Aeternus [Open]

A time ago, when you knew who I was-
I used to be so young and invincible.
The mistakes of my youth are finally catching up to me.
The face that stares back in the mirror should carry nothing but pride.
As the days go by, it's getting harder to hold my head up high.
I've never been so tired,
I've never felt so weak,
But I swear to you that I'm not giving up.
If it’s a promise I can keep, we’ll be together again.

A dark cavern remained silent, save for the small drops of water that fell from the crustaceans on the ceiling above. The faintest splash of darkened waters against the tainted soil could also be heard. A soft serenade of nature upon the borders of light and darkness. Here at the crossroads of the many paths that snaked into The Underworld, at the foot of the flight leading upward to the Coliseum’s portal, the faint flickers of a golden light sparked to life. Only a few flashes would emit from the form of the unconscious girl, before they subsided and relinquished their glow to the shades around her. As the cavern would once more grow dark, Stella would begin to stir.

Her eyes would slowly open, as a hand slowly came up from her side to cradle the side of her face. A splitting headache started to pound away, causing the young royal to grimace at the pain. A groan of protest was given, which gave a slight echo through the cavern. Putting a hand underneath her to push herself into a sitting position, her other hand would lower as she examined her surroundings. “W-what is this place?” she asked out loud to herself, wincing from her headache. To her left was a winding path that led to a pair of sealed doors, the same could be described about the path to her right. Before her beyond the dark lake, which seemed captivating by how unnaturally horrific it looked, was what appeared to be a coliseum of some kind.

I doubt that place is occupied she thought to herself. Shifting her weight to turn a glance behind her, Stella’s eyes would grow slightly wider at the sight of the staircase. The light atop its peak was enough to make her shield her eyes with a hand. Certainly more appealing than the rest of this place. Guess I’ll start there. With the silent agreement with herself, Stella would make motion to rise to her feet. Another examination of the area still proved disappointing for any signs of life. It also appeared that Chronos or the obnoxious magi were nowhere to be found. With a faint smile to herself, mostly forced out of melancholy, she came to realize something.

She was alone yet again, possibly for the first time in a long while.

It was funny how comforting times of solace used to feel in the past. Now though? There was a feeling of dread in these times, one that tended to creep its way into her heart. Raising a hand to her chest, she would consider this feeling. It felt as though she was never really alone, as though he was here somehow, following and watching her every move. Stella would get a flicker of nostalgia for home- for her friends and family, wishing that her suspicions of possibly being stalked by their nemesis were only that, suspicions. Her breath would tighten as she heard a noise. Turning quickly toward the sound’s origin, she would hold her breath. Only after the splash of a dislodged rock from above did she finally exhale.

“Calm down Stella, it’s just a cave…right?” She tried to reassure herself that it was simply her mind, and the environment starting to play tricks on her. There was no way that someone like DaVoe could possibly be here, would even be found in a musty environment like this, the coincidence would be too timely. Though that kind of prompt behavior had always been expected from him in her eyes. As her brow would furrow with determination to put her nerves to rest, Stella would turn away from the dark cavern. She would take the first step upon the stairs, then maintain a slow pace as she ascended their height. Bringing her hands up to shield her eyes from the intense light, she would take the final steps into the portal. For a brief moment she was under the impression that the world had ceased, seeing nothing but white around her. This would quickly cease, as a few more steps led her into what would feel like warm sunlight. As she made a slow blink of her eyes, Stella came to realize that was just what she was recognizing.

Looking down to her left arm, she would notice a series of bright rays shining down on her. She would direct her focus upwards, to see a beautiful blue sky dotted with thick white clouds, and a bright golden sun glowing down upon her. A smile of relief washed over her expression, yet quickly turned to a look of awe as she examined the structure before her. A pantheon of some sort stood before her, and two massive statues crossing colossal swords in the sky, all carved entirely out of stone. “Where…am I?” she asked out loud, taking a few steps forward as she examined the area with disbelief. Was this some sort of arena? Or perhaps this was where to find those of authority in this world? Uncertain to whether either answer was correct or not, Stella would cautiously approach the doors atop the steps before her.

