//------------------------------//
// A New Life, Is An Old Life Just The Same. 
// Story: Phantasm 
// by Debonair 
//------------------------------//

The Caverns.

Juan stood at the edge of the ravine. "Knowing my luck he's down there." Juan took a moment to think. What what would Rico do? He calmed his nerves and breathed deep. His bones snapped and reformed as he once again took his canine appearance. "Now for the fun part." With another deep breath he let in the scents of the deep earthy caverns. The menagerie of dull perfumes, tickled his nose, when the familiar smell of his son shot through, but something was off, like it was mixed with another. "Someone else is down there with him." He took another sniff. "And they're hostile." Juan placed his front paws on the ledge. "One, two, three." 

He sprang forward into the dark depths. Every few feet he dug his claws into the bedrock to slow his descent. As he fell deeper the putrid smell of decaying flesh overloaded his nose. "The smell of corpses should have disappeared by now, unless something's been killing recently." He couldn't track the number of corpses overran his sense of direction. He finally came to a halt on the cave floor, his eyes watering from the disgusting smell. He began to breath out of his mouth, and calmed himself. He listened for any sound that could give him an inkling of his surroundings. The dripping of water a few yards away caught his attention. "Water," The rattling of an air-shaft also caught his ear. "Air," His ears pricked at falling rocks. "Earth," A small crackling sounded about two-hundred yards away. "Fire, that's where they are."

Fireside

"I don't like this sneaking around." Gregory took a bite from a glowing ball.

"Like I care what you think." A young boy sat on an overturned crystal. "All that matters is what Etranek wants."

"Why am I even listening to a ten year old?"

"Because I have experience," The boy held out a small crystal. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to her, would you?"

"Jordan." A man appeared behind the boy and snatched the crystal from his hand. "Gregory has he been taken care of?"

"Yes,"

"Good I wouldn't want him to meddle, most likely he has become a Wraith, and it stands to reason he'll be looking for me."

"I don't see what making him stronger, accomplished."

"Upon their second death a Wraith is gone wholesale, no salvage." 

"How can you guarantee, that we're stronger."

"He's dancing with the Devil, he's already made enemies for more powerful than I"

"Those things he was with."

"You saw their true intentions, and you know that they will fail." The man shifted his gaze down the tunnel. "We have company." His thick Brazilian accent faded into a dark demented one. "He is too strong for you stay back, I'll deal with him personally." 





Juan's POV.





I began to hear them, three in total, Gregory, a young boy, and un Demonio. The stench had lessened and I could breath again. I skidded to a halt before a deserted fire ring. The ash was still warm, I sniffed at the ground. "Come out,"

"Hola mi Amigo." A dark throaty voice sounded from a few feet away. 

"You are no Amigo of mine."

"Poor little puppy all alone."

"Your mind games have no power over me."

"Fine a good old fashioned fist-fight, then." He planted his foot two feet before his other one to gain balance. 

"Come at me Ese."      

Juan Vs Etranek.

Round One Fight!

His steps were erratic, his stance unfounded, but his power was a different story. His aura was intense, like the heat of the desert. "Don't think I'll take it easy on you on account you're blind."

"The very reason you shouldn't." 

The light clack of his shoe hitting the cave floor sent him forward. He was fast but not fast enough, just as he swung I crouched and grabbed his arm, Using his momentum I threw him into the wall beside me. "I told you not to hold back." lept into the air, and caught onto an overhang. "Vicious Render!" My claws grew sharper.as I flew down aiming for his head.

"Shadow Claw," He named his attack nonchalantly, I was stopped mid air and the force of his dark aura constricted around my chest. "Restriction Level One Release." When he said that his grip grew tighter. My howls of pain echoed throughout the caverns. "Begone!" I was flung upward and crashed into the ceiling and bounced down, I tried to regain my composure but I was soon hit by a large force into another wall. "You're still alive, that's saying something." He taunted. "Anyone else would have died instantly." He slammed his heel into my back snapping a rib, My howls of pain must have fallen on friendly ears.

"Illusion Fist!" The Demon man was sent flying. "Illusion Fist!"  I moved my head to watch as I saw Gregory bombarding him. "Delusion Fist!" I can see? "Restriction Level one release!" How can I see, I've been blind for five years. 

"Shadow Claw!" A large hand flew from his hand at Gregory.

"Illusion Wall!" The hand was deflected into the ceiling.

"Insolent Whelp! Restriction Level Two Release," The Demon man's aura burned with intensity of an active volcano. "Shadow Blaze!" 

"Restriction Level Two Release! Delusion Grasp!" A large vorpal hand threw Gregory into the air just as the ring of fire completed itself. "Illusion Double!" He burst down and fell right through the Demon man, then Gregory's fist connected twith his spine. "Illusion Fist!" The Demon man was sent flying up and he was embedded in the ceiling. "Way too easy," Gregory turned and waked over to me and helped me to my feet. "I'm happy I came to my senses in time."

"That makes two of us."

"We have to get out of here, he can't leave the caverns."

"If I could I would Hijo, but I'm a little on the broken side."

"Let me carry you Papi." Gregory lifted me up onto his back. "Once we get you out of here we can find a doctor."