Play Testers Wanted Pt. 09

I let go of the image of the piece of paper. Space was restored to its normal shape. I teleported to the entrance and returned to my human form. I hurt so damn bad, but I was naked and alive. The ground beneath me bubbled and began melting. Angela tried to approach by the heat was too much for her. I altered my form to a sphere and levitated myself to try and dissipate the heat more effectively. It took time but in the end I had endured. I reverted to my humanoid shape and ached so bad I couldn't move. Angela carried me back to the ship. It took an entire day for me to heal and restore my sanity. As I rested, I took out my prize and ran my hand over the damaged Mor'ia casing. I examined it and found that it hadn't gone through the implosion unchanged. The mass of the alloy was far denser than it once was.

I fell asleep and all I dreamt of Thor fighting a dragon around what must have been the famed foundry and home of the dwarves. I felt the power of the dead star pulsing in the depths of space. Thor and the Heroes Three killed the dragon and the dwarves rewarded him with the gloves.

"Hail Thor the Dragon Slayer!" The dwarves cheered. "Take these as a gift."

"Thank you," Thor said holding up the gloves, but it was clear his mind was elsewhere.

"Wait Thunderer," the Dwarf King tried to speak. "There is more to the gloves. They are tied to the dead star."

"Yes... yes..." Thor said and waved as he called for Heimdall to bring him home.

"He doesn't know." The King shook his head. "The young fool has no idea what we gave him."

I woke up with the image and words in my thoughts. He doesn't know what he has. I opened my inventory and pulled the gloves out and examined them. The two remaining question marks were gone. I swiped to my stats and stared in disbelief. It must have been my exposure to the extreme gravity that activated the dormant enchantments. The second doubled my endurance just as the first had done for my strength. The third and last enchantment double my agility score. I guess the dwarves had a thing about doubling things. All three of the stats were highlighted but a blue diamond was set behind my strength. I moved it down and felt a rush of power and my health doubled. I moved it to agility and my speed doubled as did my base armor rating.

"Oh! It only doubles one of my stats at a time but now I can choose which one. Sweet!" I exclaimed. I returned it to strength since I was about to forge a new casing for my weapon.

I am going to have to melt it back down to a liquid state and start from scratch.

"I can do that." I growled more determined than ever.

"Can we watch?" MJ asked sticking her head in from the open doorway.

"Yes please, if it wasn't for you emotionally sustaining me, I couldn't have endured." I told them as we huddled on the bed together. "Let's see if I can open the housing and retrieve the crystals."

Morya brought my tools and handed them to me. I removed the restraints that should have allowed the saber's casing to be opened and taken apart. A little telekinesis later and I worked it into its component parts. I examined the interior and commented aloud as I looked them over.

"The emitter is fucked. See how it is carbon scored here, here, and here. I can replace it though. Now to remove the black crystal Nightwind gave to me." I said and slid it free of its mounting. "It... it has changed. It is darker than I remember." I stated as I held it up to the overhead lighting. "Holy shit! It is no longer a mere crystal. The gravity has turned it into a diamond! A flawless black diamond!" I hurried too fast and cut my fingers getting the Ghostfire crystal free. "I'll be damned! Both have changed."

I handed the icy blue diamond to Susan. She gasped at its scintillating beauty. The gem was passed around until it was returned to me. I checked my inventory to be sure and I was right. I was in possession of the Ghostfire Diamond and the Star of the Ebony Flame.

"I have to rebuild my Darksaber as soon as possible." I declared and they wanted to help. I handed out tasks and we all went to work.

It took tapping into the ship's main power plant to generate enough energy to melt the Mor'ia back into a liquid state. While the crucible was being built, I created a new mold worthy of the unique gems. I lovingly sculpted it after designing and redesigning not just the exterior but other functions for my weapon. I showed the design and art for the Darksaber to the others to get their opinion.

"We like the runes," MJ praised.

"Ooh, I like how the blade comes out from the jaws of the dragon heads!" Morya said clapping her hands.

"Dragon?" Susan interjected with a thoughtful expression. "Don't take this wrong, but wouldn't a serpent be most appropriate?"

"Hah!" I exclaimed and showed them the other design. The backup art did in fact have hooded cobras on either end of the weapon. Their jaws were slightly open allowing the beam emitter to produce the blades. This version had Egyptian hieroglyphs to accentuate the snake motif. "How about this?"

