Frozen Memories - 1-8 Bridge

by Xeir Zith

Hidden Past - Back Cover. Hidden Past remake! This is entirely overhauled with missing dialog added to inital scenes with expansions and spelling fixes to the original writing from Hidden Past. In Bridge we see exactly what happens between Frozen Memories and War of the North - Frozen Memories. Xeir dreams and Elsa lives in a simulated city. Light works, Jarius writes Xeir sleeps

34. Ingrid - Meet Again: Chapter 4

Frozen Memories – 1.8 Bridge

Hidden Past – Back Cover

Ingrid – Meet Again/Kiyori's Last Stand

Chapter 4: Meet Again

24 December 2057 {Christmas eve morning}

Arendelle

Marketplace District Den

Just past midnight

The night before passed in a rush. Tinker Bill had arrived for dinner of a sort, having only a few slices of the breadsticks from the pizza place as he and Irie began figuring out some new additions to the HUD of the armor.

During the evening after dinner, Tinker Bill had used Marks armor as a sandbox to test the new code lines and also was able to properly tweak it before Mark started doing the Hokey Pokey right there in the kitchen.

With the recent announcement from Xendras, and also now the information he had collected with his cousins safely in his aunts possession. Mark finally had some time to himself. It felt right truth be told.

He was away from everything, the evening was one thing after another. Tinker Bill and Irie screwing with his armor. Mick belching a good bye after draining a dozen beers and nearly forgetting to open the door on his way out. Mick was in a sense, not the best when it came to a beholder. Known in this case as a beerholder.

Tinker Bill however was much much different in what he did and could do at the drop of a hat. With Tinker Bill helping Irie with the codework, it allowed Mark to try and find out where Topaz and Asami went off to. Blackmane however forbade Mark from following their trail and only told him that he should instead relax or take up a local contract instead.

The contract was a very simple errand from the Den to the nearby weapon builder. The guy dealt in weaponry, from firearms and bows, to swords and daggers, and everything inbetween. All that had to be done was to deliver some form of payment in a brown plain envelope. Take the recepit back to Blackmane, then go on another errand to the Docks, basically the same errand to five different locations.

Finally after six hours. Mark was alone in his bedroom. The door shut and locked with him inside. He meditated for about an hour before opening his eyes.

Mark's room felt empty.

The armor that his cousin had given him felt empty.

Sure it was great at doing its job - he could survive a nuclear wasteland in it. But it wasn't HIS armor.

He closed his eyes and looked inward, to the part of his mind where he could summon the armor at will, watch it digitize onto his body, admire the bronze glow of his hand forged masterpiece that matched his family's gauntlet in every way except age and ancient enchantments.

He opened his eyes and focused on the gauntlet then, staring at his left arm where it should appear.

It was quiet in his room, eerily quiet.

He blocked out everything, focused his breathing, and stared. The air shimmered bronze with the glow of his eyes. Goosebumps prickled the skin of his bare arm, fresh from his shower earlier. A single fleck of bronze floated of his skin, just like it should when summoning the gauntlet.

Then another, a few more, and finally hundreds of tiny, insignificant flecks began to swirl around his arm and move to his fingertips, forming the claws of the glove. They curled and pointed nastily, resembling and reminiscent of its draconian heritage. Up the fingers the bronze slowly grew, forming the joints, making sure they worked, then the hand, the wrist...

Something faded into earshot to his right in the center of the room - something he'd not seen in a long time. Someone, more like. "Ulnaus?" The. massive, admittedly stupid bird began to shimmer into existance with the gauntlet. There was a low coo from the deceptively large eagle as he nodded solemnly to Mark.

But the man couldn't focus too much on Ulnaus or the armor wouldnt come back to him, and neither would Kalda. As his forearm became halfway encased in the armor, Ulnaus began to solidify, currently featherless and just a skeleton capable of making noise. Flesh and muscle began to form, coiling around his bones like the gauntlet around Mark's arm.

A bead of sweat dropped down his forehead, and he moved to wipe it away.

As he did the drop fell, and his eyes, distracted by the light refracting off of it, focused. The gauntlet began to fizzle out, Ulanus screeched, and then flapped his wings once. The impending shockwave from the bird and gauntlet vanishing at the same time knocked Mark back onto his bed, and he slammed his head against the headboard of his bed and blacked out.

At that same moment

Den main floor

Topaz and Asami were surprised to find Kaezin the only one awake, Irie had long since gone to bed after Tinker Bill had left around midnight. The two women were quiet until they entered the Den, softly shutting the door before heading down the steps. Finding Lazul curled up on the sofa, Kaezin channel surfing. Three trillion channels and nothing to watch, apparently not even the Weather Channel had anything good on at that moment.

Then again since Equator City had finally connected making a girdle around the Earth at the Equator, a good ten miles wide side both north and south when over the oceans, and even thicker when over the continents made for really interesting weather patterns

But Kaezin was not interested in the weather report when he saw his cousin and his baby sister come into the Den. "About time you two got back. Everyone else went to bed" He said

"Everyone but you, you always were a night owl werent you ?" Topaz said seeing him. Kaezin was always up at weird hours, but nobody asked him why he was still up at those times

"Something like that" Kaezin replied, he smirked then, giving his sister a pointed look he asked the green haired woman. "How'd it go ?"

"More entertaining then expected" Asami said as she sat down on the sofa. Topaz sat on the ottomon and transformed into her normal housecat sized form and started grooming herself.

"Do tell" Kaezin mused, still going through the channels before stopping on the local news from Oslo. "On second thought, care to clarify certain points of... well what happened today ?" Kaezin said to them both.

With the news droning in the background it was only a bit longer for them to explain. "Some asshole tried to capture Asami" Topaz said

"The guy was from animal control, how was I supposed to know I was being hunted ?" Asami replied

"Mark was right to try and go after you two. I suppose we now have Animal Control to worry about stalking us too ?" Kaezin said

"What ?" Both women asked him at once. They had no idea about what he, Lazul and Mark had discovered.

Kaezin smirked, then he nodded as if remembering. "That's right, you guys were on contract when Mark, Lazul and I got back. You have no idea of what we found" He said. Both women focused on him. He relented under their gaze and told them. "A so called monostary of "pious" monks were running a sex trafficking scheme out of the place. Lazul and I trashed their computers after downloading their data. Mark then torched the place."

"Sex trafficking ring ? In Arendelle ?" Topaz asked, clearly confused at how such a thing could even work let alone run without getting caught by the soldiers of Arendelle or even the Queen or even Mark. "Let me guess, Mark made sure things were concluded too huh ?"

"In the most conclusive manner, yes" Kaezin replied "Once we were sure everything was dead, we torched the place."

