[Center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/t4t8crKt/Kaureerah.png[/img][img]https://i.postimg.cc/dV59HGJp/Leon-new.png[/img][img]https://i.postimg.cc/jjgf6zc3/Juulet-2.png[/img][h1][color=fff200]We're All Mad Down Here[/color][/h1][h3][color=fff200]Abyssal Forge Chapter 1 - The Fissured District[/color][/h3]
[hr][hr] [b][colour=fff200]Event:[/colour][/b] Abyssal Forge | [b][colour=fff200]Location:[/colour][/b] A Place Time Forgot | [b][colour=fff200]Including:[/colour][/b] Juulet [@YummyYummy] & Neki [@Force and Fury][hr][hr][/center]

[center][youtube]https://youtu.be/3WT7ja9rYRE[/youtube][/center]

[hider=A Cold Reunion]
The first trio awoke in a spacious room. It was warehouse-sized, in fact, it seemed to have been a warehouse at some point. Leon had been lying on the floor a good ten metres from the crate holding the talking box. A floor full of dust with no footprints surrounding him, as if he had just been dumped there. Kaureerah was in a broken tank surrounded by multiple layers of rust and other muck. 

The first thing Leon felt was absence. A dull, cold feeling in his chest told him that the magic he took such comfort in had fled him. He opened his eyes to find the surroundings as miserable as his state of being. He sat up with a labored groan and looked over to Juulet, only a faint smile could crack through.

Juulet was sitting before the crate, already awake though she seemed to be just coming to. Her digits were pressed on her forehead and temple. [color=8B008B]“Good morning, chickpeas.”[/color] she said with a groan, her voice gravelly from the excessive grogginess. She had already opened the capsule. [color=8B008B]“Careful, thing’s nasty.”[/color]

The lanterns were the only sources of light and left a portion of the building’s interior dimly lit. There were many pipes on the walls and ceilings, a few scaffoldings having rusted to nothing with only pieces of remaining in the form of protruding, jagged bars of rusted metal. 

There were no windows, but two giant holes in the wall gave a very clear view of the city. They were in some sort of industrial area with countless similar warehouses and an inordinate amount of giant fissures which tore the ground. The dim light in the clouded sky did little to illuminate more than the outline of these conspicuous features. 

The radio buzzed again.

[color=fff200]"Not my favourite wake-up. Your benefactors certainly have… interesting delivery methods."[/color] He called, his tone speaking of a familiarity to the Mad Avatar, a friendship? Slowly, he helped himself to his feet, scattering the dust around him and began walking over to Juulet. [color=fff200]"Is your magic kaput too?"[/color] A truly pathetic sputter of light emitted from his hand to emphasize the point, he winced somewhat at the effort.

[color=8B008B]“Yeah.”[/color] Juulet answered Leon and stayed seated by the crate, her spear leaned over her shoulder as her idle hand fidgeted with one-half of the opened capsule-egg.

He looked down for the egg-like capsule and noticed that two were laying there instead. He furrowed his brow and checked to confirm that Juulet already had hers. [color=fff200][i]Chickpeas.[/i][/color] He knelt down and pick up the remaining two capsules in either hand then looked around. There was someone else here who had escaped his notice.

[center][youtube]https://youtu.be/AicztQ69Uy8?si=AhGK67ApUeh783Or&t=12[/youtube][/center]

That didn't last for long. [color=FF4500]"Rub-a-dub-dub,"[/color] came a voice from the direction of what had been... perhaps an industrial vat at some point, [color=FF4500]"three schlubs in a tub, and who do yoo theenk they bee?"[/color] A pale arm draped over the edge of the awful basin and the tatters of a curtain pulled back. [color=FF4500]"It's stumpy, a fish-bitch, and a sparkly sun boy, and equally fucked, all three!"[/color]

Kaureerah's hair hung like long threadbare black curtains down the sides of her face, over her shoulders, and over the edge of the vat. She seemed to be scrubbing with invisible water as she hummed. With a single languidly smooth motion, she heaved herself from the basin and took an exaggerated step out. [color=FF4500]"Hola, compadres,"[/color] she cooed, with a twinkle-fingered wave and a little pose. She seemed somewhat... unsteady. She glanced around their surroundings and nodded, businesslike. [color=FF4500]"Dunno if it'll be the next beeg theeng in toorism,"[/color] she thought aloud, framing a landscape picture through one of the holes in the wall and making a little clicking sound with her tongue. [color=FF4500]"Joory's steell out."[/color] 

The eeaiko spun abruptly on her heel. [color=FF4500]"Unless yoo two know sometheeng feesh-girl dausn't."[/color] She pursed her lips, tilting her head as she wandered in their general direction. [color=FF4500]"Actoolly, Neki don' care,"[/color] she blurted as she came to a stop in front of Leon, hand outstretched. [color=FF4500]"Hit me with the mediceene, doc. Give eet too me straight. How long have I got?"[/color]

[color=8B008B]“Although ...”[/color] Juulet continued to address Leon. The stumpy-Yasoi wiggled her finger and pointed toward a weathered bucket nearby. With visible strain, she was able to lift it, only to toss it toward the one that had addressed her as 'stumpy'. She missed, terribly, with the throw barely strong enough to go a few meters away. [color=8B008B]“The pill helps.”[/color]

The longer they went without taking the pick-me-up, the more the ants were getting intense on their limbs. Not enough to be debilitating, but it threatened an outcome just like the last memory they've had before ending up here. [color=8B008B]“I know just as much as you do, fucko.”[/color] a dull stare was shot the fish's way. [color=8B008B]“Big question is, why're YOU here?”[/color] she leaned closer, eyes narrowed into an intense squint.

