The Czars
of Halloween stood at the center of Hallows End. Their names were Poe and Nyx.
Nyx was tall and slim, had brownish orange eyes, olive skin and short brown
styled hair. Poe was slightly shorter and didn’t stand up quite as straight,
but was also slim like Nyx. Poe had thin black hair, the front came down to his
eyebrows and the back went down to the bottom of his neck. He had pale gray
eyes and pale skin. Since it was almost Halloween the two were dressed up. Not
in costumes, but dressed up for a party. Poe wore a black bowler hat with a
white stripe in the middle, a white shirt, black vest, jacket pants and shoes.
He also had a black bowtie with skeletons on it. Nyx wore a black shirt and
jacket, orange vest, black pants and dark green orange shoes. He didn’t have a
hat, but did have a long straight orange tie with little pumpkins on them.
The two
stood in the center of the city and marveled at the decorations and lights. “I
love this place year round, but there is something about Halloween that really
brings out the spirit” Poe said as he stared mesmerized by a pumpkin light that
was blinking and changing colors. “Yeah” Nyx muttered back as he too seemed
enthralled by the majesty of this rapidly color changing pumpkin.
Hallows End
was a small town, even after years of success and tourism. The buildings looked
old fashioned and twisted, some even seemed stitched together like
Frankenstein’s monster. Strings of orange and purple lights ran along the tops
of the buildings and orange pumpkin lanterns were strung between buildings and
over entrance ways Jack-o-Lanterns were placed at every door and most doors had
Halloween wreaths set up. Made of black sticks from the dark woods and tied
together with festive ribbon. The great pumpkin stood at the center of town. It
was a large Jack-o-Lantern that would mysteriously start to glow when Halloween
began to approach. There was also a large fountain in the town, it was a stone
statue of a skeleton drinking from a beer mug. It looked as if the skeleton was
drinking and water would pour out through a hole in the back of his head, never
even reaching the holes in his rib cage Every Halloween the fountain water was
drained, cleaned and the water was replaced with pumpkin ale. So party goers
would line up behind the skeleton and put their mugs under the hole in his
head as the ale literally passed right through the poor undead statue. It was
customary to then say “Thanks for the drink and sorry about your luck”. This
would be said with a tone of pity as if the town really was swiping beer from a
skeleton that was so desperately trying to drink something.
The residences of Hallows End were
out in the streets singing, drinking and setting up more decorations for the
fast approaching Halloween day. It was Hallows eve and there was still much to
be done. Poe and Nyx had regained their senses four hours later after being
entranced by the pumpkin that flashed lights and changed color. The all Hallows eve
party was about to start. This was the countdown to midnight, which made it
Halloween. Then the next day everyone would have a different kind of party that
was bigger than this one, to celebrate a happy Halloween and celebration of
another good year past. For in Hallows end, the end of Halloween meant the end
of the year.
Poe and Nyx walked to the bar Jack
and Lanterns. They smoothed down the wrinkles in their clothes with their hands
as they walked excitedly to the party. “So Hallows Eve you wear party clothes,
what are we going to wear for tomorrow’s party?” Nyx asked. “Well since its
Halloween people dress up as monsters and such. But since Hallows End is full
of creatures already, lets all just try to dress as spooky and Gothic as we
can” Poe replied. “I’m going to dress up as a nun!” Said a villager, who was
clearly undead. He was some kind of bluish zombie person. Poe tried not to
laugh. For once he didn't have a sarcastic comment for this one.
The night continued on and the
Czars were the life of the party. Drinks were flowing and everyone was in a
good mood. The skeleton fountain only poured out free drinks on Halloween, so
on Hallows Eve everyone would have to buy their drinks from Jack or John
lantern. A friendly mustached man came up to the counter. “what can I get you?”
Asked the bartender. “Just a beer please” said Poe as the two stepped up to the
bar.” The bartender gave Poe one of the best pumpkin beers in the bar. “Thanks
John” Said Poe. The bartender smiled “you got it right this time” smiled John.
“sure did, you don’t look so much like your brother. Some people just aren't as
observant as I am” Poe replied. “We aren't actually brothers, but thanks” Said
John with a smile, then walked off. “How did you know who it was? Jack and John
look exactly the same. They might even be the same person” Nyx said. ‘I just
guesses as usual and this time got it right” Poe replied casually.
