A Space Oddity

by J. J. Pavlov

  Aurelia could not move from her bed as she stared at the parted flaps of her tent entrance with a strange feeling overcoming her. The guards rushing to her side to check whether or not she was hurt did not even register.

  She wanted to see that demon again.

  It seemed that the female demon had snuck into the camp to steal their provisions. Aurelia had bait put out in the middle of the camp, and ordered her troops to stay in their tents during the following night. If the female demon was still nearby, she would try to attack again since her previous attempt only yielded the scraps laid out on the table after the soldiers' meal.

  And sure enough, she came again, this time carefully making her way in when everybody appeared to be asleep. It did seem that she was suspicious of the silence, but her hunger led her to the pile of provisions placed next to a torch a short distance from Aurelia's tent.

  Just like an animal, she ascertained the safety of the goods by sniffing them, then peered around to make sure nobody was there. Sitting down on the ground, she opened a package made from palm leaves that contained hard cheese. It was something she had never seen before.

  Aurelia suppressed a chuckle when the demon made a face at its smell and tossed it aside to search for something that did not stink. The next thing she picked caused the young queen to anticipate an even bigger reaction; it was an earthen jar filled with pickled fish.

  Just as expected, the moment she successfully pried open the wax-sealed lid, the stench hit her sensitive nose and caused her to fling it far away as if it was glowing-hot coal. It caused Aurelia to fall through her tent door and roll across the floor in laughter. Startled, the beast stared at the young queen, who was now dressed in silken robes rather than her armor.

  Even though she should have realized that it was a trap, she was so entranced by the golden cloth that she did not move until Aurelia calmed down again. Growling at her, the female demon signaled that she understood she had been made fun of, and the young queen realized that.

  "I apologize for laughing." She said while spreading her hands to show her empty palms. In a way, her skin was her most powerful weapon, but she would only use it if her life was in danger. Then she noticed that the beast's gaze was on her glittering robe once again. "Do you like this color?"

  Without waiting for a response, she took off the flowing robes and patted off the dust that clung to it from her earlier outburst of mirth. She then presented it to the demon, who watched in fascination. Just as the animal pelt barely hid her nakedness, so was Aurelia's seemingly glowing form visible through her silken undergarments. The two seemed equals at that moment, though the young queen knew that the beast could rip her apart with her bare hands.

  But she did no such thing and merely inspected the presented clothes before taking them into her hands. Of course, with a single careless pull, she accidentally ripped them to shreds. The lament in her eyes caused Aurelia to lay a hand on the demon's cheek, which startled her.

  It was then that the soldiers sprung to action, no longer able to hold back their fear that something could happen to their queen. Charging in from all sides, they motioned to surround the beast and avenge their fallen comrades from the previous night. She was taken by surprise and spun around on the spot, looking for a way out of the encirclement.

  Aurelia put a hand on the woman's arm and gave her a smile before turning to her soldiers with a glare.

  "Cease this now!" She raised her voice and let it boom across the camp, causing everybody to stop dead in their tracks. Nobody dared to object their absolute queen's order, and cowered under the furious gaze of her blue eyes. Whoever defied her would be turned into a statue of gold - or so was their fear.

  However, her voice had scared the demon. She vaulted away across the heads of the soldiers before disappearing into the forest.

  According to her men, the disappointed expression on Aurelia's face had been as terrifying as if she had turned to them in rage.

  It took one moon, and five more encounters before the female demon was willing to trust Aurelia to stay for a meal specifically prepared for her. It appeared to be the first time she had eaten anything cooked, so her innocent excitement at the deliciousness caused even the other humans to believe that she was no mere animal.

  One day, after three moons in which the young queen and the female demon grew closer to each other, she surprised everybody by uttering her first word.

  "More." She had said in a coarse voice so that only those close to her could hear. It had sounded like a growl, but Aurelia was convinced that she was asking for seconds while lifting her empty plate. That was not something a primitive being could have done; the woman possessed intelligence beyond what they had given her credit for.

  Thus, the young queen decided to bring her back to her kingdom and show her the world of man. It was a difficult task to lead her onto a ship and keep her there. But when they set sail and flew across the waves, the demon was delighted at the new sights and sensations.

  When Aurelia returned to the kingdom, she expressly forbade the people to make an attraction of Vanadia. The young queen had named her for her silvery hair and sturdy body. After all, the soldiers who had faced off against her reported that their weapons bounced off her skin without doing any harm. The demon showed significant improvements in learning their language and was able to hold simple conversations. It usually revolved around food or impressions of the new world she saw before her.

  The two had quickly become trusted friends. Vanadia was the only person who dared to embrace the young queen even after learning that the latter could turn anything to gold with a mere touch. They would dine at the same table against all court etiquettes, bathe and sleep together, and lived as equals. It was an unlikely friendship, but one for the ages.

  Soon, two winters had passed since she had first set off to Ceogath, and Aurelia came of age. Upon her ascension to the throne, she placed Vanadia beside her as if declaring her the prime minister. In reality, their relationship had taken on a different form - one that the holy laws forbade.

