Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Flint: The Time Detective or the Nocturnal Rites beautiful song Destiny Calls. In this songfic chapter's lyrics, the words like this are important to the story. Enjoy and review!
Chapter 6
Festival of the Dead
~ Gallery of Gold ~
Merlock wondered if this hall of golden awnings and endless gothic artwork would ever end. He'd been walking down it for nearly an hour. The paintings were all very disturbing, worse than the tapestries from before. It was all out cannibalistic skeletons ravaging villagers, the town each scene of gory hellish desires the one he'd been in the other day. This count obviously hated it to death, but Merlock didn't understand why.
Who holds the secret?
Who sets my destiny?
When will I find out?
What lies in the path for me?
He kept moving for a few more minutes before he finally reached a turn and frowned. "More?! How much farther is this stupid hallway!?" he exasperated at the similar and endless gold expanse of walking. He growled a bit, not liking going and going and going with not a single door or window in sight. He had no idea if Ezekeil kept his word about Jillian and Dr. Goodman. All he had to go on was hope, which was dwindling right now. He turned around, thinking it'd be better if he went back the way he came and tried another door instead of the one that led here.
"Gah! What the hell?" he yelped. The hall was gone, only a blank wall on three sides of him.
"This is getting me nowhere…its not fair, the castle keeps changing behind my back." He grumbled and turned again, leaping backwards into the wall behind him. The hallway there was gone too, replaced by a wall with a demon's head shaped door in its place. Upon it was written," Door of Spirits." He frowned a bit, but it was a door at least. He gripped the handle cautiously, the claw like knob turning easily in his soft grip. He pushed the door open quietly, the smell of candle flames and rich wine filling his senses.
'Maybe I have found Sara….a lady as lovely and perfect as her is worthy of such aroma.' He thought mildly, smiling a little, entering cautiously. The door slammed behind him and vanished the moment he took a step away from it. He jumped slightly and looked at the blank, stone wall, then shrugged and looked back at the room. It was some kind of Roman arena, the floor of fine and solid sand, littered with a few chunks of sandstone.
He saw a throne high above in the stadium area surrounded by sandstone benches, where audiences were probably set during tournaments. His stomach turned a bit as he scanned the walls and ground, spatters of old blood and numerous human skulls strewn about. The seats were endless benches of sandstone, the points near the throne where they stopped. The throne was gold, not sandstone, spoiled rich with lavish trimmings. The throne was empty, but it was very clean, like someone had been sitting on it.
Who bears this knowledge?
The secrets of all to be.
Foretell my future,
Is the answer inside to see?
"What are doing here?" a rather angry chirp of a voice uttered several feet away. Her looked to it quickly, not daring to believe his luck. "Flint! Rocky! You're here!" he said pleasantly with a fanged smile, then it fell as Flint stepped a little closer. His eyes were the same color, still dressed in his red loincloth, but his eyes had dark bags under them, filled with evil.
He even looked angry, angrier than Merlock had ever seen him. Rocky looked the same as ever, but rather frantic. "Don't come near us, Merlock! Flint's not himself, get away as fast as you can." Rocky shouted, but it was too late. Merlock wasn't very far away, and moving too quickly at close quarters might earn him an ass kicking, or ass smashing.
Merlock just stared at the young cave boy, heartbroken. Merlock was possessed one by Uglinator, nearly killing Sara and the others under the dark influence. Flint and Sara had saved him from doing so and from being evil forever, from being monster. It simply hurt to see Flint in such a state. It was a bad feeling to find one's friend like this. He had to bet they all felt horrible to have the hurt Merlock when he got possessed by evil. He still hadn't forgiven himself for it, such a moment of weakness to a short adversary. He hadn't tripped as he recalled during his evil state, but he wouldn't have traded his personality for anything. Sara cared so much for him that moment. Perhaps it had been a turning point for them.
So I stand up and shout at the world!
For my questions to be,
But the powers are out of my reach.
So here I am, still right back from the start!
