Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms (Book 6: The Eternal Age of Unity)

3 Realms 6-3

Rokalla was on a bed in a local hospital. His legs were gone, and his eye and ear were missing, thanks to Yamta’s torture. His other eye was closed, and he was breathing shallowly. Arsha was sitting near his other ear, trying to get him to wake up. “Admiral?” she asked. “…Sir, it’s me. It’s Arsha.” It was taking every scrap of willpower she had not to shake him awake after the doctors told her not to. “…Sir, we won.” No response. She then tried a real stretch of an attempt. “That fruitcake you gave me didn’t have enough gravel in it.”

“…G…l,” mumbled Rokalla. Arsha arched an eyebrow, then pressed on.

“Yeah, and it didn’t have any tomatoes in it either.”

“T…mato…hey, wait a minute!” His eye shot open, and he sat bolt upright. “I don’t put tomatoes OR gravel in my fruitOW!” He clutched his head as he became dizzy. “Oh…ONES! My head!”

“Admiral!” yelped Arsha as she handed him the painkiller potion. He drank it and gagged at the taste.

“Mordek! Couldn’t they make these things sweeter?!” He then realized something. “…Something’s wrong with my eyes! Speak up! What’s happened?! He turned to see Arsha. “…Captain Royana?!” he asked. “…Was that you doing the whole fruitcake thing?”

“Sorry, Sir, but I had to try something to get you out of it,” explained Arsha.

“Well, it got me out of that coma Yamta put me into…Yamta.” He then remembered what happened to his vision. “That’s right! She took my eye and legs! She-!”

“Can’t hurt you anymore, Sir.” Rokalla arched an eyebrow. Arsha smiled. “It’s over, Sir. The Final War…is over. We won.” Rokalla goggled in surprise.

“…No fooling?!” Arsha showed him the back of her hand as proof, as it no longer held her signature.

“I wouldn’t dare make that joke around you, Sir. Oyed, Dr. Borg, and the Realm Trinity Imperial Council are dead!” Rokalla cheered.

“STICK THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT, YAMTA! YOU FAILED IN BREAKING MY SPIRIT!” He then fell back onto the bed, letting the tears finally come and chuckling softly. “…She tried to break me! She wanted me to scream! …I stayed silent!” Arsha said nothing. Rokalla looked down at the stumps where his legs were. “…I hope she enjoyed taking my legs in that moment! It proved to be nothing more than a small, fleeting moment!” They stayed there in silence. “…I’m gonna need prosthetic limbs soon…though I don’t know how comfortable I’ll be.”

“If you need help, the Divine Ones are there.”

“The Divine Ones were drained, hardly as great as losing limbs.”

“The draining made them as mortal and susceptible as the rest of us. Some of them lost their extremities when we rescued them from Frigandor’s elements.”

“So, they went back down the evolutionary ladder, hm?”

“Not how Mordek sees it, at least.”

“…He’s fine with being mortal?”

“He called it the best step as it meant he’s no longer running the risk of staying stagnant.”

“But he’s gonna die now.”

“He doesn’t care. He believes it’s his chance to finally live.” Rokalla smiled.

“If it wasn’t coming from you, your Highness, I’d say someone replaced Lord Mordek with a more optimistic clone.” Arsha grinned as well.

“He’s asked us to just call him Mordek now. Mr. Mordek, at most.”

“That’s gonna take some time to get used to. So, how did we win?”

“By the skin of our teeth, truth be told.”

“So, nothing out of the ordinary.” Arsha chuckled before she told him the story of how Realmfleet won. Rokalla DID arch an eyebrow in a slight bit of pain at the mention of a certain slime suit wearing woman.

“While I AM glad that the war is over and that you and your lovers are all the Champions,” he admitted, “I can’t say as I fully agree with you telling Reb it was okay to poison someone. …Speaking of which, what happened to her after our victory?”

“She resigned her Protectorate Pirate Commission,” explained Arsha. She pulled out a letter and read it aloud, mimicking Reb’s usual style of speech. “‘My DEAR Captain Royana, it was a pleasure to hand you the means of victory. But, alas, our time together must SIMPLY conclude, as must my time as a Protectorate Pirate. I took the liberty of relieving you of that ELUSIVE Royal Map you and your fellows kept a secret, thus your ancestors’ buried treasure will be ours! So, if I ever catch you or any ship belonging to that DRATTED Realmfleet of yours, my new Scarlet Stream Pirate fleet will blow you out of the sky and you will ALL perish, no chance of returning as a HORRID Revenant! Lovingly yours, the newly reinstated Admiral Rebarisal ‘Reb’ Rojam of the Scarlet Stream Pirate Fleet.’”

“Oh, perfect!” groaned Rokalla. “Now we have to get to those spots and guard the treasure! You know, the rulers of the past had them hidden away so pirates WON’T find them! Now that they have the map-!”

“You mean THIS map?” Arsha pulled out a rolled-up map from the pockets of her dress. The map was kept in a rolled state by a ribbon and a wax seal with the Realmfleet symbol on it. Rokalla grinned.

“Arsha, what did you do?” he asked. Arsha giggled as she anticipated what would befall Reb.


Back at Plunder Island Stronghold, Reb, Melgem, and the rest of the pirates under their command burned their Protectorate Pirate jackets. She then held up her Protectorate Pirate Commission letter. “Ladies and Gentlemen!” she called, “the All-realm Royals have served us well! But now, by the now mortal Divine Ones, we’re free once more!” Everyone cheered. “Come, my DARLING pirates! Let us show those stuffy, pompous fools how REAL people make money!” Her crew cheered. After that speech, she and Melgem retired to their room.

“By the now mortal Ones, it’s been too long!” sighed Melgem. He then pulled out a cylinder. “And the treasures the previous rulers left behind, oh, we’ll all retire early!” He then hugged her from behind. “You’re wicked, my crimson beauty!”

“Why, thank you, my DARLING husband!” purred Reb. She then took the cylinder. “Now, let’s see where-!” The instant she opened the cylinder’s top, laughing worms sprung out, like the kind of worms you’d get from a joke shop. Reb yelped and Melgem turned her away from the can, putting himself between his wife and the worms. Once the worms fell to the ground, still laughing, Reb’s suit gingerly extended a tendril from the main mass touching the floor and picked one of the worms up. The worm was a green one with black spots, but it had a head on one end sticking its tongue out. The head looked like a certain Kitsune/Human Blender the two pirates knew. Reb rolled her eyes. “Arsha!” she hissed.

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms (Book 6: The Eternal Age of Unity)

3 Realms 6-2

The repairs didn’t take much time. Once it was fixed, the Endeavor made its way to the Galdredan Lava Kingdom. As everyone got their assignments, Arsha poured over a prophecy with her lovers. “I don’t understand it,” she muttered. Her lovers nodded in agreement. Her door chime then rang. “Come in.” The door opened to reveal Mordek with a cane. “Lord Mordek!” Everyone stood up and bowed.

“Not a god anymore,” reminded Mordek. “It is I who should be bowing to you, Champions.” He did so.

“Sorry, Lo-Mr. Mordek,” stumbled Lardeth.

