Nightmare Part 2

The Liquid began to morph into a beautiful female, her hair blood red. Suddenly to Basil's realization it was Lilynette standing before him. Before he could question her the torches all blow out as she suddenly vanishes and appears directly behind him. Grabbing his throat she knee's him into the lower spin, almost paralyzing him. She gets down onto her knee's and strums her finger's along his spinal cord as he winces in pain.

Lilynette: So how does it feel Basil, how does it feel to relive your past all over again? How does it feel to witness everything, to feel everything that you have always hidden.

Lilynette places her hand onto Basil's mouth, muffling his attempt to speech. Suddenly her hands began to change shape, her fingers becoming like claws. She began to dig her finger's inwards, piercing around Basil's mouth, sinking deep into his flesh. She begins to laugh as she could feel his blood run along her finger's. As she maintains her hold, sudden visions appear before Basil, his mind racing.

Lilynette: Oh it's not over yet my dear boy. It's only just beginning!

Suddenly Lilynette vanishes, as the area begins to change before Basil's eyes.

The stone walls crumble. The ceiling turns into ashes as wind blows it away, revealing a dark sky, covered by gray clouds.. The ground starts shaking as it is reforming. After a few short moments there was no trace of the dungeon. Now Basil was in the middle of a barren wasteland. Cold wind was blowing, moving gusts of sand from one place to another. There was no sign of a sun of any kind, nor moon, nor stars, but somehow it was not as dark as it would be in the night. The wind was carrying dark whispers from afar.

Basil Blackheart: Why are you doing this to me, my queen?

His voice echoes in the empty wasteland with no one to answer it. A small shadow falls towards Blackheart, forming a human body. It appeared as if there was a human casting the shadow but there was no one in sight. Suddenly the shadow rose up as if it was a picture. As if it was a balloon which just became filled with air it expanded from a flat surface to a three dimensional model. As the wind was blowing the shadow turned into a shell of dust which was spread by the wind. Behind the dark shell appeared a man. His skin was dry and grayish green in color. His hair was long, dry and white. His eyes appeared as if there was a gray curtain in front of them. He was wearing a normal soldier’s armor with a gold badge of honor on the right side of his chest plate. A long sword was comfortably tucked in a scabbard, attached on the man’s belt. The most disturbing thing about that being is that its head was tilted slightly sideways and there was a scar on his neck, still covered in dried up blood. There were several arrows stuck in his armor. A broken spear was going through his chest with its blade coming out in front of him. Blackheart was shocked by the appearance of the man. The undead think made a step towards Basil, who responded with a quick step backwards.

Undead man: What!? You can’t recognize your father?

A shiver went down Basil’s spine when he heard the man speaking.

Basil Blackheart: Imp…impossible….

The executioner tried to make another step backwards but stumble into a rock and fell on his bottom. The undead man laughed from his heart.

Undead man: What’s happening son? You turned as pale as me ha-ha!

Blackheart was trembling on the ground. He hasn't seen his father for so long. There was an image of his old man embed deep in his mind but he could not pull it out to check if this man is who he says he is. The first step the executioner took was the process of denial.

Basil Blackheart: You are not my father! He was a great warrior, and you… you are just a living corpse….

The undead man laughed at Basil’s words and slowly walked close to him.

Undead man: You see son … I used to be a great warrior, but then I took an arrow to the knee …. And you know the rest… ha-ha!

Blackheart could not explain this to him but something inside was telling him that that was his father. Basil just remembered that just a moment ago he was kneeling before the queen. He remembers her clawing his mouth. Why were there no traces of that? Was that a dream? Did he passed out? The voice of the undead man ended all the questions in Basil’s head.

Undead man: My god… you are trembling more than the arrows in my back. One will say it is as if you saw a dead person… ha-ha.

Basil Blackheart: Why? Why would the queen do that to me?

The undead man kneeled next to his son and put his rotting hand on his shoulder. His stiff face tried to stretch into a smile but the result was more than terrifying. Basil felt as if there was a lump in his throat preventing him from breathing normally.

