Let's Make A Deal

He was my only son. My only child. They took him.  Ripped him from his bed in his sleep. If it had been my debt to bear, I would have understood. My blood would have sealed the fate of my child and given me the grand, rich, future that I felt I deserved. 

It wasn't my debt. It wasn’t even a debt of my family, my blood. The debt came from his father's grandfather. A man we rarely interacted with. He was the one that sold his first born for wealth and power. Or so he thought. He had not read the fine print, just took the deal and kept the rewards wholly to himself. 

The fine print informed him it would take a first born of his lineage. He assumed that meant his eldest, a daughter. When she wasn't taken, he didn't question it, just assumed something else had worked in his favor. 

What he didn't understand was that they traded value for value. The first child born of his lineage to have value was his great grandson born to the firstborn son of his eldest son.

My son. 

They took him at just the right age. Old enough for myself and his father to be wholly and fully in love with him as our child, young enough that he will never be able to remember us. Aside from being raised by demons, he would never fully know the loss of his parents. We, on the other hand, would mourn him until we breathed our last. 

That was undoubtedly their plan, at any rate. Our plans were a little different.

The blood of Old Order Knights flowed through me from both of my parents, one of the highest concentrations able to be found in the modern world. It was not something we broadcasted and odds were the demons were clueless.  I had to wait a few weeks in order for them to maintain their ignorance, but as soon as I could pull the trigger on the Knights, I did.

They were fairly easy to find once we stopped trying to look in other dimensions and turned our gaze a little closer to home. The demon that took our son was a prominent minister in Birmingham taking advantage of those easily led astray. The hatred that permeated the southern United States kept him very well fed and the donations from his clueless flock kept him very well appointed. 

We knew better than to meet him on his territory where he would be strongest. It took a few days of watching him, but we finally caught him entering a neutral location. Even an apostle of darkness can't say no to fast food French fries. 

I sat at his table without asking and he thought me to be from his flock until I informed him a squad of Knights was surrounding his estate that exact moment. He knew what I wanted and asked what I was willing to trade. 

It's a funny thing how a person will consider the world when something greater than them is at stake. Really, the demon was just doing his job. As awful a job as it was, it was his by demon draft  and he had to be admired for excelling at it instead of half-assing it. Very few people took this level of pride in their chosen professions. And, really, was I much different from him? Seven Old Order Knights were being sent to their possible deaths because I commanded it, because I decided the life of my son was greater than theirs and they agreed without question. 

I cast my gaze around the restaurant. People who will probably never amount to much because they don’t or can’t or won’t realize that they could if they just looked outside of their boxes. They were probably decent people at their core, but some undoubtedly abused their kids or their spouses. They did these terrible things, wasted their lives all on their own. The demon across from me didn't have to lift a single finger to make them evil. He came for the fries, but he stayed for the screaming kids and frustrated parents growing more and more resentful of the innocent creatures they forced into the world. I found I couldn't be pressed to care that he used them like this. In a way, I wholly felt they deserved it. 

When I asked him how he felt about the world wide web, he cringed a little. Then I asked him how he felt about Old Order Knights working for him. This sparked his interest. 

One of the Specialists came in with a laptop and showed him the darkest recesses the internet had to offer. He nearly choked on his fries. As a show of good faith, he called one of his minions and ordered them to bring my son to us along with the contract his great grandfather signed.

I hugged my son as tightly as I could while I cursed the offspring of the evil of the world.  But, I did leave in a loophole for them should they choose to look for it.  The demon loved challenges.

Afterlife Part 5 Final Part

The creature rose above me, sand pouring from its body.  It made no sound.  Ambush was undoubtedly its modus operandi.  The only thing that kept me from pissing myself was the fear that the scent of urine would attract it to me.

            Its body was segmented like any good and proper spider body.  The back end was the shelled part.  Up front, it was armored more like an ankylosaurus.  When it turned, its head was bigger than I was with fangs dragging in the sand and its multiple eyes gleaming in the sun.  My body cycled through wanting to throw up, run, cry, scream, and generally freak out.

            You know how spiders will rear up on their hind legs to look bigger and more imposing?  I don’t know why this particular spider felt the need to do that but, it did it.  And, yeah, it worked.  It took every ounce of my will to hold steady.  Every.  Single.  Ounce.

            Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Felix and Marianne trying to come up with a plan.  When she started to come towards me and my terrifying assailant, I started to panic. I didn’t want to watch my sister get eaten by this thing.   Her life wasn’t more valuable than mine, whatever life this was in this place.  Keeping my head still, I glanced around to see if I could see any way out.  Not really.  At least I could make decent bait.  I steeled myself to move when white hot plasma flew past my head and into the abdomen of the spider.

