Chapter 9
The worst of humanity
We set out to what used to be Louisiana. I spend most of the trip reading the web of energy on the Key trying to understand what it has on it. Taking notes and trying to break a few of the nexus points but after several hours I made no headway. I put the book away and take a quick nap.
A few hours later my brothers wake me. When I open my eyes the sun was still hidden by the horizon. The truck was stopped and we were underneath an overpass using the shadows to mask our presence.
"What's going on guys?" I ask groggily. Baker holds up his finger to his mouth and points up. I think to my brothers
he also send me a few images of weapons straight out of a sci-fi movie. All sleek and glowing, pulsing with energy that is both human and demon and neither at the same time.
I ping my energy and before I get back a response an alarm starts sounding from above us. We can hear the troops rallying for something right above us. Six ropes cascade off the side of the over pass with six well equipped soldiers rappelling down from either side of us.
"How the hell did they know that we were here?" I said pulling out my bow. Leaning out of the window I let loose two arrows at the incoming soldiers that were surrounding us. Before my arrows hit true they stop in midflight and fall to the ground harmlessly.
"Shit they have some type of shielding." I said pulling back into the truck. I yell at Baker to just run them over and get us out of here. The truck's engine roars to life and we pull out of our concealment. The soldiers don’t move out of the way and began firing their futuristic weapons at us. Green, red and purple energy bolts start whizzing by us missing by inches. Baker takes one hand off the wheel and puts it on the dashboard of the vehicle. A large bubble of silvery energy forms around the exterior of the truck in seconds. The soldiers firing the red and green bolts notice that their ammo is glancing off harmlessly. The purple shots however seem to be able to penetrate Baker's shielding.
I gather two very large balls of energy into my hands focusing as much power as I can muster. I let loose the balls of green and black ice energy at the two converging groups. One ball hits the ground between the feet of the soldiers in front of us the other hits one of the soldier’s square in the chest. I split my mind into two parts and focus two different effect into either ice ball simultaneously. The ball that hit the soldier in the chest shatters and forms a cloud of razor sharp ice shards that keep the group behind us at bay. The other energy ball I gave a different purpose to and when it hits the ground it spreads a thin layer of ice on the ground and then sprouts small ice spikes that pierce the soldier’s feet. The soldiers fall to the ground in pain and we get out of the overpass area safely.
Baker drove for the better part of an hour taking random turns and ducking through back roads to make sure we weren't being pursued. I finally start to feel safe again.
"Fuck they have weapons that can penetrate even your defenses and shields that can block my enchanted arrows but it seems they are still effected by aoe type attacks that don’t directly hit the armor." I say feeling the last of the adrenaline leave my system. The sun was starting to go down now and the sky was starting to darken. Baker stops outside of a small town and pulls into an abandoned mechanic shop. We hide the truck inside and set to make camp inside this building.
Baker and Shyft set up our usual wards and I set up my usual shooting position in the office on the second floor. I also just before nightfall take another look at the Key hoping to see something I hadn't seen before. The intricate nature of the enchantment is stunningly put together. The way that this set of enchantments was crafted must have taken a master a long time. I spend a good 4 frustrating hours that ended with me locking the book back away and going to bed aggravated.
I wake in the morning just before dawn, my brothers were still sleeping, and pull out my journal to start making notes. Shade pops into existence above my shoulder and lands lightly. He looks over my shoulder at my work.
"Do you really understand this stuff it’s like gibberish to me?" he asks groggily. I looked at him and smiled.
"Yes, we were trained by an amazing and very knowledgeable master. My skills are suited for this type of thing but I should admit whomever created your weave was a genius. The way that the magicks meld together and intertwine is so masterfully done it’s like a work of art. I just have to spend time trying to understand the underlying structure to break the enchantment." I add "How are you feeling in your new body?" He spread his wings and laughed.
"This is wonderful. I don’t feel as tainted by the magic of the book as I once was and I feel as free as you humans probably do. Free to move about unfettered." He leaned close and nuzzled my neck. "I never did thank you truly for what you have done for me and I wanted to ask when this is over if you do permanently separate me from the book with no ill effect can I please stay with you as your companion?" I reached over and stroked his head.
"One thing at a time Shade, but I don’t see why not." my older brothers awoke not long later as the sun starts to crest over the horizon. Baker walks into the room I’m working in and sits on one of the chairs to my left.
"Any luck Wingless?" he pulls out his pistol, set it on the table, and pulls out a small gun cleaning kit from one of his many pockets. He sets to cleaning his weapons.
"I still haven’t even cracked the surface of how this magic was created. It is the most complicated and beautiful creation I have ever seen. Even the things that Roland had were nothing compared to this. Maybe having more of the books will help illuminate more." I lean back in my chair. "Shyft are you up?" I say into the other room.
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He responds very groggily "No its like 0 dark 30." He stumbled into the room and I laughed he didn’t even have his eyes fully open yet.
"Well brother, Baker and I are going to check things out. Wake yourself up and get ready." He nods very lazily and gives a shaky thumb up. I stand up and stretch. Baker repacks his cleaning kit and reloads his pistol. He stands and retrieves his other weapons and shield and then heads to the front door. Once my trench coat, quiver and bow were in place I walk up to the door while strapping on my kukris. I look at Baker and nod
"Ready brother?" he nods and we head out of the building. The town we were in was small only a few dozen buildings most of them obviously abandoned. I pinged my radar a few times and got back some human pings, no demon presence. We checked a few buildings and got some provisions that we needed, food and water. After checking the rest of the town, we were on the way back when a shadow at the edge of one of the buildings seemed to move. I sent Baker an alert to it and pull my bow up at the ready. We move over to where the shadow moved and peer around the building. There were 4 black armored Humvees stationed at the south entrance of this town blocking the road. 5 armored soldiers were standing guard while 4 more seemed to be having a discussion when we came into view. The guards raise their weapons and with a tactical precision moved toward us. "Shit sector 9." Baker raised his shotgun. I send Shyft a thought through our link about of situation. He responds with be careful. Shade lifts off my shoulder and stays flying near me.
