Heir of the Immortals Resurrection
Chapter 16
Herald and Mary stepped into a large valley. Mountains ringed the land around them, thin clouds decorating their peaks. Sunlight warmed their skin, the occasional clouds painting the lush green grass in shadow as it made its journey across the pale blue expanse above them.
Mary looked up, "No birds."
Herald's eyes glowed, before fading, "Or any other animals, that's how you knew this place is a natural."
Black trees sat sporadically across the land, their purple leaves, and red oval-shaped fruit at odds with the life around them.
"Is that?" Mary began.
"Yes, blood fruit trees, I was wondering where they planted them after removing Laura's heart."
Mary's Brown eyes flicked to each tree that seemed to stretch into the distance, "Each one of these trees is grown from a heart taken from that little girl?"
"Yes."
Mary's slender hand curled into a fist that shook with restrained emotion, "We should've made their deaths more painful."
"We could have, but then that risk not getting everyone out safely."
Mary glanced at him, taking in his jeans stained with blood, and the grey sweatshirt with one sleeve burned away. "You said there were three more innocents that needed to be rescued?"
Herald turned, his gaze falling on a tree with a twisted trunk. Branches stretched out from its body, dangling vines with tiny leaves down their lengths towards the ground. Silver fruit sat randomly throughout the tree.
Flexing his arm, the burned sleeve of his sweatshirt was repaired. At the same moment that the sweatshirt seemed to regrow its missing sleeve, the bloodstains on his pants flaked away and floated into the air.
Crimson eyes still locked on the tree, he moved forward. "Be ready, something isn't right about this place." Stopping before the tree, he shifted the vinelike leaves out of his path, staring at the sight before him.
Carved into the intertwining trunk of the tree was a broad face, with a square chin and tribal-like lines running from his brow over his eyes and down his cheeks.
As he stared at the carving, its eyelids fluttered open revealing startling clear blue eyes the color of clean water. The mouth open, the jaws worked, trying to speak, but no sound came out, but it wasn't needed.
Images slammed into Herald's mind and he staggered backward, his right hand coming up to clutch the side of his head.
This man's name was Cairbre, he comes from a universe/earth where immortals are the dominant species. Each of the major pantheons from myth has a city on earth. Also, the earth acts as a sort of waystation that the immortals can use to travel between realms. Though the immortals of the earth are the dominant species, that does not mean there is peace.
Pantheon's fight and alien races try to expand their territory, and while Cairbre has participated in these battles, he is more of the Explorer type.
With this inclination, he often delivers messages between pantheons or secures trade agreements in times of peace. One day, while using a blackhole to traverse between galaxies, he was pulled to our earth by Hermione Granger's dimensional powers.
Landing in a room that stripped him of his strength, he was implanted with a seed that grew a tree around him to bind his body and began siphoning his power. After falling unconscious from being drained, a mind-controlled Alicia Jane Collins used her abilities to merge his body with that of the external Shastra.
As the last of the knowledge faded, Herald moved back beneath the tree. Circling the tree, he stopped to stare at the face of a woman positioned directly behind Cairbre. She possessed a narrow face with high cheekbones and a narrow chin. Her short hair framed her face in a flattering way.
Reaching out with his mind, he connected to the woman, her eyes opened, the brown Iris glowing red with his Psionic power.
Her name was Shastra. She is from a race of immortal beings who can manipulate vast amounts of cosmic energy. In her world, she was fighting a Civil War between her people when Hermione Granger used her dimensional powers to pull her out.
After being stripped of her powers, she was then implanted with a seed that grew around her body. Eventually, she was joined by Cairbre, the Celtic god of speed and bards. Their combined energy produces a fruit that pushes the consumer past any previous boundaries and evolves them into something new.
Herald pulled back, Shastra's eyes drifting closed as he left her mind. "So, Shastra has energy manipulation, Cairbre has a strong body. The wizards have combined the essence of these two to create a fruit that can push their bodies beyond their current limits.
He took a step forward, his right hand rising on its own, "There's something, no, someone here." Placing his hand on the tree, his body stiffened as vines wrapped around his hand and sank into his skin.
Gold energy the color of wheat blossomed from the tree, sinking into his body and pulling him elsewhere.
