ROUTE 2: CHAPTER 1: SEA OF DREAMS: PART 2: RIDER OF THE DAWN

The Sea of Dreams was an endless expanse of dreams turned into water. There was no end, none at all, only direction and intention could steer one on the right course.

For the few who knew of its existence, it was known that its waters were treacherous, dissolving both creatures and creations that lacked in willpower.

Bones and flesh, apparition and manifestation, all equal to the trial of the deep sea.

A primordial force that constantly shaped and redefined anything that came in contact with it.

After a slow descent, made possible by the silken, spidery wings that had grown from his imaginary vessel, Arma found himself travelling upon that sea.

The black ship stood firm, as it travelled with great speed upon the purple waves, defying the consuming force of the grand expanse of water.

It was a magnificent beast, and Arma could not help but to marvel at its creation, drawn out from the ether, nothingness.

Above him, the same wild blackened yonder, with its myriad of glowing orbs, remained as when he had first gazed upon the world outside of the comfort of his tube.

(Vaporin: Well then, my dear Arma, this truly is the Sea of Dreams. Everything you can experience in this world was born from this sludge of random thought and emotion.

A despicable lack of design, ruled by those with arrogance enough to take upon themselves the roles of the divine.)

Arma did not know what to answer. He could feel Vaporins voice flow through him, like a conscience with different priorities than what would be expected of such a thing.

It guided his actions, although they were still his own, and thusly he knew how and where to steer the grand ship.

(Arma: Where are we going?)

(Vaporin: We are travelling to another setting; Sphere 79, Orchid: the sphere of desideratum. As a part of this sphere, my old hunting grounds still exist; the Isle of Damocles. Currently its location is here in the Sea of Dreams, much like the place where you were born.)

It all seemed so confusing, yet wondrous. Basking in the feeling of the salt carried from the water by the multicoloured winds, Arma felt an adventurous happiness.

While Vaporins words were distant and lacking in anything Arma could relate to, something inside him innately understood what the old man was telling him. Perhaps he was made to function just like this .

An open door, an invitation to whatever knowledge was given him. Wherever that knowledge would lead him.

(Vaporin: The wind, it rises from the depths. The stronger form of the wind, the deeper its origin. This sea is not really an ocean, it is a raw creative force, the will of the old ones who existed before us. This is why I called it your mother, in a way it has given birth to all of us.)

(Arma: I saw it before I opened my eyes, the darkness of the depths, and the winds that came from it.)

(Vaporin: Yes, you are a child of the abyss, the deepest layer of this antediluvian muck.)

(Arma: Why did you…)

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a lightning strike as the dark, crimson skyline brightened into a pallid body of nothingness.

They had entered an empty space, where only the sea remained beneath them and everything else became engulfed in a pure whiteness.

Well, to say that they had entered it would be wrong, they were captured inside it, as the cage of light pushed the outside world away, containing the grand ship and its resident inside.

A pitch-black hole, shaped like an eye, opened up above the ship, far above in the white immaculateness where the dreamlike sky had previously been. And from this dark eye, a winged creature emerged.

(???: Forcefully applying yourselves upon this sea, the property of the gods, and the source of life itself, how brazen are you...)

The being had a cold, emotionless voice, that echoed with definity through the white space that had enclosed them.

Vaporins red apparition blazed in excitement in answer and his eyes turned upon the creature with both satisfaction and anger as he snarled.

(Vaporin: An angel dispensed from heaven, how quaint! So you know! You've known for a long time haven't you, you despicable cowards! We´re coming for you!)

The being descended slowly through the air, it's great grey wings flapping behind it. As it came closer Arma could discern its appearance in all its glory. It looked like a tall, slender humanoid being, with legs that ended not in feet but spear-like appendages.

(???: The arrogance of one who should been dissolved ages ago knows no bounds I see. I, Thyone, will punish you for this digression.)

He had long light blue hair, flowing behind his head like a waterfall, and calm grey eyes set on a face whose features were carved from stone. He was dressed in a strangely elegant fashion, something akin to both a suit and a robe. A holy garb befitting a pastoral personage.

(Thyone: Brother Moon, I besiege you, grant this foolish child a merciful death. Prepare yourself.)

A third eye opened up on the forehead of the angelic being known as Thyone, and the eye shone with a dazzling light which seemed to illuminate even the whiteness around him. A great trident manifested in his right hand, and a golden scale appeared in his left.

(Vaporin: Don't worry, angel, we will take you on! Speed communication activated, melding thought-process ability, Arma, our minds are one!)

And then, time stood still. Everything was completely frozen, the waves, the wind, the enemy which hung in the air above Arma, even the sweat on his forearms. Everything except Vaporin. The red apparition smiled victoriously in front of Arma, his eyes burning with wicked desire.

(Arma: What… what did you do? I can't move.)

