The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into Iriisii vs The Grand Matrons

 The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into Iriisii vs The Grand Matrons

     Iriisii steps onto the Bridge, the Duty Command Officer rises to relinquish the 'Chair' to Iriisii, then moves to the left side slightly behind her. Their professionalism in the time since Iriisii saved them from the Grand Matrons in control of the ships they were assigned to, has been a testament to their devotion to her. They know she only doles out punishment when it is merited, and is not excessive in its use, preferring to use rewards to inspire the discipline she wants and expects. And now she keeps her promise to find and save their sisters still in bondage to the Grand Matrons. The science station reports their entry into the target system and waits for further course change instructions. 

     "Move us up and over the plane of the ecliptic by fifteen degrees, I want a good view of when the Grand Matons arrive before they notice us. Reaper, when they arrive, engage visual distortion cloaking, I want them to think we are a rogue brown dwarf moving into the system. At least until we are close enough to hail them and see the surprise on their faces when we release cloaking. 

     Science Officer, keep passive scans working throughout until we go into combat, I expect that 'Zombie' mothership carrier to make an appearance. 'Weapons' crew, if it does show and you get an opportunity to disable its engines, I will give each member of the crew that makes the hit, a week's shore leave, at my expense, at the destination of your choice." The spontaneous cheer that erupts can be heard echoing through the corridors.

     Rigmor and the others of the core group hear it as she comments, "I pity the poor fools that she has just made a target of, they don't stand a chance now. Not that they deserve a chance, but now they are 'dead meat' and will not realize it until it is too late."

     "Who do you think it is? The Grand Matrons or the Praetor?"

     "I would not bet on either if I know her at all. It will be someone else that makes a surprise entrance."

     "You think that 'Zombie' ship will show up again?"

     "It would not surprise me, not with us, the Grand Matrons, and the Praetor, all together in the same place. Hmmm, Atticus, and you, Lilith, make sure your people know this is a strong possibility. Keep them armed and armored for just such an encounter. We do not want to be caught by surprise, I have a feeling, trouble is coming, and I want us ready."

     Atticus and Lilith both rise from the table and go to their Legions to pass the information. They have learned not to take Rigmor's pronouncements of 'trouble' lightly.

     "Just what are these 'zombies' you called them?"

     "Another kind of undead, animated corpses, these are fast, strong, relentless, and worst of all, pass on what made them, virus, poison, whatever it is, in either a bite or scratch. Get either one or both and you become one of them in less than a minute, willing, ready, and able to attack your comrades. The only ways to kill them are to separate the head from the body, no particular means needs, just separate the two, or completely destroy the body, fire is most effective. Anything less and they will get back up and come after you.

     The last time they showed, only a few were ported over into a ship, but if you do not know how to deal with them...well, two become four, become eight, become sixteen. You see where I am going with this, they multiply like rabbits, and they are not cute, cuddly, and furry. They can completely take over a ship in less than an hour. You can use spells, signs, whatever you have to push them around and off of you, just do not fail to follow up and destroy their heads, or you will be joining them. If you will excuse me, I need to see to adding additional guards for the nursery."

     Word spreads of what they might be facing, and everyone makes sure they have a sharpened blade or two extra from their normal weapons. Reaper adjusts the ship's life sensors to detect the coldness of the zombies and report their presence if any are detected. Many of the warriors and Matre's make vows to their friends and mates to end them if they are bitten or scratched. All of them pull out special armor, made by Iriisii herself, to cover them completely, yet leave them able to fight effectively. Made of especially small links of alternating Ayim metal and 'Void metal', each generously overlapping the other to provide additional puncture resistance. It is almost as flexible as cloth, yet able to protect from either a spear thrust, sword thrust, any type of pointed weapon. Everyone feels confident that wearing this armor will protect them in the worst case they could think of.

     "Goddess, ships approaching on targeted course."

     "How many?"

     "Twelve confirmed."

     "Damn, they lost some more to the Praetor. Well, it cannot be helped, it is our purpose to take what remains, salvage the Honored Matre's and hand the Grand Matrons over for punishment. Perhaps the Praetor will see sense and let us do what we came here for."

     "And if he will not?"

     "Then we do what we must. Their hands are not clean of innocent blood, so if they interfere, they pay the price of their foolishness. Watch for that 'zombie' carrier, if it shows, I want to know immediately."

     The 'Grand Matrons' ships slowly come into the system, scanners actively reading everything they can reach.

