Desolace Omnibus Edition

by Lucian Barnes

  Moving demurely for a synthetic being, the woman crossed the room with her package and laid it at his feet. "The bones you requested, My Lord," she stated in a voice which was clearly not feminine, presumably that of the minion in control of her. She knelt at the base of his throne with her head bowed as the woman waited for the Black Knight to inspect her gift.

  Bending forward, he picked up the blanket and placed it in his lap, then began unfolding the edges as if he were a child opening a present. His grin faltered slightly as he pulled back the first flap and saw the condition of the remains. Snapping his head up, he glared at the woman kneeling before him. "What have you done to these bones? Perhaps you think you can trick me by bringing me the skeleton of someone you dug up? Fool!"

  Her head whipped viciously to the side as his bony hand connected with it in a tremendous, back-handed blow which would have sent a mortal flying across the chamber. "I did no such thing," she protested, turning her head back but not daring to meet his penetrating gaze. "I did exactly as you asked."

  "These bones look too old and degraded to be the ones I commanded you to bring to me," he hissed.

  "I removed them from the tree he was lashed to when he died. They couldn't possibly belong to anyone else," she argued.

  The strumming of his fingers on the arm of his chair made a maddening, clicking sound, which reminded her of the army of beetles that had consumed the flesh from the man's body before she had so delicately wrapped them inside the blanket. It's impossible for the bones to belong to anyone else! The blanket never left my sight!

  "Why do they look as if they're a hundred years old then?" A low growl formed in his throat as his rage quickly began to boil over.

  "I don't know why they look like that, but I swear to you ... I followed your orders to the letter. Now you need to uphold your end of the bargain. I demand that you release me from your service!"

  "You demand?" Quickly he rose to his feet, grasping the woman by the neck, tightening his bony fingers around her throat and lifting her from the ground. With her face inches from his own, the Black Knight's face twisted into a hideous snarl. "How dare you demand anything from me, you insolent worm," he snapped.

  Dashing the woman to the ground, the Black Knight raised a leg and stomped his foot down on her head, twisting his claw-like toenails through her synthetic flesh. By the time he was finished, the being before him was nothing more than a mangled hunk of metal plates, exposed wires, and bloody tissue, looking much like something that had been placed in an enormous meat grinder.

  Turning, the Black Knight swept the blanket and bones from his throne as if they were useless to him now and sat down heavily, spinning the ornate chair to face the monitors in hopes of finding something upon their screens to brighten his foul mood.

  Chapter 18

  Travel was slower than what he'd recently become accustomed to, but George was determined to test the capabilities of his new body. It had taken several days to reach the city of Elysia, throughout which time he knew he was being followed. For whatever reason, and he was about to find out, there was another spirit tracking his movements.

  Standing in the shadows, created by the small grove of elms on the outskirts of town, he spun around to face the other spirit in hopes of catching it off guard.

  Amber shrieked and quickly fled behind a tree when she saw the glowing red eyes turn her way.

  "I know you're there," George tried to say, hoping to coax the ghost from her hiding place, but his voice sounded strange coming from the lips of the cyborg, containing a hollow resonance which was nothing like his true voice.

  Could I be following the wrong creature? Did he trick me somehow to keep me off his trail? Amber peeked from behind the tree, wondering if she should question the machine. "I'm sorry, sir. I thought you were someone else," she stammered nervously.

  "Who did you believe I was?" George asked, raising an eyebrow curiously and slowly moving toward Amber, hoping not to startle her.

  "I ... I thought you were," she nearly whispered, her glowing form beginning to pulsate when she realized he was moving toward her. Unconsciously, Amber began to drift backwards, attempting to maintain a safe distance.

  Studying her face as he closed in on her, George began to get the impression he knew this woman from somewhere, but where? It was only a few moments before the memory clicked into place within his mind. She does know me! I killed her back on Earth! The cyborg's mouth twisted into a grin.

