Beasts of Chaos

Beasts of Chaos

         Ignas was excited. Finally she had given him free roam of the Old Library, it felt like his first time in the mines, the raw untapped power of the place, the sheer enormity of it all, the awe. He felt a sudden pang of homesickness at that but it was brushed aside as he paced steadily onwards. Looking up and around at the marvellous structure he thought it was by far the most beautiful of all the things he had seen in this Auzjere city, this Eden. The Auzjere had always had a talent for architecture that put the works of Man to shame. Creating more with their power and understanding of elements and mathematics than humanity with their simple minds could ever accomplish.

         He was always a little surprised when he found himself looking down upon his own people the way the Auzjere did, but he no longer felt guilty. It was one of the reasons he, and others like him had been taken by the Auzjere after all, so that the two races might come to enough of an understanding to rid themselves of their resentment and their prejudice. They recognized in Ignas and those few others that precious and rare trait, the kind of curiosity only sentient beings had, the desire to know more, to understand the world around them and apply that knowledge to better themselves and their people. Knowledge was power after all, and it was no coincidence that the Auzjere where in abundance of both things.

         The Old Library was lit primarily by two conflicting sources of light. At floor level and along the great swerving flights of stair and the railing of the balconies above, there were small floating globes of light, which flickered their warm amber glow throughout the room as sporadically as any candle flame. Looking up, up, up, along the great round stone pillars embossed with the colourful splashes of various emblems, both structurally important and artistic, from the great curves and arches of stone to the bluish black sheen of tantagium was a glow as deep blue and magical in its clarity as a cloudless sky. It pulsed slowly and silently as if it were alive, brighter, then slowly, slowly…darker. It was the light given off by the spellformed Solifius in the New Library above.

         The Auzjeres greatest accomplishment was the Science of Spellformation -a science that they claimed was far superior to the humans mechanical devices-. It was what they called their manipulations of the great Solifius Stones. His mind was flung once more to that world -that life- far, far below amongst the trees, the beasts, the rivers and lakes, the Rolling Dark, and the mines. Within those mines they were digging up the Solifius, and as Mining Chief he had overseen it all. Those stones burned with such ferociously blinding light, light as fierce as if you were standing right next to the Sun -the real Sun, the Sun which flaunted its power as it danced across the sky, not the weakly crawling globe of dimness you saw at ground level- so fierce was that light that -unprotected- it would burn out the eyes leaving you in the terrifying grip of blindness as it burnt and bubbled the flesh as you writhed in the agony of its light before finally expiring. But they called that the Swift Death, the Merciful Death. While shielding ones self from the light was a simple enough task, the Stone threw off another kind of energy, an energy that would creep through inadequate shielding like water through a crack, slowly, silently, insinuating itself into the body. Into the heart, the lungs, the bones, the brain, the blood, everything that was required to live. And during its occupation it would corrupt and destroy and create in that individual an unendurable agony which ripped through them until they were naught but hollow, wretched, husks. That was the Slow Death.

         But the Stones were from a time before Humanity, and the Auzjere were from a time before the Stones. They saw them fall, they feared and worshipped the Stone. They made their Rule of Stone as the legendary Five Seers revealed to them that these things were the result of Gods presence upon the mortal realm. How Gods Champion, imbued with the power of the sun had come, and fought the battle, and how even in death Magnus had spread his Order, purging the taint of Chaos from Raned, the one, true World.

         Then the Auzjere, as time moved on, began to change their views. Powerful as it was, the Stone was merely stone. They saw it as a gift from God and they took it. They accepted it into themselves, they changed it somehow so that it would not destroy them but instead give them its power. And after that First Manipulation the Auzjere became supreme. Without the fears and wants of animals they devoted themselves to a cause greater than the span of a single life. The Pursuit. Of knowledge, of understanding…everything that it was possible for mortal beings to understand.

         More than their First Manipulation, more than their great cities that sat above the clouds, than any of the wondrous devices they had created. That blue glowing thing in the New Library was the pinnacle of Auzjere achievements. Or at least Ignas thought it was.

         It would be more correct to say it was their most important achievement, the thing that made their Pursuit possible. That would allow them to achieve ultimate understanding.

         They had nicknamed it The Spire.

         It’s real name, like so many things after the First Manipulation, could not be expressed by mere words, it was much too profoundly complex. The mechanisms by which it functioned was almost abstract, the thing spoke, -which in Ignas’ opinion was not something rocks should do- but it spoke in the way of the Auzjere where mere words were inadequate. Some wondered if it really was alive. Fundamentally, it was a repository of thought. It stored the memories, the knowledge of Auzjeres long past, it delved into the past itself to grasp that knowledge, to grasp the very lives, the souls of the dead. And it could use that knowledge to provide projections for the future. Some had even dared to compare the accuracy of the thing to the Five Seers themselves, it had never made a false prediction and it had been used a number of times to successfully predict events in the future and provide solutions to problems of the present. At the Spires peak was the council chamber. There the keenest and most respected minds in Eden -and in fact, (being the capital), the entire Auzjere race- gathered and linked their minds with that of the Spire. Through that link they sent forth their will throughout the Auzjere civilization, communing, commanding action, and whatever else they needed to do. It was said that the connection was so powerful they could move the world with their minds.

