Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

"I know someone."

 

“She’s a shell of a body. How do you mind control someone without a mind?”
“You don’t.”
“Wha-“
Iris appears on one of the empty seats of the carriage, legs crossed as she looks bored.
“I removed your ability to properly track me. Besides, you asked for a carriage for three. Shame if you left the third seat vacant, no?”
Arkclal seems something between annoyed and concerned.
“I take it you’re not here to fight him, then?”
“Do I look like an idiot? This reality is doing somewhat fine, and I’m not here to screw with that. Besides, somebody here would just use that as a reason to continue trying to avoid interactions with me.” She sighs, glancing at you. “No, I’m not quite that impatient. Don’t go planting seeds that I’m getting ready to go on a rampage before he even sees his girlfriend after too damn long.”
“...My apologies, Lady Iris.”

You wind up knocking Scurn off balance as he turns the corner.
“What the hell- oh, of course it’s you.” He grumbles as he sprints past you.
“Forty five seconds.” Levi reminds.

________________________________

“One of the fishermen, or the guardian beast Leviathan?”

 

"Always nice to see you dropping in, Iris." I say, somewhat distracted by the dark aura seeming to pulse from the palace, sweeping across the city. Both Iris and Arkclal begin to feel the effects of being in the realm of shadows grow heavier under the aura, as if the darkness became thick like porridge.

 

“Just making sure.”
I comment to Levi as I blast down the hall.

 

"Leviathan. Though I forgot his name. I know it was a very simple name though."

 

“Your reaction suggests this isn’t quite normal.” Arkclal says, a bit uncomfortable.
“Unless he’s got some more secrets up his sleeve, which is pretty much certain, I don’t think it is.”

Scurn grabs on to you as you jet by him, wiping blood off his face with his free hand.
“Remind me not to get hit by you. Ever.”

“Mark, I think.”

 

'Yeah. That sounds about right. Thank you.'

'Now. I won't bother you any longer.'

 

"Something's happening at the palace, though I have no idea what. I don't like the attention it's bringing though." I say, pointing to a pile of broken carriages. A pair of vulture-like beasts seem to be feasting of the remains of the travellers from the carriages, four large clawed hands at the end of each wing ripping apart the bodies and shoveling them into their maw.

"I just hope Shadow Stephanie isn't the cause for this." I say, sounding more concerned than annoyed.

 

“Will do.”
I say uncaringly.

 

“Arkclal, go. I’ll help him with this.”
“You should really leave it to him...”
“Stop talking about shit that’s above you. Get Ihra aware of the situation, it looks like there’s going to be damage.”
“...Yes, Lady Iris.” Arkclal says, slinking backwards through a small portal opened on his seat.

“Well, it’s hard to ask for you to stop ignoring me when you have more pressing matters. Shall we get moving?” Iris offers.

As you near the end of the hallway, a group of the shark beasts try to block your path. Before you can react, or even be slowed, Scurn throws a chakram with a chainsaw edge that cleaves a path through.
“We have a one second window and it’d be wonderful if you got me through as well. Besides that, you’re going to turn right at the second hall.”

You’re not entirely sure whether or not to count the hallway you just rushed by as one or not.

“Don’t forget your gear, your backpack’s still in the bedroom.”

 

"We already are moving, traveling like this is the best way not to make ourselves too well known. If I expose myself I'll likely be swarmed due to my position." I say, gesturing towards other high-class carriages heading toward the city. Getting closer, it seems the guards are being overworked, having to manage those entering the city at a fast enough pace.

 

"Right. Let me just.."
And I go grab my gear.

 

"In that case, I'll wait." Iris says, vanishing. "I know I'm not a terribly popular figure here. Better to just save you any explanations."

With your backpack on, you're ready to head out.

It still feels a bit odd not having your beast form talking to you in your head.

 

"I would think with the crowds, your presence would cause more chaos than there already is." I say, pulling up my cloak and making sure my face is fairly covered as the carriage approaches the city border.

 

“I could knock the entire city unconscious, but that doesn’t help us find out what’s going on. Removing parts of something is kinda my thing.” She says in a hushed tone.

 

I hoist Scurn closer to me so that he isn’t hanging off.
“Got it.”
I look for a place to turn right, counting the hall we just passed as hall 1.

 

Wait. He's still there, isn't he?

 

You have no way of knowing for sure (until he says something again), but he has no way of leaving that you know of.

As you get ready to turn, you notice a blockade forming. Scurn slams his other chakram into the ground, creating sparks and ice shards in your wake as you wind up pseudo-drifting through an open doorway as a result.
"Forty." Levi mumbles.
"Shut up, we're on our way." Scurn snaps.

 

"That'd probably make things far worse than they already are." I respond.

The guards at the border let the carriage through, and it begins to head toward the palace. Eventually, the carriage stops, other carriages as well as hundreds of thousands of Shadows and Guardians filling the streets, all trying to get up to the palace. I get out, speaking to the carriage driver in shadow tongue who nods and aims to turn around and leave.

 

Iris follows you silently, seeming to tag along on another plane.
"That specific thing, yes. Regardless, I'll lend you my strength until we get to a more open area." She says telepathically, your vision in part splitting across three other planes of reality as your focus tightens to manage the increase in sensory.