The three council members watched the water in the stone bowl in front of them with vested interest as Benjamin approached the barrier protecting Passion Falls.
Looking up at the eagle in an over shadowing tree Benjamin grimaced at the thought of having to do this test for the new leaders. Gathering his courage he stepped towards the invisible wall waiting for it to warn him as it always did, sure enough the blue energy shimmered across the surface of the barrier wall a moment later warning him to turn back while he still could. Looking back at the possessed eagle one last time he closed his eyes stepping forward, seconds later he screamed out in pain as the barrier seared his flesh in an attempt to destroy him completely. Then just as quickly as it started the pain ended and Benjamin found himself on the other side of the barrier slightly burned but still able to attack and fight if necessary.
“I made it!” He yelled jumping into the air with joy.
“Yes, the question is how did you make it?” A voice questioned as a spear pierced Benjamin’s shoulder lifting him off the ground. “Answer that riddle for me creature of the evil clans.”
Benjamin squirmed pulling himself free from the spear ready to fight and kill whatever person was foolish enough to attack him, with the extra power the leaders had given him even the most powerful of the three teenage Spirit Warriors didn’t stand a chance. He could now match the fastest vampire, his vision was better than that of a griffin, his strength rivaled a giants, his skin was tougher than a trolls, his claws and senses were keener than any of his werewolf kin.
He was sent here for the purpose of defeating and capturing the last three Spirit Warriors but he knew that they really didn’t believe he would win, Benjamin was a test to see how far just one soldier could get if empowered by the leaders. Now someone dared challenge him and he was going to make sure that the leader’s eagle witnessed his power as he destroyed this fool in front of them.
“You should run little rabbit, I enjoy the thrill of the hunt.” He said before turning around. “I won’t look to give you a sporting chance.”
“Turn and face me werewolf, I have enough honor that I will give you one last chance to turn and face me.” The person answered.
“Have it your way.” Benjamin said turning to face his attacker but the second he sees who it is his fur stands on end and his face pales.
“I always have “it” my way intruder.” Answered Lord Jaris with a smirk. “Now for the last time tell me who it is that sent you and how it is that you were able to pass through my barrier?”
Looking nervously at the eagle and then Jaris he begins to back away slowly. “I will never tell you anything.”
“We shall see about that.” Jaris answered using several spirits of dead gorillas to capture and drag Benjamin to stand in front of him.
The moment he is finally stretched out in front of the Lord flame bursts around the werewolf turning him into ash in seconds.
“A disturbing turn of events.” Jaris says calmly watching the last of the ash float away in the wind, slowly he turns afterward to look at the eagle right outside the barrier but before he can inspect it further the eagle also lights on fire burning to ash. “It seems the audience we had was no longer interested in the show, the question remains though who exactly the audience was.” He muses looking around the forest before fading back into the Spirit Realm located in the heavens.
“Do you truly think that Jaris would have been able to sense who we are from Benjamin or the eagle?” Ked questioned leaning back in his throne.
“Tracking or sensing our touch through either of them isn’t one of his powers.” Added Dorn.
“We have never known the full power or scope of the Spirit King and I would rather air on the side of caution, besides we now know for sure that what we did worked, and we can empower those loyal to us with the ability to cross the barrier.” Yann answered joining the others in the thrones.
“Empowering Benjamin alone to cross the barrier took nearly all of our strength and that was after feeding heavily, we would never be able to create enough soldiers to storm Passion Falls and defeat the three teenagers there not to mention the clans of light.” Dorn pointed out to the others.
“We do not need to have an army remember our goal is to find the tunnel of light before the Spirit Warriors do, then and only then we can absorb the clans of light into our forces along with the three remaining warriors. Once we succeed in that endeavor here we will spread across the face of the United States and then the world! Think of it, no one opposing us, no more wars, instead a peace that will allow us to conquer the humans and reign supreme.” Yann smiled.
“Then we need to decide what warrior we will choose to go forth and defeat the warriors.” Ked answered.
“We do, but first we must feed!” Yann said with a smile as he spread his massive bat wings flying out the roof of the citadel.
With a scream of glee Ked and Dorn follow him out into the massive under ground city picking off any creatures unfortunate enough to be out during their thirst.
Meanwhile back at the school, Belac wondered around lost when he heard a ruckus coming from an alley in between the buildings, looking around he couldn’t help but notice that no one seemed to hear what he was picking up on. With a shrug he turned the corner to see Caleb flipping over several sets of claws that hungrily grabbed at him, when he landed Belac noticed that Caleb had a large reptilian tail that he used to sweep most of the werewolves (he assumed they were werewolves) to the side.
Without meaning to he hollered out Caleb’s name drawing everyone’s attention to himself.
“Take care of the look alike, we’ll handle the Spirit Warrior.” Buck growled.
