Comments criticism and suggestions all welcomed
***
Antara awoke amidst the wafting darkness. It permeated from every corner of wherever this place was, reluctantly embracing her frigidly as a child would its disdained stepfather. Cold and distant, seemingly omnipresent and unrelenting, it overwhelmed her vision in every direction. This place and everything in it, including herself, seemed foreign; looking down over herself she glimpsed the source of the exoticness; her body was missing. She couldn’t hear or smell or feel, physically, anything. Only sight, her spectrum of perception narrowed to a singularity, remained.
Around her the darkness stirred and shifted motionlessly. Slowly forms began to coalesce amongst the void. Her eyes struggled to apprehend, the nature of the spectacle beyond comprehension of mortal eyes, yet forced to watch, lacking eyelids close. Where am I? This place, it feels unnatural. Is this death? Certainly has the feel of Abyss. It would make for a sufficient explanation. I think I remember dying, but how can I remember anything if I’m dead? Oh my head! How can I still feel this pain without a body? Her head…No her mind was throbbing, the world around her transitioning from ethereal darkness to a solid tangible substance, now visibly resembling the world she had just left behind. Looking down she realized what she had been staring at.
While everything else was becoming more defined her object of focus stayed blurred and indistinct, yet she was aware of exactly what it was. My body. So I am dead, that’s the only remaining explanation. Nebulous as it was, she could still recognize her headless body in the pool of her life’s fluid. Unexpectedly, she didn’t feel all that shocked. The abstruseness and finality of expiring, a daunting inevitability to all mortals, were contingent on the cryptic nature of death, and seeing as now she was actually dead the fears relinquished all influence over her. It’s said that a bombardier is born anew after his first freefall, similar yet unbound in a way that they said nothing else but death could achieve. Guess they weren’t exaggerating... She attempted to exhale, forgetting she was bodiless. It seems even after hundreds of years I am still as human as anybody else, characterized by the same analogous flaws. Forever apt to imagine the worst, fear eventually transforming supposition into fact. And so we are utterly terrified that following our desultory existence only oblivion awaits.
It seemed fitting that in death her thoughts would stray to the staggeringly profound. Ironically, it seemed with resolution of one deep question another one was birthed. What do I do now? Glancing around revealed the world to be a mirror of her own, a few minor differences aside. It was completely devoid of movement, not even wind stirred the vegetation. Also, it seemed to be locked in a perpetual unnatural night. Eerily reminiscent of the murals of Abyss back in Tress. Had she had a body, she would have chucked. Well I’m not about to sit here for eternity contemplating philosophy, that’s for certain.
She made her way towards the city; her intangible conciseness seemed to be bound to only a single location at a time, so traveling was very similar to having a floating, numbed, and weightless body. Aware of the fact that she could travel anywhere instantaneously in her present state, she still chose to move at the rate she had become accustomed to hovering about ninety feet above the ground.
Without warning, a flash of light consumed her vision.
***
Birds chirped joyously to the tune of spring beneath a benevolent sun warming the coastal village. The day resembled those which wintertime dreams spawned, with just enough clouds overhead to provide sufficient shade yet still unnecessary due to the mild temperature. Children frolicked, tramping barefoot through the dirt streets intersecting the town with the occasional dog joining them. In the homes, wives cleaned clothing and prepared meals for the youths, while off in the distance their husbands were fishing to sustain the family. The prosperity created a tranquility which surpassed any in remembered history. War was a nearly forgotten prospect, reserved for stories and gossip of far off lands.
Antara could see it all unfolding before her. A gut instinct told her this was an illusion, a displayed recurrence of something which might or might not have already happened. Still, it was enjoyable to spectate. It nearly resembled the world she fantasized and fought so that one day it might become more. It was almost as if someone had brought a painting to life, the scene possessing an intrinsic perfection unattainable in reality.
Captivated, she watched the scene unnoticeably. Time was entirely immaterial now, and further she was without purpose. Oddly, it was more of a blessing than she ever would have guessed. When was the last time I felt so independent and free? Certainly before the ascension, if ever that is. Still time passed, or did it here? So many new questions. It would have driven a more inquiring mind than hers mad. Still it stirred her imagination.
The tranquility was abruptly broken. A thunderous crashed resonated from somewhere off in the distance. Startled and broken from her contemplative musings, again, she surveyed the landscape in search of whatever caused it. It came again, this time distinctly from her right. Whatever it was, it was getting closer.
