Master of Darkness

by K T Kaye

  “Oh sugarplums,” Fern cursed under her breath.

  On the opposite side of the room, the clown-faced Soul Sucker and Sophie fought against each other. Sophie raised the Soul Sucker up in a mist of purple and threw it into a wall. Her throw was so powerful that the wall broke as the Soul Sucker hit it. Sophie was about to use her magic to fix the broken wall when a second Soul Sucker grabbed hold of her and hurled her through it.

  As Sophie landed outside in the snow, the clown-faced Soul Sucker stabbed her in the back with its scythe. Sophie screamed in pain. Her scream caused the dark sky to light up with purple lightning forks. The lightning forks hit the clown-faced Soul Sucker. But still it didn’t die. Sophie crawled away, her back bleeding heavily. Before she could get far, the Soul Sucker grabbed hold of her ankle and dragged her back. It turned her over and pressed it scythe against her neck. The Soul Sucker lightly cut into her skin. Sophie could feel warm blood trickle down her neck.

  At that moment the clown-faced Soul Sucker was suddenly grabbed by two strong grey hands. The hands dragged the Soul Sucker backwards and attacked it. Whilst the battle between the two demons continued, Sophie pressed her hand to her back and began to heal her wounded body. She then stood up and walked carefully over to the fight.

  The new creature had a wolf-like face and stood on two legs. It had a tall grey muscular body and spikes piercing out of its back. The creature wrestled against the Soul Sucker, pinning it to the ground. The Soul Sucker slashed its scythe across the creature’s chest. The creature’s blood dripped onto the snow. The creature then dug its teeth into the Soul Sucker and ripped it into pieces. Once it had completely devoured the Soul Sucker, the creature turned to Sophie.

  Sophie stared into its sharp brown eyes, only to find that there was something familiar about them.

  “Danny?”

  The creature shuddered and its body shook as it stumbled backwards, falling behind a pile of snow. Sophie walked over to where the creature had fallen to find Danny lying in its place.

  His chest ripped open.

  28

  ‘ZOMBIES’

  JASON

  Seven demons had been surrounding the Polar Base. Upon us opening the main doors they quickly attacked. Without asking for my permission, Angel stabbed me in the back. I transformed into a demon and killed the seven demons with ease. To be honest repeatedly turning into a demon was really starting to freak me out. It was a strange experience. When I transformed my demon didn’t take over my mind, not exactly. I was still Jason. I still had control over my own thoughts however I also gained a love of demon flesh.

  And demons tasted so good!

  They were so yummy and full of flavour and I’m beginning to freak myself out again! For while eating demons is tasty and enjoyable in my demon form, when I return to normal, I find the idea rather disturbing.

  Moving swiftly on...

  Once I had got rid of the demons, the four of us started our journey to the gateway portal. I shared a snowmobile with Becks while Angel shared one with McLean. We soon arrived at the temple that housed the portal. It was beautiful. It was completely made of ice! The dome roof, the walls, the pillars, even the large doors that greeted us were all carved out of ice! McLean pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked the doors. It was dark inside the temple. Angel clicked her fingers and small white balls of light rose into the air.

  The temple was just as beautiful inside. Large columns stood like guards protecting the carved ice statues of the gods and the goddesses that stood proudly in the temple’s centre.

  “Where’s the portal?” asked Angel.

  “Follow me,” McLean said quietly.

  We followed the rat man as he led us to the back of the temple where we were once again greeted by large ice doors. McLean pulled from his jacket a round metal disk. He slotted the disk into the lock and turned it anticlockwise. There was a great grumble as the doors slowly came to life and opened. I stood there and stared. The portal was massive. It looked like a large oval mirror. Encased in a golden frame was a twisting cascade of colours.

  Next to the portal was a strange contraption. It looked like a computer. A computer powered by steam and magic. Becks ran over to it.

  “Someone has definitely been messing with the portal,” Becks muttered. Connected to the computer were three vials; one held a bright white fluid, the other dark purple liquid and the third held a thick black substance. The three vials were wired up to the computer and were glowing.

