by Jason Wilcox
A bright flash made Mauldrin look away. Screeching filled the air as Mauldrin charged. A dark soul dove at him, but he blasted it and kept moving. On the ground, he could see the soldier, blood soaking his armor and face.
Curt and Espo were close behind. A dark soul jumped at Mauldrin from the left, and the creature was blasted away. His bodyguards didn’t miss a beat.
Bending down, Mauldrin gently rolled the man over. Wires from the destroyed dark souls covered the ground around them. One of the man’s eyes appeared to be torn up and probably un-repairable. His breathing was labored from his smashed in armor crushing his lungs.
Knowing the armor needed to be off as quickly as possible, Mauldrin grabbed the latches and pulled, but they were jammed. He pushed harder, but nothing. The man was dying and every second that passed sealed his fate.
Mauldrin looked up to see if there was anything that would help pry the armor off. Dark souls were re-gathering after the blast. The chaos would normally be intense for Mauldrin, but instead he found a feeling of disgust and an unquenchable desire to slaughter them all.
“Hhhee…” the man sputtered, blood dripped out of his mouth. Not seeing anything that could help, Mauldrin pulled as hard as he could on the chest plate. With a pop, the metal began to bend.
A close scream startled Mauldrin. A dark soul appeared right in front of him. The creature had marks from where wire-armor had been, but he had taken the armor off, which made him more of a serious threat than the others. Moving with great speed, the creature snapped his teeth at Mauldrin, missing him by centimeters.
With a knee, Mauldrin smashed the creature in the chest, which only infuriated him. More black teeth snapped at Mauldrin, which caught a finger, tearing off skin. Swinging his other arm, Mauldrin hit him squarely in the jaw. He hoped it would knock him off, but instead the opposite happened. The creature screamed and gnashed his teeth showing more anger and rage. The claws dug into Mauldrin’s chest, making it impossible to breathe.
A sense of numbness deadened Mauldrin’s muscles. He looked back to see where his help was. Tagen was nowhere, and the Knuckle Draggers were trying to get to him with a wall of dark souls in their way. The dark soul on top of him got in his face, screaming. Drool dripped from his mouth onto Mauldrin’s cheek.
Mauldrin’s heart pounded against his ribs. The dark soul tilted his head and opened his mouth getting ready to bite him again. Pushing past the numbness, Mauldrin head-butted the creature, knocking him off.
Pain shot through Mauldrin’s head as he tried to get to his gun that had been knocked to the ground. Before he could get far, the dark soul was back on top biting into his shoulder. As the teeth dug in, Mauldrin threw an elbow only to find nothing there. He rolled over and the dark soul was gone, only a descending cloud of ash was left.
Turning to his left, he saw Espo lowering his gun. A dark soul jumped at him, and Espo smashed him in the face with the gun butt, followed with a shot to the chest. The creature was gone with a puff of whiteness.
Curt busted through the dark souls and made it to Mauldrin. Espo walked up but kept his gun ready to kill anything that came at them.
“You okay?” Curt asked as he pulled Mauldrin off the ground. “Do we need to take you inside?” The comment bothered him. He was tired of being treated like a defenseless human. Just as he was going to speak, Tagen appeared.
“Look out,” Tagen shouted as he pushed past Mauldrin and tackled a dark soul. Guns rattled, killing the dark soul.
Knowing he needed to focus on the fight, Mauldrin lifted the handgun and shot a dark soul that was determined to get him. A scream came from his left as another dark soul met his end. He scrambled to the soldier on the ground, only to find he was dead, no pulse, no breath.
Grinding his teeth, Mauldrin stood up and looked around. Dead soldiers covered the ground and were given no respect. Creatures stepped on them like floor mats. He looked to his left through small openings between dark souls and could still see fighting.
Letting out a deep breath, Mauldrin tightened the grip on his gun. He was tired of death and violence. The fight had to end. He had to do something or there would be no soldiers left. He wasn’t sure if James was even still alive.
