Side Quest (from a WIP)

Reddest Orkh – the Anti-Angel, had come to the inner solar system from the outer Oort cloud. Therein orbited Nybyruh – a planetoid shrouded by the shadow zone of Daath. Orkh was chief among the Dæmon & Druuj, hence he commanded a vast army composed of both these greater and lesser fiends.

They were on a punitive expedition to a planet they called Tellz inhabited by us primitive Homz. However, something had gone sideways as their company passed between Daath and the material zone of Malkuth...

For cosmic reasons beyond his learned comprehension, they’d arrived at a much later time than had been expected, thus it appeared that Tellz had already undergone its own destruction. They knew not the cause since all that remained to tell of our planet’s passing was a thin new asteroid belt spinning along Earth’s old orbital path. Whereas in the lunar zone of Yezodh, Lunah herself lay fractured in half.

Fortunately Reddest Orkh had at least one able minded captain; among the Dæmon none other was so clever as Panurgeh – All-Wanting. Panurgeh had already sent Druuj scouts ahead and discovered that there was another planet in this system teeming with plenty of primates for them to visit their unholy punishment upon. This was of course the red planet known as Marz.

An ample detachment of Druuj skirmishers was presently on its way to Marz to test the defences of those dwelling on that sphere. It would be a good while before they returned with a report. Nobody seriously entertained the possibility that they might meet with defeat.

In the meantime, Orkh was bored out of his wits and quite happy to see the power clown Panurgeh approaching. The Anti-Angel did beseech him:

“What news Panurgeh? Mine exposed muscles ache to pummel and my metal horns glisten to impale. This antler which I wield with a lion’s paw, I tore from the living head of Kernunnoz in a forest of fractals on the metaphysical plane, and it tells me there is much killing left to be done!”

“Milord Orkh, I hast sent some of my best Druuj forth to assess how big of a mess we be in. Furthermore, I confess sending a few others out to repossess a secret stash on the asteroid Kerez. Many munitions were allocated there by our ancient allies, the Arkhonz.”

“Splendiferous work as ever I see. Very well, let us proceed there posthaste. Believe me, I hath not failed to espy with the long reach of mine evil eye, what appears to be a minor colony in orbit of Joveh. These cold pursuits shouldst provide enough sport for just you and I.”

“Yea Lord Orkh, several planetary paths art realigning to suit our purpose. A paltry fate it must be to subsist on sublunar soil with only sparse knowledge of those outer objects. Yet highly evolved Homz seem to dwell there too you say? I wouldst like to get a close look at such a singular Homh.”

Thence those two floated through the blackest reaches of space, for both Dæmon & Druuj were born in the void; the abyss of Daath. Their bodies were made of immaterial dark matter and they possessed abilities undreamed of by we (whom they call Homz). It didn’t take them long to arrive around Kerez. But something was amiss. As if their motion had been detected, bright lights blinked an alert before pyric flares ensconced them in a phosphorus fog!

Since they hadn’t been wary, both Dæmon were blinded momentarily. Before their photosensitive eyes could recover, a grid pattern of defensive satellites lined up to take precise aim – then loosed a volley of explosive bombshells that combusted into a flaming inferno!

Panurgeh didn’t have to be told “Get thee behind me” by Reddest Orkh – who stood defiantly in the path of the incoming shots. Many of them concussed against the Anti-Angel’s jutting rib cage, which seemed to extend as if welcoming their impact. Reddest Orkh was called that because he was already bleeding to begin with. Total massacre was his mantra. If he felt pain, it was merely because he personified it, but he also dealt it out equally with intense zeal.

Anyhow, Orkh wasn’t exactly impressed, so he scorned:

“A ridiculous rebuke! What next? Shalt I guess, a nuke? Kernunnoz’ Antler ward away this fluke!”

