The Timecrafter: Night 02-10
02> The deceased.
Infinitely sidel had existed in Hybernaculuüm, his skin had turned pale and his eyes black as deep space.. but he did dream..
First, he saw the coming of a fire so fierce it surrounded the world, it was an angry fire.. a vicious blaze that wished nothing more than to engulf it in death.
A fire that longed for the cold after, as if it required but a breeze in eternity to ease itself for but a moment.
Far beyond the world Sidel watched from what felt like a persistent abyss, a deep hole in space.. compressed.. confined, within a looking glass.
Then beside him stood a boy he had not seen in what had felt like an eternity, and with a mere glance Sidel knew.. 'Lone..' he had returned.
Then, as if a billion stars at once had stopped reflecting light Sidel's eyes opened rupturing the boundaries of the Hybernaculuüm and found himself to be sitting in a vast meadow.. its grass dancing in the strong wind.. and the scent of Edin oncemore..
But on the horizon was a barren sight, as if the world had turned upside down during his absence..
03> Dead kings.
"That boy, that dread met boy.." "How could this world have loved him so and see how the heavens have crashed onto us"
Ivory rested flat on the cold stone floor.. "Would you not think so my trusted ....friend" and sighed with sorrow..
"I once knew him as a prospect" Said Orobas, Ivory's Guardsman beside him. "I hope you wont mind if i.. lower myself to say"
"No its allright .." replied Ivory kseres.. "Talk, it will be music on the endless rain"
"Very well" proceeded orobas.. "My lord.. no.., my.. dear.. Figo.."
"I was but a young girl when you took me in.. fearing every kingdom on our globe.. and even though my father wanted me to be with.. Lone..
..I.." "I saw in his eyes he was no man of our world, and i stayed with you always.. And you were good to me even in your madness.. since the day you took me in"
"and even protected me against your own council.. and the wizards... and i protected you when they they poisoned you then, and threw you out into the desert as dead.."
"Now let me say.. i know hes still out there, and i know you feel it too.. i know the storm has not taken us to its center yet, but it will.. for this world has to learn .. why"
Ivory kseres/Figo, old king of Ember.. remained silent for a bit.. sat up slightly and allowed a tear of dust from his undead eyes..
"But this poison*, it also kept me to care for you Selen*.."
*the vim lavos, poison that makes the victim old but also undead* *Daughter of Osega, Sister of Kyigei and Aman, did not have right to the throne but was 'officially' given to Eden who would have her marry to Lone, in ancient times.*
"And though it might have taken your beauty too.. i can see it still, and so would Lone.. if what we feel is true"
04> Reason in Inferno.
"Lone" "I know you did not forget me"
"Lone" "We were once brothers"
*chronicle of Aenimcea*
The day Lone had dissapeared from the face of planet Edin as thousands of Denimus entered its orbit, in reunion he instantly knew his true heritage..
He had been lucky to have appeared on Edin as a child, for his true form included a gemini.. as wasn't uncommon in the creation of roamers.
A being burning with the fire that had eluded Lone keeping him pure, a being determined to force back the Denimus perhaps more fierce than even Ega..
His name was Aenimcea, and regardless of his nature and knowing Lone would try to stop him.. he was determined definitely..to finish Ega's strife; regain his soul and sever the boundaries of time.
And took Lone's place that fateful day, ejected in Hura, Ironically Edin's twin planet.
Soon he had learned of the Denimus existence in Edin, and knew he needed the help of one who had been hidden by Lone himself.*
*TTC-Underworld tells of Lone's assistance in nebuchadnezzars escape, this was part of the celestial rebellion after the fall of the sages worship (by eluiscers death in TTC-Domus). The gods had returned and the highest god "An ruerim" took stance against the Denimus, having traced them to Edin..
However the god of doors and portals Janus sided with the Denimus and impersonated An ruerims command to destroy him from within Starting with the deaths of Nebuchadnezzar and An ruerim himself; the rebellion was born and fought on Edin soil, joined by Anis grav, Esys and Sasariel. Eventually partially put down through immense effort by An ruerim's second; Ezegiel, celestial high commander; Uriël boriël, Lone and Ezegiels daughter Hecariël.