Donovan smiled happily walking towards Belac clearly ready for the kill. “No where to run now boy.”
“How would you explain my disappearance? Surely there would be questions.” Belac said backing away while looking at the ground.
“New kid that just couldn’t fit in so he ran away never to be seen again, the story writes itself really.” Answered Donovan closing the distance quicker.
“Convenient. So tell me, is Caleb what you guys called a Spirit Warrior before?” He questioned suddenly changing his backwards direction to move across the alley instead of backing out of it.
“He is, not that it will do you any good now.” Belac answered with a smile.
“Actually…” Smiled Belac suddenly standing his ground. “Haven’t you found it odd how calm I am during a fight where there are several werewolves, vampires and a half man, half lizard kid? That’s because it is such a relief to finally know what it is I am called and to know for sure that I am not the only one in the world.”
The smile began to fade on Donovan’s face made all the quicker by Belac’s own transformation, in seconds he grew to be ten feet tall and so wide he barely fit in the alley as he grew four extra arms that came equipped with razor sharp swords.
“Now monsters you and I will have to end this quickly, Caleb and I have something to discuss.” He said lunging at Donovan so fast that he didn’t have time to react before the six massive arms of Belac tore him apart.
Caleb was a little surprised to see that Belac grew arms by drawing on the power of the Spirits but he didn’t have time to think about it, even though Belac had taken Donovan by surprise the others were quickly recovering from the shock and already on the attack again.
Drawing on different spirits Caleb changed himself once again, merging with the long dead spirit of a mountain lion, growing the claws and tail, his senses and reflexes sharpened allowing him to anticipate the coming attacks giving him the advantage.
Minutes later long after the bell had rang and Belac had shown up to aid Caleb in the fight the two of them finished off the last creature left to them, Buck had been tougher than the rest but in the end he fell just like the others had, somehow when Belac and Caleb fought side by side it just clicked. They anticipated each other’s moves and complimented each
other’s styles meshing perfectly like a well oiled machine of comrades that had trained together for years.
As Belac returned to normal he walked up to Caleb who stretched out his hand. “Thank you for the help.”
“It was my pleasure.” He said looking around at the bodies. “How are we supposed to explain this? Time to move again I guess.”
“Nonsense.” Caleb said beginning to chant with his eyes closed.
As Belac watched the very spirits of the creatures they had just killed arose from the dead bodies and pushed the corpses into the ground where the Earth swallowed them up leaving no trace that they had ever been there.
“Don’t tell me you’ve always left every time you have dealt with some rouge creatures?” Caleb smiled until he saw that Belac was frowning. “You really have always ran after fighting a dark clan member?”
“I have, I didn’t know that spell or whatever it was you just did that allowed you to hide the bodies.” He answered.
“That’s one of the first chants we learn when we are young Spirit Warriors.” Caleb said more to himself than to Belac.
“Like I told you before, I never knew anyone in my family I was adopted remember?” He answered.
“Then how did you…?”
“Learn to channel spirits?” He finished for him. “By accident when I was attacked one day by a very large very angry ogre, I called out for help and before I knew it the spirit of a giant came out of the ground becoming one with me.”
“You’re lucky.”
“Since this first happened I have never felt lucky about it.” Belac answered. “All it has ever done for me is cause me heartache and pain, I’ve been chased by evil creatures and the few good ones I have met were killed in front of me as they tried to protect me from danger. Trust me I have been anything but lucky since this happened.” He snapped kicking some dirt off the ground
“We need to get you caught up on who we are and what we do as Spirit Warriors, where are you staying right now?” Caleb asked.
“The motel near route one.”
“Not any more, it is custom to provide lodging to any visiting Spirit Warriors in our house and should you choose to stay and become part of our clan you will be family from then on.” Caleb answered. “Now I can feel the spirits of two birds beneath the ground let us merge with them and I will show you where we live. You can get the rest of your things later after the others get out of school but for now you and I can talk some more over a good meal, then later I will take you to meet the Spirit King.”
“The Spirit King?” He repeated in question.
“He is the oldest of the Spirit Warriors that was turned into the king of the dead after his great achievements during his life, his power taps into us and through him we protect all of Passion Falls with a barrier of soul energy that will burn away any enemy that tries to enter.” Caleb answered beginning to summon the bird spirit.
“Then how did those guys get in here that were attacking you?” Questioned Belac while summoning a spirit bird of his own.
“They were once part of the clans of light protected here inside the barrier until they turned traitor but that poses a whole other question with troubling issues left to be answered by us.” Caleb said drifting into the spirit and becoming fully bird as they became one with Belac following suit.
As the two of them circled around the buildings high in the air the two warriors failed to notice the small girl huddled in the corner of the alley entrance watching the birds fly off into the distance. “Oh my god, what the heck are you guys?” Questioned Grace in awe.