The Esoteric Design: Disbanding Hope

by A. R. Crebs

  Dovian was locked in her gaze. She had nearly pressed her lips against his, her hand slipping low into his robes, when he stepped away and tightened his coat. He was pleased by her perturbed look.

  “You don’t want me?” she asked.

  Dovian gave a rumbling chuckle as he stepped around the woman. “Lilith, there’s nothing you can give me that I would actually want.” Searching through the cupboards, he added, “And a venereal disease is something I would rather not risk at the moment.”

  As he reached for a bowl, the seductress snatched his hand. He eyed her cautiously; she had moved the whole expanse of the kitchen within a blink of an eye. The light in her eyes appeared void for only a moment; then they flickered back to life.

  “Ah…you’re a bionic. Figured as much,” he said calmly.

  Lilith pulled and twisted Dovian, slamming him back against the countertop. She firmly held his hands in place; her eyes were wild.

  “I could make you my bitch, Dovian, so don’t even try pissing me off,” she snarled.

  Dovian fed her an even glare.

  “And I could decimate you without a moment’s thought,” he returned.

  Her grip tightened so not to allow Dovian to wriggle away.

  “You won’t do that. As I said, I’m Sapphire’s favorite. You destroy me, I’m sure she won’t hesitate to do the same to you,” Lilith said. The whole time she spoke, she moved against Dovian, trying to lure him into a lustful state.

  “She can’t kill me,” Dovian said, attempting to ignore the way her body felt against his.

  “No, she can, but only momentarily. Just because you’ll come back again doesn’t mean she won’t try.” She slipped her leg between his.

  Dovian swallowed hard. Now that was true. Sapphire had already torn off his apparatus.

  Reaching up again, pressing her full pink lips against his jaw, Lilith gave a breathy moan.

  “Oh, come on, Dovian. Give me what I want,” she pleaded.

  “You weren’t human before, were you?” he asked.

  Lilith leaned back, eyeing him. “No,” she replied quickly.

  “So what do you affiliate yourself with? Succubus?” He paused, raising an eyebrow. “Incubus?”

  The woman fluttered her eyelashes, digging her nails into the back of his hands. “What do you want me to be?” she asked near his ear.

  “I want you to be out of my kitchen so I can make pancakes,” he grumbled.

  “Pancakes,” she scoffed, “are much too sweet. I have something else you can eat.”

  Dovian rested his head back against the cupboard, closing his eyes in irritation.

  “Come on, Dovian. I’ve always wondered what the real thing would feel like. Living in the depths for so long…you can only imagine the want and need I have for someone like you,” she hissed.

  “Not happening,” he said.

  “I’ve got the information you want. How about we trade?”

  “There’s nothing you can tell me that I would find valuable.”

  She gave him a mischievous look. “Not even about I’Lanthe, and why she was in the pit for the last seventeen thousand years?”

  Dovian opened his eyes, nervously looking at the woman before him.

  She gave a sinister laugh. “Oh, now I’ve got your interest.”

  “I’m sure nothing you say will be the truth,” he muttered.

  “Why was she down there, Dovian?” Lilith asked, sinking low. “Deception? Lies?”

  As soon as she crouched and tried to open his coat, Dovian grabbed her by the arms and hauled her back up, glaring at her.

  “I’m through with these games,” he growled. “Get the hell out of my kitchen.”

  “Why does that blonde little whore get you? Why can’t I have my turn?” Lilith scowled.

  Dovian’s grip tightened on the woman’s arms. He did not appreciate her calling Ivory a whore. “You call her a whore again and you won’t have a head left to do any sexual favors.”

  “Dovian?” Ivory’s voice rang out in the kitchen.

  Lilith grabbed Dovian, kissing him in his momentary distraction. Ivory entered the room, wrapped up in a bed sheet. She came to a halt in the doorway, her blue eyes widening. A quick gasp sounded from her. Dovian frantically shoved Lilith backward, the woman running into the island behind her. His eyes were crackling with electricity. Lifting his head, he looked at Ivory, a hard frown set on his face.

  “Who, who is this?” Ivory asked quietly; her thin hands lifted toward her mouth.

  Lilith straightened her top, tugging it down to where she nearly exposed herself. She sauntered toward Ivory and held out her hand.

