by Riker Kane
ZAP! A sudden line of blue electricity shot out from Redgrave’s tablet and gave Bonet a jolt, making him violently spasm in place before he fell to the floor.
The electricity bounced around the room. It zoomed from one guard’s weapon to the next, giving them the same jolt that Bonet felt. In the blink of an eye, they were all out on the ground and unconscious. It happened so damn fast I wasn’t sure I was looking at it right.
“What the hell?” Alisa looked down, her mouth half-open. “Did that just happen?”
“I always have a contingency,” Redgrave said. “I created a program to target hostiles in case a situation like this arose. It went straight for their weapons and disarmed them.”
“It did a little more than disarm them…”
“What about Dr. Bonet?” Jade asked.
“Bonet took the initial shock. After that, the energy moves from every weapon in the vicinity until dissipating because it has no other targets.”
“Why didn’t you do this back at the docks?” Alisa said. “Could’ve saved us a lotta trouble…”
“Castleberry had enough agents on the docks I couldn’t stop them all. Even if you made it through the Junction Gate, someone would have come after you to stop you. I can control the Junction Room from this station and prevent anybody from accessing it for the time being. It should give you enough time to do what you need to do before they’re able to send somebody in after you. Now…”
Redgrave tossed a Recall Box to all three of us. “Put these on. I’ve made the modifications with the Potent Mana to keep you stable in Anarchy. You should be able to last in there for at least an hour. But that’s pushing it. Conservatively, I’d say it’s less.”
I strapped my Recall Box on then walked over to the gauntlets. My hands slid in and the soft silicone material molded around my fingers. “Never thought I’d miss this… You tempered these, too?”
Redgrave nodded. “You’ll be able to damage Lynx if you encounter him again.”
“Lynx?”
“I had a chance to look through the database. The data of your encounters matched what they had on file. They’ve begun classifying all of the Heralds. This is not the first time they’ve come across him, though the previous encounter was only in passing.”
Alisa picked up the hand cannon on the table and twirled it around. “We got our weapons back. Everything’s been modified. Now which gate do we go through to get where we’re going?”
“Hold on a second,” I sighed. “Alisa… Jade… I never thought it would get this crazy. I’m going after my father. You don’t have to do this. The type of trouble you’ll get in—”
“Oh, save it, Champ. I’m already in too deep. You really expect me to stay behind now? I know you’re not that dumb.”
I looked at Jade and she smiled. “It is pretty dumb for you to expect us to stay behind now,” she said.
“I guess it is,” I said with a laugh. “Redgrave?”
“I have the coordinates mapped to your last checkpoint.” He began tapping frantically on his tablet and the nearest Junction Gate at the side of the room began to pulse with a brighter blue energy. The circle of steel began to rotate and power up.
I walked right up next to it with Alisa and Jade right behind me.
“This gate will lead you into the Spectral Wasteland,” Redgrave continued. “I’m afraid I can’t give you any more details on what you’ll encounter or how the environment will treat you. But if you make it through this zone, Anarchy will be next.”
The pulsing blue gateway stared back at me. I was staring at the surface of the water, wondering what was at the bottom of the sea. I couldn’t see anything though. Not even my own reflection.
“Will you be okay?” I asked Redgrave.
“I’ll monitor your activity from here. I’ll have these men bound before they regain consciousness. Anybody attempting to enter this Junction Room will have to go through several locks I’ve encrypted. Nobody knows the Junction Room servers better than I do.”
“Almost like you planned this.”
The old man gave me a wink to remind me maybe he wasn’t so old. “You’ll only have one shot at this,” he said. “A single attempt. If your HP falls to zero, your Recall Boxes will activate and you’ll be transported to the Medical Bay for recomposition. I doubt they’ll allow you a second opportunity to attempt it.”
“One chance,” I sighed. “That’s all we’ve ever had.”
He moved next to me and raised his chin. A deep sigh escaped him as his eyes widened. “I want you to know I’m truly sorry for what happened, Enzo. I failed your father. Seventeen long years my mistake has eaten me up inside. For some reason, fate gave this old fool a chance to right his wrong. I’ve done everything possible to get to this point. Unfortunately, I can do no more. It’s up to you to finish it.”
Redgrave’s eyes began to glaze over. He swallowed loudly to maintain his composure and not let any of his tears leak.
I put my gauntlet on his shoulder and look him right in the eye. “If my father is in Anarchy, I’ll find him.”
He straightened up and nodded. “I leave it to you, Slayer.”
I turned back toward the energy pulsing in front of me. One last breath filled my lungs before I stepped through.
44: Journey
There was something in the air. Smelled like oil or gasoline. Something burning. There weren’t any fires from what I could see though. No ashes either.
The scene wasn’t anything pleasant though. Dark forests surrounded me in every direction except for the path ahead. Crumbled statues of gods or goddesses. Broken monuments built to worship some deity. It was a cemetery courtyard, devastated by age and earthquakes. It sprawled to the left and right of me and reaching all the way to the forests around me.
The sky was black with the gray clouds slowly drifting by. The moon was out and full but it was off. I blinked to make sure I was seeing it correctly. It glowed a bright green aura, casting its light on everything beneath it.
