Sandstorm

[Shadowknight 54]

Okay, so tonight I decided to write something. This is it. I will update as I write it, and I hope you enjoy it. Remember, it is a work in progress.

Prologue

A dry breeze blew up a cloud of sand. Ghostly howls were carried by the wind to unknown places, and phantoms rose from the tombs sunken far below. Amongst the ghouls was a single man. He was wearing loose, light-colored clothes and carried a combat knife at his hip.

He walked without fear of the spirits around him, and he didn't seem to care about the demons that lurked in every shadow and watched his every move with sinister eyes. He pulled a red cloth over his nose and mouth as the wind picked up. His dark brown hair was blown back; a sandstorm was coming, and that was bad. His cold blue eyes scanned the ground, and he took off running. He tore his knife away from his hip and looked back just in time to get thrown off his feet by a blast of wind and sand. He landed on his shoulder and cried out in pain, sliding across the ground. Clutching his shoulder, he spun around and faced his attacker.

An enormous creature erupted from the ground and screamed wildly; it was a desert crawler. Its silver scales gleamed in the moonlight as it dashed towards the man. There was no sound as its six legs stabbed into the sand one after another. The terrified man jumped to his feet and started sprinting for dear life, and the beast screamed again. It lunged at the man with its claws extended and grabbed at his fragile body.

The man jumped before the monster reached him and, as it passed beneath him, he stabbed his knife into its scaly back. Momentum carried the beast forward and the sharp knife ripped through its skin. The beast screamed and writhed in pain as black liquid began to ooze from the new wound. It wasn't blood; it resembled crude oil. The monstrosity squirmed and tried to burrow into the ground. The liquid was gushing now, and the beast thrashed around in its half-dug grave.

The young man watched as the liquid started spurting violently from the gash along the beasts back. He started to turn around and walk away, not wanting to see any more of this gruesome scene, but was quickly stopped by a gurgling sound behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and was horrified to see how large the desert crawler had become. Small streams of the liquid broke free of the beastly balloon and splashed onto the ground, burning anything it touched. Realizing what was about happen, he let out a small cry and began sprinting away from the swelling bomb. When it ruptured, he dove to the ground and covered his head. A scream of agony burst forth from his throat, and he clutched his left arm to his body. It had been hit by some of the acid, and the burn was spreading up his arm. It was then, crying in a heap on the desert sand, that he realized what had just happened. The desert crawler was a demon, and it had cursed him.

After the initial pain of the curse had worn off, he stood and began walking back towards the town. The skin on his arm had become rough, like bone, and his fingertips felt like they were on fire. He was aware that his life would never be the same after that night, but he chose not to think about it. Instead, he thought about how he would get into his house. He had lost his keys in the fight, and he hadn't bothered to hide a spare. He decided that he would break in because it would be easy, and he disappeared into the shroud of night.

A piercing screech pierced the air, and a shadowy figure slowly climbed out of the hole that the demon had dug. It flew away on blood-stained wings, and the moon was blackened by hundreds of black feathers. The acid from the desert crawler spread across the sand, turning it black. Beneath the black sand long-dead eyes opened once again, and dead ears heard the call of darkness.

[Sahaqiel 1232]

So yeah, I'm not going to fully review this since there's not much wrong, (May want to cut down on the use of personal pronouns, though. "He" gets a bit repetitive.) but what is this based on?

Is it fan fiction? If so, of what?

Pretty confusing.

Sahaqiel

[real link 0]

im thinking solid snake but id like to read more

[Shadowknight 54]

No, it isn't fan fiction. It's not finished, so it isn't supposed to make sense yet. I guarantee that everything will be explained by the end. I probably should have given him a name, though.

Remember, it's just the prologue. Just giving a bit of introduction to the character and why is arm is messed up.

Edited 28 Sep 2008 by shadowknight (see edit history)

[real link 0]

so its not solid snake

[Shadowknight 54]

Okay, so I finished the next part of the story. Hopefully it explains some things, but I have intentionally left some things unexplained. I am quite satisfied with the stories from this universe that I have written previously, so hopefully this one will end up being as good as I intend to make it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1

Daniel Shaide was walking through the chilly winter air and enjoying the sight of the new snow. He had left the desert far behind him, and he never had any intention of going back.He had barely been out of high-school, a young man of eighteen, when he had ventured into the desert. Now he was twenty-one and had moved on with his life. He had moved north and built a new life for himself. He didn't have to work; the discoveries that he had made in the few months that he had hunted treasure provided enough money for him to live off of. Large objects made of gold had always been quite valuable, and even more so after the desert became infested with beasts. The number of hunters had declined significantly in recent years. They were either killed in the desert or too afraid to go back.

