The Uplift Protocol The Ouroborous Chain: Issue 12

 

Issue 12: The Pitter Patter of Tiny Feet

    The Knife was forged to capture Abbadon. In his blind rejection of his station? His mantle in turn rejected him. Thus forcing the birth of Dexter Murphy. This also caused a conundrum for the Highest. Who would serve as the mirror? The Lord of Light broke off a sliver of his consciousness. Embedded it within the last of the Thronebearers. Knowing it would bring about the Final Cycle.--The Hidden Histories

    Karvax was singular in his desire. To destroy the Golden Bulleteer. Not just physically. His soul was forfeit. To be dashed across the cosmic plane. To suffer for all time. Unlike other villains? He cared not for climbing the ladder. His was a simple motivation. To vanquish his enemies.--Ages of Convergence: Noteworthy Battles

    Power can be given. It can be taken. The true mettle comes out in how that person uses their power. Demis, Light Shamans, Priests. Arrayed against the Dark of the Flesh Lords, the Red Kings, those who wish despair upon their fellows. Because they could never see the rope strangling them.--Unseen Archives Vol 2

Earth (Edenverse)
New Ashbury

    Tidalwave shouted, “LILY!”

    Moonlighter phased through the larger Golem. Forcing it to turn on its brethren.

    Scythes bisected each other.

    White Lily rolled out of the way as the ponderous stone bodies toppled over.

    Golden Bulleteer launched metallic disks at Karvax’s head. Bone snapped as his head rolled clean from his shoulders. White Lily yanked her husband back with her vines as Karvax’s head rolled to a stop by a swaying lamplight. The air around them was heavy with soot. Not mortal fires. Pale green witch lights flickered in the distance.

    Karvax bellowed, “I am reborn!”

    Not only had he squeezed enough to make X’mil cave to his demands but the Oaths would carry his body forward. No matter the level of abuse. Many of his contemporaries feared the strings tied to the Lords of Flesh but not Karvax. He knew his soul was already withered. Blackened beyond any redemption. He would not live to see the end of days.

    An unholy fire lit within his brown eyes.

    The thread. It lead to the White Lily.

    He howled. “I bring forth the Host of Ala’kin!”

    His body continued on. Bright Eyes lumbered over to snatch his head from the duracrete.

    “I know the taste of her tears!”

    That line always bugged those paladins of truth and justice.

∞

    Teddy’s grav round penetrated three blackened skulls. Anna skimmed the surface of the black dome as obsidian skeletons rose. Only to be demolished by the vehicle hurdling past. She jerked the car into a whirlwind. Its internal dampeners whined as Teddy shouted, “THERE!”

    Taking out the outer skeletons created a small opening. Mist collected over the opening. Then the howls of the dead rose. A mix of Floridians, Hatheons, demis and Terran Union forces converged upon the afflicted city blocks.

    Argus Paxton linked into the battle net. The former detective aimed. His grav pistols sent additional corpses flying back towards the void of the dome. He holstered one and brought forth his trusty lighter. It heated his Nephelim blood. His truth sense expanded.

    <<Lazarus! Get ready!>>

    Murphy’s stance widened. C’alain’s Blade flashed in his hands. Obsidian dust splattered against his white and tan armor. His golden sash burned through three ice blue sigils. Tyre, the Light Shaman who dwelled within the long blade shouted, >>Karvax has Nylis! Mordred’s Blade! It is chipped! We might have a chance!<<

    Jace recalled what Uncle J’dax relayed of its history.

    Mars. The wayward piece.

    It was a mirror to Excalibur meant to kill the re-incarnated Arthur. Bel, in her madness, had desired to use it to kill Thoth. The encounter hadn’t gone well. During the insane Muthra king’s brush with Earth early in Eliza’s career, they had nearly discovered Blue Blaze’s real heritage. Dexter had hidden that piece thoroughly. J’dax’s notification updated.

    //Get Bulleteer to vibrate at the correct frequency. That should shatter that accursed weapon. When it reforms to the hidden shard? According to the Codex, it will be purged. We will be able to access Nylis’ soul shard. Trapping him forever.//

    Lazarus motioned towards Dr. Zanzibar. The demi tipped his hat, “Hang on!” He motioned toward the oily surface of the dome. His hands raised as Typherian Light Wardens converged around him. Their silvered energy spikes arced outward. Keeping the hoards at bay. O’rioh’s battlecry filled the air, “I already gave one arm! You lot shall not get another!” Not many had gone up against an Apex Owl demon and lived to talk about it. Lazarus swung his blade downward as Dr. Zanzibar’s chants broke through.

