The Last Order | Requiem 2

He who is under Pan's Thrall, War, and the Last Order

The residents of box town scurried away when a crack of glistening white light emerged in the center of their neighborhood. Ella burst through the portal and punched the first person she saw in the mouth, exploding his head like a watermelon.

White light flowed from her palms like chaotic lasers, cutting down swaths of The Order's gate watchers.

A bright blue cylinder shaped trap formed around Ella, but one powerful fist shattered the thing into a thousand pieces.

While some were fast enough to cast more traps around her, Ella easily broke free of those restraints. Standing before fifty-five souls, she held her arms out to the side and inhaled and all fifty-five died where they stood as Ella ripped their souls out.

She approached the flood channel drain and touched the fence.

"I wouldn't do that!" Geoff said. Pan was with him.

"Where were you two?"

"Watching—from a VERY safe distance." Geoff said.

"Useless. I expect it from him, but from you?"

"What?" Pan shrugged. "I would have helped if you needed it."

"Whatever—just open the fucking gate."

"Oh, this isn't the gate." Geoff said. "It's just the barrier before the gate. And if you had touched it, well, let's just say it would hurt."

"I don't care, just open it."

"Fine. Uh, stand back a bit." Geoff held up his left hand with his index and middle fingers extended upward. "Aperi mysteria tua ad me."

The fence turned bright orange and melted from the center out then the trio entered the pipe.

"Where's this gate at, exactly?" Ella said.

"It's close." Pan replied. "I can feel it. But, before we go any further—Geoff? I can't say I haven't looked forward to this."

Pan grabbed Geoff's head and twisted it all the way around, breaking his neck.

* * * *

The early morning was Jade's favorite time of the day. While everyone was still sleeping, she would walk the silent corridors of the Sanctum Sanctorum and listen to the sound of her echoing footsteps, the breathing from inside rooms, and the sound of mice inside the walls.

Her mornings always took her different places, but sometimes she would wander upstairs to the viewing room. Since it was the highest room in the temple, it was also the coldest. She liked the way it made her old bones feel, so she would go there to meditate, view the mountains, and pray to God. But when Jade entered the viewing room this morning, her heart sank.

She kneeled next to the pool of blood, dipped her finger in it, and sniffed the drop.

Jade stood up in a fit of fury and said, "deus est fortitudo mea!"

The Horn of Gabriel appeared in her hand, then she placed the mouthpiece to her lips and blew. The note shook the room for a few seconds, then stopped when the air cracked open.

Gabriel emerged, confused.

She held out her finger. "This blood smells of sulfur. Someone here has communicated with Pan."

"One of the brothers is under his thrall."

"I didn't push the question on how they found us. Nor did I question how it was that Michael Jerico recovered so quickly from a drug overdose. But those questions give me the answer to THIS. Or—you've grown a wild hair up your ass and betrayed God."