The Chronicle

This was no dimension here, just a lowly drifting asteroid in the middle of the free space of the multiverse. The only thing that could make the location any gloomier was if the far off galaxies and stars were not set in the background. Luckily enough, these objects also allowed those who knew of the asteroid's existence to find it relatively easily based on star charts and other forms of maps.

This was no simple rock however. Atop the gently rotating mass of minerals and ore was a single structure, surrounded on all sides by dozens of docked ships and other forms of transportation. Some could make the trip on their own; others didn't live that far away, often coming to take a load off from their infinitely complicated lives.

This port was no hotel or vacation retreat. It was not an exquisite casino or the most grand of all inter-dimensional convenience stores. It wasn't even a repair station. Yet how, you wonder, did it attract so many individuals? Why would they waste their time at some unprogressive location when there's a whole plethora of universes to explore?

Two reasons. One: Those who visited were beings that had no meaning for the word time. To them, it was either a term they could brush off and ignore, or a merciful force that they could not enjoy. Second: This was a tavern, a place to let out all your complaints or share stories of one's travels through the multiverse.

Inside the bar, many precursors made themselves at home, drinking away the memories of their lost cycle, dramatically reenacting various adventures, or simply hanging out with long not seen friends. Even with all the conversation going on, the atmosphere within the room was fairly relaxed and peaceful. The bar owner was making small talk with a mysterious man sitting on the bench.

Nobody seemed to notice as a dark red cloaked figure quietly eased the door open and gently swung it back in with no noise. A few glances were thrown toward them but other than that no reaction. The hooded being turned their head a few times, scanning the tavern as if looking for someone. Their search ended when direction was centered at the back corner of the place, where a rather cheery looking man was sitting with his legs brought up onto the table.

He appeared to be writing something in a massive and ancient book. From a distance, no one could tell what the cover read. Every so often he would chuckle quietly to himself, making some think he was a bit of a nut, but in reality he was both writing and reading. His text had a brown surface, heavily deteriorated from seemingly years of use and exposure. One of the corners in particular was in bad condition, presumably the spot where the man usually opened it from.

The cloaked figure made its way through the tables, chairs, drunks, and storytellers, who all paid little attention to the presence of the being, choosing instead to continue with their activities. As the hooded entity neared the reading man, he noticed and looked up, a curious expression upon his face.

"Hello there. May I help you?"

His voice was exceptionally friendly, the brightest and most cheery person the figure had ever encountered. He also held a smile, awaiting a response form the being standing before him. The dark cloak pulled out a chair beside the man and took a seat, demonstrating excellent posture, apparently trying to be polite. At last, it spoke.

"Perhaps. Are you the Sojourner?"

The man was a bit surprised. For one the voice was feminine, for another, he was caught off by the fact that someone could recognize him so easily. However, being a truthful person, he smiled and answered properly.

"Why yes, I am. But those who know me well just can me Sojourn. I've long ago forgotten my real name anyway so it gives me some closure to have a usable identity."

The hooded woman nodded and reached out her hand from underneath her cloaks depths. The appendage appeared to be glowing white. Sojourn was intrigued but knew better than to be rude. He grasped the offered hand and shook lightly, still holding his soft smile.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Sojourn," the woman stated with an upbeat voice of her own.

The man carefully closed his text and placed it on the table. He then sat up straight and reached for his drink, which he had barely touched since arriving. After a nice sip, he placed the glass back down and returned his attention to his visitor.

"And who might you be friend?"

The hooded head looked around the bar for a moment, making sure no one was watching. Satisfied that everyone was distracted, she reached up and pulled her cover back just enough to reveal her face, which instantly caused the man's eyes to widen and his mouth to drop open.

"Holy crud! You're-"

Before he could finish his exclamation, the woman had silenced him with her hand, now covering his lips so that his speech would be undistinguishable. Regrettably, his shout had caused an unusually quietness in the bar. The cloaked lady looked around at all the faces now staring at her and the man. The reader quickly put up his hand and smiled through the hand covering his mouth.

"Sorry, just got a little excited. Nothing to worry about."

Although it was muffled, his voice seemed to reach the other patrons, who slowly returned to their business. The woman lowered her hand and it was seen that a light glare was present on her soft features.

"Please, I need you to be a little more discreet!"

