Sealing Death (18 page)

Eurymedon

      Cassie lead the way, followed by Charlie, Stella, Betty, Braddock, Mac, and her family. Will and Chrissy brought up the rear, chatting about everything from archery to butternut squash.

      "How much longer, Mac?" Cassie groaned, trudging through the evil. "According to my latest calculations, we are now twenty-three hours away." Mac beeped, "I recommend finding a new way of transportation."

      Cassie stopped in her tracks, and Charlie bumped into her, followed by Stella, who fell backwards into the sludge. "What was that for!" she yelped, as Charlie helped her up.

      "I have an idea." Cassie answered, whirling around, "We need to go faster, so I can make a vehicle out of this mud! It may be evil, but magic is magic!"

      "No!" Stella hissed, "That's a terrible idea! It is literally, pure evil! Who knows what could happen!" Stella suspected that this might happen. Cassie was turning evil!

      "Too late!" Cassie smiled, picking up some sludge and drizzling it all around, "This is the best idea I’ve had since we left the city!" The black slime dropped slowly and blended with the black mud, swirling brown and black. The muck globbed together and piled up. The goop twisted and formed into a sleek, black motorcycle, with silver handlebars.

      "That's good for you, but what about the rest of us?" Betty exclaimed. Cassie looked around, briefly glaring at Chrissy and Will. "Charlie is gonna ride with me, and these are for you!" Cassie explained, waving her hand above the ground. The slime began spurting from the ground, and the splatters formed into several near-identical cycles. And one scooter.

    "Will and Chrissy will get the scooter." Cassie snarled, "I hope you enjoy it."

      "Wait," Braddock stammered, "there are only six bikes here. That means that we are going to have to share!" Cassie smirked, "Yep, and I think you should share with Betty."

      Braddock frowned and looked around. "I won't bite!" Betty assured, pushing him on a bike and hopping on behind.

      Charlie climbed on the bike behind Cassie, hoping he wouldn't fall off. "Hang on." Cassie whispered grabbing the handles. Charlie wrapped his arms around Cassie's waist, trying not to blush. "Let's go!" he ordered, looking around. The cycles revved to life and rocketed off, the wheels tossing the black muck into the air.

      The six bikes zoomed through the mud and down the pit, leaving behind a trail of displaced evil.

      Cassie led the way, squinting her eyes to see farther away. As they rocketed down the hole, Cassie noticed a large figure form in the distance. A very large figure.

      "Mac!" Cassie called, "What is that?!" Mac scanned the horizon and beeped, "My database reads it as a giant, of Greek origin. Approximately one hundred feet tall and three and a half tons."

      "We really don't have enough time to deal with that thing!" Braddock reminded, "Just drive by it!" "I'll try!" Cassie replied leaning forward to go faster. Charlie leaned closer to her and she held back a small smirk.

      "Eurymedon." the voice echoed through the giant's head, "Approaching are several motorbikes. You must destroy them all." "Yes master." Eurymedon replied, standing to his full height, "They will not pass."

      The giant stretched out his grey colossal arms. He wore a stringy material made from human flesh, and wore rings made up of the bones of those he killed. His head was the size of a large elephant, and two relatively small eyes poked out from beneath one long eyebrow. He waved his empty pinky in the air and sighed, "Time for a new ring!"

      The group of cyclists drove towards the giant. "Don't let him see you!" Cassie ordered, leaning forward for more momentum, "And if he does, drive fast!"

      The roar of the Scarrcedenhogg echoed through the pit, hinting its proximity. The ground behind the group cracked and came flying upwards as the beast's tail crashed through the tunnel-like pit. The huge appendage flew up, or was it over, and crashed back from where it came. Debris flew into the air and landed all about, splashing black sludge at the group. Everybody screamed as they drove through the bombardment of sludge and stone.

      “We should be safe once we get past that giant!” Chrissy called, earning a scowl from Cassie. Cassie leaned forward, zooming at around 100 m.p.h., and yanked up on the handle bars. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Charlie screamed, squeezing Cassie’s waist with fright as the motorcycle leapt in the air and flew forward. The cycle landed on its back wheel, and proceeded on its path, not slowing down in the slightest. “Giant,” Cassie breathed, “here we come!”

