Bridgeworlds: Deep Flux (30 page)

She looked at Misia and then to Kasey. "Kasey, you have converted
a handful of Kalat. Is your daughter one of them?"

Kasey paused thinking of her lessons from King Erestar. The Miyka
hate the Kalat with a passion. Will she harm my daughter? She looked to
the Queen and she had such a kind face that she could not imagine this
woman hurting anyone. Then she remembered the battle with the Great
Red Dragon where Queen Elizabeth was deadly with a bow and arrow.

Queen Elizabeth recognized Kasey's turmoil and said, "You have my
word that no harm shall come to you or Misia while you are here. But I
must know."

Kasey nodded, "Yes, she was converted right before I left to take
part in the Gauntlet."

 

Queen Elizabeth smiled, "Good. I’m glad my suspicions were right."
Then she turned to Misia and asked, "Can I see your wings?"

Misia was still wearing Protos' special cloak that hid her wings. She
untied a flap on the back of the cloak and spread her wings for the Queen
to see.

Queen Elizabeth nodded her head. "Beautiful."

 

Misia smiled, "Thank you."

 

The Queen then looked to Kasey, "I already have someone in mind
that I would like you to consider for the General of my armies."

 

Oh great, what lofty noble is she going to present? "Oh?" asked
Kasey.

 

"Yes, I would like Misia to be my General."

Kasey had not been prepared for that. She looked to Misia who
seemed to be flattered and excited. "This is my daughter we are talking
about. I really have not spent all of the time I intend to spend with her."

The Queen nodded her head. "Kasey, if you do this. I will do three
things. I will set up permanent residence for you in this tower so you could
always visit, I will make you both dual citizens in Loefel Meren, and I will
give you both a gift that will help the Phoenix Collective in its cause
greatly."

Kasey rubbed her chin thinking. I would visit regularly but I need
more time with Misia first. "Well, let’s see this gift."

She went to a bookshelf and pointed to a shelf that only had two
books on it. They were new leather bound books. Kasey reached for one as
Misia reached for the other. Burned into the leather cover of both books
were the words "The Book of John". As Kasey smiled to see the book it
turned into a sword in her hand. Not like the giant sword that was now in
King Erestar’s possession but these were the right size for both of them.

Misia jumped as the book turned into a glowing sword in her
hands. "What is it?" asked Misia.

Kasey was so giddy she laughed, "It is the biggest shortcut to what
the Phoenix Collective has been doing. Had I struck you with this as a Kalat
the curse would have been lifted and your soul changed. It is very powerful
and will change you in an instant."

Misia held hers up looking at it in fascination.

 

Queen Elizabeth spoke again, "Yes and I can’t think of two better
people to have one."

 

Kasey shook her head in amazement. "How?"

"While Ischus was at Castle Lurin he took the original one brought
from Musterion and copied the Book of John. He found it could do the
same thing the original could on a smaller scale but I imagine it will have
the same effect on a Kalat," said the Queen.

Misia looked to Kasey for approval. Kasey nodded. "I would love to
be your general," said Misia.

Kasey and Misia stayed in Loefel Meren for a year. They were given
complete access to the special library with hidden knowledge and learned
much about Soterion.

16
Formerly Known As Amy

After several months Jack and Tyree had planned the expedition of
a lifetime. They planned to make it to Musterion and Soterion and they
planned to find Dr. Omar Metzger, Dr. Sasha Romanov, Bogdan, Owen,
Charli, Caleb, and Ignacio. Their equipment was complete with state of the
art gadgets including laser pistols, sunlight grenades, teleportation devices
customized by younger Tyree, invisibility devices, trash/solar powered
hover bikes armed with missiles, audio translators, five fully functional
humanoid robots, tranquilizer guns and darts, matter displacement devices,
and solar powered laptops.

Jack was gathering food provisions when he got a call on his phone.
It was Tyree.

 

"Hello," said Jack.

 

"You better get over here," said Tyree.

 

Jack paid the clerk at the Army/Navy store and grabbed his bags of
MREs. "I’m on my way now."

Jack drove to the lab where the tunnel was kept. Ad he walked in
he saw scientists running back and forth. He quickened his step to Tyree's
office. Tyree wasn’t there. Then he went to the tunnel room. There was a
woman wearing a hospital gown talking to Tyree. General Elder was there
but only listening.