     "Grand Matron, reading a 'rogue' brown dwarf star, moving through the system, currently above the ecliptic at ten degrees."

     "Noted. Any readings indicating any ships having traveled through recently?"

     "No, Grand Matron, all readings negative."

     "Good, maybe we gave the Praetor the slip with that last maneuver."

     The navigator wisely keeps her thoughts to herself and stays silent.

     "Can we hide behind that brown dwarf, use it to mask our engine trail?"

     The science officer replies, "yes, Grand Matron. Its neutron output would mask us quite well from the Praetor's sensors."

     "Navigation, plot a course to bring us behind it, let it mask us until we can make sure the Praetor has missed us or we can use it to cover our escape."

     "Plotting course now. Course plotted and laid in."

     "Execute!"

     "Goddess, the 'Grand Matron' ships are moving, it looks like they want to use us to mask them from the Praetor's ships sensors."

     "Will it work?"

     "Unknown at the moment, if they get in our wake and shut down their engines, allow our gravity to pull them behind us, then yes it would work, as long as the Praetor does not search behind us."

     "Allow them to do it, then we will see how things progress. Iriisii to all ships personnel, rig for 'silent running', I repeat, rig for 'silent running'."

     Immediately, everything that is loose is gathered and placed in cabinets, lockers, any kind of storage, and secured against accidental release. Rigmor hears the announcement and thinks, 'this is serious if she wants to go into 'silent running'. She looks to the babies, and they seem to also know the seriousness, as they are quiet and barely move, eyes taking in everyone else's activities.

     "All sections reporting by silent responses, 'silent running' protocol in place."

     "Good, no active scanners, keep passive scanners to minimum power, random starts, and a random duration."

     "New scanner protocol set and activated."

     "Now we sit, wait, and watch."

     The seconds turn into minutes, the minutes accumulate into a couple of hours, and no sign of the Praetor's ships entering the system. Then the Praetor's ships, all twenty of them blast into the system at full speed, behind them is the 'zombie' carrier ship. The Praetor's ships are firing on it with everything they have, but the carrier must have some very powerful shields as it seems to just shrug off the attacks.

     "Comm, can you intercept their communications. I need to evaluate their position?"

     "Launching tight beam relay probe, programming it to keep us between it and the Grand Matrons ships."

     "Launch when ready."

     "Launching probe, we should receive comm signal in five, four, three, two, one. The viewer lights up with what is going on in the Praetor's Command ship.

     "All ships, keep firing, concentrate your fire on and as close to the same point as you can, overload those shields! Damn, what is that ship made of, and where, in the 'Abyssal Hells' did it come from?"

     "Unknown Praetor. Praetor, there is a rogue brown dwarf entering the system from the ecliptic plane, maybe we can slingshot around and either escape or come at him so fast, we can use those kinetic torpedoes. If we can get enough velocity before firing he cannot avoid them and since they have no active positronics, they can shoot through his shields."

     "That is the best idea I have heard all day, Second. Make necessary course adjustments."

     "Goddess!, if they slingshot around they will drop right into the Grand Matron's ships! It will be a free-for-all, and that will give that 'Zombie' carrier the opportunity to drop some on all of the ships! What are your orders?"

     "Reaper disengage cloaking, now! Engage holding tractor field around the Grand Matron's ships. Comm, open me a channel to both sets of ships, and I need it yesterday! Patch them both in as soon as you have them! Reaper, power up the Krang, full power, engage teleport shields around everyone. Let us show these idiots, who the real power is around here!"

     As the Dwarf's surface gasses are retracted back into pressurized containment, the towers of the Krang are exposed to sight.

     Alarms start clanging on the Grand Matron's ships. "What in the 'Abyss' is happening?" 

     "Grand Matron, the brown dwarf!"

     "What about it? If you cannot tell me then show me, put it on the viewer."

     As the viewer powers up, it shows the surface gasses of the brown dwarf flowing somewhere out of sight, exposing the golden towers of the Krang, floating on the inner layers of the star's fusion reaction. Then the towers begin to glow at the bottom, the different colors rising in bands from bottom to top before repeating.

     "What in all of the darkest hells is that?"

     The Science Officer whispers in awe, "a ship, that is a ship! Everything about it is unknown, but it is drawing power from the core of the star."

     "Is there anything, anyone can tell me about that ship and who is commanding it?"

     "We are receiving a 'hail' from them."

     "Patch it through. I want to hear everything!"

     On the Praetor's ships, things are not much better.

     "Praetor! There is an activity from the brown dwarf!"