“I’m asking you to ignore three hundred years of teachings concerning me, now that I’m mortal,” chuckled Mordek as he sat down in a chair. “I understand.”

“Pardon me for asking,” said Malnar, “but how’s your foot?”

“I’m getting used to it rather quickly. A few more days and I won’t need a cane anymore.”

“You’re grinning madly,” observed Gorfanth.

“Yes, yes I am. I’m about to finally understand mortality, something that’s eluded me throughout my time as a god! I’ve finally evolved to being mortal!” That caught everyone’s attention.

“Hold on, you EVOLVED to being mortal?” asked Foresna.

“Yes, a god becoming mortal IS evolution in my eyes. We can now grow and change like you lot do! We can make mistakes and the consequences won’t affect the Realms and-!” Mordek’s eyes fell on the prophecy everyone was looking over and a scan of the original tablet it came from. He picked up the modern translation and arched an eyebrow. “…What’s with the grammar mistakes?” he asked.

“Mistakes? Where?” asked Falnii.

“Right here!” answered Mordek as he pointed out “Mortal’s”, “Titan” and “Falls”.

“That’s the modern translation. ‘When the Final War ends, by Mortal’s hands, the Titan falls.’ That’s how the prophecy goes.”

“And that’s what we’re having trouble with,” remarked Arsha. “By all accounts, Dr. Borg should have ended the Final War right there when she drained you and Oyed.”

“Are you sure that’s the translation?” asked Mordek.

“That’s what Priest Naswek said.” Mordek smacked his face.

“Altrek trained him better than that! No wonder there were blowhard heroes trying to save the Realms on their own!”

“Mordek?”

“‘Mortal’ is in the plural possessive,” explained Mordek. “‘Titan’ is plural here. So, the prophecy’s translation should say ‘When the Final War ends, by Mortals’ hands, the Titans fall’.”

“Titans?” repeated Gorfanth.

“Dr. Borg and her flunkies!” realized Lardeth. Gorfanth then snapped his fingers as he understood.

“That’s right, they took Oyed’s Divine Mana as well as yours!”

“Making them Titans of the Elements, not mere gods,” confirmed Mordek. “And the hands of the Mortals that made them fall (literally, in Yulduk and Dr. Borg’s case) were yours.”

“…You know, I’m kind of glad the mistranslation was what was taught,” mused Arsha.

“What for?” asked Mordek.

“Can you imagine the kerfuffle that would have erupted? If Naswek presented the correct translation, there would have been all sorts of chaos! ‘There’s only one Titan!’, ‘Why can’t ONE person save the Realms?!’, and ‘Can’t the Divine Ones count?!’ probably would have come out of people’s mouths, then we would have turned our backs to you and fought the Final War alone and probably lose it!” Mordek considered her words.

“…I suppose that COULD have happened,” he mused. “I would have thought you’d all learn more about teamwork better than you already do right now.”

“There’s something else,” said Lardeth. “If we all took the mistranslation as gospel, so did Dr. Borg.”

“Good point!” agreed Arsha. “Either way, the Prophecy’s mistranslation saved us!”

“Speaking of prophecies,” interjected Mordek, “recall the two Tablets of Prophecy?”

“Yeah, they’re both supposed to be the Final Prophecy. At the end of the Final War, only one will come true.”

“Well, the tablet containing a doom-and-gloom prophecy crumbled to dust. I have a feeling you’ll want to fulfill THIS version of the Final Prophecy. This time, you’ll get it straight from me, no mistranslations whatsoever.”

“Let’s hear it!” urged Falnii. Mordek cleared his throat and began.

“When stagnation is banished from the Realms and all life rebuilds, the length of all life that decays shall double what it once was, all reaching the same limit and perpetually growing together. The rulers of all Realms, both present and future, shall forever rule with wisdom, justice, and kindness. The power of divinity shall propagate through the Realms and from the parental Three shall spawn more, all uninhabited, but ready for expansion of life. Thus it shall be for the Eternal Age of Unity.” Falnii thought it over.

“All life shall double what it once was,” she muttered. Her eyes went wide. “You mean…my 50,000-year lifespan’s…gonna double to 100,00?!”

“And all life will reach that limit, barring the biological immortals?!” asked Malnar.

“And there won’t be any more corruption in the governments of the Realms?!” quizzed Lardeth.

“And more Realms are coming up?!” asked Arsha with hope. “Empty ones?!”

“Yes on all counts,” replied Mordek. “I believe Marshii and Aldarval just went through the effects of their lifespan reaching 100,000.” Everyone cheered.

“COLONIZATION PROJECTS, BABY!” cheered Arsha. Her face then slowly fell. “But…that means…the coronations.”

“Oh, yeah,” winced Malnar. “My parents and I are discussing how my coronation will play out now that the Final War’s over. I can’t stay here.”

“Which should make our wedding that much sweeter,” mused Falnii.

“She’s right,” agreed Lardeth. “According to ancient law, we need to be crowned first before we get married.”

“I’ve never understood that,” remarked Mordek.

“That law was put onto the books,” explained Malnar, “to ensure that the new Ruler has a bit of time to address a few matters of state before marrying the ones they love.”

“So, we’ve got some work to do first before the wedding,” sighed Foresna.

“Ah,” said Mordek. He then got up. “Arsha, you may want to see Rokalla. He…was not in a good condition when we rescued him from the Divine Tower.”

“I only got a few reports that said he was in critical condition,” remarked Arsha.

“He’s currently legless and he’s lost his eye and ear.”

“You could have said that!” Arsha dashed out of the room to see Rokalla.

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms (Book 6: The Eternal Age of Unity)

3 Realms 6-1

In a grassy fijord, six people were chasing one another. One of the people, a woman in a pink dress with fox ears and nine fluffy fox tails, allowed herself to be caught by a man with red hair and in peasant’s clothes. They all dropped to the grass, laughing. The fox woman sighed happily. “This is perfect,” she said as she looked at them. 

“Like a waking dream,” said a man with lipstick and surrounded by clouds in the shape of a dress. 

“…Strictly speaking, I’m asleep and this IS a dream,” remarked the fox woman. “I seem to recall fireworks being added.” 

“That,” reminded a woman in a red, orange, and yellow dress, “was because Oyed and the Realm Trinity Empire attacked while you were replaying this dream because of a coma.” Fireworks then went off. 

“At least those aren’t the result of outside forces,” remarked a Minotaur man. The fox woman sighed. 

“I’ve got a lot of reconstruction when I wake up,” she mumbled. 

“You’ve got the real versions of us to help you,” replied a woman with gray skin and a cloud dress. The fox woman smiled. 

“Yeah, I do.” She then got up. “I’ll see you all later, hopefully.” 

“Maybe the real Falnii should bring your other lovers into this dream,” suggested the Minotaur man. “I’m sure they’d love it.” 

“You guys don’t mind?” 

“…I mean, if you could dream up another version of you,” suggested the red-haired man. 

“Foresna!” admonished the woman in the firey dress. The fox woman laughed. 

“I’ll keep that in mind! Bye!”  

“Bye, Arsha!” The scene vanished in light as the fox woman, Arsha Royana, opened her eyes. She was looking at the ceiling of her ship’s Sick Bay. She yawned and sat up, remembering that her CMO, Marshii, was gonna look her over that day. An Elf woman in a nurse’s outfit brought a tray of breakfast over to her. 

