CHAPTER 4 – A BEAST UNLEASHED

Freeborn – Home of the Temple – Erebus

***

Gideon, Marcus and Danny all stepped out into a courtyard of gray slate skies and giant walls of fiery red and white. Gideon and party tensed as their eyes caught a group of six warriors, men and women both, of all three races dressed in different types of armor and with a variety of weapons like someone took people out of the Magnificat Seven and multiplied them. Most of them had the smarmy style of people who were confident in their skills. The entire place seemed filled with them, a Settlement of fighters who’d come through Hell and out the other side cocky as fuck. Like the New Yorker’s little mini-me’s of misfits. Gideon was impressed with the individuality but didn’t have the patience or the time.

Unra could smooth things over later. He gestured to his Uncle and Danny and scanned for and yep, targeted the gate. The Settlement was nowhere as big as Umbra Mortem but made sense with the place only being he believed Fortress Rank. It was maybe only ten mile diameter if that but was walled and the walls were about fifty feet so good enough against most monsters. It had the main Building and then a few housing and crafting areas. He saw kids outside playing and a bunch of older folks doing crafting and laundry and cooking. Most were smiling and laughing. Many had turned their eyes towards them. He would visit another time and ask Unra to share the Heavy Crossbow schematics and gun-chairs with them. It was the least they could do for this help and their burgeoning alliance.

He pushed his speed and Agility just as the Angelic Lady and the Bruiser from New York walked out of the Fortress towards where they’d just arrived, their Portal unlike most, not enclosed but a part of their main courtyard.

Gideon didn’t give a shit whether they were being rude at the moment. He had one thing on his mind, getting to L’Sana. He took off and used [Nocturnal Embrace of the Shade] while grabbing the arms of Danny and his Uncle who looked surprised, all of them slipping in and out of the Umbral Realm in a breath to land on top of the wall. That was the new add to the Ability. He could now take up to two more people with him. With the constant interruptions by Gods and Primordials when he used the Ability he could see some fuck-ups happening but in the moment he didn’t give a shit. He pushed it again and pulled them to the ground.

The Settlement was in a wooded hilly area. Not super thick woods like the Shadowmoon, more sparse and certainly not the impressive Sylvan trees that made up the magical forest around Umbra Mortem but still a pretty landscape. He pulled out the small device that would track L’Sana and it immediately pulled him north-east. He took off and heard footsteps following.

***

Sanguine Necropolis – The Unhallowed – Erebus

***

Hours and well over a hundred miles later Gideon and Danny sat on a hillside overlooking a Settlement about 3/4ths the size of Umbra Mortem. More than likely City Ranking by the look of it. Attempting to burn time and keep his mind occupied he slid his hands down his new armor. Nuri and Orin had done a beautiful job. More leather than chain as they didn’t have his ability to do what he did but it was still fine and registered as Light Armor which was key. He tossed an [Identify] on it.

Forged-Steel and Cured-Hide Runed Breastplate and Greaves – Uncommon – Physical Defense – B Magical Defense – C - (Iron)(Light Armor)

It was down on Defensive ratings and Grade from what he’d created before but that was due to the lack of better materials. His gaze scanned the area again. They’d arrived not too long ago, maybe an hour or so. It was early afternoon and he was perplexed by what he was seeing as his eyes raked the walls. The visual made him flash back to his memory of the corpses of all those L’Sana and Ari had managed to kill before being taken.

At the time he’d thought they had been summons of some type, zombies conjured by some kind of Necromancer Class. They were after all, of the Grave Soul-Pillar but now as he saw different people man the walls and really looked at them comparing them to the ones from before he realized the men and women in dark chainmail with shields on their backs and blades at their hips walking the walls, all of them had the same cadaverous looking zombie like flesh. In that moment he understood he was looking at a Bloodline not conjured or summoned creatures. But how the hell were there that many people with a Bloodline? His Uncle had gone to scout and hopefully found answers if not to that to how best to get to their targets. His [Stealth] wasn’t as good as Gideon’s but his Ability to appear as one of them, and one they trusted with [A Romany Moon] was a shit ton more effective. He’d be able to pull information without them having to literally search everything and announce their presence.

The device he carried pointed right at L’Sana but it marked a location that was in the main fortress and down, meaning some kind of basement or dungeon and he would rather have the intel of what they could expect going in. He didn’t know if Vampires followed TV tropes with weakness to sunlight and the rest but currently all he saw was the cadaverous looking people not the bone pallor of Vamps. Danny who had an Ability that behaved somewhat like [Identify] but was much more detailed and less chance of being noticed had told him that their Bloodline was called Revenant and all she could discern was it gave them a slight boost in the toughness to their flesh and some form of small passive regeneration.

Freddie could have probably give him more info with his echo senses but the AI was having a hard enough time just focusing. He currently had shifted out of his bracelet form to the ferret sliding back and forth along Gideon’s shoulders.

They were currently in a thick copse of trees at least half a mile from the Fortress walls. He’d just sent a message through the Party Interface to his Uncle who’d responded with a short message, ten minutes. L’Sana’s name was still grayed out but he dismissed it as due to the slave collar. If it interfered with one’s ability to use any of their Class or racial stuff than it would certainly fuck with the Party Interface.

He was ancy and he wished he had Skald out but their best bet was sneaking in and the spear made moving in [Stealth] circumspect at the very least. He was glad he’d at least taken the time to reforge his daggers into Iron Rank which took some doing but some of his new understanding and surprisingly enough his new Racial Ability [Mortal/Divine Shroud – Umbral/Moon] had played it’s part. He’d been short on time and was having trouble with the Copper Ranked materials he had to push to Iron. He was told by Freddie the world would be a bit behind on resources moving into Iron and the Iron Dungeons would alleviate some of that, many having resources that could be pulled out, while the essence that permeated the world slowly increased and brought higher resources.

His Shroud was versatile and he wasn’t quite sure what he did but his Bloodline pulled it’s thing and activated his Shroud merging it within his [Rune-Mastery – Umbral/Moon] to get it over the hump. He’d also felt energy coming from his new Moon Soul-Pillar and that played a role. He would need to figure out how to do all of it purposefully instead of relying on instinct and inherent knowledge sitting in his new genetic base born of the Nocturne. It was one of many things he needed to figure out. All of his Abilities had gained some new aspect and he had yet to figure it all out like earlier when he’d been able to take more people through the Umbral Realm. He also needed to learn how to use one of his new Titles, [Scion of Fate].

Scion of Fate (Mythical) – Gifts the Ability to intertwine the power of all Soul-Pillars through any Slotted Abilities be it Class or Racial, changing the effects of said Abilities in a myriad of ways.

