The Descending Darkness

by Michael Chulsky

  “What is it?” Ellie asked, opening her eyes and yawning.

  “We're here….Draconia Isle.”

  Ellie woke up instantly. Her determination filled her with newfound energy. She turned back to him and smiled. “You ready to do this?”

  Shadow nodded and returned her smile, then got up and moved past her. He was glad to see that the alarm had done its job by not only waking him up but also the rest of his team. Some of them were stretching and yawning, while others looked alert and ready.

  “I’m glad to see you are all up,” Shadow announced, moving to stand by the cockpit door. “We’re a few minutes away from our destination. I want you to know that there’s nothing to worry about. We will be able to handle whatever is ahead as long as we work together as a team.”

  “So this is really it?” Tereya asked. “Our first mission?”

  “Yeah, this is it,” Shadow replied. “But don’t worry. As I said, if we all stand together, there is nothing we can’t handle. We’ll stop the evil and–”

  “Then get some food?” Ryan asked hopefully.

  “Ooh, food!” Tristan said. “Food sounds good! Can we please?”

  Shadow sighed. “We’ll see, okay?” He shook his head and prepared to land.

  3

  The Dragon’s Eye

  “It’s so freaking hot here!” Crystal whined. She produced a scrunchie from a sparkling pink clutch and tied her hair into a ponytail. “Why couldn’t they hide the secret artifact in a place with air conditioning?”

  Shadow hit his head with the edge of his palm over and over. “If I’m lucky, this will kill me.” They had only been outside the jet for ten minutes before the complaints began, and he was not in the mood for the inevitable arguing which was bound to happen because of it. “Crystal, calm down.”

  “But it’s hard to breathe!”

  “Then why are you talking?” Ryan asked. “Because for you to complain, you’d have to first talk, which in turn means you’re breathing.”

  “Ryan, don’t instigate,” Shadow said shortly. “Now is not the time. And Crystal, you’ll just have to deal. The temperature won’t change just because you whine at it.”

  Crystal placed her hands on her hips. “How can I just ignore the heat? I’ll die!”

  “It’s not that hot.” Tristan shrugged.

  “I didn’t think it was possible to be too dumb to feel things,” Ryan remarked, throwing a sideways glance at Tristan. “Apparently, I was mistaken.”

  “Ryan, shut up,” Faith said. “Don’t pick on my brother.”

  Ellie wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. “Yeah, besides, I’m with Crystal. It’s pretty darn hot here.”

  “Well, I don’t feel it,” Tristan replied, arrogance filling his voice.

  Shadow just looked at him. “Tristan, you do realize…that your powers are fire-based. Right?”

  “Yeah…?”

  “And so, because of your affinity with fire, which is hot, did it ever cross your mind that you may not be as sensitive to a high temperature?”

  Tristan actually blushed and bowed his head. “Uhh, no. I, uh…I guess that thought hadn't crossed my mind.”

  Shadow opened his mouth to make a remark, but Faith beat him to the punch. “Maybe if you allowed more thoughts to cross your mind, you wouldn’t get into so many confrontations.”

  Ryan laughed as Tristan's face flushed a deep red. “I guess Tristan’s fire powers don’t make him immune to getting roasted!”

  “Nobody said you could laugh,” Faith snapped. “Nor do we need any of your witty remarks.”

  “Apparently, I need permission now?” Ryan replied, holding his hands up. “Somebody call the laugh police. I’ve broken a law! Take me to jail and throw away the key!”

  “Enough,” Shadow said, teeth gritted, before Faith could reply. “Now is not the time for petty arguments. We have work to do here.”

  “So we just have to find the thing and protect it, right?” Tereya asked.

  “Correct.”

  Isaac frowned. “Do you have a map or something?”

  Shadow shook his head. “Unfortunately, I do not.”

  “Well, then how are we supposed to find it? It could be anywhere on the island.”

  “Isaac’s right,” Kay said. “We have no idea where the friggin thing is. How can we protect it if we can’t even locate the damn thing?”