"I agree with Susan," Jennifer gave her opinion. "It looks sneakier."

"Hmm," Angela looked from one to the other and like Solomon she offered a new opinion. "Why not both?"

"I do have the case I made on Tython. Why not both. I like both but which will be my Darksaber?" I pondered. I meditated on it and asked for Anackire's wisdom.

'You surprise me my Champion,' she replied. 'This weapon means much to you and so I will give you my honest opinion. Both. Use the dragon and the serpent designs, one on either end of your weapon.'

Her presence withdrew and I grinned savagely. She was right of course. Thank you Anackire! Renewed by her vision I attacked the casing with an almost fevered passion. I removed the hieroglyphics and laid out runes in a spiral pattern along the length of the grip. The serpent head would spit out the black blade and the dragon would emit the scintillating ghost blade. I ached to be able to wield it again. I printed out both halves of the mold. I took out the sand I had taken from Svartalfheim and filled two containers that would hold one half of the mold. I hoped the two might create a new alloy. What might a blend of Mor'ia and Vibranium sand look like or even more interesting what might they act like in combat? Only one way to find out.

We found a secluded spot to park the Ghost Dancer before decoupling main power to juice up the makeshift foundry. We fashioned lenses and goggles to wear for the intense lightshow when the Mor'ia was returned to a liquid state. I pulled the goggles down over my eyes and gave Susan a thumbs up. She threw the lever and powered up the furnace. We could only use eighty percent of the ship's full power output. Anymore and we'd risk burning out irreplaceable circuits and force us to abandon the ship. It was a slow process but eventually the damaged casing became soft but that was as far as it went. We were at our limit. I invoked Force inferno and directed into the crucible. The alloy relented and liquified. I opened the two slits in the bowl-shaped container and soon both halves of the mold were filled.

"Now comes the hard part waiting for it to cool." I sighed.

Once it was ready, I removed them from the mold. I looked at the casing and spied the how the Vibranium seemed to have been drawn by some force into the detail portions of the mold and given the dragon and serpent a striking appearance. It was a clear sign of my growing skill as an artificer. Once again using just telekinesis I polished and removed the rough portions of the surface of the weapon. It was as perfect as I could make it. I levitated the internal workings and placed them inside and lovingly slid the gems into place. I closed and sealed the case. The last clasp clicked, and I triumphantly took the reforged Darksaber into my grasp and strode to the lower deck of the Ghost Dancer. It was the only location on the ship with enough open space to allow me to practice.

"Before I ignite this weapon, I pledge its service to Anackire and her two-fold coven." I announced.

The black blade silently erupted into existence. I moved it slowly and noticed immediately the difference between this blade and the original. The air around it was slightly warped, distorted, and with a distinct lensing effect. I switched it off and swung the weapon around and activated the ghostfire side. The ladies gasped seeing the brilliant sun bright blade. What I didn't witness was the advanced 'ghosting' aura that surrounded me.

"Do it." Susan urged and the others nodded.

I launched into the eighth form of lightsaber combat and they watched. They say when you train that the weapon becomes an extension of the wielder. I could feel no difference between me and the Darksaber. I activated the dark blade and spun the weapon around in lethal arcs faster and faster. The strobing effect left my audience enthralled and entranced. I finished and switched off both blades.

"Well?" I asked and only then did they snap out of the near hypnotic state.

"Gorgeous," Morya declared and the others agreed.

Ding!

'Quest complete: Darksaber Rising.'

I looked at the remaining quest. Did I try and take on a villain like Blastaar? That would mean sneaking onto his flagship and robbing him blind. If I got caught it would require me battling my way out if possible. I remembered an old comic in a gaming magazine.

'Ooh look! A demon prince... think of all the treasure and experience points!'

Maybe if I sought out the Eye of the Tamer first, I could postpone the inevitable. We recycled the last of the bad air out of the ship, buttoned up the hatches, and I read the lore behind the jewel. There were clues inside the text hinting at its possible location. I turned to Susan and Jenny with their wealth of expertise inside the Negative Zone for help narrowing down the possibilities.

"Any ideas?" I asked as Morya took us away from the standoff around the planet.

"Maybe," the sisters said in one voice. A clear sign they were on the same wavelength. "Old references, really old ones," they pondered. "The Moons of Sterling August."

