Through The Looking Glass Darkly

 Through The Looking Glass Darkly

     It is truly dark here, no light can escape this confining darkness. How Iriisii came to be here, she barely remembers. How she fought Rassillon and fell with him and his overwhelming armada of Daleks into the everlasting prison of the 'event horizon' of a black hole so monstrous in size because it had consumed several galaxies.

     Somehow in their battle, the forces released by them both forced a momentary rip in the 'event horizon' opening a way into the heart of the black hole and she was pulled through just as the 'event horizon' repaired itself, sealing Rassillon into his own formless hell of eternity. For within an 'event horizon', time does not exist for those caught within its grasp.

     Iriisii survived because her instincts at the very touch of the neutronium core used that material to construct a 'Mantella' from it and further create a 'Winterstorm Construct' around the 'Mantella'. The self-made prison grew stronger and stronger as the tidal forces within the heart acted upon it until they came into balance. Then she simply existed as her prison was drawn deeper and deeper to the core, where release in the form of a quantum gravitic wormhole existed, breaching the fabric of existence and sending energy along it to somewhere else.

     Once she floats close enough, the wormhole grabs hold of her and draws her within. It sends her at faster and ever more increasing velocities until she is outpacing light itself and still she goes faster. She passes every speed barrier known and some still unknown until the wormhole spits her out into a totally different continuum. The area around her being fed power from the black hole on the other end of the wormhole, blazing with light and power greater than anything else existing in this place. 

     And she is shot forth through that blazing maelstrom into the darkness once more, this time the darkness between stars, as she sleeps a new journey begins. Her path is influenced by gravity wells, stars, planets, and cosmic storms, all taking their toll on the Winterstorm Construct, yet it still holds, protecting its precious cargo.

     

     On a world simply called Earth, the track of her journey is being read by instruments designed and created just for this purpose and as she comes closer, ever closer, alarms are generated when her course is calculated to impact somewhere on the North American continent close to its heart.

     In the control and surveillance center, alarm claxons blare out a strident call to action. Forces are being mobilized to stand ready for orders. A sleepy-eyed officer walks inside the main area, looking at a video screen with a projection of the path she is taking.

     Duty Officer: "All right, what is it, where is it going to hit, and will someone SHUT OFF THOSE DAMN ALARMS!"

     The alarms go silent except for the sounds of equipment running, its fans working to keep the equipment cool, and the clicks of many keyboards being typed upon by nervous fingers.

     Duty Officer: "Update please, give me what you have right now, your best guess if nothing else."

     Tracking specialist: "Sir, we have no idea what it is, just that is on the small side..."

     Duty Officer: "Explain small, a small bus, car, come on and give me details!"

     Tracking  Specialist: "Sir, a little larger than a human. Composition unknown, spectral analysis does not match anything on record. Computers can only reverse plot its course as coming somewhere from the region around the Quasar NGO890275."

     Duty Officer: "How far away is that? I need numbers before I report to Command!"

     Tracking Specialist: "Calculations coming in now sir, oh my God!"

     Duty Officer: "Come on spit it out!"

     Another voice from behind says, "it is from the other side of the universe, Captain. Literally from whatever is feeding that Quasar."

     The Captain turns and looks at the speaker, recognizing the uniform and ranking as 'Psi Ops', and instantly turns rigid. 

     Duty Officer: "Do you intend to take command of the situation?"

     Psi-Ops: "You are hereby formally relieved of command. I will however need you to remain and act as a liaison. This is beyond anything we have planned for. Whatever that is, we must get to it first, if we do not the consequences could be devastating for our side. Step to it ladies and gentlemen, we need to know where it will impact and get someone there pronto! Whatever it is, it survived a trip through a region that makes the fires of hell look like a candle flame by comparison!"

     Just to the west of St. Louis, in the forests and grasslands, a hunt is underway. The howls of the hunters as they leap and dodge obstacles chasing a large buck. Their growls add to the fear the buck is feeling as he is pursued by the local werewolf pack. The 'alpha' is closing in on the kill when he is stopped dead still by contact with his 'First'.

     Her voice echoed in his mind, "I need you to stop and take your pack to intercept something that will soon hit near your location."

     Damien: "Why now! What is so special you would interrupt our first hunt of the full moon?"

     Tricia: "You know I would not ask if it were not important. The Feds are tracking something on a collision course near you, and they are already mobilizing to get to it."

     Damien: "So what, they get excited if anything drops out of the sky."

     Tricia: "Psi-Ops is in charge this time and they want it bad."

     Damien: "Psi-Ops, huh, then we had better get to it before they do, if they want this, we need to keep it from them."

     Tricia: "Be careful, we have no idea what it is or where it came from. But the feelings I am getting as it gets closer is like nothing I have felt before."

     Damien: "Bad?"

     Tricia: "No, just powerful, off the charts powerful. The whole shebang is powerful. Get it, but I will send a security team to meet you and take it off your hands."

     Damien: "Not good enough to get it to you?"

     Tricia: "I said Psi-Ops is handling this, do you want them to find you with whatever this is in your hands?"

     Damien: "All right, you do not have to go into that again. The Coliseum is closed for this week, we can use the parking area for the transfer. Lots of open areas that we can see anyone coming from, and it is close to the 'Circus'."

     Tricia: "Now you are using your head, I will meet you there."

     Damien: "You are coming? This must be important, then."

     Tricia: "Just get your people scattered after the transfer, I do not want Psi-Ops getting their hands on any of ours. Do whatever you have to in order to get safe. If it comes to it, we will find room for you in the 'Circus'."

     Damien: "I hear you, I can see whatever it is you want hitting the air now. ALL OF YOU, HIT THE DIRT, NOW!"

     

     The impact shakes everything, the ground acts like it is in an earthquake. Trees are pushed back and forth by the force wave of the impact. Luckily these are old trees with very deep roots and so they withstand the shaking. Damien gets his people up and moves to the impact site. It only takes them a few minutes running full-speed cross country to reach it. 

     Pack Second: "Man will you look at that crater? It must be all of..."

     Damien: "It doesn't matter, we need what is in the bottom as fast as we can get it up and out of here."

     Pack Second: "Why can't she come out here herself and get it."

     Damien: "You want to tell her that to her face? I did not think so, she earned her place, look at her scars the next time you see her. They tell the true story. Come on! Let us get down there, it feels cool enough that you won't even singe your fur!"

     As they get to the bottom, the ones still unchanged feel their fur stand out from their body. A few even let go of a whimper, which Damien ignores, feeling the raw power coming from this crystal. Cloudy as it is, as it cools it seems to clear up. Enough that he can make out a human figure encased inside. 

     Damien: "Damn, there is someone inside this. Don't worry about opening it, just get it out and in the back of our truck, we have to meet Tricia at the Coliseum parking area and hand it over, then I want all of you to scatter. Psi-Ops wants this and I don't want them to get hold of any of you."

     Working together, some digging, others pushing the Mantella this way and that, to loosen it in the soil gripping it. It comes loose quickly and they form a double chain line passing it up and out of the crater. Gently putting it into the truck bed and arranging some containment to hold it steady.

     Damien: "Ok, let's get going. The sooner we get there and get rid of this, the better for all of us."

     On the way to the Coliseum, Damien directs the truck to pull off the road and behind a gas station. Less than a minute later a convoy of military trucks speeds by along the road. He waits for a few minutes after the last goes by.

     Damien: "All right let's get going, don't want to give them time to turn around and come looking for us while we still have this. And none of you say anything of this to anyone or I will personally challenge you and rip your throat out! I do not know what this is or who that is inside, but I do know it is real bad news if the Feds get hold of her."

     A short while later at the Coliseum parking area.

     Damian: "Easy there, don't take any chances with dropping it."

     Tricia: "Any trouble?"

     Damien: "No, pulled off behind that gas station on the edge of town. The Feds ran screaming by like their tails were on fire. Waited a few minutes after the last went by to be safe before starting out again."

     Tricia: "Good. Did you see anything else around there?"

     Damien: "No, maybe some pieces of something buried in the dirt?"

     Tricia: "Probably, but they did find some pieces of something but not a part of this, that is for sure. Tell your people they did good, and get somewhere safe for a while. Keep their heads down until this blows over. I will keep some quarters open if anyone needs some if the Feds come snooping too close."

     Damien: "I will spread the word, thanks."

     Tricia: "Not a problem, I will do all I can to stymie the Feds. I do not want them getting their hands on any of our people for any reason, not that think they need one. At least now we are strong enough that they can't just waltz in and do whatever they want. They have to follow the rules or it would be a bloodbath and none of us want that."

     Damien: "Any idea who or what she is?"

     Tricia: "Not a clue. But whatever, she went to a lot of trouble to create this crystal around her. I have not the foggiest idea what this is made from, but if it survived the trip from wherever she came from, it is stronger than anything existing here, that is a fact. All right, she is loaded, let's go."

     Damien: "All right, job done well, get to safety. If you need it there will be quarters in the 'Circus'. Keep your heads down until you hear from me. And thanks, I couldn't ask for a better pack."

     The truck backs up to the supply loading ramp at the 'Circus of the Damned', the most premier and popular nightclub in the city of St. Louis. I mean where else are you going to find shows involving werewolves and vampires? With male and female dancers who are both 'vamp' and 'were', if anyone in the crowd can tell the difference. And at the top of the chain sits Tricia and Jean Claude. Theirs is another story altogether.

