Last Journey of the Knight of Sands

[Dmatix]

Hi guys. This is a fanfic I've been working on for a while. I supposed you can call it an AU, but it's that only in the broadest definition of the term. This is the story of an aging Knight, the last surviving member of his group, on his way to fight an enemy he can't hope to defeat. Knowing he is unlikely to survive, he writes the chronicles of his session and his fallen friends, so that future players might learn from their mistakes.

Today the world will burn,
As fiery death from heavens rained
Upon once mighty stronghold down
From earth all trace of Breath is drained.

Today the world will drown
Its Void is filed with endless dread
Its Hope is snuffed and gone
Its Heart replaced with Lifeless lead.

Today the world is dead,
Its endless Space consumed by hate
The fury of its Rage, now ash
Oblivion will be its fate.

Today the world is dark,
Its very Mind by tyrant crushed
And nothing here reminds,
But Sands and Stars and rust.

Prologue:

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Last Journey of the Knight of Sands
This is the last will and testament of Edris Hull, Shield Sage of the third circle, protector of Lyr, sky breaker and survivor of the three battles. Knight of Sands.
I write this on my way to take on an enemy I can’t possibly defeat, trying to save someone most likely long gone, hoping against all hope to actually make a difference in the end. In short, I’m trying to extinguish a sun by spitting into it.

I’m not doing this simply to quiet my conscience. Hopefully whoever reads this will gain something from my experiences, if only in learning how not to fail where I did.
I am the last of my team. From ten, one reminds. I can’t help but wonder what I did to deserve this. Why am I alive now when men and women far better than me rot? I was never the strongest, the smartest, the kindest or most ambitious. Yet I still live, and all that’s left of them are mementos and fading memories. Eight mementos for nine past companions. The ninth I threw away. He doesn’t deserve to be with them, not even in memory.

But, as usual, I’m getting ahead of myself. If you are reading this, this mean you reached the Distant Shore. If you managed that, you must be fairly powerful. Traveling beyond the Furthest Ring is not a undertaking taken lightly or accomplished easily. Hell, I only managed because I had outside help. My point is, this journal is for you. If I fail here, and I most likely will, my only hope is that someone more powerful than I will someday come to finish the job. If you are that someone, I urge you to read this carefully. Knowledge is power, and you will need every drop you can get against an adversary like the Dey.
As with all things, better to start from the beginning, and don’t believe any Heroes of Time that tell you different…

Chapter 1

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Chapter one- The Skybreakers

Before I begin getting into the details of my current predicament, it’s important to understand just how I got here. To understand that, I’ll need to go over the details of my session. It was an unusual one, to say the least.

From all the sessions I’ve seen, and I saw quite a few, my session was the only one in which the players had preexisting knowledge of the prize. Not just the prize though, most of the game mechanics. And not just the players, our entire society was aware of the exact time the game would start over a century before it did.
So when the meteors bearing me and my teammates fell, our guardians were prepared. An unforeseen delay, however, meant that we didn’t all fall a few months from each other. From the time the first of us fell, to the time the last did, four years passed. The large age gap in our group did nothing to ease the already stressed atmosphere between us, the other causes of which I’ll get to later.

We were called the Skybreakers, and our coming was treated with both elation and dread. The White Vizier, who came to Lyr a century and a half before the Fall, was the one to prepare the ground for our arrival. He appeared before the High Judge of Lyr in a flash of blinding green energy, claiming to bear tidings of a coming apocalypse. Despite his impressive entrance, the High Judge, paranoid from years of assassination attempts, immediately called for the guards. As they attempted to grab the Vizier and lead him away, he taped his whitewood cane on the floor of the audience chamber. With a second flash, the guards disappeared, and were never heard from again. After that, the High Judge became far more agreeable.

