Geist Warriors: Chapter 4

They kept going a little while longer before Keenen called it, quoting that it was getting late and at the very least he had to go to bed and he didn’t want a rowdy bunch of teenagers in his house unsupervised. He went to his room leaving them to clean up which they managed without incident. They gathered all their stuff and then they walked to the station.

“It’s not even that cold out. Halleluiah.” Gav said spreading his arms and walking along the platform.

“Don’t jinx it. I wanna keep this weather,” Dick commented and checked his phone. It was going on 9 and the sun had long since set with the orange night lights turning on.

Lisa checked the display and it said their train was arriving any minute now. She checked down the tracks and could see the lights in the distance coming closer. “So, I’d like to actually eat breakfast with you tomorrow Dick. So try to get there on time?” Lisa said pointedly.

He lowered his head in a mock bow. “Si Lisa. I’ll be there. Scouts honor.”

She rolled her eyes then hugged him. He hugged her then everyone else and waved as they got aboard the train. A few people got off at the stop but not many. The doors closed and then the train jerked down the tracks and into the distance.

He stretched his arms above his head and fought a yawn. Adjusting his glasses, he walked down the steps and stopped at the bottom with a frown. “Hell, of a birthday.” He said to himself and started walking back toward home. But every step he took felt off. He was probably just being paranoid. Wasn’t the first time. Especially since the time he almost got pulled over.

But he couldn’t shake the feeling that nagged at the back of his mind. Rather than look over his shoulder again he got his phone out and held it up slightly so that his camera was looking over his shoulder. Once he turned the camera around his breath caught because there was nothing there.

No one shadowing him. No person trying to gank him. No monsters. Just empty street. He took a slow breath and let out a laugh at his own paranoia. “I really am going loco.” Putting his phone back in his pocket he was suddenly tackled from the front and lifted off the ground. His eyes went wide shocked at this and stared at the person holding him up.

It was a business man, he was wearing a suit and tie and in his free hand he had a briefcase. Pale skin and well groomed hair but it was his eyes. They glowed a bright red, burning in color as they stared at him. His breath was caught in his throat to the point where he forgot how to do so.

The man leaned forward and sniffed at him. The glowing eyes narrowed at him and then spoke. The voice was deep, vibrating all the way to his chest and made his heart hurt. “Your soul has seen death. It’ stronger. It’ll be tastier to consume.” Dick wasn’t sure what bothered him more, the fact that the man’s mouth wasn’t moving in time to his words or that he was being called tasty.

Glaring he kicked his leg out and tried to break the man’s hold on him. It didn’t do much as he looked at him with a strange look. Turning around the man whipped his arm and sent Dick flying backwards. He bounced off the ground and then landed onto his back groaning. His head was dizzy and he felt something hot drip down his face.

He raised his head slowly and stared as the man started coming toward him. But his body was morphing and tearing like the homeless guys had. His chest expanded wide and looked too big for its legs. But suddenly arms shot out of both its shoulders matching its chest in size and they were humanoid but covered in scales.

The head and legs finally expanded to match and in front of him was a giant scaly creature, with large arms, a large head that was almost entirely teeth with two beady eyes on either side of the head. It’s muscles bulged as it suddenly leaped into the air and blocked out the lights.

Dick stared at the thing as it came from the sky and raised both his hands to protect himself. He was facing down death again. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to die. Not like this. For a second, he swore he saw someone standing over him, arms spread out.

A beam of light flew from his hand and struck the thing in its chest and sent it off course to crash down beside him. Shocked he watched the thing hit the ground and tried to pull himself to his feet. As he did he heard chains rattling on the ground and saw a pair of glowing silver bracelets on both his wrist that weren’t there before. Connected to both of them were lengths of chain that were receding back to the bracelets.

