The Shadow Way part 5 (finale)

As Alysa Saraki lay bleeding on the ground, Queen Faith turned and made her way to the front door of Ella Saraki’s former home. Initially, she planned to set the house on fire to lure Alysa to the area but she arrived before that happened. And yet, after all that had transpired in Winghaven and all the wrongs she felt the Reformers had done, she saw fit to let it all burn down anyway. Whatever would be left after the Infestation, whatever happened to Eleazar, she would see to the destruction of Winghaven and she would start with the Saraki household. Behind her, Alysa still struggled to hold on to consciousness.

In an old barn across the tracks, Farrell Creed stood up and raised a peculiar object in his hands, hoping to get a better view of it in the moonlight. The severed head of Eleazar stared at him, the last bit of blood dripping out of his neck. Despite the severing of vocal chords, to say nothing of the removal of the head itself, Eleazar looked into Creed’s eyes and began speaking, “Now do you see what it means to walk the Shadow Way?”

“I only see an asshole without an asshole,” Creed answered back, “You’re pretty calm for a guy who’s gonna have to spend eternity having people carry him around.”

“My minions will be more than capable of that… here come a few right now.”

As the Infected rushed into the barn, Creed grew angry with himself for allowing Eleazar the chance to summon them. Creed threw the necromancer’s severed head at the first attacker and the collision seemed to render him unconscious. The next one wrapped his hands around Creed’s throat and leaned in to bite but Creed held him by his coat and swung him into a barn post. Another came up behind him but Creed gave him a mule kick, placed a hand behind his head, then launched him into the barn wall. The next two managed to push his back against the post and attempted to bite him but he held their jaws with all his might. A last Infected entered the barn and made his way to the bench full of bloody blades left by the Iconoclast scholar.

“Did you think I’d let this go all night?,” Eleazar roared, “I told them where to go the moment I woke up!”

The Infected man raised a machete in his hands and charged at Creed while he was pinned. Creed slid to the left and the blade ended up stuck in the post. As he fell, he carried two Infected down with him and the third one tried his best to remove the machete from the post.

During the melee, Creed kicked the legs out from under the one standing up and as he fell on top of him, Creed delivered a right cross. The unconscious man was then dead weight on top of him which helped to block any major attacks. Creed fought his way through an entanglement of limbs before rising to his feet. The next Infected was taken out with a punch but Creed soon felt a board against the back of his head. The final Infected had grabbed a broken board from the stable and while Creed was reeling from the first attack, he took another hit across his forehead which released a trickle of blood. Creed fell against the stable and then kicked off it, delivering one last punch that took his attacker out.

“They’ll wake up soon,” Eleazar told him as his head lay on its side, “How long do you think you can keep this up? Either you start killing them or they kill you.”

****

Cassandra, Pete, and Lucille got out of their car while Mary continued to wait in the backseat. The Infected scattered from them due to the anointed oils, which allowed them to enter Winghaven Museum. Once inside, they saw no one save for the creepy Heinrich Mason statue peering at them in the dark. “Gus?,” Cassandra called out, “Are ya here?” Nearby, they heard some clanging from the huge Locomotive Man replica. When they turned in the direction of the exhibit, the chest hatch opened and Gus Davidson poked his head out, “Oh, it’s good to see some pretty faces.”

****

At Ella Saraki’s house, Alysa crawled along the ground as well as she could while applying pressure to her knife wound. Nearby, she witnessed Queen Faith blowing on the palm of her hand, which released a steady stream of mystically summoned smoke. When she slapped her hand against the front door, a hand-shaped burn mark emerged. A few seconds, a fire emerged. It was then that Alysa noticed her mother standing over her.

“Whatchu do’n on the ground, girl?,” Ella Saraki asked, “I thought you were only gonna need my help the one time.”

Alysa rolled over on her back to gaze up at the strange vision, “Is this the… whatever it was I saw when I took peyote?”

“Does it matter?,” Ella snapped, “Get your ass off that ground.

“I can’t!”

“Why not?”

“I think I’m dying.”

“If you’re breath’n, you ain’t dy’n.”

“I failed, Mom. The town’s taken over, the Iconoclasts are burning down your house, and I know that even if I make it out alive, I ain’t gonna be allowed to be a priestess like you wanted.”

Ella shook her head and sucked air between her teeth, “You haven’t failed unless you’re dead. Didn’t I teach you a heal’n spell? Pretty sure you used it for Creed once.”

“It hurts so much… I can’t concentrate.”

“Yeah, doing the right thing gets you hurt in all kinds of ways… Now, think about what ya gotta do. You need blood first, right? You got enough there for you.”

“Queen Faith said she used to be a Reformer… That I was on the wrong side…”

“History’s bad between Reformer and Iconoclast, you know that… Now, do you remember what you’re supposed to write or not?”

“… I don’t know the whole history… And I’m supposed to be a priestess?”

“Girl, you know the Zodiac. Get to writ’n before you bleed out.”

