G.H.O.S.T. Teams (Book 3) Spirits

by Bobby Brimmer

  As we walked, the nasty sand gave way to more rocky ground. It looked like large gravel, mostly rounded rocks of various colors. Although it wasn’t the most comfortable thing to walk on, the crunch of our feet made for a very pleasing sound. Walking on gravel and fresh snow are two of my favorite footfall sounds. When you spend your life perfecting the art of moving silently, you spend a great deal of time thinking about the sound your foot makes as it strikes various surfaces. For the record, gravel was not good for noiseless travel.

  At the moment the mountains were off in the distance, always on our right as we traveled north. But, our current direction took us closer to them. If we continued on this path, they were definitely going to get in the way. As we traveled, the gravel at our feet slowly gave way to hard-packed dirt. This was much easier to walk across, especially since we were now heading downhill.

  While the entire Serpents Valley is obviously a valley, it was so vast and wide there were definitely times when you felt like you were in more of an open plain. Now however, we were absolutely dropping back down into a valley. The mountains had gotten close enough on our right to form a tall imposing wall. The river had also returned to us, winding peacefully along the mountains edge.

  To our left, the gentle slopping dirt hills, which lead us down here, were slowly becoming sheer cliff faces as we continued forward. As we entered the deep ravine, our directional options were extremely limited. We could continue heading forward or turn back, but the sides of the ravine were basically impassable without climbing gear. The sun was now several hours past its peak and the deep valley was casting everything in long shadows. If we didn’t hurry, we’d be running out of daylight.

  The valley grew deeper and deeper as we traveled. The cliff faces on each side were now hundreds of feet high, making it clear this ravine was cutting right through the mountains themselves. The river was to our right and a welcome sight after the dry climates we’d been walking through. Next to the river ran the same road as before. Although now it was a little skinnier and less well traveled. The reason for its smaller size was obvious, the road took up as much space as was available between the river and the cliff walls. The canyon became super narrow at this point. Honestly, I was starting to feel a bit claustrophobic. Which didn’t get any better as we rounded the next bend and found what Freddy had been looking for. There was a smaller canyon off to the left and he led us into the narrow ravine.

  This side passage was a dry riverbed, barely wide enough for Vlad to drive through. Which of course reminded me just how much we’d been walking lately and how much I missed my friend the dragon-car. He would have made this a much faster journey. Hopefully he’d be back in action soon. In the meantime, we marched.

  The cracked earth below our feet showed a riverbed devoid of flowing water. It had that shiny-smooth look of recently dried out dirt. I was betting the water started flowing again anytime they got good rains. I suddenly found myself hoping Freddy had checked the weather report and knew there were no storms on the horizon. The walls of the ravine were tall and imposing and looked very difficult to climb. A flash flood right now would have been a very bad thing. We had to step around the occasional large boulder sunk into the earth. Judging from their impact craters, I was betting they’d fallen from fairly high up. We did our best to split our attention between the road ahead and the potential danger above. It would have been a very unceremonious end to this adventure if we were all crushed by a falling rock.

  We followed the windy riverbed back and forth for the better part of an hour before we finally found the end. When we made the last turn, the cliffs seemed to part before us like curtains. Almost like Mother Nature wanted to make sure you understood the reveal of the area beyond. There was a huge chasm in front of us, brightly lit and just breathtakingly beautiful.

  The chasm was big enough to hold a football stadium with a large pond dominated its center. Crystal clear water rippled slightly as the light breeze danced across its surface. Around its edges were the beginnings of what I can only call an alien landscape. Every surface in front of us was covered in pink and purple crystals.

  Around the edges of the pond, the crystals were so tiny they almost looked like grains of sand. At first glance you might mistakenly think it was a flat shiny surface. But the further you got from the waters edge, the taller and larger the crystals grew. Against the walls of the chasm they were the size of trees and gave the impression of a crystal forest. From our position, we could actually see a few paths through the forest, ending in large caves. The walls of the caves were covered in crystals and somehow very well illuminated.

