by Samuel Small
“That doesn’t matter now,” he said, his eyes focused on the sea of Voids that hobbled toward them. They were closing in, and quickly. He glanced toward the door, which seemed impossibly far away. “That’s our target,” he said after making sure Dante caught his eye. “Focus your fire on clearing a path!”
With those words Jake broke from the group and charged for the army of Voids. He heard the screech of energy behind him, then the world flashed with blue light to his side, taking out a whole line of Voids in one mighty blow. He reached them too, skidding to a stop and swiping his sword through the nearest. He managed to cut through three on his first swing and when he brought it back four more went down. They were compact and fragile, the perfect combination for dealing with them in numbers.
A Void tried to contort its arm into a weapon but the shifting limb smashed into a comrade at its side and then returned to its normal size and shape. The rest reached their clammy hands for Jake, prepared to grab him and tear him apart. He wanted no part in that and cut hard into them, leaving molted hands grasping at nothing on the ground before dissipating into that familiar thin mist.
It took a few minutes of frantic fighting but soon the line of Voids began to spread out, attempting to surround them. Jake knew that it was a bad idea to get surrounded in a fight, but there wasn’t much he could do about it considering the sheer number of enemies. Each time one stepped out of line Jake cleaved into it then directed his attention to another that tried to grasp him while he was occupied. It wasn’t long before there were too many stragglers and Jake found himself surrounded. He leapt into the area where they were at their thinnest and stabbed straight through a Void, running back to the edge of the grassy field. He turned around to take in his opponents.
Jake had been doing at all wrong, he saw that now. Dante, Sara, and Elizabeth had all progressed closer to the tower during their savage fighting. If he had to guess, they were probably about halfway there, whereas he was still right back where he’d started. Dante hurdled over the line of Voids, his fist cocked back for a punch. His eyes focused on Jake and his lip curled into a snarl.
“Dipshit!” he shouted as he landed in the horde of Voids. A second passed then a wave of blue energy tore a straight path through the creatures, leaving clumps of bloated bodies and mist dissipating on either side. His hand outstretched, Dante urged Jake to step forward.
The trainee was more than happy to comply and strapped his sword onto his back while running forward. A few Voids tried to grab him but Dante blasted them away. Soon Jake was in front of the orange-haired boy and thanked him, unsheathing his sword once more.
With large, looping swings, Jake kept the Voids that circled him at a distance and he clawed his way forward, Dante at his side. He punched out like a maniac and soon left Jake’s circle, opting to simply rush through the Voids with expert agility. Jake grimaced as he saw the limbs fly above the heads of the Voids that blocked his path, then drove his sword through them. He wasn’t about to be shown up that easily…
Jake was barely able to keep up. He ran forward as fast as he could, chopping down Voids along his way as he pursued Dante, but he seemed to get further out of reach. Suddenly Dante stopped and Jake had to slide across the stone ground to avoid plowing into him. Jake peeked over the boy’s shoulder to see the steps leading up to that large door. Those steps were littered with swaying Voids.
“Where’s everyone else at!” Dante shouted, not even paying attention to the creatures that hobbled toward him. Jake cut a few down that got a little too close and Dante glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. A few seconds later Voids to Jake’s left and right fell over, and his comrades Sara and Elizabeth emerged from the freshly created opening. With all of them in one place Dante pointed to the decaying structure.
“I’m gonna try to get in now. I’ll clear a path, I just need you guys to stop ’em from fillin’ in.”
Jake nodded. Dante extended his arms wide and gathered a ball of energy larger than Jake thought was possible. The biggest he’d seen until now had been about the size of his head but this one stretched to three times that easily. Jake, Elizabeth, and Sara kept Dante safe as he charged up his massive attack. Jake slashed the Voids away with mighty swings of his sword, while Elizabeth kept them hesitant with several quick lunges. Sara simply raised her arms, where sharp icicles sprung up to about her chest, leaving the Void’s fading figures sliding slowly down them.
