Leviathan (Fist of Light Series)

by Edgington, Derek

  “And that will be his undoing,” Kathryne said, speaking for the first time since Jas' sacrifice.

  It was easier that to think of his death that way. He did save us all, by giving me a chance to kill Cusion. After all, I was the only one who had a weapon that could hurt the beast. At least we had some benefits of being on the inside, rather than chasing the Leviathan around a heavily populated urban city. In here, he had nowhere to run. In here, we potentially had decades to exact our revenge, considering time passed so much more quickly. A rumbled warning was voiced by Shadow.

  “Move!” Zack demanded.

  My sight and mind hadn't been focused on the prize, which almost brought another trap down on us. Kathryne's lithe form rammed into me and pushed me up against the retaining wall. My breath exploded outwards in a gasp, while hers was warm and rasping against my face. A strand of fiery hair stuck to my cheek before it was tucked behind one ear.

  “Idiot,” she rasped.

  I craned my head around and looked at the ground below. A pressure plate had sunk into the ground where I'd been standing just a moment earlier. In its place was a shining array of sharp instruments jutting out of the ground and another set of gleaming pikes jutting out of the wall across from us.

  I released a relieved breath. “That was close.”

  “Too close,” Zack agreed. He stood with the others, safely removed from danger.

  “Don't be letting that mind of yours wander, boy,” Gallick said. “Next time it might be the end of ya.”

  Thankfully, Kathryne's distracting presence was removed. After the adrenaline of our brush with death died down, our closeness was more than apparent. Almost nervously, she rearranged her cloak and looked down at the offending trap. A grim smile turned up one corner of my face as we continued down the path.

  “Anyone else hopelessly lost?” Zack filled the pervasive silence.

  I chuckled darkly. “Been lost since we got here. Lucky for us Shadow has the blueprints.”

  “Ye have no idea,” Gallick agreed.

  We settled into a pace, a calming regularity that soothed frayed nerves. I couldn't guess at the size and scope of this place, but the maze seemed practically endless. We'd been walking for what seemed like hours with hardly a pause for thought. Hopefully it did have an end and wasn't just constructed to ward off potential threats, the vulnerable core hidden safely away in some dark corner. Studying the group, my eyes looked for anyone beginning to flag. It helped that the energy left to our wandering souls powered our exercise. If it hadn't, this would have been made all the more difficult. As it was, we just had to worry about going the way of the hordes if we ran out of that precious power.

  Mary's head whipped around as we spanned the length of a widened causeway. Shrugging off a feeling of apprehension, I surveyed the area for threats. Broken pillars were spaced across the length of the place, their purpose unknown. An empty throne sat in the corner, its hard obsidian curves not inviting in the slightest. Nonetheless, Shadow led us toward that very thing which none wanted to approach. By the time we stood before it, there was a palpable tension enshrouding the group.

  “What now?” Zack queried.

  “Seems to be there's a skewed compass in that there hound,” Gallick croaked.

  Shadow had leapt up on the throne and paced in a circle before lying down. He eyed me from his perch, impressing his thoughts into my mind. Instantly, I understood.

  “We've gotta shift it,” I told them.

  “How do you know?” Kathryne scrunched up her face.

  Shadow growled impatiently. “Shadow told me.” I motioned.

  Gallick was a little taken aback by this, but he rolled with it. Our diminished group situated ourselves on the right side, getting into position. Placing my hands firmly into the unrelenting stone, I questioned whether we'd be able to move it. Muscles flexed and bulged as we threw ourselves against it. Gallick joined in the challenge and put his bulky frame to the task, but it didn't budge.

  “It's no use,” Zack threw up his hands in disgust, sliding down against the stone in exasperation.

  “Ain't be no help with the extra weight.” Gallick eyed Shadow and received a dark glare.

  “Maybe there's a switch?” Mary raced around the throne determinedly, tapping and pressing in likely places.

  “Don't think so.” I drummed my fingers on the cold stone, thinking.

