Lost Soul: Chapter Twelve
A boy’s quest to remember his true nature [Fantasy fiction inspired by an ayahuasca journey in Putumayo, Colombia]
As the boy walked through the plaza he felt Oro’s presence stronger than ever. He didn’t need his eyes to show him what he already knew. Oro had joined his soul. This comforted the boy and he walked at peace.
Andrea noticed the boy’s calm demeanor and couldn’t help but glow in delight. She took his hand and whispered in his ear: “’ I’m proud of you”.
The plaza wasn’t its buzzing self. The music had stopped and not a single soul rushed across the courtyard to portals or debriefing stations. The low rumble of thunder pierced the silence. The black sky swirled with a fiery red like lava running down a mountain.
“Don’t worry, we’re quite safe here. I spent sixteen eternities reinforcing this gateway with charms of Dinago descent,” said Jerimiah proudly, anticipating the companion’s reactions. Only Alexander and Ivaylo’s wolf appeared to be the ones concerned by the sinister sky change.
“I’ve heard that before,” Alexander said under his breath, so no one could hear him. He stooped down to give Ivaylo’s wolf a reassuring pat on the head.
When they reached the Gammy Leg, the thunder had become deafening cracks that shook the walls and sent mugs, goblets, and silverware clanging against the marble floor. The boy clung to Alexander’s leg. Who, himself, was using all his might to stay on his feet by bracing against the bar. Ivaylo lacking the strength of Alexander, wiped out two sets of tables and chairs like a bowling ball, quickly followed by his wolf crashing into his ribcage. Andrea and Jeremiah hovered in the air doing their best to keep Bev from joining Ivaylo and his best bowling ball impression.
“We have to go,” said the boy tugging at Alexander’s leather food pouch. “Eh?” Replied Alexander, confused by the boy’s brave statement– especially at a time when they could do anything but move.
“I- I don’t know why, but I feel we must go. Now.” He said now with surprising assertiveness as though channeling a higher power within.
He released his grip from Alexander’s tree trunk leg and moved toward the door. The others clocked the boy moving freely. Only Jeremiah seemed savvy about what was happening. The boy’s feet glowed and looked remarkably paw-like. “If Oro says you must go. You must go,” said Jeremiah with authority.
The companions let out another airy sigh in unison– only this time out of disbelief and not the calming effects of a cuppa. The rolling thunder subdued. “Let’s make the most of this window,” said Alexander.
“You heard the guy,” said, Alexander. “I’ll see ya, Bev.” And they each took the opportunity to give Bev another soul-warming hug. “Aww me lovelies, you’s are always welcome.” She patted her eyes with the tea towel slung over her shoulder.
“This way,” beckoned Jeremiah, ushering them all out of the Gammy Leg. They sprinted across the plaza towards the great golden statue that resembled Oro more so than ever.
Jeremiah was muttering under his breath and making short, sharp hand movements like a Kung Fu master. Before Jeremiah had finished his sequence, a black portal opened up in front of them. A thunderous clap of thunder and a ray of lightning struck the golden statue. The statue exploded, sending pieces of sandstone clattering toward the companions.
Jeremiah broke out of his trance. “This isn’t right,” he yelled over the rumble of more thunder. The companions stood exposed in the middle of the empty plaza. Raindrops the size of grapes started thudding down like bullets as though someone had just turned on a giant shower. If time existed in the realm, it would have slowed down. The unexpected was unfolding, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.
Darkness rippled out of the portal like a black sail billowing in a strong wind. It surrounded the companions and began to take form. The same form it took back in the ancient Dinago hangar. The swirling cloud, speckled with blue and red flashed and became a giant dark figure with fire in its eyes, and electricity in its veins. It raised its arms by its side like a cross, tilted its head back, and let out a deafening screech. Suddenly, out of the portal, another dark cloud emerged. It whipped itself up like a tornado, revealing a dragon-like form and eyes that roared red with hate. The companions and Jerimiah took a step back. Alexander had already drawn his shield ready to deploy another protective dome. Jerimiah had a similar idea and had beaten him to it. A bright golden dome surrounded them emitting from Jeremiah’s medallion.
Before Alexander could react, they were engulfed in electric blue flames and were flung to the ground by the screech accompanying the mystical flamethrower. Jerimiah stood strong, but he knew he couldn’t keep up the defense much longer. Alexander sensing the struggle jammed his shield into the ground. The forcefield around them intensified. A heavy blow came from the dark figure’s arm which had morphed into a mace. Then another. And another. His blows fell like sled hammers on top of them. They were trapped. Their defenses weakening. The final blow came more ferocious than the previous combined, wiping out their defense. They stood there helpless as the darkness closed in on them.
