Trials of a Planeswalker Ch. 01: Rising

Floating next to him, her eyes clenched tight and her hospital gown ruffling about her, Varia looked a bit odd. Her form was fuzzy and wavy. He reached out and brushed her shoulder. She snapped her eyes open and looked around.

"Whoa! Amazing!" Varia exclaimed, her voice echoing as if they were deep underwater.

"It is. Now come with me. Don't be scared, the pathways don't fall." Blayne said, taking her hand.

"What is all of this?!" Varia asked.

"It's the AEthers. Right now you aren't even in existence in any one plane. You are outside worlds." Blayne said, "Come along. Let's find ourselves a place to rest and recharge."

"Where could we go? All I see are clouds." Varia said, looking around.

"They are all worlds." Blayne smiled.

"All of them? Each cloud?!" Varia exclaimed in surprise.

"Indeed. I was just as shocked as you were the first time. In fact I'm still a little taken aback by it. So I really don't know any of the worlds around here. I kind of flew away from my last plane so fast that I don't know how to get back." Blayne groaned, "I should try and find my way back to Ravnica, but I have no idea where it would be."

"Let's just try one then." Varia said, her breath starting to come a little faster, "I think I need to get out of here."

"It is a little tiring." Blayne agreed as he started to feel the strain of being in the AEthers.

They moved along quickly until Blayne stopped and pointed to a cloud.

"That feels like a nice world. Let's go there." Blayne said, stepping towards it.

"How?" Varia asked.

"Just jump in." Blayne grinned, falling face first towards the cloud.

*******

CHAPTER 12 - VRYN

"See? That wasn't so bad. Was it?" Blayne laughed as he and Varia walked down the dirt road together.

"We appeared in the home of some old lady and she tried to pitchfork us!" Varia yelled, "And you wouldn't let me kill her!"

"Oh come on. You can't kill every old lady we come across." Blayne sighed, rubbing his face, "See though? Isn't this world fun? Look at those mountains and imagine what those big rings are for!"

They were walking through a lush green valley. There was a chill in the air and a river splashed nearby. Built into the mountains on either side of them were gigantic rings of steal. Each a hundred feet across and placed a mile apart, they seemed to form a chain up the valley from one side to the other. Blayne counted five rings from the foot of the valley to the head.

"They're probably decoration or something. Some people are just crazy like that." Varia sighed, "Come on, let's find somewhere to change. I'm freezing out here in this."

Blayne glanced over as she sped up. The back of the hospital gown fluttered open and he stared at her bare ass. It was pert and sexy as she strode forward quickly. He let out a small whistle.

"What?" Varia asked in annoyance.

"Cute butt." Blayne smiled.

"What?!!" Varia screamed.

"Your butt. It's cute. Such a fair white skin too." Blayne grinned as a tinge of blush crossed Varia's cheeks.

She reched behind her and grabbed the gown tightly, holding it closed as she continued walking.

"Awww... Guess I'll just have to go back to staring at the mountains." Blayne sighed, looking up at the great rings again.

After about ten minutes of walking, a village in a low part of the valley came into view. A man with a horse-drawn cart came rattling by them, towards the village.

"Sir, I'm a bit new in these parts. What could these giant rings possibly be for?" Blayne asked.

"The magister Lucious built them!" The man exclaimed, "I don't know what they do, but if you want to find out, talk to him!"

"Where's he at?" Blayne wondered.

"Through the village and out the other side. The path will lead you up the other side of the valley and to the farthest ring. He lives on the other side of it." The farmer said, pointing at it.

"One last question. Where could my companion and I find a night sleep and a hot meal?" Blayne asked.

"In the middle of the village at the Fat Boar. It's the local pub and Inn. Can't possibly miss it. Just use your nose. Their boar steaks are legendary." The farmer smiled, "Have a good day."

He rattled on past them and Varia huffed.

"We are not stopping to sleep already. I just woke up three hours ago." Varia grumbled.

"No, but we need a place to change and I am hungry." Blayne said, "Might as well rent a room for a couple of nights so we have somewhere to come back to."

"Alright, alright." Varia nodded, "Makes sense."

They reached the inn about ten minutes later. Varia was in a hurry to get back into her normal clothes and so they didn't see much of the small town. She rushed through the front door and bumped into someone. The man apologized and moved passed them.

"I need a room." Varia said to the innkeeper.

"How long?" He asked.

