Pursuit of the Zodiacs (56 page)

Dracuul said, “He’s dead, and Victoria made sure there was nothing we could do about it.”

Fidor commented, “So, I assume the Queen is dead too? Of course, it would not have been possible without your two abominations present. How did you ever get two Archangels to turn?”

Dracuul disregarded his question and said, “Thief! That is none of your concern, you bastard!”

Fidor said, “Hmm, I suppose it doesn’t matter. Fuck you, Dracuul. Now, kneel before me, or meet death.”

Dracuul gave Daniel and Goliath a sickened look. His face wrinkled from all the emotion boiling through his veins. The next move would determine whether they lived or died. His decision would also put the two Pursuers at risk since they remained under his authority. Dracuul didn’t care. His ego was too great. He worked too hard for those samples and would stop at nothing to get them back.

Dracuul motioned to The Pursuers. “Daniel and Goliath, kill him!”

Fidor, not entirely surprised, spoke, “You are a fool, Dracuul. You’re willing to sacrifice them just so you can get a good chance at me? Despite my differences with these two, I must admit their gifts are indeed superb; and quite frankly, your greatest accomplishment yet, ha-ha-ha. It’s a pity they must die on behalf of their stupid Host.”

Dracuul answered, “Enough of this idle chit-chat. Let’s see what you can do with all that power, Fidor!”

More protestors occupied the streets of Rome. They displayed civil disobedience, but it wouldn’t be long before injustice would bring forth outright rioting. Jacob walked through the crowd in complete despair. “You are all fools! They do not care to listen! You are wasting your time!” He yelled, but no one acknowledged him.

The elevated chants of other people trying to get their point across drowned out his warnings. He continued and came upon something peculiar. On top of a cathedral roof, four strange men on flying horses examined the protestors. “Is no one else seeing this shit?” Jacob continued looking up until one of them spotted him. That’s when they decided to take their leave.

“I’m done, my days as a spy are over. I will not trouble myself any further by learning what the Hell those things were. Nothing but Devils plague this city.” Jacob made it through the crowd and headed out of the city.

SCHEDULED TO MEET THE FOUR TALISMAN, VIRGO AND SCORPIO ARRIVED AT THE ENTRANCE OF ROME
.

They saw the Four Talismen and a Reptilian shape-shifter disguised as the Pope.

“Hmmm, more Zodiacs. So the rumors are true, this alliance might just transpire,” one of the Talismen said while watching Virgo and Scorpio approach.

Virgo said, “The Four Talismen, were you able to successfully find Aries?”

Demise answered, “Yes, now it’s time we wait.”

Virgo asked, “How were you able to unearth her?”

Plague spoke, “We have our own techniques that’s granted us our own kingdoms, techniques we can never share.”

Feud continued, “She has yet to be turned. Before The Pursuers can deceive her, we must make sure that her turning is assured. If that isn’t possible, she must be destroyed.”

Virgo commented, “Understood. So, I guess we wait.”

Just as Virgo and Scorpio moved to take their positions, a red beam of light separated the Reptilian shape-shifter posing as the Pope. Its burnt upper body fell from its lower, while its legs still stood. He returned to his true form, grimacing in pain and reached out to the Talismen for aid. His legs fell, and he took his last breath.

“Hmm, it worked. She took the bait. This should be interesting,” Feud uttered to himself, having total disregard for the dead Reptilian shape shifter.

Aries stood on a rooftop lit by the full presence of the Moon. “I knew that would’ve been too easy. Where is the Pope?”

Demise replied, “Surrender, Aries.”

Aries said, “Forfeit from your campaign, and leave while you still breathe.”

Feud answered, “I’m afraid that cannot happen, Zodiac.”

Aries responded, “Then this will be your last day, Devil.”

“Wait!” Virgo walked towards lighting in the street to reason with her Zodiac counterpart. “Aries, my name is Virgo and the boy you see over there is Scorpio. We all share Zodiac blood.”

Aries took time to grasp the moment. Scorpio walked over to stand beside Virgo. Aries sensed no deceit behind the strange woman’s words.

Aries spoke to Scorpio, “Boy, what are you doing here? This is no place for you.”

Scorpio ignored the question. “I understand our relation, but if any one of you call me ‘Boy’ again, I swear I’ll ...”

Virgo interrupted, “Please excuse us. We are tired, and we’ve been in search of our family for quite some time.”

Aries spoke, “No need to apologize. Nevertheless, this question must not go unanswered. Why do you ride with these descendants of Lucifer?”

Virgo simply answered, “Because we are descendants of Lucifer, Aries. We all are. You were once side-by-side with him.”

Aries thought this over. “Yes, at a time long ago before he had my children slaughtered in front of me. I will die a million deaths before I side with him again. So, if you’re another one anticipating an alliance, you are wasting your time.”

She revealed the reason for her departure. Lucifer had even withheld this critical information from Virgo. This news confirmed that it would take a miracle for this alliance to form. Speechless, Virgo gazed at the Four Talismen.

Aries moved uncontrollably. One of her replicas guarding her Son perished, and she felt the infliction as if it had been dealt directly to her. “They’ve done it! They’ve found the boy! Attack!” Feud shouted.

