Baylahn: A Supernatural Action Adventure Opera (War Of The Angels Book 3)

by Michael Todd

  Ormund put his hand to the right. “This is the Statue of Elias. He was a brave warrior who fought a ship full of humans much like you long ago. He fought them on his own and won. He wielded a sword like a god and fought like an Atlantean, and he died the most honorable of deaths. Most Atlanteans desire to be as powerful and wonderous as Elias.”

  Katie lifted an eyebrow, her angel powers surging through her. “I doubt they were exactly like us.”

  Ormund the Atlantean was giving Katie and the others a tour and boasting about their history. The whole place seemed to be in ruin, but he spoke and walked as if he took no notice. The walls were stone and sturdily built. The columns were tall and ornate at the top, with pictures and figures etched into the sides. Statues that seemed more like mermaids than people adorned the halls and streets of Atlanteans. Most of them were headless, like the statues in museums. The women’s bodies were bare on top and adorned with flowing skirts on the bottom.

  Juntto barely looked at any of the city. Instead, he kept his spear close to him and snarled at the curious people passing by. Pandora found it humorous, Katie was irritated by it, and Ormund ignored the whole thing.

  Katie walked faster, keeping to Ormund’s pace. “You have quite the city here. It must have taken you and your people a very long time to build it.”

  Ormund nodded, looking ahead as he walked. “Atlanteans have lived inside Baylahn since pre-history. We date back farther than any human can place the existence of beings on Earth. We have survived many mass-extinctions topside due to the protection Baylahn provides us. We rarely go topside though, so we don’t have much understanding of human ways.”

  Katie tilted her head. “But you have been out of here?”

  Ormund nodded. “We have on occasion through history, though that stopped many, many years ago. We are not like humans and are not easily disguised to walk amongst you.”

  Juntto grumped, “I know how that feels.”

  Ormund walked them to the steps of a large oval building with tall columns and a large sculpture inside. The word Atlantis was carved into the stone at the top. He put his arms out and smiled. “We are Atlantis, and tales are told on Earth of our wonder. We have survived many centuries, and are the greatest civilization known to man. Our people are pure of heart, and our interests lie within the walls of this city. We do not bother anyone unless they come to our world, as was done this morning. We have not lasted this long by being easy in our views.”

  Pandora hid a smirk and Katie put her head down, glancing at her. They both looked at Juntto, who seemed confused, and shook their heads. They were not going to come to their city and crush the idea that they were the greatest. The fact that there had been many great civilizations in Earth’s history would not matter to them in the least. They were the only ones who lived in that world, an encapsulated reality miles below the surface of the sea, inside an enormous creature.

  Katie cleared her throat. “If you have not been to land in centuries, how is it that you are fluent in so many languages? Your people speak languages I have never heard before.”

  Ormund gave a small smile. “We have our own language, but as far as the other Earth languages, we learn them when Baylahn eats ships or sailors. Most come down fully intact since his mouth is so large. They teach us what they know and give us gifts from their ships that clue us into life on land. It has been a while since any visitors have arrived, though. Your… Wilson…was not any help to us.”

  Pandora touched one of the pillars. “This is marble.”

  Ormund nodded. “It is. We received it a long time ago when Baylahn swallowed a cargo ship. We were able to create so much out of it.”

  Pandora furrowed her brow. “But what about before that? What did you live in?”

  Ormund waved his hand. “This and that. Whatever the monster brought us. As you go deeper into Baylahn, you will see older and older ruins. It may mirror eras in your history because that is where we got the tools and materials for it.”

  Pandora pursed her lips and looked around at the large eyes staring from afar. “So, wait. Just to get this completely straight, your people have lived down here for many centuries. You have learned about the land from the people who are swallowed by Baylahn.”

  Ormund nodded. Pandora blinked. “Are there other civilizations down here?”

