Zaraya

The moment we pass back through the barrier and into the lower dimension of Gaia I feel a slight lose of power, a lessening of the malleability of the ether around me. I look to my companions, my party. There are five of us, each secret disciplines of the Ancient that somehow found each other through the old man's hints and teachings.

Before I met them I had always thought I was the only one he had deigned to teach in generations if not ever. But my pride must have blinded me into thinking that Master Pretiosus would put all his hopes and the hopes of the lower mortal realm on me. A dangerous hubris I now realise, but I am still young and always learning, and thankfully I do not forget lessons I've been taught.

We each look at each other after passing back into Gaia, each of us from different backgrounds, different peoples, different worlds. But connected for being the five disciplines of The Ancient of Days that Ascended, and only known beings to Descend back to Gaia.

The only mortals on this side of the realm that know of the beauty and horror that awaits beyond the Gates. Who know that what is known as absolute power here is nothing but the tip of the iceberg to what's possible.

We take a few steps and bow to the great dragon of the west Eragon, looking at us curiously. Dragons also don't forget and now we know why Master Pretiosus insisted we Ascend through this gate all those years ago.

The dragon acknowledges us with a huff and places its head back down on its paws. I look at my four companions again, we nod to each other. Acknowledging the great work before us, the work of trying to prepare these worlds for what's coming.

Worlds that are sandboxes filled with children for the arrival of adults with their tyranny and absolute power. I am the least of the five, being the youngest at just over 200 years old. And being the last to Ascend at something like 50 years local time, 5 years Omega time.

We send our goodbyes and well wishes to each other silently before flying off in different directions for we have different objectives.

Mandala is to prepare Terra for the coming invasion. He being the only one amongst us to be from that particular world. How he does that is under his discretion.

Calypto going to Aqueous to prepare that world for the coming invasion. Knowing her personality, she will probably step on everyone that challenges her under heel violently to make her point.

Calypto and her sister Kalypsō are creatures of two worlds. Their father from Ciel, also known as sky world, and their mother from Aqueous, also known as the water world.

Thus, as Calypto goes to Aqueous, Kalypsō goes to Ciel. Both sisters beautiful and loving, by quick to anger and devastating in their vengeance. Surviving in Omega by virtue of their flawless team work their first year of Ascending.

Having spent something like 22 years there, which is 220 years on these worlds revolving around Rigel the blue sun.

Hirohito, the most mysterious amongst us. Clearly human so obviously from Gaia, the same world as me, but besides his name and that he was once a disciple of Master Pretiosus, whom he refers to simple as The Ancient One. I know very little.

We initially fly towards the same direction Hirohito and I, high enough not to be immediately identified as human by our silhouettes. The vista that stretches out before us is breath-taking in it's beauty. I'm home.

The area immediately around Eragon is not claimed by any nation or power, for the dragon brooks no neighbours. The forests are overflowing with herbivorous animals.

Birds, antelopes, bison, buffaloes, goats, monkeys, zebras, horses and the likes. Only small predictors that aren't territorial by nature being able to withstand the territorial aura of Eragon for extended periods of time. Though even they don't make a permanent home it what was called The Sleeping West when last I walked these lands.

"Our paths diverge here." Hiro sends telepathically.

"Where will you go?" I ask telepathically. The force field preventing the wind from buffeting my face in flight also severely limiting sound from permeating. Force fields not yet my specialty.

"I will go warn my people and bring them out of obscurity." Hirohito says in a serious tone. "I hope to see the Ancient One again as well and test myself against him."

My eyes nearly bug out of my head at that. "You would challenge the old man?" I ask seriously. It seems disrespectful to me.

Master is a very humble and tender old man. He seems delicate but he isn't, he is rarely if ever violently. To challenge him to a fight is irreverent.

"In my culture, it is considered an auspicious occasion when the student surpasses the master." He sends as we slow to a stop, hovering thousands of kms above the ground.

"And you imagine you have surpassed him in only what, 60 years on Omega?" I ask with a huff of my own. The audacity of the man.

