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The Era of the First Emergence
The arrival of the Adim and Edin
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The air was stale and humid, and she wiped the beads of sweat that formed on her forehead away with the back of her hand, leaning away from the high, metallic table in front of her and collapsed down into the chair that she had pushed away earlier in frustration. Beside her and further along down the long table, her partner glanced over. He debated on telling her that sitting accomplished nothing-but decided against it when he knew he felt as exhausted as she looked. Sighing, he pressed the button situated on the frame of the mask he wore, and the clear cover that covered his face disappeared in a pattern of brightly colored hexagons. The fluorescent lights built into the walls were almost too bright, and he squinted trying to readjust his vision.
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"N'yalech ma'avant, Eava." I'm exhausted as well, Eava.
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She pressed her lips into a tight line and nodded in agreement to his comment as she looked over the troves of research and vials before them. Their job had started out as field research-survey the planet and collect data...but it had turned into more than that now. Eava watched her partner input their newest findings before sighing herself, and getting up.
"N'tlich tev'n st'ran." I need fresh air.
She paused a moment to wake up her tired muscles before striding across the lab to the closed off window -their only source of oxygen that wasn't artificial. Next to the window was a small pad of buttons and Eava pressed the corresponding one, waiting for the metal to roll up before taking a deep breath. A small breeze had picked up outside the walls of the stronghold, whipping in and out of the city below carrying with it the smells of the town. Eava inhaled deeply and closed her eyes as the warm breeze blew through the opening, caressing the skin on her face as it passed her by.
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Behind closed lids, she saw something flash so brightly it lit up the darkness and her eyes snapped open, searching for the source. Her eyes widened in astonishment and her partner rushed over to the window just as veins of bright blue light laced about the sky, giving off a netted effect. In silence, they watched the veins of light come together to form a giant bolt of light that cracked open the sky and descended towards the Earth. The warm gentle breeze that had been so soothing before turned bitter and unrelenting. The bolt struck the ground just outside of the Sovereign's temple, quaking the world and deafening all within the vicinity. The scientists lost balance and together they toppled over as a small electromagnetic pulse plunged their lab into chaos.
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Eava was the first to scramble back to her feet and she used the small burst of adrenaline to propel herself towards the table upon which their work sat. Sirens wailed at the sudden shortage of power and the flashing emergency lights situated up above bathed the once stark white lab in an eerie green glow. Wasting no time, she snatched the DNA safe from where she had last put it and started loading the vial samples into it. She couldn't shake the sinking feeling in her chest that whatever had caused the spectacle in the sky was in direct correlation to the research that her and her companion had worked so meticulously on these past few months. Once she had loaded up the vials that they had been running tests on, she snapped the cover to the safe back in place, entered the locking sequence and sealed the research.
Catching onto her suspicions, her partner pulled himself up as more veins streaked through the sky and dashed towards the modules that housed every bit of information they had gathered. He began the sequence on each and everyone in the room backing them all up to the lab's main hard drive. Another bolt of strange energy struck somewhere outside the stronghold yet again as Eava lowered the safe down into the designated chamber below the table. Another gust of hard air rushed in through the window, blowing loose bits of data about the room. Anticipating the EMP surge this time, she dashed over to the command module situated next to their computers and worked her fingers over the keypad. A bright red warning displayed over the holographic screen and for a brief second, she saw the loading bar shoot up to 100% before the blast thrust their lab into complete darkness. She felt small relief that the compound that housed the rest of their DNA samples below, as well as their test runs, would be locked away safely.
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Exhausted and stunned, she numbly rushed back over towards the window. The veins in the sky had disappeared, leaving the crystalline blue as it was before.
"Ytl'ich seva br'aun?" His voice broke the piercing silence as he approached her before casting his own curious looks out the window. What was happening up there?
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She said nothing but wondered the same thing, as that sinking feeling turned into a horrible sense of foreboding doom. If she had to guess, this was only a prelude of what was about to happen.
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.....
Atlis had been hunched over at his desk before he noticed that the blue skies had changed. Curious, he turned in his chair and slowly got up, watching bright vibrant colors cut through the atmosphere like individual jet streams. His feet brought him across his study and through the open balcony where he perched along the marble banister and watched the events unfold before his eyes. His people had only been on this planet a short couple of years, and in that span of time he came to know that what was happening was definitely out of the ordinary...but this planet was still so young. Maybe it had something else to offer him? He watched with skeptical eyes, a deep frown setting into his strong features as he felt the static build up in the air. Something was on the precipice of happening here, and the feeling that had settled into his bones unnerved him.
