Seamless hours pass like feathers in the wind, and even though I can move once again; to my amazement it feels strange after becoming a statue.
All I need to do, somehow, some way I need to break this watch, I think to myself while gritting my teeth and grinding the very air that passes through.
However, it isn’t that simple...
After being carried away, then put into an iron coffin of a carriage, while simultaneously being tied up with rope and chains as if a worn-out camping tent, I doubt I can do anything.
Every bump and dip within the road reverberated into my body as I feel glued into the rough, dented steel flooring.
Immediately, the carriage halts sharply and I feel a force push me backwards into oblivion.
Clutters of noise respond, shouting, stomping and the air whistling through the cracks of the steel trying to warn me of something yet to come...
The heartless, disgustingly grey barriers of steel look down on me, then open within a second and I am met with an entire army.
“Get down quickly! And don't try anything!”
In front a voice echoes, with the chamber being a perfect mirror of sound makes me dizzy with every vibration.
The shackles free up slightly, and I push my heads upwards, a luxury I wouldn’t ever take for granted ever again.
The only light I can see illuminates dully from lamps hung up on a stone celling. ‘Am I underground-?’, then my thoughts are interrupted.
“Come on you rut!”
Irritating as it is I do not seem to have an option, I move my arm In front of me through the confinements of iron, which slow my movement as if underwater.
In this tiny interaction the response is at least ten spear heads jaggering towards me.
“What's going on!?”
No response.
“I didn’t do anything wrong!”
No response.
“You have three seconds until you meet your sly goddess!”
Could it be because of this emblem? Or was it just a misunderstanding?
There isn’t a way to even begin interpreting this situation, and my only guess would be that this is a theatrical performance exploring the dichotomy of life and death with yours truly – Ed starring. However, there were no red curtains, nor any cheers or audience uproar.
Sluggishly, anxiously and scared for my life, I move inch by inch, and when I get my hand out of the carriage, I am violently dragged.
I lose my balance. Unable to counter.
Bam!
I am face to face with the floor, greeted with a rather cold response, not especially friendly or welcoming.
Much more shouting arises.
I hear all sorts of spells casted, all of them ready to be raised into existence.
I am beyond any emotion to scream or cry, rather I feel my entire soul ripping in two.
I know I didn’t do anything... But for a second or two, I doubt it...
Without even knowing what is about to happen, if Aella is safe, if everyone else is okay. I feel a swift blow to my neck, and I don’t realise my eyelids closing.
All I can register is the sound of my body limp hitting the floor without any resistance, no pain just one big thump.
I wake up once more
Unaware of the time, unaware of anything. I can’t see anything, hear anything, smell anything, all I could feel is a tight confine on my entire body.
It isn’t like any regular constraint, it must be a spell, there is just an aura about it. Is this what emblem aura manifests as?
My mind explodes with thoughts and some sort of vision arrived to my mind, as if the future or a possibility. I see the entire room light up in blinding illuminous shards. Then another version where a voice speaks a static tone.
Is this another emblem power of time, if so how? Is it the possibilities of the future? Is it another time line? Is this the absolute future unchangeable in nature?
Then the room lights up from a myriad of areas, from these tiny shards ejecting beams of light. Just as I had seen in my head... Then this had to be a possibility of the future and what did the other route have?
The room appears fully naked now and exposed, It is a prison chamber. Walls covered in a blue substance with the floor and ceiling resembling a cave. This must be the influence of emblem magic.
It couldn’t be another meeting with the Time Goddess, at least I hope not...
A man of tall build appears, very short white hair no more than a centimetre, tiny hairs for a beard, brown eyes, skin obviously aged through time. And wearing a three-piece blue suit. Finally, by his side a long sword which seemed to be the most normal thing about him...
I look into his eyes, and he looks back. This was no ordinary person is all I can think of, and although he seems to have a light-hearted tone, his face shows me one of anger, even though he doesn’t frown.
He comes close to me, to the point I can read a few things, such as a name tag on the suit he’s wearing – ‘Winward’.
“Hello there.”
I don’t respond, after all who really would after being treated like a beast, an object not a person. Even if I want to speak I wouldn’t be able to control this burning fire of anger inside.
“I am the ambassador of the light kingdom – Winward, and one of the many in charge of your hearing.”
“What hearing!? I did nothing wrong!”
Bursting out in a stream line of adrenaline rushing through my system and I feel my skin throughout flush throughout.
‘Why would the light kingdom ambassador come here?’ anxious thoughts begin to arise.
“Papier komt tevoorschijn.”
Paper appears within his hands and starts to almost regenerate itself from the void, after a. couple seconds a long sheet of gold-coloured paper appears.
Printed in fine, cursive font reads:
‘Ed Vela verse the kingdom committee’
Every single galaxy, star, nebula, planet and even atom explodes simultaneously in a grand show of fireworks and my vision almost fades to black.
There was tremendous rumbling, although in reality there was not even the slightest sound.
Recognising my new-found mid-life crisis, and extreme lack of understanding, he starts to speak.
“As a time emblem user, we must evaluate your danger to the kingdoms of this realm, which we will do so through the committee of kingdoms.”
