It was dark. The rays of light which fell down through narrow cracks were but slivers of a blinding white which pierced the black of darkness. The light beams and shadows steadily moved as the place felt alive, twisting, changing and moving. There were several rhythms hidden within many layers of ticking, different tones and different pitches echoing through the vast but empty space. Cogs were turning in the darkness, in the ceiling and the walls, rumbling and screeching as they continued their seemingly endless cycle.
The mechanical chorus was suddenly broken by a completely different sound which only momentarily interrupted the cycle, a sound which was as soft and short like a sigh. For a moment there was a flickering of cyan within the dark, like a wisp forming out of nothing until it suddenly expanded in size with a soft crackle and a heavy thud echoed.
Bare knees hit the metal floor as something living fell through what appeared to be a glowing portal, a grunt escaping the revealed being as she kept herself upright by placing her hands upon the cool feeling floor. The rift-like anomaly's crackling increased as it hung over the one it spat out until it shrunk in size till there was nothing left, the cyan-colored light it emitted gone and making way for the darkness once more.
"W-where...?" the woman asked as a hand disappeared within the hood she wore, crowned with two strange stitched-up shapes while the color blue was the most prominent color in her attire's palette; an Eliatrope. The Eliatrope felt sick, the metal she sat upon giving her some respite with its coolness, but it felt like she had been stretched out and folded to her limits when she made the unexplained and unexpected journey into this darkness.
She had no idea where she was, but she knew almost instantly that she was not supposed to be there while peering past her hand and pale blond bangs into the darkness she mysteriously ended up in. Her eyes tried to adjust to the dark as she shifted on the floor, seeking for anything which could help her identify the location. She had a dreadful feeling that she was far from home, but how did she get here? Flashes of bright cyan and the screaming of children cut through her mind as she tried to remember, causing her to groan as it came back to her like a tall wave crashing against a cliff.
A rift... there was a rift. It formed out of nowhere, was small in size and had drawn the attention of the many children residing in Emrub. She arrived before any of the children's curiosity or courage had them touch it, stopping them in time. She had sensed the forming of the strange anomaly before she even laid eyes upon it; it beckoned her like a loving parent while emitting an aura of familiarity and it was difficult to resist, even when the children pleaded for her to be cautious after she decided to inspect it and told the children to stay back. For all those countless years they spent in Emrub, she had never seen anything like the rift before and yet it was so inexplicably familiar. She should have waited for Baltazar… but the anomaly was calling for her, drawing her in like a moth to a candle's flame. She remembered the searing heat she felt coursing through her body when she came into close contact with the unknown entity and then... darkness. This darkness.
Her eyes began to adjust, allowing her to see the circular shapes of cogs and gears turning all around her, the dull shine of metal proving she was within an unnatural construct. Flashbacks of the invasions her kin endured from the Mechasms many centuries ago flashed past but she forced them back into the depths of her memories as she had a feeling this was different. There was a faint threat in the air, a looming feel of festering despair but it also felt lonely; it had the hairs on the back of her neck stand up while a shiver crawled down her spine. Where ever she was, it was large and empty.
Just when she felt herself slipping into the dark pit of loneliness, another glow could be seen. It was cyan in color, just like what had beckoned her and brought her to this unknown place. It started small, like the flickering of a flame till it grew and became a beacon of light. This time it was no strange and shapeless anomaly; within the center of the bright glow was a small cube-shaped object, toppling and turning as it levitated on the spot.
She recognized it almost instantly from where she sat on the floor. "The Eliacube..." she gasped in awe as her eyes were drawn towards the small cube that spun rapidly within the clutches of the strange device it was held by. The cube was made by her people, an item which was lost and had been dearly missed. She could feel it tugging at her very being, small tendrils of Wakfu reaching out as if it was searching for her. While she felt herself become mesmerized by the sight, she could see two light blue glowing spheres beyond the veil the cube was emitting and it caused her to hesitate. Her first instinct was to scramble up to her feet and rush for the cube, take it back for her people as it was theirs by right but she could feel it... a penetrating gaze was pinned upon her. The two orbs which were almost concealed by the cube's bright aura suddenly moved with a jarring motion, causing the woman to lightly flinch.
"What is this?"
The Eliatrope froze on the spot when a hollow sounding voice sounded, the source unknown as the voice mixed with the plethora of endless ticking noises and carried off into the darkness. She squinted her eyes to try and look beyond the Eliacube to decipher the shine of metal she saw, able to make out the outlines of a long face. No, not a face… a mask. She put her hands down upon the smooth floor to push herself to a standing and swayed after vertigo grasped her the moment she rose to her feet. The journey she was forced to endure left her disorientated, to say the least.