    He slipped inside.

    A whirlwind of wraiths covered the streets.

    Flames danced past him.

    Each burst lit up the darkened street corner as the undead recoiled.

    Paxton maneuvered past. Golden armor blazing.

    Zanzibar called out, “Hurry! The Hatheon will help me keep this avenue ablaze!”

    Lazarus replied, “Noted.” This small breach would allow the Light to assist.

    Jace, imbued with the skill and foresight of Tyre bounded forward, as Lazarus they would not fall today. Gwen and Tobin entered. Followed by a troop of Bardaxians. Gwen clutched her necklace. An explosion of light surged forward. “GO!”

    They would manage the beachhead. Gwen unhooked her energy mace. Its weight a comfort. It had been ages since her early mistakes but she would not allow past folly to deter her this time. Tobin concentrated.

    The temperature dropped. Ice formed.

    Sharp. Deadly. Accurate.

    Imbued with the energies of the Weave. His sister’s mastery had proven bountiful. A haze at the corner of his vision made his heart swell. His sister had ignored her invisibility powers. At the expense of mastering her Weave Speaker abilities. All that time within the Union Hall VR combat suites had paid off.

    Dr. Zanzibar shot them a strained smile, “Thanks!” Now the bridge was complete.

    The “plit plit” sound caused Paxton to curse, “Flesh Ticks!”

    A mass of pasty white bodies flowed past the breach. Lazarus tossed a mass of sphere bombs. His brow curled with concentration. A few heartbeats later a bright golden light blinded the fallen.

    A raspy echoed, “It is too late for the rabbits to flee.” Each word sent a spasm of sheer vitriol through Paxton.

    A being wrapped in chains flowed above their heads. Wreathed in ash and moonlight.

    Arthur brushed past the detective, “Lord of Chains. Soul stealer! Face me. By the Will of the Three.” The ghostly demon dived, hands shaped into claws, “I see the Entity within! It shall sustain me!”

    Gwen muttered, “Dark mirror.” An Intez twisted by Abbadon. That was new.

    Tobin interjected, “No. Try ancient. ”

    Another Child of Chains. From an alternative plane.

    There were times Tobin wished there was only one Universe.

∞

    Karvax’s arms pushed past Lily’s vines. Each thorn bit into his flesh but he cared not. The brood were proving useful. The endless squirming bodies repopulated faster than the Dart could punch. He sliced past the remaining vines. The tip of the black blade Nylis a mere hairsbreadth from opening her creamy skinned throat. “OH DART!” All movement stopped. The vines collapsed. His eyes gleamed. The red sigils blazed against the obsidian blade.

“I know what this did to your dear Star Spangled Banner. Imagine what it could do to this lovely quite mortal lady.” Metal crashed against flesh as it created a barrier between everyone and the swarm of Brood beetles. Their desiccated flesh peeked over the edges.

    Karvax saw the strain on Blue Blaze’s face.

    Golden Bulleteer’s expression was harder than any stone.

    He kept the blade aimed at her neck. “Anyone moves? She dies. I’ll know if you move. I can smell it. The ichor of the chosen floods this dome.” The hulking demi villain twitched. Blood flowed through his veins once more. The other side of the Nylis coin. The weapon needed an active heartbeat. Such a pity. But it had all been worth it. Each hero was trapped. By their own code. It was delicious.

    Blue Blaze finally glanced at the ground. They had been so concerned about keeping the flood of monsters away from the trapped civilians that he hadn't noticed the black blood reforming.

    Into Scrawl.

    Tidalwave mastered his panicked breathing.

    He could wash the Black Scrawl away. There had to be a way to protect White Lily.

    Moonlighter entered Tidalwave.

    The action brought goosebumps along his forearms. That was it!

    Make a golem of water. Have Moonlighter control its inanimate form. Use the demonic shards of the Living Stone to block the hit!

∞

    My ears ringed.

    The music of Creation flowed. Only a single sour note ruined the melody.

    Lucifer.

    We watched as Elysium experienced its first sunrise.

    An argument arose. Lucifer remarked coldly, “What purpose will this serve?”

