Shattered Soul Page 21

  Rani staggered, her hand sweeping in front of her, and there was nothing but the usual darkness of the night.

  Veknor was where he’d been seconds ago, standing on his balcony and looking across at her, his white shirt a beacon in the night. “Good,” he said quietly before he turned and walked back into his room.

  Staring at the empty balcony, Rani felt her heart thundering. What the hell had just ha Cl h>

  Was no one in this fortress as they seemed?

  ~ * ~

  The Darknen

  Hot lava boiled up from the cracks in the ground, and the cold rain from above hit it, causing steam to rise and hiss in the air. A mountain in the distance crumbled as something rose from it. Winged creatures gathered around on the walls of the bleak fortress.

  The Darknen strode down the hallway, his bare feet making no sound on the stone floor. A two-headed creature with saliva dripping from its fanged mouth scurried along the wall, its claws leaving gouges in the rock.

  The door of the chamber ahead slid open and the Darknen entered. His gaze went to the crystal on the pedestal, and he saw that it was shaking.

  “Why so agitated?” He smoothed his hand over the cold, clear surface.

  The black swirls inside roiled dangerously.

  “Are you impatient?” His fingertips caressing the globe. “Soon, my pretty, soon you can unleash that power, and we’ll destroy The Overlord and all his minions. It will be my time, our time, and we will rule, and you can unleash that power on all my enemies. Patience.”

  The globe actually shuddered, little cracks splintering along the shining surface, and tendrils of black escaped to twine upwards.

  So much power, so much destruction! It thrilled him, called to him, and The Darknen laughed. But now was not the time. Not yet. He ran his hands along the cracks, and it sealed.

  “So very soon,” he promised. Picking up the globe, he took it over to the window and held it up. “Soon you will be free, and it will all be ours.”

  The blackness in the globe pulsed, little threads of red running through it, and the crystal bulged outwards as frustrated power pressed against the cursed surface.

  And The Darknen laughed.

  In the distance, his newest nightmare roared and from the depths of the broken mountain it made its lumbering way to its master’s fortress.

  ~ * ~

  Inner Sanctum of the Outlaw Sector

  Overlord’s Fortress

  Leaning back against the wall of the cavernous room, Fredrico watched Rani holding the yellow statue in her hand. Phemar was talking to her, his gesturing hand sending little bits of rotten flesh falling to the floor. Little shadows snaked along the floor and rapidly devoured the flesh.

  As he watched, one thin shadow started to twine up around Rani’s boot, but suddenly it hesitated and started retreating, sliding back to disappear into one of the cracks between the stone paving the floor.

  Interesting.

  He studied her. He’d left his room that morning and had come face-to-face with Rani as she’d closed her own door. She’d looked at him coolly and waited. Nothing showed on her beautiful face. Her rich wealth of hair had been braided back into a thick rope that fell down her back to her waist.

  Without acknowledging what had passed between them the previous evening, Fredrico had silently led her down to the cavernous room where Phemar await C Phwleed them.

  The silence between them hadn’t been an easy one but neither of them had broken it. What could they really say to one another, anyway?

  Now he watched broodingly as Phemar showed her several statues. It was more than obvious that Rani wasn’t keen on handling the innocent looking objects, but she didn’t argue with the dark mystic.

  “She is learning.” Veknor leaned against the wall beside him.

  “She needs to,” he replied.

  “If she wishes to survive, yes.”

  “She’ll survive if I have to break her in half to do it.”

  “Strange choice of words.”

  “She’s not an easy woman.”

  Veknor smiled slightly.

  Fredrico slid a glance towards his friend. “What?”

  “I’ve not seen you this animated in a long time.”

  “Animated isn’t the word for it.” Folding his arms across his chest, he watched Rani study the statue.

  “Then what is the word?”

  “How about, mind your business?”

  Veknor laughed softly.

  Fredrico stiffened slightly. “Here we go.”

  The statue in Rani’s hand shattered and the beast that broke from it reared up, maw wide, an ear-shattering shriek spilling from it.

