"Alright, I'm headed back now" A young woman with short, dark hair tucked behind her ear walked along the street. She was wearing a white tee with black stripes and simple jeans; talking in her cell. "Yeah, Yeah. I'll be fine. It's not that far. I walked here, didn't I?" She looks at the watch on her wrist. 16:45 It reads. "Don't worry, I'll be fine—Yeah. See you when I get home—Bye." Hanging up, she places the phone back into the same bag attached to her hip and continues to listen to music as she walks. She walks past all the buildings downtown and the many people going about their day. Turning down an alleyway to hopefully get some shade from the sun and glancing at the time on her watch, 16:52 it reads. She sighs, knowing it will take awhile to get back, even with all the shortcuts in the world. She pulls her phone out of her bag. Maybe I should get Jay to pick me up, even if I'm still mad at him. She continues to stare at her phone debating if she should text or even call him, only to be stopped by this blue glow.
"Hm?" She looks up from her phone and before her was a vortex. She steps back a bit, eyes widen in shock. She quickly dials a number into her phone and looks back up at the vortex, placing the phone to her ear. "Operator Rhea Langley, reporting an... anomaly? This anomaly is manifesting itself as a vortex? Blue in color with a slight breeze coming from it. I advise blocking off the alley way as this could be a threat to—Eh?" Rhea's feet began to skid across the ground as she was being sucked in, she turned and tried to get away. Her feet were pulled from under her and as she struck the ground she called out into her phone.
"Operator Langley, calling in an SOS—it's pulling me in—" She clawed at the ground trying to resist the pull but it was like the air itself was being sucked out from around her. "Please send help—" Before she could finish her call for help, she was pulled from the ground by the force of the vortex and sucked in. "Help! HELP!" Rhea watched as the world around her faded into nothingness, she closed her eyes tight. The familiar smells, sounds, and the strong summer sun all faded away, replaced with a rush of wind past her ears. Falling? She thought. I'm Falling?! She opened her eyes to the sight of a broken platform below her, she summoned a force field around herself to break her fall. Upon striking the platform, her field broke and she tumbled until she came to a stop.
~x~
Raising from the ground, she found herself in a scene so unreal. "Where—Where am I?" She spun around taking in her surroundings, all around was floating islands. Nothing like Earth. Even the sky, if you could call it that, was strange. Filled with what she could only guess was an Aurora, She looked around and spotted what she thought to be a sun, bright in color and fiery, surrounded by many rocky and jagged landforms. With many others surrounding those in what seemed to be a circular pattern. Many of them have what seems to be ruins, bits and pieces of archaic buildings. Spotting one on the island she was on, she slowly approached it to investigate.
Everything is so... desolate. She thought, inching closer to it. As she got closer she noticed the bit of the building could've been a part of something marginally bigger. Maybe a major place of meeting? Why would something like this be out here? She looked around, spotting scattered debris and ruins. Upon reaching the bit of the building,she stepped onto what remained of the floor. In front of her were two pieces joined together to form a corner, one of them being big enough to have a small arched window. As she walked across the floor, her sneakers crunched on the dirty and debris that lay about the floor. What could've happened to this place? Reaching out to the window, She traced her fingers along its edge. The frame was made of stone, smooth but not entirely smooth, the edges weren't even as well.
Suddenly, there was a thud and a pained grunt, followed by another thud and footsteps. Ducking down beside the window, she listened closely. From the sound of the steps she guessed that whatever or whoever was walking was getting closer. "Even with all your fears, you still couldn't beat me." The footsteps stopped short of the window. Fears? What does he mean by fears? Rhea thought, holding her breath. "You Elyos...All the same, arrogant pricks…" The spiritmaster slowly started to rise from the ground. Elyos? What is that? A Race? Rhea thought, slowly breathing out through a covered mouth. The Elyos walked over to the spiritmaster, placed his foot on her back and pushed her back down. "You're just begging for me to drive my greatsword through you, aren't you?" The Elyos spat at her with a grin.
Rhea slowly got up and peeked through the small stone window at them. Standing there about 5 feet away, was a man. He was clad in full heavy armor, sliver in color with a greatsword braced on his shoulder. Pinned under his foot was a woman in a dress decorated with feathers and maroon in color. "Now, tell me everything you know about what you furbacks have planned?" "I know nothing and even if I did wouldn't tell—AGH!" The Elyos stepped down harder on her. "I'll ask once more. Tell me everything." His grin now gone and his face serious. "I've told you! I know nothing!" Her eyes glowing red with anger. "Heh. If you truly know nothing then you're no use to me." His grin now returned as he withdrew his blade from his shoulder. The spiritmaster looked at him with fear in her eyes as he drew his blade high above her.
