The Seventh Spirit

by Adam-Clay Webb

  Kyle stared up at the gaping holes, that were quickly regenerating. Still clinging to the beast, he glanced back at Lex, knowing it must have been his doing. “Oh shit, not again,” he muttered in worry and annoyance, seeing a pale look on Lex’s face as the darkness quickly faded from his eyes. Kyle watched Lex fall and plunge into the sludge. The monster retraced its tentacles in a bellow of pain, flinging itself about, but Kyle held on tightly. Where the hell are Clover and Mike?! he wondered, fretting, fearing the worst. He was ready to jump down from the monster’s leg when he saw the green goo mounting up not too far away. Mike emerged, quickly looking about, panting, an unusual look of fright on his face. Remembering exactly where Lex and Clover were standing, he plunged his hands under the sludge and quickly drew them up. He flung his unconscious friends over his shoulders, making himself unable to move from where he was.

  “Kyle, hurry!” Mike’s voice belted. The swordsman nodded shakily, and quickly and skilfully scaled the monster.

  The beast flashed itself about in annoyance as the bug-sized boy held on tight as a tick. Mike watched, wondering if even he, the boy with the iron fist, was capable of such a feat. His heart raced in excitement as Kyle held on tightly to the beast’s neck. “This is truly one for the books,” Mike muttered in awe. He watched keenly as Kyle drew his sword like a real gladiator, and sunk it into the beast’s neck. Green fluids gushed out. Bellowing at an almost deafening volume, the beast flashed its head about violently. Kyle couldn’t even scream. He just held on tight, and with great effort, remained focused. The beast’s mouth was so wide, a small train could probably have gone through it.

  “Jump in! Jump in, Kyle!” the boy heard Mike’s voice belting even over the noise of the terrible bellow. Kyle climbed up on the thing’s shoulder, holding on to the sunken sword, looking up at the widened mouth, at the entrance of the dark pit. The swordsman drew the sword from out of the wound it had just made. His eyes widened as the wound regenerated in as much time as the sword took to make it. Kyle looked down at the helpless Mike, as the monster sent all its tentacles at him and the two he was holding.

  “No!” Kyle blasted, and made a fateful leap, jumping up and grabbing the edges of the thing’s mouth, flinging himself down into the dark pit, into the age-old legend of the infamous swamp.

  As the boy felt himself descending into the hot, damp darkness, he swung his swords about wildly, trying in vain to grab at something. Foul liquids and gases covered him as he ravaged everything in his downward path. Suddenly, for a second, he felt like he’d stopped moving, and was floating in something thicker than gas, but thinner than liquid, something that was getting hotter and hotter. He couldn’t breathe. Then, he felt himself going back up quickly, being pushed up forcefully by a flood of hot liquid and gas. He saw light again, and he was sure his heart had stopped beating, and time slowed down. He couldn’t scream; all he could do was hold on to his only help, the Blade of Bengushi. He rocketed out of the mouth of the monster, clothed in fluids that had no business outside of the creature. He flew even over Mike, whose eyes and mouth had never been wider. There was a stifled splash as he landed into the sludge. It barely rippled. The monster of the swamp made yet another screeching cry, toppling backwards. It landed into the river of green, and slowly and silently went under.

  “Kyle!” Mike called out. He saw a triumphant blade jut out from the river of green. The Ionide laughed in relief and excitement. Kyle Bengushi rose from under the swamp a new man, a man who would be read about in legends.

  Chapter 11: The Vision

  Lex slowly cracked his eyes open. He wondered where he was, how much time had passed and whether he was dreaming, all before he could blink. He found himself looking up at Clover’s pretty face. When he realized what was before him, his eyes widened and his heart jumped. As suddenly as he awoke, her countenance changed from a dull look of a worry to a flare of happy relief.

