The Curses of Komodo
My Heaven
-A Menace in a Mirror-
By Michael James
Part 1
A simple exorcism
In a wealthy neighborhood...
“”You are a wraith!?” Komodo asked if this was going to be a problem? “No, if you can make my daughter well again. I would take almost any help.” Then he should show her to his daughter. “This way.” The father led her to his 11 year old girls room. Komodo walked in seeing 2 doctors tending to her needs.
“Oh this is a simple exorcism.” She took a mirror with a metal rim out of her pocket. She held it up and let go. The mirror hovered in the air facing the girl. With the possessing monster on top of her. The monster couldn't be seen by the others in plain sight. Komodo's eyes glowed blue. In the mirror the monster tried to escape out of the room. But it wasn't quick enough, she imprisoned it in the mirror. She put the mirror into a cloth, in her hand. The little one recovered almost immediately.
“You did it, you saved her life! I have your payment as promised. Komodo looked at the girl as she left the room. Envying how good the daughter had it. As she came into the living room. Komodo was given 200 gold coffin coins in a case. She opened it and took 5 coins. “You don't want the rest?”
“Na, I just needed a little drinking money for the night. Tell your community about me would ya.” She walked out the front door, while the father thought what a selfless being. Komodo however, just wanted the possessing monster. She wasn't trying to be nice. A bag full of gold coins would have been awkward to carry.
In the downtown city...
“Well hello there pretty thing. I'm sure this spot isn't taken.” Komodo told him to get lost. “Well don't be like that, I'm sure we could have some fun tonight.” He said moving his hand down her back. She sighed and smacked him hard in the face. He spit out 7 teeth looking at her in fear. Even his friends were scared to get involved.
“I don't like being touched without permission.” The bar tender asked her to just leave. He didn't want any trouble. She dropped one coffin on the counter and left. Which was enough to buy her 30 more drinks easy. She went to another bar across the street. She went into the ladies room to wash her face.
“What's the matter with me?” 3 women walked in and thanked her for busting the creep in the jaw. They wanted to buy her another drink here. “I like strait whiskey.”
The women sat with her at a lavish table. Wanting to talk about men and fancy things. Komodo just wanted to enjoy her drink. When the glass was empty, she thanked the 3 and left. When she walked outside and that guy fired a shot at her. Her body used a dummy burst, and she reappeared behind him. His final words were, oh damn. What did happen before she jumped. The bullet shattered the mirror and her prey escaped.
“Son of a...” I was going to use that monster!” Komodo tried to track him. When she realized he wasn't in the physical world. She became much more flustered. He was in reflective surfaces now. She knew this fact because he was going from window to window on the buildings. “This is bullshi... I cant believe some people.
“Hey you!” Komodo looked towards authorities running her way. She turned and faded away into shadow and then nothing. When the woman reappeared she was on top of the building trying to track her prize. He was currently in a men's bathroom.
In the bathroom...
“Oh god!” The monster attacked a guy washing his hands. Cut him real deep, by attacking his reflection. The whole room cleared out, once he hit the floor. The same 2 cops arrived on the scene. As they examined the body, before their crime scene crew arrived. Komodo walked in on them in the men's room.
“Excuse me, can we help you?” She explained the situation and they were familiar with her kind. “What do you expect us to do?” Komodo told them they could help each other out.
Part 2
What a pain
In a police vehicle,
a couple minutes later...
“I'm Ralph, this is Edger. Now you said you can track this thing?” It was moving towards them right now, Komodo said from the back seat. “How could he do that?” Stop! The vehicle screeched to a halt and the monster was in the car mirror.
“How nice of you to show yourself” Komodo said with a smile. He looked into her eyes and mocked her saying he was untouchable. “You are wrong about that.” She said as her eyes started to glow. “What is your name, monster?” He had no name. “Then I name you menace.” She reached into her jacket for another mirror to trap him with. Menace broke her binding magic from her eyes and fled.
A moment later...
“What the hell just happened” shouted Edger!? Komodo sat back in her seat saying they had a rogue possessor on their hands. This was going to be a long night for them. However if they wanted to back out. Now was the time to say so. “I got nothing better to do, what say you Ralph?” He was on board with this as well. “Okay where to?”
“I need to get on a sky scraper roof to track this thing...”
On the wet floor,
of a pool room...
Menace jumped out of the reflective puddle. Because he knew that Komodo was looking for him. His essence sat in the room like a transparent gas cloud. His soul was getting weaker without a host or mirror realm. He had minutes maybe an hour before he completely faded away. If he went into someone he would be trapped.
While this was going on Komodo was standing on a gargoyle. Trying her best to scan for him. The sad truth was there were a couple dozen more possessed people. But she felt responsible for this rogue. The cops were sitting on the roof bench waiting.
“Got him!” Ralph asked where? “He is currently at an indoor pool area. The little sneak must of hid in the normal realm.” Which pool area? “Not sure I see several blue light strands.” The men looked at each other and said Lagoon.
Menace had stayed in the mirrors long enough to get his strength back. As soon as Komodo found him. She imprisoned him in the building in a barrier.
As they arrived...
“Officer's what is the problem?” Ralph told them to go on. Edger asked where Menace was? Sure enough he was in the men's locker room mirrors. Komodo just went on in. The men covered themselves and shouted what was going on!
“Police business, get dressed and leave.”
