Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

"Neither did I."

He looks around for any large buildings.

 

"He'll be here tonight. We'll come and get you if you'd like to explore our town." One of the Earth Guardians says.


The half-spider just bursts out laughing, amused heavily.

"Oh my god you're so precious! High gods and omnigods? You've got to be kidding!" The half-spider asks.

The crowd below goes wild as Shadow Stephanie defeats another champion, tearing off it's head and showing it to the crowds in a rebellious pose.

 

“I’d appreciate that greatly, if it’s not too much trouble.” Fable nods, lightening up a bit at the offer.


“I wouldn’t laugh too hard, mortal, lest someone who shouldn’t hears. Not my problem you’re blinded from the truth.” The figure shrugs.

There’s a castle in the middle of town, but the room in Sgavrinn’s vision was the size of the entire town.

________________________________

“Take it easy. You’ll be out of here soon.”

 

"He might not even be in this town."

 

Looks too small to me. Let's fly around and look for other towns, maybe? It's a big place, anyways.

 

“Who’re you? Where am I?”
He asks, still not fully in the right mindset.

 

"Our town has much to offer, so we hope you enjoy your time here." One of the other Earth Guardians says, smiling.


The half-spider just keeps laughing, amused.

Shadow Stephanie throws the corpse of the champion out of the colosseum, letting out a demonic roar as the next champion enters. However, this one is different. They don't appear to be a champion of the colosseum, but a challenger of Shadow Stephanie's position according to the incubi's commentary. They appear to be dressed like a cowboy, though their face is completely covered. They stand across the colosseum, throwing something toward Shadow Stephanie. It's hard to tell exactly what it is from the distance the figure is, but based on the way Shadow Stephanie holds it, it looks like a gun of sorts.

The cowboy holds out their hand, and an imp flies down and hands them a microphone.

"When that there clock changes stranger, you hit me with your best shot y'hear? If yer fast enough, you get to sacrifice me to whatever god yer working with." The cowboy says. A clock appears on the large monitor above the incubi's booth, ticking from half a minute to noon.

Shadow Stephanie just roars in response, though keeps her gun at her side.

 

"It's best you know neither. You'll be back out of this hellhole soon enough."

A dryad with a cauterized chest wound stumbles through the portal.

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Fable nods.
"Thanks."
She turns to Katie.
"Uh... you lead. I can't knock on doors, anyways."


"You said I can just jump down into the arena, right?"

 

Katie heads out of the warehouse, waving to the Earth Guardians as she goes. She heads into the marketplace, small statues, art and fabrics for sale on stalls as well as more established shops lining the street.


"I wouldn't advise it." The half-spider says, glancing at a half-scorpion headed her way.

 

Fable looks a the art and small statues, lagging behind Katie a bit.


“Why?”

 

The artists smile from their stalls and Katie stays near Fable. Some of the statues are carved so delicately they look like stone people and creatures sitting on the stall's counter, while others seem to support themselves with nothing at all. The art comes in many styles, some of the stalls seeming to sell art related to a particular show while others direct attention to the origin of the characters, most of them comics. Katie even stops by one of the show stalls, complimenting the artist on their excellent work and asking them about characters, but most of it comes off as gibberish to Fable.


"Well, apart from you getting involved in the fight, a lot of the crowds don't like intruders, especially him." The half-spider says, pointing at the cloaked figure in the throne again.

The half-spider scuttles down the wall as the half-scorpion gets close. They seem rather annoyed at the figure's presence atop the wall.

 

Fable keeps quiet, sticking with Katie.


“He can’t stop me.” The figure growls, jumping down into the arena.

 

As Katie talks with the stall vendor, she introduces Fable, letting her in to the conversation.


The crowd boos, complaining at the figure's presence.

"You better trot that ass of yours back to your home town stranger, 'less you want me puttin' your eyeballs on the top of my bullets." The cowboy says, pointing another gun at the figure.

The clock strikes noon and there's two shots fired. The cowboy seems to step to the side suddenly. A few seconds later, Shadow Stephanie falls to her knees, clutching a wound in her chest which spurts blood onto the colosseum's gravel. Surprisingly, the crowd seems pleased by this, the incubi commentators surprised.

"She ain't yers no more y'hear?" The cowboy says, second gun still pointed at the figure, "You better ride on out of my reali'ty and stop har'asin it's resi'dnts with yer false teachin's."

 

Fable nervously steps back, keeping quiet but listening again.


“Your time god knows the truth, and him alone. I do not teach, I kill... like the weapon I was made to be.”
He removes a dagger from his claw.
“Now, I deem you a worthy sacrifice. Bow, find a replacement, or prove yourself.”

 

Katie laughs nervously, the vendor waving it off in a 'it's fine' motion as she smiles at Fable.


The cowboy laughs.

"Yer more one-dimensional than I first thought." The cowboy says, hidden eyes seeming to pierce through the figure.

The crowds cheering and incubi's commentary is drowned out. Everyone seems to disappear, except for Shadow Stephanie, who lies bleeding on the ground.

"Prove yerself, partner." The cowboy says, a bullet already in the figure's face ready to tear through it's brain matter. A few seconds later, the gunshot can be heard.

 

“Who’s she-”
He starts to point at the dryad, but points with the arm with no hand, and thus realizes one of his hands is missing.
“Ho- holy shit...”

 

Fable tries not to show her nervousness, but it shows anyways.


The bullet bounces harmlessly off their face, the figure not bothering to move.

“As you wish.” They say, a dagger denting the barrel of each of their guns.

________________________________

“You’ll heal. Do yourself a favor and be glad you didn’t end up like the guard on the ceiling.”

 

Katie chats with the vendor a bit more before buying a piece and turning back to Fable.

"Are you ok?" Katie asks, sounding concerned.


The cowboy spins their guns backward, the guns seeming repair before they jump backwards and disappear as the bullet appears to turn around for another shot.

The cowboy appears in two places at once, in the air behind the left and right of the figure. They unleash all the bullets in the clips of their four combined guns, before disappearing again and appearing a short distance away, seeming to be reloading their gun; shells oddly missing.

 

"The guard on th- y'know what, nope."
The giant looks around for half a second then puts in head between his legs, deciding not to look.
"What the hell is going on..."

 

“I wasn’t worried about damaging the ring... if I miss, there’s no way it’ll hold.” She whispers.


The bullet just bounces off again.
They return fire, the crowd only able to see a pulsing lotus of dagger fire from above.

“You’ll be out soon. Just take a breath and don’t get up until we tell you to.”