            Strong arms wrapped around me and threw me down into the sand out of the way and a broad man in robes stood over me protectively.  The spider screamed in a mix of anger and pain.  Ezo fired off another shot, this time into its face.  The face melted.

            Webbing started to spray everywhere and the ground started to shake.

            “Shit,” said Ezo.  “It called reinforcements.”

            The spray of webbing stopped and I looked past Ezo to see Oz standing behind the spider with a huge halberd, the creature’s spinnerets on the ground separate from its body.  Gore and ichor poured from the wound.  I fought the need to vomit.

            “We need to hide,” said Ezo.

            “Hide where?” I asked.

            Before he could respond, Oz used his halberd to slice the spider open, more of its insides spilling out.  I looked up at Ezo.

            “Oh no.”

            “Oh yes.”

            He took off his top robe and wrapped me in it then hurriedly shoved me inside the spider.  It smelled beyond foul and was disturbingly warm.  I didn’t know what temperature something like this should be, but I never would have expected warm.  Ezo pulled the hood of the robe over my head and held me close against his chest.  I could feel the body move around me and realized I was feeling the others climb in with us.

            The spider stilled, but the ground did not.  Soon, we were getting bumped against and walked over.  I tried to tell myself it was just a handful of the things moving in circles, but I knew it wasn’t.  There was almost a rhythm to it all, like we were being marched past.

            Eventually, the sensation stopped as did the ground shaking.  Strong arms wrapped around me from behind and pulled me free.  I immediately shed the robe Ezo had wrapped me in and looked around to see tracks upon tracks around us.  With Oz’s ok, I went to the top of the tallest dune.  The tracks went wider than I could see and, miles in front of us, I could see a huge dust cloud moving away.  I shuddered.

            Moments later, everything was better as Ezo and Oz wrapped their arms tightly around me.  I broke into sobs, everything that just happened crashing down on me.  Slowly, I was able to get myself back together and took a step back to look at my husbands.

            Ezo looked like he was in his late twenties, his Okinawan skin a deep dark brown from the desert sun, his black hair cut short.  His almost black eyes were still as unreadable as ever, but I’m pretty sure he looked happy to see me.  And, maybe, a little worried.

            Next to him, Oz stood a few inches taller and leaner, but still a big man.  I don’t think I’d ever seen him with a tan his entire life.  Like me, he was always a little see-through, but here he stood, darkened by the sun.  It was weird.  His hazel eyes looked a little more yellow in this light, and his black hair was also cut short.  He, too, looked to be in his late twenties.  I looked between them and smiled.

            “So…I died.”

            “We can see that,” said Oz.  “What killed you?”

            “I was old and heartbroken,” I said with a shrug.  “The usual.”

            Ezo frowned.  “I’m sorry I died before you.  It’s not what I wanted.”

            “I know.  It’s ok.  It’s not like we really have control over that.”

            “How are the kids,” asked Oz.

            I smiled.  “They’re great.  At least, they were last I saw.  We won’t have to worry about them.”

            “Good.”

            They looked between each other in an exchange I had seen many a time during our marriage.  My eyes narrowed.

            “What is it?”

            “We can’t stay,” said Ezo.

            “Why not?”

            “We made a deal.”

            “With the Bitches that Be?”

            They exchanged a small grin then Oz nodded.  “Yes, but try not to call them that.  They’re kind of touchy.”

            “I noticed.”  I frowned.  “What kind of a deal?”

            “How many people do you think have died since the dawn of man?”

            “A metric asston?”

            “Right.  And this place doesn’t seem all that crowded, considering, right?”

            “I’m not entirely sure how big this place is, so that might be a subjective view.”

            He sighed, a little exasperated.  “It’s not as crowded as it could be, trust me.”

            “All right.  Then where is everyone?”

            “Most are stuck in that nothingness you first enter.  They got there, their chosen deity wasn’t standing there with welcoming arms, they froze for eternity in shock and despair.”

            “And The Powers,” said Ezo, “are more than happy to leave them there.”

            “Are we talking turning people into batteries here?”

            “No.  They don’t want an uprising.”

            I cocked my head to the side and smiled a little.  “So, The Powers aren’t as powerful as all that?”

            “Not really.  I mean, they are, but they’re not gods.  We haven’t figured out what they are yet, but we know they’re not gods.  They have limitations.  They need to keep people in the Nothing and keep the Willful out of their Sandbox.  And, because we know this and they know we know this, we’re dangerous to them.”

            “So you cut them a deal.”

            “Yes.  We’ll be their Judges and you and all of our decedents won’t be trapped or killed for being Willful.”

            I frowned.  “What do you have to do?”

            “Hunt down and erase the Willful,” said Ezo.

            “How long is this deal good for?”

            “Forever, at the moment.”

