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. Just as she 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 previous. 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 and 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 travelled 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.
“Unfortunately, that is not the case. I have been forced to take a challenge from a being of evil incarnate, lest he destroy 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 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! Madam 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 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 literal last piece standing is the winner. This does not mean you have to kill other pieces however. They only have to surrender to you and it amounts to the same thing. 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 their pieces, Andras and Callistephus, will work with you. Both pieces are 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 and 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. Thank goodness the military jackets were so spacious.
“Soldier, retrieve a basic survival kit and six MREs from the commissar. 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. Megan’s 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 displayed 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 they had once stood.
As the light faded and her vision returned to normal, Megan found herself on top of a rather large hill. In front of her stood a large forest, extending as far as Megan could see. Far in the distance, a mountain rose up, just barely visible. Turning around, Megan spied the edge of what she now assumed to be Atlantis. A protrusion stuck out, forming to a point in the distance. Just as she was about to begin her way down the hill, Faust spoke.
Before you go, I need to give you one more thing. After this point, I will no longer be able to provide you with much information about the world and certainly none about the location of other pieces. I have a single gift I can give to you and that is a map. This map, of Atlantis, is special. You will be able to locate your exact location on the map at any time and while it contains no names, you will be able to make notes on it using your thoughts.
A scroll appeared in front of Megan. As she unfolded it, she found it flattened out for her such that she could easily hold it and still look at what she wanted to. At the north end of the island, a small red marker blinked at her. The floating island itself was almost shaped like an elongated dog’s paw, complete with pads in the toes and claws. Megan found her marker to be precisely on the middle “pad”. South of her was a large mountain, just as she had seen earlier. With a thought, the map displayed a note above her location, that simply said “origin”.
Your biggest enemy will be my opponent’s piece. His name is Scorpan and he appears as a winged demon. Avoid him until your have gathered friends, as I do not know how strong he is now or will prove to be. I can’t stay and talk with you most of the time, due to the rules, which even we gods do not fully understand. I wish you the best of luck Megan. Your people are not the only ones you will be saving.
“Goodbye Faust.”
Megan took some time to study the map. The first and most obvious location to explore would be the mountain, as it was the largest landmark on the island. First, however, she was going to create a base of operations for herself and hunt, as her MREs would only last her two days if she was to retain her strength. She started to walk down the hill…
...Only to find that, with her first step, she was hopping instead of walking. Regaining her balance after landing, she recalled what Faust had said about gravity being less than she was used to. Crouching, Megan propelled herself into the air and found she had a couple extra feet of height to her jump. she could easily jump over another human if one had been present. Before making another attempt down the mountain, Megan took some time getting used to the gravity. Pulling out the compact distress beacon she brought, Megan opened the protective cover and pressed the only button the device had externally. Setting it down, she watched as the capsulated dish unfolded itself and started broadcasting into space.
Satisfied that her people were coming, Megan began her climb down the hillside, taking care as she dropped from ledge to ledge. Once she was on the forest floor, she kept her ears sharp as she got out her map. The forest canopy wasn’t so thick as to completely block the sun but compass directions were hard to find. Megan decided against creating a base at the hill only because it was so close to the edge of the island. If she wanted her base to be useful, it needed to be a more central location. Having arrived around midday, Megan had plenty of time left for travel and started off southward into the forest, moving at a decent pace.
For the first hour or so, she encountered little besides the sound of birds, which were thankfully not disturbed by her presence. Hopefully, no cynogriffins were nearby, as she was unsure of how her first meeting with them would go. Faust had said they were territorial and violent and she was certainly an unknown and unwelcome visitor. In the worst case scenario, they might decide to make her their next meal and while she had fought many enemies faster than herself, both bipedal and quadrupedal, these wolves could also fly, a luxury she did not have access to at the moment or in the near future. Supposing they could be reasoned with, she might have a chance at food and shelter before meeting with these other two allies but even if she was willing to risk it, there was no guarantee they even communicated in an understandable language. Already many risks were high. Taking another to acquire something she could get on her own was not an option she would choose.
In her third hour of trekking, Megan crossed a game trail. After checking her surroundings for anything new to her since arriving, she paralleled the trail in hopes of running into a stream for fresh water. Only five minutes had passed before she heard rustling behind her. Immediately, she dropped into the underbrush and strained her vision in the direction of the noise. Moments later, a large deer trotted into view and past her. She drew her knife in anticipation of her first quarry. A ray of light piercing through the branches above lit the deer’s nose for a moment, giving it almost a glow. Instantly, a large shape hurtled down from above onto the deer, crunching its ribcage. Megan froze.
Half a second passed before a loud boom reached Megan’s ears and what appeared to be a rainbow spread out beyond the tree heights. The shape, now shaking the neck of the dead deer, was just as Faust had described it: a large wolf, sporting wings on its back. Megan slowed her breathing as much as she could, hoping the large canine would not hear her. Sadly, there was nothing to be done about her scent, not yet at least. She could only hope the underbrush would contain it enough.
