Conquest Agarta

by Aeon Solo

  “The girl?” Sonje mocked.

  “Yeah,” he replied.

  “Ha, who would of thought?” Sonje remarked with a laugh.

  “Oi,” he responded sternly.

  “Less talking, more fighting!” Mara shouted, as she drove her blade through the skull of her enemy.

  “We need to find the server for their prison and destroy it once and for all,” Viden said urgently.

  “Let me guess, it’s in there,” Sonje said, aiming his weapon toward the Demiurge’s palace. It was guarded by a horde of machines; the Demiurge loomed atop the staircase to an entrance.

  “Yeah,” he replied begrudgingly. Eventually the horde that amassed them was destroyed.

  “What now?” Zvest asked, his breath heavy.

  “We need to get in there,” Viden answered nervously.

  “Viden,” Sophia’s voice beckoned through his head. He turned quickly. He knew where she was, she was conversing from afar. “Destroy it, please,” she pleaded. Her eyes locked on him as she defended attacks.

  He felt the rage boiling within and he gripped his fist tight; the red, fiery contortions flurrying through him. He approached the horde that stood between them and Demiurge. With all his might, he hurled a blast through the ground. It cracked and exploded those in its path. The Demiurge was unsettled by this gargantuan attack.

  “Hey! Why didn’t you do that before?” Sonje remarked. He passed a stern expression, his eyes a fiery red.

  “Let’s finish this,” he said. They phased towards the Demiurge. It fended off attacks from his Knights. It held them all off, it blasted some of them away ferociously. They landed heavily on the battered surface, before the massive staircase.

  “You cannot kill me Viden, if she couldn’t, how could you?” it said bluntly. The five remaining Archons appeared behind Viden, on the ground atop the extensive staircase. He was separated from his group at the bottom, he looked solemnly down at them. He leaped to his feet.

  “Because I’m not bound by both of your constraints,” he chucked back. They engaged in a terrific battle. The Knights, with Sonje and Mara, engaged the Archons at the bottom. Viden hurled a frequency blast from his hand at the Demiurge, it deflected it, he stormed toward it.

  Mara screamed; it snatched his attention. He twisted back whilst he still bombarded the Demiurge. Mara was forced to the ground by Anu. She was being battered by him. He was hacking at her and her strength was weaning. Hask was slain by Elohim, Sonje too was struggling. The look of terror on his face, it hit him deep, like the look he gave Viden when Monstah emerged from the treeline long ago.

  “They’ll die, and there is nothing you can do,” the Demiurge said. Viden hurled another blast from his other hand to save Sonje. The Archon was knocked away, allowing him to recover. Mara’s weapon was cast away. Anu hacked at her, she almost caught the weapon with a defensive shield, her arms blocking the weapon. She screeched and Anu pressed down.

  “Try and kill me or save her,” the Demiurge said bluntly, forced back by Viden’s frequency attack.

  He gritted his teeth with fury, casting a blast from his other hand, but Anu deflected it away.

  “Me or her,” the Demiurge repeated with difficulty. Anu was turning back toward Mara. Viden kicked the Demiurge back to the ground and launched his weapon toward Anu. Anu tried to stop the weapon by blasting a frequency at it, it just powered through his defence, then through him. He dissipated in death. Mara caught it. Viden smiled at her safety. He parried an imminent attack from the Demiurge, but he was caught off-guard. He did as Mara did, using his arms as a shield, they turn into indestructible appendages. He was being overpowered, the Demiurge stunned him and drove its weapon through him. He stumbled back with the force. Mara’s face dropped. He held it tight preventing it going further, the Demiurge eased off slightly.

  “I do admire you Viden, but love is the greatest evil. I will free you and everyone from this suffering, I promise,” it said, somewhat caring this time. It grabbed the blade, thrashing it out. It kicked him to the bottom.

  He crashed to the ground and rolled toward Mara. She rushed over to him, cradling him in her grasp. His lifeforce seeped through his meta-physical body.

  “No!” she screamed in agony. She brushed his face, the darkness within, weaned in her touch.

