Falling, falling, falling... He didn't remember from where. He didn't remember why. He had only tried to help. Wasn't that what they were supposed to do? And now he was falling. Falling because he had heard someone out and listened to their proposal. Falling because he had considered it without knowing the full picture. The humans were wrong. Angels weren't all-knowing.
He closed his eyes as he crashed into the water. Slowly, he sank downwards toward the depths. Then, like a rippling reflection, he disappeared.
She stood atop a church, looking over the town. Behind her towered the ominous form of the mountain, which only those who first came here really continued to fear. She didn't mind it. It had always been here. Below was the rest of the town, each line of buildings perched lower than the ones before, making the church easy to see- a clear place to go if ever trouble befell this small place. And from this symbol of protection she watched the townspeople.
All seemed peaceful and normal. This town was one of the smallest because it was close to the only source of Red mana. Most people here were not taught that Red mana was a good thing. Well, the ones that were taught about mana in the first place, anyways. Things here were a little more complicated than a world-wide way of living.
Many years ago, there was a woman named Pleisorium. She was given a very ancient power from her father, and before she had to give it back, she created this plane. Or so it was said. Ever since, people who are dissatisfied with their lives have been appearing here and are offered a chance to make a new life. If they changed their minds, they were sent back home. That's how it was supposed to be, anyways.
She sighed. All seemed well here, and so she needed to move on. From roof to roof she hopped, hands in her pockets, never glancing down. The people did not do the same. They glanced up or stared, curious as to who she was. Some thought they knew. Many were right. Not that it mattered. No one called out to her. Nothing was needed here.
From the small town at the base of the mountain, she made her way through the forest of Talvala. Talvala was noted for what people called its 'warrior trees'. They were called such because any plant could be toxic there if you were not accepted onto this plane. They could also walk about if the need was great enough.
Yes, it was quite a strange planet. Etsia would not accept anyone without Pleisorium's consent, and there was no Pleisorium to give consent. More and more people had to rely heavily on the goods that the accepted villagers had processed because they could not feed off the land without fearing death. Things here were becoming... tense.
When Etsia was first born and the people first gathered, Plei was almost always within sight of the people, personally taking care of their problems and helping them to acclimate from their way of life to Etsia's. This continued, and the people quickly learned about the different planes that permeated the universe. Not that the different species and cultures they were forced to commute with weren't proof enough, but Plei had a unique ability to traverse between planes at will. This she called her 'spark', and she was what she called a 'Planeswalker.'
It didn't take long for a religion to form around the sentient plane Etsia and her shaper/representer, Plei. The followers of the Etserum religion vowed upon eternal peace between nations, and to take care of the planet and all its needs. This was absurd, of course. Etsia could take care of herself, she'd thank them very much. And not every species and being that came here cared to follow Etsia's rules the first time. Conflict was inevitable, and there was more than one between all sorts of diverse groups. Species, cultures, religions, planes, and even where people preferred to live clashed. It was, needless to say, very stressful on Etsia and Plei. But again, they worked with their people.
Those who chose to dwell in the light, open areas, headed to Mithred, the open plains, and now there was a great city perched upon cleverly risen pillars of earth. It was a perfect tactical position, and with persistent acceptance of many different cultures, the 'capital' city, one could call it, managed to not only overcome conflict, but create a culture all to its own.
The mountains were mostly left alone, for no one seemed to manage to take an inch of land from the goblins, giants, and fiery creatures that enjoyed their lives in the boiling warmth inside it. Then those that enjoyed the forests moved to Talvala, and as the girl went through the trees, hardly ever touching the ground, she sensed the different forms that also maneuvered expertly. Elves were a chief species, and there were traces of Centaur presence along the forest floor.
She didn't want to leave the abundant life of the forest and hesitated at its edge. Then she turned, instead heading deeper. She could check on the different settlements here while also heading to the Mother Tree. Once, it had been a common meeting place between species, but now it was closed off. Maybe if she headed there once more, she would be let in.
Once things had settled down on Etsia and life had learned to take a new course, Plei took frequent trips to other places, and would disappear occasionally. After one very long trip, she came back with a baby. Plei was thrilled, the planet was a doting second mother, and Maycoe, Plei's close Kor friend, turned out to be a very kind aunt. The daughter grew up into a strong teenager called Surim, often called the 'Daughter of Etsia' as much as Plei was called Etsia's 'Mother'.
The girl made it to the Mother Tree and put her hand upon the vines that hung from the thick trunk, falling down in many layers to cover the openings between its thick roots, which were raised to create a sort of large room beneath the trunk. But the vines were unyielding. Even Surim, the daughter of Plei, was not allowed there.
