Author's note: Thanks again for the reviews so far! I truly appreciate them all. :)

Samisim's last review got me thinking on a theme that I was hesitant in adding but decided to branch out from that after it spawned another idea. Thank you for the review Samisim I credit you for the Ashley sidebar story which I will introduce in this chapter. :)

As always please feel free to review if you like my story/chapter. Thanks guys! :)


Chapter 11

The glow from the tall street lamps below filled the empty avenue with a soft orange haze.

Ashley had her forehead pressed against the thick cool glass as she stood taking in the view of the surrounding city of Praxis and the street below.

A kaleidoscope of blues, oranges, and yellows danced in the dim light of the city and Ashley wondered how she'd even walk the distances without getting lost in its wonders.

The view was so captivating.

Cobblestone etched the length of the street giving a clear portrait of what Old London must have looked like.

Of all the chaos engulfing her world the very notion of standing in such a wondrous city was not lost on her completely. And soon she would be strolling down the streets following a digitized map to guide her far away from its borders.

She stepped back from the large window and ran her fingers through her wet hair. Never in her life had she been so relieved to take a long hot shower.

She slowly tried to raise her right arm into a swinging motion as if to jab a punch out in front of her. Her shoulder muscle still felt a bit weak and as she tightened her fist and pulled back at the elbow; a sharp shock spread to the end of her fisted hand.

"Crap," she growled as the throbbing pain once again surged through the muscles of her arm and shoulder blade.

She returned her gaze back down into the empty street surprised not to find mobs running about and trifling to any and all transportation routes available.

Again she pressed her forehead against the thick glass and closed her eyes. She was thinking of the distance she must travel—the odd terrain she would encounter and every what if of the dangers potentially obstructing her journey.

God she wished she had Henry with her.

She did however find her clothing far more comfortable at least. She was wearing a black form fitting long sleeve with a hoody. The material felt like a polyester and nylon cloth. Finite diamond designs weaved the whole of the clothing garment. To her it felt like she was wearing a thin layer of a Kevlar bullet proof vest.

She figured it was water proof as the few remaining droplets from her hair pooled and failed to be absorbed in the black lining. Her pants were black; much like winter ski attire. They almost had a leather quality about them as well she thought to herself. The quality of the outfit left for great flexibility which was the first thing she noticed of it—definitely designed for maximum mobility.

"Ashley, I prepared breakfast for you."

Ashley turned around to find Gregory carefully hobbling towards the sofa with a tray of food. "I know you must have an appetite worthy of a large feast by now." Gregory sat down on the end of the sofa and placed the tray on the small side table.

"Here child, have a seat and eat."

Ashley turned and made her way back to the sofa, "Oh thank you. I'm starved."

Gregory tapped a black back pack set beside the sofa with his walking cane, "I have packed you a bag of small equipment for your journey to the surface. Inside you have pre-packaged food, water, and a light source. In your portable device tablet I also have included fresh water locations for when you run low on water. They are found along the path I have made for you," he smiled confidently as she sank into the sofa with a low grunt from the aching in her shoulder.

"That sounds peachy," she smiled. She took a second to analyze the food on the white plate for her.

"So, what am I about to eat?"

"Ah, this meat is much like ham."

"Whoa," she sighed cautiously.

"Much like?"

"It comes from a related species to our pig. Tastes just as delicious too I might add. High in protein and calories and you will need that as you travel."

"Okay, ham it is. Right now I'm so hungry I don't care what I'm eating." Ashley took her fork and plunged it into the meat and took a bite.

"Yep," she mumbled with a mouthful, "just like ham."

And it did taste just like ham—the kind of ham that is glazed in honey that always adorned the dinner table during the holiday season at the Sanctuary.

Ashley continued to chew the sweet morsel. The meat was tender but not tough—as if it had been baked in an over for hours.

Gregory pointed to the next food item on the plate. "And this is our best version of scrambled eggs. You will not be hungry for a while my dear."

