It was early morning…very early morning. The sun had yet to rise and the chill morning mist still hung heavy in the air. Valius sat up in bed. A slight groan from his side made him look down to find Eva Ishval there, long dark hair cascading over her bare skin. In bed with the enemy, indeed. Well who really cared anymore… They could all be dead by sundown that day and Eva had had the same intentions in mind late during the night.
She rolled over and looked at him with those deep brown eyes of hers. Her hands pulled the sheets up to her chest, hiding her perfect, toned form. "Is it time already, Valius?"
He nodded, sliding out of bed and starting to get dressed. Eva began doing the same, slipping her lithe form into a black bodyglove, pulling it snugly around her body. They changed in silence, focussing on the task of just getting clothes on for now. Now that the moment was over, they both remembered what awaited them.
"Do you think we're going to survive this?" Valius looked around at her. She had that look; concern, slight worry… He had to remember she wasn't a soldier. Hell…she was just like Ely in that respect; another twin sister who just wasn't going to let her brother walk into the jaws of death without being right there at his side all the way. Damn stubborn sisters…
But still…she was capable. She had been fighting at her brother's side ever since he had had to be on the run…because Valius hadn't let him go so long ago, not lied and said he'd been killed during the mission, fighting the men they were there to arrest. The hardships Eva Ishval and the rest of her family had to suffer were all his fault.
And those hardships were visible on her body, when it had been exposed to him, old and healed scars marring her smooth skin. The feline grace of each of her movements gave away a history of training, the subtle tensing of her body and precise, firm motions.
"I can't promise you anything, Eva. All we can do is fight hard and kill them before they kill us. We're fighting for something greater than just ourselves; for other's freedom, for the greater good…for the ones we care about. It'll give us an edge that the other side lacks."
"Fighting for something, huh?" Eva mused that over to herself. She sat there, on the end of his bed, curling a lock of hair around her finger idly. She inclined her head in his direction, a curious expression playing across her features. "Would you fight for me, Valius?"
He nodded. "I would."
"Then I'll be fighting for you too, give me another reason to keep on going. Maybe that'll be enough incentive to get us both back out of this alive?"
"Maybe… Just maybe." He returned her smile, her charming, lovely smile. There was genuine affection in her expression. He hadn't known her for very long, hell, only a day, but he felt…something towards her, just something. Yes…he would fight for her too. If he fought hard enough, they'd all come out of this and they'd sort out what was happening between them then. Until then…they had a job to do.
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They were like ghosts as the assault party marched out on to the front lawn of the Ravenor estate. They were all assembled there, the Ravenors, the Ishvals, Zodiac unit and the few Ministry members who remained free to fight for the freedom of their friends and family. Valius looked them over. They were as prepared as they could be, both in mind and body. If they were going to make a move, now was the best time to do so. Regina and Sasha were there to see them off. He hugged each of them in turn, exchanging a few words of comfort for what it was worth, promising to be back soon. Kara and Alaric did the same, heads inclined close together.
Valius' new set of black robes rippled in the wind, fastened over his mage-weave armour, sword strapped across his back and wand holstered at his side. A number of dark wizard hunting devices were stuffed into his webbing pouches across his torso and his belt. Clenching and unclenching his fists gave a crunch of metal as his heavy gauntleted hands flexed. A fresh strip of black cloth was bound across his eyes, the rune of seeing sewn in red in the centre. He was ready. To do his duty as he had always done.
His gaze met others of those around him, exchanging a nod or gesture in silence. The eyes of the Zodiacs were turned to him. They knew that this would be the hardest fight they had ever been through. The absence of the stress-relieving jokes of Ulrek Hayl and the dour noncommittal nature of Samuval Hauvlon before a mission were very noticeable. Each looked grim, eyes focussed in readiness for what awaited them. If death met them, it would run away in fear of what they were capable of doing at that moment.
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They were like ghosts as the scouts advanced. Without his mage sight, the twin figures of Kairi Saito and Amelia McFarlin would be invisible to him as began the infiltration of the Ministry of Magic. In the darkness of the unrisen sun, the stealth specialists of Zodiac unit split from the main assault party, who remained in the shadows of the surrounding buildings in the deserted streets. All around him, Valius could feel the resolve of the people with him, each fully committed to the task ahead of them; the assault on the Ministry and the elimination of the heads of departments, along with every last dark wizard gathered here. After years of trying to track them down to their own lairs, it was at the heart of wizarding security where they were to be finally locked down and annihilated.
