The Assignment

Castle of Three Rivers, France. April, 1337

A fire blazed in the large room, filling it with shadows that danced with the flames. Figures lined the stone walls, encircling the large bed and mound of blankets. A man sat on the edge of the bed, the shadow of his crown forming long fingers on the wall. A lone candle at the bedside, encircled by a golden crown, crested with a single ruby. The candles dim light cut through the shadows, revealing the sunken eyes of the lady who lay waiting to die.

Queen Elise shivered under her thick covers. Near her side, her husband waited, powerless to help the one he loved more than anything. The blackness had covered his beloved Elise, hiding her once beautiful features. Elise had withered to a mere skeleton. The open sores on her body oozed liquid that soaked into the silk and velvet that covered her. The smell had driven all but King Roux away.

All of the knowledge he had, as a great wizard, was too little to save her. He lifted his gloved hand, stroking her wispy blonde hair, her sallow cheek and her wasted bosom. His hand rested on her ruby necklace. The necklace he had given her on their wedding day. Through the cold metal, he felt as her last breath escaped.

Roux pulled his hand away, burying his face into both hands. Tears flowed down his face, his tears mixing with the crusts and stench that had oozed from his beloved wife.

Queen Elise was once the envy of every young woman in the kingdom. She was beautiful, intelligent and, while not of royal blood, had been blessed with a fairy godmother. The fairy godmother, sworn enemy of the wizard guild. He had loved her anyway, so deeply. In the end, they had both loved her as deeply. Both had also been powerless to save her from the black death that stole her away.

Suddenly, Roux heard the screaming of their young son. He looked at his gloves and the death that soaked them.

"What have I done? Roux removed his gloves and cursed to himself. Who would raise the boy?

Roux, in a panic, plucked the ruby necklace from Elises' frail neck. He could not leave his son, his only heir, alone. He could not leave his kingdom without a ruler. Not now. It would only be for a while, until his son was of age.

As Roux rushed to his study, the words of his master echoed into his thoughts.

"Those not born into immortality will surely go mad."

Lake Athabasca, Saskatchewan, Canada. October 17 1999

Abe Sapien choked and gasped as he emerged from the chilling water, a bloody harpoon in his hand. Hellboy grasped his hand and lifted him up the small embankment. Abe lunged forward, rolling onto his back and away from the waters' edge, leaving the harpoon facing upward.

Hellboy cocked his gun and walked toward the clay bank that stood between him and the lake.

"There are two more, Red." Abe lowered the spear to chest-height. Hellboy turned to the water.

A single water logged woman pulled herself to the shoreline. Her eyes were long gone, now mere holes filled with zebra mussels and algae. The creatures mouth opened, letting out a gurgling scream. It lunged toward the embankment as Hellboy placed two shots into its decaying body.

"Is that all you've got?" The creature writhed and squirmed until a third shot to the head splattered the skull into the mud and gravel at the waters edge. Hellboy lit a cigar and turned towards Abe.

"Told you it would be a piece of cake. Let's go, Fishface."

Abe stood and readied the harpoon as Hellboy turned to face him. "There is one more."

Abe and Hellboy peered toward the water to see what was once a child dragging itself to the shoreline. The "hello kitty" pajamas were stained green-black with lake muck.

"A child."

"A monster." Hellboy pointed his gun at the decaying head and pale blue flesh.

The zombie child quivered as the harpoon entered the skull, tacking it into the shoreline.

Hellboy unloaded his gun and looked around at the mess him and Abe had created.

A small float plane appeared in the distance, as if on cue.

"Cleanup will have fun with this one." Hellboy tossed the butt of his cigar onto the ground, crushing it with his hoof into the mix of mud, water and zombie flesh. They walked toward the dock.

Abe looked down at his uniform, which was torn and saturated with bits of rotting flesh. He hovered his hand over the zippers and velcro fastenings, not sure how to remove it without getting more of the rotting skin on him.

Moments later, both Hellboy and Abe rested in the small float plane, much drier and somewhat cleaner.

Kate Corrigan handed Abe Sapien his next assignment. Abe and Johan would be traveling to Chile.

Hellboy groaned as he was given his next assignment. Kate smiled.

"We're going on this one together, Red. There are reports of skeletons showing up in the streets, stripped of all flesh."

"India, again?" Hellboy opened the folder and flipped through the pages. Photos of dogs and scantily clad women, with all traces of flesh missing, tumbled out of the folder and onto his lap. After reading the first line, it made sense to him.

"Isle de la Cite, Paris, France."

Author note: King Roux is loosely based off of the french folk take "The Wizard King." Queen Elise has died of plague.