For Those Who Move Forward

“No kidding. He seems quite adept with his charm, huh?” Cedric asked, also listening in to Khelben’s little instruction. It was quite a remarkable sight to see the normally stoic Vriko reduced to a silent, near petrified mess of overly charmed. Saffron made a comment about her ovaries dropping to which Cedric was forced to turn away to hide his hardly attempted choice not to laugh too loud. As the song came winding down, the oddly matched pair came to a stop and it seemed both Saffron and Cedric were hanging on every moment, wanting to see what could possibly happen. But then in came Grubar, directing all the attention to himself in the loudest way possible. The other dancers were forced to move out of the way quickly as the eight foot behemoth came sliding onto the floor, ending his trip right in front of Cedric and Saffron.

And with his arrival came the wonderful news that he and Hosrius had been freed from their debts and now planned on staying on Earthland. Saffron’s excitement was abundant, absolutely floored by the news and as the music turned up, she threw herself onto Grubar, hugging him tight. “Pretty damn sweet, isn’t it?” Grubar said with a chuckle, already beginning to bounce and bob to the music. She asked where Hosrius was and Grubar jabbed a thumb back towards the couch… only to find no one there. “Well, knowing him, he finally made a move on Patricia. Dude’s had a stiffy for her for years now.” Well, they’d get to him later. For now, it was time to party.

Vriko had seemingly had enough, gently parting herself from Khelben and thanking him in her own way before scuttling off to collect herself. The Xocili took a moment to go over the interaction, trying to figure out if he’d done something wrong. “Hey, don’t worry about her, she’ll be fine. Probably just a bit more socializing than she’s used to. Get back in here,” Cedric called over to Khelben. Whatever his crime was, he’d earned a night to cut loose and the former Dread Master saw no reason not to actively encourage that.

Vandrad, however, was mortified. If there was one consistent in the world he thought he could rely on, it was that Serilda and Mythal felt and thought similar to him. One partner was enough and there was no reason to branch out. But unfortunately he, too, had stepped beyond the bounds of his own relationship and now he was unfortunate enough to bear witness to both Serilda and Mythal decided to take a risk as well. It was bad enough that Serilda had practically been kneading on his chest and abdomen, creating a very weird mixture of emotions inside of him that he couldn’t quite explain -- or rather didn’t want to. But as the engaged pair took off to go and surprise their other friends, he knew that tomorrow they would have a lot more to think about concerning their future. Dinah shared his sentiment of wonder, though she seemed far more amused than he was. After polishing off his drink, he offered to go and get her another as well, which prompted her to down the rest of her’s. As he stood up and took her glass, she mentioned that they could further the discussions he and Mercury had had with Genesis concerning an official alliance. They hadn’t really gotten a chance to go over any official details, what with the hunt for Maker blinding them to such an act for a long time.

Now Dinah was the one in control of the casino, meaning she was the one they would have to be communicating with. As much as he respected Genesis for what he’d done, both before and in his death, Vandrad felt he would find it much easier to get along with Dinah without constant quips or flirtations directed at him or Mercury. He gave her a nod. "We are. And I would like that; we’re always in need for friends and allies that we can help and are willing to help us if the situation calls for it. Plus…” he let out a small sigh. "I imagine my people will provide quite the increase in revenue stream. Gallant debauchery is… kind of their bread and butter.”

It was some time later when Vandrad found himself alone once more. The night had carried on and from the sound of it, there was still plenty of partying going on about. He was sure Mercury was probably still up to no good; she’d disappeared after going over to see Hosrius, Grubar and Patty and while he had seen Grubar with Saffron later, his fiance was gone, as was Blade. He could only imagine that the Terran had taken him at his word and decided to go and get in some trouble with the Xocili and perhaps Patricia and Hosrius too. Saffron and her crew were still about, though it seemed they were beginning to run out of steam as well. And he didn’t dare wonder how Serilda and Mythal were doing.

