SERENGETI
2019
"I have something for you."
The brisk wind blowing across the Serengeti wasn't exactly cold, but cold enough to make goosebumps appear on Eve's arms. She wasn't dressed warm—it was 17 degrees Celsius, after all—but she didn't mind the slight chill. She had a feeling her consorts didn't either; she wondered if they could even feel it.
One of these "consorts"—the leader, the hyena-faced humanoid now known as "Fisi"—tilted his head in response to Eve's statement. "Do you, now?"
"Yes, I learned a—"
"Not here."
Eve glanced at another of the Dark Celestials—the one called "Tembo". She was a massive woman with a glowing white elephant's mask for a face, complete with a trunk and tusks (despite the fact that she was a female).
"We are... in the open," Tembo stated in English before snuffling like the animal she represented. Her words sounded strained, as if she were struggling with the very act of speaking. "We need... hiding place"
The Dark Celestial known as "Nyani" hooted and screeched aptly like a baboon, gesturing in a manner that suggested he agreed with Tembo.
"If it'll make you more comfortable, then fine." Eve turned and began walking toward a wooded area west of their location. "You remember this forest, don't you, Mr. Isidore?" she called over her shoulder.
"Certainly, hm-hm," Fisi chortled as he led the Dark Celestials after Eve. "'Twas the location of my finest hunt."
"Speaking of, I found the trophies," Eve told him with a smirk. "Three hearts, preserved and plated in gold—as requested. We'll set them up in your new office once it's built."
"You've been very thorough with all this, haven't you?" Fisi inquired with a broad grin. "I applaud your... diligence, heeheeheehee."
"I pride myself on being prepared." Eve turned to face the Dark Celestials again after leading them deep enough into the trees and crossed her arms. "So now that we're somewhere a bit more private," she began, "let's go over the details.
"First off, I'll address the elephant in the room (not you, Tembo). You guys can't survive here forever, so you need a way to access the Bila ya Nyota—permanently. I've made preparations for that." Eve reached into her satchel and pulled out a rolled-up set of blueprints. "I drew these," she stated, wiggling the "scroll" in the air, "based on the Mask's memories from Kifaru's time. They're blueprints for beacons that we can use to merge the Starless Sky with the Corporealm."
"Interesting." Fisi reached for the blueprints, then scowled and giggled angrily as Kifaru beat him to the punch and took them from Eve.
The rhino, who was about as cognizant as Fisi (if not moreso), examined the prints for a moment before huffing. "Impressive," he rumbled. "But what of the Power Wells? We will require the strength of at least six to hold the Bila ya Nyota open long enough for it to fill this plane of reality."
"I know the location of one Keypoint," Eve responded. "The others will take a bit more digging, but with what I've learned so far, I'm confident that we can find them in short order."
"How... we build?" Simba asked, his words growly and almost unintelligible.
"With a pretense," Eve answered, smiling confidently. "I'm in the process of setting up office buildings in every haven, with the purpose of establishing a unified insurance corporation that you six will run, along with a few other businesses—y'know, stocks, shipping, law firms, et cetera." She winked, adding, "Hopefully, you've got a bit more... self-control by then."
Fisi and Kifaru glanced at Nyumbu, who was eating some of the grass at his feet. "Hopefully," Fisi agreed with a nod.
"After we find the Keypoints and start building these towers," Eve went on, drawing their attention back to her, "you'll need a distraction—something to keep Xirxine's prying eyes off your work."
"Xirxine?" Kifaru echoed. "This is the name of the Mask."
"Yup! It is also the name of a powerful organization that practically runs the Safe Havens now," Eve informed him. "Their director is the son of Mwindaji, the newest of the Celestials. He is the current Mask-Bearer, successor to Bundi."
"Hmhmhm... I hope he and his son are not as pesky as his predecessor," Fisi remarked, licking his chops before giggling again.
"What shall this... distraction of ours be?" Tembo inquired.
"Guns," Eve said curtly.
"...Guns," Tembo echoed, her trunk moving up and down in a gesture that said "please elaborate further".
"I've got huge caches of weapons ready to move into the havens," Eve clarified. "A friend of mine in the Middle East deals in illegal firearms, and he's ready and willing to supply us with the means to fuel the fires that have already begun to spread through the once-secret cities."
"You've been planning this for a long time, haven't you?" Fisi stated, narrowing his eyes at Eve and grinning.