  “It’s alright,” he whispered. He looked around. Scherzo and Novo were slain by their opponents. This added to the weight of his perceived failures. Sonje rushed over.

  “Help me up,” he asked them. They guided him back to his feet. He struggled to stand, he glared at the Demiurge.

  “Are you ok?” Sonje enquired.

  He saw the darkness in his eyes, perhaps the only thing keeping him alive. “I’m surviving,” he moaned. He grabbed Sonje on the shoulder, “I never stopped loving you,” his grab evolved into a hug. “I forgive you,” Sonje whispered in his ear. They pulled out of the hug, Viden patted him on the shoulder thankfully. He switched his gaze to Mara, his eyes said it all.

  He seared toward the Demiurge; it was greatly disturbed. They clashed weapons again. He struggled greatly. He was forced into the entrance door, blade clasped against his throat. Sonje and Mara attacked the Demiurge from behind, it blocked them off, engaging in a three-way duel. Sonje sliced its hand off. It vanished in a dark mist but reformed in a moment. It grunted aggressively, casting Mara and Sonje to the bottom of the staircase. The Demiurge sliced Viden’s hands away and drove its blade through his abdomen. He fell to his knees, looking to his missing limbs. A similar mist of his own, seeped from him. He breathed deeply, saddened by the loss around him.

  It pulled the weapon out, he remained on his knees, his darkness fading. It cradled his head gently. Zvest rocketed toward the Demiurge, it slammed its blade through him mid-air.

  “No!” Viden cried.

  “You can be free now,” it said calmly. One of his hands reformed, he gripped the Demiurge, falling into it.

  “I, I understand now.” The light in his eyes dimmed, he slipped into death, his body vaporised, spirit floated away. Along with his fallen Knight.

  Sophia felt the situation from afar, she transported herself to Mara. She stood beside Mara and Sonje. She looked up to the Demiurge with them. Mara was heartbroken, crumbled to her knees. The greatest pain she could ever conceive, her heart, her light, her soulmate - gone. Sophia held her shoulder for support.

  “There’s no reincarnations out here,” the Demiurge said bluntly to them.

  Her eyes burned with rage. She darted toward the Demiurge again, slashing and hacking at it, it blasted her away again with ease.

  “Just stop! Please,” Sophia pleaded.

  Mara picked herself up. Sonje was begrudgingly ready for an attack. Sophia kneeled before the Demiurge. It walked down the staircase slowly.

  “I offer myself to you, for their safe return home,” she said reluctantly.

  The Demiurge was ecstatic by this. It approached her, the ground trembled slightly, as though fearful of its footsteps. It brushed her face gently, almost caring for her. It nodded to his Archons.

  “They are safe to return home to their source,” it said frankly. The Archons encroached toward Mara and Sonje. Sophia created a wormhole and pushed them through to safety. Alexandria called for a retreat of the remaining fighters. A vast horde emerged from the mountain side in the distance. All returned to Ederra.

  Sophia was alone. She was surrounded by the darkness.

  “Stop this fighting please,” she begged.

  The Demiurge considered her request but appeared to disregard it.

  “You promised,” she squealed.

  The Demiurge walked away into the palace. The remaining Archons twisted back toward Sophia menacingly.

  Sonje was gripped by a female from behind, once returning.

  “Thank the Source, you’re safe,” she said. They released their hug. He turned toward Mara who stood alone in the distance.

  “Who is that?” she asked.

  “
Viden, my friend, well my cousin in the last life in the prison, it’s his soulmate,” he replied solemnly.

  “Did he do it?” she asked.

  “No,” he said heartbroken, “It took our Mother Earth, we failed, like really bad,” he cried. She comforted him again. Mara gazed into the infinite starlight ahead, a tear rolled down her cheek. She stormed into the headquarters nearby and through the partition where the Source stayed.

  “Why don’t you help us!” she screamed ferociously at the orb of light, the Source did not react.

  “It killed him! It killed my love, took our Mother Earth and decimated thousands!” she screamed with fury. The orb twisted and swirled into form she frequented when communing with her creations. Her divine appearance like that of the Hindu goddesses.

