World of Darkness - [Time of Judgment 02] - The Last Battle

by Bill Bridges (epub)

  His form enveloped the dragon and held it. The universe seemed to freeze for a moment, each planet halting in its orbit as it waited, watching the outcome. Then the shroud burst and the dragon lunged forward, swallowing Uranus whole with one gulp. The remains of the shroud faded like wisps of smoke.

  “It will soon defeat Lu-Bat and Zarok, ” Altair said. “Then it will reach the Pattern Web between the inner and outer solar system, between the Deep and Near Umbra. Can the Weaver ensnare it again? ”

  Two forms emerged from two planets, Saturn and Jupiter. One was a snowy owl, the other a massive human warrior with a king’s crown and golden sword. Both engaged the dragon simultaneously. It responded by splitting itself, growing another head and two more arms. Two different jaws snapped at the Planetary Incarna, while six claws slashed at them.

  The regal Incarna lasted longer than the others had, but soon faltered. They were devoured whole, each by different heads. The dragon flew a circle in the sky and continued on, heading toward the asteroid belt.

  “Look! ” Moon-Sister cried, pointing into the darkness below the dragon. “Rorg comes! ”

  A giant wolf stalked forth from amid the stones of the asteroid belt, a smoldering tail of fire trailing behind it. It charged the dragon, who veered from its course to meet it. Their collision flashed through the night, temporarily blinding the Sept of the Stars. When the Garou’s vision cleared, they saw the wolf’s jaws clamped onto one of the dragon’s necks. The two entities thrashed about, struggling against one another.

  Altair saw a fiery, quick stone pound its way into the black hole. Instead of being swallowed by it, it battered the pit’s edges, managing to actually shrink its perimeter. Altair gasped. “Rorg’s rage is greater than even I imagined. "

  Then the dragon spun, throwing the wolf from its throat. Its tail lashed out and split the wolf in two. A howl echoed throughout the immensity. With a last mustering of will, the wolf’s front-quarters bolted forward and its jaws tore one of the dragon’s heads from its neck.

  The wolf faded, its form disintegrating, but the dragon roared in pain, writhing, its blood spewing from the wound.

  Altair peered at the black hole, trying to see into its formless depths. He had seen a glimmer of something, a sparkling, like the light of a white star. Then it was gone. As the roiling hole in space moved forward, he thought he saw it again. This time, however, it seemed to have a form, a long sinuous snake within the heart of the Wyrm. A snake with the head and mane of a lion. Then it was gone, swallowed by blackness.

  Altair looked at his companions. They watched the sky with looks of dismay. “Did you see something within the Wyrm? ”

  Canopus looked at him, eyebrows raised. “No. I saw it writhe in pain, but then it recovered and continued on. ”

  “Curious, ” Altair said.

  The dragon approached a vast spider web, spun across the bowl of the sky, separating the Near from the Deep Umbra. Tiny beings moved across the webs, Pattern Spiders preparing for the dragon’s charge, strengthening the web against it.

  The dragon hit the strands with its full force. The web bent inward but refused to break. The spiders furiously wove new strands, attempting to entrap the dragon before it could withdraw. It did not withdraw. Instead, it urged itself still forward, stretching the web ever more. The spiders altered their task and frantically tried to strengthen the web, but the strands began to fray, one by one. The dragon moved slowly, inexorably forward.

  Then the web burst, scattered spiders in all directions. The dragon rocketed forward, into the Near Umbra. A great, shattering peal of thunder accompanied it.

  Altair hung his head in sorrow.

  • • •

  In New York City, Kleon Winston, leader of the city’s Glass Walker sept, frowned, staring at his computer screen. It had gone blank. He looked over at Diode.

  “What the fuck? ” he said. “I just lost all power. ”

  Diode frowned, looking at her own laptop screen. “Me too. This is weird. I didn’t think the Pattern Web could have a system crash.... ”

  The windows of their fiftieth-floor office shattered, sending glass in all directions. Kleon and Diode hit the floor, grunting as shards dug into their skin. They both shifted to battle form and came up ready for action. Nothing moved.

  Kleon crept to the window and looked out. Some sort of traffic pileup was taking place below, a number of cars crashed into one another.

