The Sorcerer and the Stargazer part 37
Temple of Ascension, ?
Tess stared at the growing mist beyond Kvar. Her new senses had followed her back into her body. The mist was alive.
Oh, not the fog that was floating along the floor. That was simple water moisture.
But surrounding the rings, the rings that Kvar had used to control Siyan and Isabel, forms were coalescing. Figures. She watched as Alex and Isabel began to form in the mist, Isabel holding an baby. They were talking quietly to each other, so obviously in love.
The other reverberated with an anger so deep as to be tangible. A force of nature unbound.
She was worried that she felt the greatest kinship with latter and not the former. Was her love for Kyle not deep enough? She cradled her son's soul, still trapped in Skrymir's Heart.
Max began to walk towards Kvar, to pull him off of Liz.
Liz in Power Armor! Kyle would get a kick out of it. Tess raised a small camera to take a shot of the sight.
The mist like Isabel noticed the flash and glanced in surprise at all of them. She placed an arm on Alex pointing at Tess. Then Isabel noticed Kvar. A look of hate and anger flashed across her face. She handed the baby to Alex.
Alex demeanor was calm and knowing as he took the child.
Isabel's form rippled, turning into a falcon. She then flew off, away from the whole group.
Alex looked after Isabel, turned and then smiled at Tess with a little wave. He talked with the baby then and waved its little hand at Tess.
What else could Tess do but take another picture of such a cute sight? She took a couple of shots before the drama between Max and Kvar began to play out.
Max said, "Kvar give up. You'll never work your way through that metal. And you might as well give up. You have lost."
"Well, well, if it isn't Max Evans. Finally work up the courage now that your girlfriend has me on the ropes? Aren't you forgetting, I still have Andvari's ring and I already broke your staff. Seriously are you that eager to die."
Max pulled out a gun. "Now don't play stupid, I know you know what this is. And what it will do to you. I've spent quite a bit of time on Midgard, and trust me firebolts would have caused quite a stir. I'm a pretty good shot. Your magic is about as spent as mine."
"If you kill me I will become…."
"Stop right there Kvar. I wouldn't kill you just fill you full of holes. You know my primary talent. Keeping you from dying would be easy."
"You're too…."
Kvar was interrupted as a large scaled claw bashed him, tossing him like a toy. A dragon stood where the green ring had lain. It was a Chinese styled dragon, it had no wings. Its breath was a wall of fresh smelling mist.
But it was angry. Very, very angry.
Only Alex seemed calm as he held his child. But then he knew all about Siyan.
Everyone else scattered, Kvar vainly trying to hide.
Siyan's laughter boomed in the corridor, "Kvar, you might as well come out. Find out what it is like to be eaten for a change." She stalked after Kvar.
Alex calmly spoke up. "You might as well stop, Siyan. We won't let him escape. Where would he escape to? Max has used the Granolith. We aren't on any of the Worlds anymore."
"What do you know of it human? You may know some of his crimes, but can you truly encompass what being force to serve him for hundreds of years is like? To watch as he killed his first wife and children. As he fed their souls to the Oracle? To watch as he destroyed all he touched. To be parlayed out to his friends like a toy?"
"Isabel told me much. I was there. In the ring with her. We are linked, she and I, I know all she knows and she knows me. All those late night talks, all those shared pains. I know. He will face justice. I swear, he will."
Tess still stood there, still taking pictures. Watching as a man, an man without tools or magic standing up to an enraged dragon. And talking it down.
Kvar tried to make a break, to some how escape. But Max caught him. Max took some of the Wizard's Silk Tess had given him and rendered Kvar's magic useless.
Defeat finally graced his countenance. Defeat and fear.
The dragon rippled into a more familiar figure. Siyan. She stretched her arms and walked toward the now bound Kvar.
Kvar said, "You are dead. I killed you."
"And tried to absorb my soul. Yes, Kvar, I know." Siyan walked up to him.
Max stood there holding Kvar, unsure as to whether he needed to protect Kvar from her or not. She seemed unarmed, but she was a dragon!
"You tried so hard to bring about Ragnarok, you would think you would have thought through all of the implications…. It breaks all ties, loosens all bonds. Your own actions freed us. And so the world ends. But I am free." She looked past Kvar at Max, "You swear he will see justice?"
"My word as a Fire Wizard. I swear, for what he did to you, for what he did to my sister. For what he tried to do to Liz. Yes he will receive justice."
