Raising Sera- Lineage

by Andre Ellison

  Her gun ran out of ammunition.

  The bodies of the ice creatures regenerated. Shrieking in unison, they continued their advance. Osira held out her hand. Releasing a shroud of dark matter, she encapsulated the ice demons in force fields.

  Pontus raised his arms. He froze the shrouds then levitated the ice blocks. Crushing the demons inside, he hurled the blocks of ice at Osira. She kicked open a door to an adjacent room. As she entered, a block of ice smashed into a wall that was beside her face.

  She called out to Soldier. As he ran up to her, she grabbed him under her arm and they vanished.

  [We need to catch up to Erebus!]

  Osira nodded.

  She activated her propulsion boots and flew into the room with Pontus. She soared over the titan’s attack and landed on the upper level to the chapel.

  Osira looked around. Suspended in the air, Chronos held Erebus by his mortal throat. The titan reached for his dagger.

  Osira emerged from transparency.

  Soldier leaped from within her arms and lunged at the titan with ferocity. Chronos released Erebus then pulled at the dog to get off.

  Release me... a voice echoed from inside Soldier’s mind.

  Release me from this prison.

  Chronos grabbed Soldier and threw him to a wall. The dog yelp out as it slid to the floor. Soldier shook his face then stood on his paws ready.

  Free me... the voice spoke again, coming into clarity as Leo. Don’t make me rip you apart!

  Soldier dropped his snout on the chapel floor. He rubbed his face against the ground and growled.

  Your demons are not to be feared... Kali’s voice echoed. We will conquer the ones that mean you harm.

  Erebus rose to his feet. He turned to Sera and ran towards her. Her head was hung low and her eyes were closed. He reached his arms up and held her neck.

  Chronos charged towards him, tackling Erebus into a concrete wall.

  Osira went invisible. She inched her way towards the altar and grabbed the orb with precision.

  Pontus ripped through the floor beneath her. Osira fell through and the titan reached to grab her. She became visible and the force rolled the Occulus from her hand.

  As the concrete fell from the chapel above, the debris landed on Pontus’ head. He let go of Osira and braced himself against a nearby window. The floor beneath him buckled and pieces of the east-side tower fell into the lava below.

  Five Apex helicopters flew in the near distances. They fired their weapons at the legion of demons that piled before them. A rocket flew from the transport. It hit the prison and a makeshift bridge formed from the rubble.

  Thousands of the possessed stormed into the prison. They scoured the corridors looking for survivors.

  Osira cast a dark shroud over herself. A small group of possessed humans raced into the corridor. As they ran towards her force field, they slashed at the barrier with ravenous intent. Osira loaded her pistol. She fired through the force field and unleashed a hailstorm of bullets. More of the possesses enter the hallway. She disappeared and removed the shroud. Pontus rose to his feet. As demons came to attack him, he unleashed a group of water demons. The horde overtook the sentient and turned the minion into ice terrors.

  Osira reappeared in the next room. She fired a remote mine at the ceiling and initiated her propulsion boots. Detonating the mine, she flew up to the chapel.

  The ice terrors shrieked in unison.

  “Grab Sera!” Osira shouted as she looked at Erebus.

  Pontus leaped at her from the lower level. The ice terrors attacked him, forcing him to fall back down. As they struggled, the water titan fell out a stained glass window. He slammed against two Apex helicopters and the airships exploded. A group of demons were set on fire.

  Pontus landed on his back. The possessed and the ice terrors lunged at the titan, submerging him in numbers.

  “Angela!” a small voice spoke in her earpiece. “What is your status?”

  “Alex?” Osira replied. “Where are you?”

  “Approaching Obsidian as we speak! Commander Tarquin is piloting.”

  “I need to speak with Hecatan... is she with you?”

  “Yeah... but she’s not in good shape to respond. That cloning thing she did took a number on her.”

  “Meet us at the chapel!” Osira concluded. “Erebus is out of control!”

  ***

  Stalking from the shadows, Erebus reached for the orb. Soldier appeared before him and growled.

  [Control yourself!] Soldier insisted, moving closer to Erebus.

