July 7, 2019

Mount Loe Facility

Two suppressed shots rang out, instantly dropping the two guards by the teleportation chamber. Their steel helmets were enough to stop an arrow, but not a bullet. Henry took point as he approached the door, forcing it open with an access code given by Jones and Omnis. His men flanked the sides of the door as it opened. Two more Imperial Guards came rushing through, having heard the unnatural popping sounds from just a few seconds ago.

Henry and Ron grabbed the two swordsmen and jammed their combat knives into the necks of the unsuspecting guards. While they dragged the bodies to a corner, the rest of the American strike team slowly peeked the hallway, fanning out as they searched their surroundings.

With the hallway leading to the Enigma Lab empty, Henry took point and motioned for his men to get ready for a breach. “Sage Wellin, why don’t you head back to Captain Lamar and Dr. Jones? They might need your help with the layout of this facility.”

“There was a time I would have refused that suggestion and instead proclaimed my desire to fight, but that time has long passed; I have gotten too old for such endeavors. Promise me that you will exact revenge upon those heartless, shameless tyrants?”

“I will do what is necessary.”

“You have my gratitude,” Sage Wellin said as he retreated back to the teleportation chamber.

“Alright,” Henry said, immediately getting back to work. “Scarnmithus, use your liquid nitrogen canisters to slow them down. Owens, you and I will be tossing flashbangs. Kelmithus, Aranmithus, Vinmithus: get your shields ready. Everyone else: stay behind the shields as we push in. There will be openings on the sides and in the center that we can shoot from.” He took a breath as he rallied his troops. “We don’t know what’s waiting for us on the other side and the only thing we can count on is that there’s gonna be almost a hundred of them, plus the former Nobian Emperor. Preferably, we take him alive.”

After seeing numerous nods, he turned his attention to his pack, from which he prepared several flashbangs. Ron did the same while the mages went through their packs for spellcasting equipment and many crystals. After everyone signaled that they were ready, Henry walked up to the door’s control panel and opened it. Immediately, two metal canisters were tossed in before detonating in a cloud of wispy blue smoke. Two flashbangs followed suit, then the strike team’s mages. Blue light sparked and shimmered as enemy spells made contact with the shields’ protective exteriors. Low powered lightning spells were utterly ineffective against the US mages’ shields, which were bolstered tremendously by scientific principles combined with magic. The Imperial Guards that were guarding the entrance could not fight back in their slowed, disoriented state. Gunfire shredded through the primitive armor of the Nobians.

Reinforcements, hearing the thunderclaps from the laboratory’s entrance, funneled in from other rooms along the edges. “We need more time for the Emperor!” One of the guard captains announced.

Henry, taking note of this, relayed a new set of orders. “All elements from Bravo, Charlie, and Delta Teams, remain here and engage the Imperial Guards. Owens and Kelmithus, you two are with me; we’re going after the Emperor.”

Kelmithus fortified the shield bubble around them, condensing it into a dome of smaller volume as the trio broke off from the main group and ran toward the door leading up to the peak.

“Stop them!” The guard captain yelled.

“Oh, crap!” Henry said as he fidgeted with the door’s control panel, hurriedly punching in the hopelessly long authorization code.

Following the guard captain’s orders, a squad of Nobians abandoned their cover and rushed over to the trio, with Nobian mages and archers redirecting their attacks toward Kelmithus’ shield. The overwhelming number of attacks caused the shield to falter from a strong purple to a faded sky blue, but they were saved by quick intervention from the other teams. As soon as the Nobians redirected their attention, the American teams were able to unleash the uninterrupted might of their arsenal. The swordsmen who ran in the open were the first to die, followed by the mages and archers who had left their backs uncovered.

Henry breathed a sigh of relief. “C’mon, let’s go!”

After seeing three of the intruders run through the door, the guard captain sprinted to the control panel and stabbed it with his sword, causing the door to lock. “Hold them off!” He sputtered as he was turned into Swiss cheese by a barrage of bullets. The sound of bullets peppering the metal door behind him was his last conscious thought before he slumped to the floor, lifeless.

On the other side, the trio from Alpha team heard muffled sounds of fighting. “Looks like we’re going to have to handle the emperor ourselves, at least until they find a way around that door. Let’s hurry it up,” Henry ordered.

They moved up a grand stairway that led to the peak. The eerie silence created a dramatic atmosphere. Combined with the cavernous spacing and the grand architecture of the complex, it seemed as if they were preparing to walk into a boss fight. With nothing but the sound of footsteps, shuffling gear, and heavy breathing to accompany the trio, they began to feel a sense of unease.