"You have no idea." Eve began to pace in front of the Dark Celestials, continuing, "After the towers are completed, you'll need to take care of the Avatars and Worthy—the 'heroes', if you will. They wield the powers of several Neokind, and are formidable foes. We'll have to rig the towers to be able to siphon their power and redirect it into you. This'll also add a little extra time to your lifespan without the Bila ya Nyota, should we cut it a little close."
"More power?" Nyumbu asked, his words coming out slow and slurred as he chewed the cud.
"More power," Eve confirmed, giving him a thumbs-up before turning away and rolling her eyes. "Fisi, your part will be a little tricky," she added. "Since you'll be running the First Haven, you'll only end up with the Phoenix's power. My hope is that, once her power is gone, Xirxine will be forced to hunt down the Dragon and bring him back to our realm. Once here, you'll need to lure him to the tower—separate from Xirxine—and take his power there."
"And I take it you will inform us of these Neokind and their abilities later on, hmhmhm?" Fisi asked, raising one of his mask's brows.
"Of course. Don't want you flying blind." Eve pressed her hands together and said, "We'll be instigating gang violence in between all of this—they'll be using most of those guns I mentioned. You'll have to maintain the illusion of control for a while, since you're basically unprotected; once you get the Avatars' power, however, you can do whatever you want.
"Then, when the cards are all on the table, you make me the Chief Peacekeeper of the First Haven," Eve concluded. "You activate the towers, the Bila ya Nyota leaks in, and bada-bing, bada-boom: you rule the world."
The Dark Celestials all looked at each other.
"I... like," Simba said.
"Mm, hmhmhm... as do I." Fisi tapped his claws together. "Your plan is ingenious, my dear, heehee. But what do you get out of this? Certainly not just a title."
"No, of course not," Eve replied breezily, waving a hand and laughing. "I intend to force Xirxine's hand in waking the Founders."
"I do not like," Simba said immediately.
Tembo frowned, agreeing, "Neither do I. Why must the Founders be awakened? They will pose a great threat."
"Don't worry about it," Eve responded with a cruel smile. "I have a... special way to deal with them."
"Then it sounds like we're ready to begin, haha!" Fisi snapped his fingers before crouching on all fours and scratching behind his ear with a back leg. "Just, erm... one question, my dear," he added, sniffing a paw inquisitively. "How are we to integrate ourselves into society? People will be... wary, hmhmhm."
"We'll do it slowly," Eve reassured him. "Make sure everyone knows you mean no harm. In fact, your businesses might help grow the Safe Havens! Once that happens, we know the governments will definitely be on our side. Follow the money, as they say."
"Do they, now?" Fisi's ear twitched. "Well... we thank you for this assistance, Ms. Black Horn. Your plan seems watertight, heheheh."
"When do we begin?" Kifaru inquired, scuffing at the ground.
"Tonight," Eve answered. "Some more 'friends' of mine have private jets ready to fly you all to your respective locations." She checked her phone and scrolled through her notes, saying, "Tembo, you're going to the Amazon; Nyani, Xishuangbanna; Kifaru, you've got Daintree; Simba, Chukotka; Nyumbu, better buy a parka for Antarctica. I hear it gets a little chilly in the winter."
Nyumbu ate some more grass.
"And you, Mr. Isidore, will be taking the First Haven," Eve concluded. "The 'silver tuna', if you will." She raised an eyebrow. "It's gonna be the hardest one, in my opinion. Think you're up for it?"
"Hmhmhm..." Fisi rubbed his clawed hands together and grinned. "The things we can achieve in the pursuit of self-preservation are inconceivable, Ms. Black Horn."
"Ain't that the truth." Eve beckoned to the Dark Celestials and told them, "Come on; I've got a transport waiting to take us to a place where we can hide out until nightfall. Then once you're on your flights, you can all study up on what's happened while you were in limbo."
"Erm, one more question, my dear," Fisi called as he followed Eve. "As you might be able to tell, we are significantly short on manpower. Where would you suggest we—"
A hand landed on his shoulder, and he turned to see Kifaru walking alongside him. "Do not worry about that, kaka," he told the youngest Dark Celestial. "You may not have learned it when you walked in this power... but we have a special way of gathering forces."
Eve smirked at that, glancing at Kifaru over her shoulder. "Mind giving him a demonstration, Mr. K?" she asked as they emerged from the trees, gesturing to the large, armoured Xirxine-issue all-terrain transport waiting for them.
"As you wish." Kifaru stepped forward as the driver emerged from the vehicle.
"Hey, lady! I brought the truck like you said," the driver snapped, glaring at Eve and casting a wary glance at Kifaru. "Now where is my money?"
"He's got it," Eve answered, jerking a thumb at Kifaru.
