Obsidian's Wake

I came out of my meditation around dawn. I mentally played out every fight D took part in. Anything he did I eventually imitated instinctually. I decided to practice to get a better scope of my limitations. The weight of the sun bore down on me leaving slightly sluggish. The group rested peacefully with last night’s drink fest, the booze acted as their blankets and pillows. I almost overlooked the unnerving sigils everywhere when the giant pentagram caught my eye again. It hummed it’s unknown song peacefully. I went into the fridge to see if there was anything I could wolf down for fuel for my work out. This kid had a thing for pizza: four more boxes were stuffed into the fridge complimented by more beer. He was excelling at the bachelor’s diet, I’d be surprised to find anything healthy in here. I pulled out a box silently and took two slices out. I really didn’t care it was cold, the fused cheese and sausage tasted like cardboard. I left the box on the wooden kitchen counter next to Mat’s heavy head and made my way to the door. I unlocked the door as silently as possible and slipped out. The sigils hummed more audibly when I closed the door. I wasn’t worried about locking the door since the standard project door was self locking.

Hmm where could I go without drawing a crowd? The roof instantly came to mind. It made even more sense to go up there to try to get over my laziness when the sun is out. The hallway was empty, it was strange that at least the old folks would be out and about. I was rewarded with the sounds of the elevators chiming up a few floors above me. I decided to take the stairs to test just how fast I could reach the top. I opened the fire exit door and was greeted by the stale urine smell and old cigarettes. The annoying insect buzzing of the light flickered on an off at an epileptic causing pace .I ignored the offensive smell and prepared to sprint.

The mental decision to do some physical action woke the power within me, muscles twitched in anticipation. I felt like I had too many cups of coffee . I tried to sprint up the stairs two at a time only just to be surprised that I took the whole flight with ease and then some. I almost threw myself out of the window smacking into the glass at break neck speed without blinking. I hopped off of the window ceil embarrassed like I tripped in front of a cute girl. I looked around making sure no one saw my blooper. I turned  and launched myself as fast as I could up the stairs. In midflight I tucked in my knees and aimed for the center of the glass. Web like splinters crawled from under my feet as I rebounded and flew up the next flight of stairs. I ricocheted off of the plate glass even faster than the last. I pretty much pin balled up twenty flights of stairs as fast as I wanted to. I intentionally crashed into the cement wall seeing that it was the only way for me to stop. It sounded like two brick walls colliding into each other. I wasn’t even stunned when I bounced off of it, I had to catch myself from falling down the stairs. I laughed with a child like glee realizing just how far I’ve come. I pushed open the door to see glistening tar from the slits of sunlight that escaped the heavy clouds.

I centered myself and took a deep breath of cool air. I looked around to see what I had to work with, it was a decent amount of space. I wanted to test out my strength and speed without the use of the shadows at first. The best thing I could come up with was kata work. I squared my feet at shoulder’s width apart and chambered my fists.

Your attacks start with your hips! Left fist, retract bladed flow into the side kick center your weight. Faster Faster! Stop worrying about power the technique and stance will generate it for you!  The fury of my attacks left the wind cracking like a whip. Calm stay calm! Standing leg sweep, follow through to jumping round house. Easy Easy! I launched a little to hard and landed on top the tar plastered ledge. I didn’t care I was well into my own rhythm. Center and flip on the ledge tuck your knees in, tighter Tighter! Good,side flip off the ledge and roll. Bladed Bladed Damn it! good Crashing Tide to Whispering Wind double knife fist, spin into Blooming Lotus, Counter with a Demon Break, Yes Yes that’s it!  finish with Coiled Asp, good Good!

‘You are beyond this primitive combat..’ came into my mind. The sun bore through the clouds with all of it’s might. It felt like the damn thing challenged me to do shadow work. “No, you got me on the shadow work, you bright bastard.” I muttered at the sun. I focused on the abyss within me and felt a tide of alien energy rise. The chalkboard screech pitched loudly.“Let’s see what you can do about this!” Flashes of my fight with D came to mind. I clasped both hands together as the light shadow acted as a bridge to spew a cold slick energy forcing my hands apart. The black orb grew as wide as my shoulders floating in mid air glorious in the defiance of the sun. It churned happily within it self almost glad to be free into this world.  I concentrated on holding it in place and whispered: “Shear.” Hundreds of glass glittering negative shards streaked towards me. I was in a relaxed squared stance until they were on me. I fell into the madness of evading the blades waiting until the last inhuman moment to move. I actually let one press gently into my chest and fell into a bridge before I was ran through.

