Battle for the Afterlife Saga, Blue Courage (Action & Adventure Fantasy): Part 1, 2, and 3 Bundled

by CJ Davis

  The enormous bear finally emerged from the grey fog like something out of a nightmare. It was taller than any of them on just its four legs.

  “Oh crap,” Reese whispered.

  The bear let out a tremendous roar.

  Kate flinched, but held her ground. The bear stood up on its hind legs and roared again, saliva dripped freely from its sharp teeth. It slammed to the ground and quickly made its way toward Kate. The dirt literally shook beneath Reese’s feet.

  Kate held her blade tightly in front of her.

  After its hustle the bear suddenly stopped a cautious distance from Kate. It sniffed the air and looked around. Its gigantic claws spread out over the vista rocks.

  The beast peered at Kate with small black eyes. A growl reverberated deep in the animal’s chest, growing louder and more menacing by the moment.

  Kate glanced at Reese and he nearly went insane. The sight of her standing in the path of danger woke deep powers within him. He would not, could not let her come to harm. With a primal cry, Reese drew his blade and leapt for the creature’s neck.

  The world slowed to a stop. As he flew through the air, Reese had time to consider the brilliance of the leaves and a small gray squirrel cowering behind a nearby branch.

  The bear’s great head rolled towards Reese, and he saw a primal hunger in the black eyes just before his knife sank deep into the thick layer of fat just over the jugular vein.

  When he landed on the hard rocks of the vista, to Reese’s surprise, the bear’s reaction was almost nonexistent.

  Reese pulled the blade back this time he swung from below, slicing the bear’s neck clean through to the bone.

  Blood sprayed across his face, and the shock completely absorbed Reese’s focus. As he backed away from the convulsing bear everything around him returned to normal speed.

  The bear let out a ghastly humph and fell to the ground. Bones and ligament protruded from its neck. Blood spilled profusely all over the rocks.

  Kate stood in awe, her sword now dangling at her side.

  A moment later the giant bear flashed into a bright light and disappeared.

  “What was that man?!” Rajiv said finally. “That was amazing! Laskious doesn’t even move that fast. That was i-n-c-r-e-d-b-l-e!”

  Reese didn’t know what to say. He smiled at Rajiv.

  “The Red’s are screwed,” Rajiv continued. He was almost dancing. “We just need to find them, and then you can destroy them!”

  “Whoa, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Reese replied. “I have no idea how that happened. I certainly don’t have control of it.”

  “And there’s a huge difference between a beast and Cyrus,” Kate said.

  “Geez, what a buzz kill,” Rajiv replied. “I don’t care how you slice it, pun intended by the way, that was incredible.”

  “You’re absolutely right,” Kate said. “That was very impressive, but I’m afraid that Reese’s Inseparable powers are starting to rear themselves. Ideally, I didn’t want to have the costly emotions tied to those powers, until we were closer to the galorim pool. They’re going to be too much for him to handle.”

  Reese stared at his bloody weapon.

  “Nobody said this was going to be easy,” Kate said.

  “I think I can handle it Kate,” Reese said with more confidence.

  “But what if you can’t Reese?” Kate snapped back. “What’s going to happen to our world if the Reds win another Centennial?”

  “You won’t trust me, my Dad won’t trust me, the Blue council won’t trust me.” Reese growled angrily. “What do I have to do to prove myself?!”

  “It’s not that Reese,” Kate replied. “There’s just too much on the line, and the past Inseparables failed. And they were all great warriors too. Many of them much more experienced than you!”

  Reese just shook his head in frustration.

  “We all know my powers can be the difference in this Centennial,” he said. “You must allow me the chance to destroy Cyrus.”

  “It’s too dangerous!” Kate said.

  “He betrayed my parents.”

  “We have to push on,” Kate said. “We’re holding off on the Inseparable powers as long as possible, and that’s final.”

  Reese let out a slow sigh. He knew arguing with Kate wasn’t going to help anything.

  “Let’s keep on moving through this mountain,” Kate continued. “We only have a few more hours of trekking until we make it down. Hopefully, we can find a safe place to sleep before nightfall. Menelik warned me that the dire wolves are especially bad in this area.”

