"THIS IS GAIA"
"SEE ME"
My eyes come to, as if they were always open, and magically my glasses are attached to my head. I look around only to see an endless sea of people, shoulder to shoulder, each with a piece of hooded cloth covering their bodies, and stiff, much like me I imagine as I couldn't move a limb. I want to look up but can already see the lower half, covered by cloth of the mountaining figure that is the being that speaks, and an all but rational fear of the unknown keeps me from looking up towards what might be its face. Though it wasn't just fear but the all powerful ominous commanding aura radiating from it, that made me feel small and insignificant, naturally causing me to look below.
Angrily and much lowder, "SEE ME"
At that moment, my head among and among many others shot up and face it directly, my eyes were locked on its face, I couldn't even avert my gaze, my felt as if they were locked in place, I didn't even feel the need to blink, not that I'm sure I could. I saw it, much like the cloth covering our bodies, it seemed like an empty coat with an abyss inside, It floated above us, looking down on us as if we were ants. I say abyss because when I was forced to stare at its face, I felt that oh so ominous feeling one gets when you think something is watching you in the dark or in a dark alleyway.
"IAN, I AM AVAROS GOVERNING GOD OF GAIA"
"GAIA IS A WORLD OF SWORDS, MAGIC, AND LIFE."
"YOUR NEGLECTED REALM HAS COME TO END, YOU HAVE BEEN PERSONALLY CHOSEN TO RESIDE IN GAIA, HOWEVER NOT ALL OF THOSE OF EARTH CAME TO GAIA, MANY WERE LEFT ON YOUR REALM EARTH TO DIE, AMONG THOSE WHO WERE CHOSEN SOME WERE SENT HERE AND OTHERS TO OTHER GOD GOVERNED REALMS. YOU SPECIFICALLY WERE CHOSEN TO TO RESIDE IN GAIA AS YOU FIT THE CRITERIA AND STANDARDS, TO ALLOW FOR THIS REALM, THIS UTOPIA TO PROSPER."
"RULE 1: NO KILLING"
"RULE 2: NO TORTURE"
"RULE 3: NO RAPE"
"RULE 4: NO NEGATIVE LIFELINES"
"RULE 5: NO THEFT"
"...", the listing of rules goes on for what seems like days.
"YOU WILL BE WARNED EACH TIME YOU MAY BREAK A RULE, ONCE A RULE IS BROKEN, YOU LIFE HERE WILL BE FORFEITED AND SENT TO A DESTROYED REALM"
"LASTLY, ONCE A GAIAN ACHIEVES THE METER LIMIT, THEY MAY ASK 5 QUESTIONS OF ME FOLLOWED BY A WISH WITHIN MY POWER"
"LIFELINE, A CONCEPT FORGED BY GOD, EACH LIFELINE HOLDS THE POWER TO AUGMENT OR GIFT A GAIAN. EACH SUBSEQUENT USE OF A LIFELINE WILL WILL TAKE AWAY FROM THE GAIN A RANDOM, BE IT ORGANS, MEMORIES, LIMBS, LIFE SPAN, AND MUCH MORE. ANYTHING LOST BY A LIFELINE WILL NOT BE RETAINED UNLESS, THE GAIAN ACHIEVES THE METER LIMIT, WHICH IS THE ACCUMULATION OF LIFELINES VARYING FROM PERSON TO PERSON. LIFELINES WILL BE BESTOWED AFTER A LIFE EXPERIENCE HAS OCCURRED. YOUR FIRST FIVE LIFELINES, WILL BE UP TO YOU TO DECIDE WHAT YOU LOSE."
"YOU MAY BE RELEASED"
I have some many questions but I can't speak, but before anything AVAROS Iifts and waves its hand and people fade into mist, seemingly disappearing.
I suddenly wake up, rising out of my bed as if I just had a nightmare, though I'll admit it felt astonishing to move, to be in control of my body, after what felt like years of dialogue and obediently listening whilst remaining absolutely still. I quickly observe my surroundings, it seems I'm in a cabin, from the breeze coming through the open windows, the creeks of the floor with every step I take, and the shape of the roof along with the pillars holding it up, I assume I'm on a floor above or in the attic. Quickly and quietly I inch over to the window and jump out, as to avoid anyone below this floor. Shoe less I feel my feet hit the ground and the weight of my body coming down on my knees hit the ground, it's painful but it's nothing I have't handled in the apocalypse. I stubble around for a bit trying to get my balance back as I haven't walked in ages. I lean against a tree before noticing the beautiful amount of stars, moonlight, and aurora like that of the northern lights. I turn to face towards the moon and only see that there are three of them.
After everything, especially this image which probably stayed burned into my mind for the rest of my life, it really set in that I'm not on earth anymore.
Right then, I'm tapped on the shoulder, and almost instinctively I lash out with my right hand, but it's caught, and in moments I'm on the floor and held in an arm hold.
"Howdy, stranger. I'm your guide, Araiah"