    A budding tree rose from the tall grass. Its leaves spun from the light of the suns circling the shield world. I watched as Aether-Uriel blocked Lucifer. Protecting the Tree as it grew. “It is not for us!” I could see his known mortal form flickering back and forth. My memory unable to view anyone in their full Thronebearer aspect.

    Mi’tha whispered, <<It is to protect your mind. To gaze into the Infinite beyond Mortality? That way lies madness. It is why you are a bridge. One required to endure the Mantle. To bring Soul and Body together. Through the renewed Cycle. Unclouded by envy.>>

    Lucifer closed in, “Why protect such a useless creature? We endure Time, Void, and Flame.”

    Uriel responded, “It is not for us!”

    The Highest emerged from the glowing portal.

    “You shall be the caretakers of Man.”

    A flash of crimson flickered in Lucifer’s azure eyes.

    He was a child of Abbadon!

    Dexter said, >>Now you see how deep it all ran, Sister.<<

    The avarice within the Red King played on. Worming deeper within Lucifer.

    Until all that remained was a hollowed creature warped by the countless cycles.

    This was the spark. The seed. His hatred would grow. He would fall.

    Still, his purpose remained. It would serve as a warning. For those willing to listen.

    Next came the Hatheon. Venturing from the Dark Matter Cluster Weave. They brought three gifts to the Highest. Posideon genuflected, “I give the first Circle of Magic. To those yet born.” Lucifer crossed his arms over his armored chest. His handsome features distant and alien in the light of the newly formed suns. My eyes widened as the second gift was presented. One duckling was black as space. The other as white as snow. “The Brothers! To be gifted to the Balance.”

    The Highest took the ducklings.

    Lucifer frowned. He didn't know their names!

    The deepest secrets held in the smallest of vessels.

    I whispered, “He doesn’t know their cycle current forms…..” Because Lucifer and Unity didn’t know it? Abbadon couldn’t either.

    Dexter beamed at me.

    The final gift made all the Golden Host step back. Alarm colored their perfect faces. It was a silver wolf. A Bardaxian. Sentinel. Posideon placed the puppy next to the Tree. “This one shall devour all those unworthy.”

    Sentinel added, >>Now I remember! I will help you through the Cliffs!<<

    Stars formed above us. Planets circled.

    The first wave of souls crested the horizon.

    Mortal Civilization.

    It wasn't Human, Markav, or even J’kua.

    History had been warped to cover the truth.

    The Tree had made the first mortals in the likeness of Sentinel.

    Gifted them to two planets outside the realm of Elysium.

    One was Bardax itself. On the other side of the coin?

    Earth’s K-9s. Steeped within the Weave.

    I stood.

    My hand reached out to pat Sentinel. “It's why they only exist within the boundaries of Edenverse.” They were the gatekeepers. Dexter would hold sway over those of Earth. My mind flashed back. To every encounter. Nyx had never been able to copy Bardaxian or Earth K-9 DNA for her experiments. She attributed it to their “primitive” minds. But it was the purity of their mental state that protected them. Morgana had desired the hearts of Bardaxian puppies for heinous experiments.

    Arthur and his team had prevented the kidnappings.

    A divine pedigree.

    I thought of Cooper. “I welcome our 4-footed overlords.”

    Every word had a double meaning. I concentrated. >>Auggie, take the Howling with you. Hunt under the Black Sphere. Find Bulleteer.<< They held the bloodlines of both. Earth and Bardax. Life and Death. Weave and Physical Realm. Lethe rose. Two crystal tears in her palms. I took the Black. My brother took the White.

    Everything had a price. 

Issue 11: Here

Issue 13: Here

The Uplift Protocol The Ouroborous Chain: Issue 11

Issue 11: Tears of the Unyielding

    To know the Future is to be trapped by it. But what of the Past? That is the key one must turn to shape the Vigil.--Markav Codex

    Souls trapped within the Night Realm protect Karvax’s dome. We need something touched by that realm but not under the control of Abbadon. Didn’t the Order give us an update on that object that Blaze hid years ago...--Sunset Showdown

    Karvax would be devoured by his vendetta. Just not in the way he suspected. History would remember him as a different kind of monster. One misstep and the house of cards would fall.--Unseen Archives Vol 2

Elysium (Shield World Phase 2)

Before the Fall

    Lucifer pulled.