  “Take it easy, Kay,” Shadow said. “I believe the Dragon's Eye would reside somewhere in the middle of the island. I don’t think it’s likely that they’d just place it on the shore where it would be easily accessed by intruders. The most probable scenario is that it’s deep in the jungle and kept inside an ancient shrine or something like that.”

  Faith nodded. “That makes sense to me. And the building would have to be pretty large, correct? Because there's a dragon guarding the item?”

  “Also correct.”

  “What are we going to do when we find him?” Ryan asked. “Because I don’t know about you, but unless the dragon is Mushu-sized, I don’t want to fight it.”

  Shadow chuckled. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. The whole reason why we’re here is because the dragon sleeps only a day out of every thousand years. That’s why whoever is trying to go after the artifact chose tonight. So it’ll be sleeping.”

  “But what if we’re fighting this evil person or thing and the dragon wakes up?” Isaac asked, almost shaking in fear. “Then should we worry?”

  “Yes, that would be a cause for concern,” Shadow admitted. “But dragons are known for their high intelligence. I’m sure that the guardian dragon will not attack us once we explain that we’re trying to protect and not steal the artifact.”

  “Hopefully,” Ryan said. “But first things first…I guess it’s time for us to blaze a trail.”

  “I’m afraid you will never find what you seek,” a voice spoke through the darkness.

  Shadow paused and looked around as he tried to make out which direction the voice had come from. “Whoever you are, come out now!” He tensed up as laughter rang out from all around. Whatever was happening, he wasn’t enjoying it. He pulled out a dagger and held it out in front of him. “Stay on your guard, everyone!”

  “Are you scared?”

  Shadow was about to call out again, but before he could, the sound of footsteps approaching cut through the silence, and the unknown party strolled into sight. It was an older man; he appeared to be in his mid-thirties and had blonde hair and bright, piercing blue eyes that were accentuated by a condescending smirk on his face. He was dressed as if he were on his way to a fancy party, and moved with purpose and confidence.

  “Well, hello, there.”

  Shadow looked the man up and down, a slow, calculating look. “Who the hell are you?”

  The man wagged his finger and his smile widened. “Temper, temper. Anger only clouds the mind. You can’t afford your mind to be clouded if you wish for the odds to be in your favor.”

  Shadow smiled, and it wasn’t pleasant. “I’d say that ten-to-one are good odds in my book. Maybe not for you, though.”

  “That’s fair, but you might want to be careful and not overplay your hand.”

  “If you think I am, why not try your luck? See what happens.”

  The man shook his head. “Oh no, I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I’m not here to fight you, Shadow.”

  “Oh, really?” Shadow asked. “Then who are you, and what do you want?”

  “My name is Zachariah. Though you may call me Zach. As for what I want…I was sent here by a higher power to deliver you a message.”

  “Higher…power?” Ethan asked.

  “Yes, a higher power. One that wants you all to succeed in your mission.”

  Shadow rolled his eyes, but his irritation didn't match his rising curiosity. “Okay, what message do you have to deliver?”

  “One amongst your number…will betray you before the next full moon.”

 
; “Come again?”

  Zach raised an eyebrow. “Well, you see, the moon goes through phases, Shadow. That’s what it’s called when the sunlit portion of the moon can be viewed from our planet, and–”

  “No, no, no,” Shadow growled. “I know what moon phases are. I was talking about the betrayal part. What do you mean by that?”

  “I can’t be any clearer,” Zach said. “By the end of this month, one of your teammates will betray you to the enemy. And I’m warning you now, so you can prepare for it.”

  Shadow turned. He glanced at his teammates who were all looking at him to gauge his reaction to the news. He shook his head and returned his gaze to Zach. “No, I trust them all. None of them would ever betray me.”

  “Trust is a fine virtue,” Zach said. “Honesty is another fine virtue. For example, have you shared with everyone the deal you made for this mission?”

