The Blighted

Chapter 4

Turning around slowly, James Kirk realized there was some big black misty glowing mass hovering behind him. He barely had time to move another millimeter before it had pounced on him.
Jim yowled out in excruciating agony as he felt ungodly strength close around his throat, razor sharp nails sinking into his flesh. Trying with all his might, he attempted to grab hold of this black mass but his hands just went through its shapeless glowing body.
However it wasn't aware of the captain's loyal companion that sprinted at it from behind, grabbing hold of this thing and yanking it off of Jim with his superior strength.
For a millisecond the black mist felt like solid flesh in it's center but Spock's hands then passed right through as it went intangible.
Both Jim and Spock felt a strong and sudden energy drain within them as this entity engulfed them like a thick black smoke causing the two to fall unconscious within seconds.
___________________

An unknown amount of time had passed before Spock had begun to awaken. He surveyed his surroundings as his energy slowly restored. They were apparently trapped inside a dungeon of some sort. Looking beside him, he saw James Kirk still unmoving, bleeding badly from those deep gashes on his shoulders and neck. Luckily nothing vital was damaged. Spock wanted to find a way to slow the bleeding of his captain however and he only had one choice. The fabric of his clothing. They had not brought medical supplies with them on their trip here. Spock thought it to be very unfortunate that he'd have to ruin this uniform but he rather have tattered clothes than his captain suffering more than necessary. So he tore off a decent sized strip of fabric and gently yet generously wrapped the gash wounds, the fabric acting as a bandage.
He sat with Jim's head on his lap rather than this odd stony floor.

Spock's extraordinary hearing picked up on movement behind him. It sounds like footsteps. Heavy boots against the stone ground.
Slowly he felt for his phaser only to notice it was gone. Grunting softly, he slowly turned his head to the direction of the sound. It stopped. The rustling stopped but he felt a strong negative presence behind him. Just out of his field of vision.

"It's pleasant to see you made it this far..."

A familiar voice. Deepened and sinister.
Spock shifted a bit to see who it could possibly be. Looking up, he spotted a large, blackened figure perched atop a flattened stalagmite on the ground. This figure's face was hidden by a worn hooded cloak, as a matter of fact he was completely dressed in black. The only thing that was visible was a gnarly grin. One inch glistening fanged canine teeth bared.

"My dear friend was ever nice enough to find you two." The dark one spoke again. Lifting his head he revealed a fiery glowing golden eye.

"You are a Blighted one.." Spock whispers.

The dark one chuckles.

Jim begins to awaken. His hazel eyes looking up at his first officer.

"I can smell your blood..." The creature grins widely again. "My instinct tells me...both of you are prey... But I don't think I will make you such...for now."

Hearing that, Jim's eyes widen and he sits up immediately and looks into the direction Spock is looking and sees what he sees.
"..Jim." Spock said as he goes to gently grab hold of him but stops as Jim sat up on his own.

"Who are you!" The captain growled.

"Why... You don't recognize me? Nor the one who brought you to me?" The blighted one shook his head slowly.
A blackened shadowed figure approached and stopped right next to the blighted one. This one wasn't nearly as tall but it was smokey, see through and had fierce glowing green owlish eyes.
This black mass was silent as it stood at attention like a some guard dog.
"Why are you keeping us in here? We're not prisoners... We're here to cure this plague." Jim spoke bravely as he stood with Spock at his side.

"I'm keeping you...protecting you from the others that would love to prey on you without a second thought.." The caped one stood as well. Soul piercing red-orange eyes well visible now. He even looks eerily familiar.
"And plague? You think this is a plague?" He chuckled darkly. "This is not a plague my friends... We are merely made servants of a queen. A queen that saved my life by making me...immortal... A spell if you wish to call it." He turned to the vicious looking black figure next to him. "As for him... he was given the queen's plasma. Like him, the queen is a phantasm. He was given the Voidwalker wraith core... Illusive... But our best weapons."

"A different core? Do you have any idea what your 'queen' has done?!" Jim Kirk hissed. "His core is his very engine. It gave him his heart of gold... his everything. Everything we love about him! And now that's gone!" Jim was on the verge of tears. He felt his bicep be grabbed and squeezed gently.
It was Spock, looking sympathetically at him. A hint of sadness but a hint of faith in his eyes. When Jim turned back to face the blighted ones they were gone. Gone without a word.

Jim looked down and sighed, "this is nothing of what we expected.."

"Indeed... However we should not give in to this. As our dear friend said, faith is the most powerful... When there is nothing left." Spock looked back at Jim, "and we have one another."
The captain couldn't help but turn and give him a hug. A tight secure hug that he's needed for a while now. He was even better when the Vulcan hugged back sincerely.
"At least we know that Bones and Jason are... still here. Just... Caught in this mess with the rest of this world."Jim pulled back with his hands lingering on Spock's strong shoulders.
"At least we have an idea of how to possibly stop this infestation." Spock near whispered.
Jim nodded, slowly putting his hand down. "We need to get out of here first. Then find our communicators before they start going mad up there."