Her attention went back to the village, its levity gone, and evidently taking notice as well. Another pair of booms made Antara’s heart sink. She knew exactly what was approaching, and by the sound of it, it was close. The Urtyke approached gracefully reserved, an uncommon trait among her kind. Antara didn’t recognize this one, meaning it was from one of the newer generations. It was a Gargan and a relatively small one, even shorter than Antara had been. Antara had only seen a handful of Gargans that small, which she estimated was somewhere between sixty and seventy feet.
It was heading directly for the village and the inhabitants hand no means of fighting such a foe. Size made numbers irrelevant when you had no way to leverage them. Antara recalled back in conquests which had united her homeland, before entering Romshilar, hearing how a single Urtyke had single handedly killed an army of eighty thousand soldiers before proceeding to massacre the entire populous of the city she was instructed to conquered. A quarter of a million had been killed within the span of a few hours by a single woman. It was the straw which broke the camel’s back, prompting the bindings, an oath sworn by each Urtyke and all future ones to obey the emperor and the council second after him. She still lacked evidence to how she was able to forsake those bindings two years ago. Just another question devoid of resolution which longs for closure.
Her mind snapped back to reality or this imitation of reality if that’s what it was. She watched, incapable of anything else. The giantess, attired in minimal vestures, similar to what all Urtykes wore, revealing an excess of dark immaculate flesh complementing her slender figure. Her face matched her posture, elegant yet powerful, and was framed by flowing Auburn hair which was quite long, falling just shy of her naval. With each stride she indifferently uprooted trees and decimated the wildlife, some beasts many times the size of a man.
***
The Urtyke was nearly upon the town and the effects of her approach could be felt in the reverberations in the ground. Her expressionless face now housed anticipation. The first casualty, a small boy, came as she brought her foot down with brutal force crushing him to pulp. The people, who were already stirred into a panic before, mobbed as fast as they could away from her. Unfortunately, away was towards the ocean. They flooded aboard the docked vessels chocking the docks. This only served the giantess’ destruction as now they were grouped. She stood over them enthralled by her implacable power, totally invulnerable. She continued to systematically kill them, in some cases flattening them underfoot and in others burying them in the wreckage of their once majestic structures.
It took only moments to demolish the entirety of the city, and only few people still remained alive in it. The others were either dead or floating on the crafts which had evaded her wrath. Lowering herself, the giantess searched for the survivors. Now that her assignment was complete in her mind she could proceed to her favorite part. She spotted a tiny creature attempting to feign death among one of the collapsed cottages. Settling down onto her belly and placing her weight onto her elbows, she plucked out the male. She judged it was somewhere in its adolescence from its size and absence of facial hair.
She rolled onto her back, flattening more wreckage, and dangled the terrified pathetic creature over her face. The Urtyke always enjoyed observing their struggles before ending them. Abruptly the movements ceased; apparently it had been frightened unconscious. Now uninterested, the giantess lazily dropped it into her mouth and closed her jaw with a satisfying crunch, severing it at the waist; the legs fell to ground. Smiling, her mouth dripped red streams down her cheeks and into her hair.
***
The illusion fled in another flash of light. Mortified, Antara couldn’t help but feel betrayed. Is it really so naïve to believe our fanciful wishes are more than just that, fanciful wishes. What is the purpose, is everything just an empty promise? She didn’t know who she was asking, and despite her depression broke into a fit of laughter at the irony of expecting an answer.
“I believe that’s the quickest I’ve ever seen somebody go mad here.” The voice was a deep melodious tone. Although it spoke more in her head than anything but still undeniably there. However looking around she saw nothing. “Ok, so maybe not mad.”
Regaining her composure, she tried to run a hand through her hair and realized she had body, exactly the same as before but fabricated of an ethereal energy. Her limbs could flow right through one another as her hand had just done, yet the nature of the form and limits of her movements imitated those of flesh impeccably. “Who are you?” She asked, trying to decipher the flood of emotions and questions which threatened overwhelm her. “Uh...better yet actually, where are we?”
“Why, in Romshilar obviously. Just look around you!” Locating the voice, she gasped at what she saw. It came from another ethereal figure similar to herself, only this one was masculine and that it looked at her with solid human eyes. “Boo!”
Despite her best efforts she jumped. Had she had skin, she would have blushed. “You aren’t…well not that I was expecting to meet anybody, but…” she gestured at the bleak surroundings.
“Not somebody so enlivened? Simply because I reside in such a dreary place doesn’t necessitate my personality to alter to mimic it lass. In fact, if that were the case I surely would have killed myself by now.” Riotously, he at his own joke but, noticing she wasn’t laughing, steadied himself and merely simpered at her. “Well if you can’t laugh at yourself. As if there are many to appreciate my jests here anyway.”
