Chapter 3 How the Cyclopes Lost their Eyes
Disclaimer: Columbia Tristar Owns it, not me.
The Teleopes' [A/N Teleops singular, Teleopes plural] Prime Minister listened with interest.
His people were known far and wide for their great vision. They could see almost anywhere on their own planet, and could also look far away to other planets, with their remarkable clairvoyance.
But the one thing that they could not see, that many had always longed to see, was the future.
Oh, they would have such power to do good! The Teleopes were a proud people who wished to bring peace and justice to the galaxy. They felt it their duty to correct other societies and to make them better. The chief Teleops was no exception. As the Prime Minister of the people, he felt the responsibility to make certain that they all did their best to improve the world. If they could see the future, then they could predict events and respond to them. Perhaps they could or perhaps they could not change the future they foresaw, but they could work to make the things better that they could foresee. And if the future was set in stone anyway, what difference would it make if they could see their destiny or not?
The Beast, as he called himself, had offered them a deal. If he could use his magic to remove an eye from all of the Teleopes, he would give them the ability to see the future. He had discovered the ability himself, but deciding that it was too powerful for him to trust himself with, offered to give it to the Teleopes in return for their eyes. The Teleops could tell that he would give them the power, as they could to some extent gauge the truthfulness of those they contacted.
The Prime Minister jumped at the chance. Soon he and three other representatives of the Teleopean people were at a ceremony where the Beast would do the deed.
Four of the Beast's warriors were there. Each one put a special salve on one Teleops' right eye. Then they thrust their weapons into the eyes. Back in Llormordia, a large eye appeared in the hand of the Beast. All over the Teleopes' planet, people's faces twisted in pain as their right eyes disappeared and their left eyes migrated to their foreheads.
The Beast put the Eye in his device, the one that would soon make his fortress, so that he and his armies would not need to travel in small, vulnerable spacecraft. Immediately he felt a surge of power, and discovered that he could see all over the planet of Llormordia. He could also see a great deal for other worlds, although the farther away they were, the less he could make out.
Back in the Teleopes' planet, every Teleops was having a vision. One that in the future they would all have every birthday. A vision of their own demise. The date and time they knew instinctively, and the circumstances played themselves out before their own eyes. One thing was promised them - if they resisted their fate, they might succeed, but their new fate would be even worse, and the day of their death could not change.
So the Beast had told the truth - but not the whole truth, and so they were deceived. Their powers did not encompass uncovering half-truths. And their new powers could not be taken away by any means they knew of.
Now they knew why the Beast had not taken this power upon himself. It was truly a frightful power.
The four representatives, in their rage at being cheated, attacked the Slayers and tore them apart with their bare hands. From that day on, every Teleops would vow to kill every Slayer they could find until one race or the other were gone.
And they changed the name of their race. They changed it to that of a mythical creature they had heard of, one with only one eye. They were no longer Teleopes.
They were Cyclopes.
To be continued...