b r e a k s p a c e r
b r e a k s p a c e r
b r e a k s p a c e r
b r e a k s p a c e r
When all was said and done, and everything was settled, it
had been almost three days since Fortune's End had been rescued. He
didn't really seem to 'fit in' with Viperstar's idea of what Chroma had
told him would be sent to him. It was so odd, in fact, that Fortune's
rescue almost seemed like a fluke. A flaw in Chroma's reasoning, or
perhaps an exploitable error. Whatever the case, the younger cat did
seem to be willing to be his subordinate - his pawn. It wasn't really a
thing that Viperstar would have suggested as a named title, if not for
Fortune insisting that was what he was best at. Taking orders, and
doing chores. Maybe all of that was why he'd let him accompany him
this time, out into the slowly-creeping red mist like blood surrounding
the camp and its two occupants.
"Why is everything around here so creepy?" Fortune asked, picking his
way through increasingly-damp swamp-grass on their way to the
sandbar where they'd first met. Viperstar was in no hurry, it wasn't as
though Chroma had told him to expect anything spectacular.
"Because this is Chroma's land." Viper stated, shaking off a damp leaf
that had gotten stuck to his paw. "His land, his rules, his creepy color
scheme." To be honest, though... red and black was kind of his 'thing',
or had been - back where he was actually from. He flicked an ear in
semi-irritation. "Remember not to fall into th-"
"Sinkholes, I remember. I don't want to do that again. It was all
cold and salt and damp and ick!" Fortune shuddered as he recollected
falling in the first time.
"Do you know how to hunt like this?" Viper asked, pausing to look back
at his Pawn. "Or is this your first time actually trying to kill anything?"
To be honest, the Pawn didn't look as though he had it in him to hurt
a housefly, but looks could very much be deceiving. He was thus very
unsurprised when Fortune shook his head. "Nope. I know cats
pounce on things, and they have claws and teeth - but as to using said
claws and teeth... your guess is as good as mine."
Viper fought back the urge to curse. "... Right. I'd say my idea on how
to hunt like this is a great deal more accurate than yours, but we'll
just have to see." he said, finally deciding that if he was going to try
and rule cats in this place, swearing at them and calling them
all sorts of names wasn't going to be winning him any 'Dictator of the
Month' awards. Not that... he was trying to be a dictator. It just
sort of seemed as though that's the direction he was headed at the
moment.
"First things first, we need to check on the borders." he told his Pawn,
gesturing with a paw toward the far left. "Over there, the sea just sort
of dead-ends into a vast nothingness. I saw a forest there once, and a
sort of blue-green mushroom area. I didn't venture in. If I had to guess
why - I think it's that Chroma's realm is butting up against other kinds
of cat-based realities. That's those noises we keep hearing at night."
"You heard those too?" Fortune's eyes grew wider. "I thought it was just
my mind playing tricks on me. You mean whatever made those noises
was REAL?" The younger cat shuddered again, and gave a furtive sort
of glance behind him - as though he was afraid that the very monsters
he had heard the other night might come up behind him and eat him.
"Yeah." Viper said, pulling his body down toward the belly. "But quiet
now. See there, in front of us?" He lowered himself even further, his
eyes narrowing in on the prey. It hadn't spotted them yet - one bit of
good luck on this bloody, misty, foggy afternoon. "I don't think we can
get it right now, but that? That's a weasel. They're long, sly, and have
a tendency to jump."
Fortune's End was already crouched beside his leader, tail still, and his
whole body quivered, ears erect, listening and hanging on every word
out of Viper's mouth.
"Usually, if I send you out to hunt - that would be what you want to
look for. Something larger like this - big enough to feed us both." The
leader's eyes shone in hunger, but he didn't pursue the animal.
Eventually, the weasel slunk away back into the tall grass, and both
cats relaxed, ready to continue their patrol down the beach. It just so
happened that this time, the void was filled with a pleasant
Spring day, somewhere that was not here. The sunlight seemed to
burn the perpetual darkness away, touching the edges of the sand as
it flowed from the break in reality. Fortune made to go toward it, but
Viperstar stopped him with a quick hiss, and a paw. "Don't."
"But why? It looks gorgeous... I'll bet there's flowers over there and
everything! Maybe even other cats!" Fortune sounded more that
slightly disappointed he wasn't allowed to go on - but Viper's words
rang true in his head, and he stopped where he was. "Why can't we
go in? Just to look?"
"Because I don't know what will happen if you or I step paw off of
this place." Viper said quietly, head tipped toward the Pawn. "You
could disintegrates into tons of pieces, be ripped limb from limb
by the vacuum of space, or even be just perfectly fine. We don't
know. So I'm not going to challenge that."
~And if I told you that even if you walked for miles, you would
never be able to reach the place you see within the darkness?~
Ah. There he was. Just in time. Chroma's honeyed, sickly-sweet voice
oozed out from inside the mind of both cats. Fortune's too, from the
way he quickly shook his head.
