Re: The Grand Battle S2G1! [Round Four: New Battleopolis!]
12-25-2011, 02:55 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.
Arkal stared at the orb, scowling. It was the most unlucky material he'd ever seen.
"Take her up on that offer," he said, before Packston could form a response. Packston's eyes changed color a few times, then settled on grey.
"All right, I'll trust your judgement on this," he replied. "Very well, Holly Tallbirch, we'll provide you with shelter. We may have a few questions for you, however."
She scowled and handed the orb to Arkal.
"Fine. Whatever. But first, I want to see what this stupid thing does, since apparently it's so important to find a human to use it."
Arkal looked over the orb carefully. He soon found a hand-shaped groove.
"It's damned important, I can tell you that. I've got no clue what it does, but my smith's eye tells me it's dangerous as hell." He placed his hand into the groove. "You might want to stand back."
A moment later, an image arose from the orb.
"Greetings. If you have recovered this orb, then you are in grave danger..."
***
"No, I do not have the orb," Red said, polishing his armor. "I think that weird guy with the rotating body might have it. I think his name was Vole or something?"
"Tor", or rather Fanthalion, sighed. "Thank you. I'll go check with him." She dragged Nancy away and walked down the halls.
Three minutes later...
"I must ask forgiveness, Your Holy Eminence. I would be honored to be entrusted with the orb, as important as it is to your Divine Governance, but this is not the case. But I believe I may have seen Adelaide carrying it?"
Three minutes later...
"Nah, I ain't got it. Oh, but it sounds familiar... think I saw that straw doll with the dragon arms cartin' it around."
A few more trips led Fantha to Klendel, who obviously hadn't stolen the orb, no sirree, but he had seen Glere holding one. Maybe he had it?
And that was how Fantha found herself watching in frustration as Glere searched through the pocket dimension within his cloak. (Or rather, him. Tor's vision made it clear that the cloak was the one with a soul.)
"Here we go!" he said triumphantly, presenting a fishbowl.
"That is not a silver orb!" Fanthalion growled. She was losing her temper.
"Oh, a silver orb! Hang on a second." And with that, his body continued digging inside.
"Uh..." Nancy interjected. "Do you mind if I have a look?"
"You can if you like," Glere said. "I mean, we have just met, but I suppose you might have better luck than me..."
Nancy reached her hands inside the cloak. She felt something.
It wasn't the orb. It was a refrigerator magnet, one of those alphabet ones. Nancy Little hadn't known of them, but Nora Littleton had. And she could feel that this was a letter 'S'.
A moment later, she found a T. Then an A, then two L's. It was clear enough what was going on before she finished feeling the H, I, and M.
"Land sakes, you've got a lot of things in here," she said. "Wait, I think this is round..."
She pulled out a globe.
"Uh, I don't think this is what you're looking for."
"Tor" groaned in frustration. This was a lot of trouble to go to for keeping up appearances.
***
"I am the Hand of Silver. I make no promises on our success. Ours will be a difficult struggle, and it is likely that many of you will not survive to see its success. But I will continue to search for new weapons against the Grandmasters, and I will continue to work towards our freedom. Until then, I wish you all good luck."
And the hologram faded.
Arkal growled. He almost wanted to crush the orb in his hands.
"This is how he's going to do it!" the smith screamed. "These orbs, promising freedom from the battles. He's going to trick the fighters into helping him take over every goddamn universe!"
"Then we have to stop him," Packston replied. "And I believe I may know a way to do it. But we'll need some help."
"From who?" Arkal asked.
"We need to get this orb to Konka Rar," Packston said with a smirk. "Miss Tallbirch, I believe our question period will have to wait. We're moving out."
"We're not finished yet, Packston!" Emily screamed.
"It's all right. I have no intention of starting a fight, unless we're attacked first. We can resume the argument later if you wish."
Emily scowled, then grudgingly turned to her guards.
"Right. We're moving out. And see to it that nobody causes any trouble," she said, before turning back to Packston with a glare. "And I mean nobody on any side of this conflict."
***
Red turned to the assembled forces.
"As you all know, Tor has advised us to shore up our defenses. But we can't do that any more. The humans have hit us hard, and it's time we hit them back harder!"
The various nonhumans cheered.
"Oh, sure, he'll be upset when he finds out. But I think he'll be too pleased when we bring him Vandrel Reinhardt's head to complain too much, am I right?"
Arkal stared at the orb, scowling. It was the most unlucky material he'd ever seen.
"Take her up on that offer," he said, before Packston could form a response. Packston's eyes changed color a few times, then settled on grey.
