Fan Fiction ❯ Midnight Tower ❯ The worst kind of evil ( Chapter 2 )

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real people, places, incidents, or anything else, is obviously coincidental. The Authoress did not intend for this to be a historically accurate story and it is not based on any legends of any type. If you think this resembles any true story in any way you are wrong and probably mentally troubled. Seek help immediately and start reading some history books you stupid freak! Of course, because the authoress loves all stupid freaks you are welcome to leave your comments.

All rights reserved. No part of this story may be used or reproduced without written permission from the authoress in any way, shape, form, or anything I forgot. You may however quote the authoress briefly but only in articles and/or reviews.

To my dear friends who encourage my weirdness and bring more into my otherwise normal life.

Midnight Tower and all characters (c) Rin Flowers

 

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CH1

Damn her life sucked! Vix thought as she dodged four very sharp looking claws. The grimy black arm retreated back into the shadows and shifted across the wall into another part of the darkness. It was hard to believe that just an hour ago her and her mentor had been having a ball in the Goth club. Just half an hour ago they had been walking away from her final test. Her mentor had been challenged to a battle earlier that day and had to go meet her opponent, leaving Vix to travel down the city alone. She was only half a mile from home when out of the shadows of a corner store came this huge shadow demon. From the distance she saw it as a large frog, but it melded into the darkness and charged at her before she got any more details. Now she ran down the street, desperate to get home to her wards and spells. Any beginner could repel a weaker shadow demon with a spell, but if it was a higher level than what the spell was made for than she would be so fucked.

It seamed unlikely that a high-level shadow demon would be roaming the city unattended, and it seamed more unlikely that a high level shadow summoner would be after her. Still, she would feel better with a spell in her hands.

Vix darted around a dumpster, pressing her palm up against the sleek metal she struggled to catch her breath. She was the second fastest girl in her class, completing the mile in under five minutes. Still, she wasn't running around the track in a practiced pace, if she had done that she would be toad-food. The image of her as a fly came into mind and a choked laugh broke between her quiet gasps. If she was a fly she could buzz right to home, but she was a human. Worthless even as a shadow summoner.

A shift in the air was the only warning she had before the dumpster was ripped away and flung aside. She cringed as it smashed into the side of a house, demolishing the living room and half the kitchen. Putting all her strength in her feet she took two short leaps to the left and when the shadow turned that direction she darted back and around the right side of it. Leaping over a short brick wall she cut across the trailer park to avoid the busy streets.

The lot was quiet and dark, giving plenty of places for the shadow to hide, plenty of chances for an attack. Still, she new that just because there's a chance, doesn't mean it will be taken. Look for the obvious, and the not so obvious. Everything in-between, ignore. Watch for changes in the surroundings. Just because it's a shadow, doesn't mean it's silent. Many large shadow demons are clumsy and dumb.

She saw it behind her, in trees, on roofs. It stayed in the shadows, but it was noisy enough to give it's position away. Its saliva dripped from its jaws and sizzled like acid on the lawn grass. She continued at a deadly pace. Her heart and lunges couldn't take much more of this, her pulse raced so fast in her ears it almost drowned out all other sounds. She pushed on, her vision was darkening around the corners of her sight and she was on the verge of collapse. In her effort to keep away from the streets and out of the shadow's grasp she ended up running far longer than she should have.

She grasped the iron bars of the entry gate and pulled herself up over, it was far more difficult than the millions of other times she scaled the gate, though she didn't know why. She had just grasped onto the pointed top when something sharp and wet dug into her ankle. She let out a surprised shriek but cut it off short. She feared discovery more than she feared the creature digging its slimy jaws into her leg. Its saliva burned away the bottom of her jeans and left bloody blisters along her foot and up half her leg. It tugged at her, causing her to slip. She grabbed onto the broken edge of a gate topper, the one she had always been so careful to avoid. It was sharp and cut deep into her skin; small crimson streams ran slowly down the white bar. Grasping tightly to the topper, she swung with what was left of her strength and landed an armature kick right in the big frog-eye of the shadow demon. It let out a terrible shriek and released her. She struggled over the gate and landed on her ass on the opposite side. She saw the shadowy toad shape scratch at the irritated eye, but she didn't take the time to see if she had done any real damage.

