Jesse stared off into the shadows for what seemed like an eternity. All around her, life stopped, and watched her. She could feel the unknown within. Her skin crawled beneath the weight of the unseen eyes. And as hard as she tried to breech the pool of black that protected the thing, she could do nothing but feel. Maybe she was thankful for it; this shroud that kept the beast she knew was there safely from view. Maybe it only served to further feed the panic blossoming within her. She kept her eyes locked on the shadows, and coaxed her voice to an audible volume.
"James…" She squeaked pathetically.
It moved. She couldn't see it still, but she felt it. Her eyes focused closer to the outward edge of the pool of shadows, and she felt the panic break free like a tide of muddy water, freezing her with its cold. Her mind gave her previews of the thing within. It had great; gaping jaws that salivated for the smallest taste of her. A huge nose that flared as it drank in her scent. Animal eyes watched her, their stare cold and with an all too well-known purpose. And then it lunged for her. Teeth like razors sank into her throat, and Jesse shrieked in absolute terror.
"JAMES!" Then her voice was stolen away as the jaws clamped like a vise across her windpipe.
The sound of her own frantic heartbeat filled her ears like thunder. Jesse could feel something hot and wet spill down the front of her jacket, and the salty, metallic scent of her own blood filled her nose. Her lungs burned for air, and she choked on the same life-giving liquid that pooled at her booted feet. I'm dying, she thought. And as she felt the teeth let go their death grip, she listened to her heartbeat fade off into silence. Jesse could still see and hear as her body slumped to the ground, her limbs had gone numb, and were quickly becoming cold, but she could feel the pressure of the jaws clamp around her thigh, and the tug as it tore at her flesh.
James nearly swallowed the potato chip whole when Jesse's agonized shriek ripped through the night like the keen of some animal in pain. Meowth's eyes went wide, and his breath caught in his throat like lump. He turned to look at James, but saw only an empty bedroll. The second half of Team Rocket raced through a wall of bushes, and found Jesse sitting on the ground, crying. He walked up beside her and dropped to his knees. She was shaking. He could almost feel the force of it rattling his teeth, even at this distance.
"Jesse?" He whispered.
"I don't want to die." She sobbed and grabbed onto him as if he were some life raft that would save her from drowning in her fear.
James held her, and stared around the night blanketed woods in confusion. She clung to him, horrified by her dream, and terrified to be alone.
It took the man what seemed like forever to calm her down enough to sleep again. And it wasn't until after he volunteered to stay awake and keep watch did she finally lay down and close her eyes. Meowth sat by, unusually silent, and watched the woman as she drifted off. He was still not sure what had happened just beyond the bushes, and he wasn't terribly sure he even wanted to. James brushed his fingers through Jesse's silken hair and looked at the pokémon. Meowth stared back, his ears perked up slightly.
"She had a nightmare." James nearly whispered. "She was… killed."
Meowth nodded, his solemn expression unchanging. They sat there, Meowth and James, as the night crawled on around them. They spoke not another word; both lost in their own thoughts as they watched Jesse sleep.
"Alright," Trunks began his third attempt to explain. " there is no way you should be mucking around with things you know nothing about."
Canthor and Caleb looked at the purple-haired sayajin as if appalled by this sudden revelation. The two magi had bounced him nicely from one world, into another, and now into this one. And Trunks, quite frankly, was about tired of it all. Caleb stepped forward and patted the sayajin on the shoulder as if to comfort him.
"There, there." He smiled reassuringly. "Nothing to fear. We do this kind of thing all the time back at home."
Canthor nodded wholeheartedly in agreement. "That we do. All the time.
They were both lying, and Trunks knew it. He could see through their façade as easily as he could see the sky lightening with the first grey signs of dawn. And he told them as much.
"Bullshit." He said flatly. "And I'll restate my position; you should not be mucking around with things you know nothing about."
And so, they went back to staring at the small red ball with much curiosity. Each one dying to know what lay inside, but Trunks steadfastly refusing to allow them to open it.
"Perhaps we should carry it with us. Dawn is breaking, and we should be moving. We'll never catch up with him at this rate." Canthor said, folding his arms over his chest and slipping his hands into the sleeves of his very dirty robe.
