Uranus, the Godless Realm [Part 1]

A musky landscape spreads around Czar and Manon, both clad in their league fits; dark blue blazer with gold embroidered trim, breeches slightly baggy, with a belt tighten around the edge, their upper parts donning a shortened jacket with many pockets on the sides, and thick leather boots.

From their location situated high in the dark golden sky, Czar and Manon sit upon a starlight bridge. A hum resounds with a deep vibration and they can smell fuel, exhaustion, smoke, and spices from street vendors below.

Dark smoky emerald skyscrapers tower the clouds, their massive architecture crafted with bright neon stone that glows, and wide long streets rumble as giants dominate the city.

Uranus, a planet inhabited by giants, with machinery as the primary principle of their culture. Despite being a godless realm, Uranus is the most successful civilization out of the 10 Coordinates of the Star System.

After ascending into divinity, Mother of Angels human essences faded into the planet and turned it into a forest of metal that gradually transformed into skyscrapers, which became homes to the stranded giants who lost their nation in heaven after the war.

The giants viewed this as a blessing and began worshiping Her, yet the Mother of Angels did not want to rule over them or their devotion, declaring them beneath that privilege.

‘Human beast is what they are,’ She would say. ‘I love my angels.’

However, despite the contempt, when one of Her eldest daughters asked for Uranus, She gifted the planet as if it belonged to Her. Not out of love, of course, but because Mother of Angels couldn’t stand the sight of the hybrid, who was half angel and half giant.

For a thousand years, Thylane, the hybrid queen of Uranus, overseed the planet as the pope of the Mother of Angels. She was benevolent and tender to the giants despite her mother’s beliefs.

Thylane taught the giants of her angelic nature, along with astronomy secrets, helping them advance technology and civilization, leading them astray from the Heavenly Father’s will.

Ten years ago, she went to an annual feast in heaven and never returned, leaving Uranus leaderless.

However, the business and history of this realm was none of the Voyager Seekers' concern.

“It’s here,” Manon announces.

Czar follows her line of sight, his muscles straining beneath his clothes. 

In the center of the city, a gaping ragged milky circle spins into existence. The eerily vortex scorches the air with a violent destructive aura.

People’s skin prickles with goosebumps and their eyes bulge at the sight of illusionary symbols caging the vortex.

With a casual air, Manon and Czar watch as a six armed entity emerges. A brilliant dark presence leaks from the creature. A giant purple eye etched its forehead, while a large collection of asteroids sprout its back like wings.

Their mission: eliminate the Orbit Evolution destined to descend into Uranus.

Orbit Evolutions, creatures born from shooting stars, are deemed monstrous enemies to all, carrying celestial status equal to divine beings and formidable strength that rivals Ophanim. They wander the star system like wild monsters, invading realms and devouring anything in sight. They manifest in a realm they feel the most easy to feed on and leave unharmed.

The commission center that hands out missions tallies the waves of energy these creatures rattle throughout the star system with an advanced item known as Sixth Eye, predicting the appearances of Orbit Evolutions.

****

“This one has successfully raided two realms. The power it gained is from mercury and mars,” Czar says, his expression solemn. “It’s been cursed with bad luck by the God of Prophecy, so its ray blast is useless. The only thing you really need to watch out for is its touch. If by some miracle it touches you, you know the drill, cut off the limb immediately. I suggest you finish it with one attack.”

Ishaan nods affirmatively. “Akira, you draw its attention and leave the rest to me. Once the Obit Evolution falls, Ezra, notify us of any side invasions.”

“Wait what?!” Akira furrows his brows. “I want to play with it.” Frustration tinges in his voice.

Everyone turns to look at him.

“Can I at least go a few rounds? Please, bro.” he asks Ishaan pleadingly, who was already walking down the hallway of Universal Raider. Its sleek silver walls seemingly brighter when in his fresh presence.

“Sure.”

Akira's face immediately lit up with a grin, his eyes shining with excitement, while the others shook their heads helplessly.

