Season 03 - Episode 05

‘the ground clouds’

The ambush is a complete success.

A few dozen black armoured EnFo's and about the same number of civilians, are sitting around the meeting hall looking exhausted. Then, Ko and his brothers smash through the doors at one end, catching all inside unawares.

Some of the EnFo's scramble to take up their rifles but at such close quarters their weapons count for nothing and not a shot is fired. Within the first few seconds, most of the the adults in the room have been bludgeoned or hacked to the floor before a single trigger can be pulled.

Ko sees it all in slow motion, watches his arm raise and fall. In just a few short weeks he has become a seasoned killer and at the same time, has lost all feelings. His muscles now know just where to strike EnFo armour to crack it open and then jab inside. He instinctively takes the knees from those without armour so as to finish them on the floor.

He is swept into the room on a raging tide and lashes out at any before him who are not true believers. The irony there, that makes him sick, that pushes away his feelings, is that he himself does not believe and yet somehow this has become his life.

A flurry of murderous violence, of bloody blurring and screams. Then just as quickly, it all stops. A couple of EnFo's flee through the door at the other end while his brothers make their way round the room, methodically finishing off any surviving adults. A few children stand ignored, knee deep in the dead and whimpering.

Ko watches and listens and smells and can't believe it is real. The Disciples of The Beast are no more. It's The Order of The Beast he runs with now. Loyal soldiers of The Church, serving the Holy Mother in her war against GovCo with nothing more than clubs and blades.

Life in The Church has been hard for Ko. Like all the other cults, they have woven Pho into their mythology, retaining their identity and traditions but placing her at their head. In their devotion to her, the Orders live on top of one another, packed into too few rooms. Hiding his secret has become harder than ever and the sickening of fear of discovery stalks Ko daily.

He senses movement behind him and turns to look. Pouring in through the ruined doors are a swarm of tiny bodies. Shaved heads, bare feet, all dressed in simple white tunics, tied at the waist and each with a sack in their hand.

The Cherubim have arrived.

As he watches, they swarm in and descend upon the carpet of corpses. Nimble and quick, The Cherubim strip the EnFo's of their armour and weapons and loot the civilians too, filling their sacks. One moves past him but trips and falls heavily so that Ko winces at the sound of the child hitting the floor. He stoops down and grasps their arm, helping them up.

“Hey,” he says gently. “Are you ok?”

The child stares straight through him with cold, dead eyes then snarls and shakes Ko's hand from their arm angrily before hurrying back about their business. Ko's brother's are congratulating one another now, laughing and messing about. The Cherubim finish their work and leave, leading the newly made orphans away with them. Ko's eyes sting at the sight and he turns away to find Vo bearing down on him.

“Wa, my brother!” cries Vo, gleeful. “You fought well. Hail The Beast! Hail The Mother!”

“Hail The Beast,” Ko hears himself say. “Hail The Mother.”

“Come,” says Vo, clapping Ko on the shoulder. “That was so easy we're going to press on, chase down those stragglers, see how much more of the heathens' land we can take!”

Ko moves to follow Vo but stops as a cold spot erupts in his chest. He thinks about Vo's words and looks around the room. They had taken it easily.

“Vo!” he calls after his friend. “Wait! Something's not...”

The left hand wall of the room explodes inwards with a deafening roar, firing chunks of masonry into Ko and his brothers, knocking them to the ground. Clouds of dust fill the space then thin and settle, revealing a large, well organised EnFo firing squad waiting in the room next door.

Ko and Vo lock eyes then all is gunfire and pain.

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