-
Multiverse Unlimited: Heirs of Ouroboros

Chapter 3 – A Celestial Audience

Written by Collin Davis

The majority of the sensation was unlike anything she could do justice in describing. It felt as though her body were being pulled, yet simultaneously remaining stationary. Like she were rapidly flying through the air, yet with her feet firmly on the ground. For a brief moment time and reality seemed to hold no meaning, and her senses could do little to define what she was experiencing, like someone born blind suddenly struggling to make sense of colors. But the lightheadedness and sinking pit in her stomach were feelings she could at least relate to, and were the only things that seemed to give her any sense of familiarity. Everything happened in an instant, though in her mind it felt so much longer than that. A more coherent world abruptly materialized around her, the shock of the transition so heavy that her vision blurred, and for a moment she felt as though she would vomit. She struggled to maintain her footing, and managed to prevent herself from falling over as her senses–and stomach–returned to normal.

As she looked around in awe and confusion, it was immediately apparent that she was no longer in the Whisper Place, nor anywhere else she recognized, for that matter. The alien surroundings appeared to be an expansive hallway, whose architecture was Gothic in nature. Towering archways and pillars of intricate design lined the immeasurable hall. Said constructs were a sapphire hue, and gave off a faint illumination, as did the blue tiles which comprised the floor. The tiles were translucent, though what was beneath was ill-defined, and seemed to drop off into black nothingness. In addition to the subtle glow put out by the pillars, archways, and floor, the area was dimly bathed in an ethereal light produced by a series of illuminated blue spheres set along a linear path, as if to make the walkway more evident in the otherwise disorienting environment. The luminous orbs remained stationary above translucent, blue pillars, where they levitated, motionless and seemingly not held in place by any worldly means, as there were several inches between them and their pillar bases, with no physical grounding to speak of. Overall the lighting was well enough to see comfortably, but lent itself to a peculiar and disorienting illusion that the dimensions of the room were unknown, as the light diminished the further it got, making it so that the ceiling and walls were engulfed in shadows and not at all visible from where she stood, as if the room could theoretically stretch on forever.

Glancing behind her, she failed to see the portal she had entered from. She then inspected the orb in her hand, noting that it appeared black, without the astrological appearance it had donned moments before. Alexia held her position momentarily, tense with apprehension. Beads of sweat still clung to her forehead from her mad dash to the Whisper Place, though there was a soothing coolness to the room which helped her recover from her exhaustion. Slowly she approached the pillar nearest to her, squinting her eyes from behind their lenses as she inspected the faintly glowing surface. Timidly she reached her left hand out and pressed her index and middle fingers against the surface. It was felt like cool marble to the touch, and glowed violet around her fingertips in response to the pressure. Her touch also produced another effect, sending out a series of ripples where her skin made contact with the surface, as though she had touched water, though the pillar remained as solid as stone. Her lips parting and her eyes widening in fascination, she pressed her entire palm against the surface, producing the same result on a greater scale, due to the larger contact area. Upon pulling her hand back, a violet imprint of it remained momentarily before gradually cooling back to its original sapphire hue at the outermost parts and closing in, fading entirely within a couple of seconds.

She glanced back over her shoulder, then in the opposite direction, to where the archways and orb pillars defined the primary walkway of the hall. The shadowy effect made it so that she couldn't tell what was at the end in either direction, so she couldn't begin to guess which way to head. Wherever she had found herself, thanks to the smooth stone she still clasped in her right hand, it seemed as though her pursuer hadn't been able to follow after her; if he had even managed to get out of his hostile encounter with Gilde intact, which seemed questionable, given the cranky educator's potent capabilities. Nevertheless, if Gilde had felt confident in the situation, he wouldn't have commanded her to escape, much less escape into a mysterious portal which led to... wherever she had found herself. There were so many questions she needed answered, her head reeling at the rapid succession of events which led to her standing in some otherworldly structure.
"Hello?" Her voice resonated in an echo which seemed to carry on into eternity, adding to the already prevalent dream-like quality.
"Ah, Ms. Light." A calm, sophisticated voice called back to her. It wasn't any voice she recognized, though its owner seemed aware of her identity.
She watched intently as the form of a man came into view from beneath one of the archways. He was light-skinned, and immaculately dressed, with a black fedora and a matching cape. He held something, draped across his upper left arm, which looked like some sort of robe. His light gray eyes locked with hers, and he removed his fedora with his free arm and offered a humble bow before erecting his posture and returning his headwear to its rightful place atop his head of brown hair. He was familiar to her, though only in an off-handed way. She had seen him around the university in the past, as he had come now and again to meet with the dean, her father. Other than some unknown association with her dad, she knew absolutely nothing about the man; not even his name or affiliation. Her brain and her mouth fought in a fruitless contest against one another as she struggled with just what to ask first.