         Of course that was an exaggeration though, it had to be.

         He would link his mind to the Spire one day but he wasn’t ready. That was to say Inua, his instructor, said he wasn’t ready. Supposedly the weaknesses of the human mind - far inferior to the multidimensional enormity that was the Auzjere mind- could allow an untrained individual to become lost within the vast depth of that thing. That they could not find their entry point into the Spire, could not find their body as their mind wandered the timeless depths, destined to walk with the dead forever, while the body withered away to nothingness. It was a frightening notion, enough to keep him far away from the Spire while his curiosity thirsted until the day it would finally be quenched.

         Ah but this was not bad at all. Ignas thought.

         The Old Library was massive after all, the shelves upon shelves all around the round chamber were filled with too many books to ready in one lifetime. Scattered about were dark stained and polished wooden tables -probably made by human hands- with smooth curving and cushioned chairs to match. It all sat atop bright red carpet with intricate designs in yellow lines, the imitation candle light giving the place a calm and cozy feel.

         He didn’t know quite where to begin.

         Inua had given him many books from the library to read, books on the elements, mathematics, history, theory, all of which pertained to his lessons. But this was intended as a gift for him, for his exceptional work. He guessed that she thought he was handling his lessons well enough to take a break -he had already passed others who had been here years before him after all- and deserved a little leisure time.

         Not all their lessons had been lecturing and reading texts, and talking and writing about them though. The times he most enjoyed was when they would roam the vast hallways -far too vast for the few that inhabited the city he thought- and she would take him to the city center, a vast column of empty space rising up and through all the levels of the city. She would hold him under the armpits like a babe with those strange orange-ish hands, beat her great wings, and with a whoosh of pristinely white feathers they would be off and upwards. And when she at last set him down they would be in the Gardens of Eden.

         Out of the things he had been taught he had learned that the air was thinner the higher up from ground you went, but up above the clouds the air was somehow warm and he had never had any trouble breathing and the plants seemed to thrive in the constant sunlight. He had never seen anything like it in the world below, where what few small plants there were seemed on the verge of death as they reached feebly towards the dim light through the veil of darkness that shrouded them all. But here there were colours. He had seen flowers and broad leafed plants before but never like these. Sometimes Inua would points things out to him as they walked, but mostly he would peer and gasp in awe as they wandered the fields above the clouds and enjoyed the sunlight, so much brighter than the sun he had seen for most of his life, and breathe air cleaner and purer, sweeter than any air he had ever breathed. And sometimes if he was fast enough, if he looked around at just the right moment and did not let his mind give him away, he could catch Inua smiling at him. It seemed the strangest thing for an Auzjere to do, it was a beautiful thing, that the Gardens might awaken her to the beauty of life, if only for a few moments. In that smile he felt the warmth of hope burning inside him, that Human and Auzjere might resolve their difference, that one day they could all live in these great cities, and walk the Gardens of Eden together. No longer would his people have to live on the cusp between life and death, no longer would they die mining the Solifius for the Auzjeres spellformations, no longer prey for the Darklings. That work could be left to the Auzjeres Constructs and the humans machines.

         But they wouldn’t abandon the world below to the Rolling Darkness, as they walked those gardens together and rejoiced in the beauty of life they would find a way -together- to rid the world of that darkness, rid it of the impenetrable Nether Regions and of the beasts, the Darklings.

         He truly believed it was possible, just remembering Inua’s smile he thought anything was possible.

         His thoughts had brought him to a crescent shaped bookshelf a little bit taller than himself. Well, this looks like as good a place as any to start, he thought. He looked to the central section of the shelf, there were many books of identical size, at first he thought they were different volumes of a series by their different colours, but each book had the exact same title. Beasts of Chaos.

         His hand moved forward and when it retracted he was holding a thin blue book with gold lettering. He could tell by just flipping it open and looking at the format that it was a story. He supposed Auzjere must tell stories just like humans to entertain themselves and express their ideals and he needed a break from history and theory anyways. He noticed that while the copy he was holding looked almost brand new, some of the others were very old indeed. It was mind boggling to think of how many Auzjere must have read this book over the ages, he wondered why Inua had never mentioned it but the thought only served to further intrigue him.

