Crimson Knight (Crimson Series Book 0)

by K. L. O Johnson

  As I pulled myself on my feet once more. I watched as the monster darted towards me—his fist glowed an ominous red and I dodged his next attack in time and elbowed him in the face. He stumbled back and held his nose which easily bled out. “Funny. You do realise the mortals of this world will perish as will you and your Council.”

  “Perish they may but there will always be someone to bring light into this darkness. No matter what you and your alliance does it will always be beaten.” I retorted, believing my words. There was and always will be good and bad in this world but hopefully, it’s the good that prevails.

  “Oh you think so,” he mocked. “Well how about, I finish you off now. That way the Council will remain powerless.” I knew why he wanted to kill me, the power of my people rests within me, it was like the centre of a web of energy. The royals of each species had it and it was what caused so much fuss. Everyone had a limit to the amount of energy they can gain—royals never had a limit because we were the first of our races—the first descendants of each race.

  I wasted enough time as it was. I need to defeat him and quickly, no matter what anyone believed I knew deep down, I had the power to defeat him. Better yet, I knew I had the power to find my parents. Hoping they’d forgive me for such a mess I’ve caused.

  I blocked the commander’s next attack and I had to ask, “What is your name?”

  “Me?” the demon commander asked.

  “Yes, you. Or do you think I’m talking to someone else.” I replied. I deflected a few attacks and jabbed my sword through my opponent and was surprised as he was when it went through. It was by instinct that I reacted, I didn’t expect for my attack to cause any damage. I stared at him disbelievingly. He ashed away with a mocking smile and that left a fear in my heart that I knew I wasn’t going to forget anytime soon as his name danced around me, “Dericula, Son of Dracula.”

  The sun was shut out by the dark clouds and I heard his name whisper around me before it lightly disappeared. I was exhausted, never in my life have I fought with so much desperation to live. Instead, I was stunned by the fact that I won more than anything—it seemed a little too easy and I wondered how much stronger I had become. I sat down on the ground in the rubble of the city for a bit and caught my breath. Once I was fine, I propped myself up on my feet and headed towards it in search of my parents. They could be still on the ship but I also believed that I had to start somewhere. I knew deep down that all the survivors on the ship were accounted for but what about my parents did they survive too or was I an orphan now? So I wandered the city in search for my parents. Where they were I had no clue. As I wandered the ruined streets. I heard in the distance screams of agonising pain and smelt strongly the sour scent of blood permeating the air.

  Several more buildings collapsed nearby and I watched as it tumbled down. The ground shook under my feet and dust was heavy in the air. I glanced over at the crumbled building as it laid now in a pile of ruins. It was silent for a while before I heard hissing sound imbue the air around me. I stared in shock at what waited for me at the end of the road. A mortuss. I backed away slowly recalling Randolph’s words. I felt my scales prickle in goosebumps. I watched not one but several pop out from behind ruined walls, glass and cars. They leaped towards me and I had my shield ready to defend, the shield protected me from the first attacker and I spun around angling my shield horizontally, using the end of the shield like a knife and stabbed my first attacker.

  Another one jumped me and before I knew it I was quickly pulled into a battle that made me fight for my life once again. This time my opponent was much stronger than he looked, he punched the ground and created a fissure along the earth that lunged straight towards me. That impact caused my feet to become uneven and as a result, I lost my footing and was almost blown away. I was quick avoid the next attack and their fangs. They were quick as Randolph had described and strong. I stabbed one and their body seemed to collapse on the ground, moments later it stood on its feet and the wound healed. I gasped in horror. “How is that possible?”

  “They were resurrected with imaginable strength, speed and heightened senses.” I recalled Randolph say.

  “No way, this can’t be possible.” I respired.

  TWENTY-THREE

  Day Z

  It was inevitable that we grew weary in a form that was able to mimic the genetic makeup of any and every species—something which allowed us to survive for so long. I took down one mortuss only to have it rise up again, from the dead. As I watched the large tall mortuss, with an oversized hammer, approach me as it dragged its oversized hammer along the ground behind it. I knew then and there I was in trouble, the monster brought the hammer over its head and I was too stunned to move. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to move in time, as I was certain without a doubt, that the metal he carried wasn’t of Earth.

