All Maria saw were stars.
She was naked and weightless as she barreled through the void of space. An icy chill gave her goosebumps. It was warm a second ago, back when she was sitting in her room, mindlessly scribbling over homework. As she fell backward through the hole, everything vanished. No sound. Nothing to grab onto. Not even smell. All around was an array of bright, cosmic clouds swirling through the boundless darkness like rainbow ribbons. Cosmic emeralds, rubies, and sapphires twirled and sparkled.
Maria couldn’t take her eyes off any of it.
Stardust trailed behind distant meteors sparkling in the light of a distant sun. Distant galaxies swirled like water down the drain, yet they looked close enough to reach out and hold in her palm.
The hole she had fallen through was gone. Nothing more than another light against the pinpricks of stars against the dark. A solid, ice-cold surface shocked her feet, causing her hairs to stand. She landed, though on what she had no idea. Beneath her feet, the stars showed a perfect reflection of the space above, except Maria’s reflection wasn’t there. She shivered and rubbed at her shoulders. Her nipples poked at her forearms. Every step she took sent waves rippling beneath her. She was walking on water, though her feet were not wet. A few steps, a minute, an hour. Maria wasn’t sure how long she walked, though the cold made it feel like an eternity.
A light shone above. So bright it overpowered the distant suns. It came from a small, rectangular hole. The hole she fell through. It looked within arm's reach, but no way it was that close. She couldn’t find it a moment ago. Everything inside it showed clearly. The posters on her wall and her dresser that almost touched the ceiling. She reached up and jumped. A strong force pulled her back to the icy water. Landing splashed water up her legs, making her shiver. Her raven black hair, which usually reached her lower back, was floating around her as if she were underwater. It was so dark she hadn’t seen it against the black sky.
Amidst the silence rose a gentle voice. Whether it belonged to a man or a woman, Maria wasn’t entirely sure.
It echoed. “Welcome.”
Maria covered her body and didn’t respond. She looked around, trying to find the voice.
“I’m afraid we have much to ask of you.”
“H- hold on.” Maria’s teeth chattered. “Who are you?”
“A curious one you are,” a second, deeper voice said.
Maria scoffed and laughed, desperate to suppress the pounding in her chest. “Well, I am the inquisitive type. Where am I?”
The voices fell silent.
Maria looked around frantically as she was once more overwhelmed with silence. “H- Hey!”
The planets started spinning through the void, turning as if the universe were being rewound. The stars and cosmic clouds shifted, trailing through the cosmos gradually enough that the various shapes resembled a body, a head, and a face. At least, that’s what it looked like. She couldn’t quite tell what it was. Cosmic lights flowed through it, forming veins.
Maria stumbled back, nearly tripping as the cosmic being floated before her. “What the hell?”
“Not hell, nor heaven, or even purgatory,” said an unfamiliar voice.
Another body of cosmic shapes took form to Maria’s right, then a third to her left. They were so large and grand she couldn’t tell if they were standing a few feet from her, or lightyears away. Regardless, she was surrounded.
“You have been chosen,” the first voice said.
Maria stood, shivering, and waited for the voice to continue. Nothing. “Can you elaborate on that,” she finally said.
One of the cosmic bodies flew closer, and Maria tripped as she stumbled back. She fell into the thin layer of icy water and yelped as she jumped back to her feet.
“Do not be afraid,” the second voice said.
“Easy for you to say! Where am I?” she shouted and backed away from the cosmic figures.
“This place has no name, nor will it ever, lest those who have been here give it one.”
Maria stared blankly at the amorphous being. What to say? This couldn’t be real. The cosmic bodies were growing closer. “Am I dreaming?” Maria said hoarsely. Her throat had gone dry.
“You are not-”
“I’m high then. I have to be.”
“You are not-”
“I’m dead!”
“She is clearly confused,” the third voice said. “Perhaps we should explain.”
“Well duh! What the hell is going on? What happened? Why am I here? Did a truck crash through my wall?”
“You were chosen,” the first voice said. “You are to be our new champion.”
“Champion?” Maria tilted her head. “What for?”
“A matter concerning your father.”
Maria paused and glanced over to a purple cosmic body the first voice came from. “My father? You know him?”
“That we did,” the three said in unison.
“We are hoping you can succeed where our previous champion and Alexandría had failed,” said the first voice.
“My mother? At what…?”
“Saving the world that the demon king nearly destroyed. You see, the world of Mytharia was ravaged by your father—”
“Hold on a second!” Maria said. “My father, the demon king?”
“Surely your mother spoke of your father before, correct?” the second voice asked.
“Of course. She talked about him like she never stopped loving him. I thought she was lying though! My father is actually the demon king?”
“He was,” said the first voice. “Our last champion vanquished him.”