An army of Mercenary Demon Nuns cleaved the rooftop with high-powered laser weapons custom designed to fight the element of fire.

Virgo declared, “Taurus and his group must have reached her coordinates. So you four knew all along?”

Demise answered, “Yes, Taurus and Pisces are moments away from capturing her Son.”

“Hold your fire!” Dearth yelled.

The assault ripped the roof off. They didn’t believe she survived that onslaught. Feud dismounted his horse and walked towards the building to investigate. Patiently, they waited for the smoke to clear. Feud ordered some of the Mercenary Demon Nuns to check for Aries’ body. Virgo sensed danger and warned, “Get them out of there. She still lives.”

They gazed upon Aries’ glowing eyes illuminating through the smoke, the last spectacle they witnessed as she disintegrated them with a Solar Flare that carried a temperature equivalent to the surface of the Sun. She struggled to stay on her feet as she felt another one of her replicas perish. She had little time to make it back to her Son.

“After her! Before she escapes!” Demise yelled out.

He caught Aries’ attention. Her replicas hovered in their direction and covered her while she fled. They rained down a fiery meteor shower against the Four Talismen, forcing them to dismount their horses and seek shelter. Feud slapped the rear end of his horse. The horse galloped and then flew from harm’s way. The other horses weren’t as fortunate. They lay dead in the street, engulfed in Sunfire.

Virgo faced Aries’ replicas. Hesitant to fire upon another Zodiac, a Mother’s love for her child encouraged Aries’ next move. All four of her replicas challenged Virgo’s Virgin Force Field with fire. They blasted Virgo into the ground. After the smoke dissipated, steam rose from a crater.

“Virgo!” Scorpio cried out. He emerged from his hiding place and dodged the replicas’ strikes. Too quick for the first two, both Replicas fell victim to the Sting of Death affixed to his ponytail. After puncturing their throats, the poisons seeped into their veins, and their own fire turned on themselves. Engulfed in flames, her replicas cried and fled, but they collapsed a good distance down the street and died.

The Four Talismen suffered a loss on their end as well. They witnessed Aries beheading Plague with her Sun Fire sword. Demise removed his chest plate and displayed his signature black hole resting on his chest. Its gravitational pull proved too
much for one of Aries replicas. Down to one replica and herself, Mercenary Demon Nuns attacked with their close combat melee weapons that consisted of swords and spears. She outclassed them all with her Sunfire Sword by swiftly delivering blows to their forehead, heart and neck. She staggered to her knees. Another one of her replicas had been killed. Each loss weakened her.

Scorpio and the three remaining Talismen took full advantage and advanced. Feud attacked first with his double-sided axed spear. She found an opening in his offense and chopped his weapon in half. An armor-breaking punch backed with fire sent him into the crater where Virgo lay. He removed his blazing armor. Next, she grabbed Scorpio’s ponytail, and threw him into the crater. Thinking of her Son, she showed him mercy and covered the crater with a force field of her own. He found Virgo rejuvenating off the Earth’s minerals, her burnt wounds partially healed. Scorpio opened the Earth to access the city’s water. After absorbing as much as he could, Scorpio penetrated the flaming force field that had incarcerated them.

They escaped the crater and witnessed Demise on fire, rolling on the ground. Again, Scorpio used his water gift to extinguish the flames.

Aries threw a defeated Feud into the building. “I knew you couldn’t have been that easy to kill, Virgo. You had me worried for a second.”

“Bitch, I’m just getting started,” Virgo replied while unsheathing her infamous Virgin sword.

Aries replied, “Good, don’t disappoint this time.”

The Pope arrived. “That is enough, Aries!”

Taurus, Pisces and his Special Security, consisting of two Nephilim Giants and a few Reptilian soldiers, accompanied him. She accepted all challengers, but her spirit declined after seeing her Son Paul in shackles being held by two Reptilian soldiers. “Nooo!” she cried. Virgo shot her down with a paralyzing shockwave generated from the Earth.

“Virgo, that’s enough,” the Pope yelled. Virgo stepped back. The Pope continued, “We’ve had enough of your folly. Cooperate, or your Son dies!”

The Pope lifted his hand, and one of his Reptilian guards punched Paul in the stomach. He fell to the ground in pain, sobbing and gasping for air. The Reptilian guards picked him back up.

“No! How did this happen? It’s all happening again,” Aries cried uncontrollably as memories of her murdered children returned to her.

The Pope lifted Jacob’s severed head. She remembered the spy she had warned to leave. That’s how they discovered her. With a maniacal laugh, the Pope tossed the dripping head to the ground beside her; and one-by-one, he licked Jacob’s blood off each finger. “I’ve lost good men over you, Aries, you bitch. I knew this plan wouldn’t have been easy, but the victory was well worth it.”

CAPRICORN’S DREAM

“Lisa! What are you doing? You’re not ready!”

Capricorn’s cousin Lisa entered a forbidden Dimension overrun by Demons. As one of the last surviving members of the Children of Time, her Angelic voice stopped wars and cleared battlefields. But, was it enough to rid this Dimension of its Demons? Over the last several years, the Devils lurking inside this once peaceful passageway slaughtered many people. Capricorn didn’t reach his cousin on time to stop her from entering the Gateway.