A stormy night in Aladra.
Xovious sat in the tavern, sipping his vodka. It had been a busy few months, what with the political scenario as frustrating as it was. New towns, new Lokans, new alliances. The last major meeting, huh, what a mess. The LICA was a long time ago, and they had just as many people and kept order. Reminiscing more, he remembered fondly of his former allies from the West.
Ah, right. Sunset Hall and its Patriarchs.
Thunder cracks.
It had been a while since the Sudic duo, TempestBlood and Defgnw, disappeared. Xovious was unsure when, exactly, it had happened, as the two usually worked late into the morning when the rest of the world slept. But eventually, the machines rusted, the levees broke, and the city's wall slowly eked out the lava that protected the outer canyons. Quietly, it had died, and eventually bandits had taken the riches out. Without them and the other towns, Auru was the only town that remained from LICA, and it quietly disbanded.
"Some storm, huh?" a familiar voice rang out from the entrance as the door whipped open, followed by the pitter-patter of a pack of wolves. Jedoi walked in and took a seat. "Haven't seen a storm this bad since..." She trailed off.
"Since Def and Blood left." Xovious muttered, covering his drink to avoid the wolves shaking water off into his drink. Now that I think about it, why is it storming in this month?
Lightning strikes.
"You KNOW we combed that canyon up and down. Never found them. We even found all the secret switches that led to those hidden rooms. Nothing"
"And yet."
The door flies open. A man, covered in rain. "Quick, get to the town center! There's someone hurt in the middle of town!"
Who cares? Xovious thought to himself. People get hurt all the time around here. Why would we all care now?
"Come on!" he heard Jedoi call out, already halfway out the door. Ugh.
Xovious finished his drink and reluctantly donned his armor. Aladra was a safe haven, as always, but hey, why spend it wet? Walking towards the commotion, he approached the library and froze.
The clothes. The monocle. It couldn't be... and yet.
----
Days pass. A windy day in Kalros. A man wakes up.
Tempest awakened to find himself in a strange bed. Did.... did I make it? Where am I?
Looking upon his new dwelling, he noted the high ceilings, and spruce foundations. "Auru? But..."
He stood up quickly, only to be overcame by nausea to result in a pathetic 'thud' on the ground. The door to the room opened.
"Careful now," a familiar voice rang out. "You've been out for a few days." Jedoi and two of her faithful companion wolves came in. "Just relax. Drink this, you need to regain your strength." As she approached, Tempest scampered back towards the edge of the bed.
"But, you're dead. You've been dead for months." Tempest's heart raced. "Where's Def? Where's Xovious, and the other SOEs?"
"Tempest, calm down. Xovious is just on his patrol route. Def disappeared when you did. And what are...Sowees?" Jedoi handed the engineer the potion.
"Wait, Def's not here?"
"No. He disappeared in the storm a few months back, when you did."
"But I never disappeared. Neither did he." Tempest's eyes grew wide. "I need to cross the continent. Are the docks still functioning?"
"Of course, why wouldn't they be? Aladra is the continental hub, like always." Jedoi was puzzled. "Just tell me, where have you been for the past few months?"
A man steps through the door.
"Tempest! Good to see you!" Xovious dusted the snow off his armor and embraced his old comrade. "Glad to see you're finally awake. Tempest eyed his friend keenly. "Xovious. What day is it?" His grim countenance showing no time for happy reunion.
"Uh, the 20th?" Xovious looked to Jedoi, who simply shrugged. "Whe-"
"What were we talking about last night, at Fort Echo?" Tempest barked.
"Fort Echo? What on Loka are you talking about?" Xovious was getting frustrated quickly. "There's no such place."
"Tempest, you're not making sense." Jedoi spoke quietly. "Please, explain what you're talking about."
"Wait, Jedoi, Xovious. Does Eldritch still stand?"
"Of course."
"And the Tarsonians, they never were here? Did they ever attack Sudkuste?"
Jedoi sighed. "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry. Sudkuste is in ruins. When you two disappeared, no one was there to oversee, and it got raided by bandits."
Tempest's eyes' lit up. "Heh, ha ha, hahahah!! It worked. IT WORKED!" Tempest jumped to his feet, "He did it, the crazy fool managed to pull it off! It works, ha ha!"
"Who did what, exactly?" Xovious looked at his comrade. "You've lost your mind. What worked?" Tempest grabbed Xovious by the shoulders, a mad look in his eye. "The Knife."
