Shining Light of the Volstir (The Light of the Volstir Book 1)

by Brian Carmen

  “This is definitely not legal. If the council found out that you both have been making these” Nia began however Ebony wasn’t listening.

  “Venus spent five months cracking the process. It’s no wonder normal Volstir don’t know how to make them. The process is crazy difficult and nobody would suspect that sweet Venus was an arms manufacturer in disguise” Ebony joked as she picked up one of the Hellfyre bullets.

  The Hellfyre bullets were only allowed to be used by the Keepers. The process for making them took a long time. Each bullet required twenty-six days of consistent dipping in both blood and diesel fuel. Venus also explained that each bullet had to have its own blood and fuel. If the blood and fuel were reused than the round would end up too diluted and be worthless.

  “We only have enough for about two clips each. So even though we might want to, we can’t shoot Lauren. We might need the ammo if the Soulem are as fast as you say they are” Ebony explained as the bell rang from the front of the shop.

  Venus stepped out to help the customer as Victor walked into the back. Ebony wanted him to admire the weapons Venus had made. Nia admired the craftsmanship each weapon had been given. Ebony had convinced Camden to help restore the guns though he didn’t know what they would be for. Victor had never fired a gun however he looked at the weapons like a kid in a candy store.

  “You two really are something. Now we can fight the Soulem and Thereon!” Victor said excitedly.

  Ebony looked at Victor as though it were Christmas. Nia however walked over to him and popped him over the head. Looking around, Nia was now forced to tell Ebony about their suspicions. Victor apologized for letting it slip however the damage had already been done. They could only hope that nobody was around to report them.

  Nia decided to explain everything to Ebony. It was too late to try and keep it a secret anymore. Deep down, Nia felt relieved that she was able to be honest. Victor and Nia were terrible at keeping secrets it seemed. Still admiring the weapons, Victor wanted to ask Ebony and Venus more about them.

  “A weapon that is able to kill a Volstir with one shot. Do they have any limitations?” Victor asked as Nia looked at Ebony.

  They had both done some research at the library on Hellfyre bullets. It wasn’t easy since most of the information had to be collected in bits and pieces. The limitations only applied to newborns and those with the same ability as Ebony and Venus. It was assumed however that there were other abilities that could provide some protections against the bullets.

  Venus had a few ideas on getting past such defenses. The Keepers wouldn’t use them if they weren’t effective against all Volstir. She had guessed that if the Hellfyre bullets were mixed with silver than it would increase their power. They would also have to be shot in the heart in order to have the same effect as normal Hellfyre bullets. Keepers were known to keep special silver rounds in their pockets for emergencies.

  “We haven’t been able to test them out yet though. Hey Victor you wanna volunteer as a test subject?” Ebony asked as Victor quickly placed the bullet he had back onto the table.

  “Sorry, but I didn’t turn into a Volstir just to die” Victor said as he looked at Ebony as though she were insane.

  “Well that’s a shame. I guess we’ll have to figure out if it works during actual combat. Hope Nia doesn‘t get hurt if we‘re wrong” Ebony said in a dramatic tone that caused Victor to look nervous.

  Venus came back and started to examine the Hellfyre bullets closely once more. She explained that she was sure the rounds would work just fine. The Silver was easy to get a hold of however it was difficult to process them. The silver mineral didn’t merge with the diesel fuel and blood as easily as normal metals. Venus suspected that she would need to experiment with different methods of production for these special rounds.

  Jason had provided her with some information on the silver Hellfyre rounds however it wasn’t much. The rounds were typically made in another facility. This made the process extremely difficult to copy however Venus was determined. Ebony smirked as she watched how Venus meticulously examined each round.

  “She does this about four times a month. Hard to believe little Venus is a weapons junkie” Ebony said with a laugh while Venus sneered at her before continuing her inspection.

  “The Hellfyre bullets are very delicate. If the blood fades or is even smudged than the round could lose its effectiveness” Venus explained coldly.

