[IC] A True Sacrifice - CLOSED

[Mirrodin]

Ian had spent the day working with Nora, the engineer aboard the U.S.F. (United Space Federation) Guilty Sin. The day before he had been with Jeff, the cook, in the morning and spend the afternoon with James in the lab. He never really enjoyed working one job. It wasn’t his calling. He was really just the go to guy for odd jobs aboard the ship. He had already been aboard for 6 months and made quite a name for himself in that time period, the captain himself had taken notice, which was uncommon in a ship so large.

After hours of labor in the engine room, helping to repair one of the gravity drives for the ship, he was finally ready for some sleep. Some real R&R . He hadn’t gotten much recently due to the huge influx of requests he was getting from various members of the crew. The whole ship was in an uproar due to entry into an unexplored solar system that no one had any record of before now. The first planet on their stop wasn’t far, maybe 3 more hours of travel and he was assigned to the team that would be landing. The captain had decided to name it Degnali with the designation (34282). The fact that Ian was going down to the planet really gave an idea of how useful the captain found him aboard the ship. He would be accompanying the captain himself along with a few research officers and some of the ships militia.

4 and a half hours later, Ian was sitting aboard a smaller craft that would be used as the base of operations for the duration of their stay on the new planet. their mission was to gather soil and rock samples and to examine the planet for possible inhabitation. the trip to the planet only took a few minutes even though it felt like hours aboard the small ship. the expedition was scheduled to last a week in order to maximize the potential gain in a journey to the surface.

on the 4th day of the expedition a strange crystal was discovered and taken back for research due to it’s strange properties and abnormal light sequences. after numerous tests and studies it was determined that the crystal held immense power and could potentially be used as an energy source for the ship and seeing how Ian was the only one with mechanical experience that was on the expedition, he was asked to install it into the Lander’s core system to see how it would react.

As Ian touched the crystal he could feel the power radiating through the fabric of his gloves, with such uncontrollable power there was no way the ship could contain it without blowing the entire grid. he gently placed it back on the table and removed the gloves. “i’m not sure this is such a good idea” he told the captain, leaning back against the table as he spoke. he felt the slight shift of weight on the table as the crystal fell and he quickly reached out to catch it before it hit the ground. it was only as he got a firm grip on the crystal that he really felt the power and realized his mistake.

The power felt like a river of frozen water and ice as it tore through his veins, empowering him. the pain was so intense he could feel himself fading until all that was left was darkness. “i must have passed out..” he thought to himself, glancing around at the black void he was floating weightlessly in.

”welcome, Ian. my name is Lupus and beginning now I shall be your partner. i do apologize for the pain you are feeling.. i am scanning your mind, discovering who has awakened me” a rich, booming voice spoke in the darkness. it was a woman’s voice, strong and firm as it spoke but also calming and gentle.

”you shall do. you shall become the next great archon of gravity, my dear child. don’t dissapoint me. i will be watching your progress” Ian could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke, almost as if she was taunting him in some way.

it was days before Ian woke up, his body covered in sweat and the group of researchers were crowded around him as if he was a new specimen in the lab. “what happened” he groaned, rubbing his head to try and numb some of the pain. it all came back to him in a flash, the crystal, the voice, the pain. it was all too much “what is going on” he mumbled softly, almost unsure of his own body. “what happened to the crystal?” one of the scientists stepped forward and offered him a glass of water that he gladly accepted. “it seems that when you touched that crystal it’s power was absorbed by your body and the crystal itself crumbled. in coordination with the crumbling crystal, those gauntlets and boots appeared on you” the scientist explained pointing out the weapons Ian had yet to take notice of. this was all a little much for Ian after the intense pain of the crystal and he quickly laid back down, staring up at the ceiling to try and calm down from the shock

”It was not a dream, dear one. i am a part of you now, just like you will forever be a part of this universe. you are special, Ian. you have been chosen”

[J D Jalowiec]

IMG - Dust

1.

The Average Day

“Spineless!”
The filter from the breathing apparatus brought an extra sizzle to an otherwise grave voice. Gideon sprinted after the group of food thieves and into the raging dust storm. Two females, one male, and he was keeping up decently well with such limited vision underneath the dust goggles. However, the group escaped after only a short run with his one tater’.

Gideon cursed into the dust with a closed fist, knowing full well they could hear him. With an angry shuffle, he wandered back to his farm. “Eco restoration specialist”, he growled under the apparatus, “Nonsense.”

Steel doors shifted open, and the sound of dust flying around subsided to a soft noise. Gideon stepped inside and the doors closed behind him. Darkness…- then the click of a ceiling light! His indoor housing seemed so quaint.
Steel furniture, linens, and a fridge full of dry pouches of substance were the centerpieces of his home. He sat down on his favorite chair, handmade from twisted black wood grown down below with the rest of the population. Inside of this metal shack, he was protected from all sorts of threats outside. He was protected from Brothen (A type of creature commonly found within the wastes of Interim), dust storms, other people, etc.

He slid his leather boots off, and removed his breathing apparatus and goggles to reveal clean spots of skin circled with dirt. A sink was his best friend. He stood up, walked a short distance to the other side of the shack where the sink was. Everything he needed to live was in the one room- even the toilet. After a conservative rinse, he waited until nightfall. There was no use farming or restoring during the storm.. Night grew brisk, and dust settled rather peacefully. And so, Gideon slept.
He dreamt of nothing, yet he knew he was dreaming.

Armed with an array of farming equipment, he was rather proficient with his hands. The next day he wore the same clothes, and the same gear, and prepped the land for vegetation through the use of a technological hoe. He’s tried the same thing, over and over, and he has yet to combat the dust storms. At times, he’s only able to grow the occasional genetically enhanced potato, but even then its reward is sparse.

The sun, blocked by clouds, seemed to begin to set. There was no storm, thus today was good in Gideon’s eyes. The shack was home, and night had fallen with only a slight wind to keep it company.

The mirror above the sink was Gideon’s nightmare every day. He would usually ignore his reflection for any male he met looked similar to him. Tonight felt different though. Tonight, Gideon felt upset. With both hands on the sink, Gideon stared into his own reflection. It felt like he was looking at himself with disappointment, and though nothing had to be said, it was as if the reflection was lashing out at him emotionally. Suicide was always an option, he pondered.

2.

Coincidence

The door knocked. It was night- how curious.
Gideon ignored the knock, and sat down in his favorite chair.
Moments passed, leaving Gideon wondering if he misheard, and he was proven wrong when the knock happened twice now. It was clearly a person at the door.

“Who is it?”
Gideon walked up to the door, and spoke loud enough to be heard through the steel door.
No response.
“Anyone there?”
Gideon grabbed at his survival knife he owned, and opened the door with the push of a button.
Darkness, only the darkness of the night existed at his doorstep.
He closed the door, and went to sleep.

The next morning came, and Gideon prepped for another day of work.
clink! He nearly tripped as he went out the door. With teeth grit and a grunt escaping the mask, one of the largest black crystals he’d ever seen had landed on his doorstep from the wind night prior. It must’ve been the size of a shotgun shell.

He leaned down, and picked up the mysteriously cold crystal with his leather gloves. Fitting perfectly into his palm, the crystal seemed blacker than black itself. It was almost as if it absorbed light and light just given up. It had no shimmer like other crystals he’d seen. The first thought he had was, “I could trade this for a trade ship, and then I could leave!”

The next thought he had did not belong to him. It was another voice that hissed in his ear without intelligibility. He dropped the crystal back into the dirt immediately out of impulse. With eyes widened behind the goggles, he opened the door to his shack and kicked the crystal inside.
The sound of dust faded, and the crystal sat in the middle of the room on the steel floor. Heavy but hesitant boot steps moved towards the crystal, and the door shut behind Gideon.
He touched it again with gloves on, and whispers started inhabiting his mind again before dissipating as quickly as they came. He put the crystal into his chest rig, and began his day without another thought about the gem.

After a day of ‘restoration’ he returned back inside. He cleaned, did the same routine, masturbated (which was rare in his genetically modified species), cleaned the dirt from his body, and then held the gem with curiosity within his gloves.

3.

Discovery

Sitting at the foot of his bed, all he could do was hold the gem daintily in the palms of his leather bound hands. He was on a different plane of thought.
With an eyebrow raised, he removed one of his gloves. The gem began to suck the light from the room. The one ceiling light went out, and the gem was touched by Gideon with a bare finger.

“Aah!” Gideon roared in searing flesh. The gem felt like pure electricity, and Gideon was unable to escape its grasp. Whispers flooded his mind, and his body was no longer his. So much pain flooded into his body, more pain than he had ever felt before. A prankster from outside ran away from the sounds of the shack. It had sounded like death had met Gideon.

“You okay in there?!” There was pounding at the door.
Gideon awoke, drool hanging off his lip and the gem in hand. Dizziness was the most accurate word for his current state. “Yes, officer?” Gideon lazily stumbled to the steel door, revealing two officers in uniform and a meek child behind them. Nobody looked happy. “We had a key witness state that there was a disturbance up here. Are there any problems? Anything you’ve encountered?” Gideon spoke softly and leaned on the steel door in an ache, “It’s just me who lives here, I don’t know of any disturbance.”.

“We were told that there was a rather painful screaming.”
“That was me. I had fallen and dislocated my shoulder, but I’m okay now. I fixed myself. Sorry to waste your time.” The officers gave Gideon quite a look, before saying goodbye and apologies.
After the door had shut, Gideon slid down on his back and held the crystal in front of him with shaky hands.
“Finally.”
A voice spoke, but it wasn’t Gideon’s.
“Who-“ the human began to speak.
“Erebos the Shadow.” The voice was heavy with disappointment and felt like a series of whispers. “I expected someone qualified.”

Gideon stumbled to his feet, for the first time encountering a feeling much stronger than he had ever felt. It was power and fear of that very power.
And so, with a firm plot inside Gideon’s mind, the voice of Erebos began to tell the story of Thanatos. After the story, and some questions, Erebos stated, “You’re taking up the role of Archon of Darkness.”

“. . .”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“Why me?”
“You touched the crystal, mortal.”

4.

Curiosity into Violence

After hours of silence
And so night did just that, it came.
Gideon stepped outside into a rather still environment. There was little to no dust flare-up.
“Summon your weapon." Erebos ordered. Gideon did just that. With a sudden stillness in his heart, his special weapon arose from the shadows of his fingers into a rough scaled cleaver with a sharp edge that rested heavy in Gideon’s right hand. “Learn to use this-“ Erebos stated seriously, “Learn to fight.”

