Reaper of Souls: A fantasy short story (4 page)

Helsing
chuckled and smirked.  “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“She’s just
upset over losing our little wager this evening,” Kahn remarked.

Reggie glared
at Kahn with hostility.  “I didn’t lose anything.  You changed the rules,
because you’re a sore loser.  I beat you.”

Helsing
appeared interested and eyed Kahn.  “Is that true?  You were beaten at your own
game--by a woman?”

“She didn’t
beat me.  She didn’t abide by the rules.”

“No one can
play and win by your rules,” Helsing responded.

Kahn appeared
insulted and possibly embarrassed in front of his guests.  Chrissy glared at
Kahn from across the table.  There was something strange in her expression. 
The guests at the table suddenly gasped and choked.  Reggie looked at the other
guests.  Only Chrissy, Kahn, and Helsing weren’t affected.  Kahn eyed his
guests then glared at Helsing with annoyance.

“You’re ruining
my favorite part of the evening,” Kahn remarked.

“You
are
pathetic.”

Reggie watched
the other guests with concern.  Chrissy sipped her wine and appeared
disinterested.  Kahn signaled Begley.  He approached and removed the lids from
the serving trays.  Mounds of live maggots, leaches, assorted worms, and other
crawling creatures covered the trays.  Reggie stared with horror.  The other
guests no longer choked and appeared equally horrified.  Chrissy minded her own
business and casually sipped her wine.

“I don’t mean
to be rude, brother dear, but I have guests for dinner,” Kahn remarked.

“She’s right,
you know.  You’ve always been a sore loser,” Helsing announced.  “Must really
chafe you to be outwitted by a woman.”

“She didn’t
outwit me,” he said with annoyance.

Reggie was too
busy staring at the serving trays to participate in the conversation.  The
other guests breathed heavily and stared with horror at the banquet before
them.

Helsing
chuckled lowly while glaring at his brother.  “Sure sounds that way to me.  By
right, you have to throw her back.”

Kahn glared at
Helsing with annoyance then looked at Reggie.  “Reggie, do we call it even?  Or
would you like a rematch?”

Reggie couldn’t
tear her eyes away from the slithering, crawling creatures on the serving
platters.

“Reggie?”

She snapped out
of her daze and looked at Kahn.  “Huh?”

“Do we call it
even, or do you want a rematch?” he demanded.

Reality struck
her.  “I’m not going anywhere without my brother.”

Kahn looked at
Helsing and smiled.  “There you have it.  We’ll have a rematch.”

Helsing shook
his head and glared at Reggie.  “Stupid girl.”

Reggie looked
back at the live entrees.  The other guests suddenly reached for the creatures
and rapidly consumed them.  She gasped and watched with horror.  All six guests
appeared unable to control their hunger for the crawling creatures.  Chrissy
looked away and grimaced with distaste.

Helsing eyed
Reggie’s expression and raised a brow.  “Their fate will soon be your own.”

Kahn sat back
and watched the mass consumption with a pleased grin.  Reggie watched the
guests devour the slithering, slimy critters like starving animals.  She
suddenly clutched her stomach, jumped up from the table, and ran from the room.

†

R
eggie left the hall powder
room and held her turning stomach.  She saw Helsing and Kahn in the hallway
outside the dining room.

“I said I’d
take care of it,” Kahn growled.  “Now please leave.”

Kahn slammed
the dining room doors on Helsing.  Reggie hurried toward him just as he was
about to disappear.

“Please, wait,”
she called out.

Helsing gave
her a curious look as she stopped before him.  “Something I can do for you?”

She was
slightly uncomfortable about the prospect of begging but stood proudly. 
“You’re not like your brother.  You’re far more compassionate and intelligent,
I can tell.”

Helsing
appeared humored and snorted a laugh.  “You’ve got it half right.  Compassion
would be a stretch.”

“I’ll give you
whatever you want if you get me and my brother out of here,” she blurted out. 
Sadly, she had been aiming for sexually enticing and completely missed the
mark.

“Isn’t that
what got you into trouble in the first place?” he asked.