“All right fuckheads!” Dante shouted and pushed his arms forward. The energy that lashed out was so powerful Jake had to cover his eyes from the sheer amount of wind it threw out, but he could make out that it took up nearly the entirety of those stairs. After a few seconds the grinding sound faded and Jake quickly ran forward, swiping at the Voids that tried to fill in the large space Dante had left. Behind him Elizabeth followed, taking out any Voids that he had missed. On the left end of the path Dante and Sara kept the Voids away in a similar manner.
A few creatures began to fade out of the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, forming a blockade in front of the door as if they knew the plan from the start. Jake wasn’t having any of it and doubled his efforts, making a clear path to them. He felt Dante’s hands on his shoulders, then a weight that made his knees buckle. Then it was gone and he looked up to see Dante tearing through the air toward that door, unleashing a ball of energy that burned a hole through it. Dante fell into that smoking cavity, giving Jake a thumbs-up just before he faded into the darkness beyond.
“Mission complete!” Jake shouted, focused on the unbelievable amount of Voids that still swayed in front of him. “Now all we need to do is survive.”
***
The ground beneath Dante’s feet was covered with dust, or at least he thought it was. It was dark as hell, so he wasn’t sure. He held an arm to the far wall, which he was sure was covered with some kind of grime, as he attempted to feel his way through the chambers. If William was here he’d take Dante out no problem, since he couldn’t actually see him.
Dante glanced down at his palm. Even though he couldn’t see it, he could feel it was there. It was his own hand after all. It occurred to him that he could use his Sol to light up the area. Dante focused on letting just the teeniest bit of energy out of his hand and tried to contain it in a single point. Soon the light accumulated and a blue ball pulsed in his hand, casting the entire area in a strange neon hue. Dante glanced around, trying to make anything out that he could be sure of. There was writing on the wall but it didn’t look like any lettering he’d seen in comic books. The letters he was used to were straight angled characters, but these were loopy like a drunk’s attempt at calligraphy. Dante chuckled at the image in his head that accompanied the thought and he headed further down the corridor.
This shit was ancient, Dante knew that much based on the cracked stone despite the fact that it looked like this place was never used. The cobwebs that burst into flame at the touch of his glowing orb confirmed that. Those strange words on the wall seemed to follow him as he walked further in, slithering up and down the surface like eager snakes. And the darkness beyond seemed to hold unbearable evil. Dante thought he saw something shifting within it but with each footstep he was proven incorrect. This place gave him the creeps. He wanted to just get this fight over with already but of course William was nowhere to be found.
It wasn’t long before Dante hit a winding staircase, one end leading up and the other down. Dante peeked over the banister to get a glance upward. The stairs rose well past where he could see. He knew from the exterior just how tall this tower was, so he wasn’t about to climb all those to the top. He glanced down, where there also wasn’t an end in sight, although that was on account of his shitty light source. At the very least Dante wasn’t positive that the bottom of this place stretched as far as the top, so he placed his bet on William being in the basement. If he wasn’t there Dante could just blast the whole fucking thing down and be done with it.
***
Another Void hobbled toward Jak
e, its arm outstretched to grasp him. He raised his sword and cut through it but it was a shaky effort. The blade in his hand felt heavy and now it was difficult just to keep the thing at eye level. He glanced around at the Voids, who appeared to be swaying with more determination. Several more hobbled toward him and Jake lost it, letting out a roar as he swung his sword around madly.
His exhaustion was almost total so he didn’t care how much energy he expended. He leapt all over the place as he tore through the Voids around him, cutting them down before they could even mount an attack. Before long he found himself alone with a great amount of distance between himself and any of the creatures. His exhaustion seemed to hit its apex while surrounded by a plume of black mist and his legs gave way. He fell to his knees, propping his body upright with his sword. Through tired eyes Jake glanced around at his comrades.
Elizabeth didn’t look much better. Sweat glistened on her forehead and the armpits of her prisoner uniform were damp. She lunged at a group of Voids, letting out a flurry of stabs that pierced each and every one. When they were all gone to the winds she hunched over and panted, watching as the Voids filled in the empty space she created. Once they were within striking distance she did it again. And again.
