Sinners - The Puppet (currently being re-written)

Chapter 4 - of crossing rivers

Lightning struck like a mighty sword from the heavens, and Nate awoke from his trance to the sight of the open claws of the shade.

It was...paralyzed, limbs jerking as it growled under its breath. That lightning strike had paralyzed the monster. But, where did it come from?

Above, he realizes, as he found himself face to face with a stranger peering from the railings of the mezzanine--in his hand a spear with a pair of curved blades around a central and longer blade sparkling and glowing from the electricity surging through it. He was wearing a distinct red hoodie, but unlike back at the crossroads, his face was no longer covered.

The youth had raven hair, bangs cut unevenly so his left eye was nearly covered while the other remained exposed. Underneath that left eye was a notable scar running from his cheek to the side of his face--a scratch too deep it seemed as if that particular section of his skin had been scraped off.

"Hey," the stranger called, chocolate eyes glowering, "if you're not going to help, then back off."

Nate blinked at the remark, confused, and just then, the shade screeched. He covered his ears with a grunt, the noise pulsating through his head it seemed as if his eardrums would pop if it didn't stop soon. This was bad. He had to get out of there. He was in danger so close to that monster--!

Strawberry blonde hair flashed past, and suddenly, Rosa was there, charging towards the shade. She was holding what looked like a glaive and, with its blade, pierced right through the shade's chest. Nate gaped as he watched. How could a weapon do any actual damage to something that didn't even look solid?

The shade wailed and its voice grew louder by the minute. Then the ground shook and two slabs of concrete raised from the floor. Nate staggered, and Rosa--completely unfazed--let out a battle cry.

The slabs moved and flattened the shade in between. It shrieked, desperate as it tried to push between the slabs. Nothing happened, then it reached out a claw to try and grab Rosa. 

"Rosa!" Nate called, hand outstretched to try and save her.

Again this time, lightning struck, tearing apart the shade's limb before it could touch her. The torn arm disintegrated into dust. The attack only served to further aggravate the already disoriented shade, but it remained helplessly stuck between slabs of concrete--wailing and shouting as if in pain.

Nate didn't know what to think as he stared at how hopeless that shade seemed, crying like a child begging for help. Then their eyes met (if it even had one), and he swore he saw a pair of human eyes in those empty sockets.

Too late, he thinks, as Rosa plunged her glaive deeper into the shade's chest and drew out an arc, slicing the monster in half. And like a final straw, the slabs of concrete flattened the shade in between, its cries disappearing into the open air.

His legs shook, and his knees caved. Was it gone...? Nate stared at the slabs just to check. Something...was seeping out between them, something like black sand--perhaps the remnants of the shade Rosa just took out.

Strange how something so huge and mysterious could disappear in the blink of an eye.

Rosa sighed. "God, it's a good thing I brought something with me."

She tapped the shaft of her glaive on the floor. Like magic, the concrete receded back into the ground and left no trace of the battle that had just occurred. No cracks or anything. It was simply that--a cemented floor.

"You all right?" Rosa asked. She stretched out a hand, helping him to his feet. "Is this the first time you've seen a shade?"

He took a deep breath. "Y-Yeah... You look like you're used to this."