Chapter 11 - Abel
I was rudely awakened. "Abel! Let's Go!" Tre yelled as he ripped me out of the tent; everything was pitch black. The sounds of wolves snarling and yelping surrounded us, and the smell of smoke overwhelmed my nostrils, which left me coughing and gasping for air. "We've got to go now!" He pulls so hard, tearing my shirt as I stumble onto my feet—thankfully, it wasn't my favorite shirt—I begin to sprint, following Tre, then after a few yards tripping over a fallen tree—I'm assuming—then catching myself with both hands recovering as I continue to run blindly through the forest. "Tre! What's going on?!" He gives no response, only the sounds of his footsteps as his pace gets increasingly faster.
We make it to a clearing, and I come to a complete stop, exhausted; I lean forward and place my hands on both knees. As I catch my breath, I hear multiple footsteps coming from behind me. I turn around, and right before seeing what's coming my way, then something slams into my chest. The wind gets knocked out of me. Cosmic retribution for whatever the fuck I did in my previous life. "Get off me." She says—whoever she is—she shoves me back into the ground while lifting herself up using my ribs, chest, then face in that order. “Okay, yeah.” I get up and begin to wipe the dirt off my pants, then my face “She barrels into me, and then she says, Get off me.” I mumbled.
"Tre, who is this ray of sunshine—"Just as I was about to finish my question, she held a knife up to my neck. "The name's Luna." I grab the side of her blade, then gently pull it away from my throat. "Okay, Luna… I'd say it's nice to meet you, but your blade beat you to it." Luna smirks while placing her knife back in its sheath. We took a few minutes to examine the other; the ring around her pupils was a soft purple color, just like the skies before, entertaining the forest. She had a few scars, one from the corner of her right eye, tracing halfway down to her jawline, and the others on her neck from the left jugular to the right. She smelled like flowers, roses, maybe with a mix of freshly cut grass. Before I could even realize it, my face felt like it was getting hotter and hotter. I saw Luna knit her eyebrows with a puzzled look on her face, which was when I jolted myself back to reality, hoping no one else noticed the trance I was in.
I looked over at Tre; his face lit up, a wide grin, eyebrows raised, and I could tell he was loving every single moment of this. "Cute." He started chuckling, and then, in unison, Luna and I shouted. "Shut up, Vincent!!" Luna and I look at each other; she glares at me, and I blush. "Even Cuter." As soon as the words flew out of his mouth, in a flash, Luna threw her dagger with the handle, boinking him right between the eyes. "Why?!" He places his hands on his forehead while I stand, trying so hard not to laugh, I’d like evade being her next victim. Luna scoffs. "You know why." He removes his hands, revealing a perfect bullseye with a bit of blood streaming down his face. "Alright, let's move. We still have a day's travel before Portum's entrance moves to another location." As she walked on ahead, Luna opened her palm, and the dagger flew right into it as if her hand was a magnet.
Cool trick, but I wasn’t going say something that might get a dagger thrown at my face, especially when Luna could just open the palm of her hand, have it zip right back to her, and then proceed to repeat like a co-op game of paddle ball as in her dagger was the ball and my face was the paddle. Lost in thought, a shock runs through my body from the anxiety, reeling me back to reality. Thankfully, dawn was approaching, and the colors in the sky were returning, revealing the lush landscape and mountains a few hundred yards away. In front of us, there’s a valley with a river cutting through it leading into another forest —yippee—more dense trees and zero cheeseburgers. My stomach growls, audible enough for anyone within a 5-mile radius to hear, so I break the silence…this time with words, not a vital organ.
“So… anybody else hungry?” I asked cautiously, but neither Luna nor Tre turned around. I gave them a few minutes before interrupting the improbably thrilling conversation we all could be having. “Could one of you please talk? I’m starving over here, and if we aren’t taking a detour to the nearest Raising Cane’s or Diner. The least you can do is summon a delicious spicy chicken sandwich. My first choice would be a cheeseburger, but—” Tre begins to slow his pace. “We won’t be eating anything until we reach Portum. It’s not ideal, but Luna’s right… you need to begin training far earlier than I anticipated.” The hunger I was once feeling evaporated. “Welp. Don’t worry about that detour… my hunger has been quenched by a big ole plate of disappointment with a side of fear.” He forces a smirk and looks over at me the same way all of those people who attended my parents’ funeral had years ago. His facial expression was filled with sorrow, guilt, and maybe even pity. I’m not sure why he would ever feel guilty, but I sensed he knew much more about my future than previously led to believe.
As we reached the entrance to the valley, Tre began to explain why we fled the forest hours ago, “Umbras… they were sent to search, then tag our location to send back to their superiors. Benign creatures usually out scouting their prey without physical confrontation.” He shakes his head in disbelief, “The umbra somehow possessed some of the wolves summoned… This is unheard of; my previous mentor and our library of chronicles hardly mentioned any circumstances which led me to believe they had such power.” Eventually, he informed me that Luna was not only partially but fully responsible for our escape. She masked our scent, then stayed behind to fight off the remaining umbras, hence why she bolted out of the forest and crashed into me.