            “Forever?”

            “For the moment,” stressed Ezo.

            “What does that mean?”

            “It means what it means,” said Oz.  “For.  The.  Moment.”

            “All right.”  I took in a deep breath and let it out.  “So…what?  Do we have a house somewhere?  Do you guys have a work week?”

            “House, yes,” said Ezo.

            “Work week, we wish,” said Oz.  “We just…know…when a Willful has appeared and we set off to hunt them, the strongest first.  The only reason we’re here now with you is because you are the strongest Willful out right now.”

            “You were hunting me?”

            He raised his hands defensively.  “We’re just doing our job.  We don’t get a detailed description.  Luckily, they want us to do our work face to face to encourage the Willful to stay put in the Nothing or, at least,  behave if they get out again.”

            I nodded.  “Then where’s the house?”

            “Not here,” said Ezo.  “It’s on the Market plane on the other side of the mountains.”  Finally, he regarded Felix.  “You know where I’m talking about?”

            Felix nodded cautiously.  “I do, but it’s forbidden.”

            “Maybe for you.”  He looked up at the sky.  “Show him.”

            Felix looked around then back to Ezo and shook his head.  Ezo and Oz exchanged a glance seething with a mutual hatred.  Then both looked up at the sky and, in their very best unison dad voice said, “Show him now.”

            There was a slight clouding over then Felix focused on something in front of him that only he could see.

            “Oh,” he said.  “I can go there.”

            An ageless, sexless voice came into my mind and, I’m pretty sure, everyone else’s.

            :The jackal stays.

            I looked up at the sky.  “No, she doesn’t.”

            The sky clouded further.  I looked at my husbands.

            “Most Willful out, huh?  All right.”  I looked around.  “You called this their Sandbox, but I’m pretty sure you apply that to all planes, not just this particularly sandy one?”

            They nodded.

            “Fantastic. Once something is brought into the sandbox, can it be removed?”

            “No,” said Ezo.  “And one Sandbox creature can’t harm another.  Everything is here to discourage the Willful.”

            “Ah, I see.  That’s why jumping inside a spider is actually a good idea.”

            “Right.”

            I closed my eyes and found my will.  Then, I activated my imagination.  I could feel an energy in the air and started to draw it towards me.  Something tried to hold it back, keep it away from me.  I pulled harder.  There was a further struggle, but my opponent was working from greedy insolence born of fear.  I had no fear.  Just determination.  I won.

            Filling myself with this energy, I imagined a great bird.  A thunderbird.  Jet black with an impossible wingspan and, indeed, the ability to bring storms with it.  As well as an ability that no other creature in this existence could have.

            Wind started to whip up around me, sand blowing against my face until someone stepped in front of me to block it.  There was an earth-shattering crack followed by a downpour of rain and the flapping of enormous wings.

            When I opened my eyes, the storm had stopped and my bird stood over the corpse of the spider, its large slightly curved bill tearing into the meat of a leg and swallowing chunks of it down.  It turned to me, blinking down at me with its enormous black eyes.  I smiled.

            “Any trouble eating?”

            Negative shake of the head.  It had to have been at least twenty feet tall.

            “What should we call you?”

            The Thunderbird’s head cocked to the side then a deep, silky female voice  said, “Branna.”

            I introduced everyone around.  My husbands looked a mix of proud and worried, my brother and sister just looked all around petrified.  After the introductions, I bowed in front of Branna.

            “I hope we are well met.”

            “You freed me and gave me wings.  I am forever in your debt.”

            I straightened with a smile.  “I won’t free you to ensnare you again.  Everything you do with yourself is up to you.  The only thing I ask is that before you kill anything or anyone, you make sure they are of this world and not brought into it.” I turned to my husbands.  “Right?”

            Ezo nodded.

            “Also,” I added, “do not interfere with the work of my husbands.  I suspect they do not enjoy what they do at all times and, should you follow them, you may not like it either.  However, it is that work that allows us our freedom.  Until we can find a better way, we have to abide by that for now.”

            Branna nodded.  “Of course.  I understand.”

            Her head snapped up and looked in the direction the spiders had gone.

            “More are coming,” she said quickly.  “Please, find safety.”

Branna leapt into the air and took flight, her huge wings stirring up the sand.  She flew in the direction of the spider hoard.  I watched the distance as she circled over them, rain pouring down and thunder exploding the sky.  A few of the spiders leapt up towards her, but were unable to jump high enough to touch her.  They fell to the ground on their backs, shrieking in frustration.

            Ezo and Oz took turns hugging me tightly and kissing me deeply then shoved me toward Felix and Marianne.

            “Take her home,” said Ezo.  “Marianne being able to stay with you should not be an issue from here going forward.”  He turned to me.  “But don’t make a habit of showing off.  Bide your time.  We will come for you when we need you.  Understand?”

