Pursuit of the Zodiacs

by Walsh, Nathan

  Mr. Anderson watched a distraught Jedediah trying to remove himself from the scene, still with his hands tied behind his back. He struggled to his feet, but only to fall again to his knees. The Bookkeeper ran to Jedediah and caught him on his last fall. “Are you alright?”

  Jedediah stared at the man in disbelief. “What a foolish question to ask a dying Archangel. Who are you?”

  Mr. Anderson answered, still holding Jedediah up, “I am the Bookkeeper.”

  Jedediah sighed. “Perfect. I guess it was destined for you to hear my last words. There isn’t much time for me, so listen closely. Bishop plans to move against God and his Kingdom. Before that is possible, he must discreetly remove all potential threats, including the Zodiacs, in case The Pursuers fail in their mission. Anyone he sees as a threat, even The Pursuers themselves, he is set on destroying. He is unstoppable. Unless God himself is notified, you must …”

  Jedediah’s voice trailed off. He lost consciousness. Before Mr. Anderson could find out whether or not Jedediah still had a pulse, he heard Ithiel shouting, “Mr. Anderson, you must run!”

  Mr. Anderson followed the voice. He saw a far off and injured Ithiel just barely holding himself up off the ground, balancing with his sword. He posed over a dead and broken Archangel. The other Archangel spotted the Bookkeeper and approached him. Ithiel raised his sword and shot out a bolt of lightning at the Archangel, but missed, almost hitting the Bookkeeper. He readjusted his aim and sent out another bolt of lightning. This one clipped the wing of the Archangel who fell to his knees.

  The Bookkeeper grabbed Jedediah after unbinding his hands. But, at six feet, four inches and two hundred and forty-five pounds, Jedediah proved to be too much. The Archangel collected himself, reached and backhanded the Bookkeeper to the ground. While his attention was diverted, Jedediah thrusted his sword through the leg of the pursuing Archangel, pinning him to the ground. But the attack cost Jedediah. Too far gone to give much of a struggle, the Archangel took out his dagger and drove it through his throat. The Bookkeeper sat up on the ground holding his bruised face, only to see blood pouring from Jedediah’s neck.

  The Archangel instructed the Bookkeeper menacingly, “There. Write that in your book.”

  The Archangel removed the sword from his leg and freed himself. Jedediah’s murder bought Ithiel enough time to reach the Archangel. Directly behind him, Ithiel said, “He will include your treachery against Jedediah in his book, and the story of your death will follow his.” And, before the Archangel could turn around, Ithiel thrust his sword through his back and beheaded him. “It is done.”

  Ithiel collapsed, and the Bookkeeper ran to his side. “No, not you too!” The Bookkeeper shouted. He received no answer, but only slight movements. Ithiel was alive, but unconscious. “Great. Now what?”

  Seeing the Gateway still open terrified the Bookkeeper. Following the deaths of both Archangels, there was no telling if more could be making their way towards the Gateway. He needed to move Ithiel’s body fast. He marked his distance from the spaceship. Discouraged, he sighed, stretched and dragged Ithiel towards the ship.

  They escaped Japan. Goliath carried the critically wounded Daniel in his arms. They still had one more mile left before they reached the Gateway and their departure from the Dimension.

  Daniel said, “No, Goliath. Trouble yourself no further, Brother. It’s over for me.”

  They encountered the same wagon that Virgo and her group had passed earlier. The scent of Daniel’s blood drew the attention of the Vampeer residing in the carriage. “Who can pass up the blood of Archangels?”

  Goliath replied, “What was that? Move that carriage along, Devil!”

  The Vampeer exited the carriage. “Pardon my manners. Let me introduce myself. My name is Dracuul, and I am from a very far away Galaxy, here visiting relatives. I see you’re in a bit of a bind, and I would like to offer my services to you.”

  Goliath said, “We are in no need of any help from a Vampeer. And how are you able to walk in the Sunlight?”

  Dracuul answered, “You will see very soon that I am no ordinary Vampeer, my friend. These are very different times. A Vampeer impervious to Sunlight is the reality that stands before you; anything else you’ve heard is a mere myth. Do not be foolish. You and I both know your friend there will not make it out this Dimension on time, so consider our abrupt meeting as fate. You owe it to your comrade to not be selfish.”