Daniel hadn't had any relationships after the incident, and he lived alone with his cat, Takkun. He wasn't particularly anti-social, he had just been depressed recently. Not being able to use his left limb made his life much more difficult. He didn't really have time for friends or women right now.

The crowds of people walked down the sidewalk, destination in mind, and paid no mind to the simple restaurant. The jazz music playing inside was soothing, but the sounds of shoes hitting the concrete prevented it from reaching the ears of the people. A gust of cold air blew in as the door opened and sounded the chime. Daniel walked in wearing light clothes and a yellow jacket. He had a red scarf wrapped around his neck that hid his nose and mouth from the eyes of the customers. His left sleeve was pulled off his arm so that it couldn't be seen, and the arm seemed to hang like a heavy weight at his side.

"Welcome, sir. May I take your jacket?" A waiter had met him at the door with a menu in hand.

"No thanks." The reply was cold and worn. The waiter looked into his eyes, hoping to find something. He was met with a stare that seemed to see right through him.The blue eyes had seen much more than any man ever should. "Can I get a whiskey?"

"Certainly, sir. May I see your I.D. please?" The man stuck his right hand into his pocket and pulled out a wallet. He handed the I.D. to the waiter. "Thank you. I will get it promptly." He hurried off nervously, afraid of what would happen if he was too slow. He returned quickly with the drink, almost dropping it in his haste. Daniel took a drink and suddenly stood up, scanning the room. People were cheerily eating and talking, but something was about to happen. He was constantly on guard after his last adventure. The scars that were caused by surprise would never go away.

The lights started flickering and dying, and Daniel started moving towards the door. If he could get out, these people might be safe. A strange sound filled the room, and people started getting up and grabbing their coats. Then, just before Daniel made it to the door, a blast of wind shattered the windows at the front of the store. A blood-curling screech filled the room, and Daniel took up a defensive stance. As he did so his coat fell off his shoulders, revealing a strange sight. His left arm was totally white, and the skin was hard like bone. Spines stuck out like fur, and the fingers tips were sharp. It looked like the claw of a beast that would live in the Desert of Spirits. It was thicker than his other arm, and the whole thing resembled a white gauntlet.

He quickly jumped out the broken window and started running down the street. He needed to get as far away as he could before someone got hurt. He glanced back and caught a glimpse of his pursuer. There was a huge black bird following him. Its feathers were stuck together by dry blood and its eyes were blood red. Daniel almost tripped when he saw the familiar eyes, the eyes that he hadn't seen in over three years. They were the eyes of a demon from the desert.

The beast was relentless as it tore through the city, throwing cars and people out of its path. It charged, screaming, after Daniel as if he had just stolen the child of this bird. Daniel turned a corner and immediately knew that he had made a mistake. He had turned into a dead end, and the bird would quickly be upon him. With nowhere else to go, he ran at the wall with all his energy. He was no ninja, but he knew that he could scale this wall. He jumped at the wall at the last second with his leg extended and propelled himself upward on the wall. He pushed off one more time with much less success and began to fall. He slammed his left hand into the wall and hung there for a second, dazed by the power in his arm. He knew that it wasn't his arm, but he was still surprised by its strength.

He pulled himself upward and withdrew his sharp claws from the wall at the same time and was at the top of the wall. He looked over the edge and realized that he had just thrown himself up a three story building without much effort. He knew that using the cursed arm was not a really good idea, but this had seemed like an appropriate situation. He felt the anger and hatred building up inside of him and struggled to maintain control. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, but when the bird came crashing and screaming around the corner he lost it immediately. The demon took over and he watched as his body started moving without his consent. His appearance had changed as well: his blue eyes had turned orange and his hair had turned silver. His body jumped over the edge of the wall with its left arm drawn back and dove towards the bird. It looked up and screamed just as he stabbed it in the face, crushing it into the ground. The force of the impact was so great that the beast exploded immediately, sending black smoke and acid down the alley. Daniel, in the meantime, had climbed back up the wall in an animal like way and passed out at the top. The demon had retreated back into his arm and was resting.

