The Dunwilians had never known friends among the stars, as they were not... standard. They didn't look like space ferrets, they didn't look like space elves. Even a pile of sentient rocks would have been preferable to the horror that they were as a species. The Dunwilians had been called a great many things: Lovecraftian, horrific, abomination, terrifying. Meaner ones would just call them ugly. However, nobody had ever called them friend.
They stood at a staggering 8 feet tall, a mass of writhing wiggling strings tied and bound together into an egg-like shape, punctuated by eyes of varying sizes, each one burning a deep blood red. Twenty trunk-like appendages spouted from the sides of this mass, the ugly blues and purples mixing together into a slimy viscous skin. Each trunk ended into a gaping maw of teeth and slime, seeming to gnash and bite as it moved around.
They were also a desperately social species, ingrained into their very being that life was best experienced with others. So it was a great tragedy that the Dunwilians found themselves alone, simply due to how they were created. They retreated amongst themselves and avoided the greater galactic community as the centuries passed by: the stars only provided broken promises and hurt.
Until the Terrans arrived. Strange primates that seemed to bond with anything that had a pulse. Who had looked at the Dunwilian's horrific nature, and responded with an outstretched hand of friendship.
A Dunwilian by the name of _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ walked along the halls, their massive lumbering frame being almost squeezed into the corridors designed for smaller beings, the walls inset with pictures and glass cases containing various artefacts. They lumbered forwards at the back of the tour group, following behind at a slight distance.
While a few other Terran Alliance species were to be found here, the vast majority of the people at the museum were the native Zassu, a serpentine species; each of them made up of two completely independent sapient heads, always of different colours, the scales from each twisting around each other to create a spiraled main body that both minds controlled and slithered around on. Many of them were wearing two coloured robes over the entirety of their bodies, the frictionless material flowing along as they quite literally talked amongst themselves.
They were also keeping their distance from _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝, the disturbing pops and cracks, the unseen grinding of cartilage as they walked along on each of their trunks. This was perfectly natural and healthy for a Dunwilian but was disturbing nevertheless.
Apart from one, who walked next to _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ without a care in the world, seemingly unworried of the Lovecraftian being. The friend _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ had managed to make.
"This is awesome, the idea that these tunnels were built by chipping away the mountain one slither a at time, you can see the indentations of each strike of the tools along the walls still."
The Terran who went by the name "Terry" spoke excitedly as they brushed their fingers along the walls, feeling the ridges caused by the millions of tool strikes required to cave into the near-impenetrable rock.
"̸T̸h̴e̴y̷ ̵s̴a̷y̵ ̷i̷t̴ ̸t̴o̸o̸k̸ ̶t̵h̸o̴u̴s̸a̴n̵d̷s̶ ̴o̶f̶ ̴y̸e̴a̷r̴s̶,̷ ̶h̴u̸n̷d̷r̷e̴d̸s̴ ̴o̷f̶ ̶g̴e̶n̵e̸r̷a̴t̶i̷o̴n̴s̵ ̵t̶o̷ ̴f̶i̵n̸i̷s̷h̴.̷ ̶I̸t̷'̸s̶ ̸o̷l̸d̷e̷r̴ ̷t̶h̸a̴n̴ ̶m̴a̸n̴y̷ ̵s̵p̶e̵c̸i̸e̷s̵.̴"̶
_̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ responded with a cacophony of grinding noises, causing the rest of the tour group to shudder involuntarily as the Dunwilian spoke. Not that Terry gave any mind to them, having long since gotten used to such things. _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ could remember the way they had met Terry, the random Galnet message posted on a space station's message board.
"I'm bored, anyone wants to meet up for a drink?"
_̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ remembered how nervous they were during that meeting, desperately trying to come off as non-threatening as possible. Speaking softly, trying to look smaller, even purchasing a giant cowboy hat to look 'more friendly'; a hat they still wore all the time. Not that _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ had needed to worry. Upon seeing them, Terry had spoken six simple words.
"You look weird! Let's be friends."
Since then the two had been the closest of friends, the only non-Dunwilian friendship _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ had ever had. The pair had been roaming the universe ever since, exploring life the best way one can: With someone else. Terry was retired, whatever he had once done provided the Terran with enough income to focus on travelling the stars, admittedly at a budget.
"The snake things, if they eat something then get sick, do both heads throw up?
The whispered words of Terry sounded all too loud in the empty stone-carved tunnels, causing _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ to whisper back in their own hushed 'words'
"̵Y̶o̴u̸ ̷c̴a̸n̷'̴t̴ ̷a̷s̵k̵ ̵t̷h̶a̷t̶!̸ ̴W̷h̸a̵t̷'̶s̴ ̶w̴r̷o̸n̷g̸ ̴w̷i̸t̵h̷ ̵y̷o̴u̸!̸"̴
"What? I'm just wondering."
Dumwilians weren't the limit to Terry's weirdness. The Terran seemed to have a proclivity to anything strange and unique in the galaxy, dragging themselves and _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ around to the lesser visited planets in the Terran Alliance and beyond.
"Of course, the greatest triumph of the temple is the central plaza itself. Where millions and billions of tool strikes carved out a literal mountain over thousands of years. Many have said it is one of the oldest structures in the galaxy."
The two voices of the tour guide sounded out with a dry slither as the tunnel the group was walking through started to come to an end. A giant set of doors made out of orange wood was inlaid into the rock walls, the tourists congregating together as the two heads of the guide wrapped their shared tail around the handle, awaiting everyone to approach before continuing.
