Shadow Seed

by Rodriguez, Jose

  “I'm not going anywhere,” Gillan said. He quickly conjured a small quasi-hurricane of water directly on top of Rovgi.

  Caycee fired an arrow, hitting Rovgi in the leg, but the Caidoz wasn't affected by anything that was happening.

  Melkor began trembling from concentrating so hard, and still the boulder slowly inched its way closer.

  Caycee fired her last two arrows before noticing movement behind her. Seeing Eisar, Piscoro, Princcora and Quasairu several yards away, she screamed.

  As the Caidoz began to close in, bolts of lightning struck all of them, temporarily bringing them to one knee.

  The Rheans were also briefly incapacitated by the light and sound.

  A serpent-headed Caidoz with skin like a snake stood in the middle of the street.

  Rovgi nodded. “Shuo Pu Chi.”

  Caycee grabbed onto to Gillan waiting for something bad to happen.

  Looking at the Rheans and then Rovgi, Shuo Pu Chi let out a long hiss.

  At that, the rest of the Caidoz dispersed into their incorporeal forms.

  The Rheans stood weary as Shuo Pu Chi pulled a piece of jade from his pocket and tossed it to Gillan's feet before vanishing in a flash of lightning.

  Melkor fell to the ground exhausted. “What on earth was all that about?”

  Gillan picked the green stone up examining it. “I don't know,” he said, placing the rock in his pocket. “But I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of them.”

  Still watching from afar, Cesni was disappointed. “Hey, I thought there were only twelve of them!”

  “Oh,” Ivee said, frowning. “Looks like Mr. Know-It-All doesn’t know it all, after all.”

  Marduk, who couldn't care less, pushed his cohorts aside as he walked away. “We're done here.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Arloff's right arm was missing and his left leg cut to shreds. Like an injured lion trying to fend off a pack of hyenas, he lashed out at any Pelasgian dumb enough to get close.

  When a group of Centaurs and Satyrs dealt enough damage with their arrows and spears, Arloff collapsed to the ground.

  The blockade of the Pelasgian portal had failed, and the same battle was now being fought in and around it in two different worlds.

  Along with a few others, Kamala and Darek were in the Shadow Realm fighting with a Corinthian on a griffin near the portal.

  As soon as there was an opening, the griffin took to the air and left.

  “They're good as dead,” Darek complained. “They should have never given chase.”

  Kamala frantically looked in all directions. “No, we have to get them out.”

  “We can't even get to them!”

  Kamala grabbed Darek by the collar. “The Fenrir will be wiped out if we don't do something.”

  They were both suddenly knocked over when a Centaur came charging through from the Netherworld.

  It was Darek who took the brunt of the hit. When he struggled to get up he realized his neck was twisted at an odd angle. “Oy, what happened?”

  “Hold still,” Kamala said, grabbing Darek by the hair with one hand and pulling.

  Darek shouted at the cracking sound of his neck straightening. “Cripes!”

  “You're lucky you can't feel that,” said Kamala.

  “Lucky?” Darek rolled his eyes. “You might have noticed I’m already dead.”

  Back in the Netherworld, more than half of the Pelasgians had managed to retreat to the Shadow Realm. The rest were doing everything they could to do the same.

  Amidst the fighting, Arloff emerged from the ground. He noticed wave after wave of Pelasgians escaping through the portal and ran after them with five Prometheans tagging along. When he entered the Shadow Realm, the huge number of enemy appearing to hold their ground caught him off guard.

  Darek spotted Arloff. “Look who joined the party.”

  Kamala immediately ran over to join the Prometheans.

  Pelasgians coming through the portal avoided them as they regrouped further away.

  Arloff was confused. “I thought these guys would have been running for the hills.”

  “They are trying to retreat,” Kamala said. “But the Fenrir chased half of them through, and now they're caught in the middle.”

  Arloff couldn't exactly see the Fenrir, but he could tell where they where by the motion of the fighting. “They're definitely stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

  Directly ahead of the Prometheans, the Pelasgians were backing away as much as they could, but they had little room to move with the Fenrir fighting on the opposite end.