And into the darkness Gideon fought nothingness, learning to use the weapon he dubbed ‘Broodmother’. When swung, the cleaver extended into a six foot long whip that could be manipulated in most any direction. “Brutal.” Gideon smiled softly.

[BreakingMe]

“Alright Maddie, I’m gonna need you to lean a little farther forward.” Maddie tilted her hips, her chest pushing prominently forward with her legs spread uncomfortably far apart. The lace teddy she wore barely covered anything and the fabric was grating against her skin. “That’s great babe, now look surprised.” What the hell? Maddie thought. This was a shoot for a catalog, not a porn intro. She flatlined her lips and cocked an eyebrow. The man behind the camera grimaced and moved from his crouched position on the floor to a stand. His accent suggested his Austrailian origin but had a slight Eastern US overlay, as if he had moved to the States when he was young. “Alright, that’s not right. How about something more relaxed? You’re on a beach and you see the man of your dreams out in the water…” With that image, Maddie burst out laughing. Man of my dreams, yeah right. She stood straight and held up her hand.

“I’m gonna need five minutes. I’m thirsty.” It wasn’t true but she needed a break anyway. She grabbed the satin robed placed just off to the right of the photoshoot area and draped it across herself. Modeling was getting to be a drag. Her dream had always been to act but she took advantage of the modeling opportunity when it surfaced. Besides, it’s not like she could complain about her life. She had more money than she knew what to do with, she was told she was beautiful on a daily basis, and, after a shoot or two was done, her free time was her own. She reached the table that held numerous water bottles, grabbed one and cracked it open. She downed half of it just as her assistant reached her. The nervous looking Asian man lightly tapped her elbow. Maddie turned and cocked her infamous eyebrow again.

“Miss Tyler,” the man began in a soft voice. Too soft for a man, really. “There’s a package waiting for you.” He looked over his heavily rimmed glasses. He motioned toward the back of the studio, where assistants for other people were wandering around. “I left it back here.” He finished.

Maddie set the bottle down and followed him. His name was Greg. Or was it Craig? She wasn’t sure to be honest. She had had three assistants start and quit in the last month. Craig made number four. It wasn’t as if Maddie was hard to work with. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She had always been a person to take care of herself and do things for herself. Her modeling contract, however, dictated that she needed an assistant. It was supposed to relieve the models of weight on their shoulders but it seemed more of hindrance to Maddie than anything. They reached the back of the studio and he handed over a padded envelope. When Maddie grabbed it from his hands, he turned on his heel and walked away.

Maddie looked over the package. It was a computer generated label and had no return address. She opened it, tipped it in her hand and a heavy necklace fell out. It was antique looking and held a large, emerald color stone in the middle. She glanced inside the envelope to see if there was a note or something but it was empty. She dropped the envelope and held the necklace up to the light. There seemed to be some sort of inscription around the edge of where the stone was held. Maddie rubbed at it slightly but it was still too tarnished to read.

“Miss Tyler! We’re ready when you are please!” The photographer shouted across the room. Maddie lifted her head up at him and smiled slightly. She looked back at the necklace in her hand and walked back to the shooting area. She walked right up to the photographer and held up the necklace.

“What do you think about adding this to the shot, Jack?” He was looking down at his camera, fiddling with the lens when replied.

“Sure babe, whatever.” He didn’t even look up as she placed the necklace around her neck. Immediately her legs gave out and she collapsed on the floor. Her head spun in circles and everything went black. Then, a blindingly bright light shot through her vision and a gravelly voice spoke to her. You are mine now. I am yours. We are Earth and we are together. Maddie couldn’t place the voice as male or female. It held of twinge of authority that made her shiver. All the sudden the spinning and the light stopped. Maddie opened her eyes to see Jack and Craig standing over her. Jack was speaking to her but she couldn’t hear him. Craig looked worried. Craig always looked worried.
“Babe? Babe? Can you hear me? Maddie?” Jack’s voice finally pierced through the cloud hanging in Maddie’s ears. She sat up, sweat pouring down her face. “Maddie?” He asked again. She took a deep breath.

“Wow, what happened?” she asked. She took the bottle of water Craig held out to her and took a small sip.

“You passed out,” Craig answered. “Do you need something more to eat?” He pushed his glasses up farther on his nose and shifted slightly on his feet. Maddie heard Jack mumble something about a hangover and she ignored him. She would never drink the night before a job. She looked up at Craig again.

“Actually,” she replied as she took his hand and stood, “I think I’m done for today. I’d like to go back to my hotel room. Tell Jack that if he hasn’t gotten his shot, we can reschedule for another day.” She turned and walked out of the studio, still in her lace teddy and still wearing the emerald necklace.

[Chaoticmickey]

"Be careful, Aella," her Baba called after her, making the silver haired elf smile. "I always am," Aella grinned, pulling her long hair out of her face with a ribbon. She looked at the mountains around her, feeling the wind caress her face. It was late spring, and all of the mountains were mostly green, with a few snow caps here and there from just the altitude. Taking in a deep breath, she ran for the mountain side, jumping off the sheer cliff face. Letting herself fall for a little, the silver haired girl smiled as she felt the wind almost accept her like a child into it's mother's arms.

Pressing a button on her chest, Aella's arms forced back up as she soared back onto the air, her armor changing into it's glider form. The small girl laughed as she glided around and set her eyes for a new mountain top. She hadn't ever explored it, since it always seemed to be covered in dangerous whirlwinds. However, something was calling her there, and today was just the day to do it. The winds seemed to have died down and she could probably land safely. Circling the mountain carefully, she spotted a nice ledge to land, and a small cave nearby. Diving down, she landed and rolled on the flat area, smiling as she came to look upon the uncharted mountain.

The elf rolled the wings back into her suit, the spring lock system clicking as it loaded again. She slowly walked forward, unsure of whether she should enter the cave or not. There seemed to be a small whisper on the wind as it picked up again. "Come closer..." Aella walked into the cave, gasping as she saw the inside. The entire cave seemed to be made out of different quartz, the colors swirling and reflecting rainbows of light. She continued to follow the voice, as it beckoned her, "Come closer..."

As she neared the back of the cave, Aella saw a small window of light shining down on a necklace that was seemingly being kept up with air. Biting her lip, she hesitantly grabbed it and placed it around her neck. Shivering, her head felt light as she hit the ground. "My child," the voice from earlier said, though it was much stronger now. It almost seemed to be that of a young woman, but it was so light, like a fleeting wind, "You have been chosen to be the Archon of Air. It is a great responsibility that you have been bestowed, and a great power you now control."

"What am I supposed to do," Aella whispered as a vision came to her. She was surrounded by others she didn't know, smiling and laughing. Then, it shifted to a dark figure seemingly attacking a large vessel of some sorts. She shivered, as the voice said, "All will be explained in time." The elf stood as soon as she was no longer busy, and took off for home, careful to ride the calm winds.

[Kaalee]

There are lots of things a Princess shouldn't do. She should never go out without a tiara and her best pair of shoes, she should never get muddy, and she should never get drunk with some of the lower born human. Yet, that is currently exactly what she was doing.

"Princess, I think you've had enough." Finley, the bartender of the current bar Talay-a was in. Finley had been a long time friend of hers. However, word had gotten around that he was housing resistance members. Resistance members that were plotting her demise. It was a blow to the gut, and she investigated it herself. It panned out, and while the head of her Guard wanted her to stay out of it, she insisted on it. She had to get drunk first though.
"Finley, why don't you like me?" Talay-a asked him as she swayed a little unsteadily in her seat.
"I like you plenty Princess, that's why I'm cutting you off." Finley laughed and Talay-a sighed, grabbing a file from the bag at her feet.
"Then why do you want to kill me?" Talay-a asked him, with a raised eyebrow. He glanced at the file before coming around the bar and grabbing her arm, dragging her into the back office. As soon as they were free of prying eyes she yanked herself away, keeping the bile down as her head spun and her gut churned. It caught her slightly off guard because she hadn't thought she had gotten that drunk.

"You don't know what is going on Princess, at all so I suggest you keep yourself out of it." Finley recommended and she glared at him. She's had a lot of people try and kill her over the duration of her life, but none stung quite like this. She chose her friends wisely and until now, she hadn't been wrong so this was simply the worst kind of blow.

"I should keep myself out of a plot for my assassination? That's a new one, I mean really Finley." Talay-a had to sit down when the spinning got worse, and it was in that moment that she realized she had been drugged. She grabbed her blades out and and as quickly as she could, she stabbed the bastard in the neck. The blades were spelled to make to either make the death painless or as painful as possible. She chose the one to make it painful, as one last fuck you. The last thing she remembered seeing is members of her personal guard bursting into the office.

When she woke up, it seemed her entire family was in the room. Her mother, all her siblings, her father, and both her paternal grandparents, as well as her maternal grandfather were all in the room. Even her stepmother showed up and while Talay-a got along with her stepmother, her mother did not and the two avoided each other like wildfire.

"Well I'll be the first to say it...how stupid are you?" Toyesh, her elder brother, said and Talay-a glared at him.

"Enough Toyesh. Your sister had her reasons and we won't question them. Are you okay Talay-a? You gave us quite a scare." Talay-a's father asked her and she sat up, stretching out her muscles. She glanced at the clock on her wall, which displayed the day.

"Two days? How?" Talay-a tried to get up but was held down by her brother.

"You were drugged with magic Tay, you're not going anywhere for awhile, not until you've completely recovered." Toyesh informed her and she flopped back into bed. Magic usually affected humans and hybrids a lot worse then Atlantians, which is probably why she was asleep for two days instead of a couple hours.

"I feel fine, a little claustrophobic since my entire family decided to crowd into my room." Talay-a insinuated, glancing at everyone in the room. Her sister's and her stepmother got the message first, her grandparents following suit shortly. That left her with only her brother shortly.

"Would you like to explain why you decided to go kill a random human bartender? Or is that another one of your secrets?" Toyesh was none to happy that Talay-a had been slipping further and further from his grasp. As she had gotten older, she had her own ideals, crafted her own image and as both her brother and the biggest profiter of her work, he didn't like it.

