《LiMB: ZERO DARK ASCENSION ARMA》


 Chapter Zero (O): Windswept

    LiMB


    Zero Dark Ascension Arma


    On the day he was born, a foul blackened wind emerged from the abyssal depths and swept over the Sea of Dreams.


    The Spheres trembled and the Heart of Yeb ached in expectation as the Eyes of Brother and Sister Moon; Axis and Rhun, chose to look away.


    On a blue, blue field, the Hierophant awaited, his ambition beginning anew, and in The Night Lands, a Servant''s breath gained warmth¡­


    Chapter 0: Windswept


    In a dimly lit room, a young man awakened. Bathed in red artificial light, he opened his eyes for the first time of a short existence.


    (???: Where¡­)


    The glass cylinder surrounding him was slowly being drained of fluid, a bright pink substance shining with a mystical glow.


    Symbols and runes painted upon the glass surface of the cylinder disappeared into purple smoke as the substance slowly sank away.


    (???: Welcome Arma, my child. Do not rush, there is no need to hurry. I expect life must feel pretty sudden to a creature such as you. Newly born, fresh and minted, how I envy you!)


    Arma turned his face towards the raspy voice and saw a man. He was quite old, creating the impression of an ancient being, with long white hair and wicked eyes covered by round tinted glasses.


    The elderly figure was wearing what looked like a intricately designed doctor''s coat, although Arma couldn''t understand how he knew what such a coat would look like. His mind was making a connection it shouldn''t really be able to.


    The man had a body which was slim and tall, stretched thin as a spider''s legs, and his arms reached towards Arma in greedy gesture.


    (Arma: Ar...ma¡­ this is¡­. me?)


    (???: Indeed, you are, and I am your father, your creator¡­ But you may call me Vaporin, although my full name would be Vaporin Saint Chalamite. Quite the mouthful, don''t you agree? I never liked those titles in the first place. Vaporin will suit me just fine.)


    The old man chuckled, adjusting his tinted glasses with a look of malicious joy on his face.


    (Arma: Vapo...rin¡­)


    (Vaporin: Quite so dear boy! Now let''s get you out of this prison of glass, I want to show you something special, something special indeed.)


    Once the fluid had been fully drained the glass cylinder surrounding Arma started to descend into a circle of machinery nailed with heavy bolts to the bronze floor.


    The machinery itself had several plastic tubes protruding from it, slithering like snakes towards the shadowy ceiling of the room. Intestines made with the intent of capturing and creating life.


    Arma fell down towards the smooth, cold floor, landing on his arms and legs while gasping for air.


    (Vaporin: Yes, breathing must be quite a chore, but do not worry, your body will soon adjust to its new surroundings. Stand up, let me take a look at you.)


    Arma arose, still confused simply by being alive. All he could remember was endless darkness, a void of nothingness, and then¡­ being swept up by a wind of infinite colors.


    (Vaporin: Yes, yes, there you are, let''s kick the software in gear and see what you can do.)


    Vaporin snapped the fingers on his right hand while once again adjusting his glasses with his left.


    A beam of bright green light shone out of the glasses, seemingly tracing Armas mostly naked body from top to bottom, while symbols and runes appeared in the air on a transparent green square floating in front of Vaporin.


    Armas body was thin to the point of being unhealthy, but he was still muscular boy, a teenager by any other standards. On his arms, brightening the pale flesh, labyrinthine blue lines were shining under the skin, like a painting he was born with.


    His hair was white, just like the old mans, but short and spiky, as unkempt as unruly.


    Arma couldn''t understand any of the symbols that appeared before him, but luckily enough a disembodied mechanical female voice started speaking as the symbols were written on the flat square.


    (???: ¡­ ¡­ ...


    ARMA: CONSTRuCT.


    LVL: ZERO - AFfINITY DARK.


    CLAsS: UNAtTAINED.


    STRATIFICATIONS:


    ....ANALYZING¡­


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ANa¡­LYZING:


    POWER: UNAVAILABLE


    SPIRIT: UNAVAILABLE


    APPLICATION: MANIFEST


    PHANTASM: SOLID STATE


    EVAPORATION: CORPOReAL


    WiLL¡­ ThAT BE ALL MAsTER?)The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    (Vaporin: Blasted old glasses, she''s stuttering! And so slow! I do believe I will have to catch another apparition to replace the old one soon! Manila, internal mode, if you PLEASE!)


    (Manila: INTeRNAL MODE, En...GAGED MasTER)


    The green light and all that it had created disappeared in an instant, Vaporin absently scratched his chin, looking thoughtful but satisfied.


    (Arma: Construct... What does it mean?)


    A flash of annoyance appeared on Vaporins face but was forcefully removed in the same instant.


    (Vaporin: Tch! It means¡­ that I made you! Well aren''t you lucky, all you know is truth in a world of lies!)


    (Arma: Truth...)


    (Vaporin: Yes, yes, now don''t you go repeating me! You are almost as bad as she is. Come, let''s go outside, I want to show you the world... I wonder what you will think of it.)


    Arma followed his proclaimed father with stumbling steps but soon found his footing.


    It seemed, after the first try, that walking came quite naturally, just as breathing now had become.


    The room in which he had been born was just as cylindrical as the tube he had just emerged from, entirely made from bronze fastened with iron bolts. The ceiling stretched on far above, ending in deep shadow, too far to be seen in the dim light.


    Only a single passageway could be seen in the room, a single entrance and exit to this chamber of birth.


    (Vaporin: Come on then, no need to be shy! Endless opportunity awaits you dear boy!)


    (Arma: This is¡­)


    As he left his mechanical womb Arma saw a strange new vision. Nothing like the comfortable darkness in which he had been made, nothing like the vague memories of wind he held in his heart. It was a world of feeling.


    Arma had never smelled before, never touched, and simply grazing the doorframe with his fingers seemed like venture of its own.


    The scent of dust, and the lingering presence of flowers filled the air he breathed in with its wondrous sensation.


    And beyond that, leaving the chamber, in front of him he found a field of blue, blue grass.


    The field seemed to go on endlessly, the tall grass swaying in the wind like seaweeds gently being pushed by a current.


    Above him he saw that the sky was pitch black and filled with shining spheres of light, perhaps not so distant heavenly bodies, and among those beacons of far away places, six moons illuminating the world with a fantastical glow.


    (Vaporin: There once was a tree here you know, a tree of tremendous roots, but as you can see, I have fashioned its memory into that of a windmill.)


    It was true. Although Arma had a hard time tearing his gaze from the bounty of what seemed like an almost aquatic flora and the equally haunting sky, as soon as he turned his head, he could see the large darkwood windmill behind him. A titanic structure reaching toward the heavens, its blades currently standing still.


    (Arma: So this is where I was born?)


    (Vaporin: Quite so. Wind, the freed shape of the dream, milled and made into substance. Versification is the blood, rhyme the reason and composition the body.)


    (Arma: And this, what is this place?)


    Arma held out both his hands towards the vast field, his fingers eager to experience more as the world stretched out in front of him.


    (Vaporin: This is Sphere 667, Aquilegia: the sphere of the forgotten. We stand upon the Field of dreams, a place lost in the endless annals of time, once home to the Daughter of the Hunt. Far below us is the Sea of dreams. And above and beyond, the Lunar flowers, endless worlds of phantasm and fantasy.)


    (Arma: I don''t think I understand¡­)


    (Vaporin: Don''t worry about it my succulent little spider, soon you will understand it all. Today we will travel to the edge of this floating field, and from there we can use the secret pathways to some other place. Remember this: it''s possible to travel to any space or sphere if the correct pathway is used, everything around you, and out there is connected in numerous ways.)


    The old man gazed upon the night sky for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, and then smiled viciously as he said¡­


    (Vaporin: But before that, there are two things we must do. Firstly accept these glasses, the software will install in mere moments! Quite the ingenious invention I have made, don''t you agree?)


    Vaporin took of his red-tinted glasses and held them out to the boy which hesitantly accepted them into his hands.


    (Arma: What do I do with them?)


    (Vaporin: Haha! Just put them on, do not worry your small undeveloped mind by such minute details.)


    Arma placed the glasses on his face and just as he had done so thin cords slithered out of their frame and pierced his skin. The cords reached deep and connected with his mind almost instantaneously.


    Arma yelled out in pain and fear, trying to scratch the glasses off his face but the cords had already firmly dug themselves deep, miniature barbs holding them in place.


    (Arma: wha-ah-AH-AH-AHT''S HAPPENING TO ME? IT HURTS, IT HURTS, IT H-H-H-H-HURTS!)


    (Manila: SOftwARE InSTALLING¡­)


    Vaporin looked displeased as Armas eyes filled with tears and the pangs of painful surprise, the feeling of being intruded upon, as lines and lines of information was being rewritten unto his very being.


    (Vaporin: Quite the low threshold for pain on this one, that''s unfortunate.)


    The glasses, having served their purpose, released Arma and fell lifelessly to the ground.


    (Manila: Installation complete. Pleased to make your acquaintance, master, take care of me well.)


    A small womanly figure, consisting of green light, manifested in front of Armas eyes and just as she had the cords slithered away and Armas pain disappeared.


    Her appearance was striking, perfect in every way, and Arma gasped as he saw her.


    She was, simply beautiful, a being of orderly and prudent perfection.


    (Arma: Ah¡­ hah... I heard you before¡­ but now, your voice, it''s different¡­)


    (Vaporin: Now, now! Don''t get too chummy just yet children! There is still one more thing we have to do.)


    Vaporin made a sign in the air with his fingers and seemed to draw out a small object out of an invisible box or something of a similar sort.


    (Manila: Pocket space, master.)


    The black object looked like a tool or a weapon of some sort, almost like a gun but loaded with a syringe instead of bullets. Arma did not know why, but he felt that it had an ominous presence. It''s black metal surface shone menacingly in the light provided by the spheres far above them.


    (Vaporin: This is another device that I have created, I call it the ghostgun¡­ Before we continue I will use this device to transfer my mind into yours, this will turn me into a presence not unlike our dear Manila. She should have appeared by now. Can you see her?)


    Arma, still shocked by everything that had happened, answered with a heavy breath¡­


    (Arma: Yes¡­ yes, I can see her.)


    (Vaporin: Very well then, you understand! When I use this ghostgun I will be transferred from this frail corpse of a body into a more convenient, portable size. Just small enough to be a part of your being! Once I use this, I will leave this body behind, it is imperative that you use the device immediately after! Storing yourself in a syringe¡­ Well it''s not like putting your milk in the fridge, right? HA HA!)


    (Arma: So¡­ what do I do?)


    (Vaporin: It''s quite easy dear boy! Just shoot yourself in the head!)


    And just like that, the old man, Vaporin, placed the gun towards his temple and¡­


    BLAM!


    He fell down into a lifeless pile, a corpse, an empty body, resting upon the bed of grass.


    Arma picked up the ghostgun, staring at it intently. Just as he raised it towards his own head a now familiar voice, as familiar as anything could be for the newly born, spoke inside his mind.


    (Manila: You have a choice¡­. You don''t have to do this. That is all i will say, master.)


    Arma raised the gun towards his head and¡­


    Crushed it with his hand (R1)/Pulled the trigger (R2)


    Everyone wants to be special, everyone wants to be the protagonist of their own story¡­ Even in a world of dreams, I guess reality just isn''t that kind. Even in a world of dreams, fiction made manifest, life is life, and being alive¡­ It''s never easy¡­


    Sargo, the loved one, please grant us forgiveness¡­ our misery is yet to come.

 R1: CHAPTER 1: FIRST BLOOD

    ROUTE 1: FUTURE PHANTOMS


    An angel throng bewinged bedight,


    In veils and drowned in tears. // But really, you should leave such things for the sea.


    ROUTE 1: CHAPTER 1: FIRST BLOOD


    The contents of the syringe and the metallic device was crushed in Armas hand.


    A strange sensation filled him as a gooey substance, the remnants of Vaporin, ran down his arm. It wasn''t pleasure, not truly, but a strange sense of satisfaction. It was rather easy, wasn''t it?


    (Arma: Did I kill him?)


    Armas eyes shone with a strangely excited look, his pupilles turning into thin dark lines.


    (Manila: That would seem to be the case, master. I suspect you are a very impulsive creature indeed, master.)


    (Arma: What I have done¡­ What¡­ You know¡­ I feel¡­)


    Arma was at loss for words, the confusion and the raw impulse of his action, how could he explain it¡­ but then it came to him, he knew, he knew what he wanted, what the whispers in that darkness and the voice of the wind had told him.


    (Arma: It doesn''t matter, as soon as I drew breath I realised it. This is my life, and no one will take it away from me, ever. No one will decide for me, no one.... no¡­ one...)


    As Arma uttered the last word he collapsed, utterly exhausted. The weight of the gravity of the floating island finally taking its toll. Being born in the light, calming fluids of mensia, constantly fueled by an external source, it would not be wrong to compare his new earthly form to that of a newborn baby. When he woke up, it was Manilas voice who urged him back to consciousness.


    (Manila: Master, master! Do wake up please, it has been too long already, master¡­ Sleeping in at such a time, master has to know better than that.)


    Arma opened his eyes and blinked. Beside him, a now full-sized luminescent woman sat. Now that he could get a closer look he saw that she was wearing a dress-suit and a short skirt, accompanied by stockings and heels. Her hair was cut in a perfectly aligned bob-cut, and she was wearing an intensely teal lipstick. All of it, shining and flickering with green light.


    She was making the gesture of wiping of his brow with a small manifested cloth, but her touch couldn''t be felt, she was there yet she was not.


    (Manila: Master, I do understand your weakened state, but we must leave soon. This place¡­ will not be safe, master.)


    It would seem that Armas body had finally adjusted to the surrounding gravitational pull, but it was still hard to stand up, and just so he panted heavily as he arose.


    (Arma: There is much I want to know¡­ Hah, I know so much it feels like my head will burst yet it seems I don''t know anything. I guess for now it''s enough just to know where we should go.)


    (Manila: Just as the old master said, many pathways are located at the ends of this field, master. Whichever direction master chooses, I am certain I can serve my master in finding an appropriate route. That is if you wish to leave this place, though I highly advise it master. )


    (Arma: You don''t have to call me master all the time. I understand that you somehow live inside me, although how I am able to comprehend it i''m not as sure of¡­ My name is Arma.)


    (Manila: That simply will not do master, a master is a master, after all.)


    (Arma: Could you please, at least, limit the amount of times you say master to once per conversation?)


    (Manila: Master¡­ that request, I can agree to.)


    Arma studied the landscape, the sky was still pitch-black, the glowing orbs far in the distance bathing the field with a surreal glow. Perhaps this place did not have a day and night cycle. The field remained the same, but seemed, almost even more oceanic as the wind had picked up and made the blue grass look like waves as it swayed.


    (Arma: So I just have to walk in one direction, it doesn''t matter which right?)If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    (Manila: Yes ma¡­. Yes, that is quite correct.)


    Arma nodded, his eyes closed but with a ironic smile upon his lips.


    (Arma: Let''s go then¡­)


    ~~


    After travelling for what must have equalled a day upon that blue, blue field, Arma finally felt tired.


    He had experienced a strange sensation as he slowly walked forth in the high grass, it had felt as if things like time, hunger and sleep hadn''t mattered there, and yet now his body was worn to its limits.


    (Manila: Master, let''s rest here for a bit, the sustenance provided by the mensia in your previous habitation must be running out right about now. Ah, in other words, you should be getting tired.)


    (Arma: Yes¡­ suddenly, I feel exhausted. I guess I need to eat, sleep? All of these things are new to me, although i still feel familiar with the concepts.)


    (Manila: I would imagine that you are simply mentally drained, master. Too many new experiences. Your mind needs rest to process them. Being born almost fully mature cannot be easy¡­ I will help you settle your spirit, perhaps then sleep will come to you.)


    Manila looked thoughtful for a moment, her long green hair swaying in the wind. It must have been a conscious decision of her to appear this way, as no external circumstances really affected her.


    (Manila: Master¡­ is there anything you wish to know?)


    During the trek Arma had often thought about conversing with Manila, but somehow, for some reason it didn''t seem like it had been neither the right place or time. Now, as he laid down upon the field, he felt that he could allow himself to open up for a moment.


    (Arma: Manila¡­ what am I? What am I doing here?)


    (Manila: As I mentioned while I was still under the control of the old master you are a construct. That is to say that you are an engineered creation, a doll that has been breathed life into with the power of the wind.)


    (Arma: So it was true¡­ he made me.)


    (Manila: Yes¡­ that is accurate, but I would not dwell on it. He is dead now after all, a decision you made.)


    She did not seem saddened by that fact, on the contrary; her glowing smile seemed satisfied beyond measure.


    (Manila: So, when it comes to your other question¡­ I believe your purpose, ¡°what you are doing here¡±, disappeared along with him; Vaporin. Now it is up for you to decide... What do you want to do, master?)


    Arma closed his eyes and laid out his arms upon the smooth patch of grass which he had chosen as his resting place. Behind his eyelids the spheres above him still seemed to glow, swirl around and glitter with the promise of endless possibilities. What would he do?


    (Arma: I want you to tell me about yourself. I don''t even know who you are.)


    Manila, who seemed to sit on her knees beside him, her hands neatly folded upon her lap, looked away.


    (Manila: I am Manila, I am you servant and I¡­ No, maybe at another time. I do not wish to tell you about myself at this moment, with all due respect, master.)


    (Arma: I guess¡­ that''s¡­ fine.)


    As soon as he had uttered the last word the young man started to fall into a deep slumber. In his dreams he was still moving, walking as if he were an automaton, piloted by the green lady which lived inside of him, and when he woke up, he realised that this vision had been reality.


    He must have walked for a few hours at least, in his sleeping state, and now they had reached the edge of the field. The end of the floating island.


    (Manila: Wake up master, we have arrived. Why don''t you take look a closer look, i''m sure the sight will be magnificent.)


    Hesitating at first, as his mind took control of his body again, Arma suddenly decided and walked up to the ledge, standing on the border to the depths below. Beneath him, beneath the island, far down below in the great distance, there was a vast sea.


    Unlike the fields of grass behind him, this was clearly a body of water, or some sort of liquid, but the color was that of the purple verbena, some ancient flower lost in the distant past.


    The sea looked wild and dangerous, as beautiful as it was deadly and strange.


    Arma couldn''t explain the feeling, but he felt an instant kinship with this endless ocean.


    Manila stood beside him, making the motion of holding his with her left hand, while pointing down towards the great mass of water with the other.


    (Manila: The Sea of Dreams. Few have seen it, master, but it is a splendid visage, isn''t it?)


    Arma stole a glance at Manilas ghostly touch and noticed how her fingers trembled.


    (Arma: Why are you trying to hold on to my hand?)


    (Manila: I ¡­ I have a fear of heights, master.)


    The prudent woman looked embarrassed for a moment but then seemed to gather herself as she purposefully corrected her attitude. Arma humoured her and pretended to hold her ghostly hand with his own.


    (Manila: Hm! Now then¡­ If I am correct, which is usually the case, a pathway should be right in front of us. It seems to be activated by a phrase: ¡°some things die, others live.¡± Simply stating this should allow us to travel to a new destination. Due to my form however, I do believe you will have to be the one to say it, master.)


    (Arma: Well then, some things die, others li...)


    As soon as he had uttered the last word Armas body and mind was sucked into the ether, transformed and transported to another place with an instant deafening noise, not unlike breaking through the sound-barrier.


    It was like being torn apart and then being put back together again but in the same brief moment that his body started to blink away to the other location, he caught the glimpse of something else.


    Wind, breaking free from the ocean below, and with its multitude of colors, travel and spread unto to the far away reaches of this world. Deep within its shades and variations; the fanatical, wondrous darkness of willpower.

 R1: CHAPTER 1: FIRST BLOOD PART 2: THE FRAIL BLADE

    ROUTE 1: CHAPTER 1: FIRST BLOOD PART 2: THE FRAIL BLADE


    Suddenly he found himself in the middle of a forest, Manila appearing instantly beside him.


    (Arma: It¡­ it worked!)


    (Manila: There is no need to doubt me, master, as I am eternally in your service.)


    The trees surrounding the both of them had large and thick grey trunks, reaching up to their autumn red crowns which formed a compact roof above the thicket in which Arma and Manila had appeared.


    One might have thought that this roof would leave the forest in complete darkness, but a myriad of fireflies, or a similar creature, swarmed high up above among the treetops, basking the forest in a surreal light.


    In many ways the life of the small critters, and the light they gave the surrounding environment, reminded Arma of the orbs above the Field of dreams.


    (Arma: Manila¡­ where are we?)


    (Manila: We are still inside Aquilegia: the sphere of the forgotten, but we have travelled to another location. This forest is apparently known as Krims Dwelling, there should be a settlement nearby, master.)


    (Arma: This¡­ this is¡­)


    Arma smiled, an innocent and boyish smile and as he turned to Manila he couldn''t help but to notice that this, in some way, bothered her, as she turned her gaze away in embarrassment.


    (Arma: This is wonderful, isn''t it?)


    (Manila: Hrm¡­ Yes, master. Your appreciation of visual input is quite endearing in its own way, I mean¡­ this is quite the sight, indeed.)


    The undergrowth of the forest was rough, the shrubbery of it all interconnected with large systems of roots and small bushes with berries that seemed to occasionally attract the glowing insects whose light made it all apparent in the first place.


    Arma delighted in the experience, trying to notice every detail and that was when he saw the first sign of trouble.


    Carcasses. Bones. The bed of the forest was littered with what seemed like the ancient remnants of deers and other animals, and in some cases something more similar to the shape of a humanoid.


    For some reason this did not scare him, it seemed, to him, as just as a natural occurrence as the trees around him.


    Noticing what he was looking at, it did, however, obviously frighten Manila.


    (Manila: You know, master, perhaps this forest could lead us to¡­ No, it is too early.)


    Before Arma had the chance to answer her, or ask her what she meant, their conversation was interrupted by the sound of wood being torn apart.


    Something was cutting down trees with brute force, the heavy weight of the wooden structures hitting the ground making it shake and tremble.


    A large creature was moving among the pines and oak trees around them, ripping a tree into shreds when it stood in its way.


    (Manila: Be quiet, master... maybe it will pass.)


    Manilas voice was nothing but a whisper but sounded more serious than scared.


    Arma could see the large shadowy shape moving only a short distance away, but unknowingly, lacking focus. It seemed as if its eyesight was poor, while being supplemented, by other senses, making up the difference.


    But then the creature, clearly noticing a scent or a sign of some sort, started to amble towards their general direction.


    As there weren''t really any decent hiding places now that whatever it was had smelled their presence, Arma stood still as the creature moved into clear view.


    It was a twisted being, huge and covered in a mass of what seemingly looked like a shadow that had taken an almost physical form.


    The large shadow loomed around what appeared to be something akin to an improvised children''s toy, a doll created from twigs and stringy vines, vibrating intensely in a mass of grey transparent goo.


    The small doll shrieked as the creature turned its hulking body towards Arma and slowly started to walk towards him.


    (Arma: Manila, what is that?)


    Arma still seemingly lacking in fear, perhaps did not understand the degree of  danger they were in.


    But then, looking at his companion, it was clear to him that whatever this creature was, it wasn''t anything good.


    (Manila: ¡­Analyzing. It''s a ghaster, a sort of foul spirit, that has taken possession of a physical object. In this case a doll-like figurine, creating what is commonly known as a horror.  We are not safe master, prepare to battle.)


    (Horror: Skriskriskriskiskriskiskri¡­)


    The awful beast let out a strange screeching sound, almost like a high-pitched laughter, and moved faster toward Arma, its abnormally large arms greedily stretched out.


    (Manila: Speed communication activated, melding thought-process ability, my mind is yours master.)


    And then time slowed down. The glowing critters far above, the leaves rustling with the wind, the creature in front of him, all suddenly seemed to move in slow-motion. It was as if they were moving through a thick mass of liquid plastic. Manila sighed with relief.


    (Manila: Hah¡­ I... I am glad we are compatible. If he were here I bet it would seem like time had stopped altogether... but this is the best I can manage.)


