The Uplift Protocol Blood Feuds: Issue 23

 

Issue 23: Phase 2

 

            The Arcane Order has been waiting for 1000s of years. We can wait a bit longer. Now that the turning points have arrived I find a certain level of focused energy will be required.—Proctor Gansys

            The Highest made the Pantheon of “Gods” to hide the battle plan within each Apocrypha. No single one of us had the whole map. Wheels within wheels. Legends and Myths. Purpose made manifest.—The Arcane Hand Revealed

            I was never one for poker. No, that was left to Dexter. The Highest knew our strengths. Our weaknesses. Just as he knew Abbadon’s. The trick? When all was said and done. Make him believe he had a chance. The trouble with that? He nearly succeeded.—Sleeping in Starlight: Vol 20

The Golden City

Earth (Edenverse)

Principality of Egypt

 

Meathook tested the air.

There was no way into the Golden City through the Veil. That was controlled by the Highest. It padded softly against the cobbled streets of the famous Egyptian city. The old ones had known of its coming. It took joy from the frightened mutterings of Sheol. The cursed place. Those claimed by Unity suffered within that realm. But that was merely the outer layer. Abbadon controlled the rest. The Highest had his hooks within that realm. Those of a certain faith called that sliver of “chance” Purgatory.

Meathook cooed.

It knew better. It would learn much within the physical realm.

One only had to be cautious. A notion lost on those like Karvax.

Meathook snorted. Or Thoth.

Its black tongue tested the air.

*****

            Micheal Brookes smelled it.

            The mixture of brimstone and that amber honeycombed suspension fluid. His son paused. The Golden City was bustling with activity but Father Brookes knew that intense stillness. He gripped his rosary and muttered a few light incantations. Catherine Bel’s ghostly form rose from his mother. Each woman had been wronged by the puppets of Abbadon.  It had been easy to find the souls and anchor them.

            Alice’s body had to go through a purification process. As one of the Unseen.

            Father Brookes crossed himself in remembrance.

Dexter Murphy. The Arbiter of Death. Thronebearer of Entropy. For the cycle to continue one had to bear that burden. The broken covenant must be repaired. Bel would never regain her body but as a spirit? Her eyes could detect frequencies they could not. She followed willingly. Bel pointed. Her voice was a faint shadow to the ears of the living.

Little bit of red. It pools about. Run rabbit run.

Alice Brookes took her husband’s hand, “The rot cannot enter the Veil.”

            Micheal’s voice tightened.

            “But it can spy.”

            They owed Murphy everything. They would serve the Arbiters until their last breath.

           

*****

            Meathook stuck to the shadows of the buildings. It could not be found. Meathook hummed silently. Three heartbeats here. A few more 5 miles in. The shockwave boom shook the pebbles. Civilians exclaimed as the Banner landed. The scent of green foliage wafted through the air. Its lips pulled back.

Revealed three rows of dagger-shaped teeth. “Do you see it, Protector? I know the taste of her tears. O’thia’us.”  That mix of red, white, and blue mattered not to the one protected by the Red King.

*****

            That line.

I always thought it meant Nyx’s treatment during my birth. It did. But that was hardly the only event. Abbadon’s purpose frightened me. Where Unity was loud and obnoxious with its evil? The Red King coiled gently. A thief in the night. I focused. First the heartbeats of humanity. The sounds of animals. Until I canceled out everything rippling across my ears and skin.

O’thia’us. The Typherian word for Deathwalker.

A special class of Hell Spawn.

I dove deeper into the Ur-Flow.

*****

            Micheal skirted to a stop. In the courtyard the Star-Spangled Banner stood floating 3 feet in the air. Arms crossed. Boot tips pointed to the ground. Eyes closed. Alice noted quietly on their private coms net, <<Her wings are half-formed within the Veil. It is here.>>

            Miles took out his flask. Plunged it into the fountain near Star.

            “O Lord on High. Bless this water for it is of your blood.”

            A golden and black blur arrived. Bulleteer knelt as Brookes poured the waters of the flask over the taller demi. The Father pressed his rosary to Bulleteer’s forehead, “I grant you the sacrament of protection.”

            He added silently, Highest preserve his soul.

*****

            Meathook winced.

The aura of the wings stung at the eyestalks quivering upon its head. It giggled. The sound made the former slave body whip about. Those crystalline blue eyes. Filled with hate. Meathook sank its talons into a side of a building. The falling material directed the gaze of the enemy. Good. Testing was so important. The one thing it appreciated from its mother. Dear Nyx. The Black Scrawl could not form here. Pity. He’d toy with them the old-fashioned way. Its fingers tensed. It left shallowed marks upon the cobbled streets and rooftops as it jumped.

*****

            Micheal forced himself to aim his handgun at the crumbling wall.

            The yellowed creature maneuvered up the side of the wall. Then leaped gracefully to another rooftop. Micheal advanced carefully. So that’s what Dexter wanted to know. Who could see the damnable servant of Abbadon? He noted by the tense set of shoulders that his wife and son could see a glimmer of the creature.

            Micheal got the full picture. Hideous.

They advanced to the damaged wall.

            Couldn’t let it know. Sweat poured down his face. It was behind them now. Its claws scrapped upon the cobblestones. Laughing in that high-pitched giggle that sounded like a 6-year-old girl child. Micheal bent down to touch the cobbled stones. Blood filled his mouth. He nearly blacked out from the pressure of Abbadon’s favored sigils.

            He could hear clearly.

            “Which little bit of red to take? I know. What new lovelies would come from a drop of Thronebearer blood.”

