Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

"I'm glad that I escaped." She walked towards the people working on the farm.

"Where's everyone else...that isn't a body."

 

Iruk pauses, looking bitter.

"...Fine, just don't get me killed." He mumbles.

"Power plant, city hall... a few at the market." Xephyr says, trying to keep you from distracting the group on the farm.
Most of them seem to be in deep concentration.

 

"Alright then." Cecil goes to the marketplace.

"Probably the only people there are the merchants..." She mumbles to herself.

 

"I'll try not to. If you'd like to come with me, it will make it a lot easier." I say, opening a portal.

 

When you get there, you're not wrong.
"Well, what did you expect? Merchant stalls double as housing. The back room is their home." Xephyr says, pointing out a merchant with robes on the racks. His shop sign says "OPEN" despite him being asleep.

Iruk goes through.
"What I'd like to do definitely needs to go out the window right now." He mumbles.

 

"Oh gods. I would like to leave now."

 

"He's not asleep, he only looks it. The shopkeeper deals with spirits. Can you see the souls of others?"

You feel your soul disturbed, but in an oddly understandable way.
"Welcome, human. It's good to see not all Brisin have fallen."

________________________________

@Rawb

In the distance, you notice what resembles one of your missing airships, flying in your general direction.

 

Terrae closes his journal and puts it back in his bag. He teleports closer to the missing airship.

 

This closer look shows that it's not one of the missing ones, but it definitely was sent after you. Once you teleport, it starts to descend.

 

A cleaner smell fills the air, contrasting the heated smells of what was once Brisingr. Dark halls fall either side of a large wooden doorway in a black palace.

"This way." I say, my footsteps silent as I walk toward the metallic looking elevator, jutting into a wall along the hallway. Passing Shadows bow in my presence, daring not to look at either Iruk or I.

 

Iruk scans the shadows as he passes, staying farther away from you than most guests.

 

The Shadows seem fair less equipped than I. Their black bodies are mostly covered in simple clothing, some holding mops to clean floors, others holding empty platters holding plates and glasses; presumably from guests of the palace. A Shadow barely sneaks a glance at Iruk before looking away quickly, an expression of fear on it's face.

I begin to turn the reflective crystalline dials in the elevator, some soothing music playing in it. The music seems quite ironic, considering the speed and mode of travel by the elevators in the palace.

 

Iruk turns hard, gazing straight at the shadow before joining you in the elevator.

 

The Shadow shakes with fear, bowing it's head to the ground.

"What was that all about?" I ask casually, still turning the dials.

 

"Bio curiosity." Iruk says, glancing back at the shadow once more.

 

The Shadow is still on the ground, shaking, amongst the other Shadows bowing in the hallway.

"If you wanted to go the the biological research lab, we could make a detour." I say, glancing at Iruk.

 

"Not my implications. I meant the bio was curious." Iruk says, tossing a small crystal outside the elevator.

 

I shrug.

"Most haven't seen robots of...your calibre, outside the lab." I say, trying to be respectful as I turn the centre dial, teleporting Iruk and I to a white room with an electronic door in it. A simple glowing keypad sits next to it. The room stinks of metal.

"Though, to be fair, most haven't really seen robots." I say, walking over the the keypad and inputting a code.

 

"I was taught to differentiate thoughts from words. Lowers my expectations." Iruk grumbles, eyeing the door oddly.

 

"Mmhmm." I say ignoringly. The doors slide open cleanly, and a strong smell of oil fills the air. Various Earth Guardians and Shadows pepper desks and workstations in a robotics lab, some using powerful tools or hammering metals, others sitting at computers writing out extensive code. Another metal door lies at the back of the room, a large, ominous red sign above it reading "EVE. STATUS: DEPLOYED.".