Recent Posts1
Art & Fiction / Re: A Sanctum of Swords: Chapter 21 - The Hourglass Game Excerpt
« Last post by Myen'Tal on Yesterday at 08:14:44 PM »Just sharing a later chapter excerpt as I finish up to get this ball rolling toward the launch date.
Chapter 21: The Hourglass Game Excerpt
“Our paths diverged earlier than anyone might’ve anticipated.” Korian spoke aloud, each word echoing across a celestial bridge running between dimensions. “During our time on the mortal sphere. The three of us have treaded our darkening horizons into the Penitent Sanctuary. Our paths have crossed again at long last.”
“Strange,” Gadara said, “I had always thought that after taking the Penitent Pact, that none of us would ever see each other again. Despite the passing decades, each separate road that we tread upon through life have always reunited us before too long.”
Journeying deep toward the beating heart of the labyrinth, the unnatural world began to alter inside of Mahir’s mind. Together, the mortal children of Thearus delved deeper through an unnatural passage of cobalt granite, natural bands of gray running through the ancient stone. An endless rampart tunneling beyond time and space, through the deep abyss. Having endured the passing of eons, time had weathered the passage heavily, breaking down the regal stone enough to leave gaping wounds in the hall’s uniformity.
“Our legendary Enigma remains the only exception,” Mahir admitted, “Honored Korian to everyone back home in Suann.” His thoughts paused inside of his mind at a sudden realization. “Though I suppose that was all before your rebellion against Sanctum Queen Karayan. Having been absent from our lives for two decades, maybe you could finally tell us why everything that happened… happened?”
He spied the celestial heavens through the myriad of cracks running through the passage. A black abyss, a scattered veil of nebulous lights glowing throughout the vast expanse. Adrift amid the kaleidoscopic backdrop of nebulae and fathom-less black holes, ancient celestial bodies hurtled through obscuring meteor fields and a myriad of other anomalies.
Mahir noticed Korian looking up into the fathomless dark shrouding the ceiling. A myriad of memories seemed to be running through his contemplative eyes.
“Karayan,” Korian said, shrugging once in acknowledgement. Almost as if the name stole all semblance of will and endurance from him. “An aspect of our Goddess incarnate, assuming the guise of the Reaper that watches us all.”
Descending farther into the broken labyrinth’s heart, the fabric holding reality together began to unravel. Each step made in succession transitioned him further from the Penitent Sanctuary’s unnatural, but familiar aesthetic into something more akin to cosmic.
“Her knowledge has always surpassed my own,” Korian continued, “to an extent enough to make me realize that I understand just a fraction of what she does. Her mastery of the Art of Death was always flawless, a never-ending font of inspiration for a devoted disciple such as myself. An inanimate blade would rather not speak about her charisma nor her myriad of charming guises.
“Our High Queen would only wear any of them on the eve of handing down a marked contract for her Severed Hand to fulfill. Another soul fated to be reaped and offered up on Goddess Zahira’s altar.”
The Penitent Sanctuary’s unnatural reality came undone. Ancient walls shattered long ago remained in some semblance. Shadows of what the Ascended Pantheon had linked to the heart of this realm. Mahir advanced on through the cobalt-gray debris locked in levitation, scattered about the chamber.
“Stranger still then, uncle Korian,” Gadara whispered beneath her breath. The sound seemed inaudible to the other mortals journeying ahead. “You sound like you admired her… maybe even had more intimate emotions for her?”
Korian shrugged again; his stoic countenance unreadable even by Mahir. “Maybe once upon a distant time, before my trial of blades. I was still young back in those days. Amunet would tell you that I might’ve been in the prime of my life. Your uncle was still dark of thought and spirit, only just taking up the Penitent Pact.”
“You journeyed to Akara and pledged yourself to the Ashen Blades?” Mahir cocked his head at Korian. “I’ve never known many kindred daring enough to be that bold.”
