Chapter 4

Wren stared at her master waiting for him to advise her. “Little one, it is obvious that this situation has escalated more. The grief and now rage that you feel needs to fuel your fighting ability. This week we will concentrate on you learning this.”

Wren bowed to her master, “I will do all I can to learn, master.”

“No, my little Wren, you will learn or you will die. It is as simple as that, with you entering the fifth level, things are about to change.” Flugret said.

Wren’s eyes were wide a moment then she nodded her head. It was as it always was, the techniques they used were highly guarded.

“Now then, before your energy drops too low, you need to rest. I can see that you have finally discovered how to limit the energy. Now, you need to learn how to release what you can when you need it.” Flugret said.

Wren hadn’t noticed that they had been slowly walking toward her new quarters. “Master what of,” Wren started.

Flugret pushed Wren in her room, “rest little one, we’ll talk later.”

Wren could only stare then nodded as the door slid closed. Lying on the bed Wren didn’t think she was that tired as her eyes closed in no time.

Flugret walked a ways down the hall, stopping before a blank wall, he then concentrated, a doorway opening.

“So, she has achieved the edge of the fifth. No Human, no other race other than our own, has ever done this. If she goes further, you must make sure that her motives are clear. We cannot have another like ten centuries ago.” An older voice spoke from the dark.

“That incident nearly destroyed the planet, even afterward, it took a hundred years for the order to recover. If she is the first of another race to go beyond flesh, we must make sure.” Another ancient sounding voice said.

“I will do all I can to ensure this,” Flugret said. A moment later, his corporeal form shimmered then he converted to energy. The energy of Flugret floated forward ‘til it entered another large room, this one with a energy shield around it. The room was filled with a huge energy ball that Flugret moved to, then merged with.

Wren awoke with a start, not really sure where she was. She knew she had returned to Ceti-5 though this, ah ok, this was her new room. Sitting up she immediately went into meditation.

A few minutes later the com. in the room started to chime. With a sigh Wren got up moving to answer. The moment she saw her mother’s face she growled.

“I just got your message, are you sure it was him?” Her mother said.

Wren clicked a few switches, “Trigon transmit all that was recorded yesterday.”

“Yesterday? Don’t tell me you actually got that ancient piece of crap to work? You know of course you have to bring it to me.” Empress Esmeralda said expecting her daughter to immediately obey. She then shook her head she knew the girl would never listen never would, at least not to her. “So how long and far?”

“I was a day past the galactic empire boundary. Took almost two and half hours to return. Bring it to you? No, I don’t think so mother. No-one, especially you mother, thought I would succeed so you know what? The best I got for you? Is f off!”

“That’s no way to talk to the Galactic Empress,” Empress, Esmeralda said.

“I will ‘til such time as you act like you are. Not a renegade running from the last three races.” Wren spit.

Empress Esmeralda gasp when she heard what Wren had said. “You know I could recall you this instant.”

Wren almost sneered at her mother, “you keep on thinking that mother. My A.I. has my brain cells, therefore it has just as much distrust of you as I do. My ship has at least eight i.d. entries. Unless I am here, you’re not getting in. The drive is encoded, without Trigon it won’t work. Lastly the punishment for breaching my security, can be more than severe.”

There are always ways around.” Esmeralda started.

“There may be, though everything is tied together, I am the only one with access. Try to gain access it all goes away.” Wren hissed.

Esmeralda was about to say more when she saw the look of pure death and hatred on Wren’s face. “Don’t push it mother, believe me I am more than ready for anything you try.”

“Wren!” Esmeralda cried. “Why in the hell are you making this so hard? I know that you want the empire to,” Esmeralda said.

“The Empire!?” Wren spit out, I care nothing for the Empire. I only care to make the bastards pay that destroyed our home. A duty I am more than happy to execute.” Wren said her voice dripping with venom. “Had it not been for father I would have already destroyed the fourth race by now. if I find that there are any others that were associated with these six murdering races? I will end them also.” Wren hissed the bar she had a hold of easily crushed.

Esmeralda shook a moment then tightened her resolve. “Why do you hate me so Wren? What have I done to incur you absolute wrath?”

