The Wielder of Death Magic

1134 The Adjudicator’s Truth

“Indeed you have,” the room snapped shut, and a massive gust of energy spat, eating everything in its path. When it came to energy beyond the comprehension of humans, there were and yet are questions to be answered, “-Adjudicator,” echoed the power gathered at Staxius’ fist. The whiteness of the room dulled as he absorbed, “-complete,” he gasped and relaxed his arms. A familiar world stretched, ‘-Oriantia,’ he mumbled, ‘-the mushroom tower and the nearby settlements. The land below the edifice amassed unusual buildings, and village-like features for a world without life. ‘Origin must have created life,’ he looked away, instead choosing to focus upon a path headed up a particular mountain. The trees hung over the trail. Whispers and hums murmured. ‘-The detection spell is inactive,’ he tried to no avail, ‘-can’t use mana or magic,’ he pressed on. Nature slowly built into fragments of the past. Broken walls and bricks scattered, all headed up, up to an abandoned tower. Ancient symbols were carved above the heavy doors. Moss and veins took the liberty of growth. Flora had reclaimed her territory. Foliage from the forest spread yet – covering the whole of the tower, hiding its existence. A soft-spoken whisper, ‘-come,’ it said, “-come.”

‘The power I absorbed… it’s memories of my past,’ he passed the entrance and walked straight through the boulders covering the entrance. ‘The time before this realm,’ stairs immediately spiraled downward, ‘-the story of my previous incarnation as the end of Ashna,’ a room widened with relics of the past. A locked room kept from the passage of reality, stuck in place without change. It is built like a study crossed with a library. Bookshelves prominently stretched to the unlikely tall ceiling. A piano at the center, a fireplace at the wall, and more doors headed into other rooms. Staxius walked past the fireplace, the latter ignited automatically. The piano plucked soft notes, and the atmosphere felt cozy and warm. ‘-Take a seat,’ said the voice,’ he ignored the order and unlocked one of the bigger doors, ‘-there it is,’ he stepped inside the treasury, “-the relics of my past accomplishments.”

A guardian, a humanoid figure of purple skin, blue eyes, and a golden halo, stood with arms cupped at its waist and visage hidden by the white and golden raiment of the religious outfit. The robe looked from another time – large with multiple stones, “-welcome back, my master,” it said with a usually soft voice.

“I’d say it’s a pleasure,” he moved forth to a display case, “-but, I haven’t assimilated my memories yet.”

The purple figure glanced, and with a flick, had a dagger pressed at the back of Staxius’ neck, “-not so fast,” he replied, grabbing the thin wrist and wrapping it around the attacker’s back, “-drop the dagger,” he pressed, almost to the point of snapping – the metal clanged, “-why did you attack?”

“Because,” the hood slipped and revealed a half-angel/half-demon, her facial structure was one related to the archangels, with sharp jaws and leering eyes, her halo hovered above horns of blatant demonic origin. Her fingers were discolored, part pale part purple, reason for the long vestment was to hide the bicolored features, “-you forgot…”

“Don’t be rash,” he eased the grip and tapped her head, “-you stupid child. Have you grown impolite over the years?”

“A person changes over time,” she narrowed, “-and you, my master, are not the same as before.”

“Touche,” he nodded, “-we agree we’re not who we remember?”

.....

“Yeah,” she spun towards another room, “-please take a seat as I prepare the room. Touch up on the library, they should contain your memories from Ashna. I’ll be a minute.”

‘Weird girl,’ he returned whence the piano sang, ‘-look at all these books,’ he turned and turned, the endless display continued, ‘-bind beautifully and set so lovingly. I do wonder why it gets me so nostalgic. I had flash images of her – her wrapped in a cloth and abandoned at my doorstep. He fell on a seat and lit a cigarette.

‘Ashna, the reality before the current reality. I was awakened by the effort of pseudo-humans, they had built cities made of metal – shining and idyllic. An advanced society must be in the way of technological advancement. I didn’t know it then but I know now from reference, they are way advanced. Having conquered space, itself – the race named itself Foda. Unlike here, they were the single race ruling over their planets. The landscape as I remember is of tall skyscrapers touching the lovely colored sky –vast, taking utmost care of the planet, allowing nature to roam freely. They prayed to the earth and respected her wishes. They learned to harness the powers of the sun, and in a way, I can say they were very advance. All the research in the world couldn’t have prepared their minds for what was ahead.’

‘Travelling the universe is a concept most human minds can’t comprehend. The biological restriction placed on imagining such distances lessens the scale. Foda’s took their first journey centuries back, claiming the moon and their solar system as territory. Such action was normal, alas, to their dismay – the opening of the universe meant the sheer reality of their action would cost in the long run. By announcing their ability to expand – a guardian-like race, the peacekeepers – known also by said title, invaded their system and declared a warning. Any further expansion would result in war against the people of Foda. To them, the announcement was but the confirmation of the long-assumed truth of life beyond. A species looking to speak to another – a prospect which had the thinks salivate. I confess I had set the time lime so that life would evolve in many galaxies with distance as their separation. Having done so, I returned to my slumber. Then I found myself reawakened by the people of Foda.’

