Part 4: Up From the Pit

 

Mia and the others had been trying to get a hold of Rowen.  They’d called all his friends, his parents, his brothers and sisters—everyone.  No one knew where he was.  All he’d told them was that he was going out with Aria and didn’t know when they’d be back.  That was three days ago.

 

Anubis had also tried to summon Kayura back to earth to help, but whatever dimension she had taken Kento, Zane, and Zoe to was too far away for their limited mental connection to be of any use.  They also had no way to contact Astarte at all.  Who knew where she, Gilgamesh, and Trace were at the moment?

 

Whatever was coming, the six of them would have to face it: Anubis, Jack, Ryo, Sage, Sai, and Mia.  For the first time in a long time Mia was afraid.  Things were all going wrong.  She couldn’t keep her personal feelings from constantly encroaching on her duties as a Sentinel Warrior.  Everything brought her mind back to Uli.  If she didn’t pull it together, she wasn’t going to be prepared for Stygia when the elven witch came back for whatever it was she needed from her and Ryo. 

 

Stygia stood on the edge of a black pit deep within the earth.  Even with her eyesight she couldn’t see its bottom.  But she could hear.  Could hear the slithering and shuffling of strange creatures that hadn’t seen the light of day in centuries.  This was where the Nameless Ones had sent her—where she would get the power she needed to weaken the armored warriors.  Stygia spread her arms wide and shouted with all her might.  “SLSTRE FHERIS WUNOLR MNEMODRU!  SLSTRE FHERIS QRAVIUL!”

 

Gut-wrenching screeches echoed off the wall of the pit.  Something was coming up from the deep, pulled by the power of her ancient words.  Something slimy and foul.  A form began to take shape as it neared the edge of the pit.  The Darkling Sidh queen smiled as its hideous body revealed itself.  A membranous mass of long tentacles and fire-breathing dragon heads. To Stygia’s dark heart this creature was perfect.

 

“Oh, my beautiful creature of darkness!  I’ve said the words of power, so now you must obey me.  But don’t worry, my pet.  I know you’re a thing of chaos.  I would not want to deprive you of those pleasures.  Go above and destroy whatever you like, kill any mortals you encounter, pollute the air with your foul stench!  Do whatever your dark instincts urge you to do.  They’ll come to stop you.  That’s what they do.  And you’ll make them weak for me, won’t you?  Now, go!  Go!”

 

The monster oozed through the cavern tunnels, making its way up to the surface.  Destruction was its only goal.

 

The Nameless Ones watched Stygia and the creature in a wisp of scrying smoke from somewhere in the dark.

 

“She is young and proud.”

 

Another of the Nameless laughed mirthlessly.  “Yes.  And her arrogance makes her so easily led.”

 

“The little queen thinks she is using us.  How foolish!  She does not realize how transparent her desires are.”

 

“Stygia sows seeds of chaos wherever she goes.  But the very harvest that she reaps will destroy her.”

 

“As we wish it to be. She knows too many of our secrets to live. She might have become troublesome for us one day.”

 

“But now that day will never come. If these armored children do not destroy her, there is another waiting in the wings. He does not know it yet, but he will take care of this problem for us.”

 

“Long live the Dark Queen!" The faceless shadows laughed.

 

Mia watched, unable to move as the water glass slipped from her hand and fell to the hard floor in slow motion.  She’d felt a flash of evil that staggered her.  There was danger in the city.  People were in trouble.  But she couldn’t shake the feeling that the danger was more personal.  The feeling of dread she’d picked up at the hospital had settled over her like a winter coat on a warm day.  She couldn’t shake it off and it grew heavier and heavier all the time, suffocating her.  She balled her fists and pushed them against her temples.  Why couldn’t she see it?  Why couldn’t it just come for her and be done with it?

 

“Mia?  Are you okay?”

 

“Ryo!  I’m…fine.  I got a flash of danger and dropped a glass.  It’s nothing.  We have to turn on the news.”  She took his hand and pulled him into the living room with her, leaving the broken bits of glass scattered on the floor.

 

Ryo studied her face, watching her try to push whatever was bothering her out of her mind.  He knew she would eventually tell him if he kept asking her, but they didn’t have time now if trouble was brewing.  Sometimes personal problems had to take a backseat to their jobs as Ronins and Sentinels.  He knew that was something else Mia was struggling with.  He was, too.  Yeah, the other night he’d sounded so self-assured when she’d asked him about personal lives, like he knew how it all worked out.  But sometimes he wondered, too, how to juggle a regular life and the warrior’s life.  Maybe they could figure it out together.  Just not now.

 

Mia turned on the TV, hurriedly searching the channels for news.  She didn’t have to go far.  Most of the stations were already breaking into their regular programs with the story of a hideous monster rampaging through the downtown.  Mia sighed and shook her head.  “Anubis!  Jack!”

 

Ryo was already on the phone to Sage.