The driver turned to the Dark Celestial, looking up at him with an expression that was slowly turning fearful. "Uh... okay..."
"You seek payment, boy?" Kifaru rumbled. "Very well. Here is the payment you are due." He reached out... and promptly grabbed the man's face.
The driver's eyes widened, and he prepared to let out a scream. However, before he could utter a sound, his jaw went slack, his eyes grew vacant, and his face began to glow with white light.
Kifaru's face twisted with a crooked grin. "Karibu kwa familia," he growled.
Fisi's eyes scanned the screen of the strange rectangular device in his hand as he sat in the back of the armoured vehicle, clad in vermillion tribal clothing provided by Eve. He and the other Dark Celestials were crowded around the "smartphone" (as Eve had called it), examining the reversed camera that displayed their own faces.
Eve watched the Dark Celestials closely, clearly trying to hold back a laugh. "Now, um... tap the red button," she told Fisi, leaning forward and pointing at the "record" function.
Fisi frowned and obliged, using one of his claws to daintily tap the part of the screen that displayed a small red circle.
Suddenly, he felt something odd—a buzz in the back of his head, like an itch he could not scratch. A strange feeling, like someone was... watching him.
"You're being recorded now," Eve stated. "Can you sense it?"
"I sense," Simba rumbled, pawing at an ear in irritation.
Nyani hooted and scratched the back of his head repeatedly.
"Mm... yes, hmhm, very interesting," Fisi remarked curiously before letting out a high-pitched giggle, turning the phone this way and that.
"Good. That means the sensory part of the spell is working." Eve gestured to the screen and told him, "Hit the red button again."
Fisi did so, and the buzzing sensation immediately faded. Now it was replaced by a steady... well, not a hum, exactly, because that would imply there was a sound. It was more of a feeling—not quite like the buzz, but similar. It was constant... somewhat soothing, even.
The feeling was accompanied by an image—something similar to a memory. In their minds, the Dark Celestials could see themselves, doing what they'd just done, peering curiously at the camera on the smartphone.
"Can you see it?"
The Dark Celestials all turned to Eve. "I... see it," Nyumbu confirmed, still chewing his own cud from much earlier.
"I feel it," Tembo murmured.
"Good." Eve took her smartphone back and tapped it a few times before showing them the screen, which displayed the exact same video that the Dark Celestials were seeing in their minds. "See this? This is what just happened," she told them. "This is the recording Fisi just took. Got it?"
The Dark Celestials nodded or made sounds that affirmed their comprehension.
"Perfect." Eve pocketed her phone and leaned back. "Now... you," she said, gesturing to Kifaru. "Erase it."
Kifaru did not respond or move, or do anything to show that he'd heard Eve.
Eve waited a beat. Then she checked her phone... and grinned. "And that's how it's done," she declared, showing it to the Dark Celestials again.
The recording was playing, clearly showing the interior of the vehicle—but the Dark Celestials themselves were entirely absent from it.
"Ah, hahahah... well done, kaka!" Fisi congratulated Kifaru. "Vizuri sana."
"Asante." Kifaru nodded to Fisi before turning back to Eve. "Will you show us how to use those devices, please? I feel they could be useful."
"I'll teach you how to use all kinds of new toys," Eve promised. "Trust me, you'll be tech-savvy in no time. I'll be bouncing between havens to help you find the Keypoints and get yourselves situated, so don't worry about it."
"You'll be a busy little bee, eh? Heheheh." Fisi licked one of his paws repeatedly.
"Well, you know what they say about idle hands." Eve handed her phone to Kifaru, allowing him to inspect it closely. "Fred, I'm riding with you first," she told the hyena. "We have a quick stop to make before hopping over to the First Haven."
"A stop?" Fisi repeated, tilting his head in confusion as his tongue lolled out of his mouth.
"Yup. We're taking a flight to Giza, where we'll be providing some assistance to a... hm. Let's say, a 'friend of a friend'. We can talk about some other stuff on the way there."
"Hmhm, sounds exciting."
"It should be." Eve took the phone back from Kifaru and said to the rest of the Dark Celestials, "Come on; let's practice your erasure a little more so you all get the hang of it."
Eve strode back toward the armoured vehicle, having just finished walking around the whole airstrip. She rapped on the back of it and called, "You're clear. Hop on out."
The doors slid open, and the Dark Celestials tentatively stepped out into the open. Their appearance drew several glances from the sparse crew members on the site, but most thought nothing of it, apparently deducing that they were common Celestions with different colouration.
"I've put runes all around the airstrip, so all signals are jammed," Eve told the Dark Celestials as she led them inside. "If anyone finds us suspicious, they won't be able to tell anyone."
