Scordra's Finale

Scordra shot pieces of himself at everyone’s feet, shackling them to the ground in a circle around him.
“Who, What are you?!” Sage exclaimed. “When I get out of this you’ll be sorry!”
“Zunery…” Sage’s mouth started to say.
“Oh No You Don’t! Get Out, Get Out, Get OUT!” Sage exclaimed and fought back, showing her true inner willpower. This surprised them all, including Zunery.
Scordra was much less impressed, and shot a glob of black goo at her face. The muck crawled partly into her mouth and the rest partly covered her lower face.
“That’s better,” The new voice then seemed to clear it’s throat, “Zunery, I have told you before that this world must be consumed. It is time, and you’re going to help me.” ~S
“Is that so? And what if I say no Scordra, will you kill me?”
"Kill you? No, I can't kill you anymore than you can kill me.
“There is much about this world you do not know. You think you know much because what you’ve been told recently. Yes, the Void people think they know it all, but they are missing one link to the puzzle.”
“What is that?”
“Me.” He said bluntly.
Zunery didn’t know what else to say to this, and so there was silence as Scordra looked around the group, one eye on Zunery, and the other circling his head. Our hero also was unsure who to look at Scordra or at Sage where the twisted voice came from. Once Zunery looked back at Scordra long enough he began to speak again.
“This world must be destroyed. It will burn in chaos, and darkness shall consume the horizon. Zunery, Fate has created us both, we are destined to be odds, opposites. She is our mother, and we are brothers through Fate. And when the hands of Fate do meet, this world's time shall end.”
“I am not your brother, you aren’t even human!” Zunery started getting agitated.
“What I fail…”
“Stop!”
“you will finish…”
“I don’t want to hear any more!”
“what I succeed in consuming…”
“Kill us or let us go!”
“you will rebuild. We are a pair…"
"Stop! I said stop talking!”
“Have it your way.”
Scordra’s sludge slithered out Sage’s mouth, as she fell down, gasping for air, and coughing out the pieces and bits that were left behind. The shackles melted from the group’s feet. Each looked like a slug moving rather quickly towards the rest of Scordra pooling back into his being.

“If you will not listen, then my job is done.” Scordra finished with a sharp, yet low and eerie voice from a mouth of his own for the first. His body looking less and less human-like, he slumped in place into an upright blob, his dark blue eye continued flowing from person to person, pausing for briefly at each one, staring as if into or through their very souls. No one moved for one very long minute, then two minutes, three minutes and so on. Zunery took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then opened them again. His eyes seemed to disappear, there was no color left in them. It was as if some gentle hue of light had consumed what little color he had left to his person. Taking his sword he walked confidently towards his nemesis. Scordra took his eyes from the others and stared at Zunery as he moved forward. Neither of them flinched, as Zunery took a second deep breath and clinched his sword tightly. But just as he went to stab the oozing shapeless creature, it sprouted many arms and grabbed him. The two shared a final defining stare. The others, so shocked and confused at what was even happening, had no will to participate in this strange contest. Neither Zunery nor Scordra would or could blink, and neither of them looked away. Yet, the dark creature was not holding his enemy from killing him, just simply holding him at arms’ length (many of them) and staring. Our hero angled his sword at his foe to take the fatal stab. The arms pulled away as he thrust surely through the black mass. His sword seemed almost transparent as it cut through to the other side. The oozing demon also began to lose opacity, first near the wound and then completely until there was only a thin outline of his shifting body. The eyes still hovered in mid-air, as the two of them continued to gaze infinitely through the other’s. Then in a bright flash, Scordra was no more.  Zunery returned to normal, and the only stares that were left were the party’s in the direction of Zunery.
Silence echoed as if for miles, as if for all time, as if it was a thick fog that didn’t lift until the next morning. Not one word, grunt, movement or breathe was heard until the suns’ dawn. And no one dared to question Zunery’s new grey-blue eyes. 

