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Chapter 15

The Dream Machine

Celverant locks the doors to the grand library, then floats to his chair. Jloose sits to his left, Sigh to his right. Jloose observes "for a meeting of Worldwalkers there seems to be very few of us in attendances."

Celverant turns his body to face Jloose "your observational skills serve you well." He turns to face between his comrades "this is not a meeting between Worldwalkers. This is a cabinet of men I trust. One of you because you would not harm anyone, the other because you cannot."

Sigh rest one arm on the table as he looks up at Celverant "and to what end would you wish to speak to two shuch people?"

Celverant speaks slow and low "something has happened that I cannot explain. Nine hours ago I received a call from an asset in Cenill realm. I had attempted to move to intercept but I was unable to open a stable vortex. I had rain a diagnostic on the station only to find that the destination I had keyed into the navigation computer was code 404."

Sigh and Jloose look between each other not understanding the phrase used, Sigh ask for clarification "what is code 404?"

"Unknow or undefined destination. This error has not been log since before Jloose was born. Back when this vessel required landing markers 404 was a call sign that I used to mark locations that I had to travel to on foot. But now this station is flying and I can land anywhere in dead-space. Code 404 no longer has meaning."

Jloose thins aloud "old data?"

"No, I concalted the star maps, the code had been called up because the location I was attempting to land at could not be found on my chart. I can foresee two events that would result in this; 1.) computer malfunction, 2.) not computer malfunction."

Sigh nods "so then it is a bug."

"not likely this ship is plugged into my own neuron-net. A hiccup in the ship's computer would be the same me going off line."

Jloose looks about shifty "then not malfunction?"

"I will leave that to you to find out. I want you two to go to the chronical computer and attempt to make contact with every logged planet. If you start encountering invisible planets we will have our answer."

Jloose and Sigh star each other down as they think about the monumental task at hand. The event Celverant is referring to of 'invisible planets 'would be indistinguishable from a universe collapsing. Is such a thing possible? There are monsters drifting the cosmos that can darken suns and eat worlds but nothing Jloose or Sigh have ever seen could destroy a universe. This must be a hypothetical.

***

Redcap's portal is a smooth one to ride, the portal sings as it carries the party away, within it all light seems to become sound and life a melody. The drop off on the other hand is slightly off center, the group manifest about four feet off the ground and land on a sand dun forced into a running/ rolling decent after hitting the ground.

Zion is a desert of gold sand. Cinder lands on her back, she reaches out to find her hat and places it over her face momentarily "I hate that man."

Charlie rolls onto his back looking up at the bronze sky "I don't know, he took us camping, cooked us dinner, brought us all bear even if I don't drink. I have been in less pleasant compony."

Lances lands on his face with a grunt, he spits up sand "no comment."

Keyor fans her fins "we need to get in doors or underground fast."

Lances looks to Keyor "the heat, right? Wont the mist protect us from it?"

"It's not the heat I'm concerned about, can you taste the salt in the air?" Keyor points out

Cinder nods "she is right. This will start to tax our mana fast, if we get tapped out bad things will start to happen."

Tatsu lands on all four and starts to run up the next hill yelling "this way!"

David, who had landed in a sitting position stands then starts helping the others up "you heard the man. Let's take a walk."

Milli tries to stand but yelps falling on her side "help!"

Charlie, David, and Lances run over to Milli. Lances orders "what is it!"

Milli speaks up "I can't move."

Lances kneels "do you feel pain or numbness?"

"when I tried getting up I felt a pinch above my tail, then my lags seized up."

Lances looks to David and Charlie "roll her onto her stomach!" Charlie and David comply flipping Milli over. Lances takes off his gloves and throws them off to one side as he looks over Milli's body, his hands roll up, down, and around her tail examining it, he looks for punchers in her armor and for evidences of lacerations and abrasions in the skin and muscle of her back.

Lances speaks to Milli as he feels her up "I bet you where hunched over as you stepped into the gate, weren't you?"

