Far Pangaea 90: Devil Tree

"Blue? I had it. Unless I dropped it somewhere." Angels rise at Jack's hand motions, "Search for the blue ring." Everyone scattered about. If it was here they would find it.

Far enough away from the situation Wretch and Lowball sat together. She had her arm draped over his shoulder. Concern led her to his side, "Tell me you have not made a final wish."

"Nay Lass. I be tryin' not to as ye say. Me new body be nuff to keep me mind happy."

"Very wise. Please do not allow yourself to wish for anything. It will be quite bad if you do." She notes the Leprechaun eying the beauty of the Angels in their nudity. A boney hand covers his eyes, "Not even to be with them. Focus my little friend."

"Ye be soundin' like me Mum. There be me secret weapon. When I look at the wee Lasses me Mum will scold me in me head."

"Your Mother would be proud of you Lowball."

"Nay. Me Mum was nae such a good woman. I couldna ne'er make her proud."

"I am proud of you."

"Thank ye Mum." He chuckles as she coddles him closer. He needed the pep talk. Even he worried that his final wish might slip out. During their hug Wretch has a vision, her watery eyes taking her elsewhere. She pauses in confusion as events unfold in front of her. A flash of strange people. One that appeared to be Antlike in appearance. Grey and in control over the chariot he and others inhabited. A baby crying. A woman slumbering with a brilliant blue ring upon her finger. A Soldier of sorts. A very fat man. What really caught her attention was the sword in possession of an Asian female. A sword that lay next to her.

Releasing Lowball her delicate hand touches the hilt of the sword. As if lightning striking her she shrieks and breathes heavily. Lowball haunted by her change in demeanor sat speechless observing her trance. He was afraid to ask if she was alright. One final vision leads to a turbulent landing. People tossed about. Then came the staring contest. An unbreakable glass jar that held..."My eyes."

"What bout Ye'er eyes Lass?" Lowball waved his hand in front of her artificial eyes of formed water. It drew her back to reality.

"I have witnessed a miracle. My eyes are searching for me. My true birth born eyes. How is this possible?" She trembles, "I must speak with Jack." She rises snatching up the sword with incredible ease for her aged form. As if still in her youth of body. Shuffling away from Lowball he drifted his own eyes toward searching Angels. As if cued he closes his eyes ranting, "Mum Mum Mum Mum." He was trying his best.

Locating Jack, Wretch races to his side clutching his arm, "I have seen a troublesome vision Jack Ramse."

"I'm listening."

She relates the images in order leading to the sword, "It was Soultaker Jack. The hilt was a perfect match." She offers up the sword.

Rubbing his chin he ponders the meaning as one hand claims the blade, "Two swords?"

Moving in behind Jack, Bianca TeLeone joined their conversation. Hearing two swords come from Jack she posed her hands out in front of her, "Two rings."

"Paradoxes. It is possible I guess. But, how can the sword be in two places at the same time?" Then, it dawns on Jack of Wretch's revelation of a devastating crash of people battered about, "The chariot you mentioned. Were there strange controls? Reins?" He needed to make his ideas less confusing to her sight.

"Yes. The Ant was in control. Others sat behind him as if held prisoner tied to chairs not of stone or wood." Wretch recalls, "I saw a baby. He was there then he was not. Fire and smoke from a small box." Picturing the infant Wretch has yet another flash staggering her back into Bianca's grasp. She sees the baby's face clearly. It swiftly turns into a vision of Jack Ramse. The image made her gasp and leer toward Jack with news, "The baby. He is you...no...he is yours."

"WHAT?"

Bianca's eyes flare wide, "Are Wretch and I the only girls you haven't impregnated?"

"Not the time Bianca." He growls already stressed over possibly knocking up Addison and the Angels. If he was God in a sense he prayed that was not the case. Eying his sword he decides to pull it from its sheath. It glistened as never before as he peers into the blade. Reflection of himself he notes something extraordinary, the face of a baby peering back at him as if seeing him. As if attempting to reach him. Truth be known that it was a communication from the future. The souls within the blade swirling about clouded the boy. Then he witnessed the face of a stunning Asian woman. It's new Master. One final image makes him freeze.

"Renee?"

"Who or what is a Renee?" Wretch quivers.