“Good morning, your Highness,” greeted the nurse. 

“And good morning to you too, Lieutenant Mutrem,” returned Arsha. She took the tray as the nurse called Marshii over. The elderly Mermaid then appeared. 

“There she is, enjoying her bacon and eggs after that stunt she pulled!” she grumbled. 

“Good morning, Doctor,” replied Arsha. 

“Yeah, yeah, good morning. Hopefully, you’ll be getting your duff OFF that bed today.” 

“Why, Doctor, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re looking to get rid of me.” 

“Well, I’m actually looking forward to an empty medbay like any other doctor.” Arsha winced, deciding to stop the joke before she got to far. “Yep, that’s what every doctor prays for, the day when everyone stops dying or being stupid with their health so they can safely give up their medical license because there’s no need for it anymore.” 

“…Until then, you’re still very much appreciated,” said Arsha. Marshii then waved a medical scanner over Arsha, then smiled at the results. 

“Once you’re done with breakfast, you’re cleared for duty!” she reported. 

“Thank you, Doctor.” Arsha resumed eating, wanting to get back to work. 


Once she was done, Arsha headed back to her quarters and opened her closet. She looked at the pink dress she had kept in storage and sighed happily. “Hello, old friend,” she whispered. She then took her duty uniform off and slipped herself back into the pink skirts and shirt that gave her security and hope. She readjusted her bun and set her hairpiece back onto it. She gave her skirts a light brush of her hand and sighed happily again. She then headed back to the Endeavor’s bridge. Everyone was still workign hard, but with smiles on their faces. Endea caught sight of Arsha. “Captain on the bridge!” she called. Everyone stood to attention. Arsha smiled. 

“…Everyone,” she began, “we went through all sorts of torture in the past year and a half. We’ve lost too much to Oyed and Dr. Borg’s machinations. But, thanks to our sacrifice, we won. We defeated Dr. Borg. I’ve been called a miracle worker in the past, but I can’t claim that miracle alone. You all helped me make that miracle come true and I cannot thank you enough. Now, I DID hear a rumor that I was retiring immediately after the Final War. Let me put that to rest. Until Reconstruction has gotten to a point where the Realms are sufficiently at a newer, better normal, I’m still gonna be with Realmfleet. Now the question is; do any of you plan to retire right now? If you feel that Reconstruction will go better with you out of Realmfleet, please say so now. You will hailed as a hero for doing so.” 

“I’m afraid I must leave in a few days, Captain,” replied Elmar. Arsha smiled. 

“You know, I would have said something if you, of all people, stayed on the ship. If you need help ruling the Galdredan Lava Kingdom-” 

“My wife has been trained since birth in ruling a kingdom. I’ll ask her for help first.” 

“Good idea. Anyone else?” No one said a word. “Now, that DOES leave the question of who’s going to be taking Elmar’s place.” 

“That would be Orthena, Captain,” answered Denstra. 

“In that case, there’s only one question that remains, do we have any missions?” 

“Yes, Captain,” replied Shalvey. “The Galdredan Lava Kingdom needs repairs to its railway. The Final War damaged the whole area and they’re in desperate need of aid.” 

“Nazay, set course for the Galdredan Lava Kingdom!” ordered Arsha as she sat in the Captain’s Chair.” 

“Course laid in,” reported Nazay. 

“Nice and easy.” The mighty engines of the ship whined to life…then the ship lurched. The engines powered down as Arsha looked to Thangred. 

“Okay, note to self,” muttered Thangred, “never use a flux reactor for a patch job with a maho injector. Lovely!” 

“I don’t think we’re going anywhere, Captain,” remarked Nazay. 

“Shalvey, tell Realmfleet and the Galdredan Kingdom,” ordered Arsha, “that we’ll be there as soon as repairs are complete.” 

“Aye, Captain,” replied Shalvey. Arsha then looked to Elmar. 

“Well, looks like you’re gonna be with us for a little longer,” she remarked. 

“It looks that way, Captain,” agreed Elmar. 

Categories
Weaver's Journey

Weaver’s Journey 4

My shuttle approached the coordinates for a nice-enough tear through the dimensional barrier. It was a nice Captain’s Yacht that I, er, “borrowed” from the USS Jerome Horwitz. “Computer,” I said, “calculate optimal coordinates for a photon torpedo to open the tear.”

“Coordinates calculated,” replied the computer. “Fire at will.”

“Thank you.” I entered the coordinates for the torpedo, then pressed the launch initiator. The photon torpedo flew out from my shuttle’s underside and hit the tear, opening a vortex for me. I then flew the shuttle into the vortex. It was a very smooth ride.

“Approaching exit aperture,” reported the computer. I then steeled myself, preparing for the eventual Borg encounter.

“Raise shields and ready weapons.”

“Shields raised. Weapons ready.” I kept one hand near the navigational console while my other hand hovered over the weapons. The shuttle left the vortex and arrived at a Borg Unicomplex. Two cubes rushed out to greet me. “Enemy vessels are scanning this shuttle,” reported the computer. I then looked at the monitor and arched an eyebrow at the results.

“That’s weird, Borg scanning shouldn’t be so erratic.”

“Enemy Unicomplex hailing us.”

“Open a channel.” The Borg came through.

“We-We-W-W-We are-We are-We are the-are-are-are the Bo-the Bo-Bo-Bor-Borg-g-g-g-g. Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You will b-will-will-w-w-w-will b-b-be ass-be assi-assi-assi-assimila-milated-ed-ed-ed. Resi-Resi-Re-Re-Re-Resis-is-is-istance i-i-i-i-is fut-t-t-tile.” The Cubes then activated their tractor beams, but the shuttle barely jiggled.

“…Computer, analyze tractor beam wavelength,” I ordered.

“Enemy tractor beam is unable to maintain cohesion,” replied the computer. I then got an idea.

“Computer, given all possible data on the Borg, is it possible that being in a separate universe would make their micro-collective decay and their own cohesion fall apart?”

“The available facts and data support your theory.”

“Thank you, I think I have a plan.” I then went on the comms with the Borg. “Borg Unicomplex, this is Khan, a human. You have been sent here by a person known as Anansi, yes?”

C-C-C-orre-orre-orrect-ct-ct,” replied the Borg.

“You’ve been tasked with guarding a book called the Tome, yes?”

“C-C-C-orre-orre-orrect-ct-ct.”

“And your connection to the Collective has all but vanished, leading to chaos in your current micro-collective, yes?”

“C-C-C-orre-orre-orrect-ct-ct.” I grinned, then stood the shuttle down from red alert.

“I have a plan, but I need your resources. If you allow me access to the Tome, I will be your new…Queen, as it were. I can show you what real perfection is where your old one can’t.” The Borg were silent for a minute. Just then, a green glow flashed from behind me. A hand then yanked me out of the chair! The Borg had sent over a Drone to try and pick my brain!

“We will begin.” The Borg sounded more cohesive.

“What’s the idea?!” I demanded.

“A neural transceiver is required for maximum communications.” The Drone then took a small device from its clamp arm and put it onto my neck. “We will work as one mind.”

