《The Primordials: New World (Book Five)》
Chapter I: Insurmountable Foe (Pt. 1)
The being that stood before me was a prominent figure of water with arms and legs that shrunk into a muscular, humanoid male form with blue skin. He was barefoot and wore brown, loose-fitting pants and brass braces around his wrists. He had long, ruff, brown hair with a brass crown on top and a beard that fell to his stomach to match. As he peered down at me with a soft intensity, his eyes glowed blue, except they didn''t glow like everyone else''s. It was a lot like the way my eyes glowed in my evolved form, the entirety of the eye glowing instead of the irises. I remembered asking Viraa about it once. She said some pneumarians'' omnivision displayed that way, but there was no particular reasoning behind it. It was more of a trait.
The team and I jumped back, sweating anxiously despite being in our transformations, surprised by his sudden appearance.
That wasn''t speed, Michael stated telepathically.
I agree. Whatever it was, we''ll need to be careful, I replied.
That''s not our biggest issue. Tymon spoke as he, Michael, and Damien placed themselves slightly ahead of the rest of us. This guy''s energy eclipses Alissia''s and Avarice''s combined several times.
The boys seemed ready to jump first to face the mysterious invader. Likely so that we could see what he was capable of. As if I''d let them do that. Immortal or not, I wasn''t about to use any of my friends as pawns. If we faced a threat, it''d be together. I removed Trik''s memory nodes from around my neck in preparation for battle, then placed them into my spatial bag where they''d be safe.
Do not engage him, Viraa warned abruptly, stopping us in our tracks. Do not do anything that could antagonize him.
Tymon, dear, she called out specifically, even your Last Breath will be useless against someone like him. Pneumarians are beings comprised entirely of energy. You cannot age energy.
Then what are we supposed to do here? Tymon asked in frustration.
The pneumarian started to speak again. At first, we heard a bunch of incomprehensible gibberish, but we quickly began to understand them.
"What''s this? Your power is a far cry from what it once was, Viraa," the pneumarian stated. "What''s happened to you here?"
How can we understand him? I questioned.
He is speaking in the universal common language, a language shared and taught among most worlds. Your brains are wired to understand and translate many different languages. It''s a byproduct of cindarian DNA, Viraa explained before directing her next question at the others. Have any of you studied any of the languages you know?
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No. I guess I never thought about it, Za''Fia answered.
I always assumed all humans spoke the same language, but I guess it only seemed that way to us, Naomi added.
I activated Heart''s Eye and tried to gauge the pneumarian''s intentions. Oddly enough, I could only sense greyness from him, making it difficult to discern whether or not I could trust him.
The imposing pneumarian took another step forward, causing us to tense and step back. He watched us closely before speaking again.
"Ah, you all must be conversing telepathically," he concluded as his gaze landed on me. "Such strange looking klevonians...and I see I was mistaken: you are not Viraa, though your energy is somewhat similar. When I sensed that familiar energy, I immediately came to its source."
"Must''ve been when you transformed against Avarice last year," Tymon said.
Remember not to antagonize him, Viraa reiterated cautiously. It would be unwise to fight a pneumarian.
"Yeah, I''d like to avoid that, considering how outclassed we are," I began as we each flexed our power. "Thing is, the moment he figured out I wasn''t you, his aura became a lot more aggressive. Doesn''t seem like he wants to be amiable."
Suddenly, the tides on the beach began to rise to his presence.
"Then we shouldn''t let him take the initiative," Tymon declared as the sky darkened with clouds, and he rushed forward.
The pneumarian released the tides of water toward us, causing us to fly above and spread out.
"Oh?" The pneumarian responded in shock as he veered up at us. "You each can fly? And without physical gimmicks. Impressive. Most pneumarians can fly from our innate understanding of energy, but the same can''t be said for klevonians. Typically, only a few elite klevonians are skilled enough to use their energy to defy gravity. To think you all can exercise such fine control."
Flying is difficult for most klevonians? I pondered.
Many can fly through the use of physical appendages, such as wings, from their hybrid forms, but as you are aware, that form of flight is significantly limited in comparison. Some others find creative ways to temporarily move quickly through the air for short distances, Viraa responded.
The gimmicks he mentioned..., Arne input.
Precisely. You all should be proud. That fine control of your energy will undoubtedly take you far, Viraa said warmly.
"Not if this guy kills us first," I remarked as I rushed forward. The pneumarian vanished from my line of sight and appeared before me again. I instinctively activated Temporal Sight to avoid him as he used quick movements in an attempt to grab me.
"Oh ho?! You have Viraa''s Temporal Sight," the pneumarian stated with a pleasantly surprised look. He then generated a mass of water before him that was charged with his energy. The water suddenly burst in a continuous barrage of water droplets that were fired at me.
At first, I managed to dodge them, but their movements began to accelerate rapidly, forcing me to raise my arms in defense as I activated a stasis field. Thankfully, my stasis field held up, but the pneumarian did something no one had ever done before.
He simply raked his fingers across my shield, causing it to shatter. Then he floated before me and casually extended a hand that pushed me back, instantly overpowering me. I tried to resist the force, but the difference in our strength was as vast as the space between heaven and Earth.
His speed and strength are on another level, I shared with the others. I couldn''t resist it at all.
That bad, huh? Tymon voiced. We glanced at the damage some of the water droplets that got past me left behind. Each one had destroyed whatever piece of the Earth they''d encountered, leaving holes in trees large enough to withstand the impact and digging chasms at least six feet deep through solid rock.
Chapter I: Insurmountable Foe (Pt. 2)
Worse. He was most certainly holding back considerably, Viraa added. If he desired to, he could have sent you flying hundreds of miles back with a simple push or chose to remove your head. And that is without the use of his Warp cintracy.
"Hm, you certainly have developed a creative use for Viraa''s power," the pneumarian applauded. "And you seem to possess spatial abilities, so you must possess another divine cintracy aside from Temporal Sight. You''re certainly intriguing, but as you just witnessed, foreseeing an attack and possessing the ability to dodge it are two different things."
"And what''s your response if I did this..." he said as walls of water rose hundreds of feet into the air and surrounded the entire island. Then dozens of the previous segments of water manifested from his aura and rose above us.
We could each feel the devastating energy packed into each mass of water that hung in the air above us and acted immediately before it was too late.
"This doesn''t bode well for us," Damien muttered as thunder boomed from the sky as he shot a blast of his energy into the dark clouds and used his most potent attack, Raijin''s Judgement. The sky was blanketed in lilac lightning that converged to a singular point over us as Damien called down destructive columns of lightning that struck some of the masses of water.