  As he was ready to strike, something leaped through my vision and a vampiere attacked the mortuss that threatened to flatten me. The vampiere bit into the mortuss and not before long the vampiere screamed a gargling scream before I noted its foaming mouth. It screeched and leaped from the large mortuss and the vampiere began clawing at its tongue. Blood pooled and squirted everywhere and I unexpectedly feared he’d bleed out. He gargled and I watched as the wound on the mortuss healed and spied that the vampiere, had also healed. Those two monsters locked onto each other and within a heartbeat, they leaped towards each other, as I remained glued to the sidelines.

  The next thing I saw, caught me by surprise, it was the vampieres versus the mortuss. It was something I never thought would ever happen. When they spotted me, the mortuss and the vampiere were quick to charge at me. It was like I was the main target and the mortuss and vampieres were just a minor priority. It took a while but I managed to clear a path enough for me to escape the conflict. I sprinted behind a wall aware, they could hear my lively heartbeat.

  The thing with vampieri was that even though were alive. We still got hurt and the impacts that those mortuss delivered really did sting but we were tough as any steel. My side ached and I felt my scales burn—it wasn’t the type of burn that warmed me but rather the type of burn that destroyed me. I pressed my back against the wall and waited for several more mortuss to arrive but none ever did. Without further delay, I painfully sauntered towards the west, aware that my parents were in that direction. I learnt that the city was in ruins. I stared at a broken glass that once divided clothes from the general public and gave definition to the term ‘window shopping’. I watched the blood red eyes that watched me in return. They were cold and empty. I almost didn’t recognise myself. The dark clouds over head thundered and clapped. The wind picked up and the smell of fresh water waffled, my nose. I glanced up and gazed upon the sky. I knew it was going to rain, I could smell it in the air. A drop of water, splashed against my cheek and I felt the cool droplet graze over my features. It was going to rain and I was waiting to delve in it. Lightening flickered across the dark gloomy sky that reminded me of the disaster that occurred.

  I wandered down an abandoned alleyway, the buildings that lined this path, were still in tacked and I pondered on how they remained standing. Rain poured over me, almost washing away my fears and anxieties away as I gazed upon the ship in the distance through a slit between the buildings. I watched as several more explosions rang out and I wondered how everyone was going. Were they okay? Was Zarlach okay? I strolled the streets for what seemed like an eternity but came across something rather peculiar, in my short journey. I glanced at the figure in the middle of a ruined road; cars were abandoned as were buses and bikes. The figure was shrouded in a dark cloak, a hood covered his features and he stood still. I didn’t move and he didn’t move. He remained stagnant through the light rain, but I could smell his blood pulsing through his veins so I knew he wasn’t an illusion. “What do you want?” I asked. He remained silent.

  He sprinted towards me and whipped out a sterling broadsword. His attacks were quick. He threaded together a combination of parries, th
rusts and deflections. I held my own against him but there was a time when I slipped up—I felt the result of that mistake as my upper arm burnt. I cringed in pain and watched as the stranger smiled a deathly smile. I glared. Shrink! The head of the man was removed. A mortuss was quick to attack me and watched as I soon became surrounded. “Cecelia are you alright?” Bella demanded she held her hand out and a bladed disc returned to her hand. It was covered in blood and I realised then, it was Bella who killed the stranger. I was stunned and stared at her as she walked away from the other mortuss that surrounded us and walked backwards towards me. She held her sword in hand and a shield sat upon her left wrist. It was diamond shaped with pinched edges that gave the shield an almost elegant design.

  “You called me by my name.” I said a little too distracted by what she said than anything else.

  “Yeah I guess, I did,” she announced after some time. I could help but feel my lips curl into a small smile. “Anyway, we need to find their majesties.” Right my parents.

  “Do you recall where you last saw them?” I asked.

  “Yes they were by the white house.” she declared.

  “What are they doing all the way over there?” I asked as I followed after Bella once she took down several mortuss.

  “Protecting the president.” she announced and I was stunned once again, my parents really did know how to throw surprises my way.

  “Why?” I asked as I ran beside her thwarting off the mortuss.

