~ chapter six ~
('Voluptus' by Pain Teens)
('Voluptus' by Pain Teens)
Nameless
wakes slowly to see the field now a crater around him, littered with
'indestructible objects' and bone, Lazarus' metal men clearing what's
unbroken in the thick tan smog. Sounds of destruction come from the
portal to Sanctuary.
Naked, hairless and covered with ashen dust like the rest, he blankly starts piecing together armor along with the metallic companions.
Each is adorned in random golden silver and iron, carrying fantastic weapons of all kinds, all matched by the dust and dirt from the blast. The armor is forced harshly over their exaggerated squat frames, makeshift and field repaired, difficult to make out in the smog.
In a long row Lazarus' metal creations lead up the craters edge where at the portal more pull the chapel upright with heavy chains, many heaving to rhythm while Lazarus staves off three giants in a boxing match using his hammer and swinging broad arcs, while he throws his harpoon through another, pulling him in.
Nameless digs with armored foot mismatched to the other, hoping for better, then with a worn sigh, joins the slow line of survivors into Sanctuary. The workers in line carry and play with their new and unknown special things along the way up the edge, showing the chapel well on it's way.
Ahead Lazarus places one across a giant's jaw as he grabs the wrist swinging him into another then launches at the third, who cannot bear his weight, and falls with Lazarus's knee on his head as the last runs to the back of the invaders spreading through Sanctuary, speared through the back.
The chapel turns and begins lumbering into the wood toward the center. Lucretia looks out it's back window through the dust, seeing nothing.
____
A short distance ahead of nameless in the line of dragging survivors and laden looters, a mechanical man hits another in the chest with a lightning bolt rod which bounces off to a fizzle and laugh, responded to with a strike from Thor's hammer across the head, sending him flying with a cheer.
Around the field there is otherwise little motion as he looks to the shattered tower. He pulls his blunderbuss blankly from the dirt and the leather pouch of powder further up the way.
____
The war cart rumble's slowly up a long hill still pulled by the struggling bus driver. The attendants spiral around, blocking arrows and attacks in their sleeves while others continue praising his strength and showering him in petals and waters.
The keeper of the book summons whatever is required to block, a dragon to take an arrow, a demon to run down a scout, long tailed serpents to whip away an assault, they make their way toward the cave protected by Hippolyta and Pipsiveya.
____
Hippolyta - Watching their approach from the distance, she whispers "Too many ..." She turns and crouches to Pipsiveya, "Pip. I need you to survive. You're the only one they'll trust with this information. I'm sorry."
Pipsiveya - As Hippolyta picks her up, "No !" She's thrown into the waterfalls.
Hippolyta - Turning to the many enemies coming over the edge of the precipice. "Nothing and no one."
____
In the woods near the gate's entrance the Amazons are gathered, fixing bikes and wounds, taking count. There appear to be at least 100 mixed in the trees.
Jean D'Arc is atop a tree watching the war cart, then up to Hippolyta with her binoculars.
Jean D'Arc - "Prepare ! We leave now, those who are prepared, and those not will meet us there ! To our Queen !
Engines are mounted and roar as motion is immediate as most are ready. Jean D'Arc jumps from her tree and mounts, tearing out followed by Boadicea who pulls alongside.
Jean D'Arc - "Boadicea ! We need Gargareans on that hill ! We need archers ! Be the Wind !"
Boadicea turns off path and back a gust of speed.
____
As the invaders flood the land the full map is shown ~
Behind the tribute's portal are the docks, timeless and ageless, airships dock and galleons unload into a marketplace, now clearing as ships evacuate and bells ring. Stilted guards guide the fleeing marketeers, keeping an eye to the gap between the portal and gate, occasionally taking a shot at a fool.
Through the gate, a vast expanse, with citadel's and castles across the encircling mountains, schools and temples, all divided by lush wood, beasts and monsters pouring from and people departing their places to meet the challengers.
If the main gate leads south inward, immediately after is a thick wood which surrounds the center, the circle of high mountains past that. The mountains are dotted with the castles and cities showing architecture from the period height of favored tales from various places and times, a train and tracks weaving through.
At the far north is Lucretia's tree, seen from the back, meaning the field of soldiers is on the other side. From under and around, through it's roots flows a river, falling from cliff to cliff down among the structures beneath.
To the south-western side is the temple and cave near Hippolyta and Pipsiveya, with a long path leading down into the wood.
The war keeper's war cart is pulled up the base of the path toward them. They're surrounded by the creatures she continues to summon, swirling around them, spinning among the twirling dancers. Some enter the dancers empowering them, some twirl gracefully in dance with them before carrying on.
