The Veil: Corruption (HASEA CHRONICLES BOOK 2)

by Stuart Meczes

  I love you, Alex.

  I switched back into soldier mode and waited for Yeth’s Army to come.

  39

  Alex

  I fell forward onto my hands and knees, spraying up sand into my face. I coughed and rubbed at my eyes until I could see. It took me a split second to understand where I was. The beach from my dreams – my solace – where I came when things were too much for me. But I didn’t remember it like this.

  The bright sun had been replaced by an abyss lined with a storm of angry clouds that belted down rain and flashed with lightning. Hidden creatures flew just above, their colossal shadows matched by the tremendous beat of their leathery wings. The sea was a malevolent force, bucking and thrashing, with waves the colour of fresh blood dumping rotten, forgotten things onto the sand.

  A howling wind tore from sea to shore, gathering with it rolling handfuls of sand, which whipped against my skin and tore at the palm trees, which were arched backwards and withering as if they were old men riddled with arthritis. The gently bobbing boat from the scene had been dashed to pieces against the rocks that jutted from the sea, and the jetty had been swallowed into the depths.

  Kneeling in the sand, I stared down at myself. I was still clothed in the blood-stained jacket and jogging bottoms from before. I envisioned my Alliance kit, and within a few seconds, I felt the leather of my uniform wrap itself around me. Something bright swung into my field of vision and I had to shield a hand against the sudden glare. Squinting, I saw that the light had come from the only source of illumination – a sweeping beam from a warped lighthouse perched high above a sheer rock face. I held out a hand towards it and the light steadily diminished until it was bright enough to fill the beach, but no more.

  Alexander.

  I jerked my head up. Standing in the centre of my paradise-turned-nightmare was the Darkness. Its tattoo-covered arms were folded across its chest. The beacon swung back around, bathing it in its yellow glow. Its shadow stretched and split into two, growing until it resembled demonic wings, which reached the very tops of the cliffs around us. Beyond the Darkness, lying in a shadowy nook halfway up a cliff, was a rusted cage. Inside shivered a tiny blue orb. It looked weak, as if it were in danger of being snuffed out. A warm sensation glowed in my chest, and I knew what it was without any need for confirmation.

  My soul.

  The Darkness gestured towards me with a silhouetted hand. It spoke without moving its lips, its words riding the wind.

  Why do you come here to face us? You cannot hope to win.

  I curled my hands into fists, feeling the bite of the sand as they closed. “Because you don’t belong here, and I am not yours to control. I beat you once as The Sorrow. I can do it all over again.” I stared back down at the ground where I knelt. The grains of sand began to shudder as something shifted to the surface from deep below.

  We are not The Sorrow any longer. We are so much more. A harsh chuckle rolled within the next gust of wind. You think you are a hero. You are not. You are a weak, pathetic little child who was given gifts he does not deserve.

  The grains parted, and the scarlet blade of my faithful sword rose to the surface. I curled a hand around the hilt and stood up, sand raining down from the weapon. I stared right at the Darkness, feeling nothing but determination.

  “If I’m so weak,” I replied, “then how come I’m here now? Shouldn’t I be whimpering in a corner somewhere? Or dead? If I’m such a pathetic child, then how come I beat every single one of your attempts to make me doubt myself? I’ll admit that last one almost had me, but in the end it was you who lost. Not me. And now I’m here, ready to stand against you. So I would say it’s you who’s been given a gift you don’t deserve.” I pointed the tip of the sword towards the Darkness. “And I’m here to take it back.”

  My opponent placed a hand over its own shoulder and withdrew what seemed to be a long shadow. The shape solidified in its hand and became a dark version of the sword I carried in mine. The words written on the surface glowed like characters carved from moonlight.

  You think you have all of the answers, but you know nothing. You do not even know what is written upon your own sword. Or anything of its history.

  A pause.

  But we do.

  Like a mirror image, we both lifted our blades into identical fighting stances. My muscles tightened, and my heart knocked against my ribcage. This is it.