"It''s taking our strongest techniques just to deal with one of his. So this is the power of a pneumarian...," Arne stated as they used the Bloody Fangs technique, where they focused all of their energy onto spirit-enhanced tendrils of neta from their spirit energy and the ground to attack some of the other masses of water. Once they reached their target, the tendrils wrapped around the water masses before impaling them.
"His control over water is even more terrifying than Wren''s," Naomi commented as she summoned a blizzard over the area to freeze as much of the water as possible. Then, she focused her Silent Nebula technique specifically on some of the masses of water, hoping to shatter them.
"Arne''s right. It''s ridiculous it''s taking each of us to fend off one attack," Za''Fia said irritably as all the flames around her vanished and intense heat emitted from the draconic claw of her left hand. Since losing the right arm, she''d gotten much better at maintaining her flame arm, but specific techniques didn''t work the same with it. She sliced the air before her, leaving orange fire marks that erupted toward the primed water masses. Due to not being in a state of rage, the attack wasn''t as potent as it was when she fought Tymon, but it was still plenty destructive.
Michael grunted as he unleashed a barrage of Severing Slashes and rays of light that barely managed to cut through the water.
Then Tymon used Dark Shift: Infinite Massacre to shroud some of the water in darkness and darted around, destroying as many as he could.
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For the rest, I focused my spatial energy mixed with my spirit energy on my fingers before flying up and activating my strongest Collateral Snap.
In the end, we managed to wipe out each mass of water before they unleashed the impending devastating attack that would''ve killed us even if I raised a shield.
"I hope that''s not all you''re capable of," the pneumarian called from above us. We watched in disbelief as he gripped part of the watery wall before it crashed back into the ocean, except part of it remained in the air with him, flowing like a gigantic blanket of water the size of a skyscraper.
"I''ll show you one of my favorite techniques," he stated before he warped further back with the water he held and then threw it at us.
"He literally just threw a tsunami toward us," Za''Fia commented as the destructive wave rushed toward us.
Naomi released a powerful blast of cold and tried to freeze it, but her will over the frozen water was instantly broken, causing the parts she managed to freeze to shatter and turn back into water.
"I''ve never felt control that strong before," Naomi said, sweating in panic. "His energy''s too strong for me to freeze."
I tried to use my spatial energy to manipulate the wave as I had before, but just as Naomi had mentioned, the waves were fused with his overwhelming spirit energy, making it impossible for me to take control.
Then, Za''Fia tried to evaporate the water with her heat, which worked better than Naomi and my efforts, but she inevitably ran into the same issue.
Ultimately, it took Arne creating a reinforced ball of stone around us, then Damien coating it in as much reinforced metal from the ground as he could, followed by a thick layer of ice from Naomi''s frost tails, Michael''s Sacrosanct technique that spun around it, Tymon''s Black Out, my Stasis Field, and finally, a wall of flames raised around us to come out of the attack with just some bruises and cuts.
"Unbelievable," Za''Fia said as she stood, soaked. Her makeshift flame arm was gone for the moment.
"I never imagined we''d be this outmatched by one pneumarian," Michael stated as his wounds healed themselves.
"His strength is beyond what we can handle," Naomi said as her aura froze the puddles around her. "Each of us has gotten so much stronger, so I know it may hurt to admit it, but I don''t think there''s anything we can do against him,"
"You may be right, but that doesn''t mean we''ll just lay down and let him do whatever he likes," Arne stated as their mostly-destroyed Hardshatter let up. They were the only one among us completely unharmed by the attack.
"I''d like to say I agree with you, Arne, but even fire and ice are useless against this threat," Michael said in frustration.
"Guess that means we''ll have to resort to physical attacks," Tymon suggested. "Maybe all of us at once will be enough to get some good hits in."
"Think so?" The pneumarian''s voice called from behind us. We each spun and dashed backward, circling him. "You were curious why the fire and ice users among you weren''t effective? Despite our natural polarities, if I bond more spirit energy to my water without increasing the amount of water produced, the water becomes much more powerful. It''s very useful when facing someone whose element puts you at an advantage."
"I think I recall Avarice doing something like that to make his gold stronger," Tymon commented. "Regardless, that knowledge doesn''t help us considering our power differences."
We could try using cindium, Damien suggested. It can hurt us, hoping it''ll do the same to him.
It''s worth a shot, I said reassuringly. But don''t get too close; use it at a distance.
Damien used some of his lightning to heat the cindium pendant that hung from his neck, then used his Ferritic Pull to manipulate the metal, reshaping it into a hiltless blade. He coated the blade with as much of his spirit energy as he could and then willed it toward the pneumarian at high speed.
Chapter I: Insurmountable Foe (Pt. 3)
The blade struck with the speed of lightning, surprisingly catching the pneumarian off guard. However, the blade hadn''t penetrated his skin. Due to the vast power difference between the two, Damien''s blade wasn''t able to break through the pneumarian''s and raked harmlessly against the pneumarian''s blue skin, proving just as vain as the rest of our attempts of resistance.
"A cindium blade?" The pneumarian inquired as he grabbed the blade barehanded. "This doesn''t appear to be a spirit arm. Who would create something so useless?"
Damien quickly seized the opportunity and connected a path of his energy to the blade, applying his Overload ability to it, activating his Static Aura. With it, he could inflict or intensify the pleasure or pain someone felt through their nerve receptors, something that proved effective against Junichiro. His goal was to cause as much pain to the pneumarian as possible, but we watched with bated breath as his power didn''t affect the pneumarian at all.
"Of course," I breathed. "A being made entirely of energy wouldn''t have pain receptors. Does that mean we can''t hurt him?"
"We do feel pain," the pneumarian said, answering my rhetorical question. "Although it''s not quite like the pain material beings such as yourself feel. For someone like me, only another source of overwhelming energy can hurt us. Or a spirit arm."
He added that last part as if reluctantly adding something that had slipped his mind for a moment.
"So, even techniques like spirit enhancement are pointless considering the gap between us," Za''Fia summed up.
"Precisely," he responded with a mature confidence. "Do you all concede now that you understand how hopeless resisting is?"
"Not a chance in hell," Za''Fia retorted as she flared her power, and I began to charge my own attack.
"I couldn''t have said it better," Arne remarked, cracking their knuckles as the two of them charged forward and punched the pneumarian as hard as they could with their strongest-quality spirit enhancement. Still, their blows didn''t amount to much besides generating a gust of force that sent ripples through the water and blew sand from the beach outward.
Before the pneumarian could retaliate, I emerged from a shadow beneath the pneumarian and unleashed the strongest Destructive Fist I could muster square onto his face. To each of our astonishment, the pneumarian''s head was blown apart, and his body was sent flying dozens of feet.
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Fun fact: Za''Fia''s flame arm is only manifested so long as Za''Fia can keep up the concentration. Luckily, she''s gotten used to maintaining it for long periods of time without too much effort.
