Lilith's Blessing 11

11.

Lieutenant Constantine scanned the horizon, training his scope onto the massive vessels hovering off the coast. They were sleek but menacing, reminding him of the old skyscrapers of New York before the cataclysm. The ships crept closer, forcing Zuvea to declare a state of emergency.

In an emergency, the army absorbed the city guard into its ranks. Constantine, as the head constable, would fall under direct command of the Army General. But The king reorganized the defenses, absorbing elite squadrons into his personal guard, and barricading himself in the castle.

This unprecedented move left Constantine shaking his head. His faith in the government had waned for a while. He fought against the Sioux Falls expedition. He argued about the logistical reality. But the General Hitchings had faith in their howitzers. No word in months from them. The court went silent, leaving the citizens in the dark about their loved ones. But today, a new unknown threat loomed over them.

Constantine admired the massive vessels. He zoomed in on a small banner on the outside. The colors were clear. Red, black, and green, horizontal striped flags with a golden eye in the middle decorated the hulls of all ships.

Large panels opened as massive cylinders protruded from the closest ship. Constantine trained the binoculars onto it. “Iulia, what’s the caliber of those cannons?”

She looked through her own set of binoculars, estimating over 300 millimeters. Constantine gasped, wondering if they had something to counter. Iulia shook her head. “You know the answer.”

Constantine wanted one or two, but for himself. If the papal king got a hold of it, he would use them everywhere. But as he looked down the barrel of the enlarged cannons, he imagined the devastation. He looked at Iulia. “Your parents?”

“They’re on Chattanooga Island.”

Constantine nodded.

Light flashed from the closest ship. The coastal wall evaporated into dust as the shockwave tore through the city. Zuvean architects designed the city like a maze, preventing any invaders from a straight path to the center castle. The blast created a path.

Constantine and Iulia fell to the floor. The foundation of their building tilted and creaked under stress. Lucky to be out of the initial blast radius. They stumbled to their feet, looking out toward the coastline. Sea water rushed through the gaps as the ruins of homes succumbed to the sea.

An eerie silence fell over the city after the explosions sent chills up Constantine’s spin, forcing him to shiver. He watched in awe as the fortifications that protected the city for hundreds of years fell with one volley.

Zuvean cannons near the western walls opened up. Their shots fell well short of the mark, to no avail. Instead of penetrating the armor of the vessels, they revealed their location.

The mobile forts opened fire again. The precision and terrifying accuracy of the attackers were on full display. One targeted the cannons, and another was the death knell of the city defense. The ammo depot erupted into a giant fireball, lighting up the city.

Secondary explosions sent rockets and ammunition into the sky. Blue and green-clad invaders pour through the destroyed section of the defensive wall. The professional soldiers only fired when fired upon and took hundreds of prisoners. Their combined use of airpower, ground infiltration, mana-tech weapons, and tactics overwhelmed the city.

“This is bad, Cony. They have already taken most of the city.”

“It’s already over.”

Constantine watched a master class of fortified city invasion. Blue and green uniformed soldiers surrounded it from all angles. Swooping down from the sky, smaller dark vessels with slender pontoon-like wings dropped explosives on the castle. A large troop carrier hovered over the castle plaza, dropping black-clad soldiers wearing a single red armband.

A small, rounded cylinder exited an open port on the trailing ship. It was smaller than the others, but still as commanding in the sky. Constantine figured it was time to surrender.

“How?”

“Just wait.”

A moment later, the silver metallic vessel opened a small doorway. Light illuminated the dark room as stairs protruded from the bulkhead. A voice from inside the cabin complimented them, appreciating the location and its view of the action below.

The lack of sound from the vehicle astonished the couple. A soldier in full black and green body armor, brandishing a massive staff, called out their names. “Constantine and Iulia Shannon.”

Constantine acknowledged it was him. The man invited him onto the vessel.

“Why and where?”

“Minister Lopez will inform you. Please step aboard.”

“My wife?”

“Your wife will accompany you, so please, I will not ask again.”

Constantine reached down toward his pistol. He bowed his head, handing it to the soldier. Iulia mimicked the action, and the soldier accepted their weapons and stepped aside.

They boarded the ship in awe. Its warlike features outside contrast its luxurious inside. Information from the battle raging below filled the hovering screens. A short, dark-haired woman with olive skin glared at the screens. She turned them off with a wave, shuffling into a bench seat surrounding a table. The couple marveled at the technology as they thought they were out of shock.