–XX –
Herald floated forward, a wall of thorns withdrawing away from him as he approached. The Brown wire-like plants with thorns every 3 inches wiggled transforming into a room.
The smell of freshly fallen rain and wet grass filled the room. Humid air sent a layer of moisture across his skin.
Herald floated in a square space, thorns covering everywhere. In the center of the space, a pink bud sat. Slowly, its petals opened, revealing the woman inside.
She was 6 foot tall, with tan skin, golden eyes, and green hair that fell in a wave down her back. A toga with reddish-brown accents hugged her curves.
Herald tensed as the thorns all around him extended, going from three inches to almost a foot. Red energy flared around him. A layer of psychic power covered his skin.
The woman floated forward, the thorns bending down before her to create a smooth floor, "Who are you?" She asked as she moved across the floor grass growing beneath her bare feet. Flowers grew from the walls and lush green vines intertwined with the thorns.
"I am Herald Edward Gallio," he bowed at the waist, "and you are?"
The grass beneath her feet twined together to form a pillar that rose into the air until she stood even with Herald, "I am Alicia Jane Collins."
"Any relation to Sharee Collins?"
The room shook, gold energy shone from Alicia's eyes as they narrowed. When she spoke her voice was cold, "How do you know that name?" One wrong answer and Herald knew he would have a fight on his hands. With this power already spread so thin, that's the last thing he wanted.
Ignoring the shaking around him, Herald raised his left hand, "I met her a short while ago. She got herself into a spot of trouble."
"Explain!"
Herald floated there; on one hand, he didn't like to be commanded. It reminded him too much of his time with the Potters; on the other hand, this was a woman worried about her daughter. He would give her a little leeway.
"I think it's better if I show you." His eyes flared, being so deep in her mind it was the easiest thing in the world to connect them and give her the events that pertain to Sharee. While she was reliving his memory, he took in hers discovering her past.
Alicia was born to Brian and Alice Collins immigrants from Scotland. Arriving in America, her father, Brian, instantly went to work in a factory, while her mother opened a small business to sell herbal remedies. Over the next twenty years, the two managed to thrive, they eventually had their daughter Alicia, and everything was going well until a wealthy businessman wanted to buy the land their shop was on. The Collins refused, and a short time later the shop was burned down with them in it.
Alicia managed to escape into the forest before collapsing unconscious. The stress of the ordeal caused her mutant powers to activate, and the earth grew up around her as she instinctively used her Chlorokinesis to heal her body.
This changed her body, giving her tanned skin, golden eyes, and green hair as well as a strong connection to the earth. Over the next ten years, she managed to continue giving herbal remedies to those in need, her new powers making her remedies even more powerful.
With her connection to the earth, she was now unchanging. Some called her which, while others a goddess, and most refused to approach her. This caused her to be very lonely.
One day a man, Mark Diering, appeared in the forest. Alicia approached Mark, marveling at meeting another that possessed the powers over nature. Through their connection to the earth, the two grew close, eventually having a child, Sharee. For the first five years after their daughter's birth, they lived in peace in the forest, manipulating the trees to intertwining together to grow a home, and taking what the earth provided for sustenance.
However, as people began to encroach on their home, Mark wanted to take a more volatile approach in protecting nature. With a child to raise and protect, Alicia disagreed and the two parted ways. Over the next thirteen years, Alicia raised Sharee, sending her to school with the money she saved from her herbal remedies.
In her daughter's last year of high school, Alicia received a distress call from Mark. Knowing her daughter would be safe in the forest, she left to help her former lover, knowing after their parting he would not contact her unless it was important.
Arriving in New York, she made her way into Canada. She met Mark a short distance away from the Neverland facility. He took her into his arms in a hug, apologizing as he released her.
Alicia was confused. The next thing she remembers is being transformed into a tree to bind Cairbre and Shastra. Their energies mingled to create the fruit and unintentionally transformed Alicia in a way similar to the fruit.
Herald withdrew from her mind his eyes widened fractionally, "They turned your husband, Mark Diering, into this pocket dimension. By transforming you into a tree, you act as an anchor to help him hold it together."
The glow in Alicia's eyes faded, "Ex-Husband, but you are mostly right. Is Sharee okay?"
"As far as I know she is with Tora Drake at the Xavier Institute."
