The Theta Option (4)

 

With the help of her skeletoid familiar, Jili located the object of her quest under deep snow. In a shallow cave, she laid out the pieces of Red Claw armor, and memory came flooding back. 

The daring amazon raid had the mission of killing her, as she was prophesied to destroy the Eolcan Empire. But a secret cabal wanted to turn the tables, using her against the dark realms. The Red Claw leader underestimated Jili's prowess at the age of six; a poison prick proved fatal against all attempts to counter it. 

Yet the leader had time to transfer command to her Second, called Caladra, who led the order still. She left her sword to her daughter Wayacth, herself a child at the time. By wrestling a demon lord over the side, she bought time for the force to escape with its dubious prize. 

Jili set up the scry disk and cast about for auras used by Eolca. She made contact with a remote outpost. 

"What is your call sign?"  the Red Claw demanded. 

In reply, Jili held up the helmet.

The amazon's eyes widened on either side of the nose guard, but only for a moment. "It is death to possess the armor. What is your intent?"

"To give it back," Jili said. Who would be foolish enough to try and sell it to them? "I've come a long way to retrieve it for you."

Two others came in view behind the speaker. "Remains?"

"None but dust, the effect of the poison used."

The other knew better than to ask how Jili knew that, or even what her name was. "Your location?"

"Beneath Skulls 603, where Eiridne fell in battle."

"Have you access to a teleport?"

"I do, but I'm not about to get arrested in Eolca. You can claim the armor in Lunari."

"We will be there," the other said in dire promise. The connection faced. 

Just then, a giant gorgon head descended along with a giant vampire bat. Each bore a passenger. Good: Team Dan wouldn't require Jili to take the theta option. In that disaster, when one lost control of a teleport, he faced months of travel over hostile terrain. 

Unexpectedly, the skeletoid attacked, but a serpent lashed out to bite off his head.

"Cripes!" Zena guided the gorgon head above the resulting cloud of deadly spores. "Find what you're looking for, Jili?" 

"Ready to depart." Jili slung the sack over one shoulder. She passed the scry disk up to Dan, aware that only the gorgon head could carry two. After she mounted, the bizarre flight ascended to the hidden ledge concealing the teleport. 

The rest of Team Dan helped them climb through tangled dead scrub. Cambris misted back into Dan's canister, and Stheno became part of the mace again. 

Bonnie broached the subject on everyone's mind. "Jili. . . .we can see why this was so important to you, but it's not like you killed the Red Claw leader. Are you coming back to Lunari with us?"

"Briefly." For a fact, Caladra and Wayacth would be there with a full honor guard. Caladra had inherited the conspiracy along with the red headband of leadership. Along with two others, they faced the wrath of the senate if it became known. Ironically, Wayacth's grandfather, the academy master, was one of them. The other was a Sybil called Luzia. 

"Well, men," Zena decided, "I can feel that hot water already. Let's punch in that code."

Hot water indeed, Jili thought, stepping onto the plate. 

The Theta Option (3)

 

Previous: Team Dan jumps into the dark realms, burdened by a prophecy about infighting.

As an ill-fated guard plummeted past, Pete came in view down the side of the floating city, rapidly pulled up by Jili's magic cord. "That's good enough," he called. He clambered over the side of the old airship dock. "Hell of a place for a teleport down there--on a ledge carved into the Tekniker stone. Only a bird could reach it." 

"That's why no one knows about it," Jili said, doffing her witch disguise. "I couldn't use it, not knowing any destination codes."

Dan's collar lifted in the frigid moan of updrafts from the horseshoe void. It provided space for airships of old, which had given way to the age of the dragon. He pointed to a massive chain attached to surrounding mountains. "I take it this station can't move anymore, so they make sure the wind won't blow it around." 

"Like, deja vu!" Zena enthused. "I wonder if this one has a regular ghost ferry from Bodley Manor." She took some images on her pad. 

"Are you saying," Jili said with sudden interest, "the ghost ship can be boarded?"

"So there is one," Pete noted. "That's how we reached a different floatin' city. Hell of a ride. The question is where this one sails from." 

Dan looked across where chains clinked over some smashed crates. "Looks like this place saw some trouble. How'd you escape here, Jili?--seeing how you grew up here."

