Three Worlds, Three World Ages (Chapter 1)

Cova consisted of elements so dense that rock and water were the main properties of its surface. The waters had carved out many mountaintop basins of sheer stone, like giant pools that spilled over their edges on to lower slopes which had created grooves spilling down to ground levels and the waters circled around the planet's natural atmospheric conditions to bring the waters back to the upper pools. These were the oceanic plateaus that were, for the most part, uninhabitable. Most were vast but some were small enough to build upon. The grounds under the shadows of all the mountainous ranges and plateaus were relatively dark because of the massive size of the mountains, but it was lush and vegetation grew in abundance as the air below was quite warm. The ecosystem was an endless cycle of rains throughout its surface. But the proximity of the sun would dry the grounds considerably had it not been for the upper basins that held these varying and numerous oceans. The structure of the world of Cova was astonishing. It was also the oldest of the three worlds having an age of nine hundred of three counted cycles of the sun around the faraway sun. The three cycles of the farthest sun was counted in a thousand cycles.

Cova's ancient king leader had kept the populace free of wars with any outside gods or enemies, save one. A watery spirit that took on the appearance of the natural surroundings of Cova. The king leader who was called Tuoce, had many years to get used to the idea of passing life from the world. Most of the population were either hundreds or thousands of world cycles old. King leaders were often the teachers and his teachings were echoed from this dark entity. So long it had influenced him. As such a time ago many of the basins of oceans had overflowed over the edges of stone and drowned a great number of the inhabitants. At which point this strange figure of water appeared to Tuoce and convinced him of this matter of the passing of souls as the water's way to send life away from Cova to the outer darkness of the skies. Whereas before his time, no one passed. But now the balance of the world was disturbed. And areas of the world had grown unstable. The number of souls could not be counted, which was an ancient practice, after the events of the overflowing of the oceans. The spirit in the water was the name given to it by Cova's leader and he had made and passed down laws that the flowing waters would be stopped at some points in the planet's regions where there was past disaster.

This was sustained through a maze of stone and hollowed out pathways through the great stems, which held aloft the plateaus over the mountain ranges. And there were many. The waters would rush throughout the pathways until they reached other basins where there were no structures. But the system was flawed because the stems were weakened and so the waters could only fill to certain levels within those basins. This was controlled by manipulating the gravitational pull on those areas. Everything was risky and done with the utmost care. Even one mistake could mean worldwide peril.

Rainier lived his entire life in the shade of one of these vast mountain ranges where not faraway the threat of a basin spill always loomed. He maintained the equipment of the average farming mechanisms and other such day to day tools used by the people of Cova. He was idealistic and quietly preoccupied in his mannerism. He'd draw up solutions for work with the stone and methods he applied to his way of life in the reality of his world. Developing routines to produce a natural training in mind and spirit. He did not believe in the powers of outer world beings, as he had never seen them. Only knowing the name God of the Suns and to him, it was a long past personage from an ancient time he did not know. But he dreamed often of being in that outer darkness beyond Cova. He had heard tales of the other worlds nearby.

He wondered if he'd ever get the chance to see those places. He wanted to escape to them sometimes when he couldn't shake the effects of the present threat of his own surroundings. Rainier was sturdy and his hair and eyes were the color of the light graying tones of the rock and waters of Cova. As was the usual appearance of the inhabitants of Cova. At one time, so long past, the three worlds of Cova, Fiod, and Arca would communicate with each other and trade routes were common between the worlds. Travel between the worlds was consistent. But rarely done now and Cova became more isolated as time went on. The other two worlds were the same way but still had visitors from time to time, but they would be suspect as to evil events that happened in those worlds that could be rightfully attributed to these beings who brought death. There were no mystic watery spirits in the other two worlds, these were direct in their purpose to destroy. Ships were no longer structured and built. And fear seemed the master that replaced hope or life. This was the effect of death and dying. A strange and unnatural thing to all the souls of the God of the Suns.

Fiod was a planet in its beginning, formed less than two count orbits of the faraway sun and having only four hundred and sixty cycles around the main sun, but its orbit was vast and their days and nights lasted much longer than the other worlds in that system, turning only once every quarter orbit. And from Fiod was the green-cloaked Zoic. One of Fiod's group of sages who was born during Fiod's thirty-ninth orbit after creation. They were known as the Ancient Sages of a world that could not mathematically be called ancient compared to the other planets. A sort of paradox or oddity that was the youngest of worlds while having the curious identity of a relic world.

