EPISODE 135: VISION OF THE FUTURE
— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR 7291. SEASON: COLOR FADING.
Silence echoed between us, neither Laura spoke, nor did I. My gaze never once left Laura’s. I saw many things in her eyes, emotions that Laura allowed to show finally. There was regret at the forefront, its characteristics obvious to me as an emotion I was far too familiar with. Acceptance… for Laura Lance already made peace with the idea of her death. She was a general who lived and fought on the battlefield, which was unsurprising. Over it all was calmness. Laura Lance was calm, a stark difference from the woman I originally met.
The conversation I held with my mother still echoed through my head. The responsibilities of both leaders and followers were different. I understood the anger my mother felt and the punishment she dealt. However, my mother would be leaving within less than ten years. In this period of time, Edryan would be under her and the [Seven Heroes] protection. My worries were for afterward.
They would be leaving with a significant upper portion of Edryan strength. I didn’t doubt they would be the only ones. If Laura Lance possessed a [Touch of Rage]… then… who else in Edryan held hidden power? If my mother and her cohort could hide their status for tens of years… then… who else in Edryan lands?
I stood, my eyes taking on an indifferent look. “ You do not get to decide when and how you are punished, Laura Lance. Stand, ” I commanded.
Laura’s body jerked upward. She appeared shocked as the short woman came to her feet.
“Do you still possess your Touch?”
“…yes.”
“Then release yourself from your shackles and follow me. Should you refuse, then all the [West Gate Army] will be punished with you—the ship will suffer the same fate as its captain. You will be punished appropriately in due time, but it is the crown’s responsibility to deal that punishment not on your time… but Mine. ”
Laura Lance stared at me. This time, there was no emotion in her eyes as she studied me. Instead of continuing to gaze back, I turned and began to leave, never looking back.
I gave Laura the option to choose. My mother wanted the entire [West Gate Army] executed, and I knew she was more than willing to follow through. There must be a satisfactory sacrifice to Goddess Madris.
Heavy shackles clanked to the floor behind me, one after another. As I stepped through the gate, Laura Lance walked a step behind me.
“ I will serve you until I die, or my Vitality runs out. I don’t have much longer, just like Eliana is to fade shortly and arrive at the Promised Land—so will I. ”
I didn’t respond. There were two prisoners I wanted to visit today. Laura Lance was just the first of them. At her words, my thoughts drifted to the woman who taught me much of what I knew about the Genesis Realm. It seems Eliana and her husband retired back to Drumia after the events of Starglow Valley. In the past few years, she began to look increasingly older. She long ago stopped leveling and thus, there were no points added to her Vitality, which resulted in her life-span no longer increasing. Her arrival in the Promised Land would be soon. I just hoped to see her one final time before then.
We found ourselves descending once again into the depths of War Throne Dungeon—not to be confused with True Dungeons which create beasts and challenges to face. This one was purely man-made.
The temperature was well within the eighties and seemed to increase as we descended deeper and deeper. Two new [Wardens] joined me.
Thraag Volkensha was in a much different state than what Laura Lance once held. If their imprisonment was compared, then Laura received the executive suite while Thraag was thrown in the dungeons.
We found him in a muddied hole that could barely be called a cell. The sides were concave, making it difficult to climb outward. He was waist deep in water and other fluids that found their way down his cell. He was a mage, the [Dimension Shaper], who was regarded as Edryan’s foremost expert in spatial magic. His history was long, his age was similar to Laura’s if not older. They saw Edryan in a far different light than I had. A far worse light than what I wanted those growing within this beautiful country to see now. They lived through the downfall of my grandfather and his rule. I truly didn’t know how they viewed the world— but I couldn’t allow their vision to cloud the one I envisioned for Edryan.
Thraag’s eyes were closed, and they remained that way as the steps of my boots halted above him.
“(Inspect),” I activated.
SHACKLED: Thraag Volkensha – Level 263: Dimension Shaper
The former leader of the Council of Elders and Starglow Valley appeared to be a shell of his former self. His hair was long, greying, and his frame appeared thinner. Although he and Laura Lance were imprisoned at the same time, the differences between them were like night and day.
