Capricorn's Midnight Clock: The Zodiac Book 10, page 26
"Blessed Lucifer," someone whispered behind me. "Look at all of them."
I didn't turn to see who'd made the comment. No point. They were entitled to their feelings. Especially because their sentiment wasn't wrong. Beelzebub had come with muscle. A lot of muscle.
"Did Capricorn's trick work?" Ralrek asked, standing almost shoulder to shoulder with me.
"Not sure. Based on how long they've been here, I'd say it did."
"Why's that?"
"The whole point was to slow Beelzebub down."
"Do you think he did?"
I pointed at the clumps of mortals still in hiding or resisting. "I think they're behind schedule. For as long as they've been here, they should have had the mortals rounded up and their defenses set. They knew I'd come. Yet they're not ready. Not for the response Beelzebub knows I'll have."
"So, what do we do? Search for Capricorn? Save him?" He pointed at the mass of demon soldiers harrying mortals. "Through that?"
I watched the proceedings. No, that wasn't right. They weren't proceedings. They were violations. On an individual and group level.
"Capricorn knew the risk. Let's not waste the chance he gave us."
Beelzebub's army stretched across the valley floor like a slow-spreading stain of blood. At least six hundred demons, maybe more, arranged themselves in defensive formations. At least those not terrorizing the mortals. This wasn't the chaotic mob he'd brought to the Jordan Valley. These bastards were prepared.
Capricorn had helped us as much as he could. Even with that assistance, even with my Hellfire, stopping Beelzebub's forces would be difficult.
I open my eye, pushing out my perception. I'd never tried to use it on such a large scale. But we were working against the tide. Without being under direct threat, I had precious moments for the attempt. The ability felt clumsy. Completely foreign compared to the process and sensations when focusing on a single individual. It was like cutting a long thread and trying to push it through the eye of a needle from the far end. But as I focused, the signatures became clearer. Demonic Abilities, their essence, swirled together in a confusing mass of colors all over the valley below.
With this being Beelzebub's army, I wasn't surprised that Fire Abilities dominated my perception. I detected others, of course. Part of me was also convinced that Hex magic was present. This wasn't teaching me anything my Senses hadn't already picked up on. The problem was pursuing it all. Too many Abilities in what was a relatively confined space. Assessing the entire army did me no good. Not now, maybe never. Something I'd have to practice at another time if I lived to see the back of this battle. What I needed was to find Beelzebub. He was the key to stopping all this.
Before I could, Ralrek's voice cut through my focus. "Zeke, we've got a situation."
I closed my eye, feeling a slip in my steadiness as I moved through the dimensions. "What's up?"
Valyria Tatuth stood by Ralrek. Her silver-streaked hair was whipped by the desert wind. Those amber eyes held something rarely seen. Uncertainty.
Ralrek glanced at her. "A request. I guess. She won't tell me."
"Okay?"
Valyria stepped forward, her tall frame reinforcing her commanding presence. "The Forgotten Ones need a formal leadership structure. We've discussed this with Ralrek, in a manner of speaking. Military command for the war is coming with Michael and Seraph require it."
"I don't disagree," I said, wondering where she was going.
"Ralrek should accept the title of General of the Forgotten Ones. Full military authority over our forces. With your blessing, of course, my Lord. He needs that. For our strategic planning. For our battlefield command."
Oh, how I wished Bilba was here. He'd advise me correctly. Armed with a far deeper understanding of demonic Abilities than I could ever hope to possess, I'd take his recommendation without a second thought. I knew enough about the mutated abilities of the Forgotten Ones to know that they, as a community, possessed a uniqueness that would benefit from being led by a unique leader. Who better than Ralrek?
"Valyria, I appreciate the confidence, but I'm not a general," Ralrek said. "It's my life's work to find my kind. That doesn't make me someone capable of standing out in front, possibly leading everyone into danger and asking them to make the ultimate sacrifice. That's different."
"Is it?" a new voice asked. "You've organized rescue operations across multiple Circles and the Overworld. No one does that without being able to understand logistics, timing, and resource allocation. No one." Perkin Jenks nodded his agreement. His scale-marked face was serious, despite his youthfulness. "Your success speaks for itself. Plus, you understand how our Abilities work, even inherently. You're the only one who can understand."
