The Other Sages

[Gaserlake]

"I've been waiting for the moment to show this to someone," Arlgon smiled. "I can't tell the future. Oh! I was referring to the magic trick that was done. He did me a favor and hid this for me. Sages look down on technology, but they won't banish you for having it. Right now, you're in Caelum, the Second Sage Dimension. It's a secret dimension, to get away from the wars and such that were going on. Once the Sages found out that I wasn't with the Aralangs, they accepted me more, and trusted me with the knowledge of this dimension." He then turned serious. He held out the datapad for either one of them to take it. "Here, take it, and read it. It explains what has happened in my homedimension. As soon as I read this, I defected from the ASF, and ran away. It's the first reason why the ASF is after me."

[Queen Bright]

Thought they were still reluctant, the twins said nothing as Kotah reached out and took the datapad to read it. Ezael stood behind his brother, reading it as well.

[Gaserlake]

The datapad read:

Log Kd03sD99:

Operation Kasazathar:
Objective: Establish control of the dimension of Distha.
Status: Successful.

Procedure:
1. Colonize the planet of Kasazartha.
Successful.
2. Gain trust with the local mages.
Successful. Treaties were made.
3. Send undercover ASF unit to the local mages' homeworld, disguised as one of the mages, and have him become a representative of the mages on Kasazathar.
Successful.
4. Fabricate news reports of precious materials that can be used to fine-tune the magical powers of the local mages.
Successful.
5. Convict old mages, who are living on the planet of Kasazathar, for stealing the precious materials, and for conspiracy to overthrow the Aralang control of Kasazartha, to jail, by planting false evidence on them.
Successful.
6. Have an undercover ASF unit, who replaced a jail guard, poison the old mage prisoners with neurotoxins. The cause of death is to be of old age.
Successful.
7. Send ASF activity reports of conspiracy plots on Kazasathar to the undercover ASF unit, edited to have mention of ASF changed to Aralangs.
Successful.
8. Prepare for conflict.
Successful.

[Queen Bright]

The two boys stood there somewhat speechless as they read through the document. When at last they finished, neither knew what to say as they handed it back to the man and remained silent.

[Gaserlake]

Arlgon took back the document. "Do any of you have any questions?"

[Queen Bright]

The twins shook their heads, the two of them still somewhat lost for words.

[Gaserlake]

"Well, now you know that the ASF is not that great. They're very skilled at what they do, but they aren't ethically correct. Question: why are you two here? You didn't even know where this place is, in the first place."

[K2]

Appearing in a shimmer of light before the two twins was a sort of golden puddle, right on the ground. It looked simply like a puddle of water, but it had a strange, golden tint, radiating with the Dust of Creo -- a special residue that typically appeared around newly created things. Created, as in, from nothing -- as in, by the embodiment of Creation. That could only mean one thing... This puddle began to swirl, like a portal on the ground, awaiting to fulfil its duty.

[Queen Bright]

"Wait. Hold on!" Ezael interjected without answering the mans questions, "You never said the second reason for why the ASF is after you.  You said that was the first. Then what's the second?"

After realizing Ezael was right, Kotah nodded, finding the fact the man had changed subjects so quickly as odd. "And to add to that, what about the other Aralangs? What did they do? So far you showed us what the ASF did and you went into hiding from them.  But when you explained, you talked as if you wanted our help to take down the entire race. Aren't they differ--?"

Before he could finish, Kotah quickly jumped back as the puddle started to appear, having sensed it seconds before it actually did appear.  A shocked but confused look on his face, Kotah stared at the golden glow radiating from the water before glancing to Ezael who looked equally puzzled.  Was this some type of attack by the other sages in the area? The two glanced to Arlgon before continuing to stare at the puddle.

[Gaserlake]

Arlgon looked down and sighed. "I've released some prisoners from the ASF dimension. However, nobody believed them as much as me. I've had an entire document of what the ASF did, but nobody believed me. They believed the prisoners less. Eventually, though, they all got hunted down and killed by the ASF."

