After the gods had vanished, Reece looked to Josefin for answers.
“They only appear when they must, and not for a moment longer,” she explained. “I can tell you one more thing. They once told me that our perception of them comes from within ourselves. We each see what we want to see. While they were once living beings, they are now much more than that. Hopefully, that was all the answers that you will need.”
“I believe it is,” replied Reece with newfound confidence. “Now, I need to get to the Asgard. Once there, I need to use its power to contact the Ganzir.”
“I don’t know how I can help you with that,” said Josefin in confusion. “We didn’t even know about the Asgard, same as you.”
“It’s okay,” replied Reece. “I didn’t realize it either, not until Heimdall mentioned it. Now that he did, I understand the images in my head better. I just needed context, and their piece of the nightcore to assist in powering the Asgard’s communications device. Is there an ancient frozen tree trunk in some part of this complex?”
Josefin blinked twice and shook her head as if she were trying to clear a fog from her mind.
“How did you know about that? When we first retreated to this place, we discovered it. Then, for reasons I don’t remember, we closed it off from the rest of the facility and conveniently forgot about it until...well...just now. It was like we were meant to ignore and forget about it...but, you know about it. How?”
“I was given visions by the goddess Shoki in Mexico. One of them was about the tree,” Reece enlightened her. “I can’t explain anymore, I don’t think I’m allowed. I think that the only reason that even I know about it is that there was no other option. It needs to be her children that reach out to her. Nothing else will do. However, we still need a catalyst to open the way. That is where the Norn comes in.”
“Alright, you know about the Norn too” replied Josefin as she internalized the new information. “Let me take you to the tree first. I’ll have the Norn meet us there.”
“Thank you. I’m going to need Ciera to accompany me.”
“Very well. In for a penny, in for a pound,” came Josefin’s answer after she took a deep breath to finish processing everything.
“Bjorn, can you hang tight?” asked Reece. “This is something that Ciera and I must do alone.”
“No problem,” smiled Bjorn. “It’ll give me some time to catch up with my cousin and get to know Ulla better.”
“Great. Well...lead the way,” stated Reece as he smiled and spread his arms to indicate they should get underway.
Josefin nodded and led the two through the facility. After passing through several hallways and a couple of modules, they found one hallway that had been closed off on the other end of one of the modules. It was a storage room and Reece, Ciera and Josefin had to move over two dozen crates to reveal the darkened hallway. It led about five meters before ending at a bulkhead.
“It’s safe to open,” said Josefin as she indicated the bulkhead door with her hand. “The tree is within.”
Reece grabbed and spun the large metal wheel on the door, disengaging the locking mechanism. Keeping his hands on the wheel, he pulled on it and the door swung open. A burst of cold air hit him from the other side of the bulkhead, and he turned his head for a moment to let it pass. There were no heaters within. Luckily for them, the room on the other side wasn’t large and began heating up quickly as the warm air from the rest of the complex rushed inside.
Reece took a longer look, noticing that the ‘room’ was more of a small natural cutout in the ice and snow. In the center of the far wall rested a wide tree with a large hollow in its center and thick roots sinking into the frozen earth that made up the floor of the cavern.
Reece turned to Ciera as he held out his hand to her. He had no idea what kind of tree it was, but he knew what he had to do. She took his hand and stepped closer to him. Reaching into his satchel, he brought forth the nightcore in his free hand and held it towards the frozen tree trunk.
As he did, the tree immediately reacted to the nightcore’s proximity and came alive. The tree’s hollow quickly grew to over two meters tall by over a meter wide. Within was a smooth surface of a sap-colored liquid that resembled a sepia-tinted mirror. Reece looked back and nodded to Josefin who looked on in amazement before regaining enough of her senses to nod back at him. Reece prepared to take Ciera into the portal with him.
“You don’t want to do that just yet,” came a female voice from behind the trio.
Turning, Reece beheld an ancient beauty, her lithe body gliding up to them. She was taller than Karina, but not by much. Her most distinguishing features were her ears. Long and pointed, they stuck up from her head like twin antennas. Freckles adorned her slender face, complimenting her bright green eyes. Reece took a moment to collect himself before he spoke.
“Okay. So, who are you and what do you mean?” he asked the otherworldly woman. “We are on an important mission...to save the world. We must enter the ship.”
“Oh, you will,” answered the lady. “First, let me introduce myself. I am of the Norn. You may refer to me as Verdandi if you have occasion to do so. To your second question, if you were to enter before I secure way, you will surely die a death most horrible. Does that sufficiently answer your questions?”