That landed with Ralrek. He didn't respond instantaneously. He didn't even grunt. A surefire sign that this group's request made a mark.
I watched the exchange of growing understanding. The Forgotten Ones weren't just asking for a leader. They were preparing for a future where they needed to fight as a united force. They wanted Ralrek because he understood them in ways no other demon could.
"The First Circle forgotten ones specifically requested you," Valyria added when it appeared Ralrek was having doubts. "They see what you've accomplished. They recognize what you've done for us. They trust you."
Ralrek looked to be grinding his teeth. His expression betrayed his conflict. Duty versus personal desire. Personal liberties versus the demons he sought to free completely wanted to swear fealty. Almost sensing it himself, Libra slid closer. His arm started to rise as if to come for Ralrek, but he promptly dropped to his side, stuffing his hand in his pocket.
Ralrek turned to me. "What do you think?"
Around us, demons waited in tense silence as I considered my response. We didn't have time, but this was important. Forty-thousand-foot view and all that. The big picture.
"You've been leading them. This just makes it official, Ralrek. Honestly, I think it's a great idea." My comment was met with smiles and loosening postures. A ripple of relief worked through the nearby Forgotten Ones. "Plus, having that kind of structure at a subordinate level will only help moving forward. You and I both know how many challenges we face. Even if we make it out of today." I said that last part quietly. The closest to us what here, but they might miss a few words, I'd spoken so softly.
Ralrek was quiet. He turned, facing the valley, and took enough strides to put him at the lip of the smooth ridge. Demons fidgeted while they waited. Finally, he turned. "All right. If that's what you need, I'll do it. The Forgotten Ones mean that much to me."
Valyria smiled for what might have been the first time, I was pretty sure. "Good. Because we've been discussing modifications, and we want your approval."
Ralrek shifted his weight. "What modifications?"
"Can we show you?"
Ralrek looked to me.
"Make it quick."
Kimroth scurried forward to the front of the ridge. He moved his arms in fluid circles, and I felt the scratchy sensations of his Fire Ability. He created a flame, but this wasn't a normal spell. The flames shifted color and intensity without him stopping and restarting a new spell. This was one that seemed to mutate. One moment, the flames burned azure like Hellfire. Next, they flickered silver-white with an edge that could have split the air if Kimroth had decided to move it.
Vexis Hale stepped forward, pulling on her Water Ability. Her movements were smooth as she pulled on icy blue flows of demonic magic. In them, I saw the essence of the elements of her power phase into and out of visibility.
Perkin Jenks moved next to her, pulling on his Construction Ability. Once formed, they seem to defy normal physics. Barriers that bent light. A vision that flickered in and out.
I wasn't the only one fascinated by the Forgotten Ones' display. Ralrek was as well. A crowd from the front ranks inched forward to get a better look. Pisces's mouth moved as she watched with something that bordered on deep focus.
"How long has this been happening?" I asked before anyone else stepped forward to put their mutation on display. I didn't need anyone being unnerved by what they saw, whether or not this was an asset.
Valyria answered for the group. "The longer our kind suffers the Longing, the more our Abilities adapt. Mutate. Evolve."
"Not just the Forgotten Ones," Ralrek said. "Some of the longer-serving Exiles are showing similar changes. Libra has been documenting them."
The lanky incubus standing at Ralrek's side nodded.
I filed that information away. I needed to think about its potential advantages. Unpredictable abilities could cause nightmares for those who'd entertain thoughts of removing the non-existent crown from my head, along with it from my shoulders.
Creed buzzed.
A roar rippled up along the valley floor. I didn't have to scan long to see Beelzebub emerge from a large tent. A command tent. His massive frame was unmistakable even at this distance. Under the fading sun, his shaven head gleamed. I swear, I could even pick out his bleached sideburns.
My halberd rattled against my hip. "Not now."
