Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

"I don't believe that. You look nothing like that Eve girl."

 

"Well, Eve was created to be a weapon for the king of a realm of shadows. I was created as a beta form of something that was supposed to replace servants."

 

Katie gets up and sends the stream of water forward, freezing it on the ground. Katie jumps, a snowboard made of ice forming below her feet, before she rides along the ice. Strangely, the ice doesn't make Katie slip or veer off course, it keeps her straight and fast as she continues to freeze a path ahead while holding the box steady.


Vexa takes the blade, drawing it and observing it.

"I'm not much of a fighter, but I shall keep this blade to remember and honour Ruby." Vexa says, tears running down her face.

 

“Af-ter-ri-ght-turn-jump-out.”


Once Vexa holds the blade, light plate armor begins to form around her body as the sword becomes seemingly weightless and its reflective blade becomes dull with a faint aura projected around it and Vexa. One of the gems on the hilt turns clear, and eight smaller gems surrounding it become milky white. Vexa seems to be able to see the spectral plane through one eye and the physical world with the other... until she puts the blade down somewhere, when it simply goes back to its former gem-inlaid polished appearance and its effects vanish.
“Yep. It’s tuned to only do that with you... that works.” Amber comments.

“You didn’t look like that reality’s tech, is my point.”

 

“Consider it an unfinished job.”
I shrug.

 

Katie does as told, leaping out at the right time and performing a snowboard trick while keeping balanced.


Vexa appears speechless, looking at the blade with teary eyes.

 

"I'm sure you can find a way, you know him better."

 

There’s a small opening she manages to leap through, opening up into a valley.
“Stay-low. Head-down.”
Katie can see a red aura moving around up above.


She sees a tiny etching along the center of the blade;
“Light for those who cannot hold inner fire
Tides turned from whence they came
Shattered bulwark formed by will.”

“I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything.”

“Well... they should’ve finished.” The twins say in unison.
“Awful lot of work for a glorified group of slaves, though...”

 

Katie breaks her snowboard with a single stomp, staying close to the ground and keeping her face pointed away from the aura.


"Th-Thank you." Vexa says, unable to hold back her tears.

 

"Good enough. I'll have a look in the village then."

 

"It would've made a lot of money where I'm from. If they got it down right, they'd be set for the rest of their lives."

 

The aura suddenly rockets off to the side as blue auras show up just about everywhere.
“St-ill-be-ca-re-ful. Go-slow.”


“She’d also probably find some way to kill me if I didn’t give you the will itself.” Amber says, placing an envelope on the ruby box.

“There’s more tried and true ways to make a living.”

Linda nods.
“I will follow, it’s been a while since I’ve seen what’s left of home.”
“Are you planning to head out now?” Rema asks.

 

Katie freezes, crouching lower and freezing the bottoms of her feet. Katie slides along like a snail, looking completely inanimate at times.

Katie exhales slowly, carefully creating a pool of water quite a few steps behind her. An icy version of Abigail bursts out of the ice, sprinting back the way Katie came and looking directly at the auras. Katie remains completely still, like a statue with a box placed in it's hands.


Vexa shakily picks up the will, wiping away her tears as she delicately opens it.

 

I shrug.
“I can’t really speak for dead people.”

 

A few void creatures emerge and peek at the faux Abigail, but don’t seem to mind.

The floor below Katie seems to start shivering.


“Vexa,
I didn’t want it to be over for good, but it finally is. I might not have gotten to do everything I wanted to after I was freed from mind control, but I think I’ve done everything I needed to. So, let’s get to the point, shall we?
You’re probably opening this in tears, so don’t. We both knew this was coming, but you’ll live on. Time will pass. For now, let’s take a look at the gifts I’m leaving you.

There’s a box with my remains, obligatory tradition is obligatory. Then, there’s a set of dual daggers with an orichalcum edge. I had issues with it, but a little bit goes a long way. They’ll cut through quite a bit, so be wary who you sell them to. There’s also a few dozen more weapons I scattered about my home reality, hoping to entice you to help their struggle. I know it’s selfish to ask for you to pick up where I left off, but every body counts. Furthermore...

The blade you have received is, without doubt, my most unparalelled work. It is bound to your soul, and able to be passed down to whoever you deem worthy. I call it the Ruby Splinter, but you’re welcome to rename it whatever silly title you desire. I want some of its abilities to be a surprise, but below is enough to get started on using it.

The blade has three notable features. It will grant draconic armor which becomes stronger the more exhausted you are, it can absorb and store energy from magical attacks, and most importantly, it can reuse those attacks at any given time without draining yourself - even if you can’t usually use the respective element. Stored spells are represented with the smaller gems, and the larger central gem will indicate intent to absorb for energy or to absorb and store. Perhaps you can get the king of shadows to let you borrow a potent ability?

Stay safe, stay strong. You’ll reach my smithing abilities, maybe surpass them.
- Ruby”

________________________________

“Just proof it didn’t quite work.”

 

“I don’t think that’ll stop anyone else from trying.”

 

"Unless you have something else you want to do, yes?"

 

Katie's heartbeat raises slightly, before returning to a surprisingly slow pace. A few moments later, Katie starts to slowly move again, but she's hardly noticable as moving.


Vexa manages to hold back more tears as she reads the letter over, before reading it a second time. Vexa sighs, gripping the edge of her counter out of deep sadness.

"Ruby..." Vexa mutters to herself.

 

“Cu-ri-ous-things-are-o-kay.” The voidling urges Katie as blue auras slowly begin to cover the floor.


“Well, I should get going. Maybe find a few death guardians, or another emptied battlefield... Don’t be surprised if my siblings come over to pay respects.”

“I think that was it.” Rema says, shrugging.
“Is it safe to go out in your bestial form?”

“Greed sure winds up being a strange thing...”

Buddy rushes back between the benches with the frisbee in his mouth, the three other dogs chasing him albeit marginally behind.

 

Katie's heartbeat raises again, before she propels herself along at a much faster speed, like she'd been thrown across ice; slowing down in an appropriate fashion to an inanimate object.


Vexa nods.

"Good luck on your journey." Vexa says.