He's a Mess of a Man

Book Two ~ Chapter Eleven

Wherever Lucio stepped, the snow melted into blood-red steam. Soon, it became hard to see. "What's happening?!" Lucio shouted at no one in particular, but all of the dead answered in unison.

"You. Your doing."

"But... I don't know how to stop it!" The red fog only grew denser. It poured out of Lucio's wounds, poisoning the very air around them. "Leviathan..? You still there..?"

Leviathan could barely even make out Lucio's outline beside him. All he could do was hold onto him for dear life. "I'm right here." An unknown amount of time passed when the footsteps of the dead were finally heard to cease. The fog faded to reveal Vesuvia. Though, it was a shell of its former self. The stench of death filled the silent, empty streets. Buildings crumbled and teetered over the canals. Plague beetles crawled over every surface in a thick rolling carpet of red.

Lucio's eyes widened, "The hell is this?!" When Leviathan looked to Lucio, he noticed how different he looked, with no trace of grievous wounds. Just to make sure, Leviathan pressed his palm to Lucio's chest, where the sword struck him. There was nothing but his warm skin and heartbeat beneath Leviathan's fingers. "Uh.. Levi? What are you doing?"

"Just making sure you really weren't hurt."

Lucio laughed lightly, "I told you, I'm fine. Besides, we've got other problems." He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled into the empty square, "Anybody home?! Dead people?! HELLO?!" But there was no answer. There was no trace of the dead or anyone alive, for that matter. "Seriously?! A bunch of dead guys drag us out here, then just disappear on us?"

At this point, Leviathan could tell when Lucio was just affecting bravado. So he didn't bother answering him. Despite Lucio's loud declarations, he was practically glued to Leviathan's side. Leviathan took a few steps into the square, tiptoeing past streams of crawling beetles. "Look. The beetles are all converging on the palace."

"Great. So let's not go that way," Lucio said as he started marching in the opposite direction, toward the narrow streets of the South End. There too, the streets were silent and deserted, though the destruction was less pronounced. "Where is everybody?" Something fluttered in the alleyway to their right, catching both of their eyes, "Hey!" yelped Lucio, "Hey, you! Get back here!" A tall, lanky shadow flitted between the buildings, keeping pace with them. "I know you're out there! Why don't you come into the street and fight us like a-!"

The figure slowly stepped into view, "Hello, Count Lucio. Back to see your handiwork?"

"Julian..?" Leviathan muttered.

But the figure only answered with the same horrible, rattling laughter as the rest of the dead, "You remember this poor sinner. But does he?" Julian pointed an accusing finger right at Lucio.

Lucio smiled nervously, "Jules. Buddy. Just slow down and tell us what's going on here."

"Alone in the darkness. Fever burning beneath the skin. All thanks to you, Count Lucio." Julian's jaw unhinged behind the mask. Hundreds of beetles poured forth, swarming toward Lucio. "Here. A taste of your own medicine."

Lucio yelled, almost a scream, "Get away from me!" and he bolted, sending beetles skittering in his wake.

"Lucio!" shouted Leviathan. But he didn't stop, dashing beneath a crumbling archway and out of sight.

The ominous figure turned to Leviathan, glass eyes glinting brightly, "Unwise to follow him. Why chain yourself to a man who brings death wherever he goes?" Ignoring the ominous warning, Leviathan shoved his way past the figure and sprinted after Lucio. He caught a glimpse of his coat whipping around a corner and into an abandoned building. He bursted after him and into