Page 3 of Ever Dark Academy: Volume 6

There was an army of skeletons surrounding them. Creatures, Vampires, humans and things inbetween. Their eyes were filled with the red light that had filled the soul gem. Grayson spun around to see that the undead were everywhere. They were standing all around them. The cameras were being swung wildly to capture this army of the undead that stood silently, awaiting commands.

Grayson had seen Kaly summon such armies before, but always in battle, never as a show, but truly Caemorn was a born showman. There were ahhhs and ooooohhhhs as well with a few people scrabbling away from the undead. Kaly Vampires quietly removed those people who started to truly freak out. They would not be Kaly material. Grayson saw that Amara, Hue and Mairead were not among those who were shocked by the undead though they all had wide eyes. Oddly, Mairead’s spent more time on Amara than on the undead. It was subtle, but he noticed it.

One of the students walked over to the nearest undead Vampire. They were all bones, but Grayson could see the fangs. She reached out to touch its bony chest. The thing did not react to her touch or follow her as she slowly walked around it. She then went drifting out further into the sea of undead, fascinated and unable to look away.

Her name is Charis. She’s a top Kaly pick, Christian’s voice said in his mind. She feels more at home among the dead than the living.

She’s a good choice then, Grayson agreed.

Caemorn had little hope that there would be any Kaly potentials in the first group, but Balthazar was determined that there would be, Christian said with a touch of unfettered pride. Too many who are interested in dead things have problems with violence.

Yeah, I can imagine. Grayson couldn’t help but think of Legion. In the past, we found that there are two kinds of the best Kaly recruits: medical doctors and religious people. The first are fascinated by what life actually is and anti-life. The second wants to know everything else.

Amara was a possible consideration, but she has other issues, unfortunately, Christian said.

What other issues? Grayson frowned.

She’s a spy, Christian said.

She has no structure–

No, for the humans, Christian explained.

And we let her in to make them think we can’t read thoughts as well as we can? Grayson lifted an eyebrow even a smile twitched at his lips.

Yes, and so that we might learn more about those that oppose us, who they are, what they are all about, Christian said.

Grayson wondered if Mairead had discovered something about this and that was why she was watching Amara like a hawk.

One Vampire skeleton who wielded a sword that glittered like frost under the twin moons stepped up to the raised platform. A massive bear-like skeleton with tusks that reminded Grayson of a saber-toothed tiger faced off against it. The two began to move. The Vampire skeleton gracefully slashed and stabbed at the bear-like beast. It swiped those massive front claws at the more nimble figure.

The Vampire managed to cut down one of the right forelimbs causing the bear-like creature to collapse on its side. In victory, the Vampire skeleton got too close and stayed too close as the bear-like creature used its other front limb to sweep the Vampire’s bony legs out from under them. The Vampire crashed to the ground. The bear-like creature ripped off the Vampire skeleton’s head and held it aloft with a creaky roar.

But even without its head, the Vampire was hardly finished. It slashed through the bear-like skeleton’s spine, cutting the creature in two. Both halves slumped away, but even that did not end the bear-like creature’s rampage as it continued to crush and swipe with its disjointed limbs. The Vampire also continued to fight. It was only until they were piles of disarticulated bones that the battle was ended. People clapped and jumped up and down. Even the reporters couldn’t help but act awed by what they had seen. It was a true show of supernatural power that their audiences would eat up.

Caemorn wants the humans to see that wounds that would take down a human will not stop his army, Grayson thought. While most will see it as a neat trick, those in the human militaries will see the truth of it.

We don’t want it to come to war. Every show of power we make hopefully dissuades humanity from moving towards that course, Christian said.

Sometimes wars make complete and utter sense. A need for land or resources. A desire to take revenge or protect. But many times they are illogical, Grayson warned.

Yes, that’s true.

The green soul gem in Caemorn’s other hand lit up, burning hot and bright. Grayson thought he heard a far away sigh. The sky that had been clear since the mist was suddenly scudded with clouds. Or they appeared to be clouds.

But they were souls.

He was inspired by Indiana Jones, Christian explained as the souls dove down from the sky and passed through the people.

Many ducked. Others covered their faces. Some staggered away. Grayson watched those who stood where they were–not seemingly out of fear, but awe–as the souls, made visible because of Caemorn’s power, stared into people’s eyes. There were more people here than he would have expected who did not look away. Some even reached to touch the spirits before snatching their hands back as if burned.

The spirits caused the air to chill almost instantly as they also sucked warmth out of the students. But when Grayson felt the hair on the back of his neck lift, he knew it wasn’t caused by the spirits that Caemorn had summoned. It was the ones that haunted him getting close. He slowly turned around to see them.

There were three standing there with many just out of visible range. He recognized two of the three immediately. One was Sam. The old man smiled at him and waved. He looked thrilled that Grayson was finally seeing him.

He wants to thank you, Christian said, who had also turned around. For all the kindnesses you did for him when he was alive.

I hardly did anything, Grayson said, his mind voice thick.