When revenge becomes love

***THIS SHORT STORY CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE; AND OFFENSIVE DIALOGUE ****

INTRODUCTION

Phantom Gunslingers, are battle wizards that rose to prominence; after Seminole led slave revolt leading to a merge in American First Nations and Afro-Descendants; resulting in "Black Seminole tribal magicks"; combat wizardry that applies arcane methods, towards archery, blade work and gunplay.

PROLOGUE

Late 1830s, after The Seminole led slave revolt

A Wizarding stand off unfolds. The Old Arkham Witch, a dark Necromancer known for sacrificing children to harvest their souls; and taking young woman to serve in her brothel. Opposing her,was The Miskatonic Phantom Gunslinger; Shamallah the last descendant of Master Alchemist Abdul Alhazred. Standing in his "phantom form"; an ability giving him a shadow-like appearance; with green flames emitting from his eyes and crown of red fire in place of the head black wavy hair while in mortal form.

"It's time for you to be sent to oblivion Witch !"

Threatened Shamballah Alhazred, aiming his pistols at The Old Arkham witch; after gunning down her gaurian horde of shadow demons with his Twin Hex Guns.

“Foolish Gunslinger..tonight I will sacrifice you like your father… like I should have done to you as child half breed slave."

Threatened the Witch in response,distracting him with taunts about his mixed Fulani Afo- Descendant, and Seminole American First Nation bloodlines. Keeping him occupied with insults and threats, the witch was secretly conjuring a swamp beast from the Miskatonic River,flowing behind behind Alhazred. Emerging from the river, the beast snatches Alhazred. Dropping his enchanted weaponry, he and the beast engage in battle. Using his power of the Forbidden Flame, Alhazred bested the beast; but not without depleting his arcane energy. Regressed back to his mortal form; Alhazred notices that the old Arkham Witch has vanished along with his pistols. The remains of the conjured swamp beast,devolved into a dark green liquid; Alhazred thought to himself how could it be possible. How could a dark Necromancer like the Witch by pass the protection spell of the enchanted side arms, and not burn to charred remains? In addition to this; without his hex guns; he can not replenish his connection to the spirit of the sacred flame, allowing his transformation into his phantom form. These were limits of combat wizardry Alhazred had feared to face. To make matters worse, hus durability to attack is greatly increased, while in phantom form. Before tracking the Old Arkham Witch; and retrieving his weapons, the now disarmed supernatural gunslinger, thought it wise to consort his teacher of wizardry, Chief High Thunder, an Ojibwa Shaman wizard of the Sacred Forbidden flame.

ACT I

Shadows of The flame & a path now

Meanwhile, at his teacher's wigwam, Alhazred stood across from the seated Shaman, with a sacred fire burning in between them.

“You wish to know if you can become the man-spirit ..without the weapons. They were never your bond with your power... only a lesson...the spirit honored you with two weapons as a sign to you warrior."

The Shaman warmly stated to his former ward; now disciple warrior. High Thunder adopted the half Seminole, as a runaway slave. Taking the boy to Chinatown to be trained in hand to hand combat; High Thunder upon seeing young Alhazred's progress as a warrior of flesh and bone, initiated the boy into the circle of Shadow and Flame. A Pyromancy faction that broke away from The Arcane Mystery schools and Temples structure in Asia; adding Geomacy to their practices, migrating to Ancient America and established an entire civilization on the modified Geomancy discipline.

"The lesson of your twin weapons...are for you to realize that your powers were given to protect her.

The Shaman said in a tribal accent smoking his feathered pipe, sharing it with his "bloodpact son".

"Her?"

Alhazred questioned as he sat across from his adopted father and teacher.

"Behold warrior as your past brings a great treasure from a seed planted without knowing."

The Shaman said, as he fed the sacred fire, raising its flame as it took the form of a phieonix.

Emerging from the sacred flame was the image of a young chinatown business woman, walking to the bank. Shamballah noticed the woman wearing necklace of fangs around her neck. Shamballah recognized the necklace as a gift he gave to a childhood friend; the daughter of his teacher in hand to hand combat Master Wang Li-Song.

"Lili…..Teacher Song's daughter?!"

Shamballah blurted, recognizing the young woman as his childhood with a boyish innocence.

"I gave her the necklace when I askedher to wait for me and marry ..when I become a man. The fire wolf was my first hunt...my prize I still remember the sent of her hair when she accepted the necklace...saying she would wait for me."

Hmmmm..Your mother was Seminole..yet now you are of the Ojibwa...both come from the fire Paladins exiled from Song's Motherland ...what the Cowen (pale face) calls Orient...many sunrises and moons ago. Coming here.....Perhaps warrior the spirit of the weapons....IS her guardian...and on your vision quest that spirit chose you...go find your weapons....and she will find you.