  “Lilith,” she said with a sneer. Dovian abruptly slapped the seductress’ hand away from Ivory’s.

  “Don’t even touch her.” Dovian glowered.

  Ivory’s shocked face turned into a glare of her own. Walking in on Dovian kissing another woman was shocking, and the sight hurt her, but clearly that was not of Dovian’s doing. The blonde looked Lilith up and down.

  “Don’t know why Sapphire chose her anyway. She said I could have whatever I wanted. Why can’t I have you?” The mocha-skinned woman returned Ivory’s stare. “Just an empty vessel with a broken mind,” she scoffed.

  Ivory’s hands balled into fists. “I’ll show you broken!”

  Dovian quickly slipped between the two. He took a slow, deep breath. “Leave, now.” Lilith opened her mouth to say more, but Dovian wouldn’t hear it. “Now!” he boomed.

  Lilith clicked her tongue, eyeing Ivory and then Dovian. She spun and made her way out of the kitchen as she called over her shoulder, “Sapphire wants you to report to the throne room ASAP. We have work to do.”

  Dovian waited until the woman was out of sight before he relaxed his tense muscles. “Damn it.” He exhaled gruffly.

  “I don't like her,” Ivory said quietly.

  Dovian looked at her with a sad expression. “Sorry you saw that. She’s a bit promiscuous.”

  Ivory shrugged. “I could tell you really liked it,” she replied sarcastically. She stepped around Dovian, eyeing the tea Lilith had been drinking.

  “Hardly,” he said, clearing his throat.

  Ivory’s blonde curls were untamed, springing in all directions. She had a severe case of bed-head. Dovian smirked at his handiwork.

  “So, you’re heading out?” she asked timidly, pulling the sheet tighter around her body.

  Dovian hung his head, nodding slowly.

  She approached him again, capturing his face. “Please don’t kill anyone.”

  “I don’t have much control over that.”

  “Sure you do,” she argued.

  “Not if it’s Sapphire’s orders.”

  “Find a way around it.” She planted a quick soft kiss on his nose.

  Dovian grabbed her waist. “Would much rather stay in bed with you,” he said with a husky voice.

  Ivory felt a tingle at his words. “Oh, yeah?” she asked with a shy laugh.

  He gave a little chuckle, swaying back and forth with her. “Oh, yeah.”

  It seemed pancakes would have to wait. Dovian hadn’t mentioned anything to Ivory about the child’s plans. Instead, he wanted to keep her in the dark. She was having enough trouble worrying about him; he didn’t want her to worry about humanity as well, particularly Aria and Troy.

  “I’ve got work to do,” he said.

  He gently let her go and turned away.

  “Dovian?” She took a step toward him.

  He looked over his shoulder, his eyes emitting piercing light. The sight was unnerving. He was already preparing for war.

  “Please, be careful,” she whispered.

  He gave her a quick nod and entered the darkness of the hall.

  The sun beat down its searing rays of light upon the Amazonian desert. The heat was intense, seemingly drying out every part of moisture in the surrounding lands. Troy opened the face shield of his helmet and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. He could
feel his skin baking inside the metal of his body armor. Though the suit was climate controlled, the desert’s raging temperature was enough to make him want to peel off his protection. That would be a stupid mistake, as the spigots that spouted raging water currents blasted the atmosphere above and magnified the sun’s radioactive waves.

  On top of the sweltering heat and blasting rays, the humidity was still high. Unfortunately, the environment was a vicious cycle of scorched earth and humid air, leaving nothing for plant life to grow on the surface. Beneath, however, was an entirely different story. Far beneath the cavernous cracks and crevices sat a vast gorge of fresh water–Earth’s largest supply. Among the waters was a plush ecosystem of moss and strange vines and saplings. The Amazonian desert was one of Earth’s most protected sites. It was the final location that still held some resemblance to the ancient world.

  “Well?” Troy asked, turning his head to gaze at Aria.

  Aria narrowed her eyes, staring over the dead land. She found it hard to imagine trees and animals in a place like this. Though they were supposed to be waiting for the arrival of Sapphire’s army, the landscape remained barren. She and Troy had been holding position for hours.

  “Well,” she responded, “either we’re blind or Feyette’s intel was wrong,” she huffed.

