The Veil: Corruption (HASEA CHRONICLES BOOK 2)

by Stuart Meczes

  Then they released it.

  The chains fell away like a broken web. The Ogre looked down as if confused and then stared up at the battleship. Rage flashed in its eyes. It coiled back onto its legs.

  Oh my god it’s going to jump.

  “Pull back!” I screamed into the coms. We all retreated as the beast jumped. My body flew forward as the Ogre smashed down onto the deck of Black Dawn, causing it to tilt violently. My vision flipped like a camera thrown down a hill as I tumbled with dozens of other Guardians towards the hulking Fera, scrambling to hold onto something. For a second I thought we were going to capsize, but then with a yawning sound, the battleship slammed back onto the ocean surface, sending a tidal spray of water shooting up. We all scrambled back to our feet.

  The Ogre walked towards a line of elite, but completely ignored them. It grabbed only Guardians, flinging them into the ocean or swinging fists as big as cars into their bodies and scattering them like bugs. Hollie unleashed a series of arrows into its face, but the Ogre didn’t even notice. They clattered back down onto the deck beneath the beast’s giant feet.

  “Everybody retreat to Atlantis!” I yelled into coms. “Captain Shaw, we need your cannons!”

  We started to draw back. Guardians from Black Dawn ran back to the control bridge. A loud whirr started and the gun turrets swivelled around to face the hulking beast, which was thumping and beating at the ship and Guardians like a child in a tantrum. Never once did I see it attack an elite. It was like it didn’t even see them. When it carved the dark emblem out of the ships surface and threw it into the ocean, a theory came into my mind.

  The Ogre was shackled by black chains. Black Dawn is a black ship, and black is the colour of our uniform. I think the colour is like a red rag to a bull.

  To test my theory, I took off my jacket. Grabbing a nearby elite, I wrapped the coat around their head. With a boot heel I stamped into their back and drove them towards the Ogre. It raised a giant fist and slammed down onto the elite, turning them into a red mist and cracking the deck below.

  It’s been conditioned to hate the colour black.

  I lifted the bracelet. “Everyone take off your jackets and whatever uniform pieces you can! The colour is what’s making it angry!”

  We all started to remove our jackets and gloves, tossing them away or towards the elite. Some removed their t-shirts. The beast turned its giant head from side to side, howling in fury as the dark material flew in every direction.

  The Guardians had broken away from the elite now and were moving backwards as a large unit. Yeth’s Army followed behind the Ogre as it took shuddering steps towards us.

  Looking upwards into the bridge, I saw Captain Shaw shouting orders. A series of thunderous cracks rained out as Black Dawn unloaded its guns into the Ogre. The creature let out a hideous howl as thick green blood sprayed up from the multiple wounds. It fell backwards, crashing down onto a series of elite and grinding them into smears. The ion cannons took their turn and wound up with a rising whine before unleashing their white beams into the fallen creature. A plume of green showered up, and one of the Ogre’s arms separated from its body, rolling along the deck and falling into the water with a tremendous splash.

  But the Ogre didn’t stop.

  With a roar of fury, it jumped to its feet with surprising agility. It leaned forward and stampeded towards the guns, its stumped arm releasing a stream of green blood. When it reached them, it drove its arm blades deep into the turrets. With roars of exertion, it ripped them right out of their mounts in a scream of metal and burst of flame. They were cast over the Ogre’s shoulder like abandoned toys. Then, wielding the final gun like a baseball bat, it swung at the bridge, smashing the windows. Captain Shaw threw himself down just in time to avoid decapitation.

  Then, as if it had noticed us again, the Ogre turned and stared, its giant eyes shimmering with fury. I glanced around. Some Guardians hadn’t had time to shed their jackets and gloves. It started to sprint towards us.

  “Evacuate!” I yelled into coms. The Guardians retreated in droves, firing guns. The creature sped up, hurtling towards the edge of the ship where we all stood, making it rock like a seesaw. Guardians turned and dived onto the side of Atlantis, grabbing onto platforms and railings. Some missed and fell into the sea.

  As I ushered my team onto Atlantis, my heart stalled when I saw Grey get winged by a stray gunshot and fall to the deck.