The cave-temple's architecture spreads beneath it and over bridges to the other side of the river, the north-western side, where there are many platforms and enclosures in a more formalized system leading down the mountain to a villa at the base pool.
Small bridges connecting large two to four level buildings, each level smaller than the previous, plateaued at top with smaller buildings, gardens and gathering places, filling with response.
At the center of of it all is a broad clearing and a simple round hut at the exact middle. A circle for a campfire and many stones and logs for guests, a broad field, then thick woods past. Not yet reached by the invaders, it's a peaceful plain with a number of trod paths leading casually to the other places.
The invaders see the hills filling and roar their defiance, while the encircling mountains line and fill with it's inhabitants bearing history's weapons roaring back.
_____________
A rumbling noise is heard approaching the tavern seen before ~
Old men in the dim and dusty light straighten and start reaching for whatever it is in their case they may be carrying as the rumble and shouting grows. The sound moves by and begins to dim again. They return to slump into their drinks, relaxing their hands.
Nameless walks into the tavern without notice. He sits at an empty table, dropping his blunderbuss on the table and powder bag on the floor. He's quietly brought a drink by a slow moving pitcher bearer with cups while he stares blankly at the wall.
He silently drinks.
_____________
Lucretia looks over the inside balcony down to her father's chair. She jumps over behind it then, with a moment's hesitation sit coldly, exhales and leans back.
Nothing, the chapel rambling side to side up the path.
She beats the arm rest padding with her fist and looks around at the timbers with their dust shaking off and stirring webs ...
Lucretia - Mimicking her father's voice in self amused frustration, "God damn it Do something !"
The chair's seat sinks in a bit while the back reclines slightly, causing her to sink in, arms straight out from her shoulders on the now high rests. Geared with this motion is the raising of six spinning objects, in two rows surrounding the carpet to the chair.
Their spinning generates abstract maps of the universe in prototype form. In the center of the four closest to her, a sphere forms from the electricity arced from the surrounding while the two at front begin to pulse and hum.
The front door to the chapel bangs opens.
Lucretia - "... huh." Taps her finger.
_____________
Over Apex's shoulder, helmet removed, is seen Nemesis dancing and kicking wildly to her headphones, the army's armor loudly banging a rhythm to their matched movement. He drops his gun.
_____________
On the hill over the path leading to Hippolyta, four Gargarean gunners leap from Boadicea's chariot and start firing down into the war cart while low bullets are blocked by the long sleeves of the sweeping dancers.
High shots are intercepted, each bullet perfectly by a flock of white birds from the keepers hand. As struck the birds simply dissipate in the air as the bullets fall.
From the keeper's other hand as she chants another flock flies a high arc over and behind the gunners, harassing them on the narrow cliff.
Twenty yards behind, Jean D'Arc's chariot stops with a perfect shot of the cart going up the hill. She's flanked by riders who approach to surround the slow cart. It's slow speed complicates their accustom motor battle maneuvers on the path which barely allows them all. With frustration this forces them to stop to fire.
All bullets are somehow blocked, all riders close enough are knocked down the mountainside to the left or against the cliff to the right.
Jean D'Arc picks at places with her cannon to find weaknesses in the attendants' motion when the keeper looks over her shoulder and smiles, tossing a medieval grenade.
Jean D'Arc - "! Move !" but the grenade has no timer and explodes on impact with the ground. Many are launched from their destroyed bikes, many wounded but the armored bikes took the majority.
The keeper giggles as a storm of giants burst from a portal at the back of the cart all carrying large rocks immediately thrown.
Jean D'Arc - "! Roll !" Most still on the ground and roll quickly into the surrounding bushes as the boulders smash the remains of their bikes.
Jean D'Arc - "Their hands are empty ! Gather arms and ! Kill !"
They run from the bushes firing and gathering more arms and ammunition from the destroyed bikes. They tear the outer circle of giants painfully before they fall, some bodies held as shield by the next row in then thrown wildly over ducking Amazons.
Gargareans on the hilltop focus fire from the center out as together they deplete the giants quickly and run up the path toward the cart, veering into the bushes, but still moving forth.
Above is seen more Gargareans moving low on the cliffs above moving in from the gate.
_____________
Nameless' drink runs dry. He looks around, but the pitcher bearer is nowhere to be seen so he reaches for his cane ... nothing there.
He slowly starts to laugh, quietly then more as he gets up grabbing his powder bag and blunderbuss. By the time he reaches the door his laughter is wild and annoys the drinkers mildly, whose glasses are then refilled by the pitcher bearer as they slump back in.