The Vizier spoke of a great calamity set to happen in a hundred and fifty years. He showed the Judge and the Council of Ten dire visions of the event, of Lyr bombarded with great orbs of fire. He showed them the aftermath of this attack, the empty sand plains left where our great city once stood.
The Council was terrified. They pleaded, begged him to deliver them from their doom. He looked at them with those empty white eyes I’ve grown to despise, and said that sadly, there was nothing he could do to stop the Fall. But all was not lost, he calmed the panicked members of the Council, for before Fall shatters the earth, the children who could stop it will shatter the sky. Each will arrive some thirteen years before the Fall riding one of its instruments. These children, if each trained by member of the Council in his or her field, would save Lyr from the Fall, and make it greater than ever before. They would make an entire universe shaped in Lyr’s image.
He was lying of course. Nothing could save Lyr, or any of the other worlds the game took place on, and he knew this perfectly well. But, the Council was convinced. Since they knew they would not live to see the Fall and to train the Skybreakers themselves, they left instructions to their guilds to listen to the Vizier’s every word and to begin to prepare for the arrival. Thus Lyr fell under the Vizier’s control, and so it remained until the day Adrian’s meteor crashed into the High Judge’s palace.

Chapter 2

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Chapter Two: Witch and Page

Since the day I landed on Lyr a little less than a year after Adrian, I’ve been training under the Shield Sages, the city’s guild of protectors. From them I learned the arts of defense, both martial and magical. My days consisted of training and little else, beside bi-weekly meetings with the other future players, which the Vizier deemed necessary for building “Team Spirit”, as he often called it.

I recall one particular meeting, The last one before the game began. The meetings took place in a different guild every week. That last meeting was in the Hall of Artificers, home to the Metal Makers and Sagacious Scholars. I made it a habit to arrive early-the Vizier didn’t take kindly to tardiness. The Hall was a plain round stone building, as utilitarian as the guilds inhabiting it. Halus stood at the entrance, waiting for me.

Halus Nost, Page of Space, was raised by the Metal Makers, responsible of manufacturing the weapons and armor for the more warlike guilds of Lyr, as well as other gadgetry. He and his sister Teni fell on the same day, about six months after me. Even though I was older, he towered over me as he approached me with the same easy smile he always wore. Putting a big, muscular hand on my shoulder, he started:
“Ah, Edris! How auspicious it is to meet you here! What brings you our humble abode?”
“Cut it out Hal. I get enough fruity talk from your sister, and you know damn well why I’m here.”
Hal grinned. “You are such a spoilsport, Ed, I swear.”
“Anyone else here yet?”
“Nah, just Teni and me. She’s busy working on some project of hers; she’ll be here any second”
This gave me pause. Nothing good ever came from Teni’s “projects”.
“Let’s get inside,” Halus said, rubbing his hands. “I’m freezing out here”
We made our way to the meeting room. Inside, Teni was waiting, busy fiddling with one of her infernal contraptions.

Teni Nost, Witch of Mind, was Halus’ antithesis. Short, dark and thin where he was tall, fair and broad-shouldered. She was raised by the Sagacious Scholars, the city’s leading scientist and academics. They weren’t truly brother and sister of course, but due to the fact they fell on the same day and that the heads of their guilds were married, they were raised as such.
“Salutations Edris. How pleasant it is to have you with us again.” She said, hammering on the machine with a large wrench. The thing began to pulse with bright colors.
“Um, is that supposed to glow like that?”
“I should not think so; it is only a debris removal module”
“She means a vacuum cleaner.” Halus supplied.
“Thank you Hal, I get it.”
“Do not let the glowing disquiet you, it is a perfectly within the acceptable pera-“
The device then proceeded to explode, showering the room with dust. Teni must have forgotten to empty it.
“Well this is just great Teni” Halus sighed. “Now who is going to clean this mess up? The Vizier will be livid!”
“I would be happy to do it, but it seemed I have misplaced my debris removal module.”

And so we went on arguing and bickering, falling into our old comfortable routine. Even though we only saw each other twice a week, we grew to know each other well over the years. As I sit here on an empty ship on its way to everywhere and nowhere, remembering that last meeting- Halus’ cheerful and loud, Teni quiet and serious, myself abrasive and confident- the weight of these lost times on my shoulders seems all the more heavy.
And so we went on arguing and bickering, falling into our old comfortable routine. Even though we only saw each other twice a week, we grew to know each other well over the years. As I sit here on an empty ship on its way to everywhere and nowhere, remembering that last meeting- Halus’ cheerful and loud, Teni quiet and serious, myself abrasive and confident- the weight of lost times and lost friends on my shoulders seems all the more heavy.

Chapter 3

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Chapter Three- Preparations
Halus was bragging about some new weapon he forged as footsteps were heard from down the hall. As we turned to look Adrian walked in, shaking snow from his gray coat. He gave us a slight nod of acknowledgment and excused himself, proceeding to the Hall’s kitchen to try and find something warm to eat. Teni watched him go, a wistful look in her usually somber eyes.

