Hex clasped his hands in front of his face, brows furrowing slightly. He wondered how he should approach the… delicate situation. Ordinarily, he would have favored the more violent approach, but the nature of the being sitting in front of him dissuaded him from that particular course of action. First, he was uncertain as to how said being would react to both mind and physical intimidation being imposed upon it. Second, such an approach would actually cause uproar both politically and religiously. And third, Hex was feeling no small amount of awe himself. If only… they were able to cover up the situation quickly and silently enough. But it was a wistful wish. Said being’s entrance was loud and in full view of all the Holy Tabernacle’s faithful during the Golden Week, which meant nearly a quarter of the city’s population bore witness to it. Even now, throngs of believers and faithful were surrounding the Elline Chapel in prayers and worships, where the supposedly First Contact was taking place.
“Perhaps I wasn’t being clear enough. My name is Hexan Granc. I am the Grand Inquisitor of the Order of the Bladed Sun, one of the seven Divine Orders of the Jaerya Empire. By the order of both His Eminence the Holy Emperor Kalmant and His Exalted the Divine Voice Delmeer, I am to inquire who you are and what your purpose is for… coming down here.”
Hex paused uncertainly and took a deep breath. This was not a familiar territory for him, dammit.
“I am a Herald.”
Hex almost screamed in frustration. The being cocked its head at him, almost in a curious enquiry. It seemed to be hesitating as well. It wore a simple garb, a white almost-sparse wrap with rings of discolored metals circling around his arms, wrists, shins and neck. It was bald and disturbingly, its eyes had no pupil. Hex could not even determine whether said eyes were staring at him or not. The source of both the greatest shock and awe though was the largest pair of feathery wings attached to its back somehow, the length-span of which almost quadrupling said being’s height in total. Idly, Hex wondered whether the large splotches of mottling on those humongous pair of wings were part of the whole ensemble.
“Look, we are going to need more than that, okay? You are the Herald of what exactly?”
“I understand. You want to know more.”
Hex blinked his eyes while the being continued to speak in that strange musically tilted voice.
“I am Legion Eighty-Three. I am a Herald of the Rael, Foremost among Realms. Under the dying wish of our Highest of Lieges, I have come forth to warn you all of the impending Scourge that Devours and to urge you all to prepare for the Migration through Realms. We must seek the Source of Plane if All in Existence are to survive.”
Hex blinked his eyes several more times. He could feel the beginning of a massive headache rapidly encroaching.
“Well, by the Divine, I have no idea what you just said.”
~~~
“So, what do we have?”
Hex stalked through the marbled hallways of the Elline Chapel, getting increasingly agitated. His two aides, one a field Paladin that somehow was assigned to him and the other a Priestess of the Chapel herself hurriedly tried to match his pace.
“So far, we have detected 1427 attempted magical intrusions and scryings aimed at the Chapel herself, and have managed to successfully repel them all. The wards are slowly failing though under the bombardment of such magical intensity. And it looks set to only increase the longer we hold our… guest here. It was determined that some of those magical surveillance did not originate from the city, or even from within the Empire herself. That is a cause of great worry.”
“No choice in that regards however. News spread fast, especially one of this magnitude. We need more magical reinforcement to the wards. Is the crowd control measure in place?”
“Magically-wise? Yes. We are severely lacking in personnel though. The other Orders have began to send in all available agents to help mitigate the effect of the crowd thronging outside the Chapel, but the recall for those engaged outside of our borders are going to take awhile. It is but a temporary measure however. More people are coming in by the minutes. The Imperial Guards are going to seal off the city within the hour to prevent any more pouring in. We are fully expecting a riot to occur within a day or two, probably sooner, if we don’t release any news soon.”
“Any word from the Royal Physician yet?”
“No, Grand Inquisitor, but a demand has been made by the Dwarven Ambassador being housed in this city during the Golden Week period. Forgemaster Kerin has demanded to be given access to our guest. She wants the see the “angel” with her own eyes and be present during all questionings being made on it.”
“Negative. Make up an excuse for her or something.”
“She’s invoking the Peace Treaty of Farmollan, Grand Inquisitor.”
“Dammit. Stall her then for as long as you can. We need to determine whether the information our guest is going to offer us will harm our Empire first before sharing it with anyone else.”
“I understood, Grand Inquisitor.”
“I was not trained for this, dammit.”
~~~
Hex stared impatiently. The being sat relaxed on a chair, eyes closed and face serene. There was a glass of water set upon the table in front of it, but it went untouched. What does it even eat anyway? Still, they were running out of time and things were getting desperate by the seconds. It really needed to snap out of whatever it is it was doing.
“Done with your communion yet, Legion? We do not have much time.”
“I am not Legion. I am Legion Eighty-Three.”
“Yes, yes, now, are you done?”
“I am nearly fully recuperated. I will share with you what you need to know. The Scourge that Devours draws ever nearer. We are running out of time. And running out of strength.”
The expressionless face of the being seemed to sag for a moment. The wings drooped downward slightly. Hex seemed unable to avert his gaze as a single discolored feather dropped down from the tip of one of the wings to slowly float onto the polished marbled floor. The feather landed, softly and quietly. Hex snapped his head upright again and narrowed his eyes.
“Right. Then I’ll start without delay. At the crack of dawn this morning, above the Central Pavilion and in front of the faithful performing the sacred rites, you and a Juggernaught-class Void Beast crashed right on top of the pride of our city, the statue of our most exalted first Divine Voice, shattering it into a state beyond repairs. It was a… miracle that there was no fatality despite the density of the people thronging the Pavilion at that point of time.”
“That is correct. The Scezerai attacked me just as I was slipping through the Cracks between Realms. The Sziron told me about the bestiality of such an entity, but I was still surprised it would assault… something like me.”
“Scezerai? Sziron?”
“I believed you called the Scezerai a Juggernaught-class Void Beast. The name was told to me by the primary sentient race inhabiting that realm, the Sziron.”
Hex’s heart skipped a bit and his hands ceased their movements. His own voice sounded distant to him as he retorted back automatically.
“There is no sentient race inhabiting the Void.”
“There is. There are.
“You are lying. In the two centuries since we have known about the existence of the Void, we have yet to encounter such a race. Every single Void Beast that intruded into our world thus far was a mindless savagery given form. And every exploration and scrying into the Void thus far revealed an endless expanse of darkness filled with even more such monsters.”
“It is a very harsh realm. And they are a race with very limited population due to the severity of the environment. What few races have banded together for now under the leadership of the largest race, the Sziron.”
“I… I see. What do they look like?”
“The Sziron? Black and lean, with multiple limbs protruded from the sides. They are guided by red visual orbs lining their entire body. Highly intelligent, though their language might seem like clicks and hisses to you. Fiercely independent as well. Their evolutionary paths had taken them to develop a highly violent culture and magic to ensure their own survival. They don’t have dimensional-based magic, though their innate nature allows them to bend space instinctively.”
Hex’s mind wandered to a pair of such creatures that appeared in the Island-State of Deron three decades ago. He recalled the panic and army mobilization that occurred over that incident, a standard procedure really in dealing with the highly dangerous Void Beasts that occasionally found their way into their world somehow. The corpses were still preserved in Deron’s Azure Spire for research purposes.
“I see. We… might have been mistaken then. And what of your own world? Rael, is it? Where is Rael then?”
“Rael is our Realm and Rael is Us. Rael is Foremost among Realms. It is seven realms beyond yours, and first in the line among the Stack. It is a realm of gasses and light, of wind and storms, of flight and freedom. We that Soars fly among the suns and light, among the clouds and lightning, and around our Highest of Lieges.”
“You have no solid ground? No earth and soil? Then how do you grow food? What do you eat? Where do you build your house?”
“We do not consume sustenance. We do not need shelters. Lightning provides all. Light invigorates us. Air sustains. We are beings of energy and magic given form.”
“That’s very convenient. Are your… race the only one living on your world?”
There was a look of momentary regret flashing through the being’s face, if Hex read the almost expressionless features correctly.