The eeaiko's hand darted forward and snatched the pill from Leon's palm. She crammed it into her mouth and swallowed it. [color=FF4500]"Thanks, beeg guy,"[/color] she chirped. [color=FF4500]"Always there too lend e hand!"[/color] She shivered with... was it delight or something else? [color=FF4500]"Was just starting too teengle reelly nice, too."[/color]

Kaureerah waited a good few seconds before responding to Juulet. [color=FF4500]"Yoo are e very bed liar."[/color] She grinned and looked at the yasoi almost... fondly. [color=FF4500]"But Neki's sure yoo got other talents. She's so proud she just wanna peench your lil' cheeks."[/color] The eeaiko stopped just out of arms' reach and leaned forward, as if to pat Juulet on the top of the head. [color=FF4500]"Neki's here because she's a fucking eedeeot, just like [i]you[/i] or..."[/color] She pivoted, in that same abrupt manner, to regard Leon, [color=FF4500]"Well, at least [i]him[/i]."[/color] Her voice was about as condescendingly earnest as she could make it, until her smile fell away and she shrugged. [color=FF4500]"Reelly, she was joost curious."[/color]

It was all so sudden that the performer froze like a deer in the headlights, stage fright. Almost every time he had been surprised by the girl's appearance, he had smiled widely and honestly. It wasn't the case now. He lingered in the moment just watching with his arms to his sides, hands barely clinging to the capsule. It took very little for the eeaiko to snatch the pill out of his hand.

What played at him more? The guilt that he had been caught showing an alliance with Juulet, the happiness of seeing Kaureerah again after months of travelling the continents, or the pain that he knew something was wrong with her, very wrong. 

He had seen it before, Dory coming back from the Lorenthine Queen with her soul wrenched from her being. The missions of Ersand'Enise were nothing more than a means to enhance the strong and bury those who didn't grasp the pinnacle. He had hoped Kaureerah would be fine. But through all the theatrics, or perhaps because of them, he knew she wasn't. His fingers went loose on his capsule and dropped it still in some disbelief, he stumbled the first few steps, then he went to hug her.

Neki let him put his arms around her. She was more focused on the capsule. It would be a shame to let a thing fall and be broken when it still had a purpose to serve. That purpose, supposedly, was to protect them, or so the voice of another person - a queer-sounding voice - had announced. Did she trust that voice? Well, it didn't much matter. Its bearer knew what was happening to them while she didn't, that told her that he was more powerful. There was no point fighting the powerful, but she was too proud to snivel, so she would simply be pushed along until she found something objectionable.

Leon was not objectionable. He was a boy she had slept with, but she'd slept with many boys, in truth. His open arms suggested that he cared about her but, really, he cared more about allaying his emotional anguish. [color=FF4500]"Aulright, beeg guy,"[/color] she mumbled, rolling her eyes, [color=FF4500]"Let's keep thees professional. There's saumone else wautcheng, after aull."[/color] Was there, though, or was that third party in cahoots with Leon and Juulet? She knew what she'd heard. She didn't care to hear more. They would do what they would do. She would do what she would do. Maybe she would die. Maybe she could kill Juulet. No, someone like that had fifty layers of protection against any deliberate effort that Neki would be capable of.

Juulet was a downright voyeur in this reunion. In fact, she sarcastically commented. [color=8B008B]“Oh, don't mind me, love. I'm into it.”[/color] with a shit-eating smirk on her face. She absorbed every little bit of body language these two were expressing - one more tender, the other reminding her of a girl with an increasing ick-factor. The yasoi had already concluded that they'd had at least a fling.

Neki managed to save the pill and let it down gently. She mumbled once more into Leon's shoulder. [color=FF4500]"Did you want it delivered up the other end instead?"[/color]

The final comment from the fish-girl confirmed it, in a way, along with prompting a loud snort from Juulet. [color=8B008B]“Fuckin' prats.”[/color] she mumbled too, her Enthish coming out a little.

It wasn't right. What he had sought warmth in had rung so hollow. Who was this woman he had in his arms? Was it still the Kaureerah who loved him or someone else just wearing her face? The thought tore at him like he had never experienced before.

Raising his head, he was once more reminded of Juulet's presence. He had rushed to action from emotion and he knew the Mad Avatar would be taking notes. Perhaps it was best to keep it professional, he needed to forget about it all, there were bigger things at play.

