Katie grinned happily. "It'll be so nice to be able to sleep again, without having to worry about zombie attacks."
"Something isn't right," Brian announced. "I'm starting to get that feeling again." His breathing was becoming labored.
"Maybe you're picking up on that," Katie suggested, pointing to where the mechanical horse stood near the far corner of the building.
Edward looked worried. He knew the six-legged, two-headed monstrosity had been there the entire time since their return to Desolace. Why would it take Brian that long to pick up on it?
As if to confirm his fears, they began to hear banging coming from inside the Outpost. Maniacal laughter began to echo in the stillness of the night air. Moments later, they heard a whooshing sound. The floodlights above the building popped back on, bathing the area in bright light.
Squinting his eyes in hopes they would adjust to the brightness faster, Edward stood and moved a few steps closer to the building. Just as he suspected, the door was open! He could see intermittent sparks coming from inside. After a few seconds, the nightmare scenario from his recent past came to life.
Zombies began to stream through the open doorway! Obviously, the portal on Earth was still active. He tried to think quickly on how to handle the situation. If the portal were still open on the other side, what would prevent a non-stop flood of zombies from entering this world? How could he stop it from happening? Was there a way to destroy the portal?
Katie scrambled backwards when she realized what was happening. She had thought this nightmare was behind them, but apparently the zombies had followed them through the portal. She searched the nearby grass and an awful thought occurred to her. She had no weapons! Glancing briefly toward Brian, she saw that his light blue irises had disappeared, his eyes getting that glazed look to them again.
Jack stood next to Edward, growling in fury at the approaching zombies, coiling his back legs beneath him as if he were about to launch himself into battle, saliva dripping in a steady stream from the sides of his mouth.
An idea popped into Katie's head. It was a crazy one, but if it worked she could get everyone away from here. She darted out a hundred feet or so, running parallel to the building at first, then turned toward it. She was trying to get to the mechanical horse without drawing the attention of the zombies. If she could get to it and figure out how to make it move, she could then swoop in and pick up Edward and Brian, saving them from becoming zombie food. In theory at least.
Out of the corner of his eye, Edward saw Katie running toward the horse. What the heck is she doing? A few of the zombies had spotted her and were now shuffling in her direction. He had to do something, fast! Hoping that his magic had returned upon his arrival on Desolace, he concentrated on summoning an ice spell; the same one he had used so long ago when they had encountered the massive column of bugs, hoping he could freeze them in place to give Katie a little extra time to do whatever it was she was attempting.
His hands grew so cold that he could barely feel them at all, telling him his magic had indeed returned. He thrust his palms forward, a cone of frost spewing out from them that worked perfectly. Within seconds the zombies, which had come shuffling out of the building, were frozen solid like grotesque statues.
Moments later, the Outpost burst into flames. For a few seconds, Edward was unsure what had happened to cause the fire, but then remembered about Brian's ability; the one he had used back at Katie's old house. He looked around and quickly located him. Just as he'd thought, Brian was acting the same way, his hands outstretched to the sky, his eyes glazed over, uttering something in a language he couldn't understand.
It became obvious that the fire engulfing the building was of the same type Brian had used at Katie's house. The flames that should have been baking everything within a couple of hundred feet were giving off no heat at all! The zombies outside the Outpost remained encased in ice.
With so much rage built up inside of him, Jack couldn't hold himself back any longer. He leapt forward, slashing his way through the zombie popsicles, shattering them with his powerful claws. The pieces of each zombie that he struck literally exploded on impact, littering the landscape with blood, guts, and body parts. His rampage only lasted for a few minutes, but when he returned to Edward's side there was nothing left standing.
Edward stood in awe, taking in the devastation which his small group had caused in such a short time. He hoped that the destruction of the Outpost would close the portal for good. He resolved to stay here until the building was nothing more than a pile of ash, just to be sure that the zombies would stay safely tucked away back on Earth.
"Hey, stranger. Feel like getting out of here and finding a nice inn somewhere?" Katie teased in a sultry voice.
Edward turned around at the sound of her voice. Apparently, while he was distracted by everything else, she had managed to figure out how to operate the mechanical horse. She smiled down at him from her place in the saddle.
He smiled. "In a little while, perhaps. First, I want to make sure this evil place is destroyed."
Brian and Jack joined them. Together they watched as the burning timbers of the Outpost began to break apart, hoping that the Black Knight was witness to their triumph.
Chapter 2
Jumping down from the mechanical horse, Katie was greeted by an expansive hug from Edward. She closed her eyes and relished the relaxing sound of his heartbeat as she rested her head on his chest.
Sighing deeply, he looked down upon her dark brown hair, shimmering in the glow of the fire from the burning outpost, knowing there was a tremendous age difference between them, but still having the urge to kiss the top of her head. The tender moment was broken as he caught movement from the corner of his eye and quickly gave Katie a light shove so he could prepare himself.
"What the hell?" she asked in confusion.
Edward didn't offer an explanation, but instead corralled her with one arm to a place behind him. A strange light was approaching their position very rapidly from the forest, and after all they had been through lately, he wasn't about to underestimate the potential danger. His hands grew ice cold as he began to concentrate on the most reliable defensive spell in his arsenal.