  Reese reluctantly followed Kate down the trail. He knew they needed to get focused. If Arshan’s training taught them anything, it taught them to never take their minds off the race. With the backside of the Clouded Mountain, the Raptor Jungle and a Super Predator by the galorim pool, the Centennial was getting more hazardous with every step they took.

  Chapter 32

  The early morning sun shone brightly into the cave entrance warming Hector’s face. The many distressing nocturnal sounds were still ringing in Hector’s ears like a soundtrack to a horror movie. Hector was glad to take the last shift of the night, to guard the cave entrance while the others rested. He was using his newly discovered invisibility power, and sat on the hard ground leaning against the rocky entrance to the cave.

  The forest was calm and Hector enjoyed the moment. It was that perfect time between the night creatures going to sleep and the day animals still waking up. There were no howls, screeches or yells. He felt very relaxed, and wished the Centennial was this peaceful all the time.

  As he closed his eyes to rest for just a moment, a black log partially hidden beneath the undergrowth stirred, unfolding a poisonous slippery three-foot long centipede. Silently, it raised a wedge shaped head and snapped its insidious claws in the air. Ravenous for the warrior’s galorim the prehistoric insect slithered into the cave.

  With stealth and precision the creepy-crawly climbed up the cave wall, and deliberately made its way onto the ceiling directly above Kublai's face. The man’s breathing changed and the centipede froze. A moment passed. Eventually Kublai's breathing returned to a sleeping pace, and the three-foot menace continued to crawl across the cave ceiling.

  Once it arrived in the perfect striking position, the centipede lowered the top half of its body, and dangled like a stalactite directly above Kublai's face. It swayed slightly back and forth, waiting for the precise moment to drop.

  A high-pitched howl brought Hector to full alert. Finding no immediate source of danger, he stood and stretched his stiff body slowly, a pop in his upper back felt good. He decided to wake Cyrus and ask him for a plan.

  Hector looked into the cave to see if anyone was stirring. Setting one hand on the rough stone of the entrance, he peered into the shadows, barely making out the two forms of his friends and a strange looking stalactite that reached nearly down to Kublai’s face. He squinted trying to focus on Kublai’s face when he saw what the stalactite actually was. Panic gripped him.

  “Kublai, roll toward me now!” Hector said in a low urgent voice.

  Kublai’s eyes snapped open, and before he could come to his senses the centipede dropped. In an instant, there was a dull smack and the air was filled with blood and flying guts.

  Kublai cried out, rolled to his right side, wrapping himself into a tight ball.

  Hector reappeared from being invisible, and ran over to Kublai. Cyrus was already there.

  “Stop squirming Kublai,” Cyrus ordered. “You’re fine. Now stand up.”

  Kublai stood, swearing under his breath. He swiped his upper chest and neck, for safe measure. The two lifeless halves of the centipede fell off him, and dropped to the cave floor. A moment later they flashed and disappeared.

  “Whoa,” Kublai yelled. Grogginess was still in his voice. “What the heck was that?”

  “That was incredible,” Hector said to Cyrus. “I didn’t even know you were up!"

  Cyr
us shrugged.

  “I saw the poisonous insect when it was crawling up the cave wall,” Cyrus replied. “I waited for it to drop before I attacked to make sure it didn’t get away. Those things are quick and agile. Once it was in the air, it would not be able to avoid my attack. The two of you should take note. Those Blue Centennial warriors are likely to make a similar mistake.”

  “I’ve never seen anyone move that fast before,” Hector declared. “I’m just glad you’re on our side.”

  Cyrus glared at Hector.

  “How did that insect get past you?” Cyrus demanded.

  “I’m not sure how it snuck past me,” Hector replied weakly. He closed his eyes and swallowed, hoping that the camera drones wouldn’t see his discomfort.

  “You are some kind of idiot if a creature that big just ‘snuck” past you! We aren’t playacting here, and you aren’t in a safe corner of the city.”

  Fear swirled inside him. Cyrus grit his teeth.