Daniel dreamed of a black desert that was housing a terrible evil. A man in a black suit stood at the center of a sea of monsters and called to him. He knew that he would have to go back and put a stop to this evil. The man laughed and the beasts screamed and flew out into the world. They had made the first move in a war between humans and demons, and it had left a great portion of the city in ruins. The beast had apparently smashed quite a few buildings before finding Mr. Shaide in the restaurant.

[real link 0]

this is wicked and awesome. please continue

[Shadowknight 54]

Update! I would have updated sooner, but I've been busy with school.

-----------------------------

Chapter 2

As Daniel slowly awakened he wondered where he was. He saw the red brick buildings around himself and decided that he was in a city. The snow told him that he was north of The Desert, and the charred ground below told him that there had been a fight. His head began to clear and he started to remember what had just happened. The demon wasn't troubling him for now, but his head was throbbing. Daniel massaged his temples and thought about what to do next. He knew that something was about to happen, but he didn't know what or when it would occur. The Desert was probably involved somehow, but it was such a strange place that nobody, even Daniel, would go there without knowing what they were looking for. He decided that returning home was the best plan for now. It had been a long day, and he needed to rest.

He grabbed onto the edge of the roof and flipped himself over the side so that he hung by one hand, and then he started to slide. His clawed hand dug deep into the brick and slowed his decent enough that he didn't die when he hit the ground. The demon began stirring in his arm, but it decided that there was no excitement in the area. It fed off of excitement and adrenaline, but anger and fear would bring it bursting forth with such fervor that Daniel would probably be unconscious for days. It was because of this that Daniel had learned to control his emotions with exceptional patience. Not much could upset him anymore.

As he walked down the street he felt like the weight on the left side of his body was greater than it had been before. He looked at his cursed arm for the first time since the attack and gasped. The arm had more pronounced protrusions than it had in the past, and the elbows and knuckles were accented with large spikes. It was at that moment of weakness that the demon awoke and tried to take over. Daniel repressed his anger and breathed deeply. There was nothing he could do to change this, so he shouldn't be upset about it. He continued on his homeward journey, trying to hide his arm from curious eyes. He wished that he hadn't left his jacket in the restaurant.

He passed through a tunnel and thought that he noticed something moving. His fear spiked and the demon took control for a moment, smashing a large chunk out of the tunnel wall. It retreated when nothing organic met its smashing blows and allowed Daniel to continue on his way. He thought he saw movement in the shadows many times, but nothing was there. "The pollution in the air must be messing with my brain," he said aloud. He talked to himself often. Or was he talking to the demon?

The smell of cinnamon greeted him when he reached his apartment. It seemed that the landlady was always cooking or baking. She was nice, but a bit strange. Then again, who was he to call somebody strange? He stuck the key in his door and turned the knob. Something was amiss in his home. Why, he thought to himself, does everything happen to me? He slowly opened the door and stepped inside, but nobody was there. He had been worried over nothing. Maybe he was getting paranoid, but paranoia was better than negligence. He walked into his kitchen and grabbed a cake that the landlady had made him. He took out a knife and began cutting a piece, but quickly changed his intentions when he heard a footstep. He swung the knife around, meaning to hurt the intruder, but never made contact.

"Hello, Daniel." He turned and found himself face-to-face with a total stranger. Surprisingly, the demon didn't even try to escape. "I heard you have a demon problem." Daniel took the first opportunity to analyze the man. He was around six-feet tall with long black hair and strange green eyes. He wore jeans, a white shirt, and a black blazer. He looked calm, but there seemed to be a dark aura surrounding this man. "I assume you are wondering why I'm here. Actually, you're probably wondering who I am, right?" Daniel nodded. "Well, I'll make this as simple as possible. My name is Felix, and we have a common problem. You see, I once knew someone that had a demon. He was quite close to me, actually. I know about your adventure in The Desert, and I think I know the problem. There is a man that is making things quite difficult for you, correct?" Daniel nodded again. "He is creating an army of devils, and he needs to be stopped."

"Hey, I still don't know why you are in my house. I would appreciate it very much if you explained that to me." Daniel felt the frustration building, but the demon still did not come.

"Certainly sir. You see," Felix rolled up his sleeve, revealing a burn that wound around it from shoulder to wrist, "I too have a demon. Mine, however, is getting along with me. Watch!" The room filled with darkness as a dragon erupted from Felix's body and lunged straight for Daniel.

[Shadowknight 54]

To those of you who read this, I thank you. This update would have come sooner, but school is taking up most of my time.

