Until death – chapter 35

Until death, chapter 35

 

Theme: “The Shadow Black Men”

 

I did maelstrom skills, my body spinning in the air like a rotating prom, the earth and wind on my rump stimulating me forward. My right hand is now blazing with fire, while my left fist is folded with rock. Letting out a great battle cry, I whack at one of the first men that Reed called “shadow black beings.” I don’t care whether they are Shadow Black or not. I don’t care whether they can perform black magic like a necromancer or be more powerful than them. All I know is that I am ready to step into this sparkling portal, and no one can stop me.

 

My blow was aimed high, a deadly blow that was meant to ki*ll. A few inches from my fist colliding with the first man, he stopped my deadly blow with his palm. However, I did relent as I blasted him back with my right hand, which was streaking with flame. The second man attacked me from behind with a long blade, and I quickly jumped up to avoid being cut by the long, sharp blade, which was now gleaming with fire. 

 

I examine my surroundings, my gaze looking for Reed, and I sigh in relief as I see him working his teeth on the bonded boy. One of the three beings seems to notice this, as he quickly lunges for Reed. I raised my left hand and a boulder appeared out of the ground, which knocked him back. Then I charged at him, my right hand directing a luminary at him. However, the fireball bounced on something which I suspected to be an invisible shield. Despite how my fireball was hitting an invisible shield, I didn’t stop. Even though it was consuming my power, because the more I used it, the more I always felt exhausted. That didn’t prompt me to stop.

 

Seeing that the man was occupied with making his shield stronger so he wouldn’t get hit by my luminary ball, I jumped up, spun my body, and landed on his back. Before he could comprehend what was going on, I made my soul sword appear in my hand, and I stabbed him from behind. The sword penetrated his back and went straight from his heart, punctured it, and came out of his chest. I grabbed the man by the neck, then consumed his life force, and I felt my vitality returning. After there is nothing left to suck, I release my hold on him and his lifeless body slumps to the ground.

 

The remaining two beings let out a painful shriek and rushed at me. I held a smirk on my lips, swung my sword in my hand, threw it up, and caught it with my left hand, then rushed to meet them. The first man directed a pebble at me, and I slid down to elude it. I used my silver sword to touch the ground, then used the force to hurl my body up and parry a deadly blow at the same time. I gave ground to lunges so I wouldn’t be cut by the second man’s long blade. I parried another blow aimed at my head and pushed aside to avoid a lethal scrape, while the man’s blow ripped the passage wall instead.

 

 

I felt a boulder hitting me from behind, and I knew it was the work of the first man. The force threw me forward and hit my head against the passage floor. “Get up, sluggish a$$.” I heard Reed chitter in my ear, and I slapped him with the back of my hand. On instinct, I rolled out of my position, and a huge boulder landed on my previous post, which made a huge hole in the ground. I was yet to stand up when I felt a force carrying me up.

 

 

Looking around for who was casting the spell, my gaze met with the first man. He was drawing a somatic sign with his hand, his lips mumbling the spells, while the second man was twirling his sword as if he was about to throw it. However, my assumption was wrong. The first man hit his hand on the ground, and a statue in the form of a human appeared on the passage floor, while the second man stabbed the stone statue. I felt an intense pain in my abdomen, and blood split out of my mouth. I watched as the second man stabbed the stone statue in the chest, and I felt another sharp pain in my right chest.

 

That is when reality dawned on me. The statue on the floor is my miniature. That means I will get injured on my body if the second man is stabbed anywhere on the statue. The first man closed his eyes, then increased the rhythm of his spell, and his hand began twisting in the air. Instantly, he slammed his palm on the statue, while I felt a loud bang in my head. Worst of all, the wounds aren’t healing.

 

I feel my head banging loudly, followed by a sharp pain in my body as the second man keeps stabbing me multiple times. I searched deep down for my power, hoping to form a shield. But I was met with emptiness. It was like the power had deserted me again. Then I knew my only hope was Reed. I tried looking at the floor, hoping to find Reed sinking his sharp razor teeth into those men’s flesh, but my vision was blurry. Then I felt my eyes getting heavier. I felt myself going unconscious, and my vision turned black. While the pain I was feeling wasn’t helping matters.

 

Just when I thought I had failed again, I felt my body deflecting the law of gravity again, and my back hit the boulder that was thrown at me before. I close my eyes, hoping the men will finish me off. However, Reed was the one that visited me instead. He was using his tongue to lick my lips while his tail was working wonders in my eyes. 

 

“You are a prey,” he chittered in my ear, before sinking his sharp teeth into my neck veins. “That is for hitting me earlier.” He said and whisked away.

 

 

It was like Reed boosted my energy. My eyes snapped open, and I felt a hand yanking me up. Standing on my feet, my eyes met with the young boy who had been chained earlier. He was standing beside me, his brown eyes staring at me, and I could feel them piercing my soul. He had short, curly hair, pink lips, and his body smelt of olive oil. “Thanks to your little friend,” the boy said, his voice so deep and ancient. “He freed me from the spell rope that was used to bind me.” He pointed at Reed, who was now standing proudly at my soles.

 

The only thing I could do was nod like a lizard. The aura that was emitting from his body was just too powerful, too strong for me to withstand, and I could feel my legs shaking. “I am Caleb by name,” he said, stretching his hand at me for a shake.

