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

3 Realms 5-6

“THE NEWS BROKE OUT?!” shouted Oyed as he met with Dr. Borg outside the frigid wastes of the new base.

“You were the one,” remarked Dr. Borg, “that insisted all logs be linked to a central database. But, to answer your question, yes, the Realms know of Arsha’s survival.”

“IDIOT! THE EMPIRE’S AT RISK!”

“If you would care to…” Dr. Borg then felt the sharpest, most excruciating pain erupt between her wings. She opened her mouth in a silent scream as she fell to the floor. Oyed then grabbed her by the antennae and slammed his fist into her face.

“You have failed me for the last time!” He tossed her across the room into a stack of barrels. He then charged up a magic blast, only for her to fire her own into it, making it explode in his face. She then flew towards him and slammed her metal fist into his gut. Oyed recovered and slammed his fists to the ground, making it rise up to meet her. It knocked her out of the air and he leapt at her, but her taloned feet grabbed him and she slammed him into the ground. He then grabbed her feet and threw her into a wall before picking himself up and dusting himself off. “Very well, you’re still entertaining. You may live a little while longer.” He left the room. Dr. Borg picked herself up painfully, then checked something on her cybernetic arm’s hidden computer. She checked the readings, then grinned. She hobbled her way to the medical room and found a berth. Shefarn then wheeled in via a water chair and saw the damage.

“Sweet Oyed!” he cried. “What happened?! Did an experiment go wrong?!”

“Actually, an experiment went right,” she explained. “I got all the readings I needed for Project: Ascension to succeed.”

“Wait a minute, I see bruises here! And cracked ribs on the scanner! Cytanek, did you get into a fight with Oyed?!”

“He heard that the news of Arsha’s survival broke out and…held me responsible, as it were.”

“He damn near KILLED you! You had to shut down your resurrector machines, remember?! If you didn’t stop when you did, you’d be dead, and we’d be widows before Project: Ascension came to fruition!” Shefarn began tending to his wife.

“I had to fight back to prevent that outcome. He seemed entertained by my attempt, at least, so I bought us some time. I’ve already given the readings to Jansha. It should take her a few days to recalibrate the machine for a Titan.”

“Well, until then, YOU’RE laid up here!” grunted Shefarn.

“As my handsome doctor wishes,” purred Dr. Borg.

“Flattery’s not getting you out of here any faster!”


As Dr. Borg was being healed, she got an earful from the rest of her spouses and Jansha about how stupid she was being. Once she was cleared for duty, her family simply gave her looks that indicated they were still mad at her, only much less so, now that they knew they were ready for their project to begin. She told Oyed that she had a plan to correct Arsha’s survival and tip the balance of power in the Empire’s favor and needed to address the whole Empire. Oyed then ordered for the Empire to return to base and attend a demonstration of Dr. Borg’s plan. Everyone assembled as Oyed and the Imperial Council sat at a table on a stage facing the audience. There was just one person missing. “Where’s Yulduk?” asked a Golem.

“Now that’s a good question,” replied Remsu, “but I’m sad to say I don’t know.”

“I must admit, I’m woefully ignorant of his location,” remarked Oyed. Yulduk then stepped onto the stage, looking perturbed about something. “…Is everything all right?” asked Oyed.

“There was a piece of lettuce in the urinal next to the one I used!” explained Yulduk. He looked to the crowd. “Which one of you putzes eats while going to the bathroom?! That’s just disgusting!”

“This coming from the guy who leaves pizza boxes strewn all across his room,” muttered Dr. Borg. As Yulduk glared, he sat down while Dr. Borg stood up. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ve suffered a grievous setback with Arsha’s survival and reclaiming the Endeavor, but I stand before you now with a plan! A plan so epic, my fellow Councilors and I needed outside help and funding! So, let’s give a hand to Borome Garsheek!” A Goblin man then stepped up onto the stage as everyone clapped.

“A pleasure to be here, Dr. Borg!” called Borome. He then turned to the crowd. “You may or may not remember me as the one who infiltrated the Diamond Consortium and used that position to murder Lord and Lady Varsek!”

“Wait, that was him?” asked Oyed. “I thought it was a Crimson Diamond who did it.”

“Of course, it was me!” snapped Borome. “I killed Lord and Lady Varsek, made Realmfleet start Arsha’s journey before she was ready, and funded Dr. Borg’s research into resurrection! I! was Arsha’s! first! ENEMY!” He then drew in a breath and calmed himself. “It was nice to run the Empire’s supply lines in the shadows, but I’m very happy to be recognized publicly.”

“You know, I DID wonder where Dr. Borg got the money for her experiments and the Empire’s supplies,” mused Yamta.

“Oh, it was all thanks to him, I assure you,” replied Dr. Borg. “And, Borome, you’re about to witness what your funds were used for. I present to you Project: Ascension!” She snapped her fingers and the curtains behind the Council were raised to reveal the Divine Ones hooked up to their mechanical prison. “Thanks to the war, My science team and I were able to learn the limits of the Divine Ones and create this machine to hold them and drain them of their life-blood, their Divine Mana, the most powerful form of mana in existence!” She pulled a cloth off a table to reveal ten bottles of liquid mana in the ten colors of the Divine Ones. “Here they are! The liquid essences of the ten elements that make up our Realms; love, fire, magic, lightning, earth, water, air, endings, balance, and beginnings!” Oyed then laughed in an evil and joyous manner.

