As the zombie woman continued to chomp at the air, life faded from Edward’s body and he slumped to the floor. With no other option available, George parted ways with the wizard for the last time. It would seem that he was condemned to pass through the ages as a ghost … or finally admit defeat and allow his spirit to journey to the underworld. For surely it was the only place which would welcome him.
The End
######
Author's Note
While I am sad that this epic tale has come to an end, I sincerely hope you have found it both entertaining and disturbing. It was my intention to bring the horror genre closer to its roots once more, primarily because I felt as if the offerings of many others had resorted to elements which only startle the audience. Not that this tactic doesn't have its merits, but I feel a good horror story needs more than just something to make you jump or twitch in your seat. It requires some blood and gore, something truly disgusting to turn the reader's stomach.
None of the aforementioned things matter much in the grand scheme of things if the reader isn't emotionally invested in the characters. With that said, I know I've probably left many of you either scratching your heads or cursing me after finding out how the story ended. In all honesty, I didn't conclude the tale in this manner to piss off the reader. I merely wanted to leave it up to your imagination, whether you wished to believe Brian eventually dies in the tower or if he somehow manages to escape. I realize now that some people like to have everything laid out before them, leaving no question about what did or did not happen. As such, I am adding a brief (a term I use in the loosest sense) afterword to this edition to either put your mind at ease, or upset you further. I leave it up to you, whether you read those final words or skip them.
If you are one of those who were a fan of George Mancini, but wish to know what made him into the vile serial killer he became, pick up a copy of Destined for Darkness and indulge yourself. Until the next time we meet in the shadowy worlds of fiction, keep looking over your shoulder. One day you may find me there.
Lucian
May 24, 2016
Afterword
Brian had witnessed the rise and fall of the sun so many times that he'd lost track of how long he had been in the pinnacle of the tower. Each day the view outside had been the same. Skarr, the once friendly dragon, flew in endless circles around the stone spire. Her appearance suggested that she suffered from a zombie-like affliction.
The pallor of her hide was no longer a deep reddish hue. Instead, her scales were a dull purplish-gray, giving her a semblance similar to the vile undead which had been pouring into the world of Desolace. At least, that is what the shaman assumed was happening below. The first time he had dared a downward glance he could make out an enormous congregation of dots on the landscape. Since these specks were bunched together into one large group, he just assumed it was a pack of the flesh-eating creatures.
The first few days, the zombies poured onto the barren plains, seemingly from thin air. Obviously there was one or more portals down there in the area. Was there someone near the rifts who was keeping them open? If not, would the magic which kept them active eventually dissipate and cause the portals to collapse? Brian feared that he might starve to death in the spire before ever figuring out the answers to those questions.
Thankfully, after what seemed to be a week, Skarr had stopped circling the tower like a vulture over a carcass. Brian hadn't seen which direction the dragon had flown off in, but felt it didn't actually matter. So long as the enormous beast was somewhere else he had a slim chance of escaping his stone prison. Not only was the mythical creature gone, the blight of black dots below had also begun to move away. Whether the dimensional rift had finally closed, or if something else had occurred, the shaman didn't care. All that mattered to him was the opportunity to walk in fresh air, and to put food in his belly. As much as it had been rumbling lately, Brian was reminded of a phrase from home which he frequently used when he felt famished. I'm so hungry that my stomach is eating my backbone.
Although he was exhausted and weak from malnourishment, Brian rushed down the staircase. He burst through the secret entrance to the pinnacle and entered what had once been Zeus' audience chamber, barely taking note of the bodies which lay upon the blood-soaked floor. Every person he had known or cared about was dead anyway, so what was the point? It was like his feet had a mind of their own, not giving him the option to stop and gawk at the devastation. Instead, his legs carried him to the spiral stairway at the opposite end of the room. Even though the path was poorly lit from below, Brian navigated the steps as if he'd traversed them for his entire life.
It wasn't until he exited the stone spire that his feet stopped moving of their own accord, allowing the realization to hit him like a sledgehammer to the face. His once crumpled and broken body had made the journey without help! Had Zeus healed him as a final token of his gratitude, or had he somehow inadvertently mended himself while reviving the King of the Gods? Not that it mattered how the feat was accomplished.
As he stood in the shadow of the tower, an angry voice echoed to his ears. The sound was reminiscent of someone shouting into a tin can, and seemed to be coming from nearby.
Even though the Black Knight was trapped within the battered shell of a Panzer, he had caught the scent of a human in his nostrils. His armies should have easily dispatched the troublesome group of mortals, so where was the smell emanating from?
"Who is out there? Follow the sound of my voice and come to my aid," he demanded. The Black Knight could have been mistaken, but he swore that he had just heard a muffled chuckle. "Get me out of here!"
The shaman couldn't stop the laughter from bubbling up his throat. It seemed that at least one thing had gone right. The evil entity who had plagued Brian and his friends for as long as he could recall was now as menacing as a box full of kittens. The impotent rage in the demon's voice made him feel like a celebration was in order, however brief the euphoria might last.