Before entering another forest, we took a break by the river. Tre decided to go grab kindling to make a fire, and we—more like them—decided on having fish for lunch. Frankly, I wanted to avoid being alone; much of what I learned was already hard enough to process and suppress. For the moment, the wise choice would be to tag along, so I headed with Luna to a part of the stream where the water was moving much slower. We found a spot close to a hundred yards away, give or take from the spot of the campfire, but my concern was how in the world we’d catch a single fish without a fishing rod. We could make spears and dart them into the stream, impaling a fish or two; time is of the essence, so the efficiency was key here, and I rarely ate fish, let alone caught one. Luna was already a step ahead of me and what she did next was… incredible.
Luna walked to the river's edge, got down on one knee, and laid her hand in the water, turning her palm toward the sky. I went over and sat beside her, patiently waiting for something to happen. After a few moments, she closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and waved her hand from side to side. From where I was sitting, she was having zero success; the weight of regret continued to nag and then got heavier. Every minute that passed, I kept thinking of going into the woods, grabbing a stick, sharpening it, and taking my chances spearfishing. My stomach was giving me a hard time, and the patience I did have grew thin. I went to stand up and head back; the only thing for lunch would be the bitter taste of defeat.
"Abel, come here…" Luna said softly. I was reluctant, but something told me to turn around. Suddenly, a gentle, cool breeze blows through, and the stream's flow loses pace. I inch closer to her as she continues to move her hands under the water; Luna looks over and smiles at me, which, I'll admit, makes my heart skip and beat. She focused back on the stream; we both sat there in silence and then fish began swimming toward her one by one. The next thing I knew, three fish were right in front of her; each fish swam into her palm one by one. She gently closed her hand, petting the fish, then saying thank you before taking it out of the water. I had no words; this was beyond unbelievable. I'd go as far as to say I had just witnessed a miracle.
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsSVaU2NCH
Chapter 12 - Abel
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49YVCy3WZa
Luna and I made our way back to camp. We had three fish ready to cook for a late lunch. One was in her hands, and my hands were occupied with the rest. Tre was already stoking the fire. Luna was responsible for removing the skin from the fish, and he would cook the meat as she finished. I couldn’t offer much help, so I took advantage and sought some privacy. This whole experience has been draining and primarily confusing, and I can’t believe this, but I wished for my old life back. Despite the living hell of what my “normal” life used to be, at least I knew what to expect day in and day out. All of my life, I constantly ran from every problem possible; it was the only way I survived and continue to; now, I can’t anymore. My past was a nuclear wasteland, and the only move I had left was to trust in Tre and maybe Luna, but in the distant future.
Some time passed, and I skipped a few rocks before returning to camp. I bent down, grabbed another rock, and felt its weight as I tossed it up and down until it landed firmly in my palm. My eyes scanned the area across the stream for a target, but everything just looked the same, so I gave up and aimed for a decently sized rock protruding from the side of the mountain. It was in the middle of two trees; moss was growing on the side, and I could see the roots digging into the stream. Did I mention I was horrible at skipping rocks? They always skip a couple of times, then dip, making a splash in the water. For some reason or another, I stood there and focused on the target; a strange tingle built up in my chest, then traveled to my left hand as I threw the rock.
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIcuo1YNEa
I was reminded of my battle with Serverus, but the surge of energy wasn’t close to the same; still, it was enough to slow down time. I let go of the rock and, with perfect precision—unbelievable with my track record—for the first time, the rock hit its target; a solid smack rang out, and then it shattered into tiny bits and pieces. I stood there stunned; suddenly, a golden symbol lit up around the rock:
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbx5qANpHPK
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVV6L5cVAK
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVHgsWypBx
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgfFrBfhWN
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJgG6UOwnx
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdMoSDOGc3
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGhspwktoP
The dirt surrounding the rock crumbled and revealed an opening. From that distance, I could only make out a dim light coming from the inside. I questioned its existence and wondered if I should take a quick detour before returning for lunch. Hesitantly, I stepped towards it. I wasn’t sure how long the entrance would be open, but I made the decision to come back and then explore with Tre and Luna.
I spot the pair in deep conversation; it seemed like they were arguing. Beside them were a couple of fish skeletons lying near the fire and one unappealing fish on a stick. They both see me coming and stop their intense conversation; I noted it, then sat on a nice sturdy rock. I avoided asking questions about what they discussed just a few minutes ago. “Man, the fish was delicious, lunch was… adequate. Thank you, Tre, for cooking and Luna, for luring this fish to its imminent slow and possibly painful demise.” Tre held back laughter while Luna rolled her eyes, for which I could not blame her. Getting half the room to laugh while the other half rolls their eyes and is filled with disdain... this is my specialty.