  Despite the festive mood, people could not help but feel uncomfortable. Realizing this, Aurelia soon decreed a reform that replaced Kael, the Lord of the Sky as their sole patron god and incorporated all the gods into a pantheon of equals. Under his law, her relationship with Vanadia was a forbidden one. But she raised the position of Lucerna, the Lady of Brilliance, who stood for pure and unconditional love, and made her of equal standing.

  She was not afraid to anger not only her people but also the Fatas Triarchy and the very gods themselves, all for her love of one person. Vanadia was more important to her than anything else in the world.

  "Wow." I mutter more to myself than to Aurelia, but she overhears it. Her glance at me is filled with disdain, most likely misunderstanding what I meant. Before I can correct her, she brushes me off with a wave.

  "The reforms went through without much resistance. I did not forbid the worship of Kael, but turned it into the religion of the thirteen." She explains with a dismissive gesture as if it's a small matter. "And indeed, many immediately turned to Lucerna."

  Just like Al-Majnun, known in the Empire of Terminus as Psycophantas, and in the Kingdom of Lares as Bryaledi, the other gods also have regional names. In the kingdom, Kael is Taivass, and Lucerna is Belys - the goddess that Arcelia is an adherent of.

  It would seem that the Lady of Brilliance has teachings that agree with the masses more than those of the Lord of the Sky. After all, the cathedral in Kongenssoevn is dedicated to her alone, and the citizens of the kingdom pray to her more than any other god. Skovrider, the Walker of the Wild, is the only other god who is frequently mentioned as a charm for safe travels.

  If I had been in Aurelia's position, I would have done the same so that I could live my love life openly rather than having to hide it from the public. For the girls I love, I wouldn't hesitate to overthrow the gods themselves. I feel like I discovered a point of commonality between the Golden Queen and me.
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br />   "But I never would have expected that the gods were petty and cruel." Aurelia continues, her face clouded over from the memories. "My love for Vanadia was met with jealousy."

  The two were not only joined in bed, but also in battle. The newly-formed Mineva Republic, created from the union of the city-states of Mineva, Phobio, and Deima's spheres of influence, were using Aurelia's controversial reform right after her ascension to the throne to stir unrest in the south of the kingdom. The young queen personally led a campaign of subjugation and earned victory after victory. Owing to her growing ability in controlling gold and Vanadia's sheer invincible prowess in battle, they soon suppressed the uprisings.

  Without pause, they proceeded to move further south and brought down the hammer on the republic and conquered half of its lands before winter broke. Aurelia's gallant appearance on the battlefield, with a storm of golden weapons dancing under her control, led people to call her the Golden Queen. Vanadia's incredible prowess and her body's capability to adjust to any damage by growing tougher in response earned her the title of Unbreakable.

  However, when they rode on the wave of success and wanted to take the rest of the Mineva Republic, a vast army of demons arrived on the kingdom's undefended western shore. It was led by King Rannoz, the Living Conflagration - a centaur-like beast clad in flames, towering over any human. Scouts from the Dominion of Rannoz had followed Aurelia's fleet when they returned to the kingdom and discovered Enorath. Back then, they had deemed the human nation easy pickings but had domestic issues to deal with first. With the kingdom's attention entirely on the south, Rannoz had decided that the fruit was ripe for consumption.

  Aurelia was forced to march her troops back, while the demon onslaught rolled across her lands nearly unhindered. Their physiology allowed them to quickly scale city walls and overwhelm the defenders before help could arrive. Even in the field, they held the advantage in numbers, and no local lords could hope to stop them.

  In the first defensive war in the history of the Kingdom of Terminus, Vanadia showed against all concerns that she stood firmly on the humans' side. Although the army of the demons had no individuals that looked like her, she fought what the humans considered her brethren without a single doubt in her heart.

  Finally, in the first winter of the war, Aurelia and Vanadia's army clashed with Rannoz's on an open field. With the combined effort of the two, the king of the demons was killed in battle. The Dominion back then still operated on tribal law and the rule of the strong, so when they saw Vanadia standing over their king's corpse, they immediately submitted to her. Aurelia understood that such an opportunity would not come again, and announced her the new queen of the Dominion.

  This way, they would be able to have peace with the demonfolk across the ocean and even help each other in future wars or economic matters. It was to be the first intercontinental alliance, and expanding their combined influence across the entire world came into reach.

  However, that went against the will of the gods, who did not desire an amicable relationship between humans and demons. That was something Aurelia would learn only after tragedy had already taken its course. Before she could sail to the Dominion with Vanadia to crown her, the latter came down with a terrible fever.

  The Unbreakable's once seemingly unassailable body appeared to be consuming itself. Aurelia searched far and wide in her desperation, calling demon shamans from the Dominion and even begging for help from the Fatas Triarchy, which she had offended with her reforms. But none could help her even when they tried.

