Waves washed onto the bleached shoreline like a lover's embrace, each
encounter between land and sea sending a long, blissful sigh across the beach.
Peering into the waters with his round black eyes, a young mugwump bent over to
pluck a glittering seashell from the pincers of a crab. He stared in awe at his
newfound treasure as he held it against the orange-violet horizon, the forming
silhouette resembling that of a mystical coral fortress floating in a sea of
fire. Behind him, palm leaves rustled along with the melodic rhythm of the
ocean, while animals chattered in the canopy and began to prepare for their
nocturnal rest. The cry of a few lone seagulls could still be heard as the sun
dipped low into the horizon, absorbing the glow of the sky just when Mother
Night began to cast her beauty upon the land.
The first chilly breeze rippled across the dress of a slender mugwump woman
sitting beneath a swaying tree, her arms stretched behind her in complete
relaxation. She tilted her head back as the warmth of the sun began to wane and
slip slowly down her body, glancing at the stars that were peeking in the ebony
firmament.
"It's getting late, Emaisu, would you like to go home now?" the woman gently
asked her son.
"Wait momma, I think I just see'd a purple seashell somewhere!" he exclaimed
excitedly.
Emaisu waded against the lapping waves in pursuit of the seashell, his
green, red-speckled skin glistening slightly under the twinkling sky. Wagging
his stubby tail, his eyes darted to and fro as he spotted a dark object in the
water and immediately he shoved his fingers into the sand, bringing up with
them a crusty-looking object. Sighing in disappointment, Emaisu tossed it back
into the sea, as it was only a plain red seashell coated with the trickery of
the fading light.
"Okay, I'm done, let's go!"
Running up to his mother, Emaisu put his hand into hers and hummed a quiet
tune as they walked into the verdant, forest-like marsh together, their forms
engulfed by shadow entirely.

"You are endangering not only the survival of this marsh, but all of its
inhabitants as well! Please, re-think this proposal thoroughly."
"There will always be minor risks in every situation, but we must take the
chances if we are to ever move forward. The scientists are honest, trustworthy
people and the best in their fields. This could very well be the greatest
scientific breakthrough in the history of mortal kind! Not only will we be
doing a huge favour to the Basin, but the Emperor has promised our village
bountiful funding that will help to build a new schoolhouse, laboratory,
library, and..."
"Brother, you are not thinking clearly. Yes, the Emperor has offered a
mountain of wealth and wonders, but at what cost? At what extent are you
willing to sacrifice not just yours, but everyone else's lives? The scientists
call this an 'experiment', for Estarra's sake! Have you forgotten the teachings
of the Ancestors? Have you forgotten about your neighbours, friends, and your
family?"
"I have thought about them, and rest assured that the chances of any errors
occurring are marginal, fractional. This is a rare occasion, letting it go will
be an utterly regrettable decision."
"And so will letting it happen."
Sighing, the weary mugwump rubbed his eyes in agitation and continued to
speak, "The Emperor has already prepared extra precautions in case anything
goes wrong, do you not see that there is noth…"
"Pah, it's no use reasoning with you!"
Thrusting his cane into the ground, Joushi pushed away from the table and
stood up. He glared about the room, his wrinkled toad-like face evident with
anger. The others looked on blankly, whispering amongst themselves while
nodding meekly at one another. Shaking a gnarled webbed fist at everyone, he
bellowed, "The very trees of our beautiful marsh shudder, for they can feel the
winds of disaster upon them. But you are deaf to their warnings, brother, and
have forsaken the tenets of our Ancestors!"
Before the opposing mugwump could mutter a word, Joushi stomped out of the
room and marched out into the silent night. His dark, murky green skin gleaming
under the moonlight, he thumped his cane repeatedly against the earth and cursed
under his breath.

Celena leaned against the door of her hut and gazed at the pastel blue sky.
