Shadow laughed unpleasantly. “Let me make the choice easier for you. Give me a name, or I’ll take off another arm.”
“Even if you kill me, my death accomplisssshessss nothing! You won't win. Sssshe will make ssssure of th-th-that!” the demon choked, drawing its last breaths. “Sssshe will tear you all apart with her bare handssss….”
“Who is 'she'?” Shadow asked. “I need a name! Give me a name!”
The Neseptra shook its head. “It’sss too late now….” Then suddenly, it darted forward and threw itself at Shadow.
“You idiot,” Shadow growled. He jumped back to avoid the Neseptra’s claws, and with one quick spinning slash, severed the snake-like head from its body.
“Whoa!” Tristan exclaimed.
Faith removed her hands from Crystal, who was now stirring in Ethan's lap. She was staring at Shadow like she had never seen him before.
“So that was a demon,” Tereya said quietly. “I knew they were bad…but that was…insane.”
“It wasn’t just any demon, though,” Faith said, “It was an upper-class demon. They’re much more powerful. And there was someone controlling it. How can we possibly expect to survive against somebody who has that type of power at their disposal?”
“We’ll need to get stronger. That’s the only way,” Shadow replied. “But rest assured, no matter what we’re up against, we will win.”
“Speaking of strength,” Ethan said, “we came here for the artifact, correct?”
“Oh, that’s right!” Shadow exclaimed. He went over to the severed demon’s hand and bent down to pry the Dragon’s Eye from within it, but the jewel was missing. “What!?”
“What’s wrong?” Kay asked. “Where’s the Dragon’s Eye?”
“It’s missing!”
“What?” Ellie asked. “How is that possible?”
Ryan walked over. “Are you sure it was there in the first place?”
Shadow nodded. “Yes, it was here. I saw it. I noticed it was in the demon’s hand, and that’s how he was stronger than a normal Neseptra. But now it’s gone….”
Kay shook her head. “So you’re saying you lost it? Great. Just great.”
Shadow glared at her. “I didn’t lose it, Kay. If you didn’t notice, I was a bit distracted fighting the Neseptra.” He paused and looked around the room. “Did anyone else happen to see it?”
“I didn’t,” Tristan said.
“I don’t think any of us did,” Ellie replied. “I think we were all too busy watching your fight.”
“Then what could have happened to it?” Shadow wondered. He was troubled by the disappearance of the artifact, because if none of them had it, it meant someone else had it – it had to be someone else who was powerful enough to steal it right from under their noses without them even noticing. Which meant that this someone was powerful and would potentially use the artifact for nefarious means. But another possibility nagged at the back of his mind. The words spoken by the mysterious Zach: one among them would betray him. So one of his team, someone he trusted with his life, could have grabbed the Dragon’s Eye without the others noticing. If that was the case, then one of the charges he took under his wing were far more powerful and calculating than he knew. And the thought of that was unsettling.
Ryan shrugged. “Well, as much as I love hanging out in this dark, scary temple, can we go home?”
“Just like that?” Crystal asked. “We came all this way for nothing?”
“Well, what else are we going to do? We tried, and sometimes, that’s all you can do.”
Shadow’s gaze lingered on the severed demon hand for a few breaths before he finally nodded. “Ryan’s right…we can’t do anything more here.”
“Yeah, besides, I could really go for that cheeseburger,” Tristan moaned, his stomach rumbling. “You did say we’d get food on the way home right?”
Faith sighed. “Tris, is this really the time?”
“I'm sorry, sis, but I haven't had food since, like, six hours ago!”
“I, too, am feeling a bit famished,” Ethan admitted.
Crystal echoed the sentiment.
“Yeah, I guess you've all earned a dinner for such good teamwork,” Shadow said with a smirk.
Ryan, Tristan, Isaac, and Tereya cheered.
Kay smiled and shook her head. “I guess I could eat, too.”
“Ellie?” Shadow asked.
Ellie didn't answer right away. She looked contemplative. “Dinner would be nice…especially a cheeseburger and fries.”