So long ago, when Claire Vindictus had called him to her office to issue him with her last command, he had foreseen an undertaking such as this. But even so, it was…unnerving to acknowledge that it was him that was attacking the Ministry of Magic, to be killing other Aurors and the leaders of the Ministry. Corvin and Octavis' deaths were a long time coming but the lower ranks down. Could they be regretting their decision to stand with them now they saw how far the two would go to gain power; torturing fellow Aurors, enslaving civilians and actively siding with dark wizards and letting them within their own walls?
It had been easy to kill the Aurors who had been hurting Amelia. Unbound rage and a sense of vengeance fuelled his muscles as he took them out. It had been easy to fight against the Auror rangers from America, defending himself against a force as aggressive and skilful as his own unit. And then the dark wizards who had attacked the Ravenor estate, had tried to harm his little sister, Sasha and Elyssia…he had no mercy for them. He knew what would happen to them if he had not fought and the results never to come to pass had lent strength to each swing of his magic blade that severed the souls from the bodies of his enemies.
He didn't usually have these thoughts, these considerations as to who stood against him, whether the person before him was wholly evil or only following orders. It had always been about getting the job done and forgetting about it later. It was strange to feel these emotions, so alien to him. Where had they come from all of a sudden?
There was a shuffling at his side and he looked around to find Elyssia there, wrapped in dark robes and wearing the mage-weave armour under it. Her black hair was tied back in a ponytail to give her unobstructed vision, her eyes sharp and narrowed beneath, watching for the signal. He had never seen her so ready to get into a fight… Something about her had changed since the spell he had cast to bring her back…and changed with him too. Another balance, their souls entwined still further, a part residing in the other's body.
Elyssia noticed him looking at her and gave him a reassuring smile, her look of concentration dropping for a moment. No, this was still his twin, Ely; A few less passive nuances about her but still Elyssia Ravenor through to the core. When this as all over she could go back to her normal life and everything would be alright.
There was a whisper in his ear, a gust of wind carrying Amelia's voice to him. "Val…everything's as you saw. They're all geared up in here for a frontal assault, about three score troops of about fifty/fifty dark wizards and law enforcement agents, waiting in the atrium. That bastard, Tanis Dante, is with them too. One of Octavis' inner circle guys, right?"
"Right. Is the trap set?"
"Yes, sir."
"Activate it."
"Affirmative."
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Valius leapt through the burning gateway, taking out one burning man and bisecting another as he came charging at him, arms outstretching and screaming horribly. All around him, the atrium was in flames, the golden statues that had adorned the centre with a depiction of racial harmony reduced to molten slag by the intensity of the blast that had gone off, taking out the enemy stationed here in wait. Bodies littered the vast chamber, scattered around, blackened and smoking from the force of the hellfire trap he had prepared so long ago. They didn't look different at all now; traitor law enforcement agents and the dark wizards. All just charred figures in black-singed robes.
The Zodiacs fanned out, Valius in the centre, sword drawn and raised in a guard. Alaric mirrored him, advancing a metre to his right. Kesian was to his immediate left, wand raised and face set. The twins were behind him, ready as support fire. Harlon and Alicia were close by Tereus as backup, making up for the permanent absence of Ulrek and Samuval, who had been killed back at Origin. Members of Zodiac unit could never be replaced. Their loss would be…'was' missed deeply, reflected in a way only another of the unit could read in their stoic manner.
But, as predicted, there was the back-up. Running fast through well-drilled practice Valius himself had insisted on back in the day, another fifty odd law enforcement agents arrived, wands blazing. At their head, Sangius Harker, another of Octavis' inner circle, led them, power blazing in his hands as his wand slashed, rending the air before him and sending the Zodiac units diving for cover. Even as they went to ground, more enemies appeared, summoned with all haste by Harker. Now was time for the next part of the plan.
"Glaedr…?"
A magic gate warped into existence in the rear wall behind them. Energies ripped out of it, engulfing the entire hall in its baleful spell; a spell of time. The attacking law enforcement agents skidded to a halt, some dropping to their knees, clutching their heads in agony, others retching violently. Even as the Zodiacs, oblivious to the magic, surged forward, blades and wands bared, the heavy support Glaedr had organised arrived.
