Wizards of Distant Worlds: Chronicles of Azarala

Chapter One: Light Through the Shackles of Matter

The setting is the spiritual world of Azarala. In the cozy gazebo of his home, Vidomir carries on an unhurried conversation over tea with the elder Supreme Keeper Aruna.

"Long ago," Aruna began her story, gazing at the shimmering surface of the tea in her cup, "the maddened guardian-keeper Aru created a great many universes, and one of them was the universe of Luminaria. It was neither his first nor his last work. He infected every universe with tyngs, and Luminaria was no exception. The spiritual light, from which the universe of Luminaria was woven, tirelessly tried to create subtle dimensions, following its original nature. But the tyng viruses, constantly mutating, developing, and growing stronger, ruthlessly destroyed every attempt at their creation."

"What was left, then?" Vidomir asked.

"Only the material dimension remained," Aruna answered. "In the material universe, beings and plants, upon dying, cannot break free beyond its bounds. They remain as dust, as information in Luminaria's information field. Only in the longest-lived does a spiritual body manage to form, capable of flight through the void. Traveling there, they reach the way home to Azarala — that is how spiritual light tries to return home."

"And what happens next?" Vidomir asked, curious.

"Spiritual light gradually evolves, striving to extend the life of its creations, but the tyngs constantly interfere and hinder this process. From their interference came predators, cutting life short before its time. In other universes, the tyngs set people against one another, stirring up wars. In this universe, there are no people."

"Why do the tyngs need all this?" Vidomir asked.

"It benefits the tyngs for spiritual light to remain imprisoned in matter," Aruna explained. "These parasites live off spiritual light. The more imperfection they create, the longer and harder it is for spiritual light to break free from the prison of matter."

"And who does manage to break free from this universe, in the end?" Vidomir asked, sipping his hot tea.

"So far, only a few blue whales and thousand-year-old trees have managed to leave this universe in spiritual bodies," Aruna answered. "The blue whales have learned to live more than five hundred years. Perhaps they could live even longer, but the predators don't allow it."

"How do they manage it?" Vidomir asked, curious.

"The blue whales have mastered an astonishing skill," Aruna continued. "They've learned to go most of the year without material food, feeding on magical energy instead, and their bodies synthesize the substances they need on their own. The Keeper-vinirs living within spiritual light give off a particular energy, and the tyng parasites cannot withstand its high frequency, so they leave the whales. Over such a long lifespan, the whales' spiritual bodies have time to form completely."

"And what about the trees? How do they manage to achieve this?" Vidomir asked.

"With the trees, it's all more complicated," Aruna sighed. "Evolution has created many different genes that perform a protective function against the tyngs, allowing a spiritual body to form."

"And what happens to their spiritual bodies after that?"

Aruna went on speaking:

"A fully grown spiritual body annihilates the material body, turning matter into dust, into nothing. Matter brings suffering, pain, illness, death. It was never meant to be this way. The Creator gave us spiritual light so we could create perfect worlds. Then the spiritual bodies fly beyond the bounds of the universe of Luminaria. We've established a bridge outside it, where a portal opens as the spirits of whales and old trees draw near. Through this portal, they finally reach home — Azarala."

Vidomir looked thoughtfully at his companion.

"But how can we help spiritual light break free faster?" he asked.

"We must install a magical field around this universe," Aruna answered. "Inside this field, time will flow faster for spiritual light, and slower for the tyng parasites. In this way spiritual light will evolve faster, while the tyngs will be slowed in their evolutionary development."

"And will this help their liberation?" Vidomir clarified.

"Yes," Aruna nodded. "This way, spiritual light will develop faster and leave the prison of matter."

Aruna raised her hand, and above her palm appeared a small shining cloud, resembling star dust.

"Do you know, Vidomir," she began thoughtfully, "that in the universes created by the mad Aru, every atom of matter holds spiritual light within its magical field? Imagine a tiny dungeon with bars made of lines of force. In that dungeon, like a bird in a cage, languishes a small particle of spiritual light."

