Shadowman, page 18
part #1 of The Valiant Universe Series
Jack was on the lookout for signs of injury but made sure not to let up. Gotta tear you up, freak, sorry. Still spinning from the force of his swing, he caught sight of the grayish-green blood that seeped through the monster’s fingers as it covered the fresh wound.
Resembling the backhand of a tennis star, Jack swiftly clutched the remaining horn with both hands as he completed his turn and smashed it into the exposed teeth of the monster, blasting them off its face.
A lot of these guys got inconvenient bodies, he thought as the monster’s teeth clattered across the ground like hailstones.
These three simple strikes had the brute laid out on its back, too injured to defend itself. Unwilling to allow any further surprises, Jack threw himself onto his foe’s chest and drove the still-intact horn into its throat.
“Mmmmph!” The monster instinctively grabbed at it but Jack firmly stomped it into the ground underneath before leaping to a safe distance. “And stay down.”
Expecting exhaustion to set in, Jack fell backward onto the ground and watched as the brute tried to free itself.
Struggling against the horn that had its neck pinned like a tent peg, it gurgled out its last breath. Its sputtering forced out the blood that had pooled its way into the hollow stake, visibly erupting from within like a mini geyser.
Seeing that the brute had been defeated, the bottom-feeders started to flee.
“Wow,” Jack began, watching their frenzied flight. “I’m killing monsters and I’m not even winded.”
He took several deep breaths only to marvel at how unnecessary they were.
The area suddenly echoed with a strange clacking. Though the rhythm was indicative of applause, its quality seemed too hard, almost brittle.
What the heck is that?! Jack thought, scrambling to his feet.
Upon seeing the source of the sound, his expression transitioned from alertness to surprise and then, finally, amused intrigue.
Standing before him was a fancily clad skeleton applauding him. Though dimmed by old-school shades that were somehow still fashionable, shining green eyes could be seen glowing behind them. Their brightness seemed to intensify by the second, accentuating the enthusiastic display.
The hardened fang-like extensions descending from the mouth of Jack’s mask did little to conceal the childish expression on his face.
Noticing the smile, the skeleton’s enthusiasm became mingled with a curiosity that was obvious. Quickly recovering, the raucous nature of the renewed applause rose to inhuman levels before suddenly ceasing, the final clap being the loudest of all.
Its ivory hands remained clasped together in front of its clearly grinning skull. The skeleton pointed them toward Jack as it began its address.
“And he is good-humored to boot,” it said. “To the newest inductee into our world.” The skeleton removed his ornate top hat and brought it to his chest, revealing black hair that was surprisingly fine in texture. “I bid you welcome, Heir Boniface.”
“Thank you,” Jack replied. He gave a respectful nod of the head before abruptly shifting in demeanor. “Wow! The mythical Baron Samedi, in the flesh! Well, sorta.”
Still cradling his hat, Baron Samedi lurched forward and immediately began laughing.
Inwardly, Jack remained wary, watching attentively as the tickled skeleton seemed to derive an inordinate amount of enjoyment from his quip. Was it that funny? he said silently.
“No,” Bossu replied.
Jack’s eyes darted around the vicinity as the prolonged cackles seemed to generate various spectral singularities around their position.
“Whooo boy,” Samedi began. “That’s good stuff!”
Returning the hat to his head, the skeleton composed himself, sighing out his amusement. As he did so, an assortment of individuals began appearing through the singularities.
The last to materialize was the titan from the storm.
Her arrival was identical to her disappearance and lacked the prolonged forecast of her cohorts. A large column of mist had taken shape, followed by her immediate appearance in its place. As they exchanged glances once more, Jack noticed she still did not appear overtly threatening.
She seems more cautious, he thought. Even kind of childlike.
“Do not be afraid,” Samedi said. Jack nodded as he smiled back, secretly amused by the suggestion. “These are my subordinates, eager to do my will. They mean you no harm.”
Turning around, the skeleton briefly moved his hand about the air as if conducting an orchestra.
