Originally uploaded Dec 20, 2023

Vago Pov

Fate, it was a complicated subject to say the least. All throughout my race's history there were always three branches, three pathways one took when they studied aether.

The forces that create and binds reality as we know it. While study was possible in all three branches to one individual, it was their natural inclination to one of the three paths that dedicated their true progress and calling.

Spatium, the branch of the cosmos that commands space. Capable of weaving portals and pathways under the skin of reality. Vivum, the branch that oversees all life. Governing the souls of the living and the dead. Capable of birthing new life, as well as snuffing it out in its entirety.

And Aevum, the branch that sees over time. Reserving, forwarding the water-like flow of time. With enough control over the branch it reveals both the events of the past and the future. Of what has been, and what will be.

Above all of the branches, all of the aspect and elements of our world lied Fate itself. Many scholars and researches within the djinn race gave many speculations on what truly was Fate.

Was it perhaps some force that stood above us all, watching over the world as if it was a stage play? Or was it something that was too ethereal for our minds to understand. Whatever it was, what little we understood about it showed us that many of our lives were already predestined.

No matter what action we took we were all caged up in a future that was decided for us. While certain circumstances and details may change, our destiny were already decided for us.

Yet, this was only a prevailing theory. Before our research could go any further our race were burned to the ground. Many of our greatest minds were either killed or captured by the asuras of Ephetous. Years, centuries of knowledge and research were all reduced to ash in an instant.

Who knows, perhaps if we were left alone to evolve and further our understanding perhaps we would have reached outwards to other worlds. To grow our influence and knowledge until we unlocked the mysteries of Fate itself.

But that was just wishful thinking. As a master chronomancer and diviner seeing into the future was my job. Yet peering into the infinity that was the future was never a straightforward ordeal.

From any fixed point in time there were countless strings, all leading to a different future. The more separate moving pieces that were involved with an event the harder it was to divine the future.

I sat still akin to a stone statue, in the center of my chambers within the Imperial palace. My eyes were closed yet my vision wasn't impaired. In fact I stared at my own body from the center of the room, as if I was seeing through the eyes of some else that was in the empty room with me.

The floor was glowing, as the runes and glyphs I had etched onto the deep navy marble floor pulsed with golden light. The runes that decorated my skin pulsed with a matching hue and tempo. So much so that I appeared more like a figure of pure light rather than any living being.

I could feel my whole body slowly growing warmer and warmer, but I ignored it for now. As I poured more of my mental strength and mana into my spellforms and runes more and more glyphs and runes appeared on the ground and began to flack off the marble floor and orbit around me.

Ancient symbols that lost all meaning to everyone but the most accomplished and well-studied disciple of aevum.

I channeled more of my own strength into the spellform and runes as they began orbiting faster and faster, until they were nothing more than a blur of gold and purple. The temperature of the room dropped as white coverings of frost slowly crept up the walls.

Time ebbed and slowly like water. Slowing and accelerating at will. Soon visions came to me. Murky at first, unfocused, multiple images overlapping in a mess of sensory data then clearer as the lens of infinity and time focused into a viewable point.

I saw flashing images, of the past.

A set of massive feathered wings unfurling and bloating out the sky. As the giant white dragon that glistened with a holy golden light took to the skies. Each breath it exhaled unleashing plumes of white firey death upon the ancient cities of legends past below.

I saw a large figure. His long hair flowing in the wind. Each tiny movement of his body producing subtle hums of machinery as they purred with aetheric might as he faced down the foul beast of lands beyond. In his hands he held his sword. The hand-guards fashioned into the brass wings of an eagle with its blade glowing pure white.

The two beings clashed in midair. Sending out shock-waves of mana and aether that unmade reality. Sparks of pure energy of the stars tore through the thin skin of reality, opening portals into other realities that closed as soon as they opened, making them appear like sparks of fire.

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The figure's sword plunged deep into the dragon's shoulder. The dragon in turn breathed firey death onto the man's masterwork armor. On they went, clashing like two forces of nature. As their forces below watched on in awe and horror. Desperately evading to not be caught in the crossfire of their battle.

The earth below them grumbled as it cracked, revealing the pulsing orange-red veins of magma that ran the earthy surface like veins of a living creature.

My visage shifted again as I floated above a large city that spanned on for miles. Large towers and homes that housed thousands littered the skyline. The true glory of the ancient djinn race. Large portal gateways illuminated the borders in far distant horizon. Allowing instant travel between the two continents.

Large castle and ships sailed the skies. Showcasing the full might of our once great civilization. No war, no strife of any kind. A existence that allowed us to advance in both aetheric arts as well as our technology. And the very life that turned us into helpless pacifists.

We focused too much on our study of our material world that we were blind to our inability to control our own destiny. And in turn we were punished, our cities built upon generations were reduced to nothing as our history were forgotten to all.

