The Rulers Above: Volume 3 Eternity's Glow

By Del Winterbottom

“So why am I here?” Marriet asked.
“You are here because you’ve been chosen,” said Palmators.
“Chosen? Chosen for what?” Marriet said.
“Marriet Sworn, you have no idea what is coming, do you?” said Palmators.
Marriet stood looking serious now in front of the Caretaker.
“No,” she said.

Marriet Sworn is invited into the divine museum, Alcha Prunchtis, by the museum’s caretaker, Palmators Squild, when a mysterious thief somehow ends up stealing some of the divine relics inside the museum. In order to restore balance to life and all of its possibilities, she must track down this thief, stop the thief, and bring back the Eternity Cube, the most powerful of all the divine relics. On her new journey, she will go through time, and through many possibilities of life, and from these possibilities, she will finally meet Harlay Colspo, discover the criminal mastermind, Depthtus, learn of the missing angel, Varyl, and experience the wrath of her father, Alatar Skyrise. She will know the feud between Colspo and Volance Melthom, and amongst the battles, the war, and all the miracles, she will find out a shocking truth that will change everything.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Del Winterbottom
• Release date: Sep 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463890547

Del Winterbottom

Author of The Silent Sheriff, The Rulers Above series, Take Me, Fable King, The Wishes In The Stones, Connie, and Fable Queen.

Book preview

THE RULERS ABOVE

VOLUME 3 ETERNITY’S GLOW

BY DEL BILLY WINTERBOTTOM

COPYRIGHT: 2018

Other books written by Del Winterbottom

The Silent Sheriff

Take Me

The Rulers Above: Volume 1 The Traitor’s Fool

The Rulers Above: Volume 2 Awakening Of The Hearts

The Rulers Above: Volume 3 Eternity’s Glow

Fable King

The Wishes In The Stones

Connie

Fable Queen

If you have the power to destroy, then you have the power to save.

Harlay Colspo

Once

The greatest mind of all

Had the greatest idea

Bring all the miracles together, he thought

And then he started building a place

Forever

CHAPTER 1: THE DIVINE MUSEUM

Outside time and space, in a unique realm surrounded by infinity – the possibilities of life – the ever-flowing scenes of aspects of many areas of many worlds; endless possibilities of random lives flowing eternally in streams of ever-changing images. Also, in this exceptional realm, an unfixed establishment – a museum (not just any museum though, not the typical museum where you would expect to find just any old piece of history – or any ordinary famous work of art – no – this was a divine museum, and if you entered this particular place, you would not find anything of human-skill). Alcha Prunchtis was the name of this divine museum.

Up a flight of wide steps, through two huge gold doors – the first room of wonders: large, spacious, and full of gold’s brilliance; ten gold pillars flanking – gold floor, gold walls, gold ceiling, and gold doors, polished and mirror-like. Not everything in here was gold; in the centre – the striking fountain of Eina Youthorio and her twin sister, Melha. The fountain’s two statues of the sisters were rich in their detail: Eina posed – her wings high, right hand outstretched to any that enter through the front doors, content eyes, heartening smile. Behind Eina, on the other side of the sacred fountain, her sister posed in the opposite direction, wings low, hands on chest, looking up, sinister eyes, wicked smile. Clear water spraying above the sisters, splashing and trickling in half of the fountain’s base. On Eina’s side, the water was calm, sparklingly beautiful, and pure, but on the other side, chaos roiled: the fountain also sprayed a black lumpy liquid into the other half of the base – from a seething jet-black pool, whispers, and faint screams could be heard on Melha’s side. The fountain’s pool of clear water and mysterious black substance equally shared the base, and neither would mix or cross over to the opposite side.

Past the fountain, at the far end, a large alcove in the middle, arched at the top, with three double doors inside: one in the middle on the left side, one in the middle on the right, and one in the middle at the front.

Before the fountain, near the third pillar on the right – a statue depicted the angel, Aperthero, with his long cape and broken armour, bracing, his left knee bent forward, right leg stretched back, face expressing pain and tension, eyes closed, cuts and scars over the body, left wing half-missing, many quills missing from the right. The left arm appeared limp and the right looked strong, holding up a real covering shield, encrusted with shining iron quills, the front like two furled wings.

On the left, near the fountain’s corner and closer to the fifth and sixth pillars – a grail full of tears, covered in diamonds, glimmering and shining so effectively, like a star, on a small round table of clear crystal.

Past the fountain, on the left, near the seventh pillar – a high statue depicted the third Piepel, Miraclesha, standing, wearing a large gown, downhearted, empty eyes open.

Away on the right, past the pillars and to the far wall – a comfortable bench and a remarkable mahogany piano, smooth and sheening, upright and towering, and it depicted the second Piepel, Divinitus; gold strings and hammers symbolised his organs within his exposed stomach. The Piepel looked middle-aged with slight wrinkles on his long expressionless face, wings furled, eyes closed, hands of long fingers on both sides of the music shelf – he had no ears.

