Hope's Light

Chapter 23

by Erisian

Book 6

 

If you have yet to read the saga - the tale starts here:

Into The Light

Hope you enjoy!

 

Chapter Twenty-Three - Taijitu

 

In the coldest of air we gathered at the top of the Spires. Out of the rock face a matching henge to its counterpart at the embassy in Dis had long ago been excavated, though this one was not currently pockmarked from the insult of repeated energy blasts, having been resurfaced after its own checkered history. Twitch and Horatio stood at my side, while Vance, leaning on a short-yet-distinguished onyx cane and shivering underneath the thickest of silver-furred coats, had been busy examining all the sigils and workings carved into the stones - ensuring that each was still properly aligned.

Ruyia, huddled in cloth more blanket than shawl, occasionally applied hammer to tiny chisel to make needed subtle corrections on the stones. A campfire had been started to provide light and at least a modicum of warmth, though the wind blew most of the heat right off the peak. As for Yaria, she had gone with Maddalena to help the priestess prepare and be ‘properly purified’ - the process thereof requiring the relaxing hot bath I’d declined earlier.

Which had me wondering if the priestess really had just wanted to avail herself of Veronica’s excellent foot rubs - the very ones that had kept my feet going when marching across the plains on the flip side of this Rock.

For the third time (so far!) Horatio asked, “Are you sure about this milady? Shouldn’t we-”

“No. I’ll go alone.”

“But-”

Eyes rolled and scanned the dark and (almost!) empty heavens. “Citadel troops are tough, Horatio. Whoever is with me could get hurt.”

“And you won’t?”

“I’m not what I was when you knew me, my friend,” I said with a smile, putting a reassuring hand against the nervous mayor’s back. “In truth, I’m not sure I need this portal to get there - but I only stood within the embassy for a handful of minutes, unlike all the time spent at Epsilon.” I shook my head. “I’d fly between the realms, but without a guideline I might not arrive precisely where intended. But worry not, directly I have nothing to fear from Krux’s band of thugs.”

“We could get Balus-”

“Again, no! I’d hate having to explain to Lilith why her embassy and all its stunning paintings were smashed entirely to rubble. The damage it’s already suffered is bad enough.”

He shuffled his feet. “But you only just arrived.”

Ah. “You’re afraid I won’t come back again.”

His chest heaved a heavy sigh. “Both of your previous departures were rather abrupt.”

“Not exactly by choice.”

“Whereas this time?”

“If Krux hears about what I just did at the arena in Kigal, he’ll tear down the phased-space immediately and worry about Lilith’s opinions later. He knows there are souls in there.”

“He’ll want hostages?”

“Bargaining chips. Ones he knows I won’t ignore.”

“And he won’t attack you?”

I snorted. “He already tried that.”

“Oh.”

Patting his back once more, I let the hand drop. “What you’re building here is good. The Ducal Council, though, may move against you. Can you hold against them?”

“Without you, without Nathanael and Camael? Not if the true demonic powers take the field.”

“Then I’d better get back quickly.”

The mayor shook his head. “We have some time. Word arrived while you were consulting the Lilim: Tuthos has sealed the Hole.”

“He what?!”

“Warrants for his arrest were issued, and a force was preparing to come through and obliterate Epsilon and the Spires.”

“What about food and supplies?”

“Madame, we have a few other working portals and allies across many realms. Even for the Dukes, clearing the Hole will take at least a cycle - if not more with active resistance. With the Lilim’s aid, the only immediate assault we fear is from the Sarim.”

“For now, Prince Abagor will not involve himself.”

That startled him. “How can you be so sure? If you leave, we will have no angelic defenders!”

“Because he too awaits my decision.”

“Decision? What decision?”

“Whether I wish to conquer all of Hell.”

“You?!”

“Yes.”

“Milady!”

“As said - I am not as I was.”

His mouth wanted to say more, but the outlandish notion had banished coherency.

Footsteps approached, and I said, “Here comes Maddalena.”

Despite the chill, the skinny Italian priestess stepped out of the caves wearing only a thin robe of emerald silk trimmed with gold. Following was Yaria, herself bundled under serious layers of warmth and holding another coat as well as a surly expression. But what truly got my attention was what Maddalena carried:

A shimmering longbow forged of graceful crystal hardened by warrior soul.

