Departure
The days went by so quickly, and the day to charge the generators had finally come. My dad had all this time to tell me that he'd be leaving with Jockey, but he hadn't said anything to me yet. He was leaving with Jockey in just a couple of hours, yet he was acting like it was just a normal day. As we were all in the kitchen eating breakfast I decided to ask him about it.
"Dad, why aren't you telling me that you're going with Jockey today?" I said with a serious
expression.
He and Mom both looked up at me with blank
expressions, and he finally said,
"I'd thought that it would be easier on you if I didn't tell you I was leaving. I know how much you fear the darkness, and I thought that me going on this journey with Jockey would terrify you."
"How do you know what would terrify me or not? Even if I was terrified, you're my Dad and you're about to go on a dangerous journey that you may never come back from. Why wouldn't I want to know that? Why wouldn't I want to talk to my Dad before he leaves with the possibility of never returning?" I said as tears raced down my face.
My mom got up from the table and went into another room. My dad was looking at me with a soft expression as a tear began to come
down his face.
"I know how much you fear
the darkness Immanuel. I remember carrying you home from the Dark World in my arms as you shook from the cold. I remember you not wanting to leave the house for days because you feared that you would be eaten by a beast. For months you couldn't be alone without me by your side."
Dad is right. I fear the dark, and I hate that I do. Even so, he is treating me like I'm still a child that needs its feelings protected. I thought as I looked down at the table with clenched fists and gritted teeth.
I slammed the table; the noise rang through the
glassware.
"Dad! why do you treat me like I'm still a kid? Not telling me something this important because you thought you had to protect me is almost unforgivable. So much time that we
could have spent together has been wasted because you decided to make an important choice for me without knowing how I truly feel about it!"
"Immanuel, I know you
would have freaked out when you heard I was leaving. So, I decided to–"
"No! you don't have the slightest clue of how I felt when I heard you were leaving. Of course, I was worried for you and Jockey, but I knew that it would be better for the colony if you went with him." he looked at me with a shocked expression.
"How did you hear that I was leaving with Jockey?"
"When you were talking with Mom about it in the kitchen. I was there, I heard everything."
There was a moment of silence.
"I didn't know you overheard us that day," Dad looked down at the table, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why didn't I tell you? No! why didn't you tell me?" I shouted as I got up from the table and began to storm out of the kitchen.
I stopped at the doorway and turned to look at him, expecting him to stop me.
"Were you even going to tell me, Dad?" I said with a straight face.
"No. I was afraid that you were going to plead with me to stay. I was afraid that I would give in to your pleas and stay here," he said as he sat at the table with a waterfall of tears falling from his face.
"I'm sorry, Immanuel."
I didn't answer. I continued walking, left my house, and headed for work.
I met up with Kelly at the electrical center and she had a somber look on her face.
"What's wrong, Kelly?" I asked.
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just a little sad that Jockey is leaving the colony today," as a tear flowed down her cheek.
I walked up to her and gave her a hug as I said,
"I'm sad too. My dad is going along with
Jockey. I'm fearful that there is a possibility they won't make it back"
"Are you serious?" Kelly said as she took a step back with a terrified look on her face, her hands covering her mouth.
"Yes, but its okay. My Dad is the best hunter in the colony, and Jockey is the best Key-Bearer we know. Deep down inside, I know that they will be okay. They will return with the Lost-Light, and our colony will be saved," I said as my voice began to shake and tears began to form.
"I want to believe that, but I just can't. I'm scared for them both. I wish there was another way," she said as she lowered her hands and looked out towards the colony.
"I wish there was another way, too." We both wiped our tears from our faces and pulled
ourselves together.
Jockey just returned from
his meeting with my dad, in which they were getting everything sorted to leave later.
Kelly asked Jockey if he had ever met a Light-Bearer, and he went on about how
he wanted to meet one so badly and how cool they are. There was a chance that
Jockey himself will be a Light bearer within the next couple of hours and I was
excited for him. Jockey walked away for a moment to go and get everything ready
to charge the generators.
"I've always wanted to meet a Light-Bearer, haven't you?" Kelly asked.
"Really?
