Shadow Walkers (13 page)

“What’s going on?” Nick half shouts over the mass conversation surrounding him. Isaac doesn’t look at him as he responds.

“We’re not sure yet, but it’s something big. A group of captain level Walkers came back from a scouting mission on the Void. They were trying to figure out more about the Void’s plan to execute us.”

“Well how is that a bad thing?” Nick asks, somewhat annoyed at the seemingly pointless chaos around him. He had more important things on his mind than some stupid status report.

Hector sighs. “They came back on the brink of death. And to top it off, all four of them were decaying.”

Nick raises his eyebrows. “Decaying? Like a dead animal?”

Allison shakes her head. “No, it has to do with a sickness. We keep forgetting you don’t know all the fancy lingo here in the Pit. Decaying is when-”

Nick wonders why the girl suddenly stopped talking, but quickly notices that the entire crowd of Walkers has grown silent. He looks up, and sees that the three Council members were now standing on the top of the steps, their advisors behind them. Allison shoots him a glance that definitely reads:
I’ll tell you later, doofus.
Nick nods and turns his attention to the Council members. Janice walks forward.

“Thank you for gathering so quickly from all over. Those who have abandoned a mission to come here, do not feel guilty, for what we’re about to tell you is something that all one hundred thousand Guard members should hear.” She steps back to the very top step, and Council member Axus steps down. His face is grave and marked by sweat, which Nick found quite odd considering it was a cool day out.

“The Void are preparing to destroy us all in one swoop- the Walkers and the Inverts. They originally planned for June 25th, but our captains who have returned have told us that they’ve had a change of heart. Seven days from now, the Void plan on wiping us out of existence.”

Murmurs finally break the unified silence, and Nick feels the panic from everyone else amplify his own. He just finished his training and then watched his mother get taken away- what was he about to get into next? He couldn’t possibly keep up with any extra drama.

“How could they plan on doing that?” Someone near Nick shouts. “There are a hundred thousand of us- plus however many Inverts are crawling around. How do the Void think they’re going to wipe us both out in one day?”

The crowd murmurs in agreement, and Nick looks to see what Isaac thinks. The captain stands with a solemn expression on his face, but he keeps his mouth shut.

Axus clenches his fist and yells over the chatter of the Guard. “We didn’t believe it either.” The crowd almost immediately quiets down as soon as he speaks. When it’s quiet again, he returns to a normal voice loud enough for everyone to hear. “But the captains who have come back have figured out the bare bones of the Void’s plan. In seven days, the Void plan on destroying the barrier between the four worlds. We’re not entirely sure how, but they’re going to bring every last Walker and Invert to earth and somehow trap us there. By doing so, the sheer number of Void will be able to overpower the Walkers and Inverts outside of their home territory. And I know it seems impossible, but if they can truly trap us on earth… well, we all know how much weaker we get once in the human world.”

The crowd begins to panic, including Nick. Did the Void really have such a power? If what they’re saying was true, Nick suddenly had a lot on his plate. He feels a drop of sweat run down his face as Council member Marcus steps down. He looks at Axus, who grunts and steps back up. Once Marcus looks out at the crowd all of the Walkers draw silent once more.

“Don’t fear, Walkers. The situation may seem dire, but we have seven days to stop the Void. And this means that every single Guardian will be on a mission to help out. Thanks to the captains who returned, we know that whatever the Void are doing, they need to be in the human world to accomplish it. So, every one of the Guardians who have finished training will be deployed tomorrow to scout the earth and find the source of the Void’s plan. That’s the only thing that has us still worried. We know the gist of their plan, and when they’re doing it, but we don’t know how they plan on executing it. So your job now is to figure that out, and then counteract to foil the Void’s plans.”

Isaac finally speaks up, much to Nick surprise. “What about the Pit? Who will guard it with the Guardians are away?”

Marcus laughs and outstretches his hands. “Well, that should be obvious, Captain Isaac. Us three Council members will stay here to protect the Pit. After all, we’re the most powerful Walkers alive. As long as we’re on the front lines, the Pit will be safe.”

Slight cheers come from random Guardians all over. But Marcus holds his hand up, and they stop instantly. Marcus frowns. “The Pit will be safe, that’s for certain. But all of our efforts to protect it will be for nothing if you all cannot figure out how the Void plan on destroying us. Put all of your efforts into figuring out how to-”

Marcus stops talking when a sudden cloud of purple smoke appears halfway between the giant crowd of Walkers and the Council members themselves. With a purple flash, a young man is suddenly standing there. For a second, Nick mistakes the boy as Valus, but then notices that this person lacked the purple hair of the Void man. Though the purple smoke undeniably meant that this boy was from the Void. Nick feels a little bit of panic seep into him again, but quickly realizes that one Void couldn’t take on all of these Walkers. Marcus tilts his head and looks down at the young man.