Oddly the ball of obsidian maintained its size after the attack. As soon as I thought it, the ball shot at me. It took the shape of a spiked mace trying it’s damndest to hit me. I spun aside only to narrowly dive out of the way of it’s rebounded strike. A thin line of blood marked my face when I got to my feet. The ball relaxed in mid air waiting for my command shrilling happily. I focused my energy into my right hand and threw it into my own shadow, I half expected that I would break my hand or punch through the roof for that matter. What I didn’t expect was my hand continued it’s motion outside the sphere. My face almost hit the floor due to the unexpected action. “Well ain’t that some shit..” I murmured out loud pulling my hand back from the portal. I hefted myself to my feet staring at the ball curiously. “What else could you do?..” I thought of my sword briefly and the sphere took the negative aspect of it. I just laughed. I pulled the cold blade out of it’s sheath, the imitated scabbard rested at my side. The weightlessness threw me off for a half a second before I got used to it. I fell into a sword kata easily, every parry was effortless as breathing. I never knew how much I missed sword work , I felt like I was acting out a symphony of a long forgotten battle. Each slash stained reality in a negative after image. I sheathed the sword reflexively to study the wound further. It looked like a piece of fabric folding into each other revealing the darkness between it. There was a lighter whine coming from out of it. Reality eventually corrected itself closing the cold air from the gap with a low slurping sound. I picked up the churning mock blade and pulled it into myself .

If I can shape a blade that can do that, then.. I focused the abyssal energy in my left hand and clawed at the sky. The motion left the same scaring in the air, only less deeper. I shook my head in conformation: the souls that I devoured, I adopted their abilities on an abyssal aspect. There was only one more thing I wanted to try before I went back down stairs. I created the oil slick sphere again, only this time I concentrated on growing it as wide a the rooftop. This actually left me winded  the wind took on a storm like force flinging derbis everywhere. The energy was bucking wildly trying to release itself from my control. I stood firm and gritted my teeth forcing it to comply to my will. The whole building shook like a slew of jack hammers were working on it. By the time it was under control I was too tired to want to try anything out. It felt weird walking around in the soup like energy. I felt the alien currents being pulled in a complex pattern never seeping out of my confinement. There was even a different feel of each current, one was like a child running as fast as it could in circles joyously. The other reminded me of sitting in front of a good meal, starving having not eaten all day. Then there was one that felt like it was just observing me proudly, like a father that sends a kid off on a bike when they finally get the hang of it. I decided I had enough fun, and crossed my arms together. The stubborn sphere slowly receded into me leaving the world as it should. I sat down looking at the sun with a smile.

“Haha I beat you..” I said wearily.

I leave you for a while and you decide to pick a fight with the sun huh? D chuckled .

“That’s right and I kicked it’s ass, you know your next. Tell me some good news.” I rose slowly my, fatigue was already fading away.

To be honest with you I want to take a detour so we can feed on an otherkin that is terrorizing the streets before we pick up our next member. He’s in the neighborhood we won’t be long . He left me a little jarred being so blunt about it. I felt a little uneasy about his claim about this so called terrorist.

“What is he doing D? If he’s slapping around the army I’m a little-“

He’s a child molester Kage, I hate them as much as you do. Returning from our Goddess’s plane I blanketed the city for possible threats and honestly, souls to eat. Regretfully most of them are relatively handling their abilities responsibly except this one.Other’s are simply too weak to make any usefull changes within you. I won’t force you to make a decision that may change you further, you can just stop him if you wish.

Since when do we say no to food? And damn it they were both right. I almost lusted for more power. I’m sure I couldn’t stop myself from destroying him outright even if I wanted to. The last child molester I stopped his face was smashed to hamburger meat with his guts spilling out, dead I mean quite dead. If I did this to do this alone: no holier than thou rival, no big wet hazel eyes forcing me to stop, hell no stupid child like optimism telling me that he could be rehabilitated. I will erase this piece of shit from the face of the Earth I will… 

Kage, peace, peace.. I understand, I was there with you. If we blink at top speed we can get there in a half hour. We’ll get back in a hour and a half  more or less. They’re still asleep so they won’t be the wiser that you are missing.

