Through the eyes of a curious ape

Gol Dhee steps through the threshold to the outside, any lingering staleness in the air giving way to the vibrant city winds, saturated with the scents of fabric and cooking foods. Stretching away fatigue he didn't realise had built up, he breathes deeply to take in the fresh air and rich flavours. From behind, a lumbering figure swiftly skips towards them, skidding to a stop in front of the emissary. "Fahaha! That was great! I've been looking for an excuse to do that for lakes!" The chu'sha mirthfully declares, a glint in each of her eight eyes.

Peering over the ledge to the world below she let out a few soft clicks before looking back to the group. "We're almost at the pond's end, would you guys like something to eat? We can wait until next pond if you're not hungry." "I could eat." Gol Dhee muses, a nod shared by the emissary and... whatever the bright one is doing. "Great, I'll lead you to the feast hall. Oh, and as thanks for giving me an opportunity to talk back to those idiots I'll give you a story on the way. Free of charge. Anything you want to know about in particular? I'd recommend the tale of the idiot lion." "Ooh, I like the sound of that one! Was the idiot grey?" The bright one snickers, tapping her pedipalps maniacally. "If I may, I wish to know more of Denkha." Gol Dhee interjects.

"Ah, Denkha. Glad to know you have some sense of heritage, unlike the last guy." The chu'sha walks ahead, an unhurried pace as she leads the group down the transparent pathway. "Well, to begin with he's a divine beast like any other. Born within nilasuun and completed the pilgrimage. It's been broken a number of times after, but at the time he was a record setter due to his ability to simply push away the dense earth between layers. The techniques of your people have evolved since, but his power was only to manipulate stone and metals, even soil proving a challenge, so its pretty remarkable he made it. Granted, I do think the journey was much easier back then."

So he was powerful from the beginning. A stark departure from our current ideology. "How old is this story?" Gol Dhee asks, his attention wholly enraptured by the tale of his history. "Oh, older than our concepts of measuring time, it comes from before the decline began, I believe the surface folk call it the calamity? Anyway, it's old. Too old to know all of the details I'm afraid, but thanks to Ch'cha we still know the highlights." "I see. Please continue." She nods, turning back to face the now opaque path as they follow a bend into a cluster of oblate buildings. "After becoming recognised by the gods, he made his stake on the surface. Like many divine beasts before and since, he created his own kin in a place I forget the name of. A desert or something."

"Aoleu'lothas. This is the kid's story about a kingdom of gold-furred beasts who got pulled underground by their god, isn't it?" The bright one suggests, adjusting a knitted pair, or rather octet, of glasses to make herself look smart. "Oh? You'll have to tell me that depiction some time." "Maybe later..." "Anyway, yeah. He built a kingdom for his people, but some time after the calamity many kingdoms developed an ire towards divine beasts. Denkha's people were especially harmed by the endless wars, so he and several other divine beasts asked for sanctuary and they were given it within nilasuun. Most who remain in the layers above come from this era, the labyrinth is cruel and unforgiving to outsiders, but to those who call it home it hosts bounty beyond comparison."

"Is that all? I was hoping to learn more of Denkha's nature." "Hmm... Far as I'm aware, not much happened since. I think he had a falling out with one of his descendants, but otherwise I don't know. History tends to be tricky like that. If you want to know more about Denkha himself, ask Ch'cha when you meet him. He's actually met the guy. That's enough story from me though, we're just about there."

Through the eyes of a groggy elf

"Awake." I wonder if a ground-bask could swim... "Do the wakening." It has all of the parts. Wings could act like fins. "Hey, hey! Fuck, what's the term for this?" Though they always float, so I guess we'll never know. "Your weapon is done, foolish flesh thing! Stop being asleep!" Kinda noisy, isn't it? Fluffy wrenches his eyes open, a coagulated crust of soot crumbling away as he tries to gather pieces of existence back together. Ash... Right, I was in a smithy... for... My sword! He jolts to a stand, a smokescreen puffing up around him from the sudden motion and brushing over the deadpan arachnid by his side. "Finally. You sleep heavier than the rocks I melt. Come see my work." The blacksmith chides, unfettered by the extra smoke as he simply breathes it in like any ordinary air.