"Welcome to the single greatest achievement of the Slitari Dynasty, over twenty thousand years old. Welcome to the Valley of the Gods"
With a blinding light, the doors were wrenched open, taking a moment for everyone's eyes to adjust from the dark cool tunnels to the more scorching bright red sun that hung over the planet.
The space was immense, a nearly square mile of space carved out into the rock, a stretching expanse of artificial paradise that wouldn't be out of place in the most fertile of farmland. Rows upon rows of paths led through a perfectly maintained sea of grass, surrounded by a multitude of artificial rivers.
"This is the Delinarui Estasurus, which translates to Birthing place or valley of the gods. This took over 5000 years to complete and was the final and crowning achievement of the Slitari Dynasty."
The Tour guide continued to speak, each head taking their turn in a clearly rehearsed preamble about the location. The area was littered with statues and adornments, the rock-carved monuments seemingly held in place against the laws of physics.
"Everything here is carved out of the rock itself, everything from the temple to the smallest statues are all part of the same mountain. The technology of the time and the unique hardness of the rock meant classic stone working techniques could not be used here, instead all of this was carved by removing a [penny-sized] piece of rock with each tool blow. As this was all carved from the same rock, there are no second chances. To work on even basic removal required 10 years of mastery, and to have a single stroke be one of the final surfaces was considered a life's achievement."
The entire thing surrounded a giant temple, adornments and towers reaching towards the sky, a central spire soaring thousands of meters into the air where the peak of the mountain had once been.
"The temple is also carved from the outside in, a Palace fit for a god, quite literally. The Slitari Dynasty believed that the god Raitial lay slumbered at the base of the mountain and that the mountain was an egg for the divine being. That when the god was freed, she would bring forth a new age of prosperity."
The only thing that reminded the tour group that once upon a time this valley had once been a mountain was the walls that surrounded them, strong unyielding rock that were the only remnants of what had once been a monument to the sky.
"This was what eventually destroyed the Slitari Dynasty. When they breached the inner chambers of the palace to be, they found no god, nothing but stone. These last untouched remnants of the mountain remain as they were found in what was to be the throne room. There was an attempt to start again. A few believed they had calculated the centre of the mountain wrong. Others suggested that this wasn't the tallest mountain as described in the legends. However, the split between these two groups, as well as those who had their faith shattered caused the empire that had lasted over ten thousand years to collapse, starting the age of darkness."
Many of the group were now starting to mill around as the tour group continued to speak, looking around with wonder, pulling out devices to take pictures as they inspected the various adornments that lay around this paradise carved from stone.
"Millions of tons of rock, over five thousand years of work. A generational effort that has stood untouched for over ten thousand years. A belief in a higher power, a better world. This idea brought together over a hundred and thirty generations. There will be a 45-minute break to wander around the temple garden before we start to move around the outer chambers of the temple itself. Unfortunately, the inner chambers are closed for maintenance."
Terry and _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ needed no further encouragement to go explore, wandering around the paths and between the grasses whose descendants had originally been planted here on imported soil so long ago.
"̸T̸w̶e̵n̷t̶y̶ ̸t̸h̵o̸u̸s̷a̴n̸d̴ ̴y̵e̴a̴r̸s̵...̵ ̵t̵h̸a̴t̷'̷s̵ ̸a̶l̴m̶o̷s̴t̴ ̵a̷s̷ ̷o̴l̸d̶ ̷a̸s̵ ̷y̶o̵u̶ ̴a̶r̴e̵ ̶T̴e̶r̵r̷y̷!̴"̶ _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ gave a jovial series of pops and cracks as they both stared up at a four-headed representation of the god Raitial.
"I'm only just over 200 years old! You're the old one!" Terry responded with mock anger, a smile playing over his face as he said it.
"̴L̷a̴s̷t̵ ̶t̸i̷m̸e̶ ̶I̷ ̸c̵h̴e̸c̸k̵e̶d̷,̵ ̸a̷r̷e̴n̶'̵t̶ ̵y̸o̸u̴ ̶o̵v̴e̷r̴ ̵t̴e̴n̶ ̶t̷h̴o̶u̸s̴a̵n̴d̷ ̴a̷n̴d̸ ̵s̷e̵v̴e̴n̶ ̴h̷u̷n̸d̴r̸e̶d̶ ̵y̵e̵a̸r̸s̷ ̷o̶l̴d̷?̸ ̷G̷r̴a̸n̴d̶p̷a̵ ̵c̵a̸n̴ ̶g̵o̸ ̴g̴e̵t̸ ̷D̴u̶n̸w̸i̷l̸i̷a̴n̸ ̷r̸e̴t̸i̴r̵e̴m̴e̵n̸t̵!̶"̶
"Any time stuck in stasis is like the calories in mini-muffins: They don't count."
Terry gave a playful shove towards _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝, the Dunwilian pretending to mock stumble as they both laughed. This was what exploring the galaxy was all about, this was the exact way to see the stars: Finding weird places and experiencing them, with a friend.
"That's weird, I can't get any signal. I told you not to cheap out on the provider, their network coverage is shit!"
The sound of another Zassu arguing with itself brought both Terry and _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ out of their conversation, both turning to look at the Zassu fiddling with a Galnet connector.
"No mine's down as well. Do you think it's the mountain blocking it? Don't think so, there's nothing above us to block the light."
*"*Wait, the emergency network also isn't responding. Isn't that thing able to get a signal anywhere?"
