Chapter 01
The severed head rolled towards Erik who knelt on the snowy beach. He prepared himself to die that day, but this wasn’t how he wanted to go. Headless like the men he failed.
“Remember me?” The lady used her red cape to wipe the blood off her katana.
Erik struggled to break loose from the rope that bound his wrists together behind the back. “How can I forget?” I wanna tear this bitch apart with bare hands.
She threw a Holy Bible on the snow. “Spit on it and you get to keep your head.”
“Go to hell.”
“Same offer,” she told the other man who was also kneeling.
“Same answer,” said the man. “I only ask one thing, from one general to another. Allow our families to give us proper burials.”
“Which means?” she asked.
“A grave with a tombstone.”
“So they’ll know you died in glory?”
“There’s no glory in war, lady,” said the man.
“Alright.” She picked up the Bible. “You’ll have that honor, General.”
Back in 2095 A.D., an eternal winter killed two-thirds of the world’s population and modern technology was lost. In America, survivors worshipped the Statue of Liberty; the goddess of freedom and a memory of the nation’s greatness. But a few held on to the God who abandoned mankind and sent them back to the ice age. For the last nine hundred years, the nation was torn between two religions; pagans wanting to unite the country and Christians fighting for independent cities where they could worship freely, but those had fallen one by one and now left with their last stand in New York-- The Holy City in 3021 A.D.
“I’m sorry,” Erik told the general. “We failed.”
“See you soon, my lord?”
“We will,” said Erik.
“Here’s a bonus.” The lady drove the blade into the general’s heart. “Keep your head.”
A knight dragged the corpse towards a legion with red capes. He poured oil from a jar onto the dead general.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Erik charged with his hands tied, but a steel boot kicked his jaw. He fell, back-first. With ears ringing from the impact, stars appeared.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Erik charged with his hands tied, but a steel boot kicked his jaw. He fell, back-first. With ears ringing from the impact, stars appeared.
The lady bit a cigar. “You’re right,” she told the corpse while lighting the cigar with a match. “There’s no glory in war.” It dropped to the corpse and flames spread. “There’s no honor in it either.”
And as if on cue, lightning brightened the dusk. Erik stared at the pyramid-shaped pendant on the lady’s necklace. An all-seeing eye inside the pyramid stared back. What the hell? Maybe he was just dizzy from the kick.
“I heard you’re the best swordsman in America.” The knight laid a steel boot on Erik’s chest. “Too bad we could no longer have a fair fight with your hands tied, prince.”
This asshole didn’t really know who Erik was, so he introduced himself by wrapping his legs around the knight’s waist. He slammed the man’s back to the sand and kicked him in the face. “I don’t need my hands for a fair fight, motherfucker.”
The knight sputtered blood and a tooth fell. He got up and tried to fight back, but the lady said, “Don’t,” and so he walked away while giving the boss a serious look.
From behind the army, a woman ran towards Erik, but the lady grabbed her hair.
“Mom?” Erik’s eyes widened. She’s alive?
The lady dropped the Bible. “Spit on it or I kill your son.”
The lady dropped the Bible. “Spit on it or I kill your son.”
“Don’t do it, Mom.”
His mother prayed to heaven. Tears ran down her cheeks before spitting on God’s Word.
“No, no, no.” Erik closed his eyes in disbelief.
The lady’s sword aimed at the woman’s neck. “Your turn. Do it or she’ll walk in hell without a head. What’s it gonna be, huh, Prince Charming?”
“Please, I don’t wanna die,” she begged her son.
Erik sighed, asking forgiveness from the flaming corpse, before spitting on the Bible. His love for his mother prevailed, but denying the faith was worse than death.
The lady sheathed her sword. “Nicky, burn these bodies,” she told the knight and he did.
His mother hugged him but he didn't respond.
Erik’s heart broke for the orphans and widows of men he betrayed. There wouldn’t be any graves for these fathers and husbands who would soon collapse to bone and dust.
Jesus, help me kill this bitch.
*** End of Chapter ***
Next Friday, we’ll find out in Chapter 02 who the “lady” is and why she is such a murdering maniac.
Follow me and comment what you think happens next. If your guess is pretty close, I’ll give you access to all chapters. Sounds fair?
