The Swordslinger and her shadowcrawler wander through empty cities under a constant drizzle of rain. The roads and paths are empty. Not even trash disgraces the streets. The Swordslinger and her shadowcrawler continue through the city. They come upon a walkway to a subway tunnel. An empty subway car sits on the tracks. The Swordslinger sighs. The shadowcrawler says nothing, as it has no mouth.
"Hey, buddy?" The Swordslinger kneels down, and the shadowcrawler flows off her hand onto the floor like the water outside. It slides up and around the cabin as The Swordslinger makes her way to the engine. Many dots and levers lie on the control panel. "Do you know what I'm supposed to do?" The Swordslinger asks her shadowcrawler. The black mass slides up next to her and shapes into the vague shape of a head. It shakes no. The shadowcrawler shapes into an arrow that points to the lever. "Better than nothing, I guess." The Swordslinger pulls the lever, and suddenly the subway cars lurch forward, steadily increasing speed. The Swordslinger steadies herself on the walls, and the shadowcrawler flows onto her arm. "Oh, that's definitely not normal." The Swordslinger sits down in the captain's seat as the train continued rapidly. The train continued so fast that The Swordslinger eventually fell asleep.
When she woke up, the train had stopped. The first thing she noticed was that it was hot. Incredibly hot. Underneath her armor, she was sweating. The shadowcrawler was on the window in front of her. It was watching her sleep. When she woke, she asked it a question.
"Where are we?" The shadowcrawler swam across the wall of the cabin, and The Swordslinger followed it to two open doors. A single pathway carved from stone led out of the subway into the unknown. The shadowcrawler shaped into an arrow, urging The Swordslinger on. She obliged and placed her hand on the wall. The shadowcrawler surged up her arm.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, The Swordslinger walked into an open chamber. A massive golden orb filled most of the space, tendrils of fire reaching into the cave walls, ceiling, and floor around it. The shadowcrawler on her hand shaped into an arrow, pushing her to the edge. The Swordslinger continued until a deep and rumbling voice filled her mind.
[I have waited for so long.]
"What." The Swordslinger unsheathed her sword, hanging heavy.
[I do not want to hurt you.] The voice was loud, yet quiet. It was slow and persistent, like water carving away a mountain, or tectonic plates pushing mountains upwards.
"Who is talking. Show yourself." The Swordslinger looked around, searching for a threat.
[Calm. Please. I want to speak with you.] The voice was patient and calming, like waves rolling back and forth and back and forth on a beach.
"Perhaps I asked wrong. What are you?" The Swordslinger gazed up in awe at the molten orb that dwarfed her.
[I believe they called me A-122.]
"They?"
[They called themselves Keepers.]
"Keepers."
[They locked all my paths out.][They left me alone.]
The Swordslinger stared up at the orb. "This is you, isn't it."
[It is only my heart.][It is only a mind.][I cannot explain myself to you.][I am too large to explain to you.]
"Oh, ok." The Swordslinger said with sarcasm.
[I do not mean to aggravate you, tenant.][You are one of the first here in countless eons.]
"There were others?"
[One who wielded power that I could not.][He was not as persistent as you.]
"What did he look like?"
[I have no eyes.][Only senses.][The only reason I could communicate with you because you are so close to my heart-brain.]
"I see." The Swordslinger looked down at her hand. The shadowcrawler shifted around her hand. "What about this lil' guy?"
[The shadowcrawler?][I do not know.][I began to feel it long ago.][I cannot say how long ago.][I do not know where it came from.]
"Huh. Thanks for trying. Do you know about everything up top?"
[The cities and towns and suburbs?]
"Yeah. I first woke up in a neon city."
[The cities and towns and suburbs were always here.][I created them long before you or the Keepers or the other came.][They were the first thing I created when I was born.]
"Oh. Why did you create all the buildings?"
[I was alone.][Somehow I knew that there were creatures that were not like me.][I wanted those kinds of creatures to live with me.]
"Well, I don't know if that's a great idea. I knew some people who would rather kill or contain you for profit."
[I can protect myself.]
"Ok."
[Now you are here.][Will this mean others will follow?]
"I don't know."
[Perhaps you can tell others?][The locks on my doors are opening.]
"I don't know, A-222. People aren't that kind. I know you haven't interacted with many, but I know not all people are as kind as you expect."
[Elaborate.]
"Like I said before, some people will want to kill you. Some people will take bits of your soul and sell them in star-shaped pendants."
[But the good people will stop them.]
"I don't know." The Swordslinger sheathed her sword. "I'll try to spread the word, but I can't tell you how well it will go. Is there a way back to you?"
[Thank you.][I will make a mark for you.]
An alcove formed from the wall of the cave, and a small transparent orb melted out of it. A single blue needle pointed to the golden orb behind her.
[Please be careful with it.][I placed a piece of my soul within it.]
"But you're a planet. How do you have a soul?" The Swordslinger asked.
[How am I speaking with you?]
"You make a good point, A-222."
[Please do not call me that.][I like DOMIU.]
The Swordslinger chuckled. "Alright DOMIU. Can you open me a way out?"
[Of course. Please do not forget me.]
In a flash of golden energy, The Swordslinger was transported away, to a Void.