“Hold on! Yes to the transceiver, but you have to let me program it myself!”

“The neural link will be temporary. It will disengage when you receive the Tome. You will not be damaged.”

“I don’t care! I prefer to get into your Collective my own way!”

“Your methods would be inefficient.”

“That’s the exact same line of thinking that defeats you in the long run! Janeway’s clashes with you would be proof enough!”

“Irrelevant. You must comply.”

“I must do nothing of the sort! If you assimilate me in your usual fashion, my computer is instructed to wipe my mind!” The Drone stopped, then took a look in the computer core. It found the program, then stood at attention.

“You may enter the Collective at your own pace.” I sighed. The Borg of this universe must be desperate.

“Thank you,” I said. I took the transceiver off, then set it onto a console. “Computer, initiate Program 9 Alpha Tango.”

“Password is required,” replied the computer. Good, just like I wanted it to.

“One Seven Three Four Six Seven Three Two One Four Seven Six Charlie Three Two Seven Eight Nine Seven Seven Seven Six Four Three Tango Seven Three Two Victor Seven Three One One Seven Eight Eight Eight Seven Three Two Four Seven Six Seven Eight Nine Seven Six Four Three Seven Six Unlock.” I then panted after rattling off that password.

“Program downloaded to neural transceiver. Attach when ready.” I handed the transceiver back to the Drone.

“Now you can put it on.” I pulled my hair back as the Drone attached it just above my spine. The instant it did, the Cubes turned violently and the Drone spasmed before collapsing. “Uh oh!” I rushed to check the drone out, then a small HUD appeared in my vision, just on its top. It was showing my own health, then an identifier string, telling me that the Borg Drone was a representative of Species 3783 and that it was Four of Eight, Secondary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero Nine, then the HUD showed a mini-map. The Drone then groaned. I looked up what other names Species 3783 was called, then saw the word “Romulans”! I gulped at that and saw the Romulan Drone stand up. It was male…and had an angry look to his face! His normal arm grabbed my shirt and he pulled me up close to him. His eye appeared to bore into both of mine, then he released me.

“The only thing worse than seeing a human,” he grunted, “is having to be grateful to one!”

“I got your Borg designation, but not your name,” I replied.

“I am Commander Sonavok. Your friend, Anansi, lured my ship here and we were assimilated on the spot!”

“Anansi…did that?” I checked his memories. They confirmed what he said. “I don’t believe it! Anansi?!”

“You said you would use the Tome and fix our little collective!” challenged Sonavok.

“…I think I can improve it along the way,” I mused as I checked the memories of the rest of the Drones. Very few were assimilated as infants, so the rest of the current Collective had clear memories of Anansi throwing them here. “Tell me, how does revenge against Anansi and travelling to other universes with ease sound to you?” The Collective appeared to consider. Sonavok grinned after a second.

“You have our undivided attention, Mister…”

“Come on, we’re all part of the same hive mind.”

“I guess I’d like to hear some form of verbal introduction. Besides, I gave you my name.”

“You’re right, it’s only fair I give you mine. I am Khan, the Author of Reality!” My words were then directed to the Collective at large. “You, my friends, shall become the Lords of all Creation! With the Tome, victories shall be glorious! We shall carve our legacy across every star sustaining every planet in every universe! From this moment on, WE ARE THE LORDS!”

“WE ARE THE LORDS!” repeated the newly christened Lord Collective.

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms (Book 5: The Final Fight)

3 Realms 5-36

Arsha and Dr. Borg continued their duel as their teams fought against one another. “You’ve gone against me for the last time!” snarled Dr. Borg as she and Arsha grappled.

“Yeah, and this time will end in your permanent death!” replied Arsha.

“NOT WHILE I’M A GOD!” Dr. Borg slammed her metal fist into Arsha’s stomach, winding her. She then flung Arsha across the roof. “The Divine Ones masqueraded as Dragons, but they are merely toothless worms.” Her foot came down on Arsha, pinning her to the roof. “I know you can feel it, Arsha. It is the end of the Realms as you knew them and the beginning of a new Eternal Age of Unity. So much for your vaunted Champion’s Aura.” Just then, a sharp whistle blew, startling everyone.

“IT’S TIME!” called Malnar.


Down at the base of the Tower, the machine sparked and glowed, feeding the Talkwen Stone immense power. It then exploded; destroying the jewel but creating an energy wave that raced up the Tower.


When the wave hit the roof, everyone was swept with it and convulsed in pain. The treatment lasted for thirty seconds before fading away. After the wave passed, everyone fell to the floor beneath them. They all panted and stood up again. Dr. Borg laughed. “What was that?! Some sort of bomb?! What’s a bomb to a goddess?!” Arsha looked into Dr. Borg’s eyes and grinned.

“Given the type of bomb that went off, a very effective one!” she said. Dr. Borg arched an eyebrow, then she heard Tormo scream. She whirled around to see him pointing to Femfaf.

“Y-YOUR EYES!” he cried! “THEY’RE-!”

“YOURS TOO!” wailed Femfaf. Their eyes were back to normal! In fact, every single member of the Council had normal eyes!

“DOC! YOUR-!” called Yulduk.

“YOU!” roared Dr. Borg as she grabbed Arsha. “THAT BOMB HAD THE TALKWEN STONE!”

“Bingo!” confirmed Arsha. “When we learned that it had to be in close proximity to you, Lardeth, Malnar, and my Engineering staff came up with the idea to expand its range! Through its detonation, it got the Stone to create a draining energy wave that targets any person with Divine Mana in their veins! Granted, that meant the loss of the Champion’s Aura, but that’s a necessary sacrifice! All Divine Mana has been woven into the fabric of the Realms! Not even the Divine Ones can regain it!” Dr. Borg roared again and threw Arsha across the roof. She stopped near the edge as Dr. Borg flew to her in a rage. The Cyborg Sprite picked Arsha up again.

“I WAS GOING TO LEAD THE REALMS INTO A NEW ERA AND YOU TOOK THAT AWAY FROM ME!” she shrieked. “THERE WAS GOING TO BE A NEW WORLD ORDER AND YOU TOOK THAT AWAY FROM ME! YOU WILL SUFFER FOR THIS, ARSHA ROYANA! YOUR PAIN WON’T END!”

“ENSAKUNDE!” called Falnii. She fired the spell right at Yulduk. Yulduk gasped in pain, then stumbled backwards towards the roof’s edge…and fell.


“We’ve got fires on decks four, five, and six!” called Malak on the Endeavor’s bridge.

“Damage control teams are underway, but they’re too far spread out!” grunted Endea as she muscled through the pain.

“We need something!” said Denstra. “We can’t just-!”

“Commander!” called Malak. “We just got an intelligence report! Someone on the Tower’s roof just fired Ensakunde! A body fell and…it’s Yulduk’s body! He’s dead!”

“That crazy bomb worked!” cheered Thangred.

“The instant the enemy runs from us after getting the report, lay in a pursuit course and keep firing!” cheered Denstra. “This is it! Let’s get this war over and done with!”


