Nanowars: Rebirth - Prologue. Prologue

Prophesy of Gaia

Beyond worlds and stars

Between beginning and end

The Eye will foretell

The end of the Fathers

And birth of the Brothers

Not open until broken

And not seen until reborn

It is where the Road Ends

And to the Path Beyond

Where the Legend of Heaven

And the Epic of the Scion begins.

To find the Eye

Where salvation lies

Look not to where it is

But where it shall be

To where it all began

Not on Terran Azure Earth

But in the Maze

On shattered Crimson Ares Star

Prelude: The Watcher

“A little further son. We’re almost there.” Looking back, Dietrich could see the small figure of Talon struggling in an oversized pressure suit. It wasn’t the boy’s fault. The suit was twice his size and almost half his weight. It was remarkable that he had come this far. But a promise was a promise. Offering Talon a hand, he lifted him over the ledge. From there it was only a few hundred yards to cave opening.

Though the boy’s face was covered by his suit’s tinted mask, what he saw hinted at his wonder “By the Personas…” On the mountain where they stood, he could see the whole universe… eighty-two interconnected, irregular shaped moons forming a sphere around a miniature artificial star.

“Look and remember my boy… once all this was not eighty-two worlds but one.”

“When the land was green…”

“Aye, the land was green and the waters… well, back then they were blue and endless.”

“What about that papa?” Talon pointed to the structure ahead of them. On the edge of a cliff stood a tower. Made of pink granite, it rose 50 meters about where they stood. At its widest it was 20 meters in diameter. It’s top was marked by a conical cone roof. A balcony jutted out on the side looking over the cliff’s edge. Though much smaller in scale it reminded the child of the central column of his home in the Ark.

“That, my son, is the Tower of the High King.”

“Kings… as in men?”

“Aye, men who ruled men. But that was before the Shattering. By destroying our world, we lost the right to rule.”

“Which is why the Personas guide us. They protect us.”

Dietrich ruffled the boy’s dark wavy hair. He had studied hard to memorize the Persona Codex letter by letter. But some truths remained unknown to the lad. “Wanna look inside?”

“Can we?”

“Hey, it’s our birthday. We can do whatever we want.”

Hand in hand they walked towards the ancient tower. It had only one door, an arched silver portal encrusted with blue sapphire gems. Carved into its center was a human handprint. “How do we get in papa?”

“Damn Harry, you better be right about this.” Twisting the glove seals he exposed open flesh to the thin frozen atmosphere. He had to act fast. When he pressed his hand into the groove, his sweat stuck it to the metal.

“Papa, your hand!” Talon grabbed his father’s forearm and tried to pull it free. When that failed, he started removing his gloves hoping to use them to protect his father.

Dietrich, unable to withstand his boy’s pleas deactivated the suit’s communicator. Suddenly the door sent dozens of needles into his palm. Each drew copious amounts of blood. Slowly, with each drop, the gems went from blue to blood red. When the last went crimson the doors split along an invisible seam.

As soon as way was clear the red glow of the gems began to turn violet. Guessing they didn’t have much time Dietrich shoved his son inside before rushing in. Before he could help his son back to his feet the door slam closed.

Inside the air was dry but warm. It was also well lit by diamond fluorescent lights.

“Papa?” Much to Dietrich surprise, he found himself held in his son’s arms.

He reactivated his comm. “Hey… We made it.” If the data was correct, it was now safe for them to remove the rest of their suits. It was only when he had removed his son’s helmet that he could see his terror. “Sorry lad... Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I can’t lose you papa. I can’t.” It was more than what had happened at the door that worried the boy. His eyes were frozen on the metal bracelet on his father’s left wrist. Forty lights orbited around circumference one for each year of life. One was blue, the rest were red. Less than one year remained.

“You won’t lose me. You will never lose me.”