Then something caught his eyes, a flash of purple above Flint's head. Merlock only moved his eyes, not his head. He didn't need to tick whatever was controlling Flint off any more than it already was, or let alone make it know it'd been discovered. It was a purple orb about the size of a medicine ball, glowing darkly inside. He could faintly see something crammed inside of it, something with the devil's eyes, flashing each time Flint made a movement or noise. The noises the boy made now were merely growls and snapping snarls, but the orb was in control of Flint's, all be it slow, mind.
'I can't kill my friend….you can't make me, demon. I can see you, and you won't know it…till its too late.' He though, carefully moving his eyes back to Flint.
"Flint, please….listen to me, its Merlock. Your friend, remember. You don't want to hurt anybody…YIE! Well, maybe you do…." Merlock was trying to say when Flint roared and swung his father for Merlock's skull. Merlock dove away, but Flint was still coming, swinging like a mad boy.
All Merlock could do was jump and run, watching the flashing orb urge his small friend on to kill him with shocks of purple lightening. "I will kill you, intruder. No one defies the master! DIE!" Flint screamed.
"Son! Don't! Yie! That's Merlock! You're going to kill your friend, stop it now! Listen to your father already or no more food! Yow!" Rocky went on, getting slammed hard on the ground and the walls throw every raging strike. Merlock paled considerably. Flint was really out of it if he didn't even respond to food being prohibited. He was going to have to fight him or die to make Flint stop the attacks. It made him angry he was forced to hurt a friend. His friends did it for him when he was possessed, so he could too. He only hoped he could keep Flint alive during it.
Destiny's calling, leaving my future to be,
Destiny's calling, screaming in anger!
My thoughts are out of reach!
I hold my soul inside of my hands
The future is my past!
"Yeah….listen to your father,….gah, watch it. IEEE!! FLINT! STOP IT!" Merlock was pleading and got slammed in the gut with Rocky for his effort. He went flying into the golden throne, feeling highly aware that some of his ribs had been broken. He could taste his own blood filling his small mouth, staining his lips with crimson love. He felt his mouth ache again, the feeling from his reunion with his beloved Sara returning. He shook it off as hard as he could, the pain in his hurt sides returning. They'd heal, but he didn't have the time to sit down and do that. Flint was already leaping up at him, screaming with hate and raging bloodlust in his once innocent eyes. "DIE, YOU WEAKLING GIRL!"
"GIRL!? Why you little shining bastard ball! I'll show you who's a girl!" Merlock growled. He knew who said it, really. Flint would never say such a lousy thing to him. Forgetting the pain in his gut, he jumped over Flint, landing hard on his head him, hard enough to stun him somewhat. It worked and Merlock quickly pushed off the hard head, right to the shining orb.
As he leapt up, Merlock yanked his blade out and ran it dead through the sphere. The sphere crackled and howled in pain as Flint hit the ground. Merlock landed several feet away, fangs bared and blade ready. "Come and get me, demon. You won't fool Merlock Holmes!" he shouted to it.
Flint was dazed a bit, Rocky trying to keep him unconscious by bopping him, but the sphere zapped Rocky hard. "Holmes….then you're….no! You can't be…a Holmes, die! DIE DAMN YOU!" Flint's now muddled voice, like and old man and a boy speaking at the same time.
"What about me being a Holmes? I'm the only one left….What do you know, you psycho beach ball!" Merlock shot back, but the sphere's voice and Flint's only cackled at him. "You'll never know, imposter. You can't be him….now die!" they cackled.
Who'll light my way now?
Now that I stand alone….
My past still haunts me!
My friend is my enemy!
Merlock was way ahead of him, barely hearing what the thing said through Flint. He was simply waited for Flint's body to jump, which it did, before rolling under Flint and launching himself off the wall to ram into Flint's back as the boy landed. Flint sprawled out forward, sliding harshly on the sandy ground. Merlock jump at the sphere again, slashing hard again before dropping to the ground.
Flint was getting up again, bleeding from his little lip. The sphere moved closer to his head, crackling dangerously. The thing thought Merlock was that stupid, obviously. 'Like I'd attack something holding a friend hostage that half-assed. I'm smarter than a damn demon disco ball with delusions of grandeur.' He thought angrily, his fangs growing again with his rage to this demonic deceiver.
