(no subject)
The Beginning...
They were running, but that was what they'd known and how they'd lived, despite remaining still, they were running. One stood before a door, a great wrought iron gate that shimmered and reached towards the living with beams of its own radiant light. It seemed unable to decide on color, so instead if chose all of them, fighting amongst one another to dominate the chamber.
Somewhere, what seemed only inches now, high above, the humans were digging their way towards him, but he did not fear them. They could never find this place, even as their monsters of iron and bronze raped the land to pursue him. This place only existed in a place they could not go, the Ancient Nightmare. Before the dreaming fae had built homes, before they even knew of fire, this was their fear. This is what held them in the darkness of dreams, and it yet rested.
This was what set his feet there, before the gate and the two trying to reach it. He was earthen. He would remain until the sand itself had gone to entropy, till the chamber and what lay behind it were only dust upon the grasp of the changing seasons. He, as all like him, were patience embodied.
The two in question were a set of twins, small nixie elementals who had ran with him. He had never known what sanctuary they'd spoken of till they got there. Any fae would know that gate from an empire away. They were young yet, which was why he'd agreed in the first place. If there were a last city of the fae, this was it, and it was no city. Just a cave that he'd wished his whole life didn't exist.
The little girl fae stepped forward, looking sadly at him. "Mommy said that the city is beyond this gate. We have to go in, we have to."
The boy just stared at the floor. He'd never spoken, by the girl's recollection. Pieces of the ceiling began to clatter to the floor, and the earthen looked up dumbstruck. They were coming. They could get here, and of course they could now, because these children, two of the last fae, feared the human's machines far more than what lay within...
"Mommy said that they'd welcome us. They'd see what had happened and leave, they'd let us live in their city and the bad humans would go away." she added, stepping forward again.
A boulder fell into the earthen, but he ignored the sensation. The boy just looked up and through the stone.
"Mommy said they'd stop the machines! They'd chase away the sorcerers and priests and gods and gears and springs and rings and things! They'd raise the world!" she insisted, beginning to cry. "I want the humans to just go away!"
He could smell the oil. Too close, far too close. If he stayed still, they'd kill him, and what was beyond the gate would vanish with him. Because no one would ever fear it again, for they'd never know what was waiting...
The boy suddenly looked the earthen in the eye. "Mommy said... she didn't want to die..."
The earthen closed his eyes. The grinding noise was burrowing in his ears now, and he knew that the mountain that had loomed over the Great Castle forever was wounded. Soon, it would be hollow, all the wonderful metals that brought civilization for the pesky outsiders carted away, along with the three of them and the threat behind them.
He could hear their cheering. Last ones, they said. Told you we'd get them, they said. Now the world is civilized, they said.
He stepped aside. They deserved it. Every. Hellish. Moment of it.
The two fae scurried to the gate, and began to pull it open. The grinding became a roar, and moonlight scoured the chamber. He ran to where their tiny hands had begun to wrench the gate, looked to the moon, then pulled with all his might.
And the cavern roared back.
===============
The darkness was cold, tangible, and ravenous. It thundered through the cavern and out into the camp, it tore tents to shreds and chewed flesh from bone and armor instantly. It sped off into the night sky, and stars began to wink out until their lanterns and lights seemed only to keep the night out of arms reach.
The priest lowered his staff, the nimbus of golden radience falling from his shoulders. They were all gone, he knew it, and didn't care past walking home. But something in that cavern would lead his god to the position of GOD, and he would have that crown.
He strode to the side of the once cave now crater, and raised himself to the lip slowly. If it was a living source, he may need to flee, or show fealty. If it wasn't, it was his. He peeked down.
There was an open, twisted, burnt black gate swinging slowly on its hinges, it's life spent. It had rent the stone above it, tearing it to forever dangle near it's once beloved home. The priest pulled himself into the foyer, sneering at the carvings that seemed to survive the blast unharmed. The gate led to some short hallow within the cave wall, and a little red tinted light was slowly approaching it's mouth.
