...Guess who's back? After a very extended hiatus on my end, I present to you part 2 of Intruder. As always, my promises mean nothing but I do plan to continue this series further if you're interested and if all goes to pot I made sure to pre-write some chapters (I have 8 in the bank, so don't worry it should be a while before I dissapear off again). I'm not replying to reviews on this one seeing as its been so long, but if any more come my way then I will later on.
Also, I've gone back and edited a few chapters, nothing too major.
Enjoy!
Seth loved being the spirit of summer.
Hot weather, beaches and ice cream all year around. He rarely had believers, and if he did they were few and far between - being a seasonal spirit, most people didn't tend to believe in him, they had no reason not to believe that spring didn't morph itself into summer and summer into autumn and so on - but he didn't mind. There were plenty of spirits who he was friends with.
Despite the unanimous belief that he was and eternally would be a child, Sethlan was one of the older spirits who roamed the earth. Sure, the season would manage fine on its own, but it progressed much more smoothly with him to guide it through. And he did just that, year after year. Yet, despite countless centuries of service, the immortal twenty year old never got bored (truth be told he was 19 years and 364 days, but he thought that was good enough to round it up).
Bouts of joyous laughter rang out as the summer spirit darted between trees on the mountains; the warm wind supporting him as though they were one joined being. Exotic flowers sprung to life as he whipped past, the leaves which decorated the trees growing greener and more luscious in his presence.
Hot summer sun pounded overhead, only serving to make the day even better. Today was finally a free day - he'd been so busy the last month with preparations for the early growth of his season that he hadn't yet stopped working - but he didn't intend to rest. Oh no, today was going to be a grand day, filled with adventures and exploring.
The World was ever changing, constantly growing and updating, so much so that it often surprised him how much and how quickly old turned into new. It amazed him what the human mind could conjure - every time something changed he was baffled as to how it could be made better and yet somehow they always found a way to do so. So on days like these, his 'responsibility-free days' (though he couldn't technically be classed as responsible even while he was working), Seth wasted no time on beginning his adventure hunts. Wind blew happily beneath his feet, guiding his way. To where, he didn't know, but that was part of the joy of it. His eyes drifted shut to the sound of wind whistling around him, knowing he would be safe in its grasp.
Perhaps in hindsight, he should have payed at least a little bit of attention to where he was flying. Or rather, who he was flying into.
The air around him grew suddenly hot, so much so that it was noticeable even for the embodiment of heat. It was only a moment too late which he noticed another spirit ploughing his way through the air at breakneck speed, directly in his line of flight. An onlooker would have described it as a black shooting star, or some such, as a cloud of what looked like shadows trailed behind him.
Seth vaguely wondered if it were Pitch.
A loud 'oomph' escaped him and he was tackled out of the sky, forceful arms grappling him and pushing him down, his warm wind trying and failing to keep him airborne against the other spirit's strong current. The opponent held him in the air at arms lengths as they continued plummeting to the ground, his grip too strong even as Seth fought to free himself.
Dirt sprayed the wide area around them as the summer spirit made forceful impact with the ground, rocks and dry earth scraping at his skin. Small trickles of blood ran down his arms and legs, opening up from the sudden collision. His opponent turned to face him, flicking a speck of dirt away from his face but leaving otherwise unscathed or unmarked, compared to the auburn-haired spirit who sat choking up remainders of rubble in the small PIT he had just created.
The air around the other spirit morphed in a hot daze, twisting the space behind them due to the heat emanating from his entire body. Grass underneath his feet blackened to ash, destruction growing as he took a step towards Seth, still in a crumple on the floor and not noticing the advance. He was decked head to toe in black, a dust cloud dancing around him. Seth couldn't see his face, but it definitely wasn't the Nightmare King.
Rolling over with his arms outstretched as though to stand, still slightly dazed from the fall, Seth noticed the hand coming towards him only as it wrapped around his throat, squeezing hard enough to make him gasp for air. The hand heated to an uncomfortable level before burning hot enough Seth was sure it would melt through his skin any moment.