“OH, THIS IS JUST TOO GOOD!” he cheered. “MY CHILDREN, FELLED BY MORTALS INSTEAD OF ME! I DIDN’T NEED TO LIFT A FINGER! Dr. Borg, you have pleased me to no end!”

“I hate to disappoint you right now, but Project: Ascension isn’t ready just yet.”

“Then what needs to be done to complete it?! I won’t rest until I find what you need! Neither shall the Empire!”

“Willing to contribute, are we?”

“Of course!”

“Good to know.” Dr. Borg then pressed a button on the table and a tube buried itself into Oyed’s back as multiple restraints clamped onto him and hoisted him into the air!

“Borg, what’s the meaning of this?! RELEASE ME AT ONCE!”

“We’re the ones in charge of this operation, not you!” snarled Scorpo.

“Look, it’s nothing personal…no, I take that back, it’s VERY personal!” hissed Dr. Borg. “Did you really think anyone assembled here would allow you to destroy the Realms?! We all need something to rule, and we can’t do that if our world is destroyed! We just need a bit more Divine Mana to help hurry Project: Ascension along, and you’re the last source of it!” The audience then cheered, forcing Oyed to face the reality that he had no allies.

“I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL FOR THIS!” he roared. “YOUR LIVES ARE FORFEIT!”

“Would someone begin the draining process already?!” called Dr. Borg.

“I got it, dear!” replied Tensam as one of his legs pressed a green button. Oyed then felt the tube sucking his Divine Mana out of him! He howled in pain before becoming as emaciated and weak as his children. The Divine Mana that was extracted shifted in the darker colors of his children’s.

“The next step,” chuckled Dr. Borg, “is to blend Oyed’s with each of the ten bottles.”

“That’s when you become the new gods of the Realms, right?” called a Revenant.

“Bingo!” confirmed Dr. Borg.

“Wait, Doctor,” interjected Borome, “how dangerous is it?”

“That’s where the Empire comes in. You see, we can’t just drink Divine Mana directly, the resulting power surge would kill us. The only way for us to take in the Divine Mana safely is to use a Divine Tower. According to records we obtained, there’s one still here in the Under-realm. While Arsha is locked in the Over-realm and focusing on rebuilding the Realmgate Network, I need you all to find the last Divine Tower. Have our operatives to slow Arsha down at the very least. I won’t cry if you actually do what Oyed failed to do in the first place, it will mean you’re actually better than him. Once the Tower’s found, report to us and give us the location. Who’s ready to end the Final War and be the authors of history for future generations?!” The crowd cheered and left the auditorium to carry out Dr. Borg’s orders. Tormo then spoke to Borome.

“And you’re okay with the war ending?” he asked. “I mean, you profited a lot.”

“Eh, I can profit just as well in peace,” replied Borome. “You taught me to be flexible in that regard.”

“That’s my boy!” Tormo then gave him a man-hug, a hug with both men slapping the other’s backside silly, then Borome broke it off and went to join his fellows.

“…You think we should be as active as the Divine Ones in terms of mortal affairs?” asked Femfaf.

“I’d say a little more active than that,” replied Dr. Borg. “We must show them our appreciation in them helping us ascend to godhood.” Femfaf considered Dr. Borg’s words and nodded.

“True that.”

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

3 Realms 5-5

Arsha made it to Sick Bay to see her medical staff treating the wounded. One of the patients, a male Ice Elf, then caught sight of her. “Hey! The Captain’s all right!” he called. Marshii looked to see Arsha sitting herself down in a nearby empty spot.

“Well, as I live and breathe!” she sighed. “So we’re okay enough for you to be off the bridge?”

“Denstra’s a capable enough commander,” replied Arsha. “Besides, she’s led you guys for half a year.”

“True. I’m afraid I’ve got too many wounded here. You’re kind of…how should I put it…” Arsha held her hand up in assurance.

“I figured there would be other people with more injuries than me. You take care of them first. I frankly need some rest.”

“After the day you’ve just woken up to? Best thing you could do for yourself. Rest easy, Arsha. I’ll be with you later.” Marshii returned to her work as Arsha let herself nod off, glad to have some decent sleep.


Later, Arsha felt herself being gently pushed. She woke up and saw Marshii. She then remembered where she was and picked herself up. Sick Bay had a lot of beds filled with the wounded, but they were all stable. Those that had minor injuries were cleared for duty at a quicker rate than those that weren’t so lucky. Arsha noticed a mermaid without an arm, one she knew had two arms before. Judging by the wound, she had lost the arm recently. The princess was led to an empty bed and was instructed to lie down on it. As she did, Marshii activated a scanner and started getting readings. “You know, you’ve got people who are worried sick about you,” mused Marshii.

“I only saw Lardeth in the halls as I rushed to the bridge,” replied Arsha.

“Well, no worries, your lovers, parents, and future in-laws are all right. In fact, your parents are outside.”

“When can they come in?”