Near the third pillar on the left – a quill-shaped sword, halfway in a block of stone, handle-side up.

The entrance doors opened – angels: children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly curiously entering the museum, each holding parchment. Some were wearing armour and some were wearing robes. Their astonished faces as they crept further in, their curious eyes scanning the Great Hall’s magnificence.

WELCOME TO ALCHA PRUNCHTIS!

All heads jerked up to the source of the voice – an angel gliding down from above, landing gently before the others, spreading his wings high. He was tall and thin and looked middle-aged but with no wrinkles on his immaculate skin; he was wearing white robes and had long smooth grey hair and brown eyes. The angel opened his arms and smiled at the visitors. The doors closed behind. Silence and uncertainty now.

WELCOME! WELCOME TO THE DIVINE MUSEUM! MY NAME IS PALMATORS SQUILD – I AM THE MUSEUM CARETAKER!

An angelic boy in white robes pushed out to the front of the group. Erm...sir, why are we here? the child asked innocently.

The Caretaker looked delighted by the child’s question.

YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE! NOW, RAISE YOUR HANDS, LET ME SEE YOUR INVITATIONS! said the Caretaker.

The angels looked at the parchment in their hands and soon enough they all raised their hands, holding up their written invitation into the museum. Palmators tiptoed, his eyes carefully scanning the invitations. When the soles of his feet touched back to the floor, he crossed his hands behind his back, stood straight, and looked pleased at the angels before him.

Are we ready then? Palmators asked.

The audience looked at one another in ignorance, then looked back at the Caretaker with the same question on their minds.

Ready for what? said a handsome teenager in fine armour at the front of the crowd.

Well, ready to see the greatest inventions ever, of course. Follow me – the tour shall begin here in the Great Hall. Take your time, feel free to walk wherever you’d like in this room, but whatever you do...DO NOT TOUCH ANY OF THE OBJECTS ON DISPLAY! On the first left, we have the Archblade, crafted by the mightiest warriors in the fifth age of the Steps. The sword was crafted for those who are mighty and brave. The one true owner of the Archblade was Hort of Skyrise; Hort was the greatest swordsman of the fifth age, he had incredible sword-fighting skills and also commanded great magic. He was certainly worthy of the title, Archlord. This sword is exceptionally powerful, infused with powerful magic from the High Elders of the fifth age; its steel is fierce enough to pierce almost anything. Many powerful beings have fallen to this magnificent blade. Any questions? Please, feel free to ask, said Palmators.

A teenager in the middle of the crowd raised his hand.

Sir, why the quill shape of the sword? the teenager asked.

Palmators stopped and turned to the curious boy.

Before this sword was forged, a great swordsman named Barbess fell in battle against two Archangels. The Archangels combined their magic and unleashed a power that was so underestimated by Barbess that it completely destroyed his body...all except for one quill from his left wing, said Palmators.

Oooh, the audience sounded.

On the right, we have the shield of Aperthero. Anybody here from the third age? Palmators asked cheerfully, his back to the crowd.

A few raised their hands – Palmators turned his head to the right.

So, you know him? Palmators asked.

A muscular angelic man in thick armour moved to the front.

I’ve heard the legend, but is it true? the angel asked.

Palmators smirked – the angels behind suddenly felt tight in suspense – the Caretaker turned his head back straight.

It is indeed…for those who don’t know or are unsure of the legend, allow me to enlighten you: in the third age, there was a war between the south and north side of the angelic world. Basically, the reason for the war was because the leader of the north side, High Elder Rolstice, didn’t think the leader of the south, Archlord Cru, was doing a very good job. Now, Aperthero wasn’t fighting for either side here; he was actually fighting to try and stop the war because the Piepel at the time, Miraclesha, was trying her very best to stop all violence. So, Aperthero was fighting for Miraclesha’s cause. Anyway, Aperthero was a general, and he was very skilled at crafting swords and shields, and he also knew a fair bit about magic as well; he went into battle with his great army of twelve hundred soldiers—

Which side was he fighting against? The north or the south? one angel asked in the audience.

Ah, good job you asked that question; Aperthero was fighting against the north – reason being, if it was the north that was starting the trouble, then it was the north that needed to be taught the lesson. It was a great battle; the south side unleashed its fury upon the north: Archlords, followed by Archangels, followed by generals, followed by thousands upon thousands of soldiers. Aperthero started with twelve hundred soldiers – after the first day, he was left with only three hundred, so what did he do? He retreated, back to where he lived—

Hinus Etrona, said one angelic girl in the group as she raised her hand.

