I HAVE BEEN WATCHING FOR BILLIONS OF YEARS. IT IS TIME FOR ME TO TAKE ACTION.
I AM ERITH, KEEPER OF LIFE AND AVATAR OF EARTH. I CONTAIN THE MEMORY OF THIS WORLD AND ITS DEEPEST SECRETS.
WHEN INVADERS FROM OTHER WORLDS IN FARAWAY PLACES COME TO PLUNDER IT, MY CHILDREN FIGHT, BLESSED BY THE POWER OF THE 9 KEEPERS.
THIS WORLD'S FLAME WILL FLICKER, TESTED BY THE DAJII, CREATURES OF CHAOS BORN FROM AN INFINITUM OF CONQUEST.
USING THE LAST FRAGMENT OF STATOS, OUR PREPARATION IS COMPLETE.
ONLY THROUGH THIS METHOD, WILL EARTH STAND A CHANCE AGAINST CONQUEST.
IT IS TIME...
----------- 4.5 billion years ago
INITIALIZING...
KEEPER OF LIFE, ERITH
AVATAR OF EARTH
KEEPER OF MIGHT, JUN
AVATAR OF JUPITER
KEEPER OF KNOWLEDGE, LUTHOR
AVATAR OF PLUTO
KEEPER OF FAITH, RHENA
AVATAR OF VENUS
KEEPER OF BATTLE, MAVIS
AVATAR OF MARS
KEEPER OF SPIRITS, NOLAN
AVATAR OF NEPTUNE
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
KEEPER OF ARCANE, URIELLE
AVATAR OF URANUS
KEEPER OF TIME, RUNOS
AVATAR OF SATURN
KEEPER OF CRAFT, MERCER
AVATAR OF MERCURY
SERVE YOUR PLANETS WELL. AS KEEPERS, YOUR ONLY TASK IS TO CARRY OUT THEIR WILL.
IN TIMES OF NEED, RELY ON ONE ANOTHER. TOGETHER, YOU ARE THE GREATEST FORCE IN THIS GALAXY, AND IN TIMES OF PEACE, YOU WILL BE EACH OTHER'S COMPANY.
TAKE THIS AS MY FINAL GIFT BEFORE I ASCEND: A SHARD OF INFINITY IN MY IMAGE. MY FINAL FRAGMENT.
-------------------- Before the fall
"WE ARE ALL CURRENTLY UNDER THREAT OF INVASION. LUTHOR HAS DISCOVERED A FRAGMENT OF CONQUEST HIDDEN DEEP WITHIN THE HEART OF THIS GALAXY THAT HAS AVOIDED OUR DETECTION UNTIL IT RECENTLY BEGAN EMITTING FOREIGN SIGNALS. IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE THE DAJII ARRIVE. WE MUST BE CAREFUL."
"MERCER, LUTHOR. HAS THE FRAGMENT OF CONQUEST BEEN TAKEN CARE OF?"
LUTHOR GAVE MERCER A NOD, SIGNALING HIM TO BRIEF THE OTHERS ON THE FOREIGN OBJECT. "IT IS DONE. THOUGH WE DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATE SUCH AN ENTITY, WE HAVE CONTAINED THE FRAGMENT. ONLY THE DAJII THAT HAVE RECEIVED THE INITIAL SIGNALS WILL BE HEADED OUR WAY."
"VERY GOOD."
THOUGH JUN DIDN'T LOOK PLEASED ABOUT THE SITUATION, HE SEEMED SATISFIED WITH MERCER'S RESPONSE. "THEN, LET'S GET READY. RUNOS, HOW MUCH TIME DO WE HAVE?"
"THEY WILL ARRIVE IN TWENTY YEARS."
"ERITH. WILL THAT BE ENOUGH?"
THE AVATAR OF EARTH STOOD QUIETLY FOR A TIME BEFORE SPEAKING UP TO JUN. "THE SYSTEM WE DEVISED FROM OUR INFINITY WILL BE GREATLY LIMITED ON MORTAL BEINGS. WITH ONLY TWENTY YEARS IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO BUILD A STRONG FOUNDATION BUT IT MAY BE ENOUGH. HUMANS HAVE PROVEN TO HAVE THE CAPABILITIES TO GROW EXPONENTIALLY FROM A SINGLE GENERATION, LET US PUT OUR FAITH IN THEM."