  It was apparent that she had done a lot of research. There were old archives about failed executions including a few videos. Venus had put the video on pause at the exact moment the round came from the weapon. She then examined the round that was being used.

  There had been a few inconsistencies with the rounds that failed. They looked the same as normal Hellfyre bullets however Venus was able to see the flaws. Ebony admitted that she was unable to see the difference in them.

  Both Victor and Nia admitted that they were very impressed with Venus’ skills. The compliments caused her to blush as she tried to ignore Victor’s gaze. Ebony however didn’t enjoy all the attention her sister was getting. It was obvious that she wanted to be more useful.

  Ebony walked out to the front, mentioning that she was going to call Jason in a rather cool tone of voice. Venus finished looking at all the rounds while Ebony used an old fashioned looking phone to place her call.

  The signal was having difficulty getting through. They could hear Ebony cursing at the phone as Venus explained that it was common. Even short distance calls from within Loc Moines had trouble getting through. It was normally easier to just go see the person instead of calling.

  The call must have gone through because they heard Ebony shout for joy. Nia walked out of the back just as Ebony’s eyes widened in surprise. She started to repeat what Jason was telling her loudly. It was obvious that she wanted Nia to hear what Jason had found out.

  He’d been searching the secret chambers for clues and had discovered something. Several of them held the same type of cryo tubes that had been found in the Sanguine facility. This confirmed that Claire was innocent and that she had been another victim. Jason continued to explain that all of the chambers that had the cryo tubes had the same center point in the city. He suspected that it was the center point where the missing people were being held.

  Jason had tried informing his superiors about his discovery however they didn’t seem interested. Keepers had then showed up at his house and threatened him. He was apparently being investigated for suspicions of terrorism. It was obvious that he was digging too deep and seemed reluctant to reveal any more information to them.

  “Well don’t hold out on me stud. We need to know where the center point is.” Ebony asked loudly.

  They all came to the front and listened intently for Jason to answer. He seemed worried about saying anything as Ebony insisted. Suddenly there was only silence on the other end of the line. Nia was worried that Jason really had been watched by the Keepers.

  “Hello? Are you there Jason?” Ebony asked however there was no response.

  She hung up the phone and began trying to call him back however the phone had been completely shut off. It would be impossible to call him back. Both Ebony and Venus were surprised as Ebony tried calling Camden. The phone however was completely dead and they were unable to reach anyone.

  “Well that’s surprisingly inconvenient. The phone’s never been shut off before” Ebony said as the lights inside the shop begin to flicker.

  Nia started to feel apprehensive as she walked up and looked out the window. At first, she had thought they had been caught by Thereon. Looking out the window however she could see that it was worse.

  All of the buildings were starting to lose power. The light from the fake sun was no longer bright yellow. It had become a dark shade of crimson that was blanketing the entire city. Everywhere she looked was an eerie dark red glow. It made everything look different and less natural.

  Within a few seconds all the lights inside the buildings were
gone. The others came to the window to see what Nia was seeing. All three of their mouths dropped as they looked out the window. Nia could feel the sinking feeling that was in all three of them.

  “I should’ve known they bugged the phone” Ebony shouted as she hit herself on the forehead in anger.

  “It’s not your fault Ebony; they would’ve done this eventually. We just made them speed up their plans” Nia said as she hoped that it would make them sloppy and easier to take down.

  Nia couldn’t figure out why the sun was red however Venus explained that it was an emergency protocol. It would keep the sun up however it would likely shut off after a few minutes. For the first time Loc Moines was going to be covered in darkness. Thereon wasn’t going to wait for the Execution Royal anymore.

  Ebony didn’t hesitate as she went into the back. She returned and began handing out the guns and their clips. If the Soulem were going to be released than they would have to be prepared. They could see that a panic was already starting to form outside the shop as Venus locked the door.

  “Looks like Christmas is coming early this year” Ebony said as she handed Victor a rifle.

