The War of All Wars

by J. Eric Booker

  “What will you do with Rotlab if he wins?”

  Sounding masculine now, Azalea answered, “He will consume your blood and flesh, absorb all your powers and collected souls, which when combined with his own, will easily allow him to stop and destroy the Vompareus all by himself…once and for all. So do you agree to my proposal?”

  Baltor did not answer the question, but asked another question of his own, “What will happen to Trendon Harrn if I lose?”

  Once again sounding feminine, Azalea sighed before answering, “He will remain my prisoner for all eternity—I have been slowly draining him of all his collected magical powers anyway, which powers began nearly ten thousand years and thus makes him ‘a pretty damn powerful battery,’ and you know what I mean… So do you agree to my proposal now?”

  “How many Watchers have there been overall?”

  “Two…he and you…any other questions?”

  “No other questions. The answer to your proposal is, yes….I will fight.”

  “Very well,” Azalea stated—without looking away, she ordered, “Rotlab…front and center.”

  In the next moment, a nearly identical clone—to Baltor—teleported just to the right of the Arch-Devil’s throne, including the two swords sheathed in the black-and-gold sheaths on his back.

  One of the few differences was that this clone wore armor similar to Baltor’s old armor. Additionally, the clone’s face appeared very sinister-and-evil—even the angular eyebrows rose in much-crisper angles! Finally, upon closer inspection, Baltor observed that Rotlab’s eyes continued to produce a reddish-colored aura!

  Without a second’s delay, Rotlab bowed before Azalea before proclaiming, “It will be a pleasure to kill this wimp, after I’ve tortured the hell out of him first, my Master.” Rotlab and Baltor even sounded alike.

  Azalea did not say word but nodded his/her head with a devilish smile.

  In the next moment, Rotlab leapt into the air straight and true for Baltor. Combat began between the feuding opponents, of who were both utilizing a wide assortment of punches, kicks, acrobatics, blocks, wrestling and martial arts maneuvers—not a single offensive strike ever made it on either opponent, due to the other person’s just as solid defense.

  Their most-impressive speed was far, far, far faster than the eye could see…already was Azalea mesmerized, and quite entertained, as he/she sat back on the throne.

  Within a minute’s time, swords had already been drawn, just before they began clanging against each other—one, two, three, four, or even as many as twenty-five various strikes in a row! Just like with the martial arts—still being utilized the entire time—not a single individual could get a successful sword strike on the other combatant.

  It wasn’t even minute after the battle had begun before both participants started utilizing all their magical powers to the already-spectacular battle—teleporting here and there, flying through the air and/or combating over the lava itself, shooting powerful fireballs, ice-balls, lightning-bolts, or magic missiles at each other, etc., etc! All the while, Azalea could not stop clapping his/her hands in “absolute delight….”

  An unknown amount of time later—hours—days—or even weeks later—the inevitable occurred. Rotlab had teleported behind the throne itself, before transforming into the vompareus!

  Not even two seconds later, a twenty-foot tall/gargoyle-looking beast emerged—skin the color of onyx, claws and fangs that were a foot-in-a-half in length, and two sets of clawed wings—as soon as the transformation had begun, the swords and armor disappeared.

  Nearly right away was combat reengaged, as Baltor ferociously fought against “this monster of all monsters,” still utilizing his swords, powers, and of course, his human mind and instincts—all the while, Rotlab, now with the mind and body of a ravenous and hungry vampiric beast, tried to continuously scratch, stab, and/or bite his most-hated enemy!

  Before that same minute was up, Rotlab had only then begun to win the battle, scoring the first wound. A small chunk of flesh and blood shot out from Baltor’s neck from the pointy tip of Rotlab’s claw, which of course wound healed up in the next second.

  Rotlab made it a point to use his forked tongue, which operated just like a frog’s, in order to lick up that flesh and blood…and gain still more power!

