AE11 The Story of Iriisii Dovahkiin

       She withdraws and moves back carefully toward the doorway she came in from. As she passes one of the Harlequin guards she whispers what is going on and what she is planning to do on her own about it. She asks that the Harlequin spread word to everyone what is about to happen so they can take full advantage of the chaos to protect Jean Claude and Tricia. The Harlequin gives Iriisii the slightest of smiles to indicate his full approval and nods his head that he will do as she has asked. Once she is out of range of the Psy-Ops agents, she mind links her people, explaining what is about to happen and what they are going to do about it.

     Iriisii: "Reaper, I want you back aboard the Krang, we are about to reveal our presence to the entire world. I will need to have you ready to execute my orders as soon as I give them. When you get there, mobilize my Hand of Blood, Sirens, Dragon Legions, and Lyrium Dragons. The 'Were' guards and Harlequin can take care of internal security just fine for the most part, we are going to need to provide external security. I will want our people spread across the outer perimeter, and at least three Dragons perched on high points where they can see in all directions. They are to assist any of our forces against any armored units the Government brings to bear. And when I give the order, reveal the Krang, engage full defenses because this is going to cause a worldwide panic. I may want you to break into their satellite communications and broadcast me to everyone, translate what I say to the appropriate local language."

     Reaper: "At once, mother."

     Iriisii: "Rigmor, I will want you with me, I know there is no keeping you out of this, so I want you where you can sow the most chaos. Olaf, I want you with me as well."

     Olaf starts moving to her location, remaining silent as a ghost.

     Rigmor: "Finally some action, this is going to be fun."

     Iriisii: "Byrsael, I need you to stay with Eliza also make sure Ciri is with you as well. I may call all of you to me depending on what occurs, so be ready. I have the door to her quarters warded against ill intent, so if anyone attempts to enter and the ward reacts, you have my permission to do as you think needed."

     Byrsael: "Done."

     Iriisii: "Dettlaff, when the fireworks starts, I want you close to Jean Claude and Tricia. The Harlequin will be their primary protection, but I believe that Psy-Ops have something they think can get past them, but they know nothing of you and what you can do. You have my permission to do whatever you think needed."

     Dettlaff: "I will take care of them, do not worry."

     Iriisii: "Everyone else, I want you on the periphery of the hall. Lend your aid wherever it is needed. It is time we made our presence known."

     She moves quickly back to the main hall, once more engaging her 'misdirection' spell, but not before enabling her 'Armor of the Ageless Ones' and calling 'Mahfaeraak' to herself. Muttering to herself, 'if I have to make a grand entrance then it is time to go for broke', as Casius was fond of saying. Damn, but I miss him'. Casius Varon, be at peace wherever you are. As she passes the Harlequin going in, she whispers that her forces are taking outside security, and that there will be Dragons perched on the high points. Everyone inside the perimeter will be hers so there will be nothing to worry with from that quarter. She also says she will be revealing her presence and her 'Krang' to the world, so to expect a worldwide governmental panic. Once it begins, any 'Were' and 'Vampire' clans might wish to seek cover and stay out of sight, wherever in the world they are. Word will need to be sent to them immediately to go into hiding.

     The Harlequin shifts his eyebrow but nods his head. Then she whispers, 'The fireworks are about to begin, be ready, Psy-Ops has something they think can get past you to Jean Claude and Tricia. I am putting my Vyrkolos close by them. Psy-Ops has no knowledge of him or what he is capable of doing, thus he can be very effective in protecting them. You will know him, because he is 'vampire' like you, but from a totally different bloodline'.

     The Harlequin nods his head once more and Iriisii moves closer to a spot between the government people and Jean Claude. When the lawyer is about to launch into another diatribe of conditions, Iriisii waves a hand toward Jean Claude and Tricia to alert them something is about to happen. She then turns to the government people, sheds her misdirection, and stands in the full glory of her 'Armor of the Ageless Ones', with 'Mahfaeraak' glowing with power resting point down on the floor, her hands wrapped around the hilt, extending a shield wall between the government and Jean Claude and Tricia. Rigmor, armed and armored on her right, Olaf on her left, in armor specially made to protect him from whatever they have to face. 

     Psy-Ops are already in action moving into a position behind where they currently are, spreading out into a large circle. Iriisii feels the power beginning to circulate around them as the lawyers scramble to get out of the way. 

     Iriisii: "Harlequin! Psy-Ops is going to teleport something in, be ready! Reaper! Deploy and decloak now! To me my Rigmor!"

     Rigmor in the armor Iriisii made for her at the Forge of Stars, pulls her own Star Forged blade and moves close to Iriisii, leaving them both space to wield their weapons. Olaf stays close to her left but behind her to guard her flank. Reaper confirms her troops and Dragons are positioned around the perimeter. And the Krang is decloaked, the Towers are in full glory, coruscating colors starting from the bottom of each one rising to the top and repeating as a shield forms around the entire dwarf star and singularity.

     Iriisii: "Reaper! Begin broadcasting, now!"

     The video feed of what is occurring within the 'Circus of the Damned' main hall goes out through the intercepted satellite transmission feed worldwide. Alarm claxons are going off at every military base and installation on the planet. In Washington, beneath the 'White House' in a secure command bunker, the President, the Joint Chiefs, their aides, and security pour out of the elevators to view screens flickering to life as the people assigned to them reach their seats and begin doing their jobs. In the main conference room, the main view screen still has the presidential seal in view. President Thomas hurriedly takes his seat, as the others take theirs.

