OOM: I was only doing my duty
It was not the Spirit World, or even another normal world.
This one hurt when Joris was pulled through, and he yelled as he landed on the floor, barely registering Adrac's wicked laugh as he did so.
It was not anywhere he had ever been before. The place was large, echoing, dim, and more solidly real than anything Joris had ever experienced before. And he and Adrac were far from the only beings there. There were huge computing machines that hummed and beeped with screens that flickered, and large tables with things set on top of them. Around each table, intent on what was laid out on each one were-
Demons. Tall, hooded, and with an intentness that was so single-minded and horrible-
There was no way that They could NOT be demons. No other sort of creatures would have worlds spread out on their tables, rolling dice and moving pieces as they saw fit.
For a moment, They ignored Joris and Adrac, until a blue light began blinking on one of the tables. Only then, did They turn around, and look at the both of them.
"What are you doing here, Adrac?"
Adrac sneered, but also lowered his head. "I've come to complain. You haven't kept your promises."
"Mind your manners, Adrac. Speak to us like that again, and you'll be punished."
The demon gritted his teeth. "Well, is it fair? We Great Demons agreed to play, if you promised not to let the humans cull among us. You agreed they could catch the small fry, and you promised we'd be allowed to breed in peace. You said you'd keep them off. I go to a quiet farm to start a family and -- Well, look at me! Look at it!"
As one, They turned to look at Joris.
He still could not see their faces.
"How did this happen?" One of them glanced back to the table that held Joris' world, checking the machine there. Another turned back to Adrac. "We apologize, Adrac. This seems to be a random factor we didn't notice."
Adrac smiled slyly, glancing sideways at Joris. "Well, kill it for me then."
"Can't you?"
"I wish I could. But look at it!" One clawed hand gestured at Joris. "It's hung about with every kind of protection. I can't touch it, even here. You'll have to do it."
Joris had already dropped the demon wire by now. They started forward, moving with the boredom of someone about to end a small, petty annoyance. And past the figures surrounding him-
There were more in the shadows. Endlessly more. Without a thought, Joris' knife was in his hand.
"Leave me alone! I was only doing my duty!"
He would not go like this, not easily-
But They had stopped, surrounding him, and acting as if Joris had not even spoken.
"No good."
"Why were they allowed this much protection?"
"I said all along this was a mistake!" Adrac crowed, smugly.
But They ignored Adrac as well. In another time and place, Joris might have found this amusing.
"This is a nuisance. You'll have to make a discard instead."Frustrated.
"Have the Bounds room for any more?"
One of Them in the distance called back, There is room for two more discards only. Can't it really be touched?"
"No it can't!" One of Them surrounding Joris turned back, angrily. "The only solution is a discard!"
"Well get on and discard then. You're holding up play." A quiet murmur rose up, and for the first time, one of Them addressed Joris.
Not that it was any reassurance what so ever.
"You are now a discard. We have no further use for you in play. You are free to walk the Bounds as you please, except that it is against the rules for you to enter play in any world. To ensure that you keep this rule, you will be transferred to another field of play every time a move ends in the field where you are. The rules also state that you are allowed to return Home if you can. If you succeed in returning, you may enter play again in the normal manner."
Adrac started laughing, and the next moment Joris was somewhere else.
(Link still locked, will be up soon!)
This one hurt when Joris was pulled through, and he yelled as he landed on the floor, barely registering Adrac's wicked laugh as he did so.
It was not anywhere he had ever been before. The place was large, echoing, dim, and more solidly real than anything Joris had ever experienced before. And he and Adrac were far from the only beings there. There were huge computing machines that hummed and beeped with screens that flickered, and large tables with things set on top of them. Around each table, intent on what was laid out on each one were-
Demons. Tall, hooded, and with an intentness that was so single-minded and horrible-
There was no way that They could NOT be demons. No other sort of creatures would have worlds spread out on their tables, rolling dice and moving pieces as they saw fit.
For a moment, They ignored Joris and Adrac, until a blue light began blinking on one of the tables. Only then, did They turn around, and look at the both of them.
"What are you doing here, Adrac?"
Adrac sneered, but also lowered his head. "I've come to complain. You haven't kept your promises."
"Mind your manners, Adrac. Speak to us like that again, and you'll be punished."
The demon gritted his teeth. "Well, is it fair? We Great Demons agreed to play, if you promised not to let the humans cull among us. You agreed they could catch the small fry, and you promised we'd be allowed to breed in peace. You said you'd keep them off. I go to a quiet farm to start a family and -- Well, look at me! Look at it!"
As one, They turned to look at Joris.
He still could not see their faces.
"How did this happen?" One of them glanced back to the table that held Joris' world, checking the machine there. Another turned back to Adrac. "We apologize, Adrac. This seems to be a random factor we didn't notice."
Adrac smiled slyly, glancing sideways at Joris. "Well, kill it for me then."
"Can't you?"
"I wish I could. But look at it!" One clawed hand gestured at Joris. "It's hung about with every kind of protection. I can't touch it, even here. You'll have to do it."
Joris had already dropped the demon wire by now. They started forward, moving with the boredom of someone about to end a small, petty annoyance. And past the figures surrounding him-
There were more in the shadows. Endlessly more. Without a thought, Joris' knife was in his hand.
"Leave me alone! I was only doing my duty!"
He would not go like this, not easily-
But They had stopped, surrounding him, and acting as if Joris had not even spoken.
"No good."
"Why were they allowed this much protection?"
"I said all along this was a mistake!" Adrac crowed, smugly.
But They ignored Adrac as well. In another time and place, Joris might have found this amusing.
"This is a nuisance. You'll have to make a discard instead."Frustrated.
"Have the Bounds room for any more?"
One of Them in the distance called back, There is room for two more discards only. Can't it really be touched?"
"No it can't!" One of Them surrounding Joris turned back, angrily. "The only solution is a discard!"
"Well get on and discard then. You're holding up play." A quiet murmur rose up, and for the first time, one of Them addressed Joris.
Not that it was any reassurance what so ever.
"You are now a discard. We have no further use for you in play. You are free to walk the Bounds as you please, except that it is against the rules for you to enter play in any world. To ensure that you keep this rule, you will be transferred to another field of play every time a move ends in the field where you are. The rules also state that you are allowed to return Home if you can. If you succeed in returning, you may enter play again in the normal manner."
Adrac started laughing, and the next moment Joris was somewhere else.
(Link still locked, will be up soon!)