Soul Census - War of Shadows - Book 1

Chapter 6.1 - Swirling Wind

Maddock found himself inside a long, round tunnel that led to infinity in both directions. Black and white roots snaked up from every surface. He looked down at himself. His body was gone. In its place: clear layers of glowing white fabric with multiple pairs of floppy tentacles for arms.

His hands looked almost normal—fingers and a thumb, with nails that looked like flat diamond jewels. And then there was the glowing thing in his chest… a cross between a beating heart and a jellyfish. Energy swam through it—colors of green and deep purple mixed together.

As he beheld his ethereal body, he noticed the tunnel’s roots began to recede, then disappeared. A moment later, they reappeared. The black ones popped out of the far side, while the white ones emerged on his side. There was a brief silence, and then the tunnel shook. The opposing roots launched at each other. The black and white roots wrestled, wrapping themselves around each other. It was like a fight between giant octopuses.

The sound of crackling bark filled the tunnel as roots snapped, their bark raining onto the ground and bursting into glowing cinders. At the sound of each snap, Maddock felt the pain of the white roots, and he became weak. He dropped to the ground, crawling on all fours. The battle continued, and he could smell the burning wood of the fallen. He managed to lift his gaze, only to see the ground littered with the cinders. The sight of it made him even weaker.

His core beat faster; its energy fluttered erratically. His translucent body went dark. The diamond nails in his hands became black talons. He felt something strange in his mouth—sharp fangs protruded from it. He was transforming from an angel into a demon.

“Kill Medusa, Uriel,” he heard a voice say.

Maddock turned to his side.

Standing there was that pooka creature—Ninian. It leaned on a tree branch that it used as a cane.

“What’s happening to me?” Maddock said.

“The energies are out of balance,” Ninian said. “Uriel must stomp out the black roots. Or demon weeds we will all become.”

Ninian reached out with his cane. “Take a branch from the Sacred Tree. Quickly, before it dies.”

Maddock grabbed the cane and held onto it. When he did, he felt some of his strength return. At the same time, his hands lost the talons, and his fangs disappeared. He was an angel again.

He got to his feet and moved to a wall of black roots. Although it felt like bags of sand were draped from every limb, he grabbed onto a pair of roots. The black roots reached out and wrapped around his tentacles, squeezing them. They traveled up around him like a snake trying to constrict him.

With a roar, he pulled and ripped them out, then threw them to the ground. He went to another pair and ripped them out. And then another and another. As he killed the black roots, the tunnel became brighter, and he became stronger.

“Good,” Ninian said. “But beware the wind of the Oppressor.”

Maddock turned to look at the other side of the tunnel. He saw a spinning vortex, erupting with stringy white and black energy. The sound of a tornado filled the tunnel. As it spun and roared, the strings of energy fluttered out like hair in a breeze. A vacuum of air sucked him toward it as the vortex drew closer.

Using two of his tentacles, he grabbed a pair of roots. His draping ethereal body fluttered and stretched as it was pulled.
Maddock turned to Ninian. “What do I do?” he yelled.

Ninian was holding onto a root with one hand. The wind was so strong that his beak of a nose seemed to bend toward it. The pooka handed him his cane.

“Use this,” Ninian said. “Now cut the roots before the vortex consumes us.”

Maddock grabbed the cane with one of his tentacles. Once he held it, the cane burst into flames, yet it did not burn him. It was like a fiery sword in his hand. Using the roots to keep himself from falling in, he faced the vortex. Innately he knew he had to stab the vortex in the center to stop it.

It was almost upon him now. He pulled the sword back and was ready to stab it, but then something happened. And as it drew closer, it exuded something hypnotic. He felt a sudden calm and hesitated. From its center he saw an open door. Standing there was a woman with long silver hair. A purple crystal hung from her neck, and she wore a black dress with an intricate web pattern. Her face was shrouded by shadows, but he felt something familiar about her.

Despite being obscured by the dark, he recognized her. The glow from her necklace entranced him so much that he dropped the burning branch. The fiery sword flew toward her, and she caught it. As she held the sword up high, the wind extinguished its flames.

“No!” he heard Ninian yell. “Uriel must do better.”