She was quietly shouting, almost like a hiss but she did her best to make it sound non-aggravated. The man still had wide eyes but responded with the same voice his visitor used.

"You're the Guiding Torch! The precursor Solara!"

The woman sighed. Her eyes rolled a bit as her angelic face continued to glow its gentle white.

"Yes, and now you understand why I have to hide it sometimes. People tend to over react."

Sojourn leaned back in his chair, looking somewhat saddened.

"I hadn't thought of that, I apologize miss."

Solara finally smiled, reaching over to place a hand on the man's shoulder.

"It's alright, you didn't know. Now, about why I came…"

Sojourn's expression changed to hopeful, suddenly interested in what the Ancestral Flame had to say.

"It's rumored that you're a traveler, one who keeps an extensive record of your journeys throughout the multiverse. I was curious to know how you do it, not just out of pure curiosity but also to help gather information for a friend of mine."

The man's face grew questionable for a moment and he rubbed his chin in deep thought. Solara waited patiently for the answer. He then cracked a grin.

"Sure! After all, you're probably the most trustworthy being in existence. I'd be honored to show you my work."

The fiery precursor smiled back, joyful that the man had found a reason to speak with her. He directed her attention to the book that lay on the table. Solara glimpsed at the cover, which depicted a sword, a skull, a vine of some unknown fruit, and a strange flying creature. Written across the top of the text was a very strange word, one that she could not quite pronounce.

Sojourn slid the book over so that it rested evenly between the two of them.

"The Enchiridion; a 'manual' if you will. This enchanted text conforms its contents to whatever task its owner requires. Contained in the pages are maps, detours, hazards, and helpful advice for scouring the multiverse. All these things help me travel safely to and fro, never having to be worried about a bad trip."

Solara watched intently as Sojourn flipped through several pages, showing multiple images and chapters on various dimensional anomalies, inhabitants, and an insurmountable amount of other knowledge. The woman's eyes were widened progressively as the contents of Sojourn's book captured her amazement. She just had to ask.

"Where did you get this?"

The man smiled proudly.

"I helped create it."

Solara was stunned.

"Really? How?"

Sojourn explained his story.

"My kind were scholars, deeply wanting to know everything there was in the universe. It was only after we discovered the multiverse that our greatest minds, including myself, came together to craft the ultimate guide in existence. The Enchiridion was born for one purpose and one purpose only: to carry any who possess it to their most desired destination through the knowledge and skill acquired by reading it."

Sojourn looked thoughtfully at the ancient text.

"Whether that destination is a location, a goal, or a state of being, the guide shall not fail to give you all the tools you need to get there."

Solara was simply awestruck by the power of the book, unable to believe that such an artifact dwelled within the mass dimensions of the multiverse. She ran her hand along the books pages as Sojourn continued to allow the precursor to be amazed by the treasure. He suddenly raised his eyebrow, giving a sly smile. He leaned in closer so that he could whisper.

"Do you want to see its greatest power?"

Solara snapped out of her gaze, looked back at the man with the upmost curiosity. All she managed to do was nod. Sojourn smiled wider and gestured for the woman to follow as he stood up from the table. The fiery being complied and the two of them walked back through the crowd of patrons to get back outside.

As they strolled out the door, a dark-cloaked being who had been sitting in a booth nearby watched them leave.

The void of space remained quite tranquil with what stars could be observed from outside the tavern. Solara and Sojourn walked out until they were well away from earshot or eyesight. Excitedly, the man held up his book and turned the tiny sword that was upon its cover. The ancestral Flame watched in wonder as the circular part of the surface popped open, revealing a pit of beautiful jewels, each one more unique than the last.

In its center rested a large blue spherical gem, which shined in the starlight around it. Sojourn suddenly spoke a line in a dialect Solara didn't recognize. The result caused a holographic map to appear above the jewels. The fiery woman instantly knew it was a map of the multiverse.

The man beside her smiled.

"Once the Enchiridion was complete, it was entrusted to me to make sure its purpose was fulfilled. I was given the task of finding a way to get it to every corner of existence, without having to takes years of travel. I began exploring new worlds, seeking any power source I could find to increase the energy the book could contain."

Sojourn held the text up and pointed to the colorful gems one at a time.

