by Chris Fox
“Now there’s something you don’t see every day,” Jordan said.
“Tell me about it,” Trevor agreed. “Any sign of Nox?”
“He’ll be in the most protected position, assuming he hasn’t fled the battlefield.” Jordan scanned the field again, trying to determine where the Director would go. He’d want a high vantage point, ideally with concealment.
Jordan looked up, studying the pyramids and obelisks, looking for any sign of Nox. If Nox stayed out of the battle, there’d be no way to find him. But if he were still fighting, he’d have to come out of the shadows to shape.
There was no sign of him, at least not that Jordan could find.
“Is that him?” Anput asked, pointing at the thickest part of the battle.
Jordan was shocked to see Nox mixing it up on the front lines. A burst of superheated flame came from his hand, incinerating a Ka-Ken. It was totally unlike the Director, going against everything he’d taught Jordan. Perhaps being a demon had robbed him of that level of control. Maybe whatever lurked in his head forced him to act differently. Or maybe that wasn’t the Director at all.
“Looks like it. Let’s take him out,” Jordan said. He wished Leti were here too, but last he’d seen her she was tending to the wounded. Instead, Jordan turned to Elia, who led the ragtag cluster of combat-ready champions. “I want you to hold the mouth of this tunnel. Keep the survivors inside safe, and don’t risk anyone else.”
Elia’s face softened. She took a step closer to Jordan, staring searchingly into his eyes. “You really are trying to protect this city, aren’t you? You’re doing your best to make sure that the enemy is defeated, even if that means risking your own life. What’s more, you aren’t asking the same sacrifice of my people. We treated you like offal, but you’re still protecting us. Why?”
“Because my job as Ark Lord is to help build a future for everyone,” Jordan answered without hesitation. “If I fall here, someone else will take up the mantle, but only if champions survive long enough to do that. Stay safe, Elia. I have work to do.”
“Of course.” She nodded, stepping back into the mouth of her tunnel.
For the first time, she eyed Jordan with respect.
Chapter 85- Saw That Coming
Liz flipped over the demon, her blade darting down three times in rapid succession. Each cut hit the same spot at a different angle, where the right wing connected to the demon’s back. The third strike finally sliced through the thick bone, and the wing fluttered away in a spurt of black blood. The now flightless demon cartwheeled awkwardly toward the ground, but Liz decided to help it along with a roundhouse to the face. She landed in a crouch, the demon’s broken body slamming into the marble behind her.
Move. Wepwawet roared.
Black claws materialized in the shadows next to her, streaking toward her face. Liz blurred backwards, slicing upwards with her sword. The sunsteel severed the hand, and the demon retreated back into the shadows with a shriek. Liz did the same, cloaking herself as she continued to cut a path through the fighting.
Nox was battling a grey-furred Ka-Ken, and it looked like her sister was getting the worst of it. The grey began retreating into the shadows, but Nox raised both hands. A river of blindingly hot flame engulfed the grey, and her sister’s scream was choked off as she was reduced to oily ash. Liz had never seen a power quite like it, though the end result wasn’t too much different than melting someone with one of the boomerangs Blair had talked about.
“Hey,” Liz roared, leaping from the shadows. “Remember me, Director?” It was risky, but she didn’t want any more of their people to die. Nox was the toughest thing out here, more powerful even than the titans battling the Great Bear behind her.
“Ah, you must be Ark Lord Blair’s pet Ka-Ken,” Nox taunted. There was madness in those black eyes, and his voice wasn’t quite right. “Come then, try that blade against me.”
The demon extended her left hand, and a pool of black metal formed. It extended into a wide, curved blade, nearly identical to Liz’s own. Nox smiled wickedly at her, then blurred toward Liz.
Liz brought up her blade smoothly to block, drawing as much on the skill Wepwawet imparted as she did on the speed Blair had lent her. She blocked several more strikes, matching Nox blow for blow. He was incredibly fast, using his tail and wings to increase his considerable speed. That tail darted forward, and Liz leapt over it. At the same time Nox launched a wide slash, and Liz barely blocked it. The momentum knocked her back several feet, and she rolled with the blow.