"A week." Blayne popped up.

"Let's say twenty florins." The innkeeper said.

"Alright." Varia said, holding up a small purse.

She counted out twenty silver coins and handed them to the Innkeeper.

"Here you go. Third rooms second floor." He said, handing her a key.

They turned and headed across the tavern room and up the stairs.

"Where the hell did you get that?" Blayne asked her.

"I stole it from the man I bumped into." Varia grinned, "What did you do before you met me?"

"I didn't steal." Blayne groaned as they entered their room.

"One bed." Varia said flatly.

"Oh yea." Blayne chuckled.

"You're on the floor." She said without a pause.

"What? Come on!" Blayne exclaimed.

"No, you're not sleeping in bed with me." Varia said sharply.

"Alright fine." Blayne sighed.

"Now get out while I change." Varia said.

"No. I have to change too." Blayne argued.

"You just want to see me naked!" Varia said loudly.

"Of course I do! You're god damn sexy!" Blayne said, holding his hands towards her.

Varia was stunned at the comment and her face flushed as bright as her fiery red hair. Her dark eyes fell to stare at the ground.

"I... I suppose... I don't mind. But don't you dare look!" Varia was timid at first, but that fire quickly filled her eyes again as she yelled.

"Alright, I get it." Blayne chuckled, happy with the break in her mask of toughness.

He pulled his backpack off and pulled her sword out of it, the cloth wrapped around it slowly falling away. She took it eagerly from him, almost as if she were reunited with a loved one. He also pulled out her leather and her black dress. Varia had cleaned and repaired the stab in it. Apparently Varia didn't have any undergarments.

"Here, get dressed. We need to find that Lucius. I want to know what on earth these rings are used for." Blayne smiled, holding out the fine black cloth.

Varia snapped it out of his hands and turned around. Blayne grinned and turned his own back. He stripped off his shirt and pushed down the jeans.

Instead of him looking, I twas actually Varia that turned her head and looked at his bare back. She stuck her tongue out a little as he pushed off his underwear and exposed his backside. Her mind swimmer with thoughts and she burned to see what his cock looked like.

Blayne pulled up the cotton underpants he had brought with him and then got on his Izzet gear. The red and blue heavy cloth and leather felt much better to be adventuring in. He just wish he had remembered to keep a hand on the Izzet gear when he was in the Selesnya garden. It had been great for mana concentration.

"Blayne..." Varia turned with her dress held to her chest, "I just realized something.

"What's that?" Blayne asked without turning around while he pulled up his trousers.

"There's no magic here." Varia said.

Blayne's hands stopped on the belt buckle of his pants. His mind searched frantically and he realized, much too late, that she was right. He could barely feel any mana at all around them and he probably couldn't light a camp fire from what he felt.

"What we gonna do?" Varia asked.

"I don't know. We need to find that magister now for an entirely different reason." Blayne said as he turned around.

He looked at Varia's completely naked body, her black dress just barely trailing down the middle of her breasts. She cocked her head, looked at herself and gritted her teeth.

"Turn around you ass!" Varia yelled.

Blayne turned quickly and gave a small snicker. He pulled on his shirt and jacket before sitting down on the side of the bed to tug on the leather boots. Varia pulled the dress down to her waist and grabbed her leather cuirass, pulling it over her head and starting to buckle it tight.

When they were all dressed and Varia had her sword on her hip again, Blayne checked his watch. It was noon back home even if it was evening here. He wound it and nodded to Varia.

"Let's get something to eat real quick first. It won't do us good to drop from hunger before we make it to Lucius." Blayne suggested.

"Maybe they have some real food here. A boar steak does sound awfully good compared to that junk your so-called hospital had." Varia nodded.

Blayne shouldered his bag, only jeans and a T-shirt in it now.

"Don't you have a weapon?" Varia asked.

"No, I never have. I always used magic." Blayne said, "I doubt I could even throw a good punch."

"Ugh. What kind of a man are you." Varia groaned, resting her hand in her saber.

*******

"They're right, that was a damn good boar steak." Varia said as they walked down the street.

"I've never had boar before. That was interesting." Blayne said.

"Never had boar?!" Varia called, "Where in the hell have you been living?"

"In a world where beef and chicken are much more common." Blayne said, "Come on we just need to make it to that Magister's place."

"I can agree with that... god I hate not having my power. I barely had enough power from your world to do that Planeswalk thing." Varia huffed.

