Chapter five: Out of his Mind

Blake Indigo:

“Just how did I manage to get here?” I asked.

“Don’t you remember? Took a while but they managed to override your gene locks. Until the nanites got rid of the scale problem. Now he seems to have picked up my skill of jumping into people’s heads. Not sure ho...” He said before turning away. “As if. Humans have proven their superiority over you. They thrive, and build and walk in the daylight.” He yelled into the shadows.

“Err...” Márquez stammered.

“Don’t mind me. Just dealing with a Hierarchy wannabe.” He said to us before turning away. “You lot just sulk in your caves. You call yourselves superior beings. Don’t make me laugh. Compared to me, your just an ant. I’ve had bigger dragons come in here and even Tyxamious the Grim fell at my feet.”

We then heard a thundering roar from a large dragon shaped shadow.

“Don’t use that tone with me.” The other me yelled to the shadow before it disappeared. “Damn feral minds. They think they’re so high and mighty. Guess I better deal with this.” He let out a huff of air. “And you need to deal with out there.”

“Sure you’re still good with this arrangement?”

“Yeah. Can’t stand people. Reality doesn’t suit me. Just like immortality doesn’t suit you. I don’t have to deal with reality in here. And someone needs to help you keep a clear head.” He unsheathed his switch axe and opened it into it’s sword mode. “So. I deal with him in here, you two deal with them out there. Yeah. Great plan Blake, only you would think of that. I do all the work and all you need to do is survive.”

Amazon Rainforest, Brazil (Timeline 43), Local time: 2:35pm, Sunday, 13th of March, 2044

I woke with Carlson’s scaly face hovering over mine, maul open and sparks at the back of his throat demanded that I get the hell out of the way before I become extra crispy. I rolled out of the way just in time, drew the katana from my pocket and unfolded the blade into it’s full length.

“Just relax.” My inner child said in my head. “This can be a very pleasant experience if you just go back to sleep on your own.”

“Back into that prison full of nightmares and stuffed animals.” The feral mind shot back.

“So that’s where my childhood innocence went. I thought it left when I came into the picture. Childhood trauma does leave a mess of things. Given what I came from. I’m not surprised. All you need is one bad day. Or in Blake’s case, one bad week, a riot, seven teenage boys, a loaded gun, a werewolf, a death in the family... and blood. There was quite abit of blood and death and chaos.”

“Enough talk.” The dragon threw himself at me, both mentally and physically. I dodged out of the way and countered with a white lightning spell that caused the dragon some injury and made him crash into the wall.

“Bring it on bitch!” The other me yelled, baring his fangs and my vampire heritage.

Meanwhile, the dazed and electrfied dragon began to regain his footing and charged at me. I raised my fist up to my face, placing the ion field’s focal in front of me, effectively, placing a solid wall of ions and energy between us. The ion field took the full force of the charge and redirected it back at the dragon, sending him back into the wall.

“Lets face it, dragon brawn against human ingenuity and technology, elven magic, vampirc vigour, and faire mana.” The other me gloated. “Just save me the trouble, be a good lizard and lie down.”

The dragon didn’t take the statement well. He made a swipe at my face. I ducked, he missed and left himself open for an attack. I took the opportunity and bashed the side of his jaw with my katana, right where the bone would hit a nerve and send him into a deep sleep full of possibly disturbing thoughts while the mental battle raged on. It didn’t take much longer. I heard a loud roar, then... nothing.

“Next time. Stay down.” The inner child huffed before fading deeper into my head.

I looked around. Carlson was asleep, Márquez still asleep, and we weren’t far from the cafeteria everyone else was hiding in. I decided to rest as well, let my gene locks repair themselves and the nanites remove what was left of the foreign DNA in my system. I picked a scale out of my hair, assumed the lotus position and began clearing my head.

That’s right child. Run from your past. Run from your destiny.

Charlotte Wells:

Phoenix, Arizona, United States, (Timeline 43) Local time: 2:42pm, Sunday, 13th of March, 2044

“Voice IDent: Lilith Charlotte Wells.”

“Voice IDent: Charlotte Wells confirmed, access, level one Terran Office of Joint Projects Consultant: Granted.”

