by Justin Sloan
“Better than none at all,” Nora said.
“That’s not fair though, is it?” Rohan took her hands and kissed the left one. “I mean, if we can summon him, we can banish the demons, right? And given my past, I have no doubt we’ll be able to summon him.”
She gulped, staring into his eyes, and nodded.
He breathed heavily, wondering what the hell he was getting them into. Had he just convinced this woman he cared for to kill him? Wow. He felt slightly dizzy when he turned to James and asked, “How do we do this?”
“Ah, yes.” James motioned to the center of the spot where the lake of energy had been.
Rohan looked at the pistol in Nora’s trembling hand. “Can’t we just drink a gallon of bleach or something?” he asked, not liking the prospect of that much more, but there had to be a better way than this.
James shook his head. “The earth must taste the blood. It’s the only way he’ll respond.”
Nora stared at Rohan, her eyes furious at what she had to do, a tear escaping finally.
“I’m sorry, but I won’t live on without you.”
She lifted the pistol and he braced, confused by her words.
It was only when she turned the pistol to her own head that he realized what was happening.
She let the pistol dangle on her fingers. She couldn’t do it.
“I love you,” she said.
Rohan sighed. “We have to do it. The world depends on us.”
“I just—I just need a minute, okay?”
She turned, but James was there—he grabbed the pistol.
“What the—”
“You’ve got to do it!” James cried.
Nora struggled with him.
“Hey, let go!” Rohan yelled, reaching for her.
But James and Nora struggled, the gun waving in the air.
BANG!
Her body fell in slow motion, blood hitting the earth as was necessary, and Rohan reached her body before it hit, cradling her, pulling her close and not caring that her blood was getting on him.
He screamed out in the agony of now losing the second love of his life.
Nora looked up at him, tears in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but she sputtered. Her hand went to his cheek and stroked it.
And then he lost her.
“What the hell!” Rohan shouted.
James stood watching, shaking his head.
“It should have been me!” Rohan cried. “God!”
And then…
BANG!
Rohan felt a force rip through his chest.
He stumbled backward, clutching his chest. His fingers. They were covered in blood.
His gaze rose to James, who stood, the pistol smoking and his hand wavering.
“You son of a—”
“It was necessary,” another voice said… one Rohan thought he recognized, but couldn’t be certain. “But so is his death.”
He collapsed, setting Nora on the ground with his last breath, and then lying down beside her.
And then, just like that he was pulled out of his body and into the air above it, and Nora was at his side, glowing silver like he was, just like Corinne had been the first time he met her. They floated off of the ground, their feet replaced by silvery mist.
She looked at him with wide, scared eyes.
He reached out for her hand, and at first she was hesitant, but then she took it. A small shock went up his translucent arm at her touch, but he wouldn’t let go.
Chanting was coming from nearby, but he couldn’t see who it was. He couldn’t even see James—instead, when he looked around, where before there had been spirits of silver, red, and black, now he saw them in full detail, demonic beings, men and women with empty eye sockets and flesh that clung to their bodies.
The ground began to rumble and shake, and the air around Rohan and Nora vibrated like it was alive, then began to move apart as the ground shook and formed what could only be a portal to the afterlife. It was a long, narrow tunnel of gold and white.
Heavenly music chimed above them, and they felt a warming sensation, before the gold and white mist flowed forth like a heavy cloud that bore the Lich King.
He was among them in all his splendor. While the first time Rohan had seen him, he wore black robes and had a rotting skull with eyes that glowed green, this time his robes were white and his skull shone with gold patterns. His eyes, however, were that same emerald green, and he held the Scepter of O’lin in his hand.
“Who has summoned me?” he asked, and Rohan stepped forward.
“Thank you for coming,” Rohan said. “The demons have been unleashed upon our world, and we’ve come to understand that the only way to save them is through you.”
With a wave of his scepter, the Lich King turned from him to their surroundings, and then back again.
