The Warrior's Beckoning

I STARED INTO the fire as it danced, straying only a fraction from its source. Formless it rose; in waves it swayed. As I stared deep into the fire, I saw its purpose. It was a reminder… a reminder that God may give warmth, but he may also burn.

  Just as our flesh could not directly handle fire, so, too, could we not approach God directly. I stared, my gaze piercing the very form of the fire. It met my gaze, and only my eyes truly felt its heat. I would not look away. No, I would not be moved.

  Deep in thought I remained, preparing myself for the task at hand. I would cast just a few possessions into the fire, but for me it felt like more. It was an escape, one that I allowed to overtake me. No more. No more. I rose slowly and approached Chuck.

  “Are you doing your thing?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I replied, moving back to the fire. My gaze locked with the fire as I reached into the bag. One by one, I threw the video games in, about five in all. Each melted quickly, until nothing remained.

  Chuck and Christina approached with their son Levi. “Is there a prayer or something to read?” Chuck asked. “I wrote a few things.” I began to read:

  My Declaration

  I write this as a final statement of who I am and who I have become. I know I have changed much over the years, each year. It is time to be different. It is time to be who I was meant to be. The time for pretending is over. The time for being is now. Faith and honor—these are what I live by. To many, chivalry is a ridiculous idea. For me, it is a code to live by. My friends—I have chosen the path of the knight, a knight in the service of my Lord, though I claim no nobility of my own. My honor…my faith…everything comes from my Lord and Savior, Jesus. His life was given to me, and my life I give to him. The Word of God is as a sword, striking deep the hearts of evil.

  Blade with whom I have lived, blade with whom I now die, serve right and justice one last time; seek one last heart of evil; still one last life of pain. Cut well, old friend, and then…farewell. This blade, though, is eternal. It seeks not to strike down the hearts of evil but to save them. I will always be there, and I will not give up. I love all, and I seek to help all, knowing not all will accept. My Lord loves all, with no restrictions. He wishes to aid everyone; how could I not do the same? My vow to him would be empty.

  I have not kissed. This I save for the one I will marry. I have saved myself for her, whomever she may be, for I love her already, much more than she will know.

  My Lord, I ask only that I live but one more day, if only to serve you. Your servant awaits your command; with eager heart I serve.

  My master, send me to those in need. Equip me with only love and wisdom, for all else stems from these roots. Purify your mold, for I am yours. Amen.

  God of infinite power, understanding, love, and faith, hallowed be your name; righteous is your banner. Mercy and grace do you extend; your one son you did send. For all that those who sinned did, you sacrificed the one without sin. You have chosen all, knowing not all will choose you. I return to you, my God, my best. With a heart of celebration, I choose you; with fear, I follow. Your messenger waits, for your message is what my soul sings. I love you, my father. Amen.

  With that last prayer, I looked at the picture in my hand. It showed me as I had looked years ago, wearing my trench coat, holding my sword firmly. The picture was purely black and white, and the sword and coat stood out above all. Slowly, I cast the image into the fire and watched as it burned.

  It is almost done. My friends and I parted ways, and I returned home. With a hammer, I gathered all the remaining games and smashed them. I was free. Just as a sword is forged from the ore that is uncovered from the earth, so, too, was I. Smelted within the purifying fires and hammered into what I was now.

  Sic vis pacem, para bellum. (If you want peace, prepare for war.) However, what war should we have been preparing for? My friend, it was not one fought on a distant battlefield. No, the battlefield was in our hearts and in our minds. I was a weapon of war, an instrument of love.

  Now, my Lord, take me, all that I am. I stand for you, covered in the blood of your son, casting my sins upon his body. I march under your banner, my king, as a soldier—a soldier, clad in the armor of light. I thank you, my God, for leading me to this, for it is a great honor.

  • • •

  The past faded, and the present returned. Slowly what had been faded away and what was fell in its place. I stood in the corridor of what appeared to be a hospital. I stood beside a desk covered with office equipment. Six rooms connected to this corridor in a hexagon formation. Each room gave the appearance of a patient’s room, each with a bed and medical equipment.