"The monostary was a pile of rocks when we went by it an hour ago." Asami mused, "There was still smoke and fire in some places too"

"So it actually collapsed ? I didnt think the fire and gasoline we used, along with some of Lazuls magic and my electrical toys could bring the structure down, just torch the inside to ash" Kaezin said, he, along with Lazul and Mark, had no idea whatsoever of a woman causing the Monastary of Saint Drussus to implode and collapse in fire and smoke after they had long since left the site.

"Either someone wanted to ensure the business was concluded, or something else happened for the structure to collapse." Topaz said

"What she said" Asami said, the green haired woman then stretched. "Oh am I tired. I'm gonna go up stairs and hit the sack. See you guys at breakfast." Asami said, she stood from the sofa and stumbled half away towards the stairs and used both her hands and walked like a cat up them and there was a thud as she hit her door face first before opening and falling into her room.

"Asami is not used to jetlag I take it ?" Topaz asked, she and Lazul only had come back to Arendelle by portal thanks to a certain friend of Aunt Blackmane. Kaezin shook his head. "How did you guys get here again ? Hovertrain right ?"

Kaezin smirked, "I slept for most of the ride on the hovertrain, somehow Asami was not able to sleep a wink during the trip. Me, once the train got into motion, I was out like a light." Kaezin said, he then looked at the pearlsilver and white cat on the hassock. "What about you and Lazul ? Arent you supposed to be helping Georgina back in China freeing it from the Templars ?"

"We were, until Aunt Blackmane needed us for a plan that Mark had thought up." Topaz said to him.

"Oh ? Tell me more" Kaezin said simply, he had no idea that his mother had made a portal to get Topaz and Lazul to Arendelle so quickly.

"Mark needed a way to spy on the high priest inside the castle, so Aunt Blackmane called me and Lazul to spy it out in our cat forms. Nobody suspected us until about three days ago. We had to make it fast to get back here." Topaz explained

"What about that winged lady down the street ? She seems rather buddy buddy with Mom and Aunt Shadowmane." Kaezain said, meaning Spike, he'd seen her a few times that day already, each time carrying a kitten or two, sometimes a cat.

"Oh, that is Spike, she and her brothers are taking care of the cat colonies here in Arendelle, she's found one so far, but had to move it from the Arko District to the Marketplace house she had been given from Aunt Blackie. Shes really nice. She flew me and Lazul in our cat forms to the castle, we snuck in through a open skylight, and then every morning Spike would come by, we'd trade datacrystals. She would bring us two empty ones, and we would give her two full ones. Mark would then review them by nightfall, clean them out, and have them ready for Spikes next flight the next morning."

"So what happened three days ago ?" Kaezin asked her then, sipping a mug of ice tea as he spoke.

"Lazul was nearly caught by a guard for snooping, the guard apparently caught sight of him using a datacrystal to record troop movement paperwork." Topaz explained

"So as a result the High Priest was more then likely tipped off, so you and Lazul had to bug out fast. Makes sense." Kaezin mused. He finished his tea. "So whats the plan now ?"

"Right now, Lazul and I were supposed to help Spike care for some kittens. Aunt Shadowmane offered to be turned into a common housecat to help care for some of the kittens though too. Blackmane didnt like it much but Vaeyuko said it would be fun if they all did it. So that's why Aunt Blackie is a housecat sized Panther after breakfast for a few hours a day right now." Topaz said to him.

Kaezin smirked. "Mom as a housecat sized Pather, I never thought I'd see the day, why exactly ?" Wait, Kaezin then thought. Topaz mentioned kittens. "Nevermind that question, How many kittens ?" would Tigris milk mix ? Fortunately no. but Blackmane did find out something quite important that Spike was going to be estatic to hear about.

"A lot, several litters if I am able to remember properly" Topaz said. "Sometimes Aunt Blackie has a litter with her in her bedroom to care for. Other times shes with Spike helping out to care for them." Topaz had to smile, her aunts, even her brother, helping care for the kittens they could. Getting them socialised so people could find them good homes.

But there was also the fact that Blackmane could infact figure out if any of the kittens, and their mothers, were infact Tigris, or able to transform into humans. Mystra for example, and her four kittens, including Spikes favorite, Ghost, were infact Tigris, but sadly, Mystra was cursed to be stuck forever in her housecat form. But Blackmane could try and find Light, a close friend and incredibly powerful woman, to break that curse.

In the meantime, Mystra was quite happy and preferred to be in the care of Spike. Ghost was babied constantly and sometimes fed by hand from Spike directly. Spike loved caring for cats and kittens. Her three colonies in Sacremento proved it enough.

"So that explains the kitten noises I keep hearing all night so far" Kaezain said, that meant that his mother, Blackmane, had a litter of kittens, who did not have a mother, or the mother was too scared of people and was shying away from being near her kittens. Or had at worse, been killed.

Thankfully in this case, it was simply a mother cat having gastro issues and that allowed Blackmane to take the litter and keep them healthy so the mother cat could heal properly with care away from her kittens. Which then had Blackmane acting more like a surrogate mother of a sort.

"Could be" Topaz replied. She then yawned on the ottoman and stretched. She was tired and she had a long day. The next day was christmas eve. Though the Arendelle traditions normally spent a week celebrating winter, and also Elsas birthday. "I think Im gonna sleep." Topaz said, she gave Kaezin a funny look. "Dont stay up too late, Cuz." She said with a smirk

Kaezin threw a pillow at her. Causing the cat to chirp. "Oh go to bed. I'll go to sleep when I am good and ready." Kaezin said. Topaz smirked again and went up stairs to her bedroom that she shared with her brother and curled up on a pillow and snoozed.

A few moments later and Asami stumbled into the room. "Cant sleep ?" Kaezin asked her.

"No, I kept thinking of those sex traffickers, do you still have the data crystals you guys recorded ?" Asami replied as she sat on the oppisite sofa, absently brushing her cousin, Lazul's fur as she did so.

"Mom has them, why ?" Kaezin replied

Asami sighed. "Great, I wanted to get a look at the info, if you guys just found the one front, its possible there are other cells in the kingdom. That data could tell us where those other locations are. If there are other locations" Asami explained her thoughts to her brother.

Kaezin finished his tea. "Perhaps find out in the morning ?" He asked her.

"I might" Asami answered.

"You gonna try and get some sleep down here with Lazul ? Or do you want me to carry you to bed ?" Kaezin smirked. Asami threw a pillow at him while faking a pouting face. She was unable to maintain the pout and smiled however, she held up a hand to her brother to help her up and then he carried her, bridal style. Upstairs to bed.

A few minutes later and Kaezin was in his own bed staring at the ceiling. His brain going over what Asami had thought on. It was possible for other sex trafficking cells to be still operating in the kingdom. It was possible Asami was onto something. Sure he'd know more at breakfast but for that moment Kaezin was more concerned with getting some very much wanted sleep.

