Captain Caroline Wendell and the Secret of Immortality
By Mardrena
Amethyst eyes glittering like tiny jewels glanced about the room absently, oblivious to those gathered to marvel at the newborn babe. Britania Johansen-who'd appointed herself to picture duty-finished taking another shot of the reclining baby from where she knelt on the floor beside the coffee table. She lowered the camera and looked up, beaming proudly. "You guys made suuuuuuuuuuuch a cuuuuuuuuuute babyyyyyy!" she smiled cheerfully at the seated parents.
"Jeez Dais, you put bleach in your mitochondrial DNA or something?" Ryo commented from where he sat next to Mia. The curls of wispy white hair gave the baby an almost cherubic appearance.
Only a select few people attended the baby shower with Dais and Danae and their newborn child seated on one sofa. Ryo, Mia, and Renee Sanada sat on the opposite sofa, while Danae's older sister Aurora, mother Yainae, and Dais' biological mother Caroline Wendell reclined on the third. Roxi Hirochner and Shannon O'Connor also attended, and Captain Wendell's first mate T'Brandon kept a respectful distance towards the wall, hands clasped behind his back. Colorful gift bags littered the surface of the coffee table with the usual offering of clothes, toys, books, and blankets.
Little Ryu Sanada clambered out onto Ryo's lap and held himself up with one hand while waving his other arm at the newborn across the way. "Hewwo!" Ryu burbled and opened and closed his fingers. The amethyst-eyed baby flicked a glance at Ryu but otherwise remained quiet.
"I swear Dais, your son has the goopiest looking expression I've ever seen…" Roxi commented.
"Thangien birth cycles operates differently from Humans since they stay in the womb a lot longer. Physically, he might be of a similar age to Ryu, but developmentally he's got a lot of catching up to do," Shannon explained. Ryo flicked a glance at Caroline. So far she had yet to say anything and merely sat next to Yainae with her arms folded over her chest. She seemed genuinely happy for her son and remained on her absolute best behavior.
"So, you picked out a name for him yet?" Mia asked. Danae smiled and tugged at the edge of the blanket swaddling her baby boy.
"Yes...he is Chi Chi Lina, Darius, of the House of St'lur." Dais flicked a glance at his mother, who smirked upon hearing that.
"You two should be very proud of yourselves, for all you've achieved together," Mia beamed.
"I'm actually at a loss for words, to be honest. All this is kind of new for me," Dais chuckled and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"Not gonna lie, it certainly gives you a new perspective on things," Ryo admitted and glanced down at Ryu who alternated between leaning over Ryo's knee and reclining on his back in his lap.
"May he be the first of many to come," Aurora commented.
"Uhhh, err, well-maybe not so hasty. I mean, Danae has a lot of recovering to do…" Dais grimaced.
"Hey, you never know. Thangiens can pop'em out at a pretty advanced age. Ol' Yainae here had her brood when she was about as old as I am now," Caroline remarked and jerked a thumb to the side at the elderly Everlasting Mother, who chuckled richly. The two looked like a pair of old biddies together.
"So, Captain? You got one of your tales for the occasion?" Roxi asked, remembering how the elderly space pirate had proved to be a well of history during their brief stay in the Nether Realm.
"Well, I could always tell you the origins of vthiasak…" Caroline shrugged and braced her elbow against the sofa armrest and her knuckles against her cheek.
"What?! Nooooo!" Mia suddenly put her hands around Ryu's torso and pulled him into her lap then promptly plugged his ears with her fingertips. "Ryu doesn't need to be hearing any naughty stories!" Ryu glanced up at his mother in confusion while drawing startled glances from Ryo and Renee.
"No! You should know this history, MiaTakin!" T'Brandon interjected suddenly and stepped away from the wall, pointing at Mia with a golden fingertip. "And why you will never see another Native in Bainshaebo aside from myself or T'plaureth and his son!" T'Brandon glanced down at Caroline-who looked over her shoulder at him-and nodded in approval. Caroline turned back forward and tented her fingers infront of her chest, resting her elbows on her knees.
"Keep in mind this happened a few thousand years ago. Vthia, a granddaughter of Deres, set out with her seven daughters and a company of warriors on an expedition to explore what her grandfather did not, not taking into account there was a reason he avoided places… They charged into the Eastern Jungle, determined to uncover the secrets within. Vthia's youngest daughter took ill with a fever not even Richtho tea could abate. They came across a village built around a stand of trees.
"She thought the Natives might have a remedy, but when they approached the village they found it empty. Puzzled, she left her daughter behind with a retinue of guards and orders to appeal to the Natives for a cure and offer gifts in exchange. She and the rest of her company left to forage for supplies...but when they returned, they found not only the guards slain...but Vthia's daughter as well.
"Vthia went berserk. She attempted to ambush the Natives when they returned, but each time they charged into the village the Natives were nowhere to be seen. She considered simply burning the village to the ground, but nothing but complete and total vengeance would appease her. One of her daughters, a clever lass and a worshipper of Eyurodin, suspected the Natives used lifts to escape, and sure enough they found ropes and pulleys disguised as vines. Vthia ordered her men to pitch tents and camp within. That night, the Natives descended quietly and crept towards the tents, ready to murder those that slept inside. But when they pulled back the flaps, they found the tents empty.
"Vthia and her warriors sprang out from concealed pits, seizing the treacherous Natives before they could escape and setting fire to the lifts. The Natives begged for mercy, but Vthia coldly reminded them that they'd murdered her daughter for no other reason than she existed. The Natives certainly didn't help their case any. They weren't at all contrite about what they'd done. Vthia's surviving daughters wanted to simply execute them all, but Vthia wanted her retribution to resonate throughout the ages.
"She ordered every female put to the sword, and every male gelded. Her daughters carried out this sentence on the females, while Vthia herself castrated the males with her bare hands. Not only did this cement lasting hatred between human-born Thangiens and Natives, but created the most perfect form of punishment and humiliation that bears her name to this day: Vthiasak-'Vthia's Sentence'."
"And so you must understand, MiaTakin: Natives such as T'plaureth and myself...we are the exception, not the rule," T'Brandon added and shook his head solemnly as Caroline finished her tale. Caroline threw a glance over her shoulder at him and nodded grimly before turning back to the others.
"So the moral of the story? Don't piss off a mama bear! Even a mother doesn't know what she'd be capable of if pushed hard enough. Aurora knows what I'm talking about," Caroline flicked her fingers in the direction of Danae's older sister. Aurora shifted in her seat and folded her arms over her chest, apparently not at all embarrassed at being singled out by the elderly space pirate. Mia averted her gaze. Knowing what they did now, she suspected it was Ritho who once spoke to her. She certainly didn't think she'd punch a demon cat in the nose if she'd been in her right frame of mind. "A mother can go to extraordinary lengths to protect her child, even if it means giving up something precious…"
Little Darius squirmed in his mother's arms and stretched his arms and yawned broadly. Danae reached over and caressed his cheek. "Looks like someone's getting a little sleepy. I suppose it's about time to wrap things up for today. He's had enough excitement," Shannon commented. Brit shifted around in her seat and raised the camera to get a shot of Darius yawning, her finger inadvertently toggling the flash button. Darius flinched and turned away when the light erupted suddenly.
"Whoops! Sorry! Fat-fingered the flash there…" Brit apologized and stowed the camera away in its pouch. Darius rolled onto his side and buried his face against the folds of the blanket. Danae remained seated, rubbing his back as the others started to get up from their seats. Aurora held her left arm to the side to support Yainae as the Everlasting Mother staggered to her feet. T'Brandon moved to the left of Caroline and likewise offered his hand to his captain. Caroline accepted graciously as she stood. Dais noticed how she faltered slightly and frowned, feeling uneasy at the thought of his mother growing old. Technically only a decade separated her from Yainae.
