by D N Meinster
But they weren’t able to stop all of them. As the surviving demibeasts reached the streets, they made for the chrome men. Their teeth and claws were sharp enough to penetrate the silver skin, tearing it away and chomping at the wires underneath.
Peacekeepers with familiar weaponry moved in to protect the others. They had swords, they had staffs, and they had shields. It took only one precise blow for them to eliminate a demibeast. A puncture through the chest or head with the sword. A well-placed blow with the shield. A staff sent straight down the beast’s gullet, emerging from its other end and providing it with a longer tail.
The peacekeepers did well repeating the same motions over and over. Some of the demibeasts learned the patterns, avoiding attacks and ripping the heads from the automaton bodies.
But the ratio of peacekeepers to demibeasts was too great. While one demibeast disabled a peacekeeper, at least two others aimed for it and killed it.
Eventually, the walls of Castle Tornis were clear, and the long-range assault ceased. The peacekeepers chased down the surviving demibeasts, who ran to each other and attempted to band together.
Their gathering only gave the more advanced weapons an easier target. A black ball shot from one of the more bulbous devices, expanding as soon as it touched the demibeasts skin. It grew until it devoured the entire group, and subsequently shrunk back down before disappearing entirely.
“We’re at a seventy-eight percent accuracy and ninety-two percent lethality,” Versil announced.
Rikki heard the voice of another director.
“That is a substantial differential from latest field testing.”
“Who else is there?” Rikki called out.
“The entire Directorate is monitoring,” Versil said. “You didn’t expect them to stay out of the loop, did you?”
Finding out that Versil had told other Bellish somehow made Rikki feel even worse. She had failed to inform her own friends, the only people in the world she trusted. Versil had revealed the plan to mere colleagues of his.
She knew she didn’t want them to talk her out of it, but Doren and Aros deserved to know.
“Do you have any way to send a message to the Twilight Islands?” Rikki asked.
“Certainly,” Versil replied. “Would you like to record—”
Versil went silent as the main doors of Castle Tornis swung open.
Rikki watched the images on the glass, holding her breath as she waited.
They all expected Neanthal to emerge, but he did not. Instead, bipedal creatures wearing familiar black armor began to stream out.
Their chests were fully plated, with ample spikes stretching out from each shoulder and Neanthal’s brand painted across their fronts. Their legs were coated in a similar material, with layered metal providing their limbs protection. Each wore black gauntlets and horned helmets, with nothing but their eyes left in view.
Rikki knew those eyes. They were the same as the demibeasts’. They were Neanthal’s.
These beings were not the Ifta that were described in history books. They were something new; something he created.
Peacekeepers wielding Kytheran-based weapons charged forward.
The plated Massku withdrew their own weapons; not only swords but spiked clubs as well. The automatons were bludgeoned with the clubs before they could get close enough to capably attack.
Bits of metal flew through the air as the Massku batted away the chrome men.
“Ineffective,” Versil stated. “Switching to long-range.”
The first wave of peacekeepers backed away as the projectile wielders took aim and let loose their artillery. Flashes of light preceded an odd buzzing that filled the air.
One of the plated Massku was hit by whatever they’d shot at him, turning him into nothing but black dust.
“Success!” Lodmac’s voice exclaimed. “Try out the heat-seekers.”
A cluster of gray balls were shot into the air, where they hovered momentarily before diving for the Massku. These balls collided with the black armor, leaving a dent but having no other effect.
“It’s possible the armor’s been magically enhanced to protect against typical projectiles,” one of the Directors noted.
“Let’s try burning them,” Lodmac replied.
Fire instantly began raining down from the sky, consuming the Massku and even the front of Castle Tornis.
Smoke rose up from the affected area, but when it started to dissipate, it became clear that the Massku were still standing.
“Enchanted, I have no doubt,” Versil stated.
“Prepare for—”
The Directors were evidently taken aback by the burst of speed the plated Massku exhibited. They charged forward and slammed their clubs into the peacekeepers, tearing away limbs and ripping chunks from their plain torsos.
Demibeasts followed the plated out of the castle, adding to the targets that the peacekeepers weren’t ready for.
Under their programming, they let loose their weaponry, filling the field of battle, and all of Treatis Square, with an assortment of deadly armaments that were not meant to interact with each other.
The peacekeepers were hitting themselves as well as the Massku. Light rays took out demibeasts and peacekeepers but were ineffective against the plated.
Copious amounts of disintegrations randomly took out allies and opponents alike, as it proved the most effective on the plated but was poorly targeted.
Black orbs were flung about, growing and consuming any in its path, including both Massku and peacekeeper.
When the explosions started clearing away chunks of the field, the Directors began panicking.
“Who authorized use of rolling mines?”
“We haven’t finalized their targeting system.”
“They’re taking out our own.”
“Patience,” Versil ordered. “At this rate, Massku forces will drop to five percent in less than ten minutes. We still have over seventy-five percent of our peacekeepers operating.”
