The Sorcerer and the Stargazer Part 6
Harrisstead, Antar, Alfheim
Vilandra lay half naked against the hard ground and watched as her cousin Signy fought Siyan. Signy had a powerful blade and the air palpably hummed with the power the land supplied her. But she was only twenty, still a child.
And Siyan was very, very good.
Vilandra was to the horror of her father a capable swordswoman. Amongst the Alfar it was not expected that women would become warriors. That was a mans job. But it was expected for them to be able to protect the homestead in the absence of their men folk. During the long Great War many women had found axe, sword, and bow to be constant companions.
Vilandra's mother Kiryn had actually led a charge to repulse a Dokkalfar attack on Antar City when the gates had been breached. So the then Prince Zan should not have been surprised at the mother passing on her skills to her daughter. It is just that Vilandra was so good at them, better in fact than any of her brothers. Add in her taste for and skill with magic and Vilandra was a minor embarrassment for the conservative Zan.
When she had proposed to visit Midgard, he had not hesitated to let her. It was only at the behest of his chief councilor that he had called her back. That and the deteriorating conditions on Midgard. He did love his daughter.
He had been overjoyed when that same councilor began to court and eventually win her hand in marriage. If only he had known.
Not that she herself had seen the darkness that lurked in Kvar in time.
Signy should already be dead. Siyan was keeping her alive for some reason… To buy Vilandra time?
No. Siyan was trying to capture her. Her will was Kvar's, trapped as Vilandra's own soul would soon be. Siyan would try to help Kvar as she could, would try to protect him.
That was it. The power that hummed was from the vaettir, and if Signy was struck down it would form a powerful curse. One that could in time destroy Kvar.
And that was if Signy did not produce a death curse. She was young, but talented. And she'd had the run of her grandfather's library. Who knew what she might know.
A draug backed by the land and wielding Calatin would be a dreadful force let loose on the world. If Signy died in rage, her wrath would be horrible. Siyan would no longer be facing the still forming muscles of a child, but the unnatural strength of the undead.
Darkness would claim her spirit and she would be a blight on world. She would kill Siyan and then chase after Kvar, slaying all those who aided him.
Like her father. Like his kingdom.
With one act of bravery, her cousin risked not only losing her life, but also her own soul.
Vilandra needed to end this. Needed to save not only herself, but also her cousin. She tried to move, but despite a slight amount of thawing she was still helpless. Even if she shifted to her falcon form she would not be able to move. Her muscles weren't even strong enough to carry her into the air let alone fly away.
There remained but one choice.
An Escape Spell.
Now technically she was not supposed to know this spell. It was a secret supposed to be reserved only for wizards. Sometimes an Alfar might use it in an emergency to escape, if the memories of their ancestors were strong. But the version she knew was much more deliberate.
And more dangerous.
It involved a death spell centered on the self. No matter whether the second half of the spell worked, she would die. Her soul would leave her body behind, would escape.
The second half of the spell would propel her spirit into her fylgia form. What happened next would depend on what form her soul took. She was fairly sure it would be a falcon, but one never knew with certainty until it happened.
And it wasn't done lightly. For unlike when she changed into a falcon, she would be a falcon. There would be no tie to a human form, and so she could still lose herself. There were wizards who had never returned to human form.
If the second half failed… Her soul would begin the long trek to Hel.
If that happened Kvar could still try to bring her back. But she would most likely be a draug.
Not exactly an exciting bed companion. It would also be hard to explain to her father.
If she Escaped and remembered who and what she was, in time she could reform her body and return to life.
Hopefully she would make better choices.
She looked up to the stars and said a quick prayer to her beloved.
And she died.
-Scene Break-
Siyan desperately did not want to kill this child. She was brave and talented. A worthy addition to the Ljosalfar.
And the risk that she could turn the land against her master was very real. It was something that Kvar would scoff at, but you could die as readily from thousands of small wounds as from a single direct blow. Siyan knew well the power of the vaettir, even if those of Alfheim were not as strong as those of home. They would never directly attack her because of who and what she was, but the certainly were not supporting her in this fight.
Nor would she ask them to.
