Darklight: Precipice

Part 22: The Faceless

“Where’s Kisa?” Soran demanded. He could still see the figure through the bright but translucent lime-ish green tendrils of light that were as tall as he was and surrounding the group.

“Master Kisa is still here” The man coo’d back through the green haze, tapping his right temple. 

“And who the hell are you?” Ana shouted back at him. Her hands were outstretched and small arcs of electricity jumped between her fingers, reading to leap out at this new enemy.

“I told you, dear, we are The Faceless. But you can call me The One. You will become well acquainted with my subordinates, The General, The Deacon and The Commandant very soon. You will make excellent hosts”. Then that grin spread across his face again as the circle of light tendrils began closing the circle on the five of them.

“Like fuck” Soran spat as the blue light leapt out of his Darklight Sword in a wave, washing over the green attackers. They were pushed back by the force and The One began to laugh.

“Oh ho-ho!” He jeered. “Oh yes, I see you have The Disrupter! One of the midnight weapons. What is it you call them? Darklight?” Soran and Draz remained silent.

“You see, they were the first weapons that the Arundar used against us - the blue power born outside of this universe. It worked at first, breaking us apart. But you see… we are beings of pure energy - and now we welcome the blue light, it makes us stronger”. His last word was said in a growl like a wild dog.

Blue arcs leapt out of Ana’s hands but they shot straight through the green light. She aimed an arc at The One but he raised one hand and deflected it to the wall behind him, leaving a round scorch mark at the impact site. He was smiling as he watched the green tendrils advance again.

“It won’t hurt much!” He laughed. “They’ll just inhabit your nervous system and take over your brain”. 

Soran couldn’t see a way out. Even if he ripped the inhibitor from his neck he would still need to power up to be of any use and that would take too much time. He grabbed Natasha’s wrist without turning to look at her. It was rigid and hot - wet with sweat. Was she afraid? He turned to look at her briefly as the ground started to vibrate faintly.

But she wasn’t afraid, she was…. concentrating. Her eyes were fixed upon The One, head tilted down. Her arms were out in front of her like a zombie, clawed hands directed at the floor. Had she been taken already!?

But those eyes bored into The One with hatred and determination. It was then that Soran noticed the vibrating in the floor and the green tendrils slowed their advance.

“Natasha?” Soran asked.

“Don’t… break…. Concentration… Soran…” She stuttered. He turned to look at The One and saw that he began to grimace. A high pitch squeal began to invade the air.

“She’s using her geo-abilitites. Natasha, don’t stop!” Ana encouraged.

“What the hell’s going on!?” Raine asked the other women.

“That console was useful after all” Ana said, picking up the tablet from where Natasha had seemingly dropped it on the floor. The screen displayed ancient language that Soran didn’t understand.

“It says that The Faceless are beings of energy” Ana explained as fast as she could speak. “That’s it, all it says. But energy can be controlled by…”

“The crystalline matrix!” Draz exclaimed loudly.

“She said that the frequency was lower” Soran told the group. 

“And now she’s increasing the frequency for us” Ana said triumphantly. 

“Get… out of here…” Natasha ordered them as small spikes of transparent crystal began to break through the slate floor, resonating the unbearable high pitch sound that was rapidly filling the room. Ana covered her ears.

“She’s creating a focal point!” Draz shouted above the din. The green tendrils were slowly retreating and fading. The One held his head and began to scream.

“She’s disrupting them!” Raine shouted over The One’s wails of pain. Before they could even move towards the door, Natasha let out a grunt like cry of pain and frustration as a large transparent crystal pillar burst through the slate floor in the middle of the room, glowing white and resonating so much that Soran’s brain felt like it was vibrating within his skull. The tendrils were swept away in the white light and The One collapsed to the floor, dazed but still conscious.

Natasha’s legs buckled as the resonating began to subside, but Soran grabbed her into a fireman's carry and, along with the others, ran out of the door and back towards the device which had brought them to this place.