Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

"I'm not flying down there." An air guardian comments.

"Why would they have this sort of hazard so...open?" A forest guardian ponders.

The earth guardian keeps staring into the abyss, hoping to see some kind of response.


A slime demon tries slipping through any cracks she can find, hoping to find a hidden passage.

 

The earth guardian is met with nothing but silence as the rock falls out of the distance they can sense its elemental presence.


There are only etchings, but they all lead to nowhere.
They can, however, hear what sounds to be a sparring match commence down below in the Bastion.

 

"It just leads into...nothing." The earth guardian says, confused.

"They should really put up a fence or something." The forest guardian says, shaking their head.

The air guardian holds on to the earth guardian out of fear; though hovers over the ground slightly.


A bat demon puts her ear to the ground, trying to use her advanced sense of hearing to trace a route to the source of the sparring match.

 

"Usually people don't bother stepping that close to the edge. We just call it a giant chasm for a reason." A bat-like guard hanging off a nearby tower comments, seeming to have been watching the trio the entire time."


She notices a staircase spiraling downward - on the outside of the spire, rather than in. It's cloaked, but it's there... just not one leading up.
Beyond that, the hall below seems to be straight.

 

"I suppose it's like water guardians and volcanoes." The earth guardian comments, thinking.

"Hasn't anyone ever fallen down there, though?" The forest guardian asks.


The bat demon points this out, guiding the group to try and find the cloaked staircase through echolocation.

 

"Fallen, no. Jumped, yes. Thrown, yes." The guard says.


The stairwell is tucked behind an illusory wall, though the group of demons quickly finds themselves face to face with a kobold of diminutive stature holding a battleaxe taller than they are.
"The hell're you comin' down here for? Admin's up in their offices in the wing. They're literally there so you don't pester us, unless you're looking for a sparring match." They say, surprisingly gruff and irate.

 

The air guardian gives the guard an uneasy look.

"Is there a bottom to it? Or...do people just fall until they perish?" The forest guardian asks.


A succubus steps forward with an innocent look.

"We're just exploring this new realm we're in. Can't you let us through?" The succubus asks, making sure her chest is well presented.

 

"There is a bottom, but not much lives long enough to hit it. Be warned, though, there is something down there... and if I were you, I'd hope the rock burns up before it stirs Oenimoras."


The kobold seems repulsed by this.
"Put those raisins back in the box, would you? Seriously, the admin offices are gonna help a lot more unless you're trying to join up." They grunt.

 

"W-What's Oenumoras?" The air guardian asks nervously.


The succubus seems offended, stepping back to join her group again.

"Do you know where the mirage palace is?" The half-spider asks.

 

"Oenimoras is the reason why the Radiant Bastion was built in the first place. It's pretty much the only thing that can rival our gods, though they've been working to remedy that," they say, "Think something along the lines of a death god and a manifestation of nullmagic rolled into one feral monstrosity. That's Oenimoras."


"What business do you have there?" they ask, not seeming terribly cooperative.

 

"S-So...everything that falls down there could wake him?" The air guardian asks, seeming terrified.


"Sightseeing." The half-spider responds.

 

“Correct, though the Bastion will keep them contained,” the guard says.


The kobold seems unamused, but seems to give it some thought anyways.
“Alright, two suggestions. One, go to the admin office. Or, two - I’ll take you lot if the raisin box can prove she’s more than just looks in a sparring match.”

 

"Has this...Oenimoras, ever decided to attack here before?" The earth guardian inquires.


"What are the rules of this sparring match?" The succubus asks, seeming confident.

 

“Several times. It never got past the Bulwark, though, so the castle itself is safe.”


“No weapons. Loser is first to be knocked unconscious or surrender. No tag outs or backups, and we use the main sparring arena. Being thrown out of bounds means nothing, stepping or flying out counts as surrender. Deal?”

 

"What's the Bulwark?" The earth guardian asks.


The succubus cracks her knuckles, before flexing slightly as a strong set of muscles briefly comes into view before being hidden behind her sleek figure look once again.

"Deal." The succubus says, grinning.

 

“The guard post below the castle doubles as the prison keeping Oenimoras down.”


The kobold signals for the demons to follow them, heading back down the hall.
Five mechanical bands are clearly visible on them; one on each arm and leg, and a bulkier ring on the neck. There’s no distinctive sign whether they’re augments or limiters, though.
“Just cause you’re a guest don’t mean I’m going easy on you. Better hope you’re as good of a sub as you are a dom.” They taunt.

 

"How long has Oenimoras been a threat?" The forest guardian asks.


"I feel as if my special treatment would be wasted on someone who can't appreciate it. I've been responsible for more than a few red cheeks," The succubus says almost seductively, while warming up her muscles, "I'll give you a taste of this if you can best me, though."

The bat demon keeps an ear out for any suspicious sounds, while the slime demon uses her gelatinous form to passively search for hidden nooks and crannies.

 

“Since forever. I dunno how long it’s been around, and the gods haven’t told us.”


“If I best you, you’ll have to find another woman,” they grunt, opening the doors to the sparring grounds.

Pretty much every guard has the same bands the kobold has, and everyone not in a sparring match stops to look at the kobold as she storms to the center arena.
“Alright, can you hold on to this for me?” she asks the half-spider demon, offering them her axe.

 

"C-Can't the gods deal with them?" The air guardian asks fearfully.


"Please, I've already got a man who treats me far better than any mortal soul could." The succubus says slyly.

The half-spider demon gracefully accepts the weapon, a sticky web seeming to form on it in her hands to assure her grip. As she does so, the succubus turns and suddenly kisses the slime demon - catching her off guard. It doesn't appear to last long, though a bit of slime remains around the succubus' lips once she's done; the slime demon seeming unappreciative of the sudden assault upon her mouth.

 

“They’re working on that. It’s hard to banish something that gets strength from banishment.”


The half-spider demon almost tips over from the weight of the axe; it’s weighted incredibly heavily in the blade.

“We’ll see. If you do put me in my place, my master might be seeking you out,” she says, stepping into the court before turning around.
“Wait a sec... let’s just cut to the chase, shall we?” She asks, grabbing the bands around each limb and tearing them all off by brute force.
“Improper removal of limiter. Repair: required,” a robotic voice mumbles from each as she throws it off to the side.

“Alright, raisin box. Show me something better than wet cardboard,” she taunts as she steps into the center of the arena.