"My wife." He glares at Bianca with an unblinking gaze for a brief moment before once again peering into the blade. He prepared to sheath the sword when one final image captures his attention. It was some kind of canine sniffing at the blade. A recognition of sorts that gets clouded as if the blade were fogging up from an exhale of breath. A scream heard from within makes Jack slam the blade back into hiding. What did it all mean? One thing at a time as he changes the subject, "Let's find the blue diamond ring."

"Hold friend Jack." Wretch halts his retreat, "I envisioned a blue ring upon the finger of a woman. A woman of golden hair."

"Might be Renee she has blond hair. How would she have the ring?" He had no idea that the owner was Serena Dorsey.

Bianca again flutters her ring fingers at him, "Two rings Jack. Mine came from the future back here. Maybe your sword and that blue diamond did as well."

"Boggles the mind. Okay, step at a time. We find the blue ring here and now. I had it earlier. Spread out with the Angels before we run out of time."

Parting ways Jack held his breath in thought, "Son? Renee and I had a baby? This is getting crazier by the minute." Forging ahead his thoughts were his own.

Evading the turmoil at Circe's abode the now transformed Polish girl in her natural body was tugged along by her wrist. Not nearly as beautiful as her illusion led others to believe she still had a special place in Trevor Stevens heart. Regardless of how she treated him and turned him into a half man, half goat. All Trevor wanted was a peaceful existence.

"Come along before we're followed." Pan alias Trevor Stevens led her forcefully.

"Where are you taking me?" Olga the former Circe attempted resistance, "We must regain my rings."

"They were never yours to begin with. Get over it. Be happy we're getting out of this alive. Those Angels you abused will be coming for you."

"My beautiful Amazons. Surely they would not harm me."

He halts in step upon wary hooves and drags her up close, "Harm you? I'd say they might remove your skin like you did their wings."

"I didn't really remove them, they were just hidden away from their thoughts and eyes."

"Regardless. You tampered with God's design. Those lovely ladies did not belong to you. Feel lucky I don't stomp you myself. Turning me into a Satyr. If not for being so kind back in the War I would leave you to them."

"Help me get them back Trevor. I swear I'll turn you back to normal."

"Or worse, a full goat. Enough of this foolishness Olga. It is time you learned to survive without power. Be whom you were."

Hearing Hordakian Technorides buzzing about they hide beneath some brush. In their disguise they discover they are not alone. Startled by they and the airborne cycles a pig squeals loudly and darts past Olga forcing her to topple to the ground. Pan losing his grip on her as the Cycle hovers down at them. Commander S'Lopp stood poised with his gifted ring and transforms the hog into his original form. The Soldier grateful for his humanity once more. As a second pig bolts about Pan he notes the Commander prepare to heal the swine. In a move of madness Pan dives upon the healing pig. In the metamorphosis Trevor Stevens cries out in pain. He too was turning human once more. In his agony Circe chooses to make a run for it. She knew in her heart where Trevor was headed. Making it her own destination she abandons him. Through the foliage she reaches a covered area where months prior a hole was dug up. A place that Olga had discovered the cask of rings. Defiant of the situation behind her she drops to her knees and begins digging with her hands. In a shallow spot she alone knew of there was one special ring hidden away. Concealed in a handkerchief for a faster discovery. Locating it she begins to unfold the clothe when she hears a deafening snarl behind her. Freezing in step she hesitantly twists her neck to see a Panther sized black cat. Its scalding breath upon her cheek.

"Please don't eat me." Olga whispers.

In the blink of an eye the Panther reverts to her humanoid body, a beauty with raven colored flesh and a mohawk. Standing proudly she lowers her hand toward Olga.

"Relinquish the ring." The goddess Bastia leers with a strict expression.

Olga refuses and fumbles with the cloth in an attempt to place it on her hand before it was too late. Before she could don it the ring is lost to the soil in front of her. Olga feared for her life as Bastia alias Detroit reaches down claiming it. Held in her palm she eyes the ring. It was a cats eye ring. Puzzled by the fact that it was relevant to her persona she steps aside to examine it closer. The eye appeared to dart about as if searching.

"What is this bauble?" Detroit tilts her head. As if tugging her along the ring leads her away from Olga and toward the camp where Jack was. Leaving Olga distraught she sat there in the dirt lost. Lost until Trevor Stevens finds her in his human body.

"That hurt worse than when you twisted me into the goat. I'm me again thankfully. The Pigmen let me go. Enough Olga lets be on our way. We survived alone together before, we can do so again."

