Worse Than Death

The Next Step

            When Mystery finally unwound from around Arthur, there was no building around them. Everything was ash and burnt blocks of stone and tinder, twisted metal still glowing white hot or red. The distant wail of sirens sounded, and Arthur had just enough time to sling his backpack on and grab his long package before Mystery deposited Arthur on his back. Arthur immediately bent flat to Mystery’s neck, clutching his fur and trying not to think about how high off the ground they were about to be.

Staggering to four legs, Mystery turned and began loping down the street, picking up speed as he went. He angled for the edge of town, his legs beginning to pump faster and faster. Cars swerved as he dashed down the middle of the street, and the screams of the neighborhood trailed in his wake. Arthur clung to Mystery’s fur with his robotic arm, gripping the package tightly with the other.

“Leave it!” Mystery barked. “We’re going faster, don’t you dare fall!” He bounded, his legs beginning to blur, and Arthur pressed himself completely into the Kitsune’s fur, gripping with every part of his body but holding onto the package.

Mystery finally slowed, coming to a halt, and Arthur peeked over his arm. They’d returned to the desert. He could see a wide, black circle scorched into the sand, and shuddered. “Did we have to come here?”

Mystery shook him off, and for a moment, everything stopped because he was falling. He hit the ground a second later and curled up on his side, eyes wide, inhaling huge gasps of air. Mystery had begun to pace, but Arthur was finding it hard to focus on him.

“Yes, we did.” Mystery’s voice was low and tight. “Do you know why? Because, Arthur, this is the nearest relatively spirit and human deserted place, and I have not one, not two, but three souls bleeding everywhere. Lewis’ locket was already damaged, but it was just barely seeping and didn’t attract any attention. Vivi was no cause for concern, I just had to keep an eye on you. Now Lewis’ anchor is damaged to the point where he’s practically gushing energy, and she tore Vivi’s soul!”

Everything came into sharp focus quite suddenly as Arthur’s heart stopped. He recalled the motion Morgause had made on first taking her body. “She did what?”

“She tore Vivi’s soul wide open!” Mystery’s head tossed in agitation. “Do you understand every ghoul and demon in a hundred mile radius knows where you are, and what your states are? Have you ever SEEN a soul sucked from its body or torn from its anchor?” He pawed at the sands angrily. “Idiot ghost! Where is he? Where is Lewis? I need to throw someone! He practically lit a beacon screaming, ‘Here! We’re in trouble, why don’t you just come finish us off!’ Fool!” Mystery snarled, thrashing the sands. “Where is he?”

Arthur tried to pull himself together as he scanned the area. Lewis was nowhere in sight, but the last time he’d seen an explosion of that magnitude, Lewis had mentioned being utterly spent. From his position on his side, he reached into his pocket, withdrawing the two lockets. One glowed a soft pink while the other pulsed blue. He closed his hands gently around the lockets, pulling them close to his chest. He curled up tightly as Mystery continued to rage.

“And you risked falling off by taking this garbage with you? What is this?” Mystery tore at the package viciously with his teeth, shredding it. He stared at the item that tumbled out. “What is that?”

A long cane lay in the sands, topped by a silver grinning skull. The length of it was black, with silver filigree etched into it.

“Saw you kept… having trouble walking… it’s for your human form…” Arthur’s breath was coming harder, the pain in his chest more insistent. “Maybe you should show off to Vivi… Lewis will like… will like the way it looks too, I bet… it’ll be great, we can all go to the movies and hang out… and you can actually sit with us… and…”