  Below me, I heard the sound of rushing water…the sewer system through which I had gained entry. A large, closed hatch rested just before my feet. Only the emergency lights were on. The equipment was inactive. Unsheathing my flashlight, I fixed my gaze on the room across from me. A form lay hidden beneath a blue sheet. I approached with caution, scanning the adjoining rooms. My focus remained on the form beneath the sheet. Who, or what, was hidden there?

  I would soon find out. I reached for the sheet and slowly raised it to reveal a young woman. She looked at me, our eyes meeting. She took my hand gently, great pain evident in her expression. I grasped her hand gently with one of my own and brushed the other lightly along her forehead. A small smile crept to her lips.

  “Are you the one she called?” she asked lightly, looking into my eyes. With a nod, I returned her gaze. Her eyes…they looked so familiar. “I watched helplessly as they tormented her, forcing her to see things no one should ever know,” she said, her smile widening. “You have the same look in your eyes.”

  “Darkness?” I replied, not knowing exactly what she meant.

  “Yes, darkness,” she said gently, stroking my hand. “It goes by many names: night terrors…schizophrenia…it’s all darkness.”

  I sighed softly, bowing my head.

  “They forced them on her?” I asked, closing my eyes.

  “Yes,” she said, sighing. “They managed to tap into the unknown… and brought unseen forces upon us. They funneled them into her mind, and all she has known is nightmares. But you, Warrior, you can set her free. You have seen this darkness…you will face it. Find her…”

  I nodded and squeezed her hand gently. “Well, not before I get you out. Hold on to me, Mary,” I said, reaching beneath her to pull her toward me. She wrapped her arms around my neck. Turning, I carried her to the center of the room. The hair on my body began to stand up as I approached the center. Something drew near me. Setting her down gently in the chair beside me, I unsheathed my flashlight and scanned the area. The shadows danced before the light, quickly moving about. They began to meld into a single form.

  The form resembled a human, its eyes glowing with a black aura. My light could not pass through it. With a shrieking howl, it lunged for her. She turned, screaming as it drew near. Leaping onto the desk beside her, I jumped toward the creature, thrusting my right foot to its head at an angle. The creature fell to the ground, shrieking louder. Charging it before it could recover, I flipped my flashlight in the air, catching it at the tip and smashing the end of it into the creature’s neck. In retaliation, it swept its arm sideways, knocking me back.

  The creature quickly lunged for the girl once more, reaching for her throat. She screamed helplessly as I recovered my stance. I grabbed a nearby wooden chair and threw it at the creature’s legs. The creature fell, landing just before her feet. It rose quickly, reaching again for her throat. Diving forward, I grabbed it by the legs, pulling back hard. Shrieking, the creature struggled to resist, kicking and thrashing.

  I pulled once more before diving forward and wrapping my arm around its neck. Locking it in a choke hold with my other arm, I slid to the side, away from its kicking. Soon, it began to dissipate, until nothing remained but its cold aura. I stood quickly, moving to the girl. I picked her up once more.

  “Thank you,” she said, resting her head on my shoulder.


  “No need to thank me,” I replied softly, carrying her to the next hallway. The exit awaited us just across the hallway. Her body was light and frail, her life fading in my arms. “Hang in there,” I said, moving across the hall quickly and opening the door. I carried her out and moved swiftly to my car, opening the passenger side and laying her into the seat, buckling her in. In the back, I kept bottles of water and protein bars. I opened both and gave some to her. She drank and ate hungrily, as though she hadn’t been fed in days.

  “Thank you again,” she said softly, resting her head against the seat.

  I smiled in reply. “Rest now,” I said, running my hand along her temple. She gave me a smile, then silence. It would take some time for her to recover, if she lasted at all. I locked the car door and turned back. There had to be more people in the building, more like her. I had to find them.

  As I sprinted back to the building, my mind wandered. What was happening to me? Was this all real? Creatures? Ghosts? Me playing hero? As I slipped into thought, what light existed around me began to fade and was replaced by a blanket of darkness. My heart raced, and my breathing became erratic. I heard a piercing howl, followed by the scream of a young woman. A dark figure approached, tall, the dark shadows dancing around him, each with its own voice…calling me, mocking me.

