As I peered at the sparkling, intricate glass tapestry, the images and figures gained detail and crispness. The glass shimmered for a beat and then morphed into images of real, moving people. For a second, I felt like I was facing a bank of CCTV monitors. But this wasn’t some video feed. Each pane of stained glass had become its own window to reality.
“The magic of my windows has allowed me to follow mankind’s progress, to witness our glorious triumphs and crushing defeats. But mostly the windows offer me glimpses of the dark work of the Shadow Cabal and its agents of chaos.”
Octurna’s words seemed far away. My attention was riveted to the human dramas playing out before me. I witnessed scenes from all across the globe, saw places I was familiar with from my days in the Marines. Iraq, Afghanistan, the Sudan. Global hotspots where misery and despair reigned supreme. Famous cities such as London, New York, Tokyo, Paris were represented too, where the smaller but equally horrific tragedies played out. I watched a group of rough kids beating up a hapless retiree for a couple of bucks; a despairing tweaker snorting meth; a security guard being gunned down by a robber in a ski mask.
After a few minutes, I became aware that Octurna had risen from her throne to join me.
“Here I’ve stood for the last hundred years, cursed to witness a multitude of horrors, a never-ending parade of crimes against humanity,” she said. “War, famine, natural disasters, man’s cruelty in all its forms. The handiwork of the Shadow Cabal.”
I shot her a disturbed look. As a former Marine, one thought in particular weighed heavily on my mind.
“Are you saying the cabal is responsible for all the wars we fight?”
“Not all, but most. The Shadow Cabal keeps pushing our species toward the darkness, toward the brink. They find ways of tapping into the blackness of our souls, of using our weaknesses against us. You saw what one of their ranks did with your team. Imagine the power they wield over those with evil in their hearts. Have you wondered why the world has become such a dark place lately?”
She leaned closer and whispered, “The Shadow Cabal is winning, and humanity is losing.”
My hands balled into fists. I wanted to look away from the windows. Hell, part of me wanted nothing more than to smash them to pieces. I felt helpless and enraged, desperate to step in and right the injustices but unable to do something. No wonder Octurna was a little off. I’ve met my fair share of cops who had succumbed to the stress of being confronted on a daily basis with the worst humanity has to offer. And this was far worse. If the police felt overwhelmed in the face of human misery, imagine being stuck here in this castle, helpless to interfere in the world’s many tragedies.
My voice softened. “How have you kept going for all this time?”
She gave me a small, strained smile. “I had a mission. A purpose. As these moments of darkness unfolded, I was looking for a champion. A hero. A man who could become my soldier in the war against the forces of darkness. I was looking for you, Jason Night.”
I turned to the windows again, but I wasn’t seeing them. I was reliving the nightmare at the cursed apartment building as my team slaughtered each other.
“That’s how you found me,” I realized. “You saw me in one of your windows. You watched while that…that thing killed my men.”
Octurna nodded. “Yes.”
In one of the stained-glass windows, a familiar scene started to unfold. I saw myself being chased by the murderous horde in the alley. Saw them tearing my vest off and stabbing me again and again. Apparently, the magic of the windows not only allowed Octurna to catch glimpses of the outside world, but she was also able to replay specific moments. Like a DVR for the universe. I shook my head, suddenly very tired.
“Why did you interfere? Why save me?”
“I already gave you the answer.”
Octurna was right. She had told me she needed a knight. A slayer. Someone who could go travel between her sanctuary fortress and the real world and fight a one-man war against the darkness. She needed a Marine.
“Why me? You must’ve come across hundreds, maybe thousands of candidates.”
Octurna’s grave features flickered with amusement. “Who said you were my first choice?”
This gave me pause. Then a smile curled her luscious lips, and I knew Octurna was messing with me.
The windows lit up with new images. Glimpses of soldiers caught in the midst of combat. They wore uniforms of all colors and nations, busy fighting wars across space and time. I recognized the uniforms from various conflicts. From WW I and WW II to modern-day military conflicts. And it wasn’t just Americans. All nations and countries were represented. Octurna’s recruiting process seemed to extend beyond the military, too. There were cops and firefighters and other everyday heroes of all stripes. Men and women who selflessly put their lives on the line to make the world a better place. All of them heroes.
And then there was me. The lucky guy who won the lottery. Or had I pulled the short straw?
“You impressed me, Jason. Only the strongest of men can resist a succubus. I saw how bravely you fought the demon, armed with your crude, ineffective weapons. How you refused to give up when faced with overwhelming odds. But mostly, I saw how much you cared for the people under your command, the people you tried to save. You have the spirit of a warrior and the heart of a knight.”
I considered this. I had just done what I thought was right. I didn’t think it was a big deal, to be honest. “Thanks, I guess. Much good it did saving anyone.”
“Defeat is part of the battle. As a Marine, you know this all too well.”
Unfortunately, I did. I had lost way too many friends over the years. Didn’t mean I had to like it.
“My magical abilities are limited, Jason. I’m a shadow of my former self. I can maintain this place and catch glimpses of the horrors threatening humanity, but that’s about it.”