  No matter. You shall know everything in time. When all is said and done, all we will have is time. You will have time to understand. To regret the choices you made. For your choices will destroy everything and—

  “And everyone I love, blah, blah. Yeah, I got the memo. Can we get on with this? I’m sick of listening to your shit.”

  As you wish.

  The Darkness slid along the sand like a spectre. It reached me in the blink of an eye and arched its sword upwards, sending sand spraying towards me. I sidestepped, and the attack missed by a good margin. I kicked out, and my boot heel connected soundly with the square of my opponent’s back. The Darkness grunted and stumbled forward. I went for a follow up attack, but it lifted a hand over its head and disappeared into a shadow that dissolved into the ground.

  What the hell?

  I felt the Darkness behind me too late, and when I turned, I was greeted with a head-butt so fierce it almost knocked my head from my shoulders. Tasting blood, I staggered back a few steps, but my opponent charged forward and sent an uppercut through my jaw, lifting me off my feet. I landed hard on my back in a shower of sand.

  I rolled out of the way a split second before a boot stamped down onto the sand. The wearer pivoted slightly and instead unleashed a blur of kicks to the side of my head. Pain bloomed in my temples like lightning.

  I rolled backwards and flipped onto my feet. My head swam, and I had to force my weak knees to keep me upright. The Darkness was so quick – one mistake meant a hell of a lot of punishment. I blinked away a load of spots that had bloomed across my vision. Either the beating or the mind merge was coming to an end. Or both.

  Come on. You can do this.

  The Darkness swung his sword down at me, and I countered – the blades met with a dull hum rather than a screech, and a spark of shadows spilled from the impact point. My enemy pressed down with every ounce of strength it had, which was a lot. I sidestepped as it bore down on me, creating a sharp ringing sound as the blades lost contact.

  The Darkness tipped off balance, and I seized the opportunity to deliver a fierce downward strike to its back. A scream not even remotely human rang out across the beach. Black vapour containing tiny red eyes oozed from the deep wound that ran diagonally from shoulder to pelvis. The Darkness recovered and launched a flurry of attacks. I blocked each swipe and a series of odd hums reverberated around us as my sword clashed with its negative.

  We moved back and forth on the beach – I kicked up sand, my shadowy opponent didn’t disturb a grain – as we fought. All the while I was searching for an opportunity to gain the advantage.

  The Darkness bought down a fierce sword swipe towards my head. One handed, I blocked the blow, and a piercing ring stabbed at my ears. With my free hand I removed a gun from my Kapre belt, cocked, and fired a round. The Darkness was cast backwards, loosing its footing and tumbling to the ground. More of the dark vapour oozed from a wound near its shoulder.

  No honour. The wind spoke as its master stood up again.

  “You’re a parasite who invaded my body and tried to corrupt my soul using tricks and violence. Don’t you dare talk to me about honour!” I spat. Hitching the sword into a lancing strike position, I charged forward. The Darkness dove towards the ground at my feet, slipping into shadow form and vanishing from sight. I spun around and slashed with the sword, expecting an attack.

  When it didn’t come, I used the moment’s respite to catch my breath. Thick beads of sweat were clinging to my forehead. I wiped them away with the back of my hand. The air in the place was so hot and close that it felt like an ene
my in its own right, trying to choke out my lungs. But beyond that, I knew the mind merge meter was running on empty.

  Hold on. Please just hold on.

  The patch of ground right in front of me exploded in a torrent of sand. The Darkness, now twice the size it had been before, lunged at me, wrapping my arms in its steely grip. I was driven backwards and dumped into the freezing sea. I gasped as icy waves washed over me and bitter water swept down my throat. My head was seized in an iron grip. The Darkness hoisted me out, spluttering and unable to see. Before I could take a breath, my face was sent crashing back under the surface. Water forced itself up my nose, and my forehead met a cluster of wet sand and stone in a sharp collision that sent painful streaks of electricity streaking across my brain.

  Smack. Smack. Smack.