  “She may live,” the figure said, “but you will not. I will break you, Warrior, and harvest your soul.” With an echoing laugh, he vanished. I looked around. Glancing back, I saw that the car was still there and the young woman slept soundly.

  “I will not be broken, nor will I give up,” I said in defiance to my doubt. With another

  sprint, I returned to the hallway. To my right was a locked door; to my left was another hall. I turned and walked the left hall. The entire place seemed to be a hospital or research facility of some sort.

  The room at the end of the hall caught my eye: a security checkpoint. My flashlight revealed a broken door leading into a large office. Monitors lined the wall to the left. To the right was a wall of heavy glass.

  The room was a mess, with chairs overturned, papers scattered. I sifted through some of the papers, looking for clues, and found only old security reports, nothing current. A computer glowed on a desk in front of the wall monitors. Pulling up a chair, I sat down in front of it and started reading the incomplete security log on the screen:

  The facility is in chaos. It seems that we can no longer control the dark rift… nor whatever darkness it has wrought on us. There have been reports of personnel having heart attacks, shrieking about an encroaching darkness. Others have reported seeing shadows and then watched as others were severely beaten by invisible hands. The research staff cannot give us answers. And we cannot secure the facility. There is no place to hide. What we thought we could control is now destroying us. God help us…

  The log ended.

  A sentence appeared on the computer screen. “Watch the monitors,” it said.

  Glancing up at them, I saw static at first and then the horrible events that had befallen the facility.

  The first monitor showed a break room, where two people sat across from each other at a round table. A shadow passed by the camera and quickly enveloped the two. It entered into their bodies. They clutched their chests, shrieking. A security guard broke into the room. “The darkness…it’s alive!” they screamed before falling lifeless. The guard called repeatedly for medical assistance on his COM link. No one came.

  The second monitor showed the main lobby. Employees and a few visitors roamed around; some were seated in a circle of chairs to the left of the door. The receptionist worked ceaselessly across from the door. Several dark figures formed, looking much like the one I had encountered, and charged everyone in the lobby, attacking them viciously and swiftly. Two security guards entered the area and fired into the creatures, which shrieked and receded into darkness. A woman who looked quite familiar caught my attention. She had been beaten severely and was taken into the arms of the security guard. I caught a glimpse of her face. It… was her! The woman I had helped and left in the safety of my car. Three more guards entered, sweeping the area. Many people were in the lobby, and only a few survived.

  The next monitor displayed the entrance to the checkpoint room in which I now stood. I watched as shadows moved into the room, and the scene on the display vanished. I scanned the room, watching as all the loose papers and overturned furniture returned to their original places. Personnel faded in, moving about the room. Two security guards stood over me, watching the monitors as if they did not see me. One leaned over, moving through me. Security guards moved swiftly through each room, gathering all the people they could. They skirmished with the shadow creatures but remained intent on evacuating the survivors.

  A scream echoed from the connecting corridor, and a man burst into the room. “Something’s coming!” he cried out. A dark tendril pierced his chest. He shrieked, trembling as his skin turned gray. Soon, his body fell lifeless. The guards drew their pistols, firing into the dark mass. It reached for each of them, draining them of their lives…their souls. Throughout the struggle, the room returned to the state in which I had found it, with overturned chairs and

  scattered files, but now it also included the bodies and the dark mass looming over them. It was there with me.

  I stood quickly, my gaze fixed on the dark mass. A thousand whispers emerged from it, followed by an echoing laughter. My EMF meter beeped rapidly in my pocket, and my heart began to beat erratically. My breathing followed the same pattern. The dark mass moved to me, stretching its tendrils to wrap around my body. I felt its cold touch as it encircled me. The tormented memories of its victims flooded my mind as it pulled me into the air. A rush of sorrow, anger, hatred, and rage all swept over me.

  What followed was a feeling I had never felt, not even in my worst nightmare. It was a coldness…so cold I felt my spirit begin to slip as it pierced deeper and deeper into me. Closing my eyes, I focused my energy, strengthening my aura. In response, the hair on my body stood straight out and a surge of energy flowed through me.

  The darkness weakened its grip on me, and I focused more intently on the love I had had and the love that I knew. Slowly, bit by bit, the dark mass faded, as if erased by the energy I channeled into it.

