Marrakt

The Darkness Within

Name: Morgan
Profession: Pilot
Age: 22

Appearance:

Personality:

I cling on to the ghosts of the past. I wrap myself so deeply into the illusion I have weaved around myself that it has become who I really am. This is me....perhaps it has always been me.

Morgan is the quintessential joker and flirt. Brash and cocky, when he is not on duty he can be seen losing himself behind the latest cocktail or alcoholic drink. Either that or bedding someone else on the station or planet that he takes his leave on. Irreverent, arrogant and seemingly devoid of scruples and generally just not giving a damn, Morgan is the ultimate source of frustration to his superiors and his poor, long suffering partner. If he wasn’t so damn good at what he did, he would have been excised long ago from the space corps.

This is who he is.......perhaps.

The truth is something different. A man besieged with his own insecurities, believing himself to be nothing more than a failure, Morgan carries with him the ghosts of a past that he cannot truly rid himself off. He believes himself to be in over his head — and that it is nothing more than a matter of time before the truth is realised and he is exposed for the fraud that he truly is.

Morgan is haunted by the sight of a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes...looking up to him as her life slowly faded away from her. Holding her hand because for that moment, for that one moment in his life, he was powerless to do anything.....powerless to save the girl that he loved with all of his heart and soul.

It is something that is eating away at him slowly from the inside.

Morgan is afraid. Of friendship. Of companionship. Of commitment. He is frightened to love again, or to believe in anything, because if he does.....if he loses someone he cares for deeply again.....it will kill him.

It was.....is far easier to drink his troubles away. Carve another notch on that bedpost.

It allowed him to forget.

Background:

Her name was Vanna. She was the best of us, of all of us. She was better than I deserved. Now, and certainly then. Sometimes I still see her. In my sleep, in my dreams. It is the only way we can ever see each other again.

Born the son of a long line of pilots in the space corps, from an early age, it was believed that Morgan would follow in the footsteps of his parents, and indeed he did.

Just not in the way he believed that he would.

Morgan passed every single examination set in front of him by the space corps with ease. He was always the brightest and the best of his class. He was future commander material. When he met his beloved Vanna at the space corps facility and became engaged to her, it seemed his future was bright and there was no mountain that was too high for him to reach.

When it all came crashing down, it came crashing down hard. It happened the night before their wedding.

At one of the finest restaurants on the space station Eclipse, where they had met, and where they had due to be wed, Morgan stood. Taking his bride onto the dance floor, hand in hand, arm in arm, they began to dance to the sound of violins. When the loud bang came, they were all already too late. Vanna slumped forwards, into Morgan’s arms.

As he lay her down gently, cradling her, crying for help....as the blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, she looked up to him. She reached up with trembling hand, touched the side of his cheek......

”Carry on.....always....for me. I love you.”

They were the last words she ever spoke.

Vanna was given a funeral befitting her, as her coffin was sent out into space, as she would have wanted....

Two years on, Morgan honoured her final wish. Carrying on with his line of duty, he was nevertheless scarred by what had happened. A pale shadow of the man he used to be, where he acts on the surface like a cocky and arrogant braggadocio, the truth is simply that he is a person who is beset by his own insecurities and demons that he cannot truly excise.

He believes himself to be trapped in a situation that is slowly spiralling out of control....

The Darkness Within

The year is 2126. The concept of space exploration, of reaching out and travelling galaxies beyond our own is no longer a fantasy or restricted to the dreams of those with vivid imaginations.

Technological advancements mean that this is no longer a flight of fancy, it is a reality. The First Wave, a division dedicated to space travel and exploration has reached out to other galaxies and other life forms. Beginning to settle and colonise space, space stations and way points exist now all over the multiverse.

Humanity has not only met, but have formed peace treaties with other species, and are only now beginning to explore the many weird and wonderful planets that comprise the cosmos. Planets of ice, planets of lush, green tropical jungles, desert planets.....planets not unlike our own.

The multiverse is a place of many many wondrous things and unparalleled beauty, and the First has dedicated itself to finding and documenting all of them.

This.....is the tale of two such agents. Two intrepid explorers who will find themselves sent on a mission of a lifetime. They will push themselves to their very limits and in doing so, they will discover the truth of the universe itself and their genesis.

They will face their own darkness within as a threat unlike any they have known threatens them and their very existence.

Most of all, they will discover the truth of who they are.

The Darkness Within

The year is 2126. The concept of space exploration, of reaching out and travelling galaxies beyond our own is no longer a fantasy or restricted to the dreams of those with vivid imaginations.

Technological advancements mean that this is no longer a flight of fancy, it is a reality. The First Wave, a division dedicated to space travel and exploration has reached out to other galaxies and other life forms. Beginning to settle and colonise space, space stations and way points exist now all over the multiverse.

