War Mantle (Dancing with Death part 3)

Spirit of Fear

Tyler shook harder in Ali's grip. She turned and found him breathing heavily, his eyes squeezed shut and his head tilted as if he were fighting his own thoughts.

"Tyler?" She grabbed his other hand. "Tyler!" She placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him violently. "Tyler?!"

"That won't work." Epialtes purred from the shadows. "He's mine now."

She faced the shapeless spirit of nightmares. "Then I'll get him back." She glanced over her shoulder at her trembling friend. "Sorry Tyler. Looks like I'll be doing this alone after all." She let his hand slip through her fingers. Steeling herself, she reached for her sword and strode towards Epialtes.

Terrifying scenes reared up around her, her greatest fears, regrets, mistakes. Familiar voices screamed in her ears, but she focused on Epialtes and let the rest of reality fade around her.

Epialtes drew back. "How are you doing this? Everyone falls to their fear."

Ali clenched her fists and stalked towards him. "I know my fears all too well. I've spent my whole life living through them, over and over." She stopped directly in front of him. "Do your worst, Epialtes. I guarantee my mind has drug me through a darker hell."

She could just make out the spirits translucent blue eyes, but she could clearly see the fear in his gaze.

Just as quickly as it had appeared, the terror was gone, replaced with a cruel joy. "You may not be afraid of your past or the uncertainty of your future, but what about something current - something real." He thrust his formless hand towards Tyler.

The son of Apollo immediately clutched the sides of his head and screamed, dropping to his knees on the cold hard ground.

"Tyler!!" Ali raced over and knelt beside him. "Tyler?!" She cupped his face in her hands and tilted his face towards her. "Tyler, look at me." She willed silver flames across her fingers in the hopes that it would trigger a reaction, but there was nothing.

Epialtes chuckled behind her. "He has more fear than I expected." His voice gushed with malignant joy. "Fear of his past, fear for his Legion," his smirk widened. "And a new fear... of losing you."

Tyler hunched over with another scream.

"So much delicious terror and regret." Epialtes inhaled deeply as if smelling something pleasant.

Ali refused to acknowledge the spirit. She stared into Tyler's hazy eyes. "Please, Tyler, come back to me." She hugged his shaking body. "I can't lose you either." She pulled back and pressed her forehead against his.

Slowly, Tyler stilled. His breathing steadied. "Ali?" His voice was hoarse and weak, barely a ragged whisper.

She pulled back and met his bleary gaze. A smile broke across her face and she almost squealed. "You're okay!" She threw her arms around him.

"That's impossible." Epialtes gasped behind them. "No one escapes my grasp."

Ali whirled to glare at him. "You've clearly never faced a daughter of Artemis."

Tyler slipped his hand into hers, making her turn back to him. "Remember what I said."

Ali met his gaze and nodded. "Together or not at all."

They stood and faced the spirit of nightmares.

Tyler drew his sword, his eyes flashing gold. "This ends now."

Silver flames ignited along Ali's arms and raged in her eyes. "Let's dance, Freak Show."

The ghostly flames curled and licked around each other where Tyler and Ali's hands met, surging power through each of the half-bloods.

Epialtes took a step back. "No." His voice was barely a breath. "It can't be." He stared at the gold and silver flames shrouding the teenagers. "The Chosen."

Ali drew her sword, brandishing the flaming blade. She met Tyler's gaze and the two charged forward as one.

Epialtes shrank back and seemed to morph into the shadows. His laughter echoed all around them. "Fools! I'm the spirit of nightmares. I am your fears."

A large shadow surged up behind them, like a black wave. It twisted and convulsed, turning into a massive inky black dragon.

Epialtes laughed, spewing fire from his massive fanged jaws. "How do you like me now, Half-bloods?"

Ali stared up at the reptilian specter. "Well, that complicates things."

Tyler gripped his sword tighter. "Yeah, well, it couldn't be too easy, now could it."

Epialtes stepped forward, his massive foot bearing down on them.

"Left!" Tyler shouted and they both lunged out from under the scaly foot.

Standing, they charged forward and drove their flaming swords into his foot as it came down.

The dragon roared in pain and melted into the shadows. A huge dire wolf leapt out of the darkness, tackling Ali to the ground and forcing Tyler down with them. The half-bloods lost their grip on each other.

Epialtes growled down at her, thick warm saliva dripping from his mouth. His jowls quivered over his fangs as he glared at his prey with bloodlust.

Ali just stared back. "You're really grasping at straws if you think a dire wolf will scare me." Her eyes glowed silver and Epialtes yelped, shaking his head and backing away.

Tyler rushed over to Ali's side. "What was that?"

Ali watched as Epialtes whimpered and shrank back into the darkness. "As a daughter of Artemis, I have some authority over animals."

The shadows pulsed as a new terror formed.

Tyler grabbed Ali's hand. "He's not an animal."

She readied her sword. "No, but he assumes the status of whatever he turns into. I can't control him as an animal, but I can mess with his head."

"That's... kind of awesome." He willed golden flames along his sword.

The shadows burst, revealing an amalgamation of creatures. It had a long serpentine body with four muscular lion's legs holding it aloft. A furry mane covered most of its long neck, hair growing between its scales. It's feline head had horns sprouting behind its ears and goat eyes. Black feathered wings spread from its back, two on each side of a spiky fringe down the center. It shook its mane, reared its head, and released a deafening roared that sounded like a crowd of animals all screaming at once.

Tyler took a step back. "That is not."

A/N
Yay! Another chapter's done!
So, yeah... Epialtes is fun to write.
Hope you guys enjoyed. With this new Frankenstein of a monster I've created. 😅
Thanks for the support guys.
-Cheshire