He downed his drink, picked up the shards of glass, and said one last prayer..
And just like that, both Rulo and Kwere had been completely extinguished.
* * *
Outside Rulo, a solitary figure crawled painfully.
“That damned bastard,” Alfred growled,“How dare he hurt me like this…how dare…”
He sputtered blood. His chest cavity had been caved in. He had been blown out of the city, drifting in and out of consciousness.
Breathing in, he forced even more of his industria into his mask. Until he could get to Quinn, he needed to stay alive. Then he would get his revenge.
Chapter 6 - Takeover
The Four Cities.
Brabba.
A few hours ago
Eva and Deidre had finally arrived in Brabba. It was a lovely town, small. and charming. While it wasn’t ruined like the first town they had encountered, it wasn’t unscathed either.
The people had reported several attacks by wild beasts outside the town, and there had been vanishings in recent weeks. A boy had just gone missing a few hours ago. The week before, a small family. The town had built its name in the past on its metal-working facilities, their skill at producing parts that were transported to factories across the country on a weekly basis. The news of the other towns still hadn’t reached them yet, which Eva figured, was not accidental. No one had heard of the attack but them yet.
Like every other town, there was a small Legion outpost. Ladi Bakare was the captain in charge, and he stood at the gate with several of his men. When two women approached
“Identify yourself,” he said, as he held up a hand to them. His men came to his side.
“Sabre Eva Diallo, from Aslog,” She replied, showing her ID badge, “This is Deidre Fallon, she is a colleague of mine. We’re here about the distress call we received earlier this month from you.”
“Oh, it’s you,” Ladi relaxed visibly, “After a while, we thought you weren’t coming when we didn’t get any messages back from you guys.”
“Curious,” Deidre told him that they had tried to contact Aslog as soon as they had left Kwere, but had been unable to reach anyone.
“It seems that this town, and 3 others, have been placed in a dead zone. We were able to receive a distress call this morning, so it has to have been done after that.” She finished.
“That’s concerning,” He furrowed his brow. “You said you reached Kwere? How’s the situation there?”
“I think we can save that for later,” Deidre said.
“Let’s go inside,” Eva said, “We have something important to discuss. Your men can handle watching this part of town right?”
After some wrangling and negotiation, the trio walked in silence to the station where the Legion worked from. If there was one word to describe this town, it would be grey and dingy, Eva thought. Everything looked like it had been filtered to look the right amount of dreary and depressing. The metalworking facilities in this town had long since lost their significance in the eyes of the world, yet the people clung to their old ways. Aslog would often buy material from them, but simply to keep them afloat. It was the perfect place to host an experiment like this.
A boy kicked a ball at another.
A bird tweeted at another.
A storm of banality, hubris and inconsequence.
Half an hour later, the Sabres sat in Ladi’s office, he closed his blinds, separating them from prying eyes.
“What was so important that you couldn’t tell me about outside?”
“What do you know about the beast masks?” Eva began solemnly.
“Even failed Sabres like me know that much,” Ladi replied, “They were destroyed years ago. A failed weapon.”
“That’s the story,” Deidre said, “But we’ve learned that’s not the case. We encountered someone who was wearing one of those.”
“We hypothesised that someone’s weaponised the mask so people who couldn’t ordinarily wear them were turned into monsters.”
“What you’re implying, but not quite saying, is that the masks are what is causing these wild beast attacks. Someone is using the people here as guinea pigs?” His face was a mask of worry as he mulled over the information.
She nodded in the affirmative. “An entire town was wiped out. This isn’t simply an information gathering mission anymore, someone is deliberately using people as puppets.”
“Kwere? Oh my god. Have you contacted the Centurions?” Ladi asked.
“We haven’t been able to. We figure we’ll warn you guys, head back, and then return with as much force as we can manage,” Eva replied.
“Our Shunt Ports..”
