Trials of a Planeswalker Ch. 02: Fall

CHAPTER 1 - QUIET RELAXATIONS

Blayne stared over the vast ocean of death before him. He couldn't believe had happened in the last six months. It made his fight with Bolas seem like a minor dispute. Plane after Plane, he couldn't find anything or anyone that could help him. He had tried fighting it himself, but it was just too big. The Phyrexian plague spread too damn fast. He was but one Planeswalker against an army. His dear love had tried to tell him how wrong he was, but he fought tooth and nail to keep her out of the line of fire.

No one was rightly sure about how it got started. Being the Phyrexians, they could've started with something as little as a single spore. Blayne couldn't help but wonder if such a thing could've come back with him from his adventures. He had been assured many times by many different people that it was impossible unless he had visited a world already infested, but it still bothered him.

Whatever the initial cause, it had started after the battle between Blayne and Bolas. Not as some big explosion or eruption of Phyrexians, but as a simple spore down in the sewers that began to grow. First it infected a rat, then that one infected another. It spread through the underground slowly but surely. Eventually, after months of rabid and disfigured rodents, the first human was infected. It wasn't taken seriously at first, thought to just be a madman. But it grew worse and worse as time passed. The city was soon under quarantine, but that didn't stop it. It spread inexorably outward.

After much effort from Blayne and his friends, every country in the world united against the Phyrexians and, even with all that might, it was completely pointless. Each that fell in battle against the Phyrexians was another soldier for the Phyrexians and each Phyrexian that fell was another release of spores and pathogens. Even nature turned against them as the creatures the Phyrexians killed became vicious monsters for them. Rabid, plague-bearing rats and squirrels swarmed the cities and decaying, Phyrexian bears and wolves hunted everything in the wild. Billions died in the struggle. Many sought forgiveness with various deities and many more committed suicide in hopes of escaping the horrors of the world. Little did those few know that they had just thrown themselves into hell, the hell of being resurrected as a Phyrexian.

For all the good his fighting did, the hell lay around him. One of his loved ones had suffered a mortal wound, the world was slowly dying and here he stood atop the rebuilt Empire State Building. The streets around him were covered in a black ichor on which the Phyrexians lived. The buildings looked like they were sinking because of the way the Phyrexian plague melted the brick and steel. Around him were hundreds of Phyrexian horrors, flying on wings of black death.

Taking a deep breath, he prepared for the greatest spell he would ever cast. Not only would it outshine anything he had ever attempted in the past, but it would likely end his life. It didn't matter though. If it worked like he wanted, and how he had crafted it, the Phyrexian plague would be obliterated completely and the Earth would be safe. In one fell swoop, it would cleanse the entire planet of it's sickness.

The five Mox in his possession floated out from the tattered black trench coat he wore, floating around him at his magical beckoning. He spread his eyes and watched the center Mox, a glorious red ruby carved in the shape of a heart. It had been his sister's before this terror had taken over their lives. Alongside it was a gorgeous emerald, a near perfect sapphire, an amazing pearl and the darkest piece of Jet he had ever seen. They began to glow with their respective colors as he drew on their mana. The spell he was readying would absorb every ounce of magic he could muster as well as his entire life force if need be. It was eons old, crafted by the master artificer Urza. Originally been called 'The Legacy Weapon', it was never intended to be used in this manner. It was a spell that modified and changed itself to better it's own success, however it was meant to be used over the course of months or even years. Urza was a man of great intelligence and he had crafted the most unbeatable long-term strategies in the Multiverse, but Blayne couldn't wait that long. He had twisted the spell to his own need and was going to cast it in his own way.

Around him, the Phyrexian demons tried to attack him, but they were stopped by the barrier that surrounded him. He came under the protection of a powerful angelic barrier, one that they could not easily break. It would last long enough for him to finish his spell.

The mana hummed through his body and five colors of magic began to swirl around him. The spell burned in his mind like the brightest sunlight and he looked at the black clouds above him. It had been so long since he had seen the sun of his own plane. Since he had returned with this chance at victory, the Phyrexian plague had darkened the skies and shut out the sun. Earth was a dismal, grey place and that's why he was doing this. So the people of his world could see the sun again.

The spell began to take shape around him, forming into a shimmering beam of a thousand glimmering colors. It drove away the Phyrexians and a gorgeous aurora began to shine above him. The clouds parted from the sheer force of the magic and sunlight shone in a beautiful spire straight down on him. He felt like he was being bathed in divine light, as if a higher power was saying that he had finally won.

