Chapter 7 - Nightmare

"Oh, wow! It's so pretty!" Mana exclaimed. The group was standing at the edge of a cliff. They were looking out over an ocean. An ocean of sand. The sun sparked across it like glittering crystals.

"Josh." Josh looked at Obsidian. "Close your left eye."

Confused, he did as he was told. When he could still see, he reached up and touched his closed eyelid, to make sure it was closed. When he discovered it was he froze. Only for a moment though.

"Yahoo!" He shouted, jumping in excitement. "It worked! It worked! I got my eye back!" Josh jumped on Will and assaulted his mouth with enthusiasm. Will didn't seem to mind.

After a minute (or two) they broke apart and Kía gave her brother a tight hug. "I'm so happy for you Josh."

"Obsidian." Obsidian turned away from surveying the area before them, to look at Josh. Josh hugged her. "Thank-you so much, 'Dian."

"You're welcome." After a moment she gently pushed Josh back. "If we are to remove the demons from the Afterlife, we will need help. The pharaoh would be the best person to ask. He will be in Cairo, the capital."

"How do we get there?" Kía asked.

"There is a village down to our left. We can start there."

Obsidian started towards the village and the gang followed.


As the group of eight entered the village, the villagers gathered in the center. An older looking gentleman stepped forward. He had long gray hair he pulled back in a pony tail.

"Greetings! Welcome to Kar-Shan (car-SHAWN). My name is Shakren (shock-WREN). I am the Elder of this village. Shall we find homes for you?"

"No, thank-you. You see, we're just visitors." Yugi said with a smile.

"Can you tell us how to get to Cairo from here?" Yami asked.

Shakren looked surprised. "Cairo is many days away. At least three weeks on foot, most likely more. Why do you ask?"

"We must speak with the pharaoh." Jackson stated. Shakren simply looked at him.

Obsidian finally spoke. "Demons have invaded the Afterlife." It was a statement made in such a manner that no villager even thought to question it.

"That may be, but how will you get there? You have no supplies." Obsidian stared at him. Shakren grew nervous under her intense scrutiny.

"Would you be willing to trade supplies for a service?" she eventually offered.

"What kind of service?"

"I can erect a barrier that will…destroy demons."

Shakren stiffened. "How do we know you're not demons?" Obsidian said nothing. She simply watched him through half-lidded eyes. She had been suspicious since she had entered the village.

"If you don't trust us, splash us with holy water. Demons burn." Mana suggested.

A woman with two thick streaks of silver running through her black hair from her temples stepped forward. "Our supply of holy water was destroyed about two weeks ago. A priest hasn't come by to replace it, yet. Shakren, you have no reason to accuse these people of being demons. Miss, we would be happy to accept your offer."

As she spoke, Shakren's face contorted. Suddenly, he lashed out. "Be silent, woman!"

Obsidian seized a hold of his wrist before he could touch the woman, but she got a good look at the huge claws extending from the end of his fingers before he turned on Obsidian.

The villagers scattered in terror as Shakren faced Obsidian. He opened his mouth and it continued to open to the point that his head was nearly split in half. Inside his mouth were three rows of jagged black and yellow teeth. He released an ear-piercing shriek.

Obsidian ignored it in favor of dropping a dagger out of her bracer into her had. She then rammed it into Shakren's chest. He jerked and slammed his mouth shut an inch away from her face. Obsidian simply pushed the dagger farther in. Shakren jerked again.

Obsidian released his wrist and pulled the dagger out of his chest. He collapsed to the ground, dead.

The villagers crept back out as Shakren's body began to disintegrate. Obsidian wiped the blade off on her already ruined pants and replaced in in its sheath.

The woman Obsidian had helped stepped forward. "Th-thank-you. Um…my name is Lesa."

"Greetings, Lese. I am Obsidian. I lied earlier. I can create a barrier, but it will not destroy demons. It merely repels them, preventing them from entering. I stated the lie to agitate the demon I sensed. He lost control. Thus, what you witnessed."

Lesa looked surprised, but she nodded. "Well, keeping them out is the main goal in the end, so that will be fine. In return we can offer you enough supplies to get you to Shar-Tan, the next village. We can give you mounts, but only seven I'm afraid. We need our last two."

"That will be fine, thank-you. I would like to see Shakren's home. Any residual demon energies must be removed or the shield won't work."

"Certainly. This way."

"Did Shakren spend a large amount of time in any other places in the village?" Obsidian asked as they walked.

Lesa shook her head. "He was never very social, but about two weeks ago he became almost reclusive, only coming out when he had to."

"Didn't you say your supply of holy water was destroyed then?" asked Mana.

"Well, yes."

Mana looked at 'Dian, the sudden encounter with the demon having fried her usually peppy mood. "What do you think?"

"He was a shifter. Most likely he came at night, destroyed the holy water, killed Shakren, and took his place."

Lesa stared at Obsidian. "We're in the Afterlife. Shakren was already dead. What do you mean by killed?"

"Killed. Unmade. Destroyed. When you die in the Afterlife, your soul is eliminated. Shakren no longer exists in any realm."

Lesa looked like she might be sick. "Here is his home. I-I need to tell the others. I-I'll be back." She hurried away.

Mana hugged Yami tightly. "I don't want to go in."

"I don't either." said Kía.

In the end, only Obsidian and Yugi entered the house. Yugi paled. Obsidian, as usual, didn't react to the disturbing scene before them.

Blood splattered one section of the room that held chains. There were no bones, but that wasn't surprising. There were various items littered through the room that suited a demon.

There was a trap door in the middle of the floor. Obsidian pulled it open. Yugi jumped when three pairs of jaws snapped inches away from her hand.

Obsidian calmly waited. When the jaws snapped again, she grabbed something. She pulled up a creature that she had a hold of by a horn.

