Downpour(III:8) Mickey

Here it is, the final chapter of Downpour. Had a lot of fun writing this book, and hoped it was at least not terrible to read. Thanks for all of your feedback and support!

8. Mickey

     Nick’s heart stopped dead in his chest. He found us, was all he could think. He could not help but see the similarities between the predicament they had currently landed themselves in, and the one where James had been killed. Once more they stood at the inside of a dark chamber, so close to the end of their quest, but once more, they were waylaid by the deadly force they had been trying to avoid.

     “Don’t look so surprised Nick,” said Mickey, standing from the steps and walking toward them.

     Nick raised the gun, getting ready to shoot, but it was ripped from his hand in an instant with a flick of Mickey’s finger.

     The god’s body creaked and clinked as he moved. Beneath the robe, Nick knew there were nothing but bones. “Xolotl told me that you tricked him. That’s not a very nice thing to do.” He made a raspy tutting sound from somewhere in his mouth, as if talking down to school children.

     He’s dumb, remember what Gabriel said. Nick tried to recall anything he had read about the god, but most everything had been about his wife, the fiercer of the two. Suppose we’re lucky we aren’t facing her. “Can’t say I’m very impressed with your lackey’s whit,” said Nick, trying to stall for time.

     “Oh Nick, you think this is going to be a conversation. Perhaps I will speak to you at great length, and so give you time to plot your escape.” Mickey swept a giant bony hand at Nick, and tossed him into the temple wall.

     Dull pain shot through his entire body as he hit the wall, and there was a crack as one of his ribs broke. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear James shouting “No!”

     “The three of you have broken one of the universe’s most sacred laws, and we are going to make you pay for that.” The floor shook with each step that Mickey took. “You have insulted my guard, and for that, be assured that he will make you pay.” He turned to Xolotl, giving him a bony grin. The sharp teeth in his mouth filled all the space, and made Nick’s spine tingle through the pain.

     “Originally I wanted to kill you myself, but I think Xolotl has earned the pleasure.”

     From the corner, Xolotl let out a howl that echoed through the chamber, and stood, placing the torch into a bracket, and picking up his spear off the floor.

     Nick’s vision was blurry from the pain, and if it hadn’t felt so real, he would have swore that the two creatures advancing on him were illusions. Behind them, Nick saw Lopsang closing his eyes, and concentrating very hard. Come on old buddy, you’ve got to have a trick up your sleeve to help us get out of this. “Well Mickey, that’s a fine plan,” he said, spitting blood onto the floor. “But you’ve missed a crucial piece to the puzzle.”

     The skull’s eyes glowed red hot, as if insulted. “I miss nothing. I see all that happens within my realm.” A small jet of fire flew from his mouth, singing the air just in front of Nick’s face. Xolotl looked worried for a second that his prey had been finished off for him.

     “Well not everything, or you’d have known we brought a demi god.”

     Mickey’s eyes widened for a second, and then there was a massive explosion as Lopsang shot a ball of light from his hands. The temple shook, and several chunks of rock and debris dislodged from the ceiling.

     Nick thought them lucky that it hadn’t collapsed. Half-blind, he stood up, wincing in pain, and ran off to the right, back toward the still glowing portal. Behind him, Mickey smashed into the wall where he had been, letting out a scream that threatened to split his ear drums. The temple shook once more, but did not break.

     As the light dissipated, Nick saw Mickey standing back to his full height, and Xolotl getting up from the floor. Not waiting for them to recover, Lopsang formed another ball of light in his hands, preparing to throw it at them.

     Mickey turned to him and laughed. “A demi god? In my house, well there’s something you missed Nick. I am all powerful here.” He spoke loudly in a language that Nick did not understand. It flowed together like silk, deep and sonorous, vibrating his skin, and rattling his bones.

The light in Lopsang’s hands slowly began to fade. He tried to throw it at Mickey, but it only made it halfway across the room before it disappeared into nothingness. Screwing up his face again, Lopsang tried to conjure another. Nothing happened. Concern began to spread across his face, but he closed his eyes and tried again anyway.

Mickey laughed once more, and Nick resented him. “It wouldn’t be a fair fight if you brought a demi-god,” he said, words dripping from his mouth like poison.

Realization dawned on Lopsang’s face. He looked down at his hands and then sunk to his knees. “What have you done?” he asked, voice quiet.

“Oh nothing really. I’ve just made you mortal.” His tone was anything but casual, and his eyes burned red hot with enjoyment as he watched Lopsang’s reaction.

Lopsang screamed and beat his fists into the ground.

Nick moved to run toward him, but Xolotl aimed his spear at him.

“Now that we’re all on the same playing field, why don’t we start again?” said Mickey, not wasting any time. “Xolotl, kill Nick, and leave the other two to me.”