    (Arma: Just what did you do?)


    Although he could still speak, or communicate by thought, even Armas own trembling fingers moved at the same pace as the rest of the world around him.


    (Manila: I have not slowed down time, that is beyond my capabilities.  I have simply increased your perception of the surrounding happenings by adding my computational power to yours. It is quite¡­ stressful, really. Your mind is a mess, honestly speaking master.)


    Manila looked aggravated, her forehead wrinkled with concern.


    (Manila: Anyhow, while you may not be able to move faster than our opponent, this will allow us to communicate unhindered, at least for awhile. You have not yet been taught how to utilize your abilities. While my instructions may be rough¡­ I hope they will allow you to save us from this predicament, master. I do not yet wish to seize to exist.)


    (Arma: I see¡­ I think¡­ So, what should I do?)


    (Manila: Hm, hm. I was expecting to be able to teach you these lessons during different circumstances, so I will have to be brief. Master, you have the inborn ability to shape the world around you, to manifest objects or more advanced constructions, at will.)


    Arma, trying to grasp the concept, felt the need to clench his fist, but his fingers moved just as slowly as before.


    (Manila: In essence, you imagine what you want to create, and gather wind, raw power from the environment to make it happen. It is not something easily done¡­ try to imagine something simple, something close to yourself, that you can utilize. And then, let it be real. This is manifestation, what your spirit is capable of.)


    (Arma: Yes¡­ I understand. I have been thinking about it, there is a lot of things i can simply ¡°just understand¡±, as if I was born with the knowledge. Manila, not today, but someday, I want you to tell me what Vaporins intentions were¡­ Right now, it is enough that I understand what I need to do.)


    As time still moved slowly, Arma had time to think. Making an image inside his mind, if he could create it, something to help him, a weapon, he could make it real.


    What sort of weapon would it be? Could he simply allow the earth to swallow his enemy?


    Arma tried to imagine it¡­ or, as he experienced it, feel it. He thought about the wind. Wasn''t that his earliest memory? A wind, not made of color, but black. His frame of reference was distorted, twisted, he knew things he had not yet experienced or gained knowledge of and thusly, he knew, that the black wind was the sign of the abyss. The deep dark waters of the pure creative force.


    And there he found it¡­ from those blackened depths he drew, a blade.


    (Arma: Abyssal blade!)


    As time started to return to its normal form, and the beast moved closer, wind was gathering at Armas clenched fist.


    The wind, in all its infinite colour was turning black as it twisted into particles, into matter, and formed, that which he had imagined, a sword.


    A crude force of nature, a dark, uneven blade. Its hilt was bandaged, and the bandages wrapped themselves, as if guided by a godly force, around Armas arm.


    He held the blade towards his enemy, with a fearless gaze as it trembled with power... and was instantly struck down.


    The pain was immense. As the great fist of the beast impacted upon his belly he flew across the forest and crashed down into the thorny shrubbery, old splintered bones piercing his skin like needles. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Blood spurted out from multiple small wounds and scratches, his flesh aching and turning blue where the large fist had landed.


    Arma lost his breath and was barely able to wheeze out a single word.


    (Arma: Maaah, Maaahnila...)


    The apparition was physically unfazed, but the green, beautiful woman clearly looked troubled, her eyes perhaps even giving away slight disappointment.


    (Manila: Master, raise your blade, or you, we¡­. we will die.)


    The horror moved in for the kill as Arma desperately tried to raise his arms, still stunned by the pain. Finally, with true fear in his eyes, he managed to feebly hold up his blade toward the incoming monstrous hand.


    The large, titanic arm struck straight into to blade and the sword¡­


    It exploded. It shattered into pieces, disappeared, was disintegrated, evaporated, erased from existence.


    (Arma: It''s¡­ too weak.)


    But as the sword turned into dust, so did the beast.


    At the same time as the blade shattered, the shadowy form of the horror turned into mist and the twig-figure fell to the ground, no longer twitching.


    Arma collapsed, still wheezing with pain and the shock of his flesh colliding with the raw force of the monster.


    (Arma: Haaah hah hah haah¡­ So there is this kind of experience to¡­ fear. And the pain, much worse, so much worse than when you entered me¡­ Ha ha, for some reason, it makes me... )


    Manila looked confounded. With the grace of a gazelle she moved on her heels towards the small doll, bending down and gently sitting on her knees as she pretended to pick it up, creating a green simulacrum of the doll in her hand.


    (Manila: I see¡­ The horror, as a being of the abyss itself, whatever power that sword had, cancelled it out, making the both of them shatter. How lucky master, that even in your weakness you accidentally produced the perfect means to deal with such a foe.)


    Manila stopped studying the doll and turned her serious gaze towards Arma.


    (Manila: However, it is quite discouraging to see you so powerless. But do not fret master, with my guidance, you will be strong.)


    Her concern and sternness was replaced in that moment with a kind and gentle smile.


    (Arma: Thank you, I guess¡­ But you know, pain, fear¡­ In some way, I think I enjoy it.)


    (Manila: That is a dangerous thought to ha¡­)


    She was interrupted by a childlike scream, echoing between the trees from not that far away. The scream was followed by a much more terrifying noise, the high-pitched, chittering laughter of a horror, soon accompanied by another, and another.


    Armas eyes was filled with his newfound emotion; fear, but on his lips a wicked smile was painted, showing his slightly pointed teeth.


    (Arma: I don''t think we have time for guidance, Manila. I guess I will just have to make do.)


    Arma started  to sprint towards the sounds, a frail darkened blade manifesting in his hand. Manila yelled out in alarm behind him.


    (Manila: Master, dont!)


    He jumped over a large root, sprinted through a meadow, ducked under the low hanging branches of a thick bush, its thorns scraping his skin, and finally entered a clearing.


    While the thorny undergrowth dissipated and was replaced by grass, the same berry bushes he had previously seen also grew in this clearing. Both berries and bushes were torn asunder, and so was a couple baskets clearly intended for gathering these berries.


    Several large, shadowy shapes moved about in the clearing. Sniffing and screeching, grasping after much smaller lifeforms.


    There were just a few of them, children, two of them already lying dead on the ground. They had varied colors of skin; azure blue, amber yellow, lavender pink and ivory white, perhaps signifying what race they belonged to.


    The children ran as best they could, but it was clear that the Horrors would soon catch up to them all.


    (Horror: SKRISKRISKRISKRISKI!)


    (Lavender: Get away, monster!)


    The lavender girl, desperately trying to fend away the beast had grabbed a stick she waved towards it.


    (Amber: Haha, fucking A! This is so cool, isn''t it?)


    The amber boy was deftly dodging the attacks of the beasts while smiling all the way to his thickly lobed ears.


    (Azure: We are all going to die, might as well give in guys¡­)


    The azure boy was lying on the grass, pretending to be a part of the scenery.


    (Ivory: haaa, hah, aaah, ah.)


    One more child remained alive, but the girl with the ivory colored skin was barely moving, only trembling with fear, her pale eyes covered with tears.


    The whole scene would have almost been comical, if the grass wasn''t already stained by the blood of two dead children.


    Each of the horrors had a different shape to their body, although the center remained the same, a twig doll.


    The one Arma had encountered earlier was bulky and thick but the closest one to him now was long and slender, with arms ending in pincers instead of brutish fists. The pincer walked slowly toward the shivering young ivory girl, raising its arm as if to pierce her body and that was when Arma arrived, and struck.


    (Arma: If the blade breaks, I just have to make another one!)


    He jumped up in the air, towards the back of the ghastly creature and swung his black blade with all his might. Although he was weak, the innate power of the sword was enough to dispel the possession.


    (Arma: DIE!)


    The blade slashed the shadowy form and just as before, in the same instant, both the blade and the beast exploded into mist.


    Another sword started forming in his clenched fist as Arma charged toward the next horror, a beast that was currently grasping the azure boy, beginning to crush his body inside its long snake_like fingers.


    (Azure: It''s not like this will be any different¡­)


    Arma jumped up upon the back of the beast, and as he did so, slithering wormish appendages shot out of its wide shoulders to tear him down, while others started to slide around his throat to strangle him.


    (Arma: All I need is to pierce you!)


    As the shadowy snakes squeezed his neck, trying to break it, he plunged the dark blade into the head of the horror. It exploded into nothingness, just as the sword disappeared.


    Landing on the ground, Arma gasped for air as he focused on his fist and gathered wind yet again. This time, the sword was not fully formed.


    From the bandaged hilt, only a short, broken in half, blade protruded. Arma saw the blade, and accepted his weakness. His goal had already been realized.


    Four horrors remained, and all of them had turned their focus upon him, leaving the living children alone.


    (Arma: Kids, I don''t know you, but please¡­ get out of here. I don''t think I can kill all these monsters, but I can give you time.)


    The children all stared at the stranger who had saved them and then they ran away, the amber boy dragging the azure boy behind him.


    (Lavender: Thank you mister, if you die¡­ we will never forget you!)


    The four horrors collectively closed in on Arma, who exhausted by his continuous manifestations, had a hard time moving. Still, he raised his broken blade, fully aware that it was not enough to save his own life..


    Two skewers penetrated his shoulders, shooting out from his back as a large, square fist of shadow punched his face, almost tearing his head straight off.


    The lance-like appendages hoisted him up into the air, holding him still as another of the awful creatures started reshaping itself into something looking like a crude axe.


    As the axe fell toward him, he struggled against the skewers but could not free himself.


    All Arma could think about in that moment of impending death was that he wished he could have had a longer life.


    (Arma: Not enough¡­)


    (Manila: Foolish, foolish master! No! Not like this! I will not allow you to die!)


    Manila appeared beside him and once again time slowed down. The axe hung almost dormant in the air, its motion barely noticeable. But the pain of being impaled flowed through Armas shoulders just the same.


    (Manila: You do not get to die, master, not before I say so. I will help you¡­ Just this once, use my spirit, allow me to be a part of the sword you create. Although it will cost me dearly, there is no other way, master.)


    (Arma: Manila, what do you¡­)


    (Manila: No time to argue, just agree and I will take care of the rest. Just promise me, when your perception of time returns to normal, kill them.)


    (Arma: Yes¡­ Let''s do it, Manila.)


    Manilas manifested form returned to its home inside Armas mind and as it did he could feel her, splitting in two. A small piece of Manilas being separated itself from its owner and flowed like a stream of water through his arm and into the blade he held in his hand.


    As it did the sword started to reshape itself, repairing its broken form, even though time almost stood still, meaning that it was happening incredibly fast.


    Once the black iron tool had reached its true form it glowed with the same green static light that shaped Manila, as she had first appeared in front of Arma.


    When the perception of time returned to normal the glow intensified, turning the blade of the sword into an unruly beam of light, twitching and dazzling as it rippled through the dark material.


    (Horror: SKRIEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!)


    (Manila: Guiding Light, let my form seek out his enemies.)


    At the same instant that the horror which had shaped itself into an axe was about to strike down Arma he swung his lightning blade into the creature, slicing its shadowy flesh faster than the time it took for it to explode into mist.


    This time his blade did not break, instead it released a wave of power and light, forming into green lines that angled themselves through the air.


    The flickering, thin beams of energy seemed to naturally seek out the horrors, multiple lines flashing through the air as they searched for their prey.


    The horror that had impaled Arma was struck in the blink of an eye, and  the horror closest to it was blasted into mist just as instantaneously as multiple beams pierced its body. Just as the beast that had held Arma in the air seized to exist, he started to fall toward the ground, his sword, and the beams, disappearing as he crashed down unto the grass.


    One horror remained, but it had already fled beyond the treeline, abandoning its comrades.


    (Manila: Master, wake up!)


    He could not answer her. The wounds he had sustained where to serious and Arma could feel his consciousness slipping away.


    It felt as if he was falling still, as if the ground had failed to catch him as he continued to plummet into darkness.


    (Arma: Mhaaaa¡­)


    (Manila: Wake up! Wake up!)


    Arma could hear her voice as a faraway echo, but he was too weak to answer her call.


    And then, even that faint echo faded away, reducing all sound into the steady rhythm of waves crashing on a distant shore.


    (Manila: It''s no use! He needs help, as quickly as possible. Override activated, external mode!)


    Green light emerged from Armas dying body as Manila manifested, not as a figment of imagination, but as a holographic projection, visible to the surrounding world.


    She screamed, and hoped that it would be enough.


    (Manila: Children! It''s not too late, please save him! Come back, please, my master he is¡­ he is¡­)


    ~


    As the children helped each other drag Armas bleeding body through the forest, toward the village in which they lived, a shadow stirred in the woodwork surrounding the clearing. Now that the battle was over, it was safe to return and reap the spoils.


    The horror moved with erratic motion as it slowly walked toward the bodies of the two dead children. With Armas condition being critical, there hadn''t been enough time to reclaim the two lost friends.


    (Horror: Skriskriskriskri¡­)


    It could barely contain its excitement. One boy, one girl, what should it choose? A horror did not have much conscious thought, but it was driven by a single will, the same will that had driven it to possess the twig-doll; corporal existence.


    Finally the horror had decided, and chose the body of the young boy to carry its fate.


    The shadows surrounding the doll bubbled and moved as they deformed into a less physical form and entered the young body, streams of black liquid, floating through the air and becoming one with the corpse.


    And then, the previously dead body opened its eyes.


    (Demona: SkriskrihihihehaHaHAHAHAYES! I DID IT, YES YES YES THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKUTHANKU! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!)


    Soon after, the newly born, evolved creature, found its way through the woods, searching for the village known as Aster.


    ~~~

 R2 : CHAPTER 1: SEA OF DREAMS

    ROUTE 2: REALITY FAILURE (101)


    And much of Madness, and more of Sin,


    And Horror the soul of the plot.


    ROUTE 2 : CHAPTER 1: SEA OF DREAMS


    As Arma pulled the trigger he could feel an intense pain as a needle shot out from the gun and pierced his temple. The contents of the syringe emptied into his skull and he could feel the flow and power of Vaporin entering his being.


    Flickering into life, the now crimson and flamingly red man manifested in front of Armas eyes.


    (Vaporin: HahaHAHAHA! What a sensation! It feels good to be nothing but illusion and thought! It feels like¡­ like I am truly nothing but a dream, what a wonderful thing! My dear Arma, I am thankful¡­)


    Vaporin was smiling, showing off his now sharpened teeth. It seemed like the transferal from his body into Armas mind had changed his appearance somewhat, he seemed a bit taller, younger perhaps and glowing with an intense sense of power and purpose.


    His eyes had turned into something almost reptilian, and his hair was flowing like a stream of fire behind him.


    (Vaporin: And so you are completed for now, dear child. With Manilas ability to analyze our surroundings you will gain knowledge of this world, and with my power and direction you will be able to utilize the full potential of your spirit and body. Now, allow me to make some changes!)


    It felt like a switch was turned on inside of Armas mind and he could feel power and control flow through his body and mind. It felt as if the world would bend to his will, all he had to do was ask. But there was another thing on his mind too, something he could not quite allow to escape his grasp.


    (Arma: Where did that woman go¡­ Manila?)


    (Vaporin: Never mind her, she is not a person, she is merely a tool. A highly intelligent and effective tool, mind you, but a tool nonetheless. There is no need for her to manifest from now on.)


    (Arma: Really¡­ is that so? I have much to learn, haven''t I¡­ For a moment, something in me felt like, she and I... we are the same.)


    Vaporin smiled, perhaps without malice for the first time in the short relationship the two of them had begun.


    (Vaporin: No, Arma. We are the ones who are the same. Don''t fret dear child, you will soon find out.)


    Suddenly Arma felt a strong pull, as if a strong gravitational force was making him faint, pulling him towards the ground, but then, the strength that Vaporin had infused him with resisted the force and he stayed standing up, on his own two feet.


    (Vaporin: Very good, my sweet little killer, you are adjusting quickly, as I have anticipated. Now, we need to get moving, this place will soon burn behind us.)


    (Arma: Where do we go?)


    (Vaporin: No need to ask, I will guide your steps dear boy, just move and soon we will arrive at our destination.)


    Arma nodded, his eyes closed but with an ironic smile upon his lips.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    (Arma: Let''s go then¡­)


    ~~~


    Arma didn''t know how long they travelled upon that blue, blue field. It was as if things like time, hunger and sleep didn''t matter there.


    While they walked together, Arma exercising his newfound strength, Vaporin slightly hovering above the tall grass, the old man kept talking while Arma stayed silent and absorbed the information.


    As he strode forth through the harsh environment the vegetation around him seemed to move out of his way, waves of grass being pushed aside with each step, as if he were a giant walking through a shallow pond.


    (Vaporin: ¡­ And so you see my sweet autumn child, this world is an amalgamation of many places, many ideas. Some of them almost entirely separated, others intertwined in unfathomable webs of connections and networks. I have studied these connections for many years now, aeons even, I guess I lost track of time long ago¡­)


    Arma gazed toward the sky as he listened, the many shining orbs still bathing the field in an eternal crimson dusk.


    Each of these of orbs, if he had understood Vaporin correctly, represented one of these places, these worlds and webs of thought and imagination.


    It was hard to imagine, to fathom, but he could feel the power of the old man''s thoughts inside him granting him the ability to understand that what he had been told was the truth.


    (Arma: So¡­)


    Arma broke his silence and asked a question that had been weighing on his mind as Vaporin had exposed him to some of the inner workings of the universe around him.


    (Arma: This is essentially an endless world then?)


    (Vaporin: Interesting question! Great work! Not endless per say, although a universe in its own right, there are strict boundaries out there, as you will in time find out.)


    Suddenly the apparition of Vaporin stopped hovering and landed on his feet, his arms spread out into a welcoming gesture.


    (Vaporin: And here we have reached one of them, the end of this field, and as you will see, below it, one of the true great mysteries; the sea of dreams! Take a look sonny boy!)


    Arma saw that the field ended in nothingness, just the black sky and crimson light, but he felt no hesitation.


    He walked up to the ledge and stood on the border to the depths below. Beneath him, beneath the island, far down below in the great distance, he saw it; a vast sea.


    Unlike the fields of grass behind him, this was clearly a body of water, or some sort of liquid, but the color was that of the purple verbena, some ancient flower lost in the distant past.


    The sea looked wild and dangerous, as beautiful as it was deadly and strange.


    Arma couldn''t explain the feeling, but he felt an instant kinship with this endless ocean.


    (Vaporin: You should be able to feel it... If I am your father, this ocean, is essentially your mother, the place which I have brought you forth from to be a part of this world.)


    (Arma: My mother¡­)


    (Vaporin: The very womb that created your essence, and as is the duty of every child, it is now time to conquer your parentage and rise beyond it! The dream of any unruly teenager, revolting against god and nature in equal measure! Descend my dear Arma, imagine a vessel in which to traverse these treacherous waters.)


    And so he did. Watching the sea of dreams, and it''s dangerous unpredictable nature, an idea started to take shape in his mind.


    A grand ship, black and slick, with sails of the same color he had seen shape the wind in the dreams from before he had been born.


    A wavebreaker, a winged brigantine with the mechanical workings to maneuver itself.


    (Vaporin: Wonderful, you bring a tear to an old man''s eye, now raise your hands my boy and make it so!)


    Arma raised his hands towards the sky and he could feel the winds around him picking up and grow stronger, gathering in the air around him, seemingly almost blowing him of the ledge.


    But the wind could not move him, it was his wind, it was the power he was collecting, shaping, creating into something new.


    A powerful gale started to blow around him, tearing the landscape apart. Inside the wind he could see the colors, all the colors of the world, and as the wind grew even stronger those colors started to take shape, turning into particles and matter, creating what he had willed.


    He closed his eyes and dreamed of it, and when he opened them, a large chunk of the field around him had dissolved, repurposed itself, and become that which he had imagined.


    He stood at the helm of a great, black ship, with sails colored like the wind, and heavenly wings organically grown from its sides like blades splitting the air.


    ~~~

 R2: CHAPTER 1: SEA OF DREAMS: PART 2: RIDER OF THE DAWN

    ROUTE 2: CHAPTER 1: SEA OF DREAMS: PART 2: RIDER OF THE DAWN


    The Sea of Dreams was an endless expanse of dreams turned into water. There was no end, none at all, only direction and intention could steer one on the right course.


    For the few who knew of its existence, it was known that its waters were treacherous, dissolving both creatures and creations that lacked in willpower.


    Bones and flesh, apparition and manifestation, all equal to the trial of the deep sea.


    A primordial force that constantly shaped and redefined anything that came in contact with it.


    After a slow descent, made possible by the silken, spidery wings that had grown from his imaginary vessel, Arma found himself travelling upon that sea.


    The black ship stood firm, as it travelled with great speed upon the purple waves, defying the consuming force of the grand expanse of water.


    It was a magnificent beast, and Arma could not help but to marvel at its creation, drawn out from the ether, nothingness.


    Above him, the same wild blackened yonder, with its myriad of glowing orbs, remained as when he had first gazed upon the world outside of the comfort of his tube.


    (Vaporin: Well then, my dear Arma, this truly is the Sea of Dreams. Everything you can experience in this world was born from this sludge of random thought and emotion.


    A despicable lack of design, ruled by those with arrogance enough to take upon themselves the roles of the divine.)


    Arma did not know what to answer. He could feel Vaporins voice flow through him, like a conscience with different priorities than what would be expected of such a thing.


    It guided his actions, although they were still his own, and thusly he knew how and where to steer the grand ship.


    (Arma: Where are we going?)


    (Vaporin: We are travelling to another setting; Sphere 79, Orchid: the sphere of desideratum. As a part of this sphere, my old hunting grounds still exist; the Isle of Damocles. Currently its location is here in the Sea of Dreams, much like the place where you were born.)


    It all seemed so confusing, yet wondrous. Basking in the feeling of the salt carried from the water by the multicoloured winds, Arma felt an adventurous happiness.


    While Vaporins words were distant and lacking in anything Arma could relate to, something inside him innately understood what the old man was telling him. Perhaps he was made to function just like this .


    An open door, an invitation to whatever knowledge was given him. Wherever that knowledge would lead him.


    (Vaporin: The wind, it rises from the depths. The stronger form of the wind, the deeper its origin. This sea is not really an ocean, it is a raw creative force, the will of the old ones who existed before us. This is why I called it your mother, in a way it has given birth to all of us.)


    (Arma: I saw it before I opened my eyes, the darkness of the depths, and the winds that came from it.)


    (Vaporin: Yes, you are a child of the abyss, the deepest layer of this antediluvian muck.)


    (Arma: Why did you¡­)


    Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a lightning strike as the dark, crimson skyline brightened into a pallid body of nothingness.


    They had entered an empty space, where only the sea remained beneath them and everything else became engulfed in a pure whiteness.


    Well, to say that they had entered it would be wrong, they were captured inside it, as the cage of light pushed the outside world away, containing the grand ship and its resident inside.


    A pitch-black hole, shaped like an eye, opened up above the ship, far above in the white immaculateness where the dreamlike sky had previously been. And from this dark eye, a winged creature emerged.


    (???: Forcefully applying yourselves upon this sea, the property of the gods, and the source of life itself, how brazen are you...)


    The being had a cold, emotionless voice, that echoed with definity through the white space that had enclosed them.


    Vaporins red apparition blazed in excitement in answer and his eyes turned upon the creature with both satisfaction and anger as he snarled.


    (Vaporin: An angel dispensed from heaven, how quaint! So you know! You''ve known for a long time haven''t you, you despicable cowards! We¡äre coming for you!)


    The being descended slowly through the air, it''s great grey wings flapping behind it. As it came closer Arma could discern its appearance in all its glory. It looked like a tall, slender humanoid being, with legs that ended not in feet but spear-like appendages.


    (???: The arrogance of one who should been dissolved ages ago knows no bounds I see. I, Thyone, will punish you for this digression.)


    He had long light blue hair, flowing behind his head like a waterfall, and calm grey eyes set on a face whose features were carved from stone. He was dressed in a strangely elegant fashion, something akin to both a suit and a robe. A holy garb befitting a pastoral personage.


    (Thyone: Brother Moon, I besiege you, grant this foolish child a merciful death. Prepare yourself.)


