Now, Manila

Madalena felt a rush of air from behind. Her fist struck a hard, unyielding surface. So much so that she winced at shock of pain that ran all the way up to her shoulder.

“Don’t,” Eron said.

“I have to help Lilah!” she lashed out with her left fist.

Eron caught it again.

She tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong.

Slowly, but surely he pushed her back and she had no choice but to give way.

“Damn you!”

“You can’t just punch a magic shield if you don’t want to do damage to the caster,” Eron said calmly.

“Lilah’s having a seizure! We have to do something.”

“We’d just make it worse if we interfered. I’ve seen enough magic to bet that hitting that thing around her won’t help. It’d probably finish her off. Doc, I need your help here.”

Dr. Rufo was leaning against the doorway to Lilah’s room. “I’m okay, the surge of— magic… energy, something took me by surprise. Like getting hit by a wave. What do you need from me?”

“Anything you can do for Lilah would be great,” Eron said.

“Give me a moment,” Dr. Rufo said.

“She doesn’t have time! Let me help her,” Madalena pleaded.

“Trust me on this,” Eron said while keeping vise-like grips on her fists. “I don’t want to rush you, Doc, but—”

“Alright, get out of my way,” Dr. Rufo took a deep breath as Eron forced Madalena to one side. “Diagnosis.”

The shaking intensified as if in response to the doctor’s Skill.

Madalena could only watch as the floating sigils intermittently re-appeared and disappeared around the convulsing Lilah.

Seconds ticked away with agonizing slowness before Dr. Rufo let out the breath that she had failed to realize he had been holding.

“Well?” Eron said expectantly.

“I can’t see through the— whatever it is,” Dr. Rufo punched his leg in frustration.

“Magic, the word you are looking for is magic,” Eron said.

The air felt heavy, charged with energy. It reminded Madalena of the times she had been outdoors when a massive typhoon had been about to roll in.

“Damn it! If I had my full power I might be able to see through the magical interference!” Eron snapped.

Madalena grimaced as her cousin’s hands tightened momentarily.

“Sorry… I’ll let go, but you can’t try to punch it. Promise?” Eron said.

“Fine!” Madalena snapped.

“The two of you need to gather the kids and everyone else then take them to the other side of the building,” Eron said.

“But Lilah—” Madalena began.

“Can do this,” Eron said. “Right now, the kids are probably really scared. They need your strong presence to keep them calm.”

“Lilah will need me—” Dr. Rufo tried.

“You’re about to pass out, Doc and she will need you, which is why you need to sit or lie down or something. I’ll stay here,” Eron said calmly.

Eron released his hold on Madalena.

He watched the two leave Lilah’s room and listened to them take the kids out of the apartment. Only then did he turn around.

“God damn it.”

Lilah’s small body continued to convulse as the glowing sigil had brightened so much that he had to squint.

“C’mon, Lilah. You can do this,” Eron urged. “The magic is yours. Don’t let it run wild. Control it.” He didn’t know if she could hear him, but he had to do something. “I have a… friend… her name is Wytchraven, I know how that sounds, but she knows her stuff when it comes to the Witch Class and magic. She’d always says that to her little Witch girls and boys when teaching them. I know you have a different Class, but I believe that at the core, magic is basically the same. Your Class is a part of you. Not the other way around.”

The air grew thicker with magical energy. Eron could feel the palpable force radiating out of Lilah.

He watched helplessly as Lilah levitated as she continued to thrash.

The sigil’s light was blinding now and he could only catch glimpses and shadows as her flailing limbs briefly obscured the radiance.

“We need you, Lilah!” he cried. “You’ve held back a force powerful enough to engulf a huge city and take tens of thousands of people! I believe in you! I know you won’t let it end like this!”

The magical light burned Eron’s eyes and he struggled to keep them on Lilah, but was forced to shut them against the searing pain.

“The magic is yours!”

A wave of force exploded, washing over Eron, blowing out the window and smashing the furniture.

He managed to push against it and braced himself for the second, stronger one.

This time the walls broke and sent jagged splinters flying.

“Lilah!”

Eron opened his eyes.

Blinding, radiant yellow light, like the sun, assaulted him.

Sigils appeared and disappeared from his vision as they flew in his direction.