  Diode picked up a glass shard. “Holy shit. Something just killed every Pattern Spider we bound into the caern. ” “That’s not possible, ” Kleon said. “They’re too many of them. Maybe they broke their fetish wards. ”

  Diode shook her head. “No way. Something killed them. Look outside. ”

  Kleon looked out the window again as the sound of honking horns grew louder. He looked down onto a traffic disaster. Every single light and sign had gone dead. Neon signs on buildings up and down the street had no juice.

  “Something’s fucking with the entire grid, ” he said. “First Black Spiral Dancers and sludge banes in the sewers—now this. What’s going on? ”

  Diode shook her head. “I got a bad feeling about this, boss. ”

  Kleon s cell phone rang. He answered it. “Yeah. Yeah? Shit. Okay, sound the alert. We’re jumping ship. ” He hung up the phone and looked at Diode. “Everybody out. Looks like NYC’s out of order. ”

  Diode stared gap-jawed at him. “Out of order? Where we going? ”

  “We’re taking King Albrecht up on his offer, like I knew we should’ve done already. We’re joining the war party. Come on, we’ve got about fifty flights of stairs to get down. ”

  “Shit! That’s right—the elevators will be down. How we going to get to Central Park through that traffic? ”

  “The underground shortcut, ” Kleon said, opening the door and gesturing for Diode to go first.

  “I hate the sewers, " Diode said as she marched out the door.

  “I said get your ass through that gate! ” Mother Larissa said, waving her cane threateningly at Fengy.

  Fengy whimpered and cringed back, holding up his paws. He stood by the edge of an open moon bridge. The last Bone Gnawer had already gone through, followed by Kleon Winston’s Glass Walkers.

  “Mother, ” Fengy said, “I’m not leaving you here by yourself. ”

  “The hell you aren’t! ” Mother whacked him across the shoulders with the cane. “I can take care of myself. Been doing that since well before you were bom! Now get out of here! The city’s too dangerous even for our kind. Albrecht needs you. ”

  Fengy whined again and hesitated. Larissa pulled back her cane and smacked him with all her strength. He shut his eyes and dove through the moon bridge. The gate closed behind him, leaving Larissa alone in the park. Even the humans had fled; everyone was trying to get home. City services were out all over, with no electricity or radio.

  Larissa sighed and sat down. Folks these days didn’t know how to live without those things. It was sad.

  She heard a bird twitter and smiled, looking up into the foliage. “I'm glad someone’s still here with me. I don’t know how it’s going to end, but it’s definitely going to end. It’d be nice to see it through, but an old lady like me can’t count on that sort of thing. At least I’ll see it through here, from my own home! ”

  The bird twittered again.

  “What’s that? Then why’d I send everybody else away from home? Oh, they shouldn’t be hanging out here. Everybody else is up north, with King Albrecht. If there’s a chance of surviving this, it’s with him. You and me, though, nobody’s going to pay attention to small fry like us. We’ll just wait here. See what happens. ”

  Mother Larissa sat back, leaning against a tree. This was the quietest Central Park had ever been. Off in the distance, even the car horns had stopped. There was trouble out there, but in here, pure peace. She sighed and hummed an old tune from the 1930s.

  • • •

  At the Finger Lakes Caern, Alani Astart
e watched the last full pack leave, disappearing into the moon bridge. When the silvery light went out, she shook her head and sighed.

  Pearl River placed a hand on her shoulder. “Just us, Alani. ”

  “Just us, ” Alani said. She looked out over the woods and the misty lake. "I just can’t let it go. Too much beauty. Someone’s got to see it till it’s over. Beauty has to mean something in all this. Otherwise, what’s it worth J”

  Pearl River smiled. “I’m no warrior. I wouldn't be much good in the north. I sense that my heart belongs here. ”

  “And I’m too old to fight, ” Alani said. “So here we are. We’ve got the lake all to ourselves. "

  The two women sat beside the lake and waited silently. • • •

  Altair watched as the black hole absorbed Nerigal and his planet, Mars. He knew that, with the spiritual reflections of the planets destroyed, cataclysms would soon appear in the material world. The eye of Jupiter would probably spew ejecta, throwing off the orbits of its satellites. It would all go downhill from there.

