Inquisitor's Promise (Act Two, Chapter Ten)

Aeneas has to keep his promises. His father's mission will be completed. And while he's at it, he will become Galatea's lord and Inquisitor. But love and politics are an explosive combination.

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Chapter Ten: The Delusional Prophet

“You’re telling me that God created the Heavens and the Earth in the beginning?” Pep asked incredulously.

“That is true,” Aeneas answered.

“Incredible!”

At this point, Aeneas and his army had already passed through the Lektros Gate. It was a strange experience. Some soldiers had compared it to moving through an Electrosphere Portal but without a ship. Having spent his entire life on Earth prior to his trip to the Moon, Aeneas could not relate. However, such comparisons did raise questions on the relationship between the Lektros Gate and the Electrosphere Portals.

The Lektros Dimension was a place where heavy storms and lightning ruled the day. In the land of the Lektros, most of the place was very much mutable. Solid ground was a rarity, and Pep had warned Aeneas and his army to watch their steps lest they fall to the great storms. In addition, they also had to watch for the constant meteor showers.

The chaos of the place would certainly explain the Lektros’ disposition.

“But don’t you Lektros believe that the Father created your world?” Aeneas asked.

“Only by manipulating the existing elements, making order out of chaos. But you’re telling me that order comes first!”

“I never thought about it that way,” Aeneas mused. “But then, what happened in the beginning? Who created the universe, these chaotic elements?”

“They…,” Pep said hesitantly. “They created themselves.”

Aeneas shook his head. “No, that’s impossible! The universe cannot create itself otherwise it means that it existed before it did.”

“But surely you can be saying the same thing for this God of yours.”

Once again, Aeneas shook his head. “No, Pep. You assume that God is a created being just like the rest of us. But He isn’t. He is the First Cause upon which everything happened and is happening, including our very existence.”

Aeneas saw that Pep was struggling to find the words to say. Believing that he had articulated his point poorly, Aeneas decided to press on.

“Look, let me put it this way…”

“You’re such a nerd, Aeneas!”

Annoyed, Aeneas knew that there could only be one person who would say that. “Vinia?”

Lavinia gave her cousin a look of disappointment. “Can’t you see that the poor guy is trying to mull over all the things you’ve just said? Just let it be for now.”

And Aeneas did so, knowing Lavinia to be correct.

It did not take long for the Inquisitorial forces to reach the Lektros Dome, a domed arena located at the very center of Lektros civilization. The Lektros Dimension was not a very large place but that only made the already large Lektros Dome seemed bigger. The building was at least one hundred times the size of a calcio arena back on Earth.

When Aeneas asked Pep on how the Lektros could have created such a large building, the Archon responded that he did not know. The Dome had been constructed thousands of years ago. Upon receiving his answer, Aeneas wondered if perhaps their people had known one another before.

The Lektros Dome was one of the few locations in the dimension that was located on solid ground. Revolving around it were the various lights in red, white, and blue. Everyone was shocked to have learned that they were Lektros settlements, maintained by the Lektros who had to manipulate the electric currents in order to stay afloat.

As they arrived, Pep stopped in front of the Lektros Dome. The Lektros turned to address the members of Aeneas’ army.

“From here on, we will fight Koke and his forces in the Dome,” Pep said.

“Why do we fight in this place?” It was Tsar Nikolai who asked that question.

“Indeed,” Aeneas added. “What is the purpose of this building anyways?”

“A means to limit scope of fight,” Pep answered. “Lektros battles tend to be very destructive. And with the nature of our settlements, an all-out war would destroy us all.”

“Ah,” Nikolai said knowingly. “I think I understand.”

“Yes,” Pep said. “The Dome was made to limit the fighting. As is the position of the Archon.”

“Which means that when the Archon of the Pu’tih was killed, Koke had basically conquered that race,” Aeneas pointed out. “And you’re the only one left.”

“Indeed.” Pep nodded. “Which is why I cannot lose this time around. I have issued of my challenge to Koke. Leave of him to me, he’s mine.”

But Aeneas did not share Pep’s determination to avenge the blue Lektros’ earlier loss.

“Not so fast. The only difference between your previous defeat and this battle is your army, us. The smart course of action would be for us to take him down together.”

“Your objection is being noted,” Pep answered. “But you are not the captain here, Aeneas. I am.”

Aeneas could hear Giulia behind him huffed in indignance. He shared the Venetian Lieutenant’s sentiments but remained silent. He would have to make do with the situation.

As Aeneas stepped inside the Lektros Dome, he thought of the calcio games that his father used to take him to. Once in the field, Aeneas and his army were directed to take their places.

Before the battle could begin in earnest, Aeneas was given the opportunity to plan his strategy and even to make sure that his troops were where he would want them to be when the battle would start.

From Pep, Aeneas learned that Lektros fighters did not think much about battle tactics. They would simply attack their enemies with their strongest electrical attacks and hope that their side have more power than their opponents’. Despite the strength of the individual Lektros fighter, Aeneas took comfort in the disorganized approach to warfare that the Lektros had.