"All right, I'll trust your judgement on this," he replied. "Very well, Holly Tallbirch, we'll provide you with shelter. We may have a few questions for you, however."
She scowled and handed the orb to Arkal.
"Fine. Whatever. But first, I want to see what this stupid thing does, since apparently it's so important to find a human to use it."
Arkal looked over the orb carefully. He soon found a hand-shaped groove.
"It's damned important, I can tell you that. I've got no clue what it does, but my smith's eye tells me it's dangerous as hell." He placed his hand into the groove. "You might want to stand back."
A moment later, an image arose from the orb.
"Greetings. If you have recovered this orb, then you are in grave danger..."
***
"No, I do not have the orb," Red said, polishing his armor. "I think that weird guy with the rotating body might have it. I think his name was Vole or something?"
"Tor", or rather Fanthalion, sighed. "Thank you. I'll go check with him." She dragged Nancy away and walked down the halls.
Three minutes later...
"I must ask forgiveness, Your Holy Eminence. I would be honored to be entrusted with the orb, as important as it is to your Divine Governance, but this is not the case. But I believe I may have seen Adelaide carrying it?"
Three minutes later...
"Nah, I ain't got it. Oh, but it sounds familiar... think I saw that straw doll with the dragon arms cartin' it around."
A few more trips led Fantha to Klendel, who obviously hadn't stolen the orb, no sirree, but he had seen Glere holding one. Maybe he had it?
And that was how Fantha found herself watching in frustration as Glere searched through the pocket dimension within his cloak. (Or rather, him. Tor's vision made it clear that the cloak was the one with a soul.)
"Here we go!" he said triumphantly, presenting a fishbowl.
"That is not a silver orb!" Fanthalion growled. She was losing her temper.
"Oh, a silver orb! Hang on a second." And with that, his body continued digging inside.
"Uh..." Nancy interjected. "Do you mind if I have a look?"
"You can if you like," Glere said. "I mean, we have just met, but I suppose you might have better luck than me..."
Nancy reached her hands inside the cloak. She felt something.
It wasn't the orb. It was a refrigerator magnet, one of those alphabet ones. Nancy Little hadn't known of them, but Nora Littleton had. And she could feel that this was a letter 'S'.
A moment later, she found a T. Then an A, then two L's. It was clear enough what was going on before she finished feeling the H, I, and M.
"Land sakes, you've got a lot of things in here," she said. "Wait, I think this is round..."
She pulled out a globe.
"Uh, I don't think this is what you're looking for."
"Tor" groaned in frustration. This was a lot of trouble to go to for keeping up appearances.
***
"I am the Hand of Silver. I make no promises on our success. Ours will be a difficult struggle, and it is likely that many of you will not survive to see its success. But I will continue to search for new weapons against the Grandmasters, and I will continue to work towards our freedom. Until then, I wish you all good luck."
And the hologram faded.
Arkal growled. He almost wanted to crush the orb in his hands.
"This is how he's going to do it!" the smith screamed. "These orbs, promising freedom from the battles. He's going to trick the fighters into helping him take over every goddamn universe!"
"Then we have to stop him," Packston replied. "And I believe I may know a way to do it. But we'll need some help."
"From who?" Arkal asked.
"We need to get this orb to Konka Rar," Packston said with a smirk. "Miss Tallbirch, I believe our question period will have to wait. We're moving out."
"We're not finished yet, Packston!" Emily screamed.
"It's all right. I have no intention of starting a fight, unless we're attacked first. We can resume the argument later if you wish."
Emily scowled, then grudgingly turned to her guards.
"Right. We're moving out. And see to it that nobody causes any trouble," she said, before turning back to Packston with a glare. "And I mean nobody on any side of this conflict."
***
Red turned to the assembled forces.
"As you all know, Tor has advised us to shore up our defenses. But we can't do that any more. The humans have hit us hard, and it's time we hit them back harder!"
The various nonhumans cheered.
"Oh, sure, he'll be upset when he finds out. But I think he'll be too pleased when we bring him Vandrel Reinhardt's head to complain too much, am I right?"
There's no reason for this | Or this | Death is inevitable | You can't challenge fate | The smallest change | I'm overwhelmed
I'm serious | It makes perfect sense | Easy as ABC! | I can't even explain it | Cleaning up someone else's mess
I suck | I rule | I've got it made | Really, I'm serious | This bugs me | It's all lies | I want to believe | Beauty is a curse
I'm serious | It makes perfect sense | Easy as ABC! | I can't even explain it | Cleaning up someone else's mess
I suck | I rule | I've got it made | Really, I'm serious | This bugs me | It's all lies | I want to believe | Beauty is a curse