"Each precious stone was at the core of a crystalized planetoid, scattered throughout dimensions. It was close to 300 years before I found enough. Luckily, my kind live for up to half a millennium."

He laughed.

"You could say that I'm an old man."

Solara giggled, amused by her companion's humor. The traveler continued his tale.

"Once the Gems of Power were in place, the Enchiridion understood their use, granting itself the ability to open a portal to any known dimension in the multiverse."

Sojourn closed his eyes and the cover, and appeared to focus. After a moment, a blast of energy was unleashed from the front of the book, instantly cutting through the fabric of space-time. When all was calm, a humming circular rift had taken shape in front of the two precursors.

Solara stepped forward, a look of reserve on her face. Noticing that the flaming entity was inching her way slowly, Sojourn let out a chuckle. He then proceeded to take her by the wrist and strolling up to the portal. The two stared at the opening, which appeared quite warped on the other side, no clear destination present. The traveler smiled.

"Well…go ahead. Where do you want to go?"

Admittedly, Solara was skeptical, not really sure if the Enchiridion was as omniscient as her new friend said it was. However, she put her trust into the man and nodded. Without a second thought (other than her desired destination) she jumped into the portal, followed closely behind by the book's keeper.

When the angelic precursor next stepped on solid ground, she was flabbergasted. There they stood, in the peaceful and gorgeous courtyard of the Citadel of Truth. As she heard Sojourn's feet hit the tiled floor as well, she turned to see if he was alright. The man was just grinning.

"I told you."

It was more of a tease; obviously the man's intellect was great enough to tell Solara hadn't initially believed him. The precursor of flames now had no complaints as to the validity of his words. For no other object could teleport a being straight to the Citadel, it had to be found on one's own.

It was at this moment that the traveler noticed his surroundings. His face dropped to the ground as he was lost beyond words. The golden shine of the temple was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The cosmic waterfalls that poured out into space were crystal clear, not a drop of impurity in their flowing waters. The courtyard's tile design caught his eye, making him scrunch up his face in confusion, unable to identify the two overlapping symbols imbedded in the area.

Solara stepped forward and gave a thoughtful smile to the runes.

"Infinity and Eternity, the two universal locks that hold our existence together."

Sojourn swung his eyes to meet the Ancestral Flame's.

"Please, tell me more! This place is just, incredible! I've never visited anything like it!"

The man proceeded to twirl around in a small circle, giddy from his newest destination. Solara giggled again, always amused by the scholar's antics. He finally caught himself and resumed his posture. Taking a look back, he held up the Enchiridion to the portal and in began to shrink, consistently closing as the energy was returned to the ancient text's bindings.

Sojourn brushed off a bit of dust from his book and walked back over to Solara, who remembered one last question.

"How about this, I'll tell you the secrets of the Citadel if you share with me where you record all your journeys.

The man gave a pleased grin.

"That sounds like a wonderful deal! Come closer."

Solara did as asked and stood right next to her friend. The scholar opened the Enchiridion once more, only this time, each and every page was blank. The Ancestral Flame was bewildered. Before she could ask though, Sojourn waved his hand over the clear sheets of paper, instantly making an entire page-full of text appear. The man continued flipping through the materializing journal, showing off all the places he had been to his companion.

After a few more seconds, he paused and snapped his fingers, causing the written text to become blank once more.

"Never runs out of writing space. This book could contain all the knowledge of the multiverse if one had the time to explore every inch."

Solara chuckled.

"Well I'll say one thing, you'd better keep that thing away from my good friend Index. He'd probably kill for that chronicle."

Sojourn didn't quite get the joke. The fiery lady understood this a moment later and stopped her hysterics.

"Perhaps I should fulfill my part of the deal."

She motioned for Sojourn to come with as she headed for the entrance to the Citadel. The man made no hesitation, rushing along as the female precursor neared the entrance. Before they could procced however, a towering being blocked their path. At first the traveler panicked, intimidated by the tall cloaked figure. His friend on the other hand, walked up and waved with a friendly smile.

"Hello there Sentin. How have you been?"

The guardian lifted his hood up, revealing his piercing purple eyes. If anything, it made him even scarier. He did though, wear a smirk across his face.

"I would say fairly well. It's been a good few million years since you last dropped by. What's the occasion?"