Rikki took turns looking at the moving images and spying out the AGT’s door. Chaos had consumed the frontlines of the battle, making any observation difficult no matter what vantage point she took. Smoke, dust from disintegrations, and the barrage of advanced weaponry made a clear perception of the conflict impossible. She’d have to take Versil’s word on what was happening, and based on what he said, the peacekeepers were winning.
“We have an opening into the castle,” Versil announced. “Prepare for breach.”
When her eyes fell back on the images, she saw him. First, it was only his silhouette in the entryway. But then he completely stepped out into the ongoing war.
The entire battlefield went silent. The peacekeepers ceased firing. Any remaining Massku went still.
Neanthal sized up the armies, evidently considering his next course of action.
“Fire everything,” she heard Lodmac whisper.
The peacekeepers resumed their barrage. Neanthal’s visage was lost beneath a salvo of fire, orbs, spikes, smoke, bubbles, black clouds, and light rays. It seemed that every weapon the Bellish had equipped their army with was now targeting the new King.
It wasn’t noticeable at first, but as the attack quieted down, the unmistakable laugh of a tyrant grew until it overcame the sound of the last weapons firing. The façade of Castle Tornis was more damaged than he was.
Neanthal stood in a crater, laughing and laughing.
He rose up from it seconds later and stretched his arms out toward the chrome men. Horizontal red cyclones emerged from his hands, swirling and expanding until the peacekeepers were caught in its path and torn to bits in its core.
These red storms cleared away rows upon rows of peacekeepers. Wherever he directed them to swell and engulf, they accomplished what his Massku could not.
“We’re down to fifty percent!” one of the Directors cried out.
“Issuing a fallback order,” Versil stated.
“My turn,” Rikki said, preparing to j
ump from the AGT and take on the Beast directly.
“Negative,” Versil replied. “Launching containment protocol.”
“Containment?” Rikki asked.
The peacekeepers fled from the scene of battle, leaving Neanthal alone in Tornis Square. He recalled his cyclones and beheld the destruction left in his wake. Most of it was wires and limbs, all belonging to the Bellish automatons. But bodies of demibeasts were counted among the fallen, as was the discarded armor of the plated that hadn’t been completely disintegrated.
Neanthal bent down and took one of the demibeasts in his arms. He whispered something to it before gazing up angrily at the retreating AGTs.
With one fluid motion, he launched the demibeast’s body into one of the vehicles, taking out whatever mechanism gave it flight and sending it crashing into the city below.
As he watched the AGT descend, he caught sight of another Bellish design approaching him.
It was an unusual collection of silver orbs and smooth metal poles, some flattened and curved. They hovered through the air before circling his position.
“Activating containment field,” Versil stated.
Three poles slammed into the ground around Neanthal. Orbs began circling the air above the poles. And the rest of the metals began interconnecting with each other at the very top of this contraption.
Suddenly, the apparatus sprung to life, and a transparent blue sheet filled in the empty space between each part.
Neanthal touched it and immediately howled as smoke billowed up from his fingers.
The pain did not prevent him from trying again. He attempted to reach through the blue screen but was again unable to get any farther than it allowed.
Next, he apparently tried shifting out from the containment field, but this time his whole body smacked into the blue sheet.
“How is it doing that?” Rikki asked in amazement.
“It’s a more advanced form of what we used to contain Hatswick,” Versil answered. “The temporal devices keep him out of phase with his surroundings, preventing him from shifting. The rest is a mere EM barrier, operating at one hundred percent of course.”
Rikki watched as Neanthal struggled within the containment field, sending out cyclones to try and clear it away. His attacks were ineffective. He tried a variety of methods, including melting the ground, but the blue screen was present beneath him as well. He was stuck.
“Sending in the casing,” Versil announced.
“What casing?” Rikki inquired.
“Made from our magically resistant alloy,” he replied. “We may be able to keep him better imprisoned than your Door ever could.”
Rikki felt that the optimistic sentiment was laced with Bellish arrogance. Imprisonment was not an option for this demigod. Amelia had failed with it, as had the Goddess. They needed a better plan.
“We need to find a way to destroy him,” Rikki said.
“We will get to that,” Versil assured her.
Large metal sheets entered the Kytheran sky, all of them heading for Neanthal.
He seemed to notice what was coming for him, as his irritated stare was accompanied by a deep grimace.
Neanthal raised his hands in front of his face, and his fingers immediately began to transform into a black smoke. His arms lost their shape, as did his legs, becoming nothing more than wispy clouds. His chest began to expand as it changed form, and his head was the last to break apart into its dark essence.
The black smoke swirled within the containment field, growing and growing until the entire area enclosed by the devices was filled up.
“Place the casings now!” one of the Directors shouted.
A black limb broke through the blue screen. Another followed. They were both as long as several AGTs, with claws reaching out from each end.
“Containment field breached,” Versil relayed without a hint of shock. “Collapse imminent.”
A black snout burst through the top of the containment field, scattering the poles that were holding it together.
Two more legs spread out from the back of the massive black cloud, followed by an increasingly elongated tail.
Neanthal’s fiery eyes burned above his slender snout. At his full height, he was taller than even Castle Tornis, though is elongated neck contributed to his massive size.
