Domitorem Corvo

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Blackout
West Point
Rider stops. She is surprised and stammers a bit.
"The Father? Are you sure?" Rider muses deeply for a long moment. "He's never taken anyone before. Who, exactly, are you?" Rider eyes the four suspicious. She chomps another piece of bacon and takes a swig from her canteen. Just then a hole in space/time tears open. A fountain of blood erupts forth and barely clothed men come spilling out. They are intoxicated and seem to not have bathed for quite some time. With the mixture of blood and unclean bodies the air is suddenly filled with a pungent and sickening stench. The barbarians charge the small camp en masse. At least twenty with even more spilling out every second.

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Blackout
West Point
Rider narrows her eyes.
"Comrades? You said you were here looking for you man. You said nothing of comrades." Rider clicks her tongue a few times. "No one has entered these lands in the past few days, save for some merchants. Who, if you don't mind me asking, took him?" Rider takes a good look at Ghaul. "Does that one not have any clothes?"

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Blackout
West Point
Rider looks at Sia with an annoyed kinda stare. She doesn't like sharing food. At least not with strangers.
"The hell is your problem? If you're hungry I don't mind sharing a slice or two but at least ask first." She shakes her head in disapproval. "Now cut the shit. Which one of you blew up the moon? And which one put it back? I'm not an idiot. Moon blows up then some strange Offworlders show up in a spatial distortion in my lands." She looks directly at Sia. "You're cute, but it's obvious you're hiding something."

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Blackout
West Point
Rider pokes at some bacon and eggs in a pan while waiting. She produces a small tin full of self rolled tobacco. As Sia, Blaze, and Flame exit the pocket Rider takes one and lights it on the camp fire.
"I am her. I don't like questions. Like money. And love a good fight. And you are apparently into some weird shit." Rider says looking at the giant fox and foxgirl behind Sia. Her cigarette bounces between her lips as she speaks. Chron sniffs towards the pocket where Ghual still remains. Ryder takes note and shifts uneasily. "How long does it take to put clothes back on? Or are you the only ones joining me?" Rider takes a drag, stabs a cut of bacon with her knife, chomps into it, and takes a drink before exhaling a small cloud of smoke.

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Blackout
Shadowhold
Shadow thinks for a long while. He takes the occasional puff from his pipe.
"Before The Admiral disappeared I would have said yes. But, now... If you can discover how they got Admiral I'll agree to meet with the boy." Shadow takes the Gem and slides it into his pocket. "Until then, I'll be here. Doing... something. Anything, I suppose, to make this better."

Rebel Camp
Karnariel scowls at Lexianna. He's grateful to her for healing them. But everyone in the camp is in the same mental and emotional state now.
"It must be nice to just snap your fingers and wish away all your problems. But what about us? What about those we've lost? People who struggled and fought and died scared and alone far from their homes? There's no afterlife waiting for them. Where's their salvation? We carried on with the fight for their sake. But now you show up and trivialize it all with each miracle you perform. Every broken heart. Every dead brother in arms. Every hero buried in a shallow grave. Why did we even fight if you were going to just prance in and magic away all our problems? You're not saving us for our sake. You're saving us for your own gratification." The bitter hope permeates every rebel soul present. Karnariel's words hit home for every soldier in camp but not because of his charisma or natural leadership. Karnariel can speak so clearly for the rebellion because it's true for him too. Karnariel turns from Lexianna, setting his sword on the table. "Whatever... Get me those troops. Do that and I'll meet with Shadow."

Oasis
Zaak pauses a moment. His eyes return The First's disective gaze. Zaak has a urgency and seriousness that is so unlike his usual flipant demeanor.
"I... I'm not sure. After the battle. I can't remember anything. The first thing I can remember since is waking in that reality. I managed to keep myself together long enough to find the Umbral Seed. From there... well. You saw." Zaak turns his attention to Lilianna as she asks for the weapon Omega left to her. His blighted hatred manifest and bound to steel. A ruined and decrepit sword that is eternally drenched in blood. His Cursed Vengeance. Zaak musters a bit of Umbra, shaping it into what he needs.

"I know where it is. Follow me."

Zaak stares in mild horror. Followed quickly by anger.
"The sword. My sword. He smelted it down... and made a gun. A fucking gun. The manifestation of hatred and resentment given physical form... and he turns it into a gun."