"I'm not a defenseless child you know," Katie complained, peeking around Edward to see what was happening. At first she was unsure of where to focus her attention, but judging from his reaction he was putting himself between her and whatever threat he perceived. By the time she realized what had startled him into his defensive posture the strange light had slowed its approach enough for her to see what it was.
"What are you doing, Katie? Have you gone mad?" The tone of Edward's voice was nearing panic as he helplessly watched her rush past him just out of his reach, speeding toward the light as fast as her feet would carry her.
Skidding to a stop before the familiar figure she tried to throw her arms around it, but they passed right through, making Katie look as if she were inside of an invisible straightjacket. "Amber! I thought I would never see you again," she exclaimed happily. "Why didn't you follow us through the portal down by the underground river?"
Smiling, she replied, "I missed you, too, Katie! The portal turned to dust as soon as you went inside. I feared I had lost you forever!"
"Come on," Katie motioned with her hand as she turned around. "I'm sure the guys will be thrilled to see you again!"
After a few tense moments Edward began to relax, allowing the brewing spell to dissipate. Watching as Katie turned and walked back toward him, with what he could only assume was Amber right behind her, his lips creased upward in a grin.
Startled slightly by the unexpected hand on his elbow, Edward turned his head to see Brian. "I've got a weird sensation coursing through me. It's not as if I feel the way I did when we were dealing with the zombie horde, but I'm not sure what's causing the hairs on my arms to bristle," Brian said in a confidential whisper.
"Relax, Brian." Edward grinned, patting the hand on his elbow reassuringly. "It
's only Amber."
A confused look caused his brow to crinkle. "Who?"
"I'll introduce you when she gets here," he stated. Moments later, Katie stopped before them.
"What's with the silly grin? Do I have something on my face?" Katie brushed the back of her hand over her mouth, but the expression on Edward's face didn't change.
"No." He laughed. "I am just glad to see I was worrying for no reason. Welcome back! Amber, I would like you to meet our new friend, Brian."
"Thank you," she replied, her voice echoing with an eerie resonance. "It's nice to make your acquaintance, Brian." Amber made a ghostly curtsy in his direction before turning back to the others. "I was afraid I had lost all of you when the portal disintegrated. It felt like you were gone for a very long time." Feeling like the apparition before him was not a threat Brian turned his attention back to the blazing inferno, and continued his vigilant watch to make sure no more surprises came through from his world.
Katie frowned. "We couldn't have been gone more than a week."
"That can't be right. I've watched the moons rise in the night sky at least a dozen times since I watched you disappear."
"Time must pass more swiftly on this world," Edward interjected thoughtfully, hoping Katie wouldn't have another of her meltdowns. He really didn't understand why time differences seemed to fluster her so much. After all, there was nothing any of them could do to change it, so why bother fretting over the small stuff?
Biting her tongue, Katie lapsed into a brooding silence. Seeing the look on Edward's face she could tell he was expecting another outburst from her, but she stubbornly refused to let it slip from her mouth.
When he realized she would remain silent this time, Edward turned back to Amber. "I'm not entirely sure who created the portal you watched us go through, but I can't help feeling like your killer purposely led us toward it hoping we would go through and get trapped on the other side. Speaking of which, have you seen him lurking around?"
"I haven't seen him, per se, but I have noticed a fluctuation in his energy signature," Amber replied.
"I'm not sure I follow your meaning," Edward stated with one eyebrow raised.
"Every person has their own unique life-force, which, if one is inclined and has the ability to do so, can be tracked. Up until a few days ago I could feel this energy in the same manner as I have since he killed me, but something changed. For a short period of time I couldn't feel his presence at all, almost as if he had gone through a portal or been wiped from existence." Amber paused for a moment before continuing, "Starting a few days ago I began to feel it again, but there seemed to be a distinct change in his energy. As I tried to trace his movements, I noticed he appeared to be moving about with inhuman quickness, like he had undergone a radical transformation to that of a vampire or perhaps even a spiritual entity."
"I don't even want to consider either of those possibilities." Katie shivered. "He was bad enough to deal with before, but if he's a supernatural being now I have no idea how we will ever put an end to his madness."
"But you can still track him, correct?" Edward asked.
"I can." Amber grimaced and continued, "The only problem I can foresee is the speed at which he moves now. Sure, I can keep up with him, but in order to do so I would require moving with the same rapidity, which would unfortunately leave all of you far behind."
"You can't just lead us around like you've done in the past?" Edward inquired.
"I could, but there would be no guarantees as to the accuracy of our course," she stated grimly. "For now, I probably could because he seems to be staying in a general area. I can't, however, say how long he will stay there. At times his movements almost seem erratic and indecisive, bordering on being random."
Edward turned his attention from her, momentarily glancing to his right at Brian and the burning outpost. The flames appeared to have grown smaller since their conversation had begun, and he could only hope before the night was over the structure would be reduced to ash. "I'd like to at least stay here until the fire goes out," he told Amber as he spun his head back around to meet her gaze. "Once I'm sure the fire won't spread and the threat of more evil pouring from the portal—which was inside the building—is gone, then we can go."