After I told them about my sick rock-throwing/skipping skills, I brought up the discovery of the cave entrance. They both gave me a wearily look; neither of them was excited by the news, but they were interested in at least checking it out before we continued heading towards Portum. Luna closed her eyes. “I’ve heard of underground entrances, shortcuts to several places in the mortal world, as well as portals to other realms. My main concern is where exactly this tunnel would lead…” Tre nodded in agreement. Although he couldn’t offer much on this subject, he also had his reservations. “Hypothetically speaking, this tunnel may get us to our destination much quicker?” She nodded. Being naive and all to this new world of mythical beasts and the ancients— old pale dudes in robes—I was adamant about taking this route.
Neither of them wanted to go in, but we really didn’t have a choice. Time was running out, and even though we may have been in more danger entering the tunnel, we were also in danger outside. The walk seemed much farther than it was the first time; we got to the point where I was afraid the tunnel had collapsed, or maybe I made the whole thing up in my mind. Fortunately, we found it! I would soon regret my enthusiasm for using a shortcut and getting underground where we might be safer, even if it would be temporary. Nevertheless, we continued walking across the stream and barefoot through the cold water.
We made it to the other end of the stream, then stood side by side before entering, building enough courage to make the first step. All three of us looked at each other with similar expressions filled with anxiety and trepidation. No one was making a move, and I knew time was running out, so I took the first step. As soon as I went to take my second step forward, Luna threw her arm in front of my chest. “No, Abel… I’ll go in first. I had and continue to have a horrible feeling about this tunnel, especially now that we are in front of the entrance.” I haven’t known her for long, but everything Tre has told me about her vast knowledge and experiences due to an incredibly long and painful life revealed how grave the consequences of our blatant ignorance could be.
“There is nothing I can say or teach you to prepare either of you for what might happen next when we make our way through the tunnel. Tre will be okay; he has enough training and power to defend himself, but Abel does not. Before we enter, my only condition is for you to listen and do everything I say.” She gave me a stern look. “Also, I need you to be equipped with some weapon if neither of us can reach or protect you. Here is my brother’s blades, daggers called Vindicta. This weapon was passed down from my grandfather to my father, then to my… brother.” Guilt, then sorrow washed over her face. “I can’t… I can’t possibly take that from you. This may be the only token you have left of your family’s legacy you have left. Why would you give this away? Especially to someone like me?”
Luna puts her head, staring at the ground. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and a tear ran down her left cheek. Luna raises her head but avoids making eye contact. After a few minutes, she locked eyes with me, and those light purple eyes drew me in. Time slowed down, but not due to some magical force or power; it came from a moment in time, a moment where I could hear our hearts beating in sync. I could be stuck here forever and the luckiest mortal being, any form of life that could ever exist in the universe. We just met, and I’ve been much better at pushing people away, pushing love away, but here, in this moment, I wanted nothing more and nothing less.
"I haven't been able to witness your power firsthand yet. Still, I find myself being drawn to you… I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because we were destined to meet each other for unknown reasons, or maybe it's your gentle presence, but I know your heart is pure. This doesn't have much to do with all the good and bad you've done or the intentions that prelude your actions but everything to do with what you are willing to give to serve others. None of us are born or meant to live a life with only ever being doing good. From my experience, it stems from personal convictions, from the war raging in our minds. You suffer because of uncertainty and fear of becoming something unnatural, someone inhumane. You would rather snuff out your own existence than twist the world into your image, disregarding the flow and natural state of the universe. You aim to control your own thoughts and actions, not others, not the god(s), and not nature…”
The more Luna explained her reasoning, the less confident I felt she was right. Part of my reluctance was from my own experiences, my own thoughts, and my own impurities. I’ve always felt that everyone but me deserves mercy, recognition, and understanding. Maybe this is what she was referring to; I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. How was I supposed to take, especially receive a legacy part of her family had left her? How would I not taint and stain her gift, the dagger that symbolized everything she lost and everything she loved?
“This is not a choice I am giving you; it is a gift. My brother, father, and his father would be proud to have someone who doesn’t feel they deserve it to wield their legacy. Do not be fooled to think of this as a burden. Do not be afraid of claiming it as your own. Be afraid of wasting the memories of good men, mortal or beings who lived to preserve the world as is, not change it for what it is not.” Luna unsheathed both daggers strapped to her back. She examined them and smiled before handing me pieces of her family’s tangible generational history. I slowly reached out to grab the daggers, and like a magnet, both flew into my hands; a tingling sensation ran from my forearms to my fingertips. There was a release of energy throughout my entire body. I wouldn’t say it was a surge, but it was strong enough to be recognized as foreign, not made from within me, but more like a syncing process. It was like I was meant to wield these daggers as if they’d been waiting their entire lives for this day to come: the perfect symbiotic relationship.
