image [http://rom.ac/img/98/100-engcaps.jpg]
The duplicates of the dead were scratching more lines in the ground in an attempt to formulate a perfect circle from where I stood. The lines were interconnecting into a gigantic pie chart. I didn't wait for them to complete the pie.
I changed my position.
"Stop moving!" Some of them whined, looking up at me. They were annoyed that their circle was no longer perfect, because I had moved from its exact center.
I calmly walked towards each one and pointed my lighter at them. I must have spoken the deconstructive Word at least 100 times.
The copies were no more, they've turned to dust.
"Come out of the shadows, lord of dorkness," I spoke pointing the lighter at the dancing shadows of the cavern.
"What have you done with my twitter followers?" the darkness converged into a relatively-human shape, composed of shadows that vibrated vigorously. It was a cute attempt at trying to make his avatar extra-spooky.
image [http://rom.ac/img/88G.jpg]
"I put them to sleep." I told him. "It was easy! They were quite worn out, considering you've paid for 100'000 duplicates!"
My shaming made the shadow administrator mad, he pulled out his terminal and begun to vigorously type an angry rebuttal. Possibly he was plotting to send a viral app my way.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/972564269390503976/1003176677330927657/89ff.jpg [https://web.archive.org/web/20230828132434im_/https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/972564269390503976/1003176677330927657/89ff.jpg]
"Sunday comes after Monday!" I put a cherry on top of my word-cake, not wanting to deal with his nonsense. The sun rolled backwards, dimming the cave and then bathed it in light once again.
"Your temporal tricks won't work on me, girl! I know who you are!" The thin, tall figure screeched.
He must have already linked himself to my position, as to not lose track of me.
"How do you know who I am? Did someone tattletale on me?" I inquired politely.
The dastardly admin refused to reply to my inquiry, typing harder.
"PRECISION," I wiggled my shoulders and calmly pointed my lighter at him.
"What did you just say?" he cried.
image [http://rom.ac/img/88H.jpg]
"If you intend to duel me according to the rules, then you have to measure your position more precisely. The rules of tennis stipulate that you must be exactly 25 feet from your opponent!"
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"Shite!" The thin, gangly shadow froze, consumed by a desire to be more precise. He began to frantically calculate his exact position against mine. It wouldn't take him very long.
"...Did you know that your head looks like a potato?" I commented.
"Say what?" he mumbled.
I didn't wait for him to complete the job. I spoke the deconstruction-word summoning the peeler.
"You sneaky bitch! I'll get you for this!" the shadow began to peel like an onion, hopelessly rebelling against my Word.
I simply smiled and nodded.
"You cannot hope to best me, for I am...."
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he hissed, fading into obscurity.
I shook my head in dissolution. He would definitely return and try to catch me with my pants down so to speak.
"Better luck next time, pussy-cat!" I spoke to the quickly evaporating dark puddle.
The cave felt rather lonely now.
I settled on exploring the slippery dark crevices. They led through slanted tunnels, occasionally ending with massive cave-halls. Silence and darkness reigned therein. Elbows of gargantuan, dead conceptoids littered the place. The feeling of dread was overpowering.
I didn't agree with such.
image [http://rom.ac/img/88I.jpg]
"BLUEBELL," I spoke, clicking the lighter.
It released a tiny, blue orb of light into the air. The orb felt lonely by itself. I repeated the process, exponentially increasing the number of floating dots that filled the air and were carried in all directions by the air flow.
It was still annoyingly dark, even though the bluebells sprinkled all over the place somewhat resembling stars, which was mildly romantic.
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Romantic? Just like... the date I had at the movies... huh?
I looked up at the inverted depths of the frozen ocean that loomed overhead, considering my options.
Bulbous formations of melted glass reflected the blue bells produced by my lighter, sparkling high above me.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/972564269390503976/1003314026580803654/Vitaly_S_Alexius_a_dark_epic_large_beautiful_cave_filled_with_s_3436ecd7-0a05-4ea3-a38c-8b4051730ea4ce.jpg [https://web.archive.org/web/20230828132434im_/https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/972564269390503976/1003314026580803654/Vitaly_S_Alexius_a_dark_epic_large_beautiful_cave_filled_with_s_3436ecd7-0a05-4ea3-a38c-8b4051730ea4ce.jpg]
I considered the path ahead of me.
I could convex upwards, but then there might be a hell-a-lot of polygons to deal with and crashing the system with a [Max vertices in view] error was never fun. The motivations to break things simply wasn't there. I was a Good, law-abiding Wizard, not a rule-breaker like some people...
Some people... lawbreakers. People?! Citizens of Captania. How many Citizens did Captania have? I counted them mentally, checking the colorful tags on my gloves.
Four.
Purple - me, Green - pilot, Agate - Kittyhawk, Blue.... Blue?!
Who did this tag belong to? Why couldn't I remember them?! What-even-in-tarnation?!
"Thunderation! Bejabbers!" I swore loudly, pulling at the tag. It didn't point to anyone at all. Someone was screwing with me, big-time.
Had I been a nervous ninny, I would have broken out in an ocean of sweat-bullets. Fortunately, I was a noble knight, a Lady of Lamache Acadia and the Governess of Antarctica. I wouldn't be so easily broken.
"I'm going to find them, you hear?" I growled at the extra long stalactites. "I'm going to figure out who did this and when I do, you'll be very sorry you've meddled with my schedule!"
A light crinkle in the dark crevasse behind me suddenly distracted me from my dark, transient thoughts.
image [http://rom.ac/img/90-RUSS.jpg]