Tristan shouted in excitement. “Yes! I win!”
“Okay, that's enough. Let's go, gang,” Shadow said.
As they made their way back to the entrance, Ryan turned to Crystal. “I just wanted to say, you did a good job back there during the fight. Far better than any of us would have thought possible.”
“What do you mean?” Crystal asked.
“You can create shields…they certainly came in handy during the fight.”
“Oh,” Crystal replied, her face becoming flushed. “Thank you.”
Ethan smiled. “Crystal is capable of great things when she sets her mind to it. Her determination is one of her greatest attributes.”
“Isn’t determination just another word for stubbornness?” Tristan asked.
“Excuse me?” Crystal asked, her hands going to her hips.
“Tomato, tah-ma-to,” Ellie chimed in, before the situation could get out of hand. “The important thing was that Crystal kicked ass. We all did. So we should be celebrating and not picking fights…Tristan.”
“Ellie’s right,” Faith said, and glared at her brother before he could respond. And he remained silent.
“So this evil person or whatever,” Tereya said suddenly, grabbing everybody’s attention.
“Yeah?” Shadow asked, feeling himself slip back into the serious attitude that he knew so well. “What about her?”
“Well, I wonder what happened to her. I mean, like, why is she so evil?
“God, Reya, you can’t just ask people why they’re evil,” Crystal said.
“Did you just quote Mean Girls, Crystal?” Ellie asked, laughing. “Because if you did, that would be so fetch.”
“Yeah, I did,” Crystal replied with a smile. “But stop trying to make fetch happen, because it isn’t going to happen.”
Kay rolled her eyes. “I guess we’ll be using memes to defeat the great evil.”
“Hey, who doesn’t love memes?” Ryan asked. “Maybe memes are the key of winning this fight.”
“Loser,” Kay spat, shaking her head.
Shadow ignored their banter. He didn’t have time to reply to their petty arguing. He was much too concerned with the great evil he was warned about. The only thing he knew was that it was a ‘she’ and that she was powerful enough to command an upper level demon to do her bidding. Beyond that, he had no idea where she was, or what she was planning. “All I know is, whatever she’s up to is pure evil.”
Thousands of miles away, in Kreashe La-Femme, a luxurious shoe store, a woman paced back and forth. Her below-the-waist red hair was wild and moved like crackling flames as she walked. She surveyed the long wall of shoes with a cold, icy stare which fit the piercing blue of her eyes. After a few moments of contemplation, she pointed out a pair of red high-heeled shoes and squealed in delight. “So I totally decided, I’ll have those!”
The salesman sighed. He walked over to her, practically dragging his feet. He looked the woman up and down, taking in her appearance. “Just so you know, Miss, those shoes are for $1,500.”
“I can read the price tag.”
The salesman just nodded. “Right, I just wanted to make sure. Sometimes people come in here and pick out shoes, not realizing that our shoes are for a certain clientele.”
The woman laughed and twirled her acid green fingernails through her hair. “Thanks for your concern, but I know the price. I wouldn't have picked them out if they weren’t that expensive. My motto is: if it doesn’t cos
t at least a month’s rent, it doesn’t go on my feet. ”
“I see,” he replied. He retrieved a step stool and climbed up to get the shoes in question. “These?”
“Yes,” she replied. She watched him take the pair down from the shelves, and her gaze dropped onto another pair, this time in bubblegum pink. “And I’ll also take those!”
“Alrighty. What size?”
“I’m a size nine. I’m a small, delicate flower, you see.”
The man raised an eyebrow. “Of course, you are. Wait one moment,” he said. He left to check the storage room.
“Lady Maedara?” a small creature called, walking up to the woman’s side. It was a demon which looked like a gigantic spider had mated with a koala. It had tiny red eyes, large fangs, and was covered in fine black fur. It was also considerably short, barely as tall as a six-year-old child.
“What do you want, you idiot?!” Maedara asked sharply, clenching her fists and sucking in her lip. “You know that I love my 'me' time, Mezmir. It’s the only time I get to enjoy myself. And you know I don’t get nearly as much of it as I’d like.”
