Reaper of Souls: A fantasy short story (5 page)

†

A
n hour later, Reggie was
being held within a crude cage on the ground below where Dylan-creature hung in
his net.  Her wrists and ankles were tied with crude ropes made from plant
life.  She struggled to free her wrists tied behind her back from where she sat
in the cage.  Dylan-creature wailed from his net above.  The gecko creatures
chattered excitedly while building a bonfire.  There were at least twenty
creatures surrounding the camp now.  A couple of the creatures played crude
instruments in musical rhythm, while others appeared to be singing and dancing
around the bonfire.  Reggie continued to fight her ropes then looked up at
Dylan-creature, who had fallen suspiciously silent.  He chewed on the rope
netting.  Reggie stared with surprise then smiled.  A large, black hawk landed
on a low hanging branch near Reggie, startling her.  The hawk whimsically
transformed into Helsing.  He casually sat on the branch with his back against
the tree and one leg dangling while observing her situation.  Reggie stared at
him with surprise rather than relief.

“Not off to a
very good start,” Helsing teased.

“You noticed?”
she scoffed.  “I’m working on correcting the problem.  I don’t suppose you’d be
willing to--”  Reggie nodded to the ropes that bind her.

Helsing grinned
with humor.  “That would be cheating.”

“Kahn’s rules
specifically stated there were no rules, therefore, it’s not cheating if you
untie me.”

“You’ll try
anything, won’t you?”

Reggie
continued to struggle against the ropes that bind her wrists behind her back
then glared at Helsing.  “Yes, so save me some time and tell me what will work
on you.”

“Where would
the fun be in that?” Helsing teased.

“We’ll have fun
later.”  Reggie stopped struggling and glared at him with disgust.  “You know,
you’re not much of a gentleman.”

“I’m not
mortal.  I’m not any kind of man.”

Reggie snorted
a laugh and again fought her ropes.  “A comment like that would get you
seriously teased in the men’s locker room.”

Helsing
appeared bewildered.  She stopped struggling, groaned with exhaustion, and
rested her head against the bamboo cage bars.  Helsing jumped down from his
tree branch, approached the cage on the ground, and crouched down to her level
where she sat.

  She glared at
him.  “Haven’t I amused you enough for one morning?”

He studied her
then grinned.  “You’re unlike any mortal woman I’ve ever met before.”

“It’s probably
the little cage and the bondage scene that’s throwing you off,” she announced. 
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate your earlier assistance, but if you’re going
to just leer at me outside my cage, I’d prefer it if you left.”

Helsing
continued to smile and chuckled softly.  As he straightened, the ropes fell
from her wrists and ankles.  Reggie rubbed her wrists then looked at him.  The
four-foot gecko creatures swarmed him as he turned.  They vigorously shook
their big sticks at Helsing.  He offered a casual smile and waved his hand
toward the nearby bonfire.  The bonfire erupted into huge flames.  The
creatures ducked and squealed with fear.  Helsing then waved his hand across
the camp.  The musical instruments played on their own.  The tune was lively
and upbeat.  The creatures appeared fascinated and marveled at Helsing.  They
motioned him toward their bonfire.  Reggie slowly straightened within her cage
and stared with shock and amazement as Helsing danced with the lizard
creatures.  She looked at Dylan-creature.  He had several links of rope chewed
through, but it would require more gnawing.

“Come on,
Dylan.  You can do it,” she cheered him on.  “Pretend the ropes are Twinkies.”

Dylan-creature
stopped gnawing and glared at her.  She smiled timidly.  He returned to gnawing
on the ropes.  She glanced at the bonfire several times.  The creatures were
preoccupied with Helsing.  He appeared to be having a good time with them. 
Dylan-creature suddenly fell from his netting and landed gracefully on his
backside with a thud.  He scurried for her cage and thrashed the bamboo with
his tail in time with the drums.  The sound of his tail striking the cage was
barely heard above the drums.  He got into a good rhythm then cracked it hard
on the last beat.  The bamboo cracked.  Reggie pulled the broken pieces away
and slipped through the opening.  She looked back at the bonfire, watched
Helsing dancing with the creatures, grinned, and then hurried away with her
brother.

