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

3 Realms 6-6

Arsha, Malak, Dalengor, Bashoon and a Standard Gauge tender engine Mechanica man of the RIA, Officer Furnaf, had learned that the mana barrel came from the western harbor in Grefnak. The rails there were Narrow Standard Gauge, so they had to wait for the engine who collected the barrels and the Standard engine who delivered the mana shipment. The Narrow Standard engine was a Mechanica tender engine woman, and the Standard engine was a non-Mechanica tender engine, so they had to interview its crew. The driver was an Incubus, and the firewoman was a Zephyr/Orc Blender. “All right,” said Arsha to the Standard engine’s crew, “we want you to run through the events as they happened when you delivered that shipment.”

“It was two days ago,” replied the driver as his tail and wings stayed still. “Around 26:30 when we arrived. It took about an hour for the workers to fully unload the train.”

“It usually takes half that time,” supplied the firewoman, “but we had to wait for Ms. Farna,” she pointed to the Narrow Standard engine, “as she had suffered a delay.”

“Let’s just say,” explained Farna, “if I had my way, it wouldn’t be ‘birdbrain’, it’d be ‘sheep-brain’!”

“After we unloaded our train onto hers,” continued the firewoman, “we had to rush for the dairy near Castle Town in the north.”

“And you were the one who collected those barrels, Ms. Farna?” asked Officer Furnaf.

“Yes, Officer,” confirmed Farna.

“Did anything unusual happen that day, aside from your sheep mishap?” asked Bashoon. “Like a fight? An accident? Anything else like that?”

“No, Ma’am,” replied Farna. “The sheep were my only problem that day.”

“Did any of you see someone lingering around here?” asked Dalengor. “Someone who didn’t belong?”

“No,” said the Standard driver.

“No one,” supplied the Standard firewoman.

“Sorry, but no,” reported Farna.

“Nothing,” said Farna’s fireman. Her driver, being a mute man, shook his head in the negative.

“The manifest says,” remarked Malak, “you delivered those barrels to the mana refinery north of the harbor, Farna. Did anything happen up there?” Farna and her crew replied that they didn’t see anything. Officer Furnaf stroked his chin.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t be more helpful, everyone,” sighed the Standard firewoman.

“You can’t tell us what you don’t know,” assured Furnaf. “Farna, will you be heading to the refinery at any point today?”

“Yes,” answered Farna. “This train of spare parts is headed there.”

“Perfect!” cheered Dalengor. “Malak, Bashoon, the RIA constables, and I will be needed there! May we hitch a ride?”

“Of course! Anything to end this craziness!”

“That’s what we’re trained to do,” replied Furnaf. Dalengor, Malak, Bashoon, and the RIA constables entered the brake-van, the workers confirmed that the train was secured and ready, the Conductor blew his whistle and waved his flag, Farna whistled her reply, and the train set off.


Farna got to the mana refinery a few minutes ahead of schedule. One of her colleagues, a Mechanica tender engine man named Drufath, stood at the platform with his coaches, ready for his express run. He and his crew saw the Realmfleeters and RIA officers leave the brake-van. “Hey! Farna!” called Drufath’s driver, a male Stone Elf. “Why are the cops on your train?”

“Perhaps she’s decided to turn you in, Rudal,” joked Drufath.

“Oh, shut it!” Drufath laughed a bit, then dropped his joking demeanor and spoke to Farna.

“In all seriousness, why IS the RIA on your train? And Realmfleeters, by the look of it.”

“It’s because of the accident Lushar had near Dropath,” explained Farna. “Turns out one of the mana barrels I delivered here two days ago was used to make it happen.”

“That’s…most alarming.”

“Tell me about it. Do you and your crew know anything that could help?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t.”

“Nor do I,” said Rudal.

“Me neither,” replied Drufath’s fireman, a Free Golem named Fregna. “A rare thing indeed that I should be ignorant about something.”