With the thin, graying clouds reflected in her eyes, she creased her brows into
a worrying frown. Was it going to rain? Or something else...? Ignoring this
warning for now though, she turned back inside the house.
"Emaisu!" she called out sweetly to her son, "Are you awake yet?"
After a moment had passed without answer, besides the sound of shuffling bed
sheets and a soft snore, Celena left a note on the kitchen table that simply
read, "Mommy will be home soon," for Emaisu had only just begun his schooling
and could not make out many words. Basket in hand, she quietly walked out the
front door, shutting it gently behind her.
The village was fairly empty at this early time of day; an elderly couple
was strolling along for their usual morning walk, smiling in greeting as Celena
passed, a few other farmers were heading out to tend their crops, chatting
quietly amongst themselves, while everyone else was still in their beds. Celena
proceeded to walk down the wide dirt road, passing squat yet comfortable looking
mud-built homes that sat on either side of the path. Morning dew still clung to
the grass, spreading their revitalizing scent onto the passing breeze which
Celena inhaled languidly.

Balach was a peaceful mugwump village nestled within in the heart of the
Balach Marsh. Everyone was family to each other, and they were able to live
happy, humble lives. However, underneath these simple-looking faces were
brilliant minds thriving with knowledge. The mugwumps were practitioners of the
ancient art of runes and the entire population was literate in both their own
language and the Common language. Unfortunately, they were also a poor people
and the village could hardly keep up with the modernization occurring in the
Basin. Their schools and libraries were slowly falling into ruin and becoming
out of date. As a result, the mugwumps were torn between their love of village
life and their thirst for knowledge, while most of the younger generations were
already immigrating to the mainland, taking up internships for engineers and
scientists.
The village was moderated by the Council of Seven, and overseen by one
prominent mugwump who was titled the Speaker. Presently they were facing a
cultural crisis, but when the Emperor had offered to fund their village in
exchange for using the marshlands for a scientific project, one that they
called the "greatest scientific breakthrough in the history of mortal kind", it
seemed almost too good to be true and the Council eagerly accepted, except for
one defiant member.

Through the clustered willow trees, Celena could see the strips of green
that painted the strawberry fields, along with the red dots that speckled them.
Even from this distance Celena could smell their sweet aroma and closed her eyes
in ecstasy. When she left the grove and the sun danced across her face once
again, she opened her eyes but was suddenly taken aback. The farmers were not
in their usual place on the fields, but instead were standing at the sides and
watching from a distance, shaking their heads sadly before walking away.
Replacing them was a group of uniformed workers donned in white shiny suits.
They trampled over the strawberries, glancing at noisy instruments in their
hands before scribbling into notebooks. Some were clearing out the vegetation
and constructing an indiscernible object of metal and stone.
Celena stood there for a moment, wondering if she had tripped over a rock
and fell unconscious, and that this was all just a dream. But then she
remembered that there was a village announcement the previous week regarding
Imperial scientists coming to the marsh to conduct some research. She also
recalled some sort of warning her great-uncle gave her, but couldn't remember
exactly what it was at the moment. Still, Celena was startled at the appearance
and behavior these strange men portrayed. Walking over to an undisturbed bush,
she bent down to pluck some plump, juicy strawberries and laid them in her
basket.
"It's been a while, Celene," a muffled man's voice said coolly behind her
back.
Celena yelped and jumped, and when she turned around her face lit up with mild
surprise.
"Yohan!"
"It's nice to see you, too," the man replied, grinning slightly.
The two of them stood in silence for a moment, looking very out of place in
the ravaged strawberry fields. Celena glanced over Yohan; he still bore the
childish, jovial face she had fallen in love with years ago. With slick, fiery
orange skin patterned with bold red stripes, his features resembled that of a
salamander, complete with a long tail that swung idly by his legs. He possessed
sharp brow ridges and large, bulging eyes that contained a certain
mischievousness within them, which also effectively masked his ingenuity.
