Frozen Memories 1.8 Bridge
Hidden Past – Back Cover
Coda
As the Star Formation was destroyed on Earth, a sword sailed through the cosmos before slamming into the ground on an ancient battlefield. The sword stuck itself into the ground and was sticking out of it about a third of its blade stuck fast in the dusty rock.
A gloved hand reached out the smokey evil hilt, and easily with little strength, lifted the sword from the ground. A sigh was heard. "Finally" A gravely voice said. "Back where it belongs" A box was next to him, made of black steel and reeked of raw power, power that was needing to be used. Somehow. It was as if he knew where the sword was going to land.
There was a crossroads of seven directions of the ancient battlefield that the sword landed in the center of, as the owner of the sword held the blade, he saw swirls of mist forming at the ends of the "lanes". Swirls of mist that soon formed figures.
As they walked they seemed to be maraiges, but as they neared him. They solidified into actual people. Four women, three men. They all wore ancient Draconic clothing that looked like draconic armor. Finally the oldest looking of the new arrivals asked the hooded man holding the sword as they came to a halt around him.
"Did you summon us back ?" His name was Winston, he was the oldest of the eight of them, and he was Dracos first Shadowling to be named.
Beneath the hood, the man smiled. "Yep" His military coat fluttered in the dusty wind as the man seemed to nod.
"Is that you Gahriar ? You look different" one of the women asked. Her name was Belyrr.
The hooded man chuckled. "Havent heard that name in a long time." He said as he removed his hood. Dracos angular sharp face appeared. "These days they call me Draco the Shadow Lord, but hey, whatever suits you" He said to her, a hint, the barest hint, of humor in his tone.
"Is it really you ?" Berude asked, seeing how his form seemed to shimmer in the heat, was he real or was he a dream ?
"Yes, but some time ago, like you seven, I was killed, or so it seemed. My body is still around but I cant get to it, I'm just a soul without a body" Draco said as he sheathed his sword. His seven siblings each had their bodies and were solid.
"What happened ? Why are we here ? You tell me!" Said Taztan, he had an upset look on his face as he glared at his 'baby' brother. His hand out as if asking for a handout of information
"I had a role to play, I still do" Draco replied, he was after all the Shadow Lord. Thanks to a certain immortal mortal who wouldnt stay dead.
"What role ?" Belyrr asked him. Of all his siblings, Belyrr was the one who was kindest to him.
Draco looked among them, they were all there, Winston, Nymeth his twin sister, so to speak, they had hatched at the same time. Then Masor, Belyrr, Taztan, Berude, and finally Melrunwa. Draco smirked.
"I guess Mom didnt make it after all" Draco said after a minute seeing her not present. He seemed oddly happy about it too.
"Meaning what ?" Masor asked him.
"I told her, clear as day. What it is she did to you guys." Draco replied, he had killed their mother in retaliation for what she had done to his siblings, he hated her for that.
"Is that why you chose to not include her ?" Nymeth finally spoke up
"Heh, Nope, Mother had to die." Draco replied, the chuckle was genuine.
"I have heard enough!" Taztan shouted, he pointed an accusing finger at his baby brother. "Gahriar, what was your role ?" He thundered the question
Draco smirked and looked at the box of Duradaeden, his brothers and sisters lost weapons. "I hope you like long stories" He said simply.
After all, they had three million four hundred and nine thousand three hundred and ten years to catch up on.
-8-8-8-
Within an old mansion at the edge of a kingdom a figure draped in a dark cloak, her head covered in badnages. Save for a single blue eye, typed at a keyboard. Around the figure were banks of computers, a few screens. And information danced upon each screen. The figure was working a few things out. Having, through various eyes and ears, found more information to be had.
It was time for some fancy answers.
As the rift between realities swallowed the solar system from the Mortal Realm into the Mythic Realm. DiT felt her own magic increase in strength. DiT Smiled behind her mask and hood. Xeir was back at full strength, and judging by her skills and what she had managed to finally accomplish against the High Priest only proved to DiT that the time was not yet right to reveal herself to the others.
Only the Raven, Sazhori had met her, and spoke with her. DiT had given Sazhori a jouirnal, in turn the journal was given t othe Starmaster, who in turn gave it to Xeir, and finally it passed from Xeir to Diamond.
Now both sisters, both of them Silver Dragons, were searching the rooms above for further information.
But the fancy questions they had. Could what was done for Xeir, be done for another ratrher close to her ?
