0 comments/ 4203 views/ 0 favorites The Ultiplex of Aeva LeVeaux By: Tivanosa Aeva LeVeaux stood triumphant upon the field of battle, her golden breastplate shining in the fading light of dusk. Out of breath and panting, she felt exhausted, but the rush of victory was invigorating. From under the heap of corpses, left rotting in the setting sun, the tip of a ruby twinkled in her eyes. Picking at it carefully, she found that it was affixed to the hilt of a sword, raising it thus from the gore and viscera of the fallen. The hilt was made of solid obsidian, within which swirled specs of purple, gold and white. An inscription lay upon the long, silver blade The Ultiplex of the Evangelistan, and perceiving it now with sudden reverence, Aeva placed it on the ground and bowed before it, gazing wondrously and covetously at the great, two-handed sword. "Thus has it come to pass, and I have found that which for ages have I been searching. Now are ready to be sewn the seeds of chaos, and all shall tremble before my indomitable might. The Ultiplex...at last...it is mine." Aeva laughed with a dreadful cackle that grew tall and terrible, resonating across the lands like a wave of doom. Aeva sat upon her blackened throne, gazing proudly at the minions sworn to her service. So easily had they capitulated, for against the power of the Ultiplex none could stand. Verily, its strength was the strength of legend, of the Evangelistan, fabled and lost, and when she came upon the castle of King Verisoth VI, not even its full garrison could stop her. The efficient sword-strokes of the Ultiplex cut a swath of destruction, killing ten to twenty soldiers in a single motion, and lightning poured from the blade at will. She did not have long to display such might before the army had joined her, and together they stormed the ramparts and put to death their long-lived Lord. The kingdom and all of its people were now her own, and she set to work quickly, transforming the castle into a tall tower of obsidian and doom. At her side resided ever the Ultiplex, the symbol of her rule, and from it resonated an indomitable despair in which all thoughts of rebellion were squelched. Protected from magic, Aeva was able to enslave the Magi, who of other minions were the easiest to corrupt. She had given to them positions of great and dark power, lording over counties and governing cities; long gone were the days of researching in dusty halls, struggling for grants from an unappreciative king. Now, magic was the forefront of all endevours, and those with its power ruled happily with the leave of their Dark Lord. Armies were raised and great factories built, trees demolished and turned into weapons, of staves and pikes and shields. Peasants were encouraged to breed relentlessly, the children conscripted into martial servitude upon manhood. All who refused, all who spoke out against the state disappeared, taken by the Magi and transformed into cruel monsters for unspeakable experiments. The skies darkened and the days grown long, and the evil within Aeva's heart grew worse every day. Soon, she was prepared to bring war to the rest of her world, riding out into other lands with her army. The Kingdoms of Caliban, Vallichi, Naspar, Turyalon and Zebranna learned quickly of her plans, banding together to form a tight coalition. Their forces combined under the command of Lord Helseth of Caliban, and for a time it seemed as if their strength might prevail. However, the power of magic was much greater amongst Aeva's wizards, and slowly the free kingdoms of man began to falter in several crucial battles. Within a matter of months, things were looking grim, and Aeva was poised to crush the capital of Caliban. Nothing, it seemed, could stand against her, not with the power of the Ultiplex at her side. Thus did Aeva sit, surveying her minions, sitting so very comfortably upon her obsidian throne. An imperial tent had been erected, long and spacious, and a red carpet ran all along its length. Soon her adviser, Rookbane, appeared from the distant entrance, whom Aeva motioned forward. "Kneel and speak your words, underling. What news do you have for me?" she said. "Mistress," he addressed "We are now but one day's march before the plain of Callisi, from where can we strike easily at the walls of Caliban city." "Excellent." Aeva replied, most pleased. "However..." Rookbane began to tremble. "Yes?" "We have a very serious problem." The Ultiplex of Aeva LeVeaux Ch. 02 Aeva scoffed at the notion. "I have the Ultiplex. I am invincible. What could possibly worry me?" "Mistress, with all due respect, you are not invincible. Verily is your sword legendary, boasting powers both destructive and protective, but it is only one part of the set. In addition, you are not a learned Sorceress, and your ability to wield the Ultiplex is...limited; there is doubtless more that it could unleash, were it handled by one of greater experience." "Perhaps; I often find my evil outstripping my learning, but what are you trying to tell me? What great calamity has seen you enter my chambers so flustered and concerned?" Aeva asked, displeased at having to confront her shortcomings. The adviser took a deep breath, trembling at the impending wrath of his mistress. "Our spies give tell that six days ago, a group of adventurers, led by the king of Zebranna himself, set out from a hall of secret council. Their quest is nothing less than procurement of the lost Staff of the Evangelistan, with the power of which they hope to turn the tide of the war." "WHAT?" Aeva boomed, her voice resonating as the ground vibrated. Fear grew in the hearts of all of her attendants, like a wave of dread suddenly settling over them. The adviser