For a moment, I could see the entire lives of every person from the minute the daggers were held by their new host as if they had memories. Most of them were Luna's; I saw flashes of her fighting beasts, creatures, ancients, some unfathomable beings, even mortals. There were memories of her fighting alongside an older male, who I assumed was her brother. Sadly, I witnessed the battle where her brother had died, killed by Serverus. I couldn't see the exact moment of what led to his death; I was able to catch a glimpse of the moment when he gave the daggers to Luna, gently placing his hand on her right cheek as he shed a few tears, watching her heartbreak in front of him. It was a profoundly intimate memory between them, and I felt like an intruder. All of a sudden, I was sucked back into reality, and when I looked at Luna, there wasn't much to say, but I understood she was aware of what I had experienced. She had sturdy pillars held up by physical and mental strength, but her foundation was embedded with emotional fortitude.
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydcj1nCYQV
Chapter 13 - Abel
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqlshSWaKU
Tre hadn’t said a word since Luna handed me the daggers, Vindicta, and entered the tunnel. He wasn’t melancholic or disturbed in any way I could sense from his body language alone, but something was pestering him. There were multiple times I wanted to start a conversation to take his mind off of whatever brewed inside of him. As we continued walking through the tunnel, I was the only one equipped with a flashlight because Luna and Tre could see clearly in the dark. She led us while Tre was flanking us, so I was in the middle. At this point, I believe we were at least a mile in; the walls were shrinking around us with every few yards, but then we came to a clearing. Immediately, Luna covered the flashlight I was holding with her hand. Tre must’ve seen the same thing because he crept forward, and before passing me, he said, “Turn it off and don’t move.”
I did as I was told but couldn’t see what they saw. The atmosphere didn’t seem different; the clearing smelled no other than the tunnel we were walking through, and the silence was as deafening as it was moments ago. Something told me whatever it was we were in for, neither of them knew how it would turn out. Luna and Tre slowly reached for their weapons. She unsheathed her dagger and detached a weapon I had never seen before; she gripped a handle that connected two separate blades. I could barely make out the outline, so I couldn’t be a hundred percent sure my descriptions were precise. Tre, on the other hand, unsheathed a blade longer than a dagger but smaller than any sword I’d read or watched from several documentaries about the history of wars or battles fought in previous eras before long-range weapons like muskets or flintlock pistols.
I’ll admit, I was frightened, the kind of fear that tenses the bladder, the near “I’m about to piss my pants” intensity. I could feel the beads of sweat dripping begin to run down from my forehead, and the air around me became dense as if my fear was encompassing the room. I can’t explain how for a moment, but I sensed something lurking in the shadows, something watching us. Almost on impulse, felt more like an instinct, I unsheath my daggers and prepare myself. Luna and Tre start walking into the darkness ahead, taking one step at a time and being as quiet as possible. Once they were engulfed into oblivion, their footsteps crushing the dirt underneath became more distant with every step until I heard nothing.
The silence continued, so I decided to move and step forward, but soon after, I regretted what could have been a grave mistake for all of us. My foot enters a hole in the ground, and I trip, forgetting the daggers are in my hands; I go to catch myself, and the sound of the blades skid across the dirt. The noise coming from the blades colliding with rocks echoed throughout the chamber. At first, the air was still nothing answered, the sound of metal clashing with stone; I held my breath for a few moments, then began to lift myself off the ground slowly with my face parallel to it. Before I went to look, I froze; something was groaning in the distance, and the groaning multiplied. I heard snarling next, a deep, vicious tone filled with nothing but malice. I closed my eyes and started trembling, and growling followed, which intensified as if the gnarling spawned out of different corners and crevices, creeping closer and closer.
Unwilling but still able to muster some form of semblance of what you could call courage, strength, or utter foolishness, I wanted to be as much of use to Tre and Luna as possible. I raise my head slightly, then silence fills the room again. I take in one deep breath, then exhale before opening my eyes. My eyelids refused to listen to the mind communication tracing from my mind to the body. I had to force, practically pry my eyes open, and then I met face-to-face with the grossest thing I’ve ever seen. I would love to call it a creature or beast, but labeling it as such would be an offense to any being on this planet, realm, or whatever hellish universe I’d been sucked into.
The creature was pale but with a bluish tint its face… that face still haunts me to this day. From the top of his bald head down to his chin was a gruesome sight. This thing was entirely hairless, had no eyes and the looks of it, no ears. A large grinning slit ran through the middle of its face—yeah, that was super creepy—stretching from one end to the other. I’d assumed this was the mouth because drool was hanging off both ends. Other than a massively scarred-up face and the nightmares that would come with this interaction, I couldn’t see anything else; the truth was, I did everything to not analyze anything else about it.
