On the Evil Scale: Keeper of La Tecla (The Key) Book Two

The ships arrived, but once crossing the boundaries a great distance far from the mainland, a mysterious fog appeared, engulfing their ships, swirling and inspecting every man aboard; the soldiers sensed an uneasiness as if the fog was alive, but it wasn’t necessarily the fog that stopped them from venturing forward, there was a block, or a barrier that bounced against the rams of the ships, pushing them backwards in a defense.

The Captain of the unit, Delano-Dakari ordered the men that steered the ships, to turn lengthwise along the barrier. Listening as the wheel turned, squeaking loudly, he held onto the railing, feeling the massive ship turning its hull, following the length of the barrier. Wrapping a wrist around some rope nearby, he stepped upon the railing reaching out his free hand that plunged through the fog that eerily crawled up his arm, inspecting his intrusion when there it was, a heaviness in the air, making it difficult to breathe, before his hands felt as he touched something solid.

“Sir…” the men pleaded, raising their gaze, fearfully watching as the Captain’s touch shimmered where his hands touched, “Captain…”

“What?!” Delano-Dakari barked, leering over his shoulder.

“This isn’t natural, Sir.” one of the Shayds, Basil, muttered, sensing that the magic in place was something he had never felt before, it was ancient and unlike anything he came across, “It’s a barrier Captain, cloakin’ something it doesn’t want us, or anyone to find.” he watched as sigils and other magical residue lingered before fading from the man’s lack of touch.

Delano-Dakari himself was a Shayd, level 4, and pulling himself back onto the deck of the ship, his feet landed roughly. Unwrapping his wrist, throwing the rope back in its place, he studied the men around him, then glanced toward the other ships hovering close by.

“What is it, Captain?” Eustace, another Irish Shayd, questioned.

“Magic.” Delano-Dakari answered bluntly, rubbing his hands together, as he felt a tingling running through his palm, “And it’s bloody strong too, stronger than anything I’ve ever seen!” he announced loudly for the mortals, and telepathically for the Shayds.

“What do you we do now, Captain?” a third soldier, Faron, mused.

“We’re f*cking mad coming here, Sir.” Jack, a bold-outspoken young American argued, “This fog and the magic behind it is unnatural, we shouldn’t be here.”

“It’s just bloody fog!” Delano-Dakari declared loudly, “It can’t hurt you, it can’t hurt any of you, so quit actin’ like a batch of twats, pull your balls out of you’re a**es and so help me…” he approached the young man, pulling him forward by the collar of his jackets, “I will throw you overboard and see what the fog does with you, hmm?” he leered, “Do you understand?”

“Y-yes, Captain.” Jack cleared his throat, keeping direct eye contact.

“Good.” Delano-Dakari slapped the young man’s shoulder then swiftly, but not without brushing against his shoulder, veered around him. As he approached the helm, where their radio and radar dashboard began to glitch, suddenly it gave off strange readings that didn’t make any sense, “What the f*ck is this?!” he tapped the screens, frowning with frustration. Reaching for the radio, connecting to the other ships, he barked, “If your equipment if going bonkers like ours, them I will say we’re in the right place, General Matrx gave us our orders to search these coordinates by whatever means necessary and that’s what we’re going to do.”

“But what about the barrier, Captain?” a voice answered from one of the other ships.

“Just…” Delano-Dakari rasped, then watched as the fog eerily surrounding the ships, swirled before withdrawing backwards as if it being sucked away, revealing a thin layer like a sheer curtain; structures along a vast shoreline of a massive island could be seen below.

“Captain, look!” Basil pointed, “The barrier, it’s…”

“Moving?” Eustace finished curiously.

Watching as the constant shimmers from the ships abrasions slowly bounced off its surface, an opening suddenly parted down the center as if it simply melted away.

Delano-Dakari squinted his dark eyes, looking around, searching the sky, for he wondered how or where the magic that controlled the barrier, had come from. Placing the radio back in its place, gripping the wheel in the process, the Captain shouted loudly to move forward before the only chance they to scout, closed but ordered one of the ships to stay behind. Activating the steam engine, spinning the wheel, the rudders turned the ship’s hull angling it through the wide crack that greeted them in an eerie sort of welcome.