As vengeful as I felt, I wasn't willing to sacrifice the innocent mortals Beelzebub was using as shields as he moved through the throng of warriors. Instead of taking aim at him with my Hellfire, I chose the fledgling power of my eye.
This time I focused specifically on him and him alone.
Beyond his Fire Ability that was so powerful it made my teeth ache. Behind it, something darker. I pressed for clarity.
Pushing away the stifled murmuring around me and the ripples of ambiguous figures surrounding Beelzebub, I dove into the darkness. Peeling it away, layer by layer. Through it, I found the core of what made Beelzebub the incubus he was. Ambition. Cruel ambition.
But not only that. Quaking slivers of another essence of what Beelzebub was. Fear.
Beelzebub was afraid. Not of death. That wasn't in the makeup of someone like him. No, Beelzebub didn't fear death. To him, the thought of dying was an affront to who he was. What he'd accomplished. Instead, the behemoth of an incubus feared being irrelevant. Being forgotten. His name lost in the annals of history.
His aggression, his need to prove his dominance, all stemmed from that need for validation. He wasn't a puppet for Apopis, but Apopis threatened that. Like no other time before, I understood who Beelzebub was.
I smiled grimly.
"What is it?" Ralrek asked.
I told him.
Ralrek shrugged as if I'd told him I preferred hot sauce over a dry rub on my wings. "Doesn't surprise me. So what do we do about it?"
I gestured toward the valley. "Look at how he's setting them up. Trying to use overwhelming force. Trying to terrify mortals and immortals into capitulating before we even draw the first blade. But if you notice, he's vulnerable to mobile attacks. Hit-and-run type stuff. Anything that'll force them to adapt quickly."
"Is anyone surprised he can't adapt? Look at how he's acted since we started dealing with him. He's staked his entire reputation on being the biggest, strongest threat in the room. Look when you punched back. Look at what he did. When that doesn't work, he has no alternative plan."
Around us, the mood shifted. Between the display put on by the Forgotten Ones, Ralrek being named their General, and my recognition of the weaknesses belonging to the demons in the valley below, we had momentum.
"Ready to give your Forgotten Ones their first set of orders?" I asked Ralrek with a slight smile.
He straightened. "Valyria, I want your squad positioned for flanking maneuvers. Use the new Abilities. Create confusion. Lots of it. Make them think we're bigger than we are. Kimroth, your warriors need to take point. Direct engagement. But don't commit fully until we see how they respond. Got it?"
The incubus nodded.
Ralrek turned to address the broader group. "Everyone else, we follow Lucifer. We don't let Him face this alone."
Damn, Ralrek even had me motivated.
"Perkin, I want you to calculate attack vectors continuously. If this goes sideways, give me options. Don't wait for me to ask."
"Understood, my Lord," the young incubus replied. By the way his gaze swept over Beelzebub's movements, I figured he was already doing what I asked.
One last time, I opened my eye and swept both armies. It was still clunky, and I imagined it would be for a while. But as Beelzebub's forces hustled to make final preparations, I leaned into the advantage I figured Capricorn gave us. Ours was a smaller army, a force unified by purpose. Enhanced by mutations. Beelzebub was larger, rigid and operated in fear.
I ignored the overwhelming sensations as demons tapped into their Abilities on both sides. I had to because I felt something else as I focused on seeing beyond. There were emotional undercurrents at play here. Our demons were scared but determined. Beelzebub's forces were confident, but complacent. His bravado had seeped into their minds. Why wouldn't it? They had superior numbers. Our army had a brand-new Lucifer who didn't know his shoelaces from a chain-link.
When Beelzebub's army roared, a shiver went through the brave demons standing behind me.
"They're confident," I said, turning to the faces seeking reassurance. "Let's show them how wrong they are."
29
OVERWORLD, SYRIA
"The maker returns to unmake." Pisces appeared beside me like a shadow given form. Her golden skin reflected the Hellfire's glow.
Even amid launching our attack, her cryptic words made me stutter. "What's that mean?"
She pointed toward Beelzebub's central formation. Among the hundreds of demons in his ranks, the behemoth of a Founder was easy enough to pick out. "Time bleeds where it should not. The clock's child lives, but changed."