  The screams became whispers, and the whispers became echoes, until there was only the sound of my heart. I fell to the floor, bracing my forward fall with my hands. Though I tried, I could not push myself back up. I could hardly move. The battle had exacted a toll—one I could scarcely afford. Trembling, I tried to push myself up once more, only to fall forward again.

  The girl—I had to save her. I had to get up. But my energy was spent. I gave up the fight and passed out on the floor.

  Though my eyes closed into darkness, they opened to a bright light. I watched as the victims of the dark mass approached me, forming a circle around me. “Thank you,” they said, leaning over to place their hands upon my shoulders. A sensation of comfort cleansed me as they released their touch. They turned toward the light and walked to it. Soon they all vanished, save for one.

  She turned to me, smiling. “Warrior, there is another in need. She awaits you,” she said, pointing to the monitor in the center. As I looked up, the light vanished. The room returned to its former chaotic state, though the bodies still remained. The monitor showed a small office with a woman crying in the corner. The door was barricaded, but it shook and trembled. Something was trying to break in.

  I stood quickly to read the label on the monitor. It was the administrative assistant’s office. Using my flashlight, I studied a map posted beside the desk. A quick run and I would be there within minutes. I darted out the door, running to the right and through the lobby. I switched my head lamp on, navigating with ease through the dark rooms. Another right and straight down a hall.

  Waiting rooms lined the hallway. There was a maintenance closet to the left. The door opened before I passed it, and a metal
pipe fell out, about the size of a staff. A useful weapon. I picked it up and ran forward.

  I broke into a large room, with three offices lining the far wall. I stopped, scanning the area. My EMF reader beeped, just after a tingle crawled across my neck, and two shadow creatures lunged from the darkness, circling me slowly. Holding the pipe tightly, I braced myself, awaiting their attack. The closest one lunged forward. Spinning quickly, I swung the pipe toward the creature, focusing the entire force on one end. The creature screeched, knocked to the ground.

  The other creature charged. Throwing the pipe into the air with a spin, I rolled past the creature, catching the pipe before it hit the floor. I swung hard at the creature’s knees and sent it forward, shrieking. Both creatures retreated into the darkness. I stood, looking at the office door in the center, approaching it slowly.

  I read the nameplate in the door and called out to the woman. “Christina? Are you in

  there? You’re safe now,” I said reassuringly. A moment later, the door opened a crack. “Who are you?” the woman asked timidly.

  “Someone who cares,” I said, smiling. She opened the door wider, motioning for me to enter as she stepped back. She sat at her desk, and I entered her office.

  “She said you would come,” the woman said.

  “Do you know where she is?” I asked, standing beside the desk.

  “No. She hasn’t been seen since the attack,” said the woman, looking up at me. “Do you know what’s going on here?” I asked, motioning to the darkness outside.

  “We were researching night terrors and schizophrenia. We found that such subjects typically have some telepathic capabilities, though most go untrained,” she said as she turned her attention from her computer to me. “When we ran tests to find subjects with the strongest telepathic abilities, we found her. Our researchers developed a means of channeling dark forces into her mind. This allowed them to project the symptoms linked to both disorders.”

  “I’m guessing this was done for its tactical applications?” I said.

  “Yes. We thought the chance to debilitate an enemy leader without incurring a single casualty on our side was worth the risk, but we underestimated the cost.” She looked at the door.

  “What cost is that?” I asked, following her gaze.

  “No one anticipated that the dark mass we tapped into would manifest in a semicorporeal form.”

  “And start slaughtering everyone?” I asked quietly.

  She nodded. “Now, I’m caught in the middle of this, fighting things I thought existed only in people’s minds.” She sighed heavily. “I’m sorry. So, so sorry.”

  “Well, I’m kind of glad. I’ve always wanted to do something like this, at least once,” I said with a soft chuckle.

  She smiled shyly.

  “I need to get you out of here. I found another survivor, a woman. She’s resting in my car. You two need to get to the nearest hospital. Another hospital, not this place,” I ordered, turning to the door.

  “I will.” She followed me to the door.