Ashley refused to ask what kind of creature laid the eggs or even imagined what it looked like. She just took his words as they were. She didn't know she was this hungry.

She nodded in agreement and closed her eyes to the relief of eating again. Not to mention how great the Praxis food actually tasted. A full stomach always helped the aptitude of one's mental awareness. Ashley hadn't remembered the last time she ate solid food. She figured with the many Cabal manipulations she either hadn't required food or the nutrients had been forced into her by ways of a feeding tube or through an IV.

"I also mixed a liquid vitamin and nutrient supplement into your glass of water here," Gregory pointed to the glass of water beside her plate. "It should be absorbed by your body slowly which will allow you to stay hydrated for longer."

Ashley swallowed the bite of ham and licked her lips, "at least I can bet on a full stomach to start off. Can't promise everything will stay down though, you know. Nerves and all," she shrugged.

"Understandably dear," he said lowering his voice.

Gregory was humbly impressed by how Ashley had adapted to her situation here in Praxis with him. She had had her moments, yes, but with every bit of detailed information he had given her about her current state—she had listened; she had grasped it. She had kept each piece of information ordered and understood that an end result was what they both were working on—together.

If only they knew Helen was on the receiving end, somewhere within the very fabric of space-time.

Ashley then took a sip of her water as Gregory bent down and pulled up the black back pack from the floor. He unzipped the top and pulled out what looked like a firearm.

Ashley's eyes opened wider with a grin of enthusiasm as she put her fork down.

"Nice piece. May I?"

"I know you must be knowledgeable in the practice of firearms. Helen would not have let you become a part of her work otherwise. After all you are a Magnus." He handed the gun over to her carefully with a smile.

Gregory could see a fiery glint sparkle in Ashley's eyes. Obvious she was well accustomed to weaponry.

"It fires a high energy beam in sequence to every time you pull the trigger. There are two settings; low and high power. High power will kill with one single shot and low power stuns."

"Sort of like an electric shock right?"

"Precisely."

"Henry would freak," she nearly squealed her excitement, "it's like a zat."

"A zat?"

Ashley huffed her Sci-Fi side proudly. "Wormhole Extreme; it was me and Henry's favorite show growing up. They had guns that could do the same."

Gregory smiled as he watched her take in every detail of the weapon.

Ashley took the gun into her hand and balanced it in her palm. She lowered and raised her left hand as she became accustomed to its weight. The gun had a shiny black surface with a vague pulsating blue light on each side of the handle.

"Looks like a 9 mil."

"That was the very base design for it. We have many different weapons here in Praxis but I like to manufacture my own weaponry."

Ashley gripped the weapon steadily and pointed to the window with her good arm. Good thing she was left handed she thought.

"Weight gives for a quick draw; your design?"

"It is," he said proudly.

"Nothing like a patented Magnus gun huh," she noted.

"The very best my dear."

She eyed the weapon at her sightline raising and lowering the gun inspecting the weighted balance once more.

"So you said it fires an energy beam?"

"Yes. There is a rotating frequency unit inside that pulls from the normal gravitational force exerted by the planet. It powers the weapon. So you will never have to charge nor reload. The energy beams are forced out by a small radiating power cell that collapses the normal electrostatic current found all around us and coverts it into directed energy waves. Just point and shoot. I know you can do that," he winked.

Ashley continued to eye the gun and analyze the shiny black seamless outer casing. The pulsing light was a teal color and pulsed vertically down the handle of the gun on one single column. She let a smirk line her lips as she thought about Henry and his cool toys. He would definitely be impressed with the sight of her knew Magnus gun.

"Alright my dear that is the last of your belongings needed for your journey. Finish eating your breakfast while I check the reports from Praxis. We need to make sure the safest routes for your departure."

"Sounds like a plan," Ashley nodded as she placed the gun back into the back.

