Heir of the Immortals Resurrection

Chapter 18

Herald floated in the void of space, a pale light shining from his body as he stared out at the star-filled expanse around him. Glancing down at his hands, he saw he was made of white energy. He ran a finger down one of the lines in his palm, "Where am I? What am I?"

"You are in your soul form, otherwise known as the astral form."

A man suddenly floated before him, his narrow features made out of the same white energy. He emitted a Golden light that shone around his body and from his eyes. Black formfitting armor covered his body accented with bronze lines. Long hair made of the same white energy flowed out behind him.

Herald reached for his power but found none. Floating backward, he brought his arms up in a defensive stance, his body tense. He may not have his powers, but that didn't mean he wouldn't fight if it came to it.

"Who are you?"

The man stared at Herald, his head cocked to one side, "I suppose," he began slowly, "I have changed since we last met," tucking his right arm to his waist, he bowed, "Tiamat at your service."

"You killed me!" Herald shouted, the light emitting from his body growing to the brightness of a small star.

A sheepish smile spread across Tiamut's narrow features, "Yeah, not my best moment," he spread his arms wide, "but you got over it."

Herald just floated there; his eyes wide at Tiamat's audacity. A large part of him wanted to attack the man, but the more rational part realized the man was essentially a celestial god, it wouldn't end well for him. Releasing a breath, he crossed his arms over his chest, "What do you want?"

Tiamut brought his arms in front of him, interlocking his fingers. Stars swirled around him, forming into the outline of a formfitting chair. As he settled into it, he gestured with his right hand.

Herald suddenly found himself sitting in an identical chair.

"First, I would like to congratulate you on your ascension."

"Ascension?"

"Yes, the fruit of divine spark awakened the celestial potential in your soul", he inclined his head, "you were part of me after all. However, because your life experiences differ, and your mutant heritage. Your path was quite different than my own, your ascension evolved your inborn mutant ability. Intuitive replication has changed to Claircognizance and some of your old abilities from before your death have been restored," he interlocked his fingers again, "but that's not why I called you here."

Harald wanted to ask which of his powers had been restored, but he not only felt that the celestial wouldn't tell him, he felt there was another reason he was here. "So, why did you call me here?"

"Honestly, I have foreseen my death. The things I experienced while being part of you have left me wanting to go out on my terms while making a difference. Before that, however, you being part of me means you are the legacy I will leave behind." Rising to his feet, he floated forward. Stopping before him, he placed a hand on Herald's shoulder, causing the man to tense.

"When I first split off my soul, I saw you as a means to an end, a way to restore the damage my fellow Celestials had done to me. However, living inside of you, experiencing life gave me a different perspective. As such a large being, I never experienced the small things. Those experiences allowed me to shed my previous armor, and become something more."

He shook his head, "Then I saw my death, I saw what would've happened if I hadn't been restored to consciousness. For all of that, I thank you and give you the gift of knowledge. Hopefully, it will help you on your path." Raising his left hand, he extended his index finger and poked Herald in the forehead.

Herald's back arched as what felt like an electrical shock traveled through his being. Just as his body relaxed, he began to fade, "Why?"

Tiamut turned away, "A celestial's soul, strong mutant blood, and a divine fruit. Those things make you an anomaly in the universe, but more importantly," he glanced over his shoulder, one corner of his mouth curling into a smirk, "you are my legacy, why wouldn't I want you to succeed?"

–XX –

Herald awoke feeling cold. With a groan, he rolled over, his naked body pressing into the smooth tile floor of the circular room. The pentagram in the center of the room was now a dull black. Ash covered each line of the ritual circle. Pushing to his feet, he noticed he had changed.

Standing straight, he flicked his hand. Bolts of red energy danced across the ritual circle, before pulling it upwards. The ashes that made up the pentagram, and the corresponding ritual circles swirled around, forming into a full-length mirror accented by black metal.

For a long moment, he stared at his face unable to believe what he was seeing. He had been returned to his adult body, by the looks of it he was 23.

