The Return | Cricky

Chapter XXIII: God Of the Undead

Ricky pulled me to my feet, addressing me in the most serious tone I'd ever heard from him, "Chris, listen to me. I normally don't care about your habit for disobedience, but just this once, I need you to follow my orders, down to the letter. I don't want you to so much as lift a finger without me telling you to. Understood?"

I nodded, "Understood. Where are we, by the way?"

"His real home, underground. What's on the surface, that's just a facade." He responded.

The stranger with us, who apparently is Avatar Country's demon lord, Johannes, piped in. "I don't believe it a good idea to keep him waiting."

Ricky reluctantly agreed. Ryan and I let them lead the way. Not only did we have no clue where we were going, but after all I've been through, I'd rather not be in the front. I'm glad Kuza is here, too. Even after the blood Ricky gave me, I'm in no condition to fight. Ryan isn't much better.

Once we'd left the dungeon, we walked through various corridors before reaching a psychedelic lounge. I felt like I was in a nightclub. It may not be as elegant as Ricky's home, but it was certainly extravagant. There were several nearly or completely naked girls scattered about the room. Directly in front of us, laid back on the couch, was a thin man with long dirty hair and a beard. Zombie, I can only assume.

"Honestly, I expected a little more from your servants, Ricky." He said.

"Well," Ricky scoffed, "It wasn't exactly a fair fight, was it?"

Zombie smirked in return, accepting the challenge. He lazily waved his hand to signal one of his men. Though I saw none near by, I didn't forget how one materialized out of thin air once before. In the blink of an eye, he had appeared behind Kuza and wrapped his hand around his neck. I remember his name was John. He wasn't a phantom, but he sure looked like one.

I'd never seen Kuza fight first hand. He's always been a spy and when in danger, an expert escape artist. For a moment, I was worried about him, but I should know Ricky better than that by now. With the muttering of one word, he changed the tides of the battle instantly. Ricky murmured, "Amadeus." Kuza screamed as his body began to pull apart at the molecules. I'd seen this happen to him once before, when I'd first come to this world. Then, it was something Ricky worked hard to stop from happening.

Now, it was a different story, it appears. With Ricky in control, Kuza's body split into two separate forms. The original remained in John's grasp, while the other was free to attack him. This twin seemed far more unstable. He had a look in his eyes that I didn't like. Just when you think you know a person. Both sides of Kuza were able to attack John, giving him a run for his money. On top of having that disappearing act, he was an expert swordsman. They carried on sparing for a few minutes. Everyone in the room watched, seeing no clear victor.

"That's enough." Zombie stated.

John listened, seizing his activities. Kuza stopped in response. He wasn't looking too good, and neither was Ricky. Our loving Master hated putting us in harm's way. He had to prove a point. We knew that, and we knew he knew that, but it wouldn't stop him from beating himself up over it. Ricky performed an abbreivated version of the spell he'd used to repair Kuza before. Because he was the one that caused the imbalance this time, it was easier for him to fix.

"I had no intention of fighting you." Ricky informed him.

"Then why did you send your men here?" He responded.

"Would you believe it was to spread the good word of our King?" Johannes grinned ear-to-ear. He gives off major Joker vibes, which makes me glad he's on our side.

"From you, yeah." Zombie said, "From him, no."

Oh, that is not an attitude you want to take up with Ricky. Now, if I had spoken to him that way, he would've put me in my place with an overdose of sass. However, since we were talking to a guy that could probably kill us with the snap of his fingers, he maintained a level head. Much to my surprise, he answered honestly.