After pushing past the rather thick doors, the young royal’s steps would bring her into a small room. The warm glow of orange overtook her features, as she slowed her casual stride in the room’s center. She would take pause, as she noticed a rope bearing a sign hung across the doorway before her. Upon a closer examination the sign would read: DO NOT ENTER, HEROES ONLY! The brunette would cross her arms and raise a brow at this. By her own standards she was more than qualified to cross this barrier, though where the dark hallway led, she could only guess. Deciding it was best to avoid upsetting the locals, she would give a sigh, choosing to linger here just a little longer.

Moving her sights about the lamp lit room, Stella would take notice of the numerous trophies all put on display mantles around her. What were they for though? Drawn to a large cup, with ornate golden holds to reflect some kind of divinity, she took a few steps closer to read the plaque upon it. “To the victor of the Hercules Cup. Sora. Hm, wonder who that is,” she would read out loud, before commenting on the champion’s name. Abandoning the adopted lean she took to read the trophy, the young queen would move to the next trophy to read it’s plaque as well. “Pegasus Cup. Sora.” Another brow was raised out of curiosity, contemplating just who this person was.

Turning to glimpse across the room, she would find more abstractly designed trophies. Curious whether she would find the same name upon the inscriptions or not, Stella approached them to read their plaques as well. As with the two before, these trophies also read the same name as before: Sora. Must be pretty strong I guess she thought to herself. This person, whoever they were, held numerous championships at this mysterious place. She guessed that she was standing in the trophy room of some kind of arena, which would certainly explain the décor outside. Where is everyone though? The question was begging to be asked, though she would not verbalize it. Looking around the room again, she rested her sights upon what would appear to be a championship belt of some kind.

Let me guess. Sora? she asked herself in thought, rolling her eyes playfully. After approaching the belt though, she would squint ever slightly to read the inscribed name out loud. “Gil…ga…mesh. Really now?” She cast a curious look about the room, the nature and purpose behind this place becoming more interesting the more she found. Whatever it was, it apparently held host to figures of myth, or at least competition whom named themselves after such. Footsteps would continue to reverberate down the shaded hall, as the young royal made her way toward growing sunlight near its end. As she would exit its expanse, the same bright sun from before would illuminate her features. Stella would raise a hand to shield her eyes from the brightness, waiting but a few seconds to allow them to adjust. Casting a sweeping glance across the area, her guess of this being an arena was confirmed by the sight of the stands, and center platform. Everything appeared desolate, save for a lone figure standing upon the center platform. The rather small statured individual continued to check off a list on a clipboard, as he inspected a hefty stack of nearby barrels. Though from what she could see, they were alone for the time being.

Must be the person in charge she would conclude to herself. In a casual stride she would carry herself across the expanse of the arena, taking a pair of rising steps as she rose onto the finely carved stone platform. Four pillars dominated the respective corners of this square, which rose like great spires toward the bright blue sky. As she would near the figure, Stella came to notice that this individual was half-man, and half-goat from what she observed. Possibly one of the more unique individuals to have come across in her travels, she would eye him up and down for a moment in silence. The goat man would continue mumbling to himself, checking the barrels and his list to make sure his shipments were all in order. Raising a fist to her mouth, Stella would clear her throat with a subtle “Ahem,” to catch the man’s attention.

“Look, whoever you are, I ain’t got time to be training no more junior heroes. Games are comin’ up. I’m busy, so scram!” the satyr would exclaim, giving the brunette a dismissive wave over his shoulder. He would keep his back to her, resuming his checklist as though he was pretending she didn’t exist. Stella would give the stack of barrels another examination, as a look of annoyance would overcome her expression. This guy might have been busy, but she still found his dismissive demeanor a bit rude. She tried to sympathize with the man’s sense of responsibility here, figuring it was probably an important task to ensure they had everything needed. Though she wasn’t going to simply stand here, and wait all day for the goat man to finish his chores.

“I’m sure you have a lot to do here, but I need some help” she would state. As though he had been stricken by a spell, the goat man would apparently freeze on the spot as she spoke. He would turn to look at the person addressing him, and eye Stella’s form up and down. His demeanor seemed to change instantly, and within a matter of a few seconds, he was lounging casually upon the topmost barrel so that he was within eye level of the woman. Hand upon a cheek, and the list seemingly tossed aside like it didn’t matter, the satyr would start making goo goo eyes at the royal.

