Weirdly, the white glow of my eyes emitted a soft cone of illumination at least a foot away from my face. Which is all I could take interest in as I climbed down the ladder.

Hearing the nervous breath and soft tread of Ophelia beneath me, made me look down abruptly when she gasped in surprise. Then I heard the slight echo of water splashing. I hurried down after and dropped into ankle deep waste sludge.

Then the stench of mould, moss, and old stale shit hit me like a punch and I immediately gagged on reflex. I looked around but saw no sign of my friends. Then I spotted the brief curve of a white wing peek out from a bend in the tunnel ahead.

A soft yellow light played faintly along the wall, outlining Ophelia’s wings. I sloshed through the mucky water. Taking great pains to try and find a balance in which I wasn’t gagging every time I breathed. I found taking short breaths between my teeth helped a lot.

I would just have to remember to brush them when I got home.

The women when I came up on them were kneeling before a large vertical grate. The soft yellow light I’d seen before originating from within the chamber on the other side of the sewer grate.

“Look,” Karen waved me over when she saw me approach. “But be quiet.”

Beyond the grate was a large chamber about twice the size of the underground hideout of the Sisterhood beneath the Witching Cove. But what really caught my attention was the couple hundreds of people milling about.

Large stacks of crates, some open revealing guns and body armour. Another held a massive machine gun. The boxed ammunition ran through with green Arium laced veins.

“What. The. Fuck!” I gasped quietly. The fucking ASP had an army prepping beneath the De-Sub sector of the city.

Rolls of propaganda posters were unveiled, to show an encircled capital A in the centre. The caption above the symbol printed in a vibrant red. It read: Cleanse the Unclean.

The chamber was filled with the racketing noise of people loading their weapons, laughing, and joking, and telling tales of how they’d killed demonic supers.

I shook my head in disbelief and froze when all eyes were snapped in our direction. Thankfully, a door directly beneath us slammed open and several burly men wheeled in a heavy trolly. On the trolly was a seven-foot diameter black container partially covered by a tarp.

“This can’t be happening?” I heard Patricia murmur in despair. Then I learned why she was so distraught. The men that brought the trolly in, unstrapped the container, as another slid the lift out from underneath it.

They lifted the tarp and I blanched at the sight of twin Sentinel robots. They weren’t activated, but I was suspected that the ASP had a means of activating them.

My encounter with the Sentinel attack on the street a block over from the Witching Cove came back to me. The way the Sentinel had indiscriminately fired on anyone that got in its way.

The commanding voice from the Helio-jet, ordering them to stand down. Yet they didn’t.

“Almost as if they’d been hacked,” I said in shocking realisation. I rubbed at my face and flinched when someone nudged my knee. I over to see Karen staring at me, understanding shone angrily in her vibrant blue eyes.

“We can’t let the ASP have them,” Patricia hissed and clenched her hands as if she were about to strike our cover down and charge inwards.

I was about to tell her we also had to save my mom, but another sound echoed through the chamber beyond. I gritted my teeth. The door below our vantage point banged open again emitting a feral scream. The ASP members began to gather and crowd the door below.

Then they started to cheer and hoot loudly, raising their guns beyond their heads. Some even chanting. “Kill the demon, kill the demon!”

These guys were fucking nuts.

An Arium cage was wheeled out and into the crowd. I could practically feel the dulling effects of the cages from our view. The men began to bash against the bars. But I couldn’t see who was within the cage. But the feral scream, and hisses made me believe it was a woman.

“They’ve got another fucking prisoner!” Karen exclaimed loudly. I froze expecting someone to have heard her. Except the fuckers down below just kept up their chanting.

I peek forward some more almost pressing my face again dirty bars of the grate. But all I saw was the flat top of the cage.

“We need to save that person and whoever else they’ve got down here,” I said firmly, spinning to face the women. All three gave me a nod. I noticed how Patricia’s gaze leaned more heavily towards the dormant Sentinels than the captive.

“Let’s go, I think we’ve seen enough,” I shook my head and began leading the women back the way we’d come. Ophelia, now that we were completely hidden from view summoned her healing power. Golden motes drifted off her body illuminating the dank old sewerage. We moved beyond the ladder we’d come down, and I saw tunnel curve towards it end..