"My name is Emilius Hearth," he started, seeming to understand her dilemma over her new found mental stimulation overload. "and I would like to assure you that you are free from danger and are amongst allies here. I am certain you have numerous questions before your confusion and curiosity may be properly satiated, and I trust the answers shall become clear before long. Though I am but a humble servant, and thus I shall leave such explanations to the rightful issuers of such information; my superiors, the residing lords of this estate." His voice was distinguished and comforting, and for what it was worth she believed him when he assured her that she was safe from harm. Gilde wouldn't have sent her to any place which would be dangerous. He was certainly strict and sometimes even hurtful with his words, though she never doubted that he only did what he thought best for her and the school.

"My name is Alexia Light." She introduced herself timidly.
"Indeed it is." He responded with a pleasant smile, and she recalled that he had called her by name upon making himself known, thus rendering her redundant introduction awkward. His knowledge of her seemed logical if he had dealings with her father, even though the two had never been formally introduced until then.

As Hearth slowly approached her where she stood, she noticed that each step his took resulted in an accompanying ripple, not unlike when she had touched the pillar. He did not leave violet footprints in his wake, however, perhaps due to the lack of body heat, which would be insulated by his shoes, polished to a high shine. Upon closing the gap between them he presented her with the item he held draped over his left arm. Alexia glanced at the white robe for a moment before hesitantly taking it.
"We shall shortly be convening with others for something of a formal assembly. Though standard clothing is quite acceptable for the occasion, I imagine your circumstances did not afford you the luxury of changing into attire you would typically wear in a public setting, and that you might appreciate an additional garment." He commented with a small smile. Her face flushed a light shade of red at the remembrance of her sleep attire, and she placed the robe over her form then and there. It was a simple, white robe with a blue hem and lining, though it was remarkably warm and comfortable against her skin.
"Thank you." She responded in a quiet, though genuinely gracious, tone of voice.

His smile widened and he gave her a nod of acknowledgement before turning away, toward the direction he had come from.
"This way, Ms. Light." And with that he started down the ethereal hallway, assuming she would follow. She didn't disappoint, and stuck close behind him as he led her, her own feet leaving violet footprints and ripples which vanished seconds later. Upon passing beneath the archway he had come from, she noted that ripples of pale, blue light seemed to follow alongside them in the more narrow passageway, whose walls could be seen. Whether it was a trick of lighting or something more wasn't clear to her, though her fascination was held with each new sight they came across. A short while later they exited the narrow hallway into a large, spherical room with a dome-shaped ceiling, whose surface looked cut like a gemstone, one of the luminous spheres she had earlier seen in the large hallway suspended by no physical means just below its center in order to provide suitable light. The walls, which looked to be made of white marble with swirls of luminescent blue, featured breathtaking, intricate patterns carved into their surface, as well as arched indents every few feet. Within said indents were statues of either a man or a woman, one to a display, crafted from the same marble-like substance as the walls. The life-sized replicas were clearly figures of esteem, though none of them bore resemblances to any entity she recognized. Seemingly at a dead end, the room had no visible outlet other than the way they had entered from, which suggested to her that they had arrived at their destination.

An array of inanimate forms notwithstanding, there were also a pair of living, breathing figures present within the circular room. Leaning against a solid portion of the wall was a raven-haired woman, her arms and the portions of her upper body, below the neck, which were visible marked by black tattoos. She struck Alexia and being remarkably beautiful, her chestnut eyes scanning her and Hearth as they entered. The other individual, who stood several feet from the woman, more toward the center of the room, was a being unlike any she had laid eyes upon before; a humanoid fox whose gray fur held such a luster that it almost seemed as though he were coated in some metallic substance. His emerald eyes watched their entrance with curiosity, and seemed gentler than the woman's, despite her more familiar shape. Alexia wondered if they were the lords Hearth had spoken of, though she was quick to note that their attire hardly seemed... lordly. The woman wore a brown tunic, dark green cargo pants, and black combat boots, and the fox-like man wore a black jacket, with a black vest worn underneath, dark brown pants, and black jump boots. He also had something strapped to his back, which looked to her like a sheathed spear, though the fact that he was armed did little to ease her nervousness

