“You should be so lucky to gain an audience with the lord of Asgard, leave now while it is your choice to do so,” the warrior spoke with a smirk.
“I’ll not leave without that which is mine,” declared Vladimir.
The imposing warrior didn’t reply, he just lowered his sword aiming the tip towards the ground then tapped it onto the bridge creating a blast of energy strong enough to send Vladimir and his comrades into the air and flung them deep into the marsh lands.
“I know I’m not the only one who saw that!” Corporal Knightley announced.
Sadly, she was the only one to see what had just occurred, as her teammates were tending to their captain and trying to map an efficient route to the facility from their current location.
It would be no easy task to reach the facility with Captain Quis Podex in his current state and now, after been witness to what she had just seen, Corporal Knightley would be weary of this strange land and relish the thought of escaping it as soon as she possibly could.
Chapter 2
It’s All Gone Wrong
O
bnoxiously, the room was filled with the sound of bickering as the team tried to decide which route to take. Their captain was motionless on the bed and Corporal Knightley was puzzled looking to them all in turn then back to the window muttering to herself, “Never mind, I’ll just stand here and go crazy I guess.” She shrugged to herself with a cocked smile of uncertainty and a hefty sigh.
It was sometime before Captain Quis Podex awoke. He sat upright on the bed unzipping his armour, reaching underneath for his bandages, ripping them off. He didn’t hesitate or seem to be in pain anymore. His bandages lay on the floor without a trace of bloodstains on any of the bandages.
“How long have I been out?” he asked with a blank expression.
“Three hours and twenty-two minutes, sir,” replied Corporal Knightley.
“Captain, I’ve found a clear route into the facility, I’m posting it to your visualiser now,” Sergeant Devonne explained.
“Good work Sergeant, move out,” he seemed to bounce back from the incident seemingly instantaneously.
It made the team uneasy and very inquisitive, but they put it down to the advanced medical equipment the local go had used.
As they readied themselves to leave, Lieutenant Storm’s eye was drawn to the shadow that disturbed the light under the room door, it seemed to be making its way further and further into the room! The shadow began to thicken and became firm as it lifted itself up and take solid shape.
“Captain!” she yelled, taking aim at the living shadow.
“What the hell is that thing?” shouted Corporal Knightley.
They watched in stunned silence as the darkness took the form of a tar-like creature with sunken eye sockets, yet it had no eyes, a mouth with no teeth; just multiple tentacles like tongues that flayed from its mouth. Its hands were that of five different lengths of tentacles and its feet were joined together like that of a snail’s body allowing it to glide slowly across the floor. The shadow had become a horrific living nightmare that begun to creep towards them menacingly.
“Open fire!” ordered the captain.
The rattle of gunfire filled the tavern and the streets of the village around them. Their stealth mission had well and truly been a failure at this point. The shadows body spurted out thick lines of black oil or tar-like substance with the impact of each bullet, it seemed like the team’s weapons had little effect against the monstrosity. When it reached out what would be its fingers, then wrapped around Sergeant Devonne like she was a gift while the others jumped out of its way avoiding its stranglehold. Sergeant Devonne was pulled directly towards the creature and into its gaping mouth been engulfed by many eager tentacles. The creature lifted her off the ground by arching its body and stretching itself upward towards the ceiling, slowly lowering her body into its mouth and lower yet into its body causing a sizzling sound. Her weapon fired wildly as it began to feed on her like she was a living snack. Lieutenant Storm and Corporal Knightley raced to grab her legs and try desperately to pull the sergeant out of the monster’s grasp, then there in the centre of the creature’s chest, Captain Quis Podex could see an opening, it appeared to be a heart of some kind. Whatever it was, it seemed to be pulsating.
“Aim for the heart!” he ordered.
Corporal Knightley and Lieutenant Storm stood back by their Captain’s side; Lieutenant Storm respectfully picked up Sergeant Devonne’s gun and joined with the group as they opened fire on the creature’s heart. They attacked the heart until it burst into liquid flames burning the creature that let out a painful and sorrowful groan as it began to shrivel and dissolve.
Corporal Knightley raced to the melting monsters grabbing Sergeant Devonne calling out to the others, “Help me!” as she pulled on Sergeant Devonne’s legs been sharply aided by Lieutenant Storm while Captain Quis Podex loaded his weapon.
What the two ladies pulled from the dying creature’s mouth was not entirely Sergeant Devonne nor did it resemble anything human! Whatever that substance inside the creature’s mouth was it had dissolved almost all of her armour, fusing what remained of it to her body and it had even melted a great portion of her skin, hair and muscle.
“My god!” gasped Corporal Knightley.
“Was that the thing that attacked your team?” Captain Quis Podex asked Lieutenant Storm.
“Sir, yes sir. This one had no red markings though, but it was the same kind of creature,” she explained, glaring at the body of Sergeant Devonne.
“Corporal, call this into command. We move in five, the mission must take priority,” ordered the captain as he knelt down to the body, whispering to himself.
He stood back up and blessed himself with a sign of the cross.
“Conserve your ammo. From now on,
