Calum
[One day ago]
I've never seen so many Society members gathered before.
For the first time in 100 years, the Livari had returned. Their presence was... Overwhelming to say the least. And growing. A few Attuned in the Grand Hall were gently rubbing their temples in visible discomfort. There was a general hubbub with a rush of excitement and nervousness palpable among those gathered. They all knew their assignments, and soon, all their preparations would bear fruit.
The Society had been called many things over the years, but that didn't matter anymore. Calum's life purpose, his family heritage, all of it was coming to a head. The people in this room supposedly represented the cream of the crop, the future of humanity, and their long hiding would soon be over.
Whispers of Great Revolution and Destiny floated around the corridors as Society initiats unabashedly let their desires show. Calum wondered if their sentiments were quietly mirrored in the hearts of the Elders.
His family, the Erlesen were highly respected in Society circles for their naturally discerning nature, understated Gift, and powerful connections. It would be fair to say that Calum was a young prince of sorts.
Not that he liked being thought of that way.
Stupid Elders.
His head was screaming as though he'd just been flashed by a car in the dead of night alongside the hangover of a lifetime, and on top of that, he knew the world was about to change for good. That tended to weigh on a person quite heavily. For the next few hours at least, he hoped he wouldn't snap at anyone who 'greeted' him just to curry favor with that terrible bow.
This was honestly worse than any elder's meeting, and there were still hours left to go!...
No. He shouldn't.
Maybe...
No!
Some heads turned his way as he passed them in the corridor. Eager to make a good impression, they squared up, crossed their arms, and slapped their hands to their shoulders before bowing.
"Good morning, Erlesen Calum!" they shouted in unison.
His eye twitched. He walked faster. The boys looked somewhere between distraught and crestfallen at his lack of reply, but right now...
Dontkillthemdontkillthemdontkillthem...
His current personal mantra could use some work if he was being honest. Just... Not today.
Now, just get out of sight, and...
Calum's form distorted before vanishing completely
Sweet relief.
* * * * *
As research sites lit up across the globe, one question resonated among them all: Was this a real encounter?
After the pulses were detected at Jupiter, not a scant few hours later they were detected much, much closer. Mars started giving off the same signals. At this juncture, the orbits of Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars aligned with one another relatively well if you were planning to sightsee at the speed of light on a round trip to Earth.
That's what had everyone fired up. There was a very small chance this was a coincidence, but that chance was so small, that the great powers were alerted for briefings. The US was cross-referencing with Russia, and China was, surprisingly, chipping in as well. Nothing was being left to chance.
Spy satellites of various countries did something they weren't necessarily intended for. They turned their highly tuned sensors away from Earth, and into space. Specifically, towards Mars, using every sensor available to them.
What they were seeing was majestic.
Glittering against the backdrop of space, a tiny speck of light was rapidly growing en route to Earth, and upon further magnification, they realized it was enormous. Space objects over 10 miles long didn't usually glimmer and reflect sunlight dazzlingly. The planet lit up immediately, and amateur astronomers and enthusiasts all began to take notice.
Soon, social media was abuzz, and news outlets pounced on the development, demanding that governments tell them what exactly was going on. People wanted pictures, others were saying they should prepare for war, and others were wondering if this wasn't the coming of the Messiah.
The Earth was in uproar, and it would never be the same again.
* * * * *
La'ar
(Present Day)
"That's quite a sizable amount of eyes on us. They're not complete primitives, that's for sure." commented Kri'sh Talu, La'ar's Chief of Communications. They had just passed the 3rd planet's moon and were entering geosynchronous orbit above the largest single landmass.
Earth, as it was called, was bombarding them with a plethora of radio waves, lasers, microwaves, ultraviolet light comms, and just about every other form of communication they had at their disposal.
"Far from it Chief Talu, this young race possibly holds the key to our continued survival. They progressed from steam power to nuclear in around 200 years or so." La'ar mentioned offhandedly.