  Rani went into typical fighting mode, leaping back and snatching for the laser at her thigh. Phemar halted her with one outstretched arm, his hissing orders audible across the room. Rani straightened slowly, looking up at the rearing beast, but she didn’t release her hold on the butt of the laser.

  Fredrico watched intently as she reluctantly obeyed Phemar’s hissing demand. She raised one arm, holding her hand palm up. He could see her recoil slightly as the darkness dove at her and wound around her arm, nestling its suddenly elongated head in her palm. It nuzzled her, stroking its stretching cheek along her skin.

  Oh yes, he knew exactly what that felt like.

  Rani swore and shook her hand vigorously.

  Yep, his memory was spot on.

  The beast wrapped tighter around her arm, refusing to let go its grip on her. Lovingly, it wound itself higher up her arm.

  She grabbed at it with her other hand, but immediately it wrapped its tail around her wrist, holding her prisoner.

  Phemar stood back, giving instructions in his hissing, breathy voice. When he flung out one hand, a spatter of putrid flesh arced out and landed on the beast. It arched up almost in a parody of ecstasy.

  Veknor relaxed, his face expressionless, but Fredrico knew he watched just as intently.

  The beast turned its head, the elongation flattening and enlarging so that it became a squashed, dripping face of a squat beast again. It snaked back up itself, heading for Rani’s face.

  Rani slammed it down on the table but it continued upwards.

  Phemar snapped something at her and she snapped something back. Over the rising roar of the fire Fredrico couldn’t make out their words, but he knew Phemar was telling her what to do. It seemed like the warrior wasn’t able to follow his directions or even under Cor hestand them.

  The head of the beast was halfway up her arm, its tongue snaking out, and the atmosphere in the room changed, becoming heavy, laden with intent. The tongue flickered out and then in one smooth move the beast dipped its head and ran its tongue along the bare flesh of Rani’s arm where it showed between its coils.

  Even though he knew it was a test, Fredrico tensed. If Rani didn’t escape this beast, if she didn’t stop it, who knew how far Phemar would push it? And he hated what Phemar was doing, because he recognized now the dark mystic’s intent.

  “He’s finding her trigger,” Veknor murmured.

  Going by the revulsion and fury in Rani’s eyes, Fredrico was pretty sure Phemar knew exactly what her trigger was and he was using it now to push her.

  As that black tongue licked along her flesh, Rani swore profoundly. She slammed the winding, black length against the table once more and then at a sharp word from Phemar, she threw her arms upwards and stared at the snaking, licking, loathsome beast on her arms.

  It lifted its head, its face becoming more human to look at, though its eyes were bright orange, its tongue black, and sharp teeth glittered with demonic silver in its mouth.

  And then it dove for her face.

  In that second Fredrico felt her confusion, felt the darkness in her well up, but she didn’t know how to focus it and it splintered.

  The demonic beast was going to pour into her throat.

  One split second of thought and his darkness welled up and snapped across the room to shield Rani. The de
monic beast hit the shield and shattered, blackness spearing out in shards to disappear in the air.

  Phemar and Rani both spun to face him, Rani’s mouth agape in surprise. He couldn’t see Phemar’s face but he could sense the fury.

  Rani might have been surprised and Phemar furious, but Fredrico couldn’t even begin to think what he himself felt. Shocked for intercepting the demonic snake, most definitely.

  “What is the meaning of that?” Phemar snarled. “Fredrico, you dare to interfere in my training?”

  Hiding his inner shock, Fredrico looked coolly back at him. “She didn’t understand your directions.”

  “Some lessons are best learned harshly!”

  “She needs to learn how to control the darkness inside her before being tested like that.”

  “You dare to question me? You dare to question my techniques?” A huge, black, blurry shadow reared up behind Phemar.

  It looked like his pets had picked up on the dark mystic’s annoyance.

  “Of course not,” Fredrico replied, knowing he trod dangerous ground.

  “Do you think I don’t know what the warrior is capable of?”

  “You know what all darkness is capable of,” Fredrico answered carefully. “But do we have time to put the warrior through harsh paces when time is so short?”

