LIGHTNOVELONLINE Issue 166: The Sorceress Element
Issue 16: The Sorceress Element
Why did they let the Spinster of that Universe abduct Lanis anyway? Moonlighter was tailing Renenutet the whole time. Our historians argue this point daily. Was Medusa that much of a threat?—42nd-century scribes
I had to find out who the Bride was from those visions I shared with Eliza. Based on what her Ur self was relaying and what the Void Man indicated, Medusa held a secret to the identity of who Thoth and by proxy, who Unity wanted in that role. To save Eliza, I had to eventually allow myself to be taken. The greatest shock? Medusa could see the noose around her neck and wanted me as a bargaining chip.—Lorain Lanis
We keep going over the records of Murphy’s memoirs of the Abduction. It is tense. Understandable. The one she loved most in the universe was at the mercy of enemies constantly vying for control. Yet it holds observations about Renenutet in particular. Murphy was right to fear.—Examinations and Interludes: The Life Eden’s Slumber.
What clued me in was the smell. The utter nightmare. Yet they couldn’t copy her Union bracelet. It had been made with Gulliver’s gift imbued within. A wholly unique set of metals and vibrations. –Sleeping in Starlight, a memoir of the 23rd century (vol 2)
Stoneward Correctional Center
Location High-Security Inmate Wing
Date Syncing with Crono Archives
Medusa tensed. A thing wrapped in rags was dragged into the cell with her. The guards pointing their rifles at her. On the highest setting possible. Which meant scrambled brains at best. Death was highly likely if she even budged an inch. The lead guard used gravity cuffs to send her new cell mate to the far end of the wall. They sealed the hatch. The inner lights came on. The covering over her head fell to the ground. Medusa stared. The other woman was little more than desiccated flesh over bone. It cackled a dry wheezing sound that set Medusa’s teeth on edge.
“Ahh, so a devotee of Set are we?”
Medusa glared, “Not anymore.”
*****
Renenutet studied the altered state of her bunkmate. Very uniform but lacked imagination. The body and hood of a golden snake but still possessing her human arms. Within the tail segments, her old leg bones had withered. The old mummy grinned to herself. A wedge and bargain could be made. Her powers allowed for that.
Rejuvenation.
With so much lifeforce here it would be child’s play to reform the woman before her.
It would be a shame to waste such clay.
She waited until the guards released the gravity from her cuffs. The metal rattling around her wrists. Snakey had a similar set. Ren had overheard snippets. All the prisoners had them now. Many had these rings around their ankles too. All because Set had helped someone escape. Based on her cellmate’s reaction, she knew more. But trust had to be formed. The mummy hummed. “Let us see what travels through the sands of time.”
*****
Medusa didn’t know what to make of Rags. She was powerful. Had the ankle bracelets, two sets, on each foot. She coiled her massive tail about herself. The rattler at the end vibrating. She said, “What are you?”
Rags raised her hands in benediction, “From the Outer Providence!” She said this as if it explained everything. Medusa crossed her arms. “Really? That is no land I have heard of. Even on the face of Earth.” The shriveled woman traced a pattern on the floor. Ash rose.
Medusa’s frown deepened.
Muthra symbology. But unlike any style she knew.
This day was just getting started.
*****
Mathias Odessen grimaced. Watching this play out even in the temporal archives always brought a sour note to his mood. Many in the 42nd century would debate these battles endlessly. How all these threads had intersected to build the tapestry of events. The Weave knew things. The Highest knew more. He examined the Egyptian Life Stealer. Unlike Lanis this woman had developed along a horrific path. Where Lanis had maintained a balance. This creature was the ultimate parasite. Even now they recorded just how much essence she had stolen from the guards and inmates of the Stonewall facility.
It was how she and Medusa had escaped. How she had altered the latter’s body into humanoid form. Taking just enough to weaken everyone. They thought she had performed a plague ritual. Beyond the confines of the bracelets. He shuddered. Focusing on the recovering Eliza in the Central Temporal Tower. She had already filled 10 of the holo spheres with her memoirs. Four more days remained before the Solstace. The Curator opened a private channel.