But try as he might, Kaezin was unable to simply fall asleep, and he found himself browsing on his wristpone, a news website for almost another hour before he finally passed out.

While down a door, Irie was restless as she paced in her room. She was worried about what she had just witnessed a few moments before when Mark tried to activate his Gauntlet. It was unlike anytthing she had ever seen. One moment his armor was forming on his body out of nothing. Not even her armor technology could do that. The next thing she saw was an explosion, or was it an implosion ? Of raw energy that even shut off everything electronic in the room ?

Irie paced in her room, nervous as a kitten scared out of her wits. Going over what she witnessed happening to Mark she could see he was more focused on certain things. Finding for example what happened to his gauntlet, and now he was knocked out.

Irie was torn, she wanted to go to his room and see if he was alright. She wanted to be sure he was alright

Irie started thinknig on what reason she could have to be in his room to begin with. Then she remembered, the electronics in his room, the TV mostly. She could say she heart a sizzle pop noise of electronics shorting out and so she wanted to ensure everything was working.

Of course Mark would insist he was fine so she was going to have to act that she was really there for the TV ? No, Mark could see through most shit a mile away. Which meant she had to think up a new reason, and fast.

Irie stopped her pacing. Was that a kittens meow ? Why was she hearing a kittens meowing ?

Then she remembered how Aunt Blackmane was helping Spike with the cat colony in Arendelle. One fo the mother cats had diarihaa really badly so Blackmane offered to care for the kittens so the mother could properly heal up.

There came a knock at her door. Irie opened it, and the one person she was not expecting was standing there. "You got a minute ?" It was Diana's husband, Nara.

"Uh... sure ?" Irie hadnt really gotten any time alone with Nara, the guy was either on errands, contracts or goofing off with his wife, Diana. "Nara, right ?"

"That's right. Diana's on the roof, she wanted to know if you wanted to join us for a Christmas Eve premorning blizzard fun ?" Nara replied, sometimes, Diana knew the best way to relax, it had started snowing around midnight, so the rooftop gardens were filled with the stuff already.

Irie thought but a minute then smiled. With a soft nod she said "Yeah, I think I can take a moment or two" and the two were heading up to the rooftop

Upon seeing her, Diana said simply "You look worried." Diamond had made a few snowballs already

"I am" Irie replied, she then explained what she had witnessed happen to Mark.

"He wont be in any harm it was just a whack on the head" Nara said, only to get clobbered with a snowball from his wife. "I deserved that" Nara mumbled from the snow where he laid

"Yes dear, you did" Diana replied sweetly to him, which made Nara only slightly nervous in the fact that Diana, otherwise known as Diamond, was crafting another snowball.

"Three in the morning and this is how you two spend it ?" Irie asked. She was still tempted to check on Mark and make sure he was alright. But the antics between this married couple were keeping her attention rather well.

"We're supposed to be on watch." Nara replied. He already knew from Blackmane of the sex trafficking ring, hence why Blackmane asked him to be on watch.

"No dear" Diamond corrected. "You are supposed to be on watch. I am just keeping you company." She pelted him with another snowball

Nara smirked, snoiw in his hair, "I stand corrected" He said to her.

"Good" Diamond replied, she nailed him again with another snowball. He picked up his own and pitched it right back. Only for Diamond to conjure a baseball bat out of ice in the air and smash that snowball off the rooftop in an explosion of snow.

For a brief moment Nara just stood there dumbly. That was not the plan, he smirked. "My wife knows how to bend the rules..." He mumbled, he geared up for another pitch only to get whacked with another snowball which sent him to the rooftop in a heap once again. "I deserved that" He mumbled again

Irie snickered as Diamond once more said, "yes dear"

"You two sure know how to make a girl forget why she was upset in the first place." Irie mused aloud, the three sat at kept weatch for a bit longer.

"Whats wrong ?" Diamond asked her.

Irie explained then what she had seen happen on the screen from Marks room a second time. This time including more detail of Ulnaus appearing out of thin air"I was about to go see if he was alright, when Nara knocked at my door." She said

"Again it was only a whack on the head, He'll be fine like Nara said" Diamond told her. So there was no real need to worry it seemed. Nara opened his mouth to say something to Diamond, only she pelted him with another snowball.

"I cannot help but wonder what happened to him." Irie said as explained how she saw a skeletal bird the size of a small car begin to form out of thin air.

"Its possible the backlash of the magic used to create that dumb oaf" Diamond mused aloud, "Could be what caused Mark to knock himself out"

:"I know Aunt Blackmane said he could knock himself out, but I dont think she meant it literally" Irie mumbled.

"You're worried for him, you're in love with him, I get that. Its possible that Mark is now perfected for you and just needs some screws knocked loose to ensure that perfection ?" Nara said, only to get a stern look from Irie that was more confused and thoughtful over stern and a solid thump of a snowball from Diamond. "Let me explain my thinking before you bury me in snow."

Diamond stopped her arm in mid throw, the snowball still in her scaled hand. "Alright, whats your thoughts ?" She asked her husband.

"Thank you, its possible that something is getting Mark and Irie together, somehow, we can both see clearly she is in love with the guy." Nara said, he turned from his wife to Irie. "Its possible whatever is going on is getting him ready for accepting you. So all you gotta do is wait for morning or the day after christmas to go for it and get him. Its that simple." Nara said

"Mark knocked himself against his headboard. Whats to know if he smartened up or simply woke up to my trick with the TV ?" Irie said, so far Mark hadnt figured the part out about the TV being a two way screen that even when off, Irie could still record him.

"If anything the stubborn Oaf got himself a bout of whiplash that will come in handy for you sooner then you think" Nara said to Irie.

Irie smiled, standing up as Diamond tossed and caught the snowball in her scaled hand she said. "Thank you, Nara, Diamond, I think I will sleep on this and worry about it in the morning. See you two at breakfast ?"

Both of them nodded and Irie took her leave. A second later and Nara was heard saying, "Alright dear, now you can hit me with the snow" a solid SPLOT was heard as Nara took a faceful of snow.

Inside Marks Mindscape

In Hyperions Library

There was darkness around him. He couldnt see or hear a thing. And then, a single sound was heard."Took you long enough to reach this place." Came a dignified, rather soft voice. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it. Wake up."

A serene, beautiful mountain vista, with a gorgeous valley below greeted Mark's eyes as they struggled open. "Woah..." Mark soaked in the view like a sponge. There was an amused chuckle in response, then the scene shifted, and Mark was suddenly pitched off his feet and thrown into a library chair as a wood fire burned in the mantle to his left.

As expected, he was in a towering library, perhaps as big as the Arendelle Palace by itself. And standing on an upper level was a singular man. In a flash of Feathers he appeared in front of the mess of a human, and sat in a chair across from him.

