Beyond What's Known

Chapter 5

Horror dawned on Alana as the Dark Slinger aimed his blaster at Eli, ready to fire Mage. She tried to stumble forward and put herself between the Dark Slinger and the Shane, but her leg involuntarily went limp again and she fell to the ground. She cried out from both pain and fear.

Guardian slugs, please no, she thought frantically. Memories of Shanai being hit by a ghouled Boon Doc flashed in her head. The pain in her eyes, the incurable wound, her death. She couldn't let Eli die.

It would always catch Alana by surprise, how quickly her own fear would disappear when someone else was in danger. Leading up to that moment, she had been terrified of revealing her identity to the Dark Slinger. She was so scared, she was certain it would lead to her own death. But faced with the threat of her friend dying? That was truly a nightmare come to life.

The second the Dark Slinger fired, Alana raised her right hand, propping herself up with her left. Her goals of keeping her identity hidden completely abandoned, she summoned a burst of light energy. Blue spiraled down her arm and outwards, a bright beam hitting Mage in midair, only feet away from Eli.

Mage froze. She temporarily writhed around and snarled in midair before the blue light completely engulfed her. With a bright flash, she returned to protoform and fell to the ground, back to a normal slug. The white healer frantically hopped straight over to Alana, who quickly lunged forward and protectively scooped her up. Mage hopped onto her shoulder and dove into her backpack, hopefully recovering with Ash and her remaining slugs.

"Ah. I knew it," the Dark Slinger laughed gleefully, walking forward toward Alana, who desperately tried to scramble away with her one good leg. But he reached her quickly, grabbing the collar of her shirt and yanking her upwards.

She winced and couldn't help herself from trembling in the Dark Slinger's grasp. His red eyes somehow looked even more terrifying up close. Alana grabbed at his arm, trying to pull herself free, but she had no luck.

"I figured it was worth the risk, firing at the protector. I knew you wouldn't let him die if you could help it," the Dark Slinger said. He reached up with his other hand and ripped the handkerchief from Alana's head, revealing her blue-streaked hair. "I didn't recognize you, at first. But even without outwardly using it, it's difficult to keep the energy running through your veins hidden."

Alana felt ashamed as tears of fear formed in the corners of her eyes. She tried to think of something, anything, to say. But words completely failed her, everything catching in her throat. This was the hand that had dropped her father to the ground like he was a piece of trash, that fired the blow that killed her mother.

This was, in every way, one of her worst nightmares come to life.

At least Eli has time to recover now.

"After over a decade. Alana Caelum."

Alana winced at the sound of her name coming from the Dark Slinger's voice.

"I wonder if you've been here the whole time, if your mother tricked me all those years ago," the Dark Slinger mused, tilting his head. His red eyes glistened with curiosity. "It doesn't matter now, though. Her efforts were for nothing. I've finally found you again. You will finally come to the Eastern Caverns with me."

Alana growled and summoned another burst of energy, trying to reach forward and grab the Goon Doc off the Dark Slinger's shoulder. But he quickly slammed her to the ground, landing a solid kick on her stomach that knocked the air out of her lungs.

"I can't allow you to do that," he said, frowning. "I can see the terror in your eyes. You remember what happened the last time we were face to face. I would advise you to not repeat the mistakes of the past. I have no reason to kill you if you cooperate."