There was a visible shift in Leon's posture. Despite the ants growing more vicious at his neglect of the pill, he stood more confidently. He released the hug and plucked the pill from Neki's hand, swallowing it. [color=fff200]"Maybe next time. We have to keep it [i]professional[/i] after all."[/color] He gave an undoubtedly performative wink and smile before turning his attention away to Juulet.

The Mad Avatar’s violet eyes left the strange display and turned to the box again, Leon joined her in that. First, she poked it. Nothing. [color=8B008B]“Do you think it can hear us?”[/color]

[b][color=#5875b0]“Bzzzzt. I can, in fact, hear you. I can even see you. To an extent.”[/color][/b]

Juulet just flinched and nearly fell back. [color=8B008B]“Fuck!”[/color] her crutch had fallen on her stomach too. She took a little bit to gather herself, with her magic being far less than what she was used to.

A speaking box was strange, one that you could talk back even more so. But Leon had seen plenty of stranger things since Ersand'Enise. This wasn't too hard to accept, even if he had no chance of understanding [i]how[/i] it worked.

He took his turn to speak. [color=fff200]"And what do you call yourself, talking box?"[/color]

[b][color=#5875b0]“Don Cojones will do.”[/color][/b]

Juulet scowled. [color=8B008B]“You're alive?! You fuckin' rat.”[/color] she was quick to get back up and seemed about ready to smash the box with her crutch. [color=8B008B]“I'm not gonna get fucked over by some wannabe collector testicle man.”[/color]

[b][color=#5875b0]“All of you sought the Forge, I provided a means of entering with relative safety. You would all be dead if it weren't for all these preparations I've put in place. Legends of history stood no chance, neither would you. Until now.”[/color][/b]

Yvain's voice rang through the box. [b][color=00e600]"May I assume that these boxes are connected to each other? If so, how many are there?"[/color][/b]

[color=fff200]"Yvain!? They put you in this box too!?"[/color]

[b][color=00e600]"From where I'm standing you are the one inside the box, in fact."[/color]

[color=#5875b0]“You are split into three groups with a communication device for each. You will find another one at the Fountain Square - Your next destination. There are older models spread throughout the city from previous endeavors.”[/color]

[color=#5875b0]“The capsules you've opened will allow you to capture a frequency should you be within a certain range of a radio. This is contingent on the device's condition, of course.”[/color]

[color=#5875b0]“Limit your exchanges to relevant and useful information.”[/color][/b]

Whoever was speaking through that sirrahi-tech box wanted to be acknowledged. He wanted them to ask him questions. Neki smiled, listening to others - presumably in different locations - give him their trust, even if grudgingly, and give him more power.

Seviin spoke. [b][color=F0FFF0]"I trust that you will help us, but what is it that you want us to do? What do you consider a victory?"[/color]

[color=#5875b0]“Immediately to the point that truly matters. Good.”[/color]

[color=#5875b0]“Our "Victory" is gaining access to the Abyssal Forge. To do so, the gates of the tower must be opened. Instructions regarding that will be given once you've reached the Fountain Square. That is what I want you to do. I have placed you all near the main arteries of this dead city, all of which should lead you to your first destination. Do not waste too much time. When even death has abandoned this place, you would do well to avoid what can possibly be lurking in the fog.”[/color]

[color=pink]"Why the wild goose hunt, Mr Shithead Voice? If you can be placing us in random spot in this shitpile city, why not just go yourself? You are lazy fat man?"[/color][/b]

Leon chuckled lightly at the radio, he couldn't mistake that voice for anyone else. Hearing Yvain and Yuli over the radio helped the tension in his shoulders. 

Then, Yuli spoke and, from the eeaiko came a high-pitched giggle. [color=FF4500]"Good too heer you heer, blaundee,"[/color] she called out. [color=FF4500]"Well, maybe bad seence this is an auful place, but we should try to meet soon."[/color]

With that, Neki spun on a heel and began to search for a way out. [color=FF4500]"There's e place wee're supposed too go, eesn't there?"[/color]

Juulet calmed herself when she heard other voices, especially as she heard Seviin's. A Tarlonese, here? This was going to make things difficult. Their goal was clearly established and the fish was having the right idea in spite of her spastic behaviour. [color=8B008B]“I saw a few rounds out there.”[/color] she gestured her crutch toward the big hole on the wall. 

[b][color=#5875b0]“Entry into the Forge is far too demanding and contrived of a task to be performed by one individual. Especially with the noxious air you are all feeling right now. Even someone as prepared as I am cannot withstand its effects for long. Neither the Ironshaper nor the Pharaoh of Zaqhoria succeeded in pushing through, I'm not foolish enough to see myself as any more competent. What I do have, however, is centuries of accumulated knowledge and the culmination of years of preparation. And you will be assisting me.”[/color][/b]

[color=8B008B]“Wait.”[/color] she ordered, her demeanour stiffer and her violet glare focused on the box. [color=8B008B]“What's the real deal? You've got pills for the 'air'. What kind of shit can make a fucko like you so pussified as to make [i]me[/i] hop through it instead.”[/color]

[b][color=#5875b0]“The pills are a means to keep you alive, and to keep you in line.”[/color][/b]

While the chatter continued to come through the box, Leon fetched a lantern. He normally wouldn't miss the chance to light up the place on his own, but he felt he would need every bit of energy he was gathering. It was pouring into him with surprising ease, faster than normal actually.

