The New World: Afterlife

Chapter 8

Jim was still processing the fact that his mother was still alive, technically, and he had managed to age further than her physically. Janice looked like she could be his daughter, not his mother. Jim wondered if there were other things he'd been lied to about regarding his family's history, specifically his father's side. He never learned about his mother's side except the fact that they were spellcasters and the source of Jim's ability to do magic. Janice didn't like talking about them, they probably weren't worth mentioning, not because an outer being already did enough lore building for this world and forgot about Janice's family, rather because they weren't that interesting anyways. 
"So, how did you kill him?" Leehoimen asked Jim while they all sat together at a table as a family, a very strange family. A 1000+ year old vampire, a 300+ year old vampire, a serial killer who was also 300+ years old and whatever Turg was, he was almost 100. They were all ancient by human standards. They were dining together, kinda. Jim chose not to question where Leehoimen got the blood for Janice from and where in a vampire-populated palace he got actual food from. Some things are better left unknown. 
"Kill who?" Jim asked Leehoimen in response, he's killed hundreds of people so he needed to specify who, that's if Jim remembered the name of the victim. He rarely ever remembered people's names. 
"Your father?" Leehoimen asked Jim again. Jim then replied with "Oh, my bad. My mind is a bit slow right now." 
Jim then answered Leehoimen's question by explaining "A while ago he found me and forced his way into my household, declaring himself king and making everyone pay taxes to him. He said that as long as he was alive I wouldn't be king and that he was the descendant of royalty. So I killed him and took his title. Vampires burn very easily." 
"Not all of us." Leehoimen mentioned before then saying "But he was right, but you're the king now."
Leehoimen then looked at Janice and said quietly "Well, maybe not yet if your mother still lives." 
Jim wasn't liking what Leehoimen was implying. Sure, he didn't really like Janice but he wasn't going to kill her for what he thought was just a fake title. Jim was only playing along to inherit the palace, he wanted it. Leehoimen looked back over at Turg and asked him "What about you? Are you a killer too? Did you kill your father?"
Turg seemed almost offended that Leehoimen would ask him that. Turg had killed someone before, but he didn't remember it, though Jim did. It was hard to forget watching his fiancé throw someone off a tower while under said person's mind control of sorts. Jim never fully understood what happened to him during that odd time, Turg didn't seem to either. 
"No, Turg would never." Jim answered for Turg. 
"I kinda find that hard to believe." Leehoimen then said as Jim continued "Turg is more of a lover." 
Turg nodded in approval to what Jim said about him as Jim then said "And to be honest, he's inspired me to be more like him." 
"What do you mean?" Leehoimen asked Jim. 
"Causing chaos has gotten old, I don't live that life anymore. You won't catch me committing murder anymore." Jim answered before adding "Though I still instinctively threaten to kill people I don't like, I am still working on that. In my defence, they were annoying."
There was silence for a brief moment before Janice quietly said "So, that runs in the family."
"Gee, whatever happened to you it must've been pretty bad to turn you into a better person." Leehoimen commented. 
"It's a very long story." Jim responded as Turg added "Yes. Very long."
"I'm actually curious, but not THAT curious so you can just give me a shortened version." Leehoimen said as Jim figured he might as well share it. 
"Long story short, I started an apocalypse because my son went to hell and came back as a demon who hunted me down." Jim explained before adding "And a power-hungry man wanted Turg's amulet. That happened a few years later." 
There was more silence before Leehoimen broke it by saying "Well, that sounds like fun." 
Jim took that as Leehoimen being sarcastic, so he replied with "It sure was." 
"No, seriously. If I were in that situation I would be having the time of my life. I wish I could experience something like that, being hunted by demons is something I have to experience for myself." Leehoimen explained as he leaned back in his chair. Jim then realized that Leehoimen was not being sarcastic. He then told Leehoimen "Trust me, you DON'T want to live through that." 
"I can't help it, Jim. I'm kind of a curious man who's always seeking new things." Leehoimen responded to Jim as he was glaring at Leehoimen. Jim then looked at Turg and asked "Shall we bring him there? Let him see it for himself?"
Turg wasn't understanding what Jim meant by that, but Leehoimen heard them and asked "We going somewhere?"
Jim then stood up with Turg, telling him "Turg, take us back to what's left of that cursed town." 
Turg put his hand on his amulet as a portal opened behind him, it led to the magic realm. Leehoimen wasn't phased by it but Janice was stunned. Leehoimen then stood up and went over to them while Janice said "I better stay here, you guys go." 