Legs shaking, he stared at his hands and then at the creature who was now on its feet and didn’t look pleased. In fact, Dick realized he might have accidently pissed it off even more. Its throat swelled with orange light before it barreled at him on all fours. He threw up his hands and the chains surged forward like snakes and lashed at the creature.

It bellowed stopping in its tracks as bright white marks were left on its hide. It focused it’s gaze on him and spoke in that same deep voice, “A Geist Warrior!”

It charged and this time its maw opened and the rows of teeth were covered in flames as it breathed a torrent at him. Dick cowered back covering his face and the chains moved, forming a sphere around him. The flames parted around him like a rock in a river. He peaked through his hands and watched the flames part around him.

But the monster was coming closer and he felt trapped between a rock and a hard place. Surrounded by flames like this he was brought back to his dream, the day his life changed forever. He felt a stinging in his eyes and grit his teeth together.

“First I’ll eat you and then I’ll take those other humans you were with. They looked tasty.” Closing both hands into fist Dick thrust them aside and the chains whipped outward and wrapped around the arms of the beast.

“Jamas!” he jerked both arms backwards and jerked the beast forward before throwing it across the street and into a nearby car. It crushed the car as it came down and Dick pulled his arms back, the chains tightening and severing its arm. It roared in pain and Dick grinned.

He started to step forward and then grunted his body aching hard. The chains rattled against the ground and started to look translucent. The creature climbed off the crushed car and righted itself. Dick felt the fury coming from the creature as it stood and his grin fell away immediately.

Rather than charge at it him it approached slowly, wary now. Dick tried to turn to face the thing and use his chains but they weren’t responding. They were fading in out and didn’t even make noise once they hit the ground. He stumbled backwards and had to catch himself with both hands.

“Oh? Tired yourself out?” It asked as it continued forward. “You can’t even wield your Geist properly. I’ll make you pay for taking my arm!”

It stomped forward and then opened its mouth and flames poured toward him. He was too exhausted now to stop it again. As much as he didn’t want to die he knew he didn’t have the energy or a choice now. He didn’t shut his eyes this time. He watched the thing lumber toward him and girt his teeth waiting for the end.

“You did good for your first time. Let me take it from here.”

He saw it on the ground first, a path of ice tracing its way across the street in front of him. Samantha slid along the path, appearing like a ghost out of nowhere. She appeared in front of him, standing between him and the monster. She clapped her hands together and spread them creating a huge wall of ice blocking the flames.

When the flames subsided she le the wall melt and short forward straight toward the creature’s chest. She kicked the creature hard and it roared as the ice spread over its body before shattering. She landed on the sidewalk gracefully sliding to a stop.

She stepped on the ice and glided toward him slowly. The first time he’d seen her he had been frozen in awe at what could have been his death. But this time when he saw her he was scared as he was angry. Glaring at her he did his best to stand and wobbled. He looked at his wrist and the disc were both there.

Samantha slid to a stop in front of him. Her mask slid away revealing a stoic frown on her face.

“You’re going to tell me what the hell that was.” He pointed at her and narrowed his eyes. His vision swam slightly though and he stumbled forward. Taking a deep breath he tried to steal himself but he knew his balance wasn’t going to hold out.

He started to take a step forward and stumbled again, actually falling this time. She caught him around the waist holding him up. She put a hand on his back to steady him and he put his head on her shoulder.

“They’re called Wraiths. Monsters that hunt humanity. From within plain sight,” she said keeping her arm around him and helping him walk down the street. “They hide inside the body of humans. Eat their minds and take their form so that they can hunt us. The more of us they eat, the stronger they can become.”

“Dios mio. That sounds fantastico,” He shuddered at the thought. “Is that why they’ve been bursting out of regular looking people?”

“Yes.”

He stared at the ground just trying to process that. The fact that any other person could be one of those monsters out of nowhere. He shook slightly. “Are there a lot of them?”

“Depends on what you think a lot is. There’s enough here to get our attention and it’s why I’m here. To find the source of them here and end it.”

“Our?”