I sat beside the pool on a lovely day in the desert city of Phoenix, my long brown hair was wet with salt water, the sun was beating hard on my tanned skin, and my adoptive son was lazing by the pool, his grass green scales reflecting off the harsh cruel sun. I could help but smile before turning back to the laptop computer.

“Connect to the Public Terranet. Open the ABC news twentyfour feed.” I asked. So far, there wasn’t much to report on the news. New colony established on Twilight, Korean Separatists stirring up trouble on Venus, Express Kidnappings on Mars turned horribly wrong when the kidnappers didn’t use enough sedative on the Lycan target. That last one made me chuckle a little. But honestly, I wonder why I even bother these days. Even the celebrities seem to have started to behave themselves. The fans however...

There was one thing that stood out.

“Officers of the San Jose Police Department are baffled by the disappearance of a Generic Recombiner from the local clinic. Commonwealth agents arrived on scene and confirmed Unstable Reality Degradation and quarantined the city, further hindering the contraction efforts in Central America after dispute over the mapping of borders between the Centaurs and Termus Racal Regains and the Human Supremacy crimes in old Mexico City.

“In other news. Lady Sheoth has made an official statement on the appeal made by Jacob Salazar and the remaining members of the Artemus Hunters, saying that they were coerced to confess by a teenager with a sword and a homicide outlook on life. She responded with the words ‘Sorry boys. No take backs.’ and sending each a single lollypop. Their Lawyer’s are yet to respond as there is no official evidence saying that there was a teenager of any description involved.”

I had to laugh knowing the whole story was different to what people were told. But one in ten thousand humans turn into werewolves, no one had any idea why apart from the moon coming dangerously close, the cumberland scar pulling open and alot of wild magic washed across the commonwealth.

And to think, there wasn’t just one teenager involved, but eight. Me included.

I closed the laptop and looked towards the sky. No cars, no dragons, rugs, jetpacks, or even a starship. So different from Terra, 2013. But then again, this was another timeline. A future that wouldn’t happen to Terra. A future I wouldn’t live. I was unique. In all of reality, every version of the physical universe, there was no one else like me, or my friends, and family. Traveling across time, and space and the multitude of possibilities, makes me appreciate what I have. Incoulding... Ignius?

I looked up and found that he was missing from the pool side. I opened my mind and lowed my mental defences.

...can just see the Benjamins just raining down... I heard first.

...who knows how much this creature’s wor...

Charlotte! Blake!

My eyes widened upon hearing Ignius’ thoughts, I jumped to my feet and ran though the hotel. I reached the road just in time to see the licence plate of the car speeding off, with Ignius looking out the back window with fear in his eyes and muzzle tied. My heart tore itself apart, feeling the fear fade and only sorrow remained.

Chapter four: Drugs and Dragons

Glenn Kame:

Formally New York City, Terra, EST; 10:47am Thursday, 27th of March, 2013

Even after nine eleven and twelve years of neglect, New York was still a city worth seeing. Now that it was made the Minotaur racal capital, it was starting to swarm with life again. There was no shortage of people here with the elf and orc populations literally tripled overnight when they found refuge on Terra, escaping the storm that consumed Eternity. Their home was lost, destroyed, but it’s destruction healed the lifeless continents of asia and americas.

Without the radiation and renewed with life native to Eternity, the minotaurs feel much at home here.

Me on the other hand...

“You look tense wolfman.” Charlotte snapped out of fun. “I thought alpha lycans were suppose to be strong and brave for the pack. I could be wrong.”

“Yeah, well, drugs that involve turning beast races into mindless killing machines at the top of my anxiety list.” I answered almost growling at her.

“You and every Lycan, Ailuran, Dragon and anyone that resembles something from a fury and scaly convention. And I just got the joke. Still isn’t funny.”

“They never had their feral side take over for fifteen minutes and wake up in a hospital the morning after.”

She just chucked and gulped down the last of her tea.

“You two ready?” Clair called out over the psychic link.

“Still waiting for Zane.” Charlotte replied.

“Forget him. He’s been called to California.” Clair returned. “Just hope you two don’t need back up because Aria is still undercover and Nathan is deployed to Japan.”

“Just a simple shock and awe arrest. Nothing complicated.” I returned, still nervous.

“That’s the spirt. Now. That truck should be turning the corner... Now.”

