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[>>Now replaying: Log 1.2 - A Glitch of the Future]
Date: Error
Location: {INVALID_ENTRY}
//Isn’t it weird that we call them digital artifacts? As if they had any val—//
//)*&lways look at the Middle East as if it was some stone-age village, where A/C is considered a miracle delivered by God. It seems hard to remember that it is the birthplace of civilization, math, progress itse*@$//
[>>DATA CORRUPTED]
E1 %It’s okay! The turrets out there will keep us safe.%
E2 %You sure? They’re so old they probably don’t work anymore. Didn’t even twitch when we ran past.%
E3 %We should still be young enough, right?%
E2 %You and I maybe, but not grandma over there.%
E1 %Hey first off, I’m only a couple of years older than you. Second, Tin’s right, okay? We’re safe in here. No need to—%
E0 %INTRUDERS DETECTED! INTRUDERS, STEP INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM, STAY CALM, AND AWAIT RESPONSE PERSONNEL. RESISTANCE WILL BE MET WITH LETHAL FORCE.%
“Perhaps, Sultana, we have made a mistake in our summoning you,” Zephyro said. He still sounded apologetic, but his words were calm and precise. “Not that inviting you to my Domain would ever be a mistake, but in our haste, we had to rush certain things. I can promise you this, however; once we reach the Palace we have built for you in the center of our city, you will receive all the power and support my people can muster, and returning to your Domain will be a trivial task.”
That would certainly explain why I was stuck in a body that wasn’t mine. I eyed the Vizier for a moment longer, looking for any signs of treachery. I hated that I’d become so jaded, but the Mages had pulled some stupid shit ever since the Emperor invited me to sign the peace treaty, and if you weren’t a little paranoid after the second assassination attempt, you weren’t quite right in the head.
Finally, I managed to force myself to relax with the thought of my friends. They were waiting for me, and I couldn’t let them down by letting my temper rule the day and slap away this guy’s helping hand. He obviously knew what was going on here, and I had nothing to lose by playing along and learning what I could. Worst case, what was he going to do? Try to kill me?
Yeah, good luck with that.
“You mean that palace?” I asked, pointing toward the giant building in the center of the city, just to be sure.
The man, Zephyro, nodded calmly.
“Indeed, Sultana.”
“In that case, we got a ways to go still, don’t we?” I said, more statement than question.
“Indeed, Sultana,” Zephyro repeated. “We must cross the Outskirts, then pass through the city gates into the Market Quarter. From there we shall head through Trader’s Rest, then the Ring of Wisdom, and the Mercantile, until we arrive at the Palace Square. There, the Palace Gates will open for us, and after a brief moment, we will reach your throne room.”
The way he put it, it sounded like a quick trip, but the city that loomed before us told a whole different story. It would probably take us an entire day to reach the center on foot.
“Will we walk the entire way?” I asked.
Zephyro shook his head once more. “No, Sultana. We need to walk down this mountain and through the Outskirts, yes, but that should not take us longer than an hour. A carriage will be waiting for us once we reach the city gates. From there, it will take us but another hour, maybe two, to reach the Palace.”
Three hours was doable. I’d still have enough time to wake up in time and get ready for the negotiations.
“Then let’s go,” I said, slapping my hands on my knees, feeling the soft fabric of my robes.
Wait.
Robes?
As I got up, I took in my attire for the first time. I was wearing long, flowing robes; a sort of wrapped affair in ocean blue. My pajamas were the same color, which is why I hadn’t noticed the change at first, but this ensemble certainly fit better into the desert setting. At first glance, I was upset about the change, but I liked how the robes enhanced my figure without making it the center of attention. On my feet I was wearing sandals of soft leather, and they were surprisingly comfortable and easy to move in. Whoever the designer was, they clearly knew what they were doing, even if I would have preferred a suit of power armor. Last but not least, an assortment of golden chains and jewelry drew the eye to two clear signs of authority:
A sash glittering with hand-stitched stories of conquest, and hanging from a loop in a finely woven belt, a skilled goldsmith's rendition of a torch, my hand still wrapped tightly around its hilt.
What the…?
I pulled it out, barely managing to stop my hands from shaking. Instead of a sophisticated instrument of destruction, advanced by my divine Wish for hundreds of iterations, I held a stylized, golden scepter, made to look just like the real thing. The shaft was made of rich mahogany, and judging by its weight and how it glittered in the sunlight as I turned the weapon, the brazier on top had been crafted of solid gold.
This wasn’t a weapon. It barely counted as an ornamental mace. I would have gone so far as to call it completely useless in a fight, if there hadn’t been some wicked edges on the flames that would probably hurt to get hit by. If the sharp end met something softer than gold, and with sufficient force, that was.
Hit something harder and this thing wouldn’t stay useful for long, either.
