Invisible Empires

By Douglas Faber

Michael and Ellen's adventures continue in this third book of the AIrwalker Chronicles. When Michael is kidnapped to a bizarre place called Heaven's Wall, he finds out it is the barrier between Heaven and Hell and that he must face dangerous tests of his character and his misremembered abilities, in order to prepare for Armageddon! Ellen, meanwhile, tries desperately to rescue him and a VisionQuest is experienced by Pax, Brigyd and Rayne Hallows that leads everyone to Kansas to try and stop an evil, twisted version of a sacred Indian ritual known as the Ghostdance from wiping out all non-aboriginal life on the Earth! Tragedy will strike down one of the Black Court, yet love will hopefully still win the day in the end. Of course, Lucifer might have something to say about that! Introducing several new characters that will have long and fulfilling lives within the series' to come, Invisible Empires is the latest slice of urban fantasy life that goes above and beyond the battles between good and evil.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Douglas Faber
• Release date: Sep 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301129980

Douglas Faber

I am 54 years old, born in Wisconsin, married a second time to Marie.I have a daughter, Kayleigh, 18 years old, three cats who drive us nuts and are or will be in my books. I love music, reading, writing, cats and my family. I work at Wal-Mart(8 years & counting) and hope to write full time for a living.

Book preview

INVISIBLE EMPIRES

by

Doug D. Faber

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Douglas Dean Faber

License Notes: This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Excerpts from Invisible Innocents Copyright 2013 Douglas Dean Faber

Cover Design Someone to Watch Over Me(Michael & Ellen in performance) Copyright 2013 Paula Simmerman

Cover Design based on thoughts and idea of both Author and Artist — final design created by Paula Simmerman

Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com

Table of Contents

Prologue #1

Prologue #2

Prologue #3

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

About the Author

About the Artist

Music To Listen To

Soon the Earth would be covered by dust and a new Earth would be born. All Nations of Indians long-dead would come back to life. The White Man would disappear and the Buffalo would return.

Ghost Dance Chant(Kansas 1859)

Prologue #1

The DNA of an Angel, a Sylvan Fae, an Airwalker and the blood of a Demon, all combined into one multi-dimensional construct. Demetrios wore a lab coat made out of white rabbit fur, lined with aged and cured human skin; as he carried the fetus with the science-created DNA and the supernaturally enhanced molecular structure over to the living quarters, Demetrios trembled a little at what he was hoping to create. He placed the fetus, alone, on the stone floor and retreated out of the room, closing the hermetically sealed sliding door, everything done quickly, almost hastily. Pulling a remote device out of his fur coat and, pressing the central button on it three times, Demetrios watched the radiation pulse waves fill the room with an unearthily glow, radiating the fetus till it glowed.

Demetrios left the fetus to its predetermined fate and returned three hours later. Peering in the control window, he spied that the fetus had grown to about the size of a six year-old male child, wings jagged and cruel sprouted from its back. Eyes that were like a flies', multi-faceted and complex were surrounded by rocky protuberances that shaded the eyes from the intense light of the ceiling's phospherescent illumination. While he studied his creature, its visibility faded in and out several times and it lifted off the ground a few times and flew about the room. Claws tore from its taloned fingers on all four feet, retractable and deadly.

(D)Send in the bear-I wish to test our young harpy.(D) Another door, masquerading as part of the far metal wall, slid sideways and a massive North American Black Bear stumbled in, fueled by confusion and hunger and an industrial strength cattle-prod wielded by an unseen hand. The seven foot tall plus killing machine sniffed the air around it, before roaring its defiance, its anger, its supremacy over any living thing. The harpy hybrid went invisible, flew above the bears head and out-stretched claws and sliced several inch-deep cuts on its shaggy head and down the back before the young hybrid flew off into the corner of the room. The bear spun to face where the test tube spawn had gone, when the hybrid flew back , tearing the tendons on the bears rear paws before sinking sharp fangs into its neck.

Blood loss caused the bear to stumble in its own blood and the hybrid pinioned its talons into the bears back and began to use its sharpened fangs to rip off humongous chunks of fur- covered flesh off of the dying creature. Slowly the Black Bear fell face first to the cement floor and the hybrid began to feed.

