1918
We open up in the past, in the Century Corps, a far different Century Corps. In this time period, The Century Corps were a small local guild with a wise sagely grandmaster. They were hardly the institution they are now, with things not exactly set in stone. The world was so different all those years ago.
With war waging an ocean away, the Century Corps had those eager to serve, young guns wanting to come out swinging and one afternoon, a choice was made, one that changed the course of events for years to come…
Acantha: Man, all these people are going to fight for everyone back home but we’re stuck here making sure bakeries don’t get broken into…
Corcan: Well, those Centennials are heroes, soldiers, they’re trained for conflict and we’re not.
Acantha: Mankind makes soldiers to fight their wars but doesn’t have the dignity to fight alongside them, what a pathetic joke
Corcan: I get what you mean, I mean we have these cool powers too
Acantha: Hey can you do that thing with the red cage?
Corcan: Sure I can
Corcan makes his special red light cages, with the red light reflecting off buildings and creating beams
Acantha: That never gets old
As Corcan continues making his special beams they are suddenly interrupted by someone yelling at them
???: Hey what do you think you’re doing
The Grandmaster of The Guild walks up to them, a figure bending Green Light around
Arthanna: What did I say about casually using your magic, you do know that if you keep doing that carefree that something bad is going to happen
Corcan: I am so sorry Arthanna I just-
Arthanna: Quiet!!
Acantha: Ok, so what, you just want us standing around all day?
Arthanna: You see this town, the people need us to help out however we can. It’s just what they need
Acantha: Ok ok, well we’re good so can you leave us alone
Arthanna: Fine, but stay where you are
Arthanna leaves the two of them alone
Acantha: What a load of horseshit
Corcan: Well what are we gonna do about it
???: I know a way
They turn to that mysterious voice peering down the alleyway
Centus: I could always use some extra hands
The Present (as of the events of Centennials 1)
The Century Corps sure has come a long way since then, and now it’s a sprawling local institution that just saved the city from floating off into space. Today the guild is being visited by members who don’t exactly come around often
Gladian: So when Anmai and Thosmrr visit again, please show them some courtesy and DON’T pin one of them for eating Viridian's jelly beans, Cosma
Cosma: It was one time
Viridian: Don’t do it again
Cosma: What you can’t handle me eating a few jelly beans
Viridian: There were 900 jelly beans in that jar
Cosma: So we have different definitions on what quantifies “a few”
Zaylee: A few normally refers to like 3 or 4 items
Cosma: Well no one asked you, “Ms. Eternal Star Knowledge”
Zaylee: Ya know it’s funny I could, ya know what nevermind
Viridian: Cosma you still ate my jelly beans and never apologized
Cosma: That’s because I’m not sorry, I would do it again
Indica: You people really don’t know how to read a room
Cosma: You read a room and decide violence is the plan
Shiye: She’s got a point Indica, violence isn’t always the answer
Indica: You’re right, violence isn’t the answer
Auralie: Huh?
Indica: It’s a question and the answer is yes
Shiye: My my you murder child
Husk: Those are the small size snacks right?
Gladian: What the fuck dude
Husk: Sorry that was uncalled for
Atoll: Can I leave?? Get some air??
Gladian: Sure, get some air time Atoll
Atoll: Thanks man, also can I bring Atlantic with me?
Gladian: Why do you want to do that?
Atoll: Adventure??
Gladian: Fine, you can go on a little “adventure”
Atoll: Thanks
Atoll moves into the other room and sees Atlantic with some other Guild Members about their age
Atlantic: Please put your organs back in your body
Larkin: No way, this is my style now
Atlantic: Don’t you need those?
Larkin: I have super-regeneration
Atoll: Uhm, Larkin, you’re leaking you goo?
Atlantic: Oh hey Atoll
Atoll: Hey do you want to go on a walk?
Larkin: OOOOOOOOO
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Neve: Shut up
Larkin: Oh what are you gonna do? Hop all over me?
Neve: That’s gotta be a hate crime
Larkin: I’m sorry?
Neve: No you’re not
Atlantic: Ok let’s go…
Atoll: Yup sounds good, have fun
Larkin: Yeah have fun on your ‘walk”
Neve: Green with envy much?
Larkin: You’re green too!!
