DaydreamChronicles

  • Starlance Soldier – Ep1

    Episode 1: Pride

    “Welcome new recruits! This will be your first briefing before being assigned to your posts as soldiers of this fine military group.”, screamed out a man in a highly decorated uniform. As I sat, a multitude of soldiers continued pouring into the room. “There must be hundreds”, I thought.

    “I am Major Vance Caplan and we are the Starlance Security Force assigned to protect most of the industrial and commercial interests in this star system. You, our newest recruits, will help us provide protection from the rampant piracy and the ruthless mercenaries that continue to try to ruin our economy.” The room was full, all the recruits were seated and listening attentively to the monologue. I for one found it wasteful, we should have had a simpler briefing. I knew another would be given after our initial assignment, so this felt redundant. The great Starlance military force is the one place just about everyone in the system wants to be in. Great salaries, plenty of action and a strange feeling of pride overwhelmed most new recruits. Unlike them though I felt an urge to run away. The crowd made me anxious, I might have recognized a few faces, though many were now lost in the sea of uniforms. I had few friends here, those I knew were from the main training academy named Centauri Starlance One, or CSO for short.

    “Soldiers!”, I jumped in my seat, breaking away from thoughts and reminiscing. “This here is your standard pulse pistol. It has an automatic charge feature and lets you fire one round about every second. Most unarmored soldiers will be stunned and possibly burned at the point of impact. It is mostly a defensive weapon but you must carry yours at all times! Any soldier found without his will receive the proper punishment.”, he activated the weapon in his hand and fired a shot at one of the well armored soldiers standing guard in the room. “That tickled, sir”, said the soldier who easily shrugged off the hit from the energy pistol. “You see here”, continued the Major whilst I started to feel a yawn trying to wrest my control over the boredom I felt, “this type of pistol is fine for most of those who will be stationed here at the carrier. The rifle this young man has is for the more experienced, but also for the field soldiers. Suffice to say, not all of you are cut out to be field soldiers, those of you who survive will be more than welcome into our ranks. Prepare to leave for your new posts, dismissed!”.

    No one said a word, no one had to. I reached the area where I was supposed to report in. The officer in charge quickly gathered the group for our own briefing session.

    “Alright, I see everyone is adhering to the rules. Pulse pistols in place, now, for your tool sets.”, she pointed to some boxes beside one of the doors. “All of you will continue to report to me, to the officer in command of the second shift or the officer in command of the third shift. We have no true night and day cycle as you are well aware, instead you will be assigned a shift and must provide maintenance to the fighters in this hangar bay. Address me and your commanders here by rank, I will be supervising this shift as Hangar Chief.”

    The loud clanging of the outer doors interrupted the briefing, a small group of star fighters arrived from patrol. A voice that seemed mildly familiar announced the arrival of the fighters. “Squadron Sigma you are cleared for hangar bay sixteen”. I stopped to think about the voice, but had to focus again on the briefing.

    “It seems we have our first group up for maintenance. All of you gather your tool sets, six of you are to remain here, your shift starts now. Anyone not in this group, settle down at your quarters and prepare for your assigned shift.”

    Though I wasn’t too enthusiastic about it, I was one of those six. The hangar chief screamed out my name and assigned me one of the fighters that had just arrived. As I walked towards it I heard yet another very familiar voice. This one though I did not have to think about much in order to know who it was.

    “Adrian! Dear brother of mine, how have you been?”, I could almost taste the sarcasm in her remarks, she was always father’s favorite and still is, yet she despised how mother protected me.

    “Hi Anabelle, erm, I mean, Captain.”, I nearly forgot she was a superior officer. Knowing her she could give me a hard time on the ship just for that slip.

    “Oh don’t you worry little brother, you may speak freely. Father would be proud seeing you here.”, she kept walking around the fighter, staring at the hull.

    “He would not approve of my position though.”, I replied.

    “Oh he would not mind, as long as you’re here. I must be going though, I wanted to see your scared little face now that mother isn’t here. I have a briefing to attend to. See you around.”, her mockery was like a stab right through my heart. She knew how much I cared for mother. I took a deep breath and exhaled calmly, mother taught me as much.

    My family is a strict military family. All born at one of the Proxima Centauri colonies, just about everyone was a Starlance soldier at some point, except mother. Perhaps this helped me to gain such admiration for her. I have three sisters and a brother. Anabelle was the light in father’s eyes, she rose through the ranks quickly and skillfully. The day she became captain, father made a great celebration at the colony. He even invited the president. My brother David, though not as accomplished as Anabelle, has been able to hold his own somehow. He can be a little dim witted, but I don’t worry about him, what he lacked in wit more than made up for in brawn and some marksmanship. Next is Marina, she is following Anabelle’s steps though not as successfully. For the moment she remains an accomplished pilot part of Anabelle’s command group. Finally dear sweet Dana was almost cast out of the family when she revealed she wanted to be a nurse. We rarely heard from her after she left, though occasionally she sent me letters. Dana is the only other family member I can appreciate, sadly I haven’t seen her in quite some time.

    I moved around the fighter analyzing data from a scanner. At the same time I thought about how complicated my family was, all the problems at home and how eventually mother divorced. Father was often strict, as a high ranking officer should be, or should he?

    The fighter was in good shape I wanted to check some minor hull damage, possibly from space debris which could have struck the ship while its shields were down. “But, wait, why were its shields down? Weren’t they on a simple patrol mission?”, I stopped, looked around everyone was busy. I couldn’t spot the chief she must have been on the control room. The hangar doors had closed, I had lost myself in thought.

    A few minutes passed, then a small shake, followed by another one. The alarms blared and I looked around whilst thinking to myself, “Oh great, and here I thought this was going to be a quiet shift.”

    “Warning, warning. All personnel to full combat readiness! All pilots are to report to their assigned hangar bays.”.

    The carrier was under attack. I ran towards the control room were the chief was preparing standard protocols for launch.

    “Chief! What are our orders?”, I had barely finished when a powerful explosion rocked the room and bay itself. I looked at the monitors, the ship had a hull breach. Crew quarters and a number of decks were completely destroyed.

    “How is this even possible?!”, the chief exclaimed, then turned to a young lady sitting at the console. “Ensign prepare the ships for launch. Try and get communications with the bridge online!”

    “Yes ma’am!”, replied the young lady.

    “You! Quit gawking and get those fighters ready!”

    “Y-yes m-ma’am.”. My nerves were getting the best of me. Before leaving the control room I looked back, I recognized the face, “Vivian!”, then a thought rushed in with a number of good memories from the academy. She and I were good friends. I was disappointed that the situation was not suited for a conversation, she had moved away from CSO a year before my own graduation.

    The hangar bay doors opened, flashes of light flared by and the energy shield could be seen fluctuating. We waited about fifteen minutes, no pilots arrived. It was a sad realization, with crew quarters destroyed it was likely they were all dead. Now there was little choice, the chief decided that we would pilot the fighters ourselves and provide whatever support we could. I wasn’t fond of the idea of entering combat. After all, as a technician I thought I would not be forced to, but this situation was extreme.