  That was when I realized just where the light was coming from. It was the crystals, pulsing and glowing with a slow steady rhythm. Although I thought glowing crystals felt a bit ominous, I was happy to have a well-lit arena for my battle. Fighting a pair of T2s in the dark seemed like a terrible idea. The riverbed in front of us continued all the way up to the pond, almost creating a welcoming path for us. I dropped my pack and removed the rusting blade from my back. I instructed Freddy and Vix to stay put as I explored further.

  I’d barely taken a step into the chasm when the sword in my hand started to vibrate. After a few more steps it became so intense there was an audible hum. The rusting blade was pulsing with much more power than my previous weapons. I hoped that was a good sign. Although, it suddenly occurred to me the intense tuning might be a result of larger and more powerful elementals. That wasn’t a comforting thought. I kept my senses peeled for any movement as I continued forward. Since the sword was vibrating, I knew they knew I was here. I wanted to get as much distance between me and Freddy and Vix before the fighting started.

  As I scanned the area around me, I couldn’t help but notice the patterns of the glowing crystals. The pink crystals pulsed more quickly than the purple ones. But both colors pulsed faster the smaller they got. And the tiny ones around the waters edge were basically a solid glow. The dancing light patterns were gorgeous. I couldn’t be sure, but it almost seemed as if the crystals closest to me slowed down as I approached. If I hadn’t been about to fight giant metal monsters, I would have tested the theory.

  I made it all the way to the ponds edge without encountering anything. The ground beneath my feet felt smooth and solid. The smaller crystals reflecting beautiful colors against the water. I figured I’d walk the waters edge, looking down the paths into the caves until I found my adversaries. But it turned out I didn’t need to go through all that trouble as the sound of sloshing water stopped me in my tracks. Turns out I wasn’t going to have to look for the elementals at all, they were coming to me.

  Emerging from the pond, barely thirty feet from me were two enormous metal creatures. They were just as Freddy described them, long arms, huge hands, and a giant face in their chest. But unlike the silver metallic color I’d pictured in my head, these creatures had a pink-ish hue. They were the rose gold of metal elementals. One might say the perfect color to camouflage themselves in this beautiful crystal garden. They stood side-by-side, almost identical, with no way to identify either as male or female. Assuming of course they had classical gender descriptions. But since they both looked like angry metal dudes, I was going to address them both as “hes.” I tried to be friendly at first.

  “Greetings my metal friends. I wish you no harm. I’m hoping…”

  “Kill the human,” they spoke in unison, cutting me off.

  Their voices were very mechanical sounding, almost robotic. Some type of reverberation off of the metal I assumed. I would have loved to discuss it with them, but they were clearly in no mood to talk. In fact they were easily the most aggressive and angry seeming of all elementals we’d met so far. I wondered if I provoked them somehow or if they just really hated humans. They surged forward, both moving through the water as if it wasn’t there. Before I could blink they were at the ponds edge within striking distance of me.

  For a moment I thought about using the taller crystals as cover, but quickly ch
anged my mind. If these things were as strong as they looked, I was betting they could easily smash through the crystals like they were nothing. The last thing I needed was stray crystal shards flying through the air and slicing me to ribbons. Sadly, my best move seemed to be facing them in the open.

  Freddy made it clear that I could do as much damage as I wanted as long as I avoided the head in the middle of their chest. Apparently that was lethal. Sadly, I didn’t think they shared the same desire to keep from killing me. So, with a blade humming with power, I made my first move.

  I’d positioned myself so as to put one metal threat between me and the other. This first elemental I decided to call Robert. His partner would be Patrick. Seemed fitting. By keeping Robert in-between Patrick and me, I hoped to deal with one deadly elemental at a time. Robert swung his huge long arm and I slid underneath, slicing up as I went.