Not even halfway the war Lone had managed to succeed in a ploy to trap Janus within a powerful mirror dimension. Anis grav usurped power and went on a rampage destroying Nearly all of Edin trying to find Janus."
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05> Aim for the heart.
(lone revived, lost in the mountains of kenai, meets an angelic huntress named Hecariël.)
This is.. Eden kenai, no mistake about it.
Lone said to himself as he rose up from the reasonably uncomfortable rocky soil from what felt to have been a very long sleep..
But it had changed, as the skies breathed a different air and no longer remained Eden's grassy smell.
Then a group of local wildlife sprung and ran past the meadow below.
A hunter had been spotted, and revealed itself to the wind.. but as the hunter turned its senses toward his location; Lone noticed this was no ordinary person.
In the tall dead grass stood a figure of beauty, engulfing Lone with powerful radiance. An angel with the purest golden hair garbed with a cloth that seemlessly formed into soft snow white wings no larger than a small bird's.
As much as Lone was frozen in his gaze on her, she too remained still as if time had locked and would not release unless they moved but toward eachother.
Down the slope of mountain kenai Lone had walked to her guided by fate.
She was his dear old friend; Hecariël, the daughter of Ezekiel who had fled from Hura during the angelic war..
She explained Her people's current situation, namely that their planet had fallen to the struggle (for power between two ancient factions and a group of rebels from both that after the fall of the mystic's reign (Eluiscer) were released and fighting over the Denimus.
There was the faction of 'An ruerim' the highest authority on law, spearheaded by 'Uriel-Boriel' a powerful angelic army commander.. and Nebuchadnezzar Underworlds escapee backed by his son and a army of sympathisants. Then the faction of Janus the authority of portals and gateways that had claimed rights to the throne on terms of An ruerim's bad judgement wich he personally perpetuated impersonating him toppled it alltogether.
Lone was not unfamiliar to these tales but knew the truth as he personally had not only fought for the release of Nebuchadnezzar in underworld, Hura's most well guarded prison.. but had personally seen to it Janus was trapped in a magical maze called the garden of infinity. \TTC-underworld aftermath)
That Anis grav, Underworld's final victim.. however.. was still alive and had taken up on Janus's ambition was new to Lone.
From Lone's own memory, Janus had seen Nebuchadnezzars escape from underworld as An ruerim being weak and thus not fit for rule, however Anis grav was but Barheire's (underworlds warden) guard..
What could still move Anis grav to fight?..still revenge? had Hura truly been destroyed completely?
Or would he only come to Edin for the sake of finding Janus as his new master..
Lone was left with more questions than answers, thus agreed to follow Hecariël to Ter Amok, Eden's abandoned border village where Ezekiel; now the leader of the refugees' had settled.
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06> Pause to elegy.
(at a church lone speaks to Ezegiel, who fights Anis grav whom together with Sam somam, Sasariël, Esys and Curu behi ravages Edin and with it An ruerim's angelic remnants trying to find Janus)
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And so Lone and Hecariël had entered Ter Amok's Church in Eden where Hecariël's father Ezegiel; one of An ruerim's bloodline and leader of Hura's refugees' resided.
~Ezegiel: "Lone, it has been such a long time.. i hope you dont mind we have taken home here"
~Lone: "Definately not, the world seems much different and not only to the eye.. but i thought Hura was safe from Janus.. what ..happened?"
Hecariël sat closer to lone, and held his arm in comfort..
~Ezegiel: "I see you two still feel the same"
~Lone: "Forgive me, is it true about Anis grav?"
Ezegiel turned his head to the church's ceiling where a grand painting dorned showing the history of Edin..
"There used to be great demons on this world in ancient times were they not"
Lone nodded slightly..
~Ezegiel: "We have come here not to escape Anis his judgement, he came here before us"
Lone couldn't shrug this off and interrupted Ezegiel.. "So he does search for the garden of infinity.. He does aim to find Janus.. but why"
Ezegiel shook his head "Anis grav would never find him on Hura, but he has found a man who can"
~Lone: "What?!"