“It’ll take forty five minuets D.I know an easier way to get back.” I had to force myself into calm before I tried my best to smash this building into rubble.

Oh really Kage? What’s that all powerful and ever deep shadow? He smiled.

The screeching sound of the abyss pulled out of my hand easily manifesting into a sphere. I concentrated and did the disappearing hand trick to prove my point.

Damn… Kage do you realize that it took you considerably longer to have that ability?  You’re still a little raw in stabilizing it. Here. The churning and screeching stopped the miniature globe sat in the air peacefully like a nursing baby. I really am impressed your years ahead of, well… all of your previous selves. Well then wise one lets hurry.  Empty your mind, I’ll show you exactly where we need to go. His hunger was obscured with a silent anger.

The images flashed in my mind like remembering parts of a drunken black out night. I had a general idea of where I had to go, and I’m sure D would keep me on track if I went astray. I turned to the fire exit, a few fist size holes stared back at me. I ignored them and flew downstairs to my next prey.



27



I was naive to think if I was fast before. Paper and other refuse tried hard to play keep up when I passed it. I had to raise my exoskeleton to sail through the wind resistance. Any human that I passed thought of me as an involuntary blink, not knowing they ever physically did. And I went faster… If I had been human, my body would be battered by the strain and whiplash. D and I had to communicate wordlessly to keep up with the pace. It was like sharing instantaneous images of the directions instead of the verbal ones. The lawn was punished when I came to a stop. Chunks of earth rained on the car in the drive way, some large enough to leave baseball sized dents in the windshield and roof of it. The car alarm introduced my arrival. Well, I wasn’t trying to be subtle about this anyway.

I sense two souls in there, one is considerably younger than the other. He’s heading to the window. I can feel D’s edginess, I didn’t know whether it was because he wanted to end this bastard just as bad as I did, or if he wanted another snack. In either case it didn’t matter, both was going to happen anyway. I felt that annoying sensation of being watched, I ignored it. He can watch me all he wants, he’ll know what a real monster is in a second. I felt a deep sickening power make its way to the window. It was the type of energy that left a maddening perma grin on a mental patients face. Something so twisted that it would cause a man to laugh maniacally and cry in soul crushing despair at the same time. I saw white stubby sausage like fingers move the cream colored curtains cautiously- show time.

It’s him the child is in the basement. He is powerful Kage be- I was already sailing through space. It would take a hell of a lot to stop me right now. Me, my madness and D are in one accord? Holy hot damn something is dying all kinds of ugly before noon. I didn’t care for the formal approach and crashed through the window with the speed of a bullet train. I expected do dive into him killing him on impact easy as one two three. Somehow he moved out of the way and I crashed through a glass coffee table. The glass harmlessly sprayed everywhere; I pulled at the shadows to stop, I turned on a dime and launched myself at him again. The tall three hundred and fifty pound man barely had time to react, when he turned to me his goatee widened with a smile. This time I clawed at his face as a response it’s rare for people to die smiling anyway. Again, I missed the momentum left me staggering on one foot to regain my balance.

No!  he’s a Phaser Kage you cant hit him like that! He can change the consistency and mass of his molecules – He simply walked through a shadow that I hurled at his chest. It bored a softball sized hole in the window.- Like fog – I spun into a spinning round house that sailed through his grinning face, and followed it with a leg sweep. He jumped over my foot easily. He drew his hand back-  and as hard as –I threw my hands in front of me to block his feeble attack. His fist sailed through my arm like it was never there. Diamonds! My exoskeleton cracked on his one ton diamond hard fist. White explosions filled my eyes with my arms hanging limply at my sides. The back of my head left the concrete under the beige carpeting in gravel. He slipped through my limbs casually, while I was bridged in a kneeling position. I was never hit that hard in my life. I felt the healing of sunken eye sockets and my broken nose take place. I wept blood freely as my world slowly came into view. The shock might of stopped my heart the way I jolted back into reality. I rolled onto my feet in an opened armed stance. My entire world was spinning to my lower left as I fought to keep my feet under me. A low growl with subhuman base came out of me. My claws glistened wetly with abyssal energy. I couldn’t tell if the winds were screeching or not. All I heard was white static, and D’s voice slurring incoherently in my head. My opponent stood patiently with his hands behind his back smiling patiently.

