Crusaders III: The New Age 1.47

8.2.          The Event Half – Geranium

Geranium saw the two riders approaching her; it was Black and Yellow. They split up to come from different sides. Or that was she assumed, but she was wrong. Black stopped short on the move, while Yellow went on to the rear of Geranium. They were now in the front and back of her position.

Black then stepped off her bike and approached Geranium. She then spread her wings out as if in flight. She flapped it gradually while increasing the momentum. It was then Geranium felt the pressure pressed against her by the flapping of the wings. It was a like a large fan blowing at you. She turned to look at Yellow who was still standing there not moving. Her wings were curled in to the back.

Black spread her arms, and from her fingers the talons appeared. The talons looked like scimitars blade but half its length. She rushed at Geranium but the later had stepped back while she swung her whip. That stroke made Black jumped up and thrust her talons out. Geranium took the cue to run to the left, and swung her whip to cover her flank.

But Geranium did not expect the next move.

Yellow had rushed in stealth from the rear and had leapt up. She had the same talons like Black. She had intercepted Geranium without her knowledge. Yellow had first strike; her left talons cut into Geranium at the back of the shoulder. Geranium rolled over on the strike, and dropped the whip. She kept on rolling for a distance.

Geranium saw Black had moved in on her right, and Geranium reached for the rapier. She thrust the rapier up towards Black who saw it coming. The other had stopped in mid-stride but it was late. The rapier thrust into the left kidney of the Harpies.

Geranium sat up and pushed the rapier in. Black hit out with the talons, but Geranium had hit out with her left leg to push the Harpy off while releasing the rapier. She rolled over and then stood up. Black was limping from her wound, while Yellow had rejoined her partner.

Geranium held onto her rapier. She noticed Black had collapsed to her knees, while Yellow was holding her up. That time, Geranium went into action. She rushed towards the duo but Yellow stood out to face her. That time, Yellow waited for Geranium, but she was not in the same league. Yellow spread out her wings and leapt up. She kick out with her right leg at Geranium into the face.

The kick dropped Geranium backwards.

“Damn!” Geranium cried out. She saw the next attack; the dropkick towards her face. She waited for it and at the last moment, she turned away and grabbed the leg. She pulled it down and caused Yellow to land on her back. When Yellow was down on the ground, she land a punch into the ribs. With that blow, she rolled Yellow over on the back and pulled at the wings.

Geranium yanked the wings off the Harpy, and lashed out with her legs for leverage to pull the wings off. Yellow screams out, but Geranium did the unexpected. She twisted the wings together and snapped it. She did the rollover before rushing towards Black. The other limped away but Geranium had closed the distance. She leapt up and did a kick on her own. The kick land on Black’ chest and was followed through with a punch in the face. Geranium moved in later with the rapier. She thrust the rapier into the Harpy face.

“It was the way to kill you demons.” Geranium cursed at the Harpy. She pulled the rapier out and approached Yellow. It was about the same time, Helmut killed his share of the Harpies.

8.3.          The Event Half – The Calvary

Helmut shouted to Geranium when he saw the other Vampires moved in upon the death of the Harpies. The hounds were released and the Vampires pacing behind it. Geranium saw the new threat and ran to the nearest bike. She boarded and rode it. She trained the cannons on the approaching hounds, giving them a spat of the cannons power. She traversed the wheel and sped towards Helmut.

“Jump on.” Geranium told the other. It was then she heard the firing of the other cannons and phaser from the far side of her position. She looked over and saw the few vehicles with the cannons blasting away. It was Major Burnside with his mercenaries, on the ten vehicles. She saw more of the mercenaries firing from their high points at the Vampires. Helmut refused the bike offer and rushed himself at the Vampires.

“Damn fool!” Geranium cursed out while she rode the bike to attack the Vampires. She went for the nearest Nephilim; blasting at the lower half of the body causing the giant to drop down, before she laid her fire on the giant upper body. She then rode the bike on top of the fallen Nephilim while firing the cannons. At her high vantage point, she ditched the bike onto another Nephilim at the back. The giant went down while Geranium dropped on top of it, and thrust her rapier into the back of the Nephilim neck.

Helmut swung the sword at the Vampire at the neck, while his left arm punched at the other one rushing towards him. It was then he felt the machete struck his back, but his chain mail protected him. He turned his back and used his elbow to hit at the Vampire.

The mercenaries are skirting the boundary to lay fire on the enemies, but the speed of the later was allowing them to hit hard on the mercenaries. Major Burnside saw two of his vehicles were overrun by the Vampires with the hounds. They were laying their fangs into the already dead mercenaries. He took out the grenades and lobbed it over onto the vehicles.

“Die, you freaks!” Major Burnside shouted out while he fired with his phaser. He was then pushed down by the hound that jumped on his back. He fell down but managed to roll over. He fired at the hound in the jaws at point blank.

“Move~” Major Burnside shouted, but his command was cut short when the Vampire chopped down on his left knee with the machete. The blow caused him excoriating pain while he pulled away for safety. The Vampire shopped down once more and severed his lower leg but he fired then at the Vampire in the head. He tried to sit u[ but the pain forced him to lay back. He looked and then saw Helmut.

“Retreat~” Major Burnside shouted out, but his command was stifled once more; that time by a hound who snapped at his wounded leg stump. He screamed out and then shot the hound in the head. He knew it was all over for him. He would not be fed on. He took the remaining grenades on his web belt and detonated it over him. That explosion caused Helmut who was nearby to thrown off his feet, and landed unconscious on the ground. It also killed some of the Vampires, and hounds, but the surviving ones continued their attack. Geranium saw him fall, and rushed over. She checked his body but he was still alive. She looked for the broadsword, but it was not there. It could had been taken, or destroyed.

