Pitch Black

“It’s Xaban!” Tom shouts to warn the rest of the isekais. His efforts are in vain. The evil wizard levitates him high off the ground. Lifting a heavy lizard man must take immense concentration for others, but not a magic user as powerful as Xaban.

Minerva steps forward and speaks on our behalf. “Xaban I don’t know how you’re alive, but please leave the people of Tauwren alone. We’re a small town. We don’t stand a chance against your power. Vengeance here is not the answer.”

Despite her attempts to reason, Xaban does not engage. His mind is preoccupied with the lizard he has hanging in the air. Xaban curls his fingers as he lifts his prey further into the sky. His hands appear withered and corpse like. He definitely died in the Emperor of the Lantern books, so how is he here? I’ve heard fan theories that he could be resurrected for a potential sequel, but if this is the route that P.L. Tokken wants to take the story, then man that’s lame.

Xaban walks forward and a sudden chill fills the air.

“Hmmm. Is it true lizards have such flexible spines?” Xaban asks as he stares at Tom like a bully playing with an ant and a magnifying glass.

I pray that his question doesn’t imply the atrocity I think he’s about to commit. Because in the book, Xaban had trained in a despicable form of levitation magic aimed at moving parts away from the whole. His specialty? Bones.

My worst fears are confirmed. We watch as the Xaban shifts his focus on moving Tom’s spine backwards until these bones are nearly touching the back of his legs. Everyone around me watches in horror. What are we doing? We have to do something, but we all just stare horrified. Despite this overwhelming sense of dread I feel, an even greater sensation boils to the surface: rage.

“HEY! Pick on someone your own size.” I shout out towards Xaban. I’m not sure what came over me. It’s cliche, but it’s the same line Fern the Fearless said when facing this evil wizard for the first time. The only difference is, I’m no hero. What the hell is wrong with me??

Xaban turns his attention towards me. “Oh do you want him then? Well, see if you can put your toy back together again.”

With a quick flick of his wrist, Xaban twists Tom’s spine and hips in opposite directions like wringing out a wet towel. Xaban, thoroughly satisfied, drops his plaything to the ground. Tom screams out in agony as he’s left in a shape no physical body should ever repeat. Seconds. In a matter of mere seconds, this whole man’s life has changed forever. He may live to tell the tale, but not without a permanent reminder of this moment, carved in flesh.

“I’m going to KILL YOU!!” I spit out the words like venom resting deep in my throat. My fists clench tightly as I try to fight the urge to punch him until he bleeds. I don’t know what’s come over me. I should be afraid. I should be running around for a place to hide. But the only thing I feel is fury. And I’m not the only one.

“If you mess with one of us, you pick a fight with ALL of us!” Jet’s voice rises above the crowd as he steps forward. Minerva steps forward. Maddie steps forward. One by one the family that I’ve grown to love rises up to the challenge. All of us ready to die for the people, for this community that we care for.

“Fools of Tauwren! The whole empire’s army could not stop me in my prime. If you think your measly town could strike me down, I welcome you to try. Pray to your God that he ends you swiftly, because I aim to make your end insufferable.”

“ATTACK!!” Jet raises his voice to rally our friends. I sprint forward to take a swing at Xaban. Right as my fist is about to make contact, I fall to the ground helpless. Xaban’s true figure shifts to a space nearby. The scummy wizard was using an illusion. Xaban laughs and sends a thunderous shockwave that knocks our allies back down.

Out of the corner of my eye I spot a flurry of moths quietly heading towards the wizard. It’s Spector! When he pops back into his human form he stabs one of his crossbow bolts into Xaban’s side. It sticks, but doesn’t make it too far into his flesh. Xaban backhands Spector, knocking him unconscious.

“Spector!” I shout out to him, but I know it’s useless. Seeing my concern for the gray elf, Xaban taunts me by placing his foot on top of his head. My eyes widen in fear confirming all he needs to know. I care about him, so he’s going to do everything in his power to make it hurt.

He lifts his foot high ready to stomp down. Then, an arrow whizzes by narrowly missing his cheek. He teleports in and out of existence dodging close blows from the ground and a variety of ranged attacks from the rooftop of the Isekai House.

“FIRE!” Maddie commands a small group of wizards to launch a coordinated icicle strike. One of the icy blades hits Xaban’s hand, freezing it down by his side. He still clutches the lantern in his other hand and I’m afraid that he’s about to use his party trick one more time.

Xaban teleports to the rooftop preventing our long range casters and archers from landing their blows. He holds his lantern to the sky once more and recites a simple chant. These few words activate the powerful ability we saw earlier.

A blast of light shoots out from the lantern. All who fell in in its wake had their souls sucked into the artifact trapped in limbo. The only thing left to remember their existence is the ashy shadow left behind marking where they once stood.

“Maddie!” I shout out, but it’s far too late. She’s trapped inside that cursed lantern. So many good people were up on that rooftop. Friends who I have gotten to know well over time and new faces I had just met. All gone in an instant.

Minerva shouts to the remaining isekais to help us focus. “The light of his lantern has changed, he’s used up all the power in that artifact for now. If we have a chance, it’s now!”

She launches a ball of fire from her staff and sends it towards Xaban’s feet. He falls through the roof of the Isekai House, tumbling to the room below. In a fit of rage he screams and sends another shock wave.

We get knocked down to the ground once more and we’re not the only thing that falls. The walls of our house get blown to bits by Xaban. The place where I met my friend Maddie. The place where I geeked out about my favorite book series. The place where I had potato chips. This man destroyed my home. And I’m going to make him pay for it.