Merlock stayed in place, crouched. His garnet eyes were focused on the blood leaking from the poor boy's mouth, each crimson drip….drip….drip, making his cheek tick. 'So….rich…and young….red….kill....MUST KILL!' his mind snapped at him violently, but he frantically shook it away in time to see Flint was charging again with his father raised high.
Merlock did all he could think of, quickly pulled out his wand and struck Flint across the face. Flint moved back a bit, but only growled and charged again, swinging poor Rocky at Merlock.
Merlock quickly raised both wand and sword and blocked the attacks, staring at Rocky partially with one eye with the other watching the orb.
"You gotta do something, Merlock. My boy's being used and abused over here by this giant bubble gum ball. You gotta help him!" Rocky pleaded with watery eyes. Merlock could only grunt in response and shove on Rocky, forcing Flint away from the orb slightly. Flint simply shoved back harder and made Merlock stumble back a bit They kept repeating the process, not giving one another an inch to escape the other.
"I'm open to suggestions….I'm not the fountain of knowledge with that thing other than to stab it. Flint's the only human left I have to save besides my beautiful and dearest…gah….Sara. I admit this freely, I may be…ungh, older and wiser than your son, but he's damn stronger than ten of me are! Oh, wait," Merlock thought, a grim smile drawing across his blood stained lips,"….the battle with Uglinator, when Petra made me and Flint fight….I did knock him down….you know…."
Merlock winked at that statement, and he saw realization come into Rocky's big, dark eyes. "Ohhh…yeah…how you beat him….riiight. What was it again?" Rocky said knowingly. Merlock shrugged a bit with a lazy grin.
"I can't recall….little busy….right NOW!" Merlock stated, then shoved very hard on Rocky, knowing Flint would shove back.
When the boy did, Merlock moved right out of the way, letting Flint trip past him. He wasted not a second in whipping out his wand and torching the cave boy. Flint would survive that at least, but a stab wound was beyond help, especially with such a fine blade at hand. Flint and the ball howled together in pain. Merlock moved swiftly in running his blade straight through the tag-along orb when it moved far enough away from Flint's face.
He ripped the blade up the thing hard and sent the flames of his wand at it without mercy. It exploded in seconds, purple smoke dripping out black blood, snaking to the throne. Merlock watched it go and frowned as it solidified into an elder man with purple, muddled skin and white hair. He looked like an elderly priest dressed in dark robes, bleeding all over, dying.
"I….Razel….the master's shaman….have been…defeated? Defeated by a little girly….boy? A….Holmes? You can't be…..him….he's….dead? Isn't he?" the old man uttered painfully.
"Why do you keep saying that? What do you mean? I can't be who?" Merlock shouted, but the old man just gave a grim smile.
"Only….you could defeat me. I guess….its…in your….blood…., little Merlock….ah…." he said, his breath letting out as his life gave way. Merlock was about to approach the body, but it cackled and crumbled into a pile of purple dust. It blew away from an unfelt wind, then, nothing but silence. 'What was that old fossil talking about? Did he know my mother?' he wondered.
For a few minutes anyway. "Owee….did a I sleep on Stegosaurus again?" Flint's weak and chirpy voice uttered behind him. Merlock looked at him. The blood was gone, wiped away by the sandy floor his poor little form had collapsed on. He looked a little sickly and upset, his father in hand and still dazed from the shocks. Merlock crouched by him, looking at him directly. The young boy looked up at him, a weak smile springing up. "How do you feel? Do you remember anything, Flint?" Merlock asked quietly.
Flint put his little finger to his sore mouth and thought hard, nearly setting his poor hair on fire trying, then gave up and shook his head. "Not a thing. Some weird people hit me with my Dad and then I wake up here with a sore head with you lookin' at me. What happened, Merlock?" Flint asked sincerely.
Merlock just gave a slightly smile and ruffled the boy's hair. "You don't need to know, doesn't matter anymore. Let's just get out of here, ok?" Merlock told him, only to be answered by a pitiful look from Flint and a growling noise. The boy held his stomach fitfully.
