'The Nocent part 3: Revenant War' Chapter 1

1: Somewhere in the calm of not quite dawn, a rotting, foul corpse stumbled ravenously toward its intended prey.  Too bad this would be the last day of its unlife.  People say that pain eventually goes away, but you see, hunger is a pain that does not subside with time.  Unfortunately, a poor choice of sources for sustenance would be this zombie's undoing.  In its ignorance, it had chosen Damion Varson as its dinner.  Boy oh boy oh boy.  I think you can see where this is going.
  Damion calmly faced his opponent.  His brother, Kenn, had told him that there is only one rule that matters when it comes to dealing with the Revenant: Shoot first, fuck the questions.  Well, Damion took that rule to heart except for one minor detail.  He didn't have a gun.  As you may have guessed, in his case, that wasn't a problem.  Damion raised his left arm, pointing at the zombie's mouth.  He paused for a second as the zombie raised its arms for a death embrace and contorted what was left of its face into a snarl.  Damion wondered why they always do that.  I mean, honestly, who mean mugs their dinner?
  The zombie got within six feet of Damion's fingertip when all of a sudden, a jet of water gushed forth from said fingertip and entered the zombie's mouth.  A split second later, the top of its head exploded in an eruption of blood, brains and water.  Damion's entire body liquefied and flowed into the zombie's mouth and out of the top of its head as a torrent of fluid movement.
  In midair over the zombie's body, Damion formed up with his feet pointed straight up and his left arm extended down to the zombie's empty head.  He leaned back and landed on his feet behind the zombie with his hand still resting on the back of the zombie's head.  He casually pushed the motionless zombie forward and it fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
  Damion brushed off his sleeves then turned his head to survey the area around him in the Arizona desert.  All around him, an entire necrambulistic horde was engaged in immortal combat with the new vampire army of the Collective.  This was the beginning of the Revenant War.

Chapter 52

52: I'm standing at the bottom of a pyramid, looking up.  All around me is sand as far as I can see.  There are no trees.  Nothing at all that would provide any shelter.
  At the top of the pyramid is a royal looking throne made of gold and red velvet.  There is a skeleton sitting in it.  The skeleton is wearing a royal purple robe.
  Since there is nowhere else to go, I start to walk up the steps of the pyramid.  I'm getting closer to the throne.  As I do, I am disgusted as I see my flesh start to deteriorate and fall off my bones.  This will not stop me.  I will continue my ascent.
  At the same time that my flesh is dripping off in huge chunks, I can see that the majestic skeleton in the throne is fading away.  It seems like he will completely disappear soon.  I can already see the details of the throne through his once-solid form.
  By the time I reach top, I am fully skeletonized.  I am now wearing a golden crown and a purple robe.  The skeleton in the throne had disappeared completely.  I then take my place at the throne and sit down.  Now I am the ruler.  Of what, I don't know.
  Looking below, I can see a person is standing at the bottom of the pyramid, looking up at me.  I silently dare him to play King of the Mountain with me.  Bring it on.
  Mina awoke from her dream to find herself safe in her hotel room.  Damion was still sleeping quietly next to her. She sat there, gazing at the ruggedly handsome features on the silent form beside her.  She kissed him softly on the cheek, being careful not to awaken him.  Last night had been magnificent.  There is no limit as to what a liquid body can do.  Mina took some comfort in knowing that the Collective were, basically, a living pool of water. She had always imagined the Other Side to be like that.  In the room's bathroom, Stratford sat, perched on the shower curtain rod, sleeping.  Pretty soon everyone would be waking up.
  Mina sighed because today was the day that the new vampire army could engage the zombie army in mortal conflict.  She felt hungry.  Is this how the Revenant feel?  That deep, gnawing hunger for human flesh?  Shudder.  She looked outside her window at the sunrise.  Arizona sunrises had a magical serenity about them that she loved almost as much as the spectacular sunsets.  She could tell just by looking at the dew on the grass that it was a little chilly out.  That was something she had noticed over the years.  It's always coldest right after sunrise.