Turning his attention elsewhere, he noticed a small, smooth-looking string stretching out from behind the talking box. He followed it along to a nearby the string was protruding from.

[b][color=#5875b0]“Ghosts wander the streets and take all lives they cross paths with. Those unable to move on scour the shadows to add more to their ranks. And the very fog itself corrupts both mind and body. Stay prudent, for the sake of your colleagu-”[/color][/b]

The radio suddenly cut out with a sharp noise. A surprised-looking Leon could be seen squatted some distance away with the loose string in his hand. He rushed to shove it back into the wall and restore the box's mystical powers.

[color=fff200]"I agree with [i]Neki[/i]."[/color] He addressed the others with a calm smile. [color=fff200]"We have a place to be and I'm not sure these pills will last us forever. We should be off."[/color] 

He stood and walked back to Juulet, he considered her situation. She had depended on magic for much of her mobility, but her frail form without it seemed... ill-equipped. [color=fff200]"There's no harm in asking for help if you need it."[/color] He spoke in a quieter voice but not a secretive one. [color=fff200]"The ground seems uneven and the air doesn't seem made for [i]dancing[/i]."[/color]

Juulet turned her head toward Leon and stared at him. Not a glare, but it was intense. Wide eyes, the usual crazy in them, and a clear sentiment of 'Don't do that again' oozing out of them. [color=8B008B]“Keep an eye on your spazzoid of a friend instead of me. It may save both our skins.”[/color] her eyes began shifting back to the radio.

Leon held her gaze. The glares of intimidation felt lesser when the threat of immediate harm didn't back them. At this moment, she wasn't a god looking to smite down those who gave her mockery, she was a moody teenager upset about teasing. And he was sick of it. He was sick of his attempts at kindness being met with ice from those around him.

[color=fff200]"Once we get out of here and magic is working fine, the shoe will be back on the other foot and you can do whatever you wish under Dami's light."[/color] He tried to deliver it in a friendly tone, but the truth bled through and his annoyance was unmistakable. [color=fff200]"Until that time, when you need help, you ask. We help each other."[/color] The final words were definitive and conclusive. 

He was met with a petulant snarl. One lacking bite. Although those crutches seemed pretty solid. No witty retort, or even one of pure pettiness. Just grumbling. Something about respect and fucko's.

He didn't linger on her too much after that. He spun on his heel to join Kaureerah at the warehouse exit.

Juulet’s moodiness was shifted once she heard familiar voices draw and not-so-good news drawing her back to the radio.

[b][color=00e600]"Could I ask what is meant by keeping us in line?"[/color]

[color=#5875b0]“Firstly, it keeps you alive in this city. You can wield some of your magic and will not keel over after prolonged exposure. Secondly, you are now bound to one another. Should one of you die, one or more of you will perish as well. Murder will be met with your numbers halved as punishment. I apologize for these cruel circumstances, but experience has taught me that the carrot is not enough as an incentive. Attempt to leave and you will meet the same fate.”[/color]

[color=slateblue]"Can such a convenient magic really exist? Even a humble merchant like myself can alter their voice, make shit up as they go, and claim to hold all the cards.

If you want us to believe in your expertise and sincerity, how about offering up some [i]practical[/i] advice: how to protect ourselves against these 'ghosts' of yours? And this mysterious fog? Show some goodwill, and maybe we'll act favorably."[/color]

[color=#5875b0]“In a world where men believing themselves as Gods utilize magic to reverse the inevitable and forge weapons capable of miracles, you find these seeds to be of a far-fetched nature? Interesting. You are free to test whether I tell the truth or not. You would not be the first.”[/color]

[color=#5875b0]“Acting favorably is your only play. A humble merchant with no leverage other than potentially wasting yet another attempt is one that should know her place. That being said, your requests are sound. Ghosts are territorial and will seldom ever leave their territory. If you do encounter one, hiding and retreat are your best approaches. The fog, on the other hand, may sometimes be unavoidable. Without access to your full capacity, you will not be able to clear the clouds long enough before they close in on you. If you have an alternate path you can take, do it. If not, then push through it as fast as possible.”[/color][/b]

Juulet chuckled mockingly. [color=8B008B]“Whoever cooked up this fucko squad is a real piece of work.”[/color] with an exasperated sigh, she engaged her entire body to try and stand. It was a difficult endeavour, but with her crutch on one hand and spear on the other, she managed to hop herself in semi-balance. [color=8B008B]“Let's just get to that fuckin' fountain. I'm already done with this shithole.”[/color]

Neki was standing in the doorway, whistling a little tune, but she stopped for a moment as Leon approached. Consciously, she started back up again, spun on a heel, and marched out in the lead. [color=FF4500]"I take first foor en haur, and then sun booy and then haupper."[/color] She glanced over her shoulder at the two of them, both untrusting and unbothered. [color=FF4500]"Time too eether die oor naut!"[/color]

It wasn't as if she hadn't heard everything. She just couldn't care about it. People who cared got hurt, like Leon. Like Juulet. Neki was stronger than either of them.

