Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

"There was a portal there, but it closed just as the thing appeared."

I go into the throne room and look around instead.

 

The pair head over to us, smiling, before waiting for Alice to finish her conversation.


Katie and Angela remain quiet, Angela watching the scenery go by.


"I've got an information source that could tell me where to find the relic, so I'd say pretty good." I say.

 

Minutes later, Rineth lands on the edge of a volcano.
"The gear's already covered. Just give the clerk your name, and you'll be set."


"Great. Two out of three groups found something? That's fantastic!"

"A portal in the hall...?"

You can hear footsteps going down the hidden staircase that Artemis busted the wall to access it.

 

"Is that weird? I saw one there."

I follow the sound of footsteps.

 

"I-Is it inside?" Angela asks, nodding to the volcano.


"I found a cool mask!" Shadow Stephanie says happily, announcing her presence.

"What did Katie and Angie find?" I ask.

 

"There shouldn't have been one. You sure you weren't just scared and seeing things?"

After a minute of following, you find the king searching for family heirlooms and other belongings.

"Not the way you fear. It's built in the side of it."


"They found a harpy who told them the relic was in the hands of a missing queen named Liv. Her pet buried it here in the underworld, and the duo took Rineth to go try and get more information out of her pet who is said to still live in her owner's chambers, despite Liv being gone for decades now."

 

Angela and Katie get off Rineth, looking for a way into the volcano other than jumping.


"Well, I hope I don't get redundant information then." I say.

"It may be worse to get different information." Artemis comments.

 

"Maybe... I dunno..."

"Hello."
I say, approaching him.

 

There's a path of what looks to be red-hot coals leading up to what looks like a cave.


"We'll find out soon, though." Alice shrugs.

________________________________

"You're okay." Xlentia reassures.

He glances back.
"Hi." He sighs.

 

Crystal just sticks next to Xlentia's tail.

"Looking for something specific?"
I ask.

 

Xlentia opts to curl up around Crystal, falling asleep after a few minutes.

"Not really."

 

Crystal eventually gets more relaxed around Xlentia, but stays put.

"Hm."
I note.
"Have you seen the raptors yet?"

 

Katie freezes her feet in ice, before walking toward the cave.

 

The door's open at any time, and Xlentia's big enough that a small gap between her toes is wide enough gor Crystal to walk through easily.

"Yes. I decided to let them be, told them a few titles they could tear up. They seemed quite amused."

The footpath is cool, strangely.
Inside, the door to what looks to be a strictly one-outfit-selling shop, the sections labelled "Heatproof Boots," "Magmadiver's Gear," "Thermal Liners," and "Ashjackets."

 

Curious, Crystal decides to make his way to the door and peek out.

I smile.
"They certainly were. I'm not surprised they have a fascination with paper, though."

 

Nobody's out there currently, sans a few Void Chimera playing in the hallways.

"More the shreds?" He asks, still going through a drawer.

 

Crystal looks down the hallways.

"Or the act of making shreds. I'm not entirely sure."

 

Katie looks for the shop owner.

 

The only other creature visible in the room is a kitsune picking a few bits of dirt out of their tails after sweeping the counter with them.

________________________________

Lined with statues, but void of draconians.

"Potentially both."

 

Crystal makes his way out of the room and towards the lab.

I nod.
"Did you find anyone else?"