“There was another. The Rior. Inflatable giants composed of liquids and gasses, wielding incredibly potent mind magic and poisonous limbs. There was a… disagreement between the Highest of Lieges and their Pinnacles. We wiped them out, only to mourn their loss much later. So much potential vanished, never to be regained. I wish… I wish not to speak of this matter further… for now.”
“And what’s to say you won’t do the same to us?”
“You are Lesser. It would not be right.”
“…I see. What do you mean by the Highest of Lieges? Are they your leaders?”
“Highest of Lieges is One and Only. Our Divine Lord. The Source of our Devotion. The Life of our Realm. Highest of Lieges gave us purpose and focus. And in return, we gave our All.”
Hex’s eyebrows creased at that.
“So that is your God in the metaphorical sense?”
“Highest of Lieges is One and Only. Our Divine Lord. The Source of our Devotion. The Life of our-“
“Yes. Yes. Is it a real being in flesh and… energy?”
“Highest of Lieges is One and Only. Our Divine Lord. The Source-“
“Earlier you said something about the dying wish? Is it…?”
“Yes. Dying. Dead. The Foremost among Realms is no more. The Highest of Lieges is no more. We are what were left. Those of us who migrated are the only survivors. Now we spread the Warning about the Scourge that Devours. The dying wish must be fulfilled. The Navigator must be found if everyone is to survive.”
“The Navigator?”
“The Navigator. The Source of Plane. The Origin. The End.”
~~~
“The Empire is under attack.”
Hex jerked his head up sharply from where he sat perusing some documents. The Priestess’ face was pale and her hands kept rubbing against the voluminous sleeves of her official robes nervously.
“By whom?
“The Necromancers of the Larkhan Wastes.”
Hex let out an impressive string of expletives, before demanding harshly.
“Was there any reason given? Or is this just another one of their Unholy Crusades?”
“No reason was given. This is more than just a mere retaliatory Crusade against our own Holy Crusades though. Words were just sent from the borders. The numbers that are being fielded tripled their previous invasion effort. There were rumored sightings of Dreadlords leading the Undeads.”
“They are really serious about it then. Dammit! At this point of time when nearly all of our resources are being spent on maintaining what semblance of order is left in this city.”
A sudden chill went down Hex’s spine and he rummaged through the stacks of documents clustered in front of him. A few seconds later, he managed to dig out a detailed map of the Jaerya Empire and spread it across his work table, ignoring the documents that cluttered to the floor as the result of his action.
“Where are they attacking?”
“The undead army is two days march away from both the City of Anja and Fort Drakel. You… you know why they are attacking?”
Hex glanced at the Priestess’ face. Realization began to slowly dawn on her face, followed swiftly by horror and panic.
“Yes. They are coming here. Send words to the Imperial Guards about our suspicions and forward the same message to the Palace. We must begin preparing the city for war. Also… we must prepare for an escort as well. We’ll use a secured coach. No magic. I have no idea how our transportation magic will affect our guest and vice-versa. I want two regiments of guards to escort us as we transport our guest to the capital. Request a dozen Priestesses from the Matron Matriarch to accompany us. Make sure she understands it’s very urgent. The wards must be maintained at all cost.”
“An escort? You really think they are coming for the “angel”?”
“That’s the only thing of value if they are coming from that direction. Have we received any news from the Royal Physician yet?”
“There is nothing conclusive as of yet. He did send word that the blood composition is radically different than both the Dwarves and us, different than even the Elves and the Void Beasts. The fundamental nature of the blood is less tethered to… reality. If there is an equivalent, he would venture so far as to say it’s akin to a magical construct.”
“So there is still a possibility of it being a magical spy sent by someone else? The story is rather convincing though.”
“Also, Forgemaster Kerin has ceased her demands to meet with our guest.”
“That is surprising. Our excuse was that convincing?”
“I don’t believe so, but she hurriedly left the Opal Chamber after one of her officers came to inform her of something. Last I heard, she’s preparing to depart back to the Ironspine Ranges.”
“Good riddance then. I am still surprised she’s dropped her demands so easily. At any rate, send the word out for the escort. I’ll go and speak with… Legion.”
“Of course, Grand Inquisitor.”
~~~
“You are worried.”
Hex glared at the “angel”, not that it was effective in the slightest. Legion could probably out-glare him any time of the day with that constantly blank expression. The both of them were now in a new smaller chamber, albeit one that rocked once in awhile accompanied by a soft droning noise in the background.
“You could say that. Your presence here is causing all sorts of problems with the Empire.”
“You are aware that the message I bring is for all of your Realm’s inhabitants? And not just for your people alone? It’s futile to keep me here. The message must be spread.”
“Until we can determine said information will not harm our Empire, I’m afraid you’re going to have to stay here with us. Shall we continue on with our discussion?”
“Go ahead.”
“How did you come to our world? Our experimentations with Dimensional Portals have yielded rather limited results. Thus far, we have managed to penetrate one other world. A world of giant trees that claw at the sky and endless sun that never set, where growth is uninhibited and nature went berserk. There is a race of tree-huggers in that particular world, which we call Elves based on one of our mythologies of pointy-eared folk. Thus far, attempts to pierce through any other world have yielded failed results.”
“The realm you called the Void? Is it not one such world as well?”
Hex frowned at that assertion. Maybe they had been using different terminologies?
“The Void is an emptiness in space, inhabited by horrors unparallel. There is no landmass of any shape and size within it. It is certainly not what we would call a world.”
“But it is. Radically different than what you would know or recognize, but it is still one of the two worlds in which you are allowed to connect to.”
“What do you mean by allowed to connect to?”
“Do you know the nature of the Realms? Or the worlds as you put it? Do you know the reality of this plane in which you inhabit?”
“I’ll admit you lost me there. But I am certain I’m not allowed to discuss our magical theories and sciences with you.”
“If your manipulation of the Cracks between Realms is accurate, you’ll find there are two and only two possible permutations. Any other variations other than those two will result in only failures. That is the nature and limitation of our Plane. That is the Prison and Refuge in which we all inhabit.”
“What do you mean by Plane?”
“I see. We are ancient and we remember much. Let me share with you what we remember. There is an endless space, known by many names: The Space between Planes, the Aether, the Blind Eternities. And in this space of chaotic energies, both mana and temporal, stable pockets of worlds and planes reside. All of us, you and me, came from one of these planes.”
“So this world is a plane? As are the Void of the Sziron and the giant forests of the Elves? As is Rael, your own world?”
“You erred. All these worlds you mentioned are part of the same Plane. That is why you are able to travel between them. That is why you were not ripped asunder by sheer chaos the moment you stepped through the Cracks.”
“How do you know all these? How are you aware of the restrictions?”
“Lore passed down through the centuries, as well as by trials and experimentations. Also, know this. We call our plane the Stacked Plane. A plane divided into many parts that string along in a single line. Each part is a single realm or world as you put it. Your world is one such part. And my world… Rael is Foremost among Realms, first in line and highest among all. Only we can pierce through the Cracks between a single realm and the chaos beyond. Every realm we have encountered such far could only penetrate through the realm before and the realm after.”
“If you know all these, then why haven’t we met your kind before? Why start to travel now after so many centuries and millennia?”
“We have no reason to start the Migrations through Realms before. Then the Scourge that Devours arrived from beyond the Eternities. And Rael started to die, consumed as it was by the relentless onslaught. Even despite all our efforts to halt its advances…”
“This notion that you have presented challenges all our beliefs up to now. You’ll have to forgive us if we find them rather hard to swallow.”
“It matters not. I am just a Herald. My task is to inform so that your people can prepare beforehand the upheaval that is to come. I would like to know of one thing. Earlier you said you assigned the term Elves to another race in which you have met in another world. It will interest me to know more of them. I do believe that is the next Realm I will go to in order to pass on the message and warning.”
“They are feral wild things, more prone to savagery than diplomatic talks. There were some contacts, limited as they were. We were told we were not the first outsiders they had to contend with. They have encountered another world before. A world of endless water in every direction with pockets of air suspended like jewels. A world where monsters were titanic and men that looked like fishes swam around. They told us it was a sunless world where creatures gave off their own light in the form of luminescence and magic.”
