EMPYREAL - 207 CE

Part 1:

Deep within untouched wilds, where the verdant embrace of nature thrives unspoiled by the shadow of European conquest, a profound legend reverberates through the ancient air of South America. A recollection of an epoch where Earth itself resonated with the symphony of creation, its pulse intertwined with the celestial. A time where the skies sang of epic skirmishes—a cosmic theater where mortals' destinies were playthings in conflicts beyond their ken.

One such myth is of Intiqa, whose memory is as luminous as the golden radiance of the sun’s embrace. In his time he emerged not as a mere warrior, but as an embodiment of mortal prowess. Adorned with filaments of gold—a rare boon from glorious Inti, the sun deity—his very skin became both shield and spear. A beacon of hallowed favor. These golden strands glisten with the light of a thousand sunrises, casting shadows that dance in tune with his valorous deeds. Within his multitude of accomplishments, one has remained in the memories of his people. One that took place during what modern humans would call the year 207. His pursuit and battle with Amaru, a sorcerer draped in secrets of cosmic obscurity, driven by a voracious hunger for the realms that lie beyond the grasp of humans.

Amaru's ambition is not just dark but abyssal, aiming to rouse an entity shrouded within the unseen folds of the universe, known in hushed tones as "The Unfathomable Darkness." This malevolent force, cloaked in the absolute absence of light, lurks in anticipation of a breach—a moment to pierce through the delicate fabric of reality itself.

Part 2:

The fateful confrontation unravels within an otherworldly domain, where the very fabric of reality thins, shimmering with the raw, primal energies of the heavens. It is within this liminal space that Intiqa stands resolute against Amaru, their arena observed by entities whose forms flicker and pulse. These lesser gods were anomalies, perched upon the edges of reality watching with detached fascination, their presence like black stars in the blinding light. Before the battle begins, their whispers of "The Unfathomable Darkness" echoed as a thunderous crescendo.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Intiqa, unwilling to let Amaru get his way, charges forth, his brilliant form striking at the warlock’s conjurations. The duel intensified, the air around them thick with the power of untold ages. The observing gods fill the silence, their voices a chilling blend of curiosity and foreboding. These spectral watchers cast their unfeeling gaze upon the two combatants, their interest piqued by the unfolding cosmic drama in this empyreal stage, a backdrop of nebulas and obsidian stars.

Amaru, cloaked in the void itself, invoked a forbidden incantation using the entity’s true name. As the word Ghadamon escaped his lips, the sound sliced through the fabric of the universe. Aglow with his filaments that shimmerred with aureate flames, Intiqa countered the destruction by bending light around him, each step and strike stitching the delicate threads of reality that the sorcerer sought to tear asunder.

Part 3:

This monumental confrontation, while significant to the mortals, was underscored by cosmic indifference. Intiqa's divine filaments, though radiant with otherworldly splendor, waned under the assault. Amaru’s chants, a well of desolation, frayed the fabric further and the threads that bind the worlds were poised to unravel.

The warrior of light, as a last resort, plunged into the abyss, hoping the divine essence of Inti along with his own lifeforce might mend the breach that was threatening the arrival of Ghadamon. The sorcerer, ensnared by the powers he sought to harness, instead became its prey as "The Unfathomable Darkness" devoured him whole, pulling Amaru into the breach before it was sealed by Intiqa.

As the repercussions of their actions ripple through the cosmos, the lesser gods watch, amused by those who thought to dance with the darkness.