Rise of the Night (Sepia Blue Book 1)

by Orlando A. Sanchez

  “It makes them very hard to eliminate. Behemoths are Brutes that were subjected to further transformation. Nothing hurts them or stops them except removing their heads. They are as difficult as any other Nightmare,” said Gan. “Just make sure it doesn’t hit you. Your ink won’t be able to deal with that much damage at once and will shut you down,” said Gan.

  Sepia turned to face the creature. It stood ten feet tall. Its hands were larger than her head. Its body looked like a boulder come to life—sharp angles and lines. If it sat still she would have mistaken it for one. She looked closely at the eyes. She expected to see a mindless monster, but what she saw was intelligence.

  The behemoth stopped and looked at her.

  “I have its attention, now what?” she said.

  “Don’t let it come near you. You’re going to have to lose it in the park then make your way back to us. You have five minutes once I get the door open,” said Gan.

  “Oh, that’s it? Just lose it in the park that is crawling with the Unholy and head back? Should be a cakewalk,” she said.

  Sepia drew closer to the behemoth. Realizing shooting it wouldn’t do much she opted for her blade. As she got closer the behemoth swung a massive arm around. She ducked under the arm only to face the kick that was coming at her. It was too late to dodge. She managed to get her sword up in time and deflected the kick. The force of the impact sent her flying.

  “Sepia! That thing just launched her!” said Cade.

  “Sepia, are you okay?” said Gan.

  “I’m okay,” she groaned. “I had my sword up.”

  She looked around and saw the kick had sent her flying back about a hundred feet. She could see where her blade had cut a trench in the ground. Good thing I held on to this, she thought as she looked at her sword. She swore that kick broke it, but the sword remained intact. The behemoth was making its way towards her.

  “Tell me you have that door open,” said Sepia.

  “Thirty seconds and we’re in. They must have expected something to unleash a behemoth. It’s just odd that it would come toward us, --well, you. Wait a minute, Sepia. Your blade… Did you have it out during the drop?” said Gan.

  “I took it out as soon as I landed,” said Sepia. She was running fast now making a large circle to end up back where the others were.

  “It must have something to do with your heightened alignment,” said Gan.

  “My what?” she said.

  “On occasion with the named blades, when the hunter aligns with it there is a nasty side effect.”

  “I know I’m not going to like this,” she said.

  “The blade acts as a beacon. It attracts the Unholy. The higher the hunter’s class the worse the Threat level of the Unholy. That would explain a few things, actually.”

  “And you didn’t think this was relevant information before now, before we were in the middle of the park?” said Sepia.

  “Gan, she’s coming around and that moving boulder is getting close,” said Cade.

  “Door is open, Sepia. It won’t fit in the entrance, which doesn’t mean it won’t try. Head right in and don’t stop,” said Gan.

  Cade had gone inside the tunnel and set up a firing position. Gan waited outside for Sepia.

  Cade set his scope and looked into the night. As soon as he saw Sepia he started firing past her.

  The rifle made quiet whispers in the night sending bullets with explosive rounds towards the behemoth. Sepia had placed her blade in its scabbard, but the behemoth had zeroed in on her. She saw the entrance and ran for it. Gan had stepped out behind Sepia and directly in front of the charging behemoth. His hands glowed a deep red.

  “What are you doing?” Sepia said as she ran past him.

  “Buying us some time.”

  Assuming a low stance he waited until the behemoth was close. Executing a double palm strike under the behemoth, he pushed up with his legs and unbalanced the creature. The behemoth-- momentarily in the air looked around for Sepia before it was sent flying several feet away from the entrance.

  Gan jogged over to the entrance, his hands looked like fresh ingots.

  “What the hell, old man? How did you do that?” said Cade.

  “Remember, always push with the legs.”

  “Let’s get this door closed before we attract more attention.” Gan began the sequence that sealed the door.

  “You,” he said pointing at Sepia, “make sure that blade stays in its scabbard unless we have no choice.”

  Sepia nodded and tightened the straps on her blade, which would prevent it from leaving the scabbard.

  “We have to be careful not to trip any of the alarms in the tunnel or this will become a bad night indeed,” said Gan.

  The dimly lit tunnel featured old stone work dating back at least a hundred years. A small stream ran through the center. The ceiling was arched and the group could stand abreast of each other as they walked down. Behind them the muffled pounding of the behemoth could be heard. Dust from the ceiling jarred loose with each blow.

  “Can it get through that door?” asked Cade.

  “Even if it could it couldn’t follow us. I would be more concerned with the things that are in here,” said Gan.

  “In here? What is in here, old man?” said Cade.

  “Things to keep beasts like that out,” said Gan.

  “How are we going to get past these traps or deterrents, whatever you want to call them?” said Sepia.

  “The best way to get past these traps, especially since we don’t know what kind or where they are, is to trip them,” said Gan.

  “Say that again?” said Cade.

  “We go straight ahead to the Archives and we deal with whatever we encounter,” said Gan.

  “I like that approach. Let’s go,” said Sepia.

  “You would. Heading into a death pit and she likes that approach,” grumbled Cade.