He was, after all, less interested in the sciences and the like, and far more in the magical potential of the races he cultivated. This, however, took Chief Talu by surprise.
"200 years? That's unheard of! What of their Analog and Digital Ages, those are usually good progress markers."
The various species on the rest of the bridge crew began to take notice of the intriguing conversation.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"40 years." said the Cultivator with a twinkle in his eye, though without so much as a twitch on his stoic face.
Anyone who knew anything about species history and development gaped at those numbers. That would put this species in the rank of super-genius, with only a handful of species even able to compete with that pace of advancement. All of them were on the Council of Gifted.
"That would explain why First Cultivator La'ar is here for this planet's Cultivation, isn't it? This species is ready." Third Cultivator Va'al Nek strode onto the bridge, joining the conversation. "First Cultivator, our preparations are complete. We are ready to descend at your convenience." Va'al said with a slight nod of his head.
La'ar rarely gave the slightest indication of what he was feeling, yet all could tell by the nigh crackling energy surrounding him, that he was eager to begin.
"Let us depart."
The Cultivator met the rest of the sorcerers in the drop bay. There was no need for grand speeches, every one of them having attended his cultivations alongside him many times.
This made it all the more surprising when they sensed his presence stiffen, drawing their attention straight to him as he stood in their midst.
"My fellows. We have toiled many centuries against the darkness, seeking allies in our Quest. This day is momentous, as before us potentially lies the salvation of our existence. These people will be willful and arrogant, dismissive and suspicious, as well as rude and presumptuous. They are wild and unkempt, and prone to barbarism at the slightest provocation. However, fear does not scare them like other species, nor does it drive them all to panic. For many of them it creates focus, it unites them together when they would otherwise stand apart." This prompted glances amongst those gathered.
"This may sound counterintuitive, but on the authority of the Luminary himself, this species is one most deserving of Cultivation. I tell you this to prepare you. Do not underestimate the folly and hubris of these 'Humans'. Never let your guard down, and do not spare them the majesty of your power. You have full authority to act in the interest of self-preservation should you require it." To those gathered, this was beginning to sound more ominous than positive.
"I tell you this, not to frighten you, but rather that we might..." he paused in recollection, tilting his head, "'Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best', as the humans so aptly put it. Realize this truth; for all their unbridled folly, their hubris, and their arrogance, they are just as capable of bringing themselves to love just as fiercely, fight selflessly out of loyalty for those they cherish, and have compassion even on their greatest enemies. It is for this reason that we Cultivate these magicless people. Not to break them, but to truly uplift them. It will be painful, and they may despise us initially, but in time, they will become our greatest allies, and perhaps, our most cherished comrades. So, let us do our duty earnestly, for our futures."
The sorcerers were abuzz with energy humming in the air as anticipation swept amongst them all. They braced themselves as they were lifted up into the cocoon of power that would preserve them on their descent. The First Cultivator bore them all together towards the planet.
As his enormous magical presence came into contact with the planet, colors and lights danced around them, almost as if heralding their arrival with a spectacle of color.
For Humans and Livari alike, It was mesmerizing.
Truly, La'ar felt, this was to be a truly spectacular Cultivation.
* * * * *
Mike
(Present Day)
It was 5 in the morning, and Mike and Joe were just about beat. They'd played to their heart's content and then some. Mike's headache had gotten worse, but he'd ignored it and focused on the games instead. Now though, it was time to hit the hay.
"I always beat your ass at Battlefront, what are you talking about?" Mike spoke hushed, yawning as they made their way to Joe's room to catch up on some much-needed rest.
"Only because you play 3 times as much as I ever do. You know I'm half blind right? I actually do amazingly thank you very much." Joe said in a huff.
That was when it happened. Pure agony tore through Mike.
Not again
"Welcome Michael, of the Chosen." a calm voice soothed into Mike's roiling consciousness.
Mike Burned.
Pain akin to fire began tearing into his veins, setting ablaze every nerve ending from his head to his feet. He crumpled to the floor, taking a gasp of air.