Humanity has not only met, but have formed peace treaties with other species, and are only now beginning to explore the many weird and wonderful planets that comprise the cosmos. Planets of ice, planets of lush, green tropical jungles, desert planets.....planets not unlike our own.

The multiverse is a place of many many wondrous things and unparalleled beauty, and the First has dedicated itself to finding and documenting all of them.

This.....is the tale of two such agents. Two intrepid explorers who will find themselves sent on a mission of a lifetime. They will push themselves to their very limits and in doing so, they will discover the truth of the universe itself and their genesis.

They will face their own darkness within as a threat unlike any they have known threatens them and their very existence.

Most of all, they will discover the truth of who they are.

Marrakts Repository

Name: Morgan
Profession: Pilot
Age: 22

Appearance:

Personality:

I cling on to the ghosts of the past. I wrap myself so deeply into the illusion I have weaved around myself that it has become who I really am. This is me....perhaps it has always been me.

Morgan is the quintessential joker and flirt. Brash and cocky, when he is not on duty he can be seen losing himself behind the latest cocktail or alcoholic drink. Either that or bedding someone else on the station or planet that he takes his leave on. Irreverent, arrogant and seemingly devoid of scruples and generally just not giving a damn, Morgan is the ultimate source of frustration to his superiors and his poor, long suffering partner. If he wasn’t so damn good at what he did, he would have been excised long ago from the space corps.

This is who he is.......perhaps.

The truth is something different. A man besieged with his own insecurities, believing himself to be nothing more than a failure, Morgan carries with him the ghosts of a past that he cannot truly rid himself off. He believes himself to be in over his head — and that it is nothing more than a matter of time before the truth is realised and he is exposed for the fraud that he truly is.

Morgan is haunted by the sight of a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes...looking up to him as her life slowly faded away from her. Holding her hand because for that moment, for that one moment in his life, he was powerless to do anything.....powerless to save the girl that he loved with all of his heart and soul.

It is something that is eating away at him slowly from the inside.

Morgan is afraid. Of friendship. Of companionship. Of commitment. He is frightened to love again, or to believe in anything, because if he does.....if he loses someone he cares for deeply again.....it will kill him.

It was.....is far easier to drink his troubles away. Carve another notch on that bedpost.

It allowed him to forget.

Background:

Her name was Vanna. She was the best of us, of all of us. She was better than I deserved. Now, and certainly then. Sometimes I still see her. In my sleep, in my dreams. It is the only way we can ever see each other again.

Born the son of a long line of pilots in the space corps, from an early age, it was believed that Morgan would follow in the footsteps of his parents, and indeed he did.

Just not in the way he believed that he would.

Morgan passed every single examination set in front of him by the space corps with ease. He was always the brightest and the best of his class. He was future commander material. When he met his beloved Vanna at the space corps facility and became engaged to her, it seemed his future was bright and there was no mountain that was too high for him to reach.

When it all came crashing down, it came crashing down hard. It happened the night before their wedding.

At one of the finest restaurants on the space station Eclipse, where they had met, and where they had due to be wed, Morgan stood. Taking his bride onto the dance floor, hand in hand, arm in arm, they began to dance to the sound of violins. When the loud bang came, they were all already too late. Vanna slumped forwards, into Morgan’s arms.

As he lay her down gently, cradling her, crying for help....as the blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, she looked up to him. She reached up with trembling hand, touched the side of his cheek......

”Carry on.....always....for me. I love you.”

They were the last words she ever spoke.

Vanna was given a funeral befitting her, as her coffin was sent out into space, as she would have wanted....

Two years on, Morgan honoured her final wish. Carrying on with his line of duty, he was nevertheless scarred by what had happened. A pale shadow of the man he used to be, where he acts on the surface like a cocky and arrogant braggadocio, the truth is simply that he is a person who is beset by his own insecurities and demons that he cannot truly excise.

He believes himself to be trapped in a situation that is slowly spiralling out of control....

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

The trees, despite their attempts at closing the distance, they remained impossibly far away. Leading Callie, Merrill shook his head.

”We do what we have to do. I have my part to play in this, as do you. Nothing in the world can change that.”

And then it came. The vision

She stands before me. She looks me in the eyes as she steps closer.....closer.....she.....

He saw. And the vision came.

Lying on her back, her eyes stare up at me sightlessly. And I stand there, knife in my hand. Blood, her blood drips from the tip of the blade, falling to the floor.

Merrill’s mouth drops open in shock as he runs, whispering the words, ”No. Gods no.”

Hair of auburn, heart stealer,
I see you, I kill you.

The roar from behind shattered the vision, destroying his train of thought. Looking behind, Merrill stared in horror as it exploded out from the night sky, bearing straight towards them. Claws outstretched, fangs gleaming, its eyes burned with malice and hatred.

