AE15 The Story of Iriisii Dovahkiin

     Jean Claude and Tricia are watching the three of them closely, they can feel some kind of interaction going on. They just cannot tell what kind or what may be being said between them. Then Asher comes out of it and staggers, Rigmor catches him and holds him until he can stand. Jean Claude starts to move to help, but Asher motions him to stop.

     Asher: "No, I will be all right, I just need a few seconds to gather myself."

     Once he can stand, Rigmor releases him and as she pulls her hands back he catches them and thanks her for what she shared with him about herself. Rigmor blushes, and lowers her head. Asher uses one hand under her chin to lift up her face.

     Asher: "You should never feel less than anyone else for what you endured. For a great many would have given up and died where you fought and lived. Be proud of that, be the one all others should aspire to be like in their own lives."

     Rigmor looks up into his face once more, seeing not who he is now, but who he could be if  he chooses to be. Then she places one hand behind his neck, the other cupping the ruined side of his face as she draws him into a kiss. Just as their lips touch she hesitates for a fraction of a second then kisses him as she has seen Iriisii kiss Dettlaff.

     It has been far too long since anyone kissed him like Rigmor has just kissed him. He cannot quite place what the feeling is that rushes through him. but he looks at Rigmor's face and sees the smile she has for him and he only knows that he would do anything to please her. He looks toward Jean Claude and Tricia, sadness in him at the way he has been toward them for these last years until he gave them no choice but to send him away.

     Asher: "I am sorry for the way I have been. I know it does not make up for the pain I caused but..."

     Jean Claude: "It is enough that you see this now. I see there is truly hope for you to find your way forward now."

     Tricia: "What did they talk to you about, what did they do to you to bring this about?"

     Asher: "We will speak when the time comes to speak. I am not yet ready for that, but soon, yes."

     Tricia: "Jean Claude! Are you going to let him go without finding out what the hell just happened? Why will they not say what they did? Did they cast some spell over him?"

     Jean Claude: "Tricia, stop! They are under stricture not to say anything. It is up to Asher to speak of what happened. Should he wish to speak to us or not, it is his decision, not theirs and not ours. You will let it go! What has happened falls under Celestial Law and we will not cross that Law and risk losing him permanently."

     Tricia: "I am sorry, it is just that I have never seen anyone bring such a reaction from him, not in all the time I have known him."

     Jean Claude: "I know, mon cheri, believe me I know. But now is the time for patience, he must make his own decision according to what he wants. Nothing else must interfere with this or we lose him forever."

     Alessia: "Tricia, my dear, listen to him, if only for this one time, listen and do as he asks. Great powers are moving in the spaces beyond our sight. They see what is happening here, and they too want to know how this is going to change what they have seen up to now."

     Alessia looks to Iriisii, "Morag Bal's decision is the key here, she went one way and now Asher must decide which way he will go. All any of us can do is wait and trust him to do what is right for him, now that he knows what could be his."

     Iriisii: "You are right, mother. He will tell us when he is ready, not before. We have much to talk of ourselves, do we not?"

     Alessia looks to the little one still in his sling sleeping, "Yes, we do. You knew this is what I would decide?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, I did, not necessarily the reasons why but this is what I expected."

     Alessia: "Then we need to speak of those reasons, because they have become very important."

     Tricia: "Who is this Morag Bal and how is her decision related to Asher's?"

     Iriisii: "There is much concerning her fate that I could go into, but I will speak to only that which is directly related to the question Asher must decide. Morag Bal was the daughter of Molag Bal, one of the Daedric Lords of Oblivion, all of his children whether of his body or of his spirit are vampire. Within the Realm of Mundus, he is the Father and source of all vampires.

     I was with her in the Throne Room of the Imperial City in Cyrodiil. My Rigmor had just been taken into custody to await trial. The charge was 'being a pretender to the Throne'. I will not go into what we spoke about, it was a private matter between the two of us. But I did say this to her before I left her presence, 'Morag, you have a choice to make going forward from here. Choose wisely, and you can have it all. Do not choose wisely...'. she then called the guard and had me returned to the quarters I was occupying until the trial."

     Tricia: "What happened to her? How did she choose?"

     Iriisii: "What she chose was her decision to make, what happened...was this. We later met again under Table Mountain, she thought to sway me to her side using her vampiric wiles. As a 'brood mother' she was strong enough to command my body for a short time, but not strong enough to command my will. She realized this and gave me the one thing that could affect me. She gave me the 'Kiss of Death', and threw me back away from her. As I rose up from the floor, I drew my sword, leaped back to her and took her head. As the area erupted in flames in preparation for her father to enter our Realm there in that place, I sent everyone who came with me, including Rigmor back outside, while I awaited her father."

     Tricia: "So you killed her because of the decision she made?"

     Iriisii: "Because of the direction her decision was going to take my homeland toward. She was already deeply involved in betraying Tamriel to the Tsaesci. Her decision set the path that found me on the Throne of the Empire, seeking to rebuild it in time to meet the Tsaesci on our shores four years later. Had she decided differently, she and Ariel Sethius, would have kept their positions on the Thrones and their lives. As it was, well you know how that went. I am not saying that the same would happen here, the particulars would be different, but the end result would likely be the same."

     Tricia: "You are saying he would not survive, that you would kill him?"

     Iriisii: "I do not know what exactly would happen, when it would happen, or even what form it would take, who would be involved. These things are clouded for good reason and so must be accepted as they are."