He stood on the balcony overlooking the vast floating casino, having switched over to a drink with a bit more bite. His body processed alcohol at an alarming rate, meaning that he was still as sober as he had been at the beginning of the night. It had only gotten worse -- better? -- as his power had grown. His jacket lay on the nearby seat as he continued to gaze outwards. After a few moments, he gently placed the glass down on the table right beside him, his hand pausing. He thought he saw something in the reflection of the glass, some figure just behind him. "I know you’re watching,” he said, straightening up as he continued to look forward. "I may only remember bits and pieces of what happened but I remember that moment as clear as day. Frozen but conscious and your voice right behind me. One that has been speaking out of turn for well over a year now, here and there. I have been patient, waiting for you to drop the game and explain yourself. But it seems you would rather continue to be coy. Enough is enough. Show yourself -- now.”

At first, nothing happened. That was hardly a surprise -- most people he’d gone about confronting made it a point to actually reveal themselves on command. The sounds of the parties occurring all over filled the silence near and around him, as he continued to wait. The first thing he noticed was when it did, in fact, go silent. It was like a record had been playing in the background and slowly ground to a halt. The future king tested himself, lifting his hands up and finding his body still responding to his commands. His eyes moved away from the horizon and back towards the bar as he heard… the clinking of glasses. Leaving his own glass behind, he walked back in from the balcony and found the world completely and utterly frozen. The dancers that were still on the dance floor, stuck in different positions and motions. They were seemingly unaware of it, unknowing that reality had come to a standstill around them.

The only sound in the world was the one of moving glasses that was coming from behind the bar. And as Vandrad got closer, a man popped up and quite literally leapt over the counter. He landed on the other side, feet hanging as he held a glass full of… orange wedges. He was an oddly dressed man, with a purple cloak that covered up a green tunic beneath. He had a pair of criss-crossed leather slippers and an undershirt that could be seen through an unusual hole in the middle of the tunic. He bore a soft, amused smile and looked at Vandrad with piercing silver eyes. “Well it’s about time, Vandrad. You’ve been squirrely about me ever since the first time I spoke to you but you could never quite see me. You weren’t ready to believe until I stepped onto the stage and made my presence known. A rather grand entrance, I must admit,” the man said with a grin, bringing up one of the wedges and sucking on it.

"Who in the hell are you?” Vandrad demanded, giving the man plenty of room as he looked him over.

“A fair question, a good first question. But one not easily answered. Honestly, I’m just happy to actually be talking to someone. It’s been… huh, I don’t think I can actually recall how long it’s been. That’s how long it’s been!” he chuckled again as he disposed of the rind in another empty glass sitting on the bar. “You want an orange slice? They’re good, man. This place stocks high quality stuff!”

"I said who the hell are you?!” Vandrad spoke up, his face twisting in annoyance. Not even a full minute and this idiot was jabbering away like--

“Like Cedric when he really wants to grind your gears, right?” the man finished his thought.

Vandrad’s eyes widened slightly and then narrowed. "You can read my mind.”

“Mmm… not as simple as that,” the man said, dropping another rind in the glass. “It’s more like your thoughts become my thoughts become your thoughts. Runs around in a pattern -- a circle! Or maybe a triangle. Definitely not a trapezoid. The meat of the answer is that we are connected, in a way that is elevated beyond any kind of reasoning I could provide you in a short amount of time. Though… time really isn’t a factor, is it?” the man said, gesturing to the frozen room around them with a giggle only to find Vandrad still not amused. “You’re mad, I get it. This is all very confusing, has been confusing, will continue to be confusing for a long time. Let me start fresh; I am He.”

"...He?” Vandrad repeated slowly.

“He Who Was, He Who Is, He Who Will Eventually Not Be. I told myself when I took this job that I wouldn’t forget my name and yet here we are, eons later and darn it if I can’t even remember the first letter,” he sucked on the next orange loudly before he took it in hand and gestured to the room around them again, this time with the rind. “This little trick here? I hit the pause button on you… which in turn kind of looks like I hit the pause button on all of them. Like I said, confusing.”