“Keep a look out everywhere, something isn’t right here!” he shouted.

Three of the ships sailed slowly above the rooftops that from their point-of-view, looked like old structures and shacks belonging to the possible settlers, while the lingering ship lowered their anchor; their chains rattled loudly before its weight splashed into the water below, hidden somewhere among the fog that crept across the surface. Even their search lights couldn’t be seen through the fog that continued to linger as if it followed after the ships.

Sailing deeper into unknown territory, the ships’ radios and radars all shrieked and hissed before their solar-powered batteries completely drained.

Delano-Dakari frowned, continuing to roughly tap on the screens, but then he focused his gaze forward; nothing but fog lingered in place, and as he glanced to his left and right, the other ships sailed silently nearby. Shining their lights below, structures continued to appear before they faded within the fog that thickened. Glancing at the sky where the Shadowed Ones slowly slithered through the air alongside the ships, they faded in and out, releasing their low-eerie screeches.

“Shadowed Ones…” the Captain’s voice shouted, raising a whistle, “scout the area ahead and try not to get yourselves destroyed like the others, separate if you have to!” he blew the whistle, then watched as the creatures slithered before disappearing into the fog ahead, “Those stupid f*cking creatures…” he mocked, hiding the whistle back in a pocket somewhere on his jacket.

“There!” Jack pointed out into the distance, “what’s that there?!” he referred to a black mass peeking in and out between the break of the fog; a mass stretching across the landscape from their point-of-view.

“Keep a lookout!” Delano-Dakari ordered.

“Yes, Captain!” voices answered in various tones.

Approaching closer, heads veered over the rails of the ships, trying to study the ground below where some took notice of old ruins , shacks and other structures that might have been homes at one point, even a cluster of rocks in the distance that appeared to resemble some sort of a stone henge. Sharing confused expressions, the men returned to their posts aboard deck, listening as the ships’ weight creaked and moaned with the sound of steam spitting from their pipes, releasing unwanted pressure. Even the masts made noise, swaying from a slight breeze that swept across the island and through the air above its land.

“Halt!” Delano-Dakari shouted, “Halt!” he spun the wheel, turning the ship rather quickly; the other two followed his actions and adhered to his immediate instructions. However, as their hulls turned, they seemed to scrape along the black mass, creating a loud shriek as if they were nails on a dry chalkboard, “Bloody hell…we’ve hit a wall, we’ve hit a wall!” he shouted, leveling out the ship that tilted from the impact, and once gaining control of it, preventing it from smashing into the others, it hovered still and steady, “Lower anchor!” Delano-Dakari shouted, locking the wheel in place, Lower anchor!” he ordered, “We’re going down!”

The four ships carried forty men each; mortal, and Shayd alike, so all total there were close to 160 soldiers manning the ships for invasion. Linking the ships railing together by massive hooks, attaching bridge-like ramps between the three, it allowed accessibility to and from each deck. The soldiers tending to the engines, placed on thick gloves, then began lowering the iron anchors, turning massive turn-wheels; it required two men each wheel to operate the gears.

Delano-Dakari paced, listening to the loud metallic echo and dragging, as the chains clanked heavily from their wound wheels, lowering into the fog below.

Soldiers watched as the chains disappeared, but listened as they made impact against what sounded like metal gates, snapping of trees and against the black mass the seemed like stone, chipping it in places.

“Captain, Sir…” Faron approached the man.

“What is it, soldier?” Delano-Dakari answered gruffly.

“What is this place?” the young man wondered curiously.

“It doesn’t matter, we’re here and we’re going to inspect it, reporting anything and everything we find. Follow your orders, soldier.”

“Yes, Sir.” Faron nodded, then turned away, as did the Captain.

Delano-Dakari retrieved his weapons from his cabin, mask and gloves, then he emerged on deck, watching as other soldiers prepared for their descent. Stomping across deck, soldiers removed large coils of rope from their chests stacked near their cargo bay. Helping them pull the weight toward the rails, they were attached with massive hooks onto the metal bars, then thrown overboard. As he and the soldiers veered over the rail, watching as the ropes and anchor disappeared, Delano-Dakari straightened his posture, shouting loudly as he began swinging his legs over the railing,

“Let’s move!” he gripped onto the rope then quickly slid downward.