  “She offered herself to it didn’t she?” she replied calmly.

  “Yes,” Mara hurled back ferociously.

  “I cannot intervene,” the Source added.

  “Why?” she asked.

  “It’s complicated, you couldn’t understand,” the Source turned away upon on her response, “In fact, you probably could upon consideration, more than anyone actually,” she said, whilst twisting back to Mara.

  “Can you bring him back?” she begged.

  “Death is irreversible,” she said.

  “But I’ve died many times in that prison,” Mara said.

  “Because the Demiurge trapped your soul within. Here all life returns to me in death and to your Mother Earth for you too. The individual is gone, only the lifeforce lives on within us, Viden is gone,” the Source explained. Mara stormed away. “Mara!” she shouted. Mara stopped upon the Source’s request. “I’m sorry, I understand…more than anyone.”

  Mara returned to Ederra

  Chapter 12

  “The Draco have maintained control, yes?” the Demiurge asked an Archon upon its exit from a wormhole to the simulation.

  “Yes, my master, your order is in full swing, they won’t escape this time,” the Archon answered.

  “Excellent,” the Demiurge said, “Leave us,” it ordered. The Archon exited, and the Demiurge cast its gaze to Sophia, who was trapped in an energetic matrix. She floated in the air, streams of energy, caused by mechanical contraptions, held her in place.

  “So, she told you about my request?” it said. It sat on its throne.

  “Yes,” Sophia responded. Moments of silence lingered between them; the Demiurge looked around almost nervously, like it didn’t know how to interact in such a situation.

  “What do you want with me?” she questioned, ending the deafening silence.

  “I admire your courage, your resolve, you were the first to resist me,” it responded.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said begrudgingly.

  “You should. How did the girl break my hold on Kraiden?” the Demiurge enquired.

  “Because love always defeats hate,” she snarled aggressively. The Demiurge wandered over to her.

  “You didn’t,” it said, “You pair-bonded them, didn’t you?” it asked, “Each soul a half of one,” it continued. Sophia looked away disgusted. “I’m surprised she allowed that, after last time,” it said quietly.

  “After what?” she enquired inquisitively. The Demiurge ignored her request and exited the throne room.

  Mara was sitting by the canyon that she and Viden frequented on Earth. The Earth reality was still functioning as normal because Sophia lived, and humans remained there as observers, allowing it to persist. Her legs dangled over in the gentle breeze, her vibrant spirit tainted by her loss. She just looked on in the distance, her mind wandering in thought. She combatted with an idea, a thought. She leaped to her feet and fabricated a wormhole.

  She emerged in Stornheim, now she its signature. The environment seemed pristine since the last time. The shredded surface returned to a barren, soulless black soot. The looming palace of the Demiurge awaited in her view. An armada of AI androids loomed on a mountain side in the distance. She stormed up the staircase and through the palace doors. It was quiet, so quiet. Her essence, a spark in an otherwise abyss for a corridor, she followed. Multiple paths lay in sight, she chose one and continued.

  After a lengthy walk, she reached a large room. She glanced around it was brighter in there. It seemed as though it was a personal quarter of sorts, art littered the dark walls. She assumed it was art, it was foreign to her eyes. A picture of sorts, a female, hovered beside a stream of colour. She was orange in skin tone, tall, lanky figure, but her eyes were a bursting sea of purple. They’re beautiful by anything’s standard, almost swooping her from her mind. She brushed her hand over the covered walls intrigued. A feint voice snatched her attention further into the room. She wandered over. A doorway was ahead. She pushed it open gently. It guided her outside.

  The light clapped her suddenly. She was outside, but it was different from before, it was pleasant, the darkness had gone. She was unsure on what she had entered. It was in fact, a dome with an artificial, created environment. The voice protruded much louder, so she followed. She unveiled a blade.

  The Demiurge was kneeling beside a memorial of Enki, the former Lord Archon. It sensed Mara’s presence behind. She was poised to strike.

