//------------------------------// // From Ashes // Story: To Save a Home // by Thethhron //------------------------------//       A winter storm blew against the dark windows of the castle, nullifying any possibility of light entering. The black doors of Midnight Castle opened, and as they did, a current of air poured out, carrying the foul smell of death and decay. Despite all this, Lauren Faust managed not to retch at the feeling of the blackness going through her body. She knew that what she was about to do was the last hope of survival for the entire world. There was no alternative, so she only could boldly walk into the cursed castle. Creeping demons leered at her as she walked the cursed walls, but a glimpse of her magical aura spurned them away, making them go cower in fear in the darkest holes they could find. Even for Faust’s blessed mind, that castle’s malevolent influence was too twisted, so twisted it not only dulled her sense of smell and her vision, but also corrupted her mind. She surprised herself when she felt a dark pleasure every time the denizens of the Castle fled her holy light. 'This fortress is filled with naught but perversion and debauchery. If the evil that permeates this place is affecting me like this so soon, then He must have become far more powerful than we feared.' Despite her thoughts, Lauren’s step stayed true as she tracked her way down hall after hall. Outside, the castle’s stones all seemed looming and ominous… But inside, walls even moved and swayed in the constant swirl of foulness that surrounded everything. Each stone seemed to have a thousand screaming faces, all calling out for salvation, all giving the impression that this manor was a maze more than a castle. But Faust needed no guide. At each and every junction, one path always stood out: the one with a dead body strung in the arch. No species was spared in this - some bodies she even recognized. Always disemboweled, with their intestines hanging from their exposed stomachs. Always screaming in terror when they died, fear etched onto their faces. He knew she would be the one to come, and had left a trail for her. A particular body stood out, being the only one that still retained its eyeballs. As Faust walked past the body, that she refused to think of as a she or a he, as someone instead of something; the eyes moved to follow her, their pupils widening ever so slowly. ‘They still live somehow. Sickening.’ She fought the urge to release her last meal on the tainted ground of the Castle. However, even that idea no longer felt good, as though the food had rotted away while sitting inside her. The horrors that her host had prepared for her got exponentially worse as she got closer to Him. It took a considerable amount of willpower to keep her composure when she reached the only closed door she had seen so far. Calling what laid in front of her a door was an understatement, though. The massive gate made of heavily ornamented pitch black steel could have crushed an adult dragon under its weight. Unrecognizable symbols covered the door, along with many more she did recognize: languages of deceit and destruction. As she approached, the door opened inwards on it’s own. Smoky tendrils crept on the floor near her hooves, before flinching back from her radiance and allowing access to the room beyond. The room was filled with pure darkness, in such a ways that even the sacred light Faust emitted did nothing to disperse the ambient obscurity. “Halt.” Red eyes opened above her, 15 feet away. “You know what brings me here.” “Glad to see you’ve come around,” said a voice Faust knew too well. “As though I had a choice, Tirek! Let us hear your proposal then.” “You already know it. You’ve heard of the “Games Gods Play.” I propose that we engage in this - but with a few...tweaks.” His voice echoed in the absence of light, doubling as though he spoke twice at once. “Such as?” “First: You and I will not be the only players. Anyone with enough power to summon a being from the elsewhere can play and reap the rewards. Second: No player can summon a champion that could defeat mine the moment they are brought to our world. Third: Your champion must be either a human or a native of our world. Fourth: This game will take place on the floating island, Atlantis. If your champion leaves the continent you are disqualified.” “Do I have to change the one I bring into something else like the players of old?” “Why wouldn’t you? Humans are weak, fragile. We make them better when we change them. Stronger, faster. Crueler.” A white jagged smile grew below the two glowing embers. “Very well then. I agree to your terms. Let this game take place.” Smiling so widely that his teeth blinded Faust with her own light, Tirek stated: “You have sealed your land’s fate, miserable equine. Now, begone!” The eyes and teeth faded in the dark with the demon’s laugh, before something tugged at Faust’s stomach. She grimaced in pain, but it was over as quickly as it began. When she opened her eyes again, she was two miles away from the castle, which now shrouded itself in darkness. Turning back, she started walking on the long road leading to her homeland. 