The fiery precursor stepped aside, presenting the man behind her to her dear friend. Sentin looked with curiosity at the being as the traveler nervously stepped forward on Solara's encouragement. Shakily, the scholar took a small bow.

"Greetings sir, I am Sojourn, humble precursor of the Chronicle."

Sentin let out an amused huff, feeling quite entertained by a being who would hold him to such high regard.

Maybe Solara was right about me looking too…'scary'. (sigh) That woman.

The guardian motioned for the man to rise. He then placed his long staff to the ground, aiming the cosmic ball on top toward the traveler. A blue beam of light suddenly erupted from a jewel at the top of the Citadel's main gate, hitting Sentin's sphere before being redirected onto Sojourn. The man was seriously nervous at this point, but Solara gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Confident in trusting the fiery female, he allowed the light to dig into his mind, perring into his thoughts to test his truth. Before long, the beam turned yellow, then instantly cut out. Sojourn waited for the verdict. Sentin rubbed his chin.

"Hm. Interesting."

The traveler looked uneasily at Solara then back at the guardian. Before he became too freaked, Sentin spoke.

"This doesn't happen very often. The Citadel sees no desire within you that you are not already progressing in on your own."

Sojourn looked back to Solara, who seemed impressed by his feat, although he didn't feel like he had done anything. The Guardian stepped aside and gave his staff a quick tap on the tile floor. A moment later, the sound of dozens of locks unhinging and sliding was heard from within the golden door of the fortress. Eventually, the noise stopped and the gates into the temple finally sunk into the ground, presenting a shimmering staircase that led to the heart of the building.

"It has deemed you worthy of entering without the need of a trial. For there is no need to test one who is already at peace with their heart."

Sojourn beamed at the towering man. He bowed his head.

"I am honored Sentin, thank you."

The guardian chuckled as the scholar made his way toward the entrance.

"No, thank you. Now she's got someone else to nag to when there's trouble."

Solara gave the vigilant precursor a tough punch to the side before following behind Sojourn into the Citadel. The guardian rubbed his aching ribs.

"Maybe she could also learn some sense of humor."

(4 cycles later)

Sojourn stepped out of his swirling portal, landing stably on the rotating asteroid beneath his feet. Although he had eventually gotten used to the new physics of the current cycle, he never quite liked the heavy feeling it gave him due to the increased presence of gravity. In any case, he was happy to be back on that floating rock.

The asteroid where he had first met Solara turned out to be a precursor on its own, a random piece of rock that had escaped the climax of the multiverse's life cycle. The tavern that was built on top of it however, was not. The planetoid now say completely empty, devoid of any features that would make someone think twice about landing on it.

To Sojourn and Solara however, it was a symbolic place. As such, they agreed to meet there, every 20 million years on the dot (made possible by a special clock within the Citadel and the Enchiridion). They had never failed to meet a single time, but on this occasion, the fiery precursor had not yet arrived.

The traveler grew nervous. His friend had never been here later than him, she enjoyed scaring his pants off when he exited the portal and didn't bother to look behind him. Not once had the poor scholar remembered to watch out for the woman's silly prank. He was though, grateful that he wouldn't have to deal with it this time.

After a few hours of waiting, the man was about to give up and return to his journey. Before he managed to form a portal however, he noticed a shining white light in the distance. He squinted, trying to identify the approaching object. It was only moments before an impact that he discovered it was Solara, diving at him with high speed, aiming for a comical tackle.

Sojourn scarily began running around, hoping to shake the Ancestral Flame's trajectory. It was no use. A second later, he was pulled off his feet in the embrace of his best friend. The fiery lady twirled through the air a few times before plunging back down to the asteroid, caring a nauseous looking Sojourn in her arms.

Setting the traveler on the ground, Solara turned away shaking her head in amusement as the poor man vomited behind a nearby rock. After he had calmed down, Sojourn made his way over to his companion. For once, he appeared a little shaken and upset.

"Dang it Solara, you know I have a weak stomach. All that crazy aerial stuff makes my insides churn."

The flaming precursor chuckled.

"Good to see you too."

Sojourn rolled his eyes, but managed to grin and shake his head.

"How can the oldest being in existence be so immature?"

Solara gave a goofy smile.

