Chapter 4 A Change in the Winds
Character Storm
On the inter-galactic space cruiser that was also an organic life form know as Doug; Storm was following the giant creatures directions as he lead her to Zar. Zar was the first Leviathan to be born into creation in a very long time, unfortunately he also was the first Leviathan to die in a very long time. Zar however was not so easy to kill he, instead of dying, turned himself into an undead that was bound to himself thus retaining his personality and will while also enhancing is necromantic powers until they were now the life force of his being. Basically he could choose when he wanted to die.
"Up ahead is a bridge," Doug's voice boomed from the walls, "Watch your step I'm more squishy and slick than the metal of the ship."
"Thanks for the heads up," Storm replied as she stepped out from the spacecraft and into a tunnel that was comprised of Doug's massive bio-mass. Doug was not a spaceship per-say he was a giant parasitic life form, called the Flood, that grew bigger and stronger by absorbing other creatures. K had given Doug emotions and morals and Doug was now permanently connected to K through a tiny mental link, thus when Storm arrived he already knew why she was there. However Doug was so big that he had to hover outside the solar system to avoid interfering with the gravity of the other planets and was stretched across about one hundred thousand various spaceships, all interconnected with fleshy bridges like the one storm was in now.
"Zar is waiting in the next ship," Doug said, "he is quite interested in what you have to say."
"I'll bet," Storm replied as she entered the next ship, this was the seventh on her path.
"Ah Storm," Zar said as he walked over to her. Zar was a leviathan skeleton that was held together by a blue flaming aura. His appearance was still disconcerting to Storm even after almost fifty years of knowing him.
"Zar," Storm replied, "K wants to speak with you privately and asks for you to join him on earth for a time."
"Of course he does," Zar said, "I'll go lead on."
"That will not be necessary," Doug said, "I brought the two of you here because this ship can detach from the rest of the cluster. It will be faster than flying back."
"And because we are going with you," Jackson said as he John and Haggard walked out from another of the ships corridors and into the room.
Jackson was six feet tall white but with a deep tan, brown buzz cut hair and brown eyes. He was a sergeant before he was in DC and his favorite weapon was a katana that K had given him. John was a Spartan and he rarely left his enhanced armor that he was literally raised for. His armor however was a forest green with black and a gold visor and stood seven feet tall. John used twin energy swords that he had gotten from his friend the Arbiter. Haggard was 5'9" short black hair, hazel eyes, white and a pyromaniac. He used a special weapon that K had created for him that launched fire balls at the targets, he calls it a pyrolauncher.
"Hmm, the original DC gets back together it seems," Storm remarked, "Very well Doug send us off."
"Find something to hold onto," Doug said, "Disembarking in five, four, three, two one."
Storm and Zar dug their claws into the ground, while the others held onto railings as the ship was flung away from the rest of the cluster with enough force to cause Storm's claws to grind across the decking of the ship.
"And we are away," Doug said, "Arrival at earth in four hours."
Character Kalathanon
One day earlier
"I'm saying she shouldn't have gone alone," Blitz grumbled to his father Spyro as K and C walked into the room of K's underground safe-house.
The white room went completely silent as the gathered dragons, Blitz, Carter, Spyro, Cynder, Xavier, Saphira, Thorn, Varok and James, beheld K. After he recovered his memory he and C had gone out for a day so that K could get himself pulled together. Well, as usually happens with him, their day out was not uneventful about half-way through K 'experienced' something and woke up later with C standing over him. He now was much too large to fit in the safe-house in his normal form and no matter what form he took he radiated a halo of pure white energy that seemed to flow off of him like steam.
"Who shouldn't have gone where?" K asked.
"Its Storm," Cynder replied, "She took off to go get Zar said something about you wanting him here."
"Aye I did want to talk to him," K replied, "Where are the others?"
"Farther in where we can't get to," James replied.
"Have them come here we need to be outside in five minutes," K ordered, "there are demons on the approach lets show em a good ol Dragon Company welcome!"
Carter replied with a loud roar, which was followed by the sound of running from the inside halls of the bunker system.
"Yes dear," Cloak said as she and Four exited with Adam, Fenix, Murtagh, Arya, and Eragon close behind.
"Seems we get to blast more demons," Carter said.
"Aye," K affirmed, "But first Carter, Cloak whats this that I sense between you two?"
"Do you disapprove?" Carter asked smoothly.
"Ah I see," K said well no reason for you to be so inadequately matched then Cloak what do say want to be a dragon?"
"Be a dragon, and be with Carter... I... Yes. Definitely," Cloak replied.
"Ok then but outside it might be to small in here with you as a dragon too," K said as he suppressed a chuckle.