Adrian Veris, Heir of Hope, was raised by the Bright Blades, the city’s finest warriors and generals. A tall, stern young man, none of us took his responsibilities more seriously than him. His dedication at working with his wind-blades made him a terrifying fighter before we even entered the game. Almost seventeen years old, he was the oldest I’ve ever seen a player enter.
He soon returned with a steaming bowl of broth and sat with us.
“Halus, Edris, I hope your training is going well,” Adrian said, formal as ever. We nodded. “Teni, I trust you are well.”
Teni mumbled something unintelligible, nervously twisting a broken piece of vacuum cleaner in her hands. Halus and I exchanged a look. You didn’t need to be a Sagacious Scholar to figure the cause of her embarrassment. Adrian was completely oblivious, as usual. He never seemed to pay much attention to anything but the preparations for the game, and the closer to the beginning we got, the less consideration he gave for anything else.
“Did Zand arrive already?” Adrian asked, sipping his broth “I need to have a word with him.”
“Sunshine isn’t here yet,” Halus replied “Maybe we got lucky and he dropped a tower on himself.”
Halus didn’t care much for Zand. Quite frankly, neither did I.
Adrian frowned, but said nothing. He knew better than to get between an irresistible force and an immovable object. I tried to change the subject before things any more awkward.
“So Adrian, up for some sparring until the others get here?” I knew Adrian could never refuse a chance to test himself.
He finished his broth and stood up. “Sure, I’ve got a new technique I want to try”.
So did I, but he didn’t need to know that. Adrian was always too honest for his own good.
We went out to the courtyard. Curious, Halus and Teni followed. Snow fell around us as we took our positions, covering Lyr in a soft, white blanket. The last snow it would ever see.

As a Shield Sage, my skills are almost completely defensive in nature. I didn’t stand a chance in a 1v1 fight against a well-rounded fighter, not to mention a Bright Blade like Adrian. So we fought under our usual conditions. If I could block his attack for three minutes, I win. He lands a hit, I lose.
“Are you ready?” Adrian asked, falling into his relaxed Bright Blade fighting stance. He held no weapon in his hands.
Putting on my shield gauntlets, I replied: “Let’s see what you got, Shiny”
He attacked, or rather, his blades did. While Adrian reminded standing where he was, four semi-transparent blades of wind flew in my direction, lightning fast. I raised my hands, summoning my shields. Three of the four blades slammed against the white energy half-spheres covering my hands, but the fourth changed direction, attempting to strike at my feet. I leaped to the side, the blade missing my right foot by an inch. Adrian didn’t let up. The blades kept coming, striking my shields again and again, and draining my energy fast. Not only was Adrian fast, each blade struck like a sledgehammer. Shield Sage barriers were supposed to be able to withstand hours of punishment on the battlefield, and not two minutes after his first attack, I was already nearly spent. It was time to try my new technique. Barely dodging another attack, I slammed my shield gauntlets together. Focusing every last bit of energy I had, I created a full barrier sphere, covering my entire body. All four blades slammed against the front of my sphere, and I had to concentrate most of my power on the front to keep them at bay. Time was almost up.
“Looks like I finally got you!” I shouted, excited. I never managed to beat him before.
“Not quite.” He said quietly. As he did, I saw something flashing in the corner of my eye.
A fifth blade. While I focused on holding the four blades hitting the front of my shield, the fifth snuck behind, striking my underpowered back and easily piercing the barrier. The blade smacked my between the shoulder blades. I dropped face first to the snow.

The bastard. I never saw him use more than four before. Groaning, I rose to my knees.
And met the pale face of the Thief of Rage staring me dead in the eye.

Dramatis personae (The cast)

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Edris Hull: Shield Sage and Knight of Sands.
Elin Fenn: Sky Searcher and Seer of Stars.
Halus Nost: Metal Maker and Page of Space.
Teni Nost: Sagacious Scholar and Witch of Mind.
Adrian Veris: Bright Blade and Heir of Hope .
Colm Tzel: Silent Shade and Thief of Rage .
Zand Koder: Flame Follower and Mage of Void.
Yun Ani: Healing Hand and Rogue of Life.
Shanna Leven: Stalwart Spear and Sylph of Heart.
Kyn Eren: Avid Alchemists and Maid of Breath.