We sloshed through the muck and I tried not to gag reflexively when my boot smeared or squished something.

We followed the tunnel until we came across more of that bioluminescent moss and saw the path before us turn into a slope. We steadily made our way downwards being careful not to slip. At one point I almost went down and dragged Ophelia with. Luckily, Karen and Patricia had caught us both before we could.

At the slopes end the tunnel curved to the left. Then, I began to hear the muttering of voices in the distance.

“Do you think Ben will let us join the fight tomorrow?” one person asked. Her feminine voice cutting gravelly through the silence. Like she’d sustained some sort of throat injury.

“I don’t know,” a man voice replied as we crept to the corner. “Since this new batch of recruits showed up, he’s been a little tense.”

“We’re about to reveal ourselves, of course he’s tense,” another man said. I peeked around the corner to see five people assembling what looked to be various shotgun’s and rifles. Behind them and around the walls of the room were a series of steel frame bunkbeds. It was a barracks of sorts.

“Nah, it’s something different. He’s scared shitless man. I can see when I look at him,” another supplied, and pulled the slide on the rifle in his hands before dumping it in a wooden crate behind him. “These new lot, they’re like military-types. All silent and shit.”

“Notice how none of us have been sent out to kill or capture demons anymore. It’s only the new lot now that go out there,” someone else said.

“And they’re successful,” the gravelly voiced woman supplied. “They’re captured nine demons in the last four months. Where the rest of us couldn’t capture two in the last three years.”

“Except, that’s all they’re doing isn’t it,” another woman spoke up and held out her hand. Something was past to her and I heard the whirr of a power-tool. “I’ve been doing the delivery between here and our outpost in Ziila. Over there, they’re actually killing the demons. We’re not, at least not any longer that is.”

“What’re you getting at, Betty?”

“The guy, Tom. Who used to do the delivery, is now on shipping. Except, he told me and none of you repeat it. That they received a few containers from us. When they processed the shipment and checked inside. There were demons shackled up in cages. In others were those fancy Senti-bot-things the SPBI use.”

“Where was the shipment going?” asked the gravelly throated woman. Even in semi-religious cults, the gossip mill was still a thing. For that I was thankful.

I saw the other woman shrug slightly. “Tom said the shipments were heading north and then west.”

“West? but there’s nothing west of here,” a man said and shook his head. After that, the five went silent. I looked back at my friends and raised an eyebrow.

Frown’s creased each of their brows. I knew they were thinking the same thing as me. The ASP Draugen members were capturing Super’s. Then the Super’s were being sent north possibly towards Adaset Plateau city. Then west. Except there is something west of here. The Winderall continent. The place I suspected the Lich was hiding out on.

Fuck me, this shit just kept getting more and more convoluted by the hour.

“Do we take them, or let them go,” I mouthed to Patricia. Knowing her mind was just as tactful as my own. She pursed her full cherry lips and considered. Her pale red eyes narrowed, and she eventually shook her head.

“We must stay hidden,” she mouthed back to me and I nodded. If we caused a scene now or drew attention to ourselves. We would have to deal with at least a couple hundred pissed-off ASP members. Then there was the Draugen hiding among their number.

I knew from the from the few I had unhooded on the surface that at least a few of the mundane guards knew about the Draugen.

But from the discussion we’d overheard not everyone knew. Not to mention the Necromancers likely hiding nearby. I leaned in until my lips touched Ophelia’ slightly pointed ear.

“How many Draugen can a single Necromancer have?” I asked in a barely audible whisper. I turned my head away so that the angelic-woman could answer.

“A actual Necromancer can have as many as like they can manage. A Seeded Necromancer can only have two or three at most.”

“How many Draugen do you reckon could be here?” I whispered.

“I counted fourteen in the main chamber. I can feel the dark flow of Mana within them, but there may be more.” I nodded at her words. Not at all understanding what the term Mana meant. I decided that was a question for another time. Five minutes past, and eventually a door opened in the Barracks.

“You’ll, almost ready?” a male voice asked. The five men and woman at the assembly table nodded.

“Last batch being loaded right now, Ben,” the other woman, Betty, said. I heard the whir of the power-tool again.

“Good. Because I’m about to call a gathering in ten minutes. These crates need to be loaded up in two. Betty, you still on moving stuff to Ziila?”

