by Bob Dattolo
I sank it all into the throne, and it began to heat up beneath me. I could feel it, it’s so much heat, but it didn’t burn me even though it wanted to. The heat doesn’t know anything other than to burn. It doesn’t matter who or what it burns…yet it was held at bay while the power ramped up.
I couldn’t help screaming with the additional outlay, which pushed the heat into the white-hot category, sending rays of light out into the room and illuminating the ceiling far, far above. It’s carved and painted…and it’s an homage to me. To death. To the goddess of death. Every creature seemed to be represented there. Everywhere I looked, I could see masterfully crafted works of art, all dedicated to me. It touched me and brought tears to my eyes, which had me sending out even more magic and making the huge room quiver and quake.
After some unknown amount of time, the outlay of magic flowed to a stop as the chair…shifted.
I now sat in a masterwork throne that is even now sending magic out through every conduit. Pings and answers to the pings started going out in a massive starburst around me…and I felt them come online.
I started laughing at around 10,000 beings opening their eyes. I was outright hysterical as the 100,000th woke up.
In the end, I only waited another half hour or so as bodies began funneling into the throne room. I can feel that they already know that they all can’t come here in time. I am leaving shortly, but more want to see me. To be in my presence. I knew that they’d all come through the throne room at some point. It’s a physical representation of my power, and they can feel me here.
Do you want to know what else they can do?
They can pray.
I thought the connection with Mom when she held a skull was strong. It was so loud…yet when the first voice reached me it’s as if they were inside my head, sharing space. Then they each connected one by one, and I fell to my knees at feeling their love. Their devotion. They each received a golden shaft of light from me, and it’s that connection that began to surge power into me. Every rising wave rocked me back more, until I felt like a battered coast with a storm brewing. It was so powerful that it physically moved me across the floor as I struggled to fight against it.
The massive ent lifted his head, “My…my queen. Accept it. Accept us.”
Accept it? Us? I thought I was?
Except I’m not. Him calling it out makes it clear that I’m receiving it, but not accepting it.
So be it.
I took a deep breath and braced myself as I grasped huge invisible door handles, one in each hand…then I opened the barriers in my head wide open.
And I was blown away.
Chapter 16
So much…so much power. Every prayer added a tiny bit to the overall wave, but with so many sending their love, it’s like a volcano in my brain. My wells of power were destroyed instantly, and new ones were being formed that I can’t even estimate the size of. And even with that, they strain and bulge from the influx of joy and love from my people.
Which I radiate back to them.
Eventually, I fought my way back to the room, finding that I’m once again held aloft on the beings I rode in on. We’re heading back to the surface and to life. Back to the world. Back to Mom and Melissa.
Good. This is heady stuff, but I need something normal.
Mom and my friend were pretty much exactly where they were before, and they looked just as freaked out as I expected them to. Or feared they would.
Mom girded up with her armor and sword again as we approached. Mom, goddess of battle, just as I am your follower and you are my leader, my people are also followers. They follow me, they will follow you. While the city of the dead is a peaceful place, we will not allow our enemies to survive. For that to happen, we need the best possible leader in times of war.
I let it go at that as my people felt the call to Mom…and piggybacked on my prayer to her. I could tell when she felt their individual pleas. They may not be at war, but so many connections are bound to strengthen her.
My people stopped and set me down, bowing to me again. I returned it and hit them all with a shaft of light.
“I will return at times. Please reach out to me if I’m needed before then. You all know how to reach me.”
That got a chuckle from the group, which I appreciated. They’re starting to come a bit more online and aren’t quite so staid and level now. “My queen.”
The massed response from them had me smiling as I raised my arms, “My people!” I hit them with just a massive wash of golden light, making some of them tear up before they turned to head back into the city. They have a lot of work ahead of them. They have a city to build. And run. And lives to live.
Yes, they’re dead, sort of, but they still have lives to live.
Mom lost her armor and sword while my back was turned, although Melissa looked the same.
“So…now what?”
She blinked at me a few times, “You, uhh, you know you’re still dead, right?”
That had me looking down, “Huh…oh yeah. Sorry.” With a bit of concentration, I felt for the connection inside myself…and shoved a bit of power into it.
My heart surged as it began to beat, and I gulped down a deep breath. I guess I hadn’t been breathing all that much before. No need to, so…yeah. Being a zombie is kind of weird if you ask me. You didn’t, but I’ll still tell you that. It’s very weird.
Melissa fell onto her butt, staring at me in shock, “How the fuck…how…fuck…how…you…?”
Mom shook herself and looked me up and down, “That’s…I hate to say it, but Melissa sums up my thoughts exactly.”
Looking down, I smiled and flexed my hands. I no longer look like a concentration camp survivor. “That’s too cool. I have no idea why there’s such a difference between dead and alive. I mean, a freshly dead body doesn’t look like I did. I have no idea why that’d be the case now.”
Mom laughed, “That’s all you have to say for yourself?”
I cocked my head at her and smiled, “All? No. I’m staaarving. We should also probably tell King Jarrah that the city of the dead is awake, finally.”
