Dawn of the Epoch

Chapter LVIII - Guerilla Warfare

The light hitting Virgil’s body hardly diffused as it passed through. He had become practically invisible. He moved as silent as the night. He creaked open the door to the main hall, and then slipped in and closed it behind him. No one saw. The hall lay as still as death. Ghaelvord’s massive blackwood throne adorned in bones and cryptic carvings stared ominously down at him from the end of the hall. Virgil crept slowly across the walls. He crept through the main hall and down the long side hall, past the side doors to the doorway leading to Ghaelvord’s study. This was it. The time had come. Virgil would swing open the door and attack. Ghaelvord would quickly slay him, but the body would merely vanish in a cloud of dust. The real Virgil, not a doppelganger, hid in a secluded part of the forest to the north. If Virgil opened the door and Ghaelvord sat inside, Hunter would move quickly from his position in the woods. He would sprint around the building, swing the front door open, and attack in a bum rush. Hopefully, Ghaelvord would immediately try to leave the building after the first attack and would meet Hunter in the great main hall. The true Virgil would follow close behind and provide support. Hongo sat perched high in a tree to the east of the front door to the main hall. If anyone or anything tried to disturb them while they were inside, he would gun them down in a burst of 7.62 millimeter bullets. Tiyana sat in the Khan, ready to put the pedal to the metal. Suddenly, the door to Ghaelvord’s study swung open. Virgil faded into the woodwork. Ghaelvord strode past him purposefully. When he left the building, Virgil spoke to Hunter over the earpiece that he wore.

“He left the building.” Virgil said over the microphone.

“Where did he go?” Hunter asked.

“I do not know. I am following him now. Do not contact me while I am stalking.”

Virgil slunk out the door behind the pale, dark-robed man. Ghaelvord walked north toward the creek. Virgil followed. As he drew closer, he saw Shenouda looking out over the water.

Virgil heard Hunter in his earpiece and he sounded excited, “It’s Shenouda! She’s at the creek.”

Virgil shushed him and briefly considered tossing his earpiece into a nearby bush to ensure that Hunter would not blow his cover by jabbering at him. He kept it in, however. Virgil saw Ghaelvord meet Shenouda at the creekside and begin conversing. He could almost make out what they were saying. He crouched behind a nearby bush.

“Hunter,” Virgil said over the tiny microphone, “I am going to neutralize Shenouda. After I do so, Ghaelvord will notice and will destroy my doppelganger. At that moment, you can attack.”

Hunter replied in a concerned tone, “What are you going to do to Shenouda?”

Virgil replied tersely, “I am going to create a barbiturate effect on her central nervous system. Whatever nerves she has left that were not destroyed or mutated by the virus will shut down, at least temporarily. Are you ready?”

“Yes, do it.” came the reply.

Virgil moved as fluidly as the wind. In an instant, he stood a few feet behind the conversing couple. Ghaelvord noticed him first. His bulging sapphire eyes caught something in their periphery and turned to focus. As they turned, Virgil’s translucent body became visible. Suddenly, the proud figure of Virgil in his white robes held by the gold clasp, holding his caduceus staff, stared menacingly at the tall, martial figure of Ghaelvord. Virgil acted quickly. His eyes lit up and he thrust his staff at Shenouda pointing the curved elliptical shape on the top at her.

He shouted in a stern, guttural voice that seemed to echo through from another universe, “Somon!”

Shenouda’s head twitched to the side. She staggered and lost her balance. After a weak attempt at staying upright, she crumbled to the ground. She moaned and struggled to get up, but she was quickly losing consciousness.