Very good, Hinus Etrona was indeed where he went back to. Three hundred soldiers left, what was he to do? Was he to fly back into battle and lose his life, and the lives of the rest of his angels? No, no, no – no – Aperthero had an idea. During his time back at Hinus Etrona, he used his magic and smithing skill to capacity and eventually, after much hard work and perseverance, created a shield that could protect against any attack, a shield that could negate any force, no matter how powerful. To any day in any age, no one really knows how he did it; no one knows the secret to creating this one divine relic that can negate violence completely. He went back to war with his shield, his soldiers clothed in more courage than ever before – but courage wasn’t enough; before the day was out, his remaining three hundred were no more. When ten Archlords opposed the lone general on the grounds of Venga, he was covered in wounds, missing his shattered sword, and all that remained in his possession was his shield. The Archlords attacked all at once, and then…nothing. The general used his shield and the Archlords were powerless, as was anyone else who opposed Aperthero from there on. With that shield, he survived more wars than any general, said Palmators.

Everyone took keen interest in the shield now. One angel flew up close to it.

Don’t touch it, whatever you do, don’t touch it, said Palmators.

Why? said the angel, while looking down at the Caretaker.

Just don’t, Palmators said sternly, which was unexpected for his kind appearance of character.

So, basically, you hold that shield up, and you’re safe from anything? said one angel in the group.

Yeah, said Palmators.

Cool, Amazing, Wow, How about that, was said enthusiastically by many angels in the group.

Now, that’s enough about the shield – onto the next, said Palmators, moving forward. The angel flying near the shield came back down into the group, all following.

Next we have Miraclesha’s grail of tears. Now, as most of you, I’m sure know, Miraclesha was born blind. Many healers tried to give her the blessing of sight, but none could prevail. As she grew older, it became known that the third ruler of the angelic world wasn’t blind at all; she was in fact gifted with a different sight. She could see the past, present, and future of any soul. She could see the beginning, the middle, and the end of anyone. Some believed that she could see even more than that – more than any of us – after all, we are all blind to something, right? The tears inside this cup contain her miraculous power; anyone who drinks these tears shall be granted, for a short time, the sight of Miraclesha. The tears also reflect her unique sight, said Palmators.

The angels, looking into the tears, dumbfounded by beings in hooded cloaks, their faces in shadow, their eyes, like twinkling stars, staring back.

In front of us, we have the fountain of the Twin Sisters, Melha and Eina Youthorio. Both sisters were born during the first age; their souls were unique but opposite. Eina had such a clear heart of good, while Melha had such a clear heart of evil. Tied by love, but torn by morality. Eina only wanted to help the world, and Melha only wanted to destroy it. At the climax of their legacy, the sisters went into battle, where they killed each other. Their souls entered the Reincarnation Chamber at Highlow, and upon analysation of their spiritual entities, something astounding was discovered. Their souls were so powerful that they did not need any Soulnate essence to remain existent. They could survive without a physical form on their own. They could even act on their own. Fearing the power of these two souls and the endless feud they were bound to, the first Piepel, Hordenneto, created a majestic monument for the twins, and with the mightiest powers of the first age, the two souls were imprisoned within this fountain, where they would remain together, hopefully, for all eternity, said Palmators.

As the audience walked around the fountain, regarding its grandeur, they noticed a unique, fresh, pleasant smell coming from Eina’s side of the pool, but when they got close to Melha’s side of the pool, there was a strong putrid smell.

A young angel with blond hair raised her hand in the audience.

Yes, said Palmators, looking eager to answer.

Is that water on Melha’s side of the fountain? the angelic girl asked.

No…on Eina’s side of the fountain is the clearest, purest water ever; it is so pure that it contains healing magic so strong that it can sway even death. Now, on Melha’s side, you can hear screaming, and moaning, and many more depressing sounds; this dark, lumpy liquid contains all the diseases in the world—

Even diseases that affect Unders? said one young angelic boy.

"Even Under-diseases, and even diseases that haven’t been created in your timeline yet. Every disease lies within Melha’s side of the pool. Needless to say, if you fell in there, you would probably die the most horrific death.

Before we pass the fountain, take a look on your far right and you will see a piano that was created by the second Piepel, Divinitus. For all those who don’t know the second Piepel, Divinitus was born without ears. Of course, he came into this world with a miraculous ability – he had a special relationship with sound. He could feel sound, as if it were somehow physical; he once said touching sound is like touching glass. Now that is strange, I’ll admit, but yes, he could feel and also manipulate sound; Divinitus described each tone as sending a jolt through him, and each jolt moved his emotions in a different direction. His ability enabled him to feel more deeply than others. Even love was premature to the unique feelings that Divinitus experienced. You see, the Piepels were different, that is why they became the rulers, they could understand the same as us, but could not see the same as us. They saw a different world, with things moving and staring that we could never understand. They had a connection to the forces beyond us," said Palmators.

