[MV] The Super Wizard From Space #57: Kilo Yuga, part 3

[Drew Perron]

On 6/9/2016 12:44 PM, wilalambre at gmail.com wrote:
<snip>
> Andy Dharma carried the body of the Super Wizard From Space to the opposite side
> of the planet. A long journey through stark alien landscapes, enduring
> strangling desert heats and continental sandstorms, crossing over colossal red
> mountain ranges and crossing through yawning abyssal canyons. An undeterred
> march that didn't end until he crossed over to the dark side of the nameless world.

That's a long journey. Is he dead? :o

> From within the loose sleeves of his monastic robes, he brought out slivers of
> dried wood, a small silver kettle, a poach of cured leaves, and a small iron
> gong. He sat on the ground cross-legged, lit a small fire, and began making some
> tea. When the water boiled and the air filled with a pleasing acerbic aroma, he
> picked up the gong and played a single ringing note. Then he waited.

I love the Monks' aesthetic.

> Andy sighed a relief and did his best to recompose himself. "Ah, much better.
> Thank you Scrivener, thank you Stringer."
>
> The Stringer super-wizard had wide eyes and a wider mouth, making for an
> expression both intense and disturbing. "Don't confuse your relief with weakness
> on our part, monk. You only know us by popular titles, not by our secret names.
> We could snuff you out in an instant. Either of us could. Certainly."

Jeez, touchy.

> The Stringer stamped a foot hard into the campfire. The kettle toppled off,
> spilling its contents onto the cold ground. The flames lurched, as if doused in
> alcohol, then were pulled up into the wizard's boot. Flickering and flailing
> and, finally, stolen away.

I *love* those details, the way that they're put, it feels almost Ghibli-esque.

> "I'll keep my distance." He did a hurried examination, then stood up and backed
> away. "I detect no life signals. Any power remaining is simply leakage.

GASP.

> "What's happened to him?" exclaimed Andy. His twin brother looked _old_.
> _Decades_ older. Mottled brown skin hung wrinkled and loose on his body. Milky
> eyes were deeply recessed, barely catching any of the evening light. Wisps of
> grey hair scattered across his head. He looked frail. He looked _ancient_.
>
> "We warned you. When we first approached you," the Schrivener said with
> indifference. "Time moves differently within a black-hole cell. You should've
> worked... quicker."

a.) I appreciate that this is a reference to the popular explanation of relativity.
b.) Ah. This will go poorly for you, soon.

> From within that
> perfect darkness, I watched the last thousand years come crashing toward our
> present with... an intense momentum. And I could see our future, a _feverish_
> animal stalking us backwards through time.

aaaaaaaAAAAA. <3 <3 <3

> Andy reached into the loose sleeve of his robes and pulled out the Cosmic
> Crown.. It hovered above his palm; it refused to contact the _simplistic_
> universe it was trapped in, it roared with the ferocity of a better reality.

AUGH. That's so *evocative*. YOU'RE SO GOOD AT THIS.

> With a disappointed air, the Scrivener snatched the Crown from Andy. "I see now
> how you failed in the Tournament... you care too much. It blemishes all your
> decisions. Responsibility isn't some great weight to be borne, it's a fire to be
> endured.

Siiiiiiiigh.

Drew "scribe THIS" Perron