“You are trying to have me give me control of my body to a pompous prick. As long as I breathe, I will never surrender it to any controlling male! I would rather die, plus now I am the most dangerous human alive. If I am made to have to take an ass like that, know that he will be long dead before he can ever lay an digit on me. “ Wren said letting her anger out.

This declaration, had Esmeralda cringing if she indeed killed any and all her grooms, there would be war. At the moment that was something that the Galactic Empire could afford. The fact that three of the races that had destroyed the earth were gone, helped much of the galaxy to fear the Empire.

“The second thing MOTHER!” Wren said sarcastically, “Is you try to end my training. Know that this is NEVER going to happen. I am almost to the fifth level, if I achieve it I will be the first human in history.”

My god Esmeralda thought, if she is that high, I will never get her to listen to me. Only duty to her father is keeping her here now.

“The third thing mother, is you let father go without any back-up. You LET him go!” Wren was now shouting.

“I didn’t let him go, he was the emperor, I didn’t have half the power he did. There was no way,” Esmeralda started.

“Can it mother, you’re a woman I know you have ways to make him stay. I have seen you beguile him ‘til he gave up on what he was trying to do. Then you had him declared dead, I know he’s still alive. I had a tracker placed in him because I was so worried. The tracker is still active if he was dead then it wouldn’t operate any more. You just wanted the power for your own, when I find father that will change very quick.” Wren accused then slammed her hand on the switch cutting the connection.

Master Flugret’s mouth was hanging open, if all this was true then the sect would have to reassess their place. If it were true, Flugret had seen a few things in Wren’s files that more than alluded to much of what Wren had said.

As disturbing as all of this was, his first duty was to Wren. She was on the threshold of the conversion, the only problem the master saw was her mind might not allow her.

Walking in Flugret saw Wren turn, extreme rage flashing across her features. Taking a step Wren advanced on Flugret, vanishing. They were both moving faster and faster, Flugret nodded when he felt her cross into the fifth level. Then to his astonishment she started to climb higher. Even as he watched Wren’s body started to shimmer as it tried to convert to energy.

Flugret called to the others as Wren’s moves were almost uncontrollable. He noticed that her temperature was rising as was her energy was. It was going to take all of the masters to put her back, if she was to survive.

Wren was doing all she could to calm, unfortunately her mother always enflamed her rage. It was then that he noticed more than Master Flugret in the room with her.

It was also about that time that, she noticed that her body temperature was starting to climb. “Master,” Wren cried out, “I don’t understand what is happening to me.”

“Ah little one,” Flugret responded. “You are at a dangerous time. You have passed into the fifth level; your body is attempting to change though your strength of will is stopping this. We masters have never seen this and are at loss how to save you. You must find it within yourself a place to put your rage ‘til you can rid yourself of it.”

Wren could only look at the room full of Masters as if they were crazy. “Find a place? Whatever are you talking about?” Wren asked.

“It is much like you did when you turned most of the energy consumption of your body off. It goes along those same lines.” Flugret said. “Be not afraid, we are all here to help you bring yourself back. Now then, like you did with the energy, turn off parts of the rage.”

Wren shrugged as she started to concentrate. At first, she could only see the blinding red rage that was inside her. Then she began to slowly close of the worst areas of red rage.

“It appears to be working, astounding, never have we seen a solo-solid manage this feat. Masters, do you think that she is the one prophesied? For as very long time we have been awaiting the sign. Is it truly possible that she has appeared?” Another Masters voice came from the mass of energy.

Flugret looked closer at Wren, trying to see past the exterior. “She is an astounding student. She progressed far faster than any other I have ever seen. I would say without further inspection that she is the one.” Flugret said a small smile on his face.

Wren, the entire time, had tried to listen to what the masters were saying, though she was concentrating very hard. She had more than half the red rage gone, though her body temperature was still dangerously high.

“You’re doing very well little Wren; you have lowered much of the anger. You are further from death, though not out of danger yet.” Wren heard Flugret’s voice, though for some reason it seemed to be coming from inside her head.