     Tricia: "Thank you, I think. I am going to have to give thought to what you have said. This goes much farther, much deeper than I anticipated."

     Jean Claude: "Come, my love, let us return to the 'Castle'. It seems we have much to ponder over."

     Alessia: "You did well with that answer, my daughter. I know how difficult it can be to know how much to divulge without crossing the line. Things happened as they did, and we must understand what we can and take the rest on faith that we did rightly and wisely."

     Iriisii: "Mother, what is it that you have for me that brought you all the way out here?"

     Alessia: "Circumstances have come about, where this little bundle is safer with you than with me."

     As Iriisii takes the bundle and unwraps it, she sees the young boy's face first.

     Alessia: "His name is..."

     Iriisii: "Kiir Zii Tiid, his name is Kiir Zii Tiid."

     Alessia: "Yes it is, he is unique, for he is both your brother and your son."

     Rigmor sees Serana's confusion over Alessia's words of the boy's parentage and whispers into her ear, 'I will explain what she means later. I know what happened and she is telling the truth, as I said I will explain later.'

     Alessia: "Now tell me when is the wedding going to be, please tell me I did not miss it!"

     Iriisii: "No, Mother, you did not miss it, Serana just asked me to marry her and I said yes."

     Alessia: "Serana, then please let me be the first to welcome you into the family!"

     And Alessia takes Serana's head in her hands and kisses her on her forehead.

     Iriisii: "What is his common name?"

     Alessia: "I thought I would leave that to you to decide."

     Iriisii: "Very well then."

     Byrsael: "What is his father's name?"

     Iriisii: "Mithlas, why?"

     Byrsael: "I know what his common name could be. There is one of my Realm whose name is greatly known and respected. And it is very close to his father's name, close enough to honor them both."

     Iriisii: "Then by all means share it, if it fits it will become his common name."

     Byrsael: "Mithrandir is the name I am thinking of."

     Iriisii: "Who of Middle Earth carries that name?"

     Byrsael: "You know him and have spoken to him as Gandalf."

     Iriisii: "Gandalf! Yes, I remember him now, King Aragorn thinks highly of him. Yes, I think that would be fitting indeed. Gandalf is a wizard among your people is he not?"

     Byrsael: "Yes he is, why?"

     Iriisii: "Mithlas is of the Direnni, a race of mages among mine. So, young Mithrandir, what do you think of your common name?"

     Mithrandir smiles and laughs while trying to chew on his thumb."

     Iriisii: "I think we have his seal of approval."

     Alessia: "Now can someone catch me up on just what is going on? I have come a long way and I am not ready to go back so soon. Oh, it is such a wonderful feeling to be away from Mundus at last."

     Iriisii: "Soon enough, mother, but first I need to close the show. If you will wait with the others backstage, I will only be a few minutes. Then we can retire to where we can catch you up on current events."

     Iriisii turns with Mithrandir in her arms and approaches the crowd wondering what was going on.

     Iriisii: "I want to thank you all for coming tonight, you have not only blessed me and mine with your presence, but you just may have witnessed history in the making. I did not plan the 'Rose Ceremony' you all watched, in fact it was a complete surprise to me. But the last one especially, her name is Serana Volkihar, and she is very special to me. After I sent my Rigmor to her family home in Bruma at the behest of my Gods, while I stayed behind in Skyrim to do their will. I came to think she had moved beyond me, and so I dealt with my grief badly.

     I was spiraling down and further down, seeking death to find me and relieve me of my grief. Yet he continued to stay his hand from granting my request. Then I rescued Serana from a crypt where she had been entombed for thousands of years. For the next four years we adventured together, facing some of our Realms most deadly enemies. We came to be as close to falling in love with each other as two people can get without actually going through with it. And then my Gods called me to Bruma, to Rigmor, to save her and Cyrodiil of the trouble that had grown up within it. Serana in a moment of ultimate sacrifice sent me onward to Bruma, knowing I would not likely be coming back to her, but hoping and praying all the same. For her sacrifice, my Gods made a bargain with her, one I had no knowledge of.

     Today, this night, you have witnessed the culmination of that bargain. Tonight she received what my Gods promised her all those years ago, her heart's deepest desire, to ask for me in marriage and hear me say yes. As to my other visitor, she is my mother, Alessia, who I know by her ancient name of Al-Esh. She has traveled an unfathomable distance to bring me yet another gift of incomparable value."

     As she unwraps the cloth from his head and his face is shown on all of the vid screens.

     Iriisii: "This is my newest and only living sibling, my brother. And so I present him for the first time to all who will see him, this is my brother, Mithrandir Dovahkiir!"

     Iriisii holds him up for all to see, and the crowd cheers him as if he was their own, their reaction as if he has won first place in their 'World Athletic Games'. Iriisii holds one of his arms and gently waves it up and down to the crowd.

     Iriisii: "Good night and thank you for being the greatest audience I could have. Say 'Goodnight' Mithrandir."

     And he responds with a gurgling, a chuckling, and nestles into Iriisii arms to sleep.

     Rigmor looks at her other mates, "Well it looks like it is up to us tonight, she is out of the running, for tonight anyway."

     Illyria responds: "Do you blame her?"

     Rigmor: "Not in the least. Come on, Serana, we have a lot to talk about. I want to compare notes on what I know of what went on while we were apart, you can fill in the gaps for me."

     Rigmor turns toward Serana but sees something back in the shadows just waiting.