    A coded transmission from another vessel relayed orders from the main bridge. All internal communications were down, the ship had lost a large portion of its crew. The very fighter I had verified was now mine to use for this mission. Unlike some of my peers I had gathered some piloting experience while at CSO. Something I rarely discussed with either father or anyone else for that matter was my skill in a number of military exercises. During training I often compared my scores with those of my brother and sisters. Those scores were kept in the academy archives. At many times I was able to score much higher, though in the actual tests I purposefully tried for lower scores. I did not want to be noticed.

    “This is Ensign Adrian, ready for launch.”, I reported my status and heard as the others reported in. The sounds of the cockpit were familiar, the simulators back at the academy were quite accurate. Weapons were charged, engines warmed and ready. The chief ordered us to leave the hangar bay and ready ourselves. Our mission was to provide cover fire for other fighters, strangely enough I was in one of the ships that was least prepared for that. The Starlance had commissioned about three types of star fighters from a local industrial group. They were meant to be the standard to adhere to in the system. The main fighter was fast and nimble, able to hold its ground in a dogfight. The second ship commissioned was a slower fighter that traded maneuverability for a heavier weapons payload. Finally the third was a kind of command vessel, fast yet heavily armed and armored, only experienced pilots were allowed in them.

    My ship, as luck would have it, was ill prepared. I had no missiles as there was little time to load them. The only good thing was that my ship was of the second type and carried a large plasma cannon. A good charged shot and I could be safe, but who knew, the slower speeds might betray me.

    “This is the real thing people, stay sharp”. I could almost feel her emotions, the chief was strong but this situation could break anyone. We exited the carrier and watched in horror the true extent of the damage. A large hole lay near the farthest end of the ship. Any closer and hangar bay sixteen would have been destroyed as well.

    I matched my speed to the other fighters. Our slow approach was deliberate, we had to prepare for whatever we were going to face. As we turned towards the nearby planet we saw a large ship, about the same size as the carrier but with one obvious exception. It had a large weapon right in the middle. It had an ellipsoid shape in the back and an open maw towards its front. Considering the technological advancements of this age I would not doubt that this thing burned that hole on the carrier.

    “Chief? Are there any news from the other vessels?”, I asked puzzled by the silence from the other ships.

    “No, I haven’t heard from them. Our orders stand, we must protect the other fighters, whatever the reason we must follow through.”

    A stream of beams started heading in our direction. The large vessel detected our approach and fired mercilessly. As turret fire goes these things had good accuracy, one of our teammates was struck, their ship’s shields were quickly overwhelmed. Another death, I was beginning to regret my decision to enter Starlance. The squadron was forced to disperse, though we continued closing towards the enemy ship. Once there we saw the other capital ships from the fleet concentrating all their weapons fire on the unknown vessel. “I wonder if the pirates stole this technology from another system”, I thought.

    Moving around swiftly the enemy fighters were clumsy and careless, I was able to defeat multiple foes. My training had paid off. The Chief signaled the good work, but reminded me not to get overconfident.

    Then, when the vessel seemed like it could take no more damage an energy surge began to build at the base of the weapon. It was readying for another shot, one very risky final shot that could mean the end of the carrier. What little energy shielding remained was being focused on the weapon. Utilizing the scanning equipment on my ship I searched for weak points or openings that could provide an advantage.

    The power surge within the confines of the weapon was an unstable process, unavoidable as well for such a device. This was all that was needed, a breach in the shielding that was protecting the weapon and a blast of plasma energy. Needless to say I was ready and willing. I broke off from the group who was still battling against a number of foes. Sadly another comrade lost his life a moment just after I broke off.

    “Where the hell do you think you’re going?!”, screamed the Chief, obviously angered at the loss of another crewman. My sudden break in formation also concerned her.

    I explained as best I could, though I knew she had little confidence I could pull this off. “I am the only one that can disrupt that weapon, two shots is all I need. One to destabilize the shielding and a second to damage the weapon to cause a chain reaction.”

    “Are you crazy?! There is no way in hell I’m going to allow you to do that, get back here and leave that ship to the others! That’s an order ensign!”, her anger was palpable.

    I was already too far off to turn back. The monitor in front of me showed the charging progress, my ship’s plasma cannon was almost ready. As soon as I could, I let loose the first blast of energy. My calculations were correct, the shield broke away, but I was wrong in one thing. I did not anticipate the energy to become so violently dispersed. The reaction came sooner than I thought. A bright flash of light signaled a breach by the other ships, the large vessel was breaking apart but not before one last energy blast left the main weapon. The powerful energy beam pushed away all the fighters near it, including mine. In the panic I could barely see were this blast went. The carrier was safe, but the vessel found a way to escape. I saw in another flash of light our enemy leaving this horrible scene.

    I tumbled through space. All systems offline, perhaps I would hit another fighter and end my career in quite the spectacular way. “Would father be proud now?”

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  • Quill of the Mystic

    There he sat. Returned to the wooden desk in the corner. A single candle lit nearby. A lantern hanging from the ceiling provided most of the light, but the calm flicker of the candle gave him a sense of tranquility. He stared at it from time to time. Outside, the occasional pair of knights could be heard on their patrols. The rest of the castle town was fairly quiet. The mystic prepared to write. Quill in hand and parchment on the desk, the world seemed to fade away, turning into a calm void where it was just him and his mind. In this void now suddenly materialized a vast field. It was mired with soldiers from two different factions. In a moment’s notice they charged ahead, clashing against one another. Death claimed those not skilled enough to be there. A sad endeavor for sure, but it was the mystic’s job to record what he saw and report it in as much detail to the king. It was a burden that slowly took its toll. The previous scribe went mad after the last battle he witnessed. To the mystic it was yet another day. His mind was a fortress. Many days were spent at the monastery studying and honing the skill to focus in such profound ways. Life itself, even the people around, were nothing but distant specks, like grains of sand.

    The king was fighting a losing war. Farmers, merchants, even young children began to be conscripted into the army. A great many of the people fighting had been taken prisoner by these apparently ruthless foes. Yet, the mystic knew the truth. Our ruler simply wanted to continue his reign. That man possessed no real love for his people or his country, he simply relished in the comforts of being the head of the kingdom. Slowly some of the people began to notice this. Towns in the outer edge of the kingdom had turned to the enemy. It was easier to do when the fighting had become so pointless. Their surrender angered the king, but he could do little about it. Even with the conscription, the armies’ numbers were dwindling. Hundreds of refugees swarmed neighboring nations in the hopes of returning to living their lives freely.

    As he grabbed another piece of parchment the mystic’s thoughts turned to that battle once again. It was clear that the king’s enemies weren’t what he portrayed them to be. In that battlefield soldiers who surrendered were spared and taken away. Most of those who did were farmers whose fear of death prevented them from taking any action. No amount of training could change these people. Their lives had been turned upside down by their ruler. Taking some more ink, the mystic recounted as much as he could. He knew that the king would be greatly displeased, but the man had his hands tied. It was suspected that a final assault on the capital could soon come. The clash of swords, spears and metal armor would ring among the walls of this great city. This castle town had survived a great many battles. It also bore witness to many more diplomatic missions. In contrast to the current king, the previous one had built bridges through trade and understanding. Sadly, the child that the previous king raised was a spoiled brat. Everything came to him on a silver platter. What he could not gain through the servitude of others, he would take by force. The once proud father died of a mysterious illness. Of course, nothing escapes the perception of the mystic. That illness was in truth a poison, especially crafted to mimic a common sickness. So then, how does this revered mystic end up working for someone so despicable? The answer is fairly complicated.

