Guardians of Rhea

by Rodriguez, Jose

  The Promethean roared. “This is our city!”

  At once, the three Fenrir charged in. With their razor-sharp claws and teeth, they latched onto the Promethean.

  Sara almost felt sorry.

  But, being undead, the Promethean felt nothing. He pulled the Fenrir stuck to his face off and tossed him like a cannonball through a wall. Then, with each hand he pulled the other two off and slammed them together before throwing one to the ground and kicking him down the street. With a punch to the chest, the last one went sailing over a building past Sara and the group.

  The Fenrir thrown into a building, as well as the one kicked down the street, came running back at the Promethean, relentless in their attack.

  At the back of the group, Gillan looked again at the flight path of the third Fenrir. His eyes found themselves very close to the opposite end of the alley. To his horror, the Fenrir came skidding into the alley like a nightmare. Gasping in terror, Gillan yelled. “Run!”

  Without question, or even looking, the whole group blew past Leon in an effort to reach the next alley.

  Leon almost stumbled forward as the group rushed by. Glancing back to see the threat, he too made a run for it.

  Though the Fenrir had certainly seen the group, he continued to attack the Promethean.

  Leon instantly ran to the front of the group to stop them from going any further. Throwing his arms out, he asked. “Do you even know where you're going?” To which there was no reply. “Keep your wits. We're almost there.”

  As soon as Leon turned to move on, a Fenrir leaped at him from the shadows. With unfathomable reflexes, he grabbed the Fenrir in midair by the neck and arm.

  With his free hand, the Fenrir managed to swipe at Leon a few times across the shoulder and arm.

  Before anyone else could react, another female Promethean came crashing into the alley from a wall behind them, a Fenrir attacking one of her legs. While pulling at the Fenrir, she smashed into the surrounding buildings.

  At the far end of the alley, two more Fenrir charged in, their sights set on the group.

  “What now!” Janah cried.

  Not knowing where to go and afraid to get in Leon's way, everyone braced themselves.

  One of the Fenrir jumped at Sara and came within inches of her face when an arrow struck it in the eye, killing it instantly.

  Sara turned to see it was Caycee who'd fired the shot.

  Darek ran into the alley, morphing into a human-bat hybrid with more hair, pointy ears, sharp claws and bigger fangs. When he met the last Fenrir head-on, both clawed and gnawed at each other like the animals they were.

  Leon repeatedly slammed the Fenrir against a wall with no affect. With claws sunk fairly deep in his arm, Leon dare not let go. It took Sara to ram a talon into the Fenrir's head to free him.

  As Darek wrestled with the Fenrir, Caycee took aim and fired with perfect timing.

  Struck in the back by a silver arrow, the Fenrir whimpered and buckled, allowing Darek to toss him aside.

  “Glad to see you,” Leon said.

  Unable to talk in his current form, Darek responded with the universal hand sign for 'okay'.

  The group continued their run for the portal, passing half-a-dozen fights between the Fenrir and Prometheans. Turning into a street, they were fortunate in that it was empty.

  Hunkering among the ruins, all eyes were on Leon. As he peeked around a corner, Sara asked. “How are we?”

  “Give it a second,” Leon answered, pointing to the center of a dilapidated plaza some distance off.

  Orange in color and seething with energy, the arch-shaped portal exploded into existence with a single Promethean emerging from it and running off to battle. The portal then vanished as quickly as it appeared.

  Leon turned to the group. “As soon as we get close, it should open up.”

  “You sure?” Nedim asked. “No levers, no chants?”

  “I've gone through it once or twice myself.”

  “Then let's not waste anymore time,” Sara said. “Those Fenrir are almost as bad as the Prometheans.”

  Leon stepped out first. “Looks clear,” he said.

  The sound of battle was still thick in the air.

  Halfway to the portal, everyone came to a halt when it suddenly came to life with another Promethean emerging from it.

  Spotting the hapless group almost instantly, the undead monstrosity charged at them like an unstoppable force.