     Tricia: "get this inside and down into the crypts as quickly as you can. Frankie, set up a security detail to guard it around the clock until we know what we are dealing with. Also, double the 'Circus' guards, we may be getting a visit from Psi-Ops and if so I want to know before they set foot inside this time. Rosie, call our legal team and give them the lowdown, tell them to be ready for anything."

     The guard shift captain, Frankie Malone, heads for the guard barracks to see who is sober enough to pull a surprise shift, while Tricia's personal assistant grabs the nearest house phone and makes the call to their lawyers. As the sun drops down over the horizon, her sweetie, Jean Claude wakes up and quietly joins with her mind.

     Jean Claude: "Mi Cheri, what is the commotion about?"

     Tricia: "Come up and see, you need to anyway. We just stole this right from under Psi-Ops noses. I do not know who or what she is, but she could not just tip the balance of power, she could decimate it. I think she could have even sent 'Marmee Noir' running for the hills."

     Jean Claude: "I will be there as quick as I can. Do whatever you must but try not to disturb whoever or whatever you have your hands on."

     Tricia: "This one I will handle with kid gloves."

     Jean Claude: "That is what I am afraid of. Your kind of 'kid' gloves are more like iron gauntlets."

     Tricia: "You say the nicest things to me."

     Jean Claude: "Soon, my love."

     

     The Mantella with Iriisii inside has been carefully placed in one of the deep rooms under the 'Circus'. Rooms are set aside with the highest security and no outside access, specifically for VIP visitors. Anyone trying to access them must run a gauntlet of check stations, security gates with cameras, and specially trained dogs who know and can detect the telltale odors of gunpowder, garlic, and silver nitrate.

     Jean Claude meets Tricia to see what his fiancee and lover has acquired. As he enters the room the power hits him like a slap to the face. As he examines the crystal he makes the determination that the power everyone is feeling is but a small amount of leakage. The main part is contained in the crystal itself. When he tells this to Tricia, the blood drains from her face at the thought of what if Psi-Ops had actually been able to get her first.

     Jean Claude: "You did very well indeed getting to her before Psi-Ops. Do you have any idea who she is, where she came from, why she is here?"

     Tricia: "Nothing, I have had not a peep. You would think she was dead but nothing dead could emit such power."

     Jean Claude: "I believe you are correct on that. Even Marmee Noir was not close to as powerful as this woman is. I do think she will have a fascinating tale to tell once she awakens."

     Tricia: "You think she will wake, if so why hasn't she already done so?"

     Jean Claude: "Think for a moment, my love, in similar circumstances, would you not stay sleeping until you knew it was absolutely safe to wake and exit the safety of this crystal?"

     Tricia: "Well when you put it that way, I can understand. We have no idea if she is being chased, followed, or what. She may be alone or maybe have family looking for her. It does look like she needs help, I just wonder if we are strong enough to give that help to her?"

     Jean Claude: "There is another possibility we need to keep in mind."

     Tricia: "And what is that?"

     Jean Claude: "What if she has come to help us?"

     A guard interrupts, "pardon, boss, the front desk says you have visitors, Fed visitors."

     Tricia looks to Jean Claude, "Psi-Ops?"

     Jean Claude: "Very likely, but they are fishing, if they actually knew we had her they would be knocking down the door with police and search warrants."

     Tricia: "You are right about that, so are you ready to help me see to our unwanted guests?"

     Jean Claude smiles, just the points of his fangs showing, "I thought you would never ask, I know how much you enjoy tossing them out on their 'cans'. But this time we must be more tactful, just a little more though. Too much and we give the game away."

     And with that, he crooks his arm and offers it to Tricia. She takes it and together they begin the long walk up the stairs. Instructing the guard, "no one but us gets in, period. You are authorized to use whatever force is needed."

     Guard: "Understood." As he takes position in front of the door, his weapon at 'port arms'.

     Tricia and Jean Claude walked into the main reception area for the 'Circus of the Damned'. They see the 'Fed' visitors and their receptionist's obvious distaste for them. It is quite obvious they have likely been trying to turn their receptionist but she is having none of it. She knows all too well their reputation and the results of their activities. On the flip side, she knows her employers have always treated her with respect and courtesy, paid her well, and never asked her to compromise her beliefs even if they clashed with the purpose of the job. If a problem occurred they always tried to find a compromise all could live with. There was no way she would turn on Tricia and Jean Claude. If the Feds threatened her 'were' son, she knew he could find protection here. She looks to her employers to see if they wish her to leave, but Jean Claude motions for her to stay.

     Jean Claude: "Welcome to the 'Circus of the Damned', how may we be of service to you fine officers tonight?"

     The Captain speaks up, while his Psi-Ops companion is silent, "we wish to simply ask a few questions, if we may?"

     Jean Claude: "Of course, ask what you will, we have nothing to hide."

     The look from the Psi-Ops operative says quite a different opinion.

     Captain Cales: "As we were looking at the location of a satellite that crashed back to earth when we got to the site, it was apparent that someone had been there before us. Therefore we would ask if any of your people may have removed anything from the site before our arrival?"

     Jean Claude: "Absolutely not, I know for a fact that none have been involved with scavenging the site of a satellite crash, nor would they even be interested. Why do you even suspect any of my people?"

     Captain Cales: "We found tufts of hair, carrying the DNA of werewolves, we also know that there is a local pack that hunts in the vicinity."

     Jean Claude: "Are you aware that last night was the first night of a full moon? Of course, they would be out, that is when they conduct the first pack hunt. All pack members are required to participate in the first hunt of the full moon. There would be nothing unusual in finding hair under these circumstances. Do you have any other questions concerning this matter?"

     Psi-Ops operative: "We are aware of your activities concerning consolidating power among the other preternatural. This is an action the Government frowns upon as they see it to be something that could be used against them."

     Jean Claude: "As the Vampire Master of the City, among 'preternatural' I am considered to be a figure of leadership. It is my responsibility to look after all of them and mediate when there are disagreements. Thus our problems do not spill over to the general populace. Thus I am simply doing my job for them. If your government thinks otherwise they are free to inspect and challenge my authority to do this if it is their will. But I would caution that there is an old folk saying that speaks to this, be careful what you wish for, you might just get it."

     Psi-Ops operative: "Are you threatening us?"

     Jean Claude: "I simply passed along an old folk saying, if you see something devious in its meaning perhaps you should look into your own motives."

     Psi-Ops operative: "What are you hiding?"

     Jean Claude: "If you believe we are hiding anything, you are most welcome to return with a search warrant. I will be sure to have our attorney here to show you everywhere you wish to search."

     Psi-Ops operative: "You are hiding something, and we will find out. Sooner or later we will find out."

     Jean Claude: "If there is nothing further to be discussed I would ask that you see yourselves out. I do have a nightclub to run. But please come back anytime, our showtimes are posted on the marquee outside."

     Captain Cales gently takes the Psi-Ops operative's arm and whispers, "there is nothing more to gain by 'baiting' him. You forget how old he is, you will get nowhere doing that. We need to pass this upstairs and let the higher-ups decide what to do."

     The Psi-Ops operative turns in a huff and strides for the door. Captain Cale's expression says he wished he was doing anything else but catering to the Psi-Ops Corp.

     Jean Claude simply smiles and nods his head as if agreeing with the Captain. Who then turns and follows the operative out and to their vehicle.

     Tricia: "That is not the last we will see of them."

     Jean Claude: "I am afraid you are right, but soon it may not matter. If our guest awakes, then we can simply explain her as a new member of the 'Circus'. They will have no way to prove otherwise. And I definitely think it would be wise on their part not to antagonize her, whereas if we help and assist, who knows what benefits we might accrue."

     Tricia: "You know something, don't you?"

     Jean Claude: "Not specifically, but power calls to power, and she may very well be power incarnate. I for one will be interested in her story and how we may be of help to her, at the same time how she may be of help to us."

     Iriisii feels she is somewhere safe, the unrelenting pressure is gone, and the sense of traveling is gone. She feels herself awakening, if her body is ready to wake then it should be ok to wake and release herself from the Mantella. As she begins to come back to those last few moments she remembers, she is amazed that it actually worked. That she was able to will the Mantella to be formed around her and with nothing but pure neutronium to work with. She thinks that without all of the bonding and binding that builds matter, there was less to overcome in creating the crystal.

     Then casting the Winterstorm Construct around the Mantella, it did exactly what she thought it would do, take energy from the surrounding pressure and strengthen itself until it was in balance. And it had to be the immense energy requirements that allowed the construct to survive entrance into the quasar and onward through black space across an entire universe. To withstand entry into a planet's atmosphere and impact with the ground. She vaguely remembers dismissing the Winterstorm Construct after stopping and letting herself sink into a restful sleep. Now she needs to see where she is and how she can get back to Rigmor and the others.

     Jean Claude and Tricia are standing in the room, talking about what they need to do next when a slight 'crack' is heard, then a soft hissing. They look at the crystal and see a fine line becoming visible all around the side of it. They go to Iriisii and move the top half off, letting the low light of the room bathe her and the air is drawn into her lungs.

     They see her eyes flutter and squint against the light, Jean Claude reaches the control knob and lowers the light even more until she is able to open her eyes fully. They start speaking to her but it is obvious she does not understand, then she begins to speak.