"A digging crew, no doubt, already within." the priest shrugged. He was about to turn and leave until he heard the voices. At first he thought it was just the echoes that made them unintelligible, but as they became so near as to be visible shadows, he knew this wasn't true. He gripped the staff before himself, and prepared to defend himself. He knew there could be earthen, and he had a charm for that. A fire fae as well he would handle, even an iceling would be a mere trick. He walked to the mouth, which he realized was suddenly taller than he was.
The light flared. And the voice hissed, the teeth glared, and the last thing he caught was a floppy... red... hat...
-----------------------
In the beginning, we were lost. Lost to the world, thrown away. Not thrown, but locked. Father remembered what we'd forgotten. Father told us all, every day, as we let our memories lay dormant and tried to love the nightmare we were now locked in. Father could not rest, could not sleep. Father had always led us, Father stared every day at the gate.
In the beginning, Father stepped through the gate, and found the priest of man. Father found the human, found his soul and mind, Father found him wanting. Father devoured the human, before the priest's impotent gods, and Father found them wanting to. Father stepped into the world that left him, Father stared into its soul, into its mind, and Father found it wanting. He strode into that world, and thus, we returned.
In the beginning, Tick Tock crept through the gate, long wicked knives in hand. Tick Tock stood beside Father, smelling the blood of man. Seeing their vicious ruins and machines that lay wounded, Tick Tock stared into their deeds, and found them wanting. Tick Tock stepped aside into the shadows of the crater, and crept yet further into the realm of man, and thus, Tick Tock walked in the path of shadows and iron.
In the beginning, Roh-Avarice walked through the gate, goggles shielding him from the cinders. Roh-Avarice beheld the machines of man, his weapons against nature and fae alike. He took wrench and hammer to them, he drank of their designs, and Roh-Avarice found them wanting. Roh-Avarice then assembled the first Redcap engine, and rode this into the realm of man, and thus, Roh-Avarice tore the Way of the Gear.
In the beginning, Jezrin Baal marched through the gate, hefting shield and sword alike. He came to stand beside Father, seeing all that Father could see. He watched the choices made against the Fae, he beheld their fickle force, and Jezrin Baal found it wanting. He marched down towards the remains of the camp to find the weak men that may have lived, and thus, Jezrin Baal paved the Word.
In the beginning, Domino charged through the gate, axes and hammers raised high and mighty as he went. He came to leap amongst the craters, drinking of the human's deeds and scent, and Domino found it wanting. Domino tore into the horizon to find the blood of man, to drink of their fear, and thus, Domino led the Way of the Tribes.
In the beginning, Heckula flew through the gate, wings of pure nightmare holding her aloft. Heckula peered down at the assembled works of mankind, tearing into their prison, and Heckula found them wanting. She ascended to the skies above, to ride among the stars before returning, and thus, Heckula lighted the Burning Star.
In the beginning, Mordacai lurked his way through the gate, bearing the bag of tools for pain and salvation in the same sack. Mordacai examined the remains of the humans, tore them to their basic fibers, and Mordacai found them wanting. He gathered the pieces and turned his needles to his fellow Redcap, and thus, Mordacai founded the path of Scar.
In the beginning, there we were. This world was lacking of our ilk, had kept their nightmares in slumber for too long. They had taken their greatest fear away, and then none feared them. We were again, we inched out of the great gate to see the lights and shadows of a world most of us had never known. We smelled new scents and breathed stale air, we turned to one another and thus, we were The Lost.
In the beginning, Father turned to his children, with their old iron knives and their razor sharp eyes, he turned to them and said "Follow your brothers into this land, or dare to stand with me, but come one and all. They have taken the world from us." Father bid them to see as he saw, Father made them see the desolation of our lands. Father drew his weapon. "They took this land, this sky, the fae who walked below it. They took everything we knew about here. They took it all."
In the beginning, Father pointed his weapon to the sun, their sun, their sky. Father pointed his weapon at everything they had made, every act they had done, and every thing they knew. Father threw back his head and roared.
In the beginning, they took everything, and Father ordered his children to take it back...