†

D
espite the daylight hour,
the woods remained dark as night.  Reggie and Dylan-creature approached a
stream.  Reggie knelt along the bank and took a drink.  Dylan-creature leaped
into the water.  Reggie collapsed onto her backside and watched him playfully
splash around within the water.  She allowed her head to fall into her hands
and softly sobbed.

“Missed one
hell of a party,” Helsing announced.

Reggie gasped
while wiping her tears then stood and turned to face Helsing.  She maintained a
calm outward appearance.

“I can’t say I
cared for my accommodations,” she remarked then managed a smile, “but you were
a hit.”

“They’re just
trying to make the best of it,” he replied.  “They lost everything that ever
mattered to them.”

“You’re
starting to sound sympathetic to your brother’s tortured souls.”

“I never said I
agreed with my brother’s hobby, but I don’t feel sympathy toward any of them,”
he announced.  “It was their greed that condemned them in the first place.”

“Love and
devotion damned me to this place,” Reggie scoffed.  “Greed had nothing to do
with it.”

“You’re the
exception.”

“You don’t know
that.  The truth is you don’t know what your brother does,” she replied.  “If
he lied and cheated to condemn me, who’s to say he didn’t do the same for the
others.”

“It’s really none
of my business.  I’m not responsible for him or his actions,” he informed her. 
“We just try to stay out of each other’s way.”

“Your
compassion is overwhelming,” she muttered.  “I’m having a tough time
understanding why you’re helping me.”

“You’re mistaken. 
I haven’t been helping you.”

Reggie smiled
and held back her laugh.  “If you say not.  No matter, I like having you
around.”

Helsing
appeared slightly bewildered.  She gently ran her hand along his lower arm,
smiled, and then turned toward the stream.  Her brother continued to splash
around.

“Dylan, time to
go.”

Helsing watched
her a moment longer and remained bewildered.  “Why would you like having me
around?”

She looked back
at him and smiled warmly.  “Despite your superiority complex, you’re actually
cute.  Something about you puts me at ease.  I can’t say I get that from a lot
of guys.”  She hesitated and considered the comment.  “Maybe it’s because
you’re not a mortal male.  Although, that does make me wonder why your brother
is sexually attracted to woman and you’re not.”

“My goals are a
bit higher than his,” he replied.  “Kahn wants instant gratification, whether
it be emotional or sexual.  There’s nothing spiritual about Kahn.  He wants to
rule his pathetic little world and be worshipped by frightened creatures.”

“And your
goals?”

“It would be
tough for you to understand.”

“Try me.”

“My goal is to
be a Light Force.  Our version of gods.”

“Can’t say I’ve
ever heard that before,” she announced.  “You and Kahn aren’t so different.  He
wants to be a god too, but his is the evil kind.”

Helsing offered
a tiny smile and appeared almost humored.

“Almost like
studying to become a priest, I suppose,” she said then smiled with
embarrassment.  “I feel bad about kissing you now.”

“You don’t have
to feel bad about that.  Over half of our Light Forces have children.”

“Oh, I just
assumed--”  She hid her smile.  “Never mind.”

He appeared
humored then indicated a path in the woods just across the stream.  “That path
looks friendly.  I wouldn’t doubt it leads to the beach.”  He looked at Reggie
and grinned.  “You’d better get going.”  Helsing suddenly transformed into the
black hawk and flew away.

Reggie watched
him fly into the darkness and raised a brow.  “That’s pretty damned hot.”

R
eggie and Dylan-creature
walked onto the bright, sandy beach.  In the distance, a battle worn pirate
ship was stranded in the lagoon.  It was an imposing and eerie image.  Reggie
felt relieved for the first time and looked at her watch.

