by SK Benton
Liliana stood next to her mother, wearing a black leather backpack that she had custom made all on her own. It had little pockets for knives and supplies, but the part she was most proud of was the logo design - it was a white skull and crossbones - with a pink bow on the skull's head. The people of the Rhönen Dominion in the 43rd century knew nothing of pirates, but Liliana had access to ancient books through her father, and also via her connection to the Hub's libraries. Needless to say, Liliana's outfit looked very battle-stylish. Jennie even allowed her to carry a small sword that was similar to the katana, called a kodachi, though the young girl had no formal training with it. She was adept at virtually anything she touched, and had watched Krynos' soldiers train on many occasions. Walking over to Michael, she gave him a precautionary glare, followed by a cute smile.
"I assume you are ready to go find Max… Grandfather? Oh my! Grandfather Draagh, what shall I call you now that Michael is here? You are much too cool to be called great-grandfather," cried out the little lycan.
"Well, I believe that there is more than one word for grandfather, is there not?" inquired the old mage.
"Oh yes, you are correct… Abuelito!"
"Very well then, everyone, please, let us gather outside the castle so that we may begin," continued Draagh, as he went to exit his former quarters.
###
Gathered out in the meadow out front of the castle were Draagh, Michael, Gabriel, Jennie, Bagatelle and Liliana, along with Krynos and Donus, who of course, were not going to accompany the team due to the negative time shift.
"My friends, although it pains me that I am unable to go, I wish only for your well-being and the safe return of Commander Gunnarsson. Go with strength," said Krynos, as his master commander stood at his side.
"We shall see you in no later than six months, old friend, but if you could please go back near the drawbridge so as to not be taken away with us," said Draagh as he gathered his entourage close.
"Good travels to all!" said Donus, as Draagh slammed his staff down, creating a sphere of influence headed directly (back) for an alternate 29th century Los Angeles. Within seconds they were gone. Socrates had stayed behind with Krynos and Donus, mostly to keep them updated with the latest news from Draagh.
The team found themselves in a large office lined with mahogany and stone - very much unlike the construction of the 29th century. Draagh quickly lit some candles, lighting up the expansive chamber as every looked around curiously.
"Father, this is your office in the Hub, is it not?" asked Michael.
"Yes it is, my son. By navigating through the Hub we can avoid the negative time shift and be back within hours."
"Seriously? You knew this all along and still you told Krynos that he could not come along?" cried Jennie.
"My dear Jennie, you have travelled with Krynos, and while he has the best of intentions, he does tend to be a bit overbearing. It is best we leave him to what he does best - being King."
Father, I have input the Kamiliak coordinates into my ghanlo, so we are ready whenever you are," said Gabriel.
"My son, I will need a copy of your coordinates, just in case any of us get split off from the group."
"Yes, yes, of course," replied the archangel, as he tapped some instructions into his infopanel.
"Fine, as we are all prepared, Luigi, Michael, please travel with Gabriel. Jennie and Liliana shall accompany me. We meet at the agreed coordinates. If we lose each other we meet back here," said Draagh as he gently set his staff on the ground.
4D Slipping out of the Hub did not create a sphere of influence, as the spatial dynamics were different there. Both groups left with mere popping sounds, and fortunately all arrived at the same location - a rubble-strewn, post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. Oddly enough, they all arrived near the same location as Max had done only days earlier (for him). Fortunately, none found themselves in a puddle of fetid muck, as they had made a successful slip, unlike Max, who was pitched through space/time like a wet ragdoll.
Liliana immediately knelt down and touched the ground, and then lifting her head she sniffed the air. The child was on full alert, and was taking the mission quite seriously. Michael watched her with what was becoming great pride, even though there was no genetic relation between the two. He had called lesser-connected beings family before, and in the child he saw great potential, plus a familial relationship to intertwine their fates.
Jennie keenly scanned the horizon while taking in all the scents, many of them different.