Trunks nodded and stuffed the case of capsules back in his jacket pocket before standing up and buckling his sword on. He watched the two magi bustle around their hastily setup camp and pack up their own things. The sayajin was getting used to their odd ways. He was slowly beginning to understand things about good and evil that had began to sink in after his trip to Morquean. Despite their obvious bickering and battling, both of the magi were dependable and driven. Once they had their goal in mind, nothing kept them from fulfilling it. Which is how he ended up in this place, with the strange little animals and the talking, drooling mushrooms that could only spout the words Vile Ploom. They had let something get through the portal on their second attempt to send him back to find Vegeta. And whatever it was, it was not friendly.
"All ready." Caleb said, dusting his robe off.
Trunks snapped from his thoughts and nodded again. "Let's get while the getting is good." He said and struck off back to the dirt road that split through the woods. The two magi pulled their hoods up, and followed the sayajin like his own private grim reapers, complete with floating above the ground.
James wasn't sure Jesse was as alright as she insisted she was. She had awoken with the first crack of the dawn, and had been a bright and cheery sort since. Meowth refused to go near her. He gave a few quickly mumbled reasons for his behaviour, but James was sure none of them were honest. Jesse had taken on an alarming paleness, with dark rings around her eyes. She looked sick, but felt fine. As she walked the dirt road, James followed silently, his eyes locked on her. Something had taken root within him. Suspicion, perhaps, but it felt much to James like distrust, and even a little fear. His eyes watched her every move as she walked ahead. The thought rolled through his mind repeatedly. Over an over again the sane, cautious part of him whispered, "Wrong. It's all wrong." Meowth fell a few more steps behind.
Hyci leaned against the wall of the alley while Vegeta and Goku drank from one of the many fountains in the town. She found the sayajins to be much amusement, if nothing else. As their trip through the back alleys of the mother city had found them almost mugged, nearly shot by a stray crossbow bolt, and face to face with the cursed, and dead magi that prowled the streets at night. Still, they insisted on looking for the purple-haired wanderer that had gone home the day before. She could have told them, she supposed. But, her desire to sink her talons into Vegeta and make him one of their own was too great. As it was, Vegeta finished off with the water, and waited for Goku before both of them set off again. Hyci stood from the wall and followed once more. She had to move soon, or else they might grow weary and just go to the castle. Then, all would be in vain. She smiled her cold, biting smile, and almost glided up beside Vegeta. The High Priestess took in his scent, and stared at him for a moment, then cleared her throat.
"Will you be sleeping tonight? Or will it be another all nighter?" She asked casually. "Because, if you'd like to sleep, you can stay at the church. It's dry, and safe, and there is food and bath."
Goku's ears perked up at the mention of food and he looked over at the woman, then to Vegeta with hopeful eyes. Vegeta shook his head, the look of irritation quick to cross his normally indifferent features.
"We will rest when we find Trunks." He said point-blank.
Hyci dropped back a few paces and scowled. Stubborn! The lot of them. Who did these sayajins think they were anyway? She watched Vegeta's back with an almost hungry grin. Alright, she thought, you want to play the hard way, we'll play the hard way. She closed her eyes, letting her aura guide her through the streets as she chanted silently.
Jesse backed him up against the tree and pressed her body to his. Her lips hovered a mere breath from his own, and no matter how much he turned his head in either direction, she was there. Her body was still sheened and wet with the water from the river, and James wondered suddenly why he never noticed before just how beautiful her body really was. He scowled, angry with himself for the thought, and tried once more to back her away.
"Jesse, this isn't right. You aren't right. Don't you notice it? How everything feels so… wrong?"
Her lips drew up in an almost seductive smile, and she trailed her hand down his body. James' eyes went wide and he froze. She nipped his chin gently and whispered to him.
"Feels just fine to me." She breathed.
James took a deep breath and forced himself to think. Everything was wrong. Jesse was wrong. Meowth had gone missing. They were lost. He even had his suspicions that he, himself, was wrong. Somehow, anyway.
"I should find Meowth. He could be lost, or hurt."
"Or dead." Jesse grinned darkly and stepped back. James stared at her.
"Mmmm… James, you aren't being a team player." She licked her lips. "Bad James. I guess that just means that I will have to play alone." She pouted.
"Jesse…"
She lay out on the grassy carpet just beside the dirt road and ignored any of his feeble attempts to get her moving again. His voice eventually betrayed him, and left him staring in silence as Jesse played without him. He leaned back against the tree, unable to take his eyes off her, and reminded himself that next time, he would just have to be a team player.