I used to when I was a kid, but now that I've grown up, I realized they're nothing but cowards hiding in their towers. If the Light-Bearers are so powerful, then why don't then come and help us find our Lost Light?" I said,
irritated.
"You're right. They should be out helping Key Colonies like ours, but they don't, and I don't know why. All I know is that if Jockey becomes a Light-Bearer, he will be one of the good ones. I just know it. I can't wait to meet a Light-Bearer that has a heart," Kelly said with a smile on her face.
I agreed with her. I, too, wished to meet a Light-Bearer that has a heart. I thought if Jockey managed to find the Lost Light, then he would be a good Light-Bearer. He would help the
other Key colonies find their Lost Light. And then, maybe all the colonies would be made into one. I thought that maybe we could find a way to get rid of the darkness that completely shrouds the world.
Jockey came back around, and I pulled him to the side to tell him about the voices and what I see during the Dark Days.
"Do you ever hear human voices during the Dark Days, or when you're out in the Dark World? Do you ever see human-like creatures?" I asked.
"No,
never. The only thing that is out there in the Dark World are the Shadow Beasts, and occasionally you'll see some wild animals. I've never heard of a human living in the Dark World. Why do you ask?"
"You put a strict law prohibiting people to leave their homes during the Dark Days, but every single Dark Day I hear those distorted voices. They talk to one another. Not only that, but I've seen one." I said as Jockey stepped in closer
to me.
"You've seen one? What did it look like?" asked Jockey.
"It looked like a human, but it's skin was as dark as the shadows, and its eyes glowed with a red hue."
"I've never seen anything like that; are you sure you weren't dreaming?"
"Jockey, I heard them, and I saw them. No, I'm not dreaming, and no, I'm not crazy. You believe me, right?"
"Of course I believe you, but it's just strange. You have no discernment, yet you can see such things?"
Jockey thinks I'm delusional. Will he even believe what I'm saying? I thought.
"I know. It's weird to me too, but you and Dad need to be careful out there. I don't know what these creatures are, or how dangerous they can be, but I needed to tell you before you go deep into the Dark World"
"Okay, we'll keep an eye out. Thanks for letting me know." As he patted my shoulder and walked off.
The time had come to say goodbye to Jockey and Dad. The whole colony was there to send them off. First, I went to say goodbye to Jockey.
"Stay safe out there, Jockey. I know you'll find the Light and save our colony," I said as he gave me a confident nod.
"Your dad and I will save the colony, don't worry, kid."
I looked to my right to see my dad saying goodbye tomy mom as she had tears in her eyes. I couldn't make out their conversation,
but I'm glad I didn't hear it, it would've made me even more sad about him leaving. Once they said their goodbyes, my dad looked over at me as I looked at him. He looked worried as if I was still angry with him, and that I didn't want
anything to do with him. I was still disappointed in my dad, but I loved him more than my disappointment. I walked over to dad to say goodbye.
"Watch over Jockey while you're out there. I know you and Jockey are capable of saving the colony, and I believe in you both. Just come back to us safely. I need you to protect me,
dad. Without you I won't be able to defend myself in the dark," I said as I began to cry, knowing that there was a possibility that my dad would never return home.
"Immanuel, even though I did something I shouldn't have done, you still came to say goodbye. Thank you, Immanuel. I hope you'll be able to forgive me soon. And don't worry, I'll be back as soon as possible, then I could teach you how to defend yourself when I'm not around. Sound like a deal?" Dad asked with a shaky voice while he was trying not to cry in front of the whole colony.
"Yeah, that sounds good."
Dad began saying goodbye to the rest of the people heknew, including Kelly. After they had finished saying their goodbyes, Jockey motioned to the door operator, and the 120-year-old cast iron door cracked open slowly as I heard the loud creaks from the rusted hinges. I saw them pull out their Glint-Knives as they slowly walked out the gates as the darkness started to flee from their bright blades. With every second that passed, their light became more and more dim. Their backs slowly disappeared into the darkness.
Dad, I forgive you. Come back safely.
The iron doors shut.
