The Chosen

Part 1

Footsteps echoed through the hall, their armor clanking against itself as they walked. The hall had pillars all along the edges of the walls, on each pillar hung a flag embroidered with different crests on them. Each background for every flag was verified in the dye that was used to color them. Some flags were different shades of red and yellows, and a few were different shades of purple.

They halted before two guards that stood on each side of the large doors. The doors had two bronze figures on them, each had an arm stretched out with a weapon in hand, their weapons pointing to a golden star shaped figure in the middle of the two doors.

"We wish to speak to the chieftains. The scouting party has returned from the far North-east." One of the lead men said to the guard on the right of the doors.

"Show an official mark of orders or wait until they are ready to hear from the people." The guard replied.

The lead scout nodded his head to one side, signaling to another to show the paper with the chief's marks. The man with the marked paper walked forward and unraveled the paper holding it out for the guard to see.

"Ah, looks good. Sorry for the delay, Chief of the Venmara army." The guard said while he looked at the paper.

"Lets, let them in. The chiefs must be waiting for them." He said to the other guard as he went to tap on the door and then started pushing it open with one hand, the other guard did the same. Once the door was open the guard raised his voice and stated to the room." The Revten Scouting party has returned and brings news of the lands of the far north east!" He then turned and pulled the door closed, the other guard did the same.

The scouts walked through the door into the Hall of the Chieftains. The room was large and round, in the center of the room was a large bowl shaped pit. Above the pit sat a ring-shaped table that ran the rime of the pit, and every few yards or so, a chair had been placed. All of the chairs faced the center of the pit allowing for all the chiefs to view each other while they sat.

"Head warrior Kiliates, what news do you have for the chieftains?" A middle aged man with an eye patch asked.

"I have news of the far north east of our territory." Kiliates announced.

"Ah yes. You are the chief commander of Chieftain Venmara's army. Go on then tell us about this news." The one eyed man said in amusement.

"As you wish chieftain Gukes." Kiliates bowed before continuing out of respect. "The lands of the far north east have been destroyed. Not a thing lives for miles. The forests are gone, burned to ashes. Not a thing crawls, runs or flies there."

"So the rumors are true then…" A Chieftain murmured to himself then spoke up and asked "What of our settlements?" He rubbed his chin with the stub of his wrist, while he waited and listened for Kiliates answer.

"None stand, few people live."

"Is this the work of men? Monsters? Or of gods?" Another chieftain asked this one, appearing to be blind.

"It is unknown, the devastation is on a scale I have never seen before, no man, no beast, nor any god known can do what me and my men saw." Kiliates answered the Chieftains.

"This is rather strange, could it be that there is perhaps a god that we were not aware of?" Chieftain Gukes postulated.

"Gukes, it is possible. But we won't know until one appears, and claims to have caused this destruction." A Chieftain that remained quite up until now said. This chief ran her fingers through her short cut hair on her head as a sign of stress.

"Harmates makes a good point, but it could also be possible that an agent of evil could be behind this. Some of the old temples have fallen into the hands of our enemies." The Chieftain with the stub of a wrist said.

"Vikanis, all of the barbaric deities have been slain some time ago. They shouldn't be alive anymore, it's been so long that they should be nothing more than mounds of dust." A chief with long graying hair spoke in a low and guttural voice that verberated the chamber.

"We simply don't know, Jankus." Harmates replied.

"Kiliates, what else is there? How many settlements were lost?" Gukes asked, turning his one eye gaze to the scout.

"From what our scouting legion found seven villages within our territory along with two cities were razed to the ground. Only a few lived through this event, my men are working on finding more among the fallen settlements as we speak. We will have a full report on the living and gods forbid... the mountain of dead from this massacre." Kiliates said in a voice full of dread and confidence.

"Why didn't you begin with that bit of news?" Harmates cried in disbelief. "We knew that surely there would be dead from this event, but to think two cities and seven villages gone within a night!" she yelled out a furious rage of utter terror and horror as to what she just had heard.