     "Put it on the viewer, now!"

     The Praetor is paralyzed, his Second seeing what has happened takes command until the Praetor recovers. 

     "Give me everything you can find out about whatever that is! At least it does not look to be allied with that bastard behind us." As he watches both forward, and reverse viewers, he sees the 'zombie' carrier trying hard to execute evasive maneuvers and get out of the system.

     "Second! We are being hailed from the dwarf!"

     "Activate the third view screen, now!" Just as the 'zombie' carrier turns and exposes its engines, and before the Second can order an attack on those engines, he sees a beam of 'terrible' energy cascade from several of the golden towers around into a circle, that then shoots out and impacts the engines of the carrier, blowing its shields into nonexistence, and punching a hole completely through the engine compartment. Strangely there are no gasses being vented into space, no sign of debris, just what was that energy beam composed of to do that!

     "Goddess, 'Zombie' carrier is turning to run. Orders?"

     "Reaper, when your weapons crews have a shot, hit it with the 'EV' beam. I want to take that ship intact, find out all we can from it. Now to see if I can talk some sense into these idiots."

     Dettlaff walks in and stands on the opposite side of Iriisii from the Command Duty Officer. Iriisii having changed into her dragon scale mesh armor, activates the 'Celestial Armor' on top of it, adjusts her katana, and tells Comm to engage the viewer.

     At first, the other two are arguing, and then notice that Iriisii's signal is active. They stop their banter and anxiously await Iriisii to introduce herself.

     "This is the 'Dovakiin Krang', and I am Iriisii Dovahkiin, Elder Goddess commanding. If you want to get out of this situation alive, you will listen to me and do exactly what I ask of you. Who is commanding the Praetor's ships, please identify yourself and the current status of your ships and crew?"

     The Praetor is incapacitated for the moment, I am simply known as 'Second'. The remaining ships are intact and all reports say the crews are good. May I ask why your interest?"

     "Have any of your ships been breached by that carrier teleporting anything on board?"

     "Science officer scan last records, any indication of anything being teleported aboard any of our ships?"

     "None of the ones with us now. Curious, there was activity on the ones that faltered and dropped off. We received no communications from them prior to them going offline."

     "Does that answer your question?"

     "Yes it does, I am sorry for the ships you lost, all aboard should now be declared dead. In the event you identify any of those ships in the future, destroy them at once with no hesitation."

     "What do you mean?! There may be survivors on those ships!"

     "No, there are no survivors. What is now on those ships, you would be doing them an act of mercy to destroy them."

     "Why are you telling us this?"

     "I am requesting that you return to where you came from and forget about this region of space."

     "I am sorry, I cannot abrogate my duty in that manner. I have orders to apprehend those who are hiding behind you and it is not in me to disobey orders."

     "They are my responsibility to deal with, and I will do that. You can rest assured that those responsible for what happened will be punished for those and other more heinous crimes."

     "I see some Honored Matre's on your bridge, will you tell me how you can reconcile what I see with what you say?"

     "The 'Grand Matrons' are the guilty party in these matters, not the Honored Matre's. I have already dealt with two of their ships, and the guilty among them are doing penance as we speak, the remaining asked for and I granted their taking service with me. I intend to do the same with these. Also, you should know that your efforts to acquire the old weapons from the Time Vaults, had they succeeded, would have placed you in the exact same situation the Grand Matrons will soon be in."

     "You! You are the one who raided the 'Vaults'!"

     "No, I raided nothing. I was tasked with collecting them and placing them in safekeeping. They destroyed many civilizations, and almost destroyed many more. As long as they stayed in the 'Vaults', the Greater Powers were content that they remain there. But with the efforts of you and the Grand Matrons to acquire them, they could not be allowed to be released to cause widespread destruction once more. Creation is in enough danger as it is now, if those weapons came back into use, nothing would survive the cataclysm to come."

     "So you say."

     "It is not my fault you and yours are not mature enough to see beyond the end on your own noses. There are powers within Creation and outside that you know nothing of, but they know of you. And some are not above manipulating you for their own ends. Your own ignorance of what is around you, can and will be your undoing. It is part of my destiny to prevent that from causing more damage than it absolutely must. It is within me to show compassion and mercy whenever possible to do this, but make no mistake, I can be more ruthless than you think when I must be, to correct the mistakes that threaten to destroy all of Creation and the universes that are contained within, of which this one is just one of infinity. If you will please hold from any more exclamations, I need to speak to the Grand Matrons, you may of course listen in if you so wish. I have nothing to hide in regard to them.