Geranium pulled him up and led him to the bike nearby. It was Blue’ and she rode it off with Helmut slumped on her back. She rode off to the Stadium.

Crusaders III: The New Age 1.46

The Event First Half Hour at Munich

8.1.          The Event Half – Helmut

Helmut’ sword glowed with the presence of those evils. It was Micheal who came up with the good news.

“Geranium, I found the way to get to the Stadium undetected. Or unknown to them.” Micheal voiced out. “There are some elaborate tunnels below the city.”

Geranium looked surprised, but Micheal explained himself.

“The more known tunnel was the Erdstall System believed to be built in the Middle Ages. Since then more tunnels have been discovered, even as late as 2011. Since then, the city had added in their own tunnels; rail road and subways, and those we had just tunnel out from. But the schematics showed on buried down deep which ran into the stadium.” Micheal was ecstatic about it.

“What if they are waiting for us like the previous one?” Geranium asked.

“They were not waiting for us in the tunnels. They created their own holes into the tunnel we were in. They had us scented out.” Micheal corrected the other. Geranium sighed and then nodded.

“Show me the entrance.” Geranium told Micheal. “We would go immediately. We do have much time. The rally had started.”

“Hold on!” Helmut stopped them. “We can’t just leave. They are there to hunt us if we leave.”

“So you want us to fight them here.” Geranium sighed but Helmut had another idea.

“I would stay and fight them. The three of you leave. You need Micheal for the sniping shot. Crawler could help in detecting any Vampires. And ..”

“Myself?” Geranium asked.

“You are the leader. You need to lead.” Helmut reminded her.

”So I am.” Geranium replied. Then she gave her command. “You would leave with them. I would create the diversion needed.”

“Say’s who that you are my leader?” Helmut shot back. “You would leave now.”

Geranium was past the point of reasoning. She ignored them and walked to the door. She went out even before Helmut could stop her. Helmut saw her standing there alone and then turned to Micheal.

“Go and do the shoot.” Helmut told the other and then joined Geranium. Crawler saw his mistress out there and was to join when he got the new command from her.

“Join Micheal. Protect him.” Geranium shouted. She then saw Helmut standing beside her. The Harpies rushed to their bike, and gunned up their engine. They fired with their bike cannons, and shattered the glass wall of the building while scattering the two Crusaders.

Helmut rolled on his jump while drawing on his sword. He used it then to deflect the cannon shots. He kept on moving and soon closed the distance. He was aiming for the two on the left; Red and Blue. He was to strike at Red when he saw the extra edge of the Harpies.

Red spread her wings and flew up with the bike like she was riding it. She directed the cannons towards Helmut while Blue sped on the ground towards him. It was a split second move when Helmut jumped up as if reaching for Red, but he soon curled his body and did the downward twist to thrust his sword at Blue. The second rider was not prepared for the attack and swerved the bike to drift it across the ground. Helmut landed behind Blue, and did a back swung with the broad sword. He managed to slash Blue on the head when she fell backwards to avoid tangling with the bike. He roll his body to avoid Red’ flight of cannon shots. Helmut got up and rushed to the fallen bike. He picked it up and rode it. He headed for Red with both of them firing their cannons. At the right speed, Helmut climbed up on the seat and jumped from it with his sword raised. He thrust the sword into the bike under belly and into Red. Then he twist the sword, and pulled it out on the side.  

Devils Own ( Steampunk and Mystic ) 5.2

5.2

Kassius found himself frozen in his limbs while he was in the gateway; floating yet moving with various speeds through the realm that was there. He saw strange landscapes and images that will haunt him; images in vivid or distorted colors. He saw images of himself from his childhood to his current age but they were different from what he had experienced. Later, he saw images of different landscapes from dry to wet and the vast oceans as if he was sailing on it, then to the limits of the skies. He found himself afloat in total darkness and then bathe in sunlight but there was nothing he could do to protect himself.  The next stage of his trip saw him slowed down to more images, but then the senses of his mind came into play. He could smell, hear and even feel the sensation around him; the sultry salt on his tongue and the prickly feel of the heat on his skin. At the last stage, he felt his body was intruded by the sight of lights that penetrate his body without harming him. He tried to move his face but it was not possible. Just when he thought it was to last forever; an existence in limbo, he found himself stepping into a new land.

It was a land of dense jungle foliage and the screeching of the dwellers sounded through the trees. Kassius found himself standing on the solid grass land looking at the surrounding trees, and thick overhanging bushes. He crouched down to feel the blade of the grass, and then opened his mouth to taste the moisture in the air. It was all there and it was real. It was not an illusion or one that was created by the ring.

He had arrived.

He looked back to the ring that he was supposedly had stepped through but he found nothing there. There was no more metal ring there, but only the trees. He looked to the side of him and saw Irina with Derreen. They were in the same state of mind as he was. Just when he was to ask them of their well being, he sensed danger around him. His first instinct was to reach for the sword on his back. He swung it wide and found his target was the severed head of the serpent which fell to the grass land. It was a huge one with a head the size of Kassius thigh.

“Huh?” Kassius stepped back as he had never slay one that big. He had seen serpents but they were no thicker than his wrist, but that one was huge.

“There are more!” Irina warned him, while she reached for her flame shooter on her back. She grabbed the handle with the nozzle and pulled the trigger towards the nearby tree. It caught fire and the serpent on it fell down with the flames engulfing it. It was no ordinary flame but the same ones that Merlin inflicted on the dirigibles.