"Yes, my apologies, Chief Harmates. I shall lead any future news of such matters of this sort first." Kiliates replied sharply and in a serious and sincere voice.

"We must mobilize our forces and learn what truly happened that night!" Vikanis blurted out. "We can not be ignorant of what happened any longer, we must search all of the temples to learn of this new threat and how we can stop it from ever happening again!"

"Here, here!" A few of the chieftains shouted in unison.

Chief Gukes stood up from his chair and pounded the table with one fist and then shouted "We must ask our allies for aid and information. We will not sit by and let another event happen like this ever again. From this moment forth we are at war with any who withholds such information on this matter, and declare war on any god who does not wish to give us aid!" The room burst out into cheers.

"Kiliates, why didn't you tell them you didn't think it was a god that did this?" Kiliates companion asked as they walked down halls of the Chieftain`s governmental building

"Because Hesper I don't think they would have listened. They would have just thought of some other excuse, why do you think I withheld the information on how many settlements were destroyed?" Kiliates reputed back.

"But you don't know that. They could have just taken this as just the flow of a river."

"A river does not always empty into one body of water Hesper."

"Some don't, yes. But some do. You could have guided the flow into that body Kiliates!"

"No! Tensions have been rising with the tribes of the north west, and the peoples of the south. The man creatures have also been pushing and rubbing our sides for some time now. they want war, they do not care with who. They want and need a cause, and They now have one."

"But Kiliates, we are soldiers, we have men under our names. We can force them to listen, we don't have to go to war over a stone thrown in a pond that kills a few fish. We don't even know who did this or if even someone did, for all we know it could be like you said nothing more than something that's just as natural as a tree falling in the forest."

Kiliates stopped walking and turned to face Hesper. "They will not listen nor care. Our lands weren't the only ones affected by this, others have been as well. Some of them have been just as eager to start a war just as much as our chieftains have been. It is only a matter of time. They will blame others, they will look for who or what did this. No matter where we stand war will come, I wish it weren't so but it is."

He looked away for a moment then back at Hesper then began to speak again. "We are soldiers, we are to protect our lands, our peoples. We have to, I wish it weren't so. But that is the reality we are in."

"Chief commander Kiliates!" A raised voice said, this caused him to turn to where the sound had come from. A soldier came running towards him in a light run, the man took a moment to catch his breath, and then saluted before speaking. "The wounded have arrived in the city, just an hour ago."

"I'm pleased to hear that, make sure those gifted in the arts of healing see every last one of them. Have two men escort them to the wounded right away without a moment's delay."Kiliates ordered.

"Yes sir it shall be done."

"One other thing, for those that refuse to heal these wounded bring them to me. I wish to speak with any who wish to object to my authority." Kiliates added, then saluted the soldier and turned back to where he was heading before the runner interrupted his journey. "Be on your way now."

The runner saluted and then turned and darted off.

"Kiliates? Really?" Hesper said in some shock and with a hint of disgust in his voice.

Kiliates turned to look at Hesper and then just started walking without another word.

"You'll have healers imprisoned or killed for refusing to heal the wounded?" Hesper asked with a tone of disapproval.

"Yes. we need to know what truly happened. Whether this is natural or an attack by one of our enemies, we need to know. Any who refuse without just reason, should be assumed to be aiding an enemy of the nation." Kiliates replied in somewhat of a cold tone as he walked.

Hesper just walked in silence after Kiliates reply.

Some time later that day Kiliates was bathing when a knock came to the bath house door.

"Yes, who is it?" He asked

"It is me, your runner Fraigi. sir, one of the wounded seems to have awakened." Fraigi reported.

Kiliates raised his arms to gesture to the bath aids to stop washing him, they backed away. Then he stood up. One of the aids helped him dry off while another brought him his clothes.

He quickly put them on and hurried out the door of the bath house. Outside a large creature outfitted with a saddle was waiting for him. Fraigi walked along Kiliates and then spoke as Kiliates approached the creature. "I had a Dilem readied for you."

