“Where am I?”

“Who am I?”

“What am I?”

I woke up with these questions ringing around in my head. I knew I was within a Gem and I had no heartbeat - but I could think – I had thoughts! Within the Gem, I could stretch out my spirit body. I had questions - but who would provide the answers? I tried looking around; then realized I could see... Everywhere? Is this Prism vision? Beneath me and above me, was mud and dirt. A few bugs were crawling around me and over me.

I could always see everywhere though, so why am I so confused?

After looking at my surroundings I decided to take a look at myself. It seemed that I was a Gem, a beautiful one. There were no imperfections upon my surface. I was a perfect spherical shape. My colour seemed to be very fluid though; moving through a kaleidoscope of different colours. Red, orange, yellow , blue, and ones that I couldn’t name. I was mesmerised by the beautiful colours.

What was my name? Did I forget it? Wait. What’s a name? I don’t think that I need a name, but I feel like should have one, how confusing. I could move around the Gem. The Gem had space inside of it. It didn’t have food though. Once I thought about food, I felt hungry – maybe it was like those people who lost a limb but could still feel it itchy. I was a spirit but felt hungry.

I looked around at the dirt that surrounded and wondered how or what could I eat? I watched those bugs climbing over me. Then simply without thinking, I absorbed their energy. It wasn’t food as I knew it. I realised that I needed the essence of living creatures. Although small and gritty, the energy satisfied my appetite. I was about to absorb more when two successive flashes appeared in my vision, sending the dirt and mud swirling into the air. …

Moments Earlier

The Court of Light was in session. A pantheon stood, huge pillars reaching up and merging with a elegant wall upon which a freso was placed, the ruins of six empty thrones sat stained with the blood of the gods that used to sit proudly upon the. Now? only one throne remained centered in the back of the room, upon which the Queen of Light now sat. All the court of light prostrate before her. They remained silent for a long moment as propreity demanded, before advancing and presenting their cases to the Queen. The reason why they should be one the to get the position, or why they should be the one to go on such and such mission. The Queen looked on with disdain, not responding and not caring, thinking about which court member should be killed for her entertainment. That was when the doors of the pantheon opened and a messenger walked through.

“Queen Celestial,” the lesser Angel said, “A message from the Watcher. A new Core has been awakened! One Lord Diviner did not see. It is unclaimed and out of quota! It is in need of guidance!”

…

The Court of Darkness was also in session. yet this court took place in no pantheon but in a castle, built in the darkest place of the hells with only the burning hellfire and screams of the tortured to give it company. It was an imposing sight with walls made from infernal stone and a gate made from hell-iron. It was within the castles dungeons, though, that court took place. Within the dungeom three thrones stood where the Lord of Darkness made court. Two with the old lords of the Hells bound, chained, and forever tormented, and one where the Lord of the Hells himself sat. Unbound, untormented, and ruling. Yet, within the court not a voice was heard; no voice was heard reverberating through the ighty halls of the castle, despite the numerous nobles that stood within, only the King spoke. All others obeyed. All knew the punishment of speech, pain, blood, scars, and eventual death. All present knew that the Court was only a test - a test where none knew if they succeeded or failed, and so they stood grimfaced, hour after hour.

Unmoving

The Lord looked on in the distance, still upon his throne and watched his former comrades tortured. No sound was made until the doors of the dungeon opened and a messenger came through.

“My Lord Infernal! A message from The Imp! A new Core has been revealed; one not predicted by Lady Allseer! It is unclaimed and out of quota it is need of guidance!”

The reply was the same, one a high lilting voice, and one a growl:

“Send a Caretaker, NOW!”

The Elemental Court – a pantheon of the lesser Gods – was also in session. Mistress Water, Lord Flame, Earth, Air and countless other lesser elements all gathered together in a parody of the greater courts up above. They too got a message -a message from Death. Wait a little longer; the time of elements would come soon enough!

For the last piece on the board had just been played.

Death was playing a game, a game he was all too good at. He maneuvered. He feinted. Moving his last piece in place, he won.