“Yet you shared some of your power with me. And I still don’t understand what that means, exactly.”
“You will. Soon enough.”
“Seriously, though, I can’t be the only guy you tried to recruit over the last hundred years.”
“You’re right. Some I failed to save in time…”
The windows showed brave men succumbing to their injuries before Octurna could intervene.
“Others who refused to accept mankind’s true history.”
The windows now displayed beaten, battered souls, broken men who vehemently shook their heads, refusing to accept that monsters and magic could be real.
“You’ve dedicated your life to making a difference in the world. To make it a better place. I’m offering you a chance to do so again.”
I shook my head, overwhelmed. “I’m a cop, not some monster hunter.”
I focused on the flickering mosaic of images. They had changed again. Now I caught glimpses of a myriad of inhuman beasts. Creatures that belonged in Hollywood movies, not the real world. As the monsters assaulted their victims, anger surged inside of me. I couldn’t look away from the carnage. This was a new enemy for me—a very different enemy. I had faced terrorists, religious zealots, and criminals of all stripes over the years. But they all seemed like cartoon villains when compared to the horrors wreaking havoc in the stained-glass windows.
“What’s the difference? The killers you battled were human, but their souls belonged to the Shadow Cabal. To the darkness. Besides, there are hundreds of thousands of cops and soldiers out there who can put an end to the next human threat. But the only ones standing between these creatures and their next victim is you and me. Mostly you.”
“You make a good sales pitch, lady. I give you that.”
“Does that mean you accept? Are you ready to face mankind’s greatest enemy?”
I exhaled sharply and said, “I get it. These guys are bad news. But how do I hunt monsters?”
“I will teach you.”
Octurna sounded almost too enthusiastic about that part.
I raked a hand across my head.
“You’re determined to have me go out there and fight this war for you.”
“It’s not my war, Jason. It’s humanity’s war. A fight for the soul of our species. I’ve seen the Shadow Cabals’ power and influence expand for a full century. Watch the news for a few minutes, and you’ll see that the planet is growing darker every day. Yet I’m afraid the worst is yet to come. The Shadow Cabal won’t rest until we live in a world of darkness. Each day brings us closer to that fateful day. I need someone who can stop the apocalypse before it’s too late.”
“And I’m the guy who will succeed where a whole magical order failed?”
“I’ve had nothing but time to study the enemy. I know their weaknesses. With my guidance and magic, plus your natural born skills, we have a fighting chance. And perhaps we can become an example to others who will follow our lead.”
I paced back and forth, my brows furrowed in concentration as I tried to put all the pieces together so that they made sense to me. “Alright, let’s say I agree to be part of this. Where do we begin?”
“The ‘where’ doesn’t matter so much. The Shadow Cabal’s forces are found all over the globe. Fortunately, my fortress can travel pretty much anywhere.”
The smaller windows shimmered and warped before transforming into one giant stained-glass window that tapered in a gothic arch toward the ceiling. This new window depicted a skyline that was quite familiar to me. I was looking at the Eiffel Tower. The glass shimmered again as I stepped closer. It became a doorway opening onto the bustling French metropolis.
“One moment we can be in Paris, the next in Tokyo…”
The scene switched from daytime Paris to the bustling, glittering electronic beehive that was nighttime downtown Tokyo. Sounds of traffic drifted into the Sanctuary. I could practically smell the city outside. A few more steps, and I would find myself in Japan.
“My magic allows my fortress to blend in with the surrounding architecture. Sometimes, it might be a church or chapel, another time a house or apartment building.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Won’t people react to a new building popping up in their neighborhood?”
“Did you notice the chapel when your team arrived?”
I shook my head. Nothing unusual had jumped out at me, but then again, my focus had been on the mission more than the architecture.
“Only the most magically gifted people will sense that something has changed in the environment when my fortress materializes. And even those few will shrug it off the same way you did back in the alley.”
I vividly recalled the moment, the brief instant of disorientation when I first took note of the chapel. Nevertheless, I had easily dismissed my surprise and rationalized it, convincing myself I had just never noticed the structure before then. I knew now that the Sanctuary’s magic had been exerting its influence over my mind.
I regarded Octurna. “So this castle is your magical version of the TARDIS?”
The comment earned me a blank stare from the sorceress. Apparently Octurna didn’t watch Doctor Who.
My attention shifted back to the crowded Japanese city, and I noticed a group of pedestrians surge past the Sanctuary’s observation window. A younger girl trailing behind her distracted mother turned, eyes wide with curiosity. She shyly raised her hand and waved.
“Holy shit! She can see us, can’t she?”
“As I said, only the most sensitive among them can spot my fortress. They see something, but it feels like a dream.”
Tokyo vanished, and the doorway reverted back to being a bank of stained-glass windows.
“Are you ready to begin, Jason?”
I shot Octurna a long look in response. “I have a life I need to get back to.”
“Is that so?” She placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Your parents are deceased, you have no siblings, no family. You haven’t been in a serious relationship in more than two years, and your only close friends perished in that building.”
