(1st story)
This is not my past. I know that now. I guess I should be thankful because this is one memory that’s becoming just as dangerous as reality.
Near where the Blackfoot Indian keep their horses, a loud scream emanates through the tribe. Grabbing his knives, Logan rushes towards the directions of the commotion. As he does, he asks Buffalo Snort what is happening. Are they being attacked? Buffalo Snort answers that it’s worse he fears. The scream came from the corral. Once they reach the corral, Old Wolf Heart stops them and tells them not to go any further. They cannot enter this ground until the proper prayers have been said.
Putting his arm up to his nose, Logan asks what the stink is. Old Wolf Heart informs him that the smell is of loam, of sulfur, and of corruption – the smell of Uncegila. Whatever Uncegila touches, wherever Uncegila passes, becomes long dead, rotting in its own festering bile. Looking out over all of the dead horses, Old Wolf Heart says yes, Uncegila has finally risen.
Just then, he looks across the corral and sees the severely injured He Counts Horses. He was standing guard tonight. Once Logan sees that he’s movin’, which means he’s still alive, he rushes over towards him. As he does, Old Wolf Heart calls out to him that he must not enter the ground. It is corrupted. Logan tells him that man’s alive, he needs help.
Making his way over to He Counts Horses, Logan tells him to just keep still. Just lie there and don’t move, till he can… Upon seeing the damage done to He Counts Horses, Logan says, Oh Lord. He Counts Horses begins to stammer “snakes… eyes of fire… mother… father… I… I am lost… I am…” Logan tells him to take it easy. Old Wolf Heart tells Logan that they must leave this place. He is in the hands of the spirits now. The touch of Uncegila has rotted his flesh. The sight of Uncegila has driven him mad. For none may look upon Uncegila and remain whole.
Looking down at the ground, Logan notices the marks. Old Wolf Heart tells him they are the trail of Uncegila’s passage. No grass will grow there again. Logan exclaims that he ain’t concerned about his grass. Those tracks lead in a circle… around the hill. That thing tricked them. It’s headin’ back towards… Old Wolf Heart exclaims the camp, the beast is in the camp.
Running full speed towards the camp, Logan thinks to himself that he has to get to her… Silver Fox. No, not Silver Fox. Old Wolf Heart calls out to Logan and tells him to not attack the beast. To look upon her is to die. Logan answers that Sparrow is still back there. He has to get to Sparrow. As soon as Logan gets to the camp, he sees Uncegila devouring Sparrow Hawk and her calling out his name.
Logan is enraged and goes to attack the giant worm-looking Uncegila. Before he can reach it, however, Uncegila disappears into the ground. Old Wolf Heart remarks that Uncegila has gone to the ground, like their dead are going to the sand hills. The beast is a sign, a sign that all they know, all they are, will soon change. Soon, this whole world will be gone, like this camp of theirs. It will live only in the dreams of their dead, in the hunting grounds of the afterworld. Gone…
Logan yells at him to stay there and pray, old man. And to blazes with him. He’s an animal! And ain’t no animal that can’t be killed! That stinkin’ worm might have run, but there ain’t no hold in his heathen hades deep enough to hide from him! Does he hear him, worm? He’s gonna die!
(3rd story)
Upon looking at the daggers sticking out of the young woman, the leader of the Warriors of the Dead tell Ghost Rider and Cable that it is as he said – she belongs to his people. She is one of the dead. With tears in her eyes, the woman says that it can’t be. She’s alive, she is.
After the woman begs Ghost Rider and Cable to help her, the leader tells her that the Servants of the Dead are the only ones who can help her. They will take her to where she belongs. Fighting back, the woman takes out a couple of the Warriors of the Dead and states that she won’t go with them. Once she does, the leader jumps at her and tells her she has no choice, she is already theirs.
Before the leader can reach the young woman, Ghost Rider wraps his chain around his neck and snaps him to the ground. As he does, Ghost Rider tells him that the girl does not wish to go with him. Removing the chains from his neck, the leader says she must. She is theirs. Without them, she cannot survive. And they cannot stop him from taking her. Pointing his gun at his head, Cable says they can try. He then says it looks like they’re back to where they started. Ghost Rider and him against him and his four warriors. He’s been up against worse odds.
The leader says no. They are warriors, men of honor. If the truth is revealed, they will do the right thing. The girl that stands before them is no longer a living human being. She is a shell, her name long forgotten. She is one of the dead, reanimated by their priests. It is an ancient ritual and a great honor. All the memories of his people were given to her. If she would but open her mind, all would be made clear. Cease fighting the inevitable.
Opening her eyes, the young woman yells out, “Never!” Punching Ghost Rider and the Cable, she says she’ll never do that, no one can make her. She’ll see them all dead first. Attacking the leader, she continuously smashes his head up against the wall and repeats over and over that she won’t. The leader tells her that she has no choice. Cable then tells her that no matter what it is, she has a choice. They’ll see to that.
Just then, lightning strikes and the room begins to shake. When Cable asks if it is another attack, the leader says no. All choice has been taken out of their hands. Now their lives are in the hands of his god. As they fall through the ground, the leader tells them all that he has reached out for that which belongs to him, claiming his own. And those that attempted to kill him. His ager will be great, his punishment will be greater. That is why he has brought them to the Cathedral of the Dead.
Upon landing in the room of bones, Cable says this is where they started and he doesn’t like it. After Ghost Rider tells Cable that he senses the creature beneath them stirring, Cable says they’re getting out of there again, and ugly there is going to help them. The leader informs them that it is too late. Behold his god and prepare to die! With that, a figure forms from the skulls and bones on the ground.