----------------------

Chapter 3

Daniel braced himself for the impact, but was not prepared for what he felt. As the dragon took his body into its mouth he felt his demon moving inside his arm. It hadn't been this active in a long time, and he didn't like it. Black vapor began to leak from his fingers and take the shape of a man in front of him. The dragon seemed to have taken all of the light from the room, but he could clearly see the person taking form. The demon was leaving his arm, so it slowly began to return to normal. Daniel was shocked, and he found himself unable to move. His arm was lighter than it had been in years, yet it felt as heavy as ever.

"Daniel," hissed a sinister voice. "Daniel. Daniel. Daniel." It was repeating his name with such disgust that he wanted to throw something. He wanted to yell at it to stop defiling his name by saying it, but he couldn't speak. He couldn't do anything. "Daniel. I need you. I need your mind. I must have it!" The demon was going crazy, flailing around and crashing into the walls. "Give it to me! Let me take your body! I need a home! I need it!" Daniel realized what was going on. The demon wasn't angry, but it was desperate. It was a parasite that had been living in him for a long time, and it didn't remember how to live without him. It was afraid. "Let me in! Let me back in!"

Suddenly another figure emerged from the darkness, but this one seemed different. It seemed to have a human quality that the parasite demon lacked. "Stop. Calm yourself. Do not be afraid." The parasite was still throwing itself around, but it seemed to slow down so that it could hear. "Quiet your mind. This won't hurt." It reached out and put its hand on the parasites face, and a light filled the darkness. Daniel wondered who this other being was and why it was helping him. He still couldn't move, so he watched the show intently. The parasite screamed as the light covered its face, and when it faded there was only one demon standing there. It appeared to be bigger than both of the previous demons, however, and it gave off an aura of power and self control.

"Hello, Daniel." It was speaking to him. He tried to respond, but nothing came out. "My name is Felix, but you can call me Shadow. I am a knight of the night, and I take the burdens of others upon myself." Daniel had no idea what was going on, but there wasn't much he could do about that in his current state. "It isn't your burden that I am here to take, though, and I must return it. Actually, your new burden will be greater than before. Your new burden will be me." With that it turned into black liquid and slithered into Daniel's mouth. He couldn't scream, even though the pain was unbearable. It swam through his veins and into his heart, where it seemed to linger for quite some time before moving on to his arm. The feeling of the curse returning was more painful than it had been the first time, and Daniel could feel each spine piercing his skin. His fingers were on fire again, and his shoulder erupted much more violently than it had before. When he thought that it was over, a new pain took over. Heat snaked its way down his arm from his shoulder to his wrist, burning a spiraling line where it touched him. The burn was in the shape of a black dragon.

The darkness retreated as quickly as it had come, and so did the pain. There was no lingering injury as there had been the first time, and that was probably a good thing. Daniel found himself laying face-down on the carpet, and he quickly pulled himself up. Felix was still there, standing with his arms crossed. He had eaten the cake that Daniel had started to cut. "Hey there. How's it feel?" He nodded at the new burn. "Hurts, doesn't it? You released them into this world, and now we all have to live with the consequences." He started to walk away, but turned back and said, "I couldn't handle that demon. Maybe you can. He's different, you know. Quite a handful. Do you like the darkness?" Daniel shook his head. He had hated darkness for most of his life. Evil lives in darkness. "That's too bad. Shadow really loves it. Maybe you can control it better than I could." He snapped as he left the room, and Daniels arm grew heavy. Without the demon there to hold it up, he could hardly stand.

The weight gradually left the stone arm, and Daniel tried to reflect on what had just happened. He was quickly interrupted by a deep voice. "Hey. So, you don't like the darkness? I do." The color and light drained out of the room. "Allow me to tell you about myself. I am Shadow, the knight that hunts his own kind. As my title implies, I am a demon hunter. As I kill them I make them a part of myself, stealing their essence. I don't have much experience, but I seem to have done an okay job on your parasite." Shadow was standing in front of him again, but this time Daniel could move. "It's easy to lose track of yourself with an ability such as mine, so I'll tell you about my personal specialty. I am a Shade, one of the demons of the night. We thrive in darkness, and our abilities are great. We manipulate the essence of darkness, bending it and making it our own. We can tear open holes in the shadows and pull the beasts from inside. Don't get me wrong, though. We're really not that bad."

