Hero's Journey

Chapter 75

Kip inhales one last great breath of salty air before leaving the cabin. As soon as he steps out, he's spotted by a tall, bulky man wearing a red bandana.

"Who in the Fates are you, boy." The man growls, eyes zeroing in on him as he goes for the sharp hatchet at his waist.

Kip moves his hand down to his own weapon, but finds that the sheath is not at his hip like it usually is.

When I was dragged on to the ship from Roaria, my friends must have taken my machete for safe keeping. Kip can guess where it is. Probably confiscated along with my friends' other weapons.

"Are you deaf, who are you?!" The man questions, having taken out his hatchet. The man now grips it in his hands tightly, poised for an attack.

Kip feels the dark power of Gahenna rush through him at the threat. His amber eyes glow bright as Kip crouches to the ground and touches the scratchy wood. The shadows from the lanterns hung along the hall screech at his touch. There's a building in Kip's chest, and then it releases as the shadows on the ground surge forward, pulling the bulky man to the ground.

Kip is so close to Gahenna that he can hardly feel any drainage of power. He watches in morbid fascination as the shadows rip the man to shreds, leaving nothing but a speck of blood and a pile of bones.

Kip feels nauseous as he steps around the pile. I can't think about what I just did, I have to save me friends.

This thought has Kip sprinting down the remainder of the hall and up the stairs, the shadows of the night devouring any that stands in his way.

The cool breeze and moonlight flood over Kip's form, adding to the addictive feeling of energy pulsing within his core. He feels his shadow stain thumping like a second heart on his back. The strange feeling brings him back to reality. Men from the docks below yell and point, but Kip ignores them, falling into a power-induced haze.

He easily jumps over the huge distance between The Sea Sorceress and The Dogfish. As soon as Kip lands on to The Dogfish, he is faced with a dozen angry faces and weapons. Kip flicks his hand and the shadows shove a path through them. He leaves them to busily demolish their human meals.

No longer feels rushed, Kip strolls through the destruction. His shadow stain throbs harder from the incredible high of all the death and darkness surrounding him. Cracking a sardonic grin, Kip's eyes glow bright in the night.

His grin widens as he lays eyes on a particular, evil smuggling captain. Baymont. He chuckles. His mind is overwrought with all the pain and cruelty he has done to the many people he's sold to the Shadowlanders.

The captain twitches and shakes in complete agony as Kip's shadows tear him apart piece by piece. With a single command, Kip halts his shadows and they slither away to partake of one of the other crew's flesh.

Kipdale leans down and beams at the captain. "How about I inflict some of the pain you have given to thousands unto you?"

Captain Baymont, already in much anguish can only silently sob and pray for mercy.

〰〰〰

Delia lifts her head from the ground, confusion and grogginess making her thoughts murky. Sounds of all kinds fill her ears. Even the half-dead people look up from their misery, eyes shining curiously.