True to the woman’s word, a small, old lorry turned the corner and started down the street unhindered by the absent traffic and debris. The traffic signal up ahead turned red and signalled to stop.

The truck just kept going. If anything, he was just speeding up.

“Clair. Something’s wrong.” Charlotte reported. “He’s not stop...”

Then it hit me, the static in the air, the loud high pitched noise, the flares of light in the corner of my vision.

“Get down...”

“Glenn? Glenn!”

My senses came back into focus and I heard Charlotte yelling, along with the sound of traffic, alot of traffic.

“What happened?” I asked as I opened my eyes and found myself... right where we were before but things were different, like the original buildings. They weren’t in the process of being restored but completely intact.

“That truck didn’t slow down because it was catching a Macro Scar.” She filled me in, pointing to the mangled truck that ran into a fire hydrant. “We must have gotten caught in the fall out. That leaves the question of where the hell we ended up.” She leapt up and ran to the payphone on the corner, opened the directory and ripped out a page. Pocketing the page, she ran back, grabbed my paw and dragged me down into the nearest subway station.

“Come on. Guess who’s been here before and left an apartment.”

Blake Indigo

Chicago, Illinois (Timeline 34α) - 8:47am Thursday, 28th of March, 2013

“Show yourself!” I yelled in to the room, hoping that I was mad rather then the alternative. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Stepping out of thin air, like she was hiding behind the background. Immedaliy I knew what she was. Pale skin, messy, stringy, tangled grey hair, thick heavy rings under her eyes... “Chaos Walker Fae.”

“Very good Shadow knight. But would you like my true name. I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.” She said walking up to me, nearly nose to nose.

“You first.”

“You’re no fun. Fine. Call me Victoria.”

“You said your true name.”

Victoria smiled and chuckled. “But you had no intention of giving me your true name. And for good reason. For a mage, our names are shackles. They can summon us, control us, they can even confine us to those little gems.”

“And you could trap someone in a little game like this one and ease them.” I shot back.

“Only when were angry. We have as much riding on this thing as they do. Have you ever lost billions of dollars on a horse?” She returned. “Which is why I’m here to make a deal.”

“A deal?”

She looked at the dragon and the human, both frozen like statues. “When he loses, I can choose to erase him. However, If I have something to fall back on, I might be kinder and just remove a few limbs, or add some. I remember this young man in china who got into this game and ended up having to drink an ocean. I didn’t think he was going to make it.”

“Get to the point.”

“You killing that knight earned both of us two thousand bounty. But your under Titania’s service, which means she’s forbid you from using it...”

“Unless I’m caught in a game.” I finished for her.

“You can throw a mission, lose that bounty and wake up in your cozy bed, leaving that dragon to the mercy of what ever the Chaos Walkers have to throw at him. And when he loses, no one will remember him.”

“Or, I can keep playing and buy his sponsorship from you.”

She chuckled again. “Sorry dear. But I need bounty and he’s only worth two thousand bounty to anyone. When he fails, he’s worthless. The more he plays, the more he’s worth. The more you play, the more bounty you have.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Simple. If he fails then I’ll hand his worthless sponsorship to you for your bounty. That way I can sponsor another unlikely sack of meat and get more.”

“Great. I’m your insurance policy.”

“And if I don’t hurry, my player and my insurance policy is going to be late for school.”

“Say wha...”

Then that flick like the world just blinked and in that instant, I found myself on a crowded bus, all of them teenagers but only some of them were human. Dragons, minotaurs, griffins, werewolves, the odd insectoid. What was more disturbing was the change in my appearance.

Lets start with my clothes. Nothing too dramatic, they just took my duster and left me with a brown hoodie and my blonde hair was covered with a bandana... wait. Wasn’t my hair brown a second ago?

I checked... and it was a wig. I could feel the difference. That wasn’t the only addition. I could feel the itchiness in my eyes. I used the refection in my smart phone and saw that they weren’t steel grey any more, now as blue as the fields of Norway, coloured contacts obviously. Then the little details like the scar down the side of my face, and a pair of glasses I found myself wearing.

“Great. Here we go again.”

Jan’ti Sw’et

San Francisco, California (Timeline 34α), Local Time; 6:41am Thursday, 27th of March, 2013

“So, this world you came from is earth, just different.” Max said, in trying to grasp the concept of what I just told him.

