Tabula Rasa: Adventures In A New World

Utter silence fills the very air.

Dark eyes open beneath an obstructive hood, gazing up at the cloudless sky hanging so very high above. At the curtain of countless stars speckled across that somber shroud. Those dim specks sparkle and swirl, drifting through the night like flakes of flickering foil carried by the currents of a dozen gentle streams.

Water, smooth like a polished mirror, slowly creeps over the body of this cloaked figure as they lay atop an umoving ocean, slowly sinking into its still surface.

A single ripple echoes into eternity as Shadow stirs, moving slowly and calmly as they escape the seas embrace, rising to their feet. Shadow’s head bows down, gloved hands clasped together as they stand upon this reflection of the veil above.

“Oh, Mother of Midnight, I beseech thee, bless me with an audience.”

Those words are hardly a whisper, yet they are heard throughout the realm.

Seconds stretch into eons, minutes into moments.

The horizon quivers. The currents which carry the stars slowly shift, turning towards a single point. The sky itself condenses and compacts... forming a silhouette that Shadow is all too familiar with. Slim, curvy. Soft, firm. Youthful, matronly. Idealized beyond imagination. The shape of a woman whose beauty cannot be compared.

Her eyes are of a pure darkness, calculating yet warm. Her hair is that of a flowing nebula, floating around in thick wispy strands as if she were under the sea, not above it. The sibling moons sit upon her forehead, set into her star-flesh as silver gems.

A shimmering chin comes to rest atop a hand many times Shadow’s height as the night sky leans in and speaks.

“Child of mine, what wish you to discuss? It has been some time since last we spoke.”

That voice, as gentle and quiet as a soft breeze, weighs down upon the cloaked figure with an unpleasant pressure, sending a buzz throughout the back of their skull.

“I met another Champion today.”

The starry sky halts its movements upon hearing those whispered words.

“She does not serve those you warned me of, though neither does she serve those who may be allies.” Shadow speaks, answering the unasked question. The base of their spine tingles.

Stellar fingers slowly run through nebulous hair. The dark ocean ripples in thought.

“Complications. Unforeseen and unwanted. Setback or a boon? Tell me, child of mine, whom does this Champion serve?”

“Vel’ka Dravost.”

The stars above shift with uncertainty.

“Vel’ka Dravost... Vel’ka... Dravost... Vel...ka... Dra...vost... That name is unfamiliar. Unknown. Whom would go by such a name? It sounds...”

“She is a Drakl–”

All sound dies in Shadow’s throat, cutting that word in half. The cloaked figure’s jaw aches, teeth clacking closed with nary a sound.

The dark ocean roils silently. The stars falter and fade. The air grows hostile and sharp.

“A Wyrm plays our game? How? They should not have known. They should not have the power to intervene. Not since time immemorial. Not since we cast them down. Has another taken upon the mantle? That should not be possible. There should be none left who can bear its weight. We ensured as much.”

Reality bends beneath the Goddess’ will, twisting in on itself... before abruptly ceasing to be.

Naught but Shadow and the Mother of Midnight are spared from the smothering darkness. A chill burns behind the mortal’s eyes as they behold all that remains, floating beyond the inbetween.

“Tell me, oh child of mine, how did your meeting go?”

The warmth of that voice sears through Shadow’s very being. “Poorly.” The hooded figure admits with a grimace. A metallic taste oozes from the roots of their teeth. “No conflict was had, yet the first impression was negative all the same. I am working to mend that, of course, but it will be a slow process. She does not trust me.”

Empty eyes, each an endless expanse, close in thought. The cosmos slowly nods.

“Continue as you are. We have a player not invited, a pawn not on the board yet still in play. It remains to be seen what moves are to be made. The Wyrm may be a threat. It may be a boon. Uncertain. Unknown. Best to keep that Champion close. Best to have a weapon to use against others, rather than a weapon to be used against us. Tell me, child of mine, how do you plan to earn this Champion’s trust?”

“Through action and goodwill.” Comes the answer to that question, each whispered word a strain upon Shadow’s soul. “I am already looking into a problem she has. It is nothing that goes against our own goals. It may even be to our benefit. Beyond that...” No air fills Shadow’s lungs, for there is no air here at all. Yet they breath in, and then out again, all the same. “I sent her to the Countess.”

Eyes of pure black shoot open, piercing through this mortal.

“An unnecessary risk.”

The cloaked figure yields not beneath their Goddess’ gaze. “The Countess isn’t helpless. She can handle any trouble this Champion could have brought her way.” The weight upon Shadow’s shoulders lessens ever so slightly. But their bones continue to ache. “And ensuring that their paths would cross has already paid off. The Champion did not leave the Countess’ estate with the other guests. She now has a connection to Raseyne. A reason to return. A reason to play nice.”

Stars shimmer and dim as a sigh passes through the void.

“This decision lays upon your head, as do the consequences. Be wary of the Wyrm and its spawn. Do not lower your guard.”

Shadow’s hood bobs down in a nod. Only to find that they stand upon the surface of an endless ocean once more, the dark and still water reflecting a living sky.

“Remember, child of mine, speak not where others may be listening. Keep knowledge of this Champion as private as possible. A hidden player may be to our advantage, an open target is not.”

“Yes, Mother.” Shadow dutifully replies, doing their best to ignore the continued rattling and roiling of their marrow. This agony can be endured. As it has been time and time before. “That is all I wish to say. No other news I have requires your presence. Our plans proceed as you foresaw.”

“Be not a stranger, oh child of mine. This realm is always open for us to commune.”

The pressure within this mortal’s mind grows and grows as a massive hand leisurely reaches towards them. Their eardrums buzz louder and louder as a finger stretches out further. The blood within their veins bubbles more and more as the hood upon their head is so very gently... tapped.

Shadow is unravelled in an instant.

The dream comes to an end.