He stood 6'2" tall with lean wiry muscles. Dark golden lines ran across pale skin forming different tattoos. Instead of solid red eyes, his eyes now contained a blood-red Iris against a white sclera. Shaggy dark hair crowned his head, hiding the slight point to his ears.

"Well, this is certainly an interesting way to wake up."

Mary stood before him, her Brown eyes roving over his new form.

He was not the only one that had changed.

Mary now stood 6'0" tall. Her Auburn hair was pulled into a bun, a toga covered her muscular form straining against her enlarged bust. She strode forward, a smile forming on her narrow face. Light flashed off of a fang as she stopped before him.

Without preamble, she reached forward and took him in her hand, causing him to freeze, "I told you," She began in a sultry tone in her voice that made him twitch, "what would happen if you return to your adult body, I am a woman of my word."

In a swirl of blue-black energy, they disappeared.

–XX –

Sunlight streamed through the glass doors of a balcony, cutting a clear path to the queen-size bed in the center of the room.

Herald shifted as the morning light hit him in the face, with a grimace, he rubbed his eyes and looked around. Mary lay on his chest, her soft breathing tickling his skin, her warm smooth body curled up against his, a gentle smile curled his face as he thought back to last night's activities. Dropping his arm, he ran his hand through her Auburn hair.

With a soft moan, her brown orbs flickered open and an impish smile spread across her face, "Hello, lover."

"Hi," he replied squeezing her tighter.

For a moment, they lay there in silence, enjoying the warmth of each other's bodies. Mary propped up on her elbows, staring into Herald's eyes, "So, what do we do now?"

"Are you talking about between us, or our next step against the magical community?"

"Both."

"Well, as far as I'm concerned; I would like to continue our relationship, and see where it goes. We've been together for a long time, you are one of the few people that I trust to have my back, and I can name them on one hand."

Leaning forward, Mary kissed him on the lips, "Good, now about the Magicals?"

Pushing himself against the headboard, Herald wrapped both arms around her gently, "While I was unconscious, I met with Tiamut…"

"The Celestial whose soul you originate from?"

"It's so weird when you say it like that."

Mary raised her bare shoulder, "It's the truth"

"I know," he shook his head, "but still… Anyway, he gave me some information about someone who could help us build a haven for our people, but from his information, I don't know if this man could be trusted."

"Who is it?"

"He calls himself the High Evolutionary but his real name is Herbert Wyndham. According to the knowledge that Tiamut gave me, he's a man who likes to experiment with DNA, technology, or anything that could push the evolution of a species. However, the reason we want to speak to him, is he somehow created another earth."

"A mad scientist who likes to experiment with DNA," a shudder ran through Mary's body as images of her time in the hands of such people flashed through her mind.

Leaning his head down, Herald kissed the top of her head, "You don't have to go with me, but I have to go, I think the information could prove useful even if we don't create our own Earth the same way he did."

"Like hell, I'm letting you go alone!"

Throwing the blankets off of them, Mary hopped out of bed. Slowly, she sashayed to the bathroom. Stopping in the doorway, she looked over her shoulder, a seductive smile curling her lips, "But before that, do you care to wash my back?"

–XX –

An hour later, after a very long shower, Herald and Mary were dressed standing before the queen-size bed. Harald wore a black blazer over a black T-shirt, dark jeans with a belt around his waist, and thick-soled boots.

Dressed in a red T-shirt that strained against her chest, Mary slipped one arm through Herald's while tucking the other into the pocket of khakis that highlighted her slender legs. High-heeled boots gave her a few more inches, making her taller than Herald.

She glanced down at Herald with a smirk on her face, "Ready to go?"

Herald glanced up at her an exasperated look in his eye, "You know those boots are cheating right? How exactly is a 7-inch lift going to help you if we get into a fight?"

She patted his cheek, "You let me worry about that."

Releasing a breath through his nose, Herald stretched forth his left hand. According to the knowledge Tiamut gave him, the High Evolutionary's planet was a millisecond behind the earth. His red irises glowed with an inner light as he created a portal before him, it shimmered as he mixed in his Chronokinesis.

