The helicopter circled above Rast and Judah. It dropped toward them, strafing the ground, laser fire exploding around them. Judah and Rast darted, dodging the blasts with ease. Shifun stood still watching them blankly, a shadow across his face.

“What’s happened to him?” Judah asked.

“I don’t know, he’s one of the most prominent cultivators in the Order. Could he really have been turned?” Rast replied.

“When he went to the watch the arrival from the Veil he encountered Abbas. Do you think Abbas could have done this?” Judah asked.

“Anything is possible. But it seems likely. We must be weary now, if they can turn Shifun then there’s a chance they can do the same to us.”

Shifun suddenly leapt down and darted quickly through the air. Rast dashed forward to meet him, his long beard trailing in his wake. Rast swung his cane before him, parrying Shifun’s quick strike. “Shifun, stop this madness!” Rast yelled. Shifun didn’t answer, Rast noticed something strange about his skin, it was losing color and there were black veins emerging under the collar of his shirt. Shifun manifested a sudden burst of energy that caught Rast off guard, sending him flying back into the dirt. Judah leapt in, swinging his crucible. Shifun blocked it easily and delivered a kick that sent Judah flying into a mound of debris.

“We can’t fight him alone. We must act together,” Rast said. “His power is being fed by some other source!”

They darted back toward Shifun, engaging him together, coordinating their strikes to find an opening. They succeeded, sending Shifun flying backward. In moments, he was back on his feet and heading toward them. Rast made a series of hand movements and unleashed a burst of energy making the air implode, blasting Shifun who went tumbling backward. Shifun growled, his robe was ripped, Rast and Judah gasped in horror at the the sight of Shifun’s body. Rippling black spider-like veins emanated from his solar plexus across his body, pulsing with green light.

“What is this dark magic?” Rast yelled. He turned to Judah, “I fear Shifun is too far gone! Go after Thaqib and Halima, find the ship, I will deal with Shifun alone.”

“You said we must act together! I can help,” Judah protested.

“Now! The chance of contamination is too great. Halima and Thaqib need your guidance. Get them to the Temple Mount, do not come back for me,” Rast said.

“I can’t leave you! At least, come with me, we’ll close the entrance after us,” Judah said.

“No, Shifun must be dealt with now. Go!” Rast said.

Judah looked, not understanding. Seeing the seriousness in Rast’s eyes, he reluctantly agreed and tore himself away from the battle, quickly making his way back into the opening. As he dropped down into the darkness, a sudden explosion decimated the tunnel entrance, collapsing it inward. Rast had sealed it. Judah shook his head. “Good luck Rast,” Judah said as the light disappeared behind crumbling rocks. He leapt down into the dark tunnel and made his way into the old city in search of Halima and Thaqib.

Shifun lunged at Rast, hissing as though the darkness within him had swallowed all of who he once was, now wielding his body like a weapon. Rast dodged a swift strike, landed and quickly delivered punches to Shifun’s abdomen as he passed through the air. Shifun spluttered from the internal damage Rast had inflicted then turned back. Shifun’s arm began to shake and Rast stared in horror as the flesh began to darken until black mechanical fluid seeped from his arm, solidifying into a sharp blade where his arm had once been. Shifun began to speak, but the voice was not his, there was something dark and twisted in it, as though the voice was not one but many. “Your time is at an end Rast. The Zionese have abandoned Babylon, the fools have left it to us. Soon we will bring down the veil and destroy Zion, then Aotea will be ours!”

“We’ll never let that happen! Whoever you are, you will never reach Zion!”

Shifun flew at Rast, brandishing the long blade, slicing it through the air. The helicopter overhead sent a blast toward him, Rast dived to dodge the blast. As Shifun leaned in to attack, Rast flickered from sight, appearing behind Shifun.

“What? How did you-” Shifun said in shock.

Rast leaned close to Shifun’s ear and whispered. “I’m sorry old friend. May you find the path in your next life.”

With a sudden flurry of strikes, Rast struck the pressure points on Shifun’s back.

“What!” Shifun froze and Rast jumped back.

Shifun bent over in pain. “What have you done?”

“You may have taken my friend’s body, but without it you are nothing. I‘ve set my friend to rest. Now be gone!”

Shifun dropped to his knees, falling face first into the concrete. The black nanobots oozing from him onto the cement, slowly hardening like rock and turning to ash which began to dissipate in the howling wind.

A crackle of lightning flashed overhead, Rast felt rain on his face. He saw the helicopter coming around to strike again. Rast felt a sudden pain gripping his stomach, he doubled over, dropping to his knees. Upon his hand he saw something which made his eyes widen in alarm. Black veins were spreading from a cut upon his skin. Seeping into his body.

He waited for the helicopter to fire again. His body was paralyzed with pain. But to his surprise, the helicopter didn’t fire, instead it flew past. Behind him he heard another helicopter he turned to see it landing. Through the cloud of dust it kicked up he saw a figure approaching, a black cloak whipping from the force of the helicopter’s rotors. The figure came into view, gray skin, a face framed by clawed chrome, black shades hiding his eyes behind mirrored reflection.

“Abbas,” Rast said, his chest tightening.

Abbas grinned, “I’ve lost one puppet only to gain another! And what a fine catch this is! Rast, I thought you were dead, but you’ve been hiding with that boy in a shack under the bridge all these years.” Abbas leaned down, Rast saw himself reflected in his glasses. “What I want to know is why? Who is the boy?”

“You’ll not know anything, Abbas,” Rast replied.

“I think I beg to differ. I have ways of extracting information. Soon I’ll have the girl and all will be made clear,” Abbas stated.

Rast chuckled. Abbas looked at him through squinted eyes. “Does your ‘Lord’ know that you have a personal agenda?” Rast asked.

“What? You know nothing!” Abbas yelled.

“You don’t hide it as well as you think Abbas. I’d be careful if I were you. Datura is not as naive as you may believe him to be. It will not be so easy to pull one over on him.” Abbas hissed at the accusation. “I wonder what it is you really seek Abbas, and I wonder why you seek it. You came to the Order under suspicious circumstances. An orphan boy appearing out of nowhere—already possessing advanced cultivation knowledge and ability. I wonder, where is it you came from?”

“Enough of your feeble musings!” Abbas turned to his agents waiting nearby. “Take him away!” Two armored agents approached. They grabbed Rast by the arms and carried him to the helicopter.

“Maybe your aims are not so different to ours, Abbas. But I think you will realize that in time,” Rast said as he was loaded into the chopper.

Abbas’ heart was racing. What did the old man know? Was he right that Datura could see through his deceit. His heart leapt as he received a call on his comm. It was Datura. He steadied himself and flicked open the comm unit revealing the hunched figure of Datura.

“What is the status?” Datura asked.

“The temple is destroyed, my Lord. Nothing now but a smoking hole in the ground.”

“And the girl?”

Abbas paused a moment and then replied. “Buried with the rest.”

“We can now put this nuisance behind us and continue with the final stage of our mission.”

“Of course, my Lord. I am heading to Hexagon now.”

Datura grunted in acknowledgment and disconnected. Abbas let out a breath. Had Datura suspected his lie? Whether he did or not, he knew he couldn’t keep it from him for long. Rast’s words troubled him and he felt a new sense of paranoia. He needed to extract what information he could from the old man and find that girl.