  “Why else? To keep the United Council, in the Human’s good books,” she declared.

  “Why even bother? Several hate our guts anyway.” I replied recalling the many times I had seen countless protests revolving around how we should return to our own world. I agreed with them to an extent, also but I couldn’t completely jump on that chance as my life was here on Earth—here where I was raised.

  “Several. Not all.” Bella wisely replied. She pointed a red-black scaly finger to the white house in the distance. It was not as white as it once was instead it looked rather dull, grey over the shattered glass. “We’re not too far.” I heard loud screeching from overhead and realised that that sound came from a large looking mortuss behind us. I glanced over at Bella who pulled out double blades from where they summoned at her thighs. It screeched again and I watched as beside was a beast of some kind then realised it was familiar. It was the same monster I saw on the battle cruiser. It didn’t have eyes, realising that Bella and I were cornered we skidded around and stood ready to fight.

  “You think you can take that dog looking monster?”

  “On it.” I replied and brought my fists to my face. “Bring it!” I roared and held up my fists. The monsters growled and charged straight for us. The panther looking monster leaped towards me, I caught onto its paws, leaning back, I flipped so that the panther was beneath me and pulled out my forearm blades and motion to stab it right in the centre only to be surprised by the panther moulding away into the shadows. I glanced up at Bella and watched as she took on a taller looking mortuss.

  “You shouldn’t look away!” A voice from behind me called and I glanced over in time to be knocked square in the face. The impact wasn’t as bad as the mortuss but this thing was not far off. It was a man with black hair and black scaly armour. It was dragon armour he wore and as I noticed the man wearing dragon armour—I also noticed panther-looking-monster was nowhere to be seen.

  “Hasn’t anyone told you it’s rude to sucker punch someone?” I retorted as I pulled myself to my feet. He grumbled a laugh.

  “Hasn’t anyone told you, it’s rude to bring that up in a fight!” he roared and darted straight for me with a fist pulled back. I dodged the first three quick jabs and caught the fourth one, I brought up my knee, realising that wasn’t enough to assemble an efficient round house.

  He stumbled back and I glanced over at Bella, only to see a fist head straight towards me. I evaded it in time but learnt that the panther-looking-man was hunched over like a cat—his back raised and he roared like a panther. I gasped and back-hand-flipped away from him. I felt his claws inches from my stomach as I tumbled away but relaxed a little, once I placed my hand on my stomach, realising he hadn’t struck me. “You’re quick,” he replied.

  “I need to be to get away from scum like you.” I retorted.

  “Now that’s harsh,” he replied and pulled out a metal chain, there were blades on the opposite side and he danced the chain around like a whip. “I consider myself above scum.” The chain tore the ground beneath my feet. I felt my energy steady beneath my feet and I was once again walking on air. Maybe it isn’t wise to tick him off. I thought, wondering how I was going to get out of this fight.

  He delivered a right hook and a left hook, then a kick at my head of his own. I gasped in surprise, he was trained—and talented—two things that made a dangerous fighter. I evaded his punches and watched as hook kick, a kick that is lifted to the head that flicks back, was strung for my head and I brought up both my bracers and blocked the attack. Using both my arms I threw him into the wall—how I managed that surprised me. Bricks tumbled onto him and I heard Bella declare:

  “Well done.” She ducked and punched the mortuss in the stomach before bringing out her forearm blades, with an elegant spin on her toes, she instantly severed its head from its body. “Let’s see you growl now.” she retorted and I glanced over at her in horror. “What it’s not human.” I glared. She shrugged. “Time to go.” I glanced at the panther man before backing away and chased after Bella. As I sprinted down an abandoned street, passing empty dust covered cars and bikes left on the side walk. The ground grumbled, nearby several glass screens cracked as streetlights were knocked over.

  “Sweet angel, what is that?” I asked, feeling a tremor beneath my boots. It occurred too long to be an earthquake but it was strong like one.

  “I don’t know but it could mean trouble.” Bella called over the tremors. The ground split and I jumped out of the way of a slab of earth that threatened to smoother me. It shattered a few feet from me. Trouble was the right term to describe what was happening at this moment, because I watched in horror as an earth smeared monster climbed out of the ground. The problem was it appeared to have always been there as I saw closely street lights, asphalt roads, paths and buildings. Dirt and dust tumbled to the ground in damp hails.