One by one the adults filed out of the room, pausing to wave goodbye to the proud parents. Caroline said nothing to either Dais or Danae as she and T'Brandon departed. Danae looked back down at Darius, who hadn't moved from where he kept his face shielded with the blanket. Danae frowned, wondering why he kept his eyes squeezed shut even while still awake.
Sage paused upon seeing the Reptilloid Trakar apparently touring the Roost complex, with Kento doggedly following him holding a plate full of assorted local delicacies. Ryo, Dais, and Anubis likewise observed from where they stood between the wall boulder and the entrance to the residential hall. Sage could faintly hear Kento's attempt at conversation with their new guest and ally. "Kento," Kento paused when Trakar spoke and waited patiently as the Reptilloid turned his entire body to face him, apparently unable to simply turn slightly. Even using Kento's proper name seemed a monumental achievement. Trakar stared at him a brief moment, looking at once regretful and annoyed. "I appreciate you trying to help me acclimate to your world, but we Reptilloids have no need of nutritional sustenance as you do. Even simple luxuries such as sleep and defecation are forever lost to us."
"So you can't have a good nights rest or pee or poop, it sucks, I know. Believe me, I know! But think of this as part of reconnecting with your past life. We all gotta start somewhere," Kento insisted and held out the sushi-laden toothpick to Trakar. The Reptilloid eyed it warily and flicked a glance up at Kento before reaching out and pinching it gingerly between his thumb and index finger, moving his entire arm instead of just his wrist. Kento watched eagerly as Trakar inserted the sushi roll into his mouth and pulled it off of the toothpick. He began to chew slowly.
"It tastes like..." Trakar began. Kento clenched his free hand and grinned. "It tastes like..." Trakar's jaw worked from side to side. He finally swallowed and tilted his head up at Kento. "Molecules," he admitted in his deadpan tone and turned to walk away. Kento let his arm hang at his side and pouted in disappointment. Not one to be deterred, he followed Trakar quickly, still holding the sushi platter.
"Hey, molecules is a start! Maybe you can build up a database or something and use that to analyze different flavors and stuff!"
"Hnn..." Trakar made an exasperated groan as Kento remained dutifully at his side. Sage watched the entire exchange, amused.
"Hey, maybe you can ask if Eyurodin can hook you up with like food processors, kinda like what WILDCAT and the Pegasi use!"
"Geod and Totalitary tech is ill-compatible..." Sage blinked upon hearing Trakar's response. He wondered why he kept pronouncing "god" as "gi-odd"...
"Looks like he's managing to fit in just fine around here," Ryo chuckled.
"I guess Kento feels a sort of connection with him," Dais remarked.
"Yeah, food is practically a universal language for him," Ryo grinned.
"Yes...he seems to be...rather hungry for knowledge..." Anubis sighed, drawing concerned glances from Ryo and Dais.
"...You okay?" Dais asked, scowling. Anubis sounded almost distraught, for lack of a better word.
"Oh, it's nothing...It's just...well, I gave him a first edition copy of Shakespeare's complete works...it seemed only fitting, what with us both being former servants of evil and all...and...well...he...uh" Anubis clenched his jaw uncomfortably, as if struggling to speak. "...ate... it.." Anubis replied bleakly. Ryo and Dais exchanged glances, looking confused before looking back at Anubis.
"You're not talking figuratively, are you?" Ryo raised an eyebrow.
"No...he, um...did something with his headgear..." Anubis twirled a fingertip over his temple. "And drew it into himself...and...that was the last I saw of it...that was a first edition..." he lamented piteously, his gaze distant and haunted.
"Uhh...sorry for your loss?" Ryo remarked awkwardly. He and Dais said nothing for a few moments while Anubis stared off into space bleakly. Ryo averted his gaze and made a face. "I guess it's kind of a bitter pill to swallow..."
"Yeah, it's alot to digest," Dais added.
"I mean, it is Shakespeare, so you've definitely given him food for thought."
"It's alot to chew on that's for sure..." Anubis threw them an angry scowl and growled softly through his bared teeth while Ryo and Dais sniggered under their breath.
"Okay, I'm heading topside. It's been a busy day for us dads. See ya," Ryo waved and took his leave. Dais waved a cordial goodnight and turned towards the hallway. Anubis said nothing and retired to his room to sulk. Danae would be on her way soon enough with little Darius. Dais' mind still whirled with recent events, not just their reunion and the appearance of the Four Queens, but the idea of being a parent. He could only hope to make the most of their time together before the End Tide. The doors to Dais' room slid open and he stepped inside.
Something moved quickly from off to the side and Dais felt something moist press against his nose. Before he could wrench free, a pungent odor infiltrated his nostrils and he went limp, his single eye sliding shut. Before he blacked out completely, he could feel hands slipping under his arms…
Dais slowly came to and glanced about sleepily. He spotted a familiar setting: a room aboard the Blue Isis. His gaze roved to the side and he saw his mother leaning against the wall next to the window, and through it, a view of the Earth from space. Dais shook his head briefly and sat up in bed, swinging his legs to the side. He glanced from the window to Caroline, surprise shifting quickly to anger. "Are you serious? Again!? You pull this shit again!? What, is this about that stupid 'goal' of yours?! I thought you'd already gotten everything you wanted! You got your stupid treasure, you're set for life, and still you're not satisfied? If you need help there is such a thing as asking you know! You had plenty of opportunities in the day, there's no reason to pull this cloak-and-dagger shit!" Dais raged.
Caroline said nothing and stepped away from the wall, turning to the side slightly. She had her arms folded over her chest and her fingers clasped around her upper arms. "Stupid me, I took you at your word that you were going to turn things around! Not even for your own grandson are you willing to abandon this lifestyle of yours! It's not enough the stress you put Danae through, but you don't even have the decency to take Darius into consideration!" Caroline kept her eyes closed as she raised her eyebrows and bobbed her head from side to side while Dais got things out of his system. "Why can't you just retire to an old folks home and play bingo like normal people? Or find yourself a nice island in the middle of nowhere and leave both of us in peace!" Dais showed no sign of stopping anytime soon and Caroline took in a sharp breath through her teeth before opening her mouth to speak.
"Dais, I have Alzheimer's." Caroline said abruptly with a tightness in her voice. Dais' eye widened slowly and he fell quiet as he fully registered the statement. That certainly came out of left field… Caroline waited a few moments for her confession to sink in before taking a deep breath once more. "It's a rare form of early onset. It started cropping up in my late forties. That's the real reason we didn't return sooner. That's the real reason Gage died. Your father moved Heaven and Earth to try and find a cure...and it cost him his life. You might've noticed I tend to space out from time to time?" Sure enough, Dais could recall moments during their escapades together when his mother seemed to lose focus, such as aboard the Blue Isis during dinner, or before battle. "Richtho tea can slow the progression to a degree, but its not a cure, and eventually neural deterioration starts to outpace the tea's restorative properties, and I'm slowly approaching that point.
"I can't put into words how it feels, being a prisoner in your own body, beating at the back of your eyeballs with no hope of escape." She wasn't lying: this wasn't something she said off the cuff to shut him up or throw him off-guard. Dais could hear the raw terror in her voice and see anxiety etched alongside age lines. "I've scoured Raaezen and the Traedeskaton from top to bottom and Thangiens don't have a cure. It's just not something they've ever had to deal with. Maybe it's genetics, maybe it's their diet, who knows: I wasn't born a Thangien and I don't live on Thanged.