Hyci led Goku to the dining hall and ushered the big sayajin to a chair. The long row of neophytes and clergy watched as the man got settled, and wasted no time in getting comfy before diving into the food laid out before him. Seeing him nice and distracted, the High Priestess glided back out to the alter chamber, and dropped onto the prayer bench beside where Vegeta sat. The man stared at the floor, lost in his own thoughts, and Hyci felt it better she left him lost for the moment. The spell had kicked in nicely, and his attitude had shifted perfectly. Hence, her bringing them to the mother church. The Priestess stood and pulled her robe of position off, leaving her dressed in a flimsy cotton shirt and a pair of riding pants. She had discreetly discarded her boots beside the main doors, as she always did when she came home. Dropping back onto the bench, Hyci let her amber hair down from its bindings, and sighed in relief.
"I get the feeling you are toying with us, Woman." Vegeta whispered, offering her but the slightest glance.
Hyci looked at him for a long moment. She had to judge her words carefully, lest she send the man back into his foul mood. "I don't "toy"." She said simply. That was it, front and direct. No beating about the bush with this man. He was an 'in-your-face' kind of person. He'd appreciate a no-bullshit policy. And when he snatched her up by her throat, and held her off the ground, she was forced to rethink that.
"I don't like to be toyed with." He snarled. "It makes me very, very unhappy."
She managed a nod, and masked the shocked look on her face. And just when she thought his unpredictability had reached its summit, he planted his lips to hers in a kiss so demanding, that the high priestess actually felt her knees go weak. She felt her feet touch the marble floor and his grip around her throat loosen, but he held her still. So lost in his touch was she, that she did not notice the energy in the room jump, or her hair standing slightly on end from it.
Trunks wasn't terribly impressed when the cat-like creature with the huge eyes strolled out of the bushes. Caleb and Canthor both went into fits when the thing bid them a good afternoon, though. They dropped to their knees on the dirt road and spouted a feverish and jumbled prayer of sorts in their odd language. It took much prompting on the sayajin's part to get them back to their feet. And at last, the three of them stood staring at the pokémon in uncertainty. Meowth stared back, just as cautiously. And although Trunks might not be a pro on the creatures that inhabited this world, he knew fear when he saw it. And the cat- thing had plenty of that in its feline eyes. Suspecting that he might be the only sane one amongst his small party, the sayajin took the initiative and introduced himself.
"Your parents were drunk when you were born, weren't they?" The cat-thing asked in an almost annoying voice and laughed.
Trunks sighed. "Not to my knowledge, no." He said.
Meowth explained himself, and his situation to the three in a rapid-fire session of waving paws and loud sound effects. When he finally fell silent, the three men stared at him, almost comically. Crickets chirped in the ensuing stillness, and Meowth blinked in a slight show of confusion.
"What?" He asked.
It was Caleb that broke the silence. "It's here then. And it'll keep close to her. She's feeding it." He looked at his uncle, who had nodded off suddenly.
"IT'S HERE!" Caleb shouted for his benefit.
Canthor snapped awake and looked around in alarm. "After it!" He ordered, then fell silent and coughed, looking more than a little embarrassed.
"Feeding it?" Trunks asked, already sure he didn't really want to know.
"It what?" Meowth added.
Caleb pulled a book from his robe and laid it out on the ground, he whispered, his voice echoing unnaturally for a moment, and the book opened to a page near the back. Trunks wondered what all the magi had in that robe, while Meowth shivered at the sudden chill in the air. The pokémon had felt the same thing whenever he got too close to Jesse, it was more than cold. More than just a drop in the temperature. But, Meowth couldn't describe it, even to himself. It made his skin crawl and his fur bristle. The group huddled around Caleb and stared down at the wonderfully illuminated and carefully scribed pages. The writing was indecipherable to all but the magi, but the picture was a universal language. A huge, beastly creature, obviously male, with fur and a mouthful of pointed teeth stared back at them. It's eyes shone with the insane and indifferent cruelty of a rabid animal. Its thick fingers were capped with twisted and sharpened claws. Meowth backed away from the book as if the thing were alive, while Trunks screwed his face up in a look of disgust and shook his head.
"That's mildly disturbing." He said flatly. Caleb and Canthor both nodded their agreement.