“Won’t work.” Deidre interrupted. “Comms and shunt ports travel on the same frequency. They don’t want anyone who comes in to leave.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. ” Ladi said, “What if they had sent a Centurion instead.”
“They would have stopped them…unless whatever they want to do has already been done.” Eva paused. “Unless it didn’t matter who came here.”
* * *
Industria seeped into the soil, activating a spell that had been embedded into Brabba months ago. A malicious smirk adorned the caster’s face.
“Burn.”
* * *
Eva felt it. Like she was suddenly enveloped in a warm blanket, and then suddenly, not.
“Did you feel that?“She leapt out of her seat. Ladi and Deidre stood up, both unsure about what she was referring to.
“I think someone just unleashed a spell.”
“I don’t feel anything,” Deidre said.
“Trust me.” Eva said, “I felt a wave of industria just wash over me. Whatever’s going down…it’s going down now.”
A bloodcurdling scream split the air, and the trio rushed outside the outpost and into the streets of Brabba. Eva could still feel the industria, reverberating around her. Deidre drew her glasstana, Ladi took off, sprinting towards the gates. He had to check on his men. Deidre took note of this, then she returned to the sight that had sent him sprinting. In front of them, one of the Brabba’s Legionnaires screamed in agony, grey beast mask matter spewed out from all his orifices. It rushed towards his face, calcifying around it.
Art of Restraint: Crucifix!
Deidre had fired upon him, seizing his movements before he could do any damage. Eva silently thanked her. They couldn’t stay here. The Legion outpost was about to transform into a cage.
* * *
Ladi raced away from the two Sabres, frantically radioing his men at the gate. Nothing. Dead air.
“Dammit,” he cursed, “Can’t nothing go right today?”
As he turned a corner, he gasped. One of his men lay sprawled out like a broken ragdoll. The other had simply been ripped apart. His arms and legs lay splattered around him. He barely had time to take it all, he sensed movement behind him. He turned around, firing off a bolt of industria, the figure deflected it back at him.
The blow sent him off his feet and onto his back. He sputtered as he tried to get up, but a hand pushed him back down. It was strong, it was large, he couldn’t move, wrapping around his torso and pinning his arms together. He couldn’t make the body out. It occurred to Ladi that he couldn’t do a lot of things.
“Do not worry,” came the voice, “This will be over quickly.”
Another hand lowered itself towards his face, within its fingers, a mask was gingerly held.
Ladi’s last thoughts before the mask attached to his face was just how large the man’s hands were.
It took effect nearly immediately.
Ladi’s bones began to crack as his body reshaped itself. Claws ripped from his fingers and spines from his back as the lizard mask took over him.
“Now go.”
The man faded in the darkness as he retreated, leaving a frothing, raging instinct driven body behind him.
* * *
Deidre and Eva were battling what felt like entire town of Brabba
. They had made their way down to the town square, where enough space allowed the to defend their positions. It had been minutes since Eva had felt the initial shockwave, and now men, women, children and even some animals had run wild. The duo stood back to back, fending off attacks from stragglers.
“He’s here somewhere,” Eva blocked a blow from what looked like a cat hybrid. One of what seemed like a hundred.
“We need to stick together.” Deidre said, “If Ladi hadn’t disappeared, this would have been a little easier.”
“We haven’t seen any other Legion members.” Eva pointed out.
“Watch out!” Deidre yelled.
A large reptilian slammed into Eva, carrying her with his weight.
“EEeeeeeevvvvvaaaa,” He hisssed, “Heeellllllpppp mmeee.”
“Ladi?”
The lizard man only hissed in response, then he raced towards her, a mass of solid, scaly muscle.
Art of Restraint: Pillar Hold!
Eva was quick to react. Two industria pillars crushed him between them, leaving him a writhing and screeching mess. Eva felt sorry for him. But there was nothing she could do, for anyone who didn’t have enough industria to be a Sabre, breaking away from a beast mask was all but impossible. In these conditions, it was completely unlikely.