'Who can I ask for help? There is no way I can do this alone...' When the stars, previously hidden by the gloom of the castle, came into view; Faust looked up as though deciding which one to pull her unfortunate piece from. One thought rose above all the others: “What sorts of evil have I just unleashed?” A blonde head peered out at the stars before her. The military woman was deep in thought as she scanned the emptiness beyond the reinforced window. Five years they had been adrift, unable to find a suitable planet to live on. Her people, the last dregs of humanity’s once great intergalactic nation, had been forced off their homeworld by civil war, never to return. The human empire had crumbled, infighting for power destroying world after world until it had finally reached hers. This ship, renamed “Noah’s Cradle” after it was refitted to hold the 5000 current passengers, was the only one that had left the planet unscathed and carried all of the remaining civilians and around 300 military personnel. Food and supplies had been a major concern while leaving, as they were forced to leave hurriedly and without proper stocking time. Thankfully, while no planets had been suitable for settlement, plenty of planets had the proper resources to resupply with and that had kept them alive.         Megan sighed. She had lead her people for all 5 of these years, since just before they departed. Five years of birth and death. Five years where children born had known nothing but the emptiness of space. No grass, no trees, not even pets. Only technology, around and in every corner. Five years of watching her new people adapt to a life no one should live. In that time, she had become friends with a sizeable chunk of the personnel and passengers. Some, she had known before the fall. Others were officers placed under her command after she was chosen. More still were civilians she encountered as she walked the halls. That was her one relief. Since they were nomads and had yet to encounter any other civilizations - human or otherwise - she had not had any political or diplomatic pressure to withstand. Her only goal was to maintain the lives or her shipspeople and find a new home. That spare time had gone to companionship and camaraderie, for which she was very grateful. While she was considered more than capable as a leader, the stress often got to her, even with her advisors and subordinates. During the times she felt worst, a lengthy stroll through the ship not only reminded her of her purpose but allowed her to mingle with the average person. This always made her day just a little bit better. A beep dragged Megan’s attention away from the stars and to her console behind her. A new resource planet had been found, though, again, scans indicated its lack of suitability for settlement. She confirmed the request to obtain resources from the planet. While they weren’t low at the moment, their stores could still use the boost. Shutting the visuals down, Megan left her surprisingly cushy office - cushy in that she had a padded chair - and made her way to the nearby elevator. Her office was the only room on this level of the ship, near the “top” as determined by their gravity setup. Ten propulsion engines sat at the stern of the ship for slow spaceflight purposes, though each was still about ten times as powerful as a full set of boosters used during the original testing hundreds of years previous, when man still sat on a single planet. Technology had progressed vastly since those years, and humanity had spread over a number of galaxies. Most of this was made possible by the invention of the Prime Reality Zero Navigator (P.R.Z.N.), a form of faster than light travel the was more akin to dimensional shifting than an expression of speed. Those early years of human expansion had been fraught with peril, as a number of alien civilizations went to war with the budding intergalactic people. But humanity prevailed, much as it always had, and took its place amongst the ever-growing universe. In fact, a war with Tragellians was what had first sparked the idea of revolution in some sectors of human existence. The rebellion grew large enough to fight against the rest of the people and soon a civil war had begun. Her planet was one of the last to fall. The rebels had struck hard and fast, giving them little time to complete preparations for the assault and their own escape. So, here they were, floating in space. Just as Megan stepped into the bridge to check in with the current course through the galaxy, a helmsman paged her. “Ma’am, we nee- oh, you’re here.” He and the rest of the crew present immediately saluted. “At ease. Yes, what did you need?” “Shortly after we discovered the