The Void Knows
By DocWolph



Author's Preface...

This is a fanwork that exists outside the regular continuity of the "Great,
Wide, Universe of the Universal Observatory". Therefore, many character
portrayals may not be accurate. It is also wise to note and heed that the
limits of power given to many of the characters do not meet any real
definition or criteria of "limit". The origin of Voidbird depicted herein is
not the accepted "official" version. Lord Rhodin's action's are not at all
accurate to his character but were done to fit the story and the somewhat zany
nature of the stars, Amy Brigand-Anderson and Rae Iksaki...

Nothing done in this story will have a direct impact on other storylines. The
character's here are all alternate versions of the established originals. But
three things will go unaltered; 1) the Void will remain a wholly unrelenting
force bent on the total annihilation of the Omniverse (a generalized term to
mean everything everywhere period), 2) Amy and Rae are both incalculably
strong and powerful but how they compare to each other will not be clear for
some time after the story, and 3) the Void and the Principle Guardians of
Creation are represented by deities and cosmic superbeings whose abilities far
outstrip our heroines...

Part One: The Enemy's bones

A Plan...an opportunity...an chance to stand again...

"I have sat here on this painful throne for ten...no...fifteen thousand
years," echoed the thoughts of a once powerful being. His body, robed in fine
vestments fit for the most opulent of kings, was a decayed heap in the once
graceful and powerful form of an avian demi-god. He once reigned over his
people, the meobians, a race of graceful, bold, humanoid- bird warriors, as
their nigh-immortal king...

When the day came that his great powers grew to gain the attention of the
Principle Guardians of Creation, he was approached by the Sun-Lion, Lord
Rhodin. His awesome visage, that of a gorgeous (though not to the king)
8-and-a-half foot tall lion man with a thick black stripe under each of his
gold eyes, and thick bronzed mane, dwarfed the avian king's like a candle
before the sun, yet the king did not fear. The god offered him a place at the
front of a great army to aid him in the war against a force only unending
destructive power, The Void...

The King accepted without hesitation... He brought his equally powerful wife
and brother to his side to join in this bold adventure. His world, Meobios,
was given back to the mortals as reward for their loyalty and devotion.

As he, his wife, and his brother ascended, his eyes were met with a horror
even he left undrempt... His beauteous world split like clay before his eyes
into two equal spheres in space. They were so close they shared atmospheres
and moons... But while one was green and living, the other was a torrid
wasteland... The king feared for his people... he saw their terror and wished
to aid them. Lord Rhodin forbade it saying,"Your people will be well without
you. By means of the Void was your world split in your absence. In your
presence, they will suffer more than they will tomorrow or thousand years from
now..." With those words, the Meobian king, with a heavy heart, leaves with
his wife and brother...

In time, he grew to believe in Lord Rhodin as a leader and a brother in
battle. He was a bold General in the armies of creation against the Void. His
victories were many as were those of his wife and brother. The king beheld the
triumphs and terrors of his people; the onslaught of Attawo the Deathhawk, the
rise of a new phoenix, their successful repulsion of the Aphkian Empire (they
were one of only two worlds to achieve this); these things he chronicled for
the future of his people. These things gave him reason to fight...

Then the Void took his wife...

The fires of vengeance were ignited in the king's heart. He would slay the
Void's greatest general, Master Masq. Lord Rhodin tried to stop him but could
not quell the rage that burned in his greatest general's soul. As Lord Rhodin
sought the council of the other Principle Guardians, the king convinced his
brother to take part in a plan to capture and kill Masq, a feat never
attempted for over a million years.

All seemed to be working, the battle was beyond the imaginings of most gods.
But as the two Principled Guardians assailed Master Masq, the king realized
that his brother had been corrupted by Master Masq much too late to save him.
The king was forced to do the only thing he knew to do... He slew his
brother...not realizing that Lord Rhodin and the rest of the Greater Guardians
bore full witness. They felt his agony and his still growing rage toward the
Void. The king was unrepentant and swore he would avenge them...even at the
cost of the whole Omniverse.

It is then with a heavy heart, that the Principle Guardians of Creation
interned the king as a living mummy in a tomb within the Sargasso Void, an
expanse of space so vast that light eventually dies in it and so no one can
see in to it or out of it. There he has lost all sense of time, forced to stew
in his rages and live and slow hellish decline in a body the will not die.

His decaying flesh wreaked of eons of dissolution and rot. His once proud
hawk-like face now resembled a badly skinned chicken. His obsidian plumb was
now a withered and spotty mess on dried and blackened flesh that clung to a
brittle frame of half solid bones. There he sat bound by a god's magics to his
throne of vast ornament. The chair was carved into a wall of shining black
stone reaching , seemingly, into the Sargasso void itself.

There he sat for eons, till a pair of eyes appeared before the king. Strange,
unblinking, unflinching, scanning eyes. Then there was a glow of sickening
blue-ish light... A light lacking warmth or cool, brightness or tone... All
the light presented was the outline of a mask, a familiar mask to the king.
The king stared into this image trying to discern his sanity to be seeing
this...

The mask spoke,"So this is how they left you... To rot... You, once their
greatest general and a Guardian of might nigh equal to Lord Rhodin... Rotting
away for 8,500 years or so... Have they even ever come to see you? Or did they
simply forget you...?"

The king slightly cocked his head with a grotesque, sickening, crack of neck
bones left unmoved for uncounted ages,"Master Masq?" The voice was low like
the breeze through a tomb.

"It is..."

"Matters of killing everything no longer enough to keep you busy?"

"I came to visit a prisoner. Even mortal prisoners get visits from time to
time."

"Speak or leave."

"I am sorry for your loss, oh great king..."

The eyes of the king glowed a vicious red,"Leave!"

"I would have made her a Void Lord if she hadn't found back so strongly..."

"Leave me! Get out!" the king's voice cracked with frustration and sorrow and
a single tear formed in his eye. "I would kill you now if I could!"

"But then you would not hear what I have come to offer you..."

"Be gone, damn you!"

"Life anew and revenge..."

"I do not care for your empty premises, Masq!"rasped the corpse.

"Say it to my face, King Darkbird" Master Masq glided away a few feet.

"If I could!"

"Then stand up you miserable, rotted sack of misbegotten filth!"

"I cannot...I am bound to this chair by the might of a hundred Principle
Guardians... Your insults can not reach me..."

Master Masq turned away a moment then looked to the corpse, the eyes also
looking with him,"Your wife begged for a quick end, did you not know this? She
screamed in agony for days as we slowly tortured her for any useful
information. My voidbeasts...dishonored...her many times. Few creatures were
ever so alluring as your wife..."

"I am now deaf to your words, braggart. Leave me!"

"Such control," a monstrous near-shapeless form loomed over the already
colossal Master Masq,"I saved this one for you. This particular beast was the
one who violated you wife till she began to both enjoy and loathe it. If I had
let her she would have killed herself... Are you blind now as well?"

The corpse slowly curled a fist. Bones broke from the exertion. The king's
rage boiled as he could just make out the menacing grin of the voidbeast.

"You want to...do you not? Kill it. Make it scream into oblivion. Make it
suffer as your wife did. No...more so for having avoided your wrath for so
long... Stand up and exact your revenge."

The mummy stood for the first time in eons. His vast power filled the robes
and cloak. It looked like a vail of dim stars in the black tomb. His eyes
glowed as he approached the voidbeast. It looked to its master with concern.
Master Masq simply moved aside,"kill it..." Darkbird looked at the beast. In a
flash of white, the beast found itself sealed in the chair that held the king
before. It roared and attempted to struggle but to no avail... "Stay there and
rot,"the mummy turned to Master Masq,"There is still to matter of my brother,
ghoul"

"I am quite immune to your powers, mummy," Master Masq was calm and
intimidating,"But I will take a chance and grant you an opportunity to avenge
him as well if you give yourself over to me...and THE VOID..."

"I accept. What must I do."

"Help me kill your chief tormentor...the Sun-Lion Lord Rhodin of Sorn... Do
this and life renewed will be yours."

With a moments hesitation,"Can we do that after I have something to drink...
I'm parched."

With a chuckle, Master Masq and Darkbird disappear leaving a whimpering
voidbeast behind. "sssomeone help meee..."

When old allies become new foes...

The Estate of Sorn. A garden realm onto itself... Above the bowl- shaped
valley loomed the palace home of one of the mightiest beings in creation, Lord
Rhodin. It hung silently above the perfect paradise below. The palace was of
pure white marble the glowed and shimmered with the colors of the sky and the
sunlight. It's pale highlights changed color in response to the person
touching. The ornate sculpture and architecture would remind any one of
Pre-revolutionary French art and architecture.

In his meditation chamber, a vast outlook floored with a deep pool of still,
serene, perfect water, Lord Rhodin continues the long process of purging his
father's ,Erso Sorn, dark influence from his soul. His work was typically
peaceful and painfully uneventful. Still, he persisted hoping to be the
perfect being that his mother, Queen Hex, her real name forgotten in the
maelstrom of Erso's evil, originally intended...

His mind and spirit were not aware of what is body was at this moment, his
attendants were being assailed by a force of voidbeasts. The groundskeeper,
Gemmenroh, his chief warrior, Crazyfox, and his wife, Araghi, a lovely vision
of a cat-woman standing roughly seven feet tall dressed in robe and cloak as
if a nun or cleric adorned in finely crafted armor fit for royalty of a
fantastic court, scrambled to break their lord's meditative trance...

