Chapter 7: "Fire and Bone"

(One million years ago, before the dawn of civilization, Odin assembled a motley crew of prehistoric avengers. One of the most powerful and dangerous of their numbers... was the very first ghost rider.)

(Earth. One million B.C.)

[I was born into a small pack of cave folk struggling to survive on the edge of the big white. It would be a long time before I'd have a name]

In a nearby cave their are various cave folk sitting by the fire to stay warm or standing guard outside of their cave. Their weapons at the ready to defend their cave if necessary.

[in my pack, there were no such things as names. We recognized each other by our faces or smells.]

In the very back of the cave their was a lone boy who was staring at a stone wall that had the hand marks of his fellow cavemen. He looked upon the wall with an inquisitive gaze.

[we communicated with grunts and fists. I don't know who my father was. Don't think my mother did either. I learned everything she had to teach me by the time I could walk. Even as a child, I was already smarter than everyone I knew. Which was my great secret.]

The boy reached up and touched one of the large hand prints and sighed, his smaller hand only taking up about half of the space on the wall.

[my great shame. I was different, and different was frightening to my people. Different would get you cast out, left in the snow to starve. I never understood their fear... ...until the stranger came.]

Suddenly a silhouette appeared and started to approach the cave. The man in question walked with a purposeful stride, a confident stride. He was not a man to be trifled with.

[a stranger from across the big white. No one from my pack had ever dared to even enter the big white.]

The stranger entered the cave and stood with a tall and confident posture. Some of the cavemen readied their weapons to force the newcomer out. However the man expected this and drew his own weapons.

[he traveled alone, which was certain death out here. Only sabercats and walking mountains traveled alone. And he didn't look like either.]

[but he wielded weapons of a sort we'd never seen before. And in the time I'd take a hungry wolf to devour a baby...]

Two hunters ran at the man he sidestepped one and sliced his neck, when he was downed he stabbed the hunter in the gut killing him. The second one swung a club however the man grabbed it with ease and stabbed the hunter through the face. The body dropped to the ground and blood leaked from the lifeless corpses. The boy was horrified and hid in the corner and covered his eyes.

[...he'd carved his way into being our new pack leader. Every hunter in the cave roared in approval. Even the bloody ones. And I closed my eyes and wished, as always, that when I opened them...I wouldn't be smart anymore. Instead, I was the only one smart enough to be truly afraid.]

The young boy was seen later sitting by the fire in a lone corner when suddenly the man, his new pack leader approached him.

"I know how alone you feel. You've never met anyone else like you, have you?" The man asked. As he looked at the boy he could tell he was hesitant to speak.

He sat down next to the boy. He was a tall physically imposing man with hair as white as snow and a cloak to match.

"It's okay. You can speak freely. I won't let them hurt you if they hear." The man assured the boy.

The boy looked up at the man "I didn't know... ...there were others... ...who could make the sounds." The boy spoke.

The man nodded not surprised at the boy's astonishment "there are a few. Scattered among the packs of ape-men all across the land. All of them born different. Smarter than they have any right to be." He revealed to the boy.

The boy was surprised but he wanted to know why was he one of these supposed few, how did he know all the things that he shouldn't know.

"How is this? How do I know these things?"

The man stared into the fire with a far away look in his eye as if reminiscing.

"I come from a pack that feared everything outside their cave. They'd scream and cry every night when the big red ball went away. They always thought the world was ending. Every single night of my life. And then, one particularly dark evening...they were finally right."

The man turned to face the boy with a unreadable expression on his face.

"It doesn't matter how we're born different. But the why is clear. We are this world's true masters." The man declared.

The boy nodded albeit hesitantly and then he looked back at his pack. As he saw some sitting, others were sleeping, and the two dead bodies from earlier were still there.

"And them? How do they do that?" The boy wondered.

The man looked at the pack with a pitiful look he truly pitied them. The ignorant fools.

