Kingmakers

Isroh was having the usual restless night of no sleep, occupying himself with the usual netflix and bourbon. Last episode of the last season of Stranger Things, however the dealings of the show were more of background noise as Isroh stares down onto the map of Vegas pinned to his coffee table. Splayed along the board were many pieces, some from monopoly, a few Sorry! Pieces and other scavenged game pieces along key city locations and up on his newly completed casino sat the black king piece from a chessboard.

He picks up a black bishop, deciding to move it to a particular street corner as his mind switches through scenarios. Only mid-thought did he recognize the sound of his own name. They interrupted his netflix for this jack-skellington bastardization? Vibrant eyes flash with just a hint of rage but mostly bemusement as his eyes snap back to his board of Vegas, quickly moving pieces, grouping the white king with the black king and the warship from monopoly from their buildings and into the streets. “Duke, my ass.” He mumbles. He was the king, dammit! And he’d be right fucked if he was about to let this guy terrorize his city. He could deal with gourd man later, his first order of business was to secure his city from whatever nightmare he’d cast it into.

No way this was just happening on his turf either, it was all over town in every zone he could see, flipping through news channels showed all angles of the problem. Luckily between him and the Vegas kings, there wasn’t much left of Vegas that was disputed territory anymore, between the two of them they should be able to get out ahead of this beast before it gets out of control and then there was Samael. First a text to his elites to mobilize them to work on clearing the streets then as he descends the stairs he moves to face-time Martyr.

“Hey, cocksucker. You seeing this crock of bullshit? Stay where you are and if Samael is with you keep him around. I’m on my way.” Isroh jokes as the is met with the carnage outside. Luckily a few gnolls armed with Uzis were able to knock the danger down as Isroh steps into his black escalade, escorted by three more cars armed to the teeth with angry demons as every man under Isroh’s control took to the streets to combat the nightmares. How ironic. Demons defending humans from their fears.

When he woke up Samael didn’t expect the city to be taken over by a nightmare pumpkin.

He was unpleasantly surprised today. Not that  he ever expected a day to go anyway other than terrible. Living with his husband who didn’t even know they were married prepped him for a disappointing time. They were actually roommates in this instance. Historians be damned.

It happened not long after a shower, his copper hair dripping wet and darker because of it. The two managed to pick out a little apartment in Vegas, somewhere they could get along despite both being felons and escaped ones. He’d heard Osiris did something involving a  massive spell, yet he didn’t know exactly what that was about. Did magic exist to make people forget he killed people?

Something told him it was not so fantastical. Out of the shower in his underwear, dripping with water and clean he found himself  hit with the vision. A massive ascending...pumpkin god? He didn’t know exactly, yet something about it filled him with a creeping anxiety. Like being drawn from the world before being thrown back into it, his mind muddled from what he had experienced.

So standing in the apartment living room he heard the found of Ashley’s phone buzzing on a table. He wasn’t there immediately to answer the phone, so he  tapped in the password and answered. A face time to be specific and what looked back was Isroh, shouting angrily and demanding he stay there. ”Don’t know who you think you’re talking to but okay then,” He hung up, sighing. ”hey Ashley! I guess we got work to do, so if you’re not ready be ready!”

With that he began a blur of movement, picking up jeans draped over a sofa, his leather jacket and a gray shirt to put under that. Isroh would be here soon, and then they had a pumpkin to fight.