"It's a Sha 'Dvoriga. A dark and terrible thing bred by hatred and fear. We could easily handle the thing were we home." Caleb whispered.
Canthor pitched in. "It's a predator. Feeding off of human emotion as well as the flesh. It will drain its prey, then devour it. They are especially drawn to the female persuasion. As we all well know, they are an emotional and moody lot."
Trunks stood upright and brushed his hair from his eyes. "And this thing got through the portal how?" He asked as Caleb packed the book back in his robe.
"They are extremely sensitive to energy fluctuations. Sometimes even the smallest energy burst can draw throngs of the beasts from all over the country side. My guess is, the second teleport opened in the right world, but way out of Morquean's walls. They sensed it, and this one jumped at the chance."
Trunks raised an eyebrow, a shiver creeping up his body unbidden. "These things think?"
Canthor pulled his hood up and folded his arms over his chest, tucking his hands in his sleeves. "They think better than most men." He said, his aged and withered voice sounding suddenly very tired. "It's going to be a chore to catch the bastard. It only moves at night."
Meowth listened to the talk and sighed. "Jesse… James. What will happen to them?"
"She'll draw James into the web, and the creature will feed from them both."
"Ruthless." Trunks whispered.
Caleb shrugged. "Survival."
They stood silently, no one wishing to speak, or wanting to think about the thing that prowled around the slowly darkening woods. Night had suddenly taken on a more deadly undertone, and they could all feel the shadows gathering like spectators to see what was to come.
James watched the night close in with an odd mixture of fear and finality. Something in his mind had the man seriously convinced that this was the last night he would ever witness. If not the last, then at least dangerously close. He couldn't find Meowth, and Jesse couldn't keep her hands off him. She had taken on the look of a wraith near the noon hours, and now she had the stare to go with the look. She looked exhausted, but acted like some kid tripped up on sugar. James wondered where she got all the energy to run around and if it might not be patentable. You aren't going to live to care about such things, his mind whispered. No sir, and if you do, you're going to wish you hadn't. James nodded to that inner voice.
"All wrong." He answered back, his voice trembling slightly. "All so goddamn wrong."
Jesse watched him with her dead eyes. She had stripped to nothing more than her shirt and her skirt, her gloves, jacket and boots were left on the ground a few miles back. She enjoyed the cool grass tickling her feet as she danced around to some unheard music. The woman came to a stop by the stump James had parked his behind on and dropped to her knees. The night snapped shut around them almost suddenly, and cast them both into its cloaking dark. She heard James sigh in the shadows. It was a sound that reminded her of the defeated hiss of broken machinery, a sort of shuddering, final breath before giving in to fate. The thought made her smile. She leaned forward to kiss him, and this time, James didn't avoid the touch of her lips. Instead, he met them with his own with sudden hunger and need. This was wrong too, and he knew it. This wasn't him, but he didn't care anymore. His body needed her, and he wouldn't deny it any longer. James laid her out on the grass and took Jesse in every way his mind could conjure up. Then within the sheltering and watchful shadows, he lay beside her in exhaustion, and gave in to sleep.
Jesse opened her eyes as the sound of scuffling footsteps fell on her all too sensitive ears. She slid out from under the protective arm that held her and rose to her feet. An hour or more had passed since their lovemaking, and James' energy level had plummeted. He was a bad source, the shadow-thing had told her. He was using most all of the energy he generated, emotionally and physically, for himself. She would have to find another source. She cancelled the thoughts out and listened as the sound of hushed conversation filled the stillness. Off to the left, she caught the sound of rustling within the bushes. Yes, she thought to the thing that now scampered off through the woods, I will handle them.
"If we camp now, we are just as likely to fall under the thing as they were. We need distance, and we cannot sleep within its territory." Caleb snapped at Meowth for the fourth time in the last two hours.
"My paws are killing me. And my tummy is growling louder than I do." Meowth protested in a nasal whine.
"Silence!" Canthor hissed in a loud whisper. "Do you feel that, Caleb?"
"We're close." Caleb nodded solemnly.
Trunks popped the last of his gum in his mouth and looked around the dark. He had decided a mile or so back that if he lived to see home again, he'd be much more respectful for the things that go bump in the night. He also wished Goku and his father were here. They could handle damn near anything. And with three super-sayajins, the beast they were chasing wouldn't stand a chance. It was Trunks who spotted Jesse first. He held up his hand to stop the bickering that had broke out, and whispered softly.
