Incremental Torture - Chapter 86

For a brief moment there was only darkness. She was floating in a void. And then colour exploded around her and she was sucked into a new environment. An underground cavern– or was it a black hole?

Things were murky and difficult to make out. She resigned herself to simply observe and figure the conundrum out as she went.

Slowly but surely, the explosion of colours settled into a clear picture and Evelyn realised she had been pulled into a memory, the same way she had been on the 16th Floor.

Am I going to see a similar story, or will this reveal more secrets of the tower? I wonder if I’m the only one seeing this or if everyone near the beetle was dragged along when I fit the final rune in place?

As the memory whirred into action she let her own thoughts still and focused only on the knowledge she was about to receive. She was formless while watching– without a body, and yet her breath still caught when she first glimpsed the resplendent beauty of the towering mountain peak she saw.

Looking down, the world below was hidden by a thick, white blanket of fluffy clouds, save for the odd gap through which she could see lush green fields and the occasional tree.

The memory was focused on the peak of the mountain– a flattened tableau upon which a serene looking old man stood, his wispy beard and long white hair gently buffeted by the winds.

He looked familiar to Evelyn, but it took a while for her to place his lightly wrinkled features. He had been present in the other memory– one of the creators of the tower, though he had been even older then. This man was truly powerful to defy the clutches of time for so long.

Is that the effect of gaining power– increasing one’s attributes? Or is he just uniquely gifted?

To Evelyn that wasn’t the most important part of this memory, but it was certainly a question for her to ponder when she had the time. Instead, her curious gaze landed on the row of creatures arrayed behind the silent master. One was extremely familiar, though bite-sized.

She stared at the miniature trilobite beetle and realisation dawned. It was Zork’Karu. Though he lacked the colossal bulk and glowing runes inscribed on his carapace. In the memory he was the size of an apple, though not the smallest of the gathered creatures.

They all stood at attention, staring at the master’s back as he gazed out over the clouds with a furrowed brow. After what seemed like decades, he turned to the creatures with a stern visage.

“Little ones, of the myriad species in this impossibly vast realm, you are the ones who show the greatest potential,” he said, appraising each of them in turn. Under his ancient and powerful gaze, the beasts struggled to contain their fear, but they knew he meant them no harm. “A terrifying foe looms on the horizon. Even now their insidious scouts seek to latch their tendrils into our home. I would task you to venture forth and grow as much as you can. When the time comes, I will have need of your strength; your wisdom.”

Chittering, purring and growls of assent echoed through the empty air. The mountain stood alone above the clouds– none of the others could match its mighty form.

All manner of beasts heeded the master’s word. Zork’Karu was but one among hundreds. Other invertebrates– ants, centipedes, flies, and even a mosquito. There were lions, tigers, bears, wolves, birds, bees and all manner of magnificent creatures.

The ones Evelyn didn’t recognise outnumbered those she did. It was a menagerie of monsters, yet they followed the commands of a man rather than mindlessly attacking. What power he must have wielded, to command them so.

The memory dissipated and Evelyn thought she was about to return to the battlefield, but the fragments quickly reformed into a new scene. Another memory.

This time the old man was joined by another familiar face. It was one of the founders again, though this newcomer was a child besides the weathered ancient. The elder had an arm around the boy and was showing him scenes on a floating screen.

On the screen a vicious beast rampaged through a forest. It was a cross between a lion and a hawk– she would’ve called it a gryphon except for the fact that it looked nothing like the typical fantasy creature. It was a lion in shape and behaviour, but covered in feathers and with avian claws rather than the typical lion ones.

Evelyn, along with the elder and the boy, watched as the beast fought against all manner of creatures– some smaller but just as ferocious, others colossal and nigh unkillable.

After it defeated its opponents, it devoured them whole apart from the few who left behind a smooth sphere. They looked similar to reality nodes, but Evelyn didn’t feel the same draw of power. Instead of eating those spheres, the beast took them to a cave and meditated while drawing power from them.

Here Evelyn focused intently, wondering if she could glean any insights about how to best absorb the power of her own reality node.

The elder saw that the beast was doing fine and swiped a hand through the air. The image on the screen changed and Evelyn saw another familiar face–mandibles and all.

“Most of my chosen guardians are growing well. Some have fallen on their journeys, but that is to be expected. The realm is often a cruel and heartless place,” said the elder. He removed his hand from the boy and pointed to Zork’Karu on the screen. “This one shows great promise– its intelligence grows with every passing moment. I believe it one of the strongest contenders for the ultimate responsibility, ****.”

She thought the last word was the boy’s name, but it was muffled. Whether the mechanism that was showing her the memory was flawed or whether it was obscured on purpose, she wasn’t sure.

“Elder *****, why do you watch over all these beasts with such care? Surely I or one of my fellow disciples would be more suited to the task you have in mind? Do you not believe us worthy?” asked the boy.

Zork’Karu was engaged in a mighty clash with numerous other beasts– a few of which even looked like those who had gathered on that mountain peak.

Despite the fearsome odds stacked against the beetle it seemed to be gaining ground and winning the tumultuous battle. A small flash was followed by the screen disappearing and the elder turning to face the boy.

“****, you misunderstand my intentions. That is to be expected from one so young and headstrong. It is not that I underestimate you or any of my other disciples– rather you are just unsuited for the task I have in mind,” he said, stroking his wispy beard all the while.

“Elder, I will be far more powerful than any of these mere beasts– no matter how long and hard they struggle. Do you truly think so little of me?” the boy huffed. His eyes sparkled with anger and he stormed into the distance.

At the youth’s reaction, the elder sighed– a deep, heavy exhale that only one carrying an impossibly heavy burden could unleash. “In time the boy shall see, but I worry that he may turn from the righteous path before arriving at the proper conclusion,” he muttered. “It matters not. My task has not changed. Doom approaches and I must select the fated guardians to carry our legacy.”

Once more the memory shattered into pieces and Evelyn became aware of herself floating in the void. However, it seemed that the story was not yet finished. Another memory began to form from the fragments and she remained focused, ready to absorb every little piece of knowledge the tower offered.

A familiar scene appeared, though the stark differences from the first memory were clear. The elder stood at the peak of a towering mountain, a blanket of clouds stretching as far as she could see.

Instead of the cute, miniature beasts that accompanied him in the previous memory, the mountain was now covered in gigantic, fearsome creatures of all kinds.

As her eyes traversed the pack, she spotted those that were the same but had grown larger or mutated to become something greater. Her gaze was drawn to one of the monsters in particular– a colossal beetle that clung to a crag beneath the elder.

However, Zork’Karu’s carapace was missing the runic inscriptions it held in Haven. The chitin was glossy and unblemished.

The old man was even wrinklier than before– his beard and hair pure white and trailing along the ground. Time had not been kind. And yet his eyes seemed to hold the entire universe within them. They were deep and contemplative.

When he finally spoke, all the beasts fell silent and their focus was on him alone. “My children, you have all been on magnificent journeys. Some have fallen, but there are new faces here to take their place. Among your number there are some who have excelled– demonstrated superior intellect or a grasp of strength far beyond the rest. For those, I have a task,” he declared.

“You may have seen for yourself while exploring the realm– the vile scouts and vanguards of our foe. They grow restless and the time of their invasion draws near. We shall make our final stand, but we fear our strength is not enough. So, we have created an artifact to nurture the coming generations of this realm. Your souls will be sealed within to be a guiding light– and a challenge. For those who have not the prowess to fill this role, you shall join us in our battle against our enemy. It shall be glorious, and terrible. I only hope the future is brighter than our present.”