An opening developed in the dark souls enough to see a clear view of what was left of the dome barrier. On the other side was Justin, or Hermue, as Tagen called him, standing close to the wall, giving orders. Hermue looked strange, like the man James had shown him in the holding cell who had been taken over by a demon.
Reaching back, Mauldrin tried to draw his sword, but no luck. It was discouraging and fueled his frustration. He knew he needed the sword. There was no time, Hermue had to die. He had to get to him, to end the fight and prevent further deaths. Tagen had told him dark souls needed a master. He bolted in that direction, slamming a dark soul out of the way.
“Mauldrin stop!” Tagen called from behind. “What are you doing? Get back here before you get killed.”
CHAPTER 37
“Mauldrin!” Tagen yelled again. His master mindlessly ran into the mass of dark souls. It was like watching a wave engulf a rock on the shore. One second he was there, the next he was gone. Everything happened so fast, that Tagen was frozen in disbelief.
“Let’s go,” Curt demanded as he ran past Tagen, bringing him out of shock. Espo dashed by, full of energy. He waved Tagen on with an encouraging look and smile.
Tagen stayed behind Espo. White flashes flew everywhere. Tagen thought it would be good to stay a couple steps back. He wasn’t sure what would happen as they headed where the dark souls were the thickest. The situation was surreal. Never had Tagen seen such abilities from humans. They sliced through his kind like a knife through warm butter.
There was no trace of Mauldrin as they moved forward, just an endless sea of blackness that screamed and clawed at them. Tagen had conflicting feelings as he watched his kind being slaughtered by the humans. And not only did he follow humans, he had actually grown to like them, especially Espo.
Out of the chaos, Espo kicked a dark soul, knocking over others, and there was Mauldrin. He was alive and fighting. How he was standing, Tagen wasn’t sure, but they moved in to fend off dark souls.
“Why did you run off?” Curt asked. Tagen could’ve sworn he heard yelling under the helmet. If the interpreting machine did voice volume, it would’ve come out loud.
“Hermue’s over there. According to Tagen, he’s leading them.” Mauldrin pointed his gun while blasting another dark soul. A deeper, louder scream came from behind the evaporating dark soul. One of Hermue’s new creations dove through, tackling Mauldrin.
Espo moved in, snapping off shots. White light pelted the black oily skin, but the craters quickly healed. Screaming, the creature hit Espo’s gun, still keeping Mauldrin in his clutches.
Dark souls flooded in, capitalizing on the chaos. Two jumped on Curt’s back. More surrounded the larger dark soul that kept Mauldrin pinned. Others were circling Espo and Tagen, hissing and screaming at them.
Tagen could see Mauldrin reach for his sword and fail. He finally understood why Mauldrin never used the sword. He didn’t know how to command it. It must’ve been a fluke the night he used it to slaughter the dark souls.
Another dark soul grabbed Mauldrin’s arm and pulled it outwards. The large one, on top of Mauldrin, bit him on the neck. Wheezing, Mauldrin looked in Tagen’s direction with a plea for help, before closing his eyes. Two more dark souls jumped on. Tagen felt an intense sense of loyalty to Mauldrin, more so than he had ever before. It was time to save his master.
The dark soul in front of Tagen hit with tremendous force, knocking him backwards. Over the noise, one noise was clearer. For the first time since Tagen had been with Mauldrin, he heard his master scream in pain. With a swift stroke, he killed the dark soul.
Jumping to his feet, Tagen ran at the large dark soul attacking Mauldrin. He feared his master was dead. There was no movement or screams. Tagen dug claws into the ground.
“HEY!” he yelled. The dark soul unlatched his teeth from Mauldrin’s neck and looked up. Black lines split through the ground and wrapped into the creatures legs and body. Screaming, the large dark soul thrashed around, trying to tear at the blackness encasing him.
Curt grabbed Mauldrin from between the creature’s legs, while Espo blasted the dark souls coming in to attack. Tagen focused, knowing what he faced was powerful. He had killed two and would be lucky if he found himself alive after a third.
A black tar substance stuck to the bottom of the large dark soul’s foot as he tried to break free from Tagen. He dropped to all fours, his red eyes blazing. The creature screamed which startled Tagen but also stopped the dark souls around them in their tracks.
