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Chapter Eleven - Abel
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Tre hadn’t said a word since Luna handed me the daggers, Vindicta, and entered the tunnel. He wasn’t melancholic or disturbed in any way I could sense from his body language alone, but something was pestering him. There were multiple times I wanted to start a conversation to take his mind off of whatever brewed inside of him. As we continued walking through the tunnel, I was the only one equipped with a flashlight because Luna and Tre could see clearly in the dark. She led us while Tre was flanking us, so I was in the middle. At this point, I believe we were at least a mile in; the walls were shrinking around us with every few yards, but then we came to a clearing. Immediately, Luna covered the flashlight I was holding with her hand. Tre must’ve seen the same thing because he crept forward, and before passing me, he said, “Turn it off and don’t move.”
I did as I was told but couldn’t see what they saw. The atmosphere didn’t seem different; the clearing smelled no other than the tunnel we were walking through, and the silence was as deafening as it was moments ago. Something told me whatever it was we were in for, neither of them knew how it would turn out. Luna and Tre slowly reached for their weapons. She unsheathed her dagger and detached a weapon I had never seen before; she gripped a handle that connected two separate blades. I could barely make out the outline, so I couldn’t be a hundred percent sure my descriptions were precise. Tre, on the other hand, unsheathed a blade longer than a dagger but smaller than any sword I’d read or watched from several documentaries about the history of wars or battles fought in previous eras before long-range weapons like muskets or flintlock pistols.
I’ll admit, I was frightened, the kind of fear that tenses the bladder, the near “I’m about to piss my pants” intensity. I could feel the beads of sweat dripping begin to run down from my forehead, and the air around me became dense as if my fear was encompassing the room. I can’t explain how for a moment, but I sensed something lurking in the shadows, something watching us. Almost on impulse, felt more like an instinct, I unsheath my daggers and prepare myself. Luna and Tre start walking into the darkness ahead, taking one step at a time and being as quiet as possible. Once they were engulfed into oblivion, their footsteps crushing the dirt underneath became more distant with every step until I heard nothing.
The silence continued, so I decided to move and step forward, but soon after, I regretted what could have been a grave mistake for all of us. My foot enters a hole in the ground, and I trip, forgetting the daggers are in my hands; I go to catch myself, and the sound of the blades skid across the dirt. The noise coming from the blades colliding with rocks echoed throughout the chamber. At first, the air was still nothing answered, the sound of metal clashing with stone; I held my breath for a few moments, then began to lift myself off the ground slowly with my face parallel to it. Before I went to look, I froze; something was groaning in the distance, and the groaning multiplied. I heard snarling next, a deep, vicious tone filled with nothing but malice. I closed my eyes and started trembling, and growling followed, which intensified as if the gnarling spawned out of different corners and crevices, creeping closer and closer.
Unwilling but still able to muster some form of semblance of what you could call courage, strength, or utter foolishness, I wanted to be as much of use to Tre and Luna as possible. I raise my head slightly, then silence fills the room again. I take in one deep breath, then exhale before opening my eyes. My eyelids refused to listen to the mind communication tracing from my mind to the body. I had to force, practically pry my eyes open, and then I met face-to-face with the grossest thing I’ve ever seen. I would love to call it a creature or beast, but labeling it as such would be an offense to any being on this planet, realm, or whatever hellish universe I’d been sucked into.
The creature was pale but with a bluish tint its face… that face still haunts me to this day. From the top of his bald head down to his chin was a gruesome sight. This thing was entirely hairless, had no eyes and the looks of it, no ears. A large grinning slit ran through the middle of its face—yeah, that was super creepy—stretching from one end to the other. I’d assumed this was the mouth because drool was hanging off both ends. Other than a massively scarred-up face and the nightmares that would come with this interaction, I couldn’t see anything else; the truth was, I did everything to not analyze anything else about it.
The thing began to tilt its head slowly from left to right; I refused to move a muscle because neither of us moved for what felt like an eternity. This is when I realized it didn’t see me; I felt, as if it could sense something ahead, but not necessarily me, who was about a yard or two away. I thought I had lucked out, so making a move would be my only chance to fight or… die with some kind of honor... I guess. Luna and Tre were nowhere to be found, I hardly believed they ran away, leaving me for dead, but without any evidence to the contrary, I was starting to feel abandoned. (Clearly, I’ve got some abandonment issues to work on if I made it out of this alive, but at the moment, I really couldn’t dwell on my unstable mental health.
Somehow, some way, the situation became ten times worse or two creatures worse. In my peripherals, two more beautifully disgusting “its” were climbing upside down on both sides of the ceiling. My chances of getting out of this alive plummeted, going from a 50% survival rate to “I would be captured, have an apple shoved in my mouth, then baked into a sizzled scrumptious Abel with a side of… whatever else these things ate to sustain their atrociousness.” Now, I was in an even worse predicament, or what some may call “being in a pickle”; the only weapon I had was a palm-sized rock under my left hand. If I was going to die, I wasn’t going to let fear rule the last few breaths I had, so I gripped the rock and then wriggled it out of the earth to loosen it.