Nightly Discussions about Home pt. II

[Something to note, I do not believe I have pt. I typed, I'll fix this, and tie the two together, also this segment is not the best of keeping to style, it is a first draft free write continuation of a previous free write]

“That picture, is that Earth?”–Z
“Yes, and from what I have read, it was much larger than our Planets.” –V “Here, try this section,” as he turned many pages to A Short History of Earth.
Zunery saw a picture as ‘v’ flipped through the book, of a well lit up spaceship just before take-off. As a narrator I will acknowledge my presence and your intelligence by skipping to the parts that you may not know.
…(Insert historical texts here starting in 2051)… Then there was once born a man, who from birth contested the laws of physics. His name was Jakobe Ascariis. Like many before him he dared to do the impossible. He had natural contempt for the laws of the Universe. He wanted to break them, twist them. He started with everyday chemicals, but his goals were boundless, out of control. Many thought him to be a genius, and many thought him to be mad. Both were correct. Yet, so often are the intellectuals thought to be witches, or demons, that he was never stopped. He created many new chemical structures for Humanity. Super lubricants and liquids that never wore out, varieties of medicines and pills that never stopped helping, a new form of oxygen that aided in space exploration, alloys, metals and glass that were stronger and lighter than ever before. But his greatest and last accomplishment was Singularium. It was an element much like his other compounds, it shouldn’t exist. It had strength like a diamond, perfect conductivity, but weighed more than its appearance. However when it was charged with electric current nothing made sense. It could create magnetic fields that defied normal construction, it also could increase or decrease it molecular density insomuch that it could attract light. And as long as enough energy passed through it, it could convert that energy into any form with such efficiency Ascariis claimed in one interview that it could create energy. Skeptics however claimed that it manipulated brainwaves causing hallucinations, but so few were ever able to test it before it was patented, slapped into a metallic shell and branded as a new fuel for space travel.
Like his other creations he had used a personal science that no one else knew about, called rifting. Rifting required a lot of energy to do, and unknown to the public, he had created singularium first, and merely by accident. It was through this new atomic wonder that he was able to make his other products. Rifting was the act of taking singularium, and using it to tear a hole in the fabric of time-space. This hole would shortly seal up from natural entropy. But, discovering he could force constant movement along a multidimensional axis, he created elements and molecules with properties shared through the rift. He called them shadow properties. Everything that could be used with singularium he devised, especially the engine. Ascariis created it all, the shell, the engine, the controllers, he even programmed the multi-redundant computer systems. No one ever questioned him. And for the most part they were better off that way. Until the explosion

            Ascariis died in an explosion in his private laboratory on Charon [the moon of Pluto]. Working alone at the ends of space was his hobby, but the blast was seen throughout the system. And the sphere itself was demolished. It was this that put Earth back into war. The last and great war, The End. You see, the people of earth did not know that secretive operations had been sent into space over a hundred years previous. It also violated every treaty, policy, and purpose proposed by The Beginning. One civilization in outrage at being tricked quickly annihilated the other without warning with weapons that also were against policy. Order quickly coalesced into the perfect mixture of Chaos. Earth fell into darkness from war. No one really knew what the fighting was about, just a handful of people with a few bad choices. Earth was laid to waste, burning, and reeling even from its axis, in anguish of the bloodshed. Then the missiles came.

            First the moon, then Mars, and then other moons and planets. When Jupiter itself began decomposing from the brutal and hellish designs of warfare from Earth, we decided to leave. Within an earth day, four ships were retro-fitted with the Singularity Engine prototypes. Many others were launched, but these were the primary ships to save what was left of Humanity. Each ship was set up with a colonizer. Just as we had used technology in the past to terraform and aeraform our home of Triton, we would venture into the cosmos, find the most suitable orb, and start a new Eden. Three of the ships were large retired cargo ships, and the last, the one I chose was a recently released commercial liner. We left our home behind us to traverse the unknown Universe. What we didn’t comprehend was that Humanity had even greater challenges ahead of them…

“Zunery, do you know what Zeirth means?” – V asked.
“Well, it has the royal letter in it, but no.” –Z had never really thought about the names of the Planets having meaning.
“It is a slur on Earth, Zeirth the royal memory of Earth.” –V continued, “And that’s not all, when the ship landed here, people thought they were on Earth.”
“How can you know that?” –Z asked. “Do you know where it landed?”
“Yes, it landed in the foothills near the land of Desolation, but anything that was of use, was carried to these islands hundreds of years ago.” –V
“Why are you telling me this, why only me?” –Z
“Something in the Void tells me you need this information, other than that, I’d say it’s more just a gut feeling.” –V
“This could be the last piece of the puzzle! I’ve been trying to figure out our history for almost a decade, and no one has this much knowledge in one place!” Zunery got overly excited suddenly.
“No, and if you get that elated again, you’ll get us both into trouble. Only Viodions can read these documents, but I’m trusted with you as a guest. If the void gets disturbed we may have to cut your visit short.”
“My apologies,” Zunery mumbled, clearing his head, finding himself embarrassed by a younger man.
“This, my new friend, is but a key to unlock the things you seek to find. I warn you now, that what you do find may be hard for others to understand, and for you no better. It may challenge your very soul.” –V
“M…” Zunery started to say something and stopped silent.
“That is all for tonight, lest someone gets suspicious of your absence.”

