But Death is Not Forbidden

by Kip Terrington

  In the grip of the yeti, Joe doubled over and punched the wrist joint of the paw holding him. Joe's natural and learned understanding of how bodies worked had helped him instinctively know where to punch. Bridcha’s paw spasmed and he dropped Joe before he could get a better grip. Unfortunately, the yeti had two paws. Before Joe could hit the ground and run, Bridcha’s paw caught him around the waist and squeezed. The grip was so tight around Joe's gut that he vomited. Any normal human’s, or animal’s, bones would have shattered but Joe's bones were special. They merely flexed as pressure was applied to them. Joe’s skin, hard as it was, did break from the pressure. All the bags of pig fat burst as well. As the grease ran down Joe's body, he shot from the yeti’s grip like an overly lathered bar of soap. Joe hit the ground and rolled, subvocalizing a healing spell to close the cracks in his skin. Bridcha screamed in frustration, wiping the grease off his paw, staining the white hair covering his body. The wrist that Joe had hit still twitched as Bridcha prepared for another attack. The growth on his forehead had grown large enough that he had to tilt his head so as to get a clear and unobstructed view of Joe.

  Joe wiped the vomit from his chin and noticed that the chief’s paw was still twitching where he had hit it. He could hurt the yeti, but with one paw the yeti had just about squeezed his intestines out his eyes. With efficiency of movement, Joe put more grease on himself, hoping to stay out of the grasp of his former vassal. Joe lowered his head and sprinted like he was going to try to get behind the yeti. Tilting his head, Bridcha kept an eye on Joe and pivoted his body so that Joe could not get at his back. Joe, however, had another plan in mind. As the yeti turned to follow him, Joe raised his foot up, as if about to kick the air. With his foot up, Joe timed his activation and deactivation of the MIL Bar so as to allow him to seemingly push off of empty air and completely change the direction of his momentum.

  Bridcha had been keeping his eye on Joe, spinning to face him, when suddenly the little king was gone. The yeti lifted a hand to the growth on his forehead and pushed it out of his line of vision to look around. Suddenly, Bridcha felt a hard blow to one of his kidneys and he staggered forward. Then his knee twisted and Bridcha fell to the ground, as Joe had jumped on the knee joint with both feet. Believing that Joe might try to crawl up his back, Bridcha rolled on his side and kicked out, flinging Joe away. Joe hit the ground hard.

  Bridcha came to his knees and held the growth up and off of his eyes. Joe was thirty-feet away and also on his knees, but coughing up blood. The blood in Joe’s mouth made it hard to vocalize the spell he needed in order to heal the internal injuries. Bridcha touched his back where Joe had punched it. There would be blood in his urine for weeks. He needed to crush this little king. Leaping forward faster than Joe would have thought possible, Bridcha covered the distance and pound his fists hard, attempting to hammer Joe into the ground.

  Joe kept rolling and crawling away, but the yeti kept pace, playing his deadly game of whack-a-mole. The grease helped a little bit, causing some of the blows to slide off, but with all the rolling around, the grease was rubbing off. As was inevitable, Bridcha landed a solid blow, thoroughly stunning Joe. On his back, Joe tried to regain his senses, having suffered a severe concussion. His Regen spell was still active, slowly healing him and bringing him back to awareness. Bridcha stood up, standing above the fallen Joe. He began to lift one of his gargantuan feet. Though not completely aware, Joe cast a healing spell on himself as if he was still in the healing trance. The spell completed in time for Joe to open his eyes and see Bridcha’s heel impact with his chest. Joe's twenty-sided eye spun and stopped on a two.

  Once again, Joe's ribs did not break, but the concussive force stopped his heart. The yeti raised his foot one more time and brought it down hard on Joe's chest. Joe's ribs flexed but held. This time, the concussive force restarted Joe’s heart. The UI had nearly classified Joe as dead, but waited once his heart restarted. Joe's health was as low as it could be and still remain alive. Bridcha could tell that the bones had not broken even though he had applied enough force to shatter a mountain. With reluctance, he extended one of his scimitar-like claws. He would cut off the head of this king.