  “I will not have you interfere.” Twin orange glows came from the depths of the hood covering Phemar’s head.

  There was tension in the air, a threat of violence, and it was aimed directly at Fredrico. There had been a couple of times when he’d been in an argument with Phemar, very rare, true, but the dark mystic had never reacted like this. He wo Ce ta could have gotten annoyed but to be so aggressive was not his way.

  Something was wrong.

  Veknor straightened at his side but didn’t move away.

  Frowning, Rani looked between Phemar and Fredrico.

  Phemar started to turn away, but swung back suddenly, flinging his hand out. Orange fire spat from his fingertips, an arc of lightening flaring and aiming straight for Fredrico.

  Everything happened fast. Before Fredrico could dive away, the huge, horned shadow descended on him, a clawed hand wrapping around his upper chest, the hand so huge that it engulfed him entirely, the clawed thumb and forefinger meeting at the front of him, holding him prisoner for the searing, flesh-tearing light.

  Veknor was flung away to crash against the wall.

  Fredrico was picked up and slammed back against the wall.

  The lightening seared upwards, then dove down towards him.

  Everything so fast, too fast. His darkness welled up, but the orange lightening was faster, coming at him and -

  “No!” Rani yelled. “Damn it, no!”

  There was a blast of light, a dark orange shield that flared up over Fredrico’s upturned face just as the lightening almost struck. It struck the shield instead and shattered, flaring out in the same way as the demonic snake had done when it had hit his shield.

  Only the shield didn’t stop. It sharpened, cutting, and the horned beast holding Fredrico roared in rage and pain, releasing him with a suddenness that dropped Fredrico to the floor.

  There was a thunderous sound and the cavern shook, rock crumbling.

  Fredrico looked up, his jaw dropping in shock to see Rani holding her hands straight out before her, the dark orange coming from her hands in a thin strip to form a shield between himself and Phemar.

  Orange sparked in her eyes as she faced the dark mystic.

  Phemar’s laugh was wheezing, pleased. “I knew you had it in you, warrior. I knew you had the power.”

  As suddenly as it appeared, the shield abruptly vanished, leaving Rani looking in shock at her hands. A tendril of orange smoke spiralled out from her fingertips before winking out of existence.

  Fredrico stood slowly, looking at Phemar. “That was your test.”

  “Of course.” Phemar slid his hands into his sleeves. “It seemed that her own safety couldn’t trigger the power so it had to be something else.” His head angled slightly as he looked at Fredrico. “Interesting, is it not, that you were the trigger?”

  “You can’t know that for sure,” Fredrico said, not surprised when Phemar laughed again, his breath hissing out.

  “You played us.” Rani finally looked up from her hands to the dark mystic, her expression puzzled.

  Phemar’s head turned in her direction, the amusement gone from his rasping voice. “I do what I have to, play who I have to, kill who I have to, to get the results I and The Overlord want. Remember that.”

  Rani shook her hands gingerly.

  Fredrico couldn’t tell from her face what she was thinking or feeling. The puzzlement was fading and being replaced with curiosity, but her innermost feelings were hidden.

  “That day we took yo Cay hadu out to that area where you pushed back against The Darknen’s shadow,” Phemar said to Rani, his anger vanishing beneath his analytic pursuit. “You pushed against him. The beast that attacked you, you fought it. You fought the danger to Fredrico. You, warrior, need something physical to focus on.”

  “So it would seem,” she replied warily.

  “But you need to bring forth your powers when there is nothing to see.”

  “I can’t very well fight nothing.”

  “You can and will.” He gestured around them. “This room is full of invisible things that you might have to fight - look how tense you are.” He gave a wet laugh.

  “Your pets aren’t things I want to play with.”

  “My pets, as you so snidely put it, are your guardians when I give them that chore. Just remember that.”

  “And yet I’m not comforted.”

  Fredrico relaxed a little at her dry comment.

  “Maybe you should see what you don’t see,” Phemar said.