Yohan gazed at Celena longingly and was still captivated by her peculiar
beauty; she too bore salamander-like looks, but her features were much more
subtle. She had small, gentle eyes and a heart-shaped face that rested atop her
long, graceful neck. Her smooth skin was a milky turquoise, perfectly patterned
with rings and patches of deep violet. Both of them looked hesitant to start a
conversation as they stood there, but Celena finally spoke up.
"I wasn't expecting to see you so soon."
"I know, I'm sorry. When I had been told about this project, we were to
depart immediately and I didn't have time to send you a message," said Yohan,
reaching back to scratch his ear. "Otherwise I would have. But anyway, I
couldn't wait to get back here and see you again. How is Emu?"
"He's doing fine," said Celene, casting Yohan an appraising look. "He misses
you. How long are you staying for?"
"About a week and a half, or whenever the project is finished," replied
Yohan. "And then I need to head back to the lab, my contract still doesn't end
for a few years…"
"Is that so," said Celena quietly, before adding, "The last thing I want for
Emaisu is for him to grow up thinking he never had a father."
"For Estarra's sake, that's the last thing I want for him too!" cried Yohan,
looking a little mortified. "We've already been through this discussion
countless times before. Look, why don't you just return with me to the city?
It's much bigger and livelier than this old dump."
"I've already told you. Uncle is getting older and he needs me; I'm his only
family here. Everyone else left, just like you."
"He lives like a hermit anyway, he can take care of himself! Hell, why don't
you just bring him along too?"
Celena shot him a disbelieving look.
"You know what kind of person Uncle Joushi is. He'll never leave Balach."
Sighing, Yohan said, "I'm sorry Celene, just hang on for a while longer,"
wrapping an arm around her waist, he continued, "When I finish my work with the
Empire then everything will get better. You'll never have to sleep on a straw
mat again."
"I don't care where I have to sleep, as long as I know that you're with us."
Pulling her closer to himself, Yohan lowered his head and kissed Celena
tenderly. She relaxed her grip on her basket and dropped it, showing no effort
to pick it up.
"Mmm, at least you still taste the same," he said softly under his breath.
"I wish I could say the same about you," she replied, opening her eyes. "You
haven't been keeping a substitute for me in the city, have you?"
"Well, how do I know that you haven't found a replacement for me too?" he
said playfully. "You were always the centre of attention around the other guys,
maybe that's why you don't want to leave the marsh."
"Oh, be quiet," she replied with a smirk, pushing him lightly aside.
Glancing at the workers over his shoulder, she asked, "What kind of project are
you here for? And why are those people destroying our fields?"
Looking pleased with himself, Yohan replied, "Don't worry, by the time it's
done it'll more than make up for a few ravaged strawberries. It may not look
like it right now, but this is going to be the greatest scientific breakthrough
in mortal kind." The words struck Celena as oddly familiar while Yohan
continued.
"I'm sure you've heard about it, it's the latest news all around the Basin.
It's called Project Aetherlink and is headed by the most renowned scientists in
existence. Recently there's been some speculation about a very thin plane
existing between here and the ethereal. We can't access it like any other outer
plane, so after years of research, dedication, and hard work, we've finally been
able to come up with an alternate route to open a door to this place.
Impressive, isn't it, Celene?"
"But what will you find there?" responded Celena skeptically. "Do you even
know what you're getting yourself into?"
"Well, we â€" "
"Yohan! What are you doing? 15 minutes into the project and you're already
flirting around. Get back to work!" a grouchy-looking merian yelled at him.
The other workers in the fields laughed as they looked at the couple and
winked at them.
"Ahem, I better get going," said Yohan, pecking Celena on the cheek. "Say
'hi' to Emu for me, I'll try to visit you soon."
The two embraced before heading their separate ways. Yohan blushed as the
others patted him on the back and expressed their jealousy over Celena. But
meanwhile, as Celena treaded through the forest back to the village, the words
of Yohan continued to turn over in her head, filling her with both feelings of
joy and anxiety.