"Pops, things smell differently here - there are bipedals that smell like… cats," exclaimed Jennie.
"They smell like ass."
"Lili! Watch your mouth!"
"Oh yes, my dear, There are numerous hominids with which you are still yet unfamiliar. Once we have successfully retrieved Max I shall make sure to educate you on some of the more fascinating life forms that exist in the galaxy, and perhaps even further out in other galaxies," said Draagh.
"I am going to check the surrounding area from above," said Gabriel, as he let his impressive wings span out.
"My son, do be careful. There are Vrol flyers here, and although not very formidable in comparison to your capabilities, they are able to inflict damage on someone who is not paying attention," the ancient Primulus cautioned.
"Yes Brother, do be careful. We have yet to enjoy together that honey mead which we had been promised," said Michael, who looked on as Gabriel shot off into the sky.
Bagatelle was taking things quite differently than Jennie, Liliana and Michael. He was very quiet and looking at all of the rubble, attempting to identify anything nearby that might maintain sentience. Smelling a female lycan, he grunted slightly to his sister as he nodded his head in the scent's direction. She looked over and nodded, slowly kneeling down and putting her hand on her daughter's shoulder, prompting her up. The three looked expectantly at Draagh and Michael, and the two non-humans knew what the family wanted. The five moved in a westerly direction, straight for the scent, but slightly to the north.
"Should we not then flank the scent, Tío? This very well could prove to be battle," said Liliana, as Draagh touched her shoulder and showed a kind smile.
"My dear, it is a singular scent, and we do not want the individual to believe that we are hunting him by coming in at angles," said Draagh.
"Her. It's a female," said Bagatelle.
"Yes, she is, I can tell," added Jennie.
"I can't smell anything except for sewage," complained Michael.
"All in good time, my son. All in good time," Draagh responded, bearing a sympathetic tone.
The group navigated around and over busted concrete and rubble, taking care to avoid holes and rebar. Liliana moved more like a cat than a canine. The child was so keyed up that her heart was beating rapidly - partly out of excitement, but also partly out of fear. She felt she had a lot to prove, and didn't desire to make any errors of judgment, thus precluding herself from being included in future missions.
As the five moved towards their target they noticed (they, being everyone but Michael) that she didn't move - at all. It was as if they were expected. When they got into visual range they saw a cute, short-haired woman sitting on an old road divider. She wasn't wearing shoes of any sort and seemed to be simply looking out over the broken expanse of the once-great city.
"I would like to approach her, please," requested Liliana, only to have her mother forbid it.
"No sweetie, I think we should let your tío talk to her. After all, he has been training for quite a while."
The little girl nodded in agreement. She truly loved her uncle, and happily watched as he moved over the lone female - trying not to startle her.
"Greetings. Do you speak English? My… name… is… G."
"Hi! What's English?" asked the lycan female, who had started to swing her legs rhythmically while curiously fiddling with a bracelet around her wrist.
"English? Why, it's the language we are using to speak to each other. Anyway
, that's immaterial. My name is G. What is your name? We mean no harm to anyone. We're travelers, seeking a lost companion."
"G is a cool name. I like it. I'm Jessica. Who are your friends?"
The rest of the team approached, Liliana in the lead with a large smile on her face.
"This is my… family, actually - everyone, please meet Jessica. This is my sister, Jennie, her daughter Liliana, her father-in-law Michael and Michael's father, Draagh."
"Greetings, my dear," Draagh said eloquently, "we are on a mission of great importance, as we are-"
"Looking for Max. Yeah, I know," Jessica blurted out unexpectedly.
"But… but, how did you know?" Jennie asked excitedly, being totally surprised.
"You so totally smell like him it's almost ridiculous! Well, and he also told us stories about his family. His gorgeous wife, Jennie, he awesome daughter Liliana and his grandfather Draagh. Michael was never mentioned though. Did you two have a fight?"
