Written on a piece of stone hidden deep away in the Vault of the Azreal,

They wait on the edges, half asleep. We cannot understand them. We cannot comprehend their power. They will come. We will die. It is inevitable.

Her head whips towards me as the helm goes flying off into the distance, eyes locking onto mine. The intense look of concentration that had been plastered over her face is gone, replaced with a strange smile. It is almost as if she is … pleased by the fact that I’m able to put up a fight.

A low chuckle begins in her chest and it doesn’t take long for it to become a full bellied laugh, causing her to lean over slightly. Her hand reaches out onto her knee to balance herself.

She manages to recover after a moment. “I haven’t had someone actually hurt me in a very long time. It’s nice to be reminded that I can still be hit.” Her hand comes up and wipes away a faint pattering of sweat.

The feeling of elation that had filled me after knocking away her helmet quickly turns into a pit within my stomach. Unless she’s bluffing, her own strike, one that might have killed me if it hit, barely hurt her.

I swallow my nervousness and bring my hand up defensively in front of me. Now isn’t the time for indecision, it is the time for action. And if a lightning strike of that power isn’t enough to take her down then my best shot is something I haven’t tried in a long time.

Her spear spins in her hand and then she freezes, the tip pointed towards me and the shaft balanced underneath her arm. That strange, almost religious, persona falls back over her face and her eyes harden. It feels as if I’m fighting two different people. One is the pragmatic but well-intentioned woman focused on Earth’s future and the other is a battle-obsessed zealot condemning me to ‘Hel’. The disparity is disturbing.

Without warning, she blurs and lunges forward, moving at incredible speeds. The wings behind her flare out majestically, propelling her forward with each flap. Meanwhile, I wait patiently from within Effortless Presence, following her movements as best I can. This is only going to work once and I need her to be as close to me as possible.

It only takes her a second or two to close the distance. Her arm pulls back, the tip of the spear raising to my face and reflecting light directly at me. Just as it begins to come crashing down upon me, I dodge slightly to the side, close my eyes, and use Screaming Mind.

A piercing scream fills every nook of my mind and I fall to my knees in pain, pressing my hand against my temple to try and lessen the pressure. It doesn’t help at all and I instinctively grit my teeth, craning my neck slightly to see if my gamble has paid off. A single look is all that it takes for my pained grimace to turn into a smile.

Hands pressing into her temples, Astrid has fallen onto the ground beside me and rolls around in obvious agony. Mouth open in silent scream, white of her eyes visible, veins in her neck straining against her skin, she is obviously unable to handle the mental onslaught. The spear has fallen from her hands and into the ground, the sharp point managing to carve a chunk out of the stage. Most importantly, her armor seems to flicker in and out of existence, becoming incorporeal for split seconds.

Pushing past the pain that is a fraction of what she is feeling, I stumble onto my feet and hobble towards the spear, reaching it in a few seconds. The weapon remains rooted, however, as the weight is too much for me to move unaided. A thought sends Mana flooding through my body and I nearly fall onto one knee as the pain is amplified by my continued use of Screaming Mind.

A glance shows my Stamina dropping at a prodigious rate, quickly eaten by the mental Skill. I quickly toss the spear away, watching it land nearly thirty feet away from us, and turn back to Astrid. To my surprise, she’s managed to get onto her knees and glares at me. Her blond hair is matted with sweat, her eyes red and inflamed, and her nose leaks blood down her face. Somehow, even in this weakened position, she still manages to maintain a level of self-control.

Before she has the chance to make a move, I conjure a blade of plasma and hold it against her neck. It buzzes with energy and the smell of ionized air surrounds us. The skin on her neck begins burn from the heat of the plasma but I don’t pull it away, even by an inch. She is an enemy I can’t afford to underestimate.

Teeth clamped together to ward off the pounding headache, I manage to hiss, “You only get one chance Astrid. Please, just surrender.”

Sweat dripping down her forehead, she looks up at me. The strain by which her eyes meet mine is visible, muscles around her neck contorting as she forces them to obey her will. What I see makes me nearly drop the blade of plasma.

It’s obvious that there is a battle going on in her mind. A single iris has turned into pure lightning and is curled into a spiteful gaze while the other eye looks upon me with single-minded determination. Without words, it passes along a message and I hear it loud and clear.

Wait.

Still holding the blade against her neck, I watch as Astrid begins to tremble slightly, fighting against the persona that had overwhelmed her during our fight. Patiently waiting for the result, the time gives me a chance to gather my thoughts, even under the continued effect of Screaming Mind. Is this some sort of side-effect of a deal with ‘the Allfather’? Perhaps more to the point, who, or what, the hell is this the Allfather and how is he giving power to humanity?

Glancing at my Stamina, and realizing I only have enough left for less than a minute, I meet Astrid’s eyes and try to convey the deadline with a sharp shake of my head.