~Ezegiel: "Not long ago there was a great fire in the north, it ravaged the land.. we have even lost contact with the rest, and suspect *Odyses may need our aid in the north..(*one of the most powerful buisinessmen under An ruerim)
However there is no way to reach him with both Anis grav and his ..friend.. killing everyone in sight..
~Lone: "Who is this man... what is his motive"
Ezegiel looked at hecariël "I want you two to approach their last known proximity from the mountains, do not get spotted" Then looked back to Lone.. "I too wish to know."
"After that, i believe we need to regain contact with Odyses before anything else"
Lone nodded oncemore.. "I have to agree, Anis grav alone is to dangerous,.. "
And so Lone and Hecariël now together setted off toward the mountain path, intending to eavesdrop on Anis grav and his new 'friend.
Whatever happened, Lone could not risk Anis grav ever finding out Janus's location.
07> No more practice.
(Lone takes Hecariël with him to eavesdrop on Anis grav, however Anis grav is spotted meeting with a mystery man called Aenimcea, Lone learns of Aenimcea's plan to destroy the barriers between all dimensions using the God-Denimus he has found in Emper.)
Hecariël and Lone had taken position in a crevice on lower mount kenai, Ezegiel had been right.. below in a corner meadow hidden from the main farsight a camp had been built with its fire still burning.
Without a doubt whoever had taken position here, did not want to be bothered by the Hura refugee's in the area.
"What if Odyses could not contact us because of them" Worried Hecariël arcing slightly toward Lone. "Do you think he could have.. been killed?"
Lone shook his head.. "Its no more than two.. maybe three men" "You can see it by the size of the tent" "Odyses was a man of power, he would not allow himself to be fragile.. he will have guards.. three men wont get to him"
He had to be right, the tent did seem to small for a large group...
Suddenly two figures moved toward the meadow from the mountain path, Hecariël and Lone could but hide behind the rocks just in time.
"th..those arent our people" whispered Hecariël, "one of them didn't even look like..."
"ARE YOU PRESENT?" One of the figures called out toward the tent down below..
Emediately it was answered by another figure that came out of the tent to welcome.
"Thats not him" whispered Lone unhesitated "but i know that man aswell, ive seen him before in Hura"
"Really?" Hecariël whispered back.. "What do you think he's doing here"
Below, finally the second figure that had come from the mountain path showed itself properly.. it was definately a machine..
"Keep it outside" emitted a voice from the tent, admonishing said machine.
The other figure now came into better view aswell, his hair glistened like dark gold, his skin seemed to be as hot as a smithery.
"COME OUT" said he, refusing to enter the tent himself.
Then as Lone had expected he finally showed himself, it was without a single doubt..
Anis grav. He had the same posture, and the same clothing.. the only thing different about him was him wearing a EV-helmet for reasons unknown, but his face was visible even still.
Behind Anis appeared another figure, just as doubtless.. the dark warden of the underworld gate 'Sasariël"
How.. how could both of them have survived, and why where they on Edin, surely it was a waste of time to look for Janus's prison here.
"Its not like i have a choice" hissed Anis toward the steaming figure.. "I need you"
The hot skinned figure seemed uninpressed, perhaps he did not feel the same.. but calmly answerred.
"There are two unearthed locations of wich one has been lost, the other is where i obviously personally head, i care not a bit about your master but it is the only road directly to him"
Lone could not believe his ears.. A road directly to Janus? Did he actually mean that?
"But" The hotskin continued. "Whatever ruined the first location, may ruin the second.. i need the assurance that wont happen, i need anything that can intervene to be kept at bay"
Anis nodded. "I will lay waste to everything in the area if that ensures my share"
Lone had heard enough, there was no time.. he had to hurry back to Ezegiel and share what they had learned.
Somehow Anis grav had found a way in this new associate of his to find Janus, and they had made an alliance to manifest it.
But what about the other man he had seen before in Hura?, the monk. ..his name.. was Sam somam.
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08> Here we burned cold. (Hecariël has dissapeared after reporting back to Ezegiel, Then Ezegiels church is burned to the ground by Aenimcea and Curu behi. Lone barely escapes. Now on his own Lone decides to search for his old comrades (TTCHG) for help.)
Lone had only just returned to Ter amok's church where Ezegiel was waiting for news, Hecariël had gone ahead a few minutes.