  Though very weak, Daniel responded, “What are you suggesting, Traveler?”

  Goliath interjected, “You can’t be serious, Daniel?”

  Dracuul replied, “Listen to your friend, since it seems he has the will to live. So let him live. My proposal is simple. Meet it, and you will surely live to fight your fight another day. I propose a simple exchange: blood for blood. My blood will rid you of your misfortune, and your blood will assist me in perpetuating my kind.”

  Goliath asked, “Tell me, Vampeer, is your kind on the verge of extinction? Is that what you are saying? If so, then good. We are all better off without the existence of the Vampeers.”

  Dracuul said, “I’ve been kind long enough. Comply, or I will just take it. Either way is fine with me.”

  Goliath defied the hostile demand, “Come on and try it, Devil.”

  Before they could engage, Daniel stepped in. “Goliath, that’s enough.” And then turning, “I accept your proposition, Vampeer.”

  Goliath said, “But Daniel, you can’t! This is an abomination to God!”

  Daniel answered, “No. After I have recovered, I still intend to carry out his mission.”

  Dracuul commented, “Then it is settled, remove yourself from him at once. I’m going to need some room.”

  Goliath replied, “I will not allow this!” He left Daniel’s side and approached the Vampeer. “You’ve purposely wasted our time. You know he would’ve made it out of here alive.”

  Dracuul answered, “If so, what does it matter? He is running out of time and will die, as will you while you continue challenging me.”

  Goliath closed in as Dracuul remained calm and didn’t budge.

  “No!” Goliath stopped in his tracks, saw Daniel twitching.

  Dracuul said, “Well, what is your decision? Will you let your comrade die when he wants to live?”

  Goliath pondered his options and realized that he had none. Shrugging his shoulders and holding his head in disbelief, Goliath agreed. “Go on, Devil.”

  Goliath turned away in disgust as the Vampeer cut his hand and told Daniel to consume his blood. At the same time, he drew a sample of Daniel’s blood and stored it in a glass vase. “There you have it, your friend will live. Was that so hard?”

  Goliath said, “This doesn’t change a thing, Devil.”

  Dracuul replied, “There’s always a third party making a situation more difficult than it needs to be. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave.”

  Goliath knelt next to Daniel to see if the Vampeer had kept his part of the bargain. Daniel’s eyes were still shut, so Goliath bent over to listen if he still breathed. Daniel woke up, grabbing Goliath by the shoulders and bit into his neck. Goliath did not recognize this newfound creature and threw him off. He grabbed at his neck. “Damn you, Devil! What have you done to him? Come back here!”

  His carriage stopped. The Vampeer stuck his head out of an opening and replied, “Ohhh, my apologies. I failed to mention the side effects. He will have a tendency to bite things, and his hunger for blood will increase in the coming days. And you will meet this fortune as well. See you around! Do not worry Archangel. In time, you’ll comprehend this day as beneficial, a favor I’ve just granted the both of you. In the end, it all comes down to the Blood.” Dracuul laughed and signaled his driver to continue.

  Goliath experienced side effects from Daniel’s bite. He felt inebriated and started to develop a craving. He felt disappointed in what that craving was, but in the back of his mind, it felt right. The abnormal feeling affected his vision. He had trouble standing
and couldn’t walk straight or give chase to the carriage, though he badly wanted to. He gave in and rested.

  TODAY’S HOROSCOPE

  As Ruler of the Eighth House, you must make wise decisions in these unpromising days if you are to succeed. Don’t let your blunt emotions plague your judgments. Stick to your strategic game plan.

  “Great, emphasis on the ‘unpromising,’” Scorpio thought to himself after receiving another unexplained heart attack following a Horoscope reading.

  Virgo said, “What did you say?”

  Scorpio answered, “I just received a reading.”

  Virgo asked, “What did it say?”

  Scorpio replied, “It’s my business, not yours.”

  Virgo said, “Very well.”

  The heart attack slowed them down, but they saw no Vampeers in sight. Virgo still felt their presence nonetheless and urged to move forward.