Atoll and Atlantic leave the guild building and begin walking down the streets
Atoll: All that crazy in there, if I stayed in there any longer I might have decided to play hooky with Husk and Falconer on one of their “detective runs”
Atlantic: I mean it’s crazy but it’s our crazy
Atoll: We wouldn’t have anywhere else to go so i wouldn’t be anywhere else
Atlantic: A professional orphanage for child soldiers is what that place is when you think about it
Atoll: Wow that feels weird to say
Atlantic: Well yeah, there’s a lot of people our age there
Atoll: I wish they didn’t act like our age
Atlantic: Larkin?
Atoll: Yeah
After another solid minute of walking, they run into other Guild Members in armor, the same as them
Atlantic: Oh hey, I don’t think we’ve seen you guys around
Anmai: Yeah you wouldn’t, we’re almost never in town
Atoll: Ok so, one of you must be the jelly bean eater
Thosmrr: Cosma is a dirty liar and she threw me under the bus
Atoll: Yeah she came clean about that
Thosmrr: That rotten scoundrel!!
Anmai: So you are?
Atoll: Atoll, and the girl next to me is Atlantic
Atlantic: I can introduce myself!
Anmai: Pleasure to meet you
Thosmrr: So clearly you’re not here to bring us back to the Guild?
Atoll: Nope, we’re just on a walk
Atlantic: Hey I have a question?
Anmai: Ask
Atlantic: What’s with the big red crest?
Anmai: Oh, well have you talked to Zaylee yet about her abilities?
Atlantic: She draws her power from a far away star or something?
Anmai: Ok, well I draw magic abilities from the planet Mars
Atoll: Neat
Atlantic: Ah gotcha
Thosmrr: Hey my magic is cool too
Atoll: You just sling disks?
Thosmrr: Hell yeah I do
Anmai: Hold on, I sense a strong magical energy now
Atlantic: Are you sure it’s not just because Mars is in conjunction with the Moon?
Anmai: No, it’s something else?
Thosmrr: Yeah I feel it too
Atoll: We might be near the church Sien got killed at?
Thosmrr: He’s dead?? That sucks?
Anmai: Well let’s go to this church?
Suddenly a massive portal opens up through the ground
Anmai: Holy shit
Atlantic: What is “shit”
Atoll: Wait I know what this is
A red cage moves up through the ground
Corcan: Hello Atoll
Atoll: What do you want?
Anmai: Wait, is that Century Corps legend Corcan?
Corcan: Your eyes do not deceive you
Atlantic: Atoll do you know this guy?
Atoll: Yeah he took me into his red realm?
Anmai: You’re still alive?
Corcan: I made the Red Realm my home in my old age, Acantha’s instructions
Thosmrr: So why are you here now?
Corcan: Someone is trying to break into the red realm through a gateway in the city
Thosmrr: The Red Realm?
Atoll: It’s his weirdo place
Corcan: The Red Ream is a place beyond space and time where souls and odds are stored, the Red Realm is the domain of Gruveal
Atlantic: Gruveal?
Corcan: An entity of eternity
Anmai: Ok this is confusing, who is even trying to break into the Red Realm?
Corcan: They want Optica’s accursed soul
Atoll: You mean what we stored in the Idol of Light?
Atlantic: I’m confused
Thosmrr: Me too
Corcan: We can’t let them in
Anmai: Who’s them
Suddenly, a horde of light monsters appear before the group
Thosmrr: I see, let’s rip through them
Anmai, Thosmrr, Atoll and Atlantic have joined the party
Fight the Light Monsters
When you win
Thosmrr: Ok, so what now?
Anmai: We go to that church I think?
Atlantic: So what’s so bad about stealing Optica’s soul?
Corcan: If they do that they can connect it back to her body, resurrecting an all powerful light deity in her prime
Atlantic: That sounds bad….
Atoll: Well we have little time to waste
Begin District 3
When you are halfway through it
Thosmrr: So I have a brief question?
Corcan: I may have a brief answer
Thosmrr: So where did you go when you deserted the Century Corps to go fight in that war?
Corcan: Dawn Island…
Thosmrr: Where?
