by Riker Kane
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Quentin said. “We only fight Shadows in Junctions. Why can’t we go through a gate?”
“We can only use the Junctions to defeat Shadows before they arrive. Something changed… It must have something to do with the presence of the Heralds…”
“The last time Shadows were actually here on Earth was during the First Event. That was like, what, forty years ago or something. Are you telling me there are Shadows coming through here again?”
We all waited for Dr. Bonet’s response. And the longer he didn’t give it, the more we all realized what he was trying to say.
“There’s no time to recall any of the other Omegas,” he said. “It’s up to you to deal with it.”
“Excuse me,” Paige spoke up, her voice still calm despite the tension among everybody. “What’s the threat level of the Shadows coming through?”
We all looked back at Dr. Bonet for the answer.
“It’s a heavy Mana signature,” he said. “I can’t give you any more details than that.”
“There are fifteen of us,” Quentin said. “Some Shadows are coming through. We shouldn’t have any trouble… right?”
We all looked at one another, waiting for the other to step up and say something. That’s when I realized I had to be that somebody.
“Shadows in the Central Square,” I said. “Let’s stop wasting time and get this done.”
42: An Affair in the Central Square
The path between the Nerve Center to the Central Square was two car-lanes wide but I never saw anything more than cadets walking across the pavement. Some trees around the Nerve Center and along the path made it feel like a stroll through the park.
Today was a little different though. We headed to the Central Square, our eyes focused on the clear sky in the distance. The short walk ended and we were suddenly standing in the most peaceful spot of the entire campus.
The robot run shops were completely empty. The tables were clear. The grassy park area was untouched. The only sound came from the water splashing in the fountain across from us and a soft wind howling. With the sun shining bright, it was hard to think something was coming.
But the look on Dr. Bonet’s face hadn’t changed. He stared at whatever data he was looking at on his tablet and shook his head. “The readings are only getting stronger. There’s a presence here. It has to be here.”
We all looked up at the sky. There wasn’t a single cloud to be found among the blue.
Quentin scratched his head and messed his hair up. “I don’t see anything. Any of you see anything?”
“Nothin’.” Elliot spun around his hand cannon before sticking it to his magnetic holster.
The rest of us remained with our weapons drawn, waiting for any sign of a threat. Dr. Bonet kept his head down, his eyes focused on his tablet.
“It’s getting stronger… The percentage is increasing… I’m getting a large wave of Mana. Something is here. It’s close.”
“Wait…” Nina held her hand up to get everybody’s attention. “Do you guys hear that?”
I listened closely at the wind howling softly. Everybody held their breath and waited for it. I closed my eyes and focused then barely made something out. Energy. Something in the air. It was faint but I could pick it out.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion made me jerk my eyes open. White and red lines of lightning cracked the blue sky above us when—BOOM—another flash of white light made all of us shut our eyes.
I looked away then quickly turned back. My hand blocking the light, I squinted to make out the figures slowly beginning to emerge from the light.
“Shadows…”
Wolves. Lions. Tigers. Bears. Crows. Every low-level wild beast in the bestiary decided to show up, appearing in the sky in an instance. The Shadows themselves weren’t a problem. The problem was how damn many of them there were. Dozens of them landed on the stone paths of the Central Square, shaking the ground so much you would’ve thought it was an earthquake.
“Okay, this is what I’m talking about.” Elliot unholstered his pistol and readied with the rest of us.
“Shadows,” Nina said. “Here. I can’t believe it.”
“Looks like someone broke a damn zoo open.” Quentin readied his shield. “What’s up now?”
Everybody looked at one another. My eyes met with Brooke’s. She gave me a wink before turning to her squad.
“Everybody squad up,” I said. “Just like I know you can.”
“On me!” Brooke shouted.
We separated into trios. Brooke led hers. Paige moved with her squad. Elliot joined his. The former Cavalier Brian was part of the last squad.
Every squad spread out near the pathway leading back to the Nerve Center as the beasts locked their eyes on us.
“I’m not getting any remarkable Mana signatures from any individual ones,” Dr. Bonet said. “It’s just the sheer volume of them.”
“All right.” I rested my saber on my shoulder. “How about a little friendly competition? Let’s see who can take out the most.”
“Big talk for a Bronze,” Brooke said.
“What’s wrong? Afraid a lower-rank might beat you?”
“Not a chance.”
Brooke’s squad was the first to charge into the fray.
“Let’s kick some ass, Defenders!” I yelled.
“Let’s go!” Quentin rushed forward right next to me with Nina in tow.
The other squads moved as all of the beasts charged at us.
The serenity of the Central Square was gone. Lions and tigers tore through the grass. Brown Bears lumbered forward and cracked the stone pavement.
I kept my focus with my saber up as Quentin took the lead. The Vanguard shot forward, his body covered in an aura of Blue Mana.
“Hyper Charge, baby!” He barreled into a group of wolves with his shield and sent them scattering.
“Rose!”
“I’m on it.”
There was no need for me to tell Nina what to do. The redhead leaped into the air and sank her katanas into the first hapless wolf. A quick spin and she was stabbing another one as it struggled to get up.