  “Stay close to me,” I said as I opened the door slowly. Shining my flashlight around the dark room, I stepped beyond the doorway. She reached for my hand, and I took it gently and held it for a moment. We ran down the winding halls and corridors. The hair on my body stood straight up, though I saw nothing amiss. I knew, though, that we were being watched. Something was near.

  I stopped as we neared the side entrance. The woman continued toward the door. Unhooking my keys from my belt, I tossed them to her. “Go! Take my car, and get her and yourself to a hospital,” I said.

  A rush of cold air pushed from behind me, and the woman turned. Her eyes widened, and her skin turned pale. I felt a cold presence looming just over my shoulder. Without a shudder or hint of fear, I looked into her eyes, my eyes pleading. “Now!” I yelled as I spun backward, driving my elbow into whatever loomed behind me.

  The blow struck a cold mass. With a shriek, the creature responded, charging forward. It lashed out for Christina as she opened the door, but she slipped through. The creature grabbed the handle and began to pull back on the door. Screaming, she resisted, and she got away.

  I charged the creature, ramming my shoulder into its back. It fell forward against the door. The creature itself was a bit taller than I, a little over six feet tall. It was massive, but not as strong as it appeared. Placing my hand on the back of its head, I pushed forward with all my might and repeatedly drove its head into the door, harder and harder with each blow, denting the metal door.

  The creature dissipated, but the sensation of something looming nearby did not. Turning quickly, I locked stares with several more creatures. At first I counted five of them, but the numbers grew so quickly that I soon lost count…it seemed endless. I heard my car engine crank and the sound of gravel kicking up as the women drove off quickly.

  They were safe. All I had to worry about now was the battle at hand.

  I turned to face the creatures at an angle, folding the tips of my fingers. I placed my right hand level with my waist and my left hand close to my left breast. This was my natural battle stance.

  Flow. Flow as a poem, each move preparing for the next, leading to victory. The first creature charged. The second followed. They did not all move at once but came at me singly or in pairs, toying with me. I remained expressionless, without conscious intent. Reflexes are not voluntarily activated. They cannot be controlled. They bring action without thought, without concentration. When the first creature drew within a few inches of me, I spun quickly, grabbing its wrist and turning its arm hard. The creature shrieked as I pulled it to the floor snapping its arm back and stomping its neck. The second creature lashed out at my back. Crouching, pushing back against the creature, I grabbed its wrist and pulled it forward. It landed on top of the other creature, and I kicked its neck.

  Standing, I turned to the other creatures. They remained still, watching me.

  I was still heavily outnumbered. I bowed my head. May the Lord be my strength. I raised my head once more. Focusing all of my energy throughout my body, I roared and charged them. In a blur, I plowed into the creatures. One was knocked to the floor, bringing down those behind it.

  Those on the side turned to me as I spun bringing the side of my hand into one creature’s neck. Ducking as the creature on my left reached for me, I slammed an open palm into its gut, rising quickly to wrap my arm around its neck, pulling up and snapping its neck. The creatures in front of me recovered, and I spun around again, raising my leg in a side kick and striking its chest. Pausing, I studied the creatures that now surrounded me.

  Now I wasn’t merely outnumbered, but I had no ground in which to maneuver. As one, the creatures lashed out at me, sinking their cold claws into my flesh…tearing into my soul. I felt myself collapsing, my sight beginning to fade. I began to fade. It felt as if I’d slipped into a dream, a dream that grew dimmer and dimmer.

  I heard a voice cry out in the distance, followed by gunfire. “Move in!”

  The creatures shrieked as they were struck with heavy gunfire. But it was all happening so far away from me, so distant…or was it I who was distant? Where was I?

  I was on the floor, and a man in Kevlar armor and a white uniform knelt over me. “Can you hear me?” he said, placing two fingers against my neck.

  I answered with a blank stare, my gaze falling to his side, where three other men in the same uniform approached. They picked me up, and I blacked out.

  I slipped into a nightmare in which I stood in a decimated field. Shadows crept all around me, and the cold air took on a life of its own. Cries echoed from every direction. In the center of the field was a hole filled with darkness. Shadows emerged from it, spanning in every direction. The hole grew…slowly, but it grew. Laughter emerged from the hole, sinister and filled with a cold timbre.

  Then the scene before me went black.