  “The black stuff is Jason’s soul, the purple stuff is the fey blood,” Becks explained, “But I have no idea what the white liquid is.”

  “If you can get the teleportation system back up, then there’s something I need you to do,” Angel said softly, “Anyone whose teleportation chip is not registering them as alive, I need you to teleport them to the hospital wing at the D.D base.”

  “Yes, I think I can do that.”

  “And this is,” Angel handed Becks a piece of paper, “Ethan’s teleportation chip ID. I want you to teleport him there as well.”

  McLean and Becks worked quietly while I stared at the portal. I was too distracted by the portal’s grandeur that I didn’t notice Angel walk up behind me.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Angel whispered.

  “It is,” I agreed.

  The portal glowed light blue and swirls of colours twisted around inside the golden frame. The portal hummed softly as it calmly lit up the dark temple. I turned to face Angel which was when I realised that the shapeshifter was staring intensely at the floor. “What are you doing?”

  “It’s too easy. There were only seven demons outside the base, if this place is so important then where are the demons?” Angel dropped to the ground. She pressed her ear against the icy floor. She knocked on the ice. Nothing then BANG! A noise from under the ice echoed around the portal room. Angel sat up quickly.

  “They’re under the ice,” Angel hissed, “How far down does the portal go?”

  “What do you mean?” McLean asked.

  “Does the portal go below the ice?”

  “No. It shouldn’t do.”

  “I think they’ve expanded it. Look at the ice around the portal, its…”

  Suddenly there came a loud cracking sound.

  Angel gestured for silence and for me to follow her. I raised my gun as we slipped like ghosts out of the portal room. It was dark and so very quiet. The soft sound of us breathing was all that could be heard. In the centre of the temple was a large hole from where something had pushed its way out from under the ice. Angel flicked her wand and lit up the temple. We searched for a demon but found nothing.

  Then I felt something warm drip onto my shoulder.

  I looked up to find a massive demon hanging from the ceiling. It had a dragon-like face, with beady red eyes and sharp black teeth. Its long twisted neck connected to a strong scaled body. It hissed its forked tongue in my direction, saliva running from its lips and dripping onto my shoulder. Angel shot at the demon. Her bullets flew uselessly off the creature’s scaled body. We rolled out of the way as the demon dived at us. I scrambled behind a pillar. I raised my fist and released it, in an attempt to explode the demon, but my powers didn’t work.

  “Jason are you actually doing something or are you just waving at it!?” Angel shouted as the demon crashed its body against the pillar she was hiding behind.

  “I don’t know!” I exclaimed.

  I’m pretty certain that Angel then shouted some form of abuse in my direction however the demon roared so loudly that I didn’t hear what she said. The demon slammed its body into the pillars. The ice cracked and groaned. I skidded across the floor as chunks of ice dropped from the ceiling. Angel transformed into a white tiger and attacked the demon.

  The tiger pounced onto the demons back and clawed at its armour of scales. The tiger clambered onto its dragon-like head where it scratched at the demon’s eyes. The demon screeched and threw its head backwards sending the tiger flying. The
tiger hit a wall, transforming back into Angel.

  I clicked my fingers and threw black fire at the demon. The demon did not like that at all. It stumbled backwards as the flames licked at its scales. At that moment Angel, in fire nymph form, ran up the demon. Her fiery footsteps set the demon’s scales alight. Angel jumped to the ground, transforming back into herself, as the flames engulfed the demon. The fire melted the icy floor. The ice finally gave in and the demon plunged into the ocean below.

  I walked over to the hole in the ice. At that moment the demon’s claws sprang out of the water, grabbed my waist, and pulled me down into the watery grave below.

  “Jason!” Angel yelled.

  The demon’s claws cut into my skin. Its grip was tight and unmoving. I tried to set my hands alight, but the water kept putting out the flames. As I struggled against the creature’s grip, I noticed something. I could see the portal under the water, and it was surrounded by demons. However the demons weren’t swimming out of the portal, they were swimming into it.

