Chapter 16: More Than Meets The Eye
"Hyah!" Ashley cried as she leapt into the air, her body twisting gracefully. Her arm surged with energy, glowing brighter until it morphed into a gleaming blade. As she descended, the wind whipped past her, and with a forceful swing, she brought the blade crashing down on the Jack-O'-Lantern head clutched in the horseman's grasp. The horse reared back, hooves scraping at the air, its shrill neigh a sharp counterpoint to the clunk of the severed pumpkin hitting the ground. The carved eyes of the head glowed, glaring at her from the dirt as she landed in a crouch, her visor reflecting the ominous glow. The horse snorted and backed up a few steps, its headless rider sitting tall in the saddle. With a violent yank on the reins, the horseman charged.
Ashley rolled to the side, dust kicking up beneath her feet as she sprang back to her stance. But there was no time to breathe. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a skeletal warrior rushing toward her, bony fingers reaching out to grasp her. She spun her blade-arm slashing in a wide arc. The skeleton disintegrated into a cloud of dust and shattered bones before her. Another skeleton rose up behind her, its rattling bones echoing through the battlefield. With a sharp, precise swipe, she cleaved it in two, the brittle remains scattering across the ground.
More gathered around. Beneath her visor, her eyes widened as she heard the sound of hooves behind her. She turned, blade raised as one of the skeletons reached for her. The horseman's blade hit hers hard before bouncing off as a crack appeared and it broke in two. The impact stunned her for a moment, the vibrations shooting through her body leaving her unable to move, allowing the skeletons to cage her in.
Not far off, a sharp clang reverberated through the air as sword met sword. Taylor swung her sword, slicing through the air as she met each blow the second horseman dealt. She grunted with effort, her muscles tensing as she pushed off, flipping back to avoid the powerful hooves of the horse as it kicked out violently. In a fluid motion, she launched herself into the air, her sword glowing with radiant energy. "Haaah!" she shouted, slashing her weapon downward. Twin arcs of glowing yellow energy shot from her blade, cutting through the horseman and his steed in one swift motion. The creature let out a haunting wail as its body crumbled into nothing more than dust and fragmented clay.
Taylor landed in a crouch, breathing heavily. A low growl made her spin around just in time to see a massive tiger, rushing toward her. She ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding its sweeping paw as it tore through the air where her head had been a second before. "Whoa, slow down, buddy," she muttered, her blade raised defensively. "I don't want to hurt you."
Her words had no effect. With a guttural snarl, it lunged at her again. Taylor braced herself for the impact, but before the tiger could reach her, a beam of energy zipped through the air, striking the beast in the back. The tiger froze mid-leap, its body stiffening like a statue, its amber eyes darting frantically as it fell motionless to the ground.
She glanced up, recognizing the figure in red standing across the battlefield. "Nice shooting," she called out.
Eric jogged over, grinning beneath his visor. "You looked like you could use a hand."
Taylor smirked, without warning, she summoned a dart between her fingers and flung it with pinpoint precision over his shoulder. Behind him, a skeletal creature exploded in a burst of bone fragments as the dart struck true.
Eric turned, shook his head in disbelief, and jogged toward her. "Okay, maybe I could use a hand too," he admitted, glancing at the battlefield, now filled with more enemies.
"Nice of you to join the party."
"Yeah. I needed to stretch my legs, was feeling a little stiff. Hope it's okay that I brought some friends."
Across the way, lasers cut through the air as Wes and Jen sprinted toward Ashley, firing their Chrono Blasters in quick succession. The skeletons disintegrated into plumes of ash under their barrage. "Thanks," Ashley muttered, still shaking off the residual shock as Wes offered her a hand up.
But the moment of calm shattered as the unmistakable sound of a galloping horse drew their attention. The horseman, his broken blade still in hand, charged once more, his headless form as menacing as ever. Jen and Wes raised their blasters to fire, but Ashley held up a hand to stop them. "This guy is mine."
With a fierce battle cry, she sprinted toward the horseman, leaping into the air with a surge of energy. Her blade arm crackled with power as she drove it straight through the horseman's torso. The headless rider crumbled into dust around her, his body collapsing into lifeless fragments. As she landed, her blade morphed back into a human arm, and she exhaled. "That was satisfying," she said, flexing her fingers.
