Shadow Walkers

by Kostura, Micheal

  The tall elite Void seemed completely unaware of their approach. Hector holds out the misty purple stone that he received from Zerik. Nick and Scott grab onto Hector’s arm and the three of them make eye contact with each other. Nick mouths the countdown, and on the unspoken three, Hector grabs the elite Void and activates his new Invert power. Without a chance to react, the three of them are dragged into a small silver portal. A blinding light makes Nick shut his eyes for a few seconds, and when he opens them, he and the others are surrounded by a white room with no exits.

  “What the hell is this?” The Void asks as he looks around with a dazed expression on his face.

  Nick summons a swirl of energy around his hand, ready to launch it off at any second. “You’re Arion, right? You’re the elite Void ranked fourth in the Queen’s Hand.”

  “Yeah. I replaced that traitor Damon. You punks think you can take me on just because you defeated Ella? She was ranked number ten, making her the weakest among us. And she only got ranked in the first place because Valus requested it. Some of the non-ranked elites are stronger than that useless trash. And I’m leagues above all of them.”

  “No, actually.” Hector says as he grabs onto Nick’s shoulder. “I don’t think we have any chance to actually beat you. I just wanted to invite you to my ‘room’. You’re trapped here until I decide to let you out.”

  “What was that, you punk?” Arion half shouts, his face contorting with anger. Nick takes advantage of the Void’s rising temper to attack with all of his might. Nick’s newest power, his Chain that he used to help Hector defeat Ella, was of the support class. He could boost the strength of those who he touched, and of course himself. With his right hand glowing red, Nick launches a blast of energy at Arion. The elite is visibly alarmed, but he doesn’t have the time to counter. Almost immediately after being struck by the energy blast, Arion’s entire body is encased in a giant block of ice.

  “And that’s not all.” Scott says. Regina’s subordinate walks over and places his hand on the surface of the ice. A strange black pattern forms on the ice, and it spreads to cover almost the entire surface of the ice. “Okay, I sealed him. Can we get out of here before he kills us? I’d prefer not to die.”

  “Will he break out of that?” Hector asks. “You don’t sound too sure of your seal.”

  Scott shrugs. “It just depends on his strength. The seal can be broken, but it should buy us enough time. Now can we please leave, I’m getting nervous.”

  Nick shakes his head. Even he wasn’t afraid of the Void right in front of him, how could Scott seriously be anxious? “In any case it will take longer for him to break out than it did for Ella. I put a lot of my energy into this attack. Even if he is a lot stronger than Ella, he doesn’t have her power to repel things. The ice should hold for a while, and Scott’s seal should make the effect last even longer.”

  “Well I’m not trying to brag or anything, but the two of us seriously got stronger in Eros.” Hector says with a smug smile. Scott awkwardly looks around the room, as if he had missed some type of inside joke.

  Nick normally would have laughed at Hector, but he actually felt some truth in his friend’s words. Even though they were rookies, they were powerful. More powerful than most Shadow Walkers at this point in their progression. Isaac himself had said that the three of them would be monsters once they awakened all of their Chains. A Walker’s powers are tied to the strength of their soul. After all of the things that the three of them have learned about themselves and their families, it’s no surprise to Nick that his team was developing their powers so quickly.

  “Let’s head back.” Nick says. Hector nods and closes his eyes, seemingly focusing on the purple stone in his free hand. A silver portal appears from thin air once again, and the three of them are quickly pulled through to the other side.They stand back on the same ground they stood on when they jumped Arion. And thankfully, the situation has changed exactly as planned.

  Three battles are currently active, each at a point of the triangular barrier that was protecting the Gatekeeper. At the northern point, Allison and Damon battle Cleo, the elite Void who was ranked third in the Queen’s Hand. Near the western point, Rebecca and Jessie fight with Amber, the woman who was with Valus and Ella back in Eros. If Nick remembered correctly she was ranked fifth. And then to the east, Regina and Isaac battle Valus himself. The other twelve elite Void were taken out already.

  “I’m going to go help them out now. Be careful you two!” Scott shouts before running off in his teammates direction.