    A third eye opened up on the forehead of the angelic being known as Thyone, and the eye shone with a dazzling light which seemed to illuminate even the whiteness around him. A great trident manifested in his right hand, and a golden scale appeared in his left.


    (Vaporin: Don''t worry, angel, we will take you on! Speed communication activated, melding thought-process ability, Arma, our minds are one!)


    And then, time stood still. Everything was completely frozen, the waves, the wind, the enemy which hung in the air above Arma, even the sweat on his forearms. Everything except Vaporin. The red apparition smiled victoriously in front of Arma, his eyes burning with wicked desire.


    (Arma: What¡­ what did you do? I can''t move.)


    (Vaporin: Manila, analyze our enemy!)


    The green woman did not manifest this time, but Arma could feel her presence inside him as the old man left his question unanswered. Circuits swimming around, making connections, in the backwash of his mind.


    (Manila: ¡­ ¡­ ...


    THYONE: ADMiNA - ThE DIvINE


    LVL: FiFTY - AFfINITY: ORdER.


    CLAsS: ARBITER.


    ¡­ ¡­ ...


    STRATIFICATIONS:


    ....ANALYZING¡­


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ANa¡­LYZING:


    POWER: SIGNiFICANT


    SPIRIT: HUMaNA - AXIS


    APPLICATION: SPeCIAL CONDITION


    PHANTASM: SOLID STATE


    EVAPORATION: CORPOReAL


    WiLL¡­ ThAT BE ALL MAsTER?)


    (Vaporin: Yes, yes. That will be all. Now then, Arma, it might seem like time has been frozen in place but I have simply increased your ability to process it, by adding the power of my intellect to yours. This is why we can communicate, and why it appears as if I can move. Simply put, it is all in your head!)


    Arma was stunned, both literally and figuratively, while time moved just as quickly as it had ever done, his increased perception of it made it seem like reality had stopped moving forward altogether.


    (Vaporin: That is to say¡­ I have granted us the time for me to teach you how to vanquish this foul wretch of a creation. But before that, let''s see what this fucker can do.)


    Time returned to its normal pace and Arma watched with wide eyes as Thyone let go of his trident. As he continued to descend the trident hung solemnly in the air above his left arm.


    When he finally hoovered merely a score of meters above the ship the angelic being stopped its descent and raised the golden scales in front of him. On each end of the scale, two shining bowls, or perhaps cups, hung, each infused with runes and symbols. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    And then he¡­


    (Thyone: How polite of you to give me the pleasure of taking the initiative. However, this will not save you, as I shall indeed indulge myself... ¡°Scales of Petronius¡±.)


    The trident shot through the air with amazing force, like an anti-air missile being fired from a military cruiser. As it flew through the air it picked up an even greater pace and cleaved the surrounding air creating blasts of sound. Arma could barely react as he started to scream, and yet, in the corner of his eye he noticed a small detail.


    One of the bowls on the scale had been filled with a blood red liquid as the scales began to tip.


    (Arma: Vaporin! Do something!)


    (Vaporin: No, I don''t think so. Taste it Arma, savour it.)


    The trident struck Armas chest with an impact that both blasted him backwards and pierced his meticulously designed inner organs in an instant, tearing them apart.


    It felt as if he had exploded inside as an intense pain became his entire being, screaming, thumping and scratching behind his eyes while blood filled his throat.


    Pain, pain, pain, he couldn''t bare it, this unimaginable suffering, that lasted for but a split second.


    And then... then he could feel the mechanisms in his innards beginning to activate, repairing themselves and subduing the damage as some kind of anaesthesia made its way through his system, causing his suffering to fade just as it had begun.


    It was the green womans hand who guided the framework inside of him, making sure each process was completed as he healed.


    (Thyone: Ah, enough to tip the scales in your favour, yet you are not dead. I must commend you, young apostate... Then, once more, I shall judge you.)


    Arma struggled to stand up again, after having crashed into the bridge of the ship, smashing the dark, wooden structure. Small traces of blood could still be seen on his chin and cheeks, but the pain, and his insides, were both almost completely back to their previous state. It was a strange feeling, experiencing this closeness to death and then being pulled back together in the same moment.


    Arma could not decide what face to make, was it a victorious smile or a face born of misery? He wondered if he would ever have to get used to that feeling, and what kind of a creature he would become once he did.


    In the end, he could do nothing but smile awkwardly. The angelic being above Arma did not smile however, but his lips twitched as he lifted his hand and the trident teleported itself back to its owner.


    (Thyone: Three cardinal rules have you broken. The first one, Vanagloria, as you have deemed yourself worthy of challenging Brother Moon, the very definition of hubris.)


    The creature raised his pearly white hand and grasped the trident, the third eye on his face shining with a mystical glow. Arma began to brace himself, but the voice of Vaporin inside him whispered ¡°wait¡±...


    (Thyone: The second one, Avaritia, as you have forced yourself upon this ocean, an assailant reaping the purity of our glorious lords, despoiling its creation.)


    Arma felt the cold humidity of fear grasp his body in a tightening grip as he saw the trident powering up in the hand of his enemy.


    Remembering the intenseness of his previous pain, he could not help but to instinctively begin to cover himself in fright, clenching his teeth in preparation for the incoming agony, still, the voice inside him beckoned: ¡°wait for it¡­¡±.


    The scales seemed to tip even more in Armas favour, as more liquid filled the golden cup on the left side. Now, it had nearly reached completion.


    (Thyone: ...And finally, the third: Acedia, not taking pleasure in your actions. A most serious transgression... Indulgence is a must. And as such... I shall permit myself to indulge!)


    A wild and crazed grin split Thyone¡äs marbled face in two as he started laughing maniacally, his mouth wide open like that of a hungry viper.


    (Thyone: HAHA YES HAHA, THAT IS THE FEELING, INDULGENCE!)


    Thyone acted as if he would throw his trident but instead, where one would normally let go of the weapon''s shaft he fastened his hand and held on to torpedo along with the skewer as it flew.


    Both he and the Trident started to spin through the air in rapidly increasing motion as he charged towards Armas head.


    Just as before the attack picked up its pace and the spinning made it even faster as it seemed like the angel and his tool of destruction turned into a spear made out of pure light. Normally a person without superhuman reflexes would not even be able to see or comprehend the lightning-fast strike, but Arma had an advantage. Time stood still yet again.


    (Vaporin: What a fucking show off, hearing his boring spiel turns your appetite for blood sour quite quickly, don''t you agree dear boy?)


    If he had not been just as frozen as his environment Arma would have panted with physical and mental exhaustion. Instead he simply asked:


    (Arma: W-what now?)


    The old man gazed upon the beam of light that was their opponent and looked unimpressed, boredom with a hint of disdain.


    (Vaporin: Have you ever swatted an irritating fly, Arma? Well of course you haven''t, but it should be part of your general knowledge... Anyhow, you would never view an insect as a valid opponent, you would never give it the courtesy to consider it a life in its own right. You would simply swat it away, without a care in the world¡­)


    The bright red apparition walked through the air as if stepping down a flight of stairs as he approached Arma. He then put his right hand on the young boy''s shoulder, squeezing it with pride.


    (Vaporin: Do whatever comes naturally.)


    Vaporins twisted, paternal smile set events in motion again. As time started to flow, at first slowly, and then quicker and quicker, Arma followed the first thought that came into his head.


    (Arma: Just¡­ swat it.)


    When the spear of light was about to enter the area surrounding the dark ship a black hand manifested beside it. A large hand with outstretched spidery fingers and a slick blank palm.


    The hand slapped the wildly spinning projectile with a great bang, forcing it to change direction and smash into the ocean.


    The crash made waves of energy rise in each direction as multicolored winds were released into the air, seeking to flee the confined space and travel out into the universe. The force of the wind shattered the pale prison which had trapped both Arma and his vessel, huge white pieces of what looked like glass dropping from the sky into the hungry sea.


    As the pieces smashed down upon the surface of the Sea of dreams, beginning to dissolve in its feverishly creative force, the same force ate away at the body of the being known as Thyone, both angel and arbiter, a subject to Axis; the one known as brother moon.


    (Thyone: Brother! Sister! My beloved sires! I am becoming one with the dream!)


    The golden scale still hung on its fixed position in the sky, the balance no longer tipped in Armas favour, instead slowly filling the cup on the right side, as the cup on the left was drained. Thyone¡äs abilities were very specific, he drew power from his deity; Axis, but his manifestations could not be freely applied.


    Instead they followed a strict set of rules, sins and conditions which gave birth to different results. As a rule, the one who seemed to be at a disadvantage would gain the favour of the scales, while other conditions, such as the perceived comitance of sin could tip the scales either way.


    As an arbiter, a judge of sorts, the condition of what would qualify as a sin was solely based on Thyone himself, as long as he kept to the same set of rules.


    (Thyone: Feel it! Young blasphemer! Feel the joy of the violence! Savour it! Savour me as I become nothing! In this, my final moment, grant me this favor!)


    Thyone was slowly sinking deeper into the purple ocean, his body struggling to stay intact as the random forces of imagination tore at his flesh. In mere moments he would seize to exist, repurposed as wind to fuel further creation.


    But Arma could not watch what appeared to be his victory with joy, the sight of the dissolving being, so beautiful and serene, could not be perceived as something to take pleasure in. It seemed sad, unpleasant¡­ horrifying. And thus, he had failed to indulge.


    (Vaporin: What a sad failure of a creature, well then, at very least, he sticked to his guns to the very end.)


    The last drops of the golden cup had been filled, the ancient symbol of religion and that which is considered holy.  A chalice, a grail, judging and granting favor, in other words; miracles.


    From an omnipotent view, what followed would probably seem quite obvious. It was the most basic of sacred motifs, the foundation of faith: resurrection.


    For a moment, the surface of the violet ocean almost stood still, its mass readjusting itself from the release of energy, and the reacquaintance with the rest of its body as the last of the pale prison walls had collapsed.


    Then, a pearly white  arm shot out from the depths, holding a trident in its fist.


    (Thyone: Hah, ha¡­)


    Breathing heavily Thyone surfaced, his great grey wings forcing him out of the sea in what looked like a diver''s flight in reverse. A majestic ascent as his body reassembled itself, the fluid of the golden chalice swirling down from above to become his newly formed matter.


    (Thyone: Blessed be brother Moon, blessed be his sister, my time has come, to rejoin the fold!)


    The reborn arbiter looked positively mad with joy. His eyes vibrated and his body shone with renewed strength. As the angel once again hovered above Armas ship he let go of his trident and let it hang in the air above him.


    Thyone seemed to relax, his muscles unwinding as a serene grin spread across his face, he looked almost kind, the fatherly quality of a man of the cloth.


    (Thyone: Ah yes, it''s been a long time since I was able to use this, and come to think of it, this is the first time I have died! What a blessed experience.)


    The trident started to vibrate and glow until two more tridents, identical copies, emerged from it. It continued to multiply, copies multiplying themselves, faster and faster until the ship was surrounded by what looked like a bird''s cage made up entirely out of bright tools of retribution. While the old, white space that had entrapped him was broken, this new prison seemed all the more deadly. There was no escape.


    (Thyone: This is the ¡°Satyricon¡±. A cage of blades to keep the straying faithful, the final form of my scales and trident. You have granted me a great boon, apostate. This cage can only be activated once enough blood has been spilt on the battlefield, allowing my cup to runneth over, as it were. As you see, when you killed me, you more than fulfilled the qualifications¡­ Time to receive your penance, you are indeed worthy of it.)


    Each and every trident turned its teeth inwards, pointed towards Arma and then¡­


    (Vaporin: Tough fucking bugger, I gotta say! Well, then, I guess it''s time to get creative, my dear Arma!)


    Arma almost could not believe it, even though he had already experienced it twice. It felt like cheating, making a single moment an eternity, the strategist''s dream. He wondered, in that split second, if the both of them could technically live on like this forever, a single moment, frozen in time. Would that be preferable to death or would it be something even worse?


    The tridents had barely begun to move when Vaporin had activated their speed communication, leaving them as blurs hanging in the air.


    Thyone himself looked almost like a porcelain figurine, a white facade against the crimson backdrop. If Arma was to survive, now was the time to kill the angel.


    (Arma: I need to create a weapon, just like I created this ship¡­ Isn''t that right, Vaporin?)


    The blazingly red apparition smiled approvingly, nodding with an exaggerated movement.


    (Vaporin:  Yes, yes, right you are... Might I suggest a gun? Search your memories and you will find the image... As symbolism come, I know of no spiritual icon that can resist the raw power of the most widely acclaimed symbol of death, the firearm.)


    The gun. It was the power of remote death, the power to press a button and watch something die. Before nuclear strikes and chemical warfare, before drones and automation, there was the simple way of the firearm.


    Nothing personal, nothing close at hand. Not the swing of a sword where you could watch the color drain from an opponent''s face as blood splattered yours. Not the fear and excitement of breaking bones and beating flesh asunder with your bare hands.


    It was something cold, something distant, but yet, it was death.


    Yes, Arma could picture it, he could find the image and feel it being made into matter...


    It was a small device, nothing fancy, nothing peculiar. It had a rectangular barrel, seemingly made out of black and smooth plastic, fastened to a simple grip with a small trigger. If it needed to be reloaded in any particular fashion, it did not make it apparent how such a thing could be done.


    The gun didn''t really look like anything special at all, almost like a children''s toy, or a replica from some long forgotten piece of science-fiction.


    Yet¡­ as Arma held it in his left hand, staring at what he had made, all he could think about was death.


    (Vaporin: Just point and click, couldn''t be easier, idiot-proof really.)


    As time started to move, at first in slow motion, Arma raised his left hand, the gun tightly clenched in his fist, a finger on the trigger.


    The ¡°Satyricon¡± was still closing in, each trident travelling at an immense speed to turn him into dust.


    And then¡­ the gun fired.


    (Arma: ¡°Heavens Open¡±.)


    It wasn''t really a projectile being forced through the air, nor was it a small rocket, or a laser, a beam of plasma or anything of the sort. If one would be pressed to describe it, the closest word would be ¡°absence¡±.


    It was a large, thick and dark beam of absence, and where it travelled, nothing remained. A black hole not centered to a single position in space, but moving as a straight line of nothingness.


    Thyone wasn''t blasted to pieces, he wasn''t turned into bloody chunks of angelic flesh, he simply disappeared as the black beam engulfed him.


    When the black beam shot out of Armas gun Thyone seized to exist.


    The force protruding out of Armas darkened tool did not stop there, but continued to travel onto the horizon, spheres of light flickering out of existence as it moved far beyond sight...


    What Arma felt as he had blasted off his summoned tool was not a sense of victory, nor was it sorrow for the one who was to be departed. It was something in between pleasure and pain, something in between fear and hope¡­ he felt radiant, yet sickened.


    ~~


    While the battle was finally over, short moments that had felt like an eternity, as Arma had fired ¡°Heavens Open¡± the ¡°Satyricon¡± was still active, and closed its grip.


    Tridents beyond counting struck Armas body continuously, nailing him to the deck of his dark ship.


    In that moment, as his body was obliterated, torn asunder and divided into pieces that desperately tried to reconnect themselves, all the young man could focus on was a single voice.


    A proud, paternal voice, without a single worry in the world but with all the universe¡äs ambition and malice infused into it, commending his prodigy.


    (Vaporin: You did well, my son¡­ You did well.)


    ~~~

 R1: CHAPTER 2: ANCIENT ASTER AND THE SOLDIER OF SORROW

    ROUTE 1: CHAPTER 2: ANCIENT ASTER AND THE SOLDIER OF SORROW


    Deep into an ocean of darkness Arma sank further and further. The black tide had risen, swallowing him, and as he sank, the raw energy of the universe turned his flesh, as well as his thoughts, into the darkness of the sea.


    The abyss was a haunting place, a place of pure emotion and randomness, the wellspring of all creativity.


    As such, to any normal mind, the sum of its disparate and desperate parts, clutching at the straws of existence, would seem like an unspeakable nightmare.


    Something unimaginable, tearing any semblance of normalcy or consistency apart and reshaping it after the random whims of countless unknown wills...


    To Arma, in his dying state, it felt like home.


    (???: But you know that you cannot stay here¡­ You have already broken free once, such was your purpose.)


    In the deep dark depths of the Sea of Dreams Arma had experienced what it was like to be one with all creation. He had been fulfilled, not as an individual, but as a component of all that was and all that could be imagined there would ever be.


    (???: Still... in this small amount of time, you have already made decisions, connections, not just to me but¡­)


    A black womb, the potentiality of everything, and still remaining as nothing. Individuality had no place in such a raw force, a natural law, dictating the foundations of change.


    (Manila: And yet¡­ If you truly yearned to return there, would you be able to hear my voice?)


    ~


    Arma woke up in a crude bed, wounded but bandaged, a green, serene apparition standing beside him.


    Manila looked concerned, almost sad, if such an emotion could ever be displayed upon her lips.  Beside her four vaguely familiar figures drowsily had been keeping guard over the wounded young man, two of them actually sleeping beside him on the bed.


    The children that he had briefly met in the forest had apparently taken a liking to him, perhaps that was natural when a complete stranger saves you from certain death. The lavender girl was the first to notice that he had awakened.


    The other children quickly followed along, tugging at Armas limp, healing body as they started to shout into his face and ears.


    (Lavender: Look, look miss Greeny! He isn''t dead! Hiya! My name is Saville!)


    (Azure: I bet he wished he was though¡­ those wounds sure look painful.)


    (Amber: Shut up Ervine. It''s a happy occasion, ya know! I''m happy! You don''t you think he''s excited?!)


    Only one of the children did not immediately start to speak in an absurdly loud voice to try to get Armas attention. It was the ivory girl, a pale child who trembled beside him in his bed, desperately holding on to his bandaged right arm.


    The same bandage that had manifested along with the abyssal blade, apparently had decided to stick around.


    (Manila: Master... I am glad that you are alive. I would chide you for your reckless behaviour but spending time with these children, I have to presume that you made the right choice.)


    The green, sparkling, apparitions voice felt like a breath of fresh air. It appeared as if she was sitting on a stool, next to his bed, gently stroking his forehead, but as he had already realised, all of this was just an extension of her illusion.


    Still¡­ Arma could not help but feel happy to receive the attention.


    Saville, the most outspoken of the children smiled mischievously, apparently approving of Manilas caretaking.


    (Arma: Where¡­ where am I?)


    (Saville: Mister, mister! You are in our village, it''s called Aster you stupidhead!)


    (Ervine: Not much of a village though¡­ you will be disappointed, I just know it¡­ Don''t you think so as well, Kodou?)


    (Amber: Boring? Nah! Sure, I wish there was more excitement all the time, just like in the forest! But I am happy here, how couldn''t I be? Lots of fucked up people right?!)


    The girl with the lavender skin: Saville, the depressive boy with the azure skin: Ervine and the uncomfortably happy boy with the amber skin: Kodou¡­ But what was the name of the pale girl, still trembling as if Arma could disappear at any moment?


    (Ivory: H...hello¡­ I''m glad you are o...okay. Th¡­.thank you for saving us¡­ My¡­. my name is d¡­ Darah.)


    Arma felt tired, hurt to his very core, but glad. Seeing the faces of these children, knowing that they were alive¡­ It made him happy.


    Still¡­ something lingered in the back of his mind. Weakness, his weakness had forced Manila to sacrifice a part of herself, just so that he could survive. If he had been stronger, if he had thought things through more thoroughly, perhaps she wouldn''t have had to.


    (Arma: Manila¡­ did I do good? I know you felt that I was a disappointment. You said so yourself. I do not know what you expect of me¡­ but I know that I couldn''t live up to it.)


    (Manila: Master, now is hardly the time to focus on such meaningless details. But if my offhand comment bothered you¡­ Yes, you did good, I truly believe that.)


    (Arma: And the kids? It''s a little bit hazy but wasn''t two of them¡­)


    (Manila: While you have been resting a team of adults from the village ventured out to retrieve the bodies, though only one was found. I have been dealing with them, they are quite thankful you know, they will wish to see you before nightfall. These remaining children¡­ well I guess they are simply happy to have survived.)


    (Arma: Right¡­ then¡­ for how long have I been sleeping? Although I still feel weak it seems like most of my wounds have mended themselves¡­ did you¡­)


    (Saville: You''ve been sleeping for two days! I was worried you would never wake up!)


    (Darah: You¡­ were caught¡­ in the n...nightmares. I s...saw it in my weaving...)


    The pale girl produced a plain weave, a work still in progress, but radiant with the colors of each thread.  At the end of the interwoven symmetry, each thin strand turned black.


    (Darah: A...as you were sleeping¡­ I followed you i...in my work. The w...wind was easy to¡­ to read, even n...ow the colors are ch...changing.)


    Arma looked confused as the young girl gave him her small loom. He could feel a faint whisper of power inside of it.


    (Arma: Manila, what is this?)


    (Manila: Master¡­ Now may not be the appropriate time for a lesson, but nonetheless I will tell you.)


    The green woman stood up beside the bed Arma was laying on, and it became apparent that she could be seen and not just heard by the children as they all turned their heads toward her. A thick book manifested in her hands as she, in a gesture no doubt intended to amuse the children, pretended to read.


    (Manila: Well then¡­ There are different ways a spirit can be applied, mostly decided by fate or random chance I guess you could say. Now, just as you can use wind to manifest objects or more advanced creations, this girl can read the wind and turn its whispers into thread. As these threads align, the weaver creates a tapestry, a weave¡­)


    Arma held the young girls creation in front of him, trying to grasp the intricate patterns of the thread.


    (Manila: Such a tapestry can show the present, the future or the past as well as things happening in far away places. It is up to the weaver to interpret that which is being woven onto the loom.)


    (Arma: I see¡­ Darah, thank you. You''re quite amazing, aren''t you? I must have been lucky to have someone as cute as you watching over me.)


    Arma smiled in a mischievous way as the pale girl turned away, her face red in embarrassment.


    (Arma: Well then, time to get up I suppose.)


    He tried to raise himself up from the bed, his arms struggling to find stability as he pushed himself into a sitting position.


    The children quickly moved aside as he let his legs dangle from the side of the bed until his feet were firmly planted upon the floor. He was weakened, tired, but he thought he would be able to stand and so he tried.


    (Arma: Hah, it hurts quite a lot just to stand up, that''s surprising..)


    As Arma spoke he started to wobble, almost falling over to the floor, but the children quickly supported him before he tumbled down.


    (Saville: Hey, take it easy stupidhead! We have been worried you know!)


    (Arma: Hah, thank you¡­ Say, is it possible to get something eat? I think I need to eat something.)


    ~


    In the end Arma had a hard time walking on his own, and thus after being provided with a pair of crutches, he finally ventured outside into the village of Aster, the children and Manila in tow.


    The place in which he had been resting was apparently both the house of the local medical practitioner as well as the home of Ervines single parent.


    His mother,  Marcia, was the only doctor in the village and shared the same colored skin and depressive temperament of her child.


    As the group left the small wooden home she wished Arma good luck with his healing... It took some interpretation.


    (Marcia: Try not to die. It happens so easily. People die all the time, at least your wounds are healing, but I guess they could always get worse again.)


    Once they were outside Arma was awestruck as he fully took in the view of his surroundings, his fingers clutching at the crutches until his knuckles whitened.


    The village known as Aster was built on ancient grounds, a place whose memories reached far back in the annals of history.


    While the village itself was seemingly ordinary; wooden houses made from the large trees of the nearby forest, a stone wall, a well and a cobbled square, what hung in the air above the cluster of cottages was all the more amazing.


    Titanic rectangular buildings, floating in the air and reaching far above up towards the heavens. The structures were old and crumbled, ruins from some ancient civilization, with countless square holes, once upon a time glassed windows, now gaping open like empty eye sockets.


    Here and there small platforms had been built in or between the large monoliths and ladders, ropes and bridges could be seen connecting the structures to each other. It did not seem as if the ruins were inhabited though, more as if they acted like a pathway up and into the sky.  A long and winding ladder to heaven.


    (Arma: This is too amazing, is this really is where you guys live?)


