Tale of Life (Essence Series #2)

by Todd, E. L.

  Breccan and Easton followed behind him but didn’t speak, abandoning their previous argument, much to Calloway’s relief. He would put up with their disagreement at any other time except now. While the land looked calm and peaceful, Calloway wasn’t easily convinced. The Hara-Kirs could be watching them.

  They etched deeper into the forest until Calloway heard a familiar sound. Moving water was colliding with a nearby beach, making loud waves that could be heard from where they were standing.

  “Is that an ocean?” Easton whispered.

  “Do they have oceans?” Breccan asked.

  Calloway looked up into the sky, seeing the tip of the nearby tree reach out into space. “Well, they have trees and trees need water. It is very possible.”

  “And all life needs water,” Easton added. “Perhaps this place is no different than earth.”

  “It is,” Calloway said. “It reminds me of earth but everything looks slightly different—exaggerated. When have you ever seen trees this tall?”

  Breccan nodded. “That’s true.”

  Calloway led them farther into the woodland then he heard a snap of a twig a short distance away. He stopped in his tracks then looked at his friends. Without speaking, he told them to hide in a copse of bushes, sneaking behind the brush out of sight. Calloway couldn’t fit alongside them so he moved behind a tree and waited.

  The sound of moving feet could be heard then a hiss echoed into the night. Suddenly, a Hara-Kir charged for the bush that completely hid Breccan and Easton from view, and he pulled a sword from his belt and started to slash at them.

  Calloway sprinted from behind the tree and stabbed his blade directly into its heart. Then he kicked it in the knees so it fell back. Easton inserted her blade into his chest, and Breccan placed his alongside hers. They caught their breath for a moment before they removed their blades and deposited the body behind the tree.

  “How did it see us?” Easton whispered. “It had no idea we were there until it walked into the clearing.”

  “He can see our essence,” Breccan explained. “Remember?”

  “But Calloway was closer to him and it didn’t attack him,” Easton said. “And Calloway is the easier kill.”

  Calloway shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “Perhaps he didn’t see me.”

  “But he had to,” Easton said. “And he can’t know who you are just by looking at your essence. I doubt he didn’t harm you because he recognized you.”

  “I’m sure he just didn’t see me,” Calloway said. “And we are bound to run into more. We’ll see what happens then.” He pulled his hood farther over his face and continued to move forward while Breccan left more pieces of fabric to mark their way back to the portal.

  Now that they had been attacked, Calloway felt panicked and anxious. He was enjoying the exquisite scenery until the Hara-Kir leapt from the shadows. Since the world was so open desolate, he wondered how they were organized in the Anti-Life. He also found the title of their world inappropriate—the place was full of life.

  As they walked forward the sound of the ocean became more amplified, and they could hear it originating from the left side, crashing into their ears. The sound of the soothing waves calmed Calloway once more and allowed him to walk through the forest without being overcome with anxiety. The trees started to become less dense as they moved forward.

  “It’s not cold,” Easton said suddenly.

  “What?” Breccan asked.

  “It’s nighttime but it isn’t cold—at all. They must be experiencing the summer months as well. I wonder if the shape of the planet is similar to Earth, as well as its rotation and location in the universe.”

  “It’s possible,” Calloway said.

  When they reached the end of the trees they stopped, ducking behind a fallen log, and gazed at the structure before them. A fortress was built near the beach and the walls were made of smooth stone, a pristine white color. It immediately reminded Calloway of the White Wing on campus. The material looked identical.

  “Does that remind you of anything?” he asked.

  “The White Wing,” Easton answered.

  They watched the fortress for a long time without speaking. There were flaming torches mounted on every surface and the flames reached high into the air, giving off adequate light to see in the darkness. The keep was circular, and there were different walkways on the outer ring of every story. Rather than it be stacked high into the sky with multiple levels, it was stretched out horizontally. Calloway couldn’t see the rest of the complex because the trees blocked their view, but he knew the size was immense. When he directed his gaze to the beach he saw flickering lights across the black water of the ocean, indicating another building of some sort a distance away. The ocean waves were black and only their white caps could be seen in the darkness. The sound of the powerful waves was hypnotic and alluring, making Calloway feel at ease and rested.

  “This place is beautiful,” Easton said quietly. “Is this what our planet looked like before we conquered it with buildings, roads, and skyscrapers?”

  Calloway shrugged. “It’s possible,” he said. “I find it hard to believe that this serene place is home to the monsters that seek to destroy the Life. This place looks no different than home. Why do they seek to destroy it?”

  “They are lunatics,” Breccan said. “That’s why.”

  “I’m sure that there is a reason,” Easton said. “And not just because they don’t feel a purpose.”

  “This is confusing,” Calloway whispered.

  Calloway flinched when he saw a Hara-Kir walk across a circular platform, leaving one building and entering another. The Hara-Kir didn’t react to their presence and Calloway assumed they were safe. “They must live in that building.”

  “Or maybe they work in the structure,” Easton said.

  “We have to get inside,” Calloway said.

  Breccan took a deep breath. “This is going to be tricky.”

