The Age of Reason

The Age Of Reason is a evolutionary novel in that the story is updated based on the memory of the characters. As their memories return, the novel is updated.

we_mac · Fantasy

Not enough ratings

21 Chs

Chapter 2: Transcendence

"Meiga...Meiga!?! Are you ok?" Meiga hasn't moved. He sits slumped against one of the fallen foes. The area around him flickers away. "Meiga...Meiga!?!" "Oh no." A strange calm embraces the land. The sounds of war have fallen deaf; as if someone muted the scene. Meiga lies still. Geferus moves toward the now still figure. "Meiga...Meiga." Trying to be as polite as he can. "Ahem...MEIGA!!!" His voice booms as it echoes in the still air. The battlefield disappears...the kaiyalu, bits of unknown craft and the defeated as well. The sky is dark no more. The mysterious being disappears. "Whoa...is he OK, Kereila?" Elliah asks with such a sweet, little voice. She looks like a dwarven being with large feet and hands. "Meiga?!? Hey..." Kereila shakes Meiga. Meiga slowly rises to his feet once more. "You-er, kinda slipped off asleep somehow." Disgruntled and confused, Meiga shakes his head. "What...just happened?" Meiga looks about in wonder. The fields are as beautiful and clear as before. "But...it was right in front of me?" Meiga questioned. "What was? All we saw was an old image of your battles. Then, you kinda fell over. You must of cut yourself...your right arm is bleeding." He looks in the direction the others are gesturing towards. "My...right arm." He looks about for a weapon perhaps. His claws, maybe? Meiga gazes at his claws. There's no signs of skin or debris that would suggest he wounded himself or anything else. He watches the small pool of blood on the ground begin to dissipate. He holds up his arm and pulls his cloak away from the unknown injury. The blood seemingly trickles down a small cut just below his neck and slowly disappears. He cannot remember how he ended up like this. He clears his head as the others look on …mystified at the blood disappearing before their eyes. "And the children?" A bit startled, the onlookers seem relieved he is speaking once more. Some turn away to continue their daily activities. The others attend other matters before them. "They're fine. A little frightened but..." One of the warriors stop as if something hushed him. "What's that sound?" A strange buzzing noise can be heard from far away. The sound reverberates through the silence above them. "Perhaps...it's time, Meiga." Geferus is somber in his approach. An oddity for a scrollsman. A small flash of light manifests over his right shoulder. "Your days are winding down, my friend. Shall we record your history?" Geferus asks. A great book appears from the flash. One of untold magic. It is the story of ALL stories. A memory of those lost...forever recorded in its bindings. Never to be shared again. "No, I'm alright, Geferus. Must've been something I ate." He says jokingly. He pauses for a moment as he realizes something is tugging at his cloak. He looks down as a gentle tug is followed with a lispy voice. "Well, SOMETHING was wong alwite! You didwent fwinish the stowy!" Belfilith proclaimed. She has one tooth about her and cannot be trusted around goodies. She is the youngest of the children. "Yeah, tell us more!" The other children gather. The warriors step away and tend to their duties as the youngster invade the scene. "I have SOOOO many questions like what is the blade you carry?! And the kaiyalu?! And the thing you saw in the sky?!" The children continued to clamor. Amongst the commotion, Tannon runs up to the small gathering. Before Meiga can address them, he is greeted with a warning. "Meiga!!! Something's approaching!! Just north of here. Above the clouds!! Hurry!!" Meiga has somehow gained the ability to foresee the future. His memory fades on how he gained it. But he has... Everything is the same. Only the craft is no craft at all. It's a large celestial beast. It's body has numerous red spots about it as it attempts to mimic the clouds. "Meiga?" Kereila tries to gain some insight on what's happening. "What did you see?" Kereila sees the concern on his face. She has numerous abilities. One of them being her ability to interpret emotions. "Hide the children..." He instructs. "Why? What is that thing!?!" "Hide them NOW! But NOT in the ground." Perhaps...the kaiyalu? Meiga thought. "Tell the seer what you saw! It can help us form a strategy." Kereila cautions. Meiga agrees. "Quickly, summon