  A series of agonising punches rained down on the back of my skull, and my face was driven deeper and deeper into the coarse, sucking mud. I tried to push against the seabed, but my arms were kicked away.

  Smack! Smack! Smack!

  I thrashed about as my lungs screamed for air but were denied. I held fast as a flurry of punches continued to smash into the back of my head, knocking consciousness out of me.

  I will NOT die here!

  Through the agonising tirade of blows, I envisioned a colossal bolt of lightning gathering in the clouds. It wasn’t difficult. I just remembered the same one The Sorrow had used on me the day it had almost ended my life. I imagined myself being immune to it – wrapped inside a metaphorical cocoon. Protected.

  SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

  My head was going light as the infinite stream of punches continued to smash into the back of my skull. I had no air left. Water was seeping its way into my lungs. But I refused to allow myself to panic. I kept thinking of the storm gathering, drawing energy, and building to one giant bolt.

  SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

  I heard a shuddering boom from above, and pure whiteness flared behind my eyes as the mother of all lightning strikes lit up the sea. The hand that held me down was ripped away. I wrenched my face out of the wet sand and broke to the surface gasping and spluttering as precious air re-entered my lungs. White, veiny spikes of lighting were still sweeping their way out to sea. The water had gone hot.

  As I stood, a sudden current tugged away my feet, and I fell back under the waves. Just like my dream, the sea tried to pull me away from the shore to certain death, but by battling and fighting with every last drop of energy I had left, I was able to wrench my way out of its grasp and onto the shore.

  I collapsed to my knees between a worn skull and something that crawled on too many legs, and vomited out a rush of putrid seawater. When I lifted my head, I saw that the Darkness was at the far end of the beach, huddled up against a cliff wall, shadows sprayed around it like blood spatter.

  Making a noise that was a mixture of exertion and anger, I climbed to my feet, drenched sword in hand, and stumbled my way over to the wounded thing. It extended a hand, palm outstretched in a sign of surrender, but I was in no mood for mercy. I lifted the blade into an attack position and charged the remaining fifteen feet towards the Darkness. It waited until I was almost upon it and then the fearful expression turned to a dark smile, and it vanished into the wall.

  I heard a wet slicing sound and felt a hard thump in my back. I stared down to see the tip of the black sword poking through my sternum.

  You lose.

  Blood gathered at the wound, and I watched as it dripped down onto the sand between my feet, staining it red. My worn out mind tried to figure out how I’d let myself fall prey to such an obvious trick. Then I felt the agonising slide of the sword being pulled free from my body. I fell to my knees and placed a supporting hand against the cliff wall. My palm was slick with blood and left a smudge of red on the grey rock – like a child’s painting. I heard the swish of the sword as the Darkness lifted his blade up for the final swing. I opened my mouth and shouted as loud as I could.

  “Now, Faru!”

  My words came out stronger than I ever could have imagined, as if they were some kind of creature that had been released from within. The booming sound echoed around the beach in a storm of noise. A second later there was a loud clicking sound, and I felt something warm rush through me as he injected the elixir.

  The Darkness screamed. It was an awful, unnatural sound that belonged in the depths of hell. It was matched by roars of pain from the hidden creatures that circled above the clouds. I heard a series of tremendous splashes and knew that they had fallen into the sea.

  WHO IS HERE? WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO US?

  Clutching my wound, I twisted around so that I was facing the dark version of myself. It was holding its hands out in front of itself. They were leaking black ichor that splashed down onto the sand. The Darkness tried to move away, but its legs dissolved into oil, and its torso hit the ground.

  The legs re-solidified, and the creature used them to push the sand as it clawed its way away from where I sat. As one hand smacked down onto the ground, it became a spray of ooze that splashed out like a gunshot wound ahead of the wailing creature. Howling, the dismembered Darkness clawed with its remaining good hand, inching away and leaving a trail of black slime.

  I stared down at the pulsing injury in my chest and imagined it healing. It was difficult. My mind was wavering from a mix of battle exhaustion, stress, and the physical signs of a mind merge well beyond borrowed time.