Back on the Tower’s roof, Falnii managed to electrocute Tormo with enough strength to make his heart burst. Gorfanth swung his axe right down the middle of Femfaf and destroyed her scroll, killing her. He then charged at Jansha and impaled her on his horns before ripping her off them, causing her to shut down permanently. Lardeth cast a spell that sucked all the moisture out of the air surrounding Tensam, causing him to suffocate and die. He then swung his sword and bisected Shefarn. Malnar then fired her biggest fireball ever at Remsu, roasting her and causing her fluids to boil and her organs to shrink. Dr. Borg saw the carnage and rushed over to her spouses. “Please! No! Not like this!” she begged. It was too late, her fellow Councilors, her FAMILY…was dead.

“…I’m sorry,” said Arsha as she drew her sword. Dr. Borg slowly turned her head as tears ran down her eyes.

“…Damn you, Arsha ROYANAAAAA!” Her grief exploded as she flew at Arsha in a rage. She was so blinded that she didn’t see Arsha’s sword. It went straight through her neck and severed the head. The body collapsed on the roof, but the head fell to the ground.


“DR. BORG’S HEAD JUST FELL OFF THE ROOF!” cheered Malak as he got the intelligence reports. “THE COUNCIL IS DEAD, THE CAPTAIN AND HER LOVERS ARE STILL ALIVE, AND THE ENEMY’S GOT THE NEWS! THEY’RE SCATTERING!”

“Nazay, pursuit course!” ordered Denstra. “Malak, keep up the pressure for as long as our batteries hold out!”

“Aye-aye, Commander!” replied the two men.


Arsha panted as she surveyed the result of the battle. She then collapsed as her lovers did, then she crawled over to them. They stayed there, catching their breath. “…I can see the Regatim Camel Race,” mumbled Arsha. “Drenii was leading the charge with the Sphinxes and other camels behind her.”

“I see the ghost of Lardeth’s father,” panted Falnii. “He looked so happy at seeing Lardeth again.”

“I’m seeing the 4 F’s performing at the Under-union Festival two years ago,” sighed Lardeth. “That was a Union Festival I could never forget.”

“Remember the Mechanica trial?” asked Gorfanth. “It’s good to see people like Endea seize the opportunity to be free.”

“I still remember seeing the reports of Bashoon becoming the first Goblin to join Realmfleet,” chuckled Malnar.

“And Arsha got an Under-realm Captain’s ceremony,” recalled Foresna. “I think you’re the first non-Under-realm Royal to get an Under-realm Captain’s ceremony.”

“If things went to plan, I would have gotten the usual Mid-realm one,” replied Arsha. “Realmfleet needed the Endeavor at Dwelga at that exact moment in time, so I was kind of rushed into the Captain’s Chair.”

“You think you would have changed that?” asked Malnar. Arsha smiled softly.

“No chance. Looking back, I think it improved me somehow. Still don’t know how, yet, but it improved me.” Everyone then heard footsteps. The door to the roof then opened and Elgrad led everyone onto the roof.

“There they are!” he called. He and Hanako got Arsha up as everyone else helped her lovers.

“Hey, guys!” panted Arsha. “I’d invite you all, but the place is a mess.”

“No more words, Marshii needs to look you over!” said Elgrad. Just then, everyone who signed the Blood Contract felt a pain on the back of their writing hands. Arsha managed to look at hers to see the signature scarred on it fading away! Malnar grinned.

“Contract complete!” she cheered. “The Realm Trinity Empire is broken!”

“Then we’ve won!” sighed Arsha. “The Final War…is over!” She then pulled out her communicator. “Arsha to Endeavor.”

“Go ahead, Captain,” replied Denstra.

“Can you get a lock on everyone?”

“Yep. We’re ready to teleport you all to Sick Bay on your orders.”

“Get us there.” Everyone vanished from the roof. The battlefield was still smoking with weapons fire, but the Realm Trinity Empire lay there, broken and dead. In the 4,006,300,082nd year of the Three Realms’ Third Age of Unity, the Final War was officially declared over, becoming the first year of the Eternal Age of Unity, bringing peace and freedom to all!

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms (Book 5: The Final Fight)

3 Realms 5-35

Arsha and Gorfanth were starting to tire as Falnii and Foresna strained to keep the shields up. “Guys!” panted Gorfanth. “We can’t keep this up forever!”

“We already told you, these things take TIME!” snapped Lardeth.

“Lardeth, you and Malnar said you were almost done three minutes ago!” snarled Falnii, the limits of her patience reached. “The artificial lunar eclipse is right over the Tower! Are you done NOW?!”

“Got it!” called Malnar. “Arsha! Stone!” Arsha tossed her the Talkwen Stone. Malnar wired it up to the machine and pressed the start button. “We’ve got two minutes before the thing starts sapping up the Divine Mana! We need to keep them within two stas of the roof!

“Lardeth, if you please!” directed Arsha.

“TASHWENDORFAL!” shouted Lardeth as he made a glowing purple circle in the air, then brought it down to surround them. They were charged with the spell’s effects.

“Let’s go!” shouted Arsha. Everyone then leapt up the length of the Tower and landed on the roof. “CYTANEK YAVENAG BORG!” challenged Arsha. “YOUR REIGN OF TERROR IS AT AN END! THE REALMS WILL SLEEP EASIER WITH YOU-!” A magic blast then struck her in the chest. Her lovers flocked to her. “I’m fine!” Arsha grunted, though she WAS in pain.

“Sweet us, I’ve always wanted to do that!” hissed Dr. Borg’s voice. The Imperial Council then stepped out of the shadows, only something was different. They had black mist seeping out of their eyes, like Oyed’s once did. The only difference was that there were lights in the middle of the eyes. Yulduk’s eyes had a red light, Remsu’s had a pink one, Shefarn’s had a blue one, Tormo’s had a green one, Scorpo’s had a purple one, Yamta’s had an orange light, Tensam’s had a yellow one, Jansha’s had a white one, Femfaf’s had a gray light, and Dr. Borg’s were straight black.

“Oh no!” groaned Falnii.

“Oh yes,” replied Dr. Borg. “You look upon the Divine Ones of the Eternal Age of Unity! Meet Lord Yulduk of Fire, Lady Remsu of Love, Lord Shefarn of Water, Lord Tormo of Earth, Lord Scorpo of Air, Lady Yamta of Magic, Lord Tensam of Lightning, Lady Jansha of Life, Lady Femfaf of Balance, and myself, Lady Borg of Death! And, rest assured, I WILL fulfill that function!”

“So, you finally ascended!” hissed Gorfanth.

“Exactly!” cheered Yulduk. “Give the cow a prize!”

“You failed miserably,” chuckled Dr. Borg. “I thought you said you knew how to use the Talkwen Stone, yet here you are, stoneless!”

“I’ve got a variety of methods to beat you!” hissed Arsha.

“I doubt it. You can’t hope to best us now.”

“Oh, you know me!” Arsha had a wry smile on her face. “I always pull a miracle from between my tails!” On that note, she pulled her rose hairpiece from a hidden pocket in her armor. The rose was glowing bright enough to make the Imperial Council cover their eyes.

“Bright!” yelped Remsu.

“And that thing’s saturated in mana!” remarked Jansha once her optics reset themselves. “Enough to kill you twenty times over!”