She sighed. Etsia had been very quiet recently. Especially this place, where life was normally more abound than in the rest of the forest, there was not a sound or even a breath of wind. It was as if Etsia was waiting. Or mourning. Perhaps she missed Plei. Surim had never really been able to tell.
Turning, she continued back through the forest, angling toward the plains of Mithred. There had to be something going on there. The plains were the center of the Etserum religion, because Plei favored white mana. Perhaps someone there heard something helpful. Doubtful. The people here were pathetic, doting creatures that were no more honest here than they were elsewhere. Though the religion first started with honest intentions, those who wished to control soon sniffed out the possibilities and masqueraded as true followers of Plei while endeavoring to lead the worship. They would likely be little to no help. But Surim was worried.
Not only had Plei left the planet to take care of some problem, Mayoe and an ally Planeswalker, Draetur, a talking drake, set off not a month later. Surim strongly suspected it was to find her missing mother. But nobody ever told her anything, so now she was here on Etsia, alone, taking care of what she could. But everything seemed to slowly fall apart without Plei's guidance, and Surim couldn't hear Etsia like Plei could. She couldn't take over her mother's job.
Then there was a noise that made Surim pause to make sure she was hearing things right. It was like a high-pitched whine. Few could hear the earth, and even fewer could determine the feelings of Etsia. Being only an older teenager, Surim did not have the experience her mother had with Etsia, but she still recognized the plea for help.
Faster than ever before, nothing but a blur in the branches of Talvala, she raced along, toward the source of the sound. It wasn't long before she heard the screams and crashes. Something big was attacking, and her stomach squirmed as she felt a fraction of Etsia's pain. Finally, she stopped at the edge of a clearing. The forest had been dissolved away, and now she saw a giant acidic slime thrashing about, wreaking all kinds of havoc as it aimed for the elves and ended up striking at their clever tree houses. Surim watched in shock as she saw the trees fall apart on their own.
The air was thick with poison here, and Surim took out a rag that she tied about her mouth and nose. Then she leapt in with the rest of the elves. Those who saw her shouted. Though she was only the daughter of Pleisorium, she was still a rallying point, and with the extra view, she was able to direct them out of harm's way.
Surim found it difficult to get any grip on this thing. It was acidic and held no real solid form, and so she couldn't just punch it's lights out or hit it in the head. She didn't even know if it had a head. The thing thrashed again, and she heard the scream of an elf as he slowly dissolved. So there was that- she touches it, and she dies. The best idea she had was to lead it away from here.
A vine dropped from a tree, and she grabbed it. The thick rope pulled her up to the top, with momentum to spare and throw her above the treetops. From up here, she could see that the plains of Mithred were not too far away, and that the cliffs next to the 'capital' were very close as well. Just as she started coming down, she noticed that the acidic slime had noticed her as well. It came raging toward her, slamming into the tree just as she landed heavily on a thick branch. The entire form shuddered, but Surim jumped away before the slime could climb all the way up the trunk.
With a few motions and shouts, Surim made it clear she had a plan to take care of on her own. Most scattered, but a few brave souls joined Surim in gathering the slime's attention. They ran toward the cliffs, Surim at the front, and one by one branched off. The focus of the slime seemed to be entirely on Surim, and she could barely outrun the roaring thing behind her that made the ground shake.
The tree line abruptly flew by, and Surim found herself barely five steps away from the edge of the cliff. She sped up. In three steps, she vaulted off the side of the cliff, her arms spread wide as if to catch the wind. The girl turned in air, her arms still reaching out as she saw the acid do its best to jump out at her. But a vine shot out faster than the acid could, and Surim instead swung right next to the cliff, the taut vine eventually swinging her up so that she could put a foot on the ledge.
It was only a few moments before worried elves approached.
"Thank Etsia you're alive." said one of them.
"Thank Talvala." Surim corrected the elf. It was the trees who helped her at her behest. Etsia knew Surim better than to worry. And anyways, Surim wasn't sure if Etsia was able to take care of anybody right now. She was so quiet...
Surim walked back to the dead path the acidic slime had wreaked. As her eyes followed the trail, she saw only withered plants and empty husks of what used to be alive. Even the elves weren't sure who had died just by looking at them- or, in some cases, at the pieces of them. As the remaining elves slowly appeared from their hiding spaces, Surim heard noises of both pain and grief.
'Etsia.' Surim thought quietly. 'What are you doing?'
"Young Plei." Said an elf as she approached. Surim turned, unhappy at being in her mother's shadow again. "Thank you very much for helping our people."
"Everyone on Etsia is my people." Surim replied, bowing.
