by J. J. Egosi
He was too late. They collapsed under the fires of their translucent surroundings. Their broken smiles were the last thing he saw. Fading away. He dropped to his knees in sorrow and found himself now in complete darkness. Alone.
“It’s not too late, you know.”
Michael’s eyes immediately widened and looked up. A voice he immediately recognized called out to him.
“This can’t be. Not now?”
“Oh, is this a bad time?” the voice spoke before chuckling.
A figure began to manifest with the same black flames that took his friends away. It appeared in familiar primped formal wear and elegance. Michael could not mistake it for anyone else but the demon king of his nightmares—Lucifer—staring back at him with a smile.
Michael looked up, especially unhappy with his visitor. He panted with rage.
“It’s you again.” He remembered their first encounter in his castle with disdain. “I thought I told you to get out of my dreams for good.”
“You didn’t think I’d take orders from you, did you? After all, we still have a score to settle after our last battle. Unless of course, you’ve given the idea of partnering with me some more thought,” Lucifer said in a far more serious tone than Michael had expected.
Michael recalled how it ended. The titan he inexplicably summoned wiped out the two he stole and his opponent vanished into the shadows.
He clenched his fists. “So, is that it? You come to negotiate? Because you know you can’t defeat me?”
Lucifer let out a bellowing laugh, covering his face with his hand as his maniacal crimson stared pierced into him.
“You’re a funny one. Never lose that quality about you.” He took his hand off his face and gave his full attention with a nasty grin. “Even when it’s over.”
Michael’s frustration turned to fear. He could sense a more sinister shift in his personality this time. Still, he refused to succumb to his games.
“Just tell me why you’re here. I better like the answer.”
Lucifer flashed a playful smile. “I can’t guarantee that. I will tell you I’m not here because I want something. No, you’re here because you want something.”
“Excuse me?” Michael’s eyes widened.
“I just stopped by to remind you that, as the creator god, you have certain, let’s say… privileges most beings don’t have,” Lucifer said.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Lucifer turned around, walking away. “Don’t overthink this, Michael. Just follow that overgrown heart of yours and things will all become clear.” He disappeared into the darkness with a half-grin on his face.
“Follow my heart?”
Michael’s eyes wandered around his surroundings. He looked around in solitude, searching for an explanation as his mind raced: from his sudden use of lightning against the dinosaur to the last thing he recalled before arriving here. Everything turning dark.
“We’re gods,” A muffled echo rang through his mind, “I’m the destroyer and you’re the creator.”
The image of his friends melting before him played in reverse. They took back their shape and smiled back before dissipating.
“Michael!” they shouted from somewhere far away. “Wake up!”
“That’s it!” His eyes widened. “There’s still time to change things. Time to wake up from this nightmare! Because that’s all it is. I’m not dead, because I can’t die. That’s my privilege. My birthright as a god!”
The darkness around him brightened into a flashing light in the distance, calling out to him with beating rays.
“Hold on, girls!” he said. “I’m coming for you!”
As Michael walked into the light, Lucifer gazed from the darkness, grinning with amusement.
“You’ve released what your allies already knew. A shame they aren’t so aware of all things around them like I am.”
Lucifer grinned and looked down at his hand. Shadows began to seep through his fingers. They danced to his will.
Michael was gone now—venturing into the light and leaving Lucifer alone to his devices. His shadows.
“You called me a liar, but I don’t lie. I merely tell truths you simple mortals could never hope to understand.”
The shadows flickered out from his hand, darkening the area around him more.
“Those dinosaurs died just as I spoke. What you see are husks of their former glory. Spirits out of time and space beyond your current understanding, roaming in their natural habitat with a care.”
The shadows before him peeled back to reveal a darkened silhouette of the field where Michael and the others laid and the reptilians attacked.
“How did this all come to be where the seven dimensions were forged and these beasts could thrive? It seems like such a contradiction, doesn’t it?” he chuckled under his breath. “Well, those are questions you’ll have answered soon enough. If you continue to stand in the way of the demon king’s will.”
His chuckle broke into a laugh, echoing through the misty void for all spirits to hear as the last of the light was swallowed.
Michael woke up, gasping for air. He frantically looked around was mortified at the sight of Isabella and Julianna screaming; being chewed and mangled by the lizardmen army. They screamed for mercy as they pounded their fists against their thick exteriors, hoping to escape.
“Damn it! No!”
He looked down at his arms, seeing he wasn’t much better off. He shook with unfathomable anger thundering in his chest.
It’s not too late. I can still change things. Not just my friends, but this world. Because I’m the creator god!
His eyes glowed a flashing blue, and a storm manifested inside and around him. Lightning danced in the clouds. A convulsing orb began to manifest in the palm of his right hand, losing control fast.
“This land devoid of magic and tattered in primeval spirits, I break the seal and release all magic into this world. Now, so let it be spoken, so let it be done!”
He unfolded the glowing orb from his hand like a rain comet. A surge of light shrouded the battlefield, blinding all the lizardmen and their cavalry.