    War had broken out for some time now. The monastery stood fairly hidden. Within its walls most people believed the war would never reach them. Eventually the fighting got closer and closer. The strategies employed by the king brought fighting to the monastery. All the headmasters protested to the king, who revealed that he did so on purpose. It was well known that the mystics could manipulate the forces of nature, though they were bound by an oath to never use it to gain favor as it could have devastating consequences. The king cared little for such a thing, but the mystics were adamant. They would not bow to the demands of such a person, even when the monastery stood inside the kingdom’s border. In his rage he removed any and all guards from the monastery, leaving them defenseless, or so he believed. In order to preserve a small cadre of knights, the mystics promised one of their own to accompany the king and make records of the battles. If this mystic deemed it necessary he would be able to interfere in favor of the king. This never happened, and the king was too fearful of the mystic to do anything against him.

    On the next morning, as he walked to the throne room, the mystic saw as guards rushed from the castle barracks to the outer walls. All evidence pointed to that final assault, though no one expected it to be this soon. The enemy was pressing their advantage. As best as he could, the mystic hastened his pace to meet the king. At the throne room, there was no one but a number of guards and the captain. The captain said, “The king cannot meet with you, he has retreated further into the castle for his own safety”. In truth, the king is a coward. That his people would so willingly die for someone so unworthy. It was the last straw for the mystic. His eyes turned completely white. The winds outside the castle twisted and churned. A storm gathered above the castle town. People ran to their homes fearful of what was to come. In a heavily guarded cellar the king rejoiced. His belief was that this would finally be the end of the war and he was not wrong, yet it was not going to be to his advantage. Shortly after, a voice echoed throughout the castle town, “Lay down your arms. Do not fight for this coward of a king and I promise no harm will befall you”. It was, of course, the mystic himself. Even the invaders hesitated to press their attack. In a few moments those who were once defending the king, were now bringing him to the enemy forces. He was bound, complaining about his traitorous people. In the skies, the storm had calmed, but was still a powerful presence. When the mystic arrived he explained to the leader of the enemy force his purpose there, as well as what should be their next steps. As the mystic suspected, the soldiers were very understanding. They retreated leaving only a number of diplomats that traveled in the backline. The ambitions, greed and the blind hostility of one man nearly brought this kingdom to ruin. It would be up to the people now to rebuild. In the end the mystic’s true purpose was revealed. To find whether or not the king was worthy of any help, or if the people were being held hostage by some maniac. The latter was true. With his mission completed the mystic was ready to return to the monastery, but not before the people themselves asked him to help with the peace talks and reconstruction. To this, he agreed. 

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  • Future Apocalypse

    Day 275

    “I stand here at the edge, the remaining highest point in the city. After the bombs fell, humanity was broken. Our collective psyche was destroyed and with it every semblance of society followed suit. Doctors said it was not the genetic augmentations we had added to ourselves. It was a psychological matter that could be easily identified. A panic swept through millions of people and the few who were spared became witnesses of society’s fall. All it took was three nuclear devices that fell over some of the most populated cities in our world. Then we saw as the media caused the first upsurge of panic. People were afraid of the next bomb that could fall. That was months ago, but the panic did not stop. Along with the quick decline we saw how fragile everything was. Chaos bred more chaos. People were constantly at each other’s throats. Some fought, others hid and many more ran away. Countries were soon leaderless, murdered by the angry chaotic masses, some of which screamed justice, while others screamed freedom. It was a confusing set of events.”

    Day 278

    “I backed down that day. Some voice deep within told me not to give up. Maybe it was an omen. Walking through the streets I noticed a few left overs of what once was. A group of people gathered in front of a view screen. The remaining news channel was reporting on the world. Millions upon millions had died. The panic that drove through the people still had no explanation. A doctor said that it was an ingrained fear within us that may have been aggravated by years of peace and the incredible advances in genetic augmentation. In this age we could run faster, jump higher and survive diseases we thought were incurable, but we failed to factor in how fragile the human mind is. We were all geniuses in our own right but the fears that lurked beneath us were stronger. Some people speculated that the panic was a new bacteria or virus. Investigations said otherwise. Humans had mostly lost the sense of mortal fear. Death was not as much of an issue, at least from the sources that made us most fearful. For example, I have not eaten in various days, yet my body has quickly adapted to using little energy. Not even the sun shines brightly, for the fall of the cities has clouded the sky with large plumes of dust. This has given us the coldest nights and unbearably hot days.”

    Day 289

    “I had a morsel of food, something to keep me going. In previous days I would roam the ruins of the city, an idle search for something familiar. My home, my friends and my family are gone. This lonely existence is said to bring that dreaded panic, yet I have felt nothing. At some point I did mourn my losses. After so many months I accepted that we still had much to grow as a civilization, and that even with those losses we could, perhaps, get back on track. So I decided to walk. Hours upon hours soon saw me on the outskirts of the city. Looking back I saw the smoldering ruin of what was once a beautiful, lively city. The parks that dotted the landscape were destroyed. The trees had no leaves and the grass had dried. Most of the soil was completely dehydrated and rains were often highly acidic. People depended on one or two purification centers that still offered clean water. Those were guarded by a military group left over from a government long since dead.”

    Day 320

    “I was attacked. My bloodied nose and handful of bruises were the evidence. I survived thanks to an old self defense technique my father was able to teach me. My assailants were two men with a full onset of the panic. There was no logic to their thoughts, no way to reason, they lusted for the satiation of their inner most desires. A young lady with a still functioning hover car was able to pick me up after I fought off the men. They were fearful of the technology they saw, it was bewildering for them. Such was the effect of their broken minds. The lady on the other hand promised to take care of me. She mentioned an oasis had been built far from the ruined cities, far from the panic. Even with her reassurances I felt I was returning to that edge that I had stepped down from.”

    Day 365

    “I am free. The oasis has provided a respite from the dark days. It is far from the more ordered past we once had, but it is a balance of what we should acquire. I have been able to eat properly. My strength has been put to use. The panic is far from here. This place is the gathering of many prestigious minds working together to find a way to cure our ailments. From time to time new people arrive and they are quickly given a shelter, assigned a doctor and provided with a means to distract the mind while the evaluations go on. It is still a very uncertain time but for now there is some hope that we may be able to rise up once again.”

  • Wingless

    Long ago, within the alternate realms lived a dragon. This majestic creature could not fly and yet the sky called towards her as if it were her destiny. She spent her days in a cave not too far from a village that often cared for her and fed her. In exchange she protected them from bandits and other such threats. One day she was talking with her favorite visitor, a young girl who came by with offerings, along with her mother. “How fare thee today oh sweet child?”, she said. This girl of merely six years was not afraid and quickly answered, “I fare much better thanks to those herbs you pointed out not long ago”. “Then your sickness has faded away, I am glad”, a mild grin adorned the great dragon’s face. She was pleased for she loved these people greatly. They provided for her throughout many years. In return she had seen many generations pass by.