"Your mother has taught you well." The elf smiled. They were gorgeous, all of them. "But do you think it will be coming back?"
"Just hope it can't climb." Surim offered unhelpfully.
"It is not dead?" Asked a younger elf. Surim turned to analyze his sharp cheekbones and big, doe eyes.
"No. It's slime. It can't be destroyed physically, even after such a large fall."
She walked to the edge and leaned over. Through the deep fog, she couldn't see the bottom that she suspected was there, somewhere. Falling so far would definitely splatter it's body over a mile or so. However, that only meant it would take a little bit longer for it to regain its earlier form.
"You jest." Said a male challengingly. "Nothing can survive that fall."
"Did you hear me?" Surim sighed, not taking the bait. Elves were just as vain as they were gorgeous. Any loss of beauty was a huge fault in their society. So, clearly, Surim could not lose her temper. It might be seen as unsightly.
The elves that were upset, or perhaps just extremely worried about the damage that had already been wreaked, glanced at each other. The first woman, who seemed to be in charge, waited patiently on Surim. Surim, noticing this, continued.
"The slime has not been destroyed. You'll need magic for that job, not a fist fight. It will eventually reform and find its way to another living thing to rage against. And when it does, Etsia will call me. She always does."
"And is this how fast you will react to her call?" Motioned the male, drawing Surim's eyes briefly to the destruction that was caused.
It was so much like elves to blame the people instead of the planet. It was something that Plei had always enjoyed about the elves, and she was more than happy to take the fall for the planet when it was Etsia's fault. But Surim had her suspicions at times. It was easy to blame people who were sworn to serve you. Blaming a planet that would turn around and kill you, however, was a bad move for any society.
"Hopefully, I won't need to. You know what to expect now. Your leaders, with your guidance, should be able to devise an appropriate plan to take care of the slime when next it comes, with the least amount of damage. I cannot fight all your battles."
"In fact, she is sworn not to." Said the leading elf with a quiet, but stern look at the male. He quieted down reluctantly.
"Thank you again." The woman said, turning to Surim. "Please do not hesitate to ask anything of us."
"I wouldn't dream of it." Surim said, and the two exchanged bows.
Surim left quickly. She needed to head to Mithred's capital, the city that could be seen not too far away. She followed the edge of the cliff, avoiding the area where the acid had oozed. The ground there was unsteady and likely to send Surim to quickly meet the pile of slime. Caution favored her well, and she reached the road leading up to the towering pillars of the capital in little time. Quietly, she blended into the crowds that were heading up from their fields and to their homes.
As the crowds thinned, the streets became thinner as well. Once, this place was only a little pile of shacks with a makeshift wall around it. Now there was no wall, and the town extended to the sides of the pillars. Some believed that this was dangerous, but others believed that as long as they made good with Etsia, she would never let the capital of Mithred fall. Surim maneuvered through the streets in the middle, her feet automatically taking her closer to the church of Etserum. With a few quick moves, she leapt onto the roofs, and watched over the people from there until dusk made the streets dark.
By the time Surim was almost convinced this capital city was safe and quiet, things were getting very late. She considered heading back to the church of Etserum and sleeping there, high in the rafters. One hop at a time, she made her way toward the towering structure, a symbol of wind from mixed cultures elevated high above the rest of the buildings.
Then there was a sharp scent in the air, and Surim froze, her form blending nicely with the shadows. All was still a moment before she heard the shouts. Louder and louder they became, until she was sure that if she just stood and watched, she would see what all the fuss was about.
"Thief!" Came the shout.
A moment later, the glass shattered from a high window, and out came the thief, wrapped in robes whose style Surim recognized. His face covered from the nose down and a small wrap on his head, Surim watched him leap over an enormous gap and onto a shingled roof. Almost without really touching the roofs, he ran off.
Surim leapt high to land next to the flustered holy man. A single look informed her he was an honest man, and his slightly heavy face quivered as he groaned. He jumped as she landed next to him, and in fact seemed more guilty than a moment before.
"I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I lost it!"
"What are you talking about?" Surim asked after waving a hand to silence him.
"The thief! He just ran off with the symbol of this church! The sacred artifact that gave the altar its holy light!"
It wasn't often that Surim got angry. However, a fire burned at her insides and her expression became dark, making the holy man shrink away with fright. She turned to view the small form of the thief leaping away, his robes fluttering in the winds.
"Stay here and put out the fires in the back." Surim ordered him. "I'll take care of the thief."
"Thank you. Wait- what fires?"
Surim jumped to the next building without answering. She wondered if the thief made the fires, too, in order to delay any pursuit. But the church was just a building of a man-made religion. It could burn down for all Surim cared. The people would just build it all over again.
