Year -95, Summer, Mid day

Cyveria stood her wings outstretched as she felt the cool ocean breeze from blowing through her hair, her feathers.  Oh goddess how well this felt.  It had been some years since that adventure.  She was married now, a marriage out of necessity rather than love, but she needed the security.  Sapphyre, her goddess was still missing, though rumor spoke of her awakening somewhere.  The world was very much not a peace.  Right now her husband was watching the children.  Little Amanda, and even littler being only just a year old, Dareth.  There was still a bit of sorrow thinking of what she had lost when she chose this man, her husband.  Mindy lost to her, Dareth missing, neither hers, a heart such as hers would never forget.  Nor was everything as it was supposed to be.

“Were we not supposed to fix it,” she whispers to the wind almost accusingly.

Perhaps it was meeting Mindy yesterday, pulling her from that pickle with Cue.  She wondered how they were doing.  Izzy had gone to Cyveria’s home and had a long talk with her husband.  She was outside because, inside had turned hostile.  He would care for the children anyway, he loved them as much as she did, even if the love between them had cooled considerably.

“Warning Mistress!”  The voice caught her off guard and nearly sent her falling off of the building but as she turned to see the owner a black beam of… darkness struck the Palace.  There wasn’t even a moment to even cry out, as a shockwave sent her flying.  Pain assaulted her, horrible pain.  Soon found herself dazed laying in the shattered remains of a warehouse.  Slowly she stood her heart pounding fear for her children growing in her heart.

“You must flee,” the voice shouted again.  It was in her head, or was it in her heart?  Shaking her head sending the blue ribbon loose to fall to the floor and letting her hair to fly loose she limped into the streets.  On arm was bleeding and she was sure one leg was too.  Her wings throbbed with pain one hung to her side.

“What hit me,” she gasped but once she saw the fire and the large monsters sending beams of red into houses and buildings it all fled.  Her children!

“They have come,” a gruff male voice says near her.  Cyveria turns her hurt blue eyes looking to him, he was an old gnome, with lots of tech all over him.  And yet he looked a bit like Cue.

There was no time.  With a groan she stretched her wings feeling the sting in one of them.  Ignoring the pain she launched and let the air take her.  The winds were different now and smoke with fire filled it, the smell of ozone was thick.  Still she raced her home was near where the fighting was strongest.  Two of the large multi-legged almost spider like machine monsters turned their baleful red glowing single eyes at her.  It reminded her suddenly of a tech weapon and lucky for her remembering helped as two red beams fly at her.  She folded her wings against her and spun to avoid the beams her weaving and dodging was good, but her right wing continued to hurt and felt as if it was getting worse.  She remembered her leg and worried about landing.  She dodged another deadly beam as it took out a stream of buildings.

The cries.

Cyveria found her home but she didn’t land, she couldn’t.  Smoldering, burning, the broken bodies of her children lay scattered before it, was her home.  Of her husband there was no sign.

“Mistress!”

Her heart shattered, she swore she could hear its pieces clatter to the floor of her being.  Eyes full of tears and wide, her body trembling, her pain drown by pain in her chest.  Gone.  Dead.

The Sorrow.

It tore at her, threatened there to kill her, as beams of death filled the sky.  She hovered there, her mind and heart too stunned to move.  And then the pain burned differently and her eyes narrowed at one of the creatures.  It burned, it desired to be quenched, the void of her heart demanded sacrifices!  Her long spear was suddenly in her hands and with a cry she dived at her target, her anger, her hate demanded to feel its life drain!  She streaked across the sky using minute changes to dodge beams.  With a cry born of pain and hate she drove the spear into her enemy.  Her spear shattered, the clang of its head striking metal.  This didn’t slow her, tossing aside the shattered weapon she pulled out her beam sword.  The blade hummed with power, its pulse going in time with the pain in her heart.  She sliced it in a deadly downward slice, it cut, it sheared and then she was staring at the sky.

Pain danced across her body, one wing was screaming in pain, her legs and arms joined in the chorus.  She demanded her body to move, it wouldn’t, she demanded it go and draw blood, it denied her.  She cried then while about her millions perished.  Perhaps, she hoped, she would die.  She became tired, very tired and she closed her eyes letting herself fall into the dark embrace that sought her.

Year -94, Spring, Morning.

Cyveria awoke to pain.  Sharp stabbing pains that bore into her very core.  She screamed.  A man stood over her suddenly quickly covering her mouth, silencing her cry.  His eyes darted about as a faint tiny light fell upon her.

“Shush, winged one,” he hissed.  “They will hear us and kill us.”

When she fell still, the pain dulling, and all she could hear was tense breathing and her own pounding heart.  He pulled his hand away.  Somewhere distant a pulse sound of something full of energy came and went.  It took Cyveria awhile to remember what had happened.

“Photius,” she gasped.  “W, what happened?”

“You’ve been asleep for awhile, Winged One,” the man said leaning back out of sight.  She tried to move but her body continued to deny her.  “Photius, just as other cities have, are gone.  Hives now for the Corma Mor.”

“Why… why am I alive?”

