Part Three
Chapter Three
The Rangers streaked through the sky and shot down towards the Normandy coastline, materialising on the causeway a hundred metres from the island castle. Taking a minute to get their bearings, the Rangers saw the tide was far out. The coastal plain stretched for kilometres in every direction. Behind them, the French authorities had blocked off the road and were keeping people back, but seeing the Rangers arrive, a hushed murmur rippled through the crowd. Towering over them, though, was the impressive Mont St Michel. But there was no wind today, and the castle's flags and banners hung limply. There was no sounds of people or seagulls, and even the ocean was too far away to hear. The city looked eerie and deserted.
"I'll be honest," Ian began. "Every hair on the back of my neck just stood up."
"Mine too," nodded Brendan, and the boys reached for their blade blasters.
"We have to get inside," Tommy said. "C'mon."
Staying close together, the Rangers followed the raised causeway towards a wide, paved carpark just outside the stone walls. Ahead of them was the city's gated entrance. The path inside veered around to the right past a sheer cliff face. None of the cars had any occupants, and the gatehouse was similarly abandoned. But now they were close to the city, the Rangers could see the black crystal around the walls wasn't just confined to the lowest level. As they gazed up the tiered streets to the cathedral at the top of the mountain, they could see the crystal spires along the side of every wall and building, the jagged shards growing taller and darker as they watched.
Billy turned to the wall as they approached the gate. "It seems to have some kind of mineral composition," he began softly. "Onyx, possibly? But it's growing organically, like some species of alien plant life." He looked back to his team-mates, who were unnerved by the tone of Billy's voice. "This doesn't make sense."
"You want to break it?" asked Brendan, and aimed his blaster for the wall.
"No," said Scott quickly, and pushed the barrel of the gun away. "Not until we know what we're dealing with."
Without realising it, everyone held their breath as they stepped under the archway and into the city. The path led onto a cobblestone street between ancient stone buildings with sloped rooves. On their left, the street was lined with restaurants and book shops, while against the city wall on the right stood a hotel and a museum. But the street was deserted and silent. Papers littered the ground, and with the sun still low, the boulevard was shadowy and foreboding. The dark windows gazing down over them showed quiet rooms that didn't feel as empty as they looked. Hearing a faint hum, Scott looked up as a pulse of energy rolled down over the city from somewhere near the cathedral's central spire.
"You see that?" he asked.
"Affirmative," Billy replied. "We have to reach the top of the mountain. That seems to be the source of the disturbance."
"Should we teleport?" asked Tommy.
Brendan held up his wrist. "I'm getting static," he said.
"I don't think we should try," Teresa added.
The Rangers continued deeper into the city, following the road past shadowy doorways and empty windows. "What do you think Billy?" Ian asked. "Was this an accident? Magical misfire? Someone read the wrong book in one of those old shops?"
"For the effect to be this calculated," Billy began, indicating the crystal spikes, "I can't imagine this was accidental. It must've been a deliberate plot. But who? And why? And the most pressing question…"
"Where is everybody?" finished Teresa.
"Rangers?" came a sudden voice.
The six teens froze on the spot, ready for battle. Gazing around, Teresa saw who was speaking and pointed to a nearby alley. The laneway ended in a flight of stairs that led to the next level of the city, but sitting on the steps was a young woman, hidden in deep shadow. From her accent and the backpack around her shoulders, they realised she was an English tourist. Wary of a trap, the Rangers cautiously approached.
"Are you okay?" asked Ian.
The woman wiped at her eyes and stood up. "I hoped you'd come," she said softly, having trouble finding words. "It's my sister, she's gone. She was right here, and then, I'm not sure. It happened, and I can't find her." She looked up, and they could see the distress in her face. "Please, help me?"
"Of course we can," Tommy said, and extended his hand. "C'mon."
But as the woman reached for Tommy's arm, her hand phased right through his, and she stumbled forward out of the shadows. Tommy recoiled in alarm. The woman's body was transparent. They could see the alleyway and buildings behind her. No wonder they'd almost walked right past her. In the shadows, she was almost invisible. With the Rangers at a loss, she sank helplessly to the ground.
"Please, can you help me?" she repeated softly.
"This is worse than we thought," said Brendan.