"I'm hungry." Flint yelped.
Merlock nearly fell over at his words. After nearly getting killed by Merlock and used to kill Merlock himself, all the kid could think of was damn food. He wanted to hit the child, but refrained from it. Ezekeil was to blame for this, not Flint. The boy had to be running on his supper from two days ago….it was only natural for Flint to be hungry. It wasn't what Merlock wanted to worry about though. Sara, Pterri and Bindi were still inside the castle walls, guarded by who knows what kind of monstrosities.
He picked the boy up easily after strapping Rocky to his back. He was strong enough to take it and simply carried the boy and father out. "We'll try and find some food, but I can't guarantee anything…." He said, not bothering to look at the vanishing door behind him as he stepped into a red hued hallway full of bonfires," Then again, there has to be something cooking with all the fire around-cough-."
~ Kitchen ~
It hadn't taken long to find the small servant's kitchen and even less time for Flint to attack the piles of fresh food laid out on numerous tables. Merlock was amazed a vampire even had food, such rich foods, cooked and uncooked. 'Why would a vampire need….food, anyway?' he thought sitting down in a nearby chair while Flint devoured the contents of each table 10 seconds at a time.
He looked around, trying to ignore the food scraps he felt hitting him and all the slobbering noises Flint was making. He saw the door to the kitchen was gone, which disturbed him, one way out being an opening so far off to their left and another one right behind the tables, probably where the stoves were. He could smell meat cooking from where he sat, and had to hold his nose. It smelled bad, like it was spoiled. The food in the kitchen was far grander than whatever the count had cooking.
The smell was bothering him now. It was horrid, like it'd been spoiled for years. He flinched a moment. "Dead flesh….dead flesh….smells…oh gods no! Flint, get away from the food! It's a trap!" Merlock yelped, leaping to his feet.
Flint lifted his little head from the table he was on, not far from the door. "What trap? Its just food." Flint chirped and began to eat again.
A low moan made him stop. Rocky, Flint and Merlock all looking up at once at the door. Merlock wanted to hit himself for not seeing it sooner. The stove area smelled so bad because there were zombies inside, just as necrotic and foul smelling as those that nearly had Tony's innards for supper hours before. Three plodded out with soft squishing noises of ruined bones and rotting muscle. Flint screeched and jumped swiftly into Merlock's arms. "Monsters!"
Merlock blinked a moment, then rolled his eyes, dropping Flint hard on the floor. I can't fight them if I'm holding you, Flint. We have to fight them back and get to the other door." Merlock stated crassly, pointing at the one to their left, so far away through aisles of tables.
He looked up again, frowning as he saw ten more zombies and more on the way kept slinking out with wet and crunchy steps, their flesh sliding off the muscle and bone in synch with their slow movements. "But….I don't want to hurt people." Flint said quietly, shuffling his feet.
Merlock had the urge to scream, but refrained yet again. "They're not people anymore. They're zombies, you know, already dead. You won't be hurting them, only preventing them from hurting us and making us verrrrryyy dead."
"Real dead?" Flint asked, looking sick about it. Merlock nodded, jumping back from a zombie that tried to claw at them. Flint went with him, whamming the thing's legs off, but the leg-less torso moaned and drooled rivulets of bile and blood before itself and crawled towards them. "They're lost souls, in eternal torment to hunt the living to stop the pain. We're only freeing them from this living hell, Flint." Merlock said disgustedly, beheading another eager zombie for its efforts.
"Eww…ok. Since they're not really alive….let's do it, Merlock! Dad!" Flint said bravely, and went for the door. The other zombies were already milling around the area. The count had to have had a hand in their thoughts, so it didn't surprise Merlock a whole lot. He pulled out his blade and wand and jumped from table to table, some still littered with food. "Keep to the tables, they can't climb so well!" Merlock shouted to Flint.
The cave boy whapped three groaning and hungry zombies away from himself and nodded, leaping up quickly onto a table near him. They both went from table to table, slashing and knocking away the ravenous undead. Soon they were mere feet from the door when Flint slipped on some fresh fruit on his table, the undead surrounding the table in unison, reaching and drooling all over the edges as they clawed for little Flint.