      The devious giant grinned as the group cycled closer, picking up a handful of sludge and packing it into an icky ball. “Let’s see you survive this!” he roared, throwing the ball at the group.

      The sludge ball careened through the pit and at the motorcycles, sliding along the ground. Evil slime splattered as the boulder skidded towards the group.

      “NO!” Cassie yelled, raising her hand from the handle bar and pointed at the approaching danger. The black liquid from the wall of the pit flowed upwards and shattered the incoming object. “Cassie!” Charlie shouted as the bike spun out of control and crashed in the sludge.

      Charlie helped Cassie up as the bike returned to the evil from which it was made.  Several screams rang out, giving the two just enough time to turn around and witness the other bikes, and scooter, melt back into black goo.

      “Are you okay?!” Cassie asked, running over to her fallen friends and family. “Yeah,” Stella grunted as she stood up, “but now I’m even dirtier than before!”

      “None of you will be okay once the Great Eurymedon is done with you!” a deep voice taunted. The tall giant towered above his victims, drooling with excitement. “Who should I eat first?” Eurymedon teased, “I haven’t eaten a human in over 5,000 years. I have almost forgotten how delicious they are!”

      “I’d hate to pop your bubble, but I’m not planning on being an appetizer any time soon!” Cassie informed, getting ready to cast some mad spells, “And neither is anyone else here!” Cassie waved her hand and shot a bright red fireball at the threat, hitting him in the eye.

      “ARGH!!!” the giant roared in pain, grabbing his eye and stomping his foot on the ground. Cassie held out her hand, releasing a hoard of blackbirds flying towards the giant. “Dinner isn’t supposed to fight back!” Eurymedon wailed, swatting at the birds as one would swat at flies.

      “Get past him!” Cassie ordered, “I’ll distract him while you all run!” She had no idea how to take this giant down, but she did know that they had to seal Death and fast.

      Charlie ushered everyone past the giant, trying to help his grandmother. “I’m a sixty-eight-year-old woman, Charles!” Betty reminded as he pulled her along, “Even though I did a lot already, I can only go so fast!” She huffed and puffed as they ran past the giant and through the pit.

      Cassie threw down her hands and was lifted up by a stream of the evil mud. The fountains formed into rubber-like stilts, walking with Cassie as she went past the giant king.

      Beneath the floor of the tunnel-like pit, the Destroyer of The Realms looked up and snarled. The loud noises hurt the beast’s many ear drums. It paddled up and sent its heads to work. Hundreds of jaws began gnawing, chewing, and biting the pit exterior.

      Cassie didn’t hear the racket below, but she saw the cracks in the ground, and felt the churning of the sludge. “RUN!!!!!” she screamed, jumping from her sludge stilts and to the ground, “SCARRCEDENHOGG!!!!!”

      The heads of the reptile started bursting up from the ground, shaking the pit and causing Eurymedon to tumble backwards. Clasping on the nostril of the Scarrcedenhogg for balance, the giant heard a loud screech, just as the head retreated back out of the Tartarus. Eurymedon felt his hand being sucked in, and a tug, right before he was dragged from the hole and out into the nothingness between the realms. He was now left to the mercy of the Scarrcedenhogg.

Returned

      “Listen up everybody!” Braddock ordered, waiting for the others to quiet down, “It’s time for the final line of defense before the Entrance of the Death Realm. Once we get past it, if we do, it will be time to close the gates of Death, and everyone who is dead will return to the Death Realm, and everyone will be able to die again. All I have to say is I hope you all make it back to our realms safely. I know for a fact that every one of you is still alive, so just be careful. When your soul can’t leave your body, it can be near impossible to know whether you are dead or not. What I’m trying to say is, good-luck.” Arthur secretly didn’t want to die again, but he wasn’t going to tell anyone. One moment of hesitation could destroy reality, and he couldn’t be that selfish. He’ll miss them all, despite what he claimed in the past. Cassie isn’t strong enough to grant another Death Pardon.

