by Jason Wilcox
“At the cave?” Mauldrin questioned, thinking back to when he captured Tagen.
“No.” Tagen got in his face. “When you actually went by the name Mauldrin. I watched you kill demons with a flick of your hand,” he growled for a second, staring into Mauldrin’s eyes. “Why won’t you end this?” Everyone stared at him in silence. “Get your sword, become who you truly are.”
CHAPTER 34
A thunderous crack rumbled through the base, sounding like a lake of ice breaking apart. The noise caught everyone’s attention. The dome split more than before, and pieces began to fall out of the ceiling. Tagen stood still, waiting for Mauldrin’s response. The crack grew and another large piece fell out of the ceiling.
“I don’t think they’re going to fix it in time,” James said as he stepped past the gate. More cracks split down the side, and another piece smashed on the ground. “Let’s move, we need to prepare for a war,” he ordered the guards while pointing to the direction of the splitting barrier.
It wouldn’t be long before the barrier would be useless. Mauldrin knew Tagen was right. He needed to try use the sword.
“Let’s get the sword,” Mauldrin spoke almost to himself, as he looked to Tagen. “Let’s go!” As he spoke, Tagen seemed to get a sparkle in his eye and smiled.
“James, I need to get back into the building and get my sword.”
He stared at Mauldrin for a moment while the guards ran off. There was a look of bewilderment, as if James couldn’t understand why Mauldrin needed to get a sword. Finally, he said, “If you think it will help. I don’t think anyone will stop you.”
As Mauldrin took his first steps, James stopped him, “Turn on the dead time button I showed you. It will make you run faster.”
Mauldrin looked at the switch on his left arm and flicked it. Not expecting what happened next, Mauldrin almost lost his balance. Everything moved in stop action, like something moving back and forth in front of a spotlight at night. One second everything is moving, the next second nothings moving.
“Le..t’s g..o,” Tagen demanded between pauses. Curt and Espo already aligned themselves to follow. Smitty was still nowhere to be seen. Knowing he couldn’t wait any longer, Mauldrin ran. The armor and running in and out of dead time took some getting used to. His speed, however, almost doubled. For once, he was keeping up with Tagen with ease.
Another crack split the length of the dome and an enormous piece fell from the top. Soldiers scattered trying to get out of the way as material came crashing down. Mauldrin almost got lost in watching it fall. Every other second, it would freeze. It was like looking at a still photograph each time it stood still.
“Mo..ve,” Tagen yelled. Mauldrin realized he had slowed down while watching the wall collapse. He picked up his pace, trying not to let his fascination with the world around him distract him. As they reached the building, he could see blackness seep into the base as thousands of dark souls burst in. There were more than he originally thought or had seen out there.
He wondered how there could be that many dark souls, and then it hit him. There was a reason the streets were barren. Hermue had been creating dark souls, over the last two years, from farming people out of the towns and cities.
From behind, Curt pushed Mauldrin to keep moving. Alarms were sounding in the building with flashing red lights. The main lights were no longer on. Mauldrin wasn’t sure if the General had turned them off or if the explosions had damaged something.
The halls were almost empty. The majority of the soldiers were outside fighting. Curt and Espo stayed behind as they ran down hallways. As they arrived at the room, Mauldrin turned the switch off. Going in and out of Dead Time caused his head to hurt.
Smashing the door in half, Tagen pulled the sword out by the sheath. “Here,” he spoke as he handed it to Mauldrin, pointing the handle towards him. Mauldrin hesitated, not knowing if he could draw it.
“What kind of sword is it?” Curt asked as he drew closer. “What does it do?”
“There’s nothing out there that it can’t kill,” Tagen spoke and pushed the sword closer to Mauldrin.
“I like the sound of that.” Curt ran an armored covered finger down the worn sheath. “Let’s win this so we can find Smitty and get back to Earth.” Curt and Espo walked out of the room. Tagen shook the sword at Mauldrin, and he grabbed it by the sheath. He figured he would see if he could draw it on the way out. Flicking on the Dead Time switch, he exited the room and moved past the Knuckle Draggers.
