Beneath the dying stars flickered eternal flames.
A roar, and screams raised thousandfold.
In a place far above the stars, in a realm of an impossible never ending void, there lay Va Oun Ilet. Va Oun Ilet was not like that of many other locations in that it was a true Place of Power, of which few existed, even in worlds of imagination. A Place of Power was where primordial forces were present in their true forms like nowhere else in the worlds. A Place of Power was located far from the reaches of any star, and a place where neither magic nor science could even point scholars towards its existence. Few have heard of a Place of Power, even fewer knew them to not be simple myths, and nearly none have attempted to reach one, for even if you were to find a source of magic that was unlimited in quantity, even if you were to transcend to planes of higher dimensions, even if you were to tear apart the very fabric of the universe and bend the rules of science and magic to your whim, it would be nigh impossible to locate and travel to a Place of Power, for, why, it wouldn't even be a Place of Power at all. A Place of Power was so named because there, ancient powers at work, from a existence far before time. A Place of Power was so named by the very few who had the power to discover such a place, the very few whose actions could affect creation for all of time.
Va Oun Ilet, for a Place of Power, was a plain realm. On a rock platform made of material unknown to even those able to travel to a place of Power, where the rock continuously shifted and moved, groaning all the while as if it were alive, were towering spires inscribed with strange dull runes, where one could see that it used to be gold in color. Occasionally, a rune would brighten to its former glory, a bright sigil of golden brilliance from a time long ago.
With the brightness, a scream would erupt, one which seemed impossible to recreate, one which conveyed pain beyond pain. The scream could shatter stars, could defile entire civilizations, was deemed as ironic (coming from a golden and warm color), and ultimately marked as insignificant.
The screaming stopped as soon as the happy color dimmed back to its current state, and you would be happy to be back in the dusk of the floating island.
Surrounding Va Oun Ilet, there wasn't much else to see. Nearby, a colossal skeleton of an ancient construct floated next to Va Oun Ilet in stony silence, even as creatures of darkness formed on the dirty metal and gnashed their teeth to no avail in the vacuum of that void. Beyond the construct, a star who had faithfully served Va Oun Ilet for ages without count was finally dying, and would, within a hundred years, explode in a mighty spectacle. The starlight slowly was turning the island from dusk to everlasting night, a sad ceremony where unfortunately nobody remained to witness.
However, the main attraction of Va Oun Ilet was the breadth of beauty stretched far below Va Oun Ilet. Put upon a three dimensional surface for those upon the island to view with pleasure were stars beyond count, shining with mystical brightness, as trails of dust and vapor chased each other around those dots of fire, set onto a cold tapestry of black.
Power need not be ugly, after all.
In this Place of Power, eons had passed in relative peace, as the island slowly passed its days slowly with nothing of interest occuring.
It was to be this way for all eternity. A realm of quiet.
This quiet was disturbed when three cracks of fire flashed into existence upon the island's surface.
From the burning infernos stepped out three figures clad in rippling cloaks that seemed more gaseous than solid and obscured by a black mist that hid them even more. An observer looking upon these three figures would see a being but would not be able to describe their hair, face, gender, body shape, height, or even if they actually were people in the first place. They would then wander off somewhere and go to sleep forever.
The First staggered for a moment, disoriented by the sudden shift from its previous location to Va Oun Ilet. The Second came out laughing, a cruel laugh, not a happy one. The Third emerged silent, its presence weighing down on the foundation of the island, and the groans of the rock increased in volume.
"This is bloody insanity," the First gasped out, its voice distorted to match its appearance.
The Second grinned at that. "Looky look, the newby is at its first Place of Power," it said with a similarly distorted voice. It raised its arms then. "Maybe I could give you a little shock to reel you in…?"
"Enough," the Third said, and the Second quickly lowered its arms and stopped smiling. The Third did not bother to change its voice. The one word rumbled from its body and trembled Va Oun Ilet, and a few more runes flashed in protest. The three beings seemed to not notice the screams that came with it. "We are here to work, not play."
"Yes well," the First said as it straightened up, "I haven't the faintest clue what the work is, or what here is. I just happened to get a message filled with nonsense instructions to get to a meeting here. Maybe if I was informed more..."
"That is enough for you to know," the Third rumbled. "As for work, the Second and I required certain…" It paused before continuing. "We require certain services that we believe only you can help provide us."