  “Over there,” Virgo pointed at a carnival event in progress with a huge human gathering. “They will pose no threat to us, and we can blend in with the crowd.”

  At a distance, Vampeers changed their forms and blended in with the crowd as well. “Shit, you were wrong. Let’s just stay and kick their ass,” Scorpio said.

  Virgo replied, “Not in public, boy. Our identity must remain hidden. Besides, we cannot best them until our Gems are fully restored. Let’s move.”

  She flagged down a cab. “Get us somewhere else … fast.”

  “What the Hell?” The driver could see four men in his rear view mirror running with incredible speed. He hit the pedal, and the car accelerated. “Friends of yours? They seem really angry.”

  Scorpio laughed to himself as they made their escape. With no more danger in sight, Virgo gave the driver their destination.

  They arrived in the parking lot of a gated community forty-five minutes later. “This is where we part ways,” she paid the driver, including an extremely generous tip.

  A trail of blood ran down Scorpio’s right arm. “You’re hurt. Let me see,” Virgo said.

  Scorpio replied, “It’s nothing.”

  Virgo replied, “Don’t be stubborn, let me see it.”

  She grabbed him and saw a gash just under his armpit. She applied pressure to the wound, revealing her healing gift.

  Her healing ability worked in seconds. The wound closed before his eyes. The bleeding stopped and he felt no more pain. Scorpio displayed an unusual sign of gratitude. “Thank you, Virgo. This wound must have been inflicted after exiting the Dimension. Now what?”

  Virgo responded, “We wait.”

  Scorpio said, “Wait for what?”

  A Demon Archangel descended from the roof of their new safehouse. Besides his cunning mask, he wore dark grey armor with solid black wings. Virgo recognized him as Crusix, a Master Archangel, known as Lucifer’s trusted new messenger. He handed her a Scroll, a duplicate of the one that the Gemini misplaced. This one contained extra instructions. “You’re late, what is your report.”

  Virgo held the Scroll tight as she spoke to Crusix. “What’s happened to Skore?”

  Crusix answered, “He’s gone missing and may have been eliminated. These reports are vital to this mission. Therefore, he has called upon a Master Archangel to carry out this task for the period remaining. Now, that report.”

  Virgo said, “After we exited the Gateway, we realized it had been unattended, and to our surprise we were attacked by Vampeers. It happened so fast. They were awaiting our arrival. I’m afraid that Karz, Zodon and Dynamo have perished saving our lives.”

  Crusix said, “Vampeers attacking the Zodiac? This could only mean one thing. They tried this tactic centuries ago, but due to their greed for power, Lucifer had a special team of Archangel’s wipe out a whole generation of their species. They wanted to combine Vampeer and Zodiac blood with Angel’s blood so they could breed a Super-unstoppable class of their own.”

  Virgo added, “Well, that very tactic has resurfaced, and they seem to be under order of one who’s very powerful. We encountered the Vampeer in the Dimension on our way here.”

  Crusix said, “It’s settled. I will forward this report to Lucifer at once.” He took flight, but momentarily returned having forgotten to tell them something. “Oh, and one more bit of news for you. The Queen of England has been murdered. The news hasn’t reached the public yet, but it is another death that has shaken the Underworld. We are losing this war. You must prevail in discovering the rest of the Zodiacs.”

  Scorpio was shocked. “What!”

  Crusix exited, this time leaving a devastated Scorpio sitting and clutching his knees.

  Virgo said, “Are those tears I see? Let this be a lesson to you. And, coming from a person who kills without remorse. You surprise me, boy.”

  Scorpio said, “You need to shut your mouth right now. And stop it with that boy talk. I have a fucking name! You will address me as Sire.”

  She made her way over to discipline him, but stopped dead in her tracks as she sensed an unfriendly aura. “We must move inside at once.”

  Cautiously, they entered the safehouse, checking each and every square inch for intruders. When they had reached the front window, Virgo experienced the same bad aura. From their window, they saw Dynamo standing at the front door. Virgo said, “He’s one of them. I can feel it.”

  Dynamo knocked on the door.

  Virgo whispered, “I’m not an expert, but to my knowledge they cannot enter unless we invite them in.”

  Scorpio added, “I agree. And it appears he lead those things here as well.”