Black spikes grew at the dark soul’s shoulders and back. Like water running off a boulder, the blackness that Tagen created slid off the black oily skin. The creature’s muscles ballooned outward. With a snort, his muscles flexed and he dove at Tagen. His speed was intense and too fast for Tagen to stop him. He dove on top of Tagen. His massive body was twice the size of Tagen’s.
Claws tore at Tagen, stabbing and slicing him in multiple places. The onslaught was too much. He hit his opponent across the face and the creature screamed and bit into his arm. Just then, Espo leapt onto the dark soul and tried to hold him by the arms.
Knowing this could be the only chance Tagen would have to counter attack before he was killed, he dug claws from his free hand into the creature’s chest. His other arm became free and he followed suit, slamming his claws into the dark soul’s chest.
The robotic arms on Espo’s suit sparked and let off smoke as he tried to keep the dark soul contained. Tagen tried to work fast, doing what he had done to the last two mutated creatures. This time he knew what he was looking for. Immediately, he could feel a soul inside, trapped in pain, anger, evilness, and dark matter.
“Pull him back,” Tagen yelled to Espo. A dark soul ran at Espo as he tried to pull back on the creature. Curt spotted the dark soul and blasted him while standing over Mauldrin’s unmoving body.
Slowly the soul within began to break free, and the dark soul began to fight less. It was like trying to pull a rock out of partially dried tar. With one last scream, the dark soul gave up and the inner soul came loose. Black sludge splattered onto Tagen and Espo. Both of them moved to help Curt.
“Tagen.” Curt looked at him, Espo took over keeping them safe. “Get Mauldrin out of here. Get him to a safe spot. We will try to keep you protected as you retreat. But no matter what, get him out of here!”
Surprised, Tagen hesitated. There were many emotions from trying to save Mauldrin and pulling out another soul, and now the Knuckle Draggers trusting him to take care of Mauldrin. They were going to sacrifice themselves to keep Mauldrin alive.
“Go, now!” Curt ordered.
Snapping out of it, Tagen lifted Mauldrin’s lifeless body. Curt turned and blasted a dark soul, building a hole for Tagen get out. Tagen didn’t wait. He ran at the hole with all the speed he had. Dark souls moved, maybe in reverence or fear. Either way, they weren’t touching him. They must be keeping their distance because I killed the large dark soul.
Looking back to make sure the Knuckled Draggers were behind him, he stopped. Both of them had been swallowed up by the dark souls. They were leaving Tagen alone but still violently going after his new friends. His first instinct was to go back, but Curt’s words ran through his mind, no matter what, get him out of here.
Following the advice, Tagen carried on. He broke free of the dark souls but was hit by a lead bullet in the shoulder. One of the fighting soldiers nailed him. He could hear yelling after that from the other soldiers, but Tagen didn’t care, he kept running. The soldiers parted, letting him past.
He ran up a large hill behind the base, only to stop at the top under a tall tree. The battle ensued below. Guns and screams echoed to their location.
Slowly, he lowered his master to the ground, noticing his hands were completely white. He let go of Mauldrin a few centimeters from the ground, and he moaned as he hit. Tagen refocused, realizing he was still alive. His heart felt as if it were going to leap out of his chest.
Putting a hand on Mauldrin, Tagen felt the miraculous heartbeat. It was soft, but still there.
CHAPTER 38
“I’ve missed you Caden.” Bridget ran her hand through Mauldrin’s hair, and pulled him close. Her soft lips brushed his, a teaser touch that heightened his senses. It was enough for him to push himself against her lips, holding her tight.
Bridget is dead, how could it be? Bridget dissipated from his arms and a light breeze began to pick up. The calm rhythmic lapsing of waves caught his attention and he turned to find himself on the beach. Bridget was playing in the waves. She splashed at him and smiled.
“Come out here with me.”
I’m dreaming! Mauldrin looked away from her, knowing it wasn’t real. Or am I dead?
