The Coming From the Shadows Series
The Chronicles of the Imperium: The Mystery of the Amazon
Introduction:
The air was thick like an oppressive blanket woven with an intensity that made things unbearably difficult not just mentally, but physically – the scent of decay and blossoming life was rife – Sunlight, fractured by the dense canopy, dappled to the forest floor in a shifting mosaic of light and shadows.
It was the 10th of June, 1911 – deep within the Amazon Rainforest, a group of men moved with unsettling purpose.
They emerged from the emerald green depths like ghostly spectres; their eyes burned with fanaticism – the Imperium’s Cultists; a dozen strong.
They were a grim procession, clearly prepared for their time within the jungle – boots sinking into the damp earth; their destination was a place swallowed by time and nature; an Ancient Ruin – once a city that had echoed with life but now whispered only secrets to the wind.
Stone buildings, choked by vines and roots stood as a testament to a long forgotten civilisation – the river itself once a lifeline, now lapped at crumbling foundations, an eerie reminder of the cities slow surrender.
Partial collapses were common, gaping maws in walls hinted at the city’s skeleton – the Cultists approached with a mix of anticipation and apprehension – their whispers lost in the cacophony of the jungle.
Chapter 1:
20th of June, 1911 A.D.
The Amazon Rainforest
Alfonso cursed under his breath as he felt yet another thorn snag against his already tattered shirt “Mãe de Deus” he muttered, a swift swing of the machete hacked off the offending plant – the Brazilian adventurer, born under the tropical sun in 1889 was a man sculpted by the harsh realities of his time.
His short dark hair clung to his head, plastered with sweat, a meticulously groomed facial beard had become a point of stubborn pride – his brown eyes, usually sparkling with mischievousness were narrowed in concentration as he struggled through the dense vegetation.
He considered himself a man of the world; he had seen the cities of the old world; Europe, and even across the Americas and Africa – but, he was most enamoured by the beauty of nature, drawn by the desire to discover.
The wild and natural beauty of his homeland; Brazil, coupled with his need to seek out the unknown ad drawn him into his expedition.
He had been following rumours; the whispered tales of a lost city swallowed by the jungle’s insatiable appetite – most dismissed them as ramblings of feverish prospectors or fanciful folklore of the indigenous tribes.
But Alfonso, he had a nose for truth, a sixth sense that hummed whenever he was close to something extraordinary.
Finally – after what felt like an eternity of hacking away and ushing, he broke through the final wall of vegetation, finding himself along the forgotten street, he ran his hand along the rough surface of a stone wall; the ancient carvings were worn smoothing by centuries of rain and wind.
He walked slowly, taking in the sight of the collapsing buildings, their facades adorned with crumbling sculptures of strange, forgotten gods.
The air was thick; the heat radiated; a scent of damp and decaying vegetation wafting.
There was a strange silence, quite unlike the vibrant cacophony of the jungle; it hung over the ancient ruined city like an oppressive cloud; as if the very stones were holding their breath.
Alfonso stopped abruptly; his senses were on high alert – something was wrong, he could feel the prickling of his skin in the sudden stillness of the air.
He scanned the surroundings, his hand resting on the handle of his machete – then, he saw it.
There was a body sprawled on the ground; half hidden beneath a tangle of vines – Alfonso approached cautiously, his eyes narrowed, the deceased man was dressed in the typical style of a European explorer, he’d encountered many Europeans in his time while he himself explored long forgotten places, but, there was something that stood out, a strange patch sewn along the arm – an emblem of something he didn’t recognise.
As he moved to get a closer look of the body, he could see the dark stains; kneeling down beside the body – his expression was grim, the man before him had been violently stabbed many times; judging from the state of the decomposition, the body had been there for a while, perhaps a week – flies buzzed lazily around the wounds, their iridescent bodies glistening in the filtered sunlight “Damn” Alfonso muttered, pushing a stray vine away from the man’s face – his expression was contorted in a mask of agony
Examining the area around the body; Alfonso’s experienced eyes searched for clues – the ground was disturbed – the undergrowth trampled, he spotted several broken branches and what looked like dried blood smeared on nearby stone – it was a definite sign of a struggle.
Chapter 2:
Standing on the riverboat; a young woman; barely twenty-one, her long black hair cascaded down along her back like a silken waterfall; it made her appear ghostly compared to her pale complexion, a deceptively angelic face – she was an anomaly in such a wild place, a delicate flower amidst a rugged landscape.