As he came to a T in the hallway, Mauldrin could hear whimpering in the opposite direction of where he needed to go. He knew that sound was Ems. Turning right, he followed the sound to a small room and found Ems and a young man James had called Brandon. Brandon held tightly to the dog, both looked petrified. Blood dripped down Brandon’s right arm from four deep claw marks. He looked frightened and cringed at the sight of Mauldrin and those with him.
Mauldrin bent down and patted Ems. She licked his hand but didn’t move from Brandon’s arms. The lick seemed to calm Brandon.
“What happened?” He looked at Brandon’s frightened face.
“We don’t have time for this,” Tagen growled from behind.
“I agree with Tagen,” Curt spoke up. Even Espo was saying something in his foreign language.
“Something’s in here,” Brandon spoke with a shaky voice. Mauldrin didn’t think the dark souls would already be in the base. He stood up.
“Do you see anything Tagen?” The room went dead quiet after Mauldrin spoke, even Ems was silent.
“No.” Tagen stepped farther into the room and looked around. “Maybe he left already.”
Taking out the handgun the Knuckle Draggers had given him, Mauldrin handed it to Brandon. “Take this, and find a place to hide.” He nodded as he took the gun. “Are you close with Ems?”
“Yes, sir.” Brandon rubbed her chest. “I’m the one that takes care of her for James.”
“Excellent,” Mauldrin leaned in closer to whisper. “If James and I don’t live through this, I want you to take good care of her. She means a lot to me. Ems and I have been through many things. She was my dog before James found her.”
“Yes, sir. I will,” the young man sounded honored to be given the task.
Mauldrin stood up to find Curt handing him another handgun. “In case your sword does not do the job.” Curt slapped it against Mauldrin’s chest. He took it, knowing the sword likely wasn’t going to help since he couldn’t draw it. A far off scream rang out in the hallway.
“Get up kid and climb into that closet.” Brandon followed Mauldrin’s directions and took Ems with him. “Okay let’s get out there.”
Mauldrin pushed past everyone and came around the corner. A dark soul jumped on him, screaming in his face and violently attacking him. Espo smashed the thing in the head with the butt of his gun, knocking it off Mauldrin. Curt disintegrated the creature with a single shot.
“There might be more, keep your eyes open,” Mauldrin stated the obvious and turned on the Dead Time switch.
In the room adjacent to them, Mauldrin noticed a dead chewed up body. A pool of blood grew. He stepped closer and pushed on the creaky door. Just as he did, another dark soul came out of the room and jumped at him. Mauldrin was fascinated as he watched the creature stop and go as he slowly flew through the air.
Being able to move faster, Mauldrin brought his gun up and shot the thing before it could reach him.
The blast ate away the dark soul, freezing the scene each moment Dead Time would click on. The white energy ate into the flesh like a fire on a fuse.
More screams, louder than the alarms, could be heard in the hallways. Mauldrin backed up and looked down the red-lit passageway. “If dark souls have made it into the building, does that mean we’re all that’s left?”
Tagen moved beside him and hissed, disappearing into shadow form. He could also hear Curt and Espo ready their guns. They had no idea if the army outside was massacred. Knowing he needed the
sword, Mauldrin holstered his gun and ran his hand to the handle of the sword, only to find that it passed through.
CHAPTER 35
A breeze blew through the small opening in the prison door, causing Bridget to shiver. Her muscles were growing weak from shivering through the night. She wasn’t sure how long she had been in the jail cell, but she assumed it had to be from the middle of the night. Her eyes had closed a couple of times, but never for long because of how uncomfortable the hard, cold ground was.
Sliding a hand against the wall, she wished Maselda had taught her how to use her power. She could really use it now. A small, glowing, blue worm poked out from between the bricks, dropping to the dirt floor. Bridget watched him as he created a new hole in the ground and disappeared. She held her arms around herself, rubbing up and down as she shivered. She could see her breath in the air from the soft glow of her skin.
