Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

I weave through the crowds of people making their way up to the palace, dodging through side streets when I need to. Eventually, the crowds become too thick to push through however, even the air above becoming packed by air guardians and Shadows alike.

"I wonder what's causing them all to head toward the palace? It's all they seem focused on." I mention.

 

One of your alternate-plane sights starts breaking things down into some sort of primordial-elemental view, letting you see the makeup of everyone around you, any connections to gods, and any potentially obvious draws... at least, that's what Iris' thoughts make you think. It's indecipherable to you, aside from any elemental affinities.
"Sometimes, true sight just isn't interesting enough. Welcome to what Ihra and I see."

 

"See anything fishy going on at the palace?" I ask as I begin to climb the wall of a building.

 

“There is a really good reason for me not to have mass separated consciousness from mind which doubles as one of the few beings you bow to.”
As you move, your body seems to be slightly invigorated as if you were expending negative energy.

 

"Huh?" I ask, sounding a little confused as I climb onto the roof of the building. It seems quite a few others had the same idea, though the crowd is less dense.

 

“Tenebrae seems to be the source of the radiation. Separating her consciousness from her would have been... well, more of a mistake than I’d like to make.”

 

"Tenebrae? What's she doing..." I mutter, before trailing off, "If you'd put the city to sleep, she'd probably do something terrible to you, yes."

I quicken my pace towards the palace, people appearing to have broken through the main gates and even the front doors, guards futilely trying to hold them back.

 

“No, not her. The other gods. She’s close enough that doing a radial manipulation would knock her out as well. Regardless, I assume the idea of flying over people already crossed your mind?”

 

"The airspace is pretty packed. Plus, I don't want to make myself unnecessarily obvious," I say, weaving through the rooftop crowds, "Tenebrae has probably been here long enough to gather all this attention, everyone wants to see her."

 

“Now that you mention it, aren’t your gods recluses? They wouldn’t just hang around here where mortals can see them unless something really bad happened.”

 

"Something really bad probably happened, or will happen, then." I say, looking over the bustling crowds before continuing on. A few people seem to have laid down wooden walkways between buildings, others seemingly formed by forest guardians due to their tree-trunk like design.

 

I quickly scan my surroundings, staying alert.

 

“Since I don’t know how bad or indifferent this situation is, I have a few reinforcements on call should you need backup... but why the palace? The only reasons I can think she would choose the palace is if her statue was desecrated or a high royal either was to be born or fall.”

You seem to be in a bunk room, though the only occupant of any bed is a seemingly restless naga who has their head crammed under three bunks worth of pillows and keeps turning slightly.
“Don’t waste your time, he’s an informant... of sorts.” Scurn says, opening a portal to cover the doorway behind you.
“You should need to blast through the other door, or just rip a chunk out of the palace wall. They’ll be waiting.”
“In that case, slow down, Thirteen.”

 

I put some pressure on the other door, trying to estimate how fast it would swing back towards me were I to kick it open.

 

"It stands as essentially the head of this realm. I think it's just a thematic place for her to choose to visit," I say, "That, or someone summoned her there."

 

It’s locked, which doesn’t help you determine that.
“They’re expecting you to kick it down, that’s an easy time to knock you off balance. Step back.”

“You’re making me impatient. That, and nervous. There’s tons of people here, the guards are overwhelmed. If anyone had ill will, now’s the time to cause devastating damage.”

 

"I doubt Tenebrae would let that happen. She's a goddess, after all, not just a Shadow." I say, making my way to the palace border.

 

“I could just use something with more reach.”
I step away from the door, bracing myself.

 

“I have yet to see your gods defend more than a handful of mortals at once. I assume they are more than capable, as they should be, but this is far more than a handful. Besides, with all these people, nobody’s really worrying too much about humans sneaking through.”

“And they are using something with more reach.” Scurn says, letting go of you before putting what looks to be an explosive charge on the door and taking hold once again.

“Five seconds until it gives us our opening. Run straight, the portal room is just ahead.”

“Twenty total.” Levi reminds.

 

"I don't think a human would last here, considering most Shadows hunt them for consumption," I say, "Besides, no mere human could stand against a god, even if they had this crowd on their side."

A group of Shadows and Guardians are thrown overhead as I approach the wall surrounding the palace, larger guards now throwing people out to thin the crowds - some even batting them with large hammers.