  Vanadia passed away after three moons of suffering, her shriveled form a far cry from the powerful appearance she had when Aurelia had first met her. The Golden Queen was devastated when the demon breathed her last, causing her powers to run rampant and turn the entire room to gold along with all the people in it.

  She had gained absolute control over gold, in exchange for the loss of the only person in the world whom she had ever loved.

  Chapter 85 - Revelations of Divinity

  The nation grieved the loss of their hero. Aurelia, twenty-one winters old at the time, shut herself off from the world for half a decade. The kingdom around her began to fray, barbarians invading from the east, and Mineva retaking its holdings and fortifying in the south. But with the formerly charismatic leader reduced to a recluse, the nation was at its weakest and could barely maintain itself.

  Aurelia's cheerful and bright personality had disappeared entirely. She barely ate and grew sickly herself as if to mirror Vanadia's condition. Or perhaps she was reflecting the kingdom itself, which was close to collapse. The court physicians feared that she would not last another winter.

  That was when two women, wandering medicine sellers and healers, were invited into the royal palace by one such physician. Aurelia was uninterested in regaining her health and only wished to waste away so that she could share Vanadia's pain and see her again in the afterlife. She ignored their empty phrases and would have had them removed from the palace if not for the names they used to introduce themselves.

  The woman dressed in black robes and a pointed, wide-brimmed hat revealed herself as Fimbria, the Witch of the End. The barefooted girl beside her, dressed in gray rags and appearing as nothing more than an apprentice or even slave, was, in fact, Lucerna, the Lady of Brilliance. But they denied being gods.

  They explained to Aurelia that none of the other gods were real either, including the kingdom's formerly sole patron god, Kael. All of them were remnants of a bygone era, humans that had become immortal and wielded great powers through arcane knowledge. Growing drunk on these powers, they had proclaimed themselves gods a long time ago.

  Vertex Mundia had an academy for magic, but when the one claiming to be Lucerna restored the Golden Queen to her former health with but a touch, she could tell that they were telling the truth. If such a power had been known to the people at the academy, they would have been able to heal Vanadia.

  And if Lucerna had been present then, Vanadia would still be alive.

  At length, Fimbria told Aurelia everything about the origins of the false gods. They belonged to an ancient civilization that created all the non-human races in the world. Elves and their nomadic dark counterparts, dwarves, the dragonkin tribes in the north, the few remaining true dragons, as well as the prospering sea dragons, and even the Fatas; they were all artificial.

  Finally, they revealed that the demons were created by Orthum, the Mage of the Beginning. Although their godhood was fake, their knowledge and abilities were very real. They allowed them to perform feats that humans did not think possible.

  The false gods withheld the actual knowledge from humanity and ingrained them with limits so that they could never grow powerful enough to challenge their hegemony. Vanadia would not have had to die if not for their selfishness and lust for power. Aurelia

  's world view was shattered.

  However, Fimbria then told her that Vanadia had not been killed by an unknown disease. Instead, it had been a curse created by Phasmantus, the Liberator of Souls - at the behest of Precanta, the Guide of Tomorrow. The latter had grown jealous of the relationship between the Golden Queen and the Unbreakable and wished to see it destroyed for sport.

  The reason Aurelia had been left alive was simple: She was a direct descendant of Kael's, and he would have punished them for their meddling in his game. Broaching this topic led to the final revelation of that fateful day, which caused the Golden Queen's wrath to boil over. In her rage, she awakened to her true abilities and transformed the entire royal palace into gold. The two women before her remained unaffected.

  She had learned that for millennia, the false gods had directed humans in a war game, pitting them against each other for their amusement. The demons were only the latest addition to this game, a byproduct of Orthum's pastime involving the creation of fantastical life in all shapes and forms.

  A war between humans and demons was meant to stoke the dying embers of their enthusiasm anew.

  I sta
re at Aurelia with my mouth agape. If not for her expressions of real emotion when recounting the darkest moment of her life, I would have thought that she was making her story up as she went. But then I realize that the puzzle comes together neatly when considering all the experiences I've had in this world so far.

  Especially those that were among my first, and my latest: The cyberdinos in Yagrath, and the debris field surrounding the planet, consisting of countless numbers of broken satellites and other space implements.

  These false gods aren't using arcane knowledge. They have ancient advanced technology at their disposal, allowing them to do things that primitive humans would consider godlike. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic - or so went the quote by some famous person from my previous world.

  "I see that you understand." The Golden Queen looks at me with world-weary eyes as she sighs deeply. It seems that after her sadness and anger, she's overcome by nihilism once again.

  "But what I don't get is how you know about space." I leave aside everything else for the time being and get to the point. She may have found out the secret behind the game they're playing, but that doesn't explain her lack of surprise at seeing the debris field.

  "Because I have been here before." She says this in such a matter of fact tone that I'm not even surprised. Her past is the very fabric of legend, so for her to have somehow come to space doesn't sound far-fetched at all. "I came here to destroy the source of the false gods' power."

  With all her resources, she began to collect information on the gods, to learn about their residences or places they appeared in often.