With Glaedr mounted on top, a fully-grown Hungarian Horntail burst from the gate, flames drooling from its mouth. One breath and a gout of flames engulfed a squad of twelve men, slaying half instantly and burning the others to death. Its tail lashed out, hardened spines ripping through one rank, then another as it flicked back the other way. The corrupted law enforcement agents were just coming back to their senses when the Zodiac force hit their lines.
His fingers ran along the flat length of his blade, the engraved runes blazing to life with internal fire. Valius swept it around, two-handed, beheading the first two men before him, ducking under a curse and reversing his stroke, stabbing backwards to impale the third attacker.
Magic-enhanced senses made him drop and spin, blade coming around in a guard. Energy exploded off it, fending off the curse aimed at him. The marble beneath his feet cracked under the force of the spell. His wand dropped in to his hand with a flick of his wrist. His counter spell blasted a fist-sized hole through the woman who'd almost got the drop of him.
All around him, the Zodiacs had closed in with their enemy, negating the advantage of spell range and setting about with their knives, wands flashing furiously in webs of protective light, immediately shifting to streak out and slay their attackers. Kesian formed a solid, unmoveable wedge with Tereus and Harlon, forcing their way through the centre of the enemy's defence. Along the edges, Kairi and Amelia seemed to slip between the law enforcement agents, weaving and ducking, their knives reaping a bloody toll as they went on and on killing. The twins were there, led by Alaric, guarding the others' backs, wands and blades beating back attack after attack.
They each fought with the single-minded thought of survival through killing anyone that stood in their way, going that step further than the enemy was prepared to push to overcome them. On top of that, the pain of loss had been renewed in them with the deaths of Samuval and Ulrek. Each had their own debt of blood to be repaid in kind now. The halls of the Ministry would have to run red before honour and vengeance was satisfied.
There was a surge of reinforcements, dark wizards and law enforcement agents, coming charging down the front steps, leading from deeper within the Ministry. The chanting of several necromancers within their ranks and the corpses of the slain started to crawl back to their feet, crawling with yet-to-decay hands. The face of the man Valius had just killed gripped his ankle, trying to pull him down. His boot stamped down, crushing the Inferi's skull, shattering it to fragments beneath the skin.
'Oh great. Now we've really got their attention', he grimaced inwardly. His plan really was just that good. A very large portion of the enemy forces were pouring out of every possible gap and shadow. There were howls as turned werewolves came charging out from the ranks of dark wizards, bounding forward with razor-sharp teeth bared. The air began to chill as dementors swept down from above, black robed angels of death, bearing every dark memory and experience in their wake. But Valius' team was not alone anymore…
A roar echoed off the vaulted ceiling as a black leopard, burning with silver light, bounded past Valius, springing into the air and ripping a hole in the blanket of darkness created by the dementors, a newly risen moon in the blackness. Claire Vindictus came behind it, wand raised and her whole form alive with magical energy. Her followers were close behind, five of them, guarding their mistress' back and fighting with all the ferocity of the Zodiacs themselves. In their wake, the others charged in to the battle; the Ishval family, Matariel leading them, his own magically-enchanted sword cleaving a swathe through the Inferi and shattering them asunder. Following up came Valius' younger cousins, their faces set, mouths wide open in shouts as jets of light leapt from their wands. Lastly came Elyssia and Eva. The horror in their eyes at the carnage before them failed to extend to their bodies, already in motion, charging forward with wands blazing.
Matariel had appeared at Valius' side his sword stained dark with blood. He managed to offer him a nod before they both surging forward to press the advantage of surprise with a bloody assault into the heart of the enemy. Crimson liquids splashed across his face as Valius struck left and right, felling dark wizards and traitors with each blow of his sword. Wands were cloven in half, magic shields disintegrating before the nullifying effects of his blade. Fanatics drove forward, forcing themselves on to his blade, the handle being wrenched out of his hand as the heavy body of the dark wizard he'd impaled fell away.
His attackers closed all around him, now disarmed, clawing at him, wands stabbing in his direction. Matariel was forced away from him, separated by a wall of bodies as they were swamped. Valius gritted his teeth in concentration, struggling against clinging limbs as devastating spells ripped towards him. Opening his hand, he pushed outwards, deflecting the first two curses aside and pulling one of his restrainers between him and the magical energies. The body disintegrated before him and he lashed out with a boot to knock the others back.