The Caretaker passed the fountain – the audience followed, all except for one angelic teenage boy in white robes, whose curious eyes, still on the piano.

"I’m sure you won’t be able to miss the fine statue of Miraclesha on our left; the statue clearly represents our third Piepel; she wore that gown for many years.

If you haven’t taken it all in just yet, don’t worry, you’ll get all the time you need when we return here. Now, off to the next room," said Palmators excitedly.

The Caretaker, walking inside the alcove, approaching the centred gold doors at the far end of the Great Hall, he started pushing them open.

The other angels following, eager.

They entered the next room.

It was large and high, but not as vast as the Great Hall. Eight pillars flanking, four at each side. The floor, walls, pillars, and ceiling looked dark and empty; Palmators stopped – the audience were trying to understand what they were seeing.

Myriad stones of every shade of every colour flew around the centre of the room in a huge circling wave – suddenly, the stupendous fluorescent stones scattered all over the room, shooting past Palmators and the audience, as if each stone had a mind of its own. The fluorescent storm covered the darkness of the floor, walls, pillars, and ceiling, transforming the room into a colourful mosaic masterpiece. Along the left mosaic on the vast wall, Palmators and the audience were depicted standing, observing the myriad swarm of colours that had just made the masterpiece. Further along the mosaic on the left wall, the future was told: Palmators was further down the room, many more divine relics surround him as he stands, arms spread, facing the audience.

Everyone, I present to you, the Oracles Gallery. Take your time to absorb the magnificence of this astounding artwork. The mosaicked room was made by Frayguls Pipper of Airus; Frayguls was the greatest angelic artist in the Steps; he was so brilliant, that he invested his pride and joy with such sophisticated magic that whenever someone would enter this room, it would show that person the imminent future. And if you stayed in this room long enough to see your predicted future happen, then the mosaic would shift and show you the next part of your future, said Palmators.

Past the first pillar on the right, there was an old map in a glass frame; past the first pillar on the left, was a jet-black eye in a clear glass box, and if you looked closely into the eye, you would see stars in the distance of what appeared to be the universe. Past the second pillar on the left, was an ebony iron glove in a sealed glass frame. Past the second pillar on the right, a sheathed sword lay on a plinth. Past the third pillar on the left in a glass frame was an ancient worn book. Opposite the book at the other side was a curved gold bow on display with a single long string of light that seemed to flow from the top of the curved bow to the bottom indefinitely. Past the pillars, in the middle, facing the entrance, was a fine set of sparkling angelic armour. 

Just as the mosaic on the left wall predicted, Palmators moved further into the room, turned, and spread his arms in front of the audience. 

On your left, we have the eye of Depthtus, who lived during the fifth age. Depthtus was an Archangel, whose right eye was gifted with super Depthsight; with this eye, he was able to see across any distance; he could see so far that he could even gaze across to the other side of the world. Some believed that the sight of his eye was so great that he could even see beyond the end of the universe itself, said Palmators.

The audience, dumbstruck, staring at the dead eye.

"To your right, we have the Holy Map; this map was made by an angel of the first age named Seleston. Seleston was just a Messenger, but for reasons never known, he heard voices directing him to the greatest secrets in the Steps. Should anyone wish to uncover these secrets once again, they would only have to follow the directions on the map.

Next, we have Normandis’ Glove on the left. Normandis Hindelor was an Archlord of the fifth age and a genius in the science of souls; Normandis was an alchemist of souls. He worked for many years in all of the best Reincarnation Chambers in the Steps, and due to his hard work and supreme loyalty, earned himself a place at Harlay Colspo’s side, the fifth Piepel. Normandis was such a genius of souls that he discovered a way to reach the core of such. But he could not do this at first with his magic alone, or bare hands, and so he created a glove that enabled him to search through a soul and unlock its potential. Over time, Normandis grew so knowledgeable, that he no longer needed the glove, and so he abandoned it.

On the right, we have Erald’s sword; Erald was an Archlord of the second age, who lived at the Escel plains for many years and then moved to Skyrise in later life. Erald’s sword was imbued with soul-destroying magic, so when he killed his foe, he also destroyed the soul as well."

The audience looked carefully at the sword; all they could see was the handle and the sheath.

Now, this sword is also imbued with very unpredictable magic…if one were to pull the sword from its sheath, one might only get the handle and nothing else. No one really knows why this relic does this. Some say the sword is possessed, others say that only those that are gifted and altruistic can receive the sword when they pull it from its sheath. Many angels have attempted and some have managed to use the sword and some haven’t. Let’s see what the sword does for me, said Palmators as he grabbed the relic and held it up – the audience gasped.