The sounds of confusion rang out as more and more people checked the network, finding themselves cut off from the rest of the world. Murmurs of worry tinged with panic could be heard from the tour group as the wandering individuals came back together as a group.
"Calm down, calm down. It's just the Galnet being a bit– What the.. By the sands what is happening!"
The initial calming voice of the tour guide's first head was cut off by the surprised exclamation of the second. The second's gaze looked to the sky, everyone else following as they as they also gazed past the walls carved out of a mountain, towards a sky that was on fire.
Tens and hundreds of explosions rocked the sky, tiny pinpricks of light almost washed out against the daytime sun but were obvious to anyone watching. The clear signs of fighting happening hundreds of miles away in orbit. Galnet was down because the satellites it ran on didn't exist anymore.
A moment of shock and pause washed over the group as what exactly was happening was fully processed by the people watching a burning sky.
"Well fuck. What are we supposed to do now?"
Terry asked a very important question. No raid sirens or alarms went off, there were no bunkers to rush to, the Zassu had no plan for such an event because... Why would they? Sure they were technically at war as part of the current Terran Alliance - Estorian Empire conflict, but they had nothing to offer in such a situation. No real military, no real industry. A single system species deep within Terran Alliance space. Attacking such a race made no tactical sense.
Yet they were still here, yet somehow on this simple lazy day, the entire planet was being fought over.
"I don't know, there's no- The temple, the inner chambers. It's basically indestructible, we bunker in there. Of course! It's even got a filtering system to keep the inside hermetically sealed"
The group didn't have to be told twice, the panic and fear among the tourists had been gradually rising and having a direction people started to sprint for the potential area of safety, the serpentine group slithering along the ground at high speed.
This wasn't much of a problem for Terry, the primate would have been able to keep up as they ran through the grass-boarded perfectly maintained paths. _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ did not have such an easy time. The Dunwilians were not built for speed, the trunks clashing and sliding as they tried to surge forwards, the teeth and slimy flesh at the end of each limb unable to get any real purchase.
"We really gotta go!"
The Terran remained behind, practically pulling and pushing his friend to move him forward faster, past the statues and arches of the outer section, through the courtyard and lobby, trailing behind the rest as the two made their way towards perceived safety.
Not that the speed had given those up ahead much of an advantage, the group was clustered around a closed doorway, a giant ornate entrance blocked by a carved stone slab, the slab covered in ancient intricate carvings of the religion surrounding Raitial. A slab that was shuddering and moving, the sound of a mechanical motor clicking and failing as the doorway refused to rise.
"Shit! It's still not been fixed yet! Well, the inner chambers weren't planning on being open today!"
The tour guide struggled with the controls to open the entryway, the broken motor refusing to drag the slab more than a couple of inches into the air. _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ looked up, the sky still alight with fire as the battle in orbit continued to rage on. But one of the explosions was getting bigger, one of them starting to fill the sky as whatever spacecraft or other satellite the flaming hunk of metal had once been descended quickly out of orbit, spiralling towards the planet's surface.
Right towards them.
_̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ rushed forwards, pushing past the crowd of far smaller beings and slipping several ugly purple-blue trunks under the small gap, bracing themselves against the stone floor and giving a screeching, bone snapping cry as they put their immense size and strength into lifting the giant weight. Slowly, but surely it slid up, as Dunwilian and motor worked together to create a gap.
Another set of hands joined his efforts as Terry stood to their left, the two lifting together, creating a few more inches of space as the gap under the door increased. Zassu started flooding through, slithering through the hole as the gap continued to rise while both Terran and Dunwilian strained with effort. All the while the fire in the sky grew larger and faster, a thundering boom echoing out as the miles-long craft broke through the atmosphere, spewing fire as it fell.
Slowly the rest of the tour group made their way inside, leaving only the two holding the giant door up outside, eventually both working together to create enough of a gap that even the massive Dunwilian could squeeze inside. The two looked at each other, waiting as as they got ready to drop the giant door and slip inside in one smooth movement.
Then, the door shifted and slipped as the struggling motor finally gave out with a splutter. _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ didn't even understand what happened next. As the slab of stone began to fall they felt hands pushing him inside, the Dunwilian tumbling as the slab crashed to the ground with a bang and a crunch.
It took them a moment to get up, the darkened inner chambers only lit with a few faint LED lights, the rest of the tour group crowding around each other as they stared towards the now shut doorway. They would be safe. No matter who was attacking them, getting inside the temple would be nearly impossible, allowing them to bunker down until help arrived.
However, something was wrong, something was missing, something was not as it should be. _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝'s friend was not there, the Terran had not followed them through before the door slammed shut, a deep crimson liquid flowing from the bottom of the entrance the only hint about what had happened when the ton of rock had fallen into place.
And just like that, once again _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ was alone in the universe.
—---------------------
Terry was relatively certain he was dead. This was partially because he knew he wasn't in Kansas anymore, the space around him being an inky black void of nothingness. It was mostly because he was 99 percent certain that being crushed under a literal ton of heavy rock was very lethal. Somehow though, this lethality hadn't actually done much to hurt him, as except for not knowing where he was, Terry felt mostly fine.
The void was all around him, a constant darkness. No, darkness was the wrong word, the void wasn't a lack of light, it was... something. The place Terry now found himself in was filled with... something, something seemed to move and glimmer with opportunity, small flashes of possibility from the corner of his eye. The more he looked the more things started to swirl and change, as if the world was reacting to his thoughts, thoughts of confusion, thoughts of where the hell he was. Thoughts that if this was the afterlife, then frankly it sucked.