“Right now.” Marshii pressed an intercom button. “Your Majesties, your daughter needs to see you.” Elgrad and Hanako then came into Sick Bay and were led to Arsha by one of the nurses. It was then that Arsha noticed how haggard her parents looked.

“Hey, Daddy, Mama,” she chuckled.

“Arsha, it’s so great to see you again!” Elgrad sobbed happily as he embraced her.

“My darling daughter, we scoured every part of the Over-realm for you!” Hanako joined in the happy tears and hugging. Arsha’s eyes then released her own tears as she embraced her parents.

“I’m not leaving you again!” she promised. “I won’t leave again!” Marshii didn’t say a word, she just got misty-eyed at the scene as she thought to her family. The embrace lasted a good long while. No words were spoken; they weren’t even needed. They just sat there, hugging one another. It was after a good three minutes that Marshii had to cut in.

“Your Majesties, I know you’re happy to see your daughter, but there are others that want to get a look at her before I clear her for duty.” The Royanas reluctantly broke off the embrace as they got up. They left Sick bay and allowed the Felomphas to take their place, sans Lardeth.

“There she is, the Conquering Hero!” cheered Endram.

“Arsha, it’s great to see you again!” sighed Pofomofo happily as she set a bouquet of Fire Roses down.

“Those are Under-realm flowers! How did you-?!” asked Arsha as she saw her favorite flowers.

“There was a florist here in the Over-realm that sold them before the…well…” Pofomofo trailed off as she looked outside.

“Yeah, I heard about the Realmgates being destroyed on my way here,” sighed Arsha.

“We’re trying to rebuild them in secret,” explained Jeefef, “but the Realmfleet Council’s planning on stopping us!”

“WHAT?!” protested Arsha. “I thought they would want to have them rebuilt!”

“They thought,” remarked Olmarfa, “that keeping the Realmgates out of the picture until the war is over would stymy the enemy’s advance. They somehow don’t believe that Dr. Borg is smart enough to make another means of crossing the Realms.”

“Ones in the Heights!” groaned Arsha. “This is one big mess! So those that aren’t from their native Realms are stuck?!”

“That is, unfortunately, the situation in a nutshell,” sighed Ufnamfa.

“I certainly hope Aldarval’s not onboard with this!”

“Who do you think’s behind going against the Council’s back? They overrode her veto on the subject.”

“Good to know!” Arsha became more calmer after that.

“Well, it looks like Marshii is still tending to you,” observed Emfam. “I know the Emboramiis and your lovers would love to see you.”

“And I, them!” agreed Arsha. The Felomphas left, then Elmpam wheeled Orbak near the bed.

“There she is!” cheered Orbak. Elmpam then gave her one of her signature ten-armed hugs. Her tail was wagging in happiness. She then brought Orbak into the hug and they stayed there for a good while. She then broke off the hug.

“It’s great to see you two again,” chuckled Arsha.

“The pleasure’s all ours, Arsha,” replied Elmpam. “You can’t imagine how worried your parents were.”

“How many sleepless nights did they suffer?”

“I think you meant to ask how many they DIDN’T suffer,” remarked Orbak. “Your parents, my daughter, the rest of your lovers, and the entire ship.”

“It looks like they kept a level head long enough to find me.”

“We had some moments where we almost lost it,” replied Elmpam. “Bashoon, Malak, and Dalengor had to stop people from deserting us while under fire.”

“It got that bad?”

“Denstra and Thengo managed to get them to recenter their heads,” assured Orbak.

“Good for them. They’ve kept the Endeavor going for a long time in my absence.”

“It wasn’t easy,” remarked Elmpam.

“No, it clearly wasn’t, but they still made me proud, nonetheless.”

“We’ll be sure to tell the entire crew you said that while you’re here,” promised Orbak. “I believe you’ll want to see your lovers.”

“Believe me, I DO!”

“Then we’ll get out of your hair while you reconnect with them.” Elmpam then stood up and wheeled Orbak out of Sick Bay. Once they left, her lovers then came in, Foresna, Gorfanth, Falnii, Lardeth, and Malnar. They all managed to get a hug and a kiss from her.

“Ones in the Heights, we’ve missed you!” sobbed Falnii happily.

“I missed you too, Fluffy, all of you, the REAL you!” Arsha replied with a grin on her face.

“The real us?” asked Lardeth.

“A comment like that,” remarked Foresna, “tells us that you had a…vivid dream, to put it lightly.”

“I went through a dream loop when I was in that coma,” explained Arsha. “It was of us playing around at a fjord. Falnii, you would recognize it from when I leashed my Inner Demons.”

“I DO recall that place, VIVIDLY,” shuddered Falnii.

“Well, it started changing when Oyed attacked, First fireworks, then added dialogue.”

“Must have been the explosions around the place,” mused Malnar.

“That’s my best guess. I was initially sad, but then your dream doubles urged me to seek the real versions of you out. I couldn’t really argue with that logic now, could I?”

“Seems like your mind was trying to get you to wake up,” observed Gorfanth.

“That was the general idea. I guess my mind wants to keep me grounded in the real world. I will admit, I didn’t want to go back…but I couldn’t let you suffer this war alone! Now, I’m back! And I’m gonna tear Oyed apart!”

“Not alone, you’re not,” replied Foresna.