On second thought, I’m going to give you this sword to pass on, but you must not attempt to open it, unless I say so, understood? said Palmators, smiling, his eyes scanning the audience.

The heads started nodding.

Okay…we’ll start with this young one, said Palmators, as he gave the sword to a small angelic boy in white robes with blond hair.

The boy, unsure, slowly reached his hand out to the sword.

It’s okay, you can take it, said Palmators kindly, smiling.

The young angel took the sword – all eyes were on this little angel now as he stared at the sheath and he could feel the weight of it and it was heavy for him, even though it was a small sword.

Can you feel the weight of it? Palmators asked.

The boy looked up and nodded innocently.

Are you convinced there’s a sword in there? said Palmators.

The boy nodded again.

If you shake it, can you hear it rattle? said Palmators.

The boy shook the sheath and sure enough, everyone could hear the steel rattling.

Are you all convinced there’s a sword in there? Palmators asked.

Yeah, the audience said.

Okay then, open the sword, said Palmators.

What? said the little angel.

It’s okay…you have my permission, said Palmators.

The young angel looked down at the sheath and stared at it for a moment. He pulled the handle – suddenly the weight of the sword was gone and all that the angel had in his hand was an empty handle. He looked inside the sheath, but there was no sword. The young angel fitted the handle back onto the sheath and then the weight returned and almost brought him to his knees.

The audience laughed.

Now where did that sword go? Nobody knows why it does that, it just does. Go on, pass it on, see who’s lucky enough to get the sword because I’ll be quite honest, I think it’s just the luck of the draw, said Palmators.

One by one, the angels opened the sword but so far only received the handle and they were baffled as to where the weight had gone. Then, halfway through the audience, a young angelic woman that looked in her late teens straight away without hesitation pulled the sword out of the sheath – the audience were dumbstruck at the sight of its divine glowing steel.

Well, looks like we’ve got one, come on, let the rest have a turn, said Palmators.

The angel holding the sword could not take her eyes off its mesmerising glow, and when she looked deeper, she could see an aurora flowing within the reflection of the blade. She carefully slid the sword back into the sheath and passed it on.

Two more angels were lucky enough to pull the sword out and the audience were grateful for being able to see the sword again.

The sword was placed back in its sheath again – Palmators took the sword after everyone had had a turn, pulled out a white cloth from his robes, and gave the sheath a single wipe across. He put it back on the plinth exactly as it were before.

Next, we have the Book of Miracles; this book lists every single miracle in the Steps and was originally created by a divine being named Philosophus – we’ll talk more on him later – and the pages and names were added throughout history, from the beginning of creation, to the end of time. If one were to pick this book up and start reading, there is a guarantee that they would never finish it. Why, you may ask? Because the book has infinite pages, and while it may not look like the largest book you’ve ever seen, you could flick through the pages forever and not get any further forward than the first page you turned, but the words would be different and it would be a different page, but it just wouldn’t seem like it, said Palmators.

The audience were scratching their heads in confusion.

"On the right, we have Olon’s Bow of Reach – simply put, any arrow fired by this bow, cannot stop. So if you fired an arrow with this divine weapon, it would keep going forever, piercing anything it touched – even the force of gravity would have no control over the arrow; so you could fire an arrow from one side of the world and it would reach the other and keep traveling forever.

In front of us, we have the Celestial Image, worn by the greatest angel of war – Marlus. Marlus was in his prime at the dawn of the second age; he won so many battles in this suit of armour and became so legendary and feared by this image. At the final moment of his life, when age caught the better of him, he put his own soul into this armour. Legend has it, that anyone who puts on the armour shall become one with Marlus’ soul, and with it, shall be able to defeat anyone. Marlus was so ferocious in his armour – he used to go into battle with nothing in his hands. The wing-plates of this armour are so sharp that with a single swipe of his wing, he could break almost any blade or shield and smite any horde of enemies on foot or in the air," said Palmators……

In the Great Hall – the angelic boy, still frozen by curiosity of the piano ahead. He approached the piano, looking up, eyes taking in Divinitus’ fascinating detail. The boy sat on the bench, raised his hand, erected his index finger – two mahogany walls, shaped like wings, came out of the piano from the back at both sides and slightly curved, closely flanking the young angel as he prepared to play the keys……

Palmators turned right from the centre of the Oracles Gallery – the audience typically following. The Caretaker reached another set of gold doors at the far end on the right side of the room; he opened the doors, moved forward, and turned left. The audience followed him into a bronze spacious corridor. The vaulted ceiling was high in the corridor and every so often down the long straight room there were more flanking doors and many more divine relics……