//Have the scribes re-examine Lanis’ capture. The Black Scrawl vibrations were highly irregular during that phase. Might help us during…//
Mathias replied, << Of course, sir.>>
They would have to be ready. No matter how infinitesimal the detail.
Odessen pulled up the Archives once more. Noting the shift in date and time.
Downtown New Ashbury
Anderson’s Books and Sons
T-Minus 30 days
Renenutet marveled at the endless biographies of Murphy’s classmates and coworkers. An incalculable resource. If she were to pull off this switch she would have to know obscure details. She was flummoxed. Information was power! What foolishness! She continued to read. Noting that this Lanis woman loved sappy romances. How droll. Their private life must be so plain.
The people of this Universe were far too tame.
Polite even.
The world of information danced across her vision. Tabloids provided exquisite gossip she found more engaging. Her lips pulled back. Passion sparking at the edges. She pulled precious seconds from the meat sacks around her. What would she experience from feasting on Eliza Murphy? She smiled as the waiter strolled by.
“Another coffee!” He nodded.
Lifeforce like that would be unequal. Her toes curled in anticipation.
“I wonder if she ever…”
*****
Medusa jumped to the required location. The ship exited FTL and Pira’s face materialized on the holo screen. The assassin’s red hair was peppered with gray. Premature aging and stress had not been kind. Behind her, a dour-faced man loomed. His brown eyes taking in everything with a calculation that worried Medusa.
Pira sent the package. “This will help you cage the target. Don’t miss!”
The drones entered the cargo bay carrying a milky white net. She cut the link.
*****
Set rested a hand on Pira’s shoulder.
Guiding her to the back of the ship. He pointed. The assassin eyed the door with distaste but stepped through. Within a Breeding Pod was a chimera of horrific proportions. Set might not have a will of his own but he was ruthless. He would do what Unity wanted. With a few exceptions. This beast would not have the programming that his master desired.
It would follow only one man’s mental commands.
Set grinned. His eyes speaking louder than words.
Burn. Unity. The Gray Heralds. Chronos.
All of them.
Downtown New Ashbury
Union Park Expressway
T-Minus 30 days
I blocked the massive craggy fist with my face.
The man on the end of that fist howled. Clutching the bruised knuckles. He raged at me. “What! No cosmic cluster fu—“ A golden band of light cut of the rest of his proclamation.
Doc tsk’d him. Her Defender belt wrapping around me.
“The curse jar doesn’t need more funds. It has enough to build an army by now!”
Emerald K-9 formed chains around the rock man’s legs. His skin slowly reverting to normal as the Demi Proxi Dust wore off. It was a new street drug that would give normal people a chance to live that superpowered life for a solid 3 hrs.
Nevermind the side effects of:
A: Brain Damage.
B: Tissue Degradation
C: Infertility!
I understood the desire. Not everyone developed powers. Even with the gene therapy advancements of the last few years. Uncle Paxton was livid. They had raided 2 drug houses in the last 3 weeks. Moonlight suspected certain parties but wouldn’t elaborate. Doc was running investigations through her channels.
Yes, she had quite a few by now.
I picked out Uncle Paxton from the crowd.
New Ashbury’s K-9 corp behind him. Time to go hunting.
*****
Doctor Impossible motioned to Moonlighter, “It’s her. No doubt.”
Spinster. Lorain preferred to think of the creature that way. The truth was far more horrifying. Able to use similar abilities to herself but for entirely selfish purposes. Where her first impulse was to give life, this thing burrowed deep. Taking slivers. If Lorain could sense this then she assumed the mummy could sense her in the same way. Moonlighter motioned towards the grav car nearby. Its flashing lights steady. Once closed she asked, “She’s creating the drug.”
He nodded, “Using materials from her home Universe. We have yet to trace the exact element. But the embers of it are in the samples we managed to acquire from the warehouse raids. Are you sure you want to go through with this? Eliza would—“ Lorain hugged herself.
