Adrift in The Void, beyond time or space, darkness all around me, I waited for something, anything to happen. And yet, I saw through the darkness some vast streaks of distant light that stretched for unfathomable distances as they flickered in and out of existence. As I watched, I witnessed great beams appearing, and within them, some sort of figures that were too small to make out. Unknown entities moved along beams of light before the light faded, their fate unknown to me.
Some were close, in a relative sense, others much farther away, but all remained well out of reach. Yet I felt something familiar and close, something as curious as it was ever hungry, but my muddled mind could not remember what it was. Two others also lingered nearby, two that were separate yet combined, a bond between them making them whole. I feel like I should know them, but my mind refused to divulge its secrets.
Then from the darkness, light, everywhere at once, shifting through colors known and those yet unknown to me, my vision a riot of experiences and glimpses of things long since past and perhaps those yet to come. A torrent of sensation flowed through and around me, my mind struggling to even understand the context of my situation before…
Before…
“You going to stand there all day, lass?”
I found myself standing on a path, one of rough hewn stone that offered a stepped approach to a gate in a palisade. I could see towering structures, great longhouses with decorative motifs of my people all along them. Pleasant meadows caressed by gentle breezes delivered the sweet and familiar scents of my homeland to my perception.
My boots felt heavy, my body weary as I trudged up the steps to the door. Yet with each placement of my foot, I could feel strength return as my worldly concerns were left at the bottom of the path. Upwards I climbed, vigor and clarity returning to me with every step.
At the top, by the gate, stood an orc both handsome and well-known. His chest was mostly bare other than trinkets that adorned him, his pants of buckskin decorated with tassels woven like those made by children. His spear held feathers at the top, each one from a different and most exotic bird, none of which I have never seen before. In his left hand he held an open scroll, and he looked upon the scroll before finally bringing his eyes to me.
“Name and purpose for your visit?” he asked in a clear and commanding voice.
“Jericho, and I think I died.”
“I see, I see.” The orc said as he looked down at his scroll. “Says here it isn’t your time yet. Sorry, Jericho, I can’t let you in. As Gatekeeper of Grel’la’kel, I cannot let you pass, the sacred halls are barred to you until such time as the gods deem you should join them.”
“I,” I started, before a lump in my throat caught me by surprise. I should be happy I was not dead, yet I despaired that I could not join my ancestors. “I understand,” I finished weakly, my head bowed in submissive acceptance. “What now, then?”
“Not sure, doesn’t really say much here,” Gatekeeper replied as he gestured to his scroll. “It more or less says that you need to pick a new Blessing to go with your old one, but I don’t see anyone handing them out around here, do you?”
I looked around, and the two of us were alone here at the border between realities.
“I do not. Do you have any idea what I need to do?”
“Ah,” he sighed as he considered my question. “Hmm, we don’t hand out Blessings to people here. Go back the way you came to The Void, for that is where most creatures get their Blessings. Perhaps your choices are waiting for you there.”
“Gratitude, Gatekeeper,” I said with grim acceptance as my ears caught the telltale sounds of merrymaking coming from the great halls that were just on the other side of this gate.
The Gatekeeper, as if sensing my dismay at being rejected, leaned his spear on his shoulder and put his hand upon my own shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, lass. Stay true to your path, keep your word, and fight to protect what is dear to you, and you will be back here in no time. The gates will swing wide for you then,” he finished with a wink in his eye and a slight flick of his head to the left, a social signal of acceptance of another. Or, interpreted another way, a desire to bed someone, but a regrettable acknowledgement that now was not the time for it, given that it was accompanied by a slight twitch of his lips to show off his pronounced lower canines.
The Gatekeeper is indeed quite handsome, and the prospect of him penetrating me with those fangs and more is quite alluring, but as he suggested, it was not my time yet. With a nod to him, he lowered his hand and resumed his post.
“Good luck, Jericho. I hope to see you here again after you live a long and fulfilling life.”
I smiled at him in return, and then with our parting complete, I returned to the path down the hill. With each step, my body grew weary, my senses duller, as mortal concerns became mine once more. Onward I stubbornly marched, one foot in front of the other, until…
Until…
The Void. Light. Darkness once more. Time passes in unknown quantities.
But then something new happened. Power coalesced, playful motes of it lingering just outside reach, each one similar in power but different in purpose. Clarity returned to my mind as I viewed the motes that danced and twirled around me. Some moved closer while others flew away, vanishing into the endless reaches of The Void. Yet four remained, and as they drew closer, I knew them for what they were.