The thing began to tilt its head slowly from left to right; I refused to move a muscle because neither of us moved for what felt like an eternity. This is when I realized it didn’t see me; I felt, as if it could sense something ahead, but not necessarily me, who was about a yard or two away. I thought I had lucked out, so making a move would be my only chance to fight or… die with some kind of honor... I guess. Luna and Tre were nowhere to be found, I hardly believed they ran away, leaving me for dead, but without any evidence to the contrary, I was starting to feel abandoned. (Clearly, I’ve got some abandonment issues to work on if I made it out of this alive, but at the moment, I really couldn’t dwell on my unstable mental health.
Somehow, some way, the situation became ten times worse or two creatures worse. In my peripherals, two more beautifully disgusting “its” were climbing upside down on both sides of the ceiling. My chances of getting out of this alive plummeted, going from a 50% survival rate to “I would be captured, have an apple shoved in my mouth, then baked into a sizzled scrumptious Abel with a side of… whatever else these things ate to sustain their atrociousness.” Now, I was in an even worse predicament, or what some may call “being in a pickle”; the only weapon I had was a palm-sized rock under my left hand. If I was going to die, I wasn’t going to let fear rule the last few breaths I had, so I gripped the rock and then wriggled it out of the earth to loosen it.
I dug my feet into the dirt into a position resembling a sprinter about to run the 400-meter dash. I bring down my face so it is parallel to the ground; I close my eyes and concentrate as if I was back fighting Serverus or throwing the rock that shattered against the stone between the trees, which revealed the tunnel. Another surge of energy, yet this was much stronger. More power than I have ever felt ran from my head to the bottom of my heels. Suddenly, sparks were crackling around my entire body; the three creatures started snarling, and the one right in front of me screeched. It's now or never; I rip the rock from the dirt, then launch myself into the first creature, surprisingly pulverizing it with a heavy blow. Time had slowed down just as the other two creatures lunged themselves my way with some nasty sharp claws extending from their fingertips.
In a flash, I chucked the rock into the creature on my right; I knew it wouldn't kill, but it gave me just enough time to clench my fist, turn to the left, then haymaker this ugly son of a bitch into the next dimension. We had a 1v1 on our hands; the playing field was level, but the third creature caught me off guard, and I was too slow to react. It had the upper hand; when I turned to the right, its claws dug into my right cheek, shredding the side of my face from the tip of my cheekbone to my lower jaw, narrowly missing my upper lip. A massive amount of pain struck, then dazed me; I fell to the ground on my hands and knees with a mouth full of blood running down my lower lip.
A growing puddle continues to spill onto the dirt; I go to lift myself and get my body checked into a wall. The creature hit me with such strength that I heard my ribs crack, sounding like they snapped on impact. I could barely breathe as the wind was knocked out of me, and I was left gasping for air. The dust in the air made it harder to recover, so I decided to rest my head and close my eyes. I saw my entire life go by with images of my mother and father smiling… my mother had me saddled on her knee while my father was staring at us. As a baby, I had some wild hair, all spiked up as if I was electrocuted a brief moment before the photo was taken. My cheeks were chubby; I had a bib on with a splash of what could have been remnants of a Gerber’s baby food from one of those mini jars.
The next moment was with Uncle Arther; we didn’t do much once we settled—which was never for long—somewhere, so I never had many fond memories of any specific town or city. Instead, I saw one of our many “trips”—more like waking up in the middle of the night, packing our bags lightly, then hurrying out the door with zero explanation. Those nights were the worst, but beauty and tranquility would pass over me when dawn approached. The sun slowly rising from the east, orange, yellow, and red colors blending seamlessly over the horizon. Arther must’ve seen how much I enjoyed the view and how much it calmed me down. Besides stopping at the usual dinner or drive-thru, he made time to stop the car wherever we were to sit down on the hood of his car together.
Those were times when we took time to slow down, and smell the roses, no matter what bothered us, even if we were mad at each other. It was our break from reality, the problems that revolved around us. He taught me to appreciate every day I was alive and to realize the harshness that comes from life, but to never give up, weather the storm, and have faith in the endless possibilities a new day brings you despite the circumstances. This was one of the greatest lessons he’d ever taught me, the ultimate lesson anyone has ever taught me. I was blessed to have him in my life after the passing of my parents, even if he was taken from this life. Even though I wish we had more time, I felt no regrets in getting to know the little I could, to see the type of man my father might have been or at least resembled.
The last memory that came rushing to my mind was with Tre. He’s the third most impactful relationship I’ve ever had. He was at St. Joseph’s Orphanage for what may have been his entire life; we never talked much about it, and I didn’t want to bring it up. For all I knew, he never had the chance to meet any of his family like I was able to, no matter how brief it was. One night, I went up to the roof of St. Joseph’s and lay on the ground looking up at the night sky, trying to map out the constellations. The entire day was unbearable; I couldn’t stop thinking of all I lost and the minute amount I’d gained throughout the years. Most of the time, I was an expert at suppressing my emotions when it came to the people I’ve lost in my life, but for whatever reason, my body and my mind just wouldn’t let go.
