Subj: [ffml] [HD] Threads of Corruption Date: 01-02-25 14:15:08 EST From: dshumate@bbtel.com (Shumate) Reply-to: ffml@yahoogroups.com To: ffml@yahoogroups.com (Final Fantasy Mailing List), HillionDynasty@egroups.com (Hillion Dynasty Mailing List) Bahamut, King of the Espers, God of the Dragons, sat coiled atop his massive dragon throne, deep within the caves of Luna, the Earth's moon. He looked intently upon a shimmering sheet of magic that hung in front of him. It was a window, showing an image of a small group of chocobos speeding across the landscape north of Baron, in pursuit of a pair of riders. Bahamut had not anticipated that Kefka would be so much more powerful than he had been several thousand years ago, as was evidenced by the fight between he and Arcanis. Yet another reason why Bahamut was glad he had sent the esper as his emissary, rather than go himself. Arcanis would have been able to defeat Kefka, if Kefka were as powerful as he had been millennia ago. *Arcanis is powerful*, Bahamut thought, *almost as powerful as I*. So, it wouldn't be *too* much of a loss if the esper allowed himself to be killed... Killed. Bahamut felt a surge of fear carried on that word. Espers had eternal life. If they were defeated in combat, they merely crystallized into magicite for a few years until they recovered. If the magicite was drained of all its power, it disappeared and ended up in the Ethereal dimension, to draw more. Espers certainly could not *die*... at least, that's what Bahamut had thought, what he had known. However, in the last week, after he had returned to his lair on Luna from checking on the Gate, Bahamut had found something that had shattered his sense of security like glass. Nailed to his wall with shards of black diamond, spread eagle, was an esper. The esper had not been particularly powerful, and Bahamut had barely noticed him before, didn't even know the esper's name. But when he checked the esper to see why he had not crystallized, he nearly had a dragon-sized heart attack. The esper's body was cold, limp, and lifeless, as if he were mortal, and dead. Espers weren't mortal, but this one was certainly dead. Bahamut had disposed of the body himself, not trusting such information to anyone. The espers he ruled over would go berserk with fear and rage if they found out, and would probably demand he open the Gate so that they could hunt down whoever, or whatever, had done it. That is, if they simply did not level the planet, something the other gods would not appreciate. Bahamut looked worriedly at the place on the wall where the esper had been crucified, the spikes of black diamond still imbedded in the wall. Those pieces of crystal had burned when he touched them. *I see you've removed my demonstration,* a rasping voice echoed through his mind. Bahamut swung his head around, fixing his gaze on the human-sized figure that stood at the entrance to the hall. Well, hovered there. The figure was garbed in a black robe and cloak, with the cowl raised. Two slits of burning red were all that showed from within the cowl. "Who art thou?! I hath not accepted audience with any today!" Bahamut said angrily. Probably and esper of Shadow mana, they were always trying to make themselves out as bad-asses with their black cloaks and red eyes. Bahamut's mind lurched as what the figure said sunk it, and the dragon glanced back at the diamond imbedded in the wall before swinging back to the figure. The creature, Bahamut realized as it glided across the floor, was not an esper. The figure appeared to not even be corporeal, as no body parts beyond the red slits of eyes showed. Worse... it had no ambient aura of magic. None. No-one was powerful enough to mask their aura from any god, not even a small amount. Yet this creature glided fluidly over the polished, stone floor. Bahamut inhaled, arching his neck to breath a cloud of flame that would incinerate the creature. Bahamut choked suddenly as the atmosphere sucked the air out of his lungs. The enchantment he had woven that gave the moon gravity, and a breathable atmosphere, had suddenly been dispelled, and Bahamut found that something was blocking him from drawing mana to recast the spell. The great dragon god struggled to breath as the figure rose halted in front of him. Luckily, gods didn't really need an atmosphere to live, but Bahamut couldn't very well use his breath as a weapon if there was no air to fuel it. *Now, now, little dragonling, do not get ahead of yourself. You might end up like that pathetic little creature I decorated your wall with* The voice of the figure echoed telepathically through Bahamut's mind. Bahamut tried to roar before he realized that lack of air prevented that, and instead swept at the figure with his razor-sharp claw. His arm stopped before it reached the figure, as if it had struck an invisible wall, and Bahamut felt his arm ripped from his shoulder by an invisible force. Still, no magic was apparent. While gods could survive with gaping wounds caused by the lack of an appendage, and with no air, Bahamut thought fearfully that this was starting to get a little out of hand. He opened his mouth and lurched at the black-cloaked figure, preparing to bite the thing in half. The black-cloaked figure hung