(Vaporin: Manila, analyze our enemy!)

The green woman did not manifest this time, but Arma could feel her presence inside him as the old man left his question unanswered. Circuits swimming around, making connections, in the backwash of his mind.

(Manila: … … ...

THYONE: ADMiNA - ThE DIvINE

LVL: FiFTY - AFfINITY: ORdER.

CLAsS: ARBITER.

… … ...

STRATIFICATIONS:

....ANALYZING…

… … … ANa…LYZING:

POWER: SIGNiFICANT

SPIRIT: HUMaNA - AXIS

APPLICATION: SPeCIAL CONDITION

PHANTASM: SOLID STATE

EVAPORATION: CORPOReAL

WiLL… ThAT BE ALL MAsTER?)

(Vaporin: Yes, yes. That will be all. Now then, Arma, it might seem like time has been frozen in place but I have simply increased your ability to process it, by adding the power of my intellect to yours. This is why we can communicate, and why it appears as if I can move. Simply put, it is all in your head!)

Arma was stunned, both literally and figuratively, while time moved just as quickly as it had ever done, his increased perception of it made it seem like reality had stopped moving forward altogether.

(Vaporin: That is to say… I have granted us the time for me to teach you how to vanquish this foul wretch of a creation. But before that, let's see what this fucker can do.)

Time returned to its normal pace and Arma watched with wide eyes as Thyone let go of his trident. As he continued to descend the trident hung solemnly in the air above his left arm.

When he finally hoovered merely a score of meters above the ship the angelic being stopped its descent and raised the golden scales in front of him. On each end of the scale, two shining bowls, or perhaps cups, hung, each infused with runes and symbols.

And then he…

(Thyone: How polite of you to give me the pleasure of taking the initiative. However, this will not save you, as I shall indeed indulge myself... “Scales of Petronius”.)

The trident shot through the air with amazing force, like an anti-air missile being fired from a military cruiser. As it flew through the air it picked up an even greater pace and cleaved the surrounding air creating blasts of sound. Arma could barely react as he started to scream, and yet, in the corner of his eye he noticed a small detail.

One of the bowls on the scale had been filled with a blood red liquid as the scales began to tip.

(Arma: Vaporin! Do something!)

(Vaporin: No, I don't think so. Taste it Arma, savour it.)

The trident struck Armas chest with an impact that both blasted him backwards and pierced his meticulously designed inner organs in an instant, tearing them apart.

It felt as if he had exploded inside as an intense pain became his entire being, screaming, thumping and scratching behind his eyes while blood filled his throat.

Pain, pain, pain, he couldn't bare it, this unimaginable suffering, that lasted for but a split second.

And then... then he could feel the mechanisms in his innards beginning to activate, repairing themselves and subduing the damage as some kind of anaesthesia made its way through his system, causing his suffering to fade just as it had begun.

It was the green womans hand who guided the framework inside of him, making sure each process was completed as he healed.

(Thyone: Ah, enough to tip the scales in your favour, yet you are not dead. I must commend you, young apostate... Then, once more, I shall judge you.)

Arma struggled to stand up again, after having crashed into the bridge of the ship, smashing the dark, wooden structure. Small traces of blood could still be seen on his chin and cheeks, but the pain, and his insides, were both almost completely back to their previous state. It was a strange feeling, experiencing this closeness to death and then being pulled back together in the same moment.

Arma could not decide what face to make, was it a victorious smile or a face born of misery? He wondered if he would ever have to get used to that feeling, and what kind of a creature he would become once he did.

In the end, he could do nothing but smile awkwardly. The angelic being above Arma did not smile however, but his lips twitched as he lifted his hand and the trident teleported itself back to its owner.

(Thyone: Three cardinal rules have you broken. The first one, Vanagloria, as you have deemed yourself worthy of challenging Brother Moon, the very definition of hubris.)

The creature raised his pearly white hand and grasped the trident, the third eye on his face shining with a mystical glow. Arma began to brace himself, but the voice of Vaporin inside him whispered “wait”...

(Thyone: The second one, Avaritia, as you have forced yourself upon this ocean, an assailant reaping the purity of our glorious lords, despoiling its creation.)

Arma felt the cold humidity of fear grasp his body in a tightening grip as he saw the trident powering up in the hand of his enemy.

Remembering the intenseness of his previous pain, he could not help but to instinctively begin to cover himself in fright, clenching his teeth in preparation for the incoming agony, still, the voice inside him beckoned: “wait for it…”.

The scales seemed to tip even more in Armas favour, as more liquid filled the golden cup on the left side. Now, it had nearly reached completion.

(Thyone: ...And finally, the third: Acedia, not taking pleasure in your actions. A most serious transgression... Indulgence is a must. And as such... I shall permit myself to indulge!)

A wild and crazed grin split Thyone´s marbled face in two as he started laughing maniacally, his mouth wide open like that of a hungry viper.

