Sapien Loop 3 - Chapter 75: The Battle for the Downs Region

Chapter 75: The Battle for the Downs Region

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The Sentray and the convoy of vehicles were approaching the Downs Region.

‘The gates are closed and nobody is watching from the wall,’ said Demadrian. ‘This isn’t the typical Downs welcome.’

‘Look!’ said Octavius as he pointed at the smoke coming from the Industrial Zone. ‘This isn’t good.’

‘It’s a good job we’re bringing the rain,’ replied Demadrian as he jumped off his Sentray.

Chamele climbed out of the lead vehicle, and then she walked towards Demadrian. ‘Get your pets to open the gate,’ she said as she looked at Demadrian.

‘Show some respect,’ said Octavius.

The thunder in the clouds above them roared.

‘I wasn’t speaking to you, fatso,’ snarled Chamele at Octavius.

The followers approached Demadrian with some ropes. Demadrian attached the ropes to several Sentray and then to the gate.

‘Now, pull!’ said Demadrian.

The Sentray tugged hard, and the gate began to shake.

‘Harder!’ shouted Chamele. ‘We don’t have all afternoon.’

‘I played a role in designing these gates,’ chuckled Octavius.

The Sentray tugged several more times, and the gate was ripped away. It took part of the surrounding wall with it.

They could see the main road leading up to the town square. It was still covered in bodies, destroyed vehicles, and parts of buildings.

‘Oh yes!’ squealed Chamele in joy.

‘Shut up!’ shouted Octavius. ‘This is terrible.’

‘This is all your doing, isn’t it?’ demanded Orcilla as she walked over to Chamele.

‘Julio has paved the way to victory,’ giggled Chamele as the thunder continued to roar above them. ‘He’s spared the lives of all our warriors.’

‘I wonder if he can spare your life,’ said Demadrian angrily.

‘We’re at the end now,’ said Chamele as she stared menacingly at Demadrian. ‘Don’t disappoint me now.’ Then she turned towards the convoy of vehicles. ‘Head in,’ she shouted. ‘It’s time to claim Downs.’

The vehicles slowly headed down the main road. Chamele walked beside them. Orcilla and Demadrian walked behind her. Octavius stayed outside the region walls with the Sentray, who were still stressed by the loud, roaring thunder.

The front of the convoy stopped just past the burnt-down hotel.

Chamele skipped into the town square. She gleefully hopped over the many bodies. ‘Julio, where are you, my beauty?’ she called out as she began to dance around a pile of bodies.

‘This is the most horrific thing I’ve ever seen,’ said Orcilla as she turned away.

‘Her time will come soon,’ said Demadrian as he stared at her prancing around.

Julio became visible in front of the statue of Hamlet. He was in Sentray form.

‘I could not have imagined that you’d be so beautiful,’ chuckled Chamele.

‘Why’s he so big?’ whispered Orcilla to Demadrian.

‘I think he was overcooked,’ replied Demadrian.

‘I warned you so many times,’ whispered Orcilla. ‘You never listen because you always know better.’

‘He’s here and so well,’ said Chamele as she pointed to the lead vehicle.

The door of the vehicle opened. Angelo and Volo climbed out. Julio stared at them as they approached him.

‘Look!’ said Chamele as she spun around. ‘A great family reunion.’

Angelo tilted his head back to look at Julio. Julio looked into Angelo’s red eyes.

‘Go on, embrace him,’ said Chamele. ‘He’s your High Philosopher.’

Julio snarled, and his eyes started to glow red.

‘You will embrace your High Philosopher,’ shouted Chamele. ‘Your obedience must be absolute.’

Julio’s whole body started to grow even bigger as he panted loudly and aggressively.

‘This can’t be good,’ said Demadrian as he stepped backwards.

‘Get on your knees!’ shouted Chamele. ‘You’re our servant.’

Thunder continued to roar above them. Julio could feel the pain radiating from Angelo. He was absorbing some of it, and it was making him furious.

Julio turned suddenly and stared at Chamele. Then he roared with incredible force. Chamele, Volo, and Orcilla fell over. The few windows that were still intact in the nearby buildings shattered.

Julio lunged at Chamele with his claws. She dodged the swipe. Then she shapeshifted into her Maskameera form and then became invisible.

Julio roared maniacally and then became invisible. Seconds later, the roof of the first guards’ vehicle collapsed.

‘We’re being attacked!’ shouted a senior guard into his radio as one-by-one the roofs of their vehicles were being crushed.

‘Don’t respond,’ shouted Razor, who was outside of his vehicle.

‘What the hell!’ screamed the senior guard as he rolled onto the ground.

‘Stand back,’ shouted Razor. ‘It’ll be fine.’

‘You should intervene,’ said Orcilla, who was ducked down next to the construction site of the palace, to Demadrian.

‘This is nuts!’ shouted Demadrian as he watched the rest of the guards’ vehicles become crushed beneath Julio’s powerful leaps.

Angelo was facing the statue of Hamlet, still unmoved from when Julio had unleashed himself. Volo stood loyally by his side.

Maskameera tried to jab Julio with a syringe containing the Roo flower and algae combination, but he slapped her hard with his tail, knocking her to the ground.

Maskameera became visible and so did Julio.

‘You must obey me!’ shouted Maskameera. ‘I saved the High Philosopher.’

‘You’re a liar!’ roared Julio. ‘You destroyed everything I ever loved.’

‘That’s not right,’ pleaded Maskameera as she shuffled backwards.

