Hero of Darkness: Shadows Over Holgard [Chapter Nine]

Hello there and welcome to the ninth installment of the story! Fair warning, this one is quite light on Ballbusting but it's there near the end. It's also a bit of a shorter chapter because, well, the next chapter is likely to be the last! If all goes according to plan, the next chapter will be the final chapter in the Holgard story arc and wrap up the story for now. What's next, you might ask? I'm not sure but, after this, I'll be taking a break from this story for a while. At any rate, I hope you enjoy!

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Colm stood alone in the darkness, he knew this place: the inner shadow of himself. He was usually joined by Helena when he found himself here but, there was no one here this time. He tried to remember how he'd gotten here, but then his mind assaulted him with the memory of Zelgius rendering him unconscious with ease. Colm cursed under his breath. "How could I be bested so quickly and easily?" he asked himself quietly.

"You're losing focus." An unmistakably familiar voice came from behind him. Colm spun around on his heel but saw nothing, his eyes scanned left then right but found nothing. A taunting giggle made him spin once again; nothing. Colm groaned at this, cursing under his breath in annoyance. He closed his eyes, trying to stop his reliance on his sight and begin relying on his other senses. When he exhaled slowly from his mouth an unwelcome sensation dripped against his chest, slithering over his lips and escaping his mouth like a thick, viscous ooze. His eyes flashed open suddenly, seeing the black, oily ooze expelling from him.

It flowed freely from his mouth, his jaw was seemingly incapable of clenching despite his efforts. The vile liquid gathered itself into a large, dark mass, which crawled along the empty blackness away from him with surprising speed. "What the hell?" He gasped as the last of the substance pulled itself out of his mouth and he coughed hoarsely. "What the fuck? What is this?" The dark blob almost seemed to stop at his voice, turning to face him and approaching him with alarming speed, growing larger with each passing second. Colm backed up slowly, terrified of the approaching monster. As it neared, the amorphous shape began to ripple and shimmer into a shape, Colm realized it was a person.

A tall man in black robes stepped forward from the darkness, his hood covering his face. Colm couldn't see his features but he knew the figure well enough, he'd seen him before. Felt his presence. Felt the pain of loss at his hands. "Zelgius," he whispered under his breath.

The warrior smiled widely, his yellow eyes glowing brightly in the pitch blackness that surrounded them. "Greetings Colm," he said softly. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Tch, screw you." Colm replied with malice in his voice, "What did you do with Yvette?". He swallowed hard, trying to ignore the fact that the dark liquid that had oozed from him had somehow formed into Zelgius. He rubbed his throat nervously, wondering just what in the hell Zelgius had done to his body.

"Well then," Zelgius said, his smile fading into a grim expression. "You seem more interested in her than your own well-being. Yvette is none of your concern, I assure you. She's being treated well for her part in handing you over to us, but you on the other hand, well, you'll be dying soon." With that, Zelgius reached for the pommel of the massive mace that adorned his back, his robes fading away in a flicker of black flames to reveal his battle-scarred ebony armor.

"Why are you doing this?" Colm asked, his tone emulating a low growl at this point.

"Because I can," Zelgius answered simply.

"That doesn't explain anything!" Colm spat.

"I need not elaborate to a corpse," Zelgius said, stepping towards him with a slow, deliberate pace. "But, you are the reason I'm here. You were never meant to survive your encounter with Yvette, but you have proven tenacious. Not only that but, it would seem you have an affinity for the Shadow."

"Shadow what?" Colm asked warily.

"Hmph. Feign ignorance all you want, if you intend to insist you don't know... Well, we shall find out together," Zelgius replied with a sinister grin, slamming the mace downward toward Colm.

"I don't know what you mean," Colm lied through clenched teeth as he jumped and dodged away from Zelguis' attack.

"Oh, you will," Zelgius replied, raising his mace threateningly. "I promise."

Colm dodged another attack, a sweeping strike that nearly crushed his ribcage. "Damn it!" Colm swore in annoyance, "I can't get a moment to set my feet and attempt a counter, how is this guy so quick?" the abnormally fast rogue asked himself aloud. Normally he could flit around enemies with blinding speed and dispatch them before they ever knew what hit them but, Zelgius was somehow keeping up with Colm despite being easily twice his size or more.

"He's a shadow," Colm heard Helena whisper in his ear.

"What?!" He cried out, spinning around to see the ghostly apparition standing next to him, "But, how can that be?"

"We don't have time to discuss details," Helena replied calmly, "but I am here to help you. You need to trust me." She hugged Colm into her bosom, jumping away from Zelgius who was once again slamming his mace into the blackness, narrowly missing them as Helena pulled them out of danger just in time.

"When have I not put my faith in you?" he scoffed, "Besides, how do I know this isn't just another test just so you can crush my balls!"