Demetrios clicked the stop watch; less than two minutes had passed since the bear had entered the hybrids habitat. The harpy was only a youngster and yet had taken care of the Black Bear in an extremely short period of time. A few days more and the hybrid would be full grown. But just one lone hybrid wouldn't be enough, Demetrios knew—it would be the work of thousand upon thousands to storm Heaven's Gates...

Prologue #2

September 30th

Stand still, husband, or I'll not get this tie done correctly. And don't tell me that a tie isn't needed—this is our first Court Session and since I can't leave, because of little Marie, I will send you as a properly dressed representative of our Court. Ellen gave my silver tie one more tug and patted my chest, sighing, as if she were sending her first child off to school for the very first time. If she could have, Ellen would have been eyeing me and my outfit critically, before allowing me to saunter forth to face various Tribes of Fae on our home turf. She was somewhat upset to miss it all, the sound and the spectacle of it, even though it would have fallen on me to provide her with the visual aspects of the event anyways. Then our little Marie stirred, her tiny rosebud mouth opening and closing, distracting Ellen with the hungry, low-keyed cries of our firstborn.

When she fumbled a little with the buttons of her blouse, I took Marie from her and balanced her on my broad shoulders. Then I deftly undid those buttons and dropped the spitup-stained blouse to the nursery floor, bringing my deft fingers to the special 'Mother feeding' bra and undid both bra halves at the same time. Ellen put her hands our for me to put our pride and joy into and after I had done so, little Marie found the right nipple/feeding button and began to suck. Ellen turned her heart stealing, non-jealous jade green eyes towards me with mischievious intent and stated the obvious.

You enjoy seeing my enlarged breasts all too much, Mikey, you really need to get a new, um, never mind the rest of that misguided sentence. But you have to agree, that you do enjoy stripping me half naked when it's time to feed our little angel, yes?

Of course I do, sweetheart, but you sell yourself and me as well, a little short. I enjoy seeing your breasts-

Mi-cheal!

-at any time, anywhere, whether they are larger because you're pregnant-

Husband! Her mock outrage was causing her shoulders to quiver, a trickle-down effect that had her pregnancy-enhanced breasts bouncing and that made Marie fuss and lose her hold on the sweet milk dispenser. She wailed her displeasure and Ellen gave me a sassy smile that told me I had to behave if I wanted our child to feed.

-or smaller when you're not pregnant, with the nipples taut and hard because of excitement-

=Mikos, you've got to behave yourself! Besides, you're making me weak in the knees and you're leaving in an hour or so for the Court Sessions...Bastard. How you turn me on with just your honeyed words and gentle hands...Gah! Now I'm helping you turn me on. Stop staring at me like that." She switched Marie to the other breast and I moved quickly to cup, squeeze the freed breast, fingering up a last drop of Mother's milk, tasting her myself before finally replacing the white fabric into place with the straps of the bra. =That was sexy=, Ellen thought snarkily, =what's next for you? Are you going to put Marie aside and finish off this breast? Oh I shouldn't have put that thought out there, should I? Bet I know what you're thinking about now!=

>You always do know more about me than you should, you know. That's kind of frightening when you consider that statement for awhile.< Marie chose this time to finish and belch most unPrincess-like before Ellen had shifted her to the nappy covered shoulder I had reclothed for her(also adding the nappy). Ellen gently tapped Marie's tiny back anyways and brought forth another unladylike eruption then with a huge yawn, silently declared herself ready for a nap.

=Maybe you shouldn't leave just yet...It might be quite awhile before we get another chance to act like randy teenagers again, with you so busy at the Court and me, barefoot and not pregnant anymore. Have you got the time, sailor?=

>Reckon I do, little Missy. Shall we saunter down to the bedroom..."