I dug my feet into the dirt into a position resembling a sprinter about to run the 400-meter dash. I bring down my face so it is parallel to the ground; I close my eyes and concentrate as if I was back fighting Serverus or throwing the rock that shattered against the stone between the trees, which revealed the tunnel. Another surge of energy, yet this was much stronger. More power than I have ever felt ran from my head to the bottom of my heels. Suddenly, sparks were crackling around my entire body; the three creatures started snarling, and the one right in front of me screeched. It's now or never; I rip the rock from the dirt, then launch myself into the first creature, surprisingly pulverizing it with a heavy blow. Time had slowed down just as the other two creatures lunged themselves my way with some nasty sharp claws extending from their fingertips.
In a flash, I chucked the rock into the creature on my right; I knew it wouldn't kill, but it gave me just enough time to clench my fist, turn to the left, then haymaker this ugly son of a bitch into the next dimension. We had a 1v1 on our hands; the playing field was level, but the third creature caught me off guard, and I was too slow to react. It had the upper hand; when I turned to the right, its claws dug into my right cheek, shredding the side of my face from the tip of my cheekbone to my lower jaw, narrowly missing my upper lip. A massive amount of pain struck, then dazed me; I fell to the ground on my hands and knees with a mouth full of blood running down my lower lip.
A growing puddle continues to spill onto the dirt; I go to lift myself and get my body checked into a wall. The creature hit me with such strength that I heard my ribs crack, sounding like they snapped on impact. I could barely breathe as the wind was knocked out of me, and I was left gasping for air. The dust in the air made it harder to recover, so I decided to rest my head and close my eyes. I saw my entire life go by with images of my mother and father smiling… my mother had me saddled on her knee while my father was staring at us. As a baby, I had some wild hair, all spiked up as if I was electrocuted a brief moment before the photo was taken. My cheeks were chubby; I had a bib on with a splash of what could have been remnants of a Gerber’s baby food from one of those mini jars.
The next moment was with Uncle Arther; we didn’t do much once we settled—which was never for long—somewhere, so I never had many fond memories of any specific town or city. Instead, I saw one of our many “trips”—more like waking up in the middle of the night, packing our bags lightly, then hurrying out the door with zero explanation. Those nights were the worst, but beauty and tranquility would pass over me when dawn approached. The sun slowly rising from the east, orange, yellow, and red colors blending seamlessly over the horizon. Arther must’ve seen how much I enjoyed the view and how much it calmed me down. Besides stopping at the usual dinner or drive-thru, he made time to stop the car wherever we were to sit down on the hood of his car together.
Those were times when we took time to slow down, and smell the roses, no matter what bothered us, even if we were mad at each other. It was our break from reality, the problems that revolved around us. He taught me to appreciate every day I was alive and to realize the harshness that comes from life, but to never give up, weather the storm, and have faith in the endless possibilities a new day brings you despite the circumstances. This was one of the greatest lessons he’d ever taught me, the ultimate lesson anyone has ever taught me. I was blessed to have him in my life after the passing of my parents, even if he was taken from this life. Even though I wish we had more time, I felt no regrets in getting to know the little I could, to see the type of man my father might have been or at least resembled.
The last memory that came rushing to my mind was with Tre. He’s the third most impactful relationship I’ve ever had. He was at St. Joseph’s Orphanage for what may have been his entire life; we never talked much about it, and I didn’t want to bring it up. For all I knew, he never had the chance to meet any of his family like I was able to, no matter how brief it was. One night, I went up to the roof of St. Joseph’s and lay on the ground looking up at the night sky, trying to map out the constellations. The entire day was unbearable; I couldn’t stop thinking of all I lost and the minute amount I’d gained throughout the years. Most of the time, I was an expert at suppressing my emotions when it came to the people I’ve lost in my life, but for whatever reason, my body and my mind just wouldn’t let go.
I lay there for about a couple of hours, convincing myself that life has meaning and purpose. The universe wasn’t as cruel as it seemed, and a balance that must be in place to harness chaos, not let it get so out of control. In life, we have to take the good along with the bad. Nearly every day, I believed the world was filled with so much evil and rarely any good, but that’s giving evil too much credit. If there wasn’t a balance, then life would just be hell for everyone 24/7; you can’t measure the capacity for good and evil with what you see in front of you. Our planet is an excellent example; if the Earth wasn’t positioned where it is today, in our solar system, between the moon and the sun, or axis, humans would not exist. Maybe some other species or life would have been able to flourish, but the good and evil we perceive are null to the cosmos and the forces at play. I learned long ago that my concept of what is good versus evil in our world was fueled by ego and resentment from what I couldn’t control. The truth is, I have zero power to change the world into my image, but what I can do is influence the present through consistency, and then maybe I will be able to influence myself along with others.
Still in deep thought, I didn't even noticed Tre sitting beside me, looking straight towards the mountains. This was the second or third time we’d been in the presence of one another; I wasn't too keen on striking up a conversation. We never said a word that night; his company was more than enough for me, and I found out later it was the same for him. The two of us were on the roof until dawn, which reminded me of Arther, and the fact I was sharing it with someone after a year of losing my uncle put my mind at ease. This was almost everything I witnessed as death was knocking at my door, three memories with the four people I love. Interestingly enough before I came to, I saw Luna placing her hand in the stream, then looking over at me, smiling with those light purple eyes drawing me in like a moth to a flame. All of a sudden, I didn’t want to leave this place… I didn’t want to stop feeling this feeling of something to look forward to, something that had given me hope.
