Eden: Return of the Queen

[Millennium]

Name: Eden

Location: In the Pamoja Galaxy, five galaxies away from the Elysia galaxy.

Surface Conditions: 90% Earth-like surface while 10% is actually a grey gaseous state. Several invisible wells of energy flows through the planet such as universal, magic, and negation. Eden has eleven visible small moons of various colors orbiting the planet. *The Grey moon is the only one that doesnt orbit around Eden. It stays hovered high above in one place and shines only over the gaseous part of Eden.

Ruling & Governing Bodies: The Empress is the ruling position over all of Eden. Under the Empress are a few established kingdoms scattered throughout the land such as the Kingdom of Thames. Other kingdoms have yet to return from the colonies out in space.

Primary inhabitants: Gods and humans.

Places of Interest:

Edens Gate: This is the land touched by the gods where beauty is everywhere. At the center is the Grand Palace where the Empress houses her family. The current Empress is Honors Angel.

Town of Tchets: This is the largest town in Edens Gate. The Empress palace is several hills to its east. The town is where the first colonials from Tchetna have touched down and made their home at. The towns spiritual leader and governor is Emissary Ellysand.

Other Places of Interest: Almasi Desert, Tembea Forest, Weupe Expanse, Shanjari Waters, Baramot Plains, SFuri Caves.

Brief History: Not much has been uncovered about Edens history. Very few know of the times when Eden was originally a peaceful planet ruled by an Empress, a female First chosen by her predecessors who was to follow the Established Order. Few know of the day an Empress went rogue and strayed far away from the Established Order. Her actions following this act caused many tumultuous events to happen which through the glory of the planet far off its intended path. It is said that it took the combined might of former empresses overthrow the rogue and lock her away. They turned to the people to grant them a better replacement, but when all was said and done the people didnt trust the gods anymore and never accepted another Empress.

With the land without an Empress, the turmoil inflicted on it remained and it was left to the people to forge their own way. Through hard work and overcoming many wars with each other, a new way was found and for a time peace reigned. They even renamed the planet Tchetna as a symbol of setting themselves apart from the old ways. But the land could not survive without an empress.

Centuries passed when the damage to the planet could no longer be ignored. What made the matter worse was many of the Tchets mining and selling off the planets precious resources for monetary gain. A possible solution was found in two travelers known as Odysseus and a young Millennium who set out to try and save Tchetna. However instead of saving the planet, a nefarious turn of events doomed it further. An evacuation order was sent all over as hundreds of thousands made it off the planet before it died. They were scattered among the stars to live as colonials.

One day, Millennium returned to the dead planet to face an old enemy. When the battle had ended, Mil found a way to finally restore the planet to its former beauty and glory. Soon, word got out to the many remaining colonials that their planet has been revitalized and have started making their way back to their restored home. The Tchets, led by Emissary Ellysand, were the first to arrive, soon followed by the Queen of Thames.

[Millennium]

Previously on Eden...

Ryvius and the Hall of Destiny Empresses laid in wait for a time when an old enemy by the name of The Aluluei would try to make their return. *They did not know when it would happen, just that it would come about and destruction would soon follow. *Then one day...

Kamikaze Felix, a Negation agent, landed on Eden and stumbled across the Negation Egg. *Once the egg's puzzle was solved the chain of events that Ryvius waited for was set into motion, allowing the former empress to enact upon a secret plan. *Kamikaze became aware of the other eggs on Eden and followed their trail to unravel their hidden power. *But other's were soon alerted to the presence of the eggs.

The Queen of Thames was one such person, who found her egg on a visit to her old kingdom of Thames. *She had aspirations to bring about the new age for her people, but that was cut short when she was killed in a fight by...

Kevin, an assassin of the highest order, sent to Eden from the Gray Moon to retrieve a fellow assassin who was also his sister by the name of...

Kat, a former amnesia case who was a guest of Eden's Empress and Champion. *She was another recipient of a couple of Eden's eggs at the request of Ryvius. *A few of those on the quest with her was Zamael of Thames, Maul, Mekaar and the twins Danae and Pixie. *During all of this, Zamael had found a fellow shadowwalker by the name of...

Exu, who was a prince of his own kingdon by now a servant of the Aluluei. *Together, they secretly conspired to bring The Aluluei down on their own. *Exu left Zamael and headed back to his hated master only to find treachery around the corner...