planet, something caught our attention on the scopes. Something out there is emitting light and it’s too small to be a star or even another ship. It’s approaching our coordinates.” “Show it on screen.” The bridge window morphed into an array of the stars before her. At first she saw nothing more than the stars she had mulled over not ten minutes ago. However, the object in question became obvious within a moment, as the speed at which the light was moving was far faster than she would have thought possible, even faster than some of their own space fighters. “Prepare to defend the ship but do not attack. Let’s see if whatever it is tries to commu-” A voice echoed in her head. Greetings. I come in peace. However, my form is likely strange to you and so I wish to make myself known to you and your crew beforehand. You already know of my presence in the void. Please allow me to enter your ship. I have a proposal, one that will help us both immensely, I hope. The voice ended abruptly, shaking Megan out of her stupor. Never before had they encountered a psychic being, not one that could simply enter one’s mind at will like that. Certainly, some alien races had possessed some form of mental communication but they had not been able to do so without permission from the person. Whatever this thing was, it worried her. “Crew, report. How many experienced a mental intrusion just now? Are there any readings at all of energy or something else?” Every officer present concurred but no readings of any kind made themselves known to the ship’s equipment. “Wonderful. Keep an eye on the object and let me know where it approaches. I will arrive at the port to confront or welcome whatever is there.” With that, she left the bridge, leaving whispers in her wake as she went to retrieve her combat gear. Megan was known not only as the leader but also the most experienced soldier on the ship. Indeed, that was why she was placed in charge, as her skills in battle had been surpassed by no human they had ever known. Tales of her battles were the stuff of human legends, due in part to her mastery of 20 different styles of martial arts and expert training for every weapon known to man. To see her in action was truly an honor, so the crew were understandably excited. Not to say that Megan enjoyed the attention. Being known for power in battle was not something she was fond of. Conflict was a natural part of the universe but that didn’t make it any more desirable. Plus, some of the stories about her simply weren’t true or were vehemently exaggerated. Shortly after retrieving her gear, she received a page telling her where the creature had approached. As she traveled there quickly, she got a description of its appearance - which seemed like something out of a fairy tale. In fact, Megan did not quite believe it until she arrived and the shining being entered her hold, surrounded by twenty-odd soldiers gaping in wonder. At first glance, it looked like some kind of cartoon horse. Sporting pale cream fur with a deep red mane and tail, the equine sported a foot long horn of matching color and two wings, as though it were some strange amalgamation of pegasus and unicorn, ancient myths in human lore. It stood at almost the same height as Megan, who measured in at 5’ 7”. As it reached five feet from the human leader, Megan spoke. “Halt. What business do you have on Noah’s Cradle?” The creature smiled at Megan as it spoke. “My apologies. I know this must seem very strange to you all but again, I mean no harm. My name is Lauren Faust. You could say that I am a god. As I said, I have a proposal for your drifting race - a permanent home.” Megan was taken aback by her knowledge of them. Even more so, a god? Humanity had their fair share of religions but certainly none had any kind of horse worship. Being a god would explain the creature’s knowledge, a female if the voice was accurate, but if she were a god, what could she hope to accomplish with them? “A proposal. What is it? If you are a god, can you not simply solve all your own problems?” A pained look crossed the mare’s face as Megan spoke. At least, the creature sounded like a female and she was horse-like enough in appearance. “Unfortunately, that is not the case. I have been forced to take a challenge from a being of evil incarnate, lest he destroys the world in a war. This ‘Chess Game’, as beings of power have taken to calling it, requires a god to pick a 'piece' to represent them. The piece who wins - the last one standing as it were - is often granted one wish as limited by the power of their chess master. What I propose is this: You shall be my piece and win, thus saving my world. In return, you and your people will be allowed to settle on Equis. It should be completely fit for your people to settle on, though the gravity might be a little less than what you’re used to.” A home. No longer would they have to float about amongst the stars, wandering from planet to