"I'm surprised you did that so easily." Blayne pointed out, "It took me a lot to try and do it the first time."

"I think." She stopped with her hand on her side, "Oh... ow, ow, ow, ow."

She dropped to one knee and a pain crossed her face. Blayne dropped to her side and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Varia, I'm sorry. I wish I could try and heal you, but I don't have the power." Blayne said, "Is there anything I can do?"

"No, it's fine. Just a twinge." Varia groaned, pushing herself back upright.

"That didn't look like a twinge." Blayne said, slipping his fingers up under her leather.

"Hey! Hey!" Varia cried as he gently touched her wound.

He pulled his fingers back and looked at it.

"No blood. Good." Blayne sighed, "Sorry, I just don't want you killing yourself."

"Your worry is appreciated." She said sarcastically, "But don't touch me."

"Oh come on. Are you really going to keep up that tough-girl routine? I care about you Varia, you're the only Planeswalker that doesn't feel like... like you're a complete alien. Jace is the only other Planeswalker I've ever met and that man acts exactly like a bloody professor." Blayne exclaimed as Varia turned her back.

"Where do you get off Blayne?! Just because I happened to show up in your home doesn't mean you get to be my babysitter or my boyfriend or whatever you want us to be! I'm grateful for your help, I really am, but I think it's time we go our own ways." Varia said, turning around.

He watched as she waved back towards the village.

"Fine then! I'm glad my sister hit you with a frying pan!" Blayne yelled as she walked away, "I'm gonna go talk to the Magister!"

Blayne turned and stomped off up the path, his head burning with anger. He continued down the path and up the hill, climbing the switchbacks for more than an hour until he reached the top of the hill and he stood before the huge ring. Below him the village was splayed out in the middle of the valley. Somewhere down there Varia was fuming.

Turning, he banged in the large wooden door in the stone tower that was built next to the ring. The door opened as he hit it. Inside the cold stone room, a large fire burned in the center of it, set in a metal bowl.

"Hello? Magister Lucius?" Blayne called.

His voice echoed through the halls and nobody responded. He clenched his fists and walked over the threshold.

A cloud of black vapor engulfed his head and he almost instantly slumped to the floor. All his muscle control was gone and he quickly passed out. He had no idea how long he was actually unconscious from the trap, but he awoke feeling very uncomfortable. His arms were strained above him and his feet dangled uselessly. His body was weak and he could barely see in the darkness around him.

"Hello?" He whispered hoarsely.

"Awake already? That's impressive." A cool, cold voice said out of the dark.

A purple flame burst into light and Blayne cringed, turning his face from the brightness.

A tall thin man walked forward, his wispy blonde hair glowing oddly in the magic light. He wore fine black clothes and rings covered his fingers.

"You know most people are out for days after inhaling that gas." Lucius said, "You must be quite strong willed."

"What are you doing?" Blayne groaned, grabbing weakly at the chains around his wrists in an attempt to alleviate the metal digging into his arms.

"Me? I am simply dealing with an intruder." Lucius said, "You walked through my door. What were you here for? Stealing something? Assassinate me?"

"I only wanted to talk to you." Blayne groaned, "Can I have some water?"

"No. You wanted to talk, now talk." Lucius said, holding his fistful of fire to a standing torch next to him.

"I've come to ask you why the magic is gone. I don't feel any mana anywhere. What is wrong?" Blayne asked.

"Gone? It's not been there in a hundred years since I built the mage rings. My rings syphon every ounce of mana from this world and hold it within the five colors. Each ring infinitely spirals the mana that they absorb, holding it for whenever I may need it." Lucius explained, walking in a circle around Blayne as he lit another torch.

"You're holding down every wizard or mage in the world." Blayne growled, "No one man should control the magic of an entire world."

"Who are you to judge me? I have brought world peace and prosperity." Lucius said, "Every country knows if they go to war, they must face me first. Nobody wants anything more than peace."

"You're controlling the world through fear." Blayne argued.

"Well that's your opinion maybe. Not that it'll matter for much longer." Lucius smiled, finishing his circle around Blayne.

A dozen standing torches now burned ten feet from him. Lucius stood in front of him and held his arms out.

"I know what you are. I've seen your kind before. You walk between the planes and you talk to those that are world-bound as if they are less than you." Lucius said, "And you know what I find most fascinating about you? I can take a person's mana, their magical abilities, even their memories and experiences. But no matter what I tried I could not take that special little bit inside your heads that makes you pass safely between worlds."