"Then I wouldn't believe it for a moment. But nor would I try and
walk there." Viperstar said. "I was wondering where you got off to."
~I cannot always be at your beck and call, my Prince of Darkness.~
Chroma sounded irritated.
"Funny, you've been unwelcomed in my head constantly for the last bit
or so of this strange 'adventure' we're having. What changed?"
~There are things in motion that you know not of.~ warned the god
in a low and threatening manner. ~I would be careful making any
so-called 'assumptions' of beings far above you.~
Viperstart snorted. "I can make any assumptions I like. So far, you have
been blatantly unhelpful in the very worst of ways. You even tried to
drown poor Fortune here to get to me."
~It worked, did it not? You are lonely no more. And to me, it seems as
though Fortune's End is very much enjoying the experience. I see no
harm in what I have done.~
"Yeah, that's kind of the problem." Viper said with a hiss, turning to
follow the edge of the beach up along the scrub grass that lead a
little further into their more wooded territory. "But now that you
are talking to me again - maybe you would deign to answer a simple
question I have."
~I can make no promises. It could be that I do not know the answer,
or that I do not wish to give it. But please - ascertain your inquiry.~
"First things first... If WE got in, can OTHERS get in as well? Others that
you don't mean to get in?"
~Wise King.~ Chroma said, and Viperstar had the strangest feeling
that he was nodding his head. ~Yes. While you cannot get out, others
may, indeed, come in. Some have already arrived, although you have
not met them yet, and I shall hope you never do.~
Things that even Chroma was scared of? That could be useful information.
Regardless, he had to press on with the patrol, Fortune's End dogging his
steps every inch of the way. His tail flicked slightly.
"See or scent anything, Fortune?" Viper turned to call back to his Pawn.
The younger cat shook his head, and then verbalized the negative.
"Nope! Everything smells good, and looks good. Nothing untoward thing
lurking around - at least not that I can see!"
Ugh, did he have to phrase it like that? Really? Viper sighed, and
turned back toward the large, rusted structures of the center of their
territory. What could be loosely considered 'home' at this point.
"Any further in that direction, and we'll bump into another void." he
stated, picking up the pace. "Let's see how well you can keep up on
the way back."
With that, he took off running, Fortune's End staying hot on his heels
until they both reached the relative safety of the sand that marked
the middle of their little camp.
"Good job." the Ringmaster said, standing a little taller, proud of the
Pawn that had just recently come to him. "You kept up quite well, so
perhaps this whole 'being a cat' thing won't be that much of a chore
for you."
Fortune paused to catch his breath, and then flopped down onto his
side with a massive yawn. "Can we rest now?" he asked, still panting.
"... I don't see why not." Viperstar stated, jumping up onto the top of
an old popcorn stand to groom himself, and flick the sand out of his
fur. "Later, though, we're going to fishing. You, or I, or both, need to
bring home something to eat. Pretty soon, we're going to run out."
"Says you. I'm not even hungry." Fortune stuck out his tongue, to which
Viper did the same.
"We will be. It's getting colder here. The mist today was a sign, I think.
I don't know what to expect next, but I've got to believe that Chroma's
got some sort of seasons planned in this world of his."
~Correct, Princeling.~ Chroma answered him, causing Viper to
jerk to a stop mid-lick, and glare at the red sky in general.
~Winter is, indeed, hard upon you. It has not taken hold yet, but I
expect it will not be long now.~ the god said, sounding as though
he were wearing a self-satisfied smirk. ~You will need to be
prepared to weather the storm. Both proverbial and actual.~
"You are absolutely NO help in that matter." Viperstar stated with a
deadpan look, then sighed, and curled himself into a ball at the top
of the popcorn stand. "Get some rest if you can, Fortune. We're
going out again tonight to check the borders, and hopefully
bring something home to eat. I'll come too. For now."
"Okay, Viperstar!" Fortune seemed tired as it was, so he needed no
urging to curl up himself, with his head rested on his paws, and his
eyes firmly closed. Viper wished he could fall asleep that easily.
But no, his attention had to be drawn elsewhere. Those sounds in
the perpetual overcast shade. The movement in the dark last night.
Those had to be something too. If CHROMA was afraid of them...
Then what chance did Viperstar and Fortune's End have?
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inventory
♟ prey list ♟
Shrimp | 1FP
Shrimp | 1FP
♟ herb list ♟
Lamb's Ear | 1
Horsetail | 2
Comfrey Root | 1
Foxglove Seed | 1
Holly Berry Bunch | 1
Wintergreen | 1
Broom | 1
Lovage | 1
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misc.
Level 1
82/200 ♟ exp
Predator/Prey List
death opt-in
Not yet.
word count
1,713
items used
N/A
active quests
N/A
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