ISSUE 18: REBORN FROM EMBERS
Internal Memo: Arcane Order of Battle has advanced beyond anything the Terran Alliance could imagine. The time of hiding is over. For a majority of Earthers? She prevented a Universe ending event. Her life was given to the Cosmos. We must accelerate. The Arbiter will need every ship we can muster! Many will see the passage of years as a confirmation of Unity’s defeat. We know better.—Proctor Gansys
Everyone outside of the Lone Ranger incident thinks that Eliza is gone forever. It eats away at all of us who know the truth. Jupiter Rising has docked herself within Noah’s Ark. It burrowed itself deep under the surface of the Moon. We must feed into the delusion that our daughter will never come back. Cooper, the Howling, and Auggie have never left Lorain’s side.—Thomas Murphy
First? I lost powers. Well, ones I was used to. Still nigh-invulnerable. Super speed. Not to my grandfather’s level but serviceable. No more ice breath. I didn’t know my wings had manifested. They weren’t used for flight. I didn’t get to see them phase into the physical world until much later. Or earlier. Depending on how you record time.—Sleeping in Starlight: Observations from the Shield World
Grove of Remembrance
Typha (Edenverse)
April 8th, 2136 (Present Temporal Axis)
The crystal coffin shrank. Then flowed into my chest. Gulliver circled the area where it had resided. Rooted about the ground with his bill. He exclaimed, <
//RII\\
//V|V\\
The Ur-Memory flowed.
//The Past. The Future. See the Mark of the Present. The symbols of the Throne Bearer.// I leaned against the barrier. The surface vibrated. Not from the questing strikes of the Artock but my core.
Another Mark manifested.
//O\\
Trouble said, <
The language and symbology of the Throne Bearers. I floated upward. Inscribed upon the crystal were endless symbols. The words, “Arisen, Protection, and Will” were principal across the barrier.
I spoke, “//Q\\”
My HUD opened up to reveal another channel.
//Omega Line activated. What is your inquiry Thronebearer?//
I rubbed the back of my neck. “What skillsets are left to me? Power-wise?”
A beam of light encircled my head.
Images flashed. The Ur flowed. It was a start.
Trouble quacked contentedly.
“Well, fudge. Doesn’t that just beat all?”
Earth
HeroNet HQ
Level 10 Access Floor
Samantha Murphy screamed, “JACOB! GET DAD! ELIZA’S PROFILE JUST CAME ONLINE!”
Zachary zipped in. “I thought it was a dream. She’s on the family line again!” His Blue Blaze uniform was bright and pressed. Its primary silver design was offset by blue bolts running down his legs and the one central placement on his chest.
*****
Lorain Lanis burst through the sliding doors. Her access clearance hardly completed its cycle. Besides Jacob and Sam, the rest here had been on that final leg from the Eternal Empire’s Orbix/Lone Ranger Incident. J’anu never counted. She hadn’t been there to see what had happened. Sam pointed at the readouts. “Care to confirm it's her?” Lorain reached out with trembling fingers.
The biosignature resonated with her Union bracelet. She tentatively reached out via that Bond. Her vision blurred. Her legs gave out. That didn’t matter. Cooper sent out an emerald beam to hold her in place. No one asked what Eliza said to Doc and Doc alone.
Thomas Murphy smiled.
It had been decades but the first question made them all break out in tears, “The Ducks have landed. What kind of particle grav beams did you install on their backs? They both lit up like a Christmas Tree.” Thomas linked to his daughter’s HUD via ArcaneNet.
Cleared his throat, “This is High Arcane Command. Sending data packet now. We will debrief you after you reach phase 3. God’s Speed Space Cadet.”
Eliza's voice lifted, “Dad! Wait a sec. Oh. They thought THAT dragon was Unity in its…oh Fudge sticks. Right. I get it Trouble. I will decompress later. I promise.”
Arthon said, “Yeah. I imagine your mother is giving you a mind full but I swear we are on schedule. Baseline population thinks you are gone.”
Eliza replied, “Not quite dead. Only resting. Fleet Commander Little Jumper requests more bacon. Says you owe the Dogs of Earth and Bardax tribute for being faithful.”
