=:= Aeronwy =:=
She arrived on the street in front of the building, ensuring nobody noticed as she appeared in between two parked cars on the side of the road. She stepped up onto the sidewalk and walked the few short paces till she stood facing the building's entrance.
The street and sidewalk were fairly busy at the moment. In the local reckoning it was just before nine o'clock Monday morning, and the mortals were scurrying about on their way to begin their daily toil.
By Aeronwy's reckoning, the full moon would peak in a couple minutes, and that would be an auspicious time to begin her assault.
She took a moment to marvel at the buildings, the vehicles, and all the people that surrounded her. The city was a vast, enormous place now. The last time Aeronwy had been awake Londinium was but a few score buildings and a small fort on the bank of the Thames. Now the city spanned dozens of leagues and was home to millions of people.
She looked up at the structure before her, the stronghold of her enemy. The facade was all white stonework and fancy windows, columns stood on either side of the entrance. The double-doors were newer than the rest of the building. They were glass, probably reinforced, and certainly warded. Beyond them was a second set of doors. In the vestibule between the inner and outer doors stood a doorman. He was also a guard, the first line of defence.
Aeronwy's eyes flicked up and down over the man. Mid-forties, physically fit. He was probably armed, and his aura revealed he frequently used magic.
None of this was a surprise of course. William Laughlin had visited this place countless times, and all of his memories had been accessible through the mind of his young sister.
Aeronwy knew the doorman's name was Carter. More importantly, she knew where to find William's boss. She knew what Nathan looked like, and where his office was located on the second floor. From him, she would learn where to find Richard. And from Richard, she would learn everything else she needed to know.
The doorman finally noticed her standing out on the pavement, staring at him. He emerged from his vestibule and came down the steps, then across the sidewalk till he was right in front of her. He scowled at her and growled, "Run along little girl."
He probably meant to sound intimidating. He thought he was going to scare away an easily-frightened child.
Aeronwy held up her right hand. Carter's eyes widened at the swirling red orb that appeared there. It was small, no bigger than a plum, but it was deadly. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed it into the centre of his chest.
The impact lifted him off his feet. He was thrown all the way back across the sidewalk and up past the stairs, into the reinforced glass doors. The doors shattered, along with many of his bones as the momentum carried him clear through and into the vestibule. And there, the tiny orb finally released the power it contained.
It was as though a bomb had gone off. The entrance of the building was gone, and a gaping hole some five-meters across had opened up the facade. One of the columns came down, falling across the sidewalk and partially crushing a parked car. The remaining column still stood, but it was cracked in several places. Chunks of masonry, shards of glass, and splinters of metal were thrown out into the street, some of which were still raining down around the tiny Goddess. The interior of the building was already on fire where the blast ripped into it.
Aeronwy grinned. There was screaming all around her, people were panicking, and the acrid smell of smoke filled the air. It was like a glorious symphony. She took a deep breath, drawing it in, then sighed happily. Today was going to be wonderful.
Despite the chaos all around her, nobody in the street had actually been harmed. Her sisters asked nicely, so she ensured not a single innocent was injured by her magic. Of course if they hurt themselves or each other in their panic, that was on them.
With an idyllic smile on her face, she calmly made her way up the front steps of the building. She paused there and gently laid her hand on the remaining column. Her magic spread out, encircling the building and sealing it up tight.
Nobody else would be following Aeronwy inside, but more importantly none of her quarry would be escaping.
She stepped over some twisted metal, and then in through the flames. She picked her way past the mangled inner doors, and found herself in the main hall.
There were shouts of alarm, men running around this way and that. Two of them charged at her, one with a gun in his hand. The weapon fired three times, and everything became silent and still as Aeronwy stared in fascination at the projectiles. She approached them, and stepped to the side to get a better look as they hung frozen in the air.
Aeronwy knew of these things from the memories of her vessel, but the vessel had never seen them in person. The mortals had come up with so many delightful new ways of killing each other while she slept. She was going to have so much fun with them later on, after she finished this task her sisters set her on.
She put those thoughts aside for the moment. There would be time to study and experiment afterwards. Right now, it was time to play.
The shouting and noises returned, as the three projectiles harmlessly embedded themselves in a wall. A short leaf-bladed sword manifested in Aeronwy's small hand, and she skipped in between the two men. Her blade flashed and sang as she twirled. The men crumpled without a sound on either side of her, coming to rest in pools of their own blood.
With a giggle of joy the tiny Goddess of War made her way towards the staircase. It was chaos all around her, and more of the men were coming out of rooms to play with her. Aeronwy allowed herself a little indulgence. She took her time, savouring each death.
Some of the men met her sword, others her magic. None were met with mercy.
Unfortunately there were only so many of them, and before long she'd run out of people to kill. There'd be more upstairs though, and with a joyful smile she climbed the stairs up to the next floor.
Despite the violence she unleashed upon these men, not a drop of blood ever landed on Aeronwy, nor did any flames dare touch her. Even after carving and blasting her way through the first couple dozen of them, her little outfit remained pristine.
The men on the next floor were different than the ones downstairs. This lot seemed more magically-inclined. She didn't encounter any more guns, everyone here was trying to get to her with curses and spells.
Aeronwy decided to respond in kind. She sent her sword away and had fun with her magic.