Its landmass was of trees and streams flowing through a planetary system of caverns and forests. Most of the inhabitants lived and prospered by an abundance of flowing underground streams that would grow most of the planet's food supply and bio-shelters dug in like roots of trees and powered with the elements through crafted vines that wrapped around the trunks and on to the lowest, most sturdiest of branches that received the frequencies in those deep layers of thick atmosphere. Having long periods of days the forests were extremely thick and covered large areas of the surface. The only parts that weren't forest were stretches of land where shallow lakes and small oceans lay. All waters of these areas were almost stagnant. Most of the water that flowed was through the caverns and underground springs.

Zoic was a messenger sage that was still very familiar with the planetary travels, as he once acted as a messenger between Cova and Arca. He was a bright being of dark blue eyes and long white-blond hair worn usually in braids. He stood relatively shorter than his tribesmen but he was strong and very ritualistic of routine, honoring the God of the Suns with spiritual works which included the passing of information written by the scribes. Although he had strong pious beliefs, he had feared that knowledge was not enough and he lacked skills in combat and oft times it would be an obstacle for him on any journey into the legendary darkest caverns where there were still challenges to overcome. As with Fiod's traditional training where armed combat was essential to be mastered if one were to become a sage of all wisdom.

Arca was mainly of forests and old stone ruins and a thick atmosphere. Its elements were numerous because it had time to develop many of the characteristics unique to it. Its orbit was different from the two other planets as it went in a long unique cycle that reached far on an outer orbital plane that brought it close enough the core sun where the other planets and their main sun spun around it. Arca's age from creation was around seven hundred and fifty around the faraway sun, counted in cycles of a thousand.

Arca's days and nights were long, and its axis was perfect to measure each turn of night and day in even numbers but because of its unique orbit, at certain points the turn of days and nights would extend. The closer to the faraway sun Arca would reach was when time would come to almost a standstill. So a day on Arca close to the core sun would last in time almost a half cycle of its regular orbit and the same with the night coming to perigee. Thus, time on Arca could not measured as the other worlds in orbit. There were two sets of days and two sets of nights depending on where it was in its orbit.

The people of Arca were a nurturing people who took care of all life upon that world. The bonds between the people and the other world's inhabitants were strong and solid. They lived in peace since the beginning but a darkness had already come to Arca, as well as the other worlds in the system. Peoples learned to stand their grounds against a threat that usually came in the darkest times while in their longest nights when they would last so long.

Nackendara was just one of the star children among many who were gifted in prophecy. They weren't large in number compared to the other planet's dwellers but they were known to the populace. Being able to read the thoughts and intentions of any being. No one had never known ill intent until an entity calling itself the 'mover in the night' had manifested and destroyed outer regions of a handful of forest areas that bordered old stone temples and abandoned pathways made of marble and of petrified wood. Nackendara was reserved and melancholy. Living in a state of a muted fear almost all of the time. Knowing how the peace and quiet could be shattered at any given time. She had witnessed this before and enough that made a lasting impression.

Nackendara was also one third of a small group of what was known as seers of speech. Indicating they had an uncanny ability to see behind words and the intention behind them even if the words were pleasant or sympathetic. The other two women of her group were Deba and Ackea. Ackea was a sister by birth but Deba was adopted into their small family after a lifetime of being a wanderer in the forests having lost her family early in life. They were some of the few inhabitants who were devastated by the presence of dying and its seemingly absolute end of life. They emitted life though, their fight made them into natural warriors. Their eyes were like the deep blue waters of the forests. Their hair like golden beam's light that filtered through the forest treetops. And their skin was fair in the dark and shadows but would uncannily change a few shades in direct light of the sun. And during the long day passing the system's core sun, they would go to the shaded places of hidden ruins and groves and fade into the background as they observed from their solitude when the planet was eerily lit.

In all three worlds time was almost a non factor as they had never experienced death in magnitude until it became more and more common. But all worlds still remembered what used to be. They thrived and lived in such a way that benefited all around them. It was knocked off balance when an entity came from the lowest spans of their galaxy. As if up from a bottomless pathway. Other tribes of Fiod and Arca had already begun to build fortresses to withstand a coming war they had all anticipated. While Fiod was most burdened by the shadow known as Dokk the Darkness or the Darkness and Death, Arca had experienced the threat for a long time as well. The entity was now working to overthrow Cova.

The Steps of Shadowy Arch (Chapter 2)

The firelight was bright in the carved stone halls where the scribes had gathered to study a small ship capable of travel past the line of moons encircling Fiod. A test flight would be necessary as it had been long ago since it was used. There was no indefinite plans or time set for the journey, but it would be soon enough when Cova would be the nearest to them as for a matter of convenience. The star charts aboard were still intact and the power source in reasonable condition. Zoic was one of the pilots that used to fly between the worlds and he was one of the few that remembered the numerous courses that were once taken. The navigation wasn't going to be an issue, it was just a matter of what would be the course of action once landing on a planet that hasn't been visited for such a long time.

