by Sean Davies
“I’ll let her loose in the Justiciar armoury,” Alice suggested, just as unhappy as Veronica at the notion of working alongside the horrid Vampire leader of the Trinity. “If our suspicions are correct then it will be well worth it. She might even be able to fix him.”
“I hope so,” Veronica said, not even able to imagine the alternative. “I just can’t believe I didn’t see it until now. He’s my husband, and I’ve let this go on for so long.”
Alice awkwardly put her arm around her friend’s shoulders; she was terrible at comforting others. “It was a slow change until now. We probably wouldn’t be having this conversation if it hadn’t been for that insane arena stunt.”
Veronica furrowed her brow when she thought about how over-the-top the whole sentencing had been. “What if that was the point? Did some part of Winston wanted us to know what he’s becoming?”
“Maybe,” the Lord Imperator replied. She couldn’t fault the logic, but she didn’t have the chance to discuss it further.
The doors of the Cathedral suddenly opened and General Stein rushed in, his bald head glistening with rain drops and his black and white officer’s garb completely drenched. He reached the edge of Alice and Veronica’s pew, stood to attention, and saluted.
Alice broke away from Veronica and returned the salute. “What is it, General?”
“Corriztis just attacked a town in northern Desem, using an unknown chemical that mutated all the Alternatives present at the time,” General Stein answered in a grave tone as he handed Alice her HCD and communication stone back. “The Highway One Hellions retrieved a letter stating that three more targets are due to be attacked any time soon.”
Alice stood up and gave Veronica an apologetic look. “We’ll discuss this further when I get back—just play it safe in the meantime. We’ll fix our problem, I promise.”
The Vampire Bloodmage knew that the Lord Imperator would be leading the charge head-on as always, and put a brave face on for her sake. “Send the sexy Werewolf couple my love.”
Alice nodded and smiled sympathetically, before hastily accompanying General Stein out of the building as she called Jonathan.
Veronica looked up at the looming statues of the Twin Goddesses, closed her eyes, and said a prayer for her beloved husband Winston, hoping that he could find it in his heart to forgive her oversight—if she ever got him back.
Chapter 5
Phase II Field Testing
The Lord Imperator’s airship fleet slowly entered Desem airspace, drifting beneath the fluffy grey clouds that had rolled across the dry continent overnight, and causing the civilians in the coastal towns and villages below to stare up at the triangular craft in wonder.
Alice had a fleet of twenty aircraft under her direct command, of which were heading towards northern Desem. Nine of the vessels in the fleet were the standard black and silver Justiciar models with a regular compliment of energy and ballistic armaments, a singular glowing plasma energy hover-rota at the wider rear end of the aircraft, and a normal cargo capacity (which could comfortably accommodate several squads of troopers, an armoured troop truck or a few light jeeps, their weapons, rations and supplies). There were also ten Paladin-Class manned fighter-bombers, fresh off the production line, flying as an escort above and around the much larger airships. The final craft was Alice Eve’s massive carrier from her days in the Inquisition.
The late Autocrat, Edgar Aurelius II, had charged each one of his three Inquisitor Generals with a prototype airship immediately after his succession. Kevin Wallace had received the Arbiter, a heavily armoured tank of an airship with an impressive host of unmanned drones, before departing for the Nation of Industria; Azalea had received the Cleansing Flame for her mission to Tropica (before she’d begged the Autocrat to rename it to the Amethyst Angel) which had more armaments than the average airship, including a wide variety of experimental lasers, cannons, and missiles, and was equipped with unmanned drones (although they were a lot smaller than those of the Arbiter); and Alice Eve had been given the Judge, a hulking carrier that featured four hover-rota’s that were mounted on stubby wings each side of the main body rather than built into the rear hull, an extremely reinforced underbelly, enough heavy cannons, top-mounted artillery platforms, and missile launchers to level a city, and the cargo capacity to transport a small army. Although the Judge was brimming with ordinance, it was still best suited as a military transport due to its slower speed and lack of mobility, and its designers had added the impressive weaponry so that the massive ship could double as a fortress-like base of operations once landed.
