บท 176: We have the plan
Shepard's questioning suggests that totems are one of the embodiments of natural elements, and are in fact the strongest of their kind. But unlike the avatars, they are able to use only a fraction of their patrons' power, and their connection to the elements is also at a less deep level. But that doesn't mean they're weak. For example, my new green-bearded acquaintance is able to use the energy of the Crimson and the Forest at the same time. Add to that the presence of a very developed physical body with centuries of experience, and the result is a rather powerful druid, who can be given the rank of master right now. He still falls short of an archmage because of his relatively small reserve and limited set of "spells", if volitional control of energy can be called that at all.
By the way, the bloody wall with giant white ribs separating several blocks from the infected part of the city is actually the flesh of one of those totems, a huge Rukh bird to be exact. It was she who first detected the destruction of the prison where Arkane was imprisoned, and she also called Dr. Fate to help, who, in turn, erected a barrier that prevented the Rot from completely taking over Khartoum, and the entire country after it. Anton was not in vain considered one of the most powerful blacksmiths of the last century, because it was he who managed to turn the flesh affected by Black into an analog of bioweapons.
"Can we really develop an antidote? - Shepard and I were joined in our conversation by Gloomy Mouse. - There's a lab aboard the Batship. As a last resort, we can borrow a local medical center in the south of Khartoum.
"Batman, what Arcane has done is not some trivial virus," John interjected rudely. - It's a curse worse than the magical plague that wiped out half of Europe in the Middle Ages. The incubation period is half an hour at best. A living creature rots alive, only to become another source of contagion. And it would be okay if the infected turned into mindless zombies, which can be defeated by local soldiers, if they are not stupid...
"Hey, I'd ask you to be more polite," Frankenstein said, sincerely indignant. - Some zombies will be smarter than mages. At the very least, they have the brains not to sleep with succubi so they don't have to look for a cure for the curse. Or have you forgotten why we ended up in Morgana's castle in the first place?
"Tz," the warlock grinned unhappily. - You're going to remind me of that every time?
"Ha-ha-ha-ha, naturally! - The reanimated dead man cheered. - I still can't forget the look on Morgana's face when she realized that we'd killed half the guard golems just because someone had forgotten to use protection.
"Well, that's all very interesting, but let's take a rain check on John's adventures. What do we know about the infected?"
I still had to intervene when the conversation clearly went somewhere else. And although the story about Morgana le Fey's visit to cure magical syphilis sounds quite entertaining, it was better to concentrate on the actual problems now. Still, my magical intelligence skills were hardly impressive, and it was unlikely that strong creatures had flown to the dome to assign a low threat level to the creatures of the Rot based on their analysis.
"Black turns the infected into magical mutants," the wizard said seriously. - Even a simple man becomes a rather dangerous opponent. His speed, agility, and strength are at least doubled. Liveliness is also increased, so to reliably disarm it is necessary to decapitate, well, or you can just burn the body. The main thing is not to let yourself be bitten or swallow infected blood.
"What about the unintelligent creatures? We've seen a few birds trying to escape the barrier," said Bats.
"They can spread disease, but they are only directly dangerous if they gather in a large flock. Or it must be a large animal, like a horse."
"I see," Grim Mouse replied thoughtfully, making notes on his wrist computer. "I still want to examine a few samples before we attack."
"Talk to Dr. Fate about it, he runs the place," shrugged the blond.
Our group reached the mosque just as we reached it, slowing slightly at the entrance, which was guarded by a pair of imperturbable sphinxes. They were a long way from their prototype, built near the pyramids, but if they stood on their hind legs, they could match Abby's height.
The Guardian of the Forest, by the way, had recovered a little during the short walk, but she still didn't hurry to get far away from Harley and me. She took me by the hand, intertwining our fingers in a lock, which made some of the team a little embarrassed, and some of them whistled in surprise. True, the reason for such behavior could still be in the weakened defense, which began to pass emanations of divine energy, but what not to do for the green-skinned beauty? Though I still didn't like Shepard's glances, nor did I like his periodic attempts to get closer to me, which were confidently stopped by my favorite and most loyal assistant.
After passing the guards, we finally entered the vaults of the religious edifice. The walls and ceiling of the mosque were literally mottled with a huge number of magical seals, and in the center of the room, a few meters above the floor, the most powerful wizard of the Earth was hovering in the lotus pose.