“Edger, you've proven to be invaluable please leave the locker room as well. I don't want you hurt.” When Komodo was alone in the room. She went to the shower area, where the mirrors were. Suddenly she bent over backward as if she was doing the limbo. Followed by rolling sideways to the right, then to the left. Finally back rolling out of the sight of the mirrors. “How long do you think you can run from me Menace?” She shouted standing up. Menace laughed at her, she would never catch him.
“Look me in the eye and tell me that.” Menace moved from the mirrors to a silver surface bench. He attempted to slash her back open. She turned and stared him down. His spirit froze as if it were in a block of ice. “That little trick is getting old.”
“Damn you wraith, what have you done to me!?” Komodo told Menace this was the end of the cat and mouse game. “You think you know everything?” The fire sprinklers went off. His bindings were released and now he had reflection everywhere.
“You are such a pain!” She should worry about herself, and not catching him. Komodo started to chant under her breath. The water pouring down froze solid all the way up to the sprinklers. Her feet were even stuck to the floor for a moment. “I'm free!” Ralph and Edger ran in and were very puzzled by what they saw.
“This Menace, is a cheap knock off dagger. I swear to unholy hell. He is not worth this much effort!” Edger asked if they were done? “No, I never leave something unfinished. But he did get away when I switched spells, from binding to freeze.
“Where is he now?” She couldn't tell him that. The good news was he couldn't gain much ground in limited time. The manager then ran into the locker room.
“Ma'am, can I ask you to please show some modesty.”
Part 3
Which one
In a fun house,
at a carnival...
“Well, I guess this is a good enough place to kill her.”
In the police vehicle...
“Quiet a moment” Komodo said drying her hair. The 2 cops went deathly silent. A couple minutes went by and she told them head for the nearest fairgrounds. “It seems this Menace wants to fight me head on.” Edger turned on the siren and headed there.
They were let in the empty fair by the guard. No one was there, at 3:16 in the morning. As they walked Komodo asked them what did they want in return? The guys stopped walking. She turned around and told them she always paid her debts.
“Well, could I get you to go to my kids birthday party?” Huh! “No seriously, she is crazy for goth like clothes and occasions. She would be incredibly happy if you came.” Komodo looked him in the eye to see if he was serious. Then said okay she would come.
After that talk they reached the fun house, that was full of odd mirrors. Komodo went into the house alone. She was on guard while looking for Menace.
“Do you really think coming in here alone is the best idea?” Menace asked her in a ghastly voice. Komodo told him to stop playing games. “But that is all I'm good at.” She was looking at artwork with a mirror to her back. Menace fell for her trap. As he tried to attack her. Komodo spun around and hit him with a weakening spell. As he fell down in the mirror realm she started to turn him into a lizard.
“I swear that you are nowhere near the trouble you brought me. I had to fuse you with several other cursed beings to make you worth it. But this game is over.”
“I still have other tricks up my sleeve wraith!” The mirror shattered breaking her spell. Menace realized she put up a barrier again. He was trapped here like before.
“You really think she would go to your kids birthday party?” As he started to answer, they heard Komodo's voice call out for help. “They drew their guns and walked inside. While checking the mirrors like crazy. Komodo crossed their path asking why they came in here. “We heard you call out to us for help.”
“I didn't...” Menace jumped into Edger. He pulled his gun on Ralph. Then he told Komodo she had 3 options. Kill Edger, have him kill Ralph or let him go and not pursue him any longer. Ralph asked Menace to posses him and kill him, not his friend. Menace told her to chose! Komodo responded “well shucks.” Her eyes glowed and Menace was pushed out of Edger. Then he evaporated into nothing. “Well it looks like this was a fools errand after all.”
“Could you have done that at anytime!?” Yes and no. “Wait you are saying you could have killed him like it was nothing!?” Komodo told Edger he had to be in a person for that to work. She had no way of purging him if he was in a mirror.
4 days later...
Ring... “Hello, okay you are undoubtedly Komodo” said Edger's wife. Komodo had a bottle of wine in her hands. She was wearing a goth dress with make up on. Their daughter approached her and said that her dress was killer hot.
“Come on up to my bedroom I want to show you all my stuff.” Komodo looked at the mother for permission and she nodded yes. They went to the second floor and into the 12 year old's room. Komodo was a little shocked at all the goth art work she had on her walls. “Where did you get your clothes, I wish I had gear like that.”
“Come here.” Komodo put her hand on her head. Then placed her other hand on the bed. Like instant magic an outfit appeared on the bed, with her exact sizes.
“By all hellfire, this is so cool!” Edger knocked on the door telling his daughter her friends were arriving. She shouted “okay, 1 sec.” Komodo walked out of the room to let her get dressed. Edger asked if she liked punch or tea?
“Wine, please.” When the girl came out of her room, and Komodo handed her a komodo dragon claw. “If you are ever in trouble squeeze this and call my name. I will be summoned to you to help. This is my gift to you...”
My Heaven
-The Burn Eye Epidemic-
By Michael James
Part 1
The man in red
On a vast city ship,
at a hospital...
“Doctor she is entering the last stages of the curse!” She ran to the nurse and into the room. The patient was thrashing around from pain and finally her eyes lit on fire. As the screaming halted she died right there on the bed. “We have several more that are near the final stage, doctor.” She asked the nurse if the counter spells were helping? “We don't have enough clerics for everyone. Most clerics are being paid by wealthy families.” Then what about their clerics on staff?
