The Squire's Abode

Anthony jumped at the sudden voice, for a moment his hand twitching to reach for the weapon concealed under his coat, but turning, he found himself able to relax again. From what he could tell, this new face didn’t mean him any harm. 

"Oh my, I apologize for my sudden start and most unwelcome lack of poise and art. Either way, beyond my stumbling and failure to you, at first, properly see, I would like to humbly present myself: my name is Anthony, and the pleasure is all mine, really." 

He bowed low to the unfamiliar entity, then spoke again, this time in a much calmer, steadier tone:

"I have provided my name, in all respect and openly: may I inquire as to what name you would prefer I call thee?"

He was standing still now, relaxed, and in a very open pose.

"I'm certain you have many wonderful tales to tell, and, if you'll entertain my presence a while longer, I could provide some tales of my own as well. However, if we are to have a good exchange and our conversation make stronger, perhaps a chance of scenery is due?"

The world around the duo suddenly decayed, giving way to a rather minimalist, yet comfortable home, the walls a dull light blue, seeming almost grey in the light of the bright expanse of stars above a darkened lake and barren forest outside the main window on the north side of the dining room they found themselves in. Behind them, a small, open kitchen stood, the whole place creaking now and again, the air stagnant but not dusty, quite hollow and giving off an oddly alien air, but not in any way that suggested danger or discomfort, a truly odd state of being. 

"I do love me a good spot of tea, tell me, Legion, do you?"

The timekeeper strode into the kitchen, pulling out and filling an ornate silver teakettle with water from the sink and placing it over a stove at the opposite side of the kitchen, taking care to make sure that it was well-situated over the burner and warming under medium heat before turning back to his intimidating guest. 

"Worry not Miss Paige, I shall make my presentation quick, and surely it shall all your senses and creativity engage."

The timekeeper straightened up and cleared his throat, then began to sway a little side to side, as if keeping time with an inaudible beat, and what happened next was nothing short of strange, his voice calling out in a bright, although one could hardly call it pleasant, singing voice:

"Time is a river which forever flows 

To where it goes everyone knows 

You use when you plan out your day 

And it always moves in the same way,

Because no matter where you go

There's always someone the whom the time knows!"

The cerulean man spread his arms, a wide expanse of galaxies, planets, and stars reaching out in all directions, a yellow walkway beneath his feet and his rainbow-haired student. 

"Space is what in which all things exist 

But it is Time that moves, it nudges, shoves, and persists 

It embraces all 

Moves against any mighty squall 

Pulls and drags and forces 

For it knows that which is at the end of all courses..."

The walkway suddenly faded out, the bright light and splendor of the space about the duo suddenly turning to black nothingness, the next sight greeting them was that of a battlefield, barely visible in the dim light of explosions far in the distance from monstrous, alien weapons under a sky blackened with smoke and ash, all sounds of agony and wrath rising through the air. Yet, throughout this entire scene, the servant of Time continued to keep calm, sway, and speak: 

"...for Time is a resource, finite and weak 

To each mortal the amount offered minuscule and bleak 

There will be pain, suffering, sorrow

But there is no running from tomorrow 

For as much as we try to in Life confide..."

The warzone around them seemed to accelerate, the explosions giving way to screaming, all things organic and fleshy decaying about them, leaving nothing but barren dirt, rock, and empty silence, shattering and giving way to the room that the duo had stood in at the beginning of Anthony's little show, all things seeming normal, despite the obvious exhaustion in his voice and slightly shaking of his body as he finished his tale:

"No need to be sorry, you'll hardly find me claiming anything to the contrary when it come to this calamitous contraption...mayhaps, however, it is time for action."

The timekeeper clenched his fist, a triumphant zeal coming over his mind and body as he spoke, a shaky smile crossing his face. He turned to that monstrous clock and, looking it up and down with the kind of inquisitive air a combatant would give to his adversary, soon looked his counterpoint in the eye, turning and inquiring, tilting his head towards the machine of interest as he spoke:

"Tell me, good friend of mine, how much do you admire that clock? Would if, say, it were to, I don't know, stop functioning, would you go into shock? I mean not to disrespect your connection to it nor its magnificence, but just imagine throughout the years how much time you'll lose to its upkeep and maintenance. As the ages do change and improvements society does, over time, accrue, would it not be unreasonable to do away with the old and uncooperative and bring in the new?"

Anthony jumped at the sudden voice, for a moment his hand twitching to reach for the weapon concealed under his coat, but turning, he found himself able to relax again. From what he could tell, this new face didn’t mean him any harm. 

"Oh my, I apologize for my sudden start and most unwelcome lack of poise and art. Either way, beyond my stumbling and failure to you, at first, properly see, I would like to humbly present myself: my name is Anthony, and the pleasure is all mine, really." 

He bowed low to the unfamiliar entity, then spoke again, this time in a much calmer, steadier tone:

"I have provided my name, in all respect and openly: may I inquire as to what name you would prefer I call thee?"

"You’re quite right, dear Anthony", he explained, beginning to pace about. His voice was adorned with a purr, though it sounded much more like a growl. "I am not a mere mortal. I am, in fact, as far from a normal human being as possible. I transcend time. I see all, I know all. I am a high class demon, and I’ve been one ever since the first human sin was committed."

"A coven of demons, ancient and powerful you be? Well, for my lack of knowledge of your scope and population, Legion, I do hope you will forgive me. To be honest, however, I have, not in the past, no, never, met demons. To some such beings are heathens, but I hardly believe it's in the hands of anyone to judge another until they they come to properly know, for in the end, we are all equals when to Death's halls we go."

"I thank you for the comment, friend and fellow timekeeper you, but tell me true: does my pain you amuse? For, the more I do your face peruse, I see held-back laughter and smiles you are attempting to prematurely defuse."

He let out an angered, defeated sigh, then barked:

The man straightened up and cleared his throat, continuing in a formal, yet somewhat pompous sounding tone:

Anthony jumped at the sudden voice, for a moment his hand twitching to reach for the weapon concealed under his coat, but turning, he found himself able to relax again. From what he could tell, this new face didn’t mean him any harm. 

"Oh my, I apologize for my sudden start and most unwelcome lack of poise and art. Either way, beyond my stumbling and failure to you, at first, properly see, I would like to humbly present myself: my name is Anthony, and the pleasure is all mine, really." 

He bowed low to the unfamiliar entity, then spoke again, this time in a much calmer, steadier tone:

"I have provided my name, in all respect and openly: may I inquire as to what name you would prefer I call thee?"

((ORIGINAL ART BELONGS TO HOMESTUCK CREATOR Andrew Hussie))