The Albino

“Oh…Fuck” Val jolted slightly at Benjamin’s exclamation, but a low rumbling sound ripped through her body. Her head spun to follow her Benjamin’s gaze to lock her own eyes on the source of the horrific bone-shaking rumble, Yilarran.

“ABOMINATION!” Yilarran’s voice boomed off the trees “Fucking Iron Blood!” She roared, settling into a low crouch before vaulting herself straight at the three of them. Val felt herself move almost on her own. Scooping up a fallen Vin spear, Valtrya charged straight at Yilarran, placing herself between Benjamin and the enraged Elf. “No!!” She heard Benjamin’s call but ignored it. The two closed the distance quickly, but it was Valtrya who took the initiative. Her arm snapped out in a flash, driving her spear straight towards the Elv’s throat. One of Ylarran’s four blades deftly slapped away the speartip, but it gave Val the opening she was looking for. Val rushed through the small gap and drove her second strike as she slipped under Yilarran’s lower left arm. She punched the Enraged Titan of a warrior in the thigh, squeezing her spike lever. The spike sprang out perfectly and drove straight through the thick leather pants. Yilarran howled in pain, but Valtrya never had a chance to register it.

Both swords from Yilarran’s opposite side slammed into her backplate, snapping her forearm as it was ripped from her shield. She lost consciousness instantly upon the impact and sailed across the yard and her limp form slammed into the ground and tumbled like a broken doll thrown by an angry child. Benjamin felt Viola’s grip on him go limp. She fell to the ground in a groaned whimper, and Benjamin watched as her eyes widened, and her mouth opened in agony. She couldn’t speak, and the barest of gasps escaped her as she fought for air. “YOUR NEXT!” Benjamin turned toward the sound of his instructor-turned-opponent. “Abomination! Come, slick my blade!!” Yilarran growled, slowly stomping forward, “You die here! NOW!” With that, she threw one of her massive blades at him.

Benjamin barely deflected the blade with his saber even as the massive impact slammed him to his knee. He didn’t feel it, he ripped off his helmet to reveal his eyes ablaze with green hatred. Yilarran paused her steps at the sight. Benjmin’s eyes were afire with Majik, but slithering streaks of green began rippling through the bulging veins in his neck. “Fuck… You…” Was all he said, rising from his bent knee. His sword hand slipped to his side, and he took a single step forward. His right foot landed, and the entire area between him and the Elf sank a full 4 inches into the ground, and Yilarran stumbled as her arms began to bulge in exertion. “Fuck… You…” Benjamin repeated slightly louder and took another step. The ground between them sank another 2 inches and Yilarran was driven to one knee. “Wha… Abomi…” Yilarran began only to be interrupted by a bellow that sounded like two Benjamins speaking in slightly different frequencies, “FUCK YOU!!” The echoing voice bellowed, and Benjamin took another step. The ground began to crack beneath his feet, and Yilarran was driven to both knees with her lower arms holding her up, but only barely.

Viola could barely breathe, she could feel her sister struggling for life, the pain from her sister was almost overwhelming, but she could still see. “FUCK YOU!!!” Came a distorted bellow from in front of her, and she tore her eyes from her sister to find Benjamin standing in front of an almost prostrate Yilarran. The air seemed to warble and struggle around the two of them. “You want to see!!” Benjamin Bellowed, but it wasn’t Benjamin… or rather, not just Benjamin. “You want to see what I am!!!”

He took one further step and kicked Yilarran directly in the face. A thunderous crack echoed with far more power than the kick should produce. Yilarran was thrown to her back, and Benjamin reached out, ripping her helmet from around her head without ever touching it. Yilarran’s eyes were wide in shock and exertion, but she failed to even lift even an arm. Benjamin seemed to move with ease. He lifted his sword skyward, calling down a massive bolt of Godlight from a perfectly clear sky. The pure blue-white energy slammed into the tip of the slightly curved blade, traveling down its length and up to his shoulder with a continuous deafening crackle. He slowly lowered the blade, slipping it just close enough for some of the savage energy to bleed off onto the collar of the Elf’s armor. Yilarran began to jerk involuntarily as waves of electricity ripped through her body. The jerks quickly became screams of agony as the lightning-shrouded blade closed on her throat.

“Ben…” Viola tried to speak, tried to call out, but her breath failed her. She was fading along with her sister *he thinks we’re already dead* the realization brought her both terror and sorrow “Ben…”

“ENOUGH!” A thunderous explosion of sound paused Benjamin, and he looked up just as the Queen Mother and Vilora landed on the training grounds along with several dozen other warriors. Victoria bore a pair of short swords slicked with Fay blood, and Vilora’s wings still crackled with pure green energy. She broke from the arriving group and landed next to Valtrya’s still form. Their friend began frantically checking over Valtryria. “She lives! But only just!!” Valtrya called out. Benjamin slowly looked over, ignoring the shrieking, jerking Yilarran at his feet. Vilora wasn’t looking at him, she was focused on her own task. Val was in bad shape, her back had broken, and her shield arm was shattered. Vilora chose to focus on the internal bleeding first, praying silently that it would be enough.

