tgc 100

Hellflower was finding it hard to fathom. She had no idea how it was Cloudhawk was able to pinpoint these specific locations. Was it that his powers were somehow connected to them? Or were these planets existing in simultaneous space, occupying the same location but never touching?

Both theories had their merits. The former would make sense since these places all appeared to be locations the former Demon Prince had visited and left his mark. Maybe there were beacons he placed which allowed subsequent travelers to find these spots specifically.

Her second guess also seemed plausible. Based on what she knew of the calamity that destroyed their world, its early upheavals were marked by gravitational chaos. Strange creatures not native to this reality began to appear which might suggest this planet and the others in multidimensional space had begun to collide.

Quantum mechanics postulated that gravitational forces could manipulate space-time. That is to say that a planet’s gravitational well could impact and disturb another, even in an alternate dimension, and disturb it enough to obliterate ancient civilizations. The Demon King’s stone allows the bearer to slip between these layers and occupy the same space in a different dimension. It sounded like fantasy, but it seemed as likely as anything else.

The question that occupied Cloudhawk’s mind was how many more places could he visit? If he kept pushing himself could he reach Gehenna, Sumeru, or even some other mysterious reality? What was the nature of this world? The phase stone had been the most important part of the Demon King’s endowment. What other secrets did it hold?

He didn’t have any answers to these questions right now. Step by step, eventually knowledge would come.

The blasted world and the world of mushrooms Cloudhawk had visited on several occasions. While he’d only explored a small area of either and had only a rudimentary knowledge of them, he at least knew their climate. This time he would take Hellflower with him to learn what they could about the third and fourth layers.

The stony plains were a dead land rich with discarded technological treasures. Within the ruins were weapons and contraptions that were in very good shape. However, thousands of years had passed and time had taken its toll. Many had succumbed to rust or were otherwise destroyed. What’s more, whatever civilization had made them had a very different style of writing and other habits, making their tools difficult to use and decipher. However, that would not stop their scientists from trying.

The jungle world, in contrast, was a rare place where vitality thrived.

Cloudhawk had been many places and traveled to other worlds, and nowhere else had he seen a place with so much life – be it vegetation or creatures. At least eighty percent of this planet was choked in forest, while the other twenty percent was ocean. It was a world of remarkable abundance and unchecked wilderness where nature prevailed. Its complex ecosystem was home to countless species vying for dominance, making it a place both rife with danger and opportunity.

It was crazy, but if these two worlds could be connected and exploited, it would be of great benefit to Greenland.

Hellflower and Cloudhawk spent several days exploring and eventually decided to build their factory on the stony plains. The first batch sent to build a base was comprised of a couple thousand scientists. In addition, another group of five thousand soldiers was sent to the spore planet[1] to establish a settlement. Established in other planes, they would be at Cloudhawk’s beck and call when needed.

Cloudhawk could summon a portal and call on them whenever he needed. By the same logic he could gather whatever resources were required from these places in an instant, including weapons. At Cloudhawk’s current strength, so long as he had the energy he could call boulders from space, soldiers, or anything else he needed – just as he unwittingly did in his fight against the Silverwing Monarch.

Over the next few days Cloudhawk vigorously recruited for the effort. Much to his surprise there was considerable interest in the posting, at least ten times what he was expecting. Perhaps they were bored with the lives they led, or were pessimistic about the times ahead. Maybe that had ambitions of living life as an influential pioneer. At any rate, after just a few days he had thirty thousand volunteers.

What was thirty thousand to Cloudhawk? Well, how many were under his control?

The answer was several million, but if he subtracted the citizens of Imperia and only counted Nox, the Dark Atom, Sandspire and Greenland he had less than a million people. Thirty thousand from that number collected in just a few days spoke volumes to the peoples’ interest in this project.

Spacial immigration was not cheap. Cloudhawk hoped these initial groups could learn and develop quickly so that they could get settled quick.

With so many interested Cloudhawk was saddled with trying to decide who to choose. Cloudhawk looked over the forms and came upon a very interesting group. The Wendigo King and his brood had expressed interest in going. The motivation was to make sure that whatever happened in this world, some of their species would continue to thrive.

Cloudhawk nodded his head. So shall it be.

The wargs were a power one could not ignore. They were especially capable scouts, spies and trackers. By allowing them to immigrate to somewhere else they would have the peace of mind to fight with more loyalty and ferocity. They would have their own place, and a sense of belonging.