cowered fearfully as he pressed on. "It...it is a very serious threat, Mistress, for the king is the most powerful magician in all the lands. Indeed, he is so old that he is ageless, sporting still the strength and vigor of youth, while being so learned of the lore and lay of the world, that he may very well know the Staff's location. Since their departure, the adventurers have fixed a steady course for the distant Aeilerri peaks, home to an ancient race of rather hostile Dwarves...I hate to speak thusly, but they seem indeed to know where they are going." "No, no, NO!" Aeva screamed, leaping from her throne and pacing up and down the hall. "Tell me, what would be the ramifications of facing the king in battle, should he wield the Staff against the Ultiplex?" "Honestly, mistress, you would be killed long before the battle could begin. As I said, the greater one's experience with magic, the more potent their ability to wield items of the Evangelistan Battle-Gear. The Staff alone is fabled to be of far greater power...and in the hands of such a learned master-wizard..." Aeva's rage cooled as she returned to her throne, resting her head against a single hand. "Then it seems that we cannot allow the king to reach the Staff. If he does, all shall be lost...what do you suggest?" "Mistress, send out the third legion of Doom-Riders. To defeat these adventurers would require overwhelming numbers and powerful units. The king cannot stand against you, but he could easily cut a swathe through the ranks of his pursuers, and there are archers and warriors within his band that are of repute for their skill and prowess. The best tactic would be to follow them and wait till they make camp; once surrounded, we destroy them in their sleep." Aeva weighed up her options, a dark scowl having formed upon her face. "No, if the strength of the band is as powerful as you claim, the Ultiplex shall be required; I doubt that we could simply catch them whilst sleeping, despite our best efforts. I will go with the Doom-Riders. This is my quest, and I will stop at nothing to hunt them. Those fools...they think they can stand against me? They believe they can supercede my authority, make obsolete the power that I command? Never! I shall obliterate them wholly and completely, and leave nothing of the wretches that they once were!" "What are your orders, Mistress?" the adviser inquired tentatively. "Scramble the fifth and sixth legions of the Doom-Riders; tell them to sack all of the cities and villages that they can, upturn every rock and investigate every cave across the lands! I shall not suffer this to come to pass again, and it is thus that I must gather to me the full set of the Battle-Gear. Scour the lands and spread the misery of my discontent to all of the filthy beggars and peasants that you find! Massacre the women and the children and burn everything in sight! Let the whole world suffer under such destruction, that they might know that I shall brook no resistance in my bid to dominate the Earth!" "Excellent, Mistress, excellent," the adviser replied, grinning proudly. "As for myself...time is of the essence, and I shall need the fastest steed among our ranks. Summon my horse, Apocalypse, at once! I depart at sundown with the Doom-Riders, whereupon shall we meld into the shadows of night and come upon those fetid adventurers, striking dead all hope of this pathetic coalition! Go now, see that my will be done!" Aeva boomed in her resonating voice. As the adviser departed, Aeva was left with aught but her own, dark thoughts. On so many levels she was furious, feeling the compulsion to annihilate everything in sight. However, she knew the true source of such anger, such white-hot wrath and discontent...she was afraid, afraid as she had not been since she found the Ultiplex that fateful day. Indeed, she feared that all of the dangers of life could again threaten her, that there existed, somewhere, a force powerful enough to undo all of the work she had begun. Fear drove her passionately, relentlessly, and as she fell further and further into the indignation of her situation, her heart grew darker all the more... The Ultiplex of Aeva LeVeaux Ch. 03 "Oh, what supreme cruelty is this, that I must suffer the torment of fools as Zabrael, that kingly father of Zebranna, that masterful wizard who thwarts my every move? What catastrophic error hath occurred within heaven, that I might be cursed so? Surely nothing this day can see my power prevail over his, and as I whittle down the idle hours on this infernal steed, what am I to do? Often do I wonder that frustration is no mere force, but a direct vexation cast by my very enemy himself! Curses and blight upon all the fools who stand against me! Pestilence and sorrow visit their families for all time! Horror do I wish upon all the men of his kingdom, that their wives may be left fertile widows, burdened with child but scant of gold! Nothing shall stay my wrath against the lives of his people, for when I am through with him, misery shall be the flavour in every meal, plague the very smell upon the air, death the rampant reality on the streets and blood the new friend of streaming water! Verily...VERILY....I shall BURN down his HOUSE and EVERYONE in it!" Aeva screamed as she rode fast into the night. The days of riding had been long and hard. Apocalypse had been swift, but even the icy air, shooting past Aeva as she tore across the lands, could do little to cool her temperament. Anger coursed through her being, filling up every vessel of her conscious thought, consuming her as frustration and inaction sought to smother her soul in despair. In many ways, she still could not believe it, that any would dare to