Writetober Day 31 (Ripe)

Before you end this experience, I wanted to say thank you.  Thank you to all of you that have been with me since October 1st.  It was a ride and a challenge, but now that it is done I must set my eyes on Novel November.  I hope you all enjoyed Writetober!  Maybe one day we will see Kyle again, for now, I will see you all November 1st with a brand new set of lives to create!

Writetober Day 31

Ripe

                “This world will do…”  Heavy footsteps followed the words.  “My master will devour this world…His corruption will gorge on the ripe bodies.”  The footsteps stopped outside of the door of a home.

Inside, Kyle’s mother prayed, harder than she ever has.  It wasn’t to a specific god, it was to whomever would listen.  Her interlocked fingers tightened as black nothingness seeped beneath the door and filled the house.

“Your bloodline ends here…”  The front door ripped open.

In the door way, the emotionless peasant stood, corruption pumping in his long dead veins.  His blank eyes stared into the mother’s soul.  The blood coated man stepped across the home’s threshold, staring at his victim.  The obsidian ring dripped black onto the wooden floor, the corruption scattering like rain upon impact.

Kyle’s mother knelt, helpless as death shuffled toward her, its eyes searing her.  His icy hand wrapped its fingers around her throat and lifted her.  She didn’t fight.  She couldn’t, the oppressive corruption choked her energy and will.  The man slowly squeezed the life from her eyes as her feet dangled mere inches from the hard wood floor.

Dispersing the corruptive mist that shrouded his mother’s home, Kyle erupted into existence with Vordmir at his side.  Without words, Kyle lunged from behind the corrupt man and disappeared.  He didn’t have to focus as before, he had control of the ring, it was instinctive.  Reappearing behind his mother, Kyle connect his fist to the peasant’s jaw, shattering teeth and bone.

The man barely flinched, but it was enough to loosen his grip.  Kyle’s mother dropped as Vordmir’s black tendrils caught her unconscious body, pulling her away from the evil.  Kyle and the monster squared off, their gaze focused on each other.

“He can not die in this world!”  Vordmir howled.  “You must weaken him so that I may take us to the corruptions source.  There he can be destroyed!  There you can bring back your family!”

Kyle barely had time to listen, the host lashed out with a lightning fast strike to Kyle freshly healed ribs.  Creating a small white shield, Kyle absorbed the blow as the shield shattered into silver dust from the impact.  The second attack came faster.  The man’s left hand flew toward Kyle’s face, he blinked five feet backwards to dodge the attack.

Kyle had to be faster, he wouldn’t win by just defending.  The thought was cut short as the peasant closed the gap with a knee strike to Kyle’s gut.  It connected and Kyle’s air rushed out of his body, blood spilling to the floor.  The man’s fist contacted the back of Kyle’s head as he was doubled over, the floor greeted Kyle’s face.

The world swam in Kyle’s eyes as black tendrils quickly wrapped around the peasant.  Vordmir followed his entanglement with a ball of liquid obsidian launched at the man’s chest.  Its clothes burned away as flesh boiled from the blast, but it didn’t slow him down.  Vordmir followed with a second ball of corrosive sludge, but the peasant ripped from its restraints and easily dodged the goo.  Kyle was dragged to his feet as a dead hand grabbed his hair, a fist greeted his bruised gut.  Air blasted from Kyle’s lungs once more.

Kyle was losing.  Anger filled his body as he broke free, leaving hair in the corrupted man’s clutch.  Kyle lashed out with a series of punches, but the peasant didn’t flinch, it embraced the flurry of fists.  Kyle relented, he needed to catch his breath.  The peasant sought the opportunity and attacked.  With nothing left, Kyle kicked the peasant between the legs, connecting with the soft organs.  Nothing.  Kyle swore in the man’s face as fists began to pummel him, the jarring punches shattering his hope.

The tendrils returned, they coursed with hatred as they enveloped the peasant.  It was Kyle’s only chance, he looked to Vordmir who was knelt focusing all his might into keeping the fiend trapped.  His eyes locked onto his mother, she unconscious on the floor, but breathing.  He couldn’t lose this time.

He lunged, through pain and exhaustion, he blitzed toward the tangled man.  Silver light pooled around Kyle’s clenched fist, it began to form into a spear hugging his hand.  The point pierced the man, shredding into his body, silver splashed his insides and began to burrow deeper within the corrupt man.

“Stay with him!”  Vordmir had dropped the tendrils and began shouting an incantation.

Black shrouded the three men as the world tore away.

Kyle recognized where he was, the ancient stone buildings within the enormous cave welcomed him.  They were back, deep within The Wild.  The corrupted man was shrieking in the pain and anger of defeat.

“Finish him.  Draw out the corruption.”  Vordmir was drained, barely able to stand.

Kyle’s arm was still plunged deep into the man, he focused on the ring.  Light pulsed from within the man, radiating outward.  The howls and screams grew louder as the silver light shredded flesh and bone, eradicating the corrupt dead man.  In an explosion of silver glory, Kyle stood with an outreached hand and no peasant to be seen, its ring destroyed.

“He’s free.”  Kyle spoke to an exhausted Vordmir.

“Only final task…”  Vordmir shakingly stood and faced the abyssal black before the two of them.  “One final choice for you hero.”

Kyle stared into the abyss, focusing on an eye that stared back.  “What is it?”  The corruption stared at Kyle as he spoke, it was a whimpering dog in the shadows.

“I can return your wife and friend, but the rings must be destroyed.”  Vordmir forced a smile through his weakness.

“What?  The corruption isn’t destroyed, we aren’t finished.”  His eyes were still locked onto the nightmare that cowered in the black.

“You are done, the corruption’s host has been defeated, your world is safe.”  Vordmir turned to Kyle.  “Our goals no longer align, as a sign of respect I will bring your two friends back.  In return you will destroy the device that allows you to return to my world.”

“This was your game all along.  You’re going to try and control it in it’s weakened state.”  Kyle’s gaze burned with rage.

“My plan is of no concern to you.  Take your two loved ones and leave my world, forever.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Don’t be a fool!  You can’t possibly hope to defea-” Vordmir’s thought never finished.

Kyle gripped the old man’s throat, the pulsing ring burning his pale skin.  “I will do what my grandpa couldn’t.”  White light blinded the two men.

As the brilliant light subsided, two men stood before the abyss.  An old hand clasped Kyle’s shoulder.

“I couldn’t be prouder.”  His grandfather spoke.

Kyle stared at his now pure silver ring resting on his grandfather’s finger, tears streaming from his face.  “They’re safe?”

“And ready to go home.”  His grandfather smiled.

“So, this is goodbye.  You sure you can keep the corruption locked away?”  Kyle stared at his grandfather.

“With no connection to anyone in this world, it’s too weak to manifest and leave this tomb.  You’ve done well.”  Nathaniel hugged his grandson for the first and last time.  “Get home, they’re waiting for you.”

White light surrounded Kyle as, for the last time, the world fell away.  He opened his eyes to Michelle, Tom and his mother laughing and crying in the destroyed living room.  With no ring on his finger, memories were all that tied him to a distant world.  He embraced his family in tears.