it, Kereila!" *^###% The air above them grows still. An almond-shaped circle appears before them. Small feet descend from this circle. Like that of a fawn. Its hands are hooves and its body like that of seawater. They are born of the zaywailu, the way of motion and time. "What do you seek...do you seek?" Echoes the seer. "I...think I had a dreamburst." A dreamburst is a moment in time that foresees segments of the future. It is unclear to the dreamer. Only the strongest warriors yield such power. It quickly fades but a seer can extract and interpret it. "Leannnnn....lean..." Commands the seer. Meiga leans toward the creature. Its body engulfs Meiga, replaying the events of his dreamburst for all to see. Kereila is horrified by the images. "What IS that!?" A swift wind stretches out and strikes Meiga's neck in the dreamburst. It seems to be a fatal blow. The seer explains ever so calmly: "The forcefields (forcefields) are not strong enough to withstand the onslaught (onslaught). The children (children) are not saved but sink into the dark abyss (abyss). The kaiyalu dies as kaiyalu do not have wings. Meiga is defeated and dies as well. (As well)." Echoes the seer. The enchanted circle explodes into a small poof and the seer stands before them. Meiga and the others cannot believe what they are hearing. Meiga lowers his head. "Is THIS to be my legacy?" He quietly contemplated. The seer raises its arms and projects several images. It gazes towards the heavens. "All is not lost, wise warrior. You did NOT call on the 11th warrior. She is the one known as Rea. She is who you saw in the dreamburst...dreamburst. Perhaps she can be of some assistance?" The seer echoes. "Rea? The 11th warrior? Who's that, Meiga?!" Some of the children asked. Meiga rubs his head and thinks of other options. Surely there has to be someone else. "If I'm to call her, what are my chances of surviving this attack?" Meiga looks up at the seer. The seer looks back towards Meiga, nods and points to the direction of the growing clouds. Meiga knows no comfort will come from the seer and looks back at his people. Satisfied with its answer, it releases its hold of Meiga and steps back into the almond-shaped circle. The circle expands to allow it to step back into it then disappears as suddenly as it appeared. Filled with growing sadness, Kereila turns to Meiga. "What of the strategy, Meiga? Surely one such warrior isn't e-" Kereila, unsure of his true power, wants him to let others fight this battle. She's careful not to offend her master but is desperate to be heard. "I mean the initial strategy didn't work so we need another plan, right?!" She pauses briefly as she measures her words. "Please, Meiga! You can't just throw your life away?! Meiga abruptly objects. "Yes...she is." Disappointed with his answer, Kereila remembers her place and sits in silence "Kereila? You know what to do." He raises his head a bit and searches the skies for a moment. Reluctantly, she answers. "Yes, Meiga." "Wait...what about us?! Where do we go?" The children wondered. Meiga gives it some thought and looks about the fields. Not entirely certain, he thinks of a strategy to save as many as he can. "Go with Tannon." Tannon has six horselike legs and the body of a man. His armor is that of soft leather and ancient enchanted gear made up of magical spells. Tannon nods and runs south with the children upon him. "The rest of you funnel the beast to me. I will use the kaiyalu to destroy the beast and incinerate the minions beneath us. With that said, the ground is no good to us. I need Exchelion and Mateilis to create forcefields to lift us up and to disrupt the shockwaves from the kaiyalu's attacks. It will be up to you two to save my life." Meiga turns and nods to the two warriors. Exchelion and Mateilis look at one another. "Are you ready?" Meiga asks. "Sir!" Exclaims the two with a nod. "And me, Meiga?" Kereila asks. Meiga turns and looks at her. "I thought you understood?" Kereila, hoping he doesn't fight, is at a loss for words. She begins to speak but lowers her head instead. "Feigning ignorance will not defeat the enemy. We will hold off the onslaught until Rea gets here..." Kereila, though worried, acknowledges her command. "Understood." Geferus cloaks himself and stands nearby. "I will be watching you closely, old friend. When the time comes, I will perform the ritual to preserve your story." Meiga turns and nods. Kereila begins the summon. "Wait! Hold onto this for me, Geferus. The