     Iriisii: "Kolos los zu'u? Wo los hi?" When she sees they do not understand, she repeats in the other languages she knows but there is no common thread to follow. She then holds her cupped hands in front of herself and intones, "Bex dii hah tol zu'u mindok rotte" then places her hands over her ears. Then as she hears Jean Claude and Tricia speak she can understand them. She uses simple signs to ask if they would allow her to do what she did for herself to them. They look at each other then nod their heads. She follows through and once the effects clear they notice they can understand each other.

     Tricia: "A translation spell, amazing, and we are speaking in our own languages so no one else who does not know our speech can understand."

     Jean Claude takes the moment to introduce themselves, "I am Jean Claude, owner of this place, this is Tricia Forsone, my fiancee."

     Iriisii: "Well met, Jean Claude, Tricia Forsone, I am Iriisii Dovahkiin, Empress of Nirn."

     They look at her statement and Iriisii has seen this look many times in her life.

     Iriisii: "Truthfully, I am Empress of Nirn, but further I am a Warrior Empress, I acquired my throne by Right of Combat. I was in dire battle with a supremely powerful enemy when I was caught up in the effect of what I used to defeat him. Honestly, I am very surprised to still be alive. Even so, I will need a fair number of days to return to my full self." 

     Tricia: "Can you tell us what that crystal we found you in was? We know nothing like it here."

     Iriisii: "It is a Mantella, a supremely powerful soul gem. This one I created around me as I passed through the 'event horizon', then I had to cast a Winterstorm Construct around the Mantella. I prayed it would work as I hoped it would and it did not fail me."

     Tricia: "Your spell allowed you to pass through an 'event horizon' as in a 'black hole'?"

     Iriisii: "Yes. The Construct worked to absorb energy from the pressure within the 'black hole'. Use it to strengthen its structure until it could balance the outer pressure. Thus I floated, timeless until I was drawn to the core and out through a Quantum Gravitic Wormhole. I was shot out and ended up here, wherever here is.

     My life history tells me that I will likely find I was brought here to solve a problem and once that is done then I will find a way back home and to my mates."

     Jean Claude: "You say 'mates', you have more than one?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, five right now, Rigmor, Illyria, Byrsael, Desidarius, and Dettlaff. And a number of children. All are Dragonborn as am I, and one is half dragon."

     Jean Claude: "You said Dragonborn, what does that mean? We have had no dragons here for a very long time indeed."

     Iriisii: "It means that along with the soul we are born with, we also possess a Dragonsoul. when it is awakened we gain the ability to use the power within Dovahzul, to use it as a weapon as the Dov do. In some very rare cases, the two souls will merge into one."

     Tricia: "What happens then?"

     Iriisii: "They can then walk the 'Path of the Gods'."

     Jean Claude: "You mean become Gods?"

     Iriisii: "It is not that simple. They will be given the opportunity to walk the path. Along the path, if they choose to become Gods, they must then choose the means. It is not a foregone conclusion that they will succeed. I chose the 'Test of Apotheosis'. I had passed my test twice before I went up against Rassillon. In defeating him and escaping with my life, I may have just passed a third time."

     Jean Claude: "Who is this Rassillon, and why is this third test important?"

     Iriisii: "Explaining Rassillon is a long story that likely has no importance here. As to my Tests of Apotheosis, that could have far-reaching importance. Passing the first, I joined with the Gods of Eld. When I passed the second, I gained limited use of Soulfire. And now if this was in fact the third..."

     Tricia: "What do you gain with the third?"

     Iriisii: "That is where this becomes strange, I was under the impression that it would take place with two others of my mates. That all three of us would pass our third test together and earn the full use of Soulfire."

     Tricia: "What happens then?"

     Iriisii: "We gain the Powers of Creation itself. But there were other things that were to happen first, and now, I do not know. It had to be because of Rassillon, that the order of the events became skewed. What that could possibly mean I have no idea. But I do know this, I must find what it is here that I am to do. Do what I must do, return home, and hope I can put all right again."

     Jean Claude: "Can you tell us what events, maybe will help you to make some sense of this?"

     Iriisii: "Of course, you have been so patient with me, and I owe you for retrieving me and my Mantella. I was able to give Desidarius a new body, that happened as it was to happen.

I returned to Telios and completed the reading of the Scroll of Skelos. Thus I began the restoration of the Draconic Divines, the first step of which was to free their immortal souls from the place where the 'Dead Gods Lie Dreaming'. They came to me on Telios, where they once lived in the Dawn Times of Creation, before their fall and imprisonment.

     For this reason, the acclaim of Dragonkind among all the Realms hailing me as their 'Mother of Dragons, my Ascension to 'Progenitor', they accorded me the Honor of joining with them as Scion of the Draconic Divines. I was to begin the 'Jihad of Truth', then enjoin the 'War for the Balance' when all had made their choice of who they sided with. After which if I and mine were the victors, the first Dragon, Ragnarok, would bear me to the 'Mother of the Cosmos', where she would release her 'Mantle' and pass it to me to bear, she would let go her immortality, and entreat 'Death' to take her to the Final Gate and pass into the Great Beyond."

     Jean Claude: "Forgive me for asking, but in your 'Creation', 'Death' is a physical being?"

     Iriisii: "The 'Office' of 'Death' is a 'Mantle of Power', formed by the power of belief that gathered from the very beginning of 'Creation'. It by itself has no power to interact with mortals or immortals. It needs a 'holder' to act through, and so it chooses a mortal to be its agent. The 'holder' becomes the 'Office' and carries out the duties for as long as they hold the 'Mantle'. I know this because as a mortal I assumed the 'Mantle of War' when I ascended from Aasimar Scourge to Aasimar Guardian. I have kept that 'Mantle' ever since for it also made me First of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Supreme Agents of Change in all of the Creations, we are not always needed as the 'Four', sometimes it is just one of us, and we do not always enter into war, sometimes it is just a simple task to cause a simple change. 

     The 'Mantle' did not change me beyond sharpening my battle skills because it did not need to, for I was already so closely aligned with what it needed. My 'Gods' gifted me as a 'Dovahkiin', in my case a Dragonchild, born of the Demi-Goddess Alessia and the Ninth Divine Talos. Alessia gave birth to me on the island of Roscrea in the northern part of the Sea of Ghosts. She and my father Talos raised me until my eighteenth birth year, when later that year, because of an agreement Akatosh entered into with the 'Mother of the Cosmos'. She took me from Roscrea, regressed my physical body back to its beginning, and placed my embryonic form into another mortal woman to bear and give birth to."

     Tricia: "Why go to all that trouble, what did they need that required that to be done to you?"

     Iriisii: "A very good question, the 'Mother of the Cosmos' took the Dragonsoul Akatosh first gave me and replaced it with another, far older, more powerful Dragonsoul, the soul of the First of the Dragons of Destiny. By doing this and having that Dragonsoul awaken in me before my birth as the other did as well, I became a Dragonchild. The difference is the awakening coming before my birth instead of later after I passed puberty. Akatosh created a small Dragonbreak consisting of only two timelines, and so even though I was born twice, my second birthing occurred at the same time as my second. The place of my second birth was on the other side of my world from my first. But the circumstances of what happened when I reached my eighteenth birth year the second time was drastically different."

     Tricia: "What happened?"

     Iriisii: "For now, let me just say that I had no memory or reckoning that I had been born a second time or had already lived for eighteen years a second time. The training I received during the first eighteen years stayed ingrained in my body's memory, and so the training I received in my second eighteen years built upon that. What happened after is a tale of epic tragedy, enslavement, revenge, and redemption. I bear multiple psyches within me, and we have come to love, care for, and work with each other to do what the others cannot. It has kept me alive and saved my life on several occasions. As we have each learned from what the others have experienced."

     Jean Claude: "What other 'psyches' do you possess?"

     Iriisii: "She called 'Darkstar' is an assassin of the First Order, her name and deeds are still known, respected, and feared from the time when she was an unwilling part of the Sinister Seven, she called Shivista, is my dark side, she is known to the outside world as the 'Destroyer of Worlds', my Dragonsoul, I have already spoken of, and my Ancestral Memories awakened when I underwent the 'Trial of the Ancestors', they act as advisors to me. I can also ask them questions about their memories to see if they have knowledge that can aid me in my pursuits. I had a 'vampire beast' within me, a 'gift' of blood sharing with my Vyrkolos Mate, the Higher Vampire, Dettlaff van der Eretein. She now has taken the 'Great Name' of 'Kali-Mah', taken the dream that was all that remained of her into herself, and now has her own body separate from me."

     Jean Claude: "You have a 'vampire' for a mate?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, he is the only male among my mates and the only one I share blood with. If the others desire a physical relationship, they are free to pursue that aspect, but he shares blood only with me."

     Jean Claude: "May I ask why that is? My reason for asking is personal."

     Iriisii: "I understand the relationship between you and Tricia. If Dettlaff were to share blood with any other of my mates, it would open them up to possession by the demonic spirit that can manifest as either succubus or incubus."

     Jean Claude: "You said 'the' spirit rather than 'a' spirit."

     Iriisii: "Yes, within the Demonic Hierarchy, there are levels among them. The spirit that would possess my mate, would be one that resides at the very apex of that hierarchy that rules over that kind of demon. The power that it would acquire would be devastating, and make it almost impossible to exorcise. To do so would likely result in the death of the one possessed. So we take that admonition very seriously."

     Jean Claude: "Thank you for your answer."

     Iriisii: "Let me say this, I am not in the least regretful for taking Dettlaff as my Vyrkolos. What we have together is unique, special, and worth the effort to pursue and protect. Not to mention the rewards, the greatest of which is our child, Kalle Kir Az."