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Chapter Twelve - Tre
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“Abel… Turn off your flashlight and get behind us” I said. After walking past Abel, I stand side by side with Luna. Neither of us said a word, we knew what we saw in front of us would limit our chances of making it to Portum safely. If we did arrive it would be in three separate body bags and thats if the Devourators didn’t consume every part of our being from flesh to essence. I’ve only met two Devourators, mainly known as Devourers, in my life, they each almost took my life and thankfully Luna came to the rescue both times. I won’t go into detail, partially because I’d rather forget it along with the whole “Luna had to rescue me again” aspect. What I can tell you is the distinct depth of fear which felt like venom being directly injected into my bones, withering me away from the core.
We both had to protect Abel at any cost because he didn’t know the gravity of the situation or the magnitude of what was at stake here. His path I do not envy, and the consequences if he fails will be the end of the Mortal realm—the remaining realms will be perfectly fine, they’ll just grow tenfold in strength, and the earth itself would benefit, probably thrive without all of the carbon monoxide gases and environmental crises created by man (go figure). The more that I’ve thought about his life, it continues to dawn on me about the death circling him over the years like vultures waiting for their next meal. Perhaps his parents, uncle, and his family were hunted by the powers that be, which I had a strange feeling it was PURA.
I wasn’t trying to be silent earlier because everything started falling into place; I’m not sure how accurate my theories are, but it’s a step in some direction. All three of us needed answers, and getting to Portum could be our chance to get confirmation for some of our questions. I was unsure how willing they would be to receive us because their whole city would be in danger of extermination for helping one of our kind. I wanted to believe this would all magically fix itself, hoping we would have protection or some help on our way out if they chose to refuse us at the gates. Unfortunately, our hands happen to be occupied with just the two of us being able to fight in a cavern with eight of those wretched creatures. Luna and I, without speaking, concluded that we had a better chance of survival splitting the herd. She would take on four of them while I had the remaining three to worry about; the plan was I wipe out my half as quickly as possible, then help her finish off the fourth. Nothing could go wrong, not a single mistake could be made. As I muster the courage to get my soul sucked up like a vacuum, then discarded like a bag of garbage. Luna unsheathed her weapons quietly, and naturally, I hesitated before I reached to grab my bow, but I decided to unsheath Natura—my lovely scimitar. We finally take steps toward the Devourers, making it halfway toward the herd—which was a lot further away from Abel for comfort. As I inched closer to my half, I heard something hit the ground behind me, I turned my head, and I saw one of Abel’s blades skid across the dirt and bounce off the wall. The word that came to mind… fuck.
Three Devourers instantly climb up the walls, then rush toward the direction of Abel. Luna sprinted into action, I dropped my scimitar, then grabbed my bow, bringing it over my shoulder, pulling the string, as three arrows materialized out of thin air. I should’ve taken the shot, but I took too long, and one of the devourers sliced my arm just in time as the other swept me off my feet. Both creatures jumped on top of me with all of their weight, almost crushing my chest as I raised my knees to create as much distance from them as I could. They both extend their claws, reaching for my throat, thrashing and trying to rip chunks out of my face; I thrust the bow into their mouths as they ferociously bite down, then shaking their heads like dogs with a chew toy.
Thing One—the cat in the hat pseudonym for the creature—unclenched its jaw, giving me enough time to use my knee to throw Thing Two—the other—over my head. Good ole Thing one decided play time wasn’t over and struck again, but this time, I was prepared and smashed its face. Without concern for Thing Two, I got up and rushed over to my scimitar, and on instinct, I did a 180 as I was falling toward the ground. Unfortunately for Thing One, it lunged at me, and the tip of my blade crushed through the skull of the creature, spraying black juices all over my face—because why not? The blade gets stuck in Thing One’s face, which I thought was a nice touch—a complimentary makeover—some of my finest work to date.
Putting my charming humor aside, I throw the remains of Thing One to the side, then pull back on the string of my bow. A single arrow materializes, I aim it at Thing Two, and it begins to snarl—god, did I mention how ugly they are?—I release the arrow, hitting Thing Two right in the chest, pinning it to the wall. I take no chances, quickly reloading, then let two arrows fly, striking poor Thing Two through the throat and the head. Sending it back to the depths of hell or the underworld; honestly, either would work. I laid my head on the dirt below and took a moment to catch my breath.
“Tre! A little help would be nice…” Luna was fighting her last remaining Devourer, but this beast was a tank! I’m talking about the “Super Size Me” combo, like in the old days when McDonald’s was trying to give their customers heart attacks as if there was a scoreboard to keep count. “W-Why is he so damn big…” “I don’t know, but here’s an idea…” Luna is interrupted; the jacked Devourer lunges at her, but she dodges out of the way, then strikes, slicing through its skin from forearm to shoulder. “…how about we ask questions later, when I’m not in danger of getting my soul sucked out of my body!” Tre nodded in agreement. He pulled back the string on his bow, then let out a fury of arrows.
No one was stunned when the beast practically shrugged off a dozen arrows now impaled to various parts of his body. “Nice Try, Puny One!” The Devourer roared. Luna wasn’t shaken, but you could tell by Tre’s face, especially the way his jaw dropped to the ground; the dude was filled with bewilderment. “Tre, snap out of it!” She was holding her tongue, but in her mind, she was tallying up the amount of times he had been useless during the fight so she could slap the back of his head as vindication. Tre should have listened to her, but snapped back to reality just in time as the beast threw a haymaker, blasting him into the wall across the cavern.
