Shades of Pale

5

"What were those things? Luke asked.
Spirits that wouldn't rest in peace," she replied. "The ring on his finger, I sensed all of the evil coming from it. I never seen a holy relic so corrupted."
"Holy relic?" He thinks to himself. Wanting badly to ask but not wanting to hear the answer.
"What happened to kasah?" He asked
"She got angry" Miketta says holding her in her arms as the scarab zips across the desert sands.
"Her amulet protects her, but it has a strong darkness inside of it, if she gets to a point of deep distress, the dark souls in it take control, and then she could be a danger, to everyone."
"But wait aren't we already dead, we can't die twice?.. right?" Luke inquired.

"The world of the living is a world of order, when we die we cross that threshold from order to chaos. There's no time, no law, just this sphere of existence created by the Gods long ago. Once we expire here, Oblivion awaits, our essence lost forever." She replied.
Luke looked on horrified, he grew up believing in heaven and hell. That if he were a good person, he would go to heaven and that the wicked souls would burn in eternal flame, and he shakes in terror at the realization that he is in neither.
"Do not be afraid, death is a beautiful thing. We all find ourselves when we leave everything behind," Miketta says.
At the edge of the desert is a thick black forest. Miketta holds her love tight as Kari gently retreats back into the sand. Luke looks at the giant trees in awe, he walks up to one and touches it, jumping back in surprise as he feels a pulse.

"Come on let's go, we're almost there," Miketta says hoisting Kasah onto her shoulders.
Darkness descends upon them as they make their way into the deathly forest interior.
Lanterns dot the dark path in the heart of the forest. The trees that expire are petrified, and are turned into makeshift homes for the inhabitants.
Seeing Miketta's weary face, Luke takes Kasah upon his shoulders.
"You made walls out of sand, how?" Luke asked.
"Our relics, were once used by the Gods in a great war long ago. The souls that dwell within bonds with us, and with that bondage comes power beyond your wildest dreams, but it also comes with a price" she replied.
They stopped upon a big red petrified tree, its branches reaching towards the thick canopy above. She puts her hand on the front of the tree, her amulet glows and a door appears.
"Her and I, we've been through everything together, it's weird like we share the same memories," Miketta says walking inside.

The the living space was large, dark, and mostly empty besides a few lit candles, and a makeshift bed on the floor. Luke carefully sets Kasah down on the bed while Miketta lights a black candle. Luke looks on as Miketta holds the candle over her love, and begins to chant softly. Her indecipherable words causing Kasah's amulet to glow, and the restless souls emerge from it as beams of light, bouncing to and from the walls before dissipating into nothingness. Miketta lights a red candle, placing it to the left of Kasah, and the black one on the right. Miketta chants softly once more, then sat in silence as the glow from the candles illuminate the sleeping beauty.
"Let's go," Miketta says looking back at Luke.
"Are you.. you sure you want to leave her here?" He asked.
"The fight took a lot out of her, her amulet needs time to recharge, we should leave her for a while."
Luke glances back at the sleeping Kasah as he quietly exits the tree.

"So Luke, tell me about your life before death." Miketta says as the walk back towards the endless desert.
"Well, I was a DJ and I loved it. Making people dance and have fun, it was what I lived for. He says staring out into the sandy dunes beyond.
"Joy was everything to me. I would do anything, just to make her smile," he says as images of her flashes through his mind.
"When..when she told me she was pregnant I-"
He stopped himself,  a tear rolls down his cheek as reality sets in.
"I'm gone now, there's no way I can't be there for her, for them"
Miketta takes his trembling hand in hers, hugging him and kissing him on the forehead as he quietly sobs.

"You don't have to say anything else, I'm sorry," Miketta says, "I asked because, I don't remember anything before I came here. Me and Kasah just rose from the dust, and we could never part from each other."
"You don't remember anything?", He asked.
She shakes her head and looks down painfully at her amulet.
"We wondered this realm for ages, and we have no idea of who we are, or what we used to be. So every time we see someone else we ask, and they always remember, I guess it's our way of living too."
"I wish.. I wish there was something I could do to help. I mean, I have my memories as painful as they are I wouldn't let them go for the world," He says.
"It's okay," she replies, "I just want to find out what's going on, it's like something here isn't  adding up."

They both look out into the eternal dawn, not saying a word. The light desert winds blows Miketta's curly hair into a dance. A tear falls down onto her amulet  as she looks down before bursting into tears.
"You shouldn't cry," Luke says holding her close. "You may not remember being alive but.. but at least you're not alone!!"
Miketta looks up at him, before collapsing to her knees.
"Look, Kasah has been with you the whole time," Luke says kneeling down in front of her.
"I don't know what's going on, I'm alone and I'm scared, but I'm here, and in some ways I- I wish  Joy was here with me. Trust me in my eyes you're lucky."
Miketta is speechless, locking sights with Luke's fiery eyes.
"W- we should go back to Kasah now," she says wiping the tears from her face.

"You're not going anywhere goddess!" A voice shouts out of the vast desert in front of them.
The wind picks up substantially, the sand engulfing them in a whirlwind. Blinded by the sand, Luke struggles the make out the figure. Miketta's Amulet begins to glow intensely, her rage building with every second.
"Enough!!" She yells canceling out the whirlwind.
As the dust settles, a grimacing look crosses Miketta's face as
Mel slowly approaches them.
"No, yo- you should be on oblivion!" Miketta says petrified.
"That's right, you failed now it's your turn Goddess!!" Mel says holding up a fragment of Ax's ring.
She lets out a menacing laugh before swallowing the ring fragment.
"Goddess? What?" Miketta thinks to herself.
She watches in horror as Mel's brown skin turn's into a dark red. She throws up a purple substance, and her body bulks up to immense proportions.
"What's going on?" Luke says backing up slowly.
Mel let's out a tremendous roar before wings sprout from her back.
Miketta quickly compresses a hard glass sword out of the surrounding sand.
"Luke, take this!" She says tossing it to him.
Luke catches it walking up besides her. "I hope Kasah wakes up soon," he says readying himself for battle.
Miketta forms her flail, her amulet glowing at its brightest.
"This time I'll finish you," she says with fire in her eyes.