Hinc Itur Ad Astra

ACT ONE

—ACT I—

"When he shall die,

Take him and cut him out in little stars,

And he will make the face of heaven so fine

That all the world will be in love with night

And pay no worship to the garish sun."

―William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare Collection)

The stars will guide you, they said. So why was he getting lost now?

"Stupid untrustworthy humans," E.N.D. grumbled, tracing the path with narrowed eyes. The grass beneath his bare feet seared from his body heat and withered in his wake, leaving the familiar mark of his presence as he trudged across the green plain. Claws that could tear a bear's hide as well as a human's throat swung at his sides, and from him came an aura of Black Magic so potent he couldn't smell any animals within a five-mile radius.

That's what E.N.D. is, after all, he thought, rapping his claws against his forehead. Something to be avoided. To be feared. Anyone with instincts can know that much.

After another few stressful minutes, he felt a subtle shift in the air: the ethernano had jumped from low to through the damn stratosphere. His hopes lifted as he checked the stars again—they had a delicate swirl to them that converged around the area directly ahead of him. He took a step forward and detected some air resistance in the shape of a wall. It was a simple matter for an Etherious of his level to dispel the barrier, and with that came the true vision lying beyond him.

A dark forest with lush vegetation stretched as far as the eye could see. Within were tiny lights of many colors—faeries, most likely. Further within, he could see large and inhuman shapes move through the murk. The whole area had more ethernano than the wizards' academy. I feel almost bad trumping through.

He pushed a cluster of wide leaves barring the entrance and they immediately crumpled into grey ash. The closest animal, a large doe with dark brown fur and horns that curled high towards the treetop canopy, looked at him with alarm before scattering and leaving a flurry of leaves in her path. Inside, the woods were perpetually lit by ambient lighting that shifted colors every few seconds to some invisible temple. Yes, he wasn't imagining it, there was a faint song on the wind as well. He was certain that, had he been a lesser being, he would've been hypnotized by it. He pushed the thought aside same as he pushed his way through the magical forest, siphoning the life from everything nearby.

"Demon! Demon!" a small tinny voice called from out of sight.

"Black as night, evil as sin," another voice replied.

"Not ever shall he touch another one..."

"Correct! Because they all die in the end."

With a furious growl, E.N.D. whirled around and slammed his foot into a nearby tree. The trunk splintered into near nothingness and the wavy pattern of light was disrupted as wood chips and dust filled the air. "Say it to my face, I dare you!" he shouted. The background noise hushed to nothingness—even the wind fell silent. He was left heaving for breath, energy rolling off him in waves to blacken all nearby organisms. Whirling around, he planted a hand on a golden-leafed tree, his claws easily piercing into its thick hide. "Where are you now? Say it!"

"I'd like it if you calmed, Etherious." There was a new voice, soft and full and very woman. E.N.D. slumped and returned his claws to his side. Surely, this woman was who he sought. "The faeries will guide you, and they must be alive to do so."