  Right into the path of the stampeding Ogre.

  Before anyone could stop him, Delagio ran back and pulled Grey to his feet.

  They’re too close!

  I ran to try and help. Everything seemed to switch into slow motion. The creature turned, sweeping its tail out. The appendage surged towards us like a tree trunk, smashing into Delagio and Grey. They flew into the air like rag dolls. I managed to turn and jump just in time, grabbing onto the railing and hoisting myself over.

  From my position on the stairway, I watched in absolute horror as both of them catapulted hundreds of yards right off the side of Black Dawn and disappeared beneath the waves in the distance.

  NO!” I screamed, gripping the railing and leaning over. The water bubbled from where they had both hit. Neither of them broke the surface.

  “Gabriella, we have to go,” said Scarlett.

  “No, we have to save them!” I shouted.

  She shook me. “There’s no time!”

  “I can’t leave them!”

  “Gabriella, they are my friends too.” She pointed to the Ogre. “But that thing is coming! You have to protect Alex.”

  I let out a scream of frustration. Grabbing onto me, Scarlett forced me up with the rest of the Guardians. As we moved up the metal staircase, I saw glimpses of the Ogre as it continued to wreak havoc on Black Dawn. The elite were sweeping across the ship in a stream of red towards Atlantis. They were coming, and they wouldn’t stop until they had what they wanted.

  We reached the top platform where the rest of the Guardians had gathered. The numbers had dwindled, and I guessed that, including those from the Outpost, almost a quarter of us had been lost to the battle.

  And it’s not over yet.

  Hundreds of floodlights had automatically switched on as twilight had slipped into darkness. An oval of bright light shone down on the water, exposing Black Dawn and the front sections of the elite ships, which hovered on the dark outskirts like ghosts. Behind us stood a metal unit that housed a single hatch with a valve handle. It was the main entrance to the depths of Atlantis.

  “Huntmasters, bring your teams into formation. We need to protect the entrance to Atlantis.”

  We all shifted into ranks, covering every direction, and waited until the attack came. The rig shuddered as the Ogre jumped from Black Dawn onto the platforms. A giant hand appeared on the ledge and the creature dragged itself up. My heart thundered in my chest. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. This was it. We would win here, or we would lose.

  And die.

  The Ogre was joined by droves of elite. I raised the Blood Brothers and prepared for the final battle. Around me, there were the sounds of guns being aimed and bows drawing back. Hands crackled as fire bloomed in palms, and those who could levitate hovered above, waiting to attack with those who flew.

  A howl ripped through the night air. It was a piercing sound that made my ears ring. The elite stopped moving, standing in their ranks and watching us. The Ogre clamped its hands over its ears and shook its head in discomfort. There was a series of clanks as something moved on the walkways below. Then the biggest Skinshifter I had ever seen jumped onto the platform.

  It was bigger than an elephant, its back reaching waist height on the Ogre. Its matted fur was pure white, and its thick pelt continued down onto paws the size of car wheels. The Skinshifter stared at us, its eyes shimmering as if they contained real fire. I knew that I was staring at the leader of the elite. The one that Sage Etorre had warned us about. One of Hades’ three Highguards.

  Yeth.

>   The creature bared its teeth and spoke in a voice that was the vocal equivalent of a landslide. “Lay down your arms, Guardians. There is no need for any more of you to die.”

  I tightened my grip on the blades. “You attack us. You steal our home. You kill our friends and try to take one of us with you to become the new Sorrow.” There were murmurs from behind as those who didn’t know finally understood. “You destroy our plane and attack our ship. Now you have the audacity to ask us to surrender and just let you take what you want. Let me find out.” I turned my head and spoke over my shoulder. “Guardians, what do you think we should do?”

  The Guardians crossed their arms and started beating their fists against their chests. A series of thuds rolled out across the platform towards Yeth and his Army. The booming sound of their dedication to the cause gave me more courage and determination than I had felt in a long time. I turned back to face Yeth. “I think I speak for everyone when I say this…”

  I narrowed my eyes and stared at the Skinshifter.

  “Go to hell, you piece of shit.”

  Yeth bared his teeth. “Then my army will walk over your cold corpses to take what you treasure most.”