  “I may have closed my eyes for a brief moment, but I was not sleeping,” Hector said.

  “You thought you would just get a little rest when on guard duty?" Cyrus said angrily.

  He walked behind Hector, who remained facing forward.

  “It’s tough to fight your enemy with your eyes closed,” Cyrus growled. “It’s sort of like when an enemy is standing right behind you.”

  Hector felt Cyrus’ breath on the back of his neck. Without warning, Cyrus kicked the back of Hector’s knees, causing him to fall to the ground. Cyrus straddled Hector’s body and looked down at him. There was no humor in his eyes.

  “When you’re on watch duty,” Cyrus snarled. He grabbed him forcefully by the front of his uniform and pulled him closer violently. “We expect you to be watching!”

  Hector nodded and said nothing. Cyrus let him go and got up.

  “What are we going to do with you?” Cyrus asked. He was pacing over him. “Your stupidity has become too much of a liability for the group.”

  Cyrus paused. Hector remained with his back to the ground. His heart raced and his hands were shaking uncontrollably.

  “I’m interested to hear what you think Kublai?” Cyrus asked. “Is Hector completely useless to us now?”

  Kublai looked down at Hector.

  “Didn’t you say you kidnapped hundreds of people in your last Earth life?” Kublai asked.

  “Yes,” Hector replied. He’s slightly confused by the question. He wondered where he was going with this.

  “If Hector can kidnap Anna, and she actually is an Inseparable,” Kublai said. “We will have them exactly where we want them.”

  Cyrus nodded slowly. A huge smile spread across his face. “I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Cyrus said. “Even if it does have a slim chance of working, we get this moron away from us, and if he does somehow manage to capture the girl, it would be devastating to Reese. Senor sleepy eyes even has the power of invisibility, which practically makes the mission idiot proof.”

  “Do you think you can handle this Hector, or would you rather sit here by the cave with your eyes closed?” Cyrus asked sardonically. He stepped back, allowing Hector to rise.

  “With ease,” Hector replied. He pulled himself up, wiping dirt off his backside. “It will be just like old times for me.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Cyrus said. “I knew you had some machismo in you.”

  “Indeed,” Kublai replied. “Worst case scenario, if you survive the Raptor Jungle, and avoid being caught by the Blues, you can at least surprise attack them from behind, by the galorim pool.”

  “Good idea Kublai,” Cyrus said. “A distraction like this at the right time will serve us well.”

  “I can’t wait to see Reese’s face when I slit Anna’s throat,” Hector said.

  “Now hold on,” Cyrus said. “You do know not to kill her? Since we’re not sure if they actually are Inseparables, we’re better off keeping her hostage.”

  Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Hector said carelessly. “I got it covered.”

  The smile melted away from Cyrus’s face. “You haven’t had anything covered yet.”

  “Cyrus is right,” Kublai added. “You need to pull it together. You’re not just messing with your life here, you’re messing with all of ours.”

  “You better start taking this seriously,” Cyrus said. “In the Raptor Jungle I will not be there to be your safety net, and if you thought the beasts have been bad so far, just wait until you see the jungle.”

  Hector swallowed hard.

  “Oh, and reptiles can smell you, so don't think you’re in the clear if you’re invisible,” Cyrus added.

  Hector clenched his fists tightly. He was at his limits with Cyrus, and looked forward to finally getting away from him.

  “All right,” Cyrus said. “We don’t have any time to spare. Are you ready to go?”

  “I’m ready, and I will not let the Reds down,” Hector replied with the most confidence he could muster. He knew the holovision cameras were on him, and he wanted to rebuild his damaged reputation. “I’ve worked too long and too hard for this.”

  Cyrus looked at Hector and Kublai with great determination.

  “We’re only a couple of miles away from the Raptor Jungle,” Cyrus said. “Hector, you know exactly what to do?”

  Hector nodded.

  “With any luck, Kublai and I will avoid any unwanted entanglements in the jungle and reach the winner’s podium before the Blues even arrive at the galorim pool,” Cyrus added.

  Cyrus chanted the Red ohm, and Hector and Kublai joined him. Their meditative state helped them refocus their drive to destroy the Blues. Nothing was going to stop them.