"Thank you, Fraigi." Kiliates replied and saluted then mounted onto the Dilem, Fraigi saluted back. Kiliates pulled back on the reins of Dilem forcing its head back, then he kicked its sides to get it moving. It moved at a decent walking speed until Kiliates kicked his heels into its side again causing the seven limbed creature to do a light gallop. After a few moments of riding Kiliates arrived at the healers' temple.

"Chief Commander Kiliates is here!" A soldier guarding the entryway shouted, four men came running out and saluted in a line. One stepped forward to address Kiliates.

"If you follow me I will lead you to the survivor." The healer said.

"Very well, take me to them." He said as he started to walk forward, two men walked behind while the other two walked in front of Kiliates.

"We haven't gotten much out of her. She keeps mumbling to herself or to something." The healer talked as they walked.

"Mumbling what exactly?" Kiliates asked

"We aren't sure. The tongue she speaks is foreign to us, we brought in those well versed in all the tongues of the lands around us. But none of them seem to know what she speaks or the tongue she uses." the Healer replied.

"Are you certain that it's an unknown tongue she speaks?"

"Yes, chief Kiliates I am sure of it. These mumblings could be nothing more than mad delusions or something is talking with her."

"We need to find out which it is then." Kiliates said with some amusement in his voice.

"The room is just this way now." The healer said as he turned down a hallway to the left.

"Here it is." he stopped and pushed open a door, inside was a young woman.

She looked no more than 22 and no less than perhaps 18 or so Kiliates thought. He walked into the room, she was sitting on the bed facing the wall to the other side of the room. She just stared at the wall, she didn't even move her eyes to look at Kiliates as he approached the chair to her left.

"What is your name?" Kiliates asked.

She whispered something that Kiliates couldn't hear.

"Could you speak louder please I don't think I heard you." Kiliates asked.

She screamed suddenly "Why was it me!"

Kiliates was startled by this sudden outburst and pulled a dagger, but relaxed once he saw that she wasn't attacking.

"I'm apologizing for pulling my dagger on you." He said in an apologetic tone, he bowed his head lightly but as he moved back up to look at her he found that she was staring at him.

Part 2

The dark was warm, but there was nothingness. I felt lost and alone then a voice broke the empty silence. "A new God?"

"Another shattered?" Asked another voice.

The voices seemed to have come from all around her.

"It's hardly a god. It's barely even aware of what it is... This is just a lower form of life given the chance to be something it's not and can never be."

"This is disgraceful!" shouted another with vile content in its voice.

"It must be purged! We can't let any more live or come into being!" Shouted a deep voice that sounded more like a low guttural sound than an actual voice, but I somehow knew what it was saying, which surprised me.

Then a sound like I've never heard before in my life boomed throughout the dark.

"Silence! Or I shall find you and consume you all!" The voice sounded old and eternal, wise with a hint of regret.

"Yes Great Either." All of the other voices spoke in unison, their voices were soaked with fear shaking their words. As I heard them reply to this Great Either I noticed those voices didn't sound as old as this Great Either.

I still couldn't see anything or feel anything, just floated in darkness.

"The universe has grown and changed, so much life amongst the stars. It is most wonderful, it's most beautiful seeing all of these endless forms of life, it's inspiring." A voice that gave off a gentle entirely everlasting sense of wonder and peace and comfort as it spoke.

Silence filled the dark for some time until suddenly it was broken by that same voice. I felt uneasy with it this time, I didn't seem to hear it but more felt its voice as it talked. "Tell us your name, young one."

Was it talking to me? Or to something else?

"We are talking to you. What are you? What name have you given your people? What do you call yourself?" It asked in a quick burst of curiosity.

"Leave my shard alone." A familiar voice said. I recognized the voice but couldn't remember the name. What was it again? Vibow'lasty? No that didn't sound quite right I thought. Vibew'lasti

"It was you? Of all of us it was you, who allowed this creature to ascend?"