"Oh, hey! Wow! This must be the last one we were waiting on! Splendid!" An enthusiastic voice suddenly caught her off guard. Mildly startled, she turned to see a humanoid duck looking back at her, his prominent, yellow beak parting as he spoke. She hadn't noticed him upon entering, and his proximity suggested that he had been standing beside the entryway, thus how she had initially missed him, as her attention had been drawn to the two in front of her, who were immediately visible.
"I, um... h-hello." She greeted him as he inspected her, looking her up and down as though she were one of the most interesting things he had ever seen. She'd have been lying if she were to say the feeling wasn't mutual, as she had never encountered a being as unusual-looking as the remarkable duck and human hybrid which stood before her. Even though Hearth suggested she would soon find answers to her questions, she instead had more and more questions piling up with each passing minute.
"Indeed." Hearth replied to the excited ave, offering him a nod before turning toward the fox and woman. "I apologize for keeping you waiting. Our newest arrival was a most... spontaneous addition, if I may be perfectly honest. Though now that she has joined us, if you would all excuse me, I shall inform my superiors that we are gathered and prepared to proceed." His words confirmed what she had suspected: that those assembled were not the superiors he had mentioned, and that they were likely visitors, like herself. With a final bow, the mysterious vassal moved away from her and the mallard, past the metallic-furred fox and attractive woman, and toward the wall opposite of where they had entered. It seemed as though his course would lead him to walk into said wall, though as he approached, a section of the solid matter between two statue displays flashed pale blue, became transparent, then disappeared entirely. Beyond the newly formed opening was a pitch black void, though he continued to walk confidently forward without slowing his step. Before Hearth a step then formed out of the darkness, transparent blue, like the tiles. They continued to form with each footfall, materializing to meet his steps and forming a stairway as he ascended. As was traditional with the other flooring, wateresque ripples accompanied his every step. After climbing a ways he vanished from sight, seeming to melt into the void.

"Unbelievable! Spontaneous physical deconstruction and manifestation of matter!" The excited voice of the duck announced once Hearth had left their sight. He quickly darted over to the stairway, crouching down and inspecting it before removing a small, tan-bound notebook, which looked worn with heavy use, and a black fountain pen from one of his shirt pockets. The pen became a blur, its owner rapidly scribbling notes, alternating between inspecting the stairs and inspecting what he was jotting down. Alexia hardly noticed that her mouth was agape, her eyes wide, as she watched him with a fascination all her own. She almost couldn't believe that she were awake and coherent, though she knew that everything was far too vivid to be a dream or hallucination. The chances that she were still asleep in her own, sane dorm room bed were farfetched.
She could feel eyes upon her, and she turned back in the direction of the black-haired woman, who still stood against the wall, her arms folded over her chest and her pretty, brown eyes looking into hers. The stoic expression upon her face was unreadable, and made her feel nervous and self-aware. Alexia decided to break the silence with more than merely the scribbling of the duck's pen and the occasional turning of pages.

"So... do any of you know why we're here?" She spoke up in a small voice just loud enough so that the others could hear her.
It was the vulpine male who responded. "It was my understanding that we're candidates for some type of task force." His voice was appealing to her, being neither too deep nor too high-pitched. His answer, meanwhile, only served to further her bafflement. "Is that not why you were called here?" he added with a touch of confusion of his own.
She shook her head. "I don't even know where 'here' is, to be truthful."
"None of us know where we are. We were all but blindfolded and led through unknown portals to wind up here. This whole thing is incredibly vague, to say the least." The woman answered. Her voice was, unsurprisingly, as attractive as the rest of her. The edge to it made it mildly intimidating, and she seemed as though she were skeptical of the situation, and on guard and ready to act at a moment's notice if things turned in a direction she didn't care for.
Unsure of how to respond, Alexia was thankful that the fox, evidently keen to the tension, spoke up in an effort to alleviate it.
"I'm Mercury, from Evergreen," he paused before continuing. "though... that's a region you wouldn't be familiar with from your world, I imagine?" The way his sentence, which was structured into a question-like delivery despite not technically being a question, awkwardly rolled off his tongue clued her in to the fact that the notion of other worlds was a completely alien concept to him, no pun intended.

While she was aware of the existence of other worlds, she was also all too aware that connectivity between said worlds was effectively cut-off when she was still a young girl. She barely remembered much about it, and most of the information she knew she gleamed second-hand from textbooks and the Internet. She had never left her native world as a child, and by the time she had become a young adult the phenomenon of dimensionally connected worlds, which had been collectively known as Multiverse Unlimited, or MU for short, had ceased to exist. So far as she knew it hadn't been possible to pass between universes in over a decade. Immediately the thought entered her mind: Am I even on my own planet right now? The otherworldly architect certainly stood as solid evidence that she was further from home than she initially realized, as such structures didn't exist on the world she was reared upon. At least, not so far as she knew.

