Raising Sera- Lineage

by Andre Ellison

  Pontus glanced over at her. He unleashed a thunderous roar as he ran top speed towards the barrier and the dog. He drove the ice shard deeper through the shroud. The dog yelped in response.

  Chronos lunged at Osira, dagger drawn. She lowered her head then disappeared.

  The titan landed into nothing.

  "Show yourself!" he roared.

  Pontus approached his brother.

  “We have the Occulus,” he insisted.

  Pontus held on to the Sera.

  “Our mission still stands...” he continued. “Our next target is Tartarus."

  Chronos sheathed his blade. He summoned a gateway and the two soon vanished. Ethan stood lifeless as Noema was sprawled across the wet tundra. The dog let out a whimper. There was no sign of Osira.

  SHANGRI LA

  Phantasm

  Hecatan led the group. As they ventured deeper into the Bog, the three pushed their way east towards the City of the Ancients. Erebus followed while Leo was carried over his shoulder. Erebus broke the silence with his dense breathing as they rushed up a steep hill.

  "Put me down," Leo winced. "I can walk, you behemoth."

  Erebus looked at Hecatan. She was not slowing down. Only a few yard ahead of him, she continued forward.

  Erebus stopped. He lowered himself and Leo then hung his head between his legs.

  Vigorously, he gasped for air.

  "I can not deal with this heat,” he gruffed. “Just go on... I’ll catch up with you two."

  Erebus put his hands high above his head then puked. He wiped the spewdum from his mouth and looked over at Leo.

  "Trust me," he continued.

  Leo glanced over at Hecatan.

  "How much further?" he asked.

  She did not respond.

  Erebus stretched out his arms and back.

  "You humans are a lot heavier than you appear.”

  Leo shook his head.

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  He jumped to his feet.

  “Hecatan!” Leo continued. “Where did you find this bozo!”

  She omitted them both.

  The forest was thick with foliage. She carved a path with her twin blades. As the group approached a corpse, a cold chill fell upon her neck. Hecatan looked back at the two men.

  "We shouldn't waste time!" she insisted. "The castle isn’t far. I sense an ominous presence there... We must be quick!"

  Erebus rose to his feet.

  "Is anybody gonna fill me in about what is going on?" Leo asked. "Where is my wife?"

  He glanced at the shirtless man that was running towards Hecatan.

  "...and who the shit is this guy?"

  Erebus gritted his teeth as he planted his feet firm into the ground.

  Leo marched over to him double time. The two men stood face to face as they sized one another up.

  "How does it feel..." Leo smirked.

  He stared up at Erebus.

  "...being beta?"

  Erebus clenched his fist. He glanced over at Hecatan and noticed she was still on the move.

  “Go on...” Leo continued. “Run to mama!”

  Hecatan finally halted as she caught her breath.

  "Are you two insane?" she hissed. "The possessed is still out there and you're bickering is like calling their dinner bell... Are you trying to get us killed?"

  "I don't give a shit about those demons," Leo replied. "Tell me where my wife is?"

  Hecatan exhaled.

  "I don't know," she replied.

  "Bullshit!" Leo exclaimed. He marched on towards her and grabbed her by the arm. "You know something," he insisted pointing towards the castle. "Why else are we rushing through the forest to go there?"

  Leo turned his head as the rustling of leaves crackled in the distance. He surveyed the forest with caution.

  "They're here," Erebus uttered.

  Hecatan unsheathed her daggers and gripped them firm.

  "We need to get moving..." she directed. "NOW!"

  "This isn't over," Leo threatened her.

  He reached for a stick on the ground.

  The eerie screeched of hollow souls grew near.

  Leo glanced at Hecatan.

  "Why are we running?" he insisted. "Can't you open a portal or something?"

  "There is no portal," Hecatan whispered.

  "What did you say?" Leo uttered.

  "There is no portal!" she repeated more pronounced.

  “Bullshit!” he scoffed.