“That is indeed fascinating. It will present a significant barrier, I’m sure. Also, I am curious about one other thing. Do your mythologies talk about races such as us?”
Legion raised up both its wings to their full length and height to accentuate that point, nearly encompassing the entire chamber they were enclosed in during their journey.
“Yes, in fact they do. We know of beings such as you as Angels, divine messengers and agents sent by the Heavens to act in their stead. Generally, apocalypse and end of the world scenarios followed soon right after their arrivals.”
“Ah. Rather appropriate in this situation, don’t you think?”
“You don’t say.”
~~~
The blade thrummed with each slide through flesh, each grate against bones, and each life extinguished as it never was. With each strike, it drank and it drank deeply. And if not from the moisture collected from the rapidly cooling air, then it was from the blood that spilled as it left its owners’ still-warm bodies. And through it all, Hex tingled with both exhilaration and anger.
The spear was aimed at his face, its blade glinting off the rapidly fading light as the sun set beyond the hills. Hex’s sword thrust forward, scraping along the metal edge and flaking off some of the collected moisture. And then faster than the eyes could blink, he was within the spearman’s guard. The blade that parried was suddenly the blade that pierced, and in between the chinks in the chainmail and through the warmth of the soft flesh, it went in.
Lethal or not, it mattered not, as crystalline ice clawed outward from the spearman’s back in a shower of red, tearing through flesh and bones and armors and life. A single heartbeat passed. Then the ice shattered and the body slumped downward. Hex pulled the blade out and kicked the body aside. An arc of steel hummed with magic swung sharply to parry a flanking blow and the blade thrummed with power once more, collecting moisture from the air to power itself. And through it all, the stream of red kept dripping downward and flung around as the blade just danced and danced in the waning light.
~~~
“You are wounded.”
“Right. I’m sorry for making it so obvious.”
“You left in a hurry. There were sounds of a battle and screams of the dying.”
“Yes, they were coming for you. No surprise there. Words got out that we are transporting you. It was an ambush so there was a significant amount of injuries and deaths on our side as well. It must be one of the Empire’s bastard claimants to the throne. We have so many of those sneaking around. We are still not sacrificing speed for caution though. We need to secure you within the capital as soon as possible.”
Hex grunted and settled himself comfortably onto his chair. The bandages were itchy as heck, but until they have access to stronger healing magic, it would have to do for now. Legion rose and started walking up to Hex. Instantly the two Paladins standing guard near the doorway raised their sword and mace respectively in warning. The “angel” paused in his movement to stare bemusedly at them. Hex waved his Paladins down even as he continued to scrutinize their guest cautiously.
“What are you doing?”
“I can help ease your pain, though I cannot cure you. To do that, I would need an intimate knowledge of your anatomy and physical systems. Unless you would allow me access to such knowledge, I run the risk of flooding your body with too much magical energy. “
“Like a plant given too much sun or water then. No thanks, but I can manage on my own with what my healers have to offer me. Now, if you would sit back down, we are going to go over the most important aspect of your message. We would like to know more of this Scourge and this mythical Navigator.”
“Before we start, would you tell me something of your Empire and this world of yours?”
Hex paused and stared at Legion thoughtfully.
“You are aware you would not be allowed out of our sight, right?”
“I am aware of that.”
“I’ll humor you somewhat then with some basic understanding. Jaerya Empire is one of the three nations upon this world, and the biggest one I might add. The other two are the Kingdom of Abbel and the Verkan Sovereignty. We are currently at an uneasy truce with the former and at peace with the latter. Within our Empire however, there are two independent factions, the Necromancers of the Larkhan Wastes and the Sorcerers of the Quolto Isles. We are trying our best to wipe out the former, and have an understanding with the latter in that we leave them alone and they serve the Empire whenever we request it, within reason of course. There is another race in this world however, the Dwarves. Rather short, stocky and with beards that reach their knees. They are masters at forging and mining, with their nations situated somewhere underneath the Ironspine Ranges. So far, we are only allowed within their border cities and trading posts. Things haven’t exactly been cordial though we have an understanding of sorts between us, enforced by the Peace Treaty of Farmollan. That, in short, is the political situation of our Empire with her neighbors for now. Or rather, that’s the political situation we are telling everyone.”
“Thank you. And I will reciprocate in kind. The Scourge that Devours is an implacable being, formless and thoughtless, but malevolent in its intensity all the same. It’s relentless and unstoppable, and it devours all life without regards to anything.”
“Then how do you know it exists?”
In response, Legion raised one of his wings to its full span and caressed the mottled spots, his face seemingly grieving.
“This… is not natural. The Scourge that Devours is a pervasive thing. It sickens and drains the life force away from anything it infects. Living things, non-living things, and even the realm itself eventually fall to such an abnormality. We have no way of combating it, no way of purging it, no way to even resist it.”
“Is it a… disease?”
“A disease? It might be. But it’s more of a presence. The suns dying, the sky fouling, the earth rotting, and all inhabitants that live upon them began to degrade at a pace unparallel to any disease we have encountered before. And when we left Rael, the degradation on our own bodies stopped, though the damage had already been inflicted. But our own realm continued to degrade, and ultimately collapsed onto itself and disappeared from the Stacked Plane. We have tried to search for it, but it was futile. Where Rael once was, there was only the endless Chaos beyond that we cannot venture through.”
“Where did it come from then?”
“We do not know. We believed the Scourge that Devours invaded from beyond the Blind Eternities, though we know not how. Rael is Foremost among Realms and thus that possibility is very feasible. And it has been progressing through the realms ever since, erasing each of them one by one, completely annihilating one before moving on. Ultimately, it’s only a matter of time before it reaches your realm.”
“Earlier you said something about the Navigator. Why do you need to reach the Navigator? By what you said, it seems to be an artifact of great power? You also called it the Source of Plane. But why would our plane need to be powered by such an artifact?”
“You make errors in your assumptions. But you may be right. Let me tell you now of the myths and legends that were handed down through our Lore with regards to the creation of our plane, for even those are something we do not remember, ancient as we may be. The Stacked Plane is not our original plane. Our home plane was destroyed ages ago in a calamity that was so horrifying, somehow the Highest of Lieges blotted it out from our Lore.”
“Wait. Then you meant that our ancestors were transported to another plane from our original one?”
“Not transported. Instantaneous transportation on such a scale is impossible for anyone. There was a way though. As far as we know, the Stacked Plane is an artificial plane designed as one such transport. Or so the legends go. It is a giant transport designed to ship all the population of a single plane to a new one across the Blind Eternities.”
“You are insane. If what you said earlier was right, then my realm as it is was already a huge world by itself. And how many more realms are there stacked together? What could even possibly power a construct as colossal as what you just proposed? How does one even set about building an artificial plane?!”
“Consider the nature of the Space between Planes. As chaotic and violent as it must be, it is still possible to survive out there. We know of such a group of beings that can travel through the Blind Eternities safely and we have encountered two such in the past. We have reasons to believe that the Navigator is one of them. It was it who designed the Stacked Plane and it was it, or a construct it left behind, who is even now powering it after all this time. As far as we know, the Stacked Plane wasn’t as huge it is now as it was in the past. As the population expanded, so did the plane. It’s almost as if it was alive and aware of our need. And as the plane expanded, so did its mobility and speed decreases. We have been moving across the Blind Eternities for ages, but it is a slow and arduous journey, almost certainly going to take ages to come before we even reach our destination, if there is even anything still left at the end of the journey for us to arrive at.”
“Then that’s why you are seeking the Navigator or something like it? You believed that the Scourge can be defeated with the aid of such a being, if it even exists in the first place? It seems to me you are relying too much on such a hope.”
“Yes. For if Rael is Foremost among Realms, then there must be an End to this string of Realms. And if the Navigator cannot be found there, then what hope is left for us or this plane? For sooner or later, everything will be consumed by the Scourge that Devours.”
“Assuming what you just said is true, can the plane only just endlessly expand? Could… could the reverse be true as well? That after all this time, its limit has been reached and that the Scourge is the negative feedback system caused by the plane or the Navigator itself?”