"Signals are 'jammed'?" Tembo echoed. "What does this mean?"
"Remember this?" Eve wiggled her phone in the air.
"Yes..."
"Basically, it operates using signals that can be amplified by special towers. My runes interfere with those signals, making it impossible for them to connect with anyone outside the runes."
"Ah. I see." Tembo trumpeted in amusement. "Very clever."
"Isn't it?" Eve beamed and motioned to each jet on the runway. "As you can see, each of your jets has a specific destination and crew. The crew members are all well-versed in the businesses you'll be running, so feel free to Mask them at your discretion. They've basically submitted themselves to you already, so you don't have to worry about them turning on you or anything." She pointed to the jets sequentially, saying, "Tembo, Nyani, Simba, Nyumbu, Kifaru. Fisi, we're in this one."
Fisi walked alongside Eve in a semi-crouched posture as they headed to the jet, still adjusting to moving around on two feet again. "So tell me, Eve," he began, "what moved you to follow this path, hmhmhm? Why pursue the waking of the Founders? Why do any of this at all?"
"Well... that's a short question with a long answer, Mr. Isidore, sir," Eve responded with a sigh as she walked up the boarding ramp onto the plane. Fisi absentmindedly Masked one of the crew members as he boarded behind her, scratching his own mask with a claw.
"Well, we have a long flight, do we not?" Fisi pointed out. "Come, child. Tell me what drives you, heehee."
"If you insist." Eve headed into the cabin and sat down, and Fisi did the same across from her, observing the luxurious interior of the aircraft with wonder.
"When I was a kid," Eve began as the jet began to taxi, "I experienced something that changed the entire course of my life. One of my ancestors had been buried on the outskirts of our traditional tribal territory, and his tomb was discovered by our special excavation team. I was there when it was opened, and it... did something to them. They turned on me and tried to kill me because of something they saw... something I did. Or... will do."
Fisi tilted his head and giggled. "Fascinating," he whispered. "Do go on."
"I dedicated the rest of my life to finding out everything I could about my family history, and that led me to learn about the Founders and the Safe Havens. Not only that, but I also found that I have a strong connection to the Earth's magic, and learned how to use it from my grandmother." She smirked, adding, "My great-grandmother showed me a thing or two as well. You might remember her from back in the day."
Fisi's eye-holes widened. "Might I? Refresh my memory, if you would be so kind, hmhm."
Eve laughed. "Her name was KayCee Grey," she told Fisi, still smirking.
There was a long moment of silence.
Fisi stared at Eve, seemingly unable to grasp what she'd just said. "...You... you mean to tell me," he said at last, speaking slowly as irritated giggles bubbled out of him, "that you are a descendant... of Kacey Grey? The woman who led me into a trap and had her lover attempt to—heeheeheeheeeheehheeeeee—"
Eve raised an eyebrow as Fisi suddenly leaned forward, grabbing his head with his hands and giggling uncontrollably. "We're... gonna have to work on that," she remarked. "But yes—your former assistant is my great-grandmother. She taught me sorcery for as long as she could."
Fisi's giggles gradually died away, and he scratched his ear rapidly. "I should have figured," he muttered, fighting the urge to start giggling again. "She always was a little witch."
"You don't have to worry about her anymore, though. She's... passed away."
"How dreadful, hmhmhm," Fisi sneered. "Then your studies have come to an end?"
"Not quite." Eve's smirk seemed to grow as she went on, "With my great-grandmother no longer available, I've been taken under the wing of my great-grandfather."
Fisi jerked in his seat as flickering—familiar—red symbols began to appear sporadically around him. "What the devil—?!" he sputtered, startled and incensed.
Eve grinned broadly—a grin that was mirrored by the creature in the circular portal that suddenly split apart the open space behind her. "You remember Alastor, don't you?" she asked Fisi innocently.
-
Alastor's grin was tight—forced. His narrow eyes would have been narrower, had it been possible to narrow them further. They blazed bright scarlet, fixated upon the man with the masklike, feliform face.
"Hello, Frederick," he said, his staticky voice not bearing even an ounce of its usual mirth.
-
Fisi stared at the tall, lanky, grey-skinned apparition in the portal, momentarily speechless.
And then... he began to laugh.
"...Hee. Heeheehee. HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEEEE!" Fisi rocked back in his seat with his hands on his stomach, cackling like a maniac. "What a twist!" he crowed. "My rescuer has taken up with my pets' finest meal!" He rose from his seat, still shaking with laughter, and put one hand behind his back, gesturing to Alastor with the other. "What an absolute joy it is to see you again, my erstwhile adversary," he sneered. "Tell me—how are things in the afterlife, hm? Have those old wounds of yours healed? Hmhmhmhmhm!"