“No,” Korian made a purposeful shake of the head. “I hadn’t thought to ever make the journey. I suppose the honest truth is that Karayan had come to Suann the night before everything. She had come to pay my hearth and home a visit. She honored my younger sibling and your mother, Lucine and your father during that time.
“She had heard rumors enough to come seeking me out in person. Our High Queen’s compensation for my induction into the Ashen Blades Syndicate couldn’t be denied. A wealth worth more than the blades of twelve legendary champions of the syndicate¬–an entire vault of precious gemstones and other artifacts given unto Lucine. I had accepted and departed with Karayan without anything to my name.”
Gadara snorted derisively. “It’s difficult to believe that, Korian, considering the humble lives we toiled through during our journey into adulthood.”
“Lucine always said she had no use of the wealth nor any intention to use it. That sacred vault remains somewhere in Suann. Your mother said the vault would only be opened on the fateful dusk that her children returned to hearth and home.”
“I’d wager you’re avoiding the question.” Mahir confessed at last. “Korian, what happened between Karayan and you, if you both admired one another so much?”
All echoes of the physical world vanished without warning. An absence of gravity made his body feather-light, weightless, as the ancient corridor eroded into oblivion’s abyssal shadow. The weathered stone disintegrated underneath his feet; each step taken lending him the impression of walking on wisping clouds.
“An inanimate blade will not yield the truth behind the creation of its aesthetic at the heart of this broken labyrinth. We should not fall behind our noble band of allies. Should we manage to leave this place far behind us, I will retell the narrative of that forgotten rebellion.”
“Mahir,” he heard Jaleh calling from up ahead. “Are you familiar with anything like the heart of this broken place? The celestial laws of reality appear to have no hold on the astral projection of our souls anymore.”
He looked ahead, finding Jaleh walking upon the fathomless void between the stars. A gentle leap off of her backfoot bounced Jaleh high above anyone else. A sapphire nebula in the backdrop framed her body, enveloped in the radiance of a golden sun. In the absence of gravity, Mahir detected something else luring him through the celestial oasis like an invisible reel...
#Excerpt End#
Chapter 21: The Hourglass Game Excerpt
“Our paths diverged earlier than anyone might’ve anticipated.” Korian spoke aloud, each word echoing across a celestial bridge running between dimensions. “During our time on the mortal sphere. The three of us have treaded our darkening horizons into the Penitent Sanctuary. Our paths have crossed again at long last.”
“Strange,” Gadara said, “I had always thought that after taking the Penitent Pact, that none of us would ever see each other again. Despite the passing decades, each separate road that we tread upon through life have always reunited us before too long.”
Journeying deep toward the beating heart of the labyrinth, the unnatural world began to alter inside of Mahir’s mind. Together, the mortal children of Thearus delved deeper through an unnatural passage of cobalt granite, natural bands of gray running through the ancient stone. An endless rampart tunneling beyond time and space, through the deep abyss. Having endured the passing of eons, time had weathered the passage heavily, breaking down the regal stone enough to leave gaping wounds in the hall’s uniformity.
“Our legendary Enigma remains the only exception,” Mahir admitted, “Honored Korian to everyone back home in Suann.” His thoughts paused inside of his mind at a sudden realization. “Though I suppose that was all before your rebellion against Sanctum Queen Karayan. Having been absent from our lives for two decades, maybe you could finally tell us why everything that happened… happened?”
He spied the celestial heavens through the myriad of cracks running through the passage. A black abyss, a scattered veil of nebulous lights glowing throughout the vast expanse. Adrift amid the kaleidoscopic backdrop of nebulae and fathom-less black holes, ancient celestial bodies hurtled through obscuring meteor fields and a myriad of other anomalies.
Mahir noticed Korian looking up into the fathomless dark shrouding the ceiling. A myriad of memories seemed to be running through his contemplative eyes.
“Karayan,” Korian said, shrugging once in acknowledgement. Almost as if the name stole all semblance of will and endurance from him. “An aspect of our Goddess incarnate, assuming the guise of the Reaper that watches us all.”