A tiny mouse skitters out after him, squeezing under the door.
_____________
Mab and Titania ride Mab's 'gear wall' now flat with legs, supporting a table and their two chairs, moving away from the sound of battle. Around them are piled their luggage, the wall struggling to carry it all while they bob around.
Mab smokes with her chair turned half away, while reading from a large pile of storybooks, showing disappointment in the current one and throwing it off, then on to the next.
Titania looks up at her self-consciously and tosses her upside down book, feigning disapproval, while Mab looks up sideways at her suspiciously.
_____________
Apex and Nemesis kiss passionately, Apex's back arched over the rail high above the cheering army, his chest plate clutched in her fists, his helmet tumbling over the edge and into the field below.
The uncountably large army cheers.
At the base of the cliff, before uncountable feet, inside Apex's helmet is heard Lucretia's voice buried in the cheers.
Lucretia - "Apex ! Apex !" Off to the side, "Oh ! Damn you ! Come back here !" Then back, "! Apex !"
____
The chapel chases down the swarms of tributes who approach the center near the hut. From the high grass a herd of unicorn is barely seen rushing into the woods on the other side, the last being black with burning eyes.
The chapel is firing pale blasts of unknown at the invaders from it's banging front doors as they flee.
Lucretia - Imitating her father, "! Flee me, Mad Bastards !"
________________
Nameless walks blankly down the path, the white mouse on his shoulder.
Goremouse - "You are the nameless and you are the all powerful ruler of Sanctuary ! And now you must fight to protect it !"
Nameless - "Yes, yes, this is good." He flips the blunderbuss, tied with a strap over his shoulder, so the barrel now faces up. He begins to pour in powder, "No metal. Need metal things."
Goremouse - "No. Only unbreakable things." She crosses to the other shoulder and jumps into the barrel.
Nameless - Raising the gun upward and marching forward with the mouse peeking out. "Yes, yes, this is good."
________________
Nemesis and Apex, kissing in the tree ~
Lucretia - Voice heard faintly from the pool, "Nemesis ! Nemesis !" Then off to the side, "I'll get you you little ... ooo !" Then back. "! Nemesis !"
Apex - Pauses the kiss, "Lucretia's calling you. Could be important."
Nemesis - "It's okay ... no one needs to die today." Smiles, "I can tell" She resumes the kiss.
Lucretia - "! Nemesis !"
________________
Every attempt is knocked aside as the Amazons try to reach Hippolyta.
Above Gargareans are equally matched by summoned creations and below past the bushes is barely passable as many fall aside.
Jean D'Arc closes her eyes and exhales the sounds of battle and screams, watching the motion of the attendants and the keeper as she summons and they sway, a rhythm. The sounds of battle return to follow it.
Jean D'Arc - "Keep them harried ! And keep yourselves alive for the end ! We are not there yet !"
She turns and runs back down the path.
________________
Ahead the mouse spots from the blunderbuss barrel held upright, a marching troop.
Goremouse - "There ! There are thirty or more ahead ! They march to your own plains ! It is the most peaceful place in all the worlds !"
Nameless - "Ah, yes it is good. They march."
Mouse - "No ! They are eeeevil and you must Destroy them."
Nameless - "Of course they are. I will kill them all."
He points the blunderbuss forward as the mouse slides in and fires though the armor of two who fall immediately. The mouse is landed on another's back and as they turn to shout she crawls into the mouth of the one she rides.
He falls to his knees, choking and grabbing at his throat before he falls to one hand then hits the ground on his side. The mouse chews a hole in his throat from the inside and jumps out scurrying up another back and dropping him.
They turn back to charge nameless. They prepare to draw as he lunges toward them grabbing the nearest two by the throats and cracks their necks. He drops them, grabbing their sword handles as they fall, unsheathing them and piercing the next two attackers while the mouse drops another.
Nameless - "Good. ! Good !"
The rest of the mob are in mild hesitation before he laughs himself a whirlwind through them, the mouse running down the tripping runners, the last.
Nameless - Nodding at the bodies and putting the swords though his belt, "Yes. It is very good." He flips the blunderbuss, filling it with powder while the mouse runs up to his shoulder.
Goremouse - "Yes ! We are doing very well ! Now Forward ! There will be more !"
Nameless - Grinning forward, "Well. We are doing ... well ..."
________________
Hippolyta at the top of the hill dances between kills, one after the other as invaders come to flood. One blade up, one down, she twirls and undercuts, drives hard down, one after the other they fall as she roars.
