Book 1: Escape from Babylon

CRAKOOOM

Electric light flickered in the sky above Babylon City as two figures dashed across wet concrete.

“Quickly!” urged Shifun, his gaunt face slick with rain, a thick cloak flapping behind him.

Pomo, his younger companion, quickened his step. A beaded necklace fell from his robe, he tucked it away, whispering something under his breath.

They reached the edge of a tall building that jutted upward from the lower levels of the city, and launched themselves across a gap that dropped into unseen depths. They flew toward a fire escape that clung to the building. The steel clanged as Shifun landed, sending vibrations upward, making it wobble against the building. Without the grace of his master, Pomo landed with a heavy thud, almost causing the frame to break free of its brace.

“Careful!” Shifun yelled.

“Sorry, Master,” Pomo said, struggling to get a firm grip. Shifun sighed, grabbing Pomo by the wrist and pulling him up.

“This is no time for accidents,” Shifun said, launching himself upward, scaling the building with supernatural skill.

Pomo watched Shifun disappear into a passing raincloud and braced himself for the ascent.

By the time Pomo reached the top, Shifun was already halfway up the adjacent building, climbing ever higher toward the city’s summit. He hurried to catch up. A distant boom of thunder echoed against the surrounding concrete obstructing his view. He rushed to catch up to his master.

When he arrived on the next rooftop, he was glad to find Shifun waiting for him, taking shelter under a raised ventilation shaft. The rain was pouring heavily and Pomo’s bald head glistened in the rain, reflecting the twinkling neon lights of the city. The view was less obstructed now, in the empty gaps between buildings he made out lights in the streets below, blooming in the haze that hung upon the transport arteries of the city. In the fog of exhaust and humidity, the endless crawl of gridlocked traffic streamed unending.

“It’s no good, we’ve got to go higher!” Shifun yelled, speaking over the clattering of the rain.

Before Pomo could catch a breath, Shifun was off again. He sighed as he left the temporary shelter he’d enjoyed for too brief a time.

When he’d made it to the top of the next building, he was out of breath. For a moment, suspended hundreds of feet in the air by only his fingertips, he’d thought he might not make it, that he’d lose his grip and plunge into the drifting clouds.

“Tell me this is high enough?” he asked, reaching for Shifun’s hand.

Shifun smiled, pulling him up. “See for yourself.”

Pomo stood. There before him, stretching to the horizon, a black void swallowed the light. Babylon City Harbour. Beyond it, a sight that made the harbour pale in comparison. A wall of swirling mist reaching to unfathomable heights, rippling with lightning, disappearing into the storm clouds above. The great barrier without end, known as the Veil. Along the Veil was another wall, this one dark and made of black cement. Guard towers dotted its length. As the wall disappeared somewhere over the horizon, red lights blinked in the dark.

In Pomo’s periphery, the ominous shapes of dark spires cut into the horizon like vampiric teeth. In their midst stood a tower higher than any other, a black needle impaling the earth. The Sentinel. At it’s peak, shrouded in mist, a red light glowed ominously.

“Keep low and out of sight,” Shifun said. “Babylon has eyes everywhere.”

Pomo followed Shifun into an alcove, giving them shelter and a clear view of the Veil. The clouds above broiled, crackling with lightning, as did the Veil’s cold mist.

“Master, are you sure this is the time?” Pomo asked.

“Of course I am! Do you think we’d be up here if I weren’t?”

BOOOM

A burst of thunder rattled the cement towers around them. Pomo noticed something strange in the Veil. He squinted, trying to see through sheets of rain, something was happening, the mist was beginning to twist—forming into a vortex as though something were sucking it inward. “Master, look!” he said, pointing toward it.

Shifun followed his gaze, jumping up suddenly, almost bumping his head. “This is it!” he yelled.

Pomo stood, mesmerized by the sight. The vortex grew until it resembled the eye of a hurricane, an eye staring straight at the city. He rubbed his eyes, the center of the vortex seemed to be glowing. He wasn’t mistaken, a golden light grew in intensity, emanating from within.

Without warning, a ball of fire burst from the Veil, pulling strands of mist with it. Pomo shielded his eyes as the light became blinding. Shifun leaned forward, determined not to miss a moment. A scorched trail seared the sky in the object’s wake. The wet air extinguished the flame surrounding it, revealing a golden disk tumbling through the sky.

Shifun dropped to his knees in awe. “After all these years…”

Pomo watched as the disk tumbled across the sky. He squinted, noticing something strange. Two dark shapes clung to the ship, streaming from it like black vapor as the ship fell. “Master—on the ship, what are they?”

Shifun stood squinting, seeing what Pomo was talking about. He gasped, “No—something’s wrong…”

“What are they?” Pomo asked unable to take his eyes from the disturbing sight.

“Shayateen…” Shifun replied under his breath as though thinking aloud.

Suddenly, gun-turrets upon the black wall opened fire on the object, streams of red and green laser glanced across the sky. The disk eluded their mark.

“No!” Shifun cried, watching the craft tumble helplessly over the dark water. One of the beams struck it’s target, sending the disk spiraling toward the harbour. As it fell toward the water, its reflection rose to meet it. With a sound like thunder it met the surface. A wall of white shot a hundred feet in the air and the vessel disappeared from view. A tidal wave rippled outward from the impact, scattering freighters and barges resting upon the harbour.

Shifun turned to Pomo, his face pale, “Quickly, we must inform the Order!”

“But the ship—how are we going make contact?” Pomo asked.

“I don’t know, this wasn’t—”

VOOOOMMM

The blaring sound of a horn ruptured the air cutting Shifun off. He turned to the source of the sound. He looked up in terror, up toward the Sentinel peering down all-seeing. A green light flickered upon its spire, pulsating with electricity. A floodlight suddenly shot forth from its peak toward the harbour, sweeping across the water’s surface where the impact still sent ripples radiating outward.

“Datura!” Pomo said in alarm.

“He’s witnessed the arrival!” Shifun said. “This is not how it was supposed to happen!” He turned back to Pomo, “We must return to the temple and tell of what we’ve seen!” Pomo nodded, following briskly as Shifun dashed back across the rooftop.

Suddenly, a blinding white light washed over them, stopping them in their tracks. A black helicopter dropped out of the clouds above, sending a rush of wind and rain blasting toward them.