In the distance, there was a building. Some abandoned structure that looked like an old cathedral or church.
“What is that thing?” Alisa said. “Just looking at it gives me the heebie jeebies.”
Jade glanced at her communicator. “The readings on the map are going in and out. There’s some type of distortion here.”
“I could’ve told you that. Must have something to do with that green moon and how close we are to Anarchy.”
I couldn’t deny the uncertainty coursing through me. All these damn butterflies fluttering around in my stomach were more like hornets trying to stab their way out. I swallowed everything down and clenched my fists to keep my focus.
“This wasn’t supposed to be easy. But we can still do it.” I marched forward through the cemetery filled with broken headstones and crumbling statues. The carved stones were broken away, chipped, and cracked with ivy growing all over them. Some of the statues that still had their heads looked like they were staring right at me even though they were lifeless. Nude figures with the wings of angels held their mouths open in some kinda agony.
“These things are creepy,” Alisa said. “You think these things mean anything?”
“Keep your head down,” I said. “Stay focused.”
“I don’t know if I can focus when these things are about to come to life and attack me.”
“We’re almost there. These statues are just statues.”
“I hope so…”
We moved closer to the cathedral in the distance and I saw just how large it was. Compared to everything in the cemetery we walked through, it was in a lot better shape. Four stories high. Its walls and roof black except for the glass windows that were strangely still intact. If it wasn’t for the paint job and the green moon shining on it, it wouldn’t have looked so ominous. With no encounters in the cemetery we just crossed, it was obvious something was waiting inside for us.
A set of wooden double doors stood in the archway entrance. They wer
e painted black like the rest of the building except for the handles, two giant rings made out of brass.
“We’re really just gonna waltz in here, huh?” Alisa said.
“Who said anything about waltzing?” I replied.
Alisa rolled her eyes and let out a sigh as she raised her hand cannon. Jade readied her staff, her eyes filled with more determination than I’d ever seen.
I looked back on the broken endless cemetery behind me one last time before grabbing one of the rings. It took some effort but the door slowly creaked open as I tugged on it. I kept pulling until finally opening it completely.
I stepped into the hall of the cathedral and saw the dozens of stone pews on both sides of me. The way the green moonlight shined in through the glass windows cast strange shadows on the floor. The ceiling was high but there didn’t seem to be anything above.
“Something could be lurking in here,” I said.
“You think?” Alisa replied.
“Just stay ready.”
It was silent except for our slow footsteps on the red carpet beneath us. The moonlight didn’t hit the corners, so it was hard to tell what was in the shadows.
The long carpeted pathway led to a plain-looking pulpit at the front of the chapel. We managed to get to it without anything happening.
I looked around the platform I stood on but couldn’t see anything. “There’s something here,” I said. “There has to be.”
“Are you sure?” Alisa said. “Maybe we made a wrong turn and missed something in the cemetery.”
“The map is distorted but this is the path it’s giving us.”
“Hold on a second,” Jade said suddenly. “Look at this.” She placed her palm on top of the stone pulpit. Her hand wiped away a thick layer of dust. She kept swiping until I could see it. Something was carved into it in big, bold letters.
FOR THOSE WHO FEAR DEATH, TURN AWAY. FOR THOSE WHO SEEK IT, FAITH WILL GUIDE YOU.
“Hmm…” Alisa tapped her chin. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not afraid to admit I fear death… I’m guessing it doesn’t matter to you two.”
“We know this was suicide before we came here,” I said. “Only seems appropriate they’re reminding us.”
“Good point. Now all you have to do is figure what this second part means. Faith will guide us to where exactly?”
I looked around. There didn’t appear to be anything but black walls around me. “Faith…” I looked at the back wall. Solid black stone. The more I stared at though, the more a feeling I couldn’t shake grew stronger. I couldn’t explain it but it was there, making me more curious.
I walked over to the wall and placed my palm on it. “Solid…”
“Maybe there’s a switch,” Jade said. “Something that will make this wall rotate and reveal a path.”
I squinted when something caught my eye. I could barely see it. Still black. But it resonated. There was energy there. The same kind of energy I saw when I stared at the Junction Gate before I stepped through it.
“…No… This is the path.”
“What?” Alisa said.
“The wall. It’s not a wall. It’s a gate… This is energy.”
Alisa pressed her hand against the stone. “Feels pretty solid to me.”
“…Faith. We need to have faith. Only those seeking death can get through…” I backed up a few steps.
“Hold on a second.” Alisa put her hands up. “You’re not about to do what I think you are, are you?”
I gave her a shrug. “There’s only one way to get to Hogwarts…”
“We only got one shot at this. Maybe you should just try punching—”
I ran forward before she could finish. My eyes shut, I kept pumping my legs until I hit the wall. My legs kept moving though. I kept running forward. I should’ve hit it by now but I didn’t.
I opened my eyes and suddenly there was nothing but black all around me. “Holy shit…”
Fear. Confusion. Determination. Everything kept my legs moving until the darkness cleared. In the blink of an eye, I was back outside with the green moon shining above me. But there was no cemetery or broken headstones or eerie statues. There was only an empty dirt field the size of a soccer pitch surrounded by a black iron gate so high there was no way I could get over it.