Going to a knee and with lowered head of curly brown, Maddalena held out the bow.

“My Queen. I return to you the sacred weapon of your holy mother.”

Lifting the bow from her hands, I ran a fingertip along its side, marveling yet again at how reflected firelight sparkled below the surface. “I…I have missed this.” Holding the mighty implement higher, I aimed off to the side while fingers drew both the string and the perfect crystalline arrow manifesting to the desire of the wielder. She (for it was most certainly a ‘she’) thrummed to the touch, eager to again launch scorching flame and righteous fury.

Crazed energies of madness had burned through her during the war, never breaching her limit and always hitting our target. She’d saved me - and those bound to me - time and time again.

But now…now the heart sank with sad realization.

I couldn’t use her anymore.

Releasing the pull, together the arrow and string flickered and disappeared. Reluctantly the weapon was placed back in Maddalena’s hands, her fingers folded under mine to hold the bow tight.

“My Queen?” Uncertainty worried my priestess’ face.

“She is yours now.”

“But-”

“Her pattern, as wondrous as she is, can no longer contain that which I am able to bring to bear. She would shatter under such a strain.”

“What of myself, my Queen? Am I not about to receive such from you?” Maddalena looked towards the waiting stones. “Will I not also shatter?”

“The Lilim’s magic requires not such immensities. And you are much stronger and better prepared than you may realize.”

Her head again lowered. “My strength is only through my faith - in my goddess, and in you, my Queen.”

Stepping forward, I tenderly lifted her chin. “It lies within thine heart and soul - burning true with shining glory.” Kissing her forehead, I added, “Now, let us open the Lilim’s portal that our lost sister be safely found.”

With eyes closed she pressed my hand to her cheek, then nodded. Letting go, she stood and walked over to the Lilim. After a quick consultation they gave her room before the fire, and there she proceeded to use the end of the longbow to draw a circle in the loose dirt upon the rocky plateau. Carefully placing the bow just outside the ring, from her dress she then produced a small smooth stone which had a perfect circle worn through its center. Holding it tight in one hand, the other reached behind her back to unbutton the green silk and the dress fell to the dirt at her feet, leaving her skyclad between campfire and the solitary star above.

Lowering to knees within the circle, she clasped the stone to her bosom and recited a prayer in her native Italian:

 

“Diana, tu che siei la regina

Del cielo e della terra e dell'inferno,

E siei la prottetrice degli infelici,

Dei ladri, degli assassini, e anche

Di donne di mali affari se hai conosciuto,

Che non sia stato l'indole cattivo

Delle persone, tu Diana,

Diana il hai fatti tutti felici!”

 

Diana, thou who art the queen

Of heaven and of earth, and of the infernal lands,

Yea, thou who art protectress of all men unfortunate,

Of thieves and murderers, and of women too

Who lead an evil life, and yet hast known

That their nature was not evil, thou Diana,

Diana who confers on them some joy in life!

 

From within that circle her spirit reached out, and mine was ready. From my extended fingers flowed a river of sparkling lights, swirling above us tighter and tighter, until a single bright funnel reached down to touch her heart and the stone held close against it. Through her the prime Light of all things resonated with the need to provide the energies of her faith and the magic which could be worked with it, binding that potential to the stone glowing now crimson with a heat that burnt not the skin.

When the crimson shifted to a piercing blue, she rose and offered the bright stone to Vance. With an acknowledging nod, the leader of this band of Lilim accepted her gift - and with its power spoke and painted their own sacred language across the rock edifice they had prepared.

As before, hearing their unique tongue pulled at my higher self, requiring the suppression of the urge to correct that which was imperfect as compared to how it should be spoken. Angelic phrasing twisted by demonic comprehension was akin to watching someone applying the laws of physics without the use of calculus - useful through brute force calculation, but lacking the beauty and symmetries truly inherent in the patterns.

Yet it worked.

Between the rising henge’s standing stones the air shimmered as if a sheen of oil slid across the gap. And once the entire space was covered, that oil burst into flame: hot with dancing sparks of vermilion and amber. Beyond the fires I could feel it - the connection between space which wasn’t really space, linking this realm to another, binding these stones to the anchor of the matching ones at the destination.