     Rigmor: "Uh oh, trouble awaits. We all wait for Iriisii to come, then band around her, do not let those over there get near her."

     Iriisii comes back from closing out the show and is immediately swarmed by everyone. She starts to ask what is going on when movement from the far shadows catches her eye. As she sees and recognizes who the group she sees is and represents, she grows small dragon spikes along her back. Rigmor notices and hurriedly tries to calm her down.

     Rigmor: "It is going to be all right, just take it easy. They are not leaving here with you, no way, no how.

     Rose places a hand on her shoulder and asks that she look at her. As Iriisii looks at her face and then into her eyes, she shifts slightly and sees Rose's concern for her echoed in her eyes, only then does she begin to relax. The spikes withdraw but remain just below the skin, ready to emerge fully if needed.

     Alessia: "Could someone tell me what is going on?"

     Illyria: "Those are Psy-Ops Agents, they want Iriisii in the worst way."

     Alessia: "Why, for what purpose could they want her for?"

     Illyria: "They want to find a way to control her, to make her use her power for their purposes. And we think their boss is working with others on hybridizing the Wamphyri with something else, something truly evil. She has already exposed some of what they have been doing thus humiliating them, and causing them to have to scurry about and hide the evidence of their perfidy. Some of their 'Black Sites' have been raided, rescuing those imprisoned. She undertook healing the ones that had been experimented on. She said not even the Dwemer went as far as these have gone."

     Alessia: "She said that? Now I understand the depth of her reaction. How will she deal with this? I do not wish to cause unneeded problems."

     Illyria: "Just listen and watch how she handles this, we all have learned to take our cues from her. She sets the path and we back her up. It has worked quite well so far."

     Alessia: "If only her father had her intuition about these things, so much could have been avoided. But then we have no idea where her path would have gone otherwise, or even if she would have been born."

     Illyria: "It is what it is, none of us would go back and change anything now, for fear of losing what we have gained."

     Psy-Ops Agent: "As we have been instructed and empowered by the President of the the Unified Merican States, we have been instructed to place you, Iriisii Dovahkiin under arrest on the charge of being an 'Enemy of the State'. Will you come quietly or must we use force to subdue you?"

     Iriisii: "If you think you have the power to back up your intentions, you are sadly mistaken. We are not even within your jurisdiction anymore, although I wonder what leverage you found to cause the current government here to step aside?"

     Another figure strides from a different part of the shadows.

     Night's Master: "There will not be any need for you agents to continue to harass Iriisii Dovahkiin."

     Psy-Ops Agent: "You play a dangerous game vampire, best to leave it alone."

     Night's Master: "I am known as the 'Night's Master' and hold a seat on the High Council. And I am very much aware of the 'game' I play, you however have quite overstepped your bounds."

     Psy-Ops Agent: "She is not a vampire like you and so the Accords do not apply in her case, therefore you will step aside."

     Night's Master: "She may not be a vampire, but one of her mates is. Even as her male vampire mate is not of one of our established bloodlines, it is clear that he is a vampire and that his bloodline is more powerful than any of ours, thus we claim kinship with him. So she is mate to one of ours, and we extend the Accords to include her and all those she claims as well."

     Meredith: "As well, she is a friend and councilor to me. My Goddess and her Consort approve of her and the path she has opened for the Fae. As Queen of the Unseelie and Seelie Courts of the Fae, I declare that she is a valued member of our Realm. And I am well aware that you are unable to deal with both the Fae and the Vampires together. I am also certain that the 'Were' clans will stand with us in support of her as well. If you think to revoke the Accords, it will be a bloodbath that will exceed anything that has happened in your past history, and you will be on the losing side in this. Think long and hard before you attempt something you will regret for the short span of your life that will result from your actions."

     Then another voice chimes in, "Know that the forces of Her Celestial Army of the High Heavens stands ready to answer her call to battle. We stand ready to defend her against any foe, come what may before us, we are ready."

     Lucifer stands in truly resplendent armor, a halberd in one hand, its base a mace head rests at the side of his mailed foot. In his other hand is a sword of legend, named Anatherax, from the ancient history of the Angelics when they fought against dire Evil invaders from the Hellish Planes. The Psy-Ops agents look around and realize they are surrounded, outnumbered, and outgunned. The Lead Agent tells the others it is time to leave.

     Lead Agent: "This is not over. You have not heard the last of us."

     Iriisii: "Tell Chief Hawkins that if he wants me he will have to come in person to get me, and he had better win because I will have no mercy on him when I kill him. I saw the things he did in those 'Black Sites', listened to what the survivors endured, shared the pain and misery they felt that I took from them as I healed their broken, mangled bodies. Tell him that I am saving that pain and misery for him, for I will see him endure everything he put them through. Let them go, that they may deliver my message to him."

     A path is opened for them to leave by and they can feel the power aching to grab hold of them as they move onward. Soon enough they are gone and the Night's Master comments on her display.

     Night's Master: "After word of this reaches the rest of the High Council, you will have them eating out of your hand. All of them believe what you have previously said about what we face, now that the stories of what went on in those 'Black Sites' has made its way to their ears. For there were many of our kin taken into those places that never came back out, and now we know what happened. We have thought and asked if there was to be any justice for them. Now we have our answer and that justice wears your face. You may speak to them or not, the choice is yours. It will not affect the outcome for our decision is made, we will stand with you."