I want her to live, to be able to help in whatever world I’m able to build, but I’m not willing to throw it away just to give her a chance to regain control of herself. At the end of the day, it was her decision to accept the power that has now taken control of her.

Her struggles continue for a few moments as I hold the blade to her throat. While internally pleading for her success, I steel myself towards the very real possibility that she may fail.

Seconds tick away as I keep one eye on her and the other on my ever-decreasing Stamina bar. Only thirty seconds left. Twenty. I glance up towards her and don’t know what to make of the situation. Her posture has become slightly more relaxed but that could be due to any number of reasons.

“Come on Astrid. Please.” I whisper under my breath, watching the struggle continue to play out. It’s only when I know that I have five seconds left that I know I can’t risk it. Disappointment creating a pit within my stomach, I take a deep breath and condemn her to her fate.

“Surrender! I surrender!” she screams. Sweat pours down her face and she leans back in exhaustion. Refusing to meet my gaze, she lets out a sigh and I see a single tear fall down her face before a torrent of noise and light overwhelms us.

The crowd, suddenly appearing as if from nowhere, cheers and boos me simultaneously. Roughly half of the crowd are on their feet, clapping or yelling faint words of encouragement, while the other half hurl curses towards me, a few even throwing physical items that bounce off some sort of invisible shield that encircles us. Of the hundreds of different species that are watching, not one of them seems to display any sense of remorse or guilt about this form of entertainment. The disgust that I had felt before returns.

A noise gets my attention and I look up to see Linus drifting down from the sky, moving his arms in a series of gestures that seem to placate the crowd. The noise begins to die down and, after a minute or two, silence settles upon the Arena like a fine layer of dust.

His voice, subdued with anticipation, spreads throughout the crowds. “What we just saw was a battle of mind versus brawn, of tactics versus strength. Like all competitions of the powerful, the outcome was cemented through deceit and careful planning. Whatever the fate of Earth may be, I am eager to see where this man takes it. And, with that, I give you, the PRIMUS OF EARTH!”

His hand snakes out to grab my wrist and he raises it high into the sky as the entire arena bursts into noise. The cheering and booing from before is nothing compared to the onslaught that assaults me now. Booming voices shake the very air around me and I can feel the vibration through the stage as thousands upon thousands of beings stamp their feet upon the ground. They very foundation of the arena seems to shake.

Before I have a chance to pull myself away to go check on Astrid, a notification blooms in to my vision. Unlike the hundreds of impersonal notifications that had appeared before me, this one seems … different. Longer than almost any I’ve ever received, I try to tune out the crowd as I begin to read.

Congratulations! You, Cael King, have become the Primus of Earth. This is a position of great power, of great influence, and, perhaps most importantly, great responsibility. It is clear that you are a being of foresight, thought, and empathy, which are traits that will both help and hinder you as you learn what it truly means to lead. Please, take a moment to appreciate the benefits of your new title before reading further.

There is a short break in the notification and then another seems to appear right beside it and my eyes widen as I comprehend what it says.

Title Gained: Primus of Earth. With this Title, you have been granted the ability to create a single permanent Gateway. You gain access to the Civilization screen. Within One Earth [Week] please select your: Market, Sponsor (if any), and Planetary Goal. Failure to do so will result in the immediate condemnation to Dungeon World.

You are also granted + 20 to All Attributes and the choice to define your species’ Power. You must determine this within the Civilizations screen within One Earth [Week] or it will be chosen at random.

The sound of the crowds fade away as I comprehend the threat levied toward Earth. Ripping my wrist away from Linus’s hand, I turn away and walk towards Astrid, who lies on the ground just ten feet away from me and is visibly crying. As much as I want to try and help comfort her, I need to focus on the bigger picture.

I walk past her and look over the notification once more, considering everything that lies in front of me. I’d known that my position as Primus wouldn’t be easy but I had expected a little bit of a rest before the full responsibility had kicked in. In hindsight it seems like a dumb idea but I’d figured I’d have a day or two to gather my thoughts.

Another notification begins to appear in front of me, each word solidifying into existence as if written by some spectral hand.

We understand you might be overwhelmed. We would recommend you get over this quickly, as you, more so than many of your peers, have threats looming above you. We are unable to play favorites and cannot give you any information that would create an Imbalance.

Your future is fraught with risk and danger. We can see now that you walk down a path we purposefully hid. How you discovered it is inconsequential. You steps have sent plans astray and have begun to awaken things better left to their slumbers. Somehow, you, and a few other members of this Wave, have brought about another Age of Change.

Despite being your overseer, we cannot protect you from the machinations of those who would seek you harm. All we can do is give advice. Realize your power, gather your allies, and prepare for turmoil. Change is upon us.

- Genesis.