The life of a mountain vampire ch 9

Chapter 9

End Game


Xavier waists no time as he soars high over the sleeping town, he now knew where to find Kevin and sorely wanted to put an end to this nights hunt.  As he reaches the great stone arch that marks the entrance to the Clinch Valley Cemetery he can already smell Kevin’s sent.  As with Brads it was mixed with the unmistakable sent of alcohol and hopefully like Brad, this wouldn’t take to long to finish.  Gliding low over the head stones he calls upon his newly acquired gifts to form a thick mist that silently covers the ground as he passes.  Landing on one of the larger crypts that dotted the landscape he crouches and bares his fangs looking down at Kevin’s late night picnic.  Kevin unaware of this stumbles around the bond fire and kicks over several near by tombstones.  “Dang thing almost made me fall.  Well now who was tha one that fell?  Huh... tell me that smart guy HAHAHAHA.”  Slumping against an old oak tree he tosses the empty bottle over his shoulder and burps.  “Ops excuse me. Hahahah.  Hope I didn’t wake anybody up. Hahahah”  After popping open the lid to another bottle he takes a gulp and spits it onto the fire causing it to flare up as he laughs wildly.  ‘Yeah baby burn, burn baby burn.” 

Xavier hisses loudly and jumps down silently from the crypt folding his wings behind him.  As the mist covers the ground he silently walks around where Kevin was seated, just out side of the reach of his fires light.  When the mist had completely covered the whole of the cemetery, he quietly leans up against one of the nearby tombs and purred softly.  “Now we will have a little fun with him before he is taught not to disturb such a peaceful place.”  Stepping out into the mist he raises his arms and disappears in a swirling wave of the cooling vapor. 

Kevin mumbles and grumbles about something as the mist silently begins to cover even the fire, causing it to flicker and grow dim.  “Hey what tha heck is goin on here?  Hahahah I must me drunker than I thought.”  As he tosses more liqueur on the fire to boost its blaze he hears some one calling his name, but as he looks around there isn’t anyone to be seen.  “Who’s tha wise guy messin with my fun?  Common now show yourself or there’s gonna be some real trouble.  You can count on it.”  From the depths of the mist an inhuman voice, seemingly made of the wind retunes the answer to his question.

“Oh yes there will be trouble, but I do believe that it will be you who bares the full brunt of it.  Not me, my boy, no not me.”  Kevin staggers to his feet and does his best to steady his shaking legs.  ‘Then bring it on.  I aint scared of nuttin, or no body ya hear.”  The voice begins to laugh as it circles him on all sides then begins its eerie chant.

Darkness falls across the land.

The midnight hour is close at hand.

Vampires fly in search of blood.

To fall upon their victims from above.

And who so ever shall be found.

Desiccating such sacred ground.

Must stand and face the wrath of Hell,

And rot inside a corpses shell.

The foulest stench is in the air.

It surrounds you every where.

Grizzly ghouls from every tomb.

Are closing in to seal your doom.

And though you will fight to stay alive.

Your soul begins to shiver.

For no mere mortal can resist.

The soft embrace of a vampire

Kiss.

Kevin stumbles backwards to the ground and cusses aloud.  “Who do ya think ya are huh?  Think that some fog and a scary voice was gonna scare me?  Besides I’ve already heard that song before, and man that aint how it goes.  So screw you, it aint working tuff guy.  So why don’t ya just get your happy butt out here and face me like ah man.”  Xavier’s voice begins to laugh as it swirls about Kevin causing him to spin in place like a top.  “Stop all this messin around and face me.” 

Xavier’s voice quiets its laughter as he responds to this newest demand.  “So you want to face me then?  Well I think I can accommodate you on that.”  Appearing in front of Kevin suddenly Xavier back hands him across the face knocking him up against one of the nearby head stones causing him to loose consciousness.  Xavier squats down in front of him and just frowns.  “Now I’m gonna have ta wait till he wakes up.  Oh nice goin there hair fer brains real nice.”  Xavier passes the time by walking around the grave yard looking at the dates of when some of the people died. 

Kevin moans and rubs his soar jaw.  “What hit me, ah truck?”  As he takes a long drink from his bottle he hears something behind him on one of the stones. 

“Hello lover.” 

Kevin looks up from his bottle and smiles a drunken smile.  “Hey man what’s up?  Hey didn’t I kill you already?”  Xavier just looks down at him smiling and tips his cap.  Kevin just grins back and hands Xavier the half empty bottle.  “Ya want ah drink?  Got plenty ta go round.” 