Rubbing the sleep, and coal dust, from his eyes, Fluffy steps over to the low shelf by the dimly glowing furnace. Atop lies a giant sword, carved from dense, black carapace into a wide-bladed claymore, competing with Fluffy's waist in width and exceeding him in height. Red and white metal embeds itself within the core, exposed along the fuller with a chaotic pattern of intercrossing lines leading from the tip to the blunted ricasso and winding into the crossguard and thread-wrapped handle. A single finger runs across the blade, any imperfections beyond perception across the smooth chitin, pressing together into a razor-thin edge which almost pulls at the world, begging to cut.

Fluffy grips the hilt, straining against the weight as the blade challenges him to bear it with his raw strength alone. The wind parts for the edge as he raises it with both hands, refusing resistance to its ascent. "May I swing it?" "Don't break my things." He nods, turning to face his blade as he narrows his mind. Cut nothing but the air... Aether pulses through his body, spreading across the fang of the sword as it travels an arc through the space before him, prying apart the air and leaving a vacuum gap in its wake. The workshop flinches at the subsequent implosion, objects chattering together before returning to a serene observation. "It's perfect."

"Of course it is perfect. I made it. Fool." "I will name it... Obsidian Edge." "Eh? Stupid. I don't make out of glass. It is chitin, idiot. And adamant. And adamantine and adamantite." "Aren't those... the same thing?" "The fuck? Do you have mush for brains?" "Uh, no. My mistake... So how about Divine Edge?" "Name it whatever. I don't care. Now leave, and tell Chach'n to pay me." "Ah..."

Through the eyes of an interesting dragon

"Come on, you've got to have something. Anything!" "Like I said, all interactions I know of were in my first life, the memories of which are locked to me. There was that one we met a while ago, but I was hidden at the time and barely saw a thing." Aleph munches on her portion of grilled caterpillar, her voice perfectly clear in blatant defiance of her full mouth. The chu'sha to her side thumps her, tearing apart her own equally large platter as she relentlessly hounds the dragon. "You guys weren't shocked or confused when the angel appeared, and you in particular didn't seem phased in the least. Not to mention, you seemed to know more about it than we do. You've gotta have at least a short story, or even just some fun facts!"

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"Well... I can give you a rough outline of their societal structure. Anything above archangel is a bit fuzzy though." "Oh, shi- uh, yea! Definitely! Go ahead." With a final bite, Aleph licks her plate clean, nobody else even half way finished. Leaning back, her eyes drift over the feast hall, filled with a wide spectrum of moss-coated spiders eating and conversing, a few even bringing their food to the ceiling to eat alone. It's a pretty complex affair, and if I try to explain everything I'll just end up confusing them with what I don't know. Let's just start with the simple things I do know.

"An angel is any being which has been granted attunement to angelic energy, a distinct pure energy like Mana and Aether." "I thought they just used Mana. The one we have chained up definitely does." "Angelic energy is a fickle one, much closer to unbound energy than the others. If left alone it will quickly convert into another energy, and if attuned it will remain so. In essence this gives them the ability to use any pure energy they want, even those unique to the Ahvi'salThe first one." "The what now?" "Powerful beings." "Yea, I felt that much..."

"Angels are the lowest rank, unless you want to count worshippers and apostles, but pretty much every pan-dimensional society has those. When they get old and experienced enough they're granted the rank of archangel." A small corner of the table grows quiet, Didi emitting a strange yellow glow and Goldy pausing his meal to listen in, more out of curiosity than anything. The silence permeating from one spider in particular seems to dim even the loud cacophony of the banquet hall, still bustling vibrantly and unfettered by this one conversation, yet almost muffled within the confines of one small space. Lyly of course just continues eating, completely ignoring the others. "Is there... anything you want me to elaborate on?"