     Tricia: "YOU HAVE A CHILD WITH A VAMPIRE FATHER?!"

     Iriisii: "Indeed, I do. Kalle will become a legend among legends, as she was prophesied to be in one of the Hallowed Scrolls of Skelos."

     Jean Claude: "Would you like a tour of this place? I think it might interest you to see what we have accomplished here, and also give me a chance to show you where the doors in and out are, in case they are needed. For even as we found and retrieved you, others are also looking for you and we would rather not let them get hold of you."

     Iriisii: "Would you tell me what occurred? I vaguely remember the drop-down and I was still dazed when I released the 'Winterstorm Construct' from around the Mantella."

     Tricia: "When we got word that Psi-Ops was mobilizing and going in search of your landing location, I knew we had a local werewolf pack that hunted in the same area. This being the first full moon, I knew they would be out in force, hunting. So I mind spoke with the Alpha and asked him to take his pack and pull you out of there, bring you to me so that I could hide you here, at least until we could find out why Psi-Ops wanted you so badly.

     As you came closer, my own senses picked up your power signature. It was so much greater than any we have known before that we knew letting Psi-Ops get to you first would be a disaster for those of us who call themselves 'preternatural'."

     Jean Claude: "Indeed, I was not sure when Tricia first informed me of you, but as I first gazed at the crystal you call a Mantella, the very small amount of your power leaking from it was so great I knew she made the right decision and that I would support her in every way I could."

     Iriisii: "Thank you both for your efforts on my behalf. Whatever I can do to assist at least until I can find out what my task here is, you have but to ask of me. But please show me what it is you do here, perhaps then I may be able to suggest where I can help."

     Tricia: "Please do not take this wrong, but why do you not already know? As powerful as you are, surely you know everything that is going on here."

     Jean Claude: "Mon Ami!"

     Iriisii: "It is all right, a proper question in the current circumstances. I do not pry into the minds of those around me. I would not wish for such to be done to me, and so I extend the same courtesy to others. Many are those immortals who do not see things as I do, for most of them were never mortal to begin with and so know nothing of what 'privacy' means. I have done all I can to not lose touch with who I was as a mortal, and it has served me well.

     When it is necessary, and those times do occur, I am willing and able to use whatever means I need to acquire what information I need. But only when other means have failed and extreme measures are called for."

     Tricia: "A more than fair answer, thank you."

     Iriisii: "You are most welcome."

     Jean Claude: "Would you follow me then?" 

     As he extends an arm, Iriisii gently takes it and allows him to lead.

     They reach the ground floor, Jean Claude and Tricia showing Iriisii where all the amenities are located. The security stations if any help is needed are also pointed out. Then they pass by some rehearsal halls where show prep is gone over and any changes needed are discussed. She stops and listens to one of the performers as she tunes a medieval lute for a particular set of songs. Iriisii having spent time with Priscilla, knows this individual does not know what she is doing. Turning to Jean Claude she extends a hand toward the performed and asks, "may I?"

     Seeing his question without words, "this performer has no experience with that instrument and is not tuning it correctly."

     Jean Claude nods his head and motions for the Rehearsal leader to allow Iriisii to correct the tuning.

     She walks over to the performer and with a hand opened out toward her, "may I?"

     The performer hands the lute to her and moves to the side to watch as Iriisii deftly tunes it. She picks a few notes to listen to the acoustics of the room. Turning to the Rehearsal Leader, she asks, "is the room sounding the same here as where the performance will be?"

     He thinks for a moment and says, "with that instrument, I cannot be certain, we have never tried with it before. If you would like we can move to where the performance will be and you can try it there."

     Iriisii: "Please, let us try it there then. Better to know exactly how it will sound before getting in front of an audience."

     They move down the hallway and through a prep room, then out onto a stage. The Rehearsal Leader sends an assistant to turn on the stage lights.

     As the stage lights come on, she sees a stool near, so she moves it into the center of the lights, sits, and retunes the lute. Then with her eyes closed, her mind back in the Kingfisher Inn in Novigrad, she begins to play the 'Wolven Song', she gets through the melody first, assessing the instrument's sound quality, then goes into it a second time then singing the words to the music.

     As the song's haunting notes and lyrics float through the stage and room, everyone who hears is captivated. No one moves even as some outside is drawn into the room to hear the song. Once she plucks the final notes and their echoes fade away, the applause of everyone present is shocking compared to the quiet that held a strong grip over everyone until the end.

     Jean Claude looks at Tricia, who cannot believe what she heard with her ears. what her heart and soul were telling her in the song. She then looks at Jean Claude and they both come to the same conclusion. They had to have her on stage tonight.

     Hours later, they found an evening gown for her to wear for the performance. The makeup artists keep arguing with each other over what to use, so she asks them to move aside while she remembers back to when Elihal would work his magic with her. She found the closest colors and shades to what he would use and carefully applied them to the closest effect she could manage.

     Tricia walks in seeing she was working her makeup, stops to see the job she did and her jaw nearly hits the floor. She turns to the makeup artists and says, "why are we paying you what we are if she can put all of you to shame in half the time."

     Iriisii: "Please, this is just a rush attempt, I could not do nearly as well as Elihal could if he were here."

     Tricia: "Tell me how to get him here and I will move the moon if I have to."

     Iriisii: "I cannot see how right now. He is far, too far away. But if it becomes possible, I would certainly let him come and show what he can do. But for now, we have a show to put on."

     Tricia: "How would you like to be introduced?"

     Iriisii: "Just drop the lights when you are ready, no introduction. I will play a measure or two to let the crowd know what is going to begin before I start singing. Leave a single light on to the stool, that will be enough."

     Tricia: "Whatever you want."

     A few minutes later a knock on the door and a stagehand puts his head in the room and says, "ready when you are."

     She stands and makes her way to the side of the stage, hearing the murmur of the crowd. The lights of the stage go out, and she can hear a few comments, "who is supposed to be performing? I do not know, there was nothing posted. It does not matter, it will be good, these simple theatrics are a good sign."

     She sees the single spotlight turn on, and she slowly moves to the stool with a very gentle sway. Sitting, she places the lute where it is most comfortable and begins just a small part of the melody to get everyone's attention. Then she closes her eyes and tunes out the crowd, putting herself back to that night when she heard and felt the magic flow.

     The crowd is silent as a ghost as the final notes of the 'Wolven Song' fading echoes across the room. There are a few seconds of silence before the applause breaks out, and then patrons begin standing up and clapping their hands. Iriisii smiles and half bows from the stool. She waits for the applause to begin to die down and she begins a riff of The Dragonborn Comes. All eyes and ears are riveted as she sings, putting the emotion of her memories of being Dragonborn into every part of the song. The last lingering notes leave the lute, they also leave the crowd stunned, the only thing they know is that they want more.

     They stand, stamp their feet, crying encore, encore! Tricia steps out and asks if Iriisii knows one more song to play for them. Iriisii thinks for a second and nods her head. Tricia calls out to the crowd to take their seat once more for one more song, before moving to the side out of the way. Iriisii goes back deep into her memories gathering all the times she has sung this song into her Rigmor's ears while dancing under the stars.

     She begins gently, then gathers the memories and projects them into her voice. She can feel as it gently touches those in the crowd that can hear sounds of ocean waves lapping on a lonely beach, feel the soft, warm ocean breeze caressing their skin, as they hold onto their loves, swaying to the music only they can hear. Once more the notes fade away, but this time Iriisii can sense the magic does not fade, this time it stays with those who heard its call, and she gives a silent blessing to those fortunate souls, "may your dreams now forever bring you joy and happiness, as you hold your heart's love next to you."

     She bows to the crowd, arms outstretched, lute in one hand. As one the men in the crowd, all rise and return her bow, then they turn to their escorts, extending a hand to help them and walk with them to the doors.

     Tricia: "I have never seen anything like that ever before in my life!"

     The next day at dawn, Iriisii is up and padding her way to the guards' training room. There are just a few there right now, so wearing the loose training clothes she borrowed from Tricia, she goes to the padded mats and begins a set of katas she learned while with the Blade Dancers for loosening up muscles. The few guards training stop to watch. As she continues with the basic moves, other guards come in to train before their shift. 

     Some joke around at what she is doing, others, former military, and mercenaries, know she is the real deal. They know what she is doing is not learned from the exercise programs advertised on the videos. They look appreciably at how smooth she moves from one to another, how easy she makes it look, but knowing also how difficult some of those moves are to do them as slowly as she is. They also know that when used in combat, just how deadly and effective they are.

     One jokester takes it upon himself to try and interrupt her, and as one of the ex-military tries to pull him away, she motions to let him continue. The ex-military nods and moves off to watch this jokester get what is coming to him. Iriisii faces off toward him and motions for him to come at her. He jokes at his buddies and then leaps toward her to surprise her. Rather it is his surprise she is not there, as his feet are swept from under him and he falls hard to the mat. The ex-military all look to each other and nod at how clean the sweep was and how the jokester never saw it coming.

     She stands back away and motions for him to try again as he comes up. This time he circles her and then attempts a feint, spinning around to come at her from another direction. This time he feels her arm around his neck as her knees hit behind his, breaking his stance, and she pulls him cleanly over her shoulder as he lands flat on his back. The ex-military tries to get the jokester to walk away, but he is humiliated now and is looking for revenge.

