The Shadow Connection

by Adair Hart

  “I guess it does.”

  Tim slapped Dr. Snowden on the back. “All the more reason to enjoy every day you wake up. Everything dies at some point. You can’t let that have power over you. It also helps if you know what your purpose in life is.”

  “Yeah, I know. I need to stop thinking of every fight as possibly my last one. Someone told me that death was just a phase.”

  “Depends on what you believe,” said Mary. “Some cultures believe that. I like to think my mother is still out there somewhere.”

  Tim snapped his head forward and sniffed the air. “Something’s coming.” He pointed around. “Positions!”

  Dr. Snowden hunkered behind the nearest pillar alongside Robert and Hermes. The shifters had all transformed into their humanoid animal form and were moving around. The wolverine shifters caught Dr. Snowden’s eye as they hustled out to the farthest pillars. They were short and stocky and looked naturally tough.

  It occurred to him that he had only seen a few shifter types up to this point, but the ones he saw around him were varied. The moose shifters, he had seen before, and they were hustling out to the middle pillars. There were other members of the Maurath Clan present, and they were all as big as Tim. It gave Dr. Snowden comfort to be there with them.

  The other shifters came in various sizes, from small cat shifters to the immense buffalo shifters. He could see why the Ollikrin Nation was powerful. They personified raw power. Each one had on the gray mesh that expanded in shifted form, and they carried lethal weapons. They came to play hard. While he would stun and use his various beams, he was not sure he could kill unless absolutely necessary, but he understood that if it came down to it and his life was on the line, he would.

  The first of the Druuz descended the stairway he had seen Evaran and the others leave from. They were mostly guards, with a few brutes. With a barrage of gunfire from the Ollikrin Nation, the first wave went down quickly.

  Dr. Snowden exhaled. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  The second wave came.

  Dr. Snowden wrinkled his eyebrows. Two small groups at opposite ends carried a large rod of some type. Between and in front of the rods was a light-blue shield. Their front line was a moving barrier, one that could protect a large group.

  “Oh, shit,” said Robert.

  “Prepare for close-quarters combat!” said Tim.

  Dr. Snowden closed his eyes for a moment and opened them to stare at the advancing Druuz. There was a large swarm behind the slow-moving shield, and more were pouring in behind. There were guards, brutes, and, in the center, a larger-than-average Druuz, who had a raised sword and was grunting and growling, urging the Druuz forward. The echoes of the deep grizzled voices from the Druuz surrounded him.

  Hermes sat back against the pillar. “That’s … umm … a lot of Druuz.”

  Mary smiled. “Stand strong. If it becomes untenable, then we can go back through the rift door. Until then, Evaran is counting on us to keep their attention. We cannot let him down!”

  An air of defiance wrapped Hermes. “You’re right. We can do this!”

  Dr. Snowden admired Mary’s strength and confidence. Its effect on Hermes was evident, and even Dr. Snowden felt more at ease. He could see Robert was a bit more relaxed. Maybe Mary had an aura like Evaran. He focused on the approaching shield, which was almost at the outer pillars.

  Gunfire lit up the shielding but did not penetrate it. Once the shield reached the outer pillars, it dissipated. The shifters at the outer pillars began to engage the Druuz in close-quarters combat.

  Dr. Snowden activated his shield and began to fire past the pillars and into the oncoming Druuz descending down the stairs. The mist and stun beam combo was wreaking havoc on the guards, not so much the brutes. He gulped as he saw that the Druuz were making a beeline directly toward him.

  As they approached near the middle pillars, the big moose and buffalo shifters stepped in and began tossing Druuz around.

  “Don’t stop with that cloudy stun thing!” said Tim.

  Dr. Snowden nodded and continued to fire. He alternated in the sticky globules. The impact of so much debuff ability in the beams was enough to turn the tide. He marveled at how coordinated the Maurath Clan seemed to be. One Druuz would get tossed through the air, then knocked down by another member. It seemed effortless. The smaller wolverine shifters were running around fast while slashing and biting startled Druuz. It seemed like a good combination. Only a few Druuz had made it to the pillars where he was. Mary was in tree form, and the Druuz that got that far were tossed into open space behind the rift door.