I bet he’s summoning a portal, Jack said silently, addressing Bossu. What are the odds it’s a trap?
“Not likely,” the Lwa replied. “You are probably the only person he has no reason to conspire against.”
Jack remained still and watched the predicted wormhole form in response to Samedi’s quick gesture. Its perimeter manifested as a bright green ring, large and cracking with energy.
Before entering, Samedi looked back at his guest, seemingly keeping his distance. “Come, now that you are here, we have work to do.”
CHAPTER 12
Jack obliged, quickly joining his host to stand in front of the awaiting portal.
Initially an opaque haze of green, the wormhole steadily increased in clarity as he approached, to where it now resembled a trembling wall of water.
Standing before the threshold, Jack could make out what seemed to be the lightly furnished interior of some building. Although his field of vision was limited, he could tell that the space was exceedingly large.
The few windows in view stretched high enough to dwarf the mysterious silhouettes stationed within. While most of these unnamed entities seemed to be standing patiently in expectation, Jack noticed a few of them floating about in an obviously inhuman manner.
Filled with curiosity but unwilling to openly inquire, he silently addressed his Lwa as Samedi passed through. Who are they?
“My brethren, of course.”
Great.
As Jack stepped into the quivering wall, Bossu’s tone transitioned to one of seriousness. “Remember the treachery that has brought you here,” he said. “No one is above suspicion, so be sure that you remain circumspect with all things. Take heed, the less informed you appear, the better.”
Jack nodded in response as he crossed over. The distorted imagery immediately cleared away, revealing what could only be described as a dimly lit ballroom.
Fighting the urge to stare at its impractically high ceiling, he directed his gaze forward only to realize Samedi had his back turned to him.
Standing with pocketed hands, the Ghede lord positioned himself between his young guest and the collection of entities that were before him.
The first to get Jack’s attention was one clothed in bright white garments, positioned near the ceiling. The entity floated up high as if to separate itself. The lightbulb god, I presume?
“Take heed, whelp,” Bossu began. “The life you once led in which jokes and frivolous banter were acceptable is over. It is for your own sake that I am imploring you to take things seriously, for if you do not, you will certainly wish you had.”
It was just a joke, Jack replied, willfully averting his gaze, an inside one at that. You want me to be a dried-up curmudgeon like you. Outwardly, I get it, but in my private thoughts, too? You’re buggin’, dude.
Unfazed by his Lwa’s sudden austerity, Jack was intent on tallying all of the entities present but quickly realized the way they arranged themselves would make his efforts too obvious.
Nevertheless, he found himself staring at a small preteen boy standing among the otherworldly beings and was careful not to smirk. See? I’m holding back my laughter.
“That very statement is a testament to your puerility,” Bossu replied.
Jack had been staring at the preteen Lwa. Wearing a mischievous frown, the child seemed to hold what appeared to be a bottle of liquor in one hand and a banana in the other.
While fully aware there was more to him than met the eye, Jack could not resist the consequent swell of amusement. “Aren’t you a bit too young to drink?” he asked.
Bossu let out a gravelly sigh. “Our manner of conversation has spoiled you,” he said. “You can brush aside my counsel if you so wish, but you cannot be so aloof with these people. They are proud and demand adherence to proper etiquette. Consider the fact that they have no reason to aid us.”
The childlike entity aggressively bit off the top of his unpeeled banana. He maintained his stare as he chewed through its woody stem and bitter skin with ease.
Seeing as the masticating Lwa’s glare remained despite its cheeks being swelled comically past their limit, Jack moved for damage control. “It was a joke.”
Jack felt something like relief upon hearing a sound of amusement from the group and, seeking the source, he locked eyes with a being that had the head of a leopard. His chest was bare, and while a seeming leopard-skin skirt was wrapped around his waist in a manner similar to Roman pteruges, the rest of his body seemed human.