The door at the top of the stairway bore similar resemblance to standard Homagus doors, albeit being much larger and having a protective opaque shield in front. Indecipherable runes accompanied the control panel at the side. “Looks like a blast door,” Henry said. “Kinda like the entrance to Beta One?”

“Certainly,” Ron agreed. “Let’s hope that code you’ve got can bring us through.”

Henry typed the code into the panel, opening the door. “Damn.” He typed the code in again, which closed the door again. “How do we get rid of the shield?”

Ron fired a shot into the shield, creating a resounding echo throughout the chamber. The bullet compressed rapidly into a ruinous chunk as it made contact with the shield, having experienced instantaneous deceleration. “Not through force,” Ron said as he poked at the crumpled piece of metal on the floor.

Kelmithus, taking note of the runes, suggested, “Perhaps the shield is not Homagus in origin. These runes seem reminiscent of a time long ago, when Nobian and Sonaran were once whole. These runes are so arcane, I will need a few moments to decipher them,” Kelmithus said as he began rummaging through his pack before producing a few scrolls, bounded by decaying leathery materials.

“Okay. Make it quick,” Henry said.

Kelmithus compared the runes on the wall to definitions written on his scrolls, flipping through them as he deciphered each rune individually. “Cycles, day and night, symbiosis…” he said, muttering to himself.

Henry and Ron stood by the sides, at times getting antsy whenever the runes reacted to Kelmithus’ words. As Kelmithus approached the completion of his translation project, the intensity of the light coming from the runes increased, until they glowed a saturated blue. With the door front now looking like an EDM rave, Kelmithus hurriedly chanted the deciphered phrase. A resonating hum emanated from the runes themselves, producing vibrations that rattled the bodies of the Alpha Team trio. The longer Kelmithus continued, the louder this hum seemed to grow until it suddenly disappeared when Kelmithus concluded his chanting.

The blue light coming from the runes similarly died down, reverting to their inactive state a few minutes ago. At that point, the trio heard an electrical buzzing sound as the shield faltered, then completely disappeared. They peeked through the shield, finding an empty hallway that led to a room that resembled a decontamination chamber. Shelves along the walls were stocked with packaged capsules and equipment unknown to them.

“Alright.” Henry pushed through the hallway, keeping his N109 aimed at the door ahead as he and his group moved from shelf to shelf. Kelmithus cast a spell to temporarily improve their reflexes, allowing them to move with more confidence. As he did this, he made sure to maintain his readiness, in case he needed to cast a quick shield spell.

When they reached the door, it automatically unsealed, revealing a vast chamber, filled to the brim with Homagus equipment. The opposite end of the chamber harbored massive hydraulic systems for the peak’s blast door. Outside, lightning could be seen constantly flashing. Due to the ferocity of this storm and the accompanying anomalous electrostatic state brought upon by cataclysmic magic, the lightning stretched for far longer than that associated with a standard storm. In the center of the chamber, an enormous pylon levitated above a platform, suspended by an unknown force. Positioned directly above said pylon was a small opening; this was the source of all the mysterious beams of light. At the base of this pylon was a contingent of Nobian Imperial Guards, all 20 facing a pair of men: a mysterious, cloaked individual and the former Nobian Emperor, dressed in a shockingly futuristic set of armor.

“Were it not for the Sonarans’ desperate act of forbidden magic, we would not be securing our power under these lowly circumstances. However, just like we forced their hand, they are now forcing ours.” His voice boomed over the torrential rain outside, almost inexplicably so for a man without any microphone or other similar device.

“Now, we stand on the brink — just moments away from seeing the dawn of a new era! After centuries apart and dozens of failed unification wars, our dream of a Twilight Empire shall finally come to fruition!”

The crowd responded with great enthusiasm. They thumped the bottoms of their spears onto the metallic floor as they simultaneously chanted, “Twisculum Aeternum!”

“This day could not have been possible without the help of the Divinians,” Novus said, turning to the cloaked man. “High Priest Ashtan, as Emperor of the Twilight Empire, I, Lor Novus, swear loyalty to you and the Divine Overseer. May our two nations see glory everlasting!”

Kelmithus physically recoiled at the revelation, almost revealing his position with a surprised exclamation. “What?!”

“And so it shall be,” Ashtan responded as he presented Novus with a sealed container, the design of which bore semblance to the various arcane technological wonders in the Homagus laboratory.