Helena laughed lightly at this, "You should know better than that by now." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and pulled him close. "Trust me."

"Fine," he relented, "Just tell me one thing, the things he said about Yvette... are they true?"

"Yes," she nodded.

Colm frowned, letting those words sink in. Yvette had betrayed him after all. That hurt more than anything. How could she betray him after everything they had been through together? "Why?" he asked, fighting back the welling tears in his eyes. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"She betrayed you," Helena stated, "but she betrayed them for you as well. She was originally hired by the Ebony Claw Syndicate to hunt you down, she was specially trained to kill you by studying you for years. I told you before that you're not as off-the-radar as you believed yourself to be. You're a threat to them because of who you are but, their plan failed because you were more than they bargained for. Her feelings for you are real. What I told you before, still holds true. She loves you."

Just then Zelgius blinked into existence behind Helena and into Colm's view. He swung his massive mace with deadly accuracy and smashed it directly into Colm's shoulder as the young man dove into Helena to protect her. The force of the blow knocked him backward and sent him flying through the air, slamming to the ground and sliding across it until his body sputtered to a halt several feet away. "Fuuuuuck.." Colm cried out in agony, clutching at his injured arm and glaring daggers at Zelgius.

"Sorry about that," Zelgius said, "It's not in my nature to attack women but, I was tired of listening to all this drivel. I've been watching you for some time, I wanted to make certain I wasn't making any mistakes. Your power has grown significantly since our last meeting. I can sense your aura even from a distance. You have a lot of potential but, I think it's best if we finish this now."

"Our last meeting?" Colm muttered, wincing in pain as he attempted to stand. "This is the first I've met you."

"Ahh, well, that's not entirely true. At the time I was using one of my doppelgangers, I fought alongside Nyla. We tried to ambush you outside of Embla." Zelgius explained, revealing a revelation to Colm. "You may remember me as Oscar, the one you called a warlock before. Oscar was my doppelganger, a shadow scout in my image. Far weaker than the real thing but served its purpose for gaining intel and reconnaissance."

Colm struggled to his feet as Helena appeared next to him, looping her arm under his to assist his labored attempt to reach his feet. "Colm, you must be wary. Zelgius is a powerful shadow but you are the Bane of Shadows. This is why you were chosen, this is why I believe in you. You can do this."

"Enough chatter!" Zelgius shouted, dragging the head of his mace along as he stalked toward Colm and Helena. "Now, we fight!"

Colm steeled himself, this was the first chance he'd gotten to really set his feet since Zelgius arrived. Helena hugged Colm around his neck, her shadowy form becoming like a blazing cape of black flame around Colm. He could hear her voice in his head, "I'll always be at your side. I have no power to fight him but, you are the Bane of Shadows. All of our power is now yours, you must kill him to save yourself and your friends. Let's do this!"

They charged at each other, Zelgius swinging his mace with blinding speed while Colm danced around his opponent, dodging blows and striking back with a flurry of attacks. Both combatants were evenly matched in skill, neither able to land a decisive blow on the other. Zelgius had a clear strength advantage but Colm had the advantage over speed. Their weapons clashed repeatedly, sparks flying from the impact as both warriors battled furiously, trying to gain the upper hand.

The battle continued, neither warrior able to land a hit on the other. They traded blows and parried with equal skill, neither able to gain substantial footing against the other. After a few moments of intense combat, Colm found himself pressed against a wall of the arena, something he didn't know existed, unable to advance further. Colm saw Zelgius' hand glowing and surmised he must've erected the wall with some magic, he ducked a well-aimed strike which collided with the wall and Zelgius took a counter-attack. Colm's dagger slashed across his cheek, but the veteran warrior didn't let that stop him from continuing his assault.

After several minutes of furious combat, Zelgius finally managed to land a blow on Colm that staggered him backward. He stumbled and fell to his knees as Zelgius stepped closer and raised his mace high overhead, preparing to bring it down upon Colm's skull. Just before the blow landed, Colm felt something press against the base of his spine and a surge of energy coursed through his body, causing his muscles to tighten and his bones to vibrate in response. His vision blurred and he saw stars dancing before his eyes for a split second before the sensation vanished. As it faded he looked up in surprise, noticing the mace hovering in midair above his head. Zelgius was still mid-swing, moving immeasurably slow to the point he looked frozen to Colm.

He felt something tugging at his mind, pulling him deeper and deeper into the shadows, losing himself in the abyss. His vision began to blur and his movements slowed. The two figures stood in the center of the room, staring at each other silently. Colm heard a voice inside his head, he didn't quite recognize it but it sounded familiar to him somehow. Zelgius was frozen, as was Colm now, but someone still had the power to taunt Colm from within. "You really going to die to your first shadow?"

"I was handling it!" Colm fired back with derision, "What are y-?!"