Is this how snowflake feels around me? He couldn't help but think about his wintery friend as slight blisters started to form where the hand still held him in a chokehold. Hot, he whimpered as it tightened, cutting his air supply even more. The spirit smirked, a malicious glint in his eyes, not speaking a word.
Stars began to form in his vision, but Seth was nothing if not persistent, and he would not go down so easily. He shut his eyes, allowing the spirit to believe he was falling unconscious, then suddenly kicked his leg outwards, earning a successful grunt in return at the contact. The hand didn't leave his neck but the unexpected attack had obviously surprised the spirit for his grip had loosened. Not much, but just enough for Seth to twist his body around so he was facing away.
In one fluid motion, he grabbed the spirits arm from behind him and flung him upwards and over his body. He was more prepared this time, though, and managed just in time to avoid a painful collision with the ground by tucking his body up and rolling away, quickly coming back up to stand and face the Summer spirit.
"Who are you?" Seth demanded, staring the attacker in the eye. His neck ached and his head still spun but he glared forward, his stance betraying no signs of weakness.
'Your end' He muttered without moving its lips. Actually, now that Seth paid attention, he noticed the person didn't really appear to be a person at all - it didn't have a discernible face nor any features on it, just the eyes shining brightly back at him. In fact, the face was a blur - thousands of faces morphed into one until nothing distinguishable remained of any of the owners.
"Moon, save me from the clichés," Seth rolled his eyes, attempting to use humour to buy enough time to figure out what to do. "Don't you-" The sentence was left hanging in the air as he looked again at the other spirit, wearing a very familiar looking jumper.
Though instead of its normal frosted blue it was black: not black like the night sky or like the shadows that danced in the light, but the sinister kind of black that you see during your nightmares, the ones which hide all of your monsters.
Upon closer inspection, he could also see it was littered with spots of dark blood; still relatively fresh. Seth sucked in a breath, all humour gone.
'Oh, you like?' The faceless one questioned with an evil edge to its voice, which actually sounded like all the voices of its faces speaking at once. 'Courtesy of your friend, Jack Frost. Though I see you figured that out already.'
Pure anger raged within the summer spirit, swirling up a storm of emotions. He didn't think twice before charging at the Other (that's why Seth had called him, for he certainly wasn't human like himself), his fist held high.
"What did you do to Jack?!" Seth yelled as he tackled it to the ground, its face burning his hand as he called for his wind to push them forward, scraping the Other's face against the dirt as he flew.
Using the wind to pull his weight suddenly up, Seth used all his force to fling the spirit headfirst into a tree twenty feet away. Branches shivered and snapped upon impact, the aged wood cracking beneath the weight of the force leaving a decoration of splinters in the bark and fallen leaves on the floor.
He didn't give the Other enough time to regain his footing, launching at his with his hands raised before it had even realised it was on the floor.
"Where is he?!" He shouted as he grabbed Jack's jumper and used it to force the spirit up. When no answer came, he raised his fist and allowed it to collide with its face. The Other swiftly dodged, however, its head moving just as the fist reached him. Cuts opened on Seth's knuckles and bled freely from splinters as his target moved and he instead punched the tree.
The spirit launched his legs out, intending to kick the summer spirit out of the way but, prepared for the attack, the auburn boy swivelled, grabbing the other's ankle and thrusting him forward.
The spirit's hand caught in the dirt, knees sliding along the earth as he smoothly skid to a stop and stood, still unmarked. The wind picked up around them, creating a torrent of hot air, picking up a dark mist of dust as it stormed. The two were enclosed in a circle as though it were a boxing ring. The spirit rose, hovering a few feet above the air. Seth joined it off the ground, glaring at him. Their eyes interlocked, though the Other made no move to attack.