Searing pain struck through his very being wherever they touched.

He bore it all.

He wasn’t going to leave.

“I’m right here, Lilah! I’m staying right with you!”

Another wave of force lifted him off his feet and slammed him into the wall. He grabbed the broken edges to keep from being thrown into the living room.

The radiant light blazed through the entire apartment.

Then, just as suddenly as it had started the light winked out.

The ever-present gray gloom returned.

Eron struggled to his feet. “So, that’s what it feels like to be on the receiving end,” he groaned while trying to blink away the liquid in his eyes. “Lilah!” he hurried to where the girl was laying on her back. “Say something!”

Lilah’s eyes fluttered open for just a moment. “I did it,” she rasped before closing her eyes.

Eron could hear her breathe, shallow, but steady. He listened for her heartbeat. It sounded okay, but the doctor would be the last word on that.

His eyes were drawn to the glowing sigil on the piece of car door panel he had given Lilah.

The ward shined just as brightly as the main one on the sanctuary’s wall.

“You were only supposed to do some prep work… maybe a trial run,” he exhaled.

It took several hours to get everything settled in the aftermath.

The kids were moved to a new apartment.

Everyone had to be reassured that they were still safe in the sanctuary.

Lilah was moved to another apartment as far away as possible from the others. Eron and Madalena had refused to leave her until Dr. Rufo determined that the girl was not in immediate danger despite being unconscious. Her breathing, temperature and other vitals were in acceptable ranges according to his Skill and experienced knowledge.

Since there was nothing left for the two cousins to do they headed straight down to Cherry’s restaurant with the warded car door panel in hand to decide on their next course of action.

“And you brought that down here because…?” A crease marred Cherry’s perfect forehead.

“Just in case it’s unstable… no one will get hurt if it blows up,” Madalena said.

Cherry bared fangs in a snarl.

“What she means is that we, being superhumanly durable, will be more likely to survive in the unlikely event that happens,” Eron said. “Which it won’t because Lilah put her all into this. It won’t fail. It’s been hours and it hasn’t weakened.”

“You’re not a mage,” Madalena jabbed a finger at him.

Eron carefully placed the panel on a table. “I can feel the magical energy coming off it. It’s exactly the same as all the other wards,” he said. “What do you think, Cherry?”

“Again, not my kind of magic. The only thing I can tell you is that, yes, magical energy is coming out of it,” Cherry pointed a delicate finger at the glowing ward.

“Useless,” Madalena muttered.

The other two decided to ignore her churlishness.

“Can you detect any sort of drainage? Like, is it weakening?” Eron continued.

“Not that I can tell,” Cherry shrugged.

“We’re wasting time!” Madalena snapped. “If the ward is working fine then we need to make use of it now!”

“I’m concerned about the possible effects on Lilah,” Eron said.

“So, if she’s connected to all the wards then we need to do what you said and move people from the furthest sanctuaries. Then she can stop maintaining those wards,” Madalena said.

“Yes, but what if this ward, when I take it out there, adds to the drain on her?” Eron said.

“How different could it be from all the other wards? You already said it. We can’t waste time. Every second we sit on our asses talking only drains her more,” Madalena said.

Cherry cleared her throat. “Just to be clear, you’re not going to ask me to go back out there, are you?”

Madalena glared across the table.

“No, if this ward works then it’s a one person job. Since only me and Madalena are strong enough to push or pull vehicles you won’t have to come along. Unless you’re willing to volunteer… just in case it does fail and we need your abilities,” Eron said.

“I would,” Cherry gave him a sweet smile, “except I believe that ward will perform just as well as the ones outside. Therefore, my assistance won’t be necessary.”

“Of course you do,” Madalena snorted.

Eron sighed.

He was drained.

Lilah had given him hope, but it was fleeting as the reality of their situation hadn’t changed.

Moving people around to other sanctuaries was like shuffling deck chairs on a sinking ship. Everything was going to end up in the water eventually and there were no rescue ships in sight. Their one chance was quite literally an ocean away. And though he had sent out a distress call he hadn’t received a response. He had no way of knowing for certain that it had been received.

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“Alright, I’m going right now then,” he said.

“No, I’ll go,” Madalena made to grab the panel.