  Sweat dripped from Erebus’s face. He took a step back but stumbled over a rock behind him. Erebus fell over.

  “What are you doing?” Soldier spoke to him.

  “My beloved...” Erebus groaned. “That orb will bring her back.”

  “To what?” Soldier exclaimed. “To a universe non-existent! Tartarus is here and we need to work in unison!”

  Erebus dropped his head.

  “I am not Ethan,” he uttered. “I am a Primordial. I am not some man you can manipulate.”

  Erebus rose to his feet. A tentacle arm reached up from the lower floor and grabbed at his leg. Erebus strained with resistance. Another tentacle speared him in the back. Soldier pulled at Erebus’ ankle, releasing him free.

  Clones of Hecatan appeared around the castle. They fought off the demons and pushed them into the moat. A fire erupted from the lava below.

  Pontus emerged as a possessed water demon. He swung his tentacle arms and reached inside the prison. He pulled at a leg and grabbed Chronos.

  ***

  An Apex Carrier hovered above the chapel. Tarquin was pilot and he opened up the hatchway. Alex stood ready as glanced at the menacing sky. The moon was large and was increasing in size. As she helped an exhausted Hecatan, the woman rose to her feet and looked up as well.

  “Less than an hour,” she uttered to Alex.

  Hecatan held the amulet in her hand. She tossed it into the lava and the volcano shook. All her replicates fused into one another. She lifted her head and closed her eyes. As the last clone disappeared, she jumped out the hovercraft and into the chapel. She looked over at Chronos. With a flash of light, everything stood still.

  Chronology

  The room was lifeless, encapsulated in time. Chronos released himself from Pontus’ grasp and gazed upon the Occulus on the altar. He approached the orb.

  “The time is now...” he moaned in his primordial language. “...for you all to die!”

  He picked up Soldier by the throat.

  “At last...” he continued. “I found you, old man!”

  Chronos unsheathed his dagger.

  “My protege did well in hiding you in this beast... A God among gods, you neglected the High Council...”

  He lifted Soldier into the air.

  “Hecatan should have killed you... but like you, she is weak.”

  Chronos stabbed Soldier then threw him to the floor. He wiped his blade. The blood smeared his hand.

  “The fate of the universe is no longer yours to burden with. The Protogenoi is no more.”

  He walked over to Erebus.

  “Look at me!” he ordered.

  He grabbed Erebus’ face and reanimated him. Erebus cried out as the titan squeezed his head.

  “Killing you would be a mercy,” he continued. “I know your truth. Nyx is your pain.”

  He picked up Erebus with one hand. Then dropped him back down to his knees.

  “You and the rest of the primordials will suffer,” he continued.

  He placed the Occulus in front of Erebus then summoned a vision of the universe. Chronos stretched the image to increase in size.

  Erebus stood above Crious, the titan of constellations. In his titan form, Erebus lifted his hand for the killing blow.

  “That was your brother,” Erebus uttered.

  Chronos changed the image.

  The orb showed Erebus growing in size. He surrounded Pangaea. With a blind rag
e, Erebus punched a hole into the planet. Half of the world’s surface exploded.

  ***

  “What are your reason?” Erebus winced. “Why are you showing me this?”

  Chronos squeezed his head tighter.

  “My brother,” Chronos replied. “He who prophesied my demise at the hands of my children. The one whom I entrusted to banish my father. You destroyed my link to his foresight. By scorching the planet, you released a curse-”

  “Without Crious...” Erebus interrupted. “I dissolved your connection to the future. Only a fool would allow such power.”

  “My brother was the only thing between us and Uranus.”

  “You killed your father-”

  “I castrated him...” Chronos roared. “Took his head then spread the remains to the beyond. Crious was his warden. Each stars representing a new dawn-”

  “There has been no seasons.”

  “And because of you...” Chronos whispered into Erebus’ ear. “There will be no light.”

  As an image of a thousand stars, fell from the surface of the Occulus. Chronos waved his hand over the orb. The vision of the universe was no more.

  “Your father will die!” Erebus cried out. “I’ll see to it!”