  “Shadow?” Ellie questioned, confusion etched across her face. “What’s he–”

  “Later,” Shadow replied, shaking his head. He turned his attention back to Zach and stared at him appraisingly. “I don’t know what game you’re trying to play, but–”

  “I’m not trying to do anything. I’m simply trying to teach you an important lesson. But I can see that my presence is only a distraction. So I’ll take my leave.”

  “That may be wise,” Ethan said, placing a hand on Shadow’s shoulder.

  “Just remember one thing: your mission on this island and the encounter you’re about to face is nothing compared to what’s to come. You’ll have to make a choice and I hope you can live with it, because the fate of the world depends on it.” Zach gave a wave and walked off.

  “Wait!” Tereya called.

  Zach stopped moving forward, though he kept his back to them. “Yes, Tereya?”

  “If you know so much…and this higher power sent you…why don’t you stick around and help us fight?”

  “I’m afraid that’s not part of the job description. I am but a simple messenger. And….”

  “And…?” Ryan asked.

  “I simply don’t have the time. Good luck.” Zach continued walking, fading with every step he took, until he was gone.

  “Wow, that was different,” Faith said quietly. She turned to Shadow. “What’s your take on him? On all of this?”

  “I’m…not sure what to think.”

  “So basically, you're clueless?” Tristan asked.

  Faith sighed. “Brother, please. You’re not helping anyone or anything by acting like a jerk.”

  Shadow clenched his fists. “No, he’s saying what a lot of you are probably thinking by now. Right? About how bad of a leader I am and how I’m screwing everything up!”

  Tereya shook his head. “Not me!”

  “Don't lie!” Shadow snapped, his anger causing the younger boy to burst into tears. Before he could react further, a burst of blue energy slammed into him and took him off his feet.

  Ellie walked toward him. Her hand still glowed with energy as she held it out in front of her. “Don't you dare yell at Reya!”

  Shadow stared up at her. He was still a bit heated, but her attack had caught him off-guard. He wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t help but think about their first meeting and how close they had come to blows back then. A lot had happened between them since then. “I didn’t mean to.”

  Tereya sniffled a bit, wiping his eyes gingerly on his sleeve. “I-I’m fine, please don’t fight because of me. We’re friends. Friends shouldn’t fight.”

  Ellie nodded. “He’s right. We shouldn’t be fighting or turning on each other.” She bent down and extended her hand. “Let me help you up.”

  Shadow took her hand and was pulled back onto his feet. His eyes met hers, and he felt a strange rush of emotion that he couldn’t describe. “Ellie….”

  “Yes, Shadow?” Ellie asked, and her voice had gone soft.

  “I’m sorry….”

  Ellie gave a small smile and put her hand on his shoulder. “It’s alright. Even the best of us get caught up in the moment and lose our tempers. But you’re fine.” She lowered the hand that was on his shoulder, but stopped when Shadow grabbed it.

  “Thank you for knocking some sense into me.”

  Ellie blushed and looked at the ground. “Don’t mention it.”

  Ryan whistled. “Hey, you two, Tereya’s too young for this. Let’s keep it PG.”

  Shadow’s lips tightened. He rubbed his arm nervously. “Shut up, Ryan.” He turned to address the others. “We don’t have much time to waste. Let’s go find the artifact.”

  “Wait a minute,” Kay said. “Before we head on…I want to know what that Zach guy meant when he talked about a deal you made.”

  Shadow tensed. “What about it?”

  “I just think if we’re following you down this dangerous road, we have a right to know what you’re getting out of it.”

  Shadow sighed. “I understand your point, I just…I’m not comfortable sharing. All I can tell you is that I made a deal with the seer that I’d do everything in my power to save the world. And she promised me the thing I want the most.”

  “Which is?”

  “Shadow’s business,” Ellie said softly.

  Kay frowned. “That’s not fair.”

  “Well, lead the way, oh, leader of ours!” Ryan exclaimed in a mocking tone.