Jack’s examination was cut short by a high-pitched grating as another stepped forward. “You ignore the heir’s casual attitude, Samedi?” the unseen deity asked, and while its cadence did not seem angry, Jack thought it unreasonably loud. “He’s too familiar.”
As the speaker emerged from the crowd, the unmistakable glint of a blade caught Jack’s eye. Glancing at the machete, he spied a chain of great bulk wrapped around the deity’s left forearm. The Lwa dragged the excess in his clutches as he moved, creating a piercing grinding sound.
Samedi took a step forward, blocking his young guest from his cohort’s line of sight. Though his hands remained pocketed, the Ghede lord’s tone was nevertheless conciliatory. “Brother Ogun,” he began, “I beg you to overlook the youth’s offense just this once. He has yet to learn our ways. This is all new to him, after all. Give me but two days and I will have his rambunctious attitude thoroughly removed.”
As if for emphasis, the skeleton turned around upon saying this.
The spectral green of his irises was still visible despite the darkened shades. Noticing one of them suddenly go out, Jack was forced to look at the ground as the smirk he thought he had conquered made a sudden comeback.
Bossu grumbled knowingly just as his host began to address him. Did you see that? Jack asked silently as Samedi turned back around. He just winked! In a situation as serious as this, even Baron Samedi keeps his sense of humor.
The skeleton waited as the muscular Ogun considered his request.
“Seeing as he is immortal,” Bossu began, “he can afford to play the fool.”
True, the young host replied, but why are they just staring each other down like that? And what’s that sound?
The pause in Samedi and Ogun’s conversation caused Jack’s attention to drift toward the noises within the space. The distinct sound of water met his ears, its calm nature similar to that of waves rhythmically cascading to and fro upon a shore.
Jack’s gaze fell upon its source almost immediately, but he remained unsure of what he was looking at.
Visible from only the waist up, two entities could be seen surrounded by a subtle distortion. The periphery seemed to fluctuate, making it difficult to ascertain its nature.
Although they were sitting, the couple’s height was not remarkably different from that of those standing. Their eyes appeared aquamarine, the same color as their hair, but shimmering like a sun-kissed sea.
A bejeweled diadem sat upon the man’s bald head, and he wore a rivière of equal brilliance around his neck. The hefty necklace consisted of gems fashioned into the shape of seashells that steadily increased in size, ultimately leading to the large conch resting on his chest.
The woman wore a diadem as well, but rather than a complete circle, the portion at her forehead extended down to form a point just above the bridge of her nose. Her formfitting blouse seemed to be made of scales, each glinting a shade of red slightly different from the other before collectively swapping tints in waves.
Having moved slightly to get a better view, Jack felt even more confused.
Far from seeing any physical form of support for the seated entities, there was only the mysterious outpouring of water intermittently crashing on the floor beneath their visible upper bodies.
That explains the noise, but how—
Jack’s thoughts came to a pause as he noticed distortion encircling them. Water was being spewed forth in steady intervals from the portion hovering just above the floor, allowing Jack to fixate on the transient contour.
So that’s what it is, he thought. These two are viewing from a portal.
Though its perimeter was not as defined as Samedi’s, the leaking water served as a point of reference by which the portal’s overall shape could be traced.
They’re not even here.
“Obviously,” Bossu stated with a scoff. “This is none other than Met Agwe and his wife La Sirene.”
Silly me . . .
The Lwa continued, ignoring his host’s sarcasm. “Neither is fond of this place but Agwe is particularly averse.” He snorted loudly in fleeting amusement. “Intolerably sepulchral, was how he described it.”
Jack gazed into the aqueous portal, finally able to contrast the background environment contained within the fluctuating periphery from the gloomy ballroom in which he stood.
His domain is just as dark as this one, I couldn’t even tell the difference at first.
“Agwe’s is an underwater kingdom,” Bossu replied. “As such, its present state of drear is nothing more than nightfall’s effect on the depths.”