Merlock's garnet eyes flared. "NO! STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" Merlock growled, his fangs lengthening again as he leapt swiftly off his table and landed hard on the nearest of the drooling zombies. His boots went right through its back and split it down the middle. The top part tried to crawl across the table form Flint, but Merlock's boot came down on it's head, the squish of the meaty gray slush of dead brain flushing across the wood.
He swung his sword at the other, beheading those closest as he grabbed Flint up with his free arm. Merlock got off the table and made a dash for the door, the undead moaning at his heals for their flesh and blood to dance on their lip-less faces. Merlock paid them no more heed as he dove into the darkness of the opening, sliding across the unseen floor. When he stopped, the light from the kitchen was gone and the sounds of the zombies long lost in the wind.
Merlock waited a moment before standing in the darkness, putting his blade away and Flint down. He waited a moment, for Ezekeil to taunt him, lights to appear, but they got nothing. Merlock sighed deeply and pulled his wand out again, using it to light their way. 'Damn you Ezekeil….trying to break your promise already because I'm so close to defeating you. You've got a lot to answer for….especially why you are using my mother's memory in all this." He hissed out, starting to walk in the darkened area. Flint followed closely, looking up at him with childish curiosity. "What?" Merlock asked, blushing," Are their entrails in my hair again?"
Flint chuckled and shook his dark head. "No….you said your mother's memory. You remember your mother now?"
Merlock gave off a warm and tolerant smile to the boy. Flint never got to know his mother. Merlock had just regained memories of his own he never knew he had. "Yeah….started with dreams when I found this pendant in my attic. I even found the house where I once lived in this time, where I was born…. and a statuette of my mother. Oh Flint….she was so beautiful," Merlock explained lightly, taking the lovely pendant out to show the boy," She was also killed in the village nearby, burned alive."
Merlock knew that was probably the wrong thing to say to Flint, a violent end for another mother of a child lost in the boundlessness of time.
Flint just kept watching him in the same manner. "Burned? But why?"
Merlock growled a little, but with a heavy sigh he drowned it. "Prejudice….I guess possibly someone saw me and assumed my mother was bad, a demon or a witch. I can't really remember. She said my father was dead, she talked about him like he was dead, so I suppose it was true and he couldn't help her. She hid me under the floorboards and they took her away. I went after her a little while later only to see her being burned….then this darkness cloud came….and I ran away. I was just a little kid then….no wonder therapy was able to block that out….it was too horrible for a little boy to take."
"That's not nice to do….just cause people are different doesn't mean you have to hurt and kill them. That's just wrong and mean!" Flint uttered angrily.
Merlock nodded. "Yeah, it is….but people still do it in dearest Sara's time. People fear what they don't understand, and fear leads to anger and rage, and ends in violence. The worst part about it all was that my mother was a human….not a demon or a vampire. She was one of them, and they senselessly murdered her. I can only remember bits and pieces about my childhood, mostly her death….and how protective she was of me. My beautiful mother….I barely knew her."
Flint looked thoughtful a moment, chewing his little finger slightly. "I can't even remember my Mom….Dad just came back to the cave one day and said Mom wouldn't be coming back. Dad never told me what happened. I have no memory of my Mom." Flint sniffled.
"Aww son, your Mom loved you so much. I just didn't want to talk about it then….maybe when you're older….but now's not the time for weeping. Who know what this count is doing to the others." Rocky put in, a little misty eyed too from the memories in his stone form.
Merlock offered a melancholy smile. "I envy you Flint….you didn't have to see your mother die."
Flint shook his little head. "It doesn't matter if you see it or not….its sad no matter what if you lose somebody you love, Merlock. I bet your Mom loved you to the end just like mine. She wouldn't want you to feel sad or scared. She'd want you to live for her….right?" Flint chirped.
Merlock chuckled a bit, his spirits lifting. "You're right…..she wouldn't like me being sad….not when the angel Sara and friend Pterri are still captives of this dastardly count."
