The Freedom Stone

Unfettered Sky and the Dark struggled in between space. It felt as though days passed in the blink of an eye to her. Her light dimmed, to a faintly rippling golden light around her. Even reduced, the light still burned the mass her sword was plunged into. She gripped the handle of the weapon with all her might. The silver-fanged eye glared up at her and roared.

Suddenly the two were dropped back out from between space. All around was dark, lit only by the faint glow of Sky’s aura. The dark mass slid itself from the blade and fled into the shadows. Sky got to her feet, and found the small patch of ground she could see was smooth metallic stone. “Where?...” Sky muttered to herself. In the distance, she faintly heard sounds she couldn’t identify. She followed the noise.

The dark gave way blindingly to searing green light. Sky stood on a cliff of glinting brass and black stone. Beyond, the world spread forth in concentric rings of stone and metal. As the rings became smaller they also fell away downward, while the wider ones sat higher. The image was very much one of a ringed pit.

Hanging in the air over these rings, walkways and stone paths swirled through the air aimlessly. Some paths were as wide as cities, others more resembled spun threads of metal. Crawling over these pathways and across the surface of the giant rings were creatures of all shape and size, but all horrid or warped in appearance.

As the rings spread and rose, they eventually reached a summit. Along the outermost ring, itself only visible for its size, were great spires. The spires rose regularly up higher into a black sky from the top ring, and curved inward like enormous fangs or ribs. In the scale of everything she saw it became chillingly obvious to Sky that everything she had ever known, the whole world as she knew it, could pass easily between the rib-spires at the topmost ring.

The scale of what she beheld staggered Sky. Uncountable spires rose from around the top of this pit, dwarfed by the space between them so vast the world could pass between. And the top ring itself, dwarfed by the size of the world before Sky. As far out as she was, it was cold. However, the air rippled with heat further in. Closer to the heart.

Floating, motionless and constant, at the center of this profane abyss, was a great ball of green light. Like the sun in brightness, but casting forth a sickly green light that parched what it touched and seared the lower rings of the chasm-world. Its heat died off as it reached further away, and a chill wind blew in from the outermost circle.

Sky stood at the edge of the cliff, looking out over vast expanses greater than she could fully comprehend. Her sword fell from her hand and clattered against the metallic stone. Her eyes were wide as she took in the sight before her.

“Malfeas...” she whispered, and stood frozen in terror.

Aw man, Sky. I really liked you too.

This can only end in tears. And possibly tentacles. But probably tears too.

On the other hand, maybe Sky can get her way out of it somehow. Or maybe someone will rescue her. Maybe Rose? Not likely but hey, hope never fails. Good work, Niz!

Epiphany wrote:

Aw man, Sky. I really liked you too.
This can only end in tears. And possibly tentacles. But probably tears too.
On the other hand, maybe Sky can get her way out of it somehow. Or maybe someone will rescue her. Maybe Rose? Not likely but hey, hope never fails.

There are lots of options here.

Epiphany wrote:

Good work, Niz!

Thanks!
So ends Chapter 1.
If this continues, it will be: Chapter 2, Part 1