Slipping into his brown cotton robes, Joushi hurried out the door and walked
down the dirt path leading to the forest. The grass squelched beneath his
sandals as he repeatedly brushed his cane against the ground.
"Ah, good morning Celena," greeted Joushi as he passed his young niece.
"Good morning, Uncle Joushi," responded Celena as she glided by, stopping
briefly to chat with her uncle. "How are you? Are you still getting those back
pains?"
"I could be worse, but those back pains are the least of my worries right
now," said Joushi gruffly. "The Council is really wearing on me these days. But
I must find a way to return reason to them and stop the Imperial project from
starting."
"Oh..." said Celena quietly, reluctant to tell her uncle that the scientists
were already here.
"Well, it is time for my morning prayers now. Be well, Celena."
They bade each other farewell and departed. Joushi continued treading
through the forest, stumbling over fallen branches and mumbling under his
breath. Eventually he reached a small clearing where from the centre grew a
colossal, white willow tree. Engraved in red ink along its smooth bark were
rows of twinkling runes, while a crude altar formed naturally from its roots
rose above the ground. Kneeling at its base, Joushi stretched his arms out in
front of him and lowered his body against the earth as he began to pray.
"O, ancient spirits of Balach, please guide our brethren down the path of
reason once more. Bestow clear vision unto those who have been blinded by
wealth's deception. At this most crucial hour I ask ye to protect our..."
At that moment, Joushi was interrupted by a loud "crack" behind him,
followed by a tremendous thud. The sky darkened as flocks of birds flew from
the trees and filled the air with panic.
"What is it now," he mumbled to himself as he got up and dusted off his
robes.
Walking into the woods, the sounds continued to send tremors throughout the
earth. When Joushi reached the site of the disturbance, his eyes widened in
shock. Before him were hordes of uniformed men hacking away at the trees and
replacing them with long metal poles. The trees were carried away to another
site where they were thrown into a giant fire pit.
"Th… this cannot be happening…" he uttered in dismay.
Still in a state of disbelief, Joushi began to wander through the cemetery
of trees, their shiny metal replacements a sickening mockery of their graves.
One of the workers spotted the elder mugwump and approached him.
"Excuse me sir, but you are trespassing through unauthorized territory," he
said through his muffled mask. "I would kindly ask that you leave the
premises."
Seeing that he apparently did not hear him clearly enough, the man reached
out a hand to grab a hold of Joushi's arm.
"Do not touch me!" Joushi cried, slapping aside the stranger's hand.
"We have a disturbance in area 14, requesting assistance," the muffled voice
spoke into a small device, backing away.
Quickly two more men came into sight and surrounded Joushi from the front
and back, one a lucidian and the other a loboshigaru.
"Please try and co-operate with us sir, or we'll have to use force."
As the rage built inside of Joushi from being ordered around and called an
"intruder" in his own marsh, he swung his staff powerfully and knocked over a
nearby machine. The guards charged at him, but despite his old age Joushi was
swifter and rolled out of the way. The lucidian raised his palms and sent a
blast of cold, frigid air at Joushi. Swinging his arms upward dramatically, a
wall of fire rose from the ground at Joushi's feet and blocked the attack,
filling the area with steam as the two elements collided. As the air began to
clear again, the lucidian suddenly cried out but could not react fast enough as
he watched the blunt end of a staff fly through the mist and jab him upside the
jaw, knocking him unconscious. Joushi smirked and wallowed in the moment, but
suddenly a pair of furry arms reached out from behind him and crisscrossed over
his chest, pulling him down. The two of them struggled on the ground as Joushi
fumbled around in his robe pockets and retrieved a rune. Throwing it over his
shoulder, he slammed it into the attacker's forehead. Immediately the
loboshigaru jumped back, face white with terror, and all of a sudden ran in the
opposite direction yelping and flapping his arms madly.
