Legend of Mace

by Daniel J. Williams

  The first fireball sprang from the catapult as Chelsea dipped an arrowhead in pitch. Maya lit the arrow with the torch as Chelsea followed the fireball's trajectory and aimed. Blue flames licked at the arrowhead as Chelsea let it fly. The fireball smashed into a Plaguer in the crowd and the arrow pierced straight through it, embedding the fireball into the Plaguer’s chest. The Plaguer burst into flames.

  The old man still held what was left of his spear, and he shoved it into Miles side as they tumbled about, struggling to get the upper hand. Miles cried out in pain as the old man pulled it out and scrambled towards the razor wire to attack the wall. The body of the huge Plaguer Chelsea killed created a bridge over the metal barbs, and he quickly scaled over it and sprinted for the wall. His brain was so focused on his purpose he no longer felt any limitations from old age or arthritis.

  The old man jumped, getting a solid handhold on the wall. Crazy with determination and rage, he pulled himself up enough to try to jab Chelsea in the face with the broken spear. A wicked smile was plastered across his face.

  Chelsea jumped back as the spear thrust towards her and Herman leapt off her shoulder in reaction, landing directly on the old man’s face. Herman scrambled towards the top of his head and the old man tried to swipe at him, losing his grip. Falling backwards off the wall, Herman's wings suddenly spread open and he jumped, gliding back around to cling to the front of the barricade. Scrambling back up lizard-like, a few seconds later he appeared back on Chelsea’s shoulder.

  As more Plaguers attempted to vault over the trench, Miles clutched his side in pain while producing a lighter out of his pocket. The Plaguers couldn’t clear the gap and toppled back into the gully. As they made eye contact with Miles, they instantly turned towards him, screaming in rage. Knowing it was over, Miles looked up at the wall as they came upon him, briefly locking eyes with Maya, who looked on in horror. He dropped the lit lighter and smiled sadly at her as the entire trench suddenly erupted in flames. Maya screamed as the flames roared up and horrific shrieks emanated from the burning pit as the bodies were engulfed in fire.

  The three catapults with fireballs sprang forth at once, causing a large fire to spread through one of the debris piles. The Plaguers suddenly started to retreat, realizing they wouldn’t be able to breach the camp as fire and black smoke poured from the trench.

  The camp stood in shock as the newly infected fled. Bodies littered the grounds as far as they could see. Flames still danced off a few of the charred corpses that lay sprawled in the field. The trench and debris fires burned hot and the smell of burning flesh breezed steadily over the wall. They’d just lost two of their own. It was their first deaths in three years. As they processed what just happened, no one moved a muscle.

  CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

  Lisa was lying still in a hospital bed when Chelsea burst through the doors of the clinic. “Mom!” she yelled out fearfully. Word spread quickly through the compound after the shock of the attack wore off.

  “Hey, Kiddo,” Lisa answered, stoned out of her mind. "Have I told you lately that I love you?" They didn’t have much for pain-killers. Lisa chose to heavily indulge in her stash.

  “What happened?” Chelsea asked as she looked at her mom’s wrists, which were now wrapped in elastic bandages. Small circles of blood seeped through the middle of each one. Lisa’s face and body were bruised and swollen from where she’d taken a beating.

  “I’m gonna kick their asses!” Chelsea yelled in outrage as she stared at her mother’s condition.

  “Yes, honey, kill them all for me,” Lisa said, completely dazed. “That’s a good girl.” Her brow furrowed for a second and her head wobbled. “Do you think my eggs are runny as shit?” she asked.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  Bowie hid in the bushes as the Plaguers argued over their missing horses. Stephen and Marty stood in a heated debate over whose lack of responsibility caused it. The old woman who'd tortured Lisa stood among them. He heard them call her by name. Keeping an arrow loaded and ready to fire, he planned to take her out if he could get the chance and still get away.

  “I feel the curse is close,” Joline said as her eyes darted around suspiciously. Bowie felt a little unnerved as she stared directly at the pile of bushes where he hid. She started to move in his direction, gazing more intently at the foliage as she came.