Maria paused for a moment. “Oh…” She turned her left wrist over. A marking was embedded into it. She had always assumed it was a birthmark. It was faint, though clear enough in shape to appear as her mother always told her it was. A set of jagged lines that vaguely formed the shape of a helmet.
“Your father’s crest,” the first voice said.
“Oh… uh… okay…”
“You seem to be taking this news surprisingly well.”
“I’m standing stark naked in space talking to three people made of stars. Anything’s believable at this point.” Maria placed her hands together and grinned. “Though if this really is a trip, I’d like more of whatever you got. It’s good.”
“It is not.”
Maria pouted. “All right… So, if Dad is dead, why do you need me?”
Suddenly, the three cosmic bodies reshaped, seemingly flying further and further away.
“Hey! Where are you going?”
They kept flying further and further away until they blurred together to vaguely form the shape of a person. There was a bright flash, and Maria covered her eyes. When the light faded, she looked back to see a tall woman walking towards her. She was naked, with flowing hair as silver as the moon, and extraordinarily long eyelashes that curved into large crescents. Her eyes were as black as the space around her, and as she walked along the water, she too created ripples. In the wake of each step, images began to form in the reflection of the water.
But Maria wasn’t looking at them.
She was looking at the woman's breasts. Large and supple, she stared at them with wide eyes. The woman brushed her hair forward, cascading it over her chest as she continued walking closer.
“It’s rude to stare, you know,” she said in the tone of the first voice.
“I… wasn’t. I’m just surprised to see someone else here.”
“Sure you are.” She smiled and gestured to the ground. “Eyes down… unless you want to keep staring.”
Maria kept staring, blushing brighter.
The woman only giggled and stepped closer. She took Maria’s hands gently and pressed them against her breasts. Maria’s eyes went wide as she held her hands there for a moment before squeezing. Her nipples were poking into her palm.
“Woah…” she whispered to herself.
“There. Satisfied?”
Maria squeezed them again.
Again, the woman giggled. “Alright, eyes down. This is what we need you for.”
As the ground beneath Maria’s feet rippled, her attention was pulled downward. No longer was she standing on an icy reflection of the stars above, but rather, the reflections of mountains and valleys. Maria’s eyes grew wide as she walked around, glancing down at the images below. The landscape flew as she looked with a bird’s eye view. Many towns were left in ruin, with thatched roofs engulfed in flames and foundations crumbling. Blood painted the valleys, and bodies lay in the streets.
“What is all this?”
“Mytharia,” the woman said. She strutted over to the girl, and put a hand around her shoulder, pulling her in close. Maria blushed bright red as her head was smushed against the woman's breast. “Look here,” the woman said. Everything was suddenly engulfed in flames. A ruined castle came into view as an unwavering army in black armor swept through it. “This was the battle of Trumhere Fortress.”
Maria winced as the sound of distant screams and fire roared around her. It was strangely muffled. The view next flew over a mountain ridge into a land filled with black grass and a smog-covered sky. Trees were rotten and twisted, like something out of a nightmare.
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“This was your father’s residence, the forbidden lands.”
Maria chuckled and gave a thumbs-up. “Looks like a great place to keep a home.”
“It is far from it. It is a land of—”
“Shadows? Monsters?”
“And all the other evils of the world.”
Maria looked down and jumped as something leaped at her in the reflection. All she could make out were sharp, pearly white teeth from the darkness around it. She grabbed at her chest. “Jesus Christ.” Another figure stepped into her peripheral vision, and again, Maria was startled. It was another nude woman, with long silver hair that had been tied up like a halo above her head. Her skin was fair, with faint sparkling embroidery along her torso, and breasts. “Beasts have been left to roam, bringing death in their wake,” she said in the tone of the second voice. “It is a shame to see the world we cared so much for wither away, even after his death.”
It took Maria a moment to respond, her attention darting between the two naked women before her. Was this really happening? What was even going on anymore? They both looked stunning.
“Are you still there?” the first woman giggled flirtatiously.
“I… yes, sorry.” Maria snapped herself out of it and looked back to the world below her. “Is it… like this everywhere? Everything on fire, and destroyed?”
“No,” said the first woman. “But for much of the world, yes. Villages far away from the forbidden lands are rebuilding. Life is growing hard, even for them, however. Many lives were lost because of your father’s actions. Even long after his death, his reach spreads.”
“Mom always said he was kind… I mean… she did say he was a ‘bad boy’. I just didn’t…”
“He was far from it,” said the second woman.
Maria sighed and rubbed at her eyes. She glanced once more at her feet as the bird’s-eye zoomed out, giving a larger look at the ruined landscapes. “My father did all that?”
The women did not speak. Their silence was enough of an answer.
“Your mother was one of our prior champions,” said the first woman.
“But she failed like all the others,” the second woman said.