“Please, I’m
begging you,” she said while choking on her emotions.  “You’re probably the
only one who can help me.”

“There’s
nothing you have that I want.”

Reggie tensed
but attempted to retain her pride.  “I saw the way you were looking at me
tonight.”

He stared at
her a moment in silence.  “You got the wrong idea,” he replied.  “I’m not
mortal, and I don’t subscribe to mortal pleasures.  You mistook pity for lust. 
I gave you an opportunity to get out, but you didn’t take it.  You made your
decision.”

Helsing was
about to vanish.  Reggie placed her hand on his lower arm, stopping him.  He
looked at her hand as if she dared to touch him, causing her to pull back
quickly.

“My brother is
all I have.  Yours took him from me.  Maybe you don’t care about your brother,
but I love mine,” she informed him.  “I’d never be able to live with myself if
I allowed him to suffer a fate worse than death.  He’d give his life for me,
and I’d gladly do the same for him.”

Helsing stared
at her a long moment in silence.  “It’s exactly that sense of compassion that
will be your downfall.”

“Please, help
me.”

“Sorry, I don’t
interfere with my brother’s lifestyle even if I don’t agree with it.”

Helsing was
again about to vanish.

Reggie’s sorrow
turned to anger.  “I guess I can’t blame you for being afraid of him.  He’s
quite powerful,” she retorted.

He glared at
her with surprise.  “I’m not afraid of Kahn.  He’s just a warped and twisted
little rodent with a god complex.”

“Just seems to
me, if you were half as powerful as he was, you wouldn’t be
afraid
to
help me.”

He glared at
her and took a step closer.  She stood her ground and appeared bold, but she
was sure he saw the fear in her eyes.  He stared at her a moment then a smile
crossed his face.

“You’re
resourceful, I’ll give you that.”

“I have little
choice.  I’m not leaving without my brother.”

Helsing
appeared curious.  “You’d really sacrifice yourself to save your brother?”

Reggie nodded.

He appeared to
be toying with an idea then glared at her.  “Your problems with my brother are
your
problems, just so we’re straight,” he said firmly.  “But if you would go
through all this
for
your brother, then you should go through it
with
your brother.”

Helsing gave a
simple wave of his hand.  Dylan in full creature mode suddenly appeared in the
hallway.  Dylan-creature appeared bewildered, saw Reggie, and immediately
gurgled a cheerful response.  He leaped onto her and wrapped his tail around
her legs.  Reggie was nearly knocked to the floor.  She hugged him in joyful
response.  The dining room doors were suddenly thrown open to reveal Kahn.  He
looked at the creature clinging to Reggie.  Dylan-creature released Reggie and
scurried behind her in an attempt to hide.

“What’s the
meaning of this?  How did that get in here?” Kahn demanded.

Helsing
casually leaned against the hall wall.  “She’s willing to sacrifice her life
for that of her brother.  Her request to have her brother by her side sounded
reasonable to me.”

Kahn appeared
furious.  “You have no right interfering in my business, Helsing.”

“Guess I
slipped, huh?”  Helsing straightened and sighed.  “Oh, well.  It’s too late. 
What’s done is done.  They’re a team now.”

“You did this
on purpose!”

“Her devotion
to her brother is noble and commendable,” he announced.  “You’re damned right I
did it on purpose.  And now we’re even.”

“Is that what
this is all about?”

“A lesson to be
learned; don’t piss me off,” Helsing snapped.

Kahn sneered,
returned to the dining room, and slammed the door.

Helsing
appeared pleased with himself.  “That worked out rather nicely.”  He looked
back at Reggie.  “You’re on your own now.”

Reggie smiled
warmly and again placed her hand on his lower arm.  “Thank you.  This means a
lot to me.”

He appeared
uncomfortable.  “I didn’t do anything,” Helsing firmly insisted then
disappeared.

R
eggie paced the large
bedroom chamber while Dylan-creature appeared to sleep peacefully on the
excessively large bed.