  “Please do something,” Kamala said. “We don't have time to go back and get help. They're being slaughtered.”

  Arloff looked to his Promethean companions. “Gather up! We have to make this quick. Kamala, try to clear the other side of this portal.”

  Kamala and Darek immediately returned to the Netherworld.

  Lining up shoulder to shoulder, the Prometheans charged full speed into the enemy. Anyone in the way was either run over or swatted aside. It was only a matter of seconds till they were upon the Fenrir.

  “Alright, backup!” Hurok said.

  “No time to argue,” Arloff hollered. “You need to get out of here now.”

  “If you say so,” Hurok said, before letting out a howl that could be heard for miles.

  Arloff and a few of the Prometheans began the arduous task of fighting their way back to the portal. The rest of them spread themselves out among the Fenrir to keep the Pelasgians back.

  In the Netherworld, the fighting around the portal was back and forth.

  Kamala knocked Stig down, allowing a Centaur to run away.

  “What gives?” Stig asked angrily.

  “Arloff is coming through with the Fenrir.” Kamala said. “They won’t be able to come through if we're fighting right here. We need to pull back so they have enough room.”

  “What about the Pelasgians?”

  “Leave them. They’re running away. Besides, the Prometheans can roll over them.”

  The area around the portal quickly became vacant with scores of Pelasgians retreating.

  Soon, the Prometheans came charging through with the Fenrir close behind.

  Off to the side, Darek watched in joy. “Right in the nick of time,” he said.

  “Headache!” someone cried.

  Darek turned just as an Eriny flew past and swiped his head clean off. In the minute it took for him to dig himself out of the ground, everyone was cheering and the Pelasgian portal had closed.

  Kamala helped Darek up. “Try working on situational awareness.”

  Darek brushed the dirt off. “I'll say it again. I sure fancy my final form.”

  “You really depended on that, didn't you?” Kamala asked.

  “What can I say? It got the job done.”

  Kamala gave some high-fives to a few people cheering as they passed by.

  “Oy,” Darek smiled. “We sure kicked the tar outta them, didn't we?”

  “We sure did,” Kamala said. She gave Darek a big hug and ventured toward the city.

  Arloff pushed his way through the crowd. “Hurok!”

  “Yeah?!” came the answer.

  It took a moment for Arloff to see the dwarf standing in front of him just past several people. “What happened?”

  “What do you mean?” Hurok replied.

  “How did the Pelasgians get through the blockade like that?”

  “You'd be surprised,” Hurok said amazed. “Almost couldn't believe it myself. Desperation can be a powerful thing you know.”

  Arloff clinched his fists. “Well you didn't have to chase them into the Shadow Realm. If the portal had closed, you and the rest of the Fenrir would have been stuck back there.”

  “Ha!” Hurok laughed. “I'm sure Lilith would have just opened another.”

  “Think what you will,” Arloff mumbled. He returned to the city among a crowd of people. Moving off to the side to get through, he fou
nd Kamala relaxing on a pile of straw.

  “You Prometheans are something else,” Kamala said, giving a thumbs up.

  “You have my admiration as well,” Arloff said. “Don't get too comfortable though. I believe Lilith will have us support those in Rhea. They're going to need all the help they can get.”

  “Is it that bad?” Kamala asked.

  “Take a look around,” Arloff answered. “I don't know about you, but I’m seeing a lot of new faces around here.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Janah, Nedim and Talik almost tore a door off its hinges running into an abandoned building. They blockaded the room with anything they could find.

  All three were shell shocked and running on adrenaline. Blood seeped from various wounds. As they sat against the wall, explosions and screaming echoed in the distance.

  “Such a shame,” Talik said. “I didn't think they could break through the barricade like that.”

  Janah banged her fist against the floor. “It should have held! It’s those Erinies and griffins and the stupid portals.”

  Talik shook his head and pulled his knees close to his chest. “Still, in such narrow spaces the numbers shouldn't matter.”