The answers were fancy, but not easy.
Because DiT finished typing on the keyboards, the screens continued to trail data and information. And then, DiT disappeared a swirl of numbers as they encircled her and then she vanished to somewhere else.
More then likely into the ancient systems. Or to a different planet entirely. She had things she still had to do. Tasks and plans to be completed or put into motion.
It was almost time.
But time was not something DiT had that was freely available. Even in the Mythic Realm Men could still die, Dragons too. So the plan had to move into certain steps before it could be fully realised.
It was possible to reconstruct a body. She had sealed Kalda's broken body away somewhere, now if only it could be remembered of what planet that had occurred on, and if the seal still worked.
After all, a million and a half years was a long time.
-8-8-8-
Summer had returned fully to Arendelle, at its Port District a large cruiser pulled into dock. Those aboard that disembarcked were mostly Marks family, the Elisar family were indeed busy back in China, Redmane, along with her sisters, Snowmane, and Snowfeather, were already on the dock when Mark had met up with them
After finding out that the girls, Serenity, and her older twin sister Serena, were still in China with Auji and his wife Xeibo. They made things clear. Something was happening back in China, the re4cent events in Arendelle, and in the sky above at night and during the day made things fall out of their favor.
Which meant that soon Mark would be traveling.
And that was when Redmane went in search of Blackmane. Mark saw very little of both of his aunts for the rest of the week
The persons he was hoping to see were his cousin, Kiyomori, and his uncle, Nathan. But when he was told Nathan was rather busy working on a few things in the ship before getting off. Mark went to the nearby pub and set up a spot after infoming the doc workers where he was.
"There's not a lot here, but she turned up in Beijing, and Da Nang." Nathan said, setting the folder on the counter as he ordered a beer and took the stool next to Mark.
"How is China ? Georgina said that things were settled enough for her to come back here." Mark said to him.
"For the most part, yes. Things have settled. At least settled enough that Auji insisted we come back here." Nathan replied. He liked his nephews son, his nephew, once removed. Auji, was a fine young man
"Where you able to find anything else out, of... her ?" Mark asked, meaning the sender of every letter he had received each year on his birthday, marked with a stylised M.
"Not much I am afraid. Couldnt find anything about your mother. Havent been able to find anything. Everything I did find I had to erase so the CIA couldnt get their mitts on it." Nathan said as he nursed his beer. "I see you made good here"
Mark nodded. "Yeah, but it wasnt just me. I had help"
"Help is always good." Nathan replied, he put his mask back on, once more becoming the Faceless Assassin. "Where am I needed, Boss ?" He said to his nephew.
"You might want to check the Pine District, last I heard there was Templar activity there." He said, "Good luck"
-8-8-8-
About an hour later and Mark was seated under the gazebo in a nearby brothel. Xeir seated at the table, filling a small bowl with wine. He had in his hands the folder, he never opened it when his uncle had given it to him.
Mark sighed, the folder was not going to read itself. So he decided to bite the big bazooka and opened the folder that his uncle Nathan had given him. While he was the only real Assassin aside from his cousins and aunt within Arendelle up until the day they took down the High Priest. He was not expecting his uncle to bring home some gifts from his travels across the Middle East.
He was not happy about the face that stared back at him. Merta. He remembered her and didnt like why. His lips went into a grim line, clearly unhappy.
Xeir was reading over his shoulder after a moment. "Merta. Nice name, she important ?" She asked as she downed the bowl of wine.
Mark sighed and turned the page in the folder. "Not really, she was an old rival when I was in the CIA when I was in America, like me she had a perfect record, one hundred percent completion on all missions." He said. "But unlike me, she was known for being rather sadistic in how she did her missions."
Xeir half smiled "You're going after her ?" She mused thoughtfully as she refilled her bowl of wine.
"You do not need to come with me" Mark replied as Xeir smiled and leaned against a pillar, looking at Mark, and also behind him. He had his back to the Docks district where the Whitesparrow was kept.
"I know" Xeir told him. Then she smiled as she felt the movement of the air. Her magic was stronger thanks to the destruction of the Formation.
A good minute passed. Finally she asked him, a rather impish smirk on her face.
"How are you with heights ?"
Mark looked at her confused at what she meant, but she was looking over his shoulder, behind him. He turned and stared as he watched the Whitesparrow, no longer a common Iowa class battleship, elegantly rise from the Fjord
TO BE CONTINUED...