“Believe me, it is complicated.” I returned. “Sometimes, I have trouble getting my head around it too.”

“Russia and China is on Venus?”

“Along with a few more of the republic nations that got infected by the virus or could not take the being buffered by dust storms almost daily. Apart from a few cities in the Guangdong Provenance of old China. Actuarially, one big city, spanning from Hong Kong to Macau.”

“And America on Mars?”

“Talk about a new world. I bet that Columbus person did not expect that.” I laughed before we were both served with another round of drinks... “I did not order these.” I told the waiter.

“The man at that table did.” The waiter said pointing over to a human wearing a three piece suit before we heard a loud thump from behind us.

“Then would you being us another coffee please.” The waiter nodded and walked off as I watched the bright orange dragon sit down. “Welcome to California Zane. Did you have a good flight?”

The dragon smiled as he dropped a pair of keys on the table. “As much as you could in a ferrari diablo.”

“Max. Meet Zane Hydro’morla. Talk among yourselves while I have a word with that gentlemen.” I requested as I walked over to the man’s table.

“Miss Sweet.” The man said, old and greying, winkles and liver spots. Compared to me, he was young, but by natural human standards he was in a very old age.

“You have me at a disadvantage. That is very ungentlemen like of you.”

“Apologies young lady. Call me Mr. President.”

“Very witty. What do you want?”

“Who says I want something?”

“When an older man buys a woman a drink, it is because he wants something. Most of the time it is her company or in her in bed but you want something else.” As we talked I kept getting the sense of mana around me. Low level enchantments, love spells...

“I want to know what a lovely young mediterranean woman like yourself was doing sharing breakfast with two...” He waved his hands around the air as if to find a word from it.

“Just be blunt sir.”

“Monsters.”

“Because I like animals sir. The two legged, talking species especially. And sometimes four legs.”

“They’re going to stab you in the back...”

“Half the humans I know stabbed me in the back. Most of them do, one way or another. The difference is wither they regret it afterwards, and their motive for doing it. I do not know who you are, but I know what you are and take this warning seriously if you value your life. They are under my protection, and I am not kind to murders. Stay away from them and we will not have a problem. Am I clear?”

“As day.”

“Then I hope you value your life. Thank you for the tea.” I turned and walked back to my table, sat back down next to Zane and across form Max.

“Well?” Zane asked.

“He is a hunter and a mage. Not a powerful or experienced one, but very cunning. We will have to watch ourselves.”

Chapter Five: Letters in Transit

Sydney, Australia, Terra; AEST; 12:43pm Friday, 1st of March, 2013

“Roxanne?” Miranda asked as she walked into the office of the youngest industrialist in the commonwealth. Roxanne Indigo placed her Lightbolt bow in to it’s case as she turned to the only surviving intern of her 2011 recruitment. The others had not fared well after several incidents involving Hypnos, Gemini, and her late mentor’s betrayal. Roxanne examined the late teenager intently.

The first time Miranda walked though those doors, with the seven other interns, she was eager to work, to learn and to see the goings on of the company, so much so that she was turned into a totem, developed an inter-diminutional romance, and killed a number of intruders with one of the guard’s weapons. These days, she was more like Roxanne, who knows that the world is balanced on the edge and accepted that disaster can strike at any moment. She knows that no matter how well someone can hide the truth, it will always come out in the end. She knows that corruption and greed is the driving force of much of the commonwealth, what matters is what an individual does.

But no matter how much reality threw at her, Miranda stood as eager as the day Roxanne met her, taller but tired.

“Miranda. I need all hands on deck tonight. Berlin has reported problems with their Tacyonic Tesla Coils and...”

“Ma’am. There’s a Captain Shane Smith to see you.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Show him in.”

Blake Indigo

Manhattan, New York, (Timeline 31); Local time: 1:51pm, Thursday, 26th of May, 2016

I picked up a hard cover book that lied on the coffee table and looked at it intently. ‘Helga Henderson’s Adventures Though Time: The Tail of Two Dragons.’ There was a note tucked into the cover that said ‘Advance copy by request of the author.’ On the back of the note was something written in runic script. Odd, but my train of thoughts were interrupted by Carlos returning and throwing a can of beer at me. I caught it and pulled the tab.