Julio tried to slash Maskameera, but she dodged again and became invisible. Julio roared loudly again and became invisible.

Demadrian walked across the town square. He looked at all the bodies that were lying around. They were mostly enforcers with a few technicians.

‘Oh damn,’ he said to himself as the thunder continued to roar above them.

The Hat Lady became visible next to him.

‘You made the journey,’ said Demadrian as he smiled slightly at her.

‘We need to end this,’ said the Hat Lady as she rubbed Demadrian’s arm.

‘Yes, I’ll get the Sentray in here,’ replied Demadrian as the thunder roared again.

‘No, we do this together,’ said the Hat Lady. ‘I know we can do it,’ she added as rain began to fall on them.

‘It’s too dangerous,’ said Demadrian. ‘Just one mistake and you could…’

‘If you lose control of the Sentray,’ replied the Hat Lady. ‘Everything and everyone could be lost. Look, we can see him now.’

The squeals of panic from the Sentray had become louder.

The rain that was pouring down had made both Maskameera and Julio partially visible.

‘I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you,’ said Demadrian as he looked at the Hat Lady. ‘I’ve always loved you.’

‘Stop talking like that and fight him,’ said the Hat Lady as she pushed him hard.

Demadrian shapeshifted into his Sentray form. Then he roared ferociously.

‘Save me!’ screamed Maskameera as she sprinted frantically past Demadrian.

‘Get out of my way,’ shouted Julio.

‘You’re out of control, and I’m putting you down, friend,’ replied Demadrian.

Julio charged towards Demadrian. Demadrian leapt towards him while desperately trying to slash him. Demadrian thrust his claws into Julio’s chest. Julio grabbed Demadrian’s back and then tossed him to the ground. The Hat Lady tried to grab Julio, but the swishing of his tail made him impossible to grab.

Demadrian charged at Julio again. Julio kicked him hard, causing him to bounce halfway across the town square. The Hat Lady tried to grab Julio again, but he leapt towards Demadrian. Julio attempted to stomp on Demadrian’s head, but he slipped on a wet body. Demadrian leapt up on top of Julio. He began frantically slashing at Julio’s face with his claws.

Julio thrust his claws into Demadrian’s leg and then slammed him repeatedly into the ground. Demadrian felt his bones break on impact. He screamed in pain. Julio thrust his claws into Demadrian’s throat, causing blood to spurt out.

Demadrian was so badly injured he was forced to shapeshift back into his Linap form.

‘I told you to get out of my way,’ said Julio as rain bounced off his snout.

Julio lifted his foot to crush Demadrian’s head. Then suddenly he shapeshifted into a child.

‘What!’ shouted Julio as he turned to look at the Hat Lady, who was on her knees grasping his leg with both her hands.

Julio desperately tried to shake her off him, but he had lost all his strength. The Hat Lady was desperately trying to keep him in the form of the child, but the storm was draining her of all her strength.

‘Get off me, now,’ ordered Julio as he tried to shapeshift.

‘Never!’ gasped the Hat Lady.

Demadrian tried to get back to his feet, but he had not healed yet and was struggling.

Julio continued to struggle frantically to break free from the Hat Lady.

Maskameera charged towards Julio. She plunged a large syringe with a huge needle into his shoulder. The syringe was filled with the Roo flower and algae combination.

Julio screamed in pain. He managed to shapeshift one of his hands into a claw. He thrust the claw into the Hat Lady’s chest. Then he became invisible.

Demadrian desperately got to his feet and then flopped down next to the Hat Lady.

‘No!’ shouted Demadrian. ‘Shit! No!’

Maskameera attempted to jab Demadrian with another needle. He dodged her and then slapped her hard, sending her flying.

Demadrian turned to look at the Hat Lady. ‘It’s going to be fine,’ he said. ‘I’m going to fix you.’

‘You always break things, but then you fix them,’ gasped the Hat Lady as tears rolled down her cheek.

Orcilla ran over to them.

‘We must save her,’ said Demadrian as he looked up at Orcilla.

Orcilla looked at her wound. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said.

‘It looks much worse,’ said Demadrian. ‘She shapeshifts all the time. It’s always an illusion.’

‘My life has always been an illusion,’ gasped the Hat Lady. ‘I want to end it with the truth.’

‘Yes, do that when it ends,’ said Demadrian as he held her head up.

‘My name is Noosa,’ gasped the Hat Lady as she smiled slightly. ‘I am NB14572, an orphan from the North.’

Kovu, Joan and the other orphans appeared behind Demadrian. They held their hands out to her.

‘It’s time I join my family,’ gasped the Hat Lady. ‘It’s been too long.’ Her eyes glowed brilliantly blue, and then she closed them.

Demadrian held her tight. The rain poured down on them, and the thunder continued to roar.

The Hat Lady felt herself leave her body. She was a child once again. She reached out to grab Kovu’s and Joan’s hands. Instead, they drifted back from her and then disappeared.

Sapien Loop: Worlds Collide

Sapien Loop: Worlds Collide is the final book in the Sapien Loop trilogy. It continues directly after the events of the second book. The world above and the world below merge into one world. The conflicts in the underground world are brought to the surface. The new ruling elite attempt to crush any resistance from above and below in an attempt to create a new global empire.

Currently, three books from the series have been published on Amazon; see the links below:

• Sapien Loop: End of an Era
• Sapien Loop: Frozen in Time
• Sapien Short Stories: Missing Links

All individual chapters can be found on my @captainhive account.

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