"STARS ARE RISING AT THE BRINK OF CHAOS, CALL MELODY A LIE WE'LL STILL FEEL IT, EVEN WHILE WE DIE."
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***
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Vegraz's lance impaled the body of a beast as they marched their way through this dark realm of massive towers and trees. This was it, vegraz hoped, if not, he was ready to take the option of sojourning the entire realm and parallel worlds in order to acquire it. And when he said "it", he meant ...
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Swinging his lance deftly, he sent its savage tip bursting through the ribs of another beast which had rose from the earth a few feet from where he and his infernal wolf stood. Sneaky creatures, they were more intelligent than those stone bastards, keeping them trapped within this illusionary realm filled with paradigms and parallaxes even the books of infernal wisdom couldn't comprehend. This wasn't what he had expected, but he was ready for whatever was going to come their way and it finally began.
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Those growls and grunts could be heard from the fog infested distance of this realm. Their red eyes searing through the dense curtains of darkness, these creatures seemed to have run out of patience having been eliminated wave by wave, they seemed to have come to a conclusion, that the only way they were going to drive the invaders back was to strike with full force. Vegraz was pleased to see them rushing from their hideouts, they had been waiting for them all this while. Tentacles lashing from their backs, six arms planted with horns and fingers bursting with burning claws, these beasts bearing the heads of serpents began their assault.
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"Let's begin", Vegraz commanded, "archers !"
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A total of a hundred men raced to the vanguard of the army, lining themselves in a formation of ten rows, they went on their knees, placing the cylindric cannons which had been strapped to their backs on their shoulders.
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"Fire !" Vegraz gave his command, thrusting his lance forward, "in the name of the infernal realm."
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Those orbs tore out from the wombs of the cannons, rising to the skies, they set this dark realm ablaze as they fell to the ground wiping out the vanguard of the assaulting army of beasts. But one wasn't enough, the next row came to the front, they too unleashed another volley of orbs which fell like a rain of flames on the army of beasts making them screech in pain as they flailed, their bodies in flames. The smile on Vegraz's lips widened, this was going to be another fun day.
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***
That pedestal with a burning book levitating above its surface glistened of an intense green. Placed on that altar, this tomb concealed from the universe of Hayra, was one of the most powerful elements of creation. The tale behind its rise and the reason for its creation was a mystery which many could never fathom, until now ...
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The book, once closed, had its back cover opened by its will. The first page bore those blazing inscriptions, symbols of fallen ages and centuries and the ones yet to come. A book capable of telling the future, yet was ignorant of the outcomes that would play out its making - the crack of age wasn't it ? It flipped to the second page which was empty - empty you say ? ! This meant one thing, all the tales and legacies of creation had only been able to contain the first page, wait ! The book flipped back to the first page. The ancient lines and paragraphs bearing those glyphs and ideograms blazed as though they had been thrown into a state of frenzy. The characters lifted themselves from the page of the book as they sailed through the air, dancing around, they formed a pattern and at the climax of this ritual, all the characters, none was exempted, fused at the core of their formation into one single character which sailed downwards, printing itself back on the first page of the book.
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A book which had once contained more than a hundred characters that had now fused themselves into one single character. A book of creation with the knowledge that was embedded within it capable of foretelling the past and predicting the future, it had one characteristic, no matter how long history may be, it will never exceed the first page, no matter what. And what was capable of making it go against its very nature, the very core of its existence ? What being would make it defy its sworn oath of resistance ? The book went insane as though arrogant about its achievements and boasting to all who dared accept the challenge, its infinite pages began to flip themselves as though they were being blown from the opposite direction by the wind. Endlessly the pages of the book turned, empty pages waiting to write and rewrite the history of time - who was worthy ?
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"I'll be waiting", the inscriptions were written on the last page, "for the one who can make me defy my purpose of creation."
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With that, the book finally closed itself and began its levitation above the pedestal, a trance which it has been trapped in since the beginning of time. And on the back cover of the book was that inscription which read.
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"I AM AWAITING, THE CRACK OF AGE."
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***
Theonis was furious about what had transpired the previous week between her and Fang. This hadn't been expected, the variables which would determine their victory had been distorted.
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"Distorted you say", said the queen.
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Queen Fera's eyes glistened, knowing that something was amiss. How could things go wrong now, they who had been preparing for this all these decades and just because of one person, all their preparations were going to fail ? All because of a variable known as Fang.
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"I already regret being born by you", Magrez replied, "but I'll only tell you this, RUN WHILE YOU STILL CAN."
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Megraz's words echoed in her head, what was it that made him so confident that Balkyre Fang could turn the tables against them ?
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"Distorted you say", Fera repeated, "what if it had already been distorted right from the start."