“Yes,” answered Reece, “And apologies. I didn’t know who you were at first.”
“It is quite all right,” replied Verdandi in a more soothing tone. “Now it is time for me to open the way. And as always, time is of the essence here.”
The Norn stepped past them and up to the smooth liquid surface of the portal and gently placed her left palm upon it. Bowing her head and whispering something in a language that Reece had never heard, she made the surface ripple slightly as a small burst of black energy dissipated from the mirror-like doorway. Smiling the Norn stepped back and indicated that they should proceed.
Reece nodded his thanks and then stepped forward and into the liquid, pulling Ciera with him. As Reece plunged into the liquid, he experienced a deep but not painful cold. Once he was completely inside, he felt weightlessness overtake his entire body. He could no longer feel Ciera and couldn’t see anything but blackness.
The cold quickly led to numbness and none of his senses reported anything to him. He was reminded of a sensory deprivation tank he had used once to impress a girl in his youth. He had freaked out then, but it was somehow different now. He felt calm and at peace.
Suddenly, he was standing in a strange room and the cold sepia-colored liquid splashed off his body and disappeared into the grate on the floor. Ciera appeared beside him in a bubble of the same liquid, slowly floating down. The moment her feet touched the grated floor, it was like the bubble reacted to normal gravity and came splashing down off her and through the grated flooring. Despite being completely coated in the sepia-colored liquid, they were both completely dry.
Reece took Ciera’s hand again as he took in their surroundings. The room they were in wasn’t a room at all. The grate they had been standing on was now grassy earth and the walls seemed made of fog. Wherever Reece looked, the fog would roll back and reveal more of their environment. It appeared they were in a forest. Remembering his visions, Reece looked over at Ciera.
“We’re both children of Inanna,” explained Reece. “We both need to focus for her to come forth. Then, if she feels like responding, she will present us with a ceremony. Whatever it is, we must perform it flawlessly. That’s the extent of what I know.”
“Okay, I’m ready,” replied Ciera.
The two of them stood facing each other and holding each other’s hands. Out of instinct, they put their foreheads together and began to concentrate on communicating with the goddess Inanna. Reece began repeating the goddess’s name under his breath, over and over. Soon, Ciera followed suit. The seconds ticked by, Reece holding firm that the goddess would eventually answer. Then he began to feel a tingling in the front of his head. He wasn’t sure what, but he knew something was happening. A few more seconds passed before the tingling tapered off to nothing.
Reece and Ciera continued to wait but were starting to worry that they hadn’t been deemed worthy, or maybe the goddess simply wasn’t interested. Just before Reece was about to end the meditative state he was in with Ciera, a woman’s voice resounded in his mind, both soothing and powerful.
“Greetings, my children,” said the goddess Inanna. “I am so pleased to meet you after such a long time. Everything will be okay now. I have seen your thoughts and know everything that you know. My self-imposed banishment has put me very far away from you and there is only one way for me to return. The two of you love each... and must now show that love. Your joining will allow me to be reborn unto the world. Only then can I help to undo some of what has happened in my absence. Now, awaken and perform the ritual.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Reece’s eyes flew open and he found himself staring into the beautiful brown irises of Ciera’s eyes as they stared back at him. She smiled impishly before lunging into his arms as he reflexively caught the beautiful woman. She gazed into his eyes from mere centimeters away for a moment before leaning in and pressing her lips to his. Ciera and Reece kissed... the passion was palpable.
They tore at each other’s clothes off, continued to kiss, grope, and fondle each other with ever-growing desire. Reece felt the goddess’s influence, manifesting in the lust and love he felt for Ciera. Inhibitions removed, he went along with the flow of things. He knew it was what they needed to do anyhow. Ciera didn’t seem to mind one bit.
While standing naked, entwined in each other’s arms, a luxurious bed appeared. Reece shrugged, gently pushed Ciera onto it, and slid on top of her. Together, the couple took their time enjoying each other. Something clicked in both of them and they knew it was time. Reece held Ciera tightly and they made love. For an eternity, they were the only two people in existence.
After the ceremony was complete, Reece lay recovering from the vigorous marathon with Ciera cuddled up next to him, half draped over his body. Smiling languidly, he thought back to Karina’s special word... moojie.... yep, he was definitely moojie right now. Looking down at Ciera’s sleeping form, he tenderly pushed her frizzy hair away and stroked her face and neck with his fingers, drawings little circles on her smooth skin. With a gasp, she bolted upright.