"I didn't. I was abducted by a Red Claw strike force."

After a moment of surprise, Ed stated the obvious. "Then you escaped from Eolca, and ended up in Khot." 

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Dan said. "Why did they kidnap you?"

"Their orders were to kill me, because the Eolcan Sybils prophesied I would one day destroy the empire. But a secret cabal wanted to use me against the dark realms."

"So why are we here?" Dan demanded. 

"I'll need recovering from the ground, because that's where my business is, and I doubt you'll agree with my plan." From her palm she blew dust that staggered Ed. A tossed pouch released a spell of confusion.

When the stars cleared, Zena rose. "She took the emergency flight suit from Ed. And the scry disk from Bonnie."

Bonnie surveyed the deepening gloom in the snowy valleys below. "Unless we conjure Cambris and Stheno for a ride, all we can do is wait for Jili's signal."

"Well, crud." Dan joined her. "We're nobody's taxi service." He pondered their own prophecy from the Well of Souls. "If that was the infighting, it could have been worse."

"It might be worse," Ed added. "You know we gotta go down there and see what she's up to." 

"Then we'll get ready." Dan tapped a steel canister, letting Cambris know it was dark enough to come misting out. Bonnie summoned the gorgon Stheno in human form.

"Impudence," the young princess said. Her serpents undulated restlessly. "You have brought me to a cold place, leader man, unlike the sunny clime of Greece."

"Cold is nothing," said Cambris, "compared to my embrace. "Let her who went below have a good reason."

Dan summoned the three fairies from the ring. "First things first. The fairies have to find Jili. Then we'll all go down and have a chat."

The Dream of Maxen Wledig

Maxen Wledig was emperor of Rome, and under him were 32 kings. One day he ostensibly went hunting, but his real purpose was to put himself on equal footing with his vassal kings. In the field, it being a hot day, he took a nap. He dreamed he came to the highest mountain in the world, then followed a plateau until he came to a long slope where rivers ran down. Following the biggest river he came to a city, where boats were anchored. One boat stood out among the others for its magnificence. He boarded it, and it carried him to the fairest island in the world. After further travel he comes to a castle. The gate is open, and he sees precious jewels everywhere, and gold and silver. Two youths play chess; a richly dressed old man carves chessmen; and a beautiful young maiden rises to meet him. He throws his arms around her neck, then they sit and converse. Then they are cheek to cheek. Then the dogs clashing on the shields and neighing horses wake him up.

The emperor remains listless for a long time, and neglects his duty. This causes the people to revile him. He calls the kings and explain that his dream, his inability to meet the young maiden, is the cause of his trouble. They recommend he send out messengers to seek the maiden, but after a year they do not find her. It is suggested, then, that he should go to the place he had the dream. He does, then he sends out a group of messengers, who journey long to the castle in his dream, and meet the same people, including the maiden. One announces to her that the emperor would make her his empress. She requests he come to her.

Going back to Rome, they recount their travel; and the emperor sets out to the maiden. On the way, the emperor conquers Britain from Beli, and comes to the castle of Aber Sain. He sees Kynan and Adeon playing chess, and their father Eudav carving. Also he sees the maiden, Helen, who becomes his bride that night. The next day she asks her portion, which she gives her father: Britain. Two castles are built for her. Maxen builds another. He remains in Britain seven years. According to Roman law, an emperor who is absent that long can be overthrown, so a new emperor is named. Maxen sets out to recapture the empire, and on the way vanquishes France and Burgundy, then besieges Rome for a year, but cannot take it. Then come Helen's two brothers from England with a small army. They measure the walls, and make ladders; and when both emperors leave off the fighting, the brothers' army invades and conquers the city in three days. But they conquer Rome for themselves. Maxen needs to ask for the city, which is given to him. He allows the brothers to conquer other lands, which they do until old. Adeon returns to Britain. Kynan remains at Armorica, and cut out the tongue of the women so that they do not corrupt his own speech. This explains why the British tongue is still heard in Armorica. The conquered men are already dispatched.