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"Our plans you mean", Theonis caught wind of the queen's statement.
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"When we thought we were the one's calling the tune", the queen continued, "we never took note that we were the ones who had been dancing to someone else's song."
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"It can't be that Fang is aware of the oaths taken before and during the nine thousand year war !", Theonis exclaimed.
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"I know that as well", Fera mused, "but how can it be that he is able to know all these ... I just have this feeling that he somehow knows about this."
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"We have to find a way then", Theonis suggested, "there definitely has to be a way."
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"It don't want to admit that Fang is capable of reading our movements, the plans which have been laid by the ancestors right from the beginning of time cannot be comprehended by a twenty-three year old youth, when an elder like me is yet to grasp the full might of its power. I believe that Fang has someone who is acting as his guide."
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"Do you mean he is favoured by the heavens ?" Theonis asked.
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"Probably", Fera replied, "nevertheless, even the most blessed sometimes run out of luck and it is only a fool who depends on the favours granted by the heavens to achieve their goals, there must be a push, a drive, a catalyst, that must make the march unstoppable, making it possible to defy any opposition or challenger. The ability to see through the future isn't just about the gifts of the heavens, it requires sheer mastery and skill, the ability and mental resilience of a grandmaster and schemer at his prime. And from what we have known, Fang is nowhere close to being a grandmaster when it comes to ruthless scheming, all his achievements up till now are simply the variables initiated by the hands of luck. And that luck will very soon run out."
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***
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"The grand scheme of empires has finally been put in place."
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"What challenges are yet to be overcome ?"
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"Nothing much, other than our known rivals."
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"Do you think they do not pose a threat ?"
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"Threat ?" The man laughed, taking calm strides as he walked gracefully on the stone pavements of the royal court.
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"My king", the adviser to the third empire of the fourth nether realm said, "you seem to underestimate my capabilities, don't you ?"
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"We cannot look down on our foes, can we ?" Replied king Zorel.
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"As cautious as ever your majesty", said the adviser, Lethar, "but what do you think will pose a threat to our well laid plans ?"
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"Others will be doing the fighting while we'll only do the reaping", said the king.
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"We'll watch them burn themselves down while we take advantage of the brimming sea of blood."
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"And the stale and foul winds of war and rotting flesh."
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"Will be the winds of our sails to voyage this brutal sea of blood."
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***
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"One more century", that voice called, "one more century."
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"They have turned me to a tool, a tool to harness their the power they seek from a collapsing universe. I am broken and bent, yet willing to live and the only desire I have, is to throw the heavens an the endless earths into chaos, an infinite apocalypse so that they will know my might, so that they will realize that I, that I the Erama is not a toy to be used and discarded as pleased."
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Within this domain of scarlet winds and densities, floated that majestic board bearing burning columns and pillars. Those ideograms and geometric configurations integrating at their designated points, igniting a cosmic cycle of existence, infinite cycles which tell the tale of this universe which was brimming at the edge of war. These worlds raging and its seas blazing, a dying heaven and a bleeding earth. How could they undermine my power ? They had brought the once glorious weapon of chaos to a perpetual state of misery.
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"Those dammed gods of Godsland", that voice swore, "especially that beast, Secregard. It was he who had turned me this way. But soon, very soon, I shall make them realize that this epitome of knowledge and chaos is still alive. I the Erama, am still alive."
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***
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Within these levitating worlds at the peak of harmony and peace, lay those raging souls thirsting for the rebirth of chaos, beings who's existence were alien to the natural order of the universe of Hayra. They were beings atemporal, unknown and hidden, unseen and unheard of, with the ability to challenge even the heavens. A rebellious order brimming to defy the realms of creation, existence was getting closer with each passing second to its apocalypse.
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"What do you think of the lower realms Farterna ?" That voice raging within this void boomed.
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"What else", the other replied, "if not for mites feeding off the blood which we have spilled for them to come alive ?"
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"The times are about to change", said another, "but, I feel that we are no longer the only ones who gave been recreated for this battle."
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"We are no longer the only ones willing to wage this war against the heavens." Said the first.
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"Arch Lorandis", another voice boomed, "a hundred centuries ago where were we ?"
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"At the depths of misery."
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"At the bottom of slavery."
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"Warring against the carnage of the heavens."
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"A brutal massacre indeed", said Lorandis, "we could have been the gods of worlds if not for him."
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"They you mean", another checked, "they are the cause of our misery, the catalyst of our suffering."
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"Now that he has fallen", said another, "I wonder, how he will be able to face us."
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***
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Time was infinite, parallel was an understatement, to think how vast and endless worlds can be, but true to the times and realms, each transition always lead to another order an even higher order capable of challenging the laws of creation, the first laws of existence.
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