Earlier she had focused on Caden and found herself hoping he was still alive. She questioned if she could summon him as he had summoned her. But nothing worked. She strongly desired to have him with her. He always knew what to do and always made things right. Instead, she was locked away on a foreign planet with demons she couldn’t speak to and a protector she didn’t know if she could trust after finding out that Azgiel was Mauldrin’s enemy.
Letting out a deep sigh, Bridget felt a tear form. She was overwhelmed and emotionally and physically spent. Hope had gone.
Footsteps headed her way, and she pushed against the corner of the cell, worried about what was going to happen next. Are they going to kill me? A dark shadow came to the small opening in the door and looked in.
“Bridget?” Raestal’s voice spoke through the opening. His voice was calming and almost a reassurance, until she remembered she couldn’t trust him. “Bridget?”
“I’m here,” her voice was worn out and cold.
“They’re going to let you out.” He stepped back to let someone unlock the door. “I was able to formulate enough words for them to understand that you didn’t go into the room and that we are good, not spies. Not bad.”
The door opened with a terrible squeal. He quickly came in and picked her up. “Let’s get you to a bed where you can warm up. I’m sorry you were treated this way. Know that since I’ve left your side, I’ve been doing everything in my power to get you out of here.”
“Thank you, Raestal.” She almost cried. It was comforting to have him there when she had been feeling so alone and isolated. “I had been questioning whether or not you would want to kill me.”
“Kill you?” Raestal appeared shocked. He walked down the hill the prison cell was on, holding her close. A handful of demons circled around them. “Like I told you, the Witch gave me specific orders not to let anything happen to you. Besides, I’ve grown too fond of you to let anything happen to you. I see why the Witch has taken such a liking to you.”
“What about the fact that Azgiel and my husband are enemies, which fought against each other, and ultimately, Cade… I mean Mauldrin, locked him away in time?” Even though his words had been comforting, she still didn’t understand the dynamics.
Raestal let out a deep sigh. “I guess I can tell you everything, I’ve already told you too much.” He paused to watch his step while watching the other demons. “Azgiel only healed you because he wanted to use you as bait, or leverage, with Mauldrin. By having you under his wing, he hoped he could get Mauldrin to do whatever he needed. Even the Witch agreed in the beginning. But they didn’t expect Mauldrin to disappear. At first they thought of disposing of you.”
Bridget let out a shocked squeal. She had no idea. “Really?” she asked, unable to believe it.
“Yes.” The demons were stopping in front of the same hut she had been in before. Stepping through the small doorway, Raestal laid her down on the bed. “There you go. Get yourself covered so you can warm up.”
“Finish telling me before you go. I need to know,” she said as she pulled the covers over herself.
“Ultimately they came to the conclusion that Mauldrin came to this planet, Triaad’s planet, and when the time came that we found him, they would need you.” He cleared his throat and continued, “Azgiel left you under the Witch’s commands, not wanting to be in charge of you. The rest is history. The Witch grew to love you as if you were her own child. Even though I believe you’ve had an impact on Azgiel, he is about finishing this war no matter what. If that means you’re in his way, you’ll be disposed of.”
“But he wouldn’t do that, would he?” Bridget couldn’t believe what she was being told. Her whole world turned upside down.
“Under his orders, we were to allow you to die here. If there was an opportunity for it to happen, we were to do our best to make sure it did.” Raestal seemed ashamed. He couldn’t look her in the eyes as he spoke. “The Witch fought him on it, but he wouldn’t back down, and that’s why I’m here. She involved me to counteract that order by any means possible.”
Lying down on the furs under her head, she stared at the ceiling not knowing what to think or say. “I need to go to sleep.” She closed her eyes and let her whole body go limp from feeling deflated and physically exhausted.
“As you wish, but I must ask you one other question now that we’ve had this conversation.”
She gave a nod, too tired to speak.