Lorain let out a groan, “Do you want to sleep on the couch.”
Eliza responded cheerily, “It's either that or medbay right?!”
Lorain buried her face in her hands, “Cornfed.”
“Yes?”
“You will be on Quarantine for a whole month when you get back here.”
“As Cooper would say? Joyous Therapy!”
J’ino put her hands on her hips, “Don’t you dare tease.” The anger was a ruse. This was a mother who was just happy to have her daughter returned to the lands of the living.
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Eliza said, “Yes. I am grounded for life. In this one and the next!”
Eddie rechecked his blasters. “The Puzzler shall ride again!” He knew Eliza held back. Using humor to break the tension. There would be tears later. But not this day. Today was a day for fighting. He added on the team com net: //Wait until she sees the Jupiter Rising!//
*****
I waited for Doc to gather her thoughts.
The wave of relief hummed through our Union Bond. But under that? An aching longing which hit me between the eyes. I didn’t know how I could make it up to her but I’d pull out all the stops. I blurted out, >>They couldn’t mimic you. In that prison. You? Mom. Dad. Everything. They had my memories but it was twisted. As cheap as plywood.<<
She didn’t reply. Her emotions were chaotic. To say the least.
I opened dad’s data packet.
//Use the House of Healing to reboot the planet. You have to get rid of at least 5 of those Living Stone dragons before our fleets can assist. There’s enough corruption resonance that would interfere with our jump capability.//
I relinked to HeroNet, “You got it... Methinks the ships got more teeth nowadays?”
Dad replied, “All in one.”
I gawked at the additional information on my HUD.
“Woah.” I marveled at it.
This came along the Arcane Net lines.
I asked, “That much in 20 years.” It had been pre-planned.
Gulliver quacked, “All deployed and ready Hot Sauce.”
Battlesuits. For ducks. It was adorable. Trouble puffed up his chest. <
A cone of energy descended over me. Then I found myself in orbit. The massive stone visage of the first dragon loomed. The tip of its tail flicked out. The words formed on my lips. I reached out and blocked the strike. It reared back. Its tail ruined.
Flecks of stone hit my face.
I had never been able to do that.
The Ur-Memory flowed. //By the Will of the Highest. Mind reborn. Trial of Body and Soul remains.// I wondered what my family would make of all that. I tensed as the dragon’s maw opened wide.
I yelled, “//88-|-88\\”
A corona of white flame pulsed across my body. The Living Stone dragon cracked. Its particulate matter was strewn across the space around Typha. I rolled my shoulders. Spun in place. The force of it collected the debris around me into a tornado of stone. Not only that. The freakish cries of the White Owls joined. Their bodies ignited. I flexed my fingers. Gathered the corrupted shards. They were roots of the silver trees of Elysium! Not as they should be. Fallen.
Three additional dragons flew towards me. Their long serpentine bodies met the force of my stone wall. I recalled my battle with Abyzou. The spear materialized in my hands. I hurled it at the closest dragon. It didn’t even have time to react. My spear bisected it from head to tail. I willed it back into my hands. Its simple silver surface warmed.
A massive black wolf outlined with silver fire bounded towards the next foe.
Sentinel.
I was no longer the White Defender.
Silver reigned here. I brought my spear to my forehead. The metal blazed. “I bring forth the dawn. No evil shall abide here. That which is dormant shall live again.” Trouble and Gulliver fired into the distance. A dazzling array of golden light. The eerie call of White Owls was silenced once more. I raised my weapon to the ready. Hurled it across the expanse. It struck the third dragon across its right eye. It curled around the wound. I flew across the distance and kicked the butt of my spear deeper into the socket.
“Begone Demon. False Threads of Abyzou!”
It disintegrated under the onslaught. For it never had a soul.
The Living Stone was stolen material from bodies across the multiverse. From those who had been farmed by Unity. Their soul shards were taken. Bodies reconstructed. To be enslaved. That which was sacred.
I shouted, “//W: W\\”
A portal just outside of Typha’s orbit opened.