         Clapping the book closed between his hands resolutely, he walked over and placed it on a nearby table and sat down bending over it. He shuffled through the first couple of pages, mostly just the authors notes, and his name “Satrise Almeagis” nothing particularly interesting. He turned to the next page, the intricate characters of the Auzjere language seemed to swim before his eyes until he could understand them as well as his native tongue. Finally he allowed himself to lean back into the chair, let the cushions wrap their comfort around him, and held the book up before his eyes.

         And so it begins:


         A long, long time ago, in the old days, before the Cities and even before the Towers, there was a great tree.

         Now, many of you may know about this tree from stories past, but for those of you who don’t, listen well.

         You would see this tree in a space surrounded by great tall mountains. It’s bark was harder than steel and grew in great ropes rising up the trunk, winding around the branches. At it’s roots were rivers and valleys, forests and meadows. Somewhere along the trunk the other half was hidden by clouds; but on a clear day you could look up, and up, and up, all the way to the top where you would see leaves the size of lakes and more fruit than you could count, fruit of all sizes shapes and colours.

         Of course this was no ordinary tree that grew so big, this was the tree of a god, and that god was Sate. It was she who sacrificed herself, and from that sacrifice Ranis, Tree of Life was born.

         The fruits contained the seeds for all the life that would ever be, and when the fruit ripened and fell a new creature would grow from the seeds.

         Now one fruit in particular we must pay close attention to. This fruit is red and shiny and almost ripe. It is not a very big fruit compared to some of its fellows in the upper boughs of Ranis, but nor is it small. Furthermore it is a strong fruit, not thick skinned, but tough nonetheless. For now we will call it Tough Red.

         While Tough Red and the other Fruits of Life were at the top of Ranis, at the bottom there was also something else. Although Ranis was the greatest among them, Sate had many children. These lesser trees and holy spirits watched over their elder, they caught the fruit as they fell, for it was quite a long way to fall, and generally made sure everything was in order. More of Sates children, seeds yet unborn, remained dormant for when the need arised for another Guardian of Life to guide and protect a new species.

         For a long, long time all was well, but one day an ill wind swept across the surface of Raned.

         This was the wind of Chaos. It only darkened the world for an instant, but it was just long enough for it to taint Ranis with its vile touch.

         That was when the Tree of Life began to die.

         Many things were left untouched by Chaos, this is because Chaos was created as a weapon against God, to corrupt everything touched by Him. Most things, being separate from the energies which created them, simply did not have powers significant enough to be effected.

         To Ranis and its siblings however, Chaos was like a horrible disease, killing off the weakest among them until only Ranis remained.

         Yet even as the winds died down Ranis was doomed. The taint of Chaos spread through the deep, deep roots and up the tall, tall trunk. Poisoned, the Fruits of Life began to wither and die.

         Ranis knew that the only hope for its children was to cut them off from its nurturing energies. So those fruit still remaining began to plummet to the earth below.

         With no more godlings left to catch them however, the fruit died in the fall.

         Tough Red would have shared the same fate if it was not for Sprytli. A seed of Sate buried far enough underground so as not to feel the effects of the wind of Chaos.

         Not a moment too soon, Sprytli emerged from the earth, spreading his branches and catching Tough Red in his tender embrace.

         While those few seeds that survived the fall crawled away weak and wounded, Sprytli fed and cared for Tough Red until finally two creatures -male and female- emerged from the fruit.

         Sprytli named these creatures Humans.

         Every godling has a trait however, some might say Sprytli is mischievous, some say he is cruel, others say he is just cautious. Either way Sprytli thought that while these creatures looked healthy enough they had not completely escaped the touch of that vile wind that had killed his siblings and his elders, that these, “humans,” were merely beasts of Chaos. So he decided to play a trick to test them.

         While Man slept, Sprytli took Woman and hid her deep within the roots of his tree, placing her in an enchanted sleep.

         When Man awoke with a start he saw Sprytli’s visage before him.

         “Where is Woman?” asked Man.

         “She was ill so I placed her in my roots so that she might recover.” the godling replied. At this Man become terribly distressed.

         “But Woman is strong, surely she will get better.” he asked more than stated.

         “No, it is not a worldly sickness but a plague from Hell that threatens her.” Sprytli turned his face away, placing a hand over his mouth as he smiled at his cleverness. “Even in my shelter I am not sure she will survive.” and he noted most curiously that Man began to weep.

         “I cannot be without my mate! Surely there must be something that can be done?”

         “Yes, I think there is,” the godling chose his next words carefully, “There is a ceremony that can be performed to gain Seinfires attention, for only God can save her now. It is a difficult trial for any mortal being however, and you may not be able to complete it…” Man puffed out his chest at this then spoke loudly and clearly.