“That… that possibility is indeed troubling if it is true. But truthfully, we have no idea. The only being that would have full knowledge of the entire thing would be the Navigator. Still, despite what may come, you must prepare your people for the Migration through Planes.”
“I doubt that is going to take place though, considering the logistics nightmare.”
“The warning has been delivered, and will be delivered soon to everyone in this realm.”
“You are not leaving our custody until we can get full measure of the information you are giving to us.”
“I need not to. My brethren will do it in my stead. I am not, and will not be the only of my race to spread the warning.”
Hex’s brains ground to a halt and he stared Legion with increasing trepidation.
“What do you mean?”
“I am a Herald, but not the only one. Even as we are speaking now, my brethren will spread the message. The beginning of the end is now, and we must all prepare for it. For in the next few decades, Cracks between Realms will be punctured through into this realm with a frequency not seen before and it will not only be done by us. Six realms before yours we have warned, and six realms before yours are in line before the Scourge that Devours. Even now, the inhabitants of those realms are preparing and augmenting themselves, both biologically and magically, to survive in each subsequent realm they migrate to and beyond. Some had already done so. You must do the same. It is good that you have foreknowledge of at least two realms beyond yours.”
Hex stood up and slammed his fist onto the table before him. He tried to muster up absolute rage but could only feel sheer panic within his chest. Things would get out of control, and soon, if Legion was to be believed.
“Are you insane? Are you even aware of the implications to the natural and political order of this world if creatures and beings we have never even seen before this were to suddenly appear out of nowhere to live among us? It will be absolute chaos!”
“In times of great distress and need, we must adapt. As must you. As must the others that come after you. When I judge it to be time, I will move onward again to the next realm to meet with these Elves to impart forward the warning, preparing them for your arrival and those that come before you.”
“You will do no such thing.”
“Our Plane is dying. Rael is gone. As are two other realms. You will do well to heed this message if what remains of your race is to survive.”
And for the first time ever, Hex was truly at a loss as to how to proceed.
~~~
“Forgemaster! You’re back!”
Kerin ignored the guards stationed outside the Community Hall and hurried through the archways. Beyond, the hall was thronged with dwarves with seemingly every single empty space occupied. But despite the packed crowd, there was barely any noise above the occasional whispers as the being standing in the middle of hall conversed loudly with a trio of Elders. Kerin’s eyes immediately riveted onto the largest pair of wings she had ever seen, on a humanoid figure no less, which seemed to flex naturally even as said being seemed to limp a bit.
~~~
A single lady, ghostly pale, with hairs bleached white as snow and skin equally ashen, stood in a grave manner. She wore a fully armored battle-dress with every inch covered by blades of steel rather the standard plated equivalent, and held a large heavy looking broadsword loosely in her right hand as if the weight mattered not at all. Besides her was a crooked figure, hunched over with the weight of years and covered with a black tattered hooded robe. The figure was holding onto a gnarled staff with a pair of gray hands covered with yellowed nails. A series of skulls were lodged firmly along said staff, each etched with scripts and sigils of power even as every socket on those skulls seemed to glow ember red.
In front of them, a majestic being stood, its wingspan extended far beyond any length seen before, contrasting harshly with the bleak landscape beyond. And it nodded its head in greetings.
~~~
The villagers stared in awe.
An angel has landed onto the ground and it was staring around itself, taking in the view of the village together with those villagers still lingering outside of their houses. Its wings dipped into a resting position and then it began to stride forward, seemingly toward the village center. Those villagers resting in their houses began streaming outward. Those villagers working in the fields began streaming back. And those villagers clustering around the being started to whisper in wonder to each other. They knew of the legends and myths of course. But right at this instant and moment, was it a symbol of hope or despair?
A Herald - Well done. Exactly what I wanted to see. A description of the plane, and a story. You even have a full story here, though things aren't quite concluded. You have interesting characters and descriptions. What's more, it's something that a set could be made of. As I said, well done.
Spelling and Grammar - 10/10. I saw no problems.
Characterization - 8/10. Hex is done well. He gets annoyed when he should be. He has a personality. I'd have wanted to know more about him. The Herald was just a little too unearthly for me. It had several showings of emotion, but they were always cut off. I'd like to know why. And it'd have been nice to see a little more of Kerin, given how important she's supposed to be.
Plot - 10/10. I like this. Between the stacked realms and the idea of some sort of scourge, one we don't even know the basis of, we have plenty to play with. Especially with the idea that it may just be a natural thing. There's a quest, and we're to set off on that. What's more, this is a full story in and of itself, leading into a full trilogy for the set. Good job.
Style - 8/10. I'm always a big fan of the little snippits of story. Letting us ignore the less important things of the battles, the Necromancers. Focusing on the story, and the bits of life involving the Herald. The panning of the mental camera to the other heralds was also well done. You lost points because your attention to detail and to description was lost later on in the story. Attention like that second paragraph in the story, describing your plane. Give us more of that and full points would be yours.
Prompt - 10/10. Story and plane, both fleshed out and well done. Bravo.
I was attempting to flesh out the settings of the world via the conversation between two individuals, rather than an adventure or travel from one part to another. Glad to see I didn't make too shabby of a work out of it.
As I go back over this I feel like I really did not give you enough credit the first time I think it might've been kind of late and considering it is a somewhat long story... anyway...
Adherence to Prompt: 8/10 - There is a plane with a story behind it. I feel like being the first story in a trilogy and consequently getting away with small story holes is kind of cheating, but more on that in plot. Much more importantly is the fact that I find the plane and story a little bit hackneyed... and considering the prompt is all about original plane design and plot idea, I feel like I need to dock you a bit for that (more on how it's hackneyed below). I found the stacked plane idea a little bit strange, but acceptable.
Plot and Tempo: 7/10 - I do like the way this sets up for a nice trilogy. We have the archetypal first third of a story: A problem is established by means of a subconflict that this story focuses on. This part is very well done. The problem I have is that the story seems a bit slow. I realize you wanted to show the obstinance of the herald and the consequent annoyance of Hex, but I feel like not much else was going on at times. My other problem was a bit more important: the whole otherworldly messenger of impending doom is kind of hackneyed. So is the complete and utter lack of understanding of the nature of this doom. It's a kind of overused story arc for the beginning phase of a story/trilogy if you ask me.
Writing Style and Identity: 8/10 - I agree with everything that Nai said except for one thing: I'm personally not a fan of the snippet idea. However, it wasn't that overdone, and when it was used, it was used very well. So it's not so bad. I want to say one thing though: Your switches between dialogue and narration are flawless. My favorite thing about your style is that it flows and seems natural. I mean, you maintained very good flow with a snippet style story, that's pretty amazing. You use narration for the correct things and use dialogue for the correct things. Very, very well done here. You do lose points for (again like Nai said) the degradation of careful detail and structure near the end. I can see how this was used to speed up the story and create a sense of action and urgency, but it still felt weird.
Characterization: 9/10 - Hex is characterized to perfection. Not overly so, not insufficiently so. He seems like a reasonable person with his own quirks. We can relate to him. We like him. I also feel like the Herald was a bit awkward but acknowledge that was basically the intent. I'm not sure why he shows small amounts of emotion, it seems like that cliche idea of "the powerful race that seems totally logical, but in the end has some vestige of emotion" or something. Anyway, a very minor flaw.
Grammar/Spelling: 10/10 - No glaring problems. I want to say that I vaguely remember a couple of sentences seeming a little awkward ("This was not a familiar territory for him, dammit" feels weird to me, I think because this is usually only done in a first person style, not 3rd person) but that it was very minor.
Hex clasped his hands in front of his face, brows furrowing slightly. He wondered how he should approach the… delicate situation. Ordinarily, he would have favored the more violent approach, but the nature of the being sitting in front of him dissuaded him from that particular course of action. First, he was uncertain as to how said being would react to both mind and physical intimidation being imposed upon it. Second, such an approach would actually cause uproar both politically and religiously. And third, Hex was feeling no small amount of awe himself. If only… they were able to cover up the situation quickly and silently enough. But it was a wistful wish. Said being’s entrance was loud and in full view of all the Holy Tabernacle’s faithful during the Golden Week, which meant nearly a quarter of the city’s population bore witness to it. Even now, throngs of believers and faithful were surrounding the Elline Chapel in prayers and worships, where the supposedly First Contact was taking place.