  The elemental was quick, pulling his arm up before my rusting blade could make contact. But, even though I missed by over a foot, something very interesting happened. A slice appeared across Robert’s arm, a giant rift almost retreating from the path of the blade. At first I worried this was the liquid metal rolling super high on its dodge, but then something strange happened. All along the rift, orange rust spots started forming, almost spreading across his arm. Robert cried out in agony and staggered back.

  I hadn’t expected the rusted blade to work so well. Apparently, neither did Robert. If he sensed the blade when I arrived, he clearly didn’t realize it was such a threat. Shock covered his face and before he could put any distance between us, I made my move. I ran past him, slicing across both of his thighs. Robert cried out even louder this time, his body desperately trying to move away from me. I knew it was dangerous to get so close to him, but I didn’t want them retreating back and forcing me to follow. The rusting effect was even more pronounced this time as the blade made contact with his skin.

  Two large slices appeared and instantly turned his thighs rust orange. It started spreading quickly, up to his waist and down towards his feet. Robert was screaming and stumbling and quickly fell onto his back. Patrick didn’t seem very happy about his partner being damaged and he took advantage of Robert falling out of the way. Leaping clear over his downed brother, Patrick flew through the air barreling down at me. I barely had a second to think, as several tons of metal were about to crush me.

  The speed with which they moved was impressive. They were big and crazy fast. I barely managed to shift in time to avoid being crushed. I dove forward, rolling just out of the way as he landed. I felt the ground shake from the impact. I didn’t even think I’d have time to get to my feet, instead choosing to attack as fast as I could. Reaching over my head, I stabbed back with as much force as I could muster. Patrick had landed in a crouch, meaning even my sitting attack was just about high enough to stab him in the butt. My strike was true and Patrick screamed even louder than Robert. But then something really terrible happened. While reeling from the attack, Patrick pulled away from me, taking the sword with him. While my initial worry was about being disarmed, I quickly realized there was a bigger problem. With the blade stuck inside of him, the orange discoloration was spreading quickly across Patrick’s body. I’m not sure how else to describe it, but the metal looked like it was dying. I just knew he was in trouble. Before long his entire body would be covered in the rusting effect.

  His cries grew louder and more piercing as he fell to the ground face first. I wanted to rush up to him and retrieve my sword, but his thrashing about made it dangerous. Luckily, I sensed the movement behind me, and I dodged to the side as Robert came rushing by. While he could have easily steamrolled me, it was clear his attention was on his hurt friend. Ignoring his own injuries, Robert reached out and tried to pull the rusting blade from Patrick’s back. But as soon as his hand got near the blade, orange rust started burning into his hand. Between the two of them the shrieking was almost deafening. Freddy described the creatures as such tough powerhouses I never imagined I could injure them so easily. I thought I heard someone calling my name, but I couldn’t make it out over the elemental screams. Then, I noticed Vix running towards me.

  “Freddy says if you don’t remove the sword soon, the elemental will die,” she yelled.

  Just then I heard another cry of agony as Robert yet again tried to remove the sword and his other hand coated itself in orange rust. It was like watching colored dye move through water as it filled their bodies. He looked at me, confusion on his face. I turned back towards Vix.

  “Stay clear until I calm this down.”

  She rolled her eyes at me but I left before she could say anything else. I pulled the key from my pocket and rushed over to Robert and Patrick. The wailing was so loud it was hurting my ears. I wasn’t sure if there was any chance to reason with them, but this seemed as good as chance as any. I held up my hands as I approached.

  “I’ll remove the sword and save your friend. I have no wish to destroy you. But first I need your essence. Quickly, there is no time to delay.”

  “Please,” was all Patrick had to scream.

  Robert didn’t hesitate. He leaned into me so fast I though he was going to headbutt me. I started to tense up, but it was unnecessary as he stopped and blew rock breath in my direction. Like every other elemental, small motes of energy filled the air between us. This time is was a pink energy, glowing much like the crystals. The key glowed as it always did when charging, but then something different happened. Instead of the glow just fading away, this time it pulsed with all five colors before going dormant. I didn’t have time to worry about that now as Patrick was dying.

