Timekeeper part 2

The second chapter in a book I named Timekeeper where a boy finds himself pulled into a world that’s not his own, where much is expected of him. Friends turn to enemies as the boy is dragged deeper into the long dead world of Tithus discovering secrets that should have been left secret, medalling with powers that could lead to their own fall, just as the Timekeepers before them. Enjoy as the mystery unfolds..."

Chapter Two-Broken planet
Charlotte ran quite as a mouse down a dark corridor avoiding bits of debris.
Sections of the wall, floor and ceiling where missing in places revealing how high up she really was and how one small slip up would send her tumbling to her doom, but she tackled the challenge with grace and experience maintaining the eerie silence that hung heavy in the air.
She looked to be in her mid-twenties, well-toned and muscle. Fiery hair tied tightly back in a bun. A Leather like jacket well-worn and to small pulled tightly over her body leaving little to the imagination. Tight jeans kept her legs protected and warm and lead to homemade shoes keeping her from falling.
She should have been back hours ago, night was closing in.
She stopped at one of the gaps in the wall waiting for her companions to catch up.
Looking out into a dead city, ruins know stood where great silver sky scrapers once towered over green fields. All that is left are their carcases, white walkways joining them together high in the sky stained red with blood. Crashed ships reared out of the ground and stood amongst the ruins, crater sized wholes smashed through thick armour, the remains scattered throughout the grave yard of monstrous metallic creatures- mutants of bone and metal fused together and charred bones of fallen men…woman and children.
The land was barren, rotten stumps and smashed forests were all that was left.
Something moved behind her. In one swift movement she grabbed her pistol from its holster and swivelled round. A bold black in a brown trench coat had landed behind her, a hand up in defence.
She replaced the pistol in its holster and nodded, his cat like yellow eyes glazing past her at the two suns slowly falling over the horizon. Another man dropped silently behind him, a green coat covered in pockets keeping out the cold, brown hair thrown back and stubble covering his normal clean shaven face.
He nodded to Charlotte, silently catching his breath his eyes flickering towards the two sinking suns. Looking at the black guy charlotte nodded to the corridor leading off the left. He nodded back and the three of them began speedily making their way through the ruins