Xavier just sits squatted on the top of a nearby stone looking down at him shaking his head.  “Na I’m fine.  Might have a sip or something later, oh if that’s ok with you?” 

Kevin just laughs and nods.  “Sure thing dude, sure thing no worries.”

Kevin just looks up at him and grunts.  “So you’re here to kill me then I take it.  Ya know, I won’t go as easy as the others did.  Oh yeah, didn’t think I’d figure that one out now did ya.”  Stumbling to his feet Kevin smacks the dirt off of his pants and leans up against the stone beside Xavier.  “Hey dude, ya have to understand that it wasn’t any thing personal.  Just couldn’t have you running off and telling people that we tried to mug ya.  You understand don’t ya?  Besides, we did have a blast out of ya so I guess that’s all that matters.” 

Xavier just laughs and nods.  “Yeah yall sure did have fun.  I guess it could be considered by some, that kidnapping, torturing, and then killing some one could be fun.  But far be it from me to argue.” 

Kevin just looks at him and shrugs.  “Yep guess it could be.” 

Xavier calmly picks at his teeth with one of his fingers and sighs.  “Well if we’re gonna sit here and talk about having fun, then I guess I should tell you that I found it loads of fun to hunt down and some what messily send Brad off to the next world.  Hahahah... ya should have heard him.  He squealed like a stuck pig when I dropped him on that fence pole.”  Xavier looks up from under his cap to see what Kevin’s expression was. 

Kevin just looks at the bottle as he swirls the remaining liquid around inside of it.  “Yeah I’m sure he did, but I bet he put up one heck of ah fight before ya took him down.  He was ah good fighter.  Hahahah...I can remember one time he...he beat tha crap out of three guys, just cause they bumped into him at tha ball field.  What ah guy.”  Wiping a tear from his eye Kevin takes another swig from his bottle.  “Yeah what a guy.  What ah guy.” 

Xavier frowns and places his hand on Kevin’s shoulder.  “Kev, sorry ta break it to ya man, but he cried like ah baby.  He only got one good shot in and that was just out of dumb luck, after that he begged like a little baby.” 

Kevin just looked at him and sneered, wiping the corner of his mouth with one of his sleeves.  “Well I’m shore he put up more of a fight than that wimp Chris.  He was always ah loser, never wanted ta have any fun.” 

Xavier pulls his cap over his eyes and growls in a low voice.  “Chris was a good guy.  If either of yall had half tha back bone he did, then we wouldn’t be here now.  But I guess it’s too late ta change that now.  Besides he learned his lesson before he died.”  Making the sign of the cross along his chest Xavier bows his head and looks at the ground.  “God rest his soul” 

Tapping the empty bottle in his hands Kevin just sighs and looks at the ground.  ‘Yeah I guess he learned his, but it sure is ah pity that you didn’t learn your lesson the first time.  Looks like I’m gonna have to teach it to ya again.”  With out another word he smashes the bottle against the side of Xavier’s head knocking him from the stone and to the ground.  Calmly Kevin walks around the now vacant stone and stands beside Xavier’s bleeding head just looking down at him smiling.  “Aaahhh now that’s more like it, your back where ya belong, at my feet.  So tell me Jev how’s tha view from down there?  Does it bring back any memories, or maybe I need to refresh them for ya.”  Stunned Xavier just lays there moaning and holding the side of his bloody head.  Kevin just laughs and kicks him in the side hard enough to cause him to roll over on his stomach.  Kevin just laughs and gives him several more kicks to the stomach before walking back over to the fire.  Xavier starts coughing up small drops of blood as the blood from his head begins dripping on the ground.  Resting his head on the ground moaning and gasping for breath he holds both his aching stomach and bleeding head.  Kevin just grunts and begins digging around in the ashes of his dying fire.  “Jev I have ta tell ya that this is more fun tha second time round.  Hahahah... don’t ya thing so?  I figured that by now you’d have gotten tha hang of it and be more of a willing partner.  Well I guess I’ll just have ta teach you all over again won’t I?”  Kevin walks over to the far side of the flames and begins messing around one of the small tombs that ringed the clearing.  Xavier tries his best to stand up but when he does he becomes light headed and falls back to his knees.  He couldn’t figure out how Kevin could move so fast while he was drunk.  All he knew for cretin was that if he couldn’t stop him soon, then there might be a good chance that he wouldn’t see another sunrise. 

Finally staggering to his feet Xavier leans against a stone and tries again to shake off the dizziness in his head and clear the blood from his eyes.  “Crap that hurts.  Can’t see where he is, but I think I hear him.”  Finally Xavier manages to wipe his eyes clear of blood and steady his legs. 

