Journey West 18: Invasion

   The smell of burning flesh, the sight of swarms of Spike Zombies shoving their way through the forest and road to the Jinron’s villa and into the mystic barrier around it. The barrier burns these undead abominations as they mass of them behind those in front push them into it; and even through it. Magic has its limitations, and a massive growing swarm of augmented undead that feel no pain would seem to be able to reach the limitations of the barriers around the villa as they shove a few of their number successfully though.

   *Fwa-koom!*

   A dark energy bolt from a Petite Juggernaut vaporizes a half burned Spike Zombie into black dust. Its something the eighteen Petite Juggernauts have been doing for the last five hours. The number of Spike Zombies was few at first, unable to get through the barrier, but the numbers of have grown. Something one would think would be alarming the resident of this villa. Jinron stares blankly out the window, his mind is a mess, an inner turmoil in continuous flux between his past, his beliefs, and his heart. His expression doesn’t change even as a new monster he’s never seen before appears; strange thin zombies with demon wings and tails, their flesh nothing more than skin covering the bones; flapping over the abdomen like an empty bag. These Flying Zombies strike from above, hitting a dome of energy like flies on a bug zapper. What was once an invisible barrier, has become more and more visible as the two types of zombies attack it, a wall from the Spike Zombies now connects to a dome from the barrier being strained from an assault by the Flying Zombies. The barrier in the front flickers and then vanishes, a few ward rooms bursting into blue flames in the process; leaving an area missing near the front gates like someone had wiped away the barrier with a rag.

    “Lightning Blast!”

    A beam of focused lightning blasts several of the Spike Zombies to charred pieces trying to go through the hole. The source of this blast is none other than Stratos, who flies down into the courtyard, the barrier having no effect on him as he is not an un-
natural monster.

    “Impossible,” says Vondroncha as she and Tiana using their telekinetic powers levitate down, carrying Gun-Man between them, “my psychic powers aren’t working on those mystical beasts.”

    “Its because they aren’t beasts,” says Gun-Man dusting off his coat as he lands, “those are called Spike Zombies, never seen those flying freaks before though.”

    “Yes,” says Stratos, “but neither should be here…the flying ones are just called Flying Zombies by the way…they are Croix black market creations. I’ve never seen so many in one place before.”

    “From up above,” says Gun-Man, “it looks like they’re all coming from one point in the woods due south.”

    “A portal?” asks Vondroncha, “but I thought…”

   *ka-koom!*

   Gun-Man shoots the head clear off of a Spike Zombie coming through the hole in the barrier. The body just falls to the ground.

   “Not monsters,” says Tiana, “the body is still here.”

   “Which means a summoning circle must be active,” says Stratos who had been thinking it over, “you three keep them busy while I see about closeing that portal!”

   Stratos flies into the air.

   “The assistance is appreciated,” says a Petite Juggernaut, “I must return inside to fetch replacement wards, if you adventurers can keep these creatures from reaching the villa your trespass will be overlooked…and you will be rewarded.”

   “Sure,” says Gun-Man mostly ignoring her as she shoots several more Spike Zombies coming over the wall.

   “Perhaps this would be more prudent.” says Tiana as she erects a clear psionic wall over the gap in the barrier.

   The Spike Zombies futilely strike at it.

   “This way,” says Tiana, “they wont stress the other wards and they’ll be stuck from getting inside till Stratos deals with the source.”

    “Then,” says Gun-Man aiming his guns at the space, “we blast them till there are no more to blast.”

    Vondroncha’s dragon tail loops over top her head, glowing purple and gold.

    “I am prepared for battle,” says Vondroncha.

   As Stratos flies over the forest its clear that the swarms of Spike Zombies have one goal in mind, the villa. He finds a large, almost the size of a small barn’s floor, purple sigil with four pillars in a clearing. A lone pale woman dressed in gothic gypsy clothing stands there making gestures; summoning another Spike Zombie.

   “Dark Bolt!” yells Stratos, summoning a rune off his strap with a symbol of a black circle on it. In this instant the rune grows in size and fires a black with purple electricity like bolts dancing over its surface sphere that fires into the summoning sigil’s center.

    The woman makes no effort to shield herself as the Spike Zombie is disintegrated, the sigil turns black and dark energy bolts fire from its center destroying the pillars. These same dark energy bolts shoot out from the circle into all the Spike Zombies and Flying Zombies summoned from it, hitting them through the heart and the head. They are all disintegrated into black ash.

    Back at the villa as Tiana lowers her barrier and the Petite Juggernauts immediately fetch cleaning utensils and begin cleaning up all the remains, Vondroncha lowers her dragon tail and says, “Oh…well…uhm…”

    “So much for the zombie battle royal.” says Tiana.

    At the clearing in the woods as the sigil vanishes and the pillars crumble to dust Stratos glares at the woman, “Sally the mysterious stranger,” he says.

   “You haven’t hear,” she says, “your family now knows I am the goddess Satasar; and it seems they’ve chosen to openly defy me.”

   Stratos almost spits on the ground; he does however point an accusatory finger at her, “I don’t care what you’re calling yourself these days specter. I told you before to stay away from my family.”