”Move!”

Pushing Callie to one side, Merrill rolled to the other. He felt claws scrape across the back of his leg and cried out in pain. Coming back up to his feet, he saw Callie on the other side.....beyond the twisted creature that stood between him and her. The creature advanced on her slowly, its face twisted into a grotesque smile, leering as its sharp teeth reflected off the light of the moon.

”You belong to ME,” it intoned, stepping towards her, claws reaching for her.

Climbing back to his feet, Merrill came towards it from behind, limping slowly as he favoured his injured leg.

”HEY YOU,” he shouted, reaching into his pocket, drawing forth.....something.

Something that he didn’t want to use unless it was an emergency.....and this certainly counted as that.

Laughing, the winged creature turned to face him.....as Merrill threw something into its face. There was a bang and an explosion of white light. The creature screeched as it clawed at it’s face, tearing at its eyes as it swiped at him with its free hand.

Rolling to one side, Merrill yelled as his leg crumpled, yet he was lucky....the momentum taking him underneath its taloned claw. Rolling onto his back, he climbed back up, ignoring the pain from his reopened injury as he looked to Callie.

”If you have any tricks left, I suggest you use them NOW!”

He called out as he looked at her, and once more he saw her, lying on the ground on her back, eyes staring at her killer accusingly.....

@Guardian Angel Haruki

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

The roar sounded closer. The unicorns horn glimmered once more, and Merrill looked down to see his outline begin to fade along with the nine year old Callie’s.

”Thank you,” he said, then looked at Callie. ”No time,” he said, grabbing her hand and running.

And run they did. Across fields and open grasslands. Behind them, the roar sounded once more as the creature came closer. Overhead the moon shone bright and there was nary a cloud in the sky.

It was the perfect conditions for hunting.

Behind them, a second explosion of light could be seen echoing faintly against the night sky, and the creature roared again, although this time there was a tinge of pain to its voice. Merrill shook his head, hoping that the unicorn had managed to escape the grasp of the enraged demon.

”We need to get out of the open,” Merrill gasped, his lungs burning from the running.

Dark eyes scanned around desperately, looking for something.....anything that would allow them some sort of cover from the marauding creature. And then he saw it.

”There,” he pointed to the side.

In the distance, very faint but there nonetheless were the shadowy outlines of what looked like they were trees. Lots of trees.

”We can seek cover under the trees,” he panted, breathing heavily. ”Hopefully there we can find a hiding place.”

And then she exploded into bright white light. A white light that started out as a spark from Callie but grew larger and larger, first encompassing her body and then expanding to consume him. Shielding his eyes from the light, Merrill cursed.

”Callie..we really, really need to find a way of controlling your magic. If I didn’t know any better I’d swear that it was deliberately trying to get us caught.”

As they continued to race towards the shadows of the forest, outlines that although close seemed so desperately desperately far away, he continued.

”Callie, if it catches us, you are to run and you don’t look back,” he breathed heavily. ”You are of the most importance. You have to survive no matter what. I’ll do what I can to give you that chance, do you understand me?”

His face was flushed red from the exertion.

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

And not all the visions in the world could have prepared Merrill for the sight of Callie shrinking......transforming into a nine year old child standing in front of him.

He stared at the child, his eyes widening in surprise and shock.

”Your magic....” he began to speak, before shaking his head. ”We need to find out how to control it, find someone to teach you....”

His voice trailed off at his own ridiculous statement. There was no one else left alive to teach magic. Those few who had survived the ravages of the plague had been hunted down and brutally murdered by the many magic haters left alive. Wizards, spellcasters alike had all been exterminated by those who had believed, rightly or wrongly, that they were responsible for the plague.

Between her unstable magic and his own abilities of divination.....the two of them would be killed for what they had and what they knew.

Merrill’s brow creased in fear and frustration. They were alone. Both alone now. They could turn to nobody, trust nobody....and here he was standing in front of a nine year old, looking up to him. He held his head in his hands. Things were spiralling out of control. He didn’t know what to do....where to go.

Despite everything, despite the visions.....he wasn’t ready for this.

And then the roar could be heard. Emanating from the village, yet it was getting closer.

In the distance Merrill could see a winged silhouette against the silvery radiance of the moon, blotting out the smoke that billowed upwards from the ruins of Edhel.

”We.....we don’t have time,” he held his hand out to her.

”We must run!”

His voice had a slight tinge of panic as he looked to the unicorn, his eyes reflecting his desperation.

”Can you do anything to help us?”

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

When the unicorn came over to him, Merrill was transfixed by its magnificence. With a small smile, he reached up, touching its white mane.

”Hey there,” he whispered, and for a second, the years seemed to roll off of him — the weariness that belay his young age.