    One day, before the sun had set on the horizon the girl arrived at the dragon’s cave. The little girl was curious about the dragon and wanted to investigate and perhaps converse with the dragon for hours, as she had done before, sometimes garnering the anger of her mother. This time was different though. When the girl approached she noticed an intense sadness had overcome the dragon. “Why do you cry, oh mighty dragon?”, her concern flowed through her words as she considered this creature to be a close friend. “My dear, you might not understand but I will tell you nonetheless. You see, for many years I have protected this village and its people. It brings me great joy to be able to see them flourish. They bring me gifts of jewels and the most delicious fresh meat. Yet, as time has passed, a growing feeling has invaded my mind. The sky calls to me and I fear I will never be able to answer. This brings me great sadness for the sky is a freedom I have not tasted yet”, each word carried great sorrow as the dragon spoke. The child was interested in the dragon’s well being, if they lost her there would be no one to protect the village, or so it was believed.

    The following weeks were difficult. A war broke out between two kingdoms and the dragon had a hard time moving to defend different parts of the village. Although there were many wounded, the village was fairly safe. Soldiers came by and offered many riches, but the people refused as did the dragon for she would protect only this village.

    For years upon years ever since she hatched, the dragon was told that she could not fly. That her wings had not developed. As time passed that friendly child became a woman. She became the dragon’s caretaker and one day asked the dragon, “Why do you not fly away?”. The dragon was surprised, but answered, “I cannot, I have no wings with which to fly. They did not develop”. The woman was perplexed and then she noticed. A pair of chains, colored like the scales of the dragon, clasped the wings together. “You were deceived, much as I, in believing that my people need protection. They have grown complacent, dependent even, on your protection. My own children are gone, my dear dragon. They learned the truth and left without thinking about it twice. Not even the thought of leaving their mother behind could change them, for I am as guilty as those who have kept you here”. Again, all the dragon felt was confusion. For so much time she had accepted the fact that she had not grown wings.

    The following night the woman had snuck inside the village leader’s home, stole a set of rusted keys and quickly made her way to the dragon’s cave. “By this morning you will be free to answer the call”, she told the dragon as she released the chains that bound her wings. A new feeling coursed through the dragon’s body. The chains had numbed her wings but they were fully developed. Before she could take flight she asked the woman, “Will you join me? I believe your actions deserve a reward”. Before the woman could answer a number of villagers arrived. They pleaded with the dragon not to leave, they said they would be vulnerable. “You have grown to depend on me too much. I fear this may be the end of the village but perhaps this end should have come much sooner. You robbed me of my freedom, nay, my very dreams. The sky calls to me and I must heed it”, she turned to the woman, “This is your last chance, perhaps we could go meet your children”. The woman nodded in agreement and they left. Meanwhile the villagers murmured among themselves. Some said that the dragon was ungrateful, others that she was not to be welcome there again. The angered people tore down the cave with hammers and pickaxes. They took all the treasures, which were mostly intact and returned them to the village. As they did this the dragon soared into the sky. Each beat of the wings came naturally to her even though she had been chained for so long. The woman on her back mentioned that her children had gone off to live north. The dragon turned in that direction and disappeared in the horizon.

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  • A World In Flux – Ep. 19

    Episode 19: Ascension

    Dead priests and mages littered the floor of the room that was revealed. Four others channeled Ether into some kind of creature. There was not enough light in the room to make out what it was. This creature, so ironically hidden in the shadows, had drawn such vast amounts of Ether I could feel its presence weighing heavily on all of us. As the fight continued more parts of the Cathedral gave way. Eventually parts of the ceiling fell and finally revealed some kind of beast. An abomination like no other seen before. It had four wings, two from a gryphon and two others from a dragon. Its body was that of a centaur, who are already half horse, half human creatures. One of the pairs of wings was attached to the horse body, and the other to the human half. This abomination was sustained by an Ether well created using the life force of the mages and priests that now lay dead on the floor. Strangely the creature remained headless.

    “The time of ascension will soon be upon us. Behold the vessel of your new god!”, Cyran spoke with great confidence, behind him he began to cast a spell. Kaiden, Miriam and I continued to engage Cyran. I knew he was slowly weakening but his armor would not give in to any of our attacks. “There is little you can do. Give me your souls willingly and I will make sure to use them well”, runes started floating up within a circle that had appeared in front of the creature. “We will stop you here and now!”, Ilyana came running in, carrying a scepter. “Hey, nice of you to join us. What is that?”, I said. “The king wanted you to have this. He said it belonged to his grandfather, but was never able to use it. I think it’s called the Scepter of the Eye”, she handed the scepter to me. This magical item emitted large amounts of dark energy. Once I had it, I felt an ancient wisdom wash over me. As if I had wielded this weapon my entire life. I pointed the scepter at Cyran and unleashed a wave of dark energy. He was knocked down, his magical armor cracking in multiple places. “What is this? Another tool to hunt down? It will not matter. My ascension will now be complete!”, he raised his hands and sent a powerful blast of light that blinded us temporarily. When we saw him again he was right in front of the creature. A magical wall prevented us from getting closer. There Cyran wrote in the air runes of light that, when unleashed, attached to his body. A line of light appeared around his neck and we saw in horror how his head split from his body. The Ether from the creature linked with the now severed head of Cyran. Finally the head and body became one and Cyran’s original body dissipated into dust. He used his power to turn that leftover husk into more Ether for him to consume.

    His laughter became maniacal. The eyes of what was once a man were consumed with madness. All the Ether stored in the abomination’s body was too much power. He let out a scream that shattered the magic shield that prevented us from entering the area. We did not expect this thing, and our surprise turned to fear. What could we do to defeat such a creature? “Balthazar! Get your act together! I don’t care if it’s more than fifteen feet tall, we’ll break it apart and kill it!”, Ilyana screamed at me for my hesitation. Miriam noticed her amulet glowing, “The Ether here is so strong I can tap into it with my amulet. We can figure something out!”. Giant claws of pure Ether cut through almost everything in their path. The walls fell back and what remained of the ceiling gave way. In our exposure we could see the giant Ether storm that had gathered above us. Our magical shields could cover us from Cyran’s attacks but not for long. The creature blew us back several times with blasts of light magic. I looked at everyone, we were tired from the previous fight against Cyran, but all the more determined to defeat him.

    The energy on Miriam’s amulet had intensified. It showed dark energy flowing around it. In a short moment she had an inspiration. A spell that could feed off the Ether to grow stronger. She ran forward, stopped and then raised her left hand. Cyran was confused, he had not expected such courage in the face of his creation. Miriam closed her hand and chains of dark energy surrounded the creature. “We have an opening, Ilyana, go for its legs! Kaiden, use the dark spires crossed out to further immobilize it!”, I raised the scepter above my head as they prepared and unleashed their spells. Spinning it around I gathered all the dark energy I could muster and took as much of the Ether as I could. With Cyran unable to move, Ilyana ran at him and slashed his front legs. The abomination fell forward, the chains that bound it tightening more and more. “You cannot oppose a god! You will fail!”, screamed Cyran in desperation. The energy above me coalesced into the scepter and I unleashed a ray of shadows. Each of those shadows became a fallen soldier of this war. It was the rage of having their lives taken from them that gave the spell even more power. Another glowing magical armor showed itself on the beast. Once again the armor began to crack until it could resist no more and exploded into pieces.