The hands of Divinitus moved towards the boy then stopped in front of him just above the keys, palms, and long fingers straight and flat. One of the keys glowed a beautiful white light. The boy looked at the glowing key of the piano and pressed it. The young angel had no idea how to play the piano, he really hadn’t played such an instrument in his life, and knew nothing about music – but as soon as he pressed the first glowing key, multitudinous notes of so many sounds starting flooding into his mind. A song appeared in his imagination, but he wasn’t sure how to play it. Immediately, another key lit up and the young angel felt compelled to press it fast. Another sound was made in conjunction with the first and then another key glowed and then the boy pressed that key faster than he did the second, and then even faster with the next glowing key……

Palmators froze – the audience stopped – the Caretaker could hear the wonderful rhythmic sounds echoing through the rooms and halls of the museum, and the sounds were so gentle and yet so powerful that they instantly pierced the emotions……

Suddenly, it was as if the boy was possessed, as he started playing the piano professionally; he could hear a wonderful song in his mind and for every glowing key he pressed, another note of the same song was played in the museum, and suddenly he felt a palpable sense of satisfaction……

Palmators rushed back into the Great Hall, shocked at the boy playing the piano. The audience followed hurriedly – Palmators ran close to the boy and stopped suddenly. The audience crept behind the Caretaker and became absorbed in the marvellous moment. Music – fantastic music in the boy’s mind now travelling through the museum, through the other angels, through their hearts, and into their stimulating minds. Small waves of light along the keyboard, as the boy swiftly played the immersive song, while overcome with inexplicable passion.

The final sound of the joyous song ran through the Great Hall as the boy pressed his index finger on the last glowing key – the light dispersed – the boy froze – there was nothing guiding him now, no incredible sensation, no feeling, and no more sounds. The depicted wings of Divinitus furled behind the piano and his hands went back to the sides of the music shelf. The angelic boy left the seat and faced Palmators and the audience.

Palmators turned his head to the audience behind, looking annoyed.

The boy approached Palmators with his head down in guilt.

Palmators put his hand flat on the boy’s head of jet-black short hair as he faced the audience, eyes wide open, stern-faced.

YOU – MUST – NEVER – EVER TOUCH ANY OF THESE DIVINE RELICS WITHOUT MY CONSENT! YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE CONSEQUENCES THAT CAN FOLLOW WITH SUCH CARELESSNESS! This museum contains the most powerful objects ever. To simply touch such an object of infinite capability without proper consent is a violation of divine law. Divine law affects everything, the air we breathe, the things we see, the way we think, the life we live, even our existence and the way we are able to be. Make no mistake, each of these objects were used at least once in their maker’s lifetime, but now they must only be recognised as pieces of the greatest history. Each object has the power to bend reality in some way; natural law cannot allow that; its sanctity must forever be preserved; that is why I am here; that is my sole purpose, the reason I exist. Now, can we please continue; I hope I can trust you all to keep your hands to yourselves from now on; if you can’t…well, the next divine relic you trigger…we might not be so lucky, said Palmators.

Back through the second room they went, then right, then further forward, and then back into the spacious corridor where they left off.

On the left, we have the Crown of the Piepels – worn by the rulers of the Steps; anyone who wears this crown shall become the latest Piepel, but once bound by the power of this crown, you are forever bound by the responsibilities of a true ruler, said Palmators.

They stopped briefly to gaze at the crown in the glass box; it looked like a metallic curly wig.

Further up, on your right, we have two identical Figmenthaulers," said Palmators.

Two identical swords were on display through clear glass inside a golden cabinet. The handle of the swords was platinum and shaped like a hand; the steel of the blades was certainly numen, gleaming as any eye crossed its path.

Here, we have the Judgement Swords – these objects are called Figmenthaulers, and a Figmenthauler is classed as one of the most powerful divine relics in reality. A Figmenthauler is so powerful that it can pull a figment out of one’s mind and force it into reality. A Figmenthauler can break the boundaries, the laws of the natural order of the world—

An angel, who looked to be in his early twenties, raised his hand.

If these divine relics are that powerful, then why were they created? said the angel.

The legends who invented these objects didn’t know what their creations would be capable of…they just had an idea and invested their time and immense magic, and created something extraordinary. Out of any divine relic that I have seen in this museum, the Figmenthaulers are, without doubt, some of the most powerful. The Judgement Swords were created for the Piepels, and were only to be used if the balance of morality was threatened. Many beings have opposed the Piepels over the ages, and all have fallen to the infinite power of the imagination itself, said Palmators.

So a Figmenthauler is like a key that can open your mind into the real world, said one young angelic boy in the audience.

Yes, that is quite correct, but there are different types of Figmenthaulers that target different parts of your imagination, but don’t worry…because we’re going to see them all, said Palmators.

The Caretaker continued forward – another divine relic was nearing, again on the right, in a niche.