‘Praise with to you, Merlin.” Derreen muttered out while she reached for the slung bag of hers. Inside she pulled out the foot length stick and swirled it in front of her. “Reveal to me the hidden foes.”

Five more serpents fell from the branches as if it was not able to grasp the branches. They were all huge ones with the length of over twenty feet each. The serpents coiled up and raised its head to the height of five feet with their fangs revealed in their jaws. The unique part of the serpents was that on their scalp was some metallic skin that covered from there to the lower jaw.

“What the...” Irina muttered but her reply was the five shots that came from the trees. Each shot was well placed and took off the serpents’ head. Irina turned to look at the source of the firing and saw an elderly man stepped out from the cover of the trees. He was dressed in the blue tunic and darker pants tucked into the soft leather boots. He had on a waist belt with an ammo pouch and a foot long bayonet on the left side. His weapon looked like a rifle but it had seven flint lock barrels on it. It was an improvised version of the Nock Gun, but that one looked it fired off each barrel at a time, instead of one discharge.

“Sergeant Harper, Ma’am.” The shooter stepped forth with his rifle leveled at the serpents. “Those slitters are mighty dangerous. They ain’t dead until you see their eyes lose its red glisten.”

The sergeant was a man of average height with wide shoulders and sturdy frame, with his head piece that resembled a cap covered with the leaves from the trees. He reloaded the rifle while he approached the trio.

“We have been waiting for you since the message came through.” Sergeant Harper smiled to show his decaying teeth while he signaled for the rest to come out. There were three others, and all were dressed like the Sergeant but they carried the long barrel flintlock rifles.

“The Selected Ones at your service, Ma’am.” Sergeant Harper was obviously impressed with the ladies, and ignored Kassius. “We had our birdies told us you were coming through and awaited here. “Or there. We have a few location marked. Them so called gates are unpredictable.”

The sergeant looked to the dead serpents and then back to Derreen. He kicked at the nearby dead serpent on the body. He then crouched down and had his bayonet stabbed at it several times.

“That’s for my Maize and kid.” Sergeant Harper then looked to Derreen and smiled. “I am not sure if I was to ask. But if you could teach us some of your tricks, we might not be recruiting so often. These slitters had bitten or carted our mates more than we could recruit.”

“Actually~” Derreen was to explain when Kassius stepped in. The later was dressed in his uniform with the vambrace holding his daggers and the waist belt held his air pistol with the metal balls clip. On his back was the leather case that covered half his back. Inside it were his spare clips, more thin wires that was his basic tool for climbing and at times, to secured things and also medical supplies while his sword scabbard was on his back.

“Who are the Selected Ones?” Kassius interjected in. The sergeant looked at the former who had spoken. He gave him a once over and then remarked.

“Are you out of line, guardsman? I am addressing your Lady and respect ought to be maintained.” Sergeant Harper glared at the assassin. “More when I held top ranking here.”

“Pardon me, Sergeant…” Derreen intervened before the two get into an argument. “Kassius here is …our leader. He  ...”

Derreen was interrupted by the Sergeant. Kassius had also sensed the oncoming danger and drew out his sword. The Selected Ones had then surrounded the ladies and leveled their rifles to the trees. The sergeant did not have a chance to warn them before the creature appeared out of the trees. It was not any creature but a mechanical contraption that resembled an eight legged freak with an oblong fifteen feet by eight feet hull shaped on the top, and was armed with the twin mounted machine gun beneath the hull in the fore.

“Spiders!” One of the Chosen Ones shouted out and then fired his rifle. He was met with the spiked metal leg that came down onto his chest. He was impaled by it while the machine gun opened up. The gun took down two more Selected Ones, before the others managed to find cover among the tree trunks.

Kassius had jumped up to the branches and climbed up. He had reached the height where he could leap onto the spider contraption. He had missed the hull but his sword made contact with the side. It cut into the hull body and then he swung the sword to cut at the joints that held the left front leg. He managed to cut but ended up beneath the hull. The hull was twelve feet in height from the ground, but Kassius was focused on the three remaining left legs. He slashed through them and caused the spider contraption to topple onto its side. On the top of the hull was a hatch which was opened from the inside. The sergeant rushed forward to the open hatch and emptied his seven shots inside there.

“Damn! That felt good.” Sergeant Harper smiled. He then turned to the surviving Selected Ones. “Climb in and remove the guns. And ammo.”

The surviving unit member climbed in while the sergeant slides off the hull. Sergeant Harper saw Derreen glaring at him and he nodded back.

“I would have climbed in but my left knee gets cranky when I moved it too much.” Sergeant Harper smiled. “We need to be going now. If one Spider is here, then the rest could be nearby.”

Sergeant Harper led the trio into the jungle and soon they reached a large bush. He moved the bush to reveal a covered doorway. He pulled it open and asked that they stepped in. Inside the pit was a stepped ladder with a strong pungent smell and it was lighted by the sunlight that shone through the opening. Once Kassius had descended down three steps, the pit was lighted up by two gases light on the side of the wall to reveal a tunnel in front of it.

“Move along the tunnel. It’s tight and your heads low.” Sergeant Harper told them. They proceeded along the tunnel for over a distance of a hundred feet. The tunnel was descending in its path before they reached a dug out cavern that measured fifty feet and twelve feet high with reinforced steel beams. In front of them was a gunner with a machine gun with a metal plate to cover the gunner from explosions.