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(Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)
Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $5 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. If it turns out to not be your thing, then no harm no foul. Otherwise, enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!
Words of Virtue:
A good tree can''t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit.
-Matthew 7:18
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Chapter II: Rabae (Pt. 1)
Everyone looked at me in shock.
"It worked?!" I exclaimed. "Was it the spatial energy? It can bypass a pneumarian''s fluid body..."
"Yeah, but it wasn''t potent enough," Tymon remarked as he nodded toward the headless pneumarian who was levitating back toward us.
"I actually felt that," he said as his head fully reformed from water. "However, as the dark one said, it lacked the power to do any real damage. Spatial energy used offensively...I hadn''t thought it possible. I''m learning quite a bit from our exchange," he said as his eyes raked over each of us before looking out at the horizon. "To think a planet far removed from everything else would house ten klevonians¨Cwhom I assume can each utilize the advanced technique of self-willed flight, an inferior capable of harnessing a pneumarian''s power, and even be under the watchful eye of an old observer."
Ten? Does he know about Avarice and the others? I pondered. And who does he mean by observer?
Too many questions were forming in my head, but I had to let them go for the time being as the pneumarian charged at us.
Arne was the first to rush at him, boasting about being unbreakable, having come from each of his attacks unscathed.
"Arne, wait!" I yelled, seeing what was about to happen. I placed my strongest Stasis Field around Arne. The pneumarian raised an eyebrow quizzically. In one shot, he tore through my shield and hit Arne with a spirit-enhanced blow so hard he shattered their Hardshatter and decommissioned them.
"Was that it?" he said disappointedly as Arne fell unconscious to the ground below. "That armor of yours is subpar. Perhaps if it were as strong as cindium, you''d have withstood such a simple attack. It''s unwise to mistake one''s luck for outstanding ability."
Despite what Viraa said, Tymon telepathically warned everyone to retreat as he prepared to unleash his power. I placed a stasis field around each of us for protection as he unleashed Last Breath mixed with his energy at maximum potency, but before he could even form an attack, the pneumarian was before him, unfazed by Tymon''s ominous energy.
"Your darkness is unique," the pneumarian commended. "But even without spirit enhancement, it seems ineffective against me..."
The two stared each other down intensely when suddenly an array of large-caliber bullets sprayed the area as several jets dove in. The bullets ripped through the pneumarian''s body and hit Tymon, but he seemed more annoyed by them than anything else.
Enhancing my vision, I could see that the aircraft were American. They must''ve come when their sensors indicated large surges of power. Unsurprisingly, their jets couldn''t withstand the storm of energy they''d entered and started to malfunction. Even if we knew it wouldn''t be long before the pilots died.
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"Get out of here!" Za''Fia yelled. "We can''t focus on the enemy and worry about you!"
"Sorry, but you''re in our way," Damien said lightly as he used his power over metal to keep the jets in the air before pushing them further away from the island.
When they were far enough away to fly on their own again, I set up a wide Stasis Field over a five-mile radius to prevent any further interruptions. By the time I turned my attention back to the others, Michael and Damien were facing the pneumarian in a swirl of lilac lightning and light.
The pneumarian was effortlessly evading them, proving that even their speed wasn''t a match for his. That was until Michael activated Streak, and Damien used his Electric Embodiment technique to boost their speeds significantly.
For some reason, the pneumarian was visibly pleased by the unexpected development now that they were faster than him. Still, this was good. It was progress. Maybe there was hope.
"They''re outmaneuvering him now," Naomi cheered passively, breathing heavily. The others were breathing heavier, too. It had just dawned on me that despite not exchanging nearly as much effort in their previous fights last year, fending off what little the pneumarian had thrown our way had already sapped them of most of their energy, and it wouldn''t be long before I was drained, too.
I would not overjoy just yet, Viraa inserted. Though those two are faster now, they do not have enough power to hurt his fluid body. Even when combined, they do not have nearly as much power as he does; therefore, in a battle of attrition, they will lose.
As we watched, Viraa''s words were proven true as the attacks they launched simply went through the pneumarian, who didn''t even bother using spirit enhancement. Not only that, but the pneumarian''s reaction time seemed to get quicker as Michael and Damien started to miss.
This is the power of a pneumarian, Viraa declared into each of our heads. This one, in particular, possesses three cintracies. Surge ¨C a eutierric type that gives his spirit energy the qualities of water, and with his level of control, he can bend other sources of water around him to his will. Then there''s one of the temp cintracies, Warp, which allows him to teleport to any location that he can see or has left traces of his spirit energy. Lastly, there is his Universal Sense ¨C a temp cintracy that gives him the ability to, for lack of a better word, tie his senses to the galaxy, allowing him to feel all energy over great distances spanning entire solar systems. He could sense someone''s location if they were on Pluto. At his best, he could sense someone lightyears away.
"That''s insane," I remarked, bewildered. "Is that what he meant when he said he sensed me despite not showing up for thirteen months?"
Likely so. And by focusing and utilizing Universal Sense and Warp simultaneously, he''s developed a technique that amplifies his ability to perceive attacks and then swiftly evade with near-autonomous instincts. I believe he called it Dancing Stream. He''s used it to show you all the gap between him and you.
I watched in frustration as Michael and Damien could no longer land any hits on the pneumarian. Finally, I exhaled.
"That''s enough, guys!" I called out, bringing our futile efforts to an end. Michael and Damien stopped, both breathing heavily.
"You''ve made your point," I said to the pneumarian. I telepathically asked Michael to heal Arne, who lay unconscious on the ground.
"Ah, so you''ve figured it out then?" The pneumarian called down as he descended. "Well then, now that that''s over, allow me to introduce myself. I am Rabae. You are the leader of these klevonians, I presume."
"Yes," I replied before introducing us. He found it odd when I mentioned my last name. Apparently, cindarians don''t have last names. In fact, most species don''t, according to him.
"So, he''s not trying to attack the planet?" Naomi asked as she helped Arne to their feet.
"Do not mistake me for some common pillager," Rabae retorted, offended. "I wish you and your world no harm."
Chapter II: Rabae (Pt. 2)
Now that the adrenaline in my system was lowering, I noticed something familiar about Rabae.
Why does he remind me a little of Poseidon? I wondered.
Viraa laughed.
Many of the humans'' mythological deities and creatures were concocted by me. They share many similarities with individuals and species I''ve encountered before coming to Earth. Admittedly, I got bored during the three million years I resided on Earth...
I was about to give a snarky response, but my attention tuned back in to the others as I heard Za''Fia ask, "Why would we believe you?"