As his mind and soul became aware of the desperate battle, he witnessed his
wife scream in terror as a voidbeast took hold of her to kill her. Crazyfox, a
dwarf-like humanoid vulpine barely 4 feet tall dressed like a character from
'Highlander', became a blur of deadly slashes destroying the beast. He called
to his young sister, Teeg, representing the ever cute ninja-girl complete with
near-thong panties, as she jumped into the back of the great, emerald scaled
dragon, Gemmenroh. They quickly flew to scoop up Araghi and Crazyfox. They
flew to the meditation chamber, where Lord Rhodin quickly summoned his
clothes, causing the heavy robes, gold armor lavished with inscriptions, and
his gigantic and terrible sword, Liause.

"What has happened?" Lord Rhodin speak calmly but with urgency.

Teeg, a tiny waif of a fox-girl, leapt from Gemmenroh's back to Rhodin's arms
crying,"It was so sudden...They came from no where..."

Crazyfox gently removed his sister from his lord's person,"They came to attack
from every direction at once, milord... The defenders and guardian machines
are being overwhelmed by dozens of void monsters of most every type I have
ever seen..."

Araghi descended by way of Gemmenroh's long powerful arm,"My love, I have seen
their leader... He is not a Void lord or master... He appears to be a living
corpse given great power to control these monsters."

Rhodin was silent for what seemed hours. The sounds of battle slowly
approached. Then Lord Rhodin spoke as if almost afraid,"This corpse is avian,
yes or no?"

Teeg sniffled,"yes, milord..."

"Gemmenroh."Lord Rhodin snapped with unquestionable authority.

"My gardens,"the dragon turned his attention from the battle,"Yes, Lord
Rhodin" the grief was apparent on the gentle titan's long face. The whole
realm was his masterpiece of gardening and horticulture. He labored uncounted
ages the make it as close to perfection as he could...and to see it trampled
by unholy behemoths desiring only destruction was bringing the dragon to
tears.

"My condolences my old friend. But I need your to take these three and
yourself to my old teacher. He will protect you and the Void can not reach you
there."

"Milord! I must protest!" shot Crazyfox, his fists tight,"I am a warrior and I
will not run if there is any chance of victory! Let me..."

"Youth,"Araghi spoke softly,"Think of your sister, Teeg, you raised her as
best you could from a cub barely the size of both my fists. The only family
she has is you. If Lord Rhodin says go, then do not question it. She would die
without you ever if she were grown..." Teeg held her brother's clenched fist,
which slackened. She kissed his cheek warmly.

Crazyfox bowed penitently to Rhodin,"Forgive me, milord."

"Go and be safe,"Rhodin spoke with finality. The great green dragon took the
three on his back; and with a wave of his hand, Lord Rhodin sent them away.

In the wastes that were once a green paradise, the voidbeasts howled as the
defenders, advanced robotic warriors made of disjointed, floating, parts that
resembled an upright crab on four spike-like legs, immense claws, and distinct
but proportionately small heads, were routed left and right no longer able to
mount any form of effective strategy for defense.

"Why does he not use the Gilga?," Darkbird thought,"They are far more capable
than defenders."

"Because traitor," Lord Rhodin materializes in a majestic shimmering glow less
than 10 yards form Darkbird,"I will not use my father's evil tools of mass
destruction...even to defend my home."

"Then why not destroy them?"

"They are not mine to destroy. Besides we have plans for them in the future."

"That's nice to know..," Darkbird looked at Rhodin his shambling form popped
and creaked with awful, unnatural strength of will,"but I'm not here for that.
I'm here to see you dead."

"You were never a match for me old king. A thug with a knife would be more of
a challenge. Which Void lord freed you before you were ready?"

"Does it matter? I am here now..."

"Agreed," Rhodin's outstretched hand calls his sword, which floated from
behind him from an invisible scabbard, to come to him. The sword, an immense
golden "giant" sword nearly 10 feet long to the hilt - the handle nearly five
inches thick and 3 feet long, moved to his will and yielded vast powers of
cataclysmic destruction. His tremendous backshield shone with the radiance of
the noon-day sun. His eyes grew dark with deadly intent remembering Teeg's
fear. The little vixen often played in the woods surrounding the palace. The
sudden arrival of the void must have frightened her into near insanity. He
regarded her as a daughter and took incredible exception to any wrong done to
her...

Darkbird summoned his spear, warped by age but still a formidable weapon,
glints with a low luster,"I am ready. You will find that I will prevail this
time...We are not practicing this day...or ever again."

Lord Rhodin swings wide to the side, an easy maneuver for Darkbird to evade -
even as a corpse. The rotting deity swings his spear into Rhodin to position
for a new attack. He had forgotten that Rhodin could move his shield as he
could his sword, Darkbird attacked the shield breaking his spear. The weapon
reforms immediately, just in time to defend against the terrible sword. The
impact of the weapon, sends the corpse of a god into the distance.

With Darkbird, presently out of the way, the Sun-Lion quickly exterminates the
void beasts with the ease of popping soap bubbles. Darkbird reappears in front
of the deity smashing him in the face with the butt of his spear. Rhodin,
infuriated by the fact that he was caught off- guard so badly by a deadly foe,
reaches out a grabs Darkbird by the decomposing throat. His gold eyes were
turning blood red with his anger.

"My home, wrecked! My family violated and evicted from their home! My best
friend, the one I would have entrusted the fate of the chosen one, dares to
kill me for the will of the Void?!"Rhodin was doing his best to control his
father's instilled rage to little avail, "I...Will...KILL...YOU!!!!"

Darkbird cocks his head slightly popping his neck with gross effect,"Perhaps
you should say hello to my probation officer first, milord..."

Lord Rhodin looks over his shoulder cautiously. His eyes grow wide when he
sees the horrid axe of Master Masq poised to strike him...

It's only a vacation if you don't work...

"It's a warm 85 degrees to day on Oahu,"the small radio's tinny speaker let
out,"The slopes are currently closed as heavy snow falls on Maui with a strong
leeward wind at 25 mile per hour making surfing ill- advised for today on all
islands except Molokai and Lanai..."

Amy Brigand-Anderson had hiked to the top off the extinct volcano now known as
Diamond Head and had stripped to a comely blue one-piece to sun herself in the
relative seclusion of the nature park. The only reason she didn't where a
two-piece was because of the very young boy scout troop she passed on the way
up. She felt it very inappropriate to show too much off in front of a group of
young boys...

Recently she had taken to a habit of wearing a little more while being very
visible. She wasn't sure where it came from but she was sure she'd go back to
her old dress code when she was comfortable to do so.

As it was, Amy was on vacation. No business meetings, no unannounced
adventures or crises, no overwhelming need to work out 6-8 hours ever other
day (try 1-2, basically maintenance), and no desire to show off. Strangely,
that's the one part she really liked... No one ogling her, no commenting about
her - for better or worse, just the comfort of her own record- crushing body
and the sounds and feel of nature.

She'd only been in Hawaii for a few days and had planned for to go on a hike
to the interior of the island before surfing to Maui or Kauai. The one thing
she hated was that Lita refused to go with her...

"Oh no,"Lita smartly glanced at the two plane tickets,"Hawaii sounds like a
couples trip. Why don't you go with Alex 'the Action Man' Mann?"

"He's got his hands full with a new round of extreme sports games,"Amy was
still packing her bags. A single suitcase and overnight bag. "Besides he's
cute but a real adrenaline junkie. He'd go to Hawaii to ride a tsunami on a
two-by-four not spend two peaceful weeks in paradise..."

"How about Mike Orish? Very normal guy with a nice bum to match?"

"He's a reporter headed for the middle-east... I'd have more fun dating Edison
Carter..."

Lita was silent for a moment. It was obvious that Amy wanted to have some
peace for once. She walked up to Amy and hugged her firmly without popping
their well packed bosoms out of their shirts,"Have fun. While you're gone the
girls and I are gonna start working out a bit harder. You know. Try to catch
up to our Amy." there was a cute smile as Lita cutely pumped up a hearty bicep
that instantly peeked at eye-level. The shirt stretched but didn't tear but it
was not going to be as snug in that sleeve anymore....

"Good luck,"Amy said returning the sisterly hug,"and be careful"

Amy lay on her grass mat looking up to the sky. She smiled as some of the
local birds sang and flitted about. The over-encroachment of man spoiled her
mood when she remembered the impact humans had on the islands. "At least their
trying to fix it," she thought with a sigh. Then a sudden wave of concern hit
her. This was the kind of concern that hit when she was not sure what to
expect next. Julia Diggers called it "danger sense". Psychics and mystics took
for granted but warriors and veteran soldiers had to learn to use it. Amy was
still learning but she could almost tell when the trouble would hit...

Right...about...now!

A bright flash of light fell on the ocean with an intense force. "A bomb? A
fighter crash?" Amy's mind raced to make sense of the scene; no big
explosion...no pilot bailing out. Then a sudden sense of a person in
trouble...in peril...

"At least I have my swimsuit on..."Amy said standing up. Taking a running
start, she launches herself out over the ocean. A quick flight spell and she
was at the site faster than the navy's patrol jets. She could somehow sense
the weakening life force drifting deeper into the brine. She dove in just as
the patrol jets arrived.

"Redstick, You see that?"

"What, Mathwiz. Over."

"A woman...I think diving into the ocean."

"The one with the huge muscles? Over."

"Yeah. You saw it?"

"Nope. But a destroyer's en route. We hold till they get here. Over"

"You don't gotta say that anymore."