Some of their curses she simply reflected back at their casters, letting the men die by their own hands. Others she deflected, or caught and absorbed their energy. Then she rewarded the senders with fire, bolts of lightning, or crushing and rending force.
A few minutes and nearly two dozen bodies later, she pouted. She'd run out of enemies again, nobody else was coming to challenge her. She stood before the door to Nathan's office, and looked back at the hallway behind her. The lovely scene brought another smile to her face, decorated as it was with blood, blackened and twisted human remains, and alight with fire.
She turned her attention to the door before her. It was reinforced, and Aeronwy could see several protective wards on and around the entrance. The man sheltering within undoubtedly thought himself safe.
It took mere moments to dispell most of the wards, then with a flick of her wrist and a surge of her will the door was torn from its frame and tossed out into the hall next to her.
As she expected, Nathan was cowering inside behind his desk. He stared at her in shock, caught off-guard by her tiny, immature appearance.
The hesitation cost him nothing, he hadn't a chance regardless.
Aeronwy's eyes locked with his as she peeled his mind open like a ripe fruit. She took her time, picking out the knowledge and information she desired, and casting aside that which she didn't. When she was finished, he was but an empty shell. A ball of concentrated flame ended what remained of his existence, and another set the room ablaze around the body.
She turned and made her way back to the stairs, stepping around the flames and over the scattered corpses. Richard, her next target, was in an office on the floor above.
The building was starting to groan now, as if it were a living thing signalling its impending demise. The fires and other damage caused by her magic were slowly consuming the support structures. Men who'd taken refuge and avoided her sword and spells were now beginning to succumb to the flames and smoke. It wasn't as much fun for her, but death was death. And their screams and cries were like a chorus, singing her praise.
The resistance on the top floor was more impressive than it had been on the second. They relied on magic here too, but their spells were stronger, their reactions quicker. Aeronwy appreciated the training and skill these men demonstrated.
She was also coming to appreciate the tiny body her sisters had woken her into. There was a certain joy, a slightly perverse excitement to be had, in being the Goddess of War while appearing as a harmless little girl. Rather than being swift, serious, and brutally efficient, this form inspired her towards playfulness and fun.
Aeronwy decided to reward these men for their talent and skill. She summoned her sword again, and made each of their deaths a personal affair. Of course it was more entertaining for her this way too, she enjoyed the sport.
There were only a dozen or so men here, but they all fought well. Most of these 'wizards' showed courage, and Aeronwy granted them quick, glorious deaths. The few who broke and tried to flee were also killed of course, but those who showed fear earned themselves a slower, more painful end.
And once again she was out of enemies, her fun was over all too soon.
Aeronwy stood in front of the door to Richard's office, blood dripping from her blade. Behind her were three floors of blood, flames, and death. Before her waited their commander.
His door was more heavily protected than Nathan's, not that it made any difference. These people were used to facing humans, fae, and demons. They may have had experience dealing with Gods at arms length, killing vessels and priestesses from the shadows or with surprise and subterfuge. Clearly they'd never experienced a God up close, face to face.
She dismissed her sword and lashed out with her will. The door and some of the surrounding wall burst into splinters, tearing into the room beyond like shrapnel. Furniture, books, carpeting, and the windows on the opposite wall were shredded and shattered by the maelstrom as the door disintegrated before her.
Inside the room, standing off to the left, Richard was behind his desk. He had something in his hand, he was shouting at it.
Aeronwy recognized it from her vessel's memories. A phone. This man was calling for help. He flung a curse at her, but she dispelled it before it reached her. Her eyes locked on his, and it was over. The phone fell from his grasp as he stared at her, his muscles frozen.
As she'd done with Nathan, Aeronwy picked through Richard's thoughts, but this time she left his mind intact. She recognized he may have future value, a potential asset she would examine later, at her leisure.
From his mind, Aeronwy learned the whereabouts of their leader. The man who controlled this Brotherhood kept himself hidden away in a large estate home in Oxfordshire, where he lived in luxury. In the fifty years Richard had known the man, Alexander never aged. He always appeared some thirty-odd years old. And Richard had sensed the power in his boss, and he found it awesome, terrifying.
Aeronwy raised her eyebrows. Could this Alexander be another God? Could he be hiding his true nature, pulling strings and teaching these men magic, and using them to slowly purge the world of other divine influence and magical knowledge? It would leave the mortal realm for him alone.
She smiled. Suddenly this war had become much more interesting!
Her small hand was on Richard's neck now, he'd sunk to his knees as she approached. Aeronwy could feel his heartbeat, rapid and erratic. His breath came in short, shallow gasps. She wasn't even squeezing that hard.
Her eyes were still on his, which were wide with terror as she pulled one more piece of information from his mind. The catgirl, her sisters' missing child, was locked in a cell in the building's cellar.
Aeronwy smiled at the man, "I will examine the rest of your mind later. My work is not yet complete."
Her magic flared, and Richard was gone. Her hand that had been clutching his throat closed on a large multifaceted crystal. It looked like a diamond but there was a shimmer deep within, not unlike the fire inside an opal. She slipped the gem into the pocket of her hoodie.
As she walked back out of the office, she casually flicked a ball of fire over her shoulder. She sent two more down the hall as she made her way back to the staircase.
She had one more stop to make here. Then she would go and pay this Alexander a visit.
Delicious. Outright delicious. Also terrifiying.