Her eyes though; emerald green, they held an unsettling depth, a knowledge that belied her youthful appearance.
Accompanying her; two hardened mercenaries – she had hired them due to their skills in combat and willingness to follow orders without question, they were her shield in this dangerous land, silent wand watchful – constantly scanning their environment for signs of threats.
The boat bumped gently against the muddy riverbank within the ancient city’s perimeter – the two men quickly secured the vessel before following young woman as she made her way into the overgrown streets – though she came to a sudden stop; she paused, her head tilted slightly to one side – she was listening, sensing, absorbing the energy of the place.
It was a skill she had honed since childhood – a heighted awareness that allowed her to perceive things others missed.
She then shifted her gaze; there was a subtle disturbance, a faint tremor that drew her attention – someone else was present.
She raised her hand to the two men following her; indicating for them to stop – her green eyes pierced the shadows; searching for the source of the disturbance, then, she saw him – a figure moving around cautiously through the ruins a machete glinting in the dappled sunlight “Who’s that?” one the mercenaries growled, his hand instinctively moving to pull his rifle free from over his shoulder – he was a burly man with a scarred face and permanent suspicious expression
“I do not know” The woman replied; her voice soft, her gaze was fixed on the figure “Be careful”
The two men nodded; they moved forwards ahead of her; she then followed behind them.
Alfonso still wary after discovering the body heard a noise as he rounded a corner within the ruined overgrown streets – he came face-to-face with the two mercenaries; but, his eyes took notice of the strangely out of place woman behind them, her expression was unreadable.
Alfonso was surprised, but not intimidated – assessing the situation in a heartbeat – Two Armed Mercenaries and One Young Woman; not ideal, but not insurmountable
“Hold on” Alfonso said, raising his hands in a gesture of peace towards them “I don’t want any trouble”
“Whoa re you?” the burly mercenary demanded, his voice rough and commanding “What are you doing here?”
“I’m Alfonso” he said; he kept his voice calm, steady “I’m just an explorer, I came here to find and see the ruins”
“An explorer” the second mercenary scoffed “What kind of explorer carries a machete”
“The kind that explores the Amazon” Alfonso retorted, there was a hint of sarcasm to his voice “It’s a dangerous place you know”
“What are you really doing here!” the Mercenary growled
“I just told you” Alfonso replied “I’m exploring; I heard stories about a lost city; I wanted to see it for myself, that is all”
The mercenaries exchanged looks with each other; though the woman made her way forwards “I’ll speak with him” she said; her voice soft, but carried with it a strange hypnotic allure, Alfonso looked at her carefully “My name is Erin” she told him, her eyes locking with his as a strangely terrifying smile curved her lips “Can you tell me what your really doing here?”
Chapter 3:
The air was like a suffocating blanket as Alfonso stood before Erin and her two mercenaries.
The sunlight filtered through the dense canopy; the scent of the decaying vegetation continued to waft around them “I’m just an explorer, Minha Senhora; a seeker of lost places, that is all, I have already told you” he gestured around at the crumbling ruins surrounding them “I love to discover new places; it is an incrível experience”
Erin’s intense gaze did not waver; she tilted her head a little towards the left as she watched his facial expressions as he spoke; her unreadable expression betraying nothing as she read Alfonso’s expression for signs of lying “Have you found…, anything interesting?”
Alfonso hesitated – he had expected danger, but, the three in front of him were not the kind of danger he was expecting, he wasn’t entirely sure if they might be responsible for the body he discovered, though the extent of its decomposition would suggest otherwise “I.., uh…, came across a body” he gestured in the direction “A clearly violent attack from the amount of stab wounds”
The temperature seemed to almost drop slightly; Erin’s terrifyingly beautiful smile seemed to widen “Death” she breathed, her voice took on a new, ethereal quality with a subtle silken purr “Such a delicious, macabre thing; a perfect date, hmm” she seemed briefly as though she was completely distant
Alfonso was completely unnerved as he felt as though he stumbled back in utter confusion – he had gone on many adventures, seen many dangers, faced many physically testing things in his time – but this woman before him, she was something entirely different “Uh…, I am flattered Senhorita; truly…, but, I must respectfully decline” he said, though he was being careful with how he spoke now “I uh…, have a more pressing engagement with not getting murdered by whatever killed those poor souls back there”
A soft, melodic laugh escaped Erin’s lips – it sent a shiver down Alfonso’s spine “Oh my dear Alfonso” she said, her eyes fixed on him, they seemed almost predatory “You misunderstand; I was not suggesting you; I don’t much care for men in that way, your lot tend to be controlling, and you bore me”
Alfonso stared at her; he was now completely bewildered – of all the things he’d expect to hear in a jungle-standoff; this was certainly not one of them, her strange response served only to add to the mystery surrounding the pale almost ghostly woman in front of him
Chapter 4
10th of June, 1911 A.D.