“They have a type of animal which looks like a rodent crossed with a bird that can deliver a message for us.” He looked out the door and back at her. “It’s smart enough to know how to get the message back to Azgiel or the Witch.” He grew quiet and stared at the floor. “The question is, now that you know this information, do you want to send the message so we can get help to return?”
Bridget was lost for words. She understood why he wanted to talk about it, because it was a tough decision. If she went back, Azgiel may murder her, but if she stayed, she may never know what happened to her husband. She struggled with believing he was dead, but she wouldn’t be able to investigate if she stayed.
She finally looked up at Raestal. “Would Maselda protect me, or would she let Azgiel kill me?”
Standing up, Raestal turned and walked over to the door. He stood in silence, his massive body taking up the entire entryway. “Bridget,” he turned as he said her name. “If you want to go back, I give you my word I will not allow Azgiel to harm you, even if that means I have to take you away from there. I will die before I let anyone or anything harm you.”
This time Bridget couldn’t hold back her emotions. Tears ran down her face. Those words meant everything to her, especially when she felt she no longer had any one.
“Send the message. Let’s see if we can go home”
CHAPTER 36
Screams echoed down the hallway. The red lights above provided terrible lighting, especially with the regular lights out. “Let’s get outside,” Mauldrin said but received a funny look from Tagen. He realized what he said must’ve sounded strange since he was going in and out of stopped time. Rectifying his mistake, he waved and headed to the end of the hallway.
A dark soul came around the corner, crawling along the ceiling. The creature stopped and stared at them, pulling himself closer to the hard surface he clung to. The flashing red lights shimmered on his oily black skin. He hissed and moved a little closer to them. His red eyes came alive as two others on the floor came around the corner, each of them had wire’s cutting into their skin.
Once they noticed Mauldrin, they screamed, charging at full speed, joined by the one on the ceiling. Their bravery lasted for only a moment as guns were aimed, and the creatures were disposed of quickly. Dust and wires fell to the ground.
Curt passed Mauldrin, holding his gun out and heading for the corner with James beside him. He was tired of being treated like he couldn’t take care of himself.
Lowering his gun and turning the dead time switch off, Mauldrin walked behind them, knowing if anything attacked, they would kill it quickly.
As they came around the corner, bright light fr
om the bullets shot off, illuminating the hallway. The bullets hit a dark soul facing away from them, oblivious to their approach. It was like stepping on ants.
The sounds of war could be heard through the halls, as they grew closer to the exit. The few people left inside were running to somewhere important with no time to give an update.
“What do you want to do if everyone is dead?” Curt stopped about six feet from the doors. “Would you like to retreat and get out, or do you want to fight this thing out?”
“Let’s make that decision when it comes.” Mauldrin tried to walk past him, but Espo and Curt caught him by the arms. “We need to get out there,” he argued while pushing their hands off. “Enough time has been wasted.”
Curt turned around with Espo following, appearing to be perplexed by what was happening. They readied their guns and pushed the doors open. The world outside was chaos.
The soldiers were fighting humans, dark souls, and the newer, larger, type of dark souls. Many of the humans had given up on their advanced weaponry and started using regular guns, which appeared to be more effective. He watched as a soldier used a combat shotgun, leaving large holes in a dark soul, dropping the creature to the ground. It didn’t kill him, but Mauldrin could see that it was slowing the thing down because it had to heal. The wire didn’t protect against regular bullets.
Even with two holes through the chest and one through the leg, the dark soul was dragging himself across the ground to get to the soldier. Espo shot the thing in the head and joined the fray. It was a relief to see many soldiers alive and fighting.
Doors slammed behind them, and they began shooting at the fringes of the dark army in front of them. Mauldrin could see blackness everywhere from masses of dark souls.
One dark soul dove onto a soldier dragging him into the mix. Mauldrin wasn’t going to stand by. He grabbed one of the grenades from the slot Curt carried them in. Curt reached to get it back, but it was too late. The grenade was primed to go, and he threw the cylinder into the middle of the dark souls.