“Michael?!” Isabella exclaimed.
The light vanished, revealing Michael in his angel form. He had his fists clenched as his wings beat against the air.
“This can’t be possible,” Julianna muttered, worn because of the blood loss. “He shouldn’t be able to use that sort of power.”
Julianna looked down at her wounds and watched them heal. Isabella noticed her own healing, as well.
“Incredible!” Isabella said. “Did Michael do this?”
Michael also stood there, without a scratch. The injuries he sustained on his neck and arms were gone. He looked at the lizardmen who had tormented his friends, with burning disdain in his eyes.
“You beasts better be ready to atone for assaulting my friends. This is what happens when you stray too far from my mercy.”
He ran toward the crocodile and punched it across the face, knocking it over.
“Unholy shit!” Julianna and Isabella shouted at once.
Michael grinned. He turned his attention toward the giant eight-legged lizard and grabbed it by the tail. He swung it several times before hurling it at the raptor and knocking them both into the ground.
The lizardmen watched, frightened at the way Michael handled their cavalry. They swiftly began retreating.
Michael smiled. He then heard something in the distance. The flying dinosaur had returned, dropping a screaming Alexa who landed in his arms. Alexa looked up into his eyes and blushed.
“Michael… thank you,” she said, hugging him, tightly.
“Anything for my friends,” Michael said.
“I don’t understand. Why did it come back to return Alexa?”
“Chances are it sensed the unusual level of magic concentration here and thought it would be safer if it didn’t have someone I wanted,” Michael said.
“That’s a pretty good guess.” Ale
xa smiled.
“Still, though…”
Isabella and Julianna stared at Michael in disbelief.
“What the hell was that, Michael?!” Isabella exclaimed.
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean, jack ass. You just tore up those lizardmen like they were nothing!”
“Really?” Alexa said as Michael stood her down.
“Totally. You should have seen it!” said Isabella, full of excitement.
“It wasn’t really anything special. I was just protecting my friends,” Michael said.
“You punched a fucking crocodile in the face!” Julianna said. She could not hide the shock and excitement.
“Really?” Alexa asked. “Now, I really feel jealous for missing out.”
“You know, I thought bringing magic to this land was going be the highlight of what just happened here, and yet punching the crocodile right now seems to be your preferred talking point,” Michael said.
“You did what now?!” The three of them exclaimed.
“It occurred to me in this dream I had,” he said, “that as the creator god, I have the ability to change my fate in ways others can’t. I can change what happens to those I care about. I can change the world they’re in, too, to benefit us all.”
“So, you filled this entire dimension with magic? Is that even possible?” Alexa wondered.
“I gave it potential is all.” Michael looked into the jungle where their enemies retreated with a cold glare. “What those lizardmen choose to do with it is up to them.”
“Another dream, huh?” Isabela smiled. “Well, I’m glad it wasn’t a nightmare.”
Michael recalled the many faces he saw: the crooked grins of powerful townspeople, her former parents, and Lucifer.
He nodded with a nervous us laugh. “So am I.”
“Seriously, Michael. Thank you for doing this.” Julianna said. “With our magic, the battlefield is finally even and we don’t have to worry about getting ambushed by those lizardmen again.”
“Which makes capturing them and getting Ursula back all the easier,” Alexa said.
“Right.”
“Now, let’s do what demons and angels do. Fly,” Alexa said with finality.
The prospect of having regained their powers brought a fresh wave of enthusiasm and hope. They smiled as they all unfurled their wings and took to the skies, feeling ready to face whatever would dare stand in their way.
The view above the tree line allowed them to see the extent of the vista. They shared airways with airborne dinosaurs and birds which flew away from Michael. Word of his power must have spread fast.
Alexa kept her eyes on the ground, searching for Ursula.
“Mount Ornox shouldn’t be far. This fog will slow us down, unfortunately.”
“As would another attack if we were to be brash,” Julianna said
“Right. Fog.” Michael nodded as he recalled the realm of clouds in his mind.
“That reminds me. What was your dream about?”
Isabella and Julianna looked at him, eagerly awaiting a response. He looked back at them with a solemn look on his face. He almost seemed bothered.
“It was strange. I felt like I was walking through this endless mist. And there were these ghosts…of people and animals I had killed before.”
“That’s quite alarming.” Isabella gulped.
“There were all there. Other than these two creepy officials, I recognized all their faces,” said Michael.
“I’m glad you were able to recall them,” Alexa said. “It shows your memory is improving.”
Julianna’s eyes wandered out into the distance, knowing full well what those distrusting faces looked like and when she killed them.
“Were there any faces that stood out?” she said, seemingly deferring the attention away from her.
Michael sighed. He didn’t know where to begin. He didn’t want to.
“I’d rather not talk about it if that’s fine. I’m still pretty shaken up.”
Isabella and Julianna looked at one another with concern before nodding.
“Understandable. We’ve all had it pretty rough since arriving here.” Julianna said.
