Shadow Seed

by Jose Rodriguez

CHAPTER FOUR

  Thousands of dead Rheans and live Fenrir tepidly moved through a Netherworld forest. Countless ravens perched on the lifeless trees.

  Stig was leading the way for Kamala, Darek, Hurok, Rona and Doradus.

  “Oy, know what I heard back in town?” Darek asked. “Buncha folks around here have taken to callin' themselves Inferi.”

  Kamala didn’t think much of it. “Sounds like something an Anubian would come up with.”

  Stig laughed. “No one actually knows who or how that came about. It started ages ago. Lately, it seems more and more hop on every day. I may be dead, but I'm still a Fenrir.”

  Darek swung his sword around. “How did we get stuck with scouting? Just because we're new to this being dead thing doesn’t mean we can’t be in the thick of it.”

  “Will you relax?” Kamala said. “There's no front line. On top of that, we're not scouting. Arloff needs us to skirmish with the Pelasgian rear guard.”

  “Yeah,” Darek said, “Cause enough of a ruckus that we get the lot of them chasing us back to him, hopefully.”

  “It doesn’t get much thicker than that,” Kamala said. “Unless the Pelasgians decide to smash the city, and we have to run in after them.”

  “Speaking of which,” Darek said, continuing to swing his sword. “Does it have a name? The city everyone’s running off to.”

  “Hasn't been given a name yet,” Stig answered. “Lilith conjured it several days ago. It's her biggest one yet.”

  Hurok ran up beside Kamala. “What are these black birds doing here?”

  “Someone said they were animals of Rhea,” Kamala answered. “Or something like that.”

  “Yes,” Stig said. “They were your food, your pets, anything large and small. These birds are Lilith's eyes and ears. They've been watching everything ever since the invasion.”

  A Fenrir in wolf form came running from a group further ahead and stopped in front of Hurok.

  “What is it?” Hurok asked.

  “There’s a small ridge,” the Fenrir pointed out. You can see the Pelasgians from there.”

  Everyone approaching the ridge had to drop down on their belly and crawl to get a peek.

  Kamala was worried when she saw how close the Pelasgians were. “It looks like they forgot to post sentries.”

  “Careful, it may be a trap,” Doradus whispered.

  “Maybe,” said Rona. “But if it's not, that means we have the element of surprise.”

  “Then I say we hit them now and plow straight through the middle,” Doradus said, “I bet we can take out half of them before they realize what’s happening.”

  Rona hit Doradus' arm. “Idiot, in case you forgot, some of us are still alive.”

  “It only hurts the first time,” Doradus grinned.

  Rona then rolled her eyes. “If you and the dead want to go charging in, be my guest.”

  “Since when are you scared?” Doradus asked.

  “Oh, I'm not scared,” Rona said.

  Annoyed, Hurok covered his ears. “Will you two halfwits please stop thinking? We’re to skirmish with them, nothing more.”

  Kamala looked back. “I’m not so sure about that, Hurok,” she said, seeing an army of Prometheans.

  Arloff crawled next to Kamala. “Change in strategy,” he said. “We’re going to hit them now.”

  “Why the change?” Kamala asked.

  “Even if we got half of them away from here there’s still more coming through a portal near the camp.,” Arloff said, “Lilith didn't think so many would be pouring in.”

  Kamala gawked at the Pelasgian camp. “So what, we just do what Doradus said and charge in?”

  “Yes, but no matter what, do not get captured,” Arloff said, “If you are captured, do whatever it takes to get right back here into the fight.”

  The ravens among them suddenly took off, almost blacking out the entire sky. They flew low, squawking and pecking at the Pelasgians.

  Badly distracted as they were, very few of the Pelasgians even noticed the ground slightly trembling, with the call to arms coming just as the Rheans and Fenrir began to slash through them.

  Arloff punched a Corinthian with such force that it sent him crashing into several others like a cannonball.

  A Cyclops eager for a challenge, growled as he ran full speed at Arloff. Both, locked hands in a display of strength, with Arloff losing some ground from the impact.