     Grand Matrons! You stand in violation of the highest laws of the 'Mother of the Cosmos'. Your guilt is beyond question as scenes of what you have done are known to all the Greater Gods. Two of your number have already been given over to punishment. Their ships taken, the Honored Matre crews have renounced you and taken service with me, once they were shown how you have used them to extend your own lifespans. What you have done constitutes the foulest arts of Necromancy. You have been tried and found guilty, all that remains is to be bound over and delivered for just punishment."

     "And who are you to stand in judgment over us?"

     "I am Iriisii Dovahkiin, Elder Goddess, avowed Daughter of the 'Mother of the Cosmos' and Heir to her 'Divine Mantle'. In terms you may understand, I will be the next 'Mother of the Cosmos' and will oversee all of the Creations, and all of the Realms, empires, worlds, within them, and the inhabitants thereof. If you have a care about the Honored Matre's that are under your purview, you will surrender yourselves to me and release them from your service that they may either join with me or go their own way."

     "First we, the 'Grand Matrons' do not recognize you or your authority, furthermore why should we do what you say?"

     "I will show your Honored Matre's exactly what use you have been putting selected members of them too. Do you think once this is done they will not engage in a full-scale mutiny? It matters not to me if you surrender yourselves to me or if they shove you out the nearest airlock without a suit. Your souls will be collected and turned over to the 'Mother' for punishment. It matters not that you in your hubris, do not understand the workings of the 'Celestial Powers'. We exist whether you acknowledge us or not and so it is our responsibility to deal with you when our laws are transgressed.

     For your edification, these laws were put into place millions upon millions of years ago when the first 'Mother of the Cosmos' accepted the 'Mantle' of that power and ascended to immortality. As she still maintains that position, her laws have not changed in all of that time. And all those mortal and immortal are subject to them.

     That ship that I have disabled has also transgressed our laws and must pay the price for their decision. It is but a 'carrier' and I must go over, clear its plague from it, and determine who is behind it, how did they come about, where are they from, that justice is done to the ones that brought it into existence. In order to do this, I must drop the teleportation shield that I have erected around your ships. When I do this, whatever commands that ship will be able to teleport its plague onto your ships, condemning them to most unholy slavery.

     To combat this and preserve your crews, I will send my own troops, trained, armed, and armored, specifically to combat what will be ported onto your ships. There is no other way to do this, for I must have the information aboard that ship, and I am loathed to unnecessarily sacrifice your people for me to acquire it. I will however give to you the choice of allowing my troops onto your ships. If you do not, the blood spilled will be on your hands, the deaths of your people will be the stain upon your own souls. You have five minutes to give me your answer.

     'Second', this goes as well for your ships and people. You have as yet not transgressed upon any Celestial Laws, so all I am tasked to do is to protect your ships and people in my efforts to find out who or what has put these 'Zombie Undead' ships out to prey upon unsuspecting travelers. I would have none of yours come to harm while I carry out my own duties, but I will carry out my duties, and that includes protecting you and yours whether you approve or not. Fire or harm any of mine, and the cost to you will be high, let us do our work and we will leave you in peace when we depart. The choice is yours, you have five minutes to give me your answer."

     As the minutes click by, the urgency grows.

     "Reaper prepare teleport from the Honored Matre ships I designate, I will want all ships personnel with the exception of the Grand Matrons ported into the holding area being used by my dragon children, please instruct them in my name to guard the mortals against anything that might be teleported in other than the mortals. I will also want squads of the Dragon Legion and the Sirens ready to be teleported onto both the Honored Matre ships and the Praetor's ships. They will be free to attack any zombies they come across, also they are authorized to use deadly force when needed to protect themselves against attack from any other sources. The Siren squads are to be assigned to the Honored Matre ships, and the Dragon Legion squads to the Praetor's ships. Do you have any questions?"

     "What do you plan for the 'Zombie' carrier ship?"

     "When we have secured the other ships, I will want a combined force of our people, including myself, Elric, Dettlaff, Atticus, and his main force, Lilith, and her main force to port over to the carrier ship. Proceed to clear it of all zombies, anything or anyone alive, mortal or AI is to be captured and held for interrogation. I will want our techs to go over all ship's systems and download all information they can get, keep it secure, and analyze under the strictest data security. Use isolated sandboxed systems to keep them away from our main systems. I want to take no chances with whatever we find over there."

     "As you will it, Goddess."