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Atlis had chosen these concentric islands as his people's new home not only for their abundance of resources, but also the strategic position in which they held. Behind them, a mountain range sprawled up out of the crystalline oceans and yawned up to the heavens, tucking the islands within it's tight embrace. There was no flanking these isles- the only way in or out was directly in front of them and the Sovereign had focused his military along the range. He had called his new empire Atlantis, a variation of his own name and he had built his temple upon the highest peak he could find on the central most island. His empire had been built around him, extending out to every concentric chain of land around them-and soon he was going to expand his borders further. This world was his for the taking, and he planned on doing just that: taking it. Up here, Atlis felt like a god...but as the events unfolded dramatically before him, that feeling diminished. Gods didn't get unnerved-they were strong.
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The veins up above rushed together, pulsing in unison one final time before the buildup of energy released. Working off of his newly enhanced senses, he shot backwards and out of the way as a bolt tore through the clouds and struck the floor right where he had been standing. Before he shielded himself from the burst of sound and energy, he caught sight of a slender form encompassed within the bolt of light. His eardrums popped as a sonic boom sent every available item in his study flying, knocking him back against the alabaster walls where he cracked his head. He barely had time to recuperate before another bolt struck right next to the first one. Ears ringing and his vision blurry, he pressed his palms flat on the ground and pushed himself back up to his feet, wobbling before catching his balance. He braced himself against the wall as his eyes adjusted to the sight before him.
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Calling her beautiful was an understatement-she was terrifyingly, ethereally gorgeous. Her skin was flawlessly tan, and the white chiffon dress she wore hugged her every curve, complimenting her in the best of ways. Still, despite her beauty she gave off an air that demanded respect lest there be consequences to pay. Her dark hair fell softly across her shoulders, the back hanging loosely in a braid down her back. Sharp and cutting silver eyes sent a spike of terror through his heart. His eyes lingered on the weapon that she held by her side-a long black blade set deep within a golden hilt-before shifting towards the form at her side.
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Where the woman held beauty, her counterpart held raw power-it rolled off of him in waves, threatening any who happened to chance upon him. He bore a bare chest embossed with thick, dark markings that marked tribal patterns across his skin, his lower torso clad in what Atlis suspected was ceremonial war garb. His hair was pulled back into a tight braid. He had molten golden colored eyes set deep within the perfect angular features of his face. Two swords hung at his sides, both made of the same black material as the woman's. Atlis eyed the both of them, tried to fathom who they were-what system did they come from? There were no telltale signs that gave away what race they were, nor what planet they had come from. The woman's unnerving silver eyes raked over Atlis's form, and he struggled to keep a calm demeanor. Her eyes were cold and full of an anger the likes of which he had never seen and her eyes narrowed when they locked on his.
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The doors to his study shook, breaking the silence between the three. Chancing a glance away from the two who stood on his balcony, he looked over to the doors-watched as a small boy put his weight into pushing open the doors. His heart dropped in his chest. The boy paused in the entrance, wearily catching sight of the two before looking to Atlis with a question in his eyes. Who were they?
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"Patir!" he rushed over to The Sovereign, burying his face in Atlis's robes. Father.
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The woman tilted her head to the side, much like a predator watching it's prey would. The man that stood next to her had crossed his arms, a guarded gesture, and narrowed his eyes. For the first time since their arrival, Atlis felt true terror creep into his heart as he knelt down next to his son. Whoever these people were-whatever their intentions might be, Atlis knew they wouldn't harm his child. It was the only thing he was sure of. Nervously, he pulled his eyes away from the two and examined his son.
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"Baälämat," he murmured, pulling the child that clung so tightly to his robes away, "N'ya-eb se'ir ma'tin." he brushed the dark hair from the boy's face, cupping his hands around his child's face. Go back to your mother. The six year old's small hands can around his father's as a pair of bright blue eyes stared up into his own. Flecks of white clouded around the boy's pupils-a sign that the injection that both he and his son had taken were beginning to work. He pulled the boy into a tight hug, "Voc'im sent'ir ex'pendim" he whispered in his ear. Tell the guards to evacuate the islands.
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Baälämat pulled away from his father and without a trace of fear in his young eyes, he nodded, casting one last look at the two who had been watching. Atlis brought himself back upright, watching his son leave the room before turning back to the couple. He didn't even catch the woman coming across the room, but he was made well aware as her hand came around his throat and smashed him into the wall. Her grip was a vice one and he felt the edges of her nails burrow into the skin on neck. He clenched his jaw tight to keep from crying out. He knew that on the other side of that door, his son was listening and he refused to destroy the facade of invulnerability that his son viewed him as.