I lay there for about a couple of hours, convincing myself that life has meaning and purpose. The universe wasn’t as cruel as it seemed, and a balance that must be in place to harness chaos, not let it get so out of control. In life, we have to take the good along with the bad. Nearly every day, I believed the world was filled with so much evil and rarely any good, but that’s giving evil too much credit. If there wasn’t a balance, then life would just be hell for everyone 24/7; you can’t measure the capacity for good and evil with what you see in front of you. Our planet is an excellent example; if the Earth wasn’t positioned where it is today, in our solar system, between the moon and the sun, or axis, humans would not exist. Maybe some other species or life would have been able to flourish, but the good and evil we perceive are null to the cosmos and the forces at play. I learned long ago that my concept of what is good versus evil in our world was fueled by ego and resentment from what I couldn’t control. The truth is, I have zero power to change the world into my image, but what I can do is influence the present through consistency, and then maybe I will be able to influence myself along with others.
Still in deep thought, I didn't even noticed Tre sitting beside me, looking straight towards the mountains. This was the second or third time we’d been in the presence of one another; I wasn't too keen on striking up a conversation. We never said a word that night; his company was more than enough for me, and I found out later it was the same for him. The two of us were on the roof until dawn, which reminded me of Arther, and the fact I was sharing it with someone after a year of losing my uncle put my mind at ease. This was almost everything I witnessed as death was knocking at my door, three memories with the four people I love. Interestingly enough before I came to, I saw Luna placing her hand in the stream, then looking over at me, smiling with those light purple eyes drawing me in like a moth to a flame. All of a sudden, I didn’t want to leave this place… I didn’t want to stop feeling this feeling of something to look forward to, something that had given me hope.
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZGA37DCqF
Chapter 14 - Tre
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXyYme64H9
“Abel… Turn off your flashlight and get behind us” I said. After walking past Abel, I stand side by side with Luna. Neither of us said a word, we knew what we saw in front of us would limit our chances of making it to Portum safely. If we did arrive it would be in three separate body bags and thats if the Devourators didn’t consume every part of our being from flesh to essence. I’ve only met two Devourators, mainly known as Devourers, in my life, they each almost took my life and thankfully Luna came to the rescue both times. I won’t go into detail, partially because I’d rather forget it along with the whole “Luna had to rescue me again” aspect. What I can tell you is the distinct depth of fear which felt like venom being directly injected into my bones, withering me away from the core.
We both had to protect Abel at any cost because he didn’t know the gravity of the situation or the magnitude of what was at stake here. His path I do not envy, and the consequences if he fails will be the end of the Mortal realm—the remaining realms will be perfectly fine, they’ll just grow tenfold in strength, and the earth itself would benefit, probably thrive without all of the carbon monoxide gases and environmental crises created by man (go figure). The more that I’ve thought about his life, it continues to dawn on me about the death circling him over the years like vultures waiting for their next meal. Perhaps his parents, uncle, and his family were hunted by the powers that be, which I had a strange feeling it was PURA.
I wasn’t trying to be silent earlier because everything started falling into place; I’m not sure how accurate my theories are, but it’s a step in some direction. All three of us needed answers, and getting to Portum could be our chance to get confirmation for some of our questions. I was unsure how willing they would be to receive us because their whole city would be in danger of extermination for helping one of our kind. I wanted to believe this would all magically fix itself, hoping we would have protection or some help on our way out if they chose to refuse us at the gates. Unfortunately, our hands happen to be occupied with just the two of us being able to fight in a cavern with eight of those wretched creatures. Luna and I, without speaking, concluded that we had a better chance of survival splitting the herd. She would take on four of them while I had the remaining three to worry about; the plan was I wipe out my half as quickly as possible, then help her finish off the fourth. Nothing could go wrong, not a single mistake could be made. As I muster the courage to get my soul sucked up like a vacuum, then discarded like a bag of garbage. Luna unsheathed her weapons quietly, and naturally, I hesitated before I reached to grab my bow, but I decided to unsheath Natura—my lovely scimitar. We finally take steps toward the Devourers, making it halfway toward the herd—which was a lot further away from Abel for comfort. As I inched closer to my half, I heard something hit the ground behind me, I turned my head, and I saw one of Abel’s blades skid across the dirt and bounce off the wall. The word that came to mind… fuck.
Three Devourers instantly climb up the walls, then rush toward the direction of Abel. Luna sprinted into action, I dropped my scimitar, then grabbed my bow, bringing it over my shoulder, pulling the string, as three arrows materialized out of thin air. I should’ve taken the shot, but I took too long, and one of the devourers sliced my arm just in time as the other swept me off my feet. Both creatures jumped on top of me with all of their weight, almost crushing my chest as I raised my knees to create as much distance from them as I could. They both extend their claws, reaching for my throat, thrashing and trying to rip chunks out of my face; I thrust the bow into their mouths as they ferociously bite down, then shaking their heads like dogs with a chew toy.