"I've done too much and come too far to waste away in a wheelchair, stewing in my own piss and drugged half out of my mind. I've got too much to live for, but I can't fight without help. Dais, I'm not asking this as some treasure-starved pirate on a last quest for glory," Caroline turned to face Dais, her eyes etched with uncertainty. "I'm asking as your mother." Dais said nothing at first, staring solemnly.
"...What do you need me to do?" he asked and shrugged. Caroline walked off to the side towards a metal pedestal holding what looked like an ornate tablet covered in symbols protected by a clear dome.
"This tablet I recovered might hold the key to a cure. It references contact between the Inca people and an alien being that possessed extraordinary healing abilities, but I'm not an expert on ancient languages, Arthur was, and he's dead. He had one other confidant, but he passed away as well. Some sort of building collapse a few years ago. Recovery crews said it looked like something melted half of the building with acid…" Dais raised an eyebrow upon hearing that and averted his gaze thoughtfully. "He had a granddaughter, but she was little when Arthur took me to Japan.
"Heh, she kept asking him if he brought candy for her since he used peppermint oil for his joints. Then she complained he smelled 'icky' because of the cigars he'd smoke." Caroline smiled and tilted her head back as she recalled happier times in her youth. "He tried to convince her that the 'Bamboo-Cutter's Daughter' was a reference to alien contact in ancient Japan. It's been so many years, she'd have to be well into her mid-late twenties by now. She probably wouldn't recognize me after so long. She was a little bitty chatty princess…could sing anything in French..." Caroline chuckled and rapped her fingertips against the clear dome over the tablet. Dais blinked and glanced from side to side.
"...This professor friend of yours...his last name wouldn't happen to be Koji, would it?"
Trakar walked down the residential hall slowly, intending to explore the premises some more. He paused and tilted his head to the side when he heard excited voices and heard approaching footsteps. "Hey! You're new around here, aren't you? I haven't seen you before," Davie beamed as some of the Neo Ronin gathered around Trakar.
"Look, Harry! He's digigrade!" Harlann squawked as he knelt down beside Trakar and leaned close to his legs.
"What the heck's he yammerin' about?" Harry commented.
"It means he walks on his tippy toes!" Harlann replied excitably.
"He means 'digitgrade'. Species such as Humans, Thunthen, and Thangiens are plantigrade, meaning they walk on their heels," Edward explained. Trakar had yet to say anything and glanced from each of the human youths. These had to be proteges of the Ronin, blessed by the Lady of Flames...
"Hey! I wonder if he'd let us ride him!" Harlann beamed as he clambered atop Trakar's back between his tail and spines.
"I certainly would not!" Trakar retorted and promptly bucked Harlann off his back, with Harlann landing on the floor nimbly.
"Cool! He speaks! Hi! My name's David Osmond! What's yours?" Davie introduced and extended a hand. Trakar leaned close, bringing his nose within an inch of Davie's face. Davie watched amazed as Trakar's irises reconfigured, giving him the unnerving impression of staring into a mirror as he saw his own eyes in Trakar's. The irises reverted to their original color. "Hey! Check it out! he scans your eyes!" Davie reached out and grabbed Brainpan, all-but shoving him infront of the metal-clad saurian. Before Edward had a chance to object, Trakar greeted him in similar fashion before turning his head to Crystal Hacker.
"Oooh! Do me next! Do me!" Harlann piped up and waved his hands, flexing his fingers excitedly.
"So, what, ya do that to make sure no one gets replaced by evil clones or somethin'?" Harry asked.
"Maybe its so he can, you know, like use our eyes to hack systems and bypass stuff?" Harlann suggested. Trakar cocked his head to the side, puzzled by the giddy mood as the Neo Ronin exchanged all manners of theories about him. Eyurodin had chosen very curious champions…
Mia had just finished feeding Ryu and tucking him in for a nap when she heard the doorbell ring. Most everyone remained down in the Roost or had headed out and about for the day. She shut the door behind her and jogged downstairs, wondering who'd be stopping by in the morning. Mia opened the door and blinked in surprise upon seeing Dais and Captain Caroline Wendell standing on the stoop.
"Heya Mia, you've met my mother before, right?" Dais jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the elderly space pirate, who waved politely. "Listen, this might sound like an odd question, but did your grandfather happen to know a man by the name of Arthur Halley?"
"That nut?!" Mia recoiled slightly and grimaced.
"I honestly don't know why I didn't put two and two together earlier. We practically spent a week together in that Nether Realm, I would've asked her then if I'd known. I guess being married to Sanada threw me off. The joys of getting old, right?" Caroline commented as she and Dais sat on a sofa in the den. They looked up when the door opened and Mia entered holding a tray with a single cup and saucer and a steaming teapot. She nudged the door shut behind her and approached them.
"Well I'm terribly sorry to hear about the diagnosis..." Mia commented as she set the tea tray down on the coffee table. Caroline whispered thanks and picked up the porcelain cup filled with bright-green liquid. "How...how can you stand to drink so much Richtho tea? Thankfully I've never had to drink any myself, but I've heard nothing but bad things..." Mia grimaced as she seated herself across from her.
"Honestly, I've gone taste-blind after so many years," Caroline muttered and wrinkled her brow after quaffing her cup and setting it on the table.
"I'm not entirely sure what help I can be. Grandfather rarely ever spoke of associates outside of Shinasha."
"Arthur and your grandfather were all big into hidden messages: ciphers, codes, secret inks, that sort of thing. Please, Mia, if there's anything, anything at all, it could mean everything. Even if it seems innocuous," Caroline begged and splayed her fingers, tilting her palms up. Mia bit her lip and rose from her seat. Dais watched quietly as Mia walked over to a display case and pulled the cabinet open. She reached between plaques and awards and retrieved a black-and-white photo in an ornate frame. It showed a man with long grayish hair and a thick mustache alongside a man with receding white hair, round cheerful cheeks, and peaked eyebrows. She walked back to the sofa and handed it to Caroline.
"Grandfather said there was a story behind this old picture and that he'd tell me someday, and, well, that someday never came..." Mia trailed off and sat back in her seat. Dais frowned sympathetically, since Mia had lost her grandfather at the hands of the Dynasty years ago. Caroline stood up and moved away a step, turning it over a few times, scrutinizing the photo: frame and all. She glanced at Mia and raised her eyebrows slightly. Mia grasped her request and nodded in approval, and Caroline thumbed open the fastenings and gently tweaked the photo out of the frame, setting the frame on the coffee table. She turned the photo over and reached up, pressing a button on her headpiece.
Dais didn't know what to think when he saw his mother's face light up with excitement. She pulled her hand away from her headpiece and splayed her fingers, shaking her hand as she began speaking. "'My Dearest Professor...I have made a most astounding discovery!'" Both Dais and Mia sat bolt upright in their seats, with Mia scooting towards the edge, eyes wide in rapt attention as Caroline read aloud words written long ago, intended for her dearly departed grandfather...
"'An exquisite tablet of solid gold, adorned with markings of the like I have never seen! This may very well be the breakthrough I have longed for, but I dare not remove it from its housing! Not for fear of any trap, but of what might happen if unsavoury individuals get their hands on it! If what is inscribed aligns with my theories, this could have far-reaching repercussions the world simply is not prepared for. No, I must keep this a secret, to all but you and I. They are always watching, waiting for me to slip up and swoop in to seize the prize. I entrust this to you, my old friend, in hopes that you can finish what I started, and if not you, then perhaps that very clever granddaughter of yours. My health is not what it used to be. I fear this may be the last correspondence between us. I can only hope my family is sufficiently cared for, and that you and yours enjoy similar prosperity. Most Sincerely, Arthur'…"
"Thanks a ton, Mia! This means the absolute world to me!" Caroline stated as she carefully reassembled the frame and held it out to Mia, who accepted it awkwardly.