“Jimmy, hold onto your braces. They are friends.” Sergeant Harper told the gunner. He then explained to Derreen that the gunner had lost his legs in an earlier battle and volunteered to guard the tunnel. They proceeded to the center of the cavern and there the sergeant held opened another doorway going down. They climbed down the ladder for over twenty feet before they leveled in another cavern. The cavern was smaller with a dimension of ten feet by ten feet, but there was a tunnel ahead. They walked that for over twenty feet before they climbed up another flight of ladder to another cavern that resembled the first one. This one had another guard, and was holding a rifle leveled at them. Sergeant Harper ignored the guard and led the three to the rear of the cavern into a longer tunnel. Finally they reached another exit which required them to climb up. They stepped out then into a stone walled chamber where a number of the so named Selected Ones were resting.

“Welcome to the Selected Ones Fortress. We prefer to call it Atlantis.”

Devils Own ( Steampunk and Mystic ) 5.1

Part 5

The Gateway

5.1

Kassius placed his hand on the metal ring and noted the delicate finishing on the Angels. He traced his fingers on the writings. It was engraved in deep, and ancient from the feel of his fingers. There were nine angels on it, and each one was different in looks as if they were engraved based on some real figures.

“There are nine rankings among the servant of God. They are placed in the hierarchy with the Angels the lowest in rank. Above them were the Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Archangels, Principalities and Angels. The lowest is the messenger with God and the humans on this level. They are the most caring and loving among the above, but they are also the first line of troopers.” Thaddeus explained to Kassius. “They are notable on Runes engravings but above it all, the Angels were truly the Guardians of the Gateway between dimensions. We all believed that when the Runes were in danger, the Angels will descend and removed the threat.”

“If that was the belief, why have the Crescent of the Swords to be the Guardian?”

“We are the hired hands. More to it, someone had to camouflage from the obvious.” Thaddeus grinned at the trio before he stepped back. “Can we move on?”

“Why the rush, Thaddeus?” Irina asked.

“There may be a rush, when the signs said that on the sounding of the Horn, chaos was to come. We have reports that the troopers are massing at the boundary. Your presence may have attracted them. Or it was just the signs foretelling the truth. Hopefully, I am right on the later.”

“So get us on the way.” Irina added in her sarcasm. “And we will not be the cause of your battle. If there was any cause to start with.”

Senior Thaddeus expression frowned up before he lay forth his terms.

“The new dimension unlike ours, and more to it, King Richard had established a reign there too. He knew that the Ark had moved there, but he could not locate it. The only difference is that he could not move those from there here”, Thaddeus looked at the Horn. “He needed an artifact of which he had none.”

“Seek the Bastion. Find the key that will open the Vault.” Thaddeus told them. “Then do what is needed. I am not sure what is really needed as I have never sought the Vault.”

Thaddeus then looked at them.

“All of you are not dressed to face to face the new dimension. Assassin, I have a set of your uniform. Be yourself, and you may survive.” Thaddeus looked to the sword. “The Sword of Mars would be a valued companion, but your familiar tools are also needed.”

“Irina of the Guild, I knew your father well. He had once told me that his biggest achievement was having loved your mother. She was a wonderful lady and like you, an innovative inventor. He had left with me a gift which I will pass onto you.”

Thaddeus motioned to his aide to bring in the gift. It was an invention of Irina; the flame shooter of her’. It was an earlier model, which worked but held only a small volume of content.

“I had improved on it. You will find that even Merlin had a hand on it. Both of us were intrigued by it and with our tinkering, you may find it more appealing.” Thaddeus smiled. “There is the fire you seen used by Man, and there from it, the flames that slipped out to burn your hands. But behold these fires as it’s not the same fire used by man. This fire is of magical properties. It will not burn, but will torment on whoever it was inflicted on. It’s unquenchable by water, but on its own time will it dispersed. Use it to repel the dark ones.”

Thaddeus then turned to Derreen.

“The daughter of Merlin needs nothing from me, but only her own faith. She needs to hold high her learning and apply it when needed. Merlin had taught you well. Trust in his magic. And yours.”

“Once I opened the dimension, I want only one thing in return. I want the Horn in bargain.”

“The Horn? Why the Horn?” Kassius asked.

“I want to stop anyone else from using that. The Horn was one of the few remaining artifacts that could open the gateway. We have the others, and this one remained the last. We have to eliminate all the means to it.”

“Was that why you have been bargaining for artifacts?” Irina asked. She was told that Thaddeus was colleting those and had been pressing for the Horn before.

“Can you get going before I forget my reason for inviting you?” Thaddeus replied. He had seen the Horn on Irina and prompted the invitation. It was Derreen who brought the subject back to their quest.

“Can we get to the Ark and stop the madness? Is that the way.” Derreen approached Irina. She reached for the Horn.

“What do we need to do?”

“I have spoken all that is. Get ready yourselves for the quest. I will open the gate when you are ready.” Thaddeus then left the Hall to the trio who stood there. Another aide brought in the uniform of the assassin and its array of weapons.

It was Kassius who did the first move.

*************

Thaddeus placed the Horn on his lips and blew it. He blew it not once but thrice, and then the metal ring began to vibrate. Form within the ring, a bluish aura appeared and then it spread to cover the while ring like an orb.

“Step into it.” Thaddeus told them. “And be careful of the N~”

The warning of Thaddeus was lost to the trio when they stepped in.

Devils Own ( Steampunk and Mystic ) 4.9

4.9

The riders were dressed in colorful drabs that covered them from the head down with only the opening for the eyes. Their head piece was a wraparound cloth with a trailing end to the rear. There were six of them with the rifles and bandoliers slung across the chest riding the man height tall horses. The horses were covered in colorful drabs with the emblem of the crescent with the twin swords.