"Why, you ask," Rabae said. "I could lay waste to this pitiful planet if I so wished. I once did it to a world a lot like this one for disrespecting an old friend of mine. Yet, despite knowing you''d stand no chance of stopping me, I have not drowned your world in water, have I?"
"You almost did when you arrived..." Za''Fia muttered.
Rabae smiled at her distrust before responding.
"Yes, well, it''s extremely difficult to control my influence when arriving from space, but I did not have any true intentions of harming you all. I chose to test you all to see what you were capable of after learning this one was not Viraa as I initially presumed," he gestured at me before turning to me and getting down to business.
"Speaking of which, why do each of you possess traces of Viraa''s energy?"
At that point, I still couldn''t get a feel for the guy, so I didn''t want to answer, but I knew being rude to him probably wouldn''t have done any good for any of us.
"Long story short, I''m a descendant of Viraa''s, and Viraa created the others before she split her power up," I answered quickly.
"Intriguing. I imagine she used her Construct to achieve this...though, creating organic beings...I thought only the divine Genesis could...." Rabae scanned over each of us with fascination. "Amazing...I found it odd that, despite your ascension marks, most of you are considerably weaker than the average klevonian. But I see now, unlike others of your kind, you were created through a cintracy, not fusion or procreation. That explains why the power of your hybrid forms is so exceptionally low. None of you possessed your own energy to be amplified by Viraa''s ascension mark. Instead, she had to split her power among you and used the ascension mark as a restriction."
Ouch. Exactly how powerful is an average klevonian? I asked Viraa.
Even without an ascension mark, a typical klevonian would have an EQN of around 37 million.
My eyes widened at the words "without an ascension mark."
What''s the plan? Tymon sent out as we stood before Rabae.
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For now, we play nice. We ask questions. Learn more. Not much else we can do.
Is he someone we can trust? Tymon asked next.
...I don''t know. It''s hard to gauge his emotions. At the very least, he''s not showing any signs of malice, so...
"Hm. This was far more exciting than anticipated," Rabae chimed in.
"With what I''ve learned here, the Ryfi Theos would be very interested in meeting you," Rabae spoke as he extended a hand tome. "I know this may be sudden for you, but will you accompany me back to Cindar?"
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Fun fact: Rabae is a very old pneumarian with immense knowledge about cintracies. Some could say it''s a hobby of his to learn more about what cintracies are out there.
Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)
Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself.
Read the series for free as a free member of the series'' Patreon page @ https://www.patreon.com/primordials
Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!
Each saga will gain its own tier as the story progresses and will provide more bonuses than the last! And all contributions are reinvested back into the franchise for better and more frequent art!
(Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)
Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $5 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. If it turns out to not be your thing, then no harm no foul. Otherwise, enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!
Words of Virtue:
That they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the Earth.
-Psalm 83:18
MediaWebsite: https://www.patreon.com/primordials
IG: otherworldsjt
Hello wonderful readers! If you''re enjoying the series please leave a rating ??! It will help me gauge my audience and help others get a general sense of the quality of the story. Thank you all for your support ??
Chapter III: Unlikely Allies (Pt. 1)
I stared at the hand extended toward me. Go to Cindar with him? This sudden? I hadn''t started my day planning to go to another world. The furthest I''d ventured out from Earth was the moon. I mean, when I thought about it, I was pretty excited to go, but was that the best thing to do?
I continued staring at the hand with a shocked expression. Something told me if I grabbed it, I''d be wisped away in an instant. I had half a mind to say no, but I knew that though he may have asked, it was only out of courtesy. It wasn''t a request I could decline.
"I''ll go with you," I answered, surprising the others. "But I won''t be going alone, and there''s something I need to do first. Can you give us an hour, and we''ll meet back here?"
"It''s the least I can do," Rabae responded politely after a staggered pause. I could tell he wasn''t used to being told to wait, but hopefully, he didn''t take it offensively. "Ah, and I have returned the water levels across the globe back to normal. Any areas affected should no longer be in danger of flooding. Please consider it a gesture of goodwill."
I did notice how everything seemed calmer now. There were no abnormalities with the water. Subconsciously, with All-Sight, I could see that the flooded cities had, in fact, been drained of the water. I was thankful for the gesture, but for some reason, it almost felt more like a threat than anything else.
Michael. Damien. You two stay here to keep watch, I instructed telepathically. If he tries anything, don''t engage him. Keep your distance.
I second glanced at them. Michael could survive pretty much anything and could keep Damien safe if needed. Still, I couldn''t help but notice how Michael had changed since we met. He briefly mentioned it once this past year. After feeling what it was like to be mortal, having to be protected, and then basically dying last year, something in him felt different.
I''d spoken to Viraa about it, hoping to get a clearer answer to why. After mentioning to her how, after regaining his regenerative powers, he''d somewhat become confident again, he''d still help those weaker than himself. That hadn''t changed, but he was abnormally quiet¨Chis haughty attitude was pretty much gone. Viraa deduced that his perspective had shifted and that it was something I''d have to let him get through on his own.
He''ll pull through, I thought to myself as the rest of us took off.
Where are you leading us? Arne questioned from behind as we rocketed across the day sky.
After a moment''s pause for consideration, I answered.
I''m going to wake up Avarice, I told them.
What!? They exclaimed in unison.
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Why would you want to do that? Tymon asked flatly.
The guy caused us hell..., Za''Fia commented.
And tried to commit mass genocide..., Naomi added.
Right, and you want to just set him free? Za''Fia concluded, perplexed.
I sighed, expecting as much.
What about you, Michael? Any words of disapproval? I asked, nudging him a little.
I''m...at a loss for words, he replied, but with his tone, I could practically see his look of disbelief, just like the others.
It''s certainly a bold move, Damien said before I could ask for his input, too.
Guys, I get it, it''s not like I trust him either, but we just got our butts handed to us by one pneumarian. If we''re about to go to a planet of them, his strength could help should things go south, I explained, trying to reassure them and myself. I also don''t like the idea of leaving the planet with him still on it. Even if he is comatose.
Hm. He could be used as a meat shield at least, Tymon pondered the thought. Not like he''d stay dead.
That''s not exactly what I had in mind...
Everyone gave it some thought, and after we discussed who''d be leaving and staying behind, we eventually came to an agreement. Not too long after, we''d crossed from the Atlantic to the Pacific and arrived at an island not far off the coast of Washington.
It wasn''t the first time we''d been there. Over the past year, some of us would go to check on the situation to ensure the humans weren''t doing anything that would risk their lives. However, this was the first time so many of us came.
As usual, their sensors detected us incoming, and the warden was arriving to greet us. He was a highly decorated, retired army general before choosing to take command of containing significant threats. He was always well-shaven, reeked of cologne, and wore expensive shades and watches. Initially, he wasn''t very warm to us, but he quickly changed after learning who we were. Pretty sure he figured he could get one of us into his pocket with time. Like that''d ever happen.