* * * * *

Criticism

The Dream of Maxen Wledig is also know as The Dream of Emperor Maximus. The tale recalls events in the late fourth century. Before he ruled as a co-emperor, Magnus Maximus(383-388) was a general in England in at least 380. In 383, he took men from Wales to Gaul. There are no further record of Roman troops in Wales afterward. He went as far as Rome, but was stopped by a combined force. An agreement was reached that he would rule Gaul, Britain, Spain, and Africa.

Armorica is the ancient name of Brittany. The author of the tale attempts to explain why the language of the Britons is found there. Armorica means, "before the sea". The "mori", Fr. mer, is sea.

I mentioned that the principal figures in the tales appear originally to have been gods. That is not true in this tale, of course. The son of Magnus Maximus was King Anwn Dynod, a variant of a name that also appears in the tales. The writers enhanced the stature of rules so that they appear godlike. It is possible, too, as was said earlier, that some gods ended as superhuman beings.

Castles came later than this period. The writer might have written "fortified places".

 

The Theta Option (2)

 Previous: the assassin Jili has teleport codes to an enemy floating city.

The Archonage, gateway to the dimensional hub

Because Team Dan received an emergency summons, they decided to launch their dark realms mission ahead of time, obviating the need to go home and gear up. The broad, recessed teleport dish glowed with standby power, awaiting arrival of a team in dire straits. Overseers in an overhead booth stood ready to switch on the alternate receiver code. All outbound teams would use it if the primary code didn't work, alerting them that some invader was trying to come through.

Bonnie pulled Zena away from autograph seekers at the barrier fence. "Come on, lady. That team could come through any minute." She frowned at an ad, having picked up enough Lunari to read it. Want to converse with Team Dan in their native tongue? Learn English! Slick operators knew enough to pass as instructors, but it was mostly Earth slang, especially Zena's crazy one-liners. The group's favorite reporter, a plump girl called Marnee, asked them for a pose.

"I feel old," Dan lamented. "They're calling this the comeback tour."

After scry balls captured the pose for the evening newscast, Bonnie motioned for Marnee to approach. "Take an image of this." Her pad presented a picture. "Zena after rolling out of bed."

"Bonnie!" Zena clapped a hand over her eyes. "I can't look." 

Suddenly the portal blazed with four incoming figures, survivors of a group of five. One man limped out with an arrow in his leg, his clothes smoldering. The team's wizard helped him aside as base healers rushed in.

Dan trotted over to the leader, whose arm was bandaged. "Gracious, Turim--where did this happen?"

"Library," the man said sheepishly. "I thought we could handle it." Located on the Archon plane, the Library repository of arcane knowledge made incantations into reality.

"Been there," Dan said. "A book was thrown at me that sent me to Earth. I crashed onto a car hood and set off every alarm in the parking lot."

"What's a car hood?" Turim asked.

A tone sounded, signaling an impending arrival. The Tekniker devices would not process a partial teleport. Whoever or whatever got caught in the field was passed along after the primary transport.

"Watch out!" Turim bellowed. "It's one of them!"

All but Team Dan rushed into a field shelter next to the dish. In a second flare of blue light, something came through.

"Devil dog," Bonnie said. "Seen it, done it." She took a bite of a fritter, having missed lunch. 

Zena jumped for attention. "Hey, lover, come to auntie!" She went to one knee and extended hands, conjuring the frosty animus of a spell. The slathering, red-eyed beast charged, preparing to spout flame. It slowed under a withering barrage of super-cooled air, its front part going icy white.

Bonnie finished off the fritter, wiping the hand on her skirt, snatching the Mace of Stheno with the other. But the gorgon wasn't needed here. The barbed ball rocketed forth to snap off the frozen head.  Crowd noise quieted to the level of awed disgust. Reporters got it all on scry balls. 

"Cripes!" Zena rose unsteadily. "Like that burned through a third of my reserve."

Bonnie picked two pills from her wizard kit. These replaced metals used up in magic, where they were stored in specialized areas of spell casters' brains. They didn't work as fast as potions, but were a lot cheaper. 

Leaning against a column with Ed, Pete had arms crossed. "Are we ready to get on the road?"

"We are," Jili said. She was disguised as an old witch so enemies wouldn't know she was away from Khot.

"Boogity." Pete was first into the teleport dish.