Cloak practically chased the entire group outside in under a minute after that, as the corridors whirled by K was preparing to unleash for the first time in a thousand realities the power of his entire race, the power that was restored to him a day ago by his God.
"Okay K we're out now dragonize me captain," Cloak said.
K nodded said a quick prayer in his head and then beamed the woman in a sheath of pure energy. He changed Cloak's entire genetic make up and physical form to that of a dragon of the planet Avalar, Carter's home planet. On top of that he gave her the natural power over shadow that dragons like Cynder and her daughter Fiona have and gave her some of his knowledge about flying, fighting and the use of powers as well as how to care for her new body. The best part was that the change was painless for Cloak, effortless for him, and immediate. He, K was once again the true King of the Leviathans. The power that his entire race had accumulated over the very long years of their existence was his and he now knew who the other leviathans were and where they were surprised him.
"Oh wow," Cloak said as she stretched and tested her new form. She was a deep blue with golden belly plates and wings, she had two horns that curved from the side of her jaws to the crown of her head making it look like she wore a tiara. She was slightly smaller than Carter, and slightly bigger than Blitz. "K your a darling, Carter lets kill some demons I want to try out this new body."
"Well here they come," James said as he pointed out the shapes of a dozen demons that had just punched their way out from the ground.
These demons did not look like Moroni these were just twisted shadows of what they used to be. They were called the beneath because they had all been killed in the same massive flood, their bodies smashed up and either eaten or ground to sand their souls were just the blackened charred remains of what used to be some of the worst people mankind had ever generated. As physically embodied souls these demons had no real form but spread a poison on contact with whatever they touched.
"Cynder, Cloak, use your shadow-melds Spyro, Thorn, Varok, Saphira fire em up, Blitz, Carter, Four and Riders keep back and shoot at the ones James brings to the ground," K directed, "C you with me?"
"Always dear," C replied as she loosed a wave of lightening that staggered four of the demons. James followed up by pinning one of the staggered demons to the ground and letting Four shoot it up. Cloak and Cynder were in amongst the demons, their shadow-melds protecting them from the poison and allowing them to claw the demons. Already one was dripping a thick black blood that was killing the grass that it fell on. Spyro and his group were doing the best out of all of them so far having dispersed two of the demons already. Then K let out his power beams of light shot out of his mouth and each found a target that they then entered and burned out from the inside before exploding out of and dispersing.
"Come on K you took all the fun," Cloak complained.
"I'm sure Carter can make up for any fun I might have taken," K replied.
"I don't know," Carter said, "Cloak what do you like better making war or love?"
"Well I do like fighting but never never did get to the love part," Cloak replied, "and this new body will make things even more interesting, huh no boobs that's weird."
As Cloak, Carter and the others continued to talk K, C, and James walked off towards the remains of the parking deck where unfortunately the media was beginning to gather.
"We just heard what sounded like a massive explosion," one reporter was saying, "and you won't believe this but it seems that there are three dragons coming over the hill possibly the same ones that took the president earlier this week and returned him a few hours later are these creatures our friends or does some darker intent drive them."
"Enough," K roared as he approached the group of reporters who all backed off as he drew closer. With a thought K amplified the power of the media equipment so that he could broadcast from the satellites to the entire world what he was about to say. "People of earth hear me, I am Kalathanon brother of Lucifer former lord of hell known as Condemnation, I now rule as Judgment by the grace of God. My brother is sending forth his demons into this world and others, with one intent the destruction of creation. God has place in me the authority to stop him, but I can't protect all of you when there are a myriad other worlds that need my help. However there is one who can, not physically but he can save your souls from being drug by the demons back to hell. He was, he is Jesus, I suggest you look him up." With a snap of his fingers K disabled all the media equipment, "Well what are you still standing here for go do as I have instructed when my companions arrive I will leave some of them here but I must see to other worlds as well," K said to the stunned reporters.
"Is Doug on his way," James asked.
"Yes," K said, "And he says that Storm should be back tomorrow."
"Good," C added, "we could use her abilities in a time like this."
"Aye but there is still one piece that isn't adding up, why take Steve?" K replied.
The three just looked at each other before heading back to join their friends. But the question still nagged at K's brain, why would the mercenaries take Steve. Either they were taking him for their own reasons like a ransom, Lucifer had a special part for the boy in his plot, or Steve went with them of his own accord. The last idea bothered K the most.
"K dear are you listening to us or lost in your in thoughts?" C asked.
"Oh sorry I'm afraid that that second part there is true," K replied as he refocused on the conversation.