  Out of a nearby bush, a terror demon leaped out and attacked Leo. He fell to the ground and a possessed human lunged at him. The bite of the possessed missed him by inches as he rolled the terror demon off of him. He looked up from the cold wet ground. More creatures gathered as they swarmed around the group, trapping them in the middle.

  Kali gripped her daggers.

  "See...” she insisted. “Your loud mouth has brought us grief. My connection with Kali is gone. So as long as she has the amulet, there are no portals.”

  "Kali!" Leo yelled. "Open that damn gate, NOW!"

  Erebus drew his long sword.

  A sea of black eyes gleamed off the reflection of his blade. The demonic creatures hesitated as they snarled with blood lust.

  "I hope you know what you're doing, witch," Erebus muttered.

  Hecatan scanned the forest as more demons gathered around them.

  Leo reached for his stick. As he rose to his feet, the cold breath of a possessed human hover near his face.

  "I'm not waiting any longer," he roared, "I'm doing this now!"

  "Wait!" Hecatan replied.

  The swarm closed in on the three of them.

  "Steady yourselves. You don't have to engage first."

  She glanced over at Leo. As she turned around, she noticed the needle-like fingers of a possessed human raise its arm for an attack.

  "Do it now!" she yelled.

  Leo stabbed the possessed human in the chest with his stick. He rolled off its body as three more creatures jumped in its place.

  Erebus slashed the first two terrors in front of him. As six more demons surrounded him, he slashed away with his sword but he was soon overpowered.

  Hecatan rolled around on the ground. She dodged a frontal attack only to rise to her feet and sliced the arm off of a possessed woman.

  She gasped out for air.

  A demon appeared and drove its claws deep into her back.

  With a resounding thud, Hecatan fell to the ground.

  The creature screeched over her and a swarm of the possessed rushed towards her body. As they devoured her carcass, they ravaged her, opening up her guts and gnawed at her organs.

  Hecatan looked up at the sky. Three figures passed overhead in the shadow of the treeline. She let out a smile as her body and the body of her comrades disintegrated into dust.

  ***

  I can’t believe that worked!

  Keep it to yourself, Hecatan replied telepathically, reading his thoughts. The group hid from the danger below as they soared across the Bog from a zip line.

  You never cease to amaze me! Leo continued. Just when you think you know-.

  Well, she is a witch, Erebus interrupted, lurching in on the conversation.

  Just keep moving, you two! Hecatan scoffed.

  ***

  The three of them zipped lined from the treetops using state of the art Apex gear they found in the cabin. They fired the mechanism and transversed a distance of a hundred yard before having to repel the line on callback. As they gained distance from the horde, they advance towards the base of the compound unscathed. Unable to carry their gear, they relinquished their harness and walked up the massive stone stairway.

  "Hecatan..." Leo spoke, "You going to show me how that mind trick works?”

  She glanced back at Leo and rolled her eyes.

  "You're a decent enough fighter, but let's be honest... you're the last person I want reading my mind."

  Leo paused from climbing the stairs. Scrunching h
is face, he scratched his head. Erebus caught up to Leo and put his hand on his shoulder.

  "Frankly," Erebus added, "I wouldn't give you that power either... and I just met you."

  He patted Leo on his back then continued forward.

  "Who are you?" Leo replied as he trailed behind.

  ***

  Hecatan waited for Erebus and Leo at the palace gate. She pressed her hand against a massive stone door as Erebus walked up beside her and Leo trampled up the last few steps.

  "So what's the big deal," Leo spoke with forced bravado. "You still haven't told me what happened to my wife or Kali or even why we are here.”

  Hecatan lowered her head as she turned towards him. Solemnly, she held out her hand.

  "Kali is dear to me..." she uttered quietly. "She’s more than just a subordinate... she is my friend. She hears things the average person can not perceive. I've done my best to help her focus on one voice... to cut out all unnecessary noise and listen to her own accord."

  Leo stared at her befuddled. He glanced at her hand.

  “She’s Awoken…" Hecatan continued, “…more so than you can even imagine. Her ability to hear the thoughts of others… to be clairvoyant… I’ve seen nothing like it in a human. It’s the reason I gave her the amulet.”

