The Price for Victory

 

"Welcome back!"

Silently, I looked down at myself. My form remained in the female guise. Looking around me at the surrounding space, I wondered why for a moment, but dropped the thought. I didn't care anymore.

"So, learn anything new this time around?"

A weight lowered me down into a ball and I curled back up like I had once before.

"I take it you still don't understand?"

Between my knees, I buried my face and kept quiet.

"Sulvon, you might want to review what all happened and take into account what all you're capable of. It isn't rocket science... Well, actually, it kinda is, but fuel isn't required."

I didn't cry, but I wasn't feeling any emotion either. Lifting my face out from my legs, I sat my chin on my knees. "Death. Leave me alone."

"C'mon! It was only a handful of times that you died. I know of mortals that did a Groundhog Da-- er, a time loop and never quit. They didn't have as big of a burden as you did. Your goal is to save your race from being wiped out. If you don't, there won't be anyone to step in the path of humanity from purging each world of life for their own gain."

I shrugged. "Let them. They are obviously better at everything than we are."

"That's the point. Their superiority will become their downfall. If they continue on this path, eventually they will make a mistake that will backfire so damn badly that they wipe themselves out... I'll be out of a job!"

No more life in the universe? Sounded cold. Right now, that was exactly how I felt despite the supernatural flames.

"Oh now, don't make me beg you. I can't do anything except send a champion in to fix this. If you can't do it on your own, then pick someone who can help you."

Lifting my gaze up, I wondered what Death meant by that. "What do you mean?"

"Pick someone of power that wouldn't balk at impossible odds."

There was someone, but I had killed him. Now even his precious skin was ashes in my chamber. A memory. "I defeated him. He's dead."

"Yeah, and..? I'm Death, remember?"

Taking this into consideration, I still hadn't a clue how he would be capable of defeating that ship or the countless others beyond our skies. "Bosillur the -- the Undefeated."

"...That's irony. On it."

There was a guttural bellow behind me and I straightened to look over my shoulder at the figure emerging into my view. "Bosillur?"

"Uh, why do you sound surprise? I told you I'd nab someone to help you. Just have to convince him to come back with ya."

That would not be possible. He knew who had betrayed and killed him, took his skin as a trophy, and ruled his tower. At least I’d ruled until this impossible task was set before me.

Black as the void surrounding him, but charged with the blue and white energies of electric fire, he appeared clear to me. His massive size was twice mine. Both of his arms were corded with wiry muscle that wrapped around a mass that could double the width of my now slim waist. Those hands would easily crush me if those crackling sparks for eyes spotted me.

He shook his head, whipping around thick locks of lightning to loosen them down to his tapered waist. Those awesomely broad shoulders and thick chest expanded when he took his first breath and purred a sigh as if in relief.

Bosillur spoke calmly. "Never thought I'd have a body again." A dark hand lifted in front of him, turned this and that way in appraisal. "Feels nice. Much better than being some cosmic fart."

"I do take great offense to that remark! I do not fart!"

Those lightning white eyes turned to search out the voice for a moment before he settled on me.

"Not her. Me. Death! I'm all around you and not at the same time. She's just visiting. Oh, but do thank her. She's the reason you have a body again."

Bosillur rolled his eyes around to see the void of space for what it truly was, a cosmic entity. Then he settled on looking at me and smiled. "Thank you for bringing me back my form. May I know who it is I should remember for giving me this gift?"

"Hold it! Not a gift. She wants to ask your for a favor in exchange. Don't'cha, girly?"

I couldn't say my name. Not to him. To take and give back wasn't going to make this a fair trade. It still bewildered me how he could possibly be of help. Yet here he was, and I had a chance to use him somehow.

"Wait a minute." Bosillur tilted his head and closed his eyes. That smile dropped. "Sulvon?" Those eyes crackled back open with a great spark. "Fuck this. You -- I should consume you piece by piece in strips of flesh from the bottom up."

All I did was hug my legs tighter and lean back down to my knees. He could. It was too late for this ploy to work and nothing still came to mind for how to win the day.

"Bo. Can I call you Bo? Okay, Bo, here is the deal. She brought you back and intends to return life to you, but you've got to help her out."

I heard the sound of Bosillur's lightning crackle closer to me. Somehow he was moving through this void.