  I raised my voice. “You’ll have to kill every single one of us first. We are the Alliance. We never stop fighting!”

  A thunderous roar burst from the army of Guardians behind me.

  Yeth howled, and the elite rushed towards us.

  “Guardians, attack!” I screamed.

  We clashed with the force of a tsunami. The Ogre smashed its remaining three fists into the front ranks, and beside me Guardians were scattered like seeds. Next to me what was left of Orion stabbed, shot, and punched their way through the elite with a renewed force. A Bloodseeker went for Hollie, and Danny pushed her out the way, driving Penance into its chest. He rushed forward, collecting more elite like a kebab, before dumping them over the side of Atlantis. Then he turned back and re-joined the ranks.

  With screams of anger and determination, I smashed through the droves of elite. Stabbed at exposed flesh, snapped necks, and head-butted masks with such fury they fell off and followed up with vicious stabs to the face that put my enemies down for good. Nearby the Ogre continued to do devastating damage.

  We need to put it out for good, or we’ll never win.

  “Airborn and Levitators distract the Ogre. Go for the face! Guardians nearby, find a way to climb it. Do all the damage you can!”

  The Ogre was mounted by a cluster of Guardians, who stabbed it with everything they had. A torrent of wings rushed around its face as Succubi, Fae, and Levitators dove at the creature. It shook from side to side, swiping desperately and howling as they tore at it. Next to me, Hollie watched with wide eyes as Danny surged dangerously in and out of its face, narrowly avoiding its huge hand.

  “Go for the eyes!” I shouted, dodging a knife aimed right for my face. The Guardians kept scaling the beast, and some fell, but they just climbed back up again. Elite shot at them, trying to pick them off before they reached the top. Aran materialised for a spilt second, crouching on the top of the beasts’ head. A hideous squeal escaped from the Ogres lungs, and it clamped its hand to its eye. When it let go, white ooze spilled down from an empty socket. It staggered from side to side, swinging in fury and knocking out dozens of the elite.

  Meanwhile, Yeth was tearing through the Guardians. He moved with agility that was beyond anything I’d ever seen and attacked with the ferocity of twenty Skinshifters. Guardians screamed as their bodies were crushed between his colossal jaws. Releasing a bleeding Chosen from his teeth, Yeth turned and his flaming eyes locked with mine.

  Oh shit.

  Yeth jumped for me, and I dodged. His jaws clamped down onto air. I stabbed a blade into his side a dozen times, feeling the judder run up my arm as his thick pelt resisted the blade. Blooms of blood appeared like roses on his skin, but Yeth barely seemed to notice. He turned, butting me with the side of his head. I stumbled backwards into Scarlett, who kept me on my feet.

  Yeth turned and stalked towards us. Something rushed in from the side and smashed into the Skinshifter’s jaw. Troy rotated his hammer and lined up for another attack. Beside him were Sophia and Hollie, who sent out a hail of bullets at the Skinshifter. Yeth howled and rose to his back legs, rising over twenty feet into the air.

  All three retreated past me. Scarlett yanked on my arm as Yeth stamped back to the ground, sending cracks sweeping across the platform and knocking several people off their feet, elite included. We retreated close to the entrance hatch as Yeth lunged towards us. He bit down with his incredible jaws, and Troy screamed in pain as a chunk was torn out of his shoulder. I pulled him back towards me, pressing the side of my Blood Brother against the wound. Troy gasped as his burned flesh sizzled and cauterised.

  “Gabriella!” shouted Sophia.

  Yeth was still moving towards us. Before I could ask for help, Janet and her Guardians closed in around us, creating a barricade and stabbing out at the elite’s leader. Even Richard did his part, squeezing his trigger and wearing a look of determination.

  But unlike the Ogre, Yeth had serious intelligence to match his size and speed. I knew if I didn’t get the Guardians away, he would be the end of us all.

  I turned behind to look at the hatch door. It was about eight feet by six.

  Too small for Yeth.

  “Guardians, retreat into Atlantis! Yeth won’t be able to follow.” Huntmasters broke away from the battle, leading their teammates towards our position. At the edge of the platform, the Ogre continued to struggle as Guardians jumped off. Danny fought his way back to us through the elite. I lifted the bracelet. “Aran, if you can hear me, take out that other eye and get to us!”