Brian turned his attention away from the vile creature, banging in futility against the hull of the tank. He glanced toward the east, where in days past he remembered a large army marching from, headed for the Throne of the Gods. At first, it appeared that the barren wasteland surrounding the spire like a moat just continued on all the way to the horizon, but then something caught his eye. The sun reflected off of a distant object. His curiosity rose and his feet began to move forward again.
Weaving his way through the devastation of the battlefield, Brian walked across the blood-soaked ground toward the shimmering anomaly, carefully avoiding the scattered body parts and gore. Eventually the shiny phenomenon started to materialize. He had almost considered the object to be a mirage, but as Brian stepped closer and closer he knew it was not. The metallic thing before him was similar in stature to the mechanical horses that their group had once made use of, although its construction was more wolf-like in appearance.
He assumed the creature would be controlled in a manner much like the horses had been, but the trick would be in figuring out the differences. Well, that and getting on the creature's back. This machine was considerably taller! How was he supposed to get on top of something that his outstretched fingertips couldn't reach? Had good fortune found him, only to laugh in his face?
Brian gazed at his surroundings, hoping to find something he could use as a stepladder. It was only a few moments before his shoulders sagged in despair. Apparently his days of dealing with gruesome carnage weren't quite over yet. The lone option he saw was to drag carcasses from the battlefield over to the machine and stack a couple of them on top of each other. It would be squishy and disgusting, with the possibility of his feet sinking through the flesh, but there didn't appear to be any alternative.
It took him close to two hours to haul the few torsos of corpses over to where the metallic beast stood. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he sat down on the ground for a couple of minutes to catch his breath. The midday sun was blistering hot and he was alre
ady showing signs of getting sunburned. Not that it was anything new to him. As a redhead, he'd grown accustomed to looking like a boiled lobster every time he spent a lot of time outside. The only reprieve he could foresee was if he figured out how to operate the strange machine and head for a cooler, less harsh environment.
Elysia, Edward's home town, would have been his first choice, but Brian was pretty sure the city was destroyed by the Black Knight's armies. Even so, there had to be someplace that was untouched by the demon and his minions. It was just a matter of finding a small town, preferably nestled in a remote location which wouldn't have drawn the attention of the malevolent being.
First things first, he thought with a heavy sigh. These corpses aren't going to pile themselves up. Wearily, he stood and began to stack the dead beside the machine. Once the task was accomplished, he placed a hand on the mechanical beast to steady himself and positioned his left foot atop the pile. In one, fluid motion, he straightened his raised leg. The grotesque step stool threatened to spill him back onto the ground, but somehow he managed to maintain his balance.
Careful to not relax too much, Brian exhaled slowly and draped his arms over the back of the machine. It would still be tricky to successfully mount the beast, but at least it seemed possible now. It was only a matter of if he could muster enough spring in his legs without toppling his fleshy, makeshift stairs. With both palms firmly against the body of the mechanical creature, Brian slowly bent his knees then sprung into the air. He didn't get as much height to his jump as he planned, although it turned out to be just enough. The shaman landed roughly, but was thankful to have attained the creature's back.
His limbs trembled. Whether it was due to adrenaline wearing off after making the successful leap or the exhilaration of finally having a means to leave this dreadful place, he didn't care. The only thing on his mind right now was figuring out how to operate the machine. It didn't take him long to find the joystick-like apparatus which resembled the controls of the mechanical horses he was used to. Although, there was a dark blemish on the beast's neck just beyond the lever. Something in Brian's intuition told him it was another control mechanism.
With great hesitation, primarily because he had no idea what would happen if he messed with the knob-like protrusion, Brian lightly ran his index finger over the raised bump. He had barely grazed it, but the anomaly sunk into the metal hide of the beast. Wings sprouted from the creature's sides with a rapidity that nearly severed his lower legs from his body. Painfully placing his feet upon the appendages, he gazed at the joystick with a new fascination. If the beast could fly it would give him almost limitless options on where to go.
Before testing the capabilities of the strange, three-headed mount, Brian took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and slowly let it out. Raising his eyelids, he grasped the lever in his hand. He wasn't positive, but was relatively certain that the controls would function differently on a machine capable of flight. As such, Brian dismissed his initial instinct to push the joystick forward and pulled back lightly on it instead. Immediately, the wings began to move up and down. In mere seconds the beast slowly started to rise toward the sky.
He pulled the lever toward him slightly more, and the creature ascended more rapidly. In less than a minute Brian was high in the sky, the pinnacle of the stone tower which was once the home to Zeus now visible below. The view was breathtaking! If he squinted into the distance, Brian could see the enormous body of water that separated the northern and southern lands. From his current position, it looked like a tiny lake. He knew, however, that it was anything but small. On Skarr's back it had taken hours to cross the sea. The thought raised questions in his mind. How fast could the metallic monstrosity fly? Brian knew the mythical dragon, which appeared to be infected by the same virus that created zombies, was likely out here somewhere. If he encountered her in his travels, would the machine be able to outrun the dragon? Brian hoped he would never have to find out.