    The Tree of the First Dawning swayed in the night air. 

    Its silver branches shuddered as the Thronebearer hissed, “Just one. I only need one!” Abbadon pointed. His ethereal crimson form barely visible to Lucifer. As the lowest branch split and cracked against the silence of the forest Lucifer fled with his prize.

    This would change everything.

    Abbadon watched as Cerberus and Argos catapulted into the wooded glen.

    Their howls of alarm followed like a bottle of warm wine.

∞

    Thoth clawed against his prison.

    It was all lies. Every last bit. That tree had given its branch willingly. He had seen the flash of light. The white wood darkened to a pitch darker than night. Abbadon believed the Lies because he was blinded by his own actions. Propagated by his refusal of the mantle. They would all linger but not in power. The sharp gaze of the Void Man tore through his remaining bits of soul.

    “The Path is set. It is too late for you.”

    Thoth clenched his fists through the rough material of the Void’s tunic. Even as the material raised boils on his palms.

    “I reject you. I reject Abbadon. I reject this pale imitation of existence!”

    Void responded, “Then you shall fade. As all Evil coils about the Circle. Waylaid and misbegotten. Such is the fate of murderers. The unrepentant.”

    The former Typherian vowed, “I will not be caught in your web.”

    The Silver Lady’s pitiable glance enraged Thoth.

    “I WILL JOIN CHRONOS IN KILLING YOU!”

∞

    I whistled sharply. Argos and Cerberus bounded back towards Doc. Their breath heavy.

    “Why!? Why let them make that dreadful mockery!?”

    Argos paced. His question hung upon my heart. In more ways than one.

    The reformed knife of All-Mercy hung on my belt. Hidden within the Arcane folds. It would help cut through the final curtain of the Climb. I wrapped my arms around his neck. “By the will of the Oversoul all circles shall meet.”

    Cerberus curled around Lorain. Her Lethe aspect dormant for now. All this to make sure we traveled as the Icath Pairs managed. Both the Day and Night versions. My brother hidden yet growing as I gained new insight. I chose my next words carefully, “For each false piece made? The final battle will crumble for them. Though they do not realize this.”

    I gave Argo a scratch under the chin, “Trust in this. You will know me all across time. From my beginnings to the Final Vigil.” They had been the soul shard bearers for all of Bardax. They knew this to be a true proclamation. I started as the Star-Spangled Banner for Earth and Typha. Arbiter of the Arcane Order. Thronebearer.

    Arbiter of the Sands.

    Shieldbearer.

    The Climb would bring about the final judgment.

    I would not fail them. Even as my body faded into dust. Each beat of my heart preparing for that moment. My brother and I would be remade. Into what was needed. I knelt. Ran my fingers across the tips of the grassy knoll. I memorized every aspect of Elysium as it was. We would need it upon our return to the present. Doc crossed her arms over her chest, “I know that look. Think an unofficial journal would help keep track of all this time twirling adventure?”

    I let out a groan. “I’ll wait til we get past the world ending events.”

    Dexter chipped in with, >>How about “An Ouroborous Tale?”<<

    The Silver Lady’s amusement blazed through me.

    >>Let’s grab that sap instead. Have to imbue the Knife with the proper material.<<

    I keenly empathized with Silver Fox at least twice a day. Three times on Sunday. Shocked I hadn’t lost my sense of humor. I concentrated. Held my hands towards the moonlit sky of Elysium. Pearls of sap slowly trickled from the Tree. It was the oldest within the inner forest of Elysium. Said to contain the first rays of Creation. It held a spark of the Oversoul within. Everything did. Even those who committed heinous acts. It was why their souls would be forfeit within the halls of the Ninth Circle.

    Noah leaned on his cane. He pressed one hand to my shoulder, “What else is required?”

    The last of the sap trickled through my fingers. Merging with the knife clipped to my belt.

    I rose. “A ship made of the forest. Not all will fall with Elysium. You must guide them towards the seas beyond the stars of Creation’s cradle.” His bushy brows rose. “I see the truth of it. The dreams have been hectic of late.” He saw the glimmer of wings along her back. Hers and the Inheritor. The one who would replace the Red King. Four Wings. An omen.

    “The Will of the Highest and Oversoul will be done.”