  Hecatan waved her palm in the air.

  “Whenever I needed the portal opened, I would wave my hand like so.”

  Leo shrugged his shoulders disinterested.

  “Before we can find Neoma…” she responded in a demanding tone. “...before we can rescue the child, we need to get to Kali first!”

  Hecatan approached the stone entrance and placed her hand back on the door. She paused then looked back at the two men.

  “Leo... this is Erebus. Erebus, Leo.”

  Leo glanced over at the shirtless man. Erebus squinted back at him with empty black eyes.

  “Hope that’s enough to satisfy?”

  “Actually, it doesn‘t,” Leo added. “Why is he here?”

  Erebus walked up to Leo.

  “I here on my own vendetta,” he uttered. “For my beloved.”

  “You called me what?”

  “Stop it!” Hecatan boomed. “Can we proceed?”

  Erebus walked passed Leo and bumped his shoulder against his. Leo bit his lip to the point he broke his skin.

  Hecatan pushed the stone door open and unsheathed her twin blades. She advanced cautiously through the isolated courtyard and surveyed the surroundings.

  “Seems all well in the old castle,” Leo mocked. “Same ole’ look of despair, same ole’ pool of death. Just how I remember it.”

  “Quiet,” Erebus whispered.

  Leo glanced at him and sucked in his teeth.

  Hecatan shushed them both.

  “He’s right…” she continued. “It is quiet… too quiet.”

  As she progressed towards the center of the courtyard, Hecatan stopped at the fountain and shook her head.

  “It’s happening now,” she uttered. “The well has dried out. Chronos can now harness the power of the lifestream… We must get to Ethan, quickly!”

  A scream cried out. The group looked up toward the second-floor staircase. Pouring down into the courtyard, a black mist amalgamated from the second floor. As it drifted toward Hecatan, she stood ready with her twin blades while Leo and Erebus took a step back. Through the clouded fog, the figure of a woman ran towards them.

  “Kali Ma,” Leo uttered.

  Hecatan lowered her weapons as Kali fell before her. The dark mist swirled around the group, washing out the light of the sky.

  Kali could not control her sobbing. She glowed with a golden aura. Her clothes, tattered and foul smelling, reminded Hecatan of the day she first met with her. The woman glanced up at Hecatan and opened her mouth. A brazen white light radiated deep from inside her throat and poured out the sockets of her eyes.

  “Stand back,” Hecatan warned the others.

  “No!” Erebus growled in response. “I’ve had enough of these games.”

  He unsheathed his long sword and stabbed Kali through the mouth. Her head exploded.

  “None of this is real...” he exclaimed between breaths. “Whoever is doing this… is using your fear… creating an illusion.”

  “An illustration...” a voice clamored from within the mist. "…of who you truly are,” it continued.

  The mist collected at the top of the second-floor landing and transformed into a hooded man with gray skin and black eyes. He held on to Kali, covering her mouth with one hand and bounding her hands with his other.

  “Let her go!” Hecatan ordered.

  The man lifted Kali high above his head over the second-floor balcony.

  “You don’t want me to do that…” he mocked. “Then again…”

  He took a step forward and threw Kali over the railing.

  "…maybe you do,” he continued.

  Hecatan leaped forward but Erebus and Leo held her back. Kali fell to the first floor, shattering into mirror-like pieces.

  Hecatan covered her gasped as it left her mouth.

  “Show me your fears…” The hooded man crooned. “...and I will show you salvation.”

  “Enough with the tricks…” Erebus groaned. “Fight us with honor.”

  “Honor?” The hooded man laughed. As he walked down the staircase, the shadow of a terror demon emerged from his palm. “I am nothing… if not a mirror image of you, Erebus. Do you not see the lack of honor that you, yourself, have inside of you? You’re a coward… a pawn… a piece that can’t even get that right and sacrifice himself for the greater of good. Why should I have any honor… am I doing this for the fun?”

  The hooded man phased into a mist and approached Erebus. He materialized in front of him and pushed Erebus back causing him to land on his back and elbows. Erebus winced. He reached for his long sword but struggled as he rose to his feet.