“Perhaps I wasn’t being clear enough. My name is Hexan Granc. I am the Grand Inquisitor of the Order of the Bladed Sun, one of the seven Divine Orders of the Jaerya Empire. By the order of both His Eminence the Holy Emperor Kalmant and His Exalted the Divine Voice Delmeer, I am to inquire who you are and what your purpose is for… coming down here.”
Hex paused uncertainly and took a deep breath. This was not a familiar territory for him, dammit.
“I am a Herald.”
Hex almost screamed in frustration. The being cocked its head at him, almost in a curious enquiry. It seemed to be hesitating as well. It wore a simple garb, a white almost-sparse wrap with rings of discolored metals circling around his arms, wrists, shins and neck. It was bald and disturbingly, its eyes had no pupil. Hex could not even determine whether said eyes were staring at him or not. The source of both the greatest shock and awe though was the largest pair of feathery wings attached to its back somehow, the length-span of which almost quadrupling said being’s height in total. Idly, Hex wondered whether the large splotches of mottling on those humongous pair of wings were part of the whole ensemble.
“Look, we are going to need more than that, okay? You are the Herald of what exactly?”
“I understand. You want to know more.”
Hex blinked his eyes while the being continued to speak in that strange musically tilted voice.
“I am Legion Eighty-Three. I am a Herald of the Rael, Foremost among Realms. Under the dying wish of our Highest of Lieges, I have come forth to warn you all of the impending Scourge that Devours and to urge you all to prepare for the Migration through Realms. We must seek the Source of Plane if All in Existence are to survive.”
Hex blinked his eyes several more times. He could feel the beginning of a massive headache rapidly encroaching.
“Well, by the Divine, I have no idea what you just said.”
~~~
“So, what do we have?”
Hex stalked through the marbled hallways of the Elline Chapel, getting increasingly agitated. His two aides, one a field Paladin that somehow was assigned to him and the other a Priestess of the Chapel herself hurriedly tried to match his pace.
“So far, we have detected 1427 attempted magical intrusions and scryings aimed at the Chapel herself, and have managed to successfully repel them all. The wards are slowly failing though under the bombardment of such magical intensity. And it looks set to only increase the longer we hold our… guest here. It was determined that some of those magical surveillance did not originate from the city, or even from within the Empire herself. That is a cause of great worry.”
“No choice in that regards however. News spread fast, especially one of this magnitude. We need more magical reinforcement to the wards. Is the crowd control measure in place?”
“Magically-wise? Yes. We are severely lacking in personnel though. The other Orders have began to send in all available agents to help mitigate the effect of the crowd thronging outside the Chapel, but the recall for those engaged outside of our borders are going to take awhile. It is but a temporary measure however. More people are coming in by the minutes. The Imperial Guards are going to seal off the city within the hour to prevent any more pouring in. We are fully expecting a riot to occur within a day or two, probably sooner, if we don’t release any news soon.”
“Any word from the Royal Physician yet?”
“No, Grand Inquisitor, but a demand has been made by the Dwarven Ambassador being housed in this city during the Golden Week period. Forgemaster Kerin has demanded to be given access to our guest. She wants the see the “angel” with her own eyes and be present during all questionings being made on it.”
“Negative. Make up an excuse for her or something.”
“She’s invoking the Peace Treaty of Farmollan, Grand Inquisitor.”
“Dammit. Stall her then for as long as you can. We need to determine whether the information our guest is going to offer us will harm our Empire first before sharing it with anyone else.”
“I understood, Grand Inquisitor.”
“I was not trained for this, dammit.”
~~~
Hex stared impatiently. The being sat relaxed on a chair, eyes closed and face serene. There was a glass of water set upon the table in front of it, but it went untouched. What does it even eat anyway? Still, they were running out of time and things were getting desperate by the seconds. It really needed to snap out of whatever it is it was doing.
“Done with your communion yet, Legion? We do not have much time.”
“I am not Legion. I am Legion Eighty-Three.”
“Yes, yes, now, are you done?”
“I am nearly fully recuperated. I will share with you what you need to know. The Scourge that Devours draws ever nearer. We are running out of time. And running out of strength.”
The expressionless face of the being seemed to sag for a moment. The wings drooped downward slightly. Hex seemed unable to avert his gaze as a single discolored feather dropped down from the tip of one of the wings to slowly float onto the polished marbled floor. The feather landed, softly and quietly. Hex snapped his head upright again and narrowed his eyes.
“Right. Then I’ll start without delay. At the crack of dawn this morning, above the Central Pavilion and in front of the faithful performing the sacred rites, you and a Juggernaught-class Void Beast crashed right on top of the pride of our city, the statue of our most exalted first Divine Voice, shattering it into a state beyond repairs. It was a… miracle that there was no fatality despite the density of the people thronging the Pavilion at that point of time.”
“That is correct. The Scezerai attacked me just as I was slipping through the Cracks between Realms. The Sziron told me about the bestiality of such an entity, but I was still surprised it would assault… something like me.”
“Scezerai? Sziron?”
“I believed you called the Scezerai a Juggernaught-class Void Beast. The name was told to me by the primary sentient race inhabiting that realm, the Sziron.”
Hex’s heart skipped a bit and his hands ceased their movements. His own voice sounded distant to him as he retorted back automatically.
“There is no sentient race inhabiting the Void.”
“There is. There are.
“You are lying. In the two centuries since we have known about the existence of the Void, we have yet to encounter such a race. Every single Void Beast that intruded into our world thus far was a mindless savagery given form. And every exploration and scrying into the Void thus far revealed an endless expanse of darkness filled with even more such monsters.”
“It is a very harsh realm. And they are a race with very limited population due to the severity of the environment. What few races have banded together for now under the leadership of the largest race, the Sziron.”
“I… I see. What do they look like?”
“The Sziron? Black and lean, with multiple limbs protruded from the sides. They are guided by red visual orbs lining their entire body. Highly intelligent, though their language might seem like clicks and hisses to you. Fiercely independent as well. Their evolutionary paths had taken them to develop a highly violent culture and magic to ensure their own survival. They don’t have dimensional-based magic, though their innate nature allows them to bend space instinctively.”
Hex’s mind wandered to a pair of such creatures that appeared in the Island-State of Deron three decades ago. He recalled the panic and army mobilization that occurred over that incident, a standard procedure really in dealing with the highly dangerous Void Beasts that occasionally found their way into their world somehow. The corpses were still preserved in Deron’s Azure Spire for research purposes.
“I see. We… might have been mistaken then. And what of your own world? Rael, is it? Where is Rael then?”
“Rael is our Realm and Rael is Us. Rael is Foremost among Realms. It is seven realms beyond yours, and first in the line among the Stack. It is a realm of gasses and light, of wind and storms, of flight and freedom. We that Soars fly among the suns and light, among the clouds and lightning, and around our Highest of Lieges.”
“You have no solid ground? No earth and soil? Then how do you grow food? What do you eat? Where do you build your house?”
“We do not consume sustenance. We do not need shelters. Lightning provides all. Light invigorates us. Air sustains. We are beings of energy and magic given form.”
“That’s very convenient. Are your… race the only one living on your world?”
There was a look of momentary regret flashing through the being’s face, if Hex read the almost expressionless features correctly.
“There was another. The Rior. Inflatable giants composed of liquids and gasses, wielding incredibly potent mind magic and poisonous limbs. There was a… disagreement between the Highest of Lieges and their Pinnacles. We wiped them out, only to mourn their loss much later. So much potential vanished, never to be regained. I wish… I wish not to speak of this matter further… for now.”
“And what’s to say you won’t do the same to us?”
“You are Lesser. It would not be right.”
“…I see. What do you mean by the Highest of Lieges? Are they your leaders?”