"I'm Alexia. I'm a first-year student at Zenjira University. A mage-in-training." She paused in light of the puzzled expression upon his face. "...which is probably not a thing on your world. Sorry. I'm really not used to this."
"A mage-in-training? Most fascinating! So then are you capable of producing 'magicks?' Not that I believe in such a notion as magick, persay! After all, that which could be deemed 'magick' is merely a force which science cannot fully explain yet, hm? The mere merit of its existence proves it to be something tangible! Why–Oh, do forgive me. I am Declan Mustarin, a dedicated seeker of truth and pursuer of scientific innovation and discovery, hailing from the very same Evergreen as my friend and associate, Mercury." The duck, whom had approached her unnoticed upon finishing his observation of the stairs, introduced himself after rambling briefly prior to correcting himself.
"There definitely aren't such things as magick schools where I come from, so despite both of us appearing human, it would seem as though we're still from different worlds." The black-haired woman spoke next, her eyes staring off in thought. After a moment her eyes reunited with Alexia's. "Lucy." She bluntly introduced herself.
Mercury's initiation proved fruitful, and with names applied to the faces of previous strangers, Alexia did feel a bit more comfortable. It also did wonders to calm her nerves to know that these three others didn't have much more information than she did. Though she barely knew them, the feeling that she now found herself in a group to make the discoveries which were to follow, rather than as a lonely stranger in a strange land, made the prospect more bearable.
"I can perform some basic spells, though I'm still an amateur, at best." She answered Mustarin, who was quite elated over her response, as though she had just told her he had won some great award. He eagerly flipped his notebook open to a clean page and scribbled something down. "I should very much enjoy a long, scientific discussion with you once you've concluded your meeting, if you don't oppose to the notion!"
"I don't mind, so long as you don't mind that I'm pretty much a noob at my vocation. I am nearly done with my first year, but... you know."
Mustarin, looking confused, scratched the side of his head with the back of his pen. "'Noob?' Is that a magick-oriented term? Do you spell it n-e-w-b, n-o-o-b, or n-u-b-e?" He questioned, the tip of his pen moving down to a readied posture just above the page, awaiting a response so that he could accurately take down the note. Lucy grinned and giggled softly before catching herself and swiftly resuming her cautious, stoic demeanor. Lucy's reaction dissolved Alexia's composure, and she giggled, as well. Mustarin and Mercury both looked confused, clearly left out of the loop of whatever joke the two female humans had shared.

"Ahem."
Everyone's gaze lifted up the stairs, to where Hearth had reappeared.
"Mr. Mercury, Ms. Lucy, Ms. Light, if you would all please come this way, my superiors shall see you now. Mr. Mustarin, if you would be so kind as to remain here during this private meeting, I shall reunite you with your friend in due time."
Mustarin looked deflated by his denied access into the audience room, though he accepted the request with mature, if not disappointed, understanding. Alexia wondered why Mercury's avian friend was there, if not to meet with the same people the rest of them were. Her mind also mulled over why she were special enough to warrant partaking in the meeting if he was not.

Approaching Mercury, the mallard gave his friend a firm pat on the shoulder. "I shall wait for your return with bated breath." He then leaned in closer, raising a hand to the side of his beak to help muffle his whispered follow-up statement. "And give me all of the details you're permitted to divulge."
Mercury smiled, nodded in silent response, and moved past his friend as he made his way to the stairs, followed by Lucy, with Alexia herself forming the caboose to the unusual train of people.

Silence held the tongues of all during their ascension, with the realization that they were to finally understand the purpose of their mutual attendance. The stairs stretched upward and outward across seemingly empty space, darkness spanning infinitely in every which direction. Every few steps they traversed, at set intervals, a set of luminous spheres materialized out of thin air to shed light upon their path, each floating in empty space symmetrical of one another at opposite sides of the stairway. A sinking feeling filled Alexia's gut as she peered over the side, her imagination entertaining the wonderment of what would happen to her if she were to tumble over the edge, into the nothingness. At the top of the stairs stood a large set of double doors surrounded by the same style of archway as those in the main hall. The doors themselves were royal blue, and streams of sea-green wafted upon their surface, like the surface of water. Round, black studs outlined each door, and onyx knockers, which seemed to also act as door handles, hung side by side, one per door. Beyond the door was absolutely nothing; simply more of the pitch black emptiness as everywhere else. It appeared as though it were connected to nothing other than the stairs, and simply floated in the nothingness. Upon reaching it, Hearth raised a gloved hands, and both doors simultaneously opened without being touched, revealing a room on the other side despite the fact that there was seemingly nothing behind it while they were closed. Being the last in line, Alexia was naturally the last to enter. She held her breath as she stepped through the official-looking double-doors, into a room which was even more wondrous than any others she had seen thus far.