Another snarl, and he shattered the spell that was holding him. Eva hesitated for a second, all he needed to gain the advantage, sending her crashing into a building, he followed quickly, fighting off the other beasts that attacked him on the way.
Deidre cut down two more creatures and made to go after them. She felt the mask on her face before she even realised there was movement, and then all she felt was burning. The man was gone.
It felt like fire was racing through her blood as the mask took over her industria pathways. She felt her senses widening, her body trying to transform and her consciousness slipping away.
Forcing herself into something resembling lucidity, she impaled her foot with her blade. Pain brought clarity. Clarity brought purpose.
“Get off me,” Summoning all her strength, she tugged and clawed at the point where the mask met skin. “Get off me, you damned beast mask.”
Art of Assualt: Tremor Shot!
Eva had shaken Ladi off just enough to fire off a spell at Deidre.
A wave of industria hard enough to crack steel, she hoped Deidre would be saved by the mask’s own defences. If not, her head would simply be blown off. Ladi charged her again, all claws, teeth and tail. She returned to him. A former legion member apparently made a formidable beast man.
Deidre felt the blast slam into her face, the fire in her veins cooled as the mask began to draw industria to defend itself. She felt herself losing consciousness, but fought it regardless.
I am Deidre Fallon. And this damned mask will get off me now.
One final push and she ripped the mask off her face. Slicing it in half with her glasstana while it hung suspended in the air. Another spell, and she blew the pieces far away from her.
“That was…too close.” She panted. Eva offered her a hand, when she had gotten there, Deidre didn’t know, but she was glad.
Nearby, Ladi collapsed to the ground, a smoking hole in his chest. More beast man loitered around them, peaking around corners, having been drawn to the commotion.
Three enraged users charged the Sabres at once.
The first one lunged, Eva knocked him away. Another one, a woman, looking like a rabid bat, she was similarly taken down. Three more swarmed, then twenty, thirty began to come towards them. It was like they were drawn like some kind of magnet towards the two Aslogians.
Shape Sphere: Shield!
Industria formed around them into a bubble, preventing any of the beast men from entering. But the two were pinned down for now, and it would only be a matter of time. Eva grimaced as her bubble expanded to give them some breathing room.
“That won’t do.”
The voice came from behind and above. They turned to see a man on a rooftop, he sat with his legs dangling off, with a mask half on, half on his face. His arms were slightly longer than a normal human being, his legs slightly shorter in proportion.
“The name’s Quinn.” He said, shaking his head at them. “Beautiful lady Sabres, when I found out you were coming, I prepared this entire welcome wagon for them. It’s no good if you don’t stay here to enjoy it.”
Eva and Deidre took him in. He donned a mask, much like everyone else. He remained in control of himself, unlike everyone else. It wasn’t especially hard to connect the dots. They had to restrain him.
Baying drew their attention from him as more and more beast men slammed into their shield, trying to shatter it. Eva increased the strength of her shield.
“Such irony. Hounded by the very weapons you held secret, and chose for yourself. You denied people outside a chosen circle the ability to use and train themselves for self-defence, in return, you are now being swarmed by those very people. Behold your works, and tremble,” Quinn pontificated.
“I can’t hold this for much longer,” Eva said, “Deidre…the screaming has stopped.”
“I’ll take him out. You just hold on.” Deidre formed her glasstana in her hand. With a sigh, she added, “I noticed that too.”
“Your arrogance has brought you here, and you still think it will get you out?” Quinn said.
Eva nodded to Deidre. Her bubble opened slightly at the top. Deidre leapt out, dashing over the crowds and heading towards Quinn.
She swung at Quinn, missing as he leaned all the way back. His arms, unlike Deidre’s, had a significantly longer reach. A blow to the back of her head sent her skidding across the rooftop. Blood dripped from her head as she stood, pointing her sword at the masked man.
