The Locust War: for context. Was an incredibly one-sided war where the Empirians assembled an unholy unity and did all in their might to oppose the Twins, not for the gain of the universe of course, ill-gain. They did not understand the twins could not be destroyed, even if defeating them in combat was possible, did they even manage that?
No. Not even close, it was a truly impressive armada, armed to the teeth, they could have done away with it all in an instant, but Yi decided to let the hope they could win manifest, and then tear them all down. Wi, being no fan of the empirians, let Yi play her games, knowing that whatever way they were brought to extinction, it would be done, and their blight removed from the cosmos. None of these Imperians had names, why bother? There was no sentimental attachment in their society. Why give a subject of torment the dignity of a name? It was foolish, their entire race was built of the perfection of brutality, nothing else mattered. Whoever got in the way of perfection, tormented beyond repair, or the victor in revenge, would return the favor. A race built on disharmony and bloodshed, on the euphoria and adrenaline of killing. The only type of love was that between prey and predator, of the chase and flirting with death. It is through this love of danger and death that the empirians unionized for the first and last time against the Twins, who had marked their reprehensible species for death. There were no commanders, just lots of ships, lots of guns, and an empirian behind each one. The entire race had cooked themselves a suicide… all but one.
She too, had no name. But she could see the folly of her race’s endeavor, and instead went into hiding. The only thing she knew at this stage, is that she wasn’t going to die so early. She cared not for the abbadon of her people, nor the ego which led them into their rigormortis. Like her species, she was unflinchingly in love with the prospects of tormenting people, hearing their screams, moans and watching their mental fortitude collapse.
The Locust War raged on for twenty years, as Yi pretended to be wounded, retreating, letting them find her, and then killing a few more, before “fleeing” in sight of their numbers, and then, at last, the entire fleet opposing her, they unleashed everything… but instead of acting injured, she was now going to ensure they knew what it meant to oppose FEAR.
As the smoke of distasteful weaponry cleared, emerged an unharmed Insidious Architect, who then placed a large energy field locking the armies and her in together.
“You fools, fun as it’s been to toy with you for 20 years, it’s time I show you that opposing your fears will have consequences…”
With one.flick of her wrist, she sent a smaller ship careening through a big ship, and then, as if breaking an egg apart with her hands, the hull of another large ship was split into easily crumbled fragments, the Imperians for the first time, felt not fear that was exciting… but DREAD.
As their wits caught up to them, they tried all manner of escape, as Yi watched, smirking sadistically.
“You are most generous, all of you putting yourselves right into my hands… Now I can crush you all- such is the price of your defiance.”
She extends her palm open, and then shuts it, several ships are scattered into the raging winds of the telekinetic destruction, no Imperians were killed, Yi had planned on it, that was the ONLY way they could escape. But she had already taken care of all the ones in the words after, all that remained, were these- or so she thought.
In the next move, a scream exploded from every Imperian on the scene that shattered the shield Yi had placed and sent both a sigh of relief but also chills through every being in the cosmos, the one who was not present felt it too, but felt nothing, only a realization hit, that she was the only one left, and she was glad of it. Now only two could get in her way…
As the Insidious Architect watched in relieved joy as her subjects writhed into oblivion, and her erasure finished, she touched her hand to her cheek, feeling a sense of purpose and accomplishment she didn’t get to feel often.
Her work however, was not yet done. After disintegrating the mess, she made a beeline for the Imperian homeworld, and as expected, it was wholly empty- it made her delight to know they’d so conveniently made themselves so easy to bring to extinction.
This technology of theirs however, also posed a threat, their race truly was the peak of barbarism, Amongst naught but torture equipment and technologically advanced devices built for hostility, she stumbled upon but one single tome.
“The Imperian Oath”
Inside she read what could be assumed the shallow history of the Imperians, once a peaceful society, had found something that brought immense joy, torture and all kinds of ungodly activities were talked about as though miracles of recreation. Yi rolled her eyes, and erased the book, and after leaving it’s bloody atmosphere, the planet as well. All history of them had been erased, and all of them had been erased. The First Guardian had performed her duty, not realizing a straggler remained. She certainly thought of the possibility, but she knew of the empirians activities and they weren’t incredibly popular- so she’d catch wind of it if stragglers remained. And in small numbers they weren’t incredibly dangerous anyway. They were entirely irredeemable, and had been lost to the most depraved and unholy of blood sports, that had come to entirely engulf their race and identity. As a safeguard to this possibility, she put a price on the head of anyone resembling an Imperian, a hefty price. The Last Imperian was now the most wanted woman in the universe, and no one even knew her name- not even she did.