2nd Dream

                “He’s not breathing!” Sage screamed.

                “Well, can’t you do something, use your ‘powers’? Blaine jeered.

                “I, uh, no, I can’t, just wounds,” she shot back a bit hurt.

Blades shook Zunery.
                “Zunery, Zunery, wakeup, WAKEUP!” he cried.

*         *        *

                “WAKEUP!” he heard, who was calling him?

                But I am awake he thought. Help me! he cried, but the words could not escape his lips. He tried again and again to scream, but couldn’t. It was at that moment that he realized he was underwater.

                There’s water everywhere, where am I, which way is up? Dazed and disoriented he tried to open his eyes.

                Ahh, it stings. As he attempted to figure out which way is up, something grabbed at his foot. Flailing to break free he was pulled down, then up, then another direction.

                Which way is up? he continued to wonder.  The water began to wrap tightly around him as he continued to struggle. Despair filled him as he failed to break free. A bright red flash came from somewhere to his left, so close in fact that he felt the water near him heat up measurably. 

                No, it can’t be, it can’t end like this. Then, exerting all his strength in a final attempt to free himself from the ominous enemy, but still unable to see, he reached for his sword just as it happened to slip off his shoulder. Quickly unsheathing it, he struck the unrelenting foe.

*         *         *

                “Yaoow!“ A blood curdling howl echoed through the silence of the night.

“Get it out! Get it out!” Blaine yells. “OIEOW,” he grunts, “wait, never mind, don’t touch it.”

                Zunery was in shock. His body was awake, but his head was spinning. He heard screaming.

                Who was screaming?

                It was Blaine. His eyes came into focus on Blaine who had a sword pierced through his shoulder, his sword.

                “Just wait a second, don’t touch it,” Blaine said. “Blades, Blades! Don’t! No! Stop! … AOOW!”

                “If you don’t do it quickly, you’ll never do it,” Blades said in a spurt of wisdom.

Blades stood over his brother with the sword in his hand. He stared at the blade he had just pulled out of  his brother.

                “You could have given me a warning!” he said back, in agony, attempting to comfort his wound.

“Hey, Sage, can you heal this?”

                “Yeah, I’ll get right on that.” She said. Zunery still silent, noticed her sincere response to Blaine.

She quickly pulled some salve from her belt and poured it into the wound.

                Feeling guilty for his actions though accidental, he stayed silent. He watched her as she started to chant an incantation and place her hands on Blaine. It was at this moment when he realized she could truly be trusted. He saw her age revealed for the first time. She was in her late twenties, but her face delicately hid the marks and wrinkles from the casual viewer. Though she had some rare beauty, she was aged beyond what she should have been.

                What life has she lived that she is so old at such a young age?

                He saw her gentleness towards their injured friend. She had come out of her shell, and shifted from a tense, strong, independent fighter to be a gentle, loving, motherly woman. His respect for her changed, deepened. She was hardened from a dangerous world, but still had a heart, both to fight and to care.

Intro Dragon Shadow / Coma

            Although having grown slowly there was an oppositional essence still left to overturn Zunery and his motley crew. It was at the heart of the dark and ominous cloud that followed them. During the day the cloud was dark, black, and silent. During the night it would streak red lightning, remaining dead silent. It was as if heard, but lacking all real sound. Zunery however could hear it, only him.

            Shadow and chaos still fought him from the inside. He was delusional, his night a haunted dream, his day a gloomy reality. Although his friends knew he had grown weak and often sick, but they knew nothing of his knowledge; the knowledge of the void and Zunery’s personal struggle to keep it, the darkness wrestling against it within his own soul.

            It was a night such as this that he finally fell asleep. A night when no star glitters, nor moon, nor planet could be seen in the sky. The night he would never forget, the night he fell asleep and got lost, on the inside.

            The sky above the sleep group was active as usual with crimson bolts of light. But as the night grew to its darkest hour a new sight appeared. Ruby light poured in as the bursts of lightning grew dimmer but more frequent. The glow gave a constant haze of light below, a red underbelly to the storm. Those nearby and awake to see it thought civil war had returned. Thinking the skein had conjured a new demon to their aid, it was quickly known as the dark dragon, as well as the dragon’s shadow.