      Will had never heard Sir Arthur say something like that. He wasn’t sure what Arthur thought, but it really didn’t matter. Will knows Cassie doesn’t have enough power to perform another spell to save him from Death, and if Death is to be sealed, sacrifices must be made. Not everyone deserves to die.

      Without warning, Betty began bawling. “What’s wrong!” Susan asked, running over. “It’s just that… I just remembered… I was so distracted!” Betty sniffed, “Greg, Amy, and… Paul. They are back! Charlie can meet his grandpa and parents one last time! We have to do something!”

      Cassie looked at Charlie. He had a small tear in his eye. She knew what to do.

      Cassie looked at Charlie and Betty.

Two of us return to NYC,

Death is open lives are back,

Betty and Charlie, I transport thee,

Back home and to those you lack

      Cassie looked at her friend and whispered, “Bye Charlie.” Before he could protest, he was gone.

Myers Reunion

      “Wait!” Charlie called, but it was too late. He was standing in the middle of his grandma’s living room. What if something happens? What if she doesn’t make it? What if he never sees her again?! What if they fail? What if that idiot breaks her heart again and she goes evil?! So many things could happen! She could get swallowed by the Scarrcedenhogg!

      “GRANDMA!” he squealed, “We have to get ba-“ Charlie turned around and saw a man. Grey hair, smile, and kind eyes. Just like the ones he saw for the last time almost twelve years ago. “Grandpa?” Charlie stammered, “Is that you?”

      Paul Myers nodded and called, “Amy! Greg! Come out here! Charlie has grown so much!” Charlie ran over and hugged his grandpa, and felt two pairs of gentle arms join in the embrace.

      Charlie stepped back and looked at the family that had been long gone. They will all return to Death soon. He didn’t want them to go, but he knew Reality depends on it. He felt as if he needed to help. “Mom, Dad, Grandpa,” Charlie began, “I missed you so much, but I have to go. They need my help.”

      Amy sniffed as a tear rolled down her face. “We’ve been watching you, Charles.” Greg began, “We’ve waited so long to see you again. We kind of hoped that your girlfriend would bring us back. To life.”

      “She’s not my girlfriend.” Charlie mumbled, “And I didn’t know that was possible.”

      “Don’t worry Charlie.” Paul reassured, sitting next to his wife, “Your father still hasn’t accepted the fact that we are dead.”

      “No, Charles.” Greg persisted, “When you discovered Cassandra had powers, you could’ve asked her at least! Instead, you go on with your life as if we never existed!” Amy was now crying. “Look what you are doing to your mother!” Greg shouted, “If I had raised you, you would have been raised right!”

      Gregory Myers always had been bitter, but it was buried deep, under layers of livelihood that now no longer existed. Death sometimes did that to people. It changes them, making their worst selves surface. Death had blurred Greg’s views and tainted his heart, despite all of Paul’s and Amy’s efforts.

      “That girl isn’t right for you, son!” Greg slammed, walking closer to Charlie, “I always expected more for you! I expected you to be a success! Not a sidekick to the daughter of an evil sorceress!  You were supposed to be strong! Independent! Brave! Bold! You were supposed to be a MAN!!!”

      Charlie couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t the kind and considerate man his grandma always spoke of.

      “You know what! Even if you think she isn’t right for me, she is! Cassie is a good person! She’s been my best, and possibly only, friend since kindergarten! I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I know what I want. Good-bye.” Charlie finished, heading for the door, “I love you.”

      Charlie sat on the sidewalk outside the house with his head resting on his hands. “I thought you were going back to the Death Realm.” Paul sighed, sitting next to him. “I am.” Charlie replied, “I just don’t know how to get there.”

      “Do you remember what I told you about love all those years ago?” Paul asked. “'If you ever find yourself questioning your love, look into your future, ten, twenty years; who can you not imagine life without? That is who you truly love.” Charlie sighed, “What does that have to do with what’s happening right now?”

      “You can’t imagine life without Cassie, can you?” his grandpa said, “And don’t tell me otherwise. Grandpas know.” Charlie blushed. “Soooo?” he asked. “I’m saying you need to follow your heart. I know you can figure out a way to get back if you let yourself believe you are making the right decision.” Paul assured, smiling, “Now my advice is simple. Go get your girl!”