Auroriianos's Story

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He stood, motionless, gazing at what looked like fireflies twinkling in the night sky. This wasn’t the first time he’d found himself here, hoping to find answers to the one lifelong question we must all ask ourselves: Who am I? Azael had traveled the seven worlds and back, having trekked to what felt like the very ends of time only to find nothing. It was a curious thing, struggling to find his place in the universe, failing to make his mark on the world(s).

Looking down into the canyon below, he dropped from the cliff above, descending onto the earth beneath the shadow of the mountain. Embracing the sudden rush of wind ruffling his feathers, he stretched out his wings, catching the air before he began to soar towards the gorge up ahead. Winding through the narrow chasm and coming out on the other side, he scaled up the mountainside, wings brushing up against the leaves of the trees. Crossing his shadow over the face of the water, he hovered above a wide-open field, wings beating against the grass as he slowly touched the ground.

It was everything but silent, the sound of the crickets chirping and the chorus of frogs singing in the nearby river. He simply laid there, sprawled out in the grass, a subtle sigh parting his lips. Atrulyn was the gem of the universe, Azael’s own little slice of paradise. The birds gliding overhead, it was only then he noticed everything had just stopped; time coming to a screeching halt. All the land had gone quiet in an instant except for the soft echo of footsteps that crept ever closer.

“That’s not going to work.” As if a thousand voices had whispered all at once, he drew his blade before a blinding light pierced the darkness, knocking him back. Peering through the halo, he could just barely make out the silhouette of a figure towering over him, and a hand reaching out. Resisting his hesitation, he grabbed it, pulling himself to his feet. “You’ve been waiting a long time, Azael.” It knew his name? Rubbing the corners of his eyes, he still couldn’t see passed the burning radiance that resonated before him. “Who… are you?”

“You know who I am, Azael. The Finite Realm is in peril. It is time the Archites return, and that you finally learn the truth behind your destiny.” Dissolving into fine grains of sand that shimmered in the moons reflection, his voice yet lingered, echoing in the stilled sound of silence. “…Time is running out.” A pillar of light splitting the sky in thunderous applause, Azael jolted from his reverie as if awaken from a dream. “Idros…!” If he hadn’t known better, the world was just the same as he’d left it, his vision nothing more than a fantasy.

Aesthetically, nothing had changed, other than the overwhelming surge of enlightenment that washed over him like a tidal wave. The Archites had been dead for more than a thousand years, and continued to live on only in memory, surviving in the people’s myths and legends. It was through their sacrifice(s) that Uldrik was imprisoned within the Infinite Spectrum, leaving The Order behind to guard the secrets of the Seven Seals. Prophecy spoke that in the Finite Realm’s finest hour, new heroes would be chosen to defend it. But was it even probable that Azael himself was to stand amongst these champions?

A great evil stirred on the horizon, and Azael only pondered further in wonderment of what could cause such impending calamity. Minutes slowly turned to hours as he sat there, his sword buried deep in the earth, his fingers curled around the hilt of his blade as he watched the sun start to rise up over the mountains. With the sun on his face, and a breeze at his back, he only smiled, wincing as he lay back only to find an all too familiar face staring back at him.

“So you found me after all boy…” Azael had regarded Auroriianos as a stranger for much of his life after having been taken in by The Order. Auro’s father, Elder Arteimos, had found Azael abandoned on the streets of Ridic when he was only nine years old. Arteimos had a fondness for Azael that he never had for Auroriianos; training Azael harder and pushing him further than he ever had anyone else before (teaching him the art of discipline and value of honor). While Arteimos was a great teacher, he was a poor father, and Azael only had himself to blame. Burdened by the sting of guilt, when Azael was only seventeen he began to grow protective over the boy, and they’d been inseparable ever since.

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...in the Hall of Silence

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There was an eerie silence that befell the sacred hall as the elders gathered, stirred by a great disturbance that had shook the Finite Realm. Great evil loomed, one that High Elder Erobus could neither sense nor foresee. All of their efforts in learning the identities of the Archites had failed, and he knew that the fateful day he hoped would never come was before them. Uldrik had been sealed within the bounds of the Infinite Spectrum for more than a millennia, but only now could the elders begin to feel his presence beginning to yet again make itself known across the seven worlds.

"The Archites have yet to reveal themselves, and I fear Uldrik's prophecy may be coming to pass." Erobus taking his seat at the head of all tables, only Elder Nicolai remained standing, fingers tracing the length of his staff as he began to pace. "Why now? You said it yourself, without the Archites... his prophecy is hollow; nothing more than words from a heathen tyrant who believes himself a god." As the elders looked to one another, Elder Shialla rolled her eyes, shoving back her chair as she snapped at Nicolai.

"For more than a thousand years Uldrik has rotted away in his lonely prison. But have you forgotten? His Generals are still out there, waiting for us to make only one wrong move so they can be the end to all of us. This is just what they want us to think. With no Archites, Uldrik is no more a threat today than he has been any other day for that matter in the last thousand years." Elder Arteimos was the only one who continued to sit calmly in his seat, fingers arced along his jaw as he listened on with utter disinterest.

