Jules' body stretched, sheared, and spiraled and folded into itself as the Teleportal carried them through space. Cyrus and Katarina blended into one. Is this the Shadow Realm Odessa mentioned? It's not like the Shadowlands, where left is right and white is black—No. Every direction is up, down, left, right, forward, backward, all at once.
Jules folded into all of his friends as they crossed odd and impossible boundaries of relative space—constantly speeding away from each other, yet coming back together. Katarina's eye, Cyrus' Tensa, and Jules' Sound all glowed a bright and vibrant white, and they appeared to retain their shapes more than anything else. Rukia flapped nearby, and Jules noticed the Beads around her neck had a similar effect. So that necklace is a Vessel…
"Jules, Cy—You'd better close your eyes," Kaizen warned, but Jules disobeyed.
An endless plane of white marbled floors sped past Jules' vision. Two golden doors towered briefly on the bleached expanse, then rushed away. Fire and brimstone replaced everything, and Jules spun around to avoid smacking into a floating jail cell door. A black demon came into focus, then spread out into four others, on horseback. Behind them, a crowned woman rode some colossal monster. Each image burned into Jules' irises and left behind an after image.
From the edges of his periphery inward, he saw a small small gathering. It came more and more into focus and formed a group of people in robes, praying in a circle, its focal point of a young girl in the center. They're all…facing her? Or praying to her? They accelerated toward her.
"Look away, Jules!" Kaizen commanded. Jules obeyed. His eyes darted to the edge of the prayer group—
They crashed into the ground where he looked at full speed, but instead of colliding with the dirt, the ground gave in, pushing in like wind in a sail. The ground bounced them back up, and Jules and his companions all laid flat in the rocky soil, just outside of the prayer ring. A few men approached them.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Where'd you come from?"
"This is a holy sacrament you're interrupting!"
They're pissed off, but not super aggressive.
Yet, Rukia and Kaizen both added. Jules groaned and wobbled to his feet.
"Answer us!"
"Relax, relax," Cyrus said. A Ryoku barrier surrounded and protected the others still inside the prayer circle.
"Cy, where are we?" Jules asked.
"They're Etherealists, Jules." Jules studied their robes, each bearing the Faction's crest. "We landed in Whispering Pines."
"And disturbed our prayer!" the closest man shouted.
"Listen," Jules said, now on his feet. "We don't want any problems. We, uh, came here by mistake."
The few Etherealists outside the barrier summoned weapons. A focus on Void and Dark magic, huh?
? ? Ryoku Shield ? ?
A wonky shield covered Cyrus. Damn, really off his game. Don't know if I could do any better, not after that trip—
The first Etherealist slashed at Jules with a battle ax. He leapt back to avoid it, but a trail of Dark magic grazed his past its blade, though it didn't burn him. It's almost invigorating. I'm not sure how to handle the Void magic, though. Jules maintained a position between the Etherealists and Katarina, not moving away from her, and taking a few blows because of it.
"Whiskers, give me Ryoku!"
"I need it for Katarina, you asshat."
"I NEED IT FOR KAT MORE THAN YOU DO!"
"R-right."
? ? Stoned Flesh ? ?
Jules encapsulated himself and Cyrus in some additional armor, while the latter rose spikes and columns of dirt to hold back their attackers.
"Good," Jules said. "Just deflect, we don't want to start a blood feud here." It soon became clear that the two of them would be able to stave off the Etherealists. Most of these people don't look like fighters, and not even these guys have much experience. Their opposition formed a tight defensive arc against the barrier. "There's still a way out of this, Cy…"
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A little girl, the one Jules saw at the focal point of the prayer ring, stepped forward through the barrier's threshold. Every Etherealist stopped to balk at her.
"Please, get back. We can—"
"Stop, everyone. Please." Every man lowered their arms at her command. You're our ticket out of this.
"They crashed into us! Invaded our space and our land—"
"These Travelers are guests of the Raventrees."
"How can you be sure?" one demanded.
"Sir," the girl pointed at Cyrus. "If you wouldn't mind showing me that medallion."
Cyrus looked at Jules, who nodded then spoke to him through Telepathy. Do it, Cy. Odessa mentioned an alliance here. He brandished the Space Rune for the girl.
"See? They've arrived here by Teleportal." She studied each of them, hovering over Jules and Rukia and Whiskers, and then eventually Katarina. Who is this chick? Everyone looks to her like their leader, and not in fear…but not respect, either. A prophet? Another Sin? A fucking Virtue??
"We were supposed to go…somewhere else," Jules said.
"And where would that be?" the girl asked.
"I'd prefer to keep that to myself, if you don't mind." Jules held his ground.
"Hmm. Your arrival was not foretold. But I will hear you out."