She made a light motion with her fingers, and the cloud split into many shimmering points.

"And every atom of matter makes up only one percent of its own volume. The rest is emptiness, pierced through by magical fields. It's as though you built an enormous palace, but used only the finest cobweb for its walls. And in every cell of that web — a captured ray of spiritual light."

Vidomir watched closely as the sparks danced above Aruna's palm.

"So," he said slowly, "matter is like a sieve, where every little hole is a trap for light?"

"Exactly so," Aruna nodded. "And although matter seems dense and impenetrable to us, in truth it more closely resembles an invisible net. A net that has ensnared spiritual light and does not let it break free. Every stone, every drop of water, every blade of grass — is a countless multitude of such tiny dungeons."

She closed her hand, and the sparks went out.

"That is why it's so important to help spiritual light break free. It should not languish forever in these atomic cages, however skillfully they may be woven."

"So Aru is to blame for everything?" Vidomir said.

Aruna nodded silently, and a heavy silence fell over the gazebo.

Aruna straightened and spoke solemnly:

"You, Vidomir, must penetrate to the center of the universe of Luminaria and install a crystal of time there. Around the crystal, a void-field must be created, so that matter does not touch it. This task is exactly suited to you — you've developed an immunity against the tyngs, so there will be no risk at all. We'll set out tomorrow, and today, rest and prepare. I too will go rest and prepare for tomorrow."

Aruna rose from the table and, noticing her niece Aria in the garden, gathering fruit from the trees, waved to her:

"Goodbye, Aria!"

The girl waved back to her aunt. After saying farewell to Vidomir, Aruna waved her hand, opened a portal, and vanished.

I should help her, Vidomir thought to himself, and headed toward his betrothed. Approaching Aria, he took the basket from her and walked alongside her. Soon they entered the house.

"Shall we eat the cheese now?" Aria asked, once they were inside.

"I suppose so, yes," Vidomir answered.

Aria took the fruits of the cheese tree and set them in a bowl on the table. Creating a magical field around the fruits, she sped up time, and within the field a whole year passed instead of a single minute. When the field vanished, Aria took out one fruit, sliced it, and held out a piece to Vidomir.

"Well, has it fermented?" she asked with a smile.

"Divinely delicious," Vidomir answered, tasting the treat.

Aria waved her hand, and on the table appeared a large woven basket of many-colored fruits.

"Try these golden fruits of the honey tree," she suggested. "I aged them in moonlight for three nights."

Vidomir took one of the glowing fruits:

"They shine like tiny stars!"

"That's because they've absorbed the energy of the full moon," Aria explained, sitting down beside him. "Now they're not only delicious, but they give strength too."

She created a light haze of silvery sparks above the table, which slowly swirled through the air, creating a cozy atmosphere. Then she took a transparent jug from a cabinet, filled with a drink the color of the dawn sky.

"This is nectar from dawn-blooming flowers," Aria said. "I gathered it this morning at sunrise, while the flowers were singing their morning song."

"You always know how to surprise me," Vidomir smiled, watching the drink shimmer through every shade of dawn.

"Remember," Aria laughed, "the first time you tried my cheese? You decided then that I was a real sorceress."

"You are a sorceress," Vidomir answered, covering her hand with his own.

They sat at the table, savoring the magical delicacies and the warmth of each other's company. The sparks beneath the ceiling drifted slowly, casting soft shadows over their happy faces. Vidomir didn't tell Aria about the coming mission — he didn't want to trouble her before it was time. This was their moment, filled with peace and joy.

"You know," Aria said quietly, "Aunt Aruna says the most unusual trees in all of Azarala grow in our garden. But I think they're so special because we tend them together."

"And every tree feels our love," Vidomir added, looking out the window at the garden, where the silvery leaves of the trees shimmered in the twilight.