  “You know...there is one way you could bring him back, if you are willing to sacrifice,” it offered. It raised, towering over her. She was defiant in its presence. “I see it in your eyes child, the suffering,” it said softly. Her weapon, that was once Viden’s, hurled into the Demiurge’s grasp, it evaluated it. She was stunned by its power as it caressed her face. She pulled away disgusted. “You understand now more than ever don’t you…Mara, my fight, I want to end this suffering,” it said.

  “You’re a monster, you’re nothing like us,” she snarled derisively.

  “And that is where all of you are wrong, even your Viden,” it answered.

  “And how’s that?” she asked scathingly.

  “Your Source didn’t just create me, she is me, like you and Viden, we are two halves which make one. Except with us its more…literal, we are the one,” it said. It watched a water fountain beside them. Luscious grassland surrounded them. She didn’t respond, “That is why she cannot defeat me, that is why she won’t intervene, this omni verse knows she tried. It’s also why I’m struggling to end her too,” it described. It brushed its hand through the water.

  “What do you want?” she asked.

  “I told you, to end this suffering,” it responded. Mara sat on a stationary wooden appendage next to her. She eased at the Demiurge’s lack of intimidation toward her.

  “You cause this suffering,” she said, ice cold.

  “No, existence is pain, you know what’s happened to those in my simulation…” She passed her piercing eyes at the Demiurge. “They have purpose and know nothing but their own reality,” it explained, but was quickly interrupted.

  “Their prison!” she scathed.

  “Their sanctuary,” it quickly added. “Those inside do not know of all this, but they have purpose which we do not,” the Demiurge said.

  “And how’s that?” she said.

  “When you are encased in a physical, biological vessel you want only to survive and propagate, to reproduce is to win the game of life. I tried to explain this her, but you aren’t seeing it!” it said in a raised voice.

  “It’s not real!” she moaned.

  “And this is?” it chirped back. She didn’t respond. “Think of this, without me what goal would you have? What purpose?” it said.

  “A purpose of love, happiness, tranquillity,” she said.

  The Demiurge scoffed at her response, disregarding it with a gesture. “Stop fooling yourself, but I know what you seek, you have a singular goal right now, again, because of me,” it said as it encroached toward her.

  “Is it true?” she asked tentatively.

  “If you are willing to sacrifice,” it said.

  “I will do anything,” she said, her eyes cold with intent.


  “Excellent, do you know about Eternal generators? They have the power to create and maintain realities, the power of the stars which breathe life into these realities, they were forged by … us,” it said, a little unsure at the end on how to describe its relationship with the Source.

  At the start she was alone, that was true. The Source was whole, and to not be alone she split as they showed earlier in the story. Unfortunately, the split separated itself into dark and light, embodied in two forms. The Demiurge strived to rid itself of any subjective good, in doing so they warred with each other. An infinite lightshow on a universal scale. The Source tried so desperately to rid the Demiurge from existence, but it couldn’t, to rid it, was to rid itself which would cause all life to cease to exist. The Source struggled greatly with this reality, trying so desperately to justify the suffering for those who do not. It was twisting her soul, the soul of all who are good at heart. The Demiurge itself saw existence as suffering, it wants to end it, to end her and in doing so, become whole again. Whole within non-existence is better than being split, but it will never re-join her.

  “What do you want me to do about them?” she said.

  “I need three more, bring them to me and I will return Viden for you,” it responded, it fabricated a portal. The Demiurge was manipulating her to enact its own will secretly.

  “Why did you kill him?” she cried, a muffled sorrow.

  “He became whole because of you, mastered all facets of us. He was the only one who could stop my plans, because he could see the truth, at least until the end,” it responded. Her eyes slumped to the surface defeated.

  “He chose you,” the Demiurge added politely. It walked through the portal. A device fell to the ground as the Demiurge passed through, she wandered over to it. It was a tracker which would guide her to the locations of these Eternal generators.

  Alexandria was conversing with the Source.

  “It has Sophia, now Viden is gone, what can we do?” she stressed.

  “The Demiurge will stop its conquest, it promised,” the Source answered.