     President Thomas: "Can anyone tell me just what in the hell has happened?!"

     The Generals all look back and forth at each other without a clue.

     Psy-Ops Chief of Staff Hawkins: "Mr. President, if I may?"

     President Thomas: "Does this have anything to do with your 'Project Outsider'?"

     Hawkins: "Yes, Mr. President, it does. Although this degree of activity is beyond anything we anticipated."

     Joint Chiefs 'Chief of Staff' Admiral Jenkins: "Just what is this 'Project Outsider' Hawkins?"

     Hawkins hesitates, but President Thomas orders him to fill them in, the cat was out of the bag anyway on this. Hawkins gives them the barest amount of details that he can get away with. Admiral Jenkins is none too pleased with this turn of events, all having occurred without any notification to anyone else.

     Admiral Jenkins: "We still need to determine what set this off, if they have been this quiet for this long something happened and this is the response. Mr. President, may I suggest you speak to the other world leaders and try to calm things down. The last thing we need is to begin an interstellar war. We know nothing of their capabilities, what that thing in our space is, or just how powerful it is. Speaking of which is there any information from Space Corps as to what it is?"

     An aide makes some keystrokes at a terminal and the viewscreen changes to Space Corps headquarters. General Boyse has just been handed a sheaf of papers when one of his people directs his attention to the view screen. Recognizing who he is seeing, he takes a quick glance at the papers to skim the information before passing it on. He drops the papers before clutching at his heart. An aide goes to him and checks quickly before calling for a medical team. The General had just suffered a severe heart attack.

     The aide grabs the papers and as the General is loaded onto a gurney and taken to the medical bay, the aide scans the information. The look on his face indicates he is stunned by what he is reading. Admiral Jenkins finally gets his attention and orders him to tell what he knows.

     Aide de Camp: "Sirs, Mr. President, The artifact is composed of multiple elements, a large number of towers suspended just within the area where the corona of a <gasp> brown...dwarf...star would cover them from sight. There are also gravimetric disturbances of great power surrounding the entire area."

     Admiral Jenkins: "Ok, what does that mean?"

     Aide de Camp: "Sir, the main power source for whatever it is..."

     Admiral Jenkins: "Come on, spit it out soldier!"

     Aide de Camp: "Yes Sir! It is being powered by a 'black hole' Sir! This one gives initial indications to be theoretically considered to be a Galaxar."

     Admiral Jenkins: "Alright just what is that then?"

     Aide de Camp: "Sir, a 'Black Hole' is a collapsed star whose gravitational pull prevents even light from escaping its pull. A Galaxar is one so massive it is only theoretical, never proven until now to exist."

     Admiral Jenkins: "Go on, what makes it so much more dangerous?"

     Aide de Camp: "Sir, a Galaxar is formed by a 'Black Hole' consuming more than one entire galaxy." 

     Admiral Jenkins and every other military face in the room goes white as a sheet.

     President Thomas: "Ok, so give me some suggestions on what we can do. Nukes?"

     Admiral Jenkins: "Nukes would be completely ineffective, Sir. In fact, if we did manage to somehow break their connection to it. It would likely wander our way and consume the whole planet."

     President Thomas: "There has to be something we can do? Can't any of you think of something?"

     The video screen flashes with interference and the scene within the 'Circus of the Damned' main hall comes into focus. Chief of Psy Ops Hawkins face goes slack at what he sees.

     Iriisii: "You! Psy-Ops started this mess, when you fired that 'Hellfire' missile from your Apache Attack Helicopter while I was inside that building with Tricia. We were alone, you missed the ball game, the 'Were' Clan Leaders were long gone. We stayed because I knew you were coming and I intended to teach you a lesson in manners.

     Psy Ops operative: "Lies, all lies! None of us were anywhere near there!"

     Iriisii: "Ok, answer this then, Reaper, play back video recording from the meeting!"

     As the video plays back it does indeed show what Iriisii was talking about. All of the area Clan Leaders were present. As it progressed, it showed the 'Were' Oracle appearing and making her declaration of who Iriisii was. Then she morphed into her Dragon form, issued her challenge, and the total capitulation of the 'Were' Clan Leaders to her.

     It went on to show Iriisii and Tricia remaining, and after a few minutes the sound of one of Psy-Ops' operatives voice on a bullhorn giving them five minutes to come out. An elapsed timer starts counting down. At two minutes into the five, Iriisii can be heard declaring a helicopter arming and targeting them with 'Hellfire' missiles. Then the canisters of 'tear gas, CS, and VX' started falling.

    Iriisii: "You should know some of those gas canisters are 'VX', and I know the history as well as the aftermath of their use. I neutralized it or your people would have died even more horribly than they did when they entered. And it would have spread to the surrounding civilian population. The modified traces are still there to be analyzed if you do not believe me."

     The rest of the video shows the complete decimation of the Psy-Ops strike force that entered the building.

     The cutscene ends and rejoins the main feed as Iriisii can be heard to scream out, "Dettlaff, get Jean Claude and Tricia out of here then get your ass back. Harlequin, protect your Master and Mistress, let me and mine handle this. Do not question me, you have no knowledge of what Psy-Ops is porting in here. I do, I have fought them and won."

     Jean Claude can be heard in the background shouting, "Do as she says, she knows how to fight them, you do not."

     As Dettlaff reenters the hall, Iriisii tosses him her blade, "Here, you use this. I will use my Gauntlets."