  “Now hold him down.”

  Robert didn’t hesitate, fighting to hold Patrick still so I could grab the sword. It was a fight to remove it, almost like it was enjoying feeding on the elemental. But I pulled with all my might and ripped it free. As soon as it was out, I started backing away. I moved as quickly as I could while still keeping an eye on the twins. But I needn’t have bothered. As soon as the sword was removed, Patrick stopped writhing as badly. Robert didn’t even seem to know I existed, his attention completely focused on Patrick. I high tailed it back to Vix and Freddy.

  “Is he going to live?”

  “I believe so,” Freddy answered with a sigh.

  “Good, then let’s get the hell out of here.”

  No one hesitated, breaking into a run ahead of me as I scooped up my bag and covered our six. We moved as fast as we could through the riverbed and back to the river and the road. Even then Freddy didn’t hesitate, instantly turning left and leading us north. Once we were confident the elementals weren’t in pursuit, we slowed to a brisk walk. But it would be several more hours before any of us felt safe enough to stop.

  CHAPTER 20

  Eventually we felt safe enough to stop and regroup and catch our collective breaths. I can’t describe it, but we felt an overwhelming need to put distance between them and us. Obviously we were winning the fight. I was betting it would be hours before they were even capable of giving chase. But there was such a sick feeling in the air, like innocent animals being injured. Since the metal elementals looked like two giant killing machines, it was easy to forget that they are still conscious living beings. As an assassin, I spent years making myself forget that about my targets. Pretending they weren’t people who had lives and loved ones. I hated being able to throw that switch. It was a truly offensive slight to my upbringing in the Buddhist monastery. I was raised to cherish all life. Something I easily pushed aside once I was consumed by revenge.

  We could waste days discussing all of the terrible decisions I’ve made in my life. There was nothing I could do to change that. All I could do now was try and atone for my actions. I was hoping things like saving Vix’s parents were steps in the right direction. But if every good action required me to hurt innocent creatures, maybe I wasn’t actually becoming a better person. We’d managed to defeat five elementals and charge the key. The sooner we opened the sarcophagus the soo
ner we saved Vix’s parents. I tried to focus on that as the last fight still left me feeling uneasy.

  There’s a sickness in the pit of your stomach when you realize how easily you can hurt someone. That was how I felt fighting the metal elementals. Obviously I wanted to win and get their essence. But I didn’t want to cause them so much pain. I certainly never wanted to cause permanent damage. The sword worked much better than I anticipated and I needed to understand why.

  “Okay Freddy, what the heck happened back there?”

  “I am not positive. The effect of the sword seemed to be heavily magnified,” he said.

  “Yeah, the moment I held the sword in my hand, I could feel the intense vibrations. Much more pronounced than the other times. Do you think it’s because there were two elementals and therefore twice the attunement?”

  “While the second elemental could definitely have accounted for some of the effect you noticed, I am starting to wonder if the crystals themselves played a part in the enhancement.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Metal elementals are almost always found living in crystal gardens like the one we encountered. While it has never been confirmed, the general hypothesis is the elementals themselves plant and grow the crystals. Scholars believe the crystals, much like our weapons, are attuned to the elementals. It is one possible explanation for the pulsing light we witnessed. By attuning themselves to their crystal gardens the elementals may in fact make themselves more powerful. Or at the very least create a balanced sense of calm and comfort,” Freddy said.

  “Okay, so the crystals made my sword stronger?”

  “I believe so, yes. In fact, the effect we witnessed makes me think the sword was specifically tuned to the crystals in order to increase its effectiveness against the elementals. I would hazard a guess that should we open up the ceramic sword we might find a piece of crystal identical to the ones in the garden. While I would not recommend destroying such an expensive blade, we can certainly ask Baxter about it next time we visit his shop.”