"What was that all about? 'they are always watching'? What on Earth was he talking about: 'Men in black'? That's a conspiracy theory!" Mia scoffed, wrinkling her brow as Caroline turned to leave the room. The elderly space pirate paused and turned to the side, glancing at Mia over her shoulder.
"Is it?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. Mia clutched the photo close to her chest, confused. "They're the reason Gage and I had to cut our honeymoon short. Gage wasn't exactly keen on letting his loyal swabbies get dissected. Bunch of amoral xenophobic busybodies...you'd have cures for cancer and the common cold by now if it weren't for them! The Ronin have already had a run-in with them. I heard they tried to assassinate Tanya and ambush Kento, and they tried to abduct Anubis in Arizona. You all should keep your heads on a swivel...not all of your enemies are going to be aliens and demons…" with that cryptic warning, Caroline sauntered out of the room.
Dais walked over to Mia and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, can you tell Danae I'll be back after this is all finished? Thanks," he whispered before taking off after his mother. Mia nodded and watched him leave the den. She turned the photo up in her hands and gazed down at it, wondering what old Arthur had found that had sworn not just him to secrecy...but her grandfather as well…
Caroline jogged downstairs swiftly with Dais close behind. "Dais?" Dais paused at the foot of the stairs and looked to the side where he saw Sehkmet standing in the shadows next to the wall. Caroline glanced over her shoulder and nodded signaling she'd wait for him outside.
"Heya Sehk! Listen, it's alright. I'm not being kidnapped again or anything. You don't have to worry," Dais chuckled and waved slightly.
"She's sick, isn't she?" Dais stiffened upon hearing that remark. Sehkmet's beady eyes conveyed he had more to divulge on the matter and Dais approached warily. "Anubis' first wife died from cancer, and so did the caretaker your mother entrusted you to. Are you noticing a pattern?" Sehkmet began, keeping his voice low. Dais narrowed his single eye, confused at first. "When Talpa called the three of you back into service, he wanted to ensure you had no emotional attachments to interfere with your duties. He ordered Badamon to arrange…'circumstances' by which those close to you would meet tragic ends. He ignored Michelle, believing she would die without her parents to care for her. Obviously that proved false, and she's grown up into quite a capable young woman.
"Badamon expected your mother to wither away, but she's fought fate with every fiber of her being and persevered against all odds. Whatever friction there might be between the two of you...she's the last remaining link to your modern past...and she's worth saving. Do what you can for her," Sehkmet begged. The tone of his voice indicated he held other details back, perhaps his own role to play in these "circumstances", but he couldn't quite bring himself to admit it. Of the four former Dark Warlords, only he survived the failed attack on the Totalitary, and endured centuries alone in madness as a result. Dais nodded understandingly, sensing the guilt weighing on Sehkmet's soul.
"Don't worry...I will...I realize that now. Thank you," Dais nodded and clapped Sehkmet on the shoulder before heading for the door. Dais strode out onto the front lawn where Caroline had parked Blue Isis. She'd already fired up the engines and the gusts from the thrusters sent grass and branches swaying all around. Dais stepped onto the platform lift and held onto the cable grip as it retracted. He made his way to the bridge where he found Caroline seated in her command chair. Dais paused and glanced around the bridge, not seeing any of the other crewmembers. "uh...where is everyone?"
"They're on Thanged, enjoying some well-deserved shore leave."
"What!? How the hell are we supposed to operate this thing?!" Dais exclaimed, exasperated.
"I can run the ship just fine from here," Caroline assured and tapped the side of her headpiece. The ship rose into the air slowly as Caroline typed commands into her armrest panel.
"So...I'm not entirely sure what all you got from that letter besides a final farewell."
"Coordinates!" Caroline replied and wiggled her eyebrows. "Arthur did his homework before his passing. Here I thought there was some dimensional travel shenanigans I overlooked, and the key to everything's been right under our noses all this time." The ship turned about slowly. "Arthur was a huge proponent of the whole 'ancient aliens' theory. He postulated artifacts such as the Phaistos Disk, Antikythera Mechanism, and Voyneich Manuscript were actually alien artifacts, something of a galactic travel brochure provided Humans were clever enough to decipher them," Caroline explained and pressed her knuckles against her cheek.
"Did others share his beliefs?" Dais asked. Caroline flicked him a look and shook her head.
"Absolutely not! They laughed him out of academia! Even Carl Sagan thought he was off his rocker! Well, Arthur ended up getting the last laugh. He found the treasure and all those snobs have to their name are worthless diplomas and plaques. Mia's grandfather was the only one who believed him, so much so he funded part of Arthur's first expedition. Oh, if he had just held on a few years longer, the things I could have shown him!" Caroline lamented and sighed and sagged back in her command chair. "Consider yourself lucky, Dais." Dais glanced at her sharply and opened his mouth to protest, not considering his life under Dynasty thralldom to be at all lucky. "You got the chance to amend your mistakes...I almost didn't,"Caroline whispered. Dais' expression softened and he folded his arms over his chest. He bit his lip and moved his jaw from side to side.
"...Before we go off seeking this 'last resort' of yours...would you be willing to try something different?" Caroline flicked a glance at him, raising an eyebrow. "I know you said you exhausted a lot of options, but maybe there's some you overlooked! Obviously Arthur didn't feel comfortable sharing this secret, even with you, and there might be a reason.
"During our war against Beastlord, one of-" Dais caught himself and shook his head, almost referring to Kento as a "friend". "One of the others nearly succumbed to an illness we couldn't cure. We nearly gave up all hope. You've heard of the Last Bangukian, right?"
"I have...last I heard she was living as a hermit in the jungles of her world…"
"Well we found her, and she was able to cure him! She's currently on Thanged where she works with the staff of the Traedeskaton and Raaezen to share her techniques. There's a chance-however slim-that she might be able to help you. What do you think? Would it be worth a try?" Dais encouraged. Caroline eyed Dais skeptically but sighed and relented upon seeing the earnest look on his face.
"I suppose we might as well...I've got a few pit-stops of my own to make anyway." Dais smiled in relief. "Say...you wouldn't happen to know a good priest, would you?" Dais frowned awkwardly.
Blue Isis looked very much out of place parked in the thick forests of the Scottish Highlands next to a small remote chapel. Caroline had headed inside while Dais remained outside pacing alongside the wall. He paused and turned to study the large ornate stained-glass window dominating the side of the chapel. This was the first time he'd been to the chapel himself, but he'd heard descriptions of it from Tanya, Kaosu, and Shannon. The window depicted the first Lady Ronin, Mardrena Lockehart, clad in her Armor of Typhoon suspended by gusts of wind. Dais cocked his head to one side.
"You're probably laughing at me right now...Look at me, running errands with my mother," he commented, reminiscing about all their bouts centuries ago. He glanced to the side when he heard the chapel door creak open and saw Caroline and Father Malcolm Douglas round the corner and walk over to sit down on the stone benches outside. "So, spill any juicy details?" Dais teased.
"I am sorry, my son, but Canon Law forbids me to divulge what was said behind closed doors. What was spoken remains between the two of us and the Lord," Father Douglas raised a hand solemnly.
"It's a shame you sat out of the Blood Dawn festival. You might've been able to preach to a bigger flock than what'd you find here," Dais commented. Malcolm folded his arms over his chest.