“Did you want something ? I was kind of in the middle of a thing, and I hate being interrupted.” It was unreal how calm he was. Seeing how he was damn near invulnerable I could understand him. He wore an expensive black suit with a red black thin striped shirt. The blazer was left open revealing a tone frame.

“Your.. gonna.. die..you hurt.. hurt.” I gave up on the whole talking thing. Two loud popping sounds of bones resetting finished whatever threat I tried to make.

“If your not going to make any sense I’m going too wrap this up. I got a pretty lady waiting for me downstairs.” He smiled. “ I hope you understand.” He mocked a sympathetic look. He took a step forward and I swiped at the air with both hands sending black claw marks tearing through reality. This time he cautiously spun out of the way. The vanilla couch was torn to shreds, and the walls looked like a monstrous sized cat was using it for a scratching post. When he turned around to face me that cool façade was long gone and he rushed in. I saw one of them connected his red shirt parted from shoulder to waist showing red muscle tissue through it. Thankfully he wasn’t that fast, I went to side step and- my legs..the bastards chose a perfect time to not listen to me. Guess my brain was a little damaged. I feinted with another clawing motion praying he went for it. He dove to the ground out of the way as light as a feather. I smiled at him testing my legs. The strike was over thank the Goddess the strike was over. He glared at me with hatred rising to his feet pretty fast for a man his size.

“Fooled you!” I taunted. The abyss’s soprano death knoll cried out pooling in my hands. He screamed rushing at me. I blinked behind him as the orb took shape and I raised my judgment at him.

“Sh-

Kage No! D cried out a little too late.

Ear!”  I whispered. A hail of  glittering obsidian energy tore through his head. Dust coughed out of the fireplace receiving my destruction. It went through his head so clean that he was dead on his feet. A faint moment past and he still stood. The last time I checked dead men don’t turn around smiling lighting quick. I jumped back too late while a back fist threw me out of the window I jumped through. At least he just smashed my ribs to mush and not my brain. It’s surprising that came to mind seeing how pieces of bone splintered into my heart lungs, hell lets just say everything in there. My innards were burning like I was being cooked alive. I was throwing up black blood by the time I hit the ground. I didn’t need to see that he was charging in again. He wouldn’t let me have another chance to kill him easily.

'Get up Get up! Get the fuck up and move damn you!!'  D yelled furiously, adding to the grocery list of the pain.

My limbs shook uneasily trying to rise. I felt his shadow draw near, I called out to it and felt him fall. Most of the organ damage was stabilizing by the time I made it to my feet. He shockingly bounced off the ground like a ball. He rose in the air like helium a good ten feet and fell to the earth with startling speed. He yelled in triumph with one hand chambered at his waist and the other raised to strike. I cupped both hands literally tearing the abyss into the world while coiling with as much power I could pour into my limbs. I spat out a wad of blood and waited. The winds whipped around my hands angrily. The high pitched sound shattered nearby car glass. I waited until his feet were three feet above me before I struck.

I let out an earth groaning kiap as the sword took shape in my right hand. I jumped in the air slicing at his striking hand off as quick as thought. He didn’t even notice I was above him. The arm landed before he did disappearing into the earth like a mole. He was moving too fast for his brain to register as he swung his stump to strike me. The pavement rose when he landed the sound of concrete cracking with applause. I pulled the sword back into a pool onto my right hand and joined it’s energy with the left. The sphere grew fifteen feet instantly. By the time he realized his arm was missing and I was nowhere to be found, I shot both hands towards like a double palmed strike. The sphere  simply submerged him it moved so fast. I pulled at the ball of obsidian and dove into it with both claws gleaming. Finally…

The stubborn bastard condensed his mass harder than anything I could tear through, even in my own space. It sounded like a hollow brick being tossed off of a three story building. The bones in my hands and forearms shattered like twigs as my accelerated head smashed into his shoulder.