         “I am swifter than deer, stronger than bear, and more cunning than wolf! So just tell me what I must do godling, for I am Man and great is my power!”

         And great is your pride, Sprytli chuckled to himself. “Very well, I will tell you what you must do. First-”

         “Yes?” Man interrupted.

         “First you must hop on one foot, pat your head, and rub your stomach all at once!” Sprytli said with a flourish. Man did as he was told and Sprytli tried mightily to contain his mirth. He held up a hand to stop, “Second, you must go into the Great Desert, and stay there until you can communicate with the Fire Spirit. I will watch you from afar and when the task is complete I shall tell you what to do next.”

         “Very well…but how much time does She have?”

         “Worry not (stupid beast) for while my shelter will not cure her, it will stop the sickness from causing further damage for as long as She sleeps.”

         With that reassurance, Man gathered a few possessions and set off for the Great Desert. He brought food and water, but even so he was not prepared for an enemy as great as the Elements. In his plight Man called out to Sprytli for guidance, and soon the godlings figure appeared.

         “What is troubling you?” Sprytli asked, he tried to keep his voice calm but the words sounded bitter in his ears. It was painful for him to suddenly be so far away from his tree. Man seemed not to notice however.

         “Oh Sprytli! The wind stings my eyes, the sun burns my skin, and the sand cuts my flesh! I have not enough water to last much longer here, I need your guidance.” said he.

         “I had hoped the Fire Spirit would take notice of you now, but seeing you in such plight you may need to take a shortcut.” said Sprytli.

         “Shortcut? What do you mean?”

         “Normally, enduring its trials would be rewarded with the Fire Spirits praise. Lacking that you would need to speak with it through a vision.” he had made no plans but continued to weave his carpet of lies as he went along.

         “You mean like a dream?”

         “Almost, but this would be no mere dream. You would walk the spirit world as you slept.” the lie was complete in his mind now and he awaited the inevitable question. How this beast loves to question! He thought.

         “How do I do this?” in response Sprytli handed Man a rock.

         “Strike yourself about the head with this as hard as you can. You will sleep and then the visions will come.” This was the kind of test Sprytli had been waiting for. In a battle between passion and reason which would win? Would he take the words on faith or try for the most rational approach? Man hesitated then finally held the rock up above his head.

         “Very well, I will do what I must to save Woman.” and brought the rock down on his head; falling to the ground face first immediately after. Sprytli watched the rock roll a little ways down a hill of sand with sadness in his eyes.

         “In this contest I have won; but what wasted potential! I fear that Man may be destined to wander the world alone for ever, an idiot that would so wilfully harms itself without truly justified reason or rationale. Believing every lie that…


         A sudden painful stab in his head caused Ignas to suddenly slam the slender book closed. His head snapped up and he saw Inua frowning as she landed on the side of the table opposite him. As she perched on the edge of the table her wings slowly folded and he was captured in her gaze. Those unblinking, milky, pupil less eyes boring into his own dark brown orbs. He could shield his thoughts from her if he chose to, but right now he had nothing to hide and was too startled to concentrate anyways. He noted with displeasure that he had a few pages still left to go. He thought to open the blue book up once more to find his place, but Inuas talon-like hand snapped it out of his grasp. He was about to argue with her, but as his questions passed from his mind to hers he noticed that her normally fair orange skin was flushed, turning those strangely perfect features pink.

         She was angry with him but he didn't know why.

         He sighed with relief as he felt her ease out of his mind and step off of the table. Though they communicated mentally quite often during their lessons, it still made him uncomfortable to have another person inside his head with him.

         “When I gave you admission to the library I didn’t expect you to waste your time reading children’s books.” while mental communication seemed sudden and straining to Ignas, Inuas smooth silken voice -even irritated as it was- always calmed him. He visibly relaxed, sitting back in his chair and smiling stupidly. Inua calmed as well, perching on the edge of a seat, the flush leaving features as smooth as her voice.

         By the time the book left Inuas hands and flew back to its place on the shelf Ignas had already forgotten about it.

         “Play time is over for today Ignas.” her face and tone were unreadable. Ignas wondered if Auzjere ever used sarcasm, or if they merely thought such wordplay was a waste of time. If they knew exactly what the other was thinking the opportunity seldom presented itself he supposed.

         “I didn’t realize how late it was. This Eden seems too big for mere legs and feet to explore.” and indeed Inua had to carry him quite often or it would take him ages to get from one end to the other.

         “Let us get going then, I will give you more time tomorrow.” she allowed herself a small smile as she made the promise. To Ignas’s pleasure such gestures were becoming more and more frequent. He believed that they were coming closer together, not merely instructor and student but true friends.

         Or maybe she only did it because it made Ignas complacent.

         You could never be sure where Auzjere were concerned.