The light returned to the room and Daniel walked into the kitchen. "Don't ignore me, Daniel. I'm here to stay, you know. I want to be your friend." Daniel turned and glared at the walking shadow before returning to his cleaning. "At least I talk to you," muttered the shade as it went back into Daniels arm. This had been quite a day for both of them, and they were on edge. Exhaustion plagued Daniel, and he retired to bed early. The next day was a new day, and hopefully a less stressful one.

[Shadowknight 54]

Why doesn't anybody post here? Constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated, or just tell me if you're reading it. I'll keep updating regardless, but it would be nice to know that someone is reading this story.

-------------------------

Chapter 3

When Daniel awoke the sun had already risen. He was not in any hurry to start the day; his nightmare was occupying his thoughts at this moment. He had seen the man in the desert again, and he had seen the demons again, but this time he was there too. The man had been addressing him personally as the demons looked on with disgust. The man in the suit had said something that was upsetting, and Daniel started to go crazy. He watched himself scream and claw at the ground, weeping and slobbering. Then he saw something that he would never forget. He looked on in horror as his body exploded, blood flying everywhere, and a gargantuan beast erupted from his rag-doll figure. It had many legs and was covered in pure black spines, and its eyes were fireballs sunken into its misshapen skull. The man laughed as the beast tore through the legions of demons and headed towards town with the intent of killing everything.

He rose from the bed in a cold sweat and sighed. Just another dream, he thought as he walked out of his room. Shadow greeted him when he entered the kitchen, and Daniel responded with a grunt.

"Why do you hate me?" Shadow was in his face now. He didn't sound angry, but acted more like a hurt child. "Did I do something to you? Don't answer that. I know I didn't. You're probably just mad because after you took out the bird someone bested you without breaking a sweat." He went on griping as Daniel made himself some breakfast. He was lost in thought, wondering about what he should do. Suddenly, he dropped his cereal bowl and dashed back into his room. "What's going on?" Shadow really was like a little child. maybe Shades matured slower than humans.

"We're going to the desert. Something is happening and we need to know what it is." Shadow seemed to lighten up quickly when he learned that he was being included. "Don't do anything stupid, though. The desert is unforgiving, and having a Shade would probably make the trip easier. If you mess up, though, I will die. Since you are attached to me, that means you die too." Shadow didn't seem ready for that, but he knew immediately that it was true. "Please, Shadow, act like an adult. I need you to be serious."

When Daniel said that one simple sentence Shadow started rocking back and forth. The room grew dark to the point where vision was useless, and a strange popping noise started coming from where Shadow had been. The strange event didn't last for long, though, and the room was soon back to normal. Shadow, however, had changed. "Shadow?" Daniel inquired. "What did you just do?"

"I matured. What do you need for the trip, Daniel?" The pair packed a small bag quickly and ran down the stairs to the garage. "By the way," Shadow said, "I fixed your motorcycle."

Daniel gave him a confused look. "My motorcycle? What was wrong with it?" Shadow just chuckled and continued floating down the rows of vehicles. When they reached the place where Daniel's motorcycle had been he watched as Daniel's mouth fell open. His yellow motorcycle had turned black and more streamlined, and it also appeared to have changed brands. "I...uh...what did you...what happened?" The words didn't want to form in his mouth. It was a beautiful bike, and when he started it he almost fell over in shock. It was silent. "Thanks, Shadow. You may not be so terrible after all."

A few hours later they were speeding through the sand in the desert. As soon as they had reached the sign that marked the entrance the curse in Daniel's arm had started to hurt, but it wasn't as bad as the fear that was in his heart. He had avoided this place like the plague for years, and now he was returning willingly. His life had been turned upside down overnight, and he didn't know what to think of it. Shadow was in the cursed arm, the same place the demon had been, and talked to him occasionally. He didn't really say anything important, but he did manage to distract him from the fear. The silence of the bike wasn't helping them much; the cloud of sand that they were throwing into the air could probably be seen from miles around. It sometimes resembled a face, but surely that was just Daniel's imagination playing tricks on him. As the sun began to fall past the horizon a howl cut through the warm air. The sand seemed to shift, and a hand suddenly reached up and grabbed the front wheel of the bike. Another hand grabbed Daniel's foot, and then these hands were bursting from the sand all around him, each one trying to pull him into the depths. Shadow was yelling and manipulating the darkness, trying to help however he could. They were too strong, and they seemed to be made of stone. Daniel tried to get back to his bike, but he could barely break free from one of these hands, let alone hundreds. He struggled and slashed at them with his clawed hand, but he couldn't resist their pull. He reached towards the sky as they pulled him into the black sand. The last thing he heard was Shadow saying that he would help him get back.