“We’re making
good time,” she remarked.  “Look alive, Dylan.  There has to be a catch.  This
was too easy.”  Reggie then looked at her ring.  It was black.  She nervously
looked around.  “Definitely a bad sign.”

Reggie and
Dylan-creature walked along the beach and kept close watch for trouble.  Both
slowed as the ship was seen more clearly.  What appeared to be rocks lying on
the beach were actually skeletal remains in tattered clothes embedded in the sand. 
Some had partially rotted flesh, indicating a more recent death. 
Dylan-creature stopped midstride and appeared reluctant to continue.  Reggie
stopped as well and looked across the large area littered with partially buried
remains.

“To kill so
many, it has to be a motion sensor trap.”  She looked at the water between them
and the ship.  “We could swim, but who knows what’s under the water.”

Reggie looked
back at the distant ship.  It appeared to be slowly sinking before their eyes. 
Horror crossed her face.

“That little
cheat,” she proclaimed then looked at her brother.  “Stay here.”

Reggie
maneuvered through the maze of skeletons and partially decayed bodies.  As she
looked toward the ship, it sank faster.  She picked up her pace. 
Dylan-creature suddenly wailed a warning.  Reggie looked back while in the
middle of the beach battlefield.  The skeletons and decayed bodies were pulling
themselves from the sand and to their feet.  She gasped with horror and hurried
for the ship.  They grabbed for her while rising.  She cried out and attempted
to avoid them.  There were several now on their feet between her and the ship
in the lagoon.  As they grabbed her, Reggie fought them while darting and
dodging past many of them.  Dylan-creature continued to wail while she fought
the overwhelming number of decayed men before her.  She made it to the water’s
edge.  Decayed hands suddenly erupted from the wet sand and grabbed her ankle. 
She screamed and attempted to free herself by kicking her leg.  The hands
pulled her into the wet sand.  Dylan-creature ran for the water, leaped into
the surf, and vanished beneath the water.

“Dylan--no!”

Reggie’s entire
right foot was now beneath the sand.  More hands erupted and attempted to grab
her left foot.  The standing decayed bodies continued their approach.  Her left
foot was now pulled beneath the sand.  She screamed and fought the hands.  More
hands grabbed her hips and waist.  She fought her descend and clutched at the
loose sand.  Dylan-creature exploded from the water near her and whipped his
tail at a hand on her hip.  The skeletal hand shattered.  He tossed his tail to
her as a lifeline.  Reggie grabbed his tail with both hands.  He clawed at the
wet sand in an attempt to pull her out as the creatures continued their approach. 
She barely budged from her trapped position.  He pulled his tail from her and
whipped it at the approaching creatures.  They shattered and fell but were
magically put back together.  Reggie attempted to remain above the surface of
the sand but it was now up to her waist.  The decayed bodies jumped on
Dylan-creature.  He knocked them off but they continued to swarm him.  The sand
suddenly turned to dried, cracked dirt, locking the hands and Reggie in the
ground.

The water
rapidly pulled back several yards, formed into a large wave, and then crashed
to shore.  Reggie cried out, covered her head, and screamed.  The water rushed
past her, Dylan-creature, and the decayed bodies with tremendous force.  The
water rapidly pulled back to the lagoon and carried the creatures with it. 
Dylan-creature dug his claws into the hard ground and left long scratches while
avoiding being sucked out by the powerful undertow.  When the water returned to
the lagoon, Reggie, Dylan, and the trapped hands were all that remained. 
Reggie attempted to free herself from the ground, but she was stuck. 
Dylan-creature staggered dizzily and collapsed with exhaustion.  Reggie looked
at the lagoon and couldn’t believe her eyes.  The pirate ship was trapped in
the solid ground as well.  Reggie again attempted to free herself with renewed
vigor, but it appeared hopeless.