He hadn’t even really touched it much except through his Bloodline’s instincts or by accident. A big breath hit his lungs as all the distraction failed and his fury pummeled his rib cage with thoughts of L’Sana and Ari in the hands of the Vamps. He knew he needed to keep his mind focused on other stuff before his fury overtook his need to do this smart.

He pulled his blades while Danny next to him in her hood and yin/yang mask kept watch. If they could get more Rodium Copper out of the mines he would do something with her mask and attempt to make it more than just a Rare Copper Ranked item. It’s only magic was staying stuck to her face without any straps and acting as if it didn’t exist for her sound abilities which all used her mouth and throat as a focal point. It seemed to be a heavy part of her identity and who she wanted to be. He also needed to talk to her about what she’d been through before and after the System but that was a push to a future if they were still breathing. He threw [Identify] on his blades.

Umbral Lunar Steel runic Parrying Daggers – Rare – Piercing – B+/Slashing – C – (Iron)

And based on the name it confirmed his Moon Pillar had some input into it clawing its way to Iron. None of the ratings went up but according to Freddie it was exponential. If he fought something in Copper now his blades would carve through them like a D n D vorpal weapon. And all the trouble he had trying to do anything to an Iron Ranked beast would not be the case. Everything cut to a sharp edge as he heard movement behind them fifty yards off. Danny was only a second behind pulling her short swords. His Uncle slipped through the trees with his hood up. They both relaxed as he came to them and squatted. Freddie after having jumped down on the ground to pace leapt back up still in Ferret Form onto Gideon’s shoulder.

“I have a path Gideon. She’s being held in a Dungeon which is good and bad. It’s in the Fortress and we should be able to slip past the entrance from what I could see as they are setting up a big shin dig on the second level and a lot of people are moving in and out so should be an easy get. The entrance to below is through a side hall off the main floor leading to a door then down stairs and into a wide corridor. She’s in the largest cell at the end of the corridor. That’s all the good, infiltration, simple. The bad. I overheard she’s the party favor of the event they are setting up so we are on a hard time limit. We do not under any circumstances want to allow her to get moved for many obvious reasons, the least of which will make extracting them both almost impossible in a room full of all of their elites.”

Gideon did his best to stamp his fury, party favor? He failed and his vision became red but with a heavy does of Will and a pull from the calmer approach of his new Sub-Class he caught himself as he clocked his Uncle’s one eye had a disturbed glaze over it.

“I know we don’t have strength to do anything about it Nephew but these people are disgusting shit stains. They have a bunch of slaves; kids, mothers, fathers, grandmothers. They use them for food Gideon. And I mean food, gobble gobble. They either eat them, like bon-apetit, eat them or the Vamps suck them dry. People, Gideon.”

His Uncle had the look that said he wanted to slaughter them all. Gideon didn’t disagree but he’d realized it before the System and realized it hard again after the System. He couldn’t save them all, at least not at his current level of strength. L’Sana and Ari were the goals than leaving a gift though he would have to place it carefully so he didn’t kill a bunch of slaves though it would probably be a kindness.

Even with the full strength of Umbra Mortem they would be hard pressed to take the place, a City Ranked Settlement filled with combatants boosted by Bloodlines. Based on numbers he’d seen so far they could probably field several thousand combatants, most of them boosted by even low Grade Bloodlines still made each one Attribute wise equivalent to Elites. Umbra Mortem could probably match the numbers but not the quality. He did think they would prevail based on their high-end Scions but not without a heavy cost of lives and after the Monster Waves he could not ask that of his people, especially not the Shador who were almost all dead. It hurt him heavily that that was so. His Uncle’s hand landed on his shoulder that one intense eye full of sympathy.

“I know Gideon. Let’s focus on what we came here for and what we can get done.”

He nodded knowing his Uncle had it right. Gideon turned his gaze to the Yin/Yang mask of Danny, the Harvester, and the Harvester and not Danny was who they would need.

“Can you stun/lock down the two guards and the healer?””

She nodded confidently.

“Yes, for a few seconds at least, disorient them, knock their equilibrium. I am a Scion after all and I owe you more than I can ever repay...I...”

Gideon cut her off.

“You don’t owe me shit and never want to hear different. But now ain’t the time and place to talk about it. We got a job to do. You scouted this out Marcus. How do you want to play it?”

His Uncle threw a glance at the masked Danny as he knew the story about who she was but then nodded and turned to Gideon.

“The Wall behind the Fortress has almost no guards. I believe many of the Elites are in the party room and during the festivities they have become lax with a big dose of arrogance. They are probably relying on the fact we wouldn’t be able to find their location and even if we did we wouldn’t have the balls to do anything about it. Their over-abundance of Bloodlines makes them extremely arrogant from what I picked up. And that makes insertion simple. We go over the wall there then slip around the building to the front. Then you let me do my thing and distract people along our path while you two use [Stealth] to slip past and into the side hall. It’s unguarded or at least it was.

There’s a step down so at the end of the hall you should be out of line of sight to the main room. Wait for me there. I’ll join you. I haven’t been down below but I had a drunk Elite Warrior type, low Will that had no defense against me, blather. I think he thought I was his Brother or an old Friend. He was spouting that he was happy he hadn’t drawn guard duty on L’Sana. According to him like I told you there’s two and the healer. We go down below, cell at end of hallway. We go in hard and fast. Danny hits them with her sound shit, you and I each focus on a guard, take them down as quickly as possible while Danny takes the Healer. We free L’Sana and Ari then we will have to go by the hip from there depending on where you want to do the portal. Personally with the big bang surprise, I would do it there. Should blow a hole in the foundations, maybe even collapse the floors. A lot of their Elites including the Spider Mage and the Blood King are there and if Unra is correct and Mistress Duri made something far more explosive than the device they used…”

His voice trailed off as he made a mushroom explosion with his hands, a giddy violence in his single eye. Gideon couldn’t help but join him his Bloodline and [Umbral Savage] wanting to roar at the upcoming violence. A warmth broke him from it and a whisper ‘Calm. The hunt is before us. Mate, family in danger.’ It was a cold river hitting volcanic steam and he needed it. He pulsed thanks to his cloak. Freddie’s voice double-downed.

“We must rescue them Gideon. They can’t die. If need be I will sacrifice myself in a valiant scene of Glory and…”

I tapped him on the head and he went quiet. Now wasn’t the time for Freddie pontificating. There was killing to do. Gideon motioned to his Uncle who nodded and took off, leading them.

