Adventures Across The Multiverse

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

“Of course,” the Elemental Spirit replied with a smirk.

“So, what did you learn?”

“We were right,” Pergos answered. “Demanitus used this device to open rifts in the universe, most often to that pocket dimension he used as a prison, but not just to there, and he used it a lot. The most recent usage of the device by the Princess tore open another rift, and that’s what allowed the ghostly witch lady to escape.”

“So now this entire place is a web of barely sealed tears in the fabric of space just waiting to be torn open,” Arelan surmised.

“Pretty much. Hopefully your crazy plan works. You know that this machine isn’t exactly built for stealth, right?”

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

His suspicion, of course, had to do with a memory of when he was little, and he had overheard his father and some old battle buddies discussing a mysterious opal and Quirin’s encounter with it. That is to say he had been effectually blasted by its energy and taken the full brunt of any resulting radiation. The men had played it off like a joke, some distant nightmare that could not hurt them, but Varian had always wondered if this strange rock had something to do with why he and his father looked and acted very different.

He couldn’t prove anything conclusively, so he had dropped it, but it had always nagged him in the back of his mind, like an itch he couldn’t scratch.

And now it felt much to intimate to be discussing with a stranger, even if the man had freed him.

“This way,” he said, leading him to the underground dungeon residing parallel to the wall that hid the device.

He knew enough about the underground tunnels and the lore surrounding the device to surmise they were in the correct area, and was rewarded for his educated guesses when he leaned against a patch of bricks that felt…off. Pressing them with his finger tips, a symbol on them glowed and the wall moved, giving way to a giant room.

Varian couldn’t contain the gasp of wonder that escaped him at the sight.

Arelan whistled in appreciation as the wall gave way, revealing the Demanitus Device. He had heard plenty about it of course, but seeing it in person was something else. Even dormant, the massive construct of magic and machinery was truly a sight to behold. The amount of time, intellect, and magical power required to make such a marvel was staggering to imagine.

And of course, Pergos was already there. “Took you two long enough,” the Elemental Spirit chided as he leaned against the mechanism. Well, sort of leaned. As real as he appeared, Pergos was incorporeal. Looking carefully, Arelan could make out the small sliver of space between his SoulAlly and the object he was supposedly leaning against. For a reason Arelan had yet to decipher, Pergos liked to act as human as possible despite his ethereal nature.

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

He was too exhausted and weak to react much further than surveying Arelan with cold, blue eyes.

Kid?

“You don’t look much older than I am,” he observed, his tone steely. His gaze wandered over the scene: the hole in the floor, the boy appearing above it, and the general lack of a reaction from the palace guards, which was strange because the break in had been quite noisy. How had he managed this at all, let alone without being caught?

Still…life didn’t just go around handing people ex machinas without a catch.

“Good? I like to think so,” Arelan replied. “No clue what a Samaritan is though. But yes, I have reasons to help you. Think of it as a favor for a favor. I get out of here, and you help me with a problem of mine. We don’t really have the time to discuss the details here, but suffice to say it requires a man of your skills.”

No matter what this strange person’s conditions, it couldn’t be worse than staying here.

“Fine! …fine. I’ll do it. Let’s go.”

He leaped into the crevice, following him out through the tunnel from which he’d come. His heart slammed against his ribs, and he coughed as the dust of the underground earth filled his lungs, but even as it did, he had to admit, freedom had never smelled sweeter.

By the time the Captain and his guards discovered he was gone, Varian and Arelan were too far away for it to make a difference.

He winced, pushing the thought away.

“Fine, I’ll take a look, but I’m not sure I can do anything with these manicles, you know?” His voice bitter as he held them out and shook them, the iron clanking with the movement.

As he did, a purple… something, he wasn’t sure what… materialized from thin air.

“Fair points…I guess,” he replied, rubbing his sore and red wrists. “Thanks,” he added grudgingly.

“You’ll have to forgive my suspicion, though. You said you weren’t from around here and your behavior is extremely unorthodox. Let’s start with your powers. How do they work, exactly?”