He was quiet, and undoubtedly the owner of the voice from earlier. Plain, simple looking robes of deep orange and gold flittered in the light breeze from the window. Two tufts of hair stuck up almost in a sort of inquisitive way as his beautiful golden eyes stared intently at Mark.

"You're not the horny war chief." Mark started.

"Correct. I am the Keeper of Knowledge. The Harpy Eagle. The librarian of your mind. All of your knowledge and desire to learn comes from me." Said the Harpy Eagle "I am Hyperion." The Eagle nodded his head in greeting.

"A fitting name for such a large breed of bird... and a fitting breed for one as soft spoken as you. No wonder I've not been able to hear you until now." Mark crossed a leg at the knee.

In Kaldas Swampscape

At that same moment

One of the best things about meditation was that the one doing the meditating could quite literally forget about things like chores, driving, running a taxi company or having a really ierritating neighbor who liked to blast loud very bad bass music at three in the morning.

For Kalda, his neighbor was a certain Snow Leopard of a dunce cap who couldnt take no for an answer. Fortunately, the Horny Chief was quite calm at that point and he refused to tell Kalda of why. But Kalda felt that he did not want or have a real need, to know the answer to that question.

And so, Kalda meditated, alone on his rock in the middle of a somewhat coherent yet still ravaged by whateverthefuck the High Priest had thrown at him and Mark. It was as if the High Priest knew of Kalda, or at the very least a way to counter Marks abilities that Kalda had provided him.

Durinbg his meditation, Kalda felt the briefest prick of his magic getting accessed. Was Mark healing ? Never opening his eyes, Kalda suddenly felt a powerful blacklash. And something had plopped on his head, then landed in his lap.

Opening his eyes, he stared at the item. I havent seen this in years. He thought on sight of the shard of glass. He picked up the journal, he never could figure out how to access most of it, what little he could access were his own memories, brief moments with Xeir, learning swordfighting and how to navigate a proper ship with Asaca.

Kalda set the journal crystal onto a nearby part of his rock and sat down facing it. He closed his eyes again and once more started to meditate. He felt time slip away from him, his ruined swampy surroundings also rapidly disappeared with a odd noise as the scenery shifted and shattered like a broken plexus.

He had unlocked his journal crystal.

Briefly there was darkness before he opened his eyes. He saw himself standing presumably on nothing. He could feel solid ground but he couldnt see anything, just a plexus of a myriad of points of light. Dark and constantly shifting with energies as it made Kalda feel a bit sick as he wandered, briefly, rather aimlessly.

As he wandered the mindscape, he heard a odd sound, the sounds of water upon rocks, drifting through a river of some form, or maybe even a beach of a ocean ? Based on the sounds he was hearing alone he spotted a door and headed for it. The door had matrialised out of nothing but a plexus as he neared it.

As he neared the doorframe, it appeared to open into a new space. He stepped onto what felt like sand and looked down. He was dressed in a elegant draconic robes benefitting one of high station with Light's court, more then likely he felt at that moment like Jarius then anything else.

But the sight is what took his attention, he looked out upon the water and out to sea as the sun was rising, he was never up this early before. So where was he ? He heard a voice, a male voice calling out a name.

A name that Kalda knew deep in his heart that it hurt to think about her.

The name of his mother.

"Kinara" The voice called. Kalda turned as he heard the voice. Looking for who said it. And he spotted a older looking fellow, wise by Dragon standards, yet young by human standards. "I wondered where you had gotten off to" The male dragon said. Kalda could see the dragon was an older male. More likely his grandfather instead of his father based strictly on age alone.

Kalda took a sharp breath when he spotted his mother, looking about twenty in human terms, and yet wise beyond even that. And yet also so beautiful. The gown his mother wore he knew quite well. If he could he'd ask or try to convince Mark to try and find it when they could get to his old home. No doubt Kanwar saved it ? Kalda remembered clearly that his mother was not wearing the gown when those Reds had attacked.

Just thinking about the attack made the scene shift and shatter briefly. Kalda blinked and shook his head. He needed to focus on the now. What he was seeing was ages before the attack. So far away in the distant future and even distant past.

The scene before he reformed and he could see his grandfather stepping closer to his mother. "You worry about tomorrow ?" His grandfather asked to Kinara. Neither of them knew or felt that Kalda was present.

"A little bit" Kinara admitted. "Papa, what was it like for you and Mama ?" She asked, her father smiled and sat upon the rock next to her.

Looking briefly out at the sea as the sun rose. "That is a good question. I am not sure if she was nervous, but I know I was, I was nervous however not because of the wedding I was to attend, my own. But I was actually nervous of something else entirely" Kyvrim said

That was his grandfathers name, Kalda realised. Kyvrim, Icebreath. His wife was named Kirva, The Chosen. His grandparents were close to his mother ? Why had he never met them ? For all he knew they had died before he was born.

Or had they ? Kalda made a note to himself to lookup with Light or even help from Kanwar to find what happened to his grandparents. His mind came back to the scene he was witnessing.

"What were you worried about, Papa ?" Kinara asked.

"I was nervous because I was afriad of what kind of father I might be. But it was your mother Kirva, at our wedding. The All-Mother presided over it for us, who said after ards to not worry. Somehow she felt I was the right person to be a father." Kyvrim said.

"I am nervous, Papa. I think like you, about what kind of Mother I will be." Kinara said softly, almost shyly.

"If anything, my daughter, you will be a good mother. I just hope I was a good father for you." Kyvrim said

Kinara laughed, that was a sound Kalda had been missing ever since his mother died. Her laughter. His mothers voice to begin with.

"Papa, there might have been a few times when it was on edge of a temper, and yet. Even then I might have been scared of you, but I still love you, you're my father. Nothing can change that" Kinara said to him.

Kalda felt his heart hammer in his chest as he heard his mothers words. He felt the same, could he be a good father ? After all, he and Xeir did have an egg together. A single egg at that. Not including Auji as he was born to a human woman, and somehow had wings like a member of the Eagle Empire.

But if he and Xeir were to become parents. His mind drifted slightly to Elizabeth. They wanted a daughter, a girl. They had chosen a name too when Xeir had laid the egg. Elizabeth rang in his head. Lizzy for sort.

A tear trailed down Kaldas face. Kyvrim patted Kinara on the leg and she took his hand in hers, leaning on her father. "Your mother said the same thing the last time I lost my temper. Sometimes it happens, we're dragons after all. Tempers flare at times, and there is no way I can control mine when I am upset."

"For the most part, the last one I can remember was rather... well, I stayed at Lady Kanwars place that night, mostly because you asked me to." Kinara said, Kalda had to wonder if that was what his mother kept referring to when she brought up her 'other student' in this case her other student was his mother.