The wise dictated describing the migration of north east Asian groups migrating across the land bridge of Sibera into Ancient Amerca; as the images were shown in the sacred fire.

"I promised her I would avenge my parents...I failed...how can I protect anyone without my guns."

The inquisitive studend responded.

“The power is not the weapon ...it is the fire spirit of these lands...it took the weapons for reason son...the next demon you face may not be beaten with power..go now warrior...consider it a new vision quest for a new path....

Concluded Chief High Thunder.

The next evening 5 hours away by horse, at Li-Song's grocery and drug store…In the famous Miskatonic Reparative Territory the controversial state level response to the Seminole First Nation led, Afro-Descendant slave revolt, just a few years prior. In between New Arkham and The Tribal Territory; lies The New Canton township, Miskatonic County's Chinatown the second issued Territory, followed by The New Yoruba and Bamba, Afro-Descendant Territories.Along this path sits Li-Song's store of fresh vegetables medicines and herbal remedies. After closing a transaction with a customer, while giving change …he begins questioning Ms. Song about her father.

“Ms. Song sorry to hear about your father ….found out about it last night during supper…sure wish you told me ma'am…fine man..been coming here all the way from Arkham just keep the tradition.”

Looking behind the customer, Young Ms.Song noticed a stranger walking near the store. He appeared to be a man she has seen in a series of recurring dreams. The most recent of which the man revealed that he was the mysterious phantom.

“Ms.Song …you alright.”

Inquired the customer.

“Yyess..yes..I'm fine thank you for your condolences Mr Burton.”

Replied Song; following the customer outside, and greeting the “familiar stranger.”

“Your horse could use water stranger.”

Greets Song in a gentle tone knowing deep down it was her long lost childhood friend.

XieXie (Thanks) Ms..Ms…..Lili?!

Shamballah replied instinctively in her Chinese dialect; of respect for the culture that taught him combat, before realizing it was his beloved “Lili” a nickname Shamballah gave her

“ Shamballah ….please come inside.”

Offered Song gesturing him to enter. Trying his horse for him to drink. Shamballah enters the store as Song places the closed sign up locking the door. The two begin talking; making up for lost years, laughing and reminiscing through sunset.

“The moon rises Lili…I must go.”

States Shamballah.

“Please wait..”

Said Song in return grabbing his arm.

“I have seen your secret in my dream Shamballah..I know you are him ..the phantom the Voodoo Gunslinger…please what ever you are looking for in Arkham…don't go…stay here in the Reparative Territory…I can keep you safe here….”

Requested Song, of her friend

"I have to go to Arkham the old Arkham Witch..she took my power...I have to go and find how to get it back....I can't rest until I vanquish her ....for my father.

Replied Shamballah kissing Cassilda’s hand, before continuing his journey into the Moonlight. Watching from a distance are two shadow demons observing Alhazred's movements, whispering to each other in the Necro tongue.

ACT II

the test of Justice

Upon his arrival to the Miskatonic township of Arkham,The Coven responsible for stealing his enchanted side arms;set forth an evil plot, of framing Alhazred for a crime he did not commit, the murder of local business born to a founding family of the township, Ronald Wyatt.

“Where you come from son…and why did you kill Mr. Wyatt?”

Questioned Sheriff Chandler Dumfries, of Alhazred handcuffed and shackled, seated in a chair placed in an open jail cell.

I didn't kill anyone…the real killer was a part of the any mob…but you and your…ooofff

His words were stopped by a strike from the Sheriff to his stomach.

“Shut up son…I don't ask questions to hear lies boy…now this here is a confession. I'm gonna take those cuffs ya so you can sign it.”

Removing the handcuffs the Sheriff is returned with an outlash from Alhazred

“I…won't..sign.”

Sign that damn confession boy, the Sheriff order as he continued beating the captured unarmed Gunslinger. Without his weapons he felt helpless.

“If you don't sign …I think you might end up hanging yourself in here…and ya little Chinatown girlfriend gonna end up in a brothel ..where so belongs you hear..you mulatto menace!”

Sheriff Dumfries continued beating Shamballah with gross hatred. Calling the assault the Sheriff's “special treatment”. After the brutal assault Dumfries threw Alhazred back into the holding cell, locking it behind him. After Shamballah heard the locking clicks of the cell door, the unarmed and injured Hex Gunslinger; heard another set of footsteps walking down the dark hallway towards the cell.

“Say there Gutters this the boy you saw kill Mr. Charles Wyatt? “

Injured Dumfries, to the man emerging from the darkness of the hallway. The Moonlight light the cell area,revealed that the Mr. Gutters; to whom the Sheriff was speaking too, was none other than the gunman responsible for the shooting of Mr. Wyatt.

“ Yeah…yeah that's him alright…thought he was a redskin savage though “.