By now even more guards were coming, but Joushi was already starting to run
out of breath. Clutching his staff in his hands, he breathed deeply and
prepared for another assault.
"Stop this nonsense at once!"
Everyone turned towards the booming voice. It was the Speaker himself,
wearing a disappointed scowl on his face.
"What is going on here? Who is the cause of all this?"
All eyes turned towards Joushi.
"Hm, I should have known," the Speaker remarked. "I am very disappointed in
you, Elder Joushi. I thought we had already discussed this matter in a civil
way, but you had to go and make a commotion in front of everyone. You have
brought disgrace upon our village with your reckless and immature behaviour."
Joushi replied with a menacing stare.
"The Council will see that you are harshly dealt with," the Speaker said
severely. "Take him away!"
Two burly guards entered and dragged Joushi away by his arms. Apologizing to
the field workers and expressing his embarrassment about the incident, the
Speaker sauntered away with his train of subordinates. Though Joushi's efforts
were not entirely wasted, for there were others like him who had watched from
afar and were inspired.

The morning sun rose silently over the dew-sprinkled trees of Balach. A damp
mist settled in and trapped the mugwumps inside their homes. However, sounds
could still be heard around the village as the scientists continued their work.
It had been a week since the strange men entered the marsh and an unsettling
silence had overtaken its inhabitants, as if in quiet anticipation.
Celena awoke early and put on a light floral dress and shawl. She sighed.
Yohan had visited them sparingly during the week, and even then only for
minutes at a time. He would soon be leaving the marsh, and feelings of both
anger and desperation swelled up inside her as the thought of him flashed
across her mind.
Stepping outside, Celena gave a small cry as the cold mist clawed at her
legs. It swirled silently against the earth, occasionally rising to grasp at
the sky like hands from the grave. She shuddered and pulled the shawl closer
around her shoulders, stepping quickly towards the grove.
As she passed a small hut, an old mugwump was just waking up inside and
stretching his tired limbs. He slumped against the wall, the shackles on his
arms and legs holding him down. Sighing, Joushi looked out of the tiny
barricaded window at the hazy sun. Its light was barely able to squeeze into
his cell.
"Psst, Elder Joushi!"
A whisper from behind the wall made Joushi jump with surprise, and then he
leaned his ear towards the sound.
"Who… who is it?" he asked anxiously.
"We have seen your courage and dedication to this marsh and its people,"
multiple voices whispered back in response. "We are the children of Balach, we
have come to save you!"
Joushi breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Hope has yet to be lost, he thought
to himself.

A loud explosion rocked the earth and sent flocks of crows flying. Celena
quickly turned around and saw smoke rising from the hut she had just passed.
She was about to step forward when suddenly a gloved hand curled itself over
her mouth and forcefully drew her back into the trees, muffling her cries.
"Celene, don't be startled," a voice whispered into her ear. "Just listen to
me for a sec."
The stranger released his grip on her and turning around, Celena was
surprised to see Yohan.
"What in the world are you doing!" she whispered back, unsure of why he was
acting so strangely.
"You have to get out of the marsh as soon as possible, tell the others and
take Emaisu with you."
"Why? What's going on?"
"I don't have time to explain, just trust me."
Before Celena could question him further, Yohan squinted into the distance
before quickly disappearing into the foliage. She stood there for a moment,
gazing blankly into her thoughts that were now hurling themselves around her
head. Finally, she returned to the village.

Curious villagers gathered around the pile of mud and ashes that was once
the prison cell. The smoke mixed with the mist to create a thick, lukewarm fog.