  I awakened on a small table in an operating room. A man, perhaps the one I had seen bef
ore, stood beyond a heavy glass door. I sat up, sliding off the bed and onto my feet. My flashlight still hung from my hip.

  Approaching the door, I called out to the guard. Turning, he opened the door. “That was close,” he said, standing to the side to allow me passage.

  “Thank you,” I said as I walked past him.

  “I’d ask how you’re feeling, but we have no time to chat. I’ll take you to the chief,” he said, stepping in front of me. We proceeded to the next room. The doors were barricaded, and four guards sat in the center. It seemed to be a prep room for the OR. We moved through the room and down the hallway. Four rooms lined the hallway, with an injured guard lying in each one on rows of chairs lined up into makeshift beds.

  Down the hall and into the next room, we entered an armory. A stern middle-aged man immediately met my gaze. Motioning me to approach, he began to speak. “So you’re the one she called,” he said in a voice that demanded respect.

  “I don’t even know who she is,” I said, looking at the folders scattered on the table before me.

  “You will. I’ve collected all the information I could about her. You’ll find everything about her, down to her shoe size, in these folders.”

  I pulled a picture from the first folder. It was her…

  “We need to get down to business,” he said sharply, placing his hands on the table and leaning forward.

  “Of course,” I said, setting the picture down and looking into his eyes.

  “I’m sure you know what we were doing here, so, I’ll skip the unnecessary details. We had a massive containment breach shortly after the dark energy was channeled into her. Soon after that, we lost control over the main lab. We managed to evacuate the lab personnel, but the guard assigned to extract her was killed when he touched her. After that, dark creatures began to appear all over the place. Behind this room is an emergency bunker where we placed nonsecurity personnel.” He motioned behind him. Then he looked at a door to my left.

  “Why do I get the feeling there’s something bad about that room?” I asked, following his

  gaze.

  “That’s where the dark mass was kept,” he said, bowing his head. “I’ve held up here with

  a containment team to ensure that it doesn’t get out.”

  “And the girl?” I asked. Our eyes met, and I saw the grief he held.

  He motioned to a nearby monitor to his right. I walked to it and watched it closely. The room was dark, but I could make out a young woman in a bed, surrounded by bizarre machines. Near her lay the body of the security guard that had tried to rescue her.

  “I wanted to disconnect her immediately. But here’s the tricky part,” he said, pointing to another monitor. It showed a map monitoring the location of every being within the facility. “The black dots represent those creatures of darkness you’ve been slugging it out with. The white ones are living humans. The gray ones are trapped spirits. See this one?” he said, pointing to a white dot, not moving, on the other side of the building. “That’s her,” he said as he pressed the screen and brought up her vital signs. “She’s in a coma, but that’s not the kicker. See this gray dot?” He pointed to a gray dot moving randomly around the facility. It had the exact same vital signs, the same biosignature. A black dot followed it closely.

  “It has her spirit trapped…” I said, watching the tandem dots.

  “Exactly. And that sucker is impervious to our attacks. I have lost a lot of men to it,” he said, looking to me. “I don’t know who you are, but you’re the only chance we have against this thing. She cried out, and you answered. You are her Warrior…her love.”

  To this, I closed my eyes, raising my head.

  “If you’re ready, I’ll tell you what you have to do,” he said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

  “I’m ready.”

  “Follow me,” he said, walking through the hall I’d followed previously. I followed closely, glancing at the guards I passed. Those whose eyes met mine seemed to offer me confidence and faith.

  We approached the room in which I had awakened then continued into a smaller room

  with a bed. “You’ll be hooked up to the same machines. You’ll be in the same state she is. But you can fight. You will be on the side of light. The form you take will represent your true nature. Lay down when you’re ready.”

  He rolled out the machines. There were two of them, and they did not appear very high tech. They were more like i-movie props, with five crystals, one at the top and the rest arcing down on both sides. The pedestals that held them were silver and ornate. Unlike those that surrounded her, these had a cross in the center, above the solid base. Silver branches wrapped around each piece.

  He positioned one machine to my right and one to my left. Pulling out a syringe, he injected a fluid into my wrist. Soon after, my eyes grew heavy. As I went under, he left the room and watched through the window. Darkness fell, and for a moment it all went blank.

