Get pants, save the world
Deka is one of the oldest cities on Myridia, and has been the capital of the planet for many centuries. Its population of five thousand might seem rather low, but since every Myridian can create at will up to ten thousand exact duplicates of him or herself, the actual population can rise to fifty million at any second.
Because of this, it's one of the very few cities on Myridia where buildings pre-dating the return of the gods are still standing. It resembles a modern Earth city, the only difference being the fact that a single Myridian can own an entire skyscraper.
The most striking feature of Deka is the statue of Demeter holding a sickle. It's over 600 feet tall, four times the height of the Staute of Liberty, and it was built over the ashes of the Myridian Parliament.
Nabric Ges has lived all his life in the shadow of Demeter's statue. He joined the Myridian Holy Guard right after reaching his Harvest year, and has been working as a guard for the Oracle Palace ever since. He's supposed to be on duty today, but nobody finds it strange that a dozen of his duplicates are moving crate after crate to his house.
This is Myridia, after all: people are supposed to be in many places at once.
Noriko Null is in the library, reading a book so fast it seems she's only flipping through it. She's sitting next to a pile of old books almost as tall as she is. She's still wearing the hospital gown.
When she notices Nabric opening the door, she doesn't slow down before commenting:
Noriko declares, closing the book she's already finished
Noriko walks towards Nabric; she's still weak from the days of dehydration and malnutrition, and he's a trained guard with twice her weight. Her silver eyes flash, making his soul shake in fear.
New Rhetra
Kari is trying to help Old Man Vor sit down on his chair, but he pushes away her duplicates.
<-Don't get me started on this planet> the Old Man whines.
Vesta floats towards him, feeling uncomfortable as she always is around old people. Old age is something completely alien to her, something that quickly steals the people she cares about.
She gives a warm smile that even the Old Man can't ignore. At ninety-seven it really shouldn't have any effect on him, but Vesta's something else.
Vesta "sits down" next to him, by crossing her legs and floating. The man with the red skin standing alone in a corner of the room looks at her suspiciously.
The red-skinned man answers by creating an energy sword and pointing it at Max's throat.
Deka
Nabric Ges holds one of his father's books, as he recounts what has been passed from generation to generation. It's impossible to hide history from a civilization where everyone can whisper to ten thousand people at once.
Noriko doesn't have anything to say. She's thinking how all of this is a little too convenient…the Heart of the Universe teleporting her here, the Many and the Oracle defeated so easily, the guard conveniently ready to betray his masters…could there be Athena's hand behind this?
"Right, she almost starved to death and she calls it easy".
She had almost forgotten that annoying voice in her head. Her human mind is still too scared to come out: she has to keep moving to shut her up. She can do it: she is Null.
Noriko jumps to her feet, looking at the hospital gown with disdain.
New Rhetra
Max warns.
There's a second of silence. The normally happy-go-lucky Kari is suddenly deadly serious.
Vesta shakes her head: she can't believe her sister is responsible for something like this.
Max notes, approaching the old man.
Torn gives him a dirty look, but Max doesn't pay him attention. Noriko's mother and her weird floating metal ball mentioned the Drylon before; they must be close to something important.
Deka
Oracle Drevel Viz opens his eyes. He's in a dark room, laying on a table. His wrists and ankles are chained, and he doesn't have the strength to move.
His telekinetic powers, granted by the godstone embedded into his throat, should be enough to free him…except they don't seem to work.
Someone turns on the lights. Two duplicates of Nabric Ges are menacing him with spears, standard issue of the Myridian Guard.
Then there's the girl with the silver eyes. She's wearing clothes too big for her, mostly because they're supposed to be worn by a man. There's something drawn with charcoal on the white shirt, a symbol that the Oracle doesn't recognize: Ø
His voice isn't what it used to be. It's more like an angry whisper.
Null is holding in her hand the godstone she removed from the Oracle's throat. Her silver eyes shine bright, and the jewel levitates.
She smiles. It's the most terrifying thing the Oracle has ever seen.