     "Rigmor, the crap is about to start getting thrown against the wall. Do you have extra guards?

     "Yes, I do. All of the children are now and will be safe."

     "Good, I will see you when this is over."

     "Be careful out there, there is only one of you and I want you safe."

     "I love you as well, be safe, my love. Now let us see who we can save and who will refuse us."

     "Grand Matrons, what is your answer?"

     "We disavow any knowledge of you and any authority you say you have. We will not cooperate in the least with you."

     "Very well, on your own head be your fates. Reaper, activate transmission of recording, send this to the Praetor's ships as well, that they know why we want the Grand Matrons so badly."

     "WAIT, what are you doing?"

     "What I said I would do, nothing more. Your Honored Matre's will now see what fate awaits them at your hand and discretion. You essentially say you have committed no crimes, then you should have no fear of what the recording will reveal."

     As the recording plays across the Honored Matre ships, the Krang defeating all efforts of the Grand Matrons to stop the transmission. Evidence mounts of the severe discord running rampant. A few ships are seen having bodies sucked out into space from open airlocks. On others, there are comm signals showing fighting in every area of the ships.

     Three of the ships have the Grand Matrons of those ships personally call Iriisii and surrender themselves if she will save their people. Iriisii has Reaper teleport the crews of those ships into the dragon holding area, where the dragons have been asked to protect those sent there. the Grand Matrons are ported into an area converted into a brig to await being given over to the Soul Hounds of the 'Mother'. Once the time limit has expired once again, Iriisii instructs Reaper to teleport the remaining Honored Matres into the dragon holding area, the Grand Matrons are to be left aboard, and the outer teleport shield retracted from those ships. It will now be up to Death to collect their souls once the zombies have found them.

     "Second, what say you to what you have learned?"

     "I...I had no idea of the level the Grand Matrons had sunk to. Even though my Emperor wants them, it is obvious that the crimes you want them for far outweigh his. He will have to be satisfied with the punishment they will endure from the 'Mother'. I will not stand in your way, even if my Emperor demands my life in exchange."

     "Wait! The Emperor you serve would take your life for saving your people's lives?"

     "He would see only the disobedience of his orders, nothing else would matter."

     "And what of your crewmen, would they suffer the same for following your orders?"

     "The higher-level ones, yes, the lower would be enslaved and sent to the mining worlds, there to work until they die, for the greater glory of the Empire."

     "We will speak on this again later, for now, will you accept my troops to protect your people when I drop the teleport shield?"

     "Yes, it is obvious to me, you have said nothing but the truth, and I have no further reason to doubt your word or your intent."

     "I thank you, 'Second' for your commitment to the welfare and safety of those under your command. You are a worthy officer, regardless of how your Emperor would see it."

     Dettlaff looks at Iriisii with concern on his face.

     "I will speak to him further before allowing him to leave. If I cannot persuade him to change his allegiance, then so be it, but I promise you I will try."

     "Thank you, the Realms need men like him. They are too valuable to waste like that."

     "I agree with you, and we will do all within our power to keep him. Do you think if we include him when we board the 'zombie' carrier, it might help change his mind? If he feels he can be of better use to the Empire he serves, to fight its unknown enemies alongside us?"

     "It certainly cannot hurt."

     "Then that is what we will do. Reaper, send the Dragon Legion squads over to the Praetor's ships. Keep the Honored Matre ships in tow behind us, we will claim them after we clean them out.

Prepare to port all our assigned combat forces over to the 'zombie' carrier right after the teleport shield is dropped. Also, send over to 'Second' that first set of mesh armor that I made for our troops. Send him word that if he wishes to join us in boarding and clearing that carrier, he need only don the armor. It will fit itself to him, he can provide his own weaponry that he is most comfortable using. When all is done, drop the shield and port us all over."

     It does not take long before everything is ready. The Krang is quite efficient when it is allowed to utilize its resources for battle.

     They suddenly fade out from the Krang and fade into the carrier ship. Everyone drops into combat positions, readies weapons, and waits for orders.

     "Dettlaff, you and Elric take point. We will follow close behind, the Krang has located the Command Bridge, which is our target. The other teams all have their own targets, so let us go forth. If it is not one of ours, or alive, destroy it."