Evening slowly settled over their home, wrapping it in the soft glow of the setting sun. The magical fruits on the table glowed quietly, casting halos of warm light around themselves, while the delicate scent of dawn nectar drifted through the air, mingled with the smell of time-aged cheese.

The next morning, Aruna opened a portal to the worldport in her garden. Vidomir was ready for the journey, and Aria, unwilling to be left out, tagged along after them. All three moved into the worldport, where Aruna quickly found the bridge they needed. A Keeper stood before them.

Aruna spoke with him, and it turned out the Keeper was heading to that same universe — he was to meet a whale. Opening a portal into the universe of Luminaria, he let the travelers go ahead. They moved into the void and found themselves on a bridge before the universe of Luminaria. From the direction of the universe, a majestic whale was approaching them. The Keeper stepped forward and waved a greeting.

"Oh!" Aria breathed, delighted.

"Oh," Vidomir said, spellbound.

As the whale flew over them, Vidomir and Aria raised their hands and touched it. The Keeper at once opened a portal, and the whale stepped through it, followed by the Keeper himself.

Aruna watched Vidomir and Aria with a light smile, as though watching small children. Once the portal had closed, she declared solemnly:

"Now, Vidomir, you will fly to the center of the universe and install the crystal of time there, while Aria and I place the crystals of time around the universe from outside."

She stretched her hand out before her, palm up, and upon it appeared a crystal of time in the shape of a sphere, surrounded by a field resembling a glass sphere.

"Take the crystal of time," Aruna said. "Around it is a void-field. We're currently in the void, and the field around the crystal will keep matter from penetrating it."

Vidomir carefully took the crystal, and looked at the universe of Luminaria — it was so small. This is the nature of the void: our heroes are large, and the universe, by comparison to them, was a pumpkin the size of an outstretched arm's span. With a wave of her hand, Aruna opened a portal into the center of the universe of Luminaria. Stepping through it, Vidomir found himself at the very heart of the universe of Luminaria.

Around him swirled incredibly dense matter, resembling a living fog of every shade of gray. The currents of this fog moved slowly, like thick honey, twisting into spirals and forming strange patterns.

The matter here is so dense, Vidomir thought, looking around him, that even breathing feels harder. There's no room at all within it for spiritual light.

He raised his hand and watched the gray haze flow around his fingers like water. It was a strange place — there was no up and no down here, only endless space filled with clots of matter.

Suddenly Vidomir noticed the faintest sparks piercing the gray fog. They would appear for an instant and then vanish, as though trying to break free from a dense prison.

Now I understand, he thought, watching this mesmerizing sight. This must be exactly where spiritual light breaks free. It's like a spring bursting from beneath the earth — only here, light breaks through the depths of matter.

Around his form, the matter began to grow even denser, as though trying to defend itself from the intrusion. Now it no longer resembled fog, but a great depth of water, deep beneath the surface — just as heavy, pressing in from every side. Vidomir felt each of his movements growing slower, as though he were swimming through thick jelly.

No wonder Aruna chose exactly this place for the crystal of time, he thought. Here, at the very heart of the universe, where matter battles spiritual light, a change in the flow of time could change everything.

In the center of this strange space he felt like a grain of sand in an ocean — but a grain of sand capable of changing the fate of an entire universe. Every spark of light breaking through the dense matter seemed to him a small victory in the great battle for the liberation of spiritual light.

Having installed the crystal of time, Vidomir created a portal and moved back. Meanwhile Aruna and Aria were already placing crystals around the perimeter of the universe. Vidomir joined them, helping to finish the work. When the last crystal took its place, Aruna spoke an ancient incantation, and around the universe of Luminaria, a magical field of time-distortion began to work.

"Well, that's it, the work is done. Let's fly home," Aruna said.

Our heroes flew to the bridge and took one last look at the universe of Luminaria. Aruna was about to open a portal home to Azarala when Aria suddenly cried out:

"Look! A great many dark portals have opened!"