"Kanwar did the right thing in teaching you, when you came back the next day I found myself delighted that both you and your mother were safe and unharmed. I made a promise to myself. I wouild never harm either you, or your mother, ever again. And I havent since" Kyvrim said to her

"Papa" Kinara mused softly, a hint of a smile in her tone

"Hmm ?" He looked at her.

"You're doing it again" She said to him. He smiled as she laughed then, it made him chuckle too

"So I am, I tend to get lost in my memories." he said, Then he seemed to remember something. "Oh, speaking of which." Kyvrim reached into his robes and pulled out a crystal. "Your mother wanted to give this to you. But she insisted I do it. She said somerthing about bad luck for the mother of the bride to give a gift the day before the wedding" he said.

Kinara raised an eyebrow as she stared at the journal crystal. "Is that ?"

He held it out to her, "A journal crystal, yes. Your mother and I crafted it while on a trip to the Eagle Empire some time ago, but we never used it. I think it should belong to you now." Kyvrim let her take it in her hands. "Its yours now" He said as the crystal changed from a plain white to a beautiful shade of silvery green, to match her gown. "I'll see you at dinner." Kyvrim then said, he stood up from the rock. A gentle sigh and the elder dragon was gone in a shattering of a plexus form.

Kalda watched his mother. She stood, she wanted to show off and see how much better she could do her hair. Taking the crystal with her Kalda seemed to tag along wether he liked it or not to where his mother grew up.

In her bathroom Kinara had lifted the crystal, a recording sgement like section of the crystal seemed to watch her as she took a selfie of a sort. By that point she had redone her hair and smiled, she liked how her hair looked for the wedding at that point.

Her scales formed briefly as she shivered at a brief breeze was felt in the room. She looked up and seemed to stare directly at where Kalda stood watching her. She didnt see him, or did she ? Kalda didnt care, he missed the face of his mother. And when she looked directly at him, those eyes stared into his soul. She shrugged then and finished her hair. Two thin braids framed her face of her beautiful silvery blonde hair. Keeping her hair out of her face as she did so.

Her crown was on her head. She felt complete. The cape was woven into the gown and it was snug. Soft and a gorgeous shade of green edged in darker green. Kalda had to smile. Mark must have gotten his love of the color of green from his mother ?

He was going to have to ask Mark that when he could remember to do so. He focused on his mother again as she picked up the crystal, briefly her hand rippled with her prestine silvery green and blue scales before they faded.

Kinara moved to the sitting area of her bedroom and sat down calmly in thought. Holding the crystal. She was already thinking of what she and Kahvozien could name their children. Her father was right, she didnt need to worry.

She wanted to have children of her own, she wanted her parents to be what the Men called 'grandparents' Three names appeared on the crystal as if forming in the air. Kaldas own name was first, but the other two he did not recognise in the slightest. Though it did make him slightly wonder.

The scene then faded away, his mother's gentle face. He briefly felt a hand caress his face however and almost thought it was his mother that did so.

A new scene formed around him. A nest. His hatching!

He watched as his mother shrieked with joy as his egg began to crack. His father a soft smile on his otherwise stoic face as Kinara was estatic. She was finally a mother. The moment of her life she always wanted, she now had.

She had a son.

Kalda watched as his father picked up a towel and handed it to his mother. "What is his name, dear one ?" Kahvozien asked as Kinara picked up the infant Kalda, a rather adorable silver dragon newly hatched baby boy. He was so... squishy! All-Mother damnit, Asaca was right!

Kinara did not even hesitate as she replied to him. "Kaldakava, his name is Kaldakava." She said simply. A good name, a proud and honorable name.

Kalda couldnt help but smile seeing himself as a baby. He was so tiny, so adorable, so... helpless without his mother. And yet for the first eight years, the first eight thousand years of his life, Kinara was there beside him, helping him learn, teaching him to hunt like a Dragon would. Really just teaching him for the most part, not to be so clumsy in his dragon form.

Kalda had to smile, his mother teaching him to be a good young man when he grew up. At one thousand years of age he already looked like a ten year old human boy. But he was a Dragon only a thousand years old, and no larger then a ten year old, so by time he was two though years old as he watched the memory play before him. He could see himself slowly growing up.

Kalda had to smile at his own antics as a kid growing up. He remembered mouthing off, but somehow he never could recall or even witness his mother smacking him silly for mouthing off or talking back. It was like she wanted what was best for him, and had promised herself she would not harm her own child.

And then it happened. He heard rumors of the First Son going missing and it made Kinara more then just slightly upset. Kalda tried to decern his own age, he looked about four in human terms, maybe five ?

Irral, Kalda remembered, was the First Son and First Champion of Light, he was training and teaching Asaca as an assistant, and second in command of his own unit of an army when he disappeared.

So for a week, Kalda simply watched events unfold in the memory as his much younger self played with toys made for him by various friends of his mother and father.

But each night he could see that his mother was more and more worried.

Finally on the seventh night, his mother came home , clearly upset, his father tried to console her but it was not going well. Even Kalda nesting in her arms asleep did little to soothe her unhappiness.

Kalda now knew why his mother was so upset.

Irral had disappeared with no second in command formally set up with his mother, Light, he had normally left running the unit, his ship, so to speak, to Asaca and her chosen soldiers while he went off and did his own thing.

But now he was gone, entirely disappeared. Nobody knew where he went, and he had been gone longer then a week.

And Light had a council on what to do next. Who could take her sons place as Champion of Light ?

Kinara was among those chosen to take the job, much to her dismay she was voted as the more then likley canidate. And so that might have been just the case had Lights Lady in Waiting, Waterlight not mentioned Asaca, her daughter, who was Irrals second. To take the job.

Light of course seemed entirely dead settled on Kinara at the time. Sure she just had a son four or five year previous. But he could get along just fine without her.

The council adjured that seventh night with Kinara seemingly the declared Champion and First Daughter of Light, Light said she wanted to think carefully on it before formally announcing it. Everyone felt settled on the fact that Kinara was going to be next in line to lead Light's fight against darkness.

At least until Waterlight mentioned Asaca.

The memory faded. Kaldas eyes snapped open at that memory. Him at five human years old, he never knew why his mother was so upset that night. Kalda saw how his mother was acting concerning the events and had to really think on it himself. His mother was upset.

Was she upset because she would have to leave her family ? He would never figure it out on his own. But try as he might he couldnt just up and try to talk to Hyperion or to Horny Chief on the matter, neither of them knew his issues with his family. It was as if his family was cursed.

He remembered clearly when his father, Kahvozien, had died, his mother barely took out his fathers killer. A Red Dragon, the husband of a Red Dragon known as Melniirku.