This would change, as she roamed the world she had crash landed on, she would stumble upon the enigmatic kitsune, the Last Imperian knew she would have to be careful and lay low a while, so she kept clear of civilization… exploring the vast alien world, she didn’t even want to burn it, but she certainly wanted to mess with those fluffy foxes- but she had escaped the fate of her species, and was not game to invite that trouble again. For a time, she was trapped- but in a fairly comfortable prison. She found beauty in the lands, even if her plan was to eventually conquer it, she’d maintain it’s pristine visage. The Purple Sun that loomed overhead gave her a sense of peace, which she needed with so little killing possible in her current life.
For millions of years she wandered this land, but eventually she started getting more game, and began inspecting the defenses of the two major civil powers of this world, the Morzan and the Aneian. She was more interested in Zen Aneia, the Kitsune there were all so pure, so innocent, so satisfying… to corrupt.
Eventually, she found her first target, the Nine-tails, noble elegance and immense stoicism- what a perfect person to corrupt, and knowing she was the leader of her people, to corrupt her is to then follow the entire nation. Due to the lack of war or bloodshed in this world, security was fairly loose, so it wasn’t long before she could begin, all she needed was a name.
“Xali”... she wanted it to start with X, a symbol that would become feared across the universe. The sigil of the Last Empirian, she who stands between their extinction and their exaltedness.
Xali at first approached Akra Olna as a friend, stating that she wasn’t from around here and crash landed some time ago, she took particular care to notion to the Regent Lady the truths she found, such as the world's beauty, and the lovely scent of solitude carried on the breeze. Akra Olna was always wary of her, but welcomed her as her own anyway. Xali really liked the Kitsune’s fashion style, elegant, if looks could kill, their fashion knew it. Akra Olna as a gift made Xali a dress, with the ‘X’ inscribed on the chest, Xali for the first time, felt bad that her plans for these fools were ultimately malicious, but she decided to hug Akra olna after putting it on, she knew she loved it.
“A shame you did all this for me only to be stabbed in the back after all~”
Akra Olna’s instincts kick in and she with a quick swish of her tails sends Xali spiralling into the nearby couch.
“I was always wary of you, but to think you’d sink this low…”
Xali heeded not her words, something better was engulfing her, a sensation she had almost forgotten over the millions of years… pain, fear- they were returning, and she was becoming excited, she got up and with open eyes and a joyous mouth she said the words Akra Olna would never forget.
“YES, FINALLY. I CAN FEEL AGAIN, I CAN BE- ME. AGAIN! COME AT ME WITH MORE OF THAT!”
Akra Olna is taken aback, never before had she seen a creature smile about being in pain… what the hell had she just awoken, she regained her composure.
“I’ll ask only once, Xali. Get out.”
Xali just tilted her head to the side.
“Now now… since when do you think you’ve been the one in control?”
Akra Olna now knows that this being has no good intent at all, and such a malicious presence would be a danger to her people. She swallows hard and leaps toward the Witch, who easily dodges, and grabs a pack of tarot cards from the table.
“I wonder… if you knew just what power such mundane items can contain ,when put into the hands of someone so creative~”
She pulls two XIII DEATH cards, and summons a scythe of immense shadow energy. Akra Olna looks at her in shock.
“You had the power to annihilate this entire kingdom from the first… why? Why hurt us, why hurt me, like this? I thought we were friends!”
Xali looks at her incredulously.... As if she should know the answer.
“What would be the fun of that? One day there’s a city, the next there isn’t? I really don’t get why you think that would appeal to me at all?”
Akra Olna gets seriously angry, she suddenly realized why she was wary of this creature, she was a wanted girl cosmos wide, there were even posters in her city that she hadn’t even placed! She tried to recall the way in which to report them if found as Xali’s grin grew wider, almost seeming to enjoy knowing that now she too was in danger. Akra Olna stops worrying about the report, and focuses on exterminating the creature, Xali is actually met with a challenge, Akra Olna was incredibly powerful, and while inexperienced in combat, learned quickly, though she enjoyed feeling in danger, her blood pumping, her adrenaline rushing, this was what every Imperian strove for… the ultimate hunt- be it for them, or for prey.