suspended motionlessly in the air, and Bahamut felt himself lifted off the ground before he could get near it. Several bones snapped as Bahamut was hurled into the stone wall of his throne room, and the great dragon collapsed to the ground. Bahamut found his body was to battered to lift itself, and that the black garbed figure still somehow kept him from drawing on mana to cast any spell, to heal himself or otherwise. Bahamut felt a slight tugging at his neck, and watched as the crystal orb he wore around his neck float through the air into the dark figure's grasp. Bahamut wasn't sure of what the orb was, or how to use it, he just knew that it was extremely powerful, as kept it to ensure that no-one else had it. The figure somehow seemed pleased as it glided over to Bahamut's location. "Please," Bahamut whimpered fearfully, shamefully, as he realized the atmosphere had returned. "Don't kill me..." *Don't be idiotic, little dragon. I have better uses for your power, small as it is* the thoughts of the creature echoes mockingly within Bahamut's mind. Bahamut struggled weakly as he realized his body was beginning to crystallize into magicite, emitting a glowing aura as his physical form began to quickly disintegrate. The last Bahamut heard before he lost consciousness was that quiet, mocking laugh. * * * The black-garbed figure picked up the magicite that lay on the fractured ground, all that remained of Bahamut, King of the Espers, God of the Dragons. He examining the magicite idly before wrapping it in threads on mana, teleporting it to where he kept the Crystal of Life, the tool that would let him take the immortality of any of the race that called themselves espers. The figure examined the crystal he had pulled from the dragon's neck more intently before letting dark satisfaction wash over him. Make that the Crystal of Life, and the Crystal of Thought... Subj: [ffml] [HD] Broken Seal Date: 01-03-04 16:10:10 EST From: dshumate@bbtel.com (Shumate) Reply-to: ffml@yahoogroups.com To: ffml@yahoogroups.com (Final Fantasy Mailing List), HillionDynasty@egroups.com (Hillion Dynasty Mailing List) Poochie, the rockin` esper dog, walked idly down the trail that lead between the Sealed Gate and Spire Reach, the majestic mountain range where most espers chose to reside on the dimension of Abterrus. Of course, there were those who preferred their seclusion, such as Leviathan, Odin, Crusader, Bahamut, and many of the more powerful espers, or the ones who preferred the quiet solitude of academic pursuit to the comparatively noisy life of the closest thing the espers had that might be called a city. Poochie himself rarely visited his own home. He was, after all, the unofficial messenger of the espers, often jokingly called 'Hermes'. However, things had been quiet lately, especially since Bahamut had mysteriously stopped responding to requests for audiences and hearings. Poochie was bored. Poochie topped a rise that overlooked the Sealed Valley. The valley was steep, barren rock, and the path Poochie was on twisted down the steep slope until it reached the center, where the Sealed Gate stood. Poochie often came here when he was bored, to watch with fascination the shifting, magical flame that sealed the only gate between Abterrus and the Earth. Poochie looked down into the valley at the massive stone portal, and jerked back in surprise. In a second, he was off the ground, soaring quickly through the air towards the portal. The Seal was... gone. The massive, intimidating wall of destructive energy that normally filled the frame was gone, leaving only the soft, shimmering image of a mountainous region. In the sky of the portal world, rose the sun. The realm of Abterrus was sustained by a continuously brightening and dimming light spell-- there was no sun. For the first time in millennia, Poochie looked in wonderment upon the expanses of Earth. Poochie prepared to dart through the portal happily. That's why Lord Bahamut had been silent, he must have been meditating on dispelling the Seal! Poochie didn't care why, he just wanted to experience the Earth again, so much wider and more diverse than Abterrus, as beautiful as it was. Before Poochie could leap through the portal, though, it cracked. Poochie jerked back in fright as a resounding snapping sound echoed through the air, a crack appearing in the stone arch of the Gate, widening and branching off. For the first time, Poochie saw that the Gate was completely covered in minute cracks, and larger ones were appeared. The air within the Gate, the shimmering window of interdimensional magic that was the only connection between the Earth and Abterrus, was cracking as well. Threads of wild energy races along the shimmering window, arcs of it lancing away. Poochie backed away as the keystone, the very peak of the stone arch of the Gate, began to crumble. The portal spell within the arch of stone abruptly flared and died, completely unraveling in a shower of energy. Poochie flew away, wailing, towards Spire Reach as the stone arch collapsed in upon itself. -Arcanis --------- The Last Esper Head of Development for FFML RPG Co-webmaster and Chronicler for www.ffml.org Master of Nonsensical Jokes and Inane Commentary Author of Extremely Mediocre and Corny Literature