For a moment, stillness ruled on the plaza, every scourge turning towards the chariot and its inhumane rider. The stillness only lasted a moment and despite the camera’s not having microphones, I was certain I heard the howling of wolves, as all the hounds raised their muzzles towards the sky in unison. The many shepherds on the plaza were moving, too, their arms striking the left chest once, before being raised towards the chariot in salute.

In response, the figure on the chariot raised her spear, giving me a much better look at it and I noticed the decorations, a swastika set into the head, bands of steel around the shaft and a sturdy cap at the end. Looking at the figure herself, she was inhumanly beautiful, more akin to a statue with perfectly chiselled, strong features, the gleaming, bronze skin shared by all Scourge and gem-like eyes that stared out into the world. There seemed to be a moment of communication, before a large group of the hounds, alongside a formation of Shepherds began to move into a formation with the chariot in the centre.

Looking at the direction they were moving in, I made a somewhat risky decision.

“Tailong, please move towards building 17, to join up with Bizill. There is a new, unique type leading the Scourge.” I ordered, hoping that a team-up between the two Powered would be able to prevent the large group from moving at their leisure.

“A new type, you say? I’m most curious.” the cultured voice of Tailong replied, a part of me curious how his communicator survived while he was in the shape of a dragon made of fire, but asking would have to wait for a better time.

“Bidzill, you have an incoming large group of Hounds, Shepherds and an intelligent, commander-type. Tailong is on his way to reinforce.” I advised, while continuously announcing the position of that larger scourge-group.

Back on the Plaza, more Scourge were pouring from the portal, some remaining behind, others moving in an orderly fashion, taking up positions and the images started to blur in that area, reminding me very much of the effect magic had on electronic vision. Checking the other cameras, I realised that Technica and Fey were almost there, while Fyodor had managed to get most of the civilians out, keeping them subdued until they were out of danger.

My focus returned to the area where Bidzill and his group were about to clash with the large group of Scourge. Luckily, Tailong had made haste and was almost in range, his group reaching the site at about the same time as the Scourge. Reporting their positions to both sides, Bidzill pulled his group back a little, letting the Scourge flood into the street between the two buildings he was occupying, only to have the Powered with him unleash their ranged attacks. Beams of plasma, orbs of concussive force, a myriad of attacks were launched into the Scourge, tearing through the initial group of hounds with ease. But with numbers what they were, there was no way for those attacks to be enough and once the Shepherds rounded the corner and entered the field of battle, momentum started to change, the weird, elemental abilities of the Shepherds more than enough to counter the Powered onslaught.

On the Plaza, Fey and Technica had begun thinning the Scourge-numbers, violet beams of energy launched from glowing, silver rods floating around Fey alongside arcs of plasma and even a few grenades from Technica opened the way for the Powered with them to engage. They made quick progress, mostly due to the majority of Shepherds not moving from their weird ritual-circle, only limited forces engaging them and getting pummelled for it.

A relieved sigh escaped me, when Tailong entered the battlefield on the other side, the white fire he commanded incinerating a group of Scourge as soon as he and his group appeared. With both Councillors engaging the enemy, they started to swing the momentum back into their favour, their combined might enough to break the Shepherds’ bombardement.

“I see what you meant with unique.” Bidzill muttered through the communicator and I realised that the Chariot had made contact, the massive hounds simply trampling over their fallen brethren in order to allow the three-metre tall, statuesque figure riding it to engage their enemies. Yet, despite their charge, the first blow was dealt by Tailong, who’s dragon-body reared up, unleashing a brutal inferno, the buildings on either side melting away and crashing down on the burned Scourge, only to be swept aside by a blow of the spear.

“Pull back, everyone!” Bidzill shouted, the weaker Powered following his order instantly, letting the two councillors engage the chariot and its rider. For the first time, I was able to see just what it meant to be recognised as the strongest Powered. Bidzill moved forward, not blindly launching himself but in a controlled dash, before bracing himself and swinging his fist in a deceptively simple punch. A part of me wondered if I was seeing things of if it truly was his punch that caused a shockwave, strong enough to sweep aside debris and cause a visible distortion in the air but when the punch hit one of the four hounds, instantly pulping it and throwing the shattered body aside, I could only accept that the laws of physics were somewhere in a corner, gagged and possibly crying.