With strength she didn't have she rose on shaky legs and continued down the road. Any other high school student would have passed out long ago, but she was built to sustain pain. After a lifetime of getting the shit beat out of you, you learn to cope. She ran up the slope and around the twists of the rode. Up ahead there was a flood tunnel that would cut back under the trailer park and open up down the street of her home.

She could see the tunnel, water trickling down the concrete and flowing out into the street. Walls of concrete surrounded her, blocking out the sound of cars and surrounding her in the impenetrable darkness that was threatening to block her vision earlier. Small patches of plants grew from the sand and gravel, clutching to the feeble support, reaching out to her like she could possible help them to hold on longer in the current. The splashing her shoes made as she waded through the water echoed off the dark walls. The current wasn't that strong, but there had been a bad rainstorm for the past few days and there was a lot of waste floating around or stuck at the bottom, dragged this far when the current was stronger.

Her pants were soaked and heavy, her right leg ached from the saliva burns. She just needed to get through the tunnel and into her house. It didn't take that long actually. The sounds that were once a muffled roar now were distinguishable. The pitter-patter of raindrops echoed in her ears. The storm had started up again, bad news for the forensics who would analyze her last test. She gasped, choking back the laugh that had lodged itself in her throat.

Concrete walls fell back and the night sky was visible once again, cars flew by, sending waves of water off the road and down into the trench that lead to the tunnel. Darkness surrounded her vision again but she blinked it back. She wasn't that far, she could make it. The air was foggy with mist and the icy rain stung at her cheeks and arms, soaking her top and chilling her body to numbness.

Up ahead she could see her house, the broken streetlights hovering over the dead grass of her lawn, shadows cast onto the walls by the headlights of passing cars danced and played until they faded back into the darkness that was the night.


The ground shook beneath her for a moment and knocked her off her feet. She closed her eyes as pain shot through her back, panting she struggled up. Lights of various colors broke out across her eyes and melted into darkness. She blinked rapidly to clear her vision. An unbearable stench enveloped her and she felt the hot slimy breath of the Shadow toad as it leaned over her. Slowly her sight returned and she could finally make out the image of her attacker. She was right in her assumption; it was definitely a Shadow toad.

The long powerful legs were coiled back into a squat as it loomed over her. A thin layer of dark leathery skin was streached out between each toe for fast swimming. Spikes protruded from the spine and ran up onto the top of the head where it forked out along the brow into various lengths. The two longest horns were on either side of the head and curved out like a bull horn, perfect for spearing its prey. Its eyes, large and black stared down at her in raw hunger. Leathery lips pulled back into a victorious sneer, deadly fangs jutting out, dripping with acid-like drool.

She stifled a scream as it bucked its head in her direction; she dodged the horns, grasping one as it tossed its head back for another strike, throwing her over it and onto the brown remains of her lawn. Struggling up from her landing she ran up the slope in her yard, not stopping until she felt her body pressing against the wet wood of her door, the peeling red paint chipping off as her hands brushed over the door to find the knob. Water dripped down from the roof onto her in huge splashes, her beanie drooping down into her eyes.

Hot putrid air swam over her numb body just as she grasped the doorknob. With a sob of relief she stumbled onto the cracked tile of her doorway. Grasping one of the wooden pillars separating the entranceway and the living room she swung around and pressed the door closed, crying out when the demon toad speared its horns into the feeble wood, pressing it back. Further, further, it was too strong for her. She couldn't leave the door; if she tried to run to her room for a potion the demon toad would just catch her, its long sticky tongue ripping through her before she got halfway down the hall.

`I'm going to die!” the thought, crashed into her skull and echoed in her mind. What did it feel like to die? No, she wouldn't die; she was a shadow summoner now. She could survive; she would just summon another shadow demon.

She relaxed her mind, searching for the darkness, the pit of black that lead into her soul, calling out to anything, she didn't know which shadow to get. Another Shadow Toad? No, she didn't want another one. Death Flyers were too small to fight, a Toboticox! They could devour anything weaker than themselves, and Shadow Toads were defiantly weaker.