She came to her feet swiftly, dodging to the right as a blast of intense white flame shot through the space she’d occupied. It passed several feet from her, but the heat was so intense it still singed skin. The scent of her own cooked flesh made her eyes water.
We are outmatched, Ka-Ken. Wepwawet rumbled. Fall back to your lines, this fight is beyond us without more aid. I have never seen a creature like this, and we do not know what else he is capable of.
“Easier said than done,” Liz muttered, ducking into a slide as she avoided another blow from Nox. She got mostly out of the way, but the black sword drew a hot line across her forearm. Liz flipped to her feet, slashing at Nox’s leg. He dodged nimbly backwards, and she used the opportunity to wrap the shadows around herself.
“Coward,” Nox raged. His eyes bulged, and his fangs grew. That kind of rage seemed alien on the Director, the calmest man she’d ever met. Nox extended his arms, firing off fans of fire in a vain attempt to hit Liz. She blurred further away, circling.
The energy lent to us by the Ka-Dun is not infinite. Spend it wisely, Ka-Ken.
I get it, watch for an opportunity, and don’t strike until I have it. Liz thought back. She didn’t like it, but that might mean allowing Nox to attack more of her people.
“Turn around and face me, Nox,” a familiar voice boomed across the battlefield. Jordan strode into battle, a black staff clutched loosely in one hand. “You’ve talked a good game, but you know I can best you in a fair fight. Are you going to run like a coward, or stand and fight me?”
Liz circled slowly around Nox, moving into his blind spot. She crept closer, but waited to strike. She wanted Jordan to be closer first, so they could flank this bastard. It was the only way they were going to be able to overcome him.
Nox turned to face Jordan, flicking Liz’s blood from his blade. “You’re even more arrogant than he said. If it’s death you’re craving, I’m happy to give it to you.”
Jordan stalked closer, holding the staff defensively before him. “Yeah, that definitely cinches it. The Director would never engage in a battle he had a chance of losing. He’s not stupid enough to fall for the ‘one v one me bro’ crap. If you were really Nox, you’d have ordered all your demons to attack me while you fled for the back line. So who the hell are you?”
“Well you’re not stupid, I’ll give you that. My name is Kali,” a feminine voice came from the Director’s throat. Nox’s body rippled, shifting into a woman Liz had never seen before. She was short, with dark hair and a perfectly oval face. Liz guessed her to be about twenty, maybe a year or two older. She looked like any other college kid. “Nox also said you were dangerous, but I’m not sure I believe that. You have some good moves, but you’re nothing compared to me. The grey men have given me powers you can’t even begin to understand. And that was before I pried even more power from all the champions I’ve killed and eaten.”
“I understand that you’re dumb enough to stand in one spot,” Jordan taunted. Liz assumed he was talking about her, and prepared to strike. Before she could, two more combatants entered the fray.
The first was Anput, who emerged from the shadows above Kali long enough to fire a thick beam of intense green light. Trevor appeared to Kali’s right, a similar beam of green energy shooting from his fist. Both Trevor and Anput were blurring, but not fast enough that Kali couldn’t dodge. The demon started a graceful leap, but the motion was suddenly arrested. Jordan’s arms trembled, but his telekinetic
grip held. Both beams found their target, the first burning away one of Kali’s wings, while the other put a gaping wound in her side.
Liz didn’t need Wepwawet’s combat experience to recognize an opportunity. Kali was vulnerable. Liz leapt into the air, bracing her sword against her leg just as she’d done when she killed Cyntia. The blade pierced’s Kali’s thick hide, sinking deep into her spine.
“Jordan, hold her still,” Liz yelled. She drove the weapon in deeper, dodging a clumsy swipe from Kali’s tail. Trevor and and Anput fired smaller blasts, concentrating their fire where the tail met the back. The third shot sent the tail flopping to the ground, where it continued to thrash. Liz dug the claws of her right hand into Kali’s shoulder, the other still wrapped tightly around the hilt of her sword. Kali bucked wildly, and Liz struggled to keep her seat.
