《Ultima Deus - The Last God》Interlude I - Her
Advertisement
Interlude I - Her
A dazzling array of lights and colors shimmered against the backdrop of a cool autumn evening sky. Exotic flowers still shivering with morning dew bloomed instantly into sunbursts and supernovas of exquisite visual debauchery; shadows grew into fearsome legends from ages long past, only to be vanquished by heroes of song and myth; the motifs were legion, and it was a drunken revelry to the eyes and ears, carefully contrived to captivate and enslave the senses.
Every set of eyes, except for two.
The first belonged to a wiry man in his twenties, whose eyes were lost, shipwrecked in the gentle swells of the triple scotch neat he nursed in his hands. His demeanor was unassuming and his physical presence overmodest, yet an air of quiet confidence and deadly earnestness coiled about him like a viper ready to strike. It was no wonder that he drifted about alone in a sea of humanity, drowning on dreams of scotch and visions of another man’s life.
The second set of eyes were steel grey, focused and intent upon their prey.
It was a slow seduction, a dance to be sung for the ages. It started with a single step into his personal space. A subtle calling card, a statement of intent. As all such timeless gestures must be met if they are to be properly savored, it called for the attentions of time - a premeditated affair - just to let it settle. As the weight of it slowly drifted over his shoulders, it was not the wintry breeze of a stranger’s breath but the warm caress of a lover’s embrace.
Love does not impose itself on another. Rather, it bides its time. Patient and abiding like the skies and the mountains, like the stars and the ocean until the day when both meet in a perfect timeless kiss, the sanctity of the occasion and the precious rarity of the moment was enough to give both a pause. They savored the moment, extracted of each second its essence as though to lock it away from the predations of time and circumstance, the sworn enemies of all star-crossed lovers.
Advertisement
And so, for the next few moments, there dwelt a deep, peaceful silence between the man and the woman. It was a spell woven with strands so translucent, so gossamer, that the merest of breaths would have been enough to shatter it. Yet it stood, firm as a deeply rooted tree reaching down, down to the very core and further still, to find that which had secretly been its most dearly coveted desire. Time was of no object, and its streams pooled into an ocean, countless ripples echoing the cadence of their hearts as they beat as one, twined and interlocked, suspended in the absolute void between one man’s destiny and a woman’s fate.
And then it was done. Having served its purpose, it vanished on the wings of a whispered prayer and yearnings buried deep. However, it was done and it had been enough.
For a prelude, it would do.
The man found it necessary to expel wind from his lungs, and form words with his tongue. It all seemed too contrived. He shook his head slowly, then looked in askance to the woman.
“Sophia,” she whispered.
Her lips formed the word yet it was his heart that seized and shook in sweet agony; excruciating bliss.
*Sophia. Ah, Sophia..*
If her name was the poison, he’d gladly drink to the very last drop, if only so that he may taste it for one last time.
Her voice was that of a stranger, but in those eyes he knew her. But his own had forgotten the words they’d so loudly sung in silent tribute mere moments past. And so, churlish and mundane as he felt, he had no choice but to address the voice in order to unveil the mistress behind those twin swirls of mercurial flame.
“I am. My name. That is, I..” the man trailed off. His words were measured and slow, his voice deep and steady, his mind cool and composed. However, there seemed to be no method to bridge the gap between his will and these utterly graceless words which would irrevocably mar this perfect moment.
Advertisement
The woman tilted her head to one side, a minute gesture that encompassed a statement, a question and their mutual resolution. Then her right hand rose from her side and came to rest upon the man’s cheek. It was a deeply intimate gesture, disdaining all ceremony for the immediate, filled to the brim of the here and now.
“I am..”
It was liquid ecstasy, vitriol that burned. Burned brightly, burned fiercely, until there was nothing but ashes.
Isn’t that how all love stories end?
Ashes and the fading whispers of a broken promise.
*My.. Sophia..*
Advertisement
The Cassandrian Theory
Decades ago, Elcy was a battleship. Her recklessness on the front led her to forced retirement in a human body. Fallen from favor after her last mission, she’s now stuck on Virgo station as a cadet instructor. Eager to return to the front, Elcy accepts a bureaucratic mission that no one else wants to take on. On the way there, an unexpected party approaches her with an offer that is too bizarre to be true. Listed on Top Web Fiction HERE The story is a continuation of Quod Olim Erat and The Scuu Paradox
8 114Dark Seas Leading Demise
Having awakened within a forest with little to no memories of her past and being left with the sole task of surviving…what will Kaltyr do?-----------------------------------If when you're reading this there are only 49 chapters, then for all intents and purposes it's completed. The first 49 chapters are just a prologue, giving a long (135,000+ words) introduction to the main character, the power system, and how she obtained her powers--all within the forest she awoke within. You will not learn why the novel has its name.There are only 5 characters, 1 of which is the MC and only another of which is recurring for a time.I do have plans for future books of the series, but they aren't getting written for a long time because this was just a side project to practice the basics of storytelling and whatnot. I will instead be working on my real projects.This is a slow story that doesn't pander to the audience, but I hope you enjoy it, nonetheless.
8 208An Angel's Vow
What was supposed to be a simple day's work turned into so much more when Castiel decides to answer a prayer. Now he must continue on in a new and dangerous place where anything can happen. *This is a Work in progress Cover from (Stefan Keller)
8 169A Familiar Cat
On a dark night, in the City of Hapsburg. A Warlock is doing a spell. His intent, To summon a demon to be his familiar and grant him all the powers of the Dark Realms. For Power, Status, And Dominion. But that's not what happens. Instead, the Demon rips his soul free during the Ritual and banishes him to the body of the familiar he'd tried to place the Demon in. Before Running off with the body and vowing to turn the Warlock's life into a living hell. What ensues is a game of Cat and Mouse, with the fates of thousands on the line. And they're not the only ones Playing either. Buckle in and witness the duel of the century, Monsters, Magic and More await you like these two rivals battle in a winner take all brawl across the city.
8 111Hole in the Fields
George Edrik expected a phone that was long outdated, barely functional- maybe a Chinese knockoff at best. What he didn’t expect was a different world. In Telora, the nights have been conquered by a relentless force known as the prowlers, and nature has retaken the land. Mankind is forced to dwell underground in grand cities, unified by the guild. In his attempts to acclimate to his new world, George becomes wrapped in intrigue between the guild, the reclusive elves, and the savage graldor, as revelations surface that send tremors throughout Telora.
8 226Million pieces
Meredith Grey got attacked when she was walking in Seattle. Will the surgeons be able to save her? What will her family do when they see her so hurt.TW // Violence, blood, rape,..
8 166