  Nedim tightened one of the bandages on his leg. “Do you remember what Caycee saw?”

  “You mean that poor world that was ruined in the Shadow Realm?” Janah replied.

  “Remember,” Nedim said. “It could be a lot worse. At least we have a chance to fight.”

  Janah turned to peek out the window. Two seconds went by before something suddenly flew past, making her flinch and close her eyes tight.

  Nedim noticed Janah was beginning to fall in that yielding state of mind. “Keep it together, Janah.”

  Talik crawled to the next room over and looked out of another window, but it was difficult to see. “Okay, we're on the third tier. It looks like the shopping district. Seventh plaza, I think, but I'm not sure.”

  “No way,” Janah said. “I got disoriented too, but if this is the seventh, we covered a lot more distance than I thought and went in the wrong direction. We have to be in the eighth or tenth.”

  “Eighth,” Nedim said. “The barracks isn't far.”

  Janah began moving toward the door. “Then I know where we are. Let's try and stay inside the buildings.”

  The trio had to sneak along an overhead path that ran over several buildings.

  Nedim glanced over the edge and saw two dark figures running down the street. There was no way of telling if it was friend or foe, and he wasn't about to risk it.

  Janah spotted Pelasgians coming up on an adjacent walkway. “Get down,” she whispered, taking cover behind a railing.

  The Pelasgians quickly passed by, kicking in the door of any building they came across.

  “Stay low,” Janah said. She hurried along, almost crawling to the next building.

  Inside, they frantically searched for a way out.

  Janah opened a door to a stairwell leading to the fourth tier. “Anyone feel like going up?”

  In the next room, Nedim found another stairwell. “We can go down.”

  Talik opened a door to find a Corinthian about to kick it in. “Pelasgians!” he yelled, slamming the door shut.

  The Pelasgians barged in like madmen.

  Talik quickly killed one Corinthian and was tackled by another into a table, where they wrestled.

  Nedim came around the corner, shooting an energy blast into the back of a Satyr about to take a stab at Talik.

  Janah ran in at the same time a Minotaur did. Both locked weapons, but Janah was easily overpowered, losing her sword as the Minotaur threw her back like a rag doll into the next room.

  Nedim shattered a Corinthian's shield with an energy blast as they closed in on him, but it barely slowed them down. He deflected their attacks with his long knife as he backed away.

  In the heat of battle, almost no one seemed to hear a loud crashing noise from above as if someone had broken through a door.

  Nedim heard it, and thought for sure he and his friends were finished. His back was against the wall when Kadir popped up behind the Corinthians and killed them with his bare hands.

  In the next room Talik was still wrestling with a Corinthian, using every ounce of strength to keep the enemy's blade from his heart.

  Kadir picked the Pelasgian up by the back of the neck and impaled him with his own knife.

  One room over, Janah held onto the Minotaur's axe for dear life as she was slammed into the furniture. Weak and tired, she couldn't help losing her grip as she was tossed to the floor.

  Before the Minotaur could raise his axe, Kadir grabbed him from behind and rammed his head into the wall.

  Nedim rushed over to help Janah. “I thought you were dead,” he said.

  Janah could barely stand. She fell into the only chair in the room that wasn’t broken.

  Talik walked in and fell against the wall. “Thanks for the assist, Kadir. I owe you one.”

  “You're welcome,” Kadir said. “I got here as fast as I could when I saw the Pelasgians come in after you.”

  Janah picked her weapons up. “And here I am thinking it's more dangerous outside.”

  “The barracks isn't far, right?” Talik asked.

  Kadir nodded. “I just came from there.”

  “Please, don't tell me the barracks fell,” said Janah.

  “Relax,” Kadir said. “When I left, it was doing quite well. We heard your group had fallen back to the riverbed. After that, we feared the worst. Vizier Sadi sent me to find you.”

  Nedim’s concern was clear. “Sadi is here, in Siriso?”

  “Great,” Janah said smacking Kadir's arm. “You can take us to her. I don't like it much here anyways.”

