User blog:Galeforce's Wrath/The Knights of Old: Part 3 (Finale)

The grey metal door clicked and creaked.

My eyes darted to it, observing it for what felt to be ages.

The person on the other side seemed to fumble his keys. The way they clattered together and wobbled made it very easy to tell that the person was in fact a male. More specifically, one of my soldiers. After another eternity of this, the soldier finally slid the correct key into the door.

Click. Click. Click.

The chamber rung with the faint sound of the locks opening slowly, one by one.

“I’m coming in.”

I smiled as the soldier walked into the room, and he saluted awkwardly. It wasn’t very often that you see a high-ranking officer such as myself in the Akras Summoner’s Hall prison system… especially one with their rank intact.

“He’s with you, correct?” I asked.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Ah.. er-- Yes. He’s right there-- or… ehh… I?” The soldier stammered. The question wasn’t that hard.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Yes or no?” My tone went from my cordial-masked one that I gave to every visitor to a much more serious one. He was wasting my time.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Y-YES!” The soldier blurted out. I couldn’t help but chuckle at his nervousness.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The soldier wore the standard uniform, a suit of chainmail armor with a fully covering helm. The helm was made mostly of metal, but the face cover was a tinted plastic shield of sorts, a one way mirror, if you wanted to call it that.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“You are dismissed.” Came the too familiar voice.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Yessir.” Said the soldier sternly before marching out of the room. He seemed quite clumsy in the armor, walking carefully as if not to fall flat on his face.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Tap. Thud. Tap. Thud.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The annoying pattern of ‘taps’ and ‘thuds’ continued as the casually dressed captain walked into the room.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“You know I’d probably either punch you or salute you if I could, Mettias.” I said calmly.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He chuckled. “That’s the same old Zeltah I know and not really love.” He somewhat jokingly said after wiping the grin from his face. Some people never change, even when the circumstances do.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He walked up to me and stood just out of reach. I eyed him curiously, observing him. It had been a while since I’d last seen him… a few months? Years? I’d probably never know, being locked in a cell with literally nothing in it but the door and a light that stays on for six hours of the day. I only know how long the light stay on because I counted… every single second of it.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I see that they got you chained up in here… what’d you do this time?” Mettias asked, still joking around. His eyes gave him away. He needed something. His turquoise eyes narrowed slightly when we made eye contact. It was important.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“You need something from me. Tell me. Now.” I demanded. I relished the chance for company, but not… him. Specifically him and only him.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Aww, you got me, sis-”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“DON’T you call me that.” I interrupted. He frowned in acknowledgement.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“It really pains me to have to meet and talk to you like this, you know? Can’t you give me at least a tiny bit of hospitality?” He asked… or begged. He seemed genuinely distraught while saying this. Perhaps he cared? No. He’s never cared about me.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I really don’t care about how YOU feel, Mettias. Now ask me what you needed to ask and leave.” I said coldly. He showed his surprise when his slight frown morphed into the face of someone who had just been stabbed through-- now that I think of it, he <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">WAS <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> actually in the hospital recently.. according to what I had overheard some of the guards say when they were on their rounds.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Well, if you feel that way…” He said, regaining his composure. “.. then I need your help with the Prophecy… the one about the Knights of Old.” He seemed embarrassed, slightly, which made me feel a bit more comfortable in my current situation.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“That one? What is it? Finally believing in those old tales that the local priest used to tell us about after he had finished delivering his sermons?” I asked playfully. It seemed that all the blood in his head rushed to his cheeks as they grew almost as red as a rose. Jackpot.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I.. err… well-- Alright, yes. Those stories. It would seem that certain… events have unfolded that he may actually have been right about those stories.” He said, finally defeated. What could he mean?

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Sure. But first, my terms.” I said sternly.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Ah… no. No terms. You either tell me now or I’ll force it out of you.” He retorted.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I frowned and forced fake tears to well up in my eyes, causing them to sparkle under the light.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Can you at least promise me a trial?” I begged in a quite believable voice of desperation. He needed me, and this was the least that he could do for me. He sighed and reluctantly agreed.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Fine. Now speak.” He seemed to force the words out of his mouth.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Good. Grab a seat, get some popcorn maybe, and get ready for a long story-” I began, but was interrupted by Mettias.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“The first part, it’s done. Maxwell was killed and the girl was killed by the traitor of the three.” He said quickly.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“And the last moved on after being possessed by a goddess of creation, yes. I know it very well.” I said blankly. “What of the second part?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“The second part is almost complete already.” He replied. What exactly did he want to know? I was growing too curious, I know…