  “I’m off too.” Hector says. “Play it safe, Nick.” As instructed, he starts running towards Allison and Damon to assist them in their fight. Nick was left slightly disappointed, but determined nonetheless. He wanted his whole team to help him take Valus down, but for now he would have to just stick with the plan.

  Nick clenches his fist as he jogs towards Isaac and Regina’s battle. Keeping his wits about him, Nick prepares his support powers to give Isaac and Regina an attack boost. Once he gets close enough, Valus shouts at him.

  “And another one with a grudge shows up!”

  Nick ignores him and places his hand first on Regina, and then on Isaac. After taking his hand off of his captain he feels like a heavy weight was dropped onto his chest. The consistent usage of his new ability was starting to take a toll on him. Giving other people power consumed a lot more shadow energy than summoning ice. But with Valus standing right in front of him he would just have to ignore his aching body for the moment.

  Regina sighs. “Thanks kid.” She then holds a hand out and a summons her weapon- a handgun. Nick was quite surprised when he learned that not all duelers summoned swords and other melee weapons. The gun definitely stood out next to Isaac’s crimson blade, but Regina seemed just as confident with her weapon as she pulled the trigger. At almost the same moment, Valus shifts to hold his katana in front of his body. Then, as if he just swung his sword down on a steel beam, his sword arm wobbles and retracts.

  Nick was impressed by the force of the bullet. During their discussion before entering this battle, Regina had explained her power to everybody. Her gun didn’t shoot ‘bullets’ like the ones used on earth. Her bullets were just condensed energy that, upon reaching something in their path, unleashed a powerful blast. A single shot had the power to tear through multiple buildings. For Valus to block a shot boosted by Nick’s powers was truly incredible. And it only further showcased the immense strength that the man had.

  Valus smirks. “So your power got increased by that boy. That was quite an impressive shot. If I thought it was going to be that tough, I would have better prepared for impact. No matter…” Valus raises his sword, holding the handle in front of his mouth, the blade pointed to his right. Nick is baffled by the stance, but Regina doesn’t let the Void make the first move. The ten second recharge time on her gun was up, and she was quick to pull the trigger.

  But Valus Void jumps, only for him to reappear next to Nick. The elites blade cuts through the air with a soft hiss. Isaac, who was too far away to block the strike, screams. The screech triggers something inside Nick that pushes him to react. He does the only thing that could save him- he surrounds himself with a block of ice. Valus’ blade sinks far into the ice, stopping only an inch from Nick’s neck. Without a second thought, he quickly extends his ice down the blade and onto Valus’ arm. The Void frowns and Void jumps away, only a second before Isaac’s blade swings down in an attempt to behead.

  Nick wills the block of ice to disappear, and gasps for air as soon as his body is free.

  “Quick thinking!” Isaac shouts over his shoulder.

  Almost immediately after the praise, the red barrier surrounding the Gatekeeper suddenly disappears. Nick smirks. If the barrier was down then Arion must have been out of commission.

  “Arion and Ella in one day, how pitiful.” Valus says. “You and Hector Avern must feel very proud of yourselves for taking out another high ranking Void.”

  “You so
und bitter, Valus.” Nick retorts with a playful smile stretched upon his face.

  “Me? Why would I care about those fools?”

  “Not about them. You sound bitter because a half-breed rookie like me is using the powers that you hate so much to foil your mommies plans. It must hurt seeing this ice come back to haunt you after all these years.”

  Valus frowns. He opens his mouth to speak but is cut off by the sound of Regina’s gun firing. Valus whips his head to follow the track of Regina’s shot, and scowls as the Gatekeepers head reels back. Isaac points his sword at the giant, and with not a single cloud in the sky, the monster is suddenly struck by lightning. The giant begins to wobble, obviously dazed by the attack. But he quickly recovers and begins banging on something invisible in mid-air.

  “He’s still trying to break down the gate!” Regina shouts.

  Valus suddenly Void jumps and appears next to Isaac. The captain reacts quicker than Nick thought humanly possible and clashes swords with the Void. Nick takes the sudden opening and shoots a ball of energy at the Gatekeeper. No matter what, he couldn’t let the giant break open that door. He focuses all of his energy on creating the most durable ice possible. The giants left side is slowly encased in a thick layer of ice when purple goo suddenly starts forming on the ground all around Nick. Just like the day he met Isaac, Void start crawling out of the ground. And they were all Shredders.