(Thyone: HAHA YES HAHA, THAT IS THE FEELING, INDULGENCE!)

Thyone acted as if he would throw his trident but instead, where one would normally let go of the weapon's shaft he fastened his hand and held on to torpedo along with the skewer as it flew.

Both he and the Trident started to spin through the air in rapidly increasing motion as he charged towards Armas head.

Just as before the attack picked up its pace and the spinning made it even faster as it seemed like the angel and his tool of destruction turned into a spear made out of pure light. Normally a person without superhuman reflexes would not even be able to see or comprehend the lightning-fast strike, but Arma had an advantage. Time stood still yet again.

(Vaporin: What a fucking show off, hearing his boring spiel turns your appetite for blood sour quite quickly, don't you agree dear boy?)

If he had not been just as frozen as his environment Arma would have panted with physical and mental exhaustion. Instead he simply asked:

(Arma: W-what now?)

The old man gazed upon the beam of light that was their opponent and looked unimpressed, boredom with a hint of disdain.

(Vaporin: Have you ever swatted an irritating fly, Arma? Well of course you haven't, but it should be part of your general knowledge... Anyhow, you would never view an insect as a valid opponent, you would never give it the courtesy to consider it a life in its own right. You would simply swat it away, without a care in the world…)

The bright red apparition walked through the air as if stepping down a flight of stairs as he approached Arma. He then put his right hand on the young boy's shoulder, squeezing it with pride.

(Vaporin: Do whatever comes naturally.)

Vaporins twisted, paternal smile set events in motion again. As time started to flow, at first slowly, and then quicker and quicker, Arma followed the first thought that came into his head.

(Arma: Just… swat it.)

When the spear of light was about to enter the area surrounding the dark ship a black hand manifested beside it. A large hand with outstretched spidery fingers and a slick blank palm.

The hand slapped the wildly spinning projectile with a great bang, forcing it to change direction and smash into the ocean.

The crash made waves of energy rise in each direction as multicolored winds were released into the air, seeking to flee the confined space and travel out into the universe. The force of the wind shattered the pale prison which had trapped both Arma and his vessel, huge white pieces of what looked like glass dropping from the sky into the hungry sea.

As the pieces smashed down upon the surface of the Sea of dreams, beginning to dissolve in its feverishly creative force, the same force ate away at the body of the being known as Thyone, both angel and arbiter, a subject to Axis; the one known as brother moon.

(Thyone: Brother! Sister! My beloved sires! I am becoming one with the dream!)

The golden scale still hung on its fixed position in the sky, the balance no longer tipped in Armas favour, instead slowly filling the cup on the right side, as the cup on the left was drained. Thyone´s abilities were very specific, he drew power from his deity; Axis, but his manifestations could not be freely applied.

Instead they followed a strict set of rules, sins and conditions which gave birth to different results. As a rule, the one who seemed to be at a disadvantage would gain the favour of the scales, while other conditions, such as the perceived comitance of sin could tip the scales either way.

As an arbiter, a judge of sorts, the condition of what would qualify as a sin was solely based on Thyone himself, as long as he kept to the same set of rules.

(Thyone: Feel it! Young blasphemer! Feel the joy of the violence! Savour it! Savour me as I become nothing! In this, my final moment, grant me this favor!)

Thyone was slowly sinking deeper into the purple ocean, his body struggling to stay intact as the random forces of imagination tore at his flesh. In mere moments he would seize to exist, repurposed as wind to fuel further creation.

But Arma could not watch what appeared to be his victory with joy, the sight of the dissolving being, so beautiful and serene, could not be perceived as something to take pleasure in. It seemed sad, unpleasant… horrifying. And thus, he had failed to indulge.

(Vaporin: What a sad failure of a creature, well then, at very least, he sticked to his guns to the very end.)

The last drops of the golden cup had been filled, the ancient symbol of religion and that which is considered holy. A chalice, a grail, judging and granting favor, in other words; miracles.

From an omnipotent view, what followed would probably seem quite obvious. It was the most basic of sacred motifs, the foundation of faith: resurrection.

For a moment, the surface of the violet ocean almost stood still, its mass readjusting itself from the release of energy, and the reacquaintance with the rest of its body as the last of the pale prison walls had collapsed.

Then, a pearly white arm shot out from the depths, holding a trident in its fist.

(Thyone: Hah, ha…)

Breathing heavily Thyone surfaced, his great grey wings forcing him out of the sea in what looked like a diver's flight in reverse. A majestic ascent as his body reassembled itself, the fluid of the golden chalice swirling down from above to become his newly formed matter.

(Thyone: Blessed be brother Moon, blessed be his sister, my time has come, to rejoin the fold!)

The reborn arbiter looked positively mad with joy. His eyes vibrated and his body shone with renewed strength. As the angel once again hovered above Armas ship he let go of his trident and let it hang in the air above him.

