Jace growled and tried to wriggle free as Chandra pinned him to the ground.
"Be still for half a moment," the redhead hissed angrily.
"Why?!" Jace snapped, "I know-" He stopped as she slid the ring into the indentation of the medallion. "What are you doing?!" He stared at it as a bright gold light flashed, blinding both of them. "Get off me!" He snapped once he could see again. He sat up and looked around. They were no longer in the dorm common room but in an unfamiliar citadel. He swallowed and hurried to his feet, "Great. Where are we?"
Both of them were looking around in shock. Suddenly the doors that appeared to be the entrance to the citadel flew open and Elspeth followed the vampire, Sorin Markov, into a large palace like structure. The inside was illuminated, not by lights, but by a dragon. The creature glowed with a soft pale blue light. Her eyes narrowed.
Sorin shrugged, "He wanted to see you. I'm just playing messenger."
"Elspeth Tirel."
Elspeth looked at the dragon calmly, "Yes?" Her voice was polite but nothing more.
"I asked Sorin to bring you here because I must ask something of you. You may be aware of this but a rival of mine-"
"If you do not wish to get to the point then I am wasting my time here," Elspeth said simply. Dokuri's wish echoed in her head. "Protect the rest of the multiverse. This world is lost but the multiverse still needs someone to watch over it."
"Very well," the dragon nodded, "I am Ugin. A rival of mine is gathering forces for a...power grab essentially."
"He's trying to take over the multiverse, establish himself as a god, and rule over every world currently present and all the ones to come," Elspeth assumed.
"You are assuming."
"Yes. But she also figured out exactly what you were saying faster than you wanted her to," Sorin smirked.
Ugin glanced at him but did not pay any more attention to his comment.
"What of it?" Elspeth asked. She assumed the dragon was asking for her assistance but she was not going to agree to an assumption.
Ugin's eyes narrowed, "You are quite the stubborn one, Angel."
"My name is Elspeth. Anything else will be ignored," Elspeth said forcefully.
Sorin whistled softly.
Ugin studied her silently for a moment, "Very well Elspeth. I would like to ask for your assistance. After all the goddess Dokuri gave you her power. You'd be an invaluable ally."
Elspeth paused for a moment, "I have terms of my assistance."
"Continue," Ugin prompted.
"Call me Elspeth," Elspeth held up her fingers to count the terms, "I will act as I see fit and no differently. As your ally I will be treated as an equal and not as a subordinate. Also I can add whatever terms I wish starting now to the time the coming conflict ends."
Ugin paused for a moment. He nodded slowly, "Very well. I agree."
Elspeth nodded.
Sorin whistled again. He followed her out of the hall. "Quite the forceful one aren't you...Elspeth."
Elspeth shrugged, "I have no need to explain myself to you."
"Of course not," Sorin nodded. He smirked as he watched Elspeth walk away. He glanced at Ugin, "You know you're the one that made her like this. Without your interference she might be a little more cooperative."
"Cooperative would be helpful but she is more helpful like this," Ugin said.
"Whatever you say," Sorin shook his head. And yet with the way you operate she will be enraged before long. However I do see her putting duty before personal preference. Therefore she will see this through to the end but no farther.
"Wait a...minute..." Jace looked around curiously. He wandered up to Elspeth and waved his hand in front of her face. He looked at Chandra.
"They can't see us," Chandra glanced at Ugin, "So that's what he looks like."
Jace followed her gaze, "He's huge." He stepped back until he didn't have to turn his head to such a painful angle to see the dragon in it's entirety. He looked at Chandra, "Is Bolas just as big?"
"I think he's bigger," she answered honestly.
"Bigger?!" Jace looked around, "It looks like…a paused movie."
"It does. Probably because we're not paying attention to it anymore," Chandra shrugged, "That's what Orriyon meant."
"Orriyon?" Jace glanced at her in confusion.
Chandra shook her head. She felt a deep sadness stab through her heart. Jace didn't remember Orriyon had even existed. She knew that was the fate Orriyon had always faced but it still hurt to know she was quite possibly the only one that remember the Oracle.
Jace shrugged and looked at Elspeth and Sorin again, "How old is Elspeth?"
"I have no idea," Chandra shook her head.
"I know Rick gave me a book that I have yet to read-"
"You haven't read it yet?"
"No. I had little context for it at the time," Jace snapped.
"So naturally you are giving yourself that context."
Jace nodded.
"Not there yet?" Chandra looked at him curiously.
Jace shook his head, "No." He turned back to the scene before them, "Let's see what happens when we start paying attention again."
Chandra turned her attention back to Sorin, Elspeth and Ugin.
The scene changed dizzyingly quickly. Everything swirled and changed around them. The images passing them by were blurred, one into another and the next. Finally everything stopped moving.
Jace shook his head, "That was unpleasant."
"I'm sure," Chandra sat down on the ground. They were still in the same citadel. The soaring arched ceiling and bare blue-white walls hadn't changed. Currently it was just Ugin. He appeared smaller than he had the last time and had a more humanoid appearance. He was sitting, reading a book. He looked up expectantly as Elspeth threw open the doors to the dragon's hall. Her eyes were narrowed with harsh cold anger, "What the hell were you thinking?"