He grins as his eyes twinkle mischievously. "I have spent a 111 years on Omega. I am older than I project." He says unleashing his age for me to fully feel for the first time. Yea, the guy is about 1800 Rigel years old, at least.

"Still-" I begin but am interrupted.

"You forget. As old and experienced as he may be he has never Ascended. He cannot know the things we learnt there-"

"Yet he taught us how to Descend." I interrupt now. Then I sigh, no. No matter how old and experienced Master may be he has never Ascended, there is just no way on Gaia to accumulate the power necessary to face even the weakest of the people there.

"Just don't hurt him Ok?" I say as sternly as I can, though we both know I'm no match for him. Still, we have been comrade through many difficult fights and have respect for one another.

"Pfffhh.." He snorts. "You underestimate the old man. He has many tricks up his sleeve yet. I'm off." And with that he shoots off towards the open ocean.

I sigh as I also think of my plans. I'm honestly not sure what to do with myself. When master taught me how to Descent it was all theoretical, never having been done before.

But he taught me what he knew anyways, and I learnt never expecting it to work. Now that I'm here I have no idea how to go about accomplishing our goals. I'm no ruler or conquerer like the others, nor am I as charismatic or as powerful as them.

Though in this world I'm probably the most powerful human besides Hirohito or master. Still, I only spent 5 years on Omega, though I've been away 50 from everyone's perspective here.

Maybe I shouldn't be heading to Tiba just yet. Maybe an Ascendant returning will freak them too much. I grin at that, the thought of Castro's face when he sees me.

I close my eyes and concentrate, first inwardly condescending my crown chakra thickly. Then outwardly spreading it out while simultaneously opening my third eye. I feel/see the aura everything above a certain power level all around me.

Then all around the forest around me, then as far as the eye can see, then further still. My senses questing far and wide, hundreds of kms in all directions in an undetectable way. Undetectable by most but easily foiled by anyone with the knowhow and like their privacy.

I stay in the air for about 20 minutes before finding the old man. 20 minutes where I discover a multitude of strange things on Pangaea and a few creatures/people that look back at my intrusion. Most curiously, some blocking my senses from touching their entire territories somehow.

"My child, how have you been?" He asks, somehow projecting in Universal from very far away. But at least still on the continent.

"Master Pretiosus, I am well." I say with reverence. I send out as far as I can and he somehow picks it up, sending me feelings of affection and joy.

"What are your plans?" He asks, getting to the point.

"I was hoping you would direct my hand."

"Then I hope you are not aversed to teaching for the time being. There are many students that could benefit from the instruction given by an Ascendant."

"Former Ascendant." I say, already starting to fly towards him.

"Do not come to me, there is someone I'd like you to meet before you can go where I am about to go. Follow this aura signature, tell him I sent you. You will be helped in building a home fit for one of your station amongst a community of people I have gathered."

"And I thought you would never settle." I send amused.

"My time to leave this realm is nearly upon me as well. I can settle now, though I am yet to build my own home. Go, find the signature I send, you will be welcomed."

"Yes master." I say even as an aura signature is projected to me very clearly. Something I didn't know was possible even coming from Omega.

It doesn't take long to find the person Master intended. I'm surprised by the person stopping his sewing to look up as though looking directly at me from thousands of kilometers away.

"Hello." He says directly into my mind as clearly as master just did. Who is this person? And besides finding him as I should have, from here I can't tell anything else about him.

"Father just told me to expect you. You are welcome to the Conclave Zaraya Zaraki. Though we are few, we all share the burden of the coming calamity." He says sagely.

"You remind me of a friend of mine named Hirohito." I project, as the person's features become clear and his referring to master as father already a testament to his trustworthiness.

"Yes he is a nephew on my mother's side. Father trained us together, but Hito has always been more ambitious than I. I am glad he managed to return." He stands, getting a faraway look a moment before I feel something that reminds me of Hirohito brush past my awareness from over the ocean.

"I am The Wanderer, the 63rd child of Ancient of Days, the 12th of those still on this realm. You can call me Malachi." He says with a happy grin. I nod.

"I'm on my way Malachi." I project then fly leisurely towards this conclave.