Chapter 51

51: Each of the nine hundred, five rocks now contained the spirit of one of the Collective.  The band played for over two hours because they all knew that tomorrow, the vampire army would go out to face the hordes of the undead. The Revenant War would begin in the dawn's mystical illumination.
  Daniel had given the Untaken a lesson in Sypraxian physiology and theology before he died.  "This is an important tactical lesson because you have to know the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy.  That way you know how they can defeat you and how you can defeat them.  As Confucius once said, 'To take untaught men into battle is to cast them away.'  I'm gonna give you an edu-ma-cation.
  "All Sypraxians have a liquid body.  We've already established that the only difference physically is that the Nocent have the Syproid gland.  That is their brain.  The Nocent use the energy of the mind to live.  Therefore, since the Revenant were created by the Nocent spirits, the only way to kill the Revenant will be by destroying their brains.  That is their only weak spot.
  "On the other hand, the Collective use the energy of the heart to live.  Since this new vampire army will be created by the Collective spirits, the only way to kill the vampires will be to destroy their hearts.  There is another important thing to remember.  They will only be half vampires.  They must not kill any humans or else they will lose their soul.  If that happens, they will be left with only their body, which, as we know, is made of stone.  They will literally be turned to stone.  Also, since the Nocent value solidity, the Revenant eat flesh.  The Collective value liquid, so the vampires will only drink blood, no solid food.
  "The Sypraxian religion, the Hierarchy of Sypraxus, holds that the more immaterial something is, the closer it is to God.  I mean, you know, other than dark spirits, of course.  But anyway, the Collective believe this, but the Nocent hold to a different ideal.  They have the Hierarchy backwards.  They hold solidity in high regard.  That is why they are so fascinated with humans.  That is also why they have Syproid glands.  It is not a naturally occurring organ.  When someone chooses to follow the ways of the Nocent, they must first prove their loyalty by performing some task for them.  Then they are implanted with the Syproid gland, which is an electronic device which acts like an energy/information storage device.  It's like a battery and computer all in one.  Once it's implanted, it cannot be removed or else that Nocent will die."
  Now that Daniel was dead, it was up to the Untaken and the Collective to keep the Defectors and the Revenant from terrorizing the rest of the world.  There was no telling how far the Scathing could reach.  Now that it was airborne, it would spread and the armies of the undead would grow.  A lot of what lay ahead was rescue missions for those still alive in Marble Cliffs.  Also, a search and destroy mission would be undertaken for the Revenant around town.  Lastly, there would be the creation of the Volunteer Auxiliary Mortified Platoon, made up of those Untaken who chose to join in the fight.  While most of the Collective would be going out tomorrow, a select few would remain at the hotel to protect the Untaken and to begin the voluntary vampiric transformation process.

Chapter 50

50: Damion had been standing with Mina, watching this miracle take place.  For the moment, Stratford went back to Kenn's shoulder.  Damion turned to Mina and asked, "Madam, would you give me the pleasure of dancing with me?"
  "I don't know how to dance," muttered Mina.
  Damion looked around the ballroom and pointed to the refreshment table.  There was a rose in a vase standing next to the punch bowl.  "I have a mission for you.  Please go over there and smell that rose."
  Mina looked at the flower he was pointing to and said, "That one?  Why?"
  "Because you never have before.  And if you don't do something about it, you may never get another chance to."
  Mina went to the table and bent forward to the flower.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of its light fragrance.  She smiled and brought it to Damion.
  He smiled back at her.  "Is it good?"
  Mina nodded.  "It's a keeper."  He put the flower in her hair.  She gazed into Damion's eyes and without another word, they swept the dance floor arm in arm.  They were incongruously waltzing to a hip hop song blaring from the speakers.  Mina was a better dancer than she knew.
  Damion whispered into her ear, "If you're hungry, I am also a fabulous chef."  They left the ballroom and went together to the hotel's kitchen facilities.  Within half an hour, Damion had whipped up a gourmet meal for two.  They ate the noodles with chopsticks.  Mina was a little awkward with the chopsticks.  She got some of her sauce on her finger.  They both giggled as she set down her chopsticks.  She began to lick her finger suggestively.  Damion leaned forward and also began to lick her finger.  Their tongues mingled on her finger, with the taste of her sauce as the music to which they danced.  When the meal was done, they went up to Mina's room.