“A man saved you.  He was kinda shifty but in the end it was you he protected up until a few months ago.”

“A man?”

“We never really did get his name.  But what is important is that you are alive.  Right?”

“N, no.  It’s all gone.  My husband, my children, all taken by those things.”  She threatened to burst into tears, yet none would come and it was moot for his next words quickly enflamed her shattered heart.

“So you would just lay down and let them,” his tone was intense suddenly.

Cyveria, the first time in quite a long time, looked at him with a burning hate.  “No.  I will have their blood!”

The man smiled a grim smile, “I am relieved.  Many alive saw you attempt to take out one of the red eyed monsters.  We would like your prowess in our arsenal.”

She nodded and closed her eyes, “I still hurt all over, I shall rest for now.”

Also, a first time in her life, the cavern that this small group of humans and non-humans hid in, was not oppressive and frightening and she let herself remain here.

She learned of her enemy, while recovering, they ran a lot, but until she could fight the dared not try to confront their enemy.  But in the end the enemy didn’t realize that by not killing her would they would regret it.

Year 4, Winter, Night

The years have passed, the short lived of the people that survived the battles have come and gone, age or battle taking their lives.  Cyveria had earned a name for herself, and yet after ending the lives of the large and small, living, unloving, and mechanical, creatures of darkness have fallen to her bitter and hate filled attacks.  None of the Aeries had survived, as far as she knew anyway.  Many races had become extinct in the near Century.  While Cyveria and others had made headway against the enemy, it was apparent that the races would not win.  Soon everyone would die.  It was just a matter of time.

Cyveria ended up with a group of tech people, they had uncovered something important, something they assured would help in the battle against their enemy.  It was called the ZX Slipstream, a sleek wearable piece of tech that they explained could make a person fly. They said it was some part of what was called the Valkyrie system.  Since Cyveria could already fly she let the non-fliers toy with it.  She would protect them.

It soon turned to winter and the cold threatened to take the non-fighters.  Cyveria having finished her watch turned in for the night.  Curled up in her wings, one that ached from the cold, a reminder of that dark day nearly a hundred years ago, she slept.  In her sleep she dreamed.  A dream that would change everything.

Cyveria was standing in a realm of light, surrounded by young Avariel children, laughing and playing.  She watched them a pleasant smile on her face, here she was at peace.  She stood here for a long while when suddenly a woman approached her.  She was very pretty and it took her breath away to look at her.  Her hair was long and blonde, her skin pale and pure, even her eyes were a light green color.  She wore robes of white silk and regarded Cyveria with a gentle smile.

“I have brought you here for a reason, Cyveria Sera Rayzsun.  Do you know why?”

“Perhaps I am dead?  There cannot be a place like this anywhere on the world,” she said with a sigh.  She was pleased, no pain, it was as if it was all taken from her.  It was something that she had sought for in every battle only to find it not with the death of the enemy.

“No you are not dead, yet.  But your time is coming.”

“Then let me rest, please.”

“I am Sapphyre, the Wings of Light.  Cycle upon cycle I have come, been born, and have died to have it happen again and again.  The Cycle is broken.  I will not be reborn and the light of the universe will be taken away with my passing.  The Horns of the Void seek even now seek for your life.”

“My life?”

“He has taken one life already, in doing so he made half a victory over creation.  Should he take your life creation will be no more.”

“What does this have to do with me?  So be it should I die, a hundred years with a destroyed heart, with a dying soul.  I should be happy to have death come for me.  I will fight him and one of us will die for sure.”

“You were never this dark before.  The color of your heart now matches the color of your wings.”  There is sorrow in her voice and Cyveria gave her a concerned look.  “So… you would like to have creation destroyed?”

“Why should I care, when all I knew, all I loved was turned to ash.”

“Would you condemn one you did know and love to die?”  Cyveria stiffened a black feather silently falling from a wing.  “I see that there is still some love there.”

“Who,” she asked her voice tight.

“Amanda Anna Jones.  Though not of this world, it is her leaving this one that kills her and releases the lock on the Void.”

“Wait, but if she is dead already and not even on this world what can I do to stop that.”

“Tech.  It thrives in death and life.  It alone is of the Void and of the Light together a harmonious unit.  Destruction, creation always destroying always creating.  One device of another world was brought here.  Its components scattered across many worlds, its purpose lost, you will use it and become my Valkyrie.  With it you will restore life to this flow of time.”

“What?  How?”

“Equip it, you have seen them, the Wings?  Then search out Cue, he was the last man to see her alive one hundred years ago.  Twisted and wounded in heart as you are, he has a device that will take you to her.  Of course finding her and bringing her back is a difficult task, especially with the Horns out there, hunting her.  You will also have to find the right time to bring her back.  Bring her back too early and you may break the lock yourself.  Bring her back too late and well you might be able to fix it.”  She stiffened her eyes widening.  “He has found you.”

“What?  Who?” She asked her voice and body tense.

“The Horns.  You must flee.  Find Cue, Find Amanda and change the future.  Do not let creation die by letting others toy with time.”

