Author’s Note: Celerity~ Inhuman quickness.
Thanks Zanity
Liz stands opposite Kivar ready to take him out when he decides to make a move of his own. Taking one last look at Maria’s jugular he plunges his sharp fangs deeply into her neck. All eyes in the room focus on the savage act as Maria screams violently and the life force slowly drains from her body.
Realizing it’s now or never to save her friend, Liz waves her hands fiercely in Kivar’s direction and the force of the blow causes Maria’s body to collapse out of his clutches. In a flash, Michael utilizes his power of celerity to seize Maria's body before it hits the ground while Liz and Kivar stands toe to toe.
Rage distorts Liz's lovely face as she screams, "You fiend!"
Her palm makes contact violently with her father’s face in reprisal of what he did to Maria.
He lets out a maniacal laugh while propelling Liz backward with his powers.
“Is that all you’ve got? You’ve grown weak living amongst humans. Join me and I’ll make you strong again.
“Never, someone’s going to die!” Liz exclaims loudly as she prepares herself for her next move.
Kivar dodges her strike urging, “Elizabeth I don’t want to hurt you. Give up and come to me NOW!”
Just as she launches her next assault, Tess and Kyle emerge in the cell in front of Kivar holding hands.
In a fury by the act of Kivar’s allies, Liz waves her hands and sends Kyle and Tess flailing through the air. They land on opposite ends of the cell hitting the ground violently. The blow knocks both of them unconscious. After scanning the room, Liz discovers that Kivar can’t be found.
Now beside herself because Tess and Kyle’s intrusion allowed Kivar to escape, Liz screams violently as a maniacal voice reverberates in her ear.
Elizabeth, this is not over. You will come to me!”
It is then that Zan rushes to her to focus her mind back on the dilemma at hand.
Liz, there’s no time for tirades. We have to take care of your friend and fast!”
*******
After conferring with Michael and Zan, it was decided that Kyle and Tess would be keep in the cell as prisoners. Liz used her powers to prevent them from escaping. They will be interrogated at a later date.
*******
Max is sitting in the library deep in thought when a servant announces that he has an unexpected visitor.
“Your highness, Larek is here to see you.”
“Good morning your highness, thank you for agreeing to see me.”
Max gives his ally a warm smile as he declares,
“Larek, it’s always a pleasure to see you, even for reasons of state. Please have a seat.”
Taking a seat opposite Max, Larek explains the reason for his visit.
“Max, I’m sure you know that the five planets joined Antar in mourning your father’s passing. He was a wise and just king. But now that the mourning period is over, we wish to know your plans for Antar’s future. As you well know Antar’s fate is our fate.”
Max organizes his thoughts carefully before disclosing his plans then reveals,
“I intend for Antar to continue on its current path while reactivating peace negotiations with Zyrinia. As you know, my father’s efforts while commendable were unsuccessful. I intend to realize his dream of peace for the two planets in the course of my reign as king.”
Larek peers at Max baffled by what he thinks is misguided ambition.
“Max, all potential negotiations with Zyrinia failed because we couldn’t find anyone brave enough or with enough influence to oppose Kivar and represent the planet.”
Max smiles at Larek hoping to convey his confidence in the upcoming peace negotiatons.
“My friend, I think I’ve found a way to alleviate that problem. Just leave Zyrinia’s representation to me. What I need is for you to do is set up a mutually agreeable day and time for the representatives and nobles to come to the palace. At that time I will crystalize my plans for Antar and the peace process. I’ll also need you to send word throughout the Zyrinian underground that peace talks will commence in the not too distant future.”
Larek bows to Max and his wishes as they rise and head to the library door. A servant stationed outside the door gestures to Larek and escorts him out of the room. Alone once again with his thoughts, Max’s mind turns to Liz and the projected peace summit in the hopes that the peace negotiations will be the beginning of peace for the two planets and a future for them.
*********
At Claudia’s:
Claudia is busy contacting Liz’s followers in hopes of setting up a meeting to discuss Zyrinia’s future and re- introducing her into Zyrinian society, when
she receives word from the underground that the new king of Antar is organizing a peace summit. Feeling that she is in harmony with the fates, she knows instinctually that her plans for Liz was right on. As she goes over plans for the upcoming meeting in her mind, her thoughts are disrupted by the presence of Liz, Zan and Michael.
Wanting to know how things went at Kivar’s lair, Claudia finds her full attention diverted to the lifeless girl she’s never seen before in Michael’s arms.
Quickly she instructs Michael to lay her on the couch as she heads there.
Noticing the dreadful state the girl is in Claudia asks,
“Liz is this your friend?”
“Yes,” Liz replies as she rushes over to the couch where Maria lays. Knowing what has to be done to save her friend, Liz tries to talk herself out of its inevitability.