"Ahh yes...the Children of Esau...I've heard plenty about them…" he frowned.
"'Esau'?" Dais raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Biblical history," Caroline began. "Esau was the brother of Jacob, who scammed him out of his inheritance. Jacob wound up making a better leader, being more level-headed. The brothers remained bitter enemies until Jacob buttered him up with gifts and they reconciled."
"Huh...interesting...the Thangiens have a similar view about the Celestial Brothers. Some argue they might've turned out differently if Thangor stayed in charge, while others felt he would've rolled out the red carpet for the Thunthen."
"I do not presume to know all there is to know of the Four Angels who claim stewardship over their world," Father Douglas began. "But in the Lord, all things are possible, and if it be His will that you persevere in your quest, it shall be so. I wish you well on your travels, Captain Wendell."
"Hey, Methuselah lived nearly a thousand years. I'd be content with a fraction of that," Caroline chuckled and got up from the bench, bowing slightly to the Scottish priest before turning to board Blue Isis. Dais moved to follow and looked over his shoulder at Father Malcolm Douglas, who waved a solemn farewell. Dais found it odd he referred to the Thangien Goddesses as "angels".
A woman busied herself with hanging clothes on a line outside a quaint two-story farmhouse in the middle of North Dakota. She yelped and recoiled when a blast of air sent sheets and shirts billowing on the line and knocking over her coffee can full of clothespins. She recovered and looked up in time to see the air shimmer as Blue Isis parked itself on an open patch of land a ways from the house. The woman fumed and stooped down to gather her things as the engines idled. She glanced at the ship again and seethed when she saw the elderly space pirate walk towards her. Dais remained next to the ship and remained quiet as Caroline approached the farm house.
"What the hell do you want!" Arthur Halley's daughter snarled.
"Well hello to you too…" Caroline commented sarcastically. Inside the farmhouse, the grandchildren crowded around the windows while the son and husband lingered on the porch.
"What, you think just because you drop off a little bit of gold, that means all is forgiven?"
"I dunno, maybe?" Caroline shrugged and threw up her arms slightly, grimacing awkwardly.
"Well we've got nothing to say to you! Go on and leave! You've caused our family enough trouble!" the woman hissed and gathered up her laundry basket and turned towards the house. Caroline hung her shoulders and looked skyward, looking as exasperated as when Dais had blown up at her.
"Do you know why your father decided to stay here instead? You were his greatest treasure!" Caroline snapped desperately, and the woman paused and turned back to face her, her face still full of bitterness. "If Arthur had come with me, he might've gotten killed instead of my husband! But you know what, maybe things worked out the way they were meant to. Arthur got to spend his final days with the people closest to him, and I've since gotten the chance to reconnect with my son." The woman's gaze roved about as she digested Caroline's words. She set her jaw and turned to walk towards the porch. Caroline sighed and shrugged and turned towards the Blue Isis.
The youngest grandson ran out the door, dodging the grasping hands of his father and uncle and rushing past his mother, who had her arms too full to catch him as he scampered over towards the departing space pirate. He came to a stop and tugged the back of her surcoat. Caroline paused and turned to the side slightly, looking down at him. "Here, this is for you!" he chirped and held up a simple paper boat. Caroline stared down at it, saying nothing at first. She reached down and accepted the paper boat from him, turning it about in her hand.
"That's very sweet of you...thank you," she nodded and smiled, her voice cracking slightly. The mother stormed over and grabbed her son by the arm and dragged him back towards the farmhouse, scolding him under her breath. Caroline and Dais boarded the ship and returned to the bridge. Dais noticed how Caroline set the little paper boat on the armrest of her command chair. "Got a stop to make in the Redali System before we head to Thanged proper," Caroline muttered as Blue Isis rose into the air and rotated before shooting up into space. Dais rapped his fingertips against his arms, thinking about what Father Douglas had said and his mother's remark to that woman. Dais glanced down at Caroline as she toggled controls to bring the burst drives online.
"You know...you could've given us a heads up about the Four Queens."
"Dais...is there a part about 'watch yourself around them' you didn't understand?" Caroline glanced back at him and wrinkled her brow. Dais grimaced awkwardly and shrugged.
"W-Well, how was I supposed to know that'd mean they'd be actual gods?"
"You really need to stop being such a skeptic. I'd think you of all people would know better," Caroline retorted. Dais opened his mouth to protest but paused and relented. The burst drive would take them to their destination in a matter of moments. "You ever hear the story about how the Natives came to be?" Caroline asked from where she slouched in her chair with her palm braced against her jaw.
"According to Azuro it involved a Freelander, a unicorn, and copious amounts of moukiri..." Dais replied and grimaced awkwardly.
"Well that's one of the more bawdier versions..." Caroline shrugged and rapped her fingers against her cheek. "See, the way I heard it: There used to be two Guardian-class races in this neck of the woods. One-you of course know-is the Totalitary. The other was called the Peh'qu'tour, and the reason why all of Thuruk seems like one big Goldilocks Zone is because they treated it like their personal petri dish," Caroline began and made a circling motion with a fingertip. "The Totalitary believed Younger Races were fundamentally flawed and needed to be 'fixed'. The Peh'qu'tour thought they just needed a little fine-tuning and started tinkering on a genetic level, trying to nudge up-and-coming species in the right direction," Caroline made a twisting motion with her wrist like turning a screwdriver. "One day, God decided to throw them a curve-ball and dropped primitive humans on their staging world, what would later become known as Thanged."
"Whoa whoa whoa, wait, what? God?" Dais made a face.
"Yes, God, don't interrupt me," Caroline chided and raised a finger. "The Peh'qu'tour were perplexed: how could these skinny, scrawny, hairless apes be God's 'perfect creation'? Ages prior, God stashed a population of unicorns on the world for safekeeping. The Peh'qu'tour decided to do a bit of experimenting with unicorn test subjects, creating a new species in their image. Far from being grateful for their uplift, the Natives were unruly, vulgar, going so far as to attack their creators.
"The Peh'qu'tour were horrified: how could something they designed to be perfect behave so ugly? Then realization hit them: by tampering with unicorns, and presuming to one-up God, they committed a grievous sin. Unicorns aren't cutesy decorations on backpacks or symbols misappropriated by stuffy nobility or the deranged. They're avatars of God's power: fingerprints of Creation left over from the Dawn of Time. In an effort to evade God's wrath and serve penance, they forcefully devolved their entire race, so that they would have to start over from the beginning and re-learn what they'd forgotten in their ascension to Guardian-class. They live now as the Pegotaur that haunt the Eastern Jungle."
Dais' single eye roved about as he tried to process the strange tale. "Hey, scoff all you want, but in the Eastern Jungle there's structures so sophisticated, there's no way the Natives could've built them by themselves. The stonework makes even Bainshaebo look like Lincoln Logs."
"…what the heck are Lincoln Logs?" Dais muttered. So what you're saying is we could've had a Guardian-class ally against the Totalitary but for their arrogance. I wonder if it's the fate of these "elder races" to collapse under their own hubris. They consider themselves superior and beyond "mortal" weakness, but in reality are no different. Dais blinked and looked forward at the main screen when a shrill beep echoed through the bridge. A grid showed a distant object approaching Blue Isis.
"SHIT! Curator!" Caroline hissed through her teeth. She activated the ship's stealth field, but the Curator apparently already sniffed out Dais and turned in their direction. "You need to conceal the ship while I calibrate the burst drives. I only need thirty seconds!" Caroline's fingers flew over the armrests' keypad as the Curator vessel crept closer. She remembered how much stress Dais endured the last time.
