PEGASUS (FARSIDE SAGA: BOOK TWO)

Thought sat down after giving a lengthy but convincing speech on the troubles happening all around and how the gate was needed to be opened. Everyone gave their opinion as the idea circled around the table, but mostly still on keeping the gates closed, finally ending on John. He sat there for a minute, contemplating his words.

"My says will have to go with the elders, only,..." he said as he raised his hand before Thought could interrupt.

"Because I sense an underlying presence behind all of this. It's almost as if it wants the gate open." he said, then faced the jellyfish looking entity.

"Cassia, I also suggest we wait, which leads me to ask for temporary leave so that I can find the source of these misgivings." he said as he clasped his hands.

Cassia bowed her head in deep thought for a brief moment, then looked at John with a smile. Her seaweed tentacles fluidly flowing with each movement. Still amazed that he chose to stay with the humans. Granted he is still a mortal working as an Ambassador, but because of his abilities, he could live the life of an Ancient and still be Ambassador. She would be more than happy to welcome him.

"Your leave is granted. If what you sense is what I fear then we must find out. We will prepare on our end just in case. Thought will accompany you and keep us informed of your progress, and John," she said in an almost crystalline voice as she looked John in his eyes.

"If it is what I think it is, please come to us first. We know of one who may be able to better guide and possibly aid us in stopping it." she finished.

John nodded his head, then looked at thought. Wanting to do this on his own, but he was glad to have a close friend along. John tried to read the blank expression on his face. Thought was always a hard person to read, even mentally. Either through ascension or natural development, Thought always had a mask of indifference, so John wasn't sure if he was upset about the outcome or because he got stuck with him afterward knowing he wanted to stay and convince the others.

Cassia lifted her arms, palms up.

"Everyone is in agreement!?" she said, more of a statement than a question. No one disagreed.

"Then the Z'Ri is concluded." she said, then slowly drew her leaf looking arms in as she exhaled. The rainbow colored sphere of light withdrew from all around them and back into Cassia, once again exposing them to the fabric of reality.

Everyone except John, Cassia, and Thought began changing into their corporeal selves and heading for the door. Cassia came around, almost blocking John as him and Thought got up. The door slowly opened. Facing them, she was just about to say something when she suddenly went rigid. The seaweed-like tentacles slowly laid down on top of her head as the rest of her body seemed to slump but somehow still stood. Her eyes slowly closed as she shed a single luminescent tear. Suddenly she was snatched back as John and Thought, still confused and shocked motionless, watched her body being pulled back into some sort of purplish fleshy looking orb floating in the doorway. The others, huddled behind the doors, holding each other in some form or fashion in terrified fright.

As soon as thought turned his head to look at John, another tentacle shot towards him. Thought quickly went corporeal before the tentacle reached him, and John phased out just as a third passed through him. They both stood there looking at each other's abdomen with a tentacle going through them for a second, then turned to see where they ended. One struck the table, shattering the glass, and was now trying to free it from the frame's antigravity well. The other lodged in one of the stone chairs and was slowly breaking a chunk off in its struggle. John and Thought stepped away from the tentacles just as they finally freed themselves. The orb bobbed its way into the room, spinning left and right as if it was searching. Realizing it couldn't see them in their corporeal form, the others quickly made their way out the room and disappeared. Thought and John circled around the orb heading for the door but just as they got to it, the orb made a loud hissing noise that made them turn around.

It began slowly pulsating and shrinking with each pulse until Cassia's fish-like tail and leaf looking arms appeared. The orb began to darken as more of Cassia revealed herself. John started walking towards her to help until finally, the head emerged as the dark purplish looking orb began to take a shinier solid dome shape on her chest and back. Small pink fleshy veins extended from around the edge of the back dome into her skin. Her head, no longer covered in flowing seaweed, was now covered with a smooth purplish black round surface. Her skin no longer held it's luminescent glow.

John and thought looked at each other as if thinking the same thing. Both ran for the door, but the thing that was Cassia beat them to it with blinding speed, blocking their path.

"Hello, Johnny boy. Let me save you the trouble." it said, then struck a leafy tentacle out towards Thought, hitting him in his chest before he had any time to react.

__________________🌌__________________

Rael, the black crystal ball entity, having been separated from the group in the escape, came around a corner and passed right through Jason as him and his group walked around. Not believing that he just encountered a human presence, he turned around just as the group rounded the corner. He hadn't felt a human aura since the Trade Routes and since then believed them to be extinct. Realizing where they were headed, he had to warn them. Just as he was about to enter reality, a voice spoke behind him.

"That wouldn't exactly be a wise choice at the moment." it said.

Rael turned around to see a glowing blue figure. He sensed him also as human but highly evolved, almost to the point of ascension, yet there was a power in him that surpassed even those of an Ancient. Constrained as it was, it still emitted a powerful Aura. Had he not seen him with his own vision, he would've believed it to be Maylar himself. A Watcher even older than the Ancients, but it couldn't be, not with a HUMAN's Aura. He was standing next to....yet ANOTHER human. This one was normal like the other two, yet it was augmented with cybernetic implants that he kept covered in a hooded wrap-around cloak. He dropped to one knee with his head low and both metal fist on the ground. The blue figure laid a hand on his back, indicating for him to stand. The cybernetic human reluctantly rose, speaking in a strange language that took a second for him to recognize as English. The blue figure responded back, but too low for Rael to pick up, then turned towards him.

"Don't mind him," it said in the Ancient's language.

"He knows you're not his God, but was told by his....guardian, to show you the same respect should he ever meet one." it said, then took a step closer.

"This is something that MUST take place. There are larger events at play here that require every little detail to be perfect, even at great sacrifices."