Under the waves she could just make out the form of a suit a golden armor half
wrapped in bright red clothe. She dove faster as the pressure began to
increase. In moments she caught up to the sinking figure. With barely any
light to see she quick dragged it to the surface. Once there, she could see he
wasn't 1) human and 2) breathing... She flew them back to the island, to a
relatively unvisited beach. It was a long way from anywhere with no trails or
roads leading to it.

"You look like Vincent from the Beauty and the Beast TV show," Amy observed as
she prepared to perform rescue breathing on him. His feline features would
make it difficult to get a good seal but she'd try. It didn't hurt that he was
still a striking specimen. She removed the breast plate to reveal an
incredible lattice of large well proportioned a solid muscles. "Gods...why
couldn't you be human?"

"Because young lady,"he whispered weakly,"I am older than humanity as you know
it."

Amy sat back a bit to see if he could sit up. Was he some kind of were-lion?
No. Most "weres" didn't wear body armor owing that they heal so fast that it's
rarely needed... An alien maybe? Nah? At least not in the "E.T. phone home"
sense... Her mind was racing again having completely forgotten about her
vacation for the situation at hand.

"I am sorry to ruin your vacation," the lion-man spoke softly be not
alluringly,"I simply escaped to the first place that came to mind..."

Amy stood up a little miffed. Handsome or not that was a heinous pick- up
line.

"I am Lord Rhodin last scion of Sorn. And who may I ask is my rescuer?"

Amy slowly bent over, her vast cleavage partial blocking the view of her
face,"I'm Amy Brigand-Anderson." She knelt back down, adjusted her swimsuit
slightly,"were did you come from?"

"A battle between gods...I lost..,"the proud tones in his voice wavered,"at
least my wife is safe."

"Oh," Amy propped up Rhodin's head a bit,"I'm sorry. I just never met a god
before." She was trying to be hide her distrust of the previous statement and
was apparently succeeding.

"I am not a insubstantial deity like your forgotten Olympians and Norse gods.
What I am could be termed as a super-being or cosmic being by your
understanding. I have lived and fought for more than 20,000 of your years
against a force of total destructive power... The Void..," Rhodin heaved a
bit, Amy reached to check him,"I am immortal. Given time I will make a full
recovery..."

Amy looked at him still not believing a word of it. Darkseid was probably in
this guy's league and Superman threw everything he had at him to put down old
stone puss... The thought hit her like a ton of stone - might hit a normal
person,"Is whatever did this to you looking to finish the job?"

"It is possible Master Masq may come for me as I am now but I doubt it."

"Why? If this guy could but down a demi-god then..."

"Amy you need not fear,"Rhodin raised his hand offering it to Amy who took it
in her's, "The Void's chief weapon is time. It is never in a hurry and always
has tomorrow... Your world is safe. Master Masq will not come here for me
unless it part of another plan... He known he will prevail against me
someday..."

"Lord Rhodin," Amy was worried but still unsure to believe this person,"I am
still having trouble trusting what you're saying..."

"Then simply listen... When the Void attacked my home, the Estate of Sorn, I
was deep in meditation. Otherwise I would have had my defenders to aid me
against Master Masq and a former ally, Darkbird.."

"Charming name,"Amy moved to prop Rhodin up on her beefy thighs as she
straighten his mane,"He was one of yours...So he know where to find you?"

"Indeed," Rhodin barely noticed Amy's half-bored, half-affectionate
grooming,"But in the heat of such chaos I had not given it any serious
thought. I simply did what I could. The Void slew all my servants and
soldiers. They nearly killed my wife before my eyes..." His eyes welled with
tears, he gnashed his teeth to fight them back,"I sent them away
without...knowing if I'd see them again... I should have...been...my father
did this to me..." he let a low fading growl.

"How?" Amy asked. Rhodin had passed out. His face said all she needed to
see... He was afraid he may have lost what he most desired...But their was
more that she needed to know about him and only one person she could think of
to help...

After retrieving her belongings, she gathered Rhodin in her arms and with a
spell teleported away...

Tell me again how the future will suck...

Atlanta, Georgia...

The Diggers' Mansion was becoming a vision of a martial arts temple as Luan,
Carla, and Garfield trained and practiced their fighting skills. In his human
form, Garfield passed as a normal, though rather tall, human with freckles. He
watched intently as Luan and Carla train.

Despite their tutelage under Master Leap, the two girls were strikingly
ungainly almost clumsy fighters unable the chain more than two basic punches
or kicks. Julia definitely had her hands full with them. Garfield, on the
other hand, was a masterful fighter able to do almost everything that Julia
could but lacked a certain depth to his technique and experience... They never
noticed the bright flash from one of the upstairs windows...

"Amy!" Theodore Diggers, Archmage and a close personal friend of Amy's, was
pleased to see her, a most promising pupil if she'd agree to learn from him,
again. That moment of jubilance quickly waned as she introduced her
unconscious companion.

"This is Lord Rhodin," she started looking for a place to lay him.

Theodore waved her to follow him down the hall,"What happened to him?"

"I'm not too sure. He said he was fighting gods and lost... I just really hope
he's crazy or something." Theodore Diggers led Amy to a guest bedroom with a
king sized bed. As Amy started to lower Rhodin to the bed she realized that
the armor, which is over 4 inches thick in places, must weigh a ton,"We need
to get him out of this first."

Years of training and practicing aura magic gestures gave Dr.Diggers
incredible manual dexterity. He easily unfastened the armor in seconds like
slight of hand, "you should see me at birthday parties..." The armor fell hard
to the floor with a dozen dulled thuds. Now Amy put Rhodin on the bed, wearing
only his long flowing robes. The bed proved almost too small for him as his
legs almost fell off the end. Theodore quickly slid a trunk under the
lion-man's feet.

"What the devil's going on up..."Julia burst in holding a wood spoon. She was
preparing dinner and didn't much like being disturbed while cooking. "Amy?"
her expression softened as she ran in to hug her favorite pupil and fellow
warrior. Amy was affectionate but brief which, when seeing the body on the
bed, was understandable. She could see he was barely alive, "He lost a battle
involving great power..."

"Yes he did,"Theodore was short and focused, "He's dying as far as I can see.
He has an immortal's aura but it's been badly damaged...Someone of incredible,
god-like, power defeated him I need to fortify his aura but it will require
enough energy to kill a normal person... Amy?"

"Right."she said sitting next to the bed. She gave Dr. Diggers her hand, put
his other hand on Rhodin, and the transfusion began...

Julia watched on for a moment then remembered dinner,"Damn!" She ran out too
quickly to be seen.

Theodore watched Amy's aura carefully as not to syphon off too much at a time.
To his surprise Amy's aura was growing stronger, brighter, as the transfusion
continued. Amy's body began to grow. At first, only her breasts seemed to
enlarge, but her muscles began a slow process of enlargement that continued at
an increasing pace in time with her heart's rhythm. Her, sky blue bathing suit
was not going to be able to stand the stress much longer as he could hear the
reinforced stitches pulling apart. Amy was in a trance, which is normal for
this mystical procedure, and remained unaware of the effect this was having on
her.

Rhodin's aura grew stronger and was again self-sustaining. Theodore broke the
link. To his surprise, Amy's body didn't diminish. In fact, her body continued
to grow a few moments longer until she came out of the trance. She reached to
rub her eye, not realizing the tremendous growth she just experienced. Her
swimsuit exploded like an over-filled balloon. shreds of lycra and spandex
were flung across the room as if a much heavier material. Theodore had cast a
shield spell just a moment before.

"My goodness,"Theodore was calm and forced himself to look to Amy's flushed
face,"How do you feel, Amy?"

Amy could barely look at Theodore. She had experienced something that felt
like the purest expression of power. Sheer unbridled, strength without
end...power to see and sense the sum total of the universe... For a moment,
she know what it was like to be a true goddess.

"Amy?" Dr. Diggers asked yet again this time with some umph to grab her
attention.

She snapped out of her daze," I felt...uh...wow...I never felt this strong
before... I have no idea where this power ends..."

"Amy. The power you are feeling will fade soon,"he was solemn but direct,
"It's a lot like one small candle being used to re-light a very large candle.
While you were in the transfusion, his flame fed yours. Your...Amy?"

She walked over to a mirror and began to flex to see just how powerful she had
become. Amy's own jaw slackened as she saw her biceps effortlessly rise nearly
a yard over her head and she wasn't even trying. Her thighs were clearly twice
as thick as she of straightened her legs. Her breasts were clearly enlarged to
totally impassible proportions, she had to bend over slightly to see straight
ahead. Soon she felt the power fade and her body slowly but visibly returned
to its normal, beyond superhuman, proportions. "Sorry Dr.Diggers. I just had
to see. Could I borrow a robe or something?"

"Of course,"he said, with an understanding chuckle, materializing a soft light
blue robe.

Amy sat next to the bed watching Lord Rhodin quietly. She had changed into
some clothes she unpacked from her "storage portal", a very short deep blue
skirt and very tight navy blue t-shirt. She actually asked not to be bothered
by Julia's new students right now as she was not willing to entertain right
now. Julia and Theodore completely understood. Amy was caught up in something
scary and wanted to know what it was.

An hour passed when Rhodin finally awoke. From across the house Dr.Diggers
felt his awakening like the crushing bass at a hip-hop concert. He and Julia
went up to see...