The Council stood at the site, muttering amongst themselves. "He's escaped…"
The grass squelched in greeting as a group of cloaked figures dashed
through the forest. Their flowing green cloaks provided the perfect camouflage
among the trees. With them was Joushi, being carried on the back of one of the
rescuers. Heading deeper into the marsh, the branches of the willows seemed to
move and allow easier passage, bowing their great trunks in silent
acknowledgement. Soon the mist-enshrouded light reappeared as the group reached
a wide clearing dominated by a stone altar. They lay the elderly mugwump on the
altar and knelt before him.
"Elder Joushi, we have heard of your efforts and wish to serve under you to
protect the marsh," they chanted in unison.
Still a bit overwhelmed, Joushi stood up and surveyed the grove. He counted
seven of the masked rescuers and nodded to himself.
"Children of Balach, I accept your offer. Let us unite and save our
homeland!"
At that moment, an ear-shattering shriek pierced the quiet serenity of the
fog. Turning their heads in the direction of the noise, a crackling blue light
sent claws of lightning arcing in the distant. A gigantic explosion nearly
shook Joushi off his feet as huge gusts of wind began to emanate from the
light. The trees creaked painfully and were blown backwards from the force of
the impact.
"They've started…" Joushi muttered in horror. "Children, we must make
haste!"

"Do not panic everyone, the scientists are just doing their job!" the
Council members yelled as they desperately tried to calm the panicking
villagers.
A thunderous bellowing made everyone freeze in their tracks. Like an
avalanche of metal, a monstrous roar echoed in the distance and sent shivers of
cold terror up the spines of every mugwump. Even the Council was beginning to
feel the first signs of doubt. The fog began to clear, and to everyone's
amazement four great spires of twisted obsidian rose from the heart of the
marsh, forming a colossal claw that scraped against the firmament.
"What… what is that monster!" the villagers stammered in shock.
"The end is here, the Ancestors are punishing us for our folly!" a few
mugwumps wailed in anguish.
The Speaker wiped his brow and tried to regain his composure. Standing atop
a small mound, he addressed the grieving village. "This is all part of the
experiment, do not worry! It will be over soon and the village will finally be
able to…"
The screeching of what sounded like a thousand birds turned the attention of
the village back to the claw. Vibrating madly and growing quickly at the tip of
the spires was a sphere of blue lightning, the high-pitched noise it created
almost unbearable. Dark storm clouds coalesced in the sky and swirled ominously
around the spires, rumbling agitatedly and threatening to strike down at the
ground at any second. The villagers huddled together and gazed onwards like
frightened cattle, too petrified to even speak.

"Keep that pole from wobbling! Put that gear back into place! Don't touch
that lever!" a short bespectacled merian shouted as he darted from machine to
machine, ducking under bolts of wayward electricity and keeping his workers in
check.
Scientists and technicians doted away at their contraptions in a room at the
base of the obsidian spires, while above them a gigantic sphere of energy
pulsated uneasily, barely stabilized by the dark structure.
"Good, good," the merian remarked, speaking into an aetherwave tuner that
connected to the main research facility in Celest. "Stage one has been
successfully carried out and a link has been established. The rift is a little
rickety at the moment but that is expected. We will carry out stage two and
attempt to open the rift once stabilization is complete."
"Toushen!" blustered Yohan as he charged through the door. "How come you
didn't tell me?"
"Tell you what? Please clarify yourself."
"The project. It's only in alpha phase?"
"Ah, yes. This is an experiment, after all, so why are you so surprised?
Surely by now you, of all people, should know that in science, knowledge is
obtained through experimentation and trial and error. And right now, that is
exactly what we're doing."
"Does the Council know about this?"
"Well… yes, they understand that there is a very minor chance of failure."
"Minor?" Yohan retorted. "There are people living here for crying out loud,
we can't just jeopardize their lives and homes like this!"
"Yes, but you have to understand, this marsh is an ideal area to carry out
the project, as it is far away from any major civilizations and any possible
damage would be minimized. We've also discovered that there are latent magical
energies fluctuating in this location that makes the boundaries between the
outer planes more easily penetrable," the merian explained calmly, before
adding, almost mockingly, "Are you feeling sentimental towards your old home?"