"That must be Jesse."
Meowth felt the familiar chill shoot through him at the mention of her name, and looked up the road with fearful eyes. "That's her. She's naked, but that's definitely her." He muttered smoothly despite Caleb's hand around his throat.
Caleb too looked up the road, and let the pokémon go. "This is bad."
Canthor nodded his silent agreement.
"Why is this bad?" Trunks asked softly. His voice betrayed none of the fear he felt washing over him as he watched the woman ahead.
"Judging from her appearance, methinks she has caught poor James in the web."
Trunks looked the woman over with the disciplined eye of a warrior. He could easily push aside the fact that she was woman, and naked as well. He dropped her to the level of an enemy, and let his instincts take it from there. Still, he did have to admit, he was seriously liking the view. Beside him, Meowth whispered under his breath and looked around for James. The pokémon was suddenly sure she had killed him already., as he was no where to be seen. And he knew that James wouldn't desert Jesse. He may not be the brightest bulb in the string, but he was loyal above all else.
Jesse's eyes locked on Trunks and she felt her hunger kick up like a tidal wave. She could almost feel the warmth of the energy he secreted. She could see the small wisps of it escaping here and there, leaving a gentle and weak haze around his body. She licked her lips slowly, and shivered in anticipation. And such a nice body at that, she added with a shrill giggle. The entire group down the road looked at her suddenly, and she was reminded of her nakedness. With a mumbled cuss, Jesse dodged off the path and dressed. This was it. She only had to be rid of these few men, and the ignorant pokémon, and she and her new master would be free to roam the forests together. He had promised her as much. As Jesse tugged on her skirt, she could feel a tinge of uncertainty creep in and shove at her bravado. Still, the sudden appearance of the men in robes, and the odd man with all the power could be a bad thing.
Trunks took a step forward when she walked off the path, and he lost her in the shadows for a brief moment. His eyes pinpointed her faint outline again, and he relaxed slightly. Beside him, Caleb whispered something in his own language, and received a tense answer form his uncle. Meowth fidgeted and coughed lightly. Trunks could feel the fear rolling off the small cat-creature, and sympathized with him. These were his people, his friends. And when Jesse popped out of the shadows just a few feet ahead of them, they all jumped. The night held its breath, and Meowth fell to the ground in tears, his fear and tension having gotten the best of him. Trunks reacted fast, his sword was out of its sheath with a hiss and he was more than ready to carve her into tiny pieces. Canthor and Caleb moved to either side of the path almost like robots. They were wedging her in as best they could, and Trunks was impressed at the maneuver. He stared into the dead eyes that watched his every move and began a slow powering up.
Psycho pounded on the small wooden door to Hyci's cell and waited quietly for her to answer. The Elite Royal Guard very much disliked coming to the church, as religion gave him the shivers. Still, Liege's summoning of the High Priestess was urgent, and so here he was. She opened the door and Psycho jumped back with a cry. Her hair was wild and sticking up everywhere, and she was naked save for a sheet clutched before her. She saw who it was, and quickly stepped out into the narrow hall, closing the door behind her.
"What do you want, you fruitcake?" She hissed as quietly as possible.
Psycho looked her over, one brow raised in question, then smiled brightly. "Liege is needing a word with you, Lady. He says it be urgent. I suggest you might want to put something else on, hmmm? It's raining, and the provost will arrest you for-
Hyci cut in, "Thank you for your concern, Psycho." She walked back into her room and slammed the door.
Vegeta looked up at her with what sounded suspiciously to her like a growl, and she smiled to put him at ease. "It's just one of the RGs. My Liege wishes to see me. I'll go in the morning."
"I thought he said it was urgent." Vegeta asked in his typical, pissed-off sounding voice.
"He did. But I'm known for my disobedience. And what better reason do I have for being naughty, then the one right here." She ended the discussion with a grin and fell back into bed with the prince.
Psycho waited quietly outside the door. The giggles and the moans from within told him that she hadn't taken the summons seriously. Liege had told him that she'd have company. And that her company was dangerous. He ought not break the door in. And no, he wasn't to drag the priestess through the streets unwillingly. Psycho played the command back in his mind as if rewinding a tape recorder. His sanity was gone, but it only served to boost what little of his mind he had left. Recalling details was as easy as breathing to him.
"Come back and let me know, and I will send Deadlock back with you." He had been told a half-hour before.
