The Sorcerer and the Stargazer part 25
On board the Stargazer, somewhere over Alfheim, midday
Maria was sleeping when it happened. Well most of her was sleeping. That tiny part of her that was now enmeshed in the Stargazer had continued to perfect her guitar.
It would have been ready for her when she awoke.
Had she been able to sleep as long as the Stargazer had estimated based on her profile and fatigue level.
But Maria felt it immediately.
An emptiness filled the ship, a void where once a vibrant presence had been.
Liz was gone.
Even before the alarms sounded, at that exact moment the Stargazer noticed something wrong, so did Maria.
And she woke up suddenly, scaring a still comatose Michael.
The ship felt so empty.
And alarms rang throughout the ship.
But it was too late.
Maria clumsily clambered out of bed and started to get dressed.
Michael shot up as he heard the alarms ring. "What the hell?"
Maria called out to the ship, "Stargazer, what happened? What happened to Liz?" And she knew. She suddenly saw what had happened. Isabel had reached out to Liz and somehow had vanished.
Maria watched from several angles as a worry was replaced by dismay on Alex's face. As he grabbed Isabel's shoulder just before she vanished.
And he vanished, too.
Only Max remained in the hold. Maria watched as he fell to his knees and cried.
"It is Isabel. She stole Liz and Alex. And that Granolith thingy."
"What? How do you know? I?"
"Get dressed. You need to get to the Main hold. Stargazer, what is our status?"
"We are, we are green on the status boards." Was what Michael heard.
Maria heard that as well. But through her link, "Aunt Maria, Mommy is gone? I am so scared! What do I do?" There was a sense of pressure as the AI of the ship strove to gain reassurance from the one human being it could still really communicate with.
"Calm down. Everything will be fine, you just need to calm down!"
"Maria, who are you talking to?"
"Michael, get down to the Main Hold, Max needs you. Liz and Alex have been abducted. By Magic. Stargazer contact the other wizards, I don't care what they are doing, get them on the Bridge."
"Yes, Maria."
"Maria?"
"Michael, I love you immensely, but if you don't get your ass in gear and see to Max you are going to be sleeping alone for a long, long time. Now go."
Michael shook his head and quickly got dressed. He was muttering under his breath.
Maria could have listened in, but she knew that it would be better for both of their health if she just let it slide.
One problem at a time.
-Scene Break-
Temple of Ascension, Elysium Sea, Vanaheim
Alex's mind cleared as they left the void they had traveled through. The air felt crisp and clean. And off in the distance he heard a rhythmic booming sound.
He reacted faster than Isabel however, pushing her away from Liz. Isabel was in tears as she fought back, careful not to hurt Alex.
But really it was no contest. Isabel was part Jotun now. Alex didn't have a chance.
It was mere moments before he was laying beneath her. Not entirely a bad place to be, except for the timing.
Liz lay on the ground, her head in her hands. Obviously shocked and obviously in pain.
"Why did you do it, Isabel? Why?"
"I had to. I simply had to. When he tells me what I have to do, I have to do it!"
"Come on, the woman I know has more will power than that! And you are Isabel, I can tell."
"He stole my soul, Alex. He stole my soul. And now I am nothing but his plaything. I have to do what he orders."
"So its like I Dream of Jennie? He's your master or something?" Alex said in a cutting tone.
But Isabel just nodded. "Yes. There are limits. I have to do what he orders, what he tells me to do. And I can't hurt him."
"I see. But if he leaves you wiggle room, if he makes a mistake…"
Isabel nodded and got up. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to drag you into this."
Alex dusted himself off and moved over to Liz.
Liz was just cradling her head and saying "It's gone." over and over.
"Lizzie, Lizzie, you have to wake up. Come on Parker, snap out of it."
Isabel stood awkwardly over their shoulder, looking around in mildly suppressed awe.
Liz looked up, "Alex the Stargazer, it's gone! I can't feel it. It is like I've had my whole body amputated. And I am stuck. I am stuck like this." She tilted her head slightly, "Wait, there is something there. I can almost feel…."
"Well done my dearest Vilandra! You brought me the girl. Wait, who is this?" Came a booming voice in Alfaran
Isabel stood and moved in front of Alex as if to shield him. "No, don't hurt him, Kvar. I did what you wanted."
"Interesting. I do believe you brought yourself a new toy."
Liz looked at him with horror. "What are you," she said in Alfaran.
"Very convenient, she speaks a rational tongue and not that debased mortal language. You have exceeded yourself, Vilandra." Kvar raised his hand toward Isabel and she began to shake.