    The distant clang of Hephaestus at his forge calmed my racing heart. Stay true to the Path. Visions rose. Countless hands carried me across the vast expanse. First we would reclaim Elysium in all its glory. From the corner of my eye I spotted the feline forms of the Night and Day Ruling Pairs. Everything had been planned.

    No one would escape the scales.

Elysium (Shrouded)

The Present ( July 4th, 3266)

    Whitehouse didn’t glance heavenward. He remembered the warning.

    One J’kua murmured, “Eyes, both divine and demonic are upon us.” The Terran soldier didn't doubt it. A ghostly form lingered on his face plate. After a few days here it no longer startled him. Arthon took point. He motioned towards a cluster of triangular buildings. Once inside the band took stock. One J’kua ran a scanner over a crate. “Its...edible!” Their rations were thin. It was as if someone knew they’d need this.

    Arthon saw the sigil formed on the side of the metalic crates. Eliza and Doc had been here. He didn't question the timeline. Just the results. His Unseen Order HUD updated.

    //Ally will be guarding Host building. You can’t miss it. Even as the city lies dormant. Keep coordinating with the Mirrored Princess.//

    That was the word for Nola. Eddie’s wife had been invaluable. Her mirror was attuned to Eliza specifically. A way to pass on messages no matter what the time had been. It was why her people had been ready to join Earth. Not tech wise. But for the important Convergence ahead. Things had been simpler when they had just been demis protecting Earth and her immediate territories. The thought of a battalion’s worth of Murphys protecting the Multiverse made him grin momentarily. Each year had brought forth additional protectors. Demis. Shamans. Priests.

    He noticed his name spelled out in the Thronebearer language on a small gray and white safe along the back wall. Air hissed as it unsealed itself. Two black bracers with golden engravings sat on velvet inside. He pocketed the box. Placed the bracers on his forearms. New data flooded his implants. Forged in the first cycle of Elysium. By Hephestus himself. The bits of silvered blood made him lean against the wall.

    He crossed himself.

    “May the Wall forever endure beyond the Void.”

    Whitehouse let out an impressed whistle.

    “Don’t mind if I do.”

    The ordnance was perfection. He knew a certain leather faced High Lord of Abbadon that wouldn't appreciate this beauty. Each missile floated then thunked resoundly as they loaded into the feeder belt on his back. The size of his fist. “If only the Pinkerton lads could see these….”

    One J’kua trooper noted, “There’s a bit for them here. Us too. The Arbiter was quite generous.” Arthon searched the rest of the building but nothing remained. The upper stories were barren. Dormant. The slumbering city world. He wondered what resided on the lower rings of Elysium.

∞

    Deep below the outer layers of Elysium the Crystal Coffin waited. Its cargo preserved from the time of Ta’mathon. Two sarcophagus rested side by side within its central unit. Two ducks slept on the apex of the Coffin. Their breath coming once per 100 years. The trick was not to met yourself unless under the auspices of the Tower of the Lidless. In Eliza’s case? That happened via the Ur-Flow. For she and her brother existed outside of Time as well. Trouble sighed in his sleep.

    They were the Brothers of N’iavah.

    Promised guardians to Lethe.

    Never to meet themselves until the end of the Vigil.

    The Cleansing of Elysium would bring about the Final Climb.

The Ur-Stone

Ur-Flow

    I peered into the crystals. Countless bodies lined the walls in their pods. Sleeves all. Above me the watery portal between my final home and the Ur sent ripples of sound flowing through the space. It calmed my nerves. Depending on the time frame? I used my one armed selves. From right before my first “death.” Others reflected my time as the Arbiter. Or the guardian of the Golden City. The Arbiter of the Sands.

    Even forms not yet beheld by my friends and allies.

    Keeping this secret had been the hardest. Yes, it was a way to circumvent the toils of time travel but I did not commit the sin that the All-Father had done. Or even what Chronos had done. To outlast time by violating my soul shard. That connection with the Oversoul. The Highest and all other natural mortal life upon the Multiverse. It was why my “clone” ruled the Twilight Throne. She hadn’t requested life. King Urraden of the Eternal Empire had made that choice without my knowing. She had a soul of her own now.

    One that keenly understood those rejected by the current cycle. Souls lost to fate. Stillbirths. Rejected ones who’s only crime was to be caught up in the deluge. It was why I had to take the Knife of Eden into my chest. Mercy must be a part of the newest tapestry of mortal life. Abbadon had thought it would be able to remove the Tears from Lethe. They were not his to have. Or hers to give to such a monster.