“Whooooo!” cheered a very drunk
Pumpkin Jack, the towns own Halloween enthusiast and violent psychopath. Jack
stumbled over to the Czars, dragging his orange cloak behind him. “you guys
throw the best parties” Said Jack with a big drunk smile. Nyx was about to
reply, but was interrupted by a rumbling. The ground shook and the lights
flickered. It was two minutes till midnight, but the shaking became so violent
that no one noticed. “I didn't think we got earthquakes here” said Nyx as he
hung onto the bar. John Lantern was flung over the bar. “We don’t” he said.
Pumpkin Jack seemed pretty stable on his feet for once and had a determined
look on his face.
The party guests all shuffled
outside to see what was happening. Then at the center of town the ground began
to break apart under the Great Pumpkin. Jack jumped and knocked it over,
pushing it out of the way just as a hole opened on the spot it had been
sitting. Screaming souls and green energy blasted out of the ground in a loud
and violent scene. The earth stopped shaking and when the souls had all flown
away all that was left was a hunched over man in a black cloak. Jack seemed to
know who this was and pulled out his sword. He lunged forward but was stopped
at the last moment. He stood there his sword seemed to be blocked by an
invisible wall. “You pathetic residence of Hallows End cannot harm me. I have
been locked away in your wretched cage for one thousand years. This whole time
I have absorbed the power of this town. Feeding off of it as you threw your
parties and celebrated like fools” Said the hunched over hooded man.
Everyone seemed clueless about what
were happening, Everyone except Jack and the mayor. These two were apparently
much older than they let on. Pumpkin Jack’s sword was flung off into the trees
by a mysterious force, then he too was thrown away without any effort. “I am
the Lich. This used to be my home. But then a group of hooligans attacked me
and sealed me into a magical cage. Then built a town over the wreckage of my
castle.” The Lich explained. “You were the terror of the autumn land, we did it
to save everyone” Said the mayor who seemed to show up suddenly. The mayor was
short and round, but had noticeable muscles under his layers of fat, looking
like in his younger years he would have been insanely strong. The mayor also
had a thick mustache and a black hat.
Suddenly all of the residence of
Hallows End dropped to their knees, Powerless and helpless to the Lich’s magic,
everyone except the Czars of Halloween. Since they were from the Autumn forest,
the Lich didn't have power over them. The two Czars stepped up in front of the
crowd. “Listen buddy. You might have owned this place once, but this is our
town now” Poe said. “Well the mayor runs it, but we help!” Nyx added, but still
tried to sound tough. Poe nodded in agreement. “Yes I suppose its more of the
mayors town. But our wealth and social status, plus the fact that everyone here
likes us, kind of makes this our town too” Poe replied, no longer looking at
the Lich. “that’s true but we usually just throw parties so the actual
ownership…” Replied Nyx, but he was cut off when the Lich shouted “ENOUGH!” the
Lich’s yell shook the town and would have forced most people to their knees out
of fear.
“Short response. You are going to
have to leave” Poe said. The two Czars looked determined to protect their town
and the Holiday they loved. The Lich began to laugh. “you don’t even have
weapons or powers!” The Lich continued to laugh. The Mayor made a strained
noise. Nyx looked down and realized the Mayor had come ready for a fight. Nyx
laughed when he pictured the chubby little mayor swinging a sword. The mayor
brought a sword and an axe. Nyx threw the axe to Poe. “Right, now we have
weapons. Lets end this guy” Poe said.
The Lich chuckled and then slowly
began to stand up straight. As the Lich moved the sound of bones snapping and
popping could be heard. Finally the Lich stood up over six feet tall and the
cloak fell off. The Lich stood as a giant skeleton, green and purple flames
burned inside his skull and his bone hands glowed with magic. He wore black
wizard boots, and ripped black pants. His spine bones were sharp and Jagged and
his empty eye sockets glowed yellow. Then Poe noticed a hole in the back of the
Lich’s head. “Doesn't he look like a larger meaner version of the statue?” Poe
asked. “He is. The statue was made in honor of his defeat” Said the mayor as he
struggled to move and talk.
After
hearing this the Lich became enraged. Green flames burst up all around him and
he pointed a magical staff at the Czars. “this is the staff of souls. I will
use it to enslave your souls and torments you for all of eternity. Your misery
and torment will fuel my magic as I conquer this land” the Lich said then began
to laugh. The laugh was cut short when Poe’s Axe struck the Lich in the head
then bounced off and rolled back toward Poe. Poe ran up a little to retrieve
his weapon as the Lich to put his head back on straight. The Lich now had an
axe chop mark on the top of his skull. “Fine, if your in a rush to die” The Lich
said. Then dark energy waves shot forth and hit the Czars and all of the
citizens of Hallows End. Poe and Nyx clenched their teeth and tried to move
despite the pain they now felt.