There was no excitement or anticipation. Zoic had been in that mood before. This time was more calm and spiritual and it would be needed. It would be a pious journey this time around. A mute sense of longing was all he felt. He would often quote story passages, chant the rhymes in songs and poems. This wasn't like before. This time there was an entirely different metric beat in the planet's own sensory. Things were moving slow but it was a flowing movement. As if a dance were practiced and done so often that everything stepped in the right direction. The hall had no rush, no clamor, nor any sense of urgency. The skies of Fiod's largest land mass of shallow water glowed in the sunset, vibrant ashen and ember shades. Zoic watched and closed his eyes to remember these moments. In silent prayer and gratitude that a journey would soon be taken even if to unknown outcomes.

The elders of the populace were in prayer also and they would continue for days. Zoic wanted to complete a task he had not taken on before. He wanted to see the shadowy realm underneath a mysterious sunken temple where the borders were hidden. It was only visible when one stood before a single arch embedded with gems, dragon twine and overgrowth of forest vine. A place that was used to test the strength of soldiers in the past and to train leaders and warriors as it was the most treacherous of any other course they knew, and one could die if one's footing wasn't sure or swift. He desired to begin a course of his own to finish at a later time when he'd return. Knowing that he'd be better prepared if he sought the knowledge the pained planet knew. It was the ancient arch he wanted to pass through first before he would travel away. A deepening need to learn what the beginning told, what would be needed to say of how things unfolded, should he return successfully.

A stair structure was built to lead to and throughout this lair but it wasn't mapped nor could the stairs be measured and no one knew where they ended. They were simply referred to as the Steps of Shadowy Arch, for that was the only way to describe the location without any further knowledge of what to expect there. When the sun finally set, he made his way to the forest in the small ship and landed near the forest entrance where a menacing path lead to the steps of a place that was deep and dark far below the grounds. He felt this was something he must do. Something was driving him to go to this foreboding place.

With a staff of dim light and small sparks of dew glittering around it like small embers, he walked down the path and reached the steps. Large at first, but narrowing as he descended. After some minutes had passed he could make out the outline of the arch in the distance. Bits of what seemed like the stars peeked out from behind the thick of leaf, vine and whatever the forest could claim of it. At first it seemed like an old overhanging standing in stone with no more than the barely distinguishable shape of the arch but upon nearing the first gateway to its foothold, Zoic looked on at the massive arch that could now be seen in its full glory and dread. The arch stood over a thousand feet high and when the forest shade could not cast its shadow on the top curvature for a brief moment in the moon's light, he could see how perfectly the arch captured the glint of the light. Massive, a piece of a history that was not found in this age. Built as a gateway to what was once a great kingdom now turned into shadow and isolation.

The steps, he correctly assumed, where not the challenge. But steps of a spiritual way, not so much as a physical task but a philosophy that would require far greater skill than what was spoke of in mere story and prayer.

It was dark. The open gates stood silently across a smooth threshold. Zoic carefully but purposefully walked to them and went inside with his staff to light the way. He remembered the tales of the passageway, and called softly to the Keeper there. It was a spirit that dwelt within but used the elements of this underlying forest lair to guide any who would enter. If you could see the apparition and follow without stumbling, you'll reach the chambers you need to go, if you hear spoken words then you were meant to be there and guided to the ultimate chamber where the history of the planet and the surrounding planets was kept in static imagery and form. That was the only thought going through Zoic's mind as he wondered what to trigger to obtain the Keeper's guidance.

This was a spiritual place. Deep underground it went. There was an empty chamber with a light that appeared to come from nowhere. He walked through with caution. The ground itself was said to give way should the vibrations of footstep be all wrong. The Keeper of the Arch and all its realm was present. But he heard no welcome, just small notes and a slight pulse other than his own.

For an instant the thought flashed before his mind and his eyes could see a reflection on the nearest chamber wall. An image of the planet Arca followed by a direct mental connection to what had happened there some time ago. To Zoic it seemed it would have been around three or four orbits of that world in the past. Then things went dark. Zoic lingered for hours. In thought and prayer. Realizing there would be more than a journey to Cova. There would be one to Arca, as well. And he knew he could not bring the memory or reminder of the darkness of his own world with him. The names of his world had to be left behind. The realm of the Arch had communicated that to him mentally. Naming the world that the darkness had first appeared would only give it an echo and he would not bring that with him, wherever he went.

The time of departing was nigh. And Zoic piloted the ship to Cova for the test flight. When he returned, he spoke of the landing docks still intact in some areas of that world. And he prepared to make the journey back to Cova, but he spoke to the elders of the need to go to Arca to find a few souls that he had an image of in his head. He knew not the names.