The air within the interior was thick, stale – the sent of dust and decay was a very different smell compared to the outside; flickering torches cast dancing shadows across the intricately carved walls – the Imperium’s Cultists moved cautiously through the ruined hallways “Anything?” a gruff, American accent cut through the chamber
“Nothing yet my frënd” a man further ahead called back; his Luxembourgian accent echoing through the empty space, bouncing from the walls “Just more of these…murals, no signs of the main chamber yet”
The leader of the group; a large bear of a man, a scar bisecting his face, a clear sign of a fight he had taken part in; he shifted his eyes to the America for a moment as they strode together side-by-side “I was under the impression your information was correct” the man spoke, his voice was rough, commanding; his accent hinting of his Russian nationality “Victor will be displeased if we fail to find the Relic”
“I promise you Igor; it is here” the American says, turning his eyes towards him
The group continued to press on, moving deeper into the temple’s labyrinthine depths; though, eventually they came across the entrance leading into a large, circular chamber – at its centre, a ornate chest rested upon a crumbling pedestal, it was made of a dark, and unfamiliar metal, etched with ancient symbols that none of them recognised.
A younger Cultist; his face pale with excitement rushed forwards “I have found it!” he announced
“Careful!” Igor shouted – though, it was already too late
The chamber seemed to exhale upon the young cultist making physical contact with the box; the torches flickered violently, threatening to extinguish – the air grew icy, a bone-chilling cold that seemed into the very marrow.
Then, the shadows moved.
They did not dance with the flames; they ‘moved’ – the coalesced, took shape, becoming swirling wraith-like figures and hissed with an unnatural energy.
A scream ripped through the chamber as one of the men was engulfed by shadowy figures, another pulled into the darkness before anyone could respond; the echoing of bone shattering rippled outwards – Panic erupted.
The Cultists of the Imperium; hardened men who had served for so long, seen many mysteries – they were reduced to whimpering children, they scrambled, some firing their rifles blindly into the darkness; bullets though passed harmlessly through the wraiths, doing nothing to slow their advance
Chapter 5
20th of June, 1911 A.D.
Alfonso followed Erin and her mercenaries through the ruins; his apprehension grown with each step; the overgrown city was silent save for the few screeches of unseen birds and the rustling of leaves in the humid breeze – he couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes watching him “Where are we going Senhorita” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady
Erin turned her head slightly; her long hair swirling around with the movement “To the temple” she replied; tone was momentarily more serious “The heart of this place; the place where death sleeps” towards the end of her sentence, he voice seemed to readopt her sultry tone
Alfonso swallowed; he didn’t like how easily she seemed to shift personalities so easily; it made it nearly impossible for him to get any read on her and who she actually was, all he knew, was she was an American due to her American accent – but there was nothing else he could work with
The temple loomed before them; it was a colossal structure of weathered stone – scarred by time and swallowed by the vegetation; it’s entrance, a gaping maw of darkness, promised nothing but secrets and shadows.
As they approached the entrance, Alfonso noticed something glinting within the debris, stopping, he kneeled down to pick it up; examining it in his hand – a silver amulet of some kind, an engraving adorned its front with an unfamiliar emblem bearing a Scythe and Sword crossed together with a Rose sitting between them.
Erin came to a stop; turning her attention towards him, noticing he has picked something up from the ground “What did you find?” her tone shifting to curiosity
“I am not sure” he answered; turning the amulet between his fingers – a not forming in his stomach as he turned it to show Erin, he had a sinking feeling that something bad was going to happen “We might be about to find out though”
Erin; while she made no change in expression – recognised the emblem on the amulet, she shifted her gaze towards the darkness of the entrance before them, she knew that things were going to become very difficult once they passed that threshold.
Written By: Westley H.
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