"Who are we to say the Archites aren't out there? We think of ourselves so highly that we believe we'll be the ones to find them. There are powers to be that are greater than either of us; powers that are far beyond our grasp of understanding. If we are to-." Suddenly the walls began to crack, and the lights grew dim; time came to a crashing halt, and the building started to crumble around them. A shadow had cast itself beneath them, and the might of Idros towered over them with all the powers of creation at his back.



Turning back the hands of time, the hall was left standing much like it had been before, but Idros words yet lingered in their hearts. The Archites return was now the inevitable, and all that stood between balance and chaos.

On the Planet Niatollus, On the Outskirts of DaSiangiiao, Upon the Slopes of Erradia

“97. 98. 99. 100...,” Auro’s voice echoed as he performed push up after push up on the Slopes of Erradia in Niatollus. The Slopes of Erradia were beautiful beyond imagine. It overlooked the entire valley, as well as the castle, which glistened against the beams of the sun’s rays. The castle was carved in beautiful stone and placed as a beacon of authority to all within Niatollus. There was much that could be said about the castle, the beauty of it, the sheer size of it, and the expensive jewels needed to make it, but what couldn’t be said was what happened on the inside. The palace life was a secret one. None really knew what the Queen, her daughter and their subjects did during the day. The Queen would occasionally come out and greet those who waited at the gate, and then the Princess would scurry about from one place to another within the grounds of the castle, all a symbol of wealth and power.

“110, 111, 112, 113,” Auro kept counting and with each exhalation of breath, he was that much closer to the body he wanted. There was nothing wrong with his current body, but he felt he needed something more, something to give him the upper edge. He finished off at 120 and moved on to sit ups, pumping them out one by one, exhaling when he was supposed to and inhaling on queue. After completing a set of sixty, he moved on to some sparing, though it really wasn’t sparing as he didn’t have a partner to do it with, still he had carved wooden dummies to fill the role. Auroriianos closed his eyes and exhaled, his shirtless upper body glistening due to the sweat that was beading up from the workout. He clasped his hands together and felt the surge of mana flow from his feet into his hands, and as his hands separated an orb of intense black appeared. Without a word the orb broke into two, one on each of his hands. A bead of sweat dropped from his brow and as it fell, Auroriianos readied himself. When the sweat hit the grass, Auro dashed forward with such quickness it was hard to see if he had hit the dummies or not. The orbs faded and as Auroriianos turned around, the dummies crumbled and fell to the ground before bursting into flames.

The dry wood burned for a few moments, Auroriianos watching the flames as he thought about Erobus and his father. He thought of Azael and his mother, he even thought of his sister. She was a fragile girl, one who he cared for deeply, one who he’d protect with his life. She loved him as much as he loved her, and whenever he visited she’d be the first out, but they didn’t know he was home. He hadn’t told any of them he was home, in fact he was here without even so much a word to the Order or Erobus, but he knew the old man had eyes everywhere and would find him if need arose. As the flames licked at the wood, Auro turned his attention to a rather old looking monument, a bit of wall left from an attempt at sealing it within. The thoughts of his father angered him. The man was indeed a poor excuse for a father and Auro resented him because of it. He lifted his hands and began to speak. "A change is at hand, with this wall turn to dust, its utter destruction is an absolute must!" At the end of his sentence he released two streams of power that struck the wall with so much force, it was completely obliterated. Shards of stone shot in all directions and Auro watched with an emotionless face as it occurred before him.

There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere. Everything seemed to stand still, all the noise of life seemed to vanish and the sky seemed to twist and move in a strange pattern, none that Auro had ever seen. The wind that had been blowing had creased and the grass seemed to blow in limbo along with the trees. Nothing moved, everything was very still, and Auro was the only thing that moved. He looked around and raised an eyebrow. Something was very strange.

As if to cause him more headaches on figuring out what was going on, a beam of light spit the now darkening sky and shined directly on him. Wherever he moved, the light followed and it came to a point that Auro was starting to freak out and prepared for the worst. Two orbs of arcane energy appeared in his hands and as he was getting ready to fire them into the sky towards the source of the light, he heard a voice, a very strange voice. This voice sounded as if several people were trying to speak at one time.

“There is no need for that Auroriianos.”

Auroriianos glanced around, whirling on his toes as he tried to find the source of the voice. As he did so, he noticed a shape forming out of the light and it was so bright that he couldn’t look straight at it. He turned his head and tossed the orbs in the direction he thought it was coming from. There was an explosion, but Auro couldn’t see if he had hit the form or not.

“I must say you’ve grown into quite the young man,” the voice spoke again, and this time a figure was behind the voice. Auro looked at the figure and nearly collapsed, but he quickly knelt down and bowed.

“I beg forgiveness,” Auro stated as he continued to bow, “I did not know who you were. I had heard stories, but I didn’t believe you actually existed.”

“Well, young one, it would seem that I do in fact exist. I created all you see here, everything, and now I need your help in protecting it.”

