Just a Ghost

General Toha exits the room in a hurry trying to catch Moto before he disappeared, but he was to late. The stone hallway was silent save the clattering of his own feet against the marble floor. 'No matter' the general thought, 'you've gone to see her your grace'. Much slower now Toha begins to walk his destination clear, no need to rush. As he walked his mind slipped back to a time when he was a younger man. "Colonel!" a voice cried out, but he pushed the thought from his mind. 'The Disputed land is so small, why would Moto want it?' His steps continued to echo in the long marble hallway as he tried to push the past from his mind. He clenched his fist and said a prayer to his god "Great Azagoth, please help your pitiful servant, if I lose my mind now what use would I be to you". The memory subsided "Thank you", and with a clearer mind, determined with focus he continued his walk, as his steps echoed.

He found him in the castle garden, a small hundred foot by hundred foot square lined with trees and statues of her gods. Bushes sprinkle the empty space, and at the center a tomb made of marble stone surrounded by all manner of flowers and three smaller ones on three other sides. At the foot he knelt with his right hand upon the lid, the golden band on his finger glinting in the sunlight. He could almost see the ghost as she caressed his shoulder, he always came here when he was troubled. Even though she had died over 100 years ago, her death still hung heavy on him. He thought of disturbing him, but decided against it, whatever that creature was, whatever he wanted to say could wait for not.

His mind drifted, kneeling at her coffin, here he felt peace, because she was here. He felt her hand on his shoulder, caressing in it as she knelt to meet his face. "My love, what troubles you?" "They're elves, I saw everything" he said with an ever saddening voice. " I saw our wedding day as you burned, each of our daughters were born burning, our first home burned with us in it. I remember my inauguration day but, this time everyone was on fire and threw fire on the stage as I continued my speech that you helped me write. Markus does not know what he has done, and I can't tell him because they have already taken his mind." His hands began to shake until her ghost hand reached down to lift his face up and their eyes met. Her chocolate eyes and dark brown hair, even ethereal, gave him comfort. "So you know how they were brought down, and you know what to do. The red wolf, the great widow and her brood, they will aid us in this. Fear not my love, you are the leader this world needs." She leaned in for a kiss but disappeared into vapor. His mind now clear, he stood and as he turned around and heard her voice again "make them burn". " Toha, thank you for waiting we have a lot to discuss."

She felt the the sweat dripping from her face, her hat blocking the sun wasn't really helping. The sight on her barrett was shaking too much, and the beast was fast. The deer skulled blue robed demon wasn't fast, just fast enough to stop her from getting a proper bead on it. "Fuck it" she says as she stands and slings the barrett across her back and pulls the katana from her side. 'Don't die until I get there Kelly' she thought as she ran toward the battle ahead of her. Kelly with his duel pistols was firing and watching the monster temporarily stop before chasing him again. Darren viciously firing with his mini gun at the ice shield that constantly replenished as the beast moved.

Faster she ran feeling her legs begin to ache the closer she got, although the sand was not helping. Tighter and tighter she gripped her sword, closer and closer as she ran, it began to grow colder despite the noon day sun. She suddenly began to feel as if they would lose, and it grew the closer she got. "Mya! To the left!" Kelly yelled at the top of his lungs as he ran for his life. The beast moved his head to face Mya as she ran toward her, lifting its hands to block Kelly's bullets with telepathy. It stopped her dead in her tracks, it had no eyes, yet she felt its stare. 'That gaze could stop armies' she thought, the sand beneath her feet seemed to be swallowing her. Immediate regret for even taking this job began to creep into her mind. It all ceases as Darren's bullets finally punched through the ice shield and its gaze turned toward him. She shook the thought and began running toward the beast once more, It was so close yet far away. Like time itself would distort space and stretch her arms to keep everyone else away as it died. She swung as her feet skidded in the sand, then realized how far away she actually was then began to run toward it again as a fire ball flew from its bony hands toward Darren. He barely dodged it, but his leather jacket still caught fire and he dropped his gun and rolled around in the sand to put the fire out. She was so close now, blade was in the air and came down. The beast caught it, but it sliced right through its thumb. "Kelly, Darren, Max, Now!!!" she yelled. Darren retrieved his gun and Kelly reloaded and a short young man appeared from behind a sand dune and threw 2 grenades. Mya dodged the best she could from the blast, but there was none. She looked up from her prone position in the sand and saw the beast gathering the blast and fire in its hand, before it disappeared in a flash into it. "Mortals, you know not the power that I wield" it said it a hoarse ghostly voice. So close, a few steps and a slash, that is all it would take. "Kelly, Darren!" she yelled and they lowered their guns then she stood up to face the beast alone. "What do you know of us, mortals yes, but we can still beat you" she uttered with confidence. "Yes, I would like you to try" that voice sent chills down her spine. "I got nothing to lose" and she took a few steps and swung. The aftermath left the creature without an arm, "Kelly, NOW!" Kelly fired both his guns until they clicked, leaving the creature writhing on the ground. She walked over and she had the same feeling as before, however this time she was able to push it out of her mind. "What are you?" the creature begged to know. "Just a ghost" was her reply before taking a swing removing the creature's head. In a puff of black smoke only the deer skull and a dark blue robe remained.

He woke, the light from the ship station windows shining in his eyes, then took a look down at his little brother asleep using his now asleep leg as a pillow. Mykel smiled as he watched his brother sleep, then his mind drifted to his burning neighborhood, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he could have done to save them. His hand clenched as it fell to his brothers side, it opened and it and his hand caressed the rising and falling ribs. "Mykel just a bit longer", "I have to go get our tickets now that is if we can still get the right ship." "Ok" Alex sat up still sleepy, but wiped his eyes in an attempt to wake up. "Grandma put you a slice of cake in the bag, but you can only have it if you wake up" Mykel said as he stood in an attempt to wake his sleeping leg. Alex was awake in a flash and began digging in the bag beside him, found the cake and began eating. Content with his brothers fleeting happiness, if even for a moment, smiled then joined the now forming line at the ticket counter. Peoples voices filled his head and his hands toyed with the paper money and coins in his pocket. One was about a loan, another was about a house, and couple sat on a bench talking about the family they had or wanted to start. He was third in line to the counter before a firm hand clasped his shoulder, "Mykel Adams" the voice said. He turned and stared up at a tall man wearing a dark brown trench coat and a fedora upon his head.