"Amy? Is this your home?" Rhodin asked his voice stronger. It was clear he
could be a truly romantic singer if he chose. He sat up,"Soft beds hurt my
back. I actually sleep on a very thinly padded slab of warm marble in my own
home."

"How are you?" she asked looking a bit wanting.

"I am well. It would seem I greatly under-estimated my wounds. Were you the
one who healed me?"

"No, Rhodin," she turned to the door, there stood Theodore and his wife," Dr
Theodore Diggers did. I was used in a kind of transfusion..."

"So did you enjoy the experience?" Rhodin looked her straight in the eye. His
golden eyes were almost hypnotic.

"It was amazing but more than a little scary. I felt like my strength truly
went on forever... no limits at all."

"Yet you want it back, do you not?"

"Amy think about that answer,"Julia shot very firmly. Theodore was staring at
Rhodin with a scientist's eye.

Amy looked at Rhodin, "When I get it I will be mine. Yes I want that
strength... But don't want it given to me..."

"You have spoken wisely," Rhodin still sitting on the bed turned to face Amy,
"I would never consciously share ever a fleck of my power with a mortal...even
one not so mere as you seem to be... But I can tell you who can show you
how..."

Theodore looked at Rhodin a bit longer,"What would Amy have to do for this
information?"

Rhodin, staring straight at Amy, "That is a fair question if she poses it..."

"So what's the price?" Amy asked directly but still curiously polite. She
couldn't exercise her will to gain and equal footing in this exchange. Was
Rhodin actually the dominate will? Was he using a strange form of the
"dominate voice"?

"I am still too weak to return to battle. I see in you the capacity to go in
my place. You are a great warrior too great for this one, tiny, world. I would
ask that you consider going in my place. You would be prepared and given the
support you will require to prevail. I will not think any less of you if you
decline..."

"Then I decline..."Amy said leaving.

"Then envision this..," Rhodin's eyes glowed Amy, Julia and Theodore stood in
a wasted vision of a world being overrun by the Void. The sheer devastation,
the screams for help and mercy, armies of brave soldiers and desperate people
fighting to survive the onslaught was too much for two of the three to bare.
The world was gone and all the people wanted was to die in peace. They were
emaciated, filthy, and defeated. What they saw could easily be called Hell
"This scene is of Earth, but this same scenario is played out across creation.
No one is spared and only nothing will remain. All things go to dust, but the
living Omniverse does not need to go all at once. I can not express to your
inexperienced minds just how vast the power of the Void is...

"If I had the same kind of power you have..." Amy said, "I could defeat this
thing?"

"No, child. no one can defeat the Void...only delay it or hold it in balance.
Life and death in balance forever or never again... You would be able to help
maintain that holiest of balances but never secure one side against the other
forever..."

"Yin and Yang..."Julia and Amy said at the same time.

"I am not familiar with that reference but I will take your word for
it."Rhodin said standing up for the first time. His form was great and
imposing, yet graceful and beautiful. What remains of his garments, A fine
linen tunic, pants, and sandals, did little to dissuade the appearance of a
great romantic figure.

"If Brittany weren't married or Brianna saw you they'd likely go 'ga- ga' for
you," Julia remarked feeling a certain enjoyment seeing such a fantastic
looking male specimen. She was trying to get the previous images out of her
head and break any real tension. Looking at Theodore's wicked fatherly grin,
she succeeded.

"Isn't there anyone else that can do this?" Amy was sardonic, what does a god
need with me? Such beings are almost always more trouble for their assumed
constituents than anyone else...

"The one I have chosen is you, Amy," Rhodin was firm but patient, "What I ask
is not to help save my paltry home or your misable world. There is a vast
nigh-endless sea of wonders and terrors that must be kept in check... You,
above most anyone else in your world, can appreciate this...Just consider it
for a..."

"Stop!"Julia interrupted. She was visibly concerned at this. Amy was her best
student and very close friend. Brunhilda, her mother, actually took the time
to train her and make her a member of the family... She was not about to let
some stranger convince, coerce, or otherwise trick Amy into making a bad
choice. "If I know anything about gods, its this: you guys only use 'mortals'
for your own proposes that rarely have anything to do with us. You can say
you're fighting to maintain cosmic order but you are doing this for yourself,
aren't you?"

"To answer that I will have to say that my home is only a place, "Rhodin
started with a low solemn tone, "your world is only a small stone in the
ocean, but the Omniverse - the sum total of everything is more important to me
than you can hope to comprehend. It is always the fate of mortals to be blind
the that which is beyond their field of view or realm of knowledge. Think of
your own history in Jade. The barbarians knew little or nothing of dwarves or
elves in their earliest days. However as time progressed, your people learned
of their neighbors and learned much from them and they yours. The knowledge
and wisdom of the barbarians was increased by the exchanges and experiences
they had. I have seen much of the Omniverse but not all of i, however, given
that I have more of a right to exercise my right to seek a champion they you
do to try to deny me." The lion looked straight at Julia then an ever cautious
Theodore, "Now let Amy decide." The two almost seemed to cringe. Amy saw that
an was quite willing to pop this deity one but...

"I'll need Lita to come with me," Amy said coolly," She's gonna..."

"She is going to thank me for not allowing her to get killed needlessly,"
Rhodin was firm and direct, "She has barely a quarter of your ability. If I
thought she could do this with you she'd be here to hear all this now." He
softens his voice a bit, "When this task is done then perhaps I will allow her
to follow you into the greater universe."

"I see..." Amy weighed the words carefully. Lita was one of her best friends
and Rhodin was right. Lita was maybe a little more than half as strong and
lacked the magical skills to be as useful as Rhodin apparently needed. She
lowered her head a bit with a firm humility,"I still have to tell her."

"Very well," Rhodin spoke with a typified godly tone, "You have a day to
prepare. I will not allow you to proceed unprepared but be ready anyway."

"Right," Amy said teleporting away in flash of blue light.

"I hope you aren't wrong," Julia said almost as if she were forcing herself to
face Rhodin.

"If you have no faith in him then hope for Amy," Theodore spoke almost like a
clergyman. Julia looked to her husband with deep concern...

Rhodin gently sniffs the air, "Julia, your dinner is burning..."

"Ahhh-sh...!" she roars as she run back to the kitchen.

Long good-byes...longer departures...

"What do you mean I'm not going?" Lita was teetering on the edge of total
outrage, "I never ask for your brand of adventure, but the fate of the whole
of everything is on the line and you wanna do this alone?! I knew you were
proud but Amy..."

"Calm down, girl," Raye, ever the priestess, tended to be to the fire
extinguisher despite her own fiery reputation, "Amy has her reasons..."

"Yeah she's a glory hog..." Lita grumbled.

"Lita..." Amy was calm but showed no joy - in fact she was visibly depressed
by this, "I really would have liked to take you all but that's not how it
works... Rhodin was sure I was the only one who stood a chance of standing in
for him. I..." The effort of finding an explanation was taking an obvious toll
on Amy.

"It all okay, Amy," Serena examined her friend's white adventure dress before
it was packed, "You were chosen we weren't. The truth is I wouldn't want to
go... Family. The rest of us are not to queens of combat like you have
become... I bet you trash this Void creep with no fuss at all." She smiled her
usual goofy little smile that lit canyons an instantly lightened moods.

"I guess," Lita was calmer but her clenched fist said differently, "Just be
careful." She leaves quietly. Raye follows to watch over her.

"It's still so unfair," Amy murmured checking her Graviton bar, "I just don't
feel in control of any of this... Rhodin... He's been pushing this whole mess
along... And all I wanted was a vacation for two weeks..."

Serena stopped Amy for a moment. She looked her friend squarely in the eye and
smiled, "What was it that robot Optimus said? ...Oh yeah, The peaceful never
choose their battles, the peaceful simply do what they can to remain the day
and win if possible... If this god-guy chose you over all the heroes on this
busy planet of ours, then you got what it takes..."

Amy smiled a moment then pointed to the white adventure dress, "Could you hand
me my dress please?"

The following day...

Amy was ready but quite nervous. She checked her equipment again and was
dressed in her white adventure dress. She stood before Rhodin and a pretty
badly beat up Luan, Carla, and Garfield. It seemed apparent that Rhodin was
feeling stronger. He must be incredible at full strength. Julia eyed her
pupils with "that" look. The one that said "you are going to water the lawn
with your sweat".

"I'm ready Rhodin..."Amy was very still. She could barely hide her fear.
Remembering the power she experienced during the aura transfusion, she didn't
feel good about fighting such a strong opponent... But she won't let that stop
her. She was playing for a bigger league now...

"Do not concern yourself too greatly, Amy, my champion," Rhodin was the figure
of might and grace but not as imposing as he had been before, in fact he
seemed downright humble, "You will be amongst friends where I will send you.
But be wary, some will not be as receptive as others..."

"That's a risk everywhere you go..."Amy said stolidly.

"You need not be too ready for pitch battle," The Sun-Lion's eyes become
passive and pleasant. Was this the face he wore at home? The face of a husband
and friend? This was his best and favorite face...the one he wore least often.
"You will be properly prepared for the battles to come..."

"By you?" Amy was almost relieved. Going off to face evil deities unprepared
was not only stupid but suicide.

"No," he could see the tension grow in her eyes, "I have made prior
arrangements to have you train with one of the mightiest beings those side of
the One..."

"Another person like you then?"

"Hardly," Rhodin began to swirl his hand in a 'wax-on' manner. A swift breeze
began to blow. "She is much like you... but her training has progressed beyond
what you could hope to dream to attain here on your own. She is a very giving
teacher and a friend to all - even her most ardent foes. Now the portal is
ready..."