     She pulls her War Gauntlets from her dimensional storage, it looks like they just appear out of thin air. She slips them on and slaps them to activate. The deep noxious green glow erupts as she summons twin katanas from them. And a horde of Wamphyri materialize within the ring formed by the Psi Ops people. Iriisii can be heard saying, "You poor deluded fools! You are the sacrificial lambs thrown to the lions to start their bloodlust!"

     Iriisii: "Wamphyri! You know of me! You know who and what I am! I give you this one chance to throw off your yoke of servitude. Take back control of your selves and I will take the worms from you."

     Wamphyri: "And why would we want to do that!? We have the freedom to do what we have been denied by your rules, your laws, your ethics. We can rape, kill, destroy, consume, all and more! Nothing can stop us, we will live forever!"

     Iriisii: "And why have you not already spread across all the Realities, why are you not the complete conquerors you claim to be. Others have stood up in the past and stopped you. Now it is my turn to stand and stop you! But I intend to do more than stop you, I intend to annihilate you, erase you and your kind from existence. Make it like you were never here to begin with. So do I vow this day, I, Iriisii Dovahkiin, Goddess Illuminatus, Champion of the Balance, Champion of Creation, Scion of the Draconic Divines, you will not win this day!!"

     Psy-Ops is the first to fall, the Wamphyri screaming in delight as the Psy-Ops people are pulled apart, limb from limb, their screams reverberating from the walls. Iriisii, Dettlaff, Olaf, and Rigmor wade into them, blades flashing, dismembering heads, arms, legs. Iriisii calls out to the Harlequin to destroy the worms by fire, and not to allow them to become infected themselves.

     The last one is far more skilled than any of the others, in fact he has additional augmentation, making him faster, stronger. But even he is only able to keep them at bay for a short while longer. And yet he underestimated his opponents, as Eliza pops into view hovering above him, a rictus of rage consuming her face as she sees this Wamphyri fighting her family and her sister. She drops down on top of him, grabs his head in her hands and pulls upward, the sound of his flesh tearing, his bones separating, as his head flies loose from his neck, and Eliza screams her victory. Olaf looks at her with undisguised respect. She looks at the bodies, a few still with the parasitic worms crawling out. She raises a clawed hand into the air, a dark cloud of roiling energy forms above her. Violet lightning flashes through the cloud and then is unleashed on the piles of Wamphyri corpses. When she releases the lightning, the cloud disperses, and there is nothing, not even ash left of the corpses.

     Iriisii slowly walks toward Eliza, then wraps her arms around her, murmuring, "Thank you." And Eliza replies, "Protect family, protect sister, love family, love my sister."

     Iriisii: "And I love you as well, sister."

     Beneath the Capitol, Admiral Jenkins looks hard at Hawkins.

     Admiral Jenkins: "Hawkins, you are aware that the use of 'Hellfire' missiles in a civilian area is a direct violation of international law to which we are a signatory of, not to mention that even the possession of 'VX' gas canisters much less their use in any circumstance is a violation of the Geneva Convention to which we are also signatories?"

     Hawkins: "And your point being?"

     Admiral Jenkins: "God, man, are you insane?! Using that stuff on domestic territory, on civilians!"

     Hawkins: "On an alien and a 'Were'. Both of which are enemies to normal humans."

     Admiral Jenkins: "And what of those, what were they called, Wamphyri? What of them? What kind of biological weapon have you cooked up now?"

     Hawkins: "I think we are done here now. You have seen what they have above us, and you quibble over a missile and a few cannisters of 'VX'!"

     Admiral Jenkins: "You are damn right I quibble over this. Somehow I get the feeling she is here directly because of what you are doing. I think if you had been stopped before you got started, none of this would be happening!"

     Hawkins: "You may be right, but it is what it is, and now we have no choice but to proceed. I think this meeting is over."

     Admiral Jenkins: "Nothing is over until the President says it is over!"

     Hawkins: "And the President does as I tell him to. Isn't that right, Mr. President?"

     President Thomas: "As you say, master."

     Admiral Jenkins: "What the hell is this?!"

     A shot rings out, and a smoking hole appears in the center of Admiral Jenkins forehead. Hawkins reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a glass vial with a white worm crawling within it. He reaches Jenkins side, forces open his mouth, opens the vial and dumps the contents inside. After a few moments, Jenkins body begins shaking, then the shaking subsides as the hole in Jenkins head closes, and his eyes open.

     Hawkins: "There now, I am sure you now feel a lot better, don't you?"

     Admiral Jenkins: "Yes, master."

     Iriisii and her people, once the interior has been verified clear, move outside. There the Government forces are standing by apparently waiting for orders. She takes the opportunity to move to one of the tall observation decks where one of her dragons is perched, watching. She takes note of where her forces are designated, where the government forces are, and how they are armed. She does not turn as Jean Claude joins her.

     Jean Claude: "If they attack how will you prosecute this battle since they will start by using artillery?"

     Iriisii: "My Krang has been ordered to drop shields in place at the first shot. Even as close as the artillery is to us, my Krang can place the shields faster. I do not want to put them in place before they are needed so as not to antagonize them into starting a battle. I want the government to be the initiator of battle. Thus we maintain the 'high ground' with the public when we win."

     Jean Claude: "You have done this before, I see.".

     Iriisii: "Yes, this is not the first time I have commanded a battle, and likely will not be the last by any stretch of the imagination."

     Jean Claude: "I do not envy you in the least for what you have been forced to endure."

     Iriisii: "I would worry for you if you did. You have, for a vampire at least, a very balanced outlook at life and existence. I have only known a handful out of thousands, that look at things as you do."

     Jean Claude: "I will take that as a compliment, then."