"You've met a Planeswalker before?" Blayne snapped his head up.

"Planeswalker? So that's what you call yourselves. So anyway, when I discovered I couldn't take the power out of your bodies, I decided to take another route. I simply took his body. What you see here? It was the last unlucky 'Planeswalker' to have come to my world." Lucius grinned, "I can feel the power inside me. But no matter what I do I cannot make it work. So I simply had to wait for another of your kind to appear and you are the one that will free me from this world."

"I won't help you. You're a sick bastard." Blayne said, his eyes locked intently on Lucius.

"Why do you think I would ask? I am simply going to rip the memories and experience from your mind to explain to me how to leave this world." Lucius said, holding his hands up.

A blue glow started to emanate from his palms and it started to wrap in thin bands up his arms. He stepped forward and held his hands towards Blayne's head. Blayne tried to move back and avoid him, but his body was still weak and he felt the man's hands touch his head. The blue glow filled his eyes and a probe jammed into his mind.

"Get off him you bastard!" Varia cried, swinging her sword at him.

Lucius tried to move, but Varia's saber was quick. He jerked back and it sliced through his hand, cutting three fingers off his right hand. He screamed and a glow of magic burst from his other hand.

A surge of flame exploded from his hand and Varia dodged out of the way. Adrenaline lit Blayne's body and he heaved against the chains. With surprising strength, he managed to throw his legs forward and kick Lucius in the face with both of his feet. The mage went sprawling backwards on the brick with a nasty thud of his head. Blood splattered everywhere from his severed fingers and he groaned half-consciously.

"What the hell did you do without me Blayne?" Varia sighed as she looked up at him.

"Sorry for earlier." Blayne sighed, "Mind getting me down?"

"Hey, I was going to apologize, but if you think you should take the blame, so be it." Varia chuckled with a shrug, "Alright, keys, keys..."

She searched over Lucius's unconscious form. As she looked, something caught her attention. She scurried across the floor to his fingers and pulled a ring off one of them.

"Finally." Varia sighed, slipping the ring on.

Blayne watched in surprise as a massive eruption of black mana surrounded her body. She screamed an unholy shriek and her eyes glowed brightly. With a wave of her hand she made the chains holding Blayne disintegrate into dust. He fell to the ground with a huff and a groan.

"The rings, Blayne. He controls all the mana through these rings. Ohh this is amazing power. Think of what I could do." Varia's voice echoed around the room as black shadows swirled about her body.

Whatever control Lucius had over the mana of this world seemed to break because a trickling of mana started to flow back into Blayne. He straightened up and smiled, power filling his body again.

"Come on Varia, we're getting out of this world." Blayne said to her.

"Right you are. I'm leading this time." Varia said, holding her hand to Blayne.

"One thing first. We need to kill this bastard." Blayne said.

"Forget him. When we're gone, we'll probably never see him again." Varia said, taking Blayne's hand.

She felt him start to pull them both towards the AEthers, the sheer power of her mana opening the way.

"No, Varia! You don't understand!" Blayne said as he saw Lucius start to stir.

"Here we go!" Varia cheered.

Lucius lunged up and grabbed Blayne by the ankle. All three of them hurtled into the AEthers together.

"Varia, he has the body of a Planeswalker!" Blayne cried to her.

"And you have freed me from that world!" Lucius called, "But now I have to take your body!"

"I'll kill you first!" Varia yelled, turning to him with her hands out.

Nothing happened. Lucius jumped and grabbed Blayne's neck, squeezing tight with his good hand.

"What's wrong with my magic?!" Varia cried desperately as she pulled her sword.

This time Lucius was ready and he kicked Varia in the chest before she could fully unsheath her sword. She was thrown over backward on the pearlescent pathway and Lucius returned his attention to Blayne.

"No magic huh? That's a good idea. I know more than just magical tricks. How about this?" Lucius asked, squeezing tighter.

He used his two remaining fingers to jab Blayne in the chest and gut a number of times. It didn't really hurt, but it made him feel strange. He had jabbed some strange points and Blayne felt a bit woozy.

"Get off him!" Varia yelled as she got back to her feet.

She lunged at Lucius with her sword and all three of them toppled over the edge of the path, falling into the churning AEthers. A cloud floated beneath them and they were hurtled into a new world.