***

Gideon’s adrenaline was threatening to make him crash through the door he squatted in front of but he knew he needed to stick to the plan. They’d made it all the way to the end of the hallway and the door leading to the Dungeon and were waiting for his Uncle. He’d made Freddie go back to bracelet form as he literally had no [Stealth] capability though he had with his echo sense stopped them from running into a patrol as they were coming from the back of the building once they’d slipped over the wall. Freddie and his senses were pivitol as always and with his Bestie, Ari, in danger there was no way he would have stayed behind.

His Uncle’s Abilities were unusual but highly effective at subterfuge. His build seemed to be half-assassin and half-spy. None of them except Danny had really slotted anything in their new Sub-Class slots but Gideon thought his Uncle’s [Night Crescent Blade] Sub-Class would probably boost his offensive capabilities a lot while reinforcing his ability to hide and sneak and his Path [Redemption of the Full Moon] they hadn’t gotten into the details of besides the name but it was ‘B’ Ranked and sounded intriguing.

Gideon’s attempts to keep his mind occupied were fading when he heard soft steps and saw his uncle with a haze about him, shimmering. His Ability [The Moon’s Hidden Secrets]. It made people not pay attention to him, his presence an inconsequential shadow slipping by and moving into Iron he could now cover at least one other person if needed and they staid close. Gideon spoke in a whisper as his Uncle slid out his two karambit hook daggers to hands as was Danny’s shortswords. Both of their weapons were Soul-Bound Growth Items so into Iron and while not as powerful as Skald more on the low-tier of Growth Items still dangerous enough.

“Freddie?”

Freddie was currently on the ground as his vicious Snoopy rendition. Gideon noticed he’d made it more aggressive with jagged metal teeth and a bit more mass around the shoulders beginning to look more pit-bull than beagle but Gideon understood. He didn’t think Freddie’s Attributes were all that high but he could probably do something and his body was technically now high grade Iron Ranked and he was a Legendary Soul-Bound Growth Item which said a lot.

“The hallway ahead is clear but I will have to get closer to be able to discern their positioning in the target room.”

“Good enough”

Gideon focused for a moment. It was time for the big guns. A few breaths and the new and improved Skald came to hand. It felt like coming home in his grip. And the new Iron Rank punch was comfort. That it could shoot the [Shadowmoon lightning] twice a day instead of once would be the game-changer. He still hadn’t tested it yet but was sure it’s signature Ability was more powerful and it had already been fucking strong. It was the one attack he had that could effect an Iron Ranked when he and it were still in Copper so he had high hopes that it would not only do even more but doing it twice would probably save his ass several times over. He pushed the door open carefully as he motioned for the rest to hold. He trusted Freddie’s senses but didn’t want to get sloppy this close.

His [Night Vision] easily cut through the murk and clocked it was empty so slid all the way into the room as his cloak immediately pulled every shadow onto him keeping him a hazy outline. She’d become so much stronger he felt once he was in Bronze he might not need to use [Stealth] and could save the Stamina and if he did combine them he had a gut stirring he’d be almost invisible in dim lighting.

They closed within twenty feet when Freddie’s co-opted the Party Chat.

One man ten feet to the right, another man a few feet from him, and what I assume is the Healer twenty feet straight ahead and I can sense L’Sana directly in front of the Healer, chained and on her knees. I also believe there is a dead body near the Healer. Gideon. I do not detect Princess Arizelle. That...

He could hear digital beginnings of tears. Gideon wrote back.

Not now Freddie. We will find her I promise. We couldn’t do this without you Freddie. Danny move up. I’ll kick the door open then step to the side and you blast them, Marcus, hard on her heels then I’ll follow you in. Freddie stay back and watch our six.

Freddie’s voice was quicker than lightning and even with the heavy and heady situation his little AI buddy had his lips struggling not to lift.

I will watch your six like no one has ever watched a six before. None shall pass my guardianship. I will be like the Spartans in ‘300’ at the hot gates against the Persians. Princess Arizelle though Gideon, we must find her. She needs me.

Gideon could see the shaking in Freddie’s body as he turned towards the far hall. He could feel between their connection his insane worry but now was not the time. We would find Ari or avenge her, the rest he threw in a box. Danny’s voice came next.

This is going to hit L’Sana as well Gideon. My Ability doesn’t care, ally or enemy.

His mind took it in.

She can take it. It’s not very damaging health wise right? It’s more of a control ability?

She nodded affirmative and he signaled her it’s a go. She slid up right behind him while his Uncle slid a step back and to the side to swing around on Danny’s back. Freddie stared like a statue back towards the door to the stairs up, hunched down, ready to spring as if he was posing for a non-existent film camera.

Gideon threw a look and a nod at both Danny and his Uncle than turned twisted and slammed his foot against the thick wooden door. His over-sized Attributes from all his Titles showed their mettle as the door flew at least 8 feet off it’s hinges to land hard on the floor.

Shouts began to emerge from inside as he spun to the side and Danny leapt in witha deafening shriek pounding out in a cone from the mouth behind her mask as if the mask didn’t exist. Everyone in the room including what seemed like a healthy L’Sana with gray runed chains around her arms hooked to the floor and the damn Slave Collar around her neck shook in fucked up balance. The two soldiers and the healer all clapped hands to ears, the soldiers dropping longswords half-pulled from sheaths and all of them fell to knees as if their legs were jello.

Marcus jumped past Danny disappearing in a flash of moonlight and reappearing behind one of the soldiers as Gideon pushed his vast speed, now in Iron, sliding across the floor as a blur with all his Titles boosting it all the way up to 187. He was sure he would probably be considered peak Iron in comparison to most. His target was barely attempting to get up to his knees when Skald took him in the face as [Night of the Ecliptic Horror] came out. He needed to make sure there were no hiccups but he shouldn’t have bothered as Skald went straight through the helmet-less man’s decrepit face and out the back of his skull as a feral roar burned in his chest from his Bloodline and Class.

His Uncle’s adversary’s head barely hung on by threads of muscle as Marcus held a rictus grin and bloodied hooked knives and as Gideon scanned the other direction, the Healer had Danny’s shortswords being pulled back out of his chest with only a flimsy robe as impediment. He shut his Ability off as the gray fog dissipated. The healer had obviously not been a combat Class whatsoever. They slaughtered these elites in seconds. It probably had something to do with Gideon and the others all being Titled high-tiered people with powerful Soul-Bound, Growth weapons, and two of them Scions. Even his Uncle had three Titles which made him an extreme threat and the equivalent of most Scions especially with his Affinity of 81% which put him on the upper tier of people. Still he was surprised they’d cut them down so quick.