Tre spit some dirt out of his mouth, "son of a—". He slowly gets back up on his feet and reaches for his back, wincing at the pain. The beast with the steroid addiction didn't hesitate; it begins to sprint at Tre with ferocious speed. It leaned forward, shoulder-first, ready to flatten Tre like a pancake. He froze, not knowing what to do with this unstoppable force—the beast—colliding into a very moveable object—a.k.a. Tre. Fortunately, Luna wasn’t stunned and agile. In a flash, she moved to protect him, but this feeling of dread washed over her. This time she wouldn’t be able to save him, the beast was closing in faster than she could get to it. Muscles was going to squish him like a bug, most likely end her life, then devour them both, and for all, she knew Abel’s essence had already been devoured. No matter what fate lay ahead, a noble death was better than a death filled with fear, crippling whatever slim chance they all had of defeating these soul suckers.
Tre saw her in his peripheral, knowing he was out of time; he wanted his last act on earth to be one of gratitude. After the previous few years, the moments they spent training together—mostly. Luna trained him in everything, and there would never be enough he could do to repay her. He stopped thinking and just did, turning his head to the right as she came sliding his way; Tre just smiled and nodded his head. Accepting a fate they knew would come one day. All the running, the close encounters with death, and the loneliness… there was actually a feeling of peace entering his mind, knowing he didn’t have to run anymore. He looked up towards the ceiling, which he wished was the bright blue sky, so he closed his eyes and chose one of his fondest memories, walking through the forests of Redwood National Forest. Those magnificently humungous trees with hundreds—some of them thousands—of years living on earth. This was the place he called home, a sanctuary where nothing and no one could take away from him.
“There’s no such thing as a Lost Cause”. This single phrase was a thought that had kept him alive for years. As he heard the beast’s heavy footsteps getting closer and closer, the less afraid he felt, and the more acceptance flowed through his being. Time seemed to be slowing down, giving him a few minutes to enjoy his sanctuary. Tre inhaled, then exhaled, feeling a warm coming from his heart, which filled his veins then traveled to the rest of his body. He couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you” were the last words he whispered to whoever would listen.
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Chapter 13 - Luna
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Miraculous, then daunting; those were the only two words I could use to describe exactly what happened. After Abel’s dagger flew out from the shadows, I threw my bladerang at one of the Devourers and cut its neck, then gravity did the rest for me. As the head fell to the ground, I ran and barreled into the second Devourer while dodging the third as its arm swung towards at my neck with its sharp claws. Before running face-first into the wall, I turned and with all of my might, slung my dagger straight into the mouth of the creature. “Alright, two down, two to go.” I hardly felt the impact of the collision due to the adrenaline; with grace, I lifted myself and opened my palms. Both weapons returned to my hands as they have thousands of times before. The last couple of Devourers snarled at me; one was crawling towards me from the front, and the other was on the ceiling creeping, waiting for the opportunity to strike.
I stepped to the right slowly, with no sudden movements. I found myself at the edge of the cavern. I have been in situations like this with various enemies, thinking they have the upper hand. Most would say they were stuck or shaken by fear, but this felt natural. I had them both exactly where I wanted, thinking of every move they could make as if this were chess and their upcoming move led to a checkmate—figuratively speaking, literally speaking, I would be dead, and my essence would cease to exist. At any moment, they would strike. I shut my eyes and then entered the flow state of mind; my senses were enhanced, and I could hear the faint heartbeats of the creatures getting closer and closer, their claws digging into the dirt. The scent of rotting flesh consumed the air, and the warm grips of my dagger and bladerang; the weight prepared me for anything. If they weren’t going to make the first move, I would; before opening my eyes, I recited the last few words my father would ever say to me, “As Above, So Below.”
The creatures snarled, then pounced; Luna opened her eyes and stepped back, planting her dagger in the wall next to her left. As the first creature closed the gap between them, coming from the right she waited patiently for it to reach striking distance. As planned, both creatures didn’t hesitate. They were probably thinking—if they even had any type of intelligence—two against one, easy prey, easy dinner. Unfortunately, neither was prepared for what happened next. The first creature she had been waiting for finally got close enough for the bladerang, then stuck the blade into its chest, using its momentum to throw it over her shoulder, leaving the bladerang in its chest. This exposed her left side to the last creature which would have been unnerving for an unexperienced fighter, but remember that dagger she placed into the wall? It was for this moment.
As Luna was still in motion, she kept turning until her left hand grasped the dagger's hilt. She ripped the blade out, then slashed the creature through the chest, and just before it latched its several rows of teeth into her neck. She let go of the dagger, catching it mid-air with her right hand, then impaled the blade into the side of its head, pinning it into the wall where the creature went limp. Black ooze began to run down the side of its face, slowly dripping onto the ground below. Luna took a deep breath, thinking how badly this could have ended with a simple mistake. She looked back at the last two devourers with pride, a smirk appeared on her face, then turned around to make her way over to Tre, the cold grip of a massive devourer around her neck as it lifted her and slammed her into the ground.
A cloud of dust filled her vision and burned her eyes; she was hardly able to breathe, and in a world of pain, Luna still managed to run the blade of her bladerang through the beast’s forearm viciously. The Devourer finally let go, but it seemed like it wasn't out of pain, it felt voluntary as if it wanted to be challenged, not looking for an easy kill. “Gratia Lux, The Huntress… I’m thrilled to meet you face to face.” She was stunned. The beast called her by the name given to her at birth over 200 hundred years ago. No one alive knew it and she made sure of that. All at once, thousands of memories came rushing into her mind; one by one she analyzed every being she’d killed to protect herself and what was left of the Lux family legacy.