  Another door opened and revealed another figure, but it wasn’t a Hara-Kir. It was much bigger than the creatures they were familiar with. The fiend’s height surpassed seven feet, making Calloway appear small, and it was large, with wide shoulders and thick legs. A black hood obscured his face and body but Calloway knew that it wasn’t human—or looked human. The power of its frame was seen in the way it walked, like it carried too many layers of muscles. The sight made Calloway’s throat go dry. He entered another doorway and disappeared. “That wasn’t a Hara-Kir.”

  “Then what was it?” Breccan asked.

  Calloway took a deep breath. “I don’t know,” he said. “But I have no interest in finding out.”

  “It’s a possibility that we might,” Easton said. “I doubt that’s the only one in the complex.”

  “I wish we knew how to kill it,” Breccan said.

  Calloway shifted his weight from behind the log. “We follow the same protocol as the Hara-Kirs,” he said. “Okay?”

  They both nodded.

  “Are you ready?” Calloway asked.

  “What are we doing?” Breccan asked.

  “We are going to enter through the door they appeared from,” Calloway said, pointing to the left door. “We’ll research anything we can find then we’ll leave, coming back another time.”

  “Come back?” Easton asked quietly.

  “You don’t have to,” Calloway whispered. “But let’s just concentrate on now.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  Calloway rose from the log and crossed the clearing, looking for any witnesses on the outside of the building, and then walked up the main stairs to the door. The torches flickered as they passed and Calloway could feel the heat through his robes, making him sweat at the close proximity. The door handles were thin and long, allowing for a larger hand to grab the rail. The revelation made Calloway’s heart beat faster. The creature looked humongous a great distance away so he wondered how big it was up close—he didn’t want to think about it. Easton and Breccan stopped behind
him and looked around, searching for any Hara-Kirs passing by.

  When Calloway opened the door, he peered inside and saw that the hallway was deserted. Then he stepped into the building with his friends following close behind. When the door shut behind them, the torches on the wall flickered with the passing breeze. They returned to their normal blaze a moment later.

  Calloway moved down the hallway until he reached a door on the left-hand side. He pressed his ear against it and listened for a moment before he determined that no one was inside. He opened the doorway and saw the contents—it was a library. Calloway walked into the room with his friends behind him then shut the door.

  “Is this a library?” Easton whispered.

  The room was small but there were bookcases on every wall, which were full of different volumes of books. They all grabbed random books from the bookshelf and flipped through the pages. Everything was written in the symbols of the Hara-Kir so none of them could read it. Even Easton couldn’t make out a single word.

  “I can’t translate this,” she said. “But it is obvious that these creatures aren’t mindless beasts. They clearly study certain subjects and express them in written form.”

  “Good for them,” Breccan hissed.

  Easton ignored his comment. “I should take these with me.”

  A voice outside the door made them all jump. Easton dropped the book she was holding but Calloway caught it before it hit the floor, announcing their presence through the door.

  “It starts soon,” the male voice said. It sounded raspy and cracked, like the creature had been screaming all day and was losing its voice. “We should get going.”

  “Talon doesn’t accept those who are late,” the other voice, which was smooth and calm, said almost as if the conversation was boring to him. “So yes, we should.”

  Easton leaned against the wall and covered her chest with her arms, trying to control her heavy breathing and upcoming panic attack. Calloway felt his heart race as he listened to their exchange outside in the hallway. He returned the book to the shelf then walked into the other room, looking for anything valuable inside. It looked like an old closet that had been abandoned for a many years. There were spider webs in the corner and a few chests that contained empty orbs identical to Calloway’s. He grabbed a handful and stuffed them into his pocket, hoping they might be useful when they returned home.

  The door burst open and he heard Easton’s quiet scream, being attacked by the Hara-Kir on the outside of the door. Calloway sprinted back into the room, disregarding the Hara-Kir that was attacking Breccan, and slashed at the creature that was gripping Easton by the throat. The anger coursed through his body when he saw Easton’s face turn blue, and he stabbed the creature in the back three times until it finally died. He didn’t check Easton to verify that she was okay because it was obvious that Breccan needed aid. His arm was bleeding from a knife wound and the blood was dripping on the ground. Calloway shoved the creature out of the way then cut his heart out with the knife, pulling it from its chest. When the Hara-Kir was dead, Calloway returned to the door and shut it, making sure no one else could enter.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, breathing heavily. He stepped toward Easton and examined her throat, which was bruised from the strangling she just received. She coughed a few times before she regained her composure.

  “I’m okay.” She breathed.

  Calloway turned to Breccan, who was applying pressure to the wound on his arm. Calloway examined the cut and was relieved that the wound wasn’t too deep. It didn’t penetrate to the bone. “Are you okay?”

  Breccan nodded. “Yes,” he said. “We’re both fine.”

  “Something is happening,” Easton said. “They saw us through the wall.”

  Calloway looked at her. “They probably just heard you.”

  “No,” she said. “Neither one of us moved. And even if there was a noise, why would they stampede in here with their blades and fists raised? They knew who we were before they even opened the door.”

  Calloway felt his heart drop. “They can see the essence through solid objects?”