“The others?” he asked. “Who are these others here with you?”
Rohan spun, expecting to see James, but aside from Nora and the Lich King, he saw no one, so remained silent.
Suddenly the air began to roar around them, and the sky beside the Lich King tore open to reveal—Altemus.
He floated there, just like Rohan and Nora, and his Anne was at his side. Then all around them it was like a veil fell away, and the outside world returned, including James, kneeling, holding his face in his hands.
Rohan felt a pull on his body, or rather his soul.
It was Fletcher. He had a hold of both him and Nora. Rohan had no choice but to obey the old man’s wishes.
“I’m so sorry, Rohan.” James pointed at Altemus, eyes full of hatred and sorrow. “He has my daughter, and if I didn’t help….”
James had led them into a trap. Them, and the Lich King.
But Altemus was already laughing, and then Rohan saw why—the bastard was looking between them and their dead bodies.
“Looks like we’re even now,” Altemus said, floating around them. “Your lives are over, and through your sacrifice, I have the Lich King once again. Only this time, everything’s right where it’s supposed to be. This time, I’m prepared.”
He motioned to Anne, and suddenly Anne was gone. A moment later, a teenage girl walked onto the field, her smile looking wicked. There was no questioning the fact that Anne was inhabiting her. Based on the look in James’s eyes, this was his daughter.
James turned to Rohan and his face scrunched up as if he was about to cry, but then he started muttering words that made no sense to Rohan.
“What’s happening?” Nora said, but a glance over showed she knew as well as he did. They’d been betrayed, and now James was putting the final touch to their sacrifice.
The girl reached into Nora’s knapsack and pulled out the Eye of Gilgamesh.
“No!” the Lich King screamed.
Altemus laughed as the girl held up the eye. It glowed as energy surged into it.
“You had no other options,” the Lich King said, and even as he turned to look away from them, the light from his eyes faded, leaving behind a regular man’s eyes. The gold from his skull receded, and in its place flesh grew. His cloak began to vanish, and as it did, the same cloak began to appear on Altemus.
“They’re taking his power,” Rohan said, aghast. “Because we summoned him, he’s vulnerable. We have to stop this.”
“How?” Nora screamed.
Rohan had no idea, so he did the only thing he could think of, and charged James. He floated forward, feeling the wind surge around his spiritual form, and then…
…went right through him!
James shuddered at what must have been the cold sensation of Rohan’s body, and then paused to say, “I’m sorry, Rohan. Death comes for us all.”
Again Rohan charged, but it did nothing.
“It’s not working!” Nora charged now too, but at the last minute changed direction and tried to use her powers on Altemus.
He just laughed. “It’s no good now. You will all fall under my control, as soon as this is complete. And it�
�s all thanks to your faith in Mr. Fletcher.”
Rohan turned between James and Altemus, frustration at the hopelessness eating away at him, and then he noticed something—a look of pleading in James’ eyes.
He didn’t want Altemus to win. What was it he’d said about death? No, not death… Death!
With a flash he was beside Nora, whispering into her ear, and together they darted over to the Lich King’s side.
The great king was writhing in pain, withering away as he returned to the nude spiritual form of a man. Energy flowed from him to Altemus in wisps of light. All the while, the Eye grew brighter. But the Lich King looked up at Rohan, and through gritted teeth he said, “Fix this.”
“We need to get Death, don’t we?” Rohan said. “Tell us how.”
“Lady Death?” The Lich King’s eyes became hopeful, in spite of the pain. “Yes, of course. We are linked, tied together… She can stop this. It’ll be too late for me, but you… you can defeat him with her help.”
“How?” Rohan shouted, growing impatient.
“Get me the Eye,” the Lich King said, pointing to Nora and Rohan’s dead bodies.
“I got this,” Nora said.
She flew into the girl’s body. Her and Anne’s souls swirled around in the girl’s body and Anne screamed. The girl’s body convulsed and she dropped the Eye. Rohan flew down, scooped it up, thankful that he could grab it, and he threw it.