All that could be seen was an area of visibly still air. Amy looked into this
portal with some concern. What waited for her was not clear, but the Void
would definitely be one. She started for the portal...

"Do not be so hasty, my champion," Rhodin was almost ready to shout, "I will
be ready in, I expect, a month's time. Be of no need for expediency. When you
are truly ready you will be thus so prepared. Be your steps filled of care.
Now, go as you will..." He was worried he may have been hasty in his choice
but had to have faith same as anyone great or small... Julia saw this in his
stance as Amy turned to leave...

"Amy." Julia was stern, "no good-byes for us mere mortals?" Amy embarrassed
quickly jogged over to her mentor and hugged her with might enough to nearly
crush a pro-wrestler. She promised to meet up with the new students later...
Then bowing to Rhodin, who almost seemed to bless her, Amy left into the
portal as calmly, as distinctly, as walking through a door... The portal faded
behind her as she vanished from view.

Rhodin huffed a bit then passed out into Julia's arms, Garfield assisted in
getting him to ground. The portal had cost him a good deal of his still finite
strength.

Garfield turned to Luan and Carla, "Go get Dr. Diggers..." The girls ran to
find him as quickly as possible...

"A month may be too optimistic," Julia thought as her husband materialized
next to her...

You are always on the clock...

A, hitherto, unnamed paradise world beyond the reach of known space... Many
such worlds are well known to the members of the League of Mystic Arts and
Combat. Few are ever named as they feel they are cheating hard working space
explorers out of their fair stake in history...

Today, one such world plays host to the confirmed most physically powerful
(mortal born) being in the known universe, Rae Iksaki, and her family. It was
a rare time for vacation and rest. No training, no teaching, no one trying to
cause them any trouble, no Master Serendoe, just a few days of peace and
quiet.

Rae Iksaki, and D'geddii Aphkian, stood neatly at a solid 6 feet 4 inches. She
has cute canine features not unlike a humanoid Cocker Spaniel with darker fur.
Her mane, ears and thick fluffy tail is a bright red- orange that shone like
fine strands of silk. Her body is, by any definition, gorgeous. Over 17 years
of training and study and the still inexplicable "Iksaki factor", Rae had
learned to control and readily change the shape of her body to become the
perfect size and shape for an athlete at her level of strength, speed,
agility, power, and weight... Her muscles were huge but unencumbering and
could grow larger or smaller at will. She wore a long sleeveless very dark
blue robe with black edging and silver highlights. The whole outfit was very
simple and appealing to her mate...

Makahn of Tamsilent. A tremendous towering Cenuuffii Aphkian standing over
eight feet tall. His whole appearance said wolfman. The face was a wolf's
crowned with a long stiff but flowing white mane. His fur is ebon black nearly
a flat black while his muzzle and chest were a shimmering pearl white... His
piercing ice blue eyes were visible dozens of yards away. To Rae that was her
favorite feature about him... He wore a very ornate Terre, a traditional
Cenuuffii Aphkian kilt-like outfit that ran to the toes and up to the ribcage;
his decorated with rich aquatic patterns that shimmered as if seen from under
the sea. A terre is usually worn without a top of any kind, even when females
wear such an outfit. It is considered a proper fighter's attire.

Fatima Iksaki, was a near dead ringer for her elder sister, Rae, from the neck
up. Both have pinkish-purple eyes and red-orange manes and tails - though
Fatima's was a bit darker. Their styles were also very different; Rae let her
lopping ears hang and Fatima kept her's pinned up so to stand. Her body was a
different story... Fatima favored having a much more powerful looking frame
with broader shoulders, thicker arms and legs and deeply carved abs that
looked like the were cast in iron as she playfully carried her tiny cousin,
Teal... Fatima wore a dark blue-green variation on her fighting uniform. This
one was legless but boasted full sleeves and her full assortment of weighted
ankle, wrist, and leg bands plus a thick, heavy, collar. She always dressed
like she was going to a fight.

Teal, barely 10 years old, is the first child of Rae and Makahn. He was the
visual equivalent of his father and mother. Black fur with white, white mane
with matching lopping ears, and sky blue eyes. The little pup was ever the
ball of energy laughing and playing, though his parents hope to have him play
with children his own age more often. He wore bright blue shorts and a pattern
t-shirt and his favorite sneaker (picture a pair of Air Jordans in the year
2054).

Rae and Makahn were enjoying the natural beauty of the planet. There were few
trees. The planet it self seemed to be a reforming desert world. The tall
graceful rock formations reached ten, twenty, thirty meters and far more into
the air from a relatively level ground floor carpeted with thick soft green
grasses... There were no wildflowers and so the whole scene looked
surrealistically unreal... The pink-purple and blue sky was lightly smeared
with thin, white, clouds that flowed visibly in the rivers of wind above. From
time to time a flock of small birds quickly flew overhead, some sang lightly,
most did not. The occasional small animal caught dozing in the sun or grazing
soon gave way to a sea of herd animals, not unlike bison with much less
aggressive horns.

Rae and her mate watched them, observing that they were making circular
groupings to protect the mother beasts as they gave birth. Rae leaned on her
husband's arm lightly. She was immeasurably stronger than her mate but felt
secure holding his huge muscular arm. Makahn was as any "wolfish" Aphkian is
with his mate and lover: in control of his emotions at all times. She liked
trying to excite him without resorting to the obvious. She would nuzzle his
bicep or intertwine her tail with his. The subtle folding of ears told her she
was getting to him...

"This is the first time I have seen this world," Makahn looked down to his
comparatively tiny mate, "It is so much like the Imperial Throneworld..."

"But there is no life-ring and hardly any trees at all here..."

"It is quiet. Pure. A place where a temple could be built and little else. It
is too pure a world to be marred by civilization..."

"You say that and yet we both know that someone will come along a mine this
world to bits someday."

"Then would you help me fight them off, beloved one?"

She could see his excitement now, "Oh, yes..." Rae was insatiably lustful for
her husband and she was holding off have a "real roll in the grass" until Teal
was older or they could have a vacation without their son. This was the
compromise that was made and Rae wasn't about to sour the deal with her
mate...

Elsewhere, Fatima and Teal were leaping from rockpike to rockpike like a video
game character. Teal hung on for dear life as his aunt effortlessly leapt from
one point to another some 100 feet from the ground. Fatima enjoyed
entertaining her cousin. It was one of the few times when her spirits were
high. After losing her first boyfriend, "Cute", to Mau's dark designs and her
second, Tiilo, having left her for his fear of muscles and the girls who had
them, her moods were never set on a very positive spin. Still she hoped to
find that someone that she could be happy with again...

Fatima landed on the ground near a slow flowing river. She let Teal off her
back so he could run and explore on his own for a while. She knew that her
sister was "in the mood" again and just needed Teal out of the way for a
while. Rae's sexual appetites were almost as vast as her strength and Fatima
was just learning that she had a similar drive... "Egas! I need a
boyfriend...BAD!" she thought as she watched Teal lean over the river.

Suddenly a huge fish leaped at Teal as he jumped back yelping in terror. His
closed his eyes tightly out of instinct but quickly opened them.

"There..." Fatima said with her whole arm in the gray-green fish mouth up to
her shoulder. It was roughly 12 feet long shaped like a trout but with huge
teeth like a shark or piranha. the fish chewed to no avail. Fatima's skin was
like armor and her muscles were as hardened steel. She grew visibly annoyed
that the fish wasn't trying to get back to the water and, after making sure
Teal was safely out of the way, began to thrash the leviathan on the rocks of
the riverbank. But the vicious fish held on chewing harder. She looks at her
little nephew, "turn and don't look..." Teal did as he was told.

Fatima looked at the fish, "I'm having you for lunch, Moby..." She began to
straight arm flex the fish's chew toy. Her arm grew larger and larger even as
she could hear fish bones breaking, fish muscle tearing, and fish juices
spilling. The hungry fish began to rip apart from around Fatima's swelling
muscles. Curious Teal began to turn to see... "Teal. Don't look. This is
pretty ugly. So don't look until I say so." Teal turned back. With his tiny
arms he began to play flex. Fatima watched, "For such a little guy he sure is
beefy..." She knew he'd have no trouble getting a girlfriend one day soon,
with his personality, good looks, and pedigree it was almost a given.

The fish had stopped chewing and fighting. It was dead. Fatima looked at her
arm and the fish on it. The shredded mess resembled an old abused fish sock.
Her arm had gotten to be over 4 feet thick, judging from the damage to the
animal, as opposed to her normal 21 inches thick. Still now they had lunch and
it was okay for Teal to look, "Okay. Wanna see lunch?"

"Ewww," Teal was so cute when he objected, "You clean it! You clean it! You
clean it! You clean it!" The pup danced as he sang it out nearly to the top of
his lungs.

With a smile she nodded to agree, "I'll clean it... Get cleaned up and be
careful. You see anything that looks big enough to pull you in you get away.
Alright?"

"Yep-yep," Teal said prancing over to the river...

Fatima assembled a stone ring for a fire... With little wood available, she
took four large stones and caused them to heat and glow red. Levitating the
fish she quick cleaned and gutted the fish without ever touching it again.
Soon she began to cook the fish and watch Teal play with the fish in the
river, " Don't go in."

"Okay!"