I couldn’t even cry out because my jaw dislocated. I prayed for unconsciousness to take me away from all this torture, but my instincts and the hand that grabbed me left me barely conscious. Somehow the abyss felt their own was in danger and tore me away from his grasp. A tidal wave of energy began to smash into him in all directions repeatedly. I felt him still standing withstanding attack after attack like it was a gust of wind. I was left on the ground whimpering like a child praying that I’d heal in time before the bad man came to get me. I felt the currents of energy ask me what should it do? It had smashed into him full force and it wasn’t doing anything to him. He was just standing there waiting for me like he was waiting for a train that was late. My mangled right hand rose from off the floor and gave it the only command that was left : Devour. I directed the energy to enter through his stump, so long as there is some kind of opening I can destroy him from the inside out. I linked my own exoskeleton to the tide and directed it manually. I couldn’t afford for him to phase out of it or something. Just to be sure I linked the combined energy  to the shadows underneath the surface of his skin. It took less than a second for the feeding to take place. He felt something off and jumped back trying to phase. The bastard finally made a fatal flaw. I had a lock that separated the skin from his body. I finally got to hear him scream in pain as his skinless body, he thrashed around hoping he could escape the fire. Raw exposed nerve endings flooded his mind with it, it was his world now. I felt my control slip on containing the sphere so I shrank it around his body . My sphere felt his cries, and relished that this thing that threatened to hurt me was engulfed in agony. When it was full off of his cries, the piranha like feeding frenzy took place, it only took a few seconds to tear his essence from his body. I drew the energy into me moments before I passed out. I didn’t even enjoy it. It was like having rocket fuel running in a beat down car. I spent the remaining glimpses of wakefulness convulsing where I lay with the sun’s rays beating on me. I guess I lost to you after all Mr. Sun,.. Ahh, Sweet Sweet Slumber…



28

The ash like static of my consciousness slowly came to view. My worn limbs were acting on there own accord when I felt my Novocained hands fumbling at the locked doorknob. For some reason D was beside himself trying to flex my thumb around it. I shook loose of the puppet string like control.

“Having a little trouble there D?”  I saw him grimace in my mind. He slipped out of the driver’s seat.

It is about time you returned Kage, I was thinking I would have to save the world myself. I could hear the annoyance in his voice. I flexed my renewed hands and stretched, it felt good to be whole again.

“ Why didn’t you just break down the door D? You looked like a toddler trying at it.” I twisted the doorknob, the metal squealed with it’s breaking.

I don’t control your strength when I take over. The stronger you get the harder it is for me to do so. He sounded like a kid forced to tell the truth. Head sagging , swaying left to right kicking at the dirt, the works. I would of found it comical if this wasn’t a serious situation.

That is a useful piece of information, I’ll make sure I’ll keep that in mind.

“Let’s go.” That damn nagging sensation was back more intensely than ever. I ignored it. I convinced myself I still had the power jitters. I was getting used to it now like a functioning alcoholic that can get away with a few shots while working.

“Hello? I’m here to help, don’t be scared. He can’t hurt you anymore, hello?”Visions of an abused dying child urged me nervously forward.  I pushed in the door slowly there was still no response. The near physical fumes left me nauseous. Old sweat, sex and human waste staled in the dead air. I flicked on the light and saw a recently used condom on an old wooden step. I wished I could of killed him slower... “Hello!” trying hard to hide my constricting gorge and tiding anger. Each step the stench grew stronger.

Whoever it is may not be conscious Kage. He said in the softest tone I could ever remember it speaking in. I ignored him anyway. By the time I was at the foot of the stairs, I wanted to smash the room, erase anything that would leave a memory of this disgusting place. There was a thin naked child bound with knotted fencing wire on her wrist. The thin wire bit deep, surrounding flesh hid the wire it was so tight. It almost looked rusted brown, where the rest of the wire was a metallic silver. She was slathered in sweat, sprawled on a filthy stained mattress that was on the floor. A single light bulb hung in the air shadowing her face. Dark hair flowed around her and prepubescent budding breast. Condom wrappers were everywhere on the cold damp floor. I saw a waste bucket next to the mattress. She would have had to use her feet to lift it to her the way she was bound. It was nearly overflowing with the sickening concoction of vomit, feces, urine and blood. Her pale skin was bruised at her thighs and sausage finger prints under her ribs. She was heaving air in and out at a hyperventilating pace.  I rushed to over to her, wrenching the wire from the stone holdings with ease. Dust fell over her face causing her to sneeze. The sudden lurch back into the now, pale blue eyes flew open and started shaking when she looked at me.

