The Search for Power

[Strazio Rockwell]

Dmitri sighed and looked out across the wasteland he reached into his pleather jacket and retrieved a pack of cigarettes and a silver zippo-style lighter. He flicked the lighter opened and snapped his finger against the starter. Strazio watched as Dmitri continued trying to light his cigarette in vain. The smoker cursed his lighter and looked over at Strazio expectantly.

"Do you mind?" Strazio laughed and held his finger up to the smoke stick. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, he forced himself to think of Damien. Sparks jumped across his hand and after a few misfires one arc finally connected with the cigarette's tip. Strazio took another deep breath and rubbed his hands together. Dmitri took a deep puff from his cigarette and let loose a cloud of smoke. Strazio shuddered and pulled his hood tight over his head. Dmitri raised his eyebrow and took another drag.

"Where did you go killer?"

Strazio sighed and quieted the white hot sparks crawling across his body "My magick is influenced and controlled by my emotions, if I'm not angry or at least upset I can't invoke anything"

Dmitri laughed and patted Strazio on the back "that can't be healthy for you"

"No healthier than a smoke stick Dmitri"

"Yeah I suppose that's true" the two of them shared a laugh and Dmitri reached for his rifle at his side. He laid the rifle on one of the ramparts and pressed his eye up to the scope. Something was out in the distance, a humanoid shape shambling across the Moors. Strazio watched as the sniper followed the figure through his scope. Dmitri exhaled and fired, several moments late the figure in the distance fell to the ground. He flicked his cigarette over the tower and looked up at Strazio.

"That's what we do here, pick off any stragglers and radio back to Darkshire if anything crops up that we can't handle. Pretty boring, but I'd rather relax than be out on the front lines wouldn't you?"

"I'd rather be in the thick of it Dmitri, I've been fighting my entire life it feels weird to just be hanging back playing guard duty:

"To each his own, I'm heading downstairs for some rest. Keep an eye on things up here, if you see anything kill it or call up Cork."

"Cork?"

"Yeah the big guy downstairs, he doesn't talk much. He's part-dog or something, not too sure on that one."

Strazio raised and eyebrow, but did not say anything as Dmitri climbed downstairs. He lowered his hood and stared off into the distance. I need a new notebook, something to keep my thoughts and ideas straight. When he was in the Nexus one of the other primes told him about summoning items, using a small bit of omnilium he could create anything he wanted. I just need a blank book, that shouldn't take too much omnilium should it? He closed his eyes and held out his hand and tried to visualize his object of desire. A small tome, big enough to fit in one's palm with a clasp across the front and a hole cut in the corner so he could attach it to the loop on his belt. A small ball of white light formed in his palm and began to take the shape of a small book. Strazio watched in amazement as his desire took shape and form, perfect to his specifications. After a few more minutes of effort the fruit of his labor dropped into his palm, a leather-bound book with fresh crisp pages. He leaned against one of the ramparts and began to write with the a leather-wrapped stick of charcoal he kept on his belt.

Strazio's Journal Entry #1

I've been thinking of Mara a lot lately, it has been several years since we parted ways and I still can't stop thinking of my failure to protect her. I've been told by other Primes that I'm capable of summoning others from my universe to act as partners, or secondaries as they call it. Even yet I've been hesitant to try it, I've already caused her enough trouble and ripping her from her world seems selfish and short-sighted. Besides I'm not even sure how she would react to seeing me again, we didn't exactly leave on the most amicable of terms. I wonder if I could summon Damien Alabaster? No, that's probably a bad idea if he arrives at similar strength to what he left with, well I don't think I could beat him. Even still... that's something to keep in mind.

I also have a theory about the Omniverse in general. The nexus must serve as some kind of hub, some kind of connection to every possible universe. The verses are permanently connected to the Nexus, or the connection must be very strong. My universe must only have a weak connection with the Omniverse, but it is connected somehow. I refuse to believe in one-way trips. At any rate I theorize that Omnilium is my ticket home, Omnilium is basically wish-fulfillment made manifest. With enough of it one can theoretically do anything, even strengthen the bonds between worlds. At least that's what I hope is the case, I'm not sure what to do.

Final thought. The people of Darkshire amaze me many would yield in the face of such overwhelming adversity and yet they stubbornly entrench themselves and fight. Even still I don't think they could have gotten far without their commander. Despite his appearance and his questionable decision to station me on guard duty he seems to be some sort of tactical savant. I get the feeling that with the right Primes and a bit of luck the people of Darkshire could concievably push back against the darkness and reclaim the moors. At the end of the day I'm just here to gain enough power to return home, but they seem to have endeared themselves to me. I'll help as much as I can, but if I have to choose between a way home and stopping Darkshire from burning... well I think the choice is obvious.