The Temple - Chapter 2: Descent

Soulrazor Canyon lay in the heart of Lower Bleakwoode, surrounded by inhospitable terrain, and covered by dark, low hung storm clouds that never seemed to dissipate. The canyon stretched as far as the eye could see, and was so deep that sunlight rarely touched the floor. Sheer cliffs of red stone made up the walls. There was no known path to the bottom, and most everyone who tried to descend the canyon walls had perished in their attempt. Somewhere in the deep abyss of the shadowed canyon existed a stone temple from which myths were born. From this temple, it was told, one could hear the voices of those no longer of this world. It was said that the shrieks and howls of these cursed souls would drive anyone who came within hearing range completely mad. The residents of the nearby village had many stories of horrid encounters with the abandoned temple, and most said that the voices were not the only curse writhing within its cold stone walls. The villagers also told of seeing the spirits of those doomed to dwell within the canyon. The apparitions would usually appear as lost friends or loved ones. Once a person saw the souls of those passed, they would be overcome with grief and guilt, even if there was no reason for it, until they took there own lives, and were also cursed to remain a spiritual prisoner of the temple, forever.

Agent Carr stood on the western edge of the canyon, slowly took in every aspect of the great hole, and assessed his situation. For the followers of Krav Maga, scaling down the steep canyon walls would not be a problem. It was what inhabited the bottom of the canyon that bothered him. Carr turned to face his agents, who were preparing for the descent into darkness. Agent Louganis, though the only female in the group of three, was probably his most capable agent, and the one Carr trusted most. As she began strapping on her climbing gear, Carr wondered at what point he would need to tell them what their mission was. The plan Vydar had laid out to him ran through his head, and he grasped the brown leather pouch he had carried over his shoulder for the entire journey to Bleakwoode. He could feel the outline of the long, slender artifact through the soft leather. Carr knew its true owner would discover its location, and come for it soon. Time was very short.

"We will be ready to deploy in 5, sir"� Agent Smith reported.

Carr looked back down at the canyon, and then at the agent who had addressed him so professionally. His sister's son had turned into a fine agent, and Carr was glad that he had decided to let his nephew join the team. Thomas Smith had been a well decorated NYPD Officer, and after months of pleading with his uncle, had entered the Krav Maga training program. Smith had been the only one in his class to finish the program, and was the third highest rated cadet ever, behind Louganis, and Carr himself. All three agents that now stood before Carr were personally hand selected by him to be immersed in the ways of Krav Maga, and after Carr was brought to Valhalla, he had again hand picked them to be brought into this land to fight by his side. Carr was very glad to have them here with him, to help fight the wars and destroy the enemies. Carr was glad to have them here and now, mostly because a year before he entered Valhalla, back in New York, he had sent the three of them to their deaths.

Shots rang out from behind Carr, and before his conscious mind could even process what he had heard, the muscles in his body had reacted, spinning him around and drawing his side arm. Through his electronically enhanced visor, his eyes processed the situation. Louganis and Smith were also spinning and drawing their weapons. It had not been either of them who had fired the shots. Ten meters away, Carr saw Agent William Jones, both guns drawn, squeezing off rounds.

"Orcs,"� Jones shouted over his shoulder, "We've been spotted!"

Carr looked out into the field in the direction Jones was shooting. Sun gleamed off the armor of the blue-skinned savages, and the rotten smell of orc skin began to carry on the wind. Carr stepped forward and began firing shots at the cluster of blue human-like creatures.

"How did they get this close without us seeing them?"

"I don't know, Top,"� Jones replied, "one second there was an empty field, the next second there they were."

There was no choice, the Orcs had to die, allies or not. If Utgar found out that Carr and his agents were here, he would want to know why, and too many questions regarding this mission could lead to the end of Vydar.

There was no need for Carr to issue orders, years of training and battle experience had made the four agents move as one. Agent Smith and Agent Louganis stepped up to the right of Carr, and they continued blasting the now advancing orcs with a wall of screaming bullets.

Carr estimated ten to fifteen orcs, all possessing swords, shields and nasty attitudes. Bullets flew and orc blood fell, but only three orcs hit to the ground dead. The orcs had not been expecting the four agents to fire on them, but it did not take them long to raise their shields, and begin the counterassault. With shear numbers, the horde began advancing towards the agents. Agent Jones began making his way to the left, a slight flanking maneuver, as the rest of the group kept firing dead on. After twenty meters or so, Jones was finally far enough off to one side to bypass the orc shields, and six fell within moments. As the final half dozen made their way towards the agents, Smith began another flanking maneuver to the right. Two more fell. Distracted by the fire from the wings, a two orcs lowered their shields, confused on which way to attack. Louganis dropped them instantly. The final two orcs were within six feet of Louganis and Carr. Louganis could see the blood red color in their eyes, and smell the decaying flesh stuck between their large yellow tusk-like teeth. She holstered her weapons, and prepared for hand-to-hand combat.