    “No! I will be your undoing! Face your end mortals!”, Cyran began chanting a spell. The Ether inside the abomination was gathering at a single point. “Oh no… Miriam! Pass me your amulet, now!”, without hesitation Miriam took off her amulet and tossed it my way. I caught it and placed it on my left wrist. With my left hand closed I began casting a spell of my own. “Everyone… leave!”, A portal appeared behind us. I used the energy to help my friends escape. There was not much they could do here. “Are you insane? You mean to take this on your own?!”, Kaiden was concerned, I knew he would not agree. “Wait! No!”, he said as I pushed him away and into the portal using a levitation spell. Miriam transformed and flew into it, but not before wishing me luck. Finally Ilyana knew that this needed to happen. I was safeguarding them in case I failed in what I had to do next. “Stay safe…”, she said to me before stepping into the portal. Now that they are gone I can focus all my attention on what comes next. “You are courageous to face me alone, but courage by itself means nothing. In the end you will bow to your new god!”, Cyran’s insanity grew to an extent as to disregard his own well being, even that of his followers. He meant to unleash all the Ether stored within the beast’s body in one final attempt at a purge. This time the amount of Ether was so vast and so unstable the effect could be catastrophic. The world could face its destruction. I closed the portal behind me. Bolts of Ether began to land nearby, the storm above was chaotic. Our world was reacting to such volatile energies. The ground shook violently. As I tried to keep my legs steady I continued to prepare what would be my last resort. An inverted shield bubble meant to contain the Ether explosion that was nearing. The Scepter of the Eye orbited around me after I let go of it. It spinned around gathering Ether. As if by its own will the scepter was aiding me in my endeavor.

    Meanwhile in the field before the gates of Cyrith Ilyana, Miriam and Kaiden watched helplessly as the storm continued to build around what remained of the Cathedral. Light and darkness mixed inside this storm as the energies combined and annihilated themselves. The rumble of the land reached even as far as Lyre and Etheria. From the camp soldiers watched in awe at the powerful magic being both unleashed and contained. Balthazar’s spell was successful, but only for some time. He needed to stop the coming blast. Suddenly a powerful explosion echoed through the world. A wave of force blew through the field with enough strength to knock some soldiers down and send stone bricks tumbling. In but a few short seconds the storm and creature seemed to disappear into nothingness as if drawn into the center point of the conflict. Another rumble could be felt and then complete silence. As if the world had stopped. Ilyana, Kaiden and Miriam looked at each other confused, but also fearing the worst.

    Late that afternoon, right before sunset Ilyana inspected the remains of the cathedral where Balthazar and Cyran once stood. A large crater formed at the place where they had been battling. There was no trace of either Cyran’s abomination or Balthazar. “Surely he escaped. I’m sure that when we return to Lyre we’ll see him there right?”, Kaiden arrived with Miriam following closely by. “I’m afraid I can’t say. Balthazar was a powerful and brilliant dark mage, but even he had his limits”, Ilyana fought to contain her sadness. Battle hardened as she is, her tears began to slip out. The three embraced in a long hug. The war was over, the soldiers were set to return home but the mage who became their savior had perished.

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  • A World In Flux – Ep 18

    Episode 18: The Siege of Cyrith

    The layout of the city allowed the Lightbringers to position a mage on many of their towers. Each mage would then channel light magic to produce shields that protected the city from external magical assaults. Except this shield had gaps. They had not prepared properly for an invasion on their own territory. Bryce had not anticipated that their forces would fall so quickly to our advance. Now, the only advantage they had was a battle in their own streets, where they could hide among the civilians. It was here we learned that the population of the city was few and far between, a vast contrast to what Lyre represents. Most of the people were scared refugees who had already prepared to leave the city. We had no quarrel with them and allowed safe passage to many who were heading towards the coast. A large group of the people were simply children whose family had been forcefully conscripted either by threat or overriding their will with mind control. Some of those families were able to reunite in our back line as many of the freed soldiers recognized their children. Truly this had been a terrible campaign.

    Ilyana held the backline while Kaiden flanked from the west and Miriam took to the sky once more. I moved ahead through one of the main roads towards the structure known as the Grand Cathedral of Light. My group arrived at a large plaza where Lightbringers had established a strong resistance along with their commander. Bryce was there but he appeared hurt. He had not recovered from our previous encounter in Ilyana’s mind. Suddenly I heard a single soldier running in from behind me. I knew I had to prepare myself for a rush of spells to protect her. It was Ilyana, still deeply angered by Bryce’s intrusion. All her skill and might shined through. The enemy knights tried their best but could not repel the force of Ilyana’s attacks. I cast shields, curses and dark orbs to give her an extra boost. The church’s mages were no match. Finally we reached Bryce. “He’s mine”, said Ilyana, filled with determination. Such a duel was against my better judgement, but I believe Ilyana had the right. Bryce launched a power light ray. Ilyana rolled to the side and rushed at him. I caught the ray with a shadow wall and dispersed it. He then gathered light to his fists and used his very hands to fight Ilyana. Each time he hit her shield, sparks would fly. The spell amplified the strength of his blows. This fight had mesmerized everyone in the plaza. No one was fighting anymore. Time passed and they were at an apparent stalemate. Ilyana’s swings were brutal, swift and merciless. On the other hand Bryce was beginning to lose strength. His spell was fading and in one of her strikes Ilyana cut apart Bryce’s right arm. He fell to his knees, trembling, but he was not done. As he tried to stand up again Ilyana put her sword to his neck, “Surrender”. “You… pests… will be put… in your place!”, Bryce began to channel Ether into his own body, but before he could complete the spell his body gave in. His wounds were too great and his spirit had been broken from before. The energy dissipated and he fell to the side. Ilyana sheathed her sword, looked to me and said, “We’re done here, head for the Cathedral and face Cyran. I’m going to…”, she took a deep breath, then sighed, “…catch my breath”.

    The Lightbringers on our path to the Cathedral were few. Those who stood against us quickly realized their mistake as they saw our numbers approach. Many cried for mercy and believed us to be ruthless killers. I began my ascent to the Cathedral entrance. There the leader of the church, Cyran, stood alone. “Welcome, this place will be where I will purge you from this land. You are this world’s impurity given human form. My god has decreed that you must be destroyed”, his deep voice was powerful. I ordered the soldiers to stand back and then replied, “You have a strange obsession against the powers of Flux magic and freedom. Is your deity as deluded as you? I know your story, Cyran. I can read the Ether better than you think. There is no deity, is there?”. “I will not answer to you! Face my wrath!”, his body swirled with magic and the Ether around the area flowed in an unnatural way. It was being guided deep into the Cathedral.