“Committee... Of... Kingdoms...?”
Hollowly, I whisper lifelessly.
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“The committee holds a members of each of the four kingdoms, nature, light, dark and wisdom. Who each are called to the matter of universal events regarding the fate of this world.”
“How could I be so dangerous!? Did you not see the thousands of dead I saw with my very own eyes? When my own home village was attacked!”
I spit out with hatred, realising that even if he didn’t understand my experience of other resets, he must realise the severity of this event alone.
It makes me realise. I need to break my watch.
I quickly reach to my shirt.
Nothing.
It’s gone...
I can’t reset...
And if I get too far from is that’s everything gone...
“I’m sure your ambassador will tell you the same... But it’s being investigated, and just by having a time emblem you could change the course of time itself, and as you are the only time user known to man, this is no simple matter.”
Dire temptations is the urge to give up everything in thought and start sobbing my eyes out. Father was gone. Richard was gone. Jim was gone...
Until your ambassador comes I will be asking the investigatory questions.
“Number one, when were your powers granted to you?”
“Today.”
I answer bluntly.
“I will warn you; this case can result in your capital punishment of execution.”
He also answers very bluntly and beyond seriousness could ever go.
“I’m not lying!”
“Noted down.”
He responds but his tone seems very disregarding.
“Second question, what is your aim.”
“Aim!?”
“What's your aim with your powers.”
Deep in thought I think to myself, ‘Do these people think I am a terrorist!?’, no matter what I say it’s going to be misunderstood then.
Chaotic thoughts spurge through my head, and I realise, through all the notes and threads of thoughts, something makes sense, somehow...
“Just kill me.”
“What...?”
He seems taken back.
“My goal is to restore my emblem history.”
At this point my plan is beyond dubious. If their plan was to kill me, and my watch isn’t broken eventually it would break. And therefore, be reset. Maybe then I can figure something...
“Thats enough then no more questions needed!”
The lights blow out and a deep haze builds over me and I unwillingly indulge myself in a dangerous, vulnerable nap.
I wake up once more and now within a grand court, confined once again with the same sort of emblem cast and forcibly stood up.
The roof seems cloud-high and with the walls that towered above before arching towards the middle were engraved with such detail, of massive sculptures of people, art and vibrant colours within the marble.
The floors themselves seemed to radiant all light perfectly and I could see my reflection better than in any mirror would allow.
In front of me a large, fine wooden panel. Four people with each a corresponding label on the enormous table.
One label read, ‘nature ambassador’, the others ‘light ambassador’, ‘dark ambassador’ and finally ‘wisdom ambassador’.
If I would guess how long I had been awake since being taken away I wouldn’t say any longer than a total of five or six hours. But what does that mean for the resetting abilities...
I try to move more to get more comfortable from a forced standing position, and I feel burning all around.
What kind of torture was this...?
Then a voice comes from the panel.
“We will now be commencing the trial of Vela verse the kingdom committee”
The nature ambassador speaks who is massive in size, built in muscle beyond what could be believed is humanly possible. With so much hair as if a lion covering his head. Wearing all but a set of iron plates around his body.
I couldn’t tell if is human or not...
“Raise your hands for the execution of Ed Vela, the last remaining time emblem user.”
The man speaks without introduction of himself once again. I didn’t intend to want to know any of these people, for all I know a reset is bound to occur.
And since I am not dying an unimaginable death, the watch must be close... Which is a relief to know... However, ever millimetre I move my chest from breathing I fear that I might have just broken the boundary by a millimetre too much.
Two people raise their hands, and two people remain like statue.
The people who raise their hand are the ambassador of the light kingdom, the one I had spoken to as well as the ambassador of the wisdom kingdom.
A stalemate which starts to become a lot more tense and stressful.
“Two for two.”
States the wisdom ambassador with a voice high pitched, to break a long daunting silence which just bursts like a balloon popped because too much air was put inside.
The wisdom ambassador is a woman with long hazel hair, green eyes and light-brown pale skin. If I were to meet here outside this context I would of honestly thought she is one of the most kind people. She has that sort of atmosphere.
However, it is insanely deceiving as she is one of those who voted to execute me in the first place...
Finally, the dark ambassador is a strange looking person, who I couldn’t say much about, only describing a cloak of void which covered everything and his face is casted by shadows which wouldn’t naturally occur in this lighting.
“We’ll have to go back into recession then.”
A static voice speaks that sounds almost robotic, mysterious and demon-like, coming from the dark ambassador.
They start conversing at a volume that I could just barely not make out any words.
If I want to get anywhere, I need to desperately be able to talk with these other ambassadors. Especially the dark ambassador...
After all it was dark emblem spells which had casted the spells within the village. He must know something.
Plus, every child is raised knowing that the dark kingdom is total anarchy; relentless murder, deceit, gangs and much worse. So, why is this person on my side...?
Retrospective realisation keeps coming one after another, as I try to figure out an entire story which makes sense.
Number one, I saw the Time Goddess because I died without the watch being broken, that meant in this circumstance I have to see this fiend once more. Potentially knowing more...