"Wait for me here," Aruna commanded, and rushed toward the portals.

Chernyaks emerged from the dark gates, attacking the temporal field. Aruna made a sharp sweep of her hands, and a shockwave of magical field surged out from her. It swept the Chernyaks aside, enclosing each one in a bubble-field. When new Chernyaks emerged from the portals and saw the elder Supreme Keeper Aruna standing beside their captured kin, they hastily retreated back into the portals.

Aruna opened a passage into the tenth dimension of the universe of Aurea and sent all the captured Chernyaks there.

"Where do these Chernyaks come from?" Vidomir asked, astonished. "We already neutralized them in the world of Antiano."

"These are different beings," Aruna explained. "They call themselves Tenebrians and have come from a universe named Aurea."

"In the universe of Aurea, from which the Tenebrians came, there are Etherian people. The Etherians managed to pass into the higher dimensions. Their entire world, with its inhabitants and people, was annihilated — matter turned to dust, transformed into energy. Spiritual bodies of the world, its inhabitants, and its people were formed, while in the material world they vanished. They named this world of theirs Etheria."

Aruna paused for a moment and continued:

"The people of Etheria managed to send many Tenebrians into the tenth dimension. In that dimension, the Tenebrians exist in a state of deep sleep, which they perceive as real life. The Etherians send revelations into the tenth dimension, just as we once sent revelations into their universe."

"In the past, these revelations were distorted by beings known as tyngs, which is why people could not understand the true meaning of the messages. But some, like you, Vidomir, managed to weaken the tyngs' influence on their consciousness. They achieved this through a particular way of life and a special system of nourishment."

Aruna decided to contact the Etherians, to share important news about the Tenebrians.

"I'll let the Etherians know now that I've sent the Tenebrians into the tenth dimension," she said. "I'll open a portal without the possibility of passage, only for communication with the central hub, Nexus, of their world of Etheria."

Aruna majestically stretched her hand out before her and, whispering the ancient words of an incantation, created a shimmering portal. On the other side of the glowing opening appeared a tall Etherian in the traditional garments of his people.

"Greetings to you," Aruna said with dignity.

"Greetings to you, elder Supreme Keeper Aruna," the Etherian answered respectfully.

"My name is Zarein," the Etherian introduced himself, bowing his head slightly.

"I must share important news with you," Aruna began. "The Tenebrians have been sent by me into the tenth dimension."

"Thank you for the information, honored Aruna. We will attend to this matter at once," Zarein assured her.

They exchanged traditional farewell greetings, after which Aruna, with a smooth motion of her hand, closed the portal, and the shimmering opening melted into the air.

"The evil Tenebrians must be defeated somehow," Aruna said.

"Won't it work the same way as with the world of Antiano?" Vidomir asked.

"They all need to be caught and sent into the tenth dimension, to sleep there. In the end, evil will someday leave them, and they'll be freed from the tyngs and from matter," Aria answered.

"We need to think this through carefully — the main thing is to rid them of the tyngs. Matter without tyngs isn't dangerous; you can shape whatever you like from it. The Etherians are in the Magayny dimension, and they're a long way from the Aluysk dimension. If only they could even reach the Sreydim dimension — there, the tyngs have no influence, and the Tenebrians wouldn't be able to reach it. But the evolution of spiritual light held captive by matter takes a long time," Aruna said.

"Time passes differently for us: for them, millions of years go by, while for us, only a few days pass," Aria observed.

"Because Vidomir spent so many millions of years in the universe, he developed an immunity to the tyngs. And you, Aria, waited for him in Azarala for only two weeks. We'll work through this matter at home — maybe we'll set up the same kind of time-distortion field. It's time to head home to Azarala," Aruna concluded.

Our heroes flew to the bridge. Aruna opened a portal to Azarala, and everyone was carried home.