     Iriisii: "Thank you, Night's Master, but I feel the High Council is at least due the courtesy of my speaking with them that they know my thoughts on this, spoken in my voice."

     Eliza comes forth from the shadows where she had watched everything and hid so as not to alarm the crowd.

     Eliza: "Father knows.... His rage is your rage. He gives...to you...his strong arm."

     And Eliza pulls from the shadows the very first 'Black Blade' ever forged.

     Eliza: "Forge forgotten...no one remembers...even Ageless Ones. You will build...new Forge...in new place. Bind Mahfaeraak...with this. Give new blade...new name...'Mortis Aeterna'. Use it now...fight Immortals...let them remember...fear blade once more...as they once did."

     Iriisii gives Mithrandir to Byrsael then takes Eliza's father's blade in her hands. At her touch, she feels something immeasurably deep from its past come forth and touch her. In a heartbeat, she knows its history, what it accomplished in Eliza's Father's hands. How it came to first carve out the path that became the 'Great Balance'. The 'Balance' that she is now Champion to, and Guardian to its new Fount, her brother.

     As she raises it to the skies of this Realm, all around her, Angelic, Demonic, Mortal, Immortal, and all who have pledged themselves to her and her cause wherever they live and now at this moment stand. All those standing in Shai-Hulu'ud's 'Hall of Remembrance', watching this moment on virtual screens across the length, breadth, and depths of Existence feel the storm coming. In the Dreamlands, those in the dark cities shudder and tremble, even as those within who follow her rise up and look to the coruscating skies. Her Arcane Towers glow and power rushes out linking all of them together with their 'Waking World' counterparts.

     In the shielded Courthouse, the Psy-Ops agent still held in the construct she created to stabilize him, begins to feel the effects of what was placed within him recede. The 'Knights of Silence' moving toward her through the Arcane Towers, stop and listen to what only they can hear. As one, they kneel, their swords before them, vibrating with the power coursing through them. The Knight's speak, for the first time since they renounced their voices, a simple prayer asking Iriisii to take them into her service.

     She hears them and extends to them her answer, "I accept your service."

     She then reaches out with her power and shields their voices, giving them the ability to speak once more without worry for the damage their words would cause, while still allowing them to use their voices as a weapon to use in battle for her cause.

     She then speaks to them once more, "Come to me now, I open a way for you."

     A door opens in the Arcane Tower in front of them, and they see her through the doorway, holding a blade in her hands. A blade so old, no memory exists of it anymore. And so it is ready for a new name, a new purpose, a new holder with a new destiny. They walk out of the Dreamlands and directly into the 'Waking World'.

     Rigmor: "Where are we going to put everyone?"

     Jean Claude: "There is more than enough room in the Council Castle for everyone. You will not need to stay long if you intend to speak to the entire Council, most are already on their way once word reached them of what Psy-Ops has done. They want to hear what is going to be planned to deal with this."

     Iriisii: "And I want them to hear everything that Psy-Ops and Hawkins has been up to, so that they understand the depth of what I am here to fight. To give them a chance to exact vengeance well deserved but also for them to see that they cannot do this alone, that they must join with all the 'preternaturals' as equals. For all of you have suffered at Psy-Ops hands and all of you deserve recompense from them. For Hawkins is but the tip of the iceberg, this goes farther and deeper than any of us, even I could have imagined. I will stop now and save the rest for when I speak to them or we will not get any rest. Mother, please rest with me, we have much to catch up on. Rigmor, I will leave it to you to disclose who everyone is and what has been going on."

    

     Later, after sunrise, Alessia is standing outside on a balcony overlooking the mountains, sunlight bouncing from the snow covered peaks.

     Tricia: "Hello, sorry to disturb you, I thought I would be alone at this hour."

     Alessia: "Please stay, it is no bother. I do not get to see such sights much anymore, and so I take advantage every chance I get."

     Tricia: "You are Iriisii's mother?"

     Alessia: "Her Celestial mother, yes. I know it can be somewhat difficult to understand the complex metaphysics involved. I did not know what happened to her when she disappeared just after her eighteenth birth year. So much time I searched for her and found no trace."

     Tricia: "I cannot know what went through your mind, for I have no children of my own. Now thanks to Iriisii, I know that maybe, one day in the future, it may be possible. But you said the baby was both her son and her brother. As we count relationships, it would have to be her father was also father to the child, but I know that cannot be for he has not been anywhere near here."

     Alessia: "That is true, however, the child is my son and so is her brother. She did unknowingly conceive the child while she allowed me control of her body for me to be with Mithlas, who desired me while I was still mortal, but such could never have happened at that time because of 'bad blood' between Mer and Men. So when the opportunity arose, I took full advantage of it, making sure to take the baby into my body when I left her, so as not to burden her with him. I know how it sounds, but I have always been one to follow my own path not the path others thought I should walk."

     Tricia: "That I can understand, for I have been the same. It has been a painful road, but one worth the pain."

     Alessia: "You are mated to the vampire, are you not?"

     Tricia: "Yes, at first I wanted nothing to do with him, rather I involved myself with another who I came to find was an Alpha Werewolf. And all the while, working as one responsible for executing 'preternaturals' who crossed the laws."

     Alessia: "I can see where that could cause issues. But you came through it regardless and unless I miss my guess, a better person for it."

     Tricia: "Some would argue against you on that, but my eyes have been opened that I can see far more now than I ever thought could be. And your daughter has opened them even further than they have ever have been. I just do not know where this is going to lead now or what it is going to mean to me."