-
Alastor inhaled and exhaled between his teeth, still forcing the grin, still narrowing his eyes at Fisi.
S M I L E.
The voice of his shadow resonated in his head, and he knew the creature within it was right. He couldn't—he wouldn't—give that little fool the satisfaction of seeing his irritation.
No... he would smile. Just like always.
-
All of a sudden, Alastor lit up like a lightbulb, twirling his cane in the air. "Well, I've been just fine and dandy, Mr. Isidore!" he declared, straightening his suit and adjusting his monocle. "In fact, I've never been happier down here in Hell!"
"Oh? Back to our vigilant ways, are we?" Fisi assumed.
Alastor chuckled. "Not quite."
"Great-Granddaddy's an Overlord, Mr. Isidore," Eve informed the Dark Celestial. "He runs quite the show—don't you, Grandpa?"
"Why, yes indeedy!" Alastor confirmed. "You should come down sometime, Frederick! See the sights! Feel the FIRE! Experience the pain and suffering of all the tortured souls around you, adding to your own unending agony..."
Fisi's grin faltered momentarily as Alastor's head cracked sideways, his eyes turning all red as clock hands appeared in them and the space around him seemed to grow darker.
"...and all that jazz!" Alastor finished, returning to normal in an instant. "Trust me—it's worth the one-way trip, haha!"
"Unfortunately, I must decline," Fisi responded disdainfully, giving another giggle of annoyance. "I've got business to attend to in the land of the living, hmhmhm."
"Right you are! Nevertheless, the offer still stands." Alastor narrowed his eyes again, his grin unmoving but his teeth flashing yellow with each following word. "After all, I've just got to pay you back for that... last meal."
"I've sure you're just dying to, heheheh," Fisi shot back with a grin of his own.
The two of them continued to "grin" at each other for a long moment.
"OKAY!" Eve suddenly said loudly, snapping her fingers and closing the portal. "Glad you two are on such great terms!" She chuckled awkwardly. "Uh, we'll work that out. Eventually."
"Hrmph." Fisi returned to his seat and crossed his arms. "While I am averse to allying with such a vile specimen, I suppose it would be... advantageous to have his abilities in our arsenal."
"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," Eve agreed. "Now would you like to sleep, or talk a little bit more about our plan?"
"There will be plenty of time to sleep later on, hmhm," Fisi responded, his grin returning—genuinely this time. "For now... regale me with tales of how our world has changed since my banishment."
"Oh, trust me, Mr. Isidore—you're gonna love it," Eve assured him, smirking. "The smartphone is just the beginning."
POWER: Assassin
Fisi stepped out of the jet and peered at the pyramid outside which they'd landed. "Fascinating," he remarked with a giggle. "These structures are indeed a sight to behold."
Then he looked over his shoulder as an angry yell came from inside the jet, followed by an agonized scream.
Fisi waited patiently.
Then Eve came out of the jet, as cool and collected as ever. "That's what I get for flirting with 'the Strangler'," she said with a roll of her eyes and toss of her hair as the glowing knife of white magic in her hand dissolved. She winced and rubbed her neck, adding, "Remind me to do a more thorough background check on our next pilot."
"Of course, heeheeheeeeee." Fisi gestured to the pyramid. "After you, my dear."
-
Once inside, Eve told Fisi, "Stick to the shadows and keep your glowy parts covered. I don't want our contact to know we're in league; that might have repercussions."
"Certainly. I shall retreat and observe, hmhm." Fisi faded into the shadows with a grin.
Eve exhaled and put her hands on her hips, heading to the chamber's centre, where a large arsenal of weapons and gadgets rested. "This guy spent a pretty penny on these," she stated as she went around lighting candles to illuminate the area. "He really wants his target dead. Gotta say, I admire his dedication."
"Would you not match it for this goal of yours?" Fisi inquired.
"I'd go above and beyond for my goal, Fisi." Eve glanced at the creature in the shadows. "No price is too high. I'll do whatever it takes to get what's mine."
The sound of footsteps resonated from the chamber's entrance.
Eve's lips curled in a half-smile, half-smirk. "Sounds like my contact's here. Pity—I wanted to take a look around first."
Fisi's only response was a giggle.
Eve ignored him and turned to face the hooded woman entering the pyramid chamber. "Welcome home, Raptor," she greeted her. "Must feel good to be back, huh?"