"I allways walk around hunched over." Milli protest

Lances lets out a slow his as he foulds his hands over one of Milli's vertebra in her tail. Milli Barks. "you twisted a nerve, nothing too bad."

Milli looks over her shoulder "That's not bad? I was under the impression nerve damage is kinda' bad!"

Lances smiles "can be. I knew a guy that twisted a nerve in his knee, he was bed ridden for years. But you, you are lucky..." Lances hands burn a blue black, then Milli starts to vibrate soft white for only a brief few moments "... I'm not a half bad doctor."

The twisted exspretion on Milli's face gives way to one of relief, the pain burned for her body. She looks over "I bet I could get you one hell of a sweet job back home."

The men pull Milli up to her feet. Lances slaps her on the tail "another time."

David looks to Lances "that is a useful skill. How does it work?"

Lances shrugs "No idea."

David tips his head back thinking "so you did that on instinct ha?"

Hetatsubatchi yells "I can smell coal burning 7 maybe 8 miles that way." He knudges his head back and to the right."

Charlie holds one of Milli's arms and her hip for balances, he turns his eyes to hers' "are you good?" Milli nods, as does Charlie "let's go then."

Tatsu leads the party though the sands, Keyor struggling far more this time then last to the point in which David Jazzman has to pick her up and carry her for some ways. The sand part to reveal a postindustrial city, rows and rows of towers stacking atop each-other fading into the distance, white towers growing from gold sand adorned by brightly colored flags: green flags with a symble shaped like a figure 8 marking the first tear of towers, blue flags with 3 fish with their tails intertwined marking the second stage of the town, the third tear marked with yellow flags adorned with eyes.

The streets are buster with life. Simi human birds with brown feathers walk in crowed adorned with their family colors, clocked and hooded most walk with their eyes turned to the ground, the world walkers pass down the street with not a bird offering them an upwards glance. A loud hum can be heard in the distances accompanied periodically by what seems to be a colossus head floating by carved to resemble Byzantine king. voices whisper from the floating heads, seemingly in dialects that only the group the message is meant for can hear.

A lone Zion glances up long enough to notice what seems to be the ill Keyor, in a high pitched but sexless voice calls to Charlie's group "Pilgrims, Are you in need of aid?"

Lances nods "our friend is not well. She needs water and garbs to travel the sands with."

The bird beckons them over "then walk this way, my eggling and I have food and room aplenty." The bird hurries them on leading the team to a modest tower as it explains "my partner Loral has gone to the war, myself and Rasa have little but much we can give. Travelers are honored and respected. That is what the one who carried me tells."

Jacob speaks up "And what should we call you madam?"

The word madam seems to confuse the bird, but given a moment seems to peace the phrase together "the one that carried and the one that seeded gave me the title of Cross." The bird opens the door to one of the towers letting the group in, Cross calls up the steps as they walk Rasa; draw water, then bring bread. We have pilgrims in our mist that, bring cloth to dress them and jowls to fill their pockets."

Charlie looks shocked as Cross is talking "you are to kind."

At the top of the steps waits for them the bird called Rasa, standing side by side if not for the jewelry they wear the two of them would be indistinguishable. Rasa takes Keyor away and dips her into a bathing vessel in the main room. Rasa then looks to the others "give me your clothing so that I may wash them and take the robs I have set there for you." The bird points to a table filled with fruits and a basket of garments.

The lot of them are feed and clothed in local dress, Keyor's strength returning quickly once out of the sun. The birds of Zion are kind people, but quickly it becomes clear that they are superstitious. Rosa gathers the clothing of the party to clean and repair it. Rosa takes notice of the chain around Jazzman's neck and reaches up to take it declaring "this you should not have."

Jazzman grabs the bird by the hand as it reches for the stone "Don't." Jazzman is to the point.

Rosa explains "this stone is one we cut, stones like this mark where heros die."

