."

They positioned themselves at the stairs, Horus in the middle with Ishtar and Rosie to the right, and Layla and Kurt to his right, with a wide distance between them and the staircase.

Marty was positioned near the center of the temple. Perhaps as an atonement for failing his trial.

They waited for a few moments. But finally, something seemed to move up the staircase.

It was the worst thing Kurt could think of. Because out of the trial was a shadow creature, their enemy.

The worst-case scenario of putting a temple on Earth was coming true, making their opponent stronger instead of them.

"A shadow," said Horus. "Odd."

"I must protest," said Layla. "The shadow is our enemy, are we just supposed to sit here while you…."

"You think they are undeserving?"

"Are we?" said the Shadow creature. "I thought the trials were for all."

Horus turned to look at Layla.

"But, I thought we had…"

"He has passed his exit from the stairway, which is proof. What objection can there be?"

"If we had known that…"

"They could challenge," said Ishtar.

"Claim the right there own," said Horus.

"I accept this challenge," said the shadow.

Layla looked at Kurt. He didn't want to challenge. It wasn't that he couldn't beat the thing in front of him, it was how he would be forced to do it.

The last time he fought a shadow creature it had awakened Raykiel. His named sword. And it was the only way he knew to beat it.

He had just witnessed the problem with having a named weapon. Horus would just wave your existence away. Kurt couldn't even see what had happened, the student's body had just evaporated.

"We are waiting," said Horus.

Kurt really didn't have any options he had to hope that he could figure something out in the battle to win. He looked at Layla and whispered, "You have to help."

"Then I guess we have to accept," said Layla.

"You may begin," said Horus.

Kurt shot into a dozen illusion versions of himself and began towards the shadow creature.

"That won't be enough," said the creature.

He had made some quick slashes, careful not to expose the true power. They danced around each other for a moment.

There was something strange he saw.

He couldn't make it out just yet. He was focused on avoiding the strikes of the shadow creature. Something didn't belong for some reason.

But he turned and saw Horus and next to him was Ishtar and Rosie, and on the other side Layla and himself.

There was still an illusion of himself there. He hadn't done that had he?

He could swear that the illusion was smiling at him.

Kurt started to use some of his water powers. Attempt to slowly draw out the fight while he figured out what to do.

The sword was still staying silent in his hands. But he knew all of his slashes were having no real effect on the shadow creature.

He fought this fight before. He knew how to win. But he didn't know how to win the fight afterward. It was like he was trapped between dying and also dying.

Kurt made his movements more fluid.

"You're not even trying," said the shadow creature, "I will outlast this you know."

That was true he couldn't continue to play around forever.

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