~ chapter four ~
The assembly hall is filled with squabble and shouting matches as ancestors and wronged accuse and plead with the living. Whisperers are torn away from them and thrown into the writhing walls of dead which now make the room.
Nameless is still seated, posing one of the action figures left for him by Pipsiveya in a 'crane style' karate pose on it's stand when Apex appears before him, helmet off, looking uncomfortably to the side.
Behind him the room is filled with blue flashes encircling the room as soldiers appear pointed at the center ready to take it. Walls begin reaching for the soldiers as on by one they turn and realize ... screams begin as they are dragged in firing their guns wildly.
Apex - Hangs his head in exasperation. "The dead ? Really ?"
Nameless - Stands as Apex draws back a step. Holds up the action figure in it's perfect pose facing him. "Better put that helmet on soldier."
Apex's eyes fill with mistrust of the small figure as nameless places it on the floor between them.
Nameless - "A tribute from the oracle."
They both stare ... Apex slowly puts on his helmet.
A wave of dead sweep Apex away screaming into the walls with the rest, shooting his pistol and screaming, "But I'm not even fucking alive !"
Nameless looks disappointed as he picks up the toy and returns it to his pocket. Looks over the assembly room now seen only filled with arguing representatives, waving and slamming their fists and holding papers fiercely.
Nameless - "! You !" His voice echoes to a room which silences. "You're all Mad !"
They stare silently.
Nameless - "And I will consort with you No More !"
He turns to the door as one by one they return to argument and security opens the doors for him. The last hallway to the exit is empty except for Lucretia and sleeping guards, mumbling and giggling.
Nameless - "What is that ?" He asks as Lucretia's barring his path with the strangest brass rifle he's ever seen.
Lucretia - "Dad ! Guess who made it to the Forge on time."
Nameless - His his eyes wince shut and shoulders hunch forward in anticipation ... "Mab."
Lucretia - "Yes. And she promises me, with a kiss on my lips and a lick up the bridge of my nose ...", She closes her eyes for a moment with a lovely quiver ... "That this will hurt you. A lot."
Nameless - "Did she tell you what it does ?"
Lucretia - "No. But she did say there's an 83.627 percent chance ... with some sexy rounding ... that you'll survive."
She activates the loading mechanism as a metallic slide like a door slam echoes out of it's spinning gears.
Lucretia - "But ! No one actually knows what will happen when you die, so ... call it a physics experiment."
Nameless - "That sound didn't do anything. You added that."
Lucretia - "That's right !" She puts her eye to what appears to be a scope. "So cool ..."
Nameless - "Does that thing even zoom in ?"
Lucretia - Looking up in rage, "I can't believe you just asked me that. Now I'm definitely going to shoot you."
Her eye returns to sights as a second activation sequence sounds out like a heavy steel barrel bouncing down a flight of stairs.
Nameless - "Lucretia ..."
Lucretia - "Meditating on the time you tried to delete me now !"
Nameless - "You said you were going to kill me !"
Lucretia - "How the hell could I do that from inside a computer ?!"
Nameless - "Well you're out now and here you are. It was actually kind of adorable though ... I was a little bit proud, really."
Lucretia - Twitching in rage, "I really need to shoot your face off."
Nameless - "Fine. Let's d..."
With a scratched phonographic sound of a crow's cackling caw from it's gears, she takes the shot.
____
The keeper of the book smiles. A page turned.
Keeper - "Sanctuary."
The field before her crumples before her into swirling rubble, a picture of Sanctuary's gate ahead.
____
Nemesis - Watching Lucretia from the viewing pool as nameless slumps, jumps and raises her arms when nameless drops. "! Woo !"
"! Hoo ! Hoo ! Hooahhhh !" echoes to the next scene.
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1969
Saffron walks up Persephone's drive looking at the ad clipped from the paper.
'Extraordinary wealth promised for year round live-in service. Ancient lady seeks grounds keeper for autumn through winter, servant from spring through summer. Use of the cars is permitted if maintained, but not the motorcycle.'
Saffron - To herself, "Who the hell rides motorcycles ?"
Saffron rolls her eyes and drags herself forward, while Persephone eyes her 'hippie attire' , arms crossed on the porch.
Saffron - Looking at Persephone, to the clipping and back, "You don't look ancient to me."
____
She drives out to a grocery, hardware store, mall, etcetera and back, all in vastly different cars and clothing, having way too much fun. Lastly eyeing the motorcycle tarp on the way to the Austin Healey.
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1976
Saffron watches a movie in the theater, eating popcorn with 3D glasses.