  Ormund shrugged. “Possibly, but I do not know about them. We do not venture too far. Baylahn can be a bit testy when it comes to his comfort and body. We stay where we know it’s safe.”

  Pandora stopped and blinked at him. “That’s a small gene pool. I mean, if you have no other beings to procreate with and you don’t mix with humans, I don’t understand how you have survived for this long. What are you doing, fucking cousins?”

  Ormund’s calm face did not change. “Of course. We do what we need to do to survive. We have evolved over time, and we have survived because of our ability to adapt.”

  Pandora wrinkled her nose and turned around, muttering, “We’re at the mercy of cousin-fuckers. Isn’t this just perfect?”

  An Atlantean hurried through the street toward them wearing an orange robe with green ties. Katie had seen several of them through the day and assumed they were servants of some sort. The Atlantean raced up the steps and whispered into Ormund’s ear. Their guide nodded and took a deep breath.

  For several awkward moments, they stood there in silence. Finally, Ormund put his hands together and smiled at Katie and the others. “It looks as if the council has reached their decision. We have been summoned. Shall we?”

  Katie nodded and followed him, her stomach tight.

  Katie, Pandora, and Juntto stood tall and proud in the center of the room, waiting as Ormund listened to the council. They couldn’t understand them, but they knew they wouldn’t miss the decision. Ormund shook the council members’ hands and turned to them.

  “Katie, Pandora, and Juntto. The council has decided unanimously to allow you to leave Atlantis without being executed for the crimes Wilson committed against our people. You will be escorted promptly to the gates on the opposite side of the city and shown out the way your foe escaped.”

  Katie looked at the council members for a moment and smiled. “Thank you for that fair and just judgment. We thank you for sparing our lives, and know that we would never take the life of an Atlantean for unjust reasons. We mourn the loss of your people with you and hope you find love and comfort in the coming days. We were hoping that you would allow one of your people to go with us, to help us navigate toward Wilson so that we may dispose of him quickly.”

  Ormund shook his head. “No. No Atlanteans will go with you. That being said, let me further elaborate on the decision that has been reached by the council in your regard. It is true, none of you will be judged for the crimes that Wilson committed. However, we expect you to find Wilson and this warrior accomplice, Red, and bring them back to us. We have every right to impose our justice on them. Therefore, when you are released, you will not kill them.”

  Katie cleared her throat, trying to decide on the best answer. She couldn’t tell them no and get out of there without a fight. At the same time, Wilson was destined for justice above the sea. She took a deep breath and nodded. “Understood.”

  Ormund put his hand out. “Rowdoor will see you to the gates.”

  Katie, Pandora, and Juntto nodded and followed the orange-robed servant from the council room. As they exited, Pandora leaned in, whispering to Katie, “I thought we were supposed to bring Wilson back to the general? Now we’re leaving him here?”

  Katie groaned softly and whispered back, “Let’s try to find him first. Then we’ll decide whether we leave him.”

  15

  Calvin ran through the base, grabbing soldiers heading for the wall. He pulled them into a group and pointed at the ladders leading to the top. “Move up to the top. I will give you instructions when we get up there. The last two men, grab the remaining ammo that has not been pulled up.”

  The soldiers mov
ed quickly, one by one climbing to the tops of the wall. There was enough room for them to lay down with their guns propped in front of them on the edges. Calvin handed the last box of ammo to the last soldier in line and pulled a rifle over his shoulders. He followed them up to the top and squatted in front of them.

  The men turned and stared at him, all of them young, and all of them nervous. Calvin hated to see such young, scared faces, but that was war, and they were in the thick of it. One of the soldiers stood next to him, translating what he was saying. “I know you are frightened, but that is good. Use that fear and turn it to rage. Use it to aim right and pull that trigger swiftly. Think of this as a real fort. You don’t want the enemy inside your lines. This is your home. You have to do whatever you can to protect it.”