“Benjamin” Queen Victoria landed on the outline of the crushed ground, she slowly reached out to its edge, feeling the power flowing in the area before ever so slowly taking a single step. Benjamin watched on as the Queen Mother carefully stepped into 4 times Earth’s gravity. She moved slowly, taking deliberate steps as she was forced to carefully control her immediate surroundings. “My sister will take care of Valtrya, she will live… Come, let us tend to you as well. She glanced pointedly down at Benjamin’s uselessly hanging right arm dripping red to the ground. Benjamin’s eyes raged, and the queen felt him flex his power against her barriers. The realization that this being could obliterate her with little more than a whim was terrifying, but the Queen of the Vin stood her ground, “Let it be done..” She whispered, holding his gaze in hers. She felt him test her barriers again, harder this time; and a flicker of doubt echoed through Victoria’s thoughts.

A violent Gasp echoed its interruption from two locations as Viola and Valtrya regained their breath as one; and Benjamin broke Victoria’s gaze. Yilarran’s voice had failed her, and she lay twitching and whimpering under the stray electrical discharges from the sword in Benjamin’s hand. “let it be done..” Victoria’s voice was just above a whisper this time as Benjamin watched Valtrya sob as Vilora ushered over a pair of healers bearing a stretcher. Benjamin slowly turned to look down at Yilarran for a long moment before lifting the energy-shrouded blade away from her. In a flash, he released his gravitational field and turned his back on the Elf. He took several steps away from Yilarran and the Queen before driving his sword into the dirt, pressing the electricity into the earth, and guiding it away into the forest. He scooped up a desperately heaving Viola from the ground and carried her from the yard closely behind the healers carrying her sister to the infirmary.

Queen Victoria looked down at one of her oldest friends, and Yilarran groaned quietly. “You.. ally with H’mure?” Queen Victoria knelt down at the Elf’s head, “No, I do not.” The Elf rolled her head over, “Then, what….”

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“Val…” Valtrya’s eyes fluttered open. Everything hurt, but it was a throbbing ache instead of the searing agony from her last memories. Everything was very different from those moments. Benjamin was standing next to her, and they were inside. “Ben?” she asked, trying to lift herself up, but a gentle hand kept her from succeeding “Easy, you are not ready yet.” It was a healer she did not recognize, “Your back was broken in three places. It is healed, but your body needs time.” Valtrya reluctantly settled back down and looked throughout the room. Over a dozen uneasy guards were in the room along with Benjamin, her, Vi, and the healers in the infirmary. “What… Happened… My Ben.. Safe?”

“I am, Val. I am, but focus on you right now. Focus on getting well.” Benjamin rested his hand against her cheek, “I have to go, but I will be back. The Queen has summoned me.” She noticed a sad smile on Benjamin’s face before he turned to leave. Benjamin left with Viola, and half of the guard contingent left with him. “Rest now..” the Healer returned, handing her a sip of water, “It is what you can do.”

It took everything left in Ben to leave Valtrya in the infirmary, but after today’s events the Queen’s request held very little in the way of leniency. The chorus of boots echoed in the hall, and in his mind; he could feel Viola tighten her grip on his hand. Both of them had not bothered to change out of their armor but had been pointedly disarmed shortly after the battle ended. Benjamin had noticed the not-too-subtle replacement of regular guard with that of the truly touched among the Vin lancers. “I guess I deserve that” he murmured, drawing a look from Viola. He opened his mouth to explain but was interrupted by their arrival at the throne room door. Vailin stepped up and knocked twice.

“ENTER!” A familiar voice called, and the doors opened. Benjamin and Viola were escorted into a surprisingly empty throne room. The Queen sat on her throne, flanked by her sister on one side, and a fully armed and armored Yilarran on the other.

Benjamin felt a guard pull Viola to the side, and fought the urge to react this time. Instead, he gave her hand a squeeze and let her be escorted to the side before stepping into the center of the room.

“Benjamin, I respect your promptness considering.” Queen Victoria spoke first, “I trust Valtrya is well?” Yilarran flinched almost imperceptibly as Benjamin’s gaze flashed angrily at her for a moment. Her hand seemed to tremor at random, almost in remembered electrocution as she stood there, but Benjamin turned his gaze to the queen. “She will be, in time… Forgive me, but I have very little use for pleasantries at the moment.”

Yilarran shifted to take a step, but Victoria raised a hand. “A bold tone, young one. Very well. I have called you here for two reasons. The first is so that my council may interview you in the open.” With that, she nodded to a group of vin dressed in more courtly attire. One of them spoke from among them, “You bleed red, yet claim to not be H’mure.”

Benjamin took a deep breath, “I have been told, that the H’mure bore fangs and venom. They are also told to have red eyes surrounding their pupils. I possess none of those traits.”