“If I were fighting alone, yeah, it would,” agreed Arsha. “But it took some convincing for Sorsha to put the mana back once I explained the plan.” She took her helmet off and fixed the hairpiece to her bun. She gasped in pain as the excess mana flowed through her. Her lovers then grabbed one of her tails and concentrated. It took a little longer for Arsha to concentrate, given her current pain, but she and her lovers activated their Candidate’s Auras. They then focused the Auras onto the hairpiece. After that, they gave a roar of determination. Light from across the entire spectrum surrounded the Tower’s roof. The Council was blinded for at least ten seconds. Once they regained their vision, they saw Arsha and her lovers standing tall and proud, their Auras now flashing in the colors of all ten elements that make up the Realms: fire, water, earth, air, love, lightning, magic, life, balance, and death. Their eyes were flashing the same colors.

“…Champion’s Auras!” gulped Tormo. “They’re all the Champions of that prophecy!”

“A prophecy written by now toothless worms!” snarled Dr. Borg. “They are champions of dead gods! We are stronger than them!”

“I’ll take them on!” cheered Yulduk. “That weak Zephyr girl is mine!” He charged at Falnii while lighting his hands on fire. He swung a punch…but Falnii caught it, suffering no ill effects. Yulduk’s eyes goggled. He tried to punch again, but Falnii surrounded her fist with lightning and slammed it into Yulduk’s chest, blowing him back across the roof. He stopped when he hit a pillar, then picked himself up. His fellow Councilors looked at him in amazement. He examined himself…and fear gripped his heart. “She…she hit me…and I FELT that!” he said.

“Impossible!” cried Dr. Borg. “We’re immortal AND invulnerable!”

“You’ve got Oyed’s Divine Mana flowing through your veins, don’t you?” asked Lardeth.

“The Champion of the Divine Ones,” explained Falnii, “was meant to fight Oyed and beat him, destroying his own Divine Mana.”

“And with you having drained him of it and blended it with the Divine Ones’ Divine Mana,” finished Arsha, “you’re as vulnerable as he would have been!”

“We’ve got a minute and a half!” reminded Malnar.

“ATTACK!” shouted Arsha. Gorfanth took on Femfaf and Jansha, Falnii took on Yulduk and Tormo, Lardeth fought against Shefarn and Yamta, Foresna fought Tensam and Scorpo, Malnar took on Remsu, and Arsha and Dr. Borg dueled for their lives!


To the south, both fleets continued firing their weapons and the fliers continued strafing ground forces. Elgrad, Hanako, and Markulak were slicing down robots, Revenants, and Golems. “You know, if I ever survive this,” called Markulak, “the Three Maidens asked me to join in their antics!”

“Then keep swinging that sword of yours!” replied Hanako. “You need to survive to reach that future!”

“Amen to that!” agreed Elgrad. He then looked to the Tower’s roof to see all sorts of lights flashing on top. “Come on, Arsha! Win this!” he prayed.

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms World Building

The Realmgates

Built during the Savage Age, the Realmgates have become the backbone of trade and travel between Realms. Each Realm has two Realmgates, one connecting to another in a different Realm. The metal’s color and writing characters tell a person where the Realmgate is located and the color of the vortex tells one which Realm is on the other side, if the single letter on top does not clue a person in for some odd reason. The blue Realmgates are Over-realm based ones with the green vortex set to the Mid-realm and the red one set to the Under-realm. The green Realmgates are Mid-realm based ones with the blue vortex set to the Over-realm and the red one set to the Under-realm. Last, but not least, the red Realmgates are Under-realm based ones with the blue vortex set to the Over-realm and the green one sed to the Mid-realm. If anything were to happen to them, like, say, some mad scientist blows them up, trade would be stop and travel would grind to a halt, so defending the Realmgates is very important to Realmfleet.

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms (Book 5: The Final Fight)

3 Realms 5-34

“Captain, Dr. Borg’s accepting the call,” reported Shalvey on the Endeavor.

“Hardly surprising,” replied Arsha. “On screen.”

“It’s audio only, Captain. We’ll only get her voice.”

“Put it through.”

“Hello, Your Highness,” greeted Dr. Borg’s voice. “You wanted us to parlay with you as you besiege our current base of operations.”

“Doctor, you wouldn’t have raised defenses or scrambled your people if you didn’t know what I have,” said Arsha.

“Do you even know how to use it?”

“I got the instructions from Mordek. He found Oyed’s notes on its creation and operation.”

“Arsha, let me ask you something, why do you oppose me?”

“You’re asking me the same question Oyed asked of himself.”

“Well, like he once did, I don’t understand. I’ve only wished the best for the Realms. I only want to help you.”

“You destroyed too many lives!”

“They were diseased. Oyed and the Divine Ones gave me the opportunity to eliminate it. I am nothing but grateful for that. Why do you oppose the Realm Trinity Empire?”

“Because I don’t like how you used and lied to innocent people to-!”

“I haven’t lied to them. Our goals are the same as yours, to eliminate discord.”

“Then why didn’t you kill Oyed the instant he was drained?! Why did you leave him and the Divine Ones to die in Frigandor?!” Arsha’s question was met with silence. “…Don’t wanna answer that, do you? You see, I finally understood the rules of the Final War when I got the schematics of that draining machine of yours and saw your discarded battle plans for multiple fronts. You’ve had multiple chances to kill Oyed all along! …So why didn’t you just stick a knife in his back and be done with it?!”

“You don’t understand.”

“Oh, but I DO understand! And THAT’S what’s got you worried, isn’t it? Ernsem always says that understanding is a sword, the two sides of an argument make up the cutting edges of the sword, but a masterful swordsman remembers the truth that makes up the hilt, cross-guard and all! And the truth is, we don’t need gods anymore! That’s why you’re trying to ascend to godhood! That’s why you’ve left Oyed and the Divine Ones to die once they were drained! You didn’t want to kill the messenger, you just wanted to kill the message that the Realms grew up to no longer need gods! You want us all to believe that there must be at least ONE god to control the Realms! The whole Borg family is obsessed with control! You want to make it harder for the message to get to us, to guarantee that we do things your way! Well, let me tell you, you’re making the same mistake Oyed made with his goals of eternal chaos.”

“I beg your pardon?!” Dr. Borg finally snarled.

“You heard me!” replied Arsha. “You’re just like him! You’re trying to force us to decide which of you is right, since you both believed that the Divine Ones are wrong! You’re like parents arguing in front of their kid; manipulating them and trying to get them to take sides! Not for their benefit, but for YOURS! …But what if the right choice is not to choose at all?”

“You already made a choice when the archers killed Oyed at your suggestion,” remarked Dr. Borg. “You’ve already chosen a side. You’ve proven that there is only order and obedience. You will do as you’re told. You will die for the Realm Trinity Empire when the Council and I tell you to die for the Realm Trinity Empire because those that worship chaos know no other way.”

“That’s where you’re wrong!”

“In that case, you won’t survive to witness the ascension.” Dr. Borg then closed the channel.

“Shalvey, open a channel to all ships,” ordered Arsha. “Fire at will!”