     Alessia: "I understand, Iriisii has told me of this matter with the god who should have never allowed this to go this far. In my own past, there were many times I wondered why things happened as they did, so much pain and suffering. Only now are some of the answers becoming clear, and I can see from both sides. All I can advise is to take each day as it comes, what happens is often the result of others decisions that cause their paths to cross yours for good or ill. It does not have to be your decisions that cause these actions, but your decisions can be the means for others being prolonged or resolved. The choice is yours to make in each case. Iriisii has learned to rely on her instincts and her experience, to accept that mistakes will happen. To take responsibility for them and make whatever amends that she can that does not sway her from her course."

     Tricia: "Thank you, your words help disperse the fog that often hides my choices. Looks like we may have unwelcome visitors soon. I will let Iriisii know so we can greet them appropriately."

     Tricia turns back inside and hurries to find someone who can direct her to Iriisii. When she is brought to Iriisii, she is playing with her new brother.

     Iriisii: "Tricia, what is it that you need?"

     Tricia: "Unwelcome visitors are coming toward us, still some distance away but coming fast."

     Iriisii opens her senses in all directions, then hands Mithrandir to Tricia.

     Iriisii: "Please watch him for now, I must mobilize my people to meet what comes. The High Council is vulnerable until sundown, and there are no roads into this place. We can expect no help from outside except for my own people."

     She grabs the nearest servant passing by.

     Iriisii: "I need all my people in the main room as soon as possible, the High Council's human servants as well. We must prepare for an all out assault. I will need someone knowledgeable of the Castle's defenses so as to place my own where they can help the most. Now go and gather those I have asked for."

     She heads for the main room as the servant runs to do as she has asked. It doesn't take long for everyone to show up. Once the main part are there, she begins briefing everyone.

     Iriisii: "I have placed my Krang on alert. Reaper is tracking several planes heading this way. I suspect they intend to assault the castle with rockets to start avalanches to bury this place. They may or may not send in ground troops that will have to be airlifted in and out. I will take the North, Rigmor take the East, Illyria take the West, Byrsael take South. We will create shields around and over the Castle. I have asked Reaper to send my 'Dragon Legions'. I will want five each to protect the Council members. The rest will position themselves around the access points into the Castle from outside. One hundred will stay on alert here. If anyone needs help, call out, my Kinja Acolytes will shadow walk help to you anywhere inside the Castle. Any questions?"

     Human Servant: "Why not port all of us out?"

     Iriisii: "Because then it looks like we fear those who are coming. If we stand and beat back the attack we gain in the eyes of everyone watching, and if we do this in a way that shows how powerless the attackers are to hurt us, it damages their authority in the eyes of the rest of the world. Besides, I have never backed down from a fight in my life, and I am still here, therefore I do not intend to back down now. So lets get moving. I want my Harlequin warriors to roam the lower parts of the Castle. Any soldiers from outside are to be dealt with as you see fit. Take some of the Dragon Legions with you, you have seen them fight. They have not failed me since I woke them up from the time vault on Yuggoth on the Rim and I do not expect they will fail me now. Any enemy who enters the Castle dies, no quarter, no mercy. Mother, Tricia has Mithrandir in my quarters, go to her there and help her protect him. Rose, Atticus, go with her. Know that I trust you, my battle brother, Mithrandir is my sole sibling, protect him with your life and I will bring you back if it is needed. Eliza, stay near where the High Council sleeps, kill any enemy that slips by the others."

     Once Iriisii and the others are in position, they raise up shield wards around and above the Castle. Iriisii sets them up at an angle high up against the mountainsides behind the Castle and lower on the far side to allow any avalanche to flow over the top of the Castle without damaging it. Just as the planes can be heard echoing across the peaks, she sees the 'Hellfire' missiles on their way to impact the mountains above the Castle.

     Iriisii: "Hold fast!" as the first of the explosions rocks the peaks.

     Rumbles and ice fields cracking can be heard above them. The first avalanche breaks loose with a thundering roar as it picks up speed coming down the mountainside. It hits the shields and the massive power of destruction shifts slightly as gravity, kinetic, and potential energy pull and push it along the path offered by the shields. It slides faster and faster downward. The shields offering no resistance to its downward movement. Then it slides off and moves on its own further down the mountain.

     Explosion after explosion hits the peaks, but the initial avalanche has seriously depleted the amount of snow, ice, rock, and ground that can be shaken loose to form another. What avalanches do form are much smaller and are easier to hold the shields against than that first one. The planes veer off, heading back to where they took off from, probably sending information of this failed attempt back to their leaders. Iriisii thinks they may try a ground invasion now, but she also thinks they must be very careful not to drop the shields in case they send tactical nukes while distracted by ground troops. She already knows the complete callous disregard these leaders have for the lives of their own soldiers. They would not likely try to burn another city, but a remote area of mountain peaks, mainly inhabited by mountain sheep and goats, that is another matter altogether.

     Iriisii extends her awareness to see if there is anything else coming their way. Now she senses trouble, trouble in the form of Wamphyri enhanced soldiers moving through the deep snow to the under caverns beneath the Castle. She dares not take the shields down, and thinks of a way to keep them up. She calls Reaper.

     Iriisii: "I need four of those 'power generators' tuned to the frequency of the shields to keep them empowered. We have Wamphyri enhanced soldiers entering the under caverns, readying to assault the Castle from underneath. I would expect them to also attempt to use tactical nuclear missiles while we are occupied. Place the generators next to our current positions. Once they are working we will be heading inside."