They were running, but that was what they'd known and how they'd lived, despite remaining still, they were running. One stood before a door, a great wrought iron gate that shimmered and reached towards the living with beams of its own radiant light. It seemed unable to decide on color, so instead if chose all of them, fighting amongst one another to dominate the chamber.
Somewhere, what seemed only inches now, high above, the humans were digging their way towards him, but he did not fear them. They could never find this place, even as their monsters of iron and bronze raped the land to pursue him. This place only existed in a place they could not go, the Ancient Nightmare. Before the dreaming fae had built homes, before they even knew of fire, this was their fear. This is what held them in the darkness of dreams, and it yet rested.
This was what set his feet there, before the gate and the two trying to reach it. He was earthen. He would remain until the sand itself had gone to entropy, till the chamber and what lay behind it were only dust upon the grasp of the changing seasons. He, as all like him, were patience embodied.
The two in question were a set of twins, small nixie elementals who had ran with him. He had never known what sanctuary they'd spoken of till they got there. Any fae would know that gate from an empire away. They were young yet, which was why he'd agreed in the first place. If there were a last city of the fae, this was it, and it was no city. Just a cave that he'd wished his whole life didn't exist.
The little girl fae stepped forward, looking sadly at him. "Mommy said that the city is beyond this gate. We have to go in, we have to."
The boy just stared at the floor. He'd never spoken, by the girl's recollection. Pieces of the ceiling began to clatter to the floor, and the earthen looked up dumbstruck. They were coming. They could get here, and of course they could now, because these children, two of the last fae, feared the human's machines far more than what lay within...
"Mommy said that they'd welcome us. They'd see what had happened and leave, they'd let us live in their city and the bad humans would go away." she added, stepping forward again.
A boulder fell into the earthen, but he ignored the sensation. The boy just looked up and through the stone.
"Mommy said they'd stop the machines! They'd chase away the sorcerers and priests and gods and gears and springs and rings and things! They'd raise the world!" she insisted, beginning to cry. "I want the humans to just go away!"
He could smell the oil. Too close, far too close. If he stayed still, they'd kill him, and what was beyond the gate would vanish with him. Because no one would ever fear it again, for they'd never know what was waiting...
The boy suddenly looked the earthen in the eye. "Mommy said... she didn't want to die..."
The earthen closed his eyes. The grinding noise was burrowing in his ears now, and he knew that the mountain that had loomed over the Great Castle forever was wounded. Soon, it would be hollow, all the wonderful metals that brought civilization for the pesky outsiders carted away, along with the three of them and the threat behind them.
He could hear their cheering. Last ones, they said. Told you we'd get them, they said. Now the world is civilized, they said.
He stepped aside. They deserved it. Every. Hellish. Moment of it.
The two fae scurried to the gate, and began to pull it open. The grinding became a roar, and moonlight scoured the chamber. He ran to where their tiny hands had begun to wrench the gate, looked to the moon, then pulled with all his might.
And the cavern roared back.
===============
The darkness was cold, tangible, and ravenous. It thundered through the cavern and out into the camp, it tore tents to shreds and chewed flesh from bone and armor instantly. It sped off into the night sky, and stars began to wink out until their lanterns and lights seemed only to keep the night out of arms reach.
The priest lowered his staff, the nimbus of golden radience falling from his shoulders. They were all gone, he knew it, and didn't care past walking home. But something in that cavern would lead his god to the position of GOD, and he would have that crown.
He strode to the side of the once cave now crater, and raised himself to the lip slowly. If it was a living source, he may need to flee, or show fealty. If it wasn't, it was his. He peeked down.
There was an open, twisted, burnt black gate swinging slowly on its hinges, it's life spent. It had rent the stone above it, tearing it to forever dangle near it's once beloved home. The priest pulled himself into the foyer, sneering at the carvings that seemed to survive the blast unharmed. The gate led to some short hallow within the cave wall, and a little red tinted light was slowly approaching it's mouth.
