by J. J. Egosi
“Careful. That’s a magical entity. Given what you said, I don’t think you’ll have much time to rifle through that,” Isabella said.
“The magic expended with their use is negligible,” Julianna said with worry in her tone. “Still, we must make haste.”
“It’s so dark. Is it midnight?” Michael said, as his vision faded in and out.
“Michael, just stay with us. Come on!” Julianna said.
Alexa wrapped more bandages around his arms and placed them in splints, then wrapped an extra layer around his neck.
“Have we saved Ursula yet? Michael said.
Tears rolled down Alexa’s face as she nodded. She feared he could be slipping beyond the point of resuscitation.
“Yes. Ursula is right here. You can’t see her, but she’s right here, Michael. She’s right here.”
Michael smiled. “Good. I’m glad I was able to save her and protect you all, too. Because I… I…”
“You what?” Isabella asked, shaking his body. “You what?!”
Michael smiled and then closed his eyes.
The sounds of the two dinosaurs battling could no longer be heard. There was nothing but silence as they watched his unconscious body.
“Michael… this can’t be real. You can’t be dead. You can’t be!” Isabella said.
“He’s not,” Alexa said.
“He isn’t?” an incredulous Isabella asked.
“His mortality far surpasses any injury he could sustain. Michael’s going to be fine. We just need to let him rest for now,” said Alexa, calming down as his heart rate normalized.
Isabella took a sigh of relief. Finally, some good news. “That’s right.”
Julianna was still filled with doubt; he wasn’t opening his eyes and he continued to bleed through the gauze.
“He’s slipping into a comatose state from the blood loss. With the gauze, it should subside soon enough,” Alexa said.
“Be that as it may, can he really get the rest he needs in a place like this?” Isabella asked.
She looked to her left. The sounds of battle were long over. Two lizardmen and their cavalry laid mutilated on the ground where the battle once was.
She took a deep breath. “How lucky for us and him that he can’t die.”
“They weren’t so fortunate. That ruthless battle of theirs ended in a draw and it cost them all their lives,” Julianna said.
Alexa and Isabella looked at the two dinosaurs. They were now covered in gashes and blood, and their golden armor had shattered from the clashing of teeth and blades.
“The jungle is a savage place in this dimension, it’s all about survival of the fittest. There is little concept of law. If you want something, you take it and you fight to the death for it. Plain and simple,” Alexa said.
“I see. Lucky for us they both died,” Julianna said. “That gives us the necessary time to recuperate.”
“Yes, I’m sorry about that,” Alexa said. “I should have heeded your warning earlier regarding the eggs. That was the catalyst that started this all.”
Julianna sighed. “Like you said, the jungle is a savage place and we all know that first hand now.”
“Let’s just be glad no one else was hurt,” Isabella said.
Alexa looked down at Michael’s sleeping face and nodded. “Sadly, though, he’s heavy. And he’s deadweight like this. We need to get moving as soon as he’s able to walk. Ursula’s still out there and we’re running out of time.”
“Maybe we should split up,” Isabella suggested. “Julianna and I stay here with Michael while you go look for Ursula.”
“Though you were deceptive in the name of fortune, you do know this land better than either of us,” Julianna said.
“And I can tell you with absolute certainty splitting up would be a deadly mistake,” Alexa said. The girls responded to her with worry on their faces. “We have little magic to our name and our size and numbers are too small to survive.” She took a deep breath. “In a land that rewards hunting in groups, we need to stay together.”
The girls took deep breaths as they sat beside Michael’s unconscious body. They tended to him however they could; from replenishing his gauze to offering extra blankets to make him more comfortable.
From behind them came another set of footsteps—many sets marching in a unified formation toward them.
They didn’t hear much at first while adjusting his blankets and then came the sounds of swords against shields and a cacophony of hissing.
“Oh, no. What was that?” Isabella’s heart thundered with dread.
“More company, it seems. And I think we’ve captivated them, as well.”
Julianna pointed toward a pool of orange and green eyes peeking from the bushes. She could see their grins from the shadows.
“There’s seven of them.” Alexa counted the sets of eyes. Her breath grew frantic. “Not good.”
Seven lizardmen emerged from the bushes, mounted on distinct reptilian carriers, each more menacing than the last. They had their swords held high and their jaws wide open with hunger.
“What now?” Isabella asked. “We can’t take them on without magic?”
A lizardman in the lead—riding a massive serpent—moved forward. The serpent slithered toward the two deceased dinosaurs and their lizardman riders. With a swing of its neck, the serpent bit into all their necks, injecting them with venom.
Isabella gasped. “What is it doing?”
“Feeding, perhaps,” Julianna said. “But that appears to be a venomous bite. Why try to kill what’s already dead?”
“I’ve read up on such a ritual,” Alexa said. “But could it be what we’re about to witness here?”
“What ritual?” Isabella asked.
The once-dead lizardmen and their dinosaurs slowly reanimated. They resurrected and regenerated missing body parts, and their wounds slowly healed as they stood back up, joining the rest of their army.
The three of them gasped in terror and utter disbelief at what had taken place before their eyes.