"What of the buried pod?"

"What good is it? When it crashed it was pretty mangled. Dorsey's forces were swayed from the rings because we found them hidden before he got here. The search is over, now others can do as they want with them. We do not need them Olga."

"Speak for yourself Trevor."

Kneeling beside Olga, Trevor tried his best to get through to her. His eyes peering directly into hers. She trembled then looked above him. Her eyes then bulged.

"There you are." The tall form of Jack Ramse stood over them, "No more Satyr I see. I'm happy for you Trevor. Circe? I have a proposition for you."

Olga pauses to swallow, "Why would you barter with me? I seduced you. Took over your body."

"I'm myself again. All that matters. As are the two of you. We need to stop Lucas Dorsey or we all perish. I'm asking you to join our cause. I need your expertise with these rings."

"You can't be serious wanting to offer her another ring? Are you mad Jack?"

"Oh, you can bet I'll keep my eye on her. One wrong move I'll take her ring and her finger."

"I want nothing to do with this." Trevor stands and leers at Olga. She finds her own footing and darts her gaze between the men.

"Trevor? I cannot live on this island alone just you and I. I need others."

"Then go. I'll spend my days alone here." Trevor marches away. Olga wept at his departure then turned to Jack.

"How may I be of service?"

"The illusion ring. I want you in control over it. I've selected Angels to wear the others. Their ideas might not be as cohesive as yours. All I need is for you to get us past Lucas Dorsey's defenses. Make him see the worst. Let him think we were captured or killed by the Hordakians."

"Surely they will kill me."

"Not on my watch. You might have noticed the Commander out there is turning his forces back to normal. Trevor got lucky it seems. As long as our truce holds we should be fine. If we save this world like I'm hoping to we can come back for Trevor."

"It appears I have lost my one true friend."

"Your obsession with power and the rings did that. You were seduced by their multitude I suspect. That is why I separated the rings, giving them out to others. Until we learn their purpose we need them isolated more."

"The cat woman, she took a thirteenth ring I had hidden away. I never knew what it did. I kept it stashed away for emergencies."

"Bastia has the ring?" He looks back for Detroit only spotting her prints in the soil. The goddess was gone.

Unknown to them Detroit was led away toward a well hidden cavern. Becoming smaller as a housecat she clenches the ring in her teeth and creeps down into the darkness. It led to a deeper roomier cave. Far enough in she witnesses a blue light glowing. Blue eyes popping open all around her. Dropping the ring into the dust Bastia sits back.

"The ring is yours Child. Should you want it. I merely needed that which was mine."

The bare feet of a woman stands over Bastia reaching down to pet her fur. Bastia purred at her touch. Her eyes turning blue as well before returning normal. On the woman's hand was the blue ring they were searching for outside.

"Yes. It was stolen away by my children." She expresses with a wave of her hand. Lithe rabbits crept into the light, "I must journey now. My truest love awaits. Live long Bastia of Osiria. Go with your friends. I will join you at a later time. Save the Creator's world."

Pausing the woman eyes her blue gem with careful thoughts, "Interesting. There are two. My mate surprises me to no end."

The light fades easily and Detroit reclaims the cats eye ring. As it touches her tongue she could feel something returned to her. It was the portion of her soul that her Father Osiris had stolen away. In her find Bastia sighs, "At what cost Mother? At what cost do we your children have our souls returned?"

Detroit would not reveal the blue rings location. As if she knew where it was taken. Rabbits joined in her escape of the cave. She would rejoin the others and do as Jack Ramse required of her. Only Wretch might know of her silence.

Once gathered in full force Jack Ramse led his troops aboard the Hordakian warship. Angels their transport until the ship prepared to sail.

Below from a hilltop Trevor Stevens sipped wine from his pouch.

He was all alone except for rabbits and sheep in the distance.

The Ganthorian Hilton formerly known as the X'Hal.