            Zunery woke up in the early morning, or thought he had. He found himself to be in the mouth of a cave. The interior of the cave was lit by a few lanterns. The world around however was bathed as if in blood. The sky was cloudless, as rays of scarlet light lit the valley below.

            He attempted to remember how he had gotten here, he was alone. His weapons were also missing. He heard a rumbling in the distance. Thinking there was trouble nearby he searched for his sword. He could see it within sprinting distance. He started to walk, then the ground beneath him tremored. He ran. He reached his sword in an open area just outside the mouth of the cave. The ground was barren save for a few blades of grass creeping through, just enough to make the place feel peaceful, or as peaceful as was possible under a constant red glow.

            The tremor having passed, he calmly walked the last few steps to his sword. He took his sword with his strong hand, but couldn’t budge it from the rocky soil. Another tremor shook the ground. His mind began to race. He could feel the ground beneath him starting to sink. He grabbed his blade with both hands, just as a third tremor created a large crack in the ground a few steps away. But as he lifted it, it shattered into pieces. The shards attacked his hands before falling to the ground, as if gravity was playing a cruel joke on him. The shards then melted like ice, started to boil, then vaporize into steam. Although completely confused at the event that just occurred, Zunery was still unaware that he was asleep.

            The ground shook yet again, as it cracked and groaned around him. The quaking rocks, sand and soil seemed to give their attention to Zunery. Throwing him down to the ground, pulling him to themselves. This time the quakes did not end. A large fissure opened up by his feet. With little balance left he was swallowed up in a whirlpool of earth. The sinkhole continued to enlarge as fissure opened in every direction. Frantically he tried to pick himself up and get to solid ground. Yet, as he struggled, he sank into the ground, and into despair.

            He eventually found himself in a shallow cavern just below the world above. There was debris everywhere, and he scrambled to climb up the ramp of rocks he just rode down, but the pit was too deep. Hours passed, he sat on the pile just out of reach of escape. He was lost, distracted, dazed and disoriented. Then noise came from a far wall. A couple large rats scuttled from a crevice in the wall. Each creature was lacking an eye, with the remaining eye glowing bright blue. He was frightened and disturbed by the weird animals, but quickly rationalized there must be a way out. Gaining hope he moved across the room and started moving rubble from the far wall.

            After yet another long stretch of time, the hole was big enough that he could see that there was indeed a tunnel on the other side that led somewhere, or at least that was his hope. He paused to take a break. Leaning back against the wall, he looked to where he had originally fallen in. The rocks were gone. The walls were smooth. Now there was surely only one hope of escape. He then saw two blue eyes scurry across the floor. The rats were the size of dogs. They ran towards him. He quickly moved aside, and was ignored. Then the creatures began to eat the remaining debris the blocked the pathway out.

            Just as they finished eating the rocks of the doorway, another quake occurred. The ceiling began to cave in, but not so much as cave in as to dissipate. Zunery covered his head and attempted to protect himself from the ceiling. Then a shrill cry rang in his ears. The rocks had stopped falling. The rats were crushed by rocks in the doorway. Another cry and a whimper, but then the creatures oozed to the top of the new debris, collected themselves and scurried away.

            Zunery stepped into the doorway to follow after. He could see that the tunnel was more of a large cavern leading in multiple directions. He could see vast tunnels to his left, and to his right. The ceiling above him was a fine mist with a few rocks floating in the midst of it. Red light from above streaked through the dustcloud. The dust never settled. Zunery just stood.

            “Is anyone there?” He yelled.

            ~Is anyone there? anyone there?~ He heard as it echoed through the many caverns.

            He began to wander towards the mouth of a new tunnel.

            *Squeak* he heard to his left.

            *Squeak* he heard to his right.

            He looked and could just see one blue eye in each direction, one to his left, and one to his right.

He could feel them staring at him, through him, piercing him. It was as if he could hear the creatures whispering to him to follow. He took a step to the left, and the rat ran away. He looked back to the other creature to see it turn and run. In split second decision he took off running, choosing one to follow and chasing after it. The animal ran just faster than he did, but would stop before each new turn, look back at Zunery seeming to beckon him forward, deeper and deeper in the glowing labyrinth.

Intro Battle of Desolation

                Gathered around a fire just after sunset, three of them sat for a time in silence. It wasn’t cold, night rarely was. Fires were best to frighten nearby shades. Blaine was the one that broke the silence.

