Memories, Part 4 of 4

Altius' Backstory

Memories Part IV

Ancient Times...

Caledonia looked out over the plain where the army of undead stood just an hour before.  The field was littered with the corpses of dead men, hundreds of thousands of them. In years to come, this would be known as the Killing Fields, years after that the Grove of the Dead. Eventually, the name would be lost to history and just be another field. For now it was simply grotesque. This, ironically, was the best sight she could have envisioned. It meant that the source of the undead army, Legion, was indeed dead.

Several men were helping to move some of the smaller boulders. As they did, they heard a moan come from under one of them. Caledonia returned to find them pulling a figure out from under the rubble, his body broken badly.

Dumping Vercingetorix on the ground, a large red-headed man reached for a heavy

hammer, and lifted it over his head. Caledonia put her hand on his chest and bid him to set it down, “There is only one way to end this curse. He must be alive to do that.”

Reluctantly, he set down his weapon and ordered some other men to bind the mighty warrior in chains.

The men spent the better part of a day searching for Altius, to no avail. While they did, the old men, children and women went about gathering the corpses together into large piles. When a pile was large enough, it was set ablaze. The stench was unbearable, but necessary. The potential for disease was too great.

At the end of the fourth day, Caledonia called off the search. It was time to leave. A

select few clansmen offered to stay behind and continue burning corpses. As the last of the clansmen left the canyon, littered with rubble as it was, she knelt to the ground and scooped up some earth.

“Lord, hear my prayer. May this ground grow fertile. May those who have lost their

mortal souls return to it someday when they are needed again. May you guide Altius to his rest, and return him when the time is right for the world will have need of him again and we are destined yet to cross paths.”

Blowing on the earth, she let it slip from her fingers onto the pile of rocks and debris. Where ever her ally was, he would be in safe hands.

A foul wind blew across the land. A tomb forever sealed opened and magic filled the

air of the British isle once more as it did so long ago. Although the jagged peaks of the Forge had given way to the ravages of time, the location was still along a cliff near the Channel, that strip of sea between Great Britain and mainland Europe.

A faint stirring began to take place along one stretch of coastline, at a high point along a hill overlooking the rough sea. The grass blew back and forth, although there was no wind on this overcast day.

The ground shook and a crack formed leading into the earth. As the earth along the cliff shifted, much of it began falling into the sea below. Some of it, however, fell onto a section of nearby beach. When the dust settled, the form of a man could be seen between the boulders on the beach. He stirred, lifting his hand up to touch a gash on his forehead and winced in pain.

In his right hand was a gnarled staff that glowed a faint blue…

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Present Day...

Altius’ eyes shot open. He was once again standing on the rooftop of the NMDS

building looking at the sky as it began changing colors, announcing the coming of a new day. The storm he had anticipated came and went without much adieu. The aftereffect was a brilliant sunrise sporting every color in the rainbow and a clear sky. Even the wind had died down.

He remembered. He remembered his prior life. He remembered his battle and his

own death. He remembered sleeping. There was a void in his memory spanning ages.

He slept while the world changed. Everything he once knew, people, places, things,

nations, had changed. Looking up at the sky he saw the stars. This was why he loved the morning hours so much. No matter where his travels took him, they reminded him of home.

He remembered the final battle. He remembered Vercingetorix and Legion. He

remembered the evil he sacrificed himself to defeat.

He then connected the dots. It came slowly at first, but built in his mind until its all

he could think about. Without turning, he voiced his thoughts, “I remember you,

Vercingetorix.”

He turned and, as expected, saw the creature standing near the stairwell. He remembered tethering him to the earth as boulders fell around him. He remembered him being crushed. How could he still be here?

“That name is no longer mine. Thanks to you and that witch I am now nothing more than a curse on mankind.”

The two stared at each other for a few minutes, neither moving or speaking. Finally,

Curse broke the silence.

“You asked me what form I would take to make myself more pleasing to the eye? You remember that? When I realized you were still alive, I decided on the form. I’ll be taking yours. It will make approaching that witch so much the easier.” He flexed his hands and some wicked claws extended from them. He took a step forward and Altius took a step back towards the building’s edge.