Descending farther into the broken labyrinth’s heart, the fabric holding reality together began to unravel. Each step made in succession transitioned him further from the Penitent Sanctuary’s unnatural, but familiar aesthetic into something more akin to cosmic.
“Her knowledge has always surpassed my own,” Korian continued, “to an extent enough to make me realize that I understand just a fraction of what she does. Her mastery of the Art of Death was always flawless, a never-ending font of inspiration for a devoted disciple such as myself. An inanimate blade would rather not speak about her charisma nor her myriad of charming guises.
“Our High Queen would only wear any of them on the eve of handing down a marked contract for her Severed Hand to fulfill. Another soul fated to be reaped and offered up on Goddess Zahira’s altar.”
The Penitent Sanctuary’s unnatural reality came undone. Ancient walls shattered long ago remained in some semblance. Shadows of what the Ascended Pantheon had linked to the heart of this realm. Mahir advanced on through the cobalt-gray debris locked in levitation, scattered about the chamber.
“Stranger still then, uncle Korian,” Gadara whispered beneath her breath. The sound seemed inaudible to the other mortals journeying ahead. “You sound like you admired her… maybe even had more intimate emotions for her?”
Korian shrugged again; his stoic countenance unreadable even by Mahir. “Maybe once upon a distant time, before my trial of blades. I was still young back in those days. Amunet would tell you that I might’ve been in the prime of my life. Your uncle was still dark of thought and spirit, only just taking up the Penitent Pact.”
“You journeyed to Akara and pledged yourself to the Ashen Blades?” Mahir cocked his head at Korian. “I’ve never known many kindred daring enough to be that bold.”
“No,” Korian made a purposeful shake of the head. “I hadn’t thought to ever make the journey. I suppose the honest truth is that Karayan had come to Suann the night before everything. She had come to pay my hearth and home a visit. She honored my younger sibling and your mother, Lucine and your father during that time.
“She had heard rumors enough to come seeking me out in person. Our High Queen’s compensation for my induction into the Ashen Blades Syndicate couldn’t be denied. A wealth worth more than the blades of twelve legendary champions of the syndicate¬–an entire vault of precious gemstones and other artifacts given unto Lucine. I had accepted and departed with Karayan without anything to my name.”
Gadara snorted derisively. “It’s difficult to believe that, Korian, considering the humble lives we toiled through during our journey into adulthood.”
“Lucine always said she had no use of the wealth nor any intention to use it. That sacred vault remains somewhere in Suann. Your mother said the vault would only be opened on the fateful dusk that her children returned to hearth and home.”
“I’d wager you’re avoiding the question.” Mahir confessed at last. “Korian, what happened between Karayan and you, if you both admired one another so much?”
All echoes of the physical world vanished without warning. An absence of gravity made his body feather-light, weightless, as the ancient corridor eroded into oblivion’s abyssal shadow. The weathered stone disintegrated underneath his feet; each step taken lending him the impression of walking on wisping clouds.
“An inanimate blade will not yield the truth behind the creation of its aesthetic at the heart of this broken labyrinth. We should not fall behind our noble band of allies. Should we manage to leave this place far behind us, I will retell the narrative of that forgotten rebellion.”
“Mahir,” he heard Jaleh calling from up ahead. “Are you familiar with anything like the heart of this broken place? The celestial laws of reality appear to have no hold on the astral projection of our souls anymore.”
He looked ahead, finding Jaleh walking upon the fathomless void between the stars. A gentle leap off of her backfoot bounced Jaleh high above anyone else. A sapphire nebula in the backdrop framed her body, enveloped in the radiance of a golden sun. In the absence of gravity, Mahir detected something else luring him through the celestial oasis like an invisible reel...
#Excerpt End#
, excited about building them. As for rest, I'm a purist so nothing but night gobbos for me. As for playing, maybe someday with them but my nighthaunt is my main.