Kevin meanwhile is squatted in front of the fire poking away at it with several metal cross that he’s broken from off the tops of the tombs.  “Won’t be long now Jev and we can have us a real nice time.  Hahahah…remember how ya squirmed when I poked that first hot peg in ya back?  Hahahah.  I sure do, thought you were gonna pee your pants with that one.  Oh my bad, just remembered ya weren’t wearing any.  Hhahahahaah…just that stupid cap ya always have on.” 

Xavier growls and pulls his stupid cap down over his left eye and grunts, “My name is Xavier, not Jev so remember it.” 

Kevin stops his digging in the ashes and looks up surprised.  “Excuse me, what did you say to me?  I don’t think I herd that freak.”  Standing he takes one of the small red hot crosses from the fire and walks over to where Xavier is slumped against a headstone.  “Care to repeat yourself freak?  I don’t think I heard you correctly.” 

Xavier looks up at him and grins exposing the tip of his right fang.  “I said my name is Xavier, Not Jev.” 

Kevin just frowns and holds the glowing cross up in front of Xavier’s eyes.  “Well Xavier, or Jev, or who ever you are it’s time to see if those roomers about crosses and vampires are true.  Oh ya should know that this is gonna hurt.”  A look of fear comes over Xavier’s face as Kevin moves the burning cross closer to his chest.  “Oh look you are afraid of a cross; well I guess it is true after all.  Now lets see if you turn to dust when it touches you. Hahahah.”  With the burning tip just inches above his chest Xaveir grabs Kevin’s wrist and snaps it backwards.  Kevin gives out a yell and let’s loose of the cross and stumbles backwards cussing.  Before the sacred relic hits the ground Xavier grabs it and rams it deep into Kevin’s right side just blow his ribs.  As Kevin screams the smell of burning flesh fills the air while Xavier just pushes it in further.  “That feel good baby?  You’re rite that does look like it hurts.  Oh, and for your information, I’m not afraid of crosses I only recoiled out of respect of what they stand for, not out of fear of it.”  Pushing him away Xavier does a back flip and regains his place atop one of the larger head stones.  Kevin meanwhile is cussing and stumbling around some headstones a few feet away.  After a few minutes he manages to pull the now smoldering cross from his badly burnt side.  Stumbling to his knees Kevin braces himself with his left hand as he covers the bleeding wound with his other hand.

Xavier laughs as Kevin crawls across the ground towards the brightly burring fire. “Oh where ya goin Kev?  Don’t tell me that you’re giving up so soon.  Tha fun is just starting.  Hahahah.”  While he laughs Kevin manages to take another cross from tha fire and throws it in Xavier’s direction.  Xavier nimbly does a cartwheel out of its path and lands on the top of another nearby headstone.  As he watches it fly harmlessly off into the distance he doesn’t notice that Kevin has managed to walk up behind him.  As he is turning around he’s met by Kevin’s smiling face and a sharp stab to the stomach.  Kevin twists the small knife deep in his stomach and drags him from the stone slamming him to the ground. 

Xavier gasps and screams as Kevin yanks the blade out and rams it deeply into his right shoulder.  “Now this time I’m gonna make sure you die ya freak.”  Kevin drags him over to the fire and picks him up ready to throw his small frame into its greedy flames.  “Any last words freak?”  Xavier hangs in his arms half conscious and just groans.  “I guess not, well then its time that ya go to your sweet release AGAIN.”  The flames eagerly lick at the back of Xavier’s legs and as they caress his pale skin he comes to and screams out in pain.  “Oh, so ya aint dead yet, guess we can have ah little bit more fun before I finish you off.”  Xavier fully comes to and with his knee manages to hit Kevin between the legs causing him to fall to his knees and release his grip on him.  As Kevin coughs up blood and holds his aching groin Xavier kicks him in the side of his head and knocks him to the ground. 

‘I’ll not be tha one dieing tanite, It’ll be you Kev.  Brad has already taken a message to tha devil for me, telling him to keep tha fires nice and hot for ya.”  Taking him by the head Xavier slams it into the ground breaking his nose then stumbles off a few steps away before collapsing.  The back of his legs still aching from the fire and his stomach gushing blood Xavier just lies there looking up at the clear night’s sky.  “So this is how it’s gonna end eh?  What ah joke?”  A soft wind blows across his battered body and a sweet sent greets his nose. 

“Yes child it would seem that this is how it will end.  Not just for you but for all of us.” 