Rhea watched as he brought his blade down into the woman's back, piercing through her. Her eyes widened in shock and fear. "Screw...you… you sunrat. The spiritmaster spat at him as her body faded away. Rhea let out a breath, unable to control her breathing anymore. Stricken with fear, she felt as if she was frozen in place. It felt like time itself had stopped until he looked up at her. Their eyes locked, and they stared at each other for a bit. He smiled wide at her, he could see the fear in her face. "Oh, what do we have here? A spy?" He swung his greatsword over his shoulder and started walking towards the window. Rhea stumbled back from the window, falling back. She watched him disappear from the view of the window and listened as his steps slowly made its way to the edge of the wall. Rhea quickly pulled herself together and ran.
Once he had a glimpse of her running, he spread his wings and took flight after her. Why is she running? He thought, curious about this girl. He landed down a few steps in front of her. Without stopping, Rhea turned on her heel and ran away from him. He watched her closely before spreading his wings and taking flight once more. Rhea looked back but he was nowhere in sight. She stopped running to catch her breath, thinking she was safe, until she heard a familiar thud behind her. Looking over her shoulder she noticed him slowly walking up to her. Without a second thought, she resumed running until she reached the edge of the island she was on.
Looking over the edge, she could see another small island below her. She could hear him land behind her and she knew she had to act. She could either be caught by him and possibly killed or take the leap of faith. She summoned a force field around herself and jumped, it broke as she landed and she fell on her side. He looked down at her, she staggered to her feet, and looked up at him. Holding her side, she turned and kept going albeit, slower than a full run. "Hurt are we?" He flew down after her.
He pulled his greatsword down from his shoulder and cleaved her, knocking her back down. She grunted as she fell to her hands and knees. When she rose from the ground, she noticed that she couldn't move her feet. As she looked down at her feet as vines appeared around them, rooting her in place. "What the hell?" She breathed out. "Well, you certainly are fast but not fast enough" He approached her from the back. Rhea looked over her shoulder at him, still rooted to her spot. "Strange attire you have there. Is this some kind of Asmodian trickery?" "Leave me alone! Let me go!" Rhea called forth her energy to her hands, preparing to defend herself.
Emitting from her hands was an energy, violet in color, almost like mist. "Stay away! Stay away from me!" She yelled out. "I saw what you did to her!" "Then that should be all the more reason to tell me everything you know." He approached her. "I know nothing!" The vines that once bound her feet dissipated and she turned to face him, hands drawn up, ready to defend. "Be careful of what you say, girl. The last person to say that to me—Well you know what happened to that furback." "I don't know what you want but whatever it is, I don't have it." She watched get closer and closer to her. "I want information and nothings going to stop me from getting it" His eyes and voice were serious. "I don't know anything!" She took a step back. "Fine." He pulled his greatsword down from his shoulder.
"I'm warning you...Stay away from me!" She started backing away, hands still glowing with energy. "You're brave but stupid!" He charged at her. She formed her energy into a disc and launched it at him. He lifted his greatsword and blocked her attack. Upon landing it traveled down the blade, and into the hilt; giving it a strange purple glow. His eyes widened as he looked at his blade, the glow was mesmerizing. He could feel the energy coming from it. "What is this? Some strange new magic?" She seemed as if she expected it yet still looked slightly surprised. He launched a cleave at her and with it, a slash of energy shot out from the blade. Once again she summoned a force field to block it, however, the force of the empowered cleave was enough to break the field and even push her back; her feet sliding on the ground.
She shot an uneasy and shocked look at him. That shouldn't have happened… she thought. He looked up at her and smiled. "Seems like you're not immune to your own power." He launched another cleave at her and before she could summon another shield it landed on her, knocking her back. A sharp pain arose in her stomach as it hit her, taking her breath away. While gasping for air, she weakly began to summon another shield. "Awe, you were so brave before what happened?!" He charged at her. Struggling to put up a shield, she stepped down; sending out a wave of energy across the ground. Along the wave formed crystal-like constructs, blocking him off on all sides.
He spread his wings and took flight, flying over her border. She looked up at him in shock as he hovered over her. He plunged down on her and just in time she managed to summon a new shield over herself. Landing on her, his greatsword broke through the shield, cracking and making a hole in it. She released a shaky breath, the blade a few inches from her face. He pulled his blade from the ground and struck the shield again and again, cracking it more and more, eventually breaking it. She felt paralyzed; he grabbed her by her shirt and pulled her up from the ground. "I think you and your power will be a great resource to the Elyos." He pulled back a fist and struck her in the face, knocking her out.