Her words, so casually phrased, filled me with righteous anger. Who was she to make a judgement call about how I had lived my life? I opened my mouth to protest, but a part of me hesitated. If I thought about it, I couldn’t deny what Octurna had said. My job had taken over everything else, had become my whole existence.
“People out there will miss me. Unlike my team members, I didn’t leave a body behind.”
She smiled again. “I wouldn’t be so certain.”
The stained-glass window became a giant doorway again, this time framed by an iron gate. I was now looking out at a maze of tombstones spread over a verdant green meadow.
“Go. See for yourself.”
And with these words, the gate creaked open before me.
I hesitated for a beat and then jerked to attention as gunfire shredded the cemetery’s tranquility. Bagpipes started to perform the familiar, soulful melody of “Amazing Grace,” a tradition among funerals of cops killed in the line of duty.
“Go on,” Octurna said. “You don’t want to be late for your own funeral.”
I glared at the sorceress and strode through the gate. My guts tightened with cold pain as I crossed the boundary between the fortress and the real world. And then the agony passed, and I felt the sun against my face, a light breeze caressing my neck.
I spun around, expecting to see the chapel from the alley but instead I now faced a medium-sized stone crypt. The gated structure blended in with the other grave markers and tombs, a natural part of the cemetery’s landscape. Octurna lurked behind the crypt’s wrought-iron gate and watched me with unflinching interest.
I heard a voice behind me and turned. About a hundred feet away, a burial was taking place. A priest fronted a coffin draped in an American flag, surrounded by a group of uniformed officers. Was this really my funeral?
Bile burned in my throat as I moved toward the gathering of officers. The priest was still talking, but his words failed to resonate. I needed to see the grave marker, needed to see who was being laid to rest here.
As I drew closer to the gaggle of officers, I worried what they would make of me in my long black leather trench coat and motorcycle boots. I looked like an extra from a Matrix reboot and would stand out like a sore thumb among these cops.
And that’s when my tattoos heated up with a strange energy, and my clothes changed. The road warrior get-up morphed into a police uniform identical to the ones worn by the men and women attending the funeral. I blended in thanks to Octurna’s magic.
“Not just my magic,” a voice said in my mind. “Your magic, Jason.”
I stopped in mid step, and almost lost my footing.
“The markings on your body allow us to stay connected while you’re in the outside world.”
I took a deep breath, prayed no one else could hear Octurna, and crossed the last few steps toward the grave. I recognized some of the officers. A few casual friends, others mere acquaintances. None of them seemed to register my presence in one way or another. To them, I was just another fellow officer joining the burial of one of their own.
Not just one of their own. Me.
Octurna hadn’t been kidding. My own name was chiseled in the headstone.
But how was that possible? And didn’t these people recognize me? I was standing right among them. And who the hell was in the coffin?
The sorceress’s voice echoed inside my head again. “They don’t see you for who you are because your magic protects your identity.”
I moved closer to the fresh grave, and for a split second, the sunlight was just right for me to catch a vague reflection of myself in the polished marble tombstone. The face staring back at me belonged to a stranger. Overweight, bloated, sporting a thick mustache.
What have you done to me?
“I’m protecting you, Jason. The enemy cannot learn of your true identity. They will come after anyone you ever cared about.”
Hey, you said I had no one to leave behind!
“Don’t throw my own words back at me. The Shadow Cabal will use your pas
t to destroy your future. Discover any weakness and exploit it.”
I glared at the headstone again, but the light quality had changed, and my reflection had vanished. Only my name stared back at me from a steel plaque, mocking. My chest burned with frustration. The rest of the funeral flashed by like in a blur, my thoughts drowned out by the melancholy tone of bagpipes. I saw men shake hands and turn away from the grave until I was the only one left standing.
Who’s in the casket? I asked silently.
Octurna remained quiet.
WHO IS IN THE GODDAM CASKET, OCTURNA?
My tattoos flared, turning a fiery red. The coffin rumbled and shook. I almost jumped back as the lid burst open, revealing the corpse inside. I was staring down at myself.
I blinked. And then the face changed. I was now peering down at features that seemed distantly familiar. And then it hit me. It was the homeless guy from back in the alley behind the apartment building. The knife-wielding horde must’ve killed him as he was sleeping off his hangover.
And Octurna had turned him into a copy of me. A decoy.
To the world Jason Night was dead.
“I did it to protect you, Jason.”
With a heavy heart, emotions warring inside of me, I trudged toward the waiting crypt. My clothes transformed with each step, changing back into the black combat outfit the sorceress had picked out for me.
I gritted my teeth as I passed through the creaking gate, turning my back on my old life.
Jason Night is dead. Long live the Night Slayer.
6
My heart thundered in my chest, and my muscles ached with exhaustion. Perspiration masked my face. But my eyes stayed fixed on the two golems, watching, waiting.
The first construct lashed out at me, its sword headed right for my neck. I darted aside and raised the glowing red gauntlet Octurna had armed me with. Instantly, twin blades shot from the gleaming gauntlet and blocked the incoming sword.
Night Slayer: Midnight War Page 5