Corcan: You wouldn’t find it on any map…
Resume District 3
When you are at the end of it, the church where Sien died is right on the end
Thosmrr: Well I’ve got a shit feeling about this
Atlantic: What is “shit”
Atoll: Not the time for your profanity lesson friend
Anmai: Wait guys, there’s a magical seal on the door
Corcan: It looks like you can open it
Anmai: Alright
Anmai taps into the magic around her and blasts the seal open, revealing a front of stars emanating from the door
Corcan: This is bad?
Anmai: How bad?
Atoll: It can’t be that bad?
Corcan: We need to move
Atlantic: Gotcha
Begin traversing The Celestial Front
When you are ten percent through the front
Atlantic: So what am I witnessing?
Corcan: A celestial choice is being made
Suddenly, a barrage of stars fly past them
Atoll: What does this mean?
Anmai: I think these flickering lights are about to make a judgment
The walls around them begin bellowing
Chorus of Stars: Hedal has invoked the rite of passage to the Red Realm, we will now decide if they are allowed to pass through
Corcan: Normally they can’t pass unless a natural gateway presents itself, but getting the Chorus of Stars to add a gateway here gets around that?
Anmai: The Chorus of Stars?
Atoll: It looks like you have to ask the universe itself if you can leave at this junction?
Thosmrr: Well we need to stop their departure
Resume The Celestial Front
When you are twenty percent through the front, a bunch of stars around begin flickering rapidly
Corcan: A judgment is soon, we must make haste
Atoll: Wait, how can we stop this?
Corcan: Maybe do something of your own?
Atoll: HEY STARS
Atlantic: Atoll what are you doing
Atoll: I INVOKE THIS JUNCTURE BE CLOSED
Corcan: Are you just shouting a-
Chorus of Stars: Who invokes us?
Atoll: Uh…I do? Close this front please?
Anmai: Wait, you just asked it to close?
Chorus of Stars: Atoll Aerenfall has invoked this juncture be closed
Thosmrr: Ok so, what now?
Atoll: We simply go after whoever opened this juncture and attack them
Resume Celestial Front
When you are 50% through the Front
Thosmrr: Corcan, how long before they reach a judgment?
Corcan: I have no idea? I’m not a whisperer of the stars?
Anmai: Not enough time
Chorus of Stars: Our judgments cannot be rushed
Continue the Celestial Front
When you are 65% complete the front, the stars begin glimmering brightly
Thosmrr: Turn it off, it hurts to look at
Corcan: If I had to guess it looks like a judgment is close
Anmai: Seems about right
Atoll: Let’s move then
Atlantic: They’re gonna be sorry they messed with us
Thosmrr: Technically we are messing with them
Atoll: Who cares? Move move move
Resume the Celestial Front
When you are 80% complete the front, two light silhouettes appear before the party before sparkling brightly and revealing two figures
Hedal: So a warden of the Red Realm has sent Century Corps members after us?
Phote: Sounds like someone caught wind of our plan and that bratt (points to Atoll) told the Court to cancel our two way travel to the Red Realm
Atoll: Sorry who are you?
Phote: I am Phote
Hedal: And I am Hedal, two of Optica’s strongest lieutenants
Corcan: I’m not allowing you to bring your boss back at full strength
Phote: You can kill our boss by rending her body into dust but we’ll still find a way to bring on her ultimate plan
Atoll: Ultimate plan?
Anmai: I’m confused
Thosmrr: Same
Atlantic: Same
Hedal: We’ll bring the Queen of The White World back to full power and pull the Earth into her domain
Corcan: You’re ride ends here
Phote: Doubtful
The front of stars begins glowing with even greater intensity
Court of Stars: Our judgment will be to complete the gateway to the Red Realm, sealed under the bottom of this church where the Warden outstretched his hand. If Corcan Coelius can be in this realm then others will be granted passage into the Red Realm
The front suddenly collapses in on itself before anyone can say a word, and a glowing red portal appears above everybody
Phote: Optica’s soul is located there and…
Hedal opens a chest, revealing Optica’s still body
Hedal: I put it back together
Atoll: It was turned into dust
Hedal: Watch this
Hedal reveals a needle made of light, he threads light beams to connect Anmai and Thosmrr together before disappearing into the portal with Phote
Anmai: Ouch
Thosmrr: That hurt
Corcan: I’ll sever this
Corcan severs the thread of light between the two
Atlantic: So what now
The portal continues to grow, enveloping the entire room
Atoll: Don’t let go of th-
Everyone falls into the portal, entering the Red Realm