"He was part of an assassination plot to kill me. I had planned to imprison him and have him stand on trial but then end result is still the same, I suppose." Talay-a said as she sat up once more, this time actually getting out of bed. Her brother didn't protest this time, as she moved into her closet and started to get dress.

"Isn't the Ambassador from Malira coming today?" Talay-a asked as she put on one of her finer outfits and an actual tiara, pinning it in place quickly since she actually had stuff today. She shoved her shoes on and went back out and out of her bedroom, her brother following her.

"He and his family are already here, Tay. They're in mother's parlor at the moment." Toyesh informed her and she spun on her heel, heading in the opposite direction from where she's going. Toyesh continued to follow her but she ignored him until she arrived at the parlor.
"Princess Talay-a! What a pleasant surprise, your father informed us you wouldn't be joining us for awhile?" The ambassador was a slimy man who had been pressing for a union between his daughter and Talay-a for awhile now, to bind the two houses together except his daughter was a conniving bitch and Talay-a couldn't stand her, nor her father.
"We all know I am constantly surpassing my father's expectations." Talay-a smiled politely as the ambassador made snapping noises at one of his attendants. The attendant brought a flat box to her, filled with all kinds of gems of all shapes and sizes.

"Your father mentioned a commission of a new tiara for you, so I decided to make a contribution. Pick one of these gems and we'll have it forged into the tiara for you." The ambassador explained and Talay-a smiled her fake, vapid, smile before running her fingers over the top of the gems. Eventually she stopped over an aquamarine colored one, the sacred color and gem of their patron goddess, Andromeda. Her fingers closed around it and suddenly she was drowning.

It was an uncomfortable feeling, and something she wasn't used too. After a few seconds it went away and she was standing in a cavern with someone who looked remarkably like Andromeda.

Your time has come, Talay-a Gunosh. It's time for you to take up the fight as the Archon of Water.

And then she was back in the parlor with everyone staring at her.

"Excuse me, I'm not feeling as well as I thought." Talay-a made her excuses while secretly pocketing the gem and all but fleeing from the room.

[Barioth]

The Distant Past

Jacky shoved his hands into the pockets of his trench coat as a gust of cold wind made him shiver. He bit his lip and nervously glanced side to side as he followed close behind the two other guys in trench coats. His right hand tightly gripped around the item in his pocket, the cold feel of the gun's handle made the weather outside seem like a heat wave. He felt sick, he wanted to vomit from the anxiety as he squirmed. Cautiously the three crossed the street and began walking towards a tall warehouse on the end of the dock. It was deep night outside, the moons had already gone and there was no light whatsoever besides the occasional streetlight.

One of the men walking with him noticed out of the corner of his eye. "Oi, Jacky boy, ya better nut up and get ready my friend, ya knew this was gonna happen eventually." Roy said to him, nearly spitting through the gap in his teeth. Roy was an older gentleman, he had dark brown hair with streaks of gray tucked beneath a knit wool cap.

Akio looked back at him, the distress evident on Jacky's face, "Hehe Jacky boy feelin' squeamish? I knew you was a fruitcake. This is gonna be a breeze, they don't even know we comin', you just stand there and look tough." Akio was short and stocky barely breaking 5"2', but he didn't seem so short with the weapon he carried rested on his shoulder. A customize plasma laser assault rifle, Akio's pride and joy affectionately named 'Honey'.

A smile almost broke Jacky's nervous grimace. They were trying to comfort him in their own off-putting way, and the sentiment wasn't lost on him. Roy was right, he had known this day would come. Ever since he had joined up with the Metsukes, he knew he wouldn't play his piano forever, he would have to start doing more as he was doing today. His hand gripped tighter around the grip of the gun as Akio and Roy broke open the lock on the door. "On my count..one...two...three", with the third finger on Roy's finger going down, Jacky took a deep gulp as Akio rammed the door down, the light of the inside caught Jacky off guard as his eyes struggled to adjust to the change in brightness, through his squinting eyes he saw the sight of a group of five people all sitting around a table with surprised looks on their faces. The loud zipping sounds of Honey turned to soft drumming in his ears, all he could hear was his own heartbeat. He stumbled backwards as he watched beams of light and bullets riddle the five men with holes. He struggled to regain his senses as he fumbled with his gun, he couldn't seem to get a grip on it no matter what he did. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as a man took aim at Roy from the side of the warehouse outside their views. He gripped his gun and fired.

He stared at the corpse of the man he had shot for what seemed an eternity. "Come on brother, you did good today, saved me ass" Roy said as a hand clapped his shoulder. "He would've done the same to you if he had the chance, let's get out of here before the authorities catch wind, eh?" Roy turned and began to leave the compound. Jacky looked at the man's face, almost peaceful as if he had never been shot, except for the flecks of blood and the star-shaped hole where his eye should have been, he was the epitome of a living being. He didn't want to vomit anymore, he didn't feel sick anymore, just some kind of twisted fascination. Akio walked up to Jacky and stared down at the body, "Good shit Jackson, you're one of us now."

His eyes shot open as he stared at the ceiling above him, the morning sunlight hitting the shutters of his apartment window created fascinating patterns on the ceiling. After a few minutes of lying there, Jacky sat up in his bed and looked around. That strange feeling of waking up in a new place came over him as he looked at the unfamiliar baubles and accessories of the hotel room. Softly he stood up and lowered his head so he would not hit the ceiling, of course the hotel was a nice place, but they were not so well equipped for someone of his height. Slowly he walked towards the bathroom careful not to hit his head on the the arches and doorways. He observed the chip in the paint where he had hit his head the day before when he had arrived, perhaps he should wear a hat he pondered. Entering the bathroom he began to brush his teeth, he turned his bare back to the mirror and looked back, he would never get used to seeing the mark, it surprised him every time he looked at it. Letting out a sigh, he put on his tailored suit, grabbed his wallet, slung his violin over his shoulder and set out.

This planet was a strange one, not yet acquainted with space travel much like his home planet but much further along than it had been. He had arrived the night before in a stealth landing and successfully had blended in with the rest of this planet's citizens. It was a good planet to lay low, not connected with the rest of the galaxy and still barely united in itself, the chances of anyone recognizing him here were almost impossibly low. It was a bit of an issue that he stood taller than many of the people on this planet, nearly a whole foot taller than the rest of the people he walked past, that had to damage his incognito status a little bit. He had wandered quite a while before he found a bench to sit down at. He didn't really know where he was going just that if he sat around he would never find what he should do. It was a strange thing living without a purpose or ambitions, he didn't know what he wanted and just hoped that perhaps something would give him a sign.

Carefully he opened his violin case with care and took it out, it was a full-sized Classical style violin that looked almost the same as the day it had been manufactured. The violin was much older than he however, with nearly 200 years of history in the Metzger family. He laid the violin case out on the sidewalk before him. Most planets he had visited were generous with their street tips and he hoped that this planet was no different, it would be nice to get some extra pocket money so that his funds were not expended so quickly. Bringing the chinrest up to his chin, he placed the bow and began to play. This planet did have a rich musical history and Jacky had learned many of the pieces from its' past prior to arriving.

Bach Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001 Fugue

A few hours later he sat back down on the bench and began to count how much he had made. Not very much apparently. Nearly 20 dollars in this planet's currency and what appeared to be a shiny amber gemstone of some sort. Curiously enough, he did not remember anyone throwing the gem in his case while he had been playing, perhaps he had been too invested in playing to notice. With his right hand he picked up the gemstone between his fingers and brought it up to his eye to examine it. He felt an expansive amount of energy course into him as he carried, almost painful. It sent a shiver up his spine as he nearly dropped the stone. He felt dizzy as if the world was spinning around him, the power in his veins burned like the molten core of a planet

AH-HA! FINALLY!

Jacky clutched the stone in his fist as he spun around. There was nobody around except himself.

Ah, I feel your confusion, my boy! Do not fret your time has come! Embrace your destiny as the Archon of Stone!

The voice sounded like the voice of a jolly burly man. He lifted the stone up to his eye with surprise, the stone was speaking to him.

[SeerOfNone]

Vanth

Before the Heist

Another crummy day, another equally crummy job. The grenade factory he worked in was dimly lit, grimy, and littered with shrapnel from discarded parts- amongst other things. Like the floor, the eyes of the workers surrounding him were clouded with the despair the mind-numbing motions of their labor brought to them. Filling capsules with sharp lead that would one day rip through the flesh of another… Unlike his coworkers', Vanth's eyes were filled with electricity; his day was only going to get better. No longer would he have to work day in and day out at a sweatshop to pull in enough money to help his parents. He had gotten his hands on the last pieces of equipment to pull off his latest heist: a new pair of gloves and an unmarked crowbar. They were stashed between some of the boxes which were scheduled to ship out to the frontlines tomorrow. Without these tools, stealing that crystal his man inside the R&D building mentioned would be more of a pain than it had to be. All he had to do now was wait for the end of the day.

An Unusual Turn of Events

As the ragtag tide of workers were leaving the factory, a hooded figure slinked along the walls away from the crowd towards a large mound of crates ready to be shipped. Upon reaching his stashed gloves and crowbar Vanth slipped on the gloves, slung the bar into his pack, then turned on his heels towards the rooftop of the main factory building. From there, he navigated across several wooden planks which stretched from factory building to factory building until he reached the rooftop of the R&D department.

Reaching into his pack, Vanth pulled out a lock picking kit and unlocked a corroded metal door. A few flights of stairs later and he was close to the lab where the government's brightest were keeping his prize until their next batch of tests. However, something was off. He could feel energy in the air around him as he approached his quarry. There also weren't the normal amount of security cameras that sat in every ceiling corner of every other building he had broken into. No trip wires, no hidden redeye relays, nothing. Was he even in the right building? Vanth got his answer when he broke into the room where the gem was encased.

“That's it? This puny little thing?” He reached out and grabbed it, inadvertently triggered the alarm for that room. Amber and ruby emergency lights began flashing with klaxons blaring. None of this was here before?! What is going on?? By instinct Vanth dropped his prize into the pouch attached to the inside of his pants and rushed out of the room with crowbar in hand. The entirety of the lab had transformed in an instant. Dafuq is going on? Stout metallic lumps, the size of basket balls, were slinking along the floor towards him as he stepped out into the hall. He swung at one to no avail; his crowbar merely bounced off. After that, all of the lumps began glowing red, the temperature of the room increasing, and their metal sides liquidating to transform into searing tentacle-wielding cannons.