Ellysand, former Emissary of the Tchets who had a grudge against Zamael, had struck his own deal with The Aluluei and planned to usurp Exu's place by the monster's side.

Honor's Angel was locked in a struggle with a former Empress by the name of Legna, who caged her away in an unbreakable prison. *She was eventually freed by her husband...

Millennium, just back after the events of the Negation War. *Together, they fought their own twisted dopplegangers but got separated again. *Honor's Angel did meet up with Kat and the others in time to help with their search when she was assaulted by the Night, her uncle disguised as Lawbringer NYXZ. *As the fight unfolded in the Gray Area of Eden, it brought forth doubt about her relationship with Mil which made her lash out in anger and abandon her position as Empress. *With the land without an Empress and the final egg possessing Maul...

The Aluluei entered the picture from their throneroom and fought those on the scene. *A confusing battle took place where it seemed as though The Aluluei would win despite Zamael defeating Ellysand. *By then, Millennium had returned to join the fight which allowed Kat and Zamael the time to unlock Ryvius' plan. *Assuming the title of Empress for herself, Kat (whose memories were restored) helped Zamael achieve the status of Protector and joined Millennium in the final blow to The Aluluei. *They had victory, but it was a bittersweet one which saw the loss of Mekaar and Maul.

In the aftermath, Kat and Zamael had kept their titles but Millennium vowed not to return unless he had his family back with him. *Kat had her meeting with her brother Kevin where it was made clear that they would be enemies as Zamael protected her by watching from the shadows. *Kevin returned back to the Gray Moon to angry superiors, who would report back to their Queen. *And Kat and Zamael returned back to Eden's Gate, not knowing of some of the ominous signs that made their presence known.

[the_shadow_creatures]

The past. Shortly after the closing of chapter 2:

There was a blackness around him. He felt it. Some great yawning void larger than he had ever seen, even in the shadowrealm. It did not make sense to him. He remembered the fight. He remembered the dog dieing. He remembered... What? Nothing after that... A pain and then... emptieness.
The world faded in around him. The gray place was even grayer... the colors of the fallen creatures around him more muted. There was the dog, ripped in half, his body not recovered. He knew the dog would be buried at some point. He wondered how long it had been there, growing cold. He stretched, almost flowing in his feline grace. He scanned the ground around him and saw... He squinted. It looked like him, this thing he rose out of. He trailed from the black and green fur like smoke. His brow furrowed, his eye twitched. Dead? Was he dead?

[manekochan]

"Yeah, looks like it," came a voice from behind him. The voice was the only sound in this strange place. When she spoke the air seemed to come in on her like a vacuum, trying to suck the words away, but it couldn't. Not to her.
Vesthen turned to see who addressed him and he looked upon a small gray cat with thirteen tails that swam and danced from his sight. The cat smiled at him, it's eyes a strange color of purple pink. The tails flicked enmasse as she carefully looked him over.
Was she a goddess?...
The cat blinked at him, a brow raising.
"Fraid not, kiddo; izzat what I look like right now? Chee. Remind me not to come here anymore... Fah... No, no. I'm no goddess."
She glided toward him, looking him over.
"I've been watching you," she purred. It chilled him like nothing else ever had, it was full of promises, madness, fear... It was full of something so vast he couldn't comprehend it, but it called and frightened him at the same time.
"You're interesting..." she said with a smile, siddling up beside him. It was strange that he could feel her fur against him when he own form felt so much like smoke. "I think we should keep you around..." she purred at him. He felt his form being drawn from the cooling body he had once inhabitted. The strange cat pulled his soul toward her, caressing it. She ran her jawline against him and he felt more solid, a ripple of fear going through him.
"You've served me well, up till now... Unwittingly, perhaps, but served nonetheless."

[the_shadow_creatures]

Vesthen swallowed, his throat working. He shouldn't have a throat.
"Served you? I've served none but myself."

[manekochan]

She smiled at him. "Believe what you will, kiddo. You're not done yet. I'd like to see what you will do in the future. The gods must be smilin on ya', kid, cause I don't normally traffic in souls." She stretched a little, the thirteen tails straightening, shaking and then stilling themselves.
Vesthen felt fear well up in him again. He didn't like it. This master ... this master was insane.
She grinned."Thankee, but I'm not so much. That's just an illusion I like to perpetuate. Anyhoodilly, you've got a job to do. Let's how much trouble you can cause, shall we?"