“He fucking spoils Akira, I swear,” Manon complains to Hazel, the Voyager Seekers Navigator. The older female spares the healer a glance before focusing on her task of flying the spacecraft.

****

Ishaan recalls the plan as he sat inside a restaurant located in the city. The restaurant was smack in the middle of the emerging battle, allowing him to take action when required.

He waits patiently, sipping a cup of black coffee. The bitterness did little to bless his taste buds like a sweet one would, but a flavored coffee makes Ishaan sleepily rather than awake.

Next to him was the current pope of Uranus, Orpheus, son of Queen Thylane. He possessed strangely handsome features; blazed shaped eyebrows, pointed ears, sparse pale blonde hair that flowed to his thick nape, dark skin, and draped in an orange white robe.

Him and Ishaan became acquaintances at the annual feast held in heaven, where the Eight Phthartic invites certain members of the Four Holy Clans to dine with them.

Ishaan was invited to the Bells of Macrocosm last year after gaining a completed sun divine mark and ended up becoming a benefactor to Uranus.

After the disappearance of the queen, Uranus suffered great poverty. Thylane used to have trade networks with various realms that provided essential resources such as food, water, clothing, and other daily necessities that the giants could not easily supply.

They were big people who needed countless food and basic essentials for one family, so with a population of thousands, even their massive products of supplies wouldn’t last them.

However, with her gone, those networks deem Uranus not worthy of trade and abandon them.

Upon hearing of this, Ishaan wasn’t surprised. People with a high status only bother with people like them. Anyone they see as beneath them will get treated as such without any hesitance.

A person, human, monster, or mythical being. Race, gender, religion—it didn’t matter to them what you are or who. If you’re strong, you can remain above the water. If not, you will drown.

Strength is life and weakness is death in this day and age.

Ishaan feels sick with the reality of their universe the more he explores, yet he is helpless to make a significant change. He was strong, but he was no god.

Besides, in order to make a difference, you must change your own environment first. At the moment, that seems impossible.

For now anyways….

To Ishaan, the giants were no weaklings. The only reason they’re viewed that way is because they lack divine powers, possessing only incredible physical strength. They can smash planets with a punch, making billions crumble in their palms, yet they can not wander or travel outside their realm.

Ishaan made a bold guess in his cool, calculated mind. ‘The Eight Phthartic fear the giants for some reason.’ 

He isn’t only positive of this speculation, but sure of it. What he didn’t understand though, was why none of them ruled over the giants.

He didn’t want to be a dick, but it would be so easy. The giants were desperate for guidance, a hand to hold them through the chaotic waves of existence. ‘I mean, they quickly kneeled to Thylane because she offered them the joy of life when all they’ve been doing is surviving.’

Eating and devouring their own people for the sake of salvation of the hungry, while stealing the deceased supplies for their own family.

Ishaan didn’t want to appear too eager, so when he and Orpheus hit it off, he simply offered the man aid should they need it.

That need came faster than Ishaan thought it would. A week later, Helios, his sun messenger, delivered a letter from Orpheus.

The giant requested for a trustworthy trade network, willing to offer ice orbs for essential goods. Ice orbs are a plant that can only be grown on Uranus and are extremely expensive in the star system. People use it to craft enchantments, potions, powering machines, weapons, and technology.

In Ishaan cautiousness, he might have forgotten genuine nature. His father taught him to sink his claws into someone of worthiness delicately so it can last longer.

He didn’t realize until today that his carefully laid out plans to bait Uranus into submission were no longer needed.

Trust and loyalty didn’t always need to be manipulated. Ishaan was still having a hard time accepting that.

From what he’s gathered, the people of Uranus were genuine in everything they did. They never betrayed anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. 

Ishaan couldn’t blame them for turning on each other for survival, he simply had to make sure they never turned on him. That they would die for him rather than kill him for life.

In the beginning, he planned to be generous and genuine, yet he had to do it slowly. Like a snake hunting a prey, watching and waiting to strike. He wanted them not to even think of his true intentions and just depend on him like mindless puppets. 

After a year of knowing each other, Ishaan decided he could lower his guard and be upfront.