Eventually another being appeared, having detected the battle between the two and the dialect preceding it, the Insidious Architect too, had worked out what this girl was- it was time to finish it.
Upon seeing Yi, Xali knew this would have to end, be it with her or with her escape. As Yi approached menacingly, Xali stood her ground, and then cast an incredibly potent flash spell, it only disoriented Yi for a second, but that was all she needed, she knew this world like the back of her hand, and she would not be taken out here.
As soon as Yi saw her scamper off, she shrugged, she had someone more interesting to talk to, the first of her friends. The First: Witch Hunter. Akra Olna regains her senses, and finds the courage to look into the dragon lady’s eyes.
“It sure has been a day for visits… who might you be?”
Yi smiles, both polite and a fierce fighter. She was humbled.
“I’m the one who put up the wanted posters for the Witch you just finished sparring with. You did well.”
Akra Olna responds in shock…
“Y… you saw all of that?”
Yi places her finger near her eyes before responding.
“There is nothing in your universe I do not see, that being you just battled with is a blight upon this very reality, I had thought I had brought them entirely to extinction, but it seems one remains. Unlike most of her species, she’s smart enough to be patient, and can even seem to act out human emotions to elevate herself. It’s a shame, too- that was a nice dress you made her. Though I would congratulate you, if it didn’t mean saying you’d appealed to the tastes of a monster.”
Akra Olna feels dizzy, it’s clear this dragon-girl knew everything that had happened in the last 28 seconds, was it truly possible that she saw all?
“Are you… some kind of god?”
Yi smirks…
“I am what Gods fear. But you have naught to fear from me, I see in you an ally, for we have a common enemy. That won’t be her only attempt.”
Akra Olna is in dire need of answers, suddenly her people had a threat to concern themselves with.
“What was she trying to attempt exactly, it’s clear she had the power to kill me, but she was holding back…”
Yi answers, knowing now that it was too late to withhold information from her, they were friends at this point.
“She sought to corrupt you, to make you into what she is, a depraved tormentor who enjoys the thrill of the hunt to an obsessive and dark extreme, from you she could influence the rest of your people. I’ve never seen Imperians employ the tactic before, but it makes her incredibly dangerous- even alone.”
Akra Olna stays silent, feeling resentment for being led on to think Xali was her friend.
“You may call me Yi, by the way. Most mortals don’t get the honor of knowing my real name, but then…”
Yi extends her open palm
“Most mortals don’t get to be my friend, either.”
Akra Olna smiles as she accepts the pick me up from Yi, Yi is immensely enjoying this too, a sense of camaraderie she had not felt properly in a long time.
“To the witch, you shall be the Hunter, I nominate you- Akra Olna, as the first of the witch hunters, and your world, will be spared cyclic destruction no other worlds are granted. Organize your defences and make sure that the last empirian can’t get in. You’re more than capable, so I’ll leave how you handle that to you.”
Meanwhile Xali has escaped to a dense bamboo forest. Wherein she finds something she’s never discovered on this world, a dense fount of shadow energy, she moves towards it and a portal in the shallows of a pond is revealed, before she can get too close, a being floats out of it, with lavender hair, a one piece dress, a golden hairband and deep pink eyes, she sees Xali and looks intrigued.
“What a beautifully evil presence… I was beginning to think I was alone in this universe.”
Xali could tell with one look, this girl didn’t need corrupting, this girl was already several steps into no-one’s land.
“So, you coming?” The mysterious girl enters through the portal she floated out of, Xali follows fearlessly in pursuit. Passion and curiosity has overtaken any liability to fear.
She arrives at an unusually magnificent starship with the darkened touches one who brings shadow would be lost without.
“You came here for a fight, did you not?”
Xali grins at the mere thought of it.
“Try not to die too quickly!”
The girl giggles to herself.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, darling~”
In a flash vicious unholy tenatacles skirt perilously around their battlefield like snakes running from their own tail, Xali and her new friend cut them down in the thousands as they clash in a battle of sun-shattering proportions, after they both are exhausted, neither bearing any injuries beyond scuff marks, the girl introduces herself, now knowing she had found kinship in Xali.