The Theta Option

 

Zena swept her pad across the majestic vista from atop the Well of Souls. Lunari had no internet, of course, but the pics could be downloaded to a portable printer at the villa. Selling them was yet another way to pay the rent for two girls fond of shopping. She dropped the pad into a pouch. "Do you think Ser Magus will ever sell us the villa?"

"Why should he?" Bonnie said. "He's making a mint."

Zena sat cross-legged on sun-warmed stone and punched up an Elvis tune she'd grabbed during the last visit to the L A studio. The jazzy strains of Such A Night caught the attention of some admiring tourists farther down. The inevitable reporter joined them, holding up his scry globe to record the scene for the evening news. Team Dan, after a long hiatus, was jumping somewhere into the dark realms.

Amused at how Zena played the crowd, Bonnie squatted beside her. "Dan is sure taking his time with the oracle. He must be worried about our mystery team member, whoever that is."

"Like I'm not worried. We've got Cambris and Stheno on call." She referred to a vampire and a gorgon.

Cold air rushed up from the forbidden depths of the mountain. Along with the  moan of currents came the tinkle of wind chimes on a lower ledge, where coins tossed by supplicants were gathered.

The old green-skinned Lunari woman studied Dan across the small table. "You have been strange places, Ser Dan--including the magical reaches of this mountain, where none have been before."

Dan laughed. "Long story. It involved escape from a floating city by conjuring an ice elemental. This was her link from the fairy plane." The oracle seemed troubled. "Problem?"

"Your new team mate. She seeks redemption at any cost. I see fighting among your own."

An intra-team rumble? Given their talents and weaponry, that couldn't end well. "I may have second thoughts about that." 

"Nay, team leader Dan. The girl is more important than you know. Give her this quest."

Dan sighed. "Okay, then I'll eat my doubts." He rose and approached the fenced edge of the void, making sure the oracle saw his generous offering as the coins glittered out of view. 

Just outside the pavilion, a figure stood up and threw off her shrouds, coming out of the stealth spell, revealing Jili of Khot.

"Well," Dan said, "as I live and breathe. At your discretion, that is, being the world's top assassin." Despite wanting to look cool and collected, he pushed at his shades. "I suppose you heard that." And made sure he knew it. 

"Redemption has no price tag. I don't see a problem as long as we're agreed." She made her way down one of the trails, skillfully blending into the environs even without stealth magic.

"That's just what worries me," Dan muttered. Jili hailed from the dark realms. She wielded twin swords with unmatched speed, was a mistress of poison, even reanimated fallen foes to command. Add to that impressive list a skeleton familiar with its own mystic weapon.

"Dan!" Zena, modeling her own shades for the fans, sauntered up a side path with Bonnie. "Was that Jili? I can't believe she's doing a gig with us."

"Strange but true," Dan said, arms crossed as he contemplated marbled skies. "For one thing, she has the teleport code."

"Wow," Bonnie mused. "She is a super thief."

Dan turned his shades to her. "Well, in this case, she grew up on the floating city we're going to. Let's get over to the Archonage and go over final plans." He didn't like that word "final". 

Logistics Across the Void

 

Flame's Magic Shop soon outgrew its space in the marina district. Specialty imports from the Earth dimension moved faster than pricey potions and talismans, though the imports weren't exactly cheap due to limited supply. Restocking only happened when Ed visited courtesy of Wicca's ability to cross the dimensional plane. Normally he'd bring fast food, coffee, and the Sunday paper for his teammates up at Team Dan's villa. But the success of Flame's enterprise--which Bonnie and Zena had bought into--required crates of goods on a regular basis. The return trip brought an equal amount of. . . .trash.

The dwarf Hecabano scowled at the lawn-and-leaf bags. "Is this necessary, Mistress Flame? Can you not burn or bury it?"

Flame, nee the blood banker Judy from an earlier life on Earth, was among many fellow laboratorians who'd made the relocation permanent. The moniker reflected her orange bob, made more prominent by black glasses. "Dan's rules. See for yourself."

One of the green skinned islanders in colorful wrap laid down coins for a small coconut pie, the kind travelers on Earth picked up as an afterthought at gas stations. A hired attendant removed the clear wrapper and tin foil bowl, dropping them into a bin. The happy recipient placed the treat in a covered crock for transport to her master's abode. 