  “He’s awake!” she announced, sounding elated. His brows crawled together on his quickly wrinkling face, and he smiled in confusion, feeling faint and still sleepy, though he could feel that he was asleep for more than just a few minutes. He sat up with Clover’s help, slowly raising his head from a hefty pile of leaves that made a comfy pillow, trying hard to put things together in his mind. She girl grabbed his face sternly, a genuine look in her eyes. “You really had me worried, Lex!” she said, sounding almost angry with him.

  “What? I killed the monster, right?” He sat up properly, then stood, holding his head as he felt a slight ache. “I remember! That thing inside me… It did something again...” Clover and Mike looked puzzled. “Clover, you and Mike were sunken under, and the next thing I knew…” He stopped in obvious contemplation and uncertainty, “I was throwing some weird black spheres…” Kyle’s mind flashed back to the holes that he saw appear in the monster just before Lex sank unconsciously.

  “Those spheres weren’t even black ice… They tore through the monster like it was made of paper,” Kyle came in, remembering.

  “But that’s all I can remember,” Lex said, looking down, realizing he must have lost his consciousness after using the demon’s power, as had happened before.

  “Still, it was I who slew the monster!” Kyle came in, sounding suddenly defensive of his heroic deed and honour.

  “You?!” a now more confused Lex asked, just remembering that Kyle was indeed climbing up the beast.

  “That’s right!” Mike came in, “Just like the hero in the legends, he jumped right down that sucker’s throat!”

  “Whoa!” Lex jumped back at such a thought. “You really did that?!”

  Kyle grinned proudly. Clover wore a sceptic’s look on her face. “I looked down from the thing’s shoulder! Mike was carrying you and Clover; you were both out cold!” Kyle related, gesticulating with every word, looking much like his grandfather. “I alone saw the whole thing! First Clover saved Mike with her blow up spell thingy, then—”

  “You don’t have to make it sound so stupid you know!” Clover came in.

  “Then Lex, you saved Mike and Clover!” Kyle continued, ignoring his sister, “Then Mike saved the two of you when you went under! Then when you were all about to be killed by the green demon, I figured it was now or never! I jumped right into that hole!” he boasted. “The heat! The blackness! The depth! It was hell down there! I kept on falling, and I kept on swinging my deadly blade, tearing everything in my path to rubble! I can distinctly remember slicing through the thing’s heart! Then I felt myself flying up! Burning fluids were all over me! That thing vomited me out! Flew about a quarter mile through the air! Twenty meters high! Then BAM! I hit the sludge!”

  Mike laughed in excitement.

  “Tell ‘em what happened next, Mike!” Kyle said eagerly, nudging him.

  “Then I saw a blade of victory rise from the river of green!” Mike recounted, “And I knew the hero of a new legend was alive!”

  “Wow… All that really happened?” Lex tried to sound as excited as the storytellers, but hints of confusion, unbelief and jealousy were in his voice. “So how long was I out?” Lex asked, finally letting go of his forehead, the slight ache clearing.

  “A few hours,” Mike said.

  “Wow… Hours?”

  “Yeah. Clover woke not long ago too,” Kyle said.

  Lex looked over at her, looking concerned.

  “So where are we now?” Lex asked, still looking at her, then he turned to Kyle.

  “Just a short distance from the swamp,” Kyle answered.

  “Yes, and we’ll be taking a shortcut through the woodland to get to Ghost Town faster. Make up for lost time.”

  “I still feel so weak,” Lex said under his breath, misjudging his voice’s volume.

  “You know, I’m starting to think that thing inside you is doing both you and the whole team a little more harm than good,” Kyle mentioned, much thought evident in his voice. “We can’t let it become a liability, Lex.”

  “What the hell do you mean?!” Lex
flared, not sounding as weak as he said he was.

  “This is what I mean!” Kyle shouted back with suddenly fiery eyes, “You being out for hours after a single moment of help!”

  “This thing saved our asses back on that mountain!” Seeing Kyle wasn’t about to stop, Lex surrendered. “You’re right…”

  Kyle’s expression calmed.

  “But I bet when we get the other half, things’ll be much better! More power, less fainting!”

  Kyle hissed and turned around. Clover shook her head.

