Dragonball M, Chapter 4: Kidnapping! Invasion! A new Threat Strikes First!

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Parsley was hoping to learn something more substantial about this Ulthan, like their purpose or perhaps even their names. Only one name was listed, Ishtar, whom she knew well. The other six were merely titles. That did little to help her.

She sighed silently and looked up from her book. She had somehow managed to make her way safely outside the palace. Long had she mastered the art of precision walking while completely enraptured by a book. "I should talk to Inanna about this," she muttered. She recalled her saying something some time ago about looking into a few loose ends. She never heard a word about it beyond that. Perhaps she found something, but couldn't quite connect the dots just yet.

Ishtar, though, being a part of this mysterious group raised some serious concerns. They only fought a clone of hers in T2 years ago, and had a hard enough time with her. Fighting the real thing was going to be a challenge.

She looked up again and noticed several Threshling milling about, helping those that were injured. She took a moment to bask in the moment. Long had she stood in the remains after a battle. In the past, it was the broken ruins of a slaughtered population. Blood stained the ground, smoke polluted the air, choking what little life remained. This time, there was life and freedom as far as the eye could see.

A small smile touched her lips. This is what it feels like to be on the other side, part of the defenders after having liberated instead of destroyed. It was a good, warm feeling inside.

She noticed the Queen of Reshlan sitting nearby and slowly made her way over. As she walked, she flipped to the fourth section to look of the names and locations Auroc amassed.

In small writing at the bottom of the page on the Ulthan are a few notes.

First: Artificier. Old. Darkling perhaps?
Second: Ascended Were of some sort. Universe 18?
Third: Cybernetic. Universe 17, perhaps?
Fourth: Unknown magical race. Do not cross or speak with.
Fifth: Related to the Seventh. Ascended potentially.
Sixth: Inanna’s alter. Very dangerous.
Seventh: Ascended human/reptile hybrid. Former Number 1 on GP’s most wanted list.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Induced to ashes, there would be little more than that dissolved spiritual issue and whatever fleeting remnants left this mortal coil. For the Threshling God who had stripped generations of hope and will, there was some solace to be had that Reshlan's future was no longer so rigidly decided.

But the fact remained that this was not his world. Lightyears away, his own, blue planet would no longer fall under the Roaming Eye of Auroc. In this, at least, at least a small measure of these many cosmic burdens had eased.

How many other secrets remained hidden on this world? He had a mind to rejoin the others, but for a moment he inspected the immediate area for anything else.

All is at peace and all is still. Reshlan is whole, balanced, and in no danger.

[Tami]

The Queen nods.

“My thanks, lady Dash. I would appreciate that.”

"Ah'll speak to the Guardians of both worlds. When they can, ah'm sure they or someone who represents them will be in contact with you."

Dash then bowed again, before taking her leave. By leave, that meant stepping a little further away. There was not much more she could do, except...

Looking around, she saw Held, but didn't see Praxat.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

In small writing at the bottom of the page on the Ulthan are a few notes.

First: Artificier. Old. Darkling perhaps?
Second: Ascended Were of some sort. Universe 18?
Third: Cybernetic. Universe 17, perhaps?
Fourth: Unknown magical race. Do not cross or speak with.
Fifth: Related to the Seventh. Ascended potentially.
Sixth: Inanna’s alter. Very dangerous.
Seventh: Ascended human/reptile hybrid. Former Number 1 on GP’s most wanted list.

There was more in very small writing in the far corner of the page. So small she almost missed it. Each of the seven had descriptions, hypotheses that Auroc developed during his search for the identity of the remaining six. Of the remaining six, at least two were ascended, with a third potentially being so. She had no idea what that was supposed to mean. She herself was an ascended Saiyan, so perhaps it was in the same vein as that?

Of the seven, three were of immediate interest to her. Ishtar, for obvious reasons. The Fourth, because they were from an unknown magical race, which meant she could learn something possibly new about magecraft. Finally, the Seventh, for they were at the very top of the GP's most wanted list. Them being a human/reptile hybrid was also of interest. Perhaps kin to Rex and/or Charco?

She hummed to herself as she continued toward the Queen. "More loose ends to tie and more enemies to fight. What fun."

If there was nothing else, she flipped to section four to read about those names.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

As to Names and Locations..........

There are thousands of names and places, with spatial and geographical coordinates for each.

Parsley recognizes Earth, Vocado, its various sister colonies, Chroma, Nevada, Praxat’s homeworld, Namek, and the list goes on and on and on. Most of these were apparently visited years and years ago.

Beside each one is a notation indicating Auroc had been there and marked it on a stellar map for further review.

There are locations in other Universes, a few alternate timelines, and even a few pocket dimensions.

Beyond even that, there are a few very detailed names such as the following that seem to catch Parsley’s Eye:

The Forge of the First Race (where the Doctor had hidden)

Incenio’s Casino

The Rookery

The Candleman’s Workshop

[MrSandman]

“Your mage craft is superb, mi’lady. You have Reshlan’s thanks for your service.” The Queen says.

