An Angel Called Eternity

The Field Rat's Banquet - Seventh I: Dark, Warmth, Dark

Seventh I: Dark, Warmth, Dark

The Twenty-Eighth Day of the Ninth Moon, 872 AD.
Anaria, Western Teleytaios, Klironomea.

First there was darkness. They didn't like dreams that began like this; despite the hardships they had already overcome, they were more than willing to admit that they found themselves scared by visions of darkness. Even with their eyes completely covered they could still see normally, but this was a different kind of darkness, one of absolute nothingness. To be clear, they didn't fear the dark itself, or even what could be lurking within it, but a fear of being trapped in inky blackness for eternity, with no way out. It was a somewhat irrational fear, they knew, but it stuck with them all the same.

Then there was light, as Solaria ignited before them.
They could see Anamanesis, the planet resplendent in greens, blues and greys, from their position astride the star at the heart of the heavens. It looked perfect. They had never stridden the cosmos before, but they imagined that if ever they did, it would look almost exactly like this.
Almost.
There was something wrong here. His blindfolded eyes could see all laid bare before him as silhouettes and outlines, but when he tried to look at the moon... there was nothing. A hole in reality, where something had been before. Seventh removed the blindfold from their eyes to better take in the situation around them, and what they saw was sickening.
Before them, in the place of the moon, was a... thing. It took the rough approximation of a human, but it was so far removed from humanity that it was hard to know what it was. It cracked open an eye and looked to Anamanesis.
The creature, the God, for that is all it could have been, had empty pits where eyes should have been. Its limbs were wiry and thin, its body little more than skin pulled taught over bone. It looked ravenous.
It moved to bite into the world, like one would an apple, and began to crush part of the planet between its jaws. Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, the planet's surface gave way with a thunderous boom, and the God began to smile.
Placing bony fingers into the crack, it began to prise open the shell of the planet, until half of the world shattered into a dozen pieces, leaving the other drifting in the void.
When he gazed into the relatively intact half of the world, the Seer realised that it was not rock and water that ran throughout the world, but blood, marrow and rotting flesh.
The creature sprung forwards and began to tear at the chunks of the world, devouring them with all the reckless abandon of a feral animal. The young Seer heaved and retched, expelling the contents of their stomach which proceeded to float away in the void.
My Lord, My King, My God, protect me from thine enemies and thine evils, throw back this vision of darkest creation, I beseech the, grant me-

"Sev? Can you hear me? Sev?"
Seventh shot awake, gripping the forearm of the prince in front of them. The prince's eyes- Prince, not King, he was very insistent on that in private, were filled with concern, and they knew their own were likely panicked. No, no, no! He can't see my eyes, not now, where is it!
"Where- where is my blindfold! Please, I just need- I just need my blindfold!"
Rhema nodded at the Seer's chest, the silk tunic coated in bile and sick. True to his word, the blindfold was within the small puddle.
"Yeah, I don't think you're gonna wanna put that on."
Upon hearing this Seventh slammed their eyes shut, a rush of anxiety building.
"Here, hang on, this should do for now."
Seventh opened an eye just enough to see Rhema take a piece of green silk from around his arm and tie it around his eyes. It fit well, almost as good as his actual blindfold, and was somewhat more comfortable.
"I did wonder why you always wore that arm-sash."
Seventh could hear the almost excited smile in Rhema's voice as he spoke.
"I know how anxious you can get without a blindfold, so I made sure that there would always be one on-hand just in case! Well, not quite on hand so much as on arm, but still!"
The knowledge that the excitable and hysterical prince cared enough to ensure they would not be so anxious caused a feeling of fondness to rise in their chest.
Again.
They quickly smothered it.
Again.
"Thank you."
The words were filled with more emotion than they intended, a small amount of their suppressed gratitude slipping into their voice.
Rhema waved it off, seemingly content to have simply helped.
"Nah, it's nothing. I like seeing you in my colours anyway."
Seventh rolled his eyes behind the new blindfold. Rhema had the ability to suck the drama out of almost any situation, not with consolation or profound words, but with a healthy dose of casual flirting.
"Will you still be there when I hold court today?"
Seventh nodded.
"I think so. I'm still a bit out of it, but it isn't for a few hours yet, yes?"
"That's right! I'll need to sort through some of the written petitions beforehand, but you can take the hours off. Rest for a while, I'll have Crowe send someone to escort you to the throneroom later."
Seventh smiled at the Prince, and nodded his assent. Rhema stuck his head back in as he was leaving, and hurried out a quick sentence.
"Just a heads up, it'll probably be Ser Aenethar. Damn good knight, little bit odd. Best of luck."
Seventh blinked behind the blindfold.
Ser Aenethar? He knew that name from somewhere... from another time, another place... Aenethar... Aenethar...