The trio known as the Dark Lords stood upright before the massive throne of their lord, Kingston. His plan was about to take place, with the removal of a few thornes.
"Nightmare...I need funding. You deserve something that would make use of your powers a bit more. Alas, I assign this one onto you. You are to conquer the nearest towns. A tribute will be paid by the town. Tell them that the amount due will depend on the prosperity of the town itself."
"Yes master." Nightmare said as he retreated towards the great double door.
"Oh and Nightmare, no is not an acceptable answer. Crush them if you must." With that, Kingston waved his hand, and Nightmare disappeared into the dank hallway.
"As for us master?" Dragonaught said, eagerly awaiting his orders.
"You two have a co-assignment. There is a cave, to the north of here. It is in a mountain side, behind a waterfall. Within lies quite the ally. Find this place. You convince or destroy him. Now go, for I have a mission myself."
"I doubt you do but, do you need any help father?" Galin said simply.
"Yes master. If you wish I do believe that I can handle this beast by myself. If you need your son's presence that is?" Dragonaught said as he bowed to his lord.
"Quite kind of you, but your concern is misplaced. Never doubt my power...ever. Now go...full-fill your task and report back." Kingston waved his hand again and the two remaining lords vanished into the darkness.
"Yes...I have an urgent mission of my own. Be warry my Dark Lords, something is...wrong." These were his words before exiting his castle and taking flight southward.
Meanwhile, in the town of Lazar...
"I will never release them!" Dadge said as he was strapped against the wall to the lab.
"Tisk tisk human, that was the wrong answer. My patience grows thin." Nightmare stared down on the pitiful human. His army already conquering two towns and taking all of the monsters to serve him. The Lord of Illusions was close to full-filling his job. His army was mostly Naga types, but his elites were Terror Dogs, Tiger/Monols. Nearly impossible to hit.
"This job was not even worth the effort. Pitiful humans...think they rule. Think they have the right to rule." With those words he back-handed Dadge, not hitting him with his full power. He didn't want to kill him just yet.
"Now...be a good human and open the freezer." Nightmare said with a grin.
"Never...you'll have to kill me." Dadge said as blood ran down his lips.
"I had no intentions of killing anyone. See how the population is all nice and rounded-up in the square. We need them, and the monsters in the freezer.", Nightmare then broke out his sadistic grin, "Well, you say I'll have to kill you. We will just see then. BRING THEM OUT!"
Two Edgehogs brought out two men, two women, and a little boy. Pushing them roughly and hissing, the group was out before Nightmare, and forced on their knees.
"Greetings citizens! I am the new mayor, and I seem to have a little campaign problem. You see, this little basterd that you put in charge of your meat locker, won't open it. He says I'll have to kill him. Well, I've come up with a plan. You pursued him to change his mind in about ten minutes, or I will. By gracefully impaling each one of you, and eating the remains in front of your children. Your time starts now." Nightmare said, following it with a sadistic laugh to match his sadistic grin.
He then stared down at Dadge and said, "How many people will you let die today? I won't stop...ever." Nightmare was very cunning indeed.
"Dadge...you must." One of the men began, "He hasn't harmed anyone at the other villeges except the ones who provoke him."
"Dadge you must. You can't sacrifice us for a bunch of monsters!" One of the women screamed.
Nightmare immediately snatched her up in his claws and put a vice grip on her, "YOU LOOK DOWN ON MONSTERS! THEY ARE SUPERIOR IN EVERY WAY TO YOU HUMANS!"
"No please! I didn't mean it!" The woman screamed desperately, but to no avail.
"NOO!" Dadge screamed, "YOU SAID TEN MINUTES!"
"Well human, I lost all of my patience dealing with you!" Nightmare said, clutching the helpless women. "Talk or she dies!"
Dadge knew that he would kill them all if he had to, and that giving him the monsters would mean they would have no defence. Before he could say anything, Nightmare yelled and turned his fist over. The lady was now upside down in his un-escapable grip. Nightmare stared at Dadge a bit longer, who was trying to sort things out in his head.
"I'm done playing...you don't take me seriously. Lets change that." Nightmare said, returning his gaze to his captive, who was still upside down. He then drove the screaming lady into the ground head first with all of his might. It made a sickening splat as her head and majority of her chest region were splattered against the ground, which gave none. He then rubbed the corpse in the ground a bit for good measure, like a cigeratte. When he released the remaining body, it sat upright off the ground in a puddle of blood. His gaze shifted back to the horrified Dadge.
"Sacrifice another for those 'wretched monsters'? How many more must die today. The boy began crying at this point, loadly.
"Auntie? Auntie? No Auntie No!" The boy cried as he was held by the other women, who was also in tears.
"That was my wife you monster!" One of the men screamed as he picked up a nearby pipe and hurled it towards Nightmare. Of course, it bounced off with no damage done.
"Insulant human..." Nightmare made a motion towards the group.
"NO! I GIVE! As long as no more are harmed. You can have the monsters within here." Dadge said, lowering his head at the fact he hadn't said it sooner. The blood was on his hands.
"Thats more like it," Nightmare said as he motioned for them to be taken away. He motioned his Terror Dogs to bite through Dadge's restraints.
"The people are not to be harmed?" Dadge asked as they walked towards the cryo-chambers.
"I am a monster of my word. More than what I can say for you humans. As vile as I may be, I will never break my word." Nightmare stared at him, waiting for him to open the cells.
"You have more emotions than I thought." Dadge said as he began pulling levers.
"Don't count on it. I was ordered only to kill as many as needed. To prove my points, of course. If it was up to me I'd burn you all and impale you all on large wooden sticks and bite your childrens legs and arms off just to watch them wallow in their own blood!", Nightmare paused, composed himself and said, "Sorry, I lost it there. You may continue."
Before nightfall, Nightmare had left with his new additions. The people were out-raged and grief-strickened. They said to assemble all of the trainers who had not been captured or still had a monster.
Dadge said simply, "I'm going to get Jace. He's out last hope."