Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

There are halls filled with ornate ingravings, giant works of art, statues, petrified dragons, jewels, and other riches that make a kingdom's treasury look like a pile of leaves.
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"Claire needs to rest, sorry. Give us until morning?"

 

Arnold starts inspecting one of the paintings.
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"Sorry, didn't realise. Have a good rest, you will need it."

 

It's pretty much a wall ripped off a building. It deicts a swarm of dragons circling a town.
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"Thanks, and thanks again for offering your assistance. We're still getting used to the rest of the world."

 

"Hmm... reminds me of that time long ago... hehe... that was fun..."
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I take out my tome and start flipping through. Eventually I reach the page I wanted.
"Extremely dangerous... appears out of thin air and kidnaps children... no... killer war machine... able to wipe out whole kingdoms... close, but no... ah! Considered the most dangerous being in existence, if you can call it a being or something which exists. Also no eye witnesses, only theorised. Due to this, no known records of surviving targets..."

 

I dart over, curious, reading over your shoulder. After a moment, I dart away again.

 

"What?"
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"Whoah... Who?!"

 

I don't seem to notice you.

"I once freed a lot of monsters which were imprisoned in the middle of a city. That didn't turn out well for everyone else. Me? It's helped me many times since."
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"Oh, just something I wanted to look for. I've had something on my mind recently, but I never got to check about it."
I continue reading the tome.
"Null Theory: They were only a myth just to make people wary of strangers.
Target Theory: While many victims are killed brutally, more powerful beings are 'targeted'. Once a target has been made, they can take the form of this being, or of something to do with the being. They start to gain memories of the being they targeted. This can be sped up instantly by the death of the target, though they may have to wait a while if the target is too strong. Once the target is dead, they will know all memories, have all abilities of the target and will be able to improve on these. They will also be able to create another target and another 'clone' of the target will be created, making it possible for them to make an army of improved targets.
Paradox Theory: While it is likely that they are a myth, it is theorised that these beings come into existence because it could happen. They come into existence if events start to become linked around certain beings. These beings are then picked off, one by one. The paradoxical Chrono Leech then has what is about to become an unstoppable army of cloned and enhanced targets, ready to destroy everything it wants..."
I close the book abruptly.
"I hope I've been wrong yet another time..."

 

"Weird. Why do you seek to serve, then? If you can do that..."
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"I... What?"

A draconian near Xlentia's drag marks crawls to their feet, groaning.
"Nngh... My chains... Are they really...? Urgh... Where am I? Is..."
She sees Ihra.
"Huh? That's... ohhh, be alive..."

 

Abigail looks up, taking a defensive stance over Ihra. She growls at the stranger.

I dart over near to where the draconian is, the area around me darkening and hiding me slightly.

 

"Mercy, please... I've done nothing but what I'm told! Please don't report me to the Hive Master!"
They drop to their knees.

They're unarmed and confused.

 

"And what were you told to do?" I ask, stepping out from the darkness.

Abigail seems distrustful.

 

"I... I don't know. Is the Chosen One okay? Please tell me..."

 

"If you're referring to Ihra, then yes; physically, not emotionally. She's currently asleep, and I don't suggest waking her; lest you incur the wrath of Abigail, who is currently protecting her." I say.

Abigail growls.

 

"I believe Xlentia is after Ihra, and by now is against those protecting her, yes? Just as Xlentia is now against the others because they have protected Ihra, I am against those around my enemies. It happens that these are the same people. I see a shared idea that these people should be dead. And I offer nothing because, if Xlentia commands me to help kill them, which I believe is her current goal, then my prize is her offer."
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"Who are you?"

 

"Physically is all I care about. I won't wake her, it's just strange I'm seeing her... I thought they killed me well before she was born."

"Sounds like you'll do just fine."
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"Ragnyon, the Last Prophet. I thought I was dead... Where am I? This world isn't crumbling."

 

I think for a moment, "You mentioned something about a hivemaster?" I ask.

 

Arnold moves along to inspect a petrified dragon.
"Thank you."
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"You're in a different world to your homeworld. Specifically, on the border between two kingdoms, Brisingr and the Darklands, though you wouldn't have known their names before."

 

"Yes... I was chained to something, then stabbed through the neck. By him."

"Help is always welcome."
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"That figures... Who are you? Who are they? What happened?"
You can see chain marks on her wrists, legs, and neck, even in the low light.

 

"Are you alright?" I say, concerned, checking the draconian's neck for harm.

 

"I don't know. I thought I was dead... Where are my chains? How did I... Ugh... You probably don't know either. Sorry..."