A man’s hand
was offered to her.  Reggie looked up and saw Helsing standing over her.  She
accepted his hand.  As he gently pulled her upward, the ground broke free, and she
was easily pulled to her feet.  He released her hand and met her gaze.  She
stared at him with surprise then suddenly threw her arms around his neck and
clung to him.  He appeared momentarily stunned and seemed uncertain how to
react.  As Reggie sobbed softly into his neck, Helsing uncertainly placed his
arms around her waist and held her.  He shut his eyes and gently nuzzled her
head.

“I can’t beat
him,” she sobbed.  “I’m no match for his powers.  I can’t win.”

Helsing gently
touched Reggie’s face.  She suddenly tensed, sniffed softly, and pulled back to
meet his gaze.  Although he showed little emotion, he gently wiped the tears
from her cheek.  She uncertainly looked around the beach then back at Helsing.

“You did this? 
This was you,” she said with conviction.  “You stopped them, didn’t you?”

He offered a
tiny smile.  “Well, there are no rules.”

Reggie smiled
and laughed with relief.  She again hugged Helsing in a warm embrace.  He
returned the embrace with less forethought.  She then pulled back to meet his
gaze with a puzzled look.

“Why the sudden
change of heart?”

“I guess you’re
growing on me,” he teased.  “Maybe I’m not actually above mortal pleasures
after all.”

She stared at
him with surprise then smiled timidly.

Helsing
reluctantly released her.  “You’d better get your dagger.  You still have to
get it back to the castle.”

†

T
he dagger was embedded in
the helm of the pirate ship on the main deck.  Reggie glanced at Helsing then
uncertainly approached the helm.  As she placed her hand on the dagger hilt,
large spiders erupted from every crack in the wood and rapidly crawled toward
her in a massive flood of black spiders.  Reggie cried out with horror and
pulled the dagger free.  She quickly backed up to Helsing and looked around as
they closed in on them.  She was nearly paralyzed with fear as she watched the
spiders rapidly approaching.  Soon they’d be crawling over every inch of her
body.  Her body subconsciously shuddered.  Helsing stared at her with a puzzled
look.

“Don’t like
spiders?” he asked.

“I’m terrified
of them,” she gasped faintly.  “Especially the big,
hairy
ones.”

“How do you
feel about snakes?”

Reggie suddenly
glared at Helsing.  He casually pulled a handful of snakes from his pockets and
dropped them on the floor near their feet.  The snakes slithered for the
spiders, which immediately retreated.  Reggie watched the snakes chase the
spiders from the deck then looked at Helsing with surprise.

“You can’t
imagine all that I have up my sleeves,” he announced while grinning proudly,
“--and within my pockets.”

Dylan-creature
suddenly scrambled across deck and bolted behind Reggie to hide.  Both looked
across the main deck.  Kahn stood several feet away and looked displeased.

“You have no
business interfering in my affairs, Helsing,” Kahn snarled then looked at
Reggie.  “Outside help.  You forfeit.”

“There are no
rules, remember?” she snarled.  “Which includes help from your brother.  I seem
to recall you weren’t supposed to interfere and use your powers.  Those zombies
and spiders were all you.”

“That was
before I found out you had enslaved my brother into helping you,” Kahn said
then glared at Helsing.  “You’re not exactly living up to the high standards of
a Light Force, brother.  Did she offer herself to you to solicit your help?” 
His tone sounded almost jealous.  “You know you can’t become a Light Force
while indulging in mortal pleasures.”

“My reasons for
helping her are my own,” Helsing said.  “I’ve accepted nothing from her.”

“Then that
makes you a bigger fool than I thought,” Kahn scoffed.  “You can’t possibly
expect me to believe you’re just helping her for the sheer joy of it.  You lack
compassion, so something is motivating you.”

“I admire her
loyalty and devotion toward others,” Helsing replied.  “I think she’s worth
saving.  And if it pisses you off in the process, all the better.  You can’t
interfere.  Other than that, there are no rules.  So leave us.  We have a
dagger to return.”

Kahn suddenly
sneered and appeared enraged.  “I won’t allow it!”