Sara paced herself in a similar manner. She extended both arms out wide then kicked out her feet, where a giant flower petal bloomed and swirled. Its sharp edges cut into all of the Voids around her, leaving nothing but mist. Sara panted and melted the giant ice structure into cool water that dampened the flagstone at her feet. She waited, looking in every direction as the Voids once again filled in the empty space. When they were close enough she attacked again. And again.
Out of his peripheral vision Jake could see the Voids relentlessly closing in on him and he used his blade to prop himself up to a stand. He stumbled when he reached his feet but managed to place a foot firmly behind himself to keep from toppling over. The tip of his blade rested against the ground and Jake tried to raise it. A Void in the distance lashed its arm forward, which reeled toward Jake as it stretched out into a whip. He attempted to dodge but his movements were sluggish and the attack hit the blade in his hand, tearing it out of his grip. Jake tried to lunge for it but something seized him by the neck and tightened. Not again, Jake thought and grasped the white whip-like tentacle.
Jake dug his nails into the thing and managed to clear his airway so he could breath. He kept one hand there, reaching for his blade with his remaining arm, but it was useless. The distance was too great and the creature’s arm began to retract, pulling Jake even further away. He glanced over his shoulder, where a horde of Voids waited along with his captor. If he got too close they’d pile on him and he was far too exhausted to do anything about it.
With few options, Jake turned to the creature and tried to plant his feet but it was useless. He’d been fighting for too long and his legs were weak. All he managed to do was delay the inevitable, his boots digging furrows in the ground. He glanced to either side to see if his comrades would assist him like last time but they were too preoccupied with their own fighting. I’m alone on this one, Jake thought as he was pulled inches away from the creature’s outstretched hand, which clutched at the air frantically as if feeling for its prey.
“Dammit!” Jake shouted, and punched into the creature’s head. The feeling was tantamount to hitting a rotten pumpkin with the way Jake’s fist smushed into it. The front plate of its skull fractured, revealing nothing but white goo inside. That made Jake even angrier and he let the fist free once again. It plowed into the creature, unleashing a puff of that smoke before Jake did it again. And again. And again.
Soon the creature had enough and fell to its back as it dissipated. Jake turned for his sword once more, but it was too late. Voids had filled in the space and now trampled over the blade. He’d have to tear through the lot of them unarmed, but it had taken him several hits just to kill one of the fragile creatures like that. They began to clump closer to Jake, their bodies lurching to the side with each uneven step. Jake found his arms incredibly heavy and his legs weak as the creatures blocked out his vision. From somewhere Sara called his name. She couldn’t get here in time but Jake wanted to put up one last fight. He strained to raise his fists, ready to take out as many of them as possible before they overwhelmed him.
But then a black blur appeared and mowed through the Voids, accompanied by what sounded like explosions. It came from really close and Jake’s ears began ringing, but he could tell the explosion repeated itself a dozen times over based on the vibrations on his arm. That blackness appeared all over, a clump of it that zoomed around the area so fast that Jake couldn’t even track it. With a start he realized that it wasn’t just this dark object, it was the mist too, the black mist that accompanied the Void’s annihilation. Whatever it was, it was killing the creatures at an alarming rate. But there was no way that thing was affiliated with the Republic so—
Something rolled into Jake’s boot and he knelt down to inspect it. Metal? he thought as he grasped it in between his fingers. It was still hot to the touch but he knew what this was. It was a small cylinder projectile, something that came from a particular type of gun. He glanced all over just as the dull whine in his ears began to subside and he realized they were all over the place. With his ears clear Jake heard another one of the gunshots. Elizabeth was a few yards ahead, no Voids in sight, staring at the spot where the gunshots originated. There, the last of the Voids exploded into fragments of rotten flesh that dissipated into black mist. When it cleared it revealed Sara kneeling, looking up at someone: a man in a dark black trench coat holding a sawn-off shotgun in each hand. The hood was propped up, casting shadows that concealed the person’s face.