  The surface of the Occulus turned green. The radiated light illuminated off of Erebus. His eyes turned raven and eroded from his face.

  “My eyes...” Erebus screamed. “MY EYES... THEY BURN!”

  Erebus reached out his hands to Chronos. The Titan dropped him to the floor.

  “Reclaim your darkness...” Chronos whispered in his ear. “Stay lost in the abyss... just like I have.”

  Chronos fell to one knee. He let out a thunderous roar. Hecatan appeared over his left shoulder. She plunged her blades deep into his back.

  She held on to Chronos as he called for his scepter. She leaped off his back and lunged for the rod. Holding the scepter in her hand, she summoned the aura of Chronos and pushed it into Erebus’ body.

  “Sero,” she whispered, binding the two souls into one.

  The room came alive and Chronos body fell.

  Erebus rose to his feet. He blinked his black eyes and a golden stare took their place. He looked at Hecatan as she held the scepter. With a blink of an eye, the scepter flew in his hand. He glided towards Hecatan and back slapped her to the ground.

  Soldier attacked Erebus. He grabbed the dog from behind him and threw him to the floor.

  Soldier yelped before landing on his neck.

  “You’ve played enough games you, WITCH!”

  Osira rushed towards Soldier.

  “This power...” Erebus continued. “It’s what I wanted! The pure rage growing inside of me... I WANT MY REVENGE... I WANT MORE POWER!”

  Osira rose to her feet. She stared at the scepter Erebus held in his hand.

  “Erebus,” she uttered, taking a step closer. “You told me that you would do anything to destroy Chronos...”

  She held out her hand.

  “Well...” she continued. “Now is your chance to do what’s right!”

  Erebus looked at her with indifference.

  “Do what’s right... make the sacrifice... for Nyx, my beloved?”

  The sound of a burning flame left his throat.

  “With these hands, I’ll rip her primordial soul right out from your body!”

  “Doubt it!” Osira replied.

  Erebus approached her. He lifted her up and clenched her throat shut. Osira struggled as Erebus extracted Nyx.

  “Do you lust for me...” a voice uttered to him.

  Erebus eyes grew wide.

  “My beloved?” he whispered.

  Osira looked at the scepter.

  “All that I ask...” Nyx continued. “Is total and complete submission.”

  “Why yes!” Erebus groaned. “YES!”

  Osira reached for the scepter.

  “Then give me a piece...” Nyx bellowed. “...of your heart!”

  A tiny group of hands erupted from Erebus’s back. Yearning to touch the scepter, they called for the rod.

  “Wrenched Wench?” he cursed at Osira. “Remove yourself!”

  The face of Nyx appeared before him.

  “Desires are yours to control,” she uttered. “All that is yours... all that you lust... is darkness and the children you breed.”

  “Kill me!” Erebus uttered.

  He released the scepter from his grasp. “My lust for power is too strong.”

  Nyx touched his face and kissed him. A glow erupted from inside his chest. The tiny hands lift the scepter and called it towards his back. Grabbing the rod, the hand submerged into his body.

  “UGH!” Erebus roared.

  He stumbled forward and grabbed the scepter that pierced open his chest. A golden light radiated the room.

  ***

  Hecatan released Sera from off the wall. She held the girl’s head up and checked her over. Conscious but critical, Sera dropped her head.

  Osira ran to Soldier. He laid on the ground and panted heavy.

  “I’m sorry,” she uttered. “Ethan, can you hear me?”

  Soldier looked at her then turned his face. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

  Sera opened her eyes. As Hecatan carried her, she pulled herself away. Collapsing to the floor, she reached out for Soldier.

  Osira picked up the Occulus. She looked down at Erebus as he knelt on the floor. The scepter impaled his chest.

  [Release the Gods!] Soldier instructed her.

  She nodded her head as she heard his voice.

  “Sero,” she whispered.

  The scepter flew out of Erebus’ chest and into her hand. He fell to the floor and three spirited sprites emerged from his body.