Rocky blinked a bit. "Only Sara and Pterri? Wow, Merlock, you rescued nearly all of us already. You've really grown up, my boy." Rocky said in his gruff and cheerful voice.
Merlock nodded. "Yeah….I have….ah, hey look! There's a light up ahead…." Merlock beamed, pointing ahead to a faint white light. They started to run towards it, speeding up as a familiar voice screamed through the air.
"HELLPPPP! DON'T EAT ME! I TASTE LIKE TINFOIL! HELP!" Pterri's high and frantic voice screeched, loud grunts and the sounds of large clocks. Merlock sprinted ahead of them, sliding into silvery room filled with gears and a giant clock with demon and skeleton heads. He saw little red, mechanical Pterri tied to the hour hand, the minute hand ticking down a minute at a time towards the little body to crush him flat. Standing under all this was a large bull-man, wearing a fancy red and gold loincloth and brandishing a metallic whip. It was drooling and snorting at Pterri, reaching up for him with deliberate slowness.
"Hold on, Pterri! We're coming!" Flint chirped, charging the man-beast with his father raised high. The thing turned around with surprising swiftness and batted both father and son into a smaller silver grandfather clock, grunting with a heavy white and wet snort as the gears and pendulum spat out around the pair. He moved on his hoofed feet towards them, cracking his whip sharply. It struck Flint's cheek, cutting it open. Flint looks so stunned he might get violent at any moment. His face screwed up like an angry child as he got up, rushing the thing again. He avoided being hit, using his father to block the whip strikes.
Merlock deftly moved to Pterri and cut him loose with his sword. The mechanical bird looked relieved, the minute-hand only three minutes away from crushing him, and Pterri perched himself on Merlock's shoulder.
"Thanks, Merlock. I thought I was recycling just now." Pterri sighed out brightly. Merlock grinned a bit, moving quietly as he could behind the minataur monster. "No problem," he whispered," Now would you mind flying near it's head and shouting at the thing. Flint can't keep blocking forever."
"Shout at it? But, he's 7 feet tall!! Why would you want me to…." Pterri said frantically, but Merlock looked at him tersely. "Just do it, or Rocky will burst!" he urged. Pterri sighed as he flapped up behind the thing's horned head. "HEY BOSSY! MOOOO!!" he shouted, pecking the thing's head for good measure.
Merlock wished he hadn't done that, but it was too late. As the thing stopped attacking Flint, it whirled around on Pterri. It's horns whapped the poor robot away screaming. "IEEE!" Pterri screamed, smacking right back against the very clock he'd been freed from.
So I stand up and shout at the world!
For my questions to be,
But the powers are out of my reach.
So here I am, still right back from the start!
Merlock took the moment to leap up at the thing and shoved his blade in the thing's throat, getting blood to rain upon his lavender head and pale blue skin. He yanked it back out as he saw one of the thing's large hands reach for him, and rolled away as he touched the floor. He fought the urges for blood, to simply keep his mouth shut, succeeding as the thing made bubbly howls above him. He jumped away as it raged around, kicking it hooves about and chunking up the floor with blood drenched stone and silver.
The sword was red all the way up to the hilt, as was most of the floor, the creature grabbing at its ruined throat, trying to stop the blood, but to no avail. Merlock just went at the panicked beast against and severed its hands, fountains of rich life of a servant of the dead spraying across the silver room.
Soon the beast fell heavily to the floor, grunting its last after a minute more of its pain. Then it stopped moving, not a sound uttered in the room aside from the endless tick-tack-tock of the room full of clocks.
"Try and eat my friends….huh? Peh…." Merlock uttered to the corpse, wiping his mouth off with his dark sleeve.
"Ouch, remind me never to make you mad again, Merlock. Those memories you've been getting back have really changed you from a klutz to a genuine beast slayer. Heck, you could teach us a thing or two about now." Rocky piped. Merlock nodded with sheepish grin and a slight blush, picking a dazed Pterri off the floor. In a few moments, the mechanical bird was himself again, perching himself safely on Merlock's shoulder again.
