G

It took me several trips to put a stop to the wraith. It wasn't any use tracking their source as they just appeared and sought the closest living source. They didn't appear on camera nor were they easily findable if you could not see souls to begin with.

When the first light appeared and nothing popped up for an hour, I stretched and left the rocking chair. I dropped down into my chair and cruised the forums to see what people thought of this. Then I remembered that not many people would be aware of this threat that was silent and deadly.

So I created a post on the threats to humans page. I briefly explained the characteristics and how to kill them. Hardly had I switched tabs after posting the thread did I get replies. The two most upvoted replies were, does my fire have any attributes? The answer is obviously, yes, yes it does. The Sun was worshipped for decades to centuries. Even not to mention now that I have used it as a symbol.

The other question was how to spot them. What made them show up and so on. All questions that couldn't be answered. Well they could but if you didn't have the ability to sense souls then it would be hard for you to spot them before they spot you.

"Are you coming to bed?" Izzy called for me and I kicked off my shoes.

I was in her embrace before she could crack open her eyes.

"Thanks for forcing me to work at the Salon. I had a lot of fun." Izzy muttered without opening her eyes.

"What a husband is supposed to do." I rubbed my cold hands on her back which forced her to shoot closer.

Ingenious plan for snuggle time.

"Ugh, aren't you supposed to be hot all the time? Where is that sauna that you usually have turned up to hundred?" Her eyes snapped open and she tried to hide the smile while pushing my arms away.

"I'm sick, remember?"

"Why is it sick when you wish to be but fine whenever you forget?"

"Isn't that how being sick works?"

"Only for you, apparently."

"I could have sworn that was how it worked. Sick when you don't feel like coming to work. Fine otherwise." I continue to warm up my hands using her bare skin.

"Stop or I'll bite."

"You just have to bite me!"

She really did dare to bite my tender flesh. How cruel did she have to be to bite a sick man?

"Stop or else I'll continue!"

"But I'm almost warmed up!"

"Grrr!"

"Were you born in the year of the dog?"

"Are you calling me a bitch? You've gotten brave since you've been out exploring the vast seas? Collecting wives and shit." Izzy smiled down at me.

"I have no idea what you mean. I only have one wife and a bunch of people said the wife was invited over. Speaking of which.." I snuck a kiss. "How about we go on a date this weekend? I heard that Forgotten built a large amphitheater. He's going to have live plays and other things for romantic dinners. I'd be delighted if we could go together."

Izzy eyebrows rose. "Oh, you are wooing me after you already caught me? I think you got things backwards."

"Nonsense. I'm just making sure I have sovereignty or at least Diplomatic immunity to kill all my competitors."

"You're so stupid but yes. We can definitely go there, just the two of us." Her bright smile lit up the dark room.

She tugged at my clothes and showed one of the reasons she was a keeper. That ass could clap on demand!

****

I woke up feeling like someone hard stomp my head. I didn't even use that much power. Can the RnG God please be more easy going, damn!

It was already nighttime as wellml? What the hell?!

Izzy held up two dresses to the mirror and I couldn't help thinking back to all those times women asked me to go clubbing when they already had a man at home.

"What are you doing, lil lady?" I rolled over and grabbed a pillow to tuck under my chin.

"Going to the club, lost but not forgotten." Izzy replied a little too fast.

"Hold up… hold up one second there." I got out of bed and snatched the dresses from her. "Mm mm.. no ma'am! I can understand why your friends need to go clubbing. Its to get the fuck out of my house and leech off another man." I walked the dress right back into the closet.

"Why can't I go? It isn't like I'm looking for another dick and if I were. What can you say about it with Sophie being your secretary?" Izzy had that stern look like she meant business.

"Fair point but why do you need an extra dick when you ain't even got time for me as is? Secondly, why do you need to go find your youth when you need to be reading, 'how to be a mother' volume one through ten!" I shoved a thin booklet at her.

Izzy flipped the book open. "Wait, why do you even have this book?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm trying to put a baby in your stomach." I smirk.

"But I'm still going to the club." She sat the book down.

"Okay, wear baggy clothes."

"You have jokes."