“Want to? No. Have to? Yes.”
She bit her lip. “Just make sure that thing doesn’t…”
Moonlighter clasped her forearm, “You have my word.”
The unspoken promise grew.
Don’t let it feed. She had already warned White.
White hated this plan but knew why it had to be done. She had seen the same things Doc had. The words of the Void Man. The Union circlet and bracelet had moved beyond their original purpose thanks to Gulliver’s gift. Even now he was forging a special pair for Dexter and Mary. They hadn’t taken Typherian rites yet but were betrothed human style. The wedding wasn’t far off now.
Lorain turned as Eliza opened the NAPD van hatch. “They got the scent!”
Doc surprised them all by pulling Star in by her collar, planting a kiss on her forehead, “Lead on!” Her lipstick left a mark. Eliza’s goofy grin was all she needed to lift her spirits.
*****
I landed with an Earth-shattering thud.
The duracrete cracked. Hairline fractures formed along the base of the building. Even with the demi defense tech on display.
Being the bait made things easier. I was used to lazer fire bouncing off my chest. Time slowed as I zipped across the hallways and delivery centers of this warehouse front. The waves of the harbor a distant roar. Some of the men and women injected the stuff before I could stop them. Their forms expanding. One becoming wind. Two others are consumed by fire. One man sprouted fangs and shot acid. Like one of those old horror vids. I only hoped Moonlighter and the others would find what they were looking for. All the powers arrayed against me here were unable to breach my basic demi invulnerability. I gritted my teeth as I heard the commotion beyond the layers of the wall.
We were too late.
*****
Moonlighter shouted, “NO!”
He phased through the hooligan. Vying for control of the red liquid injector away from its host.
Paxton tackled the man, while the various police officers scrambled to secure the main site, the barking of K-9s indicating hidden caches. Another officer exclaimed, “Over here! Heaven help us! OVER HERE!”
A hidden door. Behind the panels were rows of low-ranking thugs. Hooked up to medial readouts. Their eyes snapped open. Blood poured down their faces as their brains cooked from the inside. Leaving no trace.
*****
Renenutet stretched lazily out on the warm sands. Wine in one hand. Wearing the most alluring bikini she could find. She watched as the news reports flew by.
///Red Haze! The Demi Proxi Dust Giving Small Time crooks the ability to go against Mid Level Union Hall Demi graduates! Thankfully the Golden Redemers found….///
She groaned at that. Then blew a kiss at a passing couple.
Not hiding her desires. Her gaze lingering on the man’s neck and the woman’s long legs.
They shuddered and ran faster. This place was filled with prudes. “Wonder if they liked my surprise. I did them a favor. All those desperate dregs of society. Even for one such as this.”
The body count was past 1,200 now.
She added more ice to the canister next to her.
The head inside locked into an expression of terror and pleasure.
Don Himarki had never seen her coming. She laughed.
He had called her a Praying Mantis. That would be her cover name here.
Medusa took a seat beside her. “Got that present you wanted.”
Renenutet snorted, “Of course you did. How was dearly muted Set? Just as sour as ever?”
Medusa responded, “Yes. But he is plotting on the side.” The mummy waved this away.
“I am sure it will be delightfully blunt. This is what I want you to do with dear Don Himarki!” Medusa schooled her expression to polite interest. Ren was quite off her rocker but one didn’t want to get that crazy stuck to themselves.
“I’m all ears.”
The mummy raised the wine to her lips. Making sure Medusa had a good look before she turned away. “Take this to…”
Medusa had no desire to bed one like Ren.
It would cost more than she could bear.
*****
High above Highmaker’s probes recorded the oddity. Trace elements of another universe were detected. Within a drink of all things. A pure strain of what the Arcane Council was looking for. They remained stationary. Blending in with the background signals of the Terran Alliance’s finest weather probes. The drink was made up of many elements but one stood out above all others.
The Life Essence.
The forbidden art of Siphoning.