“My help? Why me?,” Auro asked in confusion. This was the great god Idros, and he was telling him he needed his help in protecting the realm.

“Why not you? You contain the spark of the Archite young one, you are a protector and it is time you reach that goal of yours. Isn’t it your goal to become the greatest Arcane Warrior ever to exist? Now is your chance.”

“But, I have so many questions, I.....,”

“Those will have to wait Auroriianos. Your time is now, go and protect that which you love.”

Idros vanished instantly after, leaving Auroriianos looking dumbfounded as if he had no clue what had just happened. Had what just happened actually happened? He was confused beyond belief, but he was certain the god Idros had just made contact with him. He couldn’t wait to tell Azael what he had just experienced. Grabbing his shirt, he looked over at the castle and realized everything was moving again, and the clouds and sky were back to normal.

“I will,” he said before a portal opened up in front of him. It would lead him to Atrulyn where he hoped Azael was. The last he heard from the old man he was in this location. Auro appeared on the outskirts of whatever the name of the city Azael frequented. He saw the male laying in the grass as he always did, for some odd reason. Why had his father taken so much time to train him, instead of his own child? Azael had been the big brother Auro had always wanted. Though he was protective, he still was more of a brother than a friend. It was also because of Azael that Auro didn’t talk to his father much at all. The occasional training his father provided was met with stiff rebellion and his father often times simply avoided the issue at hand. Erobus was the one who truly trained Auro, wanting him to reach his fullest potential, gifting him with items that could be seen as forbidden. He sighed, for all that Azael had taken, he had also given and he couldn’t be happier. He was proud of Azael, and he was going to get his father alone to talk to him when the time was right. As he walked onto the field, Azael spoke, acknowledging his “younger brother.” Auroriianos smiled and knelt down so that he was somewhat eye level with Azael.

“You’re never gonna believe this old man,” Auroriianos began as the two stood fully to their feet.

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The Elders were left shaken in the wake of Idros; Erobus especially daunted by his presence. There was a great sense of worry and concern in the old man’s eyes as he sat, tugging on his long white beard. Just as distraught as Erobus, the remaining three Elders only gravely looked to one another, seeking answers to questions they were all too afraid to ask. “Find them.” Erobus croaked, rising up from the table hunched over, his features contorted as the room quickly went dark around him.

“The Archites are out there, right now, and we have not a moment to spare. There are a great and many unfortunate things in our future, and they may be all that stand in the way.” The hall echoing with the sound of Erobus’s staff clinking off the floor below, Elder Nicolai, always the first to retaliate, abruptly lashed out in frustration. “And how do you suppose we do that? Even our reach has its limits old man.”

Closing his eyes, Erobus swiftly succumbed to meditation, whispering incantations under his breath and losing himself in the process. An eerie silence followed before Erobus finally collapsed, breaking the trance. Elder Arteimos and Shialla both rushing to his side, Erobus desperately clung to them, struggling to find the right words. “Lalia… Diana… Ahulaani, Biasinge… Xi.” Gazing at Arteimos, “Auroiianos… Azael. Scour the seven worlds if you must, but bring them to me!”

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You could hear the sound of the dragons roar triumphing over the grandeur of the City of Ridic, the crown jewel of the Empyrean Empire. Tucked in the heart of the Cirid Mountains and surrounded by lush green rolling hills and dark blue waters, there was a serene and almost soothing silence about Ridic unlike the likes you’d find anywhere else. There were no crowded streets or any of the usual hustle and bustle found in most other cities; only peace, prosperity, and a calming air of security.

The Knights of Erais, the highest privileged order in all of Atrulyn, guarded every gate, and manned every corner and street in Ridic. They held the keys to every door, and embodied everything that was good and just about the Empyrean. Upholding order and justice, they protected the cultural heritage of Ridic, ensuring a strong sense of community amongst its citizens. Azael had strived his entire life to be like them and only now did he finally realize that destiny had bigger plans in store.

Standing on a bridge overlooking the city and watching the rush of water that cascaded over the rocks into the river below, he sighed in reluctance as he looked over at Auroiianos. “Only now do I see how short life is. But a memory that lasts no longer than the length of a breath. This is the moment that will define the rest of our lives.” Pausing, “what do we do now?” Azael only wished he knew what he was meant to do. There were seven of them out there, humanities last shining star of hope.

"I get it," Auroriianos stated with a sigh, "it is so hard to find a place to start, and then it’s even harder to get on the right track. My goal of becoming the greatest is something that will require consistency," Auroriianos stated before a messenger walked up to them, Auroriianos giving the man a nasty look. He knew this messenger, someone his father had close associations with.

“Sir Azael, Lord Auroiianos. I am here on behalf of Headmaster Erobus who has ordered your immediate presence. If you would accompany me…” An envoy, sent by The Order. Did they already know? Could it be possible that Erobus had already uncovered the identities of all the Archites? It hardly came as a surprise considering he was by far the most powerful Magi alive; his knowledge of the arcane arts eclipsing that of any known to come before him. “What is this concerning, messenger?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know sir. But I was told to inform you that it was urgent.” Before Azael could say another word, Auroiianos quickly cut in. "Then what use are you messenger? Inform them of our imminent arrival.” There were secret tunnels hidden underneath the bridge, amidst the rocks and behind the waterfall. The only way to get there was to fly, and even then, you’d find yourself in a long dark corridor that stretched on for miles, full of dead ends and little to no chance of escape for those who didn’t already know their way.