*******

Blayne gasped and sat upright. His body was hot and sweaty, his heart pounding wildly.

"Blayne, come on, stop hogging the covers!" Varia grumbled, yanking the blankets off him as she curled up tightly.

"S... Sorry... it was just a nightmare." Blayne mumbled, rubbing his face. He could only remember bits and pieces, but it was horrifying.

"Nightmare? Blayne, are you six?" Varia teased, looking up at him in the dark of their room.

Blayne just sat there quietly, trying to get the images of those twisted and horrid creatures out of his head. The room around them was unfinished and barren. Boxes were stacked to the ceiling. When they had moved in today, they barely had time to get their beds in order before they collapsed out of exhaustion.

"Blayne, are you alright?" Varia asked, putting a hand on his arm. She sat up and scooted over next to him. They were both completely naked, it was just how they slept at home now.

"The nightmare was so real... I can't remember much of it now, it's like a fleeting cloud. It's just broken up and disappeared." Blayne murmured, rubbing his forehead.

"Come on Blayne, back to sleep. We've got to unpack tomorrow." Varia said with uncharacteristic niceness.

They laid down and cuddled together, Blayne's mind slowly easing as he held Varia close. Never in his life had he felt so scared as he had after that dream. What did it mean?

*******

"Blayne, where did you unpack the frying pan?" Robin called from the kitchen.

"I threw it out. You didn't need a deadly weapon like that." Varia laughed as she adjusted the pictures on the wall.

"It's in the cupboard on the end over there near the stove." Blayne sighed, rolling his eyes as he came out of his and Varia's new Bedroom.

Nearly six months now, he and Varia had been living in New York with his sister. Even Varia had loosened up and found ways to enjoy Blayne's world. She loved the New York nightlife at times. Mainly she enjoyed striding the streets with the knowledge that the meanest and biggest muggers stood no chance against her. In recent weeks the paper had been posting about the gigantic drops in night-time street crime.

"Don't start with me Varia, I'm a mage now." Robin smiled, pointing at her.

"Mage~!" Varia scoffed, "You can heal scratches and light a spark. You aren't a mage."

"Robin worked hard to be able to do that. It takes a lot of effort for her, she wasn't born with magical powers." Blayne said before laughing softly, "But Varia is right, your magic is rubbish sis."

Over the last few months he'd been home, he was letting his sister feel mana. He helped feed her tiny trickles of mana and taught her how to use it. She couldn't do much at all, but her affinity was with white, red and blue, similar to Blayne. She could spark small flames in her hand, heal cuts and bruises and even move small things around with her mind. The first time she had made a small flame burn in her hand, she had giggled and bounced for an hour.

"Oh please! I wasn't born with magic like you! That's not a fair comparison." Robin said, pointing at them.

"I wasn't... Oh damn... wait, technically I was. Crud." Blayne sighed, scratching his head.

"Ha ha!" Robin laughed at him.

"You laugh, but no matter what you do, I'll always be better than you." Varia smiled and crossed her arms.

Blayne glanced over at her and raised an eyebrow. It was still a little strange to see her dressed in such casual clothes, just shorts and a T-shirt. Her gorgeous red hair was loose down her back and she wore a new pair of glasses, these ones crafted of shiny brass in a square frame. He was back to wearing his normal clothes, jeans and a plain shirt. He had since cut his brown hair and it was now but an few fingerwidths long.

Seeing his look, Varia sighed, "But I'm sure you'll get better with practice Robin. If your anything like your brother... well... You'll do something."

"Thanks Varia." Robin giggled, putting the frying on the stove, "Now for dinner I was thinking some pork steaks, fried with some sliced potatoes."

"Sounds good." Blayne shrugged.

"Whatever. As long as there is meat." Varia waved it off as she continued to unpack the last box in the living room.

There was a banging on the door.

"I got it." Blayne said, striding quickly to the door. He opened it and found a complete stranger standing there.

"I'm the building manager. I know you're new tenants, but I presume you at least read the lease agreements. There is to be no smoking inside here. I've already had a complaint of the smell of tobacco smoke." The man said to him.

"It must be a mistake. I don't rightly know who would be smoking. None of us do." Blayne said, scratching his head.