“I’m a Soulweaver,” he answered. “Soulweavers get their power by binding themselves to an Elemental Spirit, who becomes their SoulAlly. We can weave with soulthreads, the material that makes up souls, to create temporary constructs like my SoulClaws or magical clothing like the kind I’m wearing.” He gestured with the still active SoulClaw at his long coat. “Through our connection with our SoulAlly we are also connected to the Plane of Elemental Spirits, which grants us some… other abilities.” He closed his eyes for a moment and he vanished, reappearing less than a second later several feet away.

He paced a small circle around him, hand on his narrow chin in thought, lips pulled downward in a contemplative frown. “It seems that the word ‘soul’ might be subjective.”

He stepped back to give him some room, not wanting to give his benefactor second thoughts about freeing him.

“So if it’s frowned upon,” he asked with a sly little grin. “Why do you do it?” 

Varian’s soul was bright, the electric yellow light coming from it revealing a natural connection to the element of Energy. It made sense, with a creative mind like his. The element of Energy has always been connected with creativity and invention. But what concerned him was the darkness he saw there. So much corruption had already found a place there. Anger, pain, fear, betrayal, revenge. Too much of it for someone his age.

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

He was too exhausted and weak to react much further than surveying Arelan with cold, blue eyes.

Kid?

“You don’t look much older than I am,” he observed, his tone steely. His gaze wandered over the scene: the hole in the floor, the boy appearing above it, and the general lack of a reaction from the palace guards, which was strange because the break in had been quite noisy. How had he managed this at all, let alone without being caught?

Still…life didn’t just go around handing people ex machinas without a catch.

“Good? I like to think so,” Arelan replied. “No clue what a Samaritan is though. But yes, I have reasons to help you. Think of it as a favor for a favor. I get out of here, and you help me with a problem of mine. We don’t really have the time to discuss the details here, but suffice to say it requires a man of your skills.”

No matter what this strange person’s conditions, it couldn’t be worse than staying here.

“Fine! …fine. I’ll do it. Let’s go.”

He leaped into the crevice, following him out through the tunnel from which he’d come. His heart slammed against his ribs, and he coughed as the dust of the underground earth filled his lungs, but even as it did, he had to admit, freedom had never smelled sweeter.

By the time the Captain and his guards discovered he was gone, Varian and Arelan were too far away for it to make a difference.

He winced, pushing the thought away.

“Fine, I’ll take a look, but I’m not sure I can do anything with these manicles, you know?” His voice bitter as he held them out and shook them, the iron clanking with the movement.

As he did, a purple… something, he wasn’t sure what… materialized from thin air.

“Fair points…I guess,” he replied, rubbing his sore and red wrists. “Thanks,” he added grudgingly.

“You’ll have to forgive my suspicion, though. You said you weren’t from around here and your behavior is extremely unorthodox. Let’s start with your powers. How do they work, exactly?”

“I’m a Soulweaver,” he answered. “Soulweavers get their power by binding themselves to an Elemental Spirit, who becomes their SoulAlly. We can weave with soulthreads, the material that makes up souls, to create temporary constructs like my SoulClaws or magical clothing like the kind I’m wearing.” He gestured with the still active SoulClaw at his long coat. “Through our connection with our SoulAlly we are also connected to the Plane of Elemental Spirits, which grants us some... other abilities.” He closed his eyes for a moment and he vanished, reappearing less than a second later several feet away.

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

He was too exhausted and weak to react much further than surveying Arelan with cold, blue eyes.

Kid?

“You don’t look much older than I am,” he observed, his tone steely. His gaze wandered over the scene: the hole in the floor, the boy appearing above it, and the general lack of a reaction from the palace guards, which was strange because the break in had been quite noisy. How had he managed this at all, let alone without being caught?

Still…life didn’t just go around handing people ex machinas without a catch.

“Good? I like to think so,” Arelan replied. “No clue what a Samaritan is though. But yes, I have reasons to help you. Think of it as a favor for a favor. I get out of here, and you help me with a problem of mine. We don’t really have the time to discuss the details here, but suffice to say it requires a man of your skills.”

No matter what this strange person’s conditions, it couldn’t be worse than staying here.

“Fine! …fine. I’ll do it. Let’s go.”