"They help us become what we're meant to be. By dying. That's all they really know how to do." The man replied.

The boy looked at the man a little put off by his response but he wondered something how did this mysterious man's former pack meet its end.

"What... what was it that happened to your pack? How did the world end for them?" The boy questioned.

The man looked forward into the fire not bothering to make eye contact with the boy.

"The same way it always ends out here. Something found them. Something stronger. Something hungry." The man answered.

And before the boys eyes the man grew even larger and his teeth had taken the form like that of a sabercat and  he had grown white fur all over his body. before the pack could even defend themselves, the monster started to rip them all apart, blood splattered everywhere, organs and limbs littered the ground, screams were heard like a new born baby fresh out of the womb. The boy couldn't turn away as he watched horrified as the monster tore through his entire pack not leaving a single survivor except...him.

[in one night, he killed and ate them all. Everyone I'd ever known.]

The boy looked around him and tears cascaded his cheeks but soon enough he gritted his teeth and his eyes glazed over and in a blind fury he ran at the monster with his weapons. Not caring if he died but wanting to avenge his pack.

"RRRRGGHH!!!" The boy roared in a rage

[he wasn't a sabercat or a walking mountain. He was something much worse. Something for which... I had no words.]

The monsters large clawed hand grabbed the small boy and squeezed him hard, causing the air to leave the boys body.

"HUGHK." The boy gasped.

The boy looked at the monster with a look of terror no longer in a blind fury the boy actually feared for his life know. The monsters teeth were blood red...painted with the blood of his pack as well as the hand he used to grip the boy.

"Heh. Look at you. You're a ghost now, boy. A thing that doesn't even know it's dead. Ghost. That's what I name you. If you want to know my name... come and find me. If you can." The monster challenged as he dropped the boy leaving him alone.

The now named ghost cried and laid in the fetal position for what seemed like an eternity though only moments had passed.

[and Just like that, he was gone. And I was more alone than ever.]

Ghost  eventually stood up and wiped his eyes but his eyes were still puffy and red from the tears he just shed. He grabbed a fur cloak and was about to set out into the big white to find the man... the monster.... who slaughtered his pack, but there was a look of fear, a look of uncertainty as he set out.

[and the world outside my cave was suddenly more dangerous than I had ever imagined.]

(Days later)

Ghost trekked into the big white for he didn't know how long but, now his body was starting to finally give into the stress it had been under for days. But he kept pushing.

[if he could survive the big white, then so could I, I told myself. Or maybe I was just for an easy way to die.]

Ghost soon enough collapsed from exhaustion and hunger as he laid in the snow he figured this was it. He'd die right here alone in the big white... what a way to die.

"Uugh." Ghost  grunted.

[either way, i didn't find what I was looking for. Instead, something found me.]

Suddenly a snow while snake with blood red eyes slithered up to ghost. It's fang barred as it looked at ghost. Who believed he was seeing things in a state of delirium.

"If you wisssh to die, I can ssend you on your way. But I'd much rather help you live." The snake offered.

"Snakes... can't talk." Ghost muttered as he laid there in the snow.

The snake slithered closer to ghost and started to coil around him.

"How do you know? You only jusst learned how to talk yoursself. Didn't you? Little ghossst." The snake retorted as it continued to coil around ghost.

Ghost couldn't bring himself to move he was just so hungry... so exhausted... so cold...  but how did the snake know of the name that monster gave him? Did he know the monster? Could he tell him where he was?

"How do you know that name? What are... ughk" before ghost could inquire further he let out another grunt of pain.

"I know what you're ssearching for out here, my young friend. I know what you want above all elsse. And I'm the only one who can give it to you." The snake insisted.

"Pain. Punishment. Vengeance. You might ssay those are my ssssspecialtiess." The snake hissed as it now completely coiled around ghost and turned his face to lock eyes with its blood red slits.