“Got any ideas ‘ere Jez?” Alexander said over his shoulder. Ivaylo and Andrea sandwiched the boy between them. They knew they didn’t have power over the darkness. Not here, anyway.
“I-I…” Jermimiah stuttered. He couldn’t believe his protective charms had been undone. His charm work was second to none in the realm.
Before Jeremiah could finish, the darkness swept down, grabbed Alexander by the throat, and hauled him up into the black sky. He looked insignificant in the giant hands of the darkness.
The dark dragon swept down to imprison the others with its wings, leaving enough of an opening so they could see the fate of their leader.
“So this is how it ends for the last Soul warrior.” Said the voice in the darkness. “Pity you couldn’t save your friends, Alexander. When I’m done with you, I’ll end them like I did the rest of your kind. I am everyone you ever lost.”
Alexander looked vacantly into the darkness’ red eyes, glowing like firepits. He saw his friends in the darkness. In pain. Tortured by their own existence. He saw the boy in his human form, void of spirit, overcome by darkness. The scene changed and he saw himself as the dark warrior bearing down before him”
He felt the grip around his body tighten. His ribs flexed like a drawn bow. The physical pain was nothing compared to what he’d just seen. The darkness opened its mouth like a snake about to consume its prey. Then another tube of black cloud slithered toward Alexander from it’s mouth, engulfing his entire body. There was nothing he could do. He remained motionless. Dead behind the eyes. The last thing he would hear was the shrieks of his friends trapped below. The darkness had begun sucking his soul when a flash of white light, resembling a shooting star struck the dark warrior where his heart would have been. The darkness flinched and immediately pulled back trying to find the source of the light.
The dark dragon got hit flush on the snout by the arrow of white light. The beast let out another deafening screech but despite the obvious pain, kept the companions pinned. Moments later, another shooting star struck the dragon’s tail, riling the dragon up into a frenzy of agony and anger. It propelled itself into the air, scouring the area looking for revenge.
The boy, Andrea, Ivaylo, and Jeremiah took advantage of their freedom to retreat. They found cover behind the ancient statues near the plaza.
Another ball of light hurled down from above. Up, high on the city wall, a short, stout figure cut a golden silhouette against the black sky. The dragon seized the moment to attack the mysterious sniper. It flew up in line with its attacker, fanned out its wings, and filled its bowels in preparation for its own strike. Meanwhile, Jeremiah stepped out from behind the statue, looking to engage the dark warrior. Alexander was still limp as a rag doll within its grip.
“Not on my watch,” he said to himself as he ran toward the darkness, gaining momentum with each stride. Even at full speed, he worked his charms. His furry little index fingers and thumbs pinched together moving frantically in the space in front of him. At about fifty yards from the darkness, he lept toward it like a cat. Sailing through the air, Jeremiah’s rodent-sized body swelled bigger and bigger. Like Bruce Banner morphing into the Hulk, his pot belly filled to the size of a bus, and his little arms became as thick as oak trees; his energy field denser than Alexander’s shield.
The dark warrior met Jeremiah’s advance with a swing of his mace, but as it made contact, Jeremiah had scythed through its arm at the joint. The dark cloud dissipated into nothingness and the rest of its body pulled back in disbelief. Instead of retreating, it charged up another lunging attack in Jermimiah’s direction. Jeremiah had other ideas. He ducked under a wild swipe and hacked through the darkness’s remaining arm. The grip around Alexander vanished, and he began falling to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Just before hitting the ground, Andrea, watching the scene unfold, darted over to him, softening his fall to that of a feather. The dark figure fell back into the portal, retreating to whence it came.
Up on the wall, the dragon and figure battled on. Blows of light versus darkness illuminated the sky. Sparks flew in all directions like someone working an angle grinder.
“You’s lot better get in that portal!”
“It’s Bev!” Yelled Ivalo, pointing up to the wall.
“GO!” Bev said.
Ivaylo turned toward the portal the darkness had been sucked into. It was closing.
The boy was now helping lift a groggy Alexander to his feet. Ivalo and his wolf rushed over to help, too. Jeremiah — still in his giant form — was orchestrating with his gargantuan fists, doing his best to keep the portal open.
“You need to go, now,” Jeremiah said. “I can’t hold the portal open much longer.”
“Jeremiah, the dragon!”
“If I drop the charm, it will close instantly. The moment is now,” he said.
Alexander ambled up onto his feet, supported by his companions. They guided each other toward the rapidly shrinking portal.
Ivaylo and his wolf heaved Alexander through the portal’s precipice. Before following, the boy turned back to look at Bev. It looked as though the dragon had won, but as the darkness engulfed her, a gold-white light splintered out of her. The boy knew she’d left this realm for the next. Andrea rested a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder and guided him through the portal into another strange land.
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