That was where the Spirtual Barrier on Atrulyn rested. Diving off the bridge and extending his wings, he stopped just above the surface of the river, his wings beating against the water and causing it to ripple. “I’ll see you on the other side, Auro.” Bending the space around him to form a small barrier to keep him from getting wet, he thrust himself headfirst into the rushing torrent, reemerging on the other side unscathed.

The darkness was unsettling at best to Azael, as was the long walk to his destination. It was too narrow to fly in the cavern, and powerful incantations had been cast to null most magic. Normally this would discourage any who happened across the caves, warding off the faint of heart. There had to be silence as Azael paced, counting each of his steps very particularly. After long there was a light that could just barely be made out resonating up ahead.

In an enormous chamber, the Spirtual Barrier appeared as a large cluster of lights, small specks that floated freely around the room. Many might dismiss such as being insignificant, but Azael knew this was the birthplace of creation. Inside the cluster was a revolving vortex, and for those who could harness it, a portal that connected the seven worlds. The Order specifically had found further use of its mysteries though, a bridge between the worlds and to the Hall of Silence.

Nobody knew the actual location to the Hall of Silence, only that it was a part of a separate dimension in space that had been created sometime during the reign of the original Archites. As Azael stepped into the spiraling flow of raw energy, he disappeared, his body quickly pulled through space at speeds faster than that of light. By the time he could blink, he’d already been standing in the Hall of Silence, and it didn’t take long for other members of The Order to begin gathering around him.

“Sir Azael! Elder Arteimos has asked for you to meet him in his chambers.” Another petty messenger. One thing with The Order was that there was always middle men doing the Elders work for them. “He has asked that you also bring along Auroiianos.” Funny that the messenger wasn’t given any further instruction in concerns towards Auroiianos being Arteimos’s son. The relationship between a father and his son was truly a confusing one.

The envoy the Order had sent annoyed Auroriianos, even the messenger’s voice irritated him. The pent up frustration he had towards his father was only beginning to cause dangerous thoughts. It was dangerous for any Archonian to withhold emotions. It would only lead to an explosive outburst that could harm those around, but Auroriianos held so much in and sometimes he felt as if he would explode, in a literal sense of the word. Nonetheless, Auroriianos stood there as the messenger scurried off to deliver the message Auro had given. Erobus knew they would come, he also knew they would help find the other “chosen ones” as Auro was definitely sure that Idros didn’t just visit him or Azael, there just had to be others, and the legend of the Archites burned fresh in his mind. He had been deep in thought when he realized that Azael was talking to him. The male had clearly lost whatever fabric of mental stability he had left by jumping over the edge of the bridge, but with a flap of his wings he was now hovering. Archonians could fly naturally, but Auro always admired Azael’s wings. They were beautiful appendages to which Azael utilized masterfully.

“Indeed,” Auro replied as he too jumped over the edge before shooting like a bullet through the cascading water. When he emerged on the other side, he saw Azael and shook his head. “You’re getting slow old man,” he mocked as he landed beside the male. Their walk was a quiet one, and Auro could tell that Azael did not like the dark, though it was perfectly normal for Auro. He used his senses to feel around the darkness and pinpoint certain things, yet even still there would be an occasional pebble or something that would try to trip him up. Upon reaching the swirling vortex of power, Auro watched Azael with intrigued eyes. This was the link between the worlds. This was how the Order and those who knew of it, transitioned from world to world. Of course there were other ways of traveling to distant worlds. Technology had advanced on other worlds and as such those worlds had shared their technology. Even still, magic was there to assist in providing a bridge to travel amongst one another. There was absolutely no reason for anyone to ever not visit one of the seven worlds within the Finite Realm.

Azael stepped in first, and Auro smiled. The power that resonated from the vortex was amazing. It beckoned to him to walk in and he gave into its will. Before he realized what was happening, he was in the Hall of Silence. He was standing but a few inches away from Azael and he had made it in time to hear the messenger tell Azael that Arteimos wanted to speak with them both. It was also at this time that another entered the Hall.

“Messenger, do make sure that they go before the Elders please,” Auroriianos stated as he pointed to the clearly fear filled Wrenn that was crouched a distance away with its weapon drawn, “I trust the others will be arriving soon if you’ve done your job right.” He was right, as he sensed more arriving in the hall. He smiled slightly at the idea of meeting new creatures, new warriors of the light, Archites of the Order.

Xi had been focusing on Azael, not knowing or caring who he really was. All he knew was that the winged people brought only horror's to Vianthorus, he had never really bothered to get close to any of them. The ancient carvings of the dead swarms show of reason-less attacks on their trees by the winged people, with only extermination in mind. What the wrenn didn't know was just how much the winged people changed.

