The Center of the Universe isn't as interesting as I thought it would be.

[Rasteva]

The Void was normally unexciting. Vast, empty and oppressively silent the dark expanse served no purpose save to mark the boundaries between realities. Few were the beings that could traverse the dark expanse of the Void, fewer still were the instances when two of the beings would meet completely by accident with the darkness.


Rasteva of course, knew all of this. The Void was quite familiar to them, and the quiet it brought was often welcome. The Daemon knew that beings such as they would pass through the dark, though in all their travels they had never met another. And so it came as more than a little surprise when another individual appeared before Rasteva and broke the silence. This other….This Omni spoke words that filled the Daemon with a sense of dread, though they would never admit it aloud.


It was not as if they could anyow. The strange figure in front of Rasteva seemed more interested in speaking than in listening and had taken the necessary steps to ensure exactly that happened. This too was troubling to Rasteva. Being subject to the whims of a Godlike being never ended well for anyone last they checked, and as such did not bode well for the Daemon. Less still did the fact that Omni was leaving Rasteva alone in a quickly dissipating Void. Once more Rasteva was alone, but this time no darkness was to be found.


It was bright almost furiously so.The Daemon saw only white stretching off into infinity and Rasteva took momentary solace that they did not possess eyes as they were sure those of flesh and blood would be nearly stricken blind at the sight. Gone too was the silence and the Daemon saw throngs of people passing by in the expanse of white. Noise and activity roared to life around Rasteva, when just seconds ago there had been none at all. This too caused Rasteva to stop and be grateful, this time for their lack of ears.


And that was all.


Simply beings of every shape and size coming and going in this new Void. Most seeming sure of their destination and purpose, but some who seemed confused and more than a little nervous. Nothing else marked the expanse. No roads, no buildings, neither tree nor sky above. Had the stranger Omni not said that this Universe of theirs was a reflection of those that inhabited? What then did these people wish for? Emptiness? Perhaps these wishes manifested only on an individual basis? Rasteva was so busy mulling over their thoughts, that they almost missed a few individuals stopping to stare at them. This simply could not be. The Daemon regarded the others in silence, apparently one they found too uncomfortable to bear as they quickly hurried away. The Daemon cast their gaze around and it soon fell upon an ornate fountain nearby. How in all of creation had they missed such a thing to begin with? Moving towards the structure Rasteva continued to stare about.


The other beings stared back.


Confusion was foremost in Rasteva’s mind,other’s staring at them meant that the Daemon could be perceived. Something they were positive they did not allow upon their arrival. As the Daemon came at a halt at the fountain and peered in, all was made clear. A distorted reflection gazed back from the surface of the water, a massive horned helmet horned helm staring from within the fountain. Rasteva’s physical form existed for only one reason, how else were they to be perceived and interact with other beings? No, the issue at hand was that they had never willed their being into existence since coming here, though the Daemon had a very good idea as to who could be responsible.


Straightening their stance Rasteva lifted both hands to inspect them. Clawed gauntlets greeted the Daemon’s view and so it seemed that Omni had gotten all the necessary details right. The question was HOW. Rasteva had no form within the Void and so Omni had nothing else to go on. And yet here they were, over ten feet of black metal standing beside a fountain in an empty expanse of white. Had Rasteva owned a set of lungs they might have sighed. Even with absolutely no knowledge on the severity of their current situation, the Daemon was very aware of how greatly they were outclassed. If Omni could circumvent the innate nature of Rasteva’s race, then there was little else the Daemon could do about it. That realization did very little to stave off their irritation however. Rasteva was not in the business of entertaining others, less still were they interested in entertaining a veritable God, the most fickle of supernatural beings.


The armored figure continued to peer around, watching carefully as the other beings went about their business. They all passed the Fountain with not even a second glance, and so it became clear that it was not a destination. Rasteva moved away from the fountain and lumbered away, having no interest in lurking by it for eternity in whatever nonsensical reality they’d been thrust into.

Travelling the Void was not new to Rasteva, but this one was. As the Fountain faded from view, the Daemon hoped internally that they would come across something soon. Just because they were suddenly left with a great deal of spare didn’t mean that they intended to waste it all.

[Rasteva]

Nothing had changed since their trek across this new void had started. Rasteva passed by other travellers like them, but despite their confusion and wariness the Daemon could not find it within in to ask for assistance. Embarrassing really, Rasteva had nothing to fear from these others, at least that is what they continued to tell themselves. In all honesty the Daemon knew they had every right to be worried albeit for reasons they weren’t quite used to.

This was not the first time Rasteva had wandered a reality different from their own. Such a thing was not just a large part of their existence, but completely integral to their reason for even existing at all. Strange people, exotic locales and all the dangers that came with them. These were not new to Rasteva, and never had the Daemon been at all apprehensive about confronting them.

But here the Daemon did not set the terms.

Rasteva halted mid stride, pausing to look down at their hands once more. The Daemon clenched and unclenched the clawed gauntlets slowly, considering them with an uncommon level of focus. Rasteva knew their own body from top to bottom, they were of course the one that first willed it into being so many millennia ago. And so it stood to reason that they were both indignant and slightly mortified that the being called Omni had simply caused it to manifest with nary a care to the Daemon’s feelings on the matter.

Quite rude really.

That said nothing of the Daemon’s foremost concerns however. Try as they might, and oh had they been trying, the Daemon could not muster the strength needed to recall their own power. The could not change form, they could not call forth any spells. The could not even summon forth their weapon. Rasteva paused, mind in a state of turmoil. To be stricken with such weakness was embarrassing, but in a place containing dangers unseen it was nothing short of a death sentence.