Leon looked at her as she stopped her whistling and wanted to ask what was wrong, but he was afraid of what the answer might be. It was better to leave it.

For whatever reason, her commanding the marching order made him chuckle. It was the type of thing she would say back in the Trials. The dour surroundings gave it grim context, but it still rang the echoes of a desperately sought familiarity. He smiled while getting in line behind her. [color=fff200]"Take the lead, captain."[/color]

[/hider]


[hider=The Headless]
Kaureerah was at the head of this row of errant and lost ducklings. Juulet, in spite of her mightiest of efforts, consistently lagged behind. Not enough magic to carry herself, and spaghetti arms that had only ever been solicited with a healthy enhancement of flames or pure kinetic energy. The lantern she had hanging on her crutch didn't make balancing that much easier. Before long, she would already be huffing and puffing, needing to pace herself a little too often. [color=8B008B]“Hey now,”[/color] she said after a long inhale. [color=8B008B]“It's not like we've got a timer or anything.”[/color]

The main artery the radio spoke of was the road adjacent to the rotted metal fencing that delineated the long-dead factory's property. The road was made of some sort of stone, smooth if abundantly fissured. Many large and derelict buildings decorated the path they were to follow, most of which collapsed or mere ruins. They lucky to have avoided fog, but their luck could only go so far. As they moved further, they found themselves encountering more and more deep trenches. Big crevices in the road, some twice the width of it, though so far they always had some road to work with. Another thing they'd notice was the heavily rusted chassis, mostly on the side of the road. All had holes leading to the rotten insides that seemed to once have had seats, though they seemed a little small for them. They could even find a couple of wheels here and there, made of a rubbery substance. 

Leon didn't seem as shocked by the surroundings as the others. He glanced at the city now set to ruinous decay, but his eyes simply rested and went to the next sight. It wasn't a familiarity to this place; it was an acceptance in the lack-there-of. He didn't understand it and he didn't put the stress of excessive theorising on his mind. His companions had already taken all the concern he had to give.

The performer was caught between the two women going at starkly different paces. Kaureerah was making headway with a steady and exaggeratedly adventurous march. Juulet, unsurprisingly, was struggling on the rough terrain without magics to aid her. Leon was torn between making sure the Mad Avatar didn't stumble into falling behind and keeping an eye on Kaureerah so she didn't charge ahead out of sight.

After a while, the hopping Juulet did find a pace that suited her, although it forced others to slow down. From there, she whistled to detract from the ominous sounds of the wind and the deafening silence of the dead city. [color=8B008B]“What do you think happened to this place?”[/color] she asked idly, her violet eyes taking in the unusually blocky architecture. The Hegelan inspiration became clearer as they progressed with what looked to be shops still in one, dusty piece. [color=8B008B]“I mean, I guess time does a thing, but what's with those big cracks? Kinda makes you wonder what'd do this.”[/color]

[color=fff200]"I can't say I made a habit of stopping by many ruinous wastelands in my travels."[/color] For the first time, he looked at the deep trenches to figure out their maker. [color=fff200]"Seems like the result of an impact. One that probably shook the world when it happened... That or a big snake."[/color]

[color=8B008B]“Or a pretty avatar, like yours truly.”[/color] Juulet flicked her hair in one suave motion. [color=8B008B]“I already hate this place. I was expecting, y'know, big bad ghoulies and making some cool ass plan with you.”[/color] Just as she said that, her crutch had hit a pebble, causing the mildest of annoyances which received a disproportionate amount of frustration and grunting. [color=8B008B]“Raaahhh! Instead I get hopping duty. Fuuuuuck.”[/color]

She was absorbed in her chattering and complaining. So much so that she'd be completely oblivious to the writings on the wall. Both Neki and Leon had taken notice that they were not alone. 

For Neki it was something shifting in what used to be windows of the buildings they passed by, like shadows at the corner of her eyes. Except each time she focused, there was nothing and her drawing range was considerably reduced by the noxious air. All of it could be dismissed as paranoia or the stagnant winds. Until a deliberate sound of metal clanging was heard to her right. Something light had hit something, maybe a can had fallen. Dismissing it as a coincidence came with its challenges, however. Of all the times in the past centuries that something could have dropped dozens of meters away so happened to do so when they passed by? 

She had tried to be nonchalant. Perhaps, if she simply believed in some divine destiny or ordination, as the others seemed to do, she might have a modicum of their power. She could've sworn it had worked before, until the island. Idly, as the shadows in windows and the alarming noises added up, she tried to draw, to have some form of magic. 

She did not see the lichens on the bare freezing ground. 