“Many gave up. The others died. Only your mother was foolish enough to fall for him. When she became pregnant with you, he grew tired of her and cast her out. We pulled her from Mytharia in hopes of cultivating you as our champion one day.”
“Excuse me, what?” Maria quickly spun around to face the amorphous cosmetic entities.
“Our last champion, we sent with the same goal as your mother—”
“Don’t just gloss over that! You’ve been waiting to summon me as a champion?”
“That we did,” said the third voice. Maria felt a set of cold, gentle fingers comfortably grab her shoulders. She quickly stepped away, and turned to face yet another naked woman. Her hair was much shorter, with vines and leaves that grew around her arms and thighs. When Maria moved away, the woman gently clasped her hands together beneath her heavy breasts. “Yes. Being of your father's blood, and that of a human woman, we believed you might one day be able to stand a chance in this quest, away from the world and his influence. That time has come. While our previous champion succeeded, there is still the matter of the demon king's subordinates that have yet to be dealt with. He refused the quest to hunt them, so now we turn to you.”
“Ooooh, I see where this is going,” Maria said. “You want me to pick up where he left off?”
“Yes. Your father left behind a treasure,” the third woman continued, “A treasure that can give whoever finds it the powers and fortune he once possessed. It was this treasure the champion sought after your father's defeat. He had no intention of saving the world like he had promised. If you find that treasure, you can use its power to set things right, bring peace, and rid the world of evil once and for all.”
“As our chosen champion, we are willing to offer you any wish you may so desire, if you succeed,” the first woman said.
Maria looked back at the three of them. “Any wish?”
“Anything your heart desires.”
Maria pursed her lips and glanced back down. This whole mess was her parents’ fault. Her father for being the cause, and her mother for spreading her legs instead of peace. It was her duty to right the wrongs of her family. But what of everything back home? School? Her part-time job? She had a shift she promised to pick up tomorrow for Casey so she could attend her friend's wedding. Who would pay for her apartment? She didn’t have any friends living in Detroit who could water her plants or anything. Then again, what was she expecting to happen tomorrow? Wake up early, drags herself to work so she can get yelled at for doing her job, goes to school, and sits through another day of boring lectures. Or… she could go on this quest. No, this quest was her responsibility.
Maria looked back up at the three goddesses before her. An idea came, and she grinned. “So, I find this treasure and bring peace to the world, and I get any wish I want… I will wish to claim you three as my wives if I succeed!”
The three goddesses’ eyes grew wide. They looked at each other awkwardly.
“The three of us? As your wives?” the first woman said.
“Yes! I’ve never seen women so beautiful, so if I succeed, I want to claim you three as my wives.”
The second woman glanced nervously over at the other two. “Can she wish that?”
“We did say any wish,” the first woman said.
The third woman sighed, and spoke with hesitation. “Very well. If you succeed, you may claim us as your wives.”
“Great! Then I’ll find the treasure and help bring peace,” Maria said.
“We thank you,” the first woman said.
“Wait, hold on a second.” Maria spun around, looking between the three celestial women. “What kind of world are you even sending me to?” That was probably a question she should have asked before agreeing to this.
“One you might be quite familiar with,” the third woman explained. “It is a world of fantasy and magic, where the dwarves mine deep within the earth, while the elves—”
“Elves?” Maria’s eyes widened. “When you say elves are you talking about Santa’s elves or the eternally beautiful ones with really huge boobs?”
There was a long silence between the three women.
“Well?” Maria looked between them. “Are they loading bags with fun or loaded with fun bags?”
“T- The second one?” the first woman said hesitantly.
Maria pumped her fist into the air. “Send me! I’m ready to go! Any chance, can you just tell me where this treasure is, by the way?”
“That is something not even we know.”
“You can see everything between two worlds, but can’t see where the demon king left his treasure. You can’t even tell me what it looks like?”
“We are all powerful, not all-knowing.”
“Wait… speaking of demons, if my father is the demon king, does this make me part… demon?”
“No, ‘Demon King’ is the title he inherited when he slayed the previous Demon King.”
“Hold on a second… Did you summon my father too?”
“We did. He proved to be a fine champion.”
Maria glared at the cosmic women. “A fine enough champion to take the place of the very man you sent him to kill.”
There was a long silence.
“Yes,” the first woman said.
“You summoned a champion who became the new demon king, and the next ones in line all failed. Aren’t heroes supposed to be ‘worthy’? Where’s the quality control?”
“Ask her,” the first woman said, and pointed to the third woman. “She’s the one in charge of selecting our champions.”
“Don’t you dare pin this on me,” the third woman huffed. “Mytharia was in danger. I didn’t have time to hold auditions for the perfect hero.”
“Then what were you two doing?” Maria asked the first and second woman.
“We were doing our cosmic duties,” the second woman said proudly, gently placing a hand on her chest.
“Cosmic duties?” the third woman argued. “All you two do is sit around and observe the mortals!”