"Sweet, where is it located?" I asked and they frowned. "Aw shit!"

"Don't be like that, it will take time to plot orbital drift inside the Zone. Let us work on it with Traci's help." Jenny assured me. "Why don't you and the redheads get to know each other better."

"Well... I... OOF!" I gasped when the Asgardian raced forward, lifted me up, and placed me over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Angela!"

"Hush man meat," she joked. "You have answers to make." Angela stated nervously.

"We will make sure she doesn't damage him," MJ giggled. "Yes, man meat we have questions."

As I was being carried off, I spied Morya disconnecting the crucible and restoring the ship to full functionality. She wiggled her fingers at me as we entered the captain's cabin. Angela tossed me onto the bed in the captain's cabin, closed the door, and locked it. She moved to the foot of the bed and stood there regarding me silently. Her hands were on those gorgeous hips of hers and I blatantly stared at her. MJ clung silently to the ceiling in her She-Venom aspect.

"I need to know something." Angela said looking thoughtful.

"Ask away." I said as I began undressing.

Instead of going on the offensive Angela climbed into the bed next to me and snuggled. Something was bothering her. MJ plopped down surprising Angela but not dissuading her.

"Hey, what is bothering you?" I asked holding Angela gently. "We don't have to..."

"Men are so stupid," she purred. "Of course, I want to mount you." She stated in typical Asgardian bravado. "But before that, do you have Asgardian blood in you?"

'Asgardian?' MJ mouthed.

"The gloves." I replied and she nodded.

"I have looked them over closely. The runes are quite specific. Only an Asgardian can use them." She declared her finger tracing my chest. "You have to have an ancestor, perhaps distantly, but not too far though for the enchantment to work."

"I entered the world as an orphan." I explained and she frowned. "However, the goddess Anackire has given me visions. I saw how Melekith stripped the Realm of Svartalfheim of its Vibranium. It ripped the life and color from the realm. During that same vision I watched an exchange between his pregnant wife and Melekith. Bor of Asgard was the father of her child. No! I don't believe I am that child. I might be one of his descendants though. A son or grandson even. I just don't know."

"I had no idea the Aesir and Morasir could bear offspring." She purred as she rolled on top of me. "Now, that the mystery is partially solved I will best your lustful arts foul Ghost Fire!"

"We will." MJ added and Angela nodded.

"Wait! Who or what is a Morasir?" I asked never having heard that term before.

"I assumed you knew." Angela paused and looked at MJ who urged her to explain. "Well, as you know the Svartalfar or Dark Elves are one of if not the oldest race in the nine realms. As with the other non-giant races there are greater and lesser folk on each realm. In Asgard there are the Aesir, like myself, Odin, and of course my brother Thor. Also, there are the people of Asgard and while a noble folk are mere mortals. Among the light elves they are ruled over by the Vanir." She continued and the obvious hit me. "Yes, and among the dark elves there are the Morasir who are extremely long lived and of great potency. Your dark elf side must in fact be Morasir. Bor's seed would have killed or crippled a mere mortal. Such power as in Uru artifacts takes a hearty constitution to endure such a burden. Are you okay Ghost?"

"Yeah. I didn't know. It makes sense though. I crafted a rune weapon. That can't be easy." I stammered still reeling from the news. "That said, do your worst wenches!" I fired back knowing how they'd react to that word.

"Wench!" The redheads roared and went on the attack.

Three stamina bars later.

A soft knocking at the door woke me up. I ordered Traci to unlock the door. Susan and Jenny stepped in and giggled.

"We are going to have to burn those sheets." Jenny joked. "They are unsalvageable."

"Yeah. If you have the energy, we have a 'possible' location of the moons." Susan stated. "I emphasize possible."

"Let's change course and... oh... alright, I need a shower and a briefing." I said and the twins offered to scrub my back.

I learned while we showered why the moons were so damn difficult to track. They were one of the oldest objects within the confines of the Negative Zone. There are legends about them that come from the most established races and nations. It might be home to the first poor bastards that were trapped here hundreds of thousands of years ago. Since the time differential between normal space and the zone is so vast, a 336 to 1 ratio, that much must have occurred. For every second that passes out there five and a half minutes pass here. The inhabitants of that moon might have only arrived a century or two from our universe. If that were the case, they might not even be recognizable from their original form. They could have evolved, devolved, or just changed socially as to be an entirely new culture.