"Yes. Now leave the Hc'lovtope alone. It does not need to follow any of you." this voice sounded like that of the god she saw after the star fell and hit the ground.

"How dare you! We shall cleanse all of the shards of you from existence!" Screamed a new voice.

I suddenly felt uneasy and had a sense of impending doom, until I realized that the feeling was coming from a voice speaking. "You think you can create more shattered? You think you do not have to abide by our rules? We have peace across most of creation and yet you create more and threaten that peace, Vibew'lasti,"

"Save me the lecture. I've been around since the shattering itself. I have shaped worlds into existence just as you have Riam'vatas. I have seen many stars give their first light and many give their last, I have seen worlds form from dust and I have seen them return to dust."

"We will find you and hunt you down! We will-" Riam'vatas was suddenly cut off by a voice that sounded strange but so familiar to her that she almost didn't recognize it.

"Where am I?" I yelled out of fright and panic.

"It speaks. But I do not understand it, this creature can't speak Eternal tongue. How amusing." A new voice said, sounding amused.

"My Hc'lovtope, asked where it is." Vibew'lasti translated for Farlyn.

Laughter filled the dark, it came from all around. I felt sick, dizzy and panicked.

"Maybe we should let your shatterling and you live. It is rather entertaining." Riam'vatas said in a rather cheerful voice.

"It wants to know where it is? What a sad being." a voice mocked then laughed.

"What an infant, what a primitive being. Vibew'lasti you have chosen good."

Voices swarmed all around her in the dark. Then suddenly they all stopped, silence filled the dark once again.

"A new species…" A voice broke through the silence, every bit of my body vibrated with its words. My heart suddenly started to race. "What makes you special?" The great vibrating voice asked. "Why did Vibew'lasti pick you? Out of all of the endless forms of life across all of creation he picked you." Its voice had a softness that comforted me in a strange motherly way.

"I don't know." I said without me realizing that I was speaking.

"Why do you care?" Vibew'lasti asked out of curiosity, his voice was soft and full of what sounded like respect.

"Why?" The motherly voice echoed and then continued after a brief moment of silence. "Because this is something you haven't done in a very, very long time Vibew'lasti."

"Wen'dek it's because I could, I was there and my Hc'lovtope needed saving. Saving from the uncaring peoples and beings fighting among the stars. I know where that rock came from, I know who sent it on its way. I led a fleet to stop it, but in the end we couldn't. But we did save that world from becoming another lifeless body."

"You tried to save them? You of all of the other gods decided to interfere with a war that you have nothing to do with? To save a world that is innocent from a war they have nothing to do with, from a stray weapon of mass destruction?" Wen'dek postulated.

"Is there a problem with me saving my Hc'lovtope? Was it wrong to save all of the Hc'lovtopes?"

I listened to the two beings talk in the dark, I felt more lonely than ever before. Scared even. I felt as though everything and everyone had forgotten me. Why did he pick me? There were others, there were a lot more and I am sure that many have survived like I did.

"Why did you save me? I could have survived on my own. There were others that needed saving more than I did. Why didn't you save more? Why was it just me?" I muttered to myself, I felt delirious and angry. I felt undeserving of this new life, this second chance.

"Why was it me!" I shouted in frustration.

Both of the deities went silent.

"Yes why it…" An endless choir of voices asked.

"Hc'lovtope I can not answer your question as to why it was you. You will know in times, creation will show you. Your answers lie in your past and in your future, in the nows of all times and in the pasts of all times. Your answer is everywhere and nowhere at the same time." Vibew'lasti answered.

"What a wonderful and awesome answer Vibew'lasti. That is the truth and wisdem behind your choice. Your Hc'lovtope as you call it will have to learn what your answer means and how it answers its question." A new voice spoke.

"Ah the Great Drake it's been eons…" Wen'dek said in a surprised voice.

"I think you all have taken up this Hc'lovtope`s time enough I shall release it from all of your grasps." The Great Drake said and then a cacophony of voices shouting objections to the Great Drake arose from the darkness.