  Gan took point and led the group. “Walk directly in the center of the tunnel. Don’t touch the walls or anything else for that matter,” said Gan.

  The behemoth’s pounding grew muffled as they made their way down the tunnel.

  “One other thing, the actual Archive door won’t be open until midnight. This tunnel will lead us to an atrium, where if we’re lucky it will be empty,” said Gan.

  “That will be soon. What happens if we aren’t lucky?” said Sepia.

  “We can wait inside the tunnel until then. If we’re unlucky there will be an atrium full of Order agents waiting for us,” said Gan.

  They made their way to the other end without incident.

  “Is it possible there weren’t any traps?” asked Sepia.

  “That’s unlikely considering where this tunnel goes and where it originates. Age is more likely a factor. This tunnel is old and unused, which means the precautions set in place were not needed since the tunnel itself was no longer used,” said Gan.

  “I for one am glad there weren’t any. It’s not like we don’t have enough to deal with,” said Cade.

  Gan began working on the locking mechanism. It was more complex than the exterior lock, acting like a second line of defense.

  “This may take a while. This lock is different from the one in the park. It’s more recent and has more technology involved.”

  He took off his pack and began to remove some tools.

  “That would make sense. This far away from the park, there is no need to worry about the EMP influence. What I don’t understand is why they would bother to put a new lock on an unused tunnel…unless,” said Sepia.

  “Unless it’s not unused,” said Cade. “This just went from bad to horrible.”

  “You have no idea, gunman,” said a voice behind them.

  TWENTY-ONE

  By the end of the elevator ride, Marks had regained his composure. I’m going to have to deal with Benson at some point. The elevator doors opened to reveal a large waiting area. Several doors lined the walls. Most of them were bricked over.

  “Is this place t
he Archives?” said Marks.

  “Yes and no, sir. The Archives proper are behind that door.”

  Benson pointed to a large vault like door on the far end of the room. He made sure they avoided the door. Around it, wards fluctuated in color going from red to green to black.

  “This area is what, then?”

  “This is the Archive waiting area. There were times when the Order entertained foreign guests. This is where they would wait until the opening of the Archives,” said Benson.

  Marks looked around and noticed that the space looked very much like a fancy hotel lobby. He made his way over to the paintings on the walls. Each painting depicted a scene of battle from some point in history.

  “Why battle scenes? Couldn’t they have put something a bit more tranquil?” Marks said as he went from scene to scene.

  “The reasoning I am told is that man in the midst of battle and wars unleashes great creativity and great destruction in equal measure. This symbolizes the items in the Archives,” said Benson.

  Marks made his way from painting to painting recognizing the scenes from some and having to read the plaques of others. Each painting was large, fitting in with the scale of the Archives.

  “The access to the ward section…Will it be available to me when the door opens?” said Marks.

  “Yes, sir, in a few minutes the timed lock will shift and the door will be accessible,” said Benson.

  “Is that what the wards are for, then?” said Marks.

  He looked at the glowing wards and noticed Benson did not approach the door.

  “Yes, sir. At the right time the wards become inactive making it possible to open the door. If you were to approach now well, it’s not pretty,” said Benson.

  I can’t get rid of him yet, but once he shows me what I need, I can dispose of him, thought Marks.

  Marks shifted his jacket and felt familiar weight of his gun resting against his side.

  “How often does someone come down here, Benson?”

  “This area is visited daily to make sure there is regular upkeep. Certain parts of the Archives are also maintained on a regular basis. We are going to the Antiquities section. That area doesn’t get much attention because it needs a higher level of clearance,” said Benson.

  “What level of clearance?”

  “You need a second to the Overseer or higher. They also have surveillance in Antiquities to monitor the activity.”

  “What kind of surveillance?” His disposal will evidently have to wait.

  “They’re state of the art, sir. The cameras are set to see across every spectrum of light and even see in ways we wouldn’t understand. At least that’s what they told me when I was down here,” said Benson.

  On one side Marks could see a set of lights that were lit. One in particular was blinking rapidly.

  “What are those lights?” said Marks.

  “Those are tripwire lights. They are activated by movement in the unused section of tunnels below us.”

  “Does that happen often, those lights going off?

  “All the time. Most of the lights go off when a rat or anything like that crosses into the old sewers,” said Benson. He pointed at the old doors in the sealed stonework lining the doorways. Those lead to the old sewers but they were sealed long ago.

  “The Archives are secure from this end so we don’t pay any attention to them,” said Benson.

  Marks looked concerned. His instincts were telling him that it was no rat in those tunnels. It’s just nerves. Riding in that elevator set you on edge.

  “Has anyone ever gotten into the Archives this way?”

  “It has never happened, sir. No one is crazy enough to approach from the park side.”

  Marks looked around at some of the doors set in the stonework. They all looked old except one, which looked recent.

  “Why does that door have new locks?” said Marks.

  The next few words were drowned out by crashing stones and debris that rushed into the waiting area. Marks and Benson ran to the opposite side as a body was flung into the room. It was Sepia.

  Gan and Cade ran into the waiting area as the air in the room began to be siphoned out.

  “What is that?” said Benson.