Jazzman leads Rosa's hand down to its side. "that is why I have it."

The bird offers a look of preponderances "the words you speak have no meaning the why you have spoken them." Rosa stars at Jazzmen, the birds head tips as it meets Jazzman's gaze, something in his eyes pulls Rosa in, something familiar.

Jazzman ignores the bird as he walks over to a window in the room and leans out it watching the streets. "So, has anyone here heard of someone calling themselves 'the Three-headed-goddess?" Jazzman speaks to no one it would seem.

Cross nods "the goddess lived alongside the Overseers, once when I was a eggling I saw it."

Hetatsubatchi looks over to cross from where he lies on the ground "why 'It' and not 'her' her very name has feminine inflection?"

"that word?" Cross look down "we do not understand it?"

Jacob speaks to Tatsu "Cross has a point it seems, no one around us has yet used a gendered pronoun. Unless... can 'it' be used as a gendered pronoun?"

Charlie nods "I think it is, I think 'It' is a non-binary pronoun like 'they'."

Lances looks confused at Charlie "is 'It' still gendered if it is non-binary?"

Milli jumps in "could be non-binary isn't gender escalading, 'It' would just be subject to 'the law of inclusions'."

Cross squawks "what is 'Gender' and 'Binary.' ?"

Lances and Charlie, both being men with years of secondary schooling under their belts bicker back and forth discussing the meanings of various terminology to make sure they understand each other's stances. Milli replies to Cross inquiry "Gender is the word you choose use to describe your sexual identity or carnal role in society. Binary is a word used to imply a scenario where in there are only two possibilities, such as guilty or not guilty of 'x'."

"are there only two ways of being carnal?" Rosa ask "I can imagine more than two carnal acts."

Milli clarifies "well in this case the term is being used to describe..."

Jazzman shouts "Ah!" he waves the group over to the window "does that look like a linch mob to you? It sure as hell looks like one to me." Jazzman points to a crowed marching down the street dressed in monochrome garbs brandishing swords and staves.

Charlie pushes Jazzman off to one side to take a look. "holy shit." Charlie whispers, he runs off and grabs hiss whip. "what is this?"

Jazzman nods and falls out the window "see you outside."

Jacob looks to Cross and Rosa awaiting in explanation of the odd behavior, he gets only a shrug in return. Rosa waves at the door declaring "I wish to know as well."

***

All of Zion's strongholds have one thing in common, they all thrive off repetition. A disruption to this towns house of prayers has resulted in a slow boiling rage. One of their members has been noticeably absentee. Serval years ago a expecting mother suffered a complicated pregnancy, the town has been watching her closely ever since. Now her child is do for baptism, but neither mother or child appear at the temple to receive their blessing, also the child has not been registered at the school appropriate to their district.

Suspicions copulate, fear germinates, and with fear comes anger. The township demands the overseers seek out the deviant, but thou the behaviors of mother and child are unexpected nothing has been done worthy of the intervention of the overseers. The house of prayers has only one option left to them, communal justice.

The members of the house of prayer dawn a neutral color and in mass march to meat the deviant mother. They will know why she is acting out of turn and they will punish her accordingly. Strange whispers find the crowed, talk of devilry, witch craft, and even the unthinkable... the eggling could be Nephilim. Yes, that would explain everything. They will baptize mother and child alike with oil and flame.

An elderly sick looking bird takes the lead, much of the color gone from its feathers. The old bird knocks on the tower door, the bird that heeds the call is young and vibrant looking, can't be much older than Rosa. "Elder Marita?" the young bird ask

The one called Marita replies "Deacon Swallow. May we come in?"

Swallow looks at the crowed, there are no less then eighty members of the congregation gathered around tensely gripping weapons "I have not the hospitality to give so many, I have no chairs for you to sit on or breed for you to eat." Swallow goes to close the door "I bid you all a good day."

Fiercely Marita grabs the door with one talon and slides a foot under the door wedging it open "the we will forgo breed and we will sit on the floor." The old bird tries to sound kind but it's voice is filled with zeal.

