Originally uploaded Jan 18, 2023

??? Pov

Ancient stories and legends passed from the lips of generations, held that anyone who understood the truth of this artifact would have within their reach nigh infinite knowledge of space, time, and life.

The songs of centuries past held that the orb was an ancient artifact from a long dead race. Erased from history by war and the endless tide of time.

I, however knew the truth. Knowledgeable as these asura led lessers were they were still given to the follies of their weak minds and body.

I had traveled for so long I'd forgotten when I started. Collecting. Studying. Ordering the chaos the fall of my race brought.

And one thing I had learned was that every race, no matter their significance relative to all of space and time, thought their mountain was special. That it was more sacred than the mountain worshiped by their neighbor. That it was the one true axis of the universe. I had found they clung to stories.

Those bastards who call themselves gods, no different from bickering children with too much power. But I did not believe those so called deities, I had waged war with them. Seem them in all their unglorified truth.

Making my way down the marble and stone hallways, with arches that stretched up several meters into the air. My staff, the long haft of the weapon resting in my right hand, from pointed base to the glowing amethyst wings of its head that flanked an orb of concentrated aether clacked on the floor along with my soft footsteps.

Allowing a portion of my consciousness to stray to monitor my situation. It strays into one of my guards situated near the entrance of the building, cloaked in shadow and hidden from visible space. Stalking, waiting in a sub-dimension for any movement or order. With a sword those blade hummed with power, enough to cut through the fabric of reality, perfectly still, perfectly uniform with the other in its formation.

'Perhaps I have overestimated.' I mulled over in my head. I had awakened and mobilized more guards then I wanted, but the prize was far too great.

Suddenly the air changed, my instincts warned me. Reaching out I felt it. Tiny, thin strands of mana hung in the air. No doubt leading to some kind of trap when broken. Ignoring my instincts I continue forward. I have learned to ignore such weaknesses of flesh.

As the first string of mana was broken by my physical body it triggered a gigantic hammer to swing from a hidden compartment from the walls, weighing ten tons. Swept down at me like a pendulum.

Raising my hands, I cast a stasis projection around the hammer, halting its progress mid-swing. I passed it without a glance, its stone surface still vibrating with potential energy.

Finally making my way towards the price. A purple orb of aether. It sat on a velvet cushion upon a stone podium, inlaid with runes and glyphs of gold.

Analyzing the rune, I discovered they were more than just fancy decoration. Though from what I had gathered that certain asura wasn't opposed to ostentatious decor, he was smarter than most of his kind.

Decipher it, the runes seemed to be some kind of pressure activated alert system. The moment I remove this relic it would trigger not only an alert to the security but also vaporize me with the mana that was stored inside.

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'Well we can't have that, I do indeed don't take masochistic pleasure in dying.' I chuckled in my head as I brought the tip of my staff to point at the podium.

Willing my own power and utilizing the aetheric power source that sat atop my staff, multiple gold and purple runes running up and down my arms and staff all glow.

The gold inlaid runes on the supporting structure of the orb glowed in unison, reacting to my own power.

With that done I reached for my prize. When suddenly a mental probe stabbed at my mind. I quickly sent my mind into my guards.

'Damn.' I cursed in my head as the last of my guards were impaled on a blood iron spike that seemingly grew from the ground.

Grabbing onto the relic, my mind connects to it. As a flow of emotions and memories that weren't mine flooded into my brain. It seemed as if I had reconnected with a long lost part of my own mind.

"You have been returned to your rightful owner." I muttered as I placed my sought after prize into a dimensional pocket within my emerald green cloak.

Turning my attention to where I came, footsteps could be heard. And judging from it they only seemingly sent one.

'They sure are getting cocky.' I scoffed.

The figure stepped out to the light, revealing itself to me.

Its dark grey skin that shinned in the moonlight, which seemed to only extenuate its ruby red eyes. It stood 8 feet tall, its large horn protruding from its head, piercing into the heavens.

A Vritra blooded mutt.

Without warning black flames erupted from the foul creature and race towards me. Burning the very air between us.

Reaching out my left arm, elaborate runes decorating my skin shin a brilliant gold as the mutt's spell stops.

Not cancelled or anything, it merely hung in the air, as if time had halted.

"You have much to learn." I mocked, bringing the staff down in a swing, my attack cut through the very space as it raced towards my attacker.

The overgrown beast seemed to turn into black mist as he dodged the attack, quickly trying to close the distance. Black obsidian spike erupted from the stone floor. Augmenting my body I sidestep his attack, but not quick enough. My left arm was snagged on one. Spewing crimson blood on the white floor. I was pinned.

The mutt was fast approaching, leaving behind a trail of black fire as he rocketed towards me, his black obsidian sword drawn.

Tapping into another one of my runes I decrease the local time flow around my body. The surrounding world seemed to slow down as I weighed my options. This powerful rune was useful yet was very taxing on the physical body.

Having no other choice I swing my staff down on my impaled arm, serving it and freeing myself. A wave of blood flooded out of my stump of an arm. It didn't matter, I had no attachment to this surrogate body after all.

Releasing my hold on my rune, time resumes at normal speed. The Vritra's black sword's blade only inches away from my nose as I dodge it.

I wasn't a fighter, never was, my mind and intellect being my greatest weapon. Even taking over a fighter's body only solved half the problem. What use was an able body when I had no knowledge how to use it to fight.

Swinging my staff time hastening according to my command, making my attack impossible for him to dodge. As it slashed him across the chest, drawing blood.

He grimaced, more in annoyance than pain. Fire ignited all over his body as he reached for me but it was too late. Reaching out with my mind I push against the boundaries of our world. Against the aether that held our reality together. It was painful and stress inducing but eventually it relented, the space between us that was several centimeters stretched to hundreds of meters.

The mutt seemed surprised, most likely never fought against an competent aether wielder I presume.

"Bye bye now." I taunted as I took out a small disk from my robes. Starting down at it I will aether into as gold runes that were previously invisible on its white dome surface glowed to live. When a drop of blood landed on its pristine white surface.

Reaching up to touch my nose, and found my fingertips covered in blood.

'Guess this body is running out of time.'

The Vritra lab rat was already only a couple of feet away his mana screaming with rage as it took the form of black lightning, writhing with power. Then the device activated. Lighting a purple ring around me as it encompassed me in a bubble.

I waved at my pursuer, his eyes filled desperation and anger. I mused at what kind of punishment his master would give him for letting me escape with such a priceless relic.

The device teleported me far away from this place, back to my vault. As I friendly waved at the Vritra abomination.