The color from Hector’s face seems to drain. “Damon?” He asks. Nick stares at Hector and wonders why the boy seemed so familiar with the Void standing before them.

“Why do you dare to interrupt a meeting of the Guard?” Marcus asks. “Are you stupid? Or maybe you just have a death wish?”

The boy looks at the Council and doesn’t seem to show a single sign of nervousness in the face of the three most powerful Walkers. “You don’t need to worry about finding out the Void’s plan anymore. I’ve come to tell you their plan in it’s entirety.”

Silence hangs in the air for a second. Axus shouts as he walks down a few stairs.“What do you mean? Why should we believe what you say instead of just killing you where you stand?”

“Stand down you two.” Janice orders. “We should listen to what this man has to say. After all, Valus came specifically to retrieve him. It would be wise to hear his words. And then, I’ll determine if we can trust what he has to say.”

The Council members exchange looks. Marcus sighs. “Fine.” He looks out over the crowd of Walkers. “All of you are dismissed for now. Rest up today, because you’ll all get your mission briefs early tomorrow morning. We need our Walkers as rested as possible for the mission ahead.” He looks down at the Void on the stairs. “Come with us, boy.”

“And also, Captain Isaac,” Axus adds, “Bring your team as well. There are some things we need to resolve with Hector.”

Isaac nods and looks back at the young Walkers. Nick snaps out of his daze caused by the random Void appearing, and begins to follow Isaac as he makes his way through the crowd. Allison and Hector walk behind him. The Walkers all around Nick begin disappearing, jumping into each other's shadows to go home and rest. Not a single one defies Marcus’ order, even with one of the Void standing right before them. There were so many Walkers, and yet the entire group was in danger of being massacred in just a week’s time. Nick didn’t know what the Void were planning, or if he could even trust the one standing in front of him. The only thing he knew was that his mother was being held captive by Valus.

And that was all the motivation Nick needed to go out and kill some Void.

Chapter Thirteen

Allison

It hadn’t even been a week since the Void announced their plan to eradicate the Walkers and the Inverts, but the entire Pit was already preparing for their upcoming battle. She was in her father’s office when the four decaying captains came back with their message- the Void planned on executing their plan in just a week’s time. Allison couldn’t believe how the situation had turned so suddenly, let alone how calmly the rest of the Guard was acting. And then, as if the situation couldn’t become any more twisted, a Void appeared in the Pit in front all of the Guard, saying that he wanted to help out.

Allison had no idea how to handle any of the things going on around her.

Her father stands in front of his desk, Axus to his left and Janice to his right. The Void boy stands in front of Marcus, and Allison and her teammates guard the door. It only takes a few moments of silence before the Council speak.

“First off, Hector,” Axus says grudgingly, “Is this the same Void boy you were associated with?”

Allison quickly turns her attention to Hector, eyeing him down for answer. The boy nods, and Allison feels a twist in her gut. Why was Hector hanging out with a Void?

Axus sighs. He looks at Allison and grins. “I’m sure you and Nick here are confused. You see, Valus appeared in the Pit just yesterday and took this boy here back to the Void. I sensed Valus for the short moment he appeared and tried to reach him before he left. However, I didn’t get there in time.”

“Wait,” Nick says with a twisted expression, “Isn’t befriending the Void the most important rule you could break? Why did you let Hector get away with it if he was hanging out with one?”

“Thanks for the backup, friend.” Hector says shaking his head. “And I wasn’t just ‘hanging out with him’. Damon here wants to help us Walkers out. And using the Void as a tool to destroy more Void isn’t technically against the rules. To top it off, he’s not evil like the other ones, he’s half human. Haven’t you noticed the lack of purple features?”

Allison studies the boy standing in front of her. Hector was right. If she didn’t see this guy appear in a cloud of purple smoke then she would have no clue that he was a Void.

Janice coughs. “Back to the point here. Damon, I thought you were supposedly captured by Valus? How did you escape again so easily?”

The Void boy sighs impatiently. “Look, I might be on your guys’ side but I still have Void power. I’m an Elite Void nonetheless. Now do you want to hear the information I risked my life to get or not? Because if you really don’t trust me, then just kill me where I stand.”

Allison notices Hector flinch at Damon’s words. She instantly understands that there was some type of connection between the two boys. Her father points at the Void.