     Reaper: "Do you need more troops?"

     Iriisii: "No, we have enough power here to do what needs to be done, it is simply a matter of wielding it properly."

     Reaper: "You intend to use the sword that Eliza's father gave you?"

     Iriisii: "No time like the present to see what it can do."

     Reaper: "You may want to see what it can do when Stormbringer and Mournblade are in proximity to it."

     Iriisii: "Do you know anything?"

     Reaper: "Not with any certainty, just that if the two were forged from the same recipe, there exists a strong possibility of a connection that could be forged between the three of them. And since yours is the parent blade, it would be the control."

     Iriisii: "I see. And against these enhanced soldiers, any increase in what they can do would help us greatly."

     Reaper: "You see where my thoughts are going. Good luck, Mother, and good hunting."

     The power generators materialize next to their positions and Iriisii tells the others how to give control of the shields to the generator, freeing them to enter the Castle and meet the soldiers as they enter from the under caverns. Inside the Castle, she rearranges where everyone is, placing herself, Eliza, and Elric where the main body of the soldiers are working to get in from the caverns. The pounding on the forged doors can be heard echoing throughout the Castle.

     Iriisii: "I am surprised they haven't used explosives yet, someone must have told them not to since these doors are magically reinforced. But it does not matter, once we are ready, I will open them up, and then we shall see what happens."

     Tricia: "Is that really a good idea?"

     Iriisii: "I know your feelings, but they do not realize what is about to fall on them. I feel Eliza's Father's blade calling to me, calling into my very being to wield 'him' as 'he' was wielded before 'time' became more rigid. A time when 'Magic' ruled every aspect of life, and the power of belief was supreme. Do not be alarmed no matter what you see, for we are about to turn the clock back."

     Rose: "Tricia, trust her to know what she can do, I have seen it first hand time after time."

     Tricia: "You are right. All of this is new and frightening to me. I have faced terrors that would send others screaming, but this is much more than I have previously faced."

     Iriisii is given the sign all are ready. She waves her hand at the door, releasing its magical lock. The sides slam open as she pulls the sword over her back with both hands. And a glow of pure magical power envelopes her, and her voice becomes a raging torrent of destruction. As the soldiers keep moving forward, the power glow increases around her, and her body morphs into something both beautiful and terrifying, as she assumes the form of a half dragon. Her head elongates, horns slide from her skull, more dagger like teeth erupt within her jaws. She grows a long slender tail that whips to and fro in anticipation. Her hands become claws, glowing with the ancient power of the 'Four Dragons of Destiny', the soul of the 'First' dwelling within her as her Dragonsoul. Her strength is such that she can now wield the two handed sword in one hand, and use the opposing clawed hand to devastating effect with its magic enabled.

     Then something totally unexpected happens when she shouts toward the soldiers, throws the sword at them, then rushes to attack with both clawed hands and her voice flowing with vitriol. The sword floats in mid-air. slicing, stabbing, knocking these enhanced soldiers from side to side like they were ragdolls. Iriisii summoning small clouds of lightning that ignited the bodies turning them into glowing piles of ash. Then she summons a wind to blow those fiery, charged particles of ash onward into the soldiers still coming forward. And her sword howls with banshee wails, stealing the lifeforce from the remaining soldiers, feeding it to Iriisii.

     Those behind Iriisii, looking on with undisguised awe at the engine of death she has become. Some wonder if battles were all like this back in those lost times and while some pray they never go back to them, other just as fervently pray they do. Iriisii somewhat lost in the fog of war, hears Reaper calling to her, telling her of two tactical nukes on the way toward her and asking for instructions. She simply tells him that she will take care of them. And walks outside in the bloody, trampled snow, looks up into the sky, and finds the nukes on their way toward her. She reaches out and takes her black blade back in hand. Feeling its power course through every cell, every fiber of her being, she sends out a command that slips through the Quantum Realm to touch the missile guidance systems and send them on a reverse course. She also disarms the nukes themselves and locks down the guidance systems. Then she smiles as she watches them turn around and streak back to where they were launched from.

     Missile Technician: "SIR! Missiles have reversed course and are heading back to our position!"

     Command Officer: "WHAT?!"

     As he looks at the radar tracking scope and confirms what the tech said. He almost screams out the order to self destruct those missiles.

     Missile Technician: "SIR! Self destruct failed, missiles will hit in twenty minutes!"

     As he half turns and looks to the Command Officer, along with everyone else in the bunker. Fingers are flying across keyboards, sending command after command with no response from the missiles. The minutes are ticking down, he looks at his watch seeing fifteen minutes left, then he hits the panic button. Alarm claxons start blaring as everyone looks for a way off base. Everyone from every building on this small base hits the tarmac, any vehicle with any room left has hands reaching out to grab anyone still on their feet before heading for the front gate.                                

     The vehicles run full speed through the gate post, the soldiers manning it already gone as the claxons first started howling. When the missiles finally reach the base and impact the silo covers that closed after their launch. The explosions are loud but nowhere what was expected of even a small tactical nuke. But the explosions burst the casings of the nuclear material inside and strew it everywhere around the base. The soldiers don't care that the nukes did not go off, they just keep running.

     The local people step out of their homes that they barricaded themselves into to wait for the end when the claxons began their strident call. They look at each other in bewilderment, wondering why are they still alive. The phone lines become jammed with calls trying to come in and go out. Family members wanting to know if everyone is all right, local government officials trying to contact the country's capital, and the media already swarming as they find any means of travel to be the first on scene with the story.