The Lich
spun his hand around and darkness rose up into the air, the starry night sky
was blocked out by an unnatural evil magic. Now the sky looked like a swirling
abyss of darkness and shadows. “Already starting to feel like home” The Lich
said. Nyx stood up and rushed forward with his sword. “You can’t do this to our
town!” He said then stabbed his sword into the Skeletons rib cage “I don’t have
muscle, flew or organs, stabbing wont do anything” The Lich laughed. His hands
burst with green flames and he reached down to grab Nyx. At that moment Nyx
turned his blade with all of his strength. This twisted the sword up and broke
several bones in the Lich’s rib cage. The Lich recoiled and his hands lost their
fire.
The Lich
rushed forward to attack Nyx before he got away. Right before The Lich got to
Nyx another flying axe came sailing forward and hit the Skeleton Lich right in
the chest, breaking the rest of his rib cage The two regrouped and moved back
to avoid direct attacks. The Lich stood up and used his staff of souls to heal
his broken bones. Soon he was back to full strength. Poe grinned “thank you for
showing us your weakness” Poe shouted to the Lich. Without the powerful soul
magic, the Lich was just another skeleton.
Nyx nodded
to Poe then ran straight at the Lich again. The Lich looked ready, his skeleton
hands glowed with a green death magic and one touch could wither a person to
bones. The Lich shot blasts of shadow energy out at Nyx as he rushed forward.
Nyx dodged those and got up right to the Lich. The Lich reached down and was
going to grab Nyx before he could strike. Then Poe flanked the Lich from the
side and slashed his axe down with all of his might. He slice the Lich’s arm
off, the Lich turned and tried to attack Poe with his other arm but at that
moment Nyx stabbed his blade into the Lich’s skeleton face. The sword went
right through the evil wizards head and made a second hole, going straight
through between the eyes and out the back of the head. This hole was above the
original, made by Jack a thousand years ago, when Jack stabbed his pumpkin
blade through the Lich’s mouth and out the back of his head where the spine met
the skull.
The Lich
let out a loud shriek and dropped his staff. He staggered backward and the two
Czars went after the staff. As it hit the ground they both slammed their
weapons down onto it as hard as they could. The staff shattered and all of the
trapped souls were released. Then the remaining magic mixed with The courage of
the Czars and went into their weapons. Poe’s Axe became large and bent like a
scythe. It was black with a skull at the top and a shiny silver blade at the
end. Nyx’s sword became a straight long sword, with a pumpkin for the pommel
and a black hilt with orange gems. The blade was also silver and looked a
little like a pumpkin carving knife, but as a sword. “The Carver” which Nyx now calls it is different than Jack’s
pumpkin sword. Jack’s sword was jagged and the hilt was orange with a
Jack-o-lantern face burned into the blade.
The two
Czars marveled at their new weapons almost as much as they marveled at the
glowing color change pumpkin. Then they both turned and saw the Lich was still
standing and trying to summon the last of his magic to attack again. Before the
Lich could do anything. Poe and Nyx attacked, slashing their weapons down at
him. Orange and black energy streamed from their combined weapons as the two
struck the evil Lich. The attack was so strong the Lich exploded into dark
energy and his bones turned to dust.
Hallows End
had been saved and the Czars had been rewarded with fancy new weapons. The
citizens cheered as the Czars slowly walked back to the bar. “I need a drink”
Poe said. “Me too” Nyx replied, sounding tired.
The two drank and then slept. The next day was Halloween.
The darkness in the sky had disappeared, the hole in the center of town was filled,
the Great pumpkin was placed back on its spot and any damage done to the town
was now fixed.
Poe
and Nyx started getting ready for the big spooky Halloween party. They wore
black robes, Nyx had a hollowed out Jack-o-lantern over his head and Poe had a
skull mask. “So we let home, started new lives in Hallows End, became rich and
powerful, threw the best parties, defeated a Lich, saved the town and gained
powerful magic weapons. What should we do now?” Asked Nyx with a smile. “Now we
celebrate Halloween” said Poe as he pulled his black hood over his head.