That was the emblem of the Crescent Warriors. They were the rival Guilds of the Devil’s Own.  

“Strangers are not allowed in these areas.” The leader of the riders stopped before the trio. “Leave now or  ...”

The dirigibles appeared at the horizon. The leader was warned by the rider who saw the ship.

“Leave or you will shot.” The riders rode off to escape from the ship. Kassius led the two ladies to hide at the nearest bushes. It was the covered by a far distance. He saw the dirigible opened fire on the fleeing riders. He recognized the dirigible; it was the same one that Lilith had taken.

The riders split up into pairs, but the dirigible was focus on the leader. It machine guns soon hit the accompanying rider with the leader, and then focused on the leader. The other riders had realized that their leader was in trouble and moved back to shoot at the dirigible. The later had moved to within a hundred feet above the ground, and was trailing the leader. The other riders were shooting at the dirigible, but then the other gunners on the dirigible were also laying fire on the riders.

Then the unexpected happened.

A line was thrown down and a figure abseil down by it, holding a twin sword. The figure loomed above the leader and swung the swords. At that last moment the leader dropped back on the back of the horse, and shot at the swopping figure with his rifle. The shot hit the figure above, and then dirigible moved on with it hanging. The leader then pulled at the horse reins, and moved in tangent to the dirigible path. The other riders joined their leader, but the danger was not over.

Three Scorpions appeared on the horizon, and was in pursuit. The Scorpions spread out and opened fire. It brought down two riders, while the rest of the riders split into individual routes. Two Scorpions went for the leader like the dirigible. The leader did a detour and rode towards Kassius.

“Shoot at the Scorpions when they passed us.” Kassius told the ladies, while they laid low into the ground. Kassius had his sword drawn out and held close to his chest. The leader jumped over their position and then the Scorpions came in close pursuit. The trio got up and leveled their rifles at the rear of the Scorpions. They took out the rear gunner but by then the drivers had driven some distance. One of the Scorpion turned back with the loader as the gunner on the platform. It came at the trio with the machine gun firing, and Derreen got hit on the left arm. That made Kassius got up and ran into the line of fire with his sword drawn. He jumped up and did a dual body somersault before he came slashing down with the sword.

The Sword of Mars came into contact on the Scorpion bonnet, and the slash cut into it. It also cut into the engine block and caused the Scorpion to spin out of control. By then Kassius had pulled out the sword and jumped off. He landed on his feet when the Scorpion crashed. He ran towards the Scorpion and pulled at the twin mounted machine guns. He got it off the holder and carried it with him. It was heavy on his hands with the extended ammo clip. He fired away at the approaching Scorpion which had given up on chasing the leader. The twin machine gun threw him back but he managed to hit the rear gunner of the second Scorpion. That deterred the fight from the remaining crews.  The Scorpions pulled away, while Kassius threw aside the guns.

“Are you okay?” Irina had approached him and was looking for wounds. Kassius shook his head and pushed himself up. He then saw the riders had returned.

The leader approached Kassius and then dismounted.

“My name is Jacque. I appreciate the assistance.”

“Kassius, Devil’s Own.” With his reply, he found the riders had leveled their rifles at him.

“Devil’s Own? You are far from home. More to that, you are not wanted here.” The leader told Kassius. “Or anywhere.”

The leader then motioned to the riders to lower their rifles.

“You saved my life. So that gives you a special invitation.” Jacque replied. “We will let the Elders decide on your fate.”

The village was like any, with its taverns and shops. There were the religious halls, schools, and then the Village Hall. Kassius and the ladies with their hands tied and trailed with the ropes attached to the horses. Jacque had dismounted and walked next to the Kassius. The walk down the main street held the attention of the onlookers of the villagers. They had stopped their work and stared at them. Kassius noticed a few of them had the crescent emblem on their tunic. The Crescent with the Swords was more of a protective Guild. They hired out their services to guard relics and places of importance to the mystical leaders. The Runes was one of the later. They have been in service for a very long time, and had dueled with the Guilds like Devil’s Own and Dark Princes.

“Go in.” Jacque showed them the doorway to the Village Hall. “The Elders awaits you.”

Inside the Village Hall was laid out like a praying hall with the rows of benches facing a raised platform with heavy drapes behind it. On the side of the hall, were the lighted oil stands, and the portraits of the past leaders. On the elevated platform, there were three figures in dark robes with pointed hats.

“Devil’s Own, my name is Senior Thaddeus.” The one who spoke stood in the middle and was tall despite his slumped back. His left arm was moving in mechanical movement then.

**********

 “Let me explain to you about the Runes.” Senior Thaddeus had invited the trio to a feast at the rear of the Village Hall. “The Runes may not be your site, but it was named for the writings on the pillars. They were engraved into the walls. Despite the weather and the passing of the centuries, the writings have never faded.”

“Your next question will be what’ in the writing?” Thaddeus continued on. “If there was anything, we do not know what it was. The Crescent and Swords was formed generations ago to be the Runes. We been doing it since then, and when our services are needed elsewhere, we deployed our best. We recruited from our own children that grew here.”

“We have been invaded before, and each time we were saved by the Runes. Some years back, King Richard tried to invade the Runes, but we fought back hard. We repel them for weeks, and eventually, he brought in more troopers. He overran our position and pushed us towards the Runes. At the last moment just when we thought we were going to lose it all, the Runes protected us. The troopers all fell in front of us; no wounds but just collapsed. There was a light or appeared to be, that enveloped the troopers. They fell where they stood, and even some shot their rifles but it was needless. They were dead soon after. We re-grouped and continued with our defenses but there were no troopers to shoot at. The ones who were not affected by the light retreated.” Since then, the troopers have not returned but patrol the boundary. Sometimes, we ride to the boundary and get into fights with them.”