She had so many questions but she asked none, determined to find the answers herself. The Eliacube, a relic of her people, had been missing for so long and there it was right before her. It was beckoning for her like the anomaly in Emrub did; she could feel it. "That isn't yours to keep," she said after the ill feeling in her stomach began to lessen and her head was no longer thumping in pain, brushing the back of her hand across a cheek and her lips as mild nausea remained. There was a faint ringing in her ears while attempting to focus on the two orbs that were the eyes of the mask she managed to define, trying to ignore the discomfort the noise caused.
"Finders keepers, I'm afraid," the mask replied in jest and a strained clicking could be heard as the mask tilted to the side with stuttering motions till it suddenly seemed to snap into place like a broken clockwork with rusty gears. "What are you?" the mask asked intrigued," what is your name? Did the cube bring you here? It must have. How intriguing... and yet puzzling at the same time."
Alys exhaled deeply as the voice had an eerie element to it. There was something not right with it, but she couldn't exactly place what it was. It seemed distracted yet very aware of her presence. It wanted to know and yet it seemed as if it was too occupied with something else. She shifted her weight from one foot to another after bringing herself more upright and said with confidence in her voice while uncertainty ruled within her," my name is Alys. What you have in your possession belongs to my people. It will do no good in your hands..."
"On the contrary. It will give me what I want."
The words spoken gave a bitter taste to her mouth. The contraption the Eliacube was held by looking like scientific equipment, but she couldn't place the real purpose behind it; it was unlike what she had seen before. Was whomever was behind the mask experimenting on the cube or was he doing something else with it? "It won't," she said sternly, the fear of not knowing where she was making way for a sense of responsibility and courage," I will take it back to my people, where it belongs. It's been gone for far too long."
"A challenge?" the hollow voice asked, followed by another scraping click and a crazed giggle could be heard," I would like to see you try, dear Alys. Come at us then. Show me the might of the ones that created the cube. If they truly did."
"So be it..." she said with a sinking tone in her voice. She had hoped for a negotiation but the situation she warped into had been threatening from the very start. She was no longer in Emrub; she couldn't feel the presence of the children or her dear friend Baltazar anymore and it troubled her. It was just her, the Eliacube and the concealed masked presence in this dark cog filled place. She concentrated as she stood there, her robes starting to sway slowly as the air around her began to ripple while she manifested the power she held within. A shape began to form after she rose her left arm up before her, almost translucent as she tapped into her own pool of Wakfu to create a long kite shield, a weapon of her choice though one she hardly ever called upon unless the situation truly required it.
"Wakfu," the mask said, holding the same intrigued tone in the voice yet it held a hint of excitement as it watched the change in development. The thick atmosphere shifted with a certain eagerness which was ominous at the same time. Whom or whatever wore the mask showed no anxiety or preparation for her impending attack. It was as if it the situation had become an experiment for the masked figure to observe and the results so far were surprisingly pleasing. "You are more than I expected."
"Much more," Alys said and wove a hand before her, her fingertips glowing with Wakfu as she drew a circle while her eyes were upon the two glowing orb-like eyes behind the cube. It was as if the floor swallowed her whole when she dropped into the pale circular void which formed under her feet, causing the one wearing the long metal mask to bend forward in curiosity and not notice another portal opening behind him. The sound it created alerted him however, his head snapping into place as he attempted to look back, only to meet a fierce but determined looking Alys coming at him from behind. The translucent shield she held before her almost connected with the masked figure's back as she came leaping out of the portal at him. Almost.
With a blue flash he disappeared as sudden as she came out of the Zaap she created, only to reappear where she stood mere moments ago. She skidded to a stop, the Eliacube in between them once more though this time she was much closer to it. It spun faster in her presence, but she had no eyes for it; her eyes were on the one who held the cube in his possession for who knew how long.
With them having exchanged places, she was able to see the stranger in a better light; he was a ragged appearance, wrapped in old looking bandages and wearing bits of plated armor. The mask he wore with its large glowing eyes was striking in the dim light, giving the illusion that whomever was hiding behind it was no longer living.
"Zaaps?" the bandaged stranger asked while levitating a short distance above the floor, chuckling as if he was greatly amused by the unfolding events," you weren't lying, Alys. You are indeed much more. The Wakfu you possess, the Wakfu your people possess... it would be perfect. Go on then; take it, I dare you. I am certain it will reject you as it has rejected me. It has to."
His words were taunting but tempting. To take the cube... The Eliacube never rejected any of her kin and so she didn't believe it would do so towards her, no matter the confidence the masked man spoke with. This was her chance! Not waiting for the opportunity to slip by without seizing it, Alys reached with both hands for the Eliacube to remove it from the device it was kept in after the masked stranger had spoken. If she could retrieve the cube without any form of violence, she would definitely try; she was no fighter, never was.
The cube began to rotate faster the closer her hands came to it, whirring loudly as if it was about to spin out of control while crackles of Wakfu skipped across its smooth surface. The only plan she was able to form in the heat of the moment was a simple one; grab the cube, use it to make a portal to Emrub and find the children. Return home…
An anguished shriek escaped her when the Eliacube suddenly lashed out at her with a sharp unexpected force, painfully grabbing her with its tendrils while it yanked at her Wakfu. It felt like electricity coursed through her whole body; hot, stabbing and numbing. The cube was hostile and greedy, unlike what it had ever been before. It burned behind her eyes. "What have you done to it?!" she screamed in agony as she struggled against the cube's grasp, trying to rebuke it with all her might.