  Seeing a shift in the creature's demeanor, his eyes appearing to flash brightly for just a second, but long enough for Amber to come to the realization she had been right all along. It is him! Shit! Within an instant she turned and fled, gliding through the darkness as rapidly as spiritually possible. I have to find the others and warn them!

  His howling laughter echoed madly through the trees as he watched the woman quickly vanish before his eyes. I doubt she'll be back, he thought, turning his attention back to the fabled city of Elysia, recalling how the Black Knight had once referred to it as the greatest city on Desolace. "Not for long," he whispered menacingly to the sleeping town. "Not for long." After all, they can't kill me. I'm already dead! Laughing maniacally, George headed for the closest building at the city's edge.

  Standing before the door, he took a brief glance around and was encouraged by the fact he didn't see any guards. Rapping quickly as if he were a caller with some urgent business, George waited a few seconds before knocking again.

  A light flickered in one of the windows, silhouetting a man's haggard face. The sound of the door being unlatched was followed by a soft creak as it was cracked open. "Yes? What is it?" the elderly man croaked.

  "I just wanted to invite you to your funeral," George replied in a harsh whisper, pushing the door open so hard it slammed into the wall behind it.

  "My what?" the man asked in alarm, his eyes opened so wide it made him appear bug-like.

  Clamping a hand on either side of his skull, George pushed inward as if he were clapping. The man's head exploded from the pressure, splattering everything close by in bits of bloody tissue and bone. "Your funeral." He laughed, amused by the ease of the kill. Apparently I have super strength now. This is going to be fun!

  Testing the theory, George balled his hand into a fist and punched the door. The impact didn't splinter it to pieces as he'd hoped for, but there was now a sizeable hole in the center of the thick, wooden panel.

  Spinning around on his heel, he noticed the candle the old man had brought to the door lying on its side upon the floorboards, a tiny flame still sputtering from its wick. Plucking it from the ground, he carried it over to the closest window and set the curtains ablaze before tossing the candle aside and exiting the house.

  Feeling invincible, he glanced up the cobblestone road, smiling as he considered the destruction he could cause before the town could even begin to mount a defense against him.

  Chapter 19

  By late afternoon they had found the old man's cabin, though when Edward knocked upon his door it appeared that the gentleman wasn't home. Looking confused, he turned to the others and shrugged his shoulders.

  "Maybe he's off peddling his crops somewhere," Katie suggested.

  "I suppose it's possible," he admitted. "Though I don't know where he would do such a thing. Haven is abandoned and no longer an option for him, and I don't recall any other small towns being nearby."

  "Well, his cart is missing so it seemed like the most logical explanation," she pointed out.

  "The only town, besides Haven, that I know of which he could have been headed for is Elysia. Seems an awfully long way to go to sell vegetables, don't you think?"

  Jack and Brian sat quietly, watching their exchange, heads turning from one to the other as if they were spectators at a tennis match. Neither one had the slightest clue who they were discussing and with the way both Edward and Katie's tempers had been lately they weren't about to ask.

  "Either there's a town around here you don't know about o
r he's headed for Elysia."

  "Well, we sure didn't pass any small towns before finding this hut the first time and we traveled for nearly a week on horseback to get here from the place we met, which was a few hours ride from the outskirts of Elysia." He sighed, hoping this wasn't the start of yet another argument.

  She rubbed her forehead and eyes briefly, attempting to massage the first stirrings of a headache, likely brought on by her rising blood pressure. I don't know why he feels the need to contradict everything I say lately. "Whatever," she grumbled.

  Sensing that she was biting her tongue, Edward turned to the others. "We are heading west from here, gentlemen. Let's get moving," he stated, purposely avoiding eye contact with Katie.

  Spinning his horse around, he moved away from the shack at a casual pace, listening for the stomp of metal hooves. Katie watched Brian steer his beast to follow Edward and reluctantly fell in behind. Where the hell is Amber? I could really use someone to talk to. Preferably another female and not a bullheaded man like Edward.