"At some point in your life, you'll realize that acting like a kid is even more limited when you're immortal. You learn that acting as such is actually healthy for you. You should try it sometime."

The scholar smirked. He then proceeded to sit down on the ground, motioning for Solara to join him. The angelic lady got to her knees and looked excitedly to the Enchiridion, which Sojourn was beginning to animate with his hand, revealing the newly added chapters to the chronicle.

Like every one of their meetings, it was spent with Sojourn reading out his latest journeys to his best friend, who listened with the upmost attention, not wanting to miss any of the incredible details. The traveler spoke of unknown powers, perilous planets where the very ground would attempt to swallow you, galaxies that contained monstrous black holes from which only the portals of the book itself allowed escape from.

Solara had a great admiration for the man. He was informative, funny, and was always grateful and appreciative of everything she and her allies on the Citadel had done for him. They gave him a 'family' of sorts, somewhere to come back to anytime he felt lonely. It was truly a wonderful feeling, proving that the golden fortress was right in judging his heart pure and free of additional needs.

At long last, the tales came to an end and Sojourn closed the Enchiridion, releasing a gentle cloud of dust from its surface. He waved it away as the two precursors laughed it up, lying down on the rocky floor of the asteroid. Gazing up into the stars above, they were soon lost in the wonder of the multiverse. The traveler spoke first.

"Hey Solara, I've always wanted to ask, what do you do all these years while we're both hopping around dimensions?"

The Ancestral Flame sighed sadly, still looking at a shimmering galaxy in the distance.

"I do what I've always done; act as the 'Guiding Torch' for those precursors who are still lost to the wilderness of the multiverse. It's really quite sad sometimes. Every so often I meet one who is so far gone that they refuse to let anyone near them, believing that they are trapped in an infinite illusion of immortality."

Solara looked over at Sojourn and grinned.

"And then I meet ones like you, who are kind and willing to make friends, make the bond stronger between all of us who have been left behind by the cataclysm."

The traveler smiled back then gazed back at the starry sky. He pondered the meaning of his and Solara's kind as his eyes wandered the twinkling darkness.

"Have you ever thought what it would be like billions of cycles from now? How many precursors would there be? Would we have our own dimensions, communities, families?"

Solara didn't have an answer, but believed that it was one of the greatest questions she had ever heard. Sojourn was a wise man, and he never failed to come up with a whimsical thought that could occupy a being's mind for centuries.

Astoundingly enough, a third voice shattered the precursor's private gathering.

"It will never come to that. For the multiverse will be long gone before any such thing happens."

Both Solara and Sojourn sprang to their feet. The Ancestral Flame formed white fires on her fists as she stared darkly at a cloaked figure standing several yards away. The scholar next to the fiery woman held the Enchiridion tightly in his arms, afraid of what the new arrival had come for.

Solara took a step to the side, protecting her less capable friend from the intruder. She grinded her teeth.

"Astrum…"

The cloaked being did not respond, but instead rushed at the two precursors, causing the angelic entity to shove her companion to the ground and hold off the pitch black newcomer's attack. She was doing quite well, blocking hit after hit as Astrum threw more and more flurries of fists at the lady.

Solara then shouted back to her friend.

"Sojourn! Get to the Citadel!"

The traveler nodded and held up his book, which began dispensing energy to form a portal. In the heat of the fight nearby, the dark man cancelled his assault on the Ancestral Flame and teleported away, reappearing right behind Sojourn. Solara managed to cry out a warning, making the man turn to face the enemy.

"Give me that book fool!"

Astrum reached forward to snag the ancient text, only for Sojourn to stumble back through the newly opened portal. Determined, the shadowy precursor followed, then finally, Solara herself flew inside before the rift collapsed.

The trio landed hard on the tiled courtyard of the Citadel. Recovering, Solara's first instinct was to make sure Sojourn was safe. She spotted the man crawling to his knees a few feet away. However, Astrum had fully recovered. The dark being stomped over to the scholar and grabbed him by the neck, holding him high in the air as he struggled to breath.

Solara wasn't getting up fast enough to get to him, having been disoriented by her earlier squabble with the vile man now choking her friend. Gratefully, a sudden blast of red energy shot Astrum to the side, forcing him to let go of his captive. Sojourn retrieved the Enchiridion from the ground and began fiddling with it.