The Dark World
The Dark World is void and mysterious, there are no signs of human life except for the occasional hunting parties, marauders, and nomads. There is no natural light, and no
protection except for the very light you carry on you. The darkness feels heavy against your body, almost like constant pressure against you. The air is cold, and it slows your body's movements. It feels like the darkness will suffocate you at any moment, if given the opportunity. The ground is cold and dry and
occasionally you will hear a growl from a lurking Shadow Beast, waiting for its opportunity to attack. Zeb and Jockey's Journey to find the Lost Light began at the Key colony in Midpoint, and they anticipated the worst. Jockey put the Key on his belt allowing it to make a five-foot radius of light around him and Zeb. Jockey knows very well that Shadow Beasts won't go anywhere near a source of light, so he is confident that their journey will be safe as long as he has the Key.
"Zeb, is there something going on with you and Immanuel? He seemed a little different when he said goodbye," Jockey asked with a concerned voice.
"Yeah, he's angry with me right now, and it's my fault," said Zeb as they continued walking.
"Really? Immanuel is never angry. What happened between you two?" Jockey asked as he turned his body towards Zeb.
"I never told him that I was leaving with you, and I wasn't planning on it. I assumed he would freak out hearing that I was going with you. He overheard Jolene and I talking about it last month, but we never knew. Earlier today he confronted me about it, and he was right. I treated him like he was still a kid, and I'm sorry for it. Because of my assumptions, I let him down and I damaged our relationship," Zeb said as he fought back tears.
"Oh man, I'm sorry about that Zeb. I know you were just trying to protect Immanuel. I'm sure he'll come around by the time we get back."
"I hope that he will."
They continued walking.
"I'm sure Immanuel will forgive you, He just needs some time y'know?"
"Yeah, you're right. I hope he'll be okay without us," said Zeb as he tried to change the subject.
"How far do you think the Key will take us?" he asked.
"I think it's taking us to the Dark City, it's about ten miles from where we are. We have to make it around these mountains first, but if we keep a steady pace we will be there within a couple of hours."
"The Dark City huh? I've heard rumors about it. Supposedly our colony was made by the people who used to live there before the Shrouding. That's what my father told me."
"I've heard that too. I've never been there, but I do know that we need to be careful. I'm sure it's crawling with Shadow Beasts," said Jockey.
"You're right. You should dim the Key's light as we start to get closer, so the Shadow
Beasts won't know where we are."
"I was thinking the same thing," Jockey said as he gave Zeb a fist-bump.
The Dark City has been abandoned since the Shrouding, and it's rumored that the city is where dark creatures were 'born'. They
continued walking, being weary of the Beasts that may be lurking around them.
"So, Immanuel, was he really born without discernment? How could that be?" Jockey asked.
"Yeah, he can't see a thing in the Dark World. He was just born that way, and he's never been able to see any Shadow Beasts or see in the dark like we can. That's why he fears it so much."
"I wonder what caused it. There has never been someone born without discernment, at least never in our colony."
"It interests me too, but what can you do? We just need to keep him safe in the colony until we obtain the Lost Light so that we will be free of Dark Days. Free from all the threats of the Dark World," said Zeb.
"I wonder if a Light-Bearer could answer that question. How rare is it for someone to be born without discernment? Once I become a Light-Bearer, I'm sure I'll be able to answer that question. It's said that Light-Bearers know everything there is to know about the Dark World," Jockey said as he swung his hands like
he was going to embrace the Earth.
They made it past the mountains and continued making their way in the direction of the Dark City. To their left they could see a
small camp that had a bonfire in the middle of it, a marauder camp.
"That's where I came from, Zeb. That marauder camp over there in the distance," as he pointed in the direction.
"Wow, really? What was it like growin' up there?" Zeb asked.
"Itwas hard living as a marauder. They're filled with so much hate and envy, and I used to be just like them. At some point after years of living that kind of lifestyle, I didn't like who I was. I was harsh, I killed people over meaningless things, and I truly regret it," Jockey said while he stared at his hands as if they were stained with blood.
Zeb stopped walking and walked over to Jockey and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"I'm glad you left and became the person you wanted to be. I'm glad you saw that the
life you were living was wrong. I'm proud that you're our Key-Bearer, a kind one. We've all made mistakes, just look at me. We just have to keep moving forward and become better men."