  “Why would he lie about the enemy’s location?” The man rubbed the knotted muscle on the back of his neck.

  “Who knows. Maybe it’s a setup. A trap or something.” She frowned and crouched. Her delicate fingers poked at the dusty earth. A rock crumbled beneath her touch.

  Troy kicked at a pebble. “I dunno. It seems pretty quiet to me.”

  “That’s cause you’re an idiot,” the woman harshly spat.

  “Someone’s in a good mood today.” He rolled his olive eyes in response. “So what do you think, then?”

  Aria glanced over her shoulder. “Can’t you feel it?”

  “Feel what?”

  “The tension. Everybody’s so quiet.” She nodded toward the enormous army waiting nervously behind them. Troy followed her gaze. He had almost forgotten about the cavalry. Behind Aria and Troy stood nearly five thousand troops, a whole battalion of andronic-mechanized soldiers and mobile tanks from Saray, and a small air fleet that consisted of Feyette’s best fighter jets. Overkill? Aria didn’t think so. Not even close. But it was all she could gather in the short amount of time.

  “It’s like everyone’s waiting for something big to happen. We can all feel it…well, everyone but you,” Aria said.

  “The only thing I feel is a yawn coming on.” Troy opened his mouth and let out an obnoxiously loud moan.

  “And that, my lovely friend, is why I am the one in command.” Aria stood erect and patted the man on the shoulder.

  “Cause you kiss a–” A sudden rumble quickly hushed him.

  On the horizon was a flicker of distortion. The air pulsed and spun inward like static. There was a whooshing noise, and the disturbance blipped into a pin-sized hole of black and then flashed outward with a strange, high-pitched whistle. The ground unexpectedly convulsed. Aria stabled herself with a hand on Troy’s shoulder. He quickly snaked an arm around her waist and held on. There was a thunderous sound nearly four hundred meters from the small army as the ground splintered and cracked, dark scars staining the surface. Aria’s eyes flitted from crack to crack. With a sudden drop, the distant landscape sank and then exploded outwards, sending chunks of rock into the sky.

  “Everybody on guard!” Aria mentally shouted her orders.

  The land glimmered from its wound with red bubbling magma and steaming flames. It gushed as boulders and rocks were strewn about. There was a hum, the same familiar hum that Aria and Troy now associated with the sound of approaching death. A massive appendage flew from the gaping hole. It was a nightmarish scene, something they were all unprepared for. Giant fingers dug into the desert surface, the phalanges treating the rocky ground like it was clay.

  “Holy….” Troy gaped at the scene.

  There was an ominous vibrating sound; it was low, had two different tones, and was unlike anything the humans had ever heard. Aria and Troy watched in horror as an enormous being climbed from the hole, rock and magma pouring down its body like water. The creature screamed again. It had beady black eyes on a bald skeletal head. It had a level nose with flaring nostrils and a giant flat forced grin on its face caused by tight, almost transparent, skin. Slowly, the body rose from what was apparently Hell until its towering form stomped into the earth. The thing had to be at least thirty meters tall. It watched Aria and Troy with darker-than-black eyes and gave an enormous roar which echoed across the land.

  “Look!” Troy pointed at the beast.

  At first it appeared the massive creature had a small wing sprouting from one shoulder, but as the flame and debris slowly faded away, its silhouette revealed a much more shocking scene. Standing on the creature’s shoulder was Dovian.

  “Dovian!” Aria screamed. She tore away from Troy’s grasp and darted toward the monster.

  “Wait!” The male tugged her backward. “Look at him….”

  Black scaly wings sprouted from the Sorcēarian’s back. Shackles bound his wrists together, and what appeared to be a metallic collar was strapped around his neck, a large chain dangling from the back. A woman reclined on the monster's opposite shoulder. She grinned and laughed hysterically. Dressed in rather revealing garb, the strange woman eyed Troy as she traveled a decorated hand through her long dark hair, down her chest, and left it to rest upon a curvaceous hip. She opened her mouth slightly as she tugged on the chain in her hand, pulling Dovian slightly to the side.

  “Uh, why don’t you let me handle her?” Troy gave a cockeyed grin.

  “Look at the way she handled Dovian…” Aria muttered.