She looked at him and then nodded. “The GL.”

“What, the Green Lanterns?”

Scowling she shook her head. “No. The Geist Legion. You saw what we did. The weapons that we used to fight the Wraiths.” She raised her hand still garbed in the silver armament.  Dick looked at his wrist and saw the flickering bracelet. “Yes those.”

“What are they?”

“We call it Geists. When a Wraith isolates their prey, their gaze alone can paralyze you. And it’s not a mental thing its your Geist. Right here.” She tapped his chest with a gloved finger. “Most people’s geists aren’t used to facing death head on so they freeze up like a deer in headlights. Your geists isn’t programed to handle that. So you just get devoured whole. No chance.”

She shrugged her shoulders as they came to a corner. Dick winced as he looked upwards and tried to touch his throbbing head but couldn’t quite muster it. Brushing his hair back she pressed the glove against it and he shivered hard from the sudden cold but he sighed as the pain in his head lessoned.

“Most people forget their first encounter with a Wraith. Their geist just force their bodies to forget the encounter. A natural defense to maintain the innocence.”

“What about me?”

She gave a grim smile. “There’s people like you and I. Our geists faced death, either our own or another’s. So, when facing a wraith they’ve evolved ways to protect us. Like anti bodies. first few Geist Warriors helped to found the Legion and take on the call to defend humanity. The longer the Wraiths remained the more of us were born. We’re the solution to a problem.”

Dick moved to stand and pointed ahead of them. “This is my uncles house.” She nodded slowly and moved toward the spot and stand in front of it. “Those Wraiths. They just attack any person they can get their hands on?”

“That’s the way it works normally,” she said and glanced at him. “They don’t target people specifically. Just take what they can.”

He looked at the ground and he could hear the Wraith’s voice in his mind. Hear it taunting him and threatening to kill and eat his friends. He felt the bracelets on his arm come to life and it shocked him. Frowning, he nodded and turned his head to look at her.

“So what happens to me?” he raised one arm showing off the bracelet.

“Well you’re like me now. And the more your Geist matures the more Wraiths may start to sense you.”

“So what? I’ll get attacked again?”

She nodded slowly. “You could. A matured geists is powerful. Being able to kill and devour a geist warrior is a big power boost to one of them. Especially one as young as you are.”

His face went pale for a moment and she saw that then shook her head. She wasn’t a teacher but he was on her conscious now.

“I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen. A week from now. After school. Meet me by the gym. I can start teaching you how to make your geist come on command for when you’re about to be attacked. Maybe teach you how to fight a bit more. I won’t let you get killed if I can help it.”

“A week from now. After school. The gym.” He nodded quickly then winced from the movement.

“Don’t over do it. Get in bed and try and lay down. You need to heal. You should be fine after a full day.”

“After something like this?”

“Benefits of your geist defending you. You heal faster. But don’t take it for granted alright?”

He gave a short nod and limped up the stairs slowly. He pressed his head against the door taking a deep breath. “Thanks.”

Samantha had started walking down the street but turned to face him. She wondered why he was thanking her, but shook her head. “Thank me by paying attention and staying alive.”

She turned and kept walking down the street to do God knew what. The night was still young. Walking into the house the light was off and he couldn’t really hear anything. Being careful he walked up the stairs slowly and went to the bathroom and stared at his face. He had a bruise on his cheek and the side of his head but they were already discolored. Way faster than they should.

He felt the pain above his eye and knew the cut was there. Brushing his hair up he tried to see the scratch but there was too much matted hair in the way. Letting it fall he gripped the sides of the sink tightly and took a slow breath. Letting it out just as slowly he reached into his blazer and touched his pendent.

He stared at his reflection and shook his head again. Walking away and back to his room he quickly took off the blazer and his pants. He was glad that they bought multiple sets of clothes. He walked toward the bed and just fell down face first. The moment he was horizontal exhaustion washed over him.