                “Zunery, what do you think of the stars?”

                “I don’t know what you mean.”

                “Is there a meaning to it all? Were we all destined to fight side by side?”

                “Hmm, I haven’t thought about it.”

                Blaine goes into a third person monologue, “The hero of legend, and his band of mercenaries.”

                “Band of mercenaries?”

                “Well, yeah, sure.”

                “You are paying most of us to accompany you Zunery,”  Trezsarin interjects.

                Silence falls again. After a few minutes, Blaine again cuts the silence.

                “Why don’t you like your name? Or your fame? You always put it aside like it never happened, like the stories aren‘t true.”

                He thought deeply to respond.

                “No one else survived that day, Blaine, no one.” The silent awe, and emotional significance left to sink in only shortly Trez abruptly said

                “Your name, it is of the Skein?” not understanding human emotion.

                “They,” he paused in his sentence, “the Skein, they found me, they named me. I had a different name, I don’t remember it anymore,” he lied.

               Kantar, he thought, no one ever knew that name.

                “Is it vengeance you seek?” Trez understood vengeance.

                He looked at him squarely in the eyes, but he didn‘t speak. He then looked back at the fire. Even he did not know how he really felt. Silence returned a last time, but Blaine was dozing off. He was comfortably leaning back against a tree. This time he didn’t break it. It was a summer night, warm even without the fire. Eventually all three of them fell asleep around the gentle flicker of light.

Remembrance / Desolation

                 I remember this place, Zunery thought, but I don’t want to remember it. He pushed the image from his mind. Sage was still hesitant to trust Zunery, and kept glancing at him, and his weaponry every now and then. She didn’t know his look of agony was unnatural, the other two didn’t notice anything was different.

                Zunery stopped walking.

                “What is it?” Blades asked.

                “It’s, it’s, I don’t know. I just don’t like it here,” he lied.

                “Feeling nervous my man?” Blaine jeered.

                “No, of course not. Blaine, you should know me better than that by now.”

                “I’m just teasing. You’re always so stern, learn to take a joke.”

                “Sage, what is this place called?” Zunery said ignoring Blaine.

                “Epeglia, well that is the city that is south of here.”

                “But where are we now, are these the plains of despair?”

                “No, those are to the north of us. This place doesn’t really have a name.”

                Desolation

“I’ve been here before.”

                “Where you in the last battle?” She asked, not knowing it was not common knowledge.

                “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Zunery lied. At this point they all knew something was being hidden from them. The brothers knew Zunery enough at this point to not press the issue. Sage did not.

                “By the stars! You’re…”

                “Yes, I am, let’s not talk about it.”

                Silence filled the air as they continued on their way. Sage gained new respect for Zunery, understanding his past more intimately than before. Her eyes watered a single tear, and she felt ashamed for pushing to far.

                He’s the hero, he’s the one that lived, could it be that he is also the fulfillment of the prophesy? She thought, almost audibly. She lifted her eyes enough to look around, thinking she had actually said her words out loud. Quickly noticing no response, she breathed a sigh of relief. Now she knew that she could trust him.

Intro Fenix (Light) / When light shines..

Sparks burst forth as the final incantation is said. Zunery leans on his allies to support himself. They had done it! Light spewed forth as water from a geyser. The plateau shook with tenacity; the tree itself lit on fire. Beams of light pierced the soil from below. The tree burned brighter, hotter, faster. The whole of the scene was ablaze with either liquid energy, white light, or yellow fire. The group carried Zunery and themselves from the tree just as the last bit of the tree melted like pure gold in a furnace. Hidden in the mouth of the tunnel back to the city, they all shielded their eyes as the ground erupted in a final, brilliant, but silent display of fireworks. Emerging from the deep, surfacing for the first time in hundreds of years, Phoenix awoke and spread his wings. Lifting in a surge, the wind and light followed the creature to the skies. The rushing energy lifted up everything nearby, trees stood beautifully erect, the mountains seemed to sing with the wind, and even Zunery gained his strength back. All stood with awe and respect, as light streamed through the sky cutting the darkness.

                Blue skies returned for the first time in weeks. The sun was visible, yet paled in comparison to the poise and grace of light dancing in the air above them. Then, as if in one perfect movement, all the light gathered around the celestial creature, and the creature shot away as energy in a blaster.

                “I have never seen something so stunning in my life!” Zunery exclaimed.