"Good, now that you are actually listening let me say this again," James sighed, "We should focus on finding where the demons will open their main gate. Now it takes a lot to open a gate so they will probably have only one on each planet, they need iron, copper, a fair amount of radio-active substances, several weapons that have brought the death blow to someone and a human sacrifice."
"Steve!" K and C exclaimed, "That's what they've taken him for."
"We must save him," C added.
"Oh don't worry we will," K assured her.
Character Cloak
Two weeks later
Cloak and Carter had just gotten back to K's Security complex after scouting Siberia, What they discovered there was disturbing, even for Carter.
"I just hope we are going to get there in time," Carter said as the two wound their way through the endless underground concrete corridors.
"I hope we weren't followed," Cloak countered, "But they do seem like they are almost ready to open the portal maybe another week at most."
"Aye and then Steve's life will end if that portal opens," Carter added.
The two continued on in silence, they were like this a lot now, the first few days after her change she and Carter tried the whole love-making game but neither of them really saw the attraction of it. Which Cloak thought was very odd because she had always considered herself sexy, and even in her new form she still had a killer figure, both literally and figuratively. What she found most enjoyable to do with Carter was fly, she couldn't get enough of the sensation. Thus her silence now the underground tunnels were great defensively but she preferred the open sky where her agility was more useful.
"You want to tell him or should I," Carter asked as they neared K's office/war-room.
"I will I got a better view from the shadows I was hiding in," Cloak said, "Wouldn't want to leave out any details, you know how K is about information."
"Aye well here we are might as well get this operation moving," Carter said as he pushed open the door to K's room so Cloak could enter with him following her in.
Inside was K, C, James, Storm, Doug, Tex, Fenix, Adam, Jackson, Marion, Lucas, Scaron, Tyreal, John, Arbiter, Griffen, and Doctor. K looked up as they entered. "Ah good your back, Chief and Arbiter found an already constructed Gate in South Africa, what news do you have?"
"We found evidence that the demons are planning to build another Gate in Siberia they are almost ready and we are sure that Steve is being held somewhere nearby," Cloak informed him, "What is this other gate about? I thought you said they would only build one."
"I said that they probably would only build one due to the materials but this first gate is small it was probably the source of the demons the other day and the passage that Moroni used to get through," K replied. "I'm sending you two Storm, Blitz, Xavier, and Ingitus to close the portal in South Africa, C, James, Tex, Alverion, Pyros, and myself are going up to the one you found in Siberia to halt its progress and get Steve back."
"Sure wish the other Freelances were here right about now," Tex said, "They weren't as good as me but for reasons beyond my comprehension I did trust them."
"Hey, you still got Wash," John said.
"Yeah he isn't as bad as I thought and Church is rounding out nicely," Tex admitted.
"Sorry about your friends," Cloak said, "I know the feeling I've been in other groups beside Four and have lost many people over the years."
"Should one of you three come with us to the smaller one, I mean what if Moroni is there," Carter asked, "Is he killable like the others?"
"Not really," James said, "Moroni is a demon general he only dies if you kill his spirit not just his physical form. Well everything has to be killed in spirit to be truly dead but Moroni's physical form won't dissolve unless his spirit is beaten."
"Don't worry I know Moroni he will be overseeing the new gate and won't be as focused on the secondary gate," K added, "The other four are waiting outside for you."
"What no break," Cloak said in mock astonishment, "Your so cruel."
"You would not have been joking about that had you meet him a few hundred thousand years ago," C said.
"Oh right, sorry bad joke, we'll just be going then," Carter said as he led the way back to the surface.
"So who is this Ingitus," Cloak asked.
"Ah yes you wouldn't have met him yet," Carter said, "Ingitus is the oldest living member of our race save for Malafor but he is... complicated. At any rate Ingitus is what we know as the Chronicler he keeps the history of our planet and what we have done, it would not surprise me if he was chronicling this even as we speak, he also has some control over time, slightly different from Storm's talents, and not like the Doctor's Tardis but certainly useful."
"So he is older than K," Cloak asked.
"What, no K, C, and James are the last of an elder race called Leviathans, a few of my friends have been able to join their ranks, Zar, Spyro, Cynder, Krista and Geyser are all new Leviathans but even they do not have the same authority that K, C and J do." Carter explained.
"How many races of dragons are in DC?" Cloak asked.
"Four, or at least they are from four different planets, I guess that means you make five," Carter replied.
"Carter, Cloak," Blitz greeted, "A good day for hunting don't you think?"
"Ah I'm guessing the blue one is Ingitus," Cloak said.
"That I am shall we depart, I am sure we can introduce ourselves in flight," Ingitus replied, "This waiting is making my bones stiff."
