(Previously on Immortal Wars.)

(Again, we shall revel in my teenage originality.  Everyone groan in unison.)

Disclaimer: Immortal Wars was the book I came up with and wrote in high school.  I hadn’t even hit college by the time I wrote the first two books.  That means I hadn’t developed my style yet, wasn’t good at self-editing, and the story was fairly basic. So, you’ve been warned that this is the ultimate author throwback segment for my blog and will show my author origins.  FYI-  I put the first book (The Summoning) through a Print-on-Demand publisher and the second one (Light, Blood, & Tears) never saw the light of day.  Enjoy!

Cybro is still stationed in the star room when the two women arrive.  As the door opens with its usual snake-like hiss, the sinister cyborg turns around and attempts to do an eyebrowless scowl when he sees who is visiting him.  He has never liked Startrix because she always manages to get in the way of his plans for leadership.  He likes to think that if it were not for Startrix’s power, Cybro would have been in charge and Adriana would be listening to his orders.  He was never one to enjoy taking orders from any woman except for his mother.

“Time for you to prove to me that you’re not as useless as I think, Cybro.  I want you to land the warship on Pluto right away,” orders Adriana, who is so tired that she needs Startrix’s help to stay on her feet.

“Why do you want to land on the planet already?  There is no logical reason for us to land yet.  The Black Tower is not even near completion,” complains Cybro in his robotic, gear-grinding voice.  Before either of the female immortals can think of an answer for him, he figures out that Startrix had another of her mysterious visions.

“I had . . . ,” begins Startrix.

“I know you had a vision.  Why else would Adriana make such a foolish and unexpected decision?  I suppose this means that the new guardians will be arriving shortly.  The warship will be landing in a couple of hours,” interrupts Cybro as he pushes a group of blinking buttons.  The computers start making loud beeping noises and everyone can feel the vessel suddenly lurch as it begins its descent toward Pluto’s surface.

“There is another thing that I want you to do.  Keep a modified sensor probe in space and set it for any unknown immortal signatures as well as Solix’s immortal signature.  That way we can know about their arrival before they land.  And it’s a good precaution in case Startrix’s vision tells us the wrong time,” explains Adriana.

“It is already done.  I do not need to be told how to do things I have been doing since I was put in this metal body.”

“Sheesh.  It was just a friendly reminder.  Don’t lose your head, Cybro.  Not that you can help doing that.”

“Quiet.  Do not make him any madder than he already is, Adriana.  You are in no condition to fight with anybody,” whispers Startrix.

“Like I can’t do anything except get under his skin.  He was born angry, temperamental, and bitter.  Isn’t that right, metalhead?”  Before Cybro can say his snappy comeback, Startrix puts her hand over Adriana’s mouth and drags her through the still open door.

“When are you going to learn to leave him alone?  Ever since he was put in that mechanical body, you have been teasing him every day.  He feels bad enough losing his body and birthright powers due to Solix’s attack.  You don’t have to keep reminding him of the tragedy.  Besides, it reminds me of what happened to me in that explosion,” states the dark seer.

“I’m sorry, old friend.  I never meant to get you upset.  But it is so easy to get Cybro angry and it is so much fun to watch him fume.  I mean, why should Tegam be the only one to get under everyone’s skin?”

“Just leave the annoying stuff to Tegam.  We have more than enough trouble with one of him, so we definitely do not need you acting up.  Why are you acting so crazy anyway?  You do not usually act like you are drunk unless you go drinking for a week straight, which is one of the few problems you do not have.”

“I only drank one beer in the past two weeks and it wasn’t even a real good one.  It’s just that I’m soooo tired that I feel all weird and light-headed.  I’ll just talk to Kilanus and get that sleep that you keep telling me about.  I promise.”

Startrix and Adriana stop near Mindtrigger’s silent lab because the evil blonde’s head starts aching and her green eyes begin to close.  Adriana nearly collapses with fatigue and she is forced to lean against the corridor’s cold wall so that she won’t fall onto the hard floor.  Her droopy eyes and sagging body make her look slightly older, which the seductive immortal really hates.

“Forget your promise just this once.  You can talk to Kilanus tomorrow morning.  Get some sleep,” orders Adriana’s concerned friend.

“Not yet!  I have to talk to Kilanus about the guardians and make sure she is still on our side.  I’d really hate to find out that her personality is that of either a hero or a traitor instead of a living machine of destruction and manipulation,” whispers Adriana.  The tired immortal points her glowing staff at her weak body and its soft, blue light starts to intensify.  In a matter of seconds, the staff is a blinding shaft of pure, blue light.  The light blasts out of the staff and into Adriana, permeating every tired cell of her body.  When the quick light show stops, Adriana isn’t tired anymore and looks better than ever.

“That is a very unusual reason to use the healing staff of Mercury, Adriana.  Does it actually work?”

“Of course it works.  I’m no longer feeling like a wacky idiot.  Well, at least I don’t feel like an idiot.  A little playful insanity is the only side effect of using the staff to cure fatigue. Don’t worry, Startrix.  I’ll be fine,” remarks Adriana with a crafty smile.  The leader of the evil immortals turns around and starts doing nimble backflips down the hall and toward Kilanus’ room.

“She really needs to get some sleep before she loses any more of her marbles.  I better send Tegam to keep an eye on her.  He’s the only one that can check on her without being noticed by anybody.  I guess invisibility does come in handy when you really need it,” thinks Startrix as she watches Adriana disappear into the gloom.