Slowly the flashes started to coalesce, the void collapsing into itself as actuality began to form in front of him. It took a moment for Terry to realize what it was: A green padded chair. Then the actuality continued to spread as impossibility collapsed; A table in front of the padded chair. a carpeted floor, wallpapered walls with floral printing on them, shelves of knickknacks, and a picture frame containing the words "Live Laugh Love". Each time Terry looked away from an area, it seemed to form into whatever this void was turning into.
It was strange by how not strange it was, almost like a room you'd find in your grandma's house, a stuffy little living room filled with cushions, love and comments about how much you've grown. Apart from the far wall. That was still the thick oppressive void. Terry stared into it, then in a moment something stared back, two figures coming into view. Gargantuan, terrifying, unreal figures.
Someone describing such things might use words like "Non-Euclidean" or "Lovecraftian", and then knock off for an early lunch, but that wouldn't do these beings justice. They were miles tall, if you could even use measurements to describe size here, filled with tentacles, wings, and teeth. But also none of those things. A body of four arms led into a body that had eight arms, a face with tentacles spouted from a head that had none, leathery wings flapped from a body that had no space or connection to any such limb. Features and descriptions lead into other areas in impossible yet logical ways.
They were impossible to describe, as to describe them would be to suggest they had a singular form that was unchanging. Every part of their being was like looking at a visual illusion that had somehow taken real form. Lines lead to other lines in ways that make the original lines make no sense. It didn't shift or change in front of Terry's eyes, but instead the simple act of just looking and trying to comprehend what was going on impacted the form of the creature. Like a broken kaleidoscope, shattered into a million possibilities. The cat was both alive, dead, and owned a timeshare in Tuscany; all at the same time.
Terry's mind did what all Euclidean minds did when seeing something that didn't make sense: it ignored it. Assigning the impossible beings a vague figure in order to protect itself, a figure of unknowable horror. The Terran saw the two figures slide up towards him, holding out an object to his person. Terry didn't know what they were, but he knew they were horrifying, unnatural, dangerous.
With words that transcended time, transcended sound the closest one spoke.
"̵Y̷o̸u̴ ̷m̸u̷s̴t̷ ̶b̴e̷ ̸T̸e̵r̴r̴y̸,̵ ̷w̸e̵'̷r̴e̴ ̵s̴o̵ ̶g̷l̸a̶d̸ ̸t̵o̶ ̷f̷i̶n̶a̸l̴l̶y̸ ̸m̶e̸e̵t̷ ̵y̴o̵u̷!̵ ̶H̴e̶r̵e̴,̴ ̷h̸a̵v̴e̶ ̷s̸o̸m̸e̶ ̸c̵o̶o̵k̶i̸e̸s̴!̶"̷ ̸
Terry felt his brain come to a screeching halt as the concepts of the words hit his brain. Indeed held out in the... Limb? of the creature in front of him was a tray of what looked like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. They smelled like them, and as he reached out a hand to take one, shocked brain running on autopilot, they also tasted like them as well.
"̴I̶ ̵s̵o̴ ̵g̵l̶a̴d̵ ̷y̵o̸u̵'̵r̷e̷ ̶h̵e̷r̶e̵,̵ ̴w̴e̷ ̵w̷e̸r̶e̶n̸'̵t̴ ̷s̴u̶r̷e̵ ̵i̶f̵ ̶t̶h̴i̷s̸ ̴w̶a̸s̷ ̶g̸o̸i̸n̶g̸ ̷t̴o̸ ̶w̵o̵r̷k̶!̶ ̶I̶ ̸c̵a̴n̶ ̷s̵e̷e̸ ̷w̶h̷y̵ _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ h̸a̷s̷ ̴t̵a̴k̴e̴n̵ ̶a̸ ̶l̵i̶k̸i̵n̷g̸ ̴t̵o̷ ̷y̷o̷u̵!̶"̸ ̶
"̴N̸y̶a̴r̴l̵a̶t̵h̵o̵t̶e̸p̴,̶ ̴y̵o̷u̴'̶r̷e̶ ̵s̷c̵a̶r̸i̵n̸g̴ ̷t̷h̵e̶ ̴p̶o̷o̴r̷ ̶m̶a̸n̵.̶ ̶H̴e̸'̵s̵ ̸E̴u̸c̵l̴i̴d̷e̶a̶n̶,̴ ̷r̵e̸m̴e̵m̶b̴e̸r̸?̵"̷ ̶
The second being spoke up from the back, the impossible voice being calmer than the first.
"̸O̶h̶ ̵I̸'̴m̶ ̸s̵o̴ ̸s̸o̶r̸r̷y̴,̴ ̵I̷'̴m̴ ̵s̸o̷ ̸e̴x̴c̸i̵t̶e̵d̷ ̸I̵'̵v̸e̵ ̶f̴o̴r̴g̵o̷t̶t̵e̶n̵ ̸m̸y̵ ̵m̶a̴n̷n̸e̴r̷s̴.̶ ̶D̶o̴ ̵y̴o̷u̵ ̶w̴a̶n̸t̶ ̸s̶o̷m̸e̶t̷h̵i̴n̴g̶ ̴t̷o̸ ̶d̷r̵i̵n̵k̴?̸ ̴W̷a̵t̵e̸r̵?̷ ̴J̶u̶i̷c̵e̴?̵ ̸T̸h̶e̶ ̴c̵o̴n̴c̴e̴p̶t̸ ̴o̶f̶ ̵t̴i̶m̸e̴?̴ ̴T̵e̸a̶?̸"̴
Terry couldn't do much but stare back blankly, brain struggling to keep up with the absolute flogging it was taking.
