Echoes of a Shattered Age (23 page)

The monster tore at him, kicking up rocks and dust in its wake. As impossible as it seemed, Kenyatta, who seemed so small in comparison to the Krindra, slammed into its foreleg and sent the monster stumbling onto its belly as Kenyatta rolled aside.

Snarling, the Krindra regained its feet and stood on its hind legs, and Kenyatta took advantage of the movement and charged again. The others thought he was surely dead, for he leaped straight at the beast, slamming into its belly. To their surprise, he knocked the beast back into the canyon wall.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Kenyatta cut downward in a diagonal swipe with his right sword, severing the beast’s right leg at the shin. While crouched he reversed his grip on his left sword and launched himself straight into the air, slicing the beast up the middle of its body all the way to its head. Once he cleared its head, Kenyatta spun in the air, and as he descended, he turned the grip on his left sword and cut the beast across the throat. The islander landed with his back to the monster and started toward the others, who stared at the bloody Krindra, leaning against the wall, lost in the void of death.

Kenyatta sheathed his swords as he walked, unmoved by the ground-shaking thud when the monster finally crashed to the ground. The others stared at him in disbelief until the strider finally spoke. “Those things were pretty fast for their size, but they weren’t that fast.” Shinobu indicated Kenyatta’s injuries. “I hope you just slipped on a rock, or perhaps lost your footing. Otherwise you may not make it through this mission.”

Kenyatta looked at him for a moment and then walked by, toward his friend. “If you have questions about my skill, strider, come and test them for yourself.”

Shinobu regarded the warrior for a moment.
Was he joking or was that an invitation?
Kenyatta never turned to look at him, but simply stood with his back turned, as if waiting for a response. When there was none forthcoming, he shrugged off his pack and began sifting through it.
He really was serious,
the strider realized. “Perhaps those little scratches have made you a bit edgy, friend, but do not be angry. They are the result of a mistake that you survived, barely.”

Kenyatta slowly turned to face him. “What would be more interesting is to see if you are able to survive the mistake you are making now, questioning my skill and calling me friend in the same breath. You are not my friend, for I do not know you. Second, I tolerate criticism from no one but my teacher and my family. I do not doubt your skill, or make light of it, but if you wish to use your tongue to joke another day, you best rest it now or carry it in a sack for the remainder of
our
mission that you have included yourself in.”

The strider slowly reached over his shoulder for his weapon. The characteristic smirk was replaced by the dark look he gave the islander. Kenyatta met that stare, waiting.

“Perhaps you both could take the greater challenge of acting like
silent
children instead of loud ones,” Akemi scolded, stepping between them. “Children have very short attention spans, and since you have obviously forgotten about the mission on the other side of this canyon, let me remind you. We have no time for nonsense. Put away this ridiculous confrontation for a time when you both have nothing else stupid to do and let’s get this business done.” Both warriors nodded, still staring until Akemi sighed and grabbed Shinobu by the arm. The strider smirked at her and let himself be led away. Kenyatta glanced at his friend, who stood quietly to the side, and noted the concerned look on his face.

Kita smiled nervously at his friend retracting his weapon and securing it to his back. “You alright?” he asked, patting Kenyatta on the back.

Kenyatta took a deep breath. “Yeah, man. I don’t know why, but every time he opens his mouth it gets under my skin.”

“Let it go,” Kita replied, giving him another pat and stepping past him toward the canyon wall. “There’s plenty of demons to fight.”

Kenyatta followed after his friend. “Yeah man.”

Minutes later, the warriors reached the top of the canyon. In the distance they could barely see the horde of fiends blazing a tainted trail toward the tower of balance. “They have a good start on us.” Kenjiro said, “We’ll have to move quickly if we’re to catch them before dark.” After checking their gear and fastening all straps and belts, the warriors ran after their quarry.

* * *

“They made easy work of those things, but that band of monsters they’re racing to catch is like nothing I’ve ever seen. Either they are true masters, or suicidal would-be heroes.” Kim glanced at their leader who continued to stare in the direction of the departed group.

“Neither,” she said. “They know what they are up against and will see it through to the end.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Seung turned to face her second in command. “I just know, Kim.” She saw the concerned look in her friend’s eyes.