"Don't get comfortable just yet," Jen warned as she stepped forward, blaster raised.
Skeletons surged from the shadows, accompanied by scarecrows lurching toward them, their pumpkin heads glowing as they wobbled forward on stick legs, hay stuffing spilling from their seams.
Ashley groaned, exasperation in her voice. "Ugh, these guys again."
"Shall we tell them we're not interested once and for all?"
The two women raised their blasters and fired at the scarecrows, hitting the heads, and leg joints. The pumpkin heads splattered, sending mulch flying behind as the stick and straw bodies collapsed into a heap. Simultaneously, Wes dropped onto one knee and fired his blaster in an arc, dispensing the skeletons creeping up on them.
Taylor and Eric were forced to contend with another set of scarecrows accompanied by a white tiger and a hulking brown bear. Eric fired at one of the scarecrows, the blast burning through its straw body, igniting it in flames. But the scarecrow staggered forward, undeterred, embers crackling through its frame.
Taylor placed a hand on Eric's shoulder. "You stun, I'll destroy."
Eric raised an eyebrow, chuckling. "Really?"
Taylor winked beneath her visor. "Sorry, Myers. You're the only one who can do it."
With a powerful leap, she kicked the flaming scarecrow square in its pumpkin face. The impact knocked it backward, extinguishing the flames as it tumbled to the ground. She landed gracefully and slashed through the legs of the second scarecrow. Its wooden arms wrapped around her, squeezing tightly as it crumbled. "Arghhh!" she growled through gritted teeth. With a swift headbutt, she knocked its head clean off, sending the body collapsing into a pile of straw.
Eric backed away, heart pounding as the two beasts advanced, their predatory eyes locked on him. The white tiger, its sleek fur shimmering under the dim light, was the first to lunge. Its maw opened wide, revealing razor-sharp fangs. Eric dived to the side, the force of his movement sending him crashing hard into the ground. Dirt and debris flew up around him, but the tiger landed with feline grace, twisting around mid-air to charge again with a growl that echoed through the battlefield.
Still on the ground, Eric scrambled back, torso raised just enough to take aim. His finger squeezed the trigger, and the shot rang out — a sharp, focused beam of energy that hit the tiger squarely in the head. For a split second, the creature froze, its body rippling with the shockwaves of energy before it fell still, eyes wide but unblinking.
He barely had a moment to catch his breath before he was assaulted again — this time by the bear. The hulking creature loomed over him, its massive form blotting out the light. A clawed paw swiped down, the sharp talons grazing his helmet with a screech. Instinct kicked in, and Eric rolled to the side, barely evading the next strike. But the bear was relentless, closing in with a snarl, its hot breath misting the visor of his helmet as it bared its teeth.
Too close for a shot, Eric's eyes darted around in a desperate search for something — anything — to use as a weapon. His hand landed on a shattered wooden limb from one of the carousel horses. Without hesitation, he grabbed it, thrusting it into the bear's gaping maw just as its jaws snapped shut. The bear growled, biting down on the wooden limb with crushing force. The splintering sound of wood cracking filled the air as the bear shook its head violently, trying to dislodge the piece stuck in its mouth.
That was all the opening Eric needed. He used the moment to pull himself up, leaping high into the air. Mid-jump, he twisted and aimed his Quantum Defender directly at the beast's broad back. The shot fired, hitting the bear with pinpoint accuracy. Energy rippled through the creature, its limbs stiffening as it froze in place, eyes wide with surprise. Eric landed in a crouch, exhaling as he surveyed the battlefield.
All around him lay the wreckage of the fight — broken shards of wood from the carousel horses, the smouldering remains of scarecrows, and piles of bones and clay. But the fight was far from over. From the shadows beyond the carousel, more skeletons advanced, their bones clattering as they regrouped. They marched with eerie persistence, each step bringing them closer to the rangers.