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving you guys out of Oyed’s end. Once I’m rested, we’ll discuss the situation and plan our next attack.”

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

3 Realms 5-4

Oyed and Arsha circled each other, daring the other to make the first move. “Tell me, my dear,” mused Oyed, “how long have you been up?”

“Long enough!” replied Arsha.

“I somehow doubt that.” Oyed then fired a magic blast which Arsha batted away before slamming her fist into the ground. A stone spike erupted under Oyed’s feet, but he twirled out of the way. He then…cartwheeled towards her. Arsha then caught Oyed’s legs and spun around quickly until she let go. He went crashing into a building.

“Using cheap theater clichés!” she grunted. A shot from the Scorpion then hit the ground near her feet. “My ship!” She chanted a speed spell and took off for the Endeavor at high velocity!


Meanwhile, Oyed picked himself out of the building. He knocked some dirt out of his ears. “Sweet ME, that was painful!” He then looked around. “Where IS she?” His comms then chimed. He picked up the call. “Hello?”

“Lord Oyed,” remarked Scorpo on the other end, “I don’t know if it’s escaped your notice, (if it has, well, I can’t fault you), but ARSHA’S MAKING IT TO HER SHIP!” Oyed then saw Arsha running!

“OH NO, YOU DON’T, YOU WALKING CAT O’ NINE TAILS!” he roared. He charged after Arsha, flinging magic blasts all the while. Someone then threw a spear into Oyed’s body with enough strength to pierce the torso and pin him to the ground. He was stuck and in pain. Arsha tracked the spear’s trajectory to see her father joining her.

“Great to see you again after half a year!” he called. “Though I wish Oyed wasn’t involved!”

“Great to see you too, Daddy!” replied Arsha. She managed a quick kiss on his head. “Now RUN!” She grabbed his hand, and they took off. They soon made it into the Endeavor. She let Elgrad go as she continued running through the ship. She passed by Lardeth briefly. “Hi Princess! Bye Princess!” she called. She then made it to the bridge. The necessary crew was there. Shalvey then glanced at her.

“Captain on the bridge!” she called. Denstra quickly left the Captain’s chair and took her usual one while Arsha sat down.

“Nazay, has everyone made it?” called Arsha.

“Everyone that didn’t volunteer to cover the retreat!” replied Nazay.

“Damn!” growled Arsha. “Well, if they die, we WILL avenge them! Is there a destination in mind after this?”

“The Ralandren Plains!”

“Take us there!” Nazay’s fingers danced across the console and the Endeavor rose into the air. Unfortunately, the Scorpion was firing its weapons in a way that kept the Endeavor pinned to the ground.


Oyed freed himself from the spear and saw what the Scorpion was doing. “Very good,” he mused. He then teleported himself onto the bridge.

“Titan on the bridge!” called Scorpo.

“As you were,” replied Oyed. “Keep the Endeavor pinned. Once it’s scrapped, I want a kill squad here to destroy any survivors.”

“Understood, My Lord,” said Scorpo.


“Dammit! They shorted out navigation!” growled Nazay. “Malak, can you give me any visual cues, like the sun’s position?!”

“It’s still rising in the west!” called Malak. “Our bow’s pointing in that direction!”

“An Over-realm sunrise! Perfect!” declared Arsha. “Malak, can you target the array beneath the Scorpion?”

“Getting a target lock on it now!”

“Fire when ready!” Malak got his target and keyed in a firing pattern. The Endeavor’s shots then struck true, hitting the pecten-shaped array on the Scorpion’s keel. The enemy ship rocked and Nazay took the opportunity to get the Endeavor out of there! The ship went hard to port until the bow was facing the south and sped off. Once it was clear, the Endeavor and crew grew to their normal size.


“Report!” called Oyed.

“The shots hit the sensor array!” replied Dr. Borg. “They went straight to the engines! We’re going down!”

“Okay, no, that is NOT something I’m putting up with!” snarled Oyed. Black clouds surrounded his hands as Scorpo doubled over in pain. The treatment lasted a minute until Scorpo started gasping for air. Once done gasping, he noticed that his engines were fixed and the ruptures in his hull were gone. “After them, you fools!” ordered Oyed.


“The Scorpion’s fixed itself!” called Malak. Arsha pressed a button on her armrest.

“Bridge to Engineering! Give us every scrap of power for the weapons!”

“We’re consuming all the mana to outpace them!” replied Thangred. “If we spin up the weapons again, we’re never gonna evade them!”

“And if we don’t, we’ll get shot out of the sky before we get to the plains! Weapons power now!” She ended the call, and the Endeavor came about for an attack run.


“She…she can’t be serious!” chuckled Oyed as the Endeavor turned towards them.

“Come about!” called Dr. Borg.

“Nay! Belay that!” replied Oyed. “Let her fly straight and true! Full bore and into the abyss!”

“Are you mad?!” protested Dr. Borg.

“I’m not letting Arsha slip away again! I will do whatever it takes to get rid of her and avoid this embarrassment! Cannons to full power! Turn that vessel to scrap!”


“They’re charging weapons!” reported Malak

“How many drone fighters do we have?!” asked Arsha.

“A full complement!”

“Launch them all!”

“WHAT?!”

“Make them swarm the Scorpion! We need to make an escape!” Malak keyed in the commands.