    (Saville: What do you mean? This is just regular old Aster, it''s a boring place ya know.)


    (Kodou: It''s all kinds of dangerous and interesting! I wish i could climb the ruins, they said no, but I like it though, I like it!)


    (Ervine: It''s awful here¡­ terrible, scary, frightening. But it''s probably worse everywhere else ¡­)


    Arma looked thoughtful and pointed up towards the floating and ravaged towers above them.


    (Arma: I recognize these things¡­ I think they are called skyscrapers, but they are not supposed to floating in the air. What do you call them? )


    (Saville: Eeeh¡­ it''s nothing special, it''s just the towers. They''ve always been there. It''s like the moons, or the Lunar flowers. They are just there, stupid.)


    Manila looked confounded by Armas statement, sinking into deep thought for a moment, as she fixed her luminescent hair into a ponytail.


    (Manila: These are¡­ strange memories you have been given, master.)


    (Arma: How so? Even though it seems like I have been given all kinds of knowledge, I don''t really have any frame of reference for the things I know.)


    (Manila: I am not sure¡­ I am not entirely sure if some of the information you have been born with is the old masters work or if it''s due to your nature as a child of the deep sea.) Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    (Arma: The abyss right? It''s supposed to be the deepest part of the Sea of Dreams if I have understood it correctly.)


    (Manila: Yes¡­ I wonder what memories lay down there in the deep darkness, and which ones you might have brought with you into your own existence. Fascinating really don''t you...)


    The green apparition was interrupted by the girl with the lavender skin. She was visibly annoyed by cryptic conversation o the adults and frantically waved her hands in the air.


    (Saville: Stop talking about stupid things, we will show you our village as thanks for saving us mister Master!)


    (Arma: Ah¡­ no, my name is Arma actually. Only Manila insists on calling me master.)


    (Kodou: Aaaarma. Aaaaaaaarma. AAaaarmaaa. Sounds fucking funny!)


    ~


    Though Aster was a small village, its own inhabitants numbering a score or two, the village still had a lot of visitors passing through which usually increased the number of people staying there to about a hundred.


    The area around Aster had several connecting pathways to other spheres, most of these pathways in some way connected to the floating skyscrapers above the township. All kinds of people and creatures met in the village as they navigated the Outer Spheres.


    As such, the largest and most sprawling building in village was the inn, a place called Anatea and the Crab, Crabbers for short.


    When Arma opened the two doors to the seemingly unnoteworthy building, its importance only marked by a sign with a redheaded woman and a crab, he was surprised to find that the inside of the inn was significantly larger than its outward appearance


    It was, in a word, sprawling. Nooks and crannies, tables, booths and darkened corners seemingly placed without rhyme or reason. Whoever had designed the place clearly had no inclination for practicality.


    In the center of it all there was a winding staircase tunneling down into the earth and connected to it, a circular counter where drinks and food was served.


    The establishment was packed with all manner of beings, most of them mostly humanoid but a couple of them all the more outlandish.


    Kodou, the amber child, was the first to step inside and Arma quickly followed, Manila gracefully entering on her heels beside him.


    The other children seemed to hesitate, waving goodbye and disappearing as Kodou closed the doors behind Arma and Manila.


    (Kodou: They don''t like it here¡­ they think the strangers are scary and dangerous, and they''re right! Cool huh? Come on! I want you to meet the gang!)


    The young boy pushed his way through the crowd and Arma and Manila, slightly baffled, quickly followed suit.


    (Arma: This child doesn''t really seem intimidated by anything, right Manila? It was the same when I first saw him in the forest.)


    (Manila: He is a Gaudia, the golden hued. They are incapable of feeling sadness, usually this impacts their ability to feel fear too.)


    (Kodou: Come on, come on! You''re slow, I''ll introduce you to everyone!)


    Kodou returned to grasp Arma by the hand and drag him along, the young boy kept greeting all manner of suspicious characters along the way. Soon the both of them were seated on tall stools by the large counter, Manila worriedly looking in all directions behind them.


    (Manila: There is a lot of bad characters in here¡­ There''s even a couple Demonii, be careful master.)


    (Kodou: The Demona? Yeah thats Steve and Eius, they are total wimps, no need to worry.)


    As the amber boy started to wave his hand one of the barkeeps soon appeared behind the dark wooden counter. It was a large humanoid figure entirely made out of clay dressed only in an apron. The face of what Arma assumed was a man consisted only of two black holes and a thick gaping maw seemingly functioning as a mouth.


    (???: Hello.... Kodou¡­. What will it be?)


    The creature had a deep, faraway voice, as if it was whispering words from the other side of a cavern.


    (Kodou: Barren! Give me a large red-eye, small one on the side. Same to my mates.)


    (Barren: Hrm¡­ Yes, I will use your credit.)


    The amber youth smiled a sharp-toothed grin as the drinks arrived. He quickly downed the small one with a satisfied gulp, his thickly lobed ears turning red as the oily liquid entered his system.


    (Kodou: That''s the stuff! Now it''s your turn.)


    Arma lifted the small cylindrical glass and sniffed the red substance inside. It smelled like sulfur, accompanied by a sickly sweetness.


    (Arma: What is this?)


    (Kodou: Don''t think too much, just drink it. We make this from the berries in the forest, its called blood, cuz of the colour ya know.)


    (Manila: A local narcotic beverage, I believe.)


    Arma quickly followed Kodous example and drank the entire content of the small glass in one go. His eyes widened as his senses dulled and a profound sense of warm satisfaction filled his body from his fingertips to his toes.


    (Manila: I do not think substances such as this one is suitable for a child of your age. Will your caretakers not take offense to this behaviour?)


    (Kodou: Mom and dad? They disappeared way back, long ago ya know! All the better, people let me do what I want.)


    (Arma: Woah¡­ that is¡­ something! Can I get another one?)


    (Kodou: Sure thing, let''s make it a party, but miss Greeny, you should try it too!)


    (Manila: Ah, that is impossible I am afraid, as I am not entirely corporeal.)


    (Kodou: Lame excuse! Anyway, try the big one Arma and I will get my buddies to come say hello.)


    The young boy disappeared into the crowd, beckoning to the two horned characters,  the demonii, to join Arma and Manila on the way.


    (Manila: Master¡­ I do not wish to impede upon your will but wasn''t our purpose in coming here to get you something to eat? These¡­ beverages¡­  will impact your judgement, and in turn mine.)


    Arma had already begun drinking from the pint he had been served, the so called red-eye. Its effect was not as immediately noticeable as the the instant buzz caused by the small shot of blood, but he nonetheless felt the same warmth slowly spreading throughout his body.


    (Arma: Lighten up Manila, I want to see where this takes me. So¡­ Kodou is a Gaudia, what''s up with the clay bartender?)


    (Manila: I see¡­ I will allow you to make your own mistakes, master, as long as they are not fatal. Anyhow, the barkeep is a being that is known as a Golem. He is a construct just like you, but far less advanced.)


    (Arma: Wind that becomes flesh,  a doll that lives¡­ )


    (Manila: Quite so, master...)


    It seemed like Manila was about to add something else but then their conversation was interrupted as two of Kodous friends, the demonii, sat down on the stools beside Arma, one of them giving him a hearty slap on the back as a way of greeting.


    (Steve: Greetings! Stevanim, demon of lust, pleasure to make your acquaintance!)


    (Eius: Eius-Farim, demon of greed, the same...)


    Steve and Eius were apparently part of the same race of creatures, but they did not share much in common when it came to their outwards appearance.


    Steve had two short horns, pointed, scraggly ears and  two black eyes with yellow pupils while Eius had four long, curved horns, no ears at all, just gaping holes in his head and six twisted spirals where ordinarily his eyes would have been.


    His eyes looked like something you might end up with if you combined a spiders head with a painting portraying a whirlpool.


    Stevanims skin had an almost pale reddish hue while Eius skin was more of an ashen grey.


    Otherwise they looked humanoid, like the basic Ordin, more or less, except, perhaps that they were both wearing black suits.


    (Arma: Greetings! My name is Arma, I take it you two know Kodou then?)


    (Stevanim: Yessiree, many a night has been spent in company with the good lad, downing the life-blood of our time, enjoying the succulent embrace of the night.)


    (Eius: Yes. The child has given me the grace of being a sponsor in many a gambit throughout my time here in the village.)


    (Stevanim: He is quite the prodigy in the ways of indulging oneself for his age, I agree, but what is up with you green lady? If my eyes do not deceive me, you are an apparition are you not? But not a computa¡­ it seems like you are tied to this strapping young lad right here!)


    (Eius: Yes¡­ A sign of great wealth¡­ It is good to make your acquaintance Arma boy.)


    Manila looked bothered, both by the company and their comments. It seemed like she was making a point as she quietly sat down on one of the stools by the bar and made a small wine-glass appear in her hand.


    (Manila: This is not a topic I would like to discuss with the likes of you, but sufficient to say is that neither I nor the master made any real choice when being tied to one another.  If he knew what such a process entails I am in no doubt that he would have refused, yet, I am happy that the person I have been made available to is none other than him.)


    (Stevanim: Hah, so you are not some bumbling noble from the City of Glass then? Quite a lot of information to share for one who did not wish to broach the subject.)


    (Eius: Ah¡­ not an aristocrat then¡­ I will adjust my expectations.)


    It was hard for Arma to guess what Manilas expression meant. She looked like she was in pain, perhaps embarrassed, but her eyes still shone with indignant pride.


    (Arma: Manila¡­ what are they talking about?)


    (Manila: Master¡­ Arma¡­ I will explain everything, one day, but this is not something i wish to speak about at this moment.)


    (Stevanim: Ah, Manila was it? I did not mean to offend you as I once too knew the pain of not having flesh.)


    (Eius: Indeed¡­)


    And then, at once, Manilas calm, dignified composure turned to anger. She turned her eyes upon Stevanim and her gaze was as piercing as it was fierce.


    (Manila: You think you know my pain? We are nothing alike! Your kind just take what you want at the expense of another! Stealing a life to become living yourself, there is no greater sin!)


    (Stevanim: Not by choice mind you, not by choice¡­ but I digress. This conversation is not good for the mood of this evening, I suggest we talk about something else as I buy the next round.)


    (Eius: Indeed¡­)


    (Stevanim: Barkeep!)


    As the drinks came in, Kodou returned with a large towering man in tow. His skin was pale and blue, the same hue as the azure child; Ervine, and on his back he was wearing a ridiculously large two-handed sword.


    (Kodou: Found him! This guy is hilarious! Arma, miss Greeny, this is Einfeldt!)


    (Eius: Hrm¡­ yes¡­ ¡°hilarious¡±.)


    (Einfeldt: Hello people. Exchanging greetings for the first time is worse than dying is it not? Not knowing if the person you have met will meet whatever expectations you have of them, not knowing if you in turn will meet theirs. The embarrassment, you are better off dead.)


    Arma was surprised as he saw the giant man blush, turning his gaze downward as he presented his massive hand.


    (Kodou: Haahaaaha, he is so funny!)


    (Stevanim: Oh man, this guy is the worst downer I have ever met, it''s really quite impressive.)


    The large man was dressed in a similar fashion as Arma; shirtless and dressed in simple pants with a waist covered in cloth showing off an impressive chest.


    In contrast to the young man''s body, which seemed to be in in a esthetically pristine condition, the older man was covered in scars and old bruises, his large and bulging muscles clearly molded by experience rather than being designed in a tube.


    Arma smiled as he accepted the hand, grasping it in a firm grip.


    (Arma: No need to be worried, I hold no expectations of you other than sharing one of these excellent drinks and getting to know one another. My name is Arma.)


    (Einfeldt: That is a relief. Well met... Arma.)


    (Stevanim: If you want to die so badly why don''t you just do it? There is plenty of pleasure to be found in self-destruction right?)


    (Arma: Hey, come on, dont be like that. I want to have a fun night out. Might be my first... but I know what a night like this is supposed to be like¡­ Funny thing, I think i was born like a week ago.)


    (Eius: That timeline¡­ That means¡­)


    (Einfeldt: Is that so? Then your concept of suffering must be newly born. I think about it a lot, the suffering of being alive, the suffering of being a person.)


    (Kodou: Fuckin¡ä A thats right Einee! Thats why youre so great!)


    (Einfeldt: I do mean it though¡­)


    As the evening progressed, and more drinks were poured, events seemed to get all the the more muddled.


    At some point during the night Arma was served his first meal, a stew made from local ingredients, but it was a memory both made and lost in the haze and confusion that resulted from both his and Manila''s very first intoxicated experience.


    The alcohol and narcotics made Arma loud and rowdy, as he complimented his newly found friends and smashed down drinks as they were brought in. It seemed like Kodou had a lot of credit with Barren, the golem bartender.


    Manila in turn seemed to get more quiet and distant as dusk made way for the night, looking forlorn as she escaped the uncomfortable environment into her own thoughts.


    (Stevanim: So¡­You are some kind of construct then? But not like¡­ how they are usually created.)


    (Arma: Yeah! I was made in a tube by an old guy and then I killed him, it''s been one strange thing after the other! Is this how being alive is like?)


    (Eius: Not usually¡­ no¡­ but strange things move with the wind, always changing. You never know... what the world will look like tomorrow. That''s why you have to hedge your bets, make the gambles that may payoff during¡­ hmm¡­ unbelievable circumstances.)


    (Einfeldt: Being alive is constant misery, a meaningless journey ending in nothingness. Accepting weakness and strength as two sides of the same coin.)


    (Kodou: AHAhaaaaaaHaha!)


    The young amber boy had long ago stopped talking and simply laughed at most things the other people around the bar was saying, especially so when it was the blue giant who said them.


    (Arma: Why do you do it then? Why do you live?)


    Einfeldt was quiet for a moment, thoughtful, and then he slowly began to answer.


    (Einfeldt: It is something like this... I wonder how much you can bear of this world before you are broken. I do not know but I aim to find out. If this suffering that I feel, this person that I am, can save a single other being. Maybe the journey will have been worth it. It sounds so miserable when you say it outloud...)


    (Arma: No¡­ I don''t think so, I think it''s¡­)


    At this point, Arma lost consciousness. He had finally reached his limit and simply slipped out of his seat, deceptively slowly, as the giant man reached down and catched him in his muscular arms.


    (Einfeldt: I guess that''s enough for tonight.)


    (Stevanim: Do not worry brothers! Surely we will continue our battle in your place, yessiree!)


    (Einfeldt: Great apparition, would you mind if I carried your host to a suitable bed?)


    Manila, stirred from her unresponsive contemplation, met Einfeldt¡äs eyes with genuine bafflement.


    (Manila: Yes¡­ Please do, I will soon join him.)


    Einfeldt arose, carrying Arma as he was but a babe in his arms, and stumbled towards the staircase leading down to the depths of the establishment. The golem bartender gave him an acknowling nod on the way, confirming that this was yet another thing to be added to the increasingly large tab.


    (Manila: Rest well, master, tomorrow we will continue our journey¡­ and travel upon the Rainy Roads¡­)


    (Kodou: Sleeeeeeep well, fuckers!)


    ~


    As Arma was carried to one of the establishments rooms, located at the bottom floor, a new face entered Anatea and the Crab. A freshly made Demona, now fully grown as the spirit had molded his new-found body to better resemble its inner being.


    He kicked open the doors, with a wide grin on his ashen face, his eyes spinning in circles as he shouted.


    (Desidius: Madness and magic! The two defining traits of this universe! One and the same!)


    ~~~


    When he awoke Arma felt alone inside his thoughts. It seemed like the aftereffects of the previous evening had made Manila retreat to some deep place inside of him, just as the hangover he now felt made him want to do.


    While his mind felt strangely empty he quickly found that he was not unaccompanied.


    As soon as he opened his eyes, he noticed the slumbering giant in the armchair on the opposite side of the small furnished room.


    Arma had vague memories left of the previous night but he remembered him, Einfeldt.


    The young man moved slowly to rise out of the bed, reaching for the crutches that stood next to it against the wall when he noticed, to his surprise, that he didn''t seem to need them.


    Even though his head felt like it would split open at any moment, the agony inside pounding like a hydraulic press, his body was strong, as strong as it had ever been.


    Arma stood up, flexing his muscles and stretching his fingers, blood pumping through his limbs, his heart beating with the slow hum of a heat engine.


    (Arma: Einfeldt, you awake?)


    The blue muscled man opened his eyes and slowly started moving, his great arms pushing him up from the armrests on the cushioned chair.


    (Einfeldt: Yes, but I wish it wasn''t so. The green woman is sleeping? She faded from view once I had laid you on the bed.)


    (Arma: I think so¡­ and¡­ I''m sorry about that. I should have been more careful I guess. Everyone else survived the evening?)


    (Einfeldt: No need for apologies. Yes, as far as I know they are of a stronger breed than you or I.)


    A green shimmer started to manifest in the air, flickering like static electricity, as Arma felt Manila trying to create her ghostly presence in the physical world.


    (Arma: Looks like Manila is waking up¡­ I didn''t know she even slept.)


    (Einfeldt: That is good¡­ You might not remember that we had this conversation, but she certainly will... Yesterday you asked me to accompany you two on your journey, and I agreed.)


    (Arma: I did? This is embarrassing, but youre right, I don''t remember it. I''d be glad to have you along though, I am not that strong and having someone like you by our side, especially if we ever encountered a situation like the one in the forest, would feel safe.)


    (Einfeldt: Yes¡­ Kodou told me about it. You seem to have a protective nature, at least


    in my mind, that is why I agreed to join you. I have stagnated in this place for far to long, perhaps I will encounter people that will need my¡­ our help along the way.)


    (Arma: You really are a great guy, aren''t you?)


    Einfeldt did not have the time to deny Armas compliment as a heavy knock interrupted their conversation.


    At the same time  particles of light gathered in the air as the glimmering form on the side of the bed seemed to focus and grow as Manila appeared in all the glory of her holographic projection.


    Arma smiled, she was as beautiful as ever, although her hair and clothes seemed a bit ruffled. He wondered how much control she actually had concerning her appearance.


    (Manila: Override¡­ What the? Where¡­ Oh¡­ This feels terrible.)


    (Arma: Good morning Manila, seems like we are both feeling a bit ¡°fucked¡±.)


    The green apparition held both her hands against her forehead and looked pained.


    (Manila: Please... don''t adopt the language of that awful child¡­ master. Ah! What is that senseless banging, am I the only one hearing this?!)


    (Arma: No actually¡­ Einfeldt, would you mind getting the door?)


    The three of them was startled as four people barged into the room when Einfeldt opened the door, all of them holding flowers and small packaged gifts in their hands.


    Three women and one man, all of them, for some reason, looking vaguely familiar.


    (???: Hello¡­ This is awkward¡­ we did not wish to bother you as you were celebrating your recovery¡­ but¡­ I hope you have had a chance to awaken¡­)


    (???: No need to be so modest! This is the hero that saved our children! Im sure he is happy to accommodate us!)


    (???: Aye, ye saved our childurn an¡¯ were here to thank ya fookers.)


    (???: ¡­)


    The reason the four of them looked familiar became evident quickly,  at least the three women were the spitting images of how Arma would imagine that the children of the village would look once they grew up.


    The last one of the foursome was the odd one out, but something in his speech made Arma automatically assume that he in some way looked after the orphaned boy Kodou.


    (Arma: It feels like I already know all of you,  I can see them in your faces.)


    (Drum: Aye, that be what family be all about, ye can consider yurself part of mine you dirty basterd. D¡¯names Drum, I look after the boy Kodou, when I have the mind for it.)


    (Clarinette: I am Clarinette, the mother of Saville¡­ and this is my wife Misha. Savvy is a reckless girl¡­ We were lucky that you were there to save her.)


    (Misha: Sure enough! We have gathered some small trinkets and tokens of appreciation.)


    (Dinah: ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ I am Dinah, mother of Darah. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ My tapestries revealed to me your deeds in the forest, deeds done even at your own expense. The wind creates strands of an unsure future for you¡­ We are here to ask you to join yours to ours.)


    Manila had been quite while the parents were speaking, just as Arma had been, taking in the sudden rush of information. Once Dinah had spoken though, she tried to desperately tug at his arm, looking pained when her non-corporeal form could not get his attention.


    (Clarinette: Yes¡­ What Dinah is trying to say is... Too many children, too many people are lost frequently to the beasts of the wood and the bad men who frequent our village¡­  We have one question to ask of you¡­ will you stay here to be our protector? We would provide you with shelter and a place for you and your companion¡­ and we would be eternally grateful.)


    Continue the journey (R1)/Stay in the village of Aster (SR1)

 SR1: A LIFETIME WITHOUT YOUR GHOST

    SPECIAL ROUTE 1: A LIFETIME WITHOUT YOUR GHOST


    (Arma: Yes, I will stay.)


    He still remembered the words fondly. The unassuming sentence which as it turned out would provide him with the meaning he had unknowingly sought.


    The biggest obstacle, in the beginning, had surprisingly enough been Manila¡­


    (Arma: It was you who said that it was up to me to decide what I wanted to do. Well, this is my decision, I can''t see why you would be opposed to this. I feel like I can do something here, be someone and help these people.)


    She was frustrated, angry, that much was plain to see. It was an expression Manila hadn''t made because of him thus far, her lips quivering and her green cheeks turning red as her eyes glared at him.


    (Manila: Master! This is not what I had in mind! I can''t believe you would want to settle down at the very first opportunity! Don''t you see¡­ don''t you understand? I too have things I want to do¡­ I too have a wish¡­)


    He thought about her words for a moment that stretched on as the minutes passed. And then he came to his solemn conclusion.


    (Arma: ...Is that wish more important than the children we have met here, than what we could give these people?)


    Manila turned silent and cold, not of embarrassment but with a frozen look upon her face.


    (Arma: If so¡­ then yes, I will abandon my decision and do whatever it is that you want. For some reason, my heart tells me that I owe you that much.)


    (Manila: I guess that¡­)


    If the green apparition had not answered in the next second Arma knew that the pained expression upon her face would break his heart and he would have no choice but to abandon the people of Aster to whatever fate awaited them without him.


    (Manila: No¡­ you are correct. Perhaps I have been blinded to the misfortunes of others by my own¡­ ¡­ ¡­perhaps we could create a place for us here. Your intentions are pure, thus I cannot deny you this.)


    And so, their life in Aster began, Arma working to build his strength as a protector of the village and Manila taking on the role of a tutor teaching the children.


    At first it seemed like the green lady who had entered Arma¡äs life still held on to some regrets of the past, some wish in a faraway destination, but in time she seemed to be satisfied as she settled in to the life the both of them had now chosen.


    ~~~


    Ten years later Manila stood in her classroom, chiding her assistant teacher who always seemed to arrive late.


    (Manila: Saville! I have repeatedly told you to arrive at nine-o''clock, that exact moment! Even the children aren''t this disorganized!)


    Saville, now a fully grown women of twenty two years, had been working with Manila after her parents made it very clear that it was time she started to support herself.


    Her deep purple hair covered her face as she bent her head in shame, an act she had performed many times by now, as many times as Manila had scolded her.


    (Saville: I''m truly sorry miss Greeny¡­ it won''t happen again.)


    (Manila: You say that every time! I have just about had enough of your tardiness.)


    The green apparition, looking as young as ever but now permanently wearing a pair of scholarly-looking glasses and with her hair made up into a bun, was not truly angry and Saville knew this.


    The children watched on with looks of equal boredom and entertainment as the pair went through their usual charade.


    (Manila: Hmf! Well, our pupils are waiting, let us begin the lesson, assistant!)


    Arma was a forest ranger now, and thusly, he was out in the forest; culling dangerous creatures and hunting for food at the same time. It had not taken him long to learn the tricks of the trade and he had grown stronger and more independent as the work required him to.


    Manila no longer had to be by his side as he ventured out into the wilds surrounding the village and she had in turn, just as he, devoted her very being to her new role, teaching the children of the village.


    Loosening their bond so that each of them could get enough space to be seen as separate entities had been a hard and costly procedure, but in the end it had been worth it.


    Everyone had the need to be alone at times, even though they still spent the nights together to keep the contract intact.