I grab my staff once more and focus on a knife laying on the ground beside me. Using a levitation spell, I launch the blade flying towards Xaban. He catches it by the hilt mere inches from his face.

“Good try witch, but you’ll need more than a simple levitation spell to defeat me. Come then, challenge me! Make my time worthwhile, so I might end your pathetic life!!”

His words are as sweet as vinegar. But I don’t know what to do. I don’t know any other spells. I’m not smart enough. I’m not strong enough to do this. Unable to satiate his desire for a fight, Xaban casts a fire spell of his own aimed directly at me. I crouch down and close my eyes ready to die like a stupid martyr.

“HOLD ON!” Jet jumps in front of me holding a shield to protect us from the blast. The force is strong, so I use my body weight to hold him up to ensure he doesn’t falter to the ground. As I feel the heat start to encroach on my shoulders I see Jet’s eyes shake in the haze. With wavering courage, tears begin to well up in miserable silence. His arm starts to slip down and flames start to slip through the cracks.

I’m not sure what to do, so I do the only thing I can think of. I stand up tall on my knees and hug Jet tightly around his waist, hoping to give him some semblance of balance. But more than that, a semblance of comfort. “You’re going to be okay, I’m here. I’ve got you.”

My words aren’t much, but they’re enough. Jet’s arm regains its strength and holds tight despite the rising temperature. The moment lasts for feels like an eternity until the fiery blast begins to subside. Did the wizard finally relent? My head pokes out from the side of the shield to take a look.

Xaban stumbles forward, his body giving way to the ground below. As he falls I see a shiny handle lodged between his twisted shoulder blades. It’s a dagger plunged fiercely into his backside. Spector stands behind him and watches as the villain’s soul fades into the brass lantern.

“Is it over?” Azuki’s face pops up from behind a nearby bush.

“I think so…?”

I look left and right to see who is still standing. I see Minerva, Azuki, Spector, Jet and myself. Everyone else in my sight is injured, some worse off than others. And for the friends I don’t see? Their souls are trapped inside this cursed lantern.

Minerva quietly cuts in. “I’m afraid it’s not entirely over yet. Did you see the way Xaban appeared? He didn’t look too good for his age I must say.”

“I noticed that. Why was he so skeletal looking?” I ask curiously.

“He’s been deceased for a hundred plus years… or at least he should be. It seems he’s been resurrected by a foolish mage with dark magic. In a few days, his body will heal and Xaban will reemerge with full power, unless we can stop him. The only thing that can kill a creature brought back from the dead is to destroy the artifact that houses their soul. An artifact like this.”

Minerva picks up the brass lantern from the ground and recalls the story from the books I know far too well. “This lantern was used as a weapon against the people of Tauwren many years ago. When Xaban was denied the crown, he sought to enslave all who opposed him, by trapping their souls into this artifact. It wasn’t until Fern the Fearless stepped in that a glimmer of hope reigned. A hope the spirits could be returned to their hosts by destroying the lantern. As for the way to destroy it? Relinquish the lantern to the only flame strong enough to forge it.”

My lips purse in disappointment and my eyes narrow at the thought. This means that we have to drop the lantern into the volcanic pits of Mount Calamity. Unfortunately, that’s gotta be miles from here. I wish I had a car to speed things along, since I get the feeling this quest has a quickly ticking time limit, but I suppose I still don’t have my driver’s license yet anyways. God, this is so convoluted! Though I guess there are no shortcuts in legends worth telling.

Spector, who was staring at my stupid expression, speaks up. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s the only way to destroy the lantern. Kinda like how a diamond can only be cut by another diamond.”

“Well that’s a dumb plot contrivance!" I say with a huff.

“You liked it when the book did it,” Spector retorts.

“Yeah…” I hate how right he is for calling me out on that. I would typically love to read about this story in an Emperor of the Lantern sequel, but living it? That’s a different story and one that I do not want to be a part of. What if I screw up?

“I’m afraid I’m not built for too much traveling…” Minerva quietly muses. “And someone has to tend to the injured. I’m so sorry to push this on you June dear, since you’re still so new, but I think we need you. Would you be willing to travel to Mount Calamity with Jet, Spector, and Azuki?”

Damn it. I look around at all my injured friends and realize that I have to do this. I feel sick to my stomach seeing everyone hurt in this fight. They need Minerva and Minerva really needs us. I’m glad that at the very least I won’t be alone. I’ll have some good companions for the journey. Plus Azuki.

“I'm not ready, but I'll try…” the words slip from my mouth as I muster what’s left of my depleting supply of courage.

“Oh dear no one's ever ready. But I know you will try your best.” Here before you go, take this.” Minerva says while handing me a familiar looking rock.

“It’s a resonance stone. You can contact me if you ever run into trouble. Keep it safe and give it back to me when you return.”

“If we return…” I say letting pessimism get the better of me.

“Not ‘if’ dear. WHEN.” Minerva says in reassurance. “You, Spector, Azuki and Jet are going to come back to this town as triumphant heroes. And when every isekai is back safe and sound we’ll hold another Isekai Anonymous meeting to talk about real world things. And maybe one day we’ll all meet up in that real world together.”

Minerva pulls me into a hug and I lean down, her petite build has her head lined up just above my hips. A small tremble in her hands can be felt as she delicately grips around my body. She’s worried for us. I think those words she said were meant to reassure her too. I feel tears start to well up in my eyes. I want to make it back, for her sake.

Minerva lets go and looks me square in the eyes. A hopeful smile tries to disguise the glistening dew drops lining her pale blue eyes. “You’re going to make it back. All of you. Promise me June?”

“I will… I promise.”

And this time, I will keep it.