Cyveria wanted to say something but suddenly she was in her bed gasping and covered in sweat.  Unfolding her wings she immediately felt the winter coldness bite at her.  She shivered and wrapped the blankets around her letting her heart slow its pounding and her breath to steady.  

Cyveria stood, grabbing her pack, and her beam sword.  Setting herself up, she passed the miserable, the hopeless and into the chamber where the device was being studied.  Strangely no tech smart men were here.  With a frown she looked at the long and sleek metal device with its odd wingless yet sleek body, there were two slits in the side and at the bottom two black ports.  She realized it all would grasp her body.  She reached down and took the item by its long slender front.  Her head would rest against that was for sure.  It looked awkward.  With a frown she swung it over her back and with a gasp she felt it immediately hold on to her.  She felt it clasp something around her legs above the ankles, around her waist a clasp wrapped and locked with a near silent snap, and then she gasped as something dug into her back just between her shoulder blades.

Her own wings trembled and then the pain was gone and she was kneeling down breathing heavily.  It was then that an explosion tore through the hideout.  Her eyes widened as she realized, no sensed, that something dark was coming.

“Flee,” a tiny voice shouted at her in her head.

“Attuning Flight module,”  a soft female voice said in her head a moment later.

The device was surprisingly light.

A beam of red flew past her striking with an explosion the opposite wall and she sharply looked to see a strange looking half man half machine appear, a feral look on his metallic face.  In his hand were the heads of several people she knew.  Anger flared in her and her hand rested on her beam sword.

“How interesting, A Val Unit.  Odin Zero must be fraught with worry.”  His tone was mocking his single human eye stare at her with hunger, the machine eye blinked with red light.  “But you also are the traveler that will attempt to undo what I have already done.  I will not let you ruin all that I have accomplished in a hundred years.”

There was no way she could fight this she realized; she turned grasping both pack straps and sword hilt.  She made to run but pain lanced at her and she cried out as a beam sliced into her right wing, burning it, ruining the once wounded wing.  She fell screaming in pain and he came over to her his bloodied boots near her pain contorted face.  There was no fear in her eyes, only an intense desire to show him he could not do what he wanted.  He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her up her feet hardly touching the ground.  This thing… it had to die!

“I hardly understand the worry.  You are not a match for me now, and you certainly cannot be a threat to me in the past.  Well, Honorable Father, desires your gutted corpse to be brought to him so he can reanimate you.  With a Val Unit you will make a fine warrior to assault other worlds.”

“I will not let you have your way,” Cyveria hissed then cried out as he grabbed her wounded wing and pulled on it, the pain was intolerable.  Why her wings.

“Is that so, Daughter of the Goddess?”

Cyveria screamed in pain and then it was joined by his screaming and she opened her eyes to find her device’s wings unfurled, if wings they could be called as several angled and straight shaped wings of energy hummed with their black energy, a strange hissing sound, a bitter smell, and some smoke rolled heavily from the right wing .  The Horns danced in pain a severed arm grasped in another hand.  She had to leave and now was as good a time as any.  With a gasp of pain she fled the chamber.

“I have to fly… I must!”

”Attuning complete:  Valkyrie Unit Zero Zero is now ready for combat.”  The strange female voice said into her head again.

With a roar of power and some heat along her legs the device screamed and it launched her into the air as if summoned by her desire and thoughts.  She gasped as she flew quickly through the tunnel the wings of energy slicing through rock and metal as the forces of the enemy slaughtered the hideout.  It was chaos but soon she was in the night sky where the stars were bright.  She had escaped, but she was not free.  Perhaps she thought darkly, she would never be, Exiles are never truly free.

Year 5, Summer, Midday

Photious… the once capital to one of the most advanced nations.  Cyveria stood staring at its shattered walls, its broken towers, she stood surprised that the enemy had not made a Hive of this city.  She was tired, her still healing wing hurt, she wanted it all to end.  But not before she shoved failure into the faces of the Horn and his so called Father.

“Mindy.  I’ll save you, this time for real.”

It had taken a long time, but now she would be on her way.  The Horns of the Void surely was getting close he was never more than a week away from her.  He toyed with her Cyveria knew.  She gripped the item in her hand, Cue’s peculiar device.  But Cue was ruined, she saw it in his eyes, nothing pleased him.  When she had approached him, when she had thrown herself before him begging and pleading she had thought he would laugh at her, he would scorn her.  But he surprised her, apparently he like her held a shard of love.  He had related the story to her, the rest of what had happened after she had pulled Mindy from Izzy’s anger clutches, how Mindy had been taken from this world.  Though she could hardly fault the bardess if she wanted to stay away, the cruelty of this world was too much.  But she could fix it.  Bring it all back!  Cyveria had promised him, Cue that she would make it all right.  In the first time in her life she had given reassurance to someone other than Dareth.  He had been the first and had been the last.  If Cue had lived perhaps he had.  

Cyveria shook her head.  She had to go, she had to retrieve Mindy.  Cyveria had to save her.

Flipping the odd switch she was suddenly engulfed in odd light... it was a start… and then darkness greeted her.  Cyveria let it embrace her.