“Why, hello there gorgeous,” he would greet the young royal. His eye brows would wiggle intensely at the brunette, smiling at her with a flirtatious grin. “Come around these parts often? Wouldn’t blame you if you wanted a piece of lil ol’ me. That I can help with,” he exclaimed, before making a series of kisses to the air with his lips. Stella’s eyes would grow wide, her brows raised, seconds before she felt a sensation of nausea rise in her stomach. She would back away a step, turning her gaze away from the goat man to hide the bewildered look of disgust she now held. “What’s the matter good looking? Never set eyes on a real man before?” The satyr would stand on the barrel, and begin to make several poses as he attempted to show off his form to the girl. Raising a hand to shield her peripheral from the display, Stella would shy away from the satyr sheepishly. A few pelvic thrusts later, she would return her focus on this strange little creature.

“I…appreciate the flattery, but I need some help. I’m looking for a friend,” she would explain, trying her best to ignore the satyr’s still wiggling eyebrows. She wasn’t expecting this kind of behavior. Back home, it was rare for anyone to even step out of line to make any kind of flattering compliment or statement against her. Such a thing wasn’t common in Elysium, for the pedigree of her title there held unfathomable levels of respect. It wasn’t something these other world dwellers were aware of, and how tiring it would be to excessively explain her heritage to everyone she met. “Have you met a cat…man- a gunman...around my age, by the name of Chronos?” The question in itself seemed odd, given that in the past she usually found herself asking about Cal instead. This wasn’t the type of place her cousin would be caught dead in though. He was too proud, and arrogant, to waste his time with playful skirmishes. Fighting was a more personal thing for her cousin, whereas Stella had always been fond of friendly duels as a hobby. Even still, she knew that the idea of an entirely new world would have appealed greatly to him.

The satyr would cease his relentless flirting in an unexpected pause, as he took a minute to think to himself. By the way it appeared pretend, Stella suspected that he knew exactly whom she was inquiring upon, yet didn’t aim to pry. He gave a nervous chuckle, before climbing down the barrels. “What do you want with…eh, the catman? If I might ask Miss…?” he would ask the brunette, his voice’s strength wavering slightly. He came slightly closer, twiddling his thumbs together as he looked up at the guest with an arched brow.

”Does that mean he’s been here? You’ve met him?”

”And if I did, what does ol’ Phil get in return?”

Another waggle of the brows. Stella would pause, and raise an eyebrow to match the satyr’s. In an unexpectedly humorous minute long stare down, the shorter competitor would break their composure. ”Nothing.” The answer was absolute and firm. It was an answer this short, furry arena tender did not sit well with. The goat man blew a raspberry at the girl, waving a dismissive hand before turning to walk away. Her eyes going wide out of surprise, Stella would frown as the goat man marched away from her. “Hey! Answer me you rude hairy turd!” she would cry out, then stomp after him. Never before in her life had she met such a disrespectful, distasteful little creature.

“So is that all you wanted, Your Majesty?” the goat man would ask, drawing Stella’s focus back to him. She would look in time to catch him giving a bow, which was more than obviously sarcastic.

“It isn’t, but at least now you’re addressing me properly,” she would remark, giving him a smug look. The goat man would take a moment to gulp, then chuckle to himself nervously. “So I’ll ask you again- Have you seen a mechanist named Chronos?” she would ask, taking a few steps toward the goat man. She looked over him with a curious look, as he began to slowly and nervously count upon his fingers. It wasn’t long before he looked back up at her with a skeptical look. A half minute would almost pass before he decided to speak up.

”Who?”

Stella would throw her hands up in the air with an exasperated sigh, making motion to leave. “Hey! Hey lady! I don’t know, ok!? Maybe he’ll show up for the tournament, maybe he’ll just pop in sometime like the other kid,” cried the satyr, marching after Stella across the arena grounds toward the barrel stack.

You mean Sora?” asked Stella, recalling the name on the various trophies in the hall inside. She stopped to face the goat man with a skeptic expression. “Who is he? Some sort of legendary warrior?”

Phil had to chuckle, and even wipe a tear from his eye at the comment.

“You could say that. Kid saved this place twice, even after it was demolished.”

Wait so Sora was only just a kid? Stella would take a moment to look around at the expansive arena; the vacant stands, the glare of sun upon the gleaming combatants floor, and the hot, golden sand that surrounded it. The idea that such a fun place to compete had actually been destroyed, it brought about a tug at her heart of how sad it probably was. The idea that this kid Sora did more for this place than simply win trophies made Stella respect him even more. Perhaps the goat man was right.

”So are you gonna sign up, or not?”