"Whoa, this is a first. We usually don''t get this many of you. What is this, a prison break or something?" The warden said jokingly.
"This''d be overkill if it were. Don''t you think?" Za''Fia remarked, winking at the warden as she flicked a spark of flames from her fingers.
"Don''t worry, we''re not here for a prison break. Well, not exactly," I told him. "We do need to free Avarice. And a couple of the others."
"Are you insane!?" He exclaimed. "We have enough of you running around as is! Hell, you''re probably somehow involved with the mess going on around the globe, but you expect us to let those alien monstrosities out into the world again?"
"Some of us will be leaving soon. I''m taking Avarice off world with us," I said abruptly, catching his attention. "We don''t know what could happen, so the others will stay behind. I assure you, should something powerful attack while we''re gone, you''ll need them to protect the planet. Now that someone''s come here, we can only assume others know about Earth now, too."
The warden stared me down and stood his ground.
"Alien invasion or not, unless you plan on attacking us, I''m not releasing those monsters."
Despite his words, I could see he was on the verge of agreeing.
It would seem he is looking for a better incentive, Viraa said. It is surprising that the fear of death is not enough.
There''s only one thing that''ll move guys like him, Tymon said, coming to the same conclusion.
I sighed as I pulled out a bag from my spatial bag. I extended my hand over it. As I concentrated on the makings and design down to the smallest detail, I constructed a stack of perfect replications of the then version of the hundred-dollar bill. Then another, and another until the bag was full.
"What about now?" I asked, offering the cash while feeling sick and grimy about what I was doing.
Chapter III: Unlikely Allies (Pt. 2)
His eyes lit up at the sight of the money. The dude was practically salivating.
"I''d heard you could make whatever you wanted. To think it was true..." He exhaled, stepping closer as he eyed the money. Then he halted. "Still, I don''t know. Is it really worth me letting those guys free...?"
"Don''t be greedy," I said sternly, pushing the bag against his chest. "That''s two hundred thousand. Take it."
The warden grabbed the bag and grinned into it before stuffing it into his spatial bag.
"Follow me," he said as he turned toward away.
Why not just Order him to do it? Za''Fia asked me as we followed behind him.
I''d rather not force my will on others if I can avoid it. I told her.
The warden led us to the hidden elevator, which would take us down to where Avarice and the others were being held. But before stepping into the elevator, he turned and asked some of us to remain above ground since it''d make everyone more at ease with fewer of us going in.
I politely agreed to his demands, resulting in Tymon, Za''Fia, and I being the ones to go down. The area below was like a display case of the world''s worst criminals. Thousands of metal cells with PRP built into them were built in rows into the cement foundations. Even the doors were made of thick metal with nothing but a small latch for food to be passed through by machines, preventing us from seeing those locked behind them. Or maybe it was designed to prevent the prisoners from seeing anything beside their four walls, depriving them of human interaction.
Whatever the case, as usual, the place felt eerie. I could sense the humans behind the doors, and with omnivision, I could even see the outline of some of their energy through the walls. However, the corridors were dead silent. None of the screams or banging could be heard. Just a stale, musty stench hung in the air as we walked.
"We''re coming up to them now," the warden announced as we neared their cells. "Here we are."
"Can you open this one?" I asked, pointing to the door next to me.
The warden looked at me. His eyes may have been hidden behind those glasses, but I knew he was trying to control his panic.
"Please tell me you don''t plan to set that one free. If what I read about her is true..."
"Relax, I just want to see her."
The warden reluctantly scanned his fingerprint and infused some of his energy into the door''s locking mechanism to unlock the door. When the door lowered into the ground, I saw Verin lying there, sweating. Her body slightly twitched as she remained in mental anguish.
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I took solace in the sight before being willing to leave.
"Okay," I said, satisfied. "Open the other three. We''ll be taking them."
Still reluctant, the warden closed Verin''s cell and opened the other three''s. I stepped into Wren''s cell, lowered to a knee, and placed my hand on her head, releasing her from her mental prison. As we waited for her to wake up, I did the same for Trevor.
However, before I released Avarice, I placed my hand on his head and entered his mindscape. Surprisingly, the dark void I''d left him in was now peaceful. He himself was tranquil, unlike the crazed version of him before he was defeated.
Looking around, his mindscape was an island in the middle of an ocean, where he sat in solitude, wearing white shorts and a golden beach flannel, along with shades.
"How did this happen?" I asked as I approached him while he basked in the sun.
"Hm? You''re real? I didn''t conjure you...?"
"No..."
"Ah. Well, my mind was strong enough to change the scenery," He responded casually as if that was the obvious answer.
"Of course it was," I muttered, side-glancing him. "So you decided to give yourself a vacation island instead of perpetual darkness."
"Not at first," Avarice responded, sipping from a coconut, which was imaginary now that I think about it. "Initially, I spent decades, no centuries, conquering the humans over and over but eventually grew bored like before. I realized it was my insatiable greed that drove me always to want more power¨Cto subjugate the weak even, but it conflicted with something within me. Something that makes me seek out thrills. Likely the same thing that made me let you all progress as far as you did before you destroyed everything I''d worked for..."
He sighed and shrugged before continuing.
"But that was the past. Truth is, fighting against you all was the most thrill I''d ever experienced. Now, when I''m bored, I manifest you all to fight against to help past time," he laughed. "I''ve fought you 2,397 times and still haven''t won. Strange, since it''s my mind, I figured I''d win because I wanted to," he said, flicking the umbrella straw from his drink.
"Riveting," I said, shaking my head. "Well, your life''s about to get more interesting. I''m setting you free."
The sky suddenly cracked, and everything froze as he looked at me in confusion.
"You''re kidding, right?"
"Unfortunately not."
The next instant, I was back in his cell, squatting with my hand placed on his head. I rose and stepped out of the cell as the three groggily got to their feet. They each stepped out of their cells, rubbing their heads as they tried to get their bearings, then abruptly stopped in their tracks, sensing Rabae''s immense presence.
"That can''t be real..." Wren stated as she looked horrified.
"What is that? That''s gotta be at least four times as powerful as Pops," Trevor questioned as smoke began to lift from his body instinctively.
"It''s even more powerful than the power I felt from Viraa..." Avarice asserted with a mixture of what seemed like fear and awe. "What monstrosity can have that much of a presence...?"
Based on the gradually widened look in his eyes, it was clear he''d answered his own question.
"So this is why you freed us..."
"Yeah, I asked for an hour, so we should get going," I said as I turned to head to the elevator. As we passed Verin''s cell, I caught Avarice glancing at it.