Under a rockpike, Rae and Makahn lay with each other. She was finally
satisfied after several hours of sex. She felt a little guilty having sent her
son away so she could do it with her husband. She didn't want to be one of
those mother's with whom the children came second to last. But she had put off
having her favorite, extremely vigorous, sex until now. She thought she'd
explode if they hadn't when they did... She nuzzled Makahn who was silent, his
expression thoroughly pleased... Then he let a low growl. Rae sat up to face
her gigantic mate, "What's wrong?"

His face saddens as he strokes Rae's round, soft, face with the back of his
huge hand, "I just can't help but feel this will never last long enough..."

Hey newbie! I got your entrance exam right here!!!

"Damn she must be stronger than me!" Amy's mind races as she deftly evades the
violent advance of an 8-and-a-half foot tall humanoid, supremely muscular,
lioness while checking her Graviton bar. Her attempts to use it as a defensive
weapon were quickly bending and destroying the masterful piece of equipment.
Even after turning it all the way on, the weapon was as useful as a baseball
bat was against a rock giant.

The gold-furred lioness, it was a lioness - she has two huge, well supported,
breasts under a mid-drift halter top, was clearly enjoying making Amy try to
fight back. Her appearance was like every bully Amy had to avoid as a kid but
bigger, meaner, and on a very primal level, far more frightening. The fact
that she moved like a vastly experienced street fighter despite wearing a pair
of heavy work(?) boots and thick heavy duty pants that strained around
massively musclebound legs didn't help things much either. Her thick tail,
tipped with a black tuft of long soft hair, swished like any cat's that was
just playing with its prey. The mane was tied back to form some boxlike shape
atop her head and a cylinder-shaped "pony-tail".

"I just need to speak to the person in charge!" Amy yelled as she blocked yet
another cleverly timed body check into the rapidly diminishing graviton bar.
Amy was unable to evade, or counter the attack. The lioness quickly turned and
snatched the graviton bar like a twig from a small child. With a quick squeeze
of her huge paw-like hand the bar was snapped in two. It fell to the ground
with a pair of ringing thuds. Then the lioness slid back, in one step, nearly
ten yards. She stood calm and in control, raised a hand in the "just bring it"
manner...

Amy raised her fists assuming a ready stance. She knew she was outmatched and
began to sorely regret ever coming to Rhodin's aid. Amy's focus was so tight
on her opponent that she never saw the rabbit-woman put her hand over her
eyes. A sudden irresistible wave of sleepiness slammed through her. As she
fell asleep, she felt a pair of warm fuzzy mittens (in the haze just before
sleep that's what she thought) catch her.

"Kina can be a bit much," Amy could barely make out the words they sounded
like perfect Latin with a thick german accent, "Thank you, Noxi. She will
appreciate having her weapon repaired."

Amy opened her eyes to find herself in the lap of an opulent and comfortable
cushion in a vast chamber. The ornate tile seemed to go on for a mile.
Beautiful and graceful columns rose into the air above to a vast coffered
ceiling. The whole room was roughly circular. But that wasn't what caught her
attention... It was the absolutely vast dragon that filled a full three
quarters of the room. It was the color of a fine burgundy wine and glittered
like a peacock. She could just make out that the dragon was covered in
feathers not scales. Like some fantastic bird of prey, the dragon's face was
sleek and graceful but lack the cold stare Amy had grown accustomed to when
dealing with dragons.

"I am so sorry about Kina," The dragon's voice was clearly feminine and in
clear English, "She has been a bit of a handful sense she got here... I am
Menikomenqolui, headmistress of the League of Mystic Arts and Combat. You
are?"

Amy stood up to face the dragon who seemed extremely friendly and calm, "I am
Amy Brigand-Anderson..." She contemplated a title to attach to her name but
none of value came to mind.

"You seem to be concerned at how such a strong young lady as yourself lost so
one-sidedly to Kina..."

"I have to admit I am. What kind of training goes on here? She's absolutely
enormous and moved like a ninja warrior I meet by chance.."

"Well to start I have to marvel that you are as strong as you are. Under whom
do you train? I ask because you are actually far stronger - physically - than
Kina... But first to answer your question." Menikomenqolui lowered her head a
bit. It was clear that end-to-end that this dragoness was easily more than a
half mile long. "The work done here is mainly the research of... ahem...
magics from across creation. The majority of the work done is the development
of the whole being. Sorcerial energies used to increase one's powers of mind,
body, and soul. Kina is a grand example of the use of such training to vastly
increase physical power. However as I said, your muscular power is far beyond
Kina's. But as she has command of for more sorcerial energy than you and she
is so able to outfight you in terms of brute force - her preferred fighting
style."

Amy was little puzzled. She was stronger the Kina but Kina was stronger than
she was? That didn't make any sense to Amy but this must be the power that she
was sent here to learn, "I think I'm still confused.."

"Your ability to grow so far beyond other humans, physically," the dragoness
spoke serenely. To Amy it was surreal like being in a scene of Shrek, a very
clearly beautiful specimen of a dragoness was speaking to her as if it was a
common occurrence... "It was a trait of the mystical properties of your being.
In this way, you are able to train as any human might to increase your
strength... but your power doesn't quite reflect this..."

"How do you know about where my strength came from?" Amy was nervous she knew
the answer she just didn't want to hear it.

"All in my species and race are telepaths."

"And what did you mean my power doesn't reflect the gains I made in my
strength?"

"The bulk of your power is being used to support your muscular strength and
development," She looked upwards as if thinking on a math problem,
"around...99 percent. The rest is likely only enough for minor spells and keep
your soul anchored to this plane of existence. All the same you have gained no
more power...only strength and skill. Still considering how far you've come
largely on your own, you are to be commended and celebrated..."

Amy felt so small at that moment, she thought she was doing everything right
in her training. She was easily faster than any car on the road or track. She
was stronger than Superman, the Incredible Hulk, and the combiner robot
Devastator all together several dozen times over. She defeated Evil Ryu and
Akuma at the same time - though just barely - to save Ryu's soul. But she was
only just over-powering her opponents? Worse she was doing so at the cost of
her life-energy... A chill ran down her back like she had just learned she had
a terminal ailment...

"Does this information trouble..." Menikomenqolui paused a moment, "I realize
your pride is hurt by what I have said and I apologize... I just saw in you
the same potential as our greatest student now instructor, Rae Iksaki. I admit
I trained her from a pup but she has grown unimaginably since I saved her from
her dying home..." She stopped trying not to brag and a great consternation at
the thought echoing in Amy's mind, "Lord Rhodin.."

Those two words sent a flood of memories to the surface of Amy's well ordered
mind. The dragoness knew them all in moments.

"Yes. He sent me." Amy was quiet feeling so much smaller. "Why would he send
me if this Rae is as powerful as I think you think she is?"

"Because," the dragoness looked away; the walls of the chamber dissolve to
reveal a beautiful Earth-like planet slightly above them, "She has no stomach
for the kind of battle you were obviously selected to fight...and Rae is
stronger than Lord Rhodin, thusly he can not position her to do anything she
doesn't wish to do."

"Unlike me..." Amy felt so tricked and so used.

I left my beeper home to prevent this...

"That fish caught you?" Makahn chuckled as he waited for the huge fish to be
carved up. He was the better cook, having learned from his father who is a
lead chef for a ranking house of the Aphkian Imperium. While Makahn's culinary
skills were great he was not good at improvisation. Fatima, on the other hand,
could and often did, slap together anything she found edible. The huge fish,
even while gutted and de-boned, still showing signs of how Fatima's sheer
muscular capacity had crushed it from the inside, was a perfect example. Still
he had prepared a small feast for his family and was not about to be shown up
by his sister-in-law's "nature- girl" antics.

"Actually it nearly caught Teal, " Fatima smiled turning her catch on an
invisible skewer. She never let on but she never liked it when animals were
aggressive with her. She hated it... Fatima never bothered to figure out why.
All she knew is that the fish should have let go and it didn't and it died
much faster (and more painfully) than it would have otherwise. "I tried to
catch the thing but it decided to try to take my arm instead of Teal." Fatima
flexed a bit to show great triceps and back development. She didn't worry much
about hurting animals, still...it bothered her that she thought so little of
it. Maybe I'll discuss this with sissa' later, she thought.

Just a little ways up the river Rae and her son, Teal, were just enjoying a
short walk. Teal would jog a bit then prance about enticing his mother to do
the same. She was still very young, at 29, and felt like she still had the
body of a spry 15 year-old... Being with her son was one of the few things she
might kill for if she actually had to. Many of her enemies suspected this and
so never even tried to threaten him. They ran, playing "tickle tag", for what
seemed an hour.

Makahn appeared not far behind them, "time to eat..." Teal ran back as fast as
he could. Rae followed only to catch her mate and walk back with him. "What
are you doing Rae? I'm not old enough to move about like an old, tired,
dog..." They jogged back at a brisk pace to the picnic site.

A shrub covered rockpike loomed high into the air looking as if a tall, thin,
tree. Similar formations, most not as overgrown with foliage, dotted the area.
But that one that looked like a tree, carpeted at its base with thick green
grass, was the place the Iksaki family would dine. The meal was huge, mostly
because Rae, Makahn, and Fatima needed to eat so much more to maintain their
bodies. Still Teal tried to eat a great deal as well. The fine cuisine looked
grand enough for an Archduke's family on safari, dishes best and most modestly
described as deliriously decadent covered the thick rug that seemed to smooth
the natural contours of the ground. The fish was predominate of the meal. It
hung in the air, a tempting meal for the many small animals around but stayed
away for the strange creatures eating.