Alysa dipped her hand in her own blood and began writing Iseda Zodiac symbols across her belly. It was messy work and her hands shook from the pain and blood loss. “I-I don’t know if I’m strong enough,” she said as a stinging sensation shot through her midsection. Ella paced around her, “Didn’t you beat this woman before? You and Creed? You saved this town more than once and that’s all I ever needed from you.” Alysa clenched her eyes as tears fell. She continued writing. “Worry about history lessons and theology later,” Ella continued to pace around, “I set you up to be a protector and that’s what you are.” Alysa wrote the final Zodiac on her belly and a light emerged from the wound. She laid back as she felt her body stitch itself up. Meanwhile, firelight danced across her face. “Get up, Alysa,” Ella called out, “Finish this tonight. Everything else can wait.”

Not far away, Queen Faith smiled with complete abandon as she watched the fire consume the Saraki residence. The mystic flames swallowed up what was left and in her glee, she almost didn’t notice when a single flame looped into the air and flew past as if summoned. Queen Faith curiously turned in time to see Alysa Saraki racing toward her; the young mystic called the flame to her hand and let it wrap around her fist like a glove. Before she could react, she saw the final image of Alysa reaching out with fingers aflame.

Previously, Queen Faith had lost vision in one eye due to Farrell Creed’s bullet but she still had one good eye up until that point. Alyssa’s strike burnt away what was left of Faith’s vision and when she pulled her hand back, something was in her palm. Queen Faith reeled back with a shriek and clutched her burnt face. Alysa dropped a chunk of flesh at her feet while Faith stumbled around in agony. Then an animalistic spell gave her wings that lifted her into the air despite her weakened state. With the lack of sight and searing pain, her flightpath was clumsy, seemingly more concerned with a quick retreat than going in any particular direction. Alysa watched her disappear into the horizon, then turned to the pile of burnt rubble that was once her home.

Somewhere in the woods, Creed carried the velvet wrap the Iconoclast scholar used to hold his blades. When he unfurled the cloth, Eleazar’s head spilled out onto dry leaves. “Where am I?,” he asked.

“That’s the whole idea of not letting you know where I took you,” Creed began, “If you don’t know where you are, you can’t call your goons over here. I won’t have to worry about hurt’n any of ‘em.”

“And what will you do now?”

“I told you I was gonna bury you,” Creed showed that he had brought the largest blade from the scholar’s collection, “These things aren’t the best tools to dig a hole with but the barn didn’t have a shovel,” he plunged it into the ground, “Hang in there… It’s gonna take a while.”

“You expect this to scare me into releasing my spell?”

“You said it yourself, you can’t die,” Creed began digging a small hole, “I imagine spending eternity in the ground is worse than that. Won’t even have a set of arms to dig yourself out with.”

“The zonbi plague will consume this town… Perhaps even the world,” he warned.

“Not that you’ll ever see it. End this now and you won’t go in the hole.”

“I can ensure your survival and the survival of those you love. Do you truly think you can deal with this situation without me?”

“We took care of an alien invasion just fine. Shouldn’t be a problem,” Creed began using his hands to pull more dirt out, “This hole’s gett’n pretty deep. Those worms are gonna have a good time, crawling in and out.”

“Think about your loved ones!,” Eleazar’s confident facade began to fade, “I’ll have plenty of time to focus my power and do you know who I will focus on?”

“Don’t care,” Creed continued to dig, “Last chance to call the whole thing off. Almost done with this thing.”

“I will send all of them after your mother!,” Eleazar shouted, “She will be eaten alive!”

Creed paused.

Eleazor continued, “I may not know where she is but I can inject a deep, hateful rage toward her. I’ll send each and every soul in this city after her and when they find her, they’ll rip her to shreds! Do you hear me, Creed? Your mother will die if this continues!”

In the moonlight, Creed looked him in the eyes, “… You had to make it personal.” He hefted the decapitated head in his hands and gently placed it in the fresh hole. Eleazar closed his eyes and began to chant, “When you walk the Shadow Way, there is no death, there is no life. There is only the truth.” He repeated the mantra as Creed slowly began scooping dirt back inside, “When you walk the Shadow Way, there is no death, there is no life. There me is only the truth.”

“Yeah, you just keep pray’n,” Creed told him, “Don’t mind me.”

It was too dark to see, but Eleazar felt the next handful of dirt drop onto his face. “Wait!,” he called out, “… It’s done.”

Creed stopped, “Is it?”

As Cassandra and the others drove through the town, they noticed people on the sidewalk shaking off the effects of the spell and appearing disoriented. At the ruins of the Saraki household, Alysa saw the Infected creeping toward her, only to stop and gaze around in confusion. One of them asked her what had happened. At the Iseda Community Center site, Papa Abadie sighed with relief as Mama Johnson woke up with her mind still intact. At Stagger Lee’s, Brett and others looked around curiously once the spell wore off. In the woods, Eleazar confirmed that he had released control.

“Yes, it’s over and I can’t do it again without a catalytic ritual. I can show you. Bring me out of this hole and see if I’m lying.”

“Ah, I can just go see for myself when I’m done,” Creed scooped up another handful of dirt and continued.

“No!,” Eleazar began to panic, “I’m telling the truth, I swear!”