"Don''t bother. I''m not trusting Verin to behave for a second, pneumarian threat or not," I told him.
"She once manipulated my children into acting against my wishes. I don''t wish her to be freed," he said with disdain.
The warden hadn''t budged from where he stood, so we escorted ourselves out and immediately took flight, with Tymon taking up the rear.
I''m sure there was plenty to say from everyone, but we flew in silence for a while. I''d warned Avarice, Trevor, and Wren that if they tried to run, I''d catch them and send them back to prison, and with the power difference between me and the latter two, I could simply use my telekinesis to hold them in place regardless of where they went.
Chapter III: Unlikely Allies (Pt. 3)
"You all can relax. To me, my attempt to destroy the known world was centuries ago. I''ve moved past that now," Avarice stated, breaking the tension in the air.
"Your mind was trapped in never-ending darkness. Not exactly a space to contemplate your past decisions," Tymon spoke, not taking his eyes off Avarice. I didn''t sense any hatred from him, but there was definitely mistrust. It seemed that he had indeed moved past the hatred he held for Avarice.
"I''ve already explained how to the hu¨CI mean, Alissia, but during my time imprisoned, I eventually realized having a world under my control would be dull and wouldn''t meet my needs," Avarice proclaimed. "So, I won''t be attempting anything like that again. However, that doesn''t mean that I''ve given up on my pursuits of knowledge or the power to protect what I find important," he glanced over at Trevor and Wren. "So, given the situation, I''m willing to work with you all to defeat this invading pneumarian. There''s plenty I''d like to learn from it as well."
"We won''t be defeating him, so don''t go starting a fight," I declared from upfront. "But since you seek more knowledge about our kind, you should enjoy this: you''re coming to Viraa''s home planet with me, Tymon, Michael, and Za''Fia. The other two are going to be under the watchful eye of the others."
"Certainly an unexpected development," Avarice said. "Though I''m sure you didn''t think to invite me just to please me."
"No, I didn''t. You were all freed as a safety precaution due to the incredible energy pneumarians have. You, specifically, were freed to accompany me so I can ensure you don''t become a problem while I''m away. Wren and Trevor were let out just in case more trouble arrives on Earth while we''re gone."
"So, what? We''re supposed to just fall in line until you come back and throw us back in prison?" Wren asked with a defiant attitude.
"Yes," Tymon replied sharply from behind. "Consider this your rec-time."
Wren looked as though she was about to make another comment but chose not to. It was probably for the best.
"Our creator''s home world...fascinating," Avarice sighed, his excitement at the possibilities likely rising.
When we arrived at Michael and Damien, they were levitating hundreds of feet above the island.
It was evident that Avarice, Trevor, and Wren''s moods soured at the sight of Damien, showcasing their strained hostility toward him for killing Junichiro.
"Let''s go," I said, descending toward the beach where Rabae still stood. He was allowing fish to swim throughout his body as we approached. Upon seeing us, he extended his fluid arm to the sea and let the creatures leave his body.
Huh. He''s got a soft spot for sea life.
"So, this is a pneumarian," Avarice said in a low voice as we landed. "Remarkable. He''s made entirely of water, it seems. Is that how all pneumarians with eutierric cintracies are affected? It would make sense if they''re beings composed of their own energy, and eutierric cintracies alter that energy the same way it does ours."
He''s quite perceptive, isn''t he? Viraa said amusingly.
Annoyingly so. I glanced at Trevor and Wren, who just stood there watching Rabae with bewilderment. Honestly, I couldn''t blame them.
"Okay, Damien, you''re in charge," I declared as we began to split into our separate groups. "Rabae mentioned someone wanting to meet me. The goal is to do that as quickly as possible, then learn what we can about Cindar before coming back."
"Are the rest of you gonna be okay?" I asked them.
Arne crossed their arms and assured me they''d keep Trevor in check. Naomi looked nervous and wished us safe travels.
"We''ll be fine," Damien said softly. "We''ll all still be here when you get back."
I exhaled nervously, pushing the cynical thought that popped into my head out with it.
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"Okay," I said, turning to head to the others.
"They respect you. You''ve come far," Avarice said genuinely. "The Primordial Queen.... Fitting."
"Uh-huh," I said, grabbing his hand.
"I complimented you. That doesn''t mean that I¡ª"
"Exchange energy with me. I''ll show you something cindarians can do with each other," I told him.
"Hm? Something you can teach me? I suppose you''ve surprised me thus far..."
When we exchanged energies, I spoke into his head.
Telepathy. It''s useful.
That it is...he said, stunned.
Hello, my child; welcome, Viraa said warmly. We finally meet. You seem quite different from before...
So, this is Viraa... he said. Before he could start questioning her ¨C though it wasn''t like she''d answer most of them ¨C I grabbed his attention.
Oh, and in case you think up some notion and do something stupid.... I shared the memories of the battle against Rabae with him.
"For some reason, seeing you all fail like that puts me in a splendid mood," he said with a slight grin.
"Is everyone ready now?" Rabae asked patiently as Avarice, Tymon, Michael, Za''Fia, and I approached him.
"Yes," I answered, slightly nervous, nodding at Damien and the others one last time.
"Then everyone place a hand on one another," he instructed us. When we did so, before I could react, the world around us changed as we were warped to an unfamiliar location.
--------------------------------------------------------
Fun fact: Time within the mental prison Alissia subjected Avarice and the others to is different from time outside. 1 day within = 1 year outside. They were trapped within for 13 months.
Extra Fun Fact: The Earth of the series is not the same Earth we live on. Consider it to be in a parallel universe where the history of the Earth is similar to our own, but with slight differences. For example in this world, long ago, humans reached a point where they figured out a way to maintain a steady cost of living. So, the spending value of one hundred dollars remained the same over time. While inflation and deflation are still somewhat present, it''s not nearly as impactful as our current world.
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Chapter IV: Cindar (Pt. 1)
We were suddenly standing on a different world. I could feel it instinctively. Viraa had once told me, while I sat on Earth''s moon, that higher life forms capable of sensing energy can vaguely detect their position within the galaxy, sort of like an internal compass.
As far as I could tell, the planet we stood on was extremely far from Earth, and with enhanced vision, it seemed to be mostly greenery and Earth, with no visible water. Or, I suppose I would say neta. Oddly enough, it also had air we could breathe.
"Is this Cindar?" I asked Rabae as we gazed out at the planet devoid of life.
"I expected more pneumarians and klevonians..." Za''Fia commented.
Rabae laughed.
"No, this Gaia, one of Cindar''s moons, Gaia the Neta Moon," he told us.
Other than Rabae, we each suddenly noticed the density of the air and fell to the ground.