Gideon turned towards L’Sana immediately noticing a dry desiccated corpse on the ground near the Healer that looked like it had been dead a decade. L’Sana appeared like there was nothing wrong with her health wise but his fury exploded when he saw the rags that covered nothing they’d thrown on her. Everyone of their enemies were more of the Revenant Bloodlines and he knew they would have probably been a handful if they hadn’t bum rushed them.

His eyes switched back to the woman he loved. She was still collapsed, suffering from the sonic attack with her strength being suppressed by the collar. Intense fury and frustration churned in his breast, anger climbing another notch when he saw Freddie had been correct and Ari was nowhere in sight. His new Class [Lunar Hound] cut into the dance, calming him, the hunt, [Investigation] and [Intuition] pulling details, L’Sana’s storage ring on a table, the marks of what used to be a rectangular object next to it with microscopic weight indents that led his mind to a cage, Ari.

She was here in a cage but taken then his Skills spun his mind to all the footprints in the dusty stone, theirs and others. He shut it down. First things first but he did recognize his new Sub-Class was going to be a god-send with balancing the anger of his Bloodline and Main Class. He snapped an order to Danny and his Uncle.

“Join Freddie and keep watch.”

They both snapped to already having wiped their weapons clean and sheathed them. They slid quickly into the hallway.

Time to get her up and free. He activated [Runic-Mastery – Umbral/Moon] and felt both his Pillars flare with strength and power as he shifted it to his eyes and at the same time his hands, his Bloodline understanding his intent. He even felt a bull rush of added umbral sliding in from his cloak. He took a step and let his sight run over the Slave Collar, seeing the same universal white color he’d seen before marking it as System Runes, clear of any individual Soul-Pillar but all of them at the same time.

His Will flexed through the braided silver and pitch night energy in his hands and surprisingly it was his Skills [Investigation] and [Intuition] that took over as his hands gripped the Slave Collar. L’Sana’s eyes snapped up as she began to follow with her head to smash into his face or into whoever was touching her, the intent of extreme violence held within those orbs, her arms still chained to the ground but then her violet eyes opened wide seeing it was him and he thought she was gonna cry for a moment before a strength shuddered within her and she instead growled. He ignored her for the moment. There was work to do. Several Notifications hit his vision but he ignored them.

His energy guided by his Skills threaded into the Universal forged construct and after a moment [Investigation] tied with [Intuition] relayed understanding. The Collar was controlled by some device that worked on the same wave length as the energy within the Collar to lock it and open it. This was an early Iron Ranked Collar so with no effort and his new Skills leading the way he carved into the knot of energy that held the key and shattered it, the Collar opening and falling to the ground. Another Notification hit but he knew with the levels of his new Skills so low he’d be getting a lot of them so disregarded it.

Before a word came from his lips L’Sana growled in fierce intensity as all her Abilities and Attributes came back in full force. She lifted up flexing her almost seven feet of towering muscle and shattered the chains from the floor than stomped over to the table, kicking the corpse of the healer that sent it sailing fifteen feet into the wall with a splat and lifted her ring from the table.

A few breaths later her bone umbral armor and under clothes appeared on her as well as her bracers and the claws they hid. Two seconds later those same claws freed her from the remaining chains. She turned to him her fierce anger a palpable force. He would have joined her in the fury but his Sub-Class had the reins at the moment. Her husky voice shot out filled with violence.

“They have Ari in a cage up above. I can feel her. We need to get to her right fucking now.”

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Her eyes filled with fear and sorrow and anger.

“She’s dying Gideon.”

Freddie burst in the room with stress on his robotic dog face.

“Where is she Gideon? Where is my Ari?!! We must find her!! I can’t lose her! She’s the first ‘Bestie’ I’ve ever had. I, I can’t lose her.”

L’Sana knelt down, her eyes shocked at first hearing Freddie’s voice coming out of a robot dog but then motioned for him with open arms. He waddled up to her as she reached out and held him. Her voice almost broke.

“We are going to get her Freddie. Stay strong. She will need all of us.”

Gideon knew she would be with the Blood King and more than likely on the second floor where the celebration would be and also the entirety of their Elites. No matter how strong they were there was little chance of them being able to take on that many people. There would more then likely be at least a hundred or more. This Fortress was huge and their population told him there would be at least that many elites and all of them with Bloodlines, weak Bloodlines most likely but still. That was beyond them by a far margin.

They would have to hit and run. Take them unaware, grab Ari then escape and attempt to carve enough space to use the portal which he had no doubt would take a moment to get up. He also didn’t know how much of a delay there was on the remote detonator and they might bring some uninvited guests to Freeborn. This whole shit show was an off the cuff mess from the get-go but It was what it was. There was no choice. They would never abandon Ari. If it meant their deaths then that was what it was. Though his [Lunar Hound] and [Investigation] and [Intuition] flared up taking in all the variables and a plan began forming, one that would at least give them a shot, not much of one but better than nothing.

“L’Sana, how do they have her confined? A cage right?”

She nodded and elaborated her voice scratched and strained.

“The cage has a torture device attached to it controlled by something the Shit Stain King has on his belt at his waist. It shoots lightning into her with a push of a button. He was using her to punish me or make me do what he wanted.”

She stood as Freddie fell to four legs blubbering. Gideon had no time or patience. He didn’t even want to let his mind go to her statement of making her do what they wanted and what that entailed.

“Freddie, knock that shit off!!! If we are going to save Ari we need everyone on their game.”

Freddie nodded and shoveled his head in his paws. Gideon sent a Party Chat and his eyes lit to see L’Sana back up on the Party List.

Danny, Marcus, on me. Close the door behind you. We have a plan to make. They have Ari in a cage up on the Second Floor.

They were in the room with the door shut within seconds but his Uncle had a hard glint in his eye, one that said he would do whatever Gideon needed him to but that it was a suicide mission. His Uncle’s worn voice carved the air.

“This is gonna be an impossible…”

Gideon cut him off as L’Sana growled, claws sliding in and out.

“We will get Ari whatever it takes.”

His Uncle nodded as if that was all that needed to be said. He was ride or die. The guilt the Man carried for what he hadn’t done when Gideon was a child was a huge driving force behind everything he did. Gideon would take it.

“Here’s the plan.”

***

Throne Room – Sanguine Necropolis – The Unhallowed.

***

The Blood King was reveling in his power, his absolute rule. He sat upon his throne made of bone and looked down upon the transformed room for the festivities. There were long tables laid out in the center of the spacious space with gagged and tied down slaves adorning them, some as young as teens all the way up to elderly. He smiled. Everyone had their tastes. The gags were magicked to cut off all sound. No one needed to hear the screams.