"I appreciate it, Zeb."
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to leave the marauders? I heard
that once you're born into it, you're one for life," Zeb asked while he looked at Jockey with great interest.
Jockey removed his helmet for the first time in front of someone else since he left the marauders. There was a scar from a brand on his right cheek, the brand was in the shape of the letter 'M'.
"This is what they gave me when I tried to leave for the first time. We were about to go on a scout, and instead of driving where I was supposed to, I went in the opposite direction. They ended up catching me and nearly beat me to death. The leader, Sawtooth, branded me with this, and he told me that 'I'd always be a marauder and there's no changing that' but I wouldn't believe it. I still don't. The next time I escaped, I escaped for good, and I didn't regret it. I ran in the direction of your colony, and they accepted me as family and allowed me to be a part of it. For that, there is no amount of gratitude that I could give that would pay my debt."
Zeb looked at Jockey as he looked at him. He had no words to say to Jockey but this,
"I'm proud of you, son. I truly am. You're a strong man, even stronger than I am."
They gave each other a hug as they both related to one another on their regrets, failures, and mistakes. Jockey put his mask back on
as they continued walking Eastward towards the Dark City. A short while after they could see the city's buildings in the distance getting closer with each step they took. They were both surprised that they didn't run into any Shadow Beasts along the way, but they were still on guard. The city's buildings were
giant, something they'd never seen before. There were skyscrapers across the horizon as far as their eyes could see and cracked asphalt streets filled with rusted car bodies.
"Ha! We made it Zeb!" said Jockey with excitement. "The Lost Light shouldn't be too far from us now."
"Okay, that's great. Let's get goin— Get down! Turn off the light" he shouted to Jockey as he
dropped to the ground.
Jockey immediately turned off the Key's light as he crouched down alongside Zeb. They both pulled out their Glint-Knives with haste
as the knives gently hummed as light leaked from them.
"Do you see that light over there? In the building?" Zeb asked.
"Where?
I can barely se—"
"Shhh! Don't move," said Zeb with panic in his voice.
They both crouched onto their chests, laying on their Glint-Knives to conceal the light. About 1,000 feet in front of them there was a building with a dim blue light visible from a single window. The light disappeared, and they could see movement around the exterior of the building, a human-like silhouette. It was
walking around the building with an irregular gait, like it had been injured. The dark, human-like creature's back was towards Zeb and Jockey as they watched in anticipation.
"Is that what Immanuel was talking about? That thing?" Jockey whispered.
"What? What thing?" asked Zeb.
"He didn't tell you? Never mind, I'll explain it later," said Jockey.
Zeb signaled Jockey to flank around south, while he went north. Jockey was making his way south, as he watched the humanoid
creature intently, his eyes never leaving it.
That is one freaky creature, we better stay
away from it, Jockey thought.
Grrrrr
"What was tha—" Jockey was cut off by a giant beast that leaped on his back from behind him.
His glint-knife fell from his hands, and he was pinned down by the immense weight bearing down upon his body. Jockey felt as if his
body would be flattened by the unbearable weight. He felt searing hot breath hit the back of his neck, alongside hot saliva that nearly burned through his skin.
"Ahh! help me! I can't move!" he shouted, hoping that Zeb would hear.
Zeb looked to his left to see Jockey pinned down by an unknown beast four times his size, with red glowing saliva dripping down its
mouth and paws the size of Jockey's back. The beast resembled that of a bear, though they have never seen one this size. The beast had grey ashy skin and bright orange eyes. Each jagged tooth paralleled their glint-knives in
comparison. Zeb's heart began to race as if he was the one that was mounted by the giant beast. His hands began to shake as he gazed at the massive beast that would soon devour his friend.
Move!
Move your body! Go and help Jockey! Zeb thought as his legs began to move.
"I'm coming! Hold onJockey!"
Jockey's face was buried into the dirt by the weightof the beasts' paw, and he attempted to flip himself over. Zeb began sprinting towards Jockey in hopes that he would make it in time. The beast opened its mouth wide, revealing a bright orange color as if its mouth was a crucible. The beasts' jaws descended towards Jockey's nape as Jockey was struggling to get
away from it. He couldn't do anything against this great beast, and he had lost all hope. He began to wonder if the life he lived was a good one, if he did everything he could for the colony that he loved.