"Flattery, but I won't contest it." Etrina chuckled with a smile. "Hopefully we'll be afforded some measure of peace for the moment....all of us."

She looked up again and noticed several Threshling milling about, helping those that were injured. She took a moment to bask in the moment. Long had she stood in the remains after a battle. In the past, it was the broken ruins of a slaughtered population. Blood stained the ground, smoke polluted the air, choking what little life remained. This time, there was life and freedom as far as the eye could see.

A small smile touched her lips. This is what it feels like to be on the other side, part of the defenders after having liberated instead of destroyed. It was a good, warm feeling inside.

She noticed the Queen of Reshlan sitting nearby and slowly made her way over. As she walked, she flipped to the fourth section to look of the names and locations Auroc amassed.

Turned to see Parsley approaching, Etrina couldn't help but be immediately drawn to the aged book she was somehow absorbed into while not missing a step....despite all the rubble in fact.

"Ahh, clearly you haven't wasted in anytime in time in celebrating victory....But I never took you for the type to do so with a good book." Etrina greeted her cheerfully.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Ah'll speak to the Guardians of both worlds. When they can, ah'm sure they or someone who represents them will be in contact with you."

Dash then bowed again, before taking her leave. By leave, that meant stepping a little further away. There was not much more she could do, except...

Looking around, she saw Held, but didn't see Praxat.

She nods her thanks and goes back to speaking to her, what you assume, son.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

As to Names and Locations..........

There are thousands of names and places, with spatial and geographical coordinates for each.

Parsley recognizes Earth, Vocado, its various sister colonies, Chroma, Nevada, Praxat’s homeworld, Namek, and the list goes on and on and on. Most of these were apparently visited years and years ago.

Beside each one is a notation indicating Auroc had been there and marked it on a stellar map for further review.

There are locations in other Universes, a few alternate timelines, and even a few pocket dimensions.

Beyond even that, there are a few very detailed names such as the following that seem to catch Parsley’s Eye:

The Forge of the First Race (where the Doctor had hidden)

Incenio’s Casino

The Rookery

The Candleman’s Workshop

As she suspected, Vocado and its various colonies were all on the list. She knew Auroc had visited the throneworld, but not the colonies. That was disconcerting, but no longer a concern. He also knew of several other worlds, such as Nevada, Namek, Earth, Chroma, the Toad Homeworld, among others. She narrowed her eyes and devoted a little time to see if he found the Frost Demon homeworld. If there was any place where Koorimaru was, or where there was a clue to his and Maiz's whereabouts, that would be the place.

She moved on to the places not of this universe. Of those, a few attracted her attention immediately. The Doctor's hideout, the Forge of the First race, which had been destroyed by Auroc. Incenio's Casino, where Sarada and a few others took part in a universal tournament with the time stone as the prize. And two places she didn't recognize: the Rookery and the Candlemaker's Workshop.

The first two had been destroyed, but the last two... she intended on visiting both those places, and soon. And she had the coordinates and the means of getting there.

She flipped through the book again to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

Turned to see Parsley approaching, Etrina couldn't help but be immediately drawn to the aged book she was somehow absorbed into while not missing a step....despite all the rubble in fact.

"Ahh, clearly you haven't wasted in anytime in time in celebrating victory....But I never took you for the type to do so with a good book." Etrina greeted her cheerfully.

Etrina's voice registered, but not enough to pull her away from the pages. "Never judge a book by its cover," she answered. She slowed to a stop just before walking into Etrina. "I found this in Auroc's store room." She debated telling her about the other things she found and quickly decided against it. "There is quite a bit of interesting information in here that Auroc has recorded. Perhaps if you ask nicely enough, I'll let you see it."

[grampagen]

All is at peace and all is still. Reshlan is whole, balanced, and in no danger.

With nothing left to do, he allowed himself, for a moment, to breathe easily. Then his eyes snapped open as he realized that there yet remained some business he had yet to attend to.

Splitting the hazy clouds over the ruined city, a white comet streaked over the capital. His aura thinned as he touched the ground where the others were gathered in the capital, yet the furious bearing seemed only to swell.

He paced among his comrades, past the remnants of the Royal Guard, until his presence demanded an audience of the Queen of Reshlan herself.

He turned his katchin staff up from his side, and pointed at her for a hanging moment.

"..."

All that and for a second, he was at a loss for words.

"...two things. First off, Highness, remind me what your name is?"

[MrSandman]

Etrina's voice registered, but not enough to pull her away from the pages. "Never judge a book by its cover," she answered. She slowed to a stop just before walking into Etrina. "I found this in Auroc's store room." She debated telling her about the other things she found and quickly decided against it. "There is quite a bit of interesting information in here that Auroc has recorded. Perhaps if you ask nicely enough, I'll let you see it."