Undead man: She’s testing you, she wants to give you a chance to prove you are not weak. Come on you should have seen that it is more obvious that the fact that your old man is a walking zombie, ha-ha!

Those words snapped Blackheart from the petrifying fear that had stricken him. “Testing me?” – he repeats in his head. Basil’s eyes gazed into the empty eyes of the undead man, trying to tell if he was lying.

Undead man: And I am here to help you.

Basil Blackheart: Help me? How?

Undead man: Well now you are weak, but we must change that.

Angered by the man’s words Blackheart tried to punch him. With no effort blocks the attack, catching Basil’s fist in his hand. The executioner calmed down, accepting the man’s words and asks:

Basil Blackheart: And how will we change that?

The undead man answered with a deep laughter. He then released Basil’s fist and slowly brought up his left hand, with its index finger sticking out, touching with it his dried up lips, making a hushing sound. With a lightning quick motion the undead man pulled his long sword from it scabbard, with his right hand, and brought it above his head. For a second it was as if time had stopped. Realizing he’s in danger Blackheart was able to roll out of the way just as the man swinged his sword at the ground. The undead man laughed once again.
Undead man: HA! Now you are moving as a living man, ha-ha!

The undead man aimed his sword’s edge at Basil’s body not leaving him a second to breath. Once again Blackheart rolled out of the way, this time using the momentum to bring himself up on one knee. When he looked up he saw that his adversary was already trying to hit him with an overhead swing. Blackheart quickly stepped towards the undead man and caught his wrist with his hand. A confident smile appeared on Basil’s face. The undead man just laughed and grabbed the spear sticking from his chest. His left arm pulled it out of his chest and with a swift move stuck it in Basil’s right hip. Blackheart groaned in pain.

Undead man: What’s up son? You can’t beat your old man…. Even though he’s already half dead, ha-ha!

The undead man pushed his son away from him and prepared to swing his sword at him. Limping Basil tried to create distance between him and his opponent. His eyes were moving around the background trying to spot something of help. Suddenly his gaze stopped on a familiar sight. His gigantic axe was standing embed in the ground, just a mere meters away. “My axe? What…” –were Blackhearts thoughts. As his father’s sword was already lunched at him the man had to react. The executioner ducked below the swing and jumped towards his axe. With a forward roll Blackheart was able to create just enough distance between both men, that he had time to pull out the broken spear from his hip.

Undead man: Stop running from me and come turn me into a corpse…. Well a corpse that stays dead that is, ha-ha!

Blackheart grabbed his axe and pulled it from the ground. Using the momentum of a few steps towards his opponent Basil swung his axe over his head, trying to split the undead man in two halves. With a quick sidestep the living corpse moved out of the way. The weight of the axe made Blackheart bend forward. Using the opening the undead man slashed Blackheart’s back with his sword. Blood flew from the wound, spilling on the ground. Basil let out another groan of pain. Making a turning motion the executioner pulled the axe from the ground swinging it at the undead man. Basil’s father ducked below the heavy swing. Missing his target Blackheart lowered the axe so it can stop his spin by hitting the ground. This once again leaves him open for another slash. This time the undead man dashed right next to Basil, passing by him, sliding his sword’s blade across Basil’s belly, cutting a wound in it.

Undead man: Come on son, I thought you were not weak. Prove that I’m brain-dead for thinking this, ha-ha!

Basil pushed his hand on his stomach, feeling the wound. It was not too deep but it was still very painful. The executioner was getting angry from all those taunts and from all the wounds. As more blood was dripping from him, the less pain he was feeling. Getting angry he overcame the last bit of fear that was stopping him, now he was fighting with all of his heart. He was determined to prove he wasn't weak. Spinning around with some good hand work Blackheart pulled his axe in the air and used his spinning momentum to swing it horizontally at his father. This swing was faster and stronger than the previous chaotic ones. The undead man reacted, trying to stop it with his left hand as if there was shield on it. Unable to move away from the axe’s blade the undead man’s left arm was cut off as if it was nothing but a small branch on the way of the axe. The end of the blade even slashed some of the man’s lower torso. Again using the ground as a break, Basil stopped his swing after the first two spins. The undead man’s arm flew away from the force of the swing and fell on the ground. To Basil’s surprise there was no blood squirting from the undead man’s wounds.