"No, no. No more questions. No more exposition. Just shut up and let me handle this," the voice said with an annoyed sigh. It was at that moment Colm realized the voice's owner, was himself. A jarring, warbled version of his own voice as something deep within started taking control over his body. Colm struggled to move, watching as a shadowy figure of himself stepped into view. "You're pathetic. Father would be so disappointed."

Colm could faintly hear Helena's voice as if she'd been far away or deep in a well. "Don't... im... trol... ou..." Colm could barely make out the words she spoke, "...n't lose ...elf to the ...dow!"

Colm's eyes flared red with purpose and rage, "I don't know what the hell you think you're doing or who you are! But no one uses my body... BUT ME!" At that Colm ripped his arms away from their still prison, prying himself away from his frozen state to feel once again that pressurized sensation t the base of his spine. His muscles tensed as he blinked forward like a streak of lightning, a shadowy tear torn in his path as he sliced through everything he passed through.

Suddenly, time returned to normal and a loud crash was heard behind Colm as Zelgius' mace slammed into the ground. A moment later another thud came from behind Colm as Zelgius dropped to a knee, blood splattering across the emptiness of the shadowy arena. The large man coughed, then turned to see Colm behind him. "How did you?" he coughed again, blood staining the ground around him. A black flame erupted from Zelgius' hand to cauterize the wound across his neck and shoulder; he wasn't finished yet.

"I'm not done," Colm growled, reaching for the hilt of his dagger. "I don't know what that was but, I also know that I can't afford to waste any more time. My friends need my help and I'm doing them no good sitting here talking to you. Sorry. You were a pretty strong opponent."

Zelgius smiled wickedly, "Good to know you haven't lost your edge." He tossed aside his oversized mace and gripped the hilt of the sword at his hip, drawing it to reveal a shadowy black flame-like blade. "I have a few tricks of my own. Now that I've seen what you can do I'll have to be much more careful." With that he charged at Colm with his new weapon, his speed increased dramatically and his strikes became deadly accurate.

Colm ducked beneath one of Zelgius' swings, jabbing the blade of his dagger into Zelgius' side and twisting it hard enough to elicit a roar from the beast of a man. He threw a punch at Zelgius' face, but the monster dodged easily, catching the strike with the flat of his sword. They traded blows for a minute, Zelgius landing a few hits of his own on Colm's already damaged body, but Colm's superior speed allowed him to dodge most of the attacks. After several minutes of fierce combat, Zelgius was left gasping for breath, his skin covered in cuts and bruises. Colm was also panting, spitting a mouthful of blood from his mouth before he grit his teeth. "Time to finish this," he said, mostly to himself but, loud enough for Zelgius to hear.

Zelgius nodded, "Yes, I suppose it is. I never thought you would be able to take me down." He drew his blade up, the weapon serving as a prop for him the moment before to keep himself from collapsing. Digging his feet in, Zelgius' yellow eyes narrowed and glared at Colm "Come on then!" he roared and charged Colm once again, this time swinging wildly, hoping to catch the young man off guard.

Colm was ready though, jumping back out of range just before the blade made contact. He waited patiently for the right moment to attack, letting Zelgius tire himself out and swing without retaliation. When the opportunity presented itself, Colm struck, stabbing his dagger into Zelgius' throat a labored choking gasp followed. Colm ripped his knife free, leaving a trail of crimson behind him as he retreated backwards, avoiding Zelgius' desperate attempts to grab him before he fell to his knees.

"That should do it," Colm said with satisfaction, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I hope you're satisfied because that's all I have left."

Zelgius returned Colm's statement with a grim smile, his expression weakened and his skin paled as he bled profusely from the gaping neck wound. He barely choked out his final words. "Heh, you did well. Maybe you really are special. Maybe you can... stop.. it." his voice trailed as his final words passed his lips, and he collapsed to the ground. Black flames erupted around his body, being claimed by the shadows. Colm was surprised to see this but, it was far from the craziest thing he's seen today.

Helena's form started to materialize in front of Colm once again, "Are you alright? Are you injured?"

Colm shook his head, "I'm fine. That was too close for comfort though. Zelgius almost got the best of me, but I pulled through. Thank you, Helena."

She smiled, "It's my pleasure to help you. You did very well for your first time fighting a true shadow. Next time, I will try to give you more warning before we enter combat. And next time, I will be there with you every step of the way."

"Thank you Helena, I appreciate it. It's nice to know I won't be alone when I go toe-to-toe with one of these things."

Helena gave a nod, "Of course, you aren't. We're in this together after all." She smiled warmly, "Now, I believe you have some place to be? Your friends are waiting for you. The fairy is just about to, well... you'll see. I'll be here if you need me."

Colm nodded, "Thanks Helena. I guess I better get goi- Hurk!" Colm gasped as Helena suddenly snapped her foot up, catching his unprotected and unsuspecting balls between her toes and his undercarriage.