_____
Lucretia is firing away at running beast and myth when between blasts she notices the war-cart up the side of the mountain, beneath the temple. She looks into the sphere and sees Hippolyta's battle as she slices away. Moves the view over to the cart and the keeper as she looks back at Lucretia, then to Hippolyta, then back to Lucretia with a wicked smile.
_____
As Hippolyta fights, the ground around her is showered with grenades from the cart's guardians, exploding on impact, knocking all aside and killing the keeper's own in front. Hippolyta is slammed too hard into the stone of the mountain and falls.
________________
The mouse and nameless stand near a simple round hut with a fire pit in front, many stones and logs gathered for seats around in the center of a mild plains, grass torn, stomped and blasted. They watch the stomping and blasting chapel terrorizing fleeing invaders in the distance.
Goremouse - "I ... don't know what that is ... but I think it's on our side."
Nameless - He stares, "She's doing very well." He turns toward the hut.
Goremouse - "That is your home. You sleep there. Now ..."
Nameless - "Ah yes. Sleep there is good now." He opens the wooden door and enters.
There is little inside but a pile of cushions on and around a bed like padding with rough hunted furs, some shelves with miscellany, including the oracle's remaining toys. To the left is a large wooden chest.
Goremouse - "No ! Not now ! There is more to do !"
Nameless - "Sleep well now."
He drops the blunderbuss and falls face first into the bed. Goremouse skitters to wake him but steps back with awe when the room glows blue.
A woman's voice - "Shhh ..."
Goremouse nods with tears streaming.
________________
At the cave entrance, Pipsiveya climbs over the edge of the cliff from the falls, covered with mud and twigs.
Pipsiveya - "You ! Stand Down ! You serve the trials ! You serve Me ! Yield !"
Hippolyta - Lying broken and in shock, crawling a good arm forward, "No Pip. No. No." Her voice staggers as she digs her hand into the dirt.
The bus driver pulls on his chains with agitation, and looks back to the keeper who smiled nods, then looks down to the page turned to chanting. The attendants stop their dance and back away, circling the cart protectively standing..
The bus driver throws down his chains and flexes the great muscles his task has acquired him. The chants of spells spiral around him as he seems to grow stronger, grinning through gritted teeth, breathing hard.
Hippolyta begins to draw in the sand with her finger and chant to Athena, to the Amazon powers and all things she can in her delusional state, banging the ground with her fist and begging the Earth, her tears filling the sand to mud.
Her power spirals to Pipsiveya, fueling her fury.
Boadicea sweeps a circle around the driver while her children each fire an arrow into him to his roars of pain and distraction. Immediately she is knocked off her the cliff side by a wind dragon and down the cliff, as the dragon tears at those pulling it.
Gargareans fire from above as bullets are blocked by flying fish, more of whom swarm them to silence.
Pipsiveya uses the distraction and arrows as foot holds to climb the giant quickly to his neck from behind around which she throws her sword belt.
Pipsiveya - In his ear from behind, screaming "I Said ! Stand Down !"
She tears off the ear with her teeth and spits it while he roars in pain, impossibly trying to swat at her with over-muscled arms.
The book's keeper chants as he grows larger, his neck becoming too big for the belt. Pip begins to fall stabbing daggers into his back to hold on while his roars amplify.
Pipsiveya - Calling out to the Amazons, "! Give me rope !"
The Amazon motorcycles respond, many knocked aside by one horror after another until the last circles the Oracle now riding a raging giant and throws a coil of good rope before thrown by a blade through the spoke from the keeper's attendants.
Pipsiveya ties her sword to the rope for weight and throws it around the growing neck and pulls hard back. "I said ! Yield !" Standing on the dagger handles, she ties a fast noose and removes the sword.
____
Far across field, a stout archer places his tall bow into the dirt hard to brace it before pulling back a long arrow. A spotter crouches next to him calculating and sensing wind, looking through a scope, arm raised.
____
Gargarean drummers march the cliffs and begin to pound.
____
The chapel breaks through trees from the distance at the base of the cliff to the left and fires, it's hard blast blocked by the keeper's left hand directly.
____
The Amazons swarm from the bushes, attacking the attendants directly and without mercy, while vines grow beneath their feet to stop their spinning. Bullets are blocked but by blade attendants begin to falter.
____
Jean D'Arc drags her anti-aircraft cannon up the path by chain and gets behind it, firing low at the cart's base. Attendants are forced to block at the back, while from the cliffs above Gargareans recompose and resume fire, blocked with a shower of knives flying back to them, killing many in one stroke, more filing in shooting over shields, her other hand still blocking Lucretia's blast from the chapel.
____
Hippolyta's drawing finger drips blood as she chants into sobbing.
