Desolace Omnibus Edition

by Lucian Barnes

  Throne of the Gods

  Chapter 1

  As the Black Knight flew southward upon the three-headed monstrosity he had reclaimed from his servant—the younger version of his wayward disciple, George Mancini, who he’d gone back in time to acquire—the wind ruffled his black cloak, the fabric making crisp, snapping sounds in the chilly air just below the clouds. His yellow eyes narrowed, a sinister grin forming on his hideous face. In the distance, a lone spire rose, penetrating the fluffy underbelly of the sky like an enormous erection.

  The gargantuan stone structure was home to the gods, most of which had long since fled to more hospitable planes of existence. For that matter, he wasn’t even sure his father still sat on the throne at the summit of the needle, hidden amongst the billowing clouds that always surrounded the spire. It was something the Black Knight would soon find out. As the metallic beast glided effortlessly toward the massive building, he calculated that he would reach it within the next hour. He couldn’t help but wonder, as he sped through the sky, how much progress his army was making. With the length of time his flight had taken, he figured it would be another day or two before they were at the castle walls below. It wasn’t an ideal timeline, but he supposed it would have to work. At the very least, the Black Knight could implement the rest of his plan while he waited; a scenario he had kept to himself because he didn’t trust any of his lackeys with the information.

  Although he couldn’t make out any of the finer details as of yet, the stone façade of his father’s home began to dominate his vision. The Black Knight gently pushed the control lever—which was mounted to the base of the center neck of his mechanical steed—forward. The machine complied without hesitation, dropping steadily to the warmer, more humid air of the lesser altitude. As the castle walls grew closer and the ground rushed toward him, the Black Knight suddenly had the impression that someone was watching him. After a few seconds, he knew why.

  “What do you want, Ares? Your presence here is not welcomed!”

  His father’s voice rattled through his skull, its booming depth causing the Black Knight to wince. He closed his eyes in an attempt to endure the pain, which bounced through his mind like a pinball. The Black Knight exerted more pressure on the control lever, pushing his metallic mount into a steeper descent. It wouldn’t alleviate the agony of his father’s voice—there was no distance too great, no place to hide once he locked on to his target—but if he could get to the ground, at least he wouldn’t have to fret about falling through the sky like a rock dropped from an airplane. The thought would never have concerned him in the past, but after he’d been stripped of his godhood the Black Knight had no desire to find out if he could survive such a thing. He would feel much safer with his clawed feet firmly standing on solid ground.

  “I know you can hear me,” the irate voice continued. “I never wanted to banish you from your home, but your arrogance and lust for power forced my hand. There is only room for one supreme being on this world, and that is not something I am willing to give up.”

  The Black Knight opened his eyes, just in time to see the ground rushing up to meet him. Quickly adjusting the position of the control lever, he leveled off his descent and smoothly landed on the parched earth. Although he didn’t respond to his father’s tirade out loud, the Black Knight’s hate-filled reply echoed through his mind. "If it weren’t for you, I would never have gone to the lengths I did," he seethed. "I wouldn’t have sought out creatures you have no control over, and invited the greatest of them into my soul. You have no idea what I’m capable of now, old man, but you will find out shortly!"

  “You should leave while you’re still able, and while I’m generous enough to extend you the opportunity!”

  His shriveled lips twisted into a hideous sneer. “It is you who should entertain the notion of leaving, Father,” the Black Knight answered defiantly, the menace in his voice making the very air around him shudder. “Whether you think I’m capable or not, I promise you that the throne you sit upon will be mine before long.”

  The clouds surrounding the pinnacle of the stone tower grew dark, swirling around the tip of the spire like a developing tornado. The Black Knight waited, his eyes drawn to the sky in anticipation, knowing exactly what Zeus was up to. “How dare you threaten me? I brought you into this world, and I can damn sure take you out of it!”