The tower was more amazing inside. Hollow all the way to the top, it was surrounded on all sides by countless rooms and antechambers. While all were well lit, each was empty. All but one. Making their way to the very top, they found a raised silver throne. Resting on the throne was a bleached skull marked with blue scrollwork.

“Papa, who was that man?” Talon had seen such skulls before but never one so heavily marked.

“I don’t know.” He only knew his son’s future depended on bringing him here.

The markings were of an indiscernible archaic script. One however, the one atop the crown, was known to all men of the Shattered Star, the blue starburst of Terra with the gold sphere of the Domus Cluster in its center. It was the mark of the Prophesy. Now if only his friend was right about what the skull hid. With a tremor in his hands, he lifted the skull. Beneath it was a pile of stones. So that much of what Harry said was true. Now if only the last part is true. He picked out a blue stone.

“Papa?” Talon tugged on his father’s life bracelet. The final blue light had turned red. Time was running out.

Squeezing the stone it snapped into blue halves. One he handed to his son. He took the other for himself. With great hesitation he brought the stone to his lips. Then, with a deep breath he swallowed the stone.

The screaming pain came before he could exhale and darkness had claimed him before he could take his next breath. When he and his son had left for the tower he had known he would not survive to return. That, of course, was why they risked the dangers of the Maze. While the Stone of Ages would destroy his body, a part of his soul would live on to see his son achieve his destiny. The cost to him was nothing. With what Talon would witness, the cost to his son would be immeasurable

. The blue stone… the one Talon held burned cold in his hand. “Papa… you promised. You promised we would be together forever.”

“Help…” The squeaky voice was barely audible.

“What? Who’s there?”

“Stop squeezing me.”

“Huh?” Talon let go of the gem and found it was no longer a stone. It was now a ball of blue energy and light, a willow wisp of legend.

“ Thanky Talon… I thought you would never let me go.”

“Thanky?”

“You’re welky. That’s what you should say when someone thanks you silly.” The sphere of light floated to the center of the room.

“Who, what are you?”

“You don’t know who I am? I’m your Watcher silly.”

“No you’re not. I’m not important enough to have a Watcher.”

“Uh-uh… you have me.”

“Do not.”

“Do so. Do so. Do so.”

“Alright if you’re my Watcher what’s your name.”

“My name is… well uh… Pug… Puggy, Puggles… that’s it. My name is Puggles. And you’re Big Brother Talon.”

“Big brother? I guess I’m bigger than you.”

“But I’m taller!” Puggles rose to the top of the ceiling.

Talon jumped again and again, vainly to swat the glow globe. “Hey, that’s cheating!”

“Ha-ha… you can’t catch me.”

“That’s enough you two.” The voice was that of Talon’s father. A red smoky shade of light, twice Dietrich’s original size rose from the ash.

Talon ran to the ghost of his father and tried to embrace him. His finger went straight through his father’s waist. “Papa!”

“Hush child and listen. I like all born in the Ark are cursed to live a half life.” Once long again men lived into their sixties and seventies but no longer. In order to control their numbers the Personas cut their lives short by 20-40 years. “ Centurii, Harry had called them… a race of men whose names and origins had long been forgotten in the annals of time. Deirtich wished to know more but Harry only knew their name.

Before leaving Harry claimed Talon was different. “You, my poor son, were doomed from birth to live as a near immortal. I however would not leave you without a fight. Puggles?”

“Yes papa?” The willow wisp floated next to Dietrich.

“You will do whatever you can to keep my son safe. Understood?”

“Hear that Talon. That means you have to do whatever I say.”

“Does not.”

“Does so.”

“Ah, what a pair you will make. In time, not even the Personas themselves will be able to stand against you.”

“But papa… can’t you?” Talon reached again for his father but found nothing.

“Aye… I will be keeping an eye on you both. I cannot be with you at all times however. That is your Watcher’s sworn duty.” His ghost faded and disappeared.

“Papa! Papa!”

“It’s okay… We might not see him but he’ll always there.” Though he had no substance Puggles’ warm glow offered what comfort it could.