"What do you want? Why did you step in to help me against Maker?” Vandrad continued, ignoring the man’s… cartoonish antics.

“Two very different questions with two very different answers. Let me start with the simple one; I helped you because that’s what was meant to happen. I don’t intervene a lot but that one was hard written in. Big black ink, no pencil so can’t exactly erase it. That was always meant to be your first step in my realm. And I didn’t even do that much; just jiggled the switch that was already in your head, your soul, whatever fabric makes up you. Everyone has a different idea of what they’re made of. Most people get it wrong.” He sucked down another orange. “I don’t want anything per se. Or rather, I’ve grown beyond wanting? Maybe, I did have a hankering for these oranges.” He chuckled. “I’m not here for me. I’m here for you. This is kind of like… orientation!”

"Orientation? For what?”

“Your greater purpose.”

It was like trying to draw water from sand. "What purpose?” Vandrad asked between clenched teeth.

“As a Judge.” For a moment, it looked like that was all he was going to say and Vandrad was very much going to snap at him for his quick, indifferent answers. But he held up a hand, predicting the outburst. “I am what we’ve come to call as Judge. We observe the multiverse from beyond the scope of its material planes. We view events from an elevated position, one where we can notate and pass judgment on the outcome. And on and on and on and on it goes,” he said, making a tumbling motion with his hand before he picked up another orange. “You… are a Candidate.”

"Meaning… what, I’m slotted to work with you in this… Judge role you claim exists?” Vandrad asked skeptically.

“No, as my replacement. Judges have terms and when another Candidate appears, we know our term is possibly coming to an end.”

"Possibly? Does that mean…?”

He snapped. “You’re catching on. Yes, just because you’re a Candidate does not mean that you will become a Judge. We see into the future for a decent amount of time but there is always a point where our vision stops. From there, everything gets… muddy. Either the Candidate takes up the role as Judge and the former Judge is relieved or… the Candidate doesn’t. They die. We can only intervene once, to open the door, as I did for you. After this, you’re on your own to save your own hide. And the limits of my precognition are coming to an end.”

Vandrad stared at the man for a long moment before he snorted dismissively. "You can’t honestly expect me to believe all of this, just to trust the word of some… clown.”

He Who Is shook his head with an orange in his mouth before plucking it out. “No, of course not. I know you very well, Vandrad and I know how scrupulous you are. You need proof. I don’t remember what my predecessor showed me to convince me. So I’ll just have to wing it. So what do you want, visions of other moments in this universe? Maybe what’s happening on the edge of the universe?” He gestured and a glittering portal appeared to Vandrad’s right. “Or… maybe what your fiance saw? A vision of Omothol?” Another flick and another portal. “Or maybe something closer to home? How about Serilda and Agatha together? That’s happening right at this moment.” Yet another flick and another portal.

Vandrad continued to stare at He Who Is, glaring at him and showing no consideration for opened windows around him. The man stared back at him with a self-amused grin, even as he polished off the last of the oranges he had taken. “Not even a peak? Mercury won’t mind; she knows you have the hots for both of them.”

"I’m not interested in parlor tricks that any half-way decent wizard could pull off,” Vandrad snapped. Energy surged up into his fist as he swung it around him, smashing through the portals and vaporizing them into glittering particles. "You expect me to stand here and believe that you’re some omnipotent being from behind the realm of this universe, of all universes, simply because you saw so? I’m more inclined to believe you’re a spy or some member of the pantheon of gods and demons that have harassed Mythal and Serilda for so long.”

He Who Is finished off the orange and dropped the rind in the glass with a satisfied sigh. “Not quite but I can see why you’d think that. I had a feeling visions wouldn’t work; too static, not real enough. You need something you can experience. I feel like I did too. So that calls for a trip.” He Who Is hopped off the bar and brushed off any remnants of the oranges that may have fallen on his tunic. “Hang on then!”