Ellen giggled and tucked Marie in with her new blankie, made expressively for her by a new Navajo member of our court, Tavis ManyHorses. =Really, saunter? Who uses that language anymore, Husband? I think we should stay in the nursery, this is not her usual time to nap. I doubt she'll stay down for longer than...say, an hour or two? So, let's make the best of the time we have right here.=

>I love it when your voice gets all husky like that...<

=NOW, husband of mine....=

Prologue #3

I began the first Sessions in our Court Halls, presiding over a group that included Fae, Wilde and even a few humans, without my wife or child. Backing me during this initial Court meeting was Pax Verum, Queen Brigyd and Rayne Hallows. We had at least fifty Fae from Rios de los Angelos and Prairie du Chien, another fifty to seventy-five from the northern parts of Wisconsin, plus representatives from the four corners of the Wilde Eco-Society. We had a 'leaf' man made out of earth, muck, twigs and well, leaves; we had one from the waters of Lake Michigan who had hitched a ride to the Wisconsin River and made his way to us via the Mississippi River, formed mostly of water(Duh!), fish, seaweed and other plant-life from the lakes and rivers he'd been in over his lifetime. The third Wilde emissary came from the 'Winds', and consisted of wind-blown trash, articles of clothing it found in its travels and trying like hell to appear humanoid for our court meeting.The fourth and final Wilde emissary emerged from within the Earth and while he technically did not represent 'fire', the fourth element, it came with heated rock as its backbone, limestone as its legs and feet and striated stone forming its arms and upper body, with eyes of fire.

So, well over two hundred, um, people, were assembled in our stone court and, if I have the time, I'll describe the Court that the Wilde and the Fae architects built but an ominous feeling told me that time was pressing in on me. Of these 'peoples' gathered here, some had needs that were pressing to them but seemed less so to us, most didn't have any current problems at all, so the Wilde wind representative came up to the throne before us(Not the 'royal' us, but the group of people I had mentioned before that were helping me steer through these uncharted waters).

'His' voice whistled through the caves like a gale force confined to the subway, whistling along the stone walls in search of an exit . Since its sibilant speech was hard enough to understand for us, I'll just translate the entire dialogue verbatim.

I am of the winds that send you aloft Michael Airwalker and come bearing a gift you have lost. We found this item in the Northern reaches of this state you call 'Wisconsin', possibly lost during one of your battles with your religious demons.

The Wilde Wind's speech came towards the end of the second day of the 'Fall Gathering' as it had been dubbed by the more-anal/detail retentive/oriented of our 'Tribe' and I had lost track of what 'he' had been talking about, trying to gather my wits and decipher his strange dialect, when he whistled a little closer and tossed something towards me. As it tumbled end over end, closer and closer to me, moving as if in slow motion like the space station in '2001', I heard Pax and Rayne to my right exclaim about the object and the Queen Mother to my left also began to speak, but the moment and the object sped up and I grabbed it, I realized that this was the Codex we had lost earlier in the year and then I was

Chapter One

ONE

Where did you send him? Pax Verum.

What did you throw to him? Rayne Hallows.

Why did you throw it to him? Is this how you treat your King-to-Be? Brigyd.

I meant no harm-I was sent by his family to deliver that to him. The Wilde Wind backed away from this onslaught of anger and hesitantly began to dissipitate. Pax Verum stabbed the ground with his staff of power and spoke a few words meant to bind the Wilde to his solid form, chained down yet without chains, and the wind howled a little less, soon stopping altogether in trying to escape.

Queen Brigyd patted Pax on the shoulder and stepped away from the head table to approach the captive Wilde Wind. Her eyes began to smolder and blaze, her teeth gleamed with a predatory intensity and she brought up her hands in a palm-open gesture, with smoke and stars shooting towards the sky.

(QB) Do you recognize me, Air-Lord? I recognized you, just after you tossed the codex towards my son-in-law. Who gave you this task and why? Before you give me a glib answer, I do have the power to tear you asunder and scatter your molecules across the universe, so that you never come together again. So, your answer?(QB)

(W) Yes, I recognize you, Queen Brigyd. Queen of the Native American Fae. So I tell you this true—Petoyr Aurelieus is the Angelic Host who sent me but I sensed another power, a higher power, a Higher Authority, behind him, pulling the strings—orchestrating everything. As to why or where, I am not sure. The only words I caught from Petoyr before coming here with the codex was Heaven's Wall. Does this mean anything to you, Mistress?(W)

Queen Brigyd blanched and backed away from the whirling Wilde, gesturing for Pax to come over, to be by her side.