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Five thousand pioneers in the spore world. Another two thousand settled on the stony plain.

Ten days since opening the portal, the first batch was nearly ready to depart.

Both groups were different, including the specialists assigned to them. They were selected in accordance with the environment they were going to. Since Spore Planet had been explored before, Greenland’s people knew what to expect more or less. Of the five thousand sent, half were soldiers and scientists, while the other half were normal citizens. Their goal was to establish a settlement and learn more about the world. Hopefully they could discover new and different species of mushrooms to be used. Once adequate resources were collected, they were to be prepared for shipment back to Greenland.

Of the two thousand dispatched to the badlands of the stony plains, most were scientists from either Sandspire, Dark Atom or Nox. Erecting and managing an eboncrys weapon factory was their aim, with the hope of eventually expanding. The others who went with them were among the best soldiers Cloudhawk could spare. The Wendigo King hand-picked five hundred of his fiercest to be their protectors. Nucleus promised two hundred mutant natives of the Blisterpeaks [1]. Greenland sent a contingent of Talons and Nox sent some of its Black Knights.

As far as anyone knew Spore Planet was relatively safe. So long as they stayed away from the ruins they didn’t have to worry about being attacks by spirits, and they knew what the more dangerous mushroom trees looked like. Because they were familiar with the terrain it was a suitable place for Greenland’s first pioneers. In the future, once an infrastructure was build up, they could send much larger numbers of people through.

Where Stony Plains was different from Spore World was in how little of it was known. No one knew what to expect or what they might run in to. Until more information was available, it was best to play it safe.

The fourth world had more resources than the other three put together, but it was a complex and dangerous environment to navigate. Cloudhawk wouldn’t be comfortable sending many people through until more was known.

So that is where things stood. The first layer Cloudhawk could access was the devastated remains of a dead world with no discernible worth. The second was rich with plants and other resources, and was safe enough for settlers. The third world was blasted and intimidating, but there were no obvious threats as of yet. From what they could tell there was a lot of technological treasures to be found and soon their precious factories would call it home. Last was the fourth world, a mysterious jungle filled with wild creatures. It was obviously full of resources to exploit, but for now it was best to scout it out and learn more before sending anyone to stay long term.

Cloudhawk’s current focus was to work on developing those second and third worlds. Spirit beads were beginning to run in short supply, so the gate they powered couldn’t handle huge groups coming and going. These first groups had to be limited.

But they were the foot in the door, so to speak. The first important step. Once these groups were settled a second, and then a third would follow.

Hellflower knew Cloudhawk’s powers were numerous, but far and away the most valuable was his ability to shift dimensions. Every world was filled with treasures waiting to be discovered. Each one had staggering potential, waiting to be tapped. Preparations were being made in case the worst occurred, but since they were already in the process they might as well set up supply lines while they were at it. The power and resources Cloudhawk wielded would continue to grow so that he could overcome his increasingly powerful enemies.

The Wendigo King gathered five hundred of his strongest men. By the time he arrived there was already a sizeable group waiting by the God Tree. Coal showed up a short time later with warriors from his tribe and a group of genetically modified soldiers. He was met with the Wendigo King’s searching gaze. “You are also going to the other world?”

Coal and the Wendigo King came from completely different worlds. Once known as Hyena, the humanoid beast was a creation of the southern wilds. Coal, on the other hand, hailed from the northern Blisterpeaks, a mutant forged from a harsh environment. Although the two might have emerged from vastly different backgrounds, the battle for Sanctuary had brought them together. Since that time they’d often fought side by side against the Conclave and had grown closer.

Coal nodded. “My people come from a very difficult homeland. Things are bad, many have gone to Nucleus for shelter. Too many. So I brought my people to Greenland. When I heard they were sending people to settle a new world we agreed to help.”

The Wendigo King frowned. “Isn’t Greenland a good place? Why are you so eager to go to a strange, unknown place?”

Members of the volcano tribes were strong but mild of temperament. They were allowed to live within the city limits. The Wendigo King’s people, however, were savage and often unruly, so limitations were put on how many could remain among the citizens. Nothing was stopping Coal from waiting until the worlds were better established before going with his people. There was a much higher potential for danger if he went with the first groups.

Coal responded. “Greenland needs strong, bold soldiers. That’s why we’re going.”

His answer wasn’t what the Wendigo King expected. “That’s it?”

