Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

"Oh... against what?"

"Let me help you."
I say, steadying them by holding them by the shoulder.

 

"The Hive Master, of course."

They still can't get the book off.
"Can you just like, get it off for me?" They ask, voice muffled a bit.

 

The pair take the first staircase, looking lost.

 

"Oh, okay. Thanks."
Crystal says, then starts to exit the lab.

"I'm getting to it."
I say, tearing up the book to free the raptor.

 

The stairs go up, and up, and up, and...

...you can't even see the top of the tower from down here. Where the hell's the floor counter? It's just... stairs.

Another regiment, even worse off, starts heading in as Crystal leaves.

That separates the pages from the hardcover, but that's enough for the raptor to push the cover off.
"Thanks." They say sheepishly.

 

"I was told about stairs..." Angela says, exhausted.

"I was warned too." Katie says, powering on.

 

After what feels like forever, the duo reaches a marker that says "N10F"

 

Katie and Angela stumble through, collapsing once inside from exhaustion.

 

They're... in an empty office, nobody interrupting them as they recover.

 

Crystal just makes his way back to Xlentia's chambers.

"No problem. Just, don't do that again, okay?"

 

She's still asleep.

"I won't, but maybe I'll shove someone else in a book. Everyone else was laughing so much!" They say happily.

 

Crystal goes next to her and lays down.

"Don't do it if you can't get it off, okay?"
I say cautiously.

 

A couple hours later, she wakes up.
"W-were you here the whole time?" She yawns.

"Okay, I'll be careful."

 

"Not the entire time."
Crystal says truthfully.
"But a lot of it."

I nod, then exit the castle.

 

"You didn't need to wait here, you know."

Nobody's outside.

 

"I wanted to."

I walk around, looking for Leo.

 

"Aww, that means a lot, sweetheart." Xlentia says, smiling.

He winds up being over by the farm.

 

Crystal just smiles, and keeps laying down.

I approach him.
"I searched the castle."

 

Xlentia eventually rolls over upright again.
"I'm sorry I don't go out and help you. I'm a really big target."

"Anyone?"

 

"What are we even supposed to be doing?"
Crystal asks.
"Nobody's told me what we're doing."

"Excluding the king and a few raptors, nope."