(QB) We have a problem.(QB)

(XX) What is 'Heaven's Wall'? I have never come across this term-is it a place? Physical or metaphysical?(XX)

(QB) Heaven's Wall is indeed a place, both physical and metaphysical. It is a world unto itself, millions of miles wide and long, it encircles the whole of Heaven. The most important thing to know about Heaven's Wall is that it literally separates Heaven from Hell and if Michael is there, then we really have a problem—it means that Heaven has recruited him for the final battle. Apocalypse. Ragnarok. The end times, Rapture. Revelations. Whatever you want to call it, that's what is going to happen. We have to bring him back and soon.(QB)

(XX) I thought they were going to leave him be, for awhile, according to Eva and Maria?(XX)

(QB) I believed the same. We need to keep this from my daughter, at least for the time being. I would not risk her becoming ill, depressed, because of this.(QB)

.

-gone. Before I even set my feet down on the solid ground I hoped to find below me, I gathered my will and became 'Mr. Cellophane'. When I did touch down and looked around me, I became aware of several things at once. One, I was on a gray slab of ground that extended both to my left and right, for as far as I could see. Two, the barrier behind me seemed to burn with flames torn from the dark under-belly of Hell itself and appeared several miles away. Three, ahead of me at about the same distance, dazzling lights and quiet, peaceful bliss seems to beckon me. Lastly, I looked above my head and saw twinkling stars hovering outside a glass-substance ceiling that was yet again, miles above my head. I reached behind my shoulders, was satisfied when I felt my weapons' hilts were where they were supposed to be and I began to think about my next move.

>Ellen? Eva? Pax?<

>Brigyd? Anybody?<

{Anybody?}

>Not you, Asshole.<

{But I could tell you where you ar-re..}

>Says the Prince of Lies...<

{Suit yourself, Angel-boy. But Heaven's Wall is gonna be one busy place, soon enough. Take care!}

Heaven's Wall? The name certainly struck a chord, ringing a memory deep inside my subconscious, but there it stayed. It may surface, it may not—aye, that was the rub indeed. Seeing as the telepathic pathways were cut off to me, I placed my hand over the 'Hidden Treasure' ring Eva had given me at our wedding. I sent out messages but if they got through, I couldn't tell. I certainly didn't receive any messages in return.

I decided I needed a better understanding of my surroundings, so out came my wings and I lifted myself up about four hundred feet or so. The clear ceiling was still a long ways away but I really didn't have any desires to fly that high to find out. Off to my left the gray 'ground' went on uninterrupted and to my right was more of the same—gray, flat unending ground. Ahead of me(now that I had a different perspective) was a miles-high wall of black and poisoned apple red flames. I could see nothing else within it or without. I pirouetted 180 degrees to face what I begun to assume was the 'Heaven' part of Heaven's Wall, only to be nearly blinded by the intensity and power of the glow that it radiated.

Well, that had gained me absolutely nada, zilch, zippo, nothing. Height and a different persepective hadn't helped matters at all and I believed that flying for miles in either direction over the gray pathway would gain me nothing as well, that left me with trying to enter, or, at least, to touch the walls that safeguarded Heaven and Hell. But which side first?

.

(xx)So where can we find any information on this Heaven's Wall? Can we contact Michael's Mother—or is she responsible for his situation?(xx)

(QB)We can always try to contact his Mother, I don't know if she'll-hmm? What can I do for you, Ambassador of the Wilde?(QB)

(W) I represent the Forest of Mother Earth and I have tried to penetrate through to this 'Heaven's Wall', that our Air-Kin mentioned, but there is no Earthly living green either in the wall or behind either side of Heaven or Hell. One would have thought that at least Heaven would have had lush gardens or the like, but I am afraid I'm of no use to you at this critical time.(W)