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Alright. You still haven't told me exactly what you need me to tell you. Get on with it.” My tone shifted, if this Prophecy stuff was happening, he'd have to tell me what he needed in order to prevent as much damage as possible in the long run.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Fine, Fine. I know of everything except what to do right before the portal opens.” He grew serious, more so than before, after admitting that.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Huh. Well, in all my time here, I still have yet to understand that jumble of words that the priest recited, but I was able to dumb it down a bit.” I said casually. I was thinking of asking him about how long I had been in here, but something deep down told me that now wasn’t the time. He nodded in thanks.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Alright, let’s hear it.” He said before sitting cross-legged in front of me. He rested his head on his hands and looked at me intently.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Well, the ‘prophecy’ states that in order to save the Knights, one of the three people needed to perform the ritual must sacrifice themselves to an evil much greater than any in Grand Gaia, but keep it in control… like wielding it as a weapon. The second must be bound to a blade of light, and protect it with their life for they would perish if anything were to break the blade itself.” I said before pausing to breathe. I hadn’t talked even a quarter this much to anyone since before I was placed here, and so it seemed, to me at least, that I had forgotten how to speak normally.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“So… the third has to use their magic to open the portal and give the power to the other two?” Mettias asked. He always ignored the priest in our hometown, so I didn’t really blame him for coming to ask me about this stuff.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Yes… and no. The third is to wield the power and take on the souls of two fallen warriors to bring with them for the rest of time, this is the same for all of the other initiates. Any that fail to do this would be unable to become one of the Knights.” I explained patiently. Mettias listened, attentive as ever.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Is that all?” He asked curiously.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I nodded and he stood up. He had a look of uncertainty plastered all over his face, and I could tell that something that I’d said triggered it. But… all I really cared about was being left alone here until I could leave.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Ah.. well, thank you. I’ll go now, and I’ll put in a request for your trial, Zeltah.” He said gloomily.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I closed my eyes, and kept my mouth shut. I knew that the lights in the cell were going to go off and I’d be trapped in another eternity of darkness before being thrown back into the light from the ceiling light bulb that remained my only source of sanity…

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Thud.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Click. Click. Click.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Thud.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Tap. Tap. Tap.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I opened my eyes… and there was nothing.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I was back in darkness.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">-About 2 months later-

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I calmly walked into the prison again, much sooner than I’d have preferred…. But I had to finish a few things before everything would be fixed. I wasn’t here for her, I was here for…. Some other nuisances that had appeared at quite the bad time. They slaughtered a whole regiment of Hall troops. MY TROOPS. If I wanted to keep my position, I’d have to deal with this whole fiasco myself.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Thankfully, magic is quite useful for this kind of stuff. All I had to do was simply wipe everyone’s memories of everything that had happened involving these three and anyone that they killed. Who could have possibly expected that to be as easy as it ended up being? I for sure didn’t.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The clicking of my heels reverberated throughout the halls of the unusually empty prison. It was the new wing, so guards only patrolled here once a day, as there were only three prisoners. There were of course guards stationed at their cells so there wasn’t any threat of them escaping.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I made my way down the barren halls until finally arriving at the very end. Five guards greeted me with salutes, and I dismissed them. I motioned for them to leave, and they did. They weren’t actually guards, they were my units. They’ll disappear before getting to the end of the hall, and after I Finished there would be no traces of any foul play… or any plays of any sorts.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I observed the three in each of their respective cells. One assassin and two soldiers, one of them the leader, of what was a famous crime group… but nobody knows of them now.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I leisurely strolled over to the normal soldier. Without so much as a moment’s hesitation, I produced a blade and stabbed her straight through the chest. My blade glowed red as the girl disintegrated into energy, which my sword greedily sucked up.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I walked over to the next cell, the one of the leader, and did the same thing.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Finally, getting ready to end it all, I arrived at the assassin’s cell. He pleaded with me not to hurt him. Maybe I felt a bit of pity… maybe. That didn’t matter as I did the same to him.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I cleansed the entire area of the traces of both me and the three and left.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">There was much more that was going to be happening, and I needed to make sure that those three wouldn’t interfere.

<span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:400;white-space:pre-wrap;">Three more will just come to take their place, all of whom will outshine these three and their predecessors. I was sure of it this time.