Coal nodded. “Cloudhawk is a friend to my people. We answer our friends’ calls.”

There was a note of scorn in the Wendigo King’s smirk. “Friends are made in times of peace. Have you ever heard of a sheep befriending a wolf? Cloudhawk is stronger than you can even imagine. I suggest you stay as far away from him as you can, otherwise he’ll drag you down into this awful war with him. You and your handful of tribesmen won’t survive.”

Coal was annoyed with the warning and wanted to respond, but he couldn’t think of what to say. He was never skilled at arguing and he had to admit the Wendigo King had a point.

Cloudhawk was getting stronger all the time. Now even Wolfblade was his subordinate along with Abaddon, the Shepherd God, the Khan of Evernight, the old drunk and others. Any one of those could wield power out here in the wastes in their own right. The stronger Cloudhawk got, the stronger would be the enemies who stood in his way. Even though Coal wanted to help his friend, were he and his tribe enough to make a difference?

It didn’t seem like it. They would need to get stronger first!

He was still wrestling with the thought when the gateway opened. The shimmering portal grabbed everyone’s attention. As Coal and the Wendigo King gazed upon it their faces turned to surprise. Although they knew Cloudhawk was using the altar to augment his powers, a portal of this still had to use an unfathomable amount of energy and power to create.

A Master Demonhunter, proficient in dimensional power. Cloudhawk had arisen as an indestructible force!

Stepping through the portal, the Wendigo King and Coal found themselves standing amid a vast blasted landscape. Every week they opened the portal once so that more people and supplies could be delivered. Now that they were here, the first order of business was to settle in.

Stony Plains was desolate and barren. It was nothing but dark red stone and dirt for as far as the eye could see. The air was hot and dry, and gravity was harsher than on the world they’d come from. But the atmosphere was suitable and there was enough oxygen. In fact Hellflower had carefully gone over the data collected about this place prior to sending pioneers out and had come to a conclusion.

Whether it was Spore World, Stony Plains of the jungle planet, most anywhere Cloudhawk could phase to had many things in common. Atmosphere, the size of its parent star, intensity of sunlight, temperature… there were slight differences but overall they were perfectly suitable for habitation. It certainly wasn’t a coincidence. What she didn’t know was why.

Out in the infinitely vast cosmos, finding just two habitable planets was one chance in a million. How could it be that time and again Cloudhawk was plucking worlds amenable to life like it was no effort at all? Hellflower had no way to explain it, just like she had no way to explain their destruction.

It didn’t matter, there were more pressing questions to be answered. If people could survive here, that was enough for now.

Coal commanded his tribesmen to begin laying out the foundation. The Wendigo King selected a number of intelligent birds and had them scout the area.

The resources and equipment selected for this group of two thousand was plentiful. They would have a functioning, if temporary, base of operations in less than ten days.

While it was being erected, wargs spread out and learned what they could about the surroundings. During the process they gathered the scant flora they found as well as unfamiliar minerals. Several dozen unique ruins and crashed aircraft were mapped out for later exploration. Beyond this, there was nothing else of note about where they were settling.

That was, until the Wendigo King received an explosive scouting report.

One of his wargs spotted a mechanical creature running at high speeds across the wastes. Its neck alone was three meters long like some sort of giraffe from the ancient world.

This didn’t make any sense to the Wendigo King. How were there robots in this place? As far as anyone knew this place had been destroyed ten thousand years ago. Whatever civilization had existed had long since perished. He might have believed it somewhat if the warg had told him it was a proper giraffe, but a mechanical one? That didn’t seem possible.

He was still mulling it over when Coal came running up to him. “Something strange has appeared near our base. It looked like a bird, but it was not. You should see for yourself.”

Indeed, overhead there was circling a creature that looked to have been modeled after some monstrous misconception of an eagle. It had two heads and one tail. Its two pairs of eyes were dark red and shined with electric light. Every inch of its body was made of metal and countless years exposed to the environment had caused parts of it to rust. Something had damaged its chest, revealing circuits and wires which sputtered with sparks. Long story short, it was a mechanical bird!

The reports were right! Operational machines! The creature circling above them was a highly complex system of circuits still functional after all this time!

It circled the base a few times until breaking into a steep dive. A small rocket emerged from its back and spat fire, increasing its speed by four or five times. They watched it tear passed the base, uninterested in them, and instead snatching up something from the ruins nearby.