“I am Ben,” the Betty nodded and put down her tool.

“Frank, Mark, give her a hand with the crates. The rest of you pack up and meet in the main hall.” With that said the door closed again, and I heard the five people release their breath in a sigh.

“How long until the patrol is back?” the gravelly voiced woman asked suddenly, her question drew my attention.

“They’re not coming back. From what Ben told a few other’s earlier. Once the attack begins, the rest of us are moving our asses to the new location. Those Unbound-demon-fuckers have been creeping closer as of late. So once the attack happens, the patrol will leave.”

“Alright, let’s get moving.”

Two of the men helped the shorter woman carry the crates out one after the other. As the other two people left after grabbing luggage I hadn’t seen. All was quiet as the door closed. I moved to step out into the room when Patricia caught my shoulder and pointed.

One bag was left remaining. I blew out a breath and nodded reluctantly. The door swung open and booted feet clomped in. A big man grabbed up the bag and slung it over his shoulder. In so doing a slip of paper fell out from the bag’s opening and landed on the floor.

As the man left I stepped out through the tunnel and into the room. Finding it odd that secret entrance would lead into barracks.

Barracks that nobody was guarding.

I blinked against the bright orange light emitting from the bare bulb hanging in the centre of the ceiling. I bent down and picked up the fallen paper, realising it was a crude imitation of a map. It was a series of streets from an aerial perspective.

A big X marked a target location. I turned back to the tunnel just in time to realise it wasn’t there anymore. I watched as Patricia’s raven-haired head past through an illusionary wall.

“Woah,” I muttered as the Technomancer straightened and shot me a confused look. I nodded behind her and she turned.

“A One-way illusion. A powerful one at that considering it stills standing even after we’ve passed through,” Patricia informed me.

“What’re you talking about?” Karen asked as she and Ophelia stepped through the wall. It rippled slightly with there passing and then resumed its stillness.

“They have an Illusionist,” Patricia informed them gravely.

“You know, for a bunch of aggrandising self-righteous asshole. You would think they’d stick to their motto. Cleanse my Unclean asshole, considering their hands are just as covered in shit,” Karen growled.

“You know… you should probably wipe if it’s that bad,” I told the blonde Stormcaster gravely. This caused Ophelia and Patricia to snort in amusement. Karen went bright red in the face and spun to narrow her eyes at me menacingly.

Though the corner of her mouth did tick up in a suppressed smile.

“Any of you know where this is?” I asked and held out the poorly scribbled map.

“Not without any actual street definition, or the names written down for that matter,” Patricia shook her head. Karen bit her lip and eyed the sketch with distaste but also shook her head.

Ophelia took the longest staring it over. “It seems familiar, but I can’t quite put my finger on it,” she murmured and eventually shook her own head in the negative as well. I folded the paper up and slid it into the tight neck of my jumpsuit.

“Is the way out secure?” I asked, and Karen raised an eyebrow at me. As if to say, ‘no, we’ve all been standing here shooting the shit.’

I suppressed a sigh. We’d gotten caught up in trying to figure out what the fuck was going on that none of us had looked to see whether the way ahead was safe.

“I’ll check,” Patricia supplied. Drawing my focus inwards I gave power to the command to change my appearance back into my human guise.

A shiver I hadn’t felt before ran through me as my otherworldly guise receded.

“That was definitely the quickest I’ve seen you change,” Ophelia commented, staring at me in approval.

“Maybe I’m getting the hang of it,” I shrugged and grabbed her hand reassuringly.

“I don’t see anyone,” Patricia whispered back to us. I followed, Ophelia behind me and Karen brought up the rear. We stepped out of the room and into a blend of a military bunker and catacomb. A hallway lead off to the right and met a dead end after ten or so doors. To our left lead another passage this one stocked on either side, with old wooden crates.

“I wonder what’s in these,” Karen mumbled. We started down the left hallway coming to a ‘T’ junction. The left held stairs that twisted up, and the right was a single corridor leading to a door. I turned back to see Karen open one of the crates and pull out what looked to be a flag.

It was a dark green background the centre taken up by a black raven mask.

“Uh, Patricia!” Karen called out a little too loudly.

The Technomancer who’d been taking the lead spun back and froze in place. Just as the door to our right opened, and a Draugen stepped through.