“King Richard then tried to offer us peace and be an ally, but we declined. Since then, the troopers have not returned but patrol the boundary. Sometimes, we ride to the boundary and get into fights with them.”

“Senior Thaddeus, tell us about the gateway?” Irina pushed for the subject.

The elderly man glared at her. He was not amused to be interrupted. In turn he walked away from them towards the drapes. He pulled at it, and it revealed a large metal design with a string of angels weaved around it wings interlocking, and there were writings on it. Another of the seniors stood up and walked to Thaddeus.

“It is okay, Simon. They will know eventually. It was in the signs.” Thaddeus told the senior. He turned to Irina.

“Behold the Gateway of Angel.”

Devils Own ( Steampunk and Mystic ) 4.8

4.8

When the battle was over, the Citadel remained at ground level while repairs were carried out. The damaged Beasts were rolled out for repairs while the working ones stood guard. Three third of the Stingers were written off with half the crews, including Lucas. He was given a grand sent off along with the others. The wrecked Dozers and Scorpions were removed and whatever that was salvable was retained.

Merlin entertained the guests in his chamber again. They had their moment of silence for Lucas and finally Merlin spoke on the Ark again.

“The Citadel will be restored but all of you will need to go on your quest.” Merlin looked to the guests. There was Kassius, Irina, and Derreen. “Richard had to be stopped or what you had experienced will come back again. He was thwarted by the dragons then, and he improvised with the sonar weapon. I improvised on his Scorpion but we cannot be doing this forever.”

“You seem to be on the roll with your sling shot from the tower.” Irina smiled.

“It may be true but the war had to end.” Merlin voiced out. “You need to find the Ark.”

“So tell me how can we do that?” Kassius asked. “I heard rumors on my run. Was the Devil’s Own targeted by Richard? The saying was that the United Continents worked with King Richard despite their differences to remove the Devil’s Own.”

“Yes, it’s true.” Merlin spoke out. “King Richard had offered to clear the Devil’s Own for the United Continents. In exchange he will remove Lord Tannen. The later had proven to be a thorn in the United Continents side. He was welcomed earlier, but recent events made him a liability. Like the Devil’s Own, your Masters will not work for them as an ally, but for the one who will pay the dues. Devil’s Own was on their land, and yet you do not respect the land owner. Like Lord Tannen, you were both a liability.”

“Lord Tannen was protected by the United Continents.” Kassius spoke out.

“Protected? No, he was their prisoner then.” Merlin explained. “Richard had you all setup. You kill Lord Tannen, and with that, the United Continents used that excuse to remove all of you. It was a political move. If you had listened well to more of the rumors, then the war against us was not new. The United Continents had also quashed the other Guilds on their land, while Richard did the same, but not his Dark Princes. The two powers had called on a truce to clean their own house.”

“It was an uneasy truce.” Merlin shook his head. “Altib or Richard had some hidden reasons. He found that reason for the prolonged war was lengthen by the Guilds. Those undeclared killings removed a number of the ones who would have turned the tide or stopped the tide. By removing all of the Guilds, Richard held the upper hand with his own Dark Princes. He was playing for time.”

“So what do we get when we remove King Richard? You will then be the all powerful Merlin perhaps?” Irina voiced out to the older figure.

“Perhaps, but you forget one thing. I am dying.” Merlin replied. “The Citadel will cease to exist after I am gone. That was why I evicted the ones who stayed here. The place will be cleared once the real threat ends.”

Derreen rushed to her father but he held out his hands to stop her.

“I may not have long to live, but if you do get the Ark then I may not have to suffer with this body.” Merlin spoke up. “To find the Ark, you need to find the Gatekeeper at the Runes. If he believed you, he will give consent.”

******

The Runes was a set of pillars that was placed in a design of a hexagon with a single larger pillar in the middle. It was rumored to be a nexus to the alternate dimensional planes. The place was barred from public by the King Richard, and had a column of troopers to guard the place with a radius of five miles. At the outer boundary, there were three villages with a unique design; there was a tall tower located within a circle in the middle each of the villages. King Richard could not evict the villagers, nor tear down their homes, but he had the troopers to patrol the boundary of the Runes to prevent anyone going there.

“Father Thaddeus will not speak to me unless I have something he wants. Or something he will bargain for.” Irina dismounted from the Stinger loaned from Merlin. They had parked some distance from the villages.

Derreen who had changed into a more feminine character with her knee length dress and high boots, with a bag slung over her right shoulder to her left hip. She had one a waist belt with some pouches that she claimed stored some essential materials. On her head to cover her short cropped hair, was a coonskin cap with the tail trailing to her left shoulder. Irina was dressed in the same with the same head cover but of a darker shade, with a back pack to hold her weapons. She carried the horn given to her by her father slung across her back. Kassius had swapped his uniform for a plain bluish tunic over the dark pants tucked into a set of walking boots. He had on a back pack where he had stored in some of his weapons, and the sword given to him was packed in a case on his back. He had on a bandanna over his forehead to hold his sweat from drooling down his cheeks. Each of them had a rifle each which was normal for travelers then.

“Irina, we could ask them.” Derreen motioned to the group of riders that was sighted a distance away. 