Eron was quicker, he snatched it off the table in the blink of an eye. “Your feet aren’t a hundred percent,” he said flatly.

“They’re fine,” Madalena frowned. “You need to protect this place and you can do that better than me,” she looked like she had bitten a lemon.

“You hide it pretty well, but I noticed that you brace yourself and your face tightens with every step,” Eron said.

“I saw the same,” Cherry said mildly.

“It’s nothing I can’t fight through,” Madalena growled.

Eron shook his head. “I know you can, but I’m faster and stronger than you. I can move people quicker, which means Lilah can free herself of her burdens much sooner.”

Madalena opened her mouth, but snapped it shut. “Fine… don’t die,” she stomped away from the table and back up to the apartments.

“Petulant child,” Cherry said.

Eron regarded her expectantly.

“You don’t need me along,” Cherry waved a hand dismissively. “You need to move fast and I think this place needs me more.”

“How so?”

“If we’re both gone then that leaves the defense to an injured, pouty young woman, an unconscious little girl stretched to her limits, and a handful of people without any significant fighting abilities. Now, I’m not a great fighter—”

Eron laughed.

“My Class does provide abilities to that end,” Cherry sighed.

“That’s progress.”

“What?”

“That your finally admitting that… thank you.”

“For?”

“Being willing to defend this place, these people.”

“What else am I going to do?” Cherry rolled her eyes.

“This sanctuary won’t fall,” Eron said firmly.

“I’m sure that’s what the people we rescued thought,” Cherry said.

“Extenuating circumstances, which I’m going to do something about.”

“Don’t take too long… and don’t die,” Cherry said.

“I won’t.”

Eron headed for the door.

A delicate brush of fingers on the back of his neck stopped him short. He turned and saw nothing. The restaurant was empty.

He stepped out into the gray gloom.

The warded panel in his hand provided a comforting counter as the yellow script glowed with a warmth that seemed to fill him.

All he had was the hope that it would last long enough to help the people.

That it would prevent the shades of his relatives from appearing.

He wouldn’t admit it, but he was scared.

Not just for Lilah and the others, but also for himself.

----------------------------------------

Weeks of travel down the highway, when they could’ve done it in under ten hours during the old days.

No choice.

New recruits needed training to integrate into the spear unit.

Random monster attacks slowed them down.

Cal or his father could’ve handled them all fairly quickly, but they were opportunities for the others to gain points and levels.

Abandoned or monster infested cities and towns dotted the highway.

They only passed a handful of settlements under human control.

Suspicious and fearful eyes watched them, but they weren’t barred from continuing on their southward journey.

Things changed when they drew near Manila.

The largest settlement they’d come across, even larger than Ilagan, barred their way.

The highway had been barricaded with an impressive-looking wall of wood and metal.

A quick telepathic scan filled Cal with rage. He longed to act, but calmed himself and flew back down to the rest of his group. They had taken cover off the highway in an abandoned rest area, with gas stations and a handful of restaurants. A bend around a hill hid them from view.

Cal went straight to his father. “They have slaves.”

Phillip’s face twisted with grief. “We’ll free them.”

“It’s not that simple. There’s over a thousand of them,” Cal said.

“A thousand slaves? Then how many total people?” Demi said.

“Around 25,000,” replied.

Demi cursed.

“That’s too many for us,” Sgt. Butcher said.

Cal shook his head. “Dedicated fighting force numbers around fifteen-hundred.”

“Still too many,” Sgt. Butcher said.

“We don’t have to fight them at all, well, mostly. We just have to kill their leadership until we find someone not in favor of slavery,” Hanna shrugged. “That shouldn’t be a problem for you, right?” she regarded Cal with a critical eye.

Cold-blooded kills or murder.

That’s what Hanna meant.

What was more blood on his hands?

Slavers were just like the aswangs.

Both benefited from taking the blood of others. One more literal than the other.

Cal found himself nodding.

“Wait, let’s discuss this further before making a decision on how to proceed,” Phillip laid a strong hand on Cal’s armored shoulder.

“We need to get through their… city?” Demi said.