Surim was easily faster than the thief. Surprise showed in his eyes as he glanced back to make sure he wasn't being tailed. Surim smirked. She wasn't letting him get away. With an extra effort, the thief tried to run faster, but she was still gaining on him, and with the ease that years and years of practice would bestow upon even the youngest runners. But he was approaching the cliffs quickly, and he wasn't slowing down. A bad feeling began to eat away at Surim's fire, and she pushed herself to go even faster. Still, she didn't catch up in time. He jumped, and Surim's heart leapt up to her mouth. Was her mother's necklace gone? Had Surim, in her mother's absence, allowed this precious symbol of Plei be taken by a lowly human?
With a rush of wind, the thief rose above the cliffs. The glowing blue form of a drake was around him, and Surim cursed. He had a drake umbra, and now he was using it to get away. Surim had never run so fast to get out of the city, trying to track his movements as he headed straight into the forest. But those with flight were always faster than people on two legs. Surim knew that from the Kor, whose kitesails were a favorite method of transportation for Plei.
Damn. She didn't care to give such a pathetic thief so much energy, but there was little choice in the matter. The girl made a small jump, and when she came down, she came down on four paws and was exceedingly quicker. In the darkness, no one could tell what exactly her form was. This was nice to know, since it was easier to blend in when nobody recognized her.
Into the forest she streaked, muscles rippling under a layer of fur. She was just as limber now as she had been in her two-legged form, but now she was a blur, quickly catching up to the man who was coasting on the winds above. As she ran, she saw opportunity and didn't hesitate to position herself right, running up the side of a fallen tree that let her jump above everything.
The thief was shocked when the beast jumped out before him. He desperately tried to backpedal, but Surim was too quick. Her magic took hold of him as it spread outward, and reaped him of the umbra which once surrounded and protected him. No longer with any form of support, he gave a shout of surprise as he pelted downward and crashed into the trees.
The animal landed quietly on the tree trunk again. It padded along, unhurried, and waited below the tree in which the thief struggled. She sighted his shoes and manner of clothing in this dim lighting, recognizing its origin, at least of plane. Patiently, she waited below, flicking her tail about. The man struggled and tried to rise, but the trees denied him ascension, pulling him down or barring his path. Then, with a gust of wind, a branch came about and threw the man down. Daring him to pull another trick, the animal stood above him as an ominous shadow, its fangs bared.
Panicked, the man was still for a moment, paralyzed by the concept that perhaps this beast would end his life. Thieves did not make good fighters, after all. But as the animal roared, as if to prompt him, he realized that his only chance of survival was to give up the item he had taken in the first place. Fumbling in the folds of his clothing, he finally found the shining object, a chain with a pendant hanging off it, a shield cut into five parts on the pendent. The beast took it with a swipe of its paw, claws outstretched.
Thinking himself free, the thief stood and turned to run, but found only a wall of elves before him. Looking around, he could just make out their forms everywhere. How had they gotten there so quietly?
"Let him pass." Said a voice, and the man turned to sight a girl in place of a beast. "But if I ever see you again, or catch you stealing things that aren't yours, next time I'll take something that belongs to you."
With that threat, the thief reactivated his umbra and flew off, no longer feeling safe enough to merely coast on the warm winds of the night. Below, the elves and Surim regarded each other quietly. Surim wondered why they were here.
"We need you to see something, Young Plei."
They took her to where they lived. It was beautiful, and Surim thought it ingenious to live with nature the way they did. But, gathered in the center of their homes was a group of people. They all seemed to be either in mourning or shock. They allowed Surim to step among them and see the body laying there, pretty as a picture, but with their eyes wide open.
"This one wasn't from the slime." A soldier clarified. "He came into the village, apart from his hunting group. Started going on about witches and ugly magics, and then died. The rest of the hunting party hasn't been seen, either."
Surim knelt nearer, getting a good look at the body. It definitely wasn't the slime. Everything seemed intact. There were traces of blue mana lingering on the body's chest, but Surim couldn't figure what its purpose had once been. Something else about the body seemed strange, though. Leaning closer, she caught sight of the elf's eyes. The pupil was a skull, and its teeth seemed to bleed over, giving the elf black tears.
Cards Used: Acidic Slime, Master Thief, Drake Umbra, Back to Nature, Deathmark
Shieb: Aha! The first chapter is up. I didn't introduce things quite as soon as I wanted to, so I'll give the story some direction in the next chapter, I promise. I am using the 60-card challenge again. And I say 'again' because I do have another Magic: The Gathering fanfiction. If you haven't read it, you might want to check it out. At least then you'll know about characters like Pleisorium.
What are your first thoughts?
