New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Somewhere, flying over the continent, high in the skies of New Eden, the mountain and cave of time where Tyr lived was currently very active.

The time acceleration spell outside of it had just ended, and the worlds had finally reconnected after ten years of being separated. Chronos, who was still in the cave, was too busy controlling small areas of time flow to notice his interface finally flare back to life.

Tyr was watching his student, Glad of the progress the young man had made in the last decade.

Feeling the time spell end, Tyr knew it was time to send Chronos back. Gaius would come knocking soon enough, and it was best if the Fey man was gone by then.

Clapping his hand together to garner his student’s attention, Tyr smiled warmly.

“You have done well in the time we were together. Sadly, my time teaching you comes to an end. You must go back to your kind and use the powers you have gained to help in the conflict to come.”

Chronos looked at the old man in confusion.

“Old man Tyr. We have only been training together for a few days. Are you sure we don’t have a bit more time?”

Tyr laughed lightly at the Fey’s words.

“It has been much more than a few days. Learning to see and control the flow of time has skewed your perception of it. But that is good. It means you will keep learning even once I’m gone, and you return to your life.”

Chronos tilted his head.

“Gone? Are you leaving somewhere?”

Chronos didn’t feel like it had been long since he had entered this weird cave, and started learning with the old man. A few days at most.

But now, the old man seemed to insinuate otherwise. And with the choice of words he just made, it also seemed like he was resolved to leave somewhere.

“Yes. I am indeed leaving for somewhere else. But so are you. You need to go back to the surface and to your world. You have been away for a long time, and many things have changed.”

Ten years in isolation, outside of normal time flow, had skewed a lot more than Chronos’ perception of time. His emotions seemed to have run dry, and he felt like something was missing inside him, but couldn’t say what. ｂ𝚍ｎｏｖ𝚕．ｃｏｍ

“But, old man Tyr. I have been here for such a short time. Are you sure you can’t keep me longer, and teach me more?”

“Child. You have been here for ten years. Mind you, in your world, I believe it is closer to one week. But the world below has moved ahead of us ten years, and is now in a crisis like it hasn’t seen in a very long time.”

The revelation hit Chronos like a train. Or it should have, had he been able to feel anything currently.

“Ten years? A week? I don’t understand what you are saying. I know you can bend time, but to that extent?”

“You underestimate how strong I am, child. I may seem like an old man to you, but I am much more than that. I am a god, after all. The river of time answers my call, and does my bidding.”

Chronos’ head tilted the other way?

“A god? So, such existences are a thing in New Eden? Who would have thought?”

Tyr looked at the young man with a tinge of sadness.

‘It seems I might have changed him forever. The powers of time are treacherous for mortal souls. Let’s hope this change will not negatively affect him.’

There was no changing what had happened now, and Tyr could only make sure the Fey man lived long enough to recover by his own means.

“This is goodbye, Chronos. May we meet again, if the rivers of time allow it.”

Waving his hand before himself, Tyr conjured a portal, before grabbing Chronos by the arm and throwing him inside. This portal led to the lands below, in a recluse part of a secure forest, where Chronos wouldn’t be in immediate danger.

Of that much, Tyr made sure. The god made sure the other gods couldn’t feel his influence on the young Fey, unless they were standing directly before Chronos, buying him some time to develop into what the world needed him to be.

After sending Chronos away, he looked upward, already feeling someone he seldom wanted to see had landed on the top of his mountain. Popping open another portal, Tyr walked through it, his eyes resolute.

Appearing on the top of the mountain, Tyr was back to his godly appearance, and he stared down at his unwanted guest.

“What do you want now, Gaius? I did what you asked. Doesn’t that buy me at least a century of peace?”

Gaius was floating nonchalantly before Tyr’s throne, his back facing the god of time.

“I know what you did, Tyr. I thought I had told you to get rid of the mortal.”

“I just did. What are ten years with an old fool like me going to do? He was fine when he left.”

Gaius turned around, his empty, black eyes, stared at Tyr.

“You kept him by your side for the full duration of the time spell. He should have been sent home to his world. You disobeyed me, again.”

“It was my payment for playing with time at your demand. You acknowledged it as payment. He is gone now, so the issue is closed.”

Tyr walked toward his throne, wanting to sit on it. But Gaius stood in his way.

“I wanted him gone before I came back. Yet, I arrived and could still feel him there. You failed to follow such simple instructions.”

Tyr clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“You didn’t warn me you were coming. How was I supposed to know when to send him back? What’s it to you, anyway? It is but one mortal, among many. Turn a blind eye to it, just like you turn a blind eye to what is happening down below.”

Gaius’ eyes squinted into what Tyr assumed was the most sarcastic smile the god could pull.

“Your rebellious acts will have consequences.”

Tyr was about to reply to Gaius that there was nothing he could do to him, but something was off. Gaius was never this calm when someone disobeyed him.

But before he could do or think about anything, his eyes flashed with a vision of a future to come. He saw Gaius pulling out something resembling an hourglass, and trapping him inside.

Snapping out of his vision, prepared to flee if he had to, Tyr’s eyes widened in horror.

Gaius was holding in his hands an hourglass-like object, exactly like he had just seen.

“So you know. It doesn’t matter, it’s already too late. Thanks to the demons, I now have something to trap you in for eternity. Worry not, your duties will fall on the next in line with your powers. I hope you enjoy your vacation, you old fool.”

Tyr felt his body already turn to sand, as he was sucked into the prison in Gaius’ hand.

‘I should have known you would pull something like this,’ Tyr thought, as he disappeared into the hourglass.