Emperor Novus opened the container, a bright glowing light from within illuminating his face. He reached in and pulled out a mana gem encased in a containment field which originated from a skeletal frame around the gem itself. He grabbed it carefully, like a nuclear technician handling a uranium core, then skillfully maneuvered it in front of his chest plate, which opened up. The mana battery then slid into a slot, causing the suit of armor to glow with magical energy. Novus then turned toward the pylon behind him and interacted with a terminal, closing his eyes as he channeled mana into the structure.

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“Sir? What are we going to do?” Ron whispered to Henry.

“Give it a bit. The power should be shutting off anytime now…” Henry said as he tracked Novus with his N109.

“Major, you’re not planning on assassinating the emperor with that weapon, are you?” Kelmithus asked.

“I sure am. Not gonna take any chances with this one.”

“I suggest you refrain from doing so. Destabilizing a mana gem could potentially be disastrous; I have only seen the initial studies from the Divinians but overloading a mana gem can possibly destroy a village.”

Henry put his rifle down. “Mini nukes? Damn it.”

“Miniature nukes?” Kelmithus asked.

Henry ignored the question. “If I can’t shoot the emperor, how are we going to go through with this? With that fancy power suit, he’s likely the most dangerous.”

“I have been working on a new spell. It operates under your electromagnetic philosophies. I can try to unleash a mana pulse that will disrupt all forms of magic, so that the emperor and the Divinian will be powerless. At least, for a moment I hope.”

“Crap… Alright, you’ve got clearance to enact that plan. Owens, still have flashbangs?”

“Just one, sir.”

“Alright. Take down the guards by any means necessary, but be careful around Novus. We don’t want to shoot him and cause an explosion. After we’re done with the guards, Novus is our priority. Second priority is to secure the Divinian for interrogation.”

They watched as the central pylon opened up, revealing a sleek spire with some sort of dish at the top. Novus looked up in satisfaction as the machine shot a beam of light in the sky, this time more intense and saturated with blue than the preceding beams. Suddenly, it sputtered and the humming of machinery ceased, causing Novus’ draw to drop in shock. He took a hefty breath, getting ready to yell his subordinates’ ears out, when he noticed a small metallic cylinder roll along the floor.

Unfortunately for the guards, their discipline was their downfall. With their eyes focused on Novus, none of them saw the small device rolling about their feet. A bright light soon encompassed them, and they instinctively formed a protective shell around their emperor despite being blinded, much to the surprise of Henry’s team.

“Kelmithus, now!”

Kelmithus knelt down, keeping his staff in a steady, vertical position as an ethereal purplish wave pulsed outward. He stowed his staff and pulled out his sidearm, having expended nearly all of his mana on this experimental spell.

“Weapons free!” Henry yelled.

Henry shot a halfway charged blast into the guard unit’s central mass, quickly incinerating the unlucky few who were directly hit by the shot and sending several more flying into their comrades. Ron and Kelmithus focused their fire on those who remained standing, who raised their shields in futility. Commotion and disbelief engulfed the few Nobians who recovered as they witnessed their fellow guards crumple like their armor didn’t even exist. Some of them attempted to cast magical shields, but instead waved at the air aimlessly. Realizing that they were somehow incapable of summoning any magical energy, they readied their spears. This action was for naught, as they were easily gunned down by Henry’s team.

Four guards remained. Valiantly, they charged Henry’s team, laying down their lives for their emperor, who just recovered from the effects of the flashbang. Novus curled up his fists, seething with rage as he watched his guards get slaughtered without contest. “You Mekkanese imitators!”

Henry responded to the insult with amused confusion. “Mekkanese imitators? At least we didn’t lose to ‘Mekkanese imitators’. Give it up, Emperor Novus. Don’t make us do this the hard way,” he said, aiming his sidearm at Novus.

“You must be incredibly foolish to think you can fight us! Your mechanisms will not be enough to defeat Divinian magic. Lay down your arms and I promise you a quick death!” Novus proclaimed.

“‘Us’? You appear to be alone.”

Novus looked around, attempting to locate High Priest Ashthan. Uncertainty washed over his face for a split second before Novus continued his original bravado. “No matter; I have a relic of the Ancient Ones! You will not prevent me from establishing my empire!” Novus thrust his hand out, but nothing happened.

“Alright, that’s enough fooling around. Hands behind your head.”

Emperor Novus did not comply. “No magic? That is of no concern, for I can beat you down with my bare hands. Fight me like a man!”

Henry fired a shot at the ground next to Emperor Novus. “Hands behind your head, now.”