“We are working as fast as we can, doctor” said a cleric named Mcrugar. She looked at him asking how were they supposed to keep up with this epidemic? “I suspect a warlock in the city is causing all of this. If we are to stop this we need to find him.”
A crooked man,
walking the empty streets...
Calling from a necklace. “Hello Sir, yes the city will be dead in a week, maybe two. I will have the docking bay ready for you to come in and plunder. Now about my payment?” He told the man in red that he would receive his fee when they arrived. “Very good.”
At a house,
of a wealthy family...
“I want double.” The father shouted at the cleric to go fu... himself! “Then I will bid you goodbye.” What about his kids!? “I guess if you loved them enough you will pay me my price.” He didn't have that much! A servant came to the room telling her lord a woman was here. “Oh good, it looks like I got more business.”
“What does she want?” She told her, she wants to heal the children. The lord pushed the wicked cleric out of the way. Komodo was at his door. He opened it and asked how much?
“I'm not after coin, I have other interests.” Such as? “Please let me see the infected sir.” He let her in his house and took her to his youngest child's room. The cleric saw Komodo and backed away. She put her hand on the child's forehead and her eyes started to glow. It was over in a couple minutes, and the child was cured completely.
“Blessings be upon you woman.” She asked him to show her the other infected. “Right this way.” The cleric got in their path shouting she was a being of darkness! “You refused to help me and blackmailed my family, get out!” No he didn't understand she was a wraith. She would bring illness far greater than this curse. “Get out.”
“He is right and wrong about me sir. I am a wraith, but I will not bring you misfortune. Take me to the others.” He listened to her and swore at the cleric. Once his other 3 children were cured Komodo took the curses and made a great lizard from the 4 curses.
“What do I owe you?” She wanted to know where the authority station was. “On Wester St. 8 blocks to the right of my manor. Do you truly want nothing?” She had what she came for, there was no need for further payment for services.
As Komodo walked the streets to the police station. 5 clerics blocked her path. Telling her this was their cash crop, not hers. If she didn't want to be destroyed she would leave the city. Her fresh lizard moved to her hand. They told her she would not live against their holy magic. She smiled telling them she was not a two bit ghost.
“I will, destroy you all if you attack me.” Their hands glowed with holy light. The lizard turned into a sword radiating with fire. The clerics all backed away afraid of the weapon. “You capitalized on the suffering of others, are clerics not moral people?”
The 5 turned and ran away from her in fear. The sword eventually faded into nothing. She continued her way to the building. When she got there, it had only one officer on duty.
“Who are you, did you not hear the curfew advisory?” Komodo asked him to take her to the center of the city. She planned to rid every curse at once. “Who are you?”
“A friend.”
Part 2
Sabotage
At the cleric,
boarding house...
“You're serious, a beautiful wraith girl cured the Raush family?” The assigned cleric told his boss the children no longer need treatment. Now how should they rid themselves of this menace? “If she is who I think she is, it would take all of us to beat her. Don't pursue her alone. Travel in groups of 6 and discredit her as much as you can.”
At the cities,
masters house...
“Great wraith how long will it take you to do this task?” Komodo was looking at maps of the city while its governor spoke. She told him it would be a matter of hours. The observation tower on the map was prime choice for her deed. She didn't want to be bothered by clerics while she did this act. “What is your price?”
“I want a vessel chartered to go to Muleeh and that is it.” He told her his privet vacation vessel would be hers to keep. “Very well, can we get this underway?”
Once Komodo was at the top of the tower. She told her security provided by the city, she needed no interruptions. They assured her that no one would stop this act. They swore it on their lives. Komodo got started, by connecting every cursed person to her mind. It was going to take hours to do this. But if she went from house to house, it would take months. Her eyes were closed and she was in a state of deep meditation. Her first hour into the act went well. The second hour she was afflicted and put into a coma. Those guarding her were killed.
Komodo woke up hands chained above her head and under dressed. She was sitting on a holy sigil which made her powerless. Not to mention she was in great pain.
“Go get get master Vince. He wanted to talk to this wraith before we purged her.” The cleric ran to go get their boss. Komodo looked for a possibility of escape. But from the sigils center to edge was twice her body length.
A few minutes later...
“Vic, I cant tell you how out of character this is, that I still have my bra on.” He told his subordinates to leave them alone. None dared to go against him. When the room was just the two of them. Her threw holy water on her and it felt like acid.
“I told you 3 times to stay out of my business areas. This is the final straw my girl. You are wearing your underwear because there will be no romance this time. I will convince the people of the city you are the cause. When we execute you for this crime no one will be the wiser.” Komodo laughed at how low he had fallen. Was he really a holy man anymore, or was he a simple con artist? “Insulate bitc...” He walked right up to her and pressed a small sacred mirror to her face. It felt like a branding iron on your eye ball. I tell you this wraith, I am a great business man. Because you have angered me I will torture you now!”
Hours later...
“You son of a bitc...” Vince asked her if she was cocky now? “My kind will hunt you down for this!” Yes he would look for them now dunk her again! Komodo's head was going into pure water. It hurt like a bastard, but wasn't as damaging as holy water.
Suddenly she tasted blood in the water and it wasn't hers. Followed by no pressure holding her head down. She jerked out of the tub and saw the clerics had been slaughtered. Except Vince, he had been shot in the leg. The man in red was standing in front of him. While holding a smoking gun. Confusion couldn't begin to describe her state of mind.
