Artemis snorted softly. "Tracey, heroics has kind of become our thing."
She stayed in a low crouch and led them towards the chanting. As they got closer Tracey and Kaulder could see the flickering light of a large fire illuminating the barren landscape. Tracey nearly tripped over the first body and then it became an obstacle course of limp bodies each bearing the long vertical slashes of their deaths on wrists and forearms. Artemis led them around the heap and stopped just out of sight of the three remaining pairs.
"Surprise attacks now." She suggested, keeping her voice low and looking between her other two companions. "Restrain by any means necessary, knock them out if you have to and I think that would be the best option... Whenever you want to join in..."
Staying low to the ground like a tiger stalking its prey, Tracey moved quickly and quite agile to the closest pair of chanters and was able to knock the first one out in a stealth attack. The other reacted instantly to her appearance and swung a fist at her, hoping to hit her across the jaw and knock her down. She grabbed his wrist as it grazed her cheek and used his momentum to her advantage, placing her left hand in between his shoulder blades and bringing his wrist around to his back. He cried out in pain and Tracey used her foot to kick him in the back of his knee to bring him down. With a final jab to his pressure point, the man toppled over unconscious and that left Tracey looking quite pleased with herself.
Artemis had taken on her own pair and was currently using her legs to choke her last opponent out. Kaulder had taken one out and was trying to catch the last one who was keeping the pile of dead bodies between himself and Kaulder. He was also still chanting but the words were different and with a final shout he launched himself over the pile of bodies and dove into the huge fire. The man Artemis was choking out arched his back with a gurgle and then collapsed dead under her, the other suddenly died as well and Artemis and Tracey felt the sudden rush of power. "Shit…" Artemis breathed.
"Fuck!" Tracey growled, dropping to one knee to keep her balance as the ground shook and the wind and snow started to kick up around them. "Artemis! What's the plan now that everything could be going to hell right fast and in a hurry!"
All the hair on her arms started to stand up on end and she looked around to make sure Kaulder remained in sight.
Artemis summoned a truly massive ball of wytchfire and cast it up into the air letting it illuminate everything for a 50 foot radius. She started scrambling along the ground muttering as symbols written in blood and other thicker fluids became apparent. She looked around frantically. "It's going to need to feed when it gets here… they have Chloe somewhere, she's it's first meal we need to find her." She cast another ball of wytchfire up into the air and ran to the edges calling for Chloe.
"Chloe!" Tracey shouted, eyes darting around wildly. "Where the hell are you?!"
Her gaze swept around until she saw a solid black lump lying on the ground several paces from them and pointed it out to Artemis and Kaulder as she started for it.
"I think I found her! Over here!"
Kaulder got there before Artemis did and found Chloe wrapped in black canvas bound heavily with chains. She was unconscious and looked like she'd been badly beaten. There was a gathering weight in the air and they could all hear a faint roaring sound like an enormous fire roaring down a tunnel. Artemis was breathing harshly like she couldn't get enough air and Tracey felt like she was being crushed. "Go. Back to the portal!" Artemis gasped out looking at Kaulder.
"What are you going to do?" He asked hefting Chloe up.
She didn't get the chance to answer, with a sound like a mountain crumbling the Darkness poured into the dimension and everyone felt like they had gone blind. Not even Artemis's wytchfire could penetrate the blackness. "Dammit." Artemis hissed and fumbled for Tracey's hand. "Tracey…"
"Here!" Tracey screamed, one hand up to shield her face from the darkness.
She felt like she was going to be crushed as all of the air was forcefully removed from her lungs. Coughing and gasping several times, Tracey scrambled to Artemis and grasped her hand tightly. She be damned if she let go of her best friend before their time had come.
"We're in this together so we're going together..." She coughed. "Or not at all."
"We're going together but you're really not going to like how I do it." Artemis replied and her eyes suddenly blazed with incandescent light.
Wherever she looked the Darkness retreated like it had been burned and Artemis held her free hand up more Soul Fire illuminating her from the inside out, her bones were illuminated inside her flesh and the light poured from her fingertips. "Grab Kaulder's arm." She said thickly.
"Remember, no soulless creature!" Tracey hollered over the noise while fumbling around for Kaulder's arm. "Allow me to lend you my energy and power as you need it."
He flailed around for her and wrapped his fingers around her wrist as she did the same for him so they wouldn't get separated. Her head began to ache from the force of the darkness and only receding a little as the shadows shrank away from them.
Artemis led them as fast as they could go in the thick living Blackness until she stopped suddenly and spat out a harsh guttural word three times and Tracey saw the portal open like a zipper. The Darkness roared all around them making their heads feel like they would split apart and then it went silent. "Go. Go." Artemis gave them a push.
The Darkness suddenly retreated leaving them blinking half blinded by the sudden light and then footsteps, so loud it made the ground under them sway and jump. It was as if God were walking across the heavens with Judgement Day on his mind and Artemis started swearing. "It's taken a human form." She looked at Tracey her eyes blindingly bright burning with Soul Fire. "I can't take much from you but I need a boost."
"Take what you need Artemis." Tracey said, making sure Kaulder and Chloe got through the portal and it stood at their backs. "Let's take this Bastard down!"
Artemis took Traceys hand the cupped the side of her face and Tracey felt like she was dieing. It started out as a light drawing sensation, like a feather was being dragged across her heart from the inside but then it began to burn and her vision went in colored streamers. She could hear every happy moment, every sigh and laugh and 'I love you.' Ever spoke to her and by her and her knees gave out. Her vision was fading in and out but she could see Artemis bathed in light as she leaned down and rolled Tracey through the Portal. "Kaulder! Get your ass in here." She snarled and he left Chloe where he'd laid her on the floor of the study.
Artemis leaned into the portal and kissed Tracey's cheek. "Sorry doll. Looks like you won't be backing me up on this one."
Kaulder stepped through the portal and Artemis spoke the word that closed it leaving Tracey laying on the floor of the Study with Chloe unable to even move to stop either of them.