Luna flashed back to reality with perfect timing; before the beast pulverized her and she would permanently become part of the ground, she rolled backward and stood ready to get rid of Mr. Beefs. “H—How do you know my name?” Mr. Beefs gives Luna a wicked grin. “Now, where would the fun be in that?” He crosses his arms making his upper body look even more menacing. “You've got three seconds to answer before I rearrange your face. Who told you about me?” Mr. Beefs remains silent. He stands there defiantly for a few more moments. “Okay, let me start the countdown for you, darling. 3… 2… 1…” Mr. Beefs lunges at Luna, but she dodges him just in time for her to dig her dagger into his forearm, then pulls upwards tearing through his bicep until it reaches his shoulder.
I scream for Tre’s help, hoping he will still be alive. As always he took his sweet ass time to come through on his end of the plan. I was given a few seconds to look over and find that both of the devourers wouldn’t be able to make it to their next family outing. Tre finally lends a hand in blasting Mr. Beefs with a fury of arrows which practically did zero damage and only agitated the megalith of a creature. Unfortunately for him, Mr. Beefs slowly made his way to him as if taking a brisk walk on a sunny afternoon and the creature’s fist met Tre’s face. Once he got back up on his feet, Mr. Beefs backed away from Tre, then lowered his shoulder and began sprinting at an incredible speed. I had to do something there was no time to think or find a way to make a rational decision. I just did.
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Chapter 14 - Abel
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I’d like to say I planned what happened next; that I was able to gracefully save the life of my best friend and the pretty girl, a woman?—who was older than my great-great grandfather and perhaps way too out of my league. Regardless of how you see it, our moment by the stream, there was no doubt in my mind—maybe a little—she would be a comforting presence in my life, to whatever extent that may be. I’m rambling; let’s get back to my heroics. As I lay on the dirt floor, feeling the blood run down my cheek, the pain kept growing as the seconds passed, and my flashbacks to better times were over; reality set in once again. I was dying; Tre might have been too, and Luna, who risked her life for us, may have lost hers. My vision began to clear; I was staring at the slightly illuminated ceiling of the rocky cavern, and luckily for me, both creatures came into view. They started snarling, and their drool was dripping on my face. I could’ve slowed down time; I could’ve tried attempting to blast them into oblivion with whatever powers I’d used on Serverus, but instead, I welcomed death with open arms.
As you can tell by reading this, I managed to survive, and who did I have to thank? Luna and her family heirloom. Before I knew it, Vindicta, both daggers materialized in my hands. I could feel the weight of the blades and the warmth radiating from their handles in the palm of my hand. I thought it was too good to be true, but when I tightened my grip, my next instinct ended up saving my life. I thrust my blades upward and into both creatures’ skulls simultaneously. I felt a surge of energy buildup in my stomach, and then with a single thought, I willed it to travel into my daggers. The energy was powerful enough to burst the creatures’ heads; an explosion of black goo covered my entire face and unfortunately, entered my mouth. Honestly, this was better than the alternative, which was getting eaten, then having my essence swallowed and pooped out later. Could they poop a being’s essence? This led to my next question. Is this an appropriate time to be asking myself existential questions about a soul entering a creature’s mouth and exiting its rear end? These are the questions I needed answers to.
I was too busy gagging from the bodily fluids that entered my mouth to fully appreciate another near-death experience. As I got up off the ground, the intensity of my broken ribs and freshly torn face lessened greatly. It must’ve been the adrenaline. I scanned my surroundings to find three dead devourers sprawled out across the ground with puddles of black goo slowly growing underneath them, along with the redecoration of the walls on either side. I took in a deep breath and tried to lower my anxiety before having a panic attack. I was sure by now, Tre and Luna would be back telling me the coast was clear and we could proceed to get out of this hellhole. I still couldn’t see anything, but I started to hear something in the distance, so I began to move forward. As I got closer, I swear I heard the name “Mr. Beefs”. I must have lost a lot of blood, so I ignored the briefly unsettling audible hallucinations and continued moving in the same direction.
After a few more yards, the ground started to vibrate, and the rubble moved slightly, jumping around like a bunch of Mexican jumping beans. The vibration only got stronger and faster with each step forward. I moved at a slower pace with as much stealth as I could manage—which from my previous attempt ending shortly landing me face first with the taste of dirt in my mouth, I’d say the odds were stacked against me. At first, I thought I saw one of Tre or Luna’s bodies impaled into the wall to my left, but the rancid smell or maybe the three arrows sticking out from its head, chest, and throat helped me come to that conclusion. Instant relief washed over me, especially after seeing another creature with a blade going through its head like one of those Halloween costumes with the arrow going in from one end and coming out the other. Not too far ahead, I heard rustling, more like fighting, and again “Mr. Beefs” was mentioned. This time I was fairly certain I was not imagining it.