  Kadir went over to check on Talik. “I'll lead the way. Stay low and move fast. We’re going up one level, there are fewer Pelasgians.”

  The moment Nedim stepped outside he could see Pelasgians in all directions. It was a wonder the group wasn't seen.

  After crossing the street, Kadir led them up and down through a series of interconnecting buildings. They narrowly avoided several Pelasgians who entered the room as they descended a flight of stairs.

  The group came to a small shop on the fourth tier.

  “Barracks is right outside,” Kadir said.

  Janah saw some Pelasgians blocking the way as others were trying to break into the barracks. “No choice but to fight our way through.”

  Nedim opened the door a hair. “Let me try softening them up,” he said, before stepping out and firing what few energy blasts he could.

  Two Pelasgians fell dead. One was only injured, and the rest charged the Hegirans.

  Kadir easily killed two, and then found a Corinthian that put up a better fight.

  If Janah and Talik weren’t weak from exhaustion they would have evened things out quickly. All they could do was fight with everything they could muster.

  With his back to the wall, Nedim waited for a Satyr to make a move. He dove out of the way just in time and threw his long knife into the creature's chest.

  “Look up!” Janah yelled, but it was too late.

  An Eriny crashed into Nedim.

  Even if he were at full strength, the Anubian was no match for a monster twice his size.

  The Eriny grabbed Nedim by the neck with one hand and lifted him off the ground.

  Nedim's legs flailed as he tried to resist the crushing grip. When it felt like his neck might give, he saw a blinding flash of energy that sheared off the arm holding him, followed by two more that struck the Eriny in the chest and head.

  Lying on the ground and gasping for air, it was a miracle Nedim managed to roll over and push himself to his knees.

  A female Anubian kneeled next to him.

  Nedim instantly recognized her. “Sadi...”

  “Save your strength,” Sadi said, holding Nedim’s hand.

  Janah fell lazily next to them. “Good thing you came out when you did. I've
got nothing left.”

  Dozens of Hegirans swept through the area as Kadir helped Talik into the barracks.

  Sadi gently rubbed her hand across Nedim’s upper back. “At least you're still in one piece. The enemy appears to be in retreat.”

  “Are you sure?” Nedim asked. “They may be regrouping.”

  “If they are, they're falling back pretty far,” Sadi answered. “Scouts spotted them entering portals on all sides of the city.”

  “Yes,” Janah smiled. “We beat them.”

  Nedim stood and limped his way towards the barracks with Sadi. “When did you get back? I thought you were in Iza.”

  “Word travels fast and so do I,” Sadi said, holding Nedim’s arm. “Good thing I came too. It's not every day I save my fiancé.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Sara's eyes slowly opened as she came to. The first thing that came to mind was the Koiga who'd kidnapped her in Vesuvia. Her grogginess wore off rapidly, and the headache was mild at best.

  She sat up on the hard floor. In front of her was a large opening to a balcony that gave a fantastic nighttime view of two moons and an enormous, beautiful planet with blue oceans and vast continents.

  The roof had a few openings, but there were spots where black drapes hung halfway down to the floor. The walls appeared to be made of a combination of metals, and along them were numerous statues of creatures Sara had never seen before.

  Looking back, Sara found Nibiru in his chair, watching her. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed her equinox. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Nibiru,” he answered, making an effort to at least look friendly. “I tried to decorate a little bit, but I'm not too familiar with human taste.”

  If Nibiru’s pale skin and glowing red eyes didn’t give it away, the view to the outside told Sara where she was. “This is the Shadow Realm, isn't it?”

  “Some call it that,” Nibiru answered. “The name of this particular world escapes me at the moment. There are so many. I am very sorry, Sara, for having to bring you-”

  “How do you know my name?” Sara asked.

  Nibiru began to sense that Sara was going to be tough to crack. “What I have to show you is much more important than the answers you seek. But if you must know, I watched you and the Rheans during your visit to the Corinthian homeworld. And I must admit I was very impressed with you.”