     Iriisii: "Good, for that is how I meant it."

     Jean Claude: "You are a most unusual person either for a mortal or an immortal. I heard you offer redemption to any of the Wamphyri who would fight to accept it. I got the feeling you did not expect any to accept your offer, but that would not have stopped you from protecting any one of them that would have."

     Iriisii: "You read that rightly. I once had a brother, rather a brother in arms rather than blood. He became infected and he hid himself away where he could not harm anyone for a long time. He was discovered by another infected I was pursuing, and she attempted to force him into fighting me. He fought to keep himself under his own control and stayed out of the battle. Once I killed the brood mother and destroyed her body, I went to help my brother, he asked me to kill him and release his soul before he lost his inner battle and be damned for eternity."   

     Jean Claude: "I see, it is never easy to lose a brother, but to have one ask you for death. Truly was there no other way?"

     Iriisii: "Not at that time, I only found a way to remove them afterward. But he had held that worm in his body for so long... no, there was no other way for him. He knew, but he wanted me, his sister, a fellow Aasimar Guardian and holder of the 'Mantle of War' to do for him. As much as it hurt me, I could not deny him his wish."

     Jean Claude: "I see."

     Iriisii looks up into the stars, "After it was done, as Death took him, he looked at me and asked me if I wished to accompany him. To honor him and his sacrifice, so that he did not have to cross over alone. As I looked at Death, wondering what he meant by those words, he clarified that if I so wished I would be the first to be allowed to cross over and then to return. No one before has had that privilege, and likely no one else ever will."

     Jean Claude stands silent. Wanting to ask further but not daring to in case he should offend by asking.

     Iriisii: "The little I am allowed to say about what I saw is this, I truly, even now have no words, nor even concepts to speak of what I saw. I have seen much since I began on this path, but none of it can in the least amount compare to what I saw and experienced. To those who cross over, theirs is a new life, a new destiny, a new path to follow. A chance to do over, change things, correct old mistakes, or just break out and do something different, unexpected. All the possibilities are there, you need only to choose your new life. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, or ever will do, to turn and come back."

     Jean Claude catches the most fleeting glimpse in her eyes, and is caught up in it. He knows he is seeing just a reflection of her memory of what she saw. But it still staggers him that she had the inner strength, to turn away from the vision before her and return to this Existence. He does not think for even a moment if he was faced with such a choice that he could make the same decision she did. And yet, she did, and stands here now with him, looking out over his city. For his own sanity, he changes the conversation.

     Jean Claude: "I also wished to ask you about..."

     Iriisii: "Dettlaff? Yes, he is a vampire, but as with all the different species, races, etc., there are differences. There is no one set beginning for vampires, each variety is different, their beginnings, behaviors, characteristics, practically nothing is the same except for their need for blood. And even that has its variations."

     Jean Claude: "How so?"

     Iriisii: "Some as they grow in age, require less feedings. And in the case of Dettlaff, does not require any at all, his needs are met somewhat differently. We both share each other's blood, even though I am not a vampire, it is through the sharing that I share power with him. And the power that I share with him becomes a permanent part of him. He does not lose it as he uses it, but rather it regenerates as does mine, through the belief and faith of those who follow us. He can call upon the faith and belief of all the vampire races of all the different infinity of Realms contained within all of the Creations that make up our Creation Matrix."

     Jean Claude: "How many different Creations could there be?"

     Iriisii: "Honestly, more than you have names for the numbers."

     Jean Claude: "And there are Gods that watch over all of these?"

     Iriisii: "So I have so far seen on my rise, yes. However, this must serve to understand why we do not know more of this than the few of us who do. As the levels of the Gods rise, so do the 'chains of responsibility' restricting their use of their power. Some can and do use them without regard for those chains."

     Jean Claude: "And what happens to those?"

     Iriisii: "There is a place I have found, simply called, 'Where Dead Gods Lie Dreaming'. I have been through it once, and I hope never again! I went through there in search of a mystic, a scholar, who had information I needed, badly. For it was said that those who brave entrance there were never seen again. I went because I knew there was no other way to acquire the knowledge I needed. And I had witnessed within the 'streams of time' who I needed to take with me in order to pass through.

     I and my companions did pass through, even as we came out in a totally different place than where we went in. And that place was nearly as bad. It told me why no one had previously been known to return. I have not the time to recount what happened to us there. I will say this, it has now been returned to what it was once in the distant past. A garden world, beautiful enough to bring tears to the eyes of any who behold it, be they mortal or immortal. Now, any further questions must wait, the government forces are moving, I surmise they have received orders, and the battle for the fate of this world is about to begin."

     Iriisii alerts the Krang to lay shields, and her ground troops to only engage when the artillery has ceased any bombardment, but only on her orders were they to go beyond the set perimeter. The artillery shells begin dropping on the shields, the pounding increasing until it is an almost constant barrage, yet nothing has even hinted at penetrating her shields.

     She keeps an almost constant scan of the area, checking for ground troop movements, while her dragons maintain a scan on the skies. She hopes it does not come to nuclear weapons, but depending on who is in control it is a possibility. Then the barrage on one side lets up and armored troop carriers begin moving in. They are having difficulty navigating the streets with all of the abandoned vehicles clogging them, her own sharpshooters taking advantage to place armor piercing rounds to disable the carriers. The enemy is unaware of her orders not to shoot the men trapped in the carriers but to allow them to retreat, so they stay put, holed up inside. 