“Why did you wait? Why did you want me to remember? Wouldn’t this be easier if

you had just killed me when we met?” Altius was buying time and Curse knew it, but he stopped anyway. There was a reason and he wanted Altius to know. Moreover, he needed to tell someone.

“Where would be the fun in murdering you quickly?” Curse’s voice was oddly not very convincing. Altius caught the tone in his voice and pressed further. After all, what did he have to lose at this point.

“I’m not buying it. I think you needed something.” Altius was now on the building’s

edge. It didn’t bother him all that much since he could fly, but he knew that Curse could as well and, frankly, much more swiftly. Running would not get him anywhere.

Curse turned his head to the side. He was thinking through something. Altius continued.

“I think you need to confide in someone.” Curse looked up at him and Altius knew he was on the right track. “You’re alone now. You have nothing else to keep you going except the hatred and rage you are feeling towards the ones who did you wrong. I’m right, aren’t I?”

Curse didn’t say anything, but didn’t advance either. Altius went on.

“You need a connection to your life to remind you of what you once were. I’ve heard the legends. I’ve heard you were once like everyone else until the demon got his claws into you. You want to feel the warmth of the sun again. You want to know what it is to experience happiness and if I was you I’d be wondering what would be left for me once I exacted vengeance on the only two people in the entire world that even remember.”

Curse remained unmoving. Once again, they stared at each other. The claws in his hand began to slowly retract. Altius took a tentative step forward.

“Curse, give me some time. I think there may be a way to reverse what Legion did to you. I was sent to the Isle to guard an artifact. It was very powerful and may hold the key to bringing you back to a normal life.” Curse looked up at him. The perpetual purple glow in his skull shifted and softened slightly.

So that was how to read him! A light bulb went on in Altius’ mind. The color indicates the mood! That helps.

“I may never forgive you for what you did, but you are insightful. More so, you are right. What are we without our memories?” Curse looked away. “I am curious though, what brought you into the fight against my forces to begin with? I am familiar with your Order and they would have had no interest in saving the pathetic whelps I was conquering or Caledonia. Had it not been for your intervention, it’s unlikely anyone would have been able to stop me.”

“My job was to guard the artifact. Legion was about to uncover it. Had he found it, he would have used it to destroy all life, including you. No man, anywhere, would have been safe from it. I was there to defeat the demon, not you.”

Curse extended a bandage wrapped claw, an offer of peace. They shook in silent

acknowledgement of their mutual history. Curse’s grip tightened and he pulled the hero close. “I’ll help you find your toy and you do what you say you can do. After that, we go our separate ways. If this fails…” He left the thought unspoken.

“No worries.” Altius put on his best poker face, keeping his own nervousness to himself. He didn’t really know that the artifact could do what he said, but Curse was ready to believe him and Altius was still alive as a result. All in all, the outcome was turning out pretty well… at least this morning. What Curse would do if he failed to provide the results he promised was an unknown.

Curse turned to go back inside and stopped. Lobo was standing in the doorway, sucking on an unlit cigar.

Looking Curse dead in the eye, no pun intended, Lobo pulled out a rather large steel lighter, “Good thing you settled down bub, or we might have had ourselves a good butt whoopin’! Find a way to get along. Now get your keesters inside. We just got word of another SOB base that needs redecorating. Barney is reading up on it now. I absolutely love this team!” He lit his cigar and went back downstairs.

Curse shrugged and followed. Altius got the impression that Curse liked Lobo. He

hoped so at any rate because that meant that Lobo had a certain amount of influence over the ancient warrior, even if Lobo was a narcissistic hellion himself.

Altius made a mental note as he followed Curse inside. It’s time to buddy-up with Lobo.

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A couple of blocks away, behind a dumpster in a dark alleyway…

Legion pointed his eyeless head up towards the building housing the NMDS team. He

could clearly see Curse and Altius on the rooftop. He watched as Curse moved towards Altius and felt the rage building within him. Legion dropped the bones on which he had been chewing and put his claws on the cold metal dumpster in anticipation of the pending fight.

He would not be disappointed. He watched as the two heroes conversed. He watched as Curse’s rage abated. He grinned an evil grin as they shook hands and agreed to work together to find the artifact.

Demons were nothing if not patient.  Legion had been so very patient.  Very soon he would fulfill his mission.  Very soon...