E - Knight of the faded

Mr. Wancerre watched with interest the grainy image on his computer
screen. Watched them run panicked through the scrying mists -
leaderless, scared, trapped underground.

It was time to put an end to the pathetic movement of colour. Time to
put his new creation to the test.

***

The colourful crew darted through the tunnels, the grey android
soldiers not far behind.

"How the hell did they find us?" Backaa said.

"Somebody must have told them, " Yad said.

"Then we have a spy and a traitor among us." Backaa said angrily,
clenching his fists.

"No, " said Jojo, "not a spy nor a traitor." She felt the pressure on
her mind again: a strong pulling force, that drew her to itself, an
emptiness that devoured. It took all her will to resist it, as she held
in her mind the image of the rainbow. Whoever or whatever this presence
was, it was here now in these tunnels stalking them, like a predator,
hungry for their colour. She could feel it getting closer...

"This way, " Yad said, stopping everyone and pointing to a rocky
wall.

"Yad." Backaa said looking confused. "It's a wall man."

Yad ignoring Backaa, began tracing his fingers along the wall and
pushing it slightly, as if looking for something.

"Come on man, we gotta move... dem soldiers aint far behind y'know."
Backaa said anxiously.

"I know.. but it's here somewhere..." Yad started to sweat, "I know
it's here... damn where is it..? "

"What's here... you tripping out dude? aint no time to hang around -
jus forget it ya?.. else we'll be toast."

Yad continued to push against the wall.

Backaa feeling stressed and impatient, was about to forcibly drag Yad
away, when the wall gave way suddenly and Yad fell over into another
passageway.

"Whoa, a secret door. " Backaa said amazed.
"Where does that lead? Never seen that way before."

Yad looked up from the ground smiling, got up onto his feet and began
brushing himself down. "It goes upto the canal, me and Wazzo found it a
long time ago, as far as I know me and Wazzo are the only two people in
the crew who know about it - come on, we can escape this way!"

Everyone rushed through into the passageway, and Yad shut the rock door
firmly behind the last person. They paused for a moment to catch their
breath, and soon from the other side of the door, could be heard many
heavy boots marching passed.

"Nice one, " Backaa said patting Yad on the back. "I'm so glad you and
Wazzo found this passage."

"Yeah me too, " said Yad smiling. "Come on, let's get out of
here."

"Yeah man, wicked."

As they all neared the end of the passageway, feeling the fresh air
blowing towards them, and the reassuring comfort of daylight that came
from the exit in front; Jojo stopped suddenly and signalled for
everyone else to stop also.

"What's wrong?" Yad asked.

"I don't know..." Jojo said holding her head in her hands.

"Are you ok?" Backaa asked holding her steady.

"Yes, I think... but there is a strong fading close by and I fear it, I
sense danger, and the nature of this danger concerns me, for..."

"The chase is over." A strong deep hissing voice boomed, echoeing from
every nook and crevice in that rocky passageway like a haunting.
Everyone looked up suddenly in cold fright. A tall dark figure stood
now in the exit, it's shape blocking out much of the sunlight.
"Surrender yourselves." It said.

"No," Jojo said, narrowing her eyes. "We will never surrender."

The dark figure walked closer, letting more light into the passageway
from behind as it did; and as it drew closer, it became more visible
and defined. The creature was a horrifying sight: covered in a pale
smokey grey flesh, which looked like mushrooms. It had white eyes, that
were pupiless and empty. The colour from the rocks in the wall seemed
to pass into the creature as it walked passed them - as if it drew all
the colour in the world to itself, like a whirlpool.

Nuka a brave warrior went to attack it.

"NUKA NO!" Jojo shouted.

But she shouted too late, for as soon as Nuka came within a few feet of
the creature, all colour faded from him, and he collapsed to the ground
as if dead. The creature looked down at him and carried on walking
towards the group.

Leema another warrior and brother to Nuka charged at the creature, but
the same thing happened: and he too had the colour drained from him and
fell to the ground. The creature continued to walk towards them.

"Hell we're in for it now..." Backaa said, shaking with fright. "I aint
never seen nothing like that before."

"Do you think this could be the reason why colour is fading from our
world? " Yad asked, retreating alongside Backaa.

"I dunno, an I don't wanna find out either."

Everyone began to retreat away from the terrifying creature, back down
the passageway - but Jojo stood her ground.

"Jojo, what da hell ya doing dudette, we's gotta get outta here, dat
creature is too strong for ya girl, we gotta run ya know, live to fight
another day..." Backaa pleaded at her with his eyes, trying to will her
to retreat with them.

But she stood her ground and stared at the strange vampiric creature
that drained the world around it of colour.