"Hehe~ Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Enjoy!"

----

A moment later Colm jolted awake with an exploding pain in his balls, looking down to see Neimi standing on his delicate organs. He groaned miserably as each nugget of pain throbbed in protest at Neimi's persistent heel twisting. "Oh! You're awake! Finally! I thought I was going to have to pop one of these balls to get you to wake up!" she giggled, throwing herself around him in a clinging hug. "Do you know how much I missed you while you were gone?! You were always such a sleepyhead before but this was crazy!"

Colm winced, her toes digging into his sore testicles as she stood on her tip-toes to hug him around the neck. "Neimi, please, stop squeezing me like that! You're crushing my-" Colm stopped himself mid-sentence as he noticed the look of concern on Neimi's face. Her hands moved to his cheeks and she peered deeply into his eyes; she felt a desire, a longing to kiss him but there were more pressing matters.

"Colm... What happened to you?"

He looked down at his body, noting the fresh bandages covering his wounds, "Well... I had a bit of an encounter with Zelgius. He was a tough foe but, I managed to beat him."

Her eyes widened, "You killed Zelgius?!"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." He shrugged, "It's kind of complicated and we don't have time to waste."

Neimi sighed heavily, "You really shouldn't lie to me. It only makes matters worse."

Colm looked at her with a confused expression, "What do you mean?"

"Zelgius left with Yvette after he blasted you before, he hasn't been back here. How could you have killed him?"

"He came into my mind, the place where that dagger took me before. It's how I started gaining these shadow powers. I guess he was a shadow and planned to kill me but, I got the best of him."

Neimi simply blinked in confusion. "I feel like ever since Embla, we've grown further and further apart. You're worlds away from me now."

"No Neimi, I'm right here and I'm never going to leave you behind," Colm assured her, lifting his arms to hug her back.

Neimi leaned her head against his chest, "I know you care about me, Colm. I love you too. But, what do you think about all this? About what we've become? This isn't the life I wanted for us. Our dreams are different now than they used to be."

Colm squeezed her tightly, "Our lives are what we make them. We can choose to let our past define who we are or we can decide to move forward and live our lives as we see fit. If we want to be heroes we can be. There's nothing stopping us except ourselves. As long as we have each other, anything is possible."

Neimi smiled, "We'll always have each other." They held onto one another for a long moment before Neimi broke the embrace, smiling up at Colm while still standing on his tightly compacted sexual organs. "But right now, we need to save Yvette! So stop lounging around and get off your butt!" her voice teased in a sadistic manner.

Keeping one foot stepping on his ball bag, Neimi lifted her leg in a neat arc away from Colm's seated body and pulled it up behind her. Her petite hands held onto Colm's shoulders for balance as she took on this pose, smirking up at him before winking and throwing the foot back through the arc, retracing the movement much quicker this time as Colm's eyes begged for mercy. "Wait, no-" but it was too late.

The foot slammed down on top of Colm's groin, sending shockwaves of intense agony throughout his body as his brain tried to process the sudden impact. His legs kicked at the pain, her ankle twisting as her bare heels dug into his most sensitive spot. Gasping for air as the pain racked his body, Colm couldn't help but wonder why this kick had been so bad, maybe it was because his shadow focus was exhausted. Neimi hopped down from him, laughing hysterically as she watched him writhe in pain. "Hah! That might be the best reaction you've had in years! I love it when you squirm!"

Colm just laid his head against the stone floor and tried to bury his pain and misery as quickly as possible. Neimi's torturous kick had gotten him really good and he wanted to do nothing more than lie there and suffer in silence. Alas, he had a job to do. Mustering all his strength and energy, Colm dug down deep and put away his pain and suffering. "Ugh... Neimi, I need my strength for the upcoming fight. You can have your way with my balls after, okay?"

She laughed, "Sure, sure. Just hurry up and get your ass moving. I know you just took down Zelgius but the fight isn't over yet, and he's not the only threat we have to deal with." She paused, chewing her lip for a moment, "I think Yvette might have betrayed us, she almost seemed chummy with Zelgius before but... I just hope she has something planned."

Colm rose to his feet, feeling the aches and pains in his body as he stretched and flexed his muscles. He took a moment to breathe in deeply and exhale slowly, trying to calm himself as he focused on his breathing. Taking a moment to survey his surroundings, he noted that Neimi seemed nervous, he rest his hand on her head and smiled. "Yvette is still our friend. I'm sure she's waiting for us to save her right now. We can sort out the details once we kill the Matriarch and rip the Ebony Claw Syndicate out of Holgard once and for all."

Neimi nodded, "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Let's just keep going then. I don't want to miss my chance to crack a few guards' eggs while we're at it!"

With that the two of them broke out of their cell, escaping their stony prison, and began their search for Yvette, tearing their way through the Ebony Claw stronghold.