  “No way!” I exclaimed.

  “He’s been down there this whole time?!” Bella questioned as she stared up at the monster. I noted all through his body were vines, roots, sewage tunnels, electric cables and lots of dirt. My mind flashed back to the time when I was with Kal. A large earthly looking dragon also climbed out of the ground.

  “I’ve been here for one thousand, of your earth times,” it boomed. “And my kin even more.” As everything around me began to slightly reassemble itself, I had come to understand that the trembling ground was of something much more dangerous was on approach. How much older was he really and was there really more? I had these questions and wanted answers but for now they’ll have to wait.

  “What’s your name?” I asked and watched as he shifted around to peer down at me.

  “Markonis.” he replied, his voice boomed around me and I watched as he gazed at the Russian White House in the distance. I recalled I left because I wanted to find the others but given the mortuss attack I never thought to go back. “You two are not human. Can you not sense it?”

  I did—I felt something was terribly wrong. It was in the air. “What do you think is causing it?” I asked.

  “Power. Angelic power.” The Codex. He was using the codex for some strange reason. How he was using it made me wonder for what purpose? Wouldn’t anyone?

  As the dark clouds overhead spiralled around the skies above the white house, I had come to understand the dangers that befell us. The Codex. He must have had a Codex to cause such a disaster. The ground trembled beneath my feet and I glanced over at Bella. Electricity smothered the skies in frightening striking bright white. The winds pic
ked up and I regarded the earth monster—Markonis. “How do you know that?” I asked.

  He easily replied. “It’s in the air, can’t you feel it?” I could feel it—it was strong and I knew that meant trouble. It was bound to cause destruction and loss of life to Earth’s mortal race. I watched Bella, she must have thought the same thing as she nodded.

  I began to run. “We’ll see you around Markonis!” I called over my shoulder, soon realising he wasn’t our enemy—or rather I hoped he wasn’t our enemy. Bella was quick to follow my lead. The ground tumbled and the earth seemed to roll towards us.

  “Climb on!” he boomed. “I’ll make sure you get to the white house without trouble.” So leaping high with a forward summersault, I landed on the moving earth and ran. Bella was quick to follow behind.

  “Thanks!” she shouted and towards the white house we ran. There were mortuss and several Outlanders in dark cartel uniform—I watched as the ground made them unsteady, several tried to jump onto the revolving earth but the ground formed arms that flung them away. I smiled and glanced over my shoulder. I watched as Markonis’s arms moulded into the ground, it was his arms that threw the enemy away from us. I never realised how many monsters we had to go through, several fired weapons—Bella brought up her shield and expanded it so that it wrapped around us, I threw a shield behind us and watched as several of the energy shells smashed against the transparent red wall. I heard the sound of energy bullets against the shields and I smiled at a pleased Bella. The earth beneath our feet began to incline and up high we went. “Ready?” she called over the noise. I knew what was next to come. I pulled forth my broadsword.

  “Ready!” I replied and the shields dropped. We leaped high into the air and Markonis smashed the earth like a bomb and several lost their footing. I wondered why the earth deity was helping us—that was something I feared. Down I fell with my sword ready and landed on the first mortuss—through his chest my blade went before I was quick to sever its head. I moved onto the next one, I dodged its clawed hand, ducking under its arm, I sliced its back and elbowed the one behind me quickly and efficiently. I knew I couldn’t waste time nor could I hold back—it was life or death on this battlefield and I chose to live. My legs were heavy and my arms lagged but my movements were quick. I wondered how much more I’d have to go up against—it seemed endless. My limbs warmed and my energy radiated within me, it burned like desire to be released. By instinct I released it and watched as a blinding light glittered from my chest before expanding, my body felt lighter and warmer. Warm like the radiant sun. By the time it died down, I felt in control and powerful. The mortuss around me stepped back as did several members of the Dark Cartel, perhaps surprised—I didn’t know why but I knew was one thing: Ivan. He was the one I had to ensure failed.