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Blackout
Rebel Camp
"My personal vengeance? Look around. Everyone here has lost everything because of The Lords and their Father. It isn't just me that wants them dead." The camp is in agreement with Karnariel. "I want a better world. And a better world is one where they're rotting in the ground."

Shadowhold
Shadow laughs.
"A better life? Is that what you think his crusade is about?" Shadow stares mournfully into the Gem in his hand. "He lost everything. But it was no fault of mine. Father went to every deity and cosmic being he could find. He offered them a place in his world. Told them of the cost of rejecting him. Not one of them accepted. Gods, kings, and nobility all denied him, even in the face of his miracles. So The Father came to us. The peasants and wretches who had no place in the world. He promised us the power to change reality. Make it better. Who, after suffering our lives, wouldn't accept such an offer?" Shadow sets the Gem down and produces a pipe. He packs tobacco into the pipe and strikes a match igniting the tobacco before extinguishing the small flame with a shake of his hand.
Shadow places the pipe in his mouth and takes a long drag before exhaling a thick plume of smoke. He offers the pipe to Lexianna as he continues his story.

"That boy is the son of Karna, The Sun God and Averiel an angel of mercy. Both of whom are now deceased. As The Mystic explains it, any beings not on our plane of existence when Father collapsed the dimensions would have died terrible deaths. A sort of forceful unmaking that tears everything you are apart and grinds it into nothing. I sympathize. I really do. But it was their own fault. Or at the very least just bad karma."

Shadow sighs.
"But what he wants is vengeful murder and to dismantle the better world we created. I may be deserving but none of the other Lords aren't. They've bettered their societies."

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Blackout
West Point
Rider is surprised. She smirks back and leans, propping herself up on an elbow.
"You mean to tell me. That there is an trans dimensional pocket orgy going on in my lands, and I wasn't invited?" Rider scoffs insincerely and slides off Chron pulling her pack down with her. "And you think I'm rude. Well don't rush on account of me. I'l be waiting here for you to finish." Rider goes about setting up camp. Chron helps as he can. Every so often Rider looks at the spot where Chron sensed spatial distortion. She sighs and keeps her black powder rifle slung over her shoulder.

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Blackout
West Point
Rider pets Chron and leans back in her saddle. A stiff breeze blows through her raven pixie cut hair. Her slender silhouette atop the wild direwolf with golden eyes cuts an imposing figure in the night sky.
"That where they are? Good boy." She sits side saddle and crosses her legs as time and space fold to place her in front of the pocket dimension. "You there, in the spatial distortion, quit skulking and come out." She says addressing Sia, Flame, Ghaul, and Blaze.

South Point
Rebel Camp
Karnariel sighs. He runs a hand through his hair.
"So will you get me my troops? We still need to bolster the Sun Cloaks for the inevitable battles to come."

Forest Clearing
Shadow snaps his head towards Lloyd.
"What is she talking about, Lloyd?" Shadow says unsure.
"We shouldn't be entertaining this-" Lloyd speaks but is interrupted by Shadow.
"Answer the question." Shadow demands.
"My Lord please." Lloyd pleads. Shadow sighs heavily.
"I trust Lloyd. He's been with me since before The New Regime." Shadow is reluctant to doubt Lloyd. "But I know where we can find answers." He snaps his fingers and shadows fall on the clearing. When they lift the three of them are in a large council room surrounded by posh looking nobles. They stare in shock. With no hesitation Shadow plunges his hand into one of the noble's forehead. When he pulls his hand back there is a soft glow. The noble's head is unscathed. Shadow is silent. As are the nobles.
"Why?" Shadow asks gravely.
"Because, all you've ever wanted is to be a street rat! You've no goals! No aspirations! You are-" Lloyd is cut short by three arrows through the throat. He tries to manage words but only gurgles. Shadow strides forward and plunges his hand into Lloyd's chest.
"I took you in. You would have died in the street cold and alone. I shared my life with you. Told you my dreams and kept you safe. And this is how you repay me." Shadow pulls his hand out of Lloyd's chest clutching a resplendent vermilion gem. He raises his other hand and a golden sphere of swirling lights appears. Without an order or any provocation the nobles cut their own throats. As the blood pools Shadow slumps against the wall and slides down into a tired mess. He looks to Lexianna.