Vegeta opened his eyes and stared at the door within as he felt the energy of the Royal Guard fade off into the distance. He smirked into the dark, and it faded instantly into an absent look of pleasure. He would enjoy the moment, and worry about who might be returning with the guard later. Although he was still almost entirely sure he was being toyed with, Vegeta was eager to know why. He had decided in the alter chamber that he would let her leash out some, and see where she ran with her little game. He had no idea she wold run him straight to bed. But, still, he wasn't going to complain. It had been forever since he had a woman. And a woman such as this High Priestess was a rare find indeed. Vegeta nipped her neck and pushed his thoughts aside, losing himself in the priestess.
Down the hall a few doors from Hyci's room, Goku slept all stretched out on the tiny bed he was allowed. The blanket scarcely covered his body, and left his feet hanging out in the chill air of the place. They also hung over the edge of the bed, and most men would have complained. Goku had swiftly drifted into sleep, and now snored his content loudly. He came awake at the feeling of the energy spike, and looked around. The sudden peaking of Ki had faded, and Goku scratched his head.
"Well, that's strange." He said out loud, then shrugged. e laid his head back down and promptly took up his snoring again.
Trunks went Super, and all hell broke loose. His aura lit the dark like he was a human torch, and the hum from it drowned out the silence completely. Caleb and Canthor both stared at him in shock, and Meowth scampered off for the safety of the bushes. The only one who wasn't impressed was the woman who watched him with her cold and emotionless eyes. The gold from his aura lit them, but did little to add warmth to the icy pools. His Ki spiked at last, and his hair went blonde, his eyes green. Jesse breathed in awe, and reached a hand out towards the warmth he generated. The two magi recovered their composure and turned their eyes back to Jesse. Their chants filled the air with an unholy echo. They were summoning the thing, as was planned. And Trunks was the bait to coax the beast to comply. With Jesse here, the link was perfect. They were all sure that it couldn't resist the flood of energy the sayajin was offering up. What they didn't expect was James to bust from the bushes and ambush Caleb from behind.
Trunks didn't take his eyes off of Jesse. They stared at each other like long-term enemies. Her look of absent hatred was tainted with a small grin, and something else surfaced in her eyes. Trunks searched deep within them. Fear, she was slowly realizing what could very well happen. Caleb rolled around on the grass with James. The magi tried his best to calm the man, then gave in and just unleashed a blast of cold energy that sent him flying back into the bushes he had sprang from. Caleb was back on his feet and into the chant again before James crashed down in a patch of raspberry brambles far off in the woods. He lay still, his body frozen in pain. Jesse looked over into the shadows as the whisper of movement broke out over the hum of energy and the chanting. Caleb trailed off and opened his eyes, his uncle quickly following suit. Trunks kept his eyes on Jesse, though he could feel the cold energy from the shadows slam against his aura hard. The thing that lumbered out to stand behind Jesse was larger than Trunks expected. It blocked the entire path with its girth, and the jaws that dripped saliva could easily nip the woman's head off without so much as a struggle. She stood still, her grin splitting into a cruel smile of premature victory. The beast rested one clawed hand on her seemingly tiny shoulder, and Trunks shuddered. There was definitely a disturbing sort of relationship between the beauty and the beast. Trunks was sure he didn't want to search the matter too deeply, though.
"Give up!" Jesse shrieked. "Give yourself to me." She added in a softer tone. "Become. It's easy, and it doesn't hurt at all."
Caleb and Canthor watched the woman and her ghastly bodyguard for a moment, then looked at each other and winked out in a flash of blue. Trunks took the signal and drifted off the ground, his energy still raining the place with golden light. The two magi reappeared up the path, a ways behind the creature and Trunks sheathed his sword and raised his hands. Touching his thumbs together, he held his hands out and let out a scream of rage, a jet of light split through the night and slammed into the beast at neck level. Jesse shrieked in terror and everything slowed down to a crawl. Canthor and Caleb moved away from each other, leaving a blue pool of light between them. The teleport was open and waiting. The creature reared its head and let out a roar of pain and anger, then leveled its red eyes on Trunks. It knocked Jesse off the path with one smooth swipe of its massive hand, and Trunks took the shot.