“Oh HELL no!” Vanth shouted at the tentacle cannons while batting away their jabs and dodging their small projectiles. He backpedaled down the hall he came from and back up to the roof top where the night sky was lit up with search lights, flying machines, and klaxons. He could still hear the cannons slinking up the stair well with their flexing metal limbs. You should probably hurry. They’re in danger. He dashed over his planks and made his way back home, weaving between dilapidated houses, construction sites, until he was sure they had lost his trail. Coming up ahead was the back door to the shack of the place he called home.

Unfortunately, that was when he heard several short blasts of a pistol and two thumps hit the floor. His parents. Panic struck his heart like a hammer and he sprung through the backdoor. Deep red blood was pooling around two tied up corpses of the couple that gave him life. At this he kneeled down next to his mother and held her lifeless hand. Something rustled from within the pouch in his pants. Full of remorse, he took his gloves off and reached into the pouch and blacked out upon touching its smooth surface.

You know, if you’d just touched me sooner, maybe we could have saved them. But here we are: the Archons of Lightning.

[Jersh]

One Year Ago

Brynn stood in the wreckage of what was once the main street of Yharnam, bloody and full of gunshot wounds. The prized sword he once held proudly became nothing but a shell of its former self; nothing but shattered steel and a dull blade. The battle ripped through most of the city. It was abandoned quickly; the one good thing about the Breaker Research and Restriction Federation is that they have prompt evacuation response. Within two minutes of the start of the battle people were already being rushed to safe zones. Most people have not seen two S-Class Breakers before, let alone what damage they can incur. The B.R.F.'s special forces were on standby to subdue whoever won. They weren't planning on stopping the fight, only to study the two in action. They didn't care about casualties, their only interest in the incident was studying the Breakers in action. Brynn stood over the person who was once his only friend. Breathing became harder and harder as he realized what he had done. With the last of his strength he defended her lifeless body from the approaching B.R.F. agents. He had slain five before he was subdued and taken to their medical facility.

In The Facility

Brynn woke to several "doctors" around him, taking blood samples and doing other tests. He could see Cale across from him. He tried to reach out though he realized that he was strapped to the bed. Brynn couldn't even make a sound. He could hear them talking to Cale, she must have still been alive.
"There isn't enough time. You both won't survive at this rate....we can still save him but...I understand. We'll let you two talk and begin the operation."
Operation?
"Are you sure about this? There will be no way to...Alright. Get him under anesthetic."
After that, Brynn blacked out. He awoke some time later with Cale sitting in the chair near him.
You're up. You probably can't talk yet, don't worry about that. I'm not going to make it, Brynn. I want you to know that its not your fault. I didn't really have a choice in fighting you. If you died then they would have killed me anyway. Its better this way. Just remember one thing: You're going to suffer my curse; now and forever more.
The scientists rushed in the room, all somber. Brynn couldn't understand what they were saying. All he heard was that she was already gone. He looked over to the chair and saw nothing.

Byrgenwerth Square

Its just a job, stop worrying. Brynn was nervous, the first time for that in almost a year. Its been jamming again, I need to adjust it. Damn thing; how in the hell does it still work?
You should know, you made it.
Shut up. Just go away.
He could still see Cale and hear her voice. Not matter what changed for him, that never did.

I don't like this. It doesn't feel right.
Brynn had made his way to Byrgenwerth Square; a place he wasn't too keen on being near. Too many criminals in one space, all untrustworthy. Some glared at him, probably former residents of Yharnam before it was destroyed. One stood up and pointed to him.
"YOU! Its all your fault! I lost everything, why the hell are you still alive?!"
Suddenly he was surrounded in every direction. Brynn ignored them and tried to keep walking until he was pushed back into the center.
"Let me pass already. I'm not here to cause trouble. I just need a bite to eat."
"Hell no! You're here to die! GRAB HIM!", the leader of the mob screamed out and everyone moved at once. Brynn let a smirk grow across his face.
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
He put his finger on the trigger of his sheath, ready to pull it when the time is right. "Come on." The mob was shaken but wasted no time in rushing him, but Brynn was one step ahead.
Don't kill them, Brynn.
He gritted his teeth and moved his hand away. Is she trying to kill me? He had no choice. Brynn broke through the crowd at breakneck speed; none of the mob could even see it happen.
Next time, I won't listen to her.
Its not your decision.

The Fire Awakens

Brynn had his sights on his target; the small time drug lord The Old Iron King. He was becoming a problem for the Byrgenwerth Police Department, that's how he got this job. They heard that Breakers were good at getting things done, and Brynn was the best at it. He never told his clients his name, nor did his targets know. He was only known as Breaker to them.
He leapt from his vantage point and down onto the first guard.
"Sorry to drop in like this. The door was locked."
"Is this some kind of joke?", the King bellowed. "Go, kill him now!"
Three other guards ran at him, and Brynn pulled the trigger on his sheath. The sword shot out blindly fast and hit a guard on the head, rebounding into the air. Brynn grabbed it and in one motion struck down the second guard. The Old Iron King was stunned, but quickly snapped out of it. "Well, what are you waiting for?! GO get HIM!"
Brynn took care of every last one of the guards. All except King.
"I'll...I'll kill you!" King screamed at him and shot his gun. Brynn feared the worst and saw the bullet fly right towards his eye. He shut it and everything was black.
Open your eyes.
Slowly, he listened. His face had ashes on it; remnants of the once deadly bullet. Brynn could feel something burning in him.
This was my power; fire. Now it is yours. You and I are the Archon of Fire. We can control it at will.
He could feel the steel of his blade began to heat up until it was engulfed in flames and all he could do is smile at the large man cowering in front of him.
"Oh man, this is gonna be fun."

[MissJudas]

The sea was like the darkest bluest ink one could write with. Its vibrant colors would glisten various shades of pink on the finest wood from the finest ship, which at the time was dubbed the Dofflin. The Dofflin was a german born ship sailing the ancient seas of Greece on an unforgivable trade route that specialized in storage and shipment of spices. Led by Captain and Husband Aredos, the crew felt peaceful in a hostile world.

Docia was always on board as Aredos' not-so-faithful wife. Usually making time to sleep with disheartened sailors, she always would return to Aredos with a gentle touch. "Are we ready to depart, my dearest?" Her voice flowed like milk and honey. Deep within the bowels of the large docked ship she stood. Beside her was a map-studious Aredos captain within his chair plotting the course.

"Soon, Doe. We make way for a special shipment, and we have to be sure to avoid a sea raid." The sailor stood to his feet, making sure to take Docia in his arms and kiss her once gently. "We have imported salt from the red sea, and it's precious cargo for the buyer on the other side."

With a soft blush on her face, the wedded couple made way to the top of the deck where sailors were prepped and ready to depart the docks of Thermopalaye. "SAILORS! DEPART!" Aredos shouted behind the wheel and the crew members dropped sails. Rushed footsteps danced across the wood floor like music, Docia thought. Oh how she loved the sounds of music.

On the ocean one can taste salt, but today the ocean smelled different. Docia couldn't put her finger on it. The wind was calm, and the ship sailed smoothly and surely. Usually she would prance on the deck and talk to the crew to enlighten their spirits. "Someone with your strength is surely taken~" She winked playfully at a sailor who was tying knots. Aredos the husband knew her efforts were solely the reason for such happy crewmates, and as a husband who puts work first he didn't mind her efforts with other men in the slightest.

She moved down to the decks after an evening of play, and found one sailor tucked away quietly smelling of booze. A lazy one.! Doe huffed and snarled at the drunkard who made eye contact at her entry. "Ey' maid, you might be the type to clean my stick, understand?" The man hiccuped. Without a second hesitation, Doe slapped the floor ridden man with nails extended, leaving a vile grouping of bloodied marks on his face. "Get back to work." She toothily ordered.

"Ey' bitch, you best listen." He stood to his feet, his hand covering the shame of her mark. "I'll-" An interruption! Another strike from Doe! And the man fell to the floor, leaving Doe to walk to her cabin like a suggestive daint.

The night grew dim, and soon Aredos came to bed. The two lovers caressed each other, and spoke sweet nothings for a few moments before sleeping. After acts deeded, the two fell asleep sound and warm.
"FIRE!" "FIRE!" A voice cried out in the night, and the sounds of cannons woke the lovers to a panic. "Go!" Doe shoved her husband out of bed, and he stumbled to get clothes on and onwards to the deck.

Her ankles we up in water, the ship was going down. She knew it in her heart.
Looking to the foggy cabin window, she saw a pirate ship with cannons armed at her and the crew. The one barrel directly across from her window went off, and she screamed as the cannonball flew through the wood wall in a blaze of shrapnel.

Darkness, then when vision returned she awoke clinging to a plank of wood amidst a sinking ship. The screams of sailors was held from only a few living. 'gift, child' the voice spoke. And then a crystal appeared on the surface of the water. The crystal was solid white, except for a strange black ice center. Floating inches from her fingertips, the crystal chilled the water to a very low temperature causing feint crystallization of the ocean.
Docia Makos grabbed the crystal regardless of the voice she heard within her ears. She let out a scream, feeling her mind was being stripped away from her body. And instantly she froze without consciousness.

Slowly and with a look of fear, she sunk to the depths of the ocean, frozen within a shell of ice.

[Skai]

Haven

The sound of loud and obnoxious dance music overwhelmed the entire mansion that inhabited the small moon of Skaia. It was a mansion owned by a very wealthy man named Skarrsgard, and took up the amount of space as two White Houses from the American capitol on planet Terra. The area around the mansion was covered in luminescent bushes, flowers, and other botanical life that could survive on the moon’s surface. A large force field surrounded the large mansion and its gardens, trapping varying gases that could sustain the wildlife and all of the organisms inside of it. A small base was at the end of the long, oblong bubble that encased the large part of land on the moon. It resembled an incredibly large parking deck and was equipped with a large airlock system that allowed ships and other various vehicles into the air-conditioned and breathable atmosphere within the dome.

Inside of the mansion, the lights cast long, dark shadows across the many rooms, hallways, and staircases. It resembled a hot, thumpin’ dance club from Sector 69 in the Andromeda Galaxy, which was apparently a hot party spot during this stardate and time. Rooms were blue, purple, red, orange, green, and basically every color of the visible spectrum. Each room had a specific theme according to its color. For example, the dance rooms were gold and purple for wealth and passion, while the bedrooms were either blue or red, for love and… other intimate reasons.