  After days—weeks—or even months later, this never-ending battle had finally begun to take its toll on Baltor…even though he had made his own countless amount of successful strikes, including have once nearly chopped off the entire beast’s massive head, which was the only way he knew how to kill a vompareus!

  Not surprisingly, that very wound had healed in the next second, after IT had managed to teleport away, probably because of Azalea’s interference…moments later, the battle recommenced.

  Perhaps a minute after Baltor’s last successful neck attack, the vompareus had its own moment of glory, as its claw penetrated deep through his magical armor, penetrating deep into his lower-abdomen—just like the time when Trendon had made Baltor into a vompareus, Rotlab’s claw also broke off!

  In the next moment, Baltor bit back a scream of horrific pain and agony, while feeling his reality begin to swirl and grow dark…instinct, however, took control and his sword-wielding hands sliced off Rotlab‘s head at the same time!

  After the head had landed on the ground, Baltor’s hands threw both swords like darts, aiming for the eyes—his aim proved straight-and-true as they penetrated through the eyes and out the back of the skull. His mind only then realized that he had won the battle and won the game, as he still lived and Rotlab was dead…nothing but a pile of ashes that had already blown away thanks to the winds.

  However, in the moment after, Baltor could not help but drop to his knees, as reality became more and more abstract and distant for him—after all, the claw continued to weasel its way under its own power toward his heart.

  Immediately, he began to use his hands and pry the claw out with both of his hands, but despite all his efforts, this claw would not come out! Of course, Azalea had begun to laugh, sounding like a maniac.

  Once that laughter had ended, Azalea asked, “By the way—remember when I told you that if you were the victor, you could leave with Trendon? Well, I lied… Once you have transformed into the vompareus and your human mind is gone, you will serve only me…the Chief of Devils…as did Rotlab before you.”

  “No!” Baltor found himself screaming amongst his pain, as he writhed all over the ground and tried once more to pry out the claw. No go.

  “Oh yes you will serve me…Baltor. This is your destiny.”

  “I—will—never—serve—you,” he defiantly replied, while fighting with every ounce of his being to stay conscious and focused and pry out the claw, although it was only a half-foot away from his beating heart.

  As he looked up only a few seconds later, he saw that Azalea was now standing over him and looking down.

  After giving a wink and a crooked smile, Azalea stated, “You are now my slave…and I your master!”

  “No! ” Baltor screamed out. Somehow finding some extra ounce of willpower he never knew he had, he began to yank even harder on the claw that was now only two inches away from his heart.

  “Owww,” he screamed out in horrid pain, as he had managed to withdraw it but a single inch. After sucking in yet another deep breath, he yanked on it yet again—again it came out an inch—again came the horrific scream of pain.

  “Bravo,” Azalea congratulated. “But all for naught…”

  With that, the Chief of Devils took the bottom of his/her heel, and stomped it ever-so-hard into the end of the claw—it ruptured completely through Baltor’s heart in the very next moment!

  It was then that Baltor’s lungs and mouth delivered “one final death scream” that lasted until he ran out of breath and felt his human mind dying and the beastly-vompareus emerging!

  Only a second later—a second before the transformation could be complete—he lost consciousness at the same time his body bec
ame teleported into oblivion! Neither he nor Azalea had caused this teleportation to occur.

  CHAPTER X

  For an unknown amount of time to pass, Baltor would remain dead-dead-dead…therefore it was “absolutely shocking” to him when he had returned to the state of consciousness and could feel his entire physical body, yet was no longer in any pain!

  Before he had reopened his eyes, in which he saw a reddish-hue, the underside of his body—feet, legs, rear, back, shoulders, neck and head—felt a soft and cottony bed. Regarding his fingers, they interlaced on top of his chest, in which he wore some thin, cotton robes. Just as unexplainable as everything else, his ears continued to hear a steady, gentle, cool, whistling breeze, as if he and his comfortable bed were now located somewhere outside on a late-spring day. After all, the cozy temperatures happened to be seventy degrees.