After my inspection, the silence between us continued. The only sound was small droplets falling from the ceiling. Unlike Laura Lance, Thraag was not beholden to the crown—at least not in the same manner she was. I could not give the same speech to him and expect him to rise. I had to look for another angle. He wasn’t necessary for the change in government I planned over Edryan, but he could expedite the plans I had for his valley and their specialties. I thought twice as my words began to form, (Political Mind) and (The King’s Indifference) working at full force.
“Thraag Volkensha… born in the year seven thousand thirty-seven to Laia Volkensha and Jäger Volkensha—two well respected [Dimension Mages] with ambitions of revolutionizing the Edryan merchant sector. They were good at their craft—“
“The best,” interrupted a voice from below.
“…and that skill led them to several deals that allowed them to begin buying and hiring the services of other [Spatial Mages]. Shortly after their success, they began a school in the famous Starglow Valley, where they began to scourer Edryan for those who possessed affinities for space. In the valley, they would do as the Great Families did, locking these mages into life-long contracts but elevating them to become great at what they did.”
“They took orphans… commoners… those who received no chance to ever rise past their station and made them more, ” the voice said.
“As the years continued, they gained popularity and other well off [Dimension Mages] began to take notice of their increased wealth, clientele, and capable students. They approached the founders of Starglow Valley with a proposition—to unite themselves completely under one banner and form a monopoly of the space attribute in Edryan—similar to their counterparts in other countries. The Volkensha were ecstatic and the Council of Elders was formed—its first leader by a majority vote… Jäger Volkensha.”
I paused here, the eyes of Thraag Volkensha’s open and gazing upward at me. “There is more to that story, but I’m certain you know the origin of Starglow Valley far better than I.”
Thraag kept his silence, so I continued. It was time to offer my proposition. Right as I began to speak, Thraag finally broke the silence.
“You are a foolish boy, Lawruthian Edryani,” Thraag Volkensha began, opening his mouth to continue. Much like Laura, his arms were covered in shackles that prevented his mana from recovering.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“No, Thraag,” I cut him off. “I am not.”
“Oh, is that so? Marching to my valley was not foolish? Expecting us to bow with no benefits, compensation, or any of the like… Is Not Foolish? ”
“No, Thraag, it is not. Not when I represent our Goddess.”
Thraag scoffed. “You can barely represent yourself, let alone the Goddess Madris. You enter my valley and expect subservience, instead you met steel and magic.”
“Yes, but what you did was worse. What you did was attempt to challenge the might of the Goddess—had I truly been hurt… had I truly died… then ask yourself… Would Starglow Valley Still Exist? ”
We stared at one another, two different people from two different times. What I wanted was a Golden Age—one that would propel Edryan to the forefront of capability in all fields. Whether it was magic, magi-tech, classes, knowledge—I wanted those outside of Edryan to see us as the leader and not Elysium.
I continued, not giving Thraag the chance to speak. “No it would not. Even now, its existence hangs on a thread. Should I say a single word, the Church of Madris would move. Its templars and paladins would cast the magi-humans of Starglow Valley as heretics and burn them at the stake. Was that the future you envisioned of the work your parents put their souls into?”
If you were to rank the forces of Edryan from weakest to strongest… then the Church of Madris was at the forefront… perhaps even more-so than those of the crown. There was a Church of Madris in every city, village, town, and small hole in the ground. If we were to be technical about it… I commanded the church. Marna Gamal was beholden to me. Should I call for the church to rise in arms… they would do so without hesitation.
“No Thraag… I am not foolish. I am much worse —as you are shackled down below… I shackle myself from fear of what I could cause. Every eye in Edryan is watching me in some format. Should I make a mistake, the consequences would be magnified by ten, twenty—a hundred-fold.”
My voice rose with each word, and a golden corona spread around my body. I could feel Her… watching… approving of my words and actions. It was… nice. I’d never once received this feeling from our connection.
“ Do you see how the food I like, the goods I sell, and the things I do are disseminated, then copied by the Edryans. Even in your own valley—are my items not everywhere? ”
The sporadic drops of water that fell from the ceiling halted. The very air seemed to freeze around us. My eyes radiated the passion I felt and glowed red and gold from my might.
“ Stand up Thraag, ” I commanded—pulling the man to his feet through Intent. “You are a [Grand Magi] not a beast. Listen carefully—for I will lay two paths before you.”