  Ares couldn’t help but chuckle. His father had no clue what, or whom, he was dealing with. He was still under the delusion that his son was the God of War, only without the mantle he’d been stripped of. Sure, that aspect was still part of him, but the demonic entity which was intertwined with his soul now made him an entirely different monster. Part god, and part devil. Zeus was limited in what he could do. He could force his will upon mortals with ease, and even control other gods, but he had no idea what his rejected son was capable of. When the Black Knight had still been known to his underlings as Ares, Zeus probably would have been able to thwart his efforts. That time was long gone now.

  “I think it would be a delightful surprise to see the look on your face as you fail. Your kingdom will fall, and I will watch the world crumble beneath your feet ... right before I claim your throne as my own,” the Black Knight taunted.

  Knowing his father would not take the jibe well, he sidestepped the lightning bolt that lashed toward him from the angry clouds overhead. Instead of striking its intended target, the massive electrical charge slammed into the three-headed machine, sending a shower of sparks cascading to the earth, and smaller streaks of lightning toward the dusty soil like the tentacles of a kraken.

  His lips peeled back in a grin he couldn’t restrain, amused by the ineptitude of his father’s attack. He laughed ruthlessly, suddenly sure that this little game would quickly swing in his favor. This was going to be child’s play. Before Zeus could launch another attempt on his life, the Black Knight summoned three spherical voids, each positioned around him to form a triangle. From within each rift, sounds of battle could be heard. Emanating from one was the clashing of swords and the steady pounding of hooves. Erupting from the second black portal was the near deafening rumble of machines and the intermittent pops of gunfire. The commotion coming from the third void was harder to discern, the noises from the other two portals drowning out what lay on the other side of the last summoned sphere: the distinct clamor of smacking lips and ripping flesh, mixed together with groans and shrieks of agony.

  Chapter 2

  Brian gasped for air as he tried to keep up with the sorcerer, who unlike him rode upon the back of the metallic steed they had acquired at the last outpost. After Julie had darted off into the thick underbrush of the jungle because she felt that their dragon ally, Skarr, had just flown by above the canopy of leaves, they were forced to chase after her. The not so distant memory of the incident near the underground river, in which the young blonde woman had failed to heed Edward’s warning and rushed headlong into the strange telephone booth, weighed heavily on most of their minds. It certainly appeared as if Julie had a knack for getting herself immersed in predicaments which required her to be saved from harm. For lack of a better term, she was reckless. Although, in her defense, the debacle involving the portal that landed everyone in a future filled with zombies upon Earth was not really her fault. The synthetic replica of the young woman took credit for that. Even so, the eerie similarity between Julie and the now defunct cyborg made the situation seem the same.

  As Edward pulled the mechanical horse alongside the running girl, he attempted to reason with her. It was an extremely difficult task considering Julie refused to slow down, or for that matter turn her head in his direction. She just steadily chugged along as if she hadn’t heard a word he said, forcing him to push the control lever forward a tad more so he could position the metal beast in her path. Given the choice between maneuvering around the obstacle or conceding, Julie slowed to an angry walk, scowling at Edward.

  “What the hell?”

  “I know you’re excited, but you can�
�t just take off like that,” Edward scolded. “We need to stay together as much as possible. The last thing I want to happen is for us to get separated. We have an army of machines after us, remember?”

  “Well, if we can find Skarr we’ll all have something to ride. Not to mention that it would get us to the Throne of the Gods faster, or have you suddenly lost interest in saving Katie’s life?”

  “Don’t you think I know what’s at stake?” As hard as he tried, Edward couldn’t stop the angry frown from appearing on his face. His eyebrows dipped down to the point where they nearly touched, making his gaze look like the intense scrutiny of a killer. “Getting Katie to the Throne of the Gods so she can have this curse lifted is one of my top priorities, but making ourselves easy targets for the enemy isn’t going to accomplish anything! If we don’t stick together, we’re taking the risk of being picked off one by one,” he spat, furiously.