Xavier manages to turn his head and before his astonished eyes there Nioby sat on a nearby head stone.  She just looks down at him and shakes her head.  “Oh hey ma-am didn’t see you there.” 

She just smiles back and him and makes a small wave. “Hello child, no I can tell that you did not see me.  You were too busy being reckless and acting like a wild animal.” 

As he begins coughing heavily the small soul stone rolls out of his pocket and Nix appears just behind him.  “Oh Nioby leave tha boy alone.  If you and the others would have just let him do this in the first place then we wouldn’t be here now.” 

Nioby walks over to where Nix is standing and looks him straight in the eyes.  ‘If it was not for you’re meddling, then this child would be safely contained now.  When he awoke then this would all have passed from his mind.  But no, you had to encourage him to defy me and seek his vengeance.’ 

Nix just smiles and drifts over to where Kevin was laying half conscious on the ground.  “Well by the looks of this one, it seems that your boy there has had fun, and done what you and the others said he couldn’t.’  Nioby kneels down beside Xavier as he passes out again and softly caresses his cheek. 

“As you can see he is not dead.  If he had been one of the others then he would be by now.  If you care to remember he is a descendent of a slayer family and will not die so easily.” 

As she continues to care for her young charge, Nix drifts over closer to Kevin’s bloody body and looks down at him smiling.  “Ah slayer you say, hum very interesting.  Does he know that he’s ah slayer?” 

Nioby shakes her head and looks at him crossly.  “No he dose not, and thank all that is holy that he is unaware of that fact.  It was hard enough for Xavier to fend him off this long.  Who knows what will happen if he ever finds out the truth.” 

Nix smiles slyly and drifts back over to where Kevin lay.  He knew that this was the perfect opportunity to eliminate one of his most hated rivals from the council.  Seeing that Nioby has all of her thoughts bent on healing Xavier he Kneels beside Kevin and places his ghostly hand to Kevin’s forehead.  Closing his eyes he enters Kevin’s mind and attempts to wake him.  “You, boy listen to my words.  Have you ever heard of ones known as slayers?”  Kevin twitches and groans slightly.  Nix looks from the corner of his eye to see if his movements were noticed.  To his surprise Nioby still was unaware of his actions.  Digging deeper into Kevin’s mind Nix continues his conversation.  “I will take it that you do, so listen carefully.  You my boy are a slayer and have more than enough strength to take care of this little pup.  So get your butt up and send both of them to the grave.”  There was no answer from Kevin’s seemingly lifeless body, just a small twitch and heavy breathing.  Nix repeats his command more forcefully this time.  “I said get your sorry butt up and kill them.” 

Kevin comes too with a sudden jump and groggily raises his head looking around.  He doesn’t see Nix, but he knows that some one was talking to him and has forced him to move.  “AAAwww, what hit me?  Feels like I have been run over by ah truck or something.”  Stumbling to his feet he notices that some one was kneeling beside Xavier and trying to wake him up too. 

He grabs the sides of his head as the strange voice fills his head again.  “What are you waiting for?  Their distracted, now is your chance.  KILL THEM BOTH.  Trying to shake the irritating voice from his head Kevin slowly picks up another hot cross from the fire.  Quietly and carefully he walks up behind Nioby, she is so bent on saving Xavier that she did not hear his approach.  “I will send you both to the grave demon.”  Before she could react Kevin thrusts the burning cross deep into her back causing her to scream in agony.  Her screams were those of several women all screaming at once.  This sound made Kevin fall to his knees and cover his ears.  Nioby’s cry’s also brought Xavier back from whatever safe place his mind had retreated to.  He fully came to as Nioby fell to the ground beside him.  He couldn’t believe his eyes as he looked up and saw Kevin smiling down at him with an evil look on his face.  “Now that was a scream, Brad would sure have loved ta hear that one.  Hahahah.”

Nioby groans loudly as Xavier pulls the still glowing cross from her back and tosses it aside.  ‘Oh great lady, what have I done?  Are you ok, please be ok.” 

She just weakly smiles and caresses his cheek.  “Dear child I will be fine, I promise.’  With this said she slowly lowers her head and vanishes in a swirl of leaves.  All Xavier can do is grasp at the drifting leaves as he breaks out in tears.  Looking up he sees Nix silently drifting between the stones. 

Xavier looks up at him, tears streaming down his face.  “Where did she go?  She said that she was gonna be ok.  Please Nix tell me where she went.” 