____
Actor A - "Persephone ! How could you ?! You're the queen of the dead !"
Actor B - "I couldn't help myself damn you ! Take me now !"
____
Saffron drops the piece of popcorn in her hand, mouth open.
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1979
Saffron suspiciously eyes a 'Bullfinch’s Mythology' sitting next to her on a park bench.
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1986
Over instant noodles on piles of cushions
Persephone - "I told you who I was the first day !"
Saffron - "But you didn't say you were a Goddess !"
Persephone - "I said I was Persephone ! I told you I went to the underworld for two seasons out of the year !"
Saffron - "I though it was some weird spa for rich people or something ... I kind of felt left out that you never invited me ..."
Persephone stares at her.
Saffron - "Well you should have told me."
Persephone - "But didn't you notice that we haven't aged ?"
Saffron - "Well yeah, but ... you know ..." in fading tone.
Persephone - "We never will." Persephone twirled her noodles and poked a chicken square. "I did wonder why you never asked all those silly questions like the rest ..."
Saffron - With noodles hanging from her mouth, "Like what ?"
Persephone - Giggling, "Oh ... you know ...", quoting in a funny voice " 'What's it like to be a goddess' and all that ..."
Saffron - Mumbling around her noodles, "That's dumb. That's like asking someone what it's like to smoke pot." She slurps the cup.
Persephone - Hesitating a moment, "Well ... actually ... I was kind of wondering exactly that."
Saffron - Bursts out laughing as noodles took flight. "I knew it !"
~ Tonight ~
She stares from the window at the empty place the motorcycle sat under the shed overhang, lantern lit.
________________
The bus driver, now covered in red hand-paint and bruises screams forth, pulls on great chains. Behind him he painfully draws a massive chariot holding an apparatus appearing as a medieval mortar, though ornamented and trimmed with gold.
Behind in it's cart, the keepers of the book stand, the center keeper still surrounded by those who hold the book and turn it's pages. She chants from the inscriptions as a portal opens, showing the gates of Sanctuary. High and wrought pyres and spikes dot the ancient timbered gate, set between two cliffs.
Pages turn and ingredients begin to appear in her right hand, drawing them from the left and mixing as a dark powder flowing to the apparatus. Surrounding the cart are the banner women, ornately dressed in flowing white with long sleeves spinning and dancing forward with the battle cart.
They shower the driver with petals and blessings as it appears sheer madness gives him the strength to pull it. The dancers quickly accumulate dust and sand in their spinning, coloring their wear to the land.
Behind the tributes march in vainglorious fanfare, brutally disorganized and fearlessly chanting for blood by drum. "Sanctuary ! Sanctuary !" but not in the tone of request. They bang their shields and armor with a rageful challenge.
Sidhe ride dragons on the wind, flanked by angels and eastern serpents, angels giving the most attempt to fill gaps and achieve structure.
Lucifer, though wingless hovers next to Mikal, flapping wings behind to pause in the air.
Lucifer - "There you go brother, it's all in place. They will avenge the nameless and flush out Gabril."
Mikal - "You didn't do this. Don't pretend that you did."
Lucifer - A pause to look at the keeper's chariot. "You've always hated me Mikal. Always. But you've never understood why. It's a sliver in your soul.
Mikal continues looking over the field.
Lucifer - "It's because I was right all along and you knew it. You always did. You just couldn't stand what that meant." He looks at Mikal, "And because you're my little brother and I love you." He looks to the flying dragons and serpents with a smile. "And because you know I'll Always look after you. I think you hate me for that most of all."
Mikal looks at him emotionless for a moment, then looks back over the field.
...
Mikal - Grimly, "You talk a lot."
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Nameless' blurred eyes open looking down at his legs in his throne. He's gripping the arms as the world seems to sway. The entire chapel shakes rhythmically as if a timed quake while the chapels bell rings to each shake and fades between.
Nameless - "Why ... ground is moving ... ?"
He focuses as Lucretia comes into view, her strange weapon inches from his face, down the barrel he sees the fierce seriousness in her eyes.
Lucretia - "You've been forgiven your crimes and I will defend your honor, but if you fuck with me it is by my honor that I must kill you twice. Do ! You ! Seek ! Sanctuary ?!"
...
Lucretia - Face turns to a 'tadah' like smile other hand up and shaking jazz-hand "Yah ?"
Nameless - "You shot me ! Why is the ground moving ?" Realizing the consistent shakes and falling dust. "Is Sanctuary under attack ?!"