“Aw,” said Xolotl in fake sadness, “I was looking forward to tasting demi-god.” He stepped towards Nick and twirled his spear menacingly.

Nick turned to look at the portal behind him, and an idea dawned. If we can send them through and close it, we’ll be able to get out alright.

Xolotl must have seen his eye twitch, because he chuckled and walked over to the stone door, keeping Nick at arm’s reach with the spear. He ran a hand over the stone, and returned it back to it’s lifeless grey. The circular door rolled shut, and stopped with a crash. “That’s better,” he said, and advanced again.

Nick looked through Xolotl’s legs to Lopsang, who was still kneeling.

He looked up at Nick, eyes red with tears and anger. “Kill them both,” he said, and rose to a standing position.

“Good,” said Mickey. “Here I was thinking you would make for an uninteresting meal.” He clicked his teeth together.

Nick’s distraction nearly cost him. Xolotl’s spear had come within inches of his face, but he had ducked out of the way in time. “Easy boy,” said Nick, talking to Xolotl like a family pet.

Xolotl’s nostrils flared with anger, and he advanced again, letting out a primal roar.

The creature’s hot breath bathed Nick, and he felt thankful that Xolotl hadn’t eaten the warrior from earlier. “Did I say speak?” he said, trying to edge around the wall, and back towards the door. Even with it closed, he could not help but feel there was a solution just out of reach.

Mickey ran at Lopsang. James charged from the side, and put his full body weight into tackling Mickey’s leg. It did nothing but cause him to laugh more. He picked up James by the back of his shirt, and threw him toward the shelf where Xolotl had put the man’s head from earlier. It rolled down with a hollow sound and shattered on the stone temple floor.

Nick looked at the head with a feeling of realization. The second portal. He looked at Xolotl, who appeared to be gearing up for a charge. “Come on boy,” he said, taunting him. “Who’s a good boy?” Xolotl charged, and Nick sidestepped the spear, once again, missing it by inches, and slid beneath the creature’s feet, landing just in front of the great circular door.

Xolotl slid to a halt and turned to face Nick.

“Do not waste time Xolotl. I have other business to attend to once we are done with these.” He returned his attention to Lopsang who looked feral.

Nick hoped that he had seen the head fall too, and would remember. James moaned from above, injured once more after being revived for only minutes. “Bad dog!” yelled Nick, and clapped his hands together. “Very bad dog.” He smiled in spite of the situation. Talking down to a god of the underworld made him feel like the hero out of a story. He backed up against the piece of wall that had opened up to reveal the portal the first time. Come on big fella.

Xolotl was beginning to look enraged.

From the other side of the room, Nick heard a crash as Mickey punched at Lopsang, driving him into the wall. It looked as though he were playing with him, not wanting him to die quickly. Lopsang sputtered, and coughed, feeling real pain for what might have been the first time in his life.

Nick tried to return his attention to Xolotl, not wanting to be caught off guard. He’s just a dog at heart, Nick told himself. Trying not to think of what it would feel like to be sliced in half by the spear. There was not much time to contemplate it, as Xolotl was running forward, more careful this time, with the spear raised above his head. Nick held tight to the wall behind him.

Xolotl swiped, and Nick ducked once more. The spear sparked as it grated along the wall behind him, and then stopped as it cut deep into his shoulder. White hot pain seared through him once more, as if the spear had been made of fire. Warm blood dripped down his side, and his entire arm went numb.

Xolotl raised the spear to attack again, but James threw one of the skulls at him. As if unbidden, Xolotl lunged toward the skull momentarily forgetting Nick.

Go fetch boy, he thought. A red light was spreading above him, and he felt suction as if the air from the room were being sucked through a hole. The portal was open. Both James and Lopsang saw it, but did not say a word.

Meanwhile, Mickey turned to look at Xolotl, trying to find the skull James had thrown.

Nick managed to push himself to a standing position, and moved to the shelf that James had been thrown onto. The portal continued to expand, until it touched the floor. A hot wind filled the temple, and flames jetted out from behind the tumultuous red light.

“You idiot. You’ve opened the portal to the trials. Close it, close it quickly.” Mickey ran over to the portal, and began reciting incantations to stop it from opening further.

James dropped another skull from above, and Nick caught it. He knew they had very little time, for as Mickey spoke, the portal began to shrink. “Hey buddy,” he shouted to Xolotl over the roar of the wind. “Look what I got.” He held up the skull high, and Xolotl’s eyes widened.

He looked conflicted, but also unable to take his mind from Nick’s hand.

“Go fetch,” Nick yelled, and threw the skull directly at Mickey’s back.