     Iriisii morphs back into her human form, finds the Castle Steward inside and issues a few instructions.

     Iriisii: "Steward, do you have a hotline into the capital?"

     Steward: "Yes, ma'am, straight to the President's office."

     Iriisii: "Please get him or her, on the phone then give it over to me. I need to tell them what has happened and how close they came to a nuclear disaster."

     It is only a matter of seconds before the Steward is handing the phone to Iriisii. She then identifies herself to the President and tells him what has transpired here at the Castle. She goes on to tell him what she did with the nukes sent to destroy them, but makes it clear that the explosions at the base being used by the Merican military were conventional explosives only, that she disarmed the nukes before reversing them to spare the local people whom she had no issue with. She did say that the warhead casings were destroyed in the explosions and the material inside was dispersed across the base.

     She then sat down and discussed what she wanted to do about the situation and asked if the President would agree to allow her to handle it if no repercussions would fall to the country as a whole. She said she would speak with the Vampire High Council and make sure they understood that the President had no knowledge of what happened and that it was the Merican military that was responsible. The President graciously acceded to her suggestion, having felt that a lethal bullet had just been dodged. One that could have killed a lot of people had Iriisii not stepped up to straighten it all out.

     The President then began as she had suggested and called a press conference, where he proceeded to layout exactly what happened, who was responsible for it, and Iriisii's offer to not only clean the base of all dangerous materials but take possession of everything that had been abandoned. Of course it was not mentioned that all usable equipment, guns, ammunition, food, clothing, etc., would be donated to the country as partial reparation for the event from the Merican Government. The President hailed Iriisii as a heroine of the people, for stopping the deadly attack instigated by the Merican Military on the Vampire High Council. He further declared that the leases of that base to the Merican Government were rescinded and would not be up for renegotiation. The impromptu parade for the President went out on national media and was transmitted across the rest of the world. Hours later as the sun sets, she sits down from a long day cleaning things up, and perhaps an even longer night as the Vampire High Council must hear of what happened, and who was responsible.

       With the sunset firmly behind the mountains, the Vampire High Council awakens to their servants words of what happened earlier, about Iriisii's defense of everyone in the Castle, and how she handled the aftermath. At first their rage that anyone would dare attack and attempt to wipe them out swept through them. Then most began to calm down as the oldest of them began to see how this had strengthened their position and if it was handled correctly could go far in changing their image around the world. The Elders also realized that Iriisii was right in that the preternaturals had to join together in common cause. That to stay fragmented as they were, weakened them all too much to put up a substantial defense against their enemies.

     Night's Master: "I now call this Conclave to be in session, do either of the representatives of the 'Fae' or 'Were' nations have any opening remarks they would like to address?"

     Herias stands, "I would ask to speak to this Conclave, High Councilor."

     Night's Master: "The Conclave recognizes Herias, High Oracle to the 'Were's."

     Herias: "All here know me, know how just a few short months ago, I was not as you see me here now. This came about when during the 'Moon of Blood', when its light shined down upon the Hallowed Scroll and I opened it. I fully expected to see what I had seen before, just a blank page. But this time I beheld writing floating up from the depths of time and appearing on the scroll as if being written for the first time.

     The story it told was both frightening and exhilarating. That what many believe to be the 'Times of Ending' had at last arrived with their 'Harbinger' in the skies. But also that the 'Times of Ending' as they are written are not about the 'End of All Things' as we understood it to be. But about a new beginning, a rebirth of who we are, what we are, and most importantly, what we could become. We have the chance to truly become something wondrous, never before seen in our universe.

     But it will take the effort of all of us fighting for it, and fighting with the Harbinger of the Gods of Eld, the Dragon of War, she who is the First Horseman of the Apocalypse, able to call not only the other three Horsemen to lead us into battle, but also upon the first 'Hunters of the Wild Hunt'. The ones upon which all others are but pale imitations. Her 'Sister of her Spirit' is the daughter of the First Eternal Champion, and she now wields his 'Black Blade'. She is mated not only to a Vyrkolos, the fabled Vampire God of Blood, he who can unite all the races and clans of vampires in all of Existence, but she is also mated to Desidarius, the greatest 'Fallen One' of the dark Aasimar, her mate Illyria is the alter ego of Desidarius. Where until now only one of them existed at a time, now both not only live but are wed to the same Goddess.

     Her influence extends into the very dawn times of the past, and she has witnessed the true 'End of All Things' far, far into the unknown future, when the stars themselves grow cold and dark. The Scroll calls her the Goddess of the Ending and the Beginning, for when she departs for the Great Beyond, her last gift to the memories of the past will be a new beginning. And we, Vampire, Were, and Fae, will live on in that new beginning."

     Herias turns to Iriisii and kneels before her.

     Herias: "We the 'Clans of the Were' are united in this declaration, that we will serve you from now until the 'End of All Things', when you will bring us full circle back into the 'New Beginning'."

     A rain of tiny white puffs float downward from the ceiling, picked up by a cool breeze and swept around and around until they form a gate. Green limbs grow from the stone floor winding around the white puffs, leaves and stems fill the open void and then part, revealing a backdrop of a Temple and a single lithe figure walking toward and through the portal joined by a cat as large as a sabretooth tiger.