“It is done, milady.” Vance stepped aside, staggering slightly and needing the cane to stay upright, as even using the borrowed power had tired him greatly. “The Citadel will be alerted of the connection; you should not delay.”

“Thank you, dear sir.” Turning to Twitch who had stood at my side, I hugged him before tugging down the wraps covering his face to kiss his sweet lips once more. “I will return. One way or another.”

The smile creasing those scarred lips was all the reply I needed.

With one last look to everyone gathered, I stepped through the leaping fires.

 

~o~O~o~

 

Portals, I’ve used a few. Though the last time the Lilim popped me between realms I had been deeply unconscious under a suppressing flood, one which was busily preventing the shredding of my mind by spellwork entirely foreign to everything in existence. Come to think of it, they’d likely used the very standing stones I’d just passed through.

The Lilim’s skills were impressive, the transition itself was remarkably smooth. The only oddity was a burst of wind to the face when appearing again in the embassy’s wide chamber, there with its own stones and weird wading pool. Except none of the dust around the remains of the storage shelves got disturbed.

Several things were instantly clear. Foremost was a new bloodstain smeared across the flooring which occluded the reflected image of the fire-sky coming through the hole in the dome above. That pretty much informed the rest of the observations.

Namely, the phased-space everyone had hid inside had collapsed. And there was no one here.

“Fuck.”

The first set of wings unfurled with a quick whoosh to illuminate the beautiful murals painted across the enclosing walls. Crystalline feathers also picked up on the many recording devices stashed all over which were quickly transmitting the images and sounds of my arrival. And thanks to the connecting mark, the wings provided the energy to show exactly where Nadia had gotten to.

Without hesitation I was airborne, zipping out the broken main doors and accelerating to skirt the tops of the dark buildings just below the river of fire smothering the sky.

I couldn’t help but notice that the vast city had changed.

Not a lot, mind you, but enough. Additional high-rises had fallen, while others under reconstruction had greatly advanced towards completion - much more than the one or two sleeps I’d personally experienced since hopping from Dis to the Rock could account for.

In other words, Nathanael’s note regarding the timestream bucking like a wild stallion was true: many more days - if not cycles - had passed here than should have. With an additional burst of speed, the layer of fire above fell back from the invisible globe protecting my target.

The Citadel.

Imagine an aircraft carrier naval group all welded together - then take a thousand of those and pile them atop each other, but somehow towers with elegantly sculpted architecture emerge anyway. Massive artillery placements, a ridiculous number of radar and communication antennas, and vast engine ports - all coalescing into a singular structure beautifully designed for one thing and one thing only:

War.

I mean, the construction resembled nothing less than a science fiction artist’s wet dream of a futuristic battlestation. It was that impressive. And I flew right towards it at supersonic speeds, setting off every sensor and alarm the place possessed.

Even from a distance the blaring warning horns sounded louder than the constant churn of sparks and flames deflected away from the station by the powerfully extended energy shield.

Of course, I’d just phased through those layered wards like they were a curtain of softly falling spring rain.

Huge turrets swiveled to lock on, and with the way I was pulling in power I surely provided an excellent targeting solution for their computers. Though the massive guns didn’t actually fire.

Hmm, the leaders of this monstrosity of combat fortification weren’t entirely insane. Evil maybe, but not insane.

Spotting a wide vehicle loading zone, I zoomed forward - noting its impressive number of landing craft and supporting airships currently being prepped for launch by uniformed soldiers hurriedly scurrying about.

Most interesting, however, was that given the numbers gathered and weapons loaded they must have already been doing so even before I’d arrived at the embassy.

Mindful of the tracking cannons both energetic and kinetic, I hovered at the edge of the vast dock and pulsed enough shine to temporarily blind anyone not wearing a welder’s helmet.

Then I crossed arms over a white-leathered armored chest and waited.

From near the center of the platform, a short figure with bat-like wings took flight and glided towards me - all while shouting at the soldiers aiming many munitions in my direction to hold their fire. Pulling up before the edge, he executed a smooth landing and simply glared with disgust before finally pulling a cigar out of a uniformed pocket.

He lit it and blew a puff of smoke. “Jordan.”