The people attending the party were rich elitists, diplomats, friends of the son whose father owned the mansion, or friends of the friends of the wealthy son. Haven happened to be a friend of the friend of the son, and was tagging along to this hype party because she hadn’t had a drop of alcohol in a week. This was due to the fact that Haven had been travelling all week to visit a few friends from her secondary school back on Estellos. The luxury space-cruise hadn’t been completely awful, but unfortunately it was a “dry cruise”, which meant that Haven had to deal with rich snobs sober.

Haven was dressed in a black dress that resembled space itself and black, three-inch heels to pair with the simple, flashy dress. Her long, blonde hair was draped across her shoulders in long, loose waves. Her makeup was simple, with only simple eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick that only highlighted her already pink lips.

At the moment, Haven was in the main dance room that was flashing all of the colors of the rainbow, wonderfully intoxicated and buzzed from a cigarette at the same time. She stumbled through the crowd of dancing figures, the flashing light screwing with her vision. The drunk girl could only hold onto her friend’s tan hand with all of her might so that she wouldn’t get lost in the large mansion. They came to a halt at the bar in the far right side of the room. Haven looked around at the large room, stumbling a bit into her friend. Her friend, Lina, had invited her to the party. Lina turned to Haven and leant in towards her ear, yelling into Haven’s ear so that she would be heard. “Let’s take more shots!” She slurred, turning to the bartender and raising four fingers. “We want shots!”

Haven turned her head to see Lina shoving a shot in her direction and grabbed it before it could spill on her outfit. They both shouted a countdown before lifting the full shot glasses to their lips and tossing back the alcohol. The alcohol burnt her throat, but Haven enjoyed it. After another shot, Haven found herself being pulled through the moving crowd once more. “Let’s dance!” Haven heard Lina yell at her. Her eyes were locked on Lina’s hand, feeling as if it was sticking out of a mass of grinding and jumping bodies. Suddenly, the sensation of Lina’s hand holding hers was gone, and the flashing lights seemed to consume Haven’s mind.

Gold

Purple

Blue

Yellow

Red

Green

Haven blinked and looked around at her surroundings. She was in a hallway lit with a green light and had no clue where she was in the large mansion, or how she had gotten here. “Lina?” She called out in the hallway, turning around and around slowly as she looked for her friend. The disoriented girl stumbled towards the nearest room. She opened it to find a dark room, but as soon as the door shut behind her Haven found herself being illuminated in a soft purple light.

“Wha…?” She asked as the room revealed itself to her. It was filled with showcases that illuminated different highly expensive items throughout the room. The walls were covered in showcases, and five tall, thin showcases stood in a circle towards the middle of the room. There were large gems, metallic objects, and other expensive items one could procure through auctions. The room looked like an expensive museum. “This… this is crazy,” Haven murmured, stepping towards the nearest showcase in the middle of the room. She gripped the edges of the showcase to keep herself standing as she leant closer to the glass so that she could see the object illuminated in white light. Her blurry vision cleared after a few blinks and a small, gold crystal was revealed. “Neat.”

Haven pulled back to look around at the rest of the objects in the room, pressing her hand against the glass to keep herself steady. “That’s soo weird,” she thought out loud. Every object in the room was either large enough to be expensive or rare enough to be insanely expensive. So, why was this tiny little crystal sitting in one of the most obvious showcases in the room?

Suddenly, Haven felt something cold and hard in the palm of her hand, instead of the cool glass that she had been using as a crutch. She turned her head to look down at her hand and realized that the glass to the showcase was broken, and the crystal was now in her hand. “The fu…” She started, but was interrupted as a strong voice resounded in the room.

”I have found you after all of these years…”

Haven gasped, stumbling backwards and trying to drop the crystal that seemed to buzz in her hand. Her grip on the crystal would not budge, though. What is going on?

”I have much to teach you, but first…”

Haven felt frightened sober and backed towards the door, her head whipping around to see where this mysterious voice was coming from. It wasn’t from the speakers, because the music was still pounding throughout the mansion. Was it the security? Had she triggered a security breach?

”We have to become familiar with each other.”

Suddenly, the gold crystal began to grow warmer. It stretched and molded into the shape of a dagger before becoming one with a bright, gold flash. Haven cried out in fright, dropping the dagger to see that her hand had been cut. Before she could move another inch, though, her vision was consumed with gold light. The once buzzed and intoxicated feeling that blurred her senses was now a large rush coursing throughout her mind and body. Her body stiffened and she raised herself onto her tiptoes. Gold light poured out of her eyes, mouth, and the cut on her hand.

Then, everything went black…

[NefariusDestiny]

Subject 17, Archon of Sound

Status

Location: Apartment
Notes:

Description

A pale, eyeless, mouthless man. Wears tinted goggles, a bandana, jeans, headphones, rugged clothes, backpacks full of parts.

“Would you like to play?” asked the homeless man on the street corner, apparently holding out his guitar for Subject 17 to try. The thought resonated through 17’s mind before he signaled “no” and went on his way home from the workshop. He lived a few blocks north in the run down 7th Octant, towards the outskirts where he wouldn't be bothered as much. Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at an apartment building patched with sheets of metal instead of proper repairs. As he opened the door to his apartment, his roommate Stravier greeted him in a run down, rough tone: “Hey, 17 want to play?” 17 wasn’t in the mood for chess as he fought off a sudden migraine. He shook his head, sorry to disappoint Stravier after he sounded hopeful. He wished he could communicate the feeling more effectively, but the thought left quickly as it always does. He made his way to his room, where he could put on his headphones and exit the world.
The migraine only got more intense as he grabbed a nutritional hypo from the cabinet. He quickly poked it through the familiar vein on his forearm as he does twice a day. Hypo technology was meant for those too unfortunate to afford real food, but it was the only thing 17 knew.
He sat down on his bed and shuffled through his bag. He happened upon a pair of metallic headphones with thin sharp gears protruding from the sides in a methodical manner. Shard, his boss, must have misplaced them when he was cleaning up today. With curiosity getting the better of him, he examined them more until he knew every facet and detail that had been skillfully crafted into it. It's metallic body, soft padding, and intricate mechanical workings sparked his interest along with the polish of the metal itself, as if the pair had been kept in mint condition. He went to feel for the cord, but his hands grabbed air. Confused, 17 fumbled his hands around the edges, looking for a way to plug in and leave reality. No cord. How do you listen to these?

He put them on anyways.

“Would you like to play?”

What happened next can only be described as having your mind invaded by that of another. A painful rush of sound and, for the first time in 17’s life, color, flooded into his mind. His skin burned from the attack of thorns and needles, his ears bled from the screeching sounds of someone else’s pain, and a vast variety of scents overwhelmed his mind. I would say he blacked out from the pain, but that has little meaning when referring to someone with no eyes. The pain all turned to sorrow, to a sickening warmth of regret across his skin, sadness in his nonexistent eyes, a bitter taste in his mouth, and a terrifying lament of sadness through his ears. The color got increasingly intense and vapid as he was paralyzed with fear. He heard the yells and screams of several people dying, followed by a voice in his head begging for his life. The taste of blood filled his mouth and his stomach turned at the metallic taste. Finally, though, he felt happy. Sweet aromas of thousands of flowers, the taste of delicious feasts, the laughter of the same voices who he heard die moments before, and the warmth of another’s lips on his own came with the soft and slow flush of colors.
Three words calmed the flow of memories, ideas, thoughts, and passions through 17’s head:

“I am Echo.”

17’s face resembled something similar to a grin. It was unnecessary to introduce himself. 17 knew who he was, his story, his sorrows, his joys, his fears. “Echo The Maestro,” he was called in another long life. A master of sound. The headphones he wore housed an artifact of crystal that embodied the Power of Sound. “Solitude,” he called it. The metal is otherworldly, refined from the souls of fallen stars. The mechanical work was done by a craftsman from the realm of Atlantis, infused with power before their gates were closed. The leather padding came from a fierce world eater known as Ragnorok that the old Archons of the universe had to deal with.

The headphones came off.

17’s companion entered the room, intrigued by the incessant clicking the gears made while spinning and ticking. 17 hadn’t even noticed until the headphones were off. He sat up suddenly and grasped at the air. Stravier was familiar with the way 17 behaved when you removed headphones, so he was already a few steps away.
“What are these?” Stravier asked.
17 shrugged. He didn’t have the means to communicate all he had just experienced.
“What happened when you…”
17 knew what was about to happen. He didn’t wish that pain on anyone else. He tripped off the bed in a panic to keep Stravier from putting the artifact on his head. He was too late.
This time was different. 17 felt a strange sensation, a connectedness that was unfamiliar to him. All he heard was a short gasp followed by “Oh.” It wasn’t Echo’s consciousness he felt, but Stravier’s. For the first time in his life, he was able to communicate: not in words, but in thoughts.

[Mirrodin]

It had been days since his encounter with whatever had dwelled within the crystal. At this point he was back aboard the Guilty Sin with nearly all his time being spent on the labs it the gym, trying to figure out what the energy had done to his body. The scientists were amazed at the results of the various tests and experiments but wouldn't tell him much about what was going on. It seemed that his physical strength and stamina had been increased exponentially due to the power in the crystal. It didn't take him long to figure out how to summon and dissolve the strange gauntlets and boots that had appeared with the Crystal's awakening and it also seemed that the weapons couldn't be given to anyone either. Every time he tried to hand them to a scientist for research purposes the whole thing would blink away the second it left contact with his skin and would only reappear back on his arm or leg when he summoned it again. It was very odd indeed.

Ian spent hours every night contemplating the voice that had spoken to him, trying to depict the meaning behind her words. He hadn't heard her again, Not since the accident, but he didn't forget a single word she had spoken. It haunted him in his sleep and followed him during the day. “What exactly does she want from me…” he wondered often as he went about his days, training and going through test after test.