  Coming to within feet of being trampled, Gillan used the fog to create a powerful jet of water that sent the Promethean flying across the plaza and into some rubble.

  “Keep moving!” Leon urged. The portal opened when he got close, but he stopped just shy of entering to see everyone through.

  First Darek, then Caycee, Nedim, Janah.

  As he fled, Gillan couldn't believe it when the Promethean grabbed a large chunk of debris and hurled it at him with expert precision.

  Seeing her friend about to be crushed, Kamala stopped the debris in midair and cast it back to collide with the Promethean.

  Sara waited with Leon as Kamala and Gillan ran through the portal. Just when she was about to enter, she spotted three Fenrir run into the plaza. “Look.” She pointed.

  “Just go.” Leon said. “We'll be safe on the other side.”

  Sara stepped through, with Leon close behind keeping an eye on the Fenrir.

  In the blink of an eye the world seemed to transform.

  The Netherworld was a place filled with clouds in a fire-orange sky and a calm, constant wind.

  The group found themselves completely surrounded by various undead Rheans in an open area of a city.

  Sara looked at Leon worriedly. “You were saying?”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “Everyone just relax.” Leon said, moving closer to the dead crowd.

  A Fenrir, in his alternate human-like dwarf form, approached Leon. “Hey there. Welcome to the city of Mictlán. Name’s Stig. It’s amazing you made it through the portal, with that battle going on the other side.”

  Leon was about to speak before being interrupted by the portal opening and three Fenrir coming through.

  “Don't move!” Leon yelled at the group. “Sara, stand still!”

  “Are you crazy?!” Sara asked, barely resisting the urge to grab a weapon, as was the rest of the group.

  “Do not move!” Leon insisted.

  One of the Fenrir howled before making a sudden leap at Gillan with his claws and mouth wide open. However, at the last second the Fenrir was stopped in midair by an unseen force.

  Gillan, wide-eyed and trembling, fainted. Kamala and several others immediately ran to his side.

  The remaining Fenrir attempted to attack the group, and like the first, they were also stopped by the same unseen force and held in place. “What is the meaning of this!” a Fenrir asked.

  Leon answered. “Rule number one, no fighting.”

  The Fenrir gave up and changed into their altered form. With that, the force that was holding them let go.

  Stig was shocked seeing his fellow Fenrir. “Hurok?”

  “Cousin!” Hurok said.

  The two embraced for a moment.

  Stig waved at the other two Fenrir. “Rona, Doradus. It is good to see you.”

  Doradus approached Leon, asking. “Who do you think you are helping the Prometheans?”

  “We're not helping them,” Leon said.

  A Promethean stepped forward. “You Fenrir need to get off our land. You have no right.”

  “We have every right!” Hurok said. “You're dead, Promethean! That land belongs to the living!”

  Sara stood by Leon and asked. “What's going on?”

  “The longest running feud in Rhea,” Leon answered.

  Nedim splashed some water from his canteen on Gillan to rouse him.

  Gillan sat up and looked around. “Aww, man. I thought I was dreaming.”

  Rona, the female Fenrir, approached Leon. “If you're not helping the P
rometheans, then what brings you here?”

  “Pelasgians,” Leon answered. “I'm sure you've heard of their little invasion here.”

  Laughing lightly, Hurok said. “Who hasn't? But what do you think you're going to do?”

  “We're on a mission to gather our forces,” said Leon. “If you'd like, you may join us. We're going to need all the help we can get.”

  Hurok looked at Leon curiously before answering. “What exactly are you up to?”

  “I'm sure Stig can tell you.”

  “He's right.” Stig said. “The Pelasgians have invaded us. We're fighting, but it hasn't been going too well, cousin. Hurok, please help these people.”

  Hesitating, Hurok held Stig by the shoulders. “The only thing better than killing a Promethean is killing a Pelasgian.”

  Walking down a dirt road, the group noticed very few residents hanging around.

  Caycee couldn't help to point it out. “I know this city's dead, but damn.”