Rather than an empty, black void all around them, the four of them stood upon a sizable platform comprised of the tiles found elsewhere in the estate, which itself was suspended over an ocean of stars, as though they were in the heavens themselves. Constellations and swirling galaxies surrounded them, appearing at once close enough to reach out and touch, yet unfathomably far away. Flanking either side of them were a series of panels, seemingly portions of a mock wall, formed of the material she had observed in the room they had waited in. Set into each panel was a stained glass window, each depicting a scene consisting of different individuals. Not unlike the earlier statues, the identities of those portrayed escaped Alexia, though the beauty and value of the craftsmanship did not. The windows warmly glowed as though backlit, despite no matching light source being evident behind them. Each partial panel of wall was connected neither to the platform, nor anything else, much like the stairs and door, the glorious nightscape unbound beyond them. Across from the door they had entered, at the opposite end of the platform they occupied, another series of translucent stairs led still upward, to a second, smaller platform at the top. She imagined that was where those they were meeting with would make their appearance. All but Hearth, who was likely used to the spectacle, looked around in awe, eyes wide. The grand scope of their surroundings made her feel very small when all was said and done; smaller than she had felt even while confined to her own world. Even in her most self-indulgent of daydreams her mind could never mentally conceive a room so beautiful or grand, if it could even be considered a room.

"May I humbly introduce," Hearth, at the base of the stairs and to the far left of them, extended an arm upward to summon the attention of the three assembled at the bottom.

"Lord Alexander Light," as if from nowhere the silhouette of a man materialized at the top left of the upper platform, gradually turning from a black shape to a fully visible man within a couple of fleeting seconds. He stood 5' 10", was fair-skinned, and had a slender physique which was of an ideal weight. He appeared to be no older than his mid thirties, but those who knew him well enough held the knowledge that he was nearly two decades older than that. His blonde hair was short and well kempt. Familiar, calm, caring sky blue eyes full of intelligence peered down at those gathered below from behind a pair of silver-rimmed spectacles. Modestly handsome even in his older years he looked like someone who could set young girl's hearts aflutter in his youth. His complexion was free of blemishes or wrinkles, and he was clean-shaven to a seemingly impossible level of smoothness. He was adorned in a pristine, white uniform with gold and black decals, the likes of which looked like one worn by someone of very high esteem. The craftsmanship of his attire was breathtaking, and looked as though it had been woven on some heavenly loom by the hands of a higher entity. The uniform even emitted its own inherent glow, further emphasizing the overall awe it evoked.

Alexia felt as though the wind had been forcibly expelled from her lungs, her body tensing when he appeared before them. Her face did absolutely nothing to conceal the fact that she not only knew him, but that he was quite possibly the last person she expected to see standing where he was. He held her in his gaze monetarily before he looked to the other two, his expression difficult to discern.

"Lord Gideon Frost," the next to appear was a form which surprised Mercury and Lucy, though did not surprise Alexia even half as much as the first revelation, despite the second lord's decidedly unique appearance. Gideon was bestial, though unlike Mercury or Mustarin, he was not a humanoid with animal-like qualities, but appeared to be bonafide animal. He was a medium-large wolf covered in fur which was navy blue with black highlights, his undercarriage as white as freshly fallen snow. His fur was long and spiked in certain places, his coat silky, with a healthy sheen which couldn't match Mercury's, but which looked clean, soft, and luxurious enough in its own right. He was a stunning-looking creature, though his golden eyes and posture revealed humanoid level intelligence. Given the nature of his form, he was devoid of any clothing. He sat upright upon the platform to Alexander's left, though the right of those facing them. His broad paws, with black nails, were laid out upon the tile before him, his posture straight and dignified despite his bestial appearance. He remained so still that he almost seemed a statue, the only evidence that he was a living thing being the subtle heaving of his chest with each breath.

"And Lady Beatrix Starcall." The rightmost empty space of the platform, to Gideon's left, the far right to the three candidates, was the next to be occupied, and given the conclusive nature of Hearth's introduction, the last. The form a lovely, 5' 6" woman materialized. Visually, she seemed as though she were in her twenties. Her skin tone was light, delicate-looking and attractively smooth. Her lips were naturally dark pink, and equally alluring. Her physique was fit and slender, and hinted at its shapely nature even beneath attire. Her waist-length, wavy hair was primarily purple, though it was accented by light blue streaks. Her bangs covered her forehead, the longest lock of which was entirely light blue. Her eyes, crowned by purple eyebrows, were primarily purple, with glitter-like speckles of light blue within them which lightly sparkled depending on how the light caught them. The fingernails of her slender hands, which were neatly placed over one another in front of her, were adorned each with a different color, and if both of her hands were to be held side-by-side, the color palette would match that of the primary colors, each individual fingernail representing a hue of the rainbow. Her uniform was of similar design to Alexander's, though hers was a gown more fitting of her feminine disposition, and in place of white the primary color for her uniform was dark magenta. Her clothing also produced an ethereal luster. Situated upon her left shoulder was a green preying mantis, though Alexia hadn't even noticed it, being as small as it was, until Beatrix rose her left hand after Hearth's introduction, motioning toward the emerald insect.