Undead man: Now that’s more like it! Now be a good son and give me a hand, ha-ha!

Disgusted by the man’s attitude Blackheart hurried with his next swing. This time it was overhead, aiming at the undead man’s head. Using all of his strength Basil’ pushed the axe down. The clash of steel echoed through the wasteland. The undead man had blocked the attack with his sword. Basil was pushing the axe down with all his strength but the undead man’s hand was not even trembling. It was as if Basil had hit a statue of steel. The undead man’s face changed in an instant. His dead face was now looking disgusted.

Undead man: Was that all? You need to do more!

Stepping slightly to the side the undead man made Blackheart’s axe slide side way, missing him completely. Not even letting Basil’s axe hit the ground the undead man kicked him in the belly, pushing him back. The kick made blood to pour again from Basil’s wound. It even made Blackheart spit. The undead man didn’t leave his son resting and was once again on the offensive. Seeing the incoming overhead swing, the executioner swiftly turned the axe’s blade upward and made a upward swing hitting the undead man’s sword. Using his turning momentum and making a few clever steps Blackheart began swinging his axe at his opponent. To ever upward swing the undead man had a side step of equal quality. To every overhead strike the undead man reacted with a well placed block. The clashing of blades was echoing around the wasteland. Soon the undead man answered with some attack of his own. To all of whom Blackheart had an answer. He was either spinning his axe in front of him, using it as a shield to redirect all swing, or using the embed on the ground axe as a pole he swung around dodging all of the undead man’s attacks. Both men lost track of time, as their epic clash was steadily draining their strength. The undead man was getting excited. From time to time he would let out an encouraging shout towards Basil – “That’s it! Come on you can do it son!”. Blackheart was so concentrated on the battle that he didn’t even realize that in its course he had sustained multiple cuts from the undead man’s sword. Using the curved spike at the back side of the axe’s blade Blackheart pulled his father’s leg. The spike cut the undead man’s leg making him fall to the ground. Breathing heavily Blackheart picked his axe above his head and let it fall with its blade towards his lying opponent. The axe went through the undead man’s armor and cut through his flesh. With a sigh of relief Basil relaxed on the handle of the axe. The undead man laughed.

Undead man: Don’t show any weakness you fool!

Before being able to react Blackheart was stabbed through his shoulder. Panicking the man used his strength to pull out his axe from the undead man. His feet were unstable from the shock and the executioner almost fell on his bottom. His stumble backwards pulled the sword out of his wound, letting blood flow from it, coloring Basil’s armor in red. Slowly and visible hurt the undead man used his sword as a cane to help him stand up. Blackheart’s gaze stopped on his father’s scar on the neck. Realizing the undead man’s weakness the executioner prepared to strike. He was heavily bleeding. He had to make sure that strike counts. Just as the undead man was about to pull his sword from the ground Blackheart made his move. Using the axe as a pole Basil jumped towards his opponent stepping on his blade. The kick to the blade was enough to kick it out of the undead man’s grasp. Grinding the axe to the ground the executioner pulled it from behind himself towards his opponent. In a upward swing his blade was aimed at his father’s neck. Disarmed and caught off guard the undead man was unable to react. The swing was strong enough to decapitate the living corpse. The undead man’s head flew in the air.

Undead man: Good … my job here is done, now I’ll fly away, ha-ha!

Were the undead man’s last words as his head disintegrated in mid air, turning to dust in the wind. The power of the wing mad Blackheart’s shoulder injury bleed more. Being stricken by pain the executioner released his grasp on his axe. The weapon swung a few times in the air and fell next to its owner. Feeling exhausted and hurt Blackheart fell on knees. Sweat and blood was dripping from him as he bend forward and fell face first on the ground.