Shadow Realm

I walked down the city block, looking, but not seeing. Lost, but running. I looked fearfully over my shoulder, and in the fading light I saw the creature walking steadily towards me, its long coat flying out behind it like a tail. My breathing coming out in frightened gasps, I ran blindly, turning corners, no longer aware of where I was heading. The light of day faded completely, and I fumbled in my backpack for a flashlight, my fingers brushing the cold bottle of Mace. I pulled it out, and shoved it into my pocket, hoping the creature will never come close enough that I’d need to use it.

I stumbled over a chunk of sidewalk, and fell, cursing to the ground. I leapt to my feet, heedless of my bleeding knees. I ran, but I heard the creature’s breath, and knew the few seconds I lost when I fell had been crucial. I ran into a dark alleyway, and ran towards the far end, recognizing the block that will lead to my house.

It wasn’t until I ran into a wooden wall that I realized I’d misjudged my location. No time to waste. I threw my backpack over, after taking out two small knives. I know, cheating. I took a couple of steps back, ran, and jumped as high as I could, stabbing the knives into the wood, and pulling myself up the rest of the way. I dropped down to the other side, ducked, and rolled under a plywood board, grabbing my backpack.

I heard an inhumane howl, and animal-like snuffling. I wiggled out from under the board, picked up a loose plank, and threw it over the adjacent wall, hearing it splash into what I assumed to be a river. I heard the creature growl, and heavy, uneven footsteps ran away, supposedly to the river. “That’ll distract him for about five minutes, you have three before he’s onto you.” I turned around, brandishing the knives, and saw a very pissed looking teenage girl, around my age. “I’m so scared. Come, you life is fleeting.” She grabbed my backpack, slung it over one shoulder, and walked away. Soon after, I heard a loud, earsplitting howl. I ran after her, trying to figure out what was different about her. She had a strange, lilting accent, and each sentence ended like a statement.

The howl echoed again, only closer this time. The girl, unnerved, led me into a run down building, and said definitely, “Irror, he’s discovered your ruse.” The way she said ‘Irror’ gave me chills, and I wrapped my arms around myself. Her eyes, hidden by aviators narrowed. “You will see, hear, and do things that will make your hair curl in the next couple of hours. After that, I hope, for your sake, you are not the same weak girl.”

With that she abruptly turned away, spoke something in a low voice, and light flared into the shack, but to my surprise, it looked like the inside of a log cabin, cozy and rustic. The girl, whose black hair flowed down her back like oil, smiled, “Magic is deceiving.” She threw off the leather jacket she was wearing, and a tight black tank top showed hardened muscles, as it clung to her body. She had on black leather pants, and a belt slung low on her hips. As I watched, she grabbed a sheathed sword from a cabinet, and buckled it to her belt. She had thick black combat boots on, shining with silver chains.

When she turned towards me, I recoiled. Her aviators were gone, and her eyes were not human. They reminded me of the profile of a hawk’s head, or the eyes of a dragon. She also had silver piercings on her lip, her eyebrow and on her-what the fuck? She had pointed ears! Each adorned with a gage, and three silver hoops, trailing up to the-point. She smiled at me, her teeth looking whiter, and sharper than teeth should. “You are right, mortal, I do have the eyes of a dragon. The spirit of one too.” She slid a thick silver armband up her arm, and thick silver rings on each of her fingers, on both hands. Her sword’s grip, cross guard and pommel were also silver.

The girl smiled, “Silver, Kalisenka can’t touch it.” I must have looked at her blankly, because, rolling her eyes, she said, “Kalisenka, in your language roughly translates to ‘dark one of the shadow’. Kali meaning the dark one, and Senka meaning shadow. They are a cross between ogres and shadow beings. Each on their own is destructive enough, but together they are strong, fierce, and can shift their shape, making them hard to track, and even harder to kill.” As she said this, she slung two criss-crossing shoulder sheaths, each armed with a curved, silver scimitar.

She then grabbed a small flask, and unscrewed the top. A horrible smell reached me, and the girls nose crinkled, but she drained it. When she looked at me, her teeth were less pointed, and her eyes looked a bit more normal. She shook her head, and her hair swirled around her shoulders, glistening exactly like oil, with the sheen and the hint of purple. “It helps me control myself,” She said, “It calms me. Supposedly.” She threw in a harsh word, that if I had to guess I’d say it was a curse. Suddenly, a cracking sound split the silence. “Irror,” She said, wincing, “I hope I do not destroy a city like last time.” She muttered the last part under her breath, then yelled for me to stay inside.

She took a deep breath in, and her unnatural green eyes brightened, and a rim of flickering yellow appeared around her irises. “Yes,” She said, her voice strangely gravely, “It is time.” She ran outside, smiling like a fiend.

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