Into the Darkness

by C T Scribe

  “You lost boy? You don’t look like a smith,” said a frail looking man to his right. Tye took him in, perhaps staring longer than he should have. As if reading his mind the smith replied by saying, “smithing is a skill. All of us immortals are plenty strong enough. Don’t let these skin and bones fool you. So where’s your map boy?”

  “I left it in the room. These eggs were all I could carry anyways,” answered Tye.

  “Ahh, I remember growing my egg Hams.” As he said the words he lifted the giant hammer slung over his shoulder.

  “Wait wait wait, your egg turned into that hammer?”

  “Her name is Hams man, and yeah after a week of cuddling and tinkering she hatched for me. I don’t have much interest in fighting, but Hams helped me with a few scrapes. When it comes to smith work she’s the best. Anyways I need to get back to work so where are you trying to go?”

  Tye could only stare at the giant hammer hanging from the scrawny arm. He moved it around with ease. Finally snapping out of it he said, “the gym.”

  “Oh you’re on the wrong floor, at least for now. Let me see here,” he mouthed as he pulled out his own tablet map. “Ahh so in 30 seconds a shortcut will open to the gym. Let’s get those eggs strapped down first,” said the smith as he pointed out a double harness. Reaching for the eggs Tye gave them to the smith as he grabbed the harness from the wall and put it on. With help from the smith he secured his eggs on his back. The smith waved him forward as they started walking towards the center of the room. The heat intensified with each step. As they came within feet of the dragons mouth Tye yelled, “where’s the shortcut?” He didn’t see the outstretched leg. He barely recognized the others watching him with their sidelong glances and smirking expressions. Gravity sent him stumbling over the smiths leg. All he could see was fire. The blue flame filling his pupils while he was trying and failing to stop himself. “Fuck.” He heard himself say the word without realizing he spoke. As he opened his mouth the dry air rushed in shriveling his throat and tongue. Before he knew it he was head first flying towards the blue flames. Suddenly the flames stopped, and the dragon snapped Tye out of the air swallowing hard.

  The fall was short lived. Tye hadn’t burnt to a crisp. Thudding to the ground, sprawling out on the floor he noticed the sign hanging from a nearby wall. “Dragon’s Head Gym where things heat up,” it read. Reaching back for his harness the eggs were fine. Still secured firmly. He even figured that smith wasn’t an ass. There was no way he’d of jumped down a dragon’s mouth on his own. He would have to thank him later.

  37

  Chapter 37

  Swiveling his head around Tye took in the Dragon’s Head Gym. This place wasn’t a gym at all, but an entire town. Tye couldn’t tell how big the expanse was, but the Dragon’s Head Gym put all other gyms to shame. From the spot he fell too, Tye was blown away by the training options in sight. There were free weights, a pool, and actual mountain side to rock climb, a lake with paddle boats, a dojo, and more things in the horizon. Vaguely, he made out a temple of some sort far off in the distance. There was an entire town of training lying inside the belly of this beast. As if giving their approval the eggs pulsed strongly in unison. Tye already knew what he wanted to do first.

  The weight lifting equipment had no numbers indicated heaviness. The racks of weights simply indicated heavier or lighter than the previous plate. Tye decided to start with the lightest plate. As he reached for the weight it lifted itself onto the bench bar. Another equal weight floated to the other side. Tye slid onto the bench routinely. He had been lifting weights since he was ten years old. The familiar routine was what he needed. Groping the bars came natural. Pushing hard with his newfound strength he rose the weights slowly. The bar creaked off the rack as Tye’s wobbly arms struggled with the load. Slow and steady he thought. Shakily he lowered the weight until his muscles gave out. The crack on his sternum was audible, but not too loud as he strained to push the bar back up. His eggs now at his feet pulsed in encouragement. Inch by inch he slowly pushed the weight unsure if he could return It to the rack. The veins in his arms popping from the effort until he finally racked the weight. His arms continued to tremble after he relinquished the load. One rep. One rep of the lightest weight in the whole gym was all he could do. He felt weak again. How could he avenge her if he could only do one rep. Tye was certain he had never lifted anything that heavy in his entire life. It offered him some consolation. Near the bench he noticed weighted vest similarly arranged from lightest to heaviest. Securing the lightest vest and then the egg harness he decided to start with push-ups. He had a long way to go, but from what he was told he doesn’t need sleep anymore. Immortality is its own form of steroid. He knew how fast his body was recovering. He could feel the healing and building of muscle on a cellular level within each repetition. So he kept going down and pushing up until he couldn’t take it. The eggs on his back pulsing in a rhythm guiding his exercise. Down, up. Down, up. Compliantly he kept up the workout rep after rep allowing himself no concern for time or rest.