Chapter 49

49: Pretty soon, all the rocks were red with Daniel's blood and the band was prepared.  Jeffrey tested his microphone.  "Good evening, individuals.  We are the Maine Eleven Company.  This first song is called 'House of Cards'.  We hope you enjoy it."  Alex started into the intro and Lowe Freq thumped out his bass line.  Carrionette threw down a beat, then Jeffrey started to sing the words, "Here, in the house made of cards is my heart.  With a life full of scars I am hurt.  Lift me up."  The song started out mellow, but by the middle of the second verse, Jeffrey was screaming, "Did you believe they were giving you something you could give to anyone?  Was it a sacrifice or was it dollars and cents?!"  At the end of the song, Jeffrey belted out, "Give me love!" with all the passion he could reach deep inside for.
  As the band launched into more songs from their repertoire, the energy in the room became palpable.  Then something amazing started to happen.  Green streaks of light began to burst forth from the speakers and one by one shoot like a laser into each of the rocks.  The Untaken, who were standing in the enormous auditorium for the concert/revivification stepped away from the rocks and watched in stunned fascination.  Apparently, the band had gotten their chi to flow because the rocks on the floor started to glow with the green light and grow in size.  They grew like a seed to a tree in seconds flat until they were the size and shape of human beings.  Then each of them became a distinct person.
  The band kept right on playing because then, the newly formed Collective vampire army started to dance to the music.  The Untaken joined in the jubilee as the night wore on.  It was a celebration of life and a new hope.