Nix just frowns and crosses his arms.  “She has been taking back to the others.  They will heal her. So easy your mind and be at peace child.”  Looking over at Kevin he growls and disappears.

“Don’t worry man; you’ll be joining her soon, that I can promise ya.” 

Kevin steps towards him but before he can raise his knife again Xavier has a hold of the discarded cross and rams it deep into Kevin’s stomach.  “ HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER.?  I WILL KILL YOU.”  With the cross still embedded deep within Kevin’s stomach Xavier lifts him off the ground and throws him over his shoulder and several feet across the graveyard.  Turning to face him Xavier bares his fangs and growls.  “You will suffer like no other human in history.  This I promise you.”  Kevin gasps and coughs as he tries to pull the deeply embedded cross form his stomach, but it won’t budge.  He tries to crawl towards his car as he looks back to see where Xavier was.  To his horror and amazement, he could see Xavier standing in front of the fire facing him with a small smile on his lips.  As he watches Xavier begins to change, he doubles over in pain as large heavily tattered wings burst from his shoulders slinging small droplets of blood in all directions.  He could hear what sounded like Xavier’s bones cracking and popping as they rearranged themselves and pulled apart.  He watched with a mixture of horror and amazement as Xavier’s feet and legs become more bat like and his hands became long and thin, tipped with sharp claws on each finger.  A long tail forced its way out of the back of his loosely hanging shorts and coils snake like about his feet.  As the madness overtakes him Kevin can see Xavier’s fangs grow longer as more pointed teeth take their place in his now gaping jaws.  In disbelief Kevin rubs his eyes and when he looks again Xavier is no where to be seen.  A cold wind moans through the trees and stones as Kevin painfully stand to his feet still looking around for some sign of Xavier’s whereabouts  As he stumbles towards his car he trips and falls over a large cross wedged between some loose stones on the ground.  As he picks it up to his astonishment, he recognizes it as the one he had thrown at Xavier earlier that night.  His rough movements caused the one that he still had buried in his stomach to move and become lodged under his ribs.  He covers his mouth as he screams and falls to the ground on his back. 

“Can hardly breathe?”  The very air around him seems to loose its warmth as a large shadow silently passes over head.  Kevin reaches for the nearest headstone to pull himself up when his hand is suddenly pinned to its top by a great weight.  Screaming in pain he looks up to see what at one point in the night had been Xavier staring down at him growling and hissing lowly.  Where there had once been a pair of bright willow green eyes there now were only two ebony spheres staring back at him.  Kevin could see his reflection in those empty staring holes and for the first time in his whole life he was truly afraid.  Xavier’s once neat and combed hair now flowed tangled and twisting from under the cap that hung crooked from the top of his head.  Still growling and hissing Xavier bares his fangs and in a rasping voice half speaking and half growling calls his name.  “Kevin, wretched human filth!!  You will suffer, pay for your deeds.  You will pay and then you will die.”  Reaching down Xavier picks him up by the neck and lifts him of the ground to look him in the eyes.  Kevin does his best to make a brave face even though his lower lip had begun to shake.  Xaveir tilts his head to the side and looks down at the bloody cross sticking out from under Kevin’s shirt.  “This is not for you, it don’t need to be anywhere near filth like you.” 

With one swift pull he dislodges the cross and breaks two of Kevin’s ribs as it comes loose.”  Kevin tries to scream but Xavier just squeezes his through tightly effectively stopping him before he could make a sound.  Throwing him across the graveyard Xavier leaps into the air and soars over to were the fire was dimly burning and about to go out.  As he lands beside it he lifts one of his hands and chants something unheard by Kevin and the fire rekindles brighter and hotter than before.  Respectfully Xavier kneels before the flames and places the blood soaked relic in to its brightly dancing flames to burn away any trace of Kevin’s vile blood.

Kevin groans loudly as he rolls over onto his stomach, and then manages to stand to his feet.  “Hey ugly, did ya forget about something?  Common is that all you got?  My granny hits harder than you and she’s almost eighty.”  Though he tries to make a joke he knows that Xavier hadn’t forgotten him, he was only biding his time until he was ready to end this.  As Kevin stumbles from stone to stone leaning against them to steady his walk he leaves a long trail of thick dark blood behind him. 

Xavier looks up from the fire and growls.  “If you’re so ready to die, then I will gladly oblige you.”  Standing he folds his wings and leaps onto the nearest tombstone.  Like a great cat he skillfully and silently leaps from stone to stone, not once allowing himself to touch the ground.  When he was a few stones from Kevin he spread his wings and takes to the air, skimming just over the top of Kevin’s head as he passes.  With a laugh that seems more like a growl he circles high over head in large lazy circles.  Kevin just laughs as he coughs up a clot of blood and waves his arms around like he was signaling to some one in a low flying plain.  “Ah com on man, I’m getting bored here lets play some more.  No more teasing.” 