“We need to
come up with a plan.  He cheats,” she insisted.  “There’s no way we can win
this thing playing by his rules.”

Dylan-creature
opened one eye and watched her pace.

“Who knows what
he has planned for tomorrow,” she said.  “I don’t know what to do, Dylan.  I
even offered myself to his brother.”

Dylan-creature
suddenly perked up and appeared displeased.

“What kind of
sick world is this?  The one time I try to use sex as a bargaining chip, and
I’m shot down.  It’s just wrong I tell you.”  There was a faint knock on the
door.  “Now what?” she groaned.  “Come in.”

The door opened
to reveal Begley.  He entered with a small basket of fruit, shut the door
behind him, and timidly smiled.  “I thought you might be hungry.”

Reggie eyed the
fruit, snorted, and shook her head.  “Thanks, Begley, but I think I’ll pass on
anything to eat and drink while in this place.  After this evening, starvation
never sounded so appealing.”

“I understand,
madam, but I assure you, it’s safe.”

Begley removed
an apple and took a bite out of it.  He extended it to her.  Reggie uncertainly
accepted the apple.  She studied it with distrust then took a small bite from
it.

“Thanks,
Begley.  I appreciate your tips on surviving a formal dinner party.”

“I don’t have
that much to lose these days,” he replied.  “Looking out for pretty, young
women is becoming a hobby of mine.”

Reggie eyed him
and became curious.  “You don’t work here willingly, do you?”

He set down the
bowl of fruit and sighed softly.  “We’re all prisoners, madam.  At some point
in time, we all made a similar mistake and gave our lives and souls to Lord
Kahn.  Some of us have it better than others, but we’re all at his mercy.” 
Begley straightened his jacket, stood proudly, and appeared proper.  “If I
don’t want to end up the main course at next week’s dinner party, I’d better
mind myself and return to my duties.”

Reggie appeared
slightly sickened.  “Don’t even joke.”

His look was
serious.  “I wish I were joking.”

Begley turned
and left the room.  He was about to close the door when Chrissy appeared in the
doorway and stopped him.  Begley and Chrissy exchanged looks.  He quickly
left.  Chrissy entered Reggie’s room and casually shut the door behind her.

“He just
stopped in to check on me,” Reggie said.

Chrissy
approached the bowl of fruit, took some grapes, and quickly ate them as if
starving.  “You don’t have to worry about me.  Begley and I are in this
together.  We look out for each other.”  She casually sat on Reggie’s bed and
eyed her.  “You can’t win, Reggie.  No matter what you do, you’ll never beat him.”

Reggie leaned
against the bedpost.  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“I’m not trying
to crush your hopes,” she remarked then groaned.  “Look at me; I’m you.”

Reggie studied
Chrissy with a curious look.

“I’m little
more than his play toy,” she remarked while raising her brows, “and I can be
replaced very easily.”

“According to
Helsing, they don’t--”

“Helsing and
Kahn are very different, but neither can be trusted,” Chrissy informed her.  “I
saw you in the hallway with Helsing tonight.  I don’t know what he said, but
you can’t appeal to his compassionate side.  He doesn’t have one.”

“Yeah, so he
said.”

“I didn’t come
here tonight to discourage you,” she insisted.  “I’m here to give you a
fighting chance.  You seem to have a little more spirit than Kahn’s usual breed
of client.  You’re frustrating him, I can tell.”  She held herself proudly. 
“Two things.  First, when faced with one of his little tasks, be ready for
anything, anticipate the worst, and rationalize the situation from the
perspective of an egotistical sorcerer with a superiority complex.  You’ve
outsmarted him before; you can do it again.  Second, whatever happens, don’t
let him con you into replacing me as his love slave.  It’s not a position you
really want; trust me.  Being with Kahn is truly disgusting.  I’m not telling
you this because I don’t want to lose my prestigious position.  There’s nothing
prestigious about it.  I just wouldn’t wish my hell upon any other poor
woman.”  She seemed concerned for Reggie.  “I’ve seen the way he looks at you. 
He wants to break you in the worst possible way.  Your strength turns him on. 
I used to be strong.  I used to be a fighter.  Now I just exist.”