A blood-curdling scream shook from his lungs as his body began trying... failing to halt the advance of wave after wave of nauseating affliction.
What's going on? Am I dying? I feel like I'm gonna explode, help! How the hell do I stop this? HELP!
Help never came for his agony.
After the span of what was, in reality, a few seconds, Mike's newly re-wired brain had grown larger in the Mid-Brain and Medulla to accommodate a brand new sense. An unseen power activated his DNA to awaken a long-dormant organ thought to be redundant to human science in his now enlarged appendix, which flooded newly essential cells throughout his body. The price for this, however, was excruciating pain that caused his new and improved brain to hit its limit, and succumb to a vasovagal reaction as blood circulated irregularly for just long enough to cause a massive drop in blood pressure.
In essence, he fainted.
* * * * *
The Livari knew how to make an entrance, that was for sure. Instead of a giant spaceship burning through orbit and raining death and destruction, with Earth's military heroes giving their lives to fight off the alien invaders, these aliens 'stepped' into Earth's atmosphere without so much as a spare jersey for the descent.
Quite literally.
The Aurora Borealis lit up the night and the day across the world, as Earth became witness to the impossible. Beings of impossible origin descended like gods from the heavens in every capital city of every nation. There were nations foolish enough to attempt hostile greetings, which were embarrassingly cut short. Before anyone had any answers, a voice thundered in every mind on the planet, so powerful and dominating that with every word spoken one could not help but believe. For most, this would be the first and last time they would be touched by magic, for others, it was just the beginning. No mind could help but listen.
"People of Earth. We are the Livari. You now know the answer to the question of whether or not you are alone in the vastness of space. We have not come to harm you, but to uplift you. We require aid in the Quest against the darkness we perilously face, and you are uniquely qualified to assist us in this. In the interest of transparency, you will all hear what we have to offer Earth, that no leader among you might sway your opinion falsely."
"Should Earth choose to accept our terms, you, and your world, will remain sovereign unto yourselves, although you will ultimately be beholden unto us. This would entail, amongst many other things, coming under the protection of the Livari Commonwealth in full, automatically disallowing other races to claim your world and your people as theirs.
Naturally, refusal would be unwise. Whilst the Commonwealth is the most powerful conglomerate in the galaxy, we are not alone. Your system has remained under Livari protection for thousands of years by special request of our leaders, however, this would be forfeited following your refusal. This is in accordance with our laws that once a species is contacted and refuses cultivation, they lose automatic 'Protected' status."
"We are not gods, though, under our protection, you will be afforded many benefits. As a gesture of good faith, we will proceed to restore your planet from the destruction you've caused it, regardless of your leader's final choices. Should you choose to accept, we will end your world's greatest plights. Hunger, famine, cancer, diseases, as well as all present wars will be halted.
"Natural disasters will end on a near-permanent basis, your planet will be stabilized, and your world and its biome will be completely healed. Many protections and benefits beyond these would also be given to you, and the state of your world would be maintained by Livari who would take up residence among your nations, and afford you direct societal assistance in time as well."
"However, as these actions we undertake will demand great resources of us, as we stated before, we will require your aid in the Quest we face. In order to facilitate this, there will be those among you who will be granted gifts and requested to serve and assist in various capacities as the Livari need them. These humans would naturally be compensated and afforded special status and benefits within your society, as well as on other worlds."
"Finally, let it be known that the existence of 'magic', as you know it, does indeed exist. The Attuned among you will be granted access to it, though your species has no natural affinity, there are those among you with a predisposition for the required adaptations. Should you accept our terms, a magical apparatus will be installed over your world to facilitate your connection to the Commonwealth and watch over your world, known as the Link."
"We will now begin negotiations with your leaders. The outcome will be communicated through your traditional channels of communication. We look forward to a fruitful outcome."
Human beings across the globe gaped. The voice in their minds spoke to all in a way that each could understand fundamentally, and with such authority that no doubt could be harbored as to the integrity of what had been said. It was true...
They were not alone.