  Chapter 33

  Kate woke up to the frantic noise of a terror bird screeching off in the distance. She had tied herself to a thick branch high up in a towering tree to sleep safely. Reese and Rajiv were in trees close by. Kate had to hide a smile as she saw their startled faces. She wasn’t the only one nearly scared to death by a prehistoric alarm clock.

  The early morning dew collected on the tree canopy around them, adding an extra cool dampness to Kate’s bare skin. If it was not so frightening, the Clouded Mountain truly would be a beautiful site. “Well, good morning,” Kate said. She stretched her arms. Her waist was numb from the strap holding her to the tree.

  “It’s like being on a picturesque country farm early in the morning,” Rajiv said in an overly pleasant voice. “Although instead of a rooster, we have a hundred pound terror bird giving us a lovely wake-up call. All we are missing is coffee, and some nice sunny side up eggs.”

  “Ooh, that would be really nice,” Kate replied.

  “Yeah, I would like to see the size of a terror bird egg,” Rajiv quipped.

  “Looks like we didn’t attract any unwanted attention up here,” Reese said in relief. “I was almost certain, we would be woken up by the sound of a giant bear climbing one of our trees.”

  “That would definitely be a rude awakening,” Rajiv said.

  Kate untied her makeshift harnesses. The numbness in her legs went away almost instantly. When she climbed down out of the trees she only picked up a few more stinging scrapes from the pricklier branches on the way down. The men followed her to the ground. She stretched out her tight calve muscles, and Rajiv let out a moan.

  “This running is killing me,” Rajiv said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this sore.”

  “Don’t you know there’s no whining in the Centennial?” Kate retorted.

  “Well excuse me my lady,” Rajiv made a small bow. “How about I turn the whining into winning? Did you see what I did there?”

  Rajiv started doing an impression of an overly zealous workout instructor. As he jogged in place, Kate smirked at him. Reese rolled his eyes, but eventually gave in with a smile.

  Rajiv turned his jog in place; to actually jogging down the treeless back side of the mountain.

  “Well are you coming?” Rajiv said in his best Richard Simmons impersonation. “And one, a
nd two, and three.”

  Reese and Kate exchanged a puzzled look, and followed Rajiv. Kate looked more carefully for loose gravel and rocks as they went downhill.

  “I can’t believe we’re so close to the galorim pool,” Kate said as they jogged. “I wonder how far ahead the Reds are?”

  “They couldn’t be too far,” Rajiv replied. The early morning sun was now shining brightly on the bare mountainside.

  “They probably are only a few hundred yards ahead of us,” Rajiv added. “If we hustle we can catch them.”

  “We must remain vigilant in our efforts to spot an ambush, especially now,” Reese said in a serious tone.

  The path was winding back and forth down a steeper portion of the trail. Kate struggled to keep her tired mind focused. Between navigating the steep technical trail and looking out for a Red ambush, she nearly fell chin first down the mountain on several occasions.

  “I hate not knowing where they are or what they’re doing,” Reese said. “They may attack us any second, or they may just be sprinting to the winner’s podium. Whatever it is I hope they make a mistake. We’re going to need a little luck go our way.”

  “Many believe that Morkel may destroy Cyrus if he fails,” Rajiv said. “That’s the sort of incentive that motivates a man to not make any mistakes, but I’m sure it’s been like that since he defected.”

  ***

  After a couple of hours of running, the rocky terrain from the mountaintop gave way to lush vegetation. The air was extremely humid, causing Kate’s salty sweat to drench her uniform. Despite her legs burning, it barely slowed her down; at least some of her training was really paying off.

  “We should be at the jungle pretty soon,” Kate said. “We’re making outstanding time.”

  Further down the slope there was a group of enormous apes grazing on the mountainside several yards off the trail. The giant hominoids were going about their day as they always did, and barely noticed the Blues. Kate was amazed by their grace, and tried to imagine what life would be like for them. They were so big that Kate didn’t think that a terror bird or a giant bear would mess with them. As long as they stayed clear of the jungle and the super predators, they were probably fine.