"Do not worry. Your bodies will acclimate quickly," Rabae assured us as we grunted beneath the pressurized air. "This solar system is called the Astral System. The space within it is thick with astral energy which radiates from another of Cindar''s moons."
As we waited for our bodies to adjust, I asked Rabae something that had been on my mind.
"If you could teleport, why''d it take you thirteen months to get to Earth?" I grunted.
"I can only teleport to places I can see or have left traces of my spirit energy. Since I had never been to Earth, I had to teleport to the closet warp spot, which was just over half a lightyear away from Earth."
Or in Earth''s time, just over one light year, Viraa translated as we stood, having started getting used to the thick atmosphere.
"I''m surprised your teleportation worked on me," Tymon said as he helped Za''Fia to her feet. "I didn''t think other cintracies besides elements worked on me."
"Did you?" Rabae asked him. "You are not the first to possess the Shield cintracy. In addition to our natural elements, spatial and temporal energy have also been proven to work against Shield. Though in the barest sense, my Warp cintracy taps into spatial energy and moves my intended targets through space to relocate them; therefore, its effects can also bypass your Shield."
"Now that he mentions it, back when we were training to face Avarice, my Stasis Field repelled you too, Tymon," I said, thinking back. "I hadn''t thought about it then."
"Everyone," Avarice spoke, catching our attention. When we looked at him, he pointed at the sky where he and Michael were looking.
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Looking up, we saw a colossal planet covering part of the sky.
"Welcome to Cindar," Rabae said, gesturing to the planet with a proud grin.
It was a beautiful planet, unlike anything I expected, but there were still some aspects about it that were off. Unlike Earth, Cindar appeared to be more land than water. There were four oceans: one in the north, east, south, and west, and they were separated by a giant X-shaped mass of land in the middle. Within the North and South Oceans ¨C what was essentially its North and South Poles ¨C I saw storms and red flashes of light as its clouds rotated to the left instead of the right. Beneath those clouds were pools of lava visible even from where we stood.
Across the equator was a region of ice stretching from west to east, like a belt separating the Northern Hemisphere from the Southern. There was also a vertical split that ran from the North Pole to the south, which helped cut the planet into four segments when viewed as a whole. It glowed hot, so I assumed it was filled with lava or something. Then, finally, were the four silhouettes that floated around the planet¨Cits other moons.
The planet seemed strikingly familiar...I know I''d seen it before...
One of the perks of awakening as...whatever I was now, I also had the others'' hyperthymesia trait as well. I was able to quickly recognize the planet from a series of flashes I''d seen in my mind the night I first spoke to Viraa.
"What happened to the planet? Why is it split?" I asked Rabae curiously.
"That...is a story for another time. For now, let us get closer," Rabae said before insisting we each placed a hand on one another and warping us again.
I didn''t know where we were, but wherever we were, it was hot. I couldn''t even focus on the surroundings. All I knew was that we were standing on top of a tall building overlooking part of a massive city.
"What''s with this heat?" I complained, tugging at my collar to peel my damp shirt off my sweating body. The shirt then flash-dried right before my eyed
"It does feel warmer now," Za''Fia commented, fanning herself with her hand. "Which is weird; I thought we were immune to temperatures. I''ve never felt warm before."
"You are not immune," Rabae laughed heartily as he watched us endearingly. "Klevonians naturally have higher resistances to temperatures since most planets do not have unstable environments with temperatures that reach the extreme highs and lows of Cindar."
He looked at Za''Fia.
"You have an even higher resistance to heat due to your affinity for fire, but if you were to enter a sun, you would surely die."
"So, we''re somewhere even hotter than anything we''ve felt from Earth," Tymon thought aloud.
Looking around, the buildings were all a shade of purple and pink but almost glowed with the rising sun. The area was kept professionally, clean, and lively; the atmosphere definitely felt high-class.
"Welcome to Plucis of the Phoenix District," Rabae announced, gesturing to the bustling city. "The second wealthiest district in Pneuma City."
"Phoenix District?" Michael inquired as he looked around. It reminded me that his hybrid form was of a phoenix. Maybe his brethren would be found there.
"Yes, Pneuma City is a vast region split into twenty-one districts," Rabae explained. "Within each district is a large city. This district''s city is Plucis."
"Why is it called the Phoenix District?" Avarice asked. "Can I assume there''s a phoenix involved?"
"Yes, a phoenix does reside within the district, but the name is also due to the Crest the district falls under," Rabae replied with a smile. "However, I should warn you all: do not get into trouble should you decide to explore later. Each district is governed and policed by that district''s representing Crest and its members. For example, Plucis is under the Phoenix Crest''s province."
"Noted," I responded as I took in the environment. I was utterly shocked by the sheer volume of energy that could be sensed coming from everyone around. Most of the populace were aliens of different sorts who were weak; some were moderately powerful, but the real source of high energy was from further inland, where I assumed most of the Crest members Rabae mentioned resided.
Chapter IV: Cindar (Pt. 2)
Overhead, I spotted several powerful creatures roaming through the sky. At closer inspection, I realized they were probably klevonians in their hybrid forms, flying with wings of fire. I was surprised they could use their transformations without affecting the civilians.
Species here are much more durable than humans. They can withstand the presence of powerful beings, even if for a short amount of time, Viraa cleared up for us.
Good to know, I thought, as I started to feel my skin tingle.
"Our clothes..." Michael said, looking down at his clothes, which were singed and began to burn away. When I looked down, I saw that my clothes were doing the same. All of ours were.
Za''Fia and I had to cover up as our clothes burned off us, revealing more and more of our skins. The boys were in the same boat but didn''t seem as bothered by it; they simply turned away. Tymon cloaked himself in shadows, Avarice turned a piece of the building into gold and willed it to cover himself, and Michael covered up with his large, white wings.
"Ah, yes, I forgot," Rabae said before he suddenly vanished and reappeared with a bag of crystals in one hand and tiny tabs in the other. First, he gave each of us a tab the size of a dime with a needle on it.
"The needles are made of cindium. You will need to prick one of your fingers so your biometrics can be registered to roam the planet legally," he instructed us.
When we stuck the needle into our fingers, a holographic bar that started to fill up appeared before us.
"A loading screen?" Za''Fia remarked.
As our bars loaded, Rabae handed each of us one of the crystals from his other hand.
"Press these to your chests," he said.
When we did so, our bodies were encased in a crystal membrane before the crystals receded, our new clothes.
"Those are zip-wear; they offer limited resistance to the otherwise harsh environments of Cindar," Rabae announced as we all looked at our clothes. We each wore summer clothes as if we were heading to the beach, which left Za''Fia and me practically naked in very revealing bikinis.
"Why did it choose this!?" I exclaimed as I tried to cover up as much of my body as I could. I was not a bikini girl. Za''Fia was able to cover up with flames around her body.
