Chapter 74 (LXXIV) Rescue

The hulking shadows charged forward, darkness having returned to their world as the colors dulled once more before they were engulfed by the dark haze.

Jackson burst into a sprint toward the portal, looking over his shoulder as the massive behemoths destroyed everything in their path as they chased after him.

'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I'm not going to make it!!' He screamed internally, gritting his teeth as his eyes returned to the portal as he pushed his completely spent body as hard as he could.

He could feel the smaller faceless Hollows swirling around him, moving quickly through the air as they shot toward him, wisps of black smoke scattering behind them as they moved.

Jackson ignored everything around him, his eyes completely locked on the portal as he drew closer. Time felt distorted as the adrenaline pumped through his veins; it felt like he was running through molasses.

In the corner of his eye, a bright pulsating light appeared behind him. He fought every urge in his body to turn and face whatever appeared, the portal was three more bounds, and he would be safe.

He took a step, 'Two more!!!'

He took another, "One more!!!"

He took a final step, gritting his teeth as he kicked off the ground, leaping into the air, 'Come on!! Come on!! Come on!!' He thought before he was violently flung away from the portal into the darkness by the massive sweeping arm of a shadowed behemoth.

Jackson ragdolled through the air, crashing into the blackened sand and skidding deep into it as he tumbled rapidly before skidding to a halt inside a long and deep crater.

The shadows and clouds wrapped tightly around his body, holding him tightly as he threw his arms around pointlessly, trying to get them off. He stumbled as he stood, groaning in pain, his vision struggling to refocus.

He quickly located the portal, took a step towards it, and stopped as a powerful emotion washed over him. He stumbled, falling to his hands and knees as he stared blankly at the black sand below him.

"Wha-" Jackson groaned, his eyes dilating as he strained his face, gritting his teeth. He felt intense despair and dread washing over his entire body, so much so he couldn't stand straight or even look toward the source.

He bit his lip, blood running down his mouth and dripping in the sand, flexing his muscles as he failed to lift himself off the ground before screaming.

"JACKSON!!" A muffled voice rang, bringing him back to the present as he began panting heavily, his entire body covered in sweat.

Loud, muffled booms were ringing around him, and slowly the sensation pinning him to the ground lessened, and Jackson was able to rise to his knees and look around.

The pulsating light was racing through the shadows in erratic movements that Jackson couldn't follow. It would appear, and a massive shadowed Hollow would be disintegrated before it would vanish and reappear.

Jackson looked over to the portal and groaned as he sprinted ahead again. The shadows had begun to ignore him as he could run between them freely.

He tried once again to activate Twenty Moons, but no matter how many times he tried to bring out its energy, it would not come forth. He looked over at the light as he ran, squinting his eyes.

"They're clearly using Artes; why can't I..?" He muttered as he continued to watch it blitz around the shadows.

As he drew closer to the portal, the shadows once again turned their attention back to him as the smaller clouds of smoke began rapidly rotating around him, trapping him in a cyclone.

He tried to push through the barrier of smoke and haze, but the shadows began wrapping around his arms and legs, stopping his advancement.

Immediately he was jerked by his cloak as the blinding, pulsating light grabbed him, and he reappeared next to the portal and was spun around before he was thrown toward the portal.

Flying backward through the air, Jackson's eyes widened as he briefly saw the short, stoutly feminine figure with a pulsating light in her fist before vanishing and returning to the shadows.

"Noooo-" Jackson screamed as he flew through the portal, landing violently and crashing into the stone plaza in the middle of Fort Novae, rolling on his side as he quickly came to a stop.

He frantically scrambled to his feet, his eyes staring at the portal as it slowly began closing, running as quickly as he could back toward it, reaching out as it closed inches from his fingertips.

"Fuck!" He screamed, slamming his fists into the cobblestone, his aura exploding from his body for a brief second as he created a massive crater beneath him.

Smoke and debris flew into the air and hid his frame as a large crowd gathered and whispered amongst each other as a squad of soldiers appeared and pointed their weapons toward the smoke rising from the crater.

Jackson's mood quickly turned from frustration to happiness as tears ran down his cheeks, "I was right... I knew it all along!!"

He began laughing uncontrollably as he threw his arms into the air with a large grin as the smoke started to clear. The guards inched closer, weapons raised as they shouted at him.

"You there, boy! Surrender peacefully, and we will not harm you! Resist, and we will use lethal force!!"

"Tch!" Jackson turned to look up at the soldiers, clicking his tongue as he stood, and slowly walked out of the crater with his arms held above his head.

"Good! Now, turn around... Nice and slow..." The guard said, producing a pair of iron shackles as he slowly approached.

"I'm not here to cause any trouble..." Jackson explained, looking around the plaza, trying to plot an escape route and locate the exit to return to Duskgate.

"Now don't try anything stupid, boy... Nice and easy..." He said, stepping closer still.

"I can't be taken in right now..." Jackson said as he started backing away with a sincere smile, "I promise, when I return, you can take me in!"

"No-" The guard said, leaping forward as he tried to grab Jackson's wrist.