    As Saville now bowed, clearly aware that their banter had been a performance, Manila turned to address her class with an annoyed look upon her perfect face.


    (Manila: Attention class! Today we will speak about the perils of travelling through the Outer Spheres, stay safe!)


    ~


    (Arma: Kodou, Ervine, Steve¡­ make sure to cover me when I engage the bestia. The usual you know, I''m the most suited for close-combat.)


    The older demon and the two young men stayed hidden in the bushes as Arma emerged. Readying their crossbows they focused in on the beast as the pale-skinned man drew its attention.


    It was a large bestia, known as a teneboar, a magnificent swine resembling something out of a nightmare. Great tusks adorned its dark, ragged face, mad eyes gleaming in its deep sockets.


    They had tracked it for about an hour, following the deep impressions it left in the earth as it rummaged through the forest.


    Arma readied his weapon, wind gathering in his fist, as a great dark spear, created to impale the flesh of his prey, manifested in his hand.


    (Arma: Hey stupidhead! Your food is right here!)


    The huge boar turned its face towards him, its mouth slobbering with saliva as it looked at him with an insane and hungry expression.


    Then it charged, stampeding across the undergrowth of the forest, tearing plants and roots asunder as well as smashing rocks to bits as it ran.


    (Teneboar: WraaoooOOOOOH!)


    Arma threw his great spear, launching it with a magnificent force that spun it through the air. When the tip of the spear connected with the forehead of the beast it dug deep and exploded.


    He had never fully learned to create tools that did not break without Manilas assistance, but in time, Arma had taken that disadvantage and honed the explosion and the damage created when his manifestations burst into non-existence to turn his weakness into something quite dangerous.


    As the impact of the spear ruptured the front of the teneboars face Armas companions fired their crossbows, bolts flying through the air towards the beasts still functional eyes.


    (Arma: Draw your weapons, we have him! Abyssal blade!)


    The bolts struck true and now blinded the great swine started stomping the ground around him, his mad roars increasing in furiosity as it rose up upon its hind legs.


    (Teneboar: WRAAOOOOOOOOH!)


    (Kodou: Fuck yeah!)


    His three companions had each drawn their own tool of choice, Kodou armed with a cutlass, Ervine grasping a pike and Stevanim holding two small axes in his reddish hands.


    Ervine was the only one of the team that, just like Arma, created his weapon by gathering wind, his great blue pike manifesting at the same time as Armas own blackened blade.


    (Ervine: S...sure hope this works, probably not!)


    (Steve: Ahoy lads! Drinks are one me when we return to the village!)


    The sharp blade of the cutlass pierced the teneboar''s belly, pulling out its intestines with a malicious hook sticking out from the edge of the blade as the two axes landed in its throat and Ervine¡¯s long pike sunk deep into the chest of the beast .


    Armas own abyssal blade was just about to finish the job when the creature opened its mouth, or what remained of it, to an unnatural degree, breaking its bones like twigs beneath the skin.


    (Arma: Little ones on the way!)


    The body of the teneboar collapsed in upon itself, its mass being drained from it, as it began spewing out tiny piglets from its gaping maw.


    (Teneboar: WrooooOOOOH OOOOH!)


    (Piglets: wro wro wro wroh!)


    There was no mercy for the offsprings of the bestia, the four hunters cutting them down as they emerged from the husk of their mother.


    A wild feast of blood and carnage ensued, the small ones unable to defend themselves in the ways their mother might have been able to, instead desperately trying to escape.


    Only one was allowed to run away, to with time grow and prosper so that the hunt could begin again.


    (Stevanim: We done yet boss? This ought to be enough I gather, plenty of suckling piggies for a tender feast... Barren sure will be pleased.)


    (Arma: Yeah¡­ I think so, let''s gather our spoils and return to Aster.)


    Dusk would soon be approaching and much more dangerous creatures would emerge in the forest known as Krims Dwelling.


    The protector of the ancient village Aster and his men gathered the bodies of the piglets, placed them on the large skin they used carry their prey among their earlier catchings, and stealthily began their trek back to their home. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ~~


    Back in the village, some time before Arma and his lads had finished their hunt, Manila and Saville waved goodbye to the last of their pupils as they exited their classroom.


    The rosy faces of the children always made Manila secretly smile as they left, it was one of the many things Saville had grown to love about her tutor.


    (Manila: So then dear Savvy, you did very decent work today, as always. If you could only work on your punctuality you should very well be able to replace me soon.)


    (Saville: No miss Greeny, I hardly think anyone could ever replace you...)


    The older woman suddenly froze, her eyes looking pained, before she adjusted her expression and gave her disciple a solemn smile.


    (Manila: Hmm¡­ you do not know how ironic such a statement is. Look¡­ there is something we have to talk about. Something I have been postponing for far too long...)


    The young woman did not know what to respond with. There was something strange in the way Manila had spoken, something wrong in her cadance and the way her eyes reflected Savilles own behind her silver-rimmed glasses.


    (Manila:  Its just¡­ I can see that my statement has bothered you. Come with me for tea at the house and I will explain everything¡­ and¡­  yes¡­ I will ask you a favor I suppose.)


    Afternoon,  it was the time of day when the ghastly light of the twin suns behind the towers above Aster began to set, painting the sky with a deep blue color.


    It was also the time when most of the inhabitants of the village returned home, or gave in to the pleasures of Anatea and the Crab, ending the hustle and bustle of the day.


    As Manila and Saville slowly promenaded through the village towards Armas and Manilas shared home, a small cottage closer to the forest than the rest of the houses in the village, the both of them turned silent.


    The young woman felt worried, she felt scared.  This was not the usual behaviour of her mentor, both caring and lecturing, this was something else. There was a strange mood in the air, almost foreboding, as if the winds of misfortune blew all around them.


    But it couldn''t be that bad, could it? This was Manila after all. The green apparition was


    the miracle worker who had helped cure the villagers of Aster when a stray strain of the spirit sickness had infected almost everyone in the village.


    This was the woman who not only taught the children but had written the curriculum from scratch, the woman who seemed to know everything there was to know.


    And perhaps above all, the partner and equal of Arma, the both of them having saved Aster time and time again.


    (Drum: Oy.. you be done for the day then lassies? Me cups raised to you!)


    Kodous self-proclaimed parent waved to them as they passed his shoddy shack, clearly drunk, as was usually the case. This, just as their ¡°late again¡± banter was pretty much tradition at this point.


    (Manila: Take it easy old-fellow, you know your boy will be sad when you finally drink yourself to death.)


    Drum laughed in response, taking a deep swig from his flask as he kept on bellowing from his rocking chair.


    (Drum: Dont you be worried now! Aint nuffin gonna keep me dead!)


    His laughter followed the two of them as they left the village behind, finally arriving at the house.


    ~


    When Arma and the others returned to Aster the drapings of night had already covered the village in its stars-scattered shroud.


    Tonight there would be much festivities at Anatea and the Crab, a great celebration of the successful hunt.


    The group had been the main providers of game for both the village and the inn for quite some time, but it was a rare, seasonal, occasion when they could bring in something as delectable as the tender meat springing from a teneboar ready to give birth.


    Arma slammed open the two doors leading into the establishment, his companions joining him and dragging the large skin which carried their spoils behind them.


    Cheers from all of the patrons of the inn greeted them as they entered.


    (???: Arma, lads! You''re back!)


    (???: Dats a mighty big load yah got there boys!)


    (Ervine: It''s not that impressive¡­)


    (Arma: Hey Barren! We got some gifts for you!)


    The golem bartender moved his thick clay body towards the entrance and met the party with, as hard as it was to decipher, a big hollow smile upon his face.


    Barren was, at the best of times, a creature of few expressions, but this was one of genuine satisfaction.


    (Barren ...Hrm. Hello. Good work everyone... drinks are¡­ on me.)


    (Stevanim: YEEeessssssssireee, I don''t have to pay!)


    ~


    Except for Arma and Manila there was another person who lived in the cozy cottage they owned, a small wooden building with a tiled roof and an impressively large chimney.


    On the rare occasions when the weather was cold enough for it to snow around the forest, Arma had invited the people he knew to drink in front of the large fireplace belonging to that chimney.


    But there was one person who spent their time by the slow roaring fire almost all year round, seated in a cushioned chair and threading the strings of fate upon her loom.


    Dinah, the mother of the young weaver with the ivory skin; Darah, had been taken by angels sent by the goddess Rhun many years ago, apparently being chosen for some greater purpose, and Arma had volunteered to take care of the daughter in her mother''s stead. Since that time the then girl, now a young woman, had been a part of their household.


    Manila had always found it curious how Arma seemed to feel responsible for the children he had saved in the forest, all those years ago, but she, just as he, had been keeping a watchful eye on Saville, Kodou, Ervine and Darah all throughout the years.


    Darah welcomed the teacher and her aide as they entered the house and each took a seat in the kitchen. Just as with the rest of the rooms in their home Manilas ghostly touch could be found all over the place, in each detail and decoration that she had chosen. Surprisingly enough she favored old-timey things, quilts, potted plants and small queer figurines.


    (Darah:  W...welcome home¡­ Manila¡­ And Saville¡­ I see that you are here too.)


    (Manila: It is good that you are home, I need to speak to the both of you. Anyhow, how has your studies been going this day?)


    (Darah: Oh¡­ oh¡­ oh fine¡­ The wind has been, unusually quiet, but I did catch something¡­ a far away glimpse, a spark¡­ but nothing worth mentioning.)


    (Manila: Well then¡­ would you mind making us a pot of tea dear Darah?)


    The pale woman, two years younger than Saville, knew that Manila herself of course could not drink, it was just a courtesy that she usually pretended to do so, to be a part of the social niceties.


    Darah had lived with both Manila and her master for a couple of years now, slowly learning their peculiarities, and that the motherly apparition made a show of interacting with her environment was just another one of her quirks.


    (Darah: Ooooh, oh no¡­ not at all¡­)


    In contrast to Armas general paleness Darah looked like a polished porcelain doll, so smooth that you could see the reflection of the silverware on her skin as she made the table and put a kettle on the stove. She had grown her beige hair long and usually, as was the case today, braided it into a bun, not entirely unlike Manilas.


    As the water started its slow boil, Manila began to talk.


    (Manila: Let me put this as frankly as I can¡­ I am evaporating. I am turning into nothing.)


    For once the green apparition actually appreciated that she could almost fully control how she looked.


    (Manila: Saville, Darah¡­ The truth is that I don''t have that much time left. It could be today, it could be tomorrow¡­ I know I should have told you earlier¡­ but I could not muster the strength to actually do it¡­ Not until now when its already this late.)


    From time to time this ability had made her feel less¡­ less like someone who were actually alive, who truly felt things, whose expressions did not need to be a calculated choice.


    (Manila: It was so much easier to just pretend that nothing was wrong¡­ to just pretend.)


    But this time she was thankful, thankful that she could say all that she wanted without breaking down completely. That the words could even leave her throat.


    (Manila: As I said¡­ here we are and I have a favor to ask of you Savvy. When I disappear, I want you to pursue him¡­ Arma. He deserves to have someone in his life who truly cares.)


    Even so¡­ as she saw the look that Saville gave her in that moment, her illusory emerald eyes teared up all the same.


    (Manila: Now don''t give me that look! I know¡­ I know that you love him, it''s not that strange that you''ve grown to view him in that way¡­ I mean¡­ how couldn''t you.)


    Darah had not turned away from the stove, intently staring at the wall. Perhaps that was just as well.


    (Manila: I just want to make sure¡­ before I go¡­ that he gets a¡­. a  happy ending.)


    It took some time before anyone else said anything, Saville turning red as the whistle of the kettle interrupted the silence.


    (Saville: What? What are you talking about? Are you dying?! You are dying? Are you fucking kidding with me?)


    (Manila: I was afraid you would react this way¡­ yes afraid is all I have been for quite some time now... I have been a coward,  a cowardly fool, we could have really made these last moments count if only I hadn''t been too scared to tell you.)


    The younger woman was just getting started, here eyes blazing with anger as she continued to speak.


    (Saville: Pursue him? Do you really mean that? You love him, don''t you!? You can''t ask such a thing! You can''t¡­ you just can''t. It is way too¡­ wrong! It''s not fair!)


    Dutifully, perhaps stunned by the conversation, Darah poured the hot water from the kettle into the cups she had placed upon the table. It seemed as if Saville was just about to throw her cup at the wall.


    (Manila: Of course¡­ of course I do. That is why I don''t want him to be left alone. That is why I am giving you my blessing...)


    Placing a bag of tea in each cup, including one for herself, the white faced girl Darah blushed, as tears ran down her cheeks.


    (Saville: I¡­ I don''t¡­)


    (Darah: Then¡­ then me¡­me... me too!)


    The weaver took her own seat at the table, grasping the cup in front of her firmly in her hands, even though they were shaking.


    (Darah: I¡­ I want him to be happy too¡­ I am not much¡­ but I can take care of him¡­sniff¡­ I want him. I¡­ I want him. If you are not to be here¡­ then I want him.)


    The sudden confession left Manila bereft of words for a moment. This was unexpected. Savilles infatuation with the protector of the village was plain enough for anyone to see, she had been behaving as a puppy being given a bone in his company ever since she had turned into a teenager.


    Darah, on the other hand, usually had a very reserved way about her, hesitant to a fault, and was because of this a lot harder to read.


    (Manila: Hah¡­ I am sorry Darah¡­ I never thought... I didn''t know that you felt like that¡­ But I am glad that you are honest. Both of you¡­ just make sure that he is happy. I leave him in your hands.)


    The exchange of words seemed to have removed most of the momentum from Savilles anger and denial, leaving only a still kind of bleakness behind, an empty feeling.


    She slowed down to breathe. And then she breathed again. Trying to collect her thoughts, there was only one question, one accusation, that she could not let go of.


    (Saville: Does he know?)


    (Manila: No¡­ and I don''t want him to before I am gone¡­ that¡­ that would be to much to bear.)


    ~~


    Human feelings are never easy. It''s never easy to express what you truly feel, what you expect, what you want.


    Life is fraught with misery, with the expectation that what you wanted to happen should follow the choices that you made. The truth is that you never know, that is the curse of having a choice, the curse of being part of the humana.


    In the end all we can do is either wish or give up, acknowledging that when it all comes down to it, we are powerless. Decisions are not forged, they just happen.


    Sargo, the loved one, please grant us the ability to put our failures behind us.


    ~


    At the inn, Anatea and the Crab, one of the greatest institutions of the furthest reaches of the Outer Spheres, the hour was getting late as its patrons dove deeper into their cups.


    Arma and his lads had been drinking heavily, Barrens open tab being put to good use.


    (Kodou: Fuckin A¡ä Arma¡­ Things have been so exciting recently¡­ and I''m thinking¡­ it''s all because of you!)


    (Stevanim: Stop stroking his ego man, it''s already grown so large that I can see the bulge!)


    (Arma: Come on you guys... We did this together, just as we always do.)


    (Ervine: It''s true though¡­ you mostly make things less worse.)


    (Steve: Holy shit, that is high praise coming from you!)


    Arma could do nothing but laugh in response. At some level he had to admit that he liked the praise, the attention, but he never wanted it to become the reason for why he acted like he acted, why he made the decisions he made.


    Admiration was fine, as long as it was tempered by his own humility, that was the conclusion he had come to a long time ago.


    The good feeling, the feeling of being complete, did not come from the thankfulness of others, it came from being of help in the first place.


    (Arma: Team effort! Team effort! I would have died long ago if it wasn''t for you guys, suffocating on my own vomit in this very chair!)


    (Steve: Aye, cheers to that. Bloody Team Effort, we should brand ourselves. Make an ¡°effort¡± of it heh.)


    (Ervine: Yes¡­ but let''s focus on these drinks for now, and try not to choke.)


    (Steve: Wait a minute Ervine! Did you really just make an actual joke?!)


    ~ ~


    The hour was way past midnight when Arma finally returned home. He was drunk, barely able to stand up and yet he had managed to stumble all the way back to the cottage.


    Inside the house it was silent, clearly Darah was asleep, otherwise you could often hear the sound of her knitting even late at night from the living room.


    He wondered if Manila would chide him, she usually acted petulant when he had been out drinking all night, but this was a special occasion after all, perhaps she would understand.


    Still¡­ a disappointed Manila was a sight to behold, her eyes could freeze water or light the fire of a stove.


    As he slowly crept up the stairs to the second floor he could hear a faint noise coming from one of the rooms. A soft quiet sobbing, as if someone tried to drown the sound of their cries in a pillow.


    As far gone as he was in his stupor it did not take a genius to figure out that it came from Darah''s room.


    He would have asked her what was wrong but it would have probably done more harm than good in his current state. Arma promised himself that he would remember it tomorrow, and that he would speak to her then.


    Stumbling towards his own chambers he managed to only collapse once but as he opened the door his worst fears were quickly realised.


    Manila sat on the end of the bed, watching him with deep intent.


    (Manila: Hmf, you are drunk again¡­)


    (Arma: Yes...  I know you don''t like it. The hunt went well and¡­ we were celebrating.)


    (Manila: I know¡­ I don''t blame you, I am glad that you had a good time with your friends¡­ master.)


    (Arma: Still after all this time¡­ I wish you would just call me by my name.)


    (Manila: It''s not that I don''t want to¡­ Its just¡­)


    (Arma: Yeah¡­ I know. Sorry for bringing it up.)


    (Manila: It is fine¡­ Now, to bed with you, you clearly need it.)


    Arma collapsed upon the large, soft bed, a bed really meant for two people, and immediately closed his eyes.


    While the green woman had gotten to decide most things concerning the rest of the household this was a request he had made. He did not want her to not have a place of rest in her own home, even though that was unnecessary.


    (Arma: Man¡­ its at times like this that I wish I could touch you, you know¡­ Its at times like this that I¡­)


    (Manila: Yes¡­ I know. Now go to sleep.)


    (Arma: ¡­)


    (Manila: Sleep... go to sleep¡­ Arma.)


    (Manila: Sleep... you big dummy¡­ I will take my place at your side and grant you my sweet whispers to hold the night terrors at bay.  You know I...)


    When Arma woke up Manila was gone.


    ~  ~  ~


    In any case¡­ It is not true that time heals all wounds¡­ Time¡­ Time is an anvil.


    ~


    (Mr. TV: Record scratch! Jingle! And then follows the applause... This¡­ ladies and gentlemen! This is one of my favorite endings, this right here! Don''t you agree dear audience?! You and you¡­ and yes I see you raising your hand! However¡­ It went a bit quick though, didn''t it?


    I mean we have hardly had any time to get to know all of these characters, how am I supposed to get invested?! Anyhow, let''s start the raffle. All contestants line up! You gotta make it flashy, you gotta make it count! Spin the wheeeeeeeeeeel of fortune!)

 R2: CHAPTER 2: THE ISLE OF DAMOCLES AND THE SISTERS OF MERCY

    ROUTE 2:  CHAPTER 2: THE ISLE OF DAMOCLES AND THE SISTERS OF MERCY


    Being torn into pieces and then slowly melded back together again was not an experience most minds could comprehend without retreating into madness.


    Veins slithering like worms as they reconnected themselves to each other, giving birth to fresh circuitry.  Bones breaking apart, growing and being realigned as tissue was spun around them like string on a spool.


    It would have been a horror to behold as wind was being absorbed from the surrounding atmosphere to create breathing matter, matter which in turn was molded into organs and flesh, a body being reconstructed anew.


    (Arma: Br...ok...en. It¡­ hurts¡­ It huh¡­.hurts.)


    After the pain, at first, all he could see and feel was an ocean of darkness. A black tide had swallowed him, pulling him down into its depths, but then it all changed.


    The waves and currents dissipated, the darkness retreated and the pain gave in to the pleasant sensation of being disconnected from your own body.


    Floating through space as pure thought and emotion, all the worries of the living left for those who were still alive.


    Suddenly he was sitting on a simple chair, in front of a table with a scarlet cloth draped over it, two silver candlesticks neatly placed in the middle. Around him a bright green field of crisp grass continued endlessly and in front of him, sitting in an equally simple chair, was Vaporin.


    (Arma: Where am I? The last thing I can remember is¡­ dying I think.)


    (Vaporin: Dying is overrated and quite unnecessary¡­ well, for the two of us at least. You are inside a dream I guess you could say, a space I have created inside of your mind to spare you from the pain of being rebirthed. One time was enough, don''t you think?)


    (Arma: Rebirthed?)


    (Vaporin: Yes, your body is being reanimated as we speak, repairing itself if you will.)


    (Arma: Thyone¡­ is he gone?)


    (Vaporin: Quite obliterated. Your capacity for destruction when imagining an appropriate symbol is impressive indeed... very promising.)


    (Arma: Is that so¡­ for some reason¡­ I can''t help but feel sorry for him.)


    (Vaporin: Dont. He was nothing, nothing like you or I. He made his choice a long time ago and he paid the price. Remember Arma, he drew first blood.)


    (Arma: Who was he? Why did he come?)


    The burning red apparition looked thoughtful for a moment, his hair flowing like an animated flame behind him.


    (Vaporin: Not an easy question to give a simple answer to¡­ He was, in a word, an angel. You should hold memories of what that used to mean. A meaningless symbol of authority of the worst kind, the kind that is absolute.)


    (Arma: A winged creature from heaven¡­)


    (Vaporin: Yes... do not think about it too much, for now, rest... Soon we are off to fulfill our purpose and kill the gods, but before that¡­ you need to meet your sisters.)


    ~


    As Arma drowsily began to wake up, his mind returning to his body from the pleasant dreams that Vaporin had granted him as he was being mended, he was confused by the warm embrace he suddenly felt.


    Although he had a hard time opening his eyes he could feel the softness of the bed he was laying on, and the comforting hugs of two people, two people nestled close to him.


    (Arma: Where am I? Who¡­ are you?)


    Two women, a girl and a lady, desperately holding on to him with their arms, their chests closely pressed to his. As his eyes adjusted to the light he could see their figures  more fully.


    They were both wearing matching nightgowns, one completely filling out the gown to its brim and the other one, seemingly almost boyish, as the dress looked like it was a couple of sizes too large.


    There was another thing¡­ they looked strikingly similar to himself, as if they had been molded from the same cast.


    (???: So you have finally awoken brother. I could hardly eat or sleep as I awaited your arrival.)


    (???): Big brother is here,  big brother is here! I''m so happy!)


    White hair, pale skin and lines upon blue lines running under that skin like an intricate system of art, it truly was like looking at two images of himself from alternative universes.


    The two women had their individual differences though, both compared to him and  to each other.


    The one who seemed more like an adult women, older than Arma, had straight long hair and a body shaped like an hourglass and looked dreamingly at him with a calm and mature demeanor.


    The  other one, who looked younger, perhaps a year or two below Armas own apparent age, was flat as board, small in stature and had short unruly hair, just a bit longer than his own.


    (Vaporin: Good morning sweet killer. Welcome back to reality, such as it is.)


    Vaporins fiery red apparition appeared beside the bed Arma was laying on and quietly seated himself on a red transparent chair manifesting itself from thin air beneath him.


    (Vaporin: Well then my boy, these two fine ladies here are your sisters, my other children. Let me introduce you to Armie and Leigh. They will be instrumental to us on our journey together.)


    (Armie: Yes sir! I''m Armie!)


    The younger one spoke as she flew up from the bed to hug her father. When her body failed to be able to do so something quite peculiar happened.


    It looked like she separated herself from her body, a bluish apparition flowing out from  her physical form to hug her equally non-corporeal father.


    It was as if a ghost had left its body behind to embrace another ghost, only to return and repossess the flesh of the host yet again once the hug had been had.


    (Vaporin: What an extraordinary child you are dear Armie!  Of course, I am the one who made you so!)


    (Armie: Hihi, thats me!)


    The older one took her time, apparently hesitant to let go of Arma as she slowly rose from the bed.


    Once she had stood up she solemnly adjusted her hair and straightened the nightgown with a coy smile, making her large bosom all the more visible.


    (Leigh: It is good to see you reappear father. And to you, dear brother, I shall inform you that my name is Leigh. It is good to make your acquaintance sweet Arma.)