Lucretia - "Yes. I shot you. Congratulations. You survived deletion." Relaxes the gun upward. "You hit the ground, faded into it and then I freaked out, got a report we were under attack and I freaked out some more, came here and you were passed out in your chair. The ghosts became ... confused after you were down. They wandered off. Apex's team retook the room."
____
In the night a sleeper wakes in cold sweat ...
" ! Zombies !"
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Nameless - Slumping into the chair, "... they are not easy to gather ..."
____
In the night another sleeper wakes in cold sweat ...
" ! Zombies !"
____
He tries to get up and fails under a swaying balance while Lucretia paces, vines attaching through cracks in the floor with perfect balance.
Nameless - "When humans take the time to argue with each other, it means they aren't killing each other. Remember it. And they needed the kick-start for the invasion coming. I was done when you got there."
Lucretia - "Fine. But you looked ... different when you were sleeping. By the way. I just got here." Eyes uncomfortably to the side, "Then you went back to normal when you started to wake up ..." Eyes go to the other side now arms crossed. "So anyway yes. We are under attack, and it's because I shot you, but that's not why the floor's moving."
Out to show the chapel walking on geared and steam legs through the woods toward the gate, bell banging wildly then flying off into the trees, behind which the tribute armies begin to arrive through the portal.
________________
To the Amazons on the field.
Jean D'Arc - Modern street dress, would blend in punk and street circles invisibly, looking through binoculars at the moving tributes then to the chapel, Lucretia seen with nameless. "Damn."
She jumps from the short viewing tower to her tribe, Amazon, many similarly dressed, others their own thing.
Jean D'Arc - "Boadicea !"
Boadicea pulls up to her through a separating throng of Amazons knowing it's time to decide. She and her three daughters are now one with their chariot, the three make the front, each armed with a bow, while Boadicea's form rises from the base. Possible Mab/Forged influence, but unique. Old, tone of Nyx's claws.
The chariot itself is pulled by her many slain as she whips them, though as ghosts they travel at great speed. It drags the heads of fallen kings bouncing in the dirt behind, their hair braided into the rope pulling them and their crowns dangling above them, separated.
Jean D'Arc - Looks to the movement "Go find out."
Boadicea nods and they ride out as Jean D'Arc returns to the binoculars.
Jean D'Arc - To the waiting tribe behind her, still looking across the field. "It was her command to hold this place first, follow her lead second and assist the nameless third."
She drops the binoculars from her sight and turns to them.
Jean D'Arc - "We've held this place, her lead was to go to Sanctuary to find Gabril, assisted by the nameless who is there now as well." Looking back to the field, "She is bound as an investigator but we are not ..."
She looks up to Mikal and Lucifer hovering in the distant sky, angels and dragons ...
Jean D'Arc - Suddenly turning, "Prepare ! Upon Boadicea's return, we ride for Sanctuary. We hold those walls against the tributes so the oracle can do her job ! We know Hippolyta is there ! The Oracle is there ! Prepare ! Go ! She is the Wind, Boadicea ! We hold that land Safe !"
She storms to inspect the gathering soldiers as motorcycles arrive.
Jean D'Arc - "Keep mortar on the ridge, outside of Har-Megiddo. If you enter that field, you are in the game ! Live to Live ! Die to die."
Amazons make ready as she returns to the binoculars, catching a flash of Boadicea in the distance among the mob. Horns sound and history's most powerful women begin to appear, ready for war.
Jean D'Arc - With binoculars again, looking across the tributes, focusing on the greater beasts, then the keeper's' war chariot, the keeper looks back and beckons with a finger. "We need guns !" Lowers the binoculars. "! We need bigger guns !"
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In Hippolyta and Pipsiveya's travel tent.
Pipsiveya - "People who die at Har-Megiddo stay dead, don't they ?"
Hippolyta - "Yes they do Pip. It's where the gods go to settle their scores."
Pipsiveya - "But Sanctuary is still safe, right ?"
Hippolyta - "Nothing is if it stands in the way of the investigation. No one."
Pipsiveya - Rolls over in her bed away from Hippolyta. "But we'll be okay."
Hippolyta - Puts out the lantern "Yes we will."
A tear rolls down Pipsiveya's cheek as she closes her eyes.
________________
In the dark with the sound of water dripping into cavernous pools.
Nyx - Whispered as if directly in an ear, "Hi Gabe. No ... don't move."
Fearful breathing.
Nyx - "Where's daddy ?"
! Intermission !
(Six minute countdown clock, Saffron watching an unheard movie while eating popcorn slowly looking shocked before lighting a cigarette (it's 1976) and thoroughly enjoying it)