  “Get down!” exclaimed Sepia as she leapt towards the entrance.

  “That thing is a siroc. It will suck out all the air,” said Cade.

  “It must have followed us in, attracted to her blade,” said Gan.

  “I can’t get a shot in, not with all that turbulence around it. He could probably just redirect and shoot one of us,” said Cade.

  “Sepia, you can’t use the direct approach. It will just be deflected. You have to fight it in the tunnel. If you give it a wide open area we are done,” said Gan.

  “Got it, up close and personal it is,” said Sepia.

  She jumped into the tunnel and threw herself to the ground. A blast of compressed air missed her by inches and punched a hole in one of the side walls.

  “You’re fast for a human.” It was a whisper but it carried throughout the tunnel. The Nightmare was dressed in tattered rags that whipped about its body with the winds it created. Its face was covered and only its eyes were visible. It reminded Sepia of a mummy. Except this mummy was pissed and managed to control air.

  “Why don’t I get easy Nightmares?” Sepia said as she dodged blast after blast in an effort to get closer to the Nightmare.

  “I would really like a Nightmare of pillows or something like that,” she said. A column of air hit her in the shoulder and slammed her into the wall of the tunnel.

  “Shut up and focus, Sepia,” said Gan.

  “Why isn’t it coming in farther?” said Cade

  Gan looked around and then noticed the wards on the floor and the walls around the entrance to the Archives. The pulsing colors had changed to a deep blue.

  “It must be the wards. “Sepia, those wards are going to come down soon, and then it will try and get in. If you’re going to do something, it’d better be quick,” said Gan.

  “I am working on it,” she said. Her ink had flared to handle the damage, the pain, she felt. She advanced on the Nightmare as it tried to hit her with blasts of air. The Nightmare drew closer and Sepia drew her blade. The Nightmare focused on her with intensity.

  “Great--the blade makes things worse. Are you kidding me?”

  Marks and Benson had found a hiding spot near the door to the Archives, on the other side of the waiting area.

  “We need to get some more people down here now,” said Marks.

  “The elevator won’t function if there is a breach. It’s a failsafe. It means we are here alone with them,” said Benson.

  “That is what I call bad planning. Where do you think they will direct their attention once they are done with that thing?” said Marks.

  It suddenly dawned on Benson.

  “Oh, this is not good. There is another way up, but it’s through the Archives, which are still closed,” said Benson.

  “For now we stay hidden. Once those wards come down we enter the Archives and keep them outside,” said Marks.

  Gan and Cade made their way back to the tunnel. Cade didn’t risk a shot for fear of hitting Sepia. He pulled out his knife. Gan extended his hands and they began to smolder.

  “Let’s go, boy, she is going to need help,” said Gan as he entered the tunnel. They could see Sepia getting closer to the siroc.

  “I have an idea. I can use the flow of air to go past it and then come back,” said Sepia.

  “You’re going to do what? That sounds like a recipe to get smashed against the wall, Blue,” said Cade.

  “It can work but you have to time it, Sepia. If you miss, Cade is right you will hit the wall at terminal velocity. We’ll keep it away from the exit on this side,” said Gan.

  “You! You are the one who brought me here,” said the siroc. It almost seemed as if the Nightmare were speaking to the blade and not to Sepia.

  Sepia crouched down low a
nd prepared to jump.

  In the waiting area the wards flared blue and disappeared.

  “Sir, the wards!” exclaimed Benson. He pointed to designs on the floor and walls around the Archive entrance as they slowly disappeared. The siroc sensed it as well and began to increase the force of the winds.

  “Sepia, now would be a good time to do something!” said Gan. He and Cade were barely holding their ground as the wind increased in velocity.

  “The wards must have dropped. It’s getting stronger,” said Cade.

  Sepia jumped toward the Nightmare. The turbulence around it forced her to one of the edges and deflected her approach. She kept going past it and then stopped mid-air. For a split second, she was motionless in the middle of the tunnel and then her momentum reversed and she shot back toward the Nightmare.

  Using her sword, she jammed it against the wall using it for leverage. Changing her trajectory she was no longer going around the Nightmare but straight for it. This is not one of my best ideas, she thought as she headed right at it.

  “I don’t think she’s going to make it Gan,” said Cade. They were both pressed against the wall, the force of the winds held them in place.

  Bringing her knees into her chest, she curled into a ball and her velocity increased. At the last second, she straightened out and was buffeted to the right of the Nightmare. She extended her blade and removed the Nightmare’s head as she fell to the ground and slid across the floor on her stomach. Water and dirt splashed into her face. The body of the Nightmare fell to the ground, reverting to dust.

  “I don’t ever want to do something like that again,” she said.

  They made their way slowly out of the tunnel and looked around. Gan noticed it first. The wards were back in place.

  **********

  Marks and Benson were inside the Archives. It looked like a large storage facility with shelving as far as the eye could see.

  “How large are the Archives?” said Marks.

  “It’s pretty immense, sir. There are maps but they only cover the central areas not the edges.”

  The sheer scope of the space impressed him. This must have taken decades to build. He looked around, taking in the entire view.