Number two, why did the attack launch at this specific day? It couldn’t be random, there must be something, some sort of dynamic I can’t see now.
Lastly, who truly was that man who attacked the village...?
A slamming thud hits the panel, and all of them look down onto me below.
“We have reached a conclusion.”
They start to ominously raise their hands in unison. Four to zero...
“Ed Vela, you have been sentenced to execution, for the conspiracy to cause universal havoc!”
The ambassador of light so judicially states, as he stands up from his chair and pushes it back. It falls as if a cinematic zoom is made on a chess piece being taken. And every detail soon vanishes to sight underneath the oak curtain of the panel.
“Let's make this quick...”
He states and I brace for the worst.
He yanks his sword in one swift motion and points it towards me as if a scope on a crossbow.
“Gevangen zetten!”
Just like before I discover a sense of pronoun emblem aura radiating outwards the moment, he closed his lips.
This is no ordinary, east-to-cast spell, and if I am to judge this on a scale with zero being a non-emblem spell and ten being mastery. I wouldn’t hesitate to use a seven!
The same shards of light that I saw in the chamber generate in a rapid, immense manner as if spears that giants use, right above me.
I try to move. But I can’t.
Then all at once pierce the ground, and cracking the marble floor all the way up to the panel and all around, like an asteroid would colliding with a planet.
I can’t feel the entire lower half of my body. Nor my arms.
Just like that I throw everything on a gamble.
***
For a moment I feel everything return back to normal, no tingling sense of empty, ghost pain which came and went.
Although I don’t feel any floor, wall, roof or any sensation, not even the slightest warmth or coolness.
I was right then...
Apprehensively, I open my eyes and feel the sensation of floating, and even though I breathe and my chest goes up and down, no air enters or leaves.
For sure this is the time goddess’ realm, every aspect of it mirrors and screams it.
Then I see her appear in front of me, this time in a different appearance, very much unlike the machine-like stature, now with an actual human appears. Still maintaining all features however.
“Hello there Ed.”
An ominous voice speaks, which unlike last time appears much clearer.
“So, you couldn’t do it...?”
She replies to the silence.
“Shut up!”
I scream back, provoked beyond my mind.
“Be careful Ed, I wouldn’t recommend speaking like that.”
Again, in a slight arrogant tone and half calm.
“Listen here you! -”
Then I am cut off immediately.
“Vertragen!”
And my lips start to move one millimetre a second once again like be before, a long gruelling experience even to move my eyes. And as much as I try to use my muscles I only seem to move slower.
Then my lips just shut with the gravity after being open for at least an hour, in reality only a second passed. This emblem spell was too powerful..
“Try again then.”
I take a deep breath and right before my lungs feel full beyond the point of bursting, I take an extra breathe and let go whatever is in my lungs besides air.
“You need to answer some questions...”
Resisting any temptation to blow up in all sorts of curses and insults.
“Where in time will I reset... At the village or in the chamber...?”
“You’ll know soon, in four minutes when they accidently drop your watch and break it.”
“And why did they choose to attack the village on that day!?”
“Because... The dark ambassador found out something about your emblem.”
Once again speaking in an irritating way. It means everything to me, and to her a little irrelevant game.
What did this mean? Did I know this person? How did they find out?
“And what is his involvement in all of this!?”
I eagerly press onwards.
“Now what’s all the fun in that… Don’t you like puzzles?”
“Not when lives are on the line!”
I don’t for a second try to entertain her foolish comments even if she is a goddess and with all her power could crush me within seconds.
“Who are these ambassadors!?”
“Simply put, the best of the best, they answer to the monarch or head of state directly, anyone who is an ambassador, or used to be has achieved astonishing mastery levels. With those above them in charge of contacting the emblem gods.”
“So that ambassador was in the village!?”
Her silence invites a deadly snake within the room that crawls up my spine, slithering and constricting each disc, knotting and chaotically randomising everything.
“If father had a life emblem, then why with all these other emblem spells, could he not defeat that man!?”
Audibly, my voice goes much louder and higher in pitch with every question like a kettle eventually until it radiates a deadly amber glow, bursting with pressure from the inside.
“The life emblem is an interesting one you see… If one reaches mastery, they are able to use every single elementalist emblem. But with any skill, if you don’t use it, it grows weak.”
“So where is the link?”
I say out-loud half of me seriously expecting an answer.
But nothing once again. ‘Think! Think! Think! There must be other useful questions!’.
“Think! Think! Think! There must be other useful questions!”
I hear echo back to me from her mouth. And I don’t dare to think about anything else.
“Why am I the last time emblem user!? What happened!?”
“Our kind have been haunted since the finalisation of kingdoms, feared through out the land. Able to cause mass chaos due to the time emblem mastery of time travel.”
A brief stop, and I already feel disgusted by her use of the ‘our’.
“Of course, no one has yet to reach a time emblem mastery, it’s unheard of because to get mastery you need to pass a test from your god or goddess. I hope you look forward to it – Leonidas.”
“Who is Leonidas!?”
“Looks like your time is over… Try not to die, I enjoy my personal time.”