Blurred colors filled the red oval before them before solidifying into a landscape.

Mary stared at the rocky barren landscape that stretched before them, the sun baking the earth dry causing it to crack open like human skin, "I was expecting more."

"You can stay here if you want?"

She tightened her grip on his arm, "Not a chance."

As one, they stepped forward, disappearing in a flash of Ruby-colored light.

–XX –

Stepping out onto the dried earth, dust shot up beneath their feet. Both looked around before Herald spoke. A tumbleweed bounced across the dry cracked earth. A gentle wind swept across the plane, creating small trails of dust in its wake.

"He re-creates an entire planet, and this is the result."

"Are you sure you want to ask this guy how he did it?"

"With the knowledge, I gained from our time at Neverland, I believe I can devise a ritual that would create a planet, but it would require mutants working together, and right now I don't have the presence in the mutant community to ask or command that."

"I think that's where you're wrong, you saved quite a few powerful mutants. If you put yourself out there, I'm pretty sure they would like to get to know you. Besides, you may not have the presence in the mutant community to ask for favors, but I do."

Herald looked at her with a raised eyebrow, the golden lines on his skin glistening in the sun. "People are afraid you're going to try and kill them, aren't they?"

Mary's lips curled, "Maybe."

Herald opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, his head snapped to the left, his red eyes locked on the sky, "Something's coming."

Mary raised her eyes to the sky just in time to see a black pyramid with a sphere in its center cut through the clouds. There was no visible propulsion or windows.

"You think I should shoot it?" Mary asked her right hand becoming wreathed in fire.

"Not the kind of impression we're trying to make."

"Spoilsport."

Herald ignored her as the pyramid righted itself and lowered to the ground. The sphere in its center rotated before splitting open. The pyramid shifted transforming into a ramp leading from the sphere.

Together, Herald and Mary moved forward.

A man walked down the ramp. His features were hidden by some sort of armor that was a rough approximation of human features. The head, chest, hands, and feet were a burgundy color. While the legs and arms had the color and texture of overlapping steel. A burgundy sash hung around his waist, circular silver plates running down its length.

He stopped at the bottom of the ramp crossing his arms over his chest, "It's not often I get visitors on my planet?"

Herald eyed the man's body, as he crossed his arms, he didn't hear metal scraping against metal. How odd. He shook his head, "You don't exactly make it easy to get to."

"That is by design, normally I would kill you for trespassing on my lands…"

Mary tensed and Herald patted her arm.

"However, your very arrival on a planet that is out of sync with Earth's time has made me curious. What do you want?"

"I am tired of mutants being persecuted just because we were born with abilities or look different. I want to know how you the High Evolutionary, Herbert Wyndham, created counter earth."

Herbert cocked his head to the side, "You are well informed, but why would I give you that knowledge?"

"I offer an exchange, there is another hidden race on earth, a race that manipulates the esoteric energy of magic…"

Herbert shook his head, "I have seen magic users before."

"The ones I speak of were put on a different path by the arrival from someone from another universe, I have recently come across information that they were changed to match people from that other universe." Stretching forth his right hand, Herald concentrated, a seed of psychic power appeared in his hand. With a flick of his wrist, the seed shot towards the High Evolutionary.

As he caught it, the seed released tendrils of red energy that soaked into the man's armor. Red ones and zeros briefly danced across his hand.

After a moment, he nodded, "Interesting." He locked eyes with Harald, "Even more interesting is the fact you seem to be able to mix abilities. If I am not mistaken, that seed you created was a mixture of telepathy and Technopathy that allowed me to see the knowledge you had gained recently through my exoskeleton."

Harald said nothing.

"Alright, bring me one of these Magicals as they call themselves."

Herald inclined his head.

"And," Herald and Mary tensed, "give me one drop of your blood."

Again, Herald inclined his head, and Mary's gaze snapped to him.

Holding out his left hand, a single drop of blood seeped out of his skin. It rotated in his hand once before shooting towards Herbert.

Allowing the drop to splat against his palm, Herbert turned away, "Return here soon, I don't like waiting."