Thraag was pulled to his feet, his eyes widening as his body obeyed without his input. He looked around, startled, before he looked back at me. Once I was certain I held his attention, I spoke.
“Starglow Valley has fallen into my hands, and thus I am able to dictate its future. One is prosperous, in which the inhabitants of the valley listen to me and follow my orders. The other is if they put up resistance—small things like delays on crafting items, products, etc… will be punished— harshly. ”
It was nearly imperceptibly, but Thraag held a reaction to my opening statement. Good, that meant he was not adamant, and he was malleable to my words.
“I envision a future where Edryan has access to spatially expanded railroad cars, teleportation stations for the privilege in every major city, greater mining capabilities, and more. This can be done with the inhabitants of Starglow Valley as the leader of this change. The [Spatial Mages] of the valley can revolutionize Edryan should they prove to be malleable and open to my words…”
My hands remained behind my back as I stared down at Thraag and he up at me. With my words came a vision of that future, a magical society that look similar to the Earth I grew up on.
It was beautiful.
“…Or, should they prove… resistant. Then I Will Break Them—They Will Not Be Enslaved, But… Executions… Will…. Be… Rampant. The knowledge of the valley, gathered for centuries—stripped and disseminated to those who would Follow And Obey. ”
My aura only grew and the presence of the Goddess seemed to inhabit the space of it. Behind me, the [Imperius Knights] and [Wardens] fell to their knees in worship. My actions greatly pleased Goddess Madris—that was clear as the differences between day and night.
“What will it be, Thraag Volkensha?”
----------------------------------------
“It was our ancestors who discovered fire—for it is the origin of man. Let us remember them and the sacrifices they made to allow us to thrive today. Offer incense and gifts through the church, for even in the Promised Land… they will be received.”
Madria smiled as a young girl ran up with her portly father. She looked at him with big watery eyes. “I want to offer incense to great-grandpa.”
Behind them was a smartly dressed young man who appearance was similar to the portly man. It was clear the trio were a father with his child.
Madria accepted the coin, the man offered her, and she bent over to hand the little girl the incense they purchased. “When you pray, think of him. State his name clearly for the [Messengers] are listening. They will relay the words you’ve stated and ensure the offering you’ve sent will be obtained by your great-grandpa.”
The little girl listened seriously and nodded to Madria’s words. Silently, she began to pray as the lit incense spread its smoke throughout the air. When she finished, she looked up at Madria with a beaming smile.
Madria looked to the air and watched as the incense dispersed in a certain direction. It seemed to be gathering as it disappeared into the air.
“Oh, it appears that a [Messenger] has heard and accepted your prayer,” Madria exclaimed in delight. The young girl squealed in delight and her father lifted her to kiss her cheek. The family thanked Madria once again before they left, but not without the father giving Madria more coin.
The sign she saw with the incense indicated a [Messenger] was present. This was no superstition or irrational belief. The [Messengers of Madris] were responsible for answering such minor prayers, guiding the souls of the dead, and more.
Madria waved the family goodbye and continued her journey around the War Throne Palace and its multitude of halls. Today was the day of Ancestral Remembrance, it was the second more important date to the [Priest of Madris]. Today they honored the magi who lived before them and paved a way for their families to live, to thrive.
It was Madria’s duty as a [Priest of Madris] to visit the multiple halls of the palace and collect offers for the church. A task she enjoyed and volunteered for. It was something that was part of her normal and since their return from the Hall of Attributes, she’d barely had time to do the things she enjoyed—tasks such as selling incense, guiding those in prayer, and more were all things she enjoyed. They were simple, but they truly brought her pleasure. It was not just from the act of worshiping Goddess Madris, but the smile the young girl showed and those of the family at the acceptance of their prayer.
“Oh, it is a wonderful thing to help people,” Madria said. “To bring prosperity to them and the Goddess.”
She hummed merrily to herself, and she moved through the hall. Several times she stopped and helped people offer worship to their ancestors. With each successful offer, Madria’s confidence grew until she was rewarded for that help.
Goddess Madris has bestowed five levels upon you. Please assign them to Imperius Saintess or Gamal Life Weaver.
Madria felt the rush of leveling and paused her steps. It felt incredible and served as a positive reinforcement for her actions. Just as she was about to assign her attributes, voices she hadn’t heard in months spoke to her.
“Madria! It's so good to see you!”