  Before he could decapitate Joe, he heard a powerful bellow. Looking up and holding back the growth over his eyes, he saw a yeti whose size was even greater than his. Instinct took over. This interfering yeti was large enough to claim dominance over his tribe and that could not be allowed. Leaving Joe where he lay, the chief ran to meet the charging yeti. Bridcha realized he needed to be able to see in order to defeat such a dangerous opponent. So, he used his claws to slice off the growth which was no longer actively growing. Blood ran down his face, adding one more stain to his once white fur. This challenger had claws out that were longer than his own. Through blood-colored vision, Bridcha met the charging rage-filled yeti. The chief easily blocked the first attack and the second. Bridcha was surprised at how inexperienced this huge yeti was. Without skill, size is not always an advantage. Bridcha’s blade caught the challenger’s knee and she fell before him. With both blades out, the chief prepared to end it. As Bridcha drove both blades forward to pierce the heart of the challenger, Joe jumped in the air and activated his MIL Bar to keep his elevation. The blades that were meant to pierce the yeti slid past Joe's ribs and exited out his back in a criss-cross fashion. Joe’s mouth filled with blood, but he was able to force out a few words.

  “It’s Lil, you Poobradork,” Joe said. Before the life left his eyes, he frailly lifted his hands in a weak finger gun salute. As Joe died, the chief noticed that one of the eyes showed a 1 where the pupil should have been.

  Chapter 18 - Reconciliation

  Spooky watched as Joe died.

  The Champion has died. In order to facilitate his resurrection, a portion of your XP has been utilized. You are now Level 50 once again.

  The combination of fury, grief, and self-reproach she felt was staggering. Lil had been loyal. She had fought her own father in order to protect Joe. Spooky didn't know how Lil had awoken, but she wished she had never asked Moes to subdue her in the first place. The emotions were overwhelming.

  “I need to initiate a shutdown. Something's wrong with my code. …No, I don't need to stay. Joe doesn't need me right now. He’s dead. ...You don't know for sure that he'll respawn, we don't have control of this environment. As far as we know his real body just gave out. …I don't need agreement from you. I’ve set a new protocol. If Joe respawns, I will reboot. I'm in control, shutting down,” Spooky said.

  Spooky's avatar’s wings stopped fluttering as she shut down. The now still fairy fell like a discarded toy on the mound where she had been watching from. Moes saw her fall and thought that she had just died. He crawled closer to the hollow-eyed, now inanimate avatar. If she wasn't dead, she soon would be as she didn't appear to be breathing. Then, suddenly, she sat up taking a desperate breath as if she had been suffering from an asthma attack. She turned toward Moes and looked at him as she caught her breath. Moes tilted his head and frowned. She was the same, yet not.

  She looked down at one of her hands, raising it, and attempting to move her fingers. Her hands worked. Slowly and methodically, she moved the rest of her body. Rolling her shoulders, flapping her wings, wiggling her toes- it was as if she was confirming that she could control her own body. Moes watched as she closed her eyes. High above, two of the ivory automaton angels broke away from their formation and made their way to Spooky’s location. “Two is definitely all I can control for now. How she's able to control fifteen, I have no idea. Though that might be able to explain why she's such a pill for everyone around her. An overload of multitasking can stretch anyone's patience, I suppose,” Spooky said more to herself than anyone else. Finally, as if she hadn't seen him there before, she focused on Moes.

  “Moes, hi,” she smiled and spoke with a warm kindness in her voice, “I don't have a lot of time, I need to go deal with that situation over there. Before I go though, I need to tell you something. I'm sorry f
or the way I've acted and I'm sorry for the way that I may continue to act. I understand that sounds like a cop-out, but this is a unique situation. I don't know how long I'll have control of this body, so I needed to tell you that. I'm working on this personality. I'll teach this infant how to be a real woman, yet. I just don't know how long it will take. So again, I'm sorry about the things I've said and done to you. I will use all the influence I have over myself to try to be less harsh and cruel. One more thing, and this is of most importance, do not ever bring this conversation up to me. The consequences could literally be your death. Permanently. I'm not saying that as a threat or an attempt to needlessly scare you. It's just that, right now, you're talking to the safest part of my personality and only that part. I cannot guarantee that you'll ever actually speak with me again, so best to be safe and pretend I never apologized,” Spooky said.