"Wha...where am I, who are you, what's going on?"
The two beings laughed in response to these questions, a happy thing that also sounded like the birth of a star.
"̴W̴h̶o̸ ̷w̵h̵a̶t̴ ̸w̶h̸e̴r̷e̶ ̸a̴n̵d̴ ̸w̵h̷y̶,̶ ̵a̴l̶w̶a̶y̵s̴ ̴t̶h̶e̷ ̷t̴h̶i̵n̴g̵s̴ ̴E̴u̷c̵l̸i̸d̷e̴a̵n̴ ̵b̷e̸i̶n̴g̴s̴ ̴c̶a̸r̴e̷ ̵t̷h̵e̸ ̷m̶o̵s̶t̴ ̵a̶b̶o̷u̵t̸"̶ ̵ The figure at the back responded before the other entity added.
"̶I̵'̵m̵ ̵N̵y̶a̶r̶l̴a̵t̶h̴o̷t̵e̸p̴,̴ ̵t̸h̵i̷s̸ ̴i̶s̶ ̴A̸z̴a̵t̸h̸o̴t̷h̴.̴ ̵W̸e̴ ̴a̷r̷e̴ ̶t̴h̸e̵ ̶c̵r̴e̴a̴t̴o̴r̴s̷ ̵o̶f̵ ̸t̷h̷e̷ ̸D̴u̸n̷w̴i̵l̵i̶a̷n̸.̴"̶
Those names sounded familiar, _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ had mentioned them at some point... Not that this provided any clarity.
"̶A̸s̶ ̸f̴o̴r̴ ̶w̶h̷e̶r̴e̶...̶ ̷t̶h̴i̶n̶g̸s̶ ̷l̵i̸k̴e̵ ̷w̶h̸e̸r̸e̴ ̷a̴n̷d̷ ̴w̸h̶e̵n̷ ̸d̴o̶n̴'̵t̶ ̸a̴p̵p̸l̴y̴.̴ ̷W̷e̸ ̷a̴r̴e̵ ̴e̵v̵e̶r̵y̶w̷h̷e̵r̴e̸ ̵a̶n̶d̵ ̴n̷o̷w̴h̷e̵r̷e̸,̴ ̸a̷t̶ ̵t̵h̶e̷ ̵b̴i̸r̵t̵h̷ ̸o̴f̴ ̷t̷i̷m̶e̵ ̴a̷n̶d̵ ̴a̶t̶ ̵i̶t̷s̷ ̵e̴n̴d̵.̸ ̷I̸t̸'̴s̷ ̶a̵l̵l̷ ̵v̴e̴r̶y̸ ̶s̸i̶m̴p̷l̶e̶.̸"̴ ̸ Azathoth explained with very little fanfare as if this was all very normal and understandable.
It wasn't simple, and Terry could feel his mind starting to hurt. Now that it had been pointed out, everywhere and everything was how his current existence could be described. Sure, he was in this softly furnished room with these two entities, but that was only because of his perception. If he looked again he was also still in the initial void of nothingness, or at the heart of a star going supernova, the birth of a neutron or the-
"̴H̶e̵y̶,̵ ̵f̴o̸c̷u̵s̸ ̵o̸n̷ ̴m̸y̸ ̶v̶o̴i̷c̸e̸ ̴a̶n̴d̵ ̶t̴h̶e̶ ̷r̵o̴o̷m̶,̵ ̵h̵a̵v̸e̸ ̸a̷n̴o̸t̵h̴e̸r̸ ̴c̸o̵o̸k̵i̷e̵"̷ ̸ The words of Nyarlathotep broke up Terry's thoughts, a nameless limb offering the tray of cookies again. "̴T̸h̶r̷e̵e̷-̵d̴i̴m̴e̵n̸s̴i̷o̴n̷a̴l̸ ̶m̶i̶n̷d̸s̷ ̵c̴a̸n̸'̷t̷ ̸h̷a̴n̸d̸l̴e̴ ̴n̵o̵n̶l̷i̶n̶e̴a̵r̴ ̶s̴p̶a̷c̵e̷,̴ ̶d̶o̶n̴'̷t̷ ̸t̸h̸i̷n̷k̵ ̵t̵o̵o̷ ̸h̶a̴r̶d̸ ̸a̵b̴o̸u̷t̵ ̷w̷h̸e̷r̷e̸ ̶y̶o̶u̷ ̶a̶r̴e̴.̶"̸
Terry took another cookie, taking a moment to calm down with the taste of chocolate, or at least something that tasted like chocolate. Frankly, he wasn't sure if chocolate could even exist here.
"So why do you want me to meet someone like me then?"
"̶B̷e̷c̷a̷u̵s̸e̵ ̵y̸o̸u̸'̴r̵e̴ _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝'s b̸e̸s̸t̷ ̷f̵r̶i̸e̶n̸d̸.̸ ̷T̶e̸r̸r̵a̷n̷s̸,̷ ̴i̶n̸ ̸g̷e̵n̷e̵r̷a̸l̸,̴ ̸a̵r̴e̸ ̴t̸h̸e̴ ̵D̸u̶n̵w̷i̴l̸i̴a̸n̴'̸s̶ ̴b̸e̴s̷t̶ ̴f̵r̶i̴e̷n̶d̴s̵.̴"̴ ̸ Nyarlathotep responded with a joyful tone.