  “Ryan,” Shadow nearly snarled, “If I hear another word out of your mouth before we find the artifact, I’m going to feed you to the first dragon we find.” He paused and looked around a moment before deciding on a path to take. “This way, let’s go.”

  He led the way and carefully navigated through overgrowth and thorny brambles. The journey brought him and the others to the foot of an ancient set of stairs. These stairs were crafted from what seemed to be solid gold, carved and cut in different patterns that changed as one continued up them. If someone looked up the stairs, they could see a tall door with foreign writing carved into it.

  Shadow held out a hand behind him to signal the others to stop. He tested the stairs to see if there were any traps, and beckoned the others to follow only when he was satisfied. When they reached the top, he gave the signal again for them to stop.

  “Why are we stopping?” Tristan asked. “It’s a door, not rocket science.”

  “As if you know rocket science,” Ryan remarked. “I bet you don’t even know elementary school science.”

  Faith’s eyes narrowed. “Ryan, leave my brother alone. Don’t make me say it again.”

  “Or else what?” Ryan scoffed. “You gonna have a vision and psychic me to death?”

  “Actually, I was thinking of something more in the realm of introducing my fist to your face.”

  “Guys, chill,” Ellie said.

  Shadow shook his head. “The reason I told you to wait, Tristan, is because you don’t know if the door is rigged with a trap or not. So it’s best to play it safe.”

  “That’s crazy,” Tristan said. “I think you’re being paranoid. Why would there be no traps on the entire island except on the door?”

  Shadow shrugged. “I’m not saying it’s probable, only that it’s possible. Caution is best.”

  “Whatever,” Tristan replied. “I’m going to try it.” He placed his hands on the door and pushed with all of his strength. When nothing happened at first, he shrugged, but a second later, he was thrown back by an invisible force that sent him sliding across the ground.

  Faith shook her head. “Trist, when will you learn?”

  Tristan growled as he slowly got to his feet. “Well, how was I supposed to know the door was going to use the force and toss me around?!”

  “I did warn you,” Shadow said, rolling his eyes. “You have a brain, Tristan. Learn to use it. Of course, the temple door would be sealed with some kind of protection to guard the artifact.”

  “Wait a minute,” Ryan said, frowning. “Why can Shadow make fun of your brother, but I can’t?”

  “Shadow’s the leader.” Faith
gave him a small smile.

  “Shh, guys,” Shadow said. “Let me figure this out.”

  “What do you mean?” Crystal asked. “What exactly are you trying to figure out?”

  Ethan nudged her shoulder and then pointed to the door. “He’s trying to examine the engravings on the surface.”

  “Salenrz ezril peouna, salenrz rfalelhnz dsoekwpa. Salenrz aprjosa rweka-zzar, salenrz aorezlza oezha?”

  “But what are they, exactly?” Isaac asked. “It just looks like gibberish.”

  “I believe it’s writing,” Ethan said. “I can’t tell what language it’s in.”

  “I don’t know what language it is either.” Shadow cursed under his breath after a few minutes had passed. He couldn’t believe that they had come so far only to be halted by what was essentially a locked door, of all things. “I don’t suppose anyone knows the language?” He waited a few seconds, and sighed when no one responded. “I guess not.”

  “So what do we do?” Ellie asked.

  “It’s always possible there’s another way in,” Shadow said. “So I guess we could continue looking around. But I worry if we take too long, we will miss our chance to protect the artifact.”

  “It’s Demonic,” Faith said quietly.

  “What?” Shadow blinked.

  “The writing on the door. It’s…Demonic.”

  “How do you know?” Ryan asked.

  Ethan gave him a look. “It should be obvious. If one recognizes a language, logic would dictate it is because they are familiar with said language.”

  Crystal’s eyes widened. “Faith, how are you familiar with the Demonic language?”

  Faith bowed her head. “Does it really matter?”

  “I mean…it’s Demonic. Demons are the bad guys. So shouldn’t we–”