Waving said weapon, it withdrew electrical currents from those automated turrets, which then ceased firing on them. Panurgeh now sallied and meted out four score coups de grâce. Subsequently they infiltrated the hidden base on Kerez and extricated Arkhonh provisions. Everything fit behind Orkh’s bony ribs. There were no Homz in sight nor anywhere nearby, yet this evidence of their former presence and possible preponderance enraged Orkh to lay ordinance. Kerez was blasted by Orkh’s maw, whose serrated shark teeth widened apart to spout a ball of hellfire that expanded as it made its way toward the dwarf planet. Kerez was wracked by an explosion that propelled countless fragments back into the main asteroid belt...

“Onward to Joveh,” Orkh ordered. Panurgeh pursued his eager master, whose domed wings resembled luminescent jellyfish coursing neath a marine ocean. Panurgeh proceeded to pry:

“My liege, from the looks of it those pesky Homz hath gotten their grimy hands on the Arkhon-Tek. Perhaps we ought to redeploy our Dæmon division? If the Druuj forces advancing on Marz are met with resistance thrice as strong as this, they may indeed falter on their mission.”

“A prudent line of logic Panurgeh. Nonetheless, I wouldst not worry overly much about it. There is simply no way that the Divine Dialectic could ever be decrypted by lower organisms like Homz. Secrets written in cipher cannot be decoded by basic brains. Our retribution is righteous after all.”

“Whatever ya say, chief. For surely ‘twas foretold that a great part of thy role was to expunge the heinous sins of mankind committed during days of old. And there be no other Dæmon better suited than thou art to scold. Ye wilt flatten the arrogant until they fold!”

At length, they reached the vicinity of Joveh, and were mildly surprised to find habitats circling round each of that gas giant’s major moons: Europh, Ganymedh, Kallyztoh, and Yoh. From these came a sizable armada of shiny ships. They blinked some kind of code with their headlights but its significance was totally lost on the two Dæmon, whom were larger in scale than any single vessel was. Orkh swiped one amid flight with his free paw and chomped its ‘head’ right off, as if he were eating a big fish. Crewed by Homz, Orkh found this flavourful filling to be a delectable delight!

Clearly alarmed, the remaining spaceships opened photonic fire and actually managed to blast Orkh’s offending arm off at the shoulder joint. Again, he felt no pain, but was terribly displeased to have his meal interrupted. With a single swat of Kernunnoz’ Antler he destroyed half a dozen of those valiant vessels and trampled two more under his bison hooves. He then reattached his severed limb, which rapidly knitted itself back together with bone and muscle. Seeing that, the fleet began to retreat.

“Leave the rest of them to me milord,” Panurgeh proposed. He gave chase, shrinking down to their level while also subdividing himself into clones – one to match every Homh on board those mobile space homes. Inside, everyone was confused when they encountered an apparition of a pale faced Pierrot. Despite painted-on tears, the sinister jester smiled wide with a devilish set of pearly whites. All-Wanting became absorbed into the bodies of his victims not unlike a virus. Within a few minutes, pandemonium broke loose throughout the navy. Many cannibalized others’ bodies, or gnawed on their own flesh. Panurgeh pressured them all to turn on each other and very soon those battleships and cruisers were crashing into and firing on one another as well as their respective headquarters. Panurgeh’s inspired panic was completely cataclysmic!

Panurgeh returned to his master’s side and Reddest Orkh remarked:

“On second thought, if the Homz living on Marz are even twice as tough as these, then they may yet prove a challenge for our Druuj advance units. We must hasten to rejoin them presently. Come, there be a physical phenomenon within Joveh’s upper atmosphere that resonates strongly with me.”

Lunging headlong into the massive red spot on the surface of Joveh, Orkh and Panurgeh were spun by that timeless storm (making either one dizzy enough to spew out some of his recent snacks). Nevertheless, their constitution allowed for them to swirl in the maelstrom without coming to harm. Orkh unloaded part of the cargo that he’d carried here from Kerez. An inter-dimensional transmitter would summon Orkh’s progenitor – Trezvulguz – the coiling behemoth which had spawned Dæmon & Druuj alike. Yet it would take time for Trezvulguz to incubate. Thereafter the Anti-Angel stirred the anticyclone sufficiently for him and his friend to be impelled outward. They drew a trail of sheer scarlet in their wake as they sped away past the asteroids splayed against a backdrop of stars and onto distant Marz...