The last rays of the sun had disappeared leaving the three companies in the ghostly light of the planets three moons.
They each drew there pistols preparing for the worst as they slipped deeper into the complex finding a more stable, less open root.
Their eyes quickly adjusted to the dark, tip toeing quietly down the hallway approaching every corner with caution.
Stopping at a door, a whole replacing the handle, they listened intently, nothing.
Pistol in front Charlotte nodded to the black man, he pushed the door slowly open a low creak escaped, ringing out disturbing the silence.
Stepping through, face gleamed with sweat under the moon light, ready to bolt if anything moved.
They were back in the main corridor, charred skeletons watched with hollow eyes. Deep gages scared the walls where it still stood, broken sections leading to derelict rooms. On the other side chucks of the building face where missing leaving entire parts of the corridor missing and exposed to the night sky.
Something caught her eye. Behind a pile of rubble what appeared to be bone was slowly growing forming a spin, then ribs and arms, a pelvis, legs and skull slowly took shape.
She took a step back a puzzled look on her face zeroing her pistol on it.
As the human Skelton took shape muscles began forming on top, covering the exposed bone, and then skin covered the body and hair sprouted through the scalp. When it had finished a teenage boy was left curled in a ball naked.
“What the…?”
The external wall exploded inwards, lumps of rock flying in all direction, green eyes glowing through the dust. And In slithered their worst nightmares.
A snake like iron monster loomed out of the dust, a human skull for a head, wire tentacles spilling out where the jaw bone was meant to be. Its shoulders where wide filling up the corridor, long weedy arms made up of an assortment of bones lead to slender hands, fingers a selection of three foot blades . Its body was heavily armoured thinning out to a long barbed tail, unfurled at the end to a mesh of wire tentacles lively sparks of green light flickering out of control, hanging out of building.
“WRAITH!” Charlotte screamed and dived through a gap in the opposite wall as wires darted out towards her slicing her coat arm.
Landing on her back she fired, bullets ricocheting of the wraiths armour as it ripped open the wall she’d jumped through.
“Ferric grab the boy!” she shouted, rolling to avoid the Wraiths out stretched hands.
Without question the black man darted out from behind the door a thick sword in one hand, pistol in the other. Battering away the tail and ducking under bared spikes, the wraith swerved glaring at Ferric.
A bullet hit the back of its head forming a crack, it screamed in frustration leaving their ears ringing as Ferric through his coat over the naked boy, who was still unconscious, sheathed his weapons then picked him up and fled.
Charlotte got back in the main corridor, a fresh magazine loaded glazing at Charles who was still in the door way, her eyes widened.
“Charles RUN!”
He looked at her in puzzlement then saw the shadows around him move, nightmares.
He gasped backing away and ran back the way they had come the shadows in pursuit
Charlotte emptied her magazine at the fast approaching wraith, tentacles out-stretched.
Its tail got court on the twisted metal sticking out of the whole it had created to get in to the ruin.
Taking advantage she turned and sprinted down the long corridor towards Ferric.
The wraith slipped out of the building with inhuman speed, disappearing from view.
Knowing that the Wraith wouldn’t give up on fresh meat so easily, she eyed the approaching gap in the building which left the wall, celling and floor missing as if a chunk of the building had been bitten out.
She caught a glimpse of the wraith skimming through the air alongside the building as they raced for the gap. She thumbled for a fresh magazine, all out. Holstering her pistol she unsheathed a long thin blade the length of her arm, the hilt beautifully crafted.
She jumped.
The Wraith appeared and crashed into her mid-flight sending them both smashing through the wall, winding charlotte. The Wraith quickly recovered lashing out at charlottes face, knocking her raced arm away effortlessly, catching her on her cheek with razor sharp claws shredding her skin,
She cried out, blood dripping down her face. Retaliating she brought the blade cracking down on its out stretched hand, severing it from the wrist. She crawled away, blood dripping of her face the wraith thrashed about in pain.
Staggering through the open door in the room they fell into, the wraith raring behind her crashing through the door moments later, rebounding of the wall cracking it, its tail demolishing everything behind it.
She franticly fled down endless corridors until she saw ferric ahead of her with the boy. He had reached the walkway, a long wide metal bridge pithed in blood stains stretching out into the darkness defying gravity.
Ferric looked back and saw charlotte. Blood streaming down her face, mixing with sweat and grime the wraith relentlessly in pursuit behind her.
It pushed off from the ground sawing high and dropped behind Charlotte its tail raping around her legs, curling around her.
Dropping the boy Ferric took out his pistol and ran back towards Charlotte.
She struggled slicing off tentacles from its mouth as they lashed out at her, its tail slowly crushing her.
Bullets pinged of its head as ferric got closer, the wraith averting its attention from Charlotte for a second to knock ferric back with its good hand sending him flying back, skidding over the edge of the walkway, drooping his pistol as he clung on, his legs dangling down
Charlotte cried out as it turned its attention back to her ribs snapping under the pressure.
Suddenly it stopped. Its green eyes went out, arms falling limply to its side and collapsed dropping to the floor.
Charles stood in its place nodding to Charlotte and pulling his knife out the creatures’ skull then dashing over to help Ferric up from the edge of the walkway whilst Charlotte heaved herself out of the Wraiths tail, wincing as she dropped to the ground holding her abdominal.
“You ok?” Charles whispered
“A few cracked ribs but I’ll be fine,” she replied lipping over to the other two. “Is it dead?”
“I think so, but you know what there like, never dead for long,” Ferric grumbled kicking it. “We better get out of here before more show up or worse...”
“Nightmares” Charles finished wincing.
They both look at him. “How did you get away?” Charlotte asked.
“There were nightmares back there?” Ferric backed away going for his pistol then remembering he’d dropped it.
“I’m clean I’m clean!” opening up his eyes and showing them.
“Let’s get out of here,” Ferric mumbled, satisfied for know
They all agreed and hurriedly made there get away, Ferric picking up the boy on the way.
In front of them loomed up a gigantic ruin its head in the clouds, several walk ways leading to it in all directions. Once this building would have been a wonder to behold a beacon of hope and peace. Know it was nothing more but a symbol of the enemy’s power.
They reached it just in time to see two wraiths appear, much bigger than the one they faced. One picked up the empty shell whilst the other looked around, then they disappearing back into night as the three slipped back into the safety of cover.