Valius punched a man hard in the jaw, breaking his neck, blocking another spell and redirecting it back at the law enforcement agent. The man rolled aside…and was immediately crushed as one of the guard trolls, the Ministry were rumoured to keep in the dungeons below, stamped forward to engage him.
"Shit…" He dived aside as a meaty fist demolished the ground where he'd been standing. He was forced to dodge left and right to avoid the heavy swipes that killed enemies on either side of him and then duck as the dark wizards continued to pour fire at him. Valius' wand came out and he took aim for the troll's eyes. This was shit…and it looked pathetic, his small wand against the gigantic mass of the creature. Its hands were locked together to deliver a hammer blow to crush him in one go.
Then its head lolled sideways and fell off. Valius rolled back to avoid being crushed by the body and looked up to see Elyssia standing on its prone form, his sword resting over her shoulder. She leapt down as spells shot her way and ran over to him. The sword was pressed in to his hands, still slick with troll blood. "Drop something, Val? So clumsy…"
She was grinning. Valius gave her a quick hug and pulled her back behind him as the dark wizards closed in again, moving around the massive corpse to get at them. Sword slicing their way through the enemy, they forced a path back to the main party, now fending off attacks from all corners. They all looked like hell, torn robes, bloodied skin, some supporting others just to stand. Somehow, Kesian had lost his right hand, wand clutched unfamiliarly in his left. Harlon was nowhere to be seen and he didn't need to ask where he was.
Valius moved to Alaric, tapping him on the shoulder and giving a few hand signals. His younger cousin nodded and moved to get his team together. With a charge, the rescue team began to force their way towards the dungeons, covered by members of the assault team. Valius pushed Elyssia along, guarding her until at the door down to the dungeons.
"Take care, Ely." He gave her hand a tight squeeze before shoving her through the door after Alaric and the others as another onrush of traitors came at them. Somehow, they had managed to slay Glaedr's dragon and she appeared at his side, expression wild and seething at the loss of her old friend. He slapped her on the shoulder to get her moving with the rescue team before she was gripped by the urge to stand here and start dealing out her payback rather than follow the mission. She gave him a blank, unseeing glance before hurrying off. She was usually so focussed… This mission really was fucking them all over badly.
Matariel appeared at his side again, breathing hard, hand clamped over a wound in his shoulder that was streaming blood down his side. He gave Valius a nod before turning his eyes back to the steadily advancing horde, stepping cautiously over the bodies of their slain comrades. Most wouldn't have conceived that so few people could manage such carnage…but that was a Valius special.
He looked left and right. His team were there, weapons readied; Matariel had his two brothers on either side of him, all with killing expressions fixed on their faces, just burning to engage with the enemy again now they were getting their own back. He allowed Alicia to slap a bandage around his wound while Tereus guarded her back, wand crackling with energies waiting to be unleashed. The twins were right by the door, prepared to stop any comers from following the rescue team down below. They were both worn and beaten but wouldn't give an inch of ground until they were both dead.
Valius felt a caressing finger run along his shoulder blades and he looked around to find Claire Vindictus standing there, vampiric fangs exposed and whole body seething with power. Her followers hung back as she moved to his side. Her blonde hair was tinged with streaks of red…blood. Somehow, it suited her, added to her overall nature. Her lips curled into her typical seductive grin as she looked over at him.
"Is this the way you planned it all to go, Valius?"
"Err…of course it is." He cast his gaze around. The entire atrium was packed, wall to wall with summoned dark wizards, corrupt law enforcement agents and Inferi, all marching side by side. Mounds of bodies were strewn everywhere. Sometime during the fighting, Valius had managed to kill Harker so that was a result. Whatever the outcome of this mission, they had taught the enemy fear and sent a decent number to the otherside.
"Shall we?" Gripping his sword two-handed, he charged, his team at his side. They struck the front rank like a thunderball and the killing began anew. Cleaving his way through the enemy, Valius had no regrets. If he were to die, it would be for what he had always stood for; supreme and immutable justice. Well…then again, it'd be nice to survive this too. If only Alaric and his group could free their own troops below. Well, his little cousin was going to have to hurry up or he'd be feeling the wrath of Elyssia's boot up his ass for a very long time.