Agent Carr stepped between Louganis and the orcs, and threw back his long black trench coat. The orcs raised their swords and prepared to strike with a loud guttural scream. Carr's hand went to the hilt of his Sword of Reckoning. In one sudden move, he unsheathed his sword and beheaded the first orc. Its ugly blue head hit the ground with a thud. The headless body took two more steps forward before collapsing onto the brown field grass. Carr used his momentum to spin himself, and thrust his blade through the second orc's shield, and into its chest. The orc staggered backward, and screamed a high pitched squeal. Carr put his foot into the orcs chest and pulled his blade out of the orcs bleeding chest cavity, and back through the shield. The end of the long steel killing tool was dripping with green orc blood. Carr raised the blade above his head, and delivered the death blow.

After regrouping and reloading, the four agents walked towards the area where Agent Jones first spotted the orcs. On the other side of a slight rise of the ground, was a small cave, hidden from view at almost any angle.

"Well, that explains why we didn't see them on the way in,"� Jones said.

Louganis walked to the edge of the cave, and kicked around the charred remains of a campfire. "Looks like they've been here two, maybe three nights. You think they were waiting on us, Top?"

Carr surveyed the empty field. "I doubt it, Lou, but they were definitely waiting on someone."

Agent Smith walked over to Carr. "We should probably be in a hurry sir. If those orcs were waiting on someone, that someone is probably riding a very angry dinosaur."

Jones chuckled, "Aren't scared of a little lizard are ya Tommy?"�

"Don't even start, Will," Louganis interrupted. "Those 'lizards', as you call them, could chew us all in half with one bite."�

"Let's get down that canyon wall people; I've never seen a T-rex climb."� Carr's sense of humor was dry, but his companions always appreciated it when he tried to lighten the mood.

Carr led the way down the canyon wall, followed by Louganis, then Smith, and after the three of them had reached the ground, Agent Jones sent down their equipment, and then followed himself. Within 30 minutes of slaughtering the last orc, they were on the canyon floor. The shadows within the canyon seemed to move all around, and the voice of death carried with the wind. All was not well, for they were closer to the temple than Carr had anticipated. All four agents turned towards the north end of the canyon, as if drawn to it like the needle of a compass. There was no doubt now which way the temple was. They could feel it pulling them towards it. It was almost unbearable.

"Get your equipment back on, and be ready for anything," Carr said, staring into the black corridor the canyon had made for them. "We move now."

The agents gathered themselves and their equipment, and began the slow trek north. The cool darkness of the canyon seemed to swallow them, and the eyes of creatures not really there watched as the agents walked towards their probable doom. Carr could not help but remember the last mission he had led his young assemblage of agents into back on Earth. Their deaths had haunted him constantly since that day. Fortunately, Vydar, even with his limited abilities, was able to pull his army from all space, and from all time as well. Carr had persuaded the Archkyrie to save his young trio of agents moments before their deaths had come, just as he had done Carr. In the here and now of Valhalla, the three of them did not know that they were destined to die back in the New York of 2209, and though he had saved them from that death, Carr's guilt had never left him. Now here he stood, on the floor of a great canyon, possibly leading them to death again. If they were to perish this time, Carr would be sure that he went with them.

The quartet of agents continued along the floor of the canyon. Along the way they passed several statues carved out of the red stone canyon walls. The statues portrayed what the agents perceived to be evil demons and spirits. They could not help but feel as if the eyes of the great stone figures were following them.

Agent Carr suddenly stopped in his tracks, "Its here!" he shouted.

The Krav Maga Agents stopped and their eyes darted around the canyon; there was nothing to be seen. All three agents turned to look at each other, in total disbelief that their leader would risk giving away their position like that, and then focused their attention on Carr. Agent Carr was grasping the soft brown leather pouch against his chest, his face expressionless. He was clearly not himself.

Louganis reached out and touched his arm, and Carr appeared to regain his faculties. "What's wrong?"� she asked.

"She knows where we are." Carr replied. "She's been in my head."

Smith took a step forward, obvious concern for his uncle shown on his face. "Who's been in your head?"� he asked.

"Kee-Mo-Shi," Carr said slowly, "and she knows I have her Rod of Obedience."

Carr collapsed onto the cold dirt floor of Soulrazor Canyon.

TO BE CONTINUED...