"̷W̴e̷'̶v̴e̸ ̸b̵e̶e̴n̸ ̷s̸o̴ ̶w̴o̵r̴r̸i̸e̴d̶ ̸a̴b̴o̸u̴t̵ ̴o̷u̸r̷ ̶c̵h̵i̷l̷d̵r̸e̶n̷,̴ ̴a̴n̶d̷ ̷s̷e̸e̴i̸n̷g̶ ̷t̶h̵e̸m̸ ̴m̵a̶k̴e̸ ̸a̶ ̶f̶r̵i̵e̷n̴d̵ ̷i̴s̸ ̷t̷h̷e̶ ̶b̷e̸s̶t̴ ̸n̸e̶w̸s̷.̸"̵ ̶ Azathoth interjected.
Terry paused for a moment before a frown covered his face.
"Wait does that mean you're god?"
"̵E̶h̵h̵h̷h̵,̵ ̵y̸e̷s̷ ̸b̶u̸t̴ ̶a̸c̴t̷u̸a̴l̸l̴y̸ ̶n̶o̶.̷ ̸W̷e̷ ̸a̵r̶e̵ ̵a̷ ̵g̵o̷d̴,̷ ̸b̷u̶t̴ ̷n̷o̶t̶ ̸y̶o̴u̷r̴ ̵g̵o̴d̶.̴"̷ Azathoth answered unhelpfully as Nyarlathotep continued the answer.
"̴W̴e̶ ̸c̸r̴e̴a̶t̵e̸d̸ ̷t̸h̴e̶ ̵D̸u̷n̸w̸i̴l̸i̸a̷n̴s̸ ̵i̴n̶ ̶o̷u̸r̴ ̵i̸m̸a̷g̷e̸,̴ ̸a̴s̶ ̸m̸u̵c̷h̷ ̴a̶s̵ ̴p̶o̷s̶s̷i̸b̶l̷e̸ ̷w̸i̴t̶h̷ ̴E̶u̷c̸l̷i̶d̵e̷a̴n̸ ̴l̴i̶m̷i̴t̷a̷t̵i̷o̴n̵s̸.̸ ̶T̷h̸a̷t̶'̴s̶ ̵n̶o̵t̵ ̵r̸e̸a̷l̵l̸y̷ ̷m̶u̷c̴h̸ ̷h̴e̸l̴p̶ ̴f̴o̷r̷ ̷t̴h̶e̴m̶,̵ ̶u̷n̷f̷o̸r̵t̷u̷n̸a̴t̵e̵l̵y̶,̵ ̶a̵l̸t̶h̵o̵u̸g̸h̸ ̴w̸e̴ ̸t̴r̷y̴ ̶o̶u̷r̴ ̵b̷e̶s̵t̸ ̸t̷o̷ ̵p̴r̴o̷t̶e̵c̴t̶ ̸o̴u̶r̶ ̶c̵h̸i̴l̵d̸r̷e̷n̵.̵"̵
The Terran shrugged in response, trying to ignore how crazy this situation was.
"They're good people, and they are fun to spend time with."
"̷T̴h̴a̶t̴'̴s̵ ̴w̸h̵y̶ ̴w̶e̸ ̶a̵r̴e̴ ̶s̵o̵ ̴g̵l̴a̵d̶ ̸t̴o̵ ̷m̶e̷e̶t̴ ̵y̶o̵u̸.̶ ̴W̶e̸'̶v̴e̶ ̴w̴a̸n̵t̶e̵d̴ ̷t̷o̴ ̴t̸h̷a̵n̵k̴ ̴y̴o̶u̵ ̵e̷v̷e̷r̷ ̸s̸i̶n̴c̷e̴ ̷w̴e̸ ̷k̸n̶e̵w̶ ̸y̴o̶u̸ ̴w̷e̸r̵e̶ ̴g̸o̵i̶n̸g̵ ̴t̸o̷ ̵b̶e̸ ̴t̵h̷e̸ ̷b̸e̶s̴t̵ ̸o̴f̷ ̵f̶r̵i̶e̶n̷d̷s̶.̵"̵ Azathoth said.
