The fifth installment of the Outlaws of Thunder Junction story picks up with the duel between Kellan and Akul.
With Vraska, Oko, and Annie bound in attendance, Kellan is walked into the gladiatorial-style arena, the spectator stands filled with Hellspurs gang members. Akul announces that the duel would be a fight to the death, and the crowd goes wild. Kellan takes the opportunity to scan the crowd for Oko, who he spots fiddling with his disguise, seemingly unbothered by the danger facing his son.
Kellan manages to push his feelings aside, and focuses on dodging the massive Dragon’s attacks. He realizes quickly that he’s outmatched in size and strength, his only advantage being speed. Kellan attempts to wear down the gangleader, but Akul readies a charge of lightning, something that Kellan cannot easily dodge.
Before Akul can fire the blast however, Kellan taps into previously untapped magic, and manages to temporarily place the Dragon in a trance. Wasting no time, Kellan conjures a lasso and slings it around Akul’s neck, attempting to choke him out. As the mighty Dragon begins to lose consciousness, Kellan’s resolve wavers and his hold breaks. The force of Akul breaking free knocks Kellan into a rock, where he lay, unable to move. As Akul readies the final blow, a blast of lightning strikes his neck. Enraged, he swings around to find Ral and an army of Sterling Company mercenaries cresting the ridge.
All hell breaks loose as the Hellspurs engage the Sterling Company, and Oko takes the opportunity to summon Tinybones, who brandishes a key to free himself and the gang. Kellan searches for Oko amidst the chaos and witnesses the trickster’s escape, realizing that Oko had a plan all along and he wasn’t a part of it. Oko calls out to Kellan, and points out that Akul’s medallion had fallen off during their duel, and instructs Kellan to throw it to him. Kellan does so, but before Kellan can make his escape, an explosion knocks him from the air and a Sterling Company merc knocks the fae youth unconscious, forcing Oko to leave him behind.
As Oko and the rest of the gang make their escape, Annie voices her discomfort with leaving Kellan behind, but Oko tells her they have no choice, as turning back would be either death or detainment for them all. He then assures her that once they secure the treasure from vault, that he would go back for his son.
After coming to, Kellan realizes he’s alone in the back on a prisoner transport carriage, segregated from the ongoing battle. As he tends to his wounds and sulks thinking about his father leaving him behind, Kellan hears a blast of lightning, followed by the doors of the carriage being flung open. Ral approaches and tells Kellan he is free, but he wants his help. Ral explains that he wants to get to the treasure vault before either Oko or Akul does, and seal away the magic within on another plane. Feelings of betrayal still fresh on his mind, Kellan takes Ral’s hand and agrees to help him.
Read the fifth installment of the Outlaws of Thunder Junction story in full from Wizards of the Coast.