    A circle of dark energy surrounded my arms and runes ran up and down them. This gave me a protective shield and a way to cast my spells with great haste. I would need all the advantages I could muster, for Cyran was known to be a great master of the Fixed Force. His spells focused on damaging the spirit more than the physical body. He, in turn began to cast his spells. Rays of light and pillars of energy blasted through the area. Not even the Cathedral itself would come out undamaged. I deflected some of his magic and he was able to redirect some of mine. The robes Gallian made served me well. Many of his attacks would simply bounce off the robes at the cost of some of my energy. Behind me Kaiden and Miriam arrived. They looked at the battle and followed us further into the Cathedral. Kaiden tried to look for an opening, but I warned them both to stay put. I desired them no harm, this was a very dangerous foe. Our battle took us deeper and deeper into the structure. We arrived at one of the largest halls. “Hold, dark mage. This here is our hall of worship, you would desecrate this holy place?”, Cyran looked tired but I knew he had much more fight in him. “I would tear this place apart because it would mean the end of your reign. You took people’s freedom through mind control. You deceived hundreds of others into believing a falsehood, using their desperation as a tool to bend their will. There is an evil to your light and I will snuff it out”, my words angered him as he charged once more. Blasts of light were destroying many parts of the hall. Walls of shadow blocked many rays which were then destroyed in turn by pillars of light. Then the next confrontation had us locked into powerful magical forces. An Ether storm began to form atop the building. Much like what happened when I encountered Bryce, our magic was equally matched. The opposing nature of light and dark magic made it even more obvious, neither would have the upper hand. “You two, I need your help, now!”, Kaiden ran up and cast numerous dark orbs that exploded near Cyran and Miriam used her shields to deflect his attack while the wave of shadows pierced through. He screamed in pain but he was unharmed. An armor of light shined over him. “I should have known you would use such vile tactics”, he said while looking down on us. Behind him a large wall fell off revealing a hidden room. Within this room a large silhouette could be seen, but we could not make out what it was.

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  • A World In Flux – Ep. 17

    Episode 17: Landfall

    Our joint campaign against the Lightbringers started about five days ago and already we have made major advances. Miriam, Kaiden and I took three ships, as ordered by King Adrian, and sailed to Daltrith. With the aid of some of the most renowned wind and water mages we practically flew over the waters of the Vadal. Although we are exhausted from the voyage we are motivated to continue our advance. The Cyrithian Church committed many troops and soldiers to their invasion. The combined forces of Etheria and Lyre were able to coordinate attacks against the remaining battalions. They were scattered and leaderless after the fall of their general at Lyre. Meanwhile their commander had sailed to Daltrith. I speculate that they trusted their infiltration of Lyre would provide them with a stronger foothold. Indeed, the fall of the King would have pushed the continent into disarray. Now we had advantage. As we approached the coast, guard towers spotted our advance.

    The battle for the coast was swift. Our mages made short work of the guard towers by bombarding them with fire and then shaking the ground below them. The structures were not protected against such magic. The church had held power for so long in this continent that they did not expect anyone to be so bold as to attack them. We could see Cyrith to the south nestled on a tall cliff near the sea. From there a large battalion approached.

    The forces of Cyrith and the allied soldiers of Etheria and Lyre were about to clash in a deadly battle. The lead knight of the Lightbringers approached and said, “Surrender to us and we will show you the one true path”. I recognized her voice in an instant but I could not believe it at first. She took off her helmet, “If you give yourselves willingly to the light you will not be harmed”. “Lies! What have they done to you Ilyana?!”, I was angered by what I was seeing. Surely she would not speak such words of devotion to the church by her own will. The Ether revealed the truth, she was under a spell. “I don’t know you, but it appears you will be the first to fall”, she dismounted, drew her sword and rushed at me. The battalion moved with her and began their attack.

    Ilyana’s dexterity and skill with the blade are unmatched. It took every ounce of my magical power to keep myself ahead of her strikes. I needed to think of a way to release her from the spell she was under, and quick. My only resort was to paralyze her body and cloud her mind. One of her strikes came close to my shoulder and just as it touched my robes a jolt of energy jumped to her and froze her in place. I placed her head between my hands and unleashed dark energy. The battle around me raged on, it was difficult to concentrate but I needed to find the spell which was buried within her body. She struggled against my incursion. The influence of someone else’s will had overridden her own. I released more energy which surrounded me. Surely the enemy soldiers would move to us and try to strike me down. It is here that Kaiden and Miriam came into play. Miriam flew high and cast devastating spells that kept the Lightbringers back. Meanwhile Kaiden had created a barrier of shadows that pushed away soldiers.

    Searching the corners of Ilyana’s mind I found her spirit being held down by an avatar of commander Bryce. “It seems that this will be our battlefield commander, let her go”, my own avatar materialized in this plane. At best I could describe the place as an arena that floated the void. There were no spectators and Ilyana was chained to a wall with bright magical shackles. “Ah, I remember you. You’re that pest of a dark mage that thought he could over power me. Shall I teach you another lesson? If I defeat you here, there is no turning back”, as he said this chains of light appeared in the space around the arena and encircled it. “I will not let you harm my friend. Leave her out of this”, Ilyana was visibly exhausted, she had been fighting for some time. The power of the spell that the Bryce used was great. “Oh? She will bear witness to a purge unlike any other. For in this arena I will purge the last Flux master of the world”. In this arena he was mostly in control. His spells felt even stronger than before and my magic felt weaker. As he deflected or overwhelmed my attacks, I felt as my spirit seemed to wane in response. His attacks were damaging my very soul. There was little I could do, and yet this was a battle I could not lose.

    After some time of trading magical attacks that did nothing but annoy Bryce he was getting ready to unleash the famed purging spell upon me. My avatar kneeled in the center of the arena. I looked on towards Ilyana and realized, she is the key to turning the tide of the battle, so I reached out to her, “Ilyana! Captain of the Lyre royal guard and my friend! Arm yourself!”. “I… can’t… move…”, her reply was weak, she had lost the will to fight. “Think Ilyana! He is in your mind, you are in control here not him!”, I screamed not only through my avatar but in the battlefield where we stood motionless. “I… can…”, in the mind’s arena she raised her head and opened her eyes. I could see her determination beginning to build. Bryce had charged his spell on his right hand, “nothing you do now will save you from your fate. You are a scourge upon the land. Now feel the wrath of our god!”. Before he released the spell a throwing knife flew past his cheek. Ilyana freed herself and conjured up her usual equipment. Sword and shield in hand I could feel the strength of her will return. The confidence and trust she feels in my wisdom and power began to tilt the balance in our favor. “Impossible! Channel more energy!”, Bryce commanded, it appears he was not alone wherever he was. Now it was our turn to strike. I started with a number of dark spheres that exploded near him, while Ilyana closed in from behind and slashed at his back. His pain was real, the spell he used worked both ways. In his now weakened state Ilyana deemed his presence in her mind had gone on for long enough. I launched a ray of shadow energy, the same one I used when we were locked in combat before. This caught Bryce’s attention and he used his own light ray. With him distracted Ilyana rushed in and pierced the commander through with her sword. As his energy was fading and with a blade sticking out from his gut Bryce reached out and pulled something. His image was replaced with that of some other mage or priest. As the mind control spell dissipated so did the avatar of the poor soul who took Bryce’s place. “You are free once again”, I said to Ilyana. My vision blacked out. I opened my eyes, breathed in and saw Ilyana looking at me. “Thank you Balthazar, I owe you my life”, her eyes watered. I had not seen her like this before. Then she turned around, took a deep breath and rallied our forces, “For Lyre!”. I called Miriam and Kaiden to me. With our combined magical energy we could defeat the Lightbringers in one fell swoop.