  The Wyrm sped toward Earth, aiming for the Moon. Altair winced. With Luna devoured, all her powers would go with her, including the moon path he and his septmates stood upon.

  He turned to face his fellows. “We have watched too long. I am afraid our own dooms will soon be upon us. "

  Moon-Sister wiped away a tear. “I have loved you all very much. ”

  Canopus howled and the others joined in. A dirge of parting. Before it was complete, Canopus broke the howl, staring out into space, eyes wide and mouth gaping. The others followed his gaze.

  The Moon was gone, but not devoured. The dragon circled in the sky, searching for its silver prey, roaring in anger. There was no sign of the white orb.

  Altair smiled, pleased. “She has bought us some time. We must depart now. ”

  The radiance beneath them dimmed. The moon path was failing.

  Altair began walking, leading them back to the tower. “Come. There may just be time to open a final moon bridge before they all fail. ”

  "I don’t understand, " Canopus said, following behind Altair but glancing back at the sky, looking for the Moon. “Where did Luna go? ”

  “She shed her skin, ” Altair said. “She metamorphosed into the invisible moon, the ‘no moon. ’”

  Canopus blinked. “She can do that? Go from full to new without waning first? ”

  “Only at great cost to her power and servants, ” Altair said. “Already, many Lunes will have dissipated. We must hurry. ”

  Moon-Sister smiled. “In the material world, a new moon means the sun’s light is blocked by Gaia. But here, in the Umbra, she becomes intangible and invisible, the Keeper of Secrets. And not even the Wyrm can find her! ” She laughed.

  “Where are we going, Altair? ” Canopus asked. “Where is there left to go? "

  ‘To join King Albrecht’s army, ” Altair said. “The last stand of Gaia’s warriors. Now, Canopus, is the time when fighting means fists. ”

  A howl echoed through the valley. Albrecht cocked his head and listened. “Scouts reporting, " he said to Mari and Evan. They sat around a small campfire under a rock overhang in the chill, dim morning. “There are a lot of Garou coming. ”

  More howls descended from the peaks of the valley wall, where the other scouts were positioned, watching in all directions.

  “The reinforcements are here, ” Albrecht said with a smile. He stood up and strapped his grand klaive to his back. “Sounds like there’s a lot more of them than I expected. ” Mari and Evan stood up. Mari zipped up her winter coat. “They're coming from the Winter Wolf Sept? ”

  Albrecht nodded. “That’s the closest moon bridge. ” He walked out across the valley. Garou were positioned around small campfires throughout the area. Mari and Evan followed close behind.

  The king’s guards assembled by the passage out of the valley. Eric Honnunger walked up to meet Albrecht.

  “My king, ” he said. “I don’t advise you to leave the valley. An enemy might use that moment to attack. ”

  Albrecht frowned. “Have any scouts seen activity here or in the Umbra? "

  Eric shook his head. "No, my lord. But that doesn’t mean it’s completely safe. I recommend sending out a small party to greet the reinforcements. They can ascertain if they’re ours. ”

  “You think this might he a trick? ” Albrecht said skeptically. “The enemy disguised as an army of our own people? That’s a bit far-fetched. "

  “So is this whole situation, Albrecht, ” Mari said. “I agree with your lieutenant. You shouldn’t leave the valley. Once we determine if all is well, we’ll bring the reinforcements in. ”

  Albrecht looked at Mari, one eyebrow raised. “By ‘we, ’ I assume you intend to go out there? It’s okay for you but not me? I’m not an invalid, Mari. ”

  “Grow up, Albrecht, ” Mari said. “You’re the leader here. Delegate. You can’t take on every task yourself. ”

  Albrecht chewed his lip. “All right, all right. Go out there and make sure those guys are kosher. I left Thomas Abbot in charge; he should be leading the group. Eric, go with her and take ten warriors. Get some new moons, halfmoons and crescents, too. If there’s deception, they’ll root it out. ”

  Eric nodded and went to select his men. Mari smiled and followed him. Evan followed Mari, but Albrecht reached out and grabbed him by the collar.