As Xi had been holding his stance, many had been walking around. Most went ignored, but Xi kept track of those who moved around his sides and close to him in any direction. He had even managed to ignore the sharp, unpleasant sound that Mystra made.

During his focus, Xi noted a messenger talking to the winged man, and the man who came in with the winged man. They didn't seem to be dangerous to Xi specifically, but they worked with the winged man, so they could easily have been predators or prey. Then the man with the winged man told the messenger something that Xi couldn't decipher over the sounds of the hall. That was when the messenger began to move towards Xi, who just kept staring.

As he got closer, Xi held his stance, not loosening a single muscle. The messenger kept getting closer, becoming more and more of a possible threat. When he had gotten within a few feet, Xi let out a distinct sound. A deep sound. A sound that he used his whole body to insure how deep it was. A sound that could be felt within a small area around the wrenn. Their form of a territorial announcement.

The messenger, not expecting it what-so-ever, fell onto his back after a short stumbling in reverse. After a moment to compile himself, he stood up again, taking a moment to thing. It was obvious that Xi didn't want to budge, but the messenger didn't know why. Why would he have taken to cornering himself and drawing blade in the Hall of Silence? What purpose could it serve? Was it just some animistic reaction that kept some people doubting how much wrenn weren't beasts?

Deciding that the only way to calm the wrenn down was to get close, the messenger started nearing Xi once again. This time, however, he approached slightly off from center, closer to the shield that Xi was holding. It would give him more time to react if the wrenn decided to attack, and would hopefully be taken as a sign that he is not trying to attack.

Xi on the other hand, kept his eyes on Azael, but still followed the vibrations from the messenger. He knew exactly where the man was, and where he was going. Taking another step back, Xi's tail touched the was. He was now truly in the corner. He was fearful, and, because of fear, slightly aggressive. This man that was approaching him was unarmed, as far as Xi could tell. He knew what the man was sent to do, calm him down. Still, he was standing his ground.

The messenger reached Xi without getting attacked. That was good. He then stood for a second, wondering how he would calm down the wrenn. "What's wrong?" The messenger asked, getting no response. He then followed Xi's gaze, seeing Azael. Something about him must have set Xi off. The messenger looked at the wrenn, saying "You better get used to him. I have a feeling you will be working with him for a while." This got a reaction.

Xi came to when the messenger said "Get used to him." Something about that phrase shot through Xi's mind like an arrow through the sky. He slowly loosened. The winged man had yet to attack, or even pay attention, to Xi. Slowly he sheathed his sword, his gaze still fixed on Azael. The messenger then spoke again, this time saying "The elders wish for your presence."

The Hall of Silence wasn't named such without a reason. There may have been places that were even more silent, yet this was one place that Diana wasn't ever used to. The Order's domain. Diana remembered her first time coming here, how absolutely confused she was. There were no thoughts to guide her except her own. She would watch what seemed like intelligent people, yet being unable to tell what they were thinking, they were much too unpredictable and Diana couldn't keep in sync. Diana payed more attention to the relative silence in her head than that of her other senses.

Diana wasn't sure how long it took her to go through the portal to the other side, and had not realized when she had become aware of herself or her surroundings, not unlike dreaming, when you cannot tell when you become aware of yourself or not. Diana merely stood in place, as still as a statue as she listened to that one loud thought in the emptiness of her head, that of her own. It was peculiar, her own little thought wandering in all kinds of directions and very freely. When she was part of the collective, her thoughts were much more focused as most of her thoughts weren't even hers, they were everybody's. When everybody shared a thought, they could focus. Yet, when all alone, Diana's thoughts seemed to be wandering quickly, from the Order, to Idros, to Elekitel, to the Hermit, to the war, to the refugees, to other planets, to other species and to herself. It certainly wasn't what she was used to, but she was somewhat prepared for it this time.

Though, as she stood completely still and silently, she was aware of other presences in the room. She hadn't noticed them at first for she could not hear them thinking, but they were in plain view in front of her and were making quite a bit of noise as well. It took Diana a while to recognize them, but she could certainly tell that none of them were Vnamens.

The most apparent one had to have been the Empyrean, at least from behind, the wings being obvious. Very peculiar that they were the only race of which Idros gifted with the power of flight, something of which the Vnamens couldn't accomplish themselves. Falzers were the largest creatures that Elekitel has fabricated and they still were smaller than Vnamens. It was merely impossible to get anything heavier than a Falzer into the air, of which had almost entirely hallow bodies. Of course, Elekitel never did dare mess with the base form of a Vnamen, for something that isn't quite Vnamen would be different in mind and may not have thought the same way as Elekitel, if tampering hadn't destroyed it's telepathic or other magical capabilities. Perhaps Idros had not gifted the Vnamens with wings for such mass would inhibit their vast mental capabilities and more energy would be donated to the wings than the mind and the their minds were one of Idros's greatest gifts to the Vnamen. Though if Vnamens could fly, Diana figured, maybe they wouldn't have to live in caves.