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"You have played god," her words were as sharp as the nails embedded in his neck, and despite the pain he felt he couldn't stop the curiosity that flit across his face. She spoke a language he had never heard of before, a dialect unlike any other and yet he understood her as if she had spoken his native tongue. " You have turned your people into an undying breed that does not belong on this world or any other." Her voice wasn't soft as her features might have led one on to believe. Instead, it was low and unnatural-almost duo toned like two voices were battling each other out. The effect was unsettling.
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Atlis had no response to her accusations, mostly because they were true. He fully intended on being a god on this planet-their new home. Where his old world lacked the resources and fields that were required to carry out his plans, this one was abundant in them. It was here that he had singled out an empty genome sequence in his own DNA, a chromosome that the indigenous people here had. By manipulating the two DNA strands together, he had corrected the damage that had been dealt on his people's auto-immune systems on their home planet- damage dealt from centuries of biochemical warfare and radiation that had weakened every life-form on that world. No longer would his people take extreme precautions to protect themselves from the course of everyday life-ailments that their bodies should have been able to handle. Atlis had since fourth devoted his life to ensuring the continuity of his race by ruling this planet with an iron fist. There would be no opposition here, because he had planned on eradicating this world of the unworthy-starting with the indigenous race. Atlis hadn't just been playing god, he had turned himself into one.
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As if reading his thoughts, the woman's eyes narrowed once again and she lifted him high into the air with strength that surpassed his own. "Your actions have called judgement down upon you. We will administer justice to your kind, and mark those who share your beliefs." Her words held a note of finality that didn't sit well on The Sovereigns mind.
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"Upon...who's....judgement?" he struggled to speak around the pressure on his esophagus, and was shocked when the language that came out of his mouth wasn't his own. The words were foreign and yet somehow he still understood them. Adrenaline coursed through his system, his heart working overtime to keep the blood flow steady. The man who had stood so quietly in the back, stepped forward and stood next to the woman.
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"Ours." His golden eyes settled on Atlis's, boring down on him like a weight. His voice held that same harmonic tremor and was more unsettling than the first. Both of their faces were devoid of emotion and led no clue as to what they were thinking. Atlis grabbed hold of the woman's arm, and pulled himself up as blackness began to circle at the edges of his vision. Her arm stood as immobile as the mountain range behind them, as he struggled to ease the hold on his air flow. He gulped in a mouthful of air, relieving the lightheaded feeling that was beginning to press on his consciousness.
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"And who...are you?" he asked again, his eyes wavering from one being to the other.
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"We are the protectors of this life and the next," the woman spoke.
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"Administrators of justice and of life and death," the male continued.
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"We are the guardians of the realms, the keepers of life."
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"We are the beginning and the end."
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Their identities dawned on him finally, and he absorbed the information trying hard to conceal his shock. On his home planet, there were stories about them inscribed on the walls of his people's past. They predated the creation of his world and even the creation of the galaxies and there was no real answer as to where their creation began. As a child, he was told stories about how The Protectors above had created his race from their very being. He recalled the stories from his childhood, stories that his grandmother had told his mother who in turn had told to him, about how their world was the chosen planet of The Protectors. When it was still in the early throes of it's life, they descended from above and shared their knowledge with his people, taught them of sciences, arithmetic and so much more. The Protectors had ruled the early years of the planet to ensure it's development. His people were to be enlighteners, to protect others as they had been.When The Protectors had ended their time in the physical world, they left the planet, now matured, in a peaceful state. Those years were called The Prosperous Era. The peaceful state ended as men took power, building empires and using what The Protectors had taught them against those who were weaker. It was said that because of those actions, they had turned their back on the world- would let it destroy itself. The Protectors had slipped from reality, and became stories that mothers and fathers told to their children.
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His people had named them: The first was called The Edin, the name deriving from a word in his language that meant "creator of life."The second was called The Adim, another name deriving from a word that meant "judgement" or "Executioner". Together, they were the gods that ruled over all.
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"Your judgement has been determined, based on your actions." Edin's words broke his train of thought, and he came rushing back to the harsh reality: The gods that he had never taken part in believing in were real. He knew the words that were about to come out of their mouths-the answer was written in their eyes. He mustered his strength and pulled himself up, using The Edin's arm as his leverage. He kicked his feet back, and when they hit the wall he pushed forward hoping the action would loosen the grip on his neck. His plan had worked, but just barely.