I guess this is it. I can't move and I can barely breathe. Whatever is pinning me down is insanely strong. I hope Zeb can take it down, even if it kills me.
Jockey used all the strength he had left to look up atZeb one last time, but Zeb was gone.
Where's Zeb? Did he ru— Jockey's thoughts were cut off by a loud roar from the beast.
The beast let off Jockey's back allowing him to turn over. Jockey looked up to see Zeb on the beast's back, stabbing it repeatedly. The beast began to claw towards Zeb, attempting to take him off his back. Jockey ran and grabbed his glint-knife that was feet in front of him. The beast's neck was wide open for him to attack as it struggled to get Zeb off. Jockey ran towards the beast and thrusted at it, sinking his blade into its neck with no resistance. He pulled the blade down, slicing the beast wide open, as a bright orange substance spilled out of it. Instantly, the beasts' movement stopped, as
it fell face first into the ground. A loud thump was heard as Zeb laid on the beasts' back, out of breath from the successive strikes.
"You, okay?" Zeb asked as he tried to catch his breath; he had the bright orange substance splattered across his clothing.
"Yeah. I'm good," Jockey responded with a thumbs up.
They both looked at the bright orange substance, as it began melting through the street; smoke began rising from it.
Jockey jolted back as he screeched, "What the hell is that?"
"I don't know, just don't touch it," said Zeb as he began laughing.
As Jockey was regaining his composure, Zeb turned to the left and saw that the human-like
creature had disappeared. Thump, Thump, Thump. "What is that noise?" Zeb asked. Thump, Thump, Thump. The pace of the sound started to pick up, as Zeb noticed footprints appearing in the broken asphalt ground near the radius of his light behind him. "Jockey! We
need to get moving! That creature from earlier disappeared, and now there's footprints appearing out of nowhere, coming straight for us. Turn up the light on your Key so it can't get too close."
"So, it's invisible huh?
I've never seen anything like that." Jockey said with a shaky voice as he stared at the footprints intensely.
"We need to make it to that building before these footsteps get too close to us." Zeb said while pointing in the direction of a building.
The footsteps slowed as soon as they began walking toward the building, slowly tailing them. They both had their knife and Key out
as they were on guard, expecting an attack at any moment. Their walking pace was slow, slower than normal, because they were too on edge to make any hasty moves. They were almost creeping, like they were afraid to disturb a sleeping Shadow Beast. They would look behind themselves every 20 steps or so, and they began to see the footprints following them loosely with an irregular pattern. They both began to fear what was following them. They had never seen an invisible creature like they were witnessing, and they both began to worry if their light would even be effective against the creature that was following them.
Is the light from my knife enough? Zeb thought.
Is the light from my Key enough? Jockey thought.
Why is it stalking us? Is it toying with
us? They both thought with concern.
They began to think these destructive thoughts, thinking of the worst-case scenario. They were alone, being stalked in the dark with nothing to protect themselves with; besides the
light they both slowly began to lose faith in. Despite their doubts and fears, they continued walking towards the building, in hopes that they would be able to get away from this creature.
I can feel its presence behind me. It's heavy, it's evil. I don't think I can take this. Jockey thought.
They were getting close to the building, and they were both filled with relief as they had both noticed the footsteps had disappeared.
"Zeb, the footsteps are gone. I think we'll be
okay to run to the building now."
"Good they've disappeared, but that doesn't mean it's not out there anymore. Keep your guard up and keep the same pace just to be safe."
"Okay, let's hurry up," said Jockey.
They both made it to the front of the building, and opened the door so aggressively, it was almost removed from its hinges. They both made it in, locked and barricaded the door behind them; relieving them of the fear they were drowning in. The building was pitch black, with furniture scattered around the interior.
"Thank God, we made it here without dying," said Jockey as he struggled to catch his breath. He pulled out his key as it illuminated the plaster walls, melting the darkness away.