They certainly were in that corner when the figure on top of it swung her spear in response, first in a swift stab that Bidzill dodged, though a wall a couple of metres further back was destroyed nonetheless, and then, lightning quick, in a swipe with the back of her spear, hitting him square in the chest, throwing him off his feet and through a nearby wall. Hopefully, Fyodor had managed to evacuate all civilians, or they would become collateral damage.

“Can you lend me some processing?” Technica asked, making me focus on the Plaza, where she and Fey had cleared a good chunk, enough for some of her instruments to start gathering data. Using the ports she had opened for me, I began to analyse the data she gathered, at the same time storing and archiving it for later use.

“We need to stop them!” Fey gasped, horror in her voice. Her arm pointed towards the area where the Shepherds were doing their ritual, by now completely blurred from electronic recognition.

For a moment, I considered the situation and decided that the Powered currently with Bidzill and Tailong could be used on the Plaza, the battle against the giant on her chariot was not something they could meddle in. A few quick commands, and they moved towards the Plaza, in order to reinforce Fey and Technica.

That done, I gave a short glance to that battle, noticing that Bidzill was bleeding and Tailong’s dragon had lost one of its arms, while the giant looked somewhat worse for wear.

“Fyodor, do you think you can move to support Bidzill and Tailong?” I asked, not certain how things were on his side, my processing needed to support Technica.

“Certainly.” he acknowledged and I gave him the needed directions, before focusing back to the Plaza.

There, Technica and Fey had managed to clear most of the Scourge and were gathering strength for the next push. Right on time, the Powered that had been with Bidzill and Tilong joined the fray, adding their own fire-power to the mix and striking the remaining Scourge in the flank. It gave Technica the opening to advance on the portal, while Fey started to make her way towards the magical circle of Shepherds, some of whom now turned to engage her. The majority of them remained, though, making it obvious that their work was a priority.

Curious, I used the ports opened by Technica to access the cameras in her helmet, allowing me to see the portal from up close. It was fascinating, as she came closer, the sickly, ochre disk resolved into a hole in reality, allowing a blurry view to a room on its other side, almost like looking through a dirty window.

That room was far from anything I had expected, even if I was not certain what I actually had expected. No matter what, it certainly was not a comfortably looking room, decorated with dark wood and leather.On the wall hung a painting, glowing with an ochre energy, so similar to the portal and even the skin-colour of the Courge, hung, showing the chariot, with the four hounds and the gigantic figure riding it.

But all that, it paled before the realisation that crashed into me like a wave, a realisation that came the moment my mind made the connection between the figure in that room, holding a spear that mirrored the one held by the giant figure, either in reality or on the painting.

The realisation that I knew the woman, that I had seen her, right next to Clark when I shot him. It was his mother.

Before I could consider further, my attention was needed elsewhere, when Bidzill let out a gasp, the camera showing me the image of him, run through by the glowing spear of the giant. With casual ease, she tossed him through a wall, a massive chest-wound spouting blood, before a beam of energy struck Tailong, the dragon letting out a pained roar that destroyed the communicator, leaving me in silence.

There was nothing I could do, but warn Technica and Fey that the giant was on her way.

The portal had winked out of existence, maybe to prevent Technica from accessing it, or to avoid having more data gathered, it mattered not. The Shepherds were still there, and needed to be dealt with, if they wanted to have a chance against the giant. Technica and Fey teamed up once more, focusing fire on the shepherds, when suddenly, the spear I had seen in the Giant’s hand landed in the middle of the circle.

And I lost all signals.

“What is going on?!” I asked Galatea, a small bit of panic setting in. I was needed, I could not fail my mother due to a technical glitch.

“We lost the signal. Trying to get visuals from somewhere.” she replied and I could feel her stretch her digital limbs, looking for a camera that might tell us what was going on. The answer she found came from above, a weather-observation satellite above Europe, allowing us to witness a plume of plasma shooting into the sky. For a moment, I thought that there was the image of a dragon, coiling around the flames, keeping them contained, only to be washed away by the unforgiving fire, just before the fire burned out, collapsing in on itself. Leaving behind a picture of devastation.

“By the gods.” I muttered and for the second time in as many days, I felt my mind go blank, my body simply shutting down, not purely from exhaustion this time, but because I could not deal with reality.

Accord Island, the Guild, some of my best friends. Gone.

My mother…

Gone.

All gone, in a single flash of light.