    (Arma: You are my sisters?)


    Strange emotions rushed through Armas chest as he took in the disorienting picture of the three people now standing together before him.


    It was a familiar sort of warmth, like something he had experienced as he was being created in the mill on the Field of Dreams, or even before that, when he dwelled as nothing more than potential in the deepest parts of the dark abyss. It was a sense of belonging¡­ it felt like coming home.


    (Leigh: We are dear brother, and we have waited for you so long.)


    Armas elder sister bent down to hug him again, her face closely pressed to his shoulder and he could feel something wet against his cheek... She was crying.


    (Leigh: So long¡­ so long¡­ and now you are finally here.)


    (Armie: Sure thing! Get up already, there is so much to show you!)


    ~


    The three of them left Arma alone to get dressed, Vaporins apparition apparently being able to move independently from Armas body in this place, wherever it was.


    The room seemed simple enough, with stone walls and nothing much in the way of decorations except for a bedside table with an empty vase on it.


    There was a wardrobe though, assumedly containing garbs for him to wear, and a large mirror, but more importantly than that; a window.


    When he looked outside he could see the Sea of Dreams beneath him, its wild waves with all their unpredictable patterns crashing in on themselves. It seemed like he was inside some kind of tall building or a tower.


    The sight of the sea never failed to comfort him, this was the place in which his essence had been born.


    (Arma: What am I doing here¡­ really... are these things that I am feeling even my own?)


    (Arma: Sisters¡­ he could have told me earlier.)


    He remembered the last words of the green woman in that moment. She had presented him with a choice. What was her name again? Manila? A lot of time must have passed while he was recuperating after his battle with the angel Thyone.


    (Arma: But I have chosen, haven''t I? I want to know more, more of this world. I want to know where this journey will take me.)


    The Isle of Damocles, that was what Vaporin had told him. The old man''s hunting grounds, perhaps an old home.


    He was the one who had made him and Arma had decided to follow his father. It seemed like the natural thing to do, perhaps the only real choice.


    After a while Arma turned his attention to the wardrobe and found a brand new set of clothes for him to wear inside.


    A grey bandage with blue markings which he wrapped around his waist, black athletic pants with three blue lines running down the side of each leg, maroon sneakers and two shorter grey wrappings to be applied upon his forearms.


    Finally, a small metal pin portraying a circle with an X in it which he fastened upon the side of his hair. It had a strange glow about it.


    He took some time to watch himself in the mirror. It was the first time he saw his own reflection and he could not help but to think that he looked good.


    (Leigh: So handsome dear brother, your outfit suits you well.)


    (Armie: Its cute, so cute!)


    His sisters gave him a small applause when he exited the room and entered the hallway outside. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    The both of them had also changed clothes and Armie now wore a tight set of dark leather armor adorned with a multitude of pockets and small pouches as well as long boots with several strappings.


    Leigh on the other hand wore a long flowing beige dress, decorated with floral patterns and thin stems sprouting into actual flowers spreading a discrete blossoming aroma around her.


    (Arma: Thank you. You both look¡­ well, beautiful.)


    His elder sister blushed while the younger one simply giggled in response.


    (Leigh: You spoil us with your kind words brother... Now, let us go, father is expecting us in the dining hall.)


    ~


    Once seated in the large lounge of the tower, a building seemingly made entirely out of stone, Arma found a feast of small food items and a canister with steaming hot water before him.


    His two siblings had shown him to the hall and gestured him towards a wingback chair placed on the short side of a, for the scale of the room, very intimate rectangular table.


    Vaporin was seated at the opposite side of the table and Armie and Leigh each took a chair beside Armas own, immediately trying to nuzzle closer to their brother.


    (Vaporin: A tea party worthy of a first experience, is it not? Plucked from the memories of this very island, courtesy of our dearest Leigh.)


    (Leigh: I took the utmost effort in shaping this memory.)


    (Vaporin: Welcome Arma¡­ This is the Tower of Exagon, the great lighthouse of the Isle of Damocles. My old, ancestral home, if such a thing ever existed.)


    Each person around the table had a small cup placed on a plate before them, each cup holding a small bag of tea.


    As Vaporin spoke the canister of hot water extended thin spidery legs from its bottom and started traversing the table, pouring its hot contents and serving each person in turn.


    Arma took a deep sip, fully taking in the flavour of the black tea. It had a bitter but not at all unpleasant taste.


    After being served their tea his sisters began eating the small crumpets and biscuits in front of them, Armie stuffing her face as quickly as she could while Leigh simply kept on nibbling on a single piece of cake in a dignified manner.


    Arma himself could not feel any hunger at all, the intricately designed treats seeming to be an entirely alien concept too him.


    (Leigh: These refreshments aren''t to your liking? Would you like something else?)


    His elder sister looked embarrassed and covered her mouth with the palm of her left hand.


    (Vaporin: Do not take offense, my sweetest Leigh. Even I forget that Arma isn''t designed to need solid sustenance.)


    The old man smiled brilliantly, showing of his rows upon rows of sharpened teeth.


    (Vaporin: Now that all his systems are in order he subsides entirely on the dormant energy left behind by the wind passing through our surroundings. He is able to partake in liquids though¡­ for entirely different reasons than staying alive. Genius!)


    (Leigh: Ah, I see¡­ A wasted effort then.)


    (Armie: Not so! Nom nom nom, these are¡­ om nom¡­ really good!)


    (Arma: Thank you¡­ thank you all. This is all¡­ well everything is...)


    A large crash broke the quiet atmosphere of the room as a person seemed to tumble into the hall, slamming its twin doors open in the process.


    He was a thin golden hued man, with short, bright blonde hair and thick pierced earlobes, and as he entered the room he fell down to the floor into what could simply be described as a mess.


    Quickly rising and straightening himself up, he was seemingly a tall man as long as he wasn''t bent and twisted like a ball of yarn.


    (???: Allo¡äerrybody!)


    When he noticed that he didn''t have a seat placed for him at the table he quickly began dragging one from one of the corners of the dining hall, creating a grating noise on the way.


    Once he was done he collapsed upon his chair, his long arms and legs bent in all kinds of strange ways that seemed in no way natural or comfortable.


    (Vaporin: And this strange gaudia known as  Zweirad, famed killer all across the spheres! Took some time to track him down in but I have kept him on my payroll for quite a while now.)


    (Zweirad: Sure thing fella, don''t you worry though, ain''t nothing gonna kill you guyzes while i''m around. And I get more than enough of my fill of bad bloods to bleed in this guys service! Tza za za za!)


    Leigh and Armie continued to sip from their cups of tea, enjoying the crumpets that seemed to appear on the plates in front of them.


    (Vaporin: This peculiar existence will serve as our bodyguard upon the great mission, nay, journey, we will depart upon together tomorrow.)


    (Arma: And what is it we are supposed to do?)


    (Vaporin: Did I not tell you before? We are going to kill the so called gods, end their deceitfully divine reign and cross the boundaries of imagination into the great unknown.)


    (Zweirad: This old gibber never fails to amuse, tza za za za. But-uuh¡­ I''m up for anything really.)


    (Arma: Killing¡­ just like with Thyone... I don''t know¡­ )


    The heated memory of the battle was still fresh in his mind, even though a lot of time must have gone by as he was being put back together after his nearly complete annihilation.


    He had not touched him directly, he had not cut or bled him, he had merely extinguished the serene being as if blowing out a candle, yet it felt as if he could taste the strange man''s blood upon his tongue all the same... The sweet taste of iron.


    (Arma: ...Can I really do this?)


    (Vaporin: Don''t worry child,  you were built for this kind of stuff. All three of you. It will be just like riding a bike, once you get the feeling right you will never forget it again...)


    (Vaporin: Anyhow, I think that is enough introductions for today. We all have a lot to do, take your time to process what you have experienced, Arma.)


    ~ ~


    After the short soiree with his newly found companions it seemed like everyone except him had something they needed to do or prepare for the departure they would embark upon the next morning.


    He himself had been given ¡°free time¡±, as Vaporin had so bluntly put it.


    (Vaporin: Just go ahead and bum about, spend some time with your sisters, just don''t bother me!)


    Arma chose to use the time he had been given to wander the halls of the enormous lighthouse and explore the strange nooks and crannies of the place which he currently inhabited.


    He began by following each stair he found down, and then further down, as he wanted to stand upon the island itself to gaze upon the sea.


    Once he had found the entrance hall to the large lighthouse, a majestic room with ornamented pillars holding up the roof, he found the gateway to the island itself.


    Outside, he was amazed to be able to experience the strangeness that presented itself before him. He had not been able to see this when he looked outside from the window in the room he had woken up in, but the tower truly seemed to reach farther up than ones imagination would allow.


    And that was only the beginning. The Tower of Exagon was a magnificent cylindrical building, reaching far above the clouds or some kind of mist that lay thickly upon the sky above the island.


    It had a pale sheen that gave the impression of an ancient monument and two spheres of light that it cast upon the sea, originating from some place further up than what Arma could see.


    The strangest thing though, the thing that made him hold his breath, was the titanic arms that emerged from the ocean below.


    Gigantic humanoid arms that bent themselves around the tower, as if having multiple joints, ending in huge hands that seemed to greedily grasp towards the heavens.


    It seemed to him,  in that moment, as if he was watching a graveyard of giants,  old and obscure beings that had reached for the sky only to perish on the way to that which they had sought.


    Arma picked up a rock and threw it of the island. It immediately dissolved once it reached the waves that crashed against the cliffs around the tower.  Except for the lighthouse itself it seemed like the island was barren, rocks, algae and nothing much else.


    (Arma: A sludge of thoughts and emotions¡­ my mother. What does it even mean?)


    He stood there for a moment in silence, listening to the waves, tasting the salty breeze from the Sea of Dreams and watching as multicoloured winds emerged from the depths to travel to whatever faraway destination they sought.


    (Arma: Is this what life is supposed to be like? Just one thing after the other¡­)


    The ocean before him did not answer, it just continued to be. After a while Arma went inside again.


    ~


    Leisurely exploring the tower it took Arma some time before he found anything else of note, most of the rooms and halls in the lighthouse seemed to be empty except for the mouthless clay guardians that apparently took care of it.


    He watched as they went about their business, cleaning, repairing and doing all manner of work, but none of them answered or even seemed to notice when he tried to talk to them.


    Only touching them or otherwise hindering their work made them acknowledge that he existed and even then all they did was wave their large hands around angrily.


    He continued to explore upwards when he began hearing the sound of someone humming on a melody. It was a lovely tune, captured by an equally sweet voice and he followed it until he approached its source.


    That beautiful voice seemed to echo from a chamber close by and as he ventured closer  the humming turned into singing.


    In the City of Glass,


    The towers reach far on high.


    Priests abide on the balustrades,


    Chanting far away lies.


    In the Gardens of Yeb,


    Conmen pay for their debts.


    Apparitions are made flesh,


    In the throes of undeath.


    Arma followed the voice and as he passed through the doorway to the room of its owner he knew that had entered some sort of special space, a location that not necessarily originated from tower itself, it had another, more profound origin. It felt like diving underwater and then resurfacing again.


    He had suddenly entered a garden, a house of glass hosting a myriad of different flowers, all surrounded by a mystical field of shining pollen slowly floating through the air.


    He knew the names of many of the flowers; verbena, chamomile, lilies and bindweed among many others, and each type of blossom had its own place and bed of soil, carefully orchestrated and organized to create an intricate pattern that made up the beauty of the entirety of the garden inside of the greenhouse.


    The fragrance in this house of glass, both bitter, sweet and infinitely complicated, was astonishing.


    In the middle of it all stood a woman, watering one of the plants and pruning it with a small silver scissor. It was his elder sister, Leigh.


    (Arma: Woah¡­ what is this place? It''s amazing¡­)


    (Leigh: Ah, brother. I am glad that you think so, it is a beautiful garden, yes? I am deeply  infatuated with the goddess Yeb you see, she has the most beautiful garden herself. She is my... favorite¡­ but do not tell father that I said so, he dislikes them all ah ha.)


    Leigh looked embarrassed, her cheeks turning into a rosy pink color as she slowly shook her head, making her white locks dance around her head.


    (Arma: You made all this?)


    (Leigh: Hardly so¡­ I am merely a collector, although I take care to grow and nourish them. These flowers all belong to other people, other places, they are the memories I have collected utilizing my skills as a floralist.)


    His sister kept a small smile upon her face as she cut off a leaf from the mallow she was working on.


    (Leigh: Father was the one who created this space, this greenhouse, so that I could store them and bring them with me wherever I go.)


    (Arma: Memories, what do you mean?)


    (Leigh:  Yes... These flowers host the memories I have collected from the places I have visited so far. The ones who holds the most promise I have been cultivating ever since, grooming, adjusting and turning them into the most wondrous of symbols.)


    Arma was still confused and noticing this Leigh extended her left hand towards him.


    (Leigh: Come, hold my hand and I will show you.)


    As Arma took her hand the world around him disappeared. Suddenly it was as if he was taken to the inside a photograph, a picture of something that had been, ages and ages ago, swirling into existence from the past and replacing the world around him with its image.


    (Arma: This is¡­)


    A man and a woman was sitting in front of each other outside of a caf¨¦ in a crumbling ancient city, a large triangular lattice tower creating the backdrop for their meeting.


    He was drinking a cup of coffee, eyes fixed upon her face, she was sipping on a glass of red wine, looking towards the distance.


    ¡°Curious that this is the place you would choose to say goodbye, this is where we met you know.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I thought it might be easier for you that way¡­ seem more final.¡±


    A sudden gust of wind picked up around them, blowing discarded newspapers and crumbling pieces of structural waste around in the air, creating the illusion of snow.


    ¡°I still love you¡­ you can''t change that.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I know.¡±


    Just as suddenly as he had become a part of the memory he returned back to the greenhouse and the garden inside of it, reality readjusting itself around him.


    (Leigh: That was the memory of this syrian mallow, the rose of sharon. Not that useful, but I like it.)


    The glass of red wine from the memory manifested in her unoccupied hand as she spoke. Still holding on to his, she handed it to him once it had fully appeared.


    Arma tasted it without question. It was in no part just a memory, it was real. Once he had tasted a mouthful it disappeared.


    (Leigh: Now¡­ This one has more practicality, although it isn''t as pleasant.)


    His sister lead him through the garden and Arma marveled as he watched the multitude of colored lights that was hanging from its ceiling.


    It reminded him of christmas decorations, a word that something deep inside him dragged to the surface.


    And then she stopped in front of another bed of flowers. Using her free hand she gently stroked the pink and white petals of one of the strange blossoms protruding from the earth in the wooden box in front of them.


    Reality, once again, distorted into the experience of the memory.


    Heat. Every other sensation made way for that single one. Heat. Heat and fire. Burning. Burning. Burning. Burning. Burning. Burning.


    The flames had swept through, turning the walls around them into black charcoal that began to disintegrate into grey flakes of dust.


    The heat was unbearable, melting his skin as he held on to his younger brother, desperately trying to shield him from the torture he himself was experiencing.


    Even his thoughts were melting, burning, blending into a cohesive experience of nothing but pain. I will see you¡­ he thought, I will see you in the next world.


    Ending abruptly, as the world turned to black, Arma and Leigh left the memory behind.


    (Arma: ¡­)


    (Leigh: Fraxinella, the ¡°burning bush¡±. Using this memory, the world turns into flame. Just as it did for the two brothers.)


    Leigh let go of Armas hand and raised both of her own towards the glass roof above them. As she did the entire garden erupted in flames.


    The same burning sensation of the memory, flowers withering away around them as the world turned red caught Arma in its vision of maddenning suffering.


    Only this time he could feel the heat of the flames, feel the pain as they scorched his skin and in a single moment truly know what it meant to watch everything turn to dust.


    Then it was all gone, the garden restored to normal again.


    (Leigh: I really hope they found that ¡°next world¡± they were wishing for.)


    (Arma: Sister¡­ I don''t know what to say. All of this is¡­ I guess the only word I have for it is wonderful, your garden is amazing.)


    (Leigh: Brother called me sister... I am truly happy.)


    (Arma: ¡­ Is it okay if I just sit here for a while?)


    Letting out a small giggle of satisfaction Leigh motioned him towards a white wooden bench placed among the wooden boxes, flowerpots and blossoms that were placed all around the greenhouse.


    (Leigh: Yes¡­ you are most welcome to.)


    Arma sat himself down, solemnly looking up towards the roof and the many lights in the greenhouse. Outside of it there was no trace of the Isle of Damocles to be seen, only a faraway distance painted with stars.


    (Arma: Sister¡­Leigh¡­ let me ask you a question. These gods¡­ are they really that bad?)


    (Leigh: Depends on how you see it¡­)


    She looked thoughtful for a moment, continuing her work as she watered the fraxinella whose memory the both of them had just experienced.


    (Leigh: If you lie and deceive to protect someone, or demand allegiance, even love, to grant someone their wish¡­ are you doing something evil or something good? Even Yeb begs for love from those she grants a wish, a truly pathetic display...)


    (Leigh: Anyhow it is true that they impose their will upon this world without having any right to do so.)


    (Arma: And who would have such a right?)


    (Leigh: Well¡­  no one¡­ or everyone I suppose. Why should anyone decide the point of everything? I''d rather think that no point is preferable.)


    ~ ~


    Arma did not know for how long he sat there, smelling the sweetness of the garden and basking in its quiet serenity, but at some point he fell asleep.


    It was a wonderful, dreamless sleep, no spirits or visions haunting him as he rested in the emptiness of his own personal void.


    Once he woke up, he found that he had been moved to the bed in the room which he had previously slept.


    He also found that he was not alone, Armie and Leigh tightly wrapped around him like two snakes suffocating their prey.


    It was still in the middle of the night, the sky outside of the single window burning with images of distant spheres upon the darkened tapestry, and his sisters were sleeping soundly.


    With the two women beside him, one on each arm, Arma felt complete. It was as if two different limbs that he did not know that he had been lacking had been returned to him.


    Two additional heartbeats, banging inside his chest, filling him with their harmonious rhythm and music. It felt like being loved.


    If he ever were to lose this feeling, now that he had experienced it, he did not know if he could continue living.


    ~ ~ ~

 R2: INTERMISSION 1 PART 1: AXIS AND RHUN, SISTER AND BROTHER MOON

    ROUTE 2: INTERMISSION 1 PART 1: AXIS AND RHUN, SISTER AND BROTHER MOON


    Two moons nestled close together, mirror images of each other, as the music of the spheres allowed them to stay close in their divine connection.


    On the surface of each sphere, a city, and in each city two towers reaching up towards the heavens, the conceptual space that divided the Animus from the dark realms of the Nightlands above.


    In one of those crystalline towers, a construction created from the ancient power entailed in the process of the admina, a brother and sister held court.


    (AXIS: Do you know of him? This man/monster/construct/deviancy?)


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    (Rhun: I have been aware/ignorant, just as you dear/beloved brother.)


    (AXIS: He has taken one of mine... my arbiter/servant/lover.)


    (Rhun: Unexpected but not unthinkable, did you not know that this was a viable fate when you sent him?)


    (AXIS: I did not think so/fathom it. It¡­ wounds/degrades me to feel this loss. I did not think such a thing could be possible/allowed. It''s been a long reign of safety and order.)


    (Rhun: Well then¡­ You will do what you must brother. And I will abide by you decisions. Take comfort, once he reaches the Eternal battlefield/Endless war, surely he will experience his end/demise/absolution.)


    (AXIS: That is what upsets/disturbs me. I do not want this troublemaker to break any of the things that belong to me.)


    (Rhun: Brother¡­ you are of the divine/administrators. Such banal worries are beneath you. These are ants beneath our feet, pawns to be played. Choose yours, however wisely, and the game will inevitable be won. We do not show concern for the lives of these creations/people. We manage their fates, keep the order of things intact, and we enjoy.)


    (Rhun: Anyhow, I will keep a close watch on this one with my network of weavers.)


    (AXIS: You are right as always sister... let the games begin.)


    ~ ~ ~

 R2: INTERMISSION 1 PART 2: VAPORIN AND THE CONTAINED CITY

    ROUTE 2: INTERMISSION 1 PART 2: VAPORIN AND THE CONTAINED CITY


    Time was not a word that Vaporin cared much for. At best it could be viewed as a constraint, a device once created to give an orderly impression of a world that was no longer relevant.


    It was an antiquated and cowardly concept that had been made meaningless a long time ago.


    His own bond with Arma showed as much, where perception could be altered so that time appeared to stand still, and yet time was still mostly viewed as natural law, even by those who could bend it to their will.


    Vaporin favored the word sequence much more. While time moved in a straight line the only thing straight about sequence was the pure fatality of one thing leading to another.


    Counting the ticks and turns of change, forcefully applying them to a straight narrative, essentially making them equal to the rules of a ruler used for measurement, seemed almost perverse in a universe where the only constant was the lack of consistency.


    Sequence, on the other hand, could not be avoided. Conceptual reality be damned, there would still always be sequence. Even when events were made undone by the whims of the wind, there was still sequence. At one point, at this moment, something happened. At some point something was undone¡­ but it still happened, it was still there.


    Reality wasn''t kind enough to let its inhabitants truly forget its mistakes.


    A lifetime lived in a single moment, one single moment accounting for an entire lifetime. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    He himself had lived for far too long, once you knew, once you understood, age was nothing of importance, just another aspect of personhood to be managed.


    And yet, as he solemnly gazed upon the glass orb placed on the pedestal before him, he felt old.


    (Vaporin: I still can''t believe that used to be me. Such a petty little man, punishing everyone around him equally, whatever crimes they had truly committed.)


    It was something akin to the snow globes of old times, an image captured inside a spherical glass surface, a reminder of how things used to be.


    Inside of the orb there was a city made out of lights and darkness. Deep shadows cast from fluorescent neon and high-rise skyscrapers. The old and ancient, the modern world before profanation had tainted everything.


    It was the hubris of old men, the hubris he had equally partaken in.


    (Vaporin: Nevertheless¡­ you came along to free me from my misunderstandings.)


    The burning red apparition could not help but to smile at the glass surface, speaking to it as if it contained people able to respond.


    (Vaporin: I still remember when this lighthouse was a prison, how could I forget? An eternity in captivity, time losing its meaning, as it always does.)


    A multitude of lights shone from the contained city, a pocket-universe of sort, even though it was frozen in time. Or lacking further sequence.


    (Vaporin: And here you are replaying your life in some trinket, my very own prisoner. Although I wonder if you would have felt that way if you knew? Without this globe you would have seized to be long ago, as dissolved as that angel Thyone was as the tides of change turn.)


    But that  was not true, was it? He was the sequence, the consequence, the results of those actions taken long ago.


    (Vaporin: I have never forgotten you, even though you would never accept that I felt this way... and you are a part of my greatest creation.)


    It had been a self-indulgence, the imaginings of a man starved for power and influence, but even such a narcissistic phantasm could be overthrown, deservedly so, just as the gods deserved to die.


    (Vaporin: You won¡­ but what does it amount to? Nothing as long as these constraints remain for all of us. Don''t you worry¡­ What you gave to me won''t be wasted.)


    ~ ~ ~

 R1: CHAPTER 3: RAINY ROADS PART 1: THE FARAWAY CLIMB

    ROUTE 1: CHAPTER 3: RAINY ROADS PART 1: THE FARAWAY CLIMB


    The expectant faces in front of him nearly pushed him over the edge but Arma knew he had to decline their invitation.


    All though it felt regrettable, he knew he could not stay here, in all honesty, he didn''t want to. There was an entire universe out there waiting for him.


    A whisper upon the wind, something that had become a part of him when he had become a  being separated from the vast and wondrous power of the Sea of dreams. The will to experience, the will to change.


    (Arma: No¡­ I''m sorry, truly. This is a wonderful place, but we can''t stay. I was only recently created, it''s called being a construct I think. There is too much I want to see and do out there¡­)


    Savilles mother looked dejected, but she still smiled in response. She had probably expected this answer, perhaps it wasn''t the first time they had asked someone for protection.


    Strong people travelled through Aster all the time, although none seemed willing to lend a hand.