“I suppose.” Her expression a mixture of confusion and irritation. Who is this clown? “But you didn’t exactly answer my question.” she said, giving her best attempt at politeness.
“Oh, and what answer were you expecting?” he responded facetiously, a stark contrast to the soothing vibrancy of his voice.
“Well, a pixy haven I imagine.” Her reply was bitter and sarcastic, as if studded with rusty nails.
“Bravo! That’s the idea.” The apparition’s hands clapped together soundlessly, “Only idiots fight fire with fire. Now water! That is how the astute retaliate. And if melancholy is fire, what better suited than to the role of water than humor.”
Her expression didn’t lighten.
He spread his arms in a welcoming gesture, “But I digress. If it is a formal introduction you desire I am delighted to accommodate. I am Hashidor Pespori, once an influential dignitary in a kingdom now beyond histories meager recollection and now a simple but esteemed aldeitus. Now if you’d be so kind milady.”
“I’m Antara, no surname. Abandoned that long ago.” Hashidor chuckled at her reply. Is everything a joke to this guy? “I wasn’t being sarcastic that time.”
“I realized that, but amusing still. Your notions on time are what tickle me. Humor me; in your estimate, what constitutes a lengthy time?”
She knew exactly where this was headed, but played along none the less. “A hundred and twenty three years.”
He chuckled again, gesturing towards the sky with his hand. “But a drop in the ocean, no more than a fleeting gust amidst a hurricane.” Her expression hardened on him, “My apologies Antara. Rambling is such an unbefitting habit that seems to plague me. My conversations have tended to be very...one sided. Now what was it you wanted to know again…? Right! You wanted to know our whereabouts.”
“Gods yes, and for Abyss can you be less enigmatic?”
“Candid and nothing less. I promise.” He flashed her a droll smile, “Bluntly put, we are still in Romshilar, just not quite as much so. Notice how the only parts of my flesh I retain are my eyes? They are what tether us here; contain all that we are, our very essence. The expression “eyes are the gateway to the soul” couldn’t be more literal. However, there are variances.”
“Differences?”
“They are of no consequence. Just let me say that you are an unordinary visitor. Which transitions us nicely to my next point. It seems you are a mortal without a body, so shall we fix that?”
“As in bring me back to life? You can do that?” Her mind was racing. Would it be possible for him to bring her back to life, and at what cost. Would she still be herself? Would she take somebody else’s body? Would it even be on the same continent as Romshilar?
“Oh heavens no, I am only an Aldeitus, it would require to powers of a god to do that. However, we are not going to need to bring you back to life as you aren’t actually dead?”
The revelation stunned Antara near speechless, “n-n-not dead?” she finally managed to work out, if just barely.
“Oh no, which is what makes you such an unordinary visitor. I have only met a handful of living here and they’ve never stayed long. Without any outside influence, the soul and body should die simultaneously. Occasionally though there is interference, some sort of preservative magic serves as a disruption, meaning the body will be destroyed but the soul still lives, but without a vessel, and so it ends up here.”
Magic…the flash charm! It must have left some residual effect or something.
He continued before she could explore further on that thought, “Irrelevant information, and since I promised to stay on topic so I shall. Now don’t wander off, I’ll only be a moment.” His eyes disappeared briefly, leaving the human apparition behind, and returned. “It seems I’ve found a suitable body and in Romshilar to boot. Now just let me clear it out for you and I can-“
“No! I won’t be stealing another person’s body.”
“Oh calm down, the body is already being usurped. If anything, I am setting things right.” Again, his eyes disappeared. Suddenly, she felt a tugging on her entirety, and was subsequently consumed by another flash of light.
***
The Eyeless rose in solemn emotionlessness. It turned to look upon the other Urtykes before to move towards them. The remaining Urtykes, five standing, showed an unprecedented emotion, fear. They made no hesitations in their decision to flee, trampling many of their own soldiers in the retreat. One threat had seemingly replaced another. Although the Urtykes and the Tryke soldiers were fleeing, the Eyeless remained, its ominous presence unsettling Tuest. The thing pivoted back to face the city it was now standing over. Despite lacking eyes the thing was still voluptuous.
Its lip curled in an arrogant sneer, the first sign of emotion Tuest had seen from this creature. It was strangely comforting, as any emotion made it seem more human and less divine.