"Well make sure you keep it that way." The manager told them, turning and walking away. Blayne closed the door and turned around.

"Varia, I told you that you have to do that outside or at least clean it up with a bit of magic." Blayne said to her after a moment.

"I don't know how to use that kind of magic. I told you, I'm good with killing and cursing, not cleaning." Varia huffed.

Strangely enough, being in New York for as long as she had, Varia had taken up smoking a pipe. After one of her night excursions she had come home with an eight inch maple pipe and a tin of sweet cherry tobacco. It had surprised Blayne at first when he found her sitting in the living room at their old apartment puffing away on it, but he grew accustomed to it and even used it himself on occasion.

"Then smoke out on the porch." Robin suggested, pointing at the doors.

"Well that's no fun. I don't want to sit outside where it's cold and noisy to smoke." Varia huffed, "I enjoy smoking it inside where I can sit with Blayne and watch some television."

"When did you become a fan of TV?" Robin asked, "And why do you have to smoke anyway?"

"Because it's relaxing and this tobacco tastes very good. I used to smoke back home, it was the only thing I could bring with me wherever I went." Varia told her.

"So what now then?" Robin asked.

"I'll clean up after her. I've managed to work a bit of magic that cleans impurities from things, it'll get rid of the smoke scent." Blayne sighed, waving it off.

"Why go to such lengths for her?" Robin asked as she pulled a few pork steaks from the fridge.

"Do you really need to ask that Robin?" Blayne said, holding up his hand to show her the black tungsten-carbide ring that sat on his finger.

"Yea, yea. Wife and all that." Robin sighed, "Don't remind me. I wish you would've let me do something more than just take you two down to the courthouse to sign marriage papers. It's not like we're short on money. Just one of those coins was three ounces of gold. You've got like a hundred more. We could've bought a house."

"Stop complaining. From what we've managed to sell, our bank account is already five digits." Blayne sighed.

*******

Blayne sat in the dark next to Varia. They were both relaxed but not really tired. It was close to midnight and they had just had a small bit of sex, nothing too crazy. She was leaning against him, her pipe in her hand with the burning tobacco the only light in the bedroom.

"So Varia... are you happy here?" Blayne asked.

"What?!" Varia squeaked in surprise, almost dropping her pipe.

"Watch it." He said, taking it from her surprised hand. She opened and closed her mouth, trying to answer it amid her confusion. He took a soft pull from the pipe and breathed out, enjoying the taste of the cherry smoke.

"Well... of course I am. I'm happy with you here. I won't lie... I do sometimes miss the adventure of the different worlds and the amazing things we used to see. Waking up to the same thing every day is a little boring... but then I remember I'm waking up to see you." Varia smiled, trailing a finger around his chest. He handed the pipe back to her and leaned against the headboard.

"Maybe we could go for a little bit. Nothing crazy, maybe just a visit to Pandaria or Idena." Blayne said quietly.

"Really?!" She squeaked happily, jerking forward in surprise.

"Just a couple of days. I have to admit... I am also a little excited to go somewhere again." Blayne smiled, running a hand down her bare back.

"Yes~!" Varia whooped, throwing her fist up in the air.

She slumped back on his chest and pulled another mouthful from her pipe. They relaxed quietly in the dark, sharing the pipe for a little while longer before going to sleep.

*******

"No! No, I forbid it! You've had your fun! Just because you survive a game of russian roulette doesn't mean you go back to play again!" Robin yelled at Blayne.

"Robin, you don't know what it's like. This world isn't exactly rich in magic. You don't understand what it is to feel true power at your fingertips. It's intoxicating, something that you just can't give up." Varia exclaimed, grasping her sister's shoulder.

"I don't care! He almost died so many times!" Robin said, shoving her hand off, "I won't let him go!"

"Robin, you can't leave the apartment." Blayne said flatly.

"What?" She looked at him.

"There are muggers and dangerous drivers out there. You can't leave the apartment." Blayne told her.

"Oh don't even try that. These are two totally different things." Robin scoffed, shaking her head vigorously, "I won't die out there, I have the knowledge to survive in New York. You will die out in some other world."

"You're doing the same thing to me Robin. There's so much outside this world. I know there are dangers, but it's the same. I have magic, I have great power. I can survive just fine. Telling me I have to stay in this world is like me telling you that there's nothing outside the apartment, just stay here." Blayne explained, crossing his arms.