  Almost instantly, the Ogre let out another hideous squeal. A moment later Aran appeared at my side. “It is done.”

  It was the elite’s turn to stop fighting. Even Yeth stopped advancing to watch as the giant staggered backwards towards the edge of Atlantis. The Guardians abandoned it, jumping to the safety of the platform and scattering. With a haunting howl, the Ogre fell from the edge. From my angle I could see as it crashed down onto Black Dawn. The body hit the side and the ship tilted. Slowly it slid down until it fell under the waves and disappeared.

  A cheer went up, but I knew that the battle was far from over. “Elis, open the hatch,” I shouted into the com. A few seconds later I heard it release, and droves of Guardians slipped inside.

  “Orion, let’s keep Yeth busy,” I whispered, and they nodded.

  We stood in a circle taking snap shots at the creature, distracting him with pop attacks. He bit back at us, but missed by inches. Troy smashed the adamantine hammer against its side, and Yeth howled in a mixture of anger and pain.

  “That’s for my shoulder, you dick!” he growled, hopping back as Yeth snapped at him. Elite started to chase after the retreating Guardians, but they managed to fight them off.

  “Come on; let’s go!” I shouted as the last of the Guardians made it inside. We abandoned Yeth. Firing, we fell back into the entrance. The Skinshifter tried to burst into the opening after us, but only his head could fit. He shuddered to a halt, growling, as he snapped his razor teeth together in fury.

  “You will not escape us!”

  Ignoring him, I reached for the door. “Help me with this!” I shouted, heaving against it. Sophia, Danny, Hollie, and Aran all helped me force the door. Yeth howled as the metal crushed against his head. He heaved backwards and disappeared from view. As the door slammed with a dull thud, a heavy feeling hung in my chest. I was shutting out people I cared about. If Grey and Delagio had managed to survive, they were on their own. But I had no other option.

  I spun the valve and heard the lock click into place. “This will only hold them for so long,” I said to no one in particular. I lifted the bracelet. “Huntmasters, position your teams at points along the way to where Alex is being held. We need to protect him and Sage Faru at all costs. That is our mission.”

&
nbsp; A series of confirmations crackled in my ear.

  “Follow me,” said a voice from nearby. A Chosen standing a few steps down the first walkway introduced himself as Ryan. He turned and led us down a seemingly infinite number of stairs and along enclosed tunnels with arched black walls lit by neon blue wall lights and lined with countless doors. On our journey through Atlantis, I passed by clusters of Warren Guardians with their Huntmasters stationed at strategic points, crouched behind makeshift barricades and aiming.

  After what felt like an age, we reached a large chamber with a suspended walkway. On the other side was a bulkhead door with the words MEDICAL printed in glowing blue letters. It was protected by eight Outpost Guardians. Our guide placed a hand on a scanner, and the doors slid open.

  Inside the room was a modern medical ward similar to the Recovery Centre. Small glass cots stood in rows surrounded by vitals machines. Doctors in lab coats stood in a group at the side, watching us nervously. Elis Holt was standing in the middle of a half ring of Guardians, who all stood aiming down at one of the beds that had been moved into the middle of the room. Lying on it was Alex, head jerking as if he were fitting. The elixir booster lay on his chest. Sage Faru stood over him, sweat streaming from his hands and his arms trembling with exertion.

  I didn’t need to ask to know that he was getting to dangerous levels of mind merge. And Alex still isn’t out.

  “What’s happening?” questioned Ellis.

  “They are coming for him,” I replied. “They won’t be long.”

  “I hope the boy is worth all this.”

  “He is.”

  An echoing explosion shuddered from somewhere high above. Atlantis seemed to groan in protest. They’re in.

  Elis nodded and his Guardians switched their aim from Alex to the doorway. With the rest of Orion, I joined the ranks, and we prepared ourselves for the last stand. In the distance I could hear the rattle of gunfire and screams.

  Looking down at Alex, I felt an icy hand grip my heart. I didn’t want to die. Even more, I didn’t want to lose him. But I knew it could happen. So many had already fallen today. I extended my fingers and stroked the back of his hand.