"So," Alicia began, her pillar transforming into a chair, "What happens now?"
"I now have control over the energies that transformed you. With some time, I should be able to free you and the others."
"Mark will fight you."
"I know, but I am not alone."
–XX –
Mary watched Herald move around the tree, following a step behind. She eyed each of the faces in the tree, her mouth wrinkling in distaste at what the Magical's had put her people through. She paused.
Her people, when had she started thinking of other mutants like that. For so long, she'd only been about protecting herself from the pain of getting close. Then she met Selene and Herald. They helped her realize that getting close wasn't a bad thing.
With Herald's help, she'd gained more power than she ever had before. Her abilities had never been stronger. She stared at his back, and maybe more. He was the first person to accept all of her, and not try to suppress her other personalities.
She tensed as crimson energy flared from Herald, twisting forward to sink into the tree.
Reality flickered, and Herald's voice sounded in her mind. 'Be ready!'
"No!"
The words sounded all around her, shaking the ground beneath her feet.
The ground ripped apart, jagged cracks that sped towards the tree like a living thing.
Blue-black energy flared through Mary, pushing her veins against her skin as she leaped into the air. For the first time since gaining her abilities, she hovered in the air, watching the destruction below.
The tree flared with Golden Brown energy as the cracks closed in around them. The energy coalesced into a woman; her toga-like dress billowed around her as she hovered above the tree. She stretched forth her hand, her slender fingers splaying out.
Roots sealed the cracks; grass grew from the roots to close the holes.
A roar of rage shook the world as wind swirled around, forming the approximation of a long-haired man. Hair cascaded down a broad back. A staff was clutched tight in a large hand.
A cloth-like skirt covered his legs.
"This is my world," the man boomed. "Finally a place where nature rules. I will not allow you to take it from me, Alicia!"
The woman in gold spoke, "You are a fool Mark, this is your prison, the Magical's are using you. You have sacrificed your very body for a fantasy. Protecting nature isn't a bad thing, but not at the cost of humanity or our daughter."
Thunder shook the world as dark clouds rolled across the sky. Bright pulses of static electricity jumping from cloud to cloud.
Mark raised his staff, "If you would have worked with me, we could have been king and queen of this world, but every step of the way you fought me, unwilling to let go of the past."
Alicia's golden body flared with energy, "Our Daughter Is Not the past!"
Tired of being an observer, Mary reached for her sword, only to pause as her fingers brushed its hilt. 'These beings were not physical, so using a physical weapon would not be effective.' Pulling her hand back from her sword, she held it out, blue-black energy flaring from her palm and coalescing into a katana.
Wrapping both hands around the hilt, she exploded forward.
Alicia glanced to the side as movement caught her attention, one corner of her mouth twitched as she saw the Auburn-haired woman, she assumes was Herald's partner charge Mark from behind.
Lightning jutted down from the dark clouds above, aiming for her tree.
Alicia tensed as she pushed her will outward grass began to grow as a crimson sphere opened up in space. She froze in her actions as the lightning disappeared inside the sphere.
Another sphere opened behind Mark and the lightning shot out going through his body.
He screamed as the lightning pierced his incorporeal form, causing it to waver.
Within the range of her opponent, Mary raised her sword, bringing it down in a downward strike.
Mark twisted his body, bringing his staff up to block the strike, "Foolish girl, I have become a god."
Thrusting his free hand forward, a compressed ball of air slammed into Mary sending her rocketing towards the ground like a meteor.
Alicia stretched forth her hand towards the fallen woman. A giant rose grew from the ground, spreading its petals wide as Mary impacted it. The petals closed around her absorbing the kinetic energy. Wrapped around the Auburn-haired woman, the flower sank beneath the ground, leaving Mary lying on the grass.
Mary rose shakily to her feet, the muscles in her stomach cramping as she straightened her shaky legs. Gritting her teeth, she glanced at the golden woman as her katana shifted, transforming into a bow.
"Hey lady," Alicia glanced at her, "watch my back, and tell Herald to hurry up with whatever he's doing."
Raising her bow, Mary closed one eye. The string flared with light as she pulled it taught.
Spreading her arms wide, Alicia sent her energy into her tree.