    Life and death must work as one. The eternal wall would endure.

    The soul always endured. Guided by the Light of All Creation.

    The Ur had been forged by a mirror of myself and my brother. We would honor their sacrifice. Another shard broke off. It drew dark. A bright speck of crimson floated within it. Another universe locked off by Abbadon. My palms still bore the marks of the Climb.

    I listened to the song. Three more sleeves slipped from their slumber.

    To keep me on the path.

    One way or another this saga would end. 

Issue 10: Here

Issue 12: Here

Link to Pinkertons Ghosts (Totally gonna buy it in audio form to listen in the car when they get around to it!): Here

The Uplift Protocol The Ouroborous Chain: Issue 10

 Issue 10: Circled Ground

    Every Universe beyond the Originator contained a sliver of Creation. But a mirror was generated from the threads of Elysium. One that never experienced the influence of Abbadon’s deceit.--Ur Flow Data point

    Each realm is protected by an Ouro. One of my children. Some lie dormant. Never to hear the song of the creator. Those are the places besieged by Unity and Abbadon. --The First Ouro of Creation, Mi’thia

    Astute observers of this particular tale will note that everything has its opposite. Because Abbadon blinded himself to his true purpose he did not take note of what resided on the flip side of each Ouroborous.--Unseen Archives Vol 2

Mi’thia

The Living History

The Unseen Realm

    Lethe pointed out, “This is what the Ouro hides from all.”

    Shadows clung to each great serpent that separated all Universes. At the center of each universe were the 5 realms of Death. Within my Earth? Edenverse? It had the only connection to the Cliffs of Helios. That final confrontation loomed.

    Mi’thia whispered, >>It approaches Shieldbearer. In time you and your brother, the Spear of Bone, will walk within. The final Convergence of Soul, Flesh and Bone.<<

    Dexter added, >>You aren't the only one going through these phases. You experience Death. I experience Life. As is needed.<<

    He had always been in my shadow.

    Dexter nodded. His smile grew.

    >>I didn’t realize much until after the first Convergence. Flesh. You still have many demi abilities but your body had been awakened to its true purpose. But we cannot fully manifest as of yet.<<

    The next was Bone. Thoth edged ever closer with that knife. It would pierce my flesh. To the bone. To prepare my soul for the Cliffs. Abbadon had fashioned his Doom. Mi’thia coiled about the 5 Death Realms. Another Ouro raised its massive head. Its form flickered against the white fire of his mother. He called. His voice as tranquil as the sea, >>The Ninth Circle nears completion. The Titans keep it in stasis.<<

    My brother held forth his Trident. I recognized it for what it was now. A blazing beacon of Life. My spear pulsed with the power of nearly all the Golden Host. Only Aether….

    Mine was the weapon of Death. My brother and I were equal yet opposite.

    Lethe brushed the tear away with the tips of her fingers. “He knows the price that must be paid.” The irony of her creation level memories being uncloaked here was not lost on me. Our roles were reversed now. I guarded her mortal form’s memory. I turned to Dexter, “….Tarkanan follows in our wake...its Elysium’s mirror isn’t it?”

    “What Abbadon didnt understand? He corrupted. It’s purpose is set. As is mine.”

    A single scale of each Ouro reformed. They curled about my arms. Near my shoulders.

    “When the Third Convergence occurs? We will all stand with you. Mortal and Divine alike.” It would be the Battle for the Soul. The only battle worth winning in my estimation. Dexter clapped me on the back. “This is a day of answers.” It would be a long time before I learned the name of Mi’thia’s son.

Earth (Edenverse)

New Ashbury

    Golden Bulleteer taunted Karvax, “That all you got old boy?!”

    The brute didn't take the bait. Vines hurled Bright Eyes into the air. Blue Blaze sent another set of shambling Living Stone serpents flying into the energy barrier of New Ashbury’s defenses. Karvax opened his mouth. Black Scrawl exploded outward. Amazing Grace made a cutting motion across her throat.

    No signals.

    No I-Net.

    The abyss of bone rained down from the sky.

∞

    Anna slammed on the brakes. Her grav-car skidded to a halt mid air.

    A black dome covered a 5 mile radius around the downtown principality of New Ashbury.