"And Sir Kerwry, too." She added with a pleasant smile. As if in response, the mantis waved its tiny, sickle-like front appendages about. It seemed as though it had reacted to her introduction, rather than at random. And taking all of the weird goings on into account, that wouldn't come as any surprise to Alexia by that point.

"Alexander, Beatrix, and myself are collectively known as Overseers. Given the events which transpired previously within the multiverse, we were appointed by higher powers to monitor the various universes which comprised those known to exist within Multiverse Unlimited." The deep, commanding voice, though with a hint of noble silkiness, originated from Gideon, though his mouth never moved, no did any other part of him as he remained motionless. He didn't even blink during his introductory speech. And though his voice was audible to them, the fact that his mouth never so much as twitched suggested that he communicated through some other means, possibly even through psychic projection. "I understand that you are unfamiliar with the multiverse, Mercury, having learned of it only as you were invited to join us here. If you take interest in our forthcoming proposal, we shall better elaborate upon the intricacies and implications of this interstellar union. Even if you do not, I am confident that your world will soon be enlightened, as it has now become part of Multiverse Unlimited.
Alexia; Lucy, you are at least familiar with the multiverse through records and hearsay. Though none of you know the truth behind the formation nor collapse of connectivity of the multiverse."

"You may be wondering why Overseers would be necessary if Multiverse Unlimited ceased to exist once the dimensional portals sealed twelve years ago. You may also be wondering how we come and go, or monitor other worlds which are sealed. Well, to tell you the truth, very limited connectivity existed before MU, and trace amounts still remained after. A few cracks in the proverbial wall, so to speak." Beatrix continued, abbreviating Multiverse Unlimited and sounding it out as 'mew.'

"Multiverse Unlimited was formed seemingly by accident, though truthfully by ominous means. As the temporal imbalance intensified, the multiverse threatened to collapse in upon itself, which would have ended all life across all worlds." Alexander continued. Though the trio traded time in the explanation, their dialog flowed naturally. It didn't seem as though any of what they were saying were rehearsed, but that the three spent so much time with one another that it came naturally to them. Alexia didn't doubt that this wolf and enigmatic woman spent more time with her dad over the years than she had. Hell, maybe even Sir Kerwry the shoulder mantis knew him better than she did by that point. Given the emotional impact of his appearance and the gravity of what he and his colleagues were saying, she was overwhelmed beyond the capacity for a rational reaction all over again.

"The crisis was averted in the end, as you likely guessed, seeing as we're all alive and exist. Though with the correction, the dimensional walls which normally separate worlds were restored. As a result, it was no longer possible for most worlds to interact with one another, save for very rare cases, such as ourselves and a few select others." Beatrix continued.

"As you have all probably guessed by now, given even minimal information provided to you up to this point, the fact that Multiverse Unlimited is once again coming into being is cause for concern. Multiverse Unlimited was not created by any mere accident last time... nor can it be this time. Someone, or some organization, has somehow managed to re-establish the portals between worlds. Even new worlds, such as your own, Mercury, are being dragged into the mix where they were absent during the multiverse's original run." Gideon continued, looking squarely at Mercury upon mentioning him, then blinking afterward. It was the first time Alexia had seen him move, and somehow despite all the goings on, her curious, space-case nature was satisfied by the trivial observation. "Unlike before, thankfully the multiverse this time is stabilized; at least for the time being. It is not threatening to expand to a degree in which it collapses in upon itself, like the previous iteration. Whatever force is causing this stir of events is extremely well coordinated and competent. To not only reopen the portals, but to have the control to stabilize them, would take a power well beyond the scope of mere mortals to pull off."

"Normally we would be able to see those responsible. However, the responsible party are masked to us. This is also a troubling sign, because for someone, or a group of someones, to conceal themselves from our bestowed gift of clairvoyance would require them to be aware of our existence in the first place." Alexander then took a turn to speak, though he seemed to avoid looking directly at his daughter. She definitely noticed. "This all seems to be intricately planned out. And thus this leads to why you have been assembled here. For security reasons, given the information held within our consciousness, we cannot directly investigate this matter. There are numerous means, across multiple worlds, to gather private thoughts, be it extracted via technology or psychic capabilities. Given all that we are privy to knowing, acquisition of the information we possess by a potential threat could prove even more damaging to the collective stability of the multiverse than what is already in play."