Ashley ate the rest of her breakfast and wiped clean her plate. She put on her socks and then laced her black boots. She leaned back into the sofa again and took out the black tablet from the pack and tapped the front screen as she was instructed to power it on. A message appeared on the screen. The language was obviously Latin.

"Gregory," she called as he walked from around the corner hallway, "Yes dear."

"What does this say, it's in Latin?"

"Ah, that is for your mother. She will understand it when she reads it. It's just a message for her from me."

"Oh that reminds me. I finished writing my letter to my mom. Do you have a place you can keep it safe?"

"My dear, you are talking to a scientist and somewhat of an inventor if I don't say so myself," he grinned cheekily.

"Here," he walked over and sat beside her. "My walking stick; it is also used to hide highly illegal plant specimens for my research. Such substances are banned because of their uses in abusive drug concoctions but I have found that they help healing the rarest of Abnormals we have here. " He reached to the silver handle and twisted it open. "I can place it in here. It will be safe and with me the whole time. It also only opens to a specific DNA imprint. I will adjust it to open for your mother as well if ever the situation may arise."

"Cool," she said obviously shocked by the technological enhancement, "you're like Houdini." She flashed a genuine smile of being impressed—the very smile she gives Henry when he finally fixes a weapon to work properly.

Gregory chuckled. "Here in Praxis not much is kept under the radar, so at times one must compromise."

"Amen to that."

"And thank you," she spoke more directly with a deeper tone, "I just want my words to be given to her incase, you know." He voice trailed off into silence.

The uncertainties of life are never fair. She knew this. Sanctuary life had afforded a look into the very heart of humanity but did not come without a price. Enemies and dangers lurking around every corner were a constant threat. But it was the only life Ashley had ever known. And the only life that would make her happy.

"I understand my child," he said softly, "no one wants to be a memory in a Eulogy so young."

Ashley kept her gaze on the dimly lit windows on the facing wall before them. "I just wish she knew I was here with you. God it would make things so much easier on her."

"I know dearest. I wish that too. We both have had to leave your mother in ways that she does not understand fully. But you are on a journey to return to her and I have made every effort to make sure that happens. I just want you to be careful not to teleport anymore. We still do not know the lingering side effects or a time line you may teleport into."

"Yeah, having jumped backwards in time and learning the Big Guy died must have been so hard on her. I just can't imagine how she has dealt with that along with my disappearance. God I can't even come to terms with it myself. It all feels like a dream, all of it." Ashley rubbed her forehead and she closed her eyes to the memories. "I don't even know what to feel," she sighed the words.

"It is still a shock for you Ashley. In time you will come to terms."

Ashley sighed, choosing not to respond with words.

"I know your manservant cared deeply for you both. In time truth always reveals itself. I know you will find answers to your questions when you get back home. Just concentrate on staying focused of the objective. Your mother is waiting for you even if she doesn't know it yet. I am just sorry I cannot send you there now this very instant."

"Me too," she answered looking back at him, her eyes cresting with a watery flow of emotion.

Gregory smiled gently patting her knee. "No one can say we Magnus' don't lead interesting lives."

"You can say that again."

"Ashley, I know there are dangers ahead for both of us. I also know that I may not hear from you or your mother for a very long time. Same for me in getting back to the surface. But Ashley," he reached and took her hand in his, "I want you to know that I will do everything I can to get back to visit. I am the Ambassador for Hollow Earth now and I will ultimately find a way to get a message through to Helen. But for the life of me I just hope it does not include any grave information about you my dear."

"We Magnus' are fighters Gregory. Until my last breath I will fight to get back to my mom. Just know that. Don't forget it."

Gregory reached up and gently wiped the tears that had fallen out of Ashley's eyes.

"Alright dear, I will not forget."

Ashley was getting anxious knowing that in seconds she will walk out into the unknowns of Praxis beginning her journey home.