Tommy glanced to Billy and clapped his hand against the Blue Ranger's shoulder. "We'll stay here," Tommy began. "Help this woman find her sister and figure something out. The rest of you need to get to the centre of the island. Go!"
The four younger Rangers dashed away, their feet flying along the stones, still wary of danger but moving much more urgently. Passing a museum, they saw a wide staircase on their left and climbed to the next level of the city, following the old paths further and higher. Making their way through an empty carpark, the Rangers stepped onto the major road again. Trees beside the street were wilting, the flower beds along the ground dying. More stairs in the distance seemed to lead directly to the cathedral, but as they turned to follow them, Ian saw a hint of movement in the window of a nearby café and brought the Rangers to a stop.
"There's somebody in that restaurant," he said.
Even as they turned to look, Scott and Teresa caught sight of a shape darting across the street into a small courtyard.
"Check it out, but be careful," Teresa said.
Ian made his way to the building with Brendan a step behind. Hesitating a second longer, they pushed open the door and stepped inside. Across the room, several families were huddled together on the floor, while a tall man was standing by the front counter. Ian let out a sigh of relief at finally finding some of the city's residents. But the man angrily rushed forward.
"You've led them right to us!" the man shouted, in a thick French accent. "Get out! Go away!" Too stunned to resist, Ian let the man shove him back outside, before slamming the door shut. Ian's face fell. Whatever he'd been expecting, that wasn't it.
"That was weird," Brendan said.
Ian froze. "Did he just say 'them'?"
Around the side of the café, Teresa and Scott stepped into the courtyard. But the grass was brown and crunched under their feet. Ahead, they could see a man crouching behind an overturned picnic table, trying to make himself as small as possible. He was trembling, his whole body shaking in overwhelming terror. They raced towards him, and Scott leaned down to tap the man on the shoulder. He looked up to them, but if he recognised their uniforms, he gave no indication.
"What's chasing you?" Scott asked. "What's out there?"
"Are you here to save us from the monsters?" the man breathed.
Teresa spun back to the café. "Guys!" she shouted. "There's monsters!"
A gigantic arm swung down, slamming into Scott and launching him into the air, where he crashed to the street twenty feet away. With an inhuman screech that made their ears ache, a gigantic monster stumbled out from behind the building. The beast was easily eight feet tall, with elongated arms that reached the ground and grasping hands ending in jagged claws. The creature had four glowing eyes, and when it roared again, its jaw opened far wider than it should have. Ian and Brendan raced over to join Teresa as Scott picked himself up off the ground, when a second monster swung down from the rooftops and landed before them.
Teresa backed away as the monsters closed in. Her eyes fell on her brother. "Go!" she shouted. "We'll protect the people, but you're the only one left! You have to get to the top!"
Scott stamped his foot in frustration. He hated leaving his team-mates to fend for themselves, but he knew Teresa was right. He didn't have a choice.
"I'll figure this out!" he shouted. And he bolted.
Sprinting down the street with the sounds of combat echoing behind him, the younger Blue Ranger glanced over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed. He passed another garden with the trees wilting and dying as he ran, while all around, the crystal spikes were growing taller and more prominent. It was strange that the rocky covering was actively growing. Then he thought of the English tourist who'd been fading away to nothing as they talked to her. With a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, he realised what was happening.
Reaching a wide staircase, he vaulted up to the higher level, following a gently-sloping path before finding himself at the top of the mountain. The Normandy coastline stretched out far below, but towering over him was the cathedral, the once-distinguished stone building twisted into some kind of leering nightmare. It was even quieter up here.
Taking a second to catch his breath, Scott leaped over the entry turnstiles and made his way into the building, on the lookout for any signs of danger. The building appeared deserted, but he knew instinctively that he was being watched, the air heavy with another presence. Something was in there with him. He passed shadowy corridors darker than they should've been, and weathered stone columns holding up the arched roof, but found nothing out of place. Finally, he reached the end of the complex and stepped out into a stone courtyard on the oceanside of the island, looking out over the vast coastal plain. Glad to be away from the shadowy interior, he stepped into the sunlight and swept his gaze around the area.
And then he saw it.
A small dagger was lying on the ground. It was the only thing in the courtyard aside from himself.