Leon, on the other hand, saw something. Not at first, it was the sort of silhouette that easily blended in the darkness and murky air. On the roof of a collapsed building was the form of a person; a big one. A mere shadow hidden in very thin fog and the darkness of the city. The dim lighting from the unrecognizable sky was to thank for this clue. The form just stood there, up high and unreachable to these once near-demigods. With smart use of luminescence, despite the capacity limit, he could discern more details: It had hands, palms facing back with the fingers spread. The shoulders were very broad and overall seemed burly. The large thing on the roof was trained toward their general direction. Minor details, of course, to the unsettling realization the sunblessed was about to make.

It had no head.

It had no head and yet its gaze pierced him nonetheless. In that moment he froze in fear. Its form felt surreal. From this distance, he didn't know if it held a tangible spot in reality or just a formless entity projecting an image.

A word manifested in his mind. It was unknown to him. Zoinks. Perhaps it was a useful word of an ancient dialect, but he knew not if it was a word of protection or a lure to other evil spirits. He better not say it.

The [i]thing[/i] was too far away to hit and he didn't much want to linger around for others like it to catch up. They needed to make pace and make pace fast. But Juulet's fumbling was going to be an issue. Leon turned his back to the Mad Avatar and stretched out his arms. He was offering her a piggyback ride. [color=fff200]"Hop on, quick! We can make a 'cool ass plan' while we run. For now, put all your energy into keeping that thing away from us."[/color]

Neki didn't sight it at first. She saw Leon went for Juulet and... [color=FF4500]"Heh!"[/color] Neki laughed, incongruously. [color=FF4500]"Hop on!"[/color] She ran, though. She wasn't sure where, but she ran with the two of them. Those two, and her. Heh, it was fitting. Juulet needed the help, after all.

[color=8B008B]“The fuck are you on about, jexoff?”[/color] utterly unimpressed, Juulet grimaced at the idea. Surely they were just making fun of her at this point. She had half a mind to smack this mistake of an invitee with the flat-side of her spear's blade right where her lantern dangled. With the light shifting about, she eventually moved her gaze to not be blinded by the thing, only to see it too. The Mad Avatar shook her head, hoping to wake up from what she had been seeing.

[color=8B008B]“What. The. FUCK?!”[/color] she shouted, her voice echoing effortlessly throughout the region. With no hesitation, she hopped on. A bit of a mess for Leon with what she was carrying. Her crutch that stuck out would occasionally smack his hip at their brisk pace. A small fireball was produced and her purple eyes locked onto the silhouette. Tongue bit down and intensely focused, she readied herself, only to slowly lower her not-so-terrifying fall of flame and extinguishing it. [color=8B008B]“It's not really doing anything. I'm nooooot taunting that fucko.”[/color]

[color=fff200]"What do you mean it's not doing anything? It doesn't have a head!"[/color]

Neki had been stealing glances at the headless thing. It shouldn't have... [i]been[/i]. It should have terrified her. The thing was that... at best, it unnerved her. She'd seen grand demons in the flesh: beings of pure malevolence, greed, and power that had wanted her dead. She'd watched a knower titan tear through the fabric of reality and consume the very sky overhead: something so clearly alien to life itself and so unfathomably immense that she could not have even [i]conceived[/i] of harming it. She had watched Ren Baykara, a person, just like her, do whatever he wanted because nobody there could harm him, and so everyone present, instead of banding together to put a stop to his vicious evil, instead of using their allies present to destroy his ship, had simply bowed their heads meekly to his power. That had been, perhaps, the most frightening thing of all.

What drove her to run now was animal instinct: 'something that I don't understand and that reminds me of death is too close to me, and in a scary dead place'. Neki would always be a slave to that, but she would understand what [i]kind[/i] of fear it was and recognize it. 

The dash wasn't for long, however. The biggest fissure yet existed as a near-perfect obstacle for them. Far too wide to jump, and the other side elevated into a plateau. It wasn't just wide but also long. It stretched into several buildings and walls of the dangerous fog the radio had described. There was a silver lining, one convenient enough to look suspicious. Perhaps even a trap. A collapsed building, or rather half of it, bridged the two ends. Most of its insides had likely fallen into the deep abyss below, leaving only a labyrinth-like passage to push through if they wished to ascend to the other side.

[color=8B008B]“Fuck.”[/color]

The performer dared to look back to check on the pursuing ghoul. It hadn't moved... [color=fff200]"Oh."[/color] He felt a twinge of embarrassment at the overreaction and chuckled in relief as he slowly let Juulet down. How was he supposed to know the thing would just stand there?

He saw the sole path ahead and looked for any other options to avoid it, but there weren't any. [color=fff200]"What's the plan, Captain?"[/color] He asked Kaureerah with a smile.