    The loud clang of armor, swords and the explosive power of spells echoed through the battlefield. Miriam, Kaiden and I stood, back to back channeling energy for a powerful spell. The amulet Miriam held was key to our attack. I learned that it could store Ether for use later. This helped the girl with her shapeshifting as she could tap into the energy if she needed it. The protective wards that were inscribed in the amulet were also of great help. Our minds linked, they could see the Ether flow and feel it as I did. We noticed that there were many soldiers who were under spells similar to the one that affected Ilyana. It seemed like the last resort of the church, they had lost too many soldiers in the invasion of Vanith. Now it was time to set as many as we could free and capture or destroy the rest. Dark energies filled the battlefield. Large crystals appeared which disrupted the Ether flow of light energy. This in turn began waking those under control. Ilyana ordered the troops to make sure not to strike down anyone who was fighting unwillingly and to capture the rest. In a matter of minutes the battle had ended. The great majority of the battalion was under mind control. Kaiden, Miriam and I sent a wave of feedback energy that resulted in explosions that we felt affected the Ether. Each of the explosions meant that a mage in Cyrith had been either sent flying or utterly destroyed. I know Kaiden and Miriam were hesitant, but I was more relentless. I cannot abide someone who disregards others’ freedoms in such a manner.

    After we released the spell the crystals faded away. Our own energies were drained. The leaders of our invasion force convened and ordered for us to make camp. By now the Lightbringers had been crippled and they could not mount another attack. Tomorrow we would march upon the capital. I would surely face off against Bryce once again.

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  • A World In Flux – Ep 16

    Episode 16: King’s Insight

    Etheria and Lyre were once warring nations. My grandfather and my father rarely looked each other in the eye. They never agreed on the war. Father wanted to change the way Lyre was viewed by the world. It took him many years to undo what grandfather had basically inscribed upon the land, that Lyre was a powerful nation that none could oppose. Those years were the worst of our time. It is, perhaps, fitting that the Lightbringers rose to power. We used dark magic for our own purposes. Grandfather was a dark mage with a lot of influence. He used this to put all dark magic above others. Unlike the church he wanted to enslave and control. It was his decree that Etheria would be the first to fall into his rule. Father opposed him as he could by keeping a majority of the people loyal to him safe from harm. Grandfather fell in battle, but the legacy remained. As I mentioned before, father had to spend years upon years establishing reforms, new laws and extending his hand to help rebuild Etheria. I was resentful when he died. Some unknown soldier, who had a deep seated hatred for Lyre, killed him when he was returning from a diplomatic journey. It eventually fell to me to complete his work. In time my own ideas, as well as many that I discussed with him and mother, were implemented. Peace was achieved and trade quickly established. When it was my time to ascend to the throne, after mother’s passing Lyre was a stronger nation, even more than when grandfather was the leader. I reminisce on the past, looking at the current events. Before me is the signed treaty between Lyre and Etheria. An alliance of the two strongest nations of the world, to face off against the forces of what we believe is a madman.

    We settled on building a small fleet to move our troops across the Vadal Ocean. First we eradicate the Lightbringers here, whose numbers grow smaller by the day. Our combined efforts would surely bring an end to those accursed battalions that have affected the peace we worked so hard to establish. Meanwhile, I have ordered Balthazar and his group to take the first ships to Daltrith. I trust that he can bring an end to the war. In order to help in that regard I have instructed the royal guard to take with them one of our treasures. A scepter that my grandfather kept hidden and would have been his way to ascend further had he not met his fate when he did. I have tried to study the item in question, but to no avail.

    Repairs on the city have already begun. Our seers are keeping a close watch on the Lightbringers and the very Ether. Balthazar’s expertise on the this energy has proven to be extremely helpful in tracking the Lightbringers. He is worried about how the flows have changed. His last report on the Ether tower was not encouraging. I worry that our crops will fail, that the streams will run dry and that the winds will stop carrying rainclouds. Our lives are tied to the Ether, this much I am aware of. I just hope they can find a solution to those magical problems or we will find ourselves in a problem far worse than the Cyrithian Church.

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  • A World In Flux – Ep 15

    Episode 15: City in Turmoil

    I awoke early, much before dawn by the sound of an explosion. Miriam and I leaped from the makeshift beds Gallian had made for us. The poor tailor was spooked and ran out to us from his room. “Did you hear that? I wonder what it could be?”, he said clearly still mostly asleep. Outside a number of soldiers were running by the shop, one screamed “The Lightbringers have come! To arms!”. It felt like our duty to help out and face the Lightbringers. Miriam shapeshifted and flew out one of the windows. Through my mind I told her to help the soldiers and then head for the castle, no doubt the Lightbringers would threaten the king. I told Gallian to remain in his shop and to fortify the door if necessary. The attack seemed disorganized, but I knew better. They were splitting the Royal Guard into smaller groups to then use their magic to defeat them. Little did they know that my power was in direct opposition and could easily repel them.

    I battled through the streets, aiding the Royal Guard when I could. Miriam was able to protect many of the guardsmen as well as myself from time to time. Magical battles were a constant thing, it appears that the Lightbringers brought mostly their light mage soldiers. The strategy was sound, mages weren’t as easy to identify unless they checked the Ether. Very few people can sense the Ether as I do, or as Balthazar did. I still hope he is somewhere safe. A powerful blast of magic was heard in the distance. One of the guards said that the Lightbringers were here to join with their general. The explosion must have been her then. Bringing her here was a mistake.