However Lone would find the church completely deserted.
'This wasnt the plan' Lone thought to himself looking for signs of life, even Hecariël was nowhere to be found.
The air seemed to get thicker, by now Lone was sweating still checking the upper corridor of the church.. what was going on..
His feet started to sink into the wooden floor almost every step, there was something going on downstairs..
Back at the stairs it was clear, the church was on fire.. quickly Lone kicked in the back door and walked around the crumbling building to halt just in time.
Past the corner stood the mechanical figure Lone had seen before on the meadow.
Up close he could now discern it to be feminine..even though bald, out of its chest arced two axe like blades.. it was a walking bear trap..
Then his observations were halted as Lone heard a voice he recogniced as the Hot skinned man..
"He would have overlooked this town, and this...local leader" "but i did not" he admitted. "He is so careless, ..while useful still"
'they must be talking about Ezegiel" knew lone.. 'they killed him..?"
"w.h.a.t a.b.o.u.t t.h.e. ...f.r.i.e.n.d." commented the mechanical figure stuttering.
For a moment lone held his breath fearing that hecariël..had...
"Behi, do not concern yourself with him anymore, he will too be useful soon enough" The hotskin replied whilst walking off..
'What friend' Lone pondered 'The monk?" ..
There was no trace of Hecariël anywhere..gladly,..and in the church ..no.. not possible either, he had looked everywhere..
'The hotskin has not harmed her.." .."Perhaps she escaped before i got here, perhaps she traveled to her kin in the north"
And thus Lone hurried himself out of Ter amok.
Looking back from its edges more and more signs of fire rose into the sky, he had gotten out just in time.
Only the desert of Owls before him, but the times had changed it into a swamp.. and he had to find a sign of life in it.. ..Hecariëls.
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09> Bigger than us. (Lone locates Odyses and meets with him, then is directed to the most northern range of the map to find Hecariël)
It had taken him but three days in the swamp, now finally.. exhausted Lone threaded upon a building drenched in gold alike a holy treasure at the depths of the sea.
On the inexpensive plate above the gate dorned the words "Alae a fortuna" and underneath it between the doors of entrance stood a statue that Lone could emediately recognice as Odysis.
He had found the one he had been looking for, the other survivors of An ruerim's fall from power.
-
Only just inside he was emediately greeted by Odysis in person who also had noticed a old friend in Lone.
"See, how luck reunites us all" He said in embrace laughing.
"What is this place, how can this building exist in the swamp Odysis" queried Lone..
~
"This is a sanctuary not for those who seek luck, but those who have it, this is for the wealthy and the skillful..those bigger than the ordinary.. A safe haven for those who have traveled to deserve it"
Odysis replied..
Lone thought of these words as odd at the least, but Odysis never was a man who remained on soil, he was the most powerful celestial next to An ruerim and Uriel Boriel themselves.
A entity that covered buisiness and diplomacy all over the new Hura. .. However this place stood out, its interior was gigantic and tremendously decorated with the most rare metals.
Then on top it was suited to host hundreds if not thousands as it had level upon level with rooms deeper and deeper down. Had Odysis built this to settle?.. was he not even looking for his kin himself?
He had to ask..
"Were you aware of Ezegiel's faction, did you have contact with them at all? Lone could not help but ask.
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Odysis grew a much worried look on his face and put his arm around Lone to comfort.
"ah... yes.. i believe so, how do they fare, are they well?"
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"No.. they arent..i thought they were here.." was Lone's response slightly stuttered..as his breathing felt cut short in worry..
"They talked nothing but about meeting up with you, they had to have come here"
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Odysis sighed.. "I told you only this place is for the lucky, although..."
"Although?" ~Lone wondered..
"Although i did hear word about one of our kind in the north, a girl.. but the north is now frozen"...Odysis explained "It is to cold to survive for our kin"
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She had to have missed this place.. it had to be her.. Hecariël...
Lone turned around back to the entrance..
"Odysis, i will find her.. thank you"
There was little time, the north was frozen, and no celestial ever knew such temperatures.
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As Lone left the golden hold.. Odysis smiled.