  One ascended towards the night sky. The glow of the ivory sprite illuminated the night. As it reached the height of its ascension, it disappeared into a collection of clouds. A storm brewed that encircled Obsidian Ward. The spirit emerged and proclaimed its name.

  “Behold... I am the might of Zeus!”

  It clapped its hands and a bolt of lightning appeared. The god struck Erebus’ heart. An energy exploded that pulsated the prison. The adjacent tower fell to the bubbling lava below.

  A glowing red sprite descended the tower. It boiled in the lava and growing in size. A fierce creature with a crown of thrones emerged from the pit. Swinging a flail, the spirited god erupted at the sight of Pontus.

  “Hades,” he growled.

  Children of Fate

  Pontus lashed out his tentacles. They wrapped around Hades’ arm and deflected his flail.

  Hades pulled back his arm. Pulling the water god into the volcano, molten-lava seared Pontus’ flesh. The smell of sulfur permeated from his skin. Hades lunged at Pontus. He swung his flail, hitting the water god in his face then threw him over his shoulder in a fluid motion.

  ***

  Osira turned towards Hecatan.

  “The prison’s collapsing,” she hollered. “We need to get back to the substation!”

  Hecatan shook her head.

  “There’s no going back,” she replied.

  Osira looked up at the airship Tarquin commanded. It hovered above the prison roof.

  “C’mon!” Osira replied. “It isn’t safe.”

  “The terrors...” Hecatan uttered. “They’ve overtaken the compound.”

  Osira turned to Soldier. His breathing was short. A trail of blood pooled around his neck.

  “I did what I could do,” she continued.

  “You didn’t!” Osira scoffed.

  Hecatan picked up Sera. She threw her on her back and grabbed the Occulus.

  “Chronos is dead,” she uttered. “Erebus did his part.”

  “Erebus...” Osira yelled. “Erebus is dead!”

  Hecatan approached her.

  “He and I have a history,” she spoke. “He wasn’t the Erebus you knew. Although we’ve spent plenty of time opposing one another, I knew him as a great warrior. He decided his fate. H
e was reckless... like Chronos. I illustrated an illusion from their desire for power. I was not strong enough to save him though...”

  Hecatan looked at Soldier. Osira held him but he wasn’t breathing.

  Hecatan turned her face.

  “Sleep in peace,” Osira cried. She wiped her eye with the back of her hand. “Wherever you are.”

  ***

  The moon continued its descent. Zeus emerged from within the clouds. Shooting a bolt of lightning, he targeted the moon. It exploded across the wasteland and disintegrated into pieces. A satellite chunk crashed into the prison. Tarquin ascended and pulled the carrier away.

  “We need Sera now!” Hecatan shouted.

  She turned towards Osira.

  “Make your shroud!”

  Osira held up her arm. As more debris fell from the prison, a black barrier surrounded the four of them.

  “We need you, Sera...” Osira uttered. “Are you ready?”

  Sera stared at the woman and shrugged her shoulders. She opened her mouth wide.

  “What is wrong?”

  Sera stretched out her neck.

  Osira stared at her then nodded her head. She reached out her hand and expelled the terror that lied within Sera. It fell to the floor and shrieked. Osira closed up her fist and the dark demon was crushed. She felt herself get stronger as the black mist returned to her.

  “We need to hurry!” Hecatan shouted. “Tartarus is coming, NOW!”

  Sera held on to the orb. She closed her eyes and held it above her head. Kneeling to the ground, she waited.

  “What is the problem?” Osira uttered. “Nothing is happening.”

  Hecatan clenched her fist.

  “Is there something else?” Osira cried out.

  Sera opened her eyes. She looked down at the orb.

  “I’m sorry...” she uttered. “I don’t know how.”

  Osira looked over at Hecatan.

  “I didn’t want to go through this...” Hecatan uttered. “I hope the girl would be enough.”

  Osira flinched as a piece of debris fell on her barrier.

  “What isn’t enough?”

  Hecatan reached for Sera’s arm.

  “You’re bonded with the Occulus,” she uttered. “Her life is the price of that gift...”

  Osira released her hand and the shroud disappeared. Dust filled the chapel, burning her lungs.