“Watch what you wish for, you mutt. We might be working together right now, but don’t think that makes me think of you in high regards. As far as I see, you’re just a Void who is trying to save his own skin. And I’ll make it very clear that if we find out the information you’re giving us is false, then I’ll destroy you personally.”

“And what if I actually save all of you Walkers? What do I end up with?” Damon asks without hesitation. Allison feels her skin crawl at the boy’s idiotic bravery. Her father wasn’t the type of man to enrage.

Thankfully, Axus responds to the boys questions. “ We’ve talked this over already, and we’ve come to a consensus. If we survive this ordeal, we’ll make an exception to the rules. We’ll allow you to stay here in the Pit- live as a regular citizen wherever you choose. That’s
if
what you tell us can really help us out. So get talking. Janice here will determine if you’re lying.”

A smile forms on Damon’s face. “Thanks to those captains of yours, you already know that the Void want to bring all Walkers and Inverts to earth, and they plan to do so by breaking down the barriers between your worlds and the human’s world. I spied on Valus and the Queen herself, and I know the whole plan now. You see, when you Walkers shadow jump, you go through the Shadow Realm, right? The Inverts have their own realm of transportation that follows a similar track as the Shadow Realm. The Void are able to enter both of those realms on top of our own, thus why we can travel through all four worlds.”

“Get to the point.” Marcus orders.

“I’m getting.” Damon snaps back. “Anyways, the Void plan on breaking the locks that keep the gateways of your two realms closed off. Doing this will destroy the barriers separating the worlds, and then they can drag all of the Walkers and Inverts to earth, where they are weakest. And I’m sure you know why that puts you at two different disadvantages.”

Allison shakes her head in disbelief. Isaac grunts next to her. “The Void are limited as to how many of them they can send to our world and the Inverts world, though they can send as much as they want to the human world. So not only will we be extremely weakened while on earth, we’ll be vastly outnumbered as well.”

“Woah, how many Void are there?” Nick asks with as much shock as Allison was feeling.

Damon shrugs. “Billions. Of course, only a couple hundred of them are elite Void, as most are just monstrous beings. But the sheer number of Void will overwhelm the Walkers and the Inverts while they’re weakened on earth. If the Void succeed in breaking the locks of the two realms, then you’re all screwed.”

Allison rubs her head, trying to process all of the information the Void boy was giving. She didn’t like putting her faith in a Void, but it seemed like she didn’t have any other choice. “So how do we actually stop the Void from doing this?” She asks.

Damon taps his fingers on his leg, obviously impatient and ready to leave. “Well, there are four ‘gateways’ that the Void need to break open in order to execute their plan. The Pit and Eros both have two gateways, with one placed in the worlds themselves and the other on earth. They’ve been waiting for three hundred years for the Queen’s powers to return to a level strong enough to execute this plan, and now they’re finally ready to follow through with it.”

“Well there isn’t any way we’re going to let them do anything here in the Pit.” Janice says. “I’d like to see them try to invade without being slain as soon as they enter. And in any case, I can confirm that there has not been a single lie to yet spill out of this boy’s mouth. So, answer me Damon, can we truly trust you to co-operate with us?”

“Yes.” Damon answers flatly. “I’ve had enough of this eternal war. I have no allegiance to the other Void, and I wholeheartedly want to assist you Walkers in taking them down.”

Janice nods. “It seems that for now, we truly may trust this boy.”

Allison’s father smirks. “It seems so. But now that we know the Pit itself is also a target, we should rethink our plans. We’ll need some Guardians to stay here in the Pit to help keep it on lockdown. We’ll still need to send out some to the human world to defend the Pit’s gate there.”

“What about the Inverts?” Hector asks. “I know that you guy’s aren’t very fond of them, but you can’t just let them get killed off.”

Allison’s dad lets out a cackle. The cold laugh reminds her of all the times he took pity on her. “Why should we care about them? We can protect our own people, and they can do so for themselves. If they get wiped out, what could that possibly do to affect us?”

Damon smiles. “To be honest, I think you’re forgetting something here. The Queen of the Void is the most powerful being alive- not you, Marcus. For her to be stopped, you’d need as much power as you can get. That means that the Walkers and the Inverts will have to eventually join forces if they can even hope to stand against her.”

Allison’s father’s face tightens up menacingly. “Boy, you really need to watch that mouth of yours. In any case, I highly doubt that the Inverts will make a difference in the destruction of the Void.”

“I’m telling you the truth. To destroy the Queen, you’d need to go into the Void itself- out of your home territory. You’d need as much manpower as possible. And on top of that, you all know that in order to enter the Void you’ll need to use the power of Serena’s Ring.”