[Warcaller], [Legion], [Devastator], and [Bulwark] were the Blessings offered to me. Knowledge I never possessed before flowed through me, for I knew what they were and what they promised to provide. These were ‘primitive’ Blessings, unadorned by the customization of one’s soul. Just as I tell people I am a [Shield-Maiden], the true name of my Blessing is more embellished and secret. But something else hinted at a ‘template’ of sorts, that they would evolve to be more specific around a certain theme, but what?
Dragons! The Emperor!
Understanding flourished within me. The Emperor had done something to me, much as he had described doing to a few of the others who were part of his inner circle. Was I now to join their ranks, my purpose now bound to his? There are far worse fates to bear, for he does keep things interesting and he can be quite ‘attentive’ to the ladies in his life, me included. Perhaps this increase in power would see him visit me more often on lonely nights.
“As good a path as any,” I said to myself.
I reviewed my options further, for this choice would shape my life. [Warcaller] promised the ability to command, to rally troops, to inspire them and send them to war with determined zeal in their hearts. Strategy and tactics would be mine to understand, as well as the political intrigue needed to maneuver around the machinations of the court. It didn’t really speak to me, for I was more of a fighter, not an armchair general.
[Legion] offered the power of many. Perhaps an army of clones that would be mine to command, or perhaps my spirit investing itself into the thousands of people beside me on the battlefield, empowering and emboldening them with unity of purpose and impeccable coordination. Enticing, but I should at least review other options.
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[Devastator], a one-woman wrecking ball, hacking a path through my enemies while those under my command do their best to keep up. Less of a leader, more of a figure to strive after. It offered power, but I felt as though it would delve into [Bloodlust], that tainted boon that plagues my people. I found myself wary of such a Blessing.
[Bulwark], a mobile fortress, nigh invincible as it slowly wears enemies down. It does call to me, but at the same time, it feels redundant with [Shield-Maiden], which is already quite durable. Plus, if it evolved further with draconic influence, that would double-down on the same features and pigeonhole me into a single role. Although, I would have no equal at the one thing I am good at.
I contemplated my choices and what they offered. [Warcaller] would give me everything I lacked when it came to command. It would change me on a fundamental level, unleashing potential that I never had before. I would be a different person, and there was no promise I would be happy. [Legion] provided me with flexibility, for I could be my own army or bolster one I was already part of. It would allow me to continue to lead from the front, which was how I preferred things. So would [Devastator], but I would be so far forward as to be practically alone, which didn’t suit me, so I scratched it off my list. [Bulwark] would make me a powerhouse at something I was already good at. I could still continue to do what I normally do, but with the added surety that I would prevail without being a chew toy for some monster.
So what did I want? Did I want to be a commander that inspired from the rear, one who led from the front, or someone who would never be taken down ever again? I had to consider what [Shield-Maiden] already offered and how it would mesh with a second Blessing. I also had to consider how dragons had many powers at their disposal, often ones to make them hard to kill and flexible in dealing with a situation.
[Warcaller] was a safe option. There were no downsides to taking it. I would be an effective leader, but I would grow distant from the men, be held above them rather than beside them, and I did not like the idea of alienating myself from them. [Bulwark] was also a safe option, but more in that I would probably never be defeated. That did not mean that the men and women beside me would survive or that I could do anything to protect them. That sounded like a terrible fate, to be the lone survivor every time as I am forced to watch my allies perish.
No, [Legion] was what I needed. It was a difficult Blessing, full of uncertainty, cumbersome to use effectively because it offered too many ways to solve a problem. But with practice comes mastery, and nothing worth achieving comes without effort. It felt like the right choice, I would just have to endure sucking at it until I figured it out.
My mind made on the matter, I extended my arm out to [Legion]. The other motes, just balls of light really, seemed peeved by my rejection. [Devastator] seemed to storm off in a huff. [Warcaller] twinkled in a way that suggested I would regret my decision. [Bulwark] appeared solemn, wishing me well but believing I had made the wrong choice, not so much mad at me as disappointed, which was honestly worse.
[Legion], excited at being accepted, moved closer. As it drew near, it split in two, and those two split in two. The [Legion] Blessing kept dividing until they were beyond counting. They withdrew just inches before touching me, and concerned that I had messed up, I watched as they swirled and mixed, the motes of light changing in color and design until they formed a familiar shape.
Before me, I witnessed a dragon take form, one with metallic yellow scales that each had black borders. It silently roared before flying around me, and then circling in front of me, it slammed into my chest, the form of it working its way into my very soul as it changed me on a most fundamental level.
Power, knowledge, confidence, competency; these flowed through me, overwhelming my senses as they slowly settled in, my instincts now beyond those of a mere orc. The dragon had found a home inside me, and [Shield-Maiden] made space for a new roommate.