Mezmir recoiled in fear. “Master, my apologies!” he replied, taking a few steps back. “I only wish to tell you that the Neseptra demon failed to acquire the Dragon’s Eye.”
“What?!” Maedara cried. Her eyes flashed crimson, and the lights in the room flickered. “I know you are not doing this to me. No, you’re not, not right now. You are not interrupting my 'me' time and delivering upsetting news, both at the same time… not this particular moment.
“Master, I–”
“Excuse me, I’m talking! How rude are you? Like, seriously. I can’t even deal with you right now. Tell me, are you suicidal? You have a death wish – that’s the vibe I’m getting here. You’re upsetting me so I’ll kill you. Is that it? You stupid, little creature?”
“Please, Master!” Mezmir cried, bowing at her feet. “I’m not…done explaining!”
Maedara crossed her arms. “Oh really? Well, talk fast because I am so close to literally beating you like a piñata until all the candy comes out. Except you’re not a piñata, so the only stuff that’ll come out will be blood and stupidity.”
Mezmir flinched again and kept his eyes on the ground. “All is not lost, Master. The Neseptra failed, yes…but the Dragon’s Eye isn’t completely lost to us! Your secret agent still remains undetected on their team, and is in possession of the Dragon’s Eye!”
“Is this true?!”
Mezmir rapidly nodded. “Yes, Master! I swear it.”
“Oh Mezmir!” Maedara exclaimed. “This is such wonderful news! I’m so happy and it’s so amazing!” She danced in circles. After she had finished, she looked at the clock on the wall and frowned. “What on Earth is keeping that peasant?”
“Peasant, Master?”
“The shoe lackey! He has been gone for almost ten minutes. He’s totally ruining my day with his slowness!”
“I…don’t know, Master. But I’m sure he’ll be back out here soon.”
“Oh sure, take his side,” Maedara huffed. “If you love him so much, why don’t you just stay here and be his minion. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
Mezmir shook his head rapidly. “No Master, I…I live to serve you, I swear!”
Maedara frowned. “God, listen to you grovel, you furry little nuisance…you make me sick. And now I’m getting a headache which is totally unacceptable and I’m mad and I just…I just, ugh, I hate your mother.”
“M-my mother? But why?”
“Because, you stupid creature, she gave birth to you; therefore, by extension, she is the cause of all my suffering. It’s all her fault, and I just want her dead.”
“Master, my mother is already dead. You killed her yourself, remember? You killed my entire family because I accidentally burned your favorite dress.”
Maedara’s frown deepened. “Oh, isn’t that just great. You’re an orphan, and now I’m unhappy because you reminded me about that dress. This world sucks. That’s why I need to either rule or destroy it. Or both. I don’t know which way I’m leaning yet. Ugh.”
“Master, don’t upset yourself. I promise, this is only a minor setback. Soon you will have your shoes, and you’ll be able to continue with your plans!”
“You'd better be right, Mezmir. I’d hate to litter the sidewalk with your insides.” She ran her hands down her long black dress. “Now, stop your idiotic blathering and tell me how pretty I am.”
Mezmir blinked. “You’re the most beautiful and gorgeous woman in all the land. The sun rises and sets just for you, Master.”
Maedara smiled. “That’s just so incredibly sweet of you to say. Oh, Mezmir, you know how much I love your random compliments. They make me feel all tingly inside.”
The salesman returned from the storage room, empty-handed. “Ma’am?”
“Did you find the shoes I wanted?” Maedara asked, any hint of her previous anger gone.
“What the hell is that?” the salesman cried, looking disgusted.
“What’s what?” Maedara asked, confused. She followed his eyes to Mezmir and then nodded in understanding. “Oh, that. That’s a Mezmir. Revolting, isn’t it?”
