Riz:
Hello mere humans. If you are a oldie, then don't worry about this; I'm just puting up the background of the fanfic. If it's your first time here, then this is some interesting facts about the fanfic and how I came up with it.
First of all, the fanfic is seperated into three parts, Act One, Two and Three. You'll know the change of Act by the title of the chapter, it'll be different. The first Act could be considered as a prolong, Act Two being the base for the fanfic. Act Three...Just something that I came up with.
Something else about this particular story; not everything is going to be explained exactly to you, some things you just have to presume, while others will be explained in the later chapters. Thing is with this fanfic, you have to be patient.
That's about it... I think... So, um, yea! One more thing, this chapter is not set anywhere in YYH's world. It's somewhere totally different, so just in case you are confused.
Chapter One: ...And as Luck Would Have It...
Booted steps bounced off the rough stone walls, the occasional sneeze here and cough there clearly audible in the deserted underground maze. The steps continued, turning and twisting through the darkened halls until they stopped short, the air now silent expect for the sound of breathing.
"Hey, can anyone else see the start of those lights over there?"
"I see them too. Are they traps?"
A short lull in the whispering conversation.
"Syra, check if there are any hidden traps with the activation of the lights, will you?"
A glow grew in the blackness, lines of silver laced blue dancing in an intricate pattern before blinking out. The silence grew longer, and then.
"Nope, nothing there. Normal Embedded lights, and still working by the looks of it."
A snort came out of the blindness.
"You better be right about this one. Ever since Veasniel nearly got cut in half the last time I've kept having nightmares about being chopped up by a hidden trap or something like that."
"Well it's not my fault no one bothered to point out the warning label right next to the steps."
The feminine voice retorted, one whose light ring chimed through the words. Someone sighed, the release of the long breath showing that this wasn't the first argument they had to endure.
"I'll go, I'll go. Anything to stop you two bickering."
Footsteps started once again, single hesitant movements that was broken by the random drip of water droplets. Now even the sound of breathing slowed; nothing else but the soft crunch of dirt underfoot.
Light burst into view, twin globes on opposite sides of the stone tunnel flaring into life, as if welcoming visitors that they have not seen in many a years. Stopping short, Veasniel turned round back onto his group, storm gray orbs glaring at two particular members.
"Now can we get going? I have a slight case of claustrophobia, if any of you have forgotten?"
Bouncing into the lightened passageway, a girl marched past him, tresses of soft teal swaying across her pale vision.
"See? I told you nothing was there! And did you believe me? Noooooo!"
And with that Syra stalked off, rouse in her wake more opaque globes of light hanging silently in the air. Two more followed her stead, a scholar looking fellow trying hard to stop laughing at the scene, while a lady of feline like grace supporting his shuddering frame.
"Really Lailos, if you had told us that you had such a severe case of the laughing epidemic we won't have dragged you along on this trip."
Her voice was serious, a strange contrast to the laughing eyes of shining emerald now focused back at the entrance of the tunnel.
"Come on, Zyril. We won't want to have you lost now could we? Especially since you are so concerned about our welfare."
Inky blue eyes narrowed dangerously, and for a moment the gracious man looked as if he was going to leave. But at the last moment Zyril followed, a childish sulk clear on his face.
"You talk. Try having dreams where you are ripped into mince by singing rabbits."
Up ahead, a bark of laughter exploded through the air. "Rabbits? Are you serious?"
Although distorted by the echoes, the light voice sounded extremely female.
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"Wow! Look at this place! If we came few hundred of years earlier, it would have been even greater!"
Wandering round the immense cavern, Lailos succeeded in finding not only some strange artifacts, but also awakening a few good thousands years worth of dust.
"Just look! Even the structure of this room is the infusion of two First Words! Everyone just look!"
The illusionist gestured round the intricately carved room in excitement, and realizing only too late that he was sending waves of blinding dust into the face of their group's healer. Chocking against this onslaught, Veasniel tried in futile attempts to clear away the dust.
"We would be able to see, if it wasn't for the fact that you are almost blinding us!"
Shaking her head at the childishness of the two, Syra strolled into the room, silver streaked Words forming and disappearing around her form as the girl put her Seeking powers to work.
"Hey Zyril, there's a weak patch here. Looks like the First Words are fading as we speak."
Hearing her call, Zyril cocked his head.
"Yea, I see what you mean. This place's defensive lines are weakening."
Twin blood ruby lines shimmered for a second in the air.
"The holes here are major! One wrong move and who knows what will happen. Don't touch anything here, people. The boundaries are way thin, and I don't know what that will do..."
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Roviel nodded at the warning, jaded eyes scanning the large room. Veasniel was there, still trying to clear his windpipe of dust. Syra and Zyril were working together, fixing any major breaks in the room's system. When not arguing, the two makes a great pair. Sighing, slim fingers ran through the copper flecked hair. If only they realize that point. Now where did that idiotic Lailos go? A movement to her right caught her attention, and she strolled over, one hand toying with the blue crystal at her neck.
"Just what is that thing? It looks like a book..."
Grunting at her comment, Lailos flicked through the crisp pages.
"Amazing really, this book. Look!"
The pages flew by, until it landed on one particular page.
"See the pictures? Do they look familiar to you?"
Squinting, Roviel sighed at the colored picture and the two lines of symbols underneath.
"Have you forgotten that I attended nearly no schooling when I was a child? But still..."
The towers does look familiar, the iron workings stark against the white sky.
"Is that... the 21st dimension?"
"Exactly! And look here!"
More pages flickered, the pictures changing from one to another.
"See? Anrax's right here. This one's of Ke'ket. And here's one of the Higher Plain. This book has within it all the worlds around us, ones that we have and have not found!"
His voice rose in excitement, and the glasses started to slip off his nose.
"You know what this means? This one book contains all the Roads ever created! Just look here, it's even got the codes. Now what does this one say?"
The illusionist started mumbling, frowning in concentration as he tried to decrypt the runes below one particular picture.
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Glancing with uneasiness over at the book and its holder, Veasniel tapped Syra's shoulder.
"If it is like Lailos has said, then shouldn't we stop him from reading aloud like that? Zyril himself said that the defensive barriers won't hold, and he's the defence expert out of all of us."
The pale gold eyes rolled as Syra snorted.
"Lailos might be stupid, but even someone with a brain of a Levantine should know not to infuse unknown codes with their power. Really, I seriously don't thin... OH SHIT!"
The rest happened in a blur. The page rippled, the picture jumped out of the page and into the air, hovering a moment before turning into a man-sized void, a void that's intend upon sucking Lailos into. The words "LAILOS YOU IDIOT!" floated through the air shrill with fear. Zyril was screaming something; crimson flares of Words dancing across his fingertips in desperation. The last thing Roviel remembers as she knocked the illusionist out of the way was the picture of the connecting world, a strange one with tall blocky buildings filling the air...