The 2nd Realm Book One (The 2nd Realm Trilogy 1)

by Montoya, RoChe

  With a swing of her leg she is able to trip him up and he goes to the ground, her staff becomes an axe, again coming down on him, but not in time. He rolls and pops to his feet so she kicks at him, constantly keeping her attack up, making him get off balance like a game of chess, until she sees her opportunity to create a spear and plunges it deep into his chest. She is finally able to defeat the puppet master, slaying him with such intensity that he turns to black ash. While the battle was taking place, the orphanage is destroyed. Flora hears a deafening sound as the building collapses upon the young ones taking refuge. Carl and the younger children that were entrusted in his care, perished on impact. She knows that she and the three children that strayed away from the group are the only survivors. She gets to the site where the massive building once stood and all that remains is black ash.

  Chapter 22

  There is No Fear in Love

  Mack and his cronies are making their way to get the remaining piece of key. He has called for a full assault and has summoned for the dark allegiance to converge on Manhattan. The dark ones begin to come out of everywhere to get to this woman and retrieve the last piece to their salvation. The Shape Shifting Clans' giant pirate ship comes bursting out of the water with the massive skyscraper buildings looking so small off in the distance. Dark clouds begin to form above the Big Apple and it looks like they will bring rain, only rain of a different kind. Mack and his dark ones are bringing the fragments closer together and Mother Nature is starting to be effected by it. Tremors and earthquakes are starting to happen in places that have never had them before. The great stone carved Mount Rushmore is starting to crack and the presidents faces are beginning to fall. Even the high standing Empire State Building is starting to sway, something the people of this great city never thought would happen. Tourists now swarm out of the beautiful structure before it falls down killing thousands. Coastal cities are beginning to flood from the tsunamis and even Atlantis is rising from the ocean floor.

  As the trio continues to get closer to New York City, more chaos is erupting. Mandolyn, Paul and Nick can see the turmoil all around them as they drive the last stretch of highway leading into the city. "The sky doesn't look right," says Mandolyn as she gazes at the strange cloud formations from her car windshield. "Something doesn't seem right." All of a sudden a monstrous Chimera, a lion and goat hybrid with a snake for a tail, a creature from Greek Mythology, forces her to come to a screeching halt. "Oh shit!" says Mandolyn. The three get out of the car and Paul stands in front of his love making sure if the creature is to attack, it will get him before her.

  "Get her outta here," Nick tells the rookie agent, "I will take care of this and give you time."

  "The woman has something we want; she will be coming with me," the Chimera says, as if these two were just going to hand her over to him without a fight.

  Nick turns to Paul and tells him to leave now, "Look for Jake and Charlotte; they should be with those who can help protect her." He then puts his attention back to the beast in front of him, conjures two blades and readies for the fight to come.

  "You will lose old man!" the Chimera says to Nick, and then looks past him to see Paul fly off with his objective. He launches into the air to go after them but Nick is not having any of that. He jumps straight after him and pulls him down to the ground.

  "You still have to get past me," Nick says with vicious intent, not only in his voice but in his stance with weapons drawn. He even sprouts two extra arms to let this demon know that he doesn't plan on loosing this fight.

  "I have been looking forward to meeting with The Nick Baker," the Greek Monster begins to taunt him. Nick is wondering how he knows his name. "A little bird named Gina told me all about you and how great of an Agent you are." Nick is a little thrown by that statement, how his wife knows of his time as an Agent of Light. "Don't sell yourself short, that is the one thing she did tell me," the Chimera goes on taunting him. "She said, out of all the men in her life, you were the only one she ever loved.

  "And you want to take me down and keep her for yourself? You can have her; I want nothing to do with that woman."

  "Nor do I, she is a vixen and deserves whatever she has coming to her, I just want to be the one who sends you to the big emptiness." Then the brute flies straight at the silver haired hero with killer intent, but Nick uses his opponent like a platform and rolls over the horizontal man in midflight. The demon circles back around, never touching the ground, with his snake head tail stretching from his tailbone out in front of his head, looking to snare the agent in its fangs. Nick starts to charge at the flying attack and when his enemy is close enough he slides under the snake tail and slices it up, cutting it clean off. It drops to the ground and fades away in a small cloud of mist. Nick knows that will not send the dark spirit to the void, but it will let him know that Nick is no slouch. The creature manifests the tip of his tail back and continues to attack.

  Nick cannot keep at this long; this guy is not going to be the last to go after the key fragment. He can only hope that Jake has rallied enough Agents and Light Spirits to stop what is going on. All around the world, chaos is starting to rip everything apart, the ground under Nick's feet begins to lift and instead of going through it, Nick is on top of it rising into the air. He knows that Mack is getting close with the other two pieces and the world is going to pay dearly if he achieves his goal. The realms are converging and the spirits and the living are beginning to join in the same world. Time is running out and Nick leaps off the floating chunk of concrete at his enemy. The chimera grabs him and slams him into the ground sending small bits of pavement into the air to join all the other debris that is now defying gravity. Nick shoves his foot into the air kicking the beast back several feet, he then gets up. He grabs one of the floating chunks of street and forms a launcher, sending the rock at an unprecedented speed at the lion face of his foe, planting dead center. With his challenger faded he flies at top speed taking him to the ground, he then comes down with a sword, sending the chimera to the void. With his foe now gone, he lifts into the air to head after Paul and Mandolyn.