I wasn’t as fast as her but I could hold my own. A quick slash at one of their necks stopped it from getting up.
“This is easy work.” Quentin raised his shield up and hammered the edge of it into a wolf’s skull. There was no refinement in his fighting style. No deft parries or skillful thrusts. It was only sheer, reckless abandon as he slammed his shield into anything that moved.
The pack of wolves was dispatched but another came charging right at us.
“I got this! Behind me!” Quentin yelled.
Nina moved next to me as Quentin stood in front of us. He raised his shield up and took the brunt of half-a-dozen wolves lunging at us. Their claws scratched against his steel shield. Their snarls were vicious. But Quentin stayed on his feet. He fought off the attack then dashed forward, sending them flying again.
Nina and I rushed up to take them out. Relentless viciousness wasn’t enough to deter either of us as their threats faded into orbs of Mana.
Mana continued to litter the grassy areas and stone paths of the Central Square as every squad fought back at the push of the ferocious beasts. There was no rhyme or reason. There was only the sole purpose of opposing forces trying to put an end to each other. But despite overwhelming odds, we continued to push every threat from Pandora back.
“This is what I’m talkin’ about!” Quentin shouted after charging through another pack of wolves and leaving them helpless for the others. “When are we gonna get a real challenge?”
BOOM!
Thunder cracked in the air so loud it made the hair on my neck stand up. Everybody looked toward the sky and watched the red and white lines of energy beginning to crackle like lightning. The wind swirled and whipped everybody’s hair.
“I’m getting a massive spike in Mana!” Dr. Bonet shouted from the other end of the Central Square. “Some
thing is coming. Prepare yourselves!”
“I could’ve told you that,” Quentin muttered.
I was so distracted by the energy I just barely managed to parry a lion lunging at me. Nina sliced at its body, sinking her blades into its golden fur and turning it into Mana.
My hands stayed tight around my hilt. A swirl of white energy spun around like a cloud in the sky. I watched as a figure slowly began to emerge. It took the shape of a man. I only had to glance at his robes for a second to know who it was.
“Another Herald…”
The man descended from the sky and landed softly on the stone path of the Central Square right across from all of the squads.
His robes covered him completely. Even his face wasn’t visible from underneath the hood. But in the shadow where his face would be, two glowing red eyes stared at us.
He raised one of his hands up, his skin pale and veiny. His long, bony index finger extended with a sharpened nail at its point.
“I can feel it… There is Mana here… So much Mana… Mana you’ve taken from our dimension…”
His voice was ethereal. It was like he was speaking from another world even though he was right in front of us.
“You’ve stolen the Mana from us…”
“We’re only using it to defend ourselves,” Nina said. “You’re the ones who came to our world first.”
“This dimension must be destroyed like all the others.”
“We won’t let you take it like that,” Quentin said. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”
“You cannot avoid your destruction. Strengthening yourselves with the Mana from our world only delays the inevitable.”
“The only thing that’s inevitable is you getting this beatdown.” I took a step forward and pointed my saber at him. “If you don’t go back to where you came from, you’re gonna be in a world of hurt, buddy.”
The guy looked like the grim reaper himself but I wasn’t about to back down. None of us were. We all stood there, waiting for the black-hooded figure to make a move. But he stayed in his position with his index finger raised.
“What are we doing?” Elliot stepped up again and twirled his gun. “Why are we even giving this asshole a chance? I’ll take care of this guy by myself.”
Elliot squeezed the trigger and fired off three shots. The blasts of bright white energy headed right for the Herald. The man in robes raised the rest of his fingers up just before the shots were about to land. A white barrier formed around him, absorbing all of Elliot’s shots.
“No way…” Elliot said.
“You don’t know the power you wield,” the Herald responded. “You will learn the meaning of destruction and join those who have opposed us.”
The white and red lines in the sky began to crackle even louder. The wind picked up, blowing in my face and swishing my hair in every direction.
“I’m sensing a massive wave of energy!” Dr. Bonet shouted. “There’s something coming!”
“Yeah, no kidding!” Quentin yelled.
We all stood and watched as another figure emerged from the sky. I narrowed my eyes, trying to make out what it was exactly. First I saw the claws. Then there were the wings. I didn’t have to see the rest of its body to know what it was, even though I’d never seen anything like it before.
“Is that…” Nina’s mouth hung half-open. She wasn’t able to finish her thought so I finished it for her.
“…a dragon.”
The beast flapped its wings and landed on the pavement with a thud strong enough to nearly knock all of us over.
The thing was bigger than any building in the Central Square. Its body was covered in black scales that shimmered underneath the sunlight like onyx. It opened its mouth and revealed black fangs as sharp as any beasts and long enough to impale anybody who got too close. The only part of it that wasn’t black were its eyes, empty white pupils focused right on us.
The beast took a step forward, digging its claws into the stone path and uprooting the pavement.
“I feel sorry for the guy that has to repair all of this,” Quentin said. “You think insurance covers giant dragon attacks?”
