The Rage of Izhari Part I

Hundreds of bodies laid in their own filth. White robes of former opulence were tarnished and stained with excrement, fluids, and food remnants. Each body was simultaneously bloated and frail. They were all draped across bed-like devices, with devices harnessed to their heads like helmets. Each helmet had cables of glowing white energy that ran from the faceplates and up to an enormous pulsing monolith that was shaped like an orb. It turned in silence as the hundreds of cables pulsed from its base and down to the helmets. Tubes of feeding devices were plunged directly into uncleaned ports at the center of each being’s stomach.

The chasm in the ceiling was weakly reinforced with unskilled bracing that threatened to fall away in a moment.

“W-w-what is this place?” Tomita gagged as he felt terror welling within him that he knew was not just his.

The sickly creature beside him smiled a dazed smile as though entering a trance.

“Our kingdom is the greatest kingdom to have ever existed. Through all of time we avoided conflict and the machinations of power-hungry men. Our blood was pure and our halls alabaster. This is our great memory totem. Our kind do not need to venture out into the world now to see the state of things. It is easier, and better, for all of us to remain here, in this hall, and focus on our perfection,” it said with praise.

It wasn’t being sarcastic or coy. That was even scarier for Tomita. It meant what it was saying. As a few dozen retainers moved through the crowd, Tomita saw them pump food into the feeding containers. Others scraped excrement from the ground and threw it into bins that were then carried from the premises. The robes and floors were not changed or cleaned. By now the vomit was raging within Tomita but he focused with all of his might.

“Indeed. Your kingdom is truly great. I know you are one of the ancient noble races. How do you maintain your population if you do not venture out into the world?” Tomita asked, though he feared he knew the answer.

“Our blood is pure, and it has stayed pure for millennia. Our families are all united in our understanding that this purity is our most important trait.”

Tomita flinched in disgust as he watched more fecal matter being pulled away. Knowing that all of these bodies were born of inbreeding only made it worse. In his chest, he felt something beyond terror growing. Izhari was breaking. Tomita wanted nothing more than to leave this place, and now he knew that Izhari was likely feeling something infinitely worse. This was the homeland she had missed and imagined and wondered about for decades, and it was the most wretched place he had ever known. They had to leave.

Tomita began to move them to the doorway so that they could escape the putridity of that cursed place. Once they were outside, Tomita finally exhaled, only then realizing he had been holding his breath. The creature continued on, undistracted. A few other beings like Izhari moved silently through the square now, all with helmeted heads turned down.

“I shall take you to the crown smiths now, if you would like,” said the creature.

“Yes,” said Tomita as they moved away from the hall.

To Tomita's absolute disgust, he saw what was happening to the piles of excrement. The slack-jawed retainers were simply dumping the disgusting waste into the stagnant water canals that surrounded the great hall... Tomita forced himself to focus on his breathing so that panic did not overtake him.

Across the square, a large glass building awaited them. Much like the rest of the kingdom, its structure was made of ever-shifting stone, so that the walls themselves rearranged and reanimated themselves every moment. As the creature approached, it opened itself to allow them in.

Within the building, a handful of smiths were singing in a deep chant, with hands extended over thousands of bands of metal that were being pulled into formation. It was weak, but Tomita felt a sensation that told him the smiths were using some form of magic. This made sense to him, as it would seem that only magical beings could create something as complex and scalable as memory crowns worn by every sentient being in the realm.

“Our smiths are still using the same techniques that they have from the beginning. Every memory crown is made the same as it was all those years ago. The quality has not changed. Merely the volume of users, and as I have mentioned to Master Mathael, the strain on him…”

“Mhmmm. Understood,” said Tomita, though it was not understood.

With that, they left the building. Rage was bubbling in Tomita’s heart, and he felt his pulse rising. It was simultaneously his and Izhari’s. Izhari. He had one more set of questions but he almost dared not to ask because he loathed what potential answers awaited. Still, for his manager, he knew he needed to ask.

Once they were back in the square, the creature seemed to be satisfied with the questions and was ready to depart.

“Is there anything else you need to audit?” the creature asked.

Tomita took his chance.