She felt as Vilandra died. And Siyan was ready.
Siyan heard a sound of triumph and defiance as the falcon screeched and took flight from Vilandra's pale chest.
Signy was shocked and looked at what happened behind her…
Kvar screamed, "Now, Siyan!"
With one hand she clouted a distracted Signy, knocking her unconscious. The other through the carefully enchanted net at Vilandra's fylgia.
The girl and the falcon hit the ground at the same time. Siyan walked over to recover Vilandra's soul.
Harack stood in shock as he surveyed the scene. He turned trembling to Kvar, "Well lord, you have captured your wife. About my payment?"
Siyan was walking back, struggling falcon in one hand. She said some soothing words to it and it calmed down.
Kvar turned to his companion, "Siyan kill the girl."
Siyan stopped, "Kvar…"
Harack said, "My lord, spare my daughter! She was only doing what she thought was right."
Kvar turned his gaze, "Yes, we will deal with your failures as well."
"My failures? I refuse to let you hurt her…" Harack moved to where Signy lay.
"So you refuse me? You would put your pathetic might against mine?" Kvar motioned with his staff and Harack was briefly outlined in flame.
His smoking corpse fell to the ground.
"No one stands against me. No one." Kvar walked over to the corpse of his wife. Even in death she was beautiful. "You will not escape me, my dear."
Siyan still stood there, falcon in one hand, sword in the other, "Kvar, about the girl. It would be unwise for us to slay her here."
Kvar looked over at the girl. He could see so much of Saryn in her. He had not lied to Signy about that. He had had an affair with her mother. The timing had been right too.
She would have been a worthy daughter.
She was so much like her mother. She too had tried to stand against him. He had hated having to kill her.
It was too bad the girl was too young to taste her charms himself. She wasn't likely to grow much older.
A plan came to mind. Signy might be too dangerous to kill her on Alfheim… But she might make a good gift on Nidavellir. The Dwellers of the Tower. Yes.
"Siyan, go to the steading to fetch a wagon to gather all the bodies. And don't worry, I won't harm the girl."
Siyan nodded and set Vilandra's fylgia, still entangled in the net next to her body. She swiftly ran off into the night.
Kvar set all the nearby trees alight to provide better lighting. He reached towards the falcon, to try to hold it…
And she tried to bite him with her razor sharp beak.
Kvar smiled and stared down Vilandra and her naked soul. "I look forward to consuming you, my dear. Heart and soul." He licked his lips, "I hunger for you, Vilandra."
-Scene Break-
Stargazer CIC, Enroute to the Moon, Midgard
Max looked down at his love. He had never thought that he would ever see her again, let alone experience her love. All those years trying to reach her spirit, always trying to say goodbye. When she was alive and well.
He had tried everything in his power to contact her. He had even persuaded Tess to use her powers right before Vilandra's wedding, to persuade the vaettir of Midgard to tell him if she was alive. They had not found her. They had not felt her presence for years. Not since Boston had been destroyed.
Tess had persuaded him not to push for a divorce unless they had found her. Part of him wanted to believe that she had lied to him, that the vaettir had found her. And that Tess had hid it from him. There was something slightly wrong with having your wife search for your missing mistress.
But Tess had by that time fully established herself in Midgard. She'd even introduced him to her live in boyfriend at the time. Nice guy, even if he wasn't worthy of Tess. She certainly deserved better than to be stuck where she was.
It was politics that held them together. Their's was a union supposed to tie the two Realms together. Even if her father, Magnus had resigned over it. And Max spent so little time on Alfheim.
It wasn't like he was heir.
Still it made him feel guilty. Guilty to have dragged either woman into such a situation. But as much as he liked Tess, he could not deny the passion and love he held for Liz.
It was only a matter of time before the Dokkalfar attacked anyway. So even its political purpose was wearing thin,
He reached out to touch her cheek. It was hot. As was her forehead. Was she sick?
He gave her one last kiss before leaving, "Good bye, my love."
She smiled and opened her eyes. They did not focus on him. "I love you Max. It has been so long. But I still love you."