“Think you can handle it?” Carlos asked. “It’s strong.”

“I’m australian remember. I’ll just throw it up later if I need to. Didn’t know you liked to read.” I answered.

“Don’t. Book just turned up one day.”

“Huh.” I took the first sip of the alcoholic beverage. It brought back memories of the American Civil War, the 10:15 to Arizona. Good times. “Anyway, I was wondering if you heard about the Miyo Group.”

“Can’t say that I had the pleasure. Another company about to get the full Blake Indigo experience.”

“Maybe.”

“God help them then. I still remember what you did to the alchemists over killing a young woman.”

“And trying to achieve their own selfish goals.”

“Are you ever going to release them from their living hell?”

“Maybe.”

“I’ll take that as a no.”

I could tell he was still sore about one particular subject. “Oh come on. Those hunters got everything they deserved. And I gave those ferals fair warning before going and biting someone out of sheer fun.”

“You call giving them a parachute a warning?”

“Too cryptic? It’s along way down to hell. Trust me. Satan threw me out the moment I got there.” I joked. “The fireworks I left in his bedroom might have something to do with it too.”

“You are psychotic.” He accused.

“Can you blame me? First day we meet, you were in a cage, I was shopping, and those darn loud speakers. Not to mention that crazy pink bird and that girl. And that lantern. Don’t get me started about the lantern.”

“I still don’t believe he told you to jump down a well.”

“It worked didn’t it. We got away from you. Thank the infinite void we landed in twenty first century Tokyo and not Berlin, cita 1940. I don’t think I could take another Nazi Regime after... Helga?”

Gears suddenly clicked. Helga Henderson was the alias of a spy who worked with the German Underground during the war. The spy was Doctor Sarah Jane Nightingale... my vampire god mother.

I took the book and the note that came with it.

“What?” Carlos asked me.

“Not sure. Ancient languages like anglo saxon runes, egyptian hieroglyphs and some traditional Chinese charatures that have fallen out of modern use don’t translate under global settings. But...”

I set the digi-Pilot to all scripts and waited...

“Incoming Call: Jamie Sw’et”

I picked up the phone. “Jamie. Not now.”

“But you need to see this.” She demanded. The phone beeped, signaling that the other end was switching to video phone. I pulled the device away from my ear and watched as her phone’s camera came into focus...

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei (Timeline 31); Local time: 4:02am, Friday, 27th of May, 2016

“Come on. Pick up!” Charlotte yelled into the phone. “Come on Mother. Just pick up the...”

“Wai?”

“You’re not Clair.” Charlotte immediately observed.

“Shenme?”

“Identify yourself now.”

“Wo jiao Shinku.”

Rising then dipping. Charlotte thought before opening her eyes wide. “Ta ma de! Great, now you’ve got me doing it. Where is Clair Weli’sol?!

Jan’ti Sw’et

London, United Kingdom (Timeline 31); Local time: 5:02pm, Thursday, 26th of May, 2016

“You know what did this?”

“I do. I’m just having trouble believing it.” Blake answered. “I heard legends. But nothing compares to this.”

“Jamie!” Zorath called out. “I hear someone talking.”

“Someone must have survived the slaughter.” I pointed out. “Or the perpetrator has come back to try to lay claim on our lives as well. Assuming my previous potion did not kill it.”

“Got another one of those potions?”

“No.” I said, readying a fireball spell. “Lead the way Flamecloak.”

“Yeah. Make me walk towards the blood sucking vampire. You’re the one with the fire spells.”

“You are the master of shadow and ice dragon. Bring glory to your species and act like one.”

He growled. I was basically calling him a coward. I would not blame him. The undead are not to be taken lightly. Zombies are very persistent and stupid, even those who have some coherence and intelligence are very thick headed. Mages who found their way to escape death though Lichdom retain their powerful magical abilities despite losing their traditional life-force. Vampires either act out of instinct or just satisfying their need or fulling an addiction and are stronger, and faster then most. But even Zombies decay, Liches’ jars can be smashed and vampires cannot stand in the Terran day.

Truth is, everyone has their weakness, wither it’s time, separation, or sunlight.

“Behind here.” Zorath warned me, pointing to a utility closet.

I stressed the spell, ready to fire. Zorath opened the door...