I get it now, this portal is more like a window than a gateway. That’s how it’s keeping the contents of the deep at bay. He glanced again at the water leaking onto the floor. For the most part.
Jack continued examining the periphery but halted as he noticed the faces of the two Lwa within looking directly at him. While Met Agwe appeared to be in a state of stoic observation, the woman at his side was smiling.
La Sirene, having recognized the telltale confusion on Jack’s mask, proceeded into a full-on grin before quickly turning to her husband. Agwe’s eyes remained fixed, but a subdued expression soon took shape at the corner of his mouth as he relented.
At this, La Sirene immediately spoke. “Be gentle, Ogun,” she said. “There are times when austerity is best but, alas, this one is but a child. His whimsical nature is clearly evident. He means no harm.”
Samedi gestured toward her with renewed enthusiasm before continuing his appeal. “You see?” he began. “Full of grace and insight, the queen of the sea speaks sense!”
“See to it that your assurances prove true,” Ogun replied. “The mortal has inherited a burden that has little time for instruction in etiquette.”
“You ain’t lyin’, brother,” Samedi stated, visibly pleased.
Ogun peered over the chuckling skeleton, setting his sights on Jack. “Come forth, child.”
Jack obediently stepped forward as Samedi moved to the side, as if granting passage.
“Are you ready for what is required of you?” Ogun asked, locking eyes with him.
Though his manner was aggressive, Jack could tell Ogun was not trying to intimidate. He maintained eye contact with the Lwa as he replied. “Yes, sir, I believe I am.”
Echoes of condescending laughter suddenly filled the ballroom. Their shrillness forced Jack to wince as he watched the responsible entity scamper forward. Having caught sight of her, his irritation gave way to a look of surprise before being ultimately replaced by revulsion.
Initially, Jack imagined the advancing entity to be someone in a bird costume but quickly understood the reality to be more grotesque. This Lwa had the body of a giant bird, but while her ankles and feet remained terrifyingly avian, she had no wings.
An unsightly fusion of human and bird, her arms hung from the feathered tufts at her shoulders. The abnormal length of these scrawny limbs was made all the more striking by her clawlike hands, their appearance evoking memories of the prehistoric creatures Jack fancied as a child.
The woman suddenly jutted forth the hand he was gaping at, breaking his inappropriate trance. Jack finally took a good look at the Lwa’s head. Although it was the only thing about her that appeared fully human, her face was twisted into a sneer of outrage.
Far from feeling threatened, her intensity filled him with curiosity.
Why is she so mad?
“Your pride is offensive,” she began. “Do you even know why you are here?”
Jack feigned discomfort before speaking his lie. “Umm, well, I guess I don’t.” The bird woman flared her nose at this. “I’m something like a superhero, no? Destined to protect humanity from the forces of darkness . . . or something?”
The space fell quiet as the various entities within simply stared at him. Even Samedi seemed to lose his sense of humor, slowly turning to look at Jack in silent disbelief.
“What?”
Bending at the waist, the skeleton lowered himself to Jack’s height before responding. “One of our kin has gone missing,” he began, suddenly sounding weary. “You are to discover what has happened to her.” He paused once more, examining Jack’s reaction. “I’m surprised Bossu has neglected to apprise you of the situation.”
“Who’s Bossu?” Jack asked. He ignored the gravelly titters that immediately sounded in his head as he continued. “And, don’t get mad, but if one of your gods has gone missing, wouldn’t that mean the culprit must be another god? Like, one of you?”
Jack kept his eyes off the assembly, not wanting his statement to hit harder than was necessary.
Samedi laughed slightly before standing upright. “Well,” he said, “this might take a bit longer than I thought.”
The childlike Lwa raised his bottle of liquor. “Cheekiness notwithstanding,” he began, “the heir is right.” Unprepared for the sound of his voice, Jack’s posture became rigid from stifling the outburst of laughter now primed in his bowels. The baritone Lwa looked among his fellows before continuing. “Is it not so? This one has only expressed something we all know to be true.”