No one spoke, for they all agreed. Swirling light shows danced in the distant sky. The planets in the distance glowed with light brighter than the noonday sun. They drew from the cave, and all lied down on the ground gazing at the splendor. Many silent moments passed, as they often do. Eventually, so did the grandeur.

                Trezsarin finally cuts the silence, “Where did it go? The darkness, where is it now?”

                “It is gone for now, for the light has dissipated it,” Zunery responded.

                “Is it all over then?” Blades asked.

                “When light shines, it can cast the greatest shadows.”   -Z.

"But, at least it is concentrated and constrained, right?" -Blaine

"yes, …which means its easier to discern, but we should never underestimate our foe." -Z

Intro Scordra / Blaine / Blades

                Zunery is in the woods on a narrow road not yet able to see the city up ahead. He starts to smell the stench of burning buildings and then, even worse, flesh. Getting up from his vehicle, he taps something,  then flings open the door and begins to run towards an opening in the trees. A wind blows against him as he is nearly overcome by the foul smell of burning death. As he quickens his pace, he sees it. There it is, the dark creature he was told about. Zunery stops, in horrified shock and awe.

                The misshapen darkness just stood at the edge of the flames, staring as if it enjoyed something about a town of commons burning to death. It’s eyes seemed to just float on the surface of its face, glowing a distinct, but deep blue. It almost seemed friendly as it met Zunery’s gaze as if it was smiling. He couldn’t see a face, nor could he tell if it was human or beast, or the devil himself staring back at him. Neither seemed to blink for what felt to Zunery like hours. Then, he felt warmth fill him, an evil creepy cold warmth. He could feel the creatures breath on his neck as if he were much, much closer. Two hearts beat in his chest, as he stared on. Darkness stared on, but Zunery blinked. Fear, shame, and shadow, filled his soul. Then he heard it, from his own mouth,

                “I am your demon, Zunery. I know who you are, and I know you think to kill me. This world must unravel, and you cannot stop me from undoing it, and none shall escape Chaos.”

                Zunery disgusted from saying words that were not his own, came to his senses quickly as the haunting experience left him. Looking forward he realizes the creature is gone. No it was right there! He draws his sword, a second too late. The creature opens its jaws and bites his arm. He drops his sword. Throwing it to the ground he frees his hand, just enough to step back and grab his gun. Blam… Blam, Blam. He hit the creature nearly point blank as black goo squirts from its shoulder. Whimpering it quickly withdraws into the fire and smoke. Silence fills the air, as all that can be heard is the occasional crackle and pop of rubble burning and shifting.

                In a daze from his first battle in years with anyone or anything, Zunery stands and stares at where the creature disappeared into the flames. Completely unaware that nearby a large man pulls a teenage boy out from under part of a collapsed wall.

                “Are you okay bro?” The older one asks the younger one.

                “Yeah, I’m just scraped up real bad, but my leg will be fine,” he answers. “Who’s that over there?”

                “I don’t recognize him either bro.”

                “Did you see that thing he just chased away? It looked really disgusting.”

                “No, I didn’t,” he answered, as they both dusted themselves off. Then turning, they start to walk cautiously towards Zunery.

                “It looked like the night sky threw up a giant lobster.”

                “Ueh, thanks for that image,” the older brother said.

                “Blaine, bro, I think that’s Zunery.”

                “Is that the super hero dad, um, tells, uh, told you stories about? Blaine asked, as he realized his father didn’t make it out of the house. Seeing that his brother was still very much distracted with the stranger, he didn’t want to make things worse by bringing up those they had just lost, as quickly as he just had. 

                “Uhm, yeh, that’s the one,” the younger one responded, noticing his brother’s hesitancy about their father. Knowing it must be hard on his brother as well to lose both parents in the space of a year, he continued toward Zunery, saying nothing more.

                Upon reaching the stranger, they realize he is still staring at the burning city, his eyes seem to be pale blue, and his face almost completely drained of color.

                “Sir, sir?” the younger one asked. Ignoring the bite mark on his sleeve he tugged on his shirt. “Are, are you Zunery?”

                “Bro, don’t be jumpin to anything too quick,” Blaine almost whispered to his sibling.

                “Aww, leave me alone. I wasn’t talking to you. Sir, are you? Are you Zunery?”

                “I, uh, didn’t know anyone knew my name this far out,” Zunery said to cover up how startled he really was, by the creature, and also by them.

                “See? See, bro he is!”