Xavier makes one last wide lazy circle then tucks his wings diving straight for the spot where Kevin is standing just smiling up at him.  As Xavier draws closer he reaches out with his claws and as there bodies meet he pins Kevin to the ground with a bone crushing thud.  Kevin just groans and smiles up at him as he starts coughing up streams of blood. “Hey there beautiful, what took ya so long?  I was getting lonely with out ya ta hold me tight.”  Still coughing up large clots of blood Kevin leans up and softly kisses Xavier on the cheek and smiles.  “Gotcha!” 

Xavier’s eyes grow wide as he looks down at his chest and discovers a very large iron cross sticking out of it. In disbelief he rears back and stumbles up against a nearby tree.  His wale’s and cries fill the humid summer air as he claws at the tree in agonizing pain.  Kevin just lays there coughing and laughing.  “What’s tha matter there dude didn’t think you’d get a cross jammed in your heart when ya came out tanite now did ya?” 

Xavier hisses and thrashes on the ground trying to pull the rusted metal from his heavily bleeding chest.  Wedging the arms of the cross among the roots of the tree, Xavier braces himself and with one great downward thrust of his wings dislodges it from his chest bone.  The force of this hurls him backwards and into the side one of the large tombs nearby.  The side wall suddenly gives way and collapses as he passes through it. 

Kevin leans up on his elbows and smiles as he watches the other sides collapse on top of Xaveir motionless body.  “Now if that don’t finish ya off, then I guess nuttin will.”  Lying back on the ground Kevin smiles and thinks to himself “That’s for you Brad.  Now ya can rest in peace.  I got him man, I got him.”  Closing his eyes he makes ready to let go, but before he can the sound of cracking rocks and breaking timbers reaches his ear.  Looking over towards what was left of the tomb he sees that Xavier was lifting a large section of its roof and throwing it off to the side.  Kevin just sighs and closes his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief.  “Ah com on man, just die already.  This is really starting to get on my nerves.” 

Xavier stumbles from the mass of broken stones and falls to his knees a few feet from where Kevin was lying.  Bracing him self with both hands on the ground.  He starts coughing up large gushes of blood as the gapping hole in his chest continues to allow massive amounts of that crimson fluid to freely pour out.  Kevin watches as Xavier falls onto his back and slowly, painfully begins to change back into his more human form.  Kevin sees his chance to finally kill him and starts painfully crawling over to where he now lay in a large pool of blood.  As Kevin inches closer to Xaviers shivering body his hands slips on the blood soaked ground, and as falls forward on top of him their lips meet.  Xavier’s eyes spring open and for what seemed like an eternity they just stare deep into each other eyes.  Kevin starts shaking his head as he pushes away from him rolling over on to his back as he starts spitting and wiping his mouth clean of Xavier’s blood.  “Ah man that’s gross.  I got your blood in my mouth, gross I thing I swallowed some.  Man now I’m gonna have ta get a rabies shot or something.” 

As he continues to wipe off the blood Xavier starts laughing.  “Kev, man if ya wanted ah goodbye kiss all ya had to do is ask.  Ya didn’t have ta sneak one in like that. Hahahah. 

Kevin’s heart starts to race and his body jerks as the very blood in his veins felt like it wanted to freeze.  The sound of Xavier’s laughing brought him back to the present and he started shaking his head to stop this new feeling from dragging him down.  “Kiss you, kiss you.  Who in thier rite mind would want to kiss ah freak like you.”  Holding his stomach Kevin rolls over and climbs up onto Xavier.  Sitting back on his hips Kevin looks down at him and leans over pinning his bleeding shoulders to the ground.  ‘Even before you changed into what ever you are now, no body would have wanted ta kiss you.  But I know some one who wants ta give ya ah big kiss now though.  My fist, so pucker up baby.”  Kevin sits back up and punches Xavier in the jaw hard several times causing his head to jerk from side to side.  Leaning back up on Xavier’s hips he gasps and starts coughing up more clots of blood.  As he coughs he starts bouncing up and down on Xavier’s hips. 

Xavier starts laughing and looks up at him.  “Man get off me.  NOW’s not a good time, and besides I’m not really in the mood any way.  So can we do this some other time?”