It was during one of these tests that Ian discovered what he had truly been given. It was a common test to determine his increased speed and strength in which the testers would launch small orbs, about the size of a tennis ball, at Ian and he tried to catch them. He had gotten better and better as they days went on and often times got through a session of this with only one or two welts on him to show for the ones he has missed. Today was different tho. He could feel it. He felt energized. It started easily, as it usually did, but quickly picked up the pace, often launching two orbs at a time. He still found it easy to catch or evade the orbs even when 3 or 4 were fired at once. What he wanted expected was the fifth orb. As the first four came out him he easily plucked two out of the air and sidestepped the other two before looking up at the machine to prepare for the next volley. He hadn't heard the delayed launch of the fifth orb and when he looked up it was inches from his face. He closed his eyes, preparing for the impact, knowing it would probably break his nose and possibly some teeth, these orbs were solid mass and were very very painful. After a few seconds when he feet nothing, he opened his eyes again. The orb was still there frozen by some unseen force. “there it is.. I was waiting for you to find it on your own“ the voice spoke to him softly. He once again found himself lost in it. Lost in a seemingly empty void as she spoke. “You have inherited the power over gravity, young one. And I am Lupus. I will be your guide in this power. I will help you to become who you need to be” she told him in a rather calming voice. “All will be explained in time. Master this power. You will not have much time left with the people aboard this ship. Terrible things are coming and you need to be ready. We will speak again soon” he could feel her presence retreating this time, slowly withdrawing to the back of his mind to wait and watch what he would do next.

In the next few weeks Ian's training took huge leaps and bounds with his ability to control gravity. He could walk on walls, stop objects in midair and even create fields around himself that changed the gravity. But even with all this progress, lupus still hasn't spoken to him again. Her silence was very annoying to him. He wanted to know what was going on. He wanted to know about the warning she had given. But he could get nothing from her on the matter and it annoyed him to no end. he had no idea how much time he had left and he wanted the answer to that question before anything else.

Oddly enough the answer came in the form of a message tho not from lupus unfortunately. Ian had been called up to the bridge due to a request sent to their ship from the U.S.F. that demanded Ian be turned over to the Pantheon of the angel of death (a religion that worshipped some old god that no one payed any attention to anymore). It seemed that the pantheon still had some sway within the federation and when word had traveled about what had happened with the crystal, they demanded he be brought to them for reasons unknown.

”he found us faster than i had anticipated.. we will have to leave before this ship docks to hand you over.. or we will never escape. with no way to escape you will need to use your archon powers to riftwalk away.. an ability that only archons have” she told him in a panic. they only had hours before they arrived at the meeting point set by the pantheon. against his will, and much to his displeasure, the captain had Ian confined to his room due to the demands.

Lupus had explained how it worked. she had practically shown him how to riftwalk with her memories. all he had to do was focus on a location and focus. it required an incredible amount of focus and was very disorienting to be ripped out of a universe and thrown into another, especially since he still didn’t quite get the whole ‘multiverse’ thing. it sounded like a bunch of crap to him. Complete and utter bullshit. But at this point he didn't have much of a choice but to try.

”you aren't focusing… you don't seem to be motivated to escape” she told him over and over again as time went by. He knew she was right but he would never admit to it. It wasn't until he felt the rocking of the ship as it docked with another that be realized exactly how much time he had wasted simply because his heart wasn't in it. It hadn't really occurred to him what the pantheon would do to him but it took the sound of heavy boots in the hallway to make him realize he didn't want to find out.

Ian once again closed his eyes, focusing hard on the inside of a temple, a memory that lupus had shown him. He imagined himself there, walking through its halls, examining it's architecture. He heard the sound of the door to his room open but didn't open his eyes to look “get up” he heard a deep voice from a man that he knew want from the ship but when he opened his eyes to identify the man, all he saw was arches of stone and granite.

”you did it! The temple of the Archons” lupus expressed with more than a hint of shock and surprise in her voice.

"This temple was last used by the first archons before they gave up their powers. it truly is a beautiful structure"

"What about the second generation of archons? why didn't they use it?" Ian asked curiously.

the second generation based aboard a star ship captain by the archon of light"

"why would beings able to step through the multiverse need a space ship??" he said, shocked at how ridiculous that sounded.

"I will never truly understood it myself" lupus said with a sigh

"it appears we are the first ones here.. Let us prepare for the arrival of the others”

[J D Jalowiec]

On the surface of Interim, there were only two places Gideon cared for. His farm, and the entryway into Salem. Salem was one of the gates into the society below. To transport from the farm to the market within Salem, one has to travel by speeder 6 miles into duststorms, brothens, and rocky formations.
Gideon was a master at the usage of his speeder, and knew the ins and outs of the surface pretty well.
Erebos made driving a speeder exciting, and taught Gideon through the use of focus to create a shadow trail that others can follow clearly. It was like someone was painting black oils directly from where Gideon was to where he is.
Upon his training, Erebos stopped him at the halfway mile mark and issued an order to hunt for a Brothen...

- -
"SUBPAR!" Eredos hissed when Gideon violently stuck the bladed whip into the side of the roaring Brothen.
The Brothen is a fleshly like mole that is roughly the size of a cow and is able to burrow quickly through the hardest of surfaces with a jagged mouth that resembled the front end (or back end) of a worm. These creatures were also vicious.

The dust in the sky leaves an everlasting shadow/fog of war on the face of Interim. 'Hone in on the point of contact' Gideon reminded himself, and with enough focus he found it in the hilt of the cleaver lodged in the creature. "I got it!" Gideon roared, tugging at the darkness infused whip. With the sound of chains, it recoiled back into its cleaver form where Gideon was already lunging towards the Brothen. Its cold brown eyes met Gideon and for a split moment he laid the tormented creature to peace. All that remained was a chunked-in-two corpse of a Brothen, its meat tainted by dirt, and the respirator on Gideon breathing heavily with oxygen.

Gideon fell to his knees for a moment, the shades around him dancing in joy like ink in water. He had learned from Eredos how to control movement of shadows with the power of emotion the day prior. And now he had learned to utilize his weapon at its bluntest.
"That was a close one.." Gideon huffed, his blood from his gashed ankle soaking his boot.

Eredos inhaled in a whisper, and Gideon's heart skipped a beat. "The rift, it can be open Mortal" Gideon sighed of relief, Erebos was usually pretty frightening, but Gideon was growing on him. "Okay, what's the rift?" Gideon asked gravely, standing to his feet. "Summon a shade." Erebos hissed.

"Okay, okay!" Gideon growled, "You should treat me with a little more respect."
Touching the planet under him with the tips of his fingers, he felt shadows move. Pulling them.. pulling them... and soon underneath Gideon was a collection of shadows forming a wispy pool that held no viscosity.
"Now fall. I will drop you."
Shrugging, Gideon jumped and threw himself on his side and braced for a landing. Dirt flew up at his approach and then the dirt vanished. Gideon plummeted as if the blackened ground before him was no more. Dizziness, disorientation, and then flashes of a world appearing around him.
He had fallen, and he thuded with a strained grunt behind a stranger in a temple made of arches and stone and granite. Sweat, blood, and red dirt soaked his body.

[MissJudas]

Conversations in unconciousness...
The awakening of Archeons thawed the shell of ice she was snared in.

Docia gasped and awoke freezing on the surface of a beachfront. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her body freezing. However, the freezing was soothing and kept her skin soft. Shaking her head side to side she shakily stood up, regaining her balance. She collapsed, and tried a second attempt. "Hey Lady, are you okay?!" A modern man ran up to her, taking her hand and helping her to her feet. "You're freezing cold.. Like a corpse." He spoke with nervous laughter.

"I'm fine!" She huffed angrily, her breath reeking of fish.
The man recoiled, and jogged off. She stood alone on the beachfront, looking at giant steel buildings with one of them having a giant sign saying "Holiday Inn". She was astonished at the advance in technology. She felt as if another part of her was still missing, but she'll regain herself she told herself. She avoided the feelings of sadness leaving her prior world left.

Ice..
She heard Taurus the Silent inform her of the basics, like creating snow. He didn't have to speak, but he communicated none the less. She just had to travel to a safe place to practice. However, she was now walking around with a staff that got plenty of strange looks. Her clothes were soaked, but she moved with such grace nobody really asked too many questions. Making her way into a shop, she left wearing a lovely sundress (blue with polka dots!) in exchange for intimate fellacio on the cashier. Her breath no longer smelled of fish.

Moving to the beach front she created a trail of snow that covered the sand. Passersby just stood jaws dropped.
"Freeze.." She spoke, standing in front of the still waves. Slowly the edges of the water began to crystalize above the sand. The air grew a cold mist, and she snapped within the same train of thought as Taurus the Silent. Her body was adapting.
Images of a temple flew past her vision, and she knew she was about to 'rift'...

[Jersh]

Burning Inferno

Get up, Brynn. There's not a lot of time.
Brynn could barely open his eyes; and the smell of smoke filled his lungs.
Fire?
Half of Third Street was burning down. All around him were people screaming and running. Dazed and lost, Brynn managed to find his way out of the inferno.
What happened? Did I do this?
He couldn't remember anything from the past few hours. Above him. Loud speakers were blaring out warnings.
"AN S-CLASS BREAKER HAS BEEN IDENIFIED IN YOUR AREA. IF YOU SEE OR BECOME IN CONTACT WITH HIM, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. TARGET IS CLASSIFIED AS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT, REPEAT DO NOT INITIATE CONTACT WITH THE TARGET. THE BREAKER RESTRICTION FORCE WILL APPREHEND HIM."
That must be me. Its only been a few days, how can they already find ms?
Half of this town is burning. You're the only Breaker that can do that.
Suddenly, a small group of B.R.F. Hunters were on him.
"Is this the target? He matches the description."
"Yeah, that's him. Grimm wanted him alive."
"Fuck that. A shithead like this is way too dangerous to be caught. Hell just get out again."
Brynn couldn't stand them. Hunters were all the same, all they cared about was the hunt. Not about what or who go in their way.
"If you want to kill me, just do it," he growled.
One of the Hunters raised his Cutter, a poorly designed combination of sword and chained saw. Brynn knew the weakness lies in the hilt. In one motion, he grabbed the Hunter's right hand, summoned Cale's gun, and shot straight through the hilt. In an instant the Cutter shattered to bits. Cale's revolver vanished as Brynn pulled the trigger on his sheath. Hot air rushed past his face as he caught the blade and cut his attacker in two.
"So. Any other takers?"
The remaining Hunters scrambled and ran. That's the thing about Hunters, they're cowards.

On the Run

Its been five days, Brynn was still being hunted. S-Class Breakers were sought after for research. They'd be dissected and out under a microscope. Brynn wanted to die, but not like that. Not with a whimper.
Brynn, its time.
Time? For what?
To meet the others.
With a burning in his hand, he grabbed his sword. A quick cut, and it seemed a hole in the world was cut. Brynn stepped through and for a moment, blacked out.

