Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

Chroma’s eyes flare up briefly before he hesitates, now no longer clenching his horns.

“...Well, you’re the first person to just up and talk with me. So... what exactly are your intentions?”

Puddles seems amused, but the others seem relieved.

“Puddles seems as bored as you.” Linoa jokes telepathically.


“Remember, third time. You jump the gun, you blow your chance. You hesitate, you blow your chance.”

 

"Touché..."

 

Anne nervously laughs.
"Well, uh... I guess I'll let you think things over. You know where to find me if you want to stay together." She sighs. "Have a good day, Bardock."

She leaps off your shoulder and into the trees.

 

"To figure out exactly why you were harassing Abigail, and what your next move is going to be." Owl says, taking a quick sip from a hip flask in his jacket. A smell of alcohol is now mixed in with his smokey breath.

 

"Are you actually going to listen to me or am I just going to waste my breath again explaining myself?"

 

Owl raises an eyebrow, seeming serious.

 

"...Well?"

 

"Well, I'll say one thing: You shouldn't get into my line of work if you're this terrible at reading people," Owl says, lighting up another cigarette, "Shoot."

 

"In that case, I'll start out by saying that I survived the bomb by being a rock."
Pause.
"...Did you leave the second note and sack of gold at her house?"

 

Owl nods.

 

“Anyhow, I’m in... a bit of a bad situation. Are you by chance aware of who and what the Hive Master is?”

 

"We've heard rumors. Bits of important information here and there." Owl says.

 

"What're we still doooing here..."
Crystal complains telepathically.

"I've got it."

 

“Good enough. So, there’s a resistance force that has received large amount of aid from this reality, spearheaded by your king of kings. They turn the tides of an otherwise losing war, and I want to keep it that way. I’ve been able to keep my free will, but the cost has been... well, if Atavul wouldn’t come here over it, I would not hesitate to give myself to eternal torment by your gods. I’ve practically lived one, anyways...”
Pause.
“Anyhow, I am General Chroma of Overlord Atavul’s forces. Recently, he’s ordered me to start mass production of gauntlets that need to stay exclusive to his higher ups. I can’t step even a tiny bit out of line without being put under mind control, which... is why I’ve harassed Abigail.”
He takes a breath.
“I was ordered to repel her from her own home, and then I would be given eight hours on Earth unmonitored. Atavul asked where she went, and I reminded him that such a request did not outline our agreement. By now, about seven of those hours are gone. If I don’t return, he’ll send search parties for me... hopefully. If I’m unlucky, he’ll come in person.”

________________________________

“Nothing stopping us from leaving right now.” She shrugs.


“Good. Let the river carry you to the barrier, Archmage O’rogal will prepare the consequence for failure.” She says before seemingly vanishing into the flowing water.

 

"We should. Everything's just broken here. It's boring."


I do as instructed, letting the river carry me.

 

"You know the girl has plans to kill you and your god, correct? It's part why she hired us, to find out if her original plan worked or not," Owl says, cigarette lighting up as he breathes in it's cancerous fumes, "She's likely hiding out somewhere waiting for us to find her and tell her the news. Your repellent strategy won't last against a technician and engineer that fierce."

 

"Do I know where to find her?"

 

"I didn't intend it as a repellent strategy. I don't have time to wait around for her to decide to come back, I need to instigate something soon or things are just going to get worse." Chroma says. "Also, if it's any consolation, I've died thousands of times and I took myself instead of the bomb. If she was satisfied, I doubt she'd go after me."
Pause.
"I am curious, though, how much did that bomb cost? I really don't care, since Atavul doesn't actually let me buy anything with my hoard, but I'm curious if she was over-exaggerating that too or if it really did come at a high price."

I... guess you do? I mean, she'll probably know if you come back to the forest.

"Alright. We'll head out, but... I think I'm gonna come back on my own after a while. I mean, everything's gonna be this broken if the Hive Master wins this crap, right? Maybe there's something I can learn here."


After what seems like an hour, you're washed onto an iceberg, a supermassive glacier towering in front of you.
"Alright, Thirteen. Don't miss." A taunting voice calls from behind as a conductor raises their baton.

 

"Something of that power? Probably close to a mage." Owl says offhandedly.

 

“How much is that in gold?”