Operation Phoenix:  The Hunt For Samhain


Part 12


 
        [You are indeed a powerful psionicist, Samhain.  I respect you and
your power.]

	Samhain stood under the now quickly darkening sky and picked his 
katana up from where it had dropped as he did so.

	[Ahh, but you're wrong.  I'm not a powerful psionicist at all, my 
adversary...] Samhain's eyes sparkled.  [My power lies...elsewhere.]

	The lull in the battle ceased as suddenly as it had began, and 
before he knew it, Samhain was being slammed around with Psionic blasts 
again, this time from multiple sources... about 3, to be exact.

	Another of the group started picking up rocks from the area with 
telekinetic forces and hurling them at Samhain in projectile attacks.
	Still another began with another barrage of Psionic attacks.
	[Now, Samhain, you will face our combined abilities at once.]
	Two more began summoning apparitions and clouding Samhain's thoughts.
	The last began hurling energy pockets at him.

	Samhain was truly staggered under the mass onslaught, and 
staggered back away from the group.  He had no choice but to fall back to 
try and survive the combined attack.  He couldn't defend against all of 
them at once.  And he'd used what strength he had at the time for the 
lightning bolt.  His only choice was to try and shift to his other form to 
survive the physical attacks.  Samhain struggled to focus his mind, and 
managed to shift himself to his shadow form despite how early in the 
evening it still was... but he managed.

	[So.   You have the knowledge of how to shift yourself to a shadow 
using your mind.  But the question is... do you know how to fight in the 
shadow realm?]

	Samhain restrained a laugh, and sent back a challenge.  [Why don't 
you come and see?] "We'll fight on MY terms now," he thought to himself 
behind his thought shields.

	5 of the group, those who were doing physical attacks, shifted 
themselves to shadows and approached while the others continued trying to 
confuse or attack his mind directly.

	To an onlooker, it was an eerie sight... 5 shadows on the ground 
with nothing to cast them converging on another single shadow with no 
source, and looking rather menacing compared to the focus of their 
attention.

	Samhain focused his attention on the nearest shadow-X'hirjq, and 
froze him in place.  Its mind cried to its brothers in horror, as its form 
shrank.  It tried to shift back out of shadow form, but that only hastened 
its demise, as it was squished through the dimension plane faster than it 
could tolerate, and was left lying in an unrecognizable mixture of bluish 
mush and shadow-muck on the ground.  The others would learn from the 
example, and defend themselves while remaining in shadow form.  Good.

	Shadowy claws extended themselves at Samhain, who just split his 
shadow in multiple pieces causing them to miss or pass through empty 
space.  A shadow-lance of his own shot out at one of the forms, and 
straight through it.  The shadow-X'hirjq's mind howled, and then was 
quiet, and his body faded back across the dimension-barrier, a gaping hole 
through the center of his body oozing bluish-green blood on the ground.

	[The shadow plane is as real as any other, eh, my friends?]

	Unable to leave the shadow plane, and unable to harm him in his 
more natural and comfortable form, the shadow-X'hirjq found themselves to 
be in some deep trouble, so all began focusing their attention on his 
mind.

	Samhain steeled his mind, focusing... his years of study in the 
far east helping him to know where there was a quiet, firm, place to work 
from.  He worked around the remaining shadow-X'hirjq and picked them off 
one by one, keeping his mind and being at peace.  The last of them he 
simply willed to dissipate into nothing, as if the sun had suddenly shone 
down brightly on him and the shadow had realized there was nothing to cast 
it.  He complied without so much as a mental whimper. 

	[Impressive.  But a waste of effort...] sent one of the 3 X'hirjq 
remaining.  With that, he summoned his energies and began to use a control 
light ability, and to shine it upon Shadow-Sam.  But there just wasn't 
enough light, and Samhain merely laughed at his efforts.  Another of the 3 
tried to help him out by starting a fire.  He fanned its flames with his 
mind, and built it bigger and brighter.  The rain began to fall, the sky 
was now quite dark.  They tried again, and Samhain again laughed at their 
efforts.

	[You're just too late.  It is too late for you to destroy me now.  
You can no more destroy me than you can chase away the night!]

	Samhain reached a shadow hand out around the ankles of one of the 
remnants of the psionic elite and dragged him into the shadow plane, his 
claws digging into the ground and leaving long trenches in the ground 
behind him where he'd been dragged.  He was chopped into sections 
as he was dragged through... first his feet were removed, then his lower 
legs, and on up until there was just a head lying on the ground. 

	Samhain faded back into the natural plane.  His eyes glowed at 
them, and he spoke to them directly.  "I'm willing to be merciful.  I'll 
allow you to surrender if you so wish."

	[We do not surrender.  You have defeated us on our own terms.  But 
there 
is still another that you must fight... and if you are honorable, you must 
fight on his terms, in his reality.  Goodbye.]  And with the parting words 
said, they both touched their insignia, fell into dust.

	"Dust in the wind, dude..." Samhain said quietly.  "Dust in the 
wind...."

	To be continued!


"The Hunt for Samhain"
Copyright 1995, David R. Hibbs
All Rights Reserved.