“You have no
say,” Helsing announced casually.  “We’re playing by the ‘no rules’ policy.”

“Then let the
games begin,” Kahn snarled.  “I may not be allowed to interfere with her task,
but that doesn’t mean I can’t stop you.”  He suddenly vanished.

Reggie looked
at Helsing with concern in her eyes.  “Your powers are equal to his, I hope.”

“That’s not the
problem.  He plays dirty, and I’m not permitted to.  I’d be sacrificing my Life
Force rights,” Helsing replied.  “We’d better go.  It’s going to be a long trip
back, I’m afraid.”

†

S
everal hours later,
Helsing, Reggie, and Dylan-creature walked along a worn path in the woods. 
Reggie appeared exhausted and Dylan-creature was lagging behind.  Helsing
looked at his weary travel mates and stopped.

“Perhaps we
should stop and rest a few minutes,” he said.  “It’s safe here.  Rest while you
can.”

Dylan-creature
collapsed and immediately drifted to sleep.  Reggie reluctantly sat against a
tree.  Helsing joined her and waved his hand.  A fire appeared a few feet
before them and burned in the air.  Reggie enjoyed the warmth then glanced at
Helsing, who groomed his fire.

“I’m really
glad you decided to join me.  I don’t know how much longer I could have lasted
on my own,” she said gently.  “With Dylan as he is, I have little emotional
support.  He was always my strength.  We had to depend on each other to
survive.”

“I can’t say
I’ve ever depended on Kahn for anything,” Helsing informed her.  “He’s always been
hell bent.  He wasn’t exactly fun to be around all these years.  Probably why I
avoid him.”

“Is it because
of his evils that you want to be a Light Force?”

“No, it has
nothing to do with him,” he replied.  “I suppose one of us should make our
parents proud.”

“Where are
they?”

“They’re Light
Forces,” he announced then pointed up with a grin.  “Out there somewhere.  I’d
really like to see them again.”

“I’m sure you
will.”

“I’m beginning
to wonder,” he said with a sigh.  “You’ve managed to completely throw off my
focus and scatter my priorities.”

She laughed and
playfully clung to his arm.  “Dylan says women curse men in the nicest possible
way.”

Helsing stared
at her nestled against his side and the playful smile on her face.  He smiled
and shook his head.  “I’ve been in contact with mortal women before without any
conflict, so naturally I’m having difficulty understanding my behavior around
you.”  He uncertainly placed his hand on hers and gently caressed it.  “I’m
bothered that I’m enjoying it.”

Reggie smiled
timidly, removed her hand from his arm, and straightened.  “I’m sorry,” she
said gently.  “With all your help, it’s not fair that I should compromise your
moral commitments.”

Helsing studied
her a moment longer, moved closer, and kissed her warmly but passionately. 
Despite her surprise, she returned the kiss.  He slowly pulled away, met her
gaze, and smiled gently.

“I just needed
to get that out of my system.”

She blushed and
hid her grin  “Happy to have helped.”

†

H
elsing, Reggie, and
Dylan-creature continued along the path in the woods with less exhaustion. 
Dylan-creature suddenly stopped, looked around, and smelled the air through his
open mouth.  A soft gurgle escaped his throat.  Helsing and Reggie stopped and
looked around to his warning.  There was no sound and nothing moved.  Several
creatures no more than two-feet-tall seemingly stepped out of the background
they blended against and jumped on top of Helsing.  Four of them tackled him to
the ground.  As he kicked and tossed them off him, one bit him on the neck.  He
held out his hand and the creatures were violently projected off him and
through the air.  He held his bleeding neck and slowly moved to his knees. 
Reggie hurried to his side and attempted visually to assess his injury.

“Helsing, are
you okay?”

He looked at
the blood on his hand then appeared concerned.  He quickly stood and pulled her
to her feet alongside him.  “Kahn fights dirty.  That thing bit me for a
reason.”

“Some sort of
infection?” she suddenly asked.