The fiery woman had a t last managed to gather her bearings, eying the wounded Astrum who was now smashed into the wall. Looking over, Solara saw Sentin, aiming his spear at the intruder. She smiled, thankful that she had such wonderful allies to help her protect that which was important.

Astrum regained his composure and teleported without warning, suddenly appearing behind Sojourn. The man whirled around to face the threat, only to instantly feel a sharp pain in his abdomen.

Looking down with a terrified expression, the scholar saw a blade formed of air sinking deep into his body.

"SOJOURN!"

Solara screamed in agony as she watched her friend tossed aside by the vile dark entity, who snatched up the Enchiridion and teleported a good distance away. The angelic woman paid it no mind, immediately rushing to her fallen companion. Meanwhile, Sentin had caught up to Astrum and engaged him in combat, quickly overwhelming the unarmed precursor.

The Ancestral Flame gathered up her dying friend in her arms, sobbing heavily as the man did his best to remain conscious. He managed a weak smile.

"Solara…I'm…sorry I wasn't more careful."

He coughed up blood as he spoke. The lady shook her head.

"Stop talking! It's not your fault! Damn it! Why did I have to use up my desire all those cycles ago? There's no one who can save you. And it's my fault."

The woman laid her head into Sojourn's chest, crying heavily. She felt so hopeless, the most experienced being in the multiverse and she had no way of saving even a single life. Before long, a hand brought her chin up to face the fading traveler. His face was in concern.

"Solara, please…don't…don't beat yourself up. Perhaps…no one is meant to live forever. Or at least…maybe existence chose you as the only…(cough)…constant."

The man wiped away several tears as he grew a gentle smile. Solara just continued to sob.

Nearby, Astrum was shoved into the ground, Sentin's spear inches from his throat. The precursor growled at the guardian, ashamed that he had been beaten. The towering being raised his weapon, ready to end the foul entity's life. In that moment however, Astrum held up the Enchiridion and activated it.

Sentin was blown away as a portal formed, releasing a shockwave of spacial energy. Astrum was astonished. What had he done wrong? The portal suddenly performed a new act, creating a sudden suction, which slowly pulled the dark being toward it. The man ditched the Enchiridion, tossing it aside as he attempted to flee. His teleportation wasn't working.

Across the courtyard, Sojourn smiled slyly at the event. He held up his hand and showed Solara what was in his palm. It was the red Gem of Power that was once in the chronicle's cover. The fiery lady gasped, amazed at what he had done.

"Solara, before I go…two things. You hear me?"

The blazing precursor nodded desperately, accepting that her beloved companion wasn't going to make it.

"Make sure the next time you see Astrum…you beat the stuffing out of him."

He managed a grin, as did Solara.

"And another…I…I always had a bit of a crush on you."

The fiery entity gasped, completely caught off guard by the reveal. Sojourn threw out a weak chuckle and closed his eyes for the last time.

"I just…never had the courage…to tell you what an amazing and caring person you are. And how…beautiful…you are."

Solara grew fresh tears in her eyes, embracing the dying man in her arms, never wanting him to slip away. He let out one final laugh.

"Heh, guess I'm a real jerk for waiting till I'm about to bleed out…to let you know…"

For his final act, he used his remaining strength to throw the Gem of Power toward the suctioning portal. The crystal bounced a ways before being caught in the vortex. The crimson jewel then flew past Astrum and entered into oblivion, an unknown dimension where the dark precursor would never find it.

The pitch black entity roared in rage before he finally lost his grip on the floor and tumbled into the rift himself, which violently collapsed and exploded a few seconds later. Sentin leaped over and shielded his two companions on the ground before the debris from the blast hit them. His protection succeeded and they were unharmed, well, further, in Sojourn's case.

It made no difference; the once noble and kindhearted traveler lay dead in Solara's arms. The Ancestral Flame was still bawling her eyes out, unable to accept that the greatest friend she ever knew was now gone forever, lost to the infinite cosmos of the harsh and merciless multiverse.

As requested by Riset36, and anyone else who was hoping for some history on the precursor, we dive deeper into Solara's background. Also, Enchiridion back story as wondered about by SCIK.

Hope you enjoyed and please review! (and suggestions are welcome!)

next entry: The Crown