"I only ever wanted to help those who were at the bottom. Those who lived their lives in the shadows. Trampled by those in power." Shadow laughs bitterly. "But all this time I've only looked the other way and hoped things would work out. Thank you. I'm willing give you any support within my power. I just need one thing in return."

"Bring me the head of Karnariel, The Rebel Star."

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Blackout
Karnariel eyes Lexianna warily. He motions for his followers to lower their weapons. He swallows hard.
"This is what the Lords felt when The Father approached them." He looks to all the faces in the room. "With such a vast difference of power... I suppose I don't really have a choice."

Ryuji's squad is here. He motions them forward.
"I never asked these children to follow me. Nicholas, tell her. Why you follow me." Karnariel says to the oldest one, a young man, about 16 years of age, clad in bronze armor. His surcoat has a emblem of a sun. He speaks clearly and precisely.

"My mother and sisters were raped to death in the town square where the Imperial Knights executed my father for treason. I spent the next 3 years serving a pedophile Noble. I slit my wrist one night hoping to die. My blood smeared wrists allowed me to slip my wrist shackles and I passed out in the woods during my escape. The Sun Cloaks found me and brought me here. Karnariel fights to end stories like mine. This is all I have left."

Next a girl steps up. She's younger. 15 at least. But she doesn't speak. Instead she signs words that are almost a sentence.
"Name. Sophie. Was. Whore. 6. Year. I. Complain. Food. Rotten. Madam. Cut. Mouth." She opens her mouth to reveal that her tongue is gone. "Karnariel. Save. Me. Make. Stop. Die. After. Throw. In. Thrash. Too. Sick. 4. Work." She pauses. "No. Home."

She taps the last boy on the shoulder. He's the youngest 9 years old. His eyes are covered by bandages. He has a harp at his waist.
"My turn? Finally. Uhhhhh... basically the same as Sophie except I complained that the Ma'am's saggy tits were hard to look at." Sophie glares at the young boy. "Is she staring? She's staring isn't she?" Thre boy reaches out and places a hand on Sophie's chest. Sophie rocks his head back with a merciless right hook.

"MOTHER FUCKER! KARNA YOU HIT HARD! YOU KNOW THAT CAUSES MY EYE HOLES TO SEEP!" The bandages over his eyes slowly turn a deep crimson. "I was a Bard for a noble out west. Her daughter wanted to "see the world through an artist's eyes" so she had mine cut out and gave them to her daughter." The boy leans against the table. Blood dripping from his face. "I'm Grant by the way."

Karnariel speaks up again.
"Each child here has similar stories. These are the Orphans of Karn." He looks around at all the young faces in the room. "They've no homes. No family. And no hope for their futures. Despite what I've said and done. They follow me because this..." Karnariel motions vaguely to everything. "... this is just their life now."

Elsewhere
Shadow laughs.
"Show of force? Misunderstanding? You blew up the fucking moon and in the same moment stuck another one back in its spot." He keeps his arrow trained on her. Lloyd's horse is in a panic. He's barely keeping in control.
"My Lord, enough words. Let me kill this witch and be done with it." Lloyd asserts. Shadow is quiet for a long time. He whispers, almost to himself, finally.
"Them today. Us tomorrow." He looks deep into Lexianna's eyes. Then let's the arrow fly past her head. "Stand down Lloyd. Let's hear what the witch has to say." Shadow smiles bitterly.

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Blackout
Karnariel stands mouth agape. He watches Ghaul leave and Sia follow. Still unable to believe what he just saw he leans on the table.
"Get out.' Karnariel looks at each of the group with both rage and terror. "Leave and don't ever show your faces here again!" As Karnariel finished the Rebels take up arms and prepare to fight.

Shadow has an arrow notched and drawn, aimed at Lexianna's throat. His eyes wide he sneaks only partial glances at where the moon was. He's having a hard time finding words. He finally manages to speak.
"Was that you? Did you do that? Why are you really here? Who the hell are you?" Shadow is terrified but his hands remain steady. Lloyd rides up, sword drawn, and just as frightened as Shadow.
"Kill her, my lord, and let's go back to Shadowhold. It is not safe for you here."