“Caden, come cuddle with me. I’m cold.” Bridget sat in front of him on her couch, tapping the seat next to her. She was beautiful. It was enough to bring him to tears. He so badly wanted it to be real, but he knew it wasn’t. Looking up he closed his eyes.
A soft gentle hand touched his face and ran down his neck. “What are you doing?”
“I’m dreaming all of this,” he exclaimed while opening his eyes and looking to her. “You’re not real. You’re dead.”
A frown that wasn’t human came over her face. Her eyes darkened. Blood began to soak her shirt in the same place she had been shot the night she died.
“Why do you not love me anymore?” Her skin grew pale and her lips dark blue. Her hand that touched Mauldrin’s neck was ice cold and callused. “All I ever wanted was you.” With a thud, she collapsed to the ground. Blood soaked the entire front of her shirt and spilled out onto the carpet.
I can’t do this! He put his hands over his eyes. I can’t watch you die a second time. The room grew silent, but he felt another presence, he knew he wasn’t alone. Something dark and sinister was with him. Its presence caused Mauldrin’s neck hair to rise.
“You’re a coward.” It was his adopted father. Mauldrin opened his eyes in time to have a fist sock him in the face, knocking him to the ground.
“After all these years, you’d think you’d have become something,” as his dad spoke, Mauldrin got up, only to be punched in the face again. He toppled back to the ground, tripping.
“You messed up my life and destroyed my marriage with your mom! And then you go to war and get the brave men and women under your command killed! You should be in jail!” He tried to kick Mauldrin.
Why is this coming back to me? It was the second to last time he had seen his adopted father alive. He had returned home from the war after losing a large number of men in a terrible fight. The report had become news and even though the newspaper touted him as a hero, his dad saw it differently.
“I always knew we should’ve never taken you in!” The old man spit at him, “Just a piece of trash, a nothing.”
Every day after that moment, Mauldrin tried to forget that night. It was one time he allowed his father to beat him up without fighting back. Even though he could’ve killed the man, he took it. Years later, he often wondered if he needed it. He needed to feel he had been punished for what he felt responsible for with his men and women that were lost in war.
He closed his eyes, ready for the rest of the brutal beatings that were to come, but none did. Instead, the same feeling as before came to him. A presence, something there, but this time a sweet presence.
“Don’t cry dear,” his mother spoke. He could feel her hands pull him close. “Your father doesn’t mean the terrible things he says. He wasn’t always this way, you know. It started after a mining accident when you were three.”
Opening his eyes, he found himself in his old room. His mom was young. Posters of race cars and athletes lined the walls of his childhood room.
“You need to ride above this.” She lo
oked down at him. Her blue eyes sparkled with a love for life, even if she had been beaten down many times. “There is something special in you.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I can feel it. You’re special. I’ve known since the day that man came and asked if I would adopt you. He told me you were different, but I never realized how amazingly different you truly were until I got to know you.” Tears dripped off her small nose and fell on to her light blue evening dress.
“I’ve never told you this before Caden.” She brought one of her small hands up to wipe away tears. Fading bruises lined her arm. “He told me that someday he would come back for you. That you have a special place in history. That…” She began to weep. “That you’ll destroy the evil in this world.” Sniffing, she looked at the door nervously, then back to him.
“I didn’t believe him, but I do now. I’ve seen you do things as a baby and toddler that couldn’t be explained. Things that I kept to myself…” her words faded. Mauldrin tried to reach out to her, wanting the comfort she offered, but also to know the rest of what she had to say. He couldn’t remember that conversation any longer.
Everything around him became white. He couldn’t tell if he was sitting, standing, or floating. There was still something dark nearby, but somehow he felt guarded, safe. Bridget’s face came into view, just floating in the distance.
“Come find me,” her voice filled everything around him. “I’m still alive.” Those words penetrated to his very soul. He felt as if he would burst. But, his rational side took over. Stop! This isn’t real. She’s not alive!
The whiteness turned to blackness and he could hear demonic laughing in the distance, echoing towards him. A sick feeling came over him. Wake up already! Enough with this terrible dream!