  He was trying to scrunch down further when Mace suddenly appeared in their midst. Without his Mohawk and facial hair, it took Bowie a second to recognize him. Stunned, he turned his ear to listen as Mace walked right up to Joline.

  “I’ve been searching for you,” Mace said directly to her, his face cold and hard as she stood up and faced him. Ignoring the others, he fought the inner rage that urged to reach out and snap her neck. He couldn’t. Not yet. He needed to convince her to leave the area first.

  “I know who you are,” Mace continued, staring intensely at Joline, “and I know what you’ve done.” His chest felt ready to explode. He kept himself together: Barely. He couldn’t lose it. That time would come soon enough.

  He took a deep breath and grinned ominously as he continued. “I’ve watched you in my dreams for weeks now. I know your mission.”

  Joline took a step back in confusion, scrutinizing him with her eyes. She felt a connection, the bond of infection, but something didn’t feel quite right.

  “What mission is that?” she asked quietly, continuing to study his eyes and face. This approach wasn’t normal.

  “You were sent to save us,” Mace said as his insides twisted up. “Gozer has shown me. The curse rises up in the East. It is up to you to save us all."

  Marty and Stephen appeared confused yet mesmerized by the declaration. “The curse is here,” Stephen said, bewildered as his mind began to spin. That wasn’t the message they’d received. “It has led us to this very spot.”

  “That is all part of the lie,” Mace responded in all seriousness. “It wants you to be deceived. It needs you to be in order to destroy you.”

  Motorcycle engines sounded in the distance as the bikers made their return. They’d be pulling in any second. Mace felt his nerves tighten.

  Appearing skeptical, Joline questioned him. “You would'nt be the first to try to deceive us. Why should we believe you?”

  “You don’t have to,” Mace said, pushing the deception further. “But if you’ve already been deceived, then the witch has already escaped. The one you tried to crucify. The one that was one of us.”

  “How could you know that?” Joline asked, utterly surprised.

  “I saw it in a dream. I told you, I’ve seen it all.”

  “What else did you see?”

  “The witch goes to stir others. If you stay, the ground will be soaked with human blood.”

  The motorcycles started pulling up all around them. Mace’s face became steely as he prepared for the final battle. It could all go wrong at any moment.

  Razor got off his Harley and strode up angrily. “That fucker got away!” he yelled, thoroughly pissed. “We need to find him!”

  “Not so fast,” replied Joline as she continued to study Mace. “We may have another tactic to win the war.”

  The biker looked Mace over. There was no trace of recognition. “Who’s this shithead?” he said gruffly.

  “Someone who might have a gift,” Joline answered carefully. “I want to talk with him privately. Keep your people ready.”

  “Privately?” questioned Stephen, a bit alarmed.

  “Yes. I'll uncover the truth. There is no deception in Gozer's sanctuary. Stay here and we'll return shortly.”

  Mace felt electrical currents shoot off his body as he followed Joline into the church. He closed the door behind them and followed her down the middle aisle. They came to the front of the vestibule.

  “You say you are a mystic,” Joline said as she turned around at the stairs, leading to the altar. “I’m not entirely sure if I believe you.”

  Mace showed no emotion as he reached out and grabbed her ar
ound her wrinkled throat with his right hand. Panic instantly registered in her eyes and she fought against his grip, pulling weakly at his wrists. She tried to cry out but Mace squeezed harder. Leaning within an inch of her face as her eyes rolled back he said, “Shhhh, we’re in church.”

  He lightened his grip so he could get her full attention. “You were right, you know,” he said, staring deeply into her eyes. “There is nothing but Truth here. I’m about to snuff out your sick, infected, existence.” He paused as he tried to keep himself under control. “The woman you tried to crucify is like a sister to me.”

  Joline's fingers began to loosen their grip as her strength gave out.

  “For what you did to her, you’re all going to die.” Mace squeezed harder until he felt her neck crunch in his grip. He experienced a brief moment of ecstasy as her eyes went blank.

  He let go of her, allowing her to tumble to the floor. He felt like he suddenly understood it all now. His job was to save them - at all costs. He suddenly and fully embraced the darkness within him, smiling wickedly as he did so. Hell was about to be released on the Plaguer invasion.