"I''ll burn your eyes out," she threatened Avarice, who turned his head toward her.
"Can you blame me? You are exquisite," he stated as he complied and turned away. It was the first time I''d seen him without a suit on. He was surprisingly muscular underneath that suave exterior.
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So was Michael. With his wings out, he looked even more stunning....He must''ve caught my lingering glance because he started to shine brighter, obscuring my vision.
"My apologies," Rabae said, "whenever the crystals are first activated, it changes your clothes to match whatever climate the user is in. Rest assured, you can use your imagination to turn it into something you are more comfortable with. It will retain its protective properties within Cindar''s elemental biomes."
"I am glad I refrained from warping us to the Hellhound District first," Rabae joked, chuckling.
"Thank God they can change," Za''Fia exhaled as her clothes morphed into the casual clothes she''d been wearing. We each changed our clothes to match our previous preferences. "You could''ve given us the clothes first, by the way."
"The zip-wear only activates once it reads one''s biometrics, so you needed to have at least your biometrics sampled before it could work. Also, zip-wear only lasts for seven days, so be sure to resupply weekly."
"There''s supply and demand regardless of the world, it seems," Avarice comments as he tugged at his golden tie and smoothed out his dark suit.
Now that we had clothes that weren''t melting, everyone paid attention to the loading bar as it was completed and was replaced with a small, holographic card that displayed over our chests. We discovered we could grab the card to view it and even enlarge it for convenience.
"This is the bio card you mentioned, I presume," Michael said as he held before him.
"Yes," Rabae confirmed. "Bio cards are a way of identification throughout this quadrant of space. They were created by the Sphinx Crest long ago. As you can see, it displays a variety of information about an individual, such as their name and appearance; if they''re cindarian, it reveals their Crest or division association along with their rank and the names of their cintracies. It also displays their threat level, EQN, and more."
"Wow," I marveled as I swiped through my bio card. I noticed one star placed as my threat level.
"What does this star mean?" I asked him.
"Put simply, that is the potential threat level you pose against the policing force called the Neutral Corp, which maintains order throughout the southwest quadrant of the Milky Way," Rabae said. "Threat levels are determined through the SRS: the self-updating, Star Ranking System that uses data from history and our bio cards each time we access them to accurately determine our current capabilities and adjust our threat levels accordingly. One''s threat level is displayed as a certain number of stars on their bio card, ranging from 0 to 10, with some receiving full stars followed by half a star. That said, just half a star is the lowest and least threatening level that most low-level life forms fall under," he gestured to the civilians who roamed the streets below.
"Species such as humans would have no star, indicating they aren''t a threat in the slightest, so you all being so low despite possessing ascension marks is quite unheard of," he continued while stroking his beard.
"How many stars do you have?" Tymon asked, catching me off guard. His ability to remain silent was eerie sometimes.
Rabae revealed his bio card to us. Among his cintracies, species, his age of over 3.5 billion UST (Viraa said that''s 7 billion in Earth years), a birthday of the 29th day of Nedej (January 29th apparently), his height of 6''7", his surprising weight of 621 pounds, the strength to lift up to 996.5 tons (which was apparently within the strength class of High Level 7. Probably where Viraa got the idea to use the categories for the Watchers.), the running speed of 111,500mphs (Mid Level 11), and the flight speed of Mach 179 (High Level 12), and a staggering EQN of 660,000,000, we also saw that he was a 3.5-star threat.
To think someone as powerful as him was only a 3.5-star threat. It made me wonder what kind of monsters had to be on the other end of the scale.
"Something to note: a pneumarian''s image on their bio card will always reflect whatever form they take when accessing it, so do not worry about being confused due to our ability to change our appearances. Truth be told, we typically stay within our comfort forms unless necessary."
"Isn''t it dangerous for everyone to know what you''re capable of?" Tymon asked, trying to understand why anyone would show this.
Chapter IV: Cindar (Pt. 3)
"Bio cards are only displayed if you wish them to be unless someone utilizes biolenses or if you are being interrogated by the Neutral Corp, sentenced by the pneumarian council, or the equivalent over in Forgeton," Rabae said while concealing his bio card. "Under those circumstances, you would be in an environment specifically designed to reveal everyone''s bio card information forcibly."
"You mentioned biolenses?" Za''Fia inquired, "How do we get one of those? They''d help make identifying people easier."
"Only a select few possess them so they can always know who is around them. There''s no need for you to concern yourselves with them," Rabae said politely, but we could sense a slight classist attitude underneath.
He turned his attention back to Tymon.
"But to alleviate your concern: while bio cards reveal one''s cintracies or special abilities, they do not explain what those cintracies and abilities do. One must already know the abilities to understand the danger behind them. For cintracies, that would mean having knowledge of the Transcript of Cintracies to understand those of which they have yet to encounter. Only the Celestial, their most trusted Tenshu, the Ryfi Theos and their most trusted Spiritan Commander, along with the Ryfa Pakt and their most trusted General Titan, carry a key that accesses one of two places storing the transcript. They are all quite capable, so the information is very protected."
"We get the sensitivity about bio cards, but why keep the transcript so tightly restricted?" I asked next. "Considering cindarians have such long lives, possess great memory recall, and are bound to come across other cindarians with cintracies, isn''t it pointless to hide a transcript that explains what cintracies do? I imagine every pneumarian over a billion has probably seen their fair share already, meaning they remember each of those abilities they''ve encountered."
"If that were all that the transcript revealed, I may be inclined to agree with you," Rabae replied patiently. "The transcript is linked to the same database used to update bio cards. Cintracies will display on one''s bio card, but the hidden data about the cintracies are transferred back to the transcript. Hidden data that also reveals the current inheritors of any given cintracy that has been registered by anyone with a bio card. It also does not only describe the general ability of a cintracy but also details the current capabilities of said cintracies due to the SRS''s auto-updating features. So, if someone learns how to apply a cintracy in a new way, their bio cards'' hidden data is updated to reflect that."
"In the wrong hands, it could be used against you," Tymon surmised.
"Precisely. Considering everyone has their own enemies, even amongst other fellow pneumarians and klevonians, it would not be wise to have that information privy to the public. This is why those with a key are trusted to ensure no one ever gets their hands on the transcript."
"Oh, I see now," I said, thinking about it. I guess I was so used to Viraa telling me who had what cintracies, but I never considered it from a more nefarious perspective.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Anyhow," Rabae clapped. "The Ryfi Theos is currently busy, so how about a brief tour?"
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Fun fact: Cindar is home to over 3.4 billion lives. 19,000 of which are pneumarians, while 23,207 are klevonians. Many non-cindarians have come to live peaceful lives here.
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