“I have heard whispers of children of your kind locked far away. Separated from all others. Neglected and left alone. I hope you will tell me this is not such a thing.”

To Tomita’s terror, the creature shrugged and clicked its tongue.

“Our blood is pure. We are noble. We are the greatest kingdom to have ever existed, full of the greatest race to have ever walked this realm. Occasionally, and now more so, certain children are born that… defy that story.”

Please stop. Oh no please stop, Tomita’s thoughts begged.

“They are born twisted. Deformed. Mutilated and low. It is not pure. It is not Currtasi. So they are sent away so as not to blight our glory.”

PLEASE GOD STOP TALKING?! Tomita’s mind screamed as his very blood seemed to boil.

Something in his mouth was making his teeth sting as his heart threatened to explode.

“In the olden days, we would send them to seclusion and raise them to be sent to willing buyers. Our kind was known as quite the conquest, so certain clients would seek them out for that reason. Others were simply devoured. It is said our meat is a true delicacy, though I have never tasted it.”

YOU’RE ALL GOING TO DIE I SWEAR TO EVERY FALSE GOD YOU’RE ALL GOING TO DIE! PLEASE STOP TALKING YOU SICK, DISGUSTING WASTE OF FLESH!!!!!

Tomita’s hands were shaking now, and he couldn’t stop himself from panic-grabbing his bottle of etherdrop from his pocket and downing an entire gulp. The wretched creature didn’t notice.

“Unfortunately, the most recent abandoned one was already sent off for slaughter a few weeks ago. Master Mathael’s most loyal servants are rewarded with such things. But the next time we have an abomination I can let you-”

Before the creature could finish its sentence, the entirety of its jaw was ripped away in a shearing scream. Blood and bone fell to the ground as its tongue drooped down limp. It was still alive and tried to scream, but couldn’t. Tomita gasped in shock and turned to see Izhari, no longer invisible, eyes glowing purple and black with pure hate.

“YOU’RE ALL GOING TO DIE ON THIS DAY!!” she roared as her claws latched into the creature’s skull.

The creature tried to scream once more but Izhari didn’t stop.

“I have been seeking out Mathael’s wickedness for years while also trying to learn about my past. And it turns out that my very people were the ones who helped him damn this world, and beyond that you cast me aside because I was the inevitable consequence of your disgusting inbreeding?! Mark my words you will curse this day because this is the day your kingdom FALLS!!” she screamed as she threw her captive to the ground.

“Tomita! Staff!!” she raged.

Tomita flinched for the smallest moment but his disgust won and he agreed with his master. Her staff was placed in her paw and she turned on her victim as a swirling cataclysm of black energy began to spin around them.

“You have memories of how to get to Mathael. Of the crowns. Of the Shores of Time. THOSE MEMORIES ARE MINE NOW!” she shouted over the rage as she slammed her boot into his chest and drove the end of her staff into his head.

The creature finally screamed in agony. It was a sound so unsettling that Tomita had to look away. Izhari did not. Tears burned white and silver across her face as her fangs extended and she focused all of her might on ripping the unconsenting memories from her prey. It screamed again and again as it strained to resist. Blood vessels burst and began to pour from its eye sockets. Beside them, screams and shouts of confusion and terror began to rise as the smiths finally left their trance to see the chaos outside.

Izhari screamed as her own body began to tear, but she didn’t stop. The creature let out one desperate claw of terror before its skull snapped in a flash of red and red memory orbs tore themselves free. Izhari didn’t even pause.

“Give me only the memories I need! Burn the rest to ash!” she shouted as the dead body fell against her feet.

Hundreds of orbs exploded until only a handful remained. Izhari held out her clawed paws to collect them.

“Become mine!” she demanded, and the orbs obeyed.

They swirled and seared their way into her mind as she screamed in agony, but she didn’t cease the process.

“Izhari! “ Tomita shouted as his insides began to burn, but she did not hear.

Then it was finished, and her strength returned.

Just as the smiths opened their building, Izhari’s blackened, wild eyes settled on them.

“EVISCERATE THEM ALL!!!” she bellowed out in a distorted, thundering roar as she threw her hands out in pure hate. 

The Rage of Izhari had been unleashed.