Book 3 Chapter 25. Cyrus

The undulating mass of flesh in front of him might have sickened Cyrus on a normal day. Knowing that form was Marilyn, somehow being tortured, made him want to break down. But from his youngest days, he was taught to show strength in the face of the worst of horrors. Growing up in Hades made such horrors a nearly daily occurrence.

But he left Hades to find his way in the world of humans. He wanted to be like them. He wanted to feel their pain. And as he watched the undulating mass at his feet, he could feel Marilyn’s agony.

Though he still wasn’t quite sure he loved the strange young woman that found her way into his life and his bed, he knew he couldn’t stand idly by and let her be tortured. Yet nothing he could do would free him from his chains. A sonic blast to his manacles would shatter his own wrists or ankles. And the low vibrations he teased into the walls of the dungeon did little to shake the heavy bolts that held the manacles to the wall.

Face it. I wouldn’t be able to help her even if I could break free. I’m not even really sure what she truly is.

The writhing mass of flesh seemed to grow taller suddenly. Out of it, the form of a woman started to appear, But he quickly realized this woman wasn’t Marilyn at all. This woman was raven haired, an obvious fact even as her full face seemed to form out of the mass. In a matter of seconds, she stood before him, dressed in a red evening gown. She was thinner than Marilyn, almost lanky. She was beautiful, but her demeanor robbed that beauty of any value. She gave him a sneer as she met his eyes.

“More the proof she was a fool, godling. You are supposed to be greater than us, but already we’re something more than your kind could ever be. We are a new god. We are—”

Her lips melted away as the face and form seemed to deform. The evening gown turned into a skirt and blouse, cut like something from Mad Men. The hair grew longer and fell down this woman’s back in gentle auburn curls. Her chest grew out to fill out the blouse. She was curvaceous and attractive, though she had nothing on Marilyn.

A brief hiatus...

Due to ongoing financial issues, I have not had the time to devote to Walking Shadows as of late. Sadly that means we've caught up with our buffer. Currently I'm working on getting the next few chapters up and running.

We will be delayed for two weeks, with Chapter 25. Cyrus kicking off on July 26. See you then and don't forget to check out the GoFundMe!

River City History: Captain Flash in action

Nita Dell instantly recognized the dangers of a super-powered crimefighter again making River City home. The history of Yankee Doodle Jones still weighed heavily on the minds of the citizenry as well. Nita knew that with the right amount of push she could make them fear Captain Flash in the same way.

She turned to the same thing that created her: magic. Konrad Krueger was a former Atom City scientist that turned to the dark arts in order to get revenge on the men that fired him. With the resources of Dell and Hannigan’s criminal empire behind him, he set out to destroy Atom City’s greatest hero Captain Flash.

Along with a group of thugs, he became the Black Knight. On a rocket-steed and wielding energy blasting lances, they managed to damage Atom City’s fourth reactor before Captain Flash challenged them. But the melding of science and magic was more than a match for the young hero.

Unfortunately for the Black Knight he was less of a match for the wit of Ricky Davis, Captain Flash’s teenage ally. Ricky lead the Atom City scientists in creating a massive electromagnet. The magnet drew in the Black Knight and his men’s armor, capturing them. Still the seeds of doubt were now planted in Captain Flash’s ability to defend Atom City.