  That’s strange, I thought, they’re swimming in the wrong direction.

  Then I began to feel lightheaded and sleepy. I was about to die, I realised. I didn’t even have the energy to panic. I was just too tired. Too sleepy. I don’t really remember what happened next.

  I vaguely recall someone slicing off the demon’s claw and grabbing hold of me. However my next clear memory is of breaking to the surface and feeling the cold Arctic air stroke my skin. It wasn’t until that moment that I realised that I really love breathing! Breathing is the best! Breathing is just so great and so underappreciated!

  “I’m glad you love breathing so much,” Angel laughed, “But how about showing some of that love to the person who just saved you?”

  “Did you just read my…oh my god you have a tail!” I exclaimed as I noticed that where Angel’s legs should have been there was a long white tail, “You’re a mermaid!”

  “Shapeshifter, remember?” Angel smiled pulling herself out of the water. I stared open mouthed as I saw Angel’s mermaid tail properly for the first time.

  It was amazing!

  Angel transformed back into her normal self and her awesome mermaid tail vanished. She held out her hand, which I took, and pulled me out of the water. I shivered. I was freezing cold and tired. Angel pressed her hand against my chest and suddenly I was filled with warmth.

  “What did you just do?” I asked.

  “Magic,” she replied simply.

  “Obviously. Hey, there was something weird going on down there. The demons were swimming into the portal, not out of it.” Angel cursed loudly as she ran back to the portal room, I quickly followed.

  “Where’s the portal going?” Angel demanded as she reached the computer.

  “Err, just give me a minute,” McLean muttered as he calculated the machinery, “How very odd.”

  “What’s odd?”

  “The portal keeps changing. Most of the time it’s going to the underworld but sometimes it changes to Atlantis.”

  “Damn it! We’ve been set up!”

  Suddenly the sound of breaking ice echoed around the portal room. I turned as a grey hand pushed its way to the surface.

  The hand flexed as it felt the breeze for the first time in centuries. Then there was a second hand, then a third and then a fourth. Soon there were over two dozen hands flexing and rolling their wrists in the cold artic air. Each single hand gained a partner. The two hands then pushed the rest of their body out of the ice. We were quickly surrounded by an army of undead creatures. They stood and looked like humans, but they most certainly were not human! They had rotting flesh that hung to their rusted bodies like old rags. The eyeballs, of the creatures that had eyes, were bloodshot red and they were dressed in battered clothing. Purple veins bounced out of their skin. Their teeth were black and their lips crusty.

  “Not again. Not again.” I heard Angel mutter. She had gone pale and was stumbling backwards. That’s when I realised what these demons were.

  “They’re zombies, aren’t they?” I gulped as Angel nodded, “You’ve dealt with zombies before, right?”

  “Once. It didn’t end well. Whatever happens don’t let them bite you.”

  I raised my hand, released my fist and a zombie crumbled into pieces. I was about to congratulate myself when the zombie picked up its broken flesh and stuck itself back together.

  “Fire,” Angel whispered, “That normally stops them.”

  “But you won’t be able to use fire in here,” McLean explained, “The portal room is protected against it.”

  “Jason?”

  “You know this’ll be the fourth time today that you’ve stabbed me,” I muttered.

  “Well learn how to turn on demand and then I won’t have to stab you,” Angel hissed as she stuck her sword into my side.

  I doubled over in pain and transformed into my demon self. The transformation was much quicker than it had been the last three times. The zombies attacked the moment I transformed. I swung my tail in their direction, knocking the zombies to the floor. The only issue I found with having such a large demon body was that I couldn’t see when zombies snuck up behind me. I constantly had to spin around in order to make sure that zombies weren’t trying to bite my behind.