“Fleet’s acknowledged and charging weapons,” replied Shalvey.


“They’re charging weapons!” called a robot to Dr. Borg.

“All vessels, decloak and fire!” ordered Dr. Borg.


Imperial vessels shimmered into view as they flew towards the fleet. The roar of weapons-grade magic blasts choked out any other sound for those on the ground. Both sides deployed flight-capable species, drone fighters, and broom riders. As the battle roared, Jansha keyed in one final command on a console. She then called Dr. Borg. “The machine’s ready! We gotta get to the roof NOW!”

“Councilors, this is it!” Dr. Borg called. “To the roof!” Jansha pressed a button, and the machine fired a beam into the sky. The sky then turned black as a reddish sphere appeared. The Divine Tower then started glowing.


“Captain!” called Malak. “The Tower!”

“Guys, this is it!” Arsha called on a comms channel to her lovers. “Let’s do it!” She then vanished in a teleport spell.


Arsha and her lovers appeared at the base of the Tower. “SECURITY BREACH!” called a Centaur Revenant. Arsha and Gorfanth fired offense spells as Falnii and Foresna cast shields. Equipment and the largest mana container then appeared and Malnar and Lardeth got to work, attaching it to the Tower, though not without arguments.

“This one goes HERE, that one goes THERE!” Lardeth snarled.

“I was trying to save time here!” snapped Malnar. “I didn’t think you’d be such a stickler for procedure during a battle!”

“I thought you were an ‘Engineering Queen’!”

“I AM, which is why I’m doing what I’m doing!”

“Guys, we’re on the clock here!” shouted Arsha. “Save it!”

“How long have we got, anyways?!” asked Foresna.

“We’re almost there!” replied Lardeth. He and Malnar continued working.


“Artificial lunar eclipse within three minutes,” reported Jansha.

“Just three minutes until we reach godhood,” sighed Dr. Borg. She then looked out to the battlefield. “…You know, in some strange way, I think I’m gonna miss mortality.”

“I think we all will, Doctor,” remarked Femfaf. “But I can think of no better people to go on this evolutionary journey with than you guys.”

“I never really said this,” muttered Yamta, “but…you’re the only people I can call friends. It’s nice that I’m gonna be with friends forever.”

“Friends are very valuable,” agreed Tormo, “and you lot are the most valuable people a Goblin can have.”

“I’m certainly eager to be the first machine-based goddess,” chuckled Jansha.

“Doc, you gave me a second chance at life,” said Yulduk as he drank a bit of mana. “I can’t thank you enough for that.”

“It was nice being mortal,” mused Tensam, “but it’s time to evolve and bring some order to the Realms.”

“I hear ya,” agreed Shefarn. “At least we got to see the Splitters and Oyed fall.”

“Now, it’s time for the last leg of our journey,” sighed Remsu. “Cytanek, we’re all ready.” Dr. Borg looked at her Councilors, then wiped her eyes. “Hey! Cy! Are you-?!”

“I’m fine!” sniffed Dr. Borg as she smiled through her tears. “It’s just…you’re the best people I’ve ever known!” She sniffled, then wiped her eyes again. She breathed and smiled. “Let’s do this!”

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms (Book 5: The Final Fight)

3 Realms 5-33

The Divine Tower was built like an old Wizard’s tower, complete with a balcony overlooking the south and a roof one could walk on. Right now, Dr. Borg and her Council were sitting in a study, sans Yamta. “…I wonder how she’s getting on?” mused Tormo.

“She’s been gone for a while now,” remarked Remsu as she laid her head on Shefarn’s tail, letting him stroke her hair. Dr. Borg looked up at the ceiling.

“Well, I hope she’s having fun with that present I gave her,” she said as she indicated to Tensam that she wanted one of his tentacles around her waist. As he coiled her waist, she continued. “The man DID upend one too many of her operations and-”

“Damn Rokalla!” snapped Yamta’s voice as she stormed into the room with her hands soaked in black Orc blood. “Damn him and damn his silence a hundred times!”

“Is everything all right?” asked Tensam.

“No, everything is NOT all right!” replied Yamta. “He refuses to bow; he refuses to drink! Did you know that we assigned him one of the best pain technicians?”

“‘Pain technicians’?” asked Femfaf. “Is that what we’re calling torturers now?”

“I hope not!” shuddered Yulduk. “That sounds WAY too pretentious!”

“The guy considers himself an artist,” explained Yamta. “You know how they are with self-aggrandizing titles for their profession.” Yulduk sighed in relief as Yamta continued her rant. “One of our very BEST torturers! I felt certain Rokalla would break under his ministrations! The guy worked for two hours, not a sound! I told him, ‘Give me a cry, Rosanzi! A shout, a whimper, a scream, anything!’ All he could get was silence, so I got into it myself! You know the old saying; ‘If you want something done right, do it yourself’. Well, that was the idea, anyways, but you can see for yourself how well THAT went. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Rokalla was a mute! Silence, that’s all he gave me!” Yamta washed her hands in a basin of water. “I’m beginning to see your annoyance with him, Doctor. How you put up with him this long escapes me.”

“I had other duties to temporarily distract me from that annoyance,” replied Dr. Borg.

“What’s next for Rokalla?” asked Shefarn.

“Well, towards the end,” said Yamta as she took a cloth and dried her hands, “I thought to myself, or maybe I said it aloud, it WAS just me and him for a while, ‘Let’s hack all his limbs off! Maybe THAT will get a reaction.”

“So, he’s limbless?” asked Tormo.

“No, he passed out after he lost both his legs,” muttered Yamta in annoyance. “Blood loss and shock, I guess.”

“Well, that’s inconvenient,” sympathized Scorpo.

“I’ll get back to it when he’s conscious,” remarked Yamta, “and THIS time, if he remains silent, I mean, silence! SILENCE! Where’s the fun in that, I ask you all?! He’s so insubordinate. We can’t have him, of all Orcs, challenging our authority like that! I know you made a present of him to me, Doctor, but if I don’t get my scream, he’ll have to be killed. I hope you understand.”

“Completely, Yamta,” assured Dr. Borg. “He’ll make a fine example of our authority.” She then got up, letting Tensam’s tentacle fall, and took the basin. She then poured the contents onto a pot of flowers. “They need extra nutrients,” she said. “Life and death in perfect order, that’s our goal.” Just then, an Orc Revenant woman stumbled in, looking very terrified and hopeless. “Ms. Trulmar, are you okay?” asked Dr. Borg.

“No, Doctor, I’m not,” replied the Revenant. “I just got a frightening intelligence report. Realmfleet has just made a very…disturbing advance against us.”

“How so?” asked Tensam as he and Shefarn entered their water chairs. Trulmar’s speech was halted in a few places as she struggled to get the words out.

“One of our spies…saw Arsha and Oyed enter the Crypt of Crelima the Mad…and come back out…with a jewel in her hand. …After that, archers killed Oyed…and a massive fleet of enemy ships…set a course for our position.” The Council easily guessed what the jewel was and hoped against hope they were wrong.

“No!” pleaded Dr. Borg.