Endless ships poured through. Markav Collective, Markav Hemegony, Litiari, Terran Alliance, Arcane Order, Bardaxians. Commons Typherian. Every race within the Armies of Light. Gilgamesh Sector. I found myself grinning from ear to ear.
Temporal memory flowed.
//Little Jumper in position. What is your will Arbiter?!//
I listened to the thrum of the planet. Ground forces could be cleared later. I reached outward. Within the corona of the twin suns. A pale baleful eye glinted. I sucked in a breath. That would be for me to handle. I linked into the main fleet.
<
*****
Thomas and the others stared at the readouts. Hidan entered. “So enthroned.”
Sam indicated a massive blue bar that had appeared under Eliza’s Banner picture.
“That is a boatload of…..”
Hidan finished, “Thronebearer.”
J’ino tapped the edge of the holo screen.
“What does that symbol mean?” Hidan’s eyes widened.
“That means Soul Shard Bearer of Eden’s Light. Rough translation. My Thronebearer lexicon is limited. I am not of her caste.”
Peabody, a Springer Spaniel honor guard at Hidan’s side barked, <
Hidan replied, “Correct. That will be up to the Twilight Thronebearer.”
Dexter leaned in, “If I have to step in I will. But my scope of responsibility is helping souls cross. Delay their final passage. Or serve as a guide.”
J’ino said, “Is that why…” He gave a crisp nod. “Yes.
Why Eliza’s soul had been awakened to Unity’s false dream. Dexter cheered as the outer dragons within Typha’s soul system faded into the ether. “Typha is a test bed. Eliza needs time to acclimate to her new skill set. I’ve had decades to understand my actual role.”
Thomas watched as the final lunar living stone dragon fell before the combined might of the fleets and Eliza’s spear. “Alright people. Load up into the Jupiter!”
*****
I brought my spear down onto the crown of the Brood berserker. Its upper body was in the shape of a bull-horned man. The lower half was a giant spider. Its red carapace flashed like fresh blood in the floodlights of the ships that darted overhead. A woman called out.
Q’vera smiled. Bit the inside of her cheek. “Need some bacon and eggs there Star?”
I found I was unable to cry. Trouble floated next to my head. Blasted away at another feathered white annoyance. Its black beak opened. Black Scrawl attempted to strangle Gulliver. My blood boiled. I shouted at it. The owl in question split apart like a rotten banana. I absorbed the soul shards. Alternate universe Markavs and Humans. From the essence impression.
Trouble nudged the side of my head. << It's ok! Your body is adjusting!>>
I didn’t even see her move. One moment she was floating there. The next she was squeezing the life out of me. She threw a few pale red daggers at the Brood Berserker’s corpse.
>>I just wanted to be sure. J’anu is temporarily cut off from the Family line. For the moment it is safer to talk within it. I shouldn’t be the first one to do this but at this point?<<
She reached up to trace the burial sigils on my face.
>>Welcome home.<<
It was a simple thing.
Gulliver quacked, <
Q’vera turned my hands over. Traced a triangle on my left palm. >>Revive our World.<<
I knew what resided within the Twin Rulers of the Sky. I shouted, “=//|||\\=”
Dexter materialized next to me. In his old demi suit. That black, white, and gold ensemble with the Twin Suns of Typha on the front. >>You called?<<
I grinned, >>Thanks. For everything.<<
He half hugged me. >>No need.<<
My heart loosened. Not yet, I thought. I can’t break down just yet.
I would save questions for later. The baleful orbs of Lucifer had to be purged.
Indigo sparks expanded around us. From all across the multiverse. They arrived. Bardax’s faithful. Sparta at their head. <
Valkyrie bounded over to me. Used the power of the Green to propel her across the lunar landscape. Cooper at her side. I buried my face in their fur. Another clamp around my heart loosened.
Nearly there. It seemed to say.
A voice seethed in the void of space.
<
Thronebearer language.
Lucifer's presence grew. I raised my weapon.
Dexter touched his white trident to my spear.
The physical world faded. Within the Weave, dark mist snapped at our arms and legs.
Dexter and I shared a look. Time to blind the Lightbearer.