  When he heard the heavy steps of the mechanical horses begin to follow him, Edward slowly picked up the pace, hoping to cover as much ground as possible before nightfall.

  They hadn't been underway for more than an hour before he brought his horse to a sudden stop just after entering a large clearing. It was difficult to tell from this distance, but to him there were only two explanations for what he was seeing. Either there were thunderheads building on the horizon to the west or it was smoke billowing up from a wildfire. The darkness hung in the sky like a giant, black blanket. From what he could tell it was drifting toward them, coming from the direction of Elysia. "That can't be good," he mumbled.

  "Why are we ..." Katie began to ask before noticing the dark cloud in the distance. "Nevermind. Looks like we may need to find some shelter soon. Seems like that's a wicked storm headed our way."

  "I can only hope those are rain clouds," Edward remarked. "I don't even want to think about the alternative."

  What the hell is he mumbling about? What alternative? "Are we retreating to the forest or pushing on?" Katie asked, trying to keep the frustration from showing in her voice.

  Taking a quick glance into the distance, he surmised they could make it across the open field in an hour or two, giving them plenty of time to reach the next stretch of woods before the storm began. If, indeed, those were rain clouds and not smoke. "I think we can make it across this open span and find cover in the next forest." He pointed with a thin smile spread across his face, almost as if he didn't really want to make the journey.

  His horse was still breathing heavily when he nudged its flanks with his boots to get the animal moving again but even so it complied, bounding off to the west at a full gallop. Side by side, the two metallic steeds scrambled after Edward, their legs flailing the ground with amazing speed and agility. If it weren't for the wind rushing through her hair, and the rhythmic pounding of the hooves, Katie might have dreamt she was riding some sort of futuristic hovercraft, gliding effortlessly through the air. However, when she looked down, she was reminded of an enormous cartoon spider scrambling through its web to get to the bug on the other side, which oddly enough bore a large human face attached to its tiny, fly body. The idea was so absurd that Katie burst into laughter, earning her a befuddled look from Brian.

  As they rapidly approached the next line of trees, the sun was beginning to drop below the horizon to usher in the night. Even though the dark cloud was no longer visible, Edward still seemed nervous, almost to the point of panic. Jumping down from the horse's back, he quickly secured the reins to a low hanging branch and approached the others. "Before you get down, please move those monstrosities next to each other," he instructed them. "As close as possible," he added.

  "Why?" Brian looked at him questioningly with a raised brow.

  "Personally, I think those beasts should be torn apart and used to create something less malevolent, but perhaps they can at least provide us with a little shelter from the weather if it is truly a storm headed our way," Edward replied.

  "So, we are going to huddle up beneath them? That's your master plan for shelter?" Katie asked sarcastically, unable to keep her mouth shut.

  "Do you have a better idea?" he spat as his nerves gave way to frustration and anger. Why does it always feel like she's trying to pick a fight with me?

  "No," she sulked.

  As Katie, Brian, and Jack dismounted and took their places beneath the mechanical horses, Edward considered the saddlebags draped over his horse's back for a moment. Deciding the thick leather of their outer flaps would keep most of the moisture from damaging the goods inside if it happened to rain, he turned and noticed the nervous glances passing between the other men.

  Crouching down to take a position near Katie, he turned his head as Brian spoke. "You two aren't going to start arguing again, are you? It would be nice to get a little shut-eye and it will be impossible if you can't be civil to each other for a while." Glancing into Edward's eyes, he hoped he hadn't made the situation worse by bringing it up.

  "I apologize for the way I've been acting lately. I don't know why I've been so agitated since we've returned," he whispered, hanging his head in shame.

  "Me, too. Sorry guys," Katie added before turning to face Edward. "I've been kind of a bitch to you since we got back, but I never really thought about why I was acting like that. I guess part of me is upset about being dragged into this mess."