  "Maybe now you will see the severity of this situation," Paul says to his love as they are in the air heading for Manhattan, "I don't think Scott would want you to go through all of this to give him credit on a find."

  "Yeah, I will agree with that now," she tells him, "but how was I supposed to know? Jake never said anything like this would happen."

  "I don't think anyone knew something like this was going to happen." Not long after the couple arrives, the streets are like an old west town before a gun fight. People who happened to be out on the street look for cover any place they happen to find it. As the samurai comes out of the air and lands on the ground, people are starting to stare at them, "I think they're able to see me."

  "Not just you," Mandolyn tells him, "Take a look around." They see dozens of dark spirits starting to come out of the shadows, people in the buildings have nothing but shock on their faces as they look on through the windows of shops, hotels and restaurants that line the streets.

  "Mack is sure to be in the area with the other two pieces for all this shit to be happening." Paul tells her, "His army is sure as hell here." Then the armored samurai conjures his katana sword and gets ready for what is going to come.

  "You need to call out to someone in the Order, Paul," Mandolyn tells him. "You can't take all of these on yourself."

  Jake and Charlotte have made their way to the Arlington National Cemetery to speak to Colonel Robert Gould Shaw of the legendary 54th Massachusetts to aid in the fight against Mack and his dark intentions. "First I would like to say it is a real honor to meet you and your men, sir." Before Jake can tell him to meet with the others in Greece, Paul is in communication with him, informing him that the time is now and that they are in New York City. "We haven't even gathered enough people to help us."

  "There will not be enough if you don't get over here and help me fight off Mack's forces," says Paul, "and Mando
lyn just said Pearl and her Dark Elves are here, I assume that is bad; just get here."

  "Colonel, it looks like we're off to New York," he then informs the Council of the onslaught on the city that never sleeps and they are all needed there. They are on their way with the entire chamber guard, every single fighter that can be used must be, if the key is used, they don't know what could happen nor are they willing to find out. All sectors of Light have been called to Manhattan but none are able to come. An Apocalypse has covered the globe and the people of the living realm are becoming victims faster than Agents can help them, many are turning to black ash and sent to the void. It seems like it will be up to the Council, the fairies and the tree people as well as the civil war soldiers and whatever agents to protect Mandolyn and keep the key out of Mack's hands.

  In Times Square, Paul has his katana blade drawn and is cutting through any dark ones that come near his beloved. The creature from the black lagoon comes from behind but Mandolyn sees him in time and tells Paul. The creature swings his webbed claw and hits Paul's Samurai armor leaving four large scratches across his chest piece. As he fights the water monster, Mandolyn sees another dark spirit and decides she needs to start taking action herself. She thinks to herself that she wished she had a sword like Paul's, and before she could think of defending herself with what she does not have, she has it. Her abilities are starting to take a big part in her life now and she will use that to her advantage. She goes on the offensive and takes down the dark elf coming for her. She looks over to her love to see the creature from the black lagoon turn to black ash.

  She looks down all around and it seems like these things are coming out of everywhere. "What the hell is taking Jake so long?" she says to Paul, concerned that no help is going to make it to them in time, "I thought you all had the power of super speed."

  "It's not like we're the Flash or Quicksilver, babe." Just then Mandolyn looks to the sky and sees a sight of joy. It is the beautiful glowing wings of Terra Belle and she is slashing through dark ones as she makes her way to stand with her and Paul.

  "So I guess I am the first?" she says to the couple who have never been happier to see her. Then the giant steps of the tree folk come walking around the corner building, followed by the fairies, some shrunk down to the size of a large bug. Others have stayed a normal size, wanting to get some of the best strikes in that they can. Now Paul and Mandolyn like the chances with more even numbers on the battle field. What brings an even bigger smile to her face is, when the dark spirits get closer she can see Jake and Charlotte on top of a nearby building with a whole platoon of negro union soldiers, "Protect Mandolyn!" shouts Jake, and on that, the entire intersection of Times Square becomes a fight zone as a mass of Union Soldiers swarm the streets and attack any dark spirits in the area. Nobody is showing anyone any quarter, and why should they, the dark ones want nothing more than to be in the 1st Realm and the Agents of Light want nothing more than to make sure that doesn't happen. The area quickly becomes a fog of murky dust as both hero and villain are sent to the emptiness.

  Just ten feet away from Charlotte lands the Hindu bird god Garuda, she looks over and sees the eagle faced man with auburn red wings, and she can just tell this fellow spirit and admirer of Indian culture is not a friend. "I must say, you pull the look off pretty well," she says to him.

  "It is as if we both come from the country, wouldn't you agree?" he says trying a different tactic with the Indian goddess light spirit. He picks up on the fact that she is exceptional; maybe he can sway her mind.