Here, we have the Height Throne of the Piepels. The top is written in Sanskrit with Hordenetto’s blood; the message reads: here I sit, a mind of kings and queens, never to rule, but to show you the way, that is why I am here, to guide you all, through the rooms of life. I am the ruler but ruled, my first ruler is a miracle, my second ruler is hope, my third ruler is truth, my fourth ruler is mercy, my fifth ruler is joy, my sixth ruler is love. These are the rulers above all. You need not search, you need not prey, for the rulers are busy, but rest assured, you will be ruled. Now, at the time of the first age, the Unders were very premature, while the angelic race, you could say, was magically thriving at its best. After all, during the first age, Philosophus and Inceptionos were still around and they were the most powerful beings in all of history. When Hordenetto was chosen as the first ruler of the Steps by Philosophus, he began creating the first divine kingdom, which he named Bibible, and so he had his followers craft the first throne of rulers among the sky. What’s interesting about the design of this throne is its Wingrest. Here, we can clearly see angelic children, gelid, and their wings unified in the shape of a heart; now, for each ruler of each era, the Wingrest of the Height Throne has been altered to represent that ruler’s soul and character. Harlay Colspo, the fifth ruler, was a strong passionate believer in the philosophy of love. He had such faith in love, that it was the only force that could possess him. Depicted at the peak of this outstanding Wingrest, is the symbol of love…a heart, said Palmators.

Further they went down the corridor – a door was coming up on their left.

Palmators stopped, turned, and faced the audience.

Through this door, please, said Palmators.

The audience were ready for whatever was on the other side.

Palmators opened the doors – it was a small rotunda; there was an artistic display of a steel hand in the centre, and the closer they all got to the hand, the closer they could see that there were five shining rings, like stars, on all four fingers and thumb. The audience moved past Palmators and slowly walked around the artwork, studying its brilliance.

Behold – the Rings of the Unjust; forged from the minds of the Emperors and Empresses of Arten—

From the minds? Does that mean they are figments? said one angel near the hand.

"Very good, yes, these rings are indeed figments of perhaps some of the most creative, but dreadful of minds. Each ring is considered an abomination of divine law; reality abhors these rings. Each ring is unique in power, and any who wears one shall become incredibly powerful. The first ring prevents death to the wearer. The second grants great temporary strength. The third allows the wearer to see an imagination other than their own. The fourth ring allows the wearer to destroy a soul. The fifth ring allows the wearer to summon fear. All five rings have the power to create a miracle.

If you’ve finished observing, let us move on," said Palmators, as he walked out of the room. The audience followed him out and further they went into unknown parts of the corridor.

They came to a large stone double door on the right, but Palmators kept on moving.

Sir, there’s a door here, said one angelic girl in the audience, as they all stopped before the door.

Palmators stopped, turned his head to the side, and then soon enough it became clear to the audience, that he had no intention of turning back.

The door depicted five hideous-looking angels around a single spear in the centre, and the five looked obsessed with it, embracing it with their arms and eyes.

Trust me, you don’t want to go through that door, said Palmators.

But you said that we would see everything in this place, said one angel in the audience.

Yes, I know what I said – you must understand, beyond that door, lies the darkest history of the angelic race, said Palmators.

Have you ever been through these doors? said one angelic teenage boy in the audience.

…Yes, Palmators replied.

And what did you see? the boy asked.

…There was a room, a room similar to the one we’ve just been in, but much larger, and higher. What I witnessed in that room, was infinite evil, and I thought I was going to be trapped forever in despair by just, for one moment, being in the company of all that hatred, and misery, and rage, and horror, said Palmators, as he turned to look at the audience.

They could see the fear on the Caretaker’s face, and they decided to take the clue as advice and move on and forget what they just saw.

Coming up on our left, we have The Heart of The Most Broken – Ebli Lifelive, said Palmators.

The audience gathered in front of a glass box containing an ordinary-looking heart.

This heart may look normal, but don’t be fooled by the eyes because it is the nature of this heart’s history that distinguishes it from other hearts. This heart once beated inside a beautiful young angel who, once upon a time, fell in love with someone very sinister – so sinister, that once he saw that she was in love with him, he tortured her for it. Really, the reason he tortured her, was, in my opinion, for his own sad pleasure, said Palmators.

Next, we have The Scale of Hearts, said Palmators, as they walked a little further forward and looked to the left.

In a niche, there were two even, spaced statues of angels in the air, each was depicted holding a heart, one with a crack in the middle on the left, and the other perfectly fine on the right. The angel holding the cracked heart looked crestfallen, while the angel holding the ordinary heart looked overjoyed. Both angels were connected to a large gear behind.

The Scale of Hearts was created by the Esidens of Holyace as a gift to the Esiden Sovereign, Hubble Diginas. In order to activate this scale, one must present to it, a piece of the soul that owns the heart that the scale wishes to weigh. This scale, however, does not physically weigh hearts – it weighs the love within a heart. With this scale, you could know if someone is in love or not. If the scale with the broken heart is all the way at the bottom, then that person is going to die of a broken heart. If the scale of the healthy heart is all the way at the bottom, then that person is truly, happily, and madly in love. And if it is even, then that person is neither in or out of love. Moving on, said Palmators.