I picked up the pace, expecting the worst until I heard Luna’s screaming Tre’s name. Immediately, I hit the gas and went into overdrive, sprinting in the direction of her voice. Suddenly, two figures emerge to my right the one I’m going to assume they call “Mr.Beefs”, the giant beast that looked roided up with a body fat percentage of 0.Holy shit. Across from him was Tre, his eyes closed and muttering to himself as Mr.Beefs dashed towards him. I deduced that in about 60 seconds, Tre would permanently become part of the wall behind him and I’d be left without my best friend. I felt another tugging sensation in my stomach, but not the same as before. I reached out with my hand and could only pray I would be able to slow down time instead of pulverizing both Tre and “Mr. Beefs” which with my “extensive training” I was more likely to fry Tre than the actual beast.
I managed to slow down time successfully which meant not barbecuing my best friend or accelerating time. Even though this hadn’t happened yet, I wasn’t sure what my limitations were with any of my powers. I know I’m able to slow down time, but wasn’t sure if I could speed it up as well. After a huge sigh of relief, I noticed Luna sprinting towards Tre and by the looks of it, she wouldn’t make it in time to prevent Mr. Beefs from bulldozing him. I’d never encountered these creatures before, especially one of this size. He didn’t have any weakness I felt I could exploit and the more I planned, the less time I had to act. My body grew weaker and weaker; these powers must have come with a price and without thinking, I had almost drained every last drop of energy.
My vision was beginning to blur, and my bones started to ache. I flexed my fingers, then gripped the handles on my dagger. I sent a pulse of electricity to my hands, and sparks began crackling off the blades. I could feel the heat coming off them and saw the color of my blades go from dark gray to a light reddish orange like when you turn on an electric stove and crank up the temperature as high as it can go. For a moment, I thought my hands would melt away. I started sweating; before I lost both hands, I bolted towards Mr. Beefs and then blacked out. I wake up lying in the dirt while Tre and Luna look down at me with concern paired with fear. They lift me onto my feet and carry me further into the tunnel. Not a single word was spoken. All I heard until we saw light was the sound of feet dragging across the dirt and the steady flow of oxygen being inhaled and exhaled.
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLahnXVKe2x
Chapter 15 - Abel
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFWZPHeY2J
We made it out of the tunnel into a large meadow. A wave of warmth flowed through me as the sun touched my face. The smell of freshly cut grass reminded me of my many road trips with Uncle Arther as we took the scenic routes to our next home. It was one of the few pleasures either of us had to look forward to when we were out on the lam. I could feel the cool air brushing against my skin and rushing through my fingers. Blades of grass blowing in the wind, along with the sound of insects teeming with life. I had forgotten what it was like to hold on to a moment like this in the present, hoping the days would pass before me. Suddenly, I realized that this is what peace feels like. Despite the last few days, running for my life and almost dying twice now by grotesque, Gollum-looking creatures—I wouldn’t be surprised if they were related in some compacity—and a stinky, dusty ancient werewolf named Serverus.
This was what I needed to give me something worthy of fighting for, a gentle affirmation, "This too shall pass". Whether it is a beautiful or tragic event, nothing and no one is confined to a moment in time. A reminder that balance exists for a reason; you cannot have all the good without the bad. If we did, the good moments would not mean as much, and the bad ones would not teach us as much. Maybe I am finally on the right track to a better and brighter future… or I have gone crazy, which might make more sense considering recent events. This lovely moment, frozen in time, thawed quickly as Luna’s hand connected with the back of my head. “What the—Why?” I placed my hand on the back of my head.
“YOU ALMOST GOT TRE KILLED,” Luna said through clenched teeth. I sighed, then quit rubbing the lump on the back of my head. Not even a few seconds later, she went ahead and blessed me with another slap to the back of my head. “Geez, Do you naturally wake up and choose violence?” I placed my hand on my head—once again mind you—then pleaded my case. “I HAD TO DEFEND MYSELF!” Now, I was the one clenching my teeth. “Three of those creatures were about to rip the flesh off of my bones. What else was I supposed to do?” I paused, then balled my fists, holding back tears as they well up in my eyes. I took a deep breath. “Do you really think I wanted to put my best friend in danger? Put you in danger? I owe Tre my life, and now, I am starting to owe you. Racking up a debt I could not possibly pay for!” I hadn’t realized tears were running down my face; I felt guilty and useless.
“That is enough, Luna. We made it out of the tunnel alive.” Tre placed his hands on our shoulders. Luna knit her eyebrows, then scoffed at me. She looked at Tre and rolled her eyes. “Fine, I will drop it.” The truth was, her anger was valid... There was not a good enough argument or excuse that would undo my mistake. Frankly, what was the point? She was right. I made a mistake that could have cost Tre everything. “Tre, she is right… I’m sorry. Whether or not it was an accident, I should have been more careful.” He gave me a faint smile, then nodded, taking a deep breath. “Now that I’ve put an end to World War 3…” He dramatically pauses, then wipes his right hand on his pants as if he’d gotten his hands dirty from pacifying our heated conversation. “Man, near-death experiences make me I’m hungry. Anybody got an idea for dinner?” Luna and I couldn't help but laugh. We looked at each other and came to a silent reconciliation.
As she smiled and shook her head, Luna closed her eyes, then raised her head to the sky, taking a few seconds before answering. “Portum is a couple hours north from here, so let's hold off on dinner until we make it to the city.” Tre was more vocal about his reluctance than I was, but neither of us wanted to delay our arrival to Portum. “I don’t like this whole “waiting until we get to Portum” part…” All our stomachs growled in unison as confirmation to their unanimous declaration, “We’re with the one they call Tre.” Before we got moving again, Luna drew up a simple map on the soil underneath our feet. Based on her calculations, we’d arrive at Sunset; she warned us about being outside the city any later. From the expression on her face, whatever we could come across would be more terrifying than those creatures we met inside the cavern.