  By now, a flurry of activity arose as everyone instigating their own search for a secret lever or pressure plate. Rubbing my hands together, I searched inside myself, looked at the harsh light of energy whirling around inside. It took a few minutes to bring the power to bear, but Earth tingled at my fingertips. A slow churning made itself at home in my stomach and I moved unhurriedly, putting newfound strength to task. Stone ground piercingly as the massive weight shifted reluctantly. A drain was felt as the throne shifted, but the energy was a toll that needed to be paid.

  All had halted their search and thrown their own weight into the effort at the sight of the progress. A series of slashes gouged deep furrows into the ground below. This thing hadn't been made to move, its secret meant to remain undiscovered by any who made it this far. The narrow passageway, cleverly hidden behind the throne, extended ominously into an impenetrable darkness. None of the churning yellow light drifted into its depths.

  Kathryne spoke up and I broke out a smile at her words. “How inviting. What? Did I say something wrong?”

  She might actually be getting ahold of the many intricacies of sarcasm. “No, you got it right,” I said.

  Shadow hopped down from his lofty perched and scampered into the darkness, woofing excitedly. It looks like we had hit a milestone of some sort. Maybe there was an end to this maze after all.

  “Feeling up to the challenge?” Zack asked.

  Mary moved forward before any of us thought to, her eyes fixed on the inky blackness. I stuck close behind her. Footsteps followed in my wake, which meant we weren't the only ones to brave the dark.

  “Looks like,” Gallick responded, his voice echoing.

  “Keep your hand on the left wall,” Kathryne said.

  I nodded my head in approval before realizing that the movement would go unnoticed. “Good idea. That way we won't get separated.”

  “That be the idea, at least,” Gallick grunted.

  We plodded along sightlessly for a few tense minutes. In that time, my eyes had incrementally transitioned to the absence of light. Although I wasn't able to see in any adequate form, a dark smudge was visible ahead. I took that to be Mary, although I'd no idea where Shadow had gotten off to. Without any form of light, it was even harder to keep track of time.

  Finally, however, a break in the monotonous black was visible where a streamer of pale yellow light trickled into the passageway off to the right. If it hadn't been there, I never would have noticed Mary breaking off from the group. She was fixated on some unknown sight, eyes glimmering in the low light. But Shadow wasn't there.

  “Wait!” I called after her, but Mary wasn't listening.

  She stepped out of the corridor and onto the adjoining causeway. “Jas!” she waved dreamily.

  “What the…” Zack's voice trailed after me from behind.

  Propelling myself forward with a burst of speed, I stretched out a hand and snatched at thin air, where she'd been a second before. Sensing the need for more time, I reluctantly spared a stream of energy and called Air. My body sped up only slightly under the rationed power, but it was enough. Mary was walking into a gray fog, which crammed itself into the small chamber. I snatched her just as one hand entered into that roiling mist and used my weight to topple us back into safety.

  “No!” Mary cried. “Jas needs me,” she threw a flurry of punches into my midsection.

  “Jas is gone.” I encircled my arms more firmly, exhaling a hiss at each landed blow.

  We tussled and struggled, but finally Kathryne and Zack were able to wrench Mary away and bring her back to us. Her sanity returned, she
stopped struggling and sagged in their grasp.

  “Tricks.” Gallick narrowed his eyes at the writhing mist.

  “Your hand!” Kathryne examined the appendage closely.

  “What's wrong?” I moved over to get a better look.

  “Does it hurt?” Gallick asked, quick to see the problem.

  Then again, it was hard to miss. A section of her hand had become transparent, the white skin of her flesh but a distant memory. It looked like the fog had taken a bite out of her. Even as we watched, a flash of energy puddled into the damaged hand and filled it with color.

  Mary gasped, encompassing her injured hand in a protective fist. “What was that?”

  “Looks to be the death mist. You be lucky Caleb pulled you from it before much harm could be done. If you had sunk into its grasp, there would have been no saving ya, lass. It ate all it could get. If you hadn't the energy to replace it, you'd be in a bad spot.”

  Even now, the writhing column of smoke roiled, infuriated that its prize had escaped. I forced my attention away from the scene and followed the patter of paws that marked Shadow's tense movement through the causeway.