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The Edin's fingers released his neck and he dropped to the ground, quickly using the adrenaline in his system to push himself to his feet. He charged across the room, back towards the balcony. Once again, a hand went around the back of his neck and yanked him back. The Adim picked him up before slamming him down into the floor with sheer, brute strength that should have killed Atlis instantly. It was a pleasant surprise when he realized that none of his bones were broken and he laughed psychotically as the god picked him back up, and held his arms back behind his back.
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"I cannot die!" he laughed his realization, the foreign language no longer a shock to his tongue. "You cannot kill me!" His laugh died away pitifully as he watched a small smile play across The Edin's lips.
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Without moving a muscle, the front half of his robes ripped open, exposing his chest. His heart picked up pace and he was painfully aware of the pace in which his torso rose and fell. The Edin had ignored his statement. "Your sentence is death." Her words had taken on a level that Atlis had identified as pleasure. She wasn't going to spare him the pain.
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Unnatural force built up in his ribcage from the inside, all the while her eerie silver eyes never left his. He clenched his jaw tight as the pain went from being a dull throb to an unbearable amount. Still he kept his jaw hinged tight, refusing to make any noise. He shut his eyes as tightly as he could, and hoped that his son had moved away from the door-that he had listened to his order earlier and had went back with his mother. He wanted his child to remember him as the strong godlike figure he had amassed in his head.
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The Edin watched as Atlis squirmed in The Adim's tight grip, and tilted her head as she caught the edge of his thoughts. She would grant his dying wish; if the child was listening, he wouldn't hear his father's pain.The lungs were the first to go, underneath the protection of Adim's ribcage. They collapsed as a fissure began to form on his flesh. The pressure that had built up behind Atlis's bones finally released and the fissure turned into a long tear that extended the length of his torse. He opened his mouth to scream, but it was silent and for that he was thankful. His conscious had began to dim, his body couldn't keep up with the damage that was being inflicted. His blessing had become his curse, as the healing factor kept him just over the edge of being unconscious. The Edin came forward and savagely pulled his ribs apart, forcing her hand deep into his chest-he felt her fingers come around the organ that pumped manically to keep him alive. That same force that had torn his robes apart now compelled his eyes open, his head hanging limply in the air. The smile was gone from her lips, any trace of emotion that she had was gone. Her face was impassive but her eyes held an energy he recognized all too well: bloodlust.
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Her grip around his heart tightened, and in one fluid motion she tugged it out of his chest, ripping it through the hole that she had torn open. She held it in her hand in front of him, watched as his eyes moved from hers to the organ in her palm. The message was clear: he was not invulnerable to death. The life that he had clung so hard to left his body, leaving his empty eyes to watch her crush the organ in her hand to dust.
....
Baälämat had pressed himself against the window on the ship that overlooked the City of Atlantis. Any minute now, his father would enter the hull of the ship and give the orders to move out. He eagerly awaited the arrival, questions teeming over in brain. Who were those people? Why were their eyes different from ours? His anticipation turned into impatience and just as he was about to move away, his eyes locked on the balcony of his father's study. In horror, he watched the man come up behind his father and pull him back out of site.
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"PATIR!" He wailed, scrambling away from the window. He dashed towards the entrance to the hull and had almost made it out before a pair of strong hands wrapped around him and pulled him away. He kicked and screamed but his thrashing made no difference to the guard. Dread filled his heart as he watched the door come down and seal the entrance.
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"H'avna tyr'n str'ad!" he screamed, kicking his legs about. He's still out there.
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The guard ignored his protest, and brought him back to his mother and then stood sentry so he could not escape. The ship roared to life and his mother's arms came around him in attempts to console his pain. He pried away from her and went to the window as the airship left the ground.
...
The chains of land that rippled away from the city stood barren and abandoned. There was no one on the outside to bare witness to the clear ocean waters recede away from the shores-no one to warn the remaining people in the inner isles that they were in the direct path of devastating tidal waves. The remaining air ships had left in search of safer waters, leaving those who didn't heed the first warning to fend for themselves.
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The waters that had rushed away from the beautiful green shores came back in ten fold in the form of walls of water that stood taller than the mountains that were supposed to protect them. The foundation gave way beneath, as the water came plummeting down upon the Earth above.
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In the blink of an eye, the city of Atlantis was lost beneath the waves and plunged to the deepest part of the ocean, taking it's secrets to immortality with it.
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