"Alright my dear, I have to meet Ranna, the High Council member of Praxis for a political assembly meeting. Let us not make haste on our own missions and take our leave."

"Okay," Ashley said with a hint of distress lacing her voice.

She reached to the pack and snapped the back pack on as she stood to her feet. She placed the hand held device in her left pocket of her pants pocket and zipped up the jacket to her neckline.

"Oh dear, I almost forgot to mention. Your attire is completely water and heat proof. You should be protected from 160 F to negative 45 degrees."

Ashley pulled a strap out from the back pack and tightened the waist band. "Uh, wow. Okay, so as long as I don't fall into a raging magma river or an Everest storm I'll be fine. Got it."

Gregory chuckled as they walked down the hallway and over to the glass elevator overlooking the center of Praxis. Blues and oranges beamed across the horizon reflecting across the glass in waves as they slowly descended down to the street level. The whole of the city looked like a Christmas snow globe just without the snow.

"God Gregory it's so beautiful," she said placing her hand to the glass. "How could anyone threaten such a wondrous place?"

"The world has its wonders and beauty, but some never see either. Rogue parties are something that will always be a danger to humanity. But there will always be good that will fight it. Like your mother has done with her Sanctuary Network and us here on the Council of Praxis."

A low hissing hum sounded as the elevator stopped to the street level. Gregory pushed a circle button opening the sliding glass doors into an entry arch made of cream brick with a cobblestone entrance leading out into the street.

They both walked out into the street; Ashley walking slowly beside her grandfather as he hobbled slowly on his cane.

"Ashley I am so proud of you," he said glancing over to her. "I am so sorry I have not been there for you and Helen. My work here in Praxis has been too important to let go and I hope one day I will be able to explain it all to you both."

"Gregory. That doesn't matter. Don't be sorry. We all have lives to lead. Wherever they may be," Ashley waved her left hand up gesturing towards the city around them. "I will tell mom how you have helped me. I know she will be able to work with the information you have downloaded for her on the tablet. So, no worries okay?"

"You are your mother's daughter I do declare."

"Damn straight."

A chuckle and a laugh sounded in unison on the empty street as they reached the end of the cobblestone avenue.

Gregory and Ashley stopped at the intersection of the street—just feet from where Gregory first found her that night.

He placed a hand to her shoulder. "Ashley, you are a smart and amazing young lady. I am proud to call you my granddaughter. Helen has done a wonderful role in bringing you up into this world. Tell her that I am proud of her. And always have been."

"I will," she whispered.

Ashley leaned in and hugged him tight. "Thank you for all that you have done. I will look forward to you visiting and any message you can send to us."

"Yes dear, I will do my best to contact you both. You take care of yourself now."

"You too grandpa." Ashley pulled away and gave a bright smile, eyes once again heavy with tears.

"See you later," she said in a gentle optimistic tone.

Gregory smiled, winked and nodded. Ashley kept a smile to her face as she walked away in the opposite direction behind him.

It was time for her to go home.

With that Gregory began his walk to Ranna's Council Chambers just a few streets away. With a heavy heart he wished he had the means to just drop her on the doorstep of the Sanctuary and into the arms of her mother.

With that Ashley began her walk to a transportation pod station a few street intersections away.

The tall buildings were bathed in an orange hazy fog that blanketed the spaces all around. As Ashley walked down the empty dimly lit street, her black boots clanking on the stonework and the rustling of her back pack were the only sounds echoing in the street. That and a few aching groans from the pain in her shoulder.

She began mapping mental images of the tall buildings surrounding her and the intertwining masonry that made for the walls of the sliver colored brickwork. Large cherry colored doors with wide entry steps adorned the residential avenue of this section of Praxis. The skyline above was a blend of orange and cream and looked as if it was a lingering mist cloud rolling across a sky.

Ashley took notice of no mail boxes but of slats in the doors and small black boxes bolted to the sides of the front walls. It was a prefect replica of Old City London. A more modernized one at that.