“Oh, I believe ya,” Creed said nonchalantly as he scooped up another handful of dirt.

“But… But you said if I ended it…”

“That’s right. You’re off the hook for all that,” his hand hovered over the necromancer, “This is for threatening my mom. Really shouldn’t have done that.” He dropped the dirt over his face.

When Creed left the woods, the night sky was slightly lighter since the sun was almost up. His motorcycle had been parked on the road and when he went to it, he received a call.

“Cassie, are you okay?,” he asked in a worried tone.

“Yeah, Killer,” Cassandra told him, “I’m at your mom’s house with Pete, Lucille, and Gus. The whole thing seems to be over. Everyone is going back home or going to the hospital. The cops and paramedics are out and everything. I guess you made that psycho give up?”

“Yeah, I did. How’s mom?”

“She’s fine. Just getting some rest.”

“That’s good. Any sign of Alysa?”

“No, but I’m sure everything’s handled over there.”

Alysa hadn’t left her yard since defeating Queen Faith. There was nothing left of the house, so there were few possessions to salvage. Pictures, keepsakes, and memories were now gone. She had received a call from both Ryan Bennings and Astra Machina to see if she was okay or if The Commission was needed. She told them the situation had been handled but opted not to tell them any more than that for the moment as there was much to process. As expected, there were also rumors of the IMD investigating but they hadn’t contacted her. One thing was certain: the infestation had ended. And yet, when she spotted Creed arriving on his motorcycle, she nearly suspected him of still being enthralled by the necromancer. Creed’s face was dirty and bloody, as were his clothes.

He got off his bike and rushed to the ashy pile in the yard that was once a familiar house. The two of them said nothing but they stood side-by-side and silently watched the smoke rise. “I was born in that house,” Alysa told him and he placed a reassuring arm around her. She noted the wounds across his face and body, as well as the sunken features of a man who had gone an entire night facing torture and violence.

“Guess it’s been a shitty day for both of us, huh?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he answered softly.

“Queenie did this,” she said, indicating what was left of her house.

“What’d you do ‘bout that?,” Creed’s voice was tired and lacked the usual machismo it normally carried.

“I took that bitch’s last good eye.”

He nodded in approval but was still no less tired, “Nice.”

“But she said some shit. She used to be a Reformer. I’m not sure what changed her mind but she talked about the history between the sects and how I didn’t know the whole story. It got me to thinking. I haven’t been all that excited about being a priestess lately because of all the politics at the temple and… just all the self-righteousness, know what I’m say’n? I know they won’t let me be a priestess anyway, not after all this. And y’know, I’m not sure if I ever wanted to be one or if it was just me doing what my mom wanted. Anyway, all this talk really got me thinking. Said that already, I guess. I dunno. I just have some questions about my mom and Iseda and everything. I don’t think I’ll get answers from anyone in my temple so I need to talk to someone who knows shit about Iseda and my mom but isn’t biased.”

“Sure thing,” Creed told her, “Anything you need to know, just ask.”

“Thanks but I think I need to talk to… someone who knew my mom in a different kinda way.”

Creed turned to her and his surprised expression was the most energetic he had been that morning, “Are you talk’n about who I think?”

“Yeah.”

“Are ya ready to have that meeting?”

“Might be the best time.”

“Need me to come along?”

“Nah, I think I got this. Probably need to do it alone.”

“Alright. You do what ya gotta do.”

Just then, Mama Johnson and Papa Abadie arrived in the yard, silently gazing at the destroyed home. Alysa sighed and began, “Ya don’t gotta tell me I’m out. I know I ain’t gonna be a priestess.”

“We’re so sorry,” Mama Johnson told her sincerely.

“You’re still welcome at the temple and we’ll help you rebuild,” Papa Abadie added.

“Yeah,” she said quietly, “I might be gone for a while, though.”

“Where are you going?,” Mama Johnson asked.

“Chicago.”

That was all Alysa said before she turned and left. The priest and priestess watched her go curiously before turning to Creed. “What’s in Chicago?,” Abadie asked. Creed looked him in the eyes and said, “If you really knew her, you wouldn’t need to ask that question.”

Epilogue

Later that night, Queen Faith stumbled into the woods with a cloth wrapped around her eyes. Despite her spells leading the way and her outstretched arms, she still bumped into a tree and fell onto underbrush. She grit her teeth in frustration and crawled on all-fours until she finally found the spot she was looking for. A faint glow moved loose soil out of the way, revealing the face of Eleazar who gasped and spit dirt from his mouth.

“What happened to you?,” Faith asked while attempting to feel the rest of his body.

“I was about to ask you the same,” he responded as she pulled him free, “Did you have a tracking spell all this time?”

“You’re too dangerous to be left alone.”

“I should be angry but your paranoia saved me from a very dire fate.”

“So it seems. I need you to be my eyes for now.”

“Only if you’ll be my legs.”

They soon exited the woods. The blind woman held the head in her hands as she shambled down the dirt road. What was left of the man directed her path and the two made their way in the moonlight.

Next: A History Lesson