He dropped to the ground. His boots stirred up the dust from the path and the wind from his aura sent it swirling behind him as he charged forward. Caleb would later liken watching the sayajin charge to a whole line of calvary. Trunks let out a roar and jumped a few feet from the creature. Using his Ki to back him, he kicked the creature square in the chest, knocking it off its feet and sending it flying back towards the portal. Not willing to risk it, Trunks blasted it again with a wall of energy, and it sailed into the awaiting pool of magic. The magi closed the portal, and the night went silent. Trunks breathed heavily and stared hard at the spot where the teleport had been. As if he was privy to the knowledge that it would split wide open, and the shadow creature would spring out. Much to Caleb's and Canthor's dismay, that is exactly what it did. Canthor dropped like a rock when the thing hit him, and Caleb just barely dodged another wild swipe of its claws. Jesse still lay on the grass beside the path, her laughter added to its roars. Trunks flew straight up into the starless sky, and for an instant, the two magi wondered if they had just been deserted.
What happened next went much too fast for either of the magi to follow. Trunks dropped from the sky like a comet, his sword out and poised. Jesse sat bolt upright and let out a scream that echoed throughout the forest like a death shriek. Trunks sank his blade into the mottled fur, and it bit clear through the bone. He shot out of swinging range, and watched the creature's arm fall to its side. It was left hanging uselessly, attached only by the flesh and fur.
"I will dice you to bite-sized chunks if I have to!" Trunks yelled to it. "You are going down, any way it takes!"
The Sha 'Dvoriga roared its pain and charged Trunks. Trunks met the charge halfway and disappeared into nothing more than a streak of golden light. His shouts to open the portal raised above the wailing of the woman, and the creature's agonized howls. Then Trunks stopped, and lit off with a blast of energy, blowing the nicely sliced creature to bits, and through the second portal. Trunks landed softly and sheathed his blood-gored blade. The whole area, both magi, and Trunks himself were all covered in the creature's nearly black viscous. Jesse had passed out, Meowth had slipped off to find James, and the three of them stared at the substance that dripped from them with extreme disgust. Some where in the woods, the first cricket chirped, breaking the unnatural silence the shadow beast had brought with it.
Vegeta slid out of bed silently and prowled to the door. He threw it open without much hesitation, and stared up at the red-eyed, blonde man that stood there. Beside him stood the Royal Guard that had called earlier. The man's thin, pale lips pulled back into a not-so-friendly smile that showed off a row of awesomely pointed teeth. Vegeta couldn't sense anything from this person, and that was the first oddity about the man that dawned on him. The second was he heard no breath coming from him, even in the absolute silence of the hall. His visitor glanced over Vegeta's shoulder to the bed where Hyci lay sleeping, then back at the sayajin. He chuckled in some private amusement, and shook his head.
"A little far from home, aren't we sayajin?" The man asked.
"What's it to you?" Vegeta shot back.
The man looked back at Psycho, who watched on silently, then again at Vegeta. "It's nothing to me, personally." He said. "You should be thankful for that."
If Hyci had witnessed this exchange, she would have called it a pack squabble. Alpha male and alpha male fighting more with words than with teeth to establish a chain of command. Indeed, that was what it was.
"Just who are you?"
The man smiled again, his teeth gleaming in the flood of moonlight that dripped from the windows that lined the left side of the long hall. "I am Deadlock. Folks around here call me Lord Death. Other's just don't call me."
Vegeta stared at the man for the longest, sizing him up, debating, feeling. There was no feedback from him, and in the end, Vegeta was forced to draw the conclusion that whoever this man was, he was definitely not alive. Suddenly, Vegeta thought back to the words the magi had said. 'There's always someone out there who can whip your ass.' Vegeta growled softly. Impossible, he decided at last. And they stared silently at each other as if in some insane showdown.
Jesse woke up to Canthor's pale face as he leaned over her and dabbed at the spot of blood on her forehead. She smacked his hand aside and sat up despite the queasy feeling her aching head gave her. Beside her, Meowth was systematically plucking raspberry thorns out of James. Across the small camp, Trunks sat on a rock and wiped his blade free of the now dried blood, and Caleb supervised his job carefully.
"Missed a spot." The magi said every three seconds.
Jesse touched her forehead, then her hair, and her shriek split through the morning quiet. "Look at my hair! It's a mess! Look at my clothes! When I find the person responsible for this, they are in major trouble!"
James opened his eyes and looked at her with a relieved grin. Jesse was back, everything was right.