Jennie blushed when Jessica said gorgeous, partly from the compliment, but mostly that it confirmed what she already knew - Max loved her, and even lost on another world he spoke of her beauty.
"No, young Jessica, we have not fought - yet. We simply have never met before."
"Oh wow! First time! This is cool. Hey! Wanna surprise him? I know a couple of new tricks and could mask your scents. Hahahaha, that would be so funny. You know, I was feeling guilty about not being at his going away party, and… oh no."
Suddenly, Jessica got a panicked look on her face.
"Uh-oh, we need to get going - now. Max is going to leave soon. He's trying to find a way back home. Speaking of that, he doesn't really know how he got here. Do you know?"
The ancient mage gave Jessica a thoughtful smile.
"Yes my dear, we do. It was a great, tragic error, but we finally found him. I shall be more than happy to explain when we have reunited with him. Can you quickly take us to his location, please?"
"Oh Jennie! I am the happiest girl in the world! We will finally see my father!"
"Wow, you are super-adorable, you know that? Max said you had to be seen in person to really understand," Jessica said to Liliana.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Jessica. I am Liliana Gunnarsson, daughter of Max and Jennie. I am also a lycan, like you, and a mage."
"Ooo, magic? I know a bit. You know, your father taught me some, and how to cook also. We will be sad to see him leave, but I am happy for him that you are all here."
Looking up at the crowd, Jessica dropped off the broken divider upon which she was seated and started walking in a westerly direction, motioning everyone to follow her. As they moved on, Jennie thought to the team via their comm badges.
"Is this right? Can we trust her? She seems to be a bit of a… free spirit."
"Oh, she is perfectly fine, my dear. She is a near-pure soul - not an ounce of malice in her body. Let us move along, but still maintain vigilance," stated Draagh.
"Just keep an eye out for aliens. I haven't seen any for quite a while, especially since Max performed surgery on us and removed the demon…Vrol trackers, but still keep an eye out for flyers and ground bugs. They can sneak up on you," cautioned Jessica, which prompted Jennie to pull her daughter close.
"Lili, stay near me, sweetie,"
"Oh Jennie, you know I can take care of my-"
"Don't argue, child!"
"Hey, you guys are using thought-speak, aren't you? I can tell. Max showed us how to do it too," said Jessica.
"Yes my dear, we are communicating telepathically via some magical devices. You say that Max showed you how to do it also?" asked the old mage.
"He has done a lot. He saved us from raids, and just this morning from a Vrol experiment. If there ever was a demon, this guy was it. He had a mouth in his stomach, and six legs like a spider."
"Oh, that sounds fascinating, Jessica! What a fight it must have been!" exclaimed the little girl.
"It was quite a fight, but unfortunately, a child in our community died at the hands of the creature. But I'll let Max tell you the whole story. Come on, we have to go through here," said the lycan woman.
As the group moved across broken streets and by burnt-out storefronts, Bagatelle thought it was odd that they were travelling on foot to their destination.
"Draagh, why are we walking? Could you not simply slip us to our destination?"
"Luigi, I very well could, but we are numerous, Gabriel is off flying around somewhere and magic particles here are a bit… broken. It seems as if many things work, but a significant number of cantuses will not function properly. Besides, I believe that Miss Jessica here is taking us on the same route in which she and Max had initially travelled so many months ago."
"Huh? Months? Max has only been here less than a couple of weeks, sir," said Jessica.
"Oh yes, my apologies, young lady. You see, when one travels through space and time not everything is equal. Young Max lost six months on his trip here. He has been gone to us for more than half a year."
Jessica looked at Jennie and her daughter and tried to understand the anguish they must have been going through, but looked forward and continued to guide the team over the ruins of Hollywood, going down Sunset Boulevard on their way to Seven Sins.