“Release her or I will shoot you again.” Vince screamed that he was a man of the gods, of Eternity! He shot the same leg close to the last mark. “Release her now.” Vince disarmed the sigil and Komodo broke free of her chains on her own.
“Why are you helping me warlock? The old alliances between our kind were severed.” He feared she misunderstood the situation. He had evidence that the clerics were conning the city. She had everything she needed to bury them with accusations. All he wanted was their store house of wealth. “In exchange for your assistance, you get to run off with their fortune... Sounds fair to me, may I see that gun?” He handed it to her and she checked the ammo. Bullets with pain spells engraved into them.
She emptied the whole magazine into his leg. She told the warlock to take whatever he wanted. She would wait until he was gone to alert the city of this man.
“I actually have it all loaded. By all means alert away” he laughed handing her a recording crystal.
Part 3
An offer
Half a day later,
on top of the tower...
Those who could still protect her guarded the tower fully armed. She finally did what she had come to do. The lizard or dragon formed in her hand. It was yellow with long glowing blonde hair. This dragon if used properly could destroy a large country from space.
Days later,
at a party...
Komodo was seeking solace and was approached by a young girl. Her mother watched from the crowd. As she handed Komodo a necklace made of flowers.
“Well aren't these pretty.” Then the girl handed her a letter and walked away. Komodo assumed it was a thank you letter. She put the necklace on and opened it. She froze in terror, learning the girl was an angel in disguise. The arch angel Michael himself had written this letter. He was in the biggest sports field waiting with Divinity.
“I didn't think I caught their attention!” She looked around her and saw the little angel looking at her. Was an escape possible at this point? She kept thinking in her head.
At the location...
“My lord, here she comes.” Komodo looked at them and walked slowly their way. She did try to escape but measures were taken to keep her there. She walked up to them, but when she was in ear shot, she stopped. “We're not here to harm you Komodo” said Michael.
“Please come here my child” Divinty told her gently. She asked if they wanted her to turn over her new dragon? “No that is not why we are here.” She asked if she was to be killed? “I want to offer you an opportunity.” What kind of opportunity? “You are aware I cant deify beings of Infinity, right?” Komodo didn't say a word from shock.
“His lordship was impressed with your performance today.” What performance? “You saved 2.7 million lives today.” Her attitude changed dramatically. When she realized they came for. They wanted to turn her into an angel. “What say you?”
“I am truly honored my lord, but I am happy with my life the way it is now.” Divinity didn't seem insulted by this rejection and told her. If she ever changed her mind he would still fulfill his offer. The two men vanished in a beam of light. “Well that was intense.”
In a cell,
waiting punishment...
“Excuse me who are you?” An officer shouted down the hall! Vince then heard a few gun shots. A lion man walked up to his door and unlocked it. He had some questions for the cleric.
“It would seem I was betrayed by the man I hired to spread the curse. If you answer my questions I will let you walk out of your cell alive.” Vince told him he would do anything to avoid execution. “Do you know why the warlock suddenly vanished off the city?” Yes he did, it was because he made off with all the clerics wealth. “That double crossing prick. I will run him down to the ground.”
He left the cell open and his men killed everyone who got in the way. Until Divinty's subordinate got in their path. Vince couldn't care less about the mafia guy who was getting killed. He couldn't use his injured leg very well. But he knew about the emergency ducts. To be used as an emergency exit. He took the keys and made it there.
Back to Komodo...
She was highly disturbed as to what she went through. It got worse when his subordinate appeared in front of her. She immediately went into combat mode.
“Stand down, I am not here to fight you.” She told him one false move... “Relax okay.” Komodo paused on good faith and dropped her guard only by a slight. “The man who was going to blame everything on you is missing. My father wanted me to tell you in person.” Did he mean Vince!? “Yes that is the name of the fallen priest.”
“I know where to go, thanks...” She evaporated into shadow and went to the departing dock was. She looked as hard as she could, but was to late. Many ships had left, he could have been on most of them. Her anger almost got the better of her.
“Excuse me?” She looked at the child she saved before this began. “You are her aren't you? The woman who saved my siblings and I?” She bent down asking him how she could help, looking calm and collected. “I just wanted to thank you. My family is leaving the city and I saw you standing here.” Komodo took the flowers around her neck and gave them to her.
“These flowers will protect you. Now go back to your family.” All of her frustration went away. “Until next time Vic...”
My Heaven
-Birth of Vain-
By Michael James
Part 1
It was horrible
In a mountain village,
in neutral territory...
“My aren't you a big fella.” Komodo uttered turning the curse into a dragon lizard. The curse she had just lifted, was put on the elder by a paid witch. He wanted to pass on, but the curse kept him alive, only to suffer. The family was sad to see him go, but were glad he was at peace. And Komodo was pleased she came for this curse.
“Your payment milady.” She said there was a snow storm happening. If they wanted to pay her, then put her up for the night. With something smooth to drink. “Certainly, this way.”
Off in a cavern nearby...
“Please you little whore, show some mercy.” This girl of 16 did not have mercy in her heart. She was covered in cuts and bruises, wearing nothing but her skin. She had been bought by these men and they let their guard down.
“I will die knowing I gave you all what was coming to you.” PLEASE! She killed him with a neck puncture with a fork. She was quickly losing blood and had used all her energy to kill them. She fell on her back and let death take her, but in her soul, she wanted more.
2 nights later...