Aeneas chose to horizontally divide his army into three:

On the left wing were the swarm creatures of Lavinia. Having been bolstered by the cerebrate units brought on when Aeneas moved to the Lepanto, they were easily the largest contingent in Aeneas’ army. Their numbers alone could overwhelm the enemy given time.

On the right wing were the Tsarguards of Slavia. By and large, they fought in a pike-and-shot formation. But the most important part of this wing would be Tsar Nikolai who took to the field of battle by piloting the mechanicon that they had brought into the Lepanto. Aeneas knew that he would be counting on the Tsar’s division to throw their weight in the Inquisitor’s favor.

On the center between the two wings were Aeneas’ division which were made up of the Italian troops and other mercenaries that he had recruited. In many ways, Aeneas’ division were the weak link in the set up. With neither the numbers nor the training of their counterparts in the wings, Aeneas had planned to use his division to hold position in a phalanx formation while the other divisions made the push.

Finally, Aeneas instructed Shaka to act independently and take out the most appropriate target that he would see. But the pathfinder wouldn’t be the only one going solo as Pep had intended to engage in a duel against Koke.

Finally, there was Giulia.

“What do you mean you want to go into battle?” Aeneas asked in shock.

“I won’t go into battle to fight, Captain,” Giulia clarified. “I wish to tend to the wounded. Many of those killed in battle did so because they were not treated in time.”

“These infidels care not for noncombatants, Giulia” Aeneas said. “If your papa found out that you were hurt…”

“… papa never hesitated to put me in danger if the situation calls for it!” Giulia snapped, interrupting Aeneas. “The fate of the Holy League depends on this battle. I simply wish to do my part.”

Aeneas was impressed at Giulia’s resolve. He began to understand why the Doge was so cavalier about putting his own daughter in harm’s way, even if he disagreed with it. But he was not convinced just yet.

Seeing Aeneas’ demeanor, the Giulia decided to continue.

“I won’t be alone, Captain. There are others who’ll help me. And I also have my pistol ready in case some infidel tries to attack me.”

“Fine,” Aeneas conceded. “But don’t do anything stupid. And stay behind our lines.”

Giulia gave Aeneas a respectful salute. “Understood, Captain.”

Thus was the Inquisitor’s battle preparations.

As Aeneas entered into the battlefield of the Lektros Dome, he saw nothing but flat plains. The field itself was rather narrow, leaving very little space to maneuver. This battle would be the group equivalent of an arm-wrestling contest, no use for elaborate tactics.

It took some time, but finally each army was able to assemble as desired.

Once more, Pep and Koke stood face-to-face against one another.

“It is not too late for you to surrender and accept the Way of True Revelation!” Koke told his blue counterpart.

“Never! I will bash your stupid red face!” Pep countered.

But Koke was not intimidated by Pep’s bluster. “If I recall, I have defeated you and the Archon of Pu’tih both together. You cannot defeat me alone.”

“That old man got in my way. This time, I will defeat you!”

“Your overconfidence is your end, have at you!”

With that, both Pep and Koke clashed into one another. Both of them launched their lightning bolts at one another. Their respective attacks clashed into the other, causing an explosion.

Knowing the battle had started, both armies charged into one another.

Aeneas had expected for his division to be the weak link in the battle. But he did not expect to be pushed back so heavily by the enemy. The Lektros soldiers charge into his lines like crazed demoniacs. While there are some who launched projectiles, most of them had electrically charged their fists and began banging on the shields of Aeneas’ soldiers. As gaps began to open on Aeneas’ line, the Inquisitor used his testudo turret to clear out the enemies before he brought his reserves to close them once more.

Thankfully for the Inquisitor, the battle was going well on the wings for his army.

On the left wing, Lavinia and her swarmlings were holding strong despite Lektros individual supremacy. For every three swarmlings killed by Lektros electricity, one fell by Pacifican claws; but the Pacifican numbers more than made up for the power of the individual Lektros fighter. Lavinia made sure that her swarmlings kept the bulk of the Lektros at bay.

Meanwhile, a small force of swarmlings were being sent to envelop the enemy position. This was possible because of the swarm’s numerical advantage.

It was on the right wing where Aeneas’ army had the most success. The Tsarguards’ weapons and discipline were able to push back the undisciplined horde of Lektros warriors. This was greatly helped by Tsar Nikolai whose mechanicon was able to wreak havoc with the use of the machine gun on one hand and the giant fist on the other.

While Shaka was able to pick off several high-ranking targets with his sniper rifle, he found that he had minimal impact on the battle due to the general lack of coordination amongst the Lektros warriors.

Pep continued to take the fight to Koke. The blue Lektros launched an electro-ball, but his opponent dodged the attack. Koke lunged towards Pep and proceeded to throw some punches at his opponent. Pep countered with punches of his own.

The two Archons were able to counter the other’s attack with their own.