"C'mon, Bo? It's for a great cause!"

"Shut it!" I didn't bother to look at Bosillur, but I heard his yell. It was right over my shoulders. He was towering over me and the charge of his static proximity caused my flesh to shiver. "Mmm... Might have some fun with you before tearing into you."

His skin, nothing could penetrate it. When his great hands clapped me on both shoulders, I tightened up smaller into a ball.

"Bo! Stop. If you push this, I'll send you back and be damn sure that not even your essence remains. You'll really be a venerable and stinky gas giant."

Those shocking hands sent currents through me, but didn't do any more than that.

"Okay, Death. You want a deal? I get this bitch, my life, tower, and Hell, the whole fucking universe in exchange." His face lowered down next to mine and generated sparks against my cheek with a single brush.

"Uhhh... How about we start with the world and go from there?"

"I'll take the world, but she's still mine to do with as I please. Doesn't look like Sulvon is that great anymore." That smile he gave me was all the reason I needed to bury my face down into my knees once more.

"Hmmm... Hmmmm.... HMMMMMMM... Bo, may I have a word with you? In private?"

That was possible?

"I'm listening." Bosillur's face stopped nuzzling into the back of my neck. 

Knowing he could tolerate my heat was disheartening, but if we could never survive the light, then it didn't matter. In exchange for winning against mankind, I would gladly accept whatever fate awaited me. If it was being torn to pieces, then so be it. At least it meant there would be some trace of my existence remaining.

"Really?" That was Bosillur. He didn't sound angry. More surprised than anything.

"Yep! If you can take it easy, I'll do it. Besides, you died once. She died... uhh -- What number are we at? Five? Six times?"

I shook my head. I didn’t care how many times I was going to die.

"Death, did you make her into a mute or some shit like that?" His proximity could be felt close to me again. That static jolt of each spark dancing between us was lighting up my bare body from shoulder to hip.

"No. Death and Despair kind of go hand-in-hand. She's got both going on right now."

He huffed and slipped his arm between my legs and waist to grab me. With one pull, I was tightly pressed to his steel-hard chest with my now pliable-soft flesh. "Despair, huh?" Looking up at him, I saw that his white eyes were lured to roam down my figure. "I'll give you something to despair of after I finish fucking mankind up." With one glance away from me, he commanded Death. "Send us back."

"Nope."

He blinked and stared out into the void. "Say that again?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Death. If you want me to be gentle with her, I expect you do as I say." His grip squeezed around me to the point that I gasped.

"She's the one who made the deal. Which means it was her exchange to suffer by your hands to help me. I'm only going to listen to her, sooo... Stuff it!"

With a growl, Bosillur glared down and ordered me in a very slow and low toned voice. "Tell Death to Send Us Back or Else."

I opened my mouth, but Death spoke before I did.

"Sulvon. If you obey him now, your suffering will never end."

My lips sealed and I stared in terror at Bosillur.

He flashed his long sharp teeth at me as he said, "Do It."

What did I have to lose? I’d lost my life. My identity was no more. I had my power, but what was that compared to the light, let alone Bosillur? If he could win, then I would submit.

Opening my mouth back up to speak, I directed a trembling voice to Bosillur instead of Death. "If you win in this life, I'll submit. If not --"

"I'll win. Just tell Death to send us back!" Flinching, I recollected my resolve before resuming.

"If -- If not, I'll listen to you. I'll obey, but not --"

"Not as what? A slave? No, you are not worthy of that station. You're food that I just choose to play with." Clenching my teeth shut, I stared up at him and wondered how it was I’d had the courage before to poison him.

It wasn't courage. I’d done it in fear and worked up that courage one day.

"Bosillur. If I don't, someone else will kill you like I did. You can never trust anything you see, touch, or taste. Even if one day you decide to eat me, I'll be certain to use all that I am to be your downfall from the inside out. Just like before." After I had told him that, I had no more strength of will to fight.

He was silent.

His gaze flicked to the void once more. "Are we going or not?"

"Up to her, not me."

Those crackling eyes returned their attention onto me. "Well?"

I didn't have it in me to deny him anymore. With one nod, I gave Death the gesture to send us back.

"Okay! Y’all come back now, ya hear!"