  The second wave of Druuz retreated after a few more minutes.

  Dr. Snowden surveyed the bodies lying around. There were dead Druuz alongside Ollikrin members.

  Tim pointed forward. “Stack the dead Druuz between the outer pillars!” He pointed at some nearby Ollikrin members. “Get our wounded and dead through the rift door. We can attend to their burial rites when we are done.”

  The Ollikrin complied.

  Dr. Snowden took a deep breath. Death was in the air, and yet, he was not as bad off as he thought he would be. Tim was right. Living life in fear of death was no way to live. Dr. Snowden licked his lips. He would celebrate every day he was alive. The fear of death would no longer control him. He looked up at Mary and Tim, who stood poised on the battlefield. He was proud to stand by them.

  After the dead Druuz bodies had been stacked and the dead and wounded Ollikrin members were sent back through the rift door, Tim growled. “Third wave!”

  Dr. Snowden clenched his jaw. Fresh Ollikrin members had come through to replace the dead ones, but he knew the battle was far from over. He was more comfortable with the situation. This was his purpose. To help Evaran, at all costs, regardless of what it was. Like Emily, he would strive to better himself physically and mentally to that aim. He focused on the Druuz’s moving shield with new determination.

  A wave of awe swept over Emily as she looked around the large worship room they had entered. A part of her expected to see rows of benches and an altar. Instead, the room had a circular center surrounded by three pillars. Lines on the ground extended from the pillars to the room’s edges and segmented the room into three areas. The slightly raised platform in the center of the room made her think that maybe a hologram or something appeared there.

  The group had only walked a few feet into the room before the door behind them sealed shut.

  She understood that Evaran had to use his UIC on each room, as the doors had a manual mode and a connected one, and even when connected, they were isolated. The eerie silence and dim lighting on the pillars made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. The unusual smell of something burning added to the odd ambiance. “This place is creepy.”

  “Yeah, it is,” said Jake.

  “I kinda like it,” said Lady Hassrik.

  Evaran scanned the ground as they walked. “And it is old. This structure was built thousands of years ago.”

  “It’s been remarkably maintained,” said Lady Hassrik.

  Thor looked around. “I wish my worshippers were as dedicated.”

  “Believe it or not, there are still some who worship you,” said Dr. Snowden.

  “But probably not me,” said Guan Yu.

  “You need a better marketing department,” said Thor with a hearty laugh.

  Emily shook a finger at Guan Yu. “You’re more popular than you might imagine. You may not have a big online presence, but you’re definitely not forgotten.”

  Guan Yu stroked his beard. “I like the sound of that. I don’t get out much from the temple I reside in. Perhaps I should.”

  A scraping noise from the center of the room caused the group to stop. The circular platform in the center of the room slid back, and another platform rose with three individuals on it.

  Emily recognized two of them as elite guardsmen. One had green scales and armor and the other blue. The slender one in the middle had on a robe with bone accen
ts. Although she was not an expert on Druuz genders, she sensed this one was male. The elaborate headdress made her think he was someone special to the Druuz faith. Unlike the other Druuz she had seen, he looked less draconic.

  The slender one spoke. “I am Arbiter Jorallus, and your presence defiles this place of worship. The punishment … is death.” He pointed to the left and then the right. “The instruments of your death are Guardians Banezuurog and Rohallygrin. Your death … is their honor.”

  “Our fight is not with you,” said Evaran, raising a hand, palm forward.

  “Yet you tread on our most sacred ground, attack our god, and desecrate our facility.”

  Evaran shook his head. “We just want my ship, and we will go.”

  “Caltorus has decided. Your fate is sealed,” said Jorallus. He rose into the air as a semitransparent shield formed around him. Two small orbs appeared on the shield and rotated around him. As Banezuurog and Rohallygrin pulled out their sword and shield, Jorallus’s orbs fired beams at the group.

  Evaran and Emily raised their shield to deflect the orbs’ beams. Lady Hassrik slipped off to the side.