Kali’s arms shot out, one aimed at Trevor and the other at Anput. She blurred, sending out bursts of super heated flame. Neither Anput, nor Trevor was fast enough to avoid the fire. Both were blasted backwards, landing in smoking heaps.
“That was a dumb move, bitch. You just torched two of my friends,” Jordan roared from somewhere far away. A wave of black energy surged from his staff, washing over Kali.
Kali froze, quivering in abject terror. Her eyes widened, and her mouth worked silently. The demon’s eyes were fixed upon the staff, and Liz took advantage of that lapse. She used the last of the energy she’d taken from Blair, slicing off Kali’s head, then slicing her skull in two. Jordan lifted Kali’s body high up into the air, then slammed it into the marble with a satisfying crack.
Liz waited just long enough to be sure the body didn’t rise, then rushed to Trevor’s side. She knelt next to him, feeling for a pulse. It was there, but ragged. The entire left side of his body had been cooked, and if he was healing she certainly couldn’t see it. One eye was covered in charred flesh, and the remaining eye was unfocused.
“Trevor? Trevor, can you hear me?” she shrieked, looking around for help. Jordan had moved to Anput’s side, and was helping her into a sitting position. The vampire’s hair had been burned away, as had most of her clothing. But her flesh was already healing, and Liz knew in a matter of minutes she’d be good as new.
Trevor wasn’t so lucky.
Chapter 86- Plans Within Plans
Nox blurred through the bowels of the Proto-Ark, far underneath the city. It amazed him that the locals seemed not to have made it this far down. The place that had forged the destiny not just of mankind, but of the species who’d created the Great Arks, was ignored completely. It was mind boggling.
He passed through golden corridors, finally stopping in a stadium-sized cavern at the heart of the Proto-Ark. It was similar to the Great Arks themselves, but smaller and clearly a precursor. The gems were more simplistic in their arrangement, and the flow of power less focused than the Arks managed.
Yet only here were certain feats possible. Feats like the one he was about to attempt.
This is madness. If we create this tool for Hades, we give him the tool of our destruction, Set-Dun.
“Madness would be not following Hades’ orders,” Mark shot back. “If we take the weapon and run, he’ll find us. When he does, you know we can’t resist him.” He reached into the pack he’d brought, withdrawing the components Hades had given him.
Then do not make the weapon at all. Lie. Tell him the plan failed.
Mark knelt next to to a wide tray directly under a massive blue gem. He arranged the gemstones around the long rectangular block of sunsteel, creating a mockup of the staff he wanted to create. Moving back to the control console at the far side of the room, he placed a hand against it. The console hummed to life.
“Hello, unfamiliar life form,” came a pleasant voice from behind him.
Mark whirled to see a holographic grey man. The physiology was unmistakable.
“Ka?”
“A common mistake,” the construct corrected. “I am Ark Keeper Ba. I was tasked with watching over this city, and assisting the Builders upon their return. As you are unauthorized to be here, it is my duty to report your presence.”
“Wait. I’m also assisting the Builders,” Mark said, reaching back into the pack. He withdrew a glowing blue sigil about the size of a fist. “Do you recognize this?”
“Of course, Emissary,” Ba said, bowing. “The sigil is the mark of Kek-Telek himself. You have full access to our local systems. How may I assist you, Emissary?”
“I’d like to create a Primary Access Key. Can you guide me through the attunement process?” That would save Mark long minutes, and given how many demonic servants had been snuffed out while he was down here, he might not have much longer than that.
“Of course. It is why I was designed: to assist in creation.” Ba glided over to the console. “I have examined the materials to be used, and find them of sufficient quality. All you need to do is initiate the process.”
Mark placed his hand against the console again, willing the process to begin. The gigantic sapphire glowed with an inner light. That light began pulsing, slowly at first, then with increasing frequency. The light poured into the sunsteel and the gems, so blinding that Mark took several steps back and looked at the opposite wall.
As the light pulses continued, he used the time to stare around him in wonder. The idea that there was virtually no security here seemed out of keeping with the very reason he’d come. Why make the Arks require keys, but allow the Proto Ark to be accessed by anyone who had a sigil they recognized? They’d even provided a helpful AI to walk visitors of an entirely separate species through creating what was arguably the most powerful artifact in the world.