“I am glad we met, I go by Xaela, and I am in command of the horrorterrors that writhe about in the darkest pits of deep space. They are all at my beck and call, such is my corruptive wont.”
Xali is teeming with love for everything she is hearing.
“I am Xali, the last Imperian. It seems my brilliant idea of affixing an X to my namesake was not as lone-wolf as I thought, but I am glad to see you understand why I did it.”
Xaela nods in agreement.
“The icon that will terrorize the universe, all the other letters are too common.”
Xali emphatically adds
“Giving that stupid triangle-eyed freak a run for her money!”
Xaela chuckles, she can tell this is going to go well.
“It seems we have a lot in common, and we have plenty of enemies, furthermore our goals align, as it stands you are incredibly powerful, stronger than even the Regent Lady of Zen Aneia, however you can only terrorize one world… unless I help you ofcourse! Kitsune are difficult to corrupt, definitely a prize worth ambition, but it seems their leader has just made a pact with the triangle-eyed freak as you so politely named her…”
She ponders to herself a moment before smirking.
“I’m sure we can do better than that.”
Xali takes no offense.
“I like your style! So, you function as my dark taxi, and we both get a mutual kinship that benefits us both? Sounds good to me! You seem to understand, unlike the rest of my now extinct people, that the Embodiment of Terror cannot be beaten by conventional means.”
Xaela’s eyes relax as she smiles, seeming to be in bliss she’d at last found someone who understood...
“I see we are in agreement, with that settled, I have already prepared a promising destination. I have discovered a large influx of energy similar to ours, evil energy, on Zen Nekoma. We should start by forming an alliance with those who already understand where we stand, then we can begin corrupting those less ready.”
Xali can see this Xaela is smart and dependable, she offers no hesitation.
“Lead the way~”
They avoid being spotted to the best of their abilities, Xaela knew, as Xali did, that the entire universe wanted at least one of them, and not in a good way, although the thought of being cosmically hunted did naught but thrill Xali, she was eager to rip, tear, torment, kill and annihilate again. With a universe of weaklings after her, she knew some would happen upon her, and she would enjoy their cries as they would plead for mercy. Now with Xaela she could disappear in an instant, so the moment a certain someone showed up, she could get outta dodge before anything could happen.
They see a shadow swoop over them, Xaela’s head tilts to see a centralization of shadow energy, evil to the core- this was the one. With a thunderous thud which shook the earth, the flying personification of death landed, as she poised her hand on her hip and raised her still-bloodied hand to her lip, Xali felt her heart begin to race… what a perfect being, the talons of a raptor, the enchanting grace and beauty of a femme fatale, and the wings and ears of a feathered siren, while being transfixed upon the eyes of a bird of prey. Xaela steps toward the creature and introduces herself, she feared not her survival, she too was too busy basking in the glory of the perfect torture machine given life.
“Greetings, most evil of creatures, I am Xaela, and if you would like to fight your empty heart craves…”
Xaela opens a portal to her place.
“Then follow me.”
Xali smirks while looking back at the creature, before nodding, it follows them into the abyss.
“Nice place you have here, so- you both wanna fight me at once?”
Xali is immediately down for this.
“How perfect! We all get to enjoy ourselves!”
They draw their weapons and another clash of unimaginable scale proceeds to take place, Xali and Xaela fight each other as well as their new like-minded playmate, after the dust settles and all three are worn out, they make their introduction.
“I don’t really have a name, but I am a Fowlhunter, unlike most of my kin- I’ve this insatiable lust for combat and tormenting people.”
Xali pipes up excitedly
“With talons like that I can’t say I blame you! I’m looking at a machine of unyielding torment and I love it!”
Xaela smiles softly before speaking.
“How does the name Xeltara sound? Quite a nice pick isn’t it? That whole ‘starting with an X’ thing.. It would do us well to be as feared impresently as presently. Ripen our would-be victims to their painful drawn out slaughter, no?”