Novus glared at Henry as he slowly backed up. “It is only a matter of time before you are swarmed by my men. If you run now, you may yet escape.”

Henry called his bluff and laughed. “Your men? They locked themselves out of the lab! I won’t ask a third time.”

“Sir,” Ron interrupted, “He’s trying to buy time.”

“Damn,” Henry muttered. He walked forward to try and subdue Novus, but suddenly felt his legs crumbling, as if his weight suddenly doubled. He looked down and saw nothing different, but noticed Ron and Kelmithus suffering under similar circumstances. “What the hell is this?”

“As I have said, you are incredibly foolish.” Novus swiped his hand down, causing the trio to drop their weapons. The guns plummeted like cannonballs as they were subjected to a gravitational pull multitudes stronger than standard.

Kelmithus collapsed onto the floor, struggling to push himself up while Ron and Henry trudged forward. Henry attempted to reach for his sidearm but eventually succumbed to the gravitational spell, his body unable to support itself under such conditions.

Seeing all three of his assailants on the ground, Novus taunted them. “I granted the opportunity for a quick death earlier. How unfortunate that none of you took it,” Novus walked over to the spire’s control terminal, which was operating in reserve power mode before continuing to monologue. “I admit, disabling the essence of these machines was clever, but only serves as a temporary barrier for the inevitable rise of my empire. I can transfer the essence within my armor instead. While I would much prefer not having to do this, a few more hours of patience is something I will gladly accept for dominance. I have grand plans for my subjects, and they are much more tolerable than the plans that the Imperium had for the beast people.”

“All you want is power,” Kelmithus hissed.

“Correct. I needed the combined resources and power of my Nobian Empire and the Sonaran Empire in order to challenge our northern neighbors. I could not bear to see our civilizations left behind while the Divinians and Mekkanese quite literally progressed to the skies. Comparing the state of their cities to ours made me realize just how far behind we are. My subjects are a proud citizenry, but for what? In time I shall give ourselves a reason to be proud.”

“And how will this secrecy and destruction lead to that?”

Ron asked, the strain of two, almost three, G’s evident on his face.

“I have wasted enough resources on my unification attempts, only for them to be thwarted by the Sonorans and now, these alien Americans. King Selios is sure to capitulate once I present to him and his cities the power of the gods. Of course, I must select the perfect target… this stain upon the beautiful greens of the Grenden Plains.” Novus interfaced with a holographic globe of Gaerra, zooming into the location of the American base at Fort Grenden.

“You bastard! You’re going to see what the power of the gods truly looks like!” Henry threatened.

“Oh, I know that. That is precisely why I am targeting your base! I will admit, I know not what this device will do to an active portal, but I expect a satisfactory outcome. And if your kind does manage to come through the portal again, if it still exists, I will be sure to strike that area once more.” Novus stood in front of the terminal, allowing a wire inside his suit to snake into a conduit for the spire. He turned his back to the immobilized trio and stared out into the storm.

Henry looked at his teammates. “Suggestions?”

“I’ve got nothing, sir.” Ron tried to reach again for his sidearm, but couldn’t grasp it.

Kelmithus’ voice was strained, reflecting the impact of the gravitational spell on his physique. “With my mana partially restored, I can try to repeat the previous spell. I will need my staff, though,” he said, gesturing toward the staff which was 10 feet away from them in the direction of the Emperor Novus.

“Shit. Alright, I’ll try to grab it.” Henry pushed himself off the ground and began to crawl toward the staff. His face was red from the strain of this action. He moved as quickly and as quietly as possible, trying to avoid alerting Emperor Novus. By the time he reached the staff, he felt himself beginning to pass out from exhaustion; his head was throbbing and his vision became blurry. Fighting against the siren’s call of unconsciousness, he gripped the staff and rolled it backward.

The constant rumble of thunder masked the sound of the staff as it rolled across the metal floor, finally stopping at Kelmithus’ hands. Emperor Novus only turned around when he noticed a purple glow emanating from behind him, but before he could react, it was too late.

BANG!

Emperor Novus barely had the time to stretch his hand outward — not quite yet in a position to cast a spell — before he lost his own essence, crumpling backwards as his legs no longer received signals from his brain, or rather what was left of it. His body landed with a soft clang, his suit making contact with the metal floor. Henry walked over to the body and pressed a button around the chest, causing the suit to open up and reveal the mana battery.

He subsequently closed it. “I should probably wait for the needs to figure this out.” Then, turning toward Ron and Kelmithus, he asked, “you guys alright?”