"Don't jump to conclusions, that's not what a scientist does."
"A scientist will also remain objective and take the necessary steps to
achieve their goals for the general betterment of mortal kind," the merian
replied in a tone as if he were speaking to a child. "I'd love to carry out
more of this discussion with you, Yohan, but I've no time to spare."
"Bah!" blurted Yohan.
Throwing his arms in the air, he stammered out of the room, slamming the
door behind him. Toushen ignored him and resumed speaking into the aetherwave
tuner, but looked puzzled when it didn't respond.
"What's wrong with this piece of..."
"Sir, we have a disturbance!" a ruffled-looking trill blurted out as he
rushed into the room.
As soon as he said this did a loud groan emanate from the outside, followed
by several dull thuds.
"By Ur'lach, will these stupid villagers ever give up?"
Grumbling to himself, the merian stomped through the room, shooing away the
worried onlookers. "Get back to work, we still need to open the rift! Ugh, what
a mess. Where are the intruders?"
At that moment, a brush of cold silk caressed his cheek, and before he knew
it the sharp edge of a knife was held before his neck. He peered nervously
behind him from the corner of his eye and saw that his captor was shrouded in
invisibility.
"Make that ball of light go away and leave our marsh immediately," a velvety
female voice hissed into his ear. "Or else," she tilted the blade and barely
pressed the cold metal to his throat.
"Activate stage two, now! Now!" he shrieked. He grimaced as he felt
something sharp jab into his side.
"But sir, we've only just entered stage one!" some of the scientists replied
worriedly.
"Gah!"
Toushen suddenly dug his teeth into his kidnapper's arm, who flinched back
in pain and resumed visibility. As she did, the knife came down and slashed his
chest. He cried and fell to the floor, blood soaking through his uniform as he
desperately wriggled forward.
Other cloaked figures suddenly appeared around the room, as if stepping out
of the shadows, and among them was Joushi. They surrounded the scientists, who
huddled together in the middle of the room, quivering with fear.
"Enter stage two now, open the rift, quickly!" shouted Toushen, holding a
hand to his wound.
"Silence!" one of the figures demanded as he came forward and stepped on the
merian's head.
Just then, several more guards barged into the room, and upon seeing the
situation they immediately engaged into a fight with the Balachian protectors.
Most of the scientists fled in fright, covering their heads with their arms.
Weapons and fists swished through the air, while machines and other apparatus
were smashed and sizzled with smoke. The spires shook slightly as the rift
rumbled uneasily.
"Out of my way!" the bespectacled merian yelled as he pushed aside a moaning
dracnari.
Taking advantage of the chaos, he clambered onto a crystalline panel at the
end of the room that contained a large board full of buttons and switches and a
glowing screen. He feverishly activated a sequence of controls, but as he
reached forward pull a switch, a knife flew swiftly through the air and drove
deeply into his hand, impaling his palm onto another button. He howled in pain
and knocked down a lever with his elbow. This time the spires shook violently
and the sphere above them jostled uncomfortably, shooting bolts of electricity
at the ground. At that moment, Joushi stepped forward amidst the chaos.
"That's as far as you'll go, it ends now," he declared sternly.
Withdrawing a rune from his robes, Joushi flung it powerfully at the back of
Toushen's head. His body contorted and began to stiffen, but still he fought to
bring his neck forward, his eyes aiming for a flashing button.
"You can all rot in the Void for all I care…"
"No, sir! Don't do it!" some alarmed-looking scientists cried.
"Why you..." cursed Joushi as he advanced forward, reaching to pull away the
paralyzed merian. But before he could move him, Toushen's face sank into the
button and pushed it in with a smooth click, giving a final sigh of
satisfaction before his lifeblood drained away. The building ceased to shake
for a moment and everyone held their breath, as a bodiless voice echoed
throughout the room, "Now entering stage two."