     He looks to a rack on the side of the room, pulls a practice blade, and goes toward Iriisii with an overhand strike. Almost at the last second, she clasps both hands around the edge stopping its downward movement. Twisting herself to the side, still holding the blade, she pulls him off balance. As he goes down to the mat again, she strikes with the flat of her foot just above his head, so close he could feel her foot graze his short hair, even as she grabbed the practice sword out of the air and placed the tip against his throat.

     The ex-miliary know a martial arts master when they see one react as she has. As one they go to one knee and bow to her, even as she goes to one knee herself the practice blade extended tip to the mat, hilt pointing to the ceiling, blade perpendicular to the mat. 

     The 'were' guard who first tried to deflect the jokester, walks over to Iriisii. Addressing her as a Martial Master, "Sensei, may I humbly inquire where you trained?"

     Sensing his sincerity, she answers, "my Grandfather began my training just as I began to walk until all except for me fell to Mercenary Assassins in the night. I killed enough that the leader saw promise in my skills and used an aerial drug bomb to capture and enslave me. Under the drug they gave me, for years I learned the Assassin's craft. And the others came to fear that I would one day take command."

      Guard: "Did you?"

      Iriisii: "No, one day the leader made a mistake. She left to go to the Capital city and left the wrong one in charge. Ferna, the Killing Frost, sent me on a 'blind' mission. I went to the prescribed place and killed first the master of the house, then his wife, the servants, and last went to their son's room. As I was to draw my blade across his throat, the clouds passed away from the moon. A beam of moonlight shone on his face, he turned toward me and opened his eyes. That broke the hold of the drug upon my mind and body.

     I ran, as far and as fast as I could to lose myself in the wilderness. A wandering itinerant priest came to ask to share my campfire. I do not know why, but I talked to him and asked him questions about the Gods. Why do they allow the things that happened to me? I was so surprised at his answer."

     Guard: "What did he say?"

     Iriisii: "He said the Gods were looking at the bigger picture, guiding the whole rather than looking at the small pieces. That actually made sense to me. He said that sometimes when the smaller problems needed to be dealt with they would send someone to take care of them. But they sometimes needed to be trained, tempered in the crucible so they would not break.

     Then he told me of some he knew looking for me, trying hard to find the one survivor of the death of my village. He went and found them, led them to me. They took me with them, to their Temple. A Temple to the Ancient Order of the Blade Dancers. There they protected me and continued my training in their ways. I merged their teaching with what the Assassins taught me and created a new school within their Temple.

     One day I lost one who was like a brother to me. If only he had done as I said, but then if he had so much would not have happened. We as mortals cannot see the bigger picture, we must deal with the small ones as best we can and trust that the Gods will take care of the bigger ones. But sometimes the problems are so big even the Gods cannot deal with them."

     Guard: "What do they do then?"

     Iriisii: "They made me. Watch the one I humiliated, he will turn and attempt to betray you to get revenge on me."

     Guard: "You are certain?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, I provoked him to gauge his reactions, to see where his true loyalties lie. Yours are spread, between Jean Claude, Tricia, and the leader of your were family. All of them are currently aligned in the same direction so there is no pressure pulling you this way or that. I would offer advice if you would take it."

     Guard: "What would you say to me?"

     Iriisii: "If their paths begin to diverge, choose who you will follow, break with the other, and do not look back."

     Guard: "As you say, Sensei."

     A week passes with no further word from the government operatives, Iriisii's show appearances are a constant 'sellout' with the tickets being sold almost as soon as they become available. There is a discussion about trying to 'book' her in a larger venue.

     Iriisii sits listening to the conversation flying between sides at the table.

     Tricia: "I know how much this could make but it is the security that worries me most. Do we want to wave a red flag to Psi-Ops saying here she is, come and get her!"

     Lawyers: "There are ways we can keep them from even entering the Coliseum."

     Tricia: "Bullshit, they can get in pretty much anywhere they want to and no legal mumbo jumbo is going to stop them."

     Accountant: "What if we televise the concert, live? Would they try anything on national video? Hell, worldwide video. I mean we can pass off the special effects as laser holograms using CGI technology. It is 'State of the Art' now, hold up in any court."

     Lawyers: "He has a point there. If there is a technological answer to whatever they see, no court is going to throw it out in favor of 'magic' even if that is the real reason."

     Jean Claude: "Why don't you ask her what she thinks? This will affect her the most so she should have the final say in it. Provided we can come up with enough bodyguards to make the government think twice before crossing us, what do you think?"

     Iriisii: "First I enjoy what I can do for the people, lightening the load on their lives for just a small amount of time. As to the government, I will leave them to you, I do not fear them. But when the time comes I must return home, you are still here dealing with them and I would not leave you in a worse position than when I first came. But I have yet to find why I was sent here and so maybe this may be a way to 'flush' out why I am needed."

     Jean Claude nods his head, "you have the right of it and I cannot fault your logic. I have observed what you have done with our guards in just a week and I would have thought it could not be done, but you have proven otherwise. Let me speak to some of the other clans, and see what further arrangements we can make."

     It takes a few more weeks before things start to come together. Obstacles seem to crop up from everywhere, but they take things one thing at a time. Exercising patience and resolve, Iriisii's performances at the Circus of the Damned have shot her into 'headliner' status. They use that to push back against headwinds, with no doubts about who is responsible for the delays.

     Washington D.C., Pentagon Annex, Department of Psionic Operations, about one hundred feet below ground level, main conference room.

     Psi-Ops Chief of Staff Hawkins: "Report! Status on Project Outsider."

     Psi-Ops Operative Jameson: "Legal difficulties are still proving hard to dismiss. Their funding gives them access to the best legal minds in the country. Every move we make gets bogged down in motions, discovery, paperwork, most of which we cannot combat because it would expose us to public view."

     Hawkins: "I do not care how you do it, I just want it done. And if I am not making myself perfectly clear."

     Hawkins nods to a shadowy part of his office, Jameson suddenly grabs at his throat as he feels his windpipe closing up denying his lungs precious air. He can feel no physical impediment, no garotte around his neck, no hands squeezing his throat, he feels himself blacking out, knowing he will probably not live through this, then the restriction lifts and he takes hard, deep breaths to restore the depleted oxygen levels.

     Hawkins: "I trust I have made my point clear?"

     Jameson manages to choke the words out, "yes sir, perfectly clear."

     Hawkins: "Good, get on it, and I expect a more positive report next time."

     Jameson staggers to his feet and walks out the door. Moving quickly down the hall to the express elevator up to the ground level access.

     Hawkins speaks to the outline of a form in the shadows, "keep an eye on him, if he tries to run or defect, you know what to do."

     The outline silently nods and fades from view, Hawkins gathers some papers he needs for his meeting with the President and the Joint Chiefs later in the day.

     As Jameson steps outside the Pentagon and walks to his car, he activates a mental link to his team. 'Jones, can you hear me?"

     Jones: 'Loud and clear, boss. I take things did not go well?'

     Jameson: 'I was lucky to get out of there alive. Probably have a 'tail' on me as well.'

     Jones: 'Shit boss, what do you want me to do?'

     Jameson: 'For now, just keep me apprised of our current efforts. Do not do anything to draw attention to us, something stinks very bad here and I do not want to stir it up any more than I have to. We need to be prepared to go to survival mode at a moment's notice.'

     Jones: 'Understood.'

     Jameson: Parks?'

     Parks: 'Yes, boss?'

     Jameson: 'I want you to get in touch with some of your former merc associates. Any who turned 'were' and were cashiered from the 'services' for it. Feel them out and see if any joined up with and are working for the 'Preternaturals'.'

     Parks: 'You need a meeting or something like that.'

     Jameson: 'Do it very quietly, very carefully, if they are willing to meet, it must be under airtight security. If a hint of it gets out it could be all of our asses being buried.'

     Parks: 'Understood. How soon do you need a word?'

     Jameson: 'Yesterday.'

     The first of a pair of local performances in the Coliseum is set to take place tonight, and if successful, start negotiating a worldwide tour. One of the guards walks to the Guard Captain and speaks quietly, the Guard Captain's eyes grow wide as he listens. Once the guard is done, the Guard Captain asks him to go with him to speak to Tricia. Later Tricia sends a messenger to Iriisii, asking her to please come to the main conference room, saying she had just come into interesting information.

     Once she walks in, she closes the door and finds a chair where she can see everyone, then sits silently for Tricia to begin.

     Tricia: "I have been given a message to pass to you from the Psi-Ops agent that came here looking for you just after we got you hid down below. It seems there is a lot going on behind the scenes of the government that has finally gotten this agent so concerned he has reached out to us.

     He is asking for a secure meeting to discuss what he knows and I would think he may wish to ask for asylum for himself and his underlings.  Before I do anything I would ask what you think since this most definitely concerns you."

     Iriisii: "Just how rare is an occurrence of this kind to happen?"

     Tricia: "I have never heard of it happening before, why?"

     Iriisii: "It helps me to see the seriousness of this agent. For him to come asking like this in this particular manner, bespeaks that he has either seen, experienced, or both events that call into question his loyalty to those above him."

     Tricia: "You do not think he is simply trying to entrap you?"

     Iriisii: "That possibility is always present, but I do not think he would go to this length for that purpose when there are far simpler means to accomplish that if he so wished. No, I believe that your assumption of asylum has the greatest chance of being correct. And so I must be ready not only to accept his request but to enforce it as well."

     Tricia: "What do you mean to enforce it?"