     Right now she will take every advantage she can. It does not take long before high speed aircraft are sent in to provide cover for the ground troops. Now it is a question of whether they advance or retreat. She moves down to the front lines with her men. Checking to see that they are equipped with the new personal force shields, ones that can protect against any type of projectile, be it arrows, bolts, bullets, or shrapnel from grenades, based in part on the 'Winterstorm Construct', the kinetic energy of the projectile impact is converted to strengthen the shielding. This means they could literally become walking tanks, able to shrug off the most damaging of attacks.

     Although she still has to look out for other types of weapons that would have no trouble getting through the shields. She can only hope the military commanders will not use them in such heavy civilian areas. If so, her people have orders to get the civilians to safety, however they have to do it. She is looking forward to a spot some hundred yards away when she sees a mother and child darting from cover to cover, trying to get out of the combat area. Likely they were already outside when it started. 

     She sees the mother go down, her child trying to get her to rise up and keep moving, but to no avail. She looks closer and sees the mother still hanging onto life but fading, and a monstrous shadow approaching them, some kind of armored rocket launcher. She grabs the nearest trooper to call for assistance as she makes a run for the mother and child. Shots pepper her trail at first but die off when her own people fire at anything aiming at her. She makes it to the pair and raises a shield, as she looks at the mother's wounds, her child trying to fight thinking only of protecting her mother.

     Iriisii: "Child, I am here to help your mother not harm her. I have children of my own so I would not have you lose her. My help is coming but I must begin working on her to save her."

     The little girl looks at her, tears in her eyes, nose sniffling, "Please help her, please!" 

     Iriisii: "Do not worry, I will, just watch for the big vehicles and let me know if any come close." 

     She begins by using telekinetic force to pinch shut the bleeding blood vessels inside, while stimulating her body to replace the lost blood. The wound itself will have to wait, as long as the bleeding can be controlled she stands a good chance to survive. Then she sees shadows coming from the 'Circus'. She points them out to the little girl, "See help is coming. They will take you to safety and medical attention."

     She knows something has to be done to prevent more bleeding while the mother is being carried back. The trip is not likely to be a gentle one. She remembers something one of the Psijic Healers showed her that he had developed for this kind of situation, and taking some magical force, binds it to a fragment of cloth she rips from the mother's shirt. Wrapping the pieces around the worst of the damaged blood vessels she sets it to act as a sealant to stop the active bleeding.

     By then the help has arrived in the form of two of the Harlequin. If anyone can get her back safely they can. She quickly instructs them to take the two to her mate, Illyria, and let her begin work on healing the mother. Then she tells the Harlequin to spread the word that she is going to take the fight to the enemy and any who wish to go with her are welcome. They both smile and say they will both return with as many as they can gather together. It doesn't take long before they return with a total of ten Harlequin.

     Iriisii: "Ok, this is how this is going down. Before they send in the really big weapons, I am splitting my 'Hand of Blood', each group will go up the side to flank the enemy forces and draw their attention. Then 'we' are going to ram our swords right down their throats in a frontal assault. Before we set off I will cast the strongest spell buffs that I have on everyone who goes with me. I will make your skin like dragonhide, increase your melee weapon speed, increase your strength, agility, but under no circumstance can any of you get in front of me. 

     I will be using Dragon Shouts. I will be using fire, ice, force, and soul tearing on those in front of me. Many of them will have their bodies turn to ash, I will roll their heavy vehicles over and crush them, they will flee the battlefield in abject terror, and if needed I will call down the very 'Fingers of the Gods' to burn them with lightning.

     Let me worry about what is in front, you move to the sides and crush the enemy between you and my 'Hand of Blood'. Do this and should any of you wish it, you will have earned a place beside me in my Celestial Army. I accept those who wish to fight, be they of the dark or light, good or evil, all I ask is that they observe the 'Balance' between, for that is where I stand."

     Iriisii closes her eyes in concentration and starts her 'Hand of Blood' moving. The Harlequin see the effects as they roll up the sides, once they are a few hundred feet ahead, Iriisii begins casting, once she finishes, the Harlequin can barely contain themselves with the power of her spells coursing through their bodies.

     And they turn to the center of the enemies' formation, already responding to the flanking attacks, and they run full speed up the center, blades drawn, and Iriisii's 'Mahfaeraak' pulsing in tune to her heartbeat with energy bands of every color imaginable racing along its length. And where she sends a whip strike to an enemy vehicle, it explodes, flying into the air, and landing on enemy troops, crushing them. The Harlequin revel in the carnage, now they are being led by a leader they can respect, willing to use them to the fullest, and care enough not to waste their lives, but willing to stand with them in the face of enemy numbers that no others would dare.

     The enemy soldiers, even though they far outnumber Iriisii's forces, are getting their asses handed to them. The Command Officers cannot believe what they are hearing over their comms. They call for permission to use the restricted weapons and are given that permission. They call for the missile strikes, advanced fighter jets armed with tactical nukes. Once the calls are confirmed the Officers quickly make their way to the escape vehicles and leave. Everyone else is expendable, their soldiers, civilians, everyone.

     The Officers last orders to their men are to gather together and push against Iriisii and her forces with everything they have. Trucks, tanks, personnel carriers, anything and everything. Iriisii sees that force moving toward her and hers as a wall of metal behind a hail of lead and shrapnel. She bids the Harlequin to stay behind her and mentally calls for her Dragon legions to pull back. As they do so she looks up into the skies and calls to her High Elemental ally.

