Britannia ~ Middle Ages
“What are you playing at now old man?” Lancelot yelled, raining spittle down upon the vile wretch in his grasp. The knight tightened his hand around the eternal’s neck as he shoved him against the ruined castle wall, taking special care not to disturb the bundle hidden in a nearby hay cart.
“No tricks. I had a vision.” Merlin grabbed the knight’s wrists and stared into his eyes. His glare became an intense soul penetrating dyad.
Lancelot shuddered as their eyes locked and souls clashed. Hear me. Remember.... Merlin’s words thundered inside the knight’s head.
Both men were enveloped in a luminous violet light and an amethyst tornado of dust and stone. The magical vortex of power seemed strong enough to snap steel and disintegrate bone. The roar of the tempestuous wind deafened as sand and grit cut through flesh of the young knight’s already battle scarred face. Garbled pictures of people, places, and impossibilities flooded Lancelot’s head as bile rose in his throat. Grotesque creatures that were a leech upon human life stained his vision. The deadly monsters Lancelot glimpsed only strengthened the conviction of his chosen path, but he had seen enough. The knight wanted loose of the hellish nightmare and willed himself free.
Suddenly the particles of stone and dirt surrounding the two men stopped and floated in suspended animation all around them. As the knight struggled to break away from the eternal’s embrace, all the hovering debris fell simultaneously to the earth.
Breathless and wide eyed, Lancelot paused and looked in the cart. “Go! Take your....creature with you.” Instinctually the knight’s hand tightened around his sword’s hilt still sheathed at his side. He let out several long slow thoughtful breaths before he continued, “If what you’ve shown me is true, I won’t stop you.” He snickered angrily, thinking of the long dreadful task in front of him as he stared the man down. “May the Elders help you if you ever cross my path again old man. My mercy ends with my King and my spoken oath. We meet again and I will kill you. Destiny be damned!”
Silently, the ancient nodded respectfully to the young knight and took his leave. Almost floating in his long drawn hooded cloak, Merlin carefully carried his bundle toward the large hollowed ancient yew. The golden ribbon of light within had become visible, the gloaming was upon them. He turned and looked at the heart broken knight and yelled, “Your name will be remembered in legends and be synonymous once again with honor, duty, and loyalty Sir Lancelot. You will be honored as the greatest of men.”
The knight’s response was almost indiscernible from the wind, but he knew the old man heard him, “So you say, as even now I lay seeds of infidelity in the hearts of thousands and the blood of my brothers still warms my blade.” The defeated guardian shook his head, turned, and walked away. Then, slumping, the knight stopped. As he stole one last glimpse at the bundle he whispered, “Take care of our girl.”
New York ~ Present Day
“Krims!” Bane roared, stirring the rest of the hunters into action. The five man team charged down the hot steamy desolate subway line after the two fleeing creatures.
Abigail Thorne could barely make out their slick black skin against the moist dark walls of the tunnel, but she could see they had taken the form of feline-type creatures. Swift, massive, and designed to kill, there was no denying what they were; krimvigars from the Netherworld. There was also no mistaking these netherwalkers for panthers one might find at the zoo, not with the frosty breath that came from their mouths and nostrils. Where there should have been eyes reflecting her flashlight, there was nothing but smooth black skin that seemed to absorb the light. These otherworldly creatures were also running along the dampened ceiling, their talons digging into and spewing bits of the crumbling underground tunnel as they fled their natural enemies. By their running carriage, she instinctively knew they would split up. Sure enough, the large main tunnel divided in two and the netherwalkers each took a separate corridor.
Bane barked orders from behind them. “Kapoi, Daniels take the krim to the right! Reese, Thorne go left!”
Lourdes Reese entered the left tunnel first but slowed to let Abbey take the lead. This was, after all, the young girl’s hunt to test her mettle.
Abbey didn’t hesitate. Relying on her instincts and training she sprinted down the dimly lit tunnel at almost inhuman speed, closing the gap between hunter and prey. The creature slowed and turned, baring its mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Drops of spittle fell from its fangs and shattered on the ground as ice. Its smooth muscular skin rippled as it absorbed the surrounding light like the intake of power. The temperature around the krim cooled thirty degrees. Abbey charged her weapon and aimed it at the creature as cold sweat ran down her spine. The netherwalker dug in its back talons and leapt for her. Then, time seemed to slow. Abbey could hear her own heart pounding in her ears. She steadied her breath and squeezed the trigger. A metallic boom burst from her weapon that resembled a mini cannon and a sliver of white laser light exited the chamber. The beast fell at her feet, motionless.
Without skipping a beat, Abbey holstered her weapon and brought her hands to her mouth. She knew she only had seconds before the stunned netherwalker woke. Nausea threatened to overwhelm her as she whispered her word against each of the mated cold steel rings on her thumbs. Palms together she slowly pulled her hands apart to reveal an orb of translucent violet light, pulsating and sparking from the energy it bound within. The orb hummed and popped as she let it grow. Lowering herself precariously close to the creature, the orb instinctively floated down, and, growing larger still, it engulfed the krimvigar’s body. Fingers of lightning snapped like whips, lashing out from the surface of the orb, but Abbey didn’t falter and never let go.
Suddenly, another creature’s roar echoed through the adjacent tunnel followed by an adolescent human’s moan.
Abbey’s head whipped around to her mentor.
Lourdie shook her head and spoke in an insistent whisper, “Don’t you even think about it, Thorne. Focus.”
Abbey reluctantly turned back to her own battle and concentrated her energy on her orb. With a final bit of effort and a burst of other worldly power, the orb imploded taking the Netherworld creature with it. Exhausted, Abbey let out her breath and sucked thick frigid air deep into her burning lungs. As she shook off the effects of her orb creation, she could have sworn a scream of pain filled the underground structure. Oh my gosh. Malcolm!...
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(That’s right, he’s a knight!)
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Thanks for reading! ~ ck
www.ckdawn.com
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