     Iriisii: "I must be ready to defend him from those who would stop him. It is likely he is being 'tailed' and that someone has orders to 'make him disappear' should he step out of line. If we can bring him in and protect him and his, then it strengthens our position and weakens those he is working for. It will also put them in a position where they will have to try something to regain the upper hand."

     Tricia: "Any idea of what they may try?"

     Iriisii: "They will not try to penetrate here, too loud and noisy. Too many questions would be asked and they would not be able to completely silence the witnesses. No, they will come from the periphery, attack or take hostages from those allied to you, but in a better place for them to grab."

     Tricia sits and thinks for a few moments, then "Guard Captain, have our communications people contact the groups in the city and tell them to move out into their hiding holes, for now, any who need a place to stay will be welcome here, this is to include human family members as well, especially them. Tell them Psi-Ops is moving to do a sweep and everyone needs to get their heads down and out of sight."

     Guard Captain: "At once Boss, and immediately heads out the door looking for their Comm people.

     Tricia: "Thank you for that, I might not have realized it until too late. What do we do about the meeting?"

     Iriisii: "Go through with it as soon as possible. But do it in a way that I can watch as he is taken to the meeting. I want to see who or what is following him. This way if I can grab his 'tail' and show him, he will give us more information that we can use. It will also tell me if I need to attempt to contact my people for help."

     Tricia: "If you can contact them, how many can you get here?"

     Iriisii: "More than you can fit inside here."

     Tricia: "That would be a tall order."

     Iriisii: "If they could come in my 'Krang', there are two thousand of my personal guard, my 'Hand of Blood', two complete companies of my 'Dragon Legions', and two companies of my 'Sirens', about eight thousand total. There are some others I could also call on that would come at my call."

     Tricia: "Please do not take offense, but who else could you call?"

     Iriisii smiles, "not who, but what, I can call Valkyries of both Meridia and Valhalla, along with a few hundred Lyrium Dragons."

     Tricia: "Real...dragons?"

     Iriisii: "Oh yes, and if I call specifically, there are more that will come to aid me. But I would use them, only as a last resort. The presence of so many dragons would probably cause too much fear among the general population."

     Tricia: "Yeah, I could see that happening. What about the concert tonight?"

     Iriisii: "For now I would go ahead with it, Psi-Ops is not going to try anything with so many people as witnesses. It would be right before or right after, outside of view that they would try anything. And if I know they are or even could be anywhere around, well, there is no way they could grab me unless I wish to allow it."

     Tricia: "What would you need to try and contact your people?"

     Iriisii: "I could try it from right here, now if you like."

     Tricia: "I think it better to be as fully prepared as you can be and not need all you can bring to bear than otherwise."

     Iriisii: "Agreed."

     Iriisii stands and walks to the wall at the end of the room, taking her hand she marks off a large virtual screen space, the edges glowing as her hand moves and frames the screen.

She then stands a few steps back and extends both hands toward the glowing virtual screen. She pictures Rigmor in her mind, adding every detail she can until she cannot tell any difference between the Rigmor in her mind's eye and the one aboard the Krang, desperately worried about Iriisii and wondering where she is.

     Iriisii then sends the mental picture as a hunter, simply commanding it to 'seek'. It flashes from her hands and hits the surface of the virtual screen, which lights up. The images of where the hunter passes by flash onto the screen. Tricia is stunned by the sights she sees until it approaches the Krang.

     Tricia: ".ttthhat is the Krang?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, a gift from the last Prophet of the Tar-Ayim. I have worked to increase its capabilities as I have come into the knowledge, and the ability to create the materials needed. I see they have brought the new power source online. It should now be able to travel to anywhere that can be imagined."

     Tricia: "What is that the golden towers are floating in?"

     Iriisii: "The original power source, a brown dwarf star."

     Tricia: "A...star?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, the corona has been pulled back, if it was let out, it would completely obscure the towers of the Krang. A near-perfect camouflage."

     Tricia: "What is powering it now?"

     Iriisii: Do you see that wavering, like heat waves rising from hot pavement?"

     Tricia: "Yes, there toward the bottom of the screen.

     Iriisii: "Yes, there is a 'naked singularity' there."

     Tricia: "A what?"

     Iriisii: "A 'black hole', one that does not rotate and so we shield it as we control it. It does not feed on the trace material that exists in the vastness of space, thus it has no 'halo' of energy released as it consumes matter, in this way it stays unseen unless we desire that it be seen. Creating a rotational spin with it, causes it to open a Quantum Wormhole. We can then manipulate it, increasing its size to the point where we can send the Krang through to whatever destination we have selected."

     Tricia: "How can you know where it will open?"

     Iriisii: "Because it is a Quantum Wormhole, it obeys the laws of Quantum Space. It will react to the act of observing it, by concentrating our desire for a specific destination, the laws of Quantum Space direct the wormhole where we wish it to go."

     Tricia: "Amazing."

     Iriisii: "Indeed it is. And there are many more secrets hidden within its structure. But we approach and will be inside in just a few moments."

     The images slow and they see them pass inside, the seeker continuing to move until it finds Rigmor, who senses the seeker and knows who sent it. She stands and creates her own virtual screen as the seeker joins it and connects the two screens together.

     Rigmor: "It is you!, You are alive, thank all the powers above, you are alive! I almost could not hope enough."

     Iriisii: "Yes, I escaped, and I will tell you that tale when we are together again."

     Rigmor: "What do you need, where are you?"

     Iriisii: "Farther away than I have ever before been from you. But I need to give you my location coordinates, that way you can bring the Krang to me, with all of you aboard. I was pulled through the wormhole at the center of that monster out there and brought here. There is something here that I need to deal with, something very important, but that stays hidden, out of sight.

     You will need to make your approach stealthily, no one in this world must know you are there until I am ready to show you to them. Tell the Guardian to cloak you as you come out of the wormhole, have my 'Hand of Blood' ready for action, the Dragons, and my Sirens as well. I have not seen a world so screwed up since Telios, and we may need to do as I did with Tuo before this is done."

     Rigmor: "Understood. I will have everything and everybody ready for your call. Who is that with you?"

     Iriisii: "This is Tricia, she found me and brought me to safety before the local  government could reach me."

     Rigmor: "Then I owe you a great debt Tricia, for Iriisii is the love of my very soul and I could not go on without her."

     Tricia: "She has already done so much for me and our people, for that I release any debt owed."

     Iriisii: "You will find that the two of you are very much alike and given a little time, I believe will become fast friends. She too has a vampire as a mate."

     Rigmor: "Really?! Is she?"

     Iriisii: "No, their path to power is a different one from ours, but one worth nurturing."

The Guardian has the coordinates, with the new power source in place, power will not be a problem. Try and maintain a connection to the Fortress, we will see if it will hold across this distance. If so, it will allow me to change certain plans and make things easier for us all."

     Rigmor: "Not a problem, how long do you want me to wait for you to call?"

     Iriisii: "Come across when you are ready. Things here are beginning to heat up, but I will need to keep them from boiling over until we are ready for it."

     Rigmor: "I understand. See you soon, my love, don't get hurt or lost before I get you into my arms again."

     Iriisii: "I promise."

     The virtual screen fades as the connection is severed.

     Tricia: "She really loves you."

     Iriisii: "As I love her. We met, fell in love, and married as mortals. Then when we became Goddesses, we did it all over again. And I would have it no other way."

     Tricia: "Then Gods and Goddesses can know love?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, they can. It starts with us, the Ascended Ones. Ones who were once mortal and then became Gods. As we know love, we can teach that to those who were never mortal to begin with. It is not easy, or quick, but it can be done."

     Tricia: "Then there is hope for Jean Claude and me?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, just remember this, hope and belief are the two greatest yet misunderstood powers that exist in all of the Creations. As long as you hold both in your heart and soul, there is nothing that is impossible for you."

     Tricia: "Thank you, that I will remember."

     They decided to use an off-premise location for the meet, in an isolated location that would allow unauthorized visitors to be quickly noticed and intercepted. Iriisii waits on a platform on the upper superstructure with a clear view of the entire property while her position is not easily seen from the ground. She told Tricia that she would be at the meeting when she was sure there would be no unexpected guests and to tell the Psi-Ops agent that they were aware he had been 'tailed' for the last few days at least.

     She sees the Psi-Ops agent arrive alone as requested, following the driving instructions to the letter. His car would be out of sight of the outer perimeter once he stopped, would be met at the entrance door, and escorted to where the meeting would take place. She waits passively scanning the entire area, letting her inner battle senses take notice of anything happening. The least disturbance registers on her senses, but she knows from the last few days spent out here what is normal and what is not.

     She is almost ready to go down to the meeting when the barest hint of trouble makes its presence known. As she slowly sweeps the area, she knows something is there, she feels it, can almost smell it, but it stubbornly remains out of sight. Whoever or whatever this is, it is very good, almost as good at moving unseen as she is, almost however is not good enough. She feels for a nearby shadow to ride down to the ground when a scent she remembers wafts across her senses. She freezes motionless to see what may be about to transpire.

     They're coming toward where she feels the unexpected visitor to be, another of those putrid assassins. This one seems to not be as far along as the last one was, he moves smoother, taking a more measured gait. He runs across the 'tails' trail. How is he tracking the 'tail', scent, hearing, perhaps something a bit more psychic? Better to wait and see what happens, then decide what to do. 