The world morphed around me as I appeared before a man. Pale skin, long white hair with eyes of deep purple. A face that brought out hatred from deep within my very soul due to the resemblance to the current lord of dragons.

He wore white robes with gold accessories. In his hands was a long lance, it hummed with aetheric power I have never seen before. It was entirely blood red in color with tiny lines of gold running up and down its sides. Flanking him were men and women, all built to be warriors. Dressed in dark military garbs they silently marched behind their king.

The ground rumbled, as a sound so loud that it was felt as though my entire head would explode from the pressure. My head whipped around as I witnessed the very mountains move. Casting off excess dirt and trees, the living mountain stirred.

It entire back was covered with trees and stone, I saw dark flocks of birds fly away as their entire homes were uplifted. The ancient creature reared its massive head, easily the size of small hills or large cities. And unleashed a roar that made my heart stop.

I was startled awake, this time in an old study room. The smell of candles and old books filled my nose. As an hooded figure next to me reached over me to pick out a book. I only caught a slight glimpse of his face. A face I knew all too well. Old and wrinkled, appearing so fragile that you would think a strong gust of wind would have ended him.

The thing that suggested otherwise were the runes of purple that glowed a subtle hue on his skin.

Before I could speak to the old acquaintance my entire body was moved again. This time I appeared before a large throne room.

A red carpet made of some unknown material laid underneath my feet. Shifted my gaze upwards I saw a man, very similar to the man who marched against the living mountain. Sat upon a throne seemingly made of white fire.

Before him stood a thin man. Robed in jet-black with horns jutting out of his head and forming into forms that resembled branches of a tree. They were moving their mouths, but no sounds reached me.

My mind struggled to comprehend all the events my divination was showing me. And before long I was shown events I knew that have yet to come to pass.

I saw a young man. Flowing blonde hair with gold eyes with slit pupils. He surged forth, leading an army of armored djinn warriors. A corona of gold light floated just above his head, like a halo or crown. In his hands was the same flaming sword I knew too well.

Opposing him I saw a young elf woman. Gold and green runes marked her arms and ran all the way up to her face as violent winds tinted purple with aether whipped around her grey hair. Her stone cold expression was enough cut through the first row djinn warriors as she unleashed a powerful blast of pure mana.

A distant roar caught my attention as I turned my attention to the sky. Showing me a incredible sight. An entire continent so large that even from this distance I had to turn my head from side to side to fully see it. Seemingly floating in the air.

And from the flying continent descending an army of dragons. In numbers so numerous they resembled flocks of birds. With scales the reflected the dying sunlight like precious gemstones. Dark thunderclouds hung around them as they flew down to met the man in blackstone armor and the elf.

But there was something else that brought me true dread. Beyond the djinn warriors, beyond the elf, and the army of dragons, there was something else.

A creature, a being that lied beyond all of it. I couldn't see him but I could sense its presence. Around all of us, watching with great anticipation of what is to come. A existence that made my very soul shiver in fear.

A one behind all of this. The one who oversees all, the one beyond our understanding. A being of pure light, not aether or mana. Something that goes beyond our workings of magic and science. The very stars seems to move to form its boundless body.

A true god. Was this Fate itself? Or something far beyond even that?

Then the being turned its attention to me. It should have been impossible, yet it did. I could have sworn it stared me directly in the eyes. Across time and space itself.

I gasped for air as I released my hold on my spell. I fell down from the air, coming to rest on the marble floor that was frozen solid and covered by a thin layer of ice.

I brought my hands up to face to wipe away the layer of sweat. My heart was racing so fast that I thought it would burst out of my chest.

I focused on my breathing to try to regain some sanity. Peering into the past and the future was never a peaceful ordeal but this was something else.

I had originally wanted to peer into the near future, to guide our race to our salvation. But it seems Fate had other plans for me.

I tried recounting what I had just bared witness to. Ancient events that were forgotten to lessers. Of living mountains that roamed the world before the asuras came to full power. Of the battle between our Emperor and the dragons of the Indrath clan.

Of the future, where Ephetous returns to the material world. To the being that stood by, above all of it. a true deity, unlike the asuras. A being that resided beyond our own world or concepts of understanding.

A sharp pain ran through my entire body as I jolted upright. I clutched at my head, wishing for the pain to stop.

My eyes threatened to eject themselves out of their sockets as I staggered back, leaning on the cold walls for support.

Images, runes, and words flashed before my eyes. Only a couple I could clearly make out of the jumbled mess that was my mind.

Djinn, Asura, Aether, Fate, Indrath, Ephetous, Geolus, Emperor, Neoth, Legacy,

Leywin

The painful visions rested at that word. As the pain slowly died down the word slowly morphed into another.

Anathema