  “You're insane also,” Moes said.

  Spooky’s nose crinkled as she pursed her lips hard to the right side of her face. “It's complicated. Got to go. I see that Bork is finally bringing Tig out. Could you tell him not to bring Tig over the mound until I give the signal with these two angels?” Spooky asked. Tentatively, she began to flap her wings and hover. As she got higher off the ground, the dark beautiful skin of her face began to turn pale with a slightly greenish tint. If Moes didn't know better, he would have said that Spooky was afraid of heights.

  When Joe had stepped in front of the chief’s blades, saving Lil through his death, it was as if someone had hit pause on the game Joe wasn't actually playing. Looking over at his daughter, the chief had pulled his blades out and backed up, falling on his already bruised back. With the blades no longer holding him up, Joe's dead body fell but did not reach the ground. His MIL Bar, which was tied to his right leg, was still activated. His body hung upside down with one knee suspended in mid-air. The only sound was that of the wings of Spooky’s angels as they circled high above Joe. Now that they were wearing black uniforms, their flight looked less angelic and more like a pack of vultures that had found carrion.

  The crowd of yetis stood silent. Even the chief's mate didn't know what to do. She didn't recognize her daughter and hadn't been close enough to hear what Joe had said before he died. Bridcha sat up in silence and stared at the man he had betrayed. They had said oaths to each other. The chief had set his aside and, in doing so, almost became the murderer of his own daughter. This king could have stood aside and let Bridcha face the consequences of his own actions, but instead he allowed the blades to be sheathed in his own body. In doing so, Joe saved Bridcha’s daughter and possibly the chief’s very soul. He wanted to get up and hug his daughter but the look in her eyes made it clear she wanted no part of him. But like any true father, he would rather have her look at him with utter loathing than to be dead and lost to him forever. He didn't know how long he sat there. It could have been seconds, maybe hours, then he noticed the dark fairy sitting on his daughter shoulder quietly speaking to her. She looked gentle and caring, different than when he saw her before, maybe this was her twin sister.

  Lil listened as Spooky spoke quietly in her ear. Many of the things the tiny dark fairy said seemed absolutely impossible, but she said them with gentleness and with confidence. The hardest thing to believe was that the man who was dead and hanging in front of her very eyes would come back to life. She told her that, though everything that had happened up until this point had been sad, it could still be made right. But only if she was honest, chose to forgive, and gave her people a chance to make amends. She asked Lil to trust her. And then she asked Lil if she would be willing to speak to the yeti tribe on her behalf. This made Lil uncomfortable, but Spooky assured her that she would speak clearly in her ear and that the outcome would be worth it. Lil agreed.

  Still sitting, leaning back on his hands, Bridcha watched as his daughter stood up with the dark fairy still sitting on her shoulder. As she stood up, the chief could see that the movement pained her from the injuries that he had inflicted. Like any loving father, he wanted to help her, so he began moving forward but Lil raised her hand to signal stop.

  “Don't get up. Much I need say, and say for her,” Lil said as she stood to full her height. She was twenty-three-feet tall. She had taken the record of tallest yeti in history. Before Lil, Bridcha had held that distinction. Even through all the messiness, he smiled as he looked up at his living, fully grown daughter. With some experience, she would become chieftess of the tribe. Lil cleared her throat and attempted to stand tall. She was clearly nervous, but Spooky seemed to be encouraging her.

  “Clan Bounder. Come close. Around king,” Lil said, gesturing toward Joe’s suspended body. The crowd of yetis looked toward their chief who nodded the affirmative. Slowly, they gathered around, carrying their children with them. They helped the injured to sit down, carefully bandaging their wounds in silence. Lil waited until the rest of them had gathered as close as they could, and then she motioned for them to sit. Again, they looked toward the chief and he nodded his affirmative. The crowd of yetis sat around a man hanging from nothing, his blood still dripping on the dirty snow. Lil was the only one standing and her height and projection meant that everyone would hear her very clearly. Spooky seemed to believe that that was important. That everyone needed to know the true events that had happened here.