     The assassin is hit! He takes a foot to the midsection, folding over and backing away. Yet he immediately straightens as though not feeling any effect. She wonders what the 'tail' is making of this. The assassin's head sweeps from left to right and back, even as he keeps sweeping, moving a little this way then changing direction, from her vantage point she can see his pattern. He knows where the 'tail' is, but he cannot approach directly and get through its defenses. So he is taking an oblique path, maybe he gets lucky maybe not.

     Iriisii thinks the 'tail' sees exactly what the assassin is doing and is preparing its next action in response. But she also knows something the 'tail' does not, it has a devastating acidic ranged attack that is likely as toxic as it is corrosive. What to do, let it play out, intercede, and several choices to choose from.

     She calms and stills herself, letting her time sense slow relative time around her. Her thought processes speed up, and she plays out several scenarios. None really suit her purposes, but what if...yes that comes closest. It is still not certain it will go as she wants, but whatever goes as she wants. Ok, take the chance, roll the dice, either way, the assassin must be destroyed, and the 'tail' will likely not know what to do about that. And maybe she can find out who is behind the 'tail', and what plans are in motion.

     She grabs the shadow and travels its track down to the ground, along the edge of the building to the closest point to these two combatants. She continues to watch the fight until she sees the moment she is waiting for her approach.

     The assassin drives straight at the 'tail', brushing aside the 'tails' arms, the assassin takes the 'tail' to the ground. Preparing to spit something at the 'tail', she senses something different about what is forming in the assassin's mouth. Then she knows, it wants to convert the 'tail', and pass its essence and task on to it. Iriisii steps from the shadows and casts Greater Telekinesis grabs the assassin and rockets him high into the air. The jet of whatever he was going to spit into the 'tails' open mouth missed. Iriisii keeps her eyes on the tail even as she hears the body of the assassin become slush as it impacts the asphalt covering surrounding the place.

     Iriisii squats close to the 'tail' looking 'her' over very closely. She sees that the 'tail' was once human, but a great many changes have been wrought. Some bionic, some genetic mutations, some cybernetic implants, how much of what she once was is hard to determine. 

     Iriisii: "You will not be successful if you think you can either defeat me in a fight or escape me. What almost happened to you was something I could not allow in any good conscience. That is why I intervened, if it had not attempted what it was going to do, I would have waited to see who came out alive."

     Tail: "What was it going to do?"

     Iriisii: "Transfer its controlling essence to you, suborn your body, then go on to try and complete its task."

     Tail: "Which was?"

     Iriisii: "To kill me if it could not do to me what it was going to do to you."

     Tail: "And you know this how?'

     Iriisii: "Not the first one I have dealt with.

     Tail: "Why are you telling me this?"

     Iriisii: "Why not.'

     Tail: "You are not going to kill me?"

     Iriisii: "Unless you give me either reason to or leave me no choice, I intend to let you live."

     Tail: "You are either a complete fool.."

     Iriisii: "or the bravest person you have ever met."

     Tail: "Did you read my mind?"

     Iriisii: "Not the first time I have been told that."

     Tail: "That I can believe."

     Iriisii: "Come on, we have a meeting to go to."

     Tail: "We?"

     Iriisii: "Well I certainly do not mean that putrid mess over there, speaking of which."

     Iriisii makes a hand gesture toward the assassin's body, which is already eating a hole into the asphalt, and it bursts into flames.

     Iriisii: "Come on, remember if you run across another, fire is the only way to destroy it completely. If you don't destroy it...well better if you do."

     Tail: "Why?"

     Iriisii: "What it was going to spit into your mouth, was what was animating it. I do not know what exactly it was, but I suspect a form of life that follows very different physical laws than those we are familiar with. If it could escape, it would find something or someone else to infect and take up where it left off."

     Tail: "What else do you know of it?"

     Iriisii: "Not much really, other than it considers me its greatest threat to its resurgence."

     Tail: "And you know this how?"

     Iriisii: "The first one I killed told me before I boiled it in Dragonfire."

     Tail: "Dragonfire?'

     Iriisii sighs: "Just because dragons do not live on this world does not mean they do not live on others or in other universes and I know because of personal experience. And if you live long enough you might find out just what sort of experiences I have had with them, first hand."

     Iriisii the 'tail' with her up to the door. opens it and says, "after you."

     The 'tail' walks on through with Iriisii following, letting her senses trail behind her, just to make sure there is not another sneaking about behind her. They walk down several sets of stairs, neither one making any noise as their feet tread on the steel steps. Iriisii keeps guiding the 'tail' until they reach a metal door with a sliding viewport. She knocks on the door, and the viewport is slid to the side. A pair of eyes sees Iriisii and then the eyes grow big as they light on the one next to her.

     Iriisii: "I have things under control, open up please, we need to be about our reason for being here."

     As the door is opened, Iriisii hears a set of footsteps heading hurriedly down the hallway to the room selected for the meeting. She walks sedately with the 'tail' ahead of her until they reach the meeting room. She knocks on the door and opens it, letting everyone see she is safe and in command, as she then leads the 'tail' in by one arm.

     The room goes silent as a grave, Iriisii directs the 'tail' to a chair, and motions for her to sit. Then she motions for a couple of the 'Circus guards to stand behind the chair with the 'tail' sitting in it. 

     Iriisii: "Behave and nothing will happen to you, my word on this. Cross me and I will not hesitate to split you from crown to groin."

     Iriisii then moves to a chair and pulls it next to the 'tail', across from Jameson, whose face is white as a linen sheet.

     Iriisii: "I apologize for the delay, as you can see I was right that you had a 'tail'. Also, there was a second visitor who had nothing to do with this one. It is now a scorched patch on the asphalt. I would recommend no one go near it, and it should be dug up and completely burned in an incinerator."

     Tricia looks to one of the guards, "see to it." The guard nods his head, pulls his radio, and speaks into it, while he heads out the door to the outside to see this scorched asphalt.

     Tricia: "Now Jameson, just why did you want to call this little meeting for?"

     It takes some time for Jameson to recount what it is that he has seen, heard, and done that led him to this action. All the while looking at the 'tail'.

     Iriisii: "You have nothing to fear at this moment in time, as to what happens afterward, that is entirely up to you."

     Jameson shifts his gaze to Iriisii, "How is that, may I ask? Word will get back to Hawkins and he will spare no expense to have me and mine dealt with."

     Iriisii: "Not if you claim asylum."

     Jameson: "With Tricia in the 'Circus of the Damned', Hawkins can get to me there, I have no doubt of it whatsoever."

     Iriisii: "With me."

     Jameson starts to speak once more when Tricia interrupts.

     Tricia: "Listen to her Jameson, she has the resources to keep you safe where Hawkins absolutely cannot touch you, trust me, I have seen it with my own eyes, and I could hardly believe what I saw."

     Jameson closes his mouth and nods his head, partly for what Tricia said, and partly because of the shock and awe on the 'tails' face as she realizes there just might be safe for her as well.

     Iriisii: "I will accept an asylum claim from both of you if that is what you want. And Tricia has indeed seen I have the power to back up what I say. But I need to know exactly what both of you know as to what is going on. I will not go into the middle of this mess without knowing what is going on, who the players are, and where they stand, and you both know the drill. I prefer not to take the easy way and turn the surface of this world into slag. I want to do this as a surgeon would remove the tumor and dead rotting flesh to let the rest of the body heal."

     Tail: "You could do this? Turn this world into slag?"

     Tricia: "As difficult to believe as it is, what she showed me...yes, I believe every word. She could do that and far more."

     Jameson: "What are you?"

     Iriisii: "I do not know what you believe possible and what you believe to be in the realm of fantasy. The closest word I can come to describe my position in the Celestial World that is in your language is Goddess, and that is a far cry from the truth. In the languages of my Realms, what you call universes, I am a Progenitor. 

     We have different stages of Gods or Goddesses, a nascent level God/Goddess is just that, then we have Greater Gods/Goddesses, next are the Elder Gods/Goddesses, then there is but one above them, the 'Mother of the Cosmos'. I have gone a step above 'her'. No other has done so before now in the Creation Matrix that holds the Creation I was born in.

     I cannot tell you what is above me or how far it goes, because I simply do not know. And we have no records of it ever being done before. As mindbending as this is, what frightens me more, is why. Why now, and why do they who stand above me see the need to elevate me to their status?

     Do not think that I do not take this seriously, for the mantra I live by is that of a servant. With great power comes great responsibility, and I take my responsibilities seriously. We who serve as Gods and Goddesses, have chains of responsibility on us commensurate with the power we hold. For rash, abusive, uncontrolled use of that power, there is a price to be paid, and it is very steep indeed. Should it be needed that I use that power to 'turn this world to slag' in order to deal with the problem I have been brought here to deal with? I will do so, but only if there is no other way, and even then, I will bend every rule I can to save and protect every innocent soul that I can. And if possible, restore this world to what it was before its destruction and return the innocent to it to life once more. 

     I know how it must sound to you, but I have done this before and may well be called upon to do it again."

     The silence in the room is deafening. Everyone is considering, and evaluating her words. Tricia especially is thinking, for she realizes from what Iriisii has told her that although she and Jean Claude follow a different path from her, they are still walking the 'Path of the Gods'. To hold that kind of power is ultimately sobering and frightening. But they have an example of one who has earned the right to do this, and they can do their best to emulate her.

     The tail begins by telling what she knows beginning from what was done to her, why it was done, and the role she had to play because of the chains tied to her very existence. She moves on to what information she has been privy to gathering in the tasks assigned to her. Summing up with what she feels all this is leading to, even as she has no solid evidence.