Crusaders III: The New Age 1.45

7.5.          The Event Day – To the Rally

The four of them congregated at the Ground Level. The ground outside was all dark with the sun behind the hills. The sounds from the Stadium could be heard, but the four were not to make any difference whether they were going or not. There was a column of Vampires with the hounds and half a dozen of Nephilim holding the siege on the building.

“They knew we were coming.” Helmut cried out. He disliked to be lied at. Geranium stood there and looked at the Vampires who were still standing there. She counted twenty of those hounds, but they are kept on leash.

“We are outnumbered and neither the weapons to countered them.” Micheal voiced out while he checked his spares ammo. Crawler was at his usual lonesome self; taking refuge at the dark corner. He does not like the situation and kept on snarling at the hounds.

“What are they waiting for?” Geranium asked herself. She soon got her reply. Four riders on the same energized two wheel machine contraption like her’. The machine also comes with a set of energy lasers projectiles mounted to its front controlled remotely by the rider through its thought activated force strength helmet. The four were dressed like her but their helmets varied in the shades. She recalled having heard of them before; they were former Crusaders who went missing some years back. Then they were named the Four Riders of the Crusade, but rumors told of them having changed sides and became the four Horsemen of Hell. Unlike their counterparts, the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse; they are named by the colors of their bikes.

Red, Blue, Yellow, and Black.

They rode up to the entrance and dis-mounted there. The riders took off the dark helmet and shook the long tresses of hair.

The riders were all ladies.

The unexpected was the ladies spread their arms, and wings appeared from their back. They were Harpies.

Prologue 7

Nordstrom stood before the partition that separated him from his followers. He had arrived earlier and was chauffeured there under heavy security. The organizers had constructed a podium similar to the concerts, with the back stage. Colonel Drak stood by him, and was on the comms unit.

“The Crusaders have been sighted on the building. We have laid a siege but they are holding back as per your instruction. The forward teams should be engaging them right about now.”

“The security here?” Nordstrom asked.

“We are adequate..~” Colonel Drak replied but was interjected by the Prophet.

“Give me the real numbers. I want to know.” The Prophet was getting agitated.

“We are down to a manageable level, but we have your followers. They are in the thousands.” Colonel Drak reported back. “Our recent losses were not anticipated and the current diversion to hold the Crusaders.”\

“Then pray hard that you are right.” The Prophet shared his concern. 

Crusaders III: The New Age 1.44

7.4.          The Event Day - Crawler

Crawler heard the request from Helmut, but he also saw the new threat. The new threat slammed into Helmut and pushed the warrior to the wall. The German Crusader had his head slammed and fell down to the flooring unconscious.

Crawler looked to the new threat who had within a short time subdued the other Crusader. The new threat was all human but he had the looks of a creature with his extended nail. Part of his body was covered with the armor plates.

“Bjorn….” The one with the metal plates spoke up in the mind.

“Njor….Njord..” Crawler replied. Speeches in his mind were a needless event. He preferred to show his affection by touch. Or fights. It ran in the family.

The other creature also known as Njord charged at Crawler but he managed to evade the attack. Crawler jumped to the settee and used it as a barrier. Njord was not having any parley but to fight his own brother.

For leaving him to the Prophet.

For not taking care of him.

His freedom from the Prophet is the murder of his own brother.

The two brothers clashed and ended into a heap of bodies. Crawler used his legs as leverage to kick himself off the other. He rolled over and then crouched up to look at the other. The meeting was past the point of negotiation, and the claws were exposed. Njord was kept in captivity and never had any real fights besides most sedentary life preys to feed on.

So he came prepared.

Njord produced the ice pick from the back of his waist belt. The ice pick was a foot long and was held vise grip with the pointed end facing downwards. He rushed in and went for the side swing at the Crawler.

Crawler side stepped and lashed out with his left leg for Njord. The kick pushed the right knee back and caused the other to fall forward. He lashed out with his leg again to swing it on the half crouched body. He managed to kick the Njord side of the head with the knee. That blow caused Njord to fall over on his side which Crawler jumped to follow on. He swung his body over with the left hand aimed at the throat of the other. Njord caught on fast when he rolled to the rear, and crouched up to move some distance away.

“Bjord…” Njord still holding the ice pick came rushing with his arms out but Crawler had his share of brutal fights. He went in low below Njord arms while his own arms hit at the underarm to crack the bones there. He then reached in and thrust his claws into the chest to tear the muscles out. His effort made Njord screamed and fell back.

Crawler followed through by jumping on the fallen brother and slammed his claws toward the chest. But he was struck by the ice pick into his left ribs. He pulled off and fell onto his side. The ice pick had left a nasty wound where the blood was bleeding profusely.

With a high shriek, Crawler got up and rushed at Njord. The other struck out with the ice pick again, but the blow was deflected by Crawler’ right hand while his left hand went for the chest. The claws thrust into the same wound and pulled at it. Njord screamed and arched back. It was then Crawler reached out with his left hand and thrust its claws into the right ear. He ruptured past the ear drums into the soft tissue of the brain.

Njord died whispering Crawler’s name, not in love but in the tone of despair.

The despair of losing the fight.

Crusaders III: The New Age 1.43

7.2.          The Event Day - Geranium

Geranium turned her face in time to catch the departing image of Helmut. She came in here when she saw the mezzanine flooring and the big screen on the wall. She reckoned it would warrant her attention as it might hold something important. She approached the screen and looked at it.  It showed the stadium and its schematics. On it was also some markers not shown in the blueprint.

It was Crawler who gave her the warning.

Too late.