The Dey: Adversary of unknown qualities.
The White Vizier: A figure in white and green, de facto ruler of Lyr.
The High Judge: Former ruler of Lyr. Died in a meteor crash.
The Council of Ten: Heads of the ten major guilds of Lyr.

Comments or questions are highly appreciated.

[Quirk]

Make sure to preiview you post and adjust spacing there. Just add a blank line between paragraphs and it'll be good.

Also, Dramtis Personae is an awesome thing: I'd recommend it for this, because you're introducing numerous major character right off the bat. Just a name list and a tiny fragment behind each. Like "Adrian Veris: Bright Blade and Heir of Hope".

[Dmatix]

Good idea, I'll add this.

[PriffyViole]

It's pretty nice.

[Dmatix]

Chapter four is here, introducing some new characters.

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Chapter 4: Rage

I stumbled, falling back onto the snow. Colm just kept on staring at me with these dead eyes of his.

Colm Tzel, Thief of Rage, was raised by the Silent Shades, the most respectable butch of assassins and cutthroats in Lyr, though by no means the only one. The second youngest of us, Colm was just a little over thirteen years old. Small and ratty, Colm had a few nasty habits: he enjoyed stalking around the city in the dead hours of the night, or appearing right behind you when you least expected it. What he liked most though, was just to stand there while you were doing something, and watch. I hated it when he just stood there, and watched. He almost never said anything, and when he did it was mostly just bizarre rhymes and obscure little poems.

Adrian rushed to help me up and gave Colm a stern look of reproach. Colm just shrugged and wondered away, fading into the shadows of a nearby storage shed.

“Are you alright Edris? I dulled the blades but I know they hit pretty hard.”

“I’m just fine, don’t you worry. Or I would be if that damn kid would stop doing that.”

Adrian looked to the shed. “I worry about him, you know,” he said. “This sort of behavior could put him, and the entire team, in danger once we enter the game.”
I studied Adrian’s face carefully. He wasn’t just worried Colm would put us in danger. He genuinely cared about the boy, and seeing him behaving this way pained him.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re his partner then,” I said, brushing snow off my pants. “This way, you can keep an eye on him.”

Adrian nodded, though he didn’t seem much relived. Couldn’t blame him. I wouldn’t have liked being partnered with Colm any better. Fortunately for me, I fared better when it came to partners.

Halus approached, glancing towards the shed Colm disappeared behind.

“If you two are done bashing each other in the freezing cold, we should get inside. Yun and Sunshine just got here, and the others should be here soon.”
“What about Colm?” I asked as we headed back inside.

“I wouldn’t worry about him” Halus said, closing the door behind us, “He always finds his way back”.

“And if he doesn’t, no great lost” a voice from the conference room said. Zand’s voice. He appeared in its entry, leaning against the doorframe.

Zand Koder, Mage of Void, was raised by the Flame Followers, the enforcers of the Vizier’s law. Before his coming, they were just a minor religious group, but by following him they rose to prominence. Zand was the third to fall, and thus a few months older than me. Wearing his uniform, Zand made for quite a striking figure. Tall and handsome as he was, he appeared to be the very model of chivalry. Too bad his personality didn’t fit his appearance.

“Zand, I would like a word with you.” Adrian said. I winched. That wasn’t a question.
“What’s this about, Veris? I don’t have the patience for idle chitchat”
“You know full well what this is about, and unless you want to discuss it in front of everyone, you’ll come with me.”
Zand gave Adrian a dark look, but complied. They left, and Halus and I entered the room, where Teni already sat with Yun.

Yun Ani, Rogue of Life, was raised by the Healing Hands, who served as the city’s doctors, medics and morticians. The youngest of us, Yun was only about twelve years old, a tiny little thing. Yun was the only one Zand truly trusted and respected, and though I never understood why, she respected him too.

“I see Sunshine is as personable as usual” Halus said as we were sitting down.
“You know he hates it when you call him that.” Yun said, obviously uncomfortable with Zand’s display of brashness.
“I know, that’s why I do.”
“He really is a nice guy, you know. You guys never give him a chance “
“Zand has received many opportunities to bond with us in the past, and he has intentionally squandered them.” Teni said.
Yun opened her mouth to replay, when a powerful voice spoke, coming from no apparent source. “Skybreakers, you are to report to the main hall. The gathering shall commence shortly”.