  “Apparently,” Easton said as she rubbed her throat. “But they didn’t even notice you, Calloway. It was like they could only see Breccan and me.”

  “But I was in the closest,” he argued.

  “That shouldn’t matter,” Breccan said. “They can see through solid objects. They should have seen you.”

  “What are you implying?” Calloway asked.

  “I don’t know,” Easton said. “But I know they can’t see you.”

  Calloway paced across the room. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how right his friends were. None of the Hara-Kirs had attacked him in the past, focusing all of their effort on killing Breccan and Easton, and they always spared Calloway. “I’ll move forward and you guys return to the portal.”

  “We aren’t doing that,” Easton said.

  “You just said they can’t see me,” Calloway argued.

  “It’s still too risky,” Easton said.

  Calloway sighed. “I have to find out what these guys were talking about—this meeting with Talon—whoever that is. Return to the portal and wait for me. If I don’t return within the hour then leave without me.”

  Easton wrapped her arms around him. “I don’t like this.”

  Calloway grabbed her hands and pulled them down. “I’ll be fine,” he said. “Please do as I ask. We are wasting time here.”

  Easton took a deep breath. “Okay.”

  Calloway turned to Breccan. “Take her and get out of here,” he said. He lit the orb then handed it to Breccan, who store it out of sight. He opened the door and peered down the hallway. When no one was in sight, he stepped into the hall and waited for Breccan and Easton to make their entrance. “Return to the portal and do not come back for me. Do you understand?”

  “Okay.” Breccan nodded.

  Calloway turned away without saying goodbye to his friends, too emotional to say those final words. He had no idea what was going to happen to him or if he would ever return, but he knew he had to do this.

  The hallway stretched for a long time and the torches on the wall repeated themselves every few feet. He wondered how long this hallway was when he finally reached the end of the corridor. He stopped when he say the thousands of Hara-Kirs compacted into the coliseum in the center of the building. It stretched high into the sky, and the ceiling was made of glass, which showed the twinkling lights overhead. None of the Hara-Kirs looked at him twice, assuming he was one of them. He stayed in the back near the exit and watched the Hara-Kirs take their seats in the circular bleachers. Calloway felt his mouth go dry at the sight of them. If they discovered he was a human, he would have no chance of escape. He would be stuck her until they killed him or he died by natural means. The only gratification he received in that moment was the knowledge that Breccan and Easton were safe. If all of the Hara-Kirs were inside the building, then there wouldn’t be any outside the complex. And by judging the number of bodies in the room, he assumed that his gathering was extremely important.

  The conversation died down when a man walked onto the center of the stage in the middle of the formation. His face was hooded but Calloway was glad that he couldn’t see his face. The tall height and massive shoulders was enough to make any strong man turn and flee. He walked around the stage with his hands tucked behind his back, pacing around the dais.

  He raised his hands in the air and the room became so silent that Calloway thought his breathing could be heard by everyone. The quiet authority that this figure exerted was so powerful that it gave Calloway chills. While he thought Weston was powerful and assumed the other members of the White Wing were as well, they were no match to the fiends before him. They weren’t just outmatched in strength but sheer numbers. This was just one gathering. How many more were on his planet?

  “The wait is almost over,” the figure said, pacing on the circular dais. There was a table behind him that held
four Hara-Kirs; their faces masked and hidden in shadow. They watched their leader address the audience with stiff backs and tense frames. “Talon has delivered.”

  The sounds of his name sent shivers down Calloway’s spine. He couldn’t describe his aversion to the title but he knew it made him uneasy.

  “I know you’re tired of the wait,” he continued. “For centuries we have tried to win this war but to no avail. We have gathered as much essence as possible, and when the numbers weren’t enough, we decided to take them by force.” He returned his hands to their usual place behind his back. “But we can’t keep waiting like this. So instead of using force to take what is necessary, we will make the humans donate them—willingly.”

  The crowd started to whisper to each other, intrigued by this sudden announcement, and wondered how their leader going to achieve this. “We will elicit fear, despair, and depression—eliminating any reason for a purpose. The humans will no longer function the way they do, with this useless and pathetic existence, and eternal salvation will finally be ours. We can return to the depth our genesis and stop waiting for humans to wreck their world on their own—we’ll do it for them. Only when life has purpose will they stay true to their morals and values, practicing the laws they claim to preach, but all of that will change when their world falls under eternal night.” The crowd cheered at the intensity of his words, knowing that their leader will fulfill his promises. “The humans will readily give up their essence, handing it to us freely when we are done poisoning all of their crops, collapsing every bridge, destroying their water supply, and infecting illness into their infants. Their purpose in life will be gone—that repetitiveness that drives them forward—and they will not only hand over their essence—they will beg us to take it.”

  Flight

  Calloway had heard enough. The explosive words sent his heart into a frenzy. He knew he had to flee—return to his friends and tell Weston everything. Calloway turned on his heel and left the meeting in the coliseum, running through the long hallway and back to the outside of the complex. Even the soothing sound of the ocean waves did nothing to calm the anxiety he felt within him. The Hara-Kirs basically planned to turn the world into an apocalypse—something that had to be stopped.