"A digging crew, no doubt, already within." the priest shrugged. He was about to turn and leave until he heard the voices. At first he thought it was just the echoes that made them unintelligible, but as they became so near as to be visible shadows, he knew this wasn't true. He gripped the staff before himself, and prepared to defend himself. He knew there could be earthen, and he had a charm for that. A fire fae as well he would handle, even an iceling would be a mere trick. He walked to the mouth, which he realized was suddenly taller than he was.
The light flared. And the voice hissed, the teeth glared, and the last thing he caught was a floppy... red... hat...
-----------------------
In the beginning, we were lost. Lost to the world, thrown away. Not thrown, but locked. Father remembered what we'd forgotten. Father told us all, every day, as we let our memories lay dormant and tried to love the nightmare we were now locked in. Father could not rest, could not sleep. Father had always led us, Father stared every day at the gate.
In the beginning, Father stepped through the gate, and found the priest of man. Father found the human, found his soul and mind, Father found him wanting. Father devoured the human, before the priest's impotent gods, and Father found them wanting to. Father stepped into the world that left him, Father stared into its soul, into its mind, and Father found it wanting. He strode into that world, and thus, we returned.
In the beginning, Tick Tock crept through the gate, long wicked knives in hand. Tick Tock stood beside Father, smelling the blood of man. Seeing their vicious ruins and machines that lay wounded, Tick Tock stared into their deeds, and found them wanting. Tick Tock stepped aside into the shadows of the crater, and crept yet further into the realm of man, and thus, Tick Tock walked in the path of shadows and iron.
In the beginning, Roh-Avarice walked through the gate, goggles shielding him from the cinders. Roh-Avarice beheld the machines of man, his weapons against nature and fae alike. He took wrench and hammer to them, he drank of their designs, and Roh-Avarice found them wanting. Roh-Avarice then assembled the first Redcap engine, and rode this into the realm of man, and thus, Roh-Avarice tore the Way of the Gear.
In the beginning, Jezrin Baal marched through the gate, hefting shield and sword alike. He came to stand beside Father, seeing all that Father could see. He watched the choices made against the Fae, he beheld their fickle force, and Jezrin Baal found it wanting. He marched down towards the remains of the camp to find the weak men that may have lived, and thus, Jezrin Baal paved the Word.
In the beginning, Domino charged through the gate, axes and hammers raised high and mighty as he went. He came to leap amongst the craters, drinking of the human's deeds and scent, and Domino found it wanting. Domino tore into the horizon to find the blood of man, to drink of their fear, and thus, Domino led the Way of the Tribes.
In the beginning, Heckula flew through the gate, wings of pure nightmare holding her aloft. Heckula peered down at the assembled works of mankind, tearing into their prison, and Heckula found them wanting. She ascended to the skies above, to ride among the stars before returning, and thus, Heckula lighted the Burning Star.
In the beginning, Mordacai lurked his way through the gate, bearing the bag of tools for pain and salvation in the same sack. Mordacai examined the remains of the humans, tore them to their basic fibers, and Mordacai found them wanting. He gathered the pieces and turned his needles to his fellow Redcap, and thus, Mordacai founded the path of Scar.
In the beginning, there we were. This world was lacking of our ilk, had kept their nightmares in slumber for too long. They had taken their greatest fear away, and then none feared them. We were again, we inched out of the great gate to see the lights and shadows of a world most of us had never known. We smelled new scents and breathed stale air, we turned to one another and thus, we were The Lost.
In the beginning, Father turned to his children, with their old iron knives and their razor sharp eyes, he turned to them and said "Follow your brothers into this land, or dare to stand with me, but come one and all. They have taken the world from us." Father bid them to see as he saw, Father made them see the desolation of our lands. Father drew his weapon. "They took this land, this sky, the fae who walked below it. They took everything we knew about here. They took it all."
In the beginning, Father pointed his weapon to the sun, their sun, their sky. Father pointed his weapon at everything they had made, every act they had done, and every thing they knew. Father threw back his head and roared.
In the beginning, they took everything, and Father ordered his children to take it back...