The White Vizier has arrived.

[Dmatix]

Chapter five is here, providing some information about the nature of the session and of its Medium. It's a bit on the short side.

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Chapter Five: Promises

The four of us quickly made our way into the main hall. When the White Vizier called, you answered if you knew what was good for you. As before any meeting with the Vizier, I was growing anxious. You never knew what to expect with the Vizier; in one meeting he might be courteous and pleasant, and in the next short tempered and vicious. If there was a pattern to his mood swings, I never figured it out.

As we entered the hall I scanned the other seats in the room. The other three girls were already there, talking quietly. The Vizier was nowhere in sight. Elin saw me enter, and gave me a little smile of acknowledgement.

Elin Fenn, Seer of Stars, was raised by the Sky Searchers, Lyr’s guild of philosophers and storytellers. Though their responsibilities might seem insignificant compared to those of the other guilds, their service as the guardians of Lyr’s history and tradition was the glue that held the divided city together. Elin was every bit the Sky Searcher: Thoughtful, inquisitive and eager to learn. She was the fifth to fall, only a month younger than me. She was also my partner, and possibly the dearest person to me in the world. She…

But enough about talk Elin. Makes this old man’s heart ache.

The four of us sat next to the girls. A moment later, Adrian and Zand walked in. Zand seemed furious about something, while Adrian was his usual calm self. They sat as far away apart as possible. Colm was nowhere in sight.

And so the nine of us waited. While the Vizier couldn’t stand waiting, he had no qualms about letting others do the same. I tried to catch a word with Elin, but Shanna and Kyn kept her occupied. Halus and Teni were arguing in a hushed tone about something, and Yun went to sit next to Zand, who was in no mood to talk. Adrian seemed lost in thought, as he often was, and I knew it was unwise to disturb him. There was no one to talk to, nothing to do.

After what seemed like forever, he finally arrived, accompanied as usual with a bright flash of green lightning.
The White Vizier was an impressive figure, dressed as he was all in white but for a single green vertical stripe in the middle of his flowing robes. He had the appearance of an old man, but stood tall and unbent. Like his robes, his hair, skin, even his lips and eyes, were completely marble-white. In his hand was his long whitewood cane, topped with a green orb. While his appearance was unusual, that wasn’t what made him seem so alien-He never ate, never slept, never breathed, never blinked. And he saw everything. I learned that the hard way.

“Skybreakers,” the Vizier began, “As you are surely aware, the time of your entrance is almost here. In a week’s time, the first of the meteors will start to fall. When they do, you will assemble on Watcher’s Hill. There, you will prototype your kernels with the items I shall provide. Your sprits will remind in Lyr, to help defend it while you work to defeat the Black King. Once the sprites are prepared, our technicians will make your entry items. You will enter two at a time through your first gates. There will be five planets orbiting Skaia, one for every pair. Once on your planet, you will find your second gate and make your way to it. I shall serve as your server, and construct whatever is necessary for you to advance. Further information will be provided when needed. Understood?”

We all nodded. We know all this.
“Remember that if you are not fast enough, Lyr will be eradicated. The guilds and sprits can only stop the meteors for so long. The only way to save your home is to finish the game. Understood?”

Nods all around.

“I know you will not disappoint me.”

And just like that, he was gone.
Bastard always knew how to make an exit.

[Dmatix]

Just a note, I'll continue writing this after mid terms are over, in about two weeks.

[Dmatix]

Alright, I took the time to write a short interlude. It is a bit different.

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Interlude: Voidcrosser
Imagine, if you will, a ship crossing an endless expense of space. It is a slick little thing, all curves and smooth lines, and it cuts through space and time like a knife through hot butter. It is a thing of beauty, filled with purpose, life, energy.

So unlike its passenger. The Knight stands at the railings, staring into the void of the Furtherest Ring. What he hopes to see, I am quite unsure. He knows the Ring is home to only madness and empty dreams of dead universes. Perhaps he is looking for long lost friends, thinking he’ll stumble unto their dream bubble on pure chance. He will not, I took care of that. Perhaps he searches for the denizens of this place, seeking their advice. He should know better by now. Most likely he is doing nothing much at all, acknowledging the futility of his venture.

