Fanwork## 2861 words
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The Third Sorcerer and The Third Age
There was once a city, unlike anything that the world had ever seen before. Its magnificence and splendor were such that even those Elder Exalted who still lived in the Age of Sorrows and recalled the time when the Solars had first ruled, couldn't compare what they saw to anything they knew.
And that period of time in which the city first flourished would soon give way to what the historians would later name the Golden Forever. For the enlighment sprinkling outwards from the Peerless City to the furthest corners of Creation would usher in a new epoch in the saga of mankind, that dwarfed even the glories of the First Age, but with none of its cruelty to be seen anywhere.
Raw jade, orihalcum and other magical materials flowed in trade patterns alongside with finished goods from place to place, consumed in some spots to feed the artifice of the hungy industry where even such potent and previously extremely rare feedstock was, if not exactly common, then at least only very high end purchase to a common man or a woman. And if the currency made out of the mystical ingredients was flowing like thousands of steady streams separating and then in turn merging back together, then the more common currency was a calm sea. Deceptively still when looked from above the surface, but the titanic masses of water moving underneath were beyond the intuitive comprehension of most of the people.
Everywhere, mortals and Exalted alike studied and teached arts that had been thought lost forever, while new ones were discovered daily, if they were simply not straight out invented the first time ever. The Solar academians at the top universities teached to classes of promising young and old Exalts, with some rare mortal prodigies here and there. When those students became masters themselves, they in turn spread the knowledge to masses of people so large that even a Solar would have found themself struggling to alone manage teaching so many with such efficiency.
With the nearly expotentially increasing education levels in both general and at the highest levels, it was no wonder that new small miracles were being created daily all around the world. Cures for all ills of the body and mind were being made puplicly and freely available, from fountains in the middle of towns dispensing water that cured nearly any malady, to clinics where medicines of all kinds could be found for lesser illnesses and hospitals where lost arms could be grown back in mere weeks. Fields of common and rare plants that turned a plentiful harvest four times as often than before. Manses harvesting the essence-lines running in the earth and conferring blessings deemed relevant to the local areas, ranging anywhere between the prevention of even the most potent mystical diseases getting any hold to the people residing in the region, to sharpening the intellect students of the academy-cities. Cathedral-factories where the minds of the people were linked together temporarily, granting levels of shared skill and cooperative efficiency normally impossible to attain.
And what world-shaking wonders the highest members of the Exalted host themselves forged! Worthy panoplies given to mighty warriors and generals to ensure victory no matter the odds. Transportation between the largest cities around Creation instantly through a portal-network, through this remained one true luxury and necessity that only the richest and highly-placed or connected could afford or access. Not that it was much of a problem, as the roads and routes crisscrossing from Elemental Pole to Pole were enchanted with useful sorcery that made traveling even by foot almost as fast as riding a horse in a full-gallop, but with ease and the degree of safety which made even hurting yourself intentionally a difficult task.
Even death had been defeated for once-mortals, with system of the Dragon-Kings replicated artificially. Their souls no longer were drawn to Lethe to be washed clean of their memories and instead of being reborn, instead directed and tied to soulsteel obelisks temporarily without any diminishment or twisting of their minds. From these monuments of Sorcerous and Necromantic ingeniousness, they could decide whetever they wanted to washed clean of their previous life, or if they would have their body regrown for them in the resurrection vats. Maybe even taking some of the more exotic choices offered.
The Imperial Military was not being negleted either. Warstrides recovered from old caches and tombs were being restored to use one by one, with completely new ones being added to their ranks. The Naval forces had splintered to the traditional one and the airforce sailing in the skies. The common infrantry, were equipped with both the most advanced high-quality equipment available, and in turn made most use out of them with powerful blessings, benign subtle mutations and peerless training programs elevating them beyond the heights that the Gods of Gods had thought that the weak, frail and otherwise pitiful beings that they had made would never be able to surpass.
And relevant not only to the military, but to the whole Creation what was simply known as the Ulyssian and Ayalan Twin Workings: Two fundamental changes to the rules that governed over the reality, that imposed the edict that gave the ability for
all mortals who put enough effort and time to it to reach not only the enlighment of the sorcery of the First Circle more easily than before, but also the potent power of inner essence use, which had been till now impossible to the humans created by Titans as prayer-fodder.
