Moonrise ✔ [Complete]

40 Origin (Part 2)

A/N: Hello, hello, amazing people. I recommend that you not read this if you're half asleep. :)

An image of four tall figures rose up from the hologram. They all stood at a similar height, with small heads atop slender shoulders. It was impossible to distinguish the rest of their bodies, for each of the figures was hidden underneath a robe made entirely out of golden light. Each robe appeared like a waterfall of shooting stars, forever falling from their shoulders and coalescing around their feet. And instead of having a face inside each figure's hood, there was merely a hole of light.

"Since the beginning," the Overlord said, "there were the Ancients, revered leaders of the Ranhabeck. They were our gods, capable of mysteries that continue to confound us to this day. This planet, a seed among many seeds, was their creation."

The four sparkling figures disappeared, and a blue and green globe took their place. White wisps of clouds snaked across its surface. 

It was an image of Vaius.

"Each seed exists to serve a single purpose. The life force inside it is the fuel that allows the Ranhabeck to live and wield unimaginable wonders—enbri, or what you humans refer to as magic. Ages ago before the birth of my race, the Ancients scattered these seeds across the expanse of space to corners that contained a sun."

Within the hologram, the sun rose up from behind Vaius as a burning ball of light. Together, both sun and planet drifted in a dark void.

"With the light of a sun, it will take millions of years for that seed to grow. And when it finally reaches maturity, the Ranhabeck arrive to harvest its soul so that we may continue to thrive on its energy. But a problem soon presented itself. When grown past maturity, a seed is capable of sprouting its own life."

The hologram scaled into the planet, zooming closer and closer until a grassy field was illuminated. A small group of what looked like human beings were standing in the field, with wild hair and wearing handmade wools that covered most of their body parts. Their skin was covered in soil and grime, and Maeyune was sure they hadn't taken a bath in days, maybe weeks.

They appeared primitive.

The Overlord carried on, "The Ancients eventually abandoned their sacred cause in support of new life. Many foolish Ranhabeck followed blindly, sacrificing their own race to help another grow in their image. My ancestors were among those who opposed the Ancients. And when civil war wrought destruction across our home planets, we realized that even gods could be killed."

The vision of the humans inside the grassy field distorted—reshaping into the nightmarish scene of a battlefield. Above the thousands of armored creatures that fought on that battlefield were the four shining figures. Maeyune watched with wide eyes as something black and serpentine slashed through them, destroying their shapes and swallowing their pure light.

Black smoke covered the battlefield and filled the entirety of the hologram. At the sight of it, Maeyune's mouth ran dry.

That smoke.