What a sorry excuse for a hero he is; see him standing there in his obsolete armor, holding his obsolete computer, thinking his obsolete thoughts. A tired old man, a shell of what he used to be, which was never much to begin with. He sighs and opens his computer, returning to his writing.

A glimmer of light appears in the distance. This draws his attention. He hurries to climb to the observation deck, stumbling on unstable legs. As he looks upon the light, he recognizes it for what it is: the light of the Shore, my domain. There is no hope in his eyes, no courage in his heart, only fear. The Shore is distant still, but he knows he does not have much time left. Soon, he will receive what he is looking for- an audience.

I am quite looking forward to it.

By the way, if anyone is actually reading this it would be good to know. I feel like I'm just throwing words into the ether here,

[PriffyViole]

I'm reading this.

[Dmatix]

I'm reading this.

Good to know. Chapter six will most likely be out this weekend, as mid-terms are finally coming to an end.

[Dmatix]

Aaand my laptop's screen broke. While it's being repaired, the fic will have to wait. Bluh.

[IDSeeker]

I like every word of this :3

[Dmatix]

I like every word of this :3

Glad to hear it. It's a real shame my computer's down, the next episode was more than halfway done.

[IDSeeker]

Well, I hope you can get back to work as soon as possible XD

[Dmatix]

Alright, here is chapter six. Once again, a bit on the short side.

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Chapter Six: Dreams of Gold

A light piercing the Furtherest Ring. The Shore isn’t far now. Soon this will all be over, for better or for worst.

The night after our final meeting, I dreamed.

I woke up in a small, round room. The walls were barren but for a single picture in a simple wooden frame; A landscape piece of Lyr. I rose from my bed and looked out the window. Beneath was the golden city, its ten thousand cathedrals shining in Skaia’s light. It’s been almost two years since I first woke up here, but the view still amazed me every time.
I stepped out of the window and flew, seeking my friends. Soon I spotted Shanna sitting on the top of her tower, gazing up at Skaia. I landed next to her.

Shanna Leven, Sylph of Heart, was raised by the Stalwart Spears, trackers and scouts of the Lyrian army. The second to fall, Shanna was a lively young woman, energetic and friendly, at least usually. Something seemed off about her today.

“Edris, nice of you to finally join us. Do you realize how late it is? You’ll barely get any sleep.”

“Like being here is any kind of real rest.”

She frowned. “You know your body needs the sleep, even if you don’t seem to have a brain that does.”

I waved for her to scoot over and sat next to her. “Is Adrian around? I wanted to ask him what that whole scene with Zand was about.”

She shook her head. “He’s training with Blanc and the Prospitian Elite again.”

That’s Adrian in a nutshell. He trains even in his dreams.

I looked at the sky. Fewer and fewer clouds recently, a worrying development. “Have you seen anything useful in the last few nights? The clouds are making even less sense than usual.”

“I did see one thing,” She said, looking worried, “A vision of the shields failing, the meteors getting through. I saw Lyr in ashes.”

“Again?” I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it. The Vizier said the clouds show what can happen, not necessarily what will happen. We won’t- ”
I stopped as a flashing figure zoomed pass us, flying fast enough to leave a trail of wind behind her. I recognized the flowing mane that trailed behind the figure. Kyn.

Kyn Eren, Maid of Breath, was raised by the Avid Alchemists, experts on all things mysterious and magical. They were in constant competiton with the Sageicious Scholars. The eighth to fall, Kyn never seemed to care much about their teachings, instead choosing to focus on athletics and sports. She was a wild one.

I said my goodbyes and flew off. There was something I wanted to check. In last few weeks I heard the locals talking about a strange stone slab in the heart of the moon. It was one of a series, scattered all over the bowls of the golden city. I was interested in this one since it appeared to bear my pyramid insignia, the mark of Sands.
If that slab was what I thought it was, it might just be what I needed to free myself from the Vizier’s control. Or so I thought at the time.

[ero98]

I really like this. Keep it up!

[IDSeeker]

I really like this. Keep it up!

Seconded

[Dmatix]

Thanks for the patience. New episode should be here tomorrow, Tuesday at the latest.

[IDSeeker]

yay

[Dmatix]

Alright, here is chapter 7. It give some explanation on the strangeness of the session and on the nature of the Dey. If you like it, do let me know.