     They start moving through the corridors, something that strikes Iriisii right away is the lack of the obvious. No waste anywhere, no signs of blood, everything is spotlessly clean. She gestures everyone to stop and mentally asks Dettlaff to stop. She then utilizes a changed shout based on 'Aura Whisper', where aura whisper shows everything living in a distinct radius from her, this new shout does the same for dead and animated dead. She whispers 'Zol Yah Nir', and she sees the presence of a great many of them scattered throughout the ship, with the largest concentration ahead, about where the Bridge would be. She tells everyone what she did and saw, then says to proceed with caution and as quietly as possible.

     Onward they move, seeing only a few stragglers where Dettlaff placed the bodies out of the way inside rooms. When she catches up to Dettlaff, he is at a junction just before the entrance to the Bridge, she quietly checks in with the other teams. So far everything is going good, which worries the 'hell' out of her, nothing ever goes this good with so much at stake. She utilizes another whisper and sees substantially fewer 'zombies' than she did before. She sends a coded message to Reaper, telling him that when a team has completed their assignment and cleared their area, pull them out and back to the Krang. Do not let them go anywhere else, if she needs more, she will ask for them. She also instructs him to put a 'tracker' somewhere on the ship, so that if it either slips away on its own or another comes and gets it, the signal can be tracked to its destination. Reaper sends a confirmation signal, while Iriisii informs her team of what she has done.

     Everyone understands her reasoning and agrees with her decision. 'Second' has had a real awakening regarding her abilities to command and make appropriate decisions. He notes that she always thinks of her people first and is not afraid to send them out of harm's way when they are not needed or the situation is questionable. He thinks how much better would his Empire be with a ruler who thought as she does. This has to be the reason for such unwavering loyalty that he has seen from the disparate races of those following her.

     She looks around, evaluating their next moves. Most other commanders would push everyone into the Bridge and take care of business. She though thinks this would be the wrong thing to do, that is expected and she needs to do the unexpected.

     She kneels and bows her head, speaking to all those within her, ancestral memories included, she asks but a single question. "My Dragon Children told me, they sacrificed their lives in the unfathomable depths of the past to free me from a prison made to capture and hold me. They said I promised no matter how long it took, I would restore them to me and to life once again. This I did in Middle Nirn, far south of Mordor, within the Mountains of Wolves Fangs when I resurrected all three hundred thirty in one spell, and then fought and destroyed the 'Red Crystal Woman', she made of 'Red Lyrium' and cleansed my children of its corruption. The question I ask of you is this, is this all an elaborate trap to take me back into the past to be imprisoned, where my dragon children sacrifice their lives to free me?"

     There is a tumult of conversation, back and forth, while all seek consensus for an answer to her question. Finally, an answer comes, 'we feel you are correct in your assessment. But you know you must do this alone, no one can go with you. If they do, they will not return, and if they somehow prevent your return, the temporal paradox created will destroy Creation as thoroughly as if you had never come forth to fight for Creation at all.'

     "Thank you, that answer tells me what I need to do. I must ask that all of you return to the Krang and await my return."

     "What is this? You know none of us would ever do that. We would never allow you to go in there alone!"

     "You must! You are too important to me to risk what I must do! You and Elric are to go with me into the Dreamlands to rescue Kathea. If you go with me now, it may result in the destruction of Creation, and all will be lost when it did not have to be. Can you bear that cost on your soul!"

     Dettlaff looks at her with pure anguish on his face, understanding what she has said as much as he wished he did not. She places her right hand on his face, "please do not make this any harder for me than it already is." As she watches blood-tinged tears creep down his face, she moves in and kisses the tears away, only to create more of her own instead. He wraps her in his arms, his head buried in her neck, as she runs her hand on the back of his neck.

     "I know the pain you feel, my love, but this must happen. I know this and my ancestral memories concur. You know I am very hard to kill, many have tried and I am still here. As my love for you knows no boundaries, I will return to you. I promise this to you on my very soul, and I always keep my promises."

     "Then take this as it might be the last gift I can give you." He pulls up his mesh to his shoulders, extrudes a single claw from a finger, and drives it into his heart. Pulling the claw out, Iriisii knows what she must do, places her mouth over the spurting blood, and drinks directly from his heart. Then she feels a power, dark and terrible, fill her as his heart-blood fills her mouth and runs down into her body. She realizes he has shared with her his power to command the undead, the power that is the crux of his being her Vyrkolos, that power upon which his destiny is built. She feels his wound close, the blood slows and stops flowing. She makes one last long lick of her tongue over where the wound was and pulls his mesh armor back down.

     "I will return to you, my love, and give you a gift of my own. Now go, I must not disappoint he who waits for me on the Bridge. I will wait until I know you are safe."