The last piece was a core.

“Checkmate.”

...

They both materialized at the same time, one dark, one light. They both had wings and they both had bodies. They looked almost identical, yet, I could tell one represented dark, and the other light; and not just because of the brilliant flashes their bodies made as they came through the in-between.

They looked at each other in surprise, then squinted and looked again. The light one had a beautiful smile but it’s voice was scornful “What are you doing here?” A malignant grin creased the dark pixie’s face as it responded with a bolt of purple-black lightning which diffused harmlessly off a shield created by the Light Fairy. The Fairy shot her own bolt of sunlight which was met by a casual brush of a darkness encased wing. The two of them flitted around the room, scarring the walls with their bolts of bright and dark lightning. The room was filled with the sound of their harsh screeching and clawing.

Then suddenly they both looked at me as though remembering something. They both surged toward my Gem, their shoulders and wings clashing and vibrating as they both reached out for my surface. They glared at each other hatefully and as their hands touched the gem, they both rapidly intoned: “I bond with this Core, to guide him, to protect him, to never bring harm down upon him, to be there through the bad and to be there during the good. May the gods hear and witness my oath.”

I was scared, very scared. I could tell as they attacked each other that these two were not here to protect me no matter what they swore. They had turned to fight each other again.

I could feel my mounting panic.

A bolt of darkness flashed by my core.

Light exploded and dirt showered me.

Bug blood was splattered everywhere.

Like a crystal flashing in the sunlight, the many colours of my gem started sending strobes of light towards the fighting fairy and pixie. Those strobes of light became deadly weapons.

I attacked the fairy and pixie both over and over again. All of my power was focused on bringing about their demise. They fought back desperately countering my strobes with their own lightning strikes. However, they had sworn an oath to protect me and not to harm me and so whether they were sincere or not, it seemed they could not deliberately hurt me. Their shields started flickering and their lightning strikes became weaker. It seemed that neither wished to give in. Occasionally they would lunge for me only to have my strobes of light beat them back. Then they would try to talk, only to have the same thing happen, then they stood watching as their shields started to flicker and then fail. The shield of light fell first and then the shield of darkness. I lashed out one last time and both beings fell before me, Two streams of light hurtled toward me.

I absorbed them readily - one light and one dark! I was immediately filled with pure ecstasy! Such a delicious taste! It was indescribable better than anything that I had eaten before.

I felt my gem start to glow brighter and brighter! “Delicious” I whispered in happiness. I sensed both souls sinking through my core, diffusing within it. As I completely absorbed their soul energy, all I could think was that I MUST HAVE MORE!

Yet, something was wrong. I could feel it. Even through my euphoria I could still feel that something was terribly wrong. Screams started to echo through my head, Then there came a feeling an indescribable feeling that echoed and resounded, striking an unbearable pain within my mind. My whole being was racked as though I was being split apart! My body felt as though someone or some heartless being was hammering my bones, biting them and spitting them into the air, over and over again. The pain went on for what seemed forever. I gritted my teeth. Surely this time I would die! I lost track of time, only the pain was there. Until eventually…. It stopped. Leaving behind only a dull throbbing ache. “What happened?” I wondered tiredly.

Looking inward, I saw that my core had grown several sizes and I felt a lot more powerful than before. Yet all I could think about was how good the souls of those fairies tasted, what it felt like as their essence was sucked into my core. It tasted so good, so good and I wanted more, so much more.

That was when I heard the grinding.

A horrible sound that reached into my very depths, it resounded throughout the room in which I resided. It was more than a mere sound it felt as if it was attacking my soul, as if at any moment it would shatter me and leave me in pieces upon the muddy ground where I currently reside.

Then, even worse, the grinding stopped and voice echoed forth into my hole.

“Core, core, core, what have you done?” The voice spoke in a sad tone a tone that conveyed far more meaning the words themselves had.

“Who are you? Why can’t I see you?” I replied frantically, still on edge from my encounter with the fairies.

“I have many names but most people call me…. Death.”