‘They can be allies instead of puppets. Once we’ve completed this mission, I’ll give them full control of the trade network instead of being the messenger of the two, which will develop more trust and because it’s Lysander in charge, he won’t back out from talking with Orpheus. He’ll also keep silent.’ Ishaan couldn’t help a small smile curling his mouth. ‘This mission is a blessing in disguise.’

At first, he grumbled it was a waste of time since the giants can clearly take care of themselves in a fight, yet damage and casualties was inevitable. However, with the Voyager Seekers here, it won’t be.

A warm bright barrier encases the structures of the giant city, so when the vortex appears, the civilization remains unharmed.

Ishaan forged it not only to protect the population of Uranus, but to stop the Obit Evolution from feeding on people's fear to obtain power.

Ishaan sat upon the top floor of the restaurant. Fifteen meters away and twenty feet into the sky, he can see a storm of ice shards raging, with a dark silhouette dominating the center.

Thunder strikes in a chorus of noise. The sky rumbles, dispelling clouds. Bright blue lightning snakes the sky like erupting vines, illuminating Akira’s figure.

Orbit Evolution predator instincts lead its attention to Akira. Lengthy bones extend from its many palms, slamming with resounding echo into an ice shield. As the ice shield remains solid, the creature probes fiercely, making the attack appear like thousands due to its marvelous speed.

The ice shield begins to crack.

In the next second, an ice soldier appears behind Orbit Evolution, slicing off an arm.

Simultaneously, Akira lowers the temperature into a boiling heat, causing the air around it to melt its rune engraved skin.

An agonized screech fills the air.

In a flash of movements, the monster arches an arm and the bones flare with blazing black fire, which shoots out and devours the ice solider. 

Smoky mist drifts from the clash, shadowing their exchange momentarily.

Ishaan, with his blindfold on, observed the fight with his superior senses, so he was unfazed, and instead was noting down internally of Akira flaws. ‘He’s being overly reckless. I understand he wants the fight to draw out, but the smarter move would be to corner it with many attacks and sneak in for the kill. Then again, he could be simply following my orders, which allows him to draw out the battle. But overall, plan or not, his actions would remain the same.’

The wind uplifting Akira in the air is gentle and calm. He sends out a blizzard to vaporize the fire cloaking its arm, sensing malice danger from the flames itself.

As the fire gets devoured, Orbit Evolution other arms spark with different elements. Lightning, wind, water, earth, and fire once more.

Akira propels towards it with an ice spear manifested in his left hand. He flawlessly twirls the spear, while narrowing his eyes as the creature projects the elements into different directions and not at him.

The air hums as ice clashes against bone.

At the same time, clusters of galactic energies surge into reality and sucks in the elemental attacks, redirecting them at Akira blind spots; crackling lightning arrows, blades forged by wind, water shrinking into bullets, hardened earth hurling like pillars, and fire licking every single attack, embracing them like armor.

In a flash of movements, Akira cuts off four of its arms, while a bone seems to pieces his gut in the process. In the next second, the strike is revealed to have been blocked by a surface of ice veiling his flesh. Simultaneously, he encases a thick ice barrier around himself.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The ice barrier shakes violently under the assault of elements, appearing on the verge of collapsing.

‘It’s clearly still fucking strong despite being cursed by a god. How impressive and unbelievable.’ Akira pulse races with adrenaline and thunders in his ear. 

His stomach churns with a thrill of excitement as he hoped to defeat the creature before Ishaan stepped in, already knowing his older friend's mind was dancing with his flaws.

Akira casts another ice barrier as the previous one shatters into shards. From within it, his view is a curtain of blue transparent. 

As he ponders, his heart sinks in disappointment at the sight he witnesses.

Ishaan, seated in the fancy ladder chair, with one hand raised, flings out a missile of sunlight.

It flares in a magnificent yellow shade with a swift charge from the heavens, emanating a potent energy that sears the atmosphere. It plunges into Orbit Evolution like the speed of light.

Half of its body explodes before it liquefies into an illusory cosmic symbol, becoming a thaw corpse.