Still 'good guy Leon', but he was in cahoots with Juulet. He was lying. He [i]liked[/i] Juulet. Well, it was no sweat off of Neki's back. They were probably good for each other. That woman was a chaos marble. She might force the sun to orbit [i]her[/i] instead, and it might be good for him. [color=FF4500]"Maybe wee staup raunning like frightened animools,"[/color] she replied, skidding to a stop. [color=FF4500]"It moves, [i]we[/i] move."[/color] She forced herself to look in its direction, though it was not close anymore. [color=FF4500]"Eef there is one, there aur praubably authers."[/color]

Juulet wiggled herself off her steed and brushed herself off, supported by Leon for balance. [color=8B008B]“Sure, we can stop running, but we aren't stopping either.”[/color] she peered over to the flimsy excuse for a bridge, their only means to follow the path. [color=8B008B]“The shitty path or the spooky fog.”[/color] she didn't need long to decide, especially after giving a look back. The shape of that thing, static and still looming over them from afar gave her visible heeby-jeebies. Without hesitation, she used the bit of magic she could to fasten herself onto the flat surface of the collapsed building and crawled onto. It was a not-so-steep slope, but one she wasn't going to be taking chances with. [color=8B008B]“The faster we get to that fuckin' fountain, the quicker I can find a way to send that shitter to Eshiran's funroom.”[/color] driven by frustration, she climbed with great vigour.

[color=FF4500]"Thet place is e deathtrep and we should be petient,"[/color] Kaureerah observed with a shrug, but she didn't resist. [color=FF4500]"Looks like wee heve e new ceptain now."[/color] She began to follow.

[color=fff200]"We need to keep moving. We got away from that thing, but I don't want be here long than I need to. Not to mention finding a meal around this place."[/color]

He began to follow in behind Juulet and next to Kaureerah. [color=fff200]"You could hold my hand if you're scared."[/color] He quipped to the songstress. [color=fff200]"On a professional basis, of course, I don't want to lose my captain."[/color] It was a mix of jests and sincerity, testing the waters of a struggling flame.

Juulet led the way and was quite fast when crawling. Dilapidated walls had to be bypassed through oddly angled door frames or by breaking through big cracks with the little magic she could conjure up. [color=8B008B]“You two lovebirds keeping up?”[/color] she didn't confer them a glance, but she was smirking at the cacophony mixed signals the fish was giving to the excessively stressed sun-man. 

[color=8B008B]“Oi, Leon, fishy, did you s-”[/color] 

There was no sound beyond their own, whether it was their voices or the occasional creaking from their ascent through the makeshift bridge. Only the frigid wind. And yet, the moment they had taken their eyes off their stalker, it was gone. The darkness, murky fog and reduced sensing range made it nearly impossible to predict something would crash into the very middle of the toppled building. It was heavy, came with a boom and inevitably the integrity of their flimsy means of ascension was severely compromised. Massive cracks formed with pieces on the extremities already falling into the pitch-black crevice below.

There was an enormous cloud of dust that hid, in an almost cliché way, the new arrival. At first, it was a normal occurrence during the aftershock, but then the winds persisted in keeping the whole bridge swallowed in an orb of dust. They could make out a silhouette quite easily, however. Big, at least eight feet in height, and without a head.

Juulet was coughing up a lung. Her crutch armed with the lantern had fallen somewhere, leaving only her sheathed spear as a backup. [color=8B008B]“T-”[/color] she pumped her fist against her chest when a big cough came. [color=8B008B]“The fuck?!”[/color] the monster stood between her and the other two, as she had gone ahead and rushed in a bout of frustration over the climb. She was scared. Her magic wasn't strong enough to quickly tug her weapon out, therefore leaving her with the only option of panicking and trying to grab it with her hand. No longer was she securely fastened. [color=8B008B]“N-no ...! Fuck off!”[/color]

The whole structure was shaking and ripping apart. It wasn't going to hold for long, especially with the extra weight of their assailant. It didn't act just yet, but it was there for them.

Kaureerah was right, if it wasn't a death trap before it was now. But what choice did they have? It was risk the death trap or stay behind and accept their certain ends, right? A dread filled Leon's stomach as he realised they couldn't simply go back to the entrance. They needed to find their way around this creature, fend off its attacks, and make it to the other end, all before the bridge collapsed.

[color=fff200]"Kauree- or, Neki, we can try to sneak around. If we get seen, I'll draw its attention and I'll join you later, okay?"[/color] He spoke with shaky confidence. He wanted to believe they would be fine and tell her she had nothing to worry about. His heart couldn't trick his brain this time.

Kaureerah didn't wait. In her mind's eye, she pictured it: An enormous tangle of vines holding the collapsing building together. They were vines that she - and Leon, for he was always in her head, still - could cross. They would block the headless monstrosity from harming them. [color=FF4500]"Yoo will naut die stupidly, Sun Booy."[/color]

She just ran as if they would be there. It had worked something like that before. She had thought a thing and it had happened. It wasn't magic, not as she knew it. It had worked, though, in that nightmare that had been Kiluaho. It had worked once. It had worked before that in the Trials, and in ReTan. It would work again because, quite frankly, it [i]had[/i] to. 

She paid little attention to Juulet, for either good or ill. That was what she told herself. [color=FF4500]"Faullow me."[/color]

[color=fff200]"Okay."[/color] Leon gave a simple nod of affirmation.

She was running for a cliff edge and he didn't know if the call to follow her was one made on certainty or a madwoman running to her demise. Either way, there was no chance he was going to sit back and watch her do it. He followed close behind.