Chapter 48

48: When Kenn, Damion and Stratford returned safely to the hotel, everyone was amazed to see Damion walking around with his own body.  They were used to seeing him merely as Kenn's reflection.
  Mina walked up to Damion and gave him a hug.  "It's good to finally meet you in person.  From all that Kenn talks about you, I feel as if I already know you."
  "And I bet it feels good not having to get the chills whenever I'm around."
  "Yes, you are quite warm to the touch."
  Kenn brought in Daniel's body from his trunk.  The stage was set for the final act of the plan that the Untaken had formulated.  Actually, a stage literally was set.  The Maine Eleven Company was booked for a gig tonight at the Hotel of Wonders.  They had an integral part to play in the plan to overcome the Revenant and the Defectors.
  Daniel had said that the Collective's lifeforce behaves much like the concept of chi.  It was all around in the air now that it was no longer in Daniel's body.  His sacrifice had served the purpose of distracting Rend while Kenn aimed his shot, but also had a much more important function.  It freed the Collective spirits from their bodily confinement.  Tonight they would have new homes.
  Bill was very familiar with the concept of chi.  It was a form of energy.  It could be channeled.  It could be focused and concentrated.  "A literal translation of chi is life breath.  All we need is a vessel to contain the life force.  To give a body to these spirits.  Since everything will eventually turn to dust, it doesn't matter what the vessel consists of.  The spirits will give it life.  In the beginning, God formed Adam out of the dust of the Earth.  Then he put into him the breath of life."
  "What about the rocks outside on the lawn?" asked Barney.
  "Yes, that would be perfect.  Daniel said that there are nine hundred, five spirits of the Collective.  Have several people go out to gather the rocks and arrange them here in the auditorium."  There was another more grim task that needed to be tended to.  Now that Kenn and Damion had returned with Daniel's body, several of the men set to draining the body of its blood.  This vital fluid was collected and brushed onto each of the rocks with paint brushes.  These would not be ordinary people being given life to tonight.
  Alexander looked doubtful as to the whole idea of playing to a bunch of rocks.  "OK, so I understand this chi thing, but how are we going to channel it into the rocks?" he asked.  "I've heard of rock concerts, but this is ridiculous.  You mean these rocks are supposed to come alive?"
  Bill looked at him compassionately.  "In the orient, we believe that we can get our chi to flow if we have a pure focus.  That can come from meditation or from passionate activity.  I doubt any of us know to to meditate.  But you do know passionate activity.  When you are performing onstage, you are pouring forth your energy with passion and intensity.  That energy is 'infectious' as they say.  At your concerts, it really gets the crowd energized.  It screams out of your pores, out of your fingers, your eyes, your mouth.  Every ounce of your being explodes with raw power.  It's electricity in its purest form.  The life energy all around you will gravitate toward you and be propelled out of you and penetrate everything in its path.  That life energy right now is filled with the spirits of the Collective and it will saturate and possess these rocks, giving them life."
  "Shit.  Well, I'll believe it when I see it," replied Alex.
  Bill smiled.  "Alexander, you are forgetting the element of faith.  Buddha once said that 'Faith is the encouragement when one's way is long and wearisome, and it leads to enlightenment.'  It is easy to believe when you can see.  My philosophy is 'To believe is to see.'  You will only see something once you believe that you will."
  "Yeah, you know.  Well, I've got to go warm up and tune my guitar."
  "Yes, go get ready for the show.  I know you will let your chi flow."
  "Dude, did you say, 'Chief Lowe?'" asked Lowe Freq.
  "No," Bill laughed, "but I think that's what I will call you if you don't mind.  I never got a chance to properly thank you for helping to rescue my wife.  I owe a debt of gratitude to all of you who helped, including you, Chief Lowe."  Beside him, Sandy, who was still weak, beamed with joy at the men who had helped her.
  She licked her lips to moisten them and said, "I hope that you all will have an iced A."  The band surged with pride and a renewed sense of confidence.

Chapter 47

47: While the adrenalin was still wearing off in Kenn's system, something happened which was not a part of the plan.  The water began to ripple in a gentle way as if a breeze was going over it.  Kenn aimed his revolver at it, but Stratford said, "Hold your horses."  Kenn knew to trust Stratford, so he just watched as the water formed up into the shape of a man.
  "Kenn, you weren't gonna shoot your beloved little brother were you?"  It was Damion.
  "Damion!"  Kenn's eyes welled up with tears.  "I can't believe it!  How?  What?!"
  "To be honest, I'm not sure, but I believe it was brotherly love that made me able to take this body once it was not in use anymore by its original occupant."  They clasped each other in a long, heart-felt embrace.  "I've got some more good news for you.  Let's take a walk to the bathroom."  They walked to the back bedroom and into the small bathroom.  "Go ahead, look into the mirror."  Kenn looked and jumped back as if he had been struck by a blow to the face from a baseball bat.  He turned his head from side to side to verify that what he was looking at was indeed his own reflection.
  "That's my face.  How did that?  What is this?"
  "The nearest I can figure is that when Rend killed Daniel, your soul was released from limbo because Daniel was the one who had turned you into a vampire.  You had never killed anyone so you still a soul.  It hadn't gone to Infurnus.  But once Daniel was dead, you had your soul back and were completely free to kill Rend without losing your soul and becoming a full vampire.  And, as I said before, once you had your own soul back, you displaced mine, but I didn't go into the light.  Our bond kept me here on this plane of existence.  At that point, I chose to take over Rend's discarded shell."
  "You know what this means, don't you?" asked Kenn.  "It means I'm going to have to start shaving again."
  Damion flicked his big brother's ear.  "Shut up, dumbass.  Hey, if you don't mind, I'd like to see if Stratford wants to sit on my shoulder."  It took Kenn a moment to respond.
  "What?  Oh yeah, of course.  He's your bird.  I was just taking care of him for you."  Kenn was still admiring his reflection, not really paying attention to anything else.
  A lump formed in Damion's throat because he had waited so many long years for this moment.  "Stratford.  Hey, my good boy.  You want to hang out with daddy?"  He extended his hand toward Kenn's shoulder, inviting Stratford to perch on his outstretched arm.  Stratford scooted onto the offered arm and hopped a few times until he was nestled comfortably on Damion's shoulder.
  Stratford nuzzled Damion's cheek with his beak.  "I love you, daddy," he cawed.
  Damion wept openly and sputtered, "I love you too, my good boy."
  There were other things to attend to so Kenn and Damion gathered Daniel's body and put it in Kenn's trunk.  They got into the car and drove back to the hotel.  There was still much to do before the night was over.