  Upon opening his eyes and looking all around, in order to figure out where he was now, he discovered with even more shock that he was lying in no bed at all, but in the smack center of an abstractly shaped, fluffy, white cloud with clear-blue skies. There was no sign of the ground. In fact, the only other object that he could see besides this single cloud was the yellow sun that existed even higher up there to his right.

  In the next moment, he sat up and assumed the lotus position, just before he began to examine himself. He first noticed that his wounds were gone, yet so were his battle armor, helmet and boots—he now was wearing thin white robes that stretched down to his kneecaps. He did not have to check behind his shoulders, in order to grasp his swords, as he knew they were also gone.

  While looking around one final time in order to find his belongings, but not observing them anywhere, he rose to his feet before stating aloud, “I must be dead. So where the hell am I now?”

  Coming from behind him, he heard an all-too-familiar woman’s voice say softly, “You’re no longer in hell, my love of loves…”

  Upon recognizing his wife’s voice, which his physical ears had not heard for almost two centuries, Baltor felt goose bumps run up and down his back, his arms, even his legs—over and over again!

  He slowly turned around, expecting there to be a hideous monster or devil who had stolen his wife’s voice in order to trick him, but there she was, standing only five feet away…looking like she was twenty-years-old again, and gazing at him with star-filled eyes! Like him, she donned a simple white robe that dropped down to her kneecaps.

  Perhaps a minute of silence passed as the two stared at each other—Baltor was the very first to break that silence by asking, “Where am I? Who are you?”

  “You are in heaven, Baltor, and you know exactly who I am,” she answered with a light laugh. Immediately, she ran toward him and leapt into his arms, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist.

  Not another second passed before she was kissing away all over his face and neck, with the occasional kiss upon his lips—he had not realized how much he missed her until this moment in time. Although his brain continued to partially disbelieve what was happening and that this still was some sort of devilish trick, his mouth still could not help but release a few chuckles. It felt like only yesterday since they had kissed, yet he had never forgotten the way her lips felt…so wonderful…she had to be real!

  Leaning back so she could look at her husband’s face, especially his eyes, she asked, “What are you laughing at, mister?”

  “You, Mrs. Elysian…I missed you.”

  “You know I missed you so very much too, Mr. Elysian…even while being here in heaven. Yet, I also know that you have so much more to accomplish in your life, while mine is over. Therefore, I will be patient until you are done with your lifespan—then, we can spend eternity together…you, all our wonderful friends, and I! Humonus, Cheo, Chelsea, Yaush and Jimnee to name a few.”

  “Why—why do I still have a purpose in life to fulfill? I’d rather spend the rest of eternity with you right here and now…and be done with life with all of the corruption and evil and hatred and lies that go on in it.”

  Instead of answering his question, she slowly stepped back down to her feet, before taking a single step back. At the same time, her hands gently slid down from around his shoulders until clasping both of his hands—he felt chills everywhere she touched him.

  Only after looking back up into his eyes did she answer softly, “Because…you are the Chosen One, so accept your ‘destiny.’ Instead of us fretting all about our future in the short time we have together right now, please let us bask in each other’s company. Will you now lay down with me on this cloud and hold me?”

  “Of course, my wife,” he answered, just before lying down on the clouds and doing just that.

  In turn, she leaned her entire body against his, including her head that now rested on his shoulder so she could keep looking into his face. He had never stopped looking at her…deep inside he was a tiny bit afraid that if he looked away, she would disappear and then he would be alone.

  Perhaps a minute later, she sighed before asking, “Baltor?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you still love me?”

  “Yes, my love and my Sultaness…with all of my heart, mind and soul.”

  “Please tell me those famous three words…that’s what I really miss hearing from you the most.”

  After releasing a chuckle, Baltor replied, “I…love…you.”

  “And I love you,” she replied in the next moment, just before repositioning her body so she was now lying on top of him, looking down towards him, deep into his eyes. “Now kiss me,” she moaned.