“Whoa.” Alisa appeared from the wall behind me with Jade coming right after her.
Jade looked at her communicator. “The distortions are growing stronger. I can’t tell if the end of the zone is right in front of us or farther ahead.”
I squeezed my hand and noticed the tingling sensation like it was asleep. “I can feel it, too. I don’t think we’re gonna be able to get much farther though. We’re stuck here.”
“Now what—”
BOOM!
Thunder cracked in the sky along with a bright green thunder. The gray clouds swirled in the air, billowing like smoke until a blinding flash of light made me turn my head away. I looked back and saw figures beginning to take shape on the dirt in front of me.
They were solid black. Arms and legs. But something was off. They weren’t quite human. Their arms extended too long. Their fingers had claws instead of nails. And their faces… They didn’t have faces. No eyes. No noses or mouths. Just an empty black mound on top of their shoulders.
Ten of them stood on the dirt before us completely motionless. Even without eyes, it still felt like they were looking at me.
“Ungh… Creepy…” Alisa shuddered and raised her gun.
“You ever see anything like these things before?” I asked Jade.
“These things… They look like Shadows. Literal Shadows. I don’t recall if there’s anything like this in the bestiary.”
“This is what happens when you venture too deep into Pandora,” Alisa sighed. “But a couple of Shadows ain’t gonna stop us. Ain’t that right, Champ?”
I clenched my fists and pounded my knuckles together. “Let ‘em have it.”
Alisa charged her hand cannon up and let off a volley of energy. White blasts of bright energy flew into the sky then came crashing back down to the earth. Some of them hit the ground and sent dirt into the air. Others hit their target and knocked the Shadows to the ground. But the ones unscathed stayed motionless.
“Let me try.” Jade stepped forward and charged a Solo Spark. WHOOSH. A massive green fireball shot out and engulfed one of the figures. The Shadow stood its ground as the flames consumed it. But then it suddenly vanished in a mist of smoke. It didn’t even leave any Mana behind.
“These assholes don’t seem to be responding to anything,” Alisa said. “But at least we can kill ‘em. Maybe we’re doing something wrong. Maybe we should go out there and shake their hands so we don’t have to fight.”
“Shake their hands,” I said. “That’d be an idea if they didn’t look like they wanna rip my arm off…”
I started walking forward and immediately the Shadows began to move. And they moved a lot faster than I expected them to. They fell on all fours and rushed at me like leopards chasing their prey.
“Holy shit!” Alisa fired a panicked shot and caught one of them clean, knocking it back and turning it into black mist.
Jade followed her lead and took another one down with a Solo Spark.
But there were still four more coming right at me. They surrounded me quickly and leaped into the air.
“Revolver Drill!”
My gauntlets came up and spun me around. Fists thudded against the Shadows as they neared me. Their bodies were as dense as rocks but I still managed to send them flying back.
I regained control and rushed forward to the nearest Shadow on the ground. A hard right hand to its chest made it fade into mist.
“That wasn’t so bad—Ahh!”
The stinging pain of getting stabbed in the leg made me spin around. The Shadow had its claw digging right into my thigh, piercing me with each one of its long, sharp digits. But it was close enough for me to handle and I slammed its head to make it fade a
way.
BOOM!
Another burst of energy cracked the sky and more bursts of light blinded me. I regained my senses and saw more of the Shadows littering the open field. Dozens of them all came racing forward in my direction.
“Get my back!” I shouted as I ran in the opposite direction where Jade and Alisa were on the other side of the battlefield.
Alisa continued to send volleys into the sky while Jade sent fireballs to try and take out as much of the group as they could.
The Shadows kept marching forward through the energy coming their way. They headed toward me with a viciousness that was palpable.
“Let’s see how you like this…” I dug my fingers into the ground and started picking up the dirt.
The Shadows were gaining on me, moving close enough I could hear each of their four limbs digging up the dirt.
“C’mon…” I gritted my teeth and lifted a piece of earth twice the size of me. I hurled it forward and bowled over a group of the Shadows, sending them scattering in every direction.
But there were still more who continued their pursuit. Alisa and Jade couldn’t keep up. I wouldn’t have a chance to rest after this, so I had to save my endurance. There was only one way to handle the rest of these assholes.
“The old-fashioned way…” I charged forward to meet them with my fists up and cracked the first Shadow I came across right in the head. Another one leaped toward me and pounced. I grabbed it out of the air and pounded it in the chest to turn it into mist, but not before it managed to claw my arm.
Two more Shadows came from behind me but I spun around quickly and sent a backfist into one that sent it tumbling into the other.
BOOM!
More Shadows poured from the sky as I tried to deal with the last few still trying to swarm me. I watched them race toward Alisa and Jade as they tried to keep them at bay.
“Shit…” I grabbed the nearest Shadow by its neck and punched it so hard in the head it vaporized into mist immediately.
Another Shadow slashed at my right arm and drew blood but wasn’t enough to stop my right fist in response.