“It is a surprise. Constantine and Iulia, you are African. How is it you came to worship, Zeus? Why did you not immigrate to Alkebulan?”

“Who are you?”

“Minister Alexia Nefer Lopez-Memet of Kush.”

She gestured for them to sit down. Alexia poured three cups from a teapot. Its pleasant aroma was something Constantine and Iulia were unaccustomed to. But it was elegant and Iulia complimented the taste.

“It is ginger and oolong tea, from far, far east of my homeland.”

“Where is your homeland?”

Alexia paused. Where is home? But the automatic answer formed in her mouth.

“Kush. in the Middle of Chad lake, Alkebulan.”

Constantine tilted his head as he felt déjà vu. Alkebulan seemed familiar, but that was the least of his worries now. “What do you want with us?”

“No chitchat, just straight to the point, huh?” Alexia looked off into the cockpit. She nodded to the captain, and she took off. Alexia returned her eyes to the couple.

“You will stand trial against your peers.”

“For what?” Iulia could not hold her tongue.

Alexia glared at Iulia. “To be determined. But King Mueller and the court will be the jury.”

Constantine, dissatisfied, cringing with the answer. He knew about the papal king and the courts’ misdeeds. Zuvean law prevented the King from interfering with married couples. But he tried. Constantine looked at Iulia, worried the king would get his hands on her. Alexia noticed the apprehension, assuring him Kushite law forbade the separation of families.

“Unless for domestic reasons.”

Constantine scoffed. He didn’t believe her.

“What I said. I will not separate you from your wife. You are not a danger to your wife, nor is she a danger to you. We will not separate you,” Alexia repeated.

Constantine knew the trial was a farce. In Zuvea, if you went to trial, you were guilty, no matter what. He looked as his wife grasped her hand, held it tight. How can he get her out?

Constantine looked at his hands. Memories of a brutal close quarters battle long ago. When he first joined the military, soldiers hooked on a new drug deserted their posts. They ravaged the countryside with their drug fueled rage, committing atrocities. They assigned Constantine's squadron to eliminate the violent band of traitors.

That brutal battle haunted Constantine. His best friends from the academy died in horrific fashion. Their bodies mutilated and eaten with their terrified eyes wide open. He wanted revenge as the campaign extended into the new year.

The battles were intense, expanding in scope when rogue clones interrupted the fighting. Million Lakes special forces appeared. The whole thing was a mess. Worshiping Zeus gave him strength. Everyone needs something to believe in. Iulia placed her hand within his, snapping him back to reality.

“I have my reasons.”

Alex looked at Iulia. “What are your reasons?”

Iulia, not timid, stared back at Alex with an intensity rivaling any scorned woman. She proclaimed she would protect everything she loved while she gripped Constantine’s hand. The statement impressed Alexia, and she nodded her approval.

“Ok, so do you have questions for me?”

“Who are you? Where are you from?”

“Well, I told you who I am.”

“No, I mean what kingdom?”

“Kingdom, oh, we are not a kingdom. More like an empire. Emperor Memet rules Alkebulan. Emperor Memet is the emissary of the God Enlil. His wife, Empress Nefer, is the emissary of light, the goddess Isis. The rightful rulers of Gaia.”

Alexia wondered what she was saying while saying it. It was at the forefront of her mind. Something seemed off, but she could not place it.

“Gaia?” Iulia pondered aloud.

“Yes, the planet you live on? Did you think it was called dirt?”

The soldier opened the door, then lifted a fist to his chest, standing at attention.

Constantine’s eyes shifted. “Wait, what? How I did not feel us move at all.” Unable to comprehend such a feat, he ambled toward the doorway. The soldier stood, dumbfounded how slow they were to exit the vessel. He wanted to push them, but knew that Minister Lopez would reprimand him.

He peeked his head out of the opening. The hangar bay was full of commotion. Ships with soldiers, reloading and departing, are an impressive sight for logistics officers. The ease in motion, everyone with a purpose. Made him jealous. Just getting his men into formation and standing still was almost impossible.

A group of four soldiers escorted them from the hangar to a holding room. Fruit, snacks of all kinds, and tea awaited them on the table in the large room.

On one side was a large window overlooking the city. The coastal wall, there for centuries, is gone. The Ocean retook the city.

Iulia’s soft touch gave him pause. His focus changed to her fate. Again, dread rushed over him. Not knowing was worse than knowing, but agonizing won't help. That much was sure. Going along was his only option.

Constantine regarded Iulia as though it were their last encounter. He touched her cheeks and kissed her on the lips.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”