Siyan looked deep into Max's eyes and seemed convinced. She looked back at Kvar, "So how long do you think you will hold up sealed in some bog? Or maybe sealed permanently in some rock?"
Kvar did not answer.
"Well, I am sure you will find out. And there will be no ending to free you either. Ragnarok is already occurring. No freedom for you." She paused, "Still…."
Max had been right to worry, for even though Siyan was unarmed, her magic was formidable and made a potent weapon on its own. Moreover, it was much more potent than it had been when she'd been captured. Much more. She knew human and Alfar, and even Jotnari magics now. And for the first time in centuries she was free.
Siyan changed only her hand, just her right hand. And reached down and castrated Kvar. "I will not take the chance. NO seed of yours will ever find purchase again."
Kvar collapsed blood spilling onto the marble floors.
Max used the dregs of his powers to keep Kvar alive, only to find Siyan sending power to support him. "Why?"
Siyan smiled, "Oh, I don't want him to die…. I want justice. I do. I just needed an assurance that he would never use another like he used me. Or the countless others, your sister and niece Signy among them."
Kvar was in much too much pain to respond.
Max merely glared at Kvar. And kept him alive. Nothing more.
Which became a little more difficult when a falcon slammed into Kvar's head, ripping and tearing.
Isabel hadn't left. She'd merely wanted some airspeed behind her attack.
Max was able to stop her from clawing Kvar's face to bits. But Kvar's handsome features would never be the same. And his right eye was gone, torn from his head by Isabel's sharp beak.
Alex called her over and the falcon landed on his shoulder before returning to her human form, linked now arm in arm with Alex.
Tess was still taking pictures, photos she was sure the others would need to see to believe.
It took several minutes to stabilize Kvar, even with Siyan's help.
So it was some surprise when Kvar reached over to what had been empty air. "You promised! You have to help me!"
The Oracle had arrived.
-Scene Break-
Aboard the Naglfar, Near the Gunnagap Gate, Jotunheim
Loki stood at the tiller and felt the cool sea breeze blow past him. It was good to be free.
Too bad his doom would soon be upon him.
Even now the prophesy was being fulfilled. He would meet his daughter on Asgard as originally planned. He felt a surge of pride in her. She had kept up the fight, and her periodic visits to Jotunheim to fan the flames of resentment against Asgard had helped him immensely in his call to arms.
He wished he could spend time with her one last time. Maybe in the heart of the battle they might finally have time to talk, if only briefly.
The last time he had seen Hel was on her last visit to his prison. She and Sigyn disliked each other. Not that he blamed his wife. Hel was the child of indiscretion on his part. And while he regretted how much it had hurt her, he did not regret Hel.
"Sigyn." He missed her fiercely. She would have joined him, even against her kin. She loved him that much. But he knew what he had to do, and what fate had in store for him.
He did not want her to die.
Loki heard the crying of a falcon and knew he was about to be visited by an old friend… and current enemy.
He watched as Freya furled back the falcon feathered cloak. Underneath it she was dressed for war. Even in armor she made his mouth water. Blond hair framed the bluest of eyes. "How are you this fine morning, my dear Freya?"
"No taunts or threats, betrayer?"
"Your words wound me. I do what I must."
"Loki this must stop. Call them back and all of this can end."
"I can't. And even I could, what good would it do? Should I let him capture me again? What child will he use to bind me? Oh, he's far to noble to shed my blood, blood that he swore to protect, but blood of my blood…."
"Loki…. Why did you do it?"
"He has to be stopped. Do you know what he is doing? What he has done?"
Freya looked uncomfortable and nodded.
"And yet still you serve."
"I serve no one. I merely seek to protect those entrusted into my care." She looked away for a moment, "Maybe some of what you say is true. Maybe he has gone too far in some things. Maybe there need to be some adjustments, changes. But Loki, this is not the way. …"
"This is the only way, my lovely. We will beat him and smash him and his corrupt establishment down. You know we are fated to succeed, Freya."
Freya nodded, this time unhappily, "So much death, surely there is another way?"
"So, countless Humans and Alfar perish and yet you do nothing. But your precious Aesir and Vaenir are threatened…."
"Be quiet, Deceiver, I HAVE NOT BEEN STILL! I have done what I may, what I could according to the covenants."
Loki nodded. His spies had told him so. She was so pretty when she was mad.
Then again, she was Freya. She was always lovely.
"You should know that your husband will soon be coming home."