“Shh, it’s ok I’m going to get you out of here.” She tried to crawl away from me before I unfastened the bindings. Her eyes were wide with welling tears, her bruised lower lip was trembling.

“Im just going to take this off  of you okay?” she backed into the corner of the mattress, she complied with me giving me her shaking hands. I tenderly removed the wire. He made it so that if she struggled the wire would sink in further. I could see old scabbed wounds reopening, where it healed over the wire, there was no other way around it. How long has she been down here? She whimpered each time I undone a loop sewn into her flesh. It took all of my will to keep the shadows at ease.

“I’m sorry it’ll be over soon I promise. What’s your name?”  My heart broke each time she flinched. The last cruel loop was finally undone. It looked like she wore crimson bracelets on her soft skin.

“Micha..” her voice was raw with dehydration. Her dead gaze was still locked on the bed. “ Can I go home now?” tears streaked down her narrow face “I want my mom, I just wanna see my mom!”  I moved my hand to comfort her, she shuddered like she was struck. The traumatized child began rocking back in forward rhythmically. “ I’m sorry Daddy I meant, is will you allow me to see my mom now?”  A fresh bloodied root of a missing tooth flashed between her words. Oh my God … D’s horror combined with my own witnessing this.

“We need to get you to a hospital before anything.” I choked back a sob and took off my battered black hoody and handed it to her. When the rocking stopped, she struggled slipping it on like it was made of iron. I lifted her into my arms,, seeing how she was having difficulty standing. The poor child was as light as cotton . Tremors took hold of her looking at me like I was some kind of dream.

“Who are you?” she said with half lidded eyes, each step she eased slightly.

“Kage, You’re going to be fine. Just relax everything is ok.” I tried to sooth the words out. Muscles were granite tight with the urge to punish the animal that did this to her. I wanted to see him screaming, weeping in pain and madness at the sight of his own entrails, I wanted to tear the torture devise he plunged into her, a strip of flesh at a time I wanted to Ahhh!… A shadow slipped free form my control and silenced the light. The slim shadow rallied it’s brothers venting my frustration at the debauched room. D made no comment. That intuitive prickling feeling came back by the time I exited the basement.

Kage, why didn’t she react at the sound of that room being destroyed? His suspicions nagged slightly at my own. It didn’t matter, I was just glad that she was safe. This struck way too close to home for me. I could almost see Michelle’s face overshadowing the child. She will probably never be the same after this. Some things just can’t be healed. 

“She’s probably in shock D relax.”I kicked the door closed behind me.  The sounds of destruction continued.

“So you have your parent’s vid  ph-oh- shit!” I dropped the girl unintentionally. She levitated in mid air and slowly righted herself as stiff as a board. Her hair changed color to a tangled mess of gray right before my eyes. A pale blue eye dyed to a curdled red, I couldn’t even see her iris. Her lips were peeled back bearing a handful of missing teeth. Her tongue was lashing the air sounding out syllables that was never meant for this world. A dark energy seeped around her caressingly. If I was a religious man I would have called it a blasphemous. The sound wailing of a child and metal grinding on itself with a thick smell of thick sulfur echoed in the very foundation of the house. I never heard something so revoltingly alien.

By the Abyss.. No! Not now! A mage here!! Run! He choked out, bleeding his fear into me. I tasted copper acid bile in the back of my throat that burned my stomach with terror. My heart rate sped, each beat threatened to burst my shrinking heart. A detached part of me wondered why.  Either psychosomatically or physically, I felt run down from the last beating I took.  Anything that made D this afraid is something to avoid or at least fight fresh. I turned around and sped for the door in the kitchen. I ran into something hard, it felt like a steel wall. The way my head bounced off of it was like a ricocheting bullet. I spilled onto the tan tiled floor. My tender brain shook like a rattle. I was getting real tired of running into things. I felt a tearing sensation from within me. My fear doubled realizing my avatar had to fight this threat with me.  D stood with violence in his posture. He was in a hunched stance with surreally long claws scraping the tiles. His silly putty face snarled with inhumanly long teeth that dripped darker than dark spittle. The wind’s howled, engorged with D’s rage. The pose reminded me of a threatened cat with it’s hair on end. I felt the abyss churning violently within him. He blacked out the room entirely like it never existed. The barrier severed reality like a severed limb. I rose to my feet drawing on the world of frozen shadows into me. The shadows parted around the door’s frame spilling light deep into D’s dark sea. We shared a wordless look before a very male voice came out of the now twice victimized girl.