Isabel began to tremble with ecstasy and her knees began to buckle. Alex caught her before she fell, trying to protect both Isabel and Liz. "What have you done to her?"
"Merely giving her a reward. With Liz's bit I shall be able to ascend and rule the Worlds after Ragnarok. Since she was so good, I think I will let you live. For now. Siyan, take the girl."
Another woman, this one with skin the color of beaten bronze moved sinuously past Kvar and seized Liz.
Alex could not hold onto both of them at the same time and Liz was wrest away from him.
Liz stared in wonder at the woman who carried her away.
Alex stood up, in one last attempt at saving Liz…. Only Kvar raised his hands and Alex was flung against the marble walls.
"Take care, human, I will only exercise so much forbearance towards you. You are only Vilandra's pet." And Kvar left.
Alex was left alone with a quivering Isabel.
Finally he stared around himself. He was in some massive stone structure built of some glowing marble. The sky outside was a blue so deep as to be nearly impossible. The air fresh and crisp. As Isabel began to calm, Alex took a look outside the window.
They were in a massive stone structure all made of the strange luminescent marble. It rested on a cliff above the sea. A sea that seemed to stretch forever. And above there were two small moons.
Despite the stress of the situation he felt himself calm.
Alex walked over to Isabel. He had to have answers.
-Scene Break-
Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, Midgard
High Councilor Crosslin felt a hand gently shake his shoulder.
"Sir, we have a call for you. One that you will likely want to take."
Crosslin stretched. It had been years since he'd had to resort to a cot, but he had wanted to be near the main communications center.
There was so much to be done. The enemy, whomever they had been seemed to be routed at the moment. Although those… trolls seemed to have taken a liking to the many subterranean structures that had been built throughout the world.
It would take a while before every sewer and maintenance tunnel could be cleared. But there was hope. The enemy had not destroyed all of the nanofactories they had taken, so it would be possible to rebuild.
But there were so few people now. They kept finding isolated pockets, pockets he had not expected to find. But there were fewer than a million men, women, and children.
So much death.
It came to him that he had finally achieved his goal. He was likely the supreme executive authority remaining in all of the Americas. But it failed to lift his spirits.
He had never wanted to rule a desolate world.
Crosslin got up and quickly dressed. He grabbed some coffee and headed to the communications center. "All right, I am here. What is so important."
An airman handed him a set of head phones. "They wished to speak with only you ,sir."
"Who is it?"
"It is the Stargazer, sir."
"The Stargazer? Do we have a lock on it? Have they returned to the Moon?"
"No, sir. They are patched into our satellite grid. We do not have a location yet sir."
"Keep looking. They can't hide forever." Crosslin put the headset on and activated the security screen. He flipped on the screen and there were several people staring at him.
None of them were Captain Whitman, or Elizabeth Parker. "Well you have my attention. Now get Captain Whitman on the line. There is no time for games."
"Good afternoon Councilor, my name is Max Evans. I am afraid both Captain Whitman and Liz Parker are unavailable. I am calling to warn you."
"What you took over his ship and now you plan on attacking? Or are you holding them ransom?"
"Neither, I am afraid. Both of them have been abducted. We are planning a rescue attempt, and we will need no help. I called to warn you. Likely you believe that everything is calm. That the storm has passed."
"Everything has calmed down, no help to you. Whitman could have helped, but he ran."
"Did you not read any of the data we sent you? This is a war that encompasses more than just Earth. I know you are looking for us. But you can not find us. That is because we are no longer on Earth."
"And you are space aliens or something."
Michael and Max exchanged glances before Max continued. "Not exactly. It is all there in the report we sent. The upshot is that the storm has not passed. You are merely in the eye of the storm. And the most dangerous part of the storm is about to hit."
"So what would you have us do? Right now we are trying to pick up the pieces, and you are saying the attacks will be renewed."
"Exactly. Only the next group will be fewer in number, but much more powerful. There are only so many portals they can take…. But the one you need to be concerned about is here." Max pointed at a map showing a section near the western coast of the Middle East. "That is where the Fire Giants will break through. They will seek to access the Bifrost Bridge. Unfortunately I am not sure where it will manifest when they arrive. If you can meet them there and stop them, all of the worlds will be grateful."
"And if we fail?"
"They will set the world on fire."
"Okay…. Is that all?"
"No. The sign for their attack will be right after a massive quake. I am not sure how big, but according to legend it is supposed to shake the worlds. All of them."
"Right. So massive quake. Creatures that can set the world on fire? Any thing else?"
"The earth quake will set many of the monsters of legend free. They might cause a problem."
"If Captain Whitman decides to end this practical joke have him send his personal codes. And if we find you without your complete capitulation, be aware that our forces have a shoot to kill order on the Stargazer. Crosslin out." He deactivated the view screen and threw down the headset.