The Temple

Exhausted, Brynn managed to get himself off the floor. Staring at him were three strangers.
More Breakers? No, something else.
Here we are. The Temple of the Archons. Your new legacy; and final resting place.

[Barioth]

Some time ago

The crowbar came down hard on his left shoulder. The audible crack sound of his collarbone snapping was followed by a shout of agony. Jacky crumpled like a piece of paper to the floor, clutching his shoulder in pain. The man wielding the crowbar dropped it on the ground and knelt down next to him. He gave a soft chuckle and patted Jacky on the back.

“Don’t screw up again or I’ll break your fingers next time.” He said with a smile. The man stood up and walked over to a nearby table, he began to pour two glasses of whiskey. “Now listen up Jacky, you’re like a son to me, in fact you damn well are my son at this point.” He placed the glass of single malt whiskey on the floor in front of Jacky’s face. With a somber expression on his face he sighed, “It pains me to hurt you like this, but I went easy on you. With the shit you pulled and our rules, I should’ve broken more like Akio over there.” He gestured towards Akio in the corner who let out a pained groan, he was slumped over and had been beaten to a bloody pulp, a few of his teeth were missing and his face was so swollen he looked unrecognizable. The man placed a glass in Akio’s hands. With a pitiful attempt Akio tried to lift the amber liquid to his lips and subsequently spilled it all over the floor.

“Fuck, Akio this shit is expensive.” The man said as he pulled a handkerchief from his suit and began wiping up the whiskey from the hardwood floor. With a pained grunt Jacky sat up on the floor against the front of the desk, he grabbed the glass and took a sip while eyeing Akio. “Yes sir, we will both be more careful next time.”
“Good, now finish your drink and get the fuck out, also go downstairs for medical attention.” The man said as he tossed his handkerchief aside and began pouring himself a glass. Jacky lifted up Akio and slung his arm around his good shoulder, slowly they began to shuffle out of the office. “I don’t think I have to warn you both about what happens if you mess up again.” He called out after them as they walked down the hallway from his office.

Akio spat out a tooth and muttered “Yes Boss.”

Jacky stood in the park silently as he held the crystal in his hand, he was deep in thought. Focused and intent on learning all he could from this Draco who was communicating through the stone. He closed and clenched his fist around the crystal as instructed by Draco.

Now focus, my boy! Feel it! The unshakable power of stone!

If anything Draco, had a taste for theatrics as well as shouting in Jacky’s head. Jacky focused and he felt rings wrapping around his fingers as the gem turned cherry-red like lava and began to take the form of a weapon. The knuckles cooled into a steel finish with an intricate design.

Ah! You’ve done it! This small weapon may not look like much but I know you understand it’s true power. As if you could shatter continents and remold them at your will! Let’s not be hasty though! Your power is still that of a mere whelp compared to what it could be.

It was indeed impressive as Draco had said. Jacky felt the change in his physical abilities as well as a newfound innate understanding of his surroundings. He could feel the rocks, stones, and minerals in every direction as if they were extensions of himself. He could feel and see a woman walking through the park as she and her dog stepped on the paved sidewalk. Jacky opened his eyes and looked around. The woman was not in his visible range, it was as if he could see using the stones themselves.

Now focus more keenly, my boy! You can do far more than just see with your new power.

Jacky knelt down to the ground and rapped the sidewalk lightly with the knuckles. The sidewalk shook violently for a minute and began to crack apart as parts of it rose to the shape of a bench. Jacky took a seat on it and leaned back. So what am I to do with these powers he thought.

Well first, my boy, you must find the others.

Jacky sat up, Others?

Yes, yes, quite exciting isn’t it! I will commune to you my knowledge on opening rifts and you will visualize the place you will meet them at!

Jacky stood up and lowered the cement bench back into the ground, the cracks and seams in the sidewalk began to smooth themselves over as if they had never been there. He crossed the street and entered a dark alley.

Now do it.

Jacky struck both hands into the brick wall of a building, his fingers dug right into the brick as if it was putty. Amazing. he thought as he began to walk into the brick, the bricks and cement started to part around his body as he continued walking. He walked for a second until he stuck his hand out into what seemed open-air, with both hands he pulled the exit apart and stumbled out into the open. He turned to see that he had come out of a granite pillar in some sort of temple. The exit started to rumble and close until it was no longer there. Jacky looked down at his suit and saw that he was covered in dust. I will have to work on that he thought to himself as he dusted himself off and joined the others.

[Skai]

Haven

Soft light spilled through the curtains, illuminating the messy bed in the center of the room. Under a pile of a down feather comforter and white sheets, the figure of a blonde girl in just a t-shirt could be seen. Her left hand was opened, but there was no scar from where the dagger had cut her. She lay on her stomach, sprawled out across the queen sized bed as if she hadn’t slept for a week. Which, to be honest, was somewhat true.

It had been a while since the party. Since Haven had drunkenly stumbled upon “her destiny” as the little voice from the crystal dagger had put it. She’d grown used to having a second voice in her head, Dissociative Identity Disorder or not. Most of it was nagging, advice, wisdom, and the frequent sarcasm that Corvus, her guidance, enjoyed so much. There had been many nights where Haven had stayed up late, either learning about her new ability and the rules of it, or attempting to test it out. It had been an exhausting process, which is why today was her demanded, designated sleep-all-day and eat-whenever-whatever day. Corvus wasn’t too happy with the idea, but Haven reminded him how it was to be human. Her species wasn’t as strong as the usual intergalactic alien.

At the moment, Haven was immersed in a lovely dream of her home planet of Estellos. She smiled in her sleep, dreaming of the time she and her friends were slightly tipsy and watching the sun set on a warm beach. It was perfect and gorgeous. Haven was filled with happiness at the sight of her friends dancing around a fire. ”Haven…” An annoying voice interrupted the sound of her friend’s laughter and her own giggles.

Haven groaned and lazily covered her head with a pillow, as if that would help. “It’s too early,” she grumbled, burying her face in the bed. Soon, she was fast asleep once again.

”Haven, you need to wake up. They’ve come for you.”

Haven opened her eyes and furrowed her brows, blinking a couple of times before she comprehended what Corvus was saying. They’d had chats about this “they” that the two were referring to. Nothing good ever came from this “they”, according to Corvus. “Shit,” she whispered. “Why do they have to come on such a relaxing day? Why not tomorrow?”

Haven stood and pulled on her jeans, then pulled off the oversized shirt and put on a bra. She headed over to her bag and began to dig through it for clothes, putting her hair up in a messy bun so it would be out of her face. Corvus didn’t respond to the complaints.

”Wear layers. You can only bring what is on your body. You’ll have to leave the rest of it behind.”

Haven sighed at the instruction and pulled on a tank top, then a thin, long sleeve shirt. “I know, I know,” she bemoaned. There were so many things that Haven wished she could take along with her, but unfortunately she would only have what was on her back. She grabbed a thin cardigan sweater and pulled it on, then grabbed her jacket. “That should do it for clothes.”

Haven sat down on the floor after pulling out a pair of socks, putting them on one foot at a time. After that, she grabbed her black boots and slipped her feet into them. ”Hurry, Haven,” Corvus warned her, ”we don’t have much time.” Haven stood and headed over to the vanity. “I knoooow,” she griped as she let her hair down. She brushed it quickly and pushed it behind her ears, looking around as she thought of what she could manage to carry on her.

“Okay…” She started, compulsively grabbing things as she moved throughout the room. “My watch… holopad… hairbrush… earrings… necklace…” The busy girl put on the watch, earrings, and necklace to save room in her pockets. “Mints.” She said, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to take her toothbrush or toothpaste. “Ah! My charger!” Haven knelt down by her bed and pulled her charger out of the wall, stuffing it into her purse along with her hairbrush and holopad.

”I think that should suffice, Haven.” Corvus was becoming slightly worried, and a little irritated too. They needed to go now, in case Haven could summon a rift as easily as he hoped she could.

Haven stood back and surveyed the room, ignoring Corvus’s comment. She tapped her finger to her mouth. “What else… What else…?”

A prominent knock on the room’s door startled Haven. She turned her head to watch the door, seemingly frozen in her spot. Is that…?

”They’re here. We must go now, Haven. Today we test your primary ability. You need to take us to the temple. The others are waiting.” Corvus said, wary of how much time they had before the men at the door would bust it down. “God… Okay…”

Haven quickly grabbed her deodorant, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, and the dagger, stuffing them in her purse before she stood in the center of the room. ”You can do this, Haven. Just focus.” Haven took a deep breath and shut her door, attempting to shut out the pounding on the door. She slowed her breathing, focusing on the temple that Corvus had practically engraved into her brain in the past week. A bubble around her began to form, stopping time within it as she could feel the wall of space tearing around her. Gold light poured from the tear as the rift opened. The moment that the men burst into the room, Haven was engulfed in golden light and disappeared from the room. The men cursed in anger.

Haven dared not open her eyes, but her body could feel the sense of movement of time and space around her. It was a huge rush and she enjoyed every second of it. It was like lighting a cigarette and taking a deep puff, a once common occurrence that was now a novelty for her per Corvus’s rules. The sensation was over as soon as it had started, though. She suddenly felt cold stone pressed against her right side, and could feel that there were other people in the room with her. Her eyes slowly opened, seeing stone walls and ceilings. Am I here? She thought, slowly sitting up and turning her head to look around at the room.

”Yes… Good job, Haven. You have made it to the temple.” Corvus said as Haven noticed around four people in the room with her. She took a deep breath and brushed her hair back from her face, looking around once more. “Wow,” she whispered, still making sense of what had just occurred and where she was. She turned her head back to the other people in the room, assuming that they all had archons of their own. “What a ride, am I right?” She said, trying to break the ice with a little humor.

[Chaoticmickey]

Arriving back on her home mountain, the silver haired elf walked slowly into the gate, still dizzy from the moment she picked up this crystal. “Aella,” she heard her baba call out, and she looked up to see him running towards her. Giving a weak smile, the young woman was about to say something when she fainted once again on the ground. The dizziness came to a peak as she felt herself being carried away into the temple, unable to move or speak. A sort of vision came into view. Aella saw herself meditating in front of the prize of the temple; a mural of the Archons creating the world. Or, well, so legends had told that they did. She was deep in concentration and couldn’t see the concerned looks of her baba and the other elders of the temple. The voice of the crystal came through to her, and she could hear it more clearly. Although the voice was female, she could hear maybe a handful of other voices, whispering with it.

