This is a continuation of the fanfiction on Clive Barker’s Undying. Read the previous parts here:
http://insatiableavi.com/2019/08/08/what-remains-of-the-covenants/
http://insatiableavi.com/2019/08/25/youngest-one-awoken/
http://insatiableavi.com/2019/10/31/aaron-vs-aaron/
Curse of The Undying ones
Aaron Jr was rowing the boat slowly as much as he can. His thoughts were so much in a different world, that he was not even listening to whatever Lizbeth’s head was speaking. By now he knew that the Covenant family curse started at the small island known as “The standing stones”. He had the feeling that the end is near too. Whether it is his end or the Covenants or the curse, he was unsure of. The sky was constantly crimson for some reason. Lizbeth’s head explained that it might be because the Oneiros, the country of lost dreams started to break into our reality after Pattrick Galloway killed Otto Keisinger in a duel earlier.
“Brings back the memories. We were young and naive when this started. Such a long journey we had from being naive to being undead. Ha..ha..ha..ha..ha..” Lizbeth said with her ear-piercing laugh.
Aaron was in his own chain of thoughts. Like what will happen at the standing stones? Will there be more blood? More madness? More remnants? Howlers? Scarrows? All he could understand now that the curse came to Covenants as they invoked the undying Celtic king who was cursed by being buried alive. The only way to kill is by the scythe of the celts which is now with Pattrick, who had recently tried to defeat the undying king and was almost killed.
Aaron docked the boat when he reached the islands. It was a small island stretching about a kilometre. He could see a few stone structures in the middle. When he reached there, he saw five standing stones with markings which are familiar to him now. There was another set of stones with the same markings, but they were lying like someone’s tombstone. There was a splash of dried blood on them.
“Finally! The youngest arrived with a new pawn.”
Aaron jumped towards the source of the voice. Although he had experienced this earlier, this time around was another surprise. The voice came from the head which belonged to Jeremiah. Pale to the core, still wearing specs and eyes glowing with a strange golden illumination.
“I knew that this day would come when you will try to claim power. It has been a tussle amongst all of us for a while, even when we were alive.”
“I at least didn’t get anyone else killed in the process.” Mocked Lizbeth.
“Never should have come here in the manor,” Aaron grunted.
“Ah hello, young Aaron! Mind to tag me along with all of my brothers and sisters? Seems to be a nice family reunion happening on your body and heads. That might be the solution anyways.” Jeremiah muttered the last statement to himself.
“On that, I agree. Take his head and go to the tomb. My howlers are here too, to witness their queen’s ascension. Ha..ha..ha..ha..haaaaa!”
In her reply, about 5 howlers came into view. Two of them were chewing on a mutilated human body, the rest of them were bringing out the anatomy of the body and feasting on them.
“Poor boatman. He was cute to take orders from a talking dead-head. “Lizbeth laughed and continued. “My dear nephew and brother! I intend to make you their dinner if you don’t get me what I want.”
Aaron silently picked up Jeremiah’s head and tied him on the cloth on his back.
“Devils are supposed to be scary, not loudmouths.” He muttered. He noticed that his blood was boiling inside his body. It might be his agitation towards the situation. But it only happened when he picked the eldest member of the family. The sensation picked up on his recent wounds. Out of nowhere, his skin opened up and blood started to drip off his cuts. The blood started to drop and flow towards the stone. In no time, the blood of Aaron, the last alive descendent of the Covenant family, started to settle down on the sign of the horizontal rock. The sigil which was hidden due to dust started to shine blood red.
Instinctively he looked at Lizbeth’s head, now hanging completely lifeless. It was as if someone had drained every remaining soul of hers. Jeremiah, on the other hand, was laughing. His eyes glowing redder.
“She served her purpose, and so did you. It was me who kept her alive. It was me, who sent those thoughts to your head to come here. I am now this close to be the most powerful one in all universe. I WILL POSSESS THE POWER OF HEL AND UNLEASH THE ARMY OF DRAUGAR. I WILL BE THE UNDYING KING!!”
Aaron saw the head of Lizbeth lifeless now as it was supposed to be. He also noticed that all the Covenant family members are moving upwards. They were now placed on his shoulders. Aaron and Ambrose on left. Lizbeth and Bethany on the right.