     Then Jameson gives what he and his team have managed to acquire and things take an even darker note at the things he has witnessed going on in the bowels of certain government installations. Once he is done, all eyes turn back to Iriisii.

     Iriisii: "My people in their past have had those who pushed forward unrestrained, uncaring about the results of what they did. I saw and witnessed the result of their actions in the future of my homeworld, when thousands of years later, it became nothing but rubble where once a world turned. The survivors were forced to migrate to one of its moons to begin again. This even after the Dwemer destroyed themselves, and the Direnni fled to far Realms to escape those who pursued them.

     I have seen abominations that subvert even the 'Laws of the Dead' bringing back souls from their afterlife and forging them into armored corpses animated by those souls. I have seen the visages of things that still work to give me nightmares. But what I see when I listen to your words, goes beyond anything I have experienced. Now I know why I was brought here and why it had to be me and no one else.

     If you stay with me, you will see wonders to bring tears to the eyes, and terrors that are the stuff of nightmares, but you will have the protection of my wings, of my blades, and every power I can command. What say you, will you accept a place in my service?"

     The tail looks at Jameson, then makes up her mind by nodding her head, Jameson asks, "what of my people?"

     Iriisii: "They will have the same choice as you, I will force no one to take service with me. It must be of their own free will."

     Jameson: "I say yes."

     Iriisii stands.

     Iriisii: "Each of you take a hand." As they do so, Iriisii begins to intone a vow in Dovahzul, as she speaks, the words explode as bursts of light from her mouth, and the air moves in the room of its own causing her hair to float around her head.

     

     Zu'u bel fah daar pogaan ziin               I call for these two

     wa meyz dii kirre                                 to become my children  

     fah zu'u wa staad ko dii sil                  for me to place in my soul

     ziistmaas nust meyz dii dovahhe         may they become my dragons

     ahrk zu'u meyz nun monah                  and I become their mother.

     Her words echo, reverberate, and are heard by all who claim to be hers. From everywhere the members of her 'Hand of Blood' are at this moment, they stop, listen, kneel, and pray, 'Shai-Hulu'ud', and Iriisii answers their prayer, "may his passing cleanse the world."

     They are at the Coliseum, the sun setting in the west, shadows beginning to make their way across the seats already beginning to fill with people. As Iriisii gazes out over the filling stadium, Tricia walks up.

     Tricia: 'When Jean Claude and I started the 'Circus of the Damned', I never thought anything like this would ever be in our future. Are you sure you still want to do this?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, the people need this, even as they do not know it yet, or even understand what it is that they need. I see it, and I can fill it if only for a little while."

     Tricia: "The giant video screens are fired up and ready. What do you intend to do with them?"

     Iriisii: "Display the memories that go with the songs as I heard and experienced them."

     Tricia: "They will be understood by everyone?"

     Iriiisii smiles, "the memories of a goddess can be very powerful. It will be as if each was there as it was actually happening."

     Tricia: "Your special guests have arrived and are anxious to get started."

     Iriisii: "Go ahead and let their people set up their instruments, we will get started when it is time."

     A runner comes up to Iriisii where she is talking to her special guests, "Showtime, Miss Iriisii."

     Iriisii: "Thank you, enjoy the show. Gentleman, again thank you for coming."

     Guests: "We thank you for inviting us, it is good to know it actually happened and we were not crazy. Besides we can all claim that a Goddess likes our music, it will do wonders for our sales."

     Iriisii smiles and laughs as she turns toward the stage manager to get the microphone before stepping out on stage. She moves to him and takes the microphone, she then walks to the curtain edge and stops for a second to collect herself. The stage manager steps up and says, "don't worry, you will have them eating out of your hand. You are a natural at this."

     Iriisii nods her thanks, and steps out onto the stage, a spotlight focuses on her and follows her.

     Iriisii: "Helllloooo Saint Louis!!!"

     The crowd's noise level comes back even stronger.

     Iriisii: "ARE YOU READY TONIGHT!!!"

     The crowd is ready and righteous for what is coming, or so they think.

     Iriisii: "I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU TONIGHT!!"

     The crowd looks around and the noise hushes.

     Iriisii: "I HAVE SOME SPECIAL GUESTS WHO WILL BE JOINING US LATER!! BUT FOR NOW, YOU WILL NOTICE THE GIANT SCREENS ABOVE YOU IN THE CENTER. WATCH THEM DURING THE SHOW AND ENJOY!!

     As she walks to the stool with a spotlight on it, a medieval lute sits on a table by the stool. She takes the lute in hand and makes a few adjustments to it. Then she looks up a speaks into the mic on its stand in front of her.

     "I want you all to know, the people you will see in the video that plays with this song, are real people, I know them personally and consider them good friends."

     Then she starts playing 'The Wolven Song', on the screen, it is Priscilla sitting on the stool playing the lute and singing as Iriisii is singing. The simple melody of the song enhances the lyrics without overpowering them. Everyone feels the song tug at heartstrings, the magic that flows from Iriisii's voice finding deep places in the hearts of the crowd to fill. As the last words echo and fade, the crowd is on their feet showing how much they felt the song as she did.

      She waits until they settle down once more to see what else she has in store for them. Then she speaks once again this time about the song she has for them now. 

      Iriisii: "This one is very dear to my heart, I hope you like it as much as I do.

      Then she starts into 'The Dragonborn Comes', on the screen she walks out onto the porch of Dragon's Reach, walking to the front edge where she 'calls' 'Odahviing'. They watch as he flies by and she uses 'Dragonrend' to bring him down. She fights him, forcing him back, and further back until the trap is sprung. It then shifts and he has turned around waiting for her. The crowd cheers as she climbs on his back and he lifts up into the skies. They follow as he lifts up high into the air, then dives down through the clouds, turning on his massive wingspan to right and left, then they disappear as they enter the light of the western sunset. And the final words of the song make their way across for all to hear. Silence reigns and then the cheering, the foot-stomping, the attempts to shout like a dragon come rolling back to her, filling her heart like it has not been filled in some time.

     Iriisii: "Next up, we have one that is a bit different but no less powerful. The story behind it is one of unexpected love as because of this song, I found two loves to share my life with. And our first special guest to sing this song with me, will you welcome, VINCE RAVEN!

The name sparks all kinds of memories from the crowd and Vince comes out as the band behind them starts playing 'Poison'. They each face the other like each is singing this song to the other. On the screen, Iriisii is singing to Desidarius and the crowd is totally enraptured by what is going on. Then they see Iriisii reach into Desidarius and bring out Illyria. The crowd then goes wild

as both Vince and Iriisii take a well-deserved bow. Vince asks as Iriisii turn to him, "did that actually happen?"

     And Iriisii steps into him to give him a kiss on his cheek, she whispers, "yes, and I am married to both of them." Vince looks at her astonished then gives her a thumbs up as he turns to go backstage. She turns back to the crowd, "ARE YOU READY FOR MORE!" The crowd responds with. "MORE, MORE, MORE!!!"

     Iriisii: "All right! Ready for our next special guest?" The crowd gives a strong, "yes!", and Iriisii gives a short introduction to the song, "I want you all to know, that yes I do have a man, but not just any man, a real man. The man you are going to meet in this next video, but first, let me introduce, 'The Bones'. As the band members take their places, the video shows scenes from the desert world where this event happened. Iriisii joins the lead singer as they begin the song, "Where the Streets Have No Name".

     The video shows Iriisii and Dettlaff, standing together with the band formed out of blown sand, the music of the song flowing across the dunes, and the vision Iriisii and Dettlaff experienced is shown as well. By the end, the vision fades, Dettlaff picks up Iriisii in his arms, and walks with her toward the solemn red glow in the west that is all that is left of the setting sun. The last thing the crowd sees is the lovers fading into the distance as the lead singer raises a guitar high in the air as a salute before the desert takes back the sand it gave to make him. On stage, the band members all bow to Iriisii, and the drummer walks up, does a half bow, and presents his drumsticks to her. She takes them and with only a moment's thought places them in her hair, takes the drummer's head with both hands on either side, and kisses him on top of his head. As the band goes backstage, the lead singer picks up one of their guitars and raises it high above his head. The crowd erupts into a cheer that vibrates the coliseum walls.

     As the moments stretch, the crowd begins chanting, "more, More, MORE!!" Iriisii walks back out and faces the crowd, you want more?" The crowd replies, "YES!!!"

     Iriisii: "All right, I have one more for you tonight, just for you, but first I have been told, because of the tremendous response of you here tonight,  we are being allowed tomorrow night as well, so for those who could not get in tonight, you have another chance. This last song is perhaps the one that is most precious to me. Because it is the first song I sang to my first mate, and you will see her in the video.

     The band begins the music and immediately the crowd is pulled into it. The lyrics flow into the minds and souls of everyone there. On the video is Priscilla in the Kingfisher starting to sing the song, and then Iriisii joins her in a duet. Then Priscilla goes down to dance with Dandelion and Iriisii is left alone. The moonlight shines into the inn and the dust is pulled together as Rigmor is pulled from Nirn to come and dance with Iriisii. And as the sun shines its light into the inn, the magic fades, and Rigmor returns to Nirn, but Iriisii is holding a crystal pendant. The video expands until only the pendant is shown, and as the sunlight strikes it, two figures inside the form and begin to sway to the notes of the song that only they and now the crowd can hear.