Aurora of the Rainbow Rings - Prologue (Patreon)

AN: It begins!

On advice from Void Herald (100 reins, The Perfect Run, Vainqueur the Dragon, dozen others) I'll be posting Aurora chapters one per day until we've gotten to the 'initial dump' point, at which point the posting rate will go back to 'Selkie posts what Selkie writes'.

In other words, November's going to be good.

Cheers, enjoy!

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The blade flashed forward, piercing Pannus’s heart. The vampire coughed blood, and tried to speak his final words.

“You’ll never-”

Night twisted the blade, and with a flick of his wrist, tore it all the way up through Pannus’s chest, destroying his head.

[*ding!* Eliminated: Reality Render (Spatial, 2592); Dimensional Astrographer (Celestial, 2585), Reclusive Philosopher (Brilliance, 2566)]

He had no patience to listen to monologues. That was a certain way to allow his foe time for one last skill, one last dying gasp. A cornered rat bites - it only made sense to slay the rat before it had the chance to turn and open its jaws.

He could guess well enough what had happened. Pannus had decided, like many fools before him, that something about Pallos was wrong. Fingers were often pointed at the Immortal Cycle, and occasionally a man would believe that the way to break the cycle was to introduce an outside variable. A new problem, that would unite Pallos once and for all!

Or perhaps he was of a more nihilistic bend, believing it was better for life to be scoured off Pallos instead of continuing on. 

Regardless, Night had ensured that Pannus’s elaborate suicide would only take himself, and not the rest of the planet with him. Sadly, one day, someone, somewhere, would succeed, and light a great beacon across the infinite dimensions, letting whatever was out there know that Pallos existed. What manner of trouble that would bring, Night could scarcely begin to imagine. Anything was possible. Philosophers suggested there had to be vast multi-dimensional empires, looking for new worlds to conquer.

“I know that look.” Susan - Arachne, when they were working - said, sauntering down the steps into Pannus’s lair. “That’s the look that says we need a vacation. A long one.”

Night’s breath shuddered as he breathed out.

“I’m just so… tired.” He confessed to his wife. Something that the [Thinker] probably already knew, knew months or years before he even realized it himself.

She fearlessly approached his bloody and armored form, and wrapped her arms lovingly around him from behind.

“I know.” She half-whispered. “Let’s go on a break. Tour the world! We still haven’t seen everything since the continents were shifted.”

“We hadn’t seen everything before Jormungandr moved them.” He retorted with a smile.

More to see than can ever be seen, indeed. Over 40,000 years of existence, and Night still felt like a newly created vampire, witnessing the vastness of Creation for the first time. 

“I’m so close.” Susan said. “Just a few more levels, and we can put down our burden.”

Night slowly nodded in agreement.

Just a few more levels, and they could rest.

Forever.