[Legions of the Draconic Emperor] had marked its territory and made a claim to my soul. Strange how it used “Draconic” instead of “Dragon”, for the Emperor is not just like a dragon, he is a dragon. Perhaps it is semantics, and either way, it suits me just fine. Such philosophical musings about “what is a dragon” would best be left to The Boys.
Wait a minute. Semantics matter here. I am not just “Legion”, but “Legions”. How big of an army can I make or support? I could feel my new Skills, I understood what they did, and this was only the start. More Skills would come with time as I mastered the starting Skills. But even with what I had now, a smile crept onto my face as I understood the implications of what I could do. It was almost unfair, in terms of a force multiplier. I would easily be Platinum now, even without the practice of actually using my new Skills. Diamond did not feel so far away any more, that impossible dream that children chase and adults learn to forget as they smother the naivety inside of themselves with the harsh practicalities of life.
Such aspirations were not so fanciful now. However, it would have to wait, for Skull was Platinum before she received her Dual-Blessing and she still isn’t Diamond, if barely. Hard work, practice, and feats of legend would need to be my future if I were to cross that threshold. I reveled at the prospect of the climb up the mountain and onward towards the heavens.
“Alright, Void, I’m done now. Let’s get this show on the road.”
The Void didn’t answer, at least not in words. However, I felt a tug, and before long, light enveloped me, the force of it pulling me along to the unknown. But it didn’t matter, for I would not be alone where I went.
“For I am Legion.”
“Shit, “legions” plural! ‘I am legions’ doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as well. It sounds like I never learned proper grammar. I will have to think about it.”
----------------------------------------
“Welcome back, sleepyhead,” I greeted Jericho as she regained consciousness.
“I,” she started, stopping as she took in her surroundings and examined her body.
Her bones had realigned themselves, her organs had healed, her flesh mended to perfection. Physically, she did not appear to be more than the perfect specimen of an orcish beauty, but I could feel the power that dwelled within her. The bond too, much like Skull’s, Alterez’s, or that I shared with my two favorite kobolds and one solitary ogre, but one not as developed.
“Up we go,” I stated loudly as I reached for her forearm and pulled her up.
“Your legions are ready to command, Emperor,” Jericho replied solemnly as she kneeled before me. And here I took all that effort to get her standing.
Well, not just her, lots of hers. Copies of her numbering in the hundreds formed into a formation in front of me. Surprised and intrigued, I poked the one next to her. It was no illusion, nor did it pop like Blythnin’s clones when I pressed hard. I withdrew a sword from my pocket dimension and ran the copy through, only to withdraw the sword immediately. Jericho's original, along with her nearby copies, leaned in to see what would happen. The wound sluggishly regenerated, not on par with Skull’s regeneration or even my own, but fast enough that within a minute it was as if she had never been wounded. More importantly, she didn’t die.
“Impressive stuff, Jericho. I will need to make you a new set of armor, but perhaps something better than the standard issue for the Crossing Guard.” I continued to poke at what bits of armor still functioned on her clone to see if it actually copied its defensive properties and was not just for show. To my delight, it did, seemingly to full strength, but of questionable longevity in terms of durability. “Much better quality, it seems. I shall craft for you nothing but my best, Jericho, but that will take me some time, so I will get you a new suit of standard issue right away for you to use in the meantime.”
Without much ceremony, I opened my pocket dimension and withdrew a footlocker, one that contained a fresh suit of armor and the accompanying clothes and accessories that went with it.
“Thank you,” I said to one of my Crossing Guards who had retrieved Jericho’s shield and weapons, which were placed by her side.
Everyone watched eagerly as Jericho’s not-clones stripped her naked and put new clothes and armor upon her. Like a ripple, the not-your-everyday-clones updated to reflect this change, for each was now dressed as the original instead of tattered apparel. I have never seen or heard of clones that could do that, for they were a snapshot in time based on the conditions of the original when they were created.
Out of curiosity, I took a cape out of my pocket dimension and draped it over a clone. The same effect as before occurred, and soon, all the clones and the original were wearing the cape.
“You know, Jericho, I am beginning to suspect that these are not clones. I think all of them are you. I would hazard a guess that all of you would need to die at the same time for you to perish.”
The eyes of my two guests were as big as saucers as they took in all the details, which honestly, would not stay secret for long even if I had kept prying eyes away. The world was changing, and I was beginning to make waves. I would need to pillage my guests for every scrap of knowledge I could, but that could wait until a little later. It was not safe here, but for whom remained uncertain. The monsters sure were not safe, and if they came again, Jericho could handle them herself.