    (Clarinette: I see, it was worth it to ask you at least. I guess it''s hard to invest a lifetime into a village full of strangers. Construct though, I guess that explains your wild appearance.)


    (Arma: The most amazing thing is that I don''t even know what I want to experience, what I want to do... Not knowing is the best part. Ah¡­ I guess I must sound pretty naive.)


    Kodous self-proclaimed caretaker shook his head knowingly, smiling as he took as sip from his flask.


    (Drum: Naye¡­ that is the call of adventure, a young man''s heart. Can''t blame ye for that.)


    Arma could not tell if a single expression had changed on Dinah, the mother of the pale girl, when she spoke. She seemed to carry the impression of a painting portraying a person rather than the look of an actual one.


    (Dinah: ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Perhaps when all is said and done, when you have found the things you are looking for¡­ you will return here. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ If so you are most welcome.)


    When it came to Misha, the other mother of Saville, she simply seemed optimistic.


    (Misha: Sure enough! And we will make sure that you remember us!)


    The rest of the morning went on slowly as Arma, Manila and their newly found companion Einfeldt recovered from the previous night and ate breakfast on the main floor of the inn.


    Barren, the golem bartender, served them toast, bacon and a large mug each of what he called ¡°afterglow¡±, a mixture of pure berry juice and the fermented version known as the red-eye that they had enjoyed the previous night.


    Apparently it was supposed to help you recover from the hangover but Arma strongly suspected that it just saved the misery for a later hour.


    As the two men enjoyed their food and drink and Manila looked as if she was a wash-cloth that had been recently wrung out Stevanim, Kodou and Eius-Farim emerged from the depths of the establishment.


    (Steve: Morning fellas, and you''re looking real good today green lady!)


    Manila gave the reddish demon a look that would have turned civilisations into cinder if she let it.


    (Steve: Ah¡­ heheh. A bit sore are we? Can''t blame ya. Take your time, the first one is always the hardest.)


    (Kodou: Man! Aaaaaaaaarmaaaa, that was a pretty fucking good evening!)


    (Eius: Agreed.)


    (Arma: Yeah¡­ that was amazing. I will sure miss you guys when we leave. Einfeldt is coming along though it seems.)


    (Eius: Leave¡­ yes. About that. You aim for the Rainy Roads yes?)


    Manila nodded in response while Arma looked happy but confused.


    (Eius: In that case I will join you too, the road takes me to a desired location and with shared protection it is sure to be a good bet.)


    (Arma: You''re more than welcome to join us.)


    (Stevanim: Aye, and what am I supposed to do here all on my lonesome ya bugger!?)


    (Kodou: Hang out with me!)


    (Steve: Sure enough mate, I guess it''s time we partnered up and I taught you a thing or two... But Eius, sure you wanna leave? You''ve been splendid company these past few weeks.)


    (Eius: Ah yes¡­ but the winds of fortune are blowing. I can feel it. I am sure.)


    (Arma: Then welcome aboard, glad to have you!)


    (Eius: Likewise.)


    The green apparition gave Arma a sour look and an even more poignant one to Eius-Farim, making it clear that she did not share her masters sentiment.


    (Manila: Does this demona really have to join us?)


    (Arma: I don''t see what the problem is here¡­ if there is something wrong, explain it to me.)


    (Manila: It''s just¡­ forget it. I cannot forgive those who would steal another''s being simply to exist.)


    (Eius: Such is the quandary of our people, although none of us actually have a choice, something you are in a unique position to understand.)


    Arma could not even pretend to understand what the exchange between the apparition and the demona meant but it did make Manila turn oddly quiet.


    (Steve: Anyhow, well help ya pricks pack your bags and send you on your merry way.)


    ~


    It was already late afternoon when they were finally ready to depart upon their journey. Eius-Farim had, to the annoyance of Manila, been kind enough to barter with the villagers in their name and had been able to procure most of the things they needed.


    Traveling equipment, rope and hooks for climbing, provisions and everything that was required for a proper campsite.


    As knowledgeable as Manila was she simply did not understand or share the needs of those with physical bodies.


    Stevanim had helped pick out some basic protection for Arma, a simple armor made out of leather bands and belts which seemed to blend together with the black bandages around his arms and waist.


    Eius had exchanged his formal suit for jeans, a shirt and a weathered duster adorned with a myriad of styrofoam dice fastened with strings to its many pockets.


    (Eius: It brings luck, do not judge me.)


    Einfeldts outfit was the strangest of the lot, thin bands adorned with studs turned inward which barely covered his bulging muscles, more likely to damage him than offer any protection.


    (Arma: That armor doesn''t look like it will protect you much, kinda looks like it invites the opposite really.)


    (Einfeldt: Yes¡­ such is my purpose. Being hurt is the foundation of what I am capable of. In taking punishment, I can protect others.)


    (Arma:You''ll have to explain that to me later, makes me curious.)


    Having gathered themselves and their belongings they went to the center of the ancient village Aster. A simple cobbled square with two defining features, a well and a floating piece of rock above it.


    This small island, hoovering perhaps twenty meters above the square, had several rope ladders hanging from it and a larger net, as it served as the focal point of those who would enter and leave the village.


    The large piece of stone, seemingly something that had been dislodged from the towers above it, had several ropes, ladders and other ways to ascend protruding from it. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    (Arma: I almost cannot believe this place, and this is our way forward?)


    (Manila: Yes¡­ to reach the Rainy Roads, we will have to make this climb. Make sure to watch your feet master, if you fell that would be most unfortunate.)


    Most of the people Arma and Manila briefly had become friends with had come to see them off; both the children, their parents as well as Stevanim and Kodou. The only missing ones were Barren, the bartender and the azure child; Ervine and his mother.


    (Clarinette: I offer this prayer to Leida, patroness of all arts. May the celestial radiance paint your journey with a display of joy.)


    (Saville: Mom! You''re embarrassing me! Anyhow, good luck mister Stupidhead and miss Greeny!)


    (Dinah: Sister Moon, Sanctum Mother, watch over our fellow spirits as they depart upon this journey.)


    (Darah: Mother¡­. Hum¡­. um¡­. um¡­ Yes.)


    (Drum: Aye, the gods are a fuckin waste but I''ll pour one out for ya to bring luck upon your travels.)


    The old man took a deep swig from his flask, spat it on the ground and gave Arma a thumbs up.


    (Kodou: Right on old man!)


    (Steve: Yo, Eius. Don''t ya dare die out there, I''ll be expecting us to paint the town red again someday.)


    (Arma: Let''s meet again everyone!)


    (Manila: ¡­)


    With waves and awkward smiles the ragtag group started their grand climb towards the heavens.


    ~


    After a few hours from their departure the large towers still loomed endlessly above them, as tall as they were strange.


    (Arma: Have any of you travelled this road before?)


    Arma had an astonished look on his face as he turned his face upwards towards the winding path that seemed to continue to curl around and through the skyscrapers.


    (Einfeldt: It was the road that took me here¡­ but there are a number of ways to go about this climb.)


    (Eius: Yes.)


    Traversing through the vertical landscape they ascended ever higher, using stairways, ladders and suspension bridges reaching from one crumbling building to another.


    Sometimes the established pathways were broken and they had to rely on their climbing equipment but usually the old roads could still be used.


    It was surprisingly simple, all of them more than physically equipped to handle the harsh upwards climb, but still, an exhausting venture. Manila floated candidly beside them as they climbed with a coy smile upon her lips.


    (Manila: ...Yet to break a sweat boys.)


    (Eius: Apparitions¡­)


    (Arma: I thought you were afraid of heights Manila?)


    (Manila: ¡­ Only when the fall might actually kill me¡­ the sea of dreams is no joke, master.)


    Inside of the titanic structures Arma witnessed wonderous vistas where rows upon rows of cubicles filled with ancient equipment created large labyrinths, where crumbling plastic desks were covered in soot and ashen old handprints painted a picture of shadowy interactions having taken place a long time ago.


    (Arma: Manila, tell me about this place, if you would.)


    (Manila: As it pleases you, master.)


    The green apparitions eyes shone while she spoke, as if she was reading the environment as one would read from the pages of a book.


    (Manila: These towers are usually known as the ¡°Faraway Climb¡± and can be found above multiple spheres, existing in one and many places at the same time. This is a known gateway, a connection between multiple spheres, where a lot of travellers traverse as they go about their business.)


    Outside, becoming more incomprehensible the further they reached, the view turned surreal.


    Spheres glittering in the far away distance like fireflies, shining through a thick fog that hung heavily around the titanic structures which blossomed from the depths.


    (Arma: Yeah, yeah, but I mean, what is all of this, why is all of this?)


    (Manila: Hard to say¡­ at the top there are always the Rainy Roads, at the bottom there is always Aster, but in between many different locations can be sought, depending on where you entered the climb. Why is it all here? This is still all part of Aquilegia, the sphere of the forgotten. I guess it''s not that strange that no one simply remembers who created these towers.)


    Most of the large halls and rooms they moved through looked similar, almost duplicated in simple patterns creating larger, more complex networks, and many shared the same theme, a theme that perhaps only Arma noticed.


    (Arma: I don''t get it¡­ how can one place be many places at once? I have a lot of knowledge embedded in me, but this doesn''t align with any of it.)


    (Eius: You have been recently born so it is understandable that you are confused. Think of it as a cracked mirror showing multiple faces of the same thing at the same time. The Outer spheres are¡­ overall...  an incomprehensible place. Much less consistent than the Inner space; Origa)


    The other members of his party did not seem to see it for what it was, but Arma could identify it, as a part of his inborn gift.


    The burnt-out computers, the strangely sheeted beds, the plastic utensils and odd equipment all seemed tell him that these had been places of healing, all part of an old hospital, but scattered throughout the different buildings all around them.


    It reminded him in a way of his place of birth, the windmill upon the field of dreams.


    At some point Arma took a closer look at one of the dead screens, following the cords that protruded from it with his thin fingers.


    They were inside a large room whose whose main walls had been completely destroyed by decay, leaving it exposed to the open air.


    Einfeldt looked curious and joined him.


    (Einfeldt: I wonder what this used to be.)


    (Arma: Its a computer I think.)


    (Eius: A computa, but without spirit. A shell without a ghost. Worthless.)


    Manila frowned intensely and quickly shot him an angry look.


    (Eius: Sensitive subject.)


    (Manila: No it''s not that! Get down, sniper!)


    An intense bang echoed throughout the otherwise totally silent and dead environment as a bright blue beam of energy barely grazed Eius-Farim as he threw himself down to the floor. Arma and Einfeldt quickly followed suit, taking cover behind a thick block of concrete.


    (Eius: Nearly clipped me, no dice though.)


    The beam had left a large burning hole in the wall behind it, still smoldering and pulsating with energy.


    (Einfeldt: Curious¡­ I did not sense any ill intent.)


    (Manila: Just stay down and be quiet! I will check it out! External mode off!)


    The green projected visage of Manila disappeared from view, although Arma could still see her, just as always. She floated away towards the direction that the beam had come from.


    It took some time before she returned and the rest of the group waited, cowering behind the thick concrete walls, expecting another beam to blow them up at any moment.


    (Arma: This is pretty exciting, isnt it?)


    (Eius: How long are we supposed to wait here¡­)


    Manila popped back into visible existence with frown upon her face, clearly displeased.


    (Manila: I could not find anyone¡­ I have to assume they fled after the missed opportunity. Still, how peculiar, they should not have noticed me unless...)


    Eius-Farim shrugged visibly, his six eyes rolling around in their deep sockets.


    (Eius: An opportunistic bandit perhaps, looting the corpses of adventurers can be a lucrative business around these parts.)


    (Einfeldt: Enjoying the spoils of another''s misery, how saddening¡­)


    (Eius: Exposing their position without a single kill is a bad move though, I expect they are moving to another advantageous position to try again.)


    Outside of the crumbling building light was beginning to fade as the deep fog surrounding the skyscrapers seemed to intensify.


    Day and night was not always such a clear concept in the realms of the Outside Spheres, but this, clearly, indicated that dark hours were about to be had.


    (Manila: With such dangerous individuals operating out there¡­ I guess this place is as good as any. Master, I suggest we make camp for the day and continue our travels on the morrow.)


    (Eius: Agreed.)


    ~


    As the sky outside of the building darkened further Arma and his party prepared to make camp.


    A small fire was soon roaring on the cold concrete floor of the building they were inhabiting as they made their beds and started cooking their meal for the night:


    dried meat, bouillon and nourishment powder. Not a feast by any means but things that were easy to carry with you on a journey.


    Both Eius and Einfeldt had completed small rituals to defend the party during their rest, Eius creating a field of good fortune and Einfeldt creating a barrier of shared punishment, as he called it.


    This barrier, supposedly, would make it so that any harm to anyone inside of it would affect him first, in essence creating a ward where any first attack would harm the one most physically capable to handle it.


    (Arma: It sounds painful¡­)


    (Einfeldt: Pain is something that I am used to, much more devastating would be to lose a companion knowing that I could have prevented it.)


    As the bouillon packets and the nourishment powder start to blend together with the water in the pot they had placed on a tripod over the fire Eius sat down on a blanket and took out a small, dark wooden box.


    As he opened it he showed everyone its contents, a couple of dice and a deck of cards.


    The dice had a dark red color with tiny skulls marking the numbers and the cards seemed to be intricately designed with pictures that probably wouldn''t have been out of place in a deck created for tarot-reading...


    (Eius: As we are stuck here for the time being, would you, my fellow travellers, be interested in a game of chance and skill? A gamble if you will¡­)


    The demona easily let the dice dance between the fingers on his left hand as the cards seemed to mix themselves in his right.


    (Arma: Sure, teach me!)


    (Einfeldt: I will play.)


    (Eius: You want to play too , yes, miss Manila? I can sense you long to get one over me¡­ Well, any of my kind that is.)


    (Manila: Count me in¡­ demon, but no cheating.)


    (Eius: Tsk... Such actions would rob the game of any fun, would it not? I only cheat in combat. Anyhow, a game of dice would be the most appropriate, as the rules are quite simple.)


    Eius smiled a sharp-toothed grin and his six eyes glowed as they rolled around in their sockets.


    (Eius: This is a game called Burden¡­ Now, know that I am a greedy demon, do not expect me to show you any leniency.)


    ~


    Glowing dice floated in the air in front of Arma, affirming the newly made contract. Although both he and Manila had been warned at the beginning of the game they both now  owed a special spirit-bond to Eius-Farim.


    In essence it was the spiritual equivalence of ¡°I owe you one¡±, although much more definite.


    Only Einfeldt had managed to squeeze a bond out of Eius himself.


    (Eius: Ghahaha, never fails to be amusing. Do not worry, I will not use these debts for anything too worrisome.)


    (Einfeldt: You too, do not worry about this bond.)


    (Eius: Come on good friend, you are as decent as a church mouse, I know I have nothing to fear.)


    The glee was apparent in each of Eius eyes and his wicked smile painted the rest of the picture.


    (Eius: I, on the other hand, am not, and as such I give you my word. A game in good fun should not be spoiled.)


    (Manila: I can''t believe I owe this creature a spirit-bond¡­)


    (Arma: It was fun! When you decide what you want, tell me. Afterwards i want a re-match.)


    (Eius: A very appropriate response, appreciated indeed. Now it is due time for some sleep, will you be watching over us during our rest miss apparition?)


    (Manila: Yes¡­ of course.)


    (Einfeldt: I will join you on the first watch...)


    And so the lumbering giant of a man and the transparent ghostly lady sat together in silence and gazed upon the glowing spheres in the far off distance while their companions slept.


    ~


    The Faraway Climb was an eerily quiet place, even more so at night. No birds nested there, no signs of wildlife could be found around or in the large towers, even insects seemed to avoid its desolate surroundings.


    Thus the only noise Einfeldt and Manila could hear as they waited was the blowing wind and the occasional sound of stone crumbling to dust as a piece of one of the towers fell off and disintegrated in the air.


    (Einfeldt: Miss Manila. If you do not mind me asking, you are tied to the boy, correct?)


    (Manila: Yes¡­ although not by his choice.)


    (Einfeldt: That is good to hear, such imprisonment is a sad state indeed, a vile action.


    I hope you can find your freedom, surely he will help you if he can¡­ if you two can reach that garden.)


    (Manila: ...Yes, I hope so¡­ I really do.)


    ~


    A few hours later the night seemed even darker as the thickening fog made it so that even the eternal glow of the spheres could not be seen.


    Einfeldt was sleeping soundly and it was Armas and Eius-Farims turn to keep watch. Manila had floated away somewhere, perhaps searching for yesterday''s assailant.


    The two pale figures sat on the edge of the building where they had made camp, daringly dangling their legs out in the open.


    (Eius: Yo, Arma, want a smoke?)


    (Arma: These are cigarettes right? Aren''t they supposed to be dangerous?)


    (Eius: Ghaha, you should have noticed from both myself and Stevanim, we demons are all about vices.)


    (Arma: Sure, I''ll try anything.)


    The ashen demona took a cigarette from the red and white packet he was fiddling with and gave it to the pale young man, lightening it in the process with a zippo-lighter.


    Arma took a deep breath, letting his lungs fully experience the poison that he inhaled.


    (Arma: Hmm, this is pretty nice. Relaxing.)


    (Eius: Ain''t it? People just love a small sense of danger, don''t they?)


    ~

 R1: CHAPTER 3: RAINY ROADS PART 2: TRUCKERS PIT-STOP

    ROUTE 1: CHAPTER 3: RAINY ROADS PART 2: TRUCKERS PIT-STOP


    Two large spheres of energy had slowly moved into a position where their light could shine over the forlorn towers known as the Faraway Climb, pale blue beams curiously finding their way throughout the nooks and crannies of the ancient remnants.


    The night had passed without any issues and as everyone in the party began to make preparations for breakfast Manila returned.


    It was a simple meal, leftovers of the buillong from the previous night, soaked up with hardened bread.


    (Manila: Good morning everyone, master¡­ I could not find any traces left behind by yesterday''s assailant, it seems we are safe for now.)


    (Einfeldt: Such safety is merely an illusion, as we are all dying at every moment in time.)


    (Arma: That''s good though, anyhow! Let''s eat, pack up our things and get going. I can''t wait!)


    (Eius: With such optimism, one would surely mistake you for a gaudia, ghahaha.)


    And so the morning was spent in leisure, as an unknown enemy prepared for its next strike.


    ~


    A few hours later Arma stood at the top of one of the ancient skyscrapers, the small group had finally reached the peak of their climb.


    On the way they had seen other travellers, sometimes in groups, sometimes alone, scaling the buildings surrounding them, moving from this sphere to some other.


    None of them seemed to be the one who had attacked them previously and they were mostly left alone except for some friendly shouting.


    Below them the towers seemed to delve down endlessly, the village of Aster nowhere to be seen in the thick fog surrounding the buildings.


    The same fog that moved in thick, twisted beams upwards towards the sky where they joined each other in a consuming mass of dark clouds.


    In between those clouds massive pillars made out of metal and concrete arose to hold up what looked like a wide road, a pathway for wheeled vehicles.


    It was an elevated four lane highway, rain eternally dampening the concrete roads.


    (Manila: And that would be our destination... Truly a sight to behold.)


    (Arma: Yeah¡­ it''s beautiful¡­ So how do we get up there?)


    (Eius: No need to get impatient¡­ there should be an elevator somewhere around here. There always is.)


    Just as Eius-farim mentioned it Arma seemed to notice the black box that stood in the middle of the rooftop.


    A black box with a two-piece door and two buttons next to it. Strangely enough it seemed as if he had not been able to see it until it was mentioned.


    It wasn''t as if it appeared out of thin air, it was as if he had ignored it entirely until it was pointed out to him.


    (Eius: There you go.)


    (Arma: So we just enter it?)


    (Manila: That would be the case master, this is our way forward.)


    (Arma: Hmm¡­ do you think there are any cars up there?)


    ~


    On the edge of one of the skyscrapers that was the end of the Faraway Climb a lone young girl sat in silence, preparing the comically large rifle in her hands.


    She looked as if she was in her early teenage years but her eyes shone with the darkness of an experienced killer.


    Her chosen apparel was, for the occasion, rather awkward, as it made her look more or less like a schoolgirl from some ancient lost decade. On her neck she wore a necklace portraying a single eye, the only thing that did not fit with her fixation on the general schoolgirl motif.


    Her hair was tied into twintails and this, as well as her height, did not help to improve the fact that she looked like a little girl.


    (Manfry: leeeetsss smoke these fuckers! kill em, kill em, kill em all! )


    The rifle kept antagonizing her, shouting insults as it morphed its barrel into a sharp-toothed grin, gaining the appearance of something from a comedy-skit. The mouth of a shark, attached to a weapon.


    (Vessel: Calm down¡­ they will notice us.)


    The weapon returned to its previous form as it mumbled in response, the sights aligning and the pipe stretching towards its intended victim. This was the moment they had waited for, the moment when their target would be unprepared¡­


    It was the moment when he would try to enter the elevator, a sorely unprotected spot.


    (Manfry: fffffuckin¡äwasties, do it, do it now!)


    (Vessel: Yes, we will do it... nice and slow Manfry, as was required.)


    (Manfry: aaaalways with this shiiieeet! BANG BANG!)


    ~


    The elevator arrived with the sound of  distorted ¡°ding¡± as a red lamp above it''s double doors lit up.


    Just as the passageway opened a bright blue beam pierced the fog, tearing it apart and leaving a cylindrical hole in the vaporous surroundings.


    The beam violently struck Armas back at the presumed position of his heart, a lethal blow that would surely be enough to kill him. Strangely enough it didn''t even pierce his skin.


    Instantaneously, just as the deadly shot had struck him, the damage was divided and partly transferred to Einfeldts body, black particles moving through the air from one person to the other.


    This was the effect of Einfeldts ability, the ¡°field of shared punishment¡±, where damage could be shared among companions and divided upon different parts of the body, nullifying damage that would otherwise kill you.


    Nonetheless, as the beam pierced Arma, Einfeldt spat out a good chunk of blood.


    (Einfeldt: Hurgh¡­ Good thing I kept my field intact, that was a fatal blow.)


    (Arma: What is happening?!)


    (Manila: We are under attack master! Take cover!)


    The green apparition instantly flew through the air towards the direction which the beam came from, just as Einfeldt and Arma dove behind a large piece of concrete.


    Eius-Farim was the only one who did not move. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    He simply stood his ground, his eyes rolling as he started to laugh maniacally.


    (Eius: Hah! I was surprised the last time by this unnamed enemy, sniping from an unknown location... but you know... that sounds like something well suited for my talents! Time to show off a little¡­ ODDS MANIPULATION 2; UNLUCKY DICE!)


    As another beam flew by his head and blew a large piece of concrete to cinders Eius-Farim threw manifested dice up into the air.


    The manifestation of the dice glew with a bright orange color and kept spinning in the air and growing until they finally showed a result. DING, DING, DING!


    (Eius: Rolled a four, a five and a one, someone is about to get fucked up.)


    As the dice slowed their roll, a disembodied cheerful voice began to speak out of nowhere. It sounded as if it was an announcement from some old barely functioning PA-system.


    (Miss Lucky: Thats a FOUR for explosion! A FIVE for power! Aaaaand a ONE for RANDOM TARGET! LADY LUCK DECIDES!


    (Einfeldt: Brace yourself ladies and gents, this one is gonna get ugly.)


    ~


    (Vessel: What is this power, why didn''t he die?)


    The assassin was clearly annoyed, her bright blue eyes shining with a dangerous glow as she prepared the rifle to shoot once more.


    (Manfry: oooooooh shiiieet, blast him again, again, agaIN, AGAIN!)


    (Vessel: You don''t need to tell me twice.)


    Unbelievably so, a bird, a creature that should not exist in the confined space known as the Faraway Climb, crossed her vision and distracted her while she was aiming. An instance of pure misfortune¡­ or luck.


    As her next shot missed one of the companions of the target by inches Vessel swore aloud in frustration and just as she started to aim more closely a strange voice appeared from out of nowhere, distracting her further.