planet in hopes of a suitable site for civilization. They could be done and thrive again. “What do I have to do?” Megan asked. “Wait! General! Why can’t one of us-” “No. This ship, these people - They are my burden. This ship can operate without me. Certainly, all of you agree that I would be the best qualified for a game of fighting, no?” There was murmured assent. “Besides, our guest here seems to be asking me anyway, correct?” “Yes, Megan. You would be my choice. You will come?” Megan nodded and Faust’s muzzle melted with relief. “Thank the heavens. I fear I would not be able to find a more suitable candidate anywhere.” “Will you give me some time to compose the ship for my departure, and get things I will need for the game?” “Yes, take your time; however, I will have to limit what you bring to the game. There is one more condition put forth by Tirek, my opponent. ‘No piece can be more powerful than mine when the game begins.’ I will not be able to allow you any of your weaponry beyond perhaps a small knife. I am sorry.” Megan frowned. “Only a knife?” Faust nodded. “Can I bring other things that aren’t weapons?” “Only what you can carry in your clothing.” “Alright. What can you tell me about where I’m going to be and how this whole thing works? Also, soldier, take my armaments and return them to the commissar.” The soldier saluted and left with the weapons Megan had brought in case of a confrontation. “Theoretically, the last piece standing is the winner. However, this does not mean you have to kill other pieces. Surrendering to you will serve the same purpose. If you can get a piece to acquiesce to this, you won’t have to kill them. Two other gods have joined my side and they have yet to choose their pieces. both pieces will likely be members of a race called cynogriffins on Equis. They will look like large wolves with wings to you. The continent you will be playing on - and which you cannot leave - is called Atlantis, and these beings make their home there. The wolves are very territorial; most of their race is violent and incredibly fast. The island itself is temperate and you should be able to find what you need to survive on it. Oh, it also floats a mile above sea level. Finally, I would recommend you bring some way of contacting your ship, as I am not sure of how your coordinate system works. When you arrive, let them trace you and they can make their way to Equis.” Megan was glad for Faust’s concise report of the playing field. She now had a list of gear to equip herself with. Thankfully, military jackets were very spacious, enough to contain what she needed.. “Soldier, retrieve a basic survival kit and six MREs from the commissar. Lady Faust, I will return in a few minutes once I have addressed the ship and dressed for the mission.” “I await your return.” With that, Megan turned and made her way back to her office. Her mind consistently returned to her new job and its returns. A home. We can finally settle! Our own land, grass under our feet, blue sky above. A home! While she was able to contain her mirth from her features, she felt fit to burst into gymnastics from the marvel of a new goal, one that was manageable and specific, quantifiable.  After retrieving her military fatigues from the closet and redressing in them, Megan prepared for an impromptu speech to display throughout the ship.When she was ready, she typed some commands into her console and turned to face the camera. She smiled. “My friends! My shipmates! I have an announcement of utmost important. For five years we have wandered space. Five years of searching. Five years of degrading culture, of subsistence living. Soon however, this shall pass and we shall leave this empty living behind. I have received an offer and for it, I must leave the ship in your care. I don’t know how long I will be done. It may be a couple of weeks, maybe some months. However, you will receive a distress beacon from me once I have left. Make way for that planet. By the time you arrive, I will have completed this mission. While I will miss you all dearly, my heart is glad to bring you a new age. The rulers of that planet will allow us to settle and rebuild. No longer will we work in an airtight metal ship. No longer will we scrounge around planets for food and fuel. We will be free of our self-imposed confinement. We shall prosper! We shall be whole again.” Megan cut the feed and returned to the dock below. The ship vibrated around her and echoes of their cheers made their way to her ears from all around. Megan returned to Faust and rearranged the knife, kits and food brought to her by the soldiers. “I am ready.” “Are you sure?” Faust asked. Megan nodded. “I have never been more sure of anything in my life. You have offered my people salvation. We will be forever in your debt.” “Very well then. Let us depart.” A bright flash enveloped Faust and Megan, leaving the soldiers with empty floor where their leader once stood.