Shock filled Freya's gorgeous countenace, "Odr? He's, he's free?"
"All bonds were broken dear. It may take him a while. But he will be coming home. So don't die, please"
"Loki. I…."
"Yes I know. I will die. Please protect Sigyn. And there is another favor."
"What? I will not betray…."
Loki shook his head. "My great grand-daughter. She will need protection. Either from you or your protégés."
"Who is she?"
"She was the Oracle." He smiled. "All bonds were broken, my dear. Now go, and don't die. Say hi to Hnoss for me."
Freya stared at him for a few moments. Once they had been friends. Sure he'd been a jerk, often. But he had been one of the few she had trusted with the cloak she now wore. How had things changed? Where had everything gone wrong?
"You know, this battle may go differently than you think. Things have changed."
"Maybe, but the prophesy is not based on just events, it is based on personalities. And that my dear has not changed. I doubt Odin has changed. Too many are content to follow his wisdom, too content to let him do their thinking for them."
"He is wise Loki. He knows more than any of us….."
"And yet he is still a fool who must be stopped. Freya, I am sorry, I can't stop this. If I thought he could change, then maybe…. But he no more likely to change than I. Good bye, my dear."
Freya turned to leave.
"Freya, wait."
She turned and looked back.
Loki handed her an amulet. "One more gift from an old friend. May the new world be a kinder one."
"Goodbye, Loki. May the afterlife treat you well."
Loki rolled his head back and laughed heartily.
And Freya left.
-Scene Break-
Aboard the Stargazer, Midjump
Maria awoke. A tiny part remained in the ships computer. Most of the Stargazer was destroyed. It was amazing it could make this jump at all.
She was in a meadow, somewhat reminiscent of the one she had seen when she had died. Had she died again?
She felt like she had when she was on the ship, but she had little control.
And a young teenager was with her. The teen looked so much like Liz it hurt. But the eyes. They looked so much like Serena's steel grey.
"Hi, Aunt Maria. I'm glad you are awake. Both of us are going to be busy soon. The main computer is down, and it will be up to us to land."
"Stargazer?"
"Alexandra. Thank you for everything. Living is tougher than I thought it would be. But I think it will be worth it. Don't you?"
"I…."
"Come on Maria, we need you. You have to wake up. Michael misses you terribly. We all do."
"But I, I…."
"Did what you thought you had to do. Whether it was the right thing, well time will tell. But we still need you."
"It has been so long…."
"Maria, we love you. And trust me, it hasn't been as long as you think it has. Time can play funny tricks when you are running on computer time. So wake up, I will still be here. And so will you. We need to work together. But it will work better if you wake up. For real."
-Scene Break-
Stargazer Bridge, ?
"Michael?"
Michael looked down at Maria, at his beautiful wife opened her eyes.
And saw that it was her. The real Maria. Older somehow, wiser and battered. But still Maria.
"Oh, Maria! I, I love you! Please stay with me, stay with me forever!" How had he not said those things to her more often? How could she have left him alone, gone away…..
"I'm back. Michael I need to breathe." Over the intercom came Maria's voice loud as a bell. "All hands, all hands, Emergency crash stations, emergency crash stations."
"What, what is wrong?"
"We are going to crash. The good news is that we are going to be close to where the beacon Tess and Max set. The bad news is we have no idea where that is."
"How long do we have?"
"Maybe ten minutes. Kyle, shuttle bay two is still operational. I am redirecting the survivors in the Medical Bay to you. The rest of us will have to take Valkyries."
"What about the escape pods?"
"Most of them are damaged. We'll be jettisoning all the ones we can. Some of the supplies in them will be okay. We'll need everything we can get our hands on."
Everyone on the bridge just stared at her.
"Well what are you waiting for. MOVE!"
Everyone scurried off to the Valkyrie bay except for Kyle, who awkwardly stumbled to Shuttle bay two.
Michael kissed her.
"Mmm, now I wish we had more time. But we have to move."
"Welcome back!"
Maria just smiled.
-Scene Break-
Temple of Ascension, ?
The Oracle stared at Kvar with no expression on her face. "Things have changed…. Father."
There was a clatter in the corner as Liz slowly got up. She could feel something coming…..
There was a loud crack and the darkening sky was suddenly filled with glittering brightness. Her eyes tracked it as small bright flecks burst off of it.
"They are here."
The Oracle merely nodded. And with a smile added, "So it begins."