  Emily was surprised at how fast Banezuurog moved. It was only a moment before he was on them and swinging his sword around.

  Evaran used his shield to block the incoming sword swing, while Thor and Zed engaged Rohallygrin.

  “Guan Yu! Lady Hassrik! Get Jorallus!” said Evaran. He stepped back and used the staff weapon to fire at Banezuurog, who used his energy shield to block it.

  Guan Yu and Lady Hassrik approached Jorallus from both sides.

  Jorallus’s orbs focused on them and fired beams. One hit Lady Hassrik, sending her flying back. Guan Yu dodged the beam shot at him and, with his guandao, attempted to pierce Jorallus’s shielding. When his guandao hit the shield, it bounced off it, sending Guan Yu tumbling off to the side.

  Jorallus extended a hand. A purple beam shot out and pushed Guan Yu away.

  Evaran dropped the staff weapon he had tried earlier. He spun in a half circle and used his staff to knock the sword out of Banezuurog’s hand. With a follow-up kick, he made Banezuurog stumble back. He shot his grappling beam at Banezuurog’s waist, and once it connected, he took off and with a running start, stopped, spun halfway around, and then flung Banezuurog toward Jorallus.

  Jorallus tried to move out of the way but crashed under the weight of Banezuurog.

  Zed had moved in behind Rohallygrin while Thor used his hammer to keep Rohallygrin focused on him.

  Rohallygrin spun around and shield bashed Zed.

  Zed fell to the ground and was slow to get up.

  Thor took the opportunity to uppercut Rohallygrin with his hammer, sending him flying into the air.

  “Hold him!” said Evaran, pointing at Rohallygrin as he landed on his back. Evaran picked up the staff weapon he had dropped earlier.

  Zed regained his footing and then surged forward. He dropped to the ground and held down Rohallygrin’s left arm while Thor secured the other.

  Evaran took aim and used the staff weapon to fire a beam at Rohallygrin.

  Rohallygrin stopped moving.

  As Banezuurog began to get up, Emily covered him and Jorallus’s shielding in sticky globules.

  “Get off me, you fool!” said Jorallus, trying to crawl out from under Banezuurog.

  Banezuurog rolled to the side.

  V flew in and grabbed Banezuurog’s sword and dragged it away.

  Jake rushed in and seized the energy shield on the side and pulled it away.

  Guan Yu and Lady Hassrik had returned and were able to hold down Banezuurog.

  Evaran rushed over and stood before Jorallus and Banezuurog with the staff weapon trained on them. “I do not wish to do this, but you leave me little choice.”

  “You won’t get out of here!” said Jorallus.

  Evaran fired the staff weapon at Banezuurog, then fired at Jorallus. They both stopped moving.

  “Glad that beam can go through Jorallus’s energy shield,” said Emily.

  “If it came to it, sufficient force could break through it as well. I suspect Guan Yu’s strike came close to it.”

  “It was a great effort by everyone,” said Lady Hassrik. She cast a big smile at Guan Yu. “We should fight together more often. Your prowess is impressive.”

  “We still have an opportunity ahead of us,” said Thor.

  Zed gestured at Thor. “Speaking of team ups, we weren’t so bad ourselves.”

  “Indeed,” said Thor.

  “And I didn’t kill,” said Zed, glancing at Evaran.

  “You are learning,” said Evaran as he scanned Jorallus. “Intriguing. Jorallus is a different species than Banezuurog or Rohallygrin, yet they have the same amount of shadow matter in them. I believe they have been infused with it, some type of conversion.”

  “Willingly, or not?” asked Emily.

  “That, I do not know. However, since we now have some of their data, we can look that up later. I am beginning to think that these raids on other worlds may have a conversion aspect to them.”

  “Yeah, that’s one conversion therapy I definitely wouldn’t go to,” said Emily.

  Everyone chuckled.

  Evaran interacted with his ARI. “There is a long tunnel that leads to the throne room. We have to go through a few medium-sized rooms, but it is a straight shot from here. Take a moment to rest while the room is secure.”