____
Pipsiveya - Pulling hard on the rope, screams "! Yield !" She stabs her sword along his spine and cuts left to right to make a pad, protecting the rope from the blade as she pulls hard back while it's tip grinds bone.
It tightens the noose more as the monster gasps and reaches violently, no longer able to scream, while the threads of the rope are seen to be Amazon hair of many colors twining further together and each itself pulling and tying together.
____
The archer's arrow takes high silent flight, showing battlements and formations at war with each other and within, followed only by the sounds of the drummers and their heavy chants. It flies among the clouds and birds, peacefully above the bloodshed where the finally arcs and makes its fast curve toward the keeper of the book.
The arrow is caught through an attendant's hand fast behind the keeper's head. Piercing the hand it barely touches her as a drop of blood rolls with her hair and then falls with the dissipation of all her attendants, showing her to be the one holding the book. The arrow strikes the floor of the cart.
The Bus Driver - "I Yield !"
Time appears slowed and silent as the keeper looks smiling with the battle's blood in her eye at Pipsiveya.
The Keeper - "You."
She slams the book shut and quickly turns to a portal which closes immediately behind her, briefly showing the throne room of a gold and white palace, attendants surrounding an empty throne awaiting her.
____
Everything and those she summoned begin to disappear all around Sanctuary while the rest begin to realize their diminished numbers. Many flee while some fight more fiercely. Many fall as the field grows more and more peaceful atop the many slain and mourning.
____
The Bus Driver - Returning to size, though muscles still stretched from the work, "I Yield." Drops to his knees as Pipsiveya jumps off. Hangs his head with shame between his great arms, still kneeling. "I yield ..."
Pipsiveya walks quietly to her motionless mother, her finger still poised in her drawing. She kneels next to her and puts her hand on her head.
The bus driver is bobbing his head in sorrowful tears. Jean D'Arc moves through the gathering crowd to the front with a tear rolling from her cheek.
Pipsiveya looks up at her looking completely drained yet strong and nods.
Jean D'Arc - Turns to the mass which slows from war to peace while gathering, many retreating through gates and disappearing. "Hail the queen ! Pipsiveya ! Queen of Amazon."
The great crowd raises arms and shouts to her honor while among them Pipsiveya sees a Gargarean with hair like hers holding a tall bow, tears of mourning rolling from his eyes, nodding to her with a father's secret pride.
The scene blurs with her tears.
________________
Nyx watches the approaching army on the ground from a tree, wearing a ragged black cloak, hidden in shadow. Looking up she sees the angels approaching to support them.
She leaps from the tree slamming a long staff into the ground, cracking in a jagged line stopping their movement.
Mikal and Lucifer fly over as many angels gather above.
Mikal - Sternly, arms crossed while he hovers, "Where is God, Nyx ? The investigation leads to Him and He commands us to follow its trail. That trail leads to you. Where is God ?"
Nyx - "Missing."
Mikal looks to Lucifer.
Lucifer - Looks at him, "You've got to be kidding."
Shredded wings like hard wisps of fabric slam outward from beneath her cloak while she crouches holding the upright staff.
Mikal - Landing a friendly but safe distance in front of her, "Please." Truthfully imploring, "What did He tell you ?"
Nyx - "Didn't need to ask."
Mikal - "... that isn't why you were looking for Him."
Nyx - Shakes her head slowly, not breaking eye contact. Her claws extend flexing around the pole as the Amazons begin filling the field, engines loud.
Pipsiveya - Walking up behind, Amazons filling field, she takes Mikal's hand, "It's about freedom. As long as He's on the throne, no one can be free. Especially not Him. That's all he wants. To be free."
Mikal - "... Asherah."
Pipsiveya - "Everyone."
Nyx threatens with her arms swept wide, wings broadly extended.
Mikal - He looks at Pipsiveya, at Nyx and around the field and then the sky, then back to Pipsiveya who nods. "Heaven-borne ! We return !" He looks at Lucifer. "You too."
As the angels boom into the sky and a giant chapel walks up behind with Lazarus and his people, the jittering army begins dropping arms, one by one muttering, crying and screaming. "Sanctuary".
Lucifer looks to Nyx, then up at streaking angels and disappears in fire.
Nyx - Stares at one humbled and kneeling warrior to next with disgust, then turns back to the woods, wings disappearing under cloak while she rips her staff from the ground..
________________
Mab's puppets -
"And so, backed neither by keeper nor cupid, one by one throughout the land all the rabble cried 'Sanctuary.' "
Folded socks - "We're cowards !"
"Except of course the ones who didn't. They died."
A pile of dead socks.
"The End."