“Highest of Lieges is One and Only. Our Divine Lord. The Source of our Devotion. The Life of our Realm. Highest of Lieges gave us purpose and focus. And in return, we gave our All.”
Hex’s eyebrows creased at that.
“So that is your God in the metaphorical sense?”
“Highest of Lieges is One and Only. Our Divine Lord. The Source of our Devotion. The Life of our-“
“Yes. Yes. Is it a real being in flesh and… energy?”
“Highest of Lieges is One and Only. Our Divine Lord. The Source-“
“Earlier you said something about the dying wish? Is it…?”
“Yes. Dying. Dead. The Foremost among Realms is no more. The Highest of Lieges is no more. We are what were left. Those of us who migrated are the only survivors. Now we spread the Warning about the Scourge that Devours. The dying wish must be fulfilled. The Navigator must be found if everyone is to survive.”
“The Navigator?”
“The Navigator. The Source of Plane. The Origin. The End.”
~~~
“The Empire is under attack.”
Hex jerked his head up sharply from where he sat perusing some documents. The Priestess’ face was pale and her hands kept rubbing against the voluminous sleeves of her official robes nervously.
“By whom?
“The Necromancers of the Larkhan Wastes.”
Hex let out an impressive string of expletives, before demanding harshly.
“Was there any reason given? Or is this just another one of their Unholy Crusades?”
“No reason was given. This is more than just a mere retaliatory Crusade against our own Holy Crusades though. Words were just sent from the borders. The numbers that are being fielded tripled their previous invasion effort. There were rumored sightings of Dreadlords leading the Undeads.”
“They are really serious about it then. Dammit! At this point of time when nearly all of our resources are being spent on maintaining what semblance of order is left in this city.”
A sudden chill went down Hex’s spine and he rummaged through the stacks of documents clustered in front of him. A few seconds later, he managed to dig out a detailed map of the Jaerya Empire and spread it across his work table, ignoring the documents that cluttered to the floor as the result of his action.
“Where are they attacking?”
“The undead army is two days march away from both the City of Anja and Fort Drakel. You… you know why they are attacking?”
Hex glanced at the Priestess’ face. Realization began to slowly dawn on her face, followed swiftly by horror and panic.
“Yes. They are coming here. Send words to the Imperial Guards about our suspicions and forward the same message to the Palace. We must begin preparing the city for war. Also… we must prepare for an escort as well. We’ll use a secured coach. No magic. I have no idea how our transportation magic will affect our guest and vice-versa. I want two regiments of guards to escort us as we transport our guest to the capital. Request a dozen Priestesses from the Matron Matriarch to accompany us. Make sure she understands it’s very urgent. The wards must be maintained at all cost.”
“An escort? You really think they are coming for the “angel”?”
“That’s the only thing of value if they are coming from that direction. Have we received any news from the Royal Physician yet?”
“There is nothing conclusive as of yet. He did send word that the blood composition is radically different than both the Dwarves and us, different than even the Elves and the Void Beasts. The fundamental nature of the blood is less tethered to… reality. If there is an equivalent, he would venture so far as to say it’s akin to a magical construct.”
“So there is still a possibility of it being a magical spy sent by someone else? The story is rather convincing though.”
“Also, Forgemaster Kerin has ceased her demands to meet with our guest.”
“That is surprising. Our excuse was that convincing?”
“I don’t believe so, but she hurriedly left the Opal Chamber after one of her officers came to inform her of something. Last I heard, she’s preparing to depart back to the Ironspine Ranges.”
“Good riddance then. I am still surprised she’s dropped her demands so easily. At any rate, send the word out for the escort. I’ll go and speak with… Legion.”
“Of course, Grand Inquisitor.”
~~~
“You are worried.”
Hex glared at the “angel”, not that it was effective in the slightest. Legion could probably out-glare him any time of the day with that constantly blank expression. The both of them were now in a new smaller chamber, albeit one that rocked once in awhile accompanied by a soft droning noise in the background.
“You could say that. Your presence here is causing all sorts of problems with the Empire.”
“You are aware that the message I bring is for all of your Realm’s inhabitants? And not just for your people alone? It’s futile to keep me here. The message must be spread.”
“Until we can determine said information will not harm our Empire, I’m afraid you’re going to have to stay here with us. Shall we continue on with our discussion?”
“Go ahead.”
“How did you come to our world? Our experimentations with Dimensional Portals have yielded rather limited results. Thus far, we have managed to penetrate one other world. A world of giant trees that claw at the sky and endless sun that never set, where growth is uninhibited and nature went berserk. There is a race of tree-huggers in that particular world, which we call Elves based on one of our mythologies of pointy-eared folk. Thus far, attempts to pierce through any other world have yielded failed results.”
“The realm you called the Void? Is it not one such world as well?”
Hex frowned at that assertion. Maybe they had been using different terminologies?
“The Void is an emptiness in space, inhabited by horrors unparallel. There is no landmass of any shape and size within it. It is certainly not what we would call a world.”
“But it is. Radically different than what you would know or recognize, but it is still one of the two worlds in which you are allowed to connect to.”
“What do you mean by allowed to connect to?”
“Do you know the nature of the Realms? Or the worlds as you put it? Do you know the reality of this plane in which you inhabit?”
“I’ll admit you lost me there. But I am certain I’m not allowed to discuss our magical theories and sciences with you.”
“If your manipulation of the Cracks between Realms is accurate, you’ll find there are two and only two possible permutations. Any other variations other than those two will result in only failures. That is the nature and limitation of our Plane. That is the Prison and Refuge in which we all inhabit.”
“What do you mean by Plane?”
“I see. We are ancient and we remember much. Let me share with you what we remember. There is an endless space, known by many names: The Space between Planes, the Aether, the Blind Eternities. And in this space of chaotic energies, both mana and temporal, stable pockets of worlds and planes reside. All of us, you and me, came from one of these planes.”
“So this world is a plane? As are the Void of the Sziron and the giant forests of the Elves? As is Rael, your own world?”
“You erred. All these worlds you mentioned are part of the same Plane. That is why you are able to travel between them. That is why you were not ripped asunder by sheer chaos the moment you stepped through the Cracks.”
“How do you know all these? How are you aware of the restrictions?”
“Lore passed down through the centuries, as well as by trials and experimentations. Also, know this. We call our plane the Stacked Plane. A plane divided into many parts that string along in a single line. Each part is a single realm or world as you put it. Your world is one such part. And my world… Rael is Foremost among Realms, first in line and highest among all. Only we can pierce through the Cracks between a single realm and the chaos beyond. Every realm we have encountered such far could only penetrate through the realm before and the realm after.”
“If you know all these, then why haven’t we met your kind before? Why start to travel now after so many centuries and millennia?”
“We have no reason to start the Migrations through Realms before. Then the Scourge that Devours arrived from beyond the Eternities. And Rael started to die, consumed as it was by the relentless onslaught. Even despite all our efforts to halt its advances…”
“This notion that you have presented challenges all our beliefs up to now. You’ll have to forgive us if we find them rather hard to swallow.”
“It matters not. I am just a Herald. My task is to inform so that your people can prepare beforehand the upheaval that is to come. I would like to know of one thing. Earlier you said you assigned the term Elves to another race in which you have met in another world. It will interest me to know more of them. I do believe that is the next Realm I will go to in order to pass on the message and warning.”
“They are feral wild things, more prone to savagery than diplomatic talks. There were some contacts, limited as they were. We were told we were not the first outsiders they had to contend with. They have encountered another world before. A world of endless water in every direction with pockets of air suspended like jewels. A world where monsters were titanic and men that looked like fishes swam around. They told us it was a sunless world where creatures gave off their own light in the form of luminescence and magic.”
“That is indeed fascinating. It will present a significant barrier, I’m sure. Also, I am curious about one other thing. Do your mythologies talk about races such as us?”
Legion raised up both its wings to their full length and height to accentuate that point, nearly encompassing the entire chamber they were enclosed in during their journey.
“Yes, in fact they do. We know of beings such as you as Angels, divine messengers and agents sent by the Heavens to act in their stead. Generally, apocalypse and end of the world scenarios followed soon right after their arrivals.”