Before Vandrad could speak, the world around him melted away. Quite literally pulled upwards and towards He Who Is. As he watched, a spinning globe appeared in his hand and it only took him a moment to realize that it was Earthland. It shrunk down and other worlds and stars appeared as the area above the man’s hand continued to ‘expand’ in its scale without getting larger. Within seconds, the entirety of the universe was in his hand and then he just casually tossed it behind him. His other hand opened up, revealing another universe but it was growing. Closer and closer they got until Earthland popped up again and began to expand. The world around him began to materialize, taking on the same backdrop but… different. Where there had been vibrant lights and structure, there was only darkness and ruin. The setting of an exciting nightclub had been replaced with ashen, destroyed devastation. Vandrad looked around, unsettled by the sight of the room being in such a state of wreckage. "What the hell is this?! Some kind of vision of the future?”

“Nope. Present day but in a different timeline. One where O Palácio Flutuante existed… for a short time. But an oppressive darkness awakened from its slumber and devastated the world. Now its a wasteland, a playground for its mad ruler who… should be arriving any moment,” He Who Is gestured towards the balcony.

Vandrad stared at the man and where he gestured before he ran for the doorway. He stepped onto the crumbling balcony and found a sky dark and gray. The skyline of light, color and entertainment was gone and in its place, crumbled ruins covered in ash and dust. Vandrad stared around in horror before he felt a surge of tremendous magical power. His eyes snapped up and found a singular figure floating in the sky above. A sight he never thought he’d see, his eyes widened as he stared at the menacing figure of Marka Ragnos, his ancestor. He looked slightly different than the image that had once been provided to him from Wanda; this Marka had dark, shadowy black wings and horns. And hovering by his left hand was a book glowing with runes; one that he recognized as Mythal’s.

The book flipped open and purple flames burst to life from the pages displayed. Marka cocked his head slightly before he raised his other hand, aiming towards Vandrad. The future king wrapped himself in his Empowerment, pushing himself to his Cobalt Grade. But despite the surge of adrenaline, he found himself… paralyzed with fear. He could do nothing as the same flames from Marka’s book looped over to his hand and sprang forth in a devastating funnel of magical force, powerful enough to vaporize him on the spot. Vandrad couldn’t even yell as his body was consumed, the shadow of his body set against the flames for only a moment before melting away into nothing…

And then his eyes opened and he was back in the black void that he’d been in before. He Who Is was holding the universe in his hand, the one that they had just visited. “I maaay have bent the truth a little. That was another time I could save you, though it was more… reversing you than saving you.”

Vandrad touched his body all over, if only to make sure everything was still there. "I… was…”

“Dead. Vaporized. Ash upon the pile that is that world, yes. I just pressed rewind to right before you were incinerated and pulled you back out. Marka Ragnos thinks he’s wiped out the one anomaly left in his world and you understand just how real I’m being.” He Who Is gently tossed the universe behind him and as his arm came to settle by his side, other universes began to rise up in the void around them. Vandrad spun around slowly as more rotating universes materialized in the darkness, expanding out beyond his comprehension. “There’s more than you can even imagine. Incalculable, unending. Expanding outwards with each and every choice made or not made, with each result differing from the next by the smallest of margins or the greatest of expanses. Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Even Vandrad couldn’t deny the sight. "Yeah…” he said softly as he came back around to face the man. "Marka… rose up? Does that mean?”

“In that timeline, his attempts to give himself immortality worked. He figured out the answer, though it required some time to… gestate. When he was ready, he surged into the world like a terrible calamity, not unlike what your brother Mythal was supposed to become. He wiped out nations before they even understood they were under attack. And as you can see, he took power he could utilize for himself. The full potential of the Ark was under his control and all the Divines, the Prime Sins and those that served them became cogs in his magical machine. Unfortunately, he never could have predicted that becoming immortal would cause him to awaken insane and rather than focus on just the immortal deities he despised, he destroyed the world. But that wasn’t that much of a stretch; Marka was always in it to serve himself, not the rest of humanity.”