"...No...You know what, I've had enough of these 'elder races' thinking they can do with us as they please," Dais snarled and stepped away from the command chair, pacing forward to the center of the bridge. "Hey! You! You over-sized tin can! You want me so bad? Come and get me! I'm right here!"
"Dais! What the hell do you think you're doing! They can restrain you before you have a chance to summon your Armor!" Caroline hissed, pausing in activating the burst drive.
"You think its your God-given right to go around scolding us like naughty children, I'll teach you a lesson: not to mess with a Ronin Warrior!" Dais shouted and threw out his arms tauntingly. Caroline half-rose out of her chair when a column of light appeared on the bridge, enveloping Dais. He seemed to fade from the outside in: first skin, then muscle, organs, then bone, and he vanished completely.
Caroline stared at where he'd been in numb shock. She sat back down and hurriedly toggled controls, trying to activate Blue Isis' weapons systems as the Curator started to turn, planning to leave with its prize onboard. Caroline recoiled when she saw a flash of light out the corner of her eye and looked up at the main screen. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the Curator vessel erupt from the inside out, debris scattering like a smashed glass sculpture. Amid the wreck, sensors identified a flailing humanoid figure: Dais in his Armor of Illusion. Caroline activated one of the side airlocks, opening the door for Dais. He fired his morning star, snagging a rail within and pulling himself towards Blue Isis. Caroline pressed additional controls, putting the ship on standby and promptly got out of her seat and stormed out of the bridge and down the corridor.
Dais had the sense to keep his helmet on as the airlock closed and cycled through, waiting until the inner hatch turned green and opened. He removed his helmet and stepped inside as Caroline stalked over to him. "That'll teach'em. Poor bastards didn't know what hit 'em-" Dais began and turned to face Caroline. Everything happened so fast he didn't know what to to think when Caroline pulled her arm back and slapped him hard across the face enough to send him reeling then shot out with her hand, grabbing him by the armor collar and pulling him back up to face her.
"DON'T YOU EVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT AGAIN!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs, her face flush with rage. "DO YOU HEAR ME?! DON'T YOU EVER DO ANYTHING THAT STUPID EVER AGAIN!" Then just as quickly, Caroline threw her arms around Dais and buried her face between his neck and shoulder.
Dais stared ahead blankly, blinking stupidly, not sure what to make of what just happened. He'd always thought his biological mother considered him a tool: a means to an end, but she really did care for him. He looked down when he heard Caroline sniffle and saw tears running down her wrinkled cheeks. "Hey, there's nothing to worry about. I'm fine. Besides, if you ask me, the Curator came out much worse for it," Dais smirked and looked to the side through a nearby porthole where they could see the drifting ruin of the Curator vessel. Caroline sniffled again as she regained her composure and looked up at Dais, marveling at this magnificent son of hers.
Several aliens that looked like purple octopi swathed in linen robes milled about the corridors of a ship. They staggered as the ship jolted and alarms sounded throughout the halls. "We are being boarded! It's the Blue Isis!"
"Confound that woman! All hands on deck! Ready arms!" the alien nicknamed Squidbert howled and the "squidlings" took up positions overlooking the airlock. The door hissed and swung open, and Captain Caroline Wendell emerged into the room with her son Dais following at her side. She raised both arms, leaving her sidearm holstered and her sword sheathed. Dais likewise raised his arms and surveyed the room full of squidlings with weapons trained on them.
I sure hope she knows what she's doing...I wouldn't be able to summon Armor in time, and they can shoot through illusions if they wanted to… Dais glanced from the alien leader to his mother.
"Hah! You decided to attack without the support of your precious 'crew'? What a fool you are!"
"Listen up, Squidbert. I've got some medical issues to take care of. I'm going to be out of action for some time. I just wanted to give you a heads up," Caroline stated. Squidbert's expression softened and he seemed to frown with his beaked mouth. "Don't let anyone take advantage of you while I'm gone, okay? You know I've been good to you throughout the years: I'd hate for someone to do you wrong."
"Oh...oh...oh dear...um...g-g-get well soon!" Squidbert lowered his sidearm, looking genuinely worried. Caroline turned around and nodded before walking towards the boarding shaft. Dais lowered his arms and noticed how the rest of the aliens stood down, lowering their weapons.
"...that...was surprisingly cordial…" Dais commented.
"He gets insurance payouts from lost cargo," Caroline replied and turned to the side slightly, shrugging. "Told ya we'd been doing this same song and dance for over twenty years."
I don't get it...what's with this whole 'apology tour' all of a sudden… Dais wondered as he recalled the visit to Father Douglas and Arthur Halley's family. Realization hit Dais like a brick and he paused infront of the airlock. She's making her peace…incase she doesn't come out of this alive... Dais stared ahead numbly at Caroline as she sauntered through the boarding shaft.
"Oy, Dais, get a move-on. I'd hate to leave you behind by accident," Caroline called.
"Huh? Oh, coming!" The two returned to Blue Isis and the boarding shaft retracted, leaving the squidlings in peace. Blue Isis veered away, coasting through space.
"Next stop, Thurukian System," Caroline stated as she keyed in commands. Dais stared ahead at the main screen solemnly. Another alarm sounded and an image appeared of an approaching ship.
"Great, it's another one of those dreadnoughts again...think we can just sneak past it?" Dais asked and looked down at his mother. She stared ahead blankly, her hand hovering over the command pad. She hadn't engaged either the burst drives nor the stealth field. "Mother? Mother!" Dais shouted in alarm. Caroline said nothing as she slouched in her chair limply, her gaze roving about. Dais glanced back at the main screen and hastily erected an illusion field around Blue Isis. The dreadnought hadn't given any indication that it'd spotted them, but it headed straight in their direction.
"Mother, I can shield us from sight, but not from impact. They'll collide straight with us if we don't move. I don't know how to operate this ship. I can't do this without you!" Dais hissed. Caroline's head rolled about her shoulders, not even registering anything Dais said.
"She almost had another episode when we ran into the dreadnought..." Dais remembered the remark he'd overheard from Ker Barzduk.
"C'mon, snap out of it…" Dais shook her by her shoulder. "MOM!" he cried frantically.
"...Gage...Gage...where are you?" Caroline croaked desperately.
"I can't put into words how it feels... beating at the back of your eyeballs with no hope of escape." Right now she remained lost within her own mind, unable to fight her way out. She needed someone to rescue her. Dais raked through his thoughts hurriedly, remembering the old yellowed photo the others had shown him from the file on his biological father, Gage Wendell.
"Carol...Carol, get up." Caroline stirred from her stupor slightly and looked up upon hearing a familiar voice. "Carol, get up. Remember your promise: Our son still needs you." Her eyes widened in a mixture of shock and joy upon seeing a tall man with short pale hair and piercing icy blue eyes. The man held a hand out to her, and she reached up slowly, their fingers twining. She rose from her seat shakily, and she felt young again, seeing herself as she was twenty years ago. She stared into Gage's eyes, and he smiled at her warmly. She reached out with her free hand, bracing it against the armrest of the command chair. "Take us home, Carol." She instinctively toggled the keys to fire the engines and Blue Isis veered out of the path of the dreadnought moments before the two ships collided.
Caroline blinked, finally coming out of her daze to see the ship a safe distance away from the dreadnought. She did a double take, glancing from the main screen to Dais, who stood at her side. He released her hand and let her slump into the command chair to process what had just happened. She set her jaw and inhaled sharply through her nostrils.
