Chapter 3: The Interstellar Clockmaster

The Mausoleum of The Defenders
Oakenvale, Menoia
Turndai, 67th of Summerset
POV: Aurius

I sat on a rock, cursing. We had spent hours trying to discover where the fortress was. We searched the woods, employed every tactic, and used every sane way of finding it. There was only one answer. Magic was involved.

It did not float in the sky, I would have been able to see it with my Flame Eyes. So it was on the ground. I thought hard on the matter. There was one of three magics it could be. Chaos Magic, Arcane Magic, or Divine Magic. Chaos was out of the question, Kairo would never attempt it. So It was either Arcane or Divine.

I turned to Karkat.

"There is magic involved here. We need to find the source."

Karkat turned at the flat spot of land beside the mausoleum.

"Why is it that the ground there is flat, yet elsewhere it stand up at grass would." He asked.

I turned. He was right. It was as if the ground had something pushing it down.

I cried for joy, jumping up in glee. Karkat looked at me as though I was in same as I rapidly pick up a rock, and threw it as the grass. It landed. But no impact was shown. It just landed as though it weighed nothing.

I laughed. "You genius troll. Why did I not think of this? A fixed place in time, moved just a second ahead. Making it nonexistent, but yet the physics still apply. But how do we break it?"

Only one idea crossed my mind.

"The ability to control time is an arcane form of magic. If I struck it with my own powers, it could fluctuate enough for us to breach it."

Karkat raised his eyebrow.

"Well, you are the expert at your ability, don't wait for my permission."

I drew my right hand back, holding the palm up. I slowly tugged at the back of my mind, toward the pool of power that waited there. I dug into it, tearing it open. I felt my body ripple with warmth and power. It had been a long time.

And In an instant, a ball of pure flame burst into existence above my palm. Karkat looked at it with profound confusion, and utter wonder.

I arched my hand forward, sending the flame hurtling towards the flat grass. But this time, it impacted a wall that was not there. A ripple appeared where it struck, and I began to run toward it. Karkat caught on and was not far behind.

And we walked through. As I stepped forward, everything changed. No longer where we in a field, instead we were in a circular stone chamber. In the middle was a statue of Kairo, depicting him as a young man with long hair wielding a sword.

I looked around only to realize there was only one door.

"Karkat. Before we go in there, I might want to warn you. Kairo is a little..."

"Kairo is a little what?"

I jumped, only to see Kairo strolling into the room. He was in silvery white robes, had his long black hair flowing behind him. In his hands he held the Timeshaft, a staff with the tip of a spear on the other end, that granted him superior control over time.

Karkat saw him, and immediately burst out laughing. I looked in wonder as he kneeled, laughing like an idiot.

"You wear a... White robe? It looks like you just took a bath! God, get some fashion sense!" He kneeled, slowly calming down.

Kairo's eyes became slits.

"If these clothes do not fit your standards, perhaps these will."

With that, he spun, and as he did, his robes changed into a basic leather suit, finished with a draping brown and gold cape.

"Kairo! It's good to see you again, old friend!" I approached to greet him, but he held up his hand, to pause me.

"Why did you bring this anomaly here?" He asked. Not in a harsh way, but in a concerned fashion.

"He needs a way home." I replied.

Kairo nodded. He then beckoned for us to follow him into the next room. Karkat and I entered shoulder to shoulder.

The next room was a large dome. I surveyed its tiered walkways and arcane dials, noting both the mysterious device suspended from the domed ceiling, and the row of undulating portals on the far side of the chamber.

"This..." Kairo spun around dramatically, "is the Chronovoid chamber. There is an entrance and exit to every realm here. It is the heart of all exterdimensional travel. If any with sinister intent gained access to this chamber, the fabric of the multiverse itself would be put at risk."

Karkat looked around in awe. Until finally he set his gaze on a set of statues, each depicting a warrior of great virtue.

"Who are they?" He asked.

"Those are the Unsung. A group of heroes who banded together in order to maintain order throughout this realm. I was once in their ranks, before they came up with the name. It was our job to protect this world from all harms, foreign or domestic."

I sighed. Recalling the battle of Silverwind. Of all whom I fell in my rage for recompense and vengeance.

"... Until finally a great battle erupted. A fight between a being of pure evil, and three of the Unsung, The Lord of War, The Lord of Storms, and me, The Pheonix. We fought, and in the battle, I lost control. My rage decimated everything in my path, friend or foe. It was my brother, The Lord of Storms, King of Silverwind, who finally knocked me out with a blow of lightning. Now I live a life of self driven exile. To atone for my sins."

Karkat looked at me with an expression I did not recognize. It looked like he both pitied me, but understood why I had taken that course of action. Like he understood my pain.

"At least you succeeded in defeating that evil. I failed." He replied.