“You dropped the girl Umbarrali ? Tsk tsk some hero you are. Now how are you going to get the girl if you drop her?  She isn’t ripe enough for my taste but, wait hold on…” He pawed at the induced darkness, it cupped in his hand like thick mud,” Dmitri ?” he shook his hand free of the mass,” Ha, son of a bitch  it is you! I know your essence anywhere.” He laughed. “ And here the mistress sent me to hunt for one of her own! She’s going to flip when I send your souls to her. Surrender or I kill the girl Lazari, Dmitri might not give a shit but I know you do. I swear to your Gods that I will let her go unharmed. Hell I’ll even do you a favor and kill you quick so she won’t devour you. ”  I could sense thick choking death around the girl’s aura. It was growing steadily. D’s abyssal world was thrashing around in response to the threat. The possessor’s power was beyond what I could comprehend similarly how I was beyond any human. I was terrified, how can I decide? Heroes make these choices, I’m no fucking hero! I die the universe most likely will die with me. But I promised her damn it I promised she would be ok! D looked at me with a sorrow that moved me to the point of tears.

Kage…the slim chance that we have that can triumph will kill her. He can sever our bond killing us both. It takes centuries before we can be whole if  he does please… This is one life in comparison to this universe, this reality.  If we surrender other realities will suffer before we can heal. I know what I ask of you and I will follow your decision, we can only survive if we flee. The sea reflected his sorrow.

“There’s no other way to separate them Dmitri ?” the pessimism in my voice made the statement rhetorical.

We are not mages Kage, our abilities can not undo this..  Our abilities..Not our abilities but what about someone else’s? The thin flame of hope ignited in my mind.

“What’s wrong you don’t believe me? You boys think it over while I kill some time.. This little piggy went to the market..”  A wet sucking sound amplified in D’s space, Mica’s baby toe was dislocated.

“What about Duce? He deals with souls and shit like that he can do something about this right?” I’m almost sure D could almost taste my panic..

” This little piggy went to the store…” Her whole foot flexed down once, then it wrenched violently to the right. The ankle was shattered. The skin stretched like plastic between the joints. You could almost see traces of sickening pain on the owner’s face.

“This lil piggy went  to the market-“ He shook her leg giving us a preview of what’s to break next.

If he is proficient in banishing it’s possible but how are we going to get him over-  That’s all I wanted to hear. I summoned wave after wave of darkness binding her like a mummy. I rushed out of D’s space and pulled him into me, I was hoping the suddenness of my attack would distract him from killing her. I tackled the ninety seven pound girl focusing everything on my shadow . It rippled inches before I dove in. The numbingly dark space spewed us out of the sphere on top of the project building. I skidded to a stop on the baking tar near the ledge. Patches of ice were frosted on my skin. I ignored the vertigo of being flung into space instantaneously and summoned a sphere of abyssal energy swallowing the both if us.

“Get him now!!” I cut off any protest he might of wanted to say, I’ll deal with the lecture later. I felt his wide eyed shock before he damn near jumped out of my skin. I began to feel the pressure building from within the bindings. Please hurry the hell up… If he breaks free I’m going to have to put her out of her misery.. If I can ..I felt the currents around me straining along with me. “Dmitri if you can hear me you better hurry the hell up!!” My globe was shaking violently now, a thin beam of light lanced through the bindings. I felt the abyss’s pain as it recoiled in disbelief. I had to calm it before it lashed out at her like a child that gets bit by their pet. I jumped outside of the globe it was throwing my focus off with it’s cries. I felt a warm breeze behind me, silver flashed reflecting off of the glass like darkness.

“What the hell is going on? Your pet shadow woke us all up demanding we – oh.” Michelle saw the sphere leaking thin beams of light.

“Not now Michelle!! Duce there’s a possessed girl in here by something powerful. Damn powerful. If you don’t get it out of her I’m going to have to kill her.” A larger beam of light vaulted into the sky. “Damn it D get in here so you can help me out, I don’t need you wasting energy being solid!”  I felt my efforts redouble when he returned. It was still an uphill battle, but at least was a hill instead of a mountain. I heard a soft chant similar to wind chimes filling the air.

