Shifters

The Resistance

The moment they entered, Josh could only think of one word, Wow!

He'd been unsure of what to expect, perhaps more tunnels and carved stone rooms, however what lay before him was anything but! As they exited, he was greeted by a magnificent view. Joana walked in silence as he strode onto the ridge lined with wooden railings, which overlooked a vast open area. From his vantage point, he spotted what appeared to be three cities evenly spread apart, separated by dense forests. A wide river snaked through the forest narrowly avoiding each city as it flowed. From afar, the light reflected off it's surface, giving the water a supernatural glow. Josh followed its course with his eyes hoping to find its source, however, his attention was snatched away as he spotted a tall cylindrical pillar extending to the heavens. He stared upward in awe as it seemingly rose infinitely. As his gaze ascended, the light brightened further forcing him to avert his eyes. Shielding his eyes in determination, he resumed tracing the pillar's height until he reached the ceiling.

'Wait! Ceiling?' he thought in confusion.

As his eyes acclimated to the blinding light, Josh made a fascinating discovery. The ceiling was adorned with multiple, beautiful crystals which feigned the appearance of a daytime's sky. 

"Joana," he said stepping back in awe, "where in the world are we?" 

Joana, who'd resigned herself to observe him silently, replied, "It is quite the sight to those seeing it for the first time."

"What's with the pillars?" he questioned further, "and the ceiling full of crystals?"

She paused in surprise at his questions, "you're quite the observant one aren't you? Many have lived here for decades without noticing either of the two."

Josh waved his hand motioning for her to explain further. 

"What I'm about to tell you shouldn't be spread around, understood?" she warned. 

He nodded his response.

"Most that live here," she continued leaning on the railing, "believe this to be a secret dimension created by our leaders, however, that's not true in the slightest. Whereas this is an isolated space, if our leaders had the ability to create such a thing, this war would be long over with our victory as it's conclusion. Where we reside is somewhere much less grand. To keep it brief, were basically inside a planet."

"Inside a planet?" he questioned, eyes widening, "how is that even possible?"

"I'm not aware of the particulars," she responded, squinting at the ceiling, "I only know that they've made quite the bargain with the planetary spirit."

"Okay hold up," he said raising a palm, "what's a planetary spirit?"

"Planetary spirits are rare occurrences," she explained, "Planets are considered to be living beings. Regardless of their physical state all planets are truly alive. In some extremely rare instances, a planet's essence gathers into a single point to create a powerful consciousness. These beings are capable of reshaping the natural laws within the confines of their planet as they see fit."

"Doesn't that make them undefeatable?" he asked, awestruck by the revelation of such a powerful entity. 

"As powerful as they may be, planetary spirits are only 'godlike' on their original planet," Joana replied choosing her next words carefully, "I suppose there are a few that can contend with that power even within their territory, such as the predecessors of the Hall of Shifters or the Grand Discerners of the Order."

Intrigued by the new information, Josh started to ask more questions, however he was cut off by Joana, "I don't mind answering any questions you may have however, we're on borrowed time at the moment."