"Who grants angelic energy?" "Hmm... I think that would be the adjudicators. I'm not certain, but that makes the most sense to me." "Who are the adjudicators?" "My memories of them are intrinsically linked with my first life. I know they are powerful, and that there are none in the vicinity of this dimension." "How powerful are the archangels?" "It varies wildly, but you can expect any archangel you meet to be as capable as needed for their post, be it power or skill. The upper bound goes beyond anything I would expect from this world, but equally they can only allocate so many of themselves." "How do you kill an angel?" "..." "Sorry, you don't have to answer." "It's fine. The same way you kill anything else. Render its vessel unable to host a soul. If they have a pure heart though, then that's what you have to destroy, and that is only feasible with one of your own. Is that all?"

Chach'n stands from the table, her food left half abandoned as she turns to the dragon with a polite bow. "That will be fine. I apologise for the rude questioning, but that 'story' just paid for your entire visit. I need to go now, your lodgings aren't far, but if you get lost just call for one of the chu'sha watching from afar." With hasty steps she skitters away, disappearing over the platform edge. Sound returns to the hall with her departure, a pressure unknown to all but four lifting from the room. "Huh? When'd she leave?" All but three.

Aleph stands, the group having either finished their meals or stopped eating, and sets away at a relaxed pace. Lyly bounces her way to her perch, making sure to jump on Didi along the way, while Goldy strolls beside. "Hinya... Who is Ahvi'salThe first one?" "Huh... Good question..." She pauses, her lumbering body blocking the exit to the hall. " Ahvi'salThe first one is... someone... Something? An idea, or... I'm not sure. The Ahvi'salThe first one are all separate beings, but the first one? I can't tell if this is a memory I even have." Pulling herself from stupor, she notices the disturbed looks from her companions and the frustrated glares from spiders having to squeeze around her to exit. "I don't know. I'll have to think about it."

The walk back to their accommodations is slow and filled with an awkward silence, each individual either lost in their own thoughts or too full to care. Upon reaching the spheroidal building they part ways into their own capsules, the fabric barrier brushing against Aleph's scales as she squeezes inside and curls up. A lot of angel stuff today. Maybe I'll remember some more tonight.

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I open my eyes.

This is becoming more familiar. I'm remembering what I need faster each attempt. What am I this time?

Three eyes. Something odd about the middle one. Two arms, two hands. Two legs, and... fur... so much fur. I feel like I've seen a species similar to this before. No matter. This body should be easy enough to figure out. Fewer limbs than what I usually have to deal with.

Where am I? I press my hand on the thin film above me. Nothing. This body has no strength. This world has no Aether. Aura alone isn't enough to stand with this body. Not after formatting. Do I just wait? Why is there no Aether? Should I attune to Mana instead? No... Icky... There's always Aether. It's just too thin to see. I must narrow my mind.

The film recedes. They seem... Agitated? Confused? Excited? I don't know this species' mannerisms. One of them lifts me. Holds me close. I recognise this gesture at least. A compassionate kind. Better than... Better than what? I can't remember. It should be that way.

I have finally attuned. So little Aether to work with... It didn't take long I suppose. Oh, years? Felt shorter. Why are they confused? Have none of them attuned to Aether before? They didn't know it was possible. How strange...

My memories are starting to come back faster now. The Aether helps, but... still so little. They are concerned. My memories have shed light on my strange behaviour for them... But have provided no placation. They seem... apprehensive. Am I not what they wanted? Why would they be the ones to decide who I should be. An odd people. I am no different of a person than I was before. Or... maybe I am?

They seem afraid of me. But they are a compassionate people. They believe my words. They help me gather Aether. It is used extensively in their technology. The technology they possess is... remarkable. The centre eye helps them see pure energies. I am yet to figure this out. It is so foreign to me. I simply feel the energies by intuition. I have this special eye on my body, yet its function eludes me. No matter. I have a mission. Or is it a goal? A desire? Semantics are hard with such scattered memories...

I am... close... I only need a pure... and anchor. But they are... Do they think I... threat? I must not remember... want me to. An ultimatum. No, a request. I will... my name. I will remember... My name is...

This was a mistake... There... so many... shouldn't... I... angels... my fault...

I-

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...

Silence. A voiceless world, and a voiceless mind. Violet eyes swirl with a torrent of emotion, flooding through from a forgotten space in time, another piece of a shattered soul clicking into place. "I see..."