“Let’s just focus on finding Ursula,” Isabella said as the sky began to darken. “The sun’s about to set and we don’t have much time.”
“True, however, your little show back there may have just bought us some more time,” Alexa said.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Now that the lizardmen know a threat like you resides in their kingdom, they’ll do everything in their power to handle you. That includes barricading their temple, regrouping their army to properly combat you, and of course, postponing any rituals for the time being, until they and their possessions are secure,” Alexa said.
“Well, that sounds convenient,” he replied.
“Indeed. The lizardmen care deeply about their rituals. So much so, they’d rather push back even their most sacred ones to a later date, than rush into them and do them poorly, as that would be a sign of disrespect to their gods.”
“These lizardmen are quite the foe. Diligent, as well as ruthless. I can see why Ursula had so much trouble with them all these years,” he said.
“Yes, I imagine her early years were the worst. Being the only demon in a world full of reptilian beasts must have kept her on a run all the time. Screaming for survival every day all alone,” Alexa said with a tremble. The realization tugged at her heartstrings.
“I can’t fathom what a life like that must be like,” said Isabella.
“Let’s hope we’ll never have to,” Julianna commented.
“Right. Ursula’s a vigilant one, though. She didn’t make it where she is today without some serious backbone. That company of hers she told you about. I believe she referred to it as a lizard farm.”
“Yeah, I think I remember.” Michael nodded. “Why do you bring it up?”
“Because it’s a bit more involved than that. It actually goes by the name of the Jurassic colosseum. It’s a business centered around taming powerful beasts and then charging people to watch them fight. She turned into a huge success around the omniverse and became known as the beast tamer.”
Alexa recalled experiencing the spectacle some months after she met Ursula. Ursula had told her about her passion and invited her. She watched from one of the very best seats in the colosseum.
The ring was made from logs and thick leaves. There were thousands of eager spectators as Ursula stood in the center. She wielded the beasts to her will using shadow orbs to lure them in directions of her choice. She’d then gleefully reward their obedience with large chunks of meat.
“Our Ursula? The one who was so frightened about coming back here?” Isabella said, surprised.
“I find that really difficult to believe,” Julianna said.
“It’s different, I suppose, when it’s her domain,” Alexa said. “There, she’s the one in control and they’re her entertainment.”
Michael gulped. “Sounds a bit vengeful when you put it like that.”
“That’s most likely a part of it. Another is her attempt at trying to cope with her trauma from her past. By taming the beasts, she can take the power away from them.”
“I think I see now,” he said. “But if all that’s true, then why is she still so afraid?”
“Because I don’t want her to be afraid anymore.” Alexa stopped. She could no longer hold back her tears. “She can’t run away from this any longer. She needs to overcome her past. All the tribulations she experienced here.”
“So when we entered that jungle, it was like she was a little kid again. Helpless and alone.” Imagining it disheartened Isabella.
“And when she’s in her colosseum, she’s much more confident,” Alexa said.
“What were you thinking, then?”—his face reddened—“to take on this quest where magic wasn’t available and you had no experience in combating these lizardmen?”
; “Michael, I told you I failed to think every detail through. I’m sorry.”
“Did you think about Ursula? The trauma she endured?” he exclaimed. He stepped forward, panting profusely with rage. “You knew about all of this, didn’t you? Why? Is money that important to you?”
Alexa’s lips quivered as she watched tears roll off his cheeks. The situation had distressed him and she hated being responsible for it.
“You’re wrong,” Alexa said. Michael’s eyes quickly widened from her defiant conviction. “I know the risk I put us all in, but I had to do this: for the money, but far more importantly, for her, because she has what it takes to dominate her past. She just has to gain the confidence to do so outside her colosseum.”
Michael froze. He knew not whether to be frustrated or afraid. He considered everything she spoke of and what he knew of her. His memory brought him to his battle against Ursula not long ago. From the tenacity of fighting with fists to the bravery of standing up against Alexa. He took a deep breath before forming a smile.
“I think so, too. And doing so shouldn’t be a problem now that she has her magic now.”
“Yeah, but what does all this matter? We’re going to save her anyway,” Isabella said.
“Because I don’t want her to be afraid anymore,” Alexa said. “She can’t run away from this any longer. She needs to overcome what happened to her here.”
“But, she didn’t seem conformable about telling us about her past before,” Michael said.
“She can’t keep suffering like this. We can save her, but that won’t be enough. She needs to smile like that around the lizardmen. No matter the circumstances!”
Michael and the girls could feel her passions strike their hearts. They nodded at her unbridled conviction.
“We’ll do our best to help her conquer this fear, then,” he said.
“Even with every advantage at her disposal, though, it’ll have to come from inside her,” Alexa said. “Only she can stand up against them.”
“I know. For now, let’s try to find Ursula. Once we do, we can devise a way to approach the situation in the right way.”
“Thank you.” Alexa smiled.
“Now, how close are we?” Isabella asked. “I can hardly see through this fog.”