The Builders are a species apart from ours, and from our petty problems, his risen said. They did not war on each other as we did. They lived in perfect harmony. There was no need for security.
Mark seriously doubted that. The pulsing light finally stopped behind him, so Mark turned to the tray under the giant gem. The materials had been fused into a familiar golden staff, complete with the scarab head. He picked up the staff reverently. Mark could feel the power within it, feel the staff’s ability to both amplify and modify nearly any type of shaping. Even now the staff offered him control over the city. He could tap into the Proto Ark just as an Ark Lord tapped into an Ark.
“Is there anything else I may assist you with, Emissary?”
“There is,” Mark said. He leaned the staff against the edge of the tray, then summoned his demonsteel blade, setting it on the tray. He reached into his pack, withdrawing several handfuls of gemstones. These were arranged around the hilt, and several were placed along the blade. “I’d like to make another primary key.”
“The materials provided are insufficient,” Ba cautioned. “The resulting object will lack critical functionality.”
“But it will function like an access key in most ways?” Mark asked.
“Indeed.” Ba nodded eagerly, pointing at the console. “I’ve set up an attunement that should include the most important functions. What will this key be used for? That knowledge will help me further modify the attunement.”
“Above all, the key needs to control Arks, and other forms of Builder technology,” Mark instructed.
“As you wish. You may begin the creation when you are ready.”
“There’s one more thing,” Mark said. He prayed this next part would work. It was an insurance policy of sorts. “I want you to remove all memory I have of the second key we create. Can you do that?”
“Of course, Emissary. I can show you how to eradicate specific memories using the terminal,” Ba confirmed happily.
Chapter 87- Saving Trevor
Blair sprinted back through the portal, assessing the combat. The most obvious fight was the one between Yosemite and the two remaining giants. One had his arms pinned behind his back, while the other was attempting to force the barrel of its gun into the Bear’s mouth. Blair vibrated with energy, holding as much as he could have taken from the Ark. Tha
t energy begged for release, and Blair was happy to oblige. But how did one deal with a nearly impregnable giant?
If this giant is based on the Anakim, then that creature has a rudimentary mind. His beast rumbled.
“Good point,” Blair said. He pointed the staff at the giant’s head, unleashing a torrent of energy. He burst past the giant’s rudimentary mental defenses, and was instantly overtaken by vertigo. His perspective shifted, and he was now observing the world from the vantage of a fifty foot giant.
Blair stopped trying to shove the barrel into Yosemite’s mouth, instead aiming it at the other giant’s face. Blair fired, and the giant’s face melted. It released Yosemite, grabbing at its face with its hand as it roared in pain. Blair fired again, catching both its face and the hand covering. The hand melted down to bone, and another layer of the face peeled away.
Yosemite, now free, rounded on the wounded giant. He seized the head in both hands, pushing the mouth toward the barrel, just like they’d been trying to do to him. Blair fired into the other giant’s mouth, and the head exploded. Black ichor, plates of metal, and large bone fragments shot in every direction. Both the giant Blair had seized, and the Bear were covered, and Blair had to wipe at the giant’s eyes before he could see again.
The now headless giant collapsed with a crash, crushing a small temple. Yosemite was already turning toward the body he inhabited, and he looked pissed. There was one more thing Blair wanted to do before vacating the giant, though. He aimed the laser cannon down, and made the giant blow off his own knee. The crippled giant began to topple, but Blair had released its mind and returned to his own by the time it crashed atop the body of its companion.
Blair blinked as his perspective adjusted. He was standing near the portal, and watched as Yosemite began dismembering the wounded giant. That freed Blair to turn back to the battle at large. The demons were clearly getting the worst of it. Their demon dogs were few in number, and their surviving demons had been forced into several tight clusters. Those clusters were surrounded by packs of dogs, led by fierce Ka-Duns. Ka-Ken darted from the shadows, dragging demons out into the waiting pack. Those demons never regained their feet.