in the Beginning………. It was somewhere but nowhere, it was neither up, down, forwards nor back.
“I don’t know why you don’t use it as a foot rest. I use this scepter thingy as a walking stick when I go for walks in the hills”
It was there.
The place just existed.
“Ha, table, how many times do think I’ve debated about swapping this hour glass for a time piece like a new Rolex stop watch. It’s tradition. Live with it brother”
It was the Hollywood version of the after-life or maybe heaven in appearance. Everything was white and a swirling mist seemed to obscure anything within a three metre radius. Within this scene sat three ancients on identical thrones. They were dressed in white robes with flowing hair beard and moustaches that seemed all to morph into each other to become one shiny mane obscuring their faces.
“Tradition?, bah. I wonder what our younger is doing currently?” “Ha, table, how many times do think I’ve debated about swapping this hour glass for a time piece like a new Rolex stop watch. It’s tradition. Live with it brother” “Tradition?, bah. I wonder what our younger is doing currently?”
The ever-present mist obscured the ancients’ feet.
“He’s more than busy with his pet project. If that’s what he wants to do who are we to criticize. Building sustainable worlds, what a laugh. I heard he even had a son. Totally lost the plot in my opinion. Worlds are for our amusement and a means to an end, not for nurturing and growing like some domestic animal.”
As if to distinguish between them each held a different item in their hands.
The ancient seated in the centre held an over sized hourglass that had been exhausted, ready to be turned again. The ancient seated to his right carried a white book with black and white squares on the cover. The book looked old, its cover worn and its pages well thumbed.
“Hmmm. He just didn’t seem to enjoy the battles like we do”
The only striking physical feature was their diamond pink eyes. Their chairs were high backed , extending above their heads with wide armrests.
The ancient seated to the right of the centre held a short staff made of wood with a milky crystal atop of it held in place with a clasp made of skeletal fingers. All three ancients were in animated conversation with each other causing the surrounding mist to eddy all around them. “This book gets heavier by the moment with the addition of names of contenders that want to participate, is there any chance we can speed up procedures brothers?” “When has time ever been relevant to us brother? It only matters to those on the field.” “Well, I suppose a table would come in handy then”
“Speaking of which, while I’ve got this book open I’ve the next two all sized up and measured ready to call” “Good lets get the ball rolling, and seriously brother, try using it for a foot rest, if you won’t, give it over here” The ancients continued with their conversation and procedure meanwhile the mist at their feet cleared to reveal that they were sitting high above a landscape of checkered fields much like a country farm or the crazy way they do cricket ovals these days when they mow. The field itself was made up of eight equal square lots wide and deep, amassing sixty-four all told. The total distance in both directions would have to be close to fifteen to twenty kilometers at least. Either side of the fields was flanked by fast rising incredibly steep mountain ranges that soared above the field into the mist. Clearly visible, carved into the sides of the barren rock face were trails not dissimilar to the type left by sheep and cattle on country hillsides