This was crazy! Who did they think he was.
"Call me if there is any serious news." He then stormed off to his cot to catch just a little more sleep.
As his head hit the pillow and he shut his eyes, he sighed and rolled right back out of bed.
He contacted one the colonels who was acting as his liaison with the military end of things. He showed the recorded broadcast.
Sure it was insane. But it had been an insane couple of weeks.
There was no sense in being caught completely unprepared if the unexpected happened.
-Scene Break-
Temple of Ascension, Elysium Sea, Vanaheim
Alex had to rescue Liz. But he couldn't just leave Isabel. To leave her would be to leave a part of himself behind. He looked again at the ring on his finger, the ring that had appeared after that strange dream. The sigils cut on it were glowing again,
He was so far out of his league here. What should he do?
Isabel began to stir. When she saw him she turned away.
"Why did you do it Isabel. Are you under some sort of spell."
Isabel's voice was dry and devoid of emotion, "It is the diamond ring he wears. My soul is trapped in there. Surely you noticed my heart beat sounds different?"
"I…" It had sounded a little strange, but he had been so happy to see her….
"He took my heart out and burned it. And replaced it with, with a Jotun's heart. And through it he can control me. If he gives me an order I have to do it. I have to! I didn't have a choice!"
Alex noted the ring on her finger. It had looked so familiar. But again, in his happiness he had ignored the odd connections. "Is that, is that my ring?"
"Yes," Isabel looked at it fondly, "Alex, I don't know how and I don't know why, but that dream was real. It was real. I am your wife. And, and I am pregnant."
"Liz told me. I will raise it like my own. Assuming of course we ever get out of here."
"I wish I could help you, but as long as he has that ring…."
Alex thought for a moment. "Do you know what he plans to do with Liz?"
"He wants to do to her what he has done to me. And Alex. She's not normal. I couldn't tell with all the energy in the machines that were in the Stargazer. She is powerful. Very powerful. A wizard."
"That is impossible. She's been onboard my ship. There's nothing magical…."
Isabel's laughter was both musical and bitter. "Your ship? Didn't my brother tell you? Magic suffuses it. It is full of power. It is different than any kind that I have seen. I couldn't use it. But Alex, it is everywhere. And he wants it. Kvar wants everything."
"Then we will have to stop him." Alex said firmly.
"But how."
Alex stood up a little straighter. "Well, I am still working on the details…."
"Making it up as you go along?" Isabel said with a wry smile, accepting his hand up.
"Let's go."
-Scene Break-
Stargazer Bridge, Somewhere over Antar
Max watched as the screen went blank. "Well that went well."
Michael smirked at Max, "What did you expect?"
Kyle adjusted himself slightly in his power chair. "Crosslin may be a bastard, but he's not dumb. He probably didn't believe a word you said. But odds are he is still taking precautions if he can."
Maria said quietly, "Now what? I have talked with the Stargazer. She refuses to jump without Liz."
"So we are trapped."
Michael said, "Have we found any settlements?"
"Nothing big enough to support all of us. Mostly small steadings that the Dokkalfar spared to take on the heavier targets first. They were thorough. And with this early frost, well it has played havoc on the crops. Lots of people going hungry this year."
Maria sighed, "We'll be fine as long as we can get access to root stock. Trees would do if necessary. There are limits though. We might be able to feed quite a few people. But getting the food to them without being able to jump, well…"
Max nodded. The Stargazer was capable of taking care of most of what they needed. But there had been a vast amount of work that Liz had done instinctually. Work that still needed to be done.
They needed Liz. He needed Liz.
And Alex. Strange how he had never noticed how Alex had defused so many arguments. But he had. He had known exactly what to say and when and how to say it.
He was the Captain.
And his sister. There had to be some logical reason for her actions.
He wanted them back.
He sighed as the rest of the meeting wore on, idly thinking of some way to recover them.
Tess walked through the door, her Tarnkappe on her shoulders as always.
The Tarnkappe. Of course!
Max stood. "Ladies and Gentlemen, our problems are nearly insurmountable without Liz or Alex. We need them back."
"But we can't jump without Liz, how can we get them back. That is assuming that we even knew where they were."
Maria spoke up, "the Stargazer knows. It is faint, but she is still… entangled with Liz. It is possible that may fade with time, but for now. It isn't on any of the worlds we have been to though."
"I can sense her, too. With a bit of magic, and maybe some help from the Stargazer we should be able to find her."
Tess looked at him, "But how Max?"
Max smiled for the first time since Liz was taken. "I have a plan."