ENVY
Sand shifted around her feet, and the dunes played trick on her eyes. My eyes! She reached up and felt her face, rubbed her eyes. Everything felt back to normal. She dropped to her knees in relief and looked straight into the blazing sun. Not a single cloud floated in the clear blue sky.
"What's wrong with you?" The hoarse voice came from behind her. She recognized it, though she wasn't sure from where.
"I can…" See again. Kat turned to face him. He looked oddly familiar, though he wore the beige robes of the Nomadic Clans. A long brown robe trailed behind. His messy black hair, mid-length, shifted in the wind like the dunes. Deep amber eyes pierced into her own. He wore an assortment of weapons around his belt and a strap that traversed shoulder to hip. I have never seen a Nomad before, so who are you?
Someone else affectionately slapped her back. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" I think I know you, too… She locked eyes with the massive man. A warhammer was slung upon his back; his eyes narrowed. "Hey. You OK?"
Kat looked at her own hands. Rough…? These aren't mine. A man's? She responded, though not of her own accord, and in a voice she didn't recognize.
"The scries are getting worse. The pain…is unreal. Whoever this girl is, I feel sorry for her."
The man in the brown cloak looked off at the horizon.
"War'll be over soon." The giant helped Kat to her feet and dusted off her own beige and ragged cloak. "Before it even starts. Then we don't have to worry about these damn visions again. Right—"
"Silence." The hoarse voice of the leader cut sharper than the wind. "We are not alone."
The others scanned the dunes as far as the eye could see, and Kat joined in. Off in the distance, black spots waved like mirages. "There," she said. "The Elementalists have begun their invasion."
"No sign of Kazuma, still." How can you even see from here?
"Shall we give them a taste of their own medicine this time 'round?" The giant lifted his warhammer off his back; it glowed red hot.
"No, Chael—We wait," Kat said. She tied her long black hair up into a bun. They waited until the riders approached over the closest dune.
? Summon ?
Bows and arrows filled Kat's hand, crafted from Dark and Voidless magic. That Rune—
Horses' hooves crested over the dune. She knocked back an arrow, and was whipped away form the dream into darkness.
JAFAR
I always knew the Raventrees were hiding something. I just never imagined it was this much. Jafar descended down an uneven stone staircase to a dead end. You are always full of surprises, Jiro.
? Shatter ?
The rock wall before him exploded into a massive cavern. Dust clouded his vision.
But traitor…? Nothing could surprise me more than that.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Jafar said.
? Space ?
No! Jafar sprinted blindly through the dust cloud and saw the final remnants of people hurdling through the Teleportal. A Shinsorai intercepted him before he could run through it, and the Script faded away. A raven flew off through the only hole in the ceiling, cawing as it fled.
"You fucking bitch!" Jafar spat as he cursed her. Jafar roundhouse kicked the woman, and its sonic blast flung her out of his sight. He lifted a hand up to the Teleportal.
? Space ?
The gate opened up again, in a swirling fashion that reminded him of a galaxy. He cracked his neck and approached it.
? Space ?
The old hag repeated her Rune, and the Teleportal crumpled into itself and disappeared entirely. Jafar closed his eyes and drew a long, deep breath.
"I never even knew that was an option," Jafar conceded. "I commend your wisdom."
"You. I recognize you." The woman rose to her feet and dusted herself off. Grace never escapes you, does it, Odessa Raventree?
"Everyone in The Verdant Domain knows me." Jafar spat into the zen garden sand, then slashed his scimitar Vessel, seemingly randomly, into the air. "But none recognize me."
"You've managed to stay hidden for a long time," Odessa taunted.
"You're one to talk." Jafar gestured around the darkness.
"The dunes have covered your tracks well."
Jafar looked left and right, then stalked through the cavern, memorizing every shadow. "Apparently not well enough. Where did you just send them?"
"Where is my granddaughter?"
"I don't have her. I'm looking for someone else."
"You have aided and abetted her capture—You! Who knows oppression more than anyone. The People's Martyr." She spat in his direction. Jafar's blood boiled. Don't you speak about that ordeal. "I was there in the desert that day, when the Elementalists sacked you."
"And which side were you on? Oh, that's right…" Jafar pulled a black, fingerless glove over his left hand. The top side bore an image of a skull-and-bones. "The Shinsorai betrayed the Nomads."
"Not all of—"
Jafar reached out with the glove, grabbed her by the neck, and ripped her out from the Shadow Realm. Her wide eyes gazed into his.
"Thought you had the advantage in an underground lair, where the shadows touch all?" He leaned into her. "I carry the desert sun everywhere I go. There are no more shadows in my life—only endless sunlight."
"You are pure chaos, Jafar."
"I am justice. Now, where'd you send Wrath? Or better yet," Jafar clicked his tongue, "where can I find Kazuma?"
happy pi day!