Another jolt almost broke her concentration, she needed to remember the steps it took to summon, but they escaped her, hovering just out of her awareness. Sobbing she pushed harder on the door, she couldn't even tell if her eyes were closed or if the darkness had finally taken over her vision.

Then something happened, the door began to give way to her, slowly closing, pushing the Shadow Toad back. A small almost inaudible click was the only signal to her that the door was finally closed. With a sigh she turned around, slumping back onto the flaking wood.

After a few deep breaths she was able to move again, the warmth of the house filling her body, driving away the fear and chill the night had hammered into her. Gasping she realized that someone was standing over her, a dark figure, his hand still pressed against the door. His face was half hidden by a strip of cloth, hanging just over his nose. A black cap covered his face, his cold, black eyes stared at her, studying her. Belts wrapped over his shoulders, small glimmering hanging from individual loops all across them. Two other straps circled each of his arms and a third hung from his wrists. The corners of his eyes crinkled, like he was sneering, but the cloth kept his mouth hidden from her view.

“I can't believe a weakling human was able to summon me.” His voice was low and menacing, but held a hint of humor. Like this amused him or something.

“I…I don't think it-it couldn't have been….I didn't think that I could” She just couldn't get the words out. This was Henrich! Mistress had shown her a drawing of him once, but she never really thought to summon him, after all, he was one of the most powerful Shadows. A master of Dark Blades he was only summoned by powerful shadow summoners back in the warring times. He couldn't be here with her now. She could never have summoned him. Not her!


“Shadows can tell who summon them, we're immediately connected, or do you not know that?” He couldn't hide his amusement. He had never been summoned by a human before, no, this girl was interesting, and she hadn't even realized he had arrived.

“I know…its just that…you're-you're Hen-“

A loud crash interrupted her and suddenly she was being covered. Henrich was leaning over her, flying glass shooting through the air, bursting through the wood separating the living room from the entranceway. He let out a grunt as they bit into him, dark ink-like streams ran from his shoulders, but quickly dissolved as his wounds disappeared.

Effortlessly he lifted her up bridal style, jumping out through the roof, landing softly on the grass outside. Setting her down gently he turned to face the shadowtoad that had burst through the large window into the living room.

“I was summoned to face that?” He sounded a bit annoyed. The mighty Henrich facing a week Shadow Toad. Still, he was able to be in the mortal world for a brief moment. He welcomed the feel of the icy rain pelting him, soaking his shirt and pants, running in streams down his face causing his hat and mask to sag slightly. Quickly he reached behind him for his sickle. Grasping the cool silver metal he drew it from its strap just as the toad turned to face him.

In an instant he had drawn three daggers; they flew through the air with a whistle, lodging one after the other into the toad's throat, cutting off its agonized scream. Then he raised his sickle, the Bone Blade, carved from a dragon's talon, sank down, biting deep into the toad. Ink-black blood sprayed everything. Soon the lawn and living room were covered in it, black on black, melding into the darkness of the rainy night.

Shaking of the blood, Henrich watched as the toad's body slowly sank into the ground, sizzling where the light touched it. No longer connected to its summoner it could no longer withstand the light. Cars that passed would see nothing for than shadow melding into shadows. With a swing of his sickle he returned it to its strap on his back, turning around to face the soggy human girl, shivering in the rain.

“Bet that wasn't what you thought—hu?” she had collapses, lying in the rain, the grass around her springing with life, enjoying the glorious water that had finally been given to them. Behind her he saw the figure of a woman, soaked from the rain, eyes bright with hatred. There was no doubt in his mind that this was the shadow summoner that had conjured the Shadow Toad. Kneeling beside his summoner he rested his palm against her forehead.

“Hey,” he said soothingly. “We have one last opponent. Don't you even think about fainting on me you worthless human? Bad enough I get stuck with a weakling like you, I'm not going to loose a fight because of you.” Slowly she opened her eyes. “That's it, you don't want to miss out on your first shadow battle.”

Shadows began creeping along the ground, covering the trees and the houses, twisting them into distorted figures, reaching up toward the sky like eager hands grasping at the rain. Slowly the darkness crept, sticky ooze-like shadows that covered everything. Vix shrank back as it came near her. Grasping at her legs like zombies clawing their way from the grave.