"Ugh...why must everything be about barter or begging with this group." Etrina crossed her arms and muttered to herself, none the less she eyed the outside of the book with mounting curiosity. "....So its Aurocs Diary then? I'm interested and mortified at the possibilities....come now...you'll let me read it when your done yes? Even for just a second?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Inanna, you see the world you helped and know it is Good.

Inanna chuckled, mostly to herself.

"A being of Destruction causes life to spring forth; and the world beneath her rejoices for it. What sweet irony, this." Having reverted back to her lesser self however, there was a brief pang of regret at the use of that last vestige... followed swiftly by the pain and realization that she was standing on what amounted to little more than an amputated limb.

"Welp."

With Rex alive, but in a state of suspended animation as he- it, they, them?- attempted to recover within a cocoon of Ghost Hakai however; there was little left for Inanna here. Only the scent of shiny things on the horizon, and a need to process the energy she'd pulled from the wounds she and Rex had sustained. Something to be done surely on the walk toward her new destination.

So drawing it forth, the former Oni held the globule of orange energy up on one finger.

"So tell me, little light... what are you."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

As she suspected, Vocado and its various colonies were all on the list. She knew Auroc had visited the throneworld, but not the colonies. That was disconcerting, but no longer a concern. He also knew of several other worlds, such as Nevada, Namek, Earth, Chroma, the Toad Homeworld, among others. She narrowed her eyes and devoted a little time to see if he found the Frost Demon homeworld. If there was any place where Koorimaru was, or where there was a clue to his and Maiz's whereabouts, that would be the place.

She moved on to the places not of this universe. Of those, a few attracted her attention immediately. The Doctor's hideout, the Forge of the First race, which had been destroyed by Auroc. Incenio's Casino, where Sarada and a few others took part in a universal tournament with the time stone as the prize. And two places she didn't recognize: the Rookery and the Candlemaker's Workshop.

The first two had been destroyed, but the last two... she intended on visiting both those places, and soon. And she had the coordinates and the means of getting there.

She flipped through the book again to make sure she hadn't missed anything.



Etrina's voice registered, but not enough to pull her away from the pages. "Never judge a book by its cover," she answered. She slowed to a stop just before walking into Etrina. "I found this in Auroc's store room." She debated telling her about the other things she found and quickly decided against it. "There is quite a bit of interesting information in here that Auroc has recorded. Perhaps if you ask nicely enough, I'll let you see it."

The hidden Frost Demon homeworld is, indeed, marked.

Nothing else in what you can read seems important save one last location:

Genesis’ Ark.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Ugh...why must everything be about barter or begging with this group." Etrina crossed her arms and muttered to herself, none the less she eyed the outside of the book with mounting curiosity. "....So its Aurocs Diary then? I'm interested and mortified at the possibilities....come now...you'll let me read it when your done yes? Even for just a second?"

"Ohoho! Is the Sheep's Mistress to ashamed to lower herself and ask permission? Too accustomed to having it given to you at the snap of a finger?" She smirked and looked down at the human mage. She then sighed softly. "Having two children has made me soft. Fine, you can read it. After I'm done. And...after Inanna is done. And that's assuming she bothers to give it to you, so you should ask her instead."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

With nothing left to do, he allowed himself, for a moment, to breathe easily. Then his eyes snapped open as he realized that there yet remained some business he had yet to attend to.

Splitting the hazy clouds over the ruined city, a white comet streaked over the capital. His aura thinned as he touched the ground where the others were gathered in the capital, yet the furious bearing seemed only to swell.

He paced among his comrades, past the remnants of the Royal Guard, until his presence demanded an audience of the Queen of Reshlan herself.

He turned his katchin staff up from his side, and pointed at her for a hanging moment.

"..."

All that and for a second, he was at a loss for words.

"...two things. First off, Highness, remind me what your name is?"

She quirks an eyebrow.

“Nevin, Queen of Reshlan. Yourself, Warrior of Earth?”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The hidden Frost Demon homeworld is, indeed, marked.

Nothing else in what you can read seems important save one last location:

Genesis’ Ark.

During her "bartering" with Etrina, she nearly missed what she was looking for. The Frost Demon homeworld was indeed marked. "Perfect. I may know exactly where Koorimaru is; or where he has been, anyway," she said.

Beyond that, she continued flipping through the pages and making sure she had read everything she was capable of reading. She would read it over again and copy everything over by hand to help her commit everything but the numbers - those damned equations - to memory. Hm, seems that's everything. She was about to close the book and put it away when her keen eye caught two final words in a common language.

Genesis' Ark

She felt her eyes widen. "He knows where she is," she murmured. She knew of Genesis from Inanna. She knew of how the being struck fear in the heart of the otherwise proven fearless GoD apparent. She also knew of how the creature had been amassing vast amounts of power: Hakai, Creation, Temporal, Katchin. It was immensely powerful, frighteningly so. If this was its base of operations, or perhaps its place of origin, they could find a clue as to how to kill it for good.

'I know where Genesis may be.'

It was a simple message sent to Inanna, but one that would have the former Oni arriving in mere seconds.