“It’s not just a city. They’ve got several locations under their control. From one street villages, to towns, and a small city. Which is probably where we’ll find the leaders. I’ll have to fly over for a better look to be certain,” Cal said. “They’ve even got farms going,” he said bitterly.

“Why enslave people?” Sgt. Butcher said.

“Shit human beings do shit things,” Hanna shrugged. “I vote me and you,” she eyed Cal, “fly over to where their leaders are and get cutting. The sooner we free the slaves the sooner we get on with our Quest. Because you and I both know that we’re not just ignoring this.”

“What if you force them to free the enslaved without bloodshed? Threaten, not kill,” Phillip tried.

“A demonstration of overwhelming power…” Cal mused. “That might work, for a time.”

“We can come back after we complete the Quest and implement a permanent fix,” Phillip said.

“Heads will still need to roll. Slavers cannot escape justice,” Hanna said.

“We all need to maintain our strength and focus for when we finally reach Manila,” Demi said with an eye toward Cal.

“That will not be a problem for me.” Cal regarded the blazing sun in the sky. A few more hours until it’d disappear over the mountains. “We might as well set up here for the night. I’ll move around dinner time.”

“We’ll set up a perimeter. We’re close enough that I’m not assuming we can remain undetected,” Demi said. “I’ll have Rino and Cristos on the outer edge, watching the space between us and them. Sgt. Butcher, can I count on your rangers to cover the next zone?”

“Yes,” Sgt. Butcher replied. “What about our backs?”

“The rest of us can cover it,” Demi said. “Hanna, Phillip, as usual you’ll be protecting the brainiacs and our equipment.”

The meeting broke apart as they went to prepare.

Cal felt his dad watching him. Felt the worry. “I’m not planning to hurt anyone tonight… physically.”

“Other kinds of pain are just as bad, even if deserved,” Phillip said.

“I’m planning on terror,” Cal said. “What’s a worse time to be terrified? Dinner? Or in the middle of sleep?”

“Are you targeting one person or many? Do you want an audience?” Phillip said.

“Dinner it is then,” Cal said. “Don’t worry, Dad,” he knew what was going through his father’s mind, “I’d like to fix this without unnecessary bloodshed.”

“But?” Phillip frowned.

“Hanna was right. Enslavement demands retribution. The perpetrators owe it to the victimized. If I have the power to see it through then I, too, owe it to them,” Cal said.

The warm yellow glow of artificial lights rose above the city like a protective dome. It was a false image. Human-controlled areas were no longer protected from the more powerful monsters and otherworldly entities.

On this night, Cal was the invader.

He floated high above in the dark sky. His armor’s surface was covered in moisture from passing clouds. Scanning the city, he found his target in a large mansion inside a walled compound.

It wasn’t surprising.

Disgust filled his thoughts.

People were chained in cramped, dirty quarters, while the ones responsible continued to live in luxury.

He struck like a missile.

Thousands of feet in seconds.

He crashed through the mansion roof with a thunderous explosion.

Wood and brick exploded outward.

Not a single window was spared.

Plenty of injuries, but no deaths for the men and women guarding their leader, as was Cal’s intent.

He shared bits of his memories with them.

Thoughts of inhuman entities, terrifying monsters and fearsome beasts filled the guards’ minds.

They dropped their weapons, fleeing in all directions from things that only they could see.

The mansion’s finely-made hardwood floors shattered before Cal as he lowered himself into the main dining room.

He pointed at an old, well-dressed man. “I just need a word with that trash. The rest of you can go.”

He had protected the servants from the worst effects of his violent arrival. Spared them from the telepathic attack. He couldn’t fault them for their jobs. It wasn’t like they truly had a choice. From their perspective it was better to serve than be enslaved. He understood that.

The old man’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

“No words?” Cal knew that he struck an intimidating figure floating in armor with his faceplate completely dark. “I’ll give you a moment. Then, I want an explanation.”

“I— I— who are you?” the man managed.

“Someone with a problem,” Cal said.

“I don’t understand—”

“Yes, you do!” Cal snapped. “I can see it in that mire of filth that is your mind. Deep down in that part of you that still clings to the bare basics of humanity… you know what you’ve done to bring this upon yourself. Spare yourself the suffering and tell me.”