Clutching at their head with a clawed hand, Rasteva struggled to calm themselves. A mental breakdown would do the Daemon no good here, but it was quite tempting to give in to the negative emotions all the same. It’s not as if they had anything else to occupy their time anyhow. The Daemon tried to center themselves, pushing back their fears and clearing their focus a tad. Much could be said about Rasteva, and among those things the Daemon was proactive. They could not falter, but how was one to press onwards into the unknown with no idea as to what lay ahead and no way to combat the dangers? The Daemon took pause and began to consider their course of action. It was imperative that each step they took had purpose as they led towards the Daemon’s goal.

A goal that was still unclear, but at the very least it was tangible.

Metal claws released their grip on the Daemon’s head and they held their out for inspection. How much had these hands done? Though not as dangerous as they once were, they certainly looked the part. If the other traveller’s stares had been any indication, Rasteva’s appearance alone was enough to give many pause. That alone was reassuring, as long one at LEAST looked threatening few would even dare to consider accosting them. A weapon however, would at least put Rasteva at ease alongside making their journey slightly less dangerous. The Daemon paused and folded both arms across their chest to consider their options. They could not recall any weaponry in the manner they were used to, not here and certainly not as they were now. A sudden thought arose as the Daemon recalled their meeting with the one called Omni. ‘Omnilium’ he had called it, he Daemon could hazard a guess as to whom it was named after. Scoffing inwardly at the self proclaimed God’s complete lack of subtlety, the Daemon focused inward. If what the God had told them was true, then utilizing the strange gift bestowed upon them would be no different than using their own power. All that Rasteva needed to do was use the Omnilium to bridge the gap between between their desires and the intended effect.

Collecting their thoughts the Daemon brought both hands level to their plated chest and began focusing their energies there. Not long after a swirling void appeared within the metal, looking for all the world like a small black hole. It made sense after all. The Daemon was born of the Void, and when their existence came to an end, it was there they would return to. And so too did that relationship with nothingness bestow the Daemon with great power. Power that could create much only to send it back to the nonexistence that it was drawn from.

Power that was practically didn’t exist in this farce of a Universe.

Shaking off the intrusive thoughts, Rasteva resumed focus on the task at hand. Soon after a wooden pole began jutting from the black hole and Rasteva wrapped one hand around it. Giving a firm tug, more wood was drawn from the Void and a second hand took hold of it. With a final tug the Daemon managed to free the object, and the black hole in their chest closed after it as if it never even existed. Rasteva hefted their newly made pole weapon and held it aloft for inspection. A deep rumbling voice erupted from the Daemon’s helm, the first word they’d spoken since their arrival.

“Raumspalter.”

The Glaive’s blade gleamed brightly in the odd illumination provided by the white expanse, and Rasteva took the time to observe it closely. Of all the tools at their disposal, Raumspalter was far and away the Daemon’s favorite. A blade forged in the same crucible from which Rasteva’s own existence sprang, and the single greatest weapon to ever exist here or anywhere for that matter.

The last part was up for debate, but as far as Rasteva was concerned their opinion on the matter counted as fact.

Running clawed fingers over the blade, Rasteva made a thoughtful rumbling sound. As they had expected Raumspalter did not emanate the power that had once made it so formidable, no doubt Omni’s doing to ensure that the Daemon didn’t get out of hand. This still did little to quell the armored figure’s growing irritation with the God. With a single swing Raumspalter had been capable of bringing entire armies to heel, the Daemon’s foes rendered to nothing in the wake of its blows. Even the very fabric of Creation yielded to its blade, rendering time and space obsolete before the Daemon. But here much like its master Raumspalter was nothing more than a shadow of its former self.

Absolutely unacceptable.

Grasping the Glaive firmly in both hands, the Daemon gave the weapon a few experimental swings. The weight of Raumspalter was both familiar and comforting to the Daemon, though the swings lacked the power they once held. All the same Rasteva was reassured, even if only marginally. Though the glaive could not cleave a mountain in two, it could still lop the head off of anyone foolish enough to cross the Daemon. Nodding firmly to themselves, Rasteva hefted the blade in one hand and resumed their journey, this time with slightly more confidence than when it began.




It was some time before the scenery, or the complete lack of it changed.

Rasteva’s gaze fell on what looked to be an archway made of ice and snow. They had almost missed it in the white expanse, but there it was. As the Daemon approached the odd structure, they noticed shifting scenery between the pillars. Dark mountains could be seen far off against an expanse of grey skies, and odder still snow blew forth from the opening. Coming to a halt before the structure the Daemon gazed up at it. It was clear to Rasteva that they stood before a gateway to another land, and they once more paused to consider Omni’s cryptic words. This seemed more in line with what he had told the Daemon, a piece of his Universe neatly cordoned off from the rest of it. But why? Was the rest of the Universe like this as well? Each land neatly arranged in its own self sustaining reality? It made no sense to the Daemon, and struck them as being slightly inefficient. But they doubted that Omni cared, and going on what they had seen thus far Rasteva got the sense that the God had a taste for dramatics.

Moving around the side of the archway Rasteva peered behind it. The white expanse continued on without any noticeable breaks, a sure indicator of Portal Magic if the Daemon had ever seen one. As they moved back towards the front of the gateway, the Daemon considered their options. The howling snow beyond the portal meant that the lands within were surely harsh, few were the creatures that could make their home there. For a brief moment the Daemon considered going back the way they came. While they had nothing to fear from the cold as they couldn’t even feel it to begin with, the Daemon felt there was little chance that anyone made their home in such an environment. The horned helm turned to look about the white emptiness around them. On the other hand, Rasteva had zero interest in wandering around for an unknown period of time until the came upon another Gateway. Rasteva let out a low grumbling sound and pressed forward into the Portal. It was their hope that something existed beyond it, and if they were particularly lucky the Daemon would be granted some direction.