Finally, Koke took himself out of the engagement and launched an electric beam towards Pep. The blue Lektros launched an electric beam of his own.

It was a tug of war between the two Archons. But Koke was the stronger Lektros. Eventually, Koke’s beam overpowered Pep’s and the blue Lektros was struck dead on. The Archon of the Bih’roe race had fallen in battle.

Up to this point, Giulia had been keeping herself out of trouble. She had stayed in the backline, healing the wounded. The Venetian Lieutenant was able to stabilize a wounded Nepolian soldier when she saw that Pep had been defeated by Koke.

The world paused for a moment for Giulia when she saw the blue Lektros being taken down.

And before long, she was running as quick as she could. With the chaos of battle, Giulia was able to pass through a gap in Aeneas’ division. The Inquisitor was on his nav-comm coordinating the battle with Lavinia and Nikolai as it was happening.

“Giulia! No!” Aeneas screamed in horror.

But Giulia either did not hear Aeneas or she did not care for his warnings. She was so fixated on getting to Pep that she did not notice a Lektros warrior rushing towards her, about to attack.

But Shaka was paying attention, and he took out the Lektros with a precise headshot.

“I’m going after her,” Aeneas said over his nav-comm.

“You do that, and you are as good as dead,” Nikolai sternly warned the Inquisitor, his voice heard over the gadget.

Aeneas seethed but knew that the Tsar was right. There were too many enemies around Giulia. And then there was Koke who was slowly walking towards Pep’s fallen body, confident that his victory was at hand.

Giulia was able to reach Pep unscathed. She took out her medical kit and applied all of the medi-gel she had on hand onto Pep’s body. It was a clumsy job, but necessary given the widespread electrical injuries all over the Lektros.

Aeneas knew that Giulia was in grave danger as Koke was approaching. He had to act quickly.

With his turret activated once more, Aeneas fired at Koke. But the red Lektros was alert; the Me’rah Archon dodged the shots before generating an electric shield to block them. Koke then launched a bolt of lightning at Aeneas’ position. Aeneas was able to guard the attack with the use of his shield.

But that attack was merely a smokescreen. Aeneas soon saw Lektros warriors rushing to his position. Once more, his attention was occupied.

With Aeneas drawn away, Koke turned towards Pep once more. The delusional prophet was amused when he saw a woman tending to Pep.

The red Lektros quickly lunged to Pep and soon found himself face-to-face with Giulia.

“This be an outsider woman?” Koke sneered. “You are good looking, I must say. Join me! You’ll make a fine bride for my son.”

Giulia ignored the red Lektros’ comments and took out her pistol. She fired several shots at him, but Koke was able to generate his electrical shield to absorb the shots.

Koke then quickly lunged towards Giulia and lifted her up by her throat.

“I commend you, woman. But now, you must die. Out of respect for your bravery, I will make sure that your death is swift.”

The red Lektros charged his body with electricity, ready to electrocute his victim.

But he was interrupted by a blue lightning blasted to his sides.

Giulia fell down, clutching her throat as she caught her breath. Gratefully, she saw Pep by her side.

“Leave my girl alone!” Pep said strongly to Koke.

With that, Pep lunged towards Koke. The battle of the Archons restarted. Koke fired a bolt of lightning at Pep, but the blue Lektros deftly dodged the attack. Pep then landed a hard punch against Koke, launching him several feet away.

Pressing his advantage, Pep rushed towards Koke but he was rebuffed by the red Lektros’ electrical shield. Koke threw a punch at Pep, but the blue Lektros moved his body to the right to dodge the punch.

This left Koke open. Pep charged his body as high as he could, then launched the largest beam of electricity that he could.

The “prophet” was completely engulfed by the energy blast. By the time it simmered away, there was nothing left of Koke Kula but ash.

Victorious, but exhausted, Pep fell to his knees. The nearby Giulia rushed in to help the Bih’roe Archon up.

By the time Koke met his demise, the battle had been won for Aeneas and his army. Lavinia was clearing out the stragglers with her swarm, Shaka was rounding up the prisoners, and Nikolai made sure that the soldiers were orderly.

As for Aeneas, he had rushed to protect Giulia when Pep was fighting Koke for the second time. Being close by, he too helped Pep back to his feet.

While Aeneas had no trouble holding up the towering Lektros, the diminutive Giulia was struggling to do so.

“I’m glad that my little lyonesse come to my aid,” Pep commented.

“I didn’t do it for you, Infidel,” Giulia said before looking away from her interlocutor. “If you can make stupid statements, then then you can stand without my help!”

Using all the strength she could gather, Giulia pushed Pep away towards Aeneas. Not expecting the sudden shift in weight, Aeneas lost his balance.

The two men tumbled down down to the ground, and the angry girl left them behind. But neither Aeneas nor Pep were offended by the short-tempered Venetian.

“I’m sorry, Aeneas. But I think that girl likes me more,” Pep said confidently, showing a stupid grin.

Aeneas said nothing, grinning in return. Things had been going according to plan.

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