Kevin stops coughing and looks down at him sneering. “Man shut up.  It aint what ya thing it is.” 

Xavier just smiles up at him and winks.  “Oh no, then why are you getting all excited?”  He motions for him to look down and Kevin sees that a large bulge was starting to from in his pants. Kevin cusses and backhands him across the face. 

“I’ll show you what makes me excited, but I’m sure you remember it already”  Kevin stiffly reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his small knife.  Unfolding it he leans over to show it to Xavier and smiles.  ‘Now I’m gonna show ya what makes me real happy little boy.”  As Xavier looks up at the small glinting blade his eyes cloud over and he makes a small crooked smile.  ‘Not this time big boy.”  As Kevin rears back to drive the knife deep into Xavier’s chest something wraps around his wrist and yanks his arm back breaking it and dislocating his shoulder.  As he screams he looks down at Xavier’s smiling face as he is pulled backwards off of him and slammed against the trunk of a large oak tree.  By now he has figured out that the tree its self had reached out for him, and now was wrapping its roots about his mangled body holding him tight.  “What is goin on here let me go NOW.”

‘You’re not going any where Kev, so just chill.  I got stuff to do before I let you go. So just hang around why don’t ya.”  Sitting up on his knees he pulls Nixes stone out of his pocket and places it on top of a near by rock.  “Nix….Nix get your sorry see through butt out here.  Got something for ya ta see.  Nix; I know ya can hear me so just come on already.” 

Nix appears behind him and crosses his arms unhappy by the rude way he was summoned.  “What is it Xavier I was busy.” 

Xavier points over at Kevin and smiles weakly.  “See I told ya I’d get him didn’t I.  Now ya can go back and tell Nioby that I won.” 

Nix just grunts and floats over beside the tree.  “Yes. Yes I will tell them all that you were rite and they were wrong.” 

Kevin looks at Nix then Xavier and starts pulling at his bonds.  “Hey man get me out of here.  I did what you said now it’s your turn.  Get these things off of me.” 

Xavier looks up at Nix and growls.  “What did he mean when he said he did what you told him to do?” 

Nix just nervously smiles and drifts over beside Xavier.  ”Don’t listen to him child.  He would say anything if he thought it would save his skin.”

Kevin starts cussing and pulling at his bonds again.  “That’s ah lie man and you know it.  You told me to kill him and that woman that was here earlier.  You said that if I did that you would make sure he would suffer.  So I did it and now you’re trying to make it all my doing.” 

Xavier stumbles to his feet and looks at both of them hissing.  “Is that true Nix?  Did you tell him to kill Nioby?  Answer me demon.” 

Nix boldly stands in front of him smiling.  “And what if I did pup.  What will you do about it, not much I think?’ 

Xavier bites his lower lip as the tears of hurt and anger start to wale up in his eyes.  “You lied to me; you’ve been lying to me all this time.  Well demon I’ll show you what I can and will do about it.”  Xavier falls to his knees and picks up Nix’s stone.  “You said that you made me suffer, well now I’m gonna return tha favor.  I guess you’ll be saying hello to tha devil tanite too.”  Nix gasps and shrieks as Xavier picks up a large rock and smashes his soul stone into thousands of small pieces.

In a place far removed from what we would call reality, the shock wave caused by the shattering of the stone reaches a dimly lit room.  In this room there are several robed figures clustered around the from of a weak badly injured woman.  As they stagger from its passing Nioby stirs and lifts her head.  “No…Child what have you done?”  Weakly she lowers her head and starts to cry, burring her face in a soft pillow.

Nix begins screaming and darting back and forth among the grave stones.  Clutching at his throat he leans against one and starts laughing.  Xavier looks up at him confused and staggers to his feet.  Nix continues his laughing as he floats over to him and places his hands on Xavier’s shoulder.  “Hahahah… I’m sorry child I just couldn’t resist.  Thanks for setting me free though, I couldn’t have done it with out you.” 

Xaveir just looks up at him and falls to the ground on his back.  “But, but I thought you said that if your stone ever broken you would die.  I don’t understand.” 

Nix floats over and lies on the ground beside him looking up at the stars.  “Well ya see I needed some one dumb enough to fall for my little sob story and let me out.  I couldn’t just tell you that it would free me if you broke it; I had to trick you into it.  Other wise that do gooder Nioby would have stopped you.  Now that I am free again, I’m going make sure she is the first to pay for entrapping me.”  Nix smiles and kisses Xavier on the head.  “Well kids I’m off, got me a new world to create, or an old one to recreate.”  With a low bow he disappears in a swirl of dead leaves and laughter.