Ron responded, “I’m okay sir, but Kelmithus is out cold.”

“Damn… mana exhaustion. You got him?”

“Yeah, and his stuff too,” Ron said, picking Kelmithus up.

They walked to the stairway door, stopping when they noticed a slight rumble. “Owens, do you feel that?” Henry asked.

“Yeah, sir. Maybe it’s the storm?”

“No, no. Do you hear that? Sounds like scuttling or something.”

Ron’s reply was drowned out by the sound of an ear-splitting screech. The cavernous laboratory shook as a multi-legged abomination crawled up from the open cliff by the blast doors. With an obsidian-colored body, it slithered its way into the laboratory, looking around with what can most loosely be called eyes, it searched the area. Henry and Ron immediately hid behind some shelves near the exit, watching in fear as the monster sniffed the air. The monster then turned its head toward their direction.

Henry looked over at Ron, as if trying to telepathically tell him to stay still. The monster then looked down, toward Emperor Novus’ body. Having apparently found what it desired, it brought in the rest of itself into the laboratory chamber, nearly filling up the cavernous area and covering nearly every surface with an oozy substance. With the monster’s line of sight blocked by its own massive body, Henry and Ron slowly made their way to the door. As soon as the door unlocked, they bolted through, with Henry turning around and typing in a lockdown code for the door in order to seal it.

“Can’t be too careful,” he said.

Exhausted, they descended slowly. When they reached the exit, they remembered that it suffered a malfunction due to the guard captain’s reckless damaging of the control panel. Henry knocked on the door, hoping to illicit a response.

“Major?” A voice called out.

“Captain Lamarr, is that you?”

“Yeah! I’m glad to hear your voice sir! I’ll get this door open in just a few moments,” Emma said.

When the door swung open, he was greeted by many relieved faces. Doing a quick head count, he himself was relieved that everyone was present.

“What happened to Kelmithus?”

“He’s got a case of mana exhaustion. We should get back to base ASAP.”

Everyone turned back toward the teleportation chamber, eager to head back home. Right as everyone had their backs to the stairway, a shrill cry pierced through the walls.

“We locked the blast door up there, I don’t think it can get through but we should most definitely get moving. Don’t wanna take any chances,” Henry said as he sealed the stairway door.

“Yeah, I was about to tell you… the life sign we found in level 10 moved up rapidly after we cut off the power. Without the main generator to feed on, it must have gone up, sensing the power signatures up there in the lab.”

“Shame. I bet the techs would’ve loved to mess around with the equipment up there. C’mon, let’s go home,” he replied, massaging his arms. “Hold on, what about those lizards?”

“Oh, don’t worry about them. We released a ‘disinfecting agent’ down there. It’ll be gone by the time we get there,” Emma said.

“Well, alright then.” carefully avoiding bodies, broken glass, and shards of armor, Henry led the group back toward the teleportation chamber.

When they reached Section 1, they found no trace of the lizards at all, nor signs of the combat from earlier aside from a few scorch marks along the walls. Unsettled by the otherwise pristine condition of the area, Henry called out to Emma. “Lamarr, what exactly did you mean by ‘disinfecting agent’?”

“Oh, I’m not too sure sir. I guess the translation spell didn’t work too well on that particular phrase. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s probably a swarm of cleaning robots, based on what I saw on one of the live feeds. Just don’t step in the puddles,” she said, motioning toward the small, purplish puddles scattered throughout the hangar.

The group complied, already too burnt out from fighting to even consider messing around with the anomalous liquids. They exited Section 1 and quickly boarded their JLTVs.

“Lamarr, take the driver’s seat. Jones, see if you can help remedy Kelmithus’ condition in the meantime. Maybe Omnis knows something,” he suggested.

Putting on his seatbelt, Sage Wellin asked, “Major Donnager?”

Understanding the sage’s implication, Henry replied, “They’re all dead. All of the Nobians, at least.”

“All of the Nobians?”

“There was a Divinian High Priest with them, but he must’ve fled during the commotion. I hope this is enough for closure, Sage.”

“Yes, thank you,” he said.

With everyone in their vehicles, the convoy drove away from the mountain. The storm outside was already beginning to disperse, lightning occurring less frequently. As they approached Felomia, Henry was finally able to use Emma’s equipment to radio back to base. After requesting a helicopter for medical transportation and reporting the situation, he relaxed his muscles, the adrenaline and tension from his operation a few hours ago fading away.

Watching the sun rise over the horizon, he took a deep breath. What a day, he thought to himself.