[the snake talked for a very long time. Until I thought every part of me would freeze solid. It promised me that I would find the man I was hunting. That I would have revenge. More revenge than I could possibly imagine. But mostly it promised me one thing...]

The snake got eerily close to ghost it's black tongue moving around vigorously.

"Warm. Don't you want to be warm again? It's ssso very cold out here, isn't it? But don't worry, my sssweet ghost. I can make it sso you're never cold again." The snake hissed enticingly.

Ghost was fading he knew if he shut his eyes that was it...it would be all over.

"Just ssay my name. Namess are power in this world. You know that, don't you, ghossst? You know my name. Ssay it. It's right there on the tip of your tongue. Sssay my name and our deal iss done." The snake informed.

Ghost opened his mouth and tried to speak but nothing but ice cold air came from his mouth but with the last remnants of his strength... he started to speak.

"Mhm... muuh... mephisto." Ghost muttered.

"HA!" The snake laughed.

Ghost suddenly felt overwhelming heat and his eyes turned to the color of brimstone and boils started to appear on his face.

"AAGH! Wha... what's..." ghost started but before he could finish his skin started to melt away from his face.

"ARRRGGGH!!!" Ghost screamed.

[I would come to miss the cold.]

Ghost's head was on fire it burned everything burned. The pain was excruciating unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

"ARRRGGH!!!" Ghost screamed out again in agony as his skull was on fire.

"HA HAA HAAA HA HAA!" The snake laughed manically.

However the snake failed to notice a large pawn coming down towards it and before it could react it crushed the snake. With a spllttch.

[since then, I've forgotten how anything feels other than burning. But at least I wasn't alone anymore.]

Ghost was on his knees with his skull ablaze as a couple of wholly mammoths looked at him curiously.

"RRRRGGGH!" Ghost roared.

(Five years later.)

[in the time since then, I've been given new names. The rider, they call me. Because most have never seen a man astride a beast.]

The man from five years earlier who had slaughtered ghost's pack is seen trekking in the snow in broad daylight. He sniffed the air a few times and smirked.

"Heh." He chuckled.

[not that I'm a man anymore, really. I'm what he named me. I'm more ghost than man. More fire than flesh. More spirit than bone.]

" 'bout time, boy." The man said as he gazed at the boy who had become a man over five years time.

[the spirit of vengeance.]

Ghost was atop of his wholly mammoth companion who was imbued with hellfire. When the mammoth was within range it used its trunk to apprehend the man.

"HGGK!" The man grunted.

"It took a lot of riding, but I found you. A lot of following the ruin you leave behind wherever you wander. But no more. I've done for your name. And everything else you've got." Ghost said venomously.

The man smiled sadistically "little ghost. All grown up and touched by fire. You surprise me, boy."

"I'm not a boy anymore, you monster." Ghost hissed.

Soon enough the man started to transform fur appeared on his skin, fur as white as snow, Snow White eyes with a black pupils. Sabercat teeth and pointed ears. Large hands that had razor sharp claws and the same with its feet.

"And I'm not a monster. Just a man who does what it takes to survive. You want my name, rider? I'll tell you. But it's the last thing you'll ever hear." The monster bellowed.

The monster used its claws to slash the trunk of the mammoth and as the monster started falling it revealed its name.

"Wen-di-go!" The now named wendigo roared as it landed "now get ready to warm my belly!" He yelled and started to charge ghost.

However ghost's mammoth released hellfire from its trunk that aimed at the windigo.

"Oh, we'll warm you up all right!" Ghost yelled.

The windigo jumped high in the air and landed a hard punch to ghost "GAGGH!" Ghost grunted.

"So much power you've stumbled into. And still such a fool." Windigo mocked.

Windigo pounced on ghost as he was recovering from the harsh blow windigo landed on him. "You call me a monster because I feed on manflesh. But I see the truth in you, rider. You feed on souls. Who's really the bigger monster?"