Vampires were so much more elegant than many of the other Bloodlines. There were literal slaves with their arms ripped off while one of the disgusting revenants was gnawing on said limb. He believed it was a Sub-Commander, a lower-end Rare Class, still an Elite but not one he would deign to interact with. He was one of a 150 currently in the room which still put him in the upper echelon. These Revenants, disgusting. Vampires when they fed, they did so through blood and the victim felt a euphoria as their lives were taken. It was an elegant exquisite art.

David Benjamin was not squeamish in any form or fashion and on the field of battle he had no issues with ferocity and gutting any enemy that stood in front of him nor murdering for that matter or any kind of killing but this eating of slaves while they still lived he found utterly banal and grotesque to observe. If they didn’t make up a majority of the forces he had access to and the most common Bloodline given by the Soul-Stone he would slaughter them all.

His gaze went to the center of the room where the precious prize sat upon an ornate blood red stand holding stylized vicious claws where the silver orb sat at about six feet in height. That stone had not only given him the military might to place them as the 3rd greatest Faction upon Erebus but would lead him to the top and eventually ruling the planet in the Unhallowed’s name.

His gaze took in the rest of the room. He loved what Alissa had done with the decor the walls holding beautiful paintings of Vampire Lords slaughtering angels and golden knights or scenes of orgies with blood flowing as vampires fucked and drained people dry. That was the exact elegance he’d referred to, an entire room of mortals killed while they enjoyed getting fucked and their own deaths.

Alissa sat at his knees her little pets roaming her flesh. She had a wicked smile on her face as she saw all the fear and death in the room. Stranding to the side and slightly behind was the Arcane Scion. He looked as bothered as the Blood King at the savagery by the Revenants though more than likely for different reasons. There were a few other vampirical in the crowd though much lesser versions than his own Bloodline and the two he created next to him. Their bloodlines were literally just called ‘Vampires’ and were rather weak compared to himself, only deserving a ‘C+’ Rating from the System though they were still far better than the horrific corpse like revenants. The lesser Vampires also held many of the vulnerabilities that were portrayed in old films and books while he and his progeny did not. At least they were visually pleasing to look at and killed with the same elegance all vampires did.

The prize of the night was set up off to the left of his throne, four poles bought through Tal’E’Ruh, the Consortium Settlement, at an extravagant price. They were covered in runes running along chains and a leather piece that would support the Bitch down below’s stomach keeping her holes in the air for all his elites to take advantage of. He had forbidden using her mouth with those fangs as he had no doubt regardless of threats she would take someone’s manhood if given the chance. He flitted a glance to the table on the other side of Alissa at the cage and the decrepit looking lizard in it. He might need to give the creature a life elixir as it looked to be on its last legs, listless and scales burned black and seeping. He sighed and disregarded it as it sounded like too much effort.

If it died it died. His Patron should be good enough with the Bitch still alive though more than likely broken after the night’s festivities. He smiled to himself. The Bitch needed to be humbled. He might be forced to give her back to her mongrel of a man but he would get nothing back but a broken shell and it would show Umbra Mortem their place in the hierarchy of the real world. In fact that brought his mind to the prize. It was a bit past the time she should have been brought out or at least it seemed so.

It was mid-afternoon and regardless he was ready for it to begin. He leaned down to Alissa’s ear and whispered.

“Go see what’s keeping our toy for the evening. I would like to begin the festivities and letting all my brave soldiers take turns on her.”

The sheer pleasure and violence that danced in her eyes made him heat up and he felt his cock becoming engorged. Maybe he would fuck her on top of the Bitch below and take turns shifting holes. Yes, that sounded pleasurable. His Spider Mistress began to stand when the Blood King’s preternatural senses of danger, a gift from his Bloodline, tore into him. He began to move off his throne towards his sheathed longsword that he’d left leaning against the table with the lizard his eyes scanning the room when another surge of his Bloodline had him look upwards to the damn mongrel of Umbra Mortem hanging onto the rafters of the ceiling with green glowing eyes as a spear pointed directly at him with black, silver, and blue lightning coursing down it.

***

They’d shifted through a mostly empty main floor besides some slaves cleaning and prepping food to be taken upstairs. Luckily it was an extremely wide open staircase leading up. Unlike Umbra Mortem which was open where you could see the main floor from higher levels this was a more traditional castle type fortress like they’d designed it out of a Bram Stoker novel. Freddie was back on his wrist and Skald back in his storage as they needed to sneak. The rest of them were sneaky enough to slip by slaves battered and in Slave Collars. He’d come up with a plan that would give them a slim chance to make this work.

There goal was chaos and moving quick than escaping. Everything would need to go perfect. They slid up the stairs all in [Stealth] and his cloak showed a new trick though he could tell it was straining her and she was having to draw from his Spirit to pull it off. She was spreading her obscuring Ability to cover all of them though the others had to stay within ten feet of him for her to pull it off but adding that to their own Skills it amplified their ability to stay hidden especially with the limited shadows.

There were heavy light ensconces along the walls leading up as the staircase curved around so they needed the extra coverage as two guards came into sight once they reached the landing. There were large windows as well but heavily covered leaning credence to the vamps or a few of the Bloodlines not liking sunlight or what passed for it with perpetual gray slate skies.

The stairs seemed to come up on a t-square hallway and double doors straight ahead which he assumed was the throne room then a corridor going left and another, right, adding in another set of stairs curling around heading further up going to the next floor.

Two Revenants stood in front of the doors looking as if they were drunk, both with large bottles in their hands and swaying. Gideon couldn’t imagine what would make someone with a System Body Attribute drunk but he knew there was a bar in Umbra Mortem so it existed. He hadn’t gone to it as he’d never really been into drinking but he was happy to see the sloppy discipline here, it would make things easier. These people’s arrogance was a heavy weakness. The Blood King seemed to think his source of handing Bloodlines out that candy made them untouchable.

Umbra Mortem with it’s new drones, gun-chairs and crossbows and the cameras dotting the entire Settlement adding in the Golems and the Shadowmoon Forest was a shit ton more impressive. It made him truly appreciate his people and Unra’s running of the Settlement and it starkly showed the difference in the mind set of the Shador who’d spent forty or fifty years as slaves and fodder for beasts and spent every waking moment surrounded by threats and the human who owned this place and probably had some high paying lush job before the System.

He felt movement behind him and reached out an arm stopping L’Sana from blasting through the two guards. She knew the plan but her temperament and her Class he knew this was a possibility with Ari almost at zero Health. Being her Familiar she could see her Health on her [System Template] and it was in deep Red. But doing what her instincts were telling her would see Ari dead and all of them joining her. He locked eyes with her and he could already see she knew. She took deep breaths and settled.