The pioneers all watched, transfixed. The bird rose again with a strip of something in its talons, something that looked like a snake.

Of course that was just how it looked. The snake was made of the same material as the bird which had captured it. Another complicated machine. It wriggled against the nail-like talons and tried to belch fire at the bird but to no avail. The bird ignored its desperate attempts and carried off its prize. It paid the outsiders no mind.

What the fuck?

The same thought hung in everyone’s mind as they watched the scene unfold. Sandspire’s scientists were especially stunned by what they’d witnessed.

Two machines living and acting as fluid as real creatures. This sort of technology was centuries ahead of anything Sandspire could produce! It was incredible that they should act out roles of hunter and prey, for what need did machines have to hunt? Robots were not real living things! Yet another inexplicable mystery in this strange world that left the newcomers baffled.

Previous Chapter
Settlers to Stony Plains were surprised to learn that these mechanical creatures were not exceptions in this barren place, but the rule. As the Wendigo King and Coal continued to explore their new home they discovered many more metal monsters prowling the ruins.

Birds, reptiles, fish, bigger game… everything they found was mechanical. The strangest thing about this planet was that these machines had their own clear ecology. Different ‘species’ of machines occupied various strata as predator or prey.

The good news was the robots appeared to have no interest in living things. Settlers stumbled on beasts from time to time, but so long as they didn’t draw too close none of the robots displayed any hostile intent. These surprising discoveries quickly made their way back to Greenland, along with a sample for Hellflower to pour over.

“What is the situation?”

When Cloudhawk heard the news his first stop was Hellflower’s lab. It was his first time seeing such a thing when he entered and spied it lying on her examination table, so even he was surprised.

This one was a lizard, roughly five meters of hard metal alloy. Much of it was rusted and weeds had begun to grow in cracks in its hide. Upon closer inspection they noted that it wasn’t homogeneously crafted, either. Some of the metal was different in places that looked to have been repaired. The legs in particular were completely different from the rest of its body.

While it was clearly a highly complex machine, elements of its exterior gave the crude impression of wasteland improvisation they were all used to seeing. By the time Cloudhawk arrived they’d already started to deconstruct the lizard. Its central processor was laid open, revealing a complex structure. Obviously the level of sophistication far outstripped anything the wastelands could produce. Only a highly advanced and well-developed civilization could have crafted something like this.

Hellflower readjusted her goggled. “The situation is precisely what you see here! There is nothing biological about this construct. It is one hundred percent machine. Its level of sophistical is far superior to anything we could find in Sandspire, by a hundred years at least. But what’s most peculiar is its energy source.”

Hellflower slipped on examination gloves as she spoke. She reached into the lizard’s body and extracted a small crystal orb. It was still humming with energy.

She placed the item to the side and continued. “This is the heart of these robotic creatures. We see that it has structures necessary for collecting solar power, however solar power alone is crude and inefficient. In order to supplement this, it appears these creatures seek out and devour sources of energy that they come across. Most of their inner working are designed to transfer and transform the energy they ingest and store it here in this energy crystal. We only have a rough estimate, but from what we gather there’s a hundred years worth of energy gathering in this one crystal – enough condensed power to blow up a warship!”

Cloudhawk was understandably surprised. “The animals attack one another to devour this energy?”

Hellflower nodded. “We haven’t yet been able to reverse engineer their internal chips and neural networks to better understand them, however some logical program of behaviors is what has allowed them to exist on that planet for so long. Judging by the remolding we found in this specimen, we can surmise that it has undergone several significant transformations.”

His brows furrowed. “So there must be some sort of intelligence out there.”

The reports he’d received described robots that displayed logic and instinct, but were not intelligent enough to make changes to their own bodies like this or build others like themselves. They were merely robots acting out the lives of normal creatures. The only way they could exist was if there was someone or something hiding away that was building them.

Stony Plains was turning out to be more complicated than it first appeared. What other secrets was it hiding? Was there really an intelligent race hiding somewhere out there? If there was, why hadn’t they transformed that blasted landscape to be more hospitable in the thousands of years they’ve had to develop? Instead they spent their time building… these.

What was the secret they weren’t seeing?

“The planet might be more dangerous than we thought,” Cloudhawk mused. “Maybe we should call the settlers back.”