Xovious sat in the tavern, sipping his vodka. It had been a busy few months, what with the political scenario as frustrating as it was. New towns, new Lokans, new alliances. The last major meeting, huh, what a mess. The LICA was a long time ago, and they had just as many people and kept order. Reminiscing more, he remembered fondly of his former allies from the West.
Ah, right. Sunset Hall and its Patriarchs.
Thunder cracks.
It had been a while since the Sudic duo, TempestBlood and Defgnw, disappeared. Xovious was unsure when, exactly, it had happened, as the two usually worked late into the morning when the rest of the world slept. But eventually, the machines rusted, the levees broke, and the city's wall slowly eked out the lava that protected the outer canyons. Quietly, it had died, and eventually bandits had taken the riches out. Without them and the other towns, Auru was the only town that remained from LICA, and it quietly disbanded.
"Some storm, huh?" a familiar voice rang out from the entrance as the door whipped open, followed by the pitter-patter of a pack of wolves. Jedoi walked in and took a seat. "Haven't seen a storm this bad since..." She trailed off.
"Since Def and Blood left." Xovious muttered, covering his drink to avoid the wolves shaking water off into his drink. Now that I think about it, why is it storming in this month?
Lightning strikes.
"You KNOW we combed that canyon up and down. Never found them. We even found all the secret switches that led to those hidden rooms. Nothing"
"And yet."
The door flies open. A man, covered in rain. "Quick, get to the town center! There's someone hurt in the middle of town!"
Who cares? Xovious thought to himself. People get hurt all the time around here. Why would we all care now?
"Come on!" he heard Jedoi call out, already halfway out the door. Ugh.
Xovious finished his drink and reluctantly donned his armor. Aladra was a safe haven, as always, but hey, why spend it wet? Walking towards the commotion, he approached the library and froze.
The clothes. The monocle. It couldn't be... and yet.
----
Days pass. A windy day in Kalros. A man wakes up.
Tempest awakened to find himself in a strange bed. Did.... did I make it? Where am I?
Looking upon his new dwelling, he noted the high ceilings, and spruce foundations. "Auru? But..."
He stood up quickly, only to be overcame by nausea to result in a pathetic 'thud' on the ground. The door to the room opened.
"Careful now," a familiar voice rang out. "You've been out for a few days." Jedoi and two of her faithful companion wolves came in. "Just relax. Drink this, you need to regain your strength." As she approached, Tempest scampered back towards the edge of the bed.
"But, you're dead. You've been dead for months." Tempest's heart raced. "Where's Def? Where's Xovious, and the other SOEs?"
"Tempest, calm down. Xovious is just on his patrol route. Def disappeared when you did. And what are...Sowees?" Jedoi handed the engineer the potion.
"Wait, Def's not here?"
"No. He disappeared in the storm a few months back, when you did."
"But I never disappeared. Neither did he." Tempest's eyes grew wide. "I need to cross the continent. Are the docks still functioning?"
"Of course, why wouldn't they be? Aladra is the continental hub, like always." Jedoi was puzzled. "Just tell me, where have you been for the past few months?"
A man steps through the door.
"Tempest! Good to see you!" Xovious dusted the snow off his armor and embraced his old comrade. "Glad to see you're finally awake. Tempest eyed his friend keenly. "Xovious. What day is it?" His grim countenance showing no time for happy reunion.
"Uh, the 20th?" Xovious looked to Jedoi, who simply shrugged. "Whe-"
"What were we talking about last night, at Fort Echo?" Tempest barked.
"Fort Echo? What on Loka are you talking about?" Xovious was getting frustrated quickly. "There's no such place."
"Tempest, you're not making sense." Jedoi spoke quietly. "Please, explain what you're talking about."
"Wait, Jedoi, Xovious. Does Eldritch still stand?"
"Of course."
"And the Tarsonians, they never were here? Did they ever attack Sudkuste?"
Jedoi sighed. "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry. Sudkuste is in ruins. When you two disappeared, no one was there to oversee, and it got raided by bandits."
Tempest's eyes' lit up. "Heh, ha ha, hahahah!! It worked. IT WORKED!" Tempest jumped to his feet, "He did it, the crazy fool managed to pull it off! It works, ha ha!"
"Who did what, exactly?" Xovious looked at his comrade. "You've lost your mind. What worked?" Tempest grabbed Xovious by the shoulders, a mad look in his eye. "The Knife."