"another time we will sip drink together but I simple cannot afford you the time today." Swallow struggles with the door. Marita won't have it the old bird shoves Swallow back.

"then we will be brief. Show us your eggling!"

Swallow looks shocked at the tone in which Marita is talking "how rude! Do you wish for me to call the overseers?"

Marita puffs out it's feathers "the overseers will do little to protect you or your eggling. Your eggling has not been blessed, has not been to school and has not had its name registered with the herbalist. Tell me, what is the name of the one that seeded your eggling?"

Now it is Swallows turn to puff up "it is not of interest to you who I have seeded with!"

"have you forgotten Swallow, I work at the genealogy center it is most interesting to me who seeds with who." Marita yells back to the crowed "Deccan Swallow refuses to give the name of the one that seeded, that can only mean the eggling is Nephilim!"

David Jazzman and Charlie Belmond stand in the crowed overhearing the conversation at hand. Jazzman's face twist into a rage filled smile, he whispers with Charlie. "see if you can find a way in and protect the child, I will handle this." Charlie isn't going to try to talk David out of this, Charlie just nods along and runs off to one side looking for a side door.

The crowed is in a fit, enraged squawks fill the air. Jazzman shouts over them "why is it no mater what planet I'm on I see intolerances everywhere I look?" Jazzmen jumps over the crowed and lands with his demon sword rested on one shoulder "brave birds? Why don't the lot of you try intimidating a full-grown Nephilim?" Marital falls off to one side looking up at the impressive form of the man called Devil, Swallow gets grabbed by Charlie who sneaks around David using him as a distraction.

The birds of Zion are frozen in fear for only a moment before wraith sets in. with deathly precision two birds lung in stabbing their short blades into Devil. Jazzman looks at the blades crossed through his chest more irritated the hurt. The attackers turn their eyes up at the demon man astonished that their first strike did not slay the beast. Jazzman pulls Alabaster from his holster under his left arm, he funnels psychic energy into revolver and tacks a shot at each bird that stabbed him. The first bird falls over crippled by the shot, the second flaps it's wings jumping away.

Jazzmen hops into the crowd without fear or hesitation he swings the demon sword, fires his revolver and throws a kick all at different birds scattering them in confusion, two swords still sticking out of his chest. His is a berserker's rage, Jazzman lives for battle. Demons and Angels are one and one, the same animal by separate names. A high angel could no doubt match Jazzman in sword to sword combat, but these birds are not high angels, they are pious angels at best, fat, lazy, domesticated. These birds have never seen what real battle looks like, never needed to kill to eat. But even all that considered seventy-five to one is not grate odds.

Hetatsubatchi and Cinder catch up shortly, Hetatsubatchi looks up to the elemental "these two are about to get themselves killed, aren't they?"

"sure, looks that way." Cinder sounds passive about the point. "do you think we should help them?"

Tatsu lowers his head and his wall of blades spring form his magic color, recklessly he charges in. Cinder shrugs, "that is not what I was hoping for." Cinders arms snap down and frozen mist and liquid flame starts to spill from her hands.

***

One hand grips Swallow by the beak the other by the hip, Charlie pulls her into her own tower and he kicks the door shut with one foot. Charlie utilizes his slightly above average strength to lift, and turn the bird holding, her?, back to his chest. Charlie is about to put her down and speak when she snaps her wings up and throws both elbows back jabbing him in the kidney and liver forcing Charlie to drop her.

Swallow picks up a staff mounted on the wall and rushes in to assault Charlie. Charlie has barly enough time to gain his footing, he turns his body bladded and brings both arms up to his chest to stop Swallows first swing, he hooks one arm over and around the staff to pin it to his chest. Charlie orders "Stop! I'm here to help you. Where is the Eggling?"