  Finally catching up to the rest of them, Brian bent over and placed his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. Keeping pace wouldn’t have been nearly as difficult if it wasn’t so damn hot, evidenced by the steady drops of sweat falling from his saturated hair. “Can we slow down a tad?” he pleaded, raising his weary head to gaze at his comrades in order to see if they’d heard his wheezy inquiry. The hardened look on Julie’s face told him it was the last thing in the world that she wanted to do. The others, though not entirely thrilled with the prospect, at least seemed sympathetic.

  Edward dismounted the metallic beast, being careful not to knock the rapidly aging woman from its back as he swung his leg over. “It’s not much, but you can ride with Katie for a while.”

  Brian straightened his posture and placed a hand on the wizard’s shoulder. “Thank you,” he whispered gratefully.

  Returning his attention to Julie, Edward let out a soft sigh of frustration. “Are you done being willful? I don’t want to be forced to restrain you, especially in light of all you’ve been through, but I will if you don’t agree to follow my instructions.”

  “Fine,” she grumbled. “Just don’t expect me to like it.”

  The defeated expression on the young woman’s face made him feel like a jerk for giving her such a harsh ultimatum. Closing the short distance between them, Edward approached her. He half expected Julie to shy away as he reached toward her. Gently placing two fingers beneath her chin, he tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry for being so hard on you. I hope you understand that it’s nothing personal.” Before a single word came from her mouth, he noticed her eyes were bloodshot and considerably moister than usual. Great! I’ve managed to upset her, probably by using the threat of restraining her. I should have never suggested any type of bondage to keep her in line. I wouldn’t be surprised if she hates me now.

  Julie sniffled. “I realize you’re just trying to do what you think is best for everyone,” she admitted.

  “True, but I could have handled the situation with a little more tact,” he confessed.

  Trying her damnedest to hold back her tears, a hitching sigh escaped her lips.

  ***

  For the next two hours the four of them trudged inexorably forward through the jungle. The growing heat was so oppressive that none of the small party had any interest in expending the energy to talk. It was taking everything they had just to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

  A hint of a breeze filtered through the trees, making the arduous journey mildly more bearable. Edward craned his neck slightly, cocking his head toward the canopy above, in order to relish the brief stirring of air. It was at that moment when he realized there was something vaguely different about their surroundings. Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or are the trees thinning out a bit? He blinked his eyelids rapidly, testing the possibility of the whole idea being nothing more than a mirage. When his view remained constant, he nearly gasped in relief. Upon hearing the sound, his weary friends turned their gazes in his direction.

  “Is something wrong?” the red-haired shaman inquired, sensing a change in his leader’s mood.

  “Not in the least,” Edward replied with a haggard half smile.

  Brian scrutinized the wizard’s expression, attempting to ascertain if the man was being truthful or just telling him what he wanted to hear. “I just thought—” He frowned for a second, temporarily forgetting what he’d been about to say. “Your demeanor seems different,” he concluded, unable to finish his original line of thinking.

  “I’m just feeling relieved. A moment ago, I noticed that the foliage around us appears to be thinning out a bit. I’m truly hoping it’s a sign that this stage of our journey is almost over.”

  As Edward spoke, his traveling companions gazed upon the surrounding area and noted the same thing. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always enjoyed a stroll in the forest to clear my head, but that was before making my first trek into a jungle,” Brian admitted, wiping sweat from his brow. “Right now, I’d like nothing better than to dunk my head in a bucket of ice water.”

  “How far do you think we are from the Throne of the Gods, Edward?” Katie asked, her voice cracking so badly that it almost sounded as if she was on the brink of death.

  “I wish I could give you a definitive answer,” Edward replied glumly. “It could lie nearby, or it might take considerably longer to get there. With the way our luck has run in the past, it’s likely—” He saw the spark of hope go out of Katie’s eyes and couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought. Suddenly, the weight upon his shoulders to get to the Throne of the Gods before she died from old age felt like his castle home had been dropped on him. It almost seemed inevitable that he was going to lose the woman he’d grown to care so much for, despite how their bickering and fights would make their relationship look to an outsider. If it came to that, he wasn’t sure he could lead the group anymore … or have the will to continue fighting the battle, for that matter.