Reggie
attempted to read Chrissy then frowned and looked away.  “I don’t intend to
give up.  I won’t ever be a part of his world.  I
am
a fighter.  And I
intend to fight him to the death if necessary.”

Chrissy stared
at Reggie and appeared bewildered.  A strange smile crossed her face.  “I guess
I was wrong.  You’re not me.  You’re a standup fighter.”  Chrissy’s smile
brightened and a low chuckle escaped her throat.  “While I patiently bide my
time and wait.”  She stood and appeared enthusiastic.  “I think my day is
finally here.  Good luck.  Begley and I will be praying for you.”

Chrissy left
the room.  Reggie stared at the door long after she had gone.  She looked at
the creature lying comfortably on the bed.

“Do we trust
her?”

He gurgled a
soft response.

Reggie nodded. 
“You’re absolutely right.”

†

R
eggie entered Kahn’s study
the following morning.  The medieval room resembled a throne room more than a
study.  Kahn sat in his lavish chair toward the back of the massive room near
the wall of windows.  He looked like a king sitting on his throne.  A smug
smile added to the illusion.  Reggie paused midway across the room before the
massive desk.  Dylan-creature crept in behind her in an attempt to hide his
massive body from Kahn.  Kahn indicated the chair several feet away from him. 
Reggie eyed him with distrust and reluctantly sat.  Dylan-creature hid behind
her chair and peered out.

“Since my
brother amused himself by granting your brother’s assistance in the challenge,
I’ve decided to raise the stakes,” he said.

“I didn’t agree
to that.”

“Nor did I
agree to your brother helping you.  The challenge is the same.  You must find
the dagger and return it to the castle.  You will have thirteen hours to
complete the task.  There will be no maps.  It’s hidden within the old pirate
ship along the coast on the far end of the island.  You can’t walk the beach the
entire distance, because a rock ledge prevents passage.  You must travel
through the center of the island.  The rules are; there are no rules.”

“What’s to stop
you from transporting me back here the moment I reach the pirate ship?” she
demanded.  “You have the ability to stop me with the snap of your fingers.  I
can’t compete against that.”

“Fair enough. 
I’m not permitted to use my powers to prevent you from completing your task. 
The dagger must be inside the castle before the end of the thirteenth hour.  It
just has to pass through the doorway.  We’ll keep it simple to avoid any
misunderstandings,” he said.  “If you return the dagger to the castle within
the allotted time period, your brother will be restored to his mortal state. 
You and he will be returned to your home as if none of this had ever happened. 
But if you don’t complete your task, your brother remains as he is, and you
will replace Chrissy as my mistress for all eternity.”

Reggie felt her
entire body twitch with fear but kept an emotionless expression.  “What happens
to Chrissy?”

“I suppose
she’ll carry out her life sentence elsewhere in my kingdom.”

She shifted
with discomfort then boldly glared at Kahn.  “I guess you have upped the
stakes.  Sounds a little unbalanced to me.  I’d assume eat bugs the rest of my
life then be your mistress.”

Kahn appeared
insulted and sneered.  “That can be arranged.”  His warped smile soon
returned.  “Do you have a counteroffer?”

“If I lose, I
will assume Chrissy’s position by your side only if she is returned to her
former life along with my brother.”

Kahn stared at
Reggie and appeared slightly surprised by her bold request.  “Hardly a fair
trade.”

“Neither is
allowing you to paw me,” she scoffed.  “The choice is yours.”

Kahn and Reggie
stared at each other in silence for a long, tense moment.  Neither flinched. 
Kahn’s fingers began to tap on his throne, indicating some tension.  His
fingers stopped.

“Done.”

He quickly
stood from his chair and pointed to her wrist.  The elegant watch again
appeared.  The digital numbers were set at thirteen hours with zero minutes and
zero seconds.

“You have ten
minutes to prepare before the countdown begins.”Kahn suddenly vanished,
startling her.  Dylan-creature slowly crept from behind the chair.  Reggie
looked at him and appeared suspicious.