“Launching!”


“DRONE FIGHTERS!” reported Scorpo as the drone fighters swarmed out of the Endeavor like bees defending their hive. “A FULL SQUADRON! I’M GETTING SWARMED!”

“YOU’RE LETTING THEM ESCAPE!” roared Oyed.

“The targeting sensors can’t get a lock on the Endeavor,” reported Dr. Borg, in a tone of calmness that belied the situation.

“THEN MAKE THEM DO SO!”

“The weapons can’t get a clear shot, whether we eyeball it or not. They’re draining power from the engines too rapidly. We don’t have a choice. We must break off pursuit.”

“WE’RE DOING NOTHING OF THE SORT!”

“That’s no longer your call to make! We won’t survive and the Scorpion is sure to be scrapped! That will set back your plans too far for you! We’re retreating, end of discussion! Scorpo, clear us a path and get us out of here.” The Scorpion’s tail weapon cleared a path and escaped the swarm. The ship then vanished in a black cloud.


“The enemy has brokne off pursuit!” cheered Malak.

“Recall our surviving drone fighters,” ordered Arsha as a smile crossed her face. “Nazay, stay on course.”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” replied Nazay. Arsha grinned. The Endeavor was still a well-oiled machine, even when she was absent.

“Denstra, I know you’ve had the Conn for some time, but I need you to take it back for a little longer. I need to see Marshii.”

“She’ll grumble at your recklessness,” chuckled Denstra, “but, like all of us, your lovers and parents included, she’ll be happy to see you again.”

“And I her, as well as all of you. You all did well in my absence. After my check up and whatever Marshii prescribes, I need all Senior Staff to meet in the Conference room with me, my lovers, and our parents. I need to be filled in on what happened.”

“We’ll be on standby for when you’re cleared for duty, Captain,” replied Shalvey. “It’s good to have you back.”

“Good to BE back.” Arsha then finally dismissed her armor and headed to Sick Bay.

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

3 Realms 5-3

The battle raged on as everyone on the base scrambled to evacuate. Dr. Borg and her followers continued causing chaos as Oyed dueled Elgrad. “Your child’s on life-support!” snarled Oyed.

“And you’re not taking her off it!” replied Elgrad.

“Give it up! She’s been a vegetable for half a year! I thought it was kindness to pull the plug!”

“I am NOT sentencing Arsha to death!” Oyed then decked Elgrad into a wall.

“I was under the impression,” he purred, “that medical law requires comatose people to be taken off life support after a certain amount of time had passed. You’re breaking a law to satisfy your own ends; some King you are!” Elgrad didn’t respond. He just resumed slashing at Oyed. “Mister, it was Arsha who caused me pain, both physical and (as of late) mental. So, be a good little King and step aside!” Still no response outside of sword-swinging, trying to kill him dead. “Fine then, I guess Hanako’s gonna be a widow as well as a grieving mother!” Oyed began attacking more ferociously.


Arsha still stayed in bed, breathing normally. Inside her head, she was at a fjord near the sea. She and her lovers were happily laughing and enjoying life. She was leading them on a merry chase, her skirts slowing her down even as they were hitched up, not that she didn’t want to be caught. Foresna managed to catch her, then Falnii got both of them, then Malnar, then Lardeth, and finally Gorfanth. They all fell to the ground laughing. As the wind blew over them, Arsha looked to her lovers. “This is perfect,” she sighed.

“Like a waking dream,” replied Lardeth. Just then, explosions of light lit up the sky.

“Look! Fireworks!” called Falnii.

“…A new addition,” remarked Arsha. She then grinned at her lovers. “I bet you guys can’t catch me!”

“Oh, I bet we can!” challenged Malnar. Arsha then sprang up and resumed the chase. Her lovers then followed her around the fjord.


Outside her mind, the Endeavor was continuing the evacuation. Thangred, Elmar, and Orthena oversaw the equipment being moved. “No, no, over HERE!” snapped Orthena. The Pixie then moved his load to the right location. “Now put that one over here!” Elmar then interjected his opinion.

“That would fall too easily! Bring it over here!” The ship then rocked. Thangred then made his way to the intercom.

“Cargo bay to bridge! What’s happening?!”

“The Scorpion just decloaked!” explained Denstra. “It’s firing on us!”

“Well, that’s gonna make the evacuation interesting!”

“Where’s Arsha?!”

“Too many Trinnies are getting between us and the people trying to move her!” called Rellmeer as she ran up to the comms.


Inside Arsha’s head, she was at a fjord near the sea. She and her lovers were happily laughing and enjoying life. She was leading them on a merry chase, her skirts slowing her down even as they were hitched up, not that she didn’t want to be caught. Foresna managed to catch her, then Falnii got both of them, then Malnar, then Lardeth, and finally Gorfanth. They all fell to the ground laughing. As the wind blew over them, Arsha looked to her lovers. “This is perfect,” she sighed.

“Like a waking dream,” replied Lardeth. Just then, explosions of light lit up the sky.

“Look! Fireworks!” called Falnii.

“…A new addition,” remarked Arsha. Just then, the waters at the shore of the fjord shook as if a stone was thrown into them. “…And that.”