The three went through the portal as Turg opened another, he couldn't open one to the same realm as that amulet was more of a quick way for him to go back to the magic realm, but he used it as a method of travel to different places. When they got there, they were on what still stood of the docks. Jim remembered what happened vividly, someone had rigged it to explode and Jim didn't see it as a big issue at the time, though he quickly learned that he should've listened to Turg. The sun was still high in the sky there, the sky was clear and the breeze off of the ocean was making it seem colder than it was. At least they were still wearing their coats, though Leehoimen wasn't, and he wasn't burning up in the sun either somehow. Leehoimen looked around and said "This place could use a few repairs."
"We've tried before, but it all fell apart again like always, which is why we all abandoned it." Jim explained. He then looked over on the half submerged rubble in the sea and said "This was where we lived, it's underwater now." 
"It collapsed into the sea?" Leehoimen asked as Jim answered with "Yes, it did."
Jim was starting to regret coming back, he just wanted to prove a point but was instead getting reminded of all the things he still relives in his nightmares. Leehoimen then said "Shame."
"Turg remembers. There was explosion. There was fire. Turg don't like fire." Turg offered his own explanation as Jim sat down on the edge staring at the sea below. 
"What else happened here?" Leehoimen asked as he stood over Jim while Turg sat down next to him. 
"Doomsday, multiple fires, many fights in the streets, you name it." Jim answered as Leehoimen then said rather enthusiastically "Sounds like lots of fun."
"For you, maybe." Jim said in response. 
"I don't get it, Jim. All your other previous reincarnates would've loved to live the life you have." Leehoimen told Jim as he was starting to get fed up with Leehoimen. Jim stood back up, looked him directly in the eyes and started ranting "Well maybe I'm not like them because I am my own person and not the one you seem to think I am. If you lived my life you would understand. I used to be like you, but having everyone you care about leave your life and have everything taken from you can really change someone." 
Leehoimen stood back a bit, he wanted to say something but Jim continued ranting before he could while still maintaining eye contact. 
"The night I tried to resurrect my son was when my life changed and I still don't know if it was for better or for worse. He took everything from me, including my powers, and left me to die in that wasteland. If it weren't for Turg I would've been a goner and that would've been the end of Jim Pickens." Jim continued ranting to Leehoimen as Turg started standing by Jim's side. 
"I guess whatever happened isn't very fun." Leehoimen said followed by nervous laughter. Jim took a deep breath and continued with "It's not fun fighting for your life every day, literally killing people over stale food and table-scraps while being hunted by several beings. If it weren't for Turg, I would've surrendered myself to that demon just for it all to end." 
Jim then looked at Turg, remembering what happened that night. 
"What did he do?" Leehoimen asked Jim, but Turg answered "Turg restored life. Turg make demon go back where he came from." 
"Oh, so he was one of those. I've encountered one myself, turg blood is enough to banish them, just the tiniest amount is enough to hurt them." Leehoimen mentioned as he eyed Turg. Jim then told him "No, you may not have his blood."
"Relax, I wasn't going to." Leehoimen reassured Jim as he then said "Besides, as I'm sure you've witnessed yourself, he can hurt them by just touching them. No need for blood, unless you're a non-turg." 
Jim was a human but he had turg blood, which made him wonder if he was converted into one when Jasper gave him the gift. He too would start to glow like Turg could sometimes, but he didn't look like any member of Turg's species. If he was one, it would just add to the list of things Jim has been, such as; vampire, merman and a ghost. 
"I would've loved to known about the existence of these beings before I summoned that creature, honestly." Jim said in a rather defeated tone. 
"So, was that all? Being hunted and killing people over food? I guess that's justified, but remind me to not be around you while you're hangry." Leehoimen shifted the topic back onto why experiencing what Jim went through wasn't fun. Jim wanted to go into detail about the things he did to keep himself and Turg from starving, but he figured it would've just been a waste of time. Instead, Jim replied with "You don't seem to get it, but this is why I am the way I am now. I don't want to end up doing something that causes me to relive this again." 
"Turg don't want either. Turg been through enough." Turg said as Jim looked at him again, remembering the events that more involved him. Jim just wanted to give Turg a better life, but a certain someone had other plans. Jim then sighed and sat back down on the edge of the dock, staring back down on the water. 
"I swear I am cursed, every time I try to do something good it ends up making everything worse. So I've given up on trying to be a good person, I've settled on whatever I am now. This ghost-town serves as a reminder of my failed attempts at doing good." Jim explained as Turg sat back down next to him. 
"We seem to be incapable of doing good. It's not your fault." Leehoimen told Jim as he said "That's what I thought." 
"Though nobody has ever wanted to break that cycle until now." Leehoimen continued before adding "It's very unlike of a Pickens to decide they want to be a decent person."
There was silence between the three before Jim said "Let's go back, I can't stand to be here any longer."