Humid winds flow between obsidian scales, brushing by harmlessly as Aleph soars over the polychromatic landscape with Goldy in tow. Terrain shifts between sparse clusters of acidic ponds and lakes, and jaw-like forests of stone spires with vibrant rivers tumbling into deep ravines below. In the distance, the rich glow of a light core steadily gains intensity as the pair approach their sparsely positioned target.
Upon her back, Goldy sits in a near meditative contemplation, eyes narrowed and body clung still and tight to her scales. "Watcha thinking about?" Aleph asks, her head twisting back to face him, the distraction adjourning him from his thoughts. "Strength." Does he ever think about anything else? "I don't suppose you have a hobby, do you?" "Many." Since when? He doesn't count training as a hobby does he? "Lately I have taken great interest in carving. Maho has taught me much of the skill." Actually... that's a really nice hobby. Guess I should've thought better of him. "And I train before every rest." There it is. "What of you, Hinya? Do you take upon yourself any tasks of enjoyment?" "Ah..." "Hm?" "I don't have any..."
Through the eyes of a frustrated spider
Why do I have to be stuck with her? Lyla clings to a ravine wall, descending at a calm pace while mumbling incoherently, even to herself, let alone the demon gracefully skating down the wall behind her. The world turns dark, only the soft glow of her pale fur and slight fluctuations in the surrounding Mana to guide her way to the base of the crevice. "Hey demon, can you even see in this darkness? Maybe you should head back up and leave this to me." Take the hint! Take the hint! "Darkness? I didn't even notice. The light you give off alone is enough for me to see everything here. Thanks for asking though." She didn't take the hint!
Or wait! Maybe she did, but is just pretending so she can torture me further! I see through your plans, devil. "Say, Lyla..." "Hmm?" "No, nevermind." Don't toy with me demon! "Oh, a fork. Which way do you think we should go?" Huh... So there is. At the base of the crevice a pair of tunnels diverge from each side, the one ahead humming with the faint rumble of trickling motion while the other holds a deathly silence. "Well, this one sounds like it has running water, which is usually a good sign and probably does lead to the next layer, but... I wanna see what happens if we diverge from conventional wisdom and go the spooky way."
"Are you sure? We don't know when the others will get back. It might be best to take the more efficient route." "Oh, live a little. What's the worst that could happen? And I'm keeping a thread so we won't get lost." "What if we split up? If I follow the water I won't get lo-" "Are you crazy?!" Lyla practically leaps in disgust of the suggestion, instinct not even needed in this repulsion. "Splitting up in a dark and scary cave is the worst thing you can do! That's how you get picked off by some haunting monster or nerdowell! And the good-looking ones always get taken first! That's me!" The demon looks at her, a little taken aback by the outburst before pondering. "I thought it was the chipped skin ones that always go first." Do demons have horror Anime too?
"Whatever. We're going this way." Skittering down the more dank of the two tunnels, Lyla lays her line of thread behind her with the demon skipping lackadaisically in tow.
Through the eyes of a meditating elf
A faint green saturates pale stone immediately around Fluffy, small lime orbs spontaneously popping in and fading out around his body. The porous stone pushes back at the Aether, a slight resistance, enough to feel his immediate surroundings and no more. Pulling the energy back in, he lets out a sigh. I've been sitting still for so long... His eyes drift down the ravine, and off to the horizon. Maybe I can get some exercise in while waiting. Standing tall he stretches, twisting his hips and pulling his arms back tight. What should I do first?
Through the eyes of an introspective ape
Gol Dhee sits within his own thoughts, clung tight to the emissary's back as they soar towards an orb of fire and light. The sharp winds, seemingly eating away at his fur, serve to provide no inspiration in his search for self-improvement. Turning his eyes instead to the approaching orb he drinks in the blinding radiance it emits. The emissary can handle such heat with ease. How does she manage? "Hinya." "Hmm?" "What is the source of your strength?" "Aether." "..." How succinct... "Maho's strength comes from magnitude. Yet you stand comparable with less, by your own admission. How is this?" "Hmmm... Aether is still the first thought that comes to mind, but I think I get what you're asking. Gimme a sec."
The world inverts as the emissary lands on the orb, gripping her claws around it tight. One thrust at a time, they descend, the orb resisting with all its might until they reach the ground. Hopping off, Gol Dhee turns to face her, rays of light spilling from between her claws. "If you ask me, your greatest area for improvement is defence." "Defence? What of my white fur technique? I can deflect all before I am struck. Is there no better defence?" "You can't deflect air, can you? Not without suffocating at least." "..." "An important thing to understand about Mana, is that no technique is ever complete. No form is final. You can always do more."
"If you're looking for inspiration, look to Lyly. She uses Mana just like you, and has made her body all but invulnerable. Even acid doesn't seem to affect her." The orb grows dim, the stone turns black as it hardens, and the emissary releases her grip. "Once you get your vitality up, there's a couple Mana techniques I do happen to know, but you're still better off asking from people with experience." "I see!" I should ask the emissary her advice more often! Gol Dhee's attention is snatched to the side, a presence which had slipped through both guards and now stands mere steps away from the pair, seemingly staring them down despite the almost feline silhouette lacking any eyes, or shape for that matter.