            How to save Star?! The idea hit him suddenly. Her ultimate Achilles heel.

Micheal commed Lanis, <<Start screaming. Code Broken Bird.>>

*****

            Lanis stretched and secured her running shoes. It had been a while since she’d been in full civilian mode. It was a nice change of pace. She clipped her hair back into a ponytail and set out on the runner’s path from the Bathhouse. She admitted it. The Veil had a stark compelling beauty. The sky above was a brilliant purple. All manner of birds called out from every kind of branch imaginable. Didn’t matter what the region was. Animals could phase into the Veil easier than humans.

            This side of the Golden City had been a quaint paradise—then her HUD blazed with the red and white bars of an Override Alert.

Lorain didn’t hesitate. Broken Bird meant that the Order believed Eliza was in immediate cosmic level danger. She was the only one that could make Eliza return to base. Within the Veil, they were supposed to be safer. But in this situation?

She’d make an exception.

She let it rip. It wasn’t hard.

All she had to think about was the All-Father’s baleful gaze. Then she screamed for real as a shape rose from the mystical waters. Lorain dived behind a set of obsidian blocks. They glowed blue as they absorbed the monster’s ice breath. Note to self: Go back to Union Hall and add this to the scenario list. Her heart rose into her throat as metallic beetles crawled up her arms.

*****

            That’ singular note of dread filled my ears.

Shattered my concentration.

I phased through the Veil. Doc wasn’t alone. I rammed my fist into the black snake that had risen from the waters. My hand passed through like it wasn’t there. I frowned. What in Earth’s name was going on?!

I didn’t have time to page my father.

That would have to wait.

*****

Q’vera flexed her fingers.

She had been linked into Brookes’ coms as a precaution. To help safeguard his family since their arrival back into Eden Space. She dragged her fingers across the sands. The “snake” followed her movements while Tobin Murphy added the “ice” effects. They both knew that Lorain had to play the part properly. Eliza could tell if it was a normal scream vs “Terrified! Save Me Captain!” output. Tobin trusted his aunt. If that code meant his supremely powered sister was in trouble? He’d play hardball about it later. He’d rather have them upset than dead. It had been hard enough with her first beyond-the-pale experience.

He made a note to add another set of Florida’s finest ale to the menu.

From the shade of pale on Micheal’s face in the feed? They had prevented the apocalypse. Micheal shouted, “Who put up these wards?! My grandmother could do a better job!”

Tobin frowned. His eyes narrowed.

The outer edges of Brookes’ eyes had gone dark red. The remark had been on a system-wide alert as well.

Q’vera hissed, “Keep firing!”

He shook himself and loaded another ice shot into the “snake.”

*****

            Meathook smiled.

            One of them could see and hear him. Interesting.

            It watched. Memorized the faces within the courtyard. It would never be able to pierce a Thronebearer. Only the Knife could do that. Or one of the orginal fallen. Like Lucifier. It chortled to itself. This had been a valuable play. Thoth would have done the fancy fireball or his continued failure to invade Eden Earth. Living Stone was almost limitless. But it was a basic construct. One that could be countered by the lowest of Light Shamans.

            Or a common Priest. It circled the spot that the Banner had occupied. It squealed and spat. “Pity. Little birdy flew away.” It would chip away at the Highest’s prized pupils. Not through brute force. No, that was far too churlish. Meathook rose to its full height.

            “Be seeing you.”

            It stared at the Golden Bulleteer. It would start there.

*****

            I circled the massive snake. My eyes widened as I listened to the resonance of the metals.

            Typherian Matter Manipulation.

            I whirled about. “What the-“ 

            Lorain shrieked. I dived.

            Scarabs crawled all over her. I pulled off her shirt. No blood. Same resonance.

            It wasn’t the Urraden side of the family. The other bugs broke apart. I handed Lorain her shirt back. I butted in politely along the mental line, >>What in Earth’s name is going on here?!<<

            It hadn’t been a prank. Doc’s glassy eyes told me that. She huddled against me for a moment then pushed off. Glared off to the other side of the river as she incorporated her own talents. She drawled out each word. “There. Better. Be. A. Good. Reason. For. That. Code.”

            I knew that voice. Tobin responded, “I swear upon the twin suns there is. Right aunty?!” My aunt appeared in a flash. The rocks around her faded from view. They had been made of metals that could block my sight. My conventional enhanced sight that is. As Lorain tapped her foot, I knew the real reason.

            I was a bull with blinders on when it came to her. I kicked myself mentally. Of course the Order would make a code like that. If they needed me anywhere at a moment's notice? Push the Lanis button. I rubbed the back of my neck, “I’m that transparent?”

            Q’vera ambled over, “Focused.”

            Lorain blushed and stared up at me, “I promise. They only shot that code out because…”

I nodded. “I trust you. But why rile Doc up even more?”

I directed that statement at Q’vera. My aunt’s eyebrows rose, “To help the Brookes clan. They have a connection with your brother. It’s making everyone on edge.” I pursed my lips at that. I concentrated. Their heartbeats were elevated. Father Brookes was chanting within that courtyard I just vacated. The sounds of the physical world faded as a wave of cold washed over me. Lorain noticed my distressed expression.

“It wasn’t meant to drag me away.”

Q’vera cursed.

Tobin added, “Anyone in that plaza is on that thing’s hit list then!”

Knives in the Dark.

I connected with my twin brother. A pit formed in my stomach.

There was no answer. Just a hiss of white static where his mental voice should be.

Issue 22: Here

Issue 24: Here