The Harvester of Men

Rolling my shoulders around, I stretched my arms, working the tension out of them. Rich cracks and creaks rewarded me as tension flowed out. How I wished for a massage, a nice, smooth, rich massage. I thought back to where my true body sat, situated quite comfortably in my home, holding a green book.

A green book with a large eye engraved on the front. Tentacles had shot out of the page, embracing my body and ripping out my soul, sending it to this realm with which I now reside.

Books floated aimlessly about, pages flew about in whirlpool patterns in mid-air, and the sky was a large brown. Words were inscribed in the atmosphere, fading in and out of existence. I was amazed, and appalled at the spectacular beauty of this massive library.

But it was as if the caretaker, whomever that may be, didn't seem to care about its books at all. Many were just strewn about the ground, limp and lifeless, dull compared to the arts that floated about being birds in this magical realm.

Soon enough, I found myself in a large room with four walkways, all linking to the center of the room where a circular area stood glowing. I found the hairs on my arms and neck rising as something tickled my senses. I pressed on, walking into the circular glowing spot, unaware of the danger that could be ahead.

Light enveloped my body, as I was transported to a large cathedral, where one, simple, green book was placed upon a pedestal. It appeared to be the exact same book I was reading before I was transported to this Alpha-Forsaken realm. I'm positive Goddess Katria would be most displeased knowing that such a realm like this existed.

Murky, dull, dank, dark, and depressing.

Who could enjoy a realm like this? Even with all of it's knowledge stored within, the mere fact that so much comprehension like this has existed for, obviously, a long time. There's a chance that other beings could come across this world, and use the knowledge that they discover to their own purposes.

One could potentially rule everything with the knowledge stored here. They could learn everything that exists, they can be given the path to going even beyond normality for one's own species. A small voice would grow into a horrid plague.

I walked forth, toward the book that was on the pedestal. When I got close enough, I reached out to grab the book, but it suddenly opened, the cover slamming onto the pedestal as it opened up. From the other side of the pedestal, black holes ripped through space, tentacle jutting forth as an All-Knowing Eye ushered from the largest portal.

Fear struck me almost instantly, as I felt great power directly before me. I could understand, right off from this instance, that this was the caretaker of this realm. The unruly being who left his gigantic library in a state of organized chaos.

This being spoke, its voice echoing throughout the realm, "All Ssseekers of Knowledge, come to me... Sssooner... Or later..." It said, the 'S' pronounced longer than normal, as if it were a snake speaking.

I gathered courage to question the monster that was before it, its gaze unflinching, "Who are you?" I asked, hoping that it would not be inhospitable.

"I... Am Veda... The Harvessster of Men... The Knower of the Unknown... The Ssseer of the Unssseen... Massster of Memoriesss... You ssstand in my realm, mortal." Veda stated, practically saying it was simply put, a god.

"Wh-what is this place?" I questioned, fearful now of the being that was before me, knowing that it could simply destroy me if it desired.

"Thisss... Isss... Totema, which 'iss neither Heaven, nor Hell, nor any kind of limbo, purgatory, or any afterlife for that matter.'" Veda recited those words, as if they were said before, but its tone displayed that it was one of the few times it had ever used that sentence.

The tentacles that popped out from the tears in space writhed, as if searching for something and hoping to find what they are looking for immediately.

I asked Veda next, "Why was I brought here?"

"My word, being assss true assss fate, and assss inevitable as dessstiny..." Veda continued, "...Sssimply to... Apprecciate you..."

"What does that mean?" I narrowed my eyes, wary of Veda, who knew what sort of sick plan he could have, especially with sounding as disgusting as he did.

"Your accomplissshment of felling Medadre and Tondiil have ssshown me your power... And your underssstanding of the Multiverssse..." Veda stated, "Mossst impresssssive..."

"So you're saying because I defeated both of them, you brought me here." I stated.

"Indeed, Keiro... I have..." Veda spoke back, "Now here isss the knowledge you need, although, heh, you did not know you needed it." A blue light enveloped my body, and invading energies overrode my senses for a few moments. The world became a blurry black, before once again I found myself face to face with Veda's large eye.

"I have bessstowed upon you, a mere sssplinter of knowledge within my library... And you are now one of my few emissssariessss..." Veda blinked slowly, as if it were a tough action for it to perform.

"What does that mean?"

"In due time, dear Keiro, my newesssst Champion..." Veda acknowledged, the green book floated up, another tear in time-space occurred, displaying my home, where I was last before I was teleported here.

"Come, my Champion..." The book floated into my hands, as the tear in space became larger, Veda still spoke though, "You now have my Epissstolary Rentifium... It containsss the knowledge of the reccent agesss... Now it isss in your handsss... Let usss work wondersss... Together..." Veda's form vanished back into his portal, as a force pushed me into the tear in time-space, sending me back home.

I found myself once more in my room, holding a green book, with an eye on it...

I found it not to be a vision or a dream...

Veda exists...

And now some of his knowledge, is in my hands...