The Light flickered brighter and he rolled a pair of beady little eyes.

“Okay, okay. I get it. Amariel. Happy?”

“That depends, General.”

“Your marked soul is safe, angel. Shit, she’s been eating better than I have lately.”

“And the other two?”

The diminutive survivor shrugged. “One was stupid. The second, out of politeness to you, is with that lady bearing your mark.”

Dammit, suspicions about the bloodstain just got confirmed. “Then I will take those two and go.”

“It ain’t that easy.”

I scanned the structure and the entities within it. “I sense no Bene-Elohim available to come to your aid, devil.”

“This fortress has a few tricks even for your kind.” Those solid brown eyes glinted.

“Does it.” Two more wings spread out, playing additional havoc with the weirdly shifting shadows splaying behind the vehicles across the deck.

Wincing at the additional waves of power smacking him in the face, he waved the cigar. “Simmer down, alright? Yeesh. The realm’s a mess as is, you really want to do this?”

I looked past him. “The Majordomo isn’t coming out?”

“Nah, he’s standing by the failsafe.”

Eyes narrowed, dimming their floodlights ever so slightly. “What do you want, Krux?”

“Thought that’d be obvious.”

“Assuming obvious things around you carries its own risks.”

“Ain’t that the truth. “ The cigar went back between his teeth. “I’m doing my damnedest to prevent the realm’s collapse.”

“That’s what all this is about?” I gestured at the military busy gawking at the two of us.

“Yeah.”

“Then I’ll bite. What’s the sitrep?”

“We’re gonna take down the Apostle.”

I frowned. “Thought he wasn’t considered a threat.”

“He wasn’t. But after this last firestorm, he may be.”

I was right. Substantial time really had passed. “May?”

Flicking ash over the side, the devil waved the cigar again. “There’s these strange energy surges throughout the city. Best calculations have ‘em flowing underground. You can guess where.”

“You managed to locate him?”

“Amusingly enough, you helped. That Santiago fellow slipped out to blip a report.”

“Really? And what did he say?”

“That the Apostle had prepped some major ritual. Couldn’t say what it’ll do, he’s still low in their ranks and your boy ain’t a sorcerer.”

“But they’re gathering power.”

“And each drawing pulse triggers a fresh set of quakes. They’re fucking up the tenuous balance holding this dumpster fire of a house of cards together.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“No shit.”

“How many are there?”

“Cultists? Thousands. Which is hardly a nuisance, but it’s this ritual that’s the concern. And the Sarim are too busy sitting on their thumbs or bickering with each other to help.”

“So what’s the play?”

He shrugged. “Current plan is straightforward.” The burning end of the cigar tipped back at the forces behind him.

“You’re going to slaughter them.”

“Hey, you know what a peaceful guy I am. I’m willing to listen to alternatives.”

“Such as?”

“They worship your ass, not mine. Think about it.”

“You want me to get them to stop whatever they’re doing.”

“Surrender. The word you’re looking for is surrender.”

“Dangit. You said it yourself, they’re fanatics. They won’t do that.”

“Convince ‘em.”

“So you can jail the flock or turn all the souls to stone?”

More ash went over. “Whatever it takes.”

Fixating back on the fortress, I peered through its many warded walls. “I could just grab the two souls and leave.”

“Attacking the Citadel carries heavy political ramifications.” He paused. “This was Samael’s seat, you know. Symbolic. Unless you’ve decided to reject certain offers?”

Crap. “How the heck did you hear about that?!”

“These ears pick up many things. And you either give a shit about our realms…or you don’t. So choose.”

“You’re a manipulative son of a bitch and a liar, you know that?”

“I have to be.”

I stared. “Do you? Do you really?”

Saying nothing, he took a deliberately slow pull on the cigar before blowing more smoke between us.

“Dammit,” I cursed. “Fine. I’ll go talk to him. Just tell me where he is.”

Krux shook his head. “Fuck no. We’ll take you there. And once the perimeter is established to prevent escape, then and only then do you go in. Got it?”

“You realize I can follow this crew regardless.”

“They see you coming in like a comet, who knows what they’ll do before we’re in position.”

“Good grief. Won’t they freak at the armada alone?”

“Maybe, maybe not. We let it leak that we’re moving against those Grigori you found.”