  Fredrico watched Rani’s face as she arched one brow and repeated, “See what I can’t see?”

  “It might help you focus,” Phemar said.

  Veknor’s face was stoic. “Here we go.”

  Fredrico took a deep breath and braced himself.

  Rani glanced across at him curiously.

  Phemar snapped his fingers, a chunk of flesh dropping off his thumb with a wet slipping sound.

  And the walls melted...

  ~ * ~

  This is what Hell must look like. Shit, this must be Hell! Stunned, Rani stared around.

  Fire seared her skin, great, rippling walls of it flaring here and there. The sky was a riot of red and black clouds clashing together. The ground beneath her feet shifted, steam coiling out from the cracks.

  Stumbling, Rani came down on one knee, bracing one hand on the dirt and grabbing for her laser with the other hand. Feeling nothing, she looked down to see that her holster and laser had disappeared.

  That bloody dark mystic had left her weapon less in Hell. Big surprise. An even bigger surprise was the calm that spilled through her. Hell - no pun intended, ha-ha - if I can see it, I stand a good chance of killing it, right?

  A roar rent the air and she twisted around to see a huge beast with three heads and gaping, teeth-filled jaws coming towards her. Clawed toes raked the ground and she tensed.

  “Well, isn’t this just ducky?” she muttered as it came to a stop and eyed her. “This lesson is turning into a right bitch of one.”

  “Why, Rani, my dear, I’m showing you what you can’t see.” Phemar’s voice came into her mind and she flinched as she could almost swear she felt a dribble of wetness inside her skull.

  “I’ve seen enough,” she stated. “Point taken.”

  “Oh no, not with you,” he replied. “Have a good look around, warrior. This is what you live in.”

  A huge, cloven foot slammed down inches from her hand, and she lunged backward only to slam against a heavy calf. Looking up, she saw the powerful legs behind her, thick as tree trunks, long, disappearing under a tattered loin cloth Ced er hand,. A bulge the size of which she didn’t even want to contemplate met her disbeli
eving gaze. She tried to move away but was frozen, held in place by something she couldn’t see, and all she could do was look up and up, past a powerful chest, to a thick neck... and the head of a hideous beast. Great, curving tusks curled up to point towards coal-orange eyes, and the beast threw its head back and roared.

  Reaching down, it wrapped its three fingered hand around her entire torso and lifted her up.

  “Put me down!” She kicked and cursed, trying to thrust out, her hands so ridiculously tiny against the huge hand holding her.

  Real fear almost had her, but anger burned as well.

  Was this a joke? Was this Phemar playing with her mind? Was she imagining the whole thing and that slime ball was laughing at her? Were Fredrico and Veknor watching as she was probably grovelling on the ground in the cavern?

  A shrieking pierced the air, something screaming down towards her, and she froze. Unbidden, her heart started to pound as dread swept through her. Wind lashed in a sudden thin stream, blowing past her, and she saw the phantom, saw the hideous face and the bleeding, eyeless sockets.

  It flew towards her at astonishing speed and she was helpless to dodge as it slashed out at her, the phantom hand suddenly so very real, nails raking across her shoulders from left to right , the gouge marks immediately seeping blood.

  That blood felt very horribly real.

  “This is not in your mind, warrior.” Phemar was suddenly before her, floating in the air, a dull grey tinge around him. He lifted one arm, the tattered robes slipping back to show the rotten flesh of his forearm. “This is what you don’t see, Rani. This is what exists around you in the realm of The Overlord’s fortress, and it’s only a small amount of what is out there. Listen to the screams of the damned, and know that these shrieks and screams from things unseen are what you hear echoing at night through the halls of the fortress.”

  “I get the idea,” she said, still not completely convinced the dark mystic wasn’t messing with her mind. “The fortress is like Hell.”

  Phemar’s hood tipped back slightly and she inwardly cringed as she saw the grey and black skin of his chin, the maggot that wiggled from a gaping wound to fall to the steaming ground.

  “My pets are your guardians when I choose. They guard the fortress, and they guard your life for as long as I see fit to have them do so.”