The battle, even though it started out as a rough, unexpected ambush was starting to look like we might just win.

I heard a strange whooshing and spied a cloud-like shadow crossing the battlefield. Looking up, the sky was nearly filled with creatures painted red as fire engines. They carried huge boulders in their arms and were dropping them from the sky. The Valiant began to shoot its cannons but very few gargoyles were struck. The red gargoyles dropped their boulders, knocking giants, trolls, cats ninjas, and gnomes in every direction. I ducked behind a broken catapult, watching the sky for an opportunity to make a run at Pierre.

That is when I first saw her. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. But before I could revel in it, a giant beam of pain pierced my chest. I was frozen. My feet started to creep with cold. The soles of my shoes had turned gray. I could not lift them. Pierre had sent a blast from the Trident and its black magic was turning me slowly into stone.