She nodded slowly, “We probably should…are you…well? Are you healed?”
I smiled and opened a portal to her room in the castle, “I’m healed. It seems that having so many connections with the dead is very restorative to the average goddess of death.”
She snorted, “I can only imagine.”
“Riiight. Only imagine? You didn’t gain anything?”
She smirked, “I gained some. Not as much as you, but then again, we’re not at war at the moment. If we ever have to take the city to war? I envision being far more powerful than I am right now.”
“Good. Good. I like the sound of that.”
Melissa was still on her butt as I reached down and grabbed her hand, “Come on, let’s get back to the castle. Do we have everything we came with?”
Mom laughed, “We do. We had some special help in getting here, but they rather left when the undead dragons descended on us.”
That…had to be freaking terrifying. “I bet. That had to be a bit much.”
Melissa grabbed me in a hug, making me eep from her strength, “So fucking scary. Soooo scary.”
Mom swatted my butt, “What she said. Now, help us grab some things? We need to find the right clothes for this.”
We picked up the few things there and headed to Mom’s room in the castle. I’ve said before that it’s ginormous and that it’s small. As a room, it’s positively huge. Huge and old, with torches and a very 1700’s vibe going on. As a space in the castle? It’s puny. I saw a closet to hold silver plates and trays that was twice as big. I’m not even kidding. How or why you’d need that many is beyond me.
Mom scurried around, opening various closet doors and other pieces of furniture, and pulled an outfit for herself, one for Melissa, then kept looking for something in particular. After nearly a half hour, she disappeared into her safe before coming back with an orn
ate black box with a raised skull towards one end. It took me a bit to realize it’s shaped like a stereotypical coffin.
“What in the world is that?”
She put it onto one of the rough tables and ran her fingers across it. “I was given this long, long ago.” Her eyes went wide.
“What’s wrong?”
Her breathing came quickly, but then calmed down slowly as she started nodding, “I…I was given this shortly after I was told about you coming. My magic revealed to me things that were confusing. Things that are only now making sense. I was given this by Cerwon and told to hold onto it until the time is right. She told me that when my power comes back together, the crown comes back together, the power of death comes back together, and the city of the dead awakens, it will be time for this to be worn.”
Melissa touched the box, “Oookay? I guess I can see most of that. But what is it?”
Mom backed away, “I’m not sure. Ceri? Can you open it? I am most positive that it is for you.”
They watched me with baited breath as I touched the box. It calls to me, which I rather like.
Inside is…pasties and a G-string.
No, I’m kidding.
Honestly, it takes me more than a minute to make sense of it.
There’s a crown at the top of the box, inset into a little space to hold it. It’s not nearly as large as the king of the fey’s, which is probably good. It’s still at least two inches tall, and just like the artwork in the city, it is made up of what I can only think is every type of species and being there is. At least that can die. It surges with magic. More death magic.
The clothes beneath it…I again expected a dress, but it’s not. Instead, I’m virtually positive that it’s made of dragon skin based on the shape of the scales that I’m seeing. It’s glossy and black and shot through with red…and each scale has a tiny death’s head in it. A tiny skull.
“That’s freaking beautiful…”
Mom started to reach for it, then stopped. “You should try it on. If this is what I think it is, you will be…surprised, is one word for it.”
I slipped the clothing out, finding it both lighter and tougher feeling than I would have expected. The pants went on without feeling like I was doing much. With every inch of skin it covered, it felt more and more like I was doing something right. The top slid into place, covering me down to my hands.
Once they both were in place, magic squeezed me tight, then began to swarm around me. It moved faster and faster, actually lifting me from the ground as I gasped at the power hitting me.
In my head, I had a vision of what I thought the outfit would look like, and something in the magic latched onto that and pulled it out…and I was dropped to the floor, landing in heavy boots that I could clearly see matched what I had in my head.
Except I never put boots on.
“What the hell was that?”
Mom moved around me, trailing her hand across my chest and shoulders, “Exquisite!”
Melissa sat on one of the nearby benches, “Seriously? You put on an outfit and then it changed into that?”
Mom nodded as she came back around front, “I have only heard of an outfit like this from rumor. When dragons are born, their initial skin is…very magical, I’ll say. There is only ever one per dragon, and they’re guarded jealously since they make exceedingly powerful artifacts. A set of clothing made from them? It will never wear out. It is infinitely changeable and can make any outfit that you want. In fact…think of a normal outfit? Jeans and a t-shirt? Maybe sandals?”
She motioned for me to do it as I stared at her, so I tried to picture it. 20 or 30 seconds later, magic swirled around me again and I was left staring down at exactly what I pictured in my head.
“Holy…that’s freaking cool!”
Mom picked up the crown, “Now, if you would go back to the first outfit you had on? With the boots? I believe that is the look you want.”
“Umm, why, though?”