Thankfully, the cynogriffin appeared too enthralled in its kill to be bothered. Soon, it had taken off, deer in tow, leaving another sonic boom in its wake as it left with the same rainbow effect. Megan released her control over her body and rose from the ground, sliding the knife back into her boot. These cynogriffins were certainly far faster than anything she had dealt with while outside of a pilotable machine. Not as fast as some of the more advanced space-planes owned by humanity or produced by alien forces but fast nonetheless. Hopefully, mach 1 was the fastest they could travel or she was going to have problems without some kind of high velocity projectile. They would be easy enough to dodge if she could see them while they were in the sky but here in the forest, they would be a hard force to manage. Even more so now, she needed to make sure her presence was as unnoticeable as possible.
With this new knowledge of the dangers the forest had to offer, Megan once again set off down the game trail. Every so often, she passed what appeared to be a fruit tree with all it’s fruits already stripped from the limbs. Keeping her eyes out for more trees, possibly with the fruits still there, the remaining hour before she found a stream were uneventful.
Megan stopped a ways back from the stream and scanned for any deer or wolves. After a few minutes without seeing any, she moved from her position and moved to get some water from the stream in a canteen. While her survival kits had water, they also contained some empty bottles for liquid storage. She also wanted to take small doses of local water to expose herself to any local sicknesses, to slowly immunize herself. This process was less than ideal, but water sources were the closest thing she was going to have to a vaccine besides the meat she would gain from hunting. After collecting water and taking a few sips, she moved back, far from the stream. The first day was nearing its close and she need to set up a shelter.
Megan spent fifteen minutes gathering wood for not only a fire but also her shelter. First, she built a simple lean-to with some of the larger logs, then covered it with leafy branches while the whole thing rested against a nearby tree. The sun was going down, so Megan collected the small firewood and used the flint and steel in her survival kit to catch the tinder. After creating a small, low fire, she opened an MRE and began cooking it. By the time she had finished eating and smothered the fire, the sun had set. Clothing herself completely with the fatigues, Megan quickly fell asleep.
Megan awoke sharply at what she guessed to be 0600 hours. She could not see the sun due to the trees but the sky beyond the limbs was growing brighter. NO sounds alerted her to the presence of anything nearby, so Megan quickly arose and tore down her temporary shelter, scattering the wood to and fro. Pulling another MRE from her pockets, Megan made quick work of her breakfast and set off southwards again. She had travelled for quite a while, probably two hours, before the sun made itself known to the forest floor.
After the sun finally shone through the forest proper, Megan noticed some of the fruit trees she had seen earlier. Except that her assumption had been false. These trees did not grow fruit, at least not normal fruit. In truth, Megan found the dight in front of her hard to believe. There was no way it should exist.
Donuts. Donuts growing from trees. Megan’s hand reached out and hovered an inch away, waiting for some plant trap. None came. Quickly, she reached up and pulled the glazed pastry off the tree, backing up. Nothing. The yeast-y goodness in her had smelled, felt and looked entirely proper. Cautiously, she bit in. Almost fresh from the over and incredibly delicious. The donut was gone almost instantly. Megan pulled another and ate it.
This land was just full of surprises. Trees that grew donuts and supersonic flying wolves. A snap to Megan’s left made her whirl around to find a deer eating a donut from a different tree, before leaping into the air and soaring upwards into the sky. So magic, flying DEER as well. What else could be out there, Megan wondered.
Moving away from the game trail, Megan started south-east, so as to go around the mountain on the map. While she still had far to go, it wouldn’t do to make a right angle out of her path. The faster she got to where she was going, the better. At around midday, she stopped for lunch, using some donuts to supplement her tasteless military rations. She also began formulating an exercise regimen to keep her strength up, seeing as her muscles would deteriorate if she didn’t continue to strengthen them. Just as she was finishing up her meal, words entered her mind as Faust began speaking. Megan had not expected contact so soon and dropped the empty packages she was holding.
Hello again, Megan. I’m sorry to contact you so suddenly and I understand you weren’t expecting contact again so soon but I have discovered a grave truth. While watching Scorpan, your opponent, I have discovered that he will prove too much for you by the time you meet him, regardless of any allies you main gain. His ability to adapt and absorb power is astonishing. I would apologize to you for bringing you on a hopeless quest if I had not a plan. There is one thing I believe I can do and I will need your help to accomplish it.
I am going to attempt a spell of my own creation. I only barely have an idea of what it will do. However, if I'm right, it will not only save us now but also protect this world in the future. I will be able to communicate very little though, as this will remove part of my soul. Do not let that prevent you for calling out if you need help from me though.
“You truly do not hold hope for me? You do not think me capable?” The disappointment and anger in Megan’s voice burned around her as she spoke to the air. She is offered salvation and now isn’t trusted to bring it?
I’m sorry. It is not as though I doubt your abilities. Indeed, your experience and background are why I searched for you, as well as your need. But now that I have seen the evil Tirek inflicted on his piece and the power he has been given… I fear it will be far more than you can handle, even with others helping and your abilities at their prime. Worry not though. This spell, if it does what I want, will help you and your allies more than you can possibly know. Go about your mission now as, while hard, I believe you can survive in this world far better than any of your subordinates. Only you can do what I hope you can accomplish.
A bright flash in the sky accompanied the end of Faust’s speech and above the clearing Megan sat in a rainbow exploded outwards in a ring. She almost thought she saw glittering specks fly far away but was not entirely sure. Sighing, she packed the rest of her lunch away, and set back out on her journey.