“An addition?” asked Malnar. “It’s always been this way, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, we’ve always…always…Gorfanth, kneel down for a minute.” Gorfanth was confused but did so. Arsha then moved across his front until she matched his horns to a pair of rocky protrusions coming out of the fjord’s middle. Arsha then realized what was going on. “…No. …No, not here!” She then saw a small scene on the beach. It was a smaller version of the fjord, but it looked like the rocks were tumbling away to reveal small versions of Arsha’s lovers. As they rose, an even smaller Arsha was facing a demonic version of her. “…It is! This is all a dream!” Arsha collapsed and sobbed. Her lovers’ images then knelt to her.

“I’m sorry,” sighed Falnii, “but the Final War isn’t over. Oyed hurt you so bad that your mind went to a loop of your ideal day with us. Arsha, we’re simply not real and neither is the fjord.” Arsha continued crying in frustration.

“Why couldn’t I have kept this scene up?!” she demanded. “Why did I have to figure out it was all a dream?!”

“And who’s to say that you can’t make this dream a reality?!” asked Gorfanth.

“Who’s to say I can with Oyed around?!”

“Who’s to say Oyed needs to be around?” asked Foresna.

“Arsha, think about the real versions of us,” urged Malnar. “Do you think they’ll want you to stay in this dream forever?”

“You’re probably hooked up to a life-support machine in the real world,” supplied Lardeth. “You have to admit, that’s no way to live.”

“And Oyed won’t rest until the Realms are dead,” reminded Falnii, “including your family.” Arsha’s sobbing softened until it stopped. It was then her face contorted into rage.

“Oyed…Oyed…NOT ONE FINGER ON THEM, OYED!” roared Arsha. The scene then faded, and a bright light filled her vision.


The fight between Elgrad and Oyed continued, although Elgrad was starting to tire out. “Frail feeble human!” growled the Titan. “How you managed to become dominant is beyond me! When I’m done with the Realms, I’ll create a new one! A new world that only understands bounty, not poverty!”

“A world without change!” panted Elgrad.

“A world where everyone knows their place.”

“A world I would hate!”

“Me too, Daddy!” called a voice. Elgrad and Oyed then turned to see a figure approaching them. It soon became clearer as the figure stepped forward. The shape was a woman’s, the ears were foxlike and pointed, the skin was Elgrad’s tone, her hair was done up in a pony-tail, and nine, long, fluffy tails came from her waist through the hospital gown. Her slit-shaped pupils directed her glowing yellow eyes to Oyed. Her face was contorted into a snarl. “You got the jump on me last time! I won’t be so off-guard again!”

“ARSHA!” cheered Elgrad. Oyed laughed and tossed Elgrad aside.

“Then I shall make sure I do the job properly!” chuckled the Destroyer. Arsha snapped her fingers, and her armor replaced her gown. Mithril mesh-mail and arcanium plating enveloped her as her helmet’s visor was raised.

“Come! Let’s dance!” Arsha lowered her visor and the two combatants charged at each other!

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

3 Realms 5-2

The Fae flittered around a mushroom ring, keeping up the appearance that they were farming. So far, it deflected Oyed’s attention as he had no interest in the Fae Republic. Good thing, too, the ring was keeping a resistance base hidden. Within that base, Fae Empress Rellmeer and her harem girl, Felfar, made their way to the center of the base, within a secret bunker where she met Oak and a Naga woman, Larana, Queen of the Blasarda Desert. The four then keyed their i.d. codes into a computer and it verified their identities. Once it was deemed safe, they sat down. “Resistance Council now in session with Commander Felfar in attendance,” called Rellmeer. “Oak, give us the bad news first.”

“We’ve been discovered,” explained Oak. “Oyed and his followers know that Arsha’s here. They’re about five days out.”

“We can’t evacuate in this condition,” remarked Larana. “Arsha wouldn’t be able to come out of her coma!”

“There IS a bit of sun on the horizon,” replied Rellmeer. “Felfar, dear, tell everyone what you told me.”

“My friends, we’ve just been granted a stroke of luck!” explained Felfar. “The Endeavor has finally managed to respond to our signals! They’re on their way here! They were two days out at last known contact!”

“That was yesterday,” supplied Rellmeer. “If Oyed gets here while the Endeavor is still on the ground, we’ll be able to get Arsha into more familiar surroundings and nearer to her loved ones.”

“That should get her out of her coma faster,” agreed Larana.

“Then we must increase evacuation drills,” declared Oak. “We cannot hope to protect Arsha with the number of fighters we have. The Endeavor has more capable fighters aboard that can help us hold the enemy off.”

“I’ll have everyone go through evacuation drills,” called Rellmeer.


Daren and Mika continued monitoring the comatose Arsha. Her brain activity was still the same, but her body still remained unresponsive. A Genie named Namdaresh then appeared. “I’m getting a somewhat clearer picture of Arsha’s mind,” she reported. “It looks like she’s dueling with a demonic version of herself.”

“Did it have a long neck?” asked Daren.

“…Yes, actually, and had…”

“Tentacles for locomotion?” finished Mika.

“Okay, how do YOU know what that monster looks like?!” demanded the disgruntled Namdaresh.

“The description came from her psych eval,” explained Mika. “She had a dream-weaving session with one of her lovers, Falnii.”