  CHAPTER FORTY ONE

  Mace positioned Joline’s body so she lay prostate on the floor, facing the altar. It looked like she was deep in prayer. He undid a button on his overcoat and slid his hand in, pulling out one of the grenades.

  Yanking her head back, he forcibly shoved the grenade in her mouth, breaking several teeth in the process. Once the grenade felt secure enough, he put her head back down and gently pulled the pin, careful not to trip the firing mechanism. Her head kept it locked. He placed her hands next to her skull to help keep it from tipping over.

  He paused for a second to see if she’d collapse. She didn’t. He strolled towards the front of the church, ready for the fireworks.

  A crowd gathered outside the church as he exited. The bikers all dismounted, waiting impatiently for the next plan of attack. Despite Joline’s Plaguer magnetism, it wasn’t strong enough for her to be considered their undisputed leader. The bikers were actually ready to kill them all and be done with the mystical pull altogether.

  “Where’s the old lady?” Razor asked impatiently as soon as Mace exited the church. Marty and Stephen stood a few feet away, confused that Joline remained inside.

  “She’s praying,” Mace said stiffly as he brushed past Razor and addressed Stephen directly. “She wants everyone ready to leave. We’re in the wrong place. We’ve been deceived.”

  “What?” Stephen asked, still thoroughly confused. “When did she say that?”

  “I told her my dream, she prayed on it, and then she made her decision. She knows that if we stay the witches will win.” Mace didn’t care about looking convincing. He just wanted to get inside their heads with his words.

  “I don’t understand,” Stephen replied. He looked from Mace to Marty and back. “But the curse is here.”

  “Yes, but it tricked you when it brought you here. We will all die if we stay. The real battle is in New York,” he said, pointing North-East.

  “I need to speak with Joline!” Stephen said as his mind spun. Confusion swept through the crowd. They weren’t sure what to think. Razor shook his head a few times himself, trying to clear the odd feeling.

  “Go on in,” Mace said, gently pushing Stephen. “She gave specific instructions, though. She knows the curse will take over if we don’t leave now.”

  “Joline!” Stephen yelled as he entered the front doors of the church. “What is going on?” He moved quickly towards the vestibule. She didn’t immediately respond. “Joline,” he asked a little quieter as he slowed down. She looked to be in deep prayer.

  “Joline?” Stephen asked one more time as he climbed the steps, coming up behind her. She still didn’t budge. “Are you okay?” he whispered, the paranoia growing rapidly inside his brain.

  He touched her back gently to get her attention and her head and body slightly shifted. She didn’t respond. The timing mechanism released. Before Stephen could say anything more Joline’s head suddenly burst apart in a violent explosion. He fell backwards in shock as skull fragments and brain tissue sprayed him, cutting his face. He tumbled to the floor, landing on his butt, his facial expression frozen in a state of horror and disbelief.

  “I told you,” Mace said calmly to Marty, as they watched from the entrance. “The witches are at work. We’ve all been deceived.” He paused for a second and said, “Stephen is the deceiver. He planned all of this. He's one of them.”

  Looking at him wide-eyed, the words started repeating in Marty’s head. It’s Stephen. Stephen caused this. He trembled at the door next to Mace, unable to step inside. Marty held his face in his hands as the horror consumed him.

  Razor strode directly through the church and climbed the stairs to the altar. Peering down over Joline’s bloody torso, he tried to make sense of it. Standing behind Stephen, he reached down and grabbed Stephen by his collar, yanking him to his feet. “We need to go,” he said gruffly. “This shit ain’t right.”

  Dawson suddenly passed Mace in a red bikini top and jean shorts. Her massive breasts didn’t budge as she walked towards the altar. They were pure silicone. Standing next to her man, she almost laughed at what was left of Joline. “That’s why I don’t pray in church,” she said sarcastically. “I don’t want my head blown off by God.”

  CHAPTER FORTY TWO

  Remaining hidden in the bushes, Bowie tried to figure out what was going on. Seeing Mace standing at the doorway of the church, he couldn’t hear any of the conversation. Mace suddenly moved away from the door and discreetly in his direction.