Seth raised his arms, using his power over the wind to create a small army of rocks floating behind him. Fire erupted all around them, burning the floor to a crisp, lazy tendrils snaking their way up to the Other's dangling feet, catching flame. With a thrust of his hands, the summer spirit careened the boulders towards his opponent, aiming to strike him out of the sky. The Other didn't even blink, casually raising a pale hand towards the oncoming storm of boulders, which stopped in his wake and fell lifelessly into the flames below..
'How pitiful,' The voices whispered all around him, his robe burning to embers around him, though he didn't seem to notice, nor care, 'I thought you'd be stronger than this. Jack certainly put up a better fight.'
The Other flicked its wrist, the smallest of movements but it sent Seth flying backwards through the torrent of wind and debris. His weight landed oddly on his forearm earning a crunch as it snapped in two from the uneven pressure. A small yelp escaped him at the shock, a large rock and an ever larger thump putting an end to his rolling. The taste of copper filled his mouth and the back of his head felt wet against the boulder's surface.
At once, the spirit was above Seth placing a bony foot on his stomach, stopping him from moving. Breath escaped his lungs, his ribs protesting from the crushing weight pressing down on them, threatening to snap.
'Nevertheless,' the other chuckled heartlessly, 'I will enjoy this.'
Breathlessly, Seth grabbed the leg standing on him with both hands, ignoring the protest from his broken arm, attempting to relieve the pressure.
"What," he wheezed, struggling to get the words out, "did you do to Jack?"
'I must admit, I admire your persistence on the matter,' the spirit voiced as though in thought, before boring his eyes at Seth, slits turned upwards like a cat about to pounce on its prey.
"Talk." Seth demanded, barely stopping the agonising weight.
'I don't think you're in any position to be making demands,' it answered, sadistically gleeful, 'but if you must know; I left him drowning in his own blood. If he's not dead by now, he will be very soon.'
Seth's eyes widened in shock, the Other taking the advantage to plunge its foot down harder. Multiple 'snaps' resounded as more than one rib broke. He refused to let his pain show, only a slight hiss betraying his determined face.
"What do you want?" He barely managed the words, pain filling his vision. If anyone were interested in what breathing through a sponge felt like, Seth could probably pretty accurately describe it right now.
'Oblivion.'
Smoke swirled around the Other's hand, a gleaming blade appearing out of the grey SWIRL. He raised it, preparing to plunge it into the heart of the summer spirit still pinned beneath him.
But again, Seth was nothing if not persistent. He couldn't let the sadist get away with its plan (he still wasn't entirely sure what that plan was, but knew by no rights was it good): he had to warn the guardians.
Mustering all his remaining strength, Seth waited until the blade was only inches from his chest to grab his opponents arm and, as it was the first idea that popped into his head, bit him. Blood erupted under his teeth and the blade clattered to the ground beside him.
Huh, Seth thought at the metallic taste filling his mouth, so at least slightly human.
The Other stepped back, aghast. 'How dare you?!' It seethed in pure anger, the voices contorting into something even more malicious, if that were possible. Heat emanated off it in vicious waves, the ground below long turned to rubble.
It lunged, poised to kill, but Seth was off the ground in mere seconds, darting away quicker than he'd ever flown in his life, making sure to take the weapon with him.
The spirit screamed behind him in fury, but Seth didn't look back, pleading his wind to carry him faster. Adrenaline which was previously coursing through his veins was starting to wear thin and his pain was increasing tenfold - if he thought it hurt before; no it didn't.
His body felt heavy and consciousness threatened to escape him - more than once he'd been awoken by a worried ruffle from his wind, not even realising he'd shut his eyes. Throbbing reverberated from the back of his skull where he'd rammed into the rock. Wincing, he reached up to feel it, his hand coming away glistening red.
He wouldn't make it to the pole.
"Wind," he whispered, barely audible as his eyes drifted shut again. Try as he was, he couldn't keep them open. He would just have to trust his wind wouldn't let him fall. "Take me to the Warren." Wind whistled in obey, scared for her summer spirit.
This time, his eyes stayed shut.