  38

  Chapter 38

  Martin loved leaving the compound. He had long since given up his hope of being a field agent, but the envy stayed with him. To be able to see the world, and recruit others was a distant dream now. He knew he wasn’t the best at approaching people. One time in high school he ended up dateless to the fall formal dance from fear of approaching any of the girls he liked. Later in the year at the Sadie Hawkins dance, where the girls ask the guys, he was approach by seven different girls. He had no idea so many people liked him. It was then that he realized he wasn’t good at reading people either. He made some small attempts to become more outgoing, but it was such a struggle for him. When he joined HQ he asked to be a recruiter. He figured that with his new life and abilities he could finally break out of his shell. He could finally take on the outgoing persona he always wished had. His first job in the field was a disaster. The target was a high school girl. He could never remember names or relevant information, which made starting conversations difficult. Her name was Sarah or Susan he thought. Definitely something starting with a S. She was about 5’6 with black or brown hair he remembered. She, like most of the recruits, emitted a strong aura for a mortal. In the days leading up to her recruitment several beast had been spotted near her house and school. It was only a matter of time until they tracked her fully, and killed her family. Then they would either turn her or consumed her. If Martin could choose one over the other, he would much rather be killed. Bite my head off literally, but don’t consume my soul. Consummation was a means of growing power. The beast could siphon the energy from you. Beast lacked the finesse to just consume your aura. They would continue consummation until there was nothing left. No aura, no soul, and no flesh would survive the process. Martin had to watch the girl, and wait for a moment of supernatural intervention. Those were the rules all recruiters had to follow. If a recruiter approached a mortal before they saw the supernatural for themselves it never worked. They would assume the recruiter was crazy or a stalker of some kind. For recruitment to work you had to let them be victimized, then swoop in, save the day, and explain things. Martin never could get the words or the timing right. He failed his recruitment. He never learned what happened to the girl. Her family was found murdered in their house. They possessed low level energy so consummation must have been pointless to the Frens that attacked. Her and her sister however were taken. Thomas wondered if they were turned after all. If one day a field op would have to kill the result of his mistake. After that failure he was matched with his most useful skill in maintenance. As a mortal he loved to tinker. He would often lose himself in machines and gadgets while others his age would be on dates or hanging out. He knew deep down he was never meant to be a recruiter, but he at least gave it a go. Maintenance was always done inside the compound. Unless you were on leave, maintenance crew rarely saw the outside. Today however was his lucky day. The damage he repaired earlier in the week had stabilized, but the outs
ide camouflage of the area was glitchy. He had to go outside to deliver a special dose of medication to the Morphling he called home. As it had been every day this week the wall outside was breathing. The brick exterior was crumbling away revealing the true form of the Morphling underneath. If an enemy stumbled here, and saw this wall HQ would be compromised. He knew how important this job was. He was actually proud the Boss G trusted him to do this. As for the fresh air and sunlight he got along the way to his new job detail, he certainly wasn’t going to complain about them. He wished Deb could come with him. She still wasn’t talking to him, but to walk outside and soak up the sun together would be bliss. He missed her these past few days. He hoped her temper from that night would subside. He hoped, and was disappointed. When he went by her room to visit, there was no answer at the door. When he swung by the cafe during her shift, she disappeared to the back rooms every time she saw his face. He had also heard the rumors of her on and off again lover being back at HQ. They called him the tall man. Brook had even warned him to let her go. Everyone was afraid of the recently returned tracker, but Martin didn’t fear him. He had never feared anyone. In life or his afterlife, Martin had always been decently liked by those he came across. He never had problems with the other crew of maintenance. He had been in his fair share of fights growing up. He was of average build, but his younger brother was always calling on him to save the day. He had honestly lost track of how many times the words, “my big brother will beat you up,” had gotten him into fights as a kid. In his afterlife he wasn’t a bad fighter either. He had won his first fight on the proving grounds. He had won fights in the pits too when he was low on cash. He was good at seeing the things that needed fixed. In a fight that allowed him to see weaknesses in fighting stances. He could calculate damage to specific body parts with alarming accuracy. It gave him the edge. Everyone had a weaknesses, even the tall man. He had spent his off time doing some research on the guy. Mostly rumors and glorified stories were returned for his interest. Still the stories were amazing. Martin didn’t know if fighting would win Deb over. She did say she needed a real man. He had never sought out a fight that wasn’t for cash in the pits until now.

  The paved alley road was especially hot from the sun today. He had made a habit of laying down in a spot near the damaged morphing wall. Today his spot was sizzling below him. He had been there for some time thinking about the Deb situation. If he stayed out there too much longer, then the border guards would come searching for him. Sitting up he looked at the defective patch of wall. The breathing was less visible than yesterday, but it was still apparent. He would have to talk to Brook about increasing the potency of the shot he was administering. The Morphling didn’t shake in pain today, as it had done on previous shots. It seemed like it was waiting for him to deliver the medicine. The breathing slowed. It was hard to imagine they all lived and trained inside this beast. He wondered how many outside of maintenance knew the true identity of HQ. It didn’t matter to him that it was a beast protecting them. He appreciated the beast in ways most couldn’t. He knew that under a multitude of conditions it shifted itself into the best home this group of immortals had ever known. It was pure magic. It was family. Martin patched the cracks in the wall, as he had done everyday this week. Patting the beast on the side he said, “see you tomorrow” before heading back in. He stole one last look at the sun, before returning to the tunnels leading to the maintenance room.