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Chapter 7: Shadows

As I ventured into the cavernous depths of Prospit’s core, I began to feel something odd-Shame. Did I really have any right to undermine the Vizier, even if only in matters concerning my own life? While he was an unabashed tyrant and crushed any resistance to his rule with an iron fist, he was working to save us from certain doom. What weight did my petty and somewhat irrational hatred of him have compared to the needs of an entire world?

It’s sad to say, but all these worthy thoughts didn’t stop me. In my foolish teenage mind what was good for me was good for Lyr, when push came to shove. So I kept going deeper, finally stopping before a massive set of doors in the very heart of Prospit. Despite their weight, they opened easily on well-oiled hinges.

Something was wrong. The room was pleasant and well lit, and the stone slab, which indeed bared the mark of Sands upon its surface, was covered in flowers, most likely left there by the Prospitians. Still something was simply off about this place. The air was too humid for a cavern so deep underground, and smelled of rot. The shadows were too deep.

Too late, I realized that was because something lurked in them. A figure stepped out of the gloom, although calling it a figure might give you the wrong impression. It was as much a humanoid figure as smoke is solid rock. It was a living miasma of colors and shapes, constantly flowing from one form to the next; one moment it was green vine, covered in thorns, then a small furry animal with far too many teeth. The broken hilt of a sword. The limp, hanging body of a man.

I found myself unable to look away. Though every instinct in my body screamed that I should flee this place and never return, all I could do was stand there, and watch the figure slither closer and closer.

“Greetings, Stolen One,” A gentle, kindly voice came from the miasma, now in the shape of a marble statue of a hawk, its wings replaced with metal wire.
I tried to speak, but my mouth refused to listen. The figure didn’t seem to mind.

“It is good you made your way down here. We have some issues to discuss.”

The room faded around me, and I was now standing in a place wholly different. It was an immense hall of multicolored stone, so vast that the celling was obscured by shadow. In front of me stood what appeared to be a throne. On it sat the figure, now taking a more stable form as a cloud of mist and shade.

“You might be wondering why I brought you here,” said the figure from atop its throne, “It is to serve as my messenger to the thief you call the Vizier.” There was a hint of anger in its voice.

“’What did he steal’? You might ask. It is really quite simple.”

“He stole the destiny of a dozen different universes. He stole you.”

“He’s a clever little rat, I’ll give him that,” faint flashes of red began shimmering on the cloudy surface of the figure, “He started small, and it took me quite a while to notice just what he was doing. He figured I won’t miss a planet here, a few million people there, and he was right. Taking the assets he needed only from null sessions was frankly a stroke of genius on his part. They were all due for quick consumption anyway, who would notice”?

“But then he started getting greedy. First was the incomplete universal frog he stole. He couldn’t afford risking the theft of a fully made frog, so he made do with that. That poor Prince of Space didn’t even notice until it was too late. That was the first universe he doomed. “ Red was replaced with a livid, putrid orange.

“Then came the final piece he needed for his session, the most important part. He needed Heroes. He couldn’t risk taking them from null sessions-inadequate Heroes can ruin a session more easily than anything else. He had to take you Skybreakers from fertile sessions, each of you from a different one, to try and minimize the risk. He killed any chance your universes had to reproduce. He doomed them to oblivion, forever outside the mechanism of death and rebirth. Behold.”

Visions began flooding my trapped mind. A blue planet covered in shimmering cities atop moving islands. A soft breeze on a sunny shore. Peace.
Then, a flash of pain. The blue planet scared by fire, its cities sunken, the islands shattered. The shore devoured by a beast of green and Technicolor. Then nothingness.

“I should just send English to burn this abomination of a universe to the ground, but the damage is already done. There is no harm in sating my curiosity. You and your friends will continue as planned, and you will tell them nothing. You will, however, tell your Vizier this: I am coming for him, and after I am done with him he will beg for the sweet release of oblivion. Tell him the Dey is here.”

I lost consciousness soon after.

[ero98]

So... What's happening here is that he's like... Talking to skaia? Or something like that?

[Dmatix]

So... What's happening here is that he's like... Talking to skaia? Or something like that?

There is a grain of truth in that, although it's far from the whole story. Wait and see.

[ero98]

Well now you've piqued my curiosity. I anxiously await the next chapter.

[IDSeeker]

*Can't wait for next chapter*

[Dmatix]

Next chapter will be out in a day or two. I finally got some time off to write it.