"̴W̵e̵'̸v̶e̵ ̷b̴e̸e̶n̵ ̴t̴r̸y̸i̴n̷g̸ ̴t̵o̸ ̴c̶o̷n̸t̸a̴c̶t̷ ̶h̸u̶m̷a̴n̶s̸ ̶f̸o̷r̶ ̵a̶ ̷w̶h̷i̴l̴e̸,̵ ̵e̸v̵e̶r̶ ̴s̴i̶n̴c̶e̵ ̷w̷e̴ ̶s̷a̸w̶ ̷t̵h̷a̷t̸ ̷y̴o̶u̷ ̷b̷o̴t̵h̸ ̴w̴o̴u̴l̴d̴ ̴b̷e̴ ̸f̷r̴i̷e̷n̷d̵s̶.̶ ̷H̵o̸w̷e̷v̵e̷r̵,̸ ̴o̷u̸r̵ ̶f̸i̶r̶s̶t̵ ̸a̷t̷t̶e̸m̶p̶t̵e̵d̶ ̵c̸o̶n̷t̶a̴c̸t̸ ̷d̶i̶d̷n̴'̶t̸ ̴g̵o̴ ̴w̷e̶l̶l̶,̴ ̶t̶h̷i̴n̷g̷s̸ ̴g̶o̵t̷ ̶l̶o̵s̵t̷ ̷i̸n̶ ̷t̴r̸a̴n̵s̴l̷a̸t̶i̸o̵n̴"̶ Nyarlathotep added
"̶I̷ ̵s̴t̸i̵l̸l̵ ̴m̷a̶i̸n̸t̸a̷i̴n̵ ̵t̵h̸a̴t̴ ̶i̷t̵ ̶h̴a̵d̵ ̶n̸o̶t̵h̵i̸n̸g̶ ̸t̸o̵ ̶d̷o̷ ̸w̷i̷t̸h̶ ̶u̴s̷.̷ ̵H̶o̸w̵a̷r̸d̴ ̷h̷a̷d̷ ̵i̵s̶s̶u̴e̷s̶ ̴b̵e̴f̶o̴r̴e̵ ̸w̵e̶ ̷c̵o̵n̷t̶a̸c̴t̷e̸d̴ ̷h̸i̵m̶.̸"̸
Terry couldn't help but feel the whiplash of the situation. On the one hand, except for the two Lovecraftian beings in front of him, the entire situation felt calm, like visiting your grandparents. Sitting in a soft chair, eating freshly baked cookies while the two talked. On the other... he was still dead.
"So what happens now? Will my Dunwilian friend be OK now that I'm gone?"
Azathoth seemed to give a small murmur in response.
"̸W̵e̷l̷l̸ ̶o̷f̴ ̸c̵o̵u̶r̵s̸e̷ ̷t̴h̸e̵y̷'̷r̸e̶ ̴g̷o̸i̵n̸g̷ ̴t̶o̸ ̸b̸e̴ ̶f̶i̵n̷e̸,̵ ̶y̸o̴u̷'̸l̶l̴ ̷b̷e̶ ̴t̵h̵e̴r̶e̴ ̴t̶o̸ ̸k̸e̶e̶p̴ ̵t̸h̴e̷m̵ ̶c̷o̸m̷p̴a̷n̸y̷.̵"̵
"̸A̸l̴t̴h̴o̶u̴g̶h̸ ̷y̸o̵u̸ ̷p̸r̵o̶b̷a̴b̷l̶y̷ ̴s̷h̴o̴u̸l̴d̴ ̷b̴e̸ ̷g̵e̴t̷t̴i̵n̵g̷ ̸o̸n̶ ̷g̸o̷i̸n̴g̴,̶ ̴o̷t̶h̴e̴r̶w̶i̴s̷e̶ ̵i̷t̸ ̷w̶o̷n̶'̷t̸ ̷w̷o̶r̵k̶.̵ ̸I̸'̶l̵l̶ ̷w̴r̵a̴p̶ ̶u̶p̷ ̷t̵h̵e̸ ̴r̸e̶s̶t̶ ̸o̶f̶ ̸t̶h̶e̶ ̷c̶o̴o̶k̶i̵e̴s̶ ̴f̵o̶r̸ ̸y̸o̵u̸ ̷t̴o̴ ̶t̶a̶k̴e̵ ̸w̸i̷t̷h̴ ̵y̷o̸u̷.̷"̸ Nyarlathotep added cheerfully, making movements to do the same.
"So you can help me?" Terry asked, confused yet hopeful. "You can send me back?"
"̴Y̵e̶s̶,̵ ̴b̵u̵t̷ ̵a̵c̷t̵u̶a̵l̵l̷y̶ ̷n̶o̶"̴ Nyarlathotep responded unhelpfully. "̵T̶i̵m̷e̷ ̷i̵s̴ ̴j̸u̷s̵t̴ ̵a̶n̵o̸t̶h̸e̶r̸ ̸d̸i̶m̴e̷n̶s̷i̶o̴n̵ ̶a̴n̸d̵ ̶c̸a̵n̵ ̷b̶e̵ ̴a̵d̷j̴u̶s̴t̸e̶d̶ ̵a̷n̷d̶ ̷c̷h̵a̸n̴g̶e̵d̴.̸"̴
"̵S̴l̷i̷g̴h̶t̵l̵y̷ ̴c̴h̸a̶n̶g̸e̸d̸"̷ Azathoth added gruffly. ̵"̵T̴h̷e̸r̴e̸ ̷a̸r̴e̶ ̶r̷u̸l̴e̷s̴ ̷t̸o̶ ̴t̵h̶i̵s̵,̷ ̴i̸r̶o̴n̶i̶c̷a̷l̶l̵y̸ ̶w̶e̸ ̷c̵o̷u̴l̷d̴ ̴h̸a̴v̵e̵ ̶d̷o̵n̵e̴ ̵f̵a̶r̴ ̶m̵o̵r̴e̴ ̴i̴f̸ ̴y̶o̴u̶'̷d̶ ̷h̷a̵v̸e̶ ̷s̵a̷v̷e̴d̵ ̸y̵o̸u̸r̶s̷e̵l̶f̸ ̷i̸n̷s̷t̴e̸a̸d̸ ̷o̵f̷ _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝"
With that an indescribable limb held out a package of cookies, allowing Terry to take them as they said their final parting words.