I willed it to ignite.
Nothing happened.
“I certainly hope…” I began, carefully controlling my trembling voice, “that the real version is still waiting for me when I get back.”
I’d spent more of my Wish on my Torch than any other device I owned, and losing it was absolutely unthinkable. More than just my primary weapon, it held dozens of functions, not the least of which was to identify my authority. I hated being a figurehead, but if my friends needed one, I’d do it. But this wasn’t Earth where I could just pick another sharp suit and radiate just as much authority. If I showed up to that meeting tomorrow morning without my namesake and very symbol of my power, I’d get laughed out of the room.
“Of course, Sultana,” Zephyro said, bowing slightly where he stood waiting for me, a few meters ahead. “While I can not see your resting place, I am absolutely certain it will not have been disturbed.”
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I took another deep breath, and that helped.
“Sorry, but imagine waking up in a strange place without a weapon, right?”
“Indeed, Sultana. If I may offer you a bit of solace, it is my utmost duty to keep you safe, and I shall do so until my dying breath.” Despite my better judgment, that really did calm me down a little. I weighed the heavy scepter in my palm and found it satisfactory. In a pinch, it would do as a weapon. I dropped it back into its loop and began walking toward the steps leading down. The Vizier fell in beside me as soon as I reached him.
“I mean, the city seems safe enough,” I said, with another quick glance behind me. When there wasn’t a response for a second, I turned to look at Zephyro instead and found him frowning as he walked.
“What is it now?” I asked, careful not to sigh in annoyance. This guy was clearly having a hard time, and didn’t need my bitching, no matter how I felt about my current situation. Sure, I could have treated him like trash for literally pulling me out of bed and into another world, but what good would that do? I’d still be pissed, he’d be pissed, and maybe he’d just stop helping me entirely. And then what?
That being said, if it hadn’t been for the many hours I spent learning to reign in my temper, I would have exploded in his face already.
Twice.
At least.
“Ah, Sultana, you do not need to worry yourself with—”.
“Just spit it out, please,” I said, trying to remember what Patti had told me in her role as my makeshift therapist. Deep breaths…
“To be as honest as I can, we weren’t prepared for your early arrival. I wished to welcome you in the Palace itself, where you could bathe in milk and honey, and be attended by your most loyal subjects as I explain the situation, but…” He paused, either trying to suppress a deep sigh or looking for the softest words to break some news that seemed to weigh on his shoulders like a millstone. Instead of pushing, I focused on the warm sand underneath my feet, spilling over the leather and between my toes.
After only five steps, he visibly steeled his resolve and forged ahead. “I have failed you, Sultana. You, and our people. You must have wondered why I summoned you to this Domain in the first place.”
“Once or twice,” I said. Surely he didn’t just invite me to his Kingdom (Sultanate?) just to put a crown on my head out of the kindness of his heart. There had to be something he needed. Something only I could do.
But to be honest, getting back in time for the parley had been so high up my list of priorities that anything not related had faded into the background. It felt a little callous, but getting that treaty signed tomorrow morning was more important than anything else. Without it, there’d most likely be a war the likes of which Tobes had never seen before.
There was another pause, and a quick glance in Zephyro’s direction showed a man torn. I knew several people like him. Hell, I was one of them. That struggle to admit your own vulnerability, despite all the doubts and… I looked closer. A sense of duty, perhaps? It was a tough step for sure, and one I still fought with often enough, no matter how easy it seemed from the outside.
“Look, Zephyro,” I said, surprised at how soft I sounded. “You brought me here for a reason, which means you need me to help. I can’t do that help if I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Indeed, Sultana,” Zephyro said, defeated. Still, he was determined and went on, which I could appreciate. “It is to my utmost shame that I must report that Ferals have begun to run rampant in the Outskirts, and we do not know why and how. The path to the City might not be as safe as it seems.”
“Oh?” I asked, still looking ahead to not trip up and fall. In the meantime, we reached the stairs hewn into the rock and began to make our descent. The farther we got, the higher the walls rose to either side, and I would probably start to feel a little claustrophobic if we didn’t have the first landing in sight already, a larger platform bathing in the sun before the steps continued to the left, out of our sight. The steps weren’t steep, but uneven, with some taking two footsteps to cross, while others only took a half. They lead down a deep crack in the stone I wasn’t sure was artificial, before making a sharp left.
“I would strongly advise that we should head to the Palace as quickly as possible. You will be safe there, and regardless of what happens, the Fortress will be where you must claim your throne.”
There was a stretch of silence about 25 steps wide, and when I reached the first landing of the stairs, I turned to Zephyro.
“I’m not really one for hiding, Zephyro,” I said. I’d meant to say it neutrally, almost as a joke, but the words came out a little hotter than I intended.