Vines created a barrier between the static monster and the duo on one side of the bridge. They made their own passage while solidifying the severely compromised building. This left Juulet on the wrong side. The smokescreen made her realize her position later than the others, but she could still sense energy in spite of her limited range. [color=8B008B]“Oh fuck no, poca motherfuckers, help ME!”[/color] she impulsively screeched at the duo trying to overtake the monster. [color=8B008B]“Get it AWAY from the crippled girl, OI!”[/color]

The headless awakened, or just decided to move. Like Juulet, it could tell what obstacles were near it and opted for the easiest mark: A legless Yasoi with limited magic. The loud one. 

The Mad Avatar, now as imposing as a regular human, gulped. It felt like the Trials all over again. A feeling she NEVER wanted to experience again. And yet here she was. Fear became indignation pushed to a rage that could permanently damage the atmosphere - if she had her magic, anyway. Spear drawn, she held it with both hands and lunged with all the might her thin leg could muster.

It didn't even bother to dodge. The spear impaled it and predictably, it didn't do much of anything. [color=8B008B]“No way, screeeeew you.”[/color] annoyed by the obvious outcome. In a way, it made her fury tick down in favor of admiring the ridiculousness of her situation. A second later, she found herself slapped across the face, hard enough to propel her back. Her grip was enough to yank the weapon off the unknown monstrosity, though the momentum had the thing fling off her grasp and into the deep maw below. Juulet lay on her side, just by the edge. 

Her bloodied face looked up at her assailant, vision blurry from the strike. [color=8B008B]“Yash duul spax ...”[/color] its imposing footsteps that shook the foundation of the makeshift bridge had stopped a few feet away. Its arm readied, mangled digits - there were five, like any other human, but were proportionally huge - and lunged for the mostly immobilized girl.

There was, for a moment, a hitch of hesitation in Neki's steps. There was. She felt... as if this was not how she should've done this. There was another woman - young and helpless and crying out against a monster. [color=FF4500]"Leaun..."[/color] she began.

But this was the Mad Avatar: who had taken and would take life at a whim. This was a monster in its own right - one that was sinking its claws into Leon - stripped of its power and vulnerable. [color=FF4500]"leave her too mee. I heve moor magic than yoo right now."[/color] Was Juulet really vulnerable, though? Was someone of her ilk ever [i]truly[/i] vulnerable? The universe almost always said 'no', in the end. She wouldn't die. Those like her never did.

Neki would make sure of it.

The shoe was on the other foot now, Kaureerah was the stronger mage, the vines told him that. But Leon hesitated at the request. Did she really want to help Juulet? He wanted to trust her, but he equally trusted people's desires to see the Mad Avatar dead. That would be bad for multiple reasons.

[color=fff200]"No, we're together in this. I'll back you up."[/color] Much like the Trials before, he didn't mind playing second fiddle to the songstress.

The monster closed in on Juulet, reaching, lunging for her. Simultaneously, vines twisted towards the Mad Avatar, curling up and around, rearing back, and...

They paused.

Neki paused.

She twisted to regard Leon. [color=FF4500]"Leeaun,"[/color] she remarked without preamble, [color=FF4500]"what heve yoo two agreed aun toogether?"[/color]

There was a panicked look to Juulet and one returning back. [color=fff200]"She saved my life, Kaureerah."[/color] Shame coloured his tone. [color=fff200]"There's a time for talking, I'll explain everything. But it isn't now!"[/color]

He wanted to save Juulet from her predicament. He wasn't about to stop Kaureerah by force, his next best option was to stop the monster. With limited options, he sent a small flare of light over. Despite the monster's lack of eyes, he hoped it still depended on vision and could be distracted. Was it desperate? Yes. But what choice did he have?

In the midst of chatter, Juulet had been seized by the headless monstrosity. Its form was still a shadow within smoke and dust to those outside, but the Yasoi finally got a glimpse of its true form. She couldn't speak, as much as she wanted to, and any punch or kick she sent its way was promptly ignored, just like the flash of light conjured by Leon.

It squeezed, slowly draining the life out of her. In turn, she desperately drew. The foundation they all stood on continued to crack despite the addition of plant life to the ancient stone.

[color=FF4500]"Sounds like saum naun-answer boolshit too mee,"[/color] came Neki's sighed response. [color=FF4500]"Yoo're welcaum, by the wey."[/color] With that, the vines snapped forward, shoving both the monstrosity and its captive into the yawning abyss below. 

Leon's eyes widened and his stomach dropped. There was a sputtering attempt to call Juulet's name and his arm reached out. But, unless he wanted to jump off the cliff too, he had no ability to save her.

The Sun King, the one who would usher a bright new dawn upon Sipenta, watched helplessly. His gaze just stayed there for a while, not paying a glance at Neki.

[color=FF4500]"Oh, doon't woorry soo mauch, Mr. Saun,"[/color] Neki responded into the silence. [color=FF4500]"People like her aulweys heve e wey aut."[/color] She shook her head, pursed her lips, and spun on her heel. Presently, she began moving. Maybe he would follow, maybe he would not.
[/hider]


[hr][hr]