He threw a party chat.

Alright, no more of that shit L’Sana. Follow the plan. We only got one shot at this. Wait till the signal then cause chaos. L’Sana, your only job is to grab Ari and get out. Based on what we’ve seen on the way up the stairs there should be a window of some type if not multiple, probably just covered like the ones we’ve seen. We all have movement Abilities so as soon as you have Ari and are out I’ll send the message then everyone out. Be ready.

They’d already gone over it multiple times so there was no need for them to confirm and Freddie had been silent since Gideon had reprimanded him. He knew his AI buddy was dealing with some heavy emotions he had little experience with but they were in the trenches now, one focus, get shit done.

Gideon took a breath then activated [Birthed of the Eternal Eve] becoming pure shadow. The added function to the Ability was he could make himself fade back into physical without canceling the ability, even just parts of him. Right now it was shadow he needed and more shadows to find. His cloak already drew what she could but did another new trick instead of surrounding him with shadows and darkness he felt her shove her energy directly into his Ability to make it more powerful. His Spirit dipped a bit more for her to do it but he could feel the difference, the speed and intangibility even stronger almost as if he could... He had an idea. He saw a shadow on the ceiling above the guards and focused on it. He felt something churn inside then he felt himself shift from the shadow he was in to the one he connected to through his Ability combined with his cloak’s connection to darkness. He opened his shadow eyes and looked down at them from above, more then thirty feet in a thought. Hmm. His cloak let go of the boost releasing the pull on his Spirit. It was still Mid-Green. Good enough.

He slid through the crevice of space, a sliver between the door and the frame it sat against. It was maybe a few centimeters of a gap but as a being made of pure shadow it might as well be the Grand Canyon. He slid through and what welcomed him had his fury exploding out of him wanting to slaughter them all. There was tables piled high with food and drink but the twenty or so tables in the middle of the vast space were topped by chained and gagged slaves being eaten, literally and the gags had some kind of magic so they were being tortured and dying in silence, their screams empty echoes. He watched some young woman no more then twenty writhing and bucking against the table, wild and delirious in pain but her screams silent as one of the Revenants took huge chunks of meat out of her leg, devouring her and it was one of many such scenes across the room.

He bit down on his rage, a little longer, just a bit longer. He slid across the heavy shadows of the ceiling, the entire room dimly lit by more of the wall sconces. Off to the left of the room on the outside wall was obviously a huge window but draped in a heavy cloth that completely blocked any chance of sunlight filtering through. His eyes zeroed in on the table next to the upraised throne where a small cage sat and a horribly wounded Ari laid unconscious.

It took everything he had to focus, to keep his mind on track. She looked a hair’s breath from death even his insanely high Perception struggling to find the lightest rise of her chest drawing breath. Gideon could feel the pulses from the bracelet telling him Freddie was having a melt down but he had laid into his AI buddy earlier that he was not to talk or do anything that would ruin their chances of saving Ari so he suffered internally. Don’t worry buddy, we’ll get her or die trying.

Gideon hovered slightly in front of and above the Blood King against the ceiling and took some breaths. His Stamina was currently Low-Green from maintaining [Birthed of the Eternal Eve], which was good enough for what he needed to do. His eyes caught the device L’Sana had described hooked to a belt around the Blood King’s waist. It was a simple small black box with one button on it. A breath shoveled his mind and chest. This would be the test. The only question was the cage itself or the device?

He went with the cage as it was less likely to be noticed. Once more he brought up his [Rune-Mastery – Umbral/Moon] and once again he felt the streams of both of his Pillars fueling it, the Umbral stronger but the Moon there as well. He knew what to do now at least in this part as his Will threaded by [Investigation] and [Intuition] twisted it into a tool to be used. He was still a far leap in ability and skill led by conscious thought from the beginning where he started everything being done by happenstance and instinct and his Bloodline.

Now this was where new bounced it’s way into the equation, attempting to do this from more than sixty feet away. He was gonna rely heavily on the instincts of his Bloodline to get it done and also the instinctual support his cloak had started giving him on a regular. He did something he had never done. He cleared his mind and actively prodded his alien DNA, the children of The Scythe of the Lonely Widow and the Shadowborn, the Killer of Gods, that ran throughout his body to take over and hope it could restrain itself from going wild and getting them all killed.

He felt a primal ancient cognizance surge through his bones and flesh and his own body became a detached puppet to his own mind. He felt a roar echo within his own body as the eyes of that ancient race targeted Ari, one of its own, caged, battered, bruised, tortured and Gideon felt the pulse of rage that said everything in the room needed to be ended for the blasphemy of hurting one of the tribe, the indignation of caging one of them but before he’d ignited this DNA of Umbral Masters he’d passed on what was needed. The Nocturne might have been known for their vicious reprisal against enemies and those that wronged them they were also know for something else even more profound, as geniuses of shadow magic and Umbral Runes.

An invisible thread of umbral braided with a light dusting of lunar runes shot out of his mind and body and as it stretched on strength of Will alone a large burst of all the darkness the room held was pulled by his cloak and funneled into his body. His Bloodline connected to it and pushed the thread even harder till it embraced the cage. Gideon’s mind began to fade into a fugue state, a semi-conscious fumbling as what his Bloodline was doing while he was only Iron, the distance, proving to be a multiplicative strain on what he was capable of.

If anyone had sensitivity to runes within the room the sheer volume of power would be noticed and everything would go to shit but luckily none showed themselves and as the thread of woven runes hit the cage within a breath, a moment, the ball of knotted energy that seemed to be the control center for the insidious device that controlled and empowered runes of the Tempest to attack the occupant of the cage were obliterated. The Blood King could push the little button as much as he wanted and it would do nothing.

Gideon fought his way back from tethered consciousness and pulled himself inch by inch back into cognizance. He began to fall as his streaming connection to his active Ability was almost severed by his lack of focused Will until he snapped fully into the now and grasped the Ability to keep it going. His eyes gauged his resources and opened wide when he saw his Spirit and Stamina were both High-Red. He still had room to move but it was gonna cut the edge. [Apex Predator] would jump them back to Mid-Yellow when they hit Mid-Red the first time but after that it was all he’d have. It was what it was. They’d need to make this work and hope for a clean escape. Any kind of running battle and at least Gideon himself would be running on fumes and more than likely fall. That was fine. Saving Ari or any of his family would be worth his life.

All they could do was what they’d done from the beginning, roll the bones, keep their noses to the grindstone and push through until they got through or dropped dead to fate. A miracle would be nice and a smile and a thought quickly flitted to his ‘S’ Ranked Fate. It would certainly double push the theory of the hidden strength of that ephemeral Attribute if they could pull this shit out. Several thousand against four, six if you counted a half-dead Dragonling and an AI. He chuckled inside. Why not?