  “You better be right,” Kyle muttered. “Since we’re all awake, let’s move. We have miles to walk.”

  As the travellers proceeded through the woodland, heavy trees surrounded them more and more densely. The place was cool, chilly even. The air was crisp and full of nice, natural aromas. Birds sang, and squirrels and their cousins rustled constantly in the bushes. The place, the atmosphere, everything was calm and peaceful, but that calm wasn’t to last for too long. Mike and Kyle spun around quickly in fright as Clover screamed and jumped back from Lex. Lex just stood there with no emotion, his eyes glowing with purest blackness. Kyle stared at him, slowly recasing his sword.

  I finally see it… Mike thought, staring awfully at Lex, at the darkness he knew was of a ghastly, unearthly power within him.

  Clover was still shaking. “L—Lex?” she whispered, but there was no answer. Seemingly ignoring them, Lex sat on the ground, the soles of his feet touching each other, his hands clasped. His eyes still black as evil, his friends silently watched him for a moment. “What the hell is this?” Clover finally whispered.

  “The demon must be talking with him,” Mike suggested.

  “Whatever’s happening, we don’t have time for it!” Kyle protested in annoyance, his face reddening instantly, rushing over to the sitting black eyed boy.

  “Kyle!” Clover called, grabbing at him as he rushed past her, looking like he was about to strike Lex. He stretched his hand down to grab Lex’s collar, probably to drag him up. The very instant he touched the boy, a swift jolt of dark energy flashed out at him, flinging him away violently, and with much more force than seemed logical. Mike and Clover ducked as the boy was flung over their heads suddenly. They heard him crash-land in a tree some meters away.

  “Shit! Stay with Lex! I’ll get Kyle!” Mike said, rushing off.

  ***

  Lex witnessed the blue sky turn black, like a sudden night had descended. He stared, frozen in fright. He saw what seemed like a swift comet tear down through the skies. It blasted the earth, and the ground quaked like it was afraid. Lex crouched a little and covered his face as a pulse of strong energy rippled the barren land and air from where the thing had hit the earth. From out of the crater rose something. Lex’s eyes narrowed, as he was a little more curious than he was afraid. The figure seemed to be a man, but made entirely of darkness. There was no flesh or bone, no mouth, no eyes, but there was a definite human-like figure. It was so dark, it was hard to look at. He felt his eyes tearing out of his head; it was far worse than looking directly at the sun.

  As the sky was beginning to return to normal, it blackened again as another black meteor like the first descended close to the previous one, then a third one struck the earth.

  “I’m dreaming,” Lex told himself, shaking, unable to blink. Two other beings looking like the first rose up from the ground, shrouded in a black mist that appeared when they had landed. Though Lex wasn’t very close to them, he heard clear speaking amongst them, and their voices sounded heavy and fearsome, almost like their words themselves had the power to kill men.

  “Even though we will be three, we will be one.”

  “We will not betray one another as Trinity betrayed us.”

  “Yes… We will recover our long lost brother… Maximo…”

  “And should he betray us like Trinity…”

  “We will slay him with they that captured him… and mourn his death…”

  With that, the three figures of darkness seemed to fade away into a black mist, and the strange, barren world faded away.

  ***

  The darkness faded from Lex’s eyes. His face wrinkled and contorted as he looked down, realizing his posture. He arose quickly, and looked up into the night sky. “What the…” he wondered if he were still dreaming; he remembered it being daytime just a moment ago. He looked around him. He saw his friends scattered about, seemingly fast asleep. “When did I fall asleep? I’m sure I’m not dreaming now… That strange dream… What the hell is going on with me?” he questioned himself. He looked over at Clover as she turned in her sleep. He rushed over to her and shook her, trying to shake her calmly. She opened her eyes abruptly.

  “Lex!”

  “Shh!” Lex covered her mouth quickly, glancing back at Kyle and Mike; they were still asleep. She stood quickly and hugged him, pulling him to her with all her strength.