  “With pleasure,” he replied with a crooked smile. No longer was there a single doubt in his mind that she was “his one true love.”

  While returning the smile, she leaned down until their lips finally caressed…at first, the kisses and the touching were slow and tender, but soon they turned more and more fiery and passionate. Before long, they had the opportunity to consummate their love and their marriage…whether this timeframe had taken hours, days, or even weeks, neither husband nor wife knew or cared. Once it was all over, however, Baltor felt himself growing sleepier and sleepier as he lay there.

  Still breathing heavily, she repositioned herself next to her husband, just before beginning to make little circles around his right nipple. A moment later, she said, “That…was so…wonderful, my sweet love.”

  His eyes had already closed, as he continued to relax, yet bask in their time together.

  No longer breathing heavily, she asked a minute later, “Husband?”

  After releasing a deep yawn, he opened up his eyes, looked down at her, and then answered her question with his own question, “Yes?”

  “Please reclose your eyes, relax, and listen carefully to what I have to say. Good…I really, really, really want to thank you for spending this time with me…and I want you to know that I will be perfectly okay until we are once-and-for-all reunited, forever and ever. Like I told you before my physical death, you are allowed to date other women—I don’t want you to be lonely. In other words, please do not worry about me like you have done in the past.”

  “As you command, my Sultaness,” Baltor answered. “May I open my eyes, so that I can look at you again? Even though I’m tired, really exhausted, I already miss seeing your face.”

  “Of course, my Sultan,” she answered back.

  He opened his now very sleepy eyes and, sure enough, Brishava was still Brishava. She looked more radiant than she had ever before, and for now, there was a white, auric glow that resonated around her entire being…his eyes couldn’t help but tear up. For the first time in centuries, his tears came out as salty water…not blood.

  After leaning over and kissing his lips gently, she couldn’t help but caress his cheek with her hand, while replying with her own joyous smile, “You’re welcome, my husband!”

  As her smile slowly disappeared, she never stopped caressing him as she added, “Unfortunately, the time is nearing for me to leave…and there are
others who are waiting who wish to speak with you alone. But first, the time has come for us to both fall asleep together…just you and I. Remember, although you are no longer the Sultan of the Sharia Empire, you will forever and ever be my Sultan…and, I love you…”

  Baltor sucked in a quick breath before leaning his head and neck forward, and lightly kissing his beautiful wife’s forehead for nearly ten seconds—indeed, he was tired as he leaned his head back onto the cloud.

  His eyes could not help but close, just before his lungs sucked in another deep breath. Yawning, he said, “I love you…”

  In turn, she breathed her own deep breath, before slowing releasing it. After she taken her next breath, she sounded just as sleepy as she said, “Forever will I love you…good night, my love.”

  They fell asleep the very next moment.

  An unknown amount of time later, he became awakened by the sounds of a single hollow masculine voice, greeting aloud, “Baltor—welcome.”

  The only strange quality about this voice was that it sounded like it was coming from all around Baltor’s position—Brishava was gone.

  In the next moment, Baltor’s body had involuntarily pivoted forward into the prone position, so he was now laying on his belly—with his arms outstretched straight over his head, his forehead gently caressing the cloud’s very soft surface, and his unblinking eyes gazing down at the cloud itself. The presence he felt all around was not evil…whatsoever. Good.

  Unable to move an inch, other than his mouth, Baltor continued to look at the cloudy surface while asking, “Who are you?”

  The voice answered, “We are the Arch-Angels from the Creator, yet we are also His direct communications link, so He hears all that you say when you talk to us, and we speak for Him when He has a message to relay. You may now rise to your feet.”

  Though looking very confused all the while, he rose to his feet, observing only now that seven masculine angels wearing glowing white robes and flying in the air with feathery white wings surrounded him. Floating an inch above each angelic head was a golden halo that glowed as brilliant as the sun!