With a weak raise of his hand, the Lich King caught the Eye, connected it to the Scepter of O’lin, and then everything seemed to slow. Even Altemus, who was moving for them in an attempt to stop their plan, seemed frozen in the air, barely moving at all.
“Hurry,” the Lich King said. Nora rushed back over to Rohan and they joined together, one spiritual column of energy.
The Lich King allowed the Eye of Gilgamesh to be absorbed into the scepter, and then he touched the orb to Rohan and Nora’s joined bodies. It exploded in a burst of blinding light, which pushed Altemus back and then swept up Rohan and Nora before spinning like a whirlpool in the ground and sucking them down with it.
“You must return,” the Lich King’s voice followed them into the darkness. “We cannot let him win.”
And then they were in an open space, the grass far below them, the strange, bizarre underworld passing by in a blur. The light pulled again and they flew through a pool of purple light at the base of one of these temples, then came out into hell itself, fire erupting from all sides. That didn’t last long either though—just as an explosion of molten lava came for them, the light tugged and they were going straight for the black rocks below.
“Don’t let go!” Nora screamed, and she held tight to Rohan’s hand.
He pulled her tight, wrapping his arms around her as they fell, and then they were past that horrible place and floating in what could only be described a nothingness.
“Who has entered my domain?” a voice said. It was with them and yet everywhere at once. “You do not belong.”
“The Lich King sent us!” Rohan shouted, more out of hysteria than anything else. “He needs your help.”
“The Lich King?” A face appeared before them, more like mist that resembled a pale, womanly face. “No, you mean… Gilgamesh?”
She solidified into a pale woman, nude with flesh white as a blossom. Wisps of shadow moved about her like the cloak of death, and a sickle materialized in her hand.
“Where is he?” she asked, eyes pleading for an answer. “If you’ve hurt him—”
“He’s in danger,” Nora said, moving her arms as if that would help her float in this state of nothingness. “He sent us to you, because you are his only hope.”
Lady Death’s robes formed fully now, a black robe around her, the cloak covering her face so that it was barely visible but for two purple glowing eyes.
She turned from them and suddenly the world filled in around them. They appeared at the edge of a lake in a densely wooded forest, in a beautiful gazebo. The scent of fresh lilacs swept over Rohan and he stood, alert, more alive than he’d ever felt in his life. The lake rippled below them, placid and calm, like the scenic lakes Rohan had seen in calendar photos.
“The thing is,” Lady Death said, staring out over the water. “I no longer wish to go on like this.”
“Excuse me?” Rohan didn’t understand what was happening here. “Didn’t you hear me? We’ve got to save him!”
“Yes, and so we shall.” She turned her purple eyes on him. “But in my act of helping him, you two agree to be bound in our place, so that I may be with my love once again.”
Nora gasped and Rohan took a step back.
“You want us… to take on the roles of the Lich King and Death?” He blinked, then licked his lips, trying to get a grasp on this.
“It’s Lady Death,” she corrected, and then turned away again. “Do you agree?”
He looked to Nora, who, after a moment’s hesitation, nodded.
“We have no choice, do we?” Nora asked.
“Not if you want to stop Altemus, no.”
“In that case, I agree.”
Rohan stared, unable to fathom what this meant for the two of them, but then he too nodded. “I agree.”
“Well then,” Lady Death said. “We must get to him, mustn’t we?”
She waved her sickle above her head and sent them shooting up out. This time there was no light guiding them. They simply shot out of the underworld and up into the land above.
Just as Altemus was reaching for the Scepter of O’lin on the ground before the Lich King, they appeared.
Lady Death didn’t hesitate, but took her sickle and sliced Altemus’s hand clean off.
Although he was a spirit, the hand collapsed to the ground regardless, and it disappeared.