“I’m…afraid so. The spy went into the Crypt…and saw that the Talkwen Stone was…missing from the Crown. …The last thing the spy could ever report…and, in a way…I’m glad it’s over. …I think I’ll stay here and read. …The fleet should be arriving any time now. …I imagine the end will be…quite violent.”

“NO!” shouted Dr. Borg as she and her Council dashed towards the southern balcony. They looked out at the horizon and saw several shapes getting larger. Dr. Borg activated a telescopic function in her eye and got a good look at the shape leading the others. It was the Endeavor! Fury gripped Dr. Borg’s mind and heart as she activated the comms. “BATTLE STATIONS!” she commanded. “RED ALERT! ARM ALL WEAPONS!”

“Cy, we’re outnumbered and outgunned!” protested Tensam.

“I don’t care!” snapped Dr. Borg. “We still have the means to make our own lunar eclipse!”

“I’ll have the eclipse generator set for a lunar eclipse right now!” called Jansha. She dashed off to get the machine online. Dr. Borg glared out to the south again as the fleet approached.

“Arsha Royana will NOT foul the ritual!” she declared. “We WILL ascend, but NOT in Oyed’s name! All life will fight in OUR name! A legion that will rival any army ever made, and the enemy will hear them will come, for they will chant our name! WE! ARE! GODS!” She then laughed like a lunatic. A flying robot then arrived on the balcony.

“Dr. Borg,” it reported, “the Endeavor is hailing us. They wish to offer us the chance of parlay.” Dr. Borg then steadied her breathing and calmed down.

“They want us to parlay with them?” she asked. “I won’t parlay with anyone who would besiege us while we do the right thing! Open a channel and forward it directly to my comms!”

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms (Book 5: The Final Fight)

3 Realms 5-32

Arsha and Oyed proceeded past the remaining three traps. One was poison gas which could be avoided by shooting the correct target, the next was the flame jets which was dealt with by walking on a concealed bridge, and the last was a spiked ceiling that lowered as they navigated a maze. Arsha nearly lost her helmet but got it back before the ceiling made full contact with the floor. They arrived at the central chamber where the midday sun gleamed through a window onto the floor where a pile of ash was. In that ash pile was a jagged, black crown with a single jewel in the center of it. Arsha looked to Oyed. “…What?” asked the former Titan.

“Any traps on the crown?” asked Arsha.

“He saw no need for any.” Arsha still gingerly picked up the crown, then regained her courage when it was confirmed that Oyed told the truth. She ripped the jewel out of the crown, then looked to the ash pile.

“Sorry, Your Majesty,” she said, “but the Realms need the Talkwen Stone right now.” She then looked to Oyed. “So, that’s all the traps?”

“That’s all the traps. The way back is clear.” Arsha and Oyed then headed back the way they came and returned to the sunlight. Arsha was met with the Hanthuus hugging her. Oyed simply rolled his eyes, then cleared his throat.

“Fine, a deal’s a deal,” she muttered. She pulled a phial of the antidote out of her armor’s carrying bag and Oyed goggled.

“You had the antidote with you the entire time?!” he snarled. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Yeah, tell the poisoned ex-Titan who is SO known for not being opportunistic that I had the antidote,” snarked Arsha. “He’d NEVER leave me behind if he knew where the antidote was.” She handed him the phial. “Now, remember that the remains of your drink smoked when I added the antidote to it before finishing it?”

“What about it?” asked Oyed as he took the cork out of the phial.

“The smoke’s a gas. You’ll be burping and farting a lot.”

“I’d rather be gassy than dead.” Oyed guzzled the antidote, then his burps came out in five second intervals. They were rather tiny ones too. “Oh, come on!” he groaned. “How long’s this supposed to last?!”

“A full fifty hours,” replied Arsha. “But you won’t live that long.”

“Archers may nock!” called Lartin.

“What archers?!” demanded Oyed.

“Archers may draw!” ordered Lartin as she, her spouses, and everyone else pulled back. Archers of various species with various types of bows and crossbows then popped up from the rooftops, aiming their arrows at Oyed. Oyed then realized what was going on.

“You wouldn’t!” he snarled at Arsha. Arsha stepped forward.

“I would,” she said. “Through Yamta killing Calandra’s mother, you have taken that which we loved, the peace we enjoyed. You have also taken personally taken the life of the Coliamdii Kingdom’s Prime Minister, a good and dear friend to Queen Elmpam. You have erased Rellmeer’s husband from the face of the Realms! YOU HAVE KILLED MY COUSIN, TENDRAK!” Arsha then steadied her breathing. “…You have set us all against one another through Dr. Borg’s thrice-damned empire, weakening our people by your constant warfare! There might be a few Orcs who don’t care about that, but I think every single one of them, even the Orcs among the archers, care about how you ordered Intrag to create them by corrupting various Elves. Yes, I think they care about that a great deal. Malnar and Orbak gave their Prime Minister documents that proved that you took the most warlike of Under-realm Elves and tortured them, that YOU are responsible for giving Intrag shock-troopers that constructed death camps and genetic cleansing programs! You are responsible for their early, savage, and unkempt behaviors, and I think the Orcs would like to thank you personally for your efforts.”

“You can’t believe that!” he called to the Archers. “She’s lying!”

“Is she?!” called one of the archers. It was Moggle! “I’ve examined the documents! They are true! I think that’s more than sufficient inducement for a politician like me to actually get my hands dirty, don’t you think?” His fellows agreed with him.

“Oyed, it’s not enough for us to simply kill you,” continued Arsha. “I could have simply destroyed the antidote and let you die. But, through your death at the hands of those you foolishly think less of, you won’t get the satisfaction of dying at the hands of those you think is more powerful!”

“…NO! YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR HANDS BLOODY TO SEE ME DEAD! YOU SIGNED A BLOOD CONTRACT, DIDN’T YOU?!” shouted Oyed.

“That contract said that we wouldn’t rest until the Realm Trinity Empire is broken, it said nothing about us personally killing you. You will die alone. Goodbye, Oyed the Destroyer!” She then vanished from sight.

“ARCHERS MAY LOOSE!” shouted Lartin. Oyed ran as the arrows rained down on him. He was constantly blocked off by arrows landing in front of him, then an arrow pierced his shoulder, the pain halting him and forcing him to cry out. More arrows then struck him. He finally fell, supported by the arrows still embedded in him. Oyed, the former Titan, was now dead. “Cease fire!” called Lartin. The arrows stopped flying. She then gave a wry grin. “Archers may retrieve their arrows!”


Arsha had teleported to her ready room and saw the whole thing. Once the archers left their posts to get their arrows back, she switched the screen off and imagined a piano playing. She then started singing Zephyr gospel.

No hidin’ place ‘round here! (‘Round here!)

There’s no hidin’ place ‘round here! (No hidin’ place!)

Y’know, I went to the wall to hide my face!

But the wall cried out ‘No hidin’ place!

There’s no hidin’ place ‘round here!’” Her door chime then rang. “Come in.” Denstra came in.

“Captain, intelligence reports an enemy build-up in the deserts north of here! Aldarval’s given the go-ahead for the entire fleet to attack at your command!”

“A chance like this doesn’t come but once in a life-time, Commander!” She hailed the fleet. “All ships, converge on the enemy’s position! This is our chance to end this!”