"I guess that means we're spending the night here then," Katie moaned her displeasure. Clearly, now that she had been reunited with Amber, she was eager to get moving. Katie was still unsure if her friend, Julie, was hidden in some remote location on this world and alive; her glee cut short on the other side of the portal when she had discovered the Julie she had been traveling with was an imposter, a machine covered in a flesh-like substance which merely resembled her lost friend.
"Other than taking turns watching to make sure nothing else comes crawling out of the building, we should be able to get some decent rest for once," Edward said, settling in and making himself comfortable.
"There is that, at least," Katie stated with a half smile.
Chapter 3
The brightness of the morning sun penetrated his closed eyelids and woke him. Stretching his arms above his head, Edward yawned and opened his eyes. Looking down he saw the top of Katie's head nestled on his lap; a tiny damp puddle of drool moistened his robe near her mouth. Trying not to wake her, he slipped a hand beneath her head and attempted to scoot to one side.
"Julie, no!" she screamed, immediately sitting up, her eyes still closed. The sudden loud noise startled Brian and Jack, who sat bolt upright at the sound from where they had been curled up and sleeping on the grass nearby.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, Edward shook her gently. "Katie, wake up. You're dreaming," he said in a soothing voice.
Brian whipped his head around to locate the source of the scream and saw Edward trying to wake Katie.
Standing up, Jack walked over to where they were. "Is she all right?" he inquired, having reverted to his human form at some point during the night.
"I think so. She must have been having a bad dream," Edward replied softly.
"Can we please not talk about me like I'm not here?" Katie mumbled groggily, pushing herself to a sitting position, wiping the drool from the corners of her mouth and yawning.
Edward looked at her and smiled. "Was I correct in assuming you were dreaming?"
"Yeah. Apparently one of your Gods must have thought I hadn't been tortured enough by the things we endured on the other side of the portal. They had to make me relive watching the machine, which I'd thought was Julie, getting ripped to pieces back at my old house. However, in the dream it was the real person, not the replica."
Lines creased Edward's forehead as he considered what she had said. Could the Gods be behind her dreams? Maybe the stress of all she had been put through since coming to Desolace was beginning to wear her down, causing her perception of reality to snap and warp. He couldn't blame her if it was the latter, all he could do was comfort and protect her to the best of his ability.
Standing up and stretching, Katie surveyed their surroundings. The outpost was nothing more than a few tendrils of smoke lazily rising from the charred and ashy remains. Brian was sitting in the grass, vigorously rubbing his face in an attempt to wake himself, almost as if he thought he was dreaming. "Where are your glasses?" Katie inquired when she realized how bare Brian's face looked without them.
Glancing down, he began patting the grass nearby. "I ... I don't know. I seem to have lost them," he replied sadly, then came to the realization that he could see just fine without them. "It's strange. I feel like I can see as well as if they were on my face, maybe even better." He grinned, shrugging his shoulders as he walked over to join the rest of the group.
"It would appear that even though our clothing undergoes a transformation when traveling through portals, some objects are not translated into similar items as we pass through. Your glasses aren't the first casualty of dimensional travel, Brian. We used to have weapons before we entered the realm which we found you in."
Looking up, Katie could
see the frustration written all over Edward's face. She didn't like the look one bit. It told her that he felt things were spiraling out of his control. "What about the town we stayed in a while back? You know, the one which had a bunch of people go missing?" Katie watched his expression for any signs that he was feeling hopeful.
"Loknar?"
"That sounds right." Katie smiled as she caught the hint of a twinkle in the depths of his gray eyes.
"Then what are we waiting for? I'm sure those folks are eager to hear from us," Jack chimed in, trying to keep the mood upbeat.
Glancing from face to face, Edward realized the expectant smiles staring back at him were anticipating his agreement. "What about Amber? Do you think we should wait until it's dark so we don't lose her again?"
"She should be fine, Edward," Katie replied. "I'm sure she will find us easily enough, considering there are no portals involved. Hell, she's probably listening to us right now. Just because we can't see her, doesn't mean she isn't here."
Her argument must have been convincing enough because Katie saw the lines of concern on his forehead begin to relax and melt away, making him look years younger than he had just moments ago. "Dibs," she yelled excitedly, running over to the mechanical horse and hopping into the saddle.
As Katie rejoined the group with her newly acquired mount, Jack looked up at her hesitantly. "Are you sure it's wise to bring that abomination along with us?"
"Relax, Jack." Edward chuckled, clapping him on the back. "We can leave it in the tree line outside of town. Maybe we can obtain saddlebags for it so we don't need to carry all of our belongings around."
"Good point," he sighed. "I guess my grievance was a selfish one."
Edward raised an eyebrow questioningly. "How so?"
"The most vivid memory I have of the beast was watching it stride through my home town with my wife's head suspended from the pommel, displayed like a trophy," he replied, a tear forming in the corner of his eye and trickling down his cheek.
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