"It had to be done Elspeth," Ugin said.
"I understand that but you took advantage of the Original girl's loyalty to create an incomplete being that would not turn against you," Elspeth hissed.
"This wouldn't have anything at all to do with the fact that she is the child of a close friend?" Sorin asked as he followed her in. He closed the doors with a shake of his head. "Who is now dead," he added after a moment.
Elspeth rounded on him, "Silence. Sorin."
He raised an eyebrow, "Very well."
"Elspeth. It is a small sacrifice in comparison to what-"
"Could happen. It is a small sacrifice in comparison to what could happen!" Elspeth snarled. She glared at Ugin, "The Esper will always know what she is and always know her inevitable fate. You knew that if you took just from the boy then she would become resentful and angry and eventually turn to Bolas' empty promises of salvation. That's why there are two Originals."
"I do understand why you're taking this so personally but wasn't it your choice to leave the three children in the care of someone who was extremely unqualified to look after magic wielders?" Sorin pointed out.
Elspeth snarled at him, "This has nothing to do with you."
"You're being illogical," Sorin shrugged.
Elspeth gritted her teeth, "I understand why you did what you did Ugin." She fixed him with an icy gaze, "From now on you will keep me informed of your choices yourself instead of allowing me to find out on my own."
"Of course."
Elspeth stalked out of the hall.
"She is becoming quite the handful," Sorin chuckled softly.
"She is an invaluable ally," Ugin insisted.
"I know. I know," Sorin shook his head, "You're on a steep slope Dragon." he left the hall. And falling. He added silently once the door closed behind him. He found Elspeth on Sun's Reprieve. The Esper girl was speaking with Gideon. His eyes narrowed. He looked at Elspeth, "Does the girl have a name?"
Elspeth shook her head, "Not yet."
"She looks more like you than she does her two Originals," Sorin commented.
"That is not important," Elspeth stated coldly.
"Who are their parents?" Sorin asked. He glanced at her, "And why leave them with her?"
"The woman they believe to be their mother is their cousin," Elspeth said.
"So you even had their memories manipulated?" Sorin asked in shock.
"For the middle child, yes," Elspeth nodded, "The younger one is too young to remember and the older one will be fine."
Sorin nodded, "Alright. That seems...sly for you, Elspeth."
She shrugged, "I understand why Ugin made the girl. It is advantageous to have an ally that can see the future. I'm most angry about founding out about it from her."
He glanced at her, "Is it difficult for you? To know about the loops and be unable to do anything about it?"
"Of course it is," Elspeth snapped.
"So which one's the youngest this time?" Sorin asked, "Since their ages seem to magically change every time."
"Jace," Elspeth said, "Vadanya is older and Jordyn is oldest."
"It seems only the younger two swap every so often."
"No. Jordyn has been younger than Vadanya on one occasion."
"You pay a lot of attention to them don't you?"
"Of course I do. It is after all my fault their mother is dead. The least I can do is watch over them."
"Then why does Jace continue to end up on the opposite side?" Sorin asked.
"Because some things are out of my control. Out of his control," Elspeth shrugged.
Sorin sighed, "Alright."
Suddenly a tremor shook the castle. The building floated in the air so it didn't normally experience tremors. Elspeth glanced out the window in time to see a pillar of flame rise from a nearby mountain range. She felt an odd tug in her stomach, making her feel almost sick
"What is going on?" Gideon stood next to Elspeth.
Elspeth's eyes narrowed, "I don't know." She hurried out the door and down to the ground. The mountain range wasn't far away. She vaguely knew of a city that was near the mountains but to get up to that part of the mountain would take all day. Elspeth lifted off into the air. Reaching the pillar of flame. As she got closer she could hear an almost feral scream of pain, shock and confusion. She landed outside a cavern. The flames were burning hot and blindingly bright. There were wisps of gold spread throughout the flames now that she was closer. A bright shining gold that surprised Elspeth. Usually gold marked a mage as a user of white mana. Yet there was fire. She entered the cave and saw a young girl, around the age of ten, wreathed in flames. These flames were different from mana created flames, hotter, brighter and more powerful. The girl was not consumed by the flames either. The mountain shook violently. Elspeth struggled to keep her footing. She managed not to fall but stumbled. She watched the girl's brown hair change, starting at the roots, to a flame colored red. Her green eyes faded into a bright orange.
Elspeth couldn't get close to the girl without being turned into a pile of ash, even with every protective enchantment she could cast. She growled. Dammit. Suddenly the flames died and the girl was gone. Elspeth hissed and entered the Blind Eternities. The girl left a trail, bright and easy to follow. She was extremely young and already dangerously powerful. After a few moments she lost the trail. Dammit.
"Well?" Sorin asked.
Elspeth shook her head, "A planeswalker spark ignition."
"That was an ignition?!" Gideon asked in shock.
"It nearly broke the world," Sorin was just as shocked, which was uncommon at best.
Elspeth shrugged, "It was an ignition…I think."
"What exactly happened?" the Esper asked.