Ghost responded by landing a right hook to windigo stunning him giving him time to get to his feet "we both are. But there's only room in this world for one of us!"

However windigo backhanded ghost sending him skidding across the snowy ground. "Uuugh!" Ghost grunted.

"You really think we're the only monsters in the world? You're more of a fool than I thought, boy." Windigo mocked.

Ghost started to get back to his feet and noticed he landed near a cave that had many skeletons and bones laying about. Ghost put two and two together and knew where he was.

"This...this is your den, isn't it? By the stars... how many have you eaten?" He wondered shocked.

"Not enough. It's never enough. The more I eat, the stronger I grow, the longer I live. Soon, I will be like the gods." Windigo boasted.

Ghost stood in the middle of all the corpses and held his hands outs.

"The bones say different, Windigo." Ghost growled.

Suddenly the various bones and skeletons started to fly towards Windigo at accelerated speed and started pelting him with incredible force.

"The bones say you've eaten your fill."

"GRRRGH!" Windigo yelled as he continued being pelted by bones.

Suddenly the bones formed into a chain with a hook on the end.

"Now it's their turn to feed." Ghost declared as he snapped his bone chain like a whip and sent it flying towards Windigo and ensnaring his neck.

"RRRGGGH!" Windigo roared.

"In the name of vengeance, I condemn you, Windigo, to burn for as long as there's fire in the world! To fall forever into damnation! To suffer for all eternity! Just like me."

The bone chain ignited and started to burn the Windigo and he was growing weaker by the second. "HRRRRGGGH!!!" Windigo roared in pain. He looked to his left and noticed a large tree trunk, thinking quick Windigo using his remaining strength leaped towards the trunk and flung it at ghost.

"HNNGH!" Ghost yelped in pain.

Ghost fell to the ground and was stunned and daze as Windigo stood over his prone figure. "No! As long as there is hunger, there will be the Windigo! The Windigo is the strongest one there—" before Windigo could finish a large horn impaled Windigo through the chest "GAAARRGH!" Windigo screamed in pain as he was suspended in the air by the horn.

It was ghost's mammoth who had recovered from Windigo's earlier assault and came to ghost's aid. The mammoth let out a mighty trumpet from its trunk.

"GAAARRGH!" Windigo yelled in pain again.

Ghost now having recovered from his daze stood up "good work, girl. Now let me finish him off before..." before ghost could finish Windigo used his incredible strength to sever the horn that suspending him from the mammoths face.

"Relying on animals— you'll never be strong enough." Windigo chided.

Windigo landed on the ground and used the horn he broke off of the mammoth to impale the mammoth causing it to trumpet its trunk in agony as it started to stumble backwards towards a cliff.

"Not until you become one yourself. I can help with that." Windigo said sadistically.

Ghost ran to try and save his mammoth companion "no!"

The mammoth ended up toppling over the edge of the cliff and started to fall to the unknown depths below. "NOOOOO!!!" Ghost screamed.

I'll survive this, ghost! Will you?" Windigo screamed out at him before he could no longer be seen.

"No." Ghost dropped to his knees to mourn the loss of his mammoth companion.

[alone. Always alone. No matter how much I burn, I will never—]

'You're not alone.' A voice in Ghost mind spoke. 'And not all of us are monsters like the Windigo.' The voice added.

"What in the..." ghost muttered in confusion.

'Yes, I can hear your thoughts. I'm different. Like you, ghost.' The voice said softly. 'And I need your help.' The voice added as suddenly two people appeared in front of him.

The woman had a fiery aura like him but she had the most beautiful red hair he'd ever seen before. And the man wore a winged helmet and wielded a hammer for a weapon.

"Odin and I both do." The woman spoke.

"He's a bit bony, lady Phoenix. I still say we should've gone with the hairy one." Odin said.

"Yes, rider, there are other major just like you. And together... ...we've got a world to save." Lady Phoenix explained.

Next chapter: "Inside Avengers Mountain"