  “Oh, no, ” Albrecht said. “Not you. You’re still recovering from that big hole you put in your chest. You’re sticking with me today, kid. ”

  Evan glowered but didn’t resist. He shrugged and crossed his arms, waiting for Albrecht to tell him what to do. Albrecht smiled and walked back to the center of the valley, where a command center of sorts had been erected. It consisted of a cleared-out patch of ground where they could draw diagrams in the sand. An outline of the valley had been marked, along with various tactical points of reference.

  Evan looked at it but didn’t understand all the markings. “Hey, what does that mean. 7" He pointed to some pictograms drawn near the megaliths.

  Albrecht glanced at the map. “Theurges. They’re holed up behind the rocks. They can use powers and heal the wounded. I don’t want them wading into the fray unless we fail to hold the line. If the enemy gets this deep into the valley, it’s going to be a grand melee by that point. ”

  “So what’s the battle plan? ”

  Albrecht sat down on a rock that had been cleared and covered with a furred pelt. “I’ll fill everyone in once Abbot gets here. No use repeating myself. " He gestured at the space next to him. “This is your seat for the powwow. ” Evan rolled his eyes. “That’s not politically correct, Albrecht. A lot of my tribemates are justifiably sensitive about the misuse of their language and culture. ” He sat down anyway, smiling, glad to be beside the king during an important meeting.

  Albrecht held out his hands as if to say, O lord, why me. “Okay. How about this: We’ll call it an overview of our strategic-tactical procedures during the expected conflict. ” Evan smiled and shook his head. “Too wonky. ” Albrecht smiled. “War briefing? "

  Evan nodded. “Succinct and descriptive. "

  “If we get through this thing alive, you’re my new minister of propaganda. ”

  Evan sighed, smiling, and looked down again at the dirt map, waiting for word from Mari.

  • • •

  The wind on the plain had died down. The day was cloudy and overcast but no snow fell. Mari and the Silver Fang guards stood at the edge of the forest, just within the tree line, watching the large army approach.

  “You got an estimate on size? ” Mari asked Eric.

  “A hundred and fifty. Maybe two hundred, ” he said. “We expected fifty. ”

  Mari nodded approvingly. “Something must have changed to bring them all out. Something more than just Albrecht. ”

  Eric frowned, glowering at Mari. She gave him an indifferent stare. “Be realistic. They refused us before for good reasons. I can see them pitching
in a few more warriors because Albrecht asked for it, but not this many. This looks more like an army of refugees than warriors. ”

  As the army approached, it became clear that many of the marching Garou limped or leaned on others for help. About one-quarter of their number was already wounded.

  Mari stepped forward. She spoke to Eric but still watched the army. “Leave half the guard here, hidden in the trees. ” She turned to look at Quiet Storm, the Wendigo new moon who had accompanied them from camp, and Loper, the Bone Gnawer Theurge. “You two are with us. I want a constant lookout. If you so much as get even a whiff of the Wyrm or something unusual, you let me and Eric know. ” The two young Garou nodded and came up close behind her.

  She walked out of the forest with Eric, five Silver Fang warriors, Quiet Storm and Loper.

  At the head of the army, a wolf halted and ran back into the formation. The formation opened up and a pack of men and woman marched forward, dressed in white winter furs. The leader held his hand over his eyes, squinting to block the glare of the snow, still bright even under the overcast sky. He threw back his head and howled a greeting to Mari.

  She recognized the howl and returned one of her own, picking up her pace to meet him. “It sounds like Abbot and looks like him from here. You guys smell anything weird? ”

  “No, ” Loper said. “Only snow and Garou. "

  “Everything seems fine, ” Quiet Storm said. “Loper, how’s the Umbra? ”

  The wolf squinted and stared off into the distance, as if daydreaming. “Empty. Nothing but wind spirits. ”

  Quiet Storm nodded. She knew about the wind spirits. The Wendigo had already talked with them. The spirits promised to bring them news of any strange happening.

  “Mari Cabrah! ” Thomas Abbot called, waving his hand above his head.

  “Abbot! ” Mari yelled back, likewise waving.

  “That’s definitely, Abbot, " Eric said. “If this is a trick, it’s the best I’ve seen. ”

  Mari ran the rest of the distance and clasped the old seneschal’s hand. Abbot smiled, pleased to see her, and slapped Eric on the shoulder.