  “Wonder how many more of these elite guys there are,” said Emily, taking a seat.

  “We can deal with any that we come across,” said Lady Hassrik.

  Evaran nodded. “It seems this cathedral is not where a majority of the Druuz exist. They are scattered on various worlds. This cathedral is one of many, but the only one Caltorus calls home. According to the information I pulled, it’s unique in that Caltorus resides here. Most Druuz do not typically see him.”

  “His absence then causes a sort of mystique. Those that do see him would be in awe,” said Thor.

  “That has not worked for me,” said Guan Yu.

  Zed gestured at Evaran. “What do you intend to do with the rift door here?”

  “It cannot exist here. I will remove it.”

  “That will cut off Caltorus from the rest of the Druuz, but where are you taking it?”

  “I do not know,” said Evaran. “Perhaps I will keep it in the Torvatta as a backup in case I need it.”

  Zed looked down. “You still don’t trust the Helians to keep one.”

  “I do not. They have shown poor judgment. It is why we are here.”

  “What about all those other worlds that have rift doors?” asked Emily.

  “I have a plan for those. It involves the two on Earth.”

  “Speaking of which … Where are those going?” asked Lady Hassrik.

  “The Ollikrin Nation gets one, and the other goes to the ancient vampires.”

  Lady Hassrik snorted. “Yet they aren’t here helping at all. I know their disciples are with the Ollikrin Nation, but still …”

  “I realize that,” said Evaran. He raised a finger. “However, I have saved the timeline with them before and trust their leadership implicitly. I cannot say that with the Daedrould Council or the Imperium.”

  Guan Yu waved a finger around. “Fair point.”

  “However, in the interest of fairness, since both of your organizations are helping, the new Earth council will have access to it. There are some initiatives I want to set in motion based on these events.”

  “Better than nothing,” said Lady Hassrik. She grinned, baring her fangs. “Getting to be part of the representative body is itself a reward. The Vanar look forward to it.”

  Emily wrinkled her eyebrows. “You know … we’ve been to the future. I remember being told that the Helians were long gone.” She turned her head toward Evaran. “I guess this is the beginning of that.”

  “Perhaps. Maybe there is another event we are unaware of where they are fully gone. I would have expected some to st
ill be around in the future, but that does not seem to be the case,” said Evaran.

  Emily nodded.

  Evaran cleared his throat. “The goal once we reach the throne room is to secure the Torvatta, and escape with it.”

  “We’re not going to take Caltorus down?” asked Jake.

  “That is secondary. Although I would like to capture him, it may not be possible. Removal of his rift door will be punishment enough as it will serve as a form of exile. If it is possible to get him, then we will.”

  Emily cracked her neck as she stood. After extending her shield and PSD into a staff, she said, “Let’s do it.”

  Jake was feeling confident as they approached the final throne room. Although small groups of Druuz and the occasional brute got in the way, they were speed bumps. In one of the medium-sized rooms, it got hectic due to the sheer amount of Druuz, but with teamwork, they were able to defeat it. It took two hours to even get there, and the mood of the group seemed to get more anxious the closer they got to the throne room. The unknown nature of Caltorus was unnerving.

  Evaran paused as they stood before the two large black stone half doors. “We have fought well to this point. Our teamwork is what got us this far. I contacted Mary, and she and Tim are retreating through the rift door. They will seal it Earth-side once everyone is through. I suspect that the rift door is now being used to bring in Druuz reinforcements, which would be on their way toward us.”

  “So our only way out is with the Torvatta,” said Emily.

  “Yes, and that is our top priority. V will stealth and head to it to perform scans. I am unsure of how the Torvatta is being secured, but we will have to deal with that once we are inside. The scans will hopefully reveal something useful.”

  “We’ll figure it out,” said Emily.

  “Remember, this is Caltorus’s realm, the source of his power. We have not faced him with his true might before.”

  “I guess the fight at the Earth base was not a good sample then,” said Lady Hassrik.

  “It was not,” said Evaran. He walked up to the door console and interacted with his ARI. “Are we ready?”

  Everyone confirmed they were.