  “Yes,” Nedim said. “The adults must be occupied with the invasion.”

  Several of the children followed or ran around the group, teasing playfully as they passed by.

  “I'll tell you one thing for sure.” Janah said. “I never thought I'd be walking down a street here. Not alive at least.”

  “I thought we were done for sure back there,” said Sara. As she rounded a corner, she bumped into someone so hard she fell flat on her rump. Looking up to see who it was, she was shocked to see it was Arloff, followed by Elsa and Lugos.

  Aside from Leon, the rest of the group stood in shock.

  Arloff turned to his companions. “Bring the others back from Rhea. We must fight the Pelasgians here.”

  Elsa and Lugos then ran off.

  “Follow me,” Arloff said. “Lilith is waiting for you.”

  Leon helped Sara up.

  As they followed Arloff, Sara spoke to Leon. “I thought we killed these guys.”

  “Don't you remember?” Leon asked. “When Rheans die, they become immortal. All we did was send them back here.”

  Arloff led the group to what looked like the entrance of an underground shelter. After going down a flight of stairs they entered a large throne room lit by torches. It was decorated with drapes made of silk, and a floor made of shiny marble.

  At the center, sitting on her throne, was Lilith. Humanoid, with small accentuations around her eyes, ears and nose that gave her an otherworldly streamlined beauty. Clothed in a red toga, a modest amount of her smooth, light-orange skin revealed a slender body. Her curly, shoulder-length hair was as red as her dress, but the most striking feature of all was her sapphire eyes.

  “Hello, Lilith,” Leon said as he approached.

  After taking a moment to look at the group, Lilith spoke. “My beloved, Leon. Have you come with a solution to my...problem?”

  “To be honest,” Leon answered. “I'm not sure there's much we can do right now. Sara here is of a race that may be able to help. The humans are vast in number-”

  “Yes, they are.” Lilith laughed before standing and walking towards Sara. “I know very well of your race. So dearly cherished...but you are nothing compared to the Pelasgians, or even to us for that matter.”

  Looking Lilith in the eye, Sara said, “I thought you were the one with the problem. For someone so powerful, it sure sounds like you're in a lot of trouble.”

  Lilith leered at Leon. “This was all your idea, wasn't it?” she asked. “You, of all people, should know what we're up against. The humans are but a small part of your world – something the Pelasgians apparently eat for breakfast.”

  “I know what we're up against,” said Leon. “That's why we have to take our time and look at all options.”

  Lilith clinched her fists in frustration. “I really hope you're just low on blood, Leon. Time is a luxury I don't have. Surely the Savior of Rhea can come up with something better than this.”

  Almost sneering, Leon said. “You asked for help--we're doing everything we can.”

  For a moment Lilith seemed lost. Looking somber, she sat on her throne. “You promised me, Leon. You promised they would never find this place. You said that even if you failed...”

  “It was a risk we both took,” Leon said.

  Lilith shook her head. “Sara is right. Even with all my power, my influence is limited to the Rhean people.”

  Sara asked. “You mean you can't do anything to the Pelasgians?”

  “With my powers? No, not directly,” Lilith answered. “I can't even harm you. All I can do is give my people weapons that make little difference, and open portals for them to escape through.”

  “But you're immortal. How can you lose?”

  “Imagine being a slave for eternity,” Lilith answered. “I would call that a loss. They’ve already taken thousands and tried to assimilate my world into theirs using some kind of…something. Good thing for me it won’t work here.”

  “Lilith,” Leon said, kneeling beside her. “We need a portal to the Shadow Realm so Sara can see it.”

  “You came all this way just to see the Shadow Realm?” Lilith asked.

  Sara answered. “I know it sounds ridiculous to you, but my people want proof.”

  Lilith smirked. “If you want to see Pelasgians, all you have to do is ask.” she said, with a doorway sprouting up from the floor itself.

  The doorway showed a balcony with the Netherworld's sky in the background, and the sound of a battle being waged. Lilith stepped through. “Come now, it is safe.”