“Your kind has meddled in our world for too long,” the Herald said. “Now we will finish what we started all those years ago. Your destruction has arrived.”
The dragon bellowed into the air, screeching loud enough to hear all the way on the other side of the campus. It flapped its wings and a giant gust of wind nearly knocked all of us over.
“No big deal, no big deal,” I said. “It’s just another World Boss. Just another raid.”
“We’ve never finished a raid with only five squads,” Brooke said.
“Then I guess we’ll be the first. A bunch of Bronzes and a Silver squad. What do you think?”
Brooke looked up at the dragon and tightened her grip around her saber. “No time for thinking. Just time to do it.”
Brooke charged forward with her squad right behind her.
Quentin dashed to join her and the other squads quickly followed. The dragon lowered its head and opened its mouth. I watched the flames swirl around and ignite in its throat.
“Shit!”
Quentin raised his shield up and activated his barrier just in time to block the attack. He grunted through gritted teeth as the massive flames threatened him. Bright red and orange fire bounced off his blue aura like fireworks. His shield was large enough to parry the flamethrower. Even though it was being blocked, the flames were hot enough to make me sweat like standing next to a furnace.
“Rose! You got an opening!”
Nina quickly leaped into the air and pounced on the dragon’s neck. She yelled as she thrust her katanas down and pierced its thick black scales. Even though it was so massive, the beast still squealed in pain. It shrieked and shook to try and get her off. It moved violently enough to send Nina flying. She tumbled through the air and landed on her back with a thud.
Before it could follow up, the other squads descended upon it to fight back.
I rushed up to Nina and knelt down next to her. “You still with me?”
She blinked like she was still in a daze then slowly got up to her feet, her attention quickly back on the dragon.
The Zealots were swinging their mauls. The Cavaliers and Striders stabbed with their blades. Gunrunners and Harbingers attacked from a distance, sending Mana and energy blasts all the same. Quentin and the other Vanguards stayed ready to block any potential attacks.
They managed to keep the dragon in check but all it took was a flap of its wings to knock them back. Another blast of fire from its mouth was enough to force them to scatter away from the middle park area of the Central Square.
“I don’t think we have enough people,” Nina said. “We have to wait for the operation to finish. We need back up against that thing.”
“Shit…”
I looked past the dragon and saw the Herald still standing there. He was motionless like a statue but his eyes were still glowing red underneath his hood.
“…Maybe we can do this now,” I said. “Him. We go for the Herald. We beat him, we’ll take down the dragon.”
“How do you know it works that way?”
“Isn’t that how it works in the Junction? We beat the guardian of the Obelisk and all of the other Shadows fade.”
“We’re not in a Junction. There’s no Obelisk. There’s no guarantee it’ll work.”
“We’ve gotta do something. We won’t be able to hold off that dragon long enough for the raids to finish. The raids don’t finish, that thing will tear down the entire Nerve Center. Everybody will be stuck inside of their Junctions.”
We were running out of time. The seconds were slipping away as I tried to convince Nina. I looked into her eyes and could see the doubt. But something strange happened. The more doubt I saw, the more determined I got.
“C’mon, Rose. We got this.”
“I…”
I held my hand out to her. “The Great Defenders
.”
She stared back at me, her eyes wide in surprise. But a smile slowly curled onto her lips as she placed her hand on top of mine.
“The Great Defenders,” she said confidently.
“Q!”
Quentin finished blocking another blast of fire and came rushing up next to me. “That shit is hot! I can feel it through my damn armor!” He looked at Nina and me then immediately placed his hand on top of ours. “What’s the plan?”
“We can’t fight that thing. Not with our numbers. We gotta go for the big guy.”
Quentin stared at the Herald on the other side of the Central Square. He slammed his fist against his shield and nodded. “I got your back.”
“Follow my lead and let’s kick some ass.”
“We really do need a new catchphrase.”
Quentin and I ran past all of the nearby shops and made a beeline straight toward the Herald. For a second, I thought he didn’t notice us. But just when we were a few meters away, he raised his hand up and sent a blinding blast of white energy at us.
“Watch out!”
Quentin moved in front of me and raised his shield up. Even though he blocked the blast, the strength of it was still enough to move him. His feet dug into the pavement, crumbling it as the energy moved him back. But Quentin stood his ground and didn’t fall.
“Rose!”
Nina came flying through the sky with both of her katanas raised. Her blades ignited with flames, she twisted around like a top. She managed to clip the Herald in his arm before he hit her with a blast that sent her tumbling back.
I followed up, rushing forward and thrusting with my saber. I hit nothing but air as the Herald dodged to the side in the blink of an eye. Another slash was avoided. Then the next. Then the next. I ignored my frustration and kept slashing until the Herald raised his hand up to fire another blast.
“Shit!”
My saber raised up instinctively, turning sideways to parry it. To my surprise, I managed to avoid the full brunt of the blast even though it made me stumble back and scorch my armor.
“I got you, Soul!”
Quentin came rumbling forward with his shield lowered. An aura of Blue Mana covered him as he darted like a blur, moving fast enough to slam into the Herald and send him tumbling across the pavement.