Through the eyes of a bored elf
Fluffy suspends from his thumbs, slowly pressing his body up and down as he exercises in waiting. Beads of sweat hang from his forehead, begging to meet the ground as they waver and shake with each motion. Fifty-eight more of these and I should be warmed up.
Through the eyes of a lost demon
"Are you sure there's a way down here? Every direction just seems to loop back to somewhere we've been." Diala skips behind the focused spider, who skitters ahead determined to find the way out. "Oh hey! Another one of your threads. Wonder where we looped to this time?" "Gah! I swear, this makes no sense! There hasn't been a single branching path this whole way so how do we keep looping! And in a different place each time!" She seems stressed. Maybe I should take over for a bit. "These passages are narrow and awkward, it's easy to miss a tunnel here or there."
Stepping to Lyla's side, she picks the arachnid up, too frustrated to even resist at this point. "Come on, I'll lead the way for a bit. Maybe a fresh pair of eyes is all we need." Planting the white fuzzball upon her head, she sets off down the tunnel with a march. "Whatever..."
Through the eyes of an on-edge dragon
The pair stand in direct opposition to the creature of pure black before them, claws out and fists clenched. If it had eyes, they would be meeting her own as it mirrors Aleph's stance. This thing has an anchor too... What are these? At least it's not hostile like the last one. Aleph moves her tail, and the creature moves its own in response, her paws shift, and its paws shift in an exact imitation of her every motion. Tap. Tap. Tap. She closes the gap. Pat. Pat. Pat. It reciprocates. Both face each other mere inches apart, the ever warping silhouette of black seeming as if a distant image, even from this proximity.
Pushing her claw forward, it does the same, stopping just shy of contact before pulling back, breaking the symmetry. Stepping towards it again, the creature backs away, keeping an exact distance between the two. What does it want? Goldy steps close as well, completely ignored as he places a palm on its faux fur. A visible shiver runs across him, clearly unsettled by the unnatural texture of the creature as he backs away to Aleph's side. "Hop on. I don't know what it wants, but it doesn't seem hostile at least. Let's see if it can follow us in the air."
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
With a tilt of his head, he complies, pulling himself atop her back. The creature almost seems to expand in response, but with the way its body warps and bends it's hard to tell. Crack! Aleph leaps, gliding away as the creature stares up at her from behind. No wings at least. Hopefully it leaves us alone.
Through the eyes of a very bored elf
Green orbs dance around the elf's legs as he appears suspended in the air, legs crossed in the lotus position. Or at least he would, save for the very noticeable and periodically spaced cracks of the air as his leg shoots down within the span of a blink before recoiling back in place to keep himself suspended. The winds visibly erode the rocks around him, a small crater of smooth stone forming by his feet. Almost done with this leg. What should I exercise after this?
Through the eyes of an intrigued spider
"So you guys actually have Anime?" "I'm telling you. That word translates weird for me. We definitely have stories like you described, but the word seems to have some extra meaning or context for you. In fact, it almost feels like your saying someone's name!" "Name? Don't be ridiculous. Anime is just Anime. Not like that avestigal thing the dragon keeps bringing up." The pair traverse a dead straight tunnel, laying a line of thread as they go. Lyla lays comfortably atop the crystalline hair of the demon, probably not even realising how relaxed she's become.
"So... What kind of stories do demons have? Any good ones?" "If quantity is all you want, we come second to none. If quality is what you're after, then we also have a ton. You just have to sift through a nigh infinite pile of trash to get to it. A skill I have perfected as a matter of fact!" The demon proudly declares, a few faint rays of light leaking out from her shell. Whelp. I've figured out her hobby. In-between whatever evil demon activities she does at least. "How about you? Any interesting stories from your world?" "From this world, no. It's all boring derivations of myths and historical events, several of which I've actually lived through! The white shadow is pretty good though. But the real stories are the ones from other worlds! The sheer insanity of laser swords and incarnations of abstract concepts like death is wild! Way better than the real ones!"
"You know... I feel like this tunnel has been going for a while." "Not so. Look down." Lyla skitters to the side, turning to peer at the thread distinctly not joined with her current one. "What the hell! This tunnel was straight!" Hopping off, she picks up the thread to compare. "This is definitely my thread... How did we loop?" "Maybe the bend was too slight for us to notice?" "Ah, screw it. This tunnel sucks. Let's go back and check the other one." With a shrug, the demon complies stepping back the way they came with Lyla by her side.