Alice had never felt very attached to her airship, and during the initial Inquisition deployment throughout the continents and the War for Reality that followed soon after, she had left the Judge in the hands of a decent crew and put it into constant use as a cargo aircraft, rather than using it as her own personal vessel like Kevin and Azalea had done.
The Lord Imperator had spent her evening in emergency meetings (some in person and some via holographic, radio, and arcane transmissions) with members of the Conclave, Justiciars, Trinity of Old, and the major world leaders, and after hours of debating the Corriztis issue she began to miss the days when there was only one government with one clear leader—until she remembered that Winston (or whoever he truly was) would be everybody’s clear favourite to take on the role if the political structure of Mydia ever moved back to autocracy. Despite Alice’s suspicions about Winston, she had ended up agreeing with his decision to keep the attack on Abilton and the corruption Demon’s threat of more attacks as quiet as possible to avoid causing global panic, which they all suspected could be the chaos-loving Corriztis’ true goal.
Alice had arranged for the Justiciars to be deployed to the coordinates of the most populated locations on the back of the corruption Demon’s latest letter, while the Highway One Hellions had generously agreed to patrol the other coordinates. More of the Lord Imperator’s forces would spread throughout southern Desem, and would be backed up by members of the Desem Patriots and the New Desem Republic militia, just to be on the safe side. As ever, the Foreman was excited for an opportunity to exercise his heavy weaponry, and everyone assumed if Corriztis dared to try its luck in the polluting powerhouse of Neo-Industria then it (and some of the city itself) would vanish in the glow of a thousand suns.
The Manager had mentioned (more to himself than anyone present) that he would have to reschedule the meeting he had planned with his cabinet members to button down the hatches somewhere off the grid. Winston, however, had heard the annoyed mumble and kindly persuaded Edward Anderson that he was probably safer in Neo-Industria than anywhere else on the continent, and that going about his business as normal would help to keep the population from reading too much into the increased armed presence across the continent. The Manager had strongly agreed with the Primary Regulator; mainly because he couldn’t fault Winston’s logic, but also to save face in front of the other delegates.
In addition to the massive deployment across Desem, every Justiciar outpost on the planet would be put on high alert, as the locations listed in the Demon’s letter could’ve easily been an attempt to draw their attention from an attack elsewhere on Mydia. All parties had agreed to subtly step up surveillance in their territories, and would get their forces to apply test bracelets to any human or Supernatural that showed signs of alteration or possession without hesitation—although everyone in attendance knew that the bracelets would not be able to detect Corriztis’ crazy chemical weapons if hidden within an individual, and most parties pressed for a quick solution.
Winston had been unnaturally sure that the Demon would strike on the Continent of Desem and had arranged for most of his trusted Book Wielders to head to the barren continent, which would give Alice’s Justiciar squads at least one each. The others would reinforce the Justiciar outposts and mingle unsuspectingly within the highly populated city centres, waiting for trouble. The newer recruits and less gifted book Wielders would remain on Central
Isle, ‘unaware and under his protection’, as he had quite arrogantly said. Lord Imperator Eve had been grateful, at least for the short-term, that the unstable Primary Regulator held the corruption Demon in the same contempt as the rest of the world at the very least.
Jonathan Knight, hyped up on his extra-strength energy potions, had spent most of that night in the Catacomb labs analysing the sample he’d brought back from Abilton to learn more about what they were up against, hoping to find some way of sensing and defending against the insidious toxin. He’d been supported by some of Mydia’s top scientists and greatest Alchemists who were also ranked high enough to be kept in the loop regarding the impending terror attacks, including Winston’s aide Alexander, Veronica Reynolds, and Gregory of the Shadow Circle. While they’d made no real beneficial breakthroughs, they did discover that the Abilton ooze was horrendously flawed and showed multiple signs that it was intended to do far more than mutate the former populace of the Gloom. Every member of the hastily assembled team had been unanimous in their assessment, and had warned that the corruption Demon intended to affect far more targets than Alternatives alone.