     The High Elemental phases into this Realm above her, reads the situation and pulls the force Iriisii has asked for from not only this world but nearby parallels. The storm gathers, roils, thunderheads forming then collapsing under their own weight. The lightning generated is collected by the Elemental and then unleashed. Solid columns of lightning streak down. Whatever metal that is struck melts, flesh disintegrates, the very ground is burned. Concrete explodes as the shafts move and flow over them. Asphalt melts, boils, and explodes into flame.

     The Harlequin look on in awe of the pure destruction she controls, for this must truly be the 'Fingers of the Gods'. And then the task done, the High Elemental lets the storms shut down, and she phases back to where she came from to await the next time she is needed. The Krang intercepts the communication between the local command and their superiors, decodes it, translates it, and sends it tight beam straight to Iriisii. As she comprehends the orders, she starts cursing the decision makers with 'words' that actually causes the nearby grass to shrivel and die. Then she figures out how to use this to her advantage.

     Iriisii: "Reaper, target all those incoming missiles once they are dropped from the aircraft. Then calculate and create portals for each one to divert the missiles far enough out that the explosions can be seen from the surface, but no dangerous effects to reach the planet. Then put me on planet wide broadcast, I will have something to say about this and I want everyone to hear me. Harlequin! Come on and let us finish this, the 'top brass' as they call themselves have just stepped over the line and it is time for a 'Pray to the Gods' moment."

     Her forces push hard and are mopping up when six bright lights suddenly light up the night sky. Iriisii sees it and moves off to a cleared area as she asks the Harlequin if any do not want to be seen they can return to the 'Circus'. All of them stand with her in a display of solidarity their kind has never known or showed before.

     Iriisii: "Reaper, break into their video feeds, both audio and video. On my mark, one, two, mark! People of Aearth, you have stood witness to the first skirmish between my forces and the forces of your Government. I hope you saw that it was they who fired the first shot into an area of both business and residences. My shielding protected all behind it.

     The lights you witnessed in the sky over the city of St. Lou's were missiles armed with tactical nukes. If I had not ordered them to be diverted into space by my Krang, they would have air burst over the city. The loss of life would have been almost total for this city, and the Government of this country gave its permission to use them. This is an unconscionable abuse of power. Power you gave to these leaders, and this is what they do with it, attempt to sacrifice every man, woman, and child in the city to destroy me, mine, the 'Weres' and the 'Vampires'.

     I did not come here to upset the balance of power, take down governments, invade your world. I even had no idea of where I was going. I was led here by others greater than I, to track an enemy bent on the destruction of 'Creation' itself. Yours, mine, everyone of the uncountable number of universes that exist. Your government has shown its true colors, and so I will move on and speak with the other governments that exist here.

     I will tell them what I know, what I believe, and let them decide if they will stand with me or not. For if the enemy I seek is not stopped, the very first thing they will do is use their weapons on all of you to test if they are ready to go beyond. And I will do what I must to not allow that to happen. Even if I must turn the surface of this world to molten slag. But hear me well, if it comes to this, I will remove all innocents from the world first. Then after what is done is done, I will rebuild it as it was before and return the innocents home.

     I know how difficult it must be for you to take what I am saying. But this is not the first time I have had to do this, and likely will not be the last. But it will not be done unless there is no other way, or your governments give me no choice. I have accepted the 'Were' Clans here in this region into my fold. They have acknowledged my authority according to their ways, and so I call them my children. I will shelter them under my wings, and will defend them with my teeth, claws, and breath. I will be speaking next to the 'vampire' clans. And I will do this in each country I visit. I also extend an invitation to speak with the 'Fae', for I have information I am certain they will wish to hear.

     To your government leaders, I say this, if you are not a part of the problem I have come to deal with, then take yourself aside and stay out of my way. Do this and you will be left alone. Continue with this military action against me and you will lose, I can promise you that. You have not seen the least of what I can do and what I can call upon. Pray you do not take it further, and find out what else lies beyond the edge of what you can see in the night sky."

     She turns to look at the Harlequin, "You who have fought by my side this night, you have earned a place beside me in my Celestial Army. It is yours now for the asking, you have experienced the barest part of what I can do for those who earn my trust. Know that should you seek your destiny with me and mine, I will not abuse you, but will see that your needs are met, and you will have the best that I can provide. Let us return to the 'Circus' while these defeated lick their wounds and contemplate the misguided orders of their officers. Custodian, a door for us into the Circus if you please."

     A door springs up from the ground, glowing with a soft shimmer around it. Iriisii steps up and opens it, a view inside the main hall of the 'Circus' can be seen through the door, while around it are the war-torn remains of the city blocks that the military ran roughshod over. Iriisii and the Harlequin walk through, the door closes and sinks back into the ground it sprang up from. And her 'Hand of Blood' triumphantly march back to the perimeter of the Circus, where they resume their previous duties.

     Later as Iriisii is standing on top of one of the 'Circus' towers looking out over the city and the night sky, Jean Claude joins her standing quietly, watching her, he is not certain but thinks she appears to be communing with the stars.

     Iriisii: "Thank you for not interrupting, I had some questions to send out but was not sure of where to direct them."

     Jean Claude: "Questions?"

     Iriisii: "I look out over the city where the fighting took place. The souls of the dead are still lingering and I wanted to know why. Why had the God they worshipped, thought of, prayed to, had not taken them. I still hear them calling out, asking why. I sought to find an answer for them."

     Jean Claude: "And did you?"

     Iriisii: "No."

     Jean Claude: <silence>

     Iriisii: "You see my quandary. I want to help them. They did naught but fulfill the oath they took to protect their country and follow the orders given to them by those placed in authority over them. Yet the deity most of them have followed since birth seems to have abandoned them. I would know why this is and how I can help these poor souls find the peace they now deserve."