                “Okay, okay. It was a lucky guess. So, Z-man what’s your thing? And who was that?” he asked having never even seen anything for himself.

                “I don’t know who or what that was. It ran from my gun, but was not afraid of the flames,” Zunery responds. He then realizes he’s still holding his gun, and that his arm is bleeding enough to be noticeable. Putting his gun away he starts walking to his sword, away from Blaine and his brother.

                “Do you, erh, was this your home?” Zunery asked them both.

                Blaine, standing a few feet away, looks at the ground and kicks a rock, then looks up at Zunery.    “Yeah, it sure was. I don’t know what we will do now, looks like everything could burn for days.” 

                “Well, you’re a strong looking fellow, I could use your help. I have plenty of money, I could pay you for your trouble. What‘s your name?”

                “Blaine. Help? What with?” Blaine asked in pure confusion. “The young one over there is my kid brother, Blades.” Blades had wandered off quickly and was digging in the rubble of his home a good distance from where the two if them were standing.

                “Well, that creature has killed others. I think it might be related to the Guild’s return.”

                “The Guild? No, impossible, we can’t have another civil war like that.” Blaine said sorrowfully. “Wait, those stories, you’re the one that stopped them years ago?”

                “Exactly, I’m attempting to stop them again, this time before anything big happens.”

                “And I thought it was just some glorified story. Well, I’m no fighter. My dad tried to teach me to use a sword, but I might as well be swinging a hammer.”

                “We can work on that as we travel. My transport can’t handle most of the terrain south of here, so we will have to just make camp here and there, and when we do I can train you.”

                “Well, you’re awfully generous. I guess if you were gonna kill us you woulda already finished the job.” Blaine says as he looks at Zunery‘s sword and awkwardly large hand gun. “I accept.”

                “Let’s see is there anything we can do to keep this fire from spreading through the forest?” Zunery questioned aloud.

                “I don’t… wait, where’s my bro?” Blaine had looked in the direction of his house, and could see only a pile of rocks stacked about foot high where his brother had be sitting.         

                Racing to where they had last seen Blades, Blaine frantically calls for his brother. Upon reaching the pile of rubble, Blaine stops and bends over to pick up a small sharp knife.

                “He was getting his collection. Ha, he probably wanted to show them off to you.” Still hunched over, Blaine looks around and calls again for his brother. Dusting off the blade, he carefully puts it into his belt and stands up.

                Aren’t you worried?” Zunery wondered.

                “Naw, he’s been acting kinda dazed ever since our mom got sick last year. He would want me to keep this safe,” pointing to the knife in his belt. “Dad gave him a set of these. My father was part of Centaur years ago, back in the days of that guild war you were in. He was a spy mostly, liked to take people out with a set of knives similar to these. He never trusted a gun, or magic and he loved weapons like my bro does. Guess he passed it on to him. It‘s why we call him Blades.”

                “I wondered, but I didn’t want to ask.”

                “Blades!” he called again. “He’s wandered off a couple times before, gets lost in the woods like he was still five. Didn’t used to get lost so easily. I suppose he just has a hard time with it all.”

                “Well, yeah, but what about you? I mean you just lost your father and your home in that destruction didn’t you?”

                “I’m a tough guy, I can handle a few emotions. Me and my Dad weren’t as close as the two of them were. Didn’t get along as much or see each other as often.” Blaine excused himself and attempted to minimize his vulnerability in front of Zunery.

                “You have family? Blades!” he shouted quickly before Zunery started talking again.

                “Well, no not really. But I’d be a little more distressed if I was in your shoes right now than you seem to be.”

                “Eh, don’t lecture me, everybody dies eventually, just gotta move forward. Ok, well Blades doesn’t seem to want to come back so for now let‘s cut the chit chat, and go find my brother before he gets too lost.”

                “Sure.”

                They cross the road that is the only open space between the city and the trees, and enter the dark woods. Zunery thinks back through the past few moments and questions the sanity of Blaine. Did he really not care? Could someone be that calm about death? Then, a dark image surfaces in his head  with glowing blue eyes. He tries to shake it, but it won’t go away, at least not easily.

*              *              *

                It was only early afternoon, yet it was dark from the smoke. It gave the woods an eerie light to wander in. One moment it looked like day, the next like night, but in general it was dark with some lighter patches of smog letting in just streaks of light. The only reason it wasn’t smothering was the wind which was just as constant as the smell it carried.