The second most apparent creature had to have been the Wrenn, which Diana had mistaken for a fabricated creature of a sort. Being unable to detect their thoughts, Diana had a little bit of trouble believing each of the creatures were intelligent, merely speaking with each other and moving with the unconscious spontaneity of an insect. The Wrenn seemed the most animalistic, however. Diana only knew of them as savage and highly primitive creatures of which banded together in rather small colonies merely to survive. However, primitive they may have been, they had some rather good physical qualities of which Vnamens could only accomplish in their fabrications. Diana wondered if a Wrenn would make a good replacement for a fabricated creature in combat, assuming they were the least bit intelligent than one. What Idros hoped to capture in their design, Diana didn't know, but the Creator's ways were mysterious.

Although, there was another creature that looked like some sort of fabrication between a person and a mammal of some sort. The bright orange hair was very unusual, as it was on the Empyrean. Diana used to not believe that pigment could be stored within hair. This pseudo-person, however, had many traits of which seemed to fit some sort of mammal of which Diana wouldn't have been able to identify on her own. She must have been a Mounirian, of which were a cross between a man and a fox. Diana hadn't really seen a fox before, but she didn't have a hard time believing that this creature looked like one. Diana didn't see her as any less of an animal than the Wrenn, however. Foxes were supposedly clever, yet she couldn't tell if this one really was or not. The Creator seemed to have a tendency to create intelligent creatures of which shared traits with natural ones, or perhaps the latter was created in the image of the former. If such was the case, Diana wondered exactly what creature Vnamens shared traits with. She assumed it had to have been Bees, creatures of which worked diligently and acted together as a collective hivemind and had the capability to create great things. Diana had been involved with studying and fabricated the base form of these creatures and she knew that she saw some genius in the small little creatures, some of herself.

The fourth of the most apparent creatures did have white hair, but Diana didn't mistaken him for a Vnamen for a second. The only way he could have been a Vnamen is if he was a corpse. Diana wasn't able to identify exactly what he was, many races took on the vision of the Creator, the Vnamens probably being the most perfect example of the Creator's vision. This creature was not any of the other creatures, nor was he a Vnamen, so he had to have been a Human. She wasn't sure exactly what a Sanguel looked like, nor an Archonian. From Diana's knowledge, she knew that the Archonians were beings of pure arcana, but she wasn't entirely sure what form such a being would take on, if it took on a form at all, and if such a form really was intelligent. Humans, however, were a race that, although were lesser than Vnamens in every way, were probably much smarter and more advanced creatures than any of the others, with one exception; un-synchronicity.

Even from what little Diana could understand of what was going on, she could tell that all these different creatures were out of sync with each other, needing to create verbal noise just to understand what is happening beyond their own perception or what another is thinking. The four creatures weren't even standing in a proper formation and needed to look around or at each other to understand their situation. They were confused, they probably thought differently too. Not having the Vnamen's gift was what was sure to disrupt the societies of all other creatures. Each creature could only think independently, and their minds wandered just as Diana's was now. They end up consciously or unconsciously do things that others don't expect, potentially leading to disorder and harm. Even through learning how to speak in a spoken language, Diana could tell that the verbal language was limited and didn't allow her to transfer her thoughts correctly between herself and another person without there being corruption in the data due to misinterpretation. Plus, if every single creature thought independently and came up with their own opinion, no matter how slight the difference was, surely such would result in conflicts, and not the large ones the Vnamens ended up in, but ones that occurred between singular people, people of which have worked, or at least attempted to work together for a large portion of their lives end up being unable to cooperate at times. If two people had conflicting goals, just as nations did, they'd fight each other just as nations did, thus resulting in all kinds of disruptions all the kind of which lowered the efficiency of which they could preform tasks immensely, lacking that efficiency of which the Vnamens knew were essential. Surely, if this were to occur between the Archites, they would be unable to heed to the wishes of the Creator, whom of which would frown upon them.

Diana herself had no idea as to what was happening. Unable to hear their thoughts and unable to tell if they were hearing hers (although, she knew that they probably couldn't) she knew that she had to resort to verbal language to speak to them, the same way she would to an animal, only instead she would be using a different language, Universal Standard. With a deep inhale, such as she would when she was about to shout orders at a great big Elswine, she prepared to speak her mind.

"ATTENTION!" she shouted curtly, as if she were a drill instructor, "OUR-" she cleared her throat as she reminded herself the difference between singular and plural in relation to people, which she had difficulty with, "My label is Diana of Elekitel, the great unifier of Samallia! The Creator has connected with myself, and myself only, and has labeled me an Archite!" She paused between sentences and paced herself to make sure she had every important detail, but only important details and not speak a long string of everything on her mind, "I was summoned here by the Headmaster, whom of which is seeking the Archites! Each of you will identify yourselves and allow me in his presence!"

---

The Hall of Silence, an understatement surely as whispers began to echo from every corner of the great hall. Words could not express the grandeur of the hall itself. With its massive vaulted ceilings and illustrious gardens, dark starry skies overhead reflected off the surrounding waters that appeared to cascade off the very edge of the universe itself. There was no end to the majestic nature of the hall, nor the many mysteries that were riddled inside every wall and chamber. No expense was spared in its winding gold stairways or the art and décor that came from every walk of life across all the seven worlds.