“Indeed,” the salesman replied, keeping his eyes on the demon. “I’m sorry to say that we don’t have your size in stock. It’s completely sold out. If you wish, I can put you on the waiting list, and you can–”
“Well, thank you for ruining my day,” Maedara growled. She bulldozed past Mezmir, sending him flying into a display, and then turned to walk out the door.
“Have a nice day,” the salesman muttered.
“Oh, but wait!” Maedara said suddenly, turning back to look at the man. “I must thank you for helping me! Think of it…as a tip for your hard work.”
The salesman shook his head. “You could have done that by not knocking over a display. But either way, tips are against company policy, and I cannot accept them.”
Maedara puckered her lips. “Oh, I’m sure you can make an exception...just this once.” Before the man could respond, she raised her hand to his face and her fingers danced down the side of his neck. In a heartbeat, her nails extended like switchblades. They pierced his throat, and she raked them across in a single fluid motion.
The man brought his hands to his throat as her nails left the jagged wounds. He tried to speak; but was only able to produce a gurgling sound through the blood. He fell to his knees, his mouth agape, his eyes wide open in shock. Emptiness filled them. He fell to the ground and moved no more.
“Pity,” Maedara said, licking the blood off her nails. “I really wanted those shoes. They were such a pretty color and would have been lovely with this dress, which I now have to replace because that man was rude enough to bleed all over it.”
“Master?” Mezmir questioned, looking up at her.
“Mezmir, you buffoon! Get off the ground!”
Mezmir hastened to obey. He looked down at the dead man and breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t him. “Thank you for your mercy, Master.”
“Don’t thank me, Mezmir. There’s a lot of planning to be done, and unfortunately, I might need you in the future,” she said. “Besides, I need somebody to accompany me to the next store. A lady simply does not carry her own packages.”
Mezmir kept his head down as Maedara happily skipped out of the store. He walked over to the light switch, flicked it off, and strode out after her.
4
Past Imperfections
Shadow paced back and forth in his room. He couldn’t stay still because of all the thoughts racing through his mind. It had always been a habit of his to pace when he had something on his mind, and because of recent events, there was practically a hole being worn into his rug. Four weeks had passed since the attack on Draconia Isle, and nothing end-of-the-world worthy had happened. Which would have made most people happy, but he wasn’t most people.
He wasn’t a fan of the philosophy that no news was good news, because
in his mind if there was nothing happening, it meant something was stirring behind the scenes – after all, the phrase “calm before the storm” existed for a reason. And whatever it was, it wasn’t good. He feared the mysterious woman who held enough power to control a Neseptra demon and give it enough power to take out a dragon. That was no small feat. For the first time, he wondered if he and the others actually stood a chance.
But he couldn’t let the doubts fester in his mind. Not with the new information that had been brought to his attention just moments ago. Someone was in trouble and as per his agreement with the Seer, it was his job to save them. So the rescue mission would have to take priority for the time being. He just had to figure out the proper course of action and who to take with him.
There was a knock at the door that ripped him from his thoughts. “I swear, if that’s Crystal again, I’m going to explode!”
“Shadow?” Ellie’s voice called. “Are you in there?”
Shadow made his way to the door and pulled it open with more force than was probably needed. “Yeah?”
Ellie just stared at him. The expression on her face stiffened at his tone. “I’m sorry…am I bothering you?”
“Oh? No…not at all. I’m sorry, I thought you were Crystal again. She has been here at least twice a day bugging me about wanting to go shopping. And I’ve told her every single time that it’s probably not a good idea with some powerful and mysterious evil force on the loose. But does she care? No!”
Ellie smirked. “Sounds like Crystal. But uh, you gonna invite me in or am I just supposed to stand out here?”
“Oh,” Shadow said blankly. “Sure, come on in.”
Ellie stepped into the room and glanced around. “It’s a bit monochromatic in here, don’t you think?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ellie shrugged. “You have enough black in here to put every emo kid to shame.”
Shadow frowned. “What? I like the color.”
“I’m not picking on you,” Ellie said quickly. “I was just making conversation. You know, the thing that occurs between two people when words are exchanged?”
The Descending Darkness Page 7