“The Beast,” Rikki whispered, finally comprehending the origins of the designation.
He was not unlike an engorged velizard, though one that had somehow been changed into a black cloud. Yet his tail was fuller than its Faun counterparts and his muzzle more suited to carnage. The teeth, while obviously larger, were never meant to be hidden within his mouth.
“What now?” one of the Directors mumbled.
“If we stay within city limits, the causality count will be astronomical,” another stated.
“I have to take him on,” Rikki said, not sure how she could face something that could easily stomp her out.
“No, dear Rikki,” Versil replied. “That is my responsibility. I was prepared for this eventuality. Activating WEXO suit 2932.”
“Do you expect one of our peacekeepers to pilot it?” Lodmac asked.
“Of course not,” Versil said. “I will.”
“WEXO?” Rikki asked, feeling that she’d heard the term already.
“Weaponized Exo-Skeleton,” Lestrapel Humuratos’ voice answered. “2932 is the latest prototype, designed after your denhare went rampaging through Cortex.”
Rikki covered up a mournful smile. Ji-Ji had been in a poor mood that day.
As her eyes focused back on the outdoor images, she saw Neanthal was no longer idle in front of Castle Tornis. He moved toward the greater city, chasing after the peacekeepers that had not yet fled Kytheras.
“He’s going to turn the Inner into the Outer,” Rikki exclaimed. She couldn’t just sit and watch. She had to interfere.
The door to the AGT slid shut.
“That won’t stop me,” she warned.
While she readied to shift, she heard Versil once more.
“I have entered the WEXO suit,” Versil alerted them. “Preparing for launch. Three. Two. One.”
Rikki’s eyes turned back to the monitors as her curiosity over the WEXO suit momentarily displaced her will to leave.
One of the images flickered before displaying Versil within the WEXO. It had the appearance of a wider, bulkier peacekeeper, though one that lacked silver skin and displayed its internal metallic skeleton. Even projected on the glass, its gargantuan height and massive width were easy to distinguish.
Versil sat within its very center, his limbs encased in metallic wiring. His movements were replicated by the WEXO. Every twitch had a corresponding movement with the surrounding suit.
He touched down outside the Kytheran border, the metal feet slightly sinking into the grass and dirt.
With a wave of her staff, the AGT door slid back open. Even from a distant Castle Tornis, the sizable WEXO was still visible.
“I’ll lure him out here,” Versil said.
Bulbous pods emerged from the wrists of the WEXO. Versil targeted Neanthal and ejected blue lasers from the weaponry.
The Beast had spent his time squashing peacekeepers, but the burning blue lights caught his attention. Though they fizzled against his exterior, his eyes caught sight of the giant WEXO standing outside Kytheras.
There was a second where it seemed he couldn’t believe that he had an adversary nearly as large himself. But any disbelief was replaced by an immediate rage, and Neanthal charged through the city towards his challenger.
Versil had prepared for this eventuality. At least, he’d constructed a monstrous WEXO suit that could handle a creature of immense size. But he hadn’t exactly prepared himself for this moment.
A gargantuan beast was on its way toward him, stomping on peacekeepers and Kytheran architecture as it advanced.
It was not heading toward a holographic projection of himself, nor an image of him on a screen. He was there, in the
middle of a warzone.
What had compelled this course of action? Was it guilt? His people had been enslaved by Neanthal while he remained hidden and left them to their servitude. It was a choice that he’d nearly repeated again.
Versil could not have prevented a Dark Reign after Neanthal’s initial incursion. Their technology was not yet capable of such conquest. But now? He would not condemn Ghumai to another decade of darkness. Of course, his decision to join Rikki’s alliance was not intended to lead to an outcome where he faced a direct assault. Yet there was no one he trusted more to operate the WEXO and no other he would ask to sacrifice themselves. He owed Belliore this, just as he owed all of Ghumai.
Versil lifted his right arm and the WEXO mimicked his motion. “Should’ve finished remote operation sooner,” he sighed.
He curled his fingers into a fist, and the metallic spires that composed the WEXO’s hand did so as well.
Neanthal lunged at him, and Versil sent the WEXO fist on a collision course with the Beast’s snout.
Versil thought it might be like striking a cloud, but there was an audible pop as the hard metal slammed into the black smoke.
Neanthal tumbled onto his side, and the impact of the strike seemed to momentarily daze him.
Versil stretched out both arms and triggered the lasers on the WEXO’s suit to resume fire. The blue beams cut into Neanthal’s smoky exterior, though he was unsure they were doing any actual damage.
The WEXO had not been equipped with any additional weaponry. They hadn’t had the time to build more projectiles into its construction. This was Versil’s only move, and it appeared to be mostly ineffective.
“Resume attack!” Versil ordered the peacekeepers while Neanthal smoothly transitioned back onto his feet.
A deluge of bubbles peeled away at his dark cloud, but Neanthal dispatched the aggressive automatons with a well-placed stomp.
His fiery eyes locked back onto Versil, and Neanthal came at him with the swiftness his vapory form allowed.
The black cloud consumed the WEXO’s right arm, and Neanthal detached it with an effortless pluck.