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10> Prepared to the end. (Lone is ambushed by Curu behi but suddenly an old friend joins the fight and they shut Curu behi down, forgood)
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The north Odysis said, he said it would be frozen.. but this was no snow.. this was ash.. regardless of the chilly temperature.. so this fire had burned long ago..
Lone remembered Ezegiel's words of the great fire in the north, had Odysis lied to him? But why....
Underneath the endless heaps of white ash Lone attempted to touch for bodies..but could only feel rubble.. untill amongst the rubble rose a thing he had seen before..
It was the creature he had seen before together with the hotskinned man.
"T..a.r.g.e.t.....f.o.u.n.d." the robotic voice rattled as its mechanisms stood itself up..
"W..what, Lone coughed waving the ashes away from him' "why would you be programmed against me.."
"P..r.o..t.o.c.ol.. 21.." The apparatus replied. "E.l.i.m.i.n.a.t.e... ..o.b.j.e.c.t.i.n.g...l.i.f.e.f..o..r.m.. n..6..5...5..6.. , m..u..s.t... n..o.t ...a..l.l.o.w..."
"Allow what??!, lone coughed trying to reason with the machine to gain information"
The robotic creature continued as it started to arm itself.. "u..n..i..t.. ..c..u..r..u. b..e..h.i... P..r.o..t.o.c.ol.. 29..79...." "D..e..n..i..m..u..s....o..n ...t..h..e. d..a..y... i..t.s..... n..i..g..h..t..." "p..r.e..v.e..n.t.., o..b..s.t.a..c..l..e..s."
The day its night? What could that mean, did this have to do with what Ezegiel had said about the alliance between Anis grav and the hotskinned man.. could they be plotting to use the last Denimus device..
But surely not merely to find Janus, the hotskinned man must have had a different reason if he programmed a machine to hunt down all opposition..
"e..x..e.c..u.t..i.n..g... e.l..i.m.i.n..a.t.i.o.n... o..f.. o..b..j..e.c.t.i..n.g. .l i...f..e.f..o.rm.." the robotic creature emitted once more as it dragged its now noticable partially broken legs toward Lone..
But as thunderstruck Lone stood paralysed as a shadow moved from behind him and with a massive cut severed the robotic creatures head, then gracefully moved to plant its sword in the creatures chest.
"Apparently one survived, sorry about that" The figure clothed in black rags said casually as he turned toward lone, but they both now stood paralysed as they gazed into eachothers eyes..
"I..cant.. believe what im seeing, is that really you" Lone spoke trembling.. "How are you still alive..after all this time"
"Likewise" Said the shadowy figure as he came closer. "I thought you... disappeared.. that day.."
"Sidel.." Lone whispered under his breath.. "I was .... i did.. the Denimus.. they brought me to Hura.." "I didnt know how to get back, but its been hundreds of years, it was another time.., the Denimus.. it distorted the timezone.."
"What happened to you.."
Sidel sat down beside the robot he had shutted down.. and explained..
"My father, he blamed me for everything that happened, even the war between Evrae kseres and ..Eden.., and its true.. i told him i would commit my own banishment as penance"
"I .. used the Denimus to .. disappear.." "If it had not been for me.."
"What are you talking about " Interrupted Lone.. "It wasnt you.. you could not have prevented the Denimus, or understood it.. It goes back way more than that, i learned that on Hura..
It was never in the hands of Edin, it was never in the hands of us.., we were overwhelmed.. "
"But ive changed" Sidel replied.. "It is to late, if i had not left Trine..in the first place.. i would not have the guilt of the deaths of its hope.."
"Yes ive changed, in Hybernaculuum" "theres no way back"
"But theres a way forward" insisted Lone.. "Afterall you're here.. and what for?"
Sidel looked up and slightly smiled as the feeling of hope returned in his eyes.. "Now that i met you again, i believe there is a way forward yes..
The reason i was here.. is because there is another of us that must have survived the wearing of time.. and i wanted to find him"
"Evrae kseres" Sidel and lone called out in unison.
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And so they setted out together in search of Evrae, but what of Hecariël.. and why did Odysis lie to Lone about the north at all, had Odysis known about the hotskinned man's robot?
Was it treason?
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