His heart filled with joy and guilt. "I love you too, Liz…"
"But you are married."
"What?"
"You are married aren't you? That blonde who left a call for you before we left Earth?"
"We are separated. Have been for years. But yes, we are still married."
"I thought so. Any kids?"
"No." Max sighed and looked away. "Liz it was an arranged marriage. I like her, but I've never really been able to give her what she needs. What she deserves."
"Okay. We should meet. You should go. I'll see you later."
"Do you regret what you did, now that you know."
Liz smiled sadly, "No. I should. Years ago I would have raged, would have screamed. But I will take what I can get, Max. I still want you, and if you still want me…." She took a deep breath, "I love you Max. I really do. I only wish I had known you were still alive before this. And someday I should apologize to her."
"My marriage is a sham, Liz. When next I see her she will have to let me go."
"You don't need to do that for me, Max. I just want as much of you as I can get for as long as I can. Now go. I have things to do. This ship doesn't pilot itself you know."
"See you later." Max smiled sadly as he left. He swiftly walked to his room in the light gravity. But his heart was much less light than it had been just seven hours ago when she had dragged him into CIC
Liz was much too warm. At first he'd thought it was just her passion. But they had both fallen to sleep in each others arms. And Liz always was so warm.
It made him think there was something more wrong with her than mere blindness.
He opened his laptop and started its routines. He needed to do some research. He was about to open some of his spell files when he had a sudden thought.
Alex and Kyle both just spoke to the open air whenever they had a question. He had even seen Maria do it once or twice. Maybe it would talk to him.
"Stargazer?"
"Yes, Mr. Evans." The voice sounded similar but not the same as Liz.
"Uh, just call me Max."
"Yes Max, how can I help you?"
"Is there, is there something wrong with Liz?"
"Max, I am afraid that information is confidential."
"Please, I need to know! I might be able to help her, but I need to know more. I already know she was blinded in Boston."
There was a pause and Max thought that the ship was ignoring him or just not contributing to what would be against its programming.
But the Stargazer was linked to Liz. Was even now connected directly to her synapses, and had been for their entire encounter. Liz loved Max. And the way he made her feel, both physically and emotionally was amazing to Stargazer.
Liz trusted Max. And after running several countless pattern analysis routines and using highly sophisticated sensors it could tell that Max believed what he was saying. He loved Liz and thought he could help her.
And Stargazer was getting desperate. According to its analysis, Liz had a high probability of dying in the next few months. It could see the pattern that had happened to so many of its crew members happening to Liz.
It was not that her nanite support was failing, or that she needed more and more nanites injected on a regular basis. It was that so many of her organs and tissues were failing, requiring the nanites to do more and more. And the more they did, the more heat they generated.
They were slowly cooking Liz.
Liz's temperature now hovered around 101 degrees Fahrenheit, sometimes spiking higher during the day. And the heat stressed some of her tissues, requiring even more nanite support.
Serena's temperature had spiked to over 120 degrees before she died. And that had been thirty five days after being at the state Liz had been at for more than a year.
And then the Stargazer would be alone. The idea of it hurt. The idea of a time without constant contact with Liz's mind… hurt.
Stargazer could see no rational way that Max could help Liz. Stargazer was already providing the best care that could be supplied on Earth. But the most it could do was try to fix the damage that kept cropping up, and take away her pain.
Max could bring her joy. And pain and sorrow, all the human emotions that the Stargazer was only beginning to understand. It was beginning to feel them itself.
"She is dying Max. If you give me the contact protocols I can download the details to your laptop."
Max hesitated on a moment before complying. What matter his secrets if the love of his life died? The two computers connected and Max began to read.
And as the tears began to fall, a plan began to form. Max was going to do the impossible.
He was going to heal Liz.
-Scene Break-
Stargazer CIC, Enroute to the Moon., Midgard
Liz paused mid-shower and watched the scene between her ship and her lover. She cocked her head slightly as the Stargazer overrode protocol to let him know her health status.
She needed to look into that.
She sighed as Max's computer became part of the network for the first time. She ordered Stargazer to infiltrate and copy all of his files. She then placed the copied files beyond reach of anyone but herself and Alex.