"I do. Want to hear some?"

"Stop tugging on my clothes before you rip them!"

"I'm not tugging! I'm holding them and you are tugging on them."

"You are so childish!" Izzy let go of the clothes and ran off.

I heard a door slam shut the moment I walked out the closet in a victory pose.

"Does she think I don't know she hid clothes in the bathroom?" I shook my head and dressed up in black hoodie and joggers.

"You switch out my clothes. Fine, I wear what you want." Izzy walked out the bathroom in black open shoulder sweater with jeans. "Where are you going looking like a mugger?"

"To be a real life superhero. You want to come?" I grabbed my rosary and wrapped it around my forearm, the sun emblem rested on the back of my hand.

"Nu-uh, if I can't go out in a dress. You can't go out looking like a bum." Izzy marched right past me and ran her hands over the suits.

Good thing, I only had three distinct colors, black, grey, and white. She picked out a black suit with white lining.

"Fair." I grabbed the suit and changed.

"Now you look like my trophy husband." She leaned back and put a hand on her hips as if saying, I did that.

"Hurry up, Izzy! We are ready to get our groove on!" Anna yelled from the hallway.

Izzy grabbed a small hand bag and rushed out. "Don't stay out all night and come back home cold. I'll make you sleep on the couch this time."

Damn! Am I even the man of the house?

My phone rang and I didn't really want to answer, so I didn't. Yet, the moment the call ended, it rang again.

I picked it up and saw that it was forgotten.

"Yo." I talked and walked.

"Hey, are you patrolling tonight? I already set up a new patrol route for the guards on duty. Everybody has to call in every ten minutes. If they miss, a team will be sent out." Forgotten spoke in a hurry.

"That is good. I should do something like that for my men." I started writing a message to the four majors.

"Did you find out any new information on the spirits?"

"No, I didn't really take the time to study them. Do you have something?" I got into my sedan and stabbed the garage button.

"Well after your post, those stooges did come up with several theories. One of them is that holy items or powers can reveal them and that if the target holds a religious item…"

"That isn't true. My guards each have a rosary with my emblem. It can restore stamina or minor healing. Plus it keeps the cold winter breath away. Yet, two of my guys still die. That's how I knew something was up." I drove out the driveway and down to the square.

"Are you sure they had it on?"

"Positive."

"Okay, maybe they aren't that cliche. So what is the plan? We can't be expected to patrol every night. I still have life goals to complete."

"No idea. We don't know enough about them. Also aren't you considered undead? What is your cousin's weakness?"

"That is racist. I'm filing a lawsuit for slander and defamation."

"But I am the judge and jury."

"Says who?"

"Says the guy with the biggest guns!"

"Oh, hi there. Nice night out isn't it?"

I didn't reply because I felt something odd at this construction site. It felt like someone's hands were trying to dig through my skull.

I parked the car and climbed out. I took maybe six steps before I spotted something that left my mouth a little dry. Something that left me wondering what karma looks like in a dress and heels.

"Hey, forgotten.. I am going to need help at my location asap." I tossed the phone onto the hood of the car right before a large golden hand bitch slapped me across the street.

I guess in death, he picked up a few things. I waved my hand and a golden-red dragon paw slapped down on the growing black smog. I, honestly, expected it to do something but it seemed to just have helped Arthur absorb the smog faster.

"Haha! Bet you didn't expect this when you betray me?!" Arthur's voice sounded like dry ropes scraping across each other.

Arthur sent another golden palm at me. I wrapped myself in a golden-red barrier just as the hand slammed down on me. My feet sunk a couple inches into the snow packed dirt.

He was a little stronger than before but at our level, the power increase isn't all that big. The real strength comes from understanding how to use every unit to its…

He sent a couple hundred swords at me. Each one felt like a hammer jabbing my barrier. It was like an almost endless rain when you had a hangover. That drip drip that left your head wishing it was anywhere but here.

With a wave of my hands, I sent spears that had pulsating runes upon them. They slammed into his golden barrier. A beautiful crack sound graced my ears.

"Impossible! I'm stronger now! I have.." his voice faded away as the spears slammed into his corporal body.