"Jack, over here. We had a coma patient wake up! She asked for
you directly and didn’t want to say anything until you were here," said
Tyree with an agitated look on his face.

She asked for me by name? I haven’t even met any of these
people. She turned and seemed to recognize Jack.

 

"I do know you," she said. "But you are right, we have never met."

She had long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was stunningly
beautiful with a look in her eyes that Jack had only seen in others who
came from money or were royalty.

"Well then, you know my name... but I don’t know yours," said Jack
with a smile as he put his hand out to shake hers.

 

"Before my coma I went by Amy, but you can call me Catalina," she
said with a smile.

 

Jack smiled, "Well Catalina, what did you have to say?"

She straightened the tie on Jack's suit. "For starters you had a mole
on your team going into Musterion. Ignacio Marinelli was sent to kill a man
named Myles Callaghan."

General Elder shifted with an uncomfortable look in his eyes.
"Myles Callaghan is a dangerous man."

 

She gave him a sharp look, "Myles Callaghan was my husband."

 

General Elder looked away embarrassed, "I am sorry, I meant no
offense."

She shrugged, "It is true, he is dangerous but he is working on the
right side now." She turned back to Jack and said, "I was told by Misaki that
a soul can only live one life on each plane of existence. I died on Soterion,
so I cannot go back."

Jack rubbed his head, "You know Misaki? Soterion? Is that where
Omar is?"

 

She nodded, "Yes. I knew her. She will be reunited with Omar soon.

 

Jack smiled, "Good."

 

She gave him a serious look, "I will be entering Musterion with the
two of you."

The way she said it was not like an arrogant woman but like a
woman that was used to making things happen her way.
Jack raised an
eyebrow. "Alright, I’m game. It sounds like you have some insight."

"I am used to getting my way, by the way," she said.

 

A telepath.
“Well, we will give you an hour to get dressed and pick
your equipment. Then we set out.”

With that she departed and Jack continued preparing for the next
hour. She returned with her own black outfit complete with vest and a
teleportation devise on her wrist. She carried no weapons but for what she
lacked in weapons she made up for in defense. Tyree laughed, “Nice choice.
I bet you would play an interesting game of chess.”

She smiled, “I can’t read a shred of your thoughts.”

Tyree nodded, “My mind is a fortress built by hundreds of years of
mental torture and anguish. You would have to be a lot more powerful to
penetrate my mind.”

She looked to Jack, “I guess your mind is not so much of a fortress.”

Jack laughed and shrugged, “I guess I’m an open book. Are we
going to sit here all day and make wise cracks or are we going to go through
this portal?”

She smiled and said, “Ladies first!” Then she drove her four
wheeler through the portal.”

Jack looked to Tyree who was shaking his head, “We better watch
that one. I did some research on Myles Callaghan. Any woman that could
tie him down is bound to be trouble.”

Jack nodded and then drove into the portal with Tyree right behind
him.

OMAR FELL TO THE FLOOR of the study in the palace of Loefel
Meren. Sasha and Alora fell on top of him and he helped them both up. He
heard people talking several rows over so he went to see what the
commotion was about and there stood Kasey Phoenix with a feather
winged Miyka.

Kasey looked up to see Omar and dropped the book she was
reading through. “Omar?! What are you doing here?”

 

Sasha looked over his shoulder, “Who is you friend, Omar?”

 

Omar introduced them, “Dr. Sasha Romanov this is Kasey Phoenix.
Kasey, this is Sasha.”

 

“Doctor?” asked Kasey. “Are you from earth?”

 

Sasha nodded with a faint smile, “Yes, I am.”

 

Kasey cocked her head, “Omar, did you go back to earth?”

 

Omar nodded, “I did but I didn’t end up in the time period I
intended.”

 

Kasey looked shocked, “Oh?”

 

Omar shook his head, “It is too long of a story for now.”

 

“How is Nekar?” asked Kasey.

 

Omar’s heart sank.
Poor Nekar.
“He is dead.”

 

Kasey’s eyes got big, “Are you kidding me?!”

 

Omar shook his head. “No, I would not kid about such a thing.”