"And that, folks, is why you're all here." Beatrix then spoke out. "We need envoys to act on our behalf and investigate the cause of MU's reappearance. Naturally, a checklist of qualities are essential for someone to be considered a candidate for such a delicate, covert, and, let's not sugar-coat it, dangerous operation. We want you all to understand that you're here, out of countless trillions of people spanning who can even say how many worlds, due to very careful consideration. Each of the three of you possess ideal qualities, and we are confident that all of you have what it takes to successfully complete this objective and ensure the safety of the multiverse. Not to hype it up, but isn't it all so exciting?" She smiled and tilted her head to her right. Kerwry seemed to glance over at her, then back down at those below, though his precise actions were difficult to make out, given both his diminutive size and reasonable distance from the candidates.

Alexia was stunned. Was her presence a mistake, then? What qualities could she possibly possess to cause her to stand out? And then a painful possibility made a stinging insertion into her heart: obviously, she wasn't special at all. Her father was one of the Overseers, and thus she was there by privilege, rather than talent. The same way she was readily accepted into Zenjira University. Her face sunk, and she looked down at the floor, glancing through its see-through surface to the stars underfoot.

"As Beatrix says, you would not be here if we did not collectively hold you in high esteem. That having been said, we cannot expand upon any information presented thus far without your acceptance of the position. Nor would we expect any of you to accept the position given the cards which have been dealt thus far. We have given that information which should explain the basics of why you are here. We shall now hear your inquiries and, if you have any interest in enlisting after our meeting here, we will then begin a series of personal, one-on-one interviews where we can discuss potential private matters, as well as discuss the terms of your enlistment, as we do not ask of any of you to perform such tasks for free." Gideon ended the opening speech, just as he had began it. The three then waited to answer any questions they were able to.

It was Mercury who stepped forward first. "If the wool has been pulled over your eyes, as you say, then how can we be expected to find information that even those in your positions can't? As you all know, this has been my introduction to Multiverse Unlimited; both the original and the one which only just formed. I know nothing about any of these worlds outside of my own, so how can I be expected to scour 'who can even say how many worlds' to uncover the culprit?"

"A good question!" Beatrix chirpily responded. "We have some leads, though nothing really conclusive. We can help you narrow down your searches, at the very least. Also, without getting too technical, sometimes in masking themselves, those who wish to go unseen may draw attention solely by the fact that it's an area which can't be seen. Well, let me put it this way; if there were a series of five windows, and four you could see out of, yet one had the blinds drawn, well... you wouldn't be able to see what was beyond the covered window pane, but the fact that it was covered, while the others weren't, may catch your attention."

"I'd heard that toward the end of Multiverse Unlimited, a United Worlds organization was formed, and that they established a division of intergovernmental Interstellar Agents specifically for keeping the peace on a multiverse-wide scale." Lucy then spoke out. "Intergalactic police with nearly unlimited jurisdiction, if I'm not mistaken. Why not have the UW and their INTERAGE lackeys handle this? Why you? Why us?" Her words were demanding, as though the Overseers were on trial. Alexia could never have said something so forceful in the given situation. Though they only just met, she was already starting to admire the tattooed woman's evident strength.

"You are correct." Alexander started to respond. "The United Worlds organization was formed shortly before the portals were sealed. Though this newest iteration of Multiverse Unlimited is still in its infancy, with many worlds not even aware it is happening yet, enough attention has been drawn that, even as we speak, the organization is reassembling itself, as well as enlisting new INTERAGE officers. However, such groups are a government affair. As mentioned, we are the representatives of a higher power. INTERAGE possess nearly unlimited jurisdiction; but there are limitations, and in the end they are bound by political decisions and rules set into place. For us to operate as we must, we require full jurisdiction, and try to free ourselves as much as possible from government implications and red tape.
Most of the UW council members are aware of our existence, unofficially and strictly off any records, and select information is shared, though we remain independent." He paused, raising a hand to his chin and cradling it thoughtfully, as if wondering whether or not he should continue.
"This also returns me to something I brought up earlier. For the responsible cause to veil themselves from us, they would have to be aware of our existence. Very, very few know of the existence of Overseers... and the UW are among that brief list. At this time we cannot rule out the possibility of one, or more, corrupted council members having a hand in this. By extension, we cannot safely involve INTERAGE, or other similar interstellar task forces." He ultimately admitted, after giving it careful consideration.

"If the information you all hold is so vital," Mercury again addressed the Overseers. "How safe and secure is it here, particularly if the enemy know who, and what, you are? Is your very existence, and the existence of this place, an endangerment to us all?"

