“I’m unsure of this, Mr. Matthew…”whimpered Sanders, who looked up at the mountain with fear in his eyes. Logan held tight within his hand the HWF’s North American title, a glare set in his eyes.

“Caleb...” he began, “This is something that I must do. If I don’t...the world will fall before our eyes, and the evil Lord Bradshaw shall reign supreme!”

Welcome to Lower Earth, a world of chaos and disorder. There were once mighty kingdoms ruling over the world, but an evil man by the name of Tony Bradshaw came along one day and changed it all. Though he was defeated, his legacy continued forward in the form of a title, the very title that the heroic hobbit Matthew Logan held within his grasp.

“I...I understand, Mr. Matthew, but if this is your destiny then you must take me with you, because it is mine as well!”

Caleb Sanders was an honorable hobbit, that he was.

So the two continued onward in their journey through the wasteland leading towards the mountain, saying silent prayers to whatever Gods they could that they were able to survive. Little did they know, however, of the creature that closely followed behind them, his large eyes following the title that Logan held within his grasp.

“My precious...” whispered the creature, a large, toothy grin forming on his features.

The ground rumbled beneath the hobbits feet, the power of the volcano showing itself as rocks shifted and rolled downward its slope. The ever-watchful eye of Bradshaw was turned to the east, where a large war was being ranged between the armies of the HWF, the XCW, and his own.

Yet there was one who’d managed to escape, one who was seeking ‘the precious’, and neither of the hobbits suspected a thing.

It was almost too perfect.

“Stupid little hobbits,” whispered the creature, cackling to himself lightly, “They’s never suspecting of Dominic at all...”

Matthew Logan continued forward, his eyes set in determination at the storm clouds hanging overhead. Caleb Sanders trailed behind with a worried look, his eyes shifting about as he gave everything that moved a conspiratorial glance. Images of tasty potatoes were dancing in his mind, his own little way of calming himself.

“I’d love some ‘taters right now...that would really hit the spot.” Sanders sighed, shaking his head. Hiding behind a rock a ways away from them, Dominic squinted his eyes.

“Stupid taters...”

The climb up the volcano would be a difficult one; the heat was nearly becoming unbearable. It was a stinging hot pain, the kind one experiences when the shower water is turned up all the way. Caleb Sanders was squirming, sweat pouring down his face as he stared at Matthew Logan in awe.

“I just don’t get how you can keep going on like this, Mr. Matthew...” he began, only to be cut off with the determined glance of his friend

“I have to.”

His words brought about silence between the two, as they continued their trek up the slope. Air was easily being distorted over the mouth of the volcano, the heat twisting the very image their eyes could see and turning it about.

“I’m...I’m not sure if I can go on, Mr. Matthew!” whined Sanders, as Logan finally grew tired of his whining and turned with a clenched fist, his eyes narrowing into slits.

“How do you think I feel, Caleb?! The weight of the world rests on my shoulders, just because of this title! Do you know how badly I want to feel it around my waist again? To call it my own?! DO YOU?!”

“...”

“The golden plate calls to me, Caleb! I yearn to feel the weight pulling me down, but despite my desires I’m forced to keep fighting forward and hope for the best! Do you see that massive eye hovering over us? The one that looks to the east? Bradshaw wishes to end the both of us, neigh—this WORLD! And you feel as though you cannot go forward?! This belt should be MINE, Caleb! MINE!!”

“NO!”

The raspy scream filled the air, as the creature took off up the slope and tackled Logan from behind. It was all a blur to Caleb, who stood in shock, before he finally witnessed Dominic Pericolo atop of Logan’s back, beating at his head and thrusting it into the ground.

“GIVE...US...OUR...PRECIOUS!”

The struggle which ensued was a brief one, as Caleb rushed forward to save his friend, only to catch a stray elbow to the nose that sent him tumbling backwards, his head striking a nearby rock and rendering him unconscious. In a last ditch effort to survive; Logan quickly strapped the belt around his waist, quickly turning invisible as he threw the creature off of him.

Bradshaw’s eye turned upon them.

With a sneer, Dominic watched the movement of the ground with an intense glare. He would not let this stupid little hobbit take off with his precious, OR that obnoxious eye hovering up above!

The footsteps soon followed, moving upward to the mouth of the volcano. With a scream unlike any he’d ever let out before, Dominic flung himself upwards, one leg moving after another like a piston. He launched himself up and grabbed at the air, managing to cling to Matthew’s tattered cape and pull himself onto his back. Any bystander would see a hideous creature with a strangely large head floating in mid-air, but on this mountain...any bystander would have turned back by now.

Clawing, biting, gnawing at the air, as blood spurted off in random directions. Soon the belt’s strap gave out under the struggle, pulling apart at the kick of Dominic’s foot and falling to the ground. It took only a second for Dominic to sink his fangs into Logan’s neck, sending him to the ground and rendering him unconscious from the pain. Another second, and Dominic was on top of the title, hugging it to his chest and laughing maniacally.

“MY PRECIOUS! YOU’RE BAAACK!” he called out gleefully, blood dribbling from his hands and mouth onto the shining golden belt.

Bradshaw’s eye simply turned back to the war, one of his own had retrieved the belt and, inevitably, would be forced to give it to him. The great war had ended...and he had won.

The creature known as Dominic Pericolo simply laughed in glee again, kissing the title with affection. It was his again...and he’d never let it go.