Without thinking, Xolotl charged forward once  more. Nick thought he saw a tiny shred of regret in his eyes, but it was not enough to stop his momentum. Before Mickey could turn around to notice what had happened, Xolotl crashed into him, and sent them both sprawling through the portal. A loud scream echoed through the temple walls, and a massive jet of flame shot from the portal.

Nick jumped out of the way, but felt his bloody shoulder get burned as he did so. The sound was deafening around them, and then, as quickly as it had begun; the portal snapped shut. The temple was thrown into silence once more, and Nick’s ears rung with the god’s cry.

Before he had a chance to recover, James and Lopsang were running over to him, and picking him up. His arm was still incredibly painful, but they hoisted him to a standing position and began to drag him.

“Come on Nick, we can’t wait for them to come back,” said a voice, growing distant.

Nick’s vision narrowed to a pin point, and he blacked out.

 

     When he awoke, it was to the fetid heat of the jungle, and the sound of mosquitos buzzing around his face. A throbbing pain ran through his arm, but it had lessened considerably. Remembering the temple, he woke with a start, and lurched to a sitting position. The world spun angrily around him, and he feared that he was going to vomit.

     “Woah, easy Nick, take it slow,” came James’s voice.

     Nick blinked through the sunlight to see both James and Lopsang staring at him looking concerned. “Did we?”

     “Yes,” answered Lopsang, who looked tired. “Me made it out of the temple.”

     Nick fell back to the jungle floor and looked up at the canopy above him. From high above, he noticed a flash of green, and let out a low moan.

     “What’s the matter Nick, are you alright?” James motioned to check his wound, but Nick waved him off.

     He pointed high above in the trees at a green snake peering down at all of them. “Looks like we traded one hell for another,” he said, and laughed, despite the pain.

     Lopsang, and James laughed too.

     “Don’t worry old friend, we’ll find our way out again. We’ve been lucky so far, right?” asked Lopsang, continuing to laugh.

     Soon the three of them could not stop, and Nick felt joy spread unbidden into his limbs. “I guess you’re right. Things could be much worse.” Nick lay his head back, stared up at the jungle canopy, and felt that for once, things might actually work out.

Epilogue

     The bar lights felt suddenly dim as Nick put the finishing touches on his story. He yawned loudly, and thought about the warm bed that awaited him at home. “After another week or so of walking in the jungle, we came across a small village, and bartered with a porter for passage to the nearest town. That’s the end of it.”

“Hold on a minute,” said Albert, looking wildly around the bar. “You bested the god of the dead, and walked out to tell the tale.” He looked at Nick and Lopsang skeptically in turn. “I’m sorry Nick, but there’s just no way in hell. I don’t care how many people say it happened.”

     Lopsang laughed. “I told you that no one would ever believe it,” said Lopsang, finishing his whisky.

     “And no one should,” said Jimmy, muttering to himself and heading behind the bar. “It’s a fine story Nick, but I think you know better than to try and pull one over on us like that.”

     Nick looked slyly to Lopsang, and then back to the two drunks still sitting opposite him at the table. “Alright, you’ve got me,” he said, finishing his drink and standing up as well. “But you’ve got to admit; it was a pretty clever way to get an evening of free drinks, and to almost have some pleasant company.” He looked wistfully out the door.

     Both Albert and Marcus swore. Marcus banged his fist on the table. “I can’t believe I fell for another one of your tall tales. Real rich Nick,” he said, dropping some money on the table and back towards the darkened corner booth, nearly knocking over several stools and tables as he went.

     “Don’t even think about falling asleep back there,” called Jimmy from behind the bar, knowing full well that it would do no good.

     “I’m not, just resting up for the walk home,” said Marcus, almost immediately falling asleep.

     Albert continued to mutter at the table.

     “Thanks for the drinks Jimmy,” said Nick, and turned to head out the door.

     Jimmy flipped him off from behind the bar and went back to cleaning.

     “Well Lopsang, shall we?”

     Lopsang turned toward the door as well and said, “Yeah, before they grab the pitchforks.” They both laughed, and walked out of the bar.

     Outside, the night air was cold, and a light rain had begun to fall. Nick put on his jacket, and reached into his pocket for the cigarettes that he no longer carried. That’s right, he thought, and pulled his hand back out.

     “What’s that?” asked Lopsang, dropping his voice low. A dark figure was standing in the halo of a street lamp in the parking lot.

     Nick walked toward it, reaching into his other pocket, and putting a hand on the silver knife he kept there. “Who are you? What do you want from us?” His pulse quickened, and Lopsang cracked his knuckles preparing for a fight.

     “It’s an old friend. And I’ve got a job for us to do,” James stepped out of the light, and a grin spread across Nick’s face.

     He always did know how to make an entrance.