    “Are you threatening a goddess?” says Sally, “its no matter, I am only reclaiming my champion. It is your family that is causing the trouble for this world.”

    With out another word between them Sally vanishes into thin air leaving Stratos to fly back towards the villa wondering what the hell is going on.

     “What just happened?” asks Vondroncha when Stratos returns

    “A feed back effect,” says Stratos, “after I blew up the summoning sigil, the dark bolt I used must fed its self through the control system and…well…” He indicates the area around them.

     Gun-Man takes out a silver disc device, “well all this aside,” he says, “we shouldn’t have landed right here. I had the transporter set to my partner’s signal we should have landed above her position. According to this she’s thousands of miles away due west.”

    Stratos looks at the house and up at the man in the window.

    “This might be my fault,” he says, “there has been some trouble involving my family recently that my wife called me about.”

   He indicates the man in the window, “that’s my son; he’s here under house arrest.”

   “He looks old,” says Vondroncha.

   “Yeah, well,” says Stratos, “he uses an illusion spell to make himself look that way. Ever since…me, the people in my family it seems have a really long life span…or indefinite, we’re not sure yet, so he makes himself look old because he is…well…was the dean of Stratalia…it’s a school for adventurers. It’s why I have up the throne to my grandson and deanship to my son.”

    Stratos gets an expression on his face thinking, “did I just say…gave up the throne?”

    “You’re a king?” asks Vondroncha who continues, “well that certainly explains a lot about your demeanor and obvious tendency to take command of the situation.”

    Gun-Man isn’t paying attention, he’s just shaking his head thinking, “that shouldn’t have had shit to do with where we landed;… damned magic world.”

     “Sir Stratos,” says Vondroncha standing before him, “I must insist that from this day on that you know longer refer to me as your highness or your majesty; it is simply improper for a King to address a princess in such a manner. In fact I would be greatly honored if you referred to be me simply as…Von.”

    Stratos shrugs, “Okay…Von.”

    Von tears up a little and rubs it from her eye.

    “Something wrong?” asks Stratos

   “No, nothing” sniffs Von, “it’s just this muggy air is all.”

   “Yeah,” says Stratos, “it can get pretty humid around here this time of year, especially compared to the desert.”

   Tiana and Gun-Man actually exchange looks of disbelief as Gun-Man has looked up and heard most of that conversation.

    Stratos walks over towards the villa saying, “while we are here I might as well check up on Jinron.”

    As they reach the door three Petite Juggernauts, identical in appearance and wearing identical black maid uniforms rush in front of them.

    “Even though you aided us adventurers,” the one in the middle says, “in eradicating the invaders, we can not allow you inside here. Only members of the royal family have the authority to pass.”

    “Royal family?” thinks Stratos, “since when have we been using those titles with-in Stratalian territory?”

    “I am Jinron’s father,” says Stratos in an authoritative tone, “in other words I am the ex-king…if you don’t believe me golem then scan me.”

    The other three practically jump back as blue light comes from the Petite Juggernaut’s eyes.

   “Since we are there androids on Aesperia?” says Gun-Man aloud, not really asking anyone in particular.

   “They’re actually very advanced golems, my grandson over saw the scientists who…revived…their design.”

    “revived?” thinks Gun-Man

   “My apologies,” says the Petite Juggernaut, all three of them bow and move aside.

  “Been a long time,” says Jinron surprising them. He had apparently been standing not far behind the Petite Juggernauts blocking the door.

   Jinron looks past him, “I see you too bring monsters with you.”

   “Monsters?!” says Tiana and Von in unison.

   Stratos indicates Tiana and Von with a wave of his hand, “On their world we’d be the monsters son.”

   “Prince or not,” says Von in a haughty voice, “you shouldn’t speak to your father like that.”

   Jinron scoffs at her remark, “So, he’s being regal is he? Well did this high and mighty royal hero, symbol of justice across the land tell you he married his own mother?”

   Von shrugs, “So? My mother and…father…were brother and sister, it’s fairly typical in noble families.”

   “Not here your highness,” whispers Gun-Man.

   Gun-Man shuts up when Stratos shoots him a look.

   Stratos says, “I will need a bit of privacy to catch up with my son. If you don’t mind waiting outside.”

   Gun-Man shrugs, Tiana is busy watching some birds flaying in the dirt, and Von says, “Of course Sir Stratos.”

   ---it’s a long wait outside, with a bit of quite tension; well more so for Gun-Man standing around awkwardly watching the attractive golems going about cleaning up and repairing the damaged wards around the villa. Tiana and Von are now both watching and laughing as the birds play. Gun-Man decides to pass the time examining his transporter.

    “So that’s it,” he says just as Stratos exits the villa, the Petite Juggernauts bowing and wishing him a safe journey.

    “Well,” says Stratos, “we should head out.”

    “Well,” says Gun-Man, “I fixed the problem in my transporter. It should take us to my partner, Viana, but for some reason it’s about drained. So we only have one more shot.”

    “Very well,” says Stratos.

   The four of them gather together as Gun-Man activates the transporter, an electric dome forming over them, lifting them into the air as a sphere, and then vanishing.

   Jinron, with a black eye, watches out the window as they vanish.