"Wait? What?"
"Look to see, Lucifer." Her expression was so placid as to be calm on the verge of battle.
Above the center of Beelzebub's formation, strange distortions that looked an awful lot like heat shimmers made the air appear to ripple. Folding in on itself. A pocket of space that didn't encompass his entire army.
"Keep seeing," she said, now sounding like a teacher leading a student through a difficult concept as they first understood, then synthesized.
It clicked. My decision to keep Pisces close was already paying dividends. A fresh perspective, deep insight, and a unique way of seeing the world. I had a feeling I'd be seeing more of her in the future than some of my closest friends. The air above the central formation wasn't a pocket of isolated humidity. Wasn't a rogue wave of heat. On all sides of that pocket, Beelzebub's forces were readying for war. Taking up positions. Setting polearms. Casting defensive barriers through their Ability. Pushing and pulling and dragging mortals into positions to serve as shields. But under that undulating air, where the Founder shouted orders, the army moved more slowly. Much, much slower. As I watched, I noticed some didn't move at all. If I didn't know better, I'd be convinced that a few soldiers were… moving backward. As if time for them was moving in the wrong direction.
"Capricorn? He's alive?"
"Not as he was, but as he would be," Pisces confirmed before giving way to Ralrek.
A surge of hope shot through me.
"Zeke, we've got to move." Ralrek's voice snapped me back. "They're readying!"
Encouraged by the knowledge that Capricorn had somehow survived this long, still disrupting Beelzebub's preparations, I pulled Creed free.
"Now!" I roared, raising the halberd high above my head. The Hellfire burning along its blades and haft crackled and whipped in the air around the weapon. A sight to behold.
I started out at a jog. A fair pace for anyone who wasn't me. Not that I'm a professional-level athlete or anything, mostly because I lacked skills, but I've got the speed of one. Behind me, three hundred demons surged forward with battle cries that echoed across the Syrian valley. The sound was primal, terrifying if you were on the wrong side. Many of these demons were seeing Beelzebub for the first time. War for the first time. An experience like that does something to your adrenaline. Kicks it into overdrive. Pushes you past your limits, and sometimes beyond what you thought was possible.
Six hundred demons watched and prepared as we closed. I'd grown accustomed to feeling the flood of Abilities being tapped into. Being inundated by the wave no longer distracted or slowed me. No longer occupied a space in my mind. Which was a good thing, because Beelzebub had given the order to launch their assault. These weren't the fodder troops from the Jordan Valley trap to assassinate the ruler of Hell. No, this time he'd brought an elite force of trained killers.
"Flanking maneuvers!" Ralrek's voice easily carried over the Forgotten Ones. "Valyria, take yours left! Kimroth, swing right! Keep them guessing!"
The Forgotten Ones flowed with effortless movement when he gave the word.
Before they closed, I sprang the first volley of the battle. Beelzebub's force had prepared defensive and counter-spells. I might be young relative to the Founder, but I'd seen enough fighting to expect that what I saw wasn't necessarily the truth. And I wasn't in the mood to give them a chance to prove me right if I could help it.
Beelzebub's cruelty manifested in his tactics. He'd lined up his formations for a straight-up fight. Instead, throughout his ranks, he'd sprinkled mortals. Mixed in among his soldiers, sometimes in small groups, sometimes in pairs, and sometimes as solitary mortals living out a nightmare surrounded by immortal creatures who possessed magic, Beelzebub had negated our ability to use area-of-effect spells.
The Forgotten Ones moved to outflank. Beelzebub's larger force countered. They were slightly restricted by the mortals in their midst. They couldn't stretch their lines too far or the pockets of space would introduce vulnerabilities, but they had superior numbers and used them to effect in mitigating our flanking maneuvers.
Not to be discouraged, the Forgotten Ones jumped into the fray. Their mutated Abilities created havoc from the outset. Kimroth's flames shifted from azure to silver-white to deep crimson, each color carrying different properties. This wasn't straight-up Fire Abilities. Whatever the Forgotten Ones had learned about themselves and their uniqueness, they were employing now.