However, comfort was hollow protection. It raised its foot, intending to crush the largest remaining structure, the barracks whose rooftop Tuest was on. At this distance, the sheer mass of it was daunting. He had grown accustomed to Antara at close proximities, but this was an entirely different animal. This woman was much larger than Antara, and his current situation only served to reinforce it. Also, and this was the deal breaker, he knew what the Eyeless planned.
So these are my last thoughts. Funny, I always presumed my departing thoughts would be of regrets. Instead incredulity masked all thoughts of anything beyond the present.
***
Hashidor returned to catch the final wisps of Antara’s departure. And in her place slowly solidified another ethereal figure, also feminine but its face distorted in contempt. Hashidor unaffectedly beamed back.
“Meddling idiotic bastard!”
“You’ll thank me eventually” he replied, still maintaining his humorous demeanor.
She stared at him briefly. Her expression shifted into an evil grin, “I don’t think I will.” She said closing on him, “In fact, I don’t think I will ever have to suffer you again.”
“Oh! So you have finally come to enjoy my company? Marvelous!”
“Not that either you oaf!” she spat, “I noticed something while I was gone. Here, let me show you.” She pointed at him, and a beam a light streaked from her fingertip.
Hashidor didn’t have time to respond. Slowly his ethereal form solidified into stone. The process was quick, completed in a matter of seconds, and the only part that remained unchanged was his eyes. “This land we stand on now, it is very unique and powerful, capable of maintaining a binding strong enough to even imprison an Aldeitus as powerful as us.”
She approached him, her eyes inches away from his, “Further, I learned something else interesting in my brief visit. These Urtykes, although seemingly different, are simply humans. Normal pathetic humans who simply have discovered the power of one of our bound brothers or sisters and you know what that means.” Hashidor’s eyes widened, comprehending her allusions, “That’s right. I can take whichever body of theirs I choose.”
***
The world came back in a flood of colors. It threw Antara off balance and onto her butt. Her tailbone screamed in pain, but it healed and subsided quickly. Her vision was still quite blurry. Rubbing her eyes, detail returned to the world.
Directly ahead of her was Altoa, mostly intact with the exception of the south most walls which had been almost entirely decimated. Strangely enough her legs seemed to be resting upon its wreckage. Looking down at her considerable breasts, totally bare and noticeably larger than before, and the blonde hair which rested on them she realized exactly whose body she now had. Relief flooded her. If she inhabited the Pantarch’s body, then the Eyeless who had possessed it must have been expelled elsewhere, or so Hashidor said.
She stood up bare as the day she was born. Seems fitting that I’d be reborn naked as well. Looking over the masses of people running in panic made her realized two things. One: her nudity was on display for thousands to see. The urge to find something, if it existed, to cover herself welled up inside her, but she ignored it as best she could. Shame can wait for later.
Two: she was big. She had grown accustomed to being big, but this was almost something entirely new. She was easily over twice her previous height and from this perspective everything seemed different. The only building in the city which had previously overtopped her, the senate building, now neglected to even reach her breasts. The people who had once seemed small were now infinitesimal. The people! They don’t know it’s me!
Looking down at them her eyes found a familiar figure, lone in its stillness and gaping up at her. She smiled and bent over, placing her knees atop the vacated wreckage of the walls and brought her face closer to Tuest. Unadjusted to her new figure, she accidentally leaned too close and flattened a small building underneath her breasts. She cringed as she felt the thing collapse beneath her, but experience had instilled that recoiling at such mistakes only furthered the destruction.
“Tuest. Don’t be afraid. It’s me, Antara” she said.
Visibly recomposing himself he replied, “I know. I saw you…return, recognized your eyes. But…how?”
“A long story and one which is best saved for later.” She turned her head to look over at the damage her endowments had caused, “This is going to take some getting used to.”
He gave it a brief look as well. “Yes it certainly is.” He started, realizing the implications of his remark, “Both of your new sizes I mean.” He looked back up at her, their eyes meeting, “Appearances be damned, and it’s still you no matter whose body. Just looking into your eyes reaffirms that for truth.”
At this size it was difficult, but she could make out the dried tears on his cheeks. Looks as if I’m not the only one who seen hardship. But we’re alive and sane for what it’s worth.
She rose and took in the scene, the wreckage, and the panicked throngs. This is going to be a lot of work.
***
Avalaeish’s eyes shot open. In truth, she had no eyes here, but to everybody else she would appear to. It had been a month since she had been expelled from the mortal world, but her constant barrage on this creature’s mind during its sleep through constant nightmares had finally yielded her the opportunity to force her way into it. Whatever once controlled this body was gone now and it was hers to do with as she wished. The body of a paragon in the hands of a god.
To be continued…