“They’re still nearby?”

He shrugged. “No clue.”

I thought for a second, then shook my head. “Alright, I’ll ride with you. But don’t betray me on this, Krux.”

“Betray?” He blinked in wry amusement. “I give no word to violate. You wanna avoid a massacre and get back those souls? Then do as I say. Or else go ahead and trigger that inter-realm shitstorm with your feathered mafia while this city and realm dies.”

“If I didn’t care-”

“That’s your weakness.” He snorted before looking long at the city below. “And to my fucking surprise, it’s become one of mine.”

In the distance between towers, random blaster fire and a few small explosions flickered and burst. We both watched the sparks fly in silence. The stub of the cigar then arced over the side to start a long tumble down, and the Citadel general turned away towards a ship.

“Let’s go,” he said. “Load up.”

 

~o~O~o~

 

Again I sat shoulder-to-shoulder with armored hulks preparing for battle. Though these were some of Krux’s best, his own personal guard, which meant we were jammed into the rear of one of those flying bricks because the front half served as his tactical control center.

In other words, that forward part of the wagon was set up like a FBI surveillance van: electronic equipment covering the walls feeding the coordination of the troops to the custom augmented reality goggles wedged across Krux’s small but oh-so-serious face.

Of course, I didn’t need the goggles to view the received transmissions; despite the demonic wards against decryption, everything became clear within the perception of the Light. As were the patterns to how the multitude of ships flew and approached the base of a particularly high tower. While the positioning gave the impression of aiming to slip below the surface to reach that underground town where the Grigori had camped, the true target of isolation was actually within the first few basement floors of a specific building.

Stealth units had already infiltrated the higher floors and were making their way down, even as teams underground converged through abandoned pipes and passages towards that wide basement level. The disciplined troops were well trained, and Krux shouted and snarled adjustments across the comms which were immediately obeyed.

They all reeked of barely constrained violence, auras burning with the need to crush into unrecognizable pieces all opposition, each yearning to surf the waves of fevered adrenalin when the terrible potentials lurking within finally unleashed to spill outward in gore and mayhem.

In preparing to utilize the bloody potentials as harvested from the damned souls each had hungrily consumed, they had already begun to whip those swallowed spirits to burn with the full force of all the darkness each and every one possessed. All the pain, all the jealousy and bitter hate, all the rageful evil - ripped to the surface and skimmed off as the most delectable of refined and unholy nectar.

And I forced myself to truly see its source, even as tears welled besides tight eyelids while nevertheless the inner Light showed all.

A long-ago conversation from a late night walk alongside the closest of brothers resounded in thoughts, even while the chest ached with realized horror.

 

“The danger for you, Justin, is simple.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. You see only the best in people. And in so doing many around you will continually attempt to reach that idealized image of themselves shining behind your eyes.”

“Seriously? How can that be a danger?”

“It is both blessing and curse. Because you don’t see the darkness. You’re blind to all their knives, especially should they come to hate and blame you for their inability to achieve that perfect vision of who they could be.”

“But they can.”

“Most will never succeed.”

“I can’t accept that.”

“And that naivety leaves you vulnerable.”

“I don’t think I care.”

“I know. But I fear for you, my friend, should you someday fully see the rest of who they are.”

 

The general had ripped the throat-mic off his neck and was screaming directly into it.

“Whaddya mean the reading is off the scale?! Recalibrate! NOW!!”

Blinking eyes clear, the displays showed the target building begin to sway. “Krux! What’s happening??”

“The ritual…I think they’ve…fuck!!”

The monitor displaying the obsidian stone of the targeted high-rise shimmered and burst into brightness, as if the building’s entire surface had lit up from dense arrays of LEDs.

Not colored ones either. Pure unbroken white.

And one by one all the surrounding towers did so as well.

Unintended brilliant wings flared through the side of the ship as off in the distance I heard something…something demanding full empowered attention.

Someone was calling my name.

My true Name.

The devil ripped off the headset, solid brown eyes wide with astonishment.

“Shit! They’re summoning you!! Amariel, don’t-”

But the interior of the dropship had already faded away.

 

 

New chapters posted every Monday and Friday! Thanks for reading...and especially for commenting!

- Erisian