"̷I̸t̴'̸s̵ ̴b̴e̷e̴n̶ ̷n̷i̸c̷e̶ ̶m̵e̵e̶t̵i̷n̶g̴ ̴y̵o̴u̶,̸ ̸e̸v̸e̷n̴ ̴f̵o̵r̴ ̶a̵ ̴l̷i̸t̵t̷l̷e̴ ̶w̶h̵i̸l̴e̴.̷ ̷W̵e̸'̸l̶l̶ ̴a̵l̴w̵a̴y̵s̶ ̴w̷a̷t̸c̷h̵ ̷o̵v̵e̴r̴ ̷y̶o̷u̷,̸ ̸f̵r̴i̷e̵n̸d̶s̵ ̴o̷f̷ ̸o̵u̸r̷ ̴c̶h̸i̶l̸d̷r̷e̸n̷ ̵a̴r̶e̷ ̵f̷r̶i̶e̴n̴d̵s̶ ̸o̶f̴ ̵u̶s̷.̶ ̴T̵h̷a̸n̶k̶ ̸y̸o̵u̶ ̸f̸o̶r̴ ̴m̵a̵k̶i̸n̸g̶ ̸t̴h̶e̵m̴ ̶j̶u̸s̶t̷ ̵a̵ ̸l̸i̸t̷t̷l̸e̴ ̶l̴e̶s̷s̴ ̷l̵o̷n̸e̴l̷y̴.̸"̴
The Terran took a moment to look around, shuffling awkwardly from side to side as he waited for whatever was going to happen.
"So who does this work, what do I have to -"
He was interrupted as the world around him shattered, the current understanding of his reality collapsing into a thousand shards and once again he fell into the void.
—---------------
With a blinding light, the doors were wrenched open, taking a moment for everyone's eyes to adjust from the dark cool tunnels to the more scorching bright red run that hung over the planet.
Terry staggered, a headache rushing through his skull as the reality of past and present, the possibility of things to be and things not to be collided with a brain not ready to understand such things. _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ was immediately by his side, the Dunwilians many eyes all filled with concern as they looked down at the reeling Terran.
"̸A̸r̴e̵ ̴y̴o̷u̸ ̶o̵k̸?̶ ̴W̶h̸a̸t̸'̶s̴ ̴w̸r̴o̷n̸g̵ ̷T̵e̴r̷r̸y̵?̴"̸
"I... I think... I think I met... Azathoth and Nyarlathotep? Or something?"
The tour guide once again gave his initial introduction as _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ was filled with alarm as their Terran friend said the two words they didn't expect to hear. A meeting with the Dunwilian gods was never a good tiding.
"̷W̸h̶a̸t̵!̶ ̸W̶h̴a̴t̴ ̸h̷a̷p̷p̴e̷n̶e̸d̴,̶ ̵w̵h̵a̸t̶ ̷d̷o̵ ̸y̴o̵u̴ ̵r̴e̵m̶e̵m̵b̵e̵r̸?̵"̴
A few of the other members of the tour glanced in their direction as the guide finished up their speech, while Terry remained doubled over in pain.
"I don't know... It was, an attack? Fire? Stone? I can't remember thinking hurts."
The memories of what had once been were leaking out of the Terran's fragile mind at an astounding rate, leaving behind only the concept of doom, and two friendly figures.
The Terran's headache would have to wait, as once again the Galnet network went down, once again the sky lit up with fire, and once again the group raced towards the safety of the temple. This time it was Terry being the one to slow down the duo's approach as his vision swam and his head split open with agony. Once again the heavy stone slab refused to open, and once again the duo helped. The Terran's mind screamed at him that something was wrong, but the part to play in this act would not let up.
When Terry felt the rock under his grip give away for a second time, as the motor helping them raise it gave out once more, Terry knew he had been here before. This, he remembered. He remembered pushing _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ to safety, not being able to get out of the way and being crushed under a literal ton of rock. Everything seemed to slow down as the Terran realized it didn't have to be that way, there was enough time for him to leap to safety himself, leaving the Dunwilian's safety to their own responsibility.
Maybe they didn't need him to push them?... Terry realized he would never risk such an action, once again reaching out with hands to cause the Dunwilian to stumble to safety, once again sealing his own fate as he stumbled, falling to the floor as the entrance slab came crashing down.
Only to never reach the ground. A clicking screeching sound emitted from the door as the motor kicked in once again, holding it in place for a brief few seconds, leaving Terry to stare up at the rock that was inches away from being his doom. He felt the grasping slimy touch of _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ grab his leg and pull him out of the way before the entrance slammed shut behind them.
It took a moment for Terry to realize he was alive, staring deep into the eyes of _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝ as both started to slightly shake at the sheer realization of what had nearly happened, before both broke into laughter, a shaky nervous sound less about humour and more about celebrating what they had just escaped.
Not that it was over yet. The attack in orbit was still happening, the planet was still potentially a war zone, but as Terry got up on trembling legs, they'd at least avoided the worst so far. The Terran took a moment to pat himself down, brushing away sand and dirt off his person as the memories of a fate not met finally left his mind forever.
However, as Terry did so he brushed against something he didn't recognize, a package in his jacket pocket. With confusion he reached inside and pulled it out: A handful of baked cookies, still warm from the oven, wrapped in a clear plastic. On the top a label had been affixed, it taking a few moments for Terry to read as his translator converted the Dunwilian letters.
"We will always watch over you. Thank you for being there for _̸̯̹͈̌͐̒̓_̷͈̗̝͐̈_̵̛̟̻͔̤̈́͘͘_̷̢̺̫̳̊͒́_̶͍́̈́͂͝."
Azathoth and Nyarlathotep