"Hell, damn it, we can't just leave her, come on y'all stop backing
away ya cowards. We gotta go face this thing, can't leave Jojo to fight
it alone, ya hear me. All for one, one for all!" Backaa said.

Everyone nodded and shaking with fear, started walking slowly back
towards Jojo and the strange creature.

"The grey dice has fallen and all who choose to go against the grey
will; shall find themselves it's servants." The creature said - it's
hissing booming voice chilling all who heard it.

Jojo closed her eyes and opened her hands in front of her about waist
height. A rainbow arc began to form between them, going from one hand
to the other. It grew brighter and brighter, until it became like a
great dome that surrounded her and the rest of the colourful crew,
shielding them.

The grey creature continued to walk towards them and paused just before
the rainbow. It looked at the rainbow strangely, as if puzzled, then
with it's gloved hand grabbed it -- the colour began to fade from it
and from everything else around it, and go into him.

Jojo's face began to grow tense and knotted as if she was fighting
against a force of immense power and will. "No, " she said softly,
"Colour will not fade... you cannot win... the spectrum lives.." The
rainbow began to grow more defined and brighter, regaining it's
colour... resisting the creatures pull, and then pushing the creature
away from them.

The grey creature as it was being pushed back, reached out suddenly and
touched Jojo on the arm; shocking her with it's icy touch, and draining
her of some colour. The rainbow shattered and disappeared, and Jojo
gasping in shock, stepped back as if in pain... and as she looked at
the grey creature, it's eyes seemed all of a sudden to change from
white, into a sky blue, and pupils returned there, making the creature
look for a moment human. And Jojo upon looking into those eyes,
recognized them and felt more afraid. The grey creature stepped back
confused, and as it did it's eyes went back to being white and pupiless
again. It had a pained look on it's face, as if half-remembering
something, though un-able to grasp what it was; and in that inability
to grasp, it seemed to suffer from a terrible inner torment. The
colourful crew at this point seeing their chance to escape, ran passed
the grey creature that now leant as if wounded, against the rocky
wall.

Backaa walked over to Jojo, who just stood there un-moving, staring at
the grey creature as if in a trance, holding her arm, shivering. "Come
on Jojo, " he said shaking her. "Snap out of it dudette, we got to
escape, while da going is good.. no time to meditate ya?"

Jojo's eyes seemed to acknowledge her surroundings suddenly, and she
looked about her alert, and nodded, and ran with Backaa to the exit --
out into the daylight of the canal. But the scenery that greeted her,
made her feel sad, for all the colour had gone from it, and it was like
looking at a black and white photograph. She wanted to cry, but she
kept herself bright for the others, for she couldn't let herself stop
believing in colour -- and her faith and strength of imagination helped
to restore colour back to the surroundings.

From the passageway, the grey creature leant against the wall and
watched them go; once out of sight, it bowed it's head and looked at
the ground...

***

"Why did you let them escape?" Mr. Wancerre said angrily.

The grey knight shrugged it's shoulders... and continued to stare at
the ground in sadness.

Mr. Wancerre walked away from the scrying screen and began pacing about
the room, he was deeply troubled by this turn of events. The creature
was not as strong as he had hoped it would be. More training perhaps,
more time, yes more time, he must be patient, the creature was still
young. It would grow stronger and more powerful, more cunning - in
time... yes, he must be patient... it was just an experiment... an
experiment to see how he would perform.

But the young girl had been able to fight back, this deeply worried
him, for it seemed as if he had underestimated the colourful crew and
their strength. More reason to track them down now he thought, while
they are still young. Put an end to them, before their understanding,
like wildfire, grew out of control -- and he had a real enemy on his
hands.

He looked back into the empty computer screen and the misty grainy
image of the grey knight came back into focus there. "You are still
young in your understanding, it is ok, I cannot expect you to be
perfect yet. This was just a test of your power, we must learn from our
mistakes, become wiser for them. Return here and bring your two new
companions with you, we shall make plans as to what our next move must
be. " He said.

The grey knight lifted up it's head and nodded.

***

It left the passageway and walked solemn into the scenery outside, the
world about had grown colourful again; but at his presence it soon
began to fade back to grey. Nuka and Leema, who had been lieing
sleeping in the passageway, rose up from the ground suddenly - both
grey now, with white pupiless eyes. They followed their master, who
waited for them outside; then together, the three of them made their
way back to Mr. Wancerre's tower, and wherever they went they drained
the colour from the places around. And any who came into contact with
them fell to the ground grey and went into a deep sleep, and when they
awoke they felt the call and the pull of the grey knight, and made
their slow sad way to him, draining the colour from the world about
them as they did... striking fear into the hearts of all who heard tale
of them... and leaving nothing but an empty bleakness wherever they
passed.

to be continued...