  Thank you for not leaving me alone, Faru.

  Slowly the tissue around the laceration came to life and began to stitch itself together. Like a human zip, the sides of my flesh met and sealed together. Soon afterwards the pain faded, and using my sword as support, I was able to stand up.

  The Darkness was a few yards away from me now, a bubbling mess of ooze and shadows that now barely resembled a person, let alone me. I walked straight past it and over to the cliff face. In the dark, crashing sea to my left, I saw colossal silhouettes writhing in agony. The creatures were so big that even the full depths of the ocean could only partially cover them. They made roars that rivalled the shift of tectonic plates.

  God only knows what they are.

  I flicked my sword down into the sand, and it stuck like a pin, wobbling slightly. Setting my jaw in grit determination, I began to scale the rough rock face. The going was easier than I expected. My desire for it all to be over meant that I made quick time. If there wasn’t a hand or foothold, I smashed a fist into the rock until I created one.

  Soon I was face to face with the angled crag that acted as a ledge for the worn cage. The soul seemed to notice my arrival, pressing itself against the rusted bars like a sad animal. Digging my feet in their makeshift footholds, I shifted to get a better purchase. Then, using one hand to steady the cage, I used the other to unlatch it. Once open I peered inside, not quite sure of what to do next.

  I didn’t need to think for long. My jaw clamped open and a blue tendril of soul-light slipped out like an ethereal tongue. The soul shot towards it with the speed of a bullet. My head was thrown backwards, and I went with it, somersaulting backwards off the cliff. I landed with a force so great I created a sand dune. Groaning in pain at my aching, bruised body, I stared down to see that I still had the small cage clutched in my hands.

  ‘As one soul is freed another is imprisoned.’

  A thought as clear as the chime of a bell rang out in my mind.

  I know what to do.

  With renewed energy, I clambered up and hobbled over to the Darkness. The combination of the lightning bolt and the elixir had done the job. It was in a bad way, some parts stretched as if by invisible hands, others melted into black puddles. Bits of skin bubbled and popped, releasing a foul stench. I knelt down, and grabbing what I thought was a shoulder, rolled the Darkness over. A sagging face with hollow cups where eyes had once been stared blindly up at me. The creature’s lips hung down at the corners making it look like a theatrically sad clown. When it spoke this time, the words came directly from its
disintegrating throat, sticky like they were coated in molasses.

  You cannot kill us. We will soon grow strong again.

  “You’re right. That’s why I’m not going to try and kill you.”

  I plunged my hand into the centre of its chest. The Darkness gave a hideous squeal that was echoed by the roars of its fallen brethren in the ocean. My fingers swam about the cavity, which felt like the coldest depths of the iciest sea. Barely registering the pain, I felt about until I found the core of its essence, just like I had when it had been The Sorrow.

  Wrenching my hand back, I tore the black orb from his chest. Long tendrils fought to stay attached, and as I tugged, they stretched like overworked plasticise until they became thin strands that finally snapped. The Darkness let out a final cry that dissolved into a gurgle as its body melted into a puddle and was consumed by the sand. Holding the squirming orb – its slick, soft surface like a jellyfish – I headed for the cage. Kneeling down, I shoved it inside.

  “I’m going to trap you.”

  I slammed shut the cage.

  “And use you.”

  I latched the cage.

  “Just like you did to me.”

  I stood up.

  “Until I find a way to be rid of you for good.”

  I used my mind to build a bigger cage around the small one. One formed from adamantine rose from the sand, encasing the smaller one within its bars. Adamantine chains appeared and fastened themselves tightly around the edges. More and more cages appeared. Each was larger and thicker than the last until the dark essence was held prisoner twenty times deep within a cluster of impenetrable cages. Then I stood and watched wearily as the sand rose up and swallowed down the cage into its unknowable depths like a ravenous animal. A harsh wail of fury escaped from within the depths before the hole in the sand shrank to a dot and disappeared.