In the relative calm of the realm of the Grey Lords, 2 beings of enormous power, housed in forms that do not show it, watch different images splash across a pool of water beneath them.
A young child with skin of gold stares into the shimmering portal of water. “So, old man. These are the planes where they took different choices?”, he says to the other figure in the Grey Lords’ chambers. An elderly man, almost doubled over, leaning on a gnarled walking stick shoots the child an impatient look.
“Lord of Entropy, you know full well what you are seeing. These are the roads not taken, by the ones who seek to disturb the singular pathway of order.”, the old man splutters angrily at the child.
They both stare into the pool and the vision before them swims into a series of images…
The first image shows the Isle of Melnibone, transformed into a prison by the forces of Law. It shows Leto and Trip climbing out but, this time, Trip manages to survive and they both end up escaping off the Isle together. The image swims and changes once again…
The vision is still of Melnibone, but this time it focuses on the beach. In the distance, the original Merciful Servant has successfully navigated through the coral maze outside Imryrr. The full crew manage to get to the shore including Donny. They manage to rescue MakAye and they all leave the Isle of Dragons, alive. The vision swirls once more…
It shows a jungle setting. Our crew are being chased through the dense vegetation with crystalline discs thudding into the trees beside them as they dash away from the creatures that are chasing them. Strange reptilian creatures, using clubs that appear to propel the crystal discs. It shows them escape into a huge crystal building, where they find primitive Law Machines that they are able to fashion into basic vehicles and weapons in the war against 2-Scratch. The image blurs once more…
This image appears to show Vilmir, but this is the version of it that has been changed by the machinations of Law. It shows our crew, atop one of the white metal worms that speed across the land. They are escaping from Manfreds, who are chasing them across the top of this thing. In the distance behind them, a huge building is in flames, the team having just destroyed the factory that built the thousands of Manfred. The image ripples yet again…
The next image shows our crew approaching a keep at the edge of the world, surrounded by mists that drive anyone within them, insane. The crew, using Orto’s spells manage to get through to the keep. After some struggles, the crew march back out with some of the Young Kingdom’s oldest and most powerful sorcerers, all once thought long dead. The image wavers and changes once again…
This time, the image feels different. “Old man! This is our plane, is it not?”, the golden skinned child asks.
“Yes, this is the version where none of those earlier things happened.”, the old man says wearily.
For the first time in this exchange, the Grey Lords of Balance speak, “This plane still has hope, however slim and tenuous it may be, hope remains. It will all depend on choices made and battles to be won or lost.”
Upon hearing this, the child starts to clap and laugh, while the old man mumbles and shuffles away from the pool. In the pool itself there is an image of a huge fleet of boats, above it, a flight of Dragons soar. Underneath the water, 100 demons stride onwards, and the final image shows a huge crackling doorway opening in the side of a mountain, with thousands of men on horseback waiting to burst through the portal.
“The Battle at the End of Time is nigh.”, says Lord Arioch
Cruising for a Musing 