  Thousands of them now stood all throughout the battlefield. The young Walker didn’t know if he had the energy to freeze all of the ones surrounding him. But before he even attempts to take a few down, a wave of ice suddenly flies forth and freezes about thirty Shredders. Nick looks around, dazed and unsure of what was going on.

  “My second Chain,” Isaac says with a grin, “Allows me to personally reuse the energies that I have absorbed in the past. It works hand in hand with my first Chain.”

  Nick cocks his head. “But when did you… Oh.” He quickly remembers the moment in training, after he accidentally froze Hector, that Isaac explained his first Chain’s ability and absorbed the ice. He didn’t once consider the idea that Isaac could utilize other Walkers powers.

  “Kill the Void!” A man shouts from behind Nick’s group. A massive cheering cries out, and Nick and the others look to see who has arrived. Nick’s heart gets lifted up as he stares at the massive crowd of Shadow Walkers that was standing before him.

  “Looks like backup has finally arrived.” Regina says. Nick nods in agreement as, before his eyes, hundreds of Walkers begin battling the Shredders crowding the battlefield. They couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

  “Eyes up front, Nick.” Isaac orders. He obeys and turns his attention back to Valus. Regina fires another shot, and another strike of lightning comes down upon the Gatekeeper. Valus lets out a yell before Void jumping, this time appearing in front of Regina. Isaac swings his blade and Nick tries to hit Valus with a blast of energy, but the Void man was too quick. He grabs Regina by her shoulder and then jumps away once again. It takes only a few more seconds before he reappears in front of Nick and his captain.

  “What did you do to her?” Isaac asks, his frustration completely evident in his voice.

  Valus shrugs. “Who knows? But for about a week she’ll be passed out from experiencing a Void jump. Who knows what might happen to her in such short notice.”

  “You would use such a cheap tactic…” Isaac’s confidence is visibly shaken after seeing Regina getting snatched away, and Nick was just as shocked. Regina wasn’t weak, but with the cooldown on her gun she was completely helpless against just a mere grab from Valus. Nick still didn’t understand why the Void were enemies to the Inverts and the Walkers, but he now understood why they should never be underestimated. It takes just one move for the Void to end you.

  The Gatekeeper lets out a roar so loud that it had to of distracted everybody on the battlefield for at least a couple seconds. A trail of silver twists around the giant’s head, and Nick quickly identifies the source. One of Hector’s wolves dives in and explodes right on the Gatekeepers face. The behemoth seemed to have finally received enough damage, as it promptly explodes into a cloud of purple dust.

  “Hector finished him off!” Nick shouts happily.

  “You damn Walkers!” Valus shouts. “You really think that a setback like this is enough to stop us? You fools still haven’t even killed the Gatekeeper in your own home. And Nick- oh Nicholas. Did you forget the deal I made with you?”

  Nick looks at Valus with as much spite as he could offer. “Deals off. I’m keeping both of our lives.”

  Valus snickers. “Oh, you mean yours and…” He snaps his fingers and a purple rift appears midair. Valus reaches into the portal and pulls Nick’s mother out by her hair. This time she’s ungagged, but she doesn’t say a single word as she’s manhandled. “This woman? You want to save her, right?”

  Nick prepares to launch a sneak attack, just like he did against Ella. Ice begins forming under his foot and digs into the ground below, on a path towards his mother.

  Valus laughs. “Don’t think someone like you could even touch me, Nicholas.” He lets go of Nick’s mother and forms a fist. The ice that Nick had built up underground suddenly vanishes. He tries to summon more, but it’s to no avail. His entire body begins to ache and his heartbeat picks up it’s pace. He catches Valus’ gaze, and his body is racked with chills.

  The confidence and spite he felt only moments ago, the bravery of standing up to Valus, and the determination to save his mother- In that instant, Nick lost it all. All he could think of was that his life was in danger. He knew that if he didn’t get away from Valus his life was going to whither away.