  Calvin waited until his words were translated before continuing. “These guns are your only protection. You cannot fight these demons in hand-to-hand combat. Hold onto them with all your might and make every single shot count. Aim for the heads, not the chests. Blow holes through them and turn those bastards to dust. You are the first line of defense, and we will do everything we can to back you up.”

  Calvin paused and looked out as the demons raced toward the fort. “You have limited ammo, men. You have enough if you take your time and make every shot count, but we are low on this type. Don’t waste it, whatever you do. Because of the blast of the EMP, we do not have the big guns in this fight. They were the main line of defense, taking out demons before they could even get close to the wall. However, we can’t fire from a distance now.”

  The translator finished translating and looked at Calvin with fear in his eyes. Calvin patted him on the shoulder and nodded. “You will need to fire on them when they are close; when they are scratching at the walls of this city with their long sharp claws. When you can see the saliva dripping from their teeth and smell the rank scent of hell emanating from their bodies. They will be so close that you will want to run, but you cannot. You have to stand your ground.”

  Calvin stood up, holding his gun in the air. “We are warriors. We want them to get so close that when the bullet hits them, we feel the wind as their bodies fly back. We want to show them that they will not drive us from our homes. We will not sacrifice our freedom or our lives to them. They are not welcome here. You do not shoot them until you can see the very red of their beady eyes. When this battle is over, you will know how it feels to face hell itself and come out alive and breathing on the other side.”

  Down below, soldiers ran back and forth, getting to their posts. Korbin stared out the gate at the demons charging them. They were already scrambling up the walls. He could hear their snarls and growls, smell their foul breath, and feel the anger and hatred coming from them. The temperature around him had gone up at least ten degrees from their presence, and steam rose from their black scales as they frantically scraped at the fort to try to fulfill their purpose.

  On the one hand, it made Korbin sick to his stomach, but on the other, it was a rush. It was a battle. It had been a while since he’d had the opportunity to crush demons face to face. He was ready for it, and he knew the fort was going to hold it all back as they moved in on them.

  Korbin marched over to the group of Damned who stood in the center awaiting his instruction. He looked them up and down and pointed toward the gate. “Do you see that? They are already breathing down our necks. There are giant rhino-like demons with sharp, twisted horns plowing through the layers of the wall, wanting desperately to taste your blood. To taste the blood of the children in this city. They are here to take your lives. The rest are just like what is inside of each of us, only they haven’t been shown who is boss.”

  The group stood tall, their teeth clenched. They wanted to do what they’d come to do. They wanted to be legendary soldiers like Korbin and his team. The group looked over as one of the demons slammed into the gate, snarling. It reached its arm through and swiped it back and forth, trying to get to Korbin. He pulled a gun from his holster and held it out, pulling the trigger. The bullet went straight into its skull and threw the demon onto its back. The Damned all watched as it writhed and finally turned to dust.

  Korbin holstered his weapon and smiled at the Damned. “Shoot them in the head. Send them straight back to the place they came from. Let them know that no matter how many times they come at us, we will always be ready and waiting.”

  Korbin walked back and forth in front of the Damned. “I know you aren’t yet trained. We hoped to have a lot longer before the beasts from hell came knocking on the door. I know some of you arrived this very morning. You haven’t even been able to put your things away yet. But in this war, sometimes we have to sacrifice our ability to be fully prepared. Training is good, but there isn’t a single one of you here who can’t harness the powers of your demon. If you die, they die too, so let’s pull it together with them and fight as hard as we possibly can.”

  The team cheered, proud to be standing before Korbin ready to fight. Korbin smiled at all of them, remembering when he too was that young and ready to fight, no matter what might lie at the end. They weren’t warriors, but they would be, and quickly.

  Korbin walked over to the gate and rattled it. “This is your gate. We are the only things that stand between that gate and those lives below. We are the last line of defense. If that gate is breached, I swear I will fight right alongside each of you until the last man is standing.”