Chapter 46

46: Daniel didn't need directions to the cabin.  He'd been there before.  He also knew exactly how Rend was following him.  Daniel had all the spirits of the Collective in him so he knew all that they knew, but he also retained the memories of his life.  The Daniel part of him wished he could right all his wrongs.  He knew that he couldn't, but this would be his apology to God for all those he had wronged over the years.  The Collective part of him knew that Rend was in hot pursuit even though he couldn't see him anywhere.
  Deep under the ground, in the city's sewer system, Rend could feel every rumble of the jeep overhead.  This fool would soon perish by Rend's inexorable torrent of liquid death.  Up above, Daniel made a left, off the main road and onto a dirt road.  It didn't matter.  If there was running water at Daniel's destination, Rend would not be put off that easily.  Even if he had to surface to continue his pursuit, Rend would get his man.  This would be the last day of Daniel's life.
  Up ahead, Daniel saw the isolated, deserted cabin on the horizon with the foothills in the background.  This part of their plan would soon come to a conclusion.  This would be Daniel's last stand against an enemy of all humankind.  The jeep quickly approached the small cabin, kicking up considerable dust in the process.  No time now to worry about any exposure to the Scathing as an airborne pathogen.  There was no time to think about anything else because there was only one thing on his mind at the moment.
  He screeched the jeep to a halt in front of the cabin and jumped out.  He ran to the front door which he knew would be unlocked.  He opened it and ran inside.  He went around the rust-colored love seat and turned right to go into the kitchen.  As soon as he got there, there was a violent eruption of water from the kitchen sink's drain.  In midair, the water formed up into the shape of a man.  With outstretched arms, this man reached for Daniel Reese while still in mid-flight.  Rend clamped his right hand squarely over Daniel's mouth and nose.  Daniel's eyes went wide, but he didn't give a single sign of a struggle.  The liquid of Rend's hand rushed through Daniel's throat and sought out his lungs, filling them with deadly fluid.
  Rend stood there with his hand over Daniel's mouth until Daniel's body went slack and slumped to the floor.  Rend let him drop like a sack of potatoes.  Excited from the thrill of the chase and the glory of the kill, Rend stood in triumph over his fallen foe.
  Suddenly, from behind him, a strange voice said, "Left eye."  He turned around to find that he was staring down the barrel of Kenn Varson's service revolver.  As instructed by Stratford, Kenn aimed at Rend's left eye and pulled the trigger without a moment's hesitation.  There was a huge splash as Rend's entire body exploded backward from the force of the impact of the bullet.
  Kenn knew that Damion's spirit had thoroughly examined Rend's body and found the little brain which was only the size and shape of a dime.  Rend was keeping it in his left eye.  Destroying that was the only way to kill him, but Kenn still wanted to be cautious.  Under his watchful gaze, the dark stain on the old green throw rug stayed just a stain.  Kenn hovered over it with Stratford on his shoulder.