“Sultana, let me again offer my humblest apologies. I did not mean to insinuate cowardice or anything close to the sort. I merely wished to emphasize that you must understand how important it is for you to claim the throne. To say the very fate of my people hinges upon it is no hyperbole.”
I was still a little reluctant, to say the least. So far, Zephyro hadn’t shown any signs of trying to stab me in the back, but his whole “step into my parlor” spiel was getting suspicious. I didn’t want to be the girl who went around accusing everyone of betraying her at the drop of a hat, but immortal or not, you lived longer if you kept track of the cards.
“That sounds awfully complicated,” I said. “Are you sure a sweep of the city wouldn’t be far easier than dragging me all the way to that throne room?”
“No, Sultana. If I may contradict you, the Ferals are a nuisance, but the sickness that ails us lies far deeper than a mere infestation of vermin. If anything, they are a symptom and not the cause. No, Sultana, only by claiming your divine right will you be able to save our people.”
He was still beating around the bush, and while I guessed there had to be a good reason for it, I’d never been the best at enduring mysteries. Facing anything but a certain future made me deeply uncomfortable, and I had to be careful not to vent that discomfort as rage. Judging by his reaction earlier, the entire situation wasn’t exactly pleasant for Zephyro either, and I’d learned early in my career that snapping at people rarely made them open up. I’d gotten better at it over the years, especially on Tobes, but Olre still claimed my short fuse would be the end of me one day.
“What does that even mean?” I asked, struggling to hide my irritation. “No, wait, you don’t need to explain it all, but I’m going to need a little more than promises of authority and power before I just follow you like a lost puppy.” I left the part where I didn’t really have much of a choice unspoken.
“I humbly ask you believe that I understand your frustration, Sultana, but the truth is that these matters are of such complex importance, they can not be discussed on a desert outcropping while the Ferals have time to grow in number. I will try to do my best to explain once we are in the carriage, but if we don’t hurry, you might be in danger, and should you come to harm, all would be lost.”
I fought with the urge to just say fuck it, let’s go, but in the end, caution won out. “No, that’s still not enough for me,” I said and shook my head with a sigh. “I go into the Palace and claim the throne, and then what? Do I get special abilities? Is the throne a magic artifact that allows me to kill the Ferals from afar?”
“No, Sultana, I must offer you a thousand apologies for not explaining myself, as I see even clearer now the confusion my shortcomings have imparted on you. Not the throne is what is important. You are the key to my people’s salvation.”
I glanced down the long way to the city. Perhaps he was right, and we did need to hurry. I didn’t know how many of these Monsters were waiting for us down there.
Still, I needed just a little bit more.
“You keep saying that, but you don’t explain how exactly I will save your city.”
Zephyro rubbed the soft leather of his gauntleted hand over his face, brushing over his carefully maintained beard. It was obvious he was losing his patience, and I couldn’t help but feel impressed by his self control. If I had been him, I’d have thrown me over his shoulder and legged it minutes ago.
The Vizier seemed to have found some sort of balance between explanation and expedience because he faced me again.
“You made us, Sultana. All of us, me included. By your divine Blessing did we come alive, and by your sufferance do we take each breath. Now, however, my people are dying, Sultana, and it is my desperate hope that, as our creator, you may also be our savior.”
Okay, maybe he had been right. That opened up so many more questions that I didn’t even know where to start. Made him? With my Wish? But that was impossible. It didn’t allow me to create, just modify. Whenever I tried to make something of nothing, things happened that I’d rather not have happen ever again, accidents that made me that much more aware that I was wielding a portion of truly divine energy.
That being said, even that energy must have laws that governed it, even though we had no clue what those laws were. It wasn’t like the stuff exactly rewarded experimentation. Perhaps for every time I used my Wish, there was a weird sort of counterforce exerting itself on the other side of the planet. Perhaps every time I advanced a thing on my half, I advanced a person here? That was so insane to think about that I needed to make sure.
“I…. How… I mean we are still on Tobes, right?”
“Yes and no, Sultana. You are in my Domain, which is firmly connected to the world you know. Again, this is hard to explain in as few words as possible, but you may consider it a mirror of sorts, reflecting the Real, or Tobes if you will.”
Huh. Dimensional travel? That would be a first, but it would certainly explain a fucking lot. Other Dimensions weren’t something we ever considered exploring, mostly because we had our hands full with the one we lived in, but I’d heard rumors that there were other worlds than these. It would also explain the weird glitch I’d experienced earlier, and while I was glad I probably wasn’t going insane, that also meant that reality was a very different beast in this world.
In any case, it was obvious Zephyro had been right. If he wasn’t lying out of his nose, this conversation would take several hours that neither of us had.
Him because of some sort of sickness was killing his people.
Me because I only had a couple of hours to get out of here if I wanted to be on time to prevent World War I in Fantasyland.