I practiced with the Darksaber while we travelled through the Zone. The oppressive effect did little to dampen Morya's spirits. She was born here. Well, if you call being fertilized inside a nutrient tank, grown to adulthood via advanced dark elven technomagic, and trained by the deadliest of their war masters through holographic tutors a life. I'm sure after that anything was sunshine and roses. What happened to the others? Did they perish during the implosion? Or did a hidden mechanism shift them back to real space and they are out there somewhere? I could ask her, but would she tell me the truth? Sure, my vampiric bite had enslaved her, but would she betray her race to a half breed like me?

"Master?" Morya called out halting my progress. "I can feel you," she said touching her head. "You are thinking about me."

"I am thinking about us, and what became of the others. When the temple was destroyed were they all slain in the implosion?" I asked watching her intently.

"Of course not," she laughed. "I lied to you. I had to give our people time to awaken and fall back to one of the other strongholds."

"You said our people," I remarked, and she warmed up instantly.

"You are one our greatest accomplishments." She purred as she approached. "You carry two great houses within you."

"You were listening at the door." I accused her my fists clenched tight.

"This entire ship is wired for surveillance. Just think of it, your children will be greater still." Morya said her voice high pitched and stretched to its limits. "Those that carry the scarlet hair will be superior and most desirable as lovers and partners. Your bloodline will be far reaching and your legacy without end."

"You are still lying to me." I said as I tossed her a practice saber and switched my weapon to practice mode. "Get it out of your system."

"I Hate You!" She screamed as the crimson blade snapped into existence.

I deactivated the ghostfire blade and defended with the black. I had never sparred with her and the technique was as alien as it was gorgeous to behold. She was aggressive at first but then slid into a more patient exchange. Morya was an extremely gifted combatant, easily my equal. Her agility and strength were on par with any Asgardian except perhaps Thor or Angela. She struck me three times before I landed a single solid blow on her. The difference is that my strength was vastly superior to hers.

"We are closing in on target coordinates." Traci alerted everyone.

"Release me or slay me," Morya spat her eyes red from crying. "You are an abomination!"

"I hoped you'd change over time." I growled. "Surfer?"

"Yes boss?" She said manifesting next to me.

"Inspect every nanometer of this ship, its computers, and programming for sabotage. That is a priority one command. Traci, take us in." I ordered as Susan, Jenny, and Angela went forward to prepare for our mission. MJ stayed to watch. I could feel the symbiote's blood lust rising with my own.

"What about me? What do you want me to...?"

"Door close and lock," I snarled as the bitterness and rage welled up inside of me. "You and I have unfinished business bitch." I told her as my fangs descended.

Morya fumbled with the settings of the training saber but it was futile. I sprang upon her and drove my teeth into her throat. I drank her dry. Later I would blame it on the Zone and that it brought out my darker nature. I knew better. I was tired of her attitude and in the end, I didn't trust her not to betray me. Her corpse struck the floor. MJ kissed me and got a brief taste of Morya.

"We will serve you willingly," MJ moaned.

I searched Morya and found concealed in her hair a decorative Svartalfar comb and adorning it an A.I. crystal. It was marked combat training. Well, that explained what she has been doing while I was otherwise busy. I drug her corpse to the recycler and shoved her in. Good riddance.

"Traci, you are primary pilot again." I directed over the loudspeaker system.

"Yes boss." She replied.

Clad in the black glass version of my Predator armor I strode into the pilot's compartment. Susan and Jenny appeared uncomfortable, but Angela approved of my actions. I didn't apologize because I wasn't sorry. It was a command decision and I had made it. MJ stood behind me smiling proudly.

"We are going to finish this mission if we can and return home safely." I told them and that they all agreed upon. "Show me."

"Just ahead," Traci described the miniature star system ahead of us. "The star is roughly the same stellar mass as Jupiter. It has only two satellites, each orbiting on opposing sides of the sun. They are about twice the size of Earth's moons and have atmospheres of their own. Because of the strange nature of the Zone the gravity of these moons is roughly 1G or near Earth normal. I detect no toxins or adverse atmospheric compositions requiring a portable oxygen supply. Good luck."