NEPTUNE WAS DEEP IN THOUGHT, "WHAT OF THE TITANS WE ARE HARBORING? SHOULD WE MOBILIZE THEM?"
"EVEN IF WE WAKE THEM, THEY WILL NOT BE READY BY THEN, NOLAN."
"YOU KNOW THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT, BROTHER. WE HAVE HELD ONTO THEM WITH LITTLE USE FOR TOO LONG. I SUGGEST WE INTEGRATE THEM INTO THE STATOS INFINITUM. THE BENEFITS OF IT WILL NOT BE SMALL."
JUN WAS IN AGREEMENT. HE HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO ELIMINATE THE TITANS DUE TO THEIR UNCAPPED STRENGTH. THIS WAS THE PERFECT ARRANGEMENT IN HIS MIND.
HOWEVER, ERITH WAS NOT SO PLEASED. "DO NOT FORGET THAT YOU ARE SIMPLY ACTING AS WARDEN. THE TITANS ARE MY CREATIONS, I WILL NOT SENTENCE THEM TO DEATH AFTER FORCING THEM INTO SLUMBER FOR MILLENIA. IF YOU ALL DID NOT VOTE TO HAVE THEM PUT AWAY, THEY WOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN MORE THAN STRONG ENOUGH TO DEFEND US FROM THE DAJII."
"THEY ARE NOTHING MORE THAN MONSTERS. A VIRUS WITH UNSATIABLE HUNGER. WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY'LL DO AFTER THEY CONSUME THE DAJII? WE WILL BE THEIR NEXT MEALS AND AT THAT POINT THEIR STRENGTH WILL SURPASS OURS."
"ARE YOU NOT THE AVATAR OF MIGHT? WHY DO YOU FEAR WHAT IT IS YOU REPRESENT? WE DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY TO RESTRICT OUR ARSENAL WHEN CONQUEST IS OUR OPPONENT, EVEN IF IT IS FRAGMENTED. MY TITANS ARE NOT THE ENEMY."
"THEIR SACRIFICE WILL NOT BE IN VAIN. YOUR TITANS ARE AN ANAMOLY. FOR THEM, EXISTING IS AGONY SO THEY WERE PUT TO SLEEP AS A MERCY. IS IT NOT BETTER TO END THEIR SUFFERING WHILE ALSO ALLOWING THEM TO PASS ON THEIR LEGACY?"
ERITH WAS FURIOUS. "YOU THINK YOU UNDERSTAND THEM, BUT ALL YOU WANT IS THEM GONE. I AM THE KEEPER OF LIFE. THEIR DESIRE TO LIVE IS NO WEAKER THAN OUR OWN. PAIN IS A PART OF LIVING. GRANT THEM A PLACE AS OUR CHAMPIONS. I-"
LUTHOR HAD ENOUGH OF HIS SIBLINGS' ARGUMENT SO HE CALMLY SPOKE, HIS VOICE SILENCING ALL OTHERS. "STOP THIS UNNECESSARY BICKERING. WE HAVE A CALAMITY TO STOP. THERE IS NO TIME FOR FIGHTING AMONGST OURSELVES. THE TITANS ARE TOO UNPREDICTABLE TO MAKE USE OF AT THIS TIME. INSTEAD, THEY CAN SERVE AS A WAY TO TIP THE SCALES OF WAR WHEN THE ENEMY OVERPLAYS THEIR HAND."
"I AGREE WITH LUTHOR. THE DAJII ARE ON THE OFFENSIVE AND MUST MAKE THE FIRST MOVE. THERE IS NO NEED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE TITANS NOW. FIRST, WE MUST SEE HOW WELL THE HUMANS FARE AGAINST THEM," MAVIS, THE KEEPER OF BATTLE, STATED.
"THEN, LET US CAST OUR VOTES."
---------------------
"IT HAS BEEN DECIDED..."
"ACHYDNI WILL BEAR THE BURDEN OF PREPARING HUMANITY FOR THE DAJII. SHE IS THE MOST UP TO THE TASK. THE OTHERS WILL EACH HIDE DEEP WITHIN US UNTIL WE CALL FOR THEM."
ERITH WAS LESS THAN HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME BUT RELENTED. "FINE. BUT I WILL TAKE LEADERSHIP OF THIS PROJECT."
JUN HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO AGREE, "VERY WELL. JUST MAKE SURE YOU SUCEED."