###
Gabriel shot through the sky like a bolt of lightning, deftly avoiding any alien flyers. Scoping out the ground, he saw that there was a ramshackle port where some ships, mostly fishing vessels, were docked and floating languidly in the ocean tide. Then soaring back over Santa Monica, he targeted his family while coming down from out of the sun and landed on his booted feet with a thundering crash, right in front of the team. Jessica jumped back, falling into Draagh's arms, not having expected anyone else to be in the area, especially someone with wings.
"Father, there is a settlement just a couple kilometers to the west. I have also identified a port which should prove useful for the search for Marnn's ghanlo, if it indeed has attempted to connect with my nephew."
Jessica stood, shocked. She had just seen a leather-clad warrior with a wingspan of 4 meters slam down in front of her without warning.
"What… what are you?" Jessica stammered.
"This is my uncle, Gabriel. You know, Gabriel, the archangel?" answered Liliana.
"Ark… angel? Um, nope. No idea. But anyway, hello," Jessica said, giving him a cute smile, and seeming to have calmed down a bit.
"Gabriel, this settlement, what did it look like?" asked Bagatelle.
"It seemed to be constructed around a building, maybe a city center and place of worship. I am unaware of the nature of the establishment."
"You're probably talking about Seven Sins, our club," said Jessica.
"Seven sins, like the seven deadly sins? Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride?" asked Michael.
"Um, it's just the name of a club. We serve drinks and provide entertainment, and will soon serve food, thanks to Max teaching us how to cook things that don't taste like Vrol dung."
"What kind of… entertainment are you talking about?" asked Jennie.
"Live music. We have a house band, and of course the nekos - they provide services to the men, and some women if that trips their trigger."
"Nekos, what are they?" asked Jennie.
"Oh, yeah, that's right. Max told us he had never seen one before; they are-"
"A very old experiment of ours, from back when we were working with enhanced bloodlines," Draagh interrupted. "You see, when we made lycans, and mages in response to the natural appearance of vampires, we also made what you call nekos. Their real designation was Homo Sapiens Felidae. As lycans have canid genes, these nekos have feline genes, but without the ability to change phases or forms - they were simply always…furry. One thing we did was to make the females physically dominant - that resulted in them killing off the males, but then something amazing happened, as anything created in Jah's universe has amazing potential - the females started to simply self-impregnate. Parthenogenes
is it is called - well, a form of it. Nature is wonderful, yes, quite wonderful indeed. Anyway, they ended up not accomplishing a whole lot, and really only spent their days chasing butterflies and sleeping, so out of kindness and compassion we let those who existed survive," he further explained.
"They are cats? These are the cats we smelled when we arrived? I do so love playing with cats," Liliana blurted out, while carrying a near-ominous tone in her little voice.
"Come on, people, we need to keep moving," said Jennie.
Gabriel stated he was going to do some recon, and blasted off into the sky as Jessica watched him leave in a total sate of awe.
"Jessica, why were you out here all by yourself? It seems dangerous and desolate," asked Bagatelle.
"Oh, I didn't tell you. They are throwing a big party right now - for Max. He is leaving, like I told you, but I was kinda bummed out. He has been such a great help, and I know it was all for the best. At least he won't have to keep looking for his family anymore," she said with a weak smile.
Jennie looked at Jessica, not knowing whether to be sympathetic for the lycan local, or to become insanely jealous over her care for Max.
The team moved westward, avoiding open areas, and trying to stay under the cover of partially collapsed buildings. However, this wasn't enough. Jessica, who was in the lead, immediately back up and whispered, "Demons are here - Vrol. Ground bugs, very dangerous, so form a circle with the little girl in the middle."
Before they could even do that, Liliana had jumped out and over some rubble, intent on chasing down and killing one of the alien invaders. Her small sword out, she looked like a school child playing ninja warrior as she leaped to the top of rather large boulder. Jennie darted in Liliana's direction, but could not reach her before the girl's feet were taken out from underneath by a large, insectoid-looking claw. The little girl scrambled up, but was in a grouping of boulders and broken concrete that wasn't conducive to her attempted escape.