She woke up gasping as if she got hit in the stomach with a sledge. She looked at her hands and saw black skin. She had white skin all her life and wanted to make sense of this.
“Oh good, you are finally awake little one” said Komodo. As she handed the girl something to wear. She wanted to know what was happening? “You've become a wraith little one. A wraith without a starting master. I sensed your malice the night you died and I knew you were coming back.” Who was this woman before her. “My name is Komodo, I'm here to help you get on your feet.”
“Didn't I die?” She should get dressed now. “Okay.” The clothes she put on were goth like. But she looked at her hands seeing visible veins. Then she spoke “my name is Vain.”
“You are a wraith nobility Vain. The cracks in your skin are words. Unlike mine that are like dry mud. Its nice to meet you.” She wanted to know what happens now? “It all depends on you. If you choose to go after your reason to come back. You may cease to exist. But if you choose to linger without a purpose you may meet that fate as well.” She got her clothes on and thought of her old slave master.
“I have a reason to come back. I wanted to kill the man who killed my mother and sold my sister. You say I'm nobility?” Yes. “I was born a slave in a market, how could I be nobility?” Regardless of who she was in her former life, she was high class now. “What... how could?” The wraith had a duty of honor assist newborns. If she wanted to solve things on her on her own, then she would leave. But swore that she was not lying to the girl. “Please stay! I have nowhere to go.”
“Okay, take my hand and think as hard as you can. About the world you want to be on.” Vain thought clearly of the place of terror. “Close your eyes and open them again.”
After a huge heat flash...
“Why did it get... Vain appeared in a vast slave market area. Them appearing in the street made some look, but knew they were wraith. So they went back to their business.
“Excuse me ladies, I have prime candidates to be new wraith. May I show you my stock?” Vain saw the blood in his veins pulsing. His words made her angry towards him. His veins burst under his skin and he started to bleed eternally.
“I see, you belong to the house of Murder, young Vain.” Again no one batted an eye at the man suffering in the mud and dirt. Some even stepped on him instead of going around. Vain looked at her hands realizing her gift, asking if it was okay to use?
“Well we wraith can kill just as well as someone committing a crime in a society. Except like a society, authorities would hunt you down. If you got to carried away. Now where is this guy you mentioned...
Part 2
Are you stupid
In a shop...
“Ah welcome... little Kicks, is that you?” Vain looked at the man who tormented her for so long. “Little Kicks, how nice of you to find your way back to me. I see you are a wraith now. I should be able to make a lot off you.” He activated a sleeping sigil under her. A while ago she told Komodo to let her handle it herself.
Vain woke up, with this man kicking her in the stomach hard. She had a power suppressant collar on and she was laying on her hip. With the man kicking her repeatedly.
“Yeah, you came all this way to get your revenge. I don't think I've ever been so fortunate Kicks. To be able to sell a young wraith at an auction. It's a blessing I ever got you out of your filthy mother.” She screamed at him to not call her mother filthy! “Oh come on you slave women are all filthy, you dirty little girls. Now tell me, and don't lie. Are there other wraith that will wonder where you are?”
“Burn in hell!” He laughed as he took a branding iron and waved it around her face. Why did she always want to do things the hard way? “Yes I have a friend that will come looking for me.” Good good, was she a beauty like her or more pretty?
“Why don't you be the judge” Komodo said from behind. He didn't even have a chance to breath. She rammed her hand into his heart. “Vain, how exactly did it end up like this?”
“I failed you master.” No, if she failed her then she wouldn't have looked for her. “I let my guard down and I was hit with magic. He has the keys to the collar in his pocket.” Komodo got the keys and got her free telling her not to cry. Tearing up after a defeat was worse than being a captured slave.
“Don't worry, this slave trader was the stupid one here. If he thought he could sell a wraith as a slave. Now come with me and make yourself presentable. Someone important has come to speak with you.” Who? “One of our great kings. The 14th king, Damnation.”
Far from town,
in a wheat field...
“Where is he, this high king?” Komodo pointed in the direction of a scare crow. Vain didn't see anyone. When she looked back, Komodo was walking away. “HEY!” She shouted back that she wasn't invited to this meeting. “What meeting?” Komodo dissolved into shadow vapor. As she thought it was a joke. A mans voice echoed in her head. “Okay where are you?”
“I'm behind you.” She turned around and looked at the scarecrow in the empty field. She didn't understand what she was supposed to be seeing. I apologize, I just like to hang out on stems. Its sort of like a pet peeve of mine. 4 wings grew from the scarecrows back.
“What is this, a horror broadcast?” Damnation flew to her and spoke telepathically the whole time. Vain felt the immediate need to bend her knee to him, but he beat her to the punch. “What is happening!?” He held out a ring. “Oh you've got to be shi... me.” Was it so strange for him to take her as his second wife? “Second wife? Exactly how many wives do you have my lord?” She would be the second.
She looked seriously at him and didn't know whether to be insulted or flattered. He wanted to know her answer. And she wanted some time to think about it. He smiled and saying he was patient.
“Harmonica was my marriage shortly after I became the final wraith king. She was my predecessor as leader of our kind. We fell in love, it wasn't just a planned marriage. But since I married her, I had long sought a woman I could meet. If you want time to consider this offer I will be waiting. But since Harmonica, only 3 women have qualified for this position. The first two were killed by holy men. I wanted a chance to meet you before they came after you.”