Swallow doesn't have time to think it over, a crash upstairs informs the two of them that someone has come in throw one of the upper floor windows. Charlie and Swallow instantly agree to drop what they are doing to rush upstairs.

On the third floor, Marital and two others wait. Charlie unwraps Souleater from around his waist and whispers "please don't make me do this."

Marital points to Charlie and Swallow "kill them both and bring me the Nephilim."

Charlie looks over to Swallow "If Nephilim means Angel born and you are in Angel does that mean that you slept with a demon?"

Swallow grips her staff ready for battle "latter!" she orders, the two bird solders charge at Marital's command.

Charlie spines souleater over head then snaps it down left then recoils to snap down and right easily out zoning the bird solder attacking him. Swallow on the other hand is forced into mid quarter combat, both clearly trained in staff fighting by the same teacher. The bird knight swings down, then crosses left, cross right then up and resets to down , Swallow matches with a rising guard, twisting guard, push block and low block. Swallow is forced to fallow the routine stepping forward into advantage with a thrust leading into a hooking disarm, the bird knight interrupts the disarming strike by grabbing Swallows staff. Both birds are forced to reset to neutral kicking off each other's weapons.

Charlie takes a horizontal slash with his whip then recoils to tie the chain of his whip around the sword of the solder he is engaged with, Charlie steals the sword with a flick of his wrist. The bird rushes in when it finds it's sword peeled form its grip. Charlie outstreaches one arm to judge distances and cross steps around the charge bringing a sap strike down on the birds back. The solder crumbles under the weight of Charlie's strike.

Marital intervenes in the battle between the bird knight and Swallow, Marital pulls a small blade from within its robe. Marital forcible hugs Swallow from behind and slips the blade into Swallows underbelly, Swallow buckles over.

Charlie howls, he pushes his way past the bird knight and shoves Marital back, he pulls his arms into his chest exposing the tattoos on his arms, Chalrie draws his arms together and light spills from his body, when his arms touch explosive force erupts around Charlie throwing everything away from him, his shadow protecting Swallow. Marital and the other two birds on the other hand are lunched into the walls with bone braking power.

Charlie is struck by an unseen force, he knows this feeling well, one of the birds had died and he has absorbed them. This doesn't happen all the time when some one dies near him, more often then note he needs to elect to do so, but sometimes it does just happen. The feeling of absorbing a soul is not like steeling memories, It isn't orderly and a slow burn. It is instead a fast and powerful jolt.

When one takes the soul of a humanoid into themselves the soul brings a number of things with it, the cleansist and most powerful emotions first off, sorted thoughts next, disjointed ideas after that. Scattershot concepts; half remembered dreams, the smell of a beloved food, the melody of a song, the instant in ones life when they felt the most unforgiving dread, the most toxic lust. When not expecting this surge of life it can be crippling.

Some times when a soul is first interduce to a new body the soul is disoriented, it thinks it is still inside its own skin, it tries to infulunce your thoughts and manipulate your flesh. But it will quickly be forced into a submissive state.

That is the case this time. The soul that Charlie absorbed was Swallow's and she fights him as she enters his skin, but a soul with nether flesh or a mind to feed on becomes quickly exhausted. Swallow starts feeding Charlie the details of her life. Slowly things become clear.

Swallow had been born in the inner-city, to a unexpectedly young mother. Being from the inner-city of Zion dictates a good deal about one's life and upbringing. Swallow's family was perfectly conservative, their lives dictated by traditions, ruled over by the house of prayers. As most do on reaching the age of maturity Swallow was taught about sex the way most Zion are.

She was thrown into a camp filled with other birds her age unsupervised and the adults stood by and watched, waiting to see who laid eggs after a year in the camp. Swallow failed to lay any eggs that year so was assumed to be a seeder not a carrier. Do to the conservative nature Zion no one really understand anything about biology or physics, chemistry, reproduction.

What Swallow and her family may have noticed if not for their rigged traditions is that fertility is linked to BIM and Swallow's fat to muscle was stilted in such a way that slowed the formation of insulation around her womb preventing her for reaching puberty till years later.