"Well, that's everyone except the enchanting love of my life Sara Goodman." Merlock stated triumphantly, looking about for a door. He saw none at first, then the large clock started to chime for two fifteen in the morning, or afternoon. Merlock didn't know which, AM or PM. There were no windows in here. Still, there would be eventually. If he had to bet on it, the sky was still dark outside. He'd started his quest at night and he'd been here for many hours, it had to be the next night by now.
He waited with Flint, Rocky, and Pterri patiently as the last chime came, then the clock started spinning backwards rapidly. The room rumbled, making them all look about in wonder and anticipation. Then the hand hit midnight, and the clock itself opened to a long corridor of red carpeting and beautifully gold lined stone walls.
"I guess….we follow the carpet…." Flint uttered. Merlock was too worried about what was guarding and bothering his dearest angel Sara to care what was said now. "Yeah….let's go then." He said, taking the first step towards the new area.
~ Master Throne Room Door ~
Merlock walked briskly, leaving the others to try and keep up with his quick pace. He knew Sara had to be close, she just had to be, he could almost smell her rose scented skin, taste her chaste and inviting lips, and dive into her warm and silken arms of an awaited embrace.
He smiled a bit at these thoughts. He knew she was close. He could see a large wooden pair of doors far off at the end of the torch lit hall, making him smile wider. 'Oh Sara, I'm coming, oh my darling. I will never let you go. I'll always protect you from harm….no counts, no monsters, no horrors to befall you, my love. Just us and happiness forever….no harm will come to you while I live. Ever!' he thought happily, closing his eyes a moment to dance in such thoughts of bliss and romance. He'd spoil her with gifts and attention once this was all over. He'd even tell Jillian and Sara's family, by Sara's lovely side that they were in love and dating. He would face it all, all for their love, all for their eternal promise of the heart. Merlock would love Sara endlessly.
"Merlock!" Pterri sang out, but Merlock was still stuck in his fantasy. "Yes dearest?"
Pterri cleared his mechanized throat a little. "Well, what can I say, I'm flattered, but, we have reached the door."
Merlock would have blinked, instead stopping in place and fighting off the urge to blush at his slip up. He opened his eyes slowly as Pterri finished with," But we have a problem."
Merlock saw what it was as his garnet eyes slipped back into reality, the floating pink form that made his blood boil with hate and hurt at the same time.
"BINDI!?" he shouted. Bindi just floated there with a sourpuss on her white penguin face. "Hello, Merlock love." She said, but she didn't sound happy. Merlock didn't look happy about seeing her at all.
"I'm not your love, traitor! What are you doing here? How dare you show your treacherous face to me….back-stabber! You sold my true love Sara out!" Merlock cried at her, only souring her face more.
"Sara's soon to be ancient history, so long as I keep you out here for ole Ezekeil to take care of that whiny Goodman brat. If I do, I get to keep you forever….and I intend to collect, Merlie." She uttered sweetly.
He was ready to rush and beat her down bloody when he heard a voice cry out from behind the door. "NO! Stay away! Ieeee!"
Merlock felt his heart squeeze with pain when he heard the angel's voice and felt her fear. His Sara would die if he didn't take care of Bindi first. 'I can't kill a Time Shifter…but Sara will die if I don't do something fast. SARA! Gods….I'll never forgive you for this Bindi….I won't let you or Ezekeil win!' he thought angrily, snarling at Bindi as he reached for his blade.
Destiny's calling leaving my future to be,
Destiny's calling, screaming in anger!
My thoughts are out of reach!
I hold my soul inside of my hands
The future is my past!
To Be Continued….
Teaser: Songfic, and second to last chapter of the tale. Merlock vs. –drum roll- BINDI! Yeah, then Ezekeil….If you want to have a hint of how it may go, look for the Helloween song "Forever and One (Neverland)." Special note- It is not a sad ending for Sara and Merlock, only very dramatic. I'd never kill them off. Here's a lyric hint =
"Forever and one, I will miss you.
However, I kiss you.
Yet again,
Way down in Neverland….
So hard I was trying.
Tomorrow, I'll still be crying.
How could you hide your lies…..
Your lies….."