“So, you have not drugged your…. Women… to do your will?” It was a second, more frightened voice. Benjamin shook his head, “I did not, and will not”. The same voice responded almost instantly, “Yet they stay, without chains.”

Benjamin’s eyes hardened, and he heard a few weapons creak as they were clenched, “I killed their torturer, fed them, taught them a trade, and treated them with respect without asking anything in return.” The same seemed to huff at his answer, “And you expect us to believe that one of them is capable of loyalty without control?!?”

Benjamin’s eyes flashed bright and the granite beneath his feet groaned, “I don’t give a flying rat fuck what you believe.” Instantly, no less than 4 Vin surrounded him readying their own abilities, “Ah, I see…” Victoria slowly stood, “Benjamin, you bear powerful gifts; I’m sure you understand” Benjamin took a deep breath, “I do..”

Victoria nodded to the council, and the same voice continued, if a bit more subdued this time, “Yes, well… this brings us to our next question. You dabble in forbidden knowledge. You nearly crushed one of our own using the power of this orb itself, never mind godlight. You know not what you toy with young one.” Benjamin simply shrugged still working to keep his calm as a new voice began, “If you are not H’mure, what are you. Orc bleed bright green. Aereesen, purple. The Spider folk bleed black as night. The Farie’s life flows a dark shade of the forest. The Elven bleed a grey. There is only one race in this existence that bleeds red. That same blood flows through your veins.”

Benjamin turned to look at Queen Victory, and he held her gaze for a long moment before she nodded to him. He took a deep breath *Well, here goes* “I am not from this… existence.” The room erupted in various states of shock or disbelief. Benjamin paused until the din quieted, “My… existence resides alongside this one, upon this same orb. Before you ask, the answer is no. I do not have the ability to travel between Dimensions. My people’s word for the theory that I have become the proof.” Benjamin raised on hand in placation, “With your permission, Your Majesty.” Victoria nodded once again, and Benjamin drew on his power, more slowly this time. He pulled from the window’s, bending the light to his will, stripping individual frequencies from the visible spectrum. This was only the first half. Benjamin began drawing particulates in the air as well as stray dust in long forgotten corners of the rafters.

“My orb looked much like yours” he began, blending light and particle using his memory of countless science fiction films as inspiration. The forms he created danced as he spoke, “My world never had the spider folk, or elves, or Durr. Our stories of Fay and the Mountain children have all been fantasy and imagination. This… is Earth” a massive blue and green orb morphed into existence with the continents where he remembered them, “There is only one race on Earth. We call ourselves Human, and we lack any concept of what you know of as Majik. For us, it simply does not Exist. What we do have, is science… Technology” Benjamin morphed the globe into an F1 car first, then an aircraft, then a giant cargo vessel. “With science, we discovered how to build what we need. We learned how to soar like birds, traverse oceans without wind, travel roads several times faster than any beast of burden.” Benjamin whispered away the images before sobering, “We reached for the stars,” he pulled into existence the Apollo 11 launch followed by a montage of images from that mission, “Humans have set foot on Lurinar himself, in my reality, and returned home safely.”

He allowed his illusions to fall and simply placed his hands behind his back. A heavy silence fell upon the Throne room, and even the Queen fell back heavily in her chair at these new revelations. Finally, she spoke, “This… Technology you speak of. Can you pass it on to us.” Benjamin lowered his head in a heavy sigh, “I cannot… It would be ignorantly reckless at best, and Genocidally stupid at worst.” Instantly the voice from the council barked an insulted laugh, “You would deny the Queen Mother?!? Explain yourself!!” but Benjamin simply nodded, “I would.” He began before steeling himself, “My people have a concept of Ages in history. You had the Age of the H’mure, and now it appears that you are in some sort of age of kingdoms. I have born witness to your tools, armor, and weapons. In many ways, your development parallels our own. My people would call it, technological progression. If I had to take a guess, your collective civilizations are 2500 years behind where Humanity was when I was taken from my home. I do not know what would happen in this…. unprepared reality.”

“Very well, young one.” Victoria stood, “I believe this completes this part of the matter.” Benjamin held her gaze, “And the second?” Victoria stepped down from her throne, “I will not punish you for the altercation with Yilarran, but You cannot stay. Fortunately, the attack on our stronghold is proof enough that the pass to the Ascendency has opened.” The blow punched Benjamin in the gut. He had become attached to his life here, and had hoped that the three of them would have the ability to return once they completed this journey. “How long do we have… Your Majesty.” Benjamin forced the honorific into his statement, even as he realized the bridge was most likely burned.

“You will depart when Valtrya has sufficiently recovered. I will be sending my sister as my ambassador, along with her bound, to accompany you.” Victoria stated, “Go now, young one. Make your preparations.” Benjamin bowed deeply, before turning to leave. He and Viola departed for the infirmary. Victoria waited for them to leave before turning to the court,

“Leave us, I would have words with Yilarran and my sister.”