“Oh...my...goddess!” she cried before falling back onto the bed and arching her back almost to the point of breaking.
Then, she laughed as her arms and legs twitched madly as if she was in the throes of extreme pleasure. Her legs abruptly splayed themselves open lewdly and her belly seemed to grow full before their eyes. Another gasp of pleasure and she began to crown with a baby that wasn’t even there a minute before.
Reece watched as the baby came forth in a thin bubble of the same sepia liquid they had arrived in. The instant that the baby was clear, the bubble burst and the liquid melted away to nothing. They held each other as the baby, a girl, began to grow. Within another minute, a full-grown young woman lay nude before them.
She was a dark beauty, with snow-white wavy hair that flowed around her and brilliant green eyes. She had the slim perky body of youth and sported long pointed ears, the only feature that betrayed her inhumanity.
She smiled, opening her eyes wide to look around until they stopped on Reece and Ciera. Rolling onto her hands and knees, she faced the shocked couple. She grinned roguishly as her eyes flickered from Reece’s face to Ciera’s several times. Neither made a move, but Reece couldn’t help but admire the goddess’s attractiveness. She was the goddess of sex, after all.
She swayed her body seductively as she continued to study them, puffing out her chest to display her perfect perky breasts over a sleek stomach. Reece noted that, despite her birth, she had a cute belly button. Though it had served no purpose, it did make her look even more inviting. Seemingly reaching some internal decision, she abruptly leaned back while raising her hands and held them out towards the couple.
“Hi, mom. Hi, dad,” said the woman smiling playfully with a mischievous glimmer in her eye as she extended her arms. “It’s a girl!”
Dropping back down to all fours, she sensuously crawled on top of Ciera and kissed her passionately on the lips before kissing down her body. When Reece looked over to Ciera in bewilderment, he noticed that her typical gorgeous fuzzy afro had been instantly altered to exquisite cornrows that swept back and flowed behind her head by easily thirty centimeters. The new style gave an edginess to her beauty.
While Reece admired the goddess’s obvious handiwork, she turned her attention to him. Somehow still smiling sweetly, she slinked over to him where he was lying near Ciera. Before he could form another thought, she was on him and he felt her warm wet tongue enter his mouth and playfully do battle with his own. He found himself quite literally dizzy with ecstasy.
The shock of the intense feelings leveled off, and he noticed that she had straddled him. Ciera had also sidled up next to them and joined in the foreplay. In a fog of desire, the three of them spent a good deal more time finishing the ceremony...or that’s what he told himself they were doing. He wasn’t sure anymore.
“You have no idea how much I’ve needed that,” purred the goddess Inanna as she lay prone between Reece and Ciera, the two of them staring off into space in stunned silence.
Despite them both breathing hard from the exertion, they formed big contented smiles on their faces. Reece couldn’t be sure if Ciera felt the same way, but his body was buzzing with energy. He felt more alive than ever and ready to take on the world.
Finally finding himself grounded, Reece recalled the reasons they were there in the first place and was about to speak up when the goddess sat up and stretched. From her sitting position, Inanna floated up into the air, frilly black cloth forming around her body. By the time she floated back down to the earthy ground beside the bed, she was wearing a sexy black dress that hugged her form. She turned around and looked at the pair who found themselves fully clothed and standing before her. Reece looked back and forth in surprise. The bed was nowhere in sight.
“I know, I know,” sighed the goddess Inanna. “Play time’s over. It’s time to get to work.”
Ciera and Reece glanced at each other before nodding in agreement with the goddess. Reece noticed that Ciera’s entirely white outfit was a perfect combination of fashion and utility. Covered in loops, pockets, pouches, belts, and loops that all played together to create a sophisticated mesh of elegance. It left her arms bare and one hundred percent mobile. Sleek white boots, buckled up with several straps starting at her ankle and ending halfway up her calf, completed the outfit.
“Looking good,” said Ciera as she admired Reece’s outfit.
Looking down, he saw that he wore a similar outfit, but much more basic. A few flat pockets and a belt were all the extra adornments on his new vest and cargo pants. His boots were similar, only thicker to fit his legs and feet.
“These suits should serve you well,” informed Inanna. “They’ll adapt to your needs, so make sure you don’t lose them. More importantly, the rest of your abilities are now unlocked, but it’ll be up to each of you to discover them and develop yourselves to your complete potential. I’m sorry, but there are no shortcuts. I do have one more gift for you, however.”