     Bastis: "I am Bastis, Goddess of Cats in the Dreamlands. I have been asked to do two things here at this Conclave. First, Goddess Imperatrex, I bring to you your 'Brother of Blood Binding', he who is now the Supreme Elder of the Cats of Ulthar. He will lead your forces in the Dream Worlds as they begin marshalling on your behalf. Second, I was asked to give you this".

     And she hands over a crystal armlet, fashioned like the one she already wears on her right arm. 

     Bastis: "She who is known as the 'Lady of Pain', ruler of Sigil, the 'City of Doors', gives this for you to wear on your left arm as its mate resides on your right. With the two of them, you can call upon her favored one, the 'Nameless Warrior', he who fought in the thousand years of the Abyssal 'Blood Wars'. And with him will come all the veteran Demonic Hordes who fought with him in those battles. Many other Powers of Dream pledge their best and most deadly to your service to call upon your need. Even the Drow Mistresses of Lloth have pledged themselves. The Servants of the Shadows are yours. As are many others gathering to make their way to you. The Knights of Silence have been stirred by your songs and travel your Arcane Towers to reach you. The people of the dreamlands still remember when you walked among them, and so they gather at those same towers and pray for your victory, giving to you through those towers the power of their faith and belief. And this massing is but the beginning, for all now know you fight for each and every one of them, light, dark, neutral, good, evil. It matters not what alignment they follow, you stand for them all and so they shall stand for you."

     Iriisii: "Norok, it is good to see you, my brother."

     Norok: "And I you, once more. You should know, the 'Call' went throughout all of the Dreamlands, to prepare for your ascendence over them all. Those who remembered what you did for them, stood and told their tales, even as the news spread of a daughter of 'She Who Watches All' is growing in the very place where the 'Mother' once stood in the Dreamgardens of Elysia. Then even those principalities who have ruled since dreams began stood and spoke of what you have done to bring the dreamlands closer together and strengthen them against the onslaught of the 'Blind Dreamer' himself. To a one, each pledged themselves to your service, even Lord Insanity took the knee for you."

     Iriisii: "Who sent out the 'Call'? I do not recall having done so myself."

     Then another voice answers as his tall form walks through the portal.

     Morpheus: "I sent out that 'Call', all of the Dreamlands needed to be made aware of the dire trouble that comes for all of us. And that the time had come to bestow upon you another title, this one is of the few you have received that has never been given to anyone before."

     Morpheus steps before her and kneels, "On behalf of all of the Dreamlands, I speak for all when I ask you to accept the position of 'Imperatrex of Dream'.

     Iriisii: "If it was anyone else but you, Lord Morpheus, I would probably ask if it was some kind of joke. But I know you are serious when it comes to these matters and the welfare of the Dreamlands. So then I humbly accept and will empower my arcane towers to spread to all of the Dreamlands and then each to their Waking Worlds, to serve as anchors to protect both from the influence of the 'Blind Dreamer'."

     Meredith rises and kneels next to Morpheus, "As the Goddess of the Fae and her Consort have instructed me to do. As the Goddess Iriisii has restored the Ancients among the Fae back unto its people. And even more of our lost Artifacts of Power are returning to us now, I pledge both Unseelie and Seelie Courts to her service. We will fight beside her against whatever threatens this Realm, and will stand until the End of Time itself as its protector in her name."

     One of the Elder Leaders stands, "And where does this leave us as Vampires? You take the 'Were' and the 'Fae', what is there to be left to us? How are we to respond to this?"

     There is some grumbling as some look to Iriisii to settle this conflict before it goes too far.

     Iriisii: "As I serve the 'Great Balance", know that there is a place for both 'Light' and 'Dark', both 'Good' and 'Evil'. I do not exclude anyone who wishes to serve, mentor, and guide those who feel the same as they do. So long as the Celestial Laws of the 'Mother of the Cosmos' are followed you will not find me in opposition to you. I do not expect you to know what those 'Laws' are until such time as you step upward and join the Celestial Host. One of the purposes of the Gods set to watch and guide is to keep you from crossing those 'Laws'. But the God given that duty here has abrogated his responsibility. Still I know of no clan of the Vampires that is in any danger from crossing those 'Laws'.

     What does need to be seen is that because of the failings of the God of this Realm, and the situation you all find yourselves in, requires that you all come together of one accord to defend this world, its humans, and all of the various preternaturals that live here as well. To put it bluntly, either you come together as one, win and survive, or continue apart as you have until now, fail and are consumed by the enemy that comes. Be it known, I will not stand by and allow the 'Were' and the 'Fae' to pay the price of failure with you if they are as they have professed today, willing to serve and fight. If you choose to stand alone, you will fall and fade forgotten into the deep night, while I take the 'Were', the 'Fae', and those innocent humans under my wings and take them to safety."

     An uproar begins as Iriisii silences it before it can get very far.

     Iriisii: "SILENCE! You will listen to me! The decision of your future is yours to make. I have peeled back the layers of obfuscation that the enemy has been hiding behind. When I talk of the 'Blind Dreamer', your oldest Elders know who it is I speak of. But know this all of you, those writings that exist of him are wrong! Those who wrote them had no way to understand him and explain him not only in words but thoughts as well. He is so different from any of us that our understanding cannot comprehend him. The authors tried their best, and tried to use the tools they had available to them, but they were woefully inadequate to the task. I will have to face him myself, but not for some time yet. For now we face his tools, and the weapons those tools have made to bring all of Existence to its knees."