Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

1

Krosnos gazed out upon the fire engulfed land with large oval eyes that grew ever wider as a symphony of agony rose in harmonious choruses. Behind a counter made of bone and skin he passed a glass object to a scaly figure with hooks for fingers. It seized it as though it was a precious oddity hard to come by and it was. Then as the next creature stepped up and payment was given Krosnos' cheeks spilt to reveal needle teeth. Another item then occupied a satisfied customer out the door.

 "Have you left immorality yet," hissed a familiar voice.

The crowd divided and there stood Destra. She approached on cloven hooves while swishing a pointy tale. Her eyes were pieces of tinfoil inside black sockets.

"What business do you have here," Krosnos replied.

Her putrid skin rippled as though something or a collection of things burrowed beneath and she replied, "I want to see the world end." She clicked a forked tongue and continued, "Echo has turned against us. Many of our siblings have turned against us." She lay a withered hand across a sunken portion of her forehead. "Why family? Why are they so drawn to aiding heroes?” 

Krosnos sloped backward and seethed, "Stop with the dramatics."

Destra snorted. "Your thoughts are repetitious. Why must you always question death? You may not realize it, but you are more like the humans every day."

Krosnos retorted hotly, “Let me orchestrate Armageddon and you tend to nonsense!”

With a crooked smile her form slowly diminished into nothingness and where she once stood was the usual crowd of patrons. 

2

Ash and smoke claimed midnight's stroke as it swept inward and blanketed the avenue. Buildings battered and burning crumpled under it. Now heaping piles littered busted sidewalks that hugged the pavement stretch like a fading lover. Gleaming claws dug deep into it all as Krosnos unhinged his jaws and roared in victory.

At the far left materialized a white horse and upon it was Conquest. Seconds after another took form; a red horse whose rider was War. Krosnos spread leathery wings that once more lifted a veil of ash and smoke. When it settled again two more horses appeared with two more riders. At the far right was Famine mounted high on a black stead whose nostrils exhaled a gray breath. The other was a pale horse with protruding bones and upon it was Death.

"Now ride," Krosnos bellowed.

3

In the hallway footsteps sounded. Echo glared at the door.  A moment later a knock and a deep throaty voice drifted with vicious conviction.

"Hey," roared the meaty man as he opened another beer can.

"Just die already," Echo whispered and sighed.

Seconds after breathing her words she heard a choking and gargled scream. She jumped off her bed and swung open the door just as her step father crumbled onto the floor clutching his throat. The can had fallen free and was now laying sideways, its sour liquid pouring endlessly from its mouth.   She stood there unmoving. She didn't know for how long. Her legs would not move. Her eyes would not look away from the lifeless heap of flesh. There was nothing she could do now except make a hasty retreat. Once he was discovered this way by that witch of a woman it would be all over. There would be no place here to call her home. It was gone. It was all gone. Finally her gaze shifted upward. It would return though and when it did her vision would see fire. It would consume the amble flesh and leave only charred bone.

 Fire is a sacred element. It purges imperfections as I see them.

Echo hung her head. There was no way out of this, she thought to herself. She sank to her knees, her hands quivering at her sides as her face twisted. Reality was a lie. She pressed her back against a wall and looked into the darkness cascading the hallway. It was speeding her way. In it she saw only the reflection of her own mind as flecks of memory stirred within it. Her head tilted to one side. Maybe if she bound this world in nightmare then perhaps her own pain would cease to exist.

She clasped her head as a siren blared in her ears. It was at first a dull wail that grew to an angry squeal.

Now the woman, she thought.  I’ve got to finish it! I can’t let Krosnos use her!

4

Krosnos touched a rotted finger to a cold flesh slab. Ash skin caved inward, cloudy eyes popped as sticky legged creatures crawled out, and finally bone snapped. He slowly retrieved his finger and cackled. Towering flames failed to illuminate his bleak figure even as he passed straight through it.  For centuries humans believed they had it all figured out. With all their literature, video games and such they truly imagined every type of Armageddon.

Ruin divided to allow him a clear path. With hooded eyes he surveyed street after luridly contaminated street. Every configuration of mineral littered vast craters where buildings once stood, twisted roadways inhabited with crushed and flame eaten machinery as far as the eye could see, and as he advanced laughter tore from his throat.

"Echo," he then seethed. "You and our traitor siblings will never see the light of glory."