Alice had entered the Catacombs to see her husband Jonathan in the early hours of the new morning, after the other researchers had called it a night, and suppressed her boiling rage when Cherriesa’s security teams had escorted her every step of the way. Jonathan had convinced the guards to clear off, and instead of discussing what they’d already spent hours talking about in gruelling detail, Alice had locked the lab’s old wooden door and pounced on her startled husband, kissing him passionately and pulling off his clothes aggressively. Jonathan’s shock had soon been overwhelmed by lust, and he had reached down the front of Alice’s combat trousers and through her thick pubic hair, grateful that she hadn’t turned up in her power armour. The couple had completely lost themselves in their love for each other and their carnal longing, pausing only to avoid causing damage to the delicate equipment around them. The hours passed by, and once they were completely burnt out they slumped against the bare stone wall together, totally shattered but completely satisfied.
The Lord Imperator smirked as she sipped at one of the energy potions Jonathan had given her, reliving their panic to clean themselves up after their hormones had returned to a respectable level. Alice and Jonathan rarely got to see each other, but they always made up for lost time in the end.
She looked out the Judge’s cockpit, across the arid brown, yellow, and sepia coloured landscape, with its small pockets of resilient foliage and the few and far between rivers and streams, that stretched onwards until it hit the curved continent’s mountain-lined rear. Alice pursed her lips and wondered where on the continent Corriztis was hiding, and knew that his primary vessel—her former comrade, Theodore Miller—wouldn’t be far from the action. Alice hated that the corruption Demon had one of her own under its despicable control, and she wouldn’t hesitate to put the poor man out of his misery whether it put a permanent end to Corriztis or not.
The Book Wielder Chloe O’Kelly was sat beside the airship’s co-pilot, painting her long fingernails black. when she spotted Alice sipping at an energy potion and gave her a coy grin.
Like always, Chloe had disregarded any sense of tactical attire and adorned a lacy gothic dress, under-bust corset, floral patterned stockings, and lace gloves, all in black, which contrasted strikingly with her pale freckled skin and curly ginger hair. However, the young woman had learnt from her close encounter within Corriztis’ private Catacomb network, and worn a more practical pair of boots that were easier to run in.
“What’s so funny, O’Kelly?” Alice asked, catching the amused look in the Book Wielder’s white eyes.
“Nothing. So… did you have a good night?” Chloe replied cheekily.
Alice tried not to blush; she still didn’t understand how most Supernaturals seemed to be so open when it came to very private matters. “It was a busy night, filled to the brim with stressful meetings about the current crisis. What did you get up to?” she added, hoping to deflect the line of questioning.
“Small talk? Wow, you’re pulling out the big guns now, Lord Imperator,” Chloe giggled. “I hung out with Genevieve. We were meant to be discussing my compendium, but that new Book Wielder Connie got bored and we all ended up getting drunk instead—she’s alright, but she can be a bit up herself sometimes, and she got her white eyes so damn quickly!”
“You sound a little bit jealous, Chloe,” Alice said with a grin, happy to be on the attacking side.
“Pfft, no way. I’m working on some spells that would go right over Constance’s big head,” Chloe announced proudly while drying her nails enthusiastically. “I think Veronica’s trying to set her and Genevieve up. Genie’s like my big sis, she deserves better than little miss big-bum. I don’t suppose Jonathan has any alluring ancient Trinity babes we can set Genevieve up with? I’ve already tried with my old friends from down the Catacombs and she wasn’t interested. You were down there last night, weren’t you?” the Book Wielder added, batting her long dark eyelashes innocently.
Alice groaned; she’d thought she was off the hook.
“You always drink an energy potion after you get lucky,” Chloe explained naughtily as she tucked her nail polish away in her black and pink cat handbag, beside her book that she’d decorated in the same way.
The Lord Imperator frowned. “Don’t you have your own relationships to worry about?”