“It’s supposed to be her darker side,” continued Daren.

“Wait, you said there was a dream-weaver involved,” interjected Namdaresh. “Isn’t there one among us?”

“There’s Dorma, but I wouldn’t recommend it,” remarked Mika. “If Arsha is helped out via a dream-weaver, she’ll become dependent on them. Not enough of her will come back. The only thing that can work naturally is to call to her.”

“Because we TOTALLY have time for the natural way!” grunted Namdaresh.

“Well, if things go well,” mused Daren, “she’ll be in familiar settings.”

“Sweetie?” asked Mika.

“I heard from Felfar that the Endeavor’s on her way here. She should be arriving soon.” Mika grinned at that bit of news.

“The surroundings of her ship should be able to help her recovery.” At that moment, Norvorok, the former monk of the now defunct Vorkath Monastic Hospital, entered the room.

“The Endeavor’s landing,” he reported.

“Perfect!” cheered Mika.


The Endeavor was shrunk down to a size that would be more manageable to the Fae that lived in the mushroom ring. The landing ramp lowered and Denstra, Endea, and Elgrad came down. Elgrad grabbed the nearest Fairy man and pulled the poor guy close to his face. The Fairy could notice the haggard look in the Mid-realm King’s eyes. “No tricks! Where’s my baby girl?!” snarled Elgrad.

“Your Majesty, please!” urged Endea. Elgrad glared at her, then sighed and let the Fairy man down.

“Sorry,” he muttered. Rellmeer then flew up to them and landed just as the Fairy man scampered off.

“If you’re quite done terrifying my subjects!” she growled.

“You said Arsha’s here! Where?!”

“This way.” Rellmeer then led everyone to the bunker. “I must warn you,” she said on the way, “and there’s no gentle way to say it, Arsha’s in a coma.”

“A coma?!” yelped Endea.

“It looks like her darker side is trying to keep her mind safe,” continued Rellmeer as she recalled the mental section of the medical report. “Every attempt outside of dream-weaving has been met with a monstrous version of her lashing out at us. All we’ve been able to do is call to her. We’re thinking family, friends, and familiar surroundings will get her out of it.” They arrived at the room. Elgrad’s was glad he could see Arsha, but his happiness was unfortunately tempered by the fact she was hooked up to an apparatus that helped her breathe, eat, and use the restroom.

“…Arsha?” asked Elgrad. Arsha didn’t respond, she just laid there comatose, her eyes shut. Elgrad slowly came towards her and sat beside her. “…Arsha, it’s me. It’s your father.” Still no response. Elgrad was tearing up. “…Arsha, I don’t know if you CAN hear me, but it’s great to see you again after this miserable half-year.” He stroked Arsha’s hair. “When you wake up, I promise, we WILL defeat Oyed. …You’ve got other people wanting to see you. Let me go get them.” He then left the room. As he was making his way to the bunker’s exit, the whole place rocked. “WHAT IN?!” he yelped.

“ENEMY INVASION!” wailed a Sprite woman.

“Oh no, not today!” snarled Elgrad. He unsheathed his sword and ran outside to see Oyed, Dr. Borg, and the rest of the Imperial Council firing magic blasts into the crowd. Oyed then spotted Elgrad.

“Ah, Your Majesty!” he greeted. “Come to make a royal appearance in this foreign land? I’m honored to meet you!” He gave an exaggerated bow.

“Stay out of my way!” growled Elgrad. “I’m busy!”

“Yes, busy tending to your daughter. A little monkey told me she was here. Tell me, why aren’t you at her side at the moment? …Unless you intend to throw your life away for some reckless attempt to keep me from her?”

“That’s not your problem!”

“Ah, actually, it is. You see, I want to make sure I do the job right. What better way than to kill her while she’s bedridden?”

“YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!” Elgrad brought his sword down and slashed Oyed’s face. There wasn’t even a single scratch on the Titan.

“See, that’s just provocation. Now, all kidding aside, bring Arsha to me so I can kill her properly!”

“I’d rather die!”

“That can be arranged quite easily!” The two then clashed.

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

3 Realms 5-1

A jungle continued making its noises, ranging from birds to mammals to even the wind rustling between the trees. As the jungle chattered, a man muttered to himself as he held a map of the continent the jungle was home to. The man wore black, had sheet white skin, and black mist seeped from his currently angry eyes. “No!” he grumbled as he crossed off an area. “No! No! NO!” He had four x’s on the map so far. He then roared in frustration. “We’ve searched every uninhabited area of the Over-realm and STILL no sign of Arsha!” The man, Oyed the Destroyer, then pulled out a communicator. “Dr. Borg!” he called.

“Borg here,” answered a woman’s voice.

“Status report!”

“Still no Arsha.” Oyed snarled at that.

“I’m getting tired of searching the jungle! Wherever you are, set up camp! I’ll join you!”

“Understood. Borg out.” The call ended and Oyed moved himself forward…at least, he TRIED to. He felt something pulling at his waist as he tried to move. He then looked down and saw that he was sinking in a mud pit. While most people would feel fear at such a fate, Oyed simply grumbled in annoyance.