Swallow eventually did find herself with egg, but she had no idea who from as she was relatively recluse and had touch a good few birds in such a way that could have seeded her. When she lead her egg she found herself filled with fear, the egg was misshaped ever-so slightly. Never the less surely that must mean that the eggling inside would be as well.

Swallow named her egg October, October hatched two weeks late, and a pound undersized. Swallow new this would be a problem so she hid her eggling, schooled it at home, and never brought it out to be baptized. The elders would notice the eggling is small and egglings that are hatched imperfect are slain. Even now Swallows soul fixates on October, how to protect the eggling.

Charlie will protect October, it is the only thing he can do to quite Swallow's soul. "October!" Charlie calls out. "where are you?" A squeal echoes around the room. Charlie takes note of air filtration line running along the walls in the room, 'the echo came from the third floor' he thinks

Belmond son of Belmond has fully excepted his destiny of baring the rule of a knight, even if he is a warlock. With all haste he searches for a way to the third floor. Quickly he finds a hatch that leads to a hidden stairwell, and from there a room filled with plush toys and hand carved dolls "October!" Charlie calls again.

The eyes of the warlock scan the room, but before he can spot the youngling bird his gaze is trapped by the window in the room and the twenty-foot floating head looking in at him, its eye large as the window. The monster outside the tower whispers a shout, its voice sounding like 100 people singing in tune. "your behavior is disorderly. You must be recycled."

Charlie is frozen by the beast gaze, Charlie spots the child hiding in the pile of toys. Charlie whispers with a calm yet childish voice "October. Go to the stairs. There are no widows there and walls on all sides, you will be safe there momentarily."

The stone head floats upwards slightly lining its mouth up with the window, its mouth opens and three giant snakes grow out of its tongue. October squeaks and runs past Charlie jumping down the steps. The snakes all hiss "Nephilim!"

Charlie shouts "Hay!" he pulls the knife from the scabbard on his leg and throws it at the snakes. One snake s struck, the other two leap at Charlie. Charlie lashes Souleater at each of them once but this does little to slow down the monster. One bites at Charlie, Charlie dives forward rolling away, falling down the steps.

With a fair union of skill and luck Charlie continues his roll all the way down to the next landing then finds his feet in one swift motion it seems. But the walls are not as safe as they seem at first, the stone godhead punches its snake tongues against the walls of the tower cracking it first then pushing its way in.

In one of his earlier forms Charlie would have in arsenal of spells to cast right now, but at the moment he only has three souls and maybe one and a half spell for each to cast. October screams as a snake brakes apart the wall overhead, October crouches folding arms and wings overhead to brush off debrie.

Instinct takes hold of Charlie as the snake head turns its eyes on October. Charlie summons the energy he had taken from Swallow. A blinging light erupts from Charlies body shoving the snake away. A second drags itself down the stars fallowing Charlie and October.

The snake hisses at Charlie "what matter of monster are you? You smell human but you fight like a Demi."

Charlie rushes over to October, he wraps an arm around the bird's waist lifting it up as he turns a corner looking for a place to hide. October is a teenager according to Swallow's memories but October's body is small and light as if three years younger than actual, October should be coming of age to be sent to 'the camp' to learn of what It is. But there is no way October is physicly developed enough for that, and if this Snake outside the room has anything to say about it October never will be.

The Snake slides into the room, it looks to the right first tuning away from Charlie and October, Charlie places October on the ground and softly shoves the bird behind him hiding it. Charlie grips Souleater tightly in on hand as the snake turns the other way. Thunder sounds, hail hammers the tower, the snake pulls away slidding back up the steps the way it came.

Charlie lets out a hard breath and falls to his knees to catch hold of himself. October wraps arms and wings around him squeezing the Worlock for safty overwhelmed by the attack on its home. October whispers with Charlie "where is the one who carried me?"