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” she whispered, “you had me so worried… I fell asleep just a moment ago.” Then she released him suddenly, almost pushing him to fall backwards. “What happened? You just…” She flung her hands madly, not finding words for quite some time, “sat there! For like… the whole day! The whole night too! It’s almost sunrise!”

  Lex looked at her with a blank face. He was obviously even more confused than Clover. “Almost sunrise?” he asked in a whisper.

  The excitement woke Kyle and Mike. “Lex!” they both greeted with wide eyes.

  Then, as Lex had expected, a look of annoyance and anger wrinkled Kyle’s face and clenched his teeth. “What the hell was that about?!”

  “Stop it, brother! It’s not his fault!” Clover defended, standing between Lex and Kyle. She turned her face from Kyle and looked at Lex; he was at the brink of crying. She looked back at Kyle with a face more angry than his own. “Ugh! Look what you did! It’s not his fault, brother! It’s that thing inside him that is causing all this trouble!” Kyle took a limped step toward his sister, his teeth clenched in pain and strain.

  “He’s the reason I can barely walk right now!” Lex looked at Kyle, confused. “That’s right, Lex! While you sat there folding your legs, I tried to snap you out of it! BAM! That thing blasted me into a tree! You nearly killed me!” Lex couldn’t help it. He started crying.

  The look of disgust intensified on Clover’s face. She folded her fists. “You should try to be a little more patient with him, brother!” she yelled.

  “Yeah, that’s right!” Kyle shouted back, “Take his side! Side against your own brother! Your own blood!”

  Mike sighed, and sat quietly with closed eyes, his back against a tree. Clover turned back to face Lex. “Lex? … Lex, where are you?!” she called. He wasn’t in sight, and there was no answer. “Dammit, I hope you’re happy now!” The girl’s eyes were soaked with tears, tears that always softened Kyle’s heart and made him sorry. The look of fiery anger wore off his face quickly, and a look of guilt and regret replaced it. Clover turned from him quickly and rushed off into the darkness to find Lex. Kyle took a quick, deep breath to stop her with his words, but he could say nothing. He plopped down and took a deep sigh. He glanced over at Mike, who was obviously pretending to be asleep.

  Lex was sitting on a stone. His back was turned to the slowly approaching girl. She quietly went up to him and sat there on the rock. She looked over at his sullen face. “Don’t mind my brother,” she finally said after some amount of silence. For an even longer while, neither of them said anything. The cold night wind howled like a wolf’s ghost. The moon was almost full.

  “It’s only trying to help,” Lex finally said, looking out into the darkness.

  “It speaks to you, doesn’t it?”

  “Not only that… It gives me power… Back at the sludge… when that thing took down you and Mike… I made two shadowballs. It gave them to me – spheres made of pure darkness.”

  “Shadowballs, you say?”

  “Yes… I just know that’s what they’re called.”

 
“I see… But when you were sitting there—”

  “It showed me something.”

  “A vision?”

  “Maybe… They looked like three men… but…” Lex wondered how to explain what he had seen. “They were made of shadow, darkness. They had no faces. They just… came down from the skies like falling stars and smashed down into the earth. And they said something about their long-lost brother… Maximo...”

  “Then maybe Maximo is the name of the spirit inside you.”

  “I think so…” Lex said, trying to remember what else he had heard. The memory of it was like a quickly fading dream, escaping the reaches of his mind. “They also said… they would no longer be one… but they would remain one team.”

  Clover looked up at the silver moon in the black sky as she considered. “So if these three men of shadows you saw were Trium… maybe this vision means they will divide themselves into the three original beings that formed it,” Clover deduced.

  Lex shivered as he remembered the most important part of the vision. “They also said…”

  “Said what?” Clover noticed the pale look on Lex’s face.

  “They would destroy the human race… and Maximo too, if he joins forces with it.”

  “Well… you shouldn’t be too frightened about that…”

  “I have a feeling, Clover… that Maximo isn’t anything like his brothers, the ones who are returning for him, and to destroy mankind.”