Her tree glowed with her energy as tiny wooden bees wiggled free of the bark. As a multitude, they rose into the air, her tree decreasing in mass as they shot towards Mark.
Mark through a bolt of lightning from his right hand, while shooting a ball of air from his left.
Bees fell to the ground as blackened husk as the sphere of air reduced some to splinters.
Watching her constructs fall, Alicia closed her eyes turning her attention inward.
–XX –
Standing with his hand placed on the tree, sweat ran down Herald's body. Veins bulged out around his forehead, standing starkly against his skin as rivulets of blood ran from his nose.
In his mind, he stood in a world made of red threads. Its course sat in the center of the tree branching out to form the world around him.
Around him the fires that power this world flickered as his energy continue to drop.
Sending his will into the mass of knots in the center of the tree, he slowly began untying them. With each knot untied the threads would unravel and withdraw away, vanishing into nothing.
Alicia's voice sounded in his mind, "Your friend is telling you to hurry."
"Not helping."
–XX –
As the last of the wooden bees fell away, Mark brought his hands together, bolts of electricity dancing between his insubstantial fingers. "We could've had a paradise together, but if you won't work with me, then I'll rule this place alone!"
He fired the condensed ball of electricity forward. As it sped through the sky, leaving a trail of ionized air in its wake, the world flickered.
The orb faded away like an afterimage.
The vibrant color faded as the threads that made up reality were revealed. Slowly they began to withdraw. As the last of the threads withdrew into the tree. The tree glowed with rainbow-colored energy as it rose into the air.
It broke into three orbs that grew and shifted into humanoid bodies.
Mark screamed as the wind that made up his body was pulled apart.
Seizing her chance, Mary released her arrow. It soared through the air, leaving a blue streak in its wake. It pierced Mark in the forehead as he descended releasing a flash of blue light. His body hit the ground, and the world went white.
–XX –
Looking around the void, Mary saw Herald on his knees a short distance away, dried blood caked along his blue skin. Allowing her bow to fade, she made her way over.
He turned tired eyes towards her as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "Are you alright?"
Kneeling beside him, Mary wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "I should be asking you that."
Pushing himself to his feet, Herald looked around. "I'll be fine after some rest. Now, where are we? Where's Alicia, Mark, Shastra, and Cairbre?"
"The others are on the mortal plane."
Two people were just suddenly there in front of them.
The woman was 5'7" tall with pale skin and defined muscle. Shoulder-length red hair framed a face with high cheekbones and a narrow chin. Brown eyes stared at them with an unreadable expression as her arms were crossed over a black chest plate, a pointer finger tapping on one of her elbow pads.
Matching kneepads were connected to knee-high boots. All the armor was over a skintight bodysuit.
The man beside her was 6'8" tall with broad shoulders. Blue eyes shone with mischief. Luscious dark hair flowed down his back and over his shoulders, covering part of his hairy chest.
Purple tribal lines covered his body. Light blue formfitting pants with flame designs around his calf's and ankles hugged thick legs.
Herald moved forward, putting himself slightly ahead and in front of Mary.
Mary counted him by moving so that they were shoulder to shoulder.
"I take it you are Shastra and Cairbre," he said to the two, ignoring Mary's action.
"We are," the man spoke.
"Why are we here?" Mary asked, "and where are we?"
"We are in a space between worlds," Shastra answered, "more specifically the passageway between earth and where gods go to die."
Mary narrowed her eyes, "That answers the where; not the why."
Cairbre smiled, "Spunky, I like you."
Mary bristled.
Herald placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll show him spunky," Mary muttered and Cairbre's smile widened.
"You are here," Shastra said bringing them back on task, "because Cairbre and I are passing on to the next world…"
"But you are from different universes," Herald interrupted, glancing between the two.
Cairbre shrugged, "Death is the great meeting place, or we could return home to be reborn again. Either way, our vitality was used up."
Shastra step forward, "Not all of it," she opened her hands, and two silver fruits shot towards Herald and Mary.
As the fruit slammed into their chest, Shastra's voice echoed in their ears, "As a thank you for freeing us from our prison, we gift you with evolution and resurrection. Evolve and rise to something greater."
"If you don't mind," Cairbre began as he and Shastra faded away, "stop those Magical's, I don't want them plucking anyone else from my world."