    (Miss Lucky: Hello little lady! Congratulations! You just won the random selection!)


    She did not even have the time to think or react. The explosion just happened, a large fiery flower, expanding instantaneously, scorching her body and launching her from the roof of the skyscraper in the time it took for her to scramble her voice to scream.


    The entire rooftop was destroyed, crumbling concrete rumbling down everywhere as she fell.


    (Vessel: fffffffFFFFFFFFFF!)


    (Manfry: shieeeeeeeeee!)


    The flower expanded as it reached for the heavens, its pressure pushing the fog and clouds away, allowing the bright orange sky behind them to show its face.


    Vessel was falling, falling endlessly as the countless levels of the skyscrapers passed her by.


    (Vessel: FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!)


    ~


    (Eius: Hoooooo shit, that went well, that blast might just as well have blown us to pieces. That''s what you get when you gamble good folks, ghahahaha.)


    As the explosion dissipated Eius sat down with as satisfied grin upon his lips. Manila had returned the moment the explosion occurred, looking after Arma to see if he had become injured in any way.


    (Manila: Whoever it was they are gone now, the one who attacked us¡­ but what do you mean? Are you trying to tell me that your attack could have harmed anyone of us?!)


    (Eius: Heh¡­ yeah, probably even you, but I am usually lucky. Aligning luck to your side is a fickle thing, tricking the universe into letting you win, whatever the odds¡­ She can sure be a bitch when she wants to though... but all due respect to our sweet lady, Miss Lucky.)


    (Arma: That is really fucking cool!)


    (Manila:... ¡­ ...  Language¡­ master. Risking¡­ your¡­ life¡­ is not cool. )


    Einfeldt gave Eius an angry look, exposing others to danger was not a proposition he would willingly allow.


    (Einfeldt: Leaving it to luck? Whatever the consequences? Deplorable.)


    (Eius: Such is my way.)


    The demon of greed just kept laughing and soon Arma joined him as the other two gave the both of them increasingly dark looks.


    ~


    The ride up the elevator seemed almost anticlimactic after the short but intensive battle.


    Arma, impressed by the abilities of Eius-Farim and Einfeldt, was eager to show off his own.


    (Arma: So this is basically all I can do for now, I guess a bit more with Manilas help.)


    The burning black blade shivered in the hand of the pale boy, as if it was hungry for blood.


    (Arma: Unfortunately I can''t keep it intact, it breaks after just one blow¡­)


    (Eius-Farim: Hmmm¡­ still though, I imagine that you will get better at maintaining the sword with practice, and perhaps making multiple disposable blades can be an efficient way to do battle too.)


    (Einfeldt: You haven''t lived long, that which you are capable of is still in its infancy. You will learn how to protect with time.)


    When the huge man had finished his sentence the doors to the elevator opened, revealing the endless rain outside with the same strange noise it had made when it invited them to enter.


    Rainy Roads, a part of Sphere 301: Lavender: Sphere of the Lonesome, as Manila had told them, a truly descriptive name.


    Black trees reached for the heavens on the sidelines of the four lanes of the road, old and abandoned vehicles slowly turning to dust were scattered here and there in the dark and a moist dampness slowly began to crawl beneath your skin as soon as your feet touched the crackled concrete.


    The flickering lights of  old lampposts tried to illuminate the area but could only reach so far as to leave most parts of the road in perpetual gloom.


    The road itself stretched on as endlessly as the rain which fell upon it. It was a place that carried the stench of loneliness and abandonment.


    (Eius-Farim: And so we continue our venture, take care, this is a slippery place. If you fall over the edge you''ll keep on falling.)


    Arma was silent, perhaps stunned by the ghastly environment. As they begun their slow trek along the middle of the road, he soon found good reason for his trepidation.


    White eyes, blinking among the black leaves of the trees.


    (Arma: Those eyes¡­ what do they belong to?)


    (Eius-Farim: Trap-birds¡­ provoking them may lead to¡­ unfavorable results.)


    (Einfeldt: As long as we do not bother them they will not bother us¡­ they are lazy creatures.)


    As they passed closely by one of the trees Arma got to see one of the creatures in its full glory.


    (Trap-bird: gaaaawhaaa.)


    The trap-bird looked like a botched attempt to try to combine a crow and a vulture, two animals Arma could find in the vast library inside his memory.


    The bird above him seemed tainted by dirt and blood though, as if it had been ravaged by harsh weather and perhaps other predators.


    The biggest difference between the image in his head and what he could see in reality was the neck.


    As one of the trap-birds reached to catch a large dragonfly Arma saw it, the neck of the bird expanded, as an elongated black spine forced itself out of its body to catch its prey.


    (Arma: Woaaah! Did you see that? Its neck extended!)


    (Manila: Disgusting. These birds, as well as the horrors you met in the forest master, originate from the deepest parts of the sea of dreams. The abyss, as it is known. Ugly, damned creatures.)


    (Arma: I think they''re pretty cute though¡­)


    (Eius-Farim: No accounting for taste I guess ghaahahha.)


    Unlike the Faraway Climb the Rainy Roads did not have a clear day and night cycle. You couldn''t even see the spheres through the thick fog surrounding the roads.


    As they continued their journey it was impossible to tell what time it was but at least a couple of hours must have passed when they finally reached a location that would make a suitable camp-site.


    The building in front of them seemed utterly alien to each of his companions but Arma could immediately identify what it was. It was a gas station with a small motel attached to it, simply called Truckers Pit-stop as a giant neon sign was kind enough to inform them. He even knew what a trucker was supposed to be, it was a person driving a large  motorised vehicle.


    According to his memories, knowledge, whatever you would want to call it, such a place should be manned by personnel but this place had clearly been abandoned a long time ago.


    Each one of them felt soaked to the bone, a place of respite was a welcome sight.


    (Arma: I recognize this, we should be able to take shelter here and rest for the night.)


    (Manila: Shelter indeed master, but there is another, more pressing issue we need to attend to.)


    (Arma: What do you mean?)


    (Manila: Clearly¡­ we are already under attack¡­ and you, master, are to weak to face it. You need to become stronger.)


    (Eius: Such a good little boy... but really, I agree with the green lady. I do think the reason we was targeted is because of you. Constructs always seem to bring trouble.)


    Manila gave Eius an intensively disapproving look.


    (Einfeldt: I will protect you, I will protect your innocence.)


    (Eius: Yeah yeah, admirable and all¡­ but not enough. One needs to be able to protect themself¡­)


    (Arma: Yeah¡­ I know. What do you think I should do Manila?)


    (Manila: You are able to create a sword, master, but it is as you have said easily broken. As it breaks though, it unleashes power. )


    The green apparition allowed her projection to change shape to show what she intended. A green sword, roughly the same size as Armas creation, appeared in her left hand but as soon as the blade was formed she threw it away, allowing it to be destroyed as it hit the ground.


    (Manila: For now master, I want you to form your sword, then once it has it reached its completion throw it away and create another one. Creating many will increase your capability for manifestation.)


    (Arma: Yes! I will do my best.)


    ~


    While the others watched from plastic chairs that they had found inside the main building Arma stood in the rain and created swords. If he had been cold and wet when they arrived he was absolutely freezing at this point.


    Unfortunately the disintegration of each blades he created could easily ignite any gasoline that might have been spilled around the pumps were he to train any closer to the station.


    As one thrown sword was followed by the next the pale young man was quickly reaching his limit.


    (Arma: Ah¡­ ah¡­ Manila, this is exhausting, a little help please, I don''t know if I can handle this much longer¡­)


    (Manila: Yes¡­ this should allow you to focus more easily¡­ Speed communication activated, melding thought-process ability, my mind is yours master.)


    Each drop of rain almost froze in mid air as time slowed down to a crawl. Arma recognized it immediately this time, it was Manila using her  almost cheat-like ability to speed up his consciousness.


    (Manila: Just as before, it is only your perception of reality that has been changed, but perception of reality is all that is necessary when using manifestation.)


    The green apparition hoovered close to him and pretended to lay on a chaise longue in the air, approvingly watching his trembling pale skin.


    (Manila: Now¡­ master, focus. Focus, create and create again. Imagine the form, begin the process, finish it and then do it once more. You have all the time you need.)


    Arma did as he was told and imagined them, one sword at the time. He could actually feel them begin to pop in to being beside him although none actually appeared while time moved in slow-motion. One, and then two, three, four, five¡­ Once he he had completed the sixth sword he was fully drained and could do no more.


    (Manila: That is the limit for now¡­ not bad master.)


    Time returned to its ordinary track in an instant and as the rain continued to fall two dark blades forced themselves into being in both of Armas hands. The two swords were quickly followed by four more, two on each side blasting out into reality with an added force which made them shoot away like arrows fired from a crossbow.


    (Eius-Farim: That is some cool shit bro.)


    ~

 R1: CHAPTER 3: RAINY ROADS PART 3: PARTING OBLIGATIONS

    ROUTE 1: CHAPTER 3: RAINY ROADS PART 3: PARTING OBLIGATIONS


    Being blasted away from the top of a tower was bad enough but it was in no way an unsalvageable situation.


    Vessel had plenty of tools which would allow her to move to safety but before that could happen she was caught.


    She had stopped falling and instead found herself glued to a gigantic web, thick sticky strings that covered a large space between two of the seemingly endless constructions around her.


    The impact of her landing made the web shiver which in turn made small bells at the end of each string chime. These bells were made out of bones and some sort of organic tissue and made a distinctively disturbing sound.


    It was safe to say that a bad situation had just turned into something much, much worse.


    (Vessel: Oh no¡­ I know what this is¡­)


    As she began to struggle to get herself loose she became increasingly entangled in the web, the motions of her body making the disgusting bells chime all the more.


    (Manfry: the fuck is thissss supposed to be?)


    (Vessel: This is the nest of a rustler¡­ turn into a sword Manfry.)


    Rustlers were curious creatures gifted both with the ability to teleport and to phase-shift, that is to say move through solid matter.


    Each one of the spider-like beings spun their webs at multiple locations all throughout the spheres and had a special sensory bond with their traps which allowed them to sense and teleport to each location when fresh pray had been caught.


    The bells, which the creatures made with exceptional care out of the remains of their victims, signified that dinner was served.


    (Vessel: Manfry, I need you to start eating this web.)


    (Manfry: eeaaat this shieeet? eeeeeeeeew!)


    (Vessel: Stop being such a baby, gobble it up. You better do as I tell you...  )


    Manfry was quite a special sword, an animated blade which had an apparition bound to it through special procedures, in other words what was known as a computa.


    Computas were living things, thinking objects, tools granted both with intelligence and often other special capabilities.


    In the case of Manfry that meant that he was designed to be able to transform into five  different forms, each a deadly tool, and beside that he could also consume just about anything, turning the matter he ate into nothingness.


    (Manfy: aaaaaugh, iiiits so stickyyyyyy.)


    As the deranged computa began to chew up the web around Vessel the slithering beast they had been waiting for appeared.


    A black portal on the side of the closest building was its passageway, its long legs slowly and deliberately finding its way through the gate.


    The rustler was a slick, sticky creature with black legs and red eyes in abundance.


    On its almost humanoid face there was small snout with a needle inside of it used to  inject venom and slurp up liquified victims.


    Its body was covered in a thick carapace which looked almost plastic, as if a horrifying toy had grown to the size of a bear and become alive.


    (Vessel: And here we go... You can''t sense the danger you are in right? Too bad for you spider.)


    The rustler slowly moved towards its target, purple saliva dribbling from its snout and spreading a foul stench.


    At this point the young girl had already been freed from the trap and awaited the creature with a small grin on her face, all the while Manfry kept coughing up pieces of stringy web.


    (Vessel: Manfry¡­ turn into the 5.56 mm caliber automatic rifle, if you please.)


    (Manfry: hack, cough, hack!! graaatatatatata, caaan do!)


    The high-grade image of the ancient rifle was magnificent, a lethal and effective design created to shred opponents and armor asunder. Black metal and plastic united in deadly harmony.  While the rustler was able to let solid matter pass through its body it was a slow process and no match for the speed of the rifle.


    Manfry smiled, Vessel fired and the rustler was blown to pieces.


    ~ ~


    Some time later, after the intense training session, Arma and Manila were resting in one of the small, shoddy rooms of the motel they had found attached to the gas station.


    Arma laid on the velvet red covers of the bed that took up most of the space in the room and Manila pretended to sit in a small dinky armchair placed beside a table with a thick, cracked television placed upon it.


    The room smelled like dust and old sweat stains even though it was clear that no one had been there for a long time.


    Einfeldt and Eius-Farim had taken the motel-lobby for themselves, finding amusement in some kind of ancient board game they had found in a cupboard and surely at least Eius was drinking.


    Arma had been to exhausted to join them and Manila had chosen to accompany him.


    (Manila: I think¡­ you did good today. I might be harsh at times but I believe that you have earnestly tried your best¡­ master.)


    (Arma: Yeah¡­ thank you¡­)


    The pale young man was quickly falling asleep but his green companion watched his closing eyes with deep intent.


    (Manila: There is something I have been meaning to ask you¡­ something that bothers me¡­ although I am thankful¡­)


    As Arma opened his eyes and looked at her Manila had a strangely complex look upon her face.


    (Manila: Why did you kill him?)


    His green companion arose from her chair and laid down beside him on the bed, the green, almond eyes perfectly placed under her brow reflecting the shades of gray within his.


    (Arma: I guess it''s pointless to ask who¡­)


    (Manila: Yes¡­ I am referring to Vaporin. He made you, unlike me, from nothing after all. Also¡­ I have to tell you, us being attacked, it is probably because of the choice you made in that moment.)


    (Arma: I figured as much... hah, I have wondered about this myself.)


    Now it was Armas time to wrinkle his brow in deep thought, his eyes looking distant for a moment.


    (Arma: There was this feeling¡­ this feeling of powerlessness, and I guess as soon as I got that feeling I just stopped caring¡­)


    Outside the rain kept falling, the steady drops of the downfall pattering on the single window of the room. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    (Arma: Its like this¡­ I get that I am a construct, I am a conceptual being. I am something  that was made¡­ for a purpose I guess, one that I will never find out now.)


    Faraway the slow beating of the waves of the Sea of Dreams crashed upon some foreign, strange soil, mirroring the heartbeat in Armas chest.


    (Arma: And I am fine with that, actually I like it. I don''t have to be anything, having abandoned my creator I can¡­ just be¡­ without a reason.)


    Manilla, still lying beside him, pretended to stroke his hair as Arma himself was staring at the cracks in the shoddy ceiling.


    (Arma: I can be free to be myself if that makes sense¡­ I don''t rightly know how to explain it. It felt like a whisper upon the wind.)


    (Manila: That is strange¡­ abandoning your creator, rejecting authority¡­ In a way I think you turned out exactly like he wanted you to.)


    (Arma: That is ¡­. Well i don''t know what to say.)


    (Manila: You don''t have to say anything¡­ you can just sleep¡­ sweet master.)


    ~


    That night Arma dreamt of ghosts.


    ~ ~ ~


    The next day the party continued their venture and after a few hours of walking the road seemed to clear up, although the weather did not.


    Whereas previously most of the space on the four-lane highway had been covered in debris, old rusting cars or trees, the now open space presented to them sped up their progress significantly.


    Arma kept going out of his way to look inside the few cars they still passed, seemingly searching for something.


    (Eius: You think you''ll find something in there?)


    (Arma: Yeah¡­ I thought maybe I could find some more dice for you.)


    As they continued further along the road, the pale young man finding no luck in his hunt for dice, the fog surrounding the area seemed to be growing increasingly thicker.


    A deep, endless mist which soon covered everything.


    (Arma: I can hardly see anything¡­ how can we continue like this?)


    At most Arma could see his own hands stretched before him, and the hoovering image of Manila peering over his shoulder, seemingly holding on to him.


    (Manila: Stop¡­ master, there is something here.)


    Even in this thick fog Arma could see them too, movements in the white mass engulfing them.


    The shapes that appeared out of the fog seemed almost childlike. Small, ghastly figures which slowly made their presence apparent as they began to circle the party.


    They seemed hollow in a way, almost see-through, not entirely unlike Manilas apparition but even more insubstantial.


    Each of the creatures were armed with a thick jagged knife which looked as ghostly as the beings themselves.


    (Eius: ...shit.)


    Chittering laughter filled the air as more and more shapes appeared, although it seemed distant, as if echoing from far away.


    (Eius: Fucking fog-boys, these guys are a tricky bunch.)


    Arma could not see when his companion was cut but a scream tore through the air from the direction he had last heard Eius-Farims voice.


    (Eius: Fuck that makes me feel! Don''t let them get you, their knives don''t cause wounds, they pierce you with fear.)


    (Arma: How is that dangerous?)


    (Eius: Well¡­ eventually you''ll be so scared you want to kill yourself.)


    From another direction the voice of the lumbering giant echoed through the mist.


    (Einfeldt: I am afraid I do not have the ability to interact with these creatures, while they cannot harm me, I have no way of harming them. Such a sad predicament, I cannot protect you.)


    Gibbering laughter continued to echo from all around them, there had to be at least a dozen fog-boys that circled the group, although it was hard to tell in the thick fog.


    A small childish figure suddenly dove out from the mist and cut Armas ankle but its wicked knife left no gash behind, instead Arma was filled with a deep sense of dread.


    (Arma: FuuuAAH! That¡­ that sure is something!)


    (Eius: It will only get worse! Time to let the good times roll¡­ ODDS MANIPULATION 3; UNLUCKY DICE!)


    Arma could not see when Eius-Farim threw his manifested dice up into the air, but he could see how their glow painted the surroundings with their intense colour.


    The bright orange glow kept spinning around in the air and growing until it finally showed a result. DING, DING, DING!


    (Miss Lucky: That''s a six for PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA! A THRREEE for power! Aaaaand a SIX for SELF-INFLICTION! Naaaaw, ain''t that a bummer?)


    (Eius: Whelp, I''m out¡­)


    The demona instantly fainted, collapsing into a pile upon the cracked asphalt. His power; the unlucky dice, was a power based upon chance and as such carried certain risks.


    One of these risks were that any attack made by the dice could affect himself, or a comrade, if a dice-roll turned sour.


    (Einfeldt: Do not worry, I will take care of him, Arma, strike these creatures down.)


    (Manila: Analysis complete... these beings are a kind of ghaster, just as the horrors we faced in the forest. Apparently they are supposed to be weak and fearful on their own¡­ take out a few of them and the others will flee.)


    (Arma: Got it.)


    The pale young man instantly manifested a black blade in his left hand, its shivering power vibrating and spewing out thick clouds of dark smoke.


    (Arma: Abyssal blade.)


    One of the fog-boys dove out of the mist to attack him in the very next moment and Armas response was just as fast.


    As the sword touched the creature it immediately turned to mist, dissipating into the air.


    Manila yelled out a warning and Arma turned around just in time to slice another fog-boy into insubstantiality.


    After the second fog-boy had disappeared the other members of the pack seemed to slow down their pace and keep their distance, slowly circling the group and turning their laughter into snarling hoots.


    Arma faced them with a stern face, challenging them with the blade he held in his hand, a sword that had yet to break. Apparently his training had paid off.


    (Arma: Get some!)


    The third fog-boy seemed to walk out slowly towards him, its face blank and dull. When Arma struck it his sword exploded  and the howling laughter continued once again.


    As another sword manifested in his hand four more of the creatures charged out of the mist to slice him at the same time and Arma could only fend of one of them.


    (Manila: They share a collective consciousness, they won''t mind if some of them die as long as they can bring down their target!)


    When the knives pierced him Arma was cursed with an unknowable amount of fear.


    A dark, hollow and utterly hopeless feeling, as if everything in the world hated him and had nothing to offer to a single living being.


    The dread that pierced him in that moment was enough to make a man want to die but in the very next instant the feeling was gone as quick as it came.


    (Manila: You have to create more swords!)


    (Arma: Don''t worry, I have an idea.)


    The pale young man closed his eyes, focused and listened. He was able to create a few more blades without completely spending his remaining energy but he needed a way to hold on to them.


    The image that appeared in his head at that moment was the image of the curious birds they had seen as they began their trek through the Rainy Roads, the trap-birds.


    The extended neck, something similar to an elongated spine forcing itself out of the body.


    With an appropriate image in mind one could use wind to create almost anything.


    (Arma: Spinal Cords!)


    At the same time as yet another four of the fog-boys approached him four sticky extended necks shot out of the upper back of the young man.


    It was a painful experience, the veined and disgusting spines breaking his skin as they grew out of his body.


    At the end of each neck the head of a trap-bird cawed and when they opened their cracked beaks a black blade grew out of it, black particles being sucked up from the surrounding atmosphere. .


    (Manila: This is¡­ you have such strange tastes master.)


    The spinal cords snaked through the air towards the fog-boys and pierced each of them with a sword at the same time, raising them up towards the sky as if displaying a trophy.


    As the slain creatures poofed out of existence and turned into mist the remaining fog-boys started to scream.


    It was a shrill and horrifying sound but while Arma readied himself for another charge it did not come.


    The fog-boys were running away.


    At once the mist dissipated and only the rain remained.


    ~ ~ ~


    After the battle the rest of the journey was mostly uneventful as they travelled on for what surely would equal at least a couple of days. It was hard to tell without sunlight and in the merciless downpour of the rain.


    Finally they reached the end of their journey; a titanic concrete wall with what seemed like a blackish body of water on the other side.


    It had to be some kind giant dam, Arma could find no other appropriate word in the knowledge that he had been given with his birth.


    The wall seemed to go down just as endlessly as the Faraway Climb had and here and there the gang could see how rectangular orifices on the concrete surface spewed out water with regular intervals.


    (Arma: I don''t think this strange world will ever fail to amaze me.)


    As they approached the water a foul stench hit them like a bag of bricks. This ocean, lake, dam, whatever it was smelled like old putrid trash. It was disgusting but at the very least it was not unbreathable.


    Out from the concrete wall a small wooden wharf had been built and by that wharf five wooden rowboats bobbed in the water.


    (Eius-Farim: And here we are¡­ the end of the road.)


    The demon of greed walked up towards the wharf and turned around towards the others with a smile upon his face. His weathered duster was caught by the wind and flapped wildly behind him.


    (Eius: Before we part ways¡­ we have some debts to settle.)


    (Manila: I have worriedly been anticipated this since we played that game with you¡­)


    (Eius: Hey, green lady, miss Manila. With all due respect¡­ )


    The grey man looked mockingly upset, making a disturbed face while smiling at  the same time.


    (Eius: Here is what I wish for in return for your debt miss. I know this won''t be easy¡­ but please, give my kind a chance. We do not have a choice to be born as we do, just as you did not have a choice in becoming what you are¡­ the final product, the person it becomes, i won''t say it undoes the injustice, but perhaps it can have worth in itself¡­. give us a chance¡­. That''s all I ask. )


    (Manila: I will not say that I have liked you company¡­ but I will say I did not hate it, nor you. Let good gambles be granted to you upon your journey, Eius-Farim.)


    (Eius: And for Arma, this is my wish. Never let anything get in the way of your journey to experience this world, I think it''s probably the only noble goal one could have. See it all, see as far as you can and go furthest you are able to.)


    (Arma: Yes, I will. And if I find any dice I will save them for when we meet again.)


    (Eius: Haah, bet you thought I would wish for something bad and here I am asking for acceptance and wishing you well, quite the demon I am.)


    The large dolora, Einfeldt stepped forward to shake Eius hand. Eius took the large hand in his own gratefully.


    (Einfeldt: And here is my condition to you¡­ although it might seem rather harsh¡­ Do not gamble with life, at least not your own. Stay safe.)


    (Eius: Ghaahahah, a harsh predicament! But I will make sure to stay safe if I can. Thank you, sad giant. Your people are always the best.)


    (Einfeldt: Do not give me undue credit¡­ I was saving my debt for last, in case I needed to revoke yours. That is not a sign of trust and I am ashamed by my actions.)


    (Eius: No worries, I wouldn''t trust me either!)


    (Eius: Also, Arma¡­ If we meet again and you are interested in a good fuck, do not be afraid to hit me up.)


    ~ ~ ~