"And there you have it," Flame said. "We don't want cans and paper littering the beach." She pulled down a ledger. "I sure miss computers. Let's see--here's the gold for this delivery." 

Hecabano pocketed the sum, to be used for reordering on Earth. He looked over the order list: perfume, specialty foods, sodas, and an item that gave him pause. "Magazines? Do they not become trash?"

"Not really. We make them turn in the old one for a new one. But there are pages missing: they sell 'em as status symbols. One guy has a liquor ad framed on his wall!" Flame surveyed giddy patrons enjoying carbonated drinks. They had to be chilled by magical means, that being done by a youth whose prowess was limited to minor cold spells. Just part of the overhead. "Where's Ed?"

"At the beach with Bonnie and Zena, who are getting rich on their shares in your stock."

"I suppose," Flame went on, "that scary vampire is visiting the other Brides on Rotbone Island."

"Cambris has a thing for neatness. I don't envy the count, who continues to blame Dan for having these women inflicted on him." 

Hecabano smirked. "She also craves to know what lies in the frozen north, what evil threatens this world as it does Earth, whose time is rapidly running out."

"I heard about that," Flame said, resting elbows on the counter. "Ed has a crazy idea of putting together his own team. As if the Dans will let him go there on his own."

"Precisely his plan to get them back in action, Mistress Flame. They were not fated to be mere merchants, growing lazy on their clientele."

Flame looked at him askance. "You trying to say something? There's nothing wrong with dropping out of the rat race." 

"I am in agreement." Hecabano flexed brawny arms. "It has been too long since I swung my axe."

 

Summit

 

"Ladies," Morticia began from her wicker chair, "I'm so pleased you could all come. We're here to clear up some confusion as to who is whom. Or something like that--I'm no grammarian. Now, as to which of us is the queen of horror, it must be Elvira, since she has the biggest following."

"Stolen from me," Vampira said with a toss of long locks. 

Elvira bristled. "You're gonna start that again? Look who's wearing Morticia's dress!"

Morticia held up her hands. "Now,  now. A man called Charles Addams was drawing cartoons of me back in the thirties. I predate all of you." She yanked a noose that set off a resounding gong.

The towering butler appeared. "Youuuuu rannnnng?"

"Yes, Lurch. What are you serving for lunch?"

"Poached aardvark." Only Elvira made a twisted look of disgust.

"You see?" Vampira insisted. "She isn't one of us." 

"Oh," Elvira said, "I don't know about that. Lily, you're the only one in white. I guess that makes you the odd man out."

Lily raised a brow. "I'm dressed in the style of Dracula royalty, I'll have you know. Here's what I think." She gathered them a short distance from the chair. "We need to get her off that throne. Why should she decide who gets what crown?"

"We could set it on fire," Vampira said.

"Let's try this." Lily held up her skirts and traipsed toward the solarium, where Gomez wandered about trying to stay out of the way. "Gomez, why don't you join us, mon cher?" 

"Lily--that's French!"

Morticia sprang up. "GoMEZ! Don't you dare!"

It was the opening Elvira waited for. "Gomez, I'm sure you'll vote for Morticia as most photogenic. I mean, look at that round baby face! Next, we'll vote for sexiest." She clapped a hand to her face. "Oh, right, right. That's me!" 

"Wait a minute," Lily objected. "That gives you two crowns. Well then--since I'm the only one who cooks, that makes me the best horror wife."

"Nonsense!" Gomez raised his cigar skyward. "There's nothing horrible about any of you. But then there was my aunt Deirdre from Lumbago...."

Morticia patted his arm. "That's Pago Pago, dear, where your great uncle ran afoul of that witch doctor."

The gesture wasn't unnoticed by Lily. "Morticia, you're as insecure about him as I am about Herman. I suppose we have that in common."

Elvira turned to Vampira. "We haven't heard your specialty, unless it's filing lawsuits."

"I suppose," Vampira decided, "I'm Countess Cool. You girls talk too much." 

Gomez sided with the butler in the hubbub. "We may be in for a long day, Lurch. I doubt we'll regain the use of the living room until some time tomorrow."

Lurch expressed his classic mutter of disapproval.