In the annals of history, the Empyrean had been marred by a dark and troubling past, from a time when Uldrik had spread his influence across Atrulyn. At war with Vianthorus and the Wrenn who inhabited it, the Empyrean had long made their presence known amongst the primitive and indigenous species. Fortunately civil war ended up breaking out between the Empyreans, effectively ending the campaign in Vianthorus (but not the horrifying memory of the wrath they had already unleashed upon the Wrenn).

Not even the Empyrean were free from sin, or a past they had long tried to forget. The unyielding gaze from the Wrenn was an unsettling one in which Azael attempted to ignore. He was a defender of the peace, protector of the weak, and would not be intimidated in the slightest. His people had committed many mistakes, but in generations he had no control over. “Best sheath your sword, Wrenn.” Hand hesitantly hovering over the hilt of his blade, he was quickly sidetracked by the ‘unifier of Samallia.’

A unique race, one in which not even Azael completely understood. Although he’d spent some time in each of the worlds, the Vnamen came across as rather inaccessible, a technologically advanced race of humanoids whose civilization was unlike that you’d find anywhere else. Not to mention communication didn’t seem to be their strong suit. “I am Azael, an Empyrean from the planet Atrulyn, Knight of The Order, Requiem of Time…” Distractions seemed rather prevalent as Azael had already quickly come across another.

Ahulanni, who lingered close behind him… Terronia, a planet he’d spent almost more time on than his own. The dark red sash tied around her waist catching his eye, he turned, facing her as their eyes caught briefly. Did she notice him? That had been so long ago. And he had tried so hard to distance himself from the past. Was she called on to be an Archite too? So many destinies, fated to be intertwined in the battles that were sure to come. Azael had always yearned to know the truth behind his future, but he never expected this.

As the two great doors in the hall opened, High Elder Erobus crept out, his cane clanking off the floor as he stood before the gathering. “Archites, I see most of you have already arrived… but not all of you. There are dark days ahead of us, and by the grace of Idros, you have all been given great responsibility in the days to come. But please, please… I beckon you into my chambers. There is much to be discussed.” While Azael intently focused on Erobus, his mind couldn’t resist wandering. First it was the Wrenn, then the Vnamen… Ahulanni… and least he forget, Elder Arteimos who he’d still yet to see. Needless to say, he didn’t look forward to the encounter between Auro and his father.

Diana's attention turned to the Empyrean whom spoke first, although she didn't look directly at him. “I am Azael, an Empyrean from the planet Atrulyn, Knight of The Order, Requiem of Time…” Diana examined his words, picking them out from his rather different accent (which probably didn't sound as ridiculous as Diana's). His existence was Azael, which seemed to mean his name was Azael as most speakers would understand. Indeed, he was an Empyrean and it came as no surprise that he came from Atrulyn. Knight of the Order confused her a bit, but she realized that he wasn't talking about Atrulyn as a whole (like how Diana was referring to Elekitel when she titled it the 'unifier of Samallia') but about himself. Diana knew she had to get used to how self-centered creatures thought of themselves and how they spoke. Knight was a term for a servant, so he must had been referring to how he, himself, worked for the Order. Requiem of Time, however, was most confusing. She was quite unfamiliar with what a requiem was, but she was sure it had to do with some form of ceremony involving one's death. Elekitel had no such things as ceremonies and the dead were unimportant to them. The terms Requiem and Time, however, seemed of no relation to each other to the extent of Diana's knowledge of the spoken language. Perhaps she was missing something because she was unfamiliar with something in Empyrean culture that made the two words relevant or Diana was merely still a novice at speaking.

Though, as she expected questions she thought of to be answered for her, no answers came. Once again, the grim reminder came to her that she was absolutely alone. There was no great collective for her to be a part of, nothing to feed her answers, nothing to feed her own thoughts to. While she spoke so highly of Elekitel or of her own species, there was nothing she could say about herself. No Vnamen ever concerned themselves about themselves. Many Vnamens hardly even knew which body was theirs or which mind was their own, they were merely a single great mind with many bodies. Alone, however, Diana felt severely incomplete.

Her troubled thinking, however, was interrupted when the Headmaster entered the room. It was unmistakable. Diana had seen him before in the minds of others, plus she'd witnessed him once before. Diana couldn't tell exactly what race he was part of, he could of been Human or even Vnamen. In some ways, it would surprise her if he was a Vnamen and in some ways it wouldn't. Yet, despite him being a great man, Diana decided there was no way he was a Vnamen, simply because he was a great man.

Diana, however, respected a great man. He was one of great insight and knowledge and was head of the Order, an organization blessed by the Creator and the Vnamens were the most gracious of the Creator's gifts. After all, the Creator gave the Vnamens their ability and it was the creator that filled their world with resources, prime for use as the Creator intended. To not make use of the Creator's gifts was a sin. The Order as well was a gift of the Creator's will, even if it was men that created it. After all, the Order was created from the will of the Archites whom were chosen by the will of Idros. Of course, once again, the Archites were chosen by the will of Idros and Diana, not Elekitel, was chosen by his will. From the Headmasters words, it seemed these other creatures in her presence were chosen by the will of Idros as well.