“Why me?” He took her hand and kissed it. Thinking, she had a tremendous amount of power. He felt her awakening when she came back. “Will I be hunted?”
“I'm assigning 2 bodyguards to keep you alive. Please do not evade them. I have waited decades for another.” She hesitated as she leaned in to kiss him. He didn't resist and took the little closed mouth kiss. She had something she had to do, before being they wed. “Take your time, I already know you will be worth it.”
Back on her home planet,
a day later...
“There she is, what joy, that there are 2 lesser kings guarding her.” His brother said this was not going to be easy. Domino and Law were not to be taken lightly.
Part 3
In a cemetery
5 seconds later,
until Law looked at them...
“Its about to get real!” Domino hurried her out of sight as Law looked at them with malice. “Your shadows cant touch us Law.” They casted a spell that eliminated all shadows in the area. Law reached for his ax on his hip. “You got this brother?” Yes he did, he answered creating a sword of light. Law rushed him at fast pace.
The monk's sword hit his ax and a blast was the result. The monk flew back a foot, Law wasn't pushed at all. He chose to run at the monk to claim the kill.
“You leave my kindred alone, you beast!” A priestess fell from a building top. Almost killing Law in her descent. He jumped back from her and called her name Peg. “You remember me, I would feel honored if you were among the living.” The monks shouted to her that she was to kill the new wraith! “They aren't going anywhere brothers, I made sure of that. Now go, I'll handle him.”
Law's eyes turned solid black and the sky became night. She took her staff and created blinding light around her. He looked in her direction, she was gone... then he fell to his belly as she almost killed him. He rolled to the left and to the right. To the left, the left, the right and finally got his feet. As she was trying to impale him with her staff.
Law shouted a curse of dark power, he jumped back and shot it at her. She threw a suitra at the attack and canceled it. She was in darkness now. He called upon his shadow minions to fight her. As they closed in on her, Peg lightly tapped her staffs base on the ground. Destroying all of his monsters in one move.
“Your going to have to give me more credit wraith. I hunt elite's of your kind. Cheap attempts wont work on me.” Law held out his hand taking in all of the night darkness and condensed it into 3 cubes. The day sky had returned as if it never left.
“Oh holy father, I call upon thee. To bring me protection from evil and its ways. Please oh lord give me strength...” Peg started saying her chant in repetition. Around her was an orb of light. More transparent and biblical than anything before it.
Law combined the 3 cubes into one. He sent it at her with more force than an a-bomb. The blast did nothing to structures only to flesh. “Oh holy father, I call upon thee...” Peg's chant ceased when the blast was over. She was completely unharmed. The monks waiting to back her up were not as fortunate. Law also had vanished.
Back to Vain and Domino...
“We're going to hide in a cemetery” Vain asked? Domino told her to stay near her ignoring her question. A bit later Vain saw several monks coming their way.
“You guys must still have your balls, to come after us here. Peg told them to back away as she walked up to them. “I thought I smelled a holy turd nearby.” Peg told her they were not going to desecrate holy ground. A rather smart move to bring her to the location. The question was how long did she think they could protect her?
Domino opened her mouth to start talking. But she saw them all becoming pail. All of the color in their skin. They were almost more than albino white. Domino jerked her head to Vain who was in a trance. It wasn't just them everyone in a 10 mile radius was feeling the same way. Domino didn't get scared that often, but she there now.
“Milady stop... STOP!” Vain broke out of here trance and all of the life force she drained rushed to her. In a single second her aura was transformed into a force of smoky wind.
“You went after my friends priestess. How could I let you live another moment?” Peg smacked her hand against the ground. A holy sigil formed under her and her brethren. They vanished in holy light. “Domino, where is Law?”
“I am here milady” Law told her and bent his knee. Domino got to her knee as well. “I have to burp.” Vain's aura went into her and she belched a small black cloud out of her mouth.
“Oh man, what a nasty flavor.”
Part 4
On top of the roofs
The following night,
sitting on a sky scraper...
“How did I do that?” Vain was looking at her hands questioning what she was. Also feeling guilty she brought thousands to near death. Also after the incident, 5 more elite's including Komodo were stationed to watch her like a hawk. “What smells nice?”
“Its ice coffee.” Vain looked at this wraith woman holding two glasses of the stuff. “May I join you?” She wanted the coffee, but didn't know her. The condition Vain laid down was they couldn't discuss what happened the other day. “Fair enough.”
She sat down and handed her the beverage. Vain looked at the sky, and started to take notice of her company. This woman was good in all the right places, figure wise.
“He isn't a bad guy.” Who? “Damnation. He is a noble leader who just wants as normal a life as he can get.” Harmonica! “You are just realizing this now? I thought I had gotten full of myself. I guess I'm not as big a presence as I was led to believe.”
“I did not mean to offend you, your majesty.” She took no offense, but she did want to know something. When was she going to stop pretending that she didn't want Damnation. “He is a very attractive man and you could cut our chemistry with a dull knife.” So what was her problem? “I'm not queen material.”
“My profession before I became what I am. I was a helper to throw bodies into a pit. You see, a terrible sickness hit my world. A handful of the population got the vaccine. My social rank was so low, even though I wasn't sick. I was one of many exposed to dead body's. Only because someone had to do it. When I died my regret was that I never had high social status. I was willing to kill for it. The question isn't, do you deserve it. What you ask yourself, is how much are you willing to fight for it?” Vain looked at her and asked could she marry her.