“For the love of…WHY DO THESE THINGS EXIST?!” Black mist then formed an outline around him, and he rose out of the mud. The mud tried to hold onto him, but he proved too strong for its grip. Once his feet were free, he floated over to more solid ground. Mud still dripped off of him from the waist down. He pulled some mud off of his thigh and held it in his hand, glaring at it in contempt. “I HATE this place!” He threw the mud at a tree with enough force that it knocked a paper wasp hive down. The wasps soon poured out of the hive, looking for the infidel that dared attack the hive. The swarm found Oyed and began their attack run. The mist surrounding Oyed simply dove at the wasps and surrounded them and their home. The mist then dissolved everything about that particular paper wasp hive; queen, soldiers, brood, and all. “Serves you right!” snarled Oyed as he stomped towards Dr. Borg’s position.


Dr. Borg and her Council Mates set up the camp rather quickly. Remsu decided to add a little personal touch. She fired a spell at a bit of ground and made a mud pit, then fired another spell to dispel any unwanted impurities. “You know,” she mused, “I haven’t had a decent mud bath for quite some time.” She then slid her hand up her thigh in a sultry manner. “Would everyone care to join me?” she purred.

“I’ve never tried a mud bath before,” mused Dr. Borg. “Although, I WOULD need to whip up some protection spells for my prosthesis.”

“I think Shempari should do the trick,” mused Shefarn.

“A capital idea,” praised Dr. Borg. “All right then, Shem-” Her chant was interrupted by Oyed stomping into the camp. Yulduk just couldn’t resist!

“Looks like Oyed already took a mud bath!” he laughed.

“Laugh it up, Zombie!” growled Oyed.

“Oyed, what-?” asked Yamta.

“DON’T! …Just don’t!” Oyed then stomped toward a tent. As he reached for the flap, something flew between it and his hand. Everyone followed the direction of the offending object, a piece of fruit, and saw a monkey hooting and clapping his hands. It was Sorsha’s friend, Johgo. “…GET OUT OF HERE!” shouted Oyed as he fired energy blasts at Johgo.

“Catch me if you can!” taunted Johgo as he leapt from branch to branch to get away form Oyed’s shots. He thought he was being clever, but then he felt a metal hand punch him to the ground. As he picked himself up, he saw Dr. Borg grow from his size to a human’s. Her foot then pinned him to the ground.

“Johgo, right?” she asked. “Friend of a Free-lance Alchemist working for Realmfleet, yes?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about!” laughed Johgo. Dr. Borg pushed her foot down onto him before letting off.

“Johgo, it is advisable to NOT provoke me. You and your alchemist friend helped Arsha at one point. Have you helped her again?”

“No!” Dr. Borg pressed down for a longer time. “I DIDN’T! ONLY SORSHA DID!”

“Does she have Arsha?”

“YES!” Dr. Borg raised her foot.

“Where IS Sorsha?”

“I don’t know! She never told me because of secrecy!”

“You’ve proven useless!” snarled Oyed. “Doctor, squish him!”

“WAIT! SHE GAVE ME A GENERAL LOCATION!” wailed Johgo.

“…It’s better than nothing. Where?”

“The Mushroom district!”

“The Northern Drelda Forest,” recalled Dr. Borg.

“So the only thing you can tell me is that I will find Arsha…within the Drelda Forest?” asked Oyed.

“That’s all I know!”

“…He’s served his purpose. Kill him.” Dr. Borg brought her foot down hard, crushing Johgo’s ribs and organs. The poor monkey lay dead. Dr. Borg then picked up the body and tossed it into the bushes. “It looks like our search is coming to an end. We rest here until tomorrow morning. I want us to move at dawn!”

“Understood, My Lord,” answered Dr. Borg.

“Hey, Master!” called Yulduk. “Wanna join us?” He gestured to the mud pit Remsu made.

“…I’ll pass.” Oyed went into his tent.

“…Suit yourself,” muttered Dr. Borg. “Shempari!”


In another part of the jungle, one of the trees continued its walk…no, not a tree, this was a Dryad. He was accompanied by an Elf woman, a man in Monk’s robes, a Naga girl, a four-tailed Kitsune, and a woman in a green dress. They were Oak, Sorsha, Norvorok, Jaynii, Kimiko, and Lona. They patrolled the jungle for a bit until Oak stopped. “…What is it?” asked Jaynii.

“The trees…they speak of…of Johgo’s death at the enemy’s hands!” gasped Oak. Sorsha looked at him disbelievingly.

“D…Dead?” she asked. “My best friend…dead?!”

“I’m sorry, but yes.” Sorsha then fell to her knees as tears fell down her face.

“His troop was a good one,” she mumbled. “They helped me out so much.” Her face then turned to one of rage. “Oyed!”

“It gets worse,” muttered Oak. “The trees report that they made him give up the location of Arsha! She’s not safe now! We must get her into another part of the Drelda Forest!”

“But Johgo!” protested Sorsha.

“The trees are giving him a respectful burial.”

“…Well, at least he had that. Could you glean where he was buried so I can visit him later?”

“I have his grave’s exact location. A Dryad near his troop has already informed them and they’re giving him a proper funeral.”

“Good to know.” Sorsha then dried her eyes. “Come on! Let’s get out of here!” The patrol then headed back to the Drelda Forest.