                Zunery then sees an open field. It was full of the dead. The smell of death was ever so strong. Small fires pocketed the barren ground. Swords were mangled in bodies, and bodies onto swords. Guns lay bleeding their last jolt of energy, as bodies the same. He wasn’t alone, there were a few others still on their legs ready for the final fight of their lives. A face could be seen afar off, it was him, the guild leader. There were hundreds with him, but it was apparent he was their leader. Maybe it was something in his gait, or the smug face he wore, or maybe it was the fear all the others had for him as they kept a more comfortable distance from him. Maybe… And with that thought the memory faded back into the sight of smoky woods.

                “Do you know where he may have gone?” he asked Blaine.

                “Yeah, he’s probably somewhere close to the river, that’s where I’ve always found him in the past. It’s peaceful there.”

                “If it weren’t for this smoke I can imagine this whole forest as beautiful.”

                “Oh, it is. There’s always a breeze up here, makes everything smell good in the spring. You can smell every flower and blossom for hours on end.”

                “So how far is the river?”

                “It’s a bit of a walk. Especially for me ‘cause I don’t know every path or downed tree like Blades does. So do you have any idea why the guild would want to burn down Mongara?”

                “No, if anything it seems completely out of their way. Their old hiding spots were mystical places, like the marsh near the eastern cliffs.”

                “If you can tell, what really was the Civil war about? I mean so many things get said, and well, my dad always kept quiet about it.”

                Well, he probably never knew, most people don’t know about the Tree.”

                “Tree?”

                “Exactly, ever heard of enchanted weaponry?”

                “Yeah, so?”

                “It’s done by the fruit of the Tree.”

                “That doesn’t sound logical,” Blaine wore a slightly more confused face than his usual confused look.

                “It isn’t, but I just visited it before I came this way. Place burns with power. Nothing can grow around it cause it dries up. Ever heard of Dark Ruby?”

                “Yeah, but that just all religious hocus pocus. Right?”

                “Well, she was a queen a few generations back, I guess it depends on what you call hocus pocus. I mean there’s plenty of commons that are part of rokri and other sects.”

                “I don’t believe any of it, I stay away from all of ‘em.”

                “Well, even I’m a user, Blaine. It’s the only way to survive anymore. Even on Zosa the only thing we can trust is our energy transports getting in and out on time. Trust in anything more than that, and you might as well have a knife in your back.”

                “So, how do you know the stories of Her?”

                “Ever since the War, I’ve gone around collecting books, anything from a data entry to a journal. I dare say I have the best library among The Planets. I mean the smartest scholar would be astonished to learn that we made one of the suns, up th… well you know what I mean.”

                “What? How?” Curious by nature, Blaine wanted to sink his teeth into this one.

                “I’m not exactly positive myself, but I guess that’s why I feel it’s important to know. I mean what if we had knowledge of every piece of history, with no holes?”

                “There’s too many sects, there will always be disagreements, I mean it’s great if you can find a log on the origin of the stars, but who is to say it’s not just your religious views?”           

                “Because I find books from all the planets, few of the religionists of the past centuries had followers on every planet, even now the rokri stay mostly to Zeirth.”

                “I guess that is a decent point. So, I want to hear about that old queen, but uh, I think you were right about worrying earlier. ‘Cause that’s the river over there, and that’s the spot my bro is usually at, and he ain’t there.”

                “You said earlier your brother gets lost in the woods?” Zunery questioned if Blaine was one to be trusted after having been led into the woods so deep. He was well aware that the only weapon Blaine had was the blade at his belt.

                “Well, he always finds his way here, but he never seems to be able to retrace his steps.”

Intro Viodions / Void Islands

               “I’m not interested in your religion, purist.” ~Blaine

                “Be warned young hero, we do not lightly allow users into our islands. We are the void, and if you are to save anyone or thing from that creature, you must understand our culture as he has taken it for his own power.” ~Viodion

                “Please excuse him, do tell us, what is it we need to know?“ Zunery asks as he steps forward and not so subtly positions Blaine outside of the conversation. Blaine mumbles something inaudible.

                “Many centuries ago we discovered the Purge. A cleft in the side of that volcano that shadows us. Something unique blocks the use or conception of magic in it’s void. Upon learning and experiencing this absence of power, we learned a new form of self mastery. We now practice a ritual, which is open even to you Blaine, if you should choose it. Once in a lifetime, every Viodion purges himself in the void, from then on he practices carrying the void in his heart, cleansing himself of the powers of this world.”