“Ah. Rather appropriate in this situation, don’t you think?”
“You don’t say.”
~~~
The blade thrummed with each slide through flesh, each grate against bones, and each life extinguished as it never was. With each strike, it drank and it drank deeply. And if not from the moisture collected from the rapidly cooling air, then it was from the blood that spilled as it left its owners’ still-warm bodies. And through it all, Hex tingled with both exhilaration and anger.
The spear was aimed at his face, its blade glinting off the rapidly fading light as the sun set beyond the hills. Hex’s sword thrust forward, scraping along the metal edge and flaking off some of the collected moisture. And then faster than the eyes could blink, he was within the spearman’s guard. The blade that parried was suddenly the blade that pierced, and in between the chinks in the chainmail and through the warmth of the soft flesh, it went in.
Lethal or not, it mattered not, as crystalline ice clawed outward from the spearman’s back in a shower of red, tearing through flesh and bones and armors and life. A single heartbeat passed. Then the ice shattered and the body slumped downward. Hex pulled the blade out and kicked the body aside. An arc of steel hummed with magic swung sharply to parry a flanking blow and the blade thrummed with power once more, collecting moisture from the air to power itself. And through it all, the stream of red kept dripping downward and flung around as the blade just danced and danced in the waning light.
~~~
“You are wounded.”
“Right. I’m sorry for making it so obvious.”
“You left in a hurry. There were sounds of a battle and screams of the dying.”
“Yes, they were coming for you. No surprise there. Words got out that we are transporting you. It was an ambush so there was a significant amount of injuries and deaths on our side as well. It must be one of the Empire’s bastard claimants to the throne. We have so many of those sneaking around. We are still not sacrificing speed for caution though. We need to secure you within the capital as soon as possible.”
Hex grunted and settled himself comfortably onto his chair. The bandages were itchy as heck, but until they have access to stronger healing magic, it would have to do for now. Legion rose and started walking up to Hex. Instantly the two Paladins standing guard near the doorway raised their sword and mace respectively in warning. The “angel” paused in his movement to stare bemusedly at them. Hex waved his Paladins down even as he continued to scrutinize their guest cautiously.
“What are you doing?”
“I can help ease your pain, though I cannot cure you. To do that, I would need an intimate knowledge of your anatomy and physical systems. Unless you would allow me access to such knowledge, I run the risk of flooding your body with too much magical energy. “
“Like a plant given too much sun or water then. No thanks, but I can manage on my own with what my healers have to offer me. Now, if you would sit back down, we are going to go over the most important aspect of your message. We would like to know more of this Scourge and this mythical Navigator.”
“Before we start, would you tell me something of your Empire and this world of yours?”
Hex paused and stared at Legion thoughtfully.
“You are aware you would not be allowed out of our sight, right?”
“I am aware of that.”
“I’ll humor you somewhat then with some basic understanding. Jaerya Empire is one of the three nations upon this world, and the biggest one I might add. The other two are the Kingdom of Abbel and the Verkan Sovereignty. We are currently at an uneasy truce with the former and at peace with the latter. Within our Empire however, there are two independent factions, the Necromancers of the Larkhan Wastes and the Sorcerers of the Quolto Isles. We are trying our best to wipe out the former, and have an understanding with the latter in that we leave them alone and they serve the Empire whenever we request it, within reason of course. There is another race in this world however, the Dwarves. Rather short, stocky and with beards that reach their knees. They are masters at forging and mining, with their nations situated somewhere underneath the Ironspine Ranges. So far, we are only allowed within their border cities and trading posts. Things haven’t exactly been cordial though we have an understanding of sorts between us, enforced by the Peace Treaty of Farmollan. That, in short, is the political situation of our Empire with her neighbors for now. Or rather, that’s the political situation we are telling everyone.”
“Thank you. And I will reciprocate in kind. The Scourge that Devours is an implacable being, formless and thoughtless, but malevolent in its intensity all the same. It’s relentless and unstoppable, and it devours all life without regards to anything.”
“Then how do you know it exists?”
In response, Legion raised one of his wings to its full span and caressed the mottled spots, his face seemingly grieving.
“This… is not natural. The Scourge that Devours is a pervasive thing. It sickens and drains the life force away from anything it infects. Living things, non-living things, and even the realm itself eventually fall to such an abnormality. We have no way of combating it, no way of purging it, no way to even resist it.”
“Is it a… disease?”
“A disease? It might be. But it’s more of a presence. The suns dying, the sky fouling, the earth rotting, and all inhabitants that live upon them began to degrade at a pace unparallel to any disease we have encountered before. And when we left Rael, the degradation on our own bodies stopped, though the damage had already been inflicted. But our own realm continued to degrade, and ultimately collapsed onto itself and disappeared from the Stacked Plane. We have tried to search for it, but it was futile. Where Rael once was, there was only the endless Chaos beyond that we cannot venture through.”
“Where did it come from then?”
“We do not know. We believed the Scourge that Devours invaded from beyond the Blind Eternities, though we know not how. Rael is Foremost among Realms and thus that possibility is very feasible. And it has been progressing through the realms ever since, erasing each of them one by one, completely annihilating one before moving on. Ultimately, it’s only a matter of time before it reaches your realm.”
“Earlier you said something about the Navigator. Why do you need to reach the Navigator? By what you said, it seems to be an artifact of great power? You also called it the Source of Plane. But why would our plane need to be powered by such an artifact?”
“You make errors in your assumptions. But you may be right. Let me tell you now of the myths and legends that were handed down through our Lore with regards to the creation of our plane, for even those are something we do not remember, ancient as we may be. The Stacked Plane is not our original plane. Our home plane was destroyed ages ago in a calamity that was so horrifying, somehow the Highest of Lieges blotted it out from our Lore.”
“Wait. Then you meant that our ancestors were transported to another plane from our original one?”
“Not transported. Instantaneous transportation on such a scale is impossible for anyone. There was a way though. As far as we know, the Stacked Plane is an artificial plane designed as one such transport. Or so the legends go. It is a giant transport designed to ship all the population of a single plane to a new one across the Blind Eternities.”
“You are insane. If what you said earlier was right, then my realm as it is was already a huge world by itself. And how many more realms are there stacked together? What could even possibly power a construct as colossal as what you just proposed? How does one even set about building an artificial plane?!”
“Consider the nature of the Space between Planes. As chaotic and violent as it must be, it is still possible to survive out there. We know of such a group of beings that can travel through the Blind Eternities safely and we have encountered two such in the past. We have reasons to believe that the Navigator is one of them. It was it who designed the Stacked Plane and it was it, or a construct it left behind, who is even now powering it after all this time. As far as we know, the Stacked Plane wasn’t as huge it is now as it was in the past. As the population expanded, so did the plane. It’s almost as if it was alive and aware of our need. And as the plane expanded, so did its mobility and speed decreases. We have been moving across the Blind Eternities for ages, but it is a slow and arduous journey, almost certainly going to take ages to come before we even reach our destination, if there is even anything still left at the end of the journey for us to arrive at.”
“Then that’s why you are seeking the Navigator or something like it? You believed that the Scourge can be defeated with the aid of such a being, if it even exists in the first place? It seems to me you are relying too much on such a hope.”
“Yes. For if Rael is Foremost among Realms, then there must be an End to this string of Realms. And if the Navigator cannot be found there, then what hope is left for us or this plane? For sooner or later, everything will be consumed by the Scourge that Devours.”
“Assuming what you just said is true, can the plane only just endlessly expand? Could… could the reverse be true as well? That after all this time, its limit has been reached and that the Scourge is the negative feedback system caused by the plane or the Navigator itself?”
“That… that possibility is indeed troubling if it is true. But truthfully, we have no idea. The only being that would have full knowledge of the entire thing would be the Navigator. Still, despite what may come, you must prepare your people for the Migration through Planes.”
“I doubt that is going to take place though, considering the logistics nightmare.”
“The warning has been delivered, and will be delivered soon to everyone in this realm.”
“You are not leaving our custody until we can get full measure of the information you are giving to us.”
“I need not to. My brethren will do it in my stead. I am not, and will not be the only of my race to spread the warning.”