Unsure of how to make his acquired steed fly forward, or to adjust its speed if necessary, Brian allowed the lever to snap back to its original position while he searched for a control he might have missed. The creature lunged forward, nearly causing the shaman to tumble back to the ground. He'd barely managed to stay upon the metallic steed. After regaining his balance, Brian leaned forward like a jockey riding a race horse to cut down the wind resistance of his body. The mechanical beast was moving much quicker than he'd anticipated, so there was no need to look for anything which might make it go faster. He wasn't sure, but the creature's speed seemed comparable to the flight of the dragon, perhaps even enough to outrun the mythical beast if he encountered her on his journey.
***
Several hours had passed since Brian had climbed aboard the three-headed monstrosity. The expanse of the sea now lay behind him. So far, he had not seen Skarr or anything else he might perceive as a threat. He was so hungry that he felt weak and light-headed, even if his stomach had given up its protestations. Brian might have considered landing his mount if it was something he could do without the possibility of seriously re-injuring his body. Especially in the middle of nowhere. Instead, he pushed on, hoping to find a populated area to land just in case something went terribly wrong.
Picking the path he traveled was easy enough in daylight. All he needed to do was backtrack, and the giant swath of destruction from the Black Knight's army as they'd moved southward provided him with an enormous scar upon the earth like an arrow pointing the way. Granted, it would only take him so far. Brian was relatively certain that the metallic regiment had poured out of Cemetery Hill, so any locale beyond that he would have to find on his own. He believed he could find Elysia once he got to the abandoned city below the mountains, which unless he was mistaken was coming into view now.
He scanned the horizon to the north and thought he could make out the castle Edward had once called home. Moving the joystick slightly to the left, he steered his mount toward it. His heart sank as he got closer, realizing that the Black Knight's armies had indeed destroyed the largest city on Desolace. The tallest parapet of the castle was what he'd seen from a distance, but as he flew over Elysia he saw it was the only part of the structure which still stood. The remainder of the building—as well as all of the homes and shops—lay scattered upon the streets in piles of rubble.
Brian was just about to head farther north when he saw an enormous, dragon head poking out of the debris. It seemed he no longer needed to concern himself with Skarr coming after him. She was buried beneath tons of stone. Even if she still lived, there was no way she was strong enough to free herself.
***
The shaman's salvation came into view a few hours later. A small town, nestled within a bowl-like valley, appeared after he'd grown weary of watching what seemed to be an endless forest rushing by below him. At first glance, he felt the town to be familiar for some reason. A few seconds later he knew why. It was Loknar! As he pushed the joystick lever forward and descended, Brian could see people walking in the dusty street.
What he failed to realize was that the citizens of the small town didn't see him. All they saw was the metallic creature swooping from the sky like an enormous hawk diving for food. They were no strangers to the Black Knight's mechanical oddities, either. So, when Brian mistook them as people fleeing for shelter it almost proved to be a fatal error. They were not cowering under awnings or hiding within buildings, but were instead gathering weapons to fight.
As he neared the ground, Brian attempted to land as softly as possible. He failed miserably! The mechanical beast slammed into the dusty street so hard that the shaman was thrown from its back. He flew through the air for close to fifty feet before his body struck the ground, twisting and contorting his limbs like a novice skydiver who'd just made his first jump and hadn't opened his parachute in time. The pain that shot through his body was similar to when he'd fallen from Skarr's back. Before the dust cloud settled from his abrupt dismount, he lost consciousness.
When h
e finally awoke some time later, he was no longer in the street. His eyelids fluttered open. Although his vision was still somewhat blurry, Brian saw a vaguely familiar face staring down at him with concern. It took several seconds for his brain to figure out who the red-haired woman was. When her identity finally registered in his mind, an enormous smile spread across his face. It was the barmaid he'd had a crush on when he'd first visited Loknar! Perhaps he would be able to live a normal life after all!
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank everyone who has helped me over the course of the past several years with this project. Writing a series of this complexity and magnitude has been a marathon, albeit one which brought immense satisfaction to me even as I bid the story farewell. With that said, I would like to offer a special thanks to my fiancée, Angela Mullins, for her encouragement over the years. To Katie Cowan, for creating many truly great cover images for the series, and to J.H. Glaze at Mostcool Media, Inc. for the fantastic cover of the Omnibus Edition. To Melissa Ringsted, for suffering through the multiple nightmares my writing induced as she meticulously edited each manuscript. To my personal assistant, Lynn Shaw, for the effort she puts forth on a daily basis to spread the word about my work. To all of the beta readers who helped along the way, Claudine Astbury, Jane Linsdell, Tamara Hoffa, Ruthi Kight, Jamie Gibson, Valari Roberts, Carrie Barringer, Alicia Marietta, Cheree Crump, and Mindy Nabors, for providing their invaluable insight and suggestions. Last, but definitely not least, to all of my fans and readers. Thank you for buying my book! I hope you have enjoyed the journey across Desolace as much as I have been delighted to share the world with you through my writings.
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