Altemus simply stared at his stump of an arm, and then turned to Lady Death, his smile turning into a vicious glare.
“Good, you’re here to finish it for us,” Altemus said. “I’m sorry to say this, Lady Death, but your time is done. As the powers of old permit, we are here to take the place of you and the Lich King, and with that, your powers.”
“Ah, but we have a problem there,” Lady Death said. “Those powers have already been granted to another.”
Altemus frowned, and then his eyes went wild as he turned to Rohan and Nora. “No….”
“I’m afraid so,” Rohan said, and with that he nodded to Lady Death that he was ready. Nora stepped up beside him, standing tall. He knew at that moment, looking into her eyes, seeing the way she held herself, brave and ready for anything, and with everything they’d been through, he loved her.
He’d found love again, only to die… or maybe through death?
Lady Death stepped forward, helping the Lich King to his feet and, as the two kissed, their cloaks flew away, hers from her body and his from where it had begun to form around Altemus. The cloaks swept up like streams of dark cloth, floating in the wind, and then wrapping around Rohan and Nora, lifting them into the sky so that they spun in the air.
A sensation like the warmth of the sun spread through Rohan and then power surged through him unlike any power he had ever felt.
Something hard appeared in his left hand, and he opened his eyes to see that he held the Scepter of O’lin. He could only imagine what he must have looked like.
Nora was floating at his side, holding the scythe, her black cloak loose around her body, her hood back so that he could see her face.
The spirits of the former Lich King and Lady Death, meanwhile continued their kiss and began to sink into the ground. Just before disappearing, they stopped their kiss just long enough to turn and wave to Rohan and Nora.
“This next part will be the real test,” Gilgamesh said. His voice no longer had the weight that it did when he was the Lich King—it was shockingly human. “Remember, they have no dominion over you. Together you can bind them.”
“What’s he…?” Rohan started to ask, but then saw Altemus, kneeling, hands outspread, chanting.
And then he saw the surge of red and black, like massive tidal waves in all directions converging on them. At the heads of these waves came the remaining demons, laughing and cursing, brandishing swords and claws.
“Holy cat-balls,” Nora said, and suddenly the two were on the ground again. She took a step back to brace herself, then held her scythe with both hands. “This is a bit much for an initiation.”
“We’ve faced worse.” Rohan held out his scepter, preparing to use it as a weapon, although he had no idea how. At her look of indignation, he said, “Yeah, we haven’t… but something tells me we’ll survive.”
Nora glanced at their dead bodies, and said, “Too late for that anyway.”
He chuckled. “I don’t know why I’m able to laugh at that.”
“It’s a bit messed up,” she said, and then laughed too. “As long as we’re together, in one way or another, right?”
“Right.”
The two kissed, and were only interrupted by Altemus cackling. And then the waves of demons and evil spirits converged on them, and the battle of all battles began.
Altemus held his hands up, pushing energy out and through the spirits, giving them an extra push to swarm around Rohan and Nora like a swarm of stinging bees. Rohan swiped and cleared a path, but then a large demon took their spot and struck with a sword of spirits.
The sword opened a line across Rohan’s chest, but he flew back and pushed the Scepter of O’lin forward and the spirits around the demon fell on it with pounding pressure that drove it back.
A second demon appeared behind them, placing its fiery hands on Nora’s back. But she just turned and smiled.
“Looks like Lady Death doesn’t give a damn about fire,” she said, and then swiped off both demon’s hands with her scythe, before spinning to take down a wave of attacking red spirits.
Her swipe of the scythe also sent a wave of energy in a semi-circle around them, clearing a path. She smiled at Rohan and said, “Watch this,” then did the same right toward Altemus.
The path was clear, so Rohan charged. He leaped into the air and commanded the spirits form beneath him to carry him forward, and then he charged, bringing the scepter down on Altemus. The strike sent a shock-wave of fire across the ground nearby, but Altemus pulled at spirits nearby to cast a protective shield around himself.