Nothing for it. It was time to give the signal. Before he started he sent a Party Chat telling them the layout, location of Ari and the location of the window. He received confirmation and knew any more prevarication was moot. The beast was off the chains and his smile and small fangs lit with excitement and hunger for justice, vengeance, call it what you will as his predator gaze landed on the Vampire sitting his throne.

He focused and stretched out his arm his armored forearm and gloved hand fading into physicality as a breath after Skald appeared and in the same moment the Blood King looked up right into Gideon’s triumphant eyes. The Vampire attempted to leap out of his chair to get to his sheathed blade leaning next to the table Ari’s cage sat upon but hell no was that going to happen.

[Shadowmoon Lightning] lit from Skald’s tip lancing into the fucker landing explosive expression as Gideon allowed [Birthed in the Eternal Eve] to take him back into shadow along with Skald as he flew across the ceiling and the entire room went crazy doubly so as the doors to the room flew off their hinges and two decapitated Revenants landed upon the ground while a blood covered L’Sana came roaring out from behind the bodies, claws dripping gore and blood. Gideon had never seen that level of anger marring her eyes and exposed fangs, the sheer bloodlust and it sent a stream of vibrant pride from his Bloodline into his mind, a worthy mate the main push of thought.

From behind L’Sana’s violent entrance came Danny who unleashed an unrelenting sonic scream blowing over tables, people, everything in a cone in front of her crushing people back than followed with her scream that hit people’s balance and equilibrium followed by his Uncle flashing behind one Vampire his blades covered in silver energy as he hooked his target’s neck leaving it half decapitated as Marcus slipped through another flash of moon silver.

Enough crowd watching Gideon. His Stamina was still rolling down while keeping [Birthed of the Eternal Eve] rolling and he needed to move. Time to cause chaos. He became a flitting shadow as he slid all across the room not attempting to kill but wounding and chaos, Skald and his arm coming into physical space to puncture lungs, strike out eyes, cutting hamstrings, anything to keep people pinned and huddled up defensively. He also shattered the light ensconces which went done rather easily to Skald’s Iron Ranked threat.

The darkness of the room deepened allowing his cloak to pull more making him even harder to track as his [Night Vision] kept the landscape clear as day. The Vamps no doubt could see in the dark due to the Bloodline but the Revenants were beginning to show they couldn’t with the increasing fumbling as the illumination grew dimmer and dimmer.

They would be overwhelmed if they let all these Elites find their footing. His Uncle and Danny kept up the blistering aggression, hitting and moving while L’Sana made a bee-line carving through anything that got in her way or leaping over them as she grunted, fought, and pummeled her way to Ari and the cage. Her entire frame was now covered in black and dark green flames, the new version of [Memory of Tombs] showing itself which now enveloped all of her instead of just her weapons, and courtesy of that new aspect, anyone close felt the power of rot.

Then as at least half a dozen converged on her and with a smile she let [Teeth of the Long Dead] go, bone spikes of necrotic energy shooting out disrupting and wounding the aggressors. Two of them escaped the deluge with some kind of Movement or Utility Abilities, one vampire becoming a zombiesque swarm of bats, the other, a Revenant becoming an ethereal ghost as the spikes shot through though grimacing as the necrotic energy still hurt the woman.

A blistering blast of azure energy hit L’Sana sending her through two slave occupied tables. Gideon spun his eyes to catch the Arcane Scion Vamp moving his arms to unleash another blast while next to him the Spider Mage finished enlarging two of her bone white spiders into the size of big mastiffs. He flit across the room as a shadow behind the two premiere elites and let [Night of the Ecliptic Horror] unleash as he also threw down [The Pitch of the Umbral Moon] simultaneously slowing, damaging, and inducing terror into the spiders and the two Elites.

As soon as the last activated he stumbled as he fell out of shadow and felt [Apex Predator] kick in but not before the bottomed out fatigue of low Stamina gut punched him. He quickly recovered but not before he took a blast of arcane energy to the chest made up of what seemed heavily based in kinetic force as he was hammered into the back wall of the room. His armor helped and his Bloodline’s natural resilience but still the pain in his back spiked and his wind shot out as his vision flicked a High-Yellow Health bar. One of the spiders stumbled towards him blindly covered in a light frost and clinging darkness when his cloak whipped out to entangle one of its limbs and tossed it to the side in a prodigious show of strength that was new. Later Gideon.

The show needed to be wrapped as L’Sana exploded out of the ground a few feet from Ari with a necrotic blast of energy from the new version of [The Wraith of Eternal Ending] sending several Revenants who had been closing on his position reeled back with black/green necrotic flames clinging to them as she jumped and ripped open the cage with sheer muscle grabbing Ari’s limp dying form and shoveling the Advanced Life Elixir he’d given her down the Dragonling’s throat. Gideon started peeling himself off the floor his cloak pulling Skald back to his hand from where it had fallen when he saw necrotic energy collecting itself in the Spider Mage’s hands aimed squarely at Ari in L’Sana’s arms. He turned to push himself back in her direction but knew he’d be too late when Freddie flew off his wrist twisting into his owl shape screeching a thunderous shriek.

“You shall not hurt my Ari ever again!!!!!!!”

And to Gideon’s shock and bursting pride Frederick the First shifted to his pitbull/beagle sadistic shape tackling the big eyed female vamp as his Personal Assistant clamped his metal jagged teeth to her throat and ripped and tore to the music of her blood curdling scream!!!!!

Gideon joined him roaring as he pulled Skald up and shot it’s last [Shadowmoon Lightning] at the gaping Arcane Scion who was watching the Spider Woman getting ripped apart. The multi-hued lightning shot out and the Arcane Mage at the last second threw up some kind of blue shield that immediately shattered but blunted the blast enough to be only a half-burned body flying back and skidding across the marbled floor. L’Sana grumbled but stayed on task with the still recovering and still unconscious Ari in her arms as she tore like a bullet towards the covered window. Gideon sent the message.

Time to leave.

He followed that up with a command he hammered out so there would no deliberation.

“Freddie!!! Back on my wrist now!!!!”

With a blood covered metal maw he hesitated only a breath before charging to meet Gideon who was already right on L’Sana’s tail, transforming in a mid-air leap landing on his wrist as a bracelet. L’Sana didn’t bother with anything other than ferocity, no longer aflame with necrotic energy with [Memory of Tombs] having faded before getting to Ari, she just leapt and used her mass to blast through the covering and the loud boom of shattered pane glass as she went off into open air. They’d been lucky so far with tasting very little of all the Elites Abilities having kept them on the back foot and scrambling but soon they would be overwhelmed if they didn’t get the fuck out when all these enemies started using their heads and Classes to return on the offensive.

