These Dreams

Mithrandir dreamt.

It'd been who knows how long since he'd actually laid down for real sleep and rest. His body was the perfect physical specimen, and he simply didn't need breaks. But even gods take breaks after the act of creation. Mithrandir had resurrected arguably the most powerful race of beings the nine realms had ever encountered. An army? No, a dynasty. The Aesir were a holy people each individually capable of widespread creation or destruction. He'd spent centuries studying their history, culture and everything he needed to know to be the Empyrean the gods had promised them. Yet he found himself tossing and turning in his sleep. The high priest had commanded that he take rest time in order for his soul to find equilibrium; something from the spiritual realm was trying to reach him.

A vision, no a dream.

Mithrandir remembers the last time he saw his brother Maleldil. A family he once had long before the Aesir, his true people. The twelve children whom he'd lived his child years and grown to know as his true siblings. Little did he know that the times spent with his brothers and sisters were the closest thing to family he'd ever experience. Being Empyrean was oddly lonely at times, though he certainly was connected to the Aesir in a way that filled a need in his heart. What ached him now, however, was the missing siblings he'd not thought of during the entirety of his time in the space-time dimensions. Who knows how many centuries had gone by that Apocolothoth had not enabled him to perceive due to his hypnotic focus on the growth objectives set before him. In real time, it'd only been about a decade; in his mind, hundreds. He and Kuro had never gone back to the cave to see how Najmec and the others were. They'd promised they would, yet they hadn't returned. The next thing he'd known, he was on Aedin and going through the most terrifying and powerful journey of his life. The guilt was that Maleldil was so young and so quiet. His attitude was negative at the time that he'd likely thought his two older brothers left him on purpose. Something ached in Mithrandir's heart for Maleldil. It was almost humbling that a being of such stature as his was impeded so greatly by such feelings. Illuvatar had programmed attachment for the Aesir; why was his heart so strongly yearning for beings of another species?

The next morning, the Empyrean gathered his armor and a small ship. The destination was in the third realm, a realm thought to be so primitive that life forms didn't even possess consciousness of a high enough level to think in two dimensions. The astrologers practically promised him that it was impossible any of his "friends" would go to such places likely not conducive to life forms. Mithrandir heard them, but something in his heart continued to dream of a world he swore was in the third realm. Call it divine instinct, he knew to trust himself. There was something on this world that was calling out to him, and he believed it to be Maleldil. Though he requested to go alone, the judges refused to allow the Empyrean to leave the home world without proper escort; even if that escort would trail behind a good distance. The Aesir were highly advanced in various areas; technology was not exactly one of them. They'd relied on their incredibly complex KKG to accomplish most of the advancements they'd needed. Relying on the extraordinary power generator that was their sun was another thing that'd spoiled them somewhat. They hardly cared to leave Aedin ever. Ironically over protective by nature, the Aesir prepared ten Paladin knights to trail the Empyrean. The Aesir were not a very numerous people, but each of them extraordinarily powerful. It was estimated that on the average world in the nine realms a single Aesirian could take over the entire planet. To bring ten Aesirians anywhere meant something of unusually powerful nature was afoot. In this case, it was them overprotecting their god-king.

Mithrandir was escorted from the palace to a one hundred by one hundred meter crystal ship.

"There are two levels to the ship, Elyon. The first is the control, the lower level is where there are your weapons and a resting chamber for your journey. The astrologers have already gone over past records to record known knowledge about this world known as Earth. You will experience time jumps as you go through the different realms, recalling that time itself is slower the higher the realm you go. According to their time scale, you will be traveling for five years to reach them. The ship is virtually indestructible; nothing in their solar system exists that can penetrate it. We have appointed Galadriel, one of your most powerful Paladin, to follow close behind you with nine other high-skilled warriors under his command. Sire, we've also included knowledge crystals that the science guild has been preparing for you to review. Data has finally been taken for the entire planet and we are ready to decide standards of production for each guild. Your ship will be constantly monitored by the Paladin and by watchment here; save travels, and long live Elyon."

The courtier bowed, and with that, Mithrandir boarded his ship, nothing but his brother on his mind.

[EXIT TO EARTH]