With these kind of forces led by Exalts, it was no wonder that when the Yozis who had seeked to restore the Creation and its inhabitants to what they had written as the correct order of existence, they had been defeated without damage reaching truly catastrophic levels. And once again, they were imprisoned inside the body of their King with strengthened oaths of surrender. Not only this, but a way was found for the Neverborn to be at last
permanently erased from existence. The Raksha and the Wyld were pushed back after other threats no longer loomed over threatening the new Realm, with the Creation spreading to replace the shifting chaos once again. Most of Abyssals and Infernals had been either turned and freed from their masters during the times of conflict, or they had broken their bonds through their own power and will.
And it was not only Exalts and mortals who enjoyed the newfound prosperity of the world. Gods, elementals and stranger beings mingled shoulder to shoulder with humans in the enormous melting pots of cities. No longer unknown and mysterious to the uneducated, for there were nearly none, they worked side by side with men and women who also provided them with the nourishment of worship or more exotic things, the bond between them having become more symbiotic than parasitic. And so effective were the meticulously constructed worship patterns and schedules, that even the least gods had become powerful enough to manifest before mortal eyes, if in extremely limited forms and only briefly.
This was the essence of the beginning of the Third Age. And it would be
glorious.
***
The city from which the new age had dawned was now know as The Peerless City, Luseng. It was the place of enlightment even in this golden age. While the Imperial City remained the seat of the governing organs of the Realm, Luseng was the seat of reseach and education with no challengers coming even near it.
Not only did the time-dilation cast around the borders of the metropolis accelerate the speed at which the students were educated and the rate which new discoveries were made, but it also hastened processing of the the near-bottomless reserves of raw jade mined from the Emerald Mountain to finished artifacts and other products, among other things.
To feed this ravenous beast which consumed food at enormous amounts, as it did with any other resources, the surrounding lands were constantly blooming in a never-ending harvest season that produced so much plenty that it would have been impossible to collect it all without the combined help of field, harvest and other gods and the additional sorcerous assistance.
Also at the Peerless City itself, there were the Hanging Gardens surrounding the waters of Luseng, that fell under the effects of the time acceleration, leading to even faster total production of harvests. There were as well the enormous towers with greenery growing in them on different levels, rising like grass stalks everywhere, endless streams of water flowing down their channels that opened at optimized intervals to let the life-nurturing substance to quench the thirst of the plants. Though substantially more than half of the water-streams flowing to be actually used elsewhere in the infrastructure, pure water available freely everywhere, and the waste-water being born from this purified out of anything but the nutrients, that were lead to the Floating Gardens which hungered themselves resources for their accelerated growth and more.
All this and more, in addition of almost all the other luxuries and practical wonders found elsewhere in the Creation could be found here, and it was
nothing compared what hovered over Luseng.
There was
something titanic in the skies directly above the heaven-reaching tower that was in the middle of the city, hard to descripe exactly with the words of mortals, or even those of gods or Exalts. And in it, a new world was incubating.
***
You want to protect the world and those in it, but you do not want it to change?
This ideal contradicts itself. If it remains, the logic of the world will grind you down no matter what at the end. And with you, your dreams and the dreams of those who lean on you will be snuffed out.
This is why there is only one true path to salvation.
-Sesus Ulyssian, The Eternal Tyrant King
***
"Have you heard what they said on the news today? They say that the world as we know will be coming to an end. Did you know?"
-Anonymous
***
After that time, a thousand years has passed.
Looking at the churning Lathe from a tall hill near Luseng, Resolute Flame chuckled. If his past self could see him now, he would have been both baffeled and horrified. Why would he
ever ally himself with
any of the Anathema, even if it was against an another one that was more terrible than all of them combined? Well, his past self had not known about the truth that had been behind the Immaculate lies, nor had he known about about the
true terror of Ulyssian Who Was Odyssial.
"Thinking about something?"
He turned, and saw that a lone Twilight caste had left the camp of his fellowship to talk to him. He first grunted, then answered. "Just reminiscing before the final battle. Even after millenia, I find it ironic that things have lead to the current situation." The Solar with blond hair, freckles and green eyes raised an eyebrow to this. "Oh? How come?", she asked with innocent curiousity. "Surely you don't find it strange that you oppose Sesus Ulyssian? The history books say that the warfare between you two has been going on for over a millenia."