He leaped into the crevice, following him out through the tunnel from which he’d come. His heart slammed against his ribs, and he coughed as the dust of the underground earth filled his lungs, but even as it did, he had to admit, freedom had never smelled sweeter.

By the time the Captain and his guards discovered he was gone, Varian and Arelan were too far away for it to make a difference.

He winced, pushing the thought away.

“Fine, I’ll take a look, but I’m not sure I can do anything with these manicles, you know?” His voice bitter as he held them out and shook them, the iron clanking with the movement.

As he did, a purple… something, he wasn’t sure what… materialized from thin air.

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

He was too exhausted and weak to react much further than surveying Arelan with cold, blue eyes.

Kid?

“You don’t look much older than I am,” he observed, his tone steely. His gaze wandered over the scene: the hole in the floor, the boy appearing above it, and the general lack of a reaction from the palace guards, which was strange because the break in had been quite noisy. How had he managed this at all, let alone without being caught?

Still…life didn’t just go around handing people ex machinas without a catch.

“Good? I like to think so,” Arelan replied. “No clue what a Samaritan is though. But yes, I have reasons to help you. Think of it as a favor for a favor. I get out of here, and you help me with a problem of mine. We don’t really have the time to discuss the details here, but suffice to say it requires a man of your skills.”

No matter what this strange person’s conditions, it couldn’t be worse than staying here.

“Fine! …fine. I’ll do it. Let’s go.”

He leaped into the crevice, following him out through the tunnel from which he’d come. His heart slammed against his ribs, and he coughed as the dust of the underground earth filled his lungs, but even as it did, he had to admit, freedom had never smelled sweeter.

By the time the Captain and his guards discovered he was gone, Varian and Arelan were too far away for it to make a difference.

He winced, pushing the thought away.

“Fine, I’ll take a look, but I’m not sure I can do anything with these manicles, you know?” His voice bitter as he held them out and shook them, the iron clanking with the movement.

As he did, a purple… something, he wasn’t sure what… materialized from thin air.

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

He was too exhausted and weak to react much further than surveying Arelan with cold, blue eyes.

Kid?

“You don’t look much older than I am,” he observed, his tone steely. His gaze wandered over the scene: the hole in the floor, the boy appearing above it, and the general lack of a reaction from the palace guards, which was strange because the break in had been quite noisy. How had he managed this at all, let alone without being caught?

Still…life didn’t just go around handing people ex machinas without a catch.

“Good? I like to think so,” Arelan replied. “No clue what a Samaritan is though. But yes, I have reasons to help you. Think of it as a favor for a favor. I get out of here, and you help me with a problem of mine. We don’t really have the time to discuss the details here, but suffice to say it requires a man of your skills.”

No matter what this strange person’s conditions, it couldn’t be worse than staying here.

“Fine! …fine. I’ll do it. Let’s go.”

He leaped into the crevice, following him out through the tunnel from which he’d come. His heart slammed against his ribs, and he coughed as the dust of the underground earth filled his lungs, but even as it did, he had to admit, freedom had never smelled sweeter.

By the time the Captain and his guards discovered he was gone, Varian and Arelan were too far away for it to make a difference.

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

He was too exhausted and weak to react much further than surveying Arelan with cold, blue eyes.

Kid?

“You don’t look much older than I am,” he observed, his tone steely. His gaze wandered over the scene: the hole in the floor, the boy appearing above it, and the general lack of a reaction from the palace guards, which was strange because the break in had been quite noisy. How had he managed this at all, let alone without being caught?

Still…life didn’t just go around handing people ex machinas without a catch.

“Good? I like to think so,” Arelan replied. “No clue what a Samaritan is though. But yes, I have reasons to help you. Think of it as a favor for a favor. I get out of here, and you help me with a problem of mine. We don’t really have the time to discuss the details here, but suffice to say it requires a man of your skills.”

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

He was too exhausted and weak to react much further than surveying Arelan with cold, blue eyes.

Kid?

“You don’t look much older than I am,” he observed, his tone steely. His gaze wandered over the scene: the hole in the floor, the boy appearing above it, and the general lack of a reaction from the palace guards, which was strange because the break in had been quite noisy. How had he managed this at all, let alone without being caught?