They ate intently, saying little until their initial needs were met. Teal
slowed his eating first as he could only eat so much compared to the rest. He
played with his food waiting till he could eat more. Makahn noticed this...

"Now don't eat yourself sick, son," he said with a straight face but a doting
tone in his voice, "There's still dessert..."

Teal smiled leaning back to let his meal "settle on his stomach". He was
starting to look a little sleepy.

His mother found her little boy leaning up close to doze off. Rae stopped her
eating to comfort her tired little pup.

"When Camaii and Jahme return to the league next month with their cubs,"
Makahn was quiet as to not disturb his son, "he'll finally have someone to
play with his own age."

"I'm glad," Fatima smiled, "He's cute but I can't keep playing with him. I
love him but I think I might hurt him playing like I'm used to..."

"I know but don't worry," Rae smiled as she always did, a soothing, patient,
smile, "He'll be so happy he won't miss playing with you. Teal might grow to
treasure his time with us even more if he doesn't spend it all with us... Oh,
didn't Noxi say she'd be bringing her children to the league as well?"

"Yes," Makahn winced

"All six of them," Fatima grimaced slightly.

"Well who'd'a' thought she'd become super fertile after she joined." Rae was a
bit jealous of that. She wanted to have a litter herself, but Makahn was also
in full control of the sperm supply... They weren't going to have more than
one or two pups at a time.

Fatima smirked scandalously, " It didn't hurt she landed a handsome stud-bunny
whose as virile as two wolves. Egas have you seen him nude?"

Makahn was cold, "No I haven't..."

"Fatima..."Rae was about to admonish her sister when she felt a mind reaching
to her's. It could only be Menikomenqolui... "It's Meniko." Rae sat quietly a
few moments... Her smile straightened. "I have to go back..."

"Sissa'?" Fatima looked saddened and upset.

Rae gently curled up he son and handed him off to his father. He took Teal
into his lap where the pup adjusted himself to a different set of contours.
Makahn looked at his mate.

Years ago, Rae had developed a form of precognition that gave her a rough
sense of the future. Nothing she's ever been able to discern beyond and good
next few hours or a bad next few hours. But this time Rae wasn't quite so sure
and it showed, "It seems a little weird. I can't quite tell." Her face
betrayed her concern not just for this vision but also for her vacation.
Selfish as it was, she wanted this more than saving the universe...again...

Rae stood up and kissed her mate passionately and gave a sweet, soft, peck on
the fuzzy forehead. Rae hugged her sister who looked more upset than ever,
"Don't worry it's probably a small thing. I'll be back in no time."

"It's not that..." Fatima was miffed at the idea she said, "This really isn't
fair. Eqis is almost as strong as Illia. She's been dying to do a real mission
for years. Why doesn't Meniko send her?"

"This is what I made for myself. It is the shape of my life..."Rae said as she
faded away in a quiet teleport... This better be quick, she thought, or
someone's going to be real apologetic...

You better make this worth my time...

Amy was almost thoroughly entranced by the long detailed explanation of what,
Menikomenqolui called, Cosmic String Emission. This form of sorcery and magic
made the most advanced Aura-based magics seem like the merest of parlor
tricks... "Meniko", as the dragoness allowed Amy to refer to her simply to
prevent Amy from mispronouncing her name, was quick to distinguish the
difference between Sorcery as an analytical and scientific approach to the
paranormal and Magic as a superstitious and nearly irrational approach...

"Sorcery is a science," Meniko was very concise and firmly holding to
this...her dogma, "It is a science of making sense of those things that
Science can not bring to order or even see. Dark matter, the unseen stuff of
the universe can be seen by sorcerial means very clearly. Science can only
guess at its presence... Your weapon..."

"Actually, ma'am," Amy was respectful to this point, "while it is true I used
my graviton bar as a weapon... It was originally a piece of work-out equipment
I had completely outgrown. It's - I thought - unstoppable weight and
subsequent durability made it desirable as a weapon."

"I see... My apologies, young Amy," The dragoness said what a sincere and
tolerant tone. Again, something Amy was not used to having dealt with dragons
before. The dragoness then appeared to be extending a tooth pick to Amy. It
was her Graviton bar...completely repaired, "I should have returned it
earlier. Even at its highest setting, it poses no real threat to me. Its
mystical power source has been revitalized and the metal improved greatly. You
may find the improvements most to your liking..."

As Amy took the bar she could feel the added weight and almost nebulous sense
of balance. She twirled and spun the bar never feeling it move more than a
little. Its weight had little bearing on its inertia... Amy had dreamed of
making such devices but to actually hold one...

Then she turned up the power... She could clearly feel its increase in
gravitational pull. Still she could swing it easily and it was as if it wanted
to move. After a few minutes she was used to the increased power of her bar
and could feel it in her muscles. "Thank you," she was amazed and grateful.
She deactivated the bar, which clearly still weighed several tons, though in
her hands felt like a hollow baseball bat, and set it down next to the cushion
she woke up on earlier.

"I see you are still quite interested in Cosmic String Emission, Amy. But the
skills demonstrated were the product of years of dedicated study and training.
It is not something one can 'pick-up' and master in a few weeks..."

"I'm sure I can learn the basics in a few weeks. Just enough to understand it
and maybe learn more..."

"Do not deceive yourself little human," Meniko was being a typically haughty
dragoness - according to Amy's experience, "You may have a clear,
well-ordered, mind but you are not as intelligent as you give yourself credit.
It took some of my best pupils years to learn the 'basics'. You will be lucky
to learn them in a decade..."

"Then let me try," Amy gave a bold spirited look to the dragoness, "I've
mastered several forms of science on my homeworld at once, learned aura-based
sorcery well enough to use high level spells on demand... I can do this
because I have done its like before..."

"I am glad to hear that it was not a facade.."

"Facade?" Amy's brow rose in surprise, "I..."

"Your self-imagine is ever-changing but it is clear that you possess the
mental fortitude to attempt it. I think Lord Rhodin may have chosen very well
indeed..."

The Chamber doors, two massive classically decorated walls over a hundred feet
tall and several yards thick slid apart to reveal a massively muscled,
gigantic version of the lioness that assailed Amy earlier, though she had no
mane but an ornate veil draped to resemble a mane. This one was more that
twice the height with a frame twice as muscular. Two monstrous breasts tented
what could only be a traditional, draping, gown. It was slit up both sides up
to each armpit allowing a very candid view underneath, where she wore a fine
silken loincloth that reached to her ankles. The gown itself was a tapestry
depicting the classic elements of mythology, earth, water, wind, and fire in
easily understood tribal-like pictograms tastefully integrated and arranged
into a mesmerizing image that took attention from the giantess' near nudity.
Her massive wrists and ankles were adorned with incredibly huge a solid bands
of what must be gold. The lioness' steps were a dull thunder as she entered.
Amy was overtaken almost at once by a desire to wear such an outfit,
"Gadzooks... a goddess...?"

"This is the Vice -Headmistress and director of training Eriruka..." Meniko
introduced to giantess with a since of grandeur that fit the person.

"As I am," Eriruka's voice was powerful and reaching but not deep and bass
like that of a giant. More like an opera singer. "Rae Iksaki has arrived. She
is not pleased to be recalled from a rare family vacation." The giant lioness
stood aside as a comparatively tiny but extremely muscular...puppy girl(?)
walked in. She didn't look at all happy.

"Amy Brigand-Anderson meet Rae Iksaki," Meniko spoke with a sense of pride for
her greatest pupil

"I gave up a family vacation," Rae looked straight at Amy with a look of
disdain, "I gave up playing with my son - I had hoped - uninterrupted and
watch my husband and sister squabble over who was the better cook...to meet a
new student who is too old to begin the training?" Amy wanted to speak but the
words were clear and her emotion was obvious. Rae wasn't impressed by Amy at
all, or, at least, honestly felt it could have waited till her vacation was
over. Frankly, Amy felt the say way...

"Lord Rhodin sent her, Rae," Meniko said quietly as Rae's mood seemed very
delicate right now, "She requires training for the mission that she was
selected for. I want her to train with you..."

Rae, without a word, teleported away. Amy was impressed by how easy that
seemed. Not a word of a spell was spoken. Still she felt like she would fail
in this mission.

"Is she usually like this?" Amy asked, "I mean if..."

"It is odd for her to simply leave like that," Eriruka spoke softly but
clearly, "Of course, she's put off this family outing for years... She may
just be little miffed. let her gather herself first."

"I think I'd better find another to learn from," Amy looked way up to Eriruka,
"Maybe you have some suggestions?"

"You have finely developed powers and a powerful vessel of a body to fill with
them," The giantess spoke with a powerful tone that was dominating...even
almost deafening, "The only one for you is Rae."

"She's in no mood to help," Amy's expression fell markedly.

Then Amy appeared, grabbed Amy by the arm, and disappeared with her...

"Rae's be taking acting lessons?" Eriruka raised a eyebrow in bepuzzlement.

"Not really," the dragoness smirked looking out her vast window to the planet
above, "She's been paying attention to her adversaries mannerisms...especially
Master Serendoe."

Convince my you are the one...

A dimly sunned, icy world, no advanced life lived here. The sun was a dim
flickering light that was barely strong enough to stave off to twinkle of
other stars. It was a planet in perpetual winter. There was a stiff wind
carrying snow across the frozen landscape. As Amy found herself suddenly in
this world she found her white adventure dress offered little protection.
Frost instantly began to form on her skin. A growing shiver began to set in...