"What about… Mercury? My family?” Vandrad asked softly.

“Dead. Mercury was still on the world scouting it for the Nazru. She perished when Fiore burned. Your family was one of the firsts to go, as he arose in Bellum. Maker and the rest of the Dread Masters were glassed, Cedric was never even created. Everyone you know and care about perished, having come to their days of fate. Even the Nazru, when they came, were quickly overwhelmed by his power. The only upside is that he’s so insane, he didn’t stop to leave any space-faring vessels intact so he could go about destroying the universe. He’s just a lone mad god trapped in a dead world. That’s why it’s not the darkest timeline, at least in relation to you.”

Vandrad’s brow furrowed. "You… didn’t mention me. He killed me too?”

He Who Is let out a small chuckle. “Continue to be confusing. Here’s the thing, Vandrad. One doesn’t become a Candidate because of some show of power or connection with the multiverse. One is born a Candidate because they are the only version of themselves that exists. You… are the only you. There are no other Vandrad du Wolffs in the multiverse. There are men and a few women with different names, different origins that look like you, sound like you, even act like you. But you’re the living proof of what mommas used to tell their kids; you’re unique. One in an incalculable amount of living people. Just like me.”

That… was a weighty answer. In fact, it was almost insane to consider. He was saying in the full breadth of the multiverse, he was the only one of himself? It almost hurt to think about. “I told you it was confusing,” He Who Is told him, picking up on his thoughts again.

"How can you… do all of this? Visit different multiverses and pause time like you did? My uncle can do something similar but it seemed… different,” Vandrad decided to move away from the near maddening prospect of his place and decided to focus on his supposed ‘role’

“Judges are… we draw our true power from the multiverse itself. Each universe has its own power that I will not spoil for you, you’re going to find out very soon what it is. That energy acts like its own power source, basically making each timeline its own empowered, functioning battery. We draw from those batteries, as we are linked to each universe. It essentially allows us manipulation over the flow of time, giving us the gift of moving backwards, forwards or even adjacent in the timeline we wish to visit. With enough power, we can even manipulate it, as you did when you quite literally used reality like a springboard. In another’s hands, it’s dangerous but as I told you, the multiverse is connected to us and we to it. We are incapable of breaking certain laws and aspects that were born within us. Grand cosmic schematic, I believe is how it was told to me.”

"And who originated this role?” Vandrad asked. "Who is the one that made the Judges?”

He Who Is shrugged. “The One, probably. But that’s just a rumor told to each and every judge. Truth is, we don’t know. Whoever started it is either long gone, busy with something else or too enraptured with their own majesty that they’ve lost touch with the multiverse. That’s why we came to exist; as recorders of the multiverse.”

"Recorders? But I… used that power. I directly interfered, as did you. That isn’t just observation,” Vandrad pointed out.

“Well, the scope and limits are a bit fuzzy. All you need to understand is that you are physically incapable of using your powers as a Judge Candidate for ‘evil’, to really dumb it down. Though good and evil are just broad strokes of gray; people are just people,” He Who Is said with a shrug. “But… I’ve kept you long enough and you have a lot to think about. Even more to tell all your friends once they’re done fornicating with one another. For now, try not to overthink it. We’ll talk soon. Ta-ta!”

Vandrad took a step towards the man, his mouth already opening. How could he expect him to just… roll with that kind of weighty information? He spoke about it like it was simple and easy to understand and it was the furthest from it. But suddenly he was back in the bar, now active and moving again. The future king could only stand there and stare in shock, the capacity of knowledge that had just been dumped on him so heavy that he felt almost sick to his stomach.

And just as he allowed the tiniest sliver of doubt to enter his mind, his eyes fell upon the glass in front of him, filled with the disposed rinds of the orange slices.