It wanted her. The tampering of the masked stranger had the Eliacube try and home in on any signature of its creators and it found her, one of the eldest living Eliatropes within Emrub. Unbeknownst to its current master, it had drawn the female Eliatrope to this world for its own needs.
She grew paler while her body twitched and spasmed in defiance, the Eliacube feeding on her while the masked stranger looked on, saying as if the screams didn't phase him in the slightest," the cube is mine, dear Alys. It promised me it will give me back my family. It promised me it would be possible. All it needs is Wakfu and lots of it. I am not certain why it brought you here, but I will not deny the cube's request. No, that would be unwise."
She could feel the cube claw into her mind, peeling back layer after layer of what she was, of her soul and of her memories. It was digging so deep that it shook Alys to the very core and sent her into shock. She wished for it to end, wished for death as it felt like it was tearing her apart. She couldn't see or hear any longer, blinded and deafened by the excruciating pain the tampered Eliacube inflicted upon her. And just when she was at her breaking point, it abruptly stopped...
The tormented screaming subsided as the Eliacube's rapid spinning began to slow down, the cyan colored tendrils which had latched onto her releasing her one by one. She slumped down against the pedestal of the device the cube was held in, drained from all the energy she had within her; the struggle to remain awake was a lost battle. Her eyes fell shut as she slipped into unconsciousness and hit the floor like a lifeless doll.
The Eliacube hummed as it continued to rotate slowly while the masked stranger returned to his previous spot the same way he left it, teleporting swiftly by manipulating time. He gazed down upon the unconscious Eliatrope laying before his feet, chuckling once more before he looked at the cube. "Intriguing." It was all he said as he focused on the cube, listening as if it was speaking to him with a quiet voice. There were only but a few seconds of pressing silence before his limbs jolted, jarred and stuttered like a wound-up clockwork doll as he bent forward and reached down to grab the back of the Eliatrope's hood to drag her up from the floor, saying," it was interesting while it lasted. There is so much I could learn from you... You have proven your kind holds a large source of Wakfu. Not as large as a dragon's, but... yes, still sufficient enough to be of great importance. I wonder where you are hiding them; there have to be more of you out there."
The moment his bandaged fingers clasped for the dark blue fabrics of the hood, a jolt of cyan zapped at the stranger's hand. He reclined in mild surprise and turned his attention back to the cube, the glowing orbs which formed the eyes of his mask wide and round. The cube had rejected him all this time; he wasn't able to touch it with his bare hands, having to rely on machinery and inventions to be able to examine it and draw on the powers hidden within the cube. Was it rejecting him again?
He attempted to grab for the hood once more as if to test something, but was met with the same jolt as before though stronger and quicker this time. Like a warning. Was the cube preventing him from touching the hooded female? Why? He rose himself up while pondering the situation. No matter that she was unconscious, there was a faint aura around the Eliatrope's body and he was certain it wasn't hers. Did the cube shield her or did it form a connection with her? Like a leech perhaps, sapping on her Wakfu? It troubled him. If he could not touch her, how was he to find the location of her people, if there were any more to begin with?
"Very well," he said after assessing the situation and coming to terms with the unsatisfying outcome," have your little toy. She will be of use to me yet. As soon as she replenishes herself and wakes, she will tell me. I will break her... and you. You both will aid me in my cause." It was a threat he meant, a bitter attempt to be in control of the situation while knowing he had none, not even a sliver of it. He disappeared from the darkness of the cog and gear filled hall in a blink, leaving the Eliacube and the Eliatrope to the chorus of endless ticking.
For ten years to come, Noximilien the Xelor wasn't able to explore the woman's mind and unravel her secrets. Just as he was relentless to achieve his goal of traveling back in time to see his family once more, so was the cube. Whenever the Eliatrope had some Wakfu to spare, the Eliacube would drain it from her til the point where there was hardly anything left, keeping her in a timeless slumber while tearing into her like a hungry predator. She was concealed in a small chamber of her own, tucked away within the depths of the Xelor's facility and almost forgotten about as other pressing matters held Nox in their grasp. His hot pursuit after a dragon he discovered several years ago made his insanity grow further while his hunger for more Wakfu consumed him. Alys' body and mind were at the Eliacube's disposal, bound to it as if it kept her as a reminder of what once was so very long ago while also abusing her to feed itself, crazed and malfunctioning from Nox's tampering. She was but a husk, empty and robbed of everything, even her memories, as she floated like a lost spirit in the dark and small confinement of the chamber.
Ten years of not knowing. Ten years of pain and suffering. Ten years of darkness. Ten years until she would be free again.
To be continued