Swallowing back a scream she tried to pull the darkness from her, but it wouldn't come off; it was stuck, as though it was only a dark shadow covering the land. The rain beat down harder, but the inky substance didn't wash away. It wisped over her like smoke, inky black, yet as light as the air. Covering her body and the surroundings, transforming them both into something that was better suited for the shadows.

She watched as the blackness covered her house, leveling it in some places, twisting it upward in others. Like a rock formation, odd and unrecognizable. It climbed through the air on an invisible wall, rising upward in all directions only to fall back into it, forming a bubble of sorts…a barrier of darkness around them.

Soon the inky black substance fell from her body, leaving in its path an altered shadowy version of herself. Her hair swirled around her in a river of jet black silk as she stood on shaky legs, small wings fluttering at her ankles, not even connected to her. Her beanie had disappeared, leaving long black ravens wings protruding from her ears, swiping at the air. Fangs pierced her tongue causing her to give a small cry. Black feathers ran up her legs and around her waist, stopping above her breasts before traveling down her arms and over her hands, her fingers disappearing beneath the wave of black.

Henrich watched her expression, humans transformed differently than shadow summoners to survive in the shadow barrier. Shadow children usually just changed a little, their dark blood pulsing faster, giving them the appearance of a shadow demon, but it appeared humans transformed almost completely.

He was curious to see how a human would react to such a transformation, he had thought she would be afraid, but the emotion that entered her eyes was closer to astonished wonder. She gave her new wings a soft flap, sending wisps of air past him. An excited smile spread over her face, slowly she rose up off the ground, her new wings pushing her up, and soft fluttering sounds came from the small wings at her feet.

It was all over in a minute. The searing pain that flooded his body as the Toboticox ripped through his stomach, holding him in its jaws as the shadow summoner lunged at Vix. Vix's new wings beat furiously, but she could not support the extra weight and fell, tumbling down with the catlike creature that had attacked her. Within an instant the creature had pulled out a blade and slashed her throat, letting her crumble to the ground as she sprang back onto her feat. The barrier began to dissipate, her wings and feathers melting into the grounds, leaving her ordinary cloths, letting her blood stream down, mixing with the icy rain that began beating at her once again.

Henrich felt himself flowing back into the shadows, back into the shadow world. Not only had he lost the fight, he lost his summoner. How embarrassing…'Oh well.' he thought. `She was just a human.”

The cats fur melted away revealing a short black dress, the ears falling back, long curly black hair tumbling free, a smile spread across a face more familiar that that of her own. Vix stared up, gasping and gurgling, at her mentor.

“My, my, my. How did you ever manage to summon Henrich?” Mistress laughed at the shocked expression her pupil now showed. “Did you really think for an instant that you could be a shadow summoner? My dear Vixen, how silly.” slowly Mistress reached down, whispering to her in a language she didn't understand, but knew what it was. Mistress was going to steal her life away, devouring her pwers.

She didn't want Mistress to take away her powers; she wanted to be able to return to the earth, to be reborn again. No! She didn't want to die! Not yet, she wanted to get stronger, to show Mistress she was a powerful summoner, to show her mom that she could keep her promise and survive.

Her mother. Now why did she go and think of her at a time like this…that weak woman who left her so many years ago. No, she wouldn't let Mistress steal her life, even if she would die here, she would die as herself, not as her mentor's snack. She would prove to that woman that she was strong.

Pink light surrounded her, bright pink, then red. Like a rose. Soft and velvet and warm, it covered her body. Was this what it felt like to die? She heard Mistress' screams of agony, saw her dark figure real back and stare down at her, clutching her burned hands to her chest. What was this? She felt the blood, wet and sticky, flowing down her neck. She had lost all feeling there, why was it taking so long to die? Her throat was cut wide open; she should be dead by now.


Then mistress was gone, and a smaller figure was in her place, leaning over her, unharmed by the bright light that surrounded her now. She heard shushing sounds; tears fell down her face, `When did the rain stop? She wondered, `Silly thing to think about.' the blurry figure soon faded in with the rest of the darkness around her. She heard whispering, but couldn't understand it, didn't even want to try. All she wanted to do was sleep, the warmth of the light surrounding her. `How silly.' was all the could think of then