“That’s probably for the best, Fregna,” remarked Drufath.

“…Why?”

“Because if either of you had an idea that led to an arrest, we’d never hear the end of it!” Drufath and Farna laughed. Fregna stepped outside and looked at the brake-pipe in the coaches.

“Oh dear,” he called. “There’s a hole in the pipe. Better get the shoe-string!”

“NO!” shouted Drufath as he went red in the face. “ABSOLUTELY NOT! YOU PRO-! …Oh, I hate you!” Fregna and Rudal were laughing at their engine’s outburst. Fregna went back to the cab. “Honestly, I get no rest and no respect from you two!” The Conductor blew his whistle and waved his flag once he finished checking the coaches. Drufath whistled his readiness and the train set off. “Off we go!” called Drufath as the train picked up speed.


Further down the line, someone invisible stepped out of the bushes near a set of points. They hammered the points to another direction, then disappeared back into the bushes. The line the points were turned to was a dead-end that stopped at a set of old buffers. It was supposed to lead to a branch line, but the project never came to fruition as the people there simply took their carriages. Because of the dead-end, the points never needed changing unless absolutely necessary, therefore whistling for the points to change was not a usual sound for the signalman. Drufath continued on his journey at his usual speed, not knowing what happened to the points. When he realized he was on the wrong line, it was too late. He went too fast for the buffers to safely stop him, so they vanished under him, causing him to go down a small hill and into a barn. The barn walls damaged his buffer beam but didn’t slow him down. It was a massive pile of dirt that stopped him. There Drufath stood, dazed and confused with a damaged front. He put that aside. “Rudal! Fregna! Are you all right?!” he called.

“We’re fine!” assured Rudal. “Fregna’s checking on the passengers now! What about you?!”

“You know the Rail-type Mechanica phrase ‘bust my buffers’?”

“Yeah?”

“I think I have. My front ones, to be exact.” Fregna then came up to them with the farmer, a female Passion Dragon.

“None of the passengers are hurt, just shaken up,” said Fregna.

“And my livestock’s okay too,” said the farmer. “I’m stunned.”

“So, I’m the only one who suffered any damage,” muttered Drufath. “I have to say that’s incredibly lucky-!” He and his crew’s eyes shot open and looked down at his front. He had a lamp on his left lamp iron, but it was missing. “…No.”

“I mean, it could have been!” gulped Fregna.

“Now that’s just silly!” retorted Rudal.

“Excuse me, Mister!” called a Frostik boy as he and his parents came running up to them with a railway lamp in his hands. “Is this yours?” he asked Rudal. Rudal took the lamp and looked at the back. The writing on it once indicated that it was built by the Lunark Trackside Lamp Company, but time took away all the letters except five so that it spelled “Lucky”!

“It is!” laughed Rudal. He thanked the little boy and showed Drufath the lamp. Drufath laughed in amazement.

“The Lucky Lamp saves us all!” he cheered. He then kissed the front of the lamp, rubbed it, then patted the lamps top five times. “Thank you,” he said to the lamp.

“That lamp,” explained Fregna to the Frostik Family, “is the Lucky Lamp, a travelling Railway good-luck charm. Anytime there’s an accident on a railway, but no one dies or suffers serious injuries, the Lamp always makes sure it’s there BEFORE the accident takes place to minimize the damage.”

“And it’s been all across the Realms,” continued Drufath, “making sure serious accidents are minimized. Railway workers and the industries we support have an online site that keeps track of where and when it pops, trying to find a pattern. And you have to properly thank it for its help.”

“To do that, you gotta kiss the Lamp’s front, rub the front, pat its top five times, then you say, ‘Thank you’,” explained Rudal.

“Well, it was a good-luck charm for my farm,” said the farmer as she pointed to the barn. “I’ve got a big supply of wood and nails to help patch the barn up and my animals ain’t hurt, so I don’t need anything from you guys except answers on why you went to that dead-end.”

