Roy Malloy- Earth
Deep in the woods, surrounded by lush and healthy trees, green grass, wildflowers and miles away from any form of humanity and civilization, I was staring at 3 and a half foot tall pile of garbage.
Some asshole, somehow, had carted it up the bike trail, unloaded what must have been multiple backpacks and left it. It makes me want to set fires, not to the woods of course. But something should burn for this.
A small part of me is a little impressed by the feat. We are a mile up a mountain right now. This took planning. This took effort. And (and I am just guessing here) probably a lot of contempt for nature to get this done.
I can’t fix it all, but, I can fix it a little bit. Might as well grab a few of the least wet pieces and cart them back to the park garbage can right at the base of the trail…. and that bottle is full of piss.
I don’t want to do the right thing. It sucks. I just want to have a nice day off.
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Verdandi Lakedamon - Vahin
Meanwhile
Knight of the Lugaid-Polyxene order Verdandi was on the losing side of the fight. The attackers had come for the core and would not stop until they had it. Several brothers had already fallen to the beasts and bullets of the Utallia Brotherhood, several more would fall soon. They were dying to buy him time.
In the, now former, headmans office he searched frantically for the teleportation tome. The sounds of violence growing louder with every moment wasted. Terror bit at the edges of his mind. Terror, and determination. The core could not fall into their hands. Worlds would fall if it did.
Youngest of the order, the former page’s duties had included attending to the headmans quarters. Finding the right tome should be easy. He should be off by now to another friendly world, gathering re enforcements, rallying troops from the battlements! Anything other than digging through old books and baubles.
“Ah HA! Victory” I have found the tome. Now to quickly make the circle, with the destination obscured of course. Basic magitech design, 4 layer, 24 points of energy. I can do this.
*Slam*
I can do this quickly
With a sweep of my spear I knock glass ornaments and books worth more than I’d seen in a lifetime off the raised spellcasting platform. The area is ready for marking and impowering. It must be now. There can be no mistakes. One shot to save the world
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Roy Malloy- Still on Earth
The first trip to the trail head garbage cans wasn’t so bad. I had picked up mostly dry things and there was a large plastic bag to line my backpack. No garbage juice on me. Opening the bear proof box and dumping everything in gave some warm fuzzy feelings. A real ‘save the planet’ feeling.
There was so much left though.
I did not want to go up that hill again though. I’ll admit, I could be in better shape, but I don’t think that was it. I just didn’t want to touch that big pile of someone else’s problem anymore.
Too bad for me I can just hear my mother saying ‘if not you, than who?’
Life would be easier if I just cared less.
Welp…
We’re up and we’re off I guess. We’ll just consider this exercise for the week and then take ourselves out for ice cream after.
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Verdandi Lakedamon- Vahin, for now
*slam*
*Slam*
*SLAM*
The obscura was done, no point in fleeing to have them follow immediately behind. The last 4 points of the arrangement are falling into place quickly.
I had chosen the world Ammon, and more specifically the fortress of Nagendra, a desert fort full of hearty people who have been long time allies of our order.
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They can protect the core. They may even be able to help retake our home.
*SLAM* I can see the hinges deforming. The wood splintering. Death approaching.
Focus.
3 points left. Control the shaking of your hands. Empower the points. Finish the formation.
With a crash the door gives way completely. The hinges coming loose from the wall as the door splinters to pieces. A magni.
Large vicious cat demons too stupid to control directly, but violent enough to be let loose as a problem for everyone to solve. 8 feet long and only 35 kilograms the skeletal creature should have snapped in half against the door, but they are well known for being able to hit beyond their weight class. Just one of them would have been a tough fight. And currently 3 were squeezing into the office.
My throwing knives would be useless in close combat, if they got that close it was over. I sent them flying with all the power I could spare. 2 hits. One kill.
The third was not affected by his comrades pain. The look in its eyes something between contempt and rage. He charged.
Abandoning my primary task I charge back at the unhinged cat with my spear. It approaches faster than any bio creature could have. But luckily it does so predictably. Anticipating the path I move my spear in to its way. The force of the strike taking me off my feet and back into my circle. As I landed the spear snapped and shattered against the stone. I felt splinters of wood force themselves into my hand and arm.
The point had pierced the magni’s left shoulder and exited out through the middle of the back. It was dying, we could both see that, but there was enough fight left in it to make it a problem for me.
It was getting up. But the other one, knife in its eye and shaking with pure rage, had gotten back to its feet a while ago.
They both charged from different directions, I ran to the fireplace. The only decent ranged weapon in the room was there.
