Land of Monsters

Chapter 1- Nya

     "How could this happen?" Nya said. Heavy wooden doors remained firmly in place despite her insistent tugging. The portal's beacon flickered to red, casting hellish shadows that shifted in her periphery. She turned, studying the ghostly imitation of the monastery's courtyard. It was eerily similar to home.
     Until she looked closer.
     Nya couldn't ignore the scratches on the wooden planks. Or the scorching holes in the wall. And was that...blood? She crouched, eyeing the suspicious substance that stained the wood by her feet. The smell of decay turned her stomach.
     "Nya," Jay said. Her head snapped up. He gestured awkwardly towards Kai, before continuing his attempt to spark the door open. Beside him, his dragon mech sat powered down.    
Nya noticed Kai's tense shoulders, the sudden pallor of his skin. He looked a little unsteady on his feet. Nya stood, crossing the short distance and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
     "What's wrong?" She asked.
     "I know where we are," he said dully.
     "What?" Nya asked. Kai stared past the walls, unseeing.
     He turned to face her, gaze darting above her head. His eyes widened and he dove for her, sending them both crashing to the ground. The air wheezed out of Nya's lungs.
     An ear-splitting roar shook the earth, followed by a burst of fire that crackled in the air inches away from her face, singeing her hair. Her head ached from the sudden impact. She shook it off, standing. Kai was already on his feet, flames dancing across his palms, sending a burst towards a...
     Shadow?
     The shadow was attacking Kai. Its immense, undefined shape twisted on the closest wall. A tendril of darkness leapt from the flat surface, solidifying long enough to land a blow to the side of Kai's head. He stumbled. The shadows pounced, slithering down the wall and collecting on the wooden planks beneath his feet. They shot up from the floor as one, becoming snake-like as they coiled around him.
      She rushed toward the creature, a faint elemental tug in her stomach as she tried to draw water to the fight. When it didn't respond, she tugged harder, drawing from the moisture in the air around her. Speeding droplets fell uselessly against the curling wisps of shadow on the floor.  He struggled, weak bursts of fire shooting from his fingertips before they were smothered beneath the dark nightmarish mass. Tendrils crept up his face, until only panicked eyes were left uncovered.
     Lightning sparked. The creature shuffled backwards, but didn't release its grip. Jay struck again, careful to aim for the shadowy limbs and not its current prey. One of the tendrils loosened, dematerializing as it became just a shadow on the floor again, a puppet with no master.
     It reformed, darkness pooling together to create the head of a dragon. Its throat began to glow orange as it shot up from the ground, aiming for Jay. He dodged the burst of flame, sending another lightning strike towards the dragon's head. The bolt passed through the mass as the creature vaporized, returning to shadow. Jay's lightning collided with the stone archway, sending debris flying in all directions. Nya ducked as chunks of stone hurled through the air.
     The shadows leaked from Kai, who was now slumped and fully covered. It expanded, slithering towards her. Nya backed away, summoning more water from the dry air. There wasn't much to work with. They lunged for her. She deflected with a lackluster shield of water, which did nothing to stop the shadows' progress. A tendril latched onto her skin. At the contact, Nya froze, overwhelmed by a sense of unshakable despair. Fighting through the rush of fear, she forced her feet to move, pulling against the creature's presence. The shadows kept pace easily. They lapped against her feet with eager, icy fingers, slowing her down. Icy tendrils slithered up her legs. She strained against the mass of darkness, but it felt too heavy to shift. Her heart pounded in her ears. Goosebumps ran down Nya's spine as the creature slid up her arms, chest, neck. The terror subsided into numbness as the creature continued to coil Nya into its icy embrace. By the time it reached her neck, Nya had stopped thrashing. It felt too exhausting to fight back. A tendril parted her lips, trying to force its way down her throat. She clenched her jaw stubbornly, but even as she did the burst of strength from her little act of defiance was fading. Her head felt fuzzy. She could feel its malevolent presence in her mind, clawing for control of her thoughts.
     "Close your eyes!" Jay screamed. His voice sounded distant and muffled. Nya's thoughts moved sluggishly as she tried to make sense of his words.
     The world turned blindingly white. Nya collapsed forward, pain shooting up the arm that caught her fall against the rough wood. She strained to see past the brightness unsuccessfully. Panic built in her chest as she waved her hand frantically in front of her face.    
     There was nothing there.
     Rough hands yanked to her feet. She lashed out blindly, and her attacker let out a surprised yelp.
     "It's me!" Jay said.
     "Jay," Nya's voice shook. "I can't see- I'm-" He gripped her shoulders, steadying her.
     "Kai, can you walk?" Jay yelled.
     "Yeah, we need to-"
     "I know," Jay said. He squeezed Nya's shoulders.  "I'm going to carry you now."
Before she could respond, he scooped her into his arms. She could hear his feet thudding against the monastery's floor, the jostle of his movements as he sprinted. Her fists clenched the fabric of his shirt.
     "What about your mech?" she said, fighting to keep her voice free from panic.
     "No time," he grunted.
     "Jay!" Kai screamed behind them. Jay swerved, shielding her head as he jumped for safety. The heat of flames made the air around her uncomfortably warm. She could smell the thick smoke of burning timber. Jay didn't slow down. Stars swam behind Nya's closed eyelids. Nya trembled slightly, body still chilled from the shadow's touch. It was a cold that seeped beneath her skin into her soul. She needed to calm her racing heart, drive the effects back. She listened to Jay's breaths, his heart thudding against her skin, the pound of his footsteps.
     Finally, Jay stopped, gently setting her down, breath ragged. Nya could vaguely make out the outline of Kai's hunched form a few feet away.
     "Everyone okay?" Jay asked, voice unsteady. Nya nodded numbly. Relief ran through her as her vision began to sharpen.
For the first time, Nya took in their surroundings. The air smelled faintly of sulfur.   
     The ground beneath her feet was dry and cracked, dust swirling as she shifted. Scraggly bushes decorated the vast expanse of land. In the distance, she could see the smoldering remains of the monastery.
     "Where are we?" Her eyes fell on Kai, who was crouched, staring dejectedly across the barren landscape.
     "Welcome to the Land of Monsters."