Shadow Knight Saga: The Shadowlands

Chapter Sixteen

A score lay dead around them. Along the western side of the docks, where the others are, was littered with the remains of the dark forces that tried and ultimately failed to maintain the western perimeter. Zeke was shooting arrows as fast as he could, the skin on his fingers had started to rub raw and bleed two hundred arrows ago, but it wouldn't slow him down. Langley was semi-conscious, sitting on the ground, leaning against Zeke's leg for support while she struggled to invoke her air elemental ability without much luck. Corvine threw orb after orb of lightening, but it did very little to the dark army seemingly crawling out of every shadow around them.

Vee and Shayne crouched down under the rippling wave of fire Teague was conjuring. It seemed to keep the dark army back but the young man can't continue much longer and Shayne knows this. They looked around for a means of escape, using the light to illuminate the darkness, but all they saw was walls of moving darkness.

"We need to get to the water," she reluctantly admitted.

Vee nodded his agreement even though he'd rather face an army of shadows that want to kill them than take a plunge in the mermaid infested, grimy waters of the Hudson River.

"Teague, can you guide us to the docks?" Shayne called out and the trembling teen nodded and slowly, carefully, slid one foot after the other, trying to stay upright and to keep from tripping over the Hellhound carcasses littering the area. "We have to hurry," she whispered to Vee. "He can't hold it much longer and once the fire is out, so is he."

"Like Langley," Vee mumbled and she nodded once. He counted the throwing daggers he had left strapped to his thighs and hers: a dozen plus eight throwing stars. "We're greatly outnumbered," he informed her.

"I'm well aware of that," she said, her eyes scanning the surrounding area looking for something but Vee didn't know what. The surrounding buildings are dark. Two were completely demolished from the Hellhounds tearing through them, and the others were vacant. "Something doesn't feel right," she mumbled under her breath, fingers itching with anticipation on the hilt and haft of her weapons.

"I know," Vee said and she looked at him curiously, slightly insulted that he would openly agree when he is obviously ignorant to the ways of the Shadowlands and Abyss. "It feels like," he said, looking around, throwing daggers in hand, "someone is watching us."

That pulled her complete attention. That's how it feels to her as well. "What else? What are you sensing?" she asked, genuinely curious and fascinated by the way his mind seemingly works.

He wasn't about to tell her about the weird feeling regarding protecting her at all costs. "Eyes," he blurted out. "I feel as if some eyes are following each of our movements....correction, your movements, Cupcake. Someone is stalking you," he informed her.

Her eyes widened. "What...no," she feebly argued. That isn't possible. She would have noticed that herself. Besides, creatures of the Abyss don't target a specific person simply because they are bored or have a crush. That isn't how their world works. But then again, Vee might be right. However, Shayne wasn't about to admit that to the young man. "No, your nescient and lack of education in the workings of the Abyss and Shadowlands is confusing you and clouding your better judgment," she informed him.

Vee glared at her. "If that's the case, then who in the hell is that!" he demanded, pointing to the top of one of the buildings where three dark figures stood, their outlines barely visible against the blackened sky and their signatures were practically non-existent to Shayne's eyes.

"Shea, I can't hold it much longer!" Teague stammered.

Her head moved around, looking for a means of escape as the rolling wave of flames retreated back to their source, significantly reducing the area of protection from the impending darkness. A faint violet signature illuminated the darkness to the west. "Zeke, shoot for the heavens!" she yelled as the fire blinked out and Teague collapsed in a sweaty heap.