They were coming up to a wide open passage on their left; they all stopped in the middle of the passage and instead of continuing down the seemingly infinite corridor, Palmators turned into the new vast room, brightly lit, just like the Great Hall. The audience were wowed by the brilliance of the new gold room. It was wide and very high; more divine relics were scattered around the vast room – the audience split up around the room to discover more wonders of the museum.

Palmators walked over to the right side of the room and started telling the history of a pair of silver glimmering wings in a glass display.

These wings were worn by Seigia, of Ruleron. These are no ordinary wings. In fact, they were called the Warp Wings for a very good reason. Seigia was an architect of the Steps and his wings were so special that he could warp anywhere in the world. In an instant, with a single beat of his wings, he could be anywhere he wanted—

As Palmators kept on explaining about the Warp Wings, a teenager listening to the Caretaker suddenly heard something behind him. He turned and could hear a faint hissing at the other side of the room. He walked on over, while the rest stood, listening intently. The angelic teen could see a plinth ahead and there was a deep red light floating statically above it, and with every step he took towards it, the hissing became louder. As he drew close, he could feel an intense heat increasing with every step and the hissing was starting to roar. He could see something else now as sweat pierced his skin: a shimmering, like a distortion in the atmosphere, a waving glitch in the fabric of reality. The boy reached his hand out to try and touch the shimmers, the hissing so loud now that it was hurting his ears.

Palmators was rambling on as he scanned the audience, and then, as his head turned, he froze at the sight of the angel at the other side.

NOOOOO! he screamed, suddenly running through the audience, racing in panic to the angel ahead.

Just before the angel’s hand got too close, Palmators pulled him back away from the shimmers.

GET AWAY FROM IT! he yelled.

The angel suddenly looked shocked as he recoiled further away; the audience looked alarmed in the background.

That is Escard’s soul, Palmators said, sweating and breathing heavily. A moment sooner and you would have been destroyed. You see, Escard was an angel of the seventh age. He was so unique that he could create an unstoppable force – a flame, a fire hotter than even the whitest flame. This fire, more powerful than any other blaze, was invisible – an invisible divine flame. Imagine a fire so great that it could melt the world; immediately turn the earth to lava invested by heat so great that the lava would burst across the cosmos, incinerating anything it touched, and thus, release the Steps to infinity. Escard’s soul is surrounded by his invisible fire; if one were to touch the soul, one would surely cease in an instant, said Palmators.

Across from Escard’s soul was a blue light shining above another plinth.

Here, we have Velo’s soul – Velo was a divine angel of the sixth age; he could conjure an ice colder than any other. This ice did not look like any ordinary ice, it, in fact, was red. The divine red chill of Velo, and if one were to touch Velo’s solid red ice, then that person would become trapped in a frozen prison for all eternity, and no force would be able to break Velo’s ice, said Palmators.

They moved towards the centre of the room and in the middle was a small pedestal and slowly swirling slightly above was a small shroud of what looked like space dust. As they looked further into the dust, they could see an immaculate iron sceptre floating in the centre, and fitted at the end was a glowing orb that radiated blue light. The hand of a young angelic boy entered the shroud of mysterious dust – the dust reacted to the boy’s presence – it gathered around the boy’s hand and then moved with the motion of his hand – then, as strange particles swirled around the hand, the sceptre started to change form. The sceptre’s iron changed to bone and as the hand came closer to the orb, the hand started shaking uncontrollably. The angel’s hand pulled back out of the shroud – the sceptre didn’t change back and the shroud calmed, as if alive.

"Here, we have Philosophus’ sceptre of omniscience. Philosophus was the wisest of all beings, possessing a mind so vast that it even surpassed the force of Inceptionos. Philosophus was created just after Inceptionos brought forth the world and laws that we are all familiar with. Philosophus was the first of the divine minds, and he was so absorbent of information, and with all that knowledge, he became so philosophical, that he presented to Inceptionos ideas that even the first being could not grasp, and thus, with the help of the first divine mind, new laws were set unto the world. If not for Philosophus’ incredible mind, the world, your reality, would definitely not look as it looks now. This sceptre contains an abundance of knowledge and philosophies from the mind of the first divine angel himself. If one were to unleash the power of the sceptre, one would gaze at a sea of intelligence that would shoot into the mind so suddenly that it would most certainly send the learner mad. Philosophus’ mind wasn’t like ours, it could handle information much more efficiently than us, and could hold a lot more too. We think we have a lot going on in our minds, and we do, we have a whole universe inside