~*~*~*~

“Patricia, move!” I growled. Instinctively I let go of Ophelia’s hand and barrelled forward to slammed bodily into the Draugen as it began to charge the Technomancer.

“Eli!” I heard Ophelia gasp as I punched my palm into of the Draugen’s chest and summoned my power. It surged up through me with ready excitement. The Draugen folded in on itself as it was launched backwards across the catwalk we were standing on.

A catwalk I realised belatedly, overlooked the main chamber. Where a man in a dark brown shirt and dark blue jeans was giving a speech. Behind him and off to the side were several hooded figures. They stood obediently behind six well-dressed men.

Hundreds of shocked eyes turned to stare at me in horror.

I waved. What else could I do?

“Demon!” a shrill scream erupted, and everyone immediately started scrambling.

“Fuck!” I ducked as gunshots scattered the concrete brick above my head. Then the Draugen was back on his feet and charging me, his nails extending into long scythe-like claws.

I brought my hands together.

“Come on, come on, come on,” I muttered to myself, but more shots rained over my head, breaking my concentration as I tried to build a Telekinetic force-bullet.

It just fizzled out of my grasp. The Draugen leapt at me, several of the bullets being fired pelting its body in mid-flight. I braced and threw up my hands to defend my head. A slivery blur of lightning zipped over my head and past explosively through the Draugen’s neck.

Its head popped off and fell over the railing as its body thumped onto the catwalk.

Karen tapped shoulder and pulled me backwards.

I cursed as more bullets assailed us. Once I was behind cover, Karen whistled and pointed two crackling fingers out at Braken. The spear spun to a stop as Karen leaned out of cover, looking down at the angry crowd of hundred’s. She whistled sharply before chopping her two-finger down in a command. Braken crackled and became a blur once again, as it blasted towards the crowd below.

“Are you okay?” Ophelia asked as she rushed over and grabbed me in a tight embrace. Karen whistling and gesturing her spear about had me in awe.

“Yeah, I just lost focus for a minute there,” I said, and shook my head, angry at myself.

“You aren’t the only one that lost focus,” Patricia said bitterly. I looked up from Ophelia to see that the Technomancer had a death grip on the raven-mask flag.

“Are you okay. You froze up a second there,” I said to her, concerned.

Her gaze drifted down to the flag in her hands.

“This is my brother’s guild banner. They were the Ravens back in New Eden,” the raven-haired woman explained.

“Is… Is he here then?” I asked her hesitantly, not sure on the flag significance.

Patricia snorted and shook her head bitterly. “My brother is long dead. This is something I thought I lost.” Her grip tightened even further on the flag.

“Something they’ve kept from me,” she growled and blinked her right eye twice. Suddenly the bands across her body to extended and fill out.

Then not even ten seconds later Patricia was fully armoured up in a complete black and red metallic combat suit. I saw twin thrusters on her back and the pale red gleam of her eyes shone through the slides on her full helm. Her suit completely concealed her body from sight. Yet it fit her like a second skin.

Then the Technomancer charged past me and out onto the catwalk.

“Fuck yeah!” Karen whooped as she sprang out as well. “Let’s kill some bad guys!”

I shook my head in wonder. “How the hell did you end up friends with them—” I cut my words off as I turned back to Ophelia. The angelic-woman had summoned her powers and blades of solid gold light extended from above her wrists.

“Hmm?” she questioned and titled her head as she looked at me.

“Uhm, never mind,” I replied and suppressed a sigh.

“Let’s go keep our friends safe,” the angelic-woman said firmly before sprinting out the door. In less than a second she onto the catwalk and leaping into the air. Her wings beat powerfully as she moved.

I took a deep breath and calmly walked towards the edge. I wasn’t at all used to gunfire or even firing a weapon. It had interested me in the slightly when I was younger. But when considering I was collared, no gun store owner in their right mind would sell to me

Each shot and deafening boom, exploded through my concentration as I tried focus. Fighting one on one, or one on two wasn’t hard. When your opponent can blast your head off, or disable your power with a single bullet wound from half a mile away. You tend to rethink your approach.

Which is when I got a really bad idea.

This novel is the work of Rhys Thomas. If you are reading this and it has not been published by Rhys Thomas, then this work has been stolen. Please report this to Amazon and me at email: [email protected]