  Everyone walked through the doorway to find themselves on the balcony of a circular tower in one of the Netherworld's cities.

  Below them they could see thousands of residents braced for the impending flood of Pelasgians on the opposite side of the wall.

  “This is the city of Gehenna,” Lilith said. “It's been under siege for two days now.”

  At the forefront in the Pelasgian ranks were the human-like Corinthians armed with swords and shields. Among them were the Minotaurs – equally tall creatures with the body of a muscular man, the head of a bull and an enormous battle-axe.

  The Pelasgians firing arrows were the Centaurs.

  As typical as such battles were, each side fired a continuous volley of arrows. The Pelasgians on one side were using a battering ram on the gate, while Rheans on the other made every effort to reinforce it.

  Sadly however, it would only be a matter of time till the Pelasgians would break through, roaring and snarling as they swarmed the denizens of the peaceful city.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Back in the safety of Mictlán, Sara and most of the group were asleep in a rundown barrack.

  Leon woke to the sound of the faintest whisper. Raising his head slightly he saw Nedim across the room sitting on his bed.

  Making very little noise, Leon got up and went over. “You okay there?” he asked.

  “I was praying,” Nedim said, opening his eyes.

  Leon sat. “Does it work?”

  “It helps.”

  After a moment, Leon said. “Horrible, what happened to those people.”

  “I agree, but at least when the dead are cut down here they simply rise from the ground elsewhere.”

  “It's convenient if anything,” Leon said. “We should be getting ready to go. There's nothing we can do here.”

  Just then there came a knock at the door that woke most of the group. Leon answered.

  It was Arloff. “You must see Lilith,” he said, stepping aside to reveal the throne room behind him.

  Everyone gathered around Lilith. “Have you ever wondered what, or who, opened those portals from the Shadow Realm?” she asked.

  “I'm not sure,” Leon said. “I've never seen how it's done. No one knows.”

  “I do,” Lilith smiled. “Ever since the invasion began I've been sending my own people into the Shadow Realm. They haven't had much success, but an hour ago they saw this,” she said, waving her hand to create a live image of the Shadow Realm in fro
nt of the group.

  The only thing that could clearly be seen was Eris, a hairless female with a large set of raven wings hovered in midair. Her skin seemed to be made of black latex and her face was almost completely featureless, aside from faintly glowing red eyes. Holding her hands out, a huge green portal opened up.

  “Who is she?” Sara asked.

  “I don't know,” Leon said. “I’ve never seen her before, but eyes like that should mean she's a Myrmidon.”

  Lilith clasped her hands. “And you know what that means!”

  “Yeah,” said Leon. “We may be able to stop this.”

  “The next time she opens a portal,” Lilith said. “I can open one near her location. If you can track her down and kill her, this could all be over.”

  Leon turned to the group. “If anyone would like to back out, this is your last chance.”

  Hurok laughed. “And let you take all the credit! I don't think so!”

  “I think that means we're all in,” said Janah.

  “Arloff will go with you,” Lilith said, then sensing another portal. “Well, what have we here? She just opened another one. There's no time to lose. Are you ready?”

  “Yes,” Leon answered.

  Lilith opened a portal. Leon went first, followed by the rest.

  Arriving next to a shoreline with a nearby valley, Sara was astounded at the sight of the Shadow Realm. Stuck in perpetual twilight, the rocky landscape was a mix of black and blue hues. A full blue moon dominated its starry sky and even more so, a giant colorful world with rings circling it.

  “It's beautiful,” Caycee said in wonderment. Without warning, she suddenly fell to her knees screaming in agony while clasping her head. Her brain felt like it was on fire as visions of what once was filled her mind.**

  ****

  **Tomel ran through the woods as fast as an eight year old could. The treetops were so thick that little light made it through. He looked back to get a glimpse of the creature giving chase. With his breathing heavy and his legs burning with exhaustion, he weaved between trees and around rocks until stumbling and tripping into a clearing.