“There’s no way. They’re really alive,” Isabella said.
“And with now magic, we really will have to resort to weapons and nothing more,” Alexa said.
“There’s no way we can defeat them with that alone,” Isabella argued.
“Even so, we may have to.” Julianna nervously gulped.
The girls looked at one another, realizing the situation had scaled to a level neither of them had anticipated. With their lives in harm’s way, Ursula still far away, and Michael incapacitated, it was survival of the fittest.
Chapter 3
Could Blooded Brethren
T
he girls looked up at the lizardmen and the ferocious rides snarling in their direction. The girls backed off, overwhelmed by the blood-thirsty savages. They looked at one another, hoping someone—anyone—would come up with a strategy that didn’t involve getting mauled.
“This isn’t good,” Isabella said.
“Really? What tipped you off? The army of prehistoric monsters or the fact that Michael isn’t here to help us?” Alexa asked.
“With all due respect, I don’t think even think Michael could get out of this. Not without his magic, anyway,” Julianna added.
“That may very well be the case,” Alexa began, “but they won’t attack us if we don’t draw their attention. Moreover, they could only be in search of a new territory to dominate.”
“Well, what if they want this territory?”
Isabella gulped as the army slowly moved in on them. She labored as best as she could to hold her breath.
“Then, we’ll just have to hope a hammer, an ax, and swords will be enough to defend us,” Alexa said.
“That’s your plan?” Isabella said with an expression of shock and disapproval on her face.
“Well, what do you suggest?” Alexa asked snarkily.
They stood there in silence. Cold sweat crept down their faces, and their hearts thundered as their minds
raced for solutions. Julianna’s eyes widened in an ‘ah-ha moment’ and she gasped.
“Wait, you said something earlier about a ritual,” Julianna said.
“That’s right.” Alexa nodded with a cold gaze. “I thought it merely a story told by dimension walkers to keep outsiders from traversing the first dimension where there’s no magic, but it seems to be true.”
“What’s true?” Isabella exclaimed.
Her heart pounded as the hot steam of many reptilians filled the air with a pale cloud, obscuring their view from danger.
“Lizardmen are said to have the ability to perform something known as necromancy.”
“You mean reviving the dead?” Julianna asked. Isabella gasped at the notion.
“That’s right. And they do so by way of their native form of magic known as voodoo.”
“But, hold on”—
“Their spells are resilient to their own magic laws,” Alexa said. “In other words, they’ve evolved beyond what even we’re capable of.”
“And can revive the dead when we can’t even manifest the shadows.” Isabella gulped.
“Talk about survival of the fittest,” Julianna said.
The lizardmen on a dinosaur steed approached them. Its eyelids flapped with a somewhat curious gaze. The three of them wondered if it was hungry, but hoped not.
“What is that one doing?” Julianna said, feeling sick in her stomach.
That same lizardman turned to its comrades and nodded. They all raised their swords and roared.
“Run,” said Alexa, shaking. “Right now.”
“Isabella, help me grab Michael!” Julianna shouted.
“Of course. Take his left.”
They frantically stormed away with an unconscious Michael over their shoulders, panting as the stampeding steps of the reptilian army stalked them. The reptilians growled with a determination to ensnare their prey.
“I don’t understand,” Julianna said between heavy breaths. “I thought they weren’t supposed to sense us if we didn’t move.”
“I thought this race couldn’t wield necromancy, but I was wrong about that, too,” Alexa replied.
“Race?” Julianna thought back to the point Lucifer had made about the other species of different worlds. “Wait a minute. I just realized something.”
“Is this really a good time?” Isabella said in a labored breath. She kept her focus on the path, trying not to fall over any stray rocks or logs. Michael’s weight on their shoulders tired them faster and slowed them down.
“Yes. Do you remember what Lucifer said about the races before humanity?” Julianna asked.
“You mean about how they’re all so much better than humans? Yeah, we know they are. What’s your point?” Isabella said.
“Lucifer said all other races were wiped out long ago.”
“Well, that obviously isn’t true,” Alexa replied. “Need I remind you of the dangers behind us?”
“This is just a theory, but I think that when a creature dies, its spirit belongs to the one that slayed it,” Julianna said.
“So, are you saying?”
“If elementals and titans are anything to go off of, I think there’s an opportunity here beyond just collecting a bounty.” Julianna smiled.
Isabella smiled, too. “You’re right! We might as well capture ourselves some new familiars to use against Lucifer while we’re getting hunted down.”
“Only one problem. How are we supposed to kill them without magic? Don’t forget you’re both still carrying Michael, so you’re less useful than I am now, with your attention split like that,” Alexa said.
“That may be true, but he’ll wake up soon. I know it.”
“I can’t believe he’s still out.” Julianna looked at his uncurious face.
The blood had ceased. She was relieved he was improving and wasn’t leaving a crimson trail for their enemies to follow. Still, seeing him like this filled her with grief.
“Shouldn’t he have woken up by now? How much longer is he going to be like this?”