Jen and Ashley had dug in, planting themselves on the ground and firing rapidly with their blasters, cutting through the skeletons in bursts of light. Wes, not far off, had summoned his Chrono Sabres and was locked in a whirlwind of slashing strikes, his blades flashing in the dark as he cut down the larger monstrosities alongside Taylor. Despite their best efforts, the fallen skeletons didn't stay down for long. The bones that weren't reduced to ash clattered across the ground, regrouping and reforming into grotesque new shapes — creatures made of mismatched parts, stronger and more grotesque than before.
"Fall back," Wes called.
Jen and Ashley exchanged a look of uncertainty but followed the order, retreating back toward where Eric stood. Taylor, still in the thick of battle, leapt off a lopsided elephant skeleton, her sword slicing through the air in a brilliant arc of glowing yellow energy. The energy wave slashed through the skeletal monstrosity beneath her, disintegrating it on the spot. With a final flip, she landed gracefully beside the group, and Wes, now clear of enemies, sprinted back to join them.
"What's the play here?" Ashley asked, eyeing the mass of advancing skeletons.
Wes stepped forward, allowing his sabres to vanish in a shimmer of light. "We amp up the firepower," he replied, his tone resolute. "V Cannon!"
A massive red-and-white cannon materialized in his hands. With practiced ease, he swung it around, aiming at the oncoming horde. The blaster hummed with power, glowing fiercely as he pulled the trigger. The red energy beam arched across the battlefield in sweeping blasts. Each shot hit its mark, reducing scores of skeletons to ash in blinding bursts of red light.
Perched atop the still carousel, the purple imp overseeing the chaos let out an enraged scream. "Arghhh!" it roared, its tiny body shaking with fury. Its hands glowed with malevolent energy as it thrust them downward. The bats that had been circling ominously in the sky let out shrill cries and descended en masse.
The bats swarmed like a living tornado, their wings cutting through the air as they enveloped the rangers in a maelstrom of shrieks and flapping wings. Sharp claws and fangs scraped against their armor, drawing sparks as the rangers tried to fend them off. The whirlwind of wings and teeth closed in, plunging them into suffocating darkness.
"Hah!"
"Hyah!"
"Grah!"
"Nngh!"
"Yah!"
Their cries of effort and frustration rang out from within the swarm, but the sheer number of bats overwhelmed them, dragging them down into the thick of the storm, the darkness growing tighter around them.
The crimson imp watched from his perch, his eyes wide as the colourful suits of the rangers disappeared into the swirling mass. His counterpart smirked, satisfied that the rangers were trapped.
The imp's eyes widened as streaks of light — red, yellow and pink — began to spiral upward from the heart of the dark vortex. The streaks of energy twisted and danced, forming a glowing vortex that broke through the dark cloak. With a thunderous bang, the vortex exploded, sending shockwaves through the air that shattered nearby lights and rattled the poles.
In the aftermath of the explosion, the darkness cleared, revealing the rangers standing tall in the center of the battlefield. Their weapons glowed, as flecks of fire rained gently down around them, flickering out as they touched the ground.
A sly grin crept onto the crimson imp's face as it darted from its hiding spot, moving with the lithe grace of a predator. In an instant, it perched itself on Taylor's shoulder, its claws lightly tapping her armor as it settled. "Decided to join the fun, did you?" she muttered, her tone half-amused, half-wary.
"Somethings you need to watch from up front," he hissed, his eyes shimmering with green energy as he looked up at the other imp.
"Are you ready to give up now?" Taylor asked the imp, keeping her sword raised. Around her, the others raised their weapons, primed to fire.
The purple imp stood motionless, its gaunt chest rising and falling with shallow breaths, its sharp teeth bared in a sneer that twisted its face into something almost grotesque. "This is not over," it rasped, each word seething with a venomous resolve. "Not yet."
Eric's Quantum Defender fired, a single shot slicing through the air toward the imp. The blast sped toward its mark, only to be intercepted as the blue gem on the imp's belt flared to life. The shot veered off course, deflected as though it had hit an invisible shield.
The crimson imp on Taylor's shoulder stiffened, its voice a fearful whisper. "That shouldn't have happened... Imps can't use magical objects." Its eyes widened with genuine surprise, their glow momentarily dimming.