 

Before I could take his hand, Reed climbed my body and bit my hand instead. “Shaking a lazy boy will only corrupt your skills.” He chittered. I bit my lip in anger, trying my best not to hit him again. I know he was referring to me as a lazy boy. Thank goodness the guy couldn’t hear what he was saying.

 

“Rey Reed Smith,” I introduced myself.

 

“And your companion,” he said, his gaze now on Reed, who was sitting on the floor.

 

“He is Reed,” I said, and the boy let out a small chuckle.

 

The moaning of the remaining shadow black men jolted me out of my thoughts. That is when I remembered that I was on a mission. I turned my attention to them, and I could see that they were just getting up. I guess that the voice knocked them out when they were busy working their magic on me. Their eyes snapped open as they saw Caleb and me together, while the duo started taking battle stances.

 

I cracked my phalanges, folded my fist, and made my sword appear in my hand. Reed jumped on my shoulder, his teeth gritting as if waiting for the right moment to raid. I know Reed was probably searching for the opportunity to go for their neck, ear, nose, or eyes. That is the thing he loves most. I can also see the new boy, Caleb. His eyes had turned red, a claw was emerging from his hand, and black veins appeared on his neck. His muscles expanded, and hair grew out of his arm. 

 

I have read about different nightwalkers and bloodsucker creatures, but I haven’t seen one. If it was before I went to the afterlife, I wouldn’t believe that one of the night-waking creatures could exist here in Africa. But now, I was eager to know what the boy could offer. I want to ask him which type of category he is and how he acquired his power. But that would have to wait. I have a war to fight now, a shadow black man to defeat, a portal to enter and a world to save. 

 

Letting out a great battle cry, I charge at the second man who is holding a sword, while Caleb speeds towards the first man who was using dark power. My silver soul sword was raised high against my head. Mustering all the power in my hand, I slashed at the man, and the latter quickly parried with his blade. Sparks fly out as the two blades meet, and the loud clang of metal against metal echoes all around the passage. Instead of relenting, I doubled my attack. I was slashing at him from different angles, trying all my best to press him against the passage wall. 

 

The reason why I did not want to waste time is because of my friends out there. I know I have already squandered too much duration, and I don’t know how the battle out there is going. Thank goodness, all the wounds that were inflicted on my body have healed, and I can feel my vitality returning. This made me increase the speed of my attack. Left and right, I slashed at the man. Front and back, the battle went on. I twirled my blade, then whacked at him again. My sword was resting on his blade, and he was blocking with both blades resting on his shoulder.

 

I retrieved my sword and slashed him again. This time I aimed for his head. I wanted him to make a mistake, so I was swift with my attack. He fell for my trick by raising his blade to parry my attack. Seeing that he was distracted, I conjured a huge stone in my hand and used it to hit him on the chest instead. The blow caught him on awareness. The force sent him several feet towards the portal, which was still glistening. Then I bounced up, and planted my feet on his chest, before blasting him with fire.

 

The man went flying in the air, and I could see blood spitting out of his mouth. Seeing that he was a few meters from landing inside the portal, I raised my hand, and rock thrived out of the ground, trapping him. I squished towards him, spinning my blade with my hand, getting ready to finish him off. However, Reed beat me to it. I wonder how the two-foot-tall cat was able to run at that speed. He climbed into the man’s body and went straight for his eyes. He sank his teeth into his left eye. Black blood oozed out before he went for his ear. 

 

Instead of stopping Reed, I allowed him to do whatever he wanted with the man before I finally grabbed him on the chest and sucked out his life force. Taking a deep breath, I returned my gaze to Caleb and the last man. I watched as the man drew something with his hand, then mumbled some spell, and clasped his palm together. Caleb’s leg was instantly glued to the same position, and he split out blood. I knew what the man was doing. He was performing the same spell he had cast on Reed and me. 

 

The man twisted his hand, and Caleb vomited blood, while his nose and mouth were also full of blood. Not wasting another second, I charged at the man while Reed was following me. Thank goodness, he wasn’t looking in our direction, which gave me an advantage. With meters to reach him, I leaped up, whirled in the air, and stabbed him in the head with my sword. Reed followed suit and plunged his teeth into the man’s nose. The man let out a painful cry, grabbed Reed, and yanked him away with incredible force. 

 

Seeing that Reed was going to break all his rib bones if he landed on the floor with such velocity, I slid towards him and grabbed him. “I just saved your silly bone from breaking,” I said to him, a sly smile forming on my lips.

 

However, he gnawed me on the hand instead, his sharp teeth piercing the vigor on my arm. I should have known better. Reed would never appreciate it; he is just a godforsaken animal with the ability to talk. He releases his body from my hold and runs for the shadowy black man who is still moaning in pain. Well, I couldn’t blame him. It was like Reed’s teeth were saturated with special poison. Even when he bites me, I always feel misery before the wound heals.

 

However, Caleb wins him over. The new boy was extremely fast, and I suspected that he might be a vampire or wolf. Before Reed could reach halfway, the new guy plunged his sharp claw into the man’s heart, and brought out his chest, while his body went slump.

 

T.b.c