Even with the permanent gray-slate skies the sun’s energy in whatever magic it had still permeated the air and now through the open window enough for several vamps to react to whatever it held as their flesh began smoking though no reaction from the still living Arcane Scion who began stumbling up on torched limbs and the Spider Mage who while still gushing black blood out of her torn throat as she commanded her two large spiders to her side to defend her while her high end Bloodline attempted to heal her.

As Gideon landed at the window Danny and his Uncle did as well, both slightly injured from taking the majority of the task of keeping their enemies engaged. Gideon motioned them through and Danny without a thought leapt through the opening but Marcus seemed reluctant in leaving Gideon’s side until he saw the fury born in his Nephew’s eyes than nodded and leapt after the rest.

Within Gideon’s hand the portal device appeared, the device Gideon had altered into nothing more than a catastrophic bomb. It stopped being a portal and they wouldn’t have that out anymore but would hopefully buy them the time needed to escape and leave a lasting message to the Unhallowed. He armed it with a push of Will and generous application of [Rune-Mastery – Umbral/Moon] then tossed it into the middle of the room.

Gideon spat on the ground when he saw the mutilated corpse that used to be the Blood King feeding on one of his own Soldiers barely moving but not dead. The fucker took a direct shot of [Moonshadow Lightning] and hadn’t died. Gideon clocked two other desiccated corpses near the man he must of already fed on.

Gideon leapt from the window as time ticked to oblivion. Let’s see if the asshole could survive what came next. His eyes flicked to his resources and saw them again both in High-Red even after the proc of [Apex Predator]. The window was only two stories up and with his Attributes all he did was land and roll with the momentum though his messed up back pushed a sharp slash of pain, his [Pain Resistance] made it negligible. It was the sight that greeted him when he came to his feet that caused him to wince as everyone had spread to a loose half circle twenty yards from his position with a slowly closing net of at least eighty or so soldiers drifting in and out and around and on top of the buildings that had them pinned in.

He knew everyone’s resources and Health Status were no better than his own and seeing his Uncle favoring a heavily gashed leg, possibly worse. Then the explosion went off and Gideon found himself flung at least thirty feet, everything a wonderland of ups and downs and a haze of billowing dust and raining stones and a pervasive heat at his back. He could fo sworn even a Caterpillar smoking opium flashed past. Everything was a blur and dizziness swamped his senses as he was no doubt concussed. His cloak went to work pulling in any shadow it could reach to boost his healing. It took several long seconds to grasp any form of coherence. He flitted his vision and saw his Health was now Low-Yellow and knew the dance was stepping to an end. His hopes of the forces against them being devastated were a long toss of the bones and as his vision cleared all he saw was snake eyes.

Many of their enemies had been tossed for a loop like he had and the Fortress behind them was a collapsed pile of debris and death but if anything the amount of enemies around them had only grown with the explosion that sounded like a clarion bell to arms throughout the Settlement. Many of the ones who had already been on the scene looked injured and he saw several bodies crushed underneath large chunks of stone, still there were now close to a hundred combatants emerging from every direction. He jerked his head behind him as he felt a hand single-handily lifting him off ground but relaxed when he saw a blood cut leering grin from the woman he loved. His Uncle and Danny, both worse for wear stood behind her and a now conscious Ari smiled weakly from her shoulder. L’Sana’s voice was weary but resolute.

“Time to get your ass up man’o’mine. If we are going to end here we’ll do it together and with style, on our feet, back to back as it was meant to be.”

She grabbed the back of his head and kissed him hard then leaned back a bit, staring into his eyes, violet to emerald.

“You are everything I ever dreamed of Gideon Sho and I love you more than I could ever make you understand. I knew you’d come for me and Ari and you did.”

She than playfully pushed him off as she stepped to his side her claws unsheathing as his Uncle and Danny all had weapons to hands and the body postures that sang to [Investigation] and [Intuition] screamed they were ready to stand by his side and reap a heavy cost for their lives. He couldn’t have asked for more. Their enemies closed in and a half-burned corpse of the Arcane Scion landed on a roof with a righteous anger lighting his Vampire eyes and azure balls of energy in both fists. Gideon held Skald and his cloak flared out like a creature of darkness. Freddie leapt off his wrist into his menacing doggo form and Gideon knew now that it could do a little something something. No better way to end this road then with those he cared about next to him. Freddie’s voice blared out as he stared at Ari’s frail form then twisted towards their foes puffing up his chest.

“My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!!!“

His robotic head turned back looking embarrassed.

“Sorry, I froze and it was the only heroic speech I could think of.”

Ari’s weak voice squeaked out, a tear in her eye.

“Don’t say that Freddie. It was beautiful and that was a brilliant film, one of the best ever made. You will be my bestie forever!!!”

If Gideon didn’t know better he could swear Freddie’s shape got even a bit more muscular and larger at her words. He smiled and stepped forward staring hard at the Azure Scion he’d already almost killed till the Vamp flinched back. Gideon twirled Skald’s haft into a kata display of skill. His voice slid out with the lethality of inevitable ends.

“Well come on!!!!! Who dies first!!!!!”

The Vampire’s fear was a deep dive ocean in his eyes but as he gazed around and saw how heavily they outnumbered Gideon and his Family confidence inched its way back into his limbs. He turned back and hissed. His arm went up to send his hordes at them when his head exploded in a blast of purple/black energy and a booming voice echoed out into the surrounding.

“I told all you Fuck Tards at the world Council what would happen if you messed with Umbra Mortem!!!! To remind you. I said ‘We would fuck you ten ways to Hoboken and I’d be the one with his cock out doing it!!! So now you gonna get that reality!!! Soldiers of Freeborn!!! Show them what it means to be fucked in the ass the hard way!!!!!”

And before all their shocked eyes Giovanni Marcos, the Ex-Enforcer of the Mob came into view on the same roof the headless corpse of the Arcane Scion stood upon. He had his cock-sure grin and a bloodthirsty gaze in his eyes as he kicked the corpse at his feet off the roof he’d claimed as his own, his strange gun in one hand, his jagged edge falchion in the other. Hundreds of people scrambled through and over the buildings many wearing some variation of the flame red and white of the Temple throwing violent death at every Death-Born they came across and above them all on golden wings made out of light and flames came the Angelic Scion herself with her dual-bladed sword-staff as she screamed a war cry.

“For the Temple!!!!!!!! Slaughter them all!!!!”