Many things happened in a short span of time after. Aaron saw two figures running towards him. One with long brown hairs, white shirt and leather pants. He had the Gel’ziabar stone on his neck as well. He was moving his
Hands in some gestures making some spells. Another was completely covered in the hood and had a staff. At the same time, he saw two howlers jumping towards them. One big howler, however, came towards him and struck at his heart. Blood started to slur out of his body and his heart was now in the howlers hand. Immediately, the howler picked Jeremiah and placed his head where the wound was created at his chest.
“For years I was yearning for a stronger body. Now I have yours and the powers distributed amongst my siblings. I am invincible! Ha..ha..ha..ha.haaaaaw!”
This time the laugh had multiple voices.
“Now we Covenants will rule the world as one Undying king. Now no one can defeat us.”
Patrick, who just killed the howlers now had Jeremiah’s attention.
“You will be defeated this time Jeremiah. Once and for all. This hunt of power on the expenses of so many lives needs to end.” He roared. He moved his hands in a gesture and few skulls came out of nowhere and launched and blasted at the new entity Jeremiah has become.
“Never learning. Always the same Pattrick!” Jeremiah levitated from the ground and moved his hands. Suddenly the island was covered with portals from Oneiros. From each portal, there were scarrows coming in. There were Draugar joining them. The Draugars had shotguns and spears just like the Trasanti warriors. Pattrick and the hooded monks were able to deflect and get rid of a few. But they were too many for a small space.
“Now suffer the wrath of the Undying king!” All the heads on Aaron’s body were now in Remnant form. Each head chanting some incantation to control the different monsters. The numbers were overwhelming for two of them, forcing them to fight tooth and nails. Patrick was constantly switching between the scythe and his spells to defeat as many as he can. The hooded guard was also animated and now joined by three more hooded figures, which helped to level the battle. However, the numbers were still too many and the Undying king was not stopping. Patrick knew he needs to stop him somehow. Thus he fired all the silver bullets in his revolver at him.
In an unexpected response, The undying king blocked them midway in air and flicked them away. The bullets ricocheted towards the Scarrows and Draugar nearby.
“Still not learning.” The voices said in disgust, they conjured a lightning bolt towards him and other hooded guards. One of them was unlucky to not notice what is coming at him. He got knocked over to the electric shock and died immediately. There were then bolts raining throughout the ground, Patrick survived only because of the possession of haste and shield spells he had recently learned before the previous encounter with the undying king.
“Two can play the game!” Patrick roared as he shot lightning spells of his own towards the Undying king and blinded him for a moment. He then rushed towards the levitating king with quick glides and the scythe of the celts held tight. With two swift motions, he hit Bethany and Ambrose’s head to disconnect them from the body of Aaron Jr. Both heads tossed to the ground lifeless and some of the monsters dropped dead with them.
“Even if you kill any of us, we will rise again and again. It has been a cycle for years unless the Undying king gets the place he deserved all those years ago. Unless he takes the revenge on those filthy Celtic monks who buried him alive. Unless I..Unless we help him achieve the same. This was a chance via Lizbeth’s cycle like earlier it was me. Next will be Aaron, then Bethany and Ambrose. We cannot die until we fulfil this curse.”
“There is always a way. You do not have to sacrifice your family. Exposing your siblings and now the next generation? You need to end it now and forever.” Saying so, Patrick unleashed the skull storm. Jeremiah did not move and deflected them away.
“You may have gone strong and got these magical spells, but I am way too strong now.” He flicked his wrists and it lifted Patrick and others off the ground. He then moved his hands to throw everyone else except Patrick. He gestured to bring him closer and brought him in front of Jeremiah’s head. “Join me or die. What will it be, my friend?”
“You have been evil since the beginning. I can never call you a friend.” Patrick retorted.