To this, he smiled a bit with the knowing smile of elders reserved for only few hundred year old younglins. "First of all, I wouldn't trust
all that the history books say, while most of the time and on this matter too they are correct. Its just that I didn't think I would be standing after decades considering my bloodline's power. "
The youngling seemed to ponder for a while, then spoke again. "Well, I don't think that will continue long, considering what we are going to try to do tomorrow."
A content smile came on his lips. "No. I guess not. I'm not bothered with it. I have seen enough of life, and now am just a tired old man. But what about you?"
"Welllll," the Twilight drew the word, brilliant and teasing smile on her lips. "I want to live, and I mean by that not losing my existence in the Lethe as a punishment. But even more so, I want to stop the madness of our
dear King. He promises everything in return if he succeeds, but considering the current state of Creation and its stability, I don't think that 'everything' is worth risking what we already have."
They stood there for a moment, in comfortable silence. Finally, Resolute Flame broke it. "Well, we will see tomorrow how this all turns out."
***
As the armies and allies of the Tyrant King moved to block the charge of Resolute Flame's charge, his allies moved to make him the path to the tower. It would help him immensely, but still not be enough.
And at that moment, Resolute Flame let go of his immortality. Freed from the shackles placed on the powers of his bloodline, he drew upon the final technique he had developed with it.
His anima burst forth, flames brighter than the sun. Feeding that fire was the candle of his life, now being devoured by an unrelenting nuclear chain-reaction, converting it to purest concept of fire, burning with at the intensity where it couldn't be tamed ever again. One way or other, his life would end today.
On the wings of flame he rode past the forces, incenerating hundreds of thousands of Ulyssian's soldiers in his passing, Exalt and non-Exalt alike, their souls being drawn safe to the soulsteel containers before his power could touch and incinerate their souls. Then he was racing up the tower, wings boosting his leaps when his feet touched the surface which offered nearly no friction under him, towards the one seeking to destroy this just and beautiful world. And that person being the same that had made it possible to exist in the first place. Because in his hubris, Sesus Ulyssian saw imperfection even in the splendor of the seemingly endless Third Age that had been ushered forth by his will.
Suddenly, a beam of pure red annihilation came from the top the tower, slaughtering most of the forces that had assaulted Luseng in a blink of an eye.
As he raced towards to the top, he saw where the origin of the attack. The sun-blaze that dwarfed even his, coming from the top of the tower. There, standing was a monstorous figure, closed inside armor that more closely resembled something reptilian with bat-wings, blinding essence streaming from the vizor where the eyes should have been. In its hand was a sword that had no equal, the blade's power strenghtening the one wielding it thousandfold, aptly named by its original and current creator and wielder.
For an instant that felt never-ending, the figures attention shifted towards him, its crushing presence tightening upon his spirit like a vice, nearly quenching his fire with a mere glance. Then he re-ignited his resolve by sacrificing more of his life-span, that now had only worth as a currency which to spend in return of strength. Enough strength to stand against the monster whose power exceeded anything that existed or had ever be seen in Creation.
And then he was facing his enemy.
Their first exchange would have destroyed Luseng, if not for the distance to the ground and the sorcerous protective barries surrounding it. The tower itself stood steadfast, undamaged against even forces like these, at least as long as they weren't fully directed against it.
"
So," Ulyssian Who Was Odyssial said with a voice that made blood literally congeal in his veins from the sheer terror, hindering Resolute Flames movements as he had to fight back the effect with the purifying flame of his essence. "
Today will be the day that things finally end for at least one us. I see you threw away that seal and your immortality with it. A wise move to do so only now, as most of my power is invested to The Lathe. But." A move that left reality screaming, Ambition's blade moving with enough force carried by it for its mere passage to rip apart the seams on the skin of Creation's fabric of existence. Resolute Flame tried to block it with the Spin of Daa'nad, but even its power he had evolved and then perfected was only good for blunting its power marginally. And so he was cut in two horizontally from the waist. "
It makes it pathetically easy for me to... Hmm? I guess not. I shouldn't have expected it to be that simple." The split body of Resolute Flame had transformed to pure flames of essence that instantly merged together to a bonfire, taking a humanoid figure and transforming partly to flesh again. Like an ascendant phoenix, the ancient Dragon-Blooded was reborn in his own flames.
"No", said Resolute Flame took stance that had no name, developed solely to combat Sesus Ulyssian. "You should have not."
A moment of silence in the stand-off between the two most powerful beings in the Creation. Then the world exploded again in a clash of fire and light.