     Jean Claude: "And so you sent out your question to the stars?"

     Iriisii: "They will pass it on, across the universe, until someone deigns to give me an answer."

     Jean Claude: "And if there is no answer?"

     Iriisii: "Then I will give them peace, those that will accept it from me. You see, in the world I walked when I was mortal, the Gods were known and their presence felt. Not as strongly as in the Dawn Times when they freely walked among man and mer. The events that happened then were such that they threatened to destroy Nirn and damage the fabric of Mundus.

     Mundus contains many, many worlds, like this one does, yet my Gods were only interested in Nirn. To prevent its destruction, they agreed to a compact, where by they would separate themselves from Mundus by means of a liminal barrier. It does not prevent contact in its present state, but it does limit it greatly. Such that when they needed to intervene, they had to use mortal agents to do so. I, as a Dragonborn of Akatosh, am among the greatest of these."

     Jean Claude: "Yet you have been away for some time."

     Iriisii: "Yes, I have. My and Rigmor's daughter, Kintyra, also a Dragonborn, sits the Ruby Throne, beginning a new chain, a new line of Dragonborn Emperors and Empresses to rule from Cyrodiil, or perhaps it is but a renewal of the first line. That is a question for the scholars and lorekeepers to decide."

     Jean Claude: "How did your Empire begin?"

     Iriisii: "Alessia, my Celestial mother, when she was mortal and not yet ascended, led a slave revolt against the ancient Elven nations that ruled at that time. The First Empire was born of the ashes of that revolt. Those times were among the bloodiest we have ever endured, and still deal with the aftermath millennia later.

     My Celestial father is Talos, the Ninth Divine, ascended from mortality when he was known as Tiber Septim, First Emperor of the Septim Line. He established the line of succession that is argued that I and my daughter are from. The question that arises most is whether the line of succession is still true even if my parents were immortal when I was conceived, born and raised."

     Jean Claude: "Were you not immortal when you were born?"

     Iriisii: "No, being born of ascended parents, they keep the property of their children being born mortal. Which is why they were living on the island of Roscrea when I was born. My ancestry is not the only claim to the throne that I have. The unmistakable fact that I am Anointed of Akatosh, being Dragonborn, is perhaps the strongest claim. For Akatosh promised Alessia when he created the 'Amulet of Kings' and gave it to her as she took the throne of the First Empire. She then went unto the 'Temple of the One' and lit the 'Dragonfires', establishing the liminal barrier. His promise to her was that for as long as a Dragonborn sat on the throne, the liminal barrier would remain intact.

     Some two centuries ago, the last Septim Emperor, Uriel VII, was assassinated. At that time it was thought he had no heir and the 'Septim' line was dead. The Dragonfires went out because there was not a new Dragonborn Emperor to be crowned to relight them. And the barrier weakened enough for the Daedric Lord Mehrunes Dagon to stage an invasion of Nirn. One who came to be known as the Hero of Kvatch and Cyrodiil, found out how to enter and close the gates used to invade Nirn.

     But that was not enough, a new Dragonborn Emperor had to be found. A lorekeeper searching the records found an answer. The bastard child of a passing liaison produced a son to Uriel VII. He had been quietly sent to a monastery at Wayrest to live his life in seclusion and anonymity. The hero took the 'Amulet of Kings', there is no need right now to go into why she had it, save to say it was the last act of Uriel VII to keep it out of his enemies hands, and some say he had a vision of himself doing this before his death.

     The hero found Uriel's son, Martin Septim, at Wayrest, convinced him to take the 'Amulet', accept the Throne, and then fight Mehrunes Dagon. He did this at the cost of his own life. His sacrifice strengthening the barrier in place of the Dragonfires, at least for a few hundred years more."

     Jean Claude: "And so they made you from the ancient bloodline founders to restart the Dragonfires and stop another invasion should the liminal barrier completely fall."

     Iriisii: "Yes, yet like any plan that never survives the first encounter with an enemy, unforeseen events always intercede. I did not have the 'Amulet of Kings' when I accepted the throne. Martin Septim broke the gem at its heart, used the power released to become a dragon in order to fight and defeat Mehrunes Dagon.

     One event I was involved in before taking the throne, caused the making of a new gem that could be used in the remaking of the 'Amulet'. Yet I was not informed of its creation until it was too late for me to acquire it, before others who also knew of its creation to find it and take it before I arrived. I finally did get it, at a high cost. That cost was that I would not be able to use it to relight the Dragonfires, that task will fall to my daughter. And is soon to be done, she has not yet done so for she has a question she wants an answer to first."

     Jean Claude: "If she relights the Dragonfires, would it also prevent your return to Nirn?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, that is her concern. And so I keep my Fortress on the Edge of Time, firmly seated in the Great Forest outside the Imperial City, so that I can get there quickly in the event I am needed."

     Jean Claude: "A grave matter for any child to have to decide. I do not envy her that decision. I also wanted to ask...?"

     Iriisii holds a hand up to him as she turns her head hearing a call only she can hear. Standing to her feet, she looks out over the area until she pinpoints where the call came from. Looking to Jean Claude, she asks, "Are you up to a ride on a dragon?"

     Jean Claude: "You are serious?"

     Iriisii moving to the Blue Lyrium Dragon still standing guard on the tower peak, she replies, "I would not have asked if I was not serious."

     As she mounts and sits behind his head, she extends her arm to Jean Claude who follows where she stepped and sits behind her.

     Iriisii: "Do not worry, he will not allow you to fall and neither will I."