  • • •

  I sat up. Then I stood, turned, and saw myself still on the bed, asleep. The chief stood by the window. His eyes widened in awe. I approached the door, and he opened it. I felt so unusual… so powerful!

  “There’s a full mirror in this room,” he said, pointing to the room next to the lab. I entered it and stood before the mirror. Reflecting back was a figure somewhat taller than my usual height. Clad in white crystalline armor, he radiated an aura that sparked with energy. The armor resembled that of a Knight Templar. A helm covered most of his head, save for the face, where the long stem of a cross began at the tip of his nose and the short arms ended at a thick rim just above his eyes. The top of the helm was round, the face hidden by a white mist. A cross was etched into the gauntlets, chest piece, and knee plates. I turned to the side. A white cape hung over his—that is, over my—shoulders. I carried a kite shield and long sword strapped to my back.

  Reaching over my shoulders, I unsheathed the sword and pulled the shield loose. I held the shield out before the mirror as I slid my arm through and held the sword in my natural stance. The sword was crystalline, with a white aura of its own. The shield was white, with a large cross in the center.

  Turning to the chief, I asked, “Where is she?” My voice was different—booming but filled with love.

  “Heading this way. And there are many creatures behind her,” the chief said. He slipped into Kevlar body armor and loaded an M4. We entered the break room, where security guards in full armor, bearing riot shields and M4s, knelt behind flipped tables. Four of the guards were stationed in the room where I had first met the chief, to guard the entrance to the dark matter. I stood front and center, just beyond the door to the break room. It was not barricaded, in hopes that the creatures would be funneled through that door.

  “Stay back. Don’t shoot unless they get past me,” I said, approaching the door, shield raised. The hall beyond me shook with shadows as the creatures congested there. Some crawled along the walls and the ceiling; most ran through the center.

  Holding my sword behind me, I began to focus my energy toward its crystalline blade. It sparked with light, and the energy radiated beyond the blade. Thrusting it forward, I released the energy in a single beam. The creatures shrieked as the beam pushed past them, tearing their dark forms apart.

  “Help me!” It was a woman’s voice, but she was too far away for me to see her. Charging into the hall, I was met by more creatures. They ran at me, and I held my shield up. The first lunged directly at me; the second lunged underneath it. Swinging my shield, I slammed the first into the wall. The building shook with the mighty blow. The second creature clawed at my armor as I thrust my sword into its back. I spun as I jumped over it, swinging my sword and slashing at the oncoming creatures. Three of them charged me, and I cut all three in half. Swinging my shield like a plow, I charged into the remaining group of creatures, crushing them in my wake.

  “Come to me, my Warrior!” the woman cried out from the adjacent corridor. I turned
right and ran down the hall.

  “Go to her!” the chief yelled as creatures poured down the hall behind me. There was a hail of gunfire and countless shrieks. The woman stood just beyond the next room. I could feel her. The gunfire intensified.

  Someone yelled, “Frag out!” and an explosion rocked the building. In its wake came silence. The gunfire stopped. There were no more shrieks. Could the creatures have been defeated? Or were they just pawns, wearing down their adversaries until the real battle began?

  I stopped just inside the doorway to the lobby. At the front entrance, she stood. “Warrior,” she said softly, looking at me. “You came for me.”

  I walked to her, sheathing my sword and sliding my arm around her waist. I held my shield in front of us as I held her close. Sliding her arms around my neck, she rested her head against my chest.

  “I will always be there for you,” I said, stroking her hair gently. “I know,” she said softly, sighing.

  An evil laugh echoed through the room. We turned to its source—a tall figure, almost hidden within the shadows behind us. He bristled with sharp spikes that jutted from his shoulders, elbows, and knees. He seemed to be wearing armor made of onyx. Turning to face him, I drew my sword and raised my shield, placing myself between her and him.

  He laughed. He drew a glinting, ornate sword with a dark aura, its blade twisted as if from a nightmare. “Warrior,” he spat. He pointed his sword at me. “You are strong, yes, but those minions you and those filthy humans defeated were nothing but echoes of a greater form.”

  “Oh?” I said, my voice booming with confidence. I pointed my sword to him.