I’ll save you some time and spare you the details of this part of the journey until we made it closer to Portum. I mean, not much transpired. Luna led the way, walking slightly ahead of Tre and me. None of us said much; we seemed to be mulling over past events or what lay ahead shortly. I’m not a mind reader, but the fear of not being attacked or stalked seems to have brought a small amount of relief to the three of us. We did not abandon the idea or let our guards down completely; still, it was refreshing to walk for a couple of hours together; I’m not sure how many times we’re going to get to chances like these. Unfortunately, our fleeting moments of normalcy ended once Luna slowed down her pace as we came to a stop at the bottom of a mountain range.
“We’re here.” Luna sighed with relief. She walked up the side of the mountain facing us and began to scan the rocky formations and their surroundings. “Now, I just have to find the door to enter the city and hope the guards don’t kill us before I can explain why we’ve come all this way.” As she placed her hands on the rocks and moved them across the surface, I looked to my right, over at Tre. He was fidgeting, using his left hand to rub the knuckles on his right. I take a few minutes to get familiar with the area. From where we were standing, to the east, was a field with tall grass; their height was similar to cornstalks one would enjoy seeing while traveling through the countryside on plots of farmland. Over to the west, where Tre was standing, you could see a path leading into a slope about 100 yards away with jagged rocks sticking up from the ground. The path headed upwards into the mountains and was visible until it drifted to the right, then disappeared under an arch. The arch was connected like a bridge from one side to the other.
From what I discerned, nothing I recognized was an immediate threat. My eyes wandered to the South, where the hills in the distance flanked the meadow were undisturbed; there was no glaring difference. The only area I hadn't checked was North, where Luna was still searching for the entrance to Portum. I focused on the sky above, the colors changing from blue to bronze, and the clouds underneath with shades of white turned into haze. My eyes drifted back to Luna when I noticed a dark figure looming over us from the ridge. At first, there was only one, then they multiplied until about 8 or 9 shadows stood ominously along the edge. In a hushed tone, I whispered, “Tre, does anything seem off to you about this place?” He stood still and stayed silent; I nudged him to get his attention. “Like—” Tre cut in, “Like… when you see one dark figure multiply into a bunch of dark figures who stand along the ridge of a mountain, appearing without explanation while looking down at you ominously kind of off?” We look over at each other for a few moments, before screaming Luna’s name as we rush to her side.
As Tre and I race towards her, arrow after arrow, then spear after spear, pierce the ground at our feet. We dodged and weaved. For a few seconds, I thought whoever attacked us from above was only attempting to scare us off. “Tre! I don’t think they want to hurt us!” This assumption was inaccurate. I came to this conclusion when the first arrow pierced my right shoulder, and then a couple of spears grazed my ribs and thighs. I stumbled. Thankfully, Tre was close enough to keep me from falling face-first and becoming a distant cousin of the porcupine. “Hey Abel! Do you still think they just wanna talk?” Gasping for air, I manage to get out a few words. “NOT—NOW—TRE!” He snickers.
The next few steps, about a couple yards away from Luna, a spear lands right in front of Tre mid-stride. You know how in those comedy movies, someone steps on the rake head, and the handle flies upward, smacking the person, or in this case, the victim’s face? This is what happened to him. We made it to the wall Luna had been groping for the last hour with zero success in finding the entrance to the city. At the time, it wasn’t funny (okay, as funny), but karmic retribution has always found a way to be comical in live-or-death situations with either of us. I attempted to catch my breath; ironically, after watching him rub the large bump on his forehead, I did my best to hold it. In truth, I barely made an effort. I burst out laughing, “I thought that only happened in movies!” He didn’t think it was funny, letting me know physically with a few of what I would call “unwarranted jabs” (Tre felt it was appropriate).
“Hey Guys! I need you to keep distracting our little friends up on the ridge. I’m getting close to—” I cut Luna off before she gave us false hope. “I’m not sure how you’d like us to accomplish that with our Unicorn over here and my unwavering lack of commitment to getting myself killed?” Luna rolls her eyes, then gifts us with a few words of wisdom, “Figure it out!” I sighed. Tre was clearly, not fully recovered from the mild concussion. He kept swaying back and forth while pinching the bridge of his nose, only to confirm my suspicions. “Tre just… stay with Luna and do what you can to aid her in finding the entrance. I’ll handle the rest.” “A—Abel. I—I c—c—can.” He did his best to finish the sentence, but Tre soon realized this wasn’t up for discussion. There was little chance he could do anything more than stay out of the way until Luna found the entrance.
Before stepping out in the open, I racked my brain for anything useful. I highly doubted I could take them down, and even if I could, I had no idea if this was the first of many waves of attack. We were outnumbered and outmatched. I wasn’t going to get out of this using brawns over brains; there was a slim chance we’d make it out with clever tactics. I panic from all the pressure and Luna’s insistence on finding a solution to what lies ahead instead of confronting a life-or-death situation, intensifying my worries. “Luna, you’ve got to give me something I can use against them!” She stops her search to respond. “If my assumptions are accurate, they are the guardians of Portum. The guardians go by the name ‘Custos’”. Luna leans against the mountain with her palms firmly planted. The story goes:
King Ptor was a descendant of The Ancients, born in the Tal Nation, not sure which parentage; regardless, his blood was pure, and his life force protected the city. The King’s essence strengthened these walls over time, and as the years passed, Portum flourished. The economy thrived, battles were fought, and nations trembled with fear. Going to War against the city held no merit; those foolish enough to attack The King’s domain never returned with news of triumph. Survivors returned to their homeland to convince leaders that preservation superseded conquests. As long as The King lived, Portum’s borders were protected and undisturbed for centuries. The only enemy to penetrate the impenetrable city and cause the downfall of King Ptor was time itself.