Jumbo Gutters falsely claimed, with an unnerving assurance.

“You….you…were just going to blame anyone…wer..weren't you”

(Chuckling) “ was gonna be that way till the nice Saloon owner gave such nice donation to make sure you hang.…(Chuckling more)Wyatt ain't even dead..just sold out…gonna set up in another Place…New name ..same game…that's the American way boy…now I'm gonna come back and you… you..gonna sign that confession…or that nice yellow lady gonna find herself a new job…doing….you know what.”

Threatened the corrupt lawman with an arrogant sniffle; holding his belt and rocking up and down on his toes in an undermining fashion.

“Come on Jimbo let's go get us some skit tails at the saloon”.

Said Dumfries to Gutters, as the two walked out the cell room area; into the Sheriff's offen, then finally out the door to Madame Lucy Red's saloon and brothel.

Shamballah, striving to maintain a grounded state of mind, continually played the threats towards Lili, in his mind. The thought of it burned into his heart, fully awakening the arcane effects from using his enchanted weaponry. Now the words of the Shaman have come to pass; as the physical transfiguration takes effect without holding the twin hex guns. Upon completion of his transformation into “phantom form”; Alhazred vanished into green mist, from his place of captivity, as his handcuffs dropped to the cell floor.

Five minutes (Walking distance) away, at Lucy Red's Saloon the corrupt lawman and his equally corrupt business partner finish their drinks and head upstairs to the brothel, accompanied by Madame Red.

“You fellas are going to love the new batch of girls, I have collected..be sure plant some more.”

The twisted Necromancer said to the men

“Oh best believe we will Madame…and you sure gonna love the nice yellow skirt tail we gonna collect for you”.

The Sheriff said, as the three laughed on there way to the comfort rooms.

As dirty business was being conducted, Alhazred stood in “phantom form” on the roof. In full control of his paranormal form; planning his attack on the corrupted souls of both Dumpfies and Gutters. The moment he entertained the strategy; an uncanny event unfolded. He established a mental link with the two men's minds. New to this phenomenon without his hex guns. Shamballah gave to the power as it was in itself a conscious spirit coexisting with him. As the two men laid in the beds with the captive brothel women, their temporary slumber was interrupted, the two men found themselves awake inside of the jail cell, Alhazred was locked.

“What the hell is going on here?!”

Shouted Dumfries, shakened, yet trying to hide his fear.

“This ain't the jailhouse Dumfries…is something else.”

Jimbo Gutters expressed recognizing that the jailhouse was in a hellscape setting as Alhazred in phantom form walked down the hallway. His hands holding flames.

“ This will be your final resting place Sheriff “

Said Alhazred looking into the cell, the green flames from his eyes; flaring as the two screamed in absolute terror. “

ACT III

a new path

“You're saying the Sheriff turned himself in?”

Alhazred asked, former Deputy; Now Sheriff.

“Yes sir …made a full confession..him and the Sheriff being sent to Armitage Asylum..completely mad they are the both of them…going on about some demon with guns made them tell the truth..honestly I never saw to grown men so afraid…turned out Mr Wyatt was in on the scheme….The Marshals picking him up..he's gonna wish that bullet killed him.”

“The soul can not live a lie, Sheriff.”

Song interjected

“Yeah well Ms song you Alhazred here .are safe here in my county…now that I'm the Sheriff. “

After thanking the New Sheriff. Casilda and Alhazred embraced each other, Song immediately noticed; while embracing him that he was without his weapons.

Your Guns?!

She said in a shocked tone.

“I don't need them ..I found a new way..."

He declared in response, locking eyes with her. Lili looked up, absorbing his words, felt and comprehended the unspoken declaration. She dropped her face down into Alhazred's torso, embracing him tightly.

"Wo Ai Ni wode LiLi"

Confessed Alhazred in Song's mother tounge, meaning "I love you my LiLi" tears began to flow down his cheek. Looking back and caressing the hair above his ear; also having tears falling from her eyes. Shamballah leaning his head down kissed the head LiLi. In response Song looked up returning the physical consumption of their preordained soul bond. The taste of Song's kiss triggered Shamballah into a sensory overload; as the two tightening the kissing embrace. Not far behind Song, was the fire spirit of the hex guns observing its chosen champion accept the cosmic gift for freeing himself from the attachment to the twin guns, a love uncovered backed by a primordial spirit of The American First Nations, the offspring of a primordial from the "far east", Asia, from which the First Nations began its journey across the land bride of Siberia into Ancient America.

EPILOGUE

Cassilda Song, joined Alhazred in aidding Seminole hero John Horse; in his mass "Black Seminole" exodus into Mexico, encountering countless arcane adventures and wizarding duels along the trek, as well as The Ahrkam Witch, Lucy Red whom vanquished her own Coven by mistake with Shamballah's Hex Guns.