Before he could respond to the other questions, he stepped back to Kotah's reaction. He looked down and saw the puddle turn into a portal. "I doubt this is the ASF's doing. Low probability that it's them, due to several factors."

[K2]

Suddenly, from the other side of the portal, there came in a swift moment, a sign of the future, and the shape of things to come. Let it be recorded, then, my dear readers, that this was the mark of destiny. Something exquisite was about to happen, but any particular sage in the realm would not know why, only that it was true. Yes, they would feel it, radiating from the portal, the sense of creation, grand creation, something indistinctly familiar to the sages, buried in their DNA, a trace of a memory of the ancestors who were once likewise created... An instinct of fate.

And from the other side of the portal, there came a voice, radiating into Caelum, a voice of majestic angels, singing an ancient song, long forgotten by the creations of the embodiments -- a war hymn from the Harbinger.

"The reaper comes to see you.
Reaper comes to see you.
Holding out a soul to steal.
The reaper wants to eat you."

Bubbling.

The form of a woman began to rise from the puddle, a woman singing in the chorus of angels, her voice crisp and clean. The woman was made of golden liquid, like the puddle itself, and seemed to be wearing a dress, covering her body, stopping just above her bust. With golden eyes and skin and clothes, she blinked at the group as she continued singing the dark hymn until it had ended, and the voices of the angels radiated in an after-glow, a hum, gently heard in the background, as the woman began to speak.

"Destruction. Are you ready to begin your father's work? The time has come, and a great crisis has spread throughout your realms. Alas, come forth, and take your reigns as one voice upon your lieges. Your army awaits you."

[Queen Bright]

Though they had heard what he had said in answer, both Kotah and Ezael gave no response to Arlgon. Their attention was now held by the puddle and only the puddle as the singing arose from its depths. They continued to stand there and merely stare, their eyes transfixed on its surface and the woman that arose up from it. What was going on? Though it felt familiar to them, neither Kotah nor Ezael had ever experienced anything like this, at least, not since...  Not since they had succeeded their father Koty as the embodiment of Destruction.

But Destruction? That's what the woman had said. How did she know? And what work was it that she spoke of? They had been given no knowledge of what it was they were supposed to do as the new Embodiment of Destruction, only their fathers memories as a guide. And that guide was a lot to take in. Realms? Army? Was it not these same things that led to their father being sealed in the first place?

"W-what is the work?" Kotah at least stammered.

"..And why does it require an army?" Ezael asked as well as the both of them cringed ever so slightly at the scene this was causing. If every sage in the area didn't know who Kotah and Ezael were before, they did now. What with the singing, the magic, and the words said. That was bound to attract all who sensed it.

[Gaserlake]

The Sage army of Caelum appeared in and around the house. A blue, transparent sphere appeared around the house, including underneath it. With the Sages being as protective of the dimension of Caelum as they are right now, Arlgon was not in the least surprised.

Of the crowd of Sages, one stepped forward. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

Arlgon kept silent, and watched what was happening.

[K2]

The response would be enough to take some, if not most, of the masses that were gathering in the streets of Caelum by surprise...

A giant arm shot forth out of the puddle, through a wall, towards the masses outside. An arm made of the same golden liquid as the woman. It was... An arm of protection. It did not attack, but it did sort of symbolize a hand stopping the army... It was telling them to stop. Radiating with Dust of Creo, the army would feel something supernatural coming from this arm, something they could not quite describe. But it was not a threat. Yet.

Inside, the woman continued.

"You ask what the work is... You ask why you need an army. A great.... enemy has arisen. STEP FORTH, sons of the past... And take the reigns of the future. Allow me to show you... Your enemy."

Holding out her hands, a golden sphere of light formed between them. The golden sphere became slightly transparent, and the twins would be able to see a picture in the middle of the sphere... A picture of a growing army of all kinds of beings, marching loudly. Humans, sages, "angels", "demons", Aralangs, Relorians, and so much more. The army wore dark uniforms, almost like jumpsuits, made of a strange, black fibre, with red marks upon them. And where were they marching?

Through the darkness that was Plex.