Charlei reaches around the bird, overcome by feelings hard to vocalize Charlie starts to weep. It only takes a moment for October to understand what Charlie means to say. In the shock of grief, struck by the overwhelming weight of an adrenalin dump. October kisses Charlie, in awkward, shaking kiss, confused feeling, fear, anger, passion. shuttering October seems momentarily aroused as the bird holds Charlie by the cheeks. This kiss is the type of kiss everyone regrets the moment it is over.

Charlie wants to enjoy the feeling of October's beak on his lips but he can't, Swallow's spirit and his good nature tell him not to. Charlie holds October at bay after allowing for only a few moments of touching one another, more instinct then will one hand having found October's neck and the other parting Octobers tail feathers brushing the birds cloaoca. Charlie struggles to explain why things are as they are, ultimately, he abandons that thought and usher them back down to the main door instead.

Outside Cinder has called wind rain and ice to the parties aid. The sky is blacker then night in the mist of the afternoon hours, thunder and lighting fill the air, hail falls from the sky in powerful block. The mob of bird's scatter. The Overseer pulls his tenticals out of the tower to try to understand what has happened.

Ice chips away at the Overseers armor revealing what looks like human bodies hidden by his shell, twisted and streached into the shape of clockwork. The Overseer looks to Cinder, Tatsu and David "your behavior is disorderly, you must be recycled." His voice has disintegrated into a reverberating machan like crackling.

Jazzman flips around his sword, the blade unfolds taking on an axes like curve, the handle revs, explosive powder drips from the blade. The Overseer opens his mouth spitting his snake tongues at Cinder. Jazzman and Tatsu move in to protect the Elemental. Weakend by the ice the Overseer is stunned by Jazzman's sword-strikes. Tatsu fires a barrage of four knife-strikes and two stabs with his curved swords into the monster tongues.

The three hero's tougher push back the Overseer, Hetatsubatchi's wall of blades block attacks, Cinders magic shatters it's armor, David's explosive sword techniques start to quickly cut into its soft insides.

The Overseer is forced to the ground, the monster's body broken it haggles with the team "you have shown your courage. Is there need to carry on?"

Jazzman take the lead "don't know? What is mercy worth to you?"

The overseer bargains "What do you wish for?"

Jazzman smirks "this could be fun. Could you offer me political power?"

"We will name a city after you."

Jazzman laughs "what about money?"

"so much that you will never need to be alone."

Charlie steps out of the tower, October sitting on his shoulders, lags crossed over his chest. "could you tell this bird that this is nothing in this world worth fearing?"

The Overseer tries to force itself back into the air "The Overbeeings would not be pleased... Nephilim."

Jazzman grunts "that is what I fucking thought." Jazzman pulls his sword into his chest then lunges out morphing the blade into a spear as it plunges into the Overseer. Its body bubbles and sprays burning gas into the air, once at critical mass the monster explodes into a slimy yellow mass of cancerous flesh.

The lot of them stand over the slain Overseer. Charlie looks on in wonder "I get the feeling we are going to regret this moment. What was this thing."

Jazzman places his sword on his back "if you were wondering, that is what happens to people that the angels rapture."

Hetatsubatchi huffs "Not what I was expecting."

Jazzman goes on "at least in hell when you die you typically get to stay dead. Ironic I feel..."

Cinder looks over "what is?"

"Angels have been using ice to punish demons since the beginning of time, and still it seems this one couldn't stand ice itself." Jazzman tells.

Tatsu scratches his neck "Makes some since. The oldest demons are genetically indistinguishable from angels. I can taste the our genetic similes even now."

Charlie points out the swords still sticking out of David's body "would you like help with those?"

Jazzman nods "wouldn't mind."

Sirens start to howl on all sides, four more Overseers start to descend onto the party. One fixates it's eyes on Charlie, a ray of plasma like energy sprays from its eyes and should hit Charlie in the back if not for October's body being in the way. October collapses onto Charlie who catches the bird as it starts to slip off of him.