“You don’t understand,” she replied. “It’s not wishful thinking. I can’t explain it, but I know they will succeed. I can feel it, and I wish to accompany them. Somehow, I feel an intangible bond that I can’t explain.”

She turned and looked back at her companions, who stood amidst a score of scattered Chimsura carcasses and one Krindra that she herself had felled.

“Do you wish to follow?” Kim asked.

Seung smiled and kissed him on the cheek, which instantly went red. “I have no doubt that you would follow me into the depths of the dark world itself,” she said. “But this is not our fight. We have played the small part in this that we were meant to play, and now we return home.”

“You knew there would be more in store for those two, didn’t you?”

Seung looked back in the direction of five warriors, now gone from sight, and her face softened. “I don’t know why I chose to find them, or how I was able to track them down. I just had a feeling and went by it.”

There was more, Kim could see it in his best friend’s eyes. He said nothing, though. Whatever the outcome, and whatever the future might hold, the web of life would reconnect them at a later time if so it should be. The small band of village warriors recovered their grazing horses and turned toward the sea, toward their home across the ocean.

***

Chapter Thirty

Hot on the trail of the demon horde, the five warriors passed through patches of forests and dark woods, fighting their way through bands of skulking Kalistyi. The shadow fiends were no longer a challenge since their weapons had been imbued with the power to banish them back to the abyss.

After hours of pursuit, with brief rest stops, the companions finally caught up to their quarry. They stopped at a plateau overlooking a valley, and alongside the horde passing below. “We have the element of surprise in our favor,” Shinobu said.

“In addition to an advantageous position,” the samurai added.

“We waste no time here,” Akemi said, her eyes glowing with anticipation. “We end this now.” The ninja was not the only one whose eyes glowed with excitement. Though Kenyatta and Shinobu showed casual interest, Kita could see the eagerness about them. The samurai, however, remained stoic and ready to be done with this business, as was Kita himself.

Without hesitation, they dropped from the edge, hopping from level to level toward the valley floor. From their vantage point, the surrounding hills and distant mountains could be seen. The countryside was an expanse of rolling hills of grassland, and scattered clumps of trees and outcroppings.

To their left, a herd of slender golden-brown animals with curved antlers crowning their heads ran and jumped in the distance. As Akemi drew Sekimaru, she knew why it was so important that they must stop the Drek. The world they inhabited was vast and beautiful, rich with life. This Drek would see her precious world forever darkened.

She wondered how humankind could have allowed themselves to become so detached. How could they not marvel at the countless wonders of the world, and in their arrogance, manipulate, exploit and destroy what they themselves did not create?

It was no wonder that technology and all knowledge of it was taken. In response to the valuable lesson, humans did begin to turn to nature once more. More often than not, however, it seemed humanity was still determined to exploit its surroundings to suit itself. Wars and conquests still raged, and the threat they faced this day, although not wrought by humanity, was still an example of humankind’s inability to understand who they were. Humans did indeed summon denizens from the dark realm, although much weaker than Quentranzi. Humans still had not learned the lesson that the Gods had been trying to teach them; they had not evolved.

The young ninja thought back on the many adventures she’d had in her short years of life. How many demons had she exterminated that had gotten loose and slaughtered their summoners? Time and again it was the same, a foolish person with some degree of skill brings a demon to this world only to die at its hands. And time and again, Akemi or some other demon hunter would come to send it back to the abyss. No demon could ever enter this dimension without a tether to summon it, and for centuries innumerable, there was always a willing tether to try, and ultimately die.

Would this forever be the future? Would it be she, with her brother by her side and perhaps the others, stepping up to the responsibility of cleaning up the mess that humankind seemed to constantly create? She smiled to herself. If not for the mess of humanity, she would have to take up another profession, and the ninja couldn’t imagine what that might be.

In a flash of blinding light and streaks of energy, one of the Ren fell and began to dissipate. Each warrior landed atop one of the larger demons and quietly sent it back to the dark realm. Suddenly, as if the horde operated on one collective mind, they turned to face their attackers. The group stopped short and quickly analyzed their situation. For the first time they truly realized their enemy for what it was and what they were up against. A score of Ren stood before them, as well as a vast number of other demons that no one in the group had encountered before.

Several slimy green beasts lumbered toward them. Their long tails were connected to the lower part of their backs, which were covered with plated scales. They made a grating, hissing sound, spreading scaly arms that were twice as long as a human’s body. Two sets of eyes glared at them from beneath a single horn in the middle of their foreheads. The drool that seeped from their hungry maws blackened the ground that it touched.