“I thought he’d be up by now with the inherent healing abilities that came with being an angel.” Alexa’s eyes watered in anguish and frustration.
“What are you saying, then?” Tears began to roll down Isabella’s face. “That he could be in this comatose state forever?”
“No way,” Alexa said. “He’ll wake up. He’s most likely caught up in some sort of dream.”
“A dream?” Julianna’s eyes widened at the notion of Michael being trapped in such an ordeal.
“Yes. Possibly a rather vivid one since he’s still deep in sleep.”
“Knowing him, you’re probably right,” Isabella said. “I just hope that whatever’s got him, he could pull his way back out quick.”
“Let’s hope so. Otherwise, we’re all fucked,” said Alexa.
The lizardmen and their beasts were very much within reach of them. They could almost feel their hot and steamy breath down their necks, as the drooling from the insatiable beasts stained the plains in which they roamed.
A giant bird-like dinosaur with a lizardman on its back shot through the horde. It released a deafening squawk before swooping and grabbing Alexa by the back of her shirt. Alexa flailed and wriggled in desperation as she soared past the treetops.
“No! Let me go!” she screamed.
Isabella looked up at Alexa being taken away, horrified that it could only a matter of time before it was her turn to be abducted.
“We have to go get her,” Isabella said. “They could make a sacrifice out of her, too.”
“I want to.” Julianna gritted her teeth in the face of excruciating crossroads and heat of desperation. “But we can’t. Not when Michael’s still in this vulnerable state.”
“But”—
“We have a better chance of saving them both if we just push on ahead. Until then, let’s just focus on getting Michael out of here,” Julianna said.
“Are you sure?”
“Trust me.”
“Alright,” Isabella said, nodding.
Their plan slowly came to a halt as Isabella felt a painful tug on her ankle. She fell over and looked to find what had caught her, only to find a massive crocodilian creature had taken a bite on her leg. She screamed in pain. Julianna saw the beast and was instantly filled with dread.
“Unholy fuck!” Julianna shouted.
“Its teeth are sinking deeper!” Isabella screamed.
Tears gushed down her face as the thick curved tips dug further into her flesh; writhing slightly left to right.
“Shit! This was the last thing we needed,” Julianna screamed in panic.
She looked down at Michael, whose weight was now entirely over her shoulder. She was then knocked over and mounted by an enormous eight-legged lizard. As the crocodile continued to gnaw into Isabella, Julianna felt the atrocious sensation of the beast’s drool falling upon her face.
“Michael, please save us.”
Michael’s body laid there, unconscious.
Michael walked through a realm covered in mist and clouds. It was unlike any place he had visited in his dreams. He couldn’t see the ground beneath him. There seemed to be no walls or sky, either. It felt like a peaceful afterlife, yet a sense of eeriness clouded his experience.
As he walked through the mist, he felt the cold presence of entities that once breathed life in his world. He took careful steps forward and ghostlike figures who were no longer a part of his reality began to appear, casting hollow expressions back at him.
“Those animals…” he began as he stared down a ghostly pack of bears and warthogs “…they look really familiar. Why?”
He vaguely recalled slaughtering many during his escapade in the wetlands of Mgla. He shook off the resemblance as nothing, certain he was just imagining things. He continued traversing the otherworldly plane.
As he did so, he walked by the two officials Julianna killed the night she carried him back home. They wore the same black uniforms, garbed
in many ribbons and badges to signify their ranks. A feeling of discomfort bubbled in him as he looked at their perverted faces. Their gazes never broke from his.
“For authority figures, they really leave me feeling uneasy. Though I don’t have the faintest recollection of who they are, I doubt it’d be the end of the world if I did kill them,” he said as he continued walking.
He looked ahead and noticed more officials and several government figures approaching.
“Officials, politicians, and feral animals? I must be in some sort of hell, instead,” said Michael. “But, why?”
He inspected the rows of crooked grins and a chill went down his spine as he walked by them.
“A really twisted hell, for sure.”
As he progressed through the seemingly endless mists, he saw two figures he recognized with no hesitation. Isabella’s parents.
“No. what are they doing here?” The soulless ghostly figures looked into his eyes. The look of vengeance in their eyes sent his heart pounding.
“I think I remember killing all those officials and politicians, too. Is that what’s happening? Are these lives all lives I’ve taken away? Is this a graveyard of my past crimes?”
He moved hurried forward, looking in every direction and carefully studying the ghostly faces around him.
“I need to get the hell out of here. Now!”
He swore he could hear laughing and shouting as hands clawed toward him from either side to drag him down. He then saw new figures emerging. As if not quite dead yet, they were only partially visible.
“Wait a minute…”
Michael recognized them as his four companions. Their faces looked back at him with half-smiles—as if concealing anguish.
“This can’t be real. If all those other guys are dead, does that mean?”
The four of them murmured and sobbed. He couldn’t understand a single word they said. The voices grew loud and turned into restless screams that sent a sharp pain across his body. He covered his ears to block out the punishing sounds, then the misty lands suddenly caught aflame, melting his ghostly friends.
“No… this must be some mistake. Come back!” Michael screamed.