Between the three ships currently anchored, there were 120 soldiers, while 12 were to remain behind, 4 per ship, keeping the engines in check, while the remaining 108 lept overboard.

Once the Captain and his soldiers landed on the ground, the air felt thick as they breathed, taking in the lingering musty scent of stone, wood and damp Earth.

“Lights!” Delano-Dakari ordered, removing one from his pocket. As he attached it to his large rifle that he quickly slung off his shoulder, he glanced at the small militia that shone their flashlights around, “Forward…” he gestured his right hand forward in a military signal, and forward they moved, clustered together closely.

Walking for what felt like an eternity, Jack pointed out observations.

“Look at the ground…” he shone his flashlight downward, “is that?”

“Cobblestone?” another Shayd muttered.

“What the f*ck is this place?!” Faron questioned curiously.

“I don’t know but I don’t like this, I don’t like this at all.” Eustace added worriedly, looking around and above him and his unit.

“Keep your eyes forward…” Delano-Dakari barked gruffly, “we’re in the right place, but…” he felt the same uneasiness tickle his spine.

The soldiers continued forward, following the cobblestone path that lay ahead scattered in patches but kept its shape of a road that once was. Approaching a large mass that eerily greeted them between gaps in the fog, some of the soldiers reached out, placing their hands on the surface of the black mass, feeling its bumpy but glass-like facade. The Shayds present felt the magic running through the slate, for it was powerful magic, more than that of the barrier that allowed them to pass.

“This is like any rock that I’ve ever seen.” Basil complained, “Captain, we should turn back…we don’t know where are, or what this is!” he looked around nervously, gripping his rifle tightly.

Delano-Dakari turned to the soldier, grabbing the front of his vest. Pulling him close, studying the man’s face, he pushed him backwards, arguing roughly,

“If you want to go back, then go back! If anyone else cares to join in his retreat, do it now!” he frowned, then turned, continuing forward, and although his form disappeared into the fog, he listened as the men muttered behind him before their shadows appeared closely. As he continued moving forward, they arrived at what looked to be an old iron gate laying nearby. Waving the fog away as much as he and the soldiers could, shining their flashlights at the iron mass, their eyes took notice it was only remnants of an iron gate that must have been attached to the black slate, for there were chunks attached to hinges, “This doesn’t make any sense.” Delano-Dakari muttered, frowning.

“What’s that?!” Faron complained, hearing clattering behind them, “It sounds like chains…” he observed, listening to the metal rattling loudly. Gathering closer together, aiming their flashlights and rifles forward, he and his comrades waited and watched, but nothing had emerged, only the sounds of chains continuing their menacing rattle.

“Can they see us?” Sarah wondered as three massive ships hovered near the gates, gripping her bow tightly.

“Azir is handling that, so no.” I looked at her.

“How do you know you can trust them?”

“They helped Marxus build this place.” I argued, “If he trusted them, we have to do the same if we’re going to protect the island.”

Sarah said nothing, removing an arrow from her quiver, locking the nock against the bowstring.

“Psst, Sarah…Yzavela…” Derek approached the young women, “I have these, for you.” he handed them goggles, “They’re night vision, and even though your eyes might be good, I don’t think they’re good enough to see the grounds at night when the lights are out, hmm?” he referred to Wyatt and the other Electrokinetic Demons dimming the lights.

“Thank you but…” I juggled their light weight in my hand, “they’re not necessary.”

“Why not?” the Samoan questioned her.

“The fog…” I watched the ships moving about the outer wall, “it’s like a mirror, we can out with everything here just the way you see it now, but for them…all they see is the menacing fog that will only break until Azir is given the word to snuff it out. These bastards…” I gestured at the sky with my sword, “don’t know the island the way we do, and they won’t see a damn thing until it’s time for them to.” I hinted, “So again, thank you.” I returned the gadget.

“Keep them.” he nodded, “You never know.” he shrugged.

“You would look cute in them though.” Anthony teased Yzavela.