The First crossed its arm. "Such as?"
"You call yourself a loremaster, no?" the Third asked.
"Loremaster, no. Hunter of knowledge, yes, and I am the very best in my profession."
"Such cockiness," the Second said. "We may have to do some things to humble you..."
"It's true," the First said sharply. "There is nobody else in this universe who knows more than I, nor any who has genius greater than mine. I have even perfected the universal Archive."
"A True universal Archive?" the Second asked incredulously. The Second then threw its head back and laughed. "That's a fine joke, First…"
"It is true," the Third said, and it frowned slightly at the Second, although the Second did not notice. "The First tested it out and happened to discover all beings capable of traveling to Places of Power. It reached out to me and exposed many… minute details of my existence." Rather than annoyed, it sounded impressed. "I never even dreamed that such a system was possible, and yet the First had solved the problem, without too much difficulties, in fact."
The First crossed its arms, and you could imagine a smirk on its face. "Never let it be said that I can't solve any problem."
"Indeed," the Third said.
"So First constructed a universal Archive, so what?" the Second said.
"So what?" the First barked out. "I have near infinite knowledge at my disposal, and you ask so what?"
"Peace, First," the Third said, and the First went silent. "For our operation, knowledge and genius are essential for its success. This is why I have decided to employ the First's skills for our goal."
"And what goal may that be?" the First said dryly. "This is why I am here, I'll have you know, pure curiosity".
The Third did not answer. It only turned to survey the stars below, and unconsciously, the other two followed suit. They stood in silent awe as the stars burned bright in that eternal void. After a few moments, the Third spoke.
"I have visited many Places of Power," it spoke, and although its voice was softer, its tone was no less commanding. "Even gods haven't seen as much as I have. I have gained everything I once yearned for." It raised its arm and clenched its fist. "Power. Knowledge. Immortality. An army." It dropped its arm to its side then. "And yet, that is not enough. Those stars below effortlessly transcend all I had set out to do. They are eternally beautiful, they are powerful. I do not blame them. It is quite unfortunate that they are in the way of my plan."
"Apologies in advance," the First interrupted, "but what plan do you have in mind?"
"I don't think you have the right to know, First!" the Second said hotly.
"It is alright," the Third spoke, and a wry smile tugged at its face. "If our Ternion is to work out, we must all be treated as equals here." It leaned forward, and the rumbling voice raised in a terrible crescendo. "We shall ascend above any god, any omnipotent power, any Place of Power. We shall remake the worlds to our image, and we shall become greater than magic, life, or void itself. We will rise above mere beings. We will become an idea. All will submit to us, and none can question us. Our names will burn forever in the stories of all, and we shall be the ultimate rulers of the worlds."
The Second smiled, a smile so sinister it penetrated the concealing shroud surrounding it. "Oh, this will be interesting."
The Third gestured its arm in front of it at the wide expanse of stars below them. "My fellows, this is our destiny. We will be rulers of the stars, and all who inhabit them. Never again shall we be cheated of anything again, for there will be nothing more to ask for."
The First leaned forward, its eyes intent. The Second began to laugh, the sound echoing off the spires of Va Oun Ilet. "And how do you propose that we do that, Third?" The First asked.
The Third turned to face its companions, and it intoned with a finality, "We shall begin the Demise."
The glyphs of Va Oun Ilet flashed, the screams intensified, and the Third went over the plan with the First and the Second. All Three laughed, and disappeared the way they came. Nothing on the surface of the island showed any evidence of their meeting except a never-dying spark, residue of the transportation magic.
The will of the Ternion had begun its horrible march through fate.
Iyund awoke with a gasp and instinctively reached for his swords. His trained eyes instantly took in the bright clearing, the ring of trees surrounding him, and the birds flying around the clearing. The hum of life filled his ears, chirping, buzzing, baying.
Where am I? he wondered, and he instantly tried to recall what had happened before…
...falling falling falling…
...screams from above…
...everything's lost, everything's gone, failure…
...your fault, all your fault, it's your fault…
He desperately grasped at his recent memories, desperately hoping for an answer to how he ended up here, anything that could provide clues to his current situation. He filtered through ages of memories, searching for a hint…
Then a image emerged in his head, and a word, a name leaped unbidden from his lips.
"Aira," he whispered.