Ashley pulled her tablet out, tapping the screen to reveal her detoured route across Hollow Earth. A red blinking dot was characterized as her present location and it was located in a perfected detailed color image of the city. It was as if she was looking at a live satellite photo but with an incredible zoom.

A street across the intersection ahead and a turn to her left would give her access to a transport pod leading her out into the outlands.

She placed the device back into her left pocket and zipped it closed.

She returned her eyes to the street once more and continued to look upon the magnificent shiny city.

Tall arched brick frames cradled vast open windows like the ones she had seen in Gregory's home. Each could almost be as detailed as stain glass with how the thin metal etchings separated the larger and small glass inlays. The avenue was clean without even a hint of dust or dirt. Even the air felt misty and clean in this under the Earth subterranean capital. The quiet and reflective state she found herself in almost felt as if she was walking through a board in a Holodeck Program.

It just seemed too unreal to grasp entirely.

A barely noticeable static charge was humming through the air as she made her way down the avenue. Ashley took notice of the odd feel of the air around her almost immediately upon walking out of the glass elevator with Gregory. She had experienced similar situations when Henry dragged her into his lab to show her his newly engineered weapons.

But this was different.

The apprehension was sending a deep cold shiver through her spine.

And as her body reacted to the concern brimming in the air; an ear piercing thunder moved over the city of Praxis without as much of a hint of warning.

The distant echo quickly welled its rumble and in a blink of an eye a white light flashed out from the horizon like an expanding bubble; wickedly growing from its initial surge point. The ground responded in succession and erupted into a bone rattling quake shaking the whole of the city and buildings into a violent tug of war with gravity.

The thunderous roar of buildings rocking on their foundations and glass exploding into the streets sent Ashley sprawling down onto the cold cobblestone street beneath her.

The thunder ripped through the air as the sound continued to increase gradually and in congruence to the massive shaking of the city's surface.

Ashley screamed as she crumpled down to one knee, spinning around to watch the sky light bleed into a blurred pastel luminosity. Squinting her eyes she surveyed an expanding bubble spread out over the vast distances above and across the horizon.

Before she could even register what her eyes were witnessing; the proximity wave of the blinding white bubble expanded over her with lightning speed and such a concussive force; the sonic rim launched her airborne into a chaotic spin of holy terror.

She had no time to think. The last thought lingering to her consciousness was; if ever there was a time to teleport; it was now.

Ashley's body ricocheted off the stone ground like a ragdoll into the dense electrically charged air without a destination in mind.


Explosions filled the air like rapid gun fire. And gun fire was exactly what Ashley heard as her blue eyes opened into a white wash of bright daylight and a rainstorm of white stone. Large blasts rumbled the hard road beneath her as she pushed herself up to lean into the wall next to her.

The gun fire sounded odd—unlike what she was used to. Machine gun fire and semi-automatic sounds were implanted into her mind. She knew each being long range and short range. High powered; low powered.

But the array of nonstop bangs sounded antiquated; out of tune to her.

But above the flood of gun fire she heard another sound. And though she'd never seen one fired personally; she knew the sound of a cannon when she heard one.

Stone erupted into a spray of shards as one directed cannon ball tore into the wall above her sending shiny white shrapnel to rain over her in both pebble and brick size chunks.

She screamed herself into a less kinetic stand still and took to her feet and started running; her black back pack bouncing hard against her back as she sprinted away from the danger.

Gun fire continued to blast through the air chipping away at the tall white walls on either side of her. Small blasts of white powder and sharp pieces of limestone road beneath her feet blasted up upon contact.

The air was cold and compressed hard into her lungs. She immediately became aware of the difference in elevation and found her realization finding proof as she darted her gaze at the mountain range that was cradling a white limestone city around her.

Her face felt dirty and scraped as the small particles of shrapnel had grazed the left side of her face. She could feel warm streams of blood draining down ever so slightly over her left eye and down the left side of her neck.