  Everyone around them knew well enough to keep a distance and stay out of it.

  Arloff pushed hard, appearing to have the upper hand as his opponent fell to one knee.

  Knowing that he wasn't going to win, the Cyclops freed one of his hands and socked Arloff in the gut. As the Promethean buckled, the Cyclops twisted his other hand as he pulled and flipped Arloff over on his back.

  The ground trembled with dirt and rocks shooting in all directions.

  Arloff quickly turned over and got on one knee, catching a punch from the Cyclops in one hand and grabbing him by the buckle. In a burst of energy, he easily stood back up while tossing the large, one-eyed creature to crush a few Pelasgians.

  When the Cyclops tried to get up, Arloff jumped on him and snapped his neck with both hands.

  Kamala chopped a Satyr down with her battle-axes before noticing that Darek was having some trouble with a Corinthian.

  Darek swung his sword clumsily, missing the target and stumbling forward. The Corinthian slashed him across the back. And though Darek felt no pain, it was still unsettling. He barely managed to block the next attack that sent him down on his rump.

  Kamala threw one of her axes, striking the Corinthian in the back. She ran to help Darek up. “Not too handy with the sword, are you?” she asked.

  “Bugger,” Darek said. “Never used one, actually. Never had to. I sure fancy my final form.”

  “Yeah, I miss my bag of tricks, too,” Kamala said, failing to see an Eriny toss a black ball of slime that turned itself into a net ensnaring her and Darek.

  “Oy! What’s this?” Darek cried, struggling to break free.

  Before Kamala could think of what to do, the Eriny hauled her and Darek into the air.

  Hanging underneath the creature, Kamala could see the battle raging below, and several others who'd been caught in a similar fashion. She still had one axe, but it was pinned in such a way that she could do nothing. With her free hand, she pulled at the net, which didn't give much at all.

  The Eriny flew fast, approaching a rocky field ahead.

  “Where's he taking us?” Darek asked. His arms were free of the net, but it was still difficult to move.

  Kamala looked in the direction they were flying and saw a Pelasgian portal open. “Darek, do you have your sword?” she asked.

  Darek was almost afraid to answer. “Yeah…”

  “Cut the net, or kill this thing!” Kamala said.

  “Are you mad? Do you know how high we are?” Darek asked.

  “Do it now!” Kamala yelled.

  Darek swung his sword, slashing the Eriny across his midsection and causing him to let go.

  Screaming in terror as they fell, Kamala and Darek landed on a huge slab of rock, breaking almost every bone in their bodies. For several moments neither moved.

  Darek opened his eyes. “Kamala?” he called, barely able to turn his head.

  Kamala's body lay just a few feet away. Her eyes were open with a blank stare, and she wasn’t moving at all.

  Darek became scared. “Kamala?” he whispered. There wasn't much he could do, being paralyzed from the neck down, and his fear turned to panic with the sound of footsteps approaching.

  “I hope that never happens again,” Kamala said, shaking her head in a daze.

  “Thank goodness!” Darek cried in joy, turning his head to see her standing as if she'd just rolled around in the dirt. “Kamala, I'm in trouble. I can’t move. Be a lass and help me, please.”

  Kamala kicked around some of the rocks before picking up a hefty one and kneeling bes
ide Darek. “Close your eyes.”

  Terror filled Darek's body. “Why? What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Helping you,” Kamala said, raising the stone above her head.

  Darek screamed. “No!”

  Like a hammer, Kamala brought the stone down, crushing Darek's skull. She ran back in the direction she came from, searching around the boulders until she found Darek squirming out of the ground, laughing hysterically.

  “I'm alive!” Darek shouted, before remembering otherwise. “Or...close enough, I suppose.”

  “Good as new.” Kamala winked.

  Darek brushed some dirt off and looked across the valley where the battle was taking place. “Between you and me, do you think we can win this?”

  “We don't have a choice,” Kamala answered. “But it sure would be a lot easier if we were alive.”