“I cannot be killed! EVER!! And now you cannot leave this ground.” Patrick’s screams filled the crimson sky as the Undying king summoned swords out of thin air and slashed at Patrick’s legs until they were disjointed from his body. Blood filled the ground below as he fell on the ground with his legs drowning in the red pool. Patrick was losing a lot of blood. He knew his end is near. It was impossible for him to beat the Undying king this time. While he was gathering his final thoughts, Lizbeth spoke up, “You are the weakest one. Always wasting time in sparing what can be threatful to you. You are a coward who will never get the glory from this power. Aaron, kill him!!!”
Aaron’s hands moved and pulled Jeremiah to disconnect him from the heart. Then he tossed the head, juggled it with lightning bolts and dropped him in front of a howler. The howler jumped and caught the head. It started chomping on it as if it has been hungry for ages. The crunching sound of the skull can be heard loud. Then the howler hopped out of the view.
“One more down. See Patrick, I helped you too. And now I will finally kill you!” Lizbeth laughed hard. Patrick knew his end is mere moments away. He could not move and he had losing blood. He collected last of his strength and put up the magical shield around him as the last defence. He pulled out the Gel’ziabar stone and yelled, “I summon thee.” A black portal appeared in his shield and the head of the hound of Gel’ziabar appeared. Patrick tossed the stone to its mouth and said, “You know what to do!” The hound went back while the portal disappeared.
“Lizbeth! This is my last moment. But I promise you, this is going to be the last for you too!” Patrick took his last breath and dropped lifelessly. In the next few minutes, the stones started to disappear. The portals to Oneiros were closed. The hounds, draugar and all ghostly elements dropped dead.
“So the past is altered.” Aaron was gaining control back on his mind and body. He pulled Lizbeth’s head and held in front of him. “Power never lasts. Now the Covenant family can rest in peace.
“Noooooooooooo!!!!!” Were her last words as all the Covenant family heads disappeared into oblivion. Aaron dropped on his knees, feeling liberated from the control of the demonic power which held him in control. Aaron looked up, with tears and relief in his eyes. He could see the sky getting cleared while most of the structures of standing islands were fading till the point where there was no proof of conflict. In the next few minutes, the only sound which could be heard was the wind blowing through the island and Aaron being the only one alive. He saw the corpse of the magician, the one the Covenant’s knew as Patrick Galloway. His hands still clutching on the string attached to the Gel’ziabar stone. While Aaron was still comprehending the events of the last few hours, the stone appeared again in the hook of that string.
Aaron knew in his heart that the stone is for him to carry. He was not sure of what has to be done with it but he was certain to pick it up and say goodbye to his short legacy of being associated with the Covenant’s family and the long-standing curse of the Undying King. He picked it up and then went back to the boat to row himself out of the island to figure out what’s next for him. He may have got a taste of power and evil. Now it would be his decision to choose his fate.
FRIDAY 13th April 1990
The Covenant family siblings were excited to the core. They were out on their own after many days after Jeremiah discovered about a nearby standing island and a magic book. All of them were excited to play the game of magic. They place the book on the flat stone and started to chant the Gaelic chants in rhythm. Lizbeth being the youngest was excited and giggling her heart out.
Halfway through the chant a purple light appeared and started to become like a magical gate. The children were excited to see this outcome. They became louder as the sky also changed. They stopped when they saw a big brown hound jumping out of the portal and growling at them. The hound had a strange green stone on its neck, which started to glow. The hound jumped on Bethany and Ambrose and bit off their heads instantly. The children are now horrified. They shouted and started to run away from the centre of the stone. But the hound was fast, it attacked Jeremiah and inserted its paws to his heart, drawing it out in open and killing him. Then it jumped towards Aaron and killed him like Bethany. Lizbeth who was happy a few moments ago was now standing still. She was shocked as to how this can be the outcome of their little play. Then out of nowhere she hurled a howl and charged towards the beast. In her child’s brain, this was an impossible outcome. The hound was also taken aback when she jumped on him. But she was a child now. The hound was much more strong to shake her off to the ground. Then it bit on her head, killing her immediately. It then started to drag their bodies towards the portal until half of each body was in the portal. Then it went inside the portal closing the same. The bodies were sucked in and there was nothing left other than the eerie silence.
The End
This is a work of fiction and does not have any correlation to any living or dead person. This fan fiction is based on Clive Barker’s Undying. All character rights are either with Clive Barker or EA games.
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