Her voice was steady as she relayed to her team, "Guys, this one's going to be tricky." She kept her gaze locked on the purple imp, whose stance had subtly shifted, a knowing smile spreading across its face.
The imp's eyes locked onto Eric, its grin widening into something hideous. The runes across its chest pulsed, glowing like embers. "Unlike some creatures," it said, its gaze briefly flickering to the crimson imp, "I am not an easy target. All you had to do was hand over that fool," it pointed a clawed finger at the imp on Taylor's shoulder, "and we would have left this world in peace. But no… you just had to interfere, didn't you?" It spat the words with venom, gesturing to the battlefield around them — the splintered remains of carousel horses, shattered debris, and broken stone. "You had to destroy all of our creations."
Ashley's voice cut through the tension, sharp and incredulous. "Who is 'we'? There's only one of you."
The imp tilted its head toward her, its eyes gleaming. "Is there?" it asked, its voice echoing unnaturally, as though more than one voice spoke from its throat. "I didn't want it to come to this. It's not exactly part of the plan... but for ultimate glory, an imp's gotta do what an imp's gotta do."
"I've had enough of this guy," Wes growled, summoning his Chrono Sabres in a burst of light. He lunged, the air splitting with the force of his jump as he slashed downward.
But before his blade could connect, the imp vanished in a puff of pink smoke, its giggle echoing through the air. It reappeared, perched on the other side of the carousel, its small frame blending into the shadows. Wes twisted midair and changed course, swinging again, only for the imp to poof out of sight once more, reappearing on the platform with that same mocking laugh.
Ashley sprang forward, agile as a cat, her movements fluid and precise as she leapt onto the platform. She made a grab for the imp, but it vanished, appearing on one of the carousel's poles.
Eric aimed and fired at the pole, the shot rattling the structure, forcing the imp to jump down, but it vanished again — this time, reappearing lazily reclining in one of the carriage seats.
Jen darted to the side, blaster at the ready, her eyes tracking the imp's movements with laser focus. She fired. The shot sailed toward the imp, but just as before, the blue gem at its belt flared with magical energy, sending out a pulse that deflected the blast with an effortless bounce. It grinned, savouring the moment, watching as the three rangers circled closer.
The runes across its chest lit up once more, this time brighter. Magic coursed through its veins like liquid fire, trickling down toward the gem. In a sudden flare, the gem exploded with light, sending a shockwave of energy in every direction. The force was immense — knocking Jen, Wes, and Ashley backward.
"That's impossible," the crimson imp whispered, its tiny body quivering as it clung to Taylor's suit. Its once-cocky demeanor was gone, replaced by something hesitant and fearful.
The purple imp, now perched atop the carousel, threw its head back and cackled, the sound hollow and echoing like a chorus of mocking spirits. Eric and Taylor rushed to help their fallen friends, pulling them away from the carousel as the imp looked down, its grin stretching impossibly wide.
"What's wrong, little humans?" it taunted. "Where did all that bravado go?" Energy rippled across its body, the runes blazing like molten lines across its skin. "As much as I'd love to keep playing with you, I have work to do." Its eyes glowed with a menacing pink-purple hue. "But don't worry — you won't be alone."
The air around the imp began to shimmer, warping like heat rising from scorched earth. A thin sliver of light appeared behind it, glowing brighter and brighter until a circular portal formed. From within came the sound of eerie giggles, like children laughing in the distance, only distorted and warped. One by one, six imps emerged from the light, each a twisted echo of the purple one. They varied in size, some small and wiry, others large and hulking, but all shared the same malevolent gleam in their eyes and the same twisted grin. Gold cuffs adorned their wrists, and two silver rings pierced their left ears.
"Boys," the purple imp said with mock cheer, "It's time to have a little fun. Do what you want with the humans... but bring me that one." It pointed to the crimson imp on Taylor's shoulder, its grin sharpening into something dangerous.
The six imps stepped forward, inching to the very edge of the carousel's roof. Their pointed teeth glinted in the dim light, tails twitching with anticipation. Mischievous giggles echoed across the battlefield, as wide, eerie grins stretched impossibly across their faces. With a sudden, synchronized leap, they sprang from the carousel, descending toward the rangers below.