 

Kasey looked down, “That really surprises me. I can’t believe it. I
really thought he of all people would be around for a while.”

 

It just goes to show that you do have a fickle God.
“He saved our
lives. If it were not for him we would be dead.”

 

There was a moment of awkward silence ended by Alora’s
appearance to the Kasey and the other winged Miyka.

 

“Oh look,” said the other Miyka as she pointed to Alora, “you
brought a pet back with you.”

 

Alora gave her a dead eyed look, “My name is Alora, and I would
retract that finger before you lose it.”

 

She laughed but took Alora’s suggestion. “Where are we?” she
asked.

 

“I am Misia, Kasey’s daughter, it is a pleasure to meet you all. And
we are at the Palace in Loefel Meren.”

 

Then Omar heard a voice that he rarely ever heard. Behind King
Magus Meren spoke, “Are you The Alora?”

 

Alora looked at him and smiled, “King Magus Meren, it has been
hundreds of years.”

 

He nodded and smiled, “It has indeed. I heard mention of your
name and I had to see if it was you. Where is your Queen?”

 

“She has taken Musterion and reigns there. She has sent me to
watch after and help Queen Ariana,” replied Alora.

 

The King smiled, “It is a rare treat to meet the Katken who held the
throne for a day.”

Alora shook her head, “That was a big mistake. One that cost me
and my kind very much. I hope to change that and bridge the gap between
Katken and Nepsah.”

"Well, it is good to see a familiar face," said King Magus and then
he went back to his desk and started looking through books and maps
again.

With that Omar patted Kasey on the shoulder, "It’s good to see you
Kasey, I need to get back to Caelsis." Then he grabbed Alora and Sasha and
to them for a brief second the tower of the Magi and the palace in Loefel
Meren were one location. He found Kleis in his quarters using his device to
make himself look like Omar. For a moment Alora and Sasha looked
confused. Then the image flickered out as Kleis deactivated the device.

"Did you take care of Thanatos?" asked Omar.

"Funny thing that," said Kleis. "Several years ago one moment I was
talking to him and the next he was gone. The day prior he said he could
sense a foreign entity on his planet BioNekros, an alternate dimension. I
imagine things escalated?"

Omar shook his head, "So, it’s still a problem then."

 

Kleis nodded, "Indeed."

 

Omar introduced Kleis, "Sasha, this is Kleis. He is the most
intelligent person I have ever met."

 

"So this is Sasha, I have heard good things about you," said Kleis.

 

"Thank you," is all she said with a bit of a blush.

 

"So you made it to Earth then?" asked Kleis.

"Yes, it’s a long story better saved for later
." I’ve been wanting to
do this for a long time and I better do it before the chance slips away.
Omar
went to his desk and got out a small box. Then he walked to Sasha and bent
down on one knee. "I found this in the mountains of Loefel Meren and had
it mounted on a ring in hopes that someday I would have you here with
me." He opened the small box and there was a gold ring with an emerald
set in it. "Sasha," he said with no hesitation or doubt in his eyes, "I don’t
deserve you, but I would like you to marry me... tonight."

"Tonight?!" asked Sasha.

He nodded, "Yes, we have gotten away from each other way too
many times. You have seen my devotion to my sister and I promise to make
that pale in comparison to my devotion to you."

She looked at the ring and the sincere look on his face and smiled,
"Of course I will but a wedding tonight?"

 

Omar laughed, "However you want it, I have sway in the Kingdom
and we can cater the wedding to your desire."

 

“Well, you do know just what to say don’t you,” she said.

Omar turned to Kleis and said, “I need you to go to the castle and
inform the queen that I am to be wed tonight.” Then he turned to Sasha
and said, “As for you… you will find the queen very accommodating.

Once the queen found out she made sure that word got out. The
entire Kingdom was abuzz with the news that Omar Metzger was to be
married to a woman who was a stranger to these lands and the wedding
would be that night.

Queen Ariana called upon Duchess Butterfly, her expert upon
weddings and other such ceremony to plan the wedding and the catering
for the event. Omar gave Sebastian his teleportation devise and asked him
to teleport in King Erestar, Queen Hope, Sabriel, King Magus, Queen
Elizabeth, Kasey and her new daughter Misia, Ischus, and Protos.