She looked ahead to see a long open pathway extending half the length of the valley and ending at what looked like a temple. The whole of the creation she was running through was like a beacon of light in the bright sun—an intense white glow shining in every direction. Only a few clouds lingered over the mountains reaching farther into the blue sky.

The sound of bullets spraying in and around her sounded like rows of firecrackers that one shoots off on the countdown to midnight for the New Year. Limestone all around just burst and exploded in thunderous roars as she screamed and ran ahead looking for any cover she could find. But it was just an open narrow pathway.

She kept her right arm pressed into her chest for it was impossible to let it swing out as she ran. Her blonde hair bounced over her shoulders and her blue eyes trained at the environment for means of escape.

Just as she glanced to a shadow in the right side of her peripheral vision, hands grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into a revolving stone door. As she was pulled into the darkness a body fell onto her cradling her from the eruptions of stone exploding through the road where she was just running through.

Stone on stone creaked as the square wall slid and closed, drowning the unrelenting bombardment of the hail storm of bullet and canon fire.

"Ahhhh!" Ashley yelled as she rolled over to her side and jumped to her feet. She stepped back and pulled her weapon from her pants pocket raising it to the man that was slowly starting to stand to find balance.

"Who the hell are you and what the hell is going on," she gasped heavily, her breathing erratic and wild.

A man dressed in a dark pants suit and dark black vest raised his head as he found his footing. His dark thick hair was parted on his left side and was the length of his jawline. Ashley's split second observation guessed he was in his late 20's, medium build, with a caring worried half smile lacing his face. His face also shared a strong jawline and a nose that reminded her of Will.

But his eyes were wide and pupils full open to the whole of his eye.

The color tinted a fierce dark red.

He was a Vampire.

"What are you doing on the surface," he asked exasperated but intensely worried—obviously shocked to find her out in the open.

Ashley kept her gun raised and studied his body language and facial expression. He was not standing in an attack stance nor had his hands upstretched to do so. Again she noticed his clothing was all black, even his black oxford looking long sleeve shirt with black shiny shoes matched.

"Who are you?" She screamed as she blinked away the blood dripping over her left eye. She shook her head slightly to the left as she stared back at him.

He blinked his eyes in total confusion as he took in the sight of one stressed out blonde. He started to feel like she really had no idea what was going on.

"I WILL NOT ASK AGAIN!" She spat threateningly. Her voice echoed loudly into the open chasm—her voice ringing deep with uncontrolled fury.

The man's red eyes dissipated and retracted steadily revealing dark brown eyes in the still light of a lighted torch grounded into the wall behind him. It revealed a dark grey stone and a huge stairwell disappearing into a vast open lair.

He kept his arms raised in a non-threatening manner and stepped back just one step so that the wall nearly brushed against his back. Ashley watched him carefully taking note of his retraction of his black long nails.

"My name is Malak," his voice was mildly deep, foreign, but fit his face Ashley thought. His accent was French.

"I am one of the few that have survived the massacre." He had lowered his voice to a calm trusting tone.

Ashley continued to breathe hard as her huffing echoed against his kind spoken words. She never waved in lowering her gun as she kept her right arm neatly bent across her chest—her expression still wincing from the burn of the wounded muscle pain.

"And what exactly does that mean? WHAT is going on here," she cried out desperately.

The man's lips parted into a jaw drop as he stood silent for a moment. His mind attempting to find a reason why she was asking the questions she was; in the place where she was.

Soft echoes continuously sounded from outside the thick walls reminding them both of the relentless assault raining down around them.

Ashley tightened her grip on the Hollow Earth weapon keeping her finger firmly on the trigger.

"The attack began the day before last. Our home," tears flushed the man's gentle brown eyes as his face contorted into a deep frown, "our empire, our holy city, Bhalasaam is falling."