    The shadows helped me push around some light mages in the hallway just before the entrance to the throne room. Once they were distracted the royal guard was able to capture them with ease. A pair of large doors barred entry to the throne room. From outside I could hear a conversation, “What have we here. The king armed and with his most trusted guardsmen. It is such a pity that I will have to slay you all”. That must have been the general, Catalina. I certainly could not permit such a thing, the king is a beloved figure. Miriam told me to bust open the doors in her signal. She had been watching the throne room from afar and could enter through a window. And indeed she did. A powerful wind blasted around the king and pushed the general back. On the other side I cast a spell to open the doors just as the gust was going through. Our plan failed however. The general cast a blinding spell and in the short moment she caught me and threatened to kill me. Her sword was at my throat, Miriam was shocked but stood beside the king ready to unleash a spell. “I would stand down if I were you. If you value the boy’s life, you will do as I say”, the general had the upper hand. My own foolishness and slow thinking led me to this. I felt a shot of pain as the blade started cutting into my skin. The torches in the castle turned into dark flames and a voice echoed through the room, “Leave him be, or do I have to teach you a lesson?”. “Balthazar! Help!”, I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Quiet you! Those will be you last words!”, I expected the sword to drive through my throat and slay me, but I felt nothing, in fact the general could not move. A number of shackles and chains appeared. The spell was a restraining spell but it was not cast by Balthazar, it was Miriam. Her amulet glowed with great intensity. I used this chance to escape. “You fools! This world has no need for people like you, now be purged!”, the general was crazed. Her rage fueled a spell of light magic that blasted the chains away, then she charged energy once again drawing every ounce of Ether she could find into herself. “Enough! I will not let you see this through! Let the power you so denounce be your undoing!”, Balthazar appeared from a portal. A blast of wind and a dark mist engulfed the general. Inside the mist that had wrapped around her some glimmers of light could be seen trying to escape. The mist transformed into orbs made of a sandy black substance. Catalina was confused, she had not encountered this magic before. “You face one of the last masters of Flux magic. I ask you, do you yield?”, Balthazar walked up to her and stopped just a few feet from her. “Never!”, the light in her hands intensified, but before she could unleash her spell the orbs created spears of dark energy that pierced the general’s body. Even in her last breaths she was defiant, “You will… pay for this… dark one…”. When Balthazar released the spell her body fell forward.

    “My king… you are… well?”, Balthazar asked, but something felt off, he looked utterly exhausted. “You arrived just in time by friend, what happened to you?”, the king asked. “A protective spell guided me back to the shore after the destruction of the ship. I tried to cast a spell to try and bind our group together before we were too far, but an Ether void drained me and I lost consciousness. Kaiden, come closer. This young man saved my life. His spell helped me survive that battle as well as the void, for even though my energy was drained the bubble protected my spirit. When I regained consciousness I found myself in the eastern shore of Lyre. I remembered one of our forts there and made my way. I learned of the conflict while I meditated trying to find my friends here. The light energy was clearly the work of the Lightbringers”. “Those portals, why don’t you use them more often?”, I was curious, such a spell could surely be very useful. “Kaiden, portal spells are a very intricate and painstaking process. Not to mention they require vast amounts of energy to cast. The further the distance the more energy required. They should only be used in emergencies, I will teach you someday”, my amazement and admiration only grew more today.

    Dawn had arrived. The warmth of the morning sun and the accompanying light helped us measure the damage done to the city. The Lightbringers, for being such a destructive force, didn’t actually do that much. There were some losses though. Some of the Royal Guard perished in the initial escape and those who stood on the general’s path also suffered greatly. Balthazar was happy to see us safe and proud of our bravery in defending the city. He told us that Ilyana is probably safe and that we should search for her soon. While we sat down in the throne entry hall Gallian arrived with a fruit basket and a set of robes, which he carried everywhere recently, that pulsated with dark magic. “Kaiden, Miriam, and dear me, Balthazar! You are all safe! I have brought some fruit for you to enjoy, it is not a hearty breakfast but you all need something to eat. And here, this is for you Balthazar. I studied hard to create this. I believe your old master would have wanted you to have them”, Gallian presented Balthazar with the mystical robes. Balthazar took off the raggedy cloak he had been using and quickly put on the robe, “It is strangely light for such a heavy looking robe. Did you use the thread I gave you?”. “I did, your old master imbued the thread with some powerful magic. You should not only have your power increase but your access to the Ether flow should be easier. It might give you other protections, but I do not know what spells your master was able to enchant the thread with”, Gallian looked very proud of his work. Balthazar thanked him profusely. The king arrived and saw us there. Balthazar told the king of Gallian’s service and the king promised to compensate him for his work. “People like you are a boon to our kingdom, I hope you will stay here with us”, said the king.

    “The Lightbringers sought to destroy our peace, but the kingdom of Lyre earned its peace after years of war. We will show them that we will not bow down to their blind hatred. Their devotion to the light is misguided, but this light is a corrupt one. Our forces will join with Etheria, together we will push them back to where they came from and there, in the seat of their power, we will defeat them!”, the king addressed the people from the main city square near the castle. The king issued new orders to us. We were to speak with Grandmaster Zephius once again and join our forces against the Lightbringers. Once they had been dealt with here on our continent, Vanith, we would chase them across the sea and go all the way to theirs. Our success weighted heavily on the campaign here. With the general gone and many of the Lightbringer battalions in disarray now was the time to strike them down.

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  • A World In Flux – Ep 14

    Episode 14: A Day at the Market

    The morning sun bathed the marketplace in light. Already in these early hours people gathered here to begin the usual bartering. Trades, bargains and special offers were made all the time. My shop? Full of people browsing the suits and dresses I had made. The past few days have been busy to say the least. Many have been very interesting as well. Not long ago a captured general of the Lightbringers was brought to the royal guard. Surely the war would be over before we knew it!

    As the day went by and the customers were mostly interested in having lunch I walked outside the shop. A pair of merchants had stopped right in front and began conversing, while I arranged a vest on a wooden stand. “I heard a rumor about the court wizard. They say he died in the high seas battling the Lightbringers”, said one of the merchants. “I’ve heard about it, they say the ship they were in was torn to pieces. I guess even mages with that kind of power can fail sometimes. I wonder what the king will do…”, said the other as they grabbed their belongings and moved on. I was in shock. Poor Kaiden had been travelling with that mage, Balthazar. Guilt overcame me, as I thought I might have sent the boy to his death. In the end he knew the risks. As I thought about all this another thing came to mind. The robes I have been working on for so long were done, but now I had no one to give them to. In a manner of minutes the entire marketplace was abuzz with the news. One of the royal guard approached and I felt the need to ask, “Good sir, do you know what happened?”. The guard seemed every bit as shocked as I, but he confirmed it, “The rumors are true. At least the part about their ship. Scryers reported to the king that they could no longer see Balthazar and his troupe. There could be other reasons why they couldn’t see him, but many agree that it is only a matter of time until the Lightbringers come to attack”.

    The guard’s statement was unsettling. Here I had hoped that the war would not reach Lyre. In my despair I barely heard someone call out my name, and then again, “Gallian! It is so good to see you again!”, I finally recognized the voice, it was Kaiden. “My boy! How is it possible? By now the court seers thought everyone in your group dead!”, I was pleasantly surprised. “Miriam and I were able to escape the battle. We can’t be sure about the others but we thought we should inform the royal guard”, Kaiden looked determined. “Lady Miriam, what about you? How do you fare?”, she is very young, surely this has taken a toll on her. “Gallian, we were not properly introduced last time we saw each other. I am Miriam and hail from Clearwater. Thank you for your concern, I think I’ll be fine for now, but I do need some rest”, she responded. For such a young lady she was pretty tough. She must’ve had a good upbringing. I told her to go into the shop and that I would prepare an area so that they could stay and rest. I would weave a pair of temporary beds for these two. While I showed Miriam my shop I caught a glimpse of Kaiden speaking to one of the guards, when he returned he told me he reported the news that Balthazar and Ilyana might still be alive. He has learned much is such a short time from that mage. It is no surprise though, Balthazar was chosen by the king to be the court mage.

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