“So, you intend to fight me, do you? Is that wise choice?” Quinn stood up, sliding his mask over his face. “Your friend is still deeply engaged in her battle down there, and I doubt she ’ll last that long. She can’t move if you aren’t down there playing offence for your team.”
“This won’t take too long,” Deidre said. “We’ll take you down.”
“Things aren’t going to go the way you imagine them.”
Chapter 7 - Sloth
Months ago.
Aslog
WestScarlet.
It was a different room, different from the one that Tyrone, Eva and Lionel would use to speak with Avery in a few months. Naturally so. It was a different Centurion. Tobi had chosen a different venue, the cafeteria. A plate of meat for him, while Deidre had chosen a salad. The brief time gap between their sparring session and the meal had allowed them time to freshen up. Deidre had figured it was to relax her and the rest of her team who were coming in after her.
Tobi had opened up the conversation.
“Ok Deidre, it’s question time.”
“Well Tobi, go for it.” Deidre had replied.
“I’m not going to lie to you—”
“—because I would see through it anyway?”
“Because you’d anticipate it anyway. Tea?” He offered, she shook her head, “This is the last part of the test. Well, I say the last part, but it is really hard for anyone to fail this bit. What does it mean for you to be a Sabre?”
Deidre laughed in response. “I see what you mean about failure being hard. Unless I said something like, ‘eat a bunch of infants’ I’m probably in.”
“Essentially yes. But I’m still interested in hearing what you have to say.”
“Support. I would say. But being a Sabre is just for me, part of my life where I give back to society. We have these gifts, we can use them to help others. In a word, support. As a Sabre, I protect everyone in my own way. For now, I’m content with that as my duty.”
* * *
A Battle on Two Fronts.
Deidre and Eva vs Quinn and Denizens of Brabba.
“I have to strike him down, so we can leave this place.”
Deidre gripped her glasstana, as the battle began.
Qu
inn opened his arms like he wanted to hug her, then swiped at her, his limbs extending.
Her eyes widened as she barely dodged, his reach was far longer than she had anticipated. Quinn struck again, and again, His long limbs acting as whips, albeit superhumanly strong limbs made of solid muscle and dense bone.
“The long arms of the sloth combined with the beast mask are a potent weapon, against preppie little girlies like you,” He boasted, “I won’t even have to move a foot forward.”
Deidre rolled her eyes. Chauvinism was nothing new for someone who had advanced in the Legion. That said, she could see his strength was no joke. His blows were ripping up concrete as she dodged them
His limbs seemed to be rolled up into themselves, protruding at the back, so when he threw a punch, they would unroll to their maximum length, almost 17 feet if she was eyeballing him correctly, more than twice his height. Suffice to say, he had a lot of range. But so did she.
Art of Assault: Bolt!
He deflected her spell away from himself, coating his hand with just enough industria to accomplish it. She had leapt above him at that moment, her sword driving downwards, but he was fast. His other arm had already begun to move upwards, grabbing her in the head and slamming her face first into the ground. Her nose felt tender, but she retained her grip on her sword as she swiped at him. He lifted her off the ground and held her just out of reach.
“You’re going to die a slow and painful death as I torture you into little bits and pieces,” He gloated, “Or perhaps I make your friend watch as I pull you apart. Or maybe I pull her apart first.”
Eva looked at them at that point, realising that Deidre was being overwhelmed, she made to move, but the other woman held up a hand, wagging her finger. She gripped her glasstana’s hilt even tighter.
Flechette Cloud!
Her sword’s blade shattered into pieces, glass flying everywhere. Energy flowed through each shard, and it seemed to multiply as it became a cloud over the rooftop,
Deidre swung the hilt at him, and the cloud of shards moved towards Quinn, slicing the stones apart as they did so.
Quinn dropped Deidre as he began to move to evade the attack, but Deidre was there beside him. An industria enhanced kick in his ribs, and he was sent to the edge of the roof.
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