“I think I
really struck a nerve this time.”  She uncertainly stood, looked around the
room, and then back at Dylan-creature.  “I think he’s nervous.  We can beat
him, Dylan.”

Reggie and the
creature hurried along the grand hallway toward the front doors of the castle. 
Begley stood near the foyer, watched her approach, and offered a tiny, sly
smile.

“Good luck to
you, madam,” Begley said.

Reggie returned
the smile.  “Thanks, Begley.”

He hurried down
the hall to avoid being seen.  Reggie waited by the main doors and watched the
counter on her challenge watch.  She fidgeted, took a deep breath, and
collected herself.  Helsing suddenly appeared, casually leaning against the
door.

“Going through
with it, huh?” Helsing asked.

“I have no
choice.”

Helsing
straightened and took a step closer.  Reggie watched him with concern.  He took
her hand, studied the stone in her ring, and brushed his thumb past the opal. 
The colors in the stone began to swirl.  He released her hand.  Reggie gave him
a bewildered look.  “Consider it a mood ring,” he said.  “Black indicates
something dangerous ahead.  White indicates non-dangerous territory.”

Reggie smiled
gratefully.  “I can’t thank you enough.”

“That’s all the
help you’ll get from me.”

Reggie threw
her arms around his neck and kissed him quickly but passionately on the lips. 
Helsing tensed with surprise.  Reggie pulled back almost as quickly and smiled
with embarrassment.

“Sorry.  I got
a little carried away.”

Helsing stared
at her frozen with surprise then suddenly vanished.  Reggie appeared startled
then looked at Dylan-creature.

“I hope I
didn’t scar him for life.”

Dylan-creature
bared his teeth with disapproval as his long tail vigorously swished.  The
counter on her watch suddenly flashed.  The front doors unlocked and slowly
opened inward.  Reggie looked at Dylan-creature, took a deep breath, and
sighed.

“This is it. 
Let’s tempt fate one last time.”

†

D
espite the daylight hours,
the forest was predominantly dark, almost as if cursed.  Reggie walked along
the path in the woods with added caution.  Dylan-creature crept alongside her
and appeared possibly more frightened than she was.  She glanced at her watch
and groaned softly.  It was taking longer than she had hoped.  She uncertainly
looked at her opal ring.  The color remained white.  Somehow, that didn’t
comfort her.

“I don’t think
we’re in Kansas anymore,” she muttered.

Dylan-creature
let out a soft wail in response.  Reggie again looked at her ring.  The color
almost instantly changed to black.  She stopped on the path and quickly looked
around.

“There’s
something out there,” she whispered.

Dylan-creature
used his tail to push her closer to a tree, as if indicating for her to remain
there.  He then scaled a nearby tree and jumped to the next one.  Reggie
watched in silence as he jumped from tree to tree until she lost sight of him. 
Dylan-creature suddenly wailed loudly, as if he were in trouble.  Reggie felt
alarm sweep through her.  She looked around then crept through the woods.  She
could hear faint chatter.  She paused near one of the larger trees and looked
around.  Dylan-creature was heard wailing a warning.  Reggie looked up the
tree.  He clawed at a large net, which contained him.  As she looked around,
the chatter stopped.  Some sort of creature was hiding nearby.  She cursed
softly to herself then darted for the safety of another tree.  The rope holding
the net containing her brother was tied securely around a tree near her.  She
scanned the area then darted for the rope that would free her brother.

Several
creatures suddenly leaped out of hiding and surrounded her.  The four-foot tall
creatures resembled two-legged geckos.  Reggie appeared startled and let out a
slight cry.  She looked at the six creatures surrounding her.  They chattered,
bared blunt teeth, and held large sticks.  Reggie spun into a series of karate
kicks as the creatures approached and swiftly knocked them backwards across the
forest floor.  She had four of the six down when five more appeared.  Four of them
tackled her to the ground while snarling.  Reggie punched and kicked them from
her position on the ground, knocking a few off, but they continued coming at
her until she was overpowered.