The goddess bowed her head and held her hands out in front of her, in between Ciera and Reece. A wooden cup appeared in her hands, a cup that had a dark liquid within it. She then set the cup at their feet. Reece nodded and looked around, but his satchel was missing. He looked up at the goddess in alarm.
“Check your pocket,” she giggled, indicating the one on his right hip.
Confused, he reached into his pocket and the inside felt impossibly large. He had half his forearm pressed into the pocket before he felt the familiar roundness of the nightcore. Grasping it through its deep indentations, he pulled the item forth. For a moment, the pocket stretched incredibly wide but snapped back to size as soon as the nightcore had been liberated from it.
“Alrighty then,” he quipped, trying to take it all in stride.
He looked at the nightcore for a moment before kneeling and placing the nightcore atop the cup. As before, it took a minute before anything happened. Then the liquid came to life and snaked itself up the side of the nightcore and filled in more of the damaged area. Once the process had finished, the nightcore looked nearly whole. Reece figured that a couple more additions would complete it.
Satisfied that they were making great progress, he stood and smiled at the two women. His smile disappeared when he first saw Ciera’s look of worry and then Inanna’s face, frozen still with only the whites of her eyes showing. Just as Reece looked at her, she snapped out of the strange-looking trance and quickly looked at each of them.
“Shukzu! I thought we had more time,” cursed Inanna before collecting her thoughts. “Okay, you need to listen to me quickly and carefully now. You two need to go, right now. The enemy is close and very powerful, but you have powerful friends that are close too. I’ve given you what aid I’m able for now.”
“From here, head to Egypt,” instructed Inanna. “Another part of the Regenesis Orb is there. You must retrieve it before you face the head of the Order, for it is they that have the final part that you will need to complete it and finally restore things to the way they were always meant to be. Now go...and thank you for freeing me from this prison.”
Inanna smiled at them, her form fading away. The moment she disappeared completely, the heavy fog began moving back in. Reece hurriedly grabbed Ciera’s hand and quickly looked around. The fog was now rolling in rapidly, leaving not much more than a skinny path behind them. They ran together as the fog closed behind them.
Up ahead, Reece saw a sepia oval floating in the air. Seeing no other options, he and Ciera made their way for it. As soon as he reached it, he held the nightcore out ahead of him. The oval rippled and Reece stepped through with Ciera in tow.
The experience was much like how they had entered the Asgard, only now the couple stepped out of the hollow of the tree and the liquid didn’t stick but returned to the flat mirror-like surface within the ancient frozen tree’s hollow. As soon as he and Ciera were clear, the hollow closed back up. Reece quickly stuffed the nightcore back into his pocket and turned to leave. Standing in front of them was one of the three demi-gods they had met earlier.
“I hope you have good news,” said Heimdall with a deep scowl on his face. “You have a problem.”
Reece sighed before starting to chuckle under his breath.
“Let me guess,” he answered. “We have incoming?”
“That’d be an understatement,” replied the now dour demi-god. “I think they’re on to you. You’ve got not one, but two armies closing in on you, and fast. One from the sea to the west and one from the land to the south.”
“Won’t they freeze?” asked Reece, though he doubted it.
“I think the jig is up on that defense,” answered Heimdall. “At the speeds that they are traveling, I suspect the entire force is made up of their animals which seem impervious to the cold. And they won’t just send their wolves. They’ve got far worse things in their arsenal.”
“Then we’ve got to contact the carrier and check-in immediately!” exclaimed Reece. “With a little luck, they’re faring better than us and can lend a hand. Thank you, Heimdall.”
The trio locked up the bulkhead and quickly headed through the complex to the control room. Josefin, Bjorn, and scores of other men and women from the complex were already there. Many of the new additions were all big and broad-shouldered and dressed in simple loose clothing. Josefin was just finishing up addressing them all.
“... have your assignments. Once they breach, fall back to the control room as you fight. Make every inch costly to them. We’ll make our final stand here where the regulars will be waiting with what guns and ammo we have left.”
“Regulars?” inquired Reece, cutting in.
“Yeah, non-berserkers...regular humans. There are over a hundred and fifty people here, over a hundred are regulars and over thirty of those are non-combatants. Children, elderly, and handicapped,” explained Josefin.
“Ah, I see. I may have a plan with a better chance at keeping most of you alive,” cut in Reece. “But first, I’m going to need to use your comms. I’m calling in the cavalry.”