"What the hell was that thing? What do you mean Immanuel told you about it? How did Immanuel see one of those? He's never been outside the colony except for that one time, and he never mentioned something like this," Zeb said with confusion.
Jockey looked around the building for something to sit on until he found a red sofa that was in great condition despite sitting in an
abandoned building for years. He sat down and gave a sigh of relief.
"Come and sit down, Zeb," Zeb walked over to where Jockey was lounging, and Jockey began to tell him about what Immanuel had seen during the Dark Days.
"Immanuel told me before we left; that during the Dark Days he would see a human-like creature just like the one we saw today. We don't know why he could see it but not the Shadow Beasts. At first, I didn't believe him until I saw that thing just now."
"This doesn't make any sense. Maybe he was born with some kind of discernment?" Zeb
asked as he put his palms on his head, confused.
"I don't know, Zeb. But I do believe that we will find some answers out here, alongside the Lost Light." Jockey got up from the sofa.
He had the idea of going to the top floor of the
building in hopes they could find a viewpoint to see the layout of the city. Zeb agreed and followed Jockey up the stairs. There was a total of twenty stories, and each story they scaled seemed to be less and less trashed as they
went. Every window they had seen up until the top floor had been shattered, letting in a cold breeze that froze their breath in place. When they made it to the top floor Jockey placed his key on a table, illuminating the room as the darkness fled.
"Hey Zeb, look around to
see if there's a way to get to the roof."
"Why do you want to get
to the roof?" asked Zeb.
"I should be able to see the Lost Light from the roof if it's nearby. If so, we shouldn't waste any time in grabbing it," said Jockey,
They both began looking for stairs to the roof in
every room but found nothing. Zeb began looking out of all the windows until he saw stairs attached to the side of the building.
"Hey Jockey, I found stairs, but they're attached to the outside of the building."
Jockey began to walk across the room after Zeb had called out to him, picking up the Key as he walked past it.
"What do you mean the stairs are on the outs—" Jockey abruptly stopped talking as he looked through the dirty window and saw stairs attached to the side of the building as Zeb had
said.
"Wow…I didn't know they could do that. How do we even reach them?"
"Well, I guess we open the window and start climbing up," said Zeb.
"Yeah, I guess that'll work," Jockey responded.
They struggled to open the dirty window as years of dirt buildup have damaged the sash cords. They managed to get the window
half-way up, just enough to climb through and onto the rusty stairs. Jockey went first, and Zeb followed. Jockey began making his way up the stairs as they let out a loud creaking noise due to the instability that the years of rust
have caused them.
"Whoa, that's scary. I hope these stairs will be able to hold us," said Jockey as he continued forward.
"Just watch your step, and we should be okay," Zeb responded with confidence.
They continued walking up carefully, making sure not to step on any holes that were in the old steps. After what had seemed like an
hour for them, they finally made it to the roof without the steps failing on them. The roof was gravel, and there were old condensers from the days before the world went dark. Jockey walked up to one of the old condensers and said,
"Hey, I've never seen one of these before. But by the description the wise men gave me, some of the parts of these are useful for our generators."
"Yeah, well, I'm not expecting to have to use a generator any longer once we find the Lost Light. Let's keep moving."
"You're right let's find the Light," Jockey responded.
They began walking to the eastward side of the
building, where there was a better vantage point that Jockey could use to locate the Lost Light. It was in the shape of a right triangle, but they were too far to make out exactly what it was. As they were making their way to it, Jockey stopped abruptly.
"No! Zeb!"
"What is it Jockey? What do you see?" Zeb answered with slight panic in his voice as he lifted his knife.
Jockey lifted his right hand to point at the vantage point that was now ten feet in front of them, as he turned to look at Zeb. Jockey had realized that the vantage point he was trying to get to was a stairwell.
"There were stairs inside the whole time! I risked my life for nothing!" said Jockey
as he fell to his knees and began throwing a tantrum.
"Jockey, you idiot! I thought you saw a beast, but you're pointing at a damn door!"
Jockey covered his mouth with his hands as he began profusely apologizing to Zeb for his extreme reaction.
"I'm sorry, Zeb. I just can't believe we took those sketchy steps when we could've
taken these."