"What is that?" Yugi yelped.

"'Tis a hellhound." It bore a black hide, but it had neither fur nor scales. It had a whip-like tail and long yellowish claws and teeth. It's eyes were green with red slit pupils.

It snarled and lashed out at her. It could not reach her due to the angle she held it in. Obsidian pulled up. The hound started scrabbling at the air. After several minutes its movements became weaker. When they stopped altogether, she pulled it to her and wrapped her free arm around its chest and, with a sharp twist of its head, broke its neck. She then dropped it.

The two remaining hounds lunged at their dead pack member. They clearly intended to eat it. But even as their fangs sank into the dead hounds flesh, the body disintegrated, turning to ash in their mouths.

Obsidian merely watched as the hellhounds continued to try to rip off chunks of meat. Yugi was disturbed by the fact that his daughter didn't care about killing. As he thought it, he knew it was wrong. Obsidian had held, and still held, a great respect for life. She just couldn't feel anything. Yugi prayed that she would one day regain her emotions.

She broke the necks of the remaining two hounds. Yugi watched as she examined each section of the house in minuet detail. Once she had examined the entire home she picked up a lit candle and gestured for her father to leave. After a moment, he did.

Obsidian walked back into the bedroom and set the candle on its side on the bed. The flame quickly set about consuming its new meal. As the fire spread across the bed and down to the floor, Obsidian walked out the room and out of the house.

Lesa had rejoined the group. She looked at Obsidian, a question in her eyes. 'Dian dined not to answer. Instead she followed an energy pattern she had picked up. It was not human, nor was it any animal that would interact with them. The group followed her.

Around the back of the house was a shed. The source of the energy was there. Several feet away, she indicated for the others to stop. As Obsidian got closer the door started to rattle. Something inside wanted out. Then they heard the sound. An odd cross between a roar and a whiney, it did not sound friendly. Obsidian stopped in front of the door. The creature started pounding harder. Obsidian lifted her hand and unlatched the top of the two piece door. She swung it open and a dense cloud of smoke billowed out.

The scent of burning sandalwood assaulted Obsidian. She found it fairly pleasant. The smoke cleared and Obsidian looked into the dark shed. The creature had stopped moving, but Obsidian could hear it breathing.

"'D-Dian? What is it?" Mana asked from behind her. The creature reacted.

Lunging out of the dark, its teeth snapped together just in front of Obsidians nose. Obsidian didn't move. The others stumbled back, releasing startled yelps.

Obsidian observed the creature before her. Shaped like a horse, the level of it's head indicated it was 16 to 17 hands tall. Instead of hair it had scales. The black seemed to absorb light. It's eyes were gold with red vertical slit pupils. In place of a mane, it bore a blood red crest. The rest of its body was not visible.

Its ears were tilted back, but not flattened. It bared its teeth and snorted out a puff of smoke. It reared and released the challenging cry again. Obsidian could see through its game.

She reached up and seized a hold of its nose. She pulled it down to its feet as it released a startled snort. Its ears pricked up and forward as it looked at her. For several long moments, the two stared at each other.

"Enough." Obsidian then released its nose. The creature shifted, but did not rear again.

"'Dian?"

"This is a Nightmare. They come from the deepest pits of demonic plane. However, they are the only creatures of that realm that possess honor and compassion. Most of our myths that mention them refer to them as vial. However, their riders were the foul creatures. The rider affects the mind of the Nightmare. I would guess that the shifter forced an oath out of her."

The Nightmare turned its head to eye Obsidian better. You are interesting for a human. You are alive, yet you are in the Afterlife. You have aroused my curiosity. Share with me the reason for your presence. The voice was female and echoed in all their heads.

Obsidian obliged the Nightmares request and gave to her the memories of the attack and the discussion that followed.

The Nightmare released an angry snort. Mikhail. Treacherous and disgusting creature. He has raided our herds, stealing our young to press their parents into service. You are going after him? I will join you. I will grind his bones to dust beneath my hooves!

Obsidian bowed to her. "Your help is greatly appreciated."

You. You will be my rider. Obsidian blinked. If I am to travel outside of the demonic plane, I must have a rider, a partner. I was bound to that filthy shifter, D'cligsious. Now that he is dead, I am unbound. I choose you to be my partner.

Obsidian bowed her head. "I am honored." The Nightmare went into her mind and with a precision born of experience, formed the connection between the two of them.

I am Nehima. Who are you?

"I am Obsidian Mutou."

Obsidian opened the rest of the door and Nehima walked out. The red crest ran down to the base of her neck. In place of a horse hair tail, Nehima had three lizard-like tails that moved independently of each other. Each bore a smaller version of the head crest and six inch-long spikes.

Lesa back away as Nehima approached. Obsidian's companions however, stood their ground. Mana was the first to say hi. Nehima found her interesting because of her unique coloring and her small stature. She lipped Mana's hair. Mana giggled. The others relaxed at the sound.

Obsidian looked at Lesa. "I will go and raise the barrier now. Father will see to it that the shed is burned. If you would go gather the supplies we need? Mana and Kia can help you with that. The boys can go gather the horses."

Her orders delivered, Obsidian headed towards the edge of the village. Nehima thought for a moment, then followed her.

Three hours later, the supplies had been gathered, the horses collected, and the barrier erected as payment. Obsidian mounted Nehima using pure muscle strength. Nehima would not wear a saddle or bridle, so Obsidian had to ride bareback. The others mounted their own new horses, the supplies stowed in the saddlebags that the villagers had kindly given them. Lesa had also given Kia a swath of fabric and a small sewing kit. Kia planned on making new pants for Obsidian, for she was still wearing the blood and venom stained leather. Thus prepared, the group headed into the desert.