    Teddy loaded his rifle with imbued power cores, “Call in the Calvary! Eliza won’t be able to show just yet. Get the Floridians on the Horn.” Anna didn’t argue. If anyone knew how to assist with the nefarious energies of Necrotic Death spheres? It was them. Flashes of white and black fire danced behind her eyes as she rubbed her temples.

    Hero Net updated: //Bio signatures of Golden Bulleteer and the Mavericks in critical condition, flatlines detected, summoning additional…...///

    Anna clenched her teeth as blood pounded behind her eyes, “They can’t come. This is a battle we must face.” She shot her husband a strained smile, “Besides we can’t have them bail us out all the time….”

    Teddy cheered as a dachshund in red and green battle armor landed on the front engine compartment, <<GREEEEEEETINGS! You called?>>

    The tip of an obsidian knife plunged into Anna’s chest as the vision slowed time.

∞

    Below the crack on the white marble steps were three forms.

    Hilary’s face twisted as Chronos emerged from her mouth.

    The second figure held up a blackened flamed sword. His leathered wings at odds with the angelic features. Lucifer. Consumed by Abbadon. The final figure screamed, “Thoth!” Her pale white hair couldn’t hide the hideous features. Lilith. Faces that Anna knew from her countless visions. Thoth’s face loomed over Anna. Hand that weren't her own grabbed the handle from the crazed despot. They pushed the remaining metal to the bone. Knicking the heart in the process. Thronebearer blood splashed into Thoth’s eyes. He reared back. Blood curdling screams echoed as he attempted to clear the blood away.

    Thoth’s legs gave out as he toppled down the marbled steps.

    Black blood followed.

∞

    Anna gasped. Teddy handed her a shout shot of whiskey.

    He knew her visions were rough.

    She rubbed the tears away. Anger burned.

    “We must take this part of the burden. Golden Child has bigger problems on her plate.”

    Sunset Showdown appeared while riding a hoverbike. Its outer armor was stenciled with Hatheon and Light Shaman protective wards. A dark haired Hatheon woman behind him. Her staff blazed with energy. Her turquoise armor grew across her shoulders. She jumped off the hoverbike. Anna watched as waves of tortured forms rippled across the surface of the Dome.

“We got company!”

∞

    Golden Bulleteer let out a flash of punches. The Living Stone harpies exploded into a cloud of dust. Blue Blaze formed an endless array of metallic balls. With the speed of his kicks he sent them flying in every direction. They pinged against the domed wall. Amazing Grace released the Muthra nanites from her belt.

    //Civilians detected. Underground Bunker system. Teleportation Networks within Anomaly offline.//

    The team net still worked. White Lily summoned additional plantlife through her body. Amazing Grace didnt know how she had gained that ability but it came in handy. White Lily hummed a silent prayer. Thanking those lost souls for that precious flower. If it hadn’t been for them? She wouldn’t have a proper source to use her powers. In any environment. That adventure still woke her up at night.

    Those bodies floating in space. A mix of Scholars, Litari, J’kua.

    The Nexus had sacrificed all to bring that flower into Edenverse.

    Abbadon had managed to fool so many.

    The purple flower had no name.

    Lily held it to her body as additional vines connected with the whirlwind of Living Stone raining down from above. It merged with her heart. Now was the time. Renewed energy flowed through her veins. They would endure. Just as the Wall Endured.

    Golden Bulleteer ran.

    Two Living Stone Golems raised their scythes behind White Lily’s swaying form.

∞

    Mi’thia sang. The words formed in the air around us.

THE WALL OF CREATION ENDURES

SUCH IS THE WILL OF THE OVERSOUL

FROM THE OUROBOROUS SHALL THE SHADOW RISE

NOT TO CONSUME BUT TO COMFORT THE DEAD

TWIN SLEEPERS OF TWO STARS SHALL INHERIT THE VIGIL

TO ENDURE BEYOND THE CYCLES OF TIME

FLESH FADES

BONE WITHERS

THE SOUL ENDURES

    This proclamation was the unfiltered commands of the cosmos.

    I knelt. Mi’thia’s scales softened. As if to comfort me.

    Two stars circled. One had the outline of gold. Its black center sank into my chest.

    Another star circled Dexter. Its white brilliance faded as it merged with his forehead.

    Souls condensed around us.

    “As long as you endure? We shall walk with you. To find everlasting peace.”

Issue 9: Here

Issue 11: Here