Elspeth looked at her and sighed, "Well...the girl was on fire and her hair was originally a sandy kind of brown and her eyes were green. However after a few moments her hair turned red and her eyes turned orange."
The girl's eyes widened, "Seriously?"
Elspeth nodded, "Then she was gone. She left a trail in the Blind Eternities but I lost it after a while."
The girl started to laugh, "Really?!"
Elspeth nodded.
"What's so funny?" Gideon asked curiously.
She shook her head, "Nothing. I think...things are interesting now."
"Interesting how?" Sorin asked dryly.
"I don't know," she stated.
"Hey! One of us should take a look at the rift in the cave," A blond haired girl grinned.
"Chandra! You do it!"
"Huh?" The brown haired girl stared at her friends, "Hell no!"
"C'mon!"
"Yeah! We'll go with you!"
"I dare you," one of her friends' older brother said confidently, "I bet you won't."
Chandra's green eyes narrowed, "Fine. I'll do it." She turned towards the mountain they were climbing. The cave was still a little way up.
"We'll wait outside!" her blond friend smiled happily.
"Alright. Alright," Chandra rolled her eyes, "fine." Jeez. Why is Alecia's brother always like that? He makes me so mad. I mean It's just a rift but I don't want to go trekking into a cave that could have bears or worse, a dragon. I'm gonna die because of a dare! Chandra steeled herself as they drew ever closer to the cave. The mages of the city had identified the rift in the cave. According to their magical lore teacher the rift was a site of highly concentrated red mana. The kind of magic that gave fire and lightning mages their power. Of course, being a group of kids with little to no magical ability meant that the best they could do was study the lore and practices behind the magic that other people could practice. She sighed as jealousy twisted her stomach, not for the first time. She sighed and lowered her head. Maybe there isn't even a rift at all. I mean that would mean that their detection magic was wrong. If their magic was wrong then maybe it wouldn't be so...prized?
The group stopped in front of the cave. The crevice leading into it was small.
"Ah man. We won't be able to fit."
"I'll fit," Chandra was the smallest of the group and was able to slide into the crack in the stone. It was a difficult task to maneuver through it, into the cave itself. She sucked her stomach in and gritted her teeth as she continued.
"Looks like we'll have to stay outside, Chandra."
"Sorry!"
"It's-" Chandra growled. She had to speak slowly or risk breaking her concentration, "Fine." Finally she made it threw the entrance and into the cave. Inside the cave was extremely wide and warm. A small fire was rising from a crack on the far side of the cave. Chandra approached it curiously and stared at it. The flames danced of their own will. This was a different kind of fire than the ones that the fire mages created in their hands. These flames followed no one's commands. They did what they wanted, damn the consequences. Chandra sighed and got to her feet, "Well. I've seen it. It's just a bunch of flames that don't even have anything to burn."
Chandra.
Chandra paused and turned back to the flames curiously, "Are you...talking?"
Chandra.
Chandra knelt down in front of the flames curiously.
Chandra.
She leaned in closer to the flames. They were comfortably warm, almost welcoming. Isn't fire, especially ambient magical fire, supposed to be scorchingly hot? I wonder what'll happen if I touch it. She reached out her hand. The moment her fingers touched the flames, they roared to life. Power surged through her veins. Her eyes flew wide. The bright faded to a blinding flame colored orange. Her hair lit on fire. It didn't hurt but at the same time it felt like her body was being molded by someone like it was clay. Darkness crept in on the edges of her vision, eventually overtaking her completely.
"That's it?" Chandra asked, "I was a powerless nobody until I got suckered into doing something stupid because of a dare? Not cool."
Jace snickered, "That sounds like you."
"You shut it," Chandra snarled.
Jace smirked at her triumphantly, "At least you haven't changed much, if at all."
"Don't forget, you and I were bad guys once upon a time," Chandra reminded him.
"Oh," Jace stuck his tongue out, "Even so. You still have done very little growing as far as your basic personality goes."
"Shut up."
"No."
"I will slap pie into your face."
"What kind of pie?"
"Pecan."
Jace gagged.
Chandra smirked, "Thought so."
"Why pecan?" Jace asked.
"Cause it's great," Chandra muttered, forcing a grin.
"You're gross," Jace said in utter disgust.
"I was being sarcastic you little shit," Chandra snapped angrily.
"So?" Jace asked.
"Whatever. This might be important," Chandra turned her attention away from him.
"You were explosive. Do you still have this kind of power?" Jace asked curiously.
Chandra watched curiously, "Maybe." The previous version of her had no concept of self restraint and actually looked insane. Maybe all the sudden power got to my head. "Actually. I don't think I can do that."
"Oh?" Jace asked, "Why not?"
"I'm not insane. The power isn't new. It's something that I've had for however long the combined years of repetition is," Chandra shrugged, "I have no idea."
"Oh," Jace sighed and looked around, "That was your very very first ignition huh? It's different from a normal planeswalker though. How could you go from a powerless nobody to a planeswalker with the amount of power you have just because of a rift?"
"No clue," Chandra shrugged, "At least we'll be prepared for the spiny image change."
Jace shrugged, "Yeah."