"I... You... Leaving... Other worlds... Damn it Blayne!" Robin yelled, "Fine! That's it! Go! Die! See if I care!"

"You know what Robin? Just to prove you wrong, I'm going to come back alive!" Blayne yelled at her, "How about I just bring you along to prove you wrong!"

"What? Oh! I forgot about that. I didn't think of that summoning thing." Robin smiled, "Alright! When you get to this new world, bring me there immediately!"

"Ugghh... Fine." Blayne groaned in false annoyance.

"Blayne~!" Robin whined.

"Oh you know I'd love to have you along!" Blayne smirked, slapping her shoulder, "Come on Varia, let's finish packing."

"I've got my sword, what else do I need?" Varia chuckled.

"You know what I mean. Do me a favor and dig out our Pandaren clothes, would you?" Blayne asked as he pulled cans of food from the cupboard. With a loaf of bread and a dozen cans of food, they could eat for a couple of days. On top of that it was always fun to try cuisine from these other worlds.

"Yea, yea." Varia waved idly as she walked into the bedroom. Stripping off her clothes, she grabbed her own dark outfit. Tight black shorts and knee-high leather boots covered her legs. The top was a pristine black chinese-style shirt with long sleeves and thick cuffs. The shirt was tied with silver clasps and a beautiful silver dragon was embroidered along the bottom edge.

Once she was done getting dressed, she pulled out Blayne's clothes. It was long pants and a similar chinese shirt, both navy blue with gold trim and crimson embroidery. She thought him very handsome in these clothes.

Once their bags were packed with food, tools, rope and bedding, they settled in the living room to prepare to Planeswalk. Robin sat quietly at the kitchen table, watching intently as her brother and sister-in-law disappeared without warning.

In the nothingness between worlds, Blayne and Varia emerged from Earth. Their hands held tightly, they stood on the pearlescent pathways of the AEthers.

"So...?" Varia asked, her voice echoing strangely.

"How about that way!" Blayne said, pointing at a wide path that floated upward, high away from them. Varia nodded and strode beside him up the bath. They chose a random world and leapt in.

*******

CHAPTER 2 - MEETING NEW FRIENDS

The first thing they experienced in this new world was the scent of salty sea air. Bright sunlight shone on them from above and all around them was a magnificent blue. The oceans and the clear skies above spread out infinitely in all directions. They were miles in the sky, floating above it all.

"Whoa!" Varia exclaimed in shock, clenching Blayne's hand tighter. With barely a thought, he caught them with magic and they floated to a halt.

"Check it out. Look at that." Blayne said, pointing at a grouping of large obsidian rocks.

"Any land will do, let's go!" Varia exclaimed, her limbs flailing uselessly.

"Calm down, I've got you." Blayne sighed, moving his arm to be around her waist. They slowly descended towards the rocky outcroppings and found them to be larger than he had imagined. They were over a hundred feet up in the sky and great waves crashed upon their sides. On each of them were some incredibly strange structures. Shaped like great metal spires and orbs, the buildings were built atop each peak of the outcropping, probably twenty or more in all. The buildings were two or three stories and they were each topped with shining brass peaks.

They descended and landed on the largest outcropping, near a grouping of five large spires. They were tinted green and a circle of gold orbs wrapped around the middle of each of them. There was no way they were constructed by any nonmagical means. The buildings were feats of construction and they were even more impressive up close.

"Whoa~!" Blayne exclaimed in surprise as a gigantic white bird raced overhead and curved down towards the surging waves. It was easily as big as Shyara, it's wingspan wider than her's. As he looked around, he realized there were dozens of these giant avian flying and floating in circles around the outcroppings, "Oh Robin is gonna love this."

He summoned up his powers and unleashed a flood of white mana, reaching through the AEthers for Robin's spirit. He pulled her into this universe and crafted her angelic body. She appeared next to them with a soft swirl of wind.

"What a rush!" Robin gasped, shaking her head, "Hey there Blayne. I... Wow! Look at this place. My god~!"

She stared around in awe as her brown and gold wings ruffled behind her. Her fingers ran through her long black hair and her eyes were wide. Blayne had forgotten just how surprising her angelic body looked. With a short brown skirt and a small dirty white top, she showed a lot of skin. She wore heavy leather kneepads with long worn boots that covered her lower legs. Her arms were wrapped in white bandages and she had a frayed yellow scarf around her neck.