“Really? Do you mean it Councilman Yellow?” Elenore asked.
“I do. As long as my fellow councilmembers agree,” the sparking obelisk replied. A scattered series of ‘aye’ followed.
Quest Added! Become Human! Next Objective: Reach New R'lyeh!
“But… well, it might take a while. To be honest I’ve never been to New R’lyeh myself.”
“Few have. But your task in this quest is to be Caster’s protector. Adept Keith will be traveling with you both to ensure you're granted access into New R’lyeh.”
“What? Councilman Yellow this is madness. I am an intern to a Legend, not a babysitter for The Usurper’s spy.”
“Yellow is correct. You are the only member of this Agency whose blood carries weight under the seas. As an assassin, it will be up to you to eliminate this rogue Minion-man if he truly is an operative of The Usurper,” Blue explained.
“I understand,” Keith replied, then gave a hushed sigh from the corner he was still brooding in.
“Elenore, nightfall will soon be upon the city. This is good, as it will make you three harder to detect by any more agents of the Elder Gods. Gather what minimal provisions you can before the markets close, then make your way to the harbor. Show them your Agency badge, and ask for passage across Conquest Bay, past Arder, and into open waters above New R’lyeh. Make haste on your journey. You will not be safe until you reach the sunken city,” said White.
“Loud and clear,” said Elenore. “Come on Caster, you can climb into my rucksack. It's mostly empty, but it’ll be comfier than me carrying you all the way there.” Elenore turned her back toward Caster, kneeling so he could step into her bag.
I feel like a baby kangaroo.
Caster placed one foot onto the lip of her rucksack. He wobbled, nearly falling over before stabilizing himself as he grabbed onto the bags' side straps.
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What on earth are these blue boxes? I should ask Elenore after the council meeting. More importantly, what on earth is a Kangaroo? What on Earth is Earth? Okay, stop. Focus.
He hesitated as the sound of tearing fabric filled the stale chamber air.
Did I just tear her rucksack? Didn’t think I was that heavy.
But it was something far worse. The sound intensified, and as it did, all council members gasped, and Elenore swiveled her head back to see what was happening.
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In a single motion, she wrapped her forearm around Caster’s torso, yanking him right off the table and into the air. She leaped away with him in hand, and by the time her boots clanged on the ground, the weapon she kept holstered on her back was in her hand. It was a twin-headed Greataxe, and she held it in the middle section of its long and sturdy wooden staff. Elenore kept it pointing toward the strange phenomenon unfolding in front of them.
It was purple in tone, mostly. Joined by pinks, blues, and blacks swirling around to make a thin and elongated oval. It looked like a vertical rift in space itself.
“Impossible! How did he get through the wards!?” exclaimed Councilman Green.
The tearing sound intensified. Now it seemed as if the rift was a painter’s canvas being torn in two rather than a piece of crumpled parchment paper.
Two bone-white hands reached out from inside the rift. Elenore gasped and stepped back once more, keeping her weapon held high.
The gash spread wide open as the ghostly fingers pushed both sides of the rift open.
From out the other side of what looked like the depths of the cosmos, walked a skeleton. A human skeleton.
Standing upright, the fully animated creature stood in silence as it peered over its three horrified hosts. Although it lacked muscles, skin, and all other features of the human body, it was clear this creature was very much alive.
From out of the inky darkness of its eye sockets, a pair of purple and pink hexagonal gemstones floated. They hovered there as if they’d become the creature’s surrogate eyes.
“Usurper!” Blue exclaimed. “This is strictly against the Peace Accord between the Elder and Old Gods. This is an act of war! How dare you invade these premises.”
Caster tried to peel his eyes away from meeting the creatures’ gaze.
It was looking right at him.
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I know him. How do I know him?
The residue of what few memories he had left burned with the same thought.
Run.
The skeleton slowly raised its fingers into the air and then snapped. In an instant, the rift behind him closed. Its eyes finally rolled away from Caster, and onto Blue’s obelisk.
“What's up? I couldn’t hear you, there was a vacuum of space behind me.” Its voice poured into Caster’s mind like poisoned wine. Its tone was as smug as it was deceptive.
“You are trespassing-” White started.
“-Boy, do I not give a shit,” it interrupted. “I have had a very, very, very long day today. I just want it back. So, give it here, and I’ll give you fools a few more months to prepare for my upcoming slaughter-fest,” the skeleton lifted its palm, expecting one of Elenore or Keith to give it something.
“Give what back?! You cannot make demands here; you have no power! This is our side of Perdita! Return to your barren wastes in Leng before we smite your unholy corpse,” Red demanded.
At this, the skeleton seemed as if it were thinking for a few seconds before it spoke again. This time, its words come out in an ominous rhyme.
“With cursed knowledge that makes men's flesh flee, come to me - tome of Alhazared.”
After a moment, nothing happened.
“Well, this is awkward,” The skeleton raised its arms and plunged them into the air. He separated his hands, and the rift in space appeared again. “Pretend I was never here.” It took a step forward before glancing back.
“We'll catch up a little more once you make it to the Boss Room down under,” Its skinless face seemed to grin directly at Caster as it slipped into the rift, making the portal snap shut behind him as if there had never been a disturbance there in the first place.
He knows me too?!