  “I bet there isn't one thing in this place that doesn't feed off energy.” I glanced meaningfully at Gallick, but he shrugged off the accusation and turned away.

  His voice was grating when he finally responded. “You'd be right. Without it, we'd all fade. Ain't no bed of flowers and rays of sunshine.”

  “I'm beginning to understand that.” I grimaced.

  “Can we go now?” Mary asked.

  “We'd better,” Kathryne said as she melded into the darkness after the hound. “Wait much longer and our guide might leave us behind.”

  I followed, listening for any telltale signs that might point to another trap or subtle deceit. After another few minutes of pervasive shadow for company, Gallick slammed his massive frame into a wall. A few chuckles sprouted up at the sound but were silenced at Shadow's warning growl. Gallick put his strength to task and pushed open the door, and this time it gave way silently on oiled hinges. The otherworldly sky was visible again, its paltry light disturbing. I might have noticed the change in color, but was too focused on the scene before me to take that into account.

  “Quietly,” Zack whispered.

  Dark wings fluttered mechanically as the vulture before us twitched. The thing appeared to be sleeping, its beak curled under one wing. I, for one, didn't relish figuring that out first hand. It rested on a gigantic pile of bones, the only thing that came close to a nest in this world. The midnight bird dwarfed the one that had attacked us when we first arrived, with an approximate wingspan stretching beyond a hundred feet. The entrance to the next chamber was blocked by the massive bulk of piled bone and, of course, the gigantic flying soul eater.

  “Couldn't it just be as simple as walking up and flipping a switch?” Zack asked quietly, eyeing the vulture.

  “If it were that easy, we wouldn't be here,” Kathryne replied.

  “Can't blame a guy for wishing the impossible,” I glanced over at her.

  “Sure you can.” She smiled.

  “There be two theories to arguing with a woman.” Gallick grinned. “And both be wrong. Better to fall at their feet and plead for mercy.”

  “Where's Shadow?” Mary broke us from our conversation.

  The hound hadn't been visible, seeming to appear at the mention of his name. Shadow leapt onto the back of the vulture, clawing out chunks of shadowy flesh with sharp talons. A throaty challenge issued from his throat as a screeching bellow was loosed by the vulture.

  “Great.” I readied myself, sprinting forward. “Damn dog is trying to get us all killed.”

  Zack and Mary shifted into their beastly visages, echoing Shadow's challenge. Kathryne rushed the bird fearlessly and slapped her hand to its feathered wing, latching onto it. Gallick attacked the other wing, chopping meticulously at dark sinew in an attempt to shackle the beast to the earth. Bones clattered and went flying as powerful wingbeats blasted air through the chamber. It was trying to get airborne and heckle us from above.

  There was no way that could be allowed to happen. If this thing took to the skies, there was no way we'd be able to put up a fight. It could swoop down and pick us up at its leisure, diving in when our guard was down. An enormous wing clipped Gallick and threw him back. Kathryne was still clinging stubbornly to hers but was close to being unseated. Her efforts became apparent, though, as the vulture visibly began to shrink in size. The bird's beak flashed out, barely missing Kathryne.

  It was time to jump in before things got out of hand. My mind grasped at straws, then latched onto a memory from the seemingly distant past. Smiling sadly, I held up my hands in a gun-like fashion, drawing upon the most destructive and bloodthirsty power at my command. Lightning sparked at my fingertips and flashed outwards, blowing out great chunks of black flesh from the main body of the beast.

  My ploy worked and red eyes devoid of humanity refocused on me. Wings stopped flapping and the behemoth walked forward on taloned legs, ignoring the beasts hounding it. Shadow moved his way relentlessly up the head. Rolling out of the way, I narrowly avoided the striking beak and a piercing cry had me clutching my ears in pain.

  Grimacing, I bent on one knee and sent a coiled tendril of Air at the vulture, temporarily silencing the bird as it constricted around the sharp beak. A few more bolts of lightning were shot off, blowing sending great chunks of flesh flying. But my attack only served to infuriate the beast, not slow it as hoped. My purple-hued tendril of air snapped and all of us were flattened to the ground as great gusts of wind pummeled us. Shadow gouged a deep wound in one red eye, but there was no stopping it. Instead of taking to the sky as predicted, the vulture propelled itself straight towards me.