"Where we find ourselves now is the Edda Cathedral. It is located within a space-time paradox known as the Aether Plane; a fold in dimensional space which simultaneously exists, yet does not exist. The Aether Plane, as a whole, is inaccessible to mortals, as no portals lead to it, even while Multiverse Unlimited is formed. Further fortifications have been set in place upon this cathedral by the Higher Ones who appointed us so that none, even higher beings; even themselves, may enter without a proper key."
Gideon motioned toward Alexia, and under his stern, golden gaze she found herself bolting upright, as she would when being reprimanded by a faculty member at her university.
"The stones you were given act as the keys. As soon as they are activated, they imprint the identity of the one who activated them unto themselves, and henceforth shall fail to function for anyone other than their dedicated user. An individual key is required for everyone to pass here, meaning it is also impossible for anyone to follow, or even cling, to a key holder in order to go along for the ride. If any of you decide against joining, your keys will be destroyed."
Alexia held the smooth, black stone closer to her face, inspecting it as he spoke. That explained why Gilde had given it to her as an escape method. Her father must have left the stone in Gilde's care in order to give to her when the time was right. It also explained how Hearth was so calm and confident that her pursuer had been left in the dust and not been able to follow. Lowering her arm, she directed her gaze back to the regal wolf as he concluded answering the question.
"Given the unlimited structure of the multiverse, nothing is beyond the scope of possibility, and thus further defense measures have been placed within the cathedral itself, as further precaution against even the most remote chance that someone were to enter uninvited. Though as it stands, the Edda Cathedral is the most secure location in the known multiverse."

"How do we know you are who you say you are?" Lucy took another turn at questioning, her mannerisms continuing as though she were dealing with detained criminals, rather than representatives of holy position. "What proof do any of you have that you aren't somehow in for your own gain? Your involvement in this whole affair could be quite different from what you're telling us, and the way it's all set up we could have no way of knowing until it was potentially too late."

"Unfortunately, that is a concern which is difficult to properly quell." Gideon responded once again. "I can easily understand your train of thought. Given the secretive manner of ourselves and the situation, there is a great deal of room for suspicion, and it is far from unfounded. Honestly, we cannot prove our position, or that we are who we say we are. Nor can I convince you through mere words that we would not exploit the goings on to meet our own ends. All I can give you is my oath that we are who we say we are, and that the information we have provided to you is truthful.
Whether you wish to trust in my word and believe me is entirely up to you. If you think us frauds with concealed intent for personal gain, then leave. This meeting is an invitation, not a draft. None here would dare ask you to do anything that you did not wish to do of your own free will. If, however, you have faith in my oath, then stay, and we can continue with the interview process and discuss matters further."
"You have my oath, too!" Beatrix chimed in.
"And mine, as well." Alexander also added with a humble bow.

Alexia couldn't tell whether or not Lucy was satisfied with the responses of the Overseers, but she also noted that the stern woman hadn't made any attempt to leave, either. There was a pause then before Gideon broke the silence. "Are there no more questions to be shared by the group, then?" Another pause, during which time Alexander looked to Alexia, his face unreadable. She returned his gaze, though her expression looked more dire than his. "Very well then," Gideon continued when no further questions were issued. "Who among you still hold interest in becoming Celestial Envoys?"

Without hesitation, Mercury stepped forward. Puffing his chest out, he took a stance which looked military in nature. "I am interested in moving on to the interview process." His delivery was disciplined and professional sounding, further hinting at a military background.

After a few seconds, Lucy then stepped forward. "I'll hear you out privately. But I'll need more than blind faith to be convinced."

More seconds passed, then a minute, which grew from there. All eyes turned to Alexia, the only candidate present who had yet to make her intentions known. I should go back, she thought to herself. Her breathing intensified, and as she delved into her own mind, everything around her seemed to freeze in time and lose meaning. This is a mistake. What could I possibly have to offer? I should go back and hit the books for that test, like I ought to be doing. A realization hit her then, and her breathing slowed again. Or would that be the mistake? Is that really what I want, or simply what others want me to want? Returning to reality, or however close the otherworldly cathedral was to reality, she stepped forward.
"I would like to continue." She announced in a tone of voice so bold that she surprised even herself. For the first time since she arrived, her father's formerly unreadable face betrayed an emotion: concern.

End Chapter 3

Closing Notes:

• Beatrix Starcall and Kerwry are the intellectual properties of Joseph Label, and used with permission. All other characters and scenarios are the intellectual property of Collin Davis.

• Beatrix's dialog was co-written by Joseph Label, her creator. Beatrix's base dialog (prior to refinement), and all other writing within this chapter were written exclusively by Collin Davis, the author.