He stepped closer to investigate. The blade was silver and curved, the handle adorned with crimson jewels. Scott's face fell. There was a red smear on one side of the blade.
His natural curiosity overtook him. He reached for the knife without thinking about it, and then froze.
That same curiosity was shouting, now. Where had the dagger come from? Why was it out here in the courtyard? Who did the blood belong to? And more importantly, what would happen if he picked up an obviously-cursed weapon?
His hand fell, and he backed away.
"Ah," came a buzzing voice. "Finally, one of them has some sense."
Scott spun around. The courtyard was deserted. "Show yourself!" he shouted.
"Making demands like a petulant child?" the voice continued. It didn't sound angry but almost amused. "You may as well shake your fist at the sun and tell it to stop shining." The voice chuckled. "There's a tempting thought."
Scott shut his eyes to focus. The buzzing voice didn't seem to be coming from anywhere in particular but was drifting in and out of focus, as if the owner was rapidly moving around the courtyard. But there was nobody around, and nothing to indicate his enemy was invisible. Then he heard it again, a slight buzzing, and he smiled. He waited a few more seconds, then struck out with an open palm, catching the buzzing creature and slamming it into the side of the building, twenty feet away. The wall shook from the impact. Knocked out of its smaller form, the beast touched down on the stone tiles, and Scott was finally face-to-face with his enemy.
The creature was six feet tall and wearing a suit of shining golden armour. The beast's feet ended in two toes with dark claws, while his hands had three-clawed fingers. Odd symbols of black magic adorned the beast's arms and chest, with two fly-like wings tucked behind each shoulder. His face was more insect than human, with short twitching antenna above bulbous red eyes, and two clawed mandibles jutting out from his chin. But his mouth was twisted into a cruel, mocking sneer that showed off rows of yellow teeth.
Scott held his ground. "What is it with me and bugs?" he asked.
The creature stepped towards him, tilting his head curiously. "This one has strength?" the monster buzzed. "That's new."
"I know what you're doing to the city," Scott said. "Who are you, and what do you want?"
"So your kind has forgotten my true name?" the beast asked. "Not that you could understand it. It would be blasphemy for your foul tongue to speak it. I am the firstborn, the shining dark prince of the sunless void. But if it matters to you, they used to call me He Who Devours Truth."
"So you think you're a big deal?"
"My father is a god, you worthless irritation!" the beast snapped. For the first time, he was genuinely angry. "You will respect me!"
"You don't know who you're dealing with," Scott shot back. "We're the Power Rangers. And the dark is scared of us."
He Who Devours Truth sneered. "You have no idea what's waiting for you in the dark," he growled.
Scott shivered. Whoever this guy was, he had the ego of a demigod. If he was in a bragging mood? Might as well keep him talking. "Why are you doing this?" Scott asked, indicating the crystal spikes rising throughout the city. "Draining people's life force for urban reconstruction? What's the point?"
He Who Devours Truth swept his arm towards the horizon. "Your world is so fragile," the demigod replied. "The chains are breaking, don't you see? You're out of time. We already own every blade of grass on the planet's surface. You just haven't realised it yet. But we had to start somewhere."
"It was about the city," Scott realised, and glanced to the dagger. "You have the perfect weapon. Smuggle the dagger into your enemy's camp, and wait until somebody's tempted to steal or use it. I'm guessing that drop of blood awakened your powers. So you feed off the city's residents, and get yourself a brand new base where you no longer have to worry about the previous inhabitants. That's your play, isn't it?"
The demigod barked a snort of laughter. "You wish to impress me with your deductions?" he said. "You are as far beneath me as you are beneath the stars."
"But people are dying," Scott said. "Don't you care?"
He Who Devours Truth shrugged with an air of casual indifference. "Why?"
"The monsters though," Scott continued. "What's the point of them? You already have the city under your control."
His opponent laughed again. "When I whisper the truth into people's ears," he began, "I'm never sure how they'll respond. It amuses me to see where the fates lead."
Scott glanced back to the city as he realised the truth. "Oh no."
To be continued.
Author's notes – Scott made two references in this chapter to his own point-of-view story, "The Missing City". His joke that he always ends up fighting bugs, and his later comment that, "We're the Power Rangers. And the dark is scared of us" refers back to something Kimberly said in that same story.