"Are we attacking them or fleeing?" he asks. I look at Baker and think to him.
As he sends me his reply I nod and send 3 arrows in quick succession flying toward the soldiers. All three arrows make contact but seem to not be able to penetrate the soldiers armor. The soldiers keep advancing and start to fire their weapons. One of the soldiers is using what looks like a shotgun that is belching out fireballs, two of them have smaller rifles that are sending out arcs of electricity, and the last two have machine guns that are emitting small purple energy blasts in quick succession. Baker raises a shield to intercept the incoming fire which is effective against the fire and the electricity but the purple energy blasts pierce right through and just barely miss his head. We both move back around the corner to take cover. Shyft comes running up from a side street.
"What’s going on?" I send him a quick image of the situation around the corner. He nods and pulls his warrior chain out. I pull out my kukris knowing that this would have to be an up close and quick fight. Baker unfurls his shield and opens his spear.
“You good to do melee with trained soldiers?” Shyft asked clasping me on the shoulder.
“Roland did give me the kukris for this reason to keep me from being one sided and you and Baker did help continue my training with melee combat.”
Shyft nodded “That is true brother but you lose your most amazing ability when up close.”
I looked at him “And what is that?”
Baker looked back at me “You lose your hyper focus that allows you to see the entire battle as it is happening and you can’t be the mastermind that we love.”
“Yeah I know but my range seems to be cut off while fighting these guys so I can’t just let you guys go in there alone.” I answer. My brothers agreed we fight together or not at all.
"It’s a good day to die." I put my fist out my brothers knock knuckles with me and both say,
"It’s a better day to live." We come around the corner ready to rush the attackers. The soldiers were no longer advancing on us but they were facing an alley that runs behind the building we were hiding behind. The shotgunner looks over at us and pulls up his weapon and fires a few times at us.
"3 more targets to the right around the corner of the building. They must be working together." He shouts at his teammates.
I look at my brothers and think.
"You all have attacked us and released our test subjects for the last time. We are going to end your little resistance here and now." the leader of the soldiers yelled after he had stepped forward at this point fearlessly. He was holding a quarter staff that had a blue glow at one end and a red glow at the other end. He also had a small pistol sized handgun that had 4 different colored vials of pure energy on top. I sent a warning thought to my brothers to make sure they watched that weapon especially. They both nodded.
I looked at Shade. "Get ready we are going to help those three out." Shade clicked his beak to show his agreement. Baker, Shyft and I drop our other gear and rush around the corner. Baker put all his available energy into one of the strongest shields he had ever created. We rushed up behind the three.
As we approached the blonde-haired guy spins around. "Doran, we have three behind us? They don’t look like sector 9 soldiers." he then yells at us "Who are you?"
Baker yells back "We can talk when this is all over. We need to take these assholes out now."
The man in front, called Doran by the blonde-haired man, yells back without taking his eyes off the soldiers. "He is right. You can feel their power Jasper. They are definitely like us." We came up next to the three.
"Now Shade!" I yell. Shade who was flying above us lets loose 3 purplish black energy blasts aimed for the feet of the soldiers. When they were about eye level with the enemy all three energy blasts explode wreathing the sector 9 soldiers in a dark cloud. The 6 of us took that as a signal to be off. The three of us flank around the left and Doran and his team around the right flank. Baker and Shyft both peel off to engage the two riflemen and I run passed them for the shot gunner knowing that I must get to him fast.
I catch a glimpse of Doran and his group fighting, they were proficient and well organized. Doran would keep them covered with his shield while the woman with them would go for arms and legs of those in front with rhe spear. Jasper would then jump forward and finish them off before jumping right back into formation. They quickly dispatched two of the soldiers. I spring forward at the shotgun user. Using my one of my kukris I put a dent the side of the gun to keep it from firing and my other kukri gets the soldiers leg causing him to take a knee. I spin around to see him trying to pull a knife from his belt. I spin my kukri backwards in my hand and punch the guy in the side of the head with the pommel. He crumples to the ground unconscious. I take his handcuffs and cuff his hands behind his back.
I look over to see Baker shield bashing his enemy in the head with his shield. I see the blue flashes of Shyft's fire from my periphery. He was already heading off toward the Humvees to get the other soldiers. The sound of diesel engines roar to life and the vehicles start to move. Baker gathers energy in his hands and slams the energy ball in to the ground. A pillar of raw metal erupts from under the head vehicle causing it to roll. The one right behind it crashes into the first. The other 2 maneuver and spin 180 to head straight at us. Doran reaches forward with his hand and makes a fist. A large hole opens in front of one the remaining Humvees.
The driver tries to swerve but the woman with Doran raises her spear and a brilliant ray of light shoots out directly into the driver’s eyes. I collect a large ball of ice energy into my hand and launch it at the remaining enemy vehicle. When it gets within a few feet I slam my hands together then push them forward with my fingers spread wide. My energy ball breaks apart forming 10-foot-long icicles which pierce the hood and engine. Stopping it dead in its tracks. We spend the next 10 or so minutes finishing off the remaining soldiers.