“That was a joke milady” Vain assured. Harmonica laughed from relief. “How did you get your name?” She could make a peaceful harmonic sound that frees the soul from the body. Even the most livid of people would relax and except death, hearing her song. “And I thought I was special.” Harmonica sipped her coffee. “Where do we go from here?”
“Tell my husband you'll marry him and we go strait to our bachelorette party. I know a club on this planet full of young gorgeous men.” Vain looked at her with shock. “Do you prefer women?” She actually went down both sides of the river. “Oh yes please...”
My Heaven
-Cruel Woman-
By Michael James
Part 1
Death of the rat king
In a castle,
set a blaze...
“Princess, we need to get you out of here!” She asked where her father was. “That doesn't matter right now. You need to flee the castle, before she finds you!” She was not going to leave without her father. “This is taking to long, use the herbs.” Princess Amelia struggled as her knights put her to sleep. “Carry her with care and get her to safety.” The head knight turned to go help the king fight the wraith.
“My oh my, the king himself draws his sword on me” laughed Disturb. The king told her he would give her his head. If she stopped her rampage in his kingdom. Then he saw the fresh rat on a hook around her neck. It was bleeding to death and fighting for its life. Disturb asked the king what was he thinking. When he sent his army to claim wraith land? “I told you time and again it was a misunderstanding.”
“Puncture your neck, kill yourself in a grotesque manner and I will consider it.” The king was a great warrior who led his army into many victories. Knowing his people were doomed he stabbed his own throat. The knights excepted this was how it was. While the king died, they asked her to please leave.
“No, I think I will still kill you all.” But she promised! “I promised nothing. I said I would consider it, and after considering it. I think I'll still kill everyone in my path.” Her arms became bird talons, sharper than any lion claw.
“Men, fellow brothers it has been an honor... now flee!” He ran at her with a large explosive strapped to his chest. She gutted him before he got near, but not before he hit the trigger. The blast took out a third of the castle. His men did not get enough ground before it went off. The funny thing was a vulture flew out of the blast.
At the uncles estate,
the next day...
“My lord she is awake.” Amari... where was Amari!? Her uncle rushed to her side. He was devastated, about what happened. All he cared about was that his niece lived.
“Uncle where is father?” He didn't make it. “WHERE THE HELL IS AMARI!” The leader of the knights was also missing. “No” Amelia started crying as much as a child would normally. Her uncle told them to leave her be. “No, please don't leave me alone uncle.” He didn't know how to behave, yet he held her in his arms. Until the poor girl cried to exhaustion and fell back asleep.
When she woke up her uncle was asleep on the floor. “I am going to make that cruel woman pay for her deeds!” She told herself with a raging look on her face.
A few days later...
“Lord Will, our god and master. We have summoned you for help against a great foe.” Will looked at them and didn't seem enthusiastic. He was aware that her father invaded wraith land and brought this on himself. Will promised Amelia he would help her rebuild. He had workers from all over who would... “My lord, we want you to kill this wraith for us. She killed my father and my people, she needs to die!”
“Stay your hand and know your place girl! You do not talk to your god in such a manner. Your father brought this darkness on himself and your people.” They all bent the knee to him in fear. Amelia was livid thinking even her own god was a coward.
2 days later,
in front of a holy man...
“No dice milady, I will not assist you when this is your fault.” Amelia screamed and cursed at him. Wanting to know why he wouldn't kill his enemy!? “I will take my leave with these final words. The wraith Disturb seems satisfied at the moment. If you anger her further, you will lose much more...”
Part 2
The reason
That night...
“We must kill this woman wraith ourselves.” Her uncle told her that if they went after her. It would mean the same result as before. “Don't... do not abandon me too, uncle. Our pitiful god abandoned us, as well as the holy men. No, I will not have you do it as well!”
“Milady, sir Amari has just arrived.” A servant announced to the group. “Bring him before us.” Amari walked into the room with a big branded streak across his face. “Sir what happened to you?” He had a major opened wound on his face and it needed tending. “You burned your own face sir?” Amelia ran to and hugged him tight.
“What news on the king?” She informed her knight that he was believed to be dead. “That can not be.” She was just glad her husband to be was safe. “We must have the wedding as soon as we can. That way we will lead our people with strength.”
“No we need to assess the damage, and help our people. Weddings are not a main priority” the uncle declared. Amari told the uncle he had no authority here.
“I agree with my uncle, except I want to kill that woman.” NO! Everyone looked at him after shouting. He looked at them all saying they should not provoke her further. “Amari, you were the one who originally wanted to invade her land. Why do you hesitate now?” Because of how bad they did the first time around. “My love, I want to see that bitc... dead and its you who is going to kill her.”
“How am I supposed to kill her exactly?” She was going to have a weapon bought and brought to them. He will wield this weapon in defense of his people. In order to show them he is a worthy lord to follow. He had a sour look on his face when he told them. “I shall go rest upon the arrival of such a craft.”
In wraith territory...
“So small, so powerful” Disturb said puncturing the neck of a fresh rat. As it died, she hung it around her neck. As she turned to the 4 rat knights she had hanging from the ceiling. Only one was awake enough to fear what she was going to do.
The whole room was full of fresh remains of the dead. Disturb walked towards him with a sharpened cleaver. Smiling as if she had been looking forward to this for a while.
“I have a few questions...”
On a planet,
named Market...