stand against her, that there even existed another power equal or greater than her own. Aeva tried to comprehend the danger she was in, the peril of facing the king of Zebranna, and every time she slept her nightmares were of that blinding figure, arrayed in a raiment of white robes, his pious form dominating as he vanquished her with the Staff. She hated the Staff; she hated it with every fiber of the Ultiplex, and as she listened ever to its dark voices...she feared it would not be enough. However, the fortunes of Aeva LeVeaux were soon to improve, for her steed rode fast among the Doom-Riders, those legions she had brought with from the army besieging the Coalition. She led three legions of death-knights, wizards of tremendous power, all whom used it to force their beasts onward at incredible speeds. Indeed, it was no surprise that they soon drew near to the adventurers led by King Zabrael, and whereupon they were but a day's ride from having them, out on the open fields in the wilderness, Aeva and the Doom-Riders made camp. Magic was a terrible strain on the horses of her men, and the rest was needed by man and creature alike. The camp was pitched quickly as Aeva dismounted, finding herself surrounded by rapidly-constructed tents. Riders took their lots to patrol a perimeter and keep watch from wild animals and terrifying monsters, although it was generally assumed the aura of the Ultiplex would frighten any approaching creatures, who relied so heavily on instinct to stay alive. The only things they had to fear were men, for verily, only men could overcome the instinctual call to flee in terror of such monstrous power. Within her own tent, sitting on a bed of soft, velvet cushions, Aeva relaxed from her exhausting ride. She was more depleted than most, having exerted so much energy in the fury of her discontent. Being enraged, it seemed, was thirsty, hard work, and so it was that she called for drinks to be served, of ale and wine and sweet, fermented nectars. One of her riders entered the long tent with a tray of drinks, from which she perused the offerings and took some water and then some wine. The rider stood there and did not depart, and as Aeva shot him a quizzical look, he spoke up with great urgency in his voice. "Excuse me, Mistress, but I thought it best to inform you of the latest happenings at our war-camp. Rookbane sends fresh news," he said. "Ah Rookbane, my delightfully condescending adviser. Pray-tell, what news does his overly ambitious and persistently covetous self have to impart?" Aeva replied cynically. "He has followed your orders to the letter, Mistress, and fortified the camp with newly erected walls. Several magi aided in its construction, and they are well-equipped to withstand any form of action from the Coalition of the Five-Kingdoms. The full force of our troops, minus those with us here on our quest, are arrayed just beyond the plain of Callisi, and stand poised to launch their assault upon Caliban city as soon as we return with the Ultiplex." "Excellent," Aeva remarked. "It occurs to me that we shall also return with the Staff of the Evangelistan, and who knows what powers it may have? Still, legends tell that it requires greater magical skill than mine, as I have always been more attuned to the art of melee combat than arcane." At this, the Rider nodded and left respectfully. The eyes of Aeva LeVeaux turned to the Ultiplex once more; she picked it up, staring at it before her, gripped in her hands. "Verily is this is good news: The army is secure, we shall destroy Zabrael, take the Staff, return victorious and then crush the filthy animals within Caliban city. Everything is running as expected...The providence of the Ultiplex is remarkable indeed...and with its power I shall commit the atrocity of atrocities, the abomination of abominations; I shall purge the city of all its people as a lesson to the rest of the Coalition. Then, when I come rapping upon their very doors, they shall welcome me with open, fearful arms, cowering before their superior lords before my people, who shall look down upon them with contempt, as giants would, as Gods would, as the very masters of the Universe! Their fear shall last a thousand centuries and their anguish will become legendary! My total domination of mankind will rule the ages for all time, and by my side will ever be the Ultiplex, my power, my sovereign, my vessel of dictatorship! All shall tremble before me and despair!" Caught up in the passion of her fury, in the raw, emotive power of her being, the Ultiplex sprang to life. The blade which had once been silver turned an inky black, becoming at once so dark that it seemed to draw in all light and destroy it forever. The tent darkened around her and she saw into the void of time and space, trialling the blade by swiping it through the air. Aeva practiced with a few quick stabs and arcs, finding herself now more adept than ever before.Wherever that blade swiped, a dark trail followed behind it, and all the more Aeva gripped the hilt harder, feeling its power flowing into her, feeling the Ultiplex feed on her fear, intensifying it, converting it into anger and discontent; to her, it seemed like paramount bliss, and she wanted more, more, more... The Ultiplex of Aeva LeVeaux Ch. 04 The Ultiplex exploded into life with a flash of lightning, an arc streaming from the blade and turning its foes to dust. Death boiled the blood of its enemies and fear clouded their minds, despair broke apart their morale and wisened the youth of their stature. Within moments, they were gone, their presence altogether stricken from the lands, and so it was that Aeva LeVeaux stood panting, clutching the hilt of her monstrous