Although, unlike them, the Headmaster's presence demanded respect. Diana went completely silent from that point on. After all, not only was she in the presence of the Headmaster, but of the Archites as well. To have spoken to them was rude on her part, yet she still had a difficult time seeing any of them as truly great, like the Headmaster was.

Irritated by the sheer stupidity of the other races gathered, Auro stood silently as he watched the foolish girl yell out. Clearly she knew not how to use her inside voice. He would’ve shunned her and chastised her for her stupidity if Master Erobus hadn’t walked into the room. There was silence when the man of authority walked in. Auro could only scan the room as he took in the features and body language of everyone within the Hall of Silence. Not every day was he like this. His relationship with his father had reached an all-time high. He hadn’t spoken to Azael about what had occurred yesterday. Auro stood there for a moment reminiscing on what had happened and how close he had come to hurting his father.

Yesterday, Early in the Morning

“I’m tired of you treating me like some child, I’m 19 years old dad, and I deserve to be treated with respect.”

“Respect is earned son, not given freely.”

“Or perhaps Respect is taken.”

“You dare challenge your father in this manner?”

“Why not, you’ve been no father to me. Azael might as well have been your son, that’s the only person you devoted 19 years to.”

“I instructed you Auror......”

“You lied to me,” Auroriianos interrupted, “all this time, you taught him the secrets. All this time you taught him advanced techniques, neglecting your own son, your own flesh and blood and for what? Am I not ideal enough for you Arteimos? Am I not a warrior? What am I to you?” Do you even see me?”

“Yes I see you Auroriianos, I see you every second of my life. I know I’ve not been what a father should, and for that I am sorry.”

“Oh the great Arteimos apologizes, that’s one for the record.”

Arteimos’s face stiffened and he turned from his son.

“I will not fight you in your state Auroriianos. You’re drunk and you’re unstable.”

“FUCK YOU!” Auroriianos yelled as his form seemed to glow slightly, “All those years, those wasted years, and I don’t even know who you are.”

“Auror....”

“GET OUT OF HERE!”

An orb of arcane energy shot forth, Arteimos just barely dodging it.

“That is an advanced technique, how did you....” Arteimos was cut off again as another orb, this one bigger, shot towards him with unbelievable speed. He dodged it and rolled to the side, looking at Auroriianos who stood as defiant as a wall to progress.

“Auroriianos, listen to me,” Arteimos beckoned, “I am your father, and I know I’ve not been there the way a father should have. I implore you to reconsider your actions.”

“Implore this....,” Auroriianos stated as electricity sparked between his finger tips and shot out in various directions. Arteimos put up a forcefield and watched as the electricity struck the barrier.

“Auroriianos, I love you, you are my son, my flesh and blood, and this is not you. I did what I did to make you stronger Auroriianos. I did what I did to show you independence. You are strong, but you lack self-control...”

“I’ve heard enough from you,” Auroriianos stated as he unleashed a barrage of hellish orbs that rocketed towards Arteimos with intent on injuring the elder. Arteimos dodged them with ease, all but one, for as Arteimos dodged them, another came from behind him and struck him in the middle of his back, sending him toppling to the ground. He quickly rolled to his feet and felt the pain seethe through his body. When he went to move, he felt another pain shift into his arm and he realized all too late what was going on.

“That is old magic, who taught you that?” Arteimos stated breaking the spell that held him in place, “who taught you this type of magic?”

Auroriianos said nothing; he simply began to hover, his hair flowing with the increase in his power. The sting of the orb that hit him reminded Arteimos that his son was not playing games.

“I WILL NOT FIGHT YOU AURORIIANOS!” Arteimos stated once more as Auroriianos hovered there for a moment before landing and turning his back on his father.

“You are dead to me...”

That was all Auroriianos said before he vanished. Arteimos watched his son with an injured heart, not physically but emotionally. His only son had turned his back on him, had attacked him and had left him. This must’ve been how Auroriianos felt in regards to his negligence. Arteimos, for the first time in a very long time, felt a tear fall from his eye and fall from his face unto the floor. He had lost his son, his own flesh and blood, there was no way to fix it, and even if there was Auroriianos wouldn’t listen to him.

Hall of Silence, Meeting with Elder Erobus

Auro walked into the room with the other gathered Archites in training. He was silent, much more than usual. Normally he was active, talking, laughing and playing jokes, but today he was silent, he looked to be going through a lot emotionally and it showed in his features. Erobus took note of this and knew of the fight between Auro and Arteimos. His heart ached for the young man, but he knew why his father had did what he had done, it was to make Auro stronger, more independent and less reliant on his father, but there were other ways to accomplish this. Arteimos would have to fight for his son now more than ever.

Auro noticed Erobus looking at him and immediately he looked away paying no attention to the others in the room.