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  Chapter 39

  In the three days since the class received their eggs, most had begun developing into weapons. The big guy with the high voice, George, had the handle of a giant bat protruding from what was left of his egg. The twins eggs had turned into a pair of knives. Each twin with their own knife. The two had been juggling the knives back and forth when Tye arrived to the class. Several of his classmates had plain looking swords. Marco, sitting to his right, had two fully developed swords. They were much more elaborate than the plain looking swords glinting throughout the classroom. Each hilt encrusted with a rare looking gem, one red and one blue. Leather wrapped around the handles for additional grip. The blades themselves were medieval long swords. They reminded Tye of the story of King Arthur only doubled. A girl in the corner had the beginnings of a handgun. Another in the back had the scope of a sniper rifle. Everyone in the class had the beginnings or completion of their weapons. Everyone except for Tye. Tye sat there examining his classmates as they displayed their weapons in progress to one another. Shame rushed him as he looked at his pulsing blobs. They had changed over these 3 days. They grew taller and more lean. They also stopped pulsing together. One would pulse then the other would follow. At times it seemed like the blobs we’re having their own conversation within the rhythmic light show. They had also grown extremities. It was slight, but if you looked closely small circular knobs had formed. Two at the base and two on the sides approximately halfway down their length. Tye had assumed the blobs would take some shape before reaching within themselves and handing him his weapon. He was wrong. As everyone’s eyes darted from weapon to weapon, smirks and snickers followed each eye cast in his direction. He had heard from Teach after the first day of his training that he and Marco were special. It was rare to have twin blood weapons. As potential soldiers it made his potential much higher. Now he felt like a double loser. In response to his self pity his muscles began to twitch. He had spent every second of these 3 days at the gym. He created a routine of running, climbing, martial arts, and push ups all while using the weighted vest. He was still using the lightest vest, but it had become increasingly unnoticed as he pushed his new body to its limits. The only breaks he took were for food. Deb, the head cook at the diner, always seemed to know when he was coming, and she had a hot plate ready for him to consume. He didn’t know what she put in this food, but his energy levels peaked with each bite. He thought he was training hard, but apparently not. Teach sat on the desk looking around the room observantly. A smile tugged on his infant mouth as he looked from the twins to Marco. Amusement stayed in the infantile lines of his face as he glanced at the others. When he decided to look at Tye his face was blank and unreadable. Shame flushed over him at the observation. His eggs sensing the glare pulsed three times hard in unison. Tye recognized this as a code. During his three days of training whenever he neared his limit the eggs would pulse three times together. Tye decided this was egg for don’t give up. He knew he had go keep training, and apparently his eggs knew it as well. Finally interrupting the students Teach began today’s lesson.

  “I see most of your weapons have begun developing. I’m a bit shocked to see some of them fully formed as well. Good job class. Those of you with less development will need to train even harder to spark the weapon formation.” Teach again flashed his eyes to Tye. Some of the students followed his glance with taunting smiles. Laughter erupted from a group near the front of the class. Tye felt his face flush. His sore lean muscles flexing underneath his hoodie. He was pissed. The glare in the groups direction left them unphased as they pointed to their partially formed swords tauntingly. Teach continued, two of our students were gifted with double weapons. Marco and Tye have a larger potential to be elite than the rest of you, but believe me when I say potential. We also have an arsenal of traditional weapons that you’ll learn to push your energy into and fight with. Your born weapons however are much stronger against enemy attack.” Teach looked around the class once more before his expression turned grim. “In one month we will have our proving grounds competition. You all will be paired up with a classmate to fight. The winners will move on with their training, but the losers will be reassigned to noncombat positions. We only need the best in the field. If you lose you may be assigned to kitchen or cleaning detail. You may become a driver as well, but hunters and recruiters are only available to those who win. I’ll be around the compound checking on the progress of all of you throughout the month. I’ll answer any questions, and offer whatever tips I can. Just know that this fight can be brutal. When your th
reatened and your immortal instincts kick in control is difficult. Many have died on the proving ground. Whether your weapons fully developed or not, in one month you all will fight. The match ups will be sent out on your tablets, but Marco and Tye will be matched since they are the only ones with two weapons.” As he said the last words his eyes lingered on the blobs sitting in front of Tye. Marco couldn’t contain his amusement as he looked at the unformed weapons in front of his neighbor. Stifled laughter spilling from his lips. Another student from the group in the front bellowed out, “yeah, he’s dead.” the statement obviously intended for Tye. After the announcement class was dismissed, but Tye didn’t budge. He let the others leave. Each one with a cruel smile on their lips from looking at his blobs. Everyone beside the dark skinned girl and the gentle giant gave pitying glances. He would have to remember their names. Those two were better than the rest. Sitting at the desk in an empty room he felt ashamed. For the first time in his life he was bad at something. More than that, he had a mission. He had a purpose for abandoning his human life, and joining this cult of immortals. He would avenge Mari. Her necklace felt especially heavy hanging from his neck. The burn remained, but Tye had long since accepted that bit of pain. Standing on the front desk Teach spoke, “did you need something from me Tye?”

  “I don’t understand why my weapons won’t form. I’ve been training my ass off these last few days.”