‘By the time first contact was made, centuries passed and their technology outgrew the potential of the sun. They made allies throughout the universe – planets were akin to countries, and the world map, if replaced by the map of the galaxy, was like kingdoms each ruling their region. Fodaian life was very much peaceful and scholarly in nature. They baffled the greater minds of other planets, affectionately being dubbed the Thinkers. Warmonger – the real threat to the peace built by the federation of planets, struck. They hit hard and quickly – destroying entire planets as if shooting cans. It echoed from one side of the universe, and thus, the Mongers hastily subjugated their realm of influence. Foda and the allies’ planets banded under a single banner – and so, the thousand war between the Federation and Empire began. War waged in space wasn’t glamorous. Death came easily – blackholes used to swallow the death, being treated like nothing but trashcans. The purity of the universe was being sullied, and one after the other, those under the banner of the Federation began to die out. Thinkers, the Fodas, were called to court for their opinion, and so, came to a single answer – the end. With their technology, it would be easy to grant immortality of the mind as opposed to the flesh. And many signed on to the idea – a peace treaty was drafted to halt the coming war until news of the Federation’s defeat struck home. They were wiped by a single entity – one to be known as God. We throw the title around like nothing nowadays. Back in Ashna, when God and Demons were nothing save romance novels – the usage of the title God, meant and held its weight. He singlehandedly exterminated the greatest threat to Universe. They applauded the truth, but alas, the reality was as survivors recalled, “-God has come to destroy and build anew, a realm where he reigns as supreme leader,” direct challenge to the will of the universe, and in a way, a direct challenge to me, who had created Ashna with my lifeforce. God came into existence with the power of belief. A forgotten race, set in a distant galaxy – the closest relatives to humans, set about thinking they were the center of the universe. Their power was the bring into reality what they believed. God, was their unwilling creation.’

‘Death and destruction followed God’s path. The Federation ran to the safety of Foda, who, by that time, was a supreme leader amidts the races. Peace talks with the newer race ended in tragedy. Peaceful envoys were captured and tortured for their sickly curiosity. It became clear what sort of people they were. Fanatics.’

‘With nothing to go from, Foda set about creating a machine that’d know the answer of all. Despite their advancement, the machine could answer a single question, and there, inquired about the start and end of their reality. They came across my name, the Adjudicator, an entity strong enough to face God. The symbols of Death, Time, and Creation gathered, the Three in One became whole, I was awakened.’

‘They treated me with respect and asked but a simple request.’

“What would you have me do?”

“We would like for you to ensure the survival of our races. We would like for you to move the age of Ashna into a realm of greater success. We would request for all our races to exist on a single planet and for the worlds to be separated with multiple dimensions, multiverse. In summary, we would like for you, Adjudicator, to lead our people to salvation, and eventual finality.”

‘A simple request, I led their forces for thousands of years, gaining my strength and fighting God’s legion. Many occurrences happened, and I lived a great life despite Ashna’s desperation and devastation. It grew into a wasteland, a desert deprived of life and hope. The race who’d be the root cause of God’s birth was known as Divines – they controlled God and knew of their potential. The greed of these people was so vicious it took the lives of fellow countrymen. The Thinkers, known for their purple skin bravely took their weapons against Divines, known by the halo. It was by that time I met her, the girl who’d eventually become my champion.’

‘Thinkers and Divines knew each other, they were rivals. The people themselves didn’t care about who won and who lost… sadly, it was too late for peace. The song of destruction had come in form of the implosion of the Divine’s star. No energy source meant certain death; they came for Foda’s energy. And there, I was forced to resolve the battle with God. Our differences were stark, he was strong, able to create matter from naught. I was stronger since the world itself was my domain. I killed God and rendered the Divines helpless, drowning in their own blood. Alas, when I raised my head to face my allies, I saw no one. I had killed everything in the process – rendered the universe a graveyard. My reawakening is the symbol of the End. With what power I had, I swallowed Ashna and restarted reality as it’s known now, scattering my symbol to greaten the change of survival.’

He flicked the cigarette, ‘-and so, I was reincarnated as Alfred by the meddling of my guardian. I loved living in Ashna, it tore me apart when I looked at everything being destroyed by my hand,’ he exhaled, a single tear rolled down his cheek, ‘-and I should have been dead, they kept me alive. I kept my promise and thus, the world of today.’

“Did you remember?”

“Yeah. What about you, why are you here?”

“To serve my father,” she bowed, “-the realm of ours is locked beyond the confines of Reality. We’re in a pocket of our own making. A haven, a place for you to judge as you had in the past.”

“Tell me, why lock away the memories?”

“Memories bring power, and with power comes fear. It was a decision I made to lock away the truth for when the time comes when you would subconsciously seek my aid. I thought I was secretive, turns out God survived and has rebuilt his kingdom of Divines. We know not what form he has taken or what he plans to do, one thing is certain, he’ll come for revenge.”