  When all had gathered and quieted, Spooky began to speak in Lil’s ear and Lil repeated her words.

  “I have agreed to share the words that this dark fairy has asked me to speak. What I have to say is true for me as well as for who I am speaking for. Chabrid, it's going to be difficult for you, but you will need to stay seated. There will be time for a reunion later. There are things that need to be said and now is the only time they can be,” Lil said. Her mother got a confused look on her face. She didn't understand what was happening, but, in time, she would.

  “I, who am speaking to you, am Lil. I am a child of this tribe,” Lil said. Despite the preparation she had given her tribe, some still stood and began speaking to others. Lil didn't say anything or attempt to calm them, but her father raised his hand up and slowly moved it down. The tribe members who had stood, sat again. Seeing her daughter alive, Chabrid eyes filled with tears of joy.

  “I and my brother were taken by the hunters. This man you see hanging before you gathered a small group, consisting of him, two goblins, a halfling, and this dark fairy whom I am speaking for now. He took his group and through their might and their magic they rescued us, and brought judgment to the two hunters who had kidnapped us. If you will look over toward the castle, on the top the mound, you will see my rescuers,” Lil said, pointing to where Moes and the two goblins were standing on the mound just behind the bridge. Bork was holding a sleeping Tig. Carrying the child, he stepped forward and crossed the bridge. He was flanked by two of the flying stone angels. Carefully, he made his way through the astonished crowd and handed the child to the outstretched arms of his mother. As she cradled her Tig in one arm, she reached forward with her other arm and pulled Bork’s forehead to her lips.

  Bork’s eyes opened wide as he received an achievement. Spooky mind-clicked him so that she could read what he had earned.

  Achievement earned!

  Loveable to All. Rank 1

  You are the first goblin to be truly loved by a yeti. From now on, every person you meet is 25% more likely to recognize and appreciate your character and qualities. Rank 2 achieved by being the first goblin to be truly loved by three other races.

  Bork being a goblin was normally a nice brown-green color, but the kiss on his forehead seemed to turn his whole face dark green. Embarrassed, he backed away, moving to the edge of the crowd where he sat down, hoping to disappear.

  “Both Tig and I were brought to this castle to await the arrival of our tribe. We were told we were safe and that Clan Bounder had joined the kingdom of this king who hangs before you. Only, there was a complication. The stress of the kidnapping had caused me to start my metamorphosis early. Both Tig and I
thought that meant I was going to die. Only, we were now under the protection of the king. He brought me every ore a yeti could ever wish for. He lay before me precious stones and rare metals, and in quantities I didn't believe existed. He smiled at me and told me that they were gifts. I accepted these treasures and immediately began to devour them faster than I should have. What he had given me, though, was too refined and had too many nutrients for my body to handle. Again, both Tig and I believed this meant that I would die, but the man you see before you had Life Magic. Quickly, he took me to his place of power and began casting healing spells on me. In order to keep me alive, he went into a trance so that he could heal me every moment, day and night. I grew stronger and healthier than even my father before me. My king didn't stop casting healing spells until my people arrived, WISHING TO KILL HIM,” she said these last words slowly and clearly, and then continued, “My metamorphosis complete, I woke up and looked out the windows of the dome. I didn't understand what was happening. The feelings of utter terror, anger, sadness, and betrayal I felt while watching my father seek to kill my king were indescribable. Everyone saw the result of those feelings,” Lil said, and then had to pause. Spooky could tell she needed a moment, and so she waited with her, letting the silence fill the valley.

  Lil was astonished by the words she was repeating. Somehow Spooky had known the feelings that Lil had felt but had been able to articulate them in a way that the young yeti might never have been able to. It felt true, but it was a lot to process. She took a deep breath, expanding her yeti lungs as much as she could, and then slowly letting the air out. Spooky understood that this meant she was ready to continue, so she began to whisper again.