  Angel had been grabbed before she even had chance to transform. A zombie had taken hold of her wrist and dragged her into its arms. Angel struggled and threw the zombie over her back. The zombie landed with a crack as its arm broke. Angel pulled out her sword and chopped off the zombie’s head. As she did so a second zombie rugby tackled her to the floor. Angel quickly transformed into water and trickled away from the zombies. She headed to Becks. When Angel reached her, she quickly transformed back into her natural form. She swiftly saved Becks from a zombie and then dragged her to the computer.

  “No matter what happens you stay here and work,” Angel ordered as she raised her hands. A forcefield rose up around Becks, shielding her from the zombie attack.

  While Becks worked quite happily without fear of interruption, I was being attacked by six zombies. They kept jumping onto my back. Every time I shook them off, they’d just jump straight back on again! One of the zombies had a sword which it kept poking into my belly - which I didn’t think was very nice! I slammed my demon body into a wall. The three zombies on my back fell to the floor. I then sliced my claws in their direction. The zombies stumbled backwards and fell through one of the holes in the floor.

  Out of the corner of my demon eye, I noticed McLean fighting against a zombie. The rat man was a better fighter then I had expected. He fought with a small dagger which he quickly used to slice off a zombie’s arm. The arm flopped to the ground and wriggled in spasms. The zombie threw a lazy punch, with its only remaining arm, in McLean’s direction. The rat man grabbed the zombie’s fist, twisted the creature into a wall then cut off its head. A second zombie grabbed McLean and threw him to the floor, but the rat quickly jumped to his feet.

  While this was occurring, I was getting repeatedly harassed by zombies. They climbed onto my tail and tried to sink their rotten teeth into my skin. I grabbed a zombie between my fangs and threw it into the air. I grabbed a second and then a third repeating the process. I had attempted to eat the zombies however their flesh tasted so disgusting that I couldn’t swallow it.

  It was just too chewy!

  I stumbled backwards as more and more zombies clambered on top of me. I threw myself to the floor and rolled over, squashing the zombies as I did so. I then jumped to my feet. However I landed on a thin patch of ice which broke under the weight of my demon body. As I fell into the icy water, I involuntarily transformed back into myself. I swam up to the surface. As I pulled myself out of the water and on to dry land, a zombie jumped onto my back pushing me to the floor. Just as the zombie was about to bite me, a white tiger caught the creature between its teeth and dragged it away from me.

  “I’ve done it!” Becks yelled above the noise.

  “You’ve done w
hat?” Angel shouted as she transformed back into her normal form.

  “I’ve fixed the communications! I think.”

  Angel jumped over a zombie’s body and ran (dragging me along with her) through the forcefield. Becks flicked several switches and handed Angel an old-fashioned phone. A red light flashed, and a voice could be heard.

  “Polar Base, this is Captain Hardwick we’ve been…”

  “Will, its Angel, get all the squads and all the other military units to Atlantis. There's an army of demons heading there,” Angel explained quickly.

  “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t have time to explain, just get to Atlantis!”

  “Angel...”

  Then the line went dead.

  “I’ve teleported the deceased and your brother to the hospital wing at the base, at least I hope that’s where I teleported them too.,” Becks muttered.

  “Can you teleport everyone to Atlantis?” Angel asked.

  “Including the folks at the Polar Base? I might be able to hack into the system and get you into the main hall of the palace if I reboot…”

  “Great, do that!” Angel interrupted as she pulled out a small circle object from McLean’s bag that had been left on the desk.

  “What is that?” I asked.

  “A bomb.”

  “A what!?”

  “A bomb. I found it in one of the boxes from the Polar Base’s armoury. Let’s hope it works. McLean get in here!” Angel shouted. The rat man quickly entered the forcefield.

  “What’s your plan captain?” he asked.

  “I plan to throw this into the portal. Once we get the…”

  “Done it!” Becks smiled, “Everyone has teleportation chips, so it was easy. I’ve done it. I think.” As she spoke a second set of zombies pushed their way out of the ice.

  “I’m going to throw this into the portal. The moment I do, I need you to get us out of here,” Angel said, staring at the zombies.

  “Yes Cap,” Becks nodded gravely.