Through the eyes of a calm monkey
What manner of creature was that? Is it of the same ilk as the beast of void we had just encountered? It was not so hostile though... The next orb comes into sight, the emissary grasping onto it like the others. As they turn to face the ground, their eyes come to meet a familiar visage of pure black, pulling itself from nothing and gripping at the air to stand. "Do you think that counts as flying?" "Perhaps? Is it hostile?" "No intent in its Aura. It has a soul, but it feels almost blank or mindless. It's definitely focused on us though. Hopefully it doesn't mind if I-"
The beast lunges, Gol Dhee barely able to discern the motion from to its shapeless appearance. Void-like claws rend through scales with ease as the emissary leaps back, drops of gold-tinged ichor flung from her wound then blasted by a torrent of air spurred on by golden fists. The creature seems to lose a sense of existence, becoming hard to keep focus upon while passing through the blast unharmed and landing atop the orb. With a wave of his palm, Gol Dhee throws a stream of flames which pass through just the same while the emissary stabilises into a circular glide.
As they circle the beast it remains still, a vague sense of its eyes never leaving them despite a total lack of movement. "Do we fight?" "No. We don't know what we're up against or how many there are. These clearly aren't your standard wild animal, I think they have some relation to the labyrinth itself." "Hmm, seems wise." Gol Dhee eyes down the unmoving creature as they begin to glide away, no action taken to close the growing distance.
Through the eyes of an extremely bored elf
Fluffy stands balancing broken pieces of giant stalactites in each hand while simultaneously standing upon the tip of a crudely broken spire which in turn wobbles atop a weirdly round boulder. I feel like I'm running out of ideas here...
Through the eyes of a confounded demon
"Okay, something is definitely wrong here." "You only just noticed?" The pair stand in a network of small caverns, dimly lit by glowing lichen lamps and carpeted with soft moss. Each cavern sprawls randomly in a natural yet unnatural form, following no pattern yet instilling a sense of distinct familiarity and unease. "Okay, I admit it. We should have just followed conventional wisdom. The spooky tunnel was a bad idea." Lyla slumps within Diala's arms, a look of tired defeat clear to anyone who can distinguish the facial expressions of spiders. Diala looks around the fractal cavernscape around them, spins, and heads in a random direction, immediately coming out at the ravine base where they began. "Are you fucking kidding me."
Through the eyes of an unsettled dragon
Is it still following us? The fact it can hide between dimensions makes it really hard to keep track of. Well... as long as we don't mess with any more cores it should hopefully leave us alone. Weaving through a cluster of spiked plateaus, Aleph comes upon the rendezvous point for the group, littered with stone debris and craters. Was there a fight? Landing by a large pile of nearly powderised stone, she comes upon Fluffy, buried neck-deep in the earth. "Do I want to know?" "You really don't."
Through the eyes of a rejuvenated spider
"See, it's like I said. We should have just followed the river from the start. That always leads us to the next layer." "Hey... Actually wait, you kind-of did say that. Huh..." Lyla strides out of the crevice, her pride in finding a route down 'first try' palpable in her gait. As they crest the surface, they come upon the war-zone of terrestrial destruction, and a sweaty elf stuck in a hole. "I don't want to know." Lyla declares. "Wise choice." The elf assures, calmly crumbling his way through the stone to step out with a truly uncomfortable amount of sweat pouring down. Seriously, gross...
Oh hey, the dragon's here. I should head to my- Hey! Since when was the demon holding me! Wriggling free from the comfortable yet clearly malicious grip of the demon, Lyla skitters her way back to her rightful perch, the only place the universe makes any real sense. How devious... I won't fall for your evil temptations that easily, devil. "You guys find a way down?" The dragon asks as she settles in place. "Eventually. You get enough of your aythie?" "Nope!" "Hey..." "One of those bigger shadow form things stopped us. Wasn't overtly hostile, but clearly didn't want me breaking the local architecture." "You mean that weird shadow form thing?"
A pitch black figure flickers in the distance, silently observing from atop a hill. "I really don't like those things... They're really cute, but also super creepy." "Wow. Something scares the eldritch abomination. Must be a truly abominable being." The dragon rolls her eyes back much further than should really be possible to glare at the offending arachnid. "Fuehehe, you're only proving my point, doing that. Jokes aside though, how should we get down? The next floor really is just acid everywhere. Even I would struggle to stay there long."
The world moves, pulling Lyla to face the demon, then the elf, and then the monkey as the dragon turns her head. "Sounds like we need a training arc."
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The oldest of the red stars gracing the skies of Ao, Meora is associated with the interloper moon Luna. Those of us native to the lands of Mashulasloyoun all know the tales of its formation in the wake of the calamity, many associating it with the false gods who control the other domains. It is believed that the Record Keeper takes an especially keen interest in this star and its associated god, having once been said to have placed a bounty on any information regarding it, many hundreds of cycles ago. This in turn has led to it being one of the most researched of the red stars.
Most strange with this star, is its lack of association with the other red stars, having very little in regards to history mythology to link it with any of the others. There are some stories which imply emnity between the gods, such as the tale of the lost sun in which Meora refused to provide any assistance, even preventing the search from exploring Luna.
Meora is a divisive star, held for many somewhere between disdain and apathy. And yet, no divine beast has ever indicated hostility towards it, the original dragon Farguash once having even shown reverence in his claim "no star deserves to burn bright more than the protector of Luna", recorded seventy-eight cycles ago during the apex of the final boundary war.
- Excerpt from Oshlas' 'Atlas of the Skies'