Hetatsubatchi and David call their arms back into hand. Cinder shouts "this is not the ideal place to fight these beasts. We must converge with Keyor and Jacob."

Tatsu nods "Right, time to go."

***

Rosa returns to Cross, Rosa tells Cross about the fighting on the street, the suspicion of October being a Nephilim, and the Worldwalkers killing an Overseer, and even how the Overseer spoke the Overbeing. Rosa has barely finished the tale by the time Hetatsubatchi comes bashing through the door.

Tatsu in the lead, Charlie carrying October next, Cinder and Jazzman cover the rear. The Overseers fall in behinds spitting snakes and photon rises in attack. Cinder ant find the time to focus her magic in counterattack, and so calls on a defensive spell instead. Cinder Dances calling down a net of arcing lighting to hold the Overseers at a distance.

Cross makes its way to the summit of the tower in which it lives. When cross steps onto the roof the Overseers stop their attack to address it. "Cross of the yellow family." The overseers all speak at once. "you have takin into your home deviants. You will relinquish them to us."

Cross holds its robe tight to its body "the deviants enjoy pilgrim's privilege. The Overbeings will not tolerate their persecution."

"Pilgrim's privilege protects the hungry, the naked, and the ignorant. Those that engaged in acts of civil unrest are null-and-void." The four overseers together sound like an army chanting.

"if that is the way you read the law then call the Overbeings and I will open my house to you." Cross demands "otherwise the travelers continue their travel."

"you speak unwise words. You will be punished." The Overseers push up against Cinder's wall threateningly.

Cross pulls a walking-stick from its back and slaps the stick to the ground summoning a spray of prism light "this tower is mine and I will not be intimidated so long as my claws are on the ground."

Within the tower the worldwalkers overhear the exchange. Charlie sets down October "Lances." He call out.

Lances Jacob steps up to October, he kneels down to examine the birds body "Electrical burn, looks like."

"Heal her." Charlie orders. Lances removes his gloves holding his hands over the birds body, Lances burns with power as he tries, but October's wounds just seem to not want to close. Charlie looks up to Lances "why isn't she healing?"

Lances clinches his jaw and doubles down on his healing spell but still there is little change. After a few more seconds of trying to heal the bird Lances shakes his head "I don't have the power."

"what do you mean?" Charlie ask

Keyor climbs out of the bath "the more times we cast a spell the faster and stronger it becomes. Lances just hasn't healed enough healing spells to treat wounds like that."

The tower starts to quake, the overseers are attempting to rip down the tower. Rosa looks about "I think it might be time for you to leave."

David nods "someone open a gate."

Milli grabs October "let me hold this for you."

***

The Overbeings are the most feared cheaters in Zion, and for good reason. Some say they are indestructible, some say they are the children of the old gods. The Overbeings don't deny any accusation. But all in Zion live to serve the needs of the Overbeings, when one thinks of Angels, the Overbeings are what comes to mind for most. Beast fueled by indignation, obsessed with order, purity and judgment. No one stands against the Overbeings.

On this side of town the name of the Overbeing is Christoph the Baptizer. Word on the street is that the Overbeigs chose new bodies every few years, Christoph is the inspiration of this. Five years ago he was a bird like everyone else, two years ago he was a lion, today he walks around in the skin of a human with silver skin and fire for hair, lighting for eyes.

Christoph like the others of his kind has been imbued with an assortment of unnatural gift, clairsentience, telepathy, and the rare power to burn souls with his touch. Christoph hears the call of the Overseers and moves in to investigate.

In short order he arrives at the tower where the Overseers are converged. Christoph pushes past the wall of lighting harmlessly and leaps up the tower to confront Cross. Christoph collects the thoughts from the Overseers then looks to the bird wizard "You and your Child stand accused of disorderly conduct, the sentences is nonexistence. How do you plead?" The question is a formality. The Overbeing has made his decision already.