Glancing at him, shaking my head, I grinned then turned toward the wall, watching as the ships lowered their anchors that crashed against the outer rock.

“What’s happening up there?!” I reached out to Wyatt telepathically.

“They’ve lowered anchors.” the Demon answered her, watching the chains fall heavily from the hulls that hovered above, clashing against the stone, before thumping against the grass, “Sh*t…” he cursed as he jumped back with Nick and Justin.

“What is it?!” I worried.

Wyatt didn’t answer her, watching as one of the anchors landed on the wall, smashing against the ledge, leaving a wide gaping space.

“Wyatt!?” I called out worriedly.

“We’re fine…” he grunted, looking at Nick and Justin,“one of the anchors landed on the wall.” he and his fellow Guardians avoided the swaying motion of the massive chain then glanced toward the Jinn, who seemed distracted by something in the sky. His blue eyes leered upward, watching as the Shadowed Ones hovered in slow, and eerie movements before lunging downward, sensing energy of life, “Move!” he shouted loudly, pushing the Wraiths to the ground as the mass of shadowy creatures lunged forward, screeching as they swarmed above.

“What’s going on up there?” Caleb worried, seeing the scene taking place with his supernatural, enhanced sight.

“I don’t know, go…” I urged him quickly.

Caleb nodded then quickly vanished, appearing on the wall and just as his presence was noticed, he dodged the swift strike of one of the Shadowed Ones. Falling forward, then rolling away, he sprung onto his knees, aiming his guns, and even though he knew they would do no damage against them, it was habit.

“Vampyre…” one of the Jinn watchmen shouted, rushing forward. As he pulled the young man backwards behind him, he created one of their barriers between himself and the creatures, allowing the swift Wraith to stand to his feet, watching the occurrence, “Go…help the others!” the Jinn muttered over his shoulder, struggling to keep the creature from penetrating through and not even their powerful magic, older and stronger than Marxus’ could keep the Shadowed Ones at bay.

Caleb bit his lip then turned, swiftly running down the wall in a blur toward his friends that stood, watching as men descended the ropes overboard.

Peering over the ledge, seeing figures following the length of the wall, Wyatt turned, glanced toward the inner estate.

“They’re coming…” he reached out to Yzavela’s mind.

“Open the gates!” her voice answered firmly.

Wyatt turned to Justin and Nick, instructing them to open the gates.

The Wraiths nodded, then turned and sped toward the large wheel; they began spinning the gear, turning it slowly, creating a loud rattle, that even those within the inner estate could probably hear.

“How do you think this is going to go?” Caleb looked at Wyatt.

“How do you think?” the Demon mumbled, then rushed toward the opposite ledge of the wall, waving his hands hoping Yzavela and the others could see him, “They’re coming across the tunnel now!”

“Azir…” Yzavela’s voice entered the Jinn’s mind, “do it now!”

The Jinn King raised an eyebrow, then turned, elegantly waving his arms with hands glowing faintly with a green pulsating hue, and as he glanced across the inner estate, he observed the glamour put in place and the fog concealing the warriors, beginning to thin.

Demons on the wall, felt the magic tickle down their spine, and even the Wraiths felt the hair on the back of their necks rise.

“Ready?” I glanced around, studying all of the warriors gathered.

“Si.” Anthony nodded.

“Let’s do this.” Derek agreed, leading the warriors forward, hiding behind the clusters of trees, making their way closer to the invaders.

“What’s that, what’s happening?!” Faron questioned, watching as the fog seemed to thin itself out, allowing a clear path ahead as if it were an invitation to enter, “I don’t like this…” he groaned, then caught flashes of light above their heads, but dismissed the action, thinking maybe it might have been the soldiers still aboard the ships.

“Keep moving!” Delano-Dakari ordered, knowing there was no other option but to see this through, they were too deep in enemy territory.

Entering a tunnel, leading through the slate, the men marched slowly, flashing their lights against the wall that was smooth and carved out, but venturing forward deeper inland, their flashlights flickered before the batteries completely drained. Tapping them roughly against their hands, the gadgets wouldn’t operate, nothing but blackness engulfed them, except for the eerie light that lingered at the end of the tunnel.