  Walking over to the door she unlocked it and opened it up. Venus tried suggesting that they wait however Ebony wasn’t going to listen. Pulling Victor with her, they both walked out into the red light. Nia and Venus looked at each other for a moment before following the two of them.

  “You ever used a rifle before?” Ebony asked as Victor shook his head. “Well that’s just great. You just love showing your stupid bitch side don’t you? Come on I’ll give you some pointers. I hope you’re a quick learner; otherwise you’re probably going to die” Ebony said casually as Venus looked at her.

  Lauren was still somewhere in the red city as several of the Volstir ran past the shop. For a moment, Nia tried looking for her but quickly discovered that it was pointless. Nia started forming a plan while trying to adjust her eyes. Everything looked distorted which would make moving around difficult however they wouldn’t have time to waste.

  Nia and Venus separated from Ebony and Victor and began making their way towards the Registration Building. They figured if they split up it might confuse the enemy. Nia and Venus were going to break into the Registration Building. They needed solid proof that Thereon Solbid was responsible for everything.

  She instructed Victor and Ebony to try and find Lauren. Nia also added that they would need to fight any Soulem that appeared. None of them had any doubts that the Soulems wouldn’t be used. It seemed that they had been bred for this exact moment.

  Running towards the Registration Building, Nia could hear loud screams. The light made it difficult to see what was going on. Venus had spotted it first and began pointing in the direction of the commotion. Volstirs, humans, and Polongs were running from something.

  Fear began to show on Nia’s face as she saw something that was truly horrifying. There were several Soulem moving very fast as they started to kill people. Nia watched as a woman was ripped in two by several of the monsters. It wasn’t the Soulem that had scared Nia but the number of them.

  The Sanguine facility only had five of them however she was seeing more than fifteen. They were all pouring out of Sabriel’s church. Venus looked just as scared as she began trying to count how many there were.

  Taking a deep breath Venus looked at Nia and was about to say something. Before anything could come out however a Soulem jumped on top of her. A crowd of people charged towards them as Nia was knocked to the ground. She could hear Venus scream as Nia was being stampeded. Nia knew what Venus had been about to say as one thought crossed her mind; the situation was bad.

  Chapter Fourteen: Darkness and Destruction

  Nia had been foolish in not realizing that Thereon Solbid had used the last month to create an army. Within seconds the streets of Loc Moines became a war zone. The Volstirs could be heard trying to fight back. A loud bang was heard nearby as Nia fought to get back to her feet. Once standing, she saw Venus standing over a pile of ashes. They both quickly looked at what was going on around them.

  Volstirs with external abilities were using them to fight the Soulem. The ones with Internal and Augment abilities quickly tried moving around Volstir that could fight for protection. More Soulem were appearing from the church. Nia could see the Keepers however they weren’t coming towards them.

  One of the Soulem jumped from the roof of a building towards her. Without thinking she aimed and pulled the trigger of her M9. Her ears began to ring as the loud noise from the gun sounded like an explosion.

  The Soulem shrieked as its entire body was engulfed in furious green flames. It was turned to dust before it even touched the ground. Nia would have to try and adjust her hearing if she was going to continue using her gun. Her eardrums were already throbbing from the first shot and she didn’t want to end up deaf.

  “What should we do?” Venus asked as she fired her rifle three times in order to kill several Soulem that were attacking a couple helpless Volstir.

  Nia didn’t have an answer as she tried to see where the Keepers were heading. They ignored the Volstir for a reason. They were going protect the Sanguine and the Children’s Area. Nia watched as several Soulem made an attempt to breach their blockade.

  It was a relief that they were going to protect the humans. They all would’ve been sitting ducks if the Soulem made it inside. Nia tried using her ability to find Victor in the hope that he had found Lauren. The chaos around made it almost impossible however she was able to get an idea of where they were going.