Dr. Fate completely matched his verbal description, which I managed to dig up from old newspapers.
Blue tight pants and a turtleneck, her hands are clad in gold gloves and her feet in high boots of the same color. His stomach is covered by a wide yellow belt with a large golden hemisphere at the level of his navel. The belt is one of Nabu's artifacts that enhances magical abilities, but it pales in comparison to the other powerful items the mage carries with him.
The third most important artifact is a long heavy cloak with a high collar. It grants the user the ability to fly and seriously increases defense against physical and magical damage. I'm not sure if the defense is up to the level of a Kryptonian after bathing in the Crown of the Sun, but his defense against magic is probably one of the best. Next is an amulet in the form of another rather large hemisphere, capable of doubling the wearer's magical powers, creating a minidomain, and increasing perception through a limited connection to the Infosphere. The last and most significant artifact is the helmet, which looks like a stylish bucket with a couple of slits for eyes and a small triangular protrusion on the top of the head. It is in this part of the closet that the spirit of Nabu, a creature that is one of the Lords of Order and possesses powerful magical abilities, among which the control of matter on a subatomic level seems like child's play. Naturally, all of the above splendor boasted a stylish golden coloring, making the magician a desirable target for any gypsy girl.
"John, can you help me create a portal to the Shadow Peak? - I whispered quietly, finally remembering that the man floating above the floor was also the father of one of my girls.
"Why?"
"I'm gonna go get Zee."
"First of all, Zatara didn't just put a Nabu helmet on his head for no reason and doesn't want to meet his daughter. He was cursed by the dark sorceress Allura. I don't know how the terms exactly sound, but it says one hundred percent about the death of one of the relatives at the meeting, - shared a rather entertaining information wizard. - Secondly, you will be minced into mincemeat because of spatial distortions. If it weren't for that, Arcane would have long ago left and gone to the sealed gates in Death Valley to try to break them.
"A sealed gate?"
"The passage to the Kingdom of Rot," came a muffled voice from the levitating wizard. - But it's not the one we have to worry about. The last Guardian of the Forest sealed the gate securely, sacrificing some of his powers. What we need to worry about is Arcane trying to force a new passage. Only my barrier and the powers of my totems prevent him from tearing through the fabric of reality and letting Evil into our world. Right now we're at parity, but Arcane must have a plan to gain an advantage, or he wouldn't have acted so brazenly, drawing everyone's attention.
"Hmm... Blondie, you mentioned a while ago that Arcane was a good witch doctor..." Shepard said thoughtfully, stroking his long green beard. - Isn't that demon summoning, sacrifices and other horrors?
"Good? He was the best! - John was genuinely indignant, and then he faltered when he felt Fate's aura pressuring him.
My companions tensed up slightly as well. Some began to concentrate green aura, some touched the Vision Stone hidden in their coat pockets, and some prepared a couple of batarangs, making Bats check their pockets discreetly. Eh, that would be something to worry about. When Alfred had carelessly let our incomparable trio into the secret lair under the Trigate Bridge, Harley, Babs, and I had piled up enough stuff with the bat symbol on it to last us six months of active hunting.
"Hey, hey, that's just admiration for someone else's skill," he said soothingly. - Yes, I'm not exactly a light magician: demon summoning, occult knowledge... But I'm not going to mess with Black! Besides, Shepard, don't you know what Arcane was like? You knew the last Guardian of the Forest, and you know the Swampmaiden well," he said.
"Blondie," the satyr's voice was condescending, as if he were talking to a small child. - Don't think that because I'm old, I must know everything about everyone. If I were two centuries younger, I'd be in contact with the real and otherworlds more often, instead of sitting in the forest, guarding the peace of the community.
"Shepard, there was something you wanted to tell us," Dr. Fate reminded him gently as the satyr hovered slightly, contemplating space with a thoughtful gaze.
"Ah, yes. Am I correct in assuming that a strong sacrifice is required to create a new passageway to the Realm of Rot?"
"One sacrifice isn't likely to be enough, unless it's some kind of Elemental avatar. But Arkane could always try to compensate for quality with quantity, he'd taken the whole city for a reason."
"Then you should know that it was not only your call that brought me here, but also Crimson's will."
"Bad," the golden-helmeted warlock covered his eyes, and his amulet began to emit a soft white glow.