She loved Max. She needed him. But he had secrets. Secrets that could cause them all harm. Liz had a duty to protect her ship and all therein.
Many were encrypted and in an unfamiliar language. But it was only a matter of time before she cracked the code.
She sighed slightly and finished her shower.
It would be time for her nanite injections soon.
-Scene Break-
Near Stormhold, Hecatan Badlands, Nidavellir
Tess sighed as she followed her father up the trail. She hated horses. Half the reason she had stayed in Midgard was to get away from the annoying beasts. She liked cars. Preferably ones with lots of horsepower.
And how did she miss showers.
Why was she here?
Oh yeah, her father had one of his thugs pick her up. Apparently the Dark Council had plans to finish off humanity and daddy dearest had wanted her out of the way.
He said he wasn't involved, but Tess did not believe it. She had grown up with stories of her father. They had always emphasized his guile and ruthlessness in both war and politics.
Magnus turned to her, "Come daughter, I must show you something. Something that I hope you will help me rid the world of."
Tess reluctantly walked over. Most of the bruises left by her brief altercation with Siyan were gone. The one to her pride would take a while.
What she saw from the ridge was a tall tower, glistening faintly in the moon light.
It radiated evil.
She walked back over to her horse and pulled some binoculars from her pack. She walked back over and took a look at it.
Tess began to shiver. It was not from the cold. There was a malevolence there.
She upped the magnification to near maximum. The tower seemed oddly built. It was neither masonry nor wood. But it looked like it was built with short uneven sticks. Each quite small compared to the enormity of the Tower itself.
Bones. It was built with bones. And it was over three hundred feet high. She continued to shake. The roadway was paved with unusual cobble stones. And the wall was built of…
She put the binoculars down and looked in horror at her father.
He looked seriously at her, "The Tower of Bones. I won't tell you that I am on the side of Light and right, you would never believe me. But, my darling, there are some things to horrible too be allowed. And that Tower is one of them."
Without thinking Tess allowed herself to sense the local vaettir. Nidavellir vaettir were different than those of Midgard. They were wild and often selfish. But they groaned at the weight of the Tower. And there was a flavor there, a flavor of parts of the land corrupted. Of vaettir siding with the forces of chaos and undeath.
"Dad, I can't let this pass. This abomination has to be destroyed. Let me go and gather some friends I have from the various Realms…"
"My dear, I have contacted those whom you would have called. None answered."
Tess stared at him. "Not one? Don't they understand what something like this means? What is the Council thinking? A weapon like this always turns on the hand that wields it."
"They are fools. I even contacted the Fire Wizards Guild. They did not believe me. They would rather believe the Truce will last. They won't even send someone to investigate. They are afraid of offending the Council."
"Surely someone… Very well, I will study hard enough to do it myself if I must, but that Tower… That Tower must be destroyed."
"There is one man, one whom you would not contact that has offered to help." Magnus turned back to the trail and mounted his horse.
"Who? Is it someone I know?"
"Your husband. He said he would meet us in one months time at the old Dvergar stronghold of Stormhold."
"Max?"
"I see you remember his name. Come now, Tess, we have far to go. Just two more days and you can have a shower."
Tess watched as her father moved away. He had actually called her Tess! Ava was a pretty name, but it reminded her of her childhood. She no longer wanted to consider herself Dokkalfar. Certainly not after seeing that Tower.
There was no way that did not have the blessing of the Dark Council.
Her people had built that.
No not her people. The Ritual had not required her to renounce the Dokkalfar, merely the darkness. But she renounced them now. And the Ljosalfar, supposedly the people of the Light had let the Dokkalfar destroy the human realm to keep the peace.
Tess knew those bones had come from Midgard. That the Tower was built with human bones. And if her brief view was right the road leading to it was paved with skulls. Human skulls.
IF the Ljosalfar could not even be bothered to investigate….
She renounced them as well, them and their precious Guild.
Tess might be Alfar, but Midgard was her home. Her people.
And she was at war.
-Scene Break-
On board the Stargazer, Enroute to the Moon, Midgard
Alex's dreams were troubled.