With that they took off for south Africa, On the way Ingitus, who Cloak took to calling the old man, which he seemed content with, told her of how he became a chronicler the story behind Malafor, Spyro, and Cynder, and many points about the nature of his world. She took all of it in and actually found that for an old guy he wasn't that bad, Except when he complained about his joints or bones or whatever. When she asked him about it he replied "At my age its about the only thing left to talk about what hurts or what isn't working right or what not, you are a fresh set of ears and haven't heard all my stories a billion times but you'll tire of them soon enough."
As they reached the southern tip of Africa they dropped down to five thousand feet so they could pick out the Gate. They didn't need to worry about being attacked by the people below, K had spent the better part of the last few weeks getting with the leaders of the various countries to inform them of what was happening and who and what he and DC were here to do. He had arranged for the Legionnaires, Lucas, Reindheart, Katarina, and Anjali, along with RuGaard and his family to stay here on Earth when he and DC were ready to move on to the next planet.
"Look there it is," Storm said as she altered course to a cleared patch of land in the middle of a rocky patch of earth.
"This seems to easy," Xavier said, "There should be demons guarding the gate at least."
"Oh but there are," said a smooth but searing voice from above them. "Well there is me anyways, did you really think I would leave this gate unguarded, After all the work I put into it?"
The five spun around to see Moroni, hovering about fifty feet above them. He was much more corporeal now with only his eyes and hands still glowing with that blood red fire.
"You'll die this day demon," Blitz said.
"Oh I think not, but I wonder what will K do when he finds out that I killed you all the seer and fear in the same blow how satisfying," Moroni hurled a massive spike of bone and fire at Carter as soon as he finished speaking but Cloak was faster she intercepted the spear taking the blow in her side which knocked her from the sky. The attack would not have been so bad if, through a chance landing, she had not driven the spike deep into her. As she gasped from the pain, Carter landed and ran up beside her.
"Cloak, your going to be ok, I just have to get you to Xavier," Carter started but Cloak cut him off.
"No I won't the spear... its in my heart I can already... feel the cold coming over me," Cloak gasped out, "Listen you have to trust me on this I will come back I promise... but uhnn... remember 'Veteran of a Thousand Physic Wars' it... my return." Then she saw Carter no more. "I, good by love," she said to herself then "Right now where is Rodger."
Character Carter
"Cloak!, No! no..." she was gone, that demon killed her there was only one course of action he had to fight with the others until they all died or some how killed Moroni. He thought for a moment about taking out his revenge on K who had assured them that Moroni wouldn't be at this Gate but tossed the idea aside, it was Moroni who killed Cloak and the blame rested on his shoulders. Then Carter felt something stirring within him like a long forgotten skill or piece of knowledge. In that moment he knew that he was Leviathan, and not the kind that Spyro and his family had become he was one like James, he was the aspect of the Fear of God.
Empowered with his new authority he launched himself back into the fight eyes ablaze as twin balls of the darkest red fire. "Moroni, Come face me and know fear for on this day you have taken my wife from me but God has returned my suffering with a strength unmatched in hell!" The demon general turned towards him giving a much needed break to Storm, Blitz, Xavier and Ingitus. Moroni threw another spear at Carter but he grabbed it out of the air and flung it back at the demon. Moroni dodged the spear easily enough but the astounded look on the demon's face was enough for Carter, after all his specialty was fear. "Moroni do you believe yourself safe in that garb of weak flesh, I shall sunder your spirit from it and flay you for eternity the parts of your soul will adorn my walls."
Moroni lashed out with a shock wave of pure darkness but it swerved around Carter, his presence at this moment being to much for even the darkness. Then Carter lashed out with a soul wrenching beam of pure fear, Moroni shuddered under the assault and his form wavered and returned to the fire and blood body that he had when he first appeared.
"This isn't over" the demon rasped out before he ran through the portal, Carter's next shot destroyed the portal.
"Carter, what happened," Xavier asked, "Where is Cloak?"
It took Carter a moment to reply, "She... is gone."
"Gone, meaning what?" Ingitus asked, "For a hundred years everyone thought I was dead too show us her body if she is truly dead."
Carter just shrugged and led them to the place where Cloak was, however when they landed the only evidence that she had been there was the large pool of blood, her body had faded away in less than five minutes.
"Cloak," Carter whispered to himself, "Veteran of the... you minx. God speed you my love."
"Where did she go?" Blitz asked.
"I don't know but wherever it is she thought it was worth dying for," Carter replied as a sense of peace washed over him. He knew he would see her again and if he knew Cloak he would see her again soon.
"Lets go tell K what happened," Storm said, "He will want to know."