The former headmans enchanted fire poker and fire starter. Originally a failed enchanted halberd the headman had seen to it that the beautifully crafted, if flawed, piece had found a home in his office. Incapable of holding an edge due to the constant heat, but not hot enough to cut flesh like a proper enchanted sword it would be a poor weapon in a real fight. But the best one I had left.
I steer the more injured cat with the blunt end, beating and kicking at the still imbedded spear to increase the bleeding. In front I keep the half blind monster at bay with the pointy end. The strikes light a small portion of the fur each time, but it doesn’t last. What does last is the fire in the room. One parried strike into a haphazardly discarded pile of books and the battlefield has changed. The fire is spreading quickly. Too quickly. I need to get back to my escape.
And the flames can be my barrier.
In a desperate ploy I kick back with my dominate leg into the face of the wounded magni. He fell back, but not before he made me pay for it. With a swipe he took off my boot and more than a little of my calf and heel. But the window it gave me was worth it. Half limping, half falling, I dragged the blade behind me, lighting floor and books alike as I retreated to the circle. The flames served as a barrier for me. I had my opportunity. Now I would seize it.
The enchanted chalk was gone, lost somewhere in the scuffle, but blood could be empowered too. And I happened to have some lying around. I formed the symbols from memory, not the safest idea at the best of times. But these were not the best of times. Runes that should have taken minuets were written in seconds. I might not land in the fort directly, but a populous world like Ammon would have someone find me. Hopefully.
The last symbol is almost done when I hear a nasally taunt from the doorway
“Well done little knight, you almost made it” I look up through the fire and smoke and see a black robed invader holding his hand cannon in my direction.
There would be no stay of execution. By the time he finishes his sentence, he will fire. Before I consciously realize what I am doing I send my power to the incomplete circle. I send a fleeting prayer that I end up somewhere that has air, land and people; but if not that, then at least that the core will never be found.
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Roy Malloy
The top of the hill was still covered in garbage on trip 3. But the walk had been nice, the breeze had been cool and the pile was starting to look like I’d made a dent in it, so that’s nice.
And then I felt the electricity in the air. And not a small amount either. My hair stood up on end and I felt like I had just licked a car battery. The purple haze formed right over my left shoulder for only a second, and then there was a bang.
I jumped to the ground thinking I had been shot, but when I turned I saw that I wasn’t the one who had been.
There was an honest to god alien in front of me, and it was not doing well.
The purple haze faded almost immediately, with it the buzz in the air went too. Whatever it was that brought things through was over.
I went over to…it… and tried to see what I could do. My quick crouching sprint lead to me falling over next to the poor thing, but thankfully not onto it.
“Hey buddy, I’m Roy. Do you have any medical supplies? Cause I have a mini aid kit and you look like you could use some more help than that” I dropped my bag while I said it and started looking for the gauze. The worst wound looked to be a fresh hole where its hip used to be that was bleeding badly. The leg didn’t look too good either. The slash across the back had clearly hit some vein because it was bleeding quickly.
“Ye melavat mola ituf iesaye! Sut fesate etehil tel ne eta dare be memipep ritaci. Tora pateces odaten. Osi savinor rigaru nidi romu ogipes; unip diehi yiloyep ri otanes pitit reca; lile necifal lo roleqog yuma metolas fulat! Rer re rulie tip ranir nabe re, ra uzadev doregot geret ielepohel melat lopu peperu lihico tano.”
“OK, buddy thats nice. I have no Idea what you are trying to say. But I’m trying to help, so please don’t bite me.“
I shoved the roll of gauze into the hip wound to stem the bleed. The creature was clearly very uncomfortable with the move, but didn’t get aggressive. Good sign over all. I undid my belt next. The leg needed to be tourniquet’ed. I had a vague idea how to do that. Lets hope it works on aliens.
The guy reached for a pouch around his neck as I worked. He was struggling with the clasp. Whether from pain or shock or blood loss, it wasn’t going well. Maybe it was some sort of family memento.
“Alright buddy this part is gonna hurt” the make shift tourniquet was in place, I just had to ratchet it down to cut off blood flow.
“Vahin asar” it looked me in the eyes and seemed to brace itself
Good as I’m gonna get. I pulled.
The scream needed no translation.
After the tourniquet was in place I reached for the pouch and unclasped it. There was a little crystal in it about the size of my thumb. I went to hand it to him and his hand met mine to stop me.
“Riciepo ripe mem emebid rani ieyesir lieqoten ereler tiralo onarem. Ena arereto neton ga atun seleti dan onilerey porur.” He signed, wrapped the gem into my hand and held it closed “Gidena durunie segit.”
And then I was somewhere else.