  Standing next to the bushes, Mace glanced back at the terrified and confused looks on the faces of the Plaguers. The bikers concerned him the most. Their faces stayed mostly blank.

  “Bowie,” he whispered. “I know you’re in there.”

  Bowie couldn’t believe it. “How?” he whispered back, trying to figure out how he’d given himself away.

  “I could smell your stink a mile away.” He’d actually expected him to be close, knowing he’d stayed behind for payback. He’d spotted the bush ruffling a while ago.

  Quickly sniffing his pits, Bowie seemed confused.

  “Do you have a lighter on you?” Mace whispered again, keeping his eyes peeled on the Plaguers around the church. They were still in a state of confusion.

  “Yeah,” Bowie said quietly, not understanding the request. “Why?”

  “When I tell you to, light the bush on fire.”

  “What? What do you mean? I’m hiding in the bush!”

  “Once it starts burning, everybody is going to run,” Mace said low out the corner of his mouth. “Then you get out.”

  “Yeah, but what if they don’t run?”

  “Then you burn to death.”

  “No way! You’re crazy!” Bowie said a little louder, trying not to get worked up.

  “Showtime,” Mace said as Stephen walked back out of the church, looking completely dazed. Mace walked up to him. “We need to leave.”

  “The witches are too powerful,” Stephen said, dumbfounded. He was still covered in Joline’s brain matter.

  “We didn’t leave soon enough to save her. It’s not too late for the rest of us. The final battle is in New York.”

  “I’m so confused,” Stephen said, staring at Mace in disbelief.

  “There is more,” Mace said loudly so everyone could hear. “I have seen more!” He looked up at heaven and felt nothing. He didn’t care. “There are deceivers among you. You must weed them out or you will be destroyed from within.”

  His words filtered through the crowd, who absorbed them and passed them on. Paranoia spread rapidly and the Plaguers brains became more unstable. He would turn them on each other.

  “Gozer is a god of fire,” Mace preached. “His flame is not to be toyed with!” Mace pointed to the bushes where Bowie hid, and Bowie cursed under his breath as he flicked the lighter, lighting the dry branches near him. “If you do no
t weed out the deceivers, his fire will consume you all!”

  The crowd gasped as flames appeared, then grew more panicked as the fire spread through the bushes.

  “There are liars among you!” Mace yelled as Bowie blew quickly at the flames near his face, trying to keep them away. “The curse is among you!” Mace yelled again, beginning to enjoy himself. “You must kill the source in New York, but you must also kill the deceivers amongst yourselves!”

  Plaguers started running away as the fire grew larger, and Mace spotted Bowie sprint away from the rear of the bush, slapping his hand against his ass. His pants briefly caught fire.

  Turning towards Stephen, Marty’s brain felt overloaded with paranoia and confusion. “It was you!” he screamed. “You deceived us!” Mace’s words echoed through his head. He lifted his shotgun to Stephen’s head and pulled the trigger. Stephen’s face disappeared. A second later his torso dropped to the ground. Marty yelled, “To New York! We must stop the curse!”

  As Marty's Plaguer group fled in confusion and fear, the power of their uncertainty affected the closest assembly of new infected, even though they remained miles apart. Momentarily bewildered, the other group became unsure of their purpose or mission. As Marty's confidence returned and he declared New York as the real Source of all Evil, the airwaves teemed with Plaguer vibrations.

  "Do you feel that?" asked the leader of the other group. "We need to head East. Something's happening."

  Running into each other in Austin, their connection turned others from their path towards San Antonio. The new destination of Plaguer consciousness became New York City.

  Back in San Antonio, the bikers weren't moving as the Plaguers rapidly departed. “This shit doesn’t make sense,” Dawson said to Razor as they eyed the scene with interest. "All these fuckers are crazy." Making eye contact with Mace, Dawson stared at him closely. Mace recognized her as the female biker who took a shot at him earlier. He also recognized that the bikers were different. They weren’t influenced in the same way. They felt the pull, but not the irrational paranoia. It made them more dangerous.