Two hands pressed into Jake’s back and he looked over to see someone in similar garb touching him. Light emanated from their palms as Jake felt his stamina rejuvenate. It was like a night’s long rest was being poured into him all at once and before long he jumped to his feet and inspected his body. He patted his arms and torso, finding the movement effortless, despite the fact that a matter of seconds ago he had struggled just to keep his fists at eye level. Jake turned to thank this mysterious person but found that they were already gone, crossing over to Elizabeth and doing the same for her. The hood of the man with the shotguns turned to them and Jake could hear the faint murmurs of some kind of exchange. It faded into the background as his gaze found its way to his sword, then to the hole burned through the tower’s entrance.
The trainee crossed to his sword, sheathed it, then headed for the door. As he passed by the cloaked men he was able to grasp bits and pieces of their conversation. The mission. Insubordination. Jake couldn’t pretend like he wasn’t interested, but he had more important things to worry about: Dante was in there fighting God knows what. Jake’s powerwalk turned to a jog, before his unease brought it into a full-on sprint. Just before he finished crossing those steps, he saw something from the corner of his eye moving to intercept him. Jake stumbled and nearly fell over as he tried to avoid plowing into the cloaked man. It was the one who held the shotguns, the one who’d killed all of those Voids in less than a minute and saved them. That speed, it was inhuman.
A unique Sol.
“Okay, fine,” an unfamiliar voice called from behind Jake, apparently one of the man’s comrades. “Do what you want, but make sure you accomplish the mission.”
“Okey dokey,” the cloaked man said, giving a playful salute to his comrade. Despite his outward appearance, his voice was bright and cheerful. Footfalls sounded at both of Jake’s sides and he turned to see Sara and Elizabeth, both glaring at the man who blocked their path.
The guy didn’t acknowledge them at first. He held a finger to his ear and nodded while mumbling words of affirmation. After a few seconds he brought his hand down and his hood turned to Elizabeth. “Word is the Republic’s backup unit is on the way. Should be here in a few minutes.”
Jake faced Elizabeth, whose eyes widened at the information. He didn’t g
et how this guy knew this, but it made sense that their backup would be arriving at around this time. They’d left a few days after Jake and company, but they also didn’t have to stop at the villages, so it was inevitable that they’d catch up. Elizabeth frowned.
“Why would you tell them that?” a voice emanated from behind them said. The cloaked man’s comrade again.
“What? This girl’s gonna die if the Republic captures her so I figured I’d give her a heads up.”
“Those aren’t your—” the person responded, then stopped. A sound pierced the air, the noise of boots hitting the stone steps of the tower. Jake turned his wide eyes to the sound to see Elizabeth descended the steps, her head held low. Once she hit the bottom the cloaked man was no more than five feet from her, and she turned around and looked straight at Jake. In the passing breeze her hair floated to the side and her eyes appeared to be filled with tears that refused to fall. After a few seconds passed she took off to the side, running further into the ruins and out of sight.
“That’s going too far Tha—”
“Oh please, my goal in this is to lower casualties,” the cloaked man in front of Jake and Sara said with a dismissive wave of the hand. “And that’s what I just did: one more person who can see our world.”
“Whatever. Just don’t forget Mother’s orders.”
“I won’t. See yuh!” he called. The footfalls of his comrade faded into the distance. The hood turned and locked onto Jake. “Unfortunately, that mission involves not allowing the two of you in here,” he said, then pointed his weapon at the duo.
Chapter 10
With each clumping step Dante made down the flight of stairs his anger seemed to climb. He’d been at this shit for, what, an hour now? Yet no basement was in sight. Dante looked at the orb of light in his hand then peered over the edge of the banisters, where he could see maybe two flights of stairs before the darkness consumed everything. He tilted his hand and allowed the ball to drop into that darkness, where its light faded after a few seconds.