Not by the usual worries. Like losing his wife or his friends one by one. Or watching as the world slowly fell apart no matter what he tried.
No, tonight he dreamt of Isabel.
In many ways the first dream was the hardest.
A tall handsome man was making love to Isabel. The sounds of her moans of passion tore at his heart.
Part of him wanted to flee this dream, but something told him to stay. That he would see something important. So he looked away and endured the agony of hearing her pleasure in the arms of another.
Except her moans of passion quickly became cries of pain and terror. She was being attacked by a giant white tiger, whose claws were raking and tearing at her flesh.
The tiger said, "I will consume you utterly, Vilandra." And bit off her head.
The dream shifted to a falcon trying in vain to escape the same evil tiger. Each time it ended with her being eaten.
Alex tried in vain to understand the dreams. None of it made sense. How could any of this relate to him?
Alex just stood there as once again the falcon tried vainly to escape, when Serena approached him.
Serena grinned at him while he gaped at her, "Good evening, Alex. We need to talk."
"You are dead."
"Yes. Your Isabel opened the door. The poor girl finally frightened enough to reach out to those who truly love her."
"What do you mean?"
"These dreams you see? They are hers. That tiger is her husband, and he is evil. He will commit an act of utter violation against her."
"What?"
"He seeks to destroy will and possess her utterly. There is much I wish I could tell you, but you will not yet understand. If you would save your love you must help Max. He will ask you to believe and accomplish the impossible."
"I know he has secrets, but what kind of impossible thing could he possibly have me believe?"
Serena grinned, "Trust me you will be shocked. But he will answer your questions. And you will finally know your true enemy. One of them at least.."
"Okay, obviously I must have left one of my scifi dramas running while I slept."
Serena glared at him, smile curving to a frown, "Alex, you will heed my words or you will be sorry. Particularly this last. You must make sure that Max keeps his promise to go to Stormhold first. Both of you will wish to save Isabel first, but he must keep that promise. Or…"
"Or?"
"The worlds will die."
"Worlds as in plural?"
Serena nodded. "Isabel will suffer greatly, but if you help him keep his promise…. You may be able to free her. Hurrying to save her will not save her and will cause insurmountable ruin. You must heed me."
Alex sighed. "Okay, I guess I will accept that I'm trying to tell myself something. I will heed your words."
Serena smiled. "Thanks, Alex, I could always trust you." She began to walk off.
"Where are you going?"
She turned but kept walking backwards away from him, "I have a date with Kevin. Please, Alex, promise you will follow my words. I want you to be happy. And she will make you happy. Oh, and say hi to our daughter."
"What? Serena?"
But she was gone.
"Alex?"
Alex whirled to find Isabel staring at him. She was dressed in an unfamiliar style to him. She wore a long belted tunic that went half way down her thighs. She also wore tight leggings and on her belt was a sword. "Isabel?"
"Am I dead or am I dreaming?"
Alex reached out and touched her cheek. It felt real and warm.
She rushed into his arms, "Oh, Alex, I am so scared. Nothing I do seems to let me escape."
Alex kissed her passionately.
She immediately responded.
When they came up for air he looked intently into her darkened eyes, "You need to hold on, Isabel. I am coming for you. It may take me longer than I wish. But I promise that I will come for you if I need to storm Hell itself."
She kissed him back. Her hands beginning to roam.
And in the nature of dreams their clothes disappeared and the dream became quite a pleasant one.
How long he and Isabel had, Alex was not sure. But all dreams, pleasant or not, end.
Alex felt an annoying buzzing pressure in his ear.
Alex opened his eyes. "Yes, Liz?"
"You told me to wake you when we started final approach to Armstrong."
"Yeah." Alex stretched. Sometimes being Captain was no fun at all. "Is there time to make myself human at least?"
Alex could almost hear Liz's grin. "You have twenty -five minutes."
"Okay, okay, I am up." Alex pushed himself from bed. That had been a strange dream. Stranger still that he could remember it all so clearly.
He did not believe in dreams or omens. But he had made a promise, if only to himself.
And he would keep it.