Kalda shook himself over. No, he wouldnt think about that. He looked at the journal crystal, laid upon its side he picked it up. An image sprang from it. That of his mother holding the crystal as if taking a picture of herself. He saw her soft gentle smile as she showed off herself in the gown.

A tear slid from Kaldas eye at sight of the image of his mother the day before her wedding.

He remembered her loving embrace when he was scared of something, when she fed and cared for him. The way she acted that night when she was so upset about something he never knew about.

His mother was upset because she was scared for her son of what he would do without her to teach him!

He remembered how his mother had been relieved to find out during Lights announcement of how Asaca had been chosen as Third Daughter when Shade and Kanwar had both declined the post of Champion. Kinara was relivied but she was also worried for her too.

But there was little for Kinara to worry for, Kalda remembered that much. Asacas main job was to find what happened to Irral, but there was no news of him anywhere in the Mythic or Mortal Realms.

It was as if Irral had ceased to be.

Kalda stood from the rock, still holding his mothers journal crystal. He looked out at the swampland. His memories were coming back. Mark was almost ready. He could sense it.

The crystal disappeared then as Kalda went to a new rock and sat down, he needed a change in scenery. If he could meditate enough he could end whatever the High Priest threw at Mark the edge he needed to fight back.

Kalda of course had no idea that the edge would come later then expected or hoped. And yet somehow. Somehow he knew that he did not have to wait much longer.

Because Kalda had a plan. He remembered Asaca being his own second in command, and when he died, he had also left instructions for her to take the job of Champion again.

And that was why Asaca was once more Third Daughter, and also current Champion of Light. But even he hadnt, while as Champion, ever been able to find Irral. But he did meet Xeir.

His mind wandered to their first meeting. He had met up with her after she had been groped by some men along a road in Voi. On Earth of all places in the Mortal Realm. Somehow it was the strangest thing them meeting there. He was to meet up with Jarius about something concerning a certain undead.

He smiled. Looking out at the murky swampland he mumbled softly. "Xeir, I miss you." He missed her dearly, and had no idea that she was once more alive and well as if she had never been slain in the first place.

If only he could see her again after so long. Briefly his mind wandered and he remembered her smiling face, how she said they didnt have a lot of time, how he had acted when she was in love with him.

Kalda smacked himself then. "How could I have been so stupid to not see she was so infatuated with me ?" He asked himself. Xeir was head over heels about him. And within a week of their wedding, which Light had officated again. They had their egg, hopefully soon they could be parents.

But then he had been killed, by Kethend. And as a result, Xeir had Diamond hide one of his swords. Mark never was able to find it. Because Auji had it. But that was not the point, the point was that Kalda then realised how much he missed his wife, how much he missed his family.

He wanted his mother.

But all he could get was his memories of her, and her journal. His journal wasnt his at all! He smiled softly, he had something that connected him, his mother, and Mark all together.

Their crystal joural was originially Kinara's journal, and it recorded everything.

Including the fight with Melniirku. Including Kinaras last breath. But Kalda hadnt gotten that far yet before the crystal disappeared. Was fate showing him kindness and letting him see bits and pieces.

He looked up at the seeming sky. "So, what now ?" he asked nobody.

He never got a reply.

In Hyperions Library

At that same moment

"Do you have any idea how to deal with the aforementioned some time ago, Snow Leopard, lord of cousin-fucking?" Mark asked after several, what felt like hours or even days, of the chatting between him and Hyperion.

A smirk from Hyperion, followed by a sigh. "How do you think I stayed sane waiting for you to awaken this part of yourself for the many years of life youve led up to now? How is Kalda? Still missing?" Mark saw some books on the nearby table. Hyperion had been busy.

A grave nod from Mark "yeah, still missing". That was not good news, even if unsaid.

Another sigh, this one of being rather upset. "Shame. I quite liked him." Hyperion actually did enjoy Kaldas company when they could speak together.

"So, now what? I've met all three other aspects of my being - you, Kalda, and Big Chungus across the mountains. What do I win?" Mark asked him. A hint of boredom in his voice.

Hyperion snickered, a smile on his otherwise stoic face., "At this moment. Nothing. You wake up like normal, you have breakfast after a good night of sleep, and then see what the next day has in store for you. Though, through it all, you will begin to feel my presence much more now. Your thirst for knowledge will grow, and you will eventually find the answers you seek with my help."

Mark frowned, great more riddles. "Not exactly the answer I was hoping for." He said, it was mostly true, he was hoping for more info to work with.

Hyperion shrugged "Right now, Ive said far too much as it is. If I were to keep you here any longer your little cousin Irie is more then likely going to get round two with you, while you are still unconscious in the real world. Now go" Hyperion flashed a smile, stood, and flicked Mark square on the forehead.

Reeling, Mark fell through his mindscape. He saw each landscape pass by, including the swamp Kalda was stuck in, Kalda included, as he fell. He reached out to Kalda, but alas he could not stop. Kalda, he saw, had his back to him.

Marketplace Den

At that same moment

When Mark hit the headboard of his bed to knock himself out when he tried to activate his gauntlet. It caught someone elses attention just by feeling the movement, and easily hearing the sound. Blackmane was curled up on her pillow on her bed, her husband Martin was watching the Weather Channel's two am timeslot for Highway Throuhg Hell, which this time somehow included the bowls of Equator City at its worse.

When Mark hit the headboard, the cat of Blackmane jerked up briefly, as if someone had touched her butt, her tail sponged briefly, the pile of kittens she cared for moving only slightly as her movement caught Martins attention. "What is it dear ?"

"Did you hear something ?" Blackmane asked him

Martin thought a second or two, then shook his head, "Just the TV, and your kittens." Martin said to her.

Blackmane gave him a sidelong look before sighing and settling back down with the litter once more climbing and moving about. Four weeks old, the youngest litter of the cat colony she and Shadowmane had helped move with Spike. But the mother cat had bad gastro issues and Blackmane took it upon herself to care for the infant kittens at least until the mother was well enough to have the litter returned.

That was a day ago.

Blackmane however didnt mind being a mother cat for extended periods. Though her body occasionally hurt due to the kittens constantly needing to be fed. But for once, like right then. Sleep was quite useful and the kittens were in a pile.

The pile of course included her and quite literally kept her on the pillow.

Martin caught the look. "Look, dear, if it will make you feel any better, Mark more then likely missed a step and knocked himself out going to the bathroom in the dark again"

Martins tone, and his expression was enough to make Blackmane smile as much as a housecat could. Why couldnt she get Topaz to do this ? Then she remembered that if she had, Topaz's mother, Shenishi would flatten her into dust. "Alright you have a point, dear." Blackmane then said as she settled back on the pillow, two of the kittens had woken up briefly at started meowing softly, it made Martin smile how Blackmane was so supportive of Spike's endavor to ensure the cat colony was cared for.