“To open the rift, you must think about the place which you are arriving with complete concentration. Don’t let your mind wander,” the voice said, as Aella took a small breath, as well as in her vision. The voice continued, “There you will find your destiny.”

Suddenly, Aella was awoken by Shara, the female temple elder, placing a warm moist cloth over her forehead. “Are you okay, Aella,” the woman, whom was not much older than 80, said. Although she was quite young in retrospect, being the youngest elder, she was still much older than the groaning elf. "Yeah, I just...I just got really dizzy out there," Aella said, having a feeling that the less who knew about her Archon abilities the better, "I'm fine." Shara seemed to accept the answer and the silver haired girl sighed gently.

'I'll have to practice where no one can find me,' Aella thought to herself watching Shara continue to evaluate her health.

The weeks flew by as Aella started to focus more and more on finding herself. She learned that the voices in her head belonged to Sagittarius the Watcher, whom seemed to grow quieter as the days advanced. She had even nearly forgotten that she was supposed to open a rift in the first place. However, it just really didn't seem as important as finding a way to tell her baba.

One morning, she was out practicing her powers, which was a slow process since she had no idea what she was doing, and Sagittarius was ever so silent again today. She took in deep breaths as she controlled the air around her and stood her body up on one hand, something that she was never able to do normally. Concentrating with her eyes closed, she imagined her body being weightless and lifted herself on one finger. She was so deep in concentration that she couldn't hear footsteps coming up behind her.

"Aella," she heard her baba say and she fell over, her concentration breaking. Baba rushed to her side checking to see if she was hurt before asking, "What was that?" The silver haired girl cursed herself for being careless of not making sure everyone was too preoccupied to check on her. "Baba, I...I am the Archon of Air. Remember the day I fainted when I landed back on our mountain? That was the day I found out," she explained, staring at him, searching his face for his reply. The man stood slowly and bit his lip, sighing out a small breath of air.

"No wonder Pantheon's followers have been trying to get up here for weeks," he said to her, "I'm not surprised at all, but you are in danger here." He helped her up and whisked her into the inner part of the temple. She was lead to the mural that was supposed to be the Archons creating the universe. However, that was not what had her attention. Sagittarius had began to speak with her again, "He's correct. The followers of the Archon of Death are relentless. They want to find you and destroy you. You must find the others."

"What will happen of this world," Aella said to herself out loud, making not only her baba look at her but the other elders as well. "I do not know, but you must leave it. It will be safer for them and for you," Sagittarius said once more, before her baba said, "Who are you talking to?"

"The watcher," was all Aella said, before sighing, "She says I must rift to fulfill my destiny. I must leave you, and the temple." The silver haired girl was crying now, Sagittarius showing her visions of things that could happen if she stayed. "If I stay, you all would be in danger. I must go to the other Archons, to keep you safe," she said, looking at her baba gently. He too was crying, but it was one or two tears, falling gently down his cheeks.

"What must you do," he asked, and the other elders started to whisper among themselves. "I need to concentrate and meditate," Aella said, looking up at the wall painting. She sat down on the floor in front of it, crossing her legs and closing her eyes. She began to concentrate on the world around her, but, one thing took her concentration just after she started. "Good luck, Aella, and be careful," her baba told her, and she knew he knew he couldn't hold her back.

From Neculai's eyes

"I always am," the man heard Aella say, watching her begin to meditate on the ground. He knew this was the last time he would be seeing her, and he was deeply saddened. This was his child! This was his sole reason in life for existing! Why would they take her away from him? He sighed as he indeed knew the answer, but he couldn't help but feel like this was cruel. He had watched her grow and now she was being taken away. The other elders and he watched as a few moments passed, and yet nothing happened. Just before he was going to walk forward to check on her, a whirlwind of air flew around the room and she was gone.

"Aella," the man whispered, closing his eyes to keep more tears from falling...

"I always am," Aella answered back, holding her tears back. She began to concentrate again, the world around her phasing out and so it was just her and her thoughts. There was another temple, on a plane far away. She focused on it, finding her body become looser. All of a sudden, she felt like her body was being ripped apart, but she somehow knew it wasn't. She was suddenly in a new place, as she opened her eyes. She was in a room full of a few others, in a temple much like hers back home.

"Welcome to your new home," she heard Sagittarius say, as she looked at the others in the room. She nodded her head to them, unable to speak out of awe.

[BreakingMe]

“Wake up Maddison.” Maddison woke to the voice that surrounded her but didn’t open her eyes. If someone was in the room with her, she wanted to get her bearings before they realized she knew they were there. She couldn’t hear anything other than the voice, so they must have been sitting still, watching her. Her heart pounded in her chest so loudly that she was sure they could hear it. She tried to slow her breathing in an attempt to calm herself.

“Up girlie, we’ve got places to go and things to do.” It was the voice she had heard at the shoot yesterday. This time she could definitely tell it was a man. Her eyes popped open. The room was still dark. She sat up, looking to see who was with her. Her head throbbed with an ache and her heart continued to pound. She quickly glanced around the room, realizing no one was in there with her. Maybe they’re in the sitting room , she thought. She quickly got up and made her way to the connected room that held the tv and few pieces of furniture. No one was there either. The voice chuckled at her confusion.

“Where are you?” she called out. “Who are you?” She continued to search every corner of the space, as if the person was hiding from her.

“Relax Miss Ford,” the voice spoke in an attempt to soothe her. “You’re not going to find me in this room. I exist within you.” Maddie stopped moving around the area and stood still. This is ridiculous, she thought. I’m never drinking again. She headed back to her bedroom to lay down. “Please honey, as much as you drink, this isn’t a result of your alcohol problem. You’ve been chosen.” The voice sounded almost smug. Maddie flung herself back into the bed, pulling the covers completely over herself.

“This is just a result of burning myself out,” she said out loud. “And I don’t have an alcohol problem.” She sighed. She just needed a bit more sleep and this voice would be done with.

“Get out of bed Madison.” This time the voice spoke with authority, sending blinding pain through her skull. She cried out but leapt up out of the bed. She shouted to the empty air in anger.

“Alright! I’m up, ok?! Now what?!” She stomped her foot like a small child throwing a temper tantrum. She hated being told what to do. The voice answered her, this time with a more relaxed tone.

“My name is Eridanus and I will be your guide. You’ve been chosen as the Archon of Earth. Your purpose now is to save us all.” Maddie laughed when Eridanus finished.

“I’m the what of Earth?” she asked in a sarcastic tone. “This is ridiculous. How did you find me? What are you?” She sat on the edge of the bed, running her hand through her long, dark hair.

Eridanus answered with a sigh, “Oh my god, when will I ever get an archon who just accepts what I say? It’s like this every time! You are the archon. You have been given special abilities to protect the universe from evil. I’m here to help you train and get that toned ass in fighting shape. The crystal you were given is yours and yours alone. It will become a weapon that you will use to fight. It’s over on the nightstand. Pick it up and you’ll see what I’m saying.” Maddie glanced over to the stand on the other side of the room. The green necklace lay there where she had dropped it the night before. This was completely irrational but she had to admit, it intrigued her. The curiosity in her spirit won out as she got up, made her way over, and picked up the jewelry. Eridanus seemed delighted when he spoke. “Excellent. Now just imagine the Earth. Imagine the smell of the ground, the sound of rain, the shades of green.” Maddison closed her eyes. She could smell the dirt she used to dig in with the neighbor boy. She heard the sound of the rain pelting on the roof of her childhood home. She imagined the feel of satin smooth flower petals. All of the sudden the crystal grew warm in her hand. It shook slightly then elongated into a forest green bow. Attached was a rawhide quiver with a few odd looking arrows.

"Holy shit!" she yelped in surprise and Eridanus laughed.

“This is your weapon,” he said. “It’s pretty badass if I do say so myself. The other archons have different weapons. This one represents Earth.”

Maddison spun slightly on her feet, as if searching for the answer, when she asked, “other archons? There are more of them?” Eridanus didn’t hesistate before he spoke.

“Yes there are eleven others. And that reminds me, we need to get to the temple to meet up with them right now. “

“Temple?” Maddie inquired curiously. She cocked an eyebrow and asked, “do I have to Indiana Jones my way in there?” Eridanus let out a hefty laugh.

“Maddison Tyler,” he began, “we may belong to Earth but we aren’t commoners. Hell no, we’re booking a flight.”

[Kaalee]

​

The Cave

Talay-a was a chonic insomniac, ever since she was little. Once she was old enough to leave the castle on her own, she used to time to explore the oceans beyond the castle and the surrounding city. She was about 19 years old when she found this cave about half a mile out from the city. It was half in and half out of water, which was perfect for her, since while she could breath underwater, her bones weren't nearly as dense as her Atlantian counterparts, meaning she floats more often than not and when she was trying to relax it was really annoying when she was hanging out around the ceiling.
It was also completely hidden, which was beneficial for her needs at this particular moment.
Talay-a was floating in a bubble under the water, trying to change the tide of the water. Some of the more basic magic, Talay-a had grasped easily but changing water's nature, that wasn't easy. It was slippery, she could see how it was supposed to work, but everytime she tries it, it wouldn't cooperate with her.
You're thinking about it too hard. Your control over water isn't like the magic you used to possess. It's part of you now, like a finger or a leg. You don't think about moving them, you just do it.
"Easy for you to say." Talay-a muttered out loud as she released the bubble and brought herself into the rocky shore. She released her hair from it's braided bun on the top of her head and let it drip dry.

I was not born possessing these powers. They were my mother's, and while I'm sure I possessed my own powers, I didn't have anything until I was 19 when I took my mother's into my head. She taught me what I could learn in the short time I possessed them but it wasn't enough. I was destroyed except for this small part of my consciousness. I will not let the same happen to you, so we will learn the right way.
That shut Talay-a up...well that and the cannons that were used when there was an unknown ship in the planet's space. It wasn't uncommon, not after Thanatos but the warning was still given. Except Thanatos was now after her specifically so it was time for her to get the hell out of dodge.

It's time to go, sorry about this. You've opened rifts before, this is just to a new place. Try not to kill the Archon of Time, that seems to be a reoccuring pattern with me.
"Thanks for the notice." Talay-a muttered as she opened the rift in the water below her before jumping in.