She held up the crown, “Daughter-mine, you are the goddess of death, the queen of the dead, and the ruler of the city of the dead. You are also the queen of the dragons. You need to look your part as we meet with King Jarrah and explain to him how he has gained a new city in his domain.” She pulled the crown back a little, “Unless you plan to…”
She didn’t give anything away, but I did see a glint of humor in her eyes as I started laughing, “Oh my God no. Wow, yeah…not even remotely. This is his land. I’ll accept what I’ve been given in my domain, but beyond that? Nope.”
She held up the crown again. “In that case?”
I bowed my head a little and moved forward, letting her set it down.
As soon as it touched my head, I felt another surge of power roll through me. I could feel the part of me that I keep hidden push and flow through me, stretching my skin and making it look like I wanted to change shapes…
With a release of power, I called the sickle to my hand, feeling it nestle into place.
As soon as it did, my powers were fully online. I felt powerful before, but now? The combination of every part of my magic on top of my new connections to my people?
I sent a tidal wave of golden light to my people in the city, and I felt their renewed vigor and appreciation for what they’ve been granted. A second chance.
On this side of things, I sent a connection to Mom, letting her feel it deep, then I connected with Christine, Mr. Reynolds, and then Stacey. I could clearly see them in a room with a skull fetish. I swear he’s teaching them how to create them. One by one, they fall to their knees in supplication as I leave the power in place, spreading my love to them.
As I pulled back, I reached out to Rachel. She’s nearly constantly connecting with me with little pleas. Little thoughts. Wishes. Desires. I swear it’s like we’re two parts of the same coin. And, if Mr. Reynolds is right, that’s how he started with Cerwon. He connected and that connection allowed him access to magic.
Well, let’s see if I can do this.
Rachel was in her living room, and I could plainly see her parents and their girlfriend Mindy there. They look to be arguing.
Well, enough of that.
Her little plea of why won’t they understand was cut short as I hit her with the power inside of me. Except this time, I travelled with it just a bit. I’ve already lived much of her life. We know not quite everything about each other, but very close to it. There is literally nothing that she has done that I haven’t lived with her. Nothing that I’ve done that she hasn’t lived.
Well, it’s time for her to experience magic.
She froze in the middle of yelling, and I could feel her rapture as the light filled her. As I filled her. Then as what it means to be me with my newly enhanced and expanded powers filled her.
She floated into the air in a crackling release of black waves of magic. I felt bad that her clothes were torn into tatters and thrown across the room, but I’m pretty sure she’ll get over it. Her parents dove over the couches to get away, with none of them coming to help her or try to save her. After all, they have no idea what’s happening.
I sank deep inside of her, reaching and feeling for something that I can’t quite describe. I can feel it in Mr. Reynolds. It’s sort of the core of what makes him him and able to use magic.
Unless that’s it? She needs a core? Can I create one?
I’m not sure I laughed out loud, although I did inside, as my magic bulged inside my friend, pushing things aside that I can’t even describe. I created an egg. A large egg. It’s filled with unbridled possibilities…and magic.
Then I released it, leaving it floating inside of her as I pulled back, letting her float back to the ground. Stay safe. I will visit shortly. We will be together.
She wept at feeling me pulling away. My Lady…I love you!
I love you too. Stay safe. I need to meet with the king of the fey. I’ll be visiting today.
I’ll be here!
Pulling back left me feeling like a part of me was
missing. What I feel for her isn’t romantic love, but it’s the next best thing. She’s part of my family. It’s what I feel for Mom, and that’s pretty dang cool, if you ask me.
Mom was looking at me with a bit of horror on her face.
“Ummm…sorry about that, I was reaching out to my people.”
Melissa’s voice was filled with more than a bit of fear, “Why in the name of fucking God do you look like one of those ring wraiths from Lord of the Rings? Where did the cloak come from and why are you all bone?” She moved in front of me, “Jesus Christ, you look like the angel of death! Except…except more evil!”
I pulled back a little on the magic and looked down, finding the cloak in place, with the gleaming jet-black sickle in my hand. Finding a mirror was pretty easy, and I got to see myself fully.
“Holy…I do look like the angel of death!” Pulling back the hood was pretty easy, revealing what I think is my actual skull. It came complete with my normal looking teeth. “This is freaking awesome!”
Mom and Melissa joined me, “What happened?” Melissa touched the cloak.
“Umm, I think it’s so much of my power coming together. This is too cool.”
Mom swallowed hard, “Daughter-mine? If you could back off on the power? I’m not sure the king would appreciate you approaching in this guise.”
Huh, yeah, I can see that. “All right.” I concentrated a little, and the sickle disappeared again. The angel of death look faded over the next ten seconds as I tried to weed out what was driving it. It left me in the original dragon scale outfit with the crown in place.
“Umm, hey, should I try to make the crown a masterwork? I did it with my throne back in the city.”
Mom swayed a little, staring at the crown, “You…you did what?”
“Umm, I have a throne there? It has these connections to every corner of the city. It’s all platinum and diamond and looks like a huge skull.” I snapped my fingers, “Wait!” A portal opened, showing them the throne from about 10 feet away. “There we go!”