(QB)What of the other Wilde, such as you, Wilde of Earth and Fire? Can you bridge the gap between this world and Heaven's Wall?(QB)

(EW)I will try it, my lady, but I think we should limit our party to one of you and 'ourselves', no more. The balance must be kept on Heaven's Wall, this is the legend We have heard, between Good and Evil there must be a balance. If more than one person and my multiple conglomerate personalities/possibilities sally forth to rescue your Airwalker, then Hell will surely demand their presence be made known on the neutral ground that is the Wall. In truth, Evil may not even petition for that— more likely they will just show up and in force, too, as the Evil forces will not hold to the 'agreement' between God and Lucifer, his first Fallen. So, one of you should accompany me, but only one.(EW)

(xx)I will-(xx)

(QB)No you will not, Pax Verum.(QB)

The Queen seemed to think for a minute, silencing the murmuring around her with a slim, elegant hand thrust into the air at the height of the cacophony and discordant discussions. She trained her piercing eyes into the crowd surrounding her and found the personage she was looking for.

Vincentes Calientos, if you would approach us?

Your Majesty.

I need a willing warrior to go with the Wilde Earth representative, to try and find Michael Iskarios, the Airwalker who will be King of this Court in due time. Are you my man?

I am your Man, Majesty. Let me but arm myself and I will be ready to leave immediately.

What are your weapons of choice, Vincentes?

Battle Axe for my left hand, Your Majesty, a long sword for my right.

Take the best you can find from our Armoury, Vincentes, take what suits you best.

You are too kind to a poor warrior, Your Majesty.

And Vincentes?

Yes, your Majesty?

Succeed is bringing back my son-in-law alive and whole, Vincentes Calientos, and whatever I can gift you with, as long as it is agreeable to me, I will give to you.

Vincentes' black eyes sparkled and an anticipatory smile graced his lean, aquiline face. It was his only reply.

.

Ellen hummed along to Madeleine Peyroux's new cd, Bare Bones, the one she had promoted on the tour they had all attended and proceeded to uncover her left breast for Marie Brigyd to suck at. Hungry you are, my lagan love. You might be needing both of these to fill your stomach this fine morning, yes? Then we'll go visit the kitties, yes? And then your cousins—we will go keep Auntie Eva company till our menfolk come back from the Courts' intrigues.

Marie's tiny green eyes stared up at her Mother's face while she fed. After duly feeding from both of Ellen's full breasts and being burped, they indeed visited the cat corral, set up in the family room, where Eva and her twins were already there, waiting for them. A Russian Blue pair followed them to the combined family room, where one of the many playpens were situated, and jumped into the cushioned pen to 'scout' it out before all three girls were gently deposited to play. Eva joined Ellen on a large, comfy sofa placed not too far from the playpen, leaving the Russian Blues to watch and occasionally play inside—while a Siamese pair 'patrolled' the rest of the room, outside and away from the pen.

So whose turn is it to babysit the children tonight, whose turn to go out on the town?

Pax and I have the 'duty' of watching the children, Ellen, yours to enjoy a night on the town with your Husband in tow.When is this session of the Court over, do you know, exactly?

Mikos said that the last day should be over by noon, but...I'm thinking it's going to be much later than that.

Eva moved closer to Ellen, till she was able to put her arm around her little sister's shoulders and give her a quick hug. Why are you worrying...

"I have a bad feeling, Eva, worming itself deep inside my head. An ill wind blowing bad news, you could say.

I had hoped for some down time with Mikey before something else wicked this way came. But such is our way of life, I guess. Come here, Tarot. Sit with me, too. The heavy three-year old dark tortoiseshell cat jumped onto her lap and settled, kneading its paws on Ellen's kneecaps, 'merrowing' in a sympathetic manner.

.

Vincentes had selected his weapons of choice, added a few pieces of body armor in key places and presented himself as ready to depart, informing the Earth Wilde who was to be his guide. The Wilde Earth composite creature looked over the eager Fae warrior, seeing a slim but well-muscled shorter male of his species, with his hair rather long and black as coal, adorning his chin as well as his lips. His face was fuller than the frame that