“I don’t know how,” the Black Knight growled, drawing George’s attention to one of the three massive heads of his steed.
Is he speaking through the machine?
“And you need not concern yourself with those details. Find them! When you do, let me know so I can inform my army of their whereabouts.”
Hearing the Black Knight’s final instructions brought about a sudden shift in George’s demeanor, relaxing as he realized that what he had seen yesterday was not an ill-conceived attempt at deception, but rather the muscle to ensure the destruction of the humans he was looking for.
With his mind at ease about yesterday’s events, George questioned the demon about the nearly fatal incident of the previous evening. “Do you have any idea what was chasing me through the sky last night?”
“Probably an illusion cast by the wizard. You must have been close to discovering their position.”
“Excuse me? I hardly believe it was a spell. I felt like I was being chased by a flamethrower with wings. It maintained pursuit far beyond my initial contact with it. If it were an illusion, as you suggest, it would have vanished into thin air when it reached a certain distance from the spell caster.” He hoped he was right. The only thing he based his comment on was the years he had spent playing Dungeons & Dragons as a kid.
The ensuing growl that emanated from one of the three heads of his steed warned George of the demon’s growing impatience. “Is this mythical beast still visible?”
“It was still circling overhead when I fell asleep last night, but it appears to be gone now.”
“Then, quit worrying about something that isn’t there! Grow some balls and do your damn job!”
“Fine,” George spat, suddenly wishing he could sever the mechanical head the demon was speaking through.
“Don’t get testy with me, boy! Remember your place! You are a fly upon this insignificant shit pile you call life, and I’m the flyswatter! Cross me and you will regret it for the rest of your miserable life!”
***
After refusing to dignify the Black Knight’s threats with a response, George had paced back and forth for the last two hours, wearing a trenched groove in the earth beneath the pine needles he had slept upon. Muttering to himself, his eyebrows furrowed so deeply they became one with each other, making him look like a Neanderthal. His eyes narrowed to slits, as he began plotting his vengeance against the demon who sought to control him. His thoughts were muddled at first, but as he stalked the area around his mount like a crazed bird on the track of a cuckoo clock, an idea began to form.
The Black Knight had mentioned an army sent to destroy the humans George was looking for. What if, after I find the group and relay the information back to him so he can notify his forces on where to concentrate their attack, he decides to turn his legions on me? And, what if I were to convince his own minions to retaliate against their master after dispatching the humans? Is it even possible to persuade them with their own freedom? To no longer have a master other than themselves?
Stopping beside his three headed mount, George patted the nearest neck with a wicked grin. There was only one way to find out. Since the Black Knight had not seen the thing which chased him through the sky last night, he was relatively sure there was no way he could see what he was about to do. Even though there still appeared to be a few hours of daylight left, George mounted his metallic steed and took to the air.
An hour later, his search yielded results. Far below him was the obvious swath of destruction caused by the Black Knight’s enormous army, looking like an elongated, filthy penis wearing a shiny, metal condom. Even from this height, George could tell the legion of machines likely numbered in the thousands. For that matter, there could be hundreds of thousands. The cloud of dust and debris rising from the marching column acted like a shroud of fog. George was fairly certain the haze below was no accident, but rather a means to mask the true size of the regiment.
Deciding to move in for a closer inspection before making actual contact, George pushed the control lever forward about halfway, sending his mount into a swooping dive. Once he was near enough to make out finer details on the large, troll-like machines bringing up the rear of the column, he allowed the lever to snap back into its original, upright position. Circling the large assemblage of machines like a hawk scouting its prey, he scanned the masses in search of a leader.
Having suspected for a short time that the Black Knight himself might be leading the army, George was pleasantly surprised to find his initial suspicions had been wrong. Instead of the cloaked demon at the head of the column, there was a wispy, nearly insubstantial, ghost-like form. When he’d lain eyes on it the first time, he had thought it to be a dusty mirage. Now that he was closer, he knew that it wasn’t the case. There’s something different about this ghost, though. When I’m outside of the confines of a body during the daylight hours, I’m invisible to the naked eye. This one is not. It almost looks like a human, shaped from the vapors of fog. Substantial enough that I can’t see through it, but constantly shifting its appearance as if it were no more real than a puff of smoke.
George continued to circle the massive force, careening through the air like a fighter pilot, skimming just above the treetops. After a few minutes, he realized the haze surrounding the machines was thinning. They stopped! If his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, the entire metallic army had raised their heads to the sky, looking at him. For a brief moment, he was worried. Thoughts of laser beams, bursting from their eye sockets and blasting toward him, weighed heavily on his mind. After a few tense seconds, nothing happened, and he scoffed at himself for being foolish. This ain’t a fucking Star Trek movie, dumb ass!