  My heart hammered in my chest and sweat streamed into my eyes. I swiped the liquid off my body, raspy breaths expelled every fraction of a second. There was no avoiding what would come. My body tensed, but I knew what needed to be done. Closing my eyes, I called a considerable portion of power, much more than my previously rationed attacks. There was no help for it. Tensing my muscles, I swirled the two elements, fastening them together like a matching pair. Almost audibly they clicked in place. My entire body was sheathed in a blue-hued ball of cold energy by the time I was swallowed whole, gulped down a dark shaft of shadow.

  If anyone reacted to this, I wouldn't have heard them. I was busy flying down the vulture’s throat and into a hollow vestibule, feeling energy leeched from me every second. My vision flickered, wavered, and lightheadedness almost brought my plan to ruin. I shook the feeling off and released the second stage of my creation. The freezing power exploded, Water and Air blasting outwards and tearing the insides of the vulture to shreds. I allowed myself a small smile as a horrific scream was loosed by the bird, but it faltered as my limbs grew heavy and indistinct.

  — Chapter 25 —

  “Caleb,” Kathryne called, a far-away plea that was only half heard.

  I came to without realizing it, the draining effects of being in close proximity to the bird crashing down on me. My whole body hurt, which was worrying, considering I didn't technically have one anymore. Pain wracked me as the diminished power within tried to restore me to full fighting form. Coughing spasmodically, I puked a dark collection of energy onto a slab of meat, which happened to be Gallick's leg.

  “Boy, watch where you be spewing yer guts!” Gallick said, but his words lacked heat.

  “Sorry.” I blinked away the fuzzy spots occluding my vision.

  I smiled, as if the gnats represented the return to normalcy. I'd been accustomed to my constant companions and they’d been missed in their short absence.

  “I can't believe you!” Kathryne smacked me on the chest, forcing me to expel another gout of inky darkness. “That was the stupidest, most—”

  “Easy, easy.” Zack came to my rescue, robbing much of the strength from her next blow.

  I felt it all the same. “Can't a man ha
ve a moment's rest after coming face to face with death?” The complaint sounded pitiful.

  “If you try something like that a second time, you'll have eternity to rest and think about the error of your ways,” Kathryne said, wagging her finger in disapproval.

  “Actually, I'd be pretty certain that death in here ain't no picnic, unless you choose to join the horde.”

  “As if anyone would,” Mary protested.

  “That's a death I don't want to think about. An eternity as a lifeless being living as a parasite in the mass of the hordes.” I winced as the statement sunk in. Two of us had already been subjected to that dark fate.

  Gallick glossed over my statement as if it wasn't there, which was fine by me. I'd rather it never had been said in the first place.

  “Little lady, there'd be enough who went over to the other side to stack up through the endless nights. Cusion be long-lived, immortal as it may be. Many of the most power-crazed beings crossed enemy lines and took up the dark banner of the hordes. We just fought one.”

  That wasn't good. My suspicion of Gallick grew as the statement was given, but I held my tongue. It wouldn't do any good to confront him about his actions here, now. There was a time and place for that kind of talk, and it wasn't in the middle of a battlefield. We had work to do. I levered myself painfully to my feet, the ghost of a stomach pain pounding coldly through my stomach.

  “You shouldn't stand yet,” Mary said.

  “Kathryne's right. I'll sleep when I'm dead,” I joked, seeing the double meaning.

  I was dead already, after all. Shadow nipped happily at my heels at my reemergence into the world of the semi-living, woofing encouragingly. He was eager to get moving again.

  “Might as well be off,” Zack said.

  Kathryne pointed. “The next corridor looks like it got uncovered by those winds.”

  It seems it had. Where once there had been but a massive pile of bones, there was a gap large enough to crawl through. One by one, we clambered up the bones of countless dead to the opening, trying to keep a lid on our revulsion. Once through, I wiped myself down thoroughly, trying to cleanse myself of taint. Everyone else tried the same, but the method proved ineffective.