I couldn't watch his body get torn to pieces but I felt the satisfaction at seeing the swords slowly dissipate. Yet, the next second a horrendous laughter rose in the calm of the night. The swords that were fading began to harden into physical objects with their own histories.

The hills had worn out grips, little chips were on the hand guards, and the blade looked a little chip in some places. The most annoying thing was how the swords slowly had runes etched along the blade face.

"Thought that was the end of me?! You fucking traitor will perish tonight!" His voice had an almost girly shrill to it that I just couldn't handle.

I slapped down with two dragon paws then added in a golden-red tornado to sweep over the area. Yet, he somehow blocked it and whipped out half a million swords that easily broke through my shield.

I was a little astounded at how much better he was just from watching me attack once. I faded into a black mist just as the swords approached my body.

My body reformed down the street and I thought I escaped but the blood dripping down from my right shoulder said otherwise.

I didn't take my eyes off the bastard as my right arm grew back.

"You think you are always the smartest in the room. Looking down on us regular people as if we are nothing to you. Well, I got news for you buddy! You are nothing!" He roared with such fury that I almost thought that I was nothing.

Instead of debating semantics, I sent fireballs at him.

Arthur grinned at me as he sent more swords that held a touch of darkness. My only offense was defense. He wasn't just a tad bit stronger but learning from my methods. Top it off, his soul was guarded by someone else.

So I played for time and gradually shifted the battle closer to the abandoned areas that were still untouched wilderness.

"Do you think this will stop me from killing you and all that you love?" Arthur's annoying voice really grated on my ears.

"Wow. I thought you killed him?" Forgotten cut in.

I got to watch the sneak attack cut Arthur into tiny pieces but the prick just recovered like it wasn't a problem.

"Is that even fair?" Forgotten walk to my side.

"Someone protecting his soul which gives him this immortal ability." I took the time to regrow my left leg and arm.

"He really did a number on you. Did he learn that sword trick from you?"

"Yeah, I didn't think he would live after I showed off. Who knew the prick could just ignore death like that." I disappeared into the shadow of a tree.

"Its his fucking pet walker! No wondered he was stalling but you will fucking die with him! You feel me?!" Arthur's roar really was grating.

"Bro, your voice sounded worse than mine when I first started talking again. I just want to let you know that you aren't half as good looking though!" Forgotten easily dodged the shit that I couldn't.

"The pet thinks he's so funny." Arthur's eyes had turned a deep shade of black that really didn't suit his golden hair.

My limbs finally grew back and I came up from behind him. Four blades cut through his body like a terrible smoothie machine. This time, I focus on how his soul was guarded by a purple round coin. I snatched the coin and traced it..

Well, I tried to but the shit caught fire. I tossed it down and watched the wind blow the ashes away before it even touched the ground.

"If you could have done that, why did you wait on me?" Forgotten crouches down over the bloody mess that was Arthur's new body.

"I was hoping you would be enough to distract the puppet master but he didn't think much of you." I shook my hand and the burnt flesh fell on the ground, it slowly caught fire and became dirt on the wind.

"I see. Did you at least get a general location?" Forgotten used a dagger to sift through the remains.

"You aren't looking for his brains, eh?" I couldn't help myself.

"Wow.. such a low blow." He stood up and flicked the blood off his dagger before it disappeared.

"I did get a general location but it is way too far. He may have targeted Arthur before this or something." I walked back to my car.

"Human or one of my kind?"

"You're kind."

"How do you know for sure that he is one of my kind? I feel like you are being unjustly racist."

"Oh, I'm definitely being racist. Your kind has a certain stench that makes your magic feel different from others."

"I knew it. Bigots always have great power."

I couldn't help rolling my eyes. "Everybody has a certain stench that is unique to their race. I haven't found someone whose magic smells…" my head snapped to the left and I held up my hand.

Several of my guards formed a circle around me. Forgotten face stiffen. His eyes locked onto the shadows in the depths of the woodlands.

"What a magnificent greeting party." A woman in a white dress walked out of the darkness cast by the branches. Her figure might not have been anything special but her looks were godly.

If asked who was the number one beauty, this lady would come to our minds unwittingly.