            When they need me to defeat The Powers.  I nodded.

            “We love you,” said Oz.

            He raised his halberd above his head and started to spin it faster and faster hand over hand.  Ezo knelt next to him on one knee and wrapped a hand around Oz’s calf.  In the other, he held his gun.  They were on their way to another kill.  Another Willful who was getting too big for their britches.

            Behind me, Felix was doing the same spin with his staff only he was able to do it one-handed.  The other hand buried in Marianne’s fur and I wrapped my arms around him, putting my head on his shoulder as I watched my husbands fade away.

            In the distance, between the thunder, dying spiders screamed.

Afterlife Part 4

We’d been standing in the desert about ten minutes give or take, my brother and sister yelling at me the whole time.  I completely ignored them while I examined my new bathorse.  He was quite large, probably seven feet at the shoulder.  His coat was silky black with red highlights throughout it.  His feet vaguely reminded me of a velociraptor’s and I decided I didn’t want to be on the end of them for anything ever.  His eyes were a smoldering darkness with blood red pupils.  At a glance, they were absolutely terrifying, but just eyes of an intelligent nature upon closer inspection.

“Do you have a name?” I asked him.

He shook his head.

“Well, that’s rude that no one gave you a name.  All right…”  I grinned.  “How about Bruce?”

He mulled this over then nodded.  

“Nice to meet you, Bruce.  My name is Ava.”

            “You can’t name a bathorse,” said Felix.
            Not turning to Felix, I narrowed my eyes a little.  “Sure I can.  Wait.  They’re actually called bathorses?”
            “What else are they going to be called?”
            My grin returned.  “Bruce.”
            Felix groaned and muttered under his breath then said, “Well, we’re not bringing him with us.”
            “We're not?”
            “What are you going to do with a bathorse?  You don’t even know how to ride a regular horse.”
            “The placement of his wings would make riding very uncomfortable without a specialized saddle anyway.”  I pet Bruce’s nose and scratched behind an ear.  “He can follow along behind us and kill things.”
            “I don’t want that thing anywhere behind me,” said Marianne.
            We stared each other down for a beat then I shrugged.
            “As you wish.”  I stood up on my tiptoes to  whisper into Bruce’s ear, “Just follow us.  It’s not like they can stop you.”
            After giving him a big hug around his neck while Felix and Marianne stood by looking a little horrified, I stepped back and bowed with a flourish.
            “You have been a very good friend for the last five minutes.  I wish you a wonderful future.”
            Bruce stuck out a leg and bowed his head over it.  Felix slipped his arm into mine and started to pull me back away from Bruce.
            “Come on.  Let’s get out of here before he comes to his senses and realizes what he is.”
            My bathorse stayed with feet firmly planted as we trudged onward through the sand.  It was a sea of sugar stained with coffee, dunes rising us up and lowering us down.  Marianne, being a jackal, was singularly suited to this environment.  Felix's lean body seemed to be handling it pretty well as well.  I, on the other hand...I was a mom.  Sure, I could clean my 2000 square foot house in under four hours and could run around and play tag and basketball, but that was it.  This Olympic sand dodging event stuff was not on my resume.  So, I decided to do the only thing I could do when faced with insurmountable sands and physical hardships: pretend to drive a dune buggy.
            With my left hand out in front of me on the “wheel” and my right hand on the “shifter” I started to half jog/half skitter over the sand while humming the Ride of the Valkyries.  There was a mesa in the distance that seemed to have something more than just rocks on it so I started to head in that direction.
            This worked great for about ten minutes before breathing became troublesome and my muscles started to burn.  I made it to the top of a very large sand dune then collapsed on the ground.  With my arms around my head as protection, I straightened out, turned, and rolled.  This got me down one sand dune and half way up another.  It also got me covered in sand.  A lot of sand.  In fact, sand was still pouring on top of me.
            Slowly, I looked up to see something was rising.  Something large.  It had been buried and, likely, sleeping until I woke it up.  At first, I started to worry greatly then recognized the carapace of a tortoise, sand rolling from its back.  A giant tortoise, granted, but a tortoise.  While I was still prey sized, I could probably get out of its way.  I stood up and started to brush myself off and wander away from it when I saw my brother standing at the top of the dune I had just rolled down, his staff over his head and sheer terror on his face.
            “Ava!  Don’t move! Don’t talk.  Don’t breathe.  Just stand perfectly still.”
            The only move I made was to turn around.  Slowly.  Whatever it was, I intended to face it head-on.  It didn't seem to notice that motion, still focused on pulling itself free of its nest.  By its eight furry, pointed legs.  Don't breathe.  Right.  I'll need that air. 

To scream.