The fact that Spike, a nice woman, with huge wings, was a friend of who Mark as a young boy in Egypt had wanted to marry. It was actually possible that when Mark was in Sacremento to ensure completion of the contract he had also showed Talak Horde the error of her ways. Fact was, it was Mark who had opened her eyes to a new way of seeing things.

Just like the Creed, nothing was true. Everything he had thought about Talak, known publicly as Vitas, was all a lie, she was not an evil sadistic vindictive woman who sought vengence on her enemies.

Vitas was a woman who sought peace, but not through control, but through proper leadership, helping those who needed it when they needed it the most. Vitas was in fact ,the way Spike described her, the type of leader that Sacremento had always wanted, if the United States were still individual states instead of districts, Vitas would have run for govenor of California and changed many things.

But since Sacremento was a district, Vitas settled for overseeing it as its govenor, and it was, of all the districts of the Equator City, one of the more peaceful well guided, and possibly the cheapest place to live if one did not care for the fact that it was raining every day.

In short, life was good in Sacremento. Even after Mark left.

At his wifes expression as Blackmane settled back with the kittens, one of which began nursing her, Martin sighed. "Alright, if it will make you feel better and stay with the kittens, I will check on Mark." Martin said simply

"Thank you dear" Blackmane said as she groomed a kitten. Being a mother cat was hard enough with Asami and her brothers. At least Kaezin was weaned within the normal two years of childhood.

Martin got up from the bed and headed for the door. Grabbing a robe as he did so he put it on, using it more like a shirtless kimono about his waist. He stepped into the hall and then headed for Marks room.

Martin had to smile however as he was lost in thought. Blackmane had been worried about Mark for the oddest of reasons recently. Of which was a strange question. What was being in love like ? Mark had asked Blackmane that question four weeks ago on how she acted when she was inlove with Martin. Martin had to smirk at the remembering of such a question. His wife had no idea how to answer it when Mark asked her.

Though Martin thought, I would not be able to answer it so easily either if he asked me directly. Martin then had to smile, he saw, just like everyone else had so far, how Irie was acting around Mark. And how Mark subconciously was reacting recently, at the start it was outright ignorance or even refusing to see the obvious.

But lately, like dinner the night before, Mark was subconciously reacting to something about Irie. If an example of an answer of what was it like to be in love was obvious, just look at Irie

Think of the devil. Martin thought upon seeing his neice going back to her room. "What are you doing up ?" he asked her as he caught her opening her bedroom door.

"I couldnt sleep, I saw a flash from under Marks door through my open door. I was worried, but Nara and Diana helped me figure something out and I'm bushed. See you tomorrow ?" Irie said to him

Martin smiled and let her go into her bedroom, Iries bedroom was directly across from Marks room. Martin went to Marks door and raised a hand to knock.

Hyperions Library

At that same moment

"Did you have to give the boy a headache ?" Came the sound of the Horny Chief himself as he matrerialised inside Hyperions expansive library. "Because I got one hell of a hangover now. No thanks to you."

Hyperion gave the Snow Leopard a glance as he read from a book. "I merely sent him on his way after we were done speaking. I am not like Stephen Strange's fellow, Mordu, was. The use of a sling ring to bring Mark into his own mental library would break the universe as we know it, or at worse, cause Mark to cease to exsist entirely." Hyperion said to him.

The Snowleopard stared at him confused. "The wha ?" he asked as soon as his brain and jaw worked in tandem and he was not speaking in tonuges. "Alright fine so we, or in this case, Mark, is not a Mystic or a Master of their stuff. Thanks to Blackmane, lovely mother by the way, Mark is stronger with magic, natural too."

"But he still uses a Sling-Ring, and so to send him back to his body with it would cause us all to die. Kalda included." Hyperion explained

"So giving Mark a headache was the answer ?" Chief asked. "Listen featherhead, I know you're Marks librarian in this body. But what I dont know is why now ? What were you in a past life ?"

"I was a librarian" Hyperion replied, completely deadpan

"Where, Alexanidra when the library was burned ?" Chief asked just as deadpan

Hyperion gave him a stony look. "For your information, no. Quite recently, just before Mark himself as he is now was born, I was slain, in a car accident. A hit and run it was termed."

"So instead of going to the Great Beyond you ended up just making a u-turn and landing in one mutt of a Man huh ?" Chief mused

"If it was spoken much more elgantly, yes. But not so elegantly also yes. I was reborn, Mark was the nearest body to inhabit. But I was not expecting extra passengers such as you and Kalda. This might become an issue." Hyperion said.

Chief smirked, "So what you're saying is, you're unhappy in this braincase because Kalda was able to prioirty seating when it was you who was supposed to get that same prioirty seating ?"

"Yes, in so many words. But a little more elegant and proper. Kalda was promised reincarnation from the All-Mother directly, we were not to be expected to join him, and yet even after so long, Kalda is still weaker then us both." Hyperion said

"Tell ya what, you thirst for knowledge and keep your head in your books, I'll take care of Kalda, though by look of things when I last was by the swamp, it actually was cleaned up a bit more then it used to be." Chief said

"It is possible then that Kalda is coming out of whatever the High Priest threw at Mark in the first place." Hyperion replied. "I am still trying to find a way for Kalda to rejoin us."

"Yes, I agree Kalda was in bad shape when he began the meditation. Even the swamp was a ruin, as ruined as swamps could get at least when I went by to come here."

"Should have seen Marks reaction to seeing the vitsa I have. He was quite in awe of it." Hyperion smiled.

"So I felt." Chief replied. The Snow Leopard drained a teacup and stood up. "Well, its been great catching up, bookface. But I gotta head back to my place. Should Kalda show up somewhere let me know, alright ?"

Hyperion simply gave him a dirty look, as dirty as a Harpy Eagle could give really before going back to his books. He had to have something that could infact help Kalda get back into the game. The Horny Chief faded out of the library in a explosion of plexus shards.

Mark needed Kaldas abilities. Hyperion went back to searching.

It seemed, Hyperion thought. That Mark was currently stuck simply relying on the aid of others for as long as he was able. Perhaps that was the lesson ?

Perhaps when Mark finally figured out that he was not a one man army that he could infact rely on others to help him in his venture, Kalda too could be freed of whatever the High Priest had done ?

Hyperion smirked when he found a book. He remembered then that Mark had been shown the Star Formation. The one thing that stood out the most was the fact that the Star Formation was built out of a bridge, so somewhere there was a bridge leading nowhere.

The question was, where ? Where did Hyperion remember seeing a bridge to nowhere ?0

Then he had it. But he didnt think the Observors would like him showing up. Mark had it bad enough as it was. Instead Hyperion simply pressed upon Marks braincase the simple extensive need to visit the Wolfe Mausoleum as soon as possible. That empty bridge far above Yaekos tomb was exactly what they sought.