“And hopefully, the officers of the RIA,” declared Drufath as he gritted his teeth and looked up at the line, “can help provide them for us all!”

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

3 Realms 6-5

Over the next few days, everyone got to work getting the Galdredan Railway fixed. Now that no one had to worry about bombs whizzing overhead, trains could run as normal and fix things. There were quite a few craters that severed the rail lines. As rail traffic was the major source of goods, repairs to the railway were given top priority. Dame Galya Gronsar, the Orc Controller of the Galdredan Railway, was very succinct in what was needed for repairs. She once thought her Mechanica engines wouldn’t be the most efficient, but after the Mechanica Trial’s results and after seeing them in action, she was never happier to be wrong. One of her engines, a Mechanica woman named Lushar, was marshaling freight cars in the quarry she was inspecting. Once Lushar had a break, Galya came up to talk to her. “There she is!” she praised. “The model of efficiency herself!”

“Dame Gronsar, hello!” replied Lushar. “How are things?”

“They’re looking up. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that we’re repairing things so quickly. I had though repairs would take the better part of the month, but it looks like things are going to be done in half that time! The ballast trains have been practically flying out of here like clockwork and they’re lining up perfectly with railway tie production!”

“What about the actual rails themselves?”

“That’s the only slow part. Smelting down metal’s a rather involved process and, given that we lost good engines and staff in the War, it’s taken a lot of wind out of people’s sails.” Lushar lowered her head.

“At least those engines that lost their lives were scrapped respectfully.” Galya nodded in agreement.

“And speaking of engine numbers, I’ve noticed that you’re the only engine here. Have you really been clearing out the quarry on your own?”

“Yes, Ma’am, but I won’t turn my nose up at help.”

“That’s good to hear. I’ll be transferring Rushak here to help you before the day’s out.”

“An excellent decision, Ma’am! I know it’ll make him happy to work in the quarry again!”

“I just have to admit, I’m astounded you went this far on your own. Don’t you get tired, even just a little bit?”

“Honestly, I found a way to do this all day.” Galya arched an eyebrow.

“Really? How?”

“Gumption and commitment, Ma’am.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it,” confirmed Lushar. “That’s all an engine needs to have a long, fulfilling career.”

“You’re an inspiration to everyone with that attitude,” praised Galya. “I have to say, though, there are those on the Board of Directors that are sorely lacking in that regard. …Well, I’ve inspected enough of the quarry. I need to head to Dropath Harbor.”

“My next train’s heading there, Ma’am. I can take you there.”

“That sounds perfect! It’ll save me the mana for a teleport spell, and I’ve always enjoyed a good train ride in a brake-van.”

“Let me just pick one up and we’ll be good to go!” Lushar headed off, found a brake-van, attached it to her train, then returned to the front. Galya and the Conductor entered the brake-van, the workers checked the couplings on the train, then gave the Conductor a thumbs-up when everything was good. The Conductor blew his whistle and waved the green flag. Lushar and her crew looked back, then she blew three short blasts from her whistle to indicate she was ready as well. Steam then entered her pistons and made her wheels turn. The train picked up speed and they travelled down the line. The line went through the Southern Continent’s rare green area before leading to the familiar rocky terrain leading to Dropath Harbor in the south.


While the train was moving, someone cloaked in an invisibility spell was at a set of points. The person used a hammer to make the points move so it would switch tracks to a line that led to a set of buffers at the edge of a pond near the signal box. The person then set a barrel of liquid mana near the points and punctured the barrel, letting the liquid mana spill onto the tracks. They heard two short whistle blasts and dashed into the bushes nearby. Lushar rounded the bend and saw the spilled mana! “DRIVER! BRAKES!” she called. Her brakes came on hard, but it was too late! She skidded into the spilled mana and was sent down the wrong line. She went so fast that she crashed into the buffers and slithered into the pond. Her head was dunked underwater, so she pulled it out and gasped for air. Once she finished spluttering, she looked at the situation she was in. “…Okay! So…that happened!”