She looked at Rae who was completely unaffected by the cold. The canine face
was clearly depressed emotionally and only barely turned to glance at the
slowly freezing human...

"How could he?" Rae murmured to herself in her own language. Amy was amazed
that she could understand the language. The syntax was exactly like Russian
but sounded like Mandarin Chinese...but very different somehow...

Amy remembered how easily Kina had "played" with her and Rae wasn't looking
all that pleasant right now. The cold was starting to chip away at Amy's own
megalithic strength and endurance. Her shivers grew more pronounced. Amy moved
to face Rae a little worried able Rae and herself, she couldn't last a whole
hour in these conditions, "I'm really sorry... I was on vacation
too...wh...when...Lord Rhodin recruited me for this...mission." She fought to
still her shivers but she could feel the cold winning. Teleporting wouldn't
help...for all she knew she was on earth at one of the poles...or billions of
light years from the next nearest lifeform. "God, It's cold here..."she
mumbled with a plaintive shudder. She was searching to remember a spell to
warm herself...none came to mind.

"I never wanted to save the universe," Rae was meek as she spoke, "Ever sense
Meniko found me I just wanted to protect my friends and family..."

"I..I feel...th...th..the same way s...s...s...sometimessss," Amy was already
starting to faulter in the cold's unrelenting hold on her exposed flesh,
"But...t...t I al..alwayssss felt..tt it wasss my pl..place to help thosse who
ne..eeded it...f...friends and family...even the sorely un...informed
f...ff...oe..." Amy focused her strength to warm herself, it was working...a
little, "When I found Lord Rhodin he needed help... He was...dying...He needs
help to fight the Void."

Rae looks straight at Amy a moment, smirks then laughs a low condescending
laugh, "I have fought the Void before. Mortals can't fight them. We're just
fodder for them. A Void beast took my best attacks and laughed at me... I won
-barely- and I don't intent to repeat the engagement. Especially now that I
have a family of my own, a son that I love so much being here with you is
torture for me, a husband who makes me feel small again after all I've become
-I don't have to be all that with him...and my baby sister..."

"I can.nn," Amy was losing the fight with the cold again and the shivers were
becoming quakes, "..understand... I really enjoy being all I can be. The
strongest I can be. The..he smartest I can be. The best at what I do and try
to do... But..ttt I don't have a son...o...or daughter yet nor am I married
but I have friends that are so close they're like my sisters...and I'd do
anything to protect them if I had to..." Amy felt her great strength giving
out. She focused on pushing the warm blood out to warm her limbs...her chest
grew shockingly cold immediately. She was feeling faint but she remained
resolute, "Having a family to love and protect is all the reason you should
need to stand and fight when an enemy stands to threaten them..."

Sudden the cold was gone. They were still in that freezing world...but no
cold. Amy was warm and her strength was returning the color in her limbs
quickly went from bluish to a warm, pinkish, alabaster. Rae turned to face Amy
with a childish, sincere, grin...

"Your aura is obvious, Amy," Rae was still smiling brightly. It reminded Amy
of Serena's warm smile. "you are as you say...as Sato Hima says. I'm glad..."

"Glad?" Amy wasn't puzzled she just wanted to hear the words...

"It was a test of mine," Rae said pleasantly and warmly appreciatively, "I'm
sorry to do that to you but I wanted to know if those were just words or your
true beliefs. I also viced your sorcery so you'd have to face the cold
unaided. 'Pain is better than any truth drug' - Emphera the War-Empress. "

Amy was quiet a moment feeling a little violated by this news. Barring her
from using a spell that would have made this ordeal easier to bare... Then she
felt a radiance she hadn't felt in ages. It was like what Lita and many others
had described feeling from her: a soft warming "positive vibe" like tangible
friendship or joy... Rae was emitting this energy like a star...

"I'm glad to meet you Amy," Rae extended her right paw-like hand, "I hope this
is the right way..."

Amy took the hand in the normal "handshaking" manner, "It is..." Rae instantly
took Amy into her arms for a powerful hug... Such unbridled strength made Amy
feel quiet small and even delicate. She couldn't help be amazed and a little
frightened by this display. She couldn't fight her way free if she wanted. Rae
was as Amy to a normal person in terms of sheer strength. A comparison that
daunted as Amy was actually visibly taller by a few inches and boasted clearly
larger muscles. My god, Amy thought with both amazement and amusement, what
power!

"You don't get many hugs like this with such huge breasts, do you?" Rae
snickered a bit as she squeezed hard but affectionately. Amy actually had to
try to breathe as she ended up pressing the pup-woman's face into her bosom
the return the hug. They teleport away...

"They're over the next hill...another 10 minutes off," Rae was ecstatic as she
led Amy, jogging at a very speedy gait, across the rolling plains of the green
little world that had become a picnic spot. "My husband Makahn is very
imposing to strangers but he's almost harmless."

"Really?" Amy smiled, "When did you meet him?"

"We courted of almost three years and married very young...I was 17 when we
first fell for each other."

"Wow talk about 'puppy love'... Tell me about Fatima," Amy was pulling ahead
of Rae who was thinking a bit of what to say.

Rae instantly caught up, "You run very fast. How fast have you gone before?"

"On foot? just a little over a hundred miles an hour," Amy was caught a little
off guard by the question, "Flying...I can do almost the speed of sound at sea
level...if I wear a helmet."

"That's pretty good. I can almost outrun light on foot. I usually fly that
fast and not run though. But I typically teleport places I need to be in a
hurry" Amy was quiet in awe for a moment. She was clearly dealing with a truly
goddess-like being...

"Is Fatima anything like you?"

"Oh, yes. She's probably going the surpass me one day..."

"You don't sound worried..."

"I love my sister and I would never get in the way of her goals...ever. But
being stronger than me? She's going to have to work to beat me there..," Rae
looked ahead, "Wanna sprint the rest of the way? I won't leave you
behind...promise."

"uh...Okay!" Amy dashed ahead with competitive zeal, "Gogogogogogo!" She
raised a wake of grass and dust as she darted off like a rocket.

"Showoff," Amy said launching off after her newest friend, blasting a shallow
ravine in the process.

"Amy Meet the family Iksaki," Rae called as to cue her family. Teal ran up to
his mother jumping straight into her mighty arms, "This is Teal, my son." He
was instantly adorable to Amy who kind of envied not having a child of her
own. The feeling passed as she began to recall her mission...

"Mama? Who's the blue lady?" Teal asked in a sweet tone that was as curious as
any child's.

"Mommy's new friend, Amy Brigand-Anderson," Rae smiled putting her son down.
He ran over to Amy. He soon found himself trying to see around her huge
breasts.

"They're as big as Eqis's!" the pup blurted out. Amy blushed a bit trying not
to laugh remembering gags about blotting out the sun...

"Maybe bigger," The huge wolfish form said with a cool demeanor that was
almost intimidating but has gentle expression quelled that very quickly,
"Makahn...at your service..."

"He's quite an eye-full," Amy envisioned him looking more like the werewolves
she'd gotten acquainted with on Earth. He was not quite a large but more
surprisingly handsome in an "action-hero" way than Thabian. Oddly Amy kept
thinking Thabian looked whipped but stalwartly proud. Makahn was proud and
quite independently strong... She then saw Makahn's eyes and recalled her
purpose here, "I really appreciate this but Lord Rhodin..."

"You're useless to him right now," Fatima said with a strong challenging
voice. She was clearly a fighter and a young warrior. For a younger sister,
Fatima was clearly larger and more muscular than Rae. Amy was impressed. "I'm
Fatima Iksaki...Frankly, I don't know why Rhodin chose you when I'm here..."

"Maybe little sister," Rae was gleeful as she placed her hand on Amy powerful
shoulder, "But I never thought too hard about what Lord Rhodin sets up...
Besides Amy's here to train. But for now, let's just enjoy the rest of the
day. There's still plenty of food left..."

"Dessert!" Teal shot as he ran back to the picnic.

"But the Void..." Amy was slow to join the meal. Especially since Fatima was
genuinely unhappy to have her there.

"There's always tomorrow," Makahn said, "It's the Void's motto and for today,
it is our's. Now come and eat. I hate leftovers..."

"Fatima won't bite, punch, kick, or hex you," Rae said guiding her sister back
to the remains of sat spot by the picnic rug. She smiled invitingly and bid
Amy to sit next to her away from Fatima. "Don't worry. There's plenty of time
to train you."

Bones Begone...Rise the face of doom...

Agonizing cries fill a dark space somewhere in eternity. The writhing corpse
of Darkbird rasps and screams as Master Masq watches ominously. A dim lifeless
glow illuminates Darkbird as the remains of his flesh a bone melt and become
dust and vapor... the sounds of agony subside...

A silvery liquid rolls into the space left by Darkbird's former frame. A mask
forms in the abstracted shape of the old king's head. A bluish orb fills the
space under and behind the mask. metallic claws form for the hands and talon
for his feet. A strange and powerful electric energy fills the space where the
body should be...

"Rise our newest Void Lord," Master Masq beckons with ceremonial pride, "You
are again whole in a renewed form old king. By what name shall your foes die
screaming?"

The being rises with slow, deliberate power to stand upright like a demon
risen from Hell, "I am that which has but one form...one cause...and one
desire... I am now...as ever... Voidbird..."

"So it is..." Master Masq speaks with deathly finality.

END Part One...