  “Like the two of you, I am projecting my spiritual essence. But unlike the two of you, my essential self is not a being of flesh. My real self is ethereal, not corporeal.” He approached me slowly, an evil grin visible inside his helm. “Besides, I have her trapped, and the only way to free her is to defeat this form.”

  I turned to her, looking deep into her eyes. They were filled with fear, trust, and love.

  “I will free you,” I said, bowing to her. Tears welled up in her eyes. Such a vow was unknown to her. After so many years, someone was finally rising up to defend her. Turning back to the Destroyer, I charged, my shield raised.

  He slammed his sword, Nightmare, against my shield, Hope.

  Pushing Hope forward, I swung my sword, Love, down at his legs. He stepped back quickly, holding Nightmare to the side then swinging at me once more. I met it with Love, bashing him with Hope. This knocked him back, as I followed by swinging Love once more, this time toward his head. Raising Nightmare, he parried my attack, lunging forward with his spiked shoulder. I barely raised Hope to block; the spikes penetrated my shield and pierced my arm, and I lost Hope. I gripped Love with both hands, though my right was slick with blood and weakened by the attack.

  A white mist escaped the punctures in my armor. He laughed, watching as I regained my stance. We charged each other, and our swords locked once more. More than that, my white eyes locked with his black soul as we pressed our blades together, each trying to push back or disarm the other.

  Neither of us could gain ground, and we were locked in struggle. A lifetime of pain flashed through me…hers and mine. Times of peril and struggle…times of loneliness and loss…I gripped Love tighter. I would not allow her to know this pain. I will not fail her.

  “Never.” I spoke softly at first, and his fierce stare became a look of puzzlement. “NEVER!” I shouted, thrusting forward and knocking him against the far wall. I ran at him, jumping into the air and pressing my foot against his elbow, which caused him to drop Nightmare. I thrust Love into the wall and grasped the two spikes on his left shoulder. Ripping them off, I jabbed them through his elbows and into the wall. Quickly I ripped off the other two and thrust them through his knees into the wall. Seizing both Love and Nightmare, I thrust a sword through both of his hands. He hung, crucified, from the wall.

  “Warrior,” he said, unable to move. “I underestimated you.”

  “That’s an understatement.” I stepped a few feet away from him. I held my hands off to the side, focusing on directing energy into the space between them, forming a white ball that sparked as it grew. Reaching into its center, I threw the ball of energy at the Destroyer. He roared as the ball crashed into him, struggling as his form began to dissipate.

  “This is not over, Warrior,” he said threateningly just before he vanished. I turned to her, and we smiled at each other.

  “Thank you,” she said. Then she, too, began to vanish. All went black for a moment. I felt nothing.

  Slowly, I opened my eyes. My vision was a blur. The chief stood beside me. “Good work, son,” he said, extending his hand. I took it, and he pulled me up. Two guards stood at the doorway.

  “We’ll take you to her,” one of them said. I stood, and we entered the break room, which had been torn to shreds. Though many of the guards had survived, they and the building showed the wounds and scars of an intense battle. Bullets had shredded the walls by the open door, and most of the tables were broken in half. Beyond the door, the hall was black with shrapnel. There were no creatures, alive or dead.

  We continued down the hall, past the dent in the wall where I had slammed my shield. Burn marks from the ball of light were further down. Soon we entered into the lobby. It, too, showed battle scars. The wall where the demon had been slain showed six holes and one massive burn mark. We passed through the lobby, the offices, and a maze of corridors and entered into a lab. There she lay, between two machines, now disconnected and deactivated. She did not move.

  “We’ll wait here,” the guards said, standing to the right and left of the doorway. I stepped into the lab and approached her slowly, studying her. She was beautiful…the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Taking her hand gently, I leaned over her and kissed her. She squeezed my hand, returning the kiss.

  Sliding one arm under her legs and the other under her body, I pulled her toward me and lifted her gently, holding her close to my heart. She wrapped her arms around my neck as we broke the kiss slowly.

  I turned, walking to the door, carrying her away. Away from all that had tormented her. Would it follow? I did not know. I did not care. I had found the love of my life. And I would always be her Warrior.

  The Ghost Hunter’s Epilogue