“I’m not as powerful as I once was,” the first woman said. “There is little I can do.”
“Don’t blame your injuries, you’re more than capable!”
“You’re blaming us for being lazy?” the second woman said. “What about you? What were you doing between each champion you sent? Were you just watching him like us? Were you not looking for someone who might be better suited for the job?”
Maria looked back and forth between the three women as they argued, standing still and quiet. Maybe she should have just kept her mouth shut. “H- Hey! Stop!” she said.
The three women glanced back at her, and recollected themselves.
“Our apologies,” the first woman said.
“I’m just seriously reconsidering if I’m the right person for the job at this point.” Maria sighed. "So I’m not part demon then. No demonic powers or anything, huh?"
“You descend from a powerful man. The treasure is not the only thing he left you.”
“What does that mean?”
None of the women elaborated. Maria began to grow warm, like a frog in a heating pot. She wiggled and squirmed as an irritating sensation crawled up from her feet. Glowing red markings crawled from her soles, and slither their way up and around her legs, forming henna-like tattoos. Stretching, growing, branching out into spirals, swirls, and ritualistic markings. She frantically rubbed her skin, but it did nothing to deter the spread. “What is this— AHH!” she screamed. Her eyes started to burn and she blinked rapidly. She pressed her palm into them. The corners of her vision were obscured by colorful boxes and bars. A flat square appeared before her, with white text popping out against its grainy texture.
Name: Maria Marigold
Lvl: 0
Hp: 50
MP: 10
Total Defense: 0
Total Attack: 1
“We wish you luck in your journeys,” the women all said in unison.
“Wait— !” Maria tried to speak, but as she stepped forward, she fell through the solid layer of water. She gasped as she twirled and flailed through space. The stars began whirling around her like a swarm of bees, with bright, powerful streaks of light until she was completely engulfed. Maria screamed as the sky turned blue, the ground green, and the world vibrant in natural colors. The ground grew closer. Her clothes returned, a jacket, shirt, and jeans. They flapped against her skin as she fell.
Maria crashed into a forest, cracking the branches on her way down. She groaned and grunted, before coming to a stop. She nearly banged her head against the ground. A force had jerked her still. She was floating a foot above the forest floor in an eerie stillness.
“What the—”
She fell.
Maria groaned as her head smacked a jagged stone. A trickle of blood ran down the nick left on her forehead. Slowly, she rose to her feet. Maria glanced around and tried getting her bearings. It was warm now. Her skin felt sickly from the sudden temperature change. At least she wasn’t naked. Looking at her right hand, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her silver ring was there. A final gift from her mother.
In the upper left corner of Maria’s vision was a small gray box displaying her level, and an XP bar beside it. Beneath were two more colorful bars. The red one indicated her HP as {50/50}, while the blue one showed her MP as {10/10}. No matter where she looked, they lingered there like persistent eye floaters. She shook her head from side to side. Nothing. They still lingered. Not distracting at all. In the lower-left corner of her vision were four rectangular boxes. “Equipment slots”, the text above them read. They were semi-translucent and arranged into a cross, with two stacked on top of each other, and the other two set at their sides.
Maria looked around. “What the hell is all this?”
A snort from behind startled her. She spun around and was face to snout with a silver horse. She almost yelped as she stepped back. Its luscious coat was white as snow. A horn— as long as a kitchen knife— protruded from the horse's domed forehead.
A unicorn?
Maria didn’t dare move another inch, lest she startle the beast and get gored. This had to be fake. It didn’t look fake. It was huge, as big as a war horse. “Uhh… hello?”
The unicorn gave a long snort, and circled before galloping away, whipping its tail as it vanished into the forest.
Maria stood still as a statue long after the creature had vanished. Did she really just see a unicorn? She scanned the area. There didn’t seem to be any others. At least none that she could see. A clearing lay a few feet away. She made her way towards it. As she reached the edge, she stumbled, her balance shaken by the steep drop of a cliff. Maria caught herself and took a step back before she tumbled off. The wind caressed her skin, playfully tousling her hair in front of her face. She brushed it aside and gazed at the breathtaking vista before her. The mountains were adorned with pristine blankets of snow and peaks piercing the heavens. Cascading down their steep slopes were vibrant forests, painting the landscape with a tapestry of greens. In the distance, a vast valley sprawled before her. Farmland, enveloped by bountiful crops, covered the land with rich colors.
A high-pitched squeak from behind startled Maria. A critter, something only described as a squirrel mashed together with a spider, scuttled up the tree beside her.
She mumbled to herself and raised a hand to block the sunlight from shining in her eyes. Maria glanced at her wrist and pulled back the sleeve of her jacket. The marking on her wrist pulsated with an unnatural glow. This was actually happening. She was in another world— a world she had to save— with a treasure she had to find.