“You have more than sufficient coin to pay for this. The issue is you will targeted the moment you walk out of my shop. There are wraith who watch my door.”
“I am not scared of them. I will complete my orders to bring the weapon to my princess. The vendor handed him the sword and gun with the ammo.
Sure enough wraith stopped him 11 feet out of the door. He told them that Disturb would die one way or another! The wraith in charge told his help to back off a moment.
“You are planning to kill Disturb with this gear?” Yes, he was and nothing would stop him! “Be on your way mouse man, we wont stop you.” He was a rat! “I don't care what you are. The reason I am letting you walk is Disturb will come after us. If we were to kill her prey. Now get going stupid little mouse.”
In Amari's chambers...
“This was such a sure plan. With the king dead and taking the blame for my treachery to the wraith. I was going to be king and marry that stupid girl. How did I get roped into a suicide mission!” As he complained there was a knock on his door. “Who is it?”
“My love, it's your fiancee, may I come in?” He opened the door and saw her in revealing clothing. “I thought we could be romantic for a while.” He looked her over and couldn't resist...
After they had done the deed, he laid in bed looking at her sleeping in his arms. His mentality was nothing noble. There was a sharp fork on the end table, stuck in a piece of meat. He asked himself could he get away if he killed her. Would he have the time before her body was discovered. Amelia suddenly told him to hold her tighter.
“Yes of course.” When morning came he woke up with her fast asleep cradled in his arms. A knock came at the door and her uncle told them their order was here. Amari panicked, he had a golden opportunity to get away and he fell asleep.
“Please don't come in we are indecent” shouted Amelia. Okay he would be waiting in the grand hall. “Love are you up for this? I didn't think to ask your opinion.” He confessed he wasn't ready to kill Disturb. “We should run away then. My uncle will find a champion. We can make due as commoners, I think I could.”
His eyes grew wide at the thought of not being king...
Part 3
Stuck to a hook
In Disturbs house...
“Mmm, this smell of cooked meat. It does tempt me to no end.” Disturb sat down to her meal of rat man meat. When she received a message of challenge. Amari was waiting to do justice in the ruins of the city. She would be killed. Disturb had looked forward to her meal for hours now. She decided to eat her lunch then kill her opponent.
In the city ruins,
an hour later...
“Well I guess she isn't coming.” Amari sighed with great relief. As he started to walk away from the town square. After the 4th step, he felt a dark presence behind him.
“I remember you, rat man. Your the one who attacked my land first.” Amari turned seeing Disturb behind him. I see you have equipped yourself with some state of the art technology. This should be fun. I'll let you have the first move...”
Amari jerked his arm firing as fast as he could. The rounds in his gun could kill a wraith on contact. Even if they used a dummy burst. Sadly he didn't hit her and she wasn't anywhere to be seen. Suddenly he rolled to the left, as a giant snake with gorilla arms tried to take his head off. He fired another shot and she vanished.
From above a condor came down with jellyfish tentacles for feet. They grabbed hold of his shoulder and stung him hard. When they were 125 feet in the air she dropped him. He took his sword and got close to a building. Stabbed it on his way down to slow his descent. When he got to ground level, it wasn't more than a bump.
“Good god, my shoulder hurts like hell.” His time to collect himself was short lived. As a rhino with a scorpion tail came right at him full speed. It knocked the gun out of his hand, then destroyed it with a stomp. He took the sword and avoided the stings as best he could. A puncture from this tail could put a hole in a car.
He saw an opening and moved to stab her head. But jellyfish tentacles from the mouth grabbed his arm and paralyzed it. The pain was great enough that he dropped the sword. The tentacles grabbed his his body all over and he was carried off. The spectator far off watched his defeat and reported this loss to the princess.
At Disturb's place,
several hours later...
“Oh my god... I'm in a box full of dead bodies. Help! Someone help me out of this!” He tried to get out of it for the life of him, but couldn't budge the top lock. After a full hour he had been emotionally traumatized. And a bit later, Disturb opened the top and stung him with paralysis venom. She carried him to her kitchen and hung him off a hook, back first.
“Okay, I know you can hear me, and I know you can understand me. Now before I eat you, I want to know somethings. Over the last 2 days I have been trying to make sense of all this.”
“You started a conflict with me and your people, to become king, yes? Wink for yes, blink for no.” Amari tried to get free but couldn't move well. “If you don't want to talk we can just get on with it. Did you use me to become king?” He winked his left eye.
“Good, we are connecting. Are you aware I was going to kill thousands of your people. In order for this to happen?” He winked. “Are you aware that I'm going to kill your fiancee now. Because she chose to provoke me further?” He jerked his head at Disturb and tried to attack her. “Oh my I hit a nerve, well perhaps I will take extra effort with Amelia. Since you wasted so much of my time.
“If you hurt her I will...”
“You will what, make yourself taste bad for me?” Amari was in such severe pain and was about to black out. Disturb put a recording crystal to his mouth. Confess everything and I will spare her...”
In the princess',
bed chamber...
“What is this, its a recording device... Amelia listened to his confession and grew very angry. “Whose there!” She shouted sensing a presence in the room. It was dark and she saw a shadow.
“I am satisfied with leaving things as they are. Continue to pursue me and I will hunt your line down. As well as everyone you have seen.” The shadow turned into a vulture and flew out the window. Amelia thought very hard for a 20 minutes.
“I wont forgive you for killing my father, but I will except your mercy...”