"That was a low-down dirty thing you did...messing with an old woman's mind like that…" she muttered. Dais frowned sympathetically, understanding her frustration at being so vulnerable. "...And I couldn't be any prouder of you for doing it…" Caroline added, smiling at him gratefully. Dais smirked. Caroline glanced at the armrest when she heard the crinkle of paper and lifted her hand, realizing she'd inadvertently crushed the little paper boat She picked it up and began smoothing it out with great care as Blue Isis cruised through space while the burst drives recharged. "...You got the hair wrong." Dais bit his lip and rolled his eye. "And the eyes were a bit off…"
"It was a black-and-white photo, so sue me!" Dais protested and shrugged.
Animals stared entranced at the clearing where the Last Bangukian, Almethea, sat playing an ornate flute. Captain Caroline Wendell sat opposite of her with her surcoat rolled down around her waist. Dais sat behind her with one hand on her shoulder. He hadn't realized how frail she actually looked without her uniform on, that beneath the swagger and bravado she projected, she seemed just a bony old woman. Caroline kept her eyes closed as the Healing Theme surged through the air. Dais couldn't feel anything different, no surge of power or flow of energy, but the Theme had saved Kento's life. Perhaps it could heal his mother. The Theme subsided and Almethea lowered the flute from her lips. She stared ahead at Caroline and tilted her head to the side slightly, narrowing her golden eyes.
"….I cannot cure you of this ailment," she admitted, broadcasting her voice through the air.
"Ah well, it was worth a shot," Caroline shrugged and slipped her surcoat back up over her arms and shoulders. Dais' heart fell.
"Have you considered the possibility that your life has simply reached its appointed end?"
"I thought about it, but I know I can squeeze a few more years out. I have to. I've got too much to live for. Not just my son, but my grandson. I have to at least try. I can't go without a fight."
"It is not selfish to wish to live for a purpose. I can only hope you find what you seek, and if not, then find comfort with those close to you."
"If you're on such good terms with Roth, why don't you ask her for help?" Dais asked as they stood up off the ground.
"It doesn't work like that, Dais," Caroline stated sharply as she straightened her surcoat. Dais frowned and raised an eyebrow. "It's called the Path, the Peril, and the Proving. The Goddesses aren't going to cure me with a snap of their fingers, even if I ask. I have to put in the appropriate legwork." Dais scowled, wondering how Thanged's Four Queens could play favorites. "Look, I'm not saying I like it, it's just the way things are. C'mon. There's one more stop before we return to Earth."
"What's my secret...Hmm...ain't no secret really. Just fresh air and good food, s'all…" Debiah Kubar grumbled and shrugged from where he sat on a stone bench outside his house in Kundain. The aging fyrhund Buster lay with his head between his paws, his branched tails swishing lazily.
"It's a bit late for me to change my diet, but I suppose it didn't hurt to ask," Caroline smiled and turned to leave. "Thanks for the advice." Debiah Kubar nodded solemnly. "Cooper."
"Uh-uh-I have no idea what you're talkin' about!" the elderly hermit chuckled uncomfortably and rubbed the back of his head.
"Oh don't be so modest now," Caroline purred and looked over her shoulder at him. "You were something of a bit of a role model for me during my college years. You know, to this day they still call it the 'greatest heist in history'…" Caroline smirked and headed for the Blue Isis. Debiah Kubar laughed merrily and waved farewell. Dais glanced at his mother as she walked past.
"'Cooper'?" he asked and frowned. Caroline waved a hand lazily.
"Before your time," she commented then paused and looked at him, biting her lip and making a face. "...After your time? Meh," she shrugged and continued walking.
Anubis walked towards his room in the residential hall. "YOU SLEPT WITH MY AUNT!?" He paused when he heard raised voices behind him. "YOU SLEPT WITH MY AUNT!?….IN YOUR ROOM?!" Anubis spotted Shannon stalking past, followed leisurely by Cale.
"Oh come now, girl. Your aunt is obviously well past the age of child-rearing, so it's not like you're going to have any sudden bundles of joy coming from us," Cale argued nonchalantly. Shannon made a funny growling-squealing sound and waved her arms about her head in frustration. Anubis watched until they passed out of view. He sighed, the fracas failing to elicit so much as a chuckle from him.
"Anubis." The former Warlord paused and turned around when he heard his name called and saw Trakar approaching him with his jerky, clanking gait. "I wanted to return this to you," Trakar said and held up something in his hands. Anubis didn't know what to think upon seeing his prized first edition volume of Shakespeare's works, fully intact and somehow in much better condition than ever before. He couldn't tell whether to feel resentful upon having a gift returned or ecstatic upon seeing the tome restored. Anubis stared at Trakar wide-eyed in shock as the Reptilloid handed the tome to him.
"I finished analyzing its data and transmitting it to the rest of my people on the homeworld. If a less-advanced race such as yours is capable of works such as this, then it gives me hope that there is life after vengeance for my people. I thank you for such a powerful gift. Truly, I am incapable of properly expressing my gratitude for such wondrous words." And with that, Trakar turned around and walked back down the residential hall to his personal chamber.
Anubis stood there staring after him and holding the first-edition volume in his hands. His mouth slowly turned up in a warm smile.
Wind whipped about inside the cavern that formerly housed Atahualpa's Ransom and a pair of cable discs descended through the root-choked opening in the ceiling. "Here I thought it was too big and too clunky to take along and sell, and it was here all this time…" Caroline muttered as she and Dais entered the spacious cavern. They approached a stone arch covered in intricate carvings. Dais noticed a rectangular impression on one side. Caroline reached under her surcoat and pulled out the golden tablet with the carving of the cloaked figure and the two men seeking supplication. She turned it forward and gently inserted it into the indention like a key. Dais recoiled a step as the air shimmered between the arch and a shadowy portal like a puddle of murky water appeared. "It's now or never. Here goes nothing," Caroline took a deep breath and stepped through the portal, followed reluctantly by Dais.
They found themselves in a dark chamber where a single shaft of light shone upon a short gnarled tree. The two approached warily. Dais' eye roved about the gloom, unable to discern much of the surroundings. "Well now...it has been quite some time since I have had visitors…" Dais' blood froze when he heard the hollow-sounding yet musical voice ring out from the darkness. It seemed part of the shadows moved and a figure cloaked in black slid out into the column of light. "Men once visited me, long ago...then they stopped, and I had not seen them since."
Yeah I can guess why... Dais regarded the being uneasily. It's body rippled like living shadow, but its face appeared white like an elongated skull. Spindly arms ending in needle-like fingers protruded from the dark blob. "So who are you supposed to be?"
"I have no name...but the ancient men called me...Supay…in honor of one of their gods. I am the humble steward of this," the being held one thin arm out towards the short tree. "They called it the Tree of Cha'ka'na, or the Tree of Life. It is capable of producing a single fruit which can heal all ailments and extend one's life...but it requires nourishment. I imagine that is why you are here?"
"Yes. If the inscriptions are correct, this may be my last chance…" Caroline admitted and stepped forward. The being slid to the side and beckoned her past.
"Wait, what kind of 'nourishment' are we talking about here?" Dais asked and glanced around the room some more. The "god" ignored him and hovered at Caroline's side.
"I can sense your illness. You are weary, burdened with worry. Come now. Is it not time for you to cast aside your troubles and awaken from your long slumber?" "Supay" enticed.
"Yes...yes, I suppose it is time…" Caroline muttered, her voice sounding tired and her eyes half-lidded. Dais felt his foot brush against something and heard a scrape on the ground. He looked down and gently kicked the object, sending it spinning briefly. His eyes fully adjusted to the gloom, and instead of a rock, he saw a skull staring up at him. He glanced to either side in dawning horror, and instead of lumpy rock, he saw bones: heaps and heaps of bones.