  The implications of Edward’s unfinished sentence resonated in Katie’s mind. He didn’t need to voice his concerns for her to get the picture. Katie got the distinct impression she wasn’t going to survive the trip. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and cry. There was no one to blame for her predicament but herself, knowing that she’d instigated the fairy guardians of the Tree of Life and was now paying the consequences for her folly. Any glimmer of hope that the gods would intervene on her behalf to save her life seemed to have flown out the window. The only thing she felt appropriate now was to accept the hand that fate had dealt her.

  Chapter 3

  In an attempt to keep Zeus preoccupied, the Black Knight disappeared through one of the three portals he’d opened. Although he spent considerable time on the other side of the dimensional rift, only an hour passed on Desolace before he reemerged. When he did, he wasn’t alone. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Within minutes of his arrival, the black void expanded like a mother’s nether region during childbirth and spewed forth column after column of uniformed men. The soldiers alone would hardly cause concern for Zeus, but what followed them out of the portal was surely something the god had never seen before. One by one, German Panzer tanks began to belch forth from the rift, emblazoned with symbols of Nazi Germany on their turrets.

  As the massive army started to take shape, the ranks of men stood at attention and awaited their orders. Once the last man walked through the portal and joined his comrades, the Black Knight directed their focus to the stone spire his father called home. “I want that structure reduced to rubble! Leave no one alive!”

  One of the men, who was apparently the leader, stepped forward and saluted the demonic entity. The Black Knight returned the gesture, then set upon his next task, disappearing into another of the black voids he’d created.

  Once the hideous, robed figure was gone, the men became disoriented. They looked at each other as if they’d just awoken from a bizarre dream. The foreign landscape around them didn’t help matters much, it only reinforced the strange feelings they had. The men knew wh
at they had been tasked to do, that much they remembered, but why they were doing it was beyond their comprehension. They had grown accustomed to imposing their will on their enemies, not being dropped in a seemingly barren wasteland with no other human beings in sight.

  Although he hadn’t the slightest clue why he was doing the Black Knight’s bidding, the German commander figured there was nothing better to do. His men were already starting to break ranks and aimlessly mill around, so he climbed atop one of the tanks in order to make himself more visible and began to bark orders. As he did, dark clouds formed in the sky, blotting out the sun.

  “Walk away from your foolish endeavor, mortals,” Zeus’ voice boomed from the heavens, causing the German soldiers to clamp their hands over their ears and turn their eyes toward the sky. “My son is a fool if he thinks that your pathetic rabble can defeat me!”

  I don’t believe this idiot! Who does he think he is dealing with? Has he not heard of how powerful the Nazi regime is? The commander gazed toward the sky, preparing to hurl insults and scoff at the temerity of his unseen foe, but his mouth remained shut. Overhead, angry thunderheads churned. Lightning bolts zigzagged between the clouds. The telltale sign of forming tornadoes began to dip from the swollen bellies of the blackened sky and the heavens opened up. A torrential downpour rained down on the men, but it wasn’t the only thing. Softball-sized hail was mixed in with the falling liquid, which was coming down so hard that the men couldn’t see the chunks of ice dropping down until they struck the ground at their feet. By then, many of their numbers had already been killed, smitten by the god’s icy wrath. Those who were able fled for the shelter of the tanks, but even those only managed to lessen the casualties slightly. For a brief moment, the metal shells of the vehicles kept them from harm, although the torrent of ice pelted off of the hulls with the resonance of machine gun fire. Then the tornadoes began to touch the ground, the powerful vortexes tossing the tanks through the air like a child’s toys. When Zeus felt the humans would no longer be a threat, he calmed the swirling maelstrom and allowed the machines to fall back to the ground.