Xali is excessively blushing at this point, Xaela’s way of making such typically unseemly words fit elegantly into a tight serene statement was something she adored about her. She made what most consider obscene and vile, beautiful and natural. People will go to all lengths to hide from the monster within, it is only at the peak of their depravity that such fierce and relentless a beast will emerge, the final push towards defying what they were, and becoming what they are. Xaela had clearly been there, she had been brought to that low, low point early in life, and embraced killing, embraced torture and the adrenaline and endorphins that rush when comitting and being victim to it. Xali knew that she understood as well as she did, that there was no need for a mask, it is but make up to hide the monster within. No creature is born purely righteous, no religion entirely pious. Xali understood this better than anyone, she had learned from a young age who she really was, and she enjoyed the primal uncompromising nature of herself, it made her feel so powerful- so absolutely in control. Meeting her like-minded peers in all this, it made it clear beyond doubt.
Anything could be corrupted, no matter how pure. All it would take, is a little push!
“Hah! It’s like you peered into my mind, found the literally PERFECT name and showed it to me!”
Xaela reveals something even Xali had not expected…
“It’s because that is precisely what I did.How do you think I found you?”
It made sense, she saw Xali’s intent from the first, and accepted her before they’d even fought. Xali honestly didn’t mind, she’d have no reason to lie to Xaela anyway… and having one who could read minds was so perfect for finding out how to torture them best. She doesn’t even act shocked.
“Nice!”
Xaela smiles at Xali.
“I’m full of surprises like that. I didn’t have a name before I met you, thank you for the inspiration~”
This was confirming that she was not only capable of reading minds, that she was also able to do it with multiple minds at a time, and seemingly never stopped. Xaela nods, as if confirming what Xali had already thought to herself, a tear of pride rolls down Xali’s cheek.
“I am a Seer of Eld, before the cosmos was splintered into the several universes of today, there was a being of unimaginable virtue, named Sata-N. Unlike Yi, she saw compassion in mortals- helped along by a mortal man named Kyoshi, whom she admitted love for.
I was one of the Seers chosen to keep watch on the dark unspoken horrors of the universe.”
One of the dark tentacles waves gestationally before Xaela continues.
“When Yi discovered Sata-N had gone against her ruling, she flat out shattered the being into four shards, and the Seers which were entrusted by Sata-N were removed from play… except one. With the help of these eldritch blackdeath gods, I was able to conceal myself and with newfound dark strength, and a desire to unmake what Yi had brought about, I travelled to all corners of the cosmos, searching for someone who would share the same love for for violence and secretly disrespecting Yi as I had… and it was in the most unlikely of places that I found her.”
Xaela turns to Xali.
“It was you. It was always going to be you.”
Xali blushes a little, her purple blood giving her cheeks an unusual tint.
“So what made these--?”
Xaela starts responding before Xali finishes asking, she could have waited, but she’s just showing off at this point.
“I was their means of existing outside of their prison, I’m sure you’ve heard of the mamix, an interconnecting series of walls that divide the universes, inside of which lies two things, the Enma, and my buddies here.”
One of the eldritch tentacles just waves a hat like a gentleman, it’s almost humorous to watch.
“The Enma is the gatekeeper, nothing goes in or out of the mamix without her knowledge, that is until… I came along. Given my powers as a Seer of Eld, I could answer the questions of the Gatekeeper before she’d thought of the false answer, the answer she wanted was the first to coalesce. I now have purchased free reign of both domains and all cosmic entities so long as I use my portals to get there.”
Xeltara, who is now getting excited to do some damage, asks Xaela the question they all kinda wondered.
“What’s next then?”
Xaela smiles, and looks affectionately towards Xali.
“Ultimately, it will be you who leads us, you are without doubt the strongest and most cunning, I only can carry the illusion of wit through being able to see what you decipher as intelligence. You are ultimately going to be the card player here, and given that you utilize that deck so effectively, that metaphor is very much literal, as well.
Xali knows that it is then…
“Well then, guess it’s time to sate our urges. Find us a planet of savages who think their tough… and we will show them what savagery really looks like!”
Xaela sees the genius in the plan immediately.
“Ah, and because Yi has no love for savages, she is unlikely to detect us no matter how barbaric it becomes.”
Xali just grins and her eyes flare with violet rays. A look befitting a being soon to kill millions upon millions of people. Xeltara greedily licks her lips as her eyes slant.
“I’m sure you two would like to see me in action.”
Xali turns to her with Xaela in tow, and both smirk in agreement. They both wanted to see what this predator could do with its prey.
And so became known the Children of Calamity.