blade. The sounds of battle rung out all across the camp, and as Aeva peered out she perceived at once the great struggle of her Doom-Riders. Zabrael had become aware of the pursuit some days ago, or so it seemed, for verily could Aeva sense his power vested in the nature of her enemies. Flesh golems presently tore apart the camp, doing battle with the Doom-Riders, who while freshly woken were fully equipped, not to be easily taken off guard. The sentries around the perimeter had proved keen of sight and fast of warning when the fleshy, humanoid monsters rushed the camp. Thus it was that the battle was not a slaughter or foregone conclusion, and much success was had against them. However, it seemed Zabrael was more powerful than for which Aeva had given him credit, as the creatures kept pouring in from every angle, overwhelming the two-hundred riders at her command. Aeva stepped over the golems who had attacked her tent, now literally ablaze through the fire of her discontent, the flames giving light to the surrounding battle. Armoured Doom-Riders were everywhere, fully equipped with their bows on their backs, longswords sheathed at either side and greatswords ready in hand. They bravely battled the mindless golems, which looked nothing so much as men of adult stature turned inside out, blood dripping from their skin wherever they went. Their hands were like solid clubs, used for bludgeoning their enemies, and proved effective against Aeva's men. After all, despite the thick plate armour which shielded them from harm, it seemed that one Rider could only kill so many before being overwhelmed. Indeed, there seemed more than could be believed, constantly streaming in as fast as they could be cut down by impressive, wide-arcing swings. The horses were nearby, protected in a temporary stable, and without them victory seemed impossible. Aeva at once saw this and called several Doom-Riders to her side, twenty rushing quickly to her aid. "Carve a path to the stables, the men must mount in order to achieve victory!" she commanded. The Riders were fast to respond and did as they were bidden, attempting to smash through the sprawling mess of the golems. Aeva fought at their forefront, the thin, black blade of the Ultiplex swirling with a shadowy trail. With intensity, passion and a raw, demonic speed, it arced up and down, here and there, slipping between the chests of golems and ripping them apart. Flesh exploded in every direction, blood bathing the ground, and Aeva destroyed sometimes five or six in a single strike; so did they carve a fast path to the stables. Golems poured in from behind, rushing into the empty space which had been created. They attempted to flank Aeva and her men, but were met instead by her as she turned and glared evilly. Aeva pointed the blade at the rushing mass and released a bolt of solid, black lightning, twisting and annihilating the air as whipped and sizzled into them. The energy hit the first of the rushing golems, reducing it to ash, then leaped to the next and the next and the next, continuing to cut a line of destruction across their path. Whenever the golems rushed in behind, Aeva repeated such an act, having but to level that tremendous power to sweeping them aside. Meanwhile, her men rushed within the stable and readied the horses with haste. Things began to look grim elsewhere in the camp, many of the Riders having taken some twenty golems each, performing legendary acts of swordplay and receiving fortuitous saves from their situation. But they could not survive forever in such a fashion, so completely overwhelmed by the enemy, and so it was that some began to falter, falling into death where they remained for eternity. However, the daring of Aeva suddenly won through, and as she had cleared a channel from her tent to the Stables, so did mounted Doom-Riders pour out, unleashing newfound death upon the fleshy forms of the golems, washing over them in a wave of unstoppable carnage. Horses began to appear everywhere, trampling golems and fighting their way to their masters, each knowing their own intuitively. It was not long before every man had been mounted, regaining the greatest tool in their arsenal, the speed and mass and force which gave such great potency to their destructive potential. Yet still the golems kept on coming, for they had not yet exhausted their formidable numbers. Aeva rallied the Doom-Riders around her, forming them together as they broke away from the camp, trampling and rushing away from the enemy who gave chase. Whether they were aided by a blessing of haste, or if it was merely the superior nature of their summoning, Aeva could not tell, for the golems came at them with a speed almost comparable to that of a mounted Rider. Now freshly out upon the plains, with great speed behind them, Aeva led the Doom-Riders soas to gain some distance. Then, as quickly as they could, they turned around together and rushed the golems with their swords. Aeva pointed the tip of the Ultiplex at the thousands of monsters, calling into being such destructive power that it washed over the horde and broke it apart, destroying some fifty-percent of its numbers. So cataclysmic were the streams of fire, ice and lightning, that it appeared to brake Zabrael's connection with his creations. The golems lost their minds and their direction, ceasing to respawn just as the rushing tide of the Doom-Riders swept through them. Within moments, they had obliterated all that had survived the onslaught of the Ultiplex of Aeva LeVeaux. Looking at the blade once more in awe and reverence, yet now also perceiving it as her own, Aeva looked at it and spoke softly. "We have done well, but there is clearly much left to do."