Reminiscence

I looked down from my datascape at the blue and green planet below. I, Amar-Ianth, had manifested in Marathoth’s personal universe. Underneath me is a blue planet covered in a vast, swirling ocean. Continents and landmasses dotted and joined like broken eggshells. A fragile paradise, and one that is friendly to life. Quite a piece of art from the Lidless Eye himself.

Descending, I closed in on a mountain. At Marathoth’s request, my form changed from a mass of gears and clockwork, to a humanoid mist. The mountain was towering, yet its peak was green and lush, unlike the white capped mountains that lay behind this one. At its summit was a figure. Marathoth waved to me.

Lowering myself, I met his gaze.

“Hello, my little eye.”

“Greetings, Amar. I hope you have been well. I have prepared quite the-”

“Don’t be so stiff! We’ve known each other for what? Several million Terran years?”

“Alright then. Want some refreshments?”

“Of course! It’s about time I experienced some mortal pleasures again.”

I gazed at him. Shoulder length black hair, a shirt and a pair of trousers. His stature was neither tall nor short for a human. His form looked to be in its late teens or early twenties. A male human of Old Earth. However, he sported his signature eyes. Black sclerae, and blue rings around his glowing red irises. The trademark of the Lidless Eye in all his forms. With a steady posture, and fluid movements, he faced me.

“I have heard you take your mortal forms quite often. It’s quite a sight to see it myself.”

“It reminds me of how those beneath us struggle. And of the time when I was Evenne, when I was young and naïve.”

“Thinking of brighter times?”

“Yes. My experiences have shaped me. Just as I had shaped this place.”

“This is quite the sight. Out of the many planets I have seen, this one is strange. The colours are quite alien compared to such bodies. A reconstruction of Old Earth, perhaps?”

“It is. I miss my old home.”

I watched him lie down on his back. When night fell, waves of beautiful colours washed over the sky. An aurora.

This time, he shifted his form once again. He was a female now. She was shorter, and her black hair had silver streaks in it. Shades of dark blue and purple danced through her hair as if mirroring the aurora above. On her face was a rueful smile. A smile that entailed many stories, both joyful and tragic.

“You called this form Eris, didn’t you? You seem to like this form.”

“Yes. It’s a tribute to my mentor.”

“Must have made quite the impression. You bear a close resemblance to her.”

“She did. She was a sister to me. I was able to live thanks to her sacrifice.”

“You humans have quite the attachment to your relationships. So, how’s your memory of her?”

“As clear as they come. Everything that has happened feels as if they happened moments ago.”

“Why?”

“Hmm?”

“For someone who had transcended so long ago, you still perform these activities.”

“It keeps me grounded, Amar. You know how difficult it is for the Transcended to truly value those who are bound to realspace.”

Gazing up at the sky, Eris watched the aurora. A myriad of reflections passed over her eyes, as if her memories were being reminisced on. I spread my gaze over the blue oceans and the long, winding continents. This whole system was a snapshot of a past long gone. Of a home that once was. For what it’s worth, I pondered upon this place.

Our wills were wordlessly exchanged between us. The peace and serenity contrasted so very heavily with what had happened with Tor. She was happy in this place. It was a memoir of the old times.

Here was a serenity many would wish for.

There was no need for words, for the scenery painted them all.

There was only silence, and a precious one at that.