  As if it were a sign from Valus himself, random Walkers who weren’t even being attacked suddenly collapse to the ground. Nick was suddenly incapable of moving. He feels a drop of sweat run down his back, and for some reason, all he could think of was every last drop of blood draining from his body. A faint scream appears in the back of his head, only for it to grow louder with every passing second. It was warning him, repeatedly telling him the one thing that he needed to do if he had any hope of surviving his encounter with Valus of the Void- to run for his life.

  But Nick knew that he couldn’t do such a thing. Isaac looks at Nick as a drop of sweat falls from his forehead. “Don’t let the fear get to you Nick. This is Valus’ Stitch. It’s what makes him the most powerful Void besides the Queen. He can induce fear into anything around him, and the sheer pressure can make someone want to kill themselves- that is if they don’t have a heart attack first. Calm down, or else-”

  “Nicholas, you seemed so keen to defeat me.” Valus says, taunting Nick. Each syllable was like a needle piercing through any fiber of hope Nick had of winning. “You haven’t said a word to this woman that you’ve been chasing after. Look- I’m not even holding her captive, and yet she hasn’t tried to run. Do you know why that is?” Nick remains silent. He was barely able to keep up with what Valus was saying, let alone form any type of rebuttal.

  Valus smiles as he speaks. “It’s because she no longer cares about you. She doesn’t even have any desire to leave the Void. In fact, I had to drag her out here against her will. Go on, ask her yourself.”

  “What are you playing at Valus?” Isaac shouts. Even Nick’s captain seems to have trouble keeping his sword steady.

  But Valus’ words triggered something inside of Nick that let him regain some sort of grounding. His survival wasn’t the only thing that mattered anymore- not when his mother was standing right there in front of him. He looks at his mother’s blank expression and almost sheds a tear. “Are you okay mom?”

  His mother shakes her head. “I’m not your mother. I don’t even remember who you are, you little brat.”

  “Mom?” Nick cries out. He could already feel the tears forming in his eyes. “What are you talking about? I’m here to save you!”

  “Go away.” She says sternly. “My loyalty is to the Queen of the Void, not an annoyin
g little boy like you. How could a pathetic coward like you save anybody? You couldn’t even protect your own father.”

  Nick drops to his knees as tears roll down his cheeks. Why would his mother say such hurtful things to him? She would never have blamed Nick for anything that happened to his father. This woman standing before him looked like his mother- even talked like her- but she lacked any trace of her personality. Nick didn’t understand what the Void could have possibly done to his mother to make her act in such a way.

  The screams in his head were only getting louder, and his body felt as if ants were crawling through every vein. He suddenly felt as if slugs were stuck in his throat, choking him and leaving him once again unable to speak. And for some strange reason, he was picturing spider eggs hatching inside his head, the babies ready to inject Nick with more of the pure terror that Valus was inducing.

  “Is that all you want to say to your mother?” Valus asks with sarcastic empathy.

  Nick gulps. He somehow manages to focus once again on his mother. He summons all of the bravery he can muster as he looks into his mother’s blank eyes. “Mom… I love you!”

  But his mother seems unaffected by his proclamation. Her face remains completely void of any emotion. “Go to hell, kid.”

  Nick balls his fists and begins punching the ground. Why- why did it have to turn out like this? Was everything he worked for all for nothing? His mother was there- she needed his help- and he couldn’t even help her. What kind of man was he if he couldn’t keep a promise?

  Valus laughs as he puts his hand on top of Maria’s head. “Isaac, you said that my Stitch lets me induce fear, but that’s incorrect. The real truth is that my mere intent to kill is enough to make even the strongest of men fall to the ground. When you stare into these eyes of mine, you’re choosing to forfeit any sense of hope or direction you have gathered up until that point. Common sense, plans, even courage- they mean nothing before me. I am a hunter. Watching you pests crawl around as you think you have some way of escaping- it simply entertains me. But now that you’ve soiled our plans, I’m ready to go in for the kill. A lack of hope, a sense of despair, your dreams being crushed before your very eyes- that is what the name ‘Valus of the Void’ entails. Remember that, Nicholas Winters.”