“Grandma, I love Maria but dying might be better than being embraced, I’ve witnessed the horror that ensues from the transformation from human to vampire. She didn’t ask for any of this to happen to her and it’s just not fair for her to suffer the consequences. So many terrible things have happened to her because she knows me.”
Claudia focuses Liz’s attention on the graveness of Maria’s condition.” Look, she’s turning ashen as we speak. Honey, the only way your friend is going to survive is if someone embraces her and now! Your friend’s life is slipping away each second you hesitate.”
Michael grasps the urgency in Claudia’s words and without warning springs into action. For the first time in his life, he rips a gash into his left wrist as Liz willingly but somberly assists. She participates in the ghastly rescue knowing full well the hell that will be inflicted upon her friend in the name of saving her life. Peering into Maria’s humanity for the last time, Liz reluctantly opens Maria’s mouth so she will receive the blood that will forever alter her existence.
Michael stands over Maria and lets his blood trickle down her throat, unleashing Maria’s terrible transformation from human to vampire almost instantaneously.
With a violent gasp, she regains consciousness and suddenly a burning sensation begins in her stomach. As her body becomes stiff and cold, Maria opens her mouth to scream but nothing is heard as the transformation sends devastating pain throughout her vulnerable body.
Then she experiences the indescribable horror of her soul being trapped inside her dying body instead of descending back to The Creator of all things as was intended. In a few moments the transformation complete and Maria experiences the indescribable hunger for blood for the first time. Taking hold of Michael’s wrist, she willingly accepts Michael’s life force as her own.
It is with that action that the two are bonded in body by blood. Maria’s hair and skin take on an iridescent shimmer as a kind of conformation of her descent from humanity. All in the room notices forlornly as Maria’s new life begins and she stares out into space uttering nothing.
Only a breath away, Michael waves his right hand over her face but gets no response. It is then that Claudia urges Michael to carry her motionless frame into Liz’s room in hopes that she will soon recover her sensory abilities. When he reaches the room he lays Maria on the bed and takes a seat as Liz sits on the bed holding Maria's hand. They decide to remain awake all night watching intently for any change when Liz is taken away from Maria's side by Claudia who wants to discuss what happened at Kivar’s liar.
“I was prepared to kill him but he got away. It was as if he wanted to avoid the confrontation at all costs.”
“Liz, throw that thought out of your mind. You won’t be so lucky next time. You will meet up with him again and you have to be ready. You have a job to do and if you don’t have your wits about you he will kill you when that time comes.”
Claudia then changes the subject and brings up Zyrinia and her hopes for Liz's future.
“ Liz I believe your being here has presented a prime opportunity at such a time as this. I think you should recapture your status as high priestess and represent Zyrinia at the peace summit that King Maximus of Antar is organizing.”
“What do you mean, I came here to find my friend and eliminate my father. What other reason could I have to be here?” Liz asks Claudia.
“I wasn’t born yesterday honey, you have Michael here who is King Maximus’ second in command with you, why is that Liz?”
Never discounting her grandmother’s keen insight, Liz realizes it is futile to try and keep anything from her. Liz bids her to have a seat; she does the same
and goes about explaining everything that lead to her return to Zyrinia.
“To make a long story short, I met Max when he was still crown prince on Earth at the university I was attending. His father’s death sent him back
to Antar and the forensic evidence proved that the killer was a Zyrinian.
An earlier entanglement between us brought me first to Antar and now
here to find father. One thing led to another and we fell in love. We want to be together but a life for us is out of the question without peace between Antar and Zyrinia.”
Upon hearing the passion in Liz's voice, Claudia gazes lovingly into her granddaughter’s eyes and asks, “Is he your soul mate?”
“If you mean someone I could spend the rest of my life with, yes grandma but we may never get the chance to be together. Everything is just so complicated between us.”
Claudia rubs her granddaughter’s shoulder and explains.
“Let me set your mind at ease Liz, if the relationship wasn’t complicated he wouldn’t be your soul mate.”
**********
Later on Zyrinia:
Maria is asleep, as are Zan and Claudia when Michael and Liz decide to discuss their puzzled thoughts about Zan. Michael asked Claudia to convince Zan to stay there under the guise of needing help against possible reprisals from Kivar or his henchmen until he could get some answers about his identity.
Understandably, the things that Michael and Liz have encountered while on Zyrinia has allowed Michael to feel at ease just enough with Liz to discuss his suspicions about Zan with her.
“Liz did seeing Zan for the first time freak you out as much as it did me?”
“Of course it did Michael, I surely didn’t expect Max’s mirror image to waltz into the room.
Michael rises up and starts to pace the room while revealing his thoughts.
“That guy looks too much like Max for my comfort, not to mention the fact that he annoys me. As Max’s second in command, I need to do some investigating into his past.
Liz nods in agreement and replies, “Yes and the sooner the better.”
TBC