[real link 0]

im reading and good work on the fan fic

[Knockdown 0]

sweet very detailed

[Teto 2609]

Yeah. Not my kind of thing though. But It's well written, I'll give you that.

[Shadowknight 54]

An update is here. I haven't had any time to write, but I finally managed to get something down. I must say, the next update will be a good one.

------------------------------

Chapter 4

Lights danced around Daniel as he sat in the small, dank room. He had awoken around an hour before and had no idea where he was. All he knew was that he was sitting in a room, unable to move, with little specks of light floating around him. As he watched the lights fly around he wondered if he had been drugged, but quickly reassured himself that he hadn't.

The smell of his earthen cell was overwhelming. It was dank and foul, and he couldn't raise his arm to protect his nose. The earth seemed to have grabbed onto his limbs and didn't want to let go. He wondered where Shadow was.

Shadow had seen the whole thing and was shocked by his inability to prevent it. What kind of a shade was he if he couldn't sense nearby evil? It didn't matter now, though, because Daniel was gone.

Shadow saw the event more clearly than Daniel, although that still didn't help much. They had been moving quite quickly, and for a while it seemed like they were going to make it to their destination without issues. Then, a hand that was made of the black sand of the desert burst from the ground and grabbed the front wheel of the motorcycle. The wheel immediately stopped moving, but the rest of the bike was carried forward by the momentum. Daniel was thrown off and more hands had shot up around the bike, pulling it into the sand. Daniel frantically tried to get to his feet, but more hands had already latched on. He cried out, but his voice was overtaken by the piercing howl of a demon. The hands climbed his body, each one placing itself a little higher than the one before it, and quickly reached his head. The sand below him began to slither away like it was alive, and he was swallowed by the earth.

Shadow had been smart enough to place a shadow on Daniel before he had been taken, but he quickly forgot as he watched the events unfold across the desert. Things were breaking free of the sand for miles around, and the shade was terrified. There were demons and beasts of all shapes and sizes; some huge and gruesome looking with huge boils and loose skin hanging off their misproportioned bodies, and others small and fast with long fingers and thin bodies. All of them had the same evil red eyes.

He quickly retreated into the plane of shadows, but continued to watch the desert come alive. He cursed himself for not having better foresight, but remembered that he had to save Daniel. That was the only way he could put a stop to this madness.

It was then that he saw the small figure rise above the rest. It was a young man with black hair and a cold smile. He was wearing a business suit and sunglasses, even though the sun had been blocked out by the demon birds flying above. He didn't move, but the way he was standing told Shadow that he was high in the rankings of this terrible army. His sunglasses slipped briefly, revealing the same red eyes that the demons around him had. Suddenly, the man looked up at Shadow. The shade wondered why he hadn't thought about the possibility that these beasts could see through to his plane, but didn't wonder for long. The man's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to reveal a set of sharp teeth. He was obviously not a human, but he wasn't totally revolting like a demon either. The man said a few words in a language that was foreign to Shadow, and a large chunk of earth exploded towards the plane. The barrier between Earth and the shadow plane shattered for long enough to allow something to enter.

A low growl filled the air as the barrier repaired itself, but the sound wasn't coming from the barrier. A rather large demon had entered the plane with Shadow, and it wasn't happy. As the smoke cleared, the figure became more visible. It was a huge bull, but there were large wings protruding from it's back. The holes in the wings and blood on it's fur implied that it had been one of the first demons to rise from the desert, and that it had survived a lot of fights. There was a large piece of skin missing from the back of it's neck, and the ground under it's feet burned. It took a moment for Shadow to recognize it, but he was even more afraid when he did. It was Haagenti, a leading force in the war. He hadn't been seen since the humans won the last battle, but he looked like he was ready for a fight.

Shadow began to say a spell, but was cut short when a small demon bit into his foot. This injury reminded him that Haagenti wasn't known for his own fighting strength, but rather for the strength of those he commanded. Shadow turned around and saw what he feared; thirty-eight legions of beasts, ranging from small and quick to huge and powerful. He was unsure of how he was going to fight these monsters, but at that moment he was sure of one thing: he was going to have to use some skills that he had avoided for many years.

He cast a shielding spell and started speaking in shadic, the language of the old curses. He knew that he needed a lot of power to save himself and Daniel, and the only thing that could provide that much power was something he feared even more than the waves of beasts rapidly approaching. He was summoning a demon.