"You're so childish Jockey," said Zeb. *Sigh* "Don't worry about it Jockey, just don't scare
me like that again."
"You're right, sorry about that Zeb. Give me a boost so I can get on top of this thing."
Zeb gave Jockey a boost onto the stairwell cover and Jockey pulled himself up the rest of the way. Jockey pulled out the Key to see
how far away the Lost Light is. He lifted the Key above his head like he always did, but this time the Key let out a giant burst of light with a loud boom; scaring away all the darkness within a mile of where they were. Zeb fell to the ground as he heard the noise, and he saw Jockey illuminating brightly as if he was the sun itself.
"I see it Zeb! I see the Lost Light!" shouted Jockey as his eyes illuminated bright yellow through his mask.
"How far away is it Jockey? Could we grab it today?"
"Yes, it's not that far. It's just along the shore of the Black Beach."
"Okay, great. We should get going. That burst of light is sure to attract enemies," said Zeb as he stood up.
"Yeah, you're right. Here, hold the Key for me. It feels like it's draining all my energy." Jockey said as he began to pass out on top of the vantage point. His body went limp, and he began to fall like a bag of rocks of the stairwell.
"Jockey!" said Zeb as he ran to catch Jockey.
He caught Jockey before he could hit the ground, and he saw the Key fall from his hands. Zeb removed Jockey's helmet, and he began
slapping his face in hopes that he would wake up.
Come on Jockey, wake up!
Moments passed, and nothing.
It's no use, he's out cold. Zeb thought.
The Key was glowing beside Jockey as Zeb glanced over at it. It began to vibrate slowly; the granite around it began to float.
Should I hold onto it for him? Will anything happen to me?
Zeb laid Jockey's head down softly onto the gravel and he went to go and grab the Key. He picked it up and he felt power surge through
his body. It felt as if his eyes were opened for the first time, and he could see in the dark better than he ever could. He could see where Jockey said the Lost Light was on the Black Beach. Zeb was amazed at the power of the Key, and he couldn't imagine what the power of the Lost Light would be like.
Wow, this is amazing! he thought.
Zeb turned around and he began walking towards Jockey to check on him again while he gripped the Key tightly. Jockey was four feet in
front of Zeb as Zeb began to look down at him, hoping he would wake up soon. Zeb's sight of Jockey began to fade as he saw something beginning to form in front of him. Matter itself was being warped as something dark grey began to appear, revealing a tall human-like creature. It happened quickly, not more
than two seconds, and he had no time to react. It was towering above him; its skin was dark grey, it's eyes glowed bright blue, it's abdomen had gills as if it were a fish, it had black veins coursing through it's body, and it was missing it's right hand, with dark oozing flesh at the nub.
"Found you," it said with a deep raspy voice.
The creature quickly grabbed Zeb by the neck with immense force, lifting him in the air as he struggled to get loose.
"Wh–what are you?" said Zeb as he struggled to breathe.
"I serve Arakiel, the Night-Bearer. You're going to be useful to us, Key-Bearer," he said with a sinister smile, darker than the sky, black matter oozing from his mouth.
Zeb had never seen anything like the creature that was before him. He was the most seasoned hunter in his colony, yet in the span of twenty minutes he encountered two beasts that he had never seen before. All that Zeb thought he knew about the Dark World was crumbling before his very eyes.
Arakiel? The Night-Bearer? Useful to them? What is going on? thought Zeb as he looked into the creatures' bright blue eyes that were almost enchanting.
He probably only wants the Key. I need to leave it here with Jockey for the sake of the colony. He appeared out of nowhere within seconds, and he might do the same when he takes me. I need to time this correctly if I want to save the
colony. I need to! Zeb thought.
"It's time to go, Key-Bearer!"
Zeb saw the body of the creature begin to warp, just like he saw seconds earlier. His torso began to disappear, then his arm, then his face.
Okay. Here we go.
Zeb looked at Jockey, still unconscious on the ground. He lowered his right arm that was holding the Key and began to loosen his grip.
It's up to you now, Jockey.
He dropped the Key. They disappeared into thin air, leaving Jockey unconscious.