“Lushar!” called Galya’s voice as she ran up to the engine. “Are you all right?!”

“I’m fine, Ma’am. Just wet. You?”

“My end was the least affected.”

“Draynak, Voruth, how about you?”

“We’re okay!” replied her driver, Draynak.

Sweet Ones, what happened?!” asked Galya.

“There was a leaking barrel of mana next to the tracks,” explained Lushar.

“What?!” yelped her fireman, Voruth. “Who’d be dumb enough to put a leaky barrel there?!”

“Probably the same yutz who set the points to this line!”

“I’ll call for help!” declared Galya as she opened her makeup mirror and cast a communications spell on it. “Upend my railway’s operations, will they?! Someone’s gonna answer for this!”

“I hope so!” agreed Lushar. She then sighed. “Bust my buffers, the day started out so well too!”


A male tank engine Mechanica, Rushak, brought cranes, a flatbed, a medical coach, and one of the Mechanica engines of the local Railway Investigations Agency. The cranes put Lushar onto the flatbed as it was discovered that her brakes locked her wheels in one place and flattened out the bottoms, so she had to get new wheels. The RIA engine, an Officer Julnath, inspected the points with his crew. The Signalwoman, a Frostik named Rulja, was quick to give her statement and surrender all her security footage. When the footage showed nothing, Julnath’s crew checked the cameras themselves. What they found was VERY disturbing. They found evidence of a Realmfleet-grade scattering spell, designed to play the same image on a camera as if nothing had happened. It was used a lot during the Final War to confuse the cameras of the Realm Trinity Empire when Realmfleet officers infiltrated their bases. Because of this finding and the fact that it was a spell beyond Rulja’s skillset, Rokalla and the Narvens were informed. Rokalla assigned the Endeavor to assist in finding the saboteur and Arsha handed out assignments to the crew, determined to find out who was the monster behind this and to hopefully prevent lives from being lost so early into the current Age of Unity.

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

3 Realms 6-4

After visiting Rokalla, Arsha made her way back to the Endeavor. She sat in her Ready Room, pondering what was next. She had already seen the Divine Ones address the Realms to read and explain the Final Prophecy. Her door chime then rang. “Come in,” she called. Eltan slithered into the room. “Eltan, what can I do for you?”

“I just got a medical report about us Revenants from Marshii,” explained Eltan. She then thought about something. “…Did you know that she was a brunette once?”

“Marshii? I placed her as a red head myself. Oh well, you said you had something?”

“Yes, Captain. Apparently, only old age can kill us now.”

“What about the mana infusions you need?”

“We don’t need them anymore. Apparently, having Divine Mana woven into the Realms was what we needed to survive and thrive.”

“…What about your future?” Eltan looked off, appearing to think about.

“Don’t know,” she finally answered. “I guess I’ll figure it out along the way.”

“Will it involve Realmfleet?”

“I don’t think so. In fact, that’s what I want to talk to you about, Captain. Effective tomorrow, the Realmfleet Revenants are resigning their commissions.” Arsha was silent for a minute, then smiled.

“If that’s your desire, I won’t stop you. I just want you to know that it was a pleasure serving Realmfleet with you.”

“The honor is all mine.” The two then shook hands.


The day finally came as everyone gathered to send off Elmar and the Realmfleet Revenants. It was a small party, per the guests of honor’s requests. Even Rokalla and Calandra attended once Rokalla got his prosthetics. They were all chatting about some of the goofier incidents that happened in the Final War. Rokalla was regaling everyone with a story. “So, I had this Revenant by the neck and my wand was pressing into her skull. I had Ensakunde at the ready and I was working up a rage.” He then made a face of mock rage and mimed holding someone by the neck and jabbing their head with a wand. “‘Where’s the data crystal?!’ I kept saying. ‘Where’s the data crystal?!’ She finally laughed and pointed to the dead cat. I took a scan of the cat’s body and found the data crystal in its stomach! So, I got rid of the Revenant and Aldarval, that howling hyena, she was no help at all! She just stood there, laughing at me as I had to cut a dead cat open while it was putrefying! The smell was just FOUL! It was like a prank that, no offense, Queen Calandra, Andwayla would have done!” Calandra just had a smile on her face as she thought to something.