Near the end of his reign, nations evolved, growing with power decade after decade. Alliances made with the other three Ancients and even the help of his brother King Nitas from the Enu Nation, gave Portum a fighting chance, but eventually, the weaker nations became formidable foes, and the Scarred War commenced. The Five Nations: Igna, Aquen, Ter, Enu, and Tal Collided for over a century. Many battles were won on both sides, and millions of people perished, decimating the population of the Earth. The amount of destruction crippled each nation, but the betrayal of once loyal Lords and their men, King Ptor, and his brother King Nita’s deaths became inevitable. First, his brother, King Nitas had been captured and then executed alongside all of his citizens. The massacre took 7 days to end, and the rivers turned red with the blood of thousands flowing from each nation into the Rubrum River, where they all connect.
When King Ptor heard the news of his brother’s vicious murder, he ordered everyone to evacuate the city grounds and head underground. Most citizens and beasts left, but others decided to stay and fight for the land they called home. Several nights passed with no signs of the three nations heading toward Portum. King Ptor sent out two scouting groups, and by the 11th day, neither party returned. He expected the worst, then five days later, the enemy’s forces could be seen a few hundred yards away. Portum’s military took it upon themselves to protect the city and their King. Against Ptor’s orders, they marched and fought for 3 days, giving him enough time to ensure no nation infiltrated the Portum for as long as the blood of the King flowed through its walls. The three nation’s forces were weakened but continued moving towards Portum until nightfall.
When Ptor saw the thousands of heavily armed beasts and men reach the front gate, he started chanting a spell. The ground shook beneath the enemy forces; rubble defied gravity and rose around them. The King levitated above the city, and as the fear grew in thousands of men, a vortex of energy swirled around him. Purple waves radiated from his body; cracks began to separate different sections of him, and then tears rolled down his cheeks. Ptor lifted his head to the sky and closed his eyes. The entire army could hear humming coming from the energy flowing in and out of him, then a bright explosion, a warm flash of purple blinded them. The King had vanished, leaving a trace of tiny particles in their wake. The air became still; fear and confusion flooded the thousands of men and beasts waiting for orders.
Suddenly, the dark figures could be seen running across the castle walls. One after another, these figures materialized and formed ranks in a line on top of the castle. Before they knew it, the enemy forces were face to face with hundreds of figures that arose from the depths of the earth. In one fell swoop, the front lines were eliminated; we are talking hundreds of beasts turned to ash, and men impaled by tens of arrows dropped to the ground like ragdolls. The remaining forces took defensive positions, lifting their shields while the archers nocked their arrows and prepared for the moment to strike back. Nothing occurred for the next couple of hours; the dark figures were quiet and made no advances.
The enemy forces grew impatient and began breaking rank, then without orders, the men and beasts ran towards the city gates, hellbent on ending the stalemate. Archers from several different positions on the battlefield sent volley after volley of arrows, impaling the first few ranks of Portum’s ground troops. Most of the dark figures fell with multiple arrows sticking out of them. As the enemy’s troops got closer and closer to colliding with the remaining defenders of the city. One after another, the dark figures stood off the ground, and the arrows on their bodies dematerialized. Struck with fear but already committed to their frontal assault, the men and beasts from the enemy forces clashed with Portum’s troops. Body after body, beasts, and men from the enemy ranks were slaughtered; no matter how many arrows the archers launched and hit their target, the dark figures would continue to rise and fight, laying waste to their infantry.
The enemy’s forces withdrew when the thousands of men and beasts were reduced to a few hundred. As they retreated, the dark figures lined on top of the city fired volley after volley of arrows, reducing the remaining hundreds of enemies to less than 50. Those who survived either went insane or took their own lives following the aftermath. Unfortunately, the three nations claimed victory and pillaged the last few allies Ptor and his brother King Nitas, had, but every attempted assault on Portum failed from that point in history. These dark figures, guardians of the city, were given the name Custos by the citizens and creatures that continue to thrive within the city’s walls. Generation after Generation, the Custos, without fail, defend and maintain the legacy of King Ptor. They honor the sacrifice he made for the inhabitants of Portum and the once-thriving nations he and his brother reigned over…
Luna sighs and then takes a deep breath. “You see? The Custos don’t have a weakness, no vulnerability, and if they do, those details haven’t come to light.” I stay silent. I do what I can to digest her story without asking millions of questions to get answers we don’t have time for. “I was looking for an answer to a question, but now I’ve inherited about a billion questions with zero answers.” Luna rolls her eyes, “To answer your question, I needed to give you the cliff notes version of their back story to help you understand. There is no way to defeat the Custos. We can only hope they’ll let us live after we surrender.” I shake my head in disbelief, “What?! Surrender? Cliff notes version? I don’t accept a plan where putting our lives in the hands of these ancient guardians is our only option.” Her brows furrow. Before I can protest further, Luna begins walking backward into the open.
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