Shadow Land

Blacker Shade of Dark- pic of the Govrness

            Nicolas was getting fed up of walking and driving places. Miranda had sent them to run an intercept mission on one of Division’s many projects. For an organization newly started up it had a surprisingly large number of projects that were progressing surprisingly quickly. Nicolas was starting to get suspicious. Either way, that number would soon drop by one.

            But now, the idiots had gone too far. Apparently, they had gotten it into their heads to make a portal to Shadow Land. What were they thinking? The veil between the worlds was too flimsy to go messing with it.

            He shuddered just thinking about the repercussions the opening of such a portal would do. The veil would rip and the creatures in Shadow Land would be able to enter this world any time they pleased. But he had only just escaped! He hadn’t spent years in that wasteland, desperately hoping for a way out, a way back to his home and away from the Shadows and demons that seemed to constantly want him dead only to have some government squints bring that nightmare into this world!

            That was why he had joined Miranda and volunteered to lead this mission.

            The one thing that was annoying him, though, was the transport. Apparently, teleportation was too risky. It would leave a ‘scar in the planes,’ Matthew had said, that could lead Division right to the hide out. Nicolas had protested, suggesting they go to several other places before finally entering Division’s compound, but Matthew had insisted that he couldn’t help, muttering something about time and energy and a project Miranda had him working on. He was probably just messing with Nicolas; the higher ups often liked to screw with the grunts and make their lives just a little harder. It was some way of proving they were better. Nicolas couldn’t help noticing that none of his kin half-demons were among the ranks of the ‘higher ups’ in Haven. But that was the way things were these days, you did what you were good at and he was good at fighting and destruction, not politics.

            Either way, he and his team of seven men were almost there. Just a day left and then it would all begin. They were all good men, determined, loyal, and would do anything to protect this world and the haven it provided.

            It’s quite sad really, that they had been chosen for this particular mission.

            Alycia sat on a huge crystal and blew out a breath of boredom. What was taking so long? Jaxur had given her the exact time that the Shadow would be here, so where was the Shadow? She had been waiting for half an hour! Didn’t Shadows know it was rude to keep someone waiting? Did they even have a grasp of the concept of time?

            She looked around her with the eyes of one desperate for a distraction. She sat in the middle of a huge cave of crystals. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all like frosted glass, except they emitted a kind of power that even the most magic-deaf human would have been able to feel. There were also many crystals jutting out at odd angles, some smaller than a pin head and others larger than a car. These were the Caves of Antenon.

            For something to do, Alycia let some of her light energy seep out. Immediately, the crystals picked up the energy and reflected it back to her a hundred times. The result was the entire cave being filled with a blinding silver light, completely surrounding the girl in the middle. She grinned, feeling the light flow into her and make her stronger.

            Slowly, a chill crept into Alycia’s heart, freezing it and putting mortal terror into her. By reflex, she added to the light she was sending out, quadrupling the amount that was in the cave.

            There was a hoarse laugh that gave the distinct impression of a wind blowing over a graveyard, “Little girl,” A voice filled with death whispered, “If you wanted to bring me here just to show me your magic tricks with light, I will just have to leave and take you with me.”