“You know, Mother may not have been the brightest of women,” she sighed, “and no offense taken, Admiral, she WOULD pull a prank like that…but I still remember one thing that stuck out when I was a little girl. Back then, I didn’t have a high opinion of Orcs. I thought the whole race to be smelly and arrogant and blood-thirsty.”

“…First I heard of that about you,” muttered Rokalla.

“Well, one day, Mother had an idea to cure me of that and it turned out to be one of her best ideas. On the Orcs’ Day of Reflection, she took me to the Gurnak Chapel.”

“I went there when I was a boy!” remarked Rokalla.

“And just as our carriage stopped…I heard singing. I looked around because I was confused at where the sound came from. Mother had me approach the doors of the chapel and look inside and, well, it wowed me. I saw Orcs singing and their song…was beautiful. I couldn’t make out the words at the time, but it was full of sadness and hope and wonder and…and a terrible…sense of loss. It was only later that I learned that the song was the Hymn of Missed Paradise.” Rokalla could then see where she was going but remained silent. “I looked at Mother and…and saw a tear coming down her face. I said to her, ‘Mother, we should leave. This is upsetting you.’ She told me ‘No, it’s not upsetting me. It’s just one of the most beautiful hymns I’ve ever heard.’ I then asked her ‘How could someone like an Orc sing so well?’ She answered, ‘…It’s because they’re singing for the joy that they feel when they experience the peace we’ve all built together and mourning those that missed seeing it in their lifetimes. Their honored dead can only see what they’ve missed from so far above us in the Heights. Despite what many people think, the Orcs are just as beautiful as the Elves in respects that matter.’ …While rare, that side of Mother existed when she was alive. And that song…I’m willing to bet there are Orcs out there singing that song right now. I’ve never heard the Divine Ones sing, but if they do, I’m willing to bet they would sing with the voice I heard.” Calandra sniffled as she wiped a tear. Elmar placed his hand on her shoulder in reassurance.

“I miss her too,” he said, answering her unspoken question.

“We all do,” agreed Arsha. She raised her glass. “A toast. To friends and family that can only watch us from afar in the Heights with our memories of them still bright.” Everyone raised their glass.

“To my mother, Andwayla Narven,” said Calandra.

“To my old friend, Revak Nurtal,” wished Elmar.

“To my cousin, Tendrak Royana,” toasted Arsha.

“To my brother, Mugath Gransurgh,” said Rokalla.

“To my sister, Mandrii Eltraa,” wished Sheendii.

“To my father, Trumba Meltrek,” toasted Drelta.

“To my mothers, Durvan and Furlii Deltar,” said Entran.

“To my husband, Drebla Ansii,” toasted Blenter.

“To my best friend, Grebnal Grantur,” finished Eltan. They all sipped their drinks. Rokalla then smiled.

“I’d like to make one more toast before this party’s over,” he announced. “Elmar Narven, you have been the best Chief Science Officer in all of Realmfleet. You have paved the way for many a scientific advance and Realmfleet cannot thank you enough. I only hope that you still have opportunities to pursue science now that you’re fully accepting your role as King of the Galdredan Lava Kingdom. Eltan, I wish you and your squad mates a peaceful retirement and the freedom to do as you wish. To King Elmar and the Realmfleet Revenants!”

“To King Elmar and the Realmfleet Revenants!” repeated Arsha and Calandra. They raised their glasses again and sipped once more.

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.