dreamburst gave us no true path to victory. What was the number, old friend?" "This would be your 926,473rd battle, if I'm not mistaken and none other has fought as well." The odd being turned and looked at Meiga. It would speak as if it knows something unfortunate was going to happen. "Fight well, Meiga, for time nears a new chapter." The voice lingers a bit as Meiga lowers his head. "Dying." He wondered. The thought of dying never really occurred to him. He remembers being so sure and recklessly brave. That was it. Now, he faces an uncertain outcome. Unsure of the task before him, he studies his body...observing the damages he's endured for several millennia. His aura grows dim but not his fighting spirit. The carna craves once more. He turns toward the cloaked figure and gestures with a nod. He hands him his golden medallion. A gift given to him by his forefathers. With a solemn grin, he replies. "Shall do..." Kerelia sends several signals to reach Rea. She chants and waves her arms to and fro as a small spark of energy begins to manifest before them. Rea is believed to be as legendary as Meiga, albeit much younger in age. She is queen of one of the 11 warrior tribes of Carna synergy. An honor very few warriors share. Her power is in her aura in that she can manipulate matter at a molecular level. She has fought countless wars and when challenged, she always stands alone. An odd wind circles about the group. The smaller flying creatures scatter quickly as the air becomes saturated with a thickening dew. Shortly, a fiery disc appears to burn a hole just above the warriors. A large plume of smoke obstructs her silhouette as she stealthily emerges. The other warriors look on and quickly bow as Rea appears. "My queen..." Meiga goes to bow but is too stiff to bend. "Perhaps another time for the bended knee, eh Meiga?" Rea jokes. "Seems so, my queen. My apologies." Rea smiles and surveys the clouds. She notices the cool breeze and can feel the earth echo rumblings from some distance. She checks her totes and pouches. As she does an increasingly loud sound emits from the heavens. She seems calm as she awaits the ensuing battle. She flips her blade too and fro as she balances the weapons and armaments upon her. Her crimson red armor glows with her aura: A brilliant blue. "No worries." She pats his back with a menacing grin. "Where do you want me?" "Actually, just to my left should suffice." He instructs. Rea studies his movements and follow along. He turns to the others and gives his command. "Exchelion...Mateilis." Using telepathy, he gives them their respective orders. "Right!" The two use their fortifying magic and lift Rea as well. With his warriors in place, Meiga examines the fields once more. All seems calm. The warriors are anxious to fight...to do their parts...to do something to offset the menace they are soon to face. They too shall tell their stories. However, this is Meiga's time. And his has yet to end. Geferus, as a scrollsman, stands ready to fulfill its destiny. Though not common, scrollsmen have been known to reveal certain secrets about their "masters" that can be used in times of war. Their legacy lies within the birth of the universe. Prone to the shadows, they help shed light when their "masters" need them most. Their history, though contextualized to be somewhat extraordinary, is more duty than obligation. They CAN choose to never appear. Their appearance illustrates a shift in that "masters" timeframe. They are believed to have the ability to alter their "clients" lifestream or replace it altogether. A lifestream is a measure of time based on its owner's decisions. These decisions can transmute an endless web of possibilities so doing so is forbidden. The stargatherers give them free range and watch from the heavens. Their presence is generally unannounced, however, they have a purpose that elude their "masters". They tend to be careful not to interfere in their lives and MAY come when summoned. Their true nature is unclear but perhaps they are the ultimate weapon... With the horrors a few moments away, Meiga taps his shoulder for luck. First, his left then right and bows his head. He stretches for a bit, raises up and bows again. His heartbeat thunders hard and eventually grows steady. His mind races as he anticipates the carnage yet to come and prepares for a difficult battle. He knows his allies as well as his enemies. He's ready... He turns to confront the oncoming threat. "Now...let's begin..."

PREV INDEX Next