  Nodding his head gravely, he looked at her through the blur of his moist eyes. "You were forced to grow up before you were ready, to take on responsibilities that nobody your age should be burdened with. I blame myself for all the pain you feel. Had I ignored what the elders told me to do and found my traveling companions here on Desolace, instead of gathering people from your world, you would never have had to face the things you have."

  Scooting closer to him, she lifted his chin with her fingers, forcing him to look at her. "You may be right about growing up too fast, but I don't regret the time I've spent here, or with you," Katie said softly.

  "Now kiss and make up," Brian joked, glad the two of them were burying the hatchet and not in each others' heads.

  Laughing, Katie swatted at him. "Smart ass!" When she turned back to face Edward, she hesitated. Am I crazy? I could swear the look in his eyes is telling me he really does want to kiss me. "But I will give him a hug," she said, wrapping her arms around Edward. As she pressed tightly against him, Katie could feel his heart quicken. Though it was strange to her because of the age difference between them, she allowed the embrace to linger, partly because in that very moment she felt something she never had before ... love.

  Closing her eyes to relish the moment, Brian startled her with a shout seconds later. "Holy crap!" Opening her eyes and turning her head to see what the fuss was about, Katie jumped when she saw Amber nervously pulsating nearby.

  Happy to see her ghostly friend again, Katie got up so fast she hit her head on the underside of the metallic beast she'd been using for cover. Rubbing the top of her head, she approached the spirit who was obviously agitated. "What's wrong, Amber?"

  "We were too late," she moaned.

  "For?"

  "His soul roams free because we couldn't obtain his bones for a proper burial, and now his corrupt spirit has infested the shell of another, bringing it back to life and using its body like an evil puppet master."

  "Are you talking about Mr. M?" Katie's mouth hung open in shocked disbelief as Amber nodded.

  "I couldn't do anything to stop him on my own. Only a priest can extract his essence from the body he now possesses and send it to Hell, where it belongs," Amber said, nervously glancing over her shoulder as if she expected George to be right behind her.

  At the mention of a priest, Brian whipped his head around. "Are you talking about an exorcism?"

  "Yes."

  "I ... I've never performed one before, and I'm not sure I could even do it properly. I don't have the text with me, either,"
he confessed sadly.

  "You must find a way. Unless I am mistaken, you are the only one who can take care of this. The only thing any of the others will be able to do is hold him down while you do your work," Amber insisted.

  Brian sighed heavily. "Where is he now?" he asked, hoping the malevolent being wasn't nearby. He needed time to prepare ... to think.

  "In a large city west of here." Amber pointed in the direction they had seen the ominous dark cloud earlier.

  "That's Elysia!" Edward shouted in panic, jumping to his feet and narrowly avoiding hitting his head on the belly of the mechanical creature, running to his horse and untethering it from the tree. Hopping onto its back, he waved at the others impatiently. "Come on! We have to go!"

  "I still think we should try to rest for a little bit," Katie pleaded, reluctantly climbing into the saddle of her metallic steed. "I'm sure we are all exhausted and could really use a little sleep. We'll be like the walking dead by the time we get there if we don't, and somehow that seems more dangerous."

  "We have Amber with us again. We should take advantage of that fact," Edward retorted. "Besides, I'm sure we will have to stop again to rest my horse by the time daylight creeps back into the sky."

  Pulsating like a strobe light in slow motion, Amber waited for the others to be ready. Once everyone was saddled up, she began gliding in the direction of Elysia. It took her a few minutes to match her speed to that of the horse Edward was riding, which refused to travel any faster than a slow canter even though he kept trying to prod it into a full gallop, and maintain a suitable distance in front of them.

  Grumbling to herself as she chased after them, Katie was thankful for the smoother ride the mechanical beast offered. Although, she did wish there was a way to put the creature on auto-pilot so she could get some sleep.

  Chapter 20