  Timothy, Stephanie, and Sean entered the small room in the basement of the main building. The place was dark when it was usually lit up with dozens of small glowing bulbs, showing that the systems were online and working well. The main breaker switch was at the back of the room.

  Stephanie lifted the door and clipped it open. “This is what you were looking for, right? The main breaker that controls the entirety of the base?”

  Timothy nodded. “Yeah.”

  Stephanie put her hand on Timothy’s. “What are the negatives to doing this?”

  Timothy looked at Sean. “Worst case scenario? We overload the system and it blow-ups. Best case, we get the power back to the main system.”

  Stephanie cleared her throat and nodded. “Right, so we are hoping for not blowing up.”

  Timothy closed his eyes. “We are hoping this restores the main power and I’m able to work on the rest. We’re hoping that the whole base isn’t fried from that EMP, because I’m telling you now, if this doesn’t work, I don’t know what I’ll do. I don’t have any more answers.”

  Stephanie calmed herself and smiled at Timothy. “Please, girl—you got this. You are the queen of tough situations. If you can match a Dior jacket with Prada shoes, you can handle this. It is nothing.”

  Timothy chuckled and smiled at Stephanie. “Thank you. Let’s hope you’re right. Ready?”

  Stephanie nodded and stepped back with Sean. Timothy grabbed the handle and crossed his fingers. Shutting his eyes tightly, he flipped the main breaker and stood there for a moment, looking out of one eye. Everything still dark. When he was about to break down, the lights began to come on. One row at a time, they went from dark to shining brightly.

  Timothy let out a deep sigh of relief and raised his hands to his face. Tears began to flow down his cheeks, and he shook his head wildly. “I am so done with drama.”

  Stephanie laughed and ran over to him, throwing her arms around him and hugging him as tight as she could. “I told you, you have the magic touch.”

  Timothy laughed as he dried his tears.

  Stephanie pulled back and grabbed him by the shoulders. “Now, you need to pull it together, because you have work to do. The first thing you have is to call the general. I don’t know if my guy on the bike made it anywhere yet, but I want you to make sure the general knows what’s coming. Then I need you to see what’s going on at the forts. See if anyone is down. See if anyone needs anything we can do from here. It’s our job to protect them as well as we can.”

  Timothy nodded. “We got this. We are going to speed up
there right now.”

  Stephanie let out a deep breath. “Good. Now that the power is back on, I need to get the rest of this base in shape. There are guns to load, a building full of people in the armory to make sure are okay, and soldiers to whip into shape.”

  Stephanie started to walk out the door, and Timothy called to her. She stopped and looked back at him. “That Dior jacket will never be the same, and those Prada shoes are now a hit all over the world because of what I did. Girl, I got anything that marches my way.”

  Stephanie laughed as Timothy snapped his fingers, looking down at Sean. “Come on, Wheels, we got shit to do.”

  Timothy got behind his wheelchair and started pushing it toward the elevator. He puffed out his cheeks and let out a slow, silent breath. He might have been acting sassy, but that was not what he was feeling on the inside. He wanted to praise Jesus and jump up and down speaking in tongues at that point, but they had work to do.

  They rode the elevator to the main floor and hurried off, heading down the hall and into the comm room. As soon as they entered, Timothy put his hands up and smiled. “Look at the beautiful blinking lights on everything. Seriously, look how fucking beautiful that is! I have tears in my goddamn eyes. I don’t even know where to start right now.”

  Sean chuckled. “Start by taking a deep calming breath. We’ve got to get the phone lines up and running again so that we can get our calls out. I can get the computer running and see if we are still connected to the other forts. That way we can get a message out to all of them without wasting the time it takes to call them.”

  Sean wheeled himself to the desk, and Timothy started working on the lines. All the phone lines were internet-based, so he had to reboot the system. As he was waiting, he looked at Sean, shaking his head. “Let me ask you something: you ever have your whole life flash before your eyes? I mean, everything you ever did. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the absolutely fucking fabulous. Every damn second of it.”