"It was my fault that they all died. I, Karkat Vantas, descendant of The Signless, led my friends to their deaths. I wasn't powerful enough to save them. I wasn't a leader, I was a coward." He looked angry, like a long seeded hatred had awoken.

I wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault. That sometimes such things happen. But something stopped me. I remembered what I did and held myself accountable. So does he.

"Well then. On that depressing note. I believe your realm gate is somewhere on the second story. Follow." Kairo pranced off, swinging his staff as he walked.

We walked slowly to the second chamber. It was littered with purple realm gates, placed at strategic intervals along the wall. I admired each of them in turn, until we finally arrived at our destination.

Except there was one problem. The gate had deactivated. Kairo tapped the portal's golden frame with his staff. When that failed, he tapped the wall. Nothing.

"It would appear something doesn't want you to leave." Kairo told Karkat.

"No shit. Why do you think I'm here in the first place?!" He punched the wall, and stalked towards the stairs.

"Well he just radiates charisma, doesn't he?" Kairo whispered.

I snorted. I went to join him, but Kairo's staff stopped me.

"Aurius. The fight against the Valiant worsens. Harag vies to join them, and Parisia is done with the fighting. We are losing. We need your help." His eyes looked deep into mine. I sensed from his emotions that asking was hard, even for his minimal ego.

I sighed. As much as I wished to return to the fight, I knew now was not the time. The prophet, speaking through Kairo, had clearly said the 'The Flame shall Ignite when all is clear'. Meaning that I shall only enter combat when our enemy is known. As of now, we know the Valiant are working for the sake of a deity. But which one is yet to be determined.

"You know I cannot. The Prophet would not allow me to. I risked offending the gods once, but the ancient ones are too powerful. I will not anger the Septims."

Kairo's entire body seemed to slouch. He suddenly regained his posture, then nodded. He understood.

We walked down the stairs to find Karkat looking at the statues. He eyes where fixed on me and my brother. We where depicted side by side, my golden armor in flames, my brother's armor was electrified. I held my crimson blade in one hand, and a ball of fire in the other. He held a lightning bolt in one, and his shield in his off hand. His sword was sheathed. Our faces where fierce, much like they had been on that day.

Karkat turned to me, and asked. "How did you go from such a warrior to what you are now..."
He stopped himself. Holding his right arm awkwardly, he turned back to the statue.

I walked beside him. He turned to me and looked surprised as I smiled at the statue.

"All change is necessary. I remember when I was Arcturus. When I was Carth. The Pheonix has been many people. However, I will never forget when I was him. When I die, my powers will transfer to my heir, and I shall become a memory. But I will never be forgotten."

His eyes brightened. He turned, and laughed. This time I was the one confused.

"That's it! That's what I never understood!" He turned and looked at me.

"What? What is it?" I was getting very concerned. I knew from his emotion patterns that he had not been this happy in years.

"I never failed. I was born with the same mutation of my ancestor, and shared his anger toward our race. I believed I had to carry on his legacy, but all I have to do is be remembered. As he was. A leader, a warrior. I may not have failed them yet." His voice became heavy as he wiped a tear from his right eye.

Kairo walked in between us. He turned on his heels, and faced us both.

"In order to return to your realm, you must find the source of the blockade. I do not know who would be powerful enough to block a realm gate, but I would guess that the Valiant have something to do with it."

Karkat stopped Kairo there.

"Eridan isn't powerful enough to hold us here. It isn't him. So who is it?"

I thought of all the demons and enemies I had learned when in my youth. None stood out as a possible suspect.

Kairo cursed. "Darksang"

I looked at him in awe. Darksang was the God of Fusion, and was the most detached of all the gods. He had not dealt with mortals for the last ten thousand years. It didn't make sense that he would imprison a race.

"Why would Darksang imprison them here?" I asked Kairo.

"He wants to reproduce their race..." Once again, Kairo cursed. "...what history never told you is that Darksang has a fascination with all creations. He wishes to have as many species in this realm as possible. They are one of a kind, so naturally he brought a number of them here to reproduce."

Karkat looked at Kairo with complete and utter disgust.

"Reproduce?! Eridan and I are MALES!"

Kairo shook his head. "He didn't only bring you two here. Every troll outside their realm has been brought here. Male or female. We only know of you and this Eridan. But there are others."

This time I cursed. "This realm as a whole is huge, and there is no way we could find all the trolls and send them back! It would take us years!"

Kairo shook his head. "No. I can tell you their location. But you must retrieve them before Lord Wrathsin does. I don't know what he seeks to gain from Eridan, but I know it is far from holy."

I nodded. The next few minutes was spent complaining as we ran up two flights of stairs. Until finally we stopped at this mysterious fountain. And by mysterious I mean it was glowing, which meant it was either magic or sentient. In this case, it was Kairo's scrying mirror.

"What lies within?" asked the mirror. All three of us wondered.