Hellflower did not agree. “Call them back? Why? Do you have any idea how much we can learn from the body of this lizard? Do you know how many other powerful robots like it have been seen wandering Stony Plains, or what other precious relics are waiting to be discovered? That planet is more valuable than any treasure vault you could pry open!”

She wasn’t wrong, but that didn’t answer the question of whether the world was safe or hostile.

Hellflower tried another way. “Haven’t you always wanted to know what really happened to our world? If there are survivors out there they might have the answers. Imagine what that could mean for our future! Think about what we could accomplish if we turn this extraterrestrial power to our cause? It may be just the tool we need to turn the tide in our favor at this critical moment!”

Whatever Hellflower’s other talents, she sure knew how to argue her case. Her passion and persuasion tickled at Cloudhawk’s heart. He did want to know what happened to turn his world into the hellscape it was today.

He also wanted to know how these distinct planets were connected by his dimensional powers and whether the catastrophe that erased human civilization could happen again. If there was an intelligent species hiding somewhere out there, perhaps they held the answers. So he agreed to wait and see, perhaps they would know more soon.

Of the four dimensional layers Cloudhawk had access to, the first was a worthless asteroid field where a planet had once been. The remaining three appeared to have some use. The Spore World, for instance, had turned out to be integral to his people. The third layer was turning out to be an important place for technological development. The fourth layer Cloudhawk had only visited once and knew it to be filled with dangerous critters. Sooner or later he would assemble a crew to scour it for something useful.

So far, nothing in the Demon King’s inherited memories revealed how many dimensions or other worlds there were to explore. Each one held some sort of meaning, though, and as far as he could tell there was infinite room for more.

Hellflower continued picking apart the lizard, learning all she could. Cloudhawk had no more reason to hang around so he left. Once he exited the laboratory he was met with a messenger with another report. Dawn had won a series of important victories out on campaign. Much of the territory she’d lost before Cloudhawk came back had been retaken. She was currently engaged against the Conclave’s long-range forces and if she could beat them back, the conclave would be cast out of the southern wilds entirely.

It had been less than a month since Cloudhawk had returned to Greenland. Already the dire circumstance he’d come back to appeared to be turning in their favor. Such was the benefit of having support from the Dark Atom and Nox.

He also learned more about how things were fairing in Imperia. Reports described a city well on its way to recovery. After taking control the Shepherd God made a point of performing several highly visible miracles. These acts helped her establish a reputation and solidified her leadership. While her power did not yet compare to that of the late Silverwing Monarch, Meadow was her domain. The former king could never do what she was capable of from the heart of her Temple.

It didn’t matter where, people valued and respected strength.

The Shepherd God’s strength was enough to keep the people of Imperia impressed and in line. The feats Autumn performed defied their imaginations. What’s more, upon her return the Shepherd God revealed the true history of the realm they occupied. That alone made her words more persuasive.

Imperia was the most populated territory under Cloudhawk’s control. Even once they clawed back the rest of the southern wilds, Imperia – or Oakstead as the Shepherd God had originally named it – would still be home to half of all his people. Having it take a turn toward stability was very good news for Cloudhawk.

“Now is the time to cast out the Conclave of Judgment.”

Cloudhawk looked over a map of the southern wilds. Now he knew that Dawn’s main force had engaged with the Conclave’s, and the result of that battle would determine the fate of his territory. He would participate himself, and not only him but the Khan and Abaddon as well.

It’d been more than twenty days since Dawn led her coalition off to battle. With her string of victories there was no question that she’d earned respect and prestige among her troops. What the south needed now was a suitably grandiose victory to boost morale and rekindle faith. Cloudhawk summoned his two lieutenants and teleported directly from the city. It took them less than an hour to reach the battlefield with the help of his powers. It was taking place in an abandoned wasteland city. Dawn had already arrived and occupied it to have a more defensible position when the enemy arrived.

“What are you doing here?” Dawn had been looking over maps and crafting her strategy when she heard Cloudhawk had arrived. She’d gone immediately to find him.

Cloudhawk looked on the young woman and smiled. “Things back in Greenland are all under control. We’re here to help you fight the final battle for the southern wilds.”

Indeed it was the final battle. If they stopped the Conclave here they would have no choice but to retreat back to the north with their tail between their legs. Interest in harassing the south would sharply decrease or stop entirely once the Conclave focused on licking its wounds. Their enemies would certainly be taking this fight seriously.

Just then a dark wind blew and an ominous shadow appeared on the horizon.

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