[the_shadow_creatures]

She drew even closer to him and her tails closed around them both, a shroud of gray-blue fur and Vesthen felt sick with power, fear, joy, and underlying it, the untouchable insanity that being so close to pure chaos can cause. He let out a cry, from what he wasn't sure, and everything went black.

End of flashback

[Zamael]

During the past three months, Zamael has focussed on gaining control of his powers and the powers of the eggs. Shortly after the events of the last chapter he returned to the grey place and retrieved Mekaar's body, taking it to be buried in Thames. He left Vesthen's there. He's spent most of the three months trying to find some trace of the Queen and quelling any rumors of her death. The people of the Thames colony have slowly begun to make thier way back and a few temporary buildings have been built in Thames while the returning citizens try to rebuild. Most of the returning citizens do not wonder about the whereabouts of the Queen, as they don't expect her to come back to Thames until it has some sembelance of its former glory or at the very least a residence for her. The Thames Colony, however has begun to worry over the absense of the Queen and they do not trust Zamael's assurance that she is simply busy on Eden. The Thames Colony grows impatient for her return.
To better protect Kat Zamael has taken up residence in the palace with her. Venice and Theron, the Queen's two 14 year old attendents, have gone with him and have integrated themselves into the normal palace staff. *He has appointed a trustworthy shadow-mare (Nevarre) to follow and protect Kat (when he is not present) and a *quick-witted ferret (Thestan) to follow Venice and Theron. He has not chosen a new animal companion to replace Mekaar and probably won't.
Zamael has become a little withdrawn over the past few months as he trains in his new powers and quietly contemplates the fate of Thames, the Queen, his relationship with Kat, and Mekaar's death as well as how to best defend the planet of Eden and the eggs.
Though he has trained in his powers, he uses them little, afraid of altering things too much. His resolve weakens, however, as the months go by and instead of lessening, Mekaar's death weighs more heavily on him.
He has also begun to hear voices on occassion and he wonders if it is something in the shadow realm calling to him or if it is simply his mind slipping a little. Neither prospect reassures him.

[Ellysand]

From behind Zamael a familiar yet ghostly whisper would interrupt him...

"Zamael Zamael Zamael. *You look as if you still aren't having fun. *Why is this?"

[Zamael]

Zamael almost started. The ghostly voice had come upon him like silk sliding into his mind; unobtrusive. He wondered if others could hear it. This voice was different from the one that had been slowly building in his head... a kind of anti-conscience that harranged him from some unknown enemy. He couldn't deny that that particular voice could be his imagination.
This voice, however, he could.
"Ellysand..." he muttered, his voice bitter.
He had been halfway to Thames again, tracing his way through the shadowrealm, walking it, letting no part of it go unknown. He'd done that many times in the last few months, trying to find some scrap of evidence as to the Queen's whereabouts. He was under the tumultuous waters of the Shanriji and he paused as Ellysand's voice found him.
His mind instinctively checked on his current charge, Kat the Empress of Eden, through the eyes of Nevarre, the shadow-creature he had appointed to follow her. He had learned to use the shadow creatures as he had once used the Queen, but he did not use the power often. It was strange and confusing at times.
At any rate, for the moment, Kat was fine. Their discussion had naught to do with her, he wagered. Once he determined that Kat was alright, he began to move again as if Ellysand's voice had not just come out of nowhere to torment him. He seemed indifferent to it at the moment.
"When have you ever been concerned with my pleasure?" he asked with practiced disinterest as he continued his walk and his search. Voices in his head... He mentally sighed. He had barely had a week of respite from the imposter Queen's intrusions (which had really been his own strange thoughts) when a new voice had sprung up. Now he had Ellysand to contend with as well as the new voice? Somewhere, a god was laughing.
"Taking bets..." he muttered. "How long will it take to drive me insane? Has anyone called the 5th of November? If not, I'd like that day. I think that would be a nice day to go insane." If a new voice was popping up he might as well entertain himself with it. Besides that, he wasn't entirely sure he hadn't invented the voice, anyway. Ellysand had been suspiciously absent for the last three months. Perhaps his tired mind was inventing the voices to fill in that gap... that strange apprehensive gap when all of your enemies seem to have disappeared and you slowly go insane with worry and waiting. Perhaps the 5th of November was too ambitious.
He considered a nearby shadow carefully to distract himself from this line of thought and went on his way.