Testing a theory, he dipped his steed lower still, zipping over their heads at a height he assumed would be out of reach of the giant machines at the rear of the column. The massive creatures made no move to attack him, and none of the smaller mechanisms seemed to stir either. It was almost as if someone had flicked a switch and turned the entire field of metallic sentinels off. As George flew closer, tempting fate should he be wrong about the intentions of the machines or their leader, he was amazed by the overwhelming variety of creatures represented in the army. It was like getting a sneak peek into a futuristic zoo. As amusing as that might sound, though, he had no desire to attempt petting any of the formidable beasts. For that matter, even though the mass of metal below him looked docile right now, he wasn’t even entertaining thoughts of landing his steed. After all, it could be a trick; a way to lull him into their web of deceit. No, thank you. I’ll keep my happy ass up here in relative safety.
Spotting the hazy form of the apparent leader again, which was easier now that the dust cloud had settled, George maneuvered his three headed mount toward the head of the column. Hovering in the air a few feet above Verin, an echoing, hollow voice greeted him.
“You seem familiar,” the formless one intoned with a curious cock of his head. “Do I know you?”
“I’ve never met you before. My name is George.” At the mention of his name, the ghostly form below him seemed to shift its stance. If he wasn’t mistaken, the creature appeared agitated by his revelation. “And, who might you be?”
“I am Verin,” he spat in disgust. Isn’t this the same asshole that the Black Knight sent me to destroy? He’s supposed to be dead! “I am the Black Knight’s second in command, and the leader of his armies.” He studied George’s reaction to his announcement, wondering how the man’s corpse could be so lively.
Appearing to reflect on Verin’s words, George frowned and rubbed his chin. “I, too, am working for the same entity,” he admitted. “Perhaps we have the same goals and can help each other.”
“Me … help you?” Verin scoffed at the notion. “If you are truly one of my master’s disciples you can aid me, but I will not return the favor. Too many of the Black Knight’s supposed followers have their own hidden agendas and I will not tolerate being deceived.”
“Let me assure yo
u, I have no such intentions,” George lied. “I believe we have been tasked with similar missions. Perhaps, if I can help you accomplish your goals, you can put a good word in for me with the Black Knight.”
Though he tried his best, Verin could not hide his amusement. “How do you propose to do that?” The formless demon laughed at the audacity of the mortal.
“Well, it seems to me that your army is restricted to the ground. I, however, am not.” He gestured to his mount. “I can serve as a scout and help you locate your objective.”
“What makes you think that we need your so-called help?”
“I’m not implying that you do, but I know it would speed up your search. If nothing else, my services would help keep you on track to your target instead of blindly blundering through the forest and hoping you find the nuisance you were tasked to destroy.” When the ghost-like form below him did not immediately reply, George knew he had finally struck a cord and shown his potential value to the army.
“Fine,” Verin sighed after a minute’s hesitation. “Don’t you dare cross me, though. I will turn this army on you in the blink of an eye if you give me a single reason to doubt your sincerity.”
Chapter 25
After receiving the disturbing news from Kronos and Kieron, Edward and Katie returned to the campfire to relay the information to their friends. At first, Brian and Julie had trouble digesting the disclosure. Especially when they considered the source the report had come from. A talking, two-headed fish? Julie remembered the fish stories her father used to tell her when she was young, but this seemed completely outrageous. Once the idea of a creature like that being real began to set in, her initial disbelief wavered. This isn’t Earth. I’ve seen some pretty strange things on this world, so who’s to say what is and is not possible here?
Nervously, the four of them discussed their options. Though the flames of the fire between them warmed their skin, none of them were immune to the shivers and goosebumps that erupted across their flesh. If what Edward told them was true, they had to do something to throw their enemies off their trail for a while. At the very least to buy time for an escape. Preferably someplace not on this crazy world, Julie thought.
Once the awful reality of what lay ahead of them began to sink in fully, grim expressions adorned their faces as the shadows created by the firelight danced over their features. Not one of them dared to speak their mind, fearing that if they voiced their thoughts it would be like setting out the welcome mat for their own demise. The silence of the night air around them grew, thickening like a suffocating blanket of dense fog.
Their thoughts were heavy with the sense of impending doom, and sleep did not come easily for any of them. Even so, they eventually succumbed to slumber’s embrace one by one because of their weariness, though it was far from restful. Nightmarish visions of being tortured and ripped apart by unseen tormentors plagued them, the disturbing images flickering across the insides of their eyelids like the previews of horror movies.
About an hour after drifting off, the resonance of a distant crash in the forest startled Katie awake. Disoriented, she sat up and rubbed her eyes with the back of a hand, wincing when she realized she was doing so with her broken extremity. I really wish this damn thing would hurry up and heal. When the sound did not immediately repeat, she began to wonder if it had been part of her dream. A minute went by, then two. Just as she was about to dismiss the noise as part of a nightmare and lay down again, another thud erupted in the distance.
Panic surfaced in her mind as Kronos’ warning blotted out all other thoughts. Glancing nervously around the dying embers of the campfire, Katie looked to see if any of the others had heard what she had. Though their features were contorted by the nearly non-existent light, making it impossible to tell for certain if any of their eyes were open, she surmised that she was the only one awake. None of her companions so much as twitched.