On the left, two imps clasped hands mid-air, their movements fluid and almost playful as they twirled together. As they spun, a thick cloud of pinkish-purple smoke swirled around them, concealing their small, twisted forms. But as the smoke began to fade, something else landed before them.
What stood before them was a massive, hulking creature. Its skin was thick, leathery, and glistening with a sickly sheen, mottled in dark, putrid patches. From its arms, shoulders, and back, jagged, obsidian-like spikes jutted out at sharp, irregular angles, gleaming with a menacing edge. Its arms were grotesquely long, the muscles coiling beneath the skin like tightly wound cables, and at the end of each arm, vicious talon-like claws scraped the ground with a metallic screech.
The creature's head was toad-like, with a grotesque, wide mouth stretched across its face. Rows of serrated teeth, sharp and uneven, filled its maw, each one capable of grinding bone to dust. Its small, sunken eyes glowed with a sickly yellow light beneath a heavy brow, their gaze cold and predatory. The creature's massive jaw flexed, thick ropes of saliva dripping from its lips as it let out a guttural, rumbling growl that reverberated like distant thunder as the ground seemed to tremble beneath its weight.
On the right, the next pair of imps flipped gracefully in the air before colliding with each other in a burst of speed. They vanished in a puff of smoke, identical to the first, but what emerged was a much larger, four-legged, cat-like beast.
It prowled low to the ground, its body rippling with muscle that bulged beneath mottled gray fur. The fur itself was bristling unnervingly with sharp, jagged spines that ran the length of its back, each one quivering as though eager to lash out. Where the fur thinned, bones pressed against its taut skin, giving the creature an unnatural, skeletal appearance. It looked as if its very skeleton were trying to tear free from its body, straining against the skin.
The creature's glowing red eyes, wild and ravenous, locked onto the rangers, filled with a predatory hunger. Its gaping maw revealed rows of jagged fangs, gleaming wetly in the dim light. A long, whip-like tail flicked behind it, lined with slick, curved spikes that resembled a scorpion's stinger.
In the center, the final pair of imps linked their tails together, spinning wildly as the pinkish-purple smoke enveloped them. The air grew heavy, almost suffocating, as a darker shape shot out of the dissipating smoke, its wings slicing through it
The creature that appeared next let out a deafening shriek. It hovered just above the ground, massive, leathery wings beating in slow, deliberate motions. Its body was lithe, unnaturally thin, blue-black skin stretched taut over a gaunt, skeletal frame. Long, sinewy limbs flexed and writhed as it floated, its oily skin glistening with an unsettling sheen.
Its head was a disturbing fusion of avian and reptilian features. A sharp, hooked beak jutted from its face, lined with razor-sharp teeth, each one capable of tearing through flesh with ease. Jagged, bony protrusions crowned its skull, forming a grotesque, makeshift crown. Deep-set eyes gleamed from beneath heavy brows, their whites glowing faintly, giving the creature a predatory, almost calculating gaze. Its claws, long and gnarled like twisted branches, hung menacingly from its muscular arms, twitching with anticipation.
Another shriek tore from the creature's throat, this one even louder than the first, its sound so high-pitched that it pierced through the rangers' helmets. They instinctively reached up to cover their ears. The creature saw its opportunity. It dived toward Taylor with blinding speed, its talons outstretched, reaching for the crimson imp on her shoulder. The imp screamed, clinging to her armor for dear life, but the creature's claws closed in, grasping at the small creature.
"I'm really starting to hate imps," Taylor grumbled, as she ran after it and leapt into the air, spreading her arms and activating her wings.
Back on the ground, Wes stood tall, his sabers gleaming in the dim light. He glanced at the two monstrous creatures that now lumbered toward them, their every step shaking the earth beneath. "Guess that leaves us with these two," he said, his tone dry but determined, as he readied himself for the fight.
Behind them, the purple imp watched with a self-satisfied smirk, reclining lazily on the carousel. Sparks of magical energy crackled around him as he closed his eyes, his body almost vibrating with the power he held. "Now, let's get the final act of this show started…"
Thanks for reading.
Till next time...