  Victor and Ebony were heading to the Broken Neck. They wanted to help Camden and several other humans that would be defenseless. Nia figured that it was a good idea that they go over there. The Soulem’s numbers were quickly increasing making things worse by the second.

  The Soulem seemed to all have the same ability. They were faster and stronger than the normal Volstir. Nia and Venus continued moving towards the Registration Building. They fired several more rounds each and watched the Soulem burn in bright green flames. One of the Augments yelled out that they couldn’t change the Soulem’s abilities.

  His warning came at a cost as one of the Soulem grabbed him and ripped off his head. The sight was horrible as Nia saw the blood pour out of the stump that was what remained of the man’s neck. It was painfully obvious that these Soulem’s were nothing like Utaru.

  Somehow they were completely devoid of all humanity. Nia was a bit happy to know that since it made killing them easier. It also seemed to make Utaru more special since she had fought to keep her own humanity. Nia felt strength from the stone that was in her pocket as she was reminded of Utaru.

  With the Keepers focusing their attention on protecting the Sanguine Nia and Venus knew that now would be their only chance. They needed to get inside the Registration building before it was completely overrun. Nia watched as a Volstir with sharp metal claws was locked in combat with one of the Soulem.

  There was nothing the two of them could do as they continued moving forwards. They both knew that they couldn’t afford to waste any rounds unnecessarily. Turning around, Nia was grateful that the Volstir had managed to decapitate the Soulem. He was now running towards another one as a few other Volstir joined him.

  Several other Volstirs were fleeing from the direction of the Registration building as Nia saw the reason. Both Venus and she began firing their weapon. Nia was lucky that her eyesight was not the same as a normal human. She was also quite experienced in firing guns over the years.

  Even from one hundred feet she was able to kill two Soulems before they entered the building. The Volstirs that were able to fight were doing their best to keep the Soulem at bay. Nia was grateful since it meant that they wouldn’t have to worry about trying to protect them.

  Everything around them shined crimson red as more blood began to cover the streets. They were both close to their destination but were forced to stop and fight. The Volstirs were pushing the Soulem back. Unfortunately that
meant they were now directly in front of Nia and Venus.

  “I’m almost out of rounds” Nia shouted as she pulled out her empty clip and replaced it.

  They had seriously underestimated Thereon Solbid. He was willing to destroy Loc Moines just to kill Nia and cover his tracks. Venus called out that she only had four bullets left. The red light around them started to flicker before disappearing all together.

  None of the Volstir was used to having to walk around in complete darkness. Loc Moines looked entirely different now. The blackout was part of the plan as she began hearing more screams of agony from the Volstir. They were suddenly finding themselves easy prey to the Soulem who could see easily in the dark.

  Nia and Venus quickly began trying to adjust their eyes so they would not be completely blind. They found themselves being pulled in different directions by another crowd trying to escape the massacre. The Soulem were killing the Volstir even those with external abilities.

  They were all trapped inside the city and were almost completely blind. Nia felt the same sharp pain sear itself into her head. It was as though she had been shot by the Hellfyre bullet herself. Nia turned and shot the Soulem that had grabbed her in the head.

  She tried looking for Venus and the Registration building. Her eyes were still adjusting as she looked and saw that Venus was no longer near her. Instead she was now surrounded by several Soulem and their desire for insane murder. Nia fired her rounds at each of them in an attempt to save Venus.

  Running as fast as she could Nia knew that she was suddenly their most interested target. Their bodies sensed that Nia was their biggest threat. Nia continued firing her gun until she heard a clicking noise. She was completely out of rounds and there were still more Soulems around.

  “Crap, now‘s not the time to be running out!” Nia shouted as she tried moving away from the Soulem.

  Someone tackled Nia to the ground. The pain she felt told her that it had was a Soulem. Nia looked up in horror at the blond haired Soulem that was looking down at her. Nia couldn’t believe they had turned Claire into a Soulem. Nia began trying to force Claire off of her before she was killed.