As she was about to reach out and shake Edward’s blanket, she caught movement from the corner of her eye. Turning toward it, Katie almost cried out in relief. A ghostly form was rapidly approaching through the barren wasteland of hibernating trees, and somehow she knew it was Amber. It had been what seemed like forever since the last time Katie had seen her, and suddenly she felt like she’d never been happier to see someone in her life. Well, other than when she had found Julie, that is.
When the specter stopped before her, the ghostly form pulsated as Katie had witnessed many times in the past. Normally, Amber’s strobing effect was caused by fear. “You have to get out of here,” she warned. “There is a massive army of machines heading this way, and unbelievably enough … the bastard who killed me is leading the charge.”
Katie’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. “I—I thought he was dead,” she stammered, the sound of alarm in her voice waking her sleeping friends.
“I thought so, too, but I know what I saw. I can’t explain it. I’ve seen his essence roaming around, as if he were in the same predicament I’m in, but …”
“But, what?” Katie inquired, more confused than ever.
“If he really is a spirit, he has learned how to possess the living. The thing that makes it even creepier is the body he now resides in. It looks just like his old body, but somehow it’s younger in appearance.”
“What is all the commotion about?” Edward sat up groggily, still swaddled in his blanket. When his eyes focused on Amber’s glowing form, he wasn’t sure whether to be happy or frightened. It seemed like every time he saw the ghostly woman that something really bad was looming on the horizon, usually involving a grievous injury or death.
“Amber came to warn us. She confirmed what Kronos and Kieron told us earlier, and after what I heard a few minutes ago I think we need to get the hell out of here as soon as possible,” Katie remarked, turning to face the sorcerer.
As quickly as Amber had shown up in their camp, it had taken Brian a few moments for his senses to alert him to her presence. When the sensation finally registered in his brain, he sat straight up as if he had been poked with a cattle prod. Though his shamanic ability was telling him there was no immediate threat to his wellbeing, or to his friends, he spun his head around toward the intruder. He relaxed slightly when he saw Amber’s familiar face. The same couldn’t be said for Julie, who fainted at the sight of their ghostly visitor, remembering all too well the trouble she had gotten herself into when she was back on Earth after being visited by the ghost.
The intense look upon Katie’s face quickly evaporated the haze of sleep from Edward’s brain. “So, if Kronos, Kieron, and Amber are correct about the danger we are in, we need to figure out a course of action. Something that will keep us safe, but at the same time give us a chance to rid the world of the pestilence that these machines carry with them,” he stated thoughtfully, glancing from face to face and hoping for someone to have an idea of some sort. “I’m open to suggestions,” he added when his comments were greeted with silence.
“I’ve got nothing,” admitted Brian. “I may be great at detecting the presence of evil, but the best I could do is advise you that going in a certain direction would be a bad idea.” He offered a tight-lipped smile to them that looked more like a grimace of pain.
“I wouldn’t call that nothing. Your counsel is always welcome and appreciated,” Edward remarked.
“I’m not sure why, but I’ve been feeling a pull of sorts since encountering the younger version of my tormentor,” Amber confided.
“Where is this pull telling you that you should go?” Katie questioned, her eyes returning to the ghost’s pulsating glow.
Hesitantly, Amber lifted a nearly transparent finger and pointed toward the southwest.
“Well, I can’t speak for everyone else, but if you’re leading us away from the army of machines heading this way, I say it’s as good a plan as any.” Katie smiled weakly. “So, when do we leave? First thing in the morning, or would we be putting ourselves in danger by waiting that long?”
“In my opinion, we s
hould leave as soon as possible. Preferably, now,” Amber replied in a grave tone that said she would like nothing more than to distance herself from the menace with the haste of a fleeing rabbit.
Edward seemed lost in thought for a moment. As much as I despise rushing off into the darkness, especially toward places I’ve never been before, I doubt Amber would lead us astray. She never has in the past, and she’s given us no indication that she has been influenced by other forces. “Let’s gather our things and get moving, then.” Edward sighed, suppressing a yawn.
***
The first light of Dawn was creeping onto the horizon. Their progress over the last few hours had seemed slow, all things considered. Normally, when Amber led the way, they covered a lot of ground, but the thick foliage hampered their traveling speed to what almost felt like a crawl. Even so, they had put a comfortable amount of distance between themselves and the approaching army. The distant crashing noises were far less menacing now, the sounds carrying to their ears like a gentle rustling of leaves.
With a sigh of despair, Katie realized they wouldn’t have Amber’s guidance for much longer. When the sun rose a little higher she would vanish from sight.
“What’s wrong?” Edward halted the mount he and Brian shared and turned to regard Katie.
Instead of responding verbally, she pointed toward the rising sun and nodded her head toward Amber. It seemed to take a few seconds for her implication to register in the wizard’s weary mind, but she soon saw in his eyes that he understood. “What do you want to do after sunrise? The last thing I want to do is hang out here all day, waiting for Amber to reappear, and give those machines a chance to catch up to us,” Katie remarked.
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