Thyone seemed to relax, his muscles unwinding as a serene grin spread across his face, he looked almost kind, the fatherly quality of a man of the cloth.

(Thyone: Ah yes, it's been a long time since I was able to use this, and come to think of it, this is the first time I have died! What a blessed experience.)

The trident started to vibrate and glow until two more tridents, identical copies, emerged from it. It continued to multiply, copies multiplying themselves, faster and faster until the ship was surrounded by what looked like a bird's cage made up entirely out of bright tools of retribution. While the old, white space that had entrapped him was broken, this new prison seemed all the more deadly. There was no escape.

(Thyone: This is the “Satyricon”. A cage of blades to keep the straying faithful, the final form of my scales and trident. You have granted me a great boon, apostate. This cage can only be activated once enough blood has been spilt on the battlefield, allowing my cup to runneth over, as it were. As you see, when you killed me, you more than fulfilled the qualifications… Time to receive your penance, you are indeed worthy of it.)

Each and every trident turned its teeth inwards, pointed towards Arma and then…

(Vaporin: Tough fucking bugger, I gotta say! Well, then, I guess it's time to get creative, my dear Arma!)

Arma almost could not believe it, even though he had already experienced it twice. It felt like cheating, making a single moment an eternity, the strategist's dream. He wondered, in that split second, if the both of them could technically live on like this forever, a single moment, frozen in time. Would that be preferable to death or would it be something even worse?

The tridents had barely begun to move when Vaporin had activated their speed communication, leaving them as blurs hanging in the air.

Thyone himself looked almost like a porcelain figurine, a white facade against the crimson backdrop. If Arma was to survive, now was the time to kill the angel.

(Arma: I need to create a weapon, just like I created this ship… Isn't that right, Vaporin?)

The blazingly red apparition smiled approvingly, nodding with an exaggerated movement.

(Vaporin: Yes, yes, right you are... Might I suggest a gun? Search your memories and you will find the image... As symbolism come, I know of no spiritual icon that can resist the raw power of the most widely acclaimed symbol of death, the firearm.)

The gun. It was the power of remote death, the power to press a button and watch something die. Before nuclear strikes and chemical warfare, before drones and automation, there was the simple way of the firearm.

Nothing personal, nothing close at hand. Not the swing of a sword where you could watch the color drain from an opponent's face as blood splattered yours. Not the fear and excitement of breaking bones and beating flesh asunder with your bare hands.

It was something cold, something distant, but yet, it was death.

Yes, Arma could picture it, he could find the image and feel it being made into matter...

It was a small device, nothing fancy, nothing peculiar. It had a rectangular barrel, seemingly made out of black and smooth plastic, fastened to a simple grip with a small trigger. If it needed to be reloaded in any particular fashion, it did not make it apparent how such a thing could be done.

The gun didn't really look like anything special at all, almost like a children's toy, or a replica from some long forgotten piece of science-fiction.

Yet… as Arma held it in his left hand, staring at what he had made, all he could think about was death.

(Vaporin: Just point and click, couldn't be easier, idiot-proof really.)

As time started to move, at first in slow motion, Arma raised his left hand, the gun tightly clenched in his fist, a finger on the trigger.

The “Satyricon” was still closing in, each trident travelling at an immense speed to turn him into dust.

And then… the gun fired.

(Arma: “Heavens Open”.)

It wasn't really a projectile being forced through the air, nor was it a small rocket, or a laser, a beam of plasma or anything of the sort. If one would be pressed to describe it, the closest word would be “absence”.

It was a large, thick and dark beam of absence, and where it travelled, nothing remained. A black hole not centered to a single position in space, but moving as a straight line of nothingness.

Thyone wasn't blasted to pieces, he wasn't turned into bloody chunks of angelic flesh, he simply disappeared as the black beam engulfed him.

When the black beam shot out of Armas gun Thyone seized to exist.

The force protruding out of Armas darkened tool did not stop there, but continued to travel onto the horizon, spheres of light flickering out of existence as it moved far beyond sight...

What Arma felt as he had blasted off his summoned tool was not a sense of victory, nor was it sorrow for the one who was to be departed. It was something in between pleasure and pain, something in between fear and hope… he felt radiant, yet sickened.

~~

While the battle was finally over, short moments that had felt like an eternity, as Arma had fired “Heavens Open” the “Satyricon” was still active, and closed its grip.

Tridents beyond counting struck Armas body continuously, nailing him to the deck of his dark ship.

In that moment, as his body was obliterated, torn asunder and divided into pieces that desperately tried to reconnect themselves, all the young man could focus on was a single voice.

A proud, paternal voice, without a single worry in the world but with all the universe´s ambition and malice infused into it, commending his prodigy.

(Vaporin: You did well, my son… You did well.)

~~~