A group of short, silver creatures stood to either side. They had no distinct features other than being humanoid in appearance. Despite the warmth of the day, the air around the diminutive fiends was misty, as though freezing. They stood at ease, their blank stares leveled at the newly arrived humans.

Kenyatta heard a snapping sound and turned to see two demons approaching, snapping together what looked like giant crab-like pincers. Within each pincer were jagged, spikes, no doubt designed for tearing and ripping. On their heads were horns that curved downward toward their elongated jaws.

Akemi saw several nightmare demons within the horde as well, having received their name because of their ability to peer into the minds of their victims and twist what they found into horrid images and sounds. These fiends were as black as pitch, and had narrow yellow eyes. They had no mouths, for they communicated telepathically. On each of their shoulders was one long, metal-like spike that curved upwards.

Four pit demons stood at the rear, towering over the entire horde at near to eighteen feet tall. Two horns also grew atop their heads, curling backwards and then forward to stop at the lower jaw, similar to that of a ram sheep. Their eyes were dancing red flames that matched the ominous red glow that pulsated in their scaly hands. A host of many other types of fiends that not even the ninja woman had seen before completed this medley of evil, and the five warriors hesitated, studying the intimidating force.

“This is gonna be good,” Kita muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Kenyatta said in a low voice.

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid,” Shinobu teased.

“Only that you will continue to irritate me,” Kenyatta retorted.

“Not now!” Akemi snapped. “We face a powerful horde of demons and you talk nonsense!”

Kenjiro leaned closer to his sister. “Why don’t they attack us? We have hesitated too long already.”

“I think they knew we were pursuing them. The major demons are much more intelligent than the lower ones and I suspect that their mission did not include engaging us. They wait for us to make a move.”

“When have you ever known a demon to think like this?” Kenjiro asked. The ninja shrugged.

“What do you think of our chances?” Kita asked, not taking his eyes from the abysmal creatures.

“Tough to say,” she answered. “Some of those things are not that powerful, but I have never fought a pit demon before. Those things are more wicked than anything I have ever personally laid eyes upon, and there are four of them.”

“Those other things don’t look very eager to come and play,” Kenyatta commented.

“I would rather face a score of Ren by myself than four pit demons,” Akemi said. “Take care with them. Nothing fouler has ever walked this plane.”

“Yet,” Kita added.

“I wonder if the Drek knows of what he summons,” Kenjiro said. A glimmer flickered in Akemi’s eyes and she drew Sekimaru close. She could feel the hunger in the sword and was reminded of Taliah’s warning. She glanced at her weapon. The twisted, grotesque fiends hissed and gurgled, but did not attack. The pit demons stood erect at the back of the horde while the Ren stood crouching at the front. “I don’t think they will wait for us to conceive a plan,” Kita remarked. Kenjiro nodded.

“We better do something while we can.” Shinobu said. “We should split into pairs.”

“We are not fighting Chimsuras and Krindra,” Kenjiro remarked.

“That’s true,” Shinobu agreed, “but we have to even our odds somehow, and this seems the best way.”

“Let him do what he will,” Akemi said. “We don’t have time to debate.”

“Maybe he’s right,” Kenyatta said. He looked over the group. “Kita, you should team with Kenjiro.” He then looked at the ninja with a nod. “And I with you.”

“Agreed,” she said. “We will push straight through the middle and the other two will flank them on the right side and cut through the middle behind us and then straight across to the left.” She looked at Shinobu. “Do you have a plan, Strider?”

“Yes,” he answered. “I will flank them on the left and meet Kita and Kenjiro when they cross the middle.”

“Fine,” she said, looking at Kenyatta. “You should be in front and try to cut through the center while I protect the rear. Just don’t push through too far ahead.” She regarded the others. “Try to keep your distance from the pit demons long enough to kill everything else first. We must fight the pit demons together.”

The five warriors faced the now slowly approaching horde. The ninja stood low, with Sekimaru in a reverse grip in her right hand. Kita held his staff in a firm grip, its bladed tip angled toward the advancing demons. Kenjiro stood with his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, head held high in defiance of the evil approaching.