“Enough!” Marcus shouts. Damon smirks as he slowly closes his mouth. Allison feels chills run through her as the tension rises in the room. Her father clenches his fist. “Do not speak of that woman here in the Pit. I’m about this close to killing you where you stand!”

“Stand down Marcus!” Axus bellows as he slams his fist on the table, frightening Allison. Her father might just be the strongest of the Council, but Axus was a much bigger man. The sheer size of him- on top of that deep voice- just makes him seem like someone you wouldn’t want to mess with. “This boy is our key to surviving right now. If you touch him I’ll kill you myself.”

Allison’s father laughs. “You’re all so blind! You’re treating this boy like the next coming of god. In the end, he’s still a Void. I won’t treat him as anything else. He comes in here preaching about Serena and then expects us Walkers to put up with him?”

“And he tells the truth, Marcus. I’ve been keeping track on everything he says using my first Chain.” Janice says flatly. “Now isn’t the time to be so rash and petty. If we’ll need to join forces with the Inverts to take down the Void, then we can formulate our plans to help the Inverts out as well. As much as it might enrage you, their future cooperation could mean the end of our war with the Void.”

Allison watches as her father only frowns, not saying anything in return. In a way, it felt good seeing her father be so defeated in an argument. Janice was the top interrogator in the Pit thanks to her first Chain. She could detect whenever somebody was being honest or telling a lie. So there was no arguing against her power, regardless of whether or not you agreed with her.

“This team here shows much promise, and will be moving out tomorrow with the rest of the Walkers.” Janice says. “Damon, do you know specifically where these four gates that we must protect are located?”

Damon shakes his head. “Not exactly. But what I do know might be even better. See, the Queen herself created four Void that are strong enough to break open the gates. The monsters, which she’s calling the
Gatekeepers
, are the key to the Void’s plan.”

Axus grunts and lets a small grin slide across his face. “So we just destroy those four Void, and then their plan is ruined? Seems too easy- what’s the catch?”

“Smart man.” Damon says while returning the grin. “These monsters are so vital to the plan that they’re being watched by elite Void guards and many lesser Void. They’re already on earth, storing the rest of the energy they need to break open the gates. However, they’re hiding their presence with the powers of the elite Void. If we’re going to stop them from breaking the gates, we need to find the elite guards masking their presence. And I just so happen to know the general areas that they’re stationed in.”

“And the Inverts?” Hector asks. “How do we save
their
side.”

“I guess I can deliver a message to them, let them know that they’re in trouble.” Damon says.

Janice grins and clasps her hands together. “Well, I think it’s time we further discuss the information you came with- in private.” She looks to Allison and her teammates. “Isaac, you may leave now. All Captains will receive their orders tomorrow morning on what their individual plans are. Meet us here at noon.”

“Wait!” Nick shouts out of nowhere. Everybody turns to look at the boy. “My mother was just taken away by Valus. When I was visiting her on earth, she was getting ready to tell me some information, and then Valus interrupted her before throwing her into some kind of portal. What the hell am I supposed to do about that? I can’t just sit here while my mother could be getting tortured or something!”

“Relax boy.” Marcus says. “Valus and your mother share a history together, so he’s probably savoring every second he can by keeping her captive. On top of that, he wants you dead more than her. I’ve been a Shadow Walker long enough to know that Valus is playing a game with you. Your mother’s life should be safe for now, as he probably wants to use her as bait to lure you in. Just don’t be hasty enough to fall into it.”

“But how do I get her back?” Nick says. The boy was on the verge of tears, and Allison wanted to look away in respect to his feelings. She knew what it was like to lose a parent, and Nick had to watch his mother get taken into the enemy's clutches. She didn’t want to imagine what he was feeling right now.

A sudden knocking on the door makes Allison jump. Before anybody can answer it, the door swings open. A Shadow Walker with a grim look on his face walks into the room, and he loses his balance about halfway in. Allison reluctantly reaches out to catch the man, and gets a good long look at his lifeless eyes. They were hollow, and showed no sign of human emotion. He moved around lazily, like a zombie who just woke up from a nap. Of course, this was how anyone who was undergoing the ‘decaying’ process turned out.

“Thank you young girl.” Captain Calum says dryly. He once again locks eyes with Allison, and the girl gets shivers down her spine. In that moment she felt as if the world was about to end. Looking into Calum’s dead eyes gave her a bad feeling- like the situation the Walkers were in was only the beginning of a larger disaster to come. She got nothing but bad vibes from the way he was looking at her. It was almost as if he wanted to say something to her that he couldn’t quite put into words. He grabs onto her shoulder to steady himself, and his grip makes Allison wince. Even after he’s steadied, the grip only tightens, and Allison begins to panic.