Thing One—the cat in the hat pseudonym for the creature—unclenched its jaw, giving me enough time to use my knee to throw Thing Two—the other—over my head. Good ole Thing one decided play time wasn’t over and struck again, but this time, I was prepared and smashed its face. Without concern for Thing Two, I got up and rushed over to my scimitar, and on instinct, I did a 180 as I was falling toward the ground. Unfortunately for Thing One, it lunged at me, and the tip of my blade crushed through the skull of the creature, spraying black juices all over my face—because why not? The blade gets stuck in Thing One’s face, which I thought was a nice touch—a complimentary makeover—some of my finest work to date.
Putting my charming humor aside, I throw the remains of Thing One to the side, then pull back on the string of my bow. A single arrow materializes, I aim it at Thing Two, and it begins to snarl—god, did I mention how ugly they are?—I release the arrow, hitting Thing Two right in the chest, pinning it to the wall. I take no chances, quickly reloading, then let two arrows fly, striking poor Thing Two through the throat and the head. Sending it back to the depths of hell or the underworld; honestly, either would work. I laid my head on the dirt below and took a moment to catch my breath.
“Tre! A little help would be nice…” Luna was fighting her last remaining Devourer, but this beast was a tank! I’m talking about the “Super Size Me” combo, like in the old days when McDonald’s was trying to give their customers heart attacks as if there was a scoreboard to keep count. “W-Why is he so damn big…” “I don’t know, but here’s an idea…” Luna is interrupted; the jacked Devourer lunges at her, but she dodges out of the way, then strikes, slicing through its skin from forearm to shoulder. “…how about we ask questions later, when I’m not in danger of getting my soul sucked out of my body!” Tre nodded in agreement. He pulled back the string on his bow, then let out a fury of arrows.
No one was stunned when the beast practically shrugged off a dozen arrows now impaled to various parts of his body. “Nice Try, Puny One!” The Devourer roared. Luna wasn’t shaken, but you could tell by Tre’s face, especially the way his jaw dropped to the ground; the dude was filled with bewilderment. “Tre, snap out of it!” She was holding her tongue, but in her mind, she was tallying up the amount of times he had been useless during the fight so she could slap the back of his head as vindication. Tre should have listened to her, but snapped back to reality just in time as the beast threw a haymaker, blasting him into the wall across the cavern.
Tre spit some dirt out of his mouth, "son of a—". He slowly gets back up on his feet and reaches for his back, wincing at the pain. The beast with the steroid addiction didn't hesitate; it begins to sprint at Tre with ferocious speed. It leaned forward, shoulder-first, ready to flatten Tre like a pancake. He froze, not knowing what to do with this unstoppable force—the beast—colliding into a very moveable object—a.k.a. Tre. Fortunately, Luna wasn’t stunned and agile. In a flash, she moved to protect him, but this feeling of dread washed over her. This time she wouldn’t be able to save him, the beast was closing in faster than she could get to it. Muscles was going to squish him like a bug, most likely end her life, then devour them both, and for all, she knew Abel’s essence had already been devoured. No matter what fate lay ahead, a noble death was better than a death filled with fear, crippling whatever slim chance they all had of defeating these soul suckers.
Tre saw her in his peripheral, knowing he was out of time; he wanted his last act on earth to be one of gratitude. After the previous few years, the moments they spent training together—mostly. Luna trained him in everything, and there would never be enough he could do to repay her. He stopped thinking and just did, turning his head to the right as she came sliding his way; Tre just smiled and nodded his head. Accepting a fate they knew would come one day. All the running, the close encounters with death, and the loneliness… there was actually a feeling of peace entering his mind, knowing he didn’t have to run anymore. He looked up towards the ceiling, which he wished was the bright blue sky, so he closed his eyes and chose one of his fondest memories, walking through the forests of Redwood National Forest. Those magnificently humungous trees with hundreds—some of them thousands—of years living on earth. This was the place he called home, a sanctuary where nothing and no one could take away from him.
“There’s no such thing as a Lost Cause”. This single phrase was a thought that had kept him alive for years. As he heard the beast’s heavy footsteps getting closer and closer, the less afraid he felt, and the more acceptance flowed through his being. Time seemed to be slowing down, giving him a few minutes to enjoy his sanctuary. Tre inhaled, then exhaled, feeling a warm coming from his heart, which filled his veins then traveled to the rest of his body. He couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you” were the last words he whispered to whoever would listen.