Kenyatta drew his swords and crossed them in front of his legs, tips facing the ground, waiting for the Ren that was closest to him.

The strider stood to the side of the group opposite Kenjiro, with his arms crossed over his chest, smirking. The exotic blade on his back glowed brightly in its scabbard. “Let’s get this done,” he said.

Akemi nodded at Kenyatta and they charged into the midst of their enemies.

The ninja lunged forward and cut the Ren a deep gash across its abdomen. She turned back to follow up the attack, but to her surprise, it had already begun to dissipate. She turned to face the second Ren who slashed at her midsection. She hopped back just as Kenyatta glided over her head and split the flaming beast in two.

* * *

Kita and Kenjiro sprinted around the right side of the horde, then ran up the side of a mound and leaped at the closest demon Akemi had identified as a ripclaw. It snapped at them with one of those spider-like claws, but Kita batted the scaly arm aside and Kenjiro, right behind him, severed the limb. Kita drove the spear end of his staff into its chest, and an instant later it began to dissipate and return to the abyss. A second ripclaw came in, slashing and hammering the ground, and in short order, also began its descent back to the abyss.

* * *

Shinobu managed to defeat a number of the lesser demons as he moved to take his position. He stopped in front of two of those icy blue creatures and smiled. “At least you two look somewhat human,” he said, and rolled to his left to avoid a shower of ice spears that flew at him. Once he came to his feet, the silver demons stood with what looked like ice swords in their hands. They made not a sound, but charged at him, freezing the ground with every step.

* * *

Kenyatta felled another Ren and a score of lesser demons in the middle of the horde so that only the more powerful ones remained.

Sekimaru left streaks of light in the air as it passed, cutting through every demon in its path. Two Ren came from the rear and attempted to flank Akemi. She launched a small handful of shurikens at the fiend on the left, while leaping to the right. The instant the shurikens struck the Ren on the left, she slashed the leg from underneath the Ren on the right.

As soon as her foot touched the ground, she launched herself in the opposite direction, hurling another handful of shurikens at the fiery demon on the right just as she plunged her mighty sword into the belly of the recovering Ren on the left. The now one-legged Ren on the right received a chest full of shurikens and had just enough time to see the other Ren dissipating from behind the human that now glided at its face. An instant later, its head was dissipating in midair along with its body.

“Nice moves back there!” Kenyatta yelled from the distance.

Behind Akemi, five of those smaller silver demons tumbled and dissipated, and then her brother and the strider darted crisscross through the path, passing each other in the air. The last Ren stomped in front of her, then split in two and dissipated, and she saw Kita in the wake of smoke and ashes. He darted to the right and stabbed a nightmare in the head and then the midsection.

Across the battlefield, she saw the strider’s strange sword moving like lightning as it sliced through the air with a
shing
.

The path behind them was cleared save the last few lesser fiends that Kenjiro had eliminated, and when the ninja turned, she saw that Kenyatta was facing two Tasarien. Their crab-like pincers snapped and clanked as they moved closer. Kenyatta backed away until he stood beside his ninja partner. “So do we each take one, then?” he said.

“Why?” came a hideous reply. “Are we too much for you, human?”

“They understand us?” he whispered.

“Some do, yes,” she replied. “Now how will you respond?”

“With these,” he said with a smirk, holding up his blades.

The Tasarien in front of him sneered. “Human with such confidence find himself scattered across the valley, yes?”

The four adversaries charged each other, Akemi on the left and Kenyatta on the right. The Tasarien, although they stood better than ten feet tall, were surprisingly fast and agile. Several times Kenyatta was almost cut in two by a quick snap of one of those pincers.

* * *

Kenjiro and Kita faced the four silver demons, but when the samurai saw that Shinobu came face to face with two nightmares, he wavered. “Kita, you must get to the strider. He knows not what he attempts to fight alone. One mistake and they can destroy his mind.”

“I don’t doubt you, samurai,” Kita said, “but how do I get past these things, and that scaly one that’s moving toward us?”

“I’ll hold these four,” Kenjiro said. “The scaly one is your business.”

Steel clashed with ice as the two warriors worked as one against four foes, then stood back-to-back when the four demons backed away to regroup.

“When I signal,” Kenjiro said over his shoulder, “duck, then jump over the one in front of me.”

“Ok.”

The silver demons formed up again and converged. “Now!” the samurai yelled.