  Aria brought her glare up to meet Dovian’s. Even at this distance, his defiant stare chilled her to the bone. But something was amiss. His characteristic pale-blue eyes now held a red glint. Dovian gave a flap of his ebony wings. The staring contest continued. Aria and Troy gazed upon the enemies ahead. The soldiers behind the two were anxious. Nervous whispers and the shifting of bodies and weapons sounded from every direction. Dovian looked over the army. He peered down at his ex-comrades and fed them a spiteful grin.

  “Target number one,” Aria said through her mental chip, “…the Sorcēarian.”

  She saw Dovian’s amused smile widen. A shiver ran down her spine. The typical Dovian was nowhere in sight. This man before her was not the Sorcēarian she knew.

  “What?!” Troy gripped his battle rifle tightly. “Are you insane?!”

  “He chose his side, Troy,” Aria grumbled through gritted teeth.

  “Yeah, but–” He began but Aria shoved him roughly to the side as she took aim with her electrically charged rail gun with multi-grenade launcher.

  “I’m bored…” Lilith groaned. Licking her lips, she tugged on Dovian’s chain once again.

  “Pleasure’s mine.” Dovian stated mindlessly.

  The succubus of a woman sauntered across the monster’s shoulders over to Dovian’s side. She wrapped her arms around him, smiling as she unclasped the bindings at his wrists and neck. He gave her a sour look as she handed him something and patted his shoulder once, giving him permission to leave. With fists clenched tightly, Dovian’s wings lifted him high into the air. He was fast, spiraling swiftly into the sunlight, his black silhouette casting a shadow across the desert floor. Aria and Troy shielded their eyes from the blinding light. Dovian wasn’t wasting any time making the first move.

  “Fire! Fire, fire, fire!” Aria shouted.

  Bullets soared into the air, the sound deafening to ears all around. Dovian pressed forward as ammunition, EMPs, an assortment of projectiles, and even heat-seeking missiles missed their target. Aria and Troy frantically shouted commands through their mental chips. They had seen what Dovian could do and knew what he was capable of. Aria reassured herself that he was brainwashed. He would never d
o this. But there was something in the back of her mind that also told her that she shouldn’t be so surprised.

  Fa-boom!

  The sound barrier broke as Dovian took off down toward the army. Aria froze, goosebumps chilling her as Dovian came right between her and Troy like a bursting gust of wind and annihilated the entire force behind them in one fiery inferno. Aria didn’t have to look behind her to see the destruction. The deadly silence told her enough that it was best to keep looking forward. She shivered, suddenly feeling cold as Dovian floated ever so gracefully before her. With one quick movement, he grabbed her, tugged off her helmet, and snatched her chin forcefully to look up at him. Tears stung her eyes. Just like that. One move and they were defeated. They really were helpless fools.

  “Hey!” Troy stomped forward. Dovian’s hand went to the soldier’s throat, and then he shoved him back.

  “You want to defeat Sapphire?” Dovian shouted. Aria’s lips sealed tight as she gazed fearfully at the Sorcēarian. “You have to destroy me first.”

  Dovian thrust something into Aria’s hands, and he finally released his harsh grip on her jaw.

  “They have Ivory…” Dovian said in a quiet tone. He looked to Troy. “Find a place deep underground. Find a way to kill me before we kill you.” He gave one fleeting look at Aria and frowned. She was chewing on her lip, her mind repeatedly refusing him. Giving a moment to close his eyes, to force out the voice of her mental turmoil, he took a deep breath. “This is a warning for mankind.” With that being said, he lifted from the ground and returned to the beast in the distance.

  Aria watched as Dovian was shackled once again. The creature began to sink back into the Hell it had escaped. All the while, Dovian kept his eyes on the ground. Slowly, ash and liquid fire erupted from the opening until the monster and its riders were swallowed whole. Aria didn’t notice the tears that slowly fell from her eyes. She gripped the item in her hands tightly, trying to console herself. Her sight fell onto what Dovian had given her.

  “His back apparatus,” she murmured. “It’s been removed. That means he has no control over the power he can unleash.”

  Troy stared at the metallic spinal cord replica. The edges were covered in blood. It seemed to have been forcibly removed from his back. The thought made the soldier cringe.