“What should I do?” Matsumi sounded desperate to help. I didn’t have time to order him around, I was still worn, tired and that mother fucking sun was annoying the holy Hells out of me .

“Just be ready if this somehow blows up in our face!” Damn it if you could of done something I would of told you. Michelle and Matsumi stood ready for conflict at the door.  “Duce whenever your ready! I only can do this for a few more seconds!” The chanting sped faster. Black feathers spiraled around my failing confinement.

“Morrigan banish !” the soothingly soft tinkling sound of chimes turned ugly. A herald of caws smothered the sounds of the city. The rooftop pooled around the bottom of the depleting globe. A murdrer of crows swarmed into it. Black flapping wings cleansed my black creation. The caws grew louder .

“This is too much for me!” Duce pleaded “ I never did an invocation of this Goddess before, Kage if this goes south..” Whatever he said was lost to the crows. A geyser of black wings continued to spew from out of the ground passing through the convulsing child.

The possesed body fell to the floor. The “Goddesses’’’ spawned carrion birds didn’t return home they just circled around the body.  Sickly wet grinding noises choked out of thousands of caws. The crow’s feasting song took the possessor’s voice.

“Ha! You have the summoner! You’re just a boy and you can call a goddess. With Belsa too! Well hot damn your High Fey will be glad to see you girl. And you Lazzari, quick thinking boy! You might just prove to be a challenge this time around, we might actually have to put you down in this world. Summoner! If I was in my body, there would be in all kinds of flavors of shit in your pants! Think skittles Ha Ha! You saved the girl Lazarri, but you showed your hand, poor tactical decision in the long run. Be seein you guys and gals. I’ve held back the Crone long enough. Ouzon is going to love this.. If I were you little China man I would run far.. far far away from this. See you soon!” All of the birds died, they fell like black rain on the girl.

“He, denied a Goddess, a fucking Hand in this world’s creation!!” Duce fell to his knees with exhaustion and fear. “What the Hell’s can refuse a terrestrial Goddess? Kage what the fuck is going on here!” The other’s expression shared his feelings.

Well fuck it, why not?

“Well, you just heard an enemy that’s apart of a war that’s carried on for millennia’s. Bitch later as far as we, err I can tell were all in this together.  Run now and you’ll die , this world , then this universe. We need our recruits before their killed. Any other questions save till after were on our way of saving our next ally..”  Everyone was too shocked to grasp it all, but it slowly sunk in. Anger and fear met my eyes, all except Michelle’s. She knew it all along.

Well done General. Let’s go to work.  Michelle gathered the girl and flashed to the nearest hospital. Duce slowly regained his composure. His hands glowed as he whispered thanks for the Goddess’s help. The crow’s bodies slowly melted stubbornly into the air leaving their oil slick feathers behind. I was done, I wanted to sleep for a week just to recover. I put my arm around Duce’s shoulder and smiled, “ You just saved the life of a rape victim kid. You did good, you did damn good. I wouldn’t of been able to do this without you. Thanks.” Duce looked at me with weary eyes. He looked paler than usual but he still was able to return a weak smile.

“Thanks ol man.” He was still a little shaken by the experience. We walked to the doorway where Matsumi blocked the path.

“Kage, you owe me a proper explanation.. They may accept what you said, I am not moving here until you do.” Water like heat rolled off of him. I gently pushed Duce to the side. He took a few more steps back involuntarily.

Shall I or should you take care of this? Shut it. All this takes is a little finesse.

Kage? Do you want me to talk to him? Maybe it’ll be easier coming from some one who wasn’t his student. He had a point. “This is beyond any human relationship, you know this Dmitri. If he can’t get pass this then he can go his own way.”

“Matsumi as I said I’ll get into the details when we are on the move to our next site. While you’re here throwing a tantrum we should be gathering supplies for our trip.” The sternness in my tone unnerved him.

“Excuse me, my tantrum?” Heat spiked noticeably, his aura slowly took on a auburn hue. “We are risking our lives’ for an unknown reason. I for one would like to know the entire reason. What is this war? Who are our enemies? How is this unreasonable? You will answer me now!”  I took a step back from the human blast furnace. I would really hate to have to beat your ass sempai…