"Mother…?" Dais turned around slowly: the whole room seemed full of bones. "MOM!" Dais shouted frantically and turned towards Caroline. Supay surged forth, towering over him.
"NOW BE A GOOD LITTLE BOY! AND DIE FOR MOMMY!" the false god raised its spindly arm, brandishing claws as long and sharp as butcher knives. Dais' eye widened. He would not have time to summon Armor. He wouldn't even have time to rage and seethe over how his mother had duped him all this time and brought him here for this very purpose. The false god swung down with its claws.
Dais recoiled when a blade punctured the rippling shadowy cloak, coming within an inch of his face. Supay wailed and thrashed about, the butcher-knife claws coming dangerously close to Dais. Dais stared past the flailing false god and saw Caroline with her kopesh sword in hand, impaling Supay from behind. She struggled to keep balance as the false god screamed in rage. She twisted the grip about in her hand, wrenching the blade upward then to the side, nearly slicing Supay's arm off at the shoulder.
"TREACHERY! BETRAYAL! AAAHHH!" Supay wailed as liquid shadow spurted from his body. He twisted around, glowering down at Caroline and raised his other arm. He cried out and arched his back as six blades struck him from behind. Dais had summoned his Armor of Illusion and tore into Supay with his sickle blades. Supay twitched feebly and sagged towards the ground like a flimsy sheet.
"You were willing...to sacrifice eternal life...to...save your...useless son?" Supay croaked as he collapsed in his death throes.
"Hey...he's not completely useless," Caroline teased and sheathed her sword. She walked over to the slain false god and stooped down. "The inscriptions indicated the tree requires a blood offering: didn't stipulate from where." She cupped some of the black gooey blood in her palm and walked over to the short gnarled tree and turned her hand over, clenching her fist and sprinkling the shadowy ichor over the roots. Dais dismissed his armor and skipped past Supay's corpse and over to where his mother stood. She stared at the tree, waiting patiently. The tree gave no indication of responding.
"Ah well, looks like it was a dud all along. This thing must've preyed upon the Incan people for centuries, enticing them with false promises of immortality. Who knows how many poor fools he devoured." Caroline turned to the side and stared at the crumpled corpse. "Dais, take this lesson to heart: if something sounds too good to be true, chances are it is….oh what am I saying, you've probably already learned that yourself already," Caroline shrugged. "...you know...I used to resent Arthur for keeping all of this a secret, trying to take this knowledge to his grave...but now I realize why. The price he would've had to pay was far too steep for him, even for his family."
Dais' mind still raced, trying to process everything that had just transpired. Emotions ranged from shock, to anger, to resentment, to relief. He glanced at Caroline sharply, realizing she'd spent years trying to find this place and staked all her hope on this "cure". He remembered what she'd said about being willing to give up something precious to protect a child. "...What now?"
"Now? I keep searching. Who knows, maybe there's some dusty data tomes still left on the fringes of the Traghdoashin System...at least what didn't get sucked into the Nexxus Hole," Caroline trailed off and glanced at Dais. She blinked when she noticed him staring past her. She turned around and raised an eyebrow. A single purplish fruit had appeared, dangling from one of the gnarled branches. Dais remained where he stood but Caroline stepped towards the tree cautiously. The tree did not move, and when she carefully reached out, the branch did not recoil teasingly. She cupped the fruit in her palm and hesitated a moment before gently plucking it. It looked innocuous enough, like a fuchsia plum. Caroline turned it about in her hand before raising it to her mouth and biting into it. She chewed carefully, savoring every bite and licking juice from her lips. The fruit had no pit at the center and she ate it down to the remaining stem.
"….Feel any different?" Dais asked and cocked his head to the side.
"Not really...do I look any different? I'm not crumbling to dust or anything, am I?" Caroline asked and looked over herself and down her back.
"No more than usual," Dais teased. "I suppose we'll find out in time if it worked or not."
"I suppose so...though if I start calling you Bobby McGee, then you'll know it didn't."
"'Bobby'?" Dais made a face as Caroline walked past him towards the portal exit.
"Before your time….I think…" they exited the dimensional pocket, leaving the tree and the corpse of the false god behind. Caroline removed the tablet from its slot and the portal vanished. She turned the tablet about in her hand and Dais wondered if she intended to break it in half or leave it behind. She instead tucked it back inside her surcoat, probably feeling it'd be better to keep it as far from the portal as possible, but keep it intact for safekeeping. "Oh...Dais…" Caroline turned to face him. "Thanks...for giving an old space dog like me a chance," Caroline smiled warmly. Dais stared at her, remaining quiet.
"Hey, what are sons for?" Dais smirked and shrugged.
"I'm back. Sorry to keep you waiting. It was a pretty wild ride," Dais announced as he entered his room in the residential hall. He saw Danae standing over the crib they'd set up for little Darius. "Mother's alright and she said she'll stay out of our hair for a while," Dais joked and walked over. Danae turned to face him, looking neither angry nor upset. She stared at Dais, her brow wrinkled in worry. Dais frowned when he noticed her expression. Danae struggled to speak at first.
"...I-I-I think there might be something wrong with Darius," she whispered. Behind her, Darius lay curled in his crib, his eyes squeezed shut against the light of the room.
AOD Soundtrack
1. Cherubic Appearance-Northern Pastures-Two Steps From Hell
2. Vthia's Sentence-Creek Mary's Blood-Nightwish
3. She's A Pirate!-Impossible-Two Steps From Hell
4. Making Her Peace-Return to Sender-Thomas Bergersen
5. Echoes of Gage-A Place In Heaven-Thomas Bergersen
6. Captain Caroline Wendell-High C's-Two Steps From Hell
"I am the beginning of the story, its middle, and its end. I write what was, what is, and what shall be. My name...is Greytorata…"
"...Are...are you a god?" Eyes with black irises and glowing white pupils regarded Ryo solemnly.
Flawed Future
Author's Notes
Here's a new chapter to ring in the New Year! Sorry for the delay, I meant for this to come out earlier but had a lot to juggle. This chapter was mostly written it just needed putting together. Worldember wrapped up recently and I added new entries including pages for Trakar, The Cresta and the Imp, and Grand Cresta as well as some story breadcrumbs. Bestiary February just wrapped up as well so check that out for a look at the many critters to be found on Thanged and elsewhere.
I guess this could be considered a side-quest episode, but rest assured threads are coming together for a huge revelation in the future. I always envisioned Caroline sounding like Stockard Channing in her role as Barbara Gordon in Batman Beyond, though I imagine she's aged out of the role after so many years. She's taken over the role of story exposition from Rona, but this is the last we'll see of her for awhile. The next few chapters will be something of a mini-arc that will raise even bigger questions concerning the Ronin's past, present, and future.
Aside from Anubis, I always felt Dais had the best characterization of the Dark Warlords, with his unique combat style and constant shit-talking against Kento. The dialogue is slightly different from the original, but there is a scene in the penultimate episode of the OAS where he chews out Cale for still being a true believer then laments that "his own selfishness led him to this".
Genres have kind of shifted in Age of Defiance. While at its core it remains action/adventure, it's meandered from fantasy to science fiction, with Cataclysm War seeing a return to form against an otherwordly foe in Beastlord, while Spacequake leans more into space opera territory. At the core of most battles lies the interaction between magic and technology, how the Ronin deal with enemies they're unaccustomed to and how enemies interact with their mystical Armors. What would the result be of a perfect marriage between magic and technology? Stay tuned.