  “I’m far from a coward, peasant.”

  Erebus pointed his sword in the hooded man’s direction.

  “I don’t know how you gained my powers...” he continued. “...but rest assure, I will come for you and claim them back.”

  “You intend to reclaim a billion souls?” The hooded man sneered. He clenched his jaw. “The souls you tormented.”

  Leo and Hecatan surrounded the hooded man. As they attacked from both sides, the hooded man deflected and countered with extreme efficiency. He disarmed them both of their weapons as he brushed them aside unscathed.

  Erebus ran towards the hooded man and leaped into the air. He unleashed his second blade from his long sword and yelled with a ferrous roar. As he landed on the hooded man’s chest, both blades drove deep into the body of a thick mist.

  The hooded man appeared behind Erebus. He turned around and plunged his sword into the hooded man’s stomach. The voice of a woman gasped as Erebus slid out his blade. He looked up and froze while his eyes grew wide.

  “My Beloved,” Erebus cried out.

  He turned his face away as Nyx stood before him.

  “I will not be a victim,” he whispered to himself. “Enough of your hallucinations…” he continued. “SHOW YOURSELF!”

  “My pleasure,“ The hooded man replied.

  He appeared beside Nyx.

  “Maybe this will suit you better?“

  The hooded man morphed into Erebus in his titan form. As Nyx turned towards the replication, she disintegrated into dust. The Replicated Erebus looked up towards the top of the staircase. Nyx appeared and stood pregnant with her hands on her belly. The hooded man disguising himself as Erebus floated towards the second-floor landing and approached the primordial. As he leaned forward to kiss her, she returned the gesture and a blinding white light radiated from within her belly. Inside, the body of a small fetus was revealed.

  “Lust,” The hooded man whispered.

  He took out a dagger and stabbed her womb. As Nyx fell back, she screamed out in agony.

  Sweat dripped down the forehead of Ere
bus as he rushed to her side. The replica of Erebus turned into the hooded man again. As Erebus approached his sister, the hooded man grabbed. They disappeared and reappeared in the courtyard.

  “Stop this madness!” Erebus growled. “Stop this, NOW!”

  “RAGE!” The hooded man replied.

  “Brother,“ Nyx whispered.

  The hooded man morphed into a clouded mist and seeped into her mouth. Her eyes grew black and her body jerked back as the hood man reemerged from within as an enormous version of himself.

  Erebus ran back down the staircase towards Leo and Hecatan. As he approached his swords, the gigantic creature swung its massive arm at Erebus, flinging him against a wall.

  “Hey,” Leo shouted as he came into consciousness. “Over here, fuckface!”

  The hooded man turned towards Leo and Hecatan. With fury, the enormous creature shrieked, shaking the corridors of the castle. As it dug its hands deep into the ground, the creature summoned four fully grown terror demons to attack Leo and Hecatan.

  “Fuck me, right,” Leo uttered as he watched Hecatan exit the courtyard and run up the staircase. He rushed towards the weapons laid scattered on the ground. As he picked one up, the group of terror demons lunged at him with incredible force. He stabbed one with Erebus‘ sword then threw it on the ground.

  “HECATAN!” he yelled, as the other three circled around him. “YOU BETTER GET YOUR ASS BACK DOWN HERE NOW!“

  ***

  Hecatan ran through the corridors of the castle. Weaseling her way towards the entryway leading into the altar, she remained guile. Upon entering the room, Hecatan paused then looked around the room. The candles to the library were lit already and the shrine of her parents was fully torched.

  "Kali," Hecatan gasped.

  A dark shadowy figure of a man stood before her friend. He held his palm opened against Kali's head. His eyes were closed and his head was held up high. He sensed Hecatan's presence and came into consciousness.

  He stared back at her.

  "You're too late," he uttered.

  "Actually..." Hecatan replied, "I'm right on time."

  ***

  Leo struggled with a single demon as the small horde of four backed him into a corner.

  "Come at me, demon! Even if I die, I'll be back to kick your ass!”