  "No," she says both to his question and to his attempts at mind games, "Lord Garuda you are not, there is no poison here other than you and yours." She forms a flexible steel blade that stretches six feet long giving her almost eight feet in range; she cracks the double blade like a whip. The dark bird man snaps his beak at her in anger then forms a khanda sword of his own to deal with her. She snaps her Aara sword whip but he blocks the slashing blade. With much of the street split and broken, Garuda uses his feet to kick chunks of road at her, but she flaps her wings and hovers over the flying debris coming back down to the ground. She charges the dark eagle with a pair of katar blades, fitting each hand like a form of metal glove, with a foot and a half long blade sticking out for deadly punching.

  They clash when Garuda's sword hits one of Charlotte's blades, she swings the other bladed hand but her target slides his hips out of reach of the dagger size blades. He swings his right hand at her but she ducks out of the way, she doesn't see his follow up strike coming from his wing as it hits her, slamming her to the ground. She quickly changes weapons back to her Aara, and with the whipping slash, and at this close range, she cuts off one of her enemy's wings. She gets back to her feet and comes in with a full attack. With katars back in both hands she stabs and slashes, keeping the bird on his talon feet. When he comes down with a swing with his sword, Charlotte makes a fist inside her katar and two more blades spring out of the sharp center shaft. She catches his blade and entangles it while she plunges her other blade into his gut. The dark one looks her in the face, and even tries a last desperate attempt with his beak at her, before turning to ash.

  The giant tree man Birch comes colliding with a dark charred and rotted tree of evil that goes by Oak. The two have never been friends and make sure that they are the ones to fight each other. Charlotte jumps off of the roof of the building she is on and lands on the tall fighting tree, she then swings on the arm and drops to the leg. When she reaches the ground she has several dark elves waiting for her. She creates an Aara, a coiled razor sharp sword of the Rajput warriors. She swings the six foot flexible blade around like a master, cutting through all that comes within its killing zone. She then forms a Chakram throwing ring and tosses it at a group of shape shifters coming up behind the steampunk fairy Olivia, and cuts right through them. She can see more dark elves coming towards her and when her Chakram returns to her, she throws it again and vanquishes them before they can get to her. Not seeing the attack coming from behind her, a giant sequoia stomps the enemy with his large trunk like foot. The Indian goddess gives a nod of appreciation and both continue on their way to look for another fight.

  Backed against a fallen building, Mandolyn and Paul seem to have most of the concentration of evil coming their way. They are happy to have members of the 54th Massachusetts at their side. They know these civil war soldiers will die to help protect her and the key fragment. Then, Brutal lands right in front of Mandolyn and slashes through the civil war heroes with his sword of the 2nd Realm. He keeps walking to his target but Paul sees him and goes to the aid of his love. He leaps at the much larger gargoyle but Brutal swings his wing and knocks him to the ground. The samurai gets to his feet, determined to not let him get to Mandolyn. "I'm not done with you, asshole!"

  He then launches himself straight at Brutal, slamming shoulder first as if he was going for a double leg takedown; but the much more powerful dark spirit just lifts him in the air and slams him to the ground with force. He goes to kick the samurai while he is down but Paul is too good for that, he has too much love for his wife, even though they were never married, she is that to him and no paper or tax form will tell him any different. He will fight with every bit of love and strength he has. He sweeps the big gargoyle off of his feet and gets up for his round of attacks. He leaps into the air coming down with his katana pointing straight down, but the demon puts up his leather like wing and blocks the strike by letting the blade pierce the skin and retracting his appendage, grabbing hold of Paul's sword arm. He tosses him by waving his wing then letting go of the grip it had. Paul goes soaring into the air, crashing back first into giant pieces of the street and sidewalk that has dislodged, with the buildings that are no longer planted in their original spots. The menacing gargoyle steps up a small hill of debris in the middle of the street to get to his target. Paul is within eyesight of Mandolyn who is busy in her own fight. She slashes at elves with her katana blade in one hand as she shoots at shape changers with a g
un from her favorite video game in her other, but she can still see him on the ground. Brutal then takes his black sword and plunges it through the body armor and turns the warrior to black ash.

  "NOOO!" Mandolyn shouts as the love of her life is taken away from her once more in front of her eyes. Brutal turns his attention back to her and starts to walk towards his target. Terra-Belle begins flying out of the sky and takes Brutal into the air away from Mandolyn and the key. There are only a few civil war soldiers left so Charlotte lands by with her Aara swinging as well as her wings, taking out any who are coming for the woman. Then Jake comes slamming to the ground with a large gun formed and starts shooting ferociously at all the dark ones in the area.

  "Take Mandolyn and get out of here!" he yells over all the chaos of crashing buildings and battling foes to make sure Charlotte hears him. He just keeps shooting in all directions giving them a chance to get away.

  Chapter 23

  The Ragnarok Key

  Charlotte has a hold of Mandolyn by the jacket collar and is dragging her up a collapsing building because she is motionless. For the second time she's had to watch her fiancé die to protect her. They get to the top of the crumbling building and before they fall to the ground with it, Charlotte leaps to the top of a structure that is not falling, hoping that it will give time to gather her thoughts or at least receive some help. She looks over the edge down at the street and sees Jake is still there blasting away at every dark shadow that comes his way or looks to chase after her and Mandolyn.