Hex’s brains ground to a halt and he stared Legion with increasing trepidation.
“What do you mean?”
“I am a Herald, but not the only one. Even as we are speaking now, my brethren will spread the message. The beginning of the end is now, and we must all prepare for it. For in the next few decades, Cracks between Realms will be punctured through into this realm with a frequency not seen before and it will not only be done by us. Six realms before yours we have warned, and six realms before yours are in line before the Scourge that Devours. Even now, the inhabitants of those realms are preparing and augmenting themselves, both biologically and magically, to survive in each subsequent realm they migrate to and beyond. Some had already done so. You must do the same. It is good that you have foreknowledge of at least two realms beyond yours.”
Hex stood up and slammed his fist onto the table before him. He tried to muster up absolute rage but could only feel sheer panic within his chest. Things would get out of control, and soon, if Legion was to be believed.
“Are you insane? Are you even aware of the implications to the natural and political order of this world if creatures and beings we have never even seen before this were to suddenly appear out of nowhere to live among us? It will be absolute chaos!”
“In times of great distress and need, we must adapt. As must you. As must the others that come after you. When I judge it to be time, I will move onward again to the next realm to meet with these Elves to impart forward the warning, preparing them for your arrival and those that come before you.”
“You will do no such thing.”
“Our Plane is dying. Rael is gone. As are two other realms. You will do well to heed this message if what remains of your race is to survive.”
And for the first time ever, Hex was truly at a loss as to how to proceed.
~~~
“Forgemaster! You’re back!”
Kerin ignored the guards stationed outside the Community Hall and hurried through the archways. Beyond, the hall was thronged with dwarves with seemingly every single empty space occupied. But despite the packed crowd, there was barely any noise above the occasional whispers as the being standing in the middle of hall conversed loudly with a trio of Elders. Kerin’s eyes immediately riveted onto the largest pair of wings she had ever seen, on a humanoid figure no less, which seemed to flex naturally even as said being seemed to limp a bit.
~~~
A single lady, ghostly pale, with hairs bleached white as snow and skin equally ashen, stood in a grave manner. She wore a fully armored battle-dress with every inch covered by blades of steel rather the standard plated equivalent, and held a large heavy looking broadsword loosely in her right hand as if the weight mattered not at all. Besides her was a crooked figure, hunched over with the weight of years and covered with a black tattered hooded robe. The figure was holding onto a gnarled staff with a pair of gray hands covered with yellowed nails. A series of skulls were lodged firmly along said staff, each etched with scripts and sigils of power even as every socket on those skulls seemed to glow ember red.
In front of them, a majestic being stood, its wingspan extended far beyond any length seen before, contrasting harshly with the bleak landscape beyond. And it nodded its head in greetings.
~~~
The villagers stared in awe.
An angel has landed onto the ground and it was staring around itself, taking in the view of the village together with those villagers still lingering outside of their houses. Its wings dipped into a resting position and then it began to stride forward, seemingly toward the village center. Those villagers resting in their houses began streaming outward. Those villagers working in the fields began streaming back. And those villagers clustering around the being started to whisper in wonder to each other. They knew of the legends and myths of course. But right at this instant and moment, was it a symbol of hope or despair?
~~~
And each of those beings intoned solemnly.
“I am a Herald.”
We'll make you an offer you can't refuse.
Hosting: Vista Mafia
Hosted: Intrigue Mafia (Mini), Seance #43 (Basic), Conflux Mafia (Normal), Goo Mafia (FTQ), Experiment #26 (Basic)
Ongoing/Completed - 0/41
Town/Mafia/SK/Survivor - 30/6/4/1
NKed/Lynched/Survived - 15/11/15
Spelling and Grammar - 10/10. I saw no problems.
Characterization - 8/10. Hex is done well. He gets annoyed when he should be. He has a personality. I'd have wanted to know more about him. The Herald was just a little too unearthly for me. It had several showings of emotion, but they were always cut off. I'd like to know why. And it'd have been nice to see a little more of Kerin, given how important she's supposed to be.
Plot - 10/10. I like this. Between the stacked realms and the idea of some sort of scourge, one we don't even know the basis of, we have plenty to play with. Especially with the idea that it may just be a natural thing. There's a quest, and we're to set off on that. What's more, this is a full story in and of itself, leading into a full trilogy for the set. Good job.
Style - 8/10. I'm always a big fan of the little snippits of story. Letting us ignore the less important things of the battles, the Necromancers. Focusing on the story, and the bits of life involving the Herald. The panning of the mental camera to the other heralds was also well done. You lost points because your attention to detail and to description was lost later on in the story. Attention like that second paragraph in the story, describing your plane. Give us more of that and full points would be yours.
Prompt - 10/10. Story and plane, both fleshed out and well done. Bravo.
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I was attempting to flesh out the settings of the world via the conversation between two individuals, rather than an adventure or travel from one part to another. Glad to see I didn't make too shabby of a work out of it.
We'll make you an offer you can't refuse.
Hosting: Vista Mafia
Hosted: Intrigue Mafia (Mini), Seance #43 (Basic), Conflux Mafia (Normal), Goo Mafia (FTQ), Experiment #26 (Basic)
Ongoing/Completed - 0/41
Town/Mafia/SK/Survivor - 30/6/4/1
NKed/Lynched/Survived - 15/11/15
Adherence to Prompt: 8/10 - There is a plane with a story behind it. I feel like being the first story in a trilogy and consequently getting away with small story holes is kind of cheating, but more on that in plot. Much more importantly is the fact that I find the plane and story a little bit hackneyed... and considering the prompt is all about original plane design and plot idea, I feel like I need to dock you a bit for that (more on how it's hackneyed below). I found the stacked plane idea a little bit strange, but acceptable.
Plot and Tempo: 7/10 - I do like the way this sets up for a nice trilogy. We have the archetypal first third of a story: A problem is established by means of a subconflict that this story focuses on. This part is very well done. The problem I have is that the story seems a bit slow. I realize you wanted to show the obstinance of the herald and the consequent annoyance of Hex, but I feel like not much else was going on at times. My other problem was a bit more important: the whole otherworldly messenger of impending doom is kind of hackneyed. So is the complete and utter lack of understanding of the nature of this doom. It's a kind of overused story arc for the beginning phase of a story/trilogy if you ask me.
Writing Style and Identity: 8/10 - I agree with everything that Nai said except for one thing: I'm personally not a fan of the snippet idea. However, it wasn't that overdone, and when it was used, it was used very well. So it's not so bad. I want to say one thing though: Your switches between dialogue and narration are flawless. My favorite thing about your style is that it flows and seems natural. I mean, you maintained very good flow with a snippet style story, that's pretty amazing. You use narration for the correct things and use dialogue for the correct things. Very, very well done here. You do lose points for (again like Nai said) the degradation of careful detail and structure near the end. I can see how this was used to speed up the story and create a sense of action and urgency, but it still felt weird.
Characterization: 9/10 - Hex is characterized to perfection. Not overly so, not insufficiently so. He seems like a reasonable person with his own quirks. We can relate to him. We like him. I also feel like the Herald was a bit awkward but acknowledge that was basically the intent. I'm not sure why he shows small amounts of emotion, it seems like that cliche idea of "the powerful race that seems totally logical, but in the end has some vestige of emotion" or something. Anyway, a very minor flaw.
Grammar/Spelling: 10/10 - No glaring problems. I want to say that I vaguely remember a couple of sentences seeming a little awkward ("This was not a familiar territory for him, dammit" feels weird to me, I think because this is usually only done in a first person style, not 3rd person) but that it was very minor.
Thanks a lot for the comments. I think I still have a lot to learn in my writings.
We'll make you an offer you can't refuse.
Hosting: Vista Mafia
Hosted: Intrigue Mafia (Mini), Seance #43 (Basic), Conflux Mafia (Normal), Goo Mafia (FTQ), Experiment #26 (Basic)
Ongoing/Completed - 0/41
Town/Mafia/SK/Survivor - 30/6/4/1
NKed/Lynched/Survived - 15/11/15