Xavier just closes his eyes and starts cussing under his breath.  “She told you not to trust him, but oh no you had to go and help him, nice goin ya hair brain.” 

Kevin just stares with his jaw dropped in disbelief.  “Ok now I’M lost.  What is goin on here?”                 

Xavier half dead manages to make it to his knees and he just looks up at him from under his cap.  “I’ll tell you what’s goin on here Kev old pal.  I’m about to send your sorry butt straight to hell, and there’s not much you can do about it.  So shut up and let me concentrate.”  Kevin begins squirming and trying his best to break free of the tightly constricting roots.  Having lost so much blood, his struggle were no more than small jerks and twitches.  He didn’t have near enough strength to move let alone break free. 

“Common man this aint funny anymore.  Please I’m beginning ya here.  I won’t tell anybody I promise.”  Xavier looks up at him and bars the tips of his fangs. 

Staggering to his feet he stumbles over to Kevin and looks him in the eyes.  In a weak gasping voice he slowly begins to speak.  “I seem to remember not too long a go a boy saying those same words to you.  He was begging for his life, promising not to tell, but you didn’t want to hear.  You just wanted to have some fun with some one weaker than you.  Well now you’re weaker than he ever was; now he wants to have some fun with you.”  Kevin starts crying and begging for his life again but Xavier places his finger to his lip and a small root snakes along the side of Kevin’s head forming a gag to shut him up.

“Now let’s play.  I seem to remember you liked this part of the game.”  Stumbling over to the fire he pulls out the cross that he had lovingly placed there some time ago and turns to face Kevin once again.  He stares at him from under his cap as he staggers back over to him and holds the brightly glowing cross up in front of his eyes.  “Let’s play!”  Smiling Xavier pushes the hot metal deep in to Kevin’s stomach and slowly twits it, so it could burn its way further in.  Kevin’s muffled screams ring out as the smell of burning cloth and skin fills the air.  Xavier falls to his knees exhausted from all the fighting and the loss of so much blood. Leaning against Kevin’s waist Xavier holds onto his belt to keep him from hitting the ground and softly sighs.  “I’m so tired.  All I want ta do is sleep, so tired.” After a few minutes he manages to stagger to his feet and walk a few steps towards the fire then turns to face Kevin once more. With the fire burning brightly behind him Xavier stiffly raises his left hand and his eyes again cloud over.  Kevin could see the fire behind him blaze up brightly as small sparks start to whirl around it.  At first he thought they were sparks caused by one of the burning logs, but as they drew closer he could see that they were shaped like small bats.  The small fiery creatures darted nimbly among the headstones as they spared out form the flames.  They circled around Xavier in large waves, as if the fire itself had risen up to join them.  Xavier’s hand dropped to his side as he starts to loose his balance.  In a weak voice he gives his last command, as his eyes roll back in his head he falls to the ground.                           
                                           
                                                        “End this”

Kevin screams as the thousands of small flaming creatures begin to swarm the tree, causing it and him to burst into flames.  As they tear at his cloths they burrow their way inside of his body causing him to begin burning from the inside out.  Kevin’s scream ring out even thou he was gaged, there could be heard his begging and cussing.  The tree blazes bright as more of the fiery creatures fling themselves into its burning branches. 

Xavier’s lifeless body lay before this brightly burning pier, and just before it collapse onto him a tall robed figure steps from the shadows and gently scoops him up into his arms.  “Rest child, you have earned it.”  As the tree crashes down the robed stranger steps back into the shadows and is gone. 

The local fire department waists no time in responding to the blaze and after a few hours they have it well under control.  As they put out the last of the flames one of them notices a charred body among the ashes.  “Hey sarge, take ah look at this.  Guess someone nodded off while smoking or something.  Poor guy, oh well guess it happens some times.”  Soon after they place the badly burned body into the ambulance a dark whips of smoke filters across the body bag.  A softy voice whispers into the almost burned away ear.  “SSSHHH, I’m here.  Rest now you have much work ahead of you.”  The voice fades as the emergence personnel shut the ambulance doors and head off to the local morgue.

On the other side of the Vail between worlds a similar event plays out.  Several robed figures, one barely standing, gently place a badly battered body onto a small stone platform.  As they start their low chanting, small crystals begin to grow all around this sleeping form. As the chanting grows louder the crystals become larger until they have completely encased Xavier’s body in there eternal embrace.  Nioby softly kisses the newly formed column as she leaves and whispers.

Sleep well child.
Sleep well.