Young James Ian Pryce took a walk outside between the X'Hal and its neighboring vessel the X'Orr. He spent the last hour doing his best to keep his thoughts from being read. Having discovered that there was a distinct possibility that his older once thought deceased body was now inhabited by the old and evil Orin Ridge. How was any of this even possible? It had to have been the Tempora Grotto, its waters changing James himself and offering a fountain of youth formula to Orin's bathing in it. Turning the 80 plus man into a baby unable to fend for himself. That equation was obviously untrue. It appeared to James that Orin's mind while within a baby was still his own. Keeping quiet and planning all along how best to regain his upper hand. It was logical that by transferring his mind into the elder body of James Ian from the future that he could tap into the far greater Telepathy that James had grown into. A Telepathy that James in his youth was privy too but still learning. He had come quite a way in such a short time but he was no where near the league of Orin Ridge now. Not even the Ganthorian Leader Harpea could conclude that it was Orin. Every time she attempted to use her telepathy Orin mentally and painfully shut her down. How was James going to let others know without Orin being one step ahead of him?

Pacing about James hears a noise from the distance. Squinting at the evening sky he spies Technorides approaching. He prayed it was Elle and Malcolm returning from the Pyramid and not actual Hordakians. Barking heard through his German Shepard Xander James had a hunch it was his allies.

"Calm down Boy. I think it's our friends."

Hearing a clatter James turns to the cargo containers and finds Moe his primitive ancestor hobbling from his pillaging of the containers. Joining James Moe grunts, "Bring food?"

"Quit thinking with your stomach. We have more important things to deal with." James raced further out into a clearing where the rides might land. It was there he waved his arms about to attract attention. He hoped a bit of distance might shade Orin from knowing that James was on to him. All he had to do now was avoid thinking the fact or speak of it out loud. Yeah, that was going to be a challenge.

Spotting James waving them down Elle and her companion Animahni swooped in first. Following them in Malcolm set down next. Behind him the Ganthorian Mav'Ryk and a bizarre new passenger. A rather hairy little man named Bogg Ross, a more in control Werewolf now reverted back to his human side. As the moons rose higher in the sky it remained unknown how long it might last.

As the dust settled James raced out to meet them up close. Spotting Elle he immediately went into a game of charades. First and foremost he placed a finger to both his lips and those of Elle for silence. Elle Franklin winced at his bold move. As his finger left her mouth he points at Animahni to keep silent as well. As if she would strike up a conversation anyway. The hybrid kept mostly to herself save for Elle.

Stepping away from them he sprints over to Malcolm and manages to keep him from speaking up as well. Mav'Ryk leaving his cycle eyes the boy with curiosity. As Bogg jumps down he sniffs toward the Ganthorian and narrows his eyes, as if there was something strange about him suddenly. A pinky inside his left ear Bogg grimaced as if he were hearing something the others weren't. Noting this James smiled at the new member.

"Hitchiker?" James approached the runt.

"Something like that. You must be James. I've heard a lot about you from Elle. Name's Bogart but you can call me Bogg."

"Nice to meet you Bogg." James motions with his hands to keep talking. This led to James glaring at Elle and Malcolm. As Bogg brought up things concerning the starships he didn't realize that he was running interference enough for James to use his arms as if holding a baby. Elle unfortunately brought up an image of Baby Orin. In doing so Mav'Ryk stared her down. Malcolm concluded James was also implying the baby.

Another glance toward Mal made James realize that the Ganthorian was being used to spy on James and the others.

"Hey Mav?" James blurted, "Harpea wanted a report. You better get inside the X'Orr and fill her in."

Mav's eyelids flickered and his thoughts became clouded. Hearing James helped his mental state return. In doing so the Ganthorian shook it off. Turning away he headed for the ship.

"What is going on?" Elle held her hands out looking for an answer.

"Oooooh, nothing." He made a giant letter O with his hands then began whistling. In response Elle and Mal connect that the boy was obviously trying to hide something. Mal nodded and added words to accommodate the boy.

"I need to get after that Atum deity. Even if I do have a new body I'd still like my old one back."

"Wait for Cameron. He decided to do a fly by recon. He still doesn't trust his other self Horus." Elle eyed James while communicating with Mal.

James hearing the term other self reacted with flaring eyes and a point. His finger led to tapping his chest then using his other hand to motion as if he were taller. Elle looked at James with dedication, he was making certain that they were getting clues the best he could.

"So, how is your older self?" Mal pieced it together.

"Still confused I think." A finger motion as if to say he was crazy added another puzzle piece, "He and Sophia are getting a little too cozy." He uses both hands as if having sex. The image made everyone wince. James finally huffs, "I know. He taught her how to retreat her Tyrant Tears so that they could get close."

Bogg shook his head, he had no idea what was going on. He had enough trouble with his itchy ear and Xander sniffing at his behind. Seeing this led Moe to approach Bogart and jump about.