It was, perhaps, a small sight of the person that Merrill could have been under different circumstances. It’s horn began to glow....its radiance pure white. Watching, unable to move even if he wanted to, Merrill could not tear his eyes away as the unicorn placed its horn on his leg. And there, torn flesh mended. His flesh knitted back together, and the blood lessened, first to a small trickle.....and then it stopped bleeding altogether. Stroking its mane, Merrill nodded.

”Thank you,” he whispered simply.

When Callie whirled to face him, her eyes blazing with fury, Merrill turned his own dark gaze to meet hers.

She is so beautiful.

He heard her accusation. Heard her anger. Watched as the energy coalesced in her hands, and Merrill bowed his head for a second, remaining on his knees despite the healing of his injury. Then he looked up, meeting her gaze once more, expecting her to strike him down.....destroy him.

It was not an unpleasant thought....to be free from all of this.

He shook his head. ”No,” he said simply, letting the words hang in the air for a second.

Swallowing, he maintained his gaze. Dark eyes met auburn and held them..... For a moment, he felt his own soul shrink under that gaze.....under the hatred that radiated out from them.

It was time. Time for his own truth.

”I saw it just after you left. The village...burning. I saw the creature, the winged creature. I saw you run into the house. I watched it.....you....”

Swallowing again, Merrill broke eye contact, looking down. ”I.....I can see echoes of the future Callie. I can’t control it.....it controls me. I see things....”

His fists clenched together. Fingernails bit into the palm of his hand as he closed his eyes.

”Some would call it a gift,” he almost spat his contempt onto the ground before he opened his eyes, looking to her once more.

”A gift.... to see people you care about die in front of your eyes, knowing there is nothing....NOTHING you can do to stop it. To be hated and turned out by your own kin because they fear you. To be chased....always chased because dark things desire your....your gift.”

Trembling now, Merrill looked down. A sharp pain in the palm of his hand made him look down....down to where his fingernails had pierced the flesh, drawing blood once more.

”This is no gift Callie. No gift....” he sounded tired now. So tired.

”I have been running now for longer than I care to remember. Running from village to village, never being able to stay in one place for long, afraid that I will bring the dark things chasing me to them. I’m tired now Callie. I just want.....to rest.....for one day.”

Tears formed in his eyes, and for a brief moment, Merrill looked very much the scared and frightened teenager caught up in circumstances he could not possibly understand....for a second the burden forgotten.

Only for a second.

Wiping his eyes, he stood now, coldly looking to Callie as he whispered.

”I saw, in my visions, a girl who could use magic. The first I have ever seen.....the only one alive for all I know. I knew she would....play a part in fighting the dark. A darkness from the north. But not this....”

He gestured towards the smoke in the distance.

Shaking his head, he whispered.

”.....never this. I am sorry Callie. For everything that has happened. For everything that will happen. One thing I learned to my cost.....”

He turned away from her.

”The visions. They are never wrong, no matter the cost. No matter how much I wish it to be.”

@Guardian Angel Haruki

The Genesis of Ansolera (Guardian Angel Haruki / Marrakt)

It was there in seconds, not long after her reappearance. The Will o’the Wisp. The floating globe of light hovered around her, zipping in and back out, almost as if from curiosity.

Behind, coming out of the brush, Merrill saw her, floating above the ground. Regarding her, his expression twisted slightly in a look of sorrow as he came slowly forwards.

I’m sorry girl, his voice echoed to him, inside of his own mind. I’m sorry for what you have seen. I’m sorry for what you will see.

The colours swirled around her, a veritable cacophony of blues, of reds, of pinks, of yellows, and of oranges. Butterflies and petals.....they blew around her in the breeze.

Merrill came forward slowly, painfully, wincing from the waves of pain as they shot up and down his injured leg. One of the butterflies, the colour of amber, came towards him. It was beautiful. Despite himself and despite the situation he was in, Merrill found himself holding his hand out slightly to touch it. His hand came out slowly.....ever slowly, as a wistful expression came over his face.

It occurred to him that in all the years.....he had never seen a butterfly. He had, for all his travels, not seen much, other than death and decay.

Trembling fingers reached out, looking to touch it.....they passed through the form of the butterfly as it dissipated, fading back into the nothingness from which it had been formed.

And then his leg gave out, and Merrill fell forwards, landing on his knees and screwing his face up as another bolt of pain shredded through him. The little globe of light, flying over to him from Callie, hovered over him, almost as if it was concerned. Head down, on his knees, Merrill looked up to her.

”There can be no doubt,” his voice was soft as he gazed to her. ”You are the one. I’m sorry Callie. I’m so sorry.”

And there he knelt, gazing up to her, transfixed and unable to remove his gaze from her.

@Guardian Angel Haruki