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87asiyW4x8
Chapter 15 - Luna
454Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmKF1lcAKT
Miraculous, then daunting; those were the only two words I could use to describe exactly what happened. After Abel’s dagger flew out from the shadows, I threw my bladerang at one of the Devourers and cut its neck, then gravity did the rest for me. As the head fell to the ground, I ran and barreled into the second Devourer while dodging the third as its arm swung towards at my neck with its sharp claws. Before running face-first into the wall, I turned and with all of my might, slung my dagger straight into the mouth of the creature. “Alright, two down, two to go.” I hardly felt the impact of the collision due to the adrenaline; with grace, I lifted myself and opened my palms. Both weapons returned to my hands as they have thousands of times before. The last couple of Devourers snarled at me; one was crawling towards me from the front, and the other was on the ceiling creeping, waiting for the opportunity to strike.
I stepped to the right slowly, with no sudden movements. I found myself at the edge of the cavern. I have been in situations like this with various enemies, thinking they have the upper hand. Most would say they were stuck or shaken by fear, but this felt natural. I had them both exactly where I wanted, thinking of every move they could make as if this were chess and their upcoming move led to a checkmate—figuratively speaking, literally speaking, I would be dead, and my essence would cease to exist. At any moment, they would strike. I shut my eyes and then entered the flow state of mind; my senses were enhanced, and I could hear the faint heartbeats of the creatures getting closer and closer, their claws digging into the dirt. The scent of rotting flesh consumed the air, and the warm grips of my dagger and bladerang; the weight prepared me for anything. If they weren’t going to make the first move, I would; before opening my eyes, I recited the last few words my father would ever say to me, “As Above, So Below.”
The creatures snarled, then pounced; Luna opened her eyes and stepped back, planting her dagger in the wall next to her left. As the first creature closed the gap between them, coming from the right she waited patiently for it to reach striking distance. As planned, both creatures didn’t hesitate. They were probably thinking—if they even had any type of intelligence—two against one, easy prey, easy dinner. Unfortunately, neither was prepared for what happened next. The first creature she had been waiting for finally got close enough for the bladerang, then stuck the blade into its chest, using its momentum to throw it over her shoulder, leaving the bladerang in its chest. This exposed her left side to the last creature which would have been unnerving for an unexperienced fighter, but remember that dagger she placed into the wall? It was for this moment.
As Luna was still in motion, she kept turning until her left hand grasped the dagger's hilt. She ripped the blade out, then slashed the creature through the chest, and just before it latched its several rows of teeth into her neck. She let go of the dagger, catching it mid-air with her right hand, then impaled the blade into the side of its head, pinning it into the wall where the creature went limp. Black ooze began to run down the side of its face, slowly dripping onto the ground below. Luna took a deep breath, thinking how badly this could have ended with a simple mistake. She looked back at the last two devourers with pride, a smirk appeared on her face, then turned around to make her way over to Tre, the cold grip of a massive devourer around her neck as it lifted her and slammed her into the ground.
A cloud of dust filled her vision and burned her eyes; she was hardly able to breathe, and in a world of pain, Luna still managed to run the blade of her bladerang through the beast’s forearm viciously. The Devourer finally let go, but it seemed like it wasn't out of pain, it felt voluntary as if it wanted to be challenged, not looking for an easy kill. “Gratia Lux, The Huntress… I’m thrilled to meet you face to face.” She was stunned. The beast called her by the name given to her at birth over 200 hundred years ago. No one alive knew it and she made sure of that. All at once, thousands of memories came rushing into her mind; one by one she analyzed every being she’d killed to protect herself and what was left of the Lux family legacy.
Luna flashed back to reality with perfect timing; before the beast pulverized her and she would permanently become part of the ground, she rolled backward and stood ready to get rid of Mr. Beefs. “H—How do you know my name?” Mr. Beefs gives Luna a wicked grin. “Now, where would the fun be in that?” He crosses his arms making his upper body look even more menacing. “You've got three seconds to answer before I rearrange your face. Who told you about me?” Mr. Beefs remains silent. He stands there defiantly for a few more moments. “Okay, let me start the countdown for you, darling. 3… 2… 1…” Mr. Beefs lunges at Luna, but she dodges him just in time for her to dig her dagger into his forearm, then pulls upwards tearing through his bicep until it reaches his shoulder.
I scream for Tre’s help, hoping he will still be alive. As always he took his sweet ass time to come through on his end of the plan. I was given a few seconds to look over and find that both of the devourers wouldn’t be able to make it to their next family outing. Tre finally lends a hand in blasting Mr. Beefs with a fury of arrows which practically did zero damage and only agitated the megalith of a creature. Unfortunately for him, Mr. Beefs slowly made his way to him as if taking a brisk walk on a sunny afternoon and the creature’s fist met Tre’s face. Once he got back up on his feet, Mr. Beefs backed away from Tre, then lowered his shoulder and began sprinting at an incredible speed. I had to do something there was no time to think or find a way to make a rational decision. I just did.
ns216.73.216.13da2
and then Add to home screen.