"I thought you said the caster was one of my people?" Forgotten leaned over and whisper.

"She is one of your people and she isn't the castor. I think that might just be one of her people." I whispered back.

"Oh, in this case. How big of a mess we are in?"

"You know the saying, I don't need to run fast, just faster than you?"

"Yeah?" He turned to run but me and my guards had already hauled ass.

"Are you fucking serious?" Forgotten threw his hands up.

"You don't need to run. I just want to talk to you both." After she said that, she waved her hand all gently like.

My crew and myself, we were dragged back kicking and screaming. Literally, I thought I was going to die.

"Such a baby." Forgotten didn't forget to throw in an insult.

I stood up and patted off my clothes like nothing happened. Even though my men were giving me all kinds of looks. I even thought one of them was recording me.

It wasn't my fault that they didn't know how terrifying this woman was. If there were gods alive, I would be all fours downs.

"Interesting." The lady wiped a tear away from her eyes. "You should understand how powerful I am. Thus this saves me a demonstration. I am like him.." she waved at Forgotten. "But the difference between me and you isn't all that much. Well to be more accurate, you are closer to me than your pet is to me."

"Why does everybody keeps calling me the pet? I'm just as awesome as he is, if not more impressive considering my starting point." Forgotten shouted.

I scratched my head. "Okay, buddy. There is no need to get mad over a small distinction, right? After all, the Goats know they are goats but the people usually find out years later when you are written as history material to teach their kids."

Forgotten nodded, "you make a lot of sense."

My mouth suddenly twitched.

The lady glanced to the left and coughed. "Jokes aside. You should know that your government feels that you are a traitor that hoards the enemy. But I am the opposition that hasn't yet come to the light and there is no need for me to do so when I can just make Generals like yourself. In return, I won't pull out your soul to give your abilities to someone more pliable." She clapped her hands like that solves everything.

Forgotten elbow me. "Can you resist so that I can get your powers? Take one for the team."

I didn't know what to say to either of them. Having my soul ripped from my mortal body wasn't in my future visions. So like the coward I was, I bowed. Not the eighty degree but the full dropped to one knee, head down.

"Say no more, my lady." I said with full respect given to someone who could Rip my soul out.

My guards copied, "we greet your highness!"

Forgotten look around and the woman looked at him. He smiled and waved his fingers.

"Hey, so where do you get your hair done? I really love that shade of purple. Just light enough to almost look like blood drops." Forgotten grabbed his elbow as he gestured with his other hand.

"You two are amusing." The lady pointed down. "Bow."

Forgotten dropped to one knee before she even finished bowing. "I greet your highness."

"Good. I will pass my orders down through this." She tossed something in front of me. "Until then, I want you to build up your fort. Take out anyone who is a threat to your position as my subordinate."

The lady turned to leave but paused. "Also, I don't like the title, Summer God." With that she left in a dust of snow petals.

I lifted my head to see what she left was just a slightly thick glass in the shape of a phone. I picked it up and it instantly turned on.

"So, Summer boy.." Forgotten started but I shot him a look.

"I can easily rip your soul out." I said.

He zipped his mouth closed. Bloody comedian.

"So boss, are we now fraction Walkers?" One of the guards asked.

"Unless you think you have two souls, then yeah. We work for the other side. At least it's not an ugly guy we have to serve. Plus sides." I scratched my head while navigating the phone apps.

"I'm fine with that. I was hoping you wouldn't have tried to be a martyr. I have a son on the way."

This started a line of conversation that left me utterly speechless. They thought so less of me that they thought I would have a hero complex? Damn, we need some brother.. and sister bonding time where I beat the shit out of them.

I stopped messing with the glass phone. "Tomorrow, we will cleanse the town. No building stands that don't have our emblem on it."

"But she doesn't like the phrase, Summer God." One of the guards stated.

At this very moment, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. These blood sucking scumbag really change skins so fast. Already forcing someone else every word.

"Summer Knight then.. shit can't you guys think of a nice name for our gang? I shouldn't have to do everything." I said helplessly.

Instead of trying to issue more orders, I just step into my car and peel out. These pricks would kill me before the night was over with.