Due to the artifact's power, Zee's father's consciousness accelerated several times, allowing him to think about dozens of options, and one should not forget that the amulet still has limited access to the Infosphere. It is unlikely, of course, that Arkane has not shielded himself from such things, and the dome creates serious interference, but there are probably some workarounds.
"That sucks," John said, pulling out a pack of cigarettes, but after a brief pause he returned it back to the inside pocket of his coat.
"Maybe someone could explain in more detail what exactly is wrong with this news," Bats said sternly, and he was supported by a murmur of approving voices. Even Tony, who was sitting in the far corner, took his eyes off the model of the Batmobile for a moment, looking at our company with interest.
"Ahem, ahem, ahem, ahem..." Konstantin drew attention to himself with a slight cough. "The Red, or Crimson, as the Children of the Forests prefer to call it, is the most active natural force, and has an almost full consciousness, unlike all the other Elements. But even he has problems with the perception of time, as well as the desire to act actively, interfering in the lives of living beings. You could exterminate an entire species of animal and it wouldn't even pay attention. But now the Red was able to broadcast his will in a targeted manner. Not to an avatar that has a deep connection to its Element, but to someone like our horny friend. Yes, Shepard is indeed strong and overflowing with life energy, but it is, shall we say, mostly his own and cannot serve as a conduit for someone else's will as it does for real avatars. All of which leads us to believe that some important part of the Red is in danger right now, since it's so "active"," he even indicated the quotation marks with his fingers, "has begun to act..."
"And this important part can be a component of the ritual, to create a portal. What?" Green Lantern was surprised, catching the wizard's displeased look.
"First of all, not a portal, but a passage to the Kingdom of Rot. The former is a normal spatial passage through a conjugate dimension, and the latter provides a permanent link between the two worlds that is incredibly difficult to break. Secondly, it was a dramatic pause, to create the right atmosphere," John explained, clearly wanting to throw in a couple more strong phrases about unwashed hillbillies sticking their noses into the great art of magic. "Ah, I don't care. All in all, you're right," said the man, realizing that the audience wasn't worth the effort.
"In addition to the usual infected, I've been able to detect several large pockets of resistance and the Hounds of Rot, who are clearly looking for someone in the northern part of the area," Fate said suddenly. - It could very well be just an unusual person with a strong soul and energy, or it could be a future Elemental lodestone. In light of the new discoveries, we can't delay any longer. Shepard, organize an army to create a diversion. Frankie, go to the northern area and thwart the Hounds, at the very least, you know what to do.
After giving out instructions, the sexy illusionist's father scrutinized our motley group, lingering on each of us for a few moments, which translated into nearly twenty seconds of silence.
"The Guardian of the Forest, her friends," the wizard's voice took on a lofty note, "I was able to appreciate your abilities, so I ask you to help me defeat Arcane while Shepard draws off his main forces. John, I'll be blunt, you're not the most decent mage, but right now we should set aside our differences. We need your help to sneak into the Black Avatar's lair."
"Pfft... If it weren't for your gold jewelry, I'd curse you with a week's worth of diarrhea. I'll help you, of course. Where am I gonna go from a submarine?"
"Doesn't it bother anyone that some magical man in a golden bucket is giving out orders? - Lantern asked a question.
"I agreed with Hal, because the plan looked like complete bullshit. No tactics, no strategy, no one even bothered to make a presentation to demonstrate at least the distribution of forces and a map of the area. And it is not enough that on the streets of Khartoum now there is complete chaos, and some paths are now blocked by huge lumps of flesh and bones, which clearly should be bypassed."
"Dr. Fate," Gloomy Mouse stepped forward, "as far as I understand it, right now we need to prevent Arkane from creating a passage to the Kingdom of Rot with the help of someone or something in the northern area. I believe we can put together a small but strong unit that can get to the area and back on their own, thus buying us some time."
"Wouldn't it be better to mount an attack while Arcane is not expecting it?"
To my utter surprise, the question was asked by Simon.
"I want to first try to figure out what the Black virus is and develop methods of fighting it. A couple hours' delay could seriously increase our chances of winning," Bruce made the main argument.
"I agree with Eeyore," Shepard said in a measured voice. - My warriors are eager to fight, but they should still get some rest from the road. If the situation calls for it, we can reconnoiter and create a distraction for Frankie and his squad.
"So be it. We can wait a bit before the main attack, I have enough strength to hold the barrier," the powerful wizard nodded, covering his eyes with an otherworldly glow.
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