  Dynamo yelled through the door, “I know you are in there. I can hear and smell you. Will you allow me entry?”

  Scorpio said, “Get the Hell out of here!”

  Virgo replied, “Scorpio, calm down. Dynamo, you and I both know that cannot happen. You’ve been turned. Where are Zodon and Karz? Have they met the same fate?”

  Dynamo responded, “Luckily for me, I was able to reason, and my life was spared. They will not leave until they receive a sample of blood from both of you. That’s their only desire, and no harm will come to you. Just a sample, and they will leave you alone.”

  Virgo answered, “That can not happen either. I’m sorry, old friend.”

  Dynamo replied, “Very well.”

  He left, and the two Zodiacs waited. They saw smoke and fire coming from the back hall of the safehouse. “They’re trying to burn us out,” Virgo said.

  Scorpio replied, “Just like that, huh? He didn’t even put up a fight for your life. And you were defending them? Your colleague is a Son of a bitch.”

  Virgo remarked, “He is not himself. It’s inevitable. We must face them whether our Gems are restored or not.”

  Through the rough terrain, fear and darkness, only complete and utter exhaustion paused Jacob’s pace. He was marked for death. Luck was the only reason for his existence, but yet he accepted it nonetheless. The will to live had its own balance and structure backed by pure instinct in which he trusted dearly. The Moon became bright enough to expose his coordinates, and he could sense danger at every turn.

  “Mileck, damn I’m sorry!” he said to himself. “It’s all my fault. He should be in my place right now instead of me.”

  A mile later, he sensed something following him. Not on the ground, though. This time his pursuer came from on high. Exhausted, he submitted. “Come on, you bastard. I’m tired of this shit.” He saw an unidentified rectangular craft large enough, he thought, to carry about ten people. He watched as the soundless craft hovered overhead and scanned his body for identification. It landed. Nothing he hadn’t seen before, Jacob travelled to many Galaxies, near and far, and worked contracts for a range of intelligent species.

  The craft’s ramp lowered. She had on long black boots and tight slacks, along with a bullet-resistant suit and an open trench coat. Her laser gun was big, similar to a Sterling submachine gun. She approached him and introduced herself. “My name is Lucille. I am an assassin for the Dark Graduates.”
<
br />   Realizing this was the end, he only wished that fortune hadn’t played its evil joke by giving him hope. Jacob regretted not dying alongside Mileck and Rashad.

  “The Dark Graduates have sent me here to tell you they’ve made a grave mistake about their judgment regarding this Pursuit. They’ve sent me here personally to tell you to continue your service to The Pursuers. Furthermore, I am here to make sure that that service is not disturbed.”

  This was the last thing he had expected anyone to say to him. “Who told you I gave The Pursuers aid?”

  Lucille answered, “Your friend made it very clear you were acting alone long before the order to eliminate you was overturned.”

  Jacob said to himself, “Mileck, that bastard. But he did what he thought was right.”

  Lucille said, “He had no other choice. The Dark Graduates are not fools. After the meeting and ruling in the hall, to make sure the ruling sustained its mark, they had personal spies observing everyone who attended over the last several days. I cannot disclose precisely how many executions transpired after countless treacheries, but the numbers were a disgrace and a total disrespect to The Dark Graduates. Order had to be restored, so I restored it.”

  Jacob replied, “So, if the ruling has been overturned, why did they have you eliminate so many?”

  Lucille answered, “Whether Mortal or supernatural, in order to be taken seriously, balance must be positioned within the laws of the Universe. And with those laws comes punishment if they are broken. You know of these terms already, Jacob.”

  Jacob said, “I understand, but they are breaking their own rules by ordering me to continue my service.”

  Lucille responded, “You are asking and talking too much. You should be grateful they kept you alive after so many have been punished. I wouldn’t question their judgment further if I were you. You’ve officially received what you sought, and more. If you don’t mind, it is best that you come with us. The Zodiacs are making their approach.”

  Within sight, a horde of Capricorn’s dead, bloodthirsty minions charged in their direction. She punished those within range with her laser-powered weapon. After watching heads explode, Jacob hit the ramp and boarded the craft with Lucille following right behind. The craft took off and disappeared into the clouds.