Cal floated motionless as the old man found some semblance of courage. He saw the indignation in the man’s thoughts rise to push back the fear. The arrogance born of a lifetime of power and privilege was enough to deny the reality of the moment.

It was grating, but unsurprising that the old man could ignore everything in front of him to cling to the belief that he was in control as he had always been.

“You don’t know who I am? I’m Senat—”

The old man’s words were choked out of his mouth as Cal grabbed him bodily in invisible hands and yanked him off the floor.

“It doesn’t matter. You don’t matter,” Cal said. “The only thing that concerns me is what you’ve done to other human beings.”

The old man’s face reddened. The muscles in his jaw and neck grew taut with strain as he struggled and failed to open his mouth. His eyes widened. The whites were shot through with a web of blood vessels. The mark of a man that enjoyed his liquor.

“You can’t see it from their perspective, can you? I’m not surprised. To get to your station in life requires some level of sociopathy. For someone like you… that goes back generations. Lifetimes of wealth accumulated by stepping on other people, exploiting them. Yet, you were raised with that mindset. How much of it is your fault?” The faceplate hid Cal’s expression. He wasn’t looking forward to what he was about to do. “That’s where we’re different. I can put myself in your place… to a point. I force myself to do this despite how distasteful it it. Let me share what that’s like.”

Cal forged a connection between the enslaved people and the man responsible for their suffering.

He took their pain and suffering. Transferred it through himself and into the old man.

Every lash of the whip. The way the manacles scraped wrists and ankles raw as they tried to sleep in horrendous conditions, packed together like livestock. The gnawing hunger in their stomachs that never left them, fed only enough rice to keep them on the edge of starvation. All the abuse that evil men did.

Too much.

It was too much for Cal.

To forge the link was to share in those memories.

He cut it.

Years of suffering experienced in seconds.

Cal needed a moment.

The pungent odor of the liquid running down the old man’s slacks was filtered out by Cal’s helmet.

“Did that break you?” Cal said.

The old man blubbered as Cal released his hold, dropping the man to the floor.

“That was barely a taste of what you’re responsible for.”

The old man shuddered violently as the tears flowed down his fat cheeks. He curled up into a ball. Everything around him forgotten. All thoughts of dignity and power gone.

Cal floated over the man, like an angry angel ready to deliver judgment. He didn’t like that image for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, he couldn’t let things continue as they had been.

Long minutes passed before he became impatient. So, he forcefully brought the old man back to a coherent state of mind.

“What? How—” the old man started.

“How did you do it?”

“I don’t—”

“How did they get the Slave Class?”

“I—”

Anger got the best of Cal. He no longer had the patience to let the old man speak for himself. He took the information from the man’s memories. His face twisted behind the faceplate. To know an other's memories was to live them. “A mixture of legalized decree and getting them to see themselves as such… cruelty is the point,” he muttered with disgust. “You will free the people you’ve enslaved. That means getting rid of that evil law you created. You will make a law outlawing slavery in all its forms as it should be, as it was. You will provided free food, water, comfortable housing. All these things cost you nothing. Stores create every supply a human being needs to live without cost to yourself. While there are plenty of vacant homes and apartments.”

The old man averted his eyes.

“Do this and you keep your life this night. Fail to heed my words and you will suffer before you die. Understand that you will face judgment when I return. The level of mercy I will show depends on how well you take care of all the people in your territory.” Cal opened up his thoughts and connected himself with everyone. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. No more hate, no more violence, no rape, no exploitation. Free and fair lives for all of you. Those that go against this will face my judgment.” He branded the words into their minds.

Cal regarded the ornate crucifix on the wall. “You pray daily. Go to Mass weekly. Confession, Communion… all of that and still you enslave other human beings. The hypocrisy…” he growled. “Senator, whatever your name is, you have my words. I promise that how well you follow them will determine the quality of the rest of your life. One last thing. A convoy will be driving through tomorrow morning. Do not impede them in any way or your fate will be settled then. Whomever your second in command is will inherit my commands.”

With that Cal exploded up with a violent gust of wind that knocked the old man across the floor until his back slammed against the wall.

The air boomed in Cal’s wake. He wanted distance from the enslaved people. Though he knew that he’d carry their experiences with him forever.

His only consolation was that their suffering was nearly over.