“Meh,” Chloe shrugged. “I have offers, obviously.” She paused to imitate Veronica’s naughty wink. “But I think the one already slipped through my fingers.”
Alice took another swig of potion and began to feel extremely jittery as it coursed through her bloodstream. Her mind felt overly active, and Alice couldn’t help but give the Book Wielder some sage wisdom. “I’m far from an expert on love, but you’re a stunning, fiery, and confident young woman. The right person is out there for you—take it from me, sometimes it just hits you out of nowhere. Besides, you’re too young to be talking like that!”
“I know,” Chloe sighed. “I was just so certain… I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life! It felt like Fate was pushing us closer, and then bam— he was gone.”
“Maybe there’s still a chance for you two,” Alice said in an uncharacteristically comforting way. “But if you turn out to be another ‘seer’ then I’m going to have to reassign you,” she chuckled to lighten the mood, before taking another sip of energy potion.
Chloe forced a smile; she didn’t want to admit that the guy she’d fallen for was Lewis Thorne, who’d turned into Archmage Omniosis’ pet puppet. “Anyway,” she began, shaking off the tragic past, “has your hubby got any hot gal-pals hidden away? Any potential competition that you haven’t already eliminated who might be into my bohemian buddy?”
“Hmm, maybe… I’ll see if Cherriesa’s interested in your friend,” Alice joked.
“The Vampire Queen bitch is a hottie, but I reckon her pussy lips are coated in cyanide,” Chloe cracked up hysterically, along with the Judge’s pilot and co-pilot.
Alice snorted loudly as she stifled a laugh, and then promptly put the cap on her energy potion and put it away in her officer’s coat, realising that the substance was starting to affect her demeanour.
“That’s enough of that please,” the Lord Imperator said, once she’d suppressed her giggles.
“I love seeing you like that,” Chloe admitted. “We should totally train our Book Wielder skills together, or just hang out sometime. I used to have a right laugh with Genie and Jonathan—well, in the days before the rise of Winston,” she joked, imitating the usual dramatic tone used in cinema trailers.
Alice couldn’t help but smile at the Book Wielder’s kind offer. “Maybe some time when we’re not facing Mydia’s End.”
Chloe tutted. “There’s more chance of me having a tea party with the Autumn Aardvark than this bloody planet being safe for more than a week.”
The Lord Imperator smirked. “It’ll
get better. Maybe not for a while, but we’ll get there in the end,” she said confidently.
A red triangular symbol flashed up on the cockpit’s touchscreen controls and beeped loudly.
“We’re getting an emergency transmission from Smithston,” the pilot said, before tapping the icon.
“I think you jinxed it, Lord Imperator,” Chloe said dryly.
Alice’s heart raced wildly, which was only made worse by the effects of her husband’s potent potion, and she feared that Corriztis had already begun his murderous experiments. They had just sailed over Smithston on the coast, and the thought that they’d passed by while the corruption Demon deployed one of his foul chemical weapons made Alice feel physically sick.
“…heart at shipping yard seven, we’re being overwhelmed!” a raspy voice explained. “I repeat: we’re under attack by the Darkheart at shipping yard seven!”
The pilot looked at Alice for instructions.
“What about Corriztis?” Chloe asked, knowing Alice was already psyching herself up to fight the mysterious rebel.
“We’ll take a small unit while the rest of the force deploys as normal. We should only meet with human assailants, after all,” Alice quickly explained, sobered by the situation. “Pilot, take us lower and tell them help is on the way, but don’t land.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the pilot saluted as Alice turned and marched out of the cockpit.
Chloe chased after Alice as she stomped along the airships’ smooth black floors, calling out the names of the Justiciars she wanted with her on the emergency mission.
“We’re not actually jumping off this thing, are we?” Chloe asked as they took an elevator down to the enormous cargo deck.
“Sort of,” Alice replied as the white doors slid open. “Darkheart and his cronies are in one direction and Corriztis is in the other. As the Demon is the bigger threat, we can’t afford to impede the Judge any longer than we have to.”