But first, Mark had to wake up. And he just simply sent Mark on his way.

A soft knock came to his grand oak doors that lead into Marks memory library. Setting the book aside, Hyperion stood up and went to the door. Not expecting to see Kalda, looking much better then he last saw him. "Kaldakava. You look better. Do come in."

"It has been too long" Kalda replied as he stepped inside the grand library of Marks mind. "I've been meditating. And I think there is something I am missing" He said

"And what, pray tell, is that ?" Hyperion asked his friend.

"I managed to unlock more of my Journal Crystal, I saw my mother, before her... before she was to be married, and also saw me as a child." Kalda said. It was hard even then to remember his beloved mother.

"I see" Hyperion thought aloud

"You think you can help me out ?" Kalda asked as Hyperion lead him back to the fireside, Kalda took a seat while Hyperion poured over the book on the table.

"What you're looking for, memories from your mother, memories locked in the journal crystal." Hyperion said

"Exactly" Kalda replied

"What makes you think I could have the answers you seek ? I am after all, Mark Wolfe's mental librarian" Hyperion said

"Mark has a thirst for knowledge." Kalda started

"Yes, and now it will grow. With you out of comission, Chief and I are the stronger connections." Hyperion afirmed

"And with me out of comission it allows me to meditate more, and in doing so I unlocked part of my mothers journal, my journal." Kalda replied

"So what do you want from me ?" Hyperion asked him

"Mark's memories of his mother. Its possible I can find memories of my mother mixed with them." Kalda said, Hyperion looked unsure. "If anything if memories of my own mother are in with Marks memories of his mother. Its more then likely possible I can return to Mark faster then we feared."

"Whatever the high priest threw at you, ruined you. Look at yourself, you're a shambles. You honestly think you can go back to Mark in this condition." Hyperion groused at him. He put a hand on his hip. "You're nuts."

"No I am meditating" Kalda replied

Hyperion gave him a careful glance. He then saw that Kalda was projecting to Hyperion in the first place. Where Kalda was, was still upon a rock somewhere, meditating and astral projecting himself in order to contact Hyperion for help. "I stand corrected"

Kalda made a soft noise, like a snicker, but a soft and gentle smile was on his face. Hyperion sighed. "Alright fine. Let us say this is possible for you to have a memory somewhere in here. If you are able to find it, go for it. I open the library freely to you."

"Thank you, Hyperion." Kalda said softly

"Just, do me a favor and try not to make a mess. Alright ?" Hyperion said to him.

"You have my word." Kalda then closed his eyes and disappeared. Once more meditating. Hyperion sighed and shook his head, it was gonna be a very long day.

Hyperion went back to studying, going through the book he had found. The book was a book of memories, brief flashes, pictures one might say, of a certain time period that Mark had witnessed.

Going through it Hyperion found a few scenes wherein Mark was fighting a woman in white and lime green. Why did she look so familiar ? He saw where they fought. Yaekos tomb.

Activating the memory sliders Hyuperion walked among them, and looked up. During the fight he seemed to pause it as the two fighters whaled at each other over a pair of swords. But Hyperion was more interested in what was above them.

A bridge to nowhere. A bridge into space.

The Star Formation.

Mark had been to it, more times then he could remember, just by being in Yaekos tomb! And there Hyperion stood, in a memory of course, looking right at it.

Mark had visited the Star Formation itself as well. Which allowed for a few issues on many levels.

Not that many cared.

The High Priest was using technology that had been stolen from Elsa, or rather, kept entirely secret from Elsa, it was created during her mothers time as a princess, at Princess Idun's request. So when Idun became queen, the kingdom as a whole grew stronger thanks to the Star Formation.

But it was Idun who, as Hyperion had believed, requested that the maker of the formation add a weakness. So that even when controlled, it was still weak, broken. Powerful and dangerous all at once.

A flick of the wrist and Hyperion was viewing the memory between Kiyori and Mark about the Star Formation. Of course the Formation was damaged, more then likely destroyed now that he thought about it.

He watched in morbid facination on what struck Kalda, Transportation magic ? "Hmmm, so it seems Kalda burnt himself out, but was also cursed by the High Priest at the same time by soime kind of nasty modeler magic." Hyperion thought.

Either way, Kalda was meditating, and now searching Marks memories for memories of his mother within Marks memories of Charity Wolfe, the woman that had bore him to the world.

Hyperion lit some incense and sat back in a chair, reading a new book. One of Marks favorites as a child in Egypt. Written by a historian apparently and old, possibly as old as one of the oldest books in the Bible.

Sometimes, Even Hyperion had to wonder where the Tigris came from in the first place.

The good news was, he only knew one possible place.

But Light could know more, he hoped. Hyperion soon closed the book and was deep in thought. The stick of incense burned away as Hyperion was meditating on his own in the expansive library.

Finally after a few moments, Hyperion finally nodded. He stood. "Alright, Mark Wolfe. Game on." He said. A new book formed in his hands, and Hyperion became searching the memories held within it.

Soon Mark would have Kalda back at full strength. Hyperion was one step closer to finding out just how to get Kalda back into the main stream of things.

Somewhere else

He kept falling. Further and further until...

White...

Nothing but white was all around him.

Was he still falling ?

Where was his body ?

Where was he ?

He's back here again. An Observer said upon sight of Mark floating seemingly lifeless among them. The soulless body floating as if on the surface of a stillwater pond

So he is. Agreed the others as one. It was not that the Obsorvers enjoyed Marks precense, they just wanted him awake at some point when he showed up

Is he dead ? Asked an Observer who was clearly new to the party.

No, not dead, but certainly not alive. Replied the first Observer.

Do you think he has finally met bird brain ? Asked a second Observer.

Possible, he does indeed smell rather funny. Said the first.

There was a long uncomfortable moment of silence. A ghostly form seemed to trace a gentle hand over Marks face, gently holding his left cheek before fading away.

Should we tell the Council ? Asked one of the Observers seeing over Marks body that he had indeed been trained by one of the Star Council

No, let him go back to his bed. Said the first Observer. The time will allow for him to visit us in one piece.

"Right, well. No use in keeping him like this again. Off you go, Master Wolfe. You have a Kingdom to save still. Mind the bump. Toodles!" Said the unknown voice. Now clearly female or so it was felt

A white flash, a loud ringing in the ears that sounded like someone banging a bass drum on both ends at once with him inside it, and Mark sat up gripping his forehead in pain and panting upon his bed.

A single feather each, one from Ulnaus, and one from Hyperion, lay on the floor in front of his bed. One in bronze, and the other in pale gray.

"What the fuck?"