Geranium was slammed back by the blow. It was a Vampire who just jumped on her, and threw her back with his weight. She tried to roll back but the Vampire was stronger. She was pulled to the side and then dragged when the Vampire took flight. She was knocked on the big screen and then dumped. She struggled to get up but her body ached from the blows. She looked up and saw the Vampire.

It was a Vampire, but that one was a lady. A lady dressed in a red suit with well defined curves and garish reddish makeup.

“Bitch!” Geranium muttered out. It was Crawler who sprung into action. The man-creature was struck out with a back swing of the Vampire. Crawler tried to attack again but Geranium held out her hand to hold him back. The man-creature saw the motion but he was to attack.

“Go!’ Geranium pushed to get up. She got into a crouch position, and looked at the Vampire. That moment Crawler obeyed his mistress.

“So, Bitch.” Geranium stood up and looked at the Vampire. “Fight me again. I am a nastier bitch.”

Geranium drew out her whip and did a few flicks with it. After flicking it thrice, she went at it on the Vampire. The Vampire grabbed the whip but was treated to an electrical surge. It burned into her right palm, and caused the Vampire to scream. It was then Geranium had her left hand holding the rapier went for the heart. She thrust it in deep and then twisted the point. The Vampire reached for the rapier with both her hands, but her wound burned inside her. She arched back her spine to the pain, when Geranium pulled the rapier out.

“Damn!” Geranium cursed at the Vampire. She stepped back and thrust the rapier into the face to come out in the back of the head. It worked as the Vampire screamed out louder and then dropped down on the knees. Geranium pulled the rapier out and cursed again.

“Damn! It worked like he said it would.”

7.3.          The Event Day - Micheal

Micheal managed to get one of the consoles to work, by working on power reserves in the UPS units. He was perusing the schematics when he felt the urge. It was his instinct which kept him alive. He rolled off his seat when the shot hit the console screen. He kept on rolling on the flooring when more shots came in on his positions. He stopped and sat against the metal table. He pulled out his revolvers and held it up. He was not sure where the shooter was. It was a large hall, with over twenty consoles lined up in two rows of ten each. Other than that there were the rows of the large servers and filing cabinets.

It was a maze of hidden corners.

“Where are you?” Micheal muttered to himself. He looked at the damaged console and reckoned the shot was from the front of him. He worked out the trajectory and figured the shot came from across. It was the building across, the one where the roof was located parallel to this floor. He crawled forward to the glass wall, which was shattered by the shot. He stopped a distance away and tried to make out the building across in the dim light of the sunset. It was a distance of two hundred feet and offered the shooter an ideal condition.

Micheal squint his eyes to get a clearer view of the rooftop and then the second shot came. It was not from the roof but across the hall. It barely missed him when his instinct helped him. He rolled onto his back and fired at the possible source. It was at the rows of filing cabinets and saw the shooter; the second shooter.

Micheal saw the second shooter ducked back but he was sure he shot the person. He tried to move, and it was then the first shooter shot again. The bullet missed him but he id the run half crouched to the filing cabinets. He stopped at the second shooter position and saw the blood.

So blood one was on.

Micheal followed the trail of blood while keeping his profile from the rooftop. Whoever he may have shot, was no Vampire. So whoever there are, they are blood and flesh.

They are mercenaries.

“Damn!’ Micheal cursed out. He got it figured; there was a duo assassin in the employment of the Elite Troops of the United Continents. They were named as the Dynamic Duo; a brother and sister team. It was their mode of attack; the brother likes to do his kill near. He had to get the brother first.

“Peter, it’s me. Micheal.” Micheal knew the duo when they were once practiced on the shooting range. “We need not fight. Let us talk. Tell that to your sister too.”

Micheal heard the call from the other’s comms. Then the second shooter stepped out while her left hand held her right forearm. She looked drained from the looks, but the rifle was slung on her left shoulder.

“I am surprised to find you here, Pauline.” Micheal had once developed an infection with her when they were in training. She was the long distance shooter, while Micheal was the maverick for close up.

“Micheal, we…I had to do it. Peter had been infected by the …demon.” Pauline spoke up. “The demon had made him a Vampire.”

Then was when she broke into tears. She collapsed on her knees to cry, but it was the sign for Peter to shoot her in the head. He was not the best shooter, which was why he went for the close up. The bullet grazed the side of her head.

Micheal rushed at Pauline and pulled her to another cover. He cradled her in his arms, but she was slipping into unconsciousness. She whispered to Micheal.

“The antenna by the right. Twenty paces further. Behind the air funnel.” Then Pauline slipped into the coma.

Micheal took off Pauline rifle. It was an antique; the Dragunov is a semi automatic gas operated rifle with a ten clip ammo. That rifle still held the quick detachable PSO-1 optical sight.  It was within the 2,000 ft range between the buildings. He took the rifle and checked the ammo clip.

There were eight shots left. Enough for him to take down the other sniper.

Micheal selected his firing position and noted the filing cabinet at four feet high. He rushed towards it and stood behind it. If he knew the procedure of the other shooter, Peter would stay not be there. He would move to the next position for the next shot.

If that was still Peter.

Micheal set up the rifle and leaned down to look into the sight. Peter was still there, or rather he could see the barrel protruding from the cover. He braced himself for the shot, but at the last second, he moved his rifle to the left towards the antenna. He fired on instinct and the bullet hit the Vampire in the face.

Peter had died when he became the Vampire. Then the Vampire died with Peter.

“Sleep, Pauline.” Micheal sighed while resting his head on the filing cabinet. He then grabbed the rifle and rushed out. He had what he needed from the Consoles.