     Mentally instructing the Dragon on where she wants him to take them, he lifts off into the still dark sky. They fly high up, looking down on the city. She never gets tired of what she sees from this vantage point and perspective. 

     They dive down and soon see three people standing together, a man, a woman, and a young girl child. She recognizes the child, but not the others, the man and woman are arguing forcefully. As they land close by, Iriisii leaps off of the Dragon and approaches the three. The little girl recognizes her and gets loose of the man's grip on her to run to Iriisii. 

     The girl child speaks breathlessly, "Miss Iriisii, you came!"

     Iriisii: "Yes, I heard you call to me, what can I do to help you?"

     Girl Child: "Mama asked my Aunt to let me stay with her until she got well. Daddy caught up to us here and is trying to take me away. I don't want to go with him. He left me and mama just after I was born, said he did not want to raise a kid and mama should have done as he said and got rid of me."

     Iriisii: "Well, I am here now and if you do not wish to go with him, you do not have to. He gave up any rights to you when he left, and when I saved you and your mother, I extended my protection to you both. I will take care of you until your mother is well, do not worry. But I need to speak to him to be certain he understands and stays away. Go sit with Jean Claude and when I get back we will let you fly on a Dragon's back."

     Girl Child: "Really!? I get to ride on a Dragon?!"

     Iriisii: "I promise you will, and I keep my promises."

     Iriisii lifts the girl up and onto the Dragon's back telling Jean Claude, "Hold on to her, I will be back soon. We will be taking her back with us until her mother is healed enough from the bullet wound to be released."

     Jean Claude: "I take it the man is her absent father?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, left them when she was born and only now seems to want her again for some reason. I want to know why, the timing of this stinks."

     Jean Claude: "I agree, do what you must, I will back you."

     Iriisii: "Thank you."

     Iriisii walks back over to the absentee father who is arguing with the child's aunt. She is trying to keep him from going back after 'his' daughter.

     Iriisii: "I will take it from here, worry not for your niece. I have extended to her and her mother the protection of my wings. No harm, physical or otherwise will happen to them, I promise. Now leave him to me to deal with. If you wish to stay and witness this, you may and if it becomes needed I will extend to you the same protections I have granted your sister and niece."

     Aunt: "I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for them."

     Iriisii: "You owe me nothing, it was the right thing to do in the circumstances. I have children of my own and there is practically nothing I would not do to protect them. As to you sir, it is more than passing suspicious for you to show up at this time under these circumstances. To what is it owed that you make your presence and demands for possession of 'your' daughter at this time?"

     Absent Father: "I need not say anything to either of you. The laws are on my side in this matter, that is enough. Now give my daughter to me or face the consequences."

     Iriisii: "I am afraid you have been falsely informed for another's agenda. I am not a citizen of this country, in fact I am not even of this world, and as such that makes me a sovereign entity in the eyes of your laws. Diplomatic laws now come into play, not to mention the laws that I am governed by, which are very different in some aspects than yours. Any clash between them would have to be worked out in your International Courts, and that would stretch on for a number of years.

     And if you think you would automatically gain custody of 'your' daughter, think again. I have extended Sanctuary and Asylum to them both, under my laws, they have my protection for as long as they desire and you will come no closer to them. I will protect them from you and any other entity seeking them to your advantage. Trespass these laws and the consequences can be quite dire. I do not think your leaders here wish to chance a war they cannot win.

     And before you say, I would not go to war over them, wars have been fought for far less reasons. What was done here this night was but a simple skirmish that showed them the abject folly of taking on a force better equipped, better trained, better led than theirs. And the forces I showed this night do not even scratch the surface of what I can call upon. I do not even have to engage the full might of mine. I simply need to match what comes against me and I will win."

     Absent Father: "What you say has no bearing or interest to me. My laws say I am her father and so have rights to her since her mother cannot care for her now. I am her closest blood relative and so I have been given 'custody' of her! You will hand her over or face judgment!"

     Iriisii: "Call your courts if you will, you have no idea of the shifting sands you stand upon in your argument. Go back to those who put you up to this to try and gain some fleeting leverage against me. It will not work. It is quite apparent to me that you care not for 'your' daughter or you would never have left in the first place. You care for what you have been promised, to play the role of 'aggrieved father' that has been chosen for you. If this is the best that they can do, they are woefully inadequate!"

     Iriisii turns to the aunt, "Should 'he' or those who work behind him come against you, call my name and I will defend you against all who would do harm of any kind against you. Of this you have my word, and I have far more than enough power to back it up."

     Aunt: "Thank you, I will remember."

     The 'absent father' loses his temper and takes a swing at the aunt. Iriisii shouts "FUS' and catches him in mid-swing as he is lifted into the air and thrown back about twenty feet to land hard on the ground.

     Iriisii: "Try again and all that will be left of you will be a pile of ash! You have been warned! There was only one Rotmulaag to that 'Shout', there are two more that can be added